Free music software round-up: Week 101

free music software

free music software

Four pre-Christmas treats for you this week, including a seasonally-appropriate wind instrument, a vintage synth emulation, a peak meter and a retro organ. We'll see you for more gratis goodness in 2012.

If you've got a new free music software release, make sure you let us know about it by emailing musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com with all the details.

Tek'it audio recsoprano

Tek'it audio recsoprano

Tek'it Audio RECsoprano

Platform/format: PC/VST Download

We're in the season of school Christmas concerts, so what better time to release a free soprano recorder plug-in? This one has an envelope control, a selection of tuning options, portamento and is polyphonic, which should make it sound all the sweeter.

Pianovintage jem sx1000

Pianovintage jem sx1000

Pianovintage JEM SX1000

Platform/format: PC/VST Download

The JEN SX-1000 was an Italian monosynth that was released in the '70s; this is a software emulation. It looks pretty easy to program, though you can save yourself the bother by making use of the 30 presets, six of which emulate those that came with the original instrument.

Starplugs peak meter

Starplugs peak meter

Starplugs Peak Meter

Platform/format: PC/VST Download

A Christmas present from Starplugs (note the Santa hat on the logo), this peak meter promises to offer a superfast peak display, peak-hold bargraph and numerical peak-hold. It's the kind of gift that's still going to be useful long after the last mince pie has been eaten and the tree has come down.

Martinic combo model f

Martinic combo model f

Martinic Combo Model F

Platform/format: PC, Mac/VST, AU Download

Yet another organ emulation arrives to flex its drawbars: this one looks similar to many others (it's based on a famous combo instrument from the '60s), but we should point out that it's modelled rather than sample-based.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.