Vst Plugin Programmer

22.12.2020

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Here’s our list of the top 50 best VST plugins (2021): It’s a table with a search function, so search for what you’re looking for, & it’ll come up! ‘delay’, ‘mastering’, ‘compressor’ (if you want more in-depth info, use the table of contents to navigate past the table). XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2: Creative Collection Review. XLN Audio Addictive Drums 2 is the perfect drum library VST. It offers an incredible acoustic drum library that is packed with realistic and natural sounds, and the engine that powers the plugin is smooth and easy to use. VST 4 FREE - Free Audio Plug-ins and Archives Free audio plugins archive - Instruments and effects for audio software. Plugins for Cubase, FL studio, Reaper, Ableton and other VST/AU platforms. VST (Virtual Studio Technology) is a software plug-in format developed by Steinberg. These plug-ins generally come in one of three types: instruments, audio processors, or midi processors. They are among the most ubiquitous plug-in formats, and are what most people refer to when the term “software plug-in” is discussed. Open Source Audio Plugins & Apps. A list of open source VST (and other format) plugin/app projects. The intention of this list is to catalog open source plugins or apps which are fully featured or are useful examples which have non-trivial features. The VST Plug-ins page on the Audacity Wiki contains further help for VST plug-ins, and lists a large number of VST plug-ins that have been reported to work well in Audacity. Audio Unit Plug-ins. On Mac OS X only, you can add Audio Unit plug-ins to the system plug-in directories (Audacity will not recognize any Audio Units in its own “plug-ins. VibroMaster is a sampled vibraphone. It contains 42 stereo samples from the University of Iowa Electronic Music Studios public domain library. You can use a sustain pedal to play with full release notes, but if you don’t have one, you can switch from Short to Full release with the midi notes A2 (57) for short and B2 (59) for full.

We covered the best free synthesizer plugins in a recent article. But what are the best free retro synthesizers? Find out in the list below and return to free VST plugins for more software.

The retro 80s sound is more popular than ever. Genres like synthwave and chillwave are the perfect soundtrack for working from home while daydreaming about night rides on open highways.

But you don’t have to be a retro synth geek to love the sound of vintage synthesizers. One can hear the emulated sounds of retro polysynths in the chart-topping hits from mainstream artists like Dua Lipa and The Weeknd.

If you’re into making synthwave music, chances are you’ll need a good virtual analog synthesizer for your digital audio workstation. Help yourself to our Top 10 list of free retro synth VST plugins.

Free Retro Synthesizers: Top 10

These are the best free vintage synthesizer emulation VST plugins:

PG-8X (Roland JX-8P)
OB-Xd (Oberheim OB-Xa)
Mono/Fury (Korg Mono/Poly)
Fury-800 (Korg Poly-800)
TAL-U-No-62 (Roland Juno-60)
Tyrell N6 (Roland Juno-60)
Dexed (Yamaha DX7)
Viking (Moog Voyager)
Synth1 (Nord Lead 2)
Nils K1v (Kawai K1)

Read more about each instrument below and scroll to the bottom of the page to see the Honorable Mentions.

PG-8X

PG-8X emulates Roland’s legendary JX-8P analog synthesizer. The original JX-8P sounded huge, but it lacked in the hands-on control department. Users had to dive through menus to program new sounds.

That’s why Roland released the PG-800 controller. It was an external hardware device that made programming the Roland JX-8P and Super JX synthesizers a far more user-friendly affair.

The free PG-8X synthesizer by Martin Lüders gives the best of both worlds. You’re getting a detailed emulation of JX-8P’s analog synthesis engine and the control layout borrowed from the PG-800 controller.

PG-8X truly shines as a synthwave instrument. It’s one of those rare virtual instruments that sound analog-like almost effortlessly.

Create eye-watering lush pads and earth-shattering analog basslines in the blink of an eye. Turn on the Unison mode for instant fat leads. Also, the included chorus module applies an immediate retro-boost to any sound.

More info:PG-8X

OB-Xd

OB-Xd takes inspiration from the Oberheim OB-X analog synthesizer. The original was the analog weapon of choice for brass sounds, pads, and punchy bass.

Thankfully, this freeware plugin from discoDSP nails that classic Oberheim sound. It also comes with an extensive collection of presets that serve as an instant source of legendary analog sounds.

Even better, OB-Xd is easy to program thanks to its user-friendly interface. Beginners and sound design experts alike shouldn’t have any issues with building custom synth patches from scratch.

2Dat originally developed the OB-Xd. He later provided the source code to discoDSP, who are now handling the development and support.

You can use OB-Xd for free. The developers are accepting an optional $49 donation from users who want to support their work.

More info:OB-Xd

Mono/Fury

Full Bucket Music’s website is a treasure trove of emulated analog synthesizers. Even better, all of their vintage-inspired virtual instruments are free. We had a hard time selecting just two Full Bucket Music plugins for this article.

That said, be sure to check out everything else this talented developer has to offer. And be sure to support their work with a donation if possible.

Our first Full Bucket Music pick is the Mono/Fury plugin, which models the Mono/Poly analog synthesizer by Korg. Mono/Fury emulates all the original instrument’s quirks and peculiarities, including the unique polyphony mode. Each voice triggers a different oscillator, resulting in some complex multi-layered timbres when playing chords and melodies.

At the same time, Mono/Fury comes will all the handy features of a modern-day audio plugin. It has a preset manager, supports MIDI learn and automation, and features a state-of-the-art zero-delay feedback low-pass filter with self-oscillation.

Mono/Fury operates as a VST and Audio Unit plugin in all compatible digital audio workstations on PC and Mac.

More info:Mono/Fury

Fury-800

Ah, another Full Bucket Music plugin and another Fury. This one is a personal favorite of mine as it models the Korg Poly-800, a cheap analog hybrid synthesizer that I owned back in the day. It featured digitally controlled oscillators and a terrible (in a charming way) analog filter.

The original Poly-800 is the exact opposite of what you’d expect from an analog synthesizer. It sounds lo-fi, thin, and plasticky. But sometimes that is precisely the type of sound you need for an 80s-inspired music track.

The killer feature here is Poly-800’s chorus module. It’s super noisy, and the pitch goes all over the place. If Korg manufactured the Poly-800 in 2020, I think they would label the effect as “VHS mode” instead of a chorus.

Anyway, the Fury-800 takes all of these charming Poly-800 features and packs them in a convenient virtual instrument for PC and Mac. By all means, the Fury-800 plugin is a must-have if you’re into synthwave production.

More info:Fury-800

TAL-U-No-62

TAL-U-No-62 is an old-school virtual instrument that emulates an old-school analog synthesizer. It is a virtual recreation of Roland’s legendary Juno-60 synth.

Togu Audio Line’s freeware Juno is more than a decade old. As a result, it doesn’t offer the latest and greatest DSP technology and analog emulation. However, TAL-U-No-62 is still a pretty solid virtual analog instrument that undeniably captures that classic Juno-60 vibe.

TAL-U-No-62’s oscillators and the low-pass filter won’t blow you away. But, the chorus module is where this virtual Juno-60 keeps its secret sauce. Turn on the chorus effect, and TAL-U-No-62 instantly sounds much closer to the original hardware.

Even better, you can download that same chorus as a standalone effect from Togu Audio Line’s website. Use the free TAL-Chorus-LX in combination with any virtual instrument for that lush 80s sound.

It’s also worth noting that the same developer offers a more advanced (but still fairy priced at €51) version of this instrument. The paid version is called TAL-U-NO-LX, and it’s the best Juno-60 emulation on the market.

More info:TAL-U-No-62

Tyrell N6

Tyrell N6 by U-He is loosely based on the Juno-60. We originally included it in the “Honorable Mentions” section of this article because Tyrell N6 isn’t a 1:1 recreation of any analog synthesizer. However, we decide to move it to the Top 10 list, following the suggestion from one of our readers (thanks, BenJ!).

You can think of Tyrell N6 as an 80s analog synth on steroids. All the usual components are there (a couple of analog oscillators, a multi-mode filter, a lush chorus), and you get a few valuable extras like a modulation matrix, ring modulation, feedback, and more.

A dream to program, thanks to its intuitive interface, Tyrell N6 also has dozens of freely downloadable sound banks. Some of these were created by professional sound designers.

Coming from the developers of industry-leading virtual analog synthesizers like Diva and Ace, the freeware Tyrell N6 is an absolute must-have in any analog synth aficionado’s plugin collection.

More info:Tyrell N6

Dexed

Dexed is a virtual recreation of the Yamaha DX7 and the only FM synth on this list. The plugin emulates the original DX7 so well that it supports its SysEx messages. As a result, Dexed can work as a patch editor for the hardware DX7.

Now, the unfortunate thing about FM synthesizers is that they’re hard to program. But, the good news is that there are thousands of Yamaha DX7 patches available online. And yes, you can load them in Dexed.

Use Dexed for 80s electric piano sounds, pads, FM bells, and let’s not forget the Lately Bass patch.

More info:Dexed

VK-1 Viking Synthesizer

VK-1 Viking Synthesizer emulates the Moog Voyager analog monosynth. Now, the Moog Voyager isn’t exactly retro, but it dates back to 2002. And Moog discontinued the Voyager in 2015 with over 14,000 units sold.

The Voyager combined a pair of Moog’s signature ladder filters with three continuously variable wave oscillators, putting a modern twist on the classic Moog sound.

The free VK-1 Viking Synthesizer from Blamsoft is a rather precise emulation of the Voyager.

VK-1 Viking Synthesizer uses zero-delay feedback filters and advanced techniques for avoiding oscillator aliasing. Also, the developers matched the oscillators and envelopes to their hardware counterparts through precise and extensive measurements.

More info:VK-1 Viking Synthesizer

Synth1

Ichiro Toda’s legendary Synth1 is one of the oldest freeware synthesizers around. Released almost two decades ago (on October 9th, 2002), there’s no denying that Synth1 is a vintage plugin. But it aged incredibly well.

Despite it being a retro plugin, Synth1 emulates the Nord Lead 2 very well. And its deceptively simple-looking user interface offers a surprising amount of synthesis firepower.

Even ten years ago, users praised Synth1 for its low CPU usage. Can you imagine how well it works on modern multi-core processors? You can use dozens of Synth1 instances in a project without hurting your computer’s performance.

However, Synth1’s most significant advantage is the incredible amount of available presets. There are hundreds of Synth1 soundbanks out there, making it the perfect choice for users who don’t like programming sounds from scratch.

More info:Synth1

Nils K1v

Nils K1v faithfully emulates the Kawai K1 digital synthesizer. It includes K1’s original factory bank and all ROM card expansions, and all this adds up to 768 presets.

The user interface mimics the original Kawai K1 module, with additional on-screen controls for parameters like envelopes and filters. This combination works quite well in the plugin format. Accessing the presets is easy, and tweaking the Kawai K1 sounds in real-time is fun.

The coolest feature in Nils K1v is the ability to morph the preset using the XY controller. It’s a fun way to add movement to pads and huge atmospheric sounds that the Kawai K1 was known for.

More info:Nils K1v

Free Retro Synthesizers: Honorable Mentions

These are retro synth plugins that haven’t made our Top 10, but they’re still worth checking out:

SQ8L (Ensoniq SQ80)
Cobalt (Korg DW8000, Ensoniq ESQ-1, and Kawai K3)
Phuturetone Phutura (Roland Alpha Juno-1)
Steinberg Model-E (Moog Model D Minimoog)
Tal-Bassline (Roland SH-101)
Manx Gigmate(Concertmate MG-1, thanks to Christian H. for the tip!)
K Brown Synth Plugins (various synthesizers)
Syntronik Free(various synthesizers)

Feel free to suggest additional plugins for this article in the comments section below.

Return to free VST plugins.

Virtual studio technology (VST) is an audio plug-in software interface that integrates a software synthesizer and effects into digital audio workstations. It uses digital signal processing to simulate a traditional recording studio’s hardware in software.

There are both commercial and freeware versions of VST plug-ins available in the market.

Think of VST plugins as an affordable way of making your home studio sound like an expensive commercial studio setup.

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What are the Best Tools to Develop VST Plug-ins?

I have listed a couple of libraries and frameworks that can handle most of the coding required in developing VST plug-ins.

JUCE Cross-Platform C++ Library

It is supported by the following platforms: OSX, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android. It is free for non-commercial releases, but the commercial license works our best. It also covers 64bit systems.

Pricing of its commercial license

Commercial license for a single product – $521
Commercial license for any number of products – $912
Upgrade from single-product version to unlimited version – $455
Despite the cost of the license for retail releases, it is the only library/framework option for a 64bit cross-platform.

Watch this video on how to create an awesome distortion VST/AU Plug-in using C++ / JUCE Framework

SynthEdit

SynthEdit is a framework and a visual circuit design that allows you to create your own synths with only drag & drop without programming. Therefore giving you the flexibility of using your DSP algorithms inside the modules.

At the time of writing this the 64-bit version is in Alpha and its creator Jeff McClintock is working on the ability to exporting it to AU. It’s got a ton of community-produced modules and works great with the 32-bit version. It is soft on your wallet – goes for $70.

Check out this video how SynthEdit work –

FL SynthMaker

FL SynthMaker aka flowstone comes free with FL studio.
It has a straightforward drag-and-drop graphical interface and a wide range of components. You can use it to code modules and DSP in Ruby and comes with loads of examples to get started quickly and its ability to assist you in creating a prototype within a short time is a plus.

How Are VST Plugins Made

You’ll be required to source for information from different sources depending on what your specific goals are.

For beginners, before learning how to code VST plugins, I would advise you to check out these environments:

SynthEdit, SynthMaker, Reaktor, Max/MSP, PureData
CSound, SuperCollider, Bidule, Usine

These environments allow you to build something unique without having to write low-level code which most people find difficult to master. You’ll be required to know different areas, and if you already have some, then you’ll only require to fill in the gaps.

Check out this video to learn how to build and design your VST Plugin using JUCE

Audio Basics

Understanding sound and its properties are essential before embarking on the development of VST plug-ins. I have outlined a couple of online resources you should go through them:

Fundamentals of Digital Audio Processing

The Scientist and Engineer’s Guide to Audio Signal Processing

Discrete-time systems, sampling theorem, audio DSP, maths, psychoacoustics, sound analysis, and sound modeling.

Signals, Sound, and Sensation by William M. Harmann

The book got an introductory text on psychoacoustics and the readers on a journey through the mathematics of signal and processing from its beginnings.

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Programming

Many professional VST plugins available on the market have been written in C++.

There are also several other languages you can use, but each got their pros and cons.

Learning how to develop VST Plug-ins as you’re learning to program isn’t easy. I usually recommend learning how to program before starting to create VST plug-ins.

The Audio Programming Book by Richard Boulanger – This book comes highly recommended for those who want to learn audio plug-ins.

BasicSynth by Daniel Mitchell – This one shows you how to create a custom synthesize in software using C++ programming language.

For more further information about VST development, you should definitely check these resources:

Audio Software (VST Plugin) Development with Practical Application

JUCE framework for VST-plugin development

Maths

You should have some basic engineering mathematics such as linear algebra, complex analysis, among others. Visit this website to get practical algebra lessons: www.purplemath.com.

Digital Signal Processing

You must know what an FFT routine is and why it is useful. Advanced content focusing on audio will usually require you to have at least a conversational level of DSP understanding.

Check out these resources on DSP:

Online and Free:
The Scientist & Engineer’s Guide to Digital Signal Processing

Print:
Understanding Digital Signal Processing by Richard G. Lyons

Audio Digital Signal Processing

Audio DSP extends on core DSP concepts to include the way digital signal processes apply to digital audio. It covers subjects such as audio filters, delays, and non-linear effects; think compression.

DAFX by Udo Zolzer is a book that comes highly recommended and covers many aspects of audio DSP technique.

Check out these online resources to get more info:

DSP Audio Classics
DSP Audio Algorithm Notes by XOXOS

Below are threads on VST Plug-ins I found from a couple of online discussion forums:

Advice for someone with ZERO experience
Developing a Vst Effect Plugin Where To Start?
What is your development setup?

Books

I have listed some books that can serve as a resource in your pursuit of learning how to make VST plug-ins.

Check them here:

Designing Audio Effect Plug-Ins in C++: With Digital Audio Signal Processing Theory

Designing Software Synthesizer Plug-Ins in C++: For RackAFX, VST3, and Audio Units

Audio Plug-ins frameworks

JUCE

JUCE is a highly recommended and all-encompassing C++ class library for developing cross-platform software. JUCE includes components for VST, AU, and RTAS. You should have at least a basic grasp of JUCE if you intend to use C++ for the development of your VST plug-in.

IPlug

This is a C++ framework for developing audio plug-ins and GUIs.

VST.NET

It allows VST Plugin developers to write Plugins in any .NET language. It also eases the transition between the C++ and .NET world and its framework built on top of the interop layer provide a clear and structured architecture. Feel free to check this Delphi library for creating VST plugins, VST hosts but also ASIO applications:

Vst Plugin Program File

Delphi ASIO and VST

It also includes the algorithm for filters and dynamics.

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