Owning a single vintage synth might be cool, but getting access to up to 38 would give you even more options to create great music.  This is exactly what Syntronik by IK Multimedia offers. By sampling some of the best and most sought after synthesizers that they sourced from private collections, IK Multimedia has gone above and beyond what is expected from virtual instruments. From the Alesis Andromeda and Multimoog to the Roland Juno-60, Oberheim OB-X, Yamaha GX-1, Elka Rhapsody 490 and many, many others, Syntronik is offers a great package for vintage synth enthusiasts. However, at $299.99 for the downloaded edition and $329.99 for a boxed copy, it is still a sizable investment. Fortunately, there is a way to get your hands on Syntronik for free and it doesn’t involve resorting to software piracy.

IK Multimedia has released a free version of their legendary synth powerhouse. Instead of severely crippling the free version of the software, IK Multimedia instead offers 50 instrument presets along with 38 effects, parts, layers as well as arpeggiators to mess around with. The fact that you get full functionality of all controls is great as it really enables you to delve into what Syntronik is capable of delivering. While 50 presets might not sound like much compared to the more than 2,000 individual presets that are included with the full version of Syntronik, it still gives you plenty to work with. The full functionality of the controls means you can modify these preset sounds to your heart’s content. Combine this with the fact that it is possible to layer a total of four different presets and you are looking at a lot of options. IK Multimedia includes the full set of effects found in Syntronik with this free version, giving you access to reverbs, delays, compressors, modulation effects and much more.

There are a couple of things that set Syntronik apart from the competition, the most impressive being their unique DRIFT technology. What it basically does is emulate the behavior you would get from real analog oscillators, which makes a huge difference to the sound and increases the realism. If you enjoy what Syntronik has to offer, but don’t want to shell out the full price for all the instruments included in the full version there is a more cost effective upgrade option. IK Media also sells the 17 instruments that make up the full version as individual downloads that can be purchased for $49.99. This makes it easy to get your hands on just the instruments you want without paying too much. Of course, the full version still offers the best value for money and after trying out the free version it might be hard to resist getting your hands on all the instruments.

Syntronik free can be downloaded from the IK Multimedia website and is 1.1 GB, compared to the 50 GB of the full version. Syntronik is also available for free on the App Store, giving users 27 instrument sounds from all 17 synths and the option to purchase individual synths in-app for $9.99 each.