10 Plugins for Sound Design in Electronic Music: VSTs Defining What The Future Of Music Sounds Like

In a world where the golden ticket to success in the music industry is having a unique sound, it boggles me to hear how 90% of producers rinse the same techniques and production hacks on YouTube, hoping that they alone, and not the 10k other producers doing the exact same thing, will stand out from the crowd. Because the truth is that all music producers and beatmakers have access to the same tools, and how we use these tools defines who we are as artists and producers. That said, there are only so many ways to use conventional plugins like Omnisphere and Serum.

And if you’re trying to make the mold, you need something with a bit more flexibility and not such an identifiable sound.

This is why we’ve compiled a list of the ten best plugins for sound design that we’ve had the opportunity to use and abuse in our studio. The only common theme here is that these plugins help you turn samples and sounds into something new and fresh. So you’ll see samplers, granular synths, delays, distortions, and more. So let’s dive in.

But First, Do You Need Free Stuff? Bookmark these before we keep going…

DH Plugins Halo 2

Halo 2 is the latest innovation from DH Plugins, a hybrid synth that excels in creating powerful and distinctive sounds primarily for bass music genres. This version maintains the robust hybrid engine that fuses three sound generators (Sample, Sub, and Synth) with various sound design tools. These tools include editable distortion, four LFO-controlled filters, pitch and amplitude envelopes, two tempo-synced editable LFOs, a step modulator, a powerful parameter modulation system, and a set of effects and EQ. Moreover, the ROMpler-style component Sampler generator supports a genre-specific sample set, allows sample import, and is expandable via add-on packs like the Mono-Synth, Borg Bass, and Beast-Mode.

New features have been seamlessly integrated into Halo 2’s familiar layout, including a 16-step arpeggiator that offers extensive customizability and can be assigned selectively to each sound generator. Additionally, the primary filters are now more flexible, allowing for diverse sonic exploration, and a new FM mode adds more audio intrigue to both the Sample and Synth sections. The genre-specific sound set is impressive, featuring 430 presets based on a 4GB sample set with a broad range of bass sounds, lead sounds, pads, and rhythmic presets. The platform’s expansion packs offer additional content for more versatility, and adding a latching preset audition button and a choice of four color schemes enhances the user experience.

Halo 2’s X-Factors Are:

A Dynamic Sound Palette: Combining three sound generators and various useful design tools offers unparalleled flexibility. This variety allows users to generate sounds, from bass and lead sounds to pads and rhythmically designed presets.
Expansive Customizability: Halo 2 stands out with its level of detail in user control. The 16-step arpeggiator, flexible main filters, and new FM mode offer avenues for sonic exploration. Plus, its genre-specific sound set can be expanded with multiple add-on packs, providing a versatile platform for sound design.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

Dist COLDFIRE

Dist Coldfire stands out in sound design and music production plugins, offering a unique toolkit that combines two distinct distortion engines for an array of analog and digital distortion types. Beyond the norm, Dist Coldfire also features pre- and post-distortion filters for each stage, assignable parameter modulation, and dynamic processing, making it a formidable choice for creating unique and textured sounds. Various presets, ranging from drum loops to voice effects, enable users to begin creating immediately, with the flexibility to customize to their heart’s content.

This plugin shines in its capacity for user-defined creativity. It sports an array of 11 distortion types, further enhanced with various subtypes. Coupled with a delay section with feedback, filtering, and optional tempo sync, there’s hardly any limit to the tonal possibilities. Its user interface is well thought out and straightforward, showcasing tooltips that display current values and control purposes. The intricate modulation section and advanced panel further open creative potential, turning simple drum loops or sustained instrument parts into intricate rhythmic elements.

Dist Coldfire’s X-Factors Are:

Highly Adaptable Sound Sculpting: Dist Coldfire has two separate distortion engines, each offering 11 unique distortion types. This diversity, paired with an intricate modulation system, enables a broad spectrum of sonic manipulation and offers the potential for unparalleled sound design.
Powerful Modulation and Dynamic Processing: A standout feature of this plugin is its powerful modulation capabilities that can transform drum loops and sustained instruments into complex rhythmic elements. Its advanced dynamic processing lets users apply distortion precisely and creatively, turning sounds into transformed, intricate pieces.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

Rift 2.0

Rift, developed by Minimal Audio, is a sophisticated plugin that serves as a game-changer for sound design and music production. Touted as a bipolar hybrid distortion effect, it allows musicians to add unique sonic elements to their compositions. The ‘bipolarity’ of Rift’s processing allows users to apply varying degrees of distortion to both the positive and negative components of an audio waveform, with 30 different distortion modes, offering a spectrum of effects from soft overdrive to utter decimation. This enables users to craft a vast array of distortion-based effects that can significantly enhance the impact of their music.

Rift offers two operational modes: Play View and Advanced View. Play View presents a simplified macro-based control set, ideal for quickly applying effects without delving too deep into the mechanics. Advanced View provides an array of additional controls that ramp up control and complexity, allowing for precise modulation and customization of sounds. Rift’s GUI design makes it accessible for newbies, and complex, experienced users who wish to harness its full potential.

Rift’s X-Factors Are:

Powerful Bipolar Hybrid Distortion: The bipolar nature of Rift’s distortion engine sets it apart from other plugins. This feature allows users to apply varying types of distortion to both the positive and negative components of an audio waveform, allowing for a wide range of sound design options.
Flexible Operational Modes: The dual-mode feature of Rift makes it adaptable to different user requirements. Beginners can use the Play View for a quick and straightforward application of effects. At the same time, seasoned producers can switch to Advanced View for a deeper, more complex exploration of sound design possibilities.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

CUBE

Lunacy Audio’s CUBE is a testament to the limitless potential of sample-based instruments in music production. It offers a unique approach to sound design by blending and layering sounds within a 3D-cube interface. CUBE facilitates up to 8 samples simultaneously, with each cube corner representing a sample. Each sample has two layers, enabling various sound adjustments and fine-tuning. With its state-of-the-art OpenGL-rendered interface, users can seamlessly blend sounds by moving an animated orb in three dimensions within the cube. Furthermore, CUBE doesn’t shy away from modulation, utilizing proven tools like detailed LFOs and a Macro controller to breathe life into static sounds.

The plugin boasts a rich library of organic and synthetic sounds, allowing sound creators the liberty to experiment and fashion their unique soundscapes. It offers flexibility with its compatibility with imported audio and SoundFont files. With a robust FX suite, CUBE caters to most audio mangling needs. It houses 13 FX modules, including filters, parametric EQ, saturation, and more, contributing significantly to sound shaping. Modulation techniques like drag-and-drop assignment, randomization, and a modulation matrix make CUBE highly customizable and dynamic.

CUBE’s X-Factors Are:

Unique 3D Interface: The cube-like 3D interface allows for creative sound blending. It’s a neat visual trick and offers an intuitive and engaging way to interact with the sounds and effects.
Comprehensive FX Suite: It comes with a comprehensive suite of 13 FX modules, which, coupled with the flexibility of importable impulse responses, enables endless possibilities for sound customization and enhancement.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

Morph EQ

Minimal Audio’s Morph EQ is an innovative and versatile EQ processor that goes beyond traditional equalization duties, offering the potential for unique sound sculpting and morphing effects. With unlimited filter bands and seven filter types, the plugin allows users to adjust and create sounds flexibly. Its main features include series or parallel signal flow, gain-dependent filter width, and an output limiter with varying saturation settings. In addition, the plugin provides users with global controls such as Shift, Pinch, Spread, and Scale to manipulate all frequencies or gains collectively, offering interesting creative possibilities and time-saving utilities.

Morph EQ’s unique approach lies in its morphing capabilities, which are controlled via a master Morph knob. Users connect EQ nodes or filter points by creating morphing pathways, creating complex yet engaging sound transitions. Adjusting the pathways with curved lines further enhances the tool’s flexibility. Morph EQ, however, is not limited to morphing alone. It boasts a frequency analyzer display, global wet/dry mix, three gain scales, individual filter auditioning, and undo/redo options for filter changes. Presets covering standard tasks to more abstract soundscapes further underscored its creative possibilities.

Morph EQ’s X-Factors Are:

Morphing Capabilities: The unique morphing functionality provides a new dimension to sound design, allowing users to create intricate and dynamic sound transitions with considerable ease and precision.
Global Control Features: The global controls, including Shift, Pinch, Spread, and Scale, offer joint manipulation of frequencies or gains, enabling practical and creative advantages. This is particularly beneficial for quick adjustments and for creating unique soundscapes.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

Infiltrator 2

Devious Machines’ Infiltrator 2 is a dynamic multi-effects processor, a turbocharged sequel to its predecessor, designed to enhance the creative possibilities in sound design. The plugin has ten effect slots, user-editable multi-segment envelopes, assignable macros, and 54 effects modules, considerably more than the first version. The exceptional level of real-time control it offers makes it a versatile tool for music production. Each effect is assigned two dedicated envelopes with a synced length of up to 128 bars, and the input audio envelope follower can also be used as a mod source. Coupled with a 32-step sequencer, users are granted a potent environment for creating immersive effects.

Infiltrator 2 enhances its pre-existing effects, introducing new filters and time manipulation modules to expand sound manipulation possibilities further. Notably, the Distort module now includes a Degrade mode, providing a noisy and destructive vibe to your sounds. On top of that, the plugin presents a whole new range of Spectral effects and FFT-based processors perfect for creating distinctive, granular-style audio outputs. A bonus comes in 1500 presets, categorized and sub-categorized, enabling a quick showcase of the plugin’s extensive capabilities.

Infiltrator 2’s X-Factors Are:

Real-time Control: The amount of real-time control that Infiltrator 2 offers set it apart. Users are offered significant versatility with two dedicated envelopes per effect, a synced length of up to 128 bars, and the ability to use an input audio envelope follower as a mod source.
Time Manipulation Modules and Spectral Effects: The introduction of time manipulation modules and Spectral effects adds a new dimension to the plugin. Users can easily create backward audio, tape slow-downs, and reverses, while FFT-based processors add granular-style and metallic-sounding outputs to the creative palette.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

ShaperBox 3

Cableguys’ ShaperBox 3 is an inventive multi-effect plugin that builds upon the foundations of its predecessors by sticking to its simple core concept: enabling users to craft the application of effects through a highly customizable LFO curve. This concept manifests into a user-friendly interface where one can choose and modulate an effect according to a selectable or creative curve. While the plugin offers many features, including a customizable multiband, a vast user-stocked preset library, and various triggering and curve-switching tools, its core workflow remains intact, making it a perfect tool for quickly injecting rhythmic elements into any sound.

ShaperBox 3 extends the capabilities of the previous versions by incorporating new effects and user-friendly tools without altering the existing workflow. A notable addition is the LiquidShaper module, which specializes in phasing and flanging, with various parameters to adjust tonality and width. The plugin also improves sidechain triggering with a new Global Audio Trigger panel, enabling users to switch between the primary and sidechain input, monitor incoming audio, apply high/low-pass filters, and alter the detection algorithm. Furthermore, enhancements to the curve drawing tools simplify the creation and editing of modulation shapes, improving overall workflow.

ShaperBox 3’s X-Factors Are:

LiquidShaper Module: The newly added LiquidShaper module enhances the ShaperBox experience by offering specialized phasing and flanging effects. The module’s parameters allow for fine-tuned adjustments to the tonality and width of each effect, making it easier to achieve great sweeps, rhythmic patterns, and glitchy stutters.
Improved Sidechain Triggering: ShaperBox 3’s improved sidechain triggering offers flexibility in sound design by enabling users to switch between the primary audio input and a sidechain input. This feature, combined with the ability to monitor incoming audio, apply filters, and alter detection algorithms, ensures a more controlled and nuanced effect application.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

Cluster Delay

Minimal Audio’s Cluster Delay carves out a niche in the crowded world of sound design plugins. As a multi-tap delay plugin combined with multi-effects capabilities, it presents a dynamic toolset for producers seeking an innovative approach to sound manipulation. The plugin hosts a plethora of options, including up to eight taps, various delay times, sequence complex multi-tap delays, and stereo and mid/side modes. An ‘analog modeling’ option adds extra flexibility, allowing users to introduce tape-like sounds by adjusting feedback and filtering. Furthermore, the multi-effects section features elements like wobble time modulation, diffusion blurring, chorus, phaser, flanger, and frequency shift. All of these features contribute to creating a truly rich sonic environment.

Not only does Cluster Delay cater to the sound design intricacies with its features, it also provides an intuitive user interface, giving the plugin an edge over some of its counterparts. Detailed visualizations help users comprehend their actions, even when dealing with complex settings, offering an enhanced user experience. The plugin also incorporates a ducker with depth and time controls, allowing users to explore extreme effects without losing the integrity of their rhythms and mix.

Cluster Delay’s X-Factors Are:

Multi-Effects Section: Cluster Delay houses a comprehensive multi-effects section featuring options like wobble time modulation, diffusion blurring, chorus, phaser, flanger, and frequency shift. This expansive set of effects adds depth to the sound design process, making the plugin ideal for producers seeking to craft intricate soundscapes.
Intuitive User Interface: The user interface of Cluster Delay stands out for its ease of use and visual clarity. The animated visualizations provide insight into the changes, even when the settings are complex. This enhances the user experience by making the plugin more approachable and less daunting for new users while still offering depth and complexity for more experienced producers.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

Novum

Dawesome’s Novum revolutionizes the realm of sound design with its unique granular synthesizer and intricate, multilayered approach. By fragmenting audio samples into six layers, utilizing machine learning algorithms for decomposition, and applying granular processing to each layer, Novum lets music producers craft diverse soundscapes and timbres ranging from gritty drones to silky pads. This sound processing marvel doesn’t merely play back samples conventionally. Instead, it lifts specific snippets of sound from anywhere within the sample to form the basis for creating new, unique sounds. Further enhancing its capability, Novum enables the modulation of grain samples, drastically altering the final sound output from the original sample and fostering the creation of entirely distinctive sonic textures.

A key feature of Novum is the ease with which it lets you import and manipulate your samples or drum loops. The samples are broken down into individual layers and then processed, giving you unprecedented control over the final output and allowing for unique, customized soundscapes. Though seemingly complex, the user interface is intuitively designed, offering a visual representation of each sound layer and the granular ’emitters’ alongside an extensive modulation source display. Adding synth-style filters, effects, and comprehensive modulation only adds to Novum’s vast sonic possibilities.

Novum’s X-Factors Are:

Sonic Layering: Novum can break down samples into six distinct layers. This allows for a level of control and customization that helps create complex, rich, and varied sounds from simple or complex samples.
Efficient Modulation: The plugin’s comprehensive modulation capabilities include internal modulators like LFOs and possible modulation through external controllers. This lets producers drastically alter the sound output and achieve diverse audio effects, pushing the boundaries of creativity in music production.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

Multipass

Multipass is an effects plugin, a practical tool for those aiming to design unique sounds in music production. This VST/AU plugin, named for its capacity to split an input signal into up to five separate bands, comes with its own effects lane for each band, which allows for multiple effects modules—known as “Snapins”—to be inserted, creating a customizable sound. Besides the five band lanes, Snapins can be incorporated into the full-frequency signal before or after the band splitter. With a comprehensive modulation system and mixer controls, it’s possible to create various dynamic effects patterns, expanding the range of sound design possibilities.

These Snapins are fully functional plugins that can be individually loaded into a VST/AU host. Users can purchase Multipass with different amounts of Snapins included in the package. The options range from the Basic bundle with five Snapins, the Producer Pack with an additional five, or the Modular Madness bundle with seven more. For greater versatility, extra Snapins can be bought separately. This plugin also allows for a deep level of modulation, where each modulation source can be assigned to multiple parameters throughout Multipass and its loaded Snapins. Despite its complexity, Multipass is intuitive, with many presets to get users started.

Multipass’s X-Factors Are:

Unparalleled Customization: Multipass allows an unprecedented level of customization. From splitting an input signal into multiple bands, assigning each with its own effects lane, to adding and modulating Snapins, users have infinite options for creating dynamic, tailored soundscapes.
Integrated and Standalone Functionality: Unlike many other plugins, Multipass Snapins offers unique dual functionality. Each Snapin is a fully functional plugin in its own right, meaning it can be used independently in any VST/AU host or combined with others within the Multipass system, thus providing flexibility and versatility for sound designers.

Learn More About This Synth While Supporting Our Small Team Of Writers Through Our Affiliate Partnership With Plugin Boutique Here

By Will Vance
Will Vance is a professional music producer who has been involved in the industry for the better part of a decade and has been the managing editor at Magnetic Magazine since mid-2022. In that time period, he has published thousands of articles on music production, industry think pieces and educational articles about the music industry. Over the last decade as a professional music producer, Will Vance has also ran multiple successful and highly respected record labels in the industry, including Where The Heart Is Records as well as having launched a new label with a focus on community through Magnetic Magazine. When not running these labels or producing his own music, Vance is likely writing for other top industry sites like Waves or the Hyperbits Masterclass or working on his upcoming book on mindfulness in music production. On the rare chance he's not thinking about music production, he's probably running a game of Dungeons and Dragons with his friends which he has been the dungeon master for for many years.