MT Power DrumKit 2
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Vast library.
Lots of MIDI grooves.
Free, but frequent donation prompts.
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PanCake2
Plentiful presets.
Completely free to use.
No audio creation possible.
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Dexed
Frequency modulation synth.
Closely resembled Yamaha DX7.
Might not be great for advanced users.
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Dexed is afrequency modulationsynth that’s designed to look and sound a lot like the well-known Yamaha DX7.
It’s the best freeware DX7 emulator that you’ll find, which makes it an obvious choice.
TAL Vocoder
Decent alternative to costly vocoders.
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Great for achieving retro sound.
OB-Xd
Based on Oberheim synth.
Lots of additional features.
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OB-Xd is based on the venerated OB-X synth from Oberheim, but it isn’t a direct copy.
Tunefish 4
Excels at booming bass lines.
Presets could be better.
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Might need to work hard to produce desired results.
Tunefish 4 is an additive synth that provides similar functionality to Tunefish 3 in less space.
Zebralette
Free version of Zebra2.
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One oscillator but lots of capabilities.
Big push to get users to buy Zebra2.
Zebralette is the free version of U-he’s fantastic Zebra2 synthesizer.
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However, Zebralette is a self-described Trojan horse designed to get you hooked so that you’ll buy Zebra2.
Krush
Versatile effects plugin.
Good choice for beginners.
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Not able to generate sounds.
Krush is a bitcrusher plugin, which puts it in the effects VST category.
Throw it on your mixer, and see what it’s possible for you to do.
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Helix
Very versatile.
Generates random noises unless you pay.
More shareware than freeware.
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Synth1
Highly flexible.
Excellent starting point for beginners.
Potentially limited for advanced users.
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This virtual analog synth was inspired by the Clavia Nord Lead 2 synthesizer.
It includes a bunch of default presets, and there are also a ton of additional free soundbanks available.
Hypercyclic
Creates more natural sounds.
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Capable of fine-tuning without other programs.
It’s designed to send MIDI data to another VST plugin of your choice.
SQ8L
Great nostalgic sounds.
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Limited to SQ80 synth sounds.
It also comes with a bunch of presets for that authentic 1980s synth sound.
TDR Nova
Great for fine-tuning.
Nice upgrade from built-in equalizer.
Paid version adds more bands and features.
TDR Nova is a parametric equalizer, which means it’s an effects plugin.
