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…

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

I use Kontakt, so I’m not going to pretend it suddenly became useless. The full version of Native Instruments Kontakt is still the sampler format that many commercial library developers build for. Kontakt Player, the free version, is also worth having if you want to use officially licensed libraries from developers like Heavyocity, ProjectSAM, Sonokinetic, [...] View post: I Tested 6 Free Kontakt Alternatives – These 2 Won View the full article

Artists in DSP have officially launched the world’s first plugin remix contest with Amorph. We’ve covered Amorph a few times now, from the initial open-beta release to the latest update; this time, we have something a little bit different to share. Artists in DSP have launched the world’s first plugin remix contest. At the heart [...] View post: Artists in DSP launch the world’s first plugin remix contest with Amorph View the full article

Excite Audio has released Evolve Nest Acoustics, a new sample-based instrument created in collaboration with sound designer and music maker Nest Acoustics. BPB readers can get Evolve Nest Acoustics Lite for $1 at Plugin Boutique using the coupon code “tj1nm34q“. We are also running a giveaway for the full Excite Audio Bundle, worth £718 and [...] View post: Get Excite Audio Evolve Nest Acoustics Lite for $1 and enter our Excite Audio bundle giveaway View the full article

Stereoid Light is the little brother of Stereoid, ANWIDA Soft’s premium stereo enhancer plugin – and it is free for a limited time. Although Stereoid Light is a streamlined plugin, it’s built on the same core principles as the premium version. It uses a subtle decorrelation algorithm, a microtonal detuner, and a calibrated delay to [...] View post: ANWIDA Soft’s Stereoid Light stereo enhancer is FREE for a limited time View the full article

Wavetable Designer lets you create wavetables using a chain of generators. Sources add a new waveform and effects modify the signals created by previous generators.… Read More Lambda Synthetics Wavetable Designer OverviewView the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Over a 40-Year Career, the Influential Synthesist and Accomplished Touring Keyboardist Shaped the Sonic Architecture of More Than 100 Landmark Instruments, Including the Historic M1 Workstation. RIP PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT FROM KORG USA Korg USA announces with deep sadness the passing of longtime employee, celebrated sound designer, and musical instrument industry icon Jack Hotop. Joining Korg […] The post The Passing of Jack Hotop, Legendary Sound Designer and Innovator appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

Plugin Boutique is offering 80% off Universal Audio’s Studer A800 Tape Recorder plugin, bringing the price down to $39 until June 30th, 2026. Studer A800 Tape Recorder is Universal Audio’s software emulation of the Studer A800 multichannel tape machine. The original 2-inch tape recorder has been used on many well-known recordings, and UA modeled a [...] View post: Get 80% off Universal Audio Studer A800 Tape Recorder at Plugin Boutique View the full article

Kobito has released ResSup, a dynamic resonance suppressor plugin for macOS and Windows. ResSup normally costs $49, but the developer is offering it for free to the first 1000 users before the launch price begins. The $49 discount is applied automatically at checkout, using the code “RESSUPINTRO49”. I downloaded the plugin to test it, and [...] View post: Kobito releases ResSup dynamic resonance suppressor, FREE for the first 1000 users View the full article

Sketch Audio has released Lil’ Doc, a free Detroit-style compressor plugin for macOS, Windows, and iOS. Lil’ Doc is based on the Mix Slammer module from Sketch Audio’s paid Doctor Vibe plugin. The developer describes it as a take on the vinyl compression algorithm from the Roland SP-303 sampler. That unique “Vinyl Simulator” effect became [...] View post: Sketch Audio releases Lil’ Doc, a FREE Detroit-style compressor plugin View the full article

SoundRave is offering ThermVoltGe, a germanium overdrive plugin for macOS and Windows, as a free download for a limited time. ThermVoltGe normally costs $19.99, but you can get it for free with the launch discount code “OGRQVP1USL”. I like using guitar-oriented plugins like this one on synths. Many lead synth patches I make have at [...] View post: Get SoundRave ThermVoltGe germanium overdrive plugin FREE for a limited time View the full article

Arturia today introduced Memory V, a software reimagining of the legendary Memorymoog.… Read More Arturia Memory V Brings The Moog Memorymoog To Your DAWView the full article

From @synthandsoftware - It’s part of the sound of Chick Corea, Rick Ocasek, Paul Haslinger, Mark Mothersbaugh, and many others Does the world need yet another software emulation of a famous analog synth? Absolutely! They all have a unique sound, somewhat different updated features, of course different presets (which may be the biggest difference), and of course Arturia […] The post Arturia Memory V Memorymoog Software Emulation Is Here appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

Developer Morphoice has released the beta version of EightySix, a free Juno-6 emulation for macOS and Windows. EightySix is free right now, but this beta version may stop working when a final release is introduced. The final release may be paid only. Morphoice is a producer, composer, and developer based in Germany. As a musician [...] View post: Morphoice releases EightySix (beta), a FREE Juno-6 emulation for macOS and Windows View the full article

Sinevibes has released Droplet v2, a major update to their delay effect that adds support for Korg's second-generation platforms, including the NTS-1 mkII, NTS-3 and microKORG2. … Read More Sinevibes Intros Droplet v2 For Korg ‘Logue SynthsView the full article

Audio Plugin Deals is offering Legendary, a cinematic sound design library for Kontakt and WAV, as a free download for a limited time. Legendary normally costs $39, and the free version includes both the Kontakt instrument and standalone WAV files. The library contains 459 sounds recorded at 96 kHz / 24-bit. The included categories cover [...] View post: Get Legendary cinematic sound design library FREE for Kontakt and WAV View the full article

Krystal Dynamics has released KrystalPeak, a free limiter plugin for macOS and Windows. We covered Krystal Dynamics earlier this year when the developer launched with three free plugins: KrystalField, KrystalClip, and KrystalComp. My first impressions of those releases were very positive, and KrystalPeak makes an even better first impression for me. The thing I like [...] View post: Krystal Dynamics releases KrystalPeak, a FREE limiter plugin for macOS and Windows View the full article

Orra Audio has released Orra Press ($49), a multi-module serial compressor plugin for macOS and Windows. We are taking a closer look at the plugin and giving away two free licenses, kindly provided for BPB readers by Orra Audio. We recently covered Orra Tone Zone, the developer’s free tonal curve corrector, and Orra Press moves [...] View post: Orra Audio launches Orra Press multi-module serial compressor (GIVEAWAY) View the full article

Elektron MonoMachine owners will want to check out new a custom firmware for all versions of the device that adds Trig Conditions, bug fixes and more. … Read More Unofficial Firmware Update For Elektron MonoMachine Adds Trig Conditions & MoreView the full article