Free 1980s Synth Vst
It doesn't take more than a few scans on the radio dial to know that the synth and studio sounds of the '80s remain a dominant pastiche in the contemporary pop music landscape. While you'd need a studio's worth of outboard gear and racks of Junos and Prophets back then to achieve the sound, today's rich landscape of handy software plugins can get you most of the way there.
Take a look below at our picks for eight essential '80s-tastic plugins to get your DAW up to speed with that unmistakable sound that's at once wholly retro yet undeniably modern.
Most of these free versions give you the ability to create rich and warm sounds that feel unique and original. All you need is a little bit of creativity and lots of experimentation to know how your Synth Instrument works. Below is a list of some of the top 30 best FREE Synth Instrument VST plugins you can add to your music production gear.
Size 0.68 MB / 0.72 MB / 2.25 MB Sinnah is a synth based on asingle complex oscillator that includes five waveshapes with increasing spectral complexity, harmonics level for all waveshapes, noise level, and a delay matrix. The delay matrix can have various configurations, from a 'triple chorus' per voice. Surge by Vember Audio is the best free synthesizer VST plugin right now. It is an insanely powerful hybrid subtractive synth with a dual synthesis engine, three oscillators per voice, eight algorithms per oscillator, two multi-mode filters with eight filter types, twelve LFO modules per voice, eight FX slots with ten different effects, and more. The free SQ8L synth by Siegfried Kullmann is a software emulation of Ensoniq's classic 1980s synth SQ80. The SQ8L VST features 3 digital wavetable oscillators, 4 envelopes and 3 LFO's. The emulation is very close to the original -in fact it is one of the best software emulations of hardware synthesizers to date.
Free 80's synth vst's. Not strictly 80s synths, but a ton of free instruments to mess with. Original Poster 1 point 4 years ago. These free VST work for Mac OS X, they don’t have UI, you’ll have to use the default interface supplied by your host. – Piano & ePiano are sample based synth, the ePiano is very good, it’s a kind of Rhodes emulation. – DX10 is a FM Synth, it has only two operators, but you can still get nice bell sounds out of it. Digits is a phase distortion synthesizer inspired by Casio’s CZ series, but also takes that form of synthesis to the limit. Create warm pads, glitchy sounds, dirty basses, filthy sweeps, screaming leads, and anything in-between, but the interface is minimal and designed to enable the user to create sounds from scratch in record time, but if you’re too busy for that, don’t fret, because.
1. TAL UN-O-LX Synthesizer
If it's '80s synths you crave, you need a Juno somewhere in your setup and the UN-O-LX soft synth from TAL is about as faithful a recreation as you're going to find. This plugin nails the ubiquitous Juno 60 and offers up a masterful recreation of the classic Roland analog chorus for good measure. Its scalable interface and extensive MIDI mapping gives you modern flexibility with a totally vintage sound.
2. Valhalla DSP Vintageverb Reverb
Of course, you won't get very far on your throwback journey without some flexible Reverb options. Enter the Valhalla Vintageverb, which replicates the outboard studio Reverb of the '70s and '80s. This suite comes stocked with 15 algorithmic Reverbs including a classic Lexicon-style “Chamber” preset. What's really special about this plugin though is three coloring modes for '70s', '80s' and 'now,' which flavor your signal with the bandwidth, sample rate and modulation style of each era.
3. Cytomic The Glue Compressor
If you make music that requires real force behind the beat, you need some serious buss compression and The Glue from Cytomic delivers exactly that. This plugin offers SSL-style buss compression as heard on countless '80s hits. Its interface is easy to use, and its compression is ideal for “gluing” drum busses or entire mixes.
If you're an Ableton Live user, be sure to check out the built-in “Glue Compressor” which also is made by Cytomic.
4. Soundtoys Echoboy Delay
Once you've got your reverb, compression and a couple of soft synths nailed down, it's time to jump into the rich and rewarding world of '80s delay. The Echoboy Delay from Soundtoys is a great starting point that's easy to get into, but also includes powerful controls for deeper editing and delay customization. It faithfully emulates a wide range of classic delays from pristine digital to grungy tape and is the sort of plugin that's easy to lose hours to, especially once you discover Rhythm Echo mode.
5. u-he Diva Synthesizer
The Diva synth from u-he is essentially one vintage synth emulator to rule them all. Not only does this plugin accurately recreate the pantheon of classic synths, it actually lets you mix and match oscillators, filters and envelopes from different synths to frankenstein your way to a distinct sound that's totally retro yet entirely new. Unfortunately, Diva is a very CPU intensive, but recent updates have improved this a bit.
6. Arturia Spark Vintage Drum Machine
Now that you're deeper into the '80s milieu and actually want to start composing tracks in the spirit of 'Sussudio' and 'Planet Rock'—and who doesn't?—you're going to need some legitimate drum machines. With actual hardware 808s selling for upwards of $3,000, your best bet is a VST, and you can't go wrong with the Spark Vintage Drum Machine from Arturia. This package features virtual analog recreations of Roland’s TR-808, 909, 606, and others, with an extensive library of other classic samples. Its step sequencer interface is fast, fun, and easy to jump into and supports any hardware controller. Pro tip: try the DMX library for instant Prince beats.
7. Audio Damage Fluid
And of course, what stroll down '80s memory lane would be complete without a whopping helping of stereo chorus? Check out the Audio Damage Fluid for a straight-ahead chorus effect that avoids the over-processed sounds of so many onboard DAW choruses. Unlike some of the heavier hitting plugins on this list, Fluid's low CPU usage means you can put it on everything and really channel your inner Robert Smith.
8. Native Instruments FM8 Synthesizer
With some of the above mentioned soft synths, you’ve got your analog emulation covered and then some. But if you're looking to embrace FM synths sounds, you should consider the FM8 from Native Instruments. This suite recreates classic '80s basses, bells, pianos and, of course, FM synths like the Yamaha DX7; it even supports DX7 patch import. Its graphical interface also makes FM synthesis slightly easier to control than the original hardware units.
Well, there you have it. Your ticket to '80s sonic paradise by way of eight readily available plugins. Now you just need some hairspray, a couple of home-recorded best of MTV VHSes and a fresh pop hook or two.
Free 1980s Synth Vst Download
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