Free Synths (VST)
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@vomvorton Jan 2022
Just spotted that the excellent free / open source VST synth Surge has had a major update this week.
https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/
It used to be a commercial synth, the company made the code freely available and a team have picked it up and modernised it, added extra modules, FX and presets and it's well worth having in your arsenal! -
@tinear Jan 2022
Not a synth but I'll add this for those who don't already know about the free Decent Sampler
https://www.decentsamples.com/
There's also loads of free Decent Sampler compatible libraries available at Pianobook
https://www.pianobook.co.uk
And of course there's the fantastic LABS https://labs.spitfireaudio.com/ -
@ianuarius Jan 2022
https://vital.audio/
VITAL, a free spectral warping wavetable synth -
@adforperu Jan 2022
Always in the market for free VST
Some recommendations from me:
Flux
Decent stereo analysis tool and widener
https://www.flux.audio/project/stereo-tool-v3/
Tal-chorus-LX
The chorus effect of a Juno-16 essentially. Sounds nice on bass guitars!
https://tal-software.com/products/tal-chorus-lx
PTEq-X
If you use Ableton like me, you may note that the stock EQ is very 'clean' with little character, so I sometimes use this
https://www.kvraudio.com/product/pteq-x-by-ignite-amps
SonEQ
as above
https://sonimus.com/products/soneq
Klanghelm DC1A
Nice compressor, same concept as above, Ableton stock compressors don't give a lot of warmth
https://klanghelm.com/contents/products/DC1A.php
Saturation Knob
Does what it says on the tin. I use it a fair amount.
https://www.softube.com/saturationknob?gclid=Cj0KCQiAip-PBhDVARIsAPP2xc1BoGoaKNPsE1MV8 nOIGvGQHVPN9oIHfUPlscSHhRjrjZv UALoz6mYaAiWiEALw_wcB -
@fonte Jan 2022
You can get free demo of the Arturia soft synths and they're really good. Emulations of old 'classic' synths. The functionality is limited but some really cool pre-sets of classic sounds you'll recognise.
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@ianuarius Jan 2022
Spitfire BBC Discover Symphony Orchestra
https://www.spitfireaudio.com/shop/a-z/bbc-symphony-orchestra-discover/ -
@mikeb Jan 2022
There are so many available, you can spend hours trying them out!
http://www.vst4you.com/
https://plugins4free.com/instruments/Synthesizers/ -
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@aflinner Jan 2022
+1 on the Spitfire stuff, both LABS and BBC Discover.
Other quality free VSTi libraries include:
Native Instruments Komplete Start
Orchestral Tools SINE Factory / Layers
ProjectSAM The Free Orchestra
Worth poking around the websites of the major VSTi makers, many of them have quality free offerings to get you in the door. -
@pearlmanhattan Jan 2022
Free loop packs, midis and drums I did some work with them a long time ago, so you might hear me. https://www.slapexperts.com/free-sound-packs
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@aeye Jan 2022
Not a VST but if you need a good alternative to soundforge or Audacity I suggest Wavosaur: https://www.wavosaur.com/
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@spingo Jan 2022
I've gotten some good things from the Karoryfer samples freebies with Sforzando sampler, esp. the Weresax, Bear Sax, and War Tuba as a ragged horn section:
https://shop.karoryfer.com/pages/free-samples
I've been using OrilRiver as my main reverb for the last couple of albums, mostly with the Plate on vocals:
https://www.kvraudio.com/product/orilriver-by-denis-tihanov -
@bootlegger Jan 2022
The obxd should still be free. There's a new version out that maybe it wants people to pay for but it seems like you can still get it free. It's great though if you like the Oberheim sound.
https://www.discodsp.com/obxd/ -
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@beat Jan 2022
Ok, not a synth, but IK Media has a free EQ. Neve 1080 console. Only this month though. And, CDM is a very good new media informations website… as is Attack Magazine…
https://cdm.link/2022/01/iks-model-of-the-neve-1081-console-is-free-this-month-plus-free-eq-and-metering/
https://www.attackmagazine.com/news/ -
@spingo Jan 2022
@beat Man, I love CDM.
@tseaver Hah! They're good! You could pad 'em out with the DSK stuff, too.
https://hiphopmakers.com/free-saxophone-vst-plugins-best-saxophone-vst-instruments -
@spingo Jan 2022
@beat I also really like FACT's Against the Clock series, 10 minutes to make a track, like Skirmish Extreme Mode.
https://www.factmag.com/category/series/against-the-clock/ -
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@mrblitz000 Jan 2022
these are 32-bit, but 10 years ago, the guy had a pretty cool thing going.
i still use some of these plug-ins today.
https://delamanchavst.wordpress.com/ -
@halfwalk Jan 2022
Just discovered Pendulate by Newfangled Audio... kind of a semi-modular thing going that has flexible modulation and an interesting character (a "double-pendulum oscillator," whatever that is).
Vital, of course.
Cherry Audio's Surrealistic MG-1 Plus is super simple and fun for some easy retro synth tones.
I know it's been recommended a few times already, and it's not a synth but it bears repeating... Spitfire LABS is great! My favorites are probably the lovely "Soft Piano," "Choir," "Frozen Strings," and "Trumpet Fields."
Orchestral Tools has a similar thing going with their free SineFactory, though it's not nearly as expansive (and the engine is kind of cumbersome). There are some lovely sounds in there though.
The Pianobook website has a lot of gems, though there are some duds there too. There are lots of characterful pianos, as well as a ton of other esoteric things.
As for top notch free mixing plugins... Tokyo Dawn Labs makes amazing stuff. Nova and Kotelnikov rival some big-budget plugins.
Valhalla Supermassive is one of those "how the heck is this free!?" plugins. If you like ambient music, don't sleep on this one. -
@tseaver Jan 2022
Another FLOSS synth from the author of the Vital synth is Helm:
https://tytel.org/helm/
I'm not enough of a synth-head to evaluate either, I'm afraid, but the FLOSS musicians I know who *are* so inclined love both. -
@guatecoop Jan 2022
@vomvorton That video demonstration of Surge is worth it alone! Wow, that is some amazing skill going on there.
I also like Airwindows a lot. I use a lot of their console/desk type of stuff, but pretty much everything is really great quality--IF that type of plugin is what you are going for, and he has a huge range of plugins...from very conventional to waaaayyyyy out there. They are "free" for an unlimited time, but he has a patreon that I pay into to support his work, but you can certainly try out whatever you want and pay if you can or when you can. He is an amazingly intelligent person and seems to be in the right profession. Some of his explanations go straight over my head, even though I know what the plugin does! Anyway, great stuff. -
@nuchoyce Feb 2022
If anyone is interested I came across a free Denoiser plugin. It really gets rid of unwanted air sounds from filters, fans, and background noises. I first used it on my track Take Over. I like how it reduces noise without effecting the overall sound. https://bertom.gumroad.com/l/denoiser
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@vomvorton Feb 2022
Audio Damage have re-released a bunch of their older plugins as freeware. Some really good stuff in here, I paid for the Tattoo drum machine back in the day, and they have some nice distortions etc.
They're Mac / PC and mostly 64-bit but not support for the new M1 processor etc as they're out of support.
https://www.audiodamage.com/pages/free-and-legacy -
@xfloorpunchx Feb 2022
Landr made a huge list of 248 free VST !
https://blog.landr.com/best-free-vst-plugins/ -
@samplebandit Feb 2022
adding to the replies citing Vital.
yup, get vital. -
@eargoggle Feb 2022
@fonte - I got those Arturia samplers a while back, and then I sprang for the discounted ($300) pack of the real thing. And I know $300 is not free but I gotta say, probably the best music software purchase I've ever made, there's something like 35 synths or so, I'm still working my way through them but so far everything sounds really, really good and it's inspiring all kinds of stuff I wouldn't do or try otherwise in the songs I'm writing this year. My $.02.....
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@mardeycranbleson Feb 2022
Pg8x is a pretty nice Casio emulator. Always like the fish fillet stuff also for dynamics. Tdk eqs are nice.
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@mardeycranbleson Feb 2022
Also dsk are always useful - maybe not always the best sounding but if you need a certain type of instrument it’s usually there.
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@fonte Feb 2022
@eargoggle yeah I was at a studio last year where the guy had original old synths, all the classics, and he was a proper synth head, and I was like wow that’s so awesome and he said yeah I don’t use them anymore really, cos the Arturia stuff sounds just as good! When he said that I immediately downloaded the demo lol
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@tuneslayer Feb 2022
I feel like I just got dumped into a room full of toys with no idea how to play with them. I'm still very much a n00b when it comes to all this synth/VST stuff.
For the most part the instruments and effects that come with Band-In-A-Box, Logic Pro and Audacity fit my current needs and wants, but maybe the reason I don't make music with some of these other toys is, I don't know they exist. But it's also possible I could end up with the musical equivalent of analysis paralysis and never make any music. -
@toms Feb 2022
Kia, the auto company, released a VSTi. :D
https://bedroomproducersblog.com/2022/02/22/kia-movement-instrument/ -
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