Music Production Forum

Below is a list of some of the best software synths & virtual pianos (free & paid). Please reply to this post if you recommended any others There are a huge number of plugins available, here are some other lists I've created for products I recommend https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-hardware-software/ https://jamesm.blog/music-production/my-hardware-software-wishlist/ https://jamesm.blog/music-production/physical-modeling-synths/ Synths (Free) Vendor Plugin Name Key Features Blamsoft VK-1 Viking Synthesizer Moog Voyager emulation, strong basses Digital Suburban Dexed Yamaha DX7 emulation, FM synthesis discoDSP OB-Xd Oberheim OB-X emulation, analog sounds M…

OTODESK has released ANATOMY, a free and open-source VST3 plugin for Windows. This is the third free plugin from OTODESK we’ve covered on BPB in June, following Ambience and Quad Morph Filter. Both received some very cool comments from the BPB community, although I especially liked Quad Morph Filter. ANATOMY is different from any transient [...] View post: OTODESK releases ANATOMY, a FREE transient sound design plugin for Windows View the full article

United Plugins has released TrapTune Core, a free automatic vocal tuning plugin by Soundevice Digital. TrapTune Core is part of the UnitedFree Bundle, which means you can run it for free through the UnitedPlugins Manager. You create a free account, go to the downloads section, install the manager, and you get access to the free [...] View post: United Plugins releases TrapTune Core, a FREE (with ads) autotune plugin View the full article

HoRNet Plugins is offering HoRNet DeeLay as a free download for 48 hours with the coupon code DLYFREE. Huge thanks to BPB readers Piti Acho and Javier Emanuel for sharing this one in the BPB Community. The offer expires soon, so I’m keeping this short and getting it out as fast as possible. We’ve covered [...] View post: HoRNet DeeLay is FREE for 48 hours with coupon code View the full article

CapybaraSoftware is offering CapySynth as a free download for 24 hours, with roughly 12 hours left at the time of writing. Thanks to BPB community member N. Robin for sharing this in the BPB Community. It was perfect timing. I saw the comment as soon as I woke up this morning, so I’m trying to [...] View post: CapySynth synthwave synthesizer is FREE for the next few hours View the full article

Developer Oliver Greshke shared this live drum and bass jam session, captured outside at the Funkhaus in Berlin.… Read More Live Drum & Bass On iPad At The Funkhaus BerlinView the full article

Catalyst Audio’s Mig Series is a new family of Eurorack modules built around NOS Soviet-era vacuum tubes, covering oscillator, filter, amplifier, mixer, and noise-source duties in fully analog designs.… Read More Catalyst Audio Brings Soviet Vacuum Tube Synthesis To EurorackView the full article

The latest video from synthesist Julian "J3PO" Pollack captures a live improvisation, centered around the Arturia KeyStep Pro. … Read More Live Improvisation With KeyStep Pro SequencerView the full article

Synthesizer enthusiasts everywhere look forward to SUPERBOOTH (SB) every May. In its relatively short history, this trade show for sound generators and sound effects has grown into one of the… Read More The post SUPERBOOTH26 – Synth Expo Berlin (Part 1) appeared first on GreatSynthesizers. View the full article

Jynth is a synth app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that combines an analog-style subtractive voice architecture with a physics-based modulation engine, AUv3 support, and built-in effects.… Read More Fingerlab’s Jynth Brings Analog-Style Synthesis, Physics Engine Control To iOS & macOSView the full article

Developer Matteo Caldari has released Sand 3.0, an iOS sequencing app that combines grid-based MIDI and audio clip workflows with AUv3 hosting, song arrangement, automation, and external MIDI routing.… Read More SAND Combines MIDI Sequencing, Audio Tracks, AUv3 Plugin Hosting On iOSView the full article

Akai’s MPC 3.9 update is centered on three major additions: a new oscillator engine that lets Drum and Keygroup tracks use synthesis sources instead of samples, expanded Arrange Mode editing tools, and more flexible time signature handling for sequences and clips.… Read More Akai MPC 3.9 Adds Built-In Oscillators, Arrange Editing Tools & Time Signature UpdatesView the full article

In tandem with the release of Genome 2.0, Two Notes Audio Engineering has launched a free entry-level version, Genome Intro. Genome Intro is available in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows. Even as a free offering, Genome Intro is a fairly comprehensive collection, including four amp models, fourteen pedals, five cabinets, and [...] View post: Two Notes Audio Engineering releases Genome Intro, a FREE amp and FX suite View the full article

Developer Kobito has made its ChordGenius free for a limited time. We’ve covered a few MIDI Chord generators recently; we’ve had the Bloomer emotional chord engine by The Freequency, UChord by Ultimate MIDI Plugins, and we can now add ChordGenius to the list. Additionally, if you want to add the right bassline to your chord [...] View post: Kobito ChordGenius is FREE for a limited time: crate digging for chords View the full article

Bunkervik Spatial Reverb is a free spatial reverb plugin for macOS and Windows, created in collaboration between The NEMUS Project, Missing Ear, and Physical Audio. We’ve seen plenty of plugins that offer the spatial character of interesting places, and you can check some out in our best FREE convolution reverb article. Our list isn’t just [...] View post: The NEMUS Project has released Bunkervik SpatialReverb, a FREE spatial reverb plugin View the full article

We first covered Bassliner during its open beta stage in late 2024. It’s been a while since then; Bassliner is now a fully fledged commercial plugin, and I’ve been putting it to the test over the last couple of days. What is Bassliner? Bassliner (25% off using the promo code “BPB25”) is a MIDI bassline [...] View post: Dreeemwave Bassliner: Instant no-AI baselines and exclusive discount View the full article

Calloga has released Unshuffle, a free open-source sample library organizer for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Unshuffle is designed for producers with messy sample folders, which is probably most of us at some point. My main samples are nicely sorted into folders, but I have an insane amount of other samples scattered across hard drives, mostly [...] View post: Calloga releases Unshuffle FREE open-source sample library organizer View the full article

CodWaves has released WaveBalance, an auto gain staging plugin for macOS and Windows. WaveBalance is designed to solve one of the most common mixing problems: inconsistent track levels before the rest of the processing chain. You place WaveBalance early in the chain, usually as the first plugin, and it adjusts the incoming level so compressors, [...] View post: CodWaves launches WaveBalance auto gain staging plugin View the full article

Stagecraft Software has released FlowFilter, a free filter plugin for macOS and Windows. The developer informed me that FlowFilter is a major update to AutoFilter, the company’s filterscape plugin, which has now been transformed into a new product. FlowFilter retains the main idea of its predecessor while adding a new architecture, more filter models, and [...] View post: Stagecraft Software releases FlowFilter FREE filter plugin View the full article

Clack.DIGITAL has released Amp Squeezer, a free frequency-shaped overdrive plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Amp Squeezer was originally developed for the Darkglass Anagram pedalboard and released through the Anagram Marketplace. It is now available as a regular plugin, and you can download it directly from the Clack.DIGITAL website without creating an account, entering an [...] View post: Clack.DIGITAL releases FREE Amp Squeezer overdrive plugin View the full article

Annulus is a free polyphonic resonator and effects engine for Mac & Windows.… Read More Free Plugin Brings Mutable Instruments Rings To Mac, WindowsView the full article

The ADDAC120s Four Strings Series is a collection of modules, built around the idea of using physical strings as a creative medium. … Read More ADDAC Previews Four String Electroacoustic Instrument For EurorackView the full article

OB-6 Unofficial Editor brings the Oberheim OB-6 into your DAW like a software instrument.… Read More OB-6 Unofficial Editor for Windows by Voidcontrol MIDIView the full article

AudioThing has introduced Fields, a new application that turns your iPhone into an "always-there" field recorder.… Read More $7.99 App Turns Your iPhone Into An ‘Always There’ Field RecorderView the full article

Schematic Sound has made Aurora, its DJ-style waveform visualizer plugin, open-source and available as a free pay-what-you-want download. Aurora is a VST3/AU plugin that brings the frequency-colored waveform display you see in DJ software like Rekordbox, Traktor, and Serato into the DAW. I used DJ software quite a bit in the past (mostly at friends’ [...] View post: Schematic Sound makes Aurora waveform visualizer plugin FREE and open-source View the full article

Portway DSP has released PINGPAN, a physics-driven auto-panner with a ping-pong delay, sweepable filter, and, believe it or not, a playable Pong-style game mode. We are taking a closer look at the plugin and giving away one free copy to one lucky BPB reader. PINGPAN is the debut plugin from Portway DSP, created by developer [...] View post: Portway DSP launches PINGPAN physics-driven auto-panner plugin (GIVEAWAY) View the full article

AudioDeluxe is offering Solid State Logic’s SSL X-Limit limiter plugin for $10 in an exclusive deal. SSL X-Limit normally costs $49, so the current $10 price cuts 80% off the regular price. It ends in 13 days, which means it should run until around June 30th. If you already had X-Limit on your wishlist, I [...] View post: Get Solid State Logic SSL X-Limit for $10 at AudioDeluxe View the full article

Developer Ankalot has released the 0.4.3 version of Xenroll, a free and open-source microtonal piano roll for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Xenroll is a free and open-source piano roll plugin that allows you to define pitch with an accuracy of one cent. There are 100 cents in a semitone, which means you have 1200 cents [...] View post: Ankalot releases Xenroll , a FREE and open-source microtonal piano roll plugin View the full article

Piruz Labs has launched three new plugins: The Guilt Device, Thrilled Groove, and Synthimatic. The Guilt Device is a degradation engine that embraces the darker side of cinematic emotion, and it costs $39 with a 14-day free trial available. Thrilled Groove and Synthimatic are free synths that deliver the sound of 80s horror and visual [...] View post: Piruz Labs releases two FREE synthesizers and The Guilt Device degradation plugin View the full article

The Prophet-5 virtual instrument recreates the architecture and character of the original, while adding expanded modulation, dual-layer operation, effects processing, and modern performance features.… Read More Sequential Prophet-5 Now Available As Official Software SynthView the full article