Being a synthesizer enthusiast can be an expensive hobby, even when opting for software and plugins instead of hardware. Thankfully, every now and then, it is possible to save a bit of money by grabbing free releases or taking advantage of free upgrade offers. Here are just a few recent releases with free updates or a generous upgrade offer for owners of the original software. 

Updates

ShowMIDI 1.0.0

By Geert Bevin

Download: https://github.com/gbevin/ShowMIDI

Geert Bevin has released version 1.0.0 of his ShowMIDI multi-platform GUI application. ShowMIDI is designed to visualize MIDI activity effortlessly and was developed by Bevin to fill a void in the available MIDI monitoring solutions. What makes Show MIDI unique is that it visualizes the current activity and hides what you don't care about anymore, making it unnecessary to ade through logs of MIDI messages to correlate relevant ones and identify what's happening. The result is an easy way to see a real-time view of all MIDI activity on your computer at a glance. 

The latest update for Show MIDI improves the channel order algorithm and adds support for displaying MIDI data as scrolling graphs. It also supports displaying the MIDI clock as BMP, a reset button to clear all MIDI data, and various stability improvements. ShowMIDI 1.0.0 is available free for iOS, Linux, Mac, and Windows. To download ShowMIDI or see what is new in version 1.0.0, check out the project website on GitHub.

Aspect 2

By Loomer

Website: https://www.loomer.co.uk/aspect.html
 

Loomer has announced that a new version of their Aspect semi-modular polyphonic synthesizer is now available. Aspect 2 combines a great-sounding, powerful synthesis engine with a flexible semi-modular architecture while offering users unparalleled ease of use. According to Loomer, Aspect 2 is a sound designer's dream thanks to flexible cable-free semi-modular routing via a drag-and-drop interface. It can use audio sources as modulations and modulations as audio sources. In addition, it can combine and process modulation sources with mappers, quantizers, rectifiers, sample and holds, and many more processing modules. To get users started, Aspect 2 ships with over 600 factory presets. 

Aspect 2 costs £85 for new users, but Loomer has also announced that the software is available as a totally free upgrade for current owners of Aspect 1. Since Aspect 1 was released quite a while back, owners will need an upgraded license to use Aspect 2. 

A non-expiring trial of Aspect 2 is also available for Windows, macOS, and Linux, and no sign-up is required. The only limitation is that custom presets can be saved but not loaded. However, the presets created with the trial version can be opened with the full registered version. For more information or to contact Loomer to request an upgrade if you own Aspact 1 but have yet to receive an upgraded license, visit the official website. 

Free Software

X-Stream

By Steinberg

Link: https://www.steinberg.net/vst-instruments/x-stream/
 

Steinberg has released X-Stream, a free spectral synthesizer that can help you turn your sample into a colorful spectrum of sounds. Using X-Stream, users can stretch the playback of samples, loops, or even entire tracks to extreme lengths to create ethereal, dreamy soundscapes and textures. X-Stream also features tools like Blur and Stack, which, according to Steinberg, make the software act like a prism that can reveal shades of sound you have never heard before. 

To use X-Stream, users only have to drag and drop a sample, loop, or entire track onto the spectral oscillator and change the speed in extreme ways. Hitting play will result in different kinds of tones and colors that transform the sample into something new and beautiful. It is also possible to intuitively draw and customize sounds using the brush, pen, and eraser tools available for all envelopes in X-Stream. Thanks to the X-LFO, it is possible to modulate two parameters simultaneously on two different axes. Since both axes work independently, having different waveforms for each LFO rate is possible. 

Although X-Stream is free, registration is required at the Steinberg website and either HALion 7 or HALion Sonic.