Helm is a 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.

ZynAddSubFX is described as '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' and is an app in the audio & music category. There are more than 25 alternatives to ZynAddSubFX for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux, BSD and iPad apps. The best ZynAddSubFX alternative is Helm, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like ZynAddSubFX are Vital, ZynAddSubFX for Android, Odin 2 and yoshimi.
Helm is a 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.

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.







Odin 2 is a versatile 24-voice polyphonic synthesizer that covers about every type of synthesis out there. Odin 2 is released as open-source software.




Yoshimi is a software synthesizer for Linux based on the 2.4.0 release of ZynAddSubFX, written by Nasca Octavian Paul. Yoshimi delivers the same synth capabilities, along with very good Jack and Alsa midi/audio functionality.




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.

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...




Movement in nature has inspired us for centuries. And now, the sounds of movement in nature have inspired a new instrument that will put you into a creative state of flow.

The NES VST is designed to emulate the 8-bit sounds of the Nintendo, remaining faithful to the specifications of the 2A03 chip.

PaulStretch (or Paul's Extreme Sound Stretch) is a program for stretching the audio. It is for extreme sound stretching of the audio (8x, 50x, etc.) and for applying special effects by "spectral smoothing" the sounds.




AudioMulch is an interactive musician's environment for PC and Mac. It is used for live electronic music performance, composition and sound design.


PaulStretch slows down existing audio; ZynAddSubFX is a synthesizer. Totally different types of software.