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…

Heads up for FL Studio users: there’s a limited-time deal running with up to 30% off FL Studio upgrades. If you’re still on Fruity Edition and thinking about unlocking audio recording, full playlist functionality, stem separation, and the rest of the grown-up tools, this is a solid moment to move up a tier. Same workflow, a lot more headroom. Plus, save 33% on your first year of FL Cloud Pro Get over 1 million sounds, 85 premium plugins, all FLEX packs, and much more - now for 33% off.

Happy New Year, everyone! We’re kicking off what’s surely shaping up to be a great year of free plugins with three awesome freebies released at the end of 2025. Here’s AmenBreak VST, Skew v2, and Strum Plate... The post AmenBreak VST, Skew v2, Strum Plate: Free Plugins of the Week appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Favor pure sound quality over lots of modulation possibilities? These are the synths for you: the best sounding synthesizers around. I had a realization not too long ago: I kind of don’t care about modulation. I mean, I do, but not nearly as much as some people. Check out the comments for a new synth release, and you’ll invariably see people complaining about the lack of LFOs. That’s definitely not me. One or two is fine. I’m much more focused on the sound of the thing: the oscillators and filter and saturation. That’s what I like. I had a think about it, about my favorite synths of past and present. They all tend to be light on the modulation and heavy on the sound. Whet…

(https://jamesm.blog/music-production/roland-tr-8s-vs-mc-707/) Roland has long been a cornerstone of electronic music hardware, and two of its most popular modern devices - the TR-8S Rhythm Performer (2018) and the MC-707 Groovebox (2019) - often come up in the same conversation. While they overlap in some areas, they’re built with very different goals in mind. This post brings together everything you need to know to decide TR-8S vs MC-707, including workflow, genres, live use, and how they can even work together. OverviewRoland TR-8S Rhythm PerformerType: Dedicated drum machine Best known for: Hands-on performance, classic TR sounds, live tweaking The TR-8S is all about …

Forget Akihabara and Mt. Fuji: Japan is all about synths! Book your Japan synthesizer tour with the help of this guide to the top synth sites in the country. Japan is the hottest country in the world to visit right now. Most tourists will be hitting the major Japanese spots, like manga-crazy Akihabara and the ancient temples and shrines of Kyoto. This is all well and good but if you stick to this basic itinerary, you’ll be missing on what makes Japan truly special: synthesizers... The post Japan Synthesizer Tour: Synth Secrets from the Rising Sun appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

This is a tool for creative musicians. With 64 (2×32) steps, the AS500 offers flexible step/row combinations that break up the structural pattern of a classic sequencer. In addition, the… Read More The post AS500 – a slightly different kind of analog step sequencer. appeared first on GreatSynthesizers. View the full article

The PM-80 is designed to bring the hardware experience of patching an original CS-80 to virtual instrument versions. … Read More GLT Audio Intros PM-80 Yamaha CS-80 MIDI ControllerView the full article

Universal Audio has discounted its Moog Minimoog instrument to just $29, marking one of the best software synth deals to close out 2025. This is also my final article of the year, so before diving in, I just want to say thank you for being part of BPB in 2025. Your support, comments, and daily [...] View post: Universal Audio’s Moog Minimoog is just $29 until January 1st View the full article

In just a few hours, 2025 will be history. Here are a couple of awesome modular jams to get your New Year’s Eve party started! Some say that most owners of modular systems don’t actually use them to make real music, let alone perform. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Not all modular enthusiasts are introverted nerds holed up in a mess of spaghetti wires and making bleep noises! I don’t know about you, but I could lose myself in these extended modular jams forever. The perfect soundtrack for a relaxed transition into the new year – or a wild party! ... The post Modular Jams for New Year’s Eve: From Ambient to Techno appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full…

London-based producer Hilit Kolet has built a reputation for high-impact, groove-driven club tracks that balance sharp sound design with a clear sense of fun. Her new Transatlantic Kiki EP with The Illustrious Blacks is a vibrant celebration of the shared energy between London and New York. The record fuses playful vocals, bold percussion, and driving bass with Kolet’s unmistakable mix precision and feel for rhythm. Behind that clarity is a workflow designed for speed. Using Komplete Kontrol and the A61 keyboard, Hilit builds her ideas quickly and keeps the creative spark alive. Her setup gives her instant access to her personal sound library and favorite Kontakt presets,…

194db Audio has released Vox Relief Lite, a free vocal processing plugin for macOS and Windows, designed to quickly clean up vocal tone and help vocals sit better in the mix. In plugin-land, the word “Lite” in a plugin’s name usually suggests a stripped-down free version with a paid upgrade coming later. That might be [...] View post: 194db Audio releases FREE Vox Relief Lite vocal processing plugin View the full article

Saint Mike DSP has released Vocal Acrobatics, a vocal compressor plugin for macOS and Windows, and it is available for free for a limited time. Vocal Acrobatics is all about keeping basic vocal processing simple. Instead of throwing multiple plugins into your vocal chain to control dynamics, this plugin aims to get you 90% of [...] View post: Saint Mike DSP Vocal Acrobatics vocal compressor plugin is FREE for a limited time View the full article

Although there are no end of expensive plugins vying for your attention, you shouldn’t overlook some of the amazing free tools that are also available. We’ve put together a list of our favourite free plugins and tools from 2025 so you can get creative in the studio whilst saving your wallet... The post MusicTech’s favourite free plugins of 2025 appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

It was a great year for synthesizers and drum machines. Here are my picks for the best gear and software of 2025. Another year come and gone. As a music technology journalist, I got to spend every day of it steeped in new releases. Synthesizers, both hard and soft, drum machines, effects units. You name it, I covered it. And while there were many, many good releases this year, some especially stood out. These are the ones that quickened my pulse, put a smile on my face, and made me happy to have the job that I do. This is my list of the best gear and software of 2025, presented in no particular order... The post The Best Gear and Software of 2025: My 7 Highlights of the Y…

Noisebug shared this hands-on demo of the 505 Multimode Filter, a Moog format module that's been reissued by Synth-Werk/Moon Modular.… Read More Moon Modular Moog Format 505 Multimode Filter Hands-On DemoView the full article

“Connect 4/12 is a compact brute of a bus-powered box that moonlights as CV bridge, transport controller, and a precision dial.” It seems that software companies (in the music space, and elsewhere) keep jumping the fence into hardware. Part of it is surely profit motive; but beyond dollars and cents, there are benefits to owning more of the user experience and [...] The post Bitwig Connect 4/12: Total Studio Control [Review] appeared first on DJ LIFE Magazine. View the full article

Sometimes you stumble across software that pushes everything familiar aside and immediately makes you want to dive deeper. Sonic Pi falls squarely into this category because music is created directly through code that responds audibly and provides immediate feedback. This code implements musical ideas with surprising immediacy. Anyone who loves electronic music and is curious about new ways of working will quickly realize that there is much more to this environment than an educational experiment... The post Sonic Pi Self-Test: Powerful Insights from Coding Beats Instead of Turning Knobs appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Swiss-born, London-based producer and live artist Sensu returns with Pure Motion, a six-track EP on Headroom Records. The record captures her instinct-driven approach to production, blending UK garage, breakbeat, bass, and ambient textures into a raw, emotional, direct sound. Written across sessions that moved between headphones, club systems, and quiet hours in her London studio, Pure Motion marks a new stage in Sensu’s evolution. The sound feels personal yet built for movement, balancing the introspective clarity of her early work with the energy of modern bass music. Each track sits between precision and instinct, carrying her familiar blend of warmth and weight. In th…

Soft Loop Audio has released Harmonic Echo, a free generative MIDI delay plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. I was contacted by the developer behind Soft Loop Audio about this release, and instantly loved the concept. After spending some (very short, unfortunately) time with Harmonic Echo, I can safely say it’s unlike any MIDI effects I’ve [...] View post: Soft Loop Audio releases FREE Harmonic Echo generative MIDI plugin View the full article

Developer the Usual Suspects has officially released JE-8086, their free Roland JP-8080 emulation for macOS, Windows, and Linux. The Usual Suspects announced plans to release a Roland JP-8080 emulation a while back, and as expected, it generated quite a buzz. The excitement over any release from The Usual Suspects is merited and comes from an [...] View post: The Usual Suspects officially release JE-8086, a FREE Roland JP-8080 emulation View the full article

Emily Hopkins, a harpist and composer uniquely blending the traditional and modern, has released Chippo, a free chiptune-inspired sequencer plugin for macOS and Windows. In addition to performing live and working on music for film and video games, Emily has a popular YouTube channel where she showcases the harp in some weird and wonderful ways. [...] View post: Emily Hopkins releases Chippo, a FREE chiptune-inspired sequencer plugin View the full article

Visit any commercial studio, even smaller ones, and we’ll bet you find some outboard gear in use. Whether it’s a simple mic preamp unit, a hardware compressor, EQ, or master bus processor, or many rack units stacked together, producers everywhere appreciate the power, flexibility, and ultimately the sound that these products can contribute to their workflow. Here, we share some of the standout releases from 2025, including updated versions of classics, more affordable recreations of others and even some unique gear that lets you integrate rack processing directly into your DAW with no latency... The post MusicTech’s favourite outboard gear releases of 2025 appeared first …

This week is a big one: Polyverse Music, XLN Audio, and IK Multimedia are offering three extremely exciting deals on software. Polyverse is bringing a breath of fresh air to the studio with its wild effect plugins, proving that sound design can be really fun. XLN Audio presents XO, a beat tool that cleverly combines groove and visual inspiration. IK Multimedia’s offer opens the big stage for anyone who wants to take mixing, mastering, and guitar sounds to the next level. In short, these three strong manufacturers represent three completely different worlds, but they all offer plenty of sound fodder that will make you want to get started right away... The post XLN Audio, P…

My personal highlights of the year 2025: The last year flew by for me, and to be honest, it started off pretty unspectacularly. As a synthesizer nerd, I had hoped for more. There were hardly any fresh ideas; instead, there were the umpteenth emulation of a classic – and sometimes even emulations of emulations. The scene seemed tired; the euphoria of previous years was barely noticeable. But then, sometime in the summer, everything clicked again. Suddenly, there were new things to discover: tools that really made a difference and sounds that kept me in the studio longer than planned. And yes, my G.A.S. struck again – or maybe it was just my curiosity, which never lets me r…

Developers have announced that JE-8086 - software emulation of the Roland JP-8000 synthesizer - is now out of alpha testing, and is officially available as a free download. … Read More New Roland JP-8000 Emulator Is Free, But There’s A CatchView the full article

With Opal Drums, Denver-based producer Mux Mool and UK turntablist Jon1st are reshaping how electronic duos approach performance. Their debut single, “Burning Hammer,” introduces a world where lush, cinematic sound design meets raw, tactile percussion. The project combines the spontaneity of live musicianship with the precision of modern production, building a conceptual narrative around alien monoliths, transformation, and human curiosity. At the center of Mux Mool’s process is Maschine, a controller that has shaped both his solo work and his collaboration with Jon1st. As a longtime user, he relies on it for sketching rhythms, building performance-ready sequences, and ma…