The Best Freeware Soft Synth VSTs In 2019: Am I Missing One?
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 11 posts since 9 Jul, 2019
Hi all! I recently covered a shootout of 8 timeless (and free) soft synth VSTs. Of course, this list is totally subject to my own opinion, but I wanted to get some feedback -- did I miss a critical one that you feel should be on our list?
Keen to hear your thoughts. Had a blast writing it up!
Link: https://producerhive.com/buyer-guides/v ... ft-synths/
Martin,
Producer Hive
Keen to hear your thoughts. Had a blast writing it up!
Link: https://producerhive.com/buyer-guides/v ... ft-synths/
Martin,
Producer Hive
- KVRAF
- 4534 posts since 17 Jun, 2013 from very close to Paris, France
Hi Martin,
I'm a bit troubled... do you want to cite all the "greatest freeware synths" available in 2019 ? Or all the "greatest freeware synths" which have been released in 2019 ?
Because in the first case the list is long as an endless day (there are many others to cite), and in the second case almost all the synths you cite in your list are from previous years (and some of them are even discontinued).
I'm a bit troubled... do you want to cite all the "greatest freeware synths" available in 2019 ? Or all the "greatest freeware synths" which have been released in 2019 ?
Because in the first case the list is long as an endless day (there are many others to cite), and in the second case almost all the synths you cite in your list are from previous years (and some of them are even discontinued).
Build your life everyday as if you would live for a thousand years. Marvel at the Life everyday as if you would die tomorrow.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 11 posts since 9 Jul, 2019
Hey BlackWinny. They are any soft synth vsts that sound great today. Hence it is mostly a throwback to some old free synths that still sound great in 2019 (at least in my ears).
It's not an article just on soft synths released in 2019
Thanks for commenting!
It's not an article just on soft synths released in 2019
Thanks for commenting!
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- KVRAF
- 7748 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
From your list, only Dexed and Surge seem relevant IMO. I might suggest Zebralette, Tyrell, Fathom Mono and just about anything from Full Bucket for synths. For organs, the two freebies you can find from Martinique (Farfisa & Vox) are a must.
I would also eventually not forget to download the freebies from NI.
(Reaktor, Kontakt, Guitar Rig, etc.)
When "falling to the wayside" is equivalent to "no longer available for download", it might be time to relegate those to a separate history list...
I would also eventually not forget to download the freebies from NI.
(Reaktor, Kontakt, Guitar Rig, etc.)
When "falling to the wayside" is equivalent to "no longer available for download", it might be time to relegate those to a separate history list...
- Banned
- 7624 posts since 13 Nov, 2015 from Norway
Anything/everything from Full Bucket
EnergyXT3 - LMMS - FL Studio | Roland SH201 - Waldorf Rocket | SoundCloud - Bandcamp
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- KVRist
- 316 posts since 30 Nov, 2007
Thanks for the tip about this company...
I like the MPS vst; very simple and a lot of possibilities. Nice that they are VST AU 32 and 64bit
https://www.fullbucket.de/music/mps.html
- KVRAF
- 4534 posts since 17 Jun, 2013 from very close to Paris, France
Ok, so...
Among my preferred freeware soft synths, here are some which are really great for many people as well as for me. Sorted in alphabetical order of the developers names (taken on my disk drive):
I have certainly forgotten some others. I'll add them lately.
EDIT (2 hours later) : Added Martinic Combo Model F and Combo Model V. Added AAS Swatches. Added Synthmaster Player. Added AM Music Technology. Added MinimogueVA and Minimogue Luxus. Added Fathom (mono).
EDIT (6 hours later) : Added Matt Tytel Helm.
EDIT (17 hours later) : Good news (see the entry Ichiro Toda Synth1)
Among my preferred freeware soft synths, here are some which are really great for many people as well as for me. Sorted in alphabetical order of the developers names (taken on my disk drive):
- 2getheraudio (formerly BigTick) : Cheeze Machine 2
- 2getheraudio (formerly BigTick) : Ticky Clav 2
- AM Music Technology : Pro SoloVst + VL-122 + RMI-EP (remember this and this ?). To download them three, it is on my webspace, here. But beware, they have always been 32-bit only.
- Applied Acoustics Systems (AAS) : Swatches
- AcidDose : Xhip Synthesizer (followed by the full collection of Xhip Effects)
- Brain Control : Tunefish 4
- CWITEC : TX16Wx Software Sampler (there is also a payware edition but this one is the free edition and yet awesome)
- Dead Duck Software : Deducktion
- Dead Duck Software : Free Instruments Bundle
- Decomposer : Sitala
- Digital Suburban : Dexed (without forgetting my huge collection of sysex !)
- Extent of the Jam : Digits
- Full Bucket Music : All his lineup
- Futucraft : Kairatune
- Green Oak : Crystal
- Gunnar Ekornas and his friends : MinimogueVA and Minimogue Luxus. All the total stuff at its very last version is downloadable on my webspace here. Beware; it has always been 32-bit only.
- Ichiro Toda : Synth1 (now discontinued, but the webpage and the zip files have been saved in Archive.org)
(beware: the synth is now on a brand new domain since the 20 July 2019, it is now here) - Image Line : Autogun
- Jeremy Evers : Atlantis
- Keolab : Spicy Guitar
- KV331 : Synthmaster Player
- KX77FREE : All his lineup
- Manda Audio : MT Power Drum Kit 2 (you won't believe but it is free!)
- Martinic : Combo Model F and Combo Model V (you can get both at the very last version from here and with everything related to them in the zip file as demos, etc.)
- Matt Tytel : Helm. After having clicked the big yellow button in the product page, if you want to get it for totally free without donation, just click the little black box $5 which is empty... and the blue button "Buy" becomes "Remind me". Click this button and the yellow buttons to download the installations files will all appear.
Other solution, directly here (hypothetical donations can be done later if you want).
Hem... don't forget to download the PDF manual ! - ML-VST : PG-8X
- NUSofting : Sinnah
- Ocean Swift Synthesis : Defiant WT
- Open Source from 2Dat : OB-Xd (yes it is free, the $49 which appears on the KVR page applies only as suggested donation)
- Open Source from CutterMusic : Revitar 2 (now you can get it (with the sources, respecting the GPL) on my own webspace here)
- Open Source from Vember Audio : Surge
- Oxe Software : Oxe FM Synth
- Plogue : sforzando
- Sam : VOPM
- Samplesphere : ROO Didgeridoo
- Sanford Sound Design : Cobalt
- Seaweed Audio : Fathom Synth (the Mono version is freeware and yet awesome)
- SuperWave : Superwave P8
- Taron : Lord of the Springs
- Teragon Audio : KickMaker (but it is only 32-bit)
- Togu Audio Line : TAL-Elek7ro
- Togu Audio Line : TAL-NoiseMaker
- Togu Audio Line : TAL-Vocoder (not really an instrument, but used as well and so beautiful results!)
- Tone2 : FireBird (but it is only 32-bit)
- U-He : Podolski
- U-He : Triple Cheese
- U-He : Tyrell Nexus 6
- U-He : Zebralette
I have certainly forgotten some others. I'll add them lately.
EDIT (2 hours later) : Added Martinic Combo Model F and Combo Model V. Added AAS Swatches. Added Synthmaster Player. Added AM Music Technology. Added MinimogueVA and Minimogue Luxus. Added Fathom (mono).
EDIT (6 hours later) : Added Matt Tytel Helm.
EDIT (17 hours later) : Good news (see the entry Ichiro Toda Synth1)
Last edited by BlackWinny on Wed Jul 24, 2019 1:12 pm, edited 10 times in total.
Build your life everyday as if you would live for a thousand years. Marvel at the Life everyday as if you would die tomorrow.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
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- KVRist
- 316 posts since 30 Nov, 2007
Two more I will download; check them out
Qyoo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eQmDViAghA
Blooo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jcwbD37pWA&t=376s
Oh did I mention they are free/donationware ?
Qyoo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eQmDViAghA
Blooo - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jcwbD37pWA&t=376s
Oh did I mention they are free/donationware ?
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- KVRAF
- 2640 posts since 23 Jun, 2006 from Hungary
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- KVRist
- 54 posts since 30 Aug, 2008
Most free synths (not samplers) can be found on the KVR OSC contest page.
https://sites.google.com/site/kvrosc/
And KVR forum threads have lot's of info for each.
https://sites.google.com/site/kvrosc/
And KVR forum threads have lot's of info for each.
- KVRAF
- 4534 posts since 17 Jun, 2013 from very close to Paris, France
My list updated with several new entries.
Build your life everyday as if you would live for a thousand years. Marvel at the Life everyday as if you would die tomorrow.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
- KVRian
- 1423 posts since 4 Apr, 2011 from Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
- KVRAF
- 4534 posts since 17 Jun, 2013 from very close to Paris, France
Alas yes.
In fact it is not totally sure that Synth1 is definitely discontinued.
What happened is that Ichiro Toda had his website hosted by Geocity. And Geocity was a hosting service owned by Yahoo!. And at the 31 March 2019, Yahoo! definitively stopped their hosting service Geocity, at 0h00. So as all the others in the same case, Ichiro Toda's website disappeared at the same instant.
Today is July 24, near to 4 full months after the definitive end of Geocity... And Ichiro Toda never gave any news in any place nor forum (at my knowledge). Knowing that the very last version of Synth1 was the version 1.13 beta3 released the 10 July 2014 (more than 5 years ago now), it is quasi-sure that Synth1 can be considered as discontinued after a very long life as probably the most popular freeware synth ever.
Let's hope !
... but the more the time passes by, the more I'm pessimist.
Build your life everyday as if you would live for a thousand years. Marvel at the Life everyday as if you would die tomorrow.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
I'm now severely diseased since September 2018.
- Banned
- 7624 posts since 13 Nov, 2015 from Norway
You are welcome. He is my favorite developer. So cool. Im a bit of a fanboimrsugmad wrote: ↑Tue Jul 23, 2019 7:03 pmThanks for the tip about this company...
I like the MPS vst; very simple and a lot of possibilities. Nice that they are VST AU 32 and 64bit
https://www.fullbucket.de/music/mps.html
EnergyXT3 - LMMS - FL Studio | Roland SH201 - Waldorf Rocket | SoundCloud - Bandcamp