Roland Cloud
Roland Cloud is an evolving cloud-based suite of software synthesizers, drum machines, and sampled instruments for modern creators. Harness the vast power of the ZEN-Core Synthesis System and dive deep into the world of custom sound design with ZENOLOGY Pro. For nearly fifty years, Roland has delivered memorable, genre-defining sounds. And a big part of that sonic footprint is our unique approach to effects processing. The swirling JUNO chorus, feedback-drenched tape echo, and other sounds have left their mark on countless tracks over the decades, and with ZENOLOGY FX, you can now add that flavor to any keyboard sound or instrument track right inside your DAW. With over 90 processors to choose from, there's a wealth of ways to make your synth sounds come alive. Add delays to arps, larger-than-life modulation effects to chord progressions, and twist and distort basses and lead tones that leap from the speakers.
Learn more
Pendulate
Pendulate, developed by Newfangled Audio, is a free chaotic mono synth that introduces a novel approach to sound generation through its double-pendulum oscillator. This unique oscillator design allows for seamless transitions from pure sine waves to complex, chaotic textures, enabling the creation of biting basses, searing leads, and gritty soundscapes. Inspired by the designs of synthesizer pioneer Don Buchla, Pendulate incorporates a wave folder and low pass gate, further expanding its sonic capabilities. The user interface features an innovative modulation system, permitting modulation of every control directly from the main page, with support for up to 325 simultaneous modulation routings. Additionally, Pendulate offers MPE support, enhancing expressive control with compatible hardware. The synthesizer comes equipped with 136 presets, including contributions from professional artists.
Learn more
Hive 2
Hive 2, developed by u-he, is a versatile software synthesizer designed to deliver high-quality sound with a streamlined workflow. It features two oscillators capable of generating standard waveforms or 2D wavetables, each supporting up to 16x unison and tunable sub-oscillators. The synthesizer offers three distinct synth engines, normal, dirty, and clean, allowing users to tailor the character of their sounds. Hive 2 includes a drag-and-drop modulation assignment system, a 12-slot modulation matrix with modifiers, and four user-definable XY control pads for dynamic sound manipulation. Additional features comprise an arpeggiator, a step sequencer with real-time recording, a unique 8-step shape sequencer with four independent outputs, and seven rearrangeable effects, distortion, chorus, delay, phaser, EQ, reverb, and compressor. The interface is resizable from 70% to 200% and offers an alternative Izmo skin. Hive 2 comes with over 2,400 NKS-ready factory presets.
Learn more
Triple Cheese
Triple Cheese is a unique freeware synthesizer that employs comb filters for sound generation instead of traditional oscillators or wavetables. It features three comb filter modules arranged in series, each offering eight different modes, allowing for a wide range of sound design possibilities. The synthesizer supports polyphonic (up to 16 voices), duophonic, monophonic, and legato modes, with adjustable portamento time. It includes two ADSR envelopes with customizable sustain stages, two host-sync-able LFOs (one regular and one "vibrator" with delay and amplitude modulation), and a VCA with amplitude modulation and pan controls. Triple Cheese also offers five built-in effects, including chorus, flanger, phaser, delay, and reverb. Modulation sources encompass wheels, velocity, pressure, breath, key follow, and random inputs. The user interface is scalable from 70% to 200% and skinnable, providing flexibility in appearance.
Learn more