thanks to all who posted here, i've got a looong list of stuff to try now
btw, here's a list of stuff from another board (sorry for anything that's already posted here):
Best VST Dynamic Processor
Blockfish for vocals, endorfin for full mix. They don't have the nice waveform visual that many plugs have, but I like the sound of them. Very good manuals as well.
http://www.digitalfishphones.com/
Best VST Reverb
Free convolution/impulse based verb. Very realistic tones.
http://www.knufinke.de/sir/index_en.html
Best VST Amp Sim
Voxengo Boogex
Good sim mixed with convolution modeled cab/mic/verb.
http://www.voxengo.com/downloads/?hi...=boogex#boogex
Best Free DirectX Audio Suite
Blue-Line Plugs. I downloaded this one years ago. As far as free DirectX, this is about it. The website state "Now discontinued but still available for download". Complete suite including multi tap delay, compressor, filter, stereo enhancment, etc
http://www.digilogue.de/
Best Source for Free Soundfonts
HammerSound. Lot of garbage here too, but some good can be found. Using creative's vienna editor, you can strip the samples out to use with whatever softsyth you prefer.
http://www.hammersound.net/
And Finally, the Best Overall Source for free stuff
You can find a plethora of free stuff here.
http://www.kvraudio.com/get.php