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…

Lunacy Audio has made its CUBE Mini virtual instrument free until October 31st, 2025 (regular price $49). You can grab it now for free from Plugin Boutique or directly from Lunacy Audio. CUBE Mini is the streamlined version of Lunacy’s flagship CUBE, a sample-based instrument powered by vector synthesis. Instead of overwhelming you with every [...] View post: Lunacy Audio CUBE Mini is FREE until October 31st (Usually $49) View the full article

W.A. Production is offering the entire Helper Series 2 plugin collection for free on its website. The Helper Series 2 bundle includes Helper Equalizer 2, Helper Saturator 2, and Helper Transients 2. These are three lightweight but practical mixing tools that cover a wide range of day-to-day tasks in the DAW. While none of these plugins are flashy [...] View post: W.A. Production offers Helper Series 2 plugins for FREE (limited time) View the full article

A new web app that lets you create custom user units (oscillators, modulation FX, delay FX, reverb FX) for the Korg NTS-1 mkII using Pure Data.… Read More Create Custom Korg NTS-1 mkII Oscillators & Effects Using Pure DataView the full article

NoiseRoom UIO has released NoiseRverb, a free convolution reverb plugin that brings the acoustic character of Quito’s historic churches to your DAW. Created by sound designer Jhonatan López (whose free CCMkI: Classic Compressor plugin we featured a while ago) in collaboration with engineers Analí Pinto and Fausto Espinoza, NoiseRverb is more than just a reverb [...] View post: NoiseRverb is a free convolution reverb plugin capturing historic churches in Quito View the full article

Fancy squeezing a Jupiter 8 into your Yamaha Montage, Montage M, MODX or MODX+? Then EasySounds have just what you need! Roland’s Jupiter 8 was, in its day, a big synth. Big in so many ways, not least its sound. And it remains a big synth for many people. The love and desire for the Jupiter 8 sound is still very strong and shows no signs of letting up. Just look at how many recreations there are of it. The post Sounds and Presets – A Jupiter for Your Yamaha appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Ruth Royall has built her reputation on fearless independence. With the upcoming release of her debut album Queen on her own label, Royall Sound, she has stepped fully into self-production. Central to that evolution is Ozone, a tool that has allowed her to take complete control of her mixes while staying focused on what matters most: clear, powerful vocal delivery and bass that translates in any environment... The post Ruth Royall breaks down her vocal-first mastering workflow with Ozone first appeared on Native Instruments Blog. View the full article

Polyverse Music has carved out a reputation for plugins that don’t just tweak your sound but completely reinvent how you interact with it. From I Wish to Supermodal and freebies like Wider, they’ve always leaned toward tools that sit at the edge of conventional mixing and full-blown sound design. Filterverse is their flagship filter playground, [...] View post: Filterverse 1.2 Review + GIVEAWAY View the full article

The developer says that "This app is the best thing that can happen to a Matriarch or Grandmother user who takes his workflow seriously."… Read More New Global Settings Editor For Moog Grandmother & MatriarchView the full article

From @synthandsoftware - It’s affordable, it has polyphonic aftertouch, and its lineage traces back to the 1981 Pro-One The view from this armchair: Sequential’s new analog synth is destined to become popular with a lot of musicians. One reason is the price, of course. But the polyphonic aftertouch feature alone makes a statement: this is an instrument designed […] The post Sequential Fourm 4-Voice Analog Synth appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

This week, exciting plugin deals from Soundtoys, AIR Music Technology, and Softube should be of interest to many of you. It’s rare to have the opportunity to purchase such a diverse range of tools from three renowned manufacturers at reduced prices simultaneously. Soundtoys effects are valued for their organic coloring and creative possibilities. Meanwhile, AIR Music Technology and Softube deliver detailed emulations of classics that shaped entire decades’ sounds. The current offers are a great way to save money and expand your setup with characterful tools that will provide fresh inspiration. Plugin Boutique is offering the three Soundtoys plugins, Decapitator, Little Al…

It's not only Sequential's most affordable polyphonic synth, but the Fourm is the company's most affordable synthesizer to date.… Read More Sequential Fourm Offers Four-Voice Polyphony, Polyphonic Aftertouch For $999 View the full article

Windows-G has released E-PeakClipper500, a free JSFX clipper plugin for REAPER, but also compatible with other DAWs via the free YSFX wrapper. While we usually focus on software that’s DAW-agnostic, I think this one’s worth your attention even if you’re not a REAPER user, mainly because you can run it in other DAWs using the [...] View post: Windows-G releases E-PeakClipper500, a FREE clipper JSFX plugin View the full article

Reason 13 is the latest version of the popular DAW from Reason Studios, and it’s available with a massive 60% discount for a limited time. The special offer at AudioDeluxe ends on September 29, 2025. The discount reduces Reason 13 from $499 to $199, which is pretty epic. I can see that there’s also a [...] View post: Massive 60% discount on Reason 13 at AudioDeluxe for a limited time View the full article

LFOstore has introduced Ambika - a new sound library for the Yamaha DX7, featuring "ambient and analog-like tones".… Read More New Sounds For Old Synths: 32 New Yamaha DX7 PatchesView the full article

When you’re producing electronic dance music, few elements are as important as the kick and the bass. Nailing the kick can mean the difference between a track that gets ignored and one that shakes the dance floor. In this guide, you’ll discover how to select, tune, and process the perfect kick drum so your low-end hits hard and sits beautifully in the mix. The post The Secret to the Perfect Kick Drum in Electronic Dance Music appeared first on EDM Tips. View the full article

When it comes to mixing electronic music, the kick and bass relationship is absolutely pivotal. These elements not only provide groove but form the very foundation your track is built upon—just like the solid base of a skyscraper. Yet, for many producers, achieving that punchy, tight, and professional low end remains elusive. If you find your mixes still “falling flat” compared to your favorite artists, you might be making one (or more!) of the four common mistakes, so today, we’ll break down these levels of kick and bass wizardry, helping you turn your low end from messy to massive. The post 4 FATAL Mistakes Ruining Your Low End Mix RIGHT NOW appeared first on EDM Tips. …

Occult Audio has released Obscura, a free virtual instrument for macOS and Windows designed for creating dark, evolving soundscapes. Obscura is a fun sample-based plugin built around a minimal interface and ten atmospheric drones. This marks Occult Audio’s first plugin that doesn’t require Kontakt or Kontakt Player, so there are basically no limitations to running [...] View post: Occult Audio releases Obscura, a FREE virtual instrument for dark drones View the full article

Sick Noise Instruments has released NoizeBreaker, a sci-fi-inspired SFX library for Kontakt (full version required), and it’s available for FREE for a limited time via Pluginomat. NoizeBreaker is packed with over 200 futuristic sound effects designed for trailers, video games, and various electronic music genres (although mainly Datsik-style dubstep comes to mind for sounds like [...] View post: Sick Noise Instruments NoizeBreaker Is FREE For A Limited Time View the full article

Apogee Electronics has released Clearmountain Dance, a $29 delay plugin for macOS and Windows that recreates the chaotic stereo delay Bob Clearmountain accidentally stumbled upon during the mixing of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance. Clearmountain Dance is the latest entry in the Clearmountain plugin series, offering an inspiring delay effect packed into a conveniently compact form [...] View post: Apogee releases Clearmountain Dance, a $29 delay plugin inspired by David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” View the full article

Surge Synth Team OB-Xf is a continuation of the free and open-source OB-Xd synth project. If you’re not familiar with the original open-source OB-Xd synth plugin by 2DaT, the name should give away the inspiration behind the project. The inspiration, of course, was one of the most sought-after vintage synthesizers, the Oberheim OB-X (1979). discoDSP [...] View post: Surge Synth Team OB-Xf: a continuation of the FREE and open-source OB-Xd synth project View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Designed for ambient, minimal, and textural music, GLOOM provides subtle rhythmic foundations that emphasize space and atmosphere over impact. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT Built into the updated Beatmaker 3 platform, GLOOM offers producers organic sounds such as clicks, pulses, and evolving tones that blend seamlessly into mixes, shaping rhythm as texture. GLOOM extends the Beatmaker palette with […] The post UJAM Launches Beatmaker GLOOM appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Overloud introduces Gem Fuse – bringing together six analog-style processors in a single plugin. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT Designed for the mix bus and mastering, Fuse provides the tonal color, weight, and cohesion that define great analog hardware. At its heart is Overloud’s Harmonic Matching Technology, which precisely captures the frequency-dependent harmonics and “memory effect” of transformer-based […] The post Six Analog Processors in One Plugin appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Ultra Pads for Ultra Analog is a collection of 100 pads crafted by resident sound designer Christian Laffitte. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT From serene ambiences to immersive textures, each pad has been meticulously sculpted to evoke calm, introspection, and emotional nuance. Drawing inspiration from pioneering ambient and electronic artists, this sound pack delivers a wide range of […] The post Ultra Pads—Brand New Sound Pack for Ultra Analog appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

The 777 has been used by The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, Richie Hawtin, Aphex Twin, BT, Nortec Collective and many others. … Read More Future Retro 777 Synthesizer Returns After 2 DecadesView the full article

Terrain Synth is the first commercially-available, full-featured hardware polyphonic multi-timbral synthesizer based on terrain synthesis.… Read More Conductive Labs Terrain Synth Now Available To Pre-OrderView the full article

Despite being a relatively new developer, DAWJunkie has hit the ground running, and we’re covering them for the second time this month. This time, they have released Padness Jr, a free lush pad synth for macOS and Windows. Earlier in September, we looked at the limited-time offer providing a collection of five one-knob effects plugins [...] View post: DAWJunkie offers the Padness Jr lush pad synth for FREE in a limited-time offer View the full article

You’ve probably noticed it: some tracks mastered at -10 LUFS sound smoother than others mastered at -12 LUFS. On paper, the louder one should feel more aggressive — but in practice, it often doesn’t. The difference comes down to crest factor, spectral balance, and ear-sensitive frequency ranges. View the full article

UnitedPlugins is offering a massive 87% discount on FireCharger, an intelligent spectral enhancer plugin developed by FireSonic, and this deal is available exclusively here at Bedroom Producers Blog until October 1st. FireCharger is designed to add energy and character to dull-sounding tracks. It combines intelligent spectral dynamics, analog-style tape saturation, and a high-frequency exciter to [...] View post: BPB DEAL: 87% OFF UnitedPlugins FireCharger until October 1st View the full article

Daniel Gergely has updated Spirals, his creative pitch-shifting delay plugin, introducing a new free version alongside an improved preset browser and a host of performance upgrades. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because we covered the free beta of Spirals back in 2022. The concept was promising even then, but it’s come a long way [...] View post: Daniel Gergely releases free version of Spirals pitch-shifting delay plugin View the full article