Synth1 is an extremely popular free software synthesizer modelled after the Clavia Nord Lead 2, developed by Daichi Laboratory. Available in VST and Audio Unit for Windows and macOS
This is the most downloaded softsynth in the world.
- 2 Oscillators, FM modulation, ring modulation, sync, modulation envelope.
- 2 LFOs.
- 4 types of filters, distortion.
- Arpeggiator
- Tempo delay, stereo chorus/flanger.
- Legato mode, portamento.
- 16 notes polyphony.
128 presets are included.
Optimized for light CPU load using SSE instructions, etc.
Find various free presets on producertools.net
Defacer (Free Trial) is a distortion and bit crusher audio plugin developed by Audio Assault. Available as VST/VST3/AU & AAX Plug-Ins for Windows & macOS.
This plugin is available in free trial!
Defacer is an all-purpose 2 channel audio mangler designed to destroy and rearrange any sound you throw at it.
Use it to make guitars sound like a broken synth or add a touch of robot-ness to vocals, when the sound calls for it, Defacer is there!
Featuring low-pass filters & distortions on each channel you are free to destroy audio to your heart’s content.
Delay Lama is a free conceptual echo and delay effect plugin, made by AudioNerdz
Basic 64 is a 8 bit emulation software synthesizer developed by De la Mancha. Available in VST for Windows.
It is a lo-fi synthesizer based on the “SID chip” with some extras tuning, to deliver a 8-bit retro game sound, gritty noises or just plain oddness.
Features:
- 16, 8 or 6 bit sound quality.
- 3 oscs, each with their own ADSR envelope.
- Oscillators can be sync’d and ring modulated by each other.
- Pitch envelope modulation.
- Pitch wobble option, for subtle instability.
- 2 tempo-sync LFO’s to modulate pitch, cut-off and pulse width.
- LFO’s have attack/release curves.
- Tempo-sync arpegiator.
- Flexible routing to state variable filter (LP, HP & BP).
- Envelopes can be reset or continuous at retrigger.
- Monophonic or polyphonic option.
- Midi learn / midi CC support.
- 128 presets by sinkmusic & WhiskeyPriest.
Kjaerhus Audio Classic Series is a collection of free VST audio plugins made by Kjaerhus Audio.
The Audio Classic Serie is a bundle of Kjaerhus 9 Classic Serie mixing and mastering audio plugins. Including the classic auto-filter, chorus, compressor, delay, EQ, flanger, limiter, phaser and reverb. The classic serie goal is to emulate the warm and rich sound of vintage high end analog gear from the 70’s and 80’s eras. Kjaerhus unique “Warmth & Saturation” algorithms will give your sound a sweet and lively analog color. And it’s totally free !
Including:
- Chorus
- Compressor
- Limiter
- Delay
- EQ
- Phaser, flanger
- Reverb
- Auto-Filter
Komplete Start is the free version of the famous Native Instrument’s production suite Komplete. It includes various high quality virtual instruments, synthesizers and effect plugins.
Komplete free version is a curated selection of hight quality sampled instruments, software synthesizers, effect plugins, utilities, loops and samples for the no brainer price of… nothing at all!
- Over 2,000 studio-quality sounds
- 16 pro-grade synths and sampled instruments, effects, loops, and samples
Horus is a free polyphonic software synthesizer developed by B Serrano. Available in VST for Windows.
Horus is a beautifully designed polyphonic soft synth and string machine. It is well fitted for ambient pads and drones.
Features:
- 4 oscillators: 4′, 8′, 16′, 32′
- 64 voices polyphonic.
- Static formant filter.
- LP filter.
- 1 LFO (sine)
- Stereo delay, phaser, chorus & auto-wah.
- Full MIDI learn.
Zvenigorod – Toy USSR Piano virtual instrument is a free toy and piano and mallet sound bank for Kontakt, by Strix Instruments.
A small USSR piano with a unique sound that resembles a xylophone. The sound of this instrument has no equal in the atmosphere.
Use it in the melody or in the background of your tracks.
Model Year 1969
Contains:
- 1 Toy Piano.
- 150+ samples.
- 11 presets.
https://strixinstruments.com/
ZynAddSubFX is a free software synthesizer developed by paulnasca. Available format(s): VST for Windows.
Features:
- Realtime, Polyphonic, Multi-timbral synthesizer.
- Microtonal capabilities with any scale, any number of notes per octave (up to 127) and keymapping.
- 3 synthesizer engines:
- ADsynth” or “ADnote” is a complex engine which makes sounds by adding a number of voices. Each one has filters, envelopes, LFOs, morphing, modulation (Ring Modulation, Phase Modulation, the modulators can have any shape), resonance, etc. Each voice includes a very powerful waveform generator with up to 128 sine/nonsine harmonics. This engine includes antialiasing.
- “SUBsynth” or “SUBnote” is a simpler engine which allows you to make sounds by subtraction of harmonics of sounds from white noise.
- “PADsynth” or “PADnote”) makes beautiful pads and other instruments.
- Instruments can be organized in kits, which allows you to make drum kits or layered (mixed) instruments; this makes it possible to use more than one instrument for a single part. It is possible to choose what items from the kit should be processed by the Part’s effects.
- Effects: Reverb, Echo, Chorus/Flange, Phaser, AlienWah (a kind of vocal morpher), Distortion (Waveshaping), EQ, DynamicFilter.
- The effects can behave as System Effects or as Insert Effects; this allows you to use many effects at the same time. You can put any insert effect on any part (or more insert effects to same parts, if you like) or you can put the insert effect to Master output. Also, you can have instrument’s effect (that is saved with the instrument).
- Filters up to 60dB/octave (or more); filters can be analogue (LPF,HPF, BPF,etc.), formant (advanced formant filters) and state variable (SVF).
- Envelopes can have ADSR (or ASR, etc.) modes or can be free modes (with any shape).
- Many settings have a “randomness” option; this produces a very pleasant effect (like analogue synths or natural instruments that can’t produces exactly same sound twice).
- Intuitive and easy to use User Interface.
- MIDI support (supports many controllers) and (if you want) JACK support.
- Virtual Keyboard.
- It is free, licensed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License.
http://zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net/
Zploger for Audio is a free file manager plugin developed by Parking B. Compatible OS(s): Windows, macOS, Linux.
Zploger is a software primarily thought as an audio files organizing and archiving software. It comes in two flavours: for audio files and for guitar tabs. The main idea behind the tool is to provide a fast and flexible tag-based search, and to provide a navigate-through-files system.
http://www.parkingb.be/audio
