Airwindows has released Consolidated, a free multi-effect plugin that combines 400 effects into one multi-fx plugin.
It is hard to think of a free plugin developer more dedicated to his craft than Chris Johnson over at AirWindows. You get constant regular releases, and it is evident the amount of passion and love that goes into each project is hard to match.
The only real issue is keeping track of the documentation and use cases of numerous free Airwindows plugins. That has completely changed thanks to Consolidated.
Consolidated is every single current and past Airwindows release in a handy plugin. You get instructions and documentation for each, and it is as smooth as butter.
I was delighted to see this one pop up because updating a single plugin certainly beats doing 300 to 400 and going over my usual spreadsheet method in the past.
Consolidated is comprehensive, giving access to over 400 effects in a single interface. Rather than do an exhaustive look at every single plugin contained, I thought I’d just mention a few of my favorites.
Mackity is a decent facsimile of the distortion you’d encounter on Mackie mixing consoles. It isn’t 1:1, but that’s forgivable. It sounds great if you’re doing sampled music.
ToTape5 and ToTape6 are some of my favorite subtle character plugins. They might not realistically saturate like tape, but they are pretty close to my ears.
I especially love how transients soften on sparser drums. I’m not a big fan of sharp hi-hats and cymbals, so bringing those more in line with my preferences is always a bonus.
Galactic is an absolutely expansive reverb with minimal controls. You can use it for ambient “faffery” or just for adding some depth and intrigue to your synth pads and arpeggios.
All of the Console plugins are great, especially if you’re looking for something that approximates analog summing in the box. Sure, it isn’t identical, but the character it adds across a whole mix is excellent, and it is much cheaper than Waves’s Non-Linear Summing.
If you’re running a Windows, Linux, or Mac, just download Consolidated. If you think it is worth some cash, which it certainly is, make sure to throw Chris a few bucks over on Patreon to support the fantastic work he does.
Download: Consolidated (FREE)
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