The Best Tech House Plugins

June 7, 2021

Written by

Ben Smith

The Top Tech House Plugins

Are you searching for the best tech house plugins to make banging tracks with? Look no further, this blog will give you our top tech ouse plugin suggestions from LSA tutor Ben Smith. We have two sections to the blog, tech-house plugins for processing and tech-house instrument plugins between the two you will have all the tools to take your production to the next level! We'd love to hear your tracks after you've made them! You can always submit demos to LSA Records.

If you would like to take one-to-one music production lessons with Ben and learn how to create tech house music using these plugins click here or contact us.

Top 5 Tech House Processing Plugins

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1. Fab Filter Pro Q3

The Fab Filter Pro Q3 is my top, go to, third party plugin for practically everything!! I use it mainly for subtractive eq’ing because of how easy it is to use and understand, but not just that, it’s functionality is second too none. For me, the best qualities are that you can freeze the waveform, then Pro Q3 will point out where your peaks are and all you have to do is grab that peak, pull it down and it applies a bell cut right where you need it. Once you have done the cut you can solo that part to hear the exact frequency you have dipped. These among other great features is why I choose the Pro Q3 all day long above any other subtractive EQ.

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2. Aturia M12 Filter

As far as filters go, this is a great one to try. It's not just great at filtering but its is also super fun to play with the modulation settings to achieve some really nice effects. I use it lots on my keys, synths and pads when making more up-beat musical styles to give those elements a little extra sparkle. The M12 has a great sound to it, super fun and easy to use as it has some great presets to play around with.

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3. Waves CLA-3A Compressor

I feel it’s only right to add a compressor to the list and this was a tough choice as I use different types of compressors for different things. However, in my experience I have found the CLA-3A is a great all rounder for a small amount of basic compression and it seems to do the job for pretty much most sounds.

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4. EchoBoy by Soundtoys

Next on the list is a delay plugin by Soundtoys called EchoBoy. I love using this for delay’s as it’s so easy to use and has a really smooth style of delay which is great to make keys and synths bounce through the mix. One of the features I really like is the fact you can add swing to the groove of the delay making for a really interesting outcome and a more natural feel.

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5. Little Plate Reverb by Soundtoys

Lastly let us not forget about reverb, a staple in most productions. For this I have gone for the Little Plate, again by Soundtoys. Purely for the fact of its simplicity. This one couldn't be easier to use, you have wet/ dry, feedback and frequency. The thing I like most is that I can easily adjust the frequency the reverb acts on to stop it working on any low end that may be in the sound. Plus, it sounds lovely.

Top 5 Tech House Instrument Plugins

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1. SubBoomBass2 by Rob Papen

The question I think I get asked more than anything is what’s my go-to plugin for bass lines. And the answer is I don't have a go-to as I use different ones for different styles. When I am making house/tech/minimal I find myself going for Rob Papen’s SubBoomBass2 more than anything. The reason I like it so much is because there are lots of different presets that are close to the sound I want already. It’s a relatively easy plugin to play around with, meaning once you find a preset you like its can easily be shaped slightly differently to put your own spin on it.

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2. Diva by u-he

So, I really like a lot of the u-he synths but I find myself using Diva more than any of the others, purely because I find it has a great sound output and I can always get what I want from it. I use it mainly for keys and pads as there is a huge range of presets for these types of sounds. It's also really easy to work with to adjust the presets and achieve the exact sound you are going for.

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3. Aturia Analogue Lab

Next up, I have gone for the Aturia Analogue lab. Unlike the others in the list, this plugin isn't just one synth but a whole range of synths catering to every need from bass, to keys, pads and synths. It’s super simple to use and there's a world of possibilities from old school gritty distorted organs to newer smoother style synths for every scenario.

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4. Hybrid Keys by Native Instruments

I felt it only right to get a NI synth in here as I use them a lot and they are in-expensive. So, I went for the Hybrid Keys as Ive found it great for smooth styles keys and pads if you are going for a nice upbeat good feel style. Like most of the NI stuff it is really easy to use, there aren’t many presets however but you can easily make the sounds your own and get just what you want from it.

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5. MODO BASS by IK Multimedia

For my last synth on the list I’ve gone for the MODO BASS by IK multimedia. This is used mainly for for bass and the reason being isa because it's modelled on actual bass guitars. If you are looking for that authentic style bass line then look no further. It’s also really easy to use which is a bonus.