Plugin Recommendations For Beginners
If you are new to recording and/or effects plugins, then the list above may seem a bit overwhelming. So to narrow the list down significantly, below are a few effects that I think would be best to start with because they have good sound quality and are also user friendly.
Guitar Amp Simulators:
AcmeBarGig DIG 2.0: This is all you really need to get started with guitar amp sims. It sounds very good for a free amp sim and has some basic guitar effects like EQ, noise gate, and delay built in.
AcmeBarGig DIG 2.0
Voxengo Boogex: NOTE: You can get by with DIG 2.0 just fine, but Boogex has much nicer clean tones IMO. So if you are after very nice clean tones, then this is the one.
Voxengo - Boogex
Effects:
For mixing or for guitar effects
Buzzroom BuzMaxi3 Limiter: This is essential as it will keep your mixes from clipping/distorting. Put this on the master channel as the last thing in the chain (after the master volume faders).
buzzroom - Limiter
AiXcoustic Creations Electri-Q: Using preset number 22 called "Graphic EQ" will simplify the use of this EQ. It will behave like a regular graphic EQ (like on stereo systems).
AiXcoustic Creations Electri-Q
Kjaerhus Audio Classic Series: This package has a lot of the basic essential effects: EQ, Compressor, Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Limiter, Flanger, and Auto Filter.
Kjaerhus Audio - Professional Audio Plugins
Melda Production: This is a great compliment to the Kjaerhus Audio effects as they both contain a few different effects that the other does have. This package includes: EQ, Compressor, Phaser, Limiter, Tremolo, Auto Panner, Vibrato, Stereo Expander, Ring Modulator, Wave Shaper, and Spectrum Analyser.
MeldaProduction Free VST plug-ins, effects, virtual instruments
Below is a list of the effects I like best out of each of these effects packages... Although, for some of them there was only one choice.
I recommend printing off this list so you'll know where to find a particular effect that you are looking for.
EQ: AiXcoustic - Creations Electri-Q
Limiter: Buzzroom - BuzMaxi3
Reverb: Kjaerhus Audio - Classic Reverb
Delay: Kjaerhus Audio - Classic Delay
Compressor: Melda Production - MCompressor
Chorus: Kjaerhus Audio - Classic Chorus
Flanger: Kjaerhus Audio - Classic Flanger
Phaser: Melda Production - MPhaser
Tremolo: Melda Production - MTremolo
Vibrato: Melda Production - MVibrato
Stereo Expander: Melda Production - MStereoExpander
Auto Panner: Melda Production - MAutoPan
Auto Filter: Kjaerhus Audio - Classic Auto-Filter
Ring Modulator: Melda Production - MRingModulator
Wave Shaper: Melda Production - MWaveShaper
Spectrum Analyzer: Melda Production - MAnalyzer