In music production, "free" usually means "cheap." But there are a few rare exceptions. There are free plugins that are so good, they have defined entire genres of music.

These are the legends. If you don't have these installed, go download them right now.

1. Xfer OTT

The Sound of Dubstep & EDM.

What is it? It stands for "Over The Top." It is a multiband upward/downward compressor.

Why it's legendary: It takes a weak, dull sound and smashes it into a bright, aggressive brick wall of sound.

• Use it on: Synths, Basses, and (carefully) on Vocals.
• Secret: Turn the "Depth" knob down to 20%. At 100%, it destroys everything. At 20%, it makes everything sound professional and shiny.

2. Camel Crusher

The Sound of Fat Bass.

What is it? A very simple distortion and compression unit.

Why it's legendary: The company (Camel Audio) actually went out of business years ago (bought by Apple), but people still share the old .dll and .vst files like gold because nothing else sounds quite like it. It adds "beef" to a sound instantly.

• Use it on: 808s and Sub Bass.
• Setting: Turn off the Compressor (Phat mode) and just use the "Tube" distortion knob. It adds warmth without ruining the low end.

3. dBlue Glitch (v1.3)

The Chaos Engine.

What is it? A sequencer that chops up your audio and applies random effects (reverse, tape stop, crusher, gate) in a rhythmic pattern.

Why it's legendary: This plugin single-handedly created the "Glitch Hop" genre. It turns a boring drum loop into a complex IDM masterpiece with zero effort.

• Note: The newer version (Glitch 2) costs money, but the old v1.3 is still floating around for free on Windows. For Mac users, check out "Effectrix" (Paid) or "Fracture" (Free).

Final Verdict

You can spend $10,000 on Waves and UAD plugins, but sometimes the best tool for the job is a weird, ugly free plugin from 2010.

Start with OTT. It is the salt and pepper of modern electronic music. Put it on everything.