These are a mix of free and paid libraries/repositories, if it's not obvious I'll try to note if they have free options.
- has sales/discounts
EVERYONE SAY THANK YOU LEMON
Misc.
For $$$
Please read below
Get Started
- Free for 60 days, and then it yells at you to pay. I'll eventually buy this one, it's my preferred DAW.
- a collection of features that seamlessly integrate into REAPER
Web version of Audacity
FREE! New Addition- crashes ALL the time
- previously FruityLoops
- I'm not a fan of this one, but some of my favorite podcasts have used it in the past! (Lookin' at you, Jojo 😁)
- Don't know much about this one
- A lightweight version of Pro Tools
Consider listening to your projects in different settings or setups. This will depend on your access to certain products, and may be overwhelming to read, but remember that it's not required. Plenty of fantastic producers have just a few things that help them. In fact, you can find discussions where even with plugins, it's common to just have a toolset you've built and stick with it throughout most projects.
Many pro sound designers will test with:
If you don't have access to these things, please don't feel like you need to go out and buy them! I usually don't have access to nice speakers, but it's fun to hear my projects when I do. Do what works for you, the great thing about sound is you don't need to shell out cash to make something that sounds great. These things can help if you can afford them, but if you are starting out, just stick with what helps you get the job done! You can change it up later when such opportunities come along.
Lemon from Audistorium also posed the question, "Do you listen to [your projects] in your car?" it's very common in music to do so, and what might be expected in one medium may be incredibly helpful in another. I think this can also hammer home the point of accessibility above. I don't have a car, but my sound seems to work alright for listeners!
Do what helps you create, and what makes you happy when listening to your creations. Sound is very diverse, your approach can/may change with genre in music, movies, television, games, and everything under the sun. What works for one project might not work for another, and what works for one sound designer might not fit into how another creates. We all bring different perspectives, so celebrate your unique signature!
Get Readin'
- These are locked documents, under a paywall. You can find related articles here and here.
- Check out the comments for corrections and opinions from others who are, presumambly, Producers/Designers of some sort
- A utility plug-in for making notes and comments on sound files
- These are for personal use only, but they're nice for inspo too.
I've added comments/emoji to plugins I've tried
I'm a BIG fan of KHS plugins.
(scroll to the bottom) - "Virtual analog synthesizer, Headphone simulation plugin, and Sibalance de-esser"
The below image includes both paid and free alternatives, so I'm putting them here. Click to open in a new window!
Let's build some shit.
ᵒʳ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ(p.s. pls view this on desktop)
(p.p.s. I am a sound designer and here I will be providing links for newcomers to get started, and for experienced designers to explore some tools and articles around sound!)
(p.p.p.s. I will not be linking Discords here. If you're interested in joining some, there's a ton to be found on Reddit, Tumblr, individual creators' or projects' sites, and Youtube. Please do not share your Discord invites on the Guestbook, but feel free to link your social media or site!)
(click these:)
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