Jump to content

Freeware Instruments Thread


Recommended Posts

The Computer Music Magazine CM Plugin Suite has been updated to v2.0. These plugins are all free if you purchase one issue of Computer Music magazine, currently June 2022 (CM #308).

Currently it's $3.99 for a single issue at this site. But you may be able to find a better deal on #308 as a back issue on sale down the road. You will be able to access a zip file with all of the installers included, no activation codes required.

https://pocketmags.com/us/computer-music-magazine/june-2022/articles/1136400/cm-plugin-suite-v2-0

A detailed description of the plugins is available in the cover article. Here is a brief summary of the included instruments:

HYBRID SYNTHS

  • u-he Zebra CM
  • u-he Bazille CM
  • Dmitry Sches Thorn CM
  • Synapse Audio Dune CM
  • Seaweed Audio Fathom CM
  • Klevgrand Enkl CM
  • Cableguys Curve 2.6 CM
  • Psychic Modulation Phonec CM
  • Cherry Audio Voltage Modular Nucleus

VIRTUAL ANALOGUE SYNTHS

  • LinPlug Alpha CM
  • XILS-lab PolyKB II CM
  • Madrona Labs Aalto CM
  • XILS-lab XILS 3 CM

DRUM MACHINES

  • XILS-lab StiX CM
  • Thenatan Trax CM
  • brunsandspork Grooove CM
  • AudioRealism ADM CM

SAMPLERS

  • Expert Sleepers XFadeLooper CM

OTHER INSTRUMENTS AND CREATIVE PLUGUNS

  • Loopmasters Loopcloud CM (free pack of over 2.5GB of samples)
  • zplane vielklang 2 CM
  • RF Music Scale Player CM
  • HY-Seq Collection 2 CM
  • Rob Papen RG-Muted CM
  • Eisenberg Einklang CM
Edited by abacab
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/12/2022 at 7:42 AM, abacab said:

AudioRealism ADM CM

A favorite of mine. The built-in soundset is limited to just the TR-606, but you can also load up each slot with your own samples. They also give you about 30 samples for each drum to make it easier to put together your own kit. It will also do multiple outs for when you want to pan or process each drum sound on its own.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 5/14/2022 at 1:08 AM, Starship Krupa said:

A favorite of mine. The built-in soundset is limited to just the TR-606, but you can also load up each slot with your own samples. They also give you about 30 samples for each drum to make it easier to put together your own kit. It will also do multiple outs for when you want to pan or process each drum sound on its own.

I'm a user of the full version of ADM and I use it as much as a drum sampler as for its internal sounds. The only annoyance is that the current(ancient) version is limited to 16 bit mono samples.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Noise Engineering have released a 3-plug-in freeware bundle.

I just saw Cameron/Venus Theory raving about them and demoing them, and yes, they are alll that.

If you like the sounds that result from using Glitchmachines/Freakshow/Unfiltered products, get over there. BIG sounding drones and things ranging from ethereal to soundslaughter. I already got the effect to make Monastery Grand sound like a lo fi cello. The UI's are a visual treat, waveforms and animations that glow with the sound (and you can select how much of that eye candy you want).

Two synths and an effect: https://noiseengineering.us/products/the-freequel-bundle-sinc-vereor-virt-vereor-ruina

abacab, Brian, go. go. go.

  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Free synth Odin 2 has been updated to v2.3.3 by the Wave Warden. https://www.thewavewarden.com/odin2

Quote

Hey folks,

I just uploaded version 2.3.3 to my homepage

Highlights this time are
- support for the new CLAP plugin type
- native support for Apple M1
- much improved UI visuals when using OS display scaling
- some bug fixes which had been piling up
- switched build system to CMake

A big shout out goes to Baconpaul from team Surge / CLAP. All the name worthy features were implemented by him!

The switch to CMake is a rather big change and I didn't have a lot of time to extensively test things, but today was the deadline. So if you find any issues please let me know.

Full changelog:
- added CLAP plugin support
- added native M1 Mac support
- much improved UI appearance when using OS display scaling
- switched build system to CMake
- made WinInstaller suitable for systems not mounted on ?
- fixed symbol name clashes for "Knob" and "Filter"
- fixed issue where renaming a soundbank would select the bank above

*Screen grab from v2.3.1:

Odin 2.JPG

Edited by abacab
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a handy chart of the Odin2 signal routing from the manual. This synth only takes like 15 minutes to come to terms with, totally intuitive, and great sounding!

Very well done semi-modular synth. Up to 3 oscillators (of any type available) that can be selectively routed to up to 2 filters (of any type available), followed by a an optional 3rd filter that can be inserted after the amplifier stage.

 

Odin 2 signal routing.PNG

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • 8 months later...

Been a while since I put a bump on this topic. Finally leveled up to MeldaProduction's MComplete (which should serve as a cautionary to anyone checking out their FreeFX bundle: that stuff is like crack in the form of a DLL for susceptible folks), so I've been exploring that huge bounty and not inclined to acquire even more plug-ins.

I made an exception for this one, because I still haven't found a drum machine plug-in that satisfies the sounds I hear in my head. MDrummer, in customary Melda fashion, just offers way too many options and a bazillion drum sounds, so I get lost.

Pepto Audio's DR-84 gets close to the classics, it's a ROMpler of various 80's drum boxes like the Linn, DMX, X11, and Drumulator.

The samples are mono and have no FX, although there is an era-appropriate reverb on board if you want it.

Caveat: for whatever reason, their sound mapping deviates from the General MIDI Drums, which may take some delving into the Drum Map Manager if you care about having the correct drum names displayed in the Drum Grid.

If you don't, then just get used to their mapping and go for it. It sounds great.

Bonus: it reports its preset names to Cakewalk, so you can access them from Cakewalk's own menu.

 

Edited by Starship Krupa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/15/2023 at 8:21 PM, Bill Phillips said:

What about Melda's mdrumstrip? It's not free but for today, (I think) it's $53. I hope to try it out before that deal expires. 

It's a drum-oriented multieffect, packages different modules specially set up for drum processing. Nice to have them all in one place, but if you have the individual processors, I'd say it's not essential. Some people like one-stop instrument-specific FX, some would rather use individual favorites. I haven't tried it yet on any of my drum tracks, I'm not currently tracking live drums. But I did open it up and poke around the UI.

Unlike most Melda stuff it doesn't have access to multiparameters and modulators, and it's meant to be operated from the top-level GUI's. There are 9 different devices, each tailored to a different part of the kit plus room and overheads.

As always, if you want to buy it and you haven't made a MeldaProduction purchase before, be sure to snag someone's referral code and get 20% off. Sign up for the newsletter for a 10€ credit.

Edited by Starship Krupa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Starship Krupa said:

As always, if you want to buy it and you haven't made a MeldaProduction purchase before, be sure to snag someone's referral code (I recommend Brian Walton) and get 20% off. Sign up for the newsletter for a 10€ credit.

Thanks, I  do have some Melda stuff but it may be all free plugins. I doubt they'd add another 20% discount for something that's being offered at a 84% discount. Who's Brian Walton? 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 6/16/2023 at 8:04 AM, Bill Phillips said:

Who's Brian Walton?

A Cakewalk forum participant whom I know to have a Meldaproduction referral code. Brian now has an MComplete license, so no longer needs referral credits.

Check your account. If you've never bought a license from them, you'll get 20% off that first order no matter what you spend your money on. As long as you use a referral code.

Edited by Starship Krupa
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
26 minutes ago, Max Arwood said:

Thanks. I was hoping it wasn’t 1-2gig lol

Most sample people think bigger samples libraries are better, which is not always the case. 

Apologies, Swatches isn't actually a ROMpler, although I use that word to describe it. It doesn't derive its sounds from samples, it's a playback-only collection of presets for A|A|S' line of modeling synths. I call it a ROMpler because the user has no way of altering any of the parameters.

Apparently, A|A|S use the same core engine for all of their synth products, so the same player works with presets for any of them. This means that you can buy only a sound pack (collection of presets, usually over 100 of them), and all of them will play using the A|A|S Player.

So Swatches is really a selection of about 10 presets from each of A|A|S' preset collections, which span their entire line, Chromaphone, Strum, Lounge Lizard, Ultra Analog, Multiphonics, and String Studio.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...