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…

Embodme today introduced ERAE Sound, a new software synthesizer that they describe as "The first synthesizer designed for an expressive surface. Not adapted — built from scratch."… Read More Embodme Intros ERAE Sound, ‘First Synth Designed For An Expressive Surface’View the full article

The performance makes creative use of effects to radically transform the Casio SA-2 sound.… Read More How To Make A Toy Keyboard Sound Like An OrchestraView the full article

The Extensions Software Development Kit (SDK), now in public beta, is an open JavaScript toolkit that lets you create custom tools that expand what you can do in Live Suite.… Read More Ableton Extensions SDK Adds ‘Experimental Playground’ To Live SuiteView the full article

Not only has the Kagouyar firmware received a major update, adding deeper synthesis options, but the price has been reduced to €849.… Read More Nozoïd Kagouyar Synthesizer Updated With Deeper Synthesis Options, More Affordable PricingView the full article

From @synthandsoftware - The Crow Hill Company announces ABSURDLY QUIET PIANO PRO, produced beyond the possibilities afforded in live performance on the very verge of silence. ABSURDLY QUIET PIANO, creates the seemingly impossible sensation of playing a grand piano impossibly quietly as the latest downloadable drop in the Edinburgh-based enterprise’s free virtual instrument collection, The Crow Hill Company […] The post Introducing Absurdly Quiet Piano Pro appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - SSL 1 delivers real studio sound in a compact form for musicians, producers, and content creators. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT Solid State Logic (SSL) announces the new SSL 1: a 2‑channel, plug‑and‑play USB audio interface delivering powerful performance and authentic studio sound quality at an unprecedented price point. Designed for those beginning their creative journey as well […] The post Solid State Logic Introduces the SSL 1 Audio Interface appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Organix for Chromaphone is a collection of 100 presets by AAS resident sound designer Christian Laffitte from France. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT The pack explores a rich palette of acoustic influences, drawing from India and Asia with expressive plucked strings and airy winds, and extending to Africa and the Middle East through resonant lutes and intricate percussions. […] The post New From AAS – Organix for Chromaphone appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

OTODESK has released Ambience, a free and open-source algorithmic reverb plugin for Windows. Ambience is a 16-channel Feedback Delay Network reverb from Makoto Iida, a solo developer and hobbyist producer behind OTODESK. I asked the developer how he made the plugin and was surprised to learn that it is not based on convolution and that [...] View post: OTODESK releases FREE open-source Ambience algorithmic reverb plugin for Windows View the full article

UB DSP has released Vowel Blender, a formant filter plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Vowel Blender is the second plugin from UB DSP, following Grit Blender. Its main feature is a 2D phonetic XY pad. Instead of choosing a few preset vowel shapes from a menu, you drag a cursor through a vowel space based [...] View post: UB DSP releases Vowel Blender formant filter plugin with intro offer View the full article

AIR Music Technology is offering Jura Chorus as a free download until August 2nd. Jura Chorus is the standalone chorus effect from AIR’s Jura virtual synthesizer, which is based on the classic Roland Juno-60. The plugin normally costs $39, and it is currently discounted to $14 on Plugin Boutique, but you can get it for [...] View post: AIR Music Technology offers Jura Chorus plugin FREE until August 2nd View the full article

Here's a hands-on demo of the AMYboard, a 10HP Eurorack-compatible synthesizer that lets you load a variety of synths, with digital and analog audio, MIDI, and two CV channels.… Read More $29 Amyboard Eurorack Synthesizer Hands-On DemoView the full article

SonicModeler has introduced Syntropy, a new software synthesizer for Mac & Windows that generates sound through mathematical modeling rather than traditional oscillator architectures.… Read More Syntropy Soft Synth Offers Mathematical Modeling, MPE Support, MicrotuningView the full article

You can now download Audio Assault’s Voice of Reason bass enhancer plugin for free. Audio Assault is the developer behind Amp Locker and Mix Locker, two collections with lots of free content. Amp Locker is a collection of amp sims, cabs, and FX pedals that includes the Prestige 1950 (a British hot-rodded amp) and various [...] View post: Get Audio Assault’s Voice of Reason bass enhancer plugin for FREE View the full article

Audio Plugin Deals has launched the June Mega Bundle, a $9.99 collection of virtual instruments, sound libraries, and cinematic assets. The June Mega Bundle is listed at $9.99 throughout June, down from a combined claimed value of $626. I think this kind of bundle is fun if you want to experiment with new sound sources. [...] View post: Audio Plugin Deals launches June Mega Bundle with five tools for $9.99 View the full article

Independent musician and sound designer Adrian Bartholomew has released Arcturian, a pay-what-you-want Kontakt instrument for experimental sound design. Arcturian is available through Gumroad with $0 as the minimum price, so you can download it for free or leave a donation if you want to support the developer (which is always cool). The idea behind the [...] View post: Arcturian is a FREE/PWYW Kontakt instrument for glitchy sound design View the full article

Sound Magic has released Harmonia Grand, a new virtual piano instrument built around two contrasting piano sounds and the latest Neo Piano Yosemite Engine. Harmonia Grand is currently on sale for $169, down from the regular $299 price. BPB readers can use the coupon code BPBreaders20c for an extra $20 off Sound Magic pianos valued [...] View post: Sound Magic releases Harmonia Grand virtual piano with BPB reader discount View the full article

A morphing tonal engine, global modulation system, and onboard reverb provide a range of sounds extending from percussive strikes and melodic phrases to evolving drones and atmospheric textures.… Read More Recovery Effects & Devices Larking Ambient Drone SynthesizerView the full article

The company is back as ISLA Electronics,… Read More ISLA Electronics Update on Caladan, S2400, KordbotView the full article

Flame Sound is offering Blaze Tension Builders, a pack of 50 cinematic tension-builder sound effects, as a free download for BPB readers until June 1st. The offer brings the price down from $29 to $0. At the time of publishing, that gives you around 48 hours to claim the pack for free. To get it, [...] View post: Flame Sound offers Blaze Tension Builders FREE for BPB readers until June 1st View the full article

Saint Mike DSP has released QingX Clean Amp, a free clean guitar amp simulator for macOS and Windows. We have covered quite a few Saint Mike DSP freebies over the past several months, including Ceiling Fan, Vocal Acrobatics, Tamazight Metal Amp, and the recent PitchCure pitch correction plugin. QingX Clean Amp continues the same free-with-Pro-upgrade [...] View post: Saint Mike DSP releases QingX Clean Amp, a FREE clean guitar amp plugin View the full article

Gooey Audio’s Talkie formant filter plugin is available for free again, this time through Audio Plugin Deals. We featured Talkie earlier this year when Gooey Audio offered it as a free download in January. If you missed that offer, Audio Plugin Deals now has the plugin listed as a limited free download, down from its [...] View post: Gooey Audio Talkie formant filter plugin is FREE again at Audio Plugin Deals View the full article

Glitchedtones is offering 808 Vault, a collection of 100 808 one-shots for trap, drill, rage, and hip-hop production, as a free download until the end of May. The pack is listed at €0 on the Glitchedtones website, and it includes 100 WAV files for use in any DAW or sampler that can load standard audio [...] View post: Get Glitchedtones 808 Vault sample pack FREE until the end of May View the full article

FuruSamples has released FuruBass-JB1965 Lite, a free vintage Jazz Bass library for the full version of Kontakt. The library is based on a real 1965 Fender Jazz Bass, sampled using the recording setup of Takahiro Furukawa, the bassist, composer, and producer behind FuruSamples. The important thing to note right away is that this is the [...] View post: FuruSamples releases FuruBass-JB1965 Lite, a FREE vintage Jazz Bass library for Kontakt View the full article

Raccoon Audio is offering ManTube Fuzz for $39 with an exclusive BPB coupon code until May 31st. ManTube Fuzz is normally $89 and is currently on sale for $49 during the developer’s ManTube May promotion. BPB readers can use the coupon code MANTUBE_MAY_BPB at checkout to knock another $10 off the price, bringing it down [...] View post: LAST CALL: Get Raccoon Audio ManTube Fuzz for $39 with BPB coupon code View the full article

Safari Audio is running an exclusive BPB offer that lets readers build a custom bundle of any ten Safari Pedals plugins for $89. The custom Safari Audio bundle gives you 25 plugins you can choose from, and you can make any combination you want as long as you select ten plugins before checkout. The offer [...] View post: Get any 10 Safari Audio plugins for $89 in exclusive BPB offer View the full article

Akai Pro has introduced the MPC Live III Retro Edition, a standalone music production workstation offering expanded processing power, expressive pad control, integrated sequencing, sampling, and portable battery-powered operation in a retro-styled enclosure.… Read More Akai Pro Intros MPC Live III RetroView the full article

MousePlugins has released X-Or, a free monophonic bass synthesizer for Windows and Linux. X-Or is a two-oscillator synth with dual free-running saw waves, a resonant low-pass filter, a filter contour envelope, a loudness envelope, and glide. I love programming synths, but I rarely reach for dedicated mono synths in my own workflow because I do [...] View post: MousePlugins releases X-Or, a FREE mono bass synth for Windows and Linux View the full article

Bjango has released Robot Vowels, a formant filter plugin with built-in distortion for macOS and Windows. We are taking a closer look at the plugin and giving away five FREE copies to BPB readers. Formant filters, sometimes called vowel filters, shape the frequency response of a sound to resemble vocal sounds like “ah,” “ee,” or [...] View post: Bjango releases Robot Vowels formant filter plugin with launch discount (5 FREE copies inside) View the full article

This video, via Bay Mud, explores the idea of creating ‘disintegrating loops’ using the Degenerator program card for the Music Thing Modular Workshop System. The Workshop System is a small, self-contained Eurorack modular system. It includes a Computer module that is a multi-function module that can perform a variety of functions loaded from cards. Degenerator… Read More Make Your Own Disintegration Loops With The Music Thing Modular Workshop SystemView the full article