ACAS Tools / RichChords / Answers
What's the best free plugin for big, lush chord pads?
Answered by ACAS Tools · Updated October 25, 2026
RichChords is a free plugin built for exactly this: drop it on your chord or pad bus and it adds detuned unison width, an ensemble chorus, shimmer reverb, a bright top end and a tempo-synced pump behind six knobs, with the low end kept mono automatically. VST3 on Windows, VST3 and AU on Mac, zero latency.
It's free with no trial, no license key, no account and no activation. You can pay what you want on Gumroad, including $0; paying doesn't unlock anything.
RichChords: free, version 1.0
No trial · No license key · No account · Works fully offline
How
Lush pads in four moves
Put RichChords on your chord, pad or pluck bus.
Pick a mode: Pad (longest tails, 1 to 12 s), Lead or Pluck (tight, keeps the attack).
Turn Mix up until the chord starts to bloom. The dry signal holds full level until 60% while the wet rises on top.
Shape it with Width, Lush, Space and Glow. Add Pump for a sidechain-style duck on every beat, synced to your DAW.
Check it in mono. If the mids soften at extreme Width, pull Width under 60%.
Honest limits
What to know first
Pump follows the grid, not the kick
For four-on-the-floor drops it sounds like a sidechain. For syncopated or half-time kicks, keep your usual sidechain and leave Pump at 0%.
An effect, not an instrument
RichChords makes the chords you already have sound bigger. It doesn't write chords. For that, see MUSE.
Extreme Width in mono
At extreme Width settings the mids can soften in mono. Under 60% it holds up.
FAQ
Common questions
Is RichChords really free?
Yes. No trial, no license key, no account, no activation and no device limit. Every feature works the moment it's installed.
What does RichChords replace?
The usual pad chain: a widener, a chorus, a shimmer reverb, an exciter or OTT, and a sidechain tool. RichChords puts that chain behind six knobs.
Will it mess up my low end?
No. The reverb input is high-passed at 170 Hz and the wet side channel at 150 Hz, so everything below stays centred and mono.
Which DAWs does it work in?
Any VST3 host on Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), and any VST3 or AU host on macOS 11 or later, Intel or Apple Silicon. That covers Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Cubase, Studio One, Bitwig and REAPER.
Does it phone home?
Only to check for updates, which you can turn off. No analytics or telemetry.
RichChords
Make your next progression rich.
Free, with every feature on from the first launch. Drop it on the pad bus and turn Mix up.
Full RichChords details · Questions: [email protected] · License terms