SOFTWARE & PLUG-INS (FREE)
Free Soft Clipper
Free Plug-In
Initial Clipper is a free soft clipper plugin which prevents your audio signal from going above zero decibels. It does this by smoothing the peaks with soft clipping starting from the threshold. The faster and higher the peaks the more you need to bring down the threshold to get a pleasing sound. Initial Clipper comes with a very handy (and cool looking) peak display. Any peaks that enter the threshold area will have soft clipping applied, hence smoothing them out and taming the loudness.
https://initialaudio.com/product/initial-clipper-free-plugin/
Temper-Distortion
Temper
Free Plug-in
Temper is a modern digital distortion plugin featuring a rich saturation stage and a unique phase distortion. Use the variable saturation curve to add warmth and edge to your sound, and let the phase distortion bring character and clarity through your mix. Temper also features a simple resonant lowpass filter and a feedback path to drive the intensity of the tone. Download includes 64-bit and 32-bit VST, VST3, and AU formats for both Windows and Mac OS X.
RoughRider3-Compression
RoughRider 3
Free Plug-in
RoughRider compressor is one of the most popular dynamics processors on the planet, with well over a half a million downloads over its decade-plus lifespan, and is in heavy daily use by producers the world over. With RoughRider3, we've expanded the original to include an external sidechain input, the ability to turn off the built-in "warming" filter (the FULL BANDWIDTH button), and much more accurate metering.
https://www.audiodamage.com/pages/free-downloads
SpitFire Audio-LABS (SOUNDS)
LABS
Free Plug-in
An infinite series of free software instruments, made by musicians and sampling experts in London, for anyone, anywhere. Presented in our own plug-in, they are easy to use, and compatible with any DAW. And in case you missed it — they're all free.