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Maxim Digital Audio (MDA) has a collection of free Audio Unit plug-ins that can be used in Garageband, Logic and other apps that support AU’s. They’ve been available for a while, but we hadn’t highlighted them here yet and they are definitely worth checking out.

The plug-ins are Mac versions of plug-ins that are also available in VST format.

The free AU plug-ins include:

  • Combo - Amp & speaker simulator
  • Degrade - Sample quality reduction
  • Detune - Simple up/down pitch shifting thickener
  • DubDelay - Delay with feedback saturation and time/pitch modulation
  • Dynamics - Compressor / Limiter / Gate
  • Leslie - Rotary speaker simulator
  • Re-Psycho! - Drum loop pitch changer
  • RingMod - Simple ring modulator
  • RoundPan - 3D panner
  • Shepard - Continuously rising/falling tone generator
  • Talkbox - High resolution vocoder
  • TestTone - Signal generator with pink and white noise, 1/3 octaves and sweeps
  • Tracker - Pitch tracking oscillator, or pitch tracking EQ

We especially like Detune, which can create effects ranging from the mild chorus to bizarro detuning and tracker, which can be used to turn audio files into strange synth melodies.

Unfortunately, Talkbox opens in Garageband, but doesn’t work.

Here’s how you can install the plugins.

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20 Responses to “Free AU Plug-Ins For Garageband, Logic”  

  1. 1 Thomas

    I’m having some trouble opening the plugins in Garageband. The download page says to put it into the plug-ins etc folders but garage band doesn’t come with those from what I can see.

  2. 2 john finn

    I have only recently started using garageband and I am wondering how do I import AU plugins to garageband. I would be grateful if you could help me out with this situation. Thank you very much.

    John

  3. 3 synthhead

    Thomas & John

    For au plugins that don’t come with installer, you copy them to this folder:
    Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components

    Then open up Garageband and check them out!

  4. 4 whisperycat

    Hi synthhead. I found my way to this page because I’ve downloaded daHornet and it won’t, just will not, install. The .components file is in the right place but GB never picks it up. Can you offer any suggestions? Thanks.

  5. 5 synthhead

    whisperycat - looks like the problem is with daHornet - not you.

    I gave this a try and had the same exact problem.

  6. 6 whisperycat

    Synthhead, thanks for coming back with an answer so quickly!

  7. 7 kevin

    i’ve put these in the components folder in the library. how do you access them using garageband?

  8. 8 kevin

    nevermind i got it

  9. 9 nigel

    i can’t figure out how to access them.

  10. 10 synthhead

    nigel -

    Once you’ve got them installed, go to the instrument you want to put the effect on, and click on that instrument and then select Track - Show Track Info.

    In the track info pane, open up Details and then click on an open effects slot. Scroll down to the Audio Units Effects, and the free plugins should show up.

    Let me know if that doesn’t solve your problem!

  11. 11 Clyde

    Synthhead thanks! That got me up and running using Orca.

  12. 12 knobexploit

    Dragged the package to above mentioned folder, nothing happens. Cannot see any plugins in my list…checked if i used the right folder etc…i just dont understand…

  13. 13 synthhead

    Knobexploit - make sure you put the component to Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components.

    Then go to the instrument you want to put the effect on, and click on that instrument and then select Track - Show Track Info.

    In the track info pane, open up Details and then click on an open effects slot. Scroll down to the Audio Units Effects, and the free plugins should show up.

  14. 14 knobexploit

    I did put them in the designated folder lib/Audio/plug/comp

    Bu they just dont show in my Garageband FX list when i pull it down…

    All there is to see is the standard Garageband FX nothing more..

    Whats wrong???

  15. 15 daniel

    same thing happens to me too :) i think these are in compatible

  16. 16 chad

    i figured it out everyone! i had the same problem! after i restarted by Mac and open Garage Band again they were there!

  17. 17 knobexploit

    Did a restart, checkd if the file was still in my components folder and still no FX…grmpfff

  18. 18 synthhead

    knobexploit - you may want to try contacting the MDA people. It could be that your Mac is not compatible with the current version of the effects.

    Good luck with this!

  19. 19 schprocket

    knobexploit - which ‘effects’ are you pulling down?

    If you’re looking at the one in the top rh side of the window, that’s not it (that’s where I thought they went)

    You have to go to detail, located in the lower rh side where there’s several pull=downs, including the standard compressor, gate, echo, and reverb. The plug-ins you’ve added will appear beneath the standard GarageBand plug-ins but you’ll have to scroll down in the pull-down to see them.

  20. 20 schprocket

    P.S. that might be as clear as I thought…

    If you set the instrument effects (top rh side) to No Effect, each user selectable pull-down in the lower rh side will read None.

    Where each one of those “None” entries appears, you should find the list I’m referring to (in the above post) when you click on any one of them.

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