Favourite free VSTi's

Paligulus

I was going through my VST's there, trying to eliminate all the ones I dont really use/need so I started a list of my favourite VSTi's. I'm not saying they are the best VSTi's, afterall thats down to personnel preference, but I just like using them. I'd like to know what yee guys like using and why. Here are mine: (remember I'm not saying they're the best, I did leave Crystal out after all!!)

ultrasonique:http://www.evmsynths.com/free.htm
Virtual Synthesizer. Nice GUI. Great presets. Has got a sequencer so you can come up with some
fun stuff. Nice VSTi for all round 80 style synth crazyness.

Rock:http://www.concretefx.com
Fun VST. Can create some really nasty sounds. Can be used for some nice distorted leads (ala Killers?). Has a sequencer to so it can make some hideous distoreted chaos!!

Superwave P8: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/708.html
Spent ages looking for a free synth to play some cheezy 80's synth and this is what I found. Think Jump by Van Halen and Final Countdown by Europe!!!

Synth 1: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/214.html
The mother off all free synths? No.1 in a lot of peeps top free synths. Not much more I can say that hasnt been said better before!!!!
I find it usefull and it tends to be one of the first VSTi's I go for when looking for a certain sound.

ORGANized_trio_v31: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/682.html
Kick-ass organ. One of my favourites VSTi's. Love the deep purple/john lord style sounds you can get.

Mellotrons:
I love the Mellotron although for ages I didnt actually know what it was called!!(Think of the intro to strawberry fields by the beatles). Havn't found a free one that can replicate Strawberry fields but (oh and if anyone has any suggestions for another VSTi Mellotron i'd love to hear it):

TB_tapeworm_2_0: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/900.html
Really nice sounding, easy to use VST. Very view paramaters (which suits me!!!)
but enough to get the sound you need.

Mellosound:http://www.kvraudio.com/get/352.html
Really simple VST but I just have a soft spot for it!!! Tapeworm is infinately better though...

MDA Piano: http://www.kvraudio.com/get/123.html
Great for basic keyboard style stuff. So many VST's have so much crazy stuff that its nice to find one with a basic piano sound

mike65

KarmaFX synth worth a shout.

http://www.karmafx.dk/

I know what you mean about folders full of freebies - many I dont use but still have dragging hosts on load up!



Mike.

TelePaul

Yeha the MDA piano rocks, Plugsound Free has an awesoem classical guitar, Drumatic is an interetsing drum machine.

Paligulus

Yeah I recognise a lot of those VST's from the screenshot.

Free VST's = Kid in candystore!!!!!

Yeah I have tried karmafx. Seems to have a lot of features for a free VST. I have it filed under "must get stuck into this VST when I have time"!!!!

I really like the feedback preset on the Drumatic. Nice effect. I've heard that effect in music and always put it down to slowing down the music or adding some effect. I never thought of adding it to the hits in real-time...

cornbb

Dr. Fusion2 drum machine, Oatmeal synth, all of the SmartElectronix plugs.

I've just reformatted my PC so I'm trying to exercise as much restraint as possible rather than installing masses of stuff again!

frobisher

If anyone has more suggestions or links to free vst's add them here and I'll make a section in the resources sticky for them all.

squibs

DR Fusion2 is classic - also try Odo's purple 2.1 synth when you are on the site
http://www.odosynths.com/

The Balthor Grand piano sits beautifully in the mix. You won't go back to the MDA piano. You may need to sign up for a KVR account before the link works
http://www.kvraudio.com/developer_challenge/BALTHOR_GRAND.rar

Triangle II is very usable
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/203.html

as is Iblit
http://www.bostreammail.net/ers/iblit.html

and crystal is great for ambience and weirdness
http://www.greenoak.com/crystal/download.html

Some of these are quite old, so they don't crop up in "best syth" chats much, but they are still excellent.

mike65

http://www.gearwire.com/cygnus-sf.html

fantastic freebie combines 3 up to soundfonts with 3 oscilators in a dreamy mix and match.

Mie.

Paligulus

I second the Dr Fusion vote!!!

Please try this VSTi!!!
http://www.kvraudio.com/get/1197.html
Its called Spook Keys and it emulates the theramin.(that weird sound that sounds like the Dr Who team tune or the ghost sound on Good Vibrations by the beach boys and the thing that Jimmy Page uses live in the middle bit of a whole lotta love)

Really surprised that this could be emulated.

cornbb

The theremin used just 2 heterodyning oscillators for synthesis so digitally reproducing this sound wouldn't be a big deal. Although authentically modelling the old 1920s analogue waveforms would be quite a challenge! Bob Moog started off making theremins, you can still buy them on ebay quite cheaply.