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…

(https://jamesm.blog/music-production/best-software-synths-2025/) Software synthesizers in 2025 are a study in contrast and creativity - flagship instruments with deep sonic universes, hybrid engines merging sampling with synthesis, and tools that make sound design feel like both art and play. Below is a panoramic view of the top soft synths this year, each with its release timing and why it matters to your creative workflow. Spectrasonics Omnisphere 3 – Released October 21, 2025 Omnisphere’s long‑anticipated third chapter landed in late October, and it’s already a touchstone for sound designers across genres. With tens of thousands of patches, integrated granular and wav…

https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-5-grooveboxes-2025/ Grooveboxes are island universes of music creation — sequencing, sampling, synthesis, and performance all in a single box. They let you sketch ideas, build full tracks, jam live, and take your studio wherever you want. In 2025, they’re more powerful and diverse than ever.(musicradar.com) Roland MC-707 (£1,013) The MC‑707 is a flagship groovebox from Roland with a ZEN‑Core sound engine that packs thousands of presets, drum kits, effects, and routing options. Its strength lies in pattern and clip‑based sequencing, deep effects, and live remixing capabilities. Each track can be assigned Tone, Drum, or Looper engine…

https://jamesm.blog/music-production/top-5-sequencers-2025/ Hardware sequencers remain essential for producers who want hands-on control over patterns, rhythms, and melodies. Unlike grooveboxes, sequencers are often designed to drive external synths, modular systems, or entire hardware setups. Here’s a detailed look at the top 5 hardware sequencers in 2025, complete with images, prices, and strengths. (reverb.com) Teenage Engineering OP-XY (~£1,799) The OP-XY is a portable sequencer with integrated synth engines and expressive pattern management. It offers parameter locks, modulation lanes, and performance-friendly workflow. Its unique combination of sequencing and sound …

The Crow Hill Company is currently running a £25 voucher promotion that you can use to claim the Pocket Strings (£10) library for FREE or get a £4 bargain of your choice. The coupon code crowmas25 knocks £25 off any purchase in the Crow Hill store, with no minimum spend required. The no minimum spend [...] View post: Get the Pocket Strings library for FREE for a limited time View the full article

SoundMorph has launched a time-limited holiday deal that lets you take $49 off anything in their store, with no minimum spending required. If you play it right, that means you can grab select plugins or sound libraries completely free of charge. The discount is applied using the code Christmas49, and it’s valid until December 27 [...] View post: Get a FREE SoundMorph product with $49 OFF coupon (ends December 27) View the full article

The Novation Circuit range looks pretty cool, use Tracks for synth-led sketches and full ideas, use Rhythm for sample-driven beats and performance. Both look fun, immediate, and play nicely with other gear. Circuit Tracks is the all-rounder: two synth tracks, four drum tracks, slick pattern workflow, and great MIDI control. Ideal if you want melodies and beats in one box. Circuit Rhythm is all about sampling and groove: fast recording, slicing, resampling, and hands-on performance. Feels built for beatmakers who like to mangle audio live.

I genuinely can’t get over how mental the Reliq from Reliq Instruments is. Not just in features - physically. This thing is huge. The 16×16 grid dominates the unit and makes everything else look small by comparison. It’s less “desktop groovebox” and more “command bridge of a spaceship.” You’re sequencing, routing, mixing, and launching clips on a surface that looks like it could run an entire studio by itself - because it basically can. Specs aside, the scale alone is wild. It’s clearly designed to be the centre of everything, not something you casually tuck next to a synth. If you want a subtle box, this is not it. If you want a single, imposing brain that screams commit…

This is a fast-paced comparison of a wide range of synths, grooveboxes, drum machines, and oddball gear, covering a lot of modern synths, classic digital gear, pocket operators, grooveboxes, and a dawless jam at the end. Gear covered in the video; Novation Peak ASM Hydrasynth Polyend Tracker Korg Electribe EMX-1 Roland MC-101 Korg opsix Casio CZ-101 Roland S-1 vs 1010music Blackbox Korg Wavestate MK2 Roland TB-3 Roland Cloud Teenage Engineering PO-33 KO! Korg Volca Modular Teenage Engineering Pocket Operator Modular 400 Elektron Digitakt II Korg Minilogue XD Boss DR-5

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Since I first saw it demonstrated on the BBC TV programme ‘Tomorrow’s World’ in 1980, I have been fascinated and obsessed with the Fairlight CMI, a remarkable machine that changed the way we make music and whose DNA remains in the way we use computers in music to this very day. Its inventors should, in my very humble opinion, be held in the same regard as Bob Moog, Tom Oberheim, Dave Smith, Ikutaro Kakehashi, et al, such was their impact on the way we make music and how it shaped modern culture. Since 2013, I’ve been involved with restoring and repairing Fairlight CMIs and have become somewhat intimately knowledgeable about them. I’ve also been incredibly fortunate to mee…

Black Octopus Sound has released Christmas Gift – Starter Deck Sampler, a huge free sample pack available for a limited time, and a 100% discount for a full Starter Deck of your choice. I downloaded the pack out of curiosity, expecting little more than a generous teaser, but this is a proper sound library. Black [...] View post: Black Octopus Sound releases Christmas Starter Deck Sampler with 3 GB of FREE sounds View the full article

Developer Majetone is offering Pantomime 4, a virtual synthesizer with plenty of character, free for a limited time during the holidays. To download this, head to the Pantomime 4 product page, scroll down, and enter your email address. Once you sign up for the Majetone mailing list, a 100% discount code is automatically applied at [...] View post: Majetone offers Pantomime 4 virtual synth FREE for email subscribers View the full article

Happy Holidays, everyone! Before we get ready for the new year, it’s time to look back at my personal gear highlights of 2025. Spoiler alert: no synths this time! I mostly write about synths at GEARNEWS. But I don’t want to waste your time with yet another list of the best synths of the year (apart from a pair of stunning groove machines that no recap of 2025 can do without). So here’s my list of the other things I found exciting or interesting this year, outside of my main area of focus... The post Highlights of the Year: My Favorite Gear of 2025 appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

HoRNet Plugins has released HoRNet TapeLite, a free tape saturation plugin for macOS and Windows. TapeLite is a straightforward tape machine emulation designed to add non-linear behavior to clean digital recordings. There’s no trial period and no copy protection for this one. You just create a free HoRNet account, download the freebie, and keep it [...] View post: HoRNet Plugins releases FREE HoRNet TapeLite tape saturation plugin View the full article

On Saturday, The Crow Hill Company launched its new Tuned Gongs library for Vaults, which is now available for free download. The Vaults range of plugins runs on macOS and Windows in AU, VST3, VST, and AAX formats. Tuned Gongs features four… wait for it… tuned gongs that the dev suggests were cast for gong [...] View post: Tuned Gongs is a new FREE library for the Vaults plugin View the full article

A few days ago, I mentioned that we hadn’t seen many sample packs on our freebie desk over the last few weeks. Now, a few days later, as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours, and we’re amid a shower of free sample packs with more on the way. The latest offerings are two [...] View post: Sounds of Horror and Junk Store Finds: Get two free and unusual sample packs View the full article

KuramaSound has released AnalogChannel, a free VST3 channel strip plugin for Windows that combines several Airwindows (among others) DSP algorithms into one convenient workflow. AnalogChannel feels like a curated compilation of some of the best free DSP algorithms around, wrapped into a single, practical signal chain. The developer behind KuramaSound has pulled together faithful ports [...] View post: KuramaSound releases FREE AnalogChannel plugin for Windows View the full article

Just in time for the holidays, Universal Audio’s Holiday Freebie adds a little sparkle to our plugin collection. Instead of discount codes or time-limited demos, here’s something tangible: a completely free plugin from a selection of genuine studio classics. It’s the perfect gift for anyone looking to experiment with new sounds between Christmas and New Year’s or refine their mix with a fresh character. The best part? Universal Audio offers ten high-quality tools to choose from, ranging from the legendary LA-2A compressor to the modern PolyMAX synth. What are you waiting for? ... The post Holiday Freebie: Universal Audio is Giving Away Legendary Plugins! appeared first on…

Shattered Glass Audio has released Phoenix LT, a free analog tube preamp simulation plugin for desktop platforms and iOS. This release caught my attention because Phoenix LT is essentially the successor to the discontinued SGA1566 preamp. In my opinion, SGA1566 was one of the best free tube preamp plugins on the market for years, and [...] View post: Shattered Glass Audio releases Phoenix LT, a FREE tube preamp plugin for desktop and iOS View the full article

PSP AudioWare has released PSP stereoAnalyser2, a free stereo metering plugin for macOS and Windows, just in time for the holiday season. This isn’t a “free for a limited time” promo that later turns into a paid product, either. PSP stereoAnalyser2 is a permanently free plugin, and it’s essentially an updated and improved version of [...] View post: PSP AudioWare releases PSP stereoAnalyser2 plugin for FREE View the full article

Fracture Sounds is back with the next addition to the free Blueprint series, Dream Zither. Even though these Blueprint instruments are free, I feel like a salesman because I go on about how good they are so often. But if you haven’t tried them yet, please do, they are epic. Dream Zither is the 25th [...] View post: Fracture Sounds releases Blueprint: Dream Zither, a FREE ethereal plucks library for Kontakt Player View the full article

Edu Prado Sounds has made their Hapi Drum available for free download as a Christmas gift, and you can run the virtual instrument on the free Kontakt Player. Native Instruments’ free Kontakt Player is a sampler for macOS and Windows, available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats. The Hapi Drum (also known as a steel [...] View post: Edu Prado Sounds drops FREE Hapi Drum for Free Kontakt Player View the full article

Soundtrack Loops has launched the SCHAR “Get Ready For Me” Remix Contest, a free-to-enter competition inviting producers worldwide to reimagine the latest track from electronic artist SCHAR (Scharliina). Remix contests don’t always catch my attention, but this one stands out thanks to the quality of the prizes and the clear focus on creativity instead of [...] View post: Soundtrack Loops launches SCHAR “Get Ready For Me” remix contest with impressive prizes View the full article

This week, these three companies are offering the kind of deals that producers love. Waldorf is offering the versatile Nave synth at half price, D16 is offering its popular effects and instrument plugins at significantly reduced prices, and Universal Audio is tempting buyers with the large UAD Signature Edition, which includes 63 cool effects and synthesizers. These three promotions are very different from each other, but they all have the same effect. They make you want to try out new tools and bring fresh sounds to your studio... The post D16, Universal Audio, Waldorf: 3 Ultimate Software Deals! appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

The OB-1 belongs to the timeless elite of classic mono synthesizers. It ranks among the very best and shares its place in the top 10 with legends such as the… Read More The post Oberheim OB-1 – unique lead-synth with memories appeared first on GreatSynthesizers. View the full article

You finish a mix. Inside the DAW it slaps — punchy, wide, energetic. You export it… and suddenly it sounds flatter, quieter, and less exciting. Good news: you didn’t imagine it, and you didn’t suddenly forget how to mix. This is a very common technical + perceptual problem, and it usually comes down to a few fixable issues. Let’s break down why it happens — and how to prevent it. View the full article

Acustica Audio has released STONE, a free tone-shaping channel strip plugin for macOS and Windows. STONE is an Acqua plugin inspired by rare British broadcast and studio hardware from the 1960s and 1970s, and it’s permanently free with no limitations or demo mode. If you’ve followed Acustica Audio for a while, you’ll know that, coming [...] View post: Acustica Audio releases STONE, a FREE tone-shaping channel strip View the full article

Embertone has released E.L.V.E.S., a free virtual choir instrument for Kontakt, available for a limited time during the holiday season. E.L.V.E.S. stands for “Embertone Lyrical Voice Elevation System, although the name very much serves the purpose of being an acronym for elves. This is a playful holiday sample library designed to sound like a tiny [...] View post: Embertone offers E.L.V.E.S. festive choir instrument for Kontakt FREE for a limited time View the full article