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…

If this develops into a product, it sounds like the intent is to make it as a boutique, full-size clone, vs a mass-produced, budget copy. … Read More First Roland Jupiter-8 Clone (Sneak Preview)View the full article

The collection includes audio effects, synthesizers and utilities. … Read More Free VST Collection For WindowsView the full article

There's a deep rabbit hole to go down....… Read More Are Audiophile Cables BS? Or, A New Meaning For ‘Banana Cables’View the full article

Developer Aqua Node has released a collection of 20 free and open-source plugins for Windows. The plugins are free to download in VST3 format for Windows directly from the developer’s Gumroad page. All downloads include the open source code (JUCE) for anyone who’d like to expand on the existing code, or compile macOS or Linux [...] View post: Aqua Node releases a FREE and open-source plugin suite for Windows View the full article

Plugin Boutique is currently running historically low prices on three Roland synthesizer plugins, with the Roland D-50 leading the way at 67% off (down to $49 from $149). The deal runs until March 3rd. The D-50 is my main pick here. Released in 1987, it was Roland’s first fully digital synthesizer and one of the most [...] View post: Roland D-50, JV-1080, and XV-5080 plugins are at historically low prices at Plugin Boutique View the full article

The Complete Monkwind Effect Bundle from Monkwind DSP features thirteen plugins, including pitch shifters, drum processors, compressors, stereo width enhancers, and more – all for free! Here’s the complete list of plugins: ArpeggiateMe CRUNCHer DrumWizard EZPitch GimmeSpace LEVELer MajicFM SaturateMe SaturateLLC SUMO Suppressor WickdPitcher WideMe The plugins are available to download for free in AU [...] View post: Monkwind DSP offers the Complete Monkwind Effect Bundle for FREE View the full article

You don’t need 20 layers to make a loop feel new. Most of the time, you need one smart move that changes the emotion (warm → aggressive, clean → gritty, narrow → wide, static → alive). Below are 12 “one-knob” shortcuts you can do in any DAW with almost any plugin. Each one includes a quick example so you can turn a basic loop into a hook in minutes. View the full article

Behringer’s LM Drum is currently reduced over at Thomann, and you can get your hands on it for just under £300. Launched in 2024, this drum machine is not just a modern take on the LinnDrum. It captures the essence of “a hundred legendary ’80s drum sounds”, according to Behringer itself, including those designed by Roger Linn such as the LM-1, LM-2, LM9000 and more. The LM Drum landed just after its launch of its Wave synth, and offers 16 voices with trigger pads for each, plus a mixer with volume and panorama controls. It features 109 sounds in total, and has tuning controls for snare, toms, and congas, and a control for hi-hat decay... The post You can get Behringer’s L…

Sync Audio has released MegaMod, a free modulation plugin that lets you attach any of your existing plugins to it and use it as a modulation host. MegaMod is currently available for free as a limited-time offer during its beta period, so if this sounds interesting, it’s worth grabbing now. I’m guessing that this could [...] View post: Sync Audio releases MegaMod, a FREE plugin that modulates any other plugin View the full article

Developer Saint Mike DSP has released Tamazight Metal Amp, a free all-in-one guitar amp simulator for metal (but I think it also works for rock). An optional paid version is also available with additional features. Tamazight Metal Amp gives you a complete metal guitar signal chain in a single plugin. From left to right, the [...] View post: Saint Mike DSP releases Tamazight Metal Amp, a FREE guitar amp simulator plugin View the full article

AudioDeluxe is currently offering UVI Drum Designer at 74% off, bringing it down from $149 to $39. The deal expires on March 1st, so there are around five days left at the time of publishing. I’d recommend picking this up if you don’t already have a large collection of drum sounds, because the content alone [...] View post: UVI Drum Designer is 74% off at AudioDeluxe ($39) View the full article

Which synth sounds better: the Sequential Fourm or Take 5? This YouTuber went to great lengths to produce a detailed side-by-side comparison of the two Sequential synths. If you want that polyphonic Sequential sound but don’t want to splurge on a Prophet-6 or even Prophet-5, you now have a choice between two more budget-friendly synths: the Sequential Fourm or Take 5. At first glance, the two have a lot in common: both are analog, both have two oscillators per voice, and both have filters derived from the mighty Prophet-5. So what exactly are the differences, and which synth sounds better: the Sequential Fourm or Take 5? ... The post Sequential Fourm or Take 5: Which One …

Roex Audio has introduced Phosphor, a new software instrument for macOS that uses spectral synthesis to convert images into audio. … Read More Free Spectral Synthesizer For Mac, Phosphor, Turns Images Into AudioView the full article

Wavetick Sounds gives all new members 20 free credits, so you can download 20 sounds just by creating a free account. Signing up on Wavetick is super easy. Just enter your email, create a free account, and you’ll get 20 credits right away. Each credit lets you download one sound, and you can choose from [...] View post: Wavetick Sounds offers 20 FREE sound credits to new members View the full article

As a musician, you’ve always had good ideas. Hooks, sounds, grooves, and concepts. The difference today is that it’s easier than ever to make money with music, even without a major deal. Not as a rock star fantasy, but as real small-to-medium income streams that can add up. The good news is that you don’t need a label or millions of streams to do this – just a good structure... The post 10 Ways you Can Earn Money with Music – Even Without a Number One Hit! appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

The library features the sounds of clay flutes, conch trumpets, wooden drums, ocarinas, and ritual whistles.… Read More New Virtual Instrument, Nagual, Offers Sounds Of Pre-Hispanic Mexican CulturesView the full article

If you're an American hoping to get back some of the estimated $1,700 you've paid because of the Trump Tariffs, don't hold your breath.… Read More Supreme Court Rules Trump Tariffs Illegal, But Don’t Hold Your Breath On Getting Your Money BackView the full article

The new album captures Phaedra's magic, and makes the case that - even after more than 50 years - there's still a place for Tangerine Dream. … Read More Tangerine Dream – 50 Years of Phaedra: At The Barbican ReviewView the full article

Here's a head-to-head comparison between the classic Roland TR-909 and the new TR-1000 drum machine.… Read More Roland TR-909 vs TR-1000 Head-To-Head ComparisonView the full article

The free collection was recreates all 100 original Memorymoog factory presets.… Read More Memorymoog Presets Now Available For Moog MuseView the full article

Ewan Bristow has released ANINA, a free spectral shaping plugin for macOS and Windows. A new plugin from Ewan Bristow is always good news, like UZU and LOCD, released toward the end of 2025. But ANINA might be a particularly pleasant surprise for some. While ANINA is a new plugin, it is not a new [...] View post: Ewan Bristow releases ANINA, a FREE spectral shaping plugin View the full article

Gingoduino is a free, open source music theory engine for Arduino and other embedded systems.… Read More Free Music Theory Engine For Arduino & Other Embedded Music Platforms, GingoduinoView the full article

Sunbunny has released Panoramatone, a free analog-style vibrato plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Panoramatone is a true stereo vibrato effect that adds movement and gentle pitch changes with a vintage feel. The workflow is super simple, and it sounds nice. You can use it to quickly get smooth pitch shifts, a bit of warmth, [...] View post: Sunbunny releases Panoramatone FREE vintage-style vibrato plugin View the full article

Big Man Labs has released Big Max Zero, a free brickwall limiter plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Big Max Zero is a low-latency lookahead limiter for when you need to keep the monitoring delay as low as possible. You can choose lookahead settings of 0.5 ms, 1 ms, or 2 ms, so it’s a [...] View post: Big Man Labs releases Big Max Zero free brickwall limiter plugin View the full article

The SSL discounts continue at AudioDeluxe, and now you can get 90% off the SSL X-EQ 2 plugin for a limited time. This latest promo comes shortly after huge discounts on SSL X-ValveComp and Drumstrip. The two plugins above are now back to full price, but you can now save 90% on the SSL X-EQ [...] View post: Get 90% off the SSL X-EQ 2 plugin at AudioDeluxe for a limited time View the full article

Laureano Studios has released AURA, a free one-knob-style enhancement plugin for macOS and Windows. AURA was created by New York producer and mixing engineer Justin Laureano. It’s mainly for master bus processing, but you can also use it on drum buses, guitar buses, or even single tracks. The plugin uses a spectral EQ curve and [...] View post: Laureano Studios releases AURA, a free master bus enhancement plugin View the full article

Arturia has introduced FX Collection 6, the latest version of their all-in-one suite of 39 effects for music production.… Read More Arturia FX Collection 6 Adds 5 New EffectsView the full article

The Case of Steel features integrated power, black powder-coat paint, passive mults to save space and fixed rails. … Read More Noise Engineering Case Of Steel Eurorack Case Is ‘Built Like A Tank’ & $225View the full article

Mars Attack features 50 cinematic patches designed for sci-fi scoring, dark ambient, and deep sound design.… Read More New Cinematic Sound Library For Waldorf Iridium & Quantum Synths, Mars AttackView the full article