Helm Alternatives

Helm is described as 'free, cross-platform, polyphonic synthesizer with a powerful modulation system. Helm runs on GNU/Linux, Mac, and Windows as a standalone program or LV2/VST/VST3/AU plugin' and is an app in the audio & music category. There are more than 10 alternatives to Helm for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD and iPad. The best alternative is Vital, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Helm are Dexed, Surge Synthesizer, ZynAddSubFX and Odin 2.

Helm alternatives are mainly Music Production Apps but may also be Digital Audio Workstations or Cloud Hosting Services. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Helm.

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Helm

Free • Open Source
Music Production App

Mac
Windows
Linux

Helm is a free, cross-platform, polyphonic synthesizer with a powerful modulation system. Helm runs on GNU/Linux, Mac, and...

Learn more about Helm

Vital
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Free • Open Source
Music Production App
Digital Audio Workstation
Mac
Windows
Linux
6 alternatives to Vital
Vital is a spectral warping wavetable synthesizer with drag'n'drop modulation workflow and animated preview of the synth's inner workings where needed. Comes with many modulation sources (including audio-rate), MPE support and FX chain.
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Vital Features
Synthesizer
Spectral Morphing
Wavetable editor
MIDI Keyboard Input
Spectral Warping
Voice synthesis
ARM support
Support for Audio Units Plugins
Dexed
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Free • Open Source
Music Production App
Mac
Windows
Linux
iPhone
iPad
16 alternatives to Dexed
Dexed is an FM-type softsynth developed by Pascal Gauthier of Digital Suburban. It is an ideal application for importing, playing and editing/managing sysex patches from both the classic Yamaha DX7 synthesizer and the TX7.
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Dexed Features
Synthesizer
Surge Synthesizer
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Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
36 alternatives to Surge Synthesizer
Surge is an open source digital synthesizer originally written and sold as a commercial product by @kurasu (Claes Johanson) at Vember Audio. The synth uses subtractive hybrid synthesis and each patch contains two 'scenes' which are separate instances of the entire...
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Surge Synthesizer Features
1. Virtual InstrumentSurge Synthesizer uses mainy virtual instruments (piano, guitar, drums, bass, etc.).
Synthesizer
Surge Synthesizer vs Helm opinions
pros, cons and recent comments
zemuro
It's a full-featured and very flexible synth, is actively developed and also free, not freemium)
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ZynAddSubFX
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Freemium • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
28 alternatives to ZynAddSubFX
ZynAddSubFX is a fully featured open source software synthesizer capable of making a countless number of instruments, from some common heard from expensive hardware to interesting sounds that you'll boost to an amazing universe of sounds.
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ZynAddSubFX Features
Synthesizer
Growl integration
Sound Effects
Odin 2
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Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
22 alternatives to Odin 2
Odin 2, the successor of Odin 1, is a gratis, open-source, cross-platform, semi-modular subtractive-style software synthesizer. It covers about every type of synthesis out there.
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Odin 2 Features
1. Virtual InstrumentOdin 2 uses mainy virtual instruments (piano, guitar, drums, bass, etc.).
Synthesizer
Cycle.io
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Freemium • Proprietary
Cloud Hosting Service
Software as a Service (SaaS)
43 alternatives to Cycle.io
Cycle is the all-in-one platform built to be the bridge between your infrastructure and your code. Connect your servers, import your containers, and scale.
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Cycle.io Features
Container Orchestration
Multi-cloud management
Cloud based
Synth1
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Free • Proprietary
Mac
Windows
14 alternatives to Synth1
Synth1 is a software synthesizer modeled on the Clavia Nord Lead 2 Red Synth. It combines the common sound synthesis method of Subtractive & FM synthesis.
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Synth1 Features
Synthesizer
padthv1
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Free • Open Source
Linux
BSD
19 alternatives to padthv1
An old-school polyphonic additive synthesizer.

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Tunefish 4
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Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
14 alternatives to Tunefish 4
A virtual analog synthesizer, Tunefish v4 was developed as a smaller replacement of Tunefish v3 with roughly the same power - some might argue it's even more powerful. It was also ported over to Linux and MacOS and was given a new polished UI.
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Tunefish 4 Features
Synthesizer
Oxe FM Synth
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Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
16 alternatives to Oxe FM Synth
Oxe FM Synth is a touch-sensitive, realtime polyphonic FM-based music synthesizer created and maintained by Oxe Software.

Oxe FM Synth has no features, suggest some!