1. Anubis 2 Vst
2. Anubis 2 Synth Vst Plugins

• RandARP is a VST plugin arpeggiator with many randomization features, allowing incoming notes or chords to be manipulated in various rhythmic ways. All standard arpeggiator parameters like number of octaves, note length and note order are included, but the plugin also offers complete randomization of the velocity, gate, shift and swing parameters.
• Download OB-XD 2.0 Synthesizer Synth Analogue/Subtractive “OB-Xd is based on the Oberheim OB-X. It attempts to recreate its sound and behavior, but as the original was very limited in some important ways a number of things were added or altered to the original design.
• Releases Anubis 2 free hybrid synthesizer for Windows (32 bit). Anubis 2 By B.Serrano is a free VST synthesizer plugin for Windows. Features: I32 voices polyphonic; Unison up to 8 voices.
• First released in 2005 BLUE already reflected Rob Papen’s cutting-edge, creative, and — most importantly — musical approach towards developing virtual instruments by first delivering FM and subtractive synthesis, then duly adding Phase Distortion and wave shaping synthesis into the highly creative mix to create one seriously creative combination.

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.

It does come at a cost, but if you have the money, it’s worth it. Omnisphere 2 is the best synth VST out there right now. Arturia Pigments 2. The best newcomer. Arturia is renowned for incredible attention to detail, so when they say Pigments was 20 years in the making, you can expect it to be one of the best synth plugins money can buy.

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. How to use vst plugins in reaper.

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.

Anubis 2 Vst

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. How to tell which nvidia controller driver i need.

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.

Anubis 2 Synth Vst Plugins

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.

Synth VSTs are one of the most exciting things about being a producer today.

Powerful synthesis tools that used to cost thousands are now available in your DAW anytime, anywhere.

And the best part? Many of them are available as completely free plugins.

Software synthesizer plugins are great for everything from ambient pads to massive sub bass.

In this article I’ll break down the top 8 free synth VSTs for producing music in your DAW.

Let’s get started.

1. Digital Suburban Dexed

Dexed is a freeware FM synthesizer based on the legendary Yamaha DX7. It puts all the classic sounds and functions of the original synth in a modern package.

But Dexed makes classic 6 operator FM synthesis much easier to understand and program than it ever was with hardware.

This great free synth VST is perfect for percussive sounds like tines and mallets as well as icy pads or aggressive distorted basses.

2. Matt Tytel Helm

Synthesis is hard to understand even when you have real hardware synthesizer in front of you. It can be even more difficult when you’re working with an abstract software plugin.

That’s why Matt Tytel’s Helm is such a great synth VST.

Helm is a great sounding, two oscillator subtractive synth that’s dead easy for beginners to use.

It’s well laid out with a logical interface and helpful graphics that let you understand every aspect of basic subtractive synthesis.

Helm is perfect If you’re just getting started and need an easy synth to learn on.

3. u-He Tyrell N6

u-He Tyrell N6 is a stylish synth with bold analog sound and simple workflow.

It features a great preset library and modulation matrix as well as handy extras like unison mode, loopable envelopes and built in overdrive.

Overall, Tyrell N6 is a quality freeware synth that any producer can use to make great sounds.

4. DiscoDSP OB-Xd

Speaking of analog sound, DiscoDSP’s OB-Xd models one of the most sought-after instruments in analog synth history—the Oberheim OB-X.

This completely free plugin gives you access to the lush sound of the OB-X in your DAW.

From enveloping analog pads to deep basses and searing leads, the OB-Xd is an inspiring free synth to add to your plugin folder.

5. TAL Noisemaker

TAL’s excellent Noisemaker synth proves that VSTs don’t need to be complicated to work well in a track.

TAL’s excellent Noisemaker synth proves that VSTs don’t need to be complicated to work well in a track.

This straightforward synth has a powerful sound and compact, lightweight interface.

It contains a unique visual envelope editor and handy onboard effects including bitcrusher and TAL’s emulation of the Juno 60/106 chorus effect.

6. Vember Audio Surge

Vember Audio Surge is probably the most powerful free VST synth on this list.

Surge is open source which means you’re free to download the code and do whatever you want with it.

It’s fantastic sounding digital synth that can cover all kinds of different sonic territory.

Its highly flexible architecture includes wavetable oscillators, two filters with eight different modes each and routing options for frequency modulation.

If you’re looking to get lost in the possibilities of sound design, Surge is the best way to do it for free.

7. VCV Rack

This next one is a little different, but it’s so exciting that it had to make it to this list.

VCV Rack is a standalone synth program that models nearly every module available for the Eurorack format.

That’s right—those enormous racks of modular gear that creative producers spend thousands of dollars collecting.

VCV Rack lets you create your own dream modular rig right on your desktop. You can even create patches authentically with virtual cables to get the real modular experience.

Integrating it with your DAW is a bit trickier—but using the plugin in standalone mode is just as fun for creating inspiring patches.

Every musician should try using VCV Rack to see what modular is all about.

Every musician should try using VCV Rack to see what modular is all about.

8. ML PG8X

The 80s are a popular decade for free synth plugin builders. This retro-leaning synth from developer Martin Lüders models the classic Roland JX-8p.

The JX-8p polysynth was one of the most popular keyboards of the time for a reason. It’s classic presets made it onto hundreds of recordings from the golden age of synth pop.

The ML PG-8X plugin version gives you all the vintage mojo of the original for free. It’s a nice analog-style polysynth with a unique retro character.

Pair it up with Dexed for authentic 80s stacked synth textures!

Free to play

You don’t need tons of expensive gear to make a great track. Free synth plugins prove that there’s plenty of capable tools out there to make music that sounds good on a shoestring budget.

Whether you’re looking for classic vintage tones, deep sound design tools or you just want to choose a good synth to get started, there’s a VST on this list to inspire you.

Now that you have some great new synths in your plugin folder, get back to your DAW and keep creating.