Linux Vst Synth Plugins

18.12.2020

Before starting with a new Soft synth project for Linux I decided to track what kind of synthesizers are already out there available. I focused on LV2 plugins, since LV2 is the plugin standard I want to use. LADSPA is outdated and DSSI doesn’t seem to be as widely used as LV2.

  1. Linux Vst Synth Plugins Download
  2. Linux Vst Synth
  3. Using Vst Plugins
  4. Best Vst Synth Plugins
  5. Free Vst Synths

With the aim to provide a clear separation between the synthesis engine, the LV2 integration and the GUI I focused also on architectural aspects.

This is a list of software plugins that have full or partial support for microtonal tuning. Most are synth instruments, though some are MIDI tuners to be used with other instruments or effects to applied to audio tracks.

So here is a list of LV2 soft synths for Linux in no particular order.

Linux Vst Synth Plugins Download

Calf plugins

  1. Emvoice One is not the only free vocal VST plugin out there. If you want something similar, check out the Alter/Ego vocal synthesizer by Plogue. More info: Emvoice One (3.08 MB download size, EXE installer, 32-bit & 64-bit VST/AU plugin format for Windows & macOS) More Free Stuff: BPB Bundle – 2GB Of FREE W.A. Production Samples ($19.90 Value).
  2. Calf Studio Gear.is available exclusively for LINUX-based operating systems and runs as a stand-alone effect rack connectable through Jack sound server or as plug-ins in every audio host that is able to fire up LV2 compilant devices, e.g. The highly recommended Ardour Audio Workstation.
  3. Download the Best Free Audio Plugins. Synths, Reverbs, Compressors.and much more. Oxe FM Synth is an open source VST 2.4 instrument plugin for Windows, Linux.

Calf plugins provides a set of plugins available as LV2, including a flanger, an organ synth, a phaser, a reverb, some filters, a chorus and a rotary speaker simulator.

The Calf Monosynth is a monophonic subtractive soft synth.

Calf Organ

The Calf Organ is a mixture of a traditional drawbar organ and a subtractive synth.

The Calf Fluidsynth is a frontend for the Fluidsynth Sampler engine.

foo-yc20

The YC-20 is a divide-down combo organ designed in the late 60’s. The foo-yc20 emulation faithfully copies the features, sounds and flaws of the original organ.

Foo YC20

Newtonator

The Newtonator is a LV2 soft synth that produces some unpredictable sounds.

LinuxSampler

The LinuxSampler is a streaming capable open source pure software audio sampler with professional grade features.

Minaton

The Minaton is a fat sounding mono subtractive software synthesizer.

Minaton

ll-plugins

Linux Vst Synth

ll-plugins provides several synth and utility plugins and a GUI-capable host.

Composite Sampler

Composite Sampler is a LV2 plugin that acts as a MIDI-controllable sampler.

lv2-mdaEPiano

lv2-mdaEPiano is a native LV2 port of the famous mdaEPiano VSTi.

mda-lv2

Using Vst Plugins

Russolo Suite

The Russolo Suite consists of the CrazySynth Synthesizer and the “the do-it-all effect” Omnifono.

So-synth-LV2

So-synth-LV2 provides unofficial LV2 ports of 50m30n3’s synthesizers.

Zyn

Zyn provides an LV2 port of Zynaddsubfx.

Qin

Qin is a LV2 synth plugin for plucking sounds

Minicomputer-LV2

Minicomputer-LV2 is a softsynth for creating experimental electronic sounds

lv2_guitar

lv2_guitar is another String synth

This list has been assembled from the contents of the following two webpages:

Summary

Here is also an overview of the used programming languages and GUI toolkits in each plugin:

NameLanguagesGUIRemarks
Calf PluginsC++GTK+UI is defined in XML, knobs are created from SVG files and rendered via Cairo
foo-yc20C/C++/FaustGTK+Faust is a functional language for DSP design
NewtonatorC++GTK+
LinuxSamplerC++Qt4Qt4 is only one GUI option, there is also a Java based UI
MinatonC++FLTK
ll-pluginsC++GTK+ported from DSSI plugins
Composite SamplerC++part of bigger Composite audio system effort
lv2-mdaEPianoC++
Russolo SuiteC
So-synth-LV2C
ZynC/C++extracted Synth engines from ZynAddSubFx
QinC
Minicomputer-LV2C
lv2_guitarC

From this overview can be seen that most of the GUI-less plugins have been written in C++, whereas the plugins with GUIs have been mostly written in C++. GTK+ is prefered over Qt and FLTK as a GUI toolkit.

Popular Non-LV2 synths

Best Vst Synth Plugins

As the LV2 plugin is still quite new, there are lots of great established soft synth projects that are not available in LV2 format.

Here are some of the more popular options:

Free Vst Synths

NameLanguagesGUIRemarks
amSynthC++GTK++Subtractive synth with 2 Oscillators
Bristol Audio SynthesisC?Emulation of various vintage keyboard synths
QsynthC++Qt4Popular Qt based frontend for FluidSynth
ZynAddSubFxC++FLTKVery popular synth with three different synth engines
HydrogenC++Qt4Popular drum machine
hexterCGTK+very good Yamaha DX7 synth emulation
WhySynthCGTK+Versatile multi paradigm soft synth