Personal Linux Music & Audio Software and Plug-in List

Hover on “ NoteLike that.” or other dotted underlined textLike this. for more info.

About

This is an almost comprehensive list of every piece of software I use (or have tried/installed) for doing music and audio stuff, mostly to document the plug-ins I use in case my computer explodes or something as they are quite numerous, however I decided to include other tools, because why not?

Keep in mind that I am fairly new to electronic music and my opinions are from the perspective of a newbie.

Definitions

In R (recommendation):
- ✗ = I don’t recommend the software.
- ~ = I’m mixed on the software.
- ✓ = I recommend the software.
- ? = I’m not informed enough to give a recommendation the software.
In License:
- $ = Commercial software.
- € = Trial or free with some conditions, hover for more info.
- £ = Free but has additional content behind a paywall, however it has no limitations or conditions on the free version, hover for more info.
In Notes:
- ~ = I don’t have much experience using the software, don’t take any opinion too seriously.
- ? = Very little experience, take any opinions here with a grain of salt.
- ✗ = No experience, this is due to not having used it before.
- ! = Important info in the note.

Hosts & Editors

Digital Audio Workstations

Name	Platforms	Plug-in Formats (Hosts)	License	R	Notes
Bitwig	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST2, VST3	Proprietary $	✓	NoteI like the horizontal FX rack, probably my fav DAW, but it’s proprietary and it also doesn’t support LV2 which kind of sucks.
Bespoke*	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST2, VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteArguably not a full DAW because of the lack of a timeline or any proper way to record a song, but it has a bunch of fun modular synth stuff that I like messing around with, as well as a plug-in hosting features. I would say it’s more for just messing around and jamming. Good for shaking things up. It does notably lack an undo function which is a big deal for me personally, however it is something I can live with, it’s just quite annoying personally.
LMMS	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, LADSPA	GPL 2.0	~	NoteI like LMMS, but it’s workflow with the floating windows is a nightmare, also it doesn’t support any modern plug-in formats, like VST3, CLAP or even LV2.
Reaper	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, JSFX	Proprietary €Has a WinRAR style free trial, it simply bugs you to pay when you open it, you can ignore it and continue to use the software if you want to.	~	NoteI don’t like this one, it feels clunky the UX is kind of ass and it’s really ugly, however it’s got an infinite free trial and it supports all major plug-ins which makes it nice for testing plug-ins or stuff like that. ~
Zrythm	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, JSFX	AGPL 3.0 €Binaries are locked behind a paywall, but you can still compile it from source yourself, it also has a free trial that gives you access 25 tracks which is a decent amount	?	NoteMost promising FOSS DAW, but it’s borked on Windows, so that’s going to be a problem for some people. I have yet to try Zrythm, but it looks promising, so I’ll keep my eye on it. ✗

Audio Editors

Name	Platforms	Plug-in Formats (Hosts)	License	R	Notes
Audacity	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST2, VST3, LADSPA, AU	GPL 2.0	~	NoteOld and clunky audio editor, I do like it though, Audacity is more up to date and has a better interface compared to Tenacity, but it has stupid and annoying online features which piss me off.
Tenacity	Linux, Windows, BSD	VST2, LADSPA, AU	GPL 2.0	~	NoteI prefer this one to Audacity, because it loads a lot faster and it has none of the annoying junk that Audacity has, however it’s lacking a lot of the newer features of Audacity and it only lacks more and more behind with time, I fear the release of Audacity 4 will make using Tenacity harder and harder to justify.

Plug-in Hosts

Name	Platforms	Plug-in Formats	Plug-in Formats (Hosts)	License	R	Notes
Carla	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST2, Standalone	LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, LADSPA, DSSI, JSFX	GPL 2.0	✓	NoteOther than plug-ins it also supports SF2/3 and SFZ sound banks, however it doesn’t play SFZ correctly and it’s kind of clunky to use.
Ildaeil	Linux, Windows MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3 StandaloneOnly available on MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, LADSPA, DSSI, JSFX	GPL 2.0	~	NoteI like this one it’s simple and clean, however there is no way to configure the plug-in paths and it also sometimes it just doesn’t work for some reason, I don’t know why.
Element	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, VST3, Standalone	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, LADSPA	? £Element’s free version is a a few versions behind the paid version, meaning you’ll always be behind on updates if you don’t pay for the software.	~	NoteI don’t really like this one, even though it’s a more modernised version of what Carla does, however I don’t like it’s UX and it just doesn’t feel great to use.

Plug-ins

Plug-in Suites

About plug-in suites

Plug-in suites are collections of plug-ins that I’ve stumbled upon in my search for plug-ins that are large collections of plug-ins for a variety of applications. Some of these plug-in suites may have their individual plug-ins listed somewhere in the other sections, however I haven’t tried all of them and I don’t really need to use all of them. This list exists mostly just for documentation.

Name	Platforms	Plug-in Formats	License	R	Notes
Unplugred’s Plugin Trove	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0/CC BY-NC £The Unplugred’s Plgun Trove cost 5 dollars a month for the whole trove, however they have no DRM and you can get free versions of the plug-ins which is the same as the paid version except for a non-intrusive banner.	✓	NoteUnplugred is a trove of unique and fun plug-ins that are surprisingly powerful. The plug-ins aren’t like anything else you could get and I find them to be pretty interesting. These plug-ins have very unique user interfaces which I really enjoy, but might be a bit confusing to some people.
Chowhurry DSP	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP*Only some plug-ins are available in CLAP., LV2, VST3, Standalone	GPL 3.0, BSD 3 Clause	✓	NoteChowhurry DSP is a series of quite powerful plug-ins, it has some of in my opinion best FOSS effect plug-ins.
SocaLabs	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	FOSS*	✓	NoteThe SocaLabs plug-ins aren’t the most advanced plug-ins however I do think they’re quite nice and do execute on what they seek out to accomplish fairly well. They do have quite nice GUI’s and from what I can gather it seems like a lot of the plug-ins are modernised versions of other FOSS plug-ins which is nice.
ZL Audio	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU, AAX	GPL 3.0, AGPL 3.0	✓	NoteZL Audio has a series of powerful effect plug-ins that I find to be quite useful. They all have a very nice user interfaces which is always great.
Airwindows	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, AU	MIT	~	NoteAirwindows is a massive collection of effects plug-ins. Personally I do quite like the Airwindows plug-ins, however they lack a GUI, so you’ll have to run them in headless mode. Personally I use the Airwindows Consolidated, which combines all the Airwindows plug-ins and adds a GUI and supports more plug-in formats. If you want to use Airwindows, I recommend going with Airwindows Consolidated !/?
Linux Studio Plugins	Linux, BSD	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, LADSPA, Standalone	LGPL 3.0/GPL 3.0	?	NoteLinux Studio Plugins is a collection general use plug-ins providing a series of plug-ins that could replace your DAW’s stock plug-ins. ✗
Calf Studio Gear	Linux	LV2, Standalone	LGPL 2.1/GPL 2.0	?	NoteCalf Studio Gear is a large collection of plug-ins, that I haven’t tried, so I can’t say much else other than I don’t like the look of their UI. ✗
ORCHESTOOLS	Linux, Windows	VST3	GPL 3.0	?	NoteORCHESTOOLS is a series of plug-ins that generally focuses on sample based instruments. I’ve tried one of the ORCHESTOOLS plug-in and I thought it was pretty good, so I’ve decided to include it in this section. ?
x42-plugins	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2	GPL 2.0	?	Notex42 is a series of plug-ins that have more of a traditional feel to them, I haven’t tried that many of them, I think they’re pretty decent? ?
ZamAudio	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST2, LADSPA	GPL 2.0	?	NoteZamAudio is a series of plug-ins, that I’ve installed and tried a couple of times, they seem good, however I find the user interface to be kind of ugly and confusing. ?
The Usual Suspects	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST3	GPL 3.0	?	NoteThe Usual Suspects is a series of emulators of vintage synths. Notably you have to provide the roms of the synths to use any of the synths. I don’t really care much of vintage synths or trying to emulate any of them, so I don’t really have any use for them, but if you’re looking for replica of vintage synths as an audio plug-in, this is probably as good as it gets.✗

Synthesizers

Name	Platforms	Plug-in Formats	License	R	Notes
Hybrid					NoteThe hybrid sections indicates the synth has multiple synthesis techniques and therefore doesn’t neatly fit into other categories.
Surge XT	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2*Only available on Linux, VST3, AU, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteSubtractive/wavetable synth. This is probably the most featureful FOSS synth, however I think it’s UX lacks in some areas and I feel mixed about it because of that, though it has a lot of nice sounding factory presets that I like using. Also has an FX version in the FX section.
ZynAddSubFX	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, Standalone	GPL 2.0	?	NoteZynAddSubFX is an additive/subtractive synth with a lot of power, I don’t know a lot about this synth, however I have heard good things about it, so it’s probably worth trying out. ✗
Vital	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL3.0* £Has some additional features locked behind a paywall, however it seems to work perfectly fine without paying.	?	NoteVital is a subtractive/wavetable synthesizer I’ve never used it before, so I don’t have a lot to say about it, however I’ve heard quite good things about it. ✗
Vitalium	Linux, Windows, MacOS	?Likely supports the same plug-in formats as Vital, however I don’t know for sure.	GPL 3.0	?	NoteVitalium is a fork of Vital, it seems to exist due to the weird licensing that’s going on with Vital, it doesn’t seem to have any build available, so you’ll probably have to compile it if you want to try it. I tried running it and the UI was borked in a similar way to Helm, except it was borked on all my DAW’s and Plug-ins hosts, so I can’t tell you if it’s good or not. !/✗
Actuate	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3	GPL 3.0	?	NoteActuate is a subtractive synthesizer, Additive Synthesizer, sampler, and granulizer. I tried this one for a very short bit, it’s philosophy seem to be limited with creative options, which I think is reflected in the synth fairly well. It’s quite simple yet it seems to have a decent amount of power to it despite it’s simplicity, however, I haven’t really spent much time with it and it’s still quite WIP, and I don’t really see myself using this for anything just yet. ?
Modular					NoteThe modular section is where I put synths with modular functionality, but lacks any one distinct synthesis technique, so in the modular section they go.
Cardinal	Linux, Windows, MacOS, BSD	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteModular Synth rack based on VCV Rack. The main advantage of Cardinal over VCV Rack is the fact that you can run it as a plug-in without having to pay for a pro version. It also comes with a bunch of plug-ins pre-loaded, however notably lacks any proprietary modules from VCV Rack. This is probably the most advanced synth in the entire collection, it’s modular and you can probably make almost any sounds in it, however it’s too complicated for me to really get, maybe one day I’ll sit down and learn it properly, for now it’s just something I play around with from time to time. It can run any plug-in format that you can run through either Carla or Ildaeil check their respective note sections for plug-in support as opposed to VCV Rack which requires you purchase the pro version. Also has an FX version in the FX section. ~
VCV Rack	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST2, VST3, AU, Standalone	GPL 3.0* €The free version of VCV Rack does not allow for it to be run as an external plug-in, it also lacks the ability to host external plug-ins as well./ £VCV Rack has additional modules available which can be purchased.	~	NoteVCV Rack is the modular synth rack Cardinal is based on and has pretty much all the same features and functionality of Cardinal and with the pro version, you get even more. The main advantage of VCV Rack as opposed to Cardinal is the ability to load modules instead of them coming pre-loaded. This allows you to download proprietary modules not included in Cardinal. The main disadvantage of VCV Rack as opposed to Cardinal is the lack of plug-in hosting support on the free version as well as lacking the ability to run VCV Rack as a plug-in which Cardinal offers free of charge. I would say you should only really use VCV Rack if you want to use proprietary modules and/or you’re interesting in funding it’s development as Cardinal is dependent on VCV Rack. Personally I am already very overwhelmed with the amount of modules available in Cardinal and I generally prefer to stick to FOSS software, so I don’t personally recommend or use VCV Rack.✗
Resonarium	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, Standalone	GPL 3.0	?	NoteResonarium is an expressive, semi-modular, and comprehensive physical modeling/waveguide synthesizer. Resonarium is one of the more interesting synthesisers I’ve tried, I also think it isn’t the easiest thing to use, but I do see a lot of potential in it. ~
Firefly Synth	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3	GPL 3.0	?	NoteFirefly Synth is a semi-modular synth, that seems to have a lot of features. I don’t have much experience with it, and the interface is a bit overwhelming, however I do like the UI, despite it being overwhelming it does look quite nice and I do like it. Also has an FX version in the FX section. ?
Audible Planets	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteI tried this synth for a brief moment, I didn’t really get it, further testing is required for a proper recommendation. ?
Blocks	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✗	NoteBlocks is simple and, it doesn’t really have a lot going for it, it’s simple, so you can get some decent fun out of just opening it up and making some sounds with it, however the UI is this very simple stripped down thing, which at first might be kind of neat and interesting ends up making actually using it, kind of clunky, the UI just doesn’t feel right for a synthesizer, and even though I don’t have any particular fondness for plug-in UI convention and skew morphism, it just feels like this synth is trying so hard not to be that, that it ends up feeling clunky and cumbersome to use.
Subtractive
Helm	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteHelm is a subtractive synth with a decent amount of options, it’s not the most powerful thing, however I do like Helm. The UI can be a bit overwhelming, but once you get it, it does make a lot of sense, and I like that everything is shown at once, so you do really get what you see, it’s not the most advanced thing in the world, but it’s pretty decent, I liked it. On some of my devices it has problems with the UI scaling and the whole UI messes up making it unusable, I’m not sure what causes this and it only does it on some DAWs.
Odin 2	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST 3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteOdin is a modular subtractive synth, it has some decent power to it, however I really don’t like Odin 2’s UI, it just feels clunky to use, I do think I should probably spend some more time with it, to really get a good impression of it. ?
TAL-NoiseMaker	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST2, VST3, AU, AAX	GPL 2.0?	?	NoteTAL-NoiseMaker is an Analogue/Subtractive synth, I find it quite simple and not the most advanced or featureful synth, however it’s fairly approachable you can still get a decent amount of power for what it is.
Monique Monosynth	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU, Standalone	GPL 3.0	?	NoteMonique Monosynth is a monophonic synth which makes it limited in it’s use case, however, I do think it does that fairly well. I’m not the biggest fan of this synth, however I do think it’s UI is quite decent, not bad at all for what it is. ?
OS-251	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, LV2	GPL 3.0	?	NoteOS-251 is a pure digital lo-fi synth. I tried it for a little bit, it’s quite limited in what you can do, however that’s also a good things as this synth is for making lo-fi sounds and it does that decently well and it’s dead simple to use. ?
Additive
Tunefish4	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, VST3*Not available on Linux., AU	GPL 3.0	~	NoteTunefish4 is a decently competent synth, I do think some parts of it is a little clunky. I do think it’s decent, it’s not great, but I’m sure you could get plenty of use out of it. ~
Wavetable
Vaporizer2	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteVaporizer2 is a really advanced wavetable synth, it has a ton of options and things to fiddle with, it comes with a bunch of factory presets. I haven’t used it much, but I can tell that it has ~
Wavetable	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	BSD 3 Clause	?	NoteWavetable is a pretty decent synth in my opinion, I don’t have a lot of experience with it, however I do like what little time I had with it, I will say it’s not the most powerful thing, however I do like straightforwardness, further testing is needed before I give a recommendation, but I personally like it. ?
FM
Dexed	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteDexed is an FM synth modeled after the Yamaha DX7, I don’t have much experience with it, I like some of the sounds it makes, but I don’t really like using synths based on real hardware and I don’t like the UI. ?
Six Sines	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, Standalone	MIT	?	NoteSix Sines is technically a PM/AM synth, but I don’t care, and I don’t feel like making a section just for this one synth. In terms of the synth itself I think it’s cool however, I know almost nothing about it, I don’t really know when or why I would use this over something else, but I’m sure it’s great for something. ?
OctaSine	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST2	AGPL 3.0	?	NoteOctaSine is a fairly simple FM synth, I don’t really know what the use case for it is, but I’m sure it exists. ?
Physically Modelled
RipplerX	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteRipplerX is a physically modelled synth with some interesting sounds. It sounds decent and the UI is nice and simple. ~
Aeolus	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteAeolus is a physically modelled pipe organ synthesizer. It sounds good to me, I don’t really know much about pipe organs, but I’m sure you can’t go wrong with Aeolus if you’re looking for a pipe organ in your music.
Organ	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteOrgan is a physically modelled electric organ synth based on stBfree. I think it sounds quite pleasant, however I don’t know that much about this plug-in or electric organs. ~
Piano	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 2.0	~	NoteIt sounds a little strange to my ears, but I’m sure someone could make it work, it is also worth noting that it crashes the DAW when I open it on Windows, so that’s not great. !/?
Sample Based					NoteThis section has synths that rely mainly on recorded samples for their sound. Note that sample based is different from sampler based due to sampler based focusing on the user using their own sounds where sample based synths come with the samples.
OT P1ANO S	Linux, Windows	VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteThis is a really good piano synth that you comes with a ton of presets and build in effects, the UI might be a bit confusing at first, but I do think it’s quite good, even if a little weird, I don’t think you can go wrong with OT P1ANO S if you’re looking for a versatile piano.
Mpaint	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0*	~	NoteThis synth uses the samples in Mario Paint to imitate the sound of Mario Paint in a modern DAW. If you want the Mario Paint in your projects I suppose this is fairly good for that purpose, however I doubt it’s useful to most people.
Sampler Based					NoteThis section has synths that are based mainly around sampling audio. Note that sampler based synths are different from sample based synths due to the fact that they have a focus on user provided samples where as sample based synths come with the samples.
gRainbow	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NotegRainbow is synthesizer that uses pitch detection to choose candidates for granular synthesis or sampling. I haven’t really tried this one out for more than a very short period, it seems cool, but I have no idea how to use it ?
Oi, Grandad!	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteI think I’ve tried using this synth once and I didn’t get it. ✗
Chip					NoteThe chip section of synths are for synths that emulate or imitate retro video games consoles for that chiptune sound.
C64 SID	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	?
NES RP2A03	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	LGPL 2.1	?	?
Gameboy PAPU	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 2.0	?	?
Master System SN76489	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	LGPL 2.1	?	?
Other					NoteThis section is for the synthesizers that don’t fit neatly into any of the other categories to my knowledge.
Tonez	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteSeems interesting, I guess, I’ve never really tried it. ✗
Voc Vocal Synth	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	LGPL 2.1	✗	NoteVoc Vocal Synth is a synthesizer that emulates the sound of the human vocal tract. I have no idea why or how anyone could use this, but I’m sure someone could figure out how to make this sound like Hatsune Miku.

Samplers/Soundfont Players

Name	Platforms	Plug-in Formats	License	R	Notes
Samplers
Just a Sample	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	MIT	✓	NoteJust a sample is a fairly powerful sampler with a nice an intuitive interface with a bunch of nice built in effects. If you’re looking for a sampler I don’t think you can go wrong with Just a Sample.
Sample Slicers
Ninjas 2	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST2	GPL 3.0	?	NoteIt seems cool, I’ve not really ever used it though, it’s worth noting that the Windows version if borked.✗
SFZ Players
sfizz	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU	BSD 2 Clause	✓	NoteI’m not the biggest fan of sfizz, I do think it’s interface is clunky for how simple it is, however it does play SFZ files fairly well.
SF2/3 Players
juicysfplugin	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	✗	Notejuicysfplugin is a soundfont player based on FluidSynth. It plays the files, I guess, however the interface is a mess, so I wouldn’t recommend using it.

Effects

Name	Platforms	Plug-in Formats	License	R	Notes
Multi					NoteMulti effect plug-ins are plug-ins that offer more than just one effect, which makes it hard to categorize under any of the other section leaving it to be in this section.
Cardinal FX	Linux, Windows, MacOS, BSD	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteCardinal FX is a modular synth rack as a effects plug-in giving you the option of using Cardinal’s modules as effects. There are so many modules in Cardinal that it’s a bit overwhelming, however I will say that I find Cardinal to have an excellent selection of effect modules. Also worth noting that Cardinal is based on VCV Rack and that there are more modules available in VCV Rack, check the VCV Rack note under modular synths for more info.
Airwindows Consolidated	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST3, AU, Standalone	MIT	✓	NoteAirwindows is a huge collection of a bunch of effects consolidated into one plug-in. There are so many different effects to play around with that sound really good, I have barely scratched the surface of the amount of effects you can get out of it, however what I have tried has all been very good. ~
Sugre XT Effects	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2*Only available on Linux, VST3, AU, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteSurge XT effects is a collection of effects from the Surge XT synth as a separate plug-in. The effects in this plug-in are decent, they’re not my favourite but I do think they’re decently competent and I enjoy using them from time to time.
MixMaxTrix	Linux, Windows	VST3	GPL 3.0	?	NoteMixMaxTrix is a mixer plug-in that comes with a bunch of effects. This plug-in seems very powerful and it has a lot of effects. I don’t have much experience it seems really cool and interface looks nice, however I did find it a bit overwhelming with how much it displayed. ?
ChowMultiTool	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, Standalone	GPL 3.0	?	NoteChowMultiTool is a small collection of tools for making music, like an EQ, a waveshaper and a band-splitter. I haven’t really used this much as I haven’t had to use it much, can’t say if it’s good or not. ?
Resonarium Effect	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, Standalone	GPL 3.0	?	NoteHas many of the interesting aspects of Resonariums but as an effects plugin, I don’t have much experience with this plugin, but I do know that it is pretty interesting and is worth a try. ?
Firefly Synth FX	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3	GPL 3.0	?	NoteFirefly Synth FX is an effects plug-in based on the effects in Firefly Synth. I haven’t really used this one more than just a brief look. ?
Equalizers
ZL Equalizer	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU, AAX	AGPL 3.0	✓	NoteZL Equalizer is a powerful equalizer that has a ton of functionality, I was a bit confused by it’s interface at first, however I do find it to be a really powerful equalizer.
Filter
Hammer & Meißel	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteHammer & Meißel is a keytracked polyphonic modal filter. It’s pretty powerful and you can make a lot of interesting sounds with it, I’ve not had a l of experience with it, but I found it to be pretty damn powerful for the brief moment I played around with it. ~
Songbird	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	?
Splitter
ZL Splitter	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU, AAX	AGPL 3.0	?	NoteZL Splitter seems like a pretty good splitter, I haven’t really used it that much, but it has a bunch of options and seems pretty good. ?
Compressor
ZL Compressor	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU, Standalone	AGPL 3.0	✓	NoteZL compressor is a dynamic range compressor with a very nice GUI and a lot of options. This is a really solid compressor plugin and I find it to be more than what I need and I don’t think you could really go wrong with using ZL Compressor. ~
Compressor	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	BSD 3 Clause	✓	NoteSimple compressor with a nice GUI, I don’t have much to say about it other than that, if you want something really advanced, then this one is probably not for you, but I find it to be good enough.
Limiter
Limiter	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	BSD 3 Clause	✓	NoteSimple limiter with a nice GUI, I don’t have much to say about it other than that, if you want something really advanced, then this one is probably not for you, but I find it to be good enough.
Expander
Expander	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	BSD 3 Clause	✓	NoteSimple expander with a nice GUI, I don’t have much to say about it other than that, if you want something really advanced, then this one is probably not for you, but I find it to be good enough.
Gate
Gate	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	BSD 3 Clause	✓	NoteSimple expander with a nice GUI, I don’t have much to say about it other than that, if you want something really advanced, then this one is probably not for you, but I find it to be good enough.
Delay
CRMBL	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0/CC BY-NC £The Unplugred’s Plgun Trove cost 5 dollars a month for the whole trove, however they have no DRM and you can get free versions of the plug-ins which is the same as the paid version except for a non-intrusive banner.	✓	NoteCRMBL is my favourite delay plug-in, it is super powerful with a lot of options that I don’t think I’ve seen in any other delay plug-in. The interface is also super duper cool and fun, however it might be a bit confusing as it doesn’t really follow interface design principles, however I don’t think the style causes too many problems when it comes to usability, however it might cause problems if you’re visually impaired or something like that. Super cool delay plug-in that I would highly recommend.
Chow Matrix	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, AAX	BSD 3 Clause	✓	NoteChow Matrix is a really intricate delay plug-in that I don’t fully grasp, it’s probably about as complicated as a delay plug-in gets, with it’s tree structure which allows you to very intricately customize your delay to an insane degree. It’s not really the most intuitive thing to use nor do I see myself using it that much, however the level of control you get in this plug-in is just too insane to not just mess around with, but using it sure ain’t easy. ?
Delay	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	BSD 3 Clause	~	NoteNot the most powerful or the best delay plug-in out there, but for a simple delay it does that fairly well, nothing to write home about, but works if you need something simple.
EchoLocation	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteEchoLocation is and experimental delay plug-in, letting you build complex delay lines. I do not at all understand how to use this plug-in, I played around with it for a bit, but man I don’t really get how to use it. It seems incredibly powerful, but I would have no idea how to use it, I wouldn’t recommend this if you’re not willing to sit and fiddle with it, but I’m sure you could make something crazy with this.
Reverb
SunBurnt	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0/CC BY-NC £The Unplugred’s Plgun Trove cost 5 dollars a month for the whole trove, however they have no DRM and you can get free versions of the plug-ins which is the same as the paid version except for a non-intrusive banner.	✓	NoteSunBurnt is a unique reverb plug-in that has a lot of customization and chich has a graph to allow for unique customization of the reverb. It’s really powerful and it has a really fun interface which I appreciate, I really like this reverb plug-in, it’s got a ton of interesting customization and it’s not really like any other reverb plug-in.
Room Reverb	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteRoom Reverb isn’t my favourite reverb plug-in, however I do still think it’s fairly solid, it’s pretty versatile with the ability to do small rooms to very large rooms, to reverb with 30 second long trails. I don’t think room reverb is the most incredible sounding reverb, however it’s versatility makes it a pretty good reverb plug-in.
CloudReverb	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU, Standalone	MIT	✓	NoteCloudReverb is a reverb plug-in based on CloudSeed. I really like how this reverb sounds, especially for a shimmering reverb. It sounds really good, however I’m not the biggest fan of the interface, however it does sound pretty great.
Dragonfly Reverb	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteDragonfly Reverb is a collection of reverb plug-ins that I find to sound decent, however they do have a lot of customization and I find it to be fairly serviceable, not the best in my opinion.
Mverb 2020	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteMverb 2020 is a reverb plug-in based on Mverb, it’s basically just Mverb with a nicer interface. I like how it sounds, it’s got some nice presets and is fairly versatile, not the best reverb plug-in, but it’s a nice option to have.
Turbo Capo	Linux, Windows	VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteNot the most versatile reverb, however it is very nice sounding subtle reverb with a good amount of control with some other control options that I haven’t seen in any other reverb plug-in like bit-depth which is cool.
Tal-Reverb 2	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, VST3, AU, AAX	GPL 2.0?	✓	NoteTal-Reverb 2 is a really nice plate reverb, the UI is pretty decent, simple yet nice plate reverb.
Tal-Reverb 3	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2, VST3, AU, AAX	GPL 2.0?	~	NoteI’m not really the biggest fan of how Tal-Reverb 3 sounds, it just doesn’t sound as nice as Tal-Reverb 3 in my opinion. Tal-Reverb 3 does have some aspects of it which I do like it’s feedback is cool I suppose, however I just don’t think it’s worth using compared to Tal-Reverb 2.
Reach (GitHub)	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	GPL 3.0 £Reach costs 50 euro, however they host the source code and binaries on their GitHub, so if you’re not interested in paying for it you could download the binaries of the GitHub. It will have a small line of text saying NOT ACTIVATED, however it is not obtrusive at all.	~	NoteReach is a reverb for synthetic sources, it’s a very strange sounding reverb with a lot of power, however it’s very specifically made for synth stuff and it can sound quite strange and harsh and it’s not the easiest to make sound good. It does have a decent amount of build in effects, so that’s neat, but I don’t have much of a use for this personally.
VitaliumVerb	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3	GPL 3.0	~	NoteSimple but decent reverb based on the reverb in Vitalium synth. It’s UI is a little basic and it’s not super versatile, but as a simple reverb, it does the job.
Castello Reverb	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST2, VST3	GPL 3.0	~	NoteCastello Reverb is not really the best reverb out there, it doesn’t offer much customization and it’s not really great sounding. However it sounds kind of odd when you push the mix knob too hard, and I really like using that sound. Originally I got Castello Reverb to replace LMMS’ ReverbSC since they’re both based on the same algorithm, I would probably not recommend this reverb, however I really like how you can make it sound.
SG-323 (GitHub)	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0 £Binaries for this plug-in is locked behind a purchase, however if you want to you can compile it from the source code on GitHub.	✗	NoteSG-323 is a reverb plug-in that emulates the Ursa Major Stargate 323. I think this reverb plug-in sounds pleasant, but it’s not really impressing me. It is rather dull in my opinion and I’m not the biggest fan of it. If you’re looking for emulation of the Ursa Major Stargate 323 this is a good plug-in, however I’m not too fond of the sound myself.
Enhancer
Red Bass	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0/CC BY-NC £The Unplugred’s Plgun Trove cost 5 dollars a month for the whole trove, however they have no DRM and you can get free versions of the plug-ins which is the same as the paid version except for a non-intrusive banner.	✓	NoteRedbass is a sub oscillator sidechained to incoming signal to add some oompth and thickness to a drum loop or kick. It’s a fairly simple yet powerful enhancer that I got some nice results from.
Stereo
Stereo Enhancer	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2*Only available on Linux, VST2, VST3, AU	BSD 3 Clause	✓	NoteSimple and nice stereo enhancer, not the most advanced thing but more than enough for me.
Chorus
YK Chorus	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, LADSPA, DSSI	GPL 2.0	✓	NoteSimple but nice sounding chorus, quite simple, but it sounds nice.
Distortion
Fire	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU	AGPL 3.0	✓	NoteFire is a really nice sounding distortion with a ton of effects and options that allows for a lot of customization with a really nice interface as well.
BYOD	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST3, AU, AAX	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteBuild-Your-Own-Distortion (BYOD) is an audio plug-in that allows the user to create custom guitar effects, with a focus on guitar distortion. BYOD is a super cool way to make distortion with a modular approach, you can get some pretty interesting sounds out of this plug-in. I do think the interface can be a bit clunky to use, but it’s not a big deal.
MAIM	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteMAIM is a distortion plug-in with a general focus on recreating MP3 compression. MAIM exists for a very specific use-case but it does it really well, if you want that MP3 compressed sound, this is a great plug-in for that. ?
Waveshaper
Wolf Shaper	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteWolf Shaper is a nice waveshaper. I do like the interface that’s about it, I don’t have much else to say about it. ~
Saturation
KO	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	GPL 3.0?	?	NoteKO adds some nice saturation with 3 different models. I haven’t used it much, so I couldn’t tell you much about it ?
Guitar Amp/Pedals
AIDA-X (GitHub)	Linux*Not listed on their website for some reason, you can get binaries on GitHub though., Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteAIDA-X is a guitar amp plug-in that allows you to load in models which allows for a lot of different sounds. I don’t have much to say other than that, neat guitar amp. ~
SmartAmp	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2, VST3, AU, AAX	Apache 2.0	✓	NoteDecent sounding guitar amp, don’t have much ore to say.
StompboxUI	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteStompbox is a guitar amplification and effects application, arranged as a digital version of a guitar pedalboard. It’s a neat application for doing guitar amp stuff as well as effects stuff, the UI is a bit clunky but it’s not too big of a deal. ~
Auto Tune/Pitch Correction
MXTune	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST2	GPL 3.0	?	NoteMXTune is an auto tune/pitch correction plug-in, it seems decently powerful, but I got this just to play around with it, I have no idea if it’s actually good or not. ~
Auto Tune	Linux, Windows, MacOS	LV2	GPL 3.0	?	NoteDoesn’t have manual pitch correction or anything fancy, but the auto tune seems decent, I wouldn’t know. ?
Other
ChowTapeModel	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU, AAX	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteChow Tape Model is a physically modelled analogue tape emulator. ChowTapeModel is a really advanced physically modelled tape and it sounds really good to my ears. It’s got a ton of presets and it sounds quite good, I would recommend it if you want a physically modelled tape emulation.
PaulXStretch	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, VST3, AU, AAX, Standalone	GPL 3.0	✓	NotePaulXStretch is a spectral timestretching plug-in based on PaulStretch. PaulXStretch allows you to stretch out audio to an insane degree allowing you to make pads and all other kinds of crazy stuff with it. I would recommend it for making ambient music out of samples.
Tumult	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteTumult is a plug-in for adding texture and warmth and age. I think it does the job of adding texture nicely, the UI is nice and the build in EQ is useful for getting the sound down.
NeuralNote	Linux, Windows, MacOS	VST3, AU	Apache 2.0	?	NoteNeuralNote is an audio to midi conversion for transcribing audio. I don’t really know what else to say about it, it has a nice interface and I’m sure it’s helpful for doing the initial groundwork, however it does not make anything that sounds great from the press of a button in my experience. ?
master_me	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteI don’t know what to write here, I just downloaded this because I wanted to fiddle around with it for fun ?
PodcastPlugins	Linux, Windows, MacOS	CLAP, LV2, VST2, VST3, AU	GPL 3.0	?	NoteI don’t know what to write here, I just downloaded this because I wanted to fiddle around with it for fun ?

Other

Other Software

Name	Platforms	License	R	Notes
Furnace	Linux, Windows, MacOS	GPL 2.0	✓	NoteA multi system tracker for making chiptune music. ~
FamiStudio	Linux, Windows, MacOS	MIT	✓	NoteDAW interface with NES sound chip emulation to make that retro NES chiptune. ~
Easy Effects	Linux	GPL 3.0	✓	NoteEasy Effects is a nice and easy way to apply EQ or other effects globally or your input and output which is quite useful for doing audio stuff outside of DAW’s or for just doing audio effects live.
Ultimate Vocal Remover	Linux, Windows, MacOS	MIT	✓	NoteNice tool for separating vocals and instruments.
OpenUtau	Linux, Windows, MacOS	MIT	?	NoteVocal synthesizer similar to Volcaloid, it’s compatible with Utau voice banks. I don’t really use this and I don’t know if it’s good or not, I just got it to play around with it and it seems good, I guess. ~
Millisecond	Linux	GPL 3.0	?	NoteMillisecond is an application for optimizing a Linux system for low latency audio. ?

Other Resources

SFZ instruments (SFZ Sample collection)
Freepats Sound Banks (SFZ/SF2 Sample collection)
Musical Artifacts (Site for downloading musical artifacts, mainly as SF2 files)