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…

Pleatech Audio is offering WorldVerb, a creative reverb plugin for Windows, as a free download for BPB readers. Developer Niels posted the offer in the BPB community section and shared a coupon code that unlocks the full version, with future updates included. That code is KAAPXM3; I tested it, and it works. Thanks to Niels for [...] View post: Pleatech Audio offers WorldVerb reverb plugin for FREE (Windows) View the full article

AOFN Audio has released Grizzly, a free stereo modulation plugin for macOS and Windows. Grizzly is modeled on the 1979 Gristleizer circuit, the strange little LFO-driven pedal that Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle famously used on drum machines, tapes, synths, and plenty of other sources. Developer Marcel describes Grizzly as his software interpretation of that [...] View post: AOFN Audio releases Grizzly, a FREE Gristleizer-inspired modulation plugin View the full article

LOON is a software instrument for macOS and Windows that combines synthesis, sampled instruments, FM synthesis, effects, and MPE support within a three-layer sound design workflow.… Read More Jamstik Introduces LOON Expressive Software InstrumentView the full article

Audio Damage's Tessera is a tuned resonator effect that excites twelve parallel resonator voices from an incoming audio signal, generating harmonically related textures based on user-selected chords and scales.… Read More Audio Damage Intros Tessera Tuned Resonator EffectView the full article

Sonic Republic has released Pluginize!, a native macOS plugin manager for producers with large and messy plugin folders. I’m pretty sure that most of us who have been collecting plugins for years know the problem. The DAW takes longer to scan, some plugins break, and eventually, you spend more time looking for the right tool [...] View post: Sonic Republic releases Pluginize! plugin manager for macOS View the full article

Push and Groove has released RMS LEVEL LIMITER, a free stereo dynamics plugin for Windows and macOS. We have featured a couple of Takahiro Oishi’s previous releases on BPB, including the free Filtronix filter plugin and the more recent GROOVE60 MIDI timing processor. RMS LEVEL LIMITER is a different kind of tool. Instead of working [...] View post: Push and Groove releases FREE RMS LEVEL LIMITER plugin View the full article

Silverdaw is a free and open-source Windows DAW built for remixing, mashups, and sample-based music production. The developer sent this to me via email, and I wasn’t expecting a lot (new free DAWs are popping up like mushrooms nowadays), but I ended up impressed. The key thing here is that Silverdaw is not trying to be [...] View post: Silverdaw is a FREE open-source Windows DAW for remixing and mashups View the full article

Different Instruments has released PartialString, a free cross-platform synth that takes a less traditional approach to physical modeling. PartialString is available in AU and VST3 formats for macOS (10.13 or later), Windows (10 or later), and Linux. Developer Christian Baker of Different Instruments began working on PartialString as a side project after the release of [...] View post: Different Instruments releases PartialString, a FREE physical modeling synth plugin View the full article

Teenage Engineering ranks among those brands where discounts are the exception, prices tend to stay rock-steady for years, no matter how long a product has been sitting in the lineup. That’s exactly why it’s so notable that several popular devices from the Swedish design house are currently marked down, anywhere from 5 to 19 percent. On top of that, there are solid discounts on the matching Decksaver protective covers too. We took a look at the entire list. And if you’re interested, you should probably do the same. It’s worth it! ... The post Teenage Engineering Deals: OP-XY, OP-1 Field, and More Cool TE Gadgets Now Cheaper appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full ar…

The Missing Link synchronizes the DAW, modular synths and any other studio gear over WiFi, MIDI and CV – all at the same time.… Read More Circuit Happy Missing Link Connects Gives Your Hardware Ableton Link Wireless Sync CapabilitiesView the full article

Padbangers has released a free application MPC Sample Project Converter, that's designed to let you change MPC Sample projects to the bigger MPC Format. … Read More Free MPC Sample Project Converter Expands Workflows With MPC One, MPC Live, MPC X/XLView the full article

What are the best synths for out-there music? Come along as we explore psychedelic synthesizers and try to figure out what it is that makes a sound mind-blowing. I’ve been thinking about psychedelic synthesizers a lot lately. Specifically, what is it that makes a synth trippy? When we think of psychedelic music, or at least the first wave of 1960s sounds, synths don’t really factor into things. There are organs and Mellotrons and the occasional harpsichord, but for the most part, synthesizers didn’t enter the musical equation in a big way until the 1970s... The post Psychedelic Synthesizers: What Makes a Synth Trippy? appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Ocean Swift has introduced DevOcean Modular - a modern modular synthesis and sound design platform that offers a collection of 145 modules.… Read More Ocean Swift Intros Dev Ocean Modular Synthesis & Sound Design EnvironmentView the full article

Okay Synthesizer has introduced Nodes, a new modular effects environment for Mac & Windows.… Read More New Modular FX Rack, Nodes, For Mac & WindowsView the full article

Developer Morphoice has released EightyTen, consisting of two vintage Roland synths in one (free beta). Morphoice is back with another vintage synth emulation, and we all know the drill by now. In a relatively short time, Morphoice has released emulations of the Yamaha CS-80 (Unstable), the Roland Juno-6 (EightySix), and the Roland Jupiter-8 (EightyEight). EightyTen [...] View post: Morphoice releases EightyTen, TWO vintage Roland synths in one (free beta) View the full article

Get deep into synthesis with these five best synths for sound design, with analog, wavetable, digital and hybrid machines all here to inspire you. Not every synthesizer is built for sound design. Some focus on the basics, with an emphasis on sound quality and musical usability. On the other hand, others are deeeeeep. Modulation aplenty, unusual routings, weird combinations and results. These are the instruments you reach for when bread-and-butter won’t cut it, when you need to blast off into outer space and come back with the craziest, most cinematic sound anyone has ever heard. But what synth should you get if synthesis possibilities are what get you up in the morning? H…

Dirk Ulrich has reacquired Plugin Alliance and Brainworx from inMusic. Well, it’s that time again; it’s time for another chapter in the Native Instruments story. With no more obvious moving parts left, I’m fairly confident that this chapter will be the last, but I never thought they’d make eleven Fast & Furious movies, so who [...] View post: Dirk Ulrich reacquires Plugin Alliance and Brainworx from inMusic View the full article

Sonniss is offering Pinball Machines, a vintage pinball machine sound effects library by C. A. Sound, Inc, as a free download until July 22. I love Sonniss as a platform. There is a great variety of sounds to choose from, and the company occasionally releases some fantastic freebies, too. The big one is usually the [...] View post: Sonniss offers FREE Pinball Machines sound effects library View the full article

SoundSurf is a gamified music production learning platform built around the simple idea of helping producers stop watching tutorials and start producing. We are taking a closer look at SoundSurf and giving away two free months of SoundSurf Premium to five lucky readers. The platform is aimed at producers who get stuck in tutorial mode. [...] View post: SoundSurf turns music production learning into a gamified practice platform View the full article

Wavelet Audio has released Runa: Free Edition, an ancient stringed instrument for Kontakt Player, in celebration of the first anniversary of Runa Scoring Strings. Runa Scoring Strings is a library inspired by an ancient stringed instrument, the Kobyz, which originated in Central Asia and is closely associated with countries like Kazakhstan. The Kobyz has just [...] View post: Wavelet Audio releases Runa: Free Edition, an ancient stringed instrument for Kontakt Player View the full article

Developer Sonuscore has released Elysion Elements, a free hybrid synth library for Kontakt Player. Sonuscore has been a regular source of free cinematic and orchestral sounds over the years, and now we can add Elysion Elements to the mix. Previous offerings include LUX Orchestral Strings Elements, Orchestra Elements, and The Pulse Elements. Another plus point [...] View post: Sonuscore releases Elysion Elements, a FREE hybrid synth library for Kontakt Player View the full article

Here's an-depth look at the Roland JP-8000, a vintage synthesizer from 1996 that was a mainstay of class trance music.… Read More Vintage Synth Review: The Roland JP-8000 ‘Trance Machine’View the full article

Novation has introduced the Launchkey 88, completing its Launchkey MK4 lineup with an 88-key MIDI controller featuring a custom semi-weighted keybed, integrated creative tools, and deep DAW control.… Read More Novation Completes Launchkey MK4 Line With New Launchkey 88View the full article

Native Instruments has introduced Super*Saw, a new software synthesizer developed in collaboration with producer A. G. Cook. … Read More Native Instruments Releases Super*Saw Software SynthView the full article

Reader Hank Mason shared this arrangement of Bach's Prelude and Fugue in C Major (BWV 846) on a Korg Electribe ER-1 drum machine.… Read More Bach Gets ‘Switched On’ Using A Korg Electribe ER-1 Drum MachineView the full article

This adaption of Smetana's symphonic cycle Má vlast sounds like it could be a long-lost Tomita recording!… Read More Recreating Isao Tomita’s Sound World With SoftwareView the full article

COGG is available as a free download for Mac & Windows. Just "download and destroy"!… Read More Free Audio Effect, COGG, Makes Every Sound IndustrialView the full article

From Sugoi Audio comes CURVA, a free football-inspired modulation plugin for macOS and Windows. There have been times over the years when I’ve felt like the best thing for the track I’m working on was to pick up my laptop and punt it from a great height to ensure the sound that I momentarily convinced [...] View post: Sugoi Audio releases CURVA, a FREE football-inspired modulation plugin View the full article

Acoustic treatment of your studio is an incredibly important part of any aspect of music production, whether that be recording, mixing or mastering. And yet it often remains one of the most misunderstood and neglected. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the ins and outs of acoustic treatment: what it is, how to go about doing it, and where room correction figures into the equation. We’ll also outline why acoustic treatment is so important... The post The complete guide to getting the best acoustics in your home studio appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article