cross-posted from: https://lemmy.dbzer0.com/post/1044336
DAWs
- LMMS | FOSS | Powerful DAW with MIDI and VST support.
- Audacity| FOSS | Audacity is an easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor with VST support.
- Ardour| OSS |
Plugins
Synthesizers
- Surge XT| FOSS | Great synthesizer with an extensive user made patch library.
- Vital | FOSS* | Solid alternative to Serum, optional extra patches and wavetables with the paid version.
- Cardinal | FOSS | Virtual modular synthesizer plugin based on VCV Rack.
- dexed | FOSS | Plugin synth that is closely modelled on the Yamaha DX7.
- Helm | FOSS | Polyphonic synth with lots of modulation.
- ZynAddSubFX | FOSS | One of the most in depth FOSS synthesizers.
Effects
- CloudSeed | FOSS | Algorithmic reverb plugin best employed as a special effect, for creating thick, lush pads.
- Surge XT FX | FOSS | Package of FX included with the Surge synthesizer.
- Airwindows | FOSS | Simplistic and experimental plugins.
Trackers
- sunvox | FOSS | Node based modular synthesizer with a pattern-based sequencer.
- OpenMPT | FOSS | Powerful tracker application that makes writing music fun, easy and efficient
Compositors
Free Software refers to freedom, not price. This “free” is the F in FOSS. Paid free software is still free as in freedom and thus FOSS. Since the free software definition and the open source definition more or less overlap, very little is “OSS but not FOSS” even if it is paid.
I understand this notion, I simply was trying to specify which of these software you can use without paying anything and thus have a lower barrier of entry since it would be inefficient to explain this at the same time.