Best Free Moog Vst
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.
Arturia’s Mini V is remarkable in being the only software emulation officially endorsed by Bob Moog. It was this partnership in 2003 that really launched Arturia into the software emulation game, resulting originally in the Modular V, an emulation of the Moog 3C and Moog 55 modular system. To start, Moog has made its Minimoog Model D iOS synth app available for free. It wasn't hugely expensive to start, but this could make it easy to recreate the first portable synth and slip some. Robert Moog was ahead of his time, and his Moog synthesizer is still used today for music recording projects in all genres. The Moog is often imitated but never duplicated. The closest you’ll come will be one of the best Moog VST plugins that you can find on this list. Get the 200 best free VST plugins ever made. From synth VSTs and drum VSTs to VST effects, this huge list has only the best of the best plugins.
https://granexagmo.tistory.com/14. 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.
- The best free VST plugins 2020: must-have freeware synths, drum machines and effects By Si Truss ( Computer Music, Future Music, emusician ) 20 November 2020 Make music for nothing with our pick of the finest free sound makers and processors.
- In response, Moog and Korg have both made certain synth apps free for a limited time. Moog’s Minimoog Model D iOS app is now free, and it cost $4.99 when it was introduced in 2018.
- If there is one free VST synth that you want to get yourself familiar with, it is the Synth1 by Ichiro Toda. This synthesizer is actually a favorite among many music producers, and is often the one that’s most recommended. Synth1 is an analog modeled subtractive synthesizer. It’s functions are modeled on the Clavia Nord Lead 2 Red Synth.
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. Brickwall limiter vst plugin. 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.
The Minimoog ! one of the synth that had the biggest impact in history of synths.
This is a difficult task to emulate the moog sound with virtual synth, you have to take care of the electronic components and their characteristics.
Let’s start the dance :
1. MinimogueVA by Gunnar
Download and information : Gunnar archive site
Based on the Richard Brooks synthedit sources of “mogue”, this is a very nice VST emulation of the famous miniMoog synthesizer.
It’s a Synthedit creation : It works for Windows and 32 bit VST hosts.
You can also found a polyphonic version (MinimogueLuxus VST).
The three oscillators are here, and the filter does the job.
A simple arpeggiator is also a nice addition.
2. Model Mini by ElektroStudio
ModelMini VST
Info & download : http://www.elektrostudio.ovh.org/index.php?go=mini
A free VST that can stand for the “best free VST recreation of a Moog synth” title.
Sounds good, works for Windows (32 bit).
3. Freemoog by Cyclik
download now ! => http://spiritconspiracy.free.fr/spip.php?article14
Created with Synthedit, it sounds different than the two previous VST synths, but it sounds good.
And that’s all we want. It’s free, and works in all 32 bit VST host under Windows.
4 RA Mowg by Chris Anderson
RA Mowg VST
Emulation of a Minimoog model D. Created with synthedit. It’s not bad.
5. ASynth by Antti.
download and test it : http://antti.smartelectronix.com/
Best Free Moog Vst
It’s not really a Minimoog emulation, but with its two oscillators and the filter set on “MINI” , it does “Moog-ish sounds”. The quality is superior. Don’t forget to check out the Taurus emulation on the same site too !
ASynth VST is donationware, and still one of the best VSTi.
6. Minimoog+ by Synthfellow
Synthfellow Minimoog+ VST
Info : archive & download
Best Free Flanger Vst
This is an oooold VST plugin created with Synthedit about 10 years ago.
It has some playing/retrigger bugs, some parameters are not well “calibrated” and the presets don’t do it justice.
But with some tweaking, it can do nice leads and bass !
7. Prodigious by Synthescience
Best Free Moog Vst Mac
direct download + info
Best Free Moog Vst
A good synthedit creation, it’s inspired by the legendary miniMoog, and it adds some interesting features : chorus + delay. You can modulate the filter, and there’s an arpegiator!