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…

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

Cherry Audio has introduced Ensoniq ESQ-1, a virtual instrument for macOS & Window that captures the recreates the classic ESQ-1 hardware hybrid digital/analog synthesizer.… Read More Cherry Audio Intros Virtual Ensoniq ESQ-1 SynthesizerView the full article

Shadaloo Audio DSP has released Vinland Drive, a free vintage tape emulator plugin for macOS and Windows. We recently covered Wide, Shadaloo Audio DSP’s free stereo and spatial enhancement plugin, and the developer also released H, a free tone and loudness enhancer, earlier this year. Those were both decent plugins, and Vinland Drive continues in [...] View post: Shadaloo Audio DSP releases Vinland Drive FREE tape emulator plugin View the full article

Collaya has launched a new co-producer plugin and standalone app for Apple Silicon Macs. The idea behind Collaya is to bring an AI-assisted writing partner directly into the DAW, rather than sending musicians to a separate browser tab or a prompt-based music generator. It runs as an AU/VST3 plugin in supported Mac DAWs and is [...] View post: Collaya launches in-DAW co-producer plugin for Apple Silicon Macs View the full article

Justin Sheriff is offering De-Space, his so-called “bedroom studio cleanup” plugin, as a free download for one week only. De-Space is listed as a pay-what-you-want product with a suggested $5 contribution, but you can enter zero and download it for free during the promotion. If you record vocals, acoustic instruments, podcasts, or voiceovers in an [...] View post: Justin Sheriff offers De-Space recording cleanup plugin FREE this week View the full article

W.A. Production is offering Vocal Splitter as a free download with the coupon code GETWAVS. Vocal Splitter normally costs $29, but you can add it to your W.A. Production account for free by applying the GETWAVS coupon at checkout. I don’t see an end date listed for this offer, so it’s worth grabbing sooner rather [...] View post: W.A. Production offers the Vocal Splitter plugin for FREE for a limited time View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - The mystery synth on this month’s cover is revealed Does the world need another modeled classic analog synth instrument plug-in? Oh yes. This one is really good, the Prophet 5 is a major instrument. Gforce’s new recreation (with extra features not on the original) was under embargo, so we weren’t allowed to mention what it […] The post Gforce Software Releases Official Prophet 5 Plug-in with Sequential appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

Buchert Audio has released The Double Wide, a free one-knob stereo width plugin for macOS. The Double Wide is a simple utility for narrowing or widening a stereo signal. It’s almost too easy, but also super useful. You turn the knob left to make the source narrower or turn it right to make it wider. [...] View post: Buchert Audio releases The Double Wide FREE stereo width plugin for macOS View the full article

drop_out audio has released MonoDelay, a lo-fi delay, synth, and noise instrument inspired by Korg’s cult toy synth/delay. MonoDelay is the first release from drop_out audio, a one-person plugin company founded by Martijn Kerkhof in the Netherlands. This is not a free plugin, but the 14-day trial is fully functional and has no audio drop-outs, [...] View post: drop_out audio launches MonoDelay lo-fi delay plugin (INTRO OFFER) View the full article

Audio Plugin Deals is offering Mutant Delay by W.A. Production as a free download for a limited time. Mutant Delay usually costs $39, but you can currently add it to your Audio Plugin Deals account for $0. I couldn’t find an end anywhere, so grab it sooner rather than later if you need a nice [...] View post: Get W.A. Production Mutant Delay FREE for a limited time View the full article

The Persistent Series from developer Kage Production is a collection of seven free plugins (beta stage) available in VST3 format for Windows. Before I list the individual plugins, I want to expand on compatibility a little, as there are a few things I’m unclear about. The Kage Production website says, “Persistent Series aims to support [...] View post: Kage Production releases the Persistent Series (beta) plugins for Windows View the full article

The Unusable Engineering line contains 9 audio effects, plus Curves & Membranes, a mono synth built around Bézier wave shaping, orbital motion, and a membrane-style filter model.… Read More Unusable Engineering’s Plugins Now Available on WindowsView the full article