At 7/3/09 01:21 PM, nehemiah135 wrote: is there any program that is free and as simple as can be, like not a synthesizer or something.

If you enter a thread named "Software Synths" and you ask for "like not a synthesizer or something" ... man, you let me speechless.
So, I'm tired to redirect people to the sticky, I guess that should be made twice bigger and glowing red.
The sticky, is on top of most threads:
New to Audio? Read this first!
there is a link to a thread named Studios & Editors.

Well, by searching for a free piano plugin, I found one of the coolest samplers, FREE (I'm a sucker for freeware), and it's coming with a quite impressive library.
UVI Workstation - FREE !!!
"UVI Workstation is a multi-timbral instrument that provides unlimited parts, integrated effects, live performance features, and a smooth real-time workflow. UVI Workstation is fully powered by the UVI Engine XT, the new generation of the UVI Engine technology."
-Easily expandable with new Soundpack downloads from UVISoundsource.com.
-Universal compatibility Mac/Win.
-Supports all major plug-in formats (Audio Units, VST, RTAS, MAS).
-Manage instruments and loops in the same interface.
Reads REX loop formats, Acidized Wav, putting it in tempo ofthe host and have a very cool effects section, including Guitar amps and impulse reverb.
Latest version is 1.0.16
Go HEREand download it.

Image Line (FL developers) released Autogun for FREE !!!
A pretty impressive additive (and addictive I say) synth, based on the Ogun synthesis engine, enhanced by the Soundgoodizer that can produce rich metallic and shimmering timbres.
The producer say that "Autogun offers 4,294,967,296 (Four Billion Two Hundred Ninety Four Million Nine Hundred Sixty Seven Thousand Two Hundred Ninety Six) presets"... don't know, didn't bothered to count them, so, "With so many presets Autogun needs no programming, every sound is already somewhere 'out there' and just needs to be found"...

Actually this might be a big turn-off for many "tweakers". They didn't kept in mind that you might like a preset but want to add or tweak slightly...NOOOOooooo, if you want less attack or more "something" you have to browse through billions of presets >:((
Literally, billions >:((

Still, this synth sounds good, I've tried it under Mu.Lab as the VST version, works very well, quite a CPU eater.
Get it HERE
More info on KVR

Where should I go for a free synth that isnt in a zip file?

At 1/11/10 08:10 PM, zaiker wrote: Where should I go for a free synth that isnt in a zip file?

Local music store.
Get a real piano, if it's ugly enough they might give it you for free.

Now serious... almost all downloads come in a compressed format to save space. Get 7-Zip, it's free.

Glue Reeds it's a FREE "mellow electric piano" that emulate (not sample) a reeds piano, based on a Pianet® mechanism.
GlueReeds is freeware. it is available as a VSTi for PC.

Taurus
Plugin by Antti @ Smartelectronix
Virtual recreation of famous bass pedals from 70's.
Alias free oscillators
Finite oscillator reset time
Nonlinear Moog ladder filter
Nonlinear VCA
Nonlinear envelopes

Download here

Crystal
Crystal is a semi-modular software synthesizer featuring both subtractive synthesis and frequency modulation (FM) synthesis. It offers abundant modulation control with over 90 parameters which may be modulated, multi-stage envelopes with graphical editors, extensive tempo sync of envelopes/lforates/delay times, built-in effects for chorus/flanging/comb filtering/echoes, and a band splitter for effects processing by frequency band. Not only that, Crystal has wave sequencing, granular synthesis, program morphing, MIDI learn, and imports soundfonts. The musical applications for Crystal are literally boundless.

DOWNLOAD

Found some more freebies and because I have such awesome feedback on my posts I'll share with my friends here (the 0-bombers):
OP-X Free
The OB-X was the first fully programmable polyphonic synth built by Tom Oberheim. OP-X it's a software emulation of it.
OP-X Free is a cut down preset version of OP-X offering a small set of selected original OP-X sounds for free use. OP-X Free has got the same basic engine as OP-X while only giving access to a few parameters on a cut-down user interface.

TripleCheese

TripleCheese is a software synthesizer for PC and Mac Universal Binaries (AU and VST), that gets its sounds using a chromatic comb filter. The plug-in has voice 16 polyphony and is packed with features and comes with loads of presets.
The official description is "luscious cheesy comb synthesizer" :D
Developed by Urs Heckmann who recently lost his father:(
Sincere condolences and best wishes for finding the strength to prevail. All music makers send you their best thoughts.
~back to the synth now~
The basic idea is this: You have three cheesy modules (hence Triple Cheese!) that either generate sound, or manipulate what's been created by previous modules.

Get it for free HERE

Here is another Software Wavetable Synthesizer that does not seem to be listed here. It is Shareware (30-day trail) , but it's also pretty cheap at just $20.

"WinGroove" http://www.wg7.com/en/wgdl.html
-Fully compliant with the General MIDI standard
-128 instruments and 10 different drum kits
-Works on every Windows operating system from Windows 3.1 to XP (Probably runs on Vista and 7, but I'm not sure)
-44.1 KHz, 16-bit, Stereo sound output
-Can convert MIDI into .WAV files directly through the WinGroove Player (But only through WInGroove's sound front)

At least in my opinion, the sound set in WinGroove is vastly superior to the Microsoft GS Wavetable Synth as well as the built-in software synth in QuickTime. Maybe try downloading the trial and playing back some of the MIDI files that come with the installer or tinker around with its sound set in your MIDI sequencing programs?

NOTE: Click the link labeled "Download WinGroove Version 0.A4 Fullset version" in order to get the right version of this program. The other link is only an update for an older version of WinGroove.

IMPORTANT: Make sure you install WinGroove from a directory that is close to the root of your hard drive or removable media; otherwise, the installer will not work. WinGroove is a pretty old program (Requires only a Pentium 133MHz processor, 2 megabytes of Hard Disk space, 1.5 Megabytes of available RAM and it's oldest copyright date is 1995).

Is there a synthesizer that's free or costs little money and is not analog? cuz the analog synths and kinda...intimidating.

See the samplers.
Kontakt Player (free)
Yellow Tools Independence 2.5 Free
UVI Workstation
just to name few of the latest posted here...

At 6/22/10 02:11 PM, Oddnoxious wrote: Is there a synthesizer that's free or costs little money and is not analog? cuz the analog synths and kinda...intimidating.

None of them are analog! All virtual instruments are digital, analog synths are strictly a hardware thing. Synths that are laid out as virtual analog are usually pretty basic compared to other synths by the way. You don't have to learn what every knob on your synths does but you should at least take the time to know most of it, and socalled "virtual analog" synths are great for learning since everything is right in front of you.

BK SynthLab put several synths for free. Those are quite impressive.
Check them HERE
The one on my personal taste seems to be " VS-1 / oscilloscope " free.
Features:
Stereo synthesizer.
Mono/polyphonic.
3 Oscillators.
2 Filters:
4 ADSR envelopes with synchronization of initial impulses.
4 LFOs.
4x16 step gate.
Effect block with phaser, delay, eq, unison
Download Link

thanks heaps for the list denvish, itll really come in handy, especially the free ones cause im a cheapskate. i should also point out, if you are not getting any sound out of hammerhead, you have to open it as administrator on some systems for some reason. ill also list 2 free software synths/whatever they are called

Electronic piano 2.5

"Electronic Piano 2.5 is a Freeware program that allows the user to play Musical Notes, Chords and Drums using the computer keyboard.
Although this is not a software for professional purposes, Electronic Piano 2.5 doesn't require knowledge of the MIDI technology, it takes up little disk space and it is very simple to install and use.
Main features :
- 128 Musical Instruments and 47 Drum Sounds
- Play 12 types of Chords by pressing a single key
- Chords can be played simulating the 6 strings of a Guitar
- Includes a simplified version with Open SourceCode"

and another old program that i had fun with
Beat it

Beat It allows you to play and mix your own samples in real time.

* Built-in keyboard utility turning your computers keyboard into a real-time sample keyboard
* Built-in CrossFader
* Sample settings recognising loops and one shot samples. Panning and frequency alterations
* Support for up to 16 samples at once
* Sample pad for fast sound access
* Tap pad capable of playing all loaded samples at once with the tap of just one key
* 20 second recording and preview
* Takes any .WAV file no matter what frequency, sample rate or BPM
* Uses DirectX 7 for the latest performance and speed enabling direct control over your soundcard
* Simple FX built in

i should point out these two are old and basic programs, but hey, theyre free

At 6/26/09 08:24 AM, julius33 wrote: i would suggest ZynAddSubFX.

what program do you use to run it, can it run on a free program like audacity

At 1/15/11 02:17 PM, dontpanic01 wrote:

At 6/26/09 08:24 AM, julius33 wrote: i would suggest ZynAddSubFX.

what program do you use to run it, can it run on a free program like audacity

To run it in audacity you need the Vst Enabler , which you can get it here:

http://audacityteam.org/vst/

Just go to audacity's folder and put inside of plug-ins folder

thank you

This is a great thread, thanks to the fab aura candyman who bumped it. Here is one of my favorite 8-bit plugins:

8-bit Magical Plugin

Totally free, totally cross-platform (Windows VST, Mac AU). Via Adrian Anders and the CDM forums, where we're trying to figure out why it's crashing someone's installation of Ableton Live. Not Universal: Note that this plug-in is not Intel-native (nor any of the other examples listed here, as far as I know), so you'll need to go elsewhere for 8-bit sounds on an Intel Mac, ironically enough. Also, as several readers note over on TUAW, GarageBand has its own Atari Sings patch, though I don't think it clips as realistically as this does for a true NES sound. (Makes sense that it doesn't, since those patches are built with Logic's synths.)

Greetings Grounders,

I can keep silent no longer, I need to ask:

I have been searching online & through these forums to no avail for some decent voice morphing software, that comes without price, & isn't a limited trial. I tried out the Vocoder that was listed but it isn't quite what I am looking for, maybe because I don't really know how to use it. I know there is at least one free program of this sort out there as I've used one before. I realize it has probably been listed here somewhere but so far I haven't been able to find it, if you saw it or know of one I would appreciate a pointer please.

Basically I'm looking to record voices & distort them to sound like A.I., aliens, monsters & various characters; currently being the only voice actor on my roster I will need some variety until I bring others aboard. I would consider myself lucky if it had presets, distortion, flange & pitch shifters all in the same program; but I am not picky. I just need to sound like a robot, & not have to pay for it!

I will also be on the lookout for the best software that actually costs $ but that will be further down the line.

Also, in case no one has mentioned it here yet, I thought I would plug MixMan Studio Pro; I have used it in the past on another computer & it is quite a handy DJ program that can work with USB turntables. I no longer have the computer, & the tables are shot (my fault, user error; don't be shy they were very durable I am just good at destroying things!) so I don't use it anymore. Sometime I will buy it again though!
http://www.mixman.com/

Thanks in advance for any help, & apologies if this has already been addressed elsewhere.

-DrD

Personally I use Magix Music Maker 17 =3