A list of open source VST (and other format) plugin/app projects. The intention of this list is to catalog open source plugins or apps which are fully featured or are useful examples which have non-trivial features.
The main benefit of having Open Source plugins/apps is that the code itself is preserved for the future, so when the author(s) stop updating it the community can continue using and developing the software. Open Source projects are also a great way to learn how different audio FX/instruments are created.
https://openaudio.webprofusion.com
Please contribute links!
| Plugin | Description | Type | Framework |
|---|---|---|---|
| ADLplug | FM Chip Synthesizer — OPL & OPN | Instrument | JUCE |
| andes | Sound synthesiser plugin based on Perlin noise | Instrument | JUCE |
| Airwindows | Various small and experimental effect plugins | Effect | |
| amsynth | Analog-modelling (virtual analog) synthesizer | Instrument | GTK |
| Argotlunar | Real-time delay-line granulator | Effect | JUCE |
| Audio Effects | Plugins implemented from the explanations in the book “Audio Effects: Theory, Implementation and Application” | Effect | JUCE |
| BinAural VST | Mono-to-stereo plugin that positions sound in a 3D space using Head-Related Transfer Functions | Effect | JUCE |
| CHOW | A maximally truculent distortion effect | Effect | JUCE |
| Cloud Seed | Algorithmic reverb for emulating huge, endless spaces and modulated echoes | Effect | |
| Cocoa Delay | Warm and lively delay | Effect | WDL-OL |
| Convolver | Impulse-response reverb | Effect | VSTGUI, JUCE |
| Dexed | DX7 FM plugin synth | Instrument | JUCE |
| Digits | Phase-distortion synth inspired by Casio CZ series | Instrument | VSTGUI |
| Distrho glBars | OpenGL bars visualization plugin (as seen in XMMS and XBMC/Kodi) adapted from jack_glbars | Effect | DPF |
| Distrho Juice Plugins | Misc | DPF | |
| Distrho Kars | Simple karplus-strong plucked string synth based on the karplong DSSI example synth | Instrument | DPF |
| Distrho Mini-Series | Collection of small plugins based on LOSER-Dev Plugins | Effect | DPF |
| Distrho MVerb | DPF-based version of MVerb | Effect | DPF |
| Distrho ndc Plugs | DPF-based versions of some of ndc Plugs | Effect | DPF |
| Distrho Nekobi | Simple single-oscillator synth based on Roland TB-303 | Instrument | DPF |
| Distrho ProM | Music-visualizer plugin based on projectM | Effect | DPF |
| Dragonfly Reverb | Hall-style reverb based on Freeverb3 algorithms | Effect | DPF |
| Element | Advanced Audio Plugin Host | Misc | JUCE |
| Eurorack | Diverse set of physical modeling sources, organic processors, wavetable oscillators, waveshapers, granular synths, and utility modules | Misc | |
| Flutterbird | Simple pitch fluctuation | Effect | iPlug 2 |
| Gverb/Gigaverb | Reverb | Effect | VSTGUI |
| Helm | Polyphonic synth with lots of modulation | Instrument | JUCE |
| hexter | Yamaha DX7 modeling FM synth for DSSI | Instrument | DPF |
| Harsh Digital Nose | Experimental synthesizer that converts two images into two oscillator waveforms and then mixes them in various horrible ways | Instrument | JUCE |
| HiLoFilter | Simple hipass/lopass filter controlled with a single knob | Effect | JUCE |
| JuceOPLVSTi | FM synth based on Yamaha OPL2/3 emulation from DOSBox | Instrument | JUCE |
| Juno 6 | Roland Juno 6/60 Synthesizer | Instrument | |
| keithhearne/VSTPlugins | A collection of VST plugins | Effect | JUCE |
| K-Meter | Implementation of a K-System meter according to Bob Katz' specifications | Effect | JUCE |
| KickMaker | Synth specifically to create kick-drum sounds | Instrument | VSTGUI |
| LameVST | LameMP3 as an effect | Effect | |
| mda | FX and virtual instruments for PC and Mac | Misc | (no GUI) |
| Mika Micro | Simple subtractive synth | Instrument | WDL-OL |
| Mr. Alias 2 | Non-bandlimited oscillators which can be transposed near to and beyond the Nyquist frequency. Nice to psychedelic tracks | Instrument | JUCE |
| MVerb | Studio-quality reverb using the Dattorro’s figure-of-eight reverb structure | Effect | VSTGUI |
| NotNotchFilter | Performance-oriented filter designed to replace the mid-EQ found in a standard 3-band DJ mixer | Effect | JUCE |
| ndc Plugs | VST plugins for Windows and OSX | Misc | |
| OwlBass | Additive bass synth | Instrument | JUCE |
| OB-Xd | Based on the Oberheim OB-X | Instrument | JUCE |
| Oxe FM Synth | Multitimbral 8-operator FM synth (VST 2.4; Windows, Linux, macOS) | Instrument | VSTGUI |
| PulseDelay | Timed delay effect | Effect | (no GUI) |
| QtVST | VST plugins with a Qt interface | Effect | Qt |
| Regrader | Degenerative delay | Effect | VSTGUI |
| Roth-AIR | Mixing tool for easily adding airy, crispy presence to audio | Effect | JUCE |
| ScorchCrafter Guitar FX | Audio DSP FX and plugins, mostly for guitar (amp sim) and other FX | Effect | VSTGUI |
| ShoutVST | VST for streaming sound into Icecast/Shoutcast directly from VST hosts | Effect | VSTGUI, FLUID |
| Sound Analyser | Real-time audio analysis to allow anyone to quickly set up and experiment with different algorithms | Effect | JUCE |
| Surge | Subtractive wavetable synth | Instrument | VSTGUI |
| Synister | Subtractive synth | Instrument | JUCE |
| Syntage | VST 2.4 .Net Study Synth | Instrument | |
| Temper | Digital distortion targeting VST, VST3, and AU for OS X and Windows | Effect | Faust, JUCE |
| Tunefish | VST virtual analog synthesizer | Instrument | JUCE |
| traKmeter | Loudness meter for correctly setting up tracking and mixing levels | Effect | JUCE |
| VCV Rack | Virtual modular synth | Misc | RtAudio |
| VSTSID | SID synthesizer instrument | Instrument | |
| VST2413 | FM synth based on emulator of YM2413 (OPLL) chip used in Sega Master System and FM-PAC MSX expansion | Instrument | (no GUI) |
| Wolf Shaper | Waveshaper plugin with spline-based graph editor | Effect | DPF |
| YK Chorus | Chorus audio effect plugin based on DSP code by TAL | Effect | DPF |
| zam-plugins | LADSPA/LV2/VST/JACK audio plugins for high-quality processing | Effect | DPF |
- VCV library — a library of plugins compatible with VCV Plugin Manager
- Linux Synths - a list of linux based synths, some of which are open source
| Software | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Ardour | Ardour/ardour | DAW |
| ASIO2WASAPI | levmin/ASIO2WASAPI | Universal ASIO driver for Windows |
| Audacity | audacity/audacity | Audio editor |
| Element | Kushview/Element | Advanced Audio Plugin Host |
| FlexASIO | dechamps/FlexASIO | Universal ASIO driver for Windows |
| Giada | monocasual/giada | Loop machine |
| Guitarix | SourceForge → guitarix | GNU/Linux Virtual Amplifier |
| Helio Workstation | helio-fm/helio-workstation | Sequencer |
| HISE | christophhart/HISE | Cross-platform framework/application for building sample-based virtual instruments (VST, AU, AAX) |
| Hydrogen | hydrogen-music/hydrogen | Drum machine |
| NewMixer | jatinchowdhury18/NewMixer | Mixing Software |
| LMMS | LMMS/lmms | DAW |
| OpenMPT | OpenMPT/openmpt | Popular tracker (formerly ModPlug Tracker) for Windows with support for IT, XM, S3M, MOD modules, VST plugins and ASIO |
| OwlPlug | DropSnorz/OwlPlug | Audio plugin manager |
| orDrumbox | SourceForge → ordrumbox | Drum machine |
| Psycle | SourceForge → psycle | Modular music tracker |
| VCV Rack | VCVRack/Rack | Modular synth |
| Zrythm | zrythm/zrythm | DAW |
| Library | Source | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Cabbage | rorywalsh/cabbage | Framework for developing audio plugins and standalone instruments with Csound |
| Csound | csound/csound | Programming language for sound and music synthesis |
| DPF | DISTRHO/DPF | C++ framework for creating cross-platform audio plugins |
| Faust | grame-cncm/faust | Functional programming language for real-time signal processing |
| FluidSynth | FluidSynth/fluidsynth | Real-time synth based on the SoundFont 2 specifications |
| iPlug 2 | iPlug2/iPlug2 | Simple-to-use C++ framework for developing cross-platform audio plugins/apps |
| JUCE | WeAreROLI/JUCE | Cross-platform C++ framework for developing desktop and mobile apps and audio plugins |
| jVSTwRapper | SourceForge → jvstwrapper | Wrapper to write audio plugins in Java (VST 2.4, AU, LADSPA; Windows, Linux, macOS) |
| libopenmpt | OpenMPT/openmpt | Cross-platform C/C++ module-playback library based on OpenMPT |
| PortAudio | Assembla → portaudio | Cross-platform audio I/O library |
| RtAudio | thestk/rtaudio | C++ classes for cross-platform real-time audio I/O |
| rust-vst | rust-dsp/rust-vst | VST 2.4 API implementation in the Rust language |
| Soundpipe | PaulBatchelor/Soundpipe | Lightweight music DSP library written in C; over 100 modules, many ported from Csound |
| VSTGUI | steinbergmedia/vstgui | User-interface toolkit mainly for audio plugins |
| WDL-OL | olilarkin/wdl-ol | Simple-to-use C++ framework for developing cross-platform audio plugins (superseded by iPlug 2) |
- KlangFalter — a convolution audio plugin (e.g. for usage as convolution reverb)
- FFTConvolver — an audio convolution algorithm in C++ for real-time audio processing
- OpenAIR — the Open Acoustic Impulse Response Library (Convolution Reverb Impulse Responses to recreate reverb character of space and equipment/recordings)