Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Incredible Free VSTs and AUs: Togu Audio Line



Togu Audio Line is a free, donation based VST and AU plugin collection from the awesome Patrick Kunz.  These great plugins got my attention a couple months back when some guests mentioned that they used them, and more recently I've seen that even the mighty Fred Falke is a fan.


I strongly encourage you to donate to this guy if you get some of his plugins, because they're way too much of a steal.  I'll list off a few that he has up for grabs:

The TAL-U-No-62, which is based off of a Roland Juno 60, is great for polyphonic sounds.  Seen above, it's a great way to get an idea of a Juno 60 without breaking your bank.  There's also the TAL-Chorus-60, which is what Fred Falke used in one of his tracks.  This is a great way to add the very famous vintage chorus to any synth, let alone a Juno imitator.

The TAL-Bassline is based off of the Roland SH-101, another classic synth.  Off the top of my head, both guests Frankmusik and Starsmith used the real deal.  This is perfect to put together a great low end, or even a lead on your track.

The TAL-NoiseMaker is another synth plugin.  Not based on a retro synth, but plenty of options to mess around with too, especially if you're trying to go more "modern" and don't want the limitations of the classics.

There's even more on the site, including an EQ, a Reverb, a Vocoder, and more.  This is the PERFECT place to start if you want some free plugins straight away on your new DAW (or even something like Garageband!)  Part of the reason these types of plugins are so desirable is they limit you in the way the classic synths did-- that's why the programmers of the 80s were so awesome.  They invented ways to get great sounds out of some synths that weren't easily programmed or didn't have a ton of options.

Check out the site here and be sure to donate if you download!  I'm sure the programmer appreciates any little bit he can get for his time.

Marina and the Diamonds - Radioactive [Starsmith Rework]



Apologies for being out of the posting loop the past couple days... I'll be on my best to get more posts up soon!

So this track isn't even going to be released, which is a shame, because it's some of Starsmith's best remix work.  The track is Marina and the Diamonds' "Radioactive" off of her next record, Electra Heart.  I haven't heard the original (not sure if it's even out) but this remix really nails a great groove and gets the feet shuffling.  Starsmith's really developed into an excellent producer.  Why isn't this being released you ask?  At this point, there has to be some greater evil working against Starsmith.  I wouldn't  rule out the Illuminati or Freemasons.  There's been a few of his mixes rejected, and the greatest crime of all was his label dropping support for his solo record, which I discussed with him in his interview here.  Hopefully that will be properly released within the next year or two, and not become his equivalent to Weezer's Songs from the Black Hole.

Fin, if you're listening, never stop making great music.

Check back for more posts soon!