It can be easy to dismiss some of the free content that ships with Pro Tools. But you may be missing some gems that top producers reach for all the time. Here are 5 you may have missed…

1. Sansamp PSA-1
   Sansamp began life as far back as 1989 when a guitar player and electronics genius B. Andrew Barta decided to create a tube amp emulation. The rest, as they say, is history and Sansamp has been used on countless albums over the years. It has a unique tone that when used on guitar and bass can bring them to life.
2. AIR Vintage Filter
   Add this to any synth or rompler and you get filtering that is far better than the stuff in Xpand2 or Structure. If you can record the real thing like an original analogue synth, then do it; for the rest of us there is Vintage Filter.
3. AIR Lo-Fi
   In the words of one Abbey Road engineer, “Lo-Fi is for more than just distortion. You can use Lo-Fi on drums, vocals, bass, guitars, in post. It adds unique tone and character that a mix sometimes needs to give it some balls. 
4. DB-33 Cabinet
   Some people are not aware it is possible to use the DB33 as an insert so that just the cabinet can be used on other stuff. Try it on guitars for smooth trem and chorus effects.
5. Signal Generator
   Combine this with filters and gates and you have a powerful tool for creating deep low kicks and filter sweeps for dance music.

The plug-ins that ship with Pro Tools may be free, but that doesn’t make them worthless - often far from it. Go exploring and see what you can do for FREE! We have a lot of videos showing you how to get the best from these little gems - check them out here