Code Red Free

Code Red Free is a console-inspired preamp and EQ plugin from Shattered Glass Audio. It models the preamp circuit and tonal curves of a tube British recording console, bringing console-style coloration and broad tone shaping into a DAW.

The EQ includes Classic and Pop modes alongside a bass boost, giving you different ways to shape the low and high end. Push the input for a more pronounced overdriven character, or use a lighter setting when a track needs a subtler change.

A wet/dry control lets you blend the processed signal with the original, making parallel coloration possible within the plugin. Mono, mid-side, stereo, and linked stereo modes provide options for handling individual tracks and stereo material, while 4x oversampling is built in.

An impulse-response cabinet emulation adds another option for guitar-oriented processing. The compact control set suits producers looking for broad musical adjustments on guitars, bass, drums, or a mix rather than a surgical equalizer with fully variable bands.

Version 1.2.0 is available for Windows and macOS in several plugin formats. The developer lists Rosetta 2 as necessary on Apple Silicon and specifies Windows 7, 8, and 10, so check compatibility with your host and operating system before relying on it in a session.