Grow Your Plugin Library With These 10 Free Soft Synths
The #1 free synth on Philip Mantione’s list: Tyrell N6 by u-he
Every now and then a brand new list of free plugin synths is released containing the latest and greatest free software synthesizers. Philip Mantione from The Pro Audio Files has rounded up a list of his favorite free synths and mentions that, “Some of these instruments were released as prototypes or were the early experiments of developers just entering the market.”
I was surprised to see that I only recognized one of the synths on this list; the TAL NoiseMaker. I was actually taught how synthesis works using this synth due to how simple it is, so it’s nice to see that it’s still relevant. It seems like most of the synths on this list either lean further to the over-simplified or over-complicated side of paid synths. However, all the synths on Mantione’s list are free, and he makes a good point, “Experimentation and exploration yield untold rewards for the adventurous, and freeware is a great place to start your journey or a means to unshackle yourself, at least temporarily, from the financial constraints that plague us all.”
Mantione’s list includes, but is not limited to, a variety of subtractive, FM, and sample-based synthesizers. Many of these are meant to emulate analog synths such as the Yamaha DX7, Nord Lead 2 Red Synth, and Roland JX-8 with the PG-800. The synths included in this list are the TyrellN6 by u-he, Dexed, MiniSpillage by AudioSpillage, Crystal Synth by Green Oak, Lokomotiv by Archetype Instruments, Digits by Extent of the Jam, LABS by Spitfire Audio, TAL NoiseMaker, Thump by Metric Halo, Synth 1 by Daichi Laboratory, and PG-8X by Martin Lüder.
You can read Mantione’s full article via The Pro Audio Files website, and download each of the synths listed through the links provided.
Charles Hoffman is a Mixing and Mastering Engineer at Black Ghost Audio. After graduating from the University of Manitoba with an English degree, Charles completed his education at Icon Collective in Los Angeles, CA.
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