KX77FREE’s Kx-Modulad 2.0 is a free “analog” style modular synth for Windows with stereo SF2 player and an additive synthesis WaveTracer to build waveforms.

Features:

• Stereo routing.
• 3 Polyphonic EGs with for each segment: curves, velocity and Kbd controls.
• 1 Monophonic EG with for each segment: curves, velocity and Kbd controls.
• Multiple trigger sources and sync for the EGs and the LFOs.
• 2 oscillators with 2 waveforms and 2 outputs with Phase modulation and Sync.
• 2 independent Sub Oscillators.
• 1 Stereo SF2 player.
• 2 Monophonic LFOs with 2 Rates and ASR EG.
• 2 Mulitmode VCFs.
• Mixer with 6 sources: Noise, Vco1 1-2, Vco 2 1-2, Ring, Vco1 Width, Vco2 Width and 3 outputs: VCF1, VCF2, VCA.
• Each mixer voice can be modulated by different sources.
• Noise Generator with an EQ.
• Sample & Hold.
• Ring Modulator.
• 6 host sync clocks.
• 2 Midi inputs.
• 1 Distortion.
• 2 Delays with sync, multimode filter and modulation oscillator with sync.
• 1 Scope with 100 ms of buffer size.
• Full Midi learn.
• Full NRPN implementation.
• 128 KX presets

via svartling

Free Music Software: Cakewalk has dropped the price on its SFZ+ Professional SoundFont Player for Windows from $60 to $0.

Description:

rgc:audio’s revolutionary SoundFont player sample-playback engine, packed in a professional VST/DXi instrument.

Outstanding sound quality, stereo built-in effects, adjustable CPU/quality settings to adjust it to your hardware, fully multitimbral operation, multiple stereo outputs, several loading modes including direct-from-disk streaming and a beautiful interface make sfz+ the perfect choice for SoundFont users and professional composers.

Note: The download is currently missing in action. See comments below.

Free Windows Music Software: Asymptotic Valley has released Inorganic1, a free virtual synthesizer for Windows based on subtractive synthesis.

Features:

• 2 Oscillators, each with subtractive option
• 2 Oscillator Phase Offset Modulations
• Adjustable Oscilloscope with input selection
• State Variable Filter with ADSR Envelope
• Amplitude Envelope ADSR
• Delay Effect
• Reverb Effect
• VST/Standalone

If you give Inrganic1 a try, leave a comment and let me know what you think of it!

via rekkerd

The free VST effects include:

• Fuzz Muff
• Distortion
• Delay
• RMod
• GSynth
• Phasor
• Flanger
• Panner

If you’ve used EFM’s free VSTs, leave a comment with your thoughts on them!

Free Windows Music Software: Synthgeek has introduced a free glitch music plugin for Windows, sg-glitchgate.

Description:

SG-Glitchgate is basically a rhythmic gate, but not set up in the standard way. There are two periodic gates which can be used for anything from regular rhythmic chopping to random rhythmic manipulations and strange dropouts.

The gates are followed by a delay unit designed to enhance the glitchiness- it does not sync to tempo, and the delay time and gain can be randomized. There are 5 LFOs to add to the fun.

Several presets are included to give you an idea of how things work.

If you give SG-Glitchgate a try, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Free Music Software: miniSoftMusik’s FEM 1 is a free FM synthesizer for Windows.

Download from the miniSoftMusik site.

via Making-Music

Free Music Software: Artifake Labs have released the RedTron_400, a software version of the Mellotron M400.

Features:

• Realistic user interface.
• Six sound types:
  • 3 Violins
  • 8-Voice Choir
  • Flute
  • Brass
  • String Section
  • Cello
• “Loop” and “Non-Loop” modes : as the original “Mellotron”, each sound is eight seconds long but you can switch to “Loop Mode” and allows the samples to loop continuously.
• Layer possibilities & independent parameters for layer A & B :
  • Volume, Tune, Reverb, Delay, Pan, Octave, Note, Cutoff, Resonance, Attack & Release parameters.
  • Delay effect (Amount, Time, Feedback & Pan parameters).
  • Reverb effect (Mix, Width, Size & Damp parameters).
• Global Volume control
• Global Tone control
• Global Pitch control
• Can be used as Soundfont Player to mix any .sf2 file with “Tron sounds” or to extend the sound palette.

If you’ve used RedTron 400, leave a comment with your thoughts!

This video demonstrates how you can use the new Novation Launchpad like a monome.

To try this out, you’ll need a Launchpad (You can get them for $199 at Zzounds and other online retailers), a free app called nonome and a monome app.

For this demo, Mike Tron built a Windows executable that combines nonome with a monome program called mlr. Tron is offering to build an OS X version, too, if there’s interest.

ganK, a new free music synthesizer VST for Windows

Lucas Xie has released ganK the Synthesizer, a free synthesizer instrument for Windows.

ganK the Synthesizer is a free soft synth developed by Lucas. It is presented in both VSTi format and Windows standalone application. ganK is an additive/substractive synth with 3 oscillators , a moog filter, a lfo, effects like an 8-band eq and a delay component.

Have fun.

If you give this a try, leave a comment with your thoughts on ganK!

via rekkerd

Here’s an example of free music software that doesn’t play it safe.

_02.circles is a Windows software synthesizer that features a user interface inspired by Wassily Kandinsky’s abstract painting Einige Kreise:

This plugin opens an intuitive access to sound construction, modification, modulation, live performance tweaking, etc. being an interactive painting and thus a form of art by itself.

VST plugins nowadays mostly resemble the look and feel of real instruments so musicians feel comfortable with, but neglecting the power of contemporary user interfaces: mouse, touchpads, multitouch, gestures….

This plugin follows an intuitive approach, e.g. instead of knowing the filter cutoff value has to be modified to “2100 Hz” and the frequency modulation index has to set to “75″ the user is encouraged to play with the elements, e.g. make the blue circle a bit smaller and drag the green circle a little so that it becomes more visible, or even try things like “what will it sound like when I modify this red circle”?

Details:

• Operating System: Windows (developed and tested with XP SP2)
• Format: VST Instrument dll file
• Misc: Minimum requirements: SSE capable processor, VST Host compliant to VST 2.3 spec. Tested with Orion Platinum 7.62, Ableton Live 7, Energy XT 2, Tracktion 2, MULAB 2.6, FL Studio 8

New free music software for Mac and Windows – PanCake – a VST plugin that lets you create customized tempo-synced pan automations.

Key Features:

• Free, and available for both PC and Mac.
• Creative Modulation Tool: Create complex pan modulations with ease.
• Unique Waveform Drawing Capabilities: Construct your own modulation curves in a very intuitive manner. Waveforms can be easily drawn using soft or hard breakpoints, thus producing gentle transitions or sharp bends in the waveform. The unique drawing tool is similar to professional graphics/vector software, and allows you to draw with impressive precision and unparalleled ease.
• Customized Waveforms: Up to 10 customized waveforms can be stored.
• LFO Speed: LFO speed can be set free-running from 0.02 Hz to 5.24 kHz. It can also be set in rhythmic units synced to the host sequencer, from a fast 1/128 note modulation up to 32 bars.
• User Friendly Buttons: Reverse the waveform, move it in any direction, or randomize it. Select from a list of default waveforms, or copy and paste between waveforms, including presets.
• Complete Parameter Control via Automation: Absolutely everything in PanCake can be automated. Even the shape of the modulating waveform can be automated, and breakpoint movements can be recorded and played back. And if you want to use more than four modulation curves in a song, you can automate the plugin to switch between them.
• Exceptional Sound Quality: PanCake computes the audio at a per-sample basis; the modulation is interpolated with linear or, for the audiophile, cubic interpolation. The plugin’s LFO will always stay in sync, even when you make tempo changes in your host software, or jump ahead to different parts of your track.

PanCake comes out of this year’s KVR VST challenge.

You can download it here.

This year’s KVR Challenge resulted in a lot of interesting new free music software – including this Windows ambient sound synthesizer, Antorpya.

Here’s a demo of Antopya in action: Uranus:

Description:

The main Engine uses FM and Additive Synthesis. Edit the Harmonics Intuitive by moving the Planets on the Crosspad. The Result is wide smooth Pads, Strings, Spacy FX, Bass sounds and more.

Specs:

One OSC + 3 Sub operators, 5 Filter Types (LP/HP/BP/BR/FMT), Phase ADS Envelope, Envelope ADSR, One Step LFO, Chorus FX, Stereo Delay and Crossharmonic Pad for intuitive creating of Harmonics.

Free Music Software: The Venom VB-303 is a pattern-based acid bassline synthesizer for Windows inspired by the Roland TB-303.

Venom VB-303 is actively under development, but is still in beta.

Download links are available at the KVR forum.

Free Music Software: In the late 60’s composer Steve Reich stumbled across a technique he called phasing, which was to have two identical tape loops that run at slightly different speeds, the result is that every possible combination of sound is cycled through until they arrive back in sync. The result with a melodic piece of music is that it moves through moments of chaos and moments of melody.

Phase Shifter is a Windows VST designed to make it easy to create phase shifting music, like the early work of Steve Reich. It also has a built in recorder so that the output can be recorded directly to disk. It works by loading up to 2 WAVs, and is triggered via a MIDI keyboard. Middle C will play the WAV at it’s original speed.

You can preview the results of Phase Shifter below.

Download here.

Free Music Software: de la Mancha has released FMMF, a 4 operator FM (Frequency Modulation) synthesizer plug-in for Windows, written as an entry into the KVR Developer Challenge 2009.

FMMF features

• 4 Operator FM Synthesis instrument with 17 FM algorithms
• 11 different waveforms per operator, with note sync option
• 7 Multi-segment Envelopes (up to 32 stages) for amp, pitch and effects modulatio
• 3 LFO’s for pitch and effects modulation
• All envelopes can be free or tempo-sync, each stage can have it’s own contour
• Envelopes can have user defined sustain and repeat points with flexible locking and zeroing options
• LFO’s can be free or tempo sync, with 20 waveforms and phase & note sync options
• Each LFO has it’s own ADSR envelope
• Arpeggiator with 6 modes and adjustable tempo-sync, note length and octave range
• Resonant low pass filter with key and velocity tracking, can be modulated by envelopes or LFOs
• Distortion effect with 18 flavours, can be modulated by envelopes or LFOs
• Delay with comb delay option, size, feedback and damping, modulated by envelope or LFO
• Harmonics can be adjusted from 1 to 256, with limit on frequency beyond Nyquist
• Polyphony adjustable from 1 to 16 voices
• Portamento time
• 64 presets by brian botkiller covering many styles

Details below.

FMMF is a 4 operator FM (Frequency Modulation) synthesizer with 2 primary aims:

• Make FM synthesis as accessible and user-friendly as possible
• Use multi-stage envelopes and LFOs to make give lots of movement and modulation

The default preset bank was created by sound designer brian botkiller and shows off the potential of FMMF to make atmospheric pads and leads with lots of movement, big fat bass sounds, funky arps and oddball sound fx

The waveforms, algorithms and envelopes in FMMF are all shown graphically, with the envelopes allowing dragging of nodes and clicking to change contour. Special attention has been paid to the envelopes to allow you to customise them in many ways, such as the number of stages, the contour of each stage, sustain and repeat points and tempo-sync. There are envelopes for the volume of each operator, the pitch, and the effects section (filter, distortion and delay) all with velocity and key tracking. Further modulation comes in the form of LFO’s for the pitch and effects section, with many LFO waveforms available, including my favourite, randomising.

For further sound design potential you have a low pass filter, a multi-mode distortion and a flexible delay (with comb delay option). An arpeggiator let’s you add even more movement to create rhythmic sequences.

Budde notes:

The Noise Reduction plugin is based on a spectral gate to filter out unwanted noise in the frequency domain. The gate is based on the lightweight dynamic series and features a soft knee and customizable attack and release times.

Originally this plugin was planned for the KVR’09 developer contest, but in the end I missed the deadline by one day and thus I had to use another plugin for my entry.

Features:

• Highly customisable spectral noise gate
• Continous and consistent characteristic
• Fully adjustable soft knee in dB (as margin below the threshold)
• Several exotic window functions available
• Low CPU usage
• Different FFT sizes
• Manual included
• Open source (as part of the Delphi ASIO & VST Project)

Download it from Budde’s site.

LDaySynths has released Bass-Cruncher – a free bassline synthesizer, inspired by the Roland TB-303.

Here’s what they have to say about it:

BASSCRUNCHER

Monophonic Bassline Synthesizer mit einem Quitschigem Lowpassfilter ähnlich dem tb-303.

Features:

• Monophonic Synthesizer
• 1 OSC (saw/pulse waveform)
• 1 LP Filter mit 303 artiger Resonanz
• Drivemode (Soft/Hard sience V1.1)
• Filter Stepsequencer in 16 Stufen

You can preview Bass Cruncher below.

The KVR Developer Challenge 2009 has ended and that means that there are some interesting new freebies available.

There were 42 entries:

• 40 of these are available for Windows;
• 6 for Mac OS X; and
• 1 for Linux.

Highlights include a Moog Model D clone, a bassline synth with built-in effects, a granular synthesizer and a convolution reverb.

Here are links to the new free music plugins:

• amphetamine by easytoolz (by NEK-X)
• Anawave (by Lithium)
• Antopya (by L-Day)
• Armchair Guitarist (by Minouris)
• Barberpole Tuner (by Christian Budde)
• Black Ops (by gpunk)
• dimensional vector spider (by afdarhus)
• Drum Synze (by Longsoft)
• dschlon_nzElektrik (by Michael Benjamin)
• Eigenmode (by eigentone)
• EQUINOX (by IIRs)
• Explor3r (by thelowerrhythm)
• FerricTDS (by bootsie)
• FMMF (by de la Mancha)
• Harsh Digital Nose (by insertpizhere)
• HybridReverb2 (by c.borss)
• In-Kult (by mickygemma)
• JBM Jagular (by jobromedia)
• LISAROCK V1.0(VST/AU) PLUGIN (by seibel1)
• massTURBOtar (by LpD)
• MIDI LFO (by gertius)
• MoarF VSTi (by __F__)
• NCL Phase EQ (by matt42)
• New Blend (by xoxos)
• PanCake (by Jakob / CableGuys)
• Phase Shifter (by Astralp)
• Phonics/Attack Entrancer (by nix808)
• Piezo Drum Pad Pack (by FrettedSynth)
• pk_hui (by discodaniel)
• Prodigious Synthesizer (by synthescience)
• Psychic Modulation – Metatron (by Jack R)
• RA Mowg (by Chris Roberson)
• sg-grainbot (by synthgeek)
• SIMPLICITY (by BONES)
• SpectroBits (by g200kg)
• Stolon (by novaflash)
• SynekDC (by duncanparsons)
• The Marcus Johnson Collection (by sunahura)
• Transistorhead (by sonicase)
• Twin Engined Verb (by daz.diamond)
• unicycle (by spacedad)
• _02.circles (by rl)

Free Windows Music Software: Artifake_Labs has introduced a free software synthesizer, RedTron_MKV, that emulates the Mellotron MKV (essentially a double M400), one of the rarest Mellotrons ever made.

Features :

• Realistic user interface.
• Six sound types : 3 Violins, 8-Voice Choir, Flute, Brass, String Section, Cello.
• “Loop” and “Non-Loop” modes : as the original “Mellotron”, each sound is eight seconds long but you can switch to “Loop Mode” and allows the samples to loop continuously.
• Layer possibilities & independent parameters for layer A & B:
  • Volume, Tone, Reverb, Delay, Pan, Octave, Note & Attack parameters.
  • Delay effect (Amount, Time, Feedback & Pan parameters).
  • Reverb effect (Mix, Width, Size & Damp parameters).
• Pitch control
• Can be used as Soundfont Player to mix any .sf2 file with “Tron sounds” or to extend the sound palette.

Download from the Artifake_Labs site.

Justin Robert has unleashed Mothman 1966, a free software synthesizer for Windows:

This new Mothman synth is a pretty simple little gem. But don’t let it’s simplicity fool you. It is a two oscillator, two LFO synth that uses standard subtractive synthesis. What sets it apart is the three custom waveforms in the the two oscillators. One is a “diamond wave” which was created using FM synthesis and the waveform image resembles a diamond. Two is an 8 bit saw wave, its an awesome buzzy and gritty saw wave. Three is a woodwind wave, used to create cool sounding flutes and other wood instruments. The LFOs can be routed to either of the VCFs or VCAs. Some patches sound rather Juno 106 sounding. Over all it is gritty yet warm, and vintage sounding.

If you’ve used Mothman 1966, leave a comment with your thoughts!

Download from Justin Robert’s site.