12+ Best FREE Synth Software + Download in 2023

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Software synthesizer, also known as a softsynth, provides digitized audio for music. In recent years, advances in digital technology have seen the use of hardware synthesizers diminish. Hardware synthesizers are very expensive, and therefore lock out many people from acquiring them.

Many softsynths are not offered for free. Some will set you back more than $200. There are good reasons for this, including the range of digitized audio that they can produce, ease of easing, among other features. Luckily, there are several softsynths in the market too. They work almost just as well – they will get the job done. The list below offers some of the top-ranked softsynths available presently.

DiscoDSP OB-Xd 2.0

DiscoDSP OB-Xd is one of the oldest free softsynths in the world. The software has been in the market since the 80s, albeit in other versions. For the purposes of this discussion, we will refer to it as discoDSP. DiscoDSP is widely favored for two reasons.

First, it is free. Secondly, it utilizes randomized micro tuning. This results in high-quality synthesized audio, where the sound produced does not only rely on the 12-note octave. Rather, it also explores other scales, with the result that music produced has a far richer tone than what ordinary softsynths would do. The developer of the software regularly provides updates to the softsynth. However, they recently produced a new version of the softsynth, which works much better than the previous version, and is still free.

TOGU Audio Line Noise Maker

The TOGU Audio Line Noise Maker is also referred to as TAL. The software utilizes a different technology than the discoDSP. It utilizes the oscillator wavetable synth. This means that the synth relies on the reproduction of random single-cycle sounds. The random reproduction of sound gives the synth variety as well, but in another fashion. The oscillation means that we are sure at a specific period, a sound will be produced. We are just not sure which sound the softsynth will produce.

The trick, therefore, is to have a large variety of sounds, which makes the final digital audio more diverse, and therefore, richer. TAL is a fairly new release. Among other things, it offers 3 oscillator-sound. IT provides an adjustable master tune, as well as transpose. For more variety, it can be able to handle up to 6 voices. The developer offers regular updates, meaning that the features will keep evolving, and hopefully, improving.

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Nusofting Sinnah Complex

The Nusofting Sinnah Complex, commonly referred to as Sinnah, is a free softsynth that is especially popular in the market. The softsynth uses a single oscillator wave shape. However, the user is able to choose from up to 50 presets, from which you can originate an infinite amount of audio versions. One of the most important features of Sinnah is that it has a subtractive stereo filter.

This enables the user to manipulate sound between high pass, low pass, and band-reject. In other words, it is an advanced equalizer, enabling you to further tune the sound exactly as you want it. The softsynth has the capacity to read the complete international character set, giving it an extra edge over most other free softsynths. Sinnah is a plugin; it is simple to install and use, and does not take up too much memory on your PC.

Surge

Until recently, Surge was not free. It was actually one of the most highly regarded paid softsynths. It is perhaps for this reason that Surge has so many features that are highly specialized, and which are mostly absent in other free softsynths. Surge uses a subtractive hybrid synth. This can be regarded as an improvement over Sinnah’s synth. The hybrid synth offers a sophisticated array of options for the user. It gives you 3 oscillators per voice.

An oscillator is a basic element or building block in a digitally produced audio (synth). An oscillator has three components that can be manipulated – frequency, amplitude (loudness), and wave shape. The surge has another important aspect – it is able to quickly mutate/ change or multiply sound, using 8 oscillator algorithms. Its highly developed filters and delays enable the user to produce sound, as they desire it to be, with additional aspects to pique your interest and additional exposure.

WaveWarden Odin 2

WaveWarden Odin 2 is one of the most highly regarded by music producers and artists, and ordinary music enthusiasts. With a Nordic or even Viking theme, Odin 2 touts its features as something akin to Valhalla, especially when it is compared to other free softsynths. One reason for this is that while it has a 24-voice capacity; it also has 11 oscillators, making it an impressively rich ability to make a good sound. It is also a master of filters. It has 11 of them, giving the software unmatched flexibility in sound manipulation. Odin 2 is an upgrade to the previous version.

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Odin’s other strength is its modulation matrix. Modulation refers to the manipulation of sound parameters using other parameters. For instance, pitch and amplitude are two characteristics of sound. In a modulation matrix, these parameters will be used to support each other, and in the event, produce a sound that the producer wants. The modulation matrix in Odin is more varied, meaning more parameters can be employed to control each other to greater effect and higher quality.

U-He Triple Cheese

U-He Triple Cheese (Cheese) has stayed true to its original mantra – make music simple, and sweet. Most of the other free softsynths uses particular technologies to originate digital sound. Mostly, it is subtractive, in other instances frequency modulation, and even additive synthesis. Cheese simply uses a series of comb filters to synthesize sound. Comb filter works by adding a delayed signal to the original signal, such that an inference is created. The inference is either constructive or destructive.

By constructive inference, we simply mean that the two sounds (delayed and the signal itself) combine on the same wavelength, positive or negative, and make the signal (sound) louder. The reverse is destructive inference, when the amplitude is lessened, making a sound quieter. Cheese also uses parameter modulation, a sort of a modulation matrix for extra effects. However, for all its ease of use, Cheese is not a market leader in producing high-quality digital audio.

Dexed

Dexed is another popular free softsynth. It closely mirrors the DX7, which was used on Yamaha mixers in the 80s. The original hardware was quite difficult to navigate, because, perhaps it was made at a time when user-friendliness was not a major aspect when designers were constructing the original DX7. Dexed has a few advantages, however. While the interface may look intimidating, it is fairly easy to use once you get a hand with it. For instance, it is easily usable on all major platforms – Windows, Apple, and others. At the same time, it is closely aligned to Android. This enables the user to easily create sound using advanced tools.

There are several versions of Dexed, each with a few different features. Most of the versions have a few common features, though. It is easy to correct mistakes or unwanted effects and tones. There is added support for micro tuning. This makes it easy even for someone who does not have too much experience in sound mixing and sound synthesizing.

Green Oak Crystal

Green Oak Crystal has consistently scored high marks every time there is a contest on the best free softsynth. The reason Crystal is so popular is that it has been so good at adapting to rapidly changing music threads, especially the entry of new technologies with added capacity.

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One of the unique features of Crystal is that it uses both subtractive synthesis and frequency modulation. In many instances, digital audio sounds are rich in percussions and other sound qualities. By removing some elements of the sound, its timbre can be drastically or slightly changed, depending on what you want to achieve. Subtractive synthesis is the process by which these elements are reduced or removed, thereby manipulating sound notes to produce new music notes.

MiniSpillage

Minispillage is another popular open-source synthesizer. It uses high-resolution digital sound processing or DSP. One of the special things about Minispillage is that it exclusively deals in drum sound – it produces beats. For this, it has three algorithms that are reportedly exclusive to the software, as far as freeware is concerned.

The first of these is the bass drum. Due to the basic character of the bass drum, it only has a single oscillator. The single oscillator comes with pitch sweep, internal frequency modulator, and harmonic controls. The wood drum algorithmic model produces natural and synthetic sounds that are associated with log drums and toms. Lastly, Hi-hat is utilized to produce noise and resonance. To achieve this, it has 6 oscillators, which means that it has the greatest variety of the three algorithms.

Newfangled Audio Pendulate

Granted, the old-school hardware synthesizers had their own qualities that are extremely hard to replicate in a softsynth, especially if it is free. Newfangled Audio Pendulate is a rare free softsynth that is able to rediscover some of these somewhat lost elements. Its star attraction is the chaotic oscillator. This feature is based on a double pendulum design. It is able to “oscillate” between simple sine waves, which are quite common in synthetic sound, and more unusual shapes. These qualities give it the edge in some aspects since it is able to produce sounds that are simply unavailable in most other softsynths.

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Hardware-based synthesizers rarely used filters. However, filters are a mainstay of most free software. Not so with this softsynth. It instead utilizes the low pass gates, which are more accurate in removing or adding particular elements of sound. The softsynth also uses wave folders. These are a special type of waveshapers, which are, in technical terms, a chain of circuits whose job is to fold or return a wave once it has reached a certain level preset by the user.

Matt Tytel Helm

The Matt Tytel Helm may not be popular for too many reasons, but for all its strengths and weaknesses, its user interface is great. It means that it’s great to use, and can therefore be invaluable to a beginner. This is not the only claim to fame for the softsynth, however. It has a huge array of presets, which basically makes it a walk in the park even if you only have elementary knowledge in the field. Its other important feature is that it has a polyphonic synthesizer.

This means that you have much more variety than in some other free softsynths. It employs a powerful modulation matrix, which can combine several elements of sound at once. This results in more than a manipulation of amplitude, bringing out other unique elements of sound.

The graphic user interface that this freeware employs is second to none. it also has a step sequencer, as well as a means of utilizing different frequency bands in sound for greater effect. All these qualities make it, in its own right, one of the easiest softsynths to use.

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