You want a dark trap, but you also want to keep your wallet breathing. So you search for free some VSTs and you grab anything that looks promising. Then you install and load them up and realize half of them sound like they were recorded inside a shoebox.
There are plenty of plugins available that can help you achieve this sound, both free and paid. I will walk you through both.
Let’s begin with the free plugins.
Free Plugins For Dark Trap (These Do The Job)
Free plugins can do real damage if you pick the right ones. Vital is a must grab. It’s like Serum 2, but FREE. Use Vital to create anything from lush pads and leads to bells, pretty much anything you wish; it is capable of.
Surge brings a harsher tone that works well for tension.
TyrellN6 is an oldie but goodie, providing classic synth character for mid layers that sit beneath your main melody.
For sampled sounds, Decent Sampler. There are haunted pianos, dusty hits, and unsettling textures floating around the internet. Or, you can stick with whatever stock sampler your DAW offers.
Spitfire LABS brings cinematic quality with strings, soft keys, and evolving atmospheres.
Push sounds with Softube Saturation Knob. It adds dirt to 808s and pads instantly.
Finish it with Valhalla Supermassive for wide reverb that creates real depth. These free plugins offer a wide range of colors without any cost.
Paid Plugins For Dark Trap (These Are Great)
Start with Pianoverse. Dark trap thrives on moody minor key pianos, and Pianoverse gives you clean tone, rich resonance, and tons of shaping options.
Pitch it down, drench it in reverb, and you get instant menace.
For pads, leads, and basslines, Analog Lab V and or Pigments cover almost everything. Analog Lab V is loaded with lots of nice presets; dusty keys, and gritty synth layers producers love. Pigments gives you cold wavetable tones, evolving atmospheres, and deep modulation.
If you want movement, Animation Station adds rhythmic patterns that bring simple melodies to life. It is perfect for pulsing pads and bouncing mid layers. For more complex motion, Arpology is a cheat code.
You can also opt for The Orchestra Essentials by Sonuscore if you want to add cinematic instruments; including strings, brass, percussion, and more.
Conclusion…Psst Grab Some Plugins and Make Dark Trap
Audio Plugin Deals is designed to help music producers who want access to really good plugins without paying an arm and a leg. We partner directly with today’s best audio plugin developers, and negotiate deals, allowing us to lets them go for some pretty good discounts (temporarily).
When a deal ends, the plugin returns to full price. That is why the shop feels like a rotating vault. Every visit brings something brand new to the table, so make sure you’re keeping an ear and eye out.
If you want dark trap sounds that hit harder and feel cleaner, start with the free plugins, then grab one or two discounted plugins from APD. You will hear the difference right away.
