So, if you just want a shortcut to pro-quality mixes, watch this free masterclass now: But if you just want to learn about VST Instruments specifically, keep reading. VST Instruments. The better your recordings sound, the better your final mix will be. Which is why VST (Virtual Studio Technology) instruments can level up your songs immediately. Available for Download. Utility 10 Analog 8 Imaging 6 Modulators 6 Delay 5 Distortion 5 Filter 5 Chorus 4 Dynamics 4 EQ 4 Mid-Side 4 Stereo-Field 4 Synthesizer 4 Vintage 4 Algorithmic 3 Amp-Simulator 3 Bitcrusher 3 Mastering 3 Reverb 3 Subtractive 3.

Last Updated on December 14, 2020 by

We all want the best sound, but getting a great guitar, amp, pedals and so on is quite expensive, so why break the bank when you can get some Virtual Instruments that will do the job.

Of course, they will not sound EXACTLY like the real thing, but close enough!

There are many Guitar VST Plugins, most of them are not free and cost up to $200 (some of them are actually worth the money), but luckily there are some FREE options out there that are quite impressive as well.

The Best FREE Guitar VST Plugins are;

Ample Guitar M Lite
Amplitube 4 Custom Shop
Guitar Rig 5 Player
Amplifikation Lite
Poulin Amp Pack
Emissary by Ignite Amps
TSE 50x v2
Amplion
Ignite Amps NRR-1
Blue Cat
Mercuriall Tube Amp Ultra 530
Amped Roots Free
The Nick Crow Plugins
TSE 808 (Tube Screamer)
Ace Vintage Tube
FREEAMP 3.6
Simulanalog Guitar Suite (only 32 bit, not supported in 64 bit)

I also want to add 3 plugins to the list which are not free, but which are really good, should you choose to invest some money into them.

Guitar Rig 5 ($199)
Amplitube ($149.99)
BIAS FX ( Standard $99 and Pro $199)

Ample Guitar M Lite II

This little plugin surprised me quite a bit, mainly because it’s an acoustic guitar emulator.

These don’t usually sound all that great.

Most of the times they don’t even come close to the sound of an actual acoustic guitar.

But this is not the case with Ample Guitar M Lite.

It sounds absolutely fantastic, while also giving you the option to add some effects. You can even double the guitar with the simple press of a button, which will add width and body to the sound.

I think that everyone should download it. Electric guitar plugins are extremely common, but not acoustic ones and like I said, they tend to sound terrible.

Check it out here:Ample Guitar M Lite.

By the way, you can also download a free bass emulator plugin which sounds terrific, make sure to try it out as well.

Amplitube 4 Custom Shop

One thing I don´t like is that you need to register to be able to download it. (Quite annoying, since it´s free, but hey…still great plugin!)

In this Free Version you get;

3 Amplifiers
One Cabinet
Tuner
Delay
Overdrive
Compressor
Equalizer
Wah-Wah
Chorus
Flanger
Tremolo
Volume Pedal
And a couple more things.

Amplitube can work as a Plugin or as a Standalone program, just like Guitar Rig 5.

It sounds great, a bit better than Guitar Rig in my opinion and when you download the FREE version, you get the full version for 10 days also, which, if you are considering buying the full version of one of these Softwares, is great!

Check it out here:Amplitube 4.

Important Update: Amplitube used to be my favorite amp sim, but after trying our BIAS FX 2 and especially BIAS Amp 2, I have to say that my preferences changed dramatically.

I absolutely love BIAS Amp 2; the clean tones are extremely realistic, which is something that no other amp sim can really do.

If you can spend about $50, then I’d highly recommend the BIAS amp sims, they are just too realistic.

Related: List of the 18 best Free Synth VST Plugins.

Guitar Rig 5 Player

It sounds just as good as the full version, the BIG difference is the amount of cabinets, amplifiers, effects, etc. that you get.

In the Free Version you get;

Tuner
One Amplifier
One Cabinet
2 Delay pedals
One tube screamer
A limiter and a noise gate
Compressor
Noise reduction
Volume Pedal
2 Equalizers
1 Pro filter
Reverb and a couple more effects.

The great thing about this plugin is that it´s really easy to use, very intuitive, and sounds great. With only the tube screamer though, you won´t be able to achieve really heavy sounds.

It can also be used as a standalone program.

One issue that I had while getting this program was that they ask you to register, just like with Amplitube 4…

Then send you an email with a serial key, which you then have to authenticate using the Native Access program, which you need to download separately.

Other than that, it´s a great choice!

Check it out here: Guitar Rig 5 Player.

If you’re struggling to get a good sounding signal to your DAW it might be due to the quality of your audio interface.

Here’s an article I wrote about to very affordable yet great-sounding Audio Interfaces which will get you sounding better in no time.

Amplifikation Lite by Kuassa

Amplifikation Lite is one of the amps that comes with the Amplifikation One guitar simulation software by Kuassa, which incidentally you can also try out for free, but there will be sound played every 40 sec.

Amplifikation Lite features an Amp with three channels; Clean, Rhythm, and Lead, and let me tell you… they sound fantastic.

If you you’re trying to get one of those 80’s and 90’s rock tones, then this amp sim has definitely got you covered.

The thing I like the most, other than the sound quality, is that it’s extremely easy to use and tweak, thanks to the limited number of controls.

Additionally, it comes with a cabinet, so you don’t have to put one in the chain yourself.

The rhythm channel is by far the one I like the most, but all three of them sound terrific.

So, make sure to give it a try!

Check it out here: Amplifikation Lite.

Note: Kuassa also created one of the best-sounding blues Amp Sims that I ever tried called “Matchlock” that you should also check out! (This one is not free, however, but it only sells for about $22).

LePou Amp Pack

Now we are getting to the Hi Gain Amp section!

These plugins are fantastic for really heavy music, they sound great, and it´s extremely easy to make them work on any DAW.

You need to put a cabinet in the chain though, when you download the amplifier you don´t get the cabinets included…

But you can download LeCab right there on the same website, which is a VST for loading cabinet simulator impulses.

You can actually load 6 simultaneous cabinets and mix them to your liking (LeCab is 32 bit though, you won´t be able to run it on a 64 bit system).

A couple of the amps you get are;

LeCto which is based on a Mesa Boogie’s dual rectifier.
Le456 based on Engl Powerball
LeGion, which is not based on any amp. It’s an Original of LePou.

Honestly these are the best plugins for heavy tones! Try them out!

You don’t need to register, simply download and copy to VST folder.

Check it out here: LePoulin Amp Pack.

Important Note: I wrote a complete guide on how to make a Guitar Amp Simulator Sound good which should be useful to you since they don’t tend to sound as one would expect right from the start!

Emissary by Ignite Amps

Another extremely good heavy sound amp is the Emissary 2.0.

It still has a clean channel which ranges from clean to slightly overdriven tones and a lead channel that is just insanely good for for any kind of metal tones.

The emissary plug-in bundle also includes the NadIR dual impulse response convolver, which is designed to be used as a cabinet simulator both for guitar and bass pre amplifiers.

Features

Three Routing Modes: Mono, Dual Mono and Stereo
Automatic high-quality resampling for IRs with different sampling rates
High-quality analog shaped filters
Selectable delay
Continuous morphing control between loaded IRs
Global input level and single IR level controls
Fully automatable controls

Check it out here: Emissary

Free Vst Downloads For Soundbridge