5 free Virtual instruments anyone can use to make incredible sound and music

Here I present some free downloadable ones with which you can learn and produce high-level sounds and that have nothing to envy of other expensive software instruments.

The world of virtual instruments is so extensive that it is lost from sight, sometimes we believe that to produce good music or design interesting sounds we need a large investment.

In principle, Vital is a wavetable synthesizer, which also offers the possibility of bending/stretching the waveforms. You can navigate the table at will and modulate this “navigation” with the multiple control blocks it provides such as LFOs and envelope generators. It is one of those types of instruments that allows for mutant and complex sound designs.

This instrument is so complete that it completely covers all the stages of good sound design: the production of the raw material (the wave generators), modulations, effects and final sculpting, equalization, compression and stereo imaging.

Furthermore, the interface is graphically explicit in each process and has the possibility of modulating any parameter with any source.

• Synthesizer type: Physical modeling synthesizer. Spectral warping wavetable synth.
• Main features:
  • Two oscillators with different synthesis models (FM, wavetable, VA)
  • Multi-mode filter with resonance and distortion.
  • Wide range of effects, including delay, reverb, chorus, phaser and compressor.
  • Flexible modulation matrix to modulate any parameter with any source
  • Arpeggiator and step sequencer

Official web site: https://vital.audio/

Helm sounds great for bass, similar to Vital but with a slightly less digital feel. It does not have wave tables but rather several oscillators. Ideal for beginners.

• Synthesizer type: Subtractive synthesizer.
• Main features:
  • An oscillator with multiple waveforms and timing options.
  • Multimode filter with resonance and distortion.
  • Two ADSR envelopes and one LFO.
  • Wide range of effects, including delay, reverb, chorus and phaser.
  • Arpeggiator and step sequencer.

Official web site: https://tytel.org/helm/

Pendulate is a chaotic mono-synth that uses a new dual-pendulum oscillator to create previously unheard sounds – biting bass and gritty textures. It can fade smoothly from a sine wave to total chaos, with a stretch of territory to explore in between.

• Synthesizer Type: Granular Synthesizer.
• Main features:
  • Granular synthesis engine with control over grain length, waveform and dispersion.
  • Multimode filter with resonance and distortion.
  • Two ADSR envelopes and one LFO.
  • Wide range of effects, including delay, reverb, chorus and phaser.
  • Arpeggiator and step sequencer

Oficial web site: https://www.eventideaudio.com/plug-ins/pendulate/

VCV Rack revolutionizes and puts within reach the possibility of getting started in the world of modular synthesizers. It is a visual environment that emulates existing synthesis modules on the market, exposing them in an extensive free downloadable library. Ideal to start studying this type of synthesis.

• Synthesizer Type: Virtual Modular Environment.
• Main features:
  • Extensive library of free and paid modules.
  • MIDI and audio support.
  • Ability to create custom synthesizers and effects.

Official web site: https://vcvrack.com/manual/Installing

In this case it is more of a visual environment or virtual studio. It is a tracker-style software, these would be the first programs to produce music that existed, with vertical playback, based on the management of samples written in a grid.

Its free download version includes almost all the functions included in the paid version, the only limitation is the export of .wav or finalized files. However, it is worth experimenting and learning using it.

Características Principales:

• Step Sequencing: Create rhythmic patterns and melodies by placing samples in a step grid.
• Sample editing: They offer tools to edit, cut, loop and transform audio samples.
• Effects: Include a variety of audio effects to process and manipulate sounds.
• MIDI Support: Allow integration with MIDI controllers for more precise control of music.

Own file format: Each tracker usually has its own file format to store musical projects.

Aditional resources:

• List of Best Free VST Plugins To Start Making Music in 2024.
• VCV Rack Tutorials in YouTube.