Sometimes, but not always. There’s some shit out there, but there’s some good free shit out there, too.
Free plugins!
Creepr
#103
yeah, lots of great stuff out there for zero dollars. Cases in point: Melda Free bundle, Kontakt player, anything at all from Tokyo Dawn, Full Bucket stuff and the pretty cool sound collections from Spitfire audio.
Some are, however, free because they suck on toast.
metaside
#104
This one is crazy - a completely free and very flexible MPE synth. And I just read that Roger Linn even created a bank of sounds for it, optimized for the LinnStrument:
http://www.rogerlinndesign.com/surge.html
https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/
StrayMedicine
#105
A lot of them are, but sometimes great companies make freeware so that people can get an idea of what to expect from their paid plugins. Some developers also enter KVR’s developer challenge, or send stuff to Synthtopia and other production focused websites and offer free stuff as a way to get their name out there.
There’s a lot of sifting through crap if you just google ‘free plugins’ if you wanna find the good stuff, so this thread is a great resource imo.
MFXxx
#108
Always forget to mention this one also. Library grows month by month.
Although not extensive, there’s some useful sounds and flexibility.
Spitfire Labs
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/labs/
Have fun.
MFXxx
#109
Acustica Audio Yearly freebie
https://www.acustica-audio.com/pages/specials/celestial
Looks nice.
MFXxx
#110
Arturia’s Xmas Offerring
WE HAVE A GIFT FOR YOU.
Enjoy our brand new software effect: Rev PLATE-140, a reimagining of the classic EMT®️ 140 plate reverb, for free.
We wish you all the best for 2020
MFXxx
#111
Xmas is coming thick and fast…
2CAudio freebie one of my favourite reverb devs. Offering vector. Nothing ground breaking but worth a look as spatial is their speciality.
bfk
#115
Scansynthgl…allows you to draw in your own custom waveform and make squiggly lines in realtime…
MFXxx
#116
Two days to bag a freebie. This, imho, is nice and more free additions coming to this little baby.
http://www.acustica-audio.com/pages/specials/celestial
Vid
Not everyones cup of tee…free is free 
Negazul
#117
GUYS
https://www.jthorborg.com/index.html?ipage=signalizer
I was looking for a great overall signal analyzer. I don’t like smexoscope because it isn’t synced to bpm, and I don’t like the interface/look. The Ableton’s integrated spectrum analyzer is too tiny, since my eyes aren’t what they were, and I’m on a laptop, I need big.
Signalizer was recommended to me by a friend : the thing is awesome. It’s very precise, the waveforms are really good-looking, it has a shitload of parameters, and three modes, spectrum, oscilloscope and 3D spectrum. It is also bpm-synced.
And, it can be fullscreened. I am having an absolute blast with this plugin, try it !
gabe
#118
Harvest Mini is free, and we just uploaded an AU version to go with the VST (I’m the founder)
It’s a MIDI Generator, you give it parameters, and it’ll generate basically infinite melodies, rhythms. You can kinda do chord progressions with it too. Check out our videos page to learn more (make sure you’re looking at the Mini videos, not the Full ones)
I can’t post links, but you can find us by googling Harvest Plugins!
-Gabe
Creepr
#119
I checked it out, that does look cool. I bought the Melda multiband analyzer years ago though and it does a pretty similar job, plus it works over multiple tracks in the mix, allowing for collision detection etc. With the most recent Melda updates they really put a shine on the interface and functionality. scaleable to fullscreen as well, with zoom functions. Just another option for those looking. It is not free but the have rotating sales…I would recommend picking it up.
Trebesch
#121
Only for those in the USA it’s worth pointing out.
I got Ozone 8 elements free at some point so I can’t complain