Nowadays, the retro 80s synth sound has made a comeback of sorts in popular music scenes. You can hear the retro synth elements in genres such as chillwave and synthwave which are very popular music to do homework, chill out and relax to. We have done a rundown of free retro synth VST that will help budding musicians produce ambient chillwave and synthwave music.
These plugins can recreate the laidback and mellow atmospherics that are the perfect soundtrack for late night rides dowon open highways. Some of the best free retro synth VST on our list can emulate sounds of retro polysynths that can be heard on playlist topping hits from The Weeknd and Daft Punk.
Simply throw these free virtual analog synthesizer plugins into your digital audio workstation and you’re all set. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Table of Contents
5+ Free Retro Synth VST 2023
1) Dexed
A virtual emulation of the Yamaha DX7 synth, Dexed is a nifty FM synth that can work both as standalone plugin and patch editor for the hardware DX7 synthesizer.
If you want to create lush pads, 80s electric piano sounds, chiming FM bells, Bass sounds, Dexed is definitely worth a gander.
2) PG-8X
PG-8X emulates Roland’s vintage JX-8P analog synthesizer. You can derive the best of both worlds with this plugin: from a detailed emulation of JX-8P’s analog synthesis engine to the control layout of the PG-800 controller.
On the sound designing front, PG-8X helps you craft lush pads, pounding analog basslines and mellow synth melodies. You can even achieve the fat lead sound by turning on the Unison mode. And, if you want to add a retro boost to any audio track simply turn on the chorus module. All in all, PG-8X is one of the best free retro synth VST on the market.
3) Ob-XD
Inspired by the Oberheim OB-X analog synthesizer, OB-XD is a solid tool for crafting pads, brass sounds, and punchy bass lines.
Buoyed by an uber clean and streamlined graphical interface, OB-Xd is relatively easy to program for beginners and sound designers learning the ropes of audio production. OB-XD also offers a ton of customizability as users can build custom synth patches from scratch.
4) Tyrell N6
A remarkably popular analog synth, Tyrell N6 by U-He loosely emulates the Juno-60. For starters, the Tyrell N6 boasts a multi-mode filter, a couple of analog oscillators, and a lush Juno-like chorus.
What’s more, you can also revel in effects such as ring modulation, feedback, and modulation matrix to sculpt retro vintage synth stompers.
5) VK-1 Viking Synthesizer
Rounding up our list of the best free retro synth VST is VK-1 Viking Synthesizer. Modelled on the Moog Voyager analog monosynth, this freeware synth uses zero-delay feedback filters to avoid oscillator aliasing.
You can expect to dial in some lush and warm synth tones of the 80s. All the oscillators and envelopes in the VK-1 were matched to their hardware counterpart, Moog Voyage, through precision-based measurement.
