Airwindows Consolidated vs x42-plugins

Airwindows Consolidated packages the Airwindows DSP effects library into one DAW plugin. It includes nearly 400 plugins, with new ones added as they are released. Menus let users browse Recommended, Basic, Recent or All Plugins selections. Each effect has a built-in sidebar with its Airwindows release explanation, described as nearly 150,000 words of documentation. The interface can follow the system's dark or light mode or use an override, and users can enter parameter values in text boxes. It supports screen readers that read text aloud. The DAW plugin is available in CLAP, VST3, AU and LV2 formats, with 64-bit Windows, Mac and Linux downloads. The project also describes standalone and VCV Rack forms. Consolidated is free and open source under the MIT license, and the maker says the plugins have no DRM. When a new Airwindows plugin is released, users can download and reinstall a new Consolidated build. Questions can be directed to the project's issue tracker.

x42-plugins is a collection of audio-processing tools offered as LV2 plugins and standalone JACK applications for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its audio, MIDI, and utility tools include equalizers, meters, synthesizers, tuners, and sequencers. The Meter Collection has needle and bar-graph meters, an EBU R128 meter, phase displays, and spectrum analysis. The Equalizer is a four-band parametric EQ with shelf and high- and low-pass filters, zero latency, and spectrum and spectrogram displays. LV2 plugins need an LV2-capable host; standalone applications require JACK. The FAQ lists Ardour, Harrison Mixbus, REAPER, Audacity, and Carla among LV2-compatible software. x42-meters, x42-eq, and x42-whirl are included with Harrison Mixbus and Mixbus32C. Source code is available under GNU GPL version 2 or later. Without a valid license signature, plugins process audio, but their GUI stops responding to mouse input and eventually fades to black. Listed one-time license prices are 19.00 USD for Whirl Speaker, 29.00 USD for Equalizer, and 49.00 USD for Meter Collection.