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…

Low End Candy has released The Clap, a free crowd-clap synthesizer for macOS. The interesting part here is that The Clap does not use samples. It synthesizes handclaps from scratch by modeling everything from the skin smack to the body of cupped palms, and a adding bit of snap for more impact. I often use [...] View post: Low End Candy releases The Clap, a FREE crowd-clap plugin for macOS View the full article

Golden DSP has released Shatter Clip, a free clipper plugin for macOS and Windows. If there is one type of plugin I have seen dozens and dozens of over the past several years, it has to be the clipper. There are countless free clippers out there, and I doubt that most producers need another one [...] View post: Golden DSP releases Shatter Clip, a FREE visual clipper plugin View the full article

X-Audio has released FAULTLINE, a free glitch, beat-repeat, freeze, and bitcrush effect for macOS and Windows. The old DBlue Glitch was one of the first plugins I used when I started making music, and I still have a soft spot for that kind of instant destruction. I haven’t found a replacement glitch plugin since then. [...] View post: X-Audio releases FAULTLINE, a FREE glitch and beat-repeat plugin View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - A software version of the classic digitally-controlled synth that led to MIDI, with additional 2026 features The Sequential Prophet-5 was an important instrument the history of synths, but even more importantly it still stands up today – which is why Sequential re-issued a hardware version a couple of years ago. It’s also why several software […] The post GForce Sequential Prophet-5 – the Synth and Software Review appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

FRCTL Audio has released DLAY Lite, a free multi-tap delay plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. DLAY Lite is a simple delay with two main controls and 12 presets. You can pick a preset, adjust Mix and Wash, and you are basically done. The Wash knob is the main character control. It turns tighter, clearer [...] View post: FRCTL Audio releases DLAY Lite, a FREE multi-tap delay plugin View the full article

Parish Audio has released S1 De-Esser, a free VST3 plugin for macOS and Windows. S1 De-Esser is designed to smooth sharp S, SH, and T sounds without adding artifacts to your entire vocal track (read: without giving your singer the lisp). So, like any other de-esser, instead of pulling down the top end with EQ, [...] View post: Parish Audio releases S1 De-Esser, a FREE de-essing plugin View the full article

MKS Mixing has released DelayU-42, a free vintage-inspired delay plugin for macOS and Windows. DelayU-42 recreates the sound of classic 80s rack delays, focusing on grit, saturation, limiter behavior, and dark echoes. Although MKS Mixing does not name the original unit directly, I’m guessing it’s the PCM42, but it could also be the Korg SDD-3000 [...] View post: MKS Mixing releases DelayU-42, a FREE vintage-style digital delay plugin View the full article

COGG is a free industrial destruction FX plugin for macOS and Windows released by the developer Plasmatic. Plasmatic says COGG turns any sound into something industrial, and that’s a pretty fair description. When we think of industrial sounds, they aren’t pretty sounds; they are unapologetically metallic, gritty, screeching, scraping, clunky, and none of that sounds [...] View post: Plasmatic releases COGG, a FREE industrial destruction FX plugin for macOS and Windows View the full article

Audio Damage has introduced ShinRonin, a free delay effect for Linux, Mac & Windows. … Read More Free Audio Damage Delay Effect Now Available For Linux, Mac & WindowsView the full article

Sine Machine is an additive software synthesizer that uses more than 10,000 time-domain oscillators and extensive per-harmonic editing to create sounds entirely from sine waves.… Read More New Synth, Sine Machine, Designed To Make Additive Synthesis FriendlyView the full article

Electronic Music Works (EMW) shared this sneak preview of the VPOLY-6X, a new virtual analog synthesizer module that they say is "designed to deliver inspiring sound with an intuitive workflow."… Read More EMW VPOLY-6X Virtual Analog Synthesizer Sneak PreviewView the full article

The Bob Moog Foundation is expanding its archives with the addition of one of the very first R.A. Moog theremins.… Read More Bob Moog Foundation Expands Archive With Rare Model 351 Tube ThereminView the full article

Rev OCEAN is a software reverb from Arturia that combines an FDN-based reverb engine, multi-stage diffusion, expressive Macro Modes, and modulation to create evolving spatial effects.… Read More Arturia Intros Rev OCEAN Creative Reverb PluginView the full article

Canvas Audio has released Double Dare, a free vocal doubler plugin for macOS and Windows. The freebie marks Canvas Audio’s first anniversary, and Double Dare is available as a free download until September 1st. It normally costs $29. Double Dare is a quick stereo vocal doubler. It can give you anything from subtle thickening to [...] View post: Canvas Audio releases Double Dare, a FREE vocal doubler plugin View the full article

Push and Groove has released GROOVE60, a MIDI timing processor for macOS and Windows. Developer Takahiro Oishi describes GROOVE60 as a MIDI timing simulator inspired by classic drum machine and hardware sequencer timing concepts. So, if you want some of that old-school sequencer groove in your DAW, it’s a fun tool to try. It processes [...] View post: Push and Groove releases GROOVE60 MIDI timing simulator View the full article

Orra Audio is offering BPB readers an exclusive discount on Orra EQ and Orra Press, bringing each plugin down to $39 with the coupon code BPB39. Both plugins normally cost $49, so the code takes $10 off either product. You can use it on Orra EQ, Orra Press, or both if you want the full [...] View post: BPB readers get exclusive $10 OFF Orra EQ and Orra Press View the full article

Developer Audio Damage has rebooted an old classic with the free ShinRonin modular filter/delay plugin. Audio Damage is a name that has been around for a long time, and the Colorado-based developer shows no signs of going away anytime soon. In March of this year, we covered the release of Evil Otto, a free OTT-style [...] View post: Audio Damage reboots the classic FREE ShinRonin modular filter/delay plugin View the full article

Tom Wolfe and Luftrum have released Luftrum x Wolfe, a free preset pack for Spectrasonics Omnisphere 3. The release celebrates five years of Tom Wolfe’s Synth Vault, the free monthly preset club that launched in July 2021. To mark the anniversary, Wolfe teamed up with Luftrum on a small but very focused pack of ten [...] View post: Tom Wolfe and Luftrum release FREE Omnisphere 3 presets for Synth Vault View the full article

Most producers have imagined it at least once: what if I had my own plugin? Something with your name on it. Something that takes a piece of your sound, your taste, your workflow, and turns it into an instrument that other people can use inside their own music. For a long time, that idea felt [...] View post: How HydraTek created his dream plugin with some help from friends View the full article

TerminalVST has released Instant, a free percussion plugin for macOS and Windows. Instant is basically a minimal step sequencer for drums. It lets you pick a category, such as clap, snare, closed hi-hat, or open hi-hat, browse the included samples or load your own, and you have a rhythmic part running without building the pattern [...] View post: TerminalVST releases Instant, a FREE percussion plugin for macOS and Windows View the full article

Developer Marcus Dunn has introduced Acid Drip, a DIY bassline synth and drum machine. … Read More Build An Acid Bassline Synth Using A Raspberry PiView the full article

The DrumComputer Claude Extension lets you generate complete DrumComputer sounds from a single text prompt.… Read More DrumComputer Claude Extension Lets You Make Beats Via Text PromptsView the full article

Filament hosts and controls up to 64 AU/VST3 instruments inside a single DAW track. … Read More Filament Real-Time MIDI Orchestration Plugin Lets You Play An Orchestra LiveView the full article

Developer Morphoice is back with another vintage synth emulation, a free public beta of the new Roland Jupiter-8 emulation. EightyEight. The developer has already tackled iconic synths like the Roland Juno-6 (EightySix) and the Yamaha CS-80 (Unstable). This time around, developer Morphoice is taking on the Roland Jupiter-8 with the EightyEight. Roland’s 1981 Jupiter-8 is [...] View post: Morphoice announces EightyEight, a new Roland Jupiter-8 emulation View the full article

Rogue P6 gives the Prophet-6 a full on-screen patch editor, with live two-way MIDI sync, so the app and the hardware stay in agreement while you work.… Read More Sequential Prophet-6 Gets Native Mac Patch Editor & LibrarianView the full article

Developer Gary White let us know that he's updated his free online patch editor for Behringer mini synths to include the new Pro VS Mini. … Read More Free Behringer PRO VS Patch EditorView the full article

Do you swear by a weighted keyboard with a piano-like feel? Then, a hammer action keyboard controller is one of the most important pieces of gear in your studio or live setup. Let’s check out the best ones. Many keyboard players swear by 88-key keyboards with a weighted, piano-like action. And that’s no surprise: as most keyboard players start on piano, this type of action just feels natural. Whether justified or not, many trained pianists look down on synth-style keyboards with a certain degree of disdain. Consequently, 88-key hammer action keyboard controllers are a vital component of many studios—often occupying a central position in the pull-out drawer under the studi…

Tracktion’s Waveform Free has been updated to v14, remaining our best free DAW for macOS, Windows, and Linux. We’ve covered Tracktion’s Waveform Free multiple times, and we like it. So much so that we named it our best free DAW in 2026, despite sme stiff competition from the likes of Cakewalk and GarageBand. The reason [...] View post: Tracktion releases Waveform 14 Free: our best FREE DAW for macOS, Windows, and Linux View the full article

The Crow Hill Company has released its latest addition to the free Vaults collection – Vintage String Synth. The Crow Hill Company’s Vaults collection is an absolute treasure trove of incredible sounds. Although I’m a big fan of cinematic and atmospheric sounds, which is where the Vaults shines most, one of my favorite things about [...] View post: The Crow Hill Company releases FREE Vaults Vintage String Synth View the full article