Slate Digital has made three of its popular Virtual Mix Rack (VMR) modules available for free and enabled iLok Machine License support, eliminating the need for an iLok USB Dongle.
Instead of the iLok USB Dongle or the iLok Cloud, you can now use iLok Machine licenses on up to 3 computers (thanks to BPB reader PureFire for the clarification).
The free modules—The Monster, Revival, and The Trimmer—are now included with the VMR installation via the Slate Digital Connect app. While the app installs the full suite of VMR modules, only the free ones are activated unless you purchase additional licenses.
Personally, I find it frustrating when software teases you with locked content.
When I first launched VMR, I had to sift through a cluttered interface packed with inaccessible modules to access the free tools. It’s an understandable strategy from a marketing standpoint, but not the smoothest experience for users who only want the freebies.
That said, the three included modules form a surprisingly capable mixing and coloration toolkit. Let’s break them down.
The Trimmer is the most basic of the three, offering a gain trim control (±24 dB), a VU meter, and a phase reverse switch. It’s not flashy, but it’s handy for balancing levels or fixing phase issues in multi-mic setups, like drum recordings.
Revival is where things start getting interesting. It emulates the harmonic richness of analog gear with two simple controls: Shimmer and Thickness.
These one-knob-style enhancements are ideal for quickly adding presence and weight to a mix.
If you’re into plugins like Softube Saturation Knob or BPB Saturator, Revival is right up your alley. It’s especially good at injecting life into dull-sounding recordings and (my favorite) adding analog mojo to digital synths.
The Monster is an aggressive compressor inspired by the classic “all buttons in” mode of the 1176 hardware. It’s excellent for smashing drum loops or adding punch to percussive elements.
With just a few tweakable parameters (Attack, Release, Mix knob, and filters), it strikes a nice balance between simplicity and control. It’s not a surgical compressor, but it gets the job done fast.
In my experience, it excels as a “smashing” compressor. You can really crunch the input signal and the use the Mix knobs to balance things out and bring back the transients. You end up with a full, thick sound with plenty of dynamics.
Put all three together, and you’ve got a useful mini-suite for adding character and taming levels. If you already own a bunch of compressors and saturators, this won’t be a game-changer, but it’s a great deal if you’re looking to expand your toolkit (and scratch that GAS itch) without spending a cent.
The free Virtual Mix Rack modules run on macOS and Windows and are available in VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX formats. You’ll need the Slate Digital Connect app and an iLok Cloud account to authorize and use them.
It took me around ten minutes to install and activate the software. The licenses are now activated in my iLok Cloud account. Obviously, if you’re not into iLok, this one is a hard pass.
But if you already have it running on your machine, you might as well give these Slate Digital freebies a try.
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