Plug-ins: Best Paid and FREE

Every time I interview someone for the podcast or just chat about audio production on the street (read: facebook, twitter etc) one thing that always comes up is Favorite Plug-ins.  Whether we're talking music creation, editing audio, or just trying some crazy effect that not many have heard, we all love new tricks.  So while I have this type of info spread thoughout the site I thought "Hey, I work in the same building with a number of different types of GREAT producers and composers and enginers."  Some of these guys are more focused on creating electronic music.  Some are studio engineers tracking, mixing and/or mastering tracks with "real" instruments.  Below you will see the plug-ins of choice and surprisingly to me there was almost ZERO overlap. I also make note of favorite FREE plugs when appropriate. *Note: There are a variety of OS's, formats like RTAS, VST and AU plus some that require different engines and workstations. Dave Gianjulio: Chief Engineer EQ: VEQ4, SSL Channel COMP: R-Vox, MV-2 VERB: Oxford Reverb DELAY: Echo Farm *EQ: EQ3-7Band *COMP: Bomb Factory BF76 *VERB: TrueVerb *DELAY: Long Delay II *FREE (With Pro Tools ONLY) Lou Medina: Creative Engineer TAL Plugs (FREE) Camel Audio Ohm Force (frohmage is FREE) DC1a (FREE) Nebula (FREE) Soundhack plugs (FREE) Digital Fish Phones -  Block Fish (FREE) Barry Young: Producer/Composer/Engineer Airwindows Iron Oxide 2 (FREE) - a very cool tape simulation Kickmaker by Teragon Audio (FREE) -  The  name says it all *I don't have a favorite paid plug but if you go by what I use most it's gotta be Native Instruments Kontakt. It's just so darn useful. Collin Gouldin: Audio Engineer Paid:  L316 (waves). It’s a really powerful limiter that is cleaner than anything waves has made before. The only free ones I have are built into protools. If that counts, then I love: H-delay – a really straight forward way to get some cool ping pong delays Chris Salmeron: Mastering/Post Production Engineer VST Yamaha DX7 (FREE) - One of my favorite free plug ins when I’m wanting an 80’s Rhodes/Keys feel and I don’t own the actual keybard Waves SSL G-Channel - great for all around anything from crisping up and warming up a nice vocal to getting the punch and high click out on a kick or overall drum kit Ryan Drean: Creative Director FREE Brainwaorx BX Solo - Cool, easy stereo spread fx Flux: Bittersweet - Transient boost or decrease - subtle and simple Flux: Stereo Tool - input gain control L and R and Global Stereo Control Valhalla Echo - Pretty darn simple echo LinPlug Alpha - Easy to use Synth with some really cool sounds PAID ReFx Nexus 2 - LOVE this synth and beat instrument plug Spectrasonics Stylus RMX - When I started making Beats this was REALLY easy to get going.  Intuitive is a good word ; KVR AUDIO:  I will post a link or two on this site, I ain't scared.  BUT for this page I will post one more site to make sure you know about.   Here's a KVR Thread I saw which you can spend some time with, search their reco's and download what you want.  BUT in General I like KVR Audio's site.  Huge user-base and plenty of good content.