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…

This ambient performance features the Moog Subharmonicon + Make Noise Bruxa. … Read More Ambient Music On The Moog Subharmonicon + Make Noise BruxaView the full article

Retromulator 1.2 features two new hardware cores: the Wurlitzer 200A physical model piano and Yamaha OPL3 FM synthesis, along with expanded Akai S1000 browsing and import capabilities.… Read More Free Retromulator Update Add Wurlitzer 200A, Yamaha OPL3 EmulationsView the full article

fy_niceworld releases fy_nicetape (beta), a FREE tape deck/delay and reverb plugin for Windows. fy_nicetape is a new plugin that brings a classic lo-fi vibe to your drums, keys, and synths. The plugin comes from fy_niceworld and is now available for free. There’s no tedious download process, no hoops to jump through, and you don’t even [...] View post: fy_niceworld releases fy_nicetape (beta), a FREE tape plugin for Windows View the full article

Atlas DSP is giving away its DI KEN plugin for free for a limited time. It normally costs 29.99 euros. To get it for free, you can sign up with your email and first name on the Atlas DSP website. DI KEN is a stompbox-style effect that combines overdrive, pitch shifting, and a noise gate [...] View post: Atlas DSP DI KEN stompbox-style overdrive and pitch shifter plugin is FREE for a limited time View the full article

Cr8ive Audio is offering The Util for free (normally $9). It’s a utility plugin that brings gain compensation, stereo width control, phase inversion, panning, and bass mono compatibility into a single interface. If you work with wide synthesized bass patches, you’ve probably run into the problem of having a sound that’s both very bassy and [...] View post: Cr8ive Audio offers The Util stereo and phase control plugin for FREE View the full article

Plugin Boutique is offering Baby Audio’s Parallel Aggressor to BPB readers for just $5 until March 20th. The plugin normally costs $69, so this is a unique opportunity for BPB readers to get it with a huge discount. Use the coupon code bpb-pagg at checkout. Parallel Aggressor is a parallel processing plugin that combines compression [...] View post: Get Baby Audio Parallel Aggressor for $5 (exclusive BPB deal) View the full article

While the Arturia MicroFreak was released back in 2019, it has evolved significantly since then, and since many of the early reviews.… Read More Arturia MicroFreak Review – “It’s Surprisingly Deep!”View the full article

Hansen Audio’s K-Whooms is a free virtual analog synthesizer available for Windows and Linux. It first appeared in 2024 and was updated in 2025, but we haven’t featured it on BPB until now. I’ve been getting more requests to cover Linux-compatible software on BPB, and K-Whooms somehow flew under my radar. It was mentioned in [...] View post: K-Whooms by Hansen Audio is a FREE virtual analog synth for Windows and Linux View the full article

You can now score Future Audio Workshop’s SubLab 808-style sub-bass synth for just $10, down from $70, in an 85% off deal exclusively available at Plugin Boutique. The deal is available until March 15, 2026. SubLab is a macOS and Windows release for VST2, VST3, AU, and AAX. The synth is NKS-ready for Native Instruments’ [...] View post: Future Audio Workshop SubLab is on sale for $10 in 85% OFF Deal View the full article

Audio Assault, the company behind Amp Locker, has been going strong for several years now. In celebration of their 12th year in business, they’re giving away the amp sim Invicto for free for a limited time. Invicto is part of the ReAmp 2 collection inside Amp Locker, based on the Peavy Invective 120, which is [...] View post: Audio Assault offers the Invicto amp sim based on the Peavey Invective 120 for FREE View the full article

Mike Moreno DSP now offers his LIRA•8 emulation as a free virtual synth, available for macOS, Windows, and Linux in VST3, VST2, AUi, LV2 formats, or as a standalone Pure Data application. At this point, I’d wager most people interested in experimental gear know SOMA Laboratories. They consistently push the envelope in both circuit design, [...] View post: Mike Moreno DSP released LIRA•8, a FREE experimental synth based on the SOMA Lyra-8 View the full article

You can now snap up Sample Logic’s Realms and Animation Station 2.0 for just $16.50, down from $249, in a 93% off deal at Humble Bundle. The $16.50 offer is part of the cheapest tier in Humble Bundle’s Sample Logic Creative Tools Bundle. The Sample Logic Humble Bundle offer expires on March 31, 2026. You [...] View post: Get Sample Logic Realms and Animation Station 2.0 for Just $16.50 at Humble Bundle View the full article

This video takes a look at the EMS Synthi 100, a rare modular monster synth, originally introduced in 1971. … Read More The EMS Synthi 100 Modular SynthesizerView the full article

Goldbaby has inroduced SubBass ToolKit, a new sample library, featuring 871 one-shot wav samples.… Read More Goldbaby Intros SubBass ToolKit Sample LibraryView the full article

iZotope Japan is giving away Neutron 5 Elements for free as part of a large freebie bundle that includes 45 plugins and the Luna DAW. The offer runs until March 17th, 2026. Neutron 5 Elements normally costs $55, so this is a pretty sweet deal. Most of the other stuff in the bundle was either [...] View post: Get iZotope Neutron 5 Elements for FREE + a massive plugin bundle until March 17th View the full article

Bitwig Studio 6 brings upgraded automation editing, automation clips, key signature, clip aliases, and many more improvements to the core features you use every day.… Read More Bitwig Studio 6 Now AvailableView the full article

From @synthandsoftware - ILIO and Overloud introduce Gem Comp160 – bringing together three distinct versions inspired by the legendary dbx 160 VCA compressor and its later variants. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT Comp160 faithfully captures the tone, response, and character that made these units a staple in professional studios. From punchy drum tracks to tight bass lines and cohesive mix bus […] The post Overloud Announce Gem Comp160: Three Classic VCA Compressors in One Plugin appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - AAS releases the Brazil Now sound pack for the Strum GS-2 and AAS Player plug-ins in collaboration with sound designer Thiago Pinheiro. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT With Brazil Now for Strum, Brazilian producer and keyboard virtuoso Thiago Pinheiro captures the ever-evolving spirit of Brazilian music, where tradition and innovation move forward side by side. Far beyond postcard […] The post Applied Acoustics Systems Releases the Brazil Now Sound Pack appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

GARUC Audio has released Deess-ertic Lite, a free de-esser plugin for macOS and Windows. De-essers are usually associated with vocals, but they’re useful on a lot more than that. I like using de-essers in my sound design workflow too, especially at the mastering stage, where they’re pretty handy for dynamically removing harsh frequencies without reaching [...] View post: GARUC Audio releases FREE Deess-ertic Lite de-esser plugin View the full article

Starting today, FedDSP will release a brand new plugin every week, with each plugin being free for the first seven days. Morso is the first in line and can be downloaded for free until March 17th. It is available in VST3, AU, and AAX formats and works on both Windows and macOS. Oh, and this [...] View post: Get Morso, a distortion and tone shaping effect by FedDSP, for FREE in a LIMITED time offer View the full article

Developer Kaizen DSP has released Choroboros, a free multi-engine chorus plugin for macOS and Windows. The plugin is currently in open beta, and the beta period runs until May 1st, 2026. I asked the developer what happens after the beta closes, and the answer is good news. The answer is that beta versions will never [...] View post: Kaizen DSP releases Choroboros, a FREE multi-engine chorus plugin (open beta) View the full article

Baby Audio has released Grainferno, a granular synthesizer plugin that breaks audio samples into microscopic fragments and rebuilds them into new sounds. It’s available at an introductory price of $79 (regular $129). Grainferno works by generating grains from any loaded audio file and letting you manipulate how those grains are created, shaped, and played back. [...] View post: Baby Audio releases Grainferno granular synthesizer with intro price View the full article

This live performance explores the art of analog sequencing, using the NRsynth Ancestor & SynthR4 synthesizers. … Read More The Art Of Analog Sequencing On The NRsynth Ancestor & SYNTHR4View the full article

Is the UDO Super 8 a modern-day take on the Roland Jupiter-8… Read More UDO Super 8 vs Roland Jupiter 8 Head-To-Head ComparisonView the full article

Behringer today shared this performance demo of the BMX hybrid sampling drum machine, an updated take on the classic Oberheim DMX.… Read More Behringer BMX Hands-On DemoView the full article

Aspen Instruments has released Black Diamond Distortion, a free distortion plugin with a wild concept. It can basically simulate any other distortion, whether it’s software or hardware. This is the developer’s first release, and it comes with a companion plugin called Black Diamond Probe that can reverse-engineer the distortion character of almost any hardware or [...] View post: Aspen Instruments releases Black Diamond Distortion, a FREE plugin that can emulate any distortion View the full article

Developer discoDSP just released Retromulator, a hardware synthesizer emulation plugin featuring seven classic synths for that retro goodness. But there’s a twist! Retromulator uses cycle-accurate emulation. It’s not a soft synth programmed to sound like these classic units; it runs the actual machines’ firmware while emulating the chips and bits to get as close to [...] View post: discoDSP releases Retromulator, a free ROM-based hardware synthesizer emulation View the full article

Solid State Logic’s SSL Mixing Bundle is now available for $59.99, offering $396 in value, in a 85% off deal that’s exclusively available at Plugin Boutique. The deal expires on March 15, 2026. SSL Mixing Bundle features four products: SSL Native X-EQ 2 ($149), X-ValveComp ($49), SSL X-Gate ($49), and SSL Native FlexVerb ($149). Picking [...] View post: SSL Mixing Bundle Available for $59.99 in 85% Off Plugin Boutique Deal View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Kamieniec II is a revised, redesigned and updated new version of the Kamieniec phaser module. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT Kamieniec II is an updated and extended revision of Kamieniec – our analog module inspired by a range of classic phaser effect units from the 1970s. We aimed to preserve the classic sound while making Kamieniec versatile enough […] The post New Kamieniec II and Allpass Expansion appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article