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…

Native Instruments – one of the world’s leading manufacturers of music-making software and hardware – has entered preliminary insolvency proceedings, it has been revealed. According to a report by Create Digital Music, Prof. Dr. Torsten Martini has been appointed preliminary insolvency administrator for the Berlin-based company, and will be responsible for restructuring the company and selling off existing Native Instruments assets... The post Native Instruments enters preliminary insolvency appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Here's our take on the best of the 2026 NAMM Show. Did we miss anything that wowed you? Do you think some instruments don't live up to the hype.… Read More The Best New Synths & Electronic Music Gear Of The 2026 NAMM ShowView the full article

Preliminary Insolvency is a court-orded phase where an adminstrator steps in to protect debtors assets, and to see if changes can be made to enable a company to stabilize its financial situation. … Read More Native Instruments Files For Preliminary InsolvencyView the full article

This week, Arturia is offering exciting software deals clearly aimed at discerning producers. Together with offers from Xils Lab and IrcamLAB, these deals create a package that focuses on substantial tools rather than quick effects. These synths and audio effects can play a long-term role in everyday studio work. This is a great opportunity for you to deepen your knowledge of familiar concepts or try out new approaches. Those who appreciate sound design, structure, and control will find these deals interesting... The post Arturia, Xils Lab, IrcamLAB: 3 Ultimate Software Deals! appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Luna Co. Audio has released 4K EQ, MultiComp, and Tape Machine, three free mixing tools for Windows, macOS, and Linux. At first glance, I figured these were straightforward mixing utilities we’ve covered dozens, if not hundreds, of times: an equalizer, a multi-band compressor, and a tape-style saturation plugin. But after going through the feature lists [...] View post: Luna Co. Audio releases free 4K EQ, MultiComp, and Tape Machine plugins View the full article

Pigments has become a crucial synthesizer for Arturia since its release in 2018. Although the French manufacturer had built such a stellar reputation with its analogue modelling technology and plugin recreations of classic synths, Pigments represented a move away from this comfort zone, and is now essential to Arturia’s identity. Rather than an exclusive focus on one type of synthesis, Pigments is a platform that lets you combine a wide range of sound generation and shaping tools. It offers virtual-analogue, wavetable, granular, harmonic, and modal synthesis as well as complex modulation shaping, while remaining musical to the touch and never feeling too technical or too …

NAMM 2026 didn’t have a showstopping product. There was no behemoth booth like Universal Audio’s LUNA spectacle of 2020, and there were several major music tech brands absent from the show. Meanwhile, the boutique synth crowd has found a new home at the Buchla & Friends event in Los Angeles, which happens during the same weekend as NAMM. That sounds like a problem... The post The coolest synths, software and gear I saw at NAMM 2026 appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Apogee Electronics announces Symphony Nova, a new desktop audio interface featuring four high-end analog microphone inputs, each with its own real-time DSP path, enabling latency-free processing during tracking. … Read More NAMM 2026: Apogee Unveils New Symphony Nova Desktop InterfaceView the full article

At the Winter NAMM Show, The MIDI Association presented the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Awards, honoring pioneers whose work helped define MIDI, computer music, and modern music production.… Read More The 2026 MIDI Association Lifetime Achievement AwardsView the full article

The Erica Synths Steampipe is a physical modelling synthesizer, developed in collaboration with Dutch company 112.dB.… Read More Shut Up & Play: Sounds Of The Erica Synths SteampipeView the full article

At the 2026 NAMM Show, AlphaTheta introduced the RMX-IGNITE, a multi-effects box designed for live performance. … Read More AlphaTheta Intros RMX-IGNITE Performance Multi-EffectsView the full article

Nymira is a standalone harmony instrument designed around the circle of fifths.… Read More Terraphones Nymira Synthesizer Like An Omnichord For JazzView the full article

MPE controllers open up completely new expressive possibilities for production and performance. But which MPE controllers are really worth buying? Here are our recommendations. MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) has been a buzzword ever since manufacturers such as Haken Audio and Roli caused a stir with instruments like the Continuum Fingerboard and the Seaboard. The basic idea: Wouldn’t it be great if you could shape every single note on a keyboard as expressively as you can on a guitar, string, or wind instrument? ... The post Best MPE Controllers 2026: Unlimited Expressive Freedom appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Delay Rings 8-Bit (Japan) is a brand-new version of the developer’s flagship dynamic delay engine, and you can grab it for just $12 while the intro offer lasts. That’s a massive 70% discount! The introductory sale will last for another 17 days (as of the time of writing – 26 January 2026). Once the sale ends, [...] View post: W.A. Production releases Delay Rings 8-Bit (Japan) with a limited-time 70% discount View the full article

Ablaze Audio has released Ablaze Toolkit, a bundle of five free plugins for Windows, macOS, and Linux, designed to simplify common mixing and sound design tasks in modern metal production. Oh, and there’s a fun easter egg for BPB readers. Ablaze Audio is run by the same developer who created our BPB Dirty Filter plugin. [...] View post: Ablaze Audio releases Ablaze Toolkit bundle with five FREE plugins View the full article

Baton is a free iOS app designed to help producers organize unreleased music, collaborate remotely, and explore new opportunities around their existing projects. For a limited time, BPB readers can claim one month of Baton Pro for FREE. Before we dig a bit deeper into the app itself, here’s more info about the special offer [...] View post: Baton is a FREE iOS app to help you collaborate and organize your unfinished music View the full article

Armory, the developer name of Daphne Wilkerson, a Computer Science (Human Computer Interaction) graduate based in San Diego, has released two free plugins: TurnTableSaw and LaunchCodes for macOS and Windows. As technical as that sounds, Daphne is very much a creative, with a passion for art, design, and, of course, making music. That blend of [...] View post: Armory releases FREE TurnTableSaw vinyl scratch plugin and LaunchCodes virtual instrument View the full article

They say that the Kurzweil SP8 combines authentic acoustic realism, deep synthesis, and intuitive hands-on control.… Read More Kurzweil SP8 Stage Keyboard Debuts At 2026 NAMM ShowView the full article

At the 2026 NAMM Show, Eventide Audio announced that it is working with electronic music composer Laurie Spiegel to bring back Music Mouse – an algorithmic musical composition application and performance instrument – after 40 years. “Music Mouse is an intelligent instrument,” notes Spiegel. “It’s like having a composer as your partner.” Music Mouse translates… Read More Eventide Audio Bringing Back Laurie Spiegel’s Music Mouse After 40 YearsView the full article

Are you interested in a new Casio Sampler?… Read More Casio SX-C1 Portable Standalone Sampler Overview & DemoView the full article

The Romagnetics FS-404, a MIDI companion to the Roland SP-404 MK2, has been updated with new capabilities and performance options.… Read More Romagnetics FS-404, A Companion For The Roland SP-404 MK2, Gets Major Firmware UpdateView the full article

At the 2026 Buchla & Friends show, Enjoy Electronics has introduced The Don, a quadraphonic multi-FX processor for 4U Buchla modular systems.… Read More Enjoy Electronics Intros The Don Quadraphonic Multi-FX ProcessorView the full article

At the 2026 NAMM Show, Italian keyboard and synth maker Generalmusic announced that it's back in business.… Read More Generalmusic Returns, With The Promise Of New GEM KeyboardsView the full article

… there are moments when you wish you had a bank account with no limits. All the beautiful – and truely interesting – instruments that appear on the market… it’s… Read More The post RYK Modular 100M modules: creative art! appeared first on GreatSynthesizers. View the full article

Small, handy, colorful, and affordable… Waldorf is keeping up with the latest synthesizer trends and launched its new product line in November with the Protein. An 8-voice wavetable engine à… Read More The post Waldorf Protein: first member of a new product line appeared first on GreatSynthesizers. View the full article

Plugin Boutique currently lets you pick up the UJAM Virtual Bassist Dandy virtual bass guitar instrument for just $10, down from its usual $121 price. That’s a 91% discount, available until February 8th. As an added bonus, any purchase during this promotion also includes the Fire EQ plugin from United Plugins for free. Dandy is [...] View post: Get UJAM Virtual Bassist Dandy for $10 + FREE FireEQ View the full article

ViatorDSP has released Ripper, a free distortion plugin currently available in beta for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Ripper is a surprisingly versatile distortion effect for a freebie. You get a very straightforward control layout, but there’s more than enough depth to cover a wide range of tones. Documentation is non-existent at this stage (the product [...] View post: ViatorDSP releases Ripper, a FREE distortion plugin (beta) View the full article

At the 2026 NAMM Show, Behringer was offering a sneak preview of their BMX Hybrid 8/12-Bit Sampling Drum Machine, a new design, inspired by the Oberheim DMX.… Read More Behringer BMX Sneak Preview From 2026 NAMM ShowView the full article

IK Multimedia has released ReSing Voices Vol 1 Producer’s Pack, the first in a planned series of vocal expansion packs for their ReSing platform.… Read More IK Multimedia Expands Options For ReSing Vocal Synthesis PlatformView the full article