Creating asub bass can be very easy: Open your favorite (bass) synth, turn on a sine ortriangle oscillator and boom, you got a nice and clean sub bass.
Free VST plugins can give you a lot of new creative ideas for your mixes. Just about all the free music recording software DAWs support using VST plugins. So I hope this plugin list will help you find some new inspiration for your mixing and mastering. The ones we have included are some of the best emulations of classic bass synths. Let’s now get into these 15 unique bass plugins! 15 Of The Best Bass VST Plugins in 2018 1. Trilian by Spectrasonics 299 USD Main Features: One of the most comprehensive bass plugins on the market; Easy customization and user-friendly interface. So, if you just want a shortcut to pro-quality mixes, watch this free masterclass now: But if you just want to learn about VST Instruments specifically, keep reading. VST Instruments. The better your recordings sound, the better your final mix will be. Which is why VST (Virtual Studio Technology) instruments can level up your songs immediately. The Best Free VST Instrument Plugins. Many of the most popular VST instruments, such as Massive or Omnisphere, come with a fairly high price tag.If you’re a music production beginner, you may not be ready to fork out hundreds of dollars on various production effects and plugins just yet, which is completely understandable.
Sometimes,a sub bass like this won’t do, though – you might need a little more bombast. Forthis case, I’ve created the following list where I’m collecting free sub bassVST plugins and sample libraries.
Note: Make sure to use headphones or quality speakers to listen to the audio examples. Sub frequencies do not translate well on phone and laptop speakers.
Xsub
Format: VST, 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Windows, Mac
Audio examples:
Xsub is a free808 sub bass VST brought to you by Hexloops and SimplySounds. According toHexloops, Xsub was created “using analog synthesizers, digital sine waves,guitar amps and other fancy gear.” A total of 36 different bass sounds areincluded, each spanning two octaves. I was surprised by how much the includedsounds differ in character. Some of the sounds include an 808-ish click in thebeginning, while others are smooth bass sounds. Many of the presets are more onthe distorted side – and while this means that Xsub might be a little dirtierthan some might like, this is also what gives some of the sounds their uniquetone and presence.
Xsub has abuilt-in ADSR envelope, a panning knob and even a reverb. There’s also a pitch-modulatingLFO.
You can download Xsub from the Hexloops website.
X-Eight Lite
Format: VST/AU, 32 bit + 64 bit
OS: Windows, Mac
Audio examples:
X-Eight Liteis the free lite version of X-Eight, an 808 and sub bass VST/AU plugin createdby Thenatan. While the paid plugin contains over 1000 presets, X-Eight Litecomes with a total of 80 sub bass and 808 presets. That’s a good amount ofpresets for a free plugin! What’s even better is that these sounds are all verydistinct, creative and fun to play with.
For some,the main issue with X-Eight Lite might be that many of the sounds are not subbyor subtle enough and will steal quite a bit of attention as they contain plentyof high frequency content. However, depending on the style of music you’remaking, this might also be a good thing – these samples bang hard!
If you wantto remove some of the high frequency content, you can use X-Eight’s built-inlow pass filter. Besides attack and release, you can also dial in the rightamount of glide. This feature makes X-Eight Lite even more useful for creatingengaging beats.
There’sanother issue with this particular preset selection if you’re looking for subbass for layering purposes. Most of the included samples feature a prominentkick or click sound in the beginning. While you can lengthen the attack or pulldown the filter to remove some of the kick/click sounds, this will also shapethe sound in a way that might not be practical for your purpose.
I alsodiscovered an odd behavior that you should be aware of when using the filter:When the filter is completely at 0 and you start turning the knob up slightlywith your mouse, the knob will be sluggish and not move but the filter will, infact, open. (Note: I don’t know if this bug exists just in the context of mysetup or whether it’s reproducible somewhere else.) This is not a big problem,but it’s good to be aware of it.
To get X-Eight, you’ll have to add it to your cart on the Thenatan website. You can decide what you want to pay ($0 is okay as well) and are then redirect to a page where you have to type in your email address. After you’ve submitted your information, you will receive a download link in your email inbox.
Alternatives
Not happy with the selection? Here’s more:
- Beatmaker 808 Bass Module 2 Lite (VST, AU / Windows, Mac / 32 bit + 64 bit)
- subfreak (useable sound but GUI is TINY) (VST / Windows / 32 bit)
About thispage
I decided to focus page exclusively on plugins and libraries that have their strength in the sub range. There are many other bass synths and libraries with a wider range of bass tones that I will cover in other articles.
Over to you
If you knowof any other cool sub bass plugins, I’d love to hear from you! Write a commentbelow or get in touch here.
Best free synth VST plugins
If you’re looking to make your audio tracksmore appealing and interesting, then you really need to use the free synth VSTplugins. Synths are offering you a cool way to make your music even better andmore interesting. While analogue synths are expensive, synth plugins are ratheraffordable, and you can find many free of charge.
Zebralette
Zebralette sounds amazing and the best partabout it is that this is just an oscillator set from Zebra2. That being said,it does have a great array of features like oscillator waveform editing withspectroblend, geomorph, geoblend and spectromorph modes. It also includes 24spectral effects, a stereo VCA with volume and pan modulation! All in all, it’san amazing free synth VST plugin and one that works great specifically forelectronic and EDM music in particular. However, you can use it in most genreswith a bit of creativity!
Thump
With Thump you are able to synthesize lowfrequency audio. Either that, or you can add a new set of sounds if you want.This is a great VST plugin if you want to bring in an old school synth drumsound. Plus, you have two independent oscillators, not to mention there arethings like 12+ presets detailed metering and complete control if you want tomix the synthesized sound with the overall source as well.
T-Force Alpha Plus
T-Force Alpha Plus brings in someinteresting features like new synthesis, new Mod Envelopes, revised oscillatorsand so on. It also has 3 free running multiwave oscillators, 1 noise oscillatorand subtractive/FM support. It’s a product that delivers a tremendous value formoney, so we recommend you to give it a try, especially if you need a dedicatedsidechain FX system. We guarantee that you will not be disappointed with it!
Charlatan
Charlatan’s main benefit is that it focuseson ease of use and sound quality. It’s a subtractive and polyphonic analogsynth plugin. It makes it easy for you to learn how to adapt sounds so youdon’t have to rely on presets all the time. It’s great for experimentalnoises, but it also offers a way tocreate classic synth vibes which are a pleasure to use. There’s a stereo noisegenerator here, 2 oscillators that support shape modulation, as well as 2 ADSRenvelope generators and an LFO that has host tempo sync.
Scorpius
Scorpius is a great free synth VST pluginthat offers you some amazing psychedelic sounds. The interface is not the mostintuitive, however it has a vast range of different features for you toexplore. It has a ring modulator, flanger, stereo delay, routing options, 2filters, 3 oscillators and many others. It’s definitely one of the coolest VSTplugins for a different, rewarding sound.
PG-8X
Even if PG-8X is inspired by an old school program,it does have a great analogue synth experience. The bass sounds are veryimpressive, you also have cool pads and string ensembles. Some of the featuresprovided by PG-8X include a 3-stage HP filter, stereo chorus, hard sync, 24 dBresonant LP filter and 12-voice polyphony among others.
Tal-NoiseMaker
Tal-NoiseMaker is quite simple, intuitiveand easy to use. It also has features like a bit chrusher, chorus and reverb.With 256 presets you will get a really good experience, and the reality is thatall these presets are working super nicely. We encourage you to test itespecially if you want to use the great 3 oscillators. It’s a fullycustomizable synth VST plugin with lots of versatility and value.
Best Free Bass Guitar Vst Plugins
Podolski
While Podolski is not the most complex VSTplugin, it’s very convenient and CPU efficient. It has an oscillator withvaried symmetry, multiple modes like legato, mono or polyphonic, as well as 4envelope modes, a multimode filter and more than 520 factory presets. That goesto show the great value you can get from it, not to mention there are somedelay effects you can use as needed.
Helm
Best Free Bass Vst
Matt Tyrell’s Helm is a polyphonic synththat can also be used as a standalone. It has a 64 and 32 bit version too.Unlike other synth VST plugin options in this list, this one actually has agreat interface and you won’t have a problem identifying and adapting stuff asyou go along. Even if it might seem a bit intimidating in the beginning, itlooks really well and that’s what really makes it worth the effort.
MiniSpillage
MiniSpillage is one of the most interestingdrum synths you can find out there. It brings you a set of synthesis algorithmscreated for electronic percussion and it also has a high resolution 64-bit DSPprocessing engine. The interface is great, it also has ADSR envelopes andcustom algorithms that really make it stand out of the crowd and very powerful.
Lokomotiv
Lokomotiv’s main focus is to create a verygood analog retro synth sound. This sounds really well and it has a simpleinterface too. What we like about Lokomotivis the fact that it has a lot offeatures. It comes with an oscillator, filter, modulator and specificationtools. Since it’s not overwhelming, it will offer you a great experience whilestill making it easy to create impressive sounds very fast and easy.
Digits
If you need a good phase distortion synthplugin, then Digits might be able to help. Its interface is quite unique and itdelivers 100 presets. These have things like brass sounds, realisticinstruments, pads, leads, basses and many others. You even get access to aharmonic bit crush, flanger, realistic instruments and other great tools. It’scertainly worth it so you should give it a try for yourself. It works supernicely and the best part is that the interface is very good especially forbeginners. Changing the audio parameters might make things crack a little. Yetif you get past that, it’s actually a nice plugin.
Crystal Synth
Crystal Synth comes as a semi-modularsoftware synth. It has both frequency modulation as well as subtractivesynthesis. You have more than 90+ parameters to work with, tempo sync,dedicated effects, a band splitter and wave sequencing. They also integrated granularsynthesis, and multi-stage envelopes with graphic editing. The problem for a lotof people is the interface is not the best, it can become rather overwhelming.But if you get past that, you will find it pretty interesting to use. It justtakes time to get used to the features and the overall interface alignment.
Electric Guitar Vst Plugin Free
Tal-Bassline
The name clearly shows that this is asynthesizer created for bass and it does a very good job at it. With its helpyou can get effects and acid tones that you can’t get anywhere else. You canuse this for EDM, trap and even dance music where you use bass a lot. It’sactually going to help you a lot with its numerous presets, the MIDIautomation, great panic button, sub-oscillator and bandlimited oscillators.Overall, it’s a great tool to use and you will find it incredibly impressiveand a pleasure to use.
Muon Tau Bassline
This monophonic bassline synth is very similar to the Roland 303 synth, a very popular unit. What they did very well here is the interface. Instead of going the overly complicated route, they did the opposite and that means offering a better experience to customers and the results are incredible because of that. It’s a good tool especially for beginners. But despite the focus on beginners, everyone can use it without issues. There are things like an 18 db lowpass resonant filter, complete MIDI control or the great 64-bit waveform oscillator that really make the difference. You will find it incredibly different when compared to other free synth VST plugins and that’s for the best.
Helix
Helix is very flexible, easy to adapt toyour needs. They have a lot of built-in sounds and presets. You can pay for alicense, but the free trial is fully functional. It has more than 1000 presetsyou can use, 10 different distortion types, 17 filters as well as deepmodulation. It’s very powerful, dependable and you will certainly find it apleasure to use and adapt to your needs. It’s well worth your time, especiallyif you are into creating great music.
Combo Model F
You must use Combo Model F if you want anorgan synth. As you can imagine, it’s very simple but you can adapt it to yourneeds without a problem. One thing to note is that it has a great harmonicrange, a volume pedal, bass voice, a knee lever control and full automation.It’s certainly worth your time and if you check it out this will be a very goodtool to use.
Conclusion
You don’t have to pay a lot of money for synth VST plugins. There are many free options that will work just as well. If you take your time and study the market, you will find that there are free alternatives to just about any synth plugin, so don’t hesitate and give these a try. You will be very impressed with the value and versatility provided by these great VST plugins!
My name is Shane Beat, I’m a record producer, DJ, and songwriter. I’m from Canada, I worked with many biggest rappers from United states and Canada like Smoke purpp, Ski Mask the Slump God, k-os, I’m here to help you to develop your skills with new and best plugins in the world.