iZotope released Trash Lite, a freeware distortion plugin based on the new commercial plugin called Trash (€109).
Now, if you’ve been around VST plugins for a while, you’re probably already familiar with iZotope Trash. It’s a legendary distortion plugin and one of iZotope’s flagship products before the age of Ozone and other currently popular tools.
So how is any of this new?
Well, the new plugin is basically Trash version 3. However, iZotope seems to have simply called it Trash to keep things nice and elegant.
What’s more important for us budget-minded music producers, though, is that iZotope also released a completely free version of the plugin called Trash Lite.
Trash Lite features a smaller feature set, but I was super happy with how it sounds and how versatile it is during a quick test run earlier today.
I also loved the new interface. It’s modern and clean-looking but doesn’t lack in the intuitiveness department, either. Some modern interfaces sacrifice user experience for good looks, but that is not the case here.
As soon as you load Trash Lite in your DAW of choice, it’s pretty clear what each parameter does.
The centrally-positioned Trash module is where you’ll adjust the distortion algorithm, gain amount, tone, and mix. It’s fantastic how versatile the distortion module is.
I was able to apply some pretty wild distortion to a drum loop, then use the tone control to make it less aggressive, and finally adjust the mix knob to get a drum loop that sounds more aggressive without being completely obliterated.
There are 60 (!) different distortion modes to choose from, so there’s plenty of fun to be had if you enjoy experimenting with sound design. If you prefer plugin-and-play effects, iZotope also provides a wide selection of presets you can browse and use as a starting point.
While the distortion module is the plugin’s central focus point, it’s not everything that Trash Lite has to offer.
You also get a neat randomization tool (fun to use when you’re out of inspiration for sound design) and a limiter mode with the auto-gain option to prevent loudness accidents while playing with dangerous levels of distortion.
If you want more features like multi-band processing and convolution, then be sure to check out the paid version of Trash. If, however, you simply need a versatile distortion plugin to add some spice to your sounds, Trash Lite is a fantastic choice (as is our free BPB Dirty Filter Plus plugin).
Trash Lite is available in VST, AU, and AAX plugin formats for Windows and macOS. You can also download it as a free iOS app for the iPad. The paid Trash plugin typically costs €109 but is currently on sale for €87.20 (you’ll save €21.80).
Download: Trash Lite (174 MB download size)
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