In the following, we present you the top free delay VSTs for music production in 2022. While the offer is quite large, we have limited ourselves to only 13 free delay effects that are of the highest quality, covering both analog and digital categories. For the sake of diversity, at the end of the article, we also added a list of more delay freebies that you might find useful in your production.
There is a huge variety of free delay VST plugins out there, providing many flavors including crunchy analog, warm tape, and precise digital ambience.
With the delay, you simply add a new spatial dimension to your music. It is somehow similar to reverb, but it gives more control over how you fill the space, also it can be used creatively.
Best Free Delay VST Plugins (2021) – TABLE OF CONTENTS
- AnalogDelay
- Valhalla Freq Echo
- Delay Studio
- Hysteresis
- Tempo Delay
- Stagecraft Delay
- NastyDLA
- Brigade Delay
- Lagrange
- T-Force Delay
- Delay Bundle
- Cocoa Delay
- Spaceship Delay
- more…
AnalogDelay
AnalogDelay features an easy-to-use interface with a delay unit followed by a 2nd order lowpass filter with saturation. The delay time can be set precisely also you can synchronize the delay to the tempo with different resolutions from 1/128 to 1 bar. AnalogDelay is a no-nonsense free analog delay plugin perfect for beginners.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST), macOS (AU, VST)
Valhalla Freq Echo
ValhallaDSP’s Freq Echo is a simple but powerful free delay VST plugin for creating off-grid delay sounds. The plugin has a straightforward interface with controls such as high & low cut filters and a pitch-shifter on the repeats – enough to create surprising sonic effects, from subtle chorusing to endless glissandos and runaway echos.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST, VST3, AAX), macOS (AU, VST, VST3, AAX)
Delay Studio
Delay Studio is a powerful creative multiband delay plugin capable of vast types of delay effects, including weird and wacky long modulated fx, workhorse multi-taps and analogue-inspired echoes. Delay Studio enriches any flat sound and encourages creativity.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST)
Hysteresis
Hysteresis is a free delay plugin by Glitchmachines suitable for modern sound design featuring over 100 various delay presets. It has a unique stutter effect and delay unit with delay time, filter, and modulation. If you’re looking for glitched sounds, this is the plugin you need.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST3), macOS (AU, VST3)
Tempo Delay
As the name suggests, Tempo Delay is based on tempo, incorporating filter and tremolo sections with separate controls for each stereo channel. It has separate “delay”, “repetition period”, and “delay panning” – controls that allow you to create evenly sounding “ping-pong” stereo echoes.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST, VST3, AAX), macOS (AU, VST, VST3, AAX)
Stagecraft Delay
The main characteristic of this free delay is the combo of high-resolution FFT spectrum displays, allowing you to literally see how you are affecting the music. This translates into better use of the effect. Stagecraft Delay is aimed at electronic music productions, also includes a deep quantization system that is handy for live situations.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST), macOS (AU, VST)
NastyDLA
NastyDLA is a classic chorus echo device with tape-delay simulation. It has authentic signal path coloration and tape-delay style feedback and saturation. Maybe one of the most popular free delay VST plugins of all time. If you’re looking for a classic delay, you should not miss this one.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST)
Brigade Delay
Brigade Delay is an authentic simulation of a Bucket Brigade Device (BBD) delay line. It has a starting point the delay found in Full Bucket Nabla synthesizer – platform on which were added a few things like the LFO and the Quality control. You won’t hear “crackling” or “dropouts” when changing the delay time.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST), macOS (AU, VST)
Lagrange
Lagrange is a unique stereo delay system producing otherworldly echoes using granular techniques, where each grain is from a different point in the delay buffer. From basic settings, you create immersive stereo imagery with clean early reflections for a clean mix. If you want to experiment, the feedback control will transform your sounds into droning evolving soundscapes.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST3), macOS (AU, VST3)
T-Force Delay
T-Force Delay is a dual-mode delay whose feedback signal can be modulated with filters and a degrader, to emulate the old vintage-style analog tape echo effects. It can produce anything from simple stereo delays to ping-pong echo effects. With the integrated flanger module, you can also create some crazy flanger effects over the feedback signal.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST)
Delay Bundle
SoundHack’s Delay Bundle is a group of four plugins derived from the same basic delay algorithm: a hermite interpolated delay line with variable modulation, and a feedback loop with dc blocking and saturation. The plugins are: +delay, for those classic delay effects, +pitchdelay which shares the same codebase as +delay but is oriented toward pitch shifting, +bubbler granular delay, and +flipper – simple sound reverser.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST, VST3), macOS (AU, VST, VST3)
Cocoa Delay
Cocoa Delay is a free, open-source free delay VST plugin focusing on clean design, easy operation, and a warm, lively sound. It comes with delay time drift for a slight wow/flutter effect, adjustable wet level ducking based on the input signal, three pan modes, as well as a drive section.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST)
Spaceship Delay
Spaceship Delay is a delay audio effect featuring classic modern and vintage sounding delays. Some notable features are the three delay modes, modulation section, advanced filtering, “modeling” section with different kinds of delay line and saturation colorations, and a “Freeze” switch.
Plugin formats: Windows (VST, AAX), macOS (AU, VST, AAX)
More Free Delay VST Plugins
- Deelay – Win (VST3), macOS (AU, VST3)
- NastyDLA mkII – Win (VST)
- Baby Comeback – Win (VST)
- H-Delay 4 Free – Win (VST, VST3), macOS (AU, VST, VST3)
- Reverse Delay – Win (VST), macOS (AU, VST)
- Bionic Supa Delay – Win (VST)
- Echobox D7 – Win (VST)
- TAL-Dub-3 – Win (VST), macOS (AU, VST)
- Flying Delay – Win (VST3), macOS (AU, VST3)
- CHOW Matrix – Win (VST, VST3), macOS (AU, VST, VST3)
- maDelay – Win (VST)
- ChowMatrix – Win (VST, VST3), macOS (AU, VST, VST3)
- PanDelay 2 – Win (VST), macOS (AU, VST)
- VariSpeed – Win (VST), macOS (AU, VST)
- Sanford Delay – Win (VST)
- Retro Delay – Win (VST)
- Fusion Delay – Win (VST)
- PhatNoise Delay – Win (VST)