Linux Vst Synth Plugins
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 LADSPA is outdated and DSSI doesn’t seem to be as widely used as LV2.
- Linux Vst Synth Plugins Download
- Linux Vst Synth
- Using Vst Plugins
- Best Vst Synth Plugins
- 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
- 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).
- 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.
- 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:
Name | Languages | GUI | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
Calf Plugins | C++ | GTK+ | UI is defined in XML, knobs are created from SVG files and rendered via Cairo |
foo-yc20 | C/C++/Faust | GTK+ | Faust is a functional language for DSP design |
Newtonator | C++ | GTK+ | – |
LinuxSampler | C++ | Qt4 | Qt4 is only one GUI option, there is also a Java based UI |
Minaton | C++ | FLTK | – |
ll-plugins | C++ | GTK+ | ported from DSSI plugins |
Composite Sampler | C++ | – | part of bigger Composite audio system effort |
lv2-mdaEPiano | C++ | – | – |
Russolo Suite | C | – | – |
So-synth-LV2 | C | – | – |
Zyn | C/C++ | – | extracted Synth engines from ZynAddSubFx |
Qin | C | – | – |
Minicomputer-LV2 | C | – | – |
lv2_guitar | C | – | – |
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
Name | Languages | GUI | Remarks |
amSynth | C++ | GTK++ | Subtractive synth with 2 Oscillators |
Bristol Audio Synthesis | C | ? | Emulation of various vintage keyboard synths |
Qsynth | C++ | Qt4 | Popular Qt based frontend for FluidSynth |
ZynAddSubFx | C++ | FLTK | Very popular synth with three different synth engines |
Hydrogen | C++ | Qt4 | Popular drum machine |
hexter | C | GTK+ | very good Yamaha DX7 synth emulation |
WhySynth | C | GTK+ | Versatile multi paradigm soft synth |