Awesome free plugins and DAW’s

The standalone version of MIDI Guitar was designed to be a handy little host of plugins, that does not depend on a complex DAW recording system, making it ideal for rehearsals, live performances or for when you just need a quick creativity boost.

However, you’ll need some plugins to really make it shine. The built-in synths and instruments are really just meant as a starting point. This page details the various types of plugins supported by MIDI Guitar and recommends a few good first synths for new users.

On this page:

free DAW’s
free Soundfont players and libraries
free Synthesizers
free Amp simulators
MIDI Machines
How to install plugins to work with MIDI Guitar

Free DAWs (Digital Audio Workstations)

ARDOUR

A great open source DAW, available for windows, macOS and Linux

Download from https://ardour.org

Cakewalk by BandLab

windows only
Previously called Sonar Platinium, Cakewalk by BandLab is now free (!).

It includes high quality plugins of all sorts.

https://www.bandlab.com/products/cakewalk

More info on how to plugin MIDI Guitar into Cakewalk/Sonar on https://www.jamorigin.com/docs/daw/#toggle-id-9

GarageBand

mac only

Ok, this isn’t actually free, but inexpensive and Mac only. But it has lots of good sampled instruments plus you get simple and friendly DAW for some quick recordings. More info on how to plugin MIDI Guitar into Garageband on jamorigin.com/daw.

Free Soundfont players & Libraries (SFZ,SF2 format)

Sforzando by Plogue

Sforzando is a free soundfont player. Simple but very powerful for advanced users.
Note: There is a simple buildin SFZ player in MIDI Guitar and MIDI Bass for windows & macos. But Sforzando adds SF2 format, effects and allows for tweaking.

Get Sforzando here: https://www.plogue.com/products/sforzando.html

Virtual Playing Orchestra library.

Virtual Playing Orchestra is a large freeware bank of orchestral instruments in SFZ format. It can be used with both the internal player and Sforzando.

Download:
http://virtualplaying.com/virtual-playing-orchestra/

You need to download both the large wav files package and the small SFZ files package.

Installation:
Put all these files in a folder on your hard drive. In order for MIDI Guitar to find the instruments, you need to open MIDI Guitar, go to Plugins and set the SFZ folder to whatever location you put the SFZ files.
Sforzando can open this likewise.

Simply search the internet for soundfonts, SF2, SFZ and you’ll find tons of extra libraries usable with our internal sfz player or Sforzando!

Free Synthesizers

Surge

open source, and amazingly powerful!

Download from https://surge-synthesizer.github.io

SyndtSphere

Sound Surfer Synth

SyndtSphere is basically a sphere version of Klevgrands polyphonic synthesizer Syndt.

Download from https://klevgrand.se/products/syndtsphere

Zebralette

Zebralette is a simplified version of Zebra 2 – one of the most popular synths around. For beginners, most synths just looks like a panel of an overwhelming lot of knobs, but Zebralette has fewer at least. Yet it sounds great and is freeware. The installer will install a demo of Zebra 2 as well.

Download the Zebra family of plugins at its page: https://www.u-he.com/cms/zebralette

Tyrell N6

Very powerful analog synth loosely based upon the famous Juno 60 and Jupiter 6 synths.

Download Tyrell N6 here. (the site is in german, translated version here).

Free Amp Simulation Plugins

FreeAMP by Klevgrand

A stripped-down version of their REAMP product:
https://klevgrand.se/products/freeamp

Also: Klevgrand’s STARK guitar amp & fx plugin is a great product which you should try if you are looking for a full virtual amp & fx setup. Demo on https://klevgrand.se/products/stark

LePou ampsims

Several different types, downloadable from

http://www.vst4free.com/index.php?dev=LePou

Note: these amps come without cabinet simulator, so you can combine them with the builtin cabinets from MIDI Guitar.

AMPLIFIKATION LITE by Kuassa

Downloadable from
https://www.kuassa.com/products/amplifikation-lite/

ACE by Shattered Glass Audio

A “Tweed” Champ emulator
Downloadable from
http://www.shatteredglassaudio.com/product/103

BOOGEX by Voxengo

Real-time guitar processing
Speaker cabinet simulation
Stereo convolution processing
Downloadable from https://www.voxengo.com/product/boogex/

MIDI Machines

The MIDI inside MIDI Guitar /Bass for windows & macos is scriptable via our MIDI Machine scripts.
MIDI Machines can do things like transpose, arpeggiate, block notes, create extranotes, harmonise and can also listen to your midi footcontroller.

A few scrips come default with our app, but you can download extra scripts via our forum jamosapien.com or programm your own!

Install help:
https://jamosapien.com/t/about-the-midi-machines-category/89

MIDI Machines are here:
https://jamosapien.com/c/pc-mac/midi-machines/10

Demo script to get you started with your own MIDI Machine:
https://jamosapien.com/t/default-midi-machine-for-developers/91

How to install VST/AU plugins?

Plugins are easy to install. Some plugins are distributed as an installer that you simply run to do that installation.

Conversely, often plugins are distributed as files, usually packaged in a zip archive, that you must manually install. To install a plugin from a downloaded archive:

Windows users: Copy any 32 bit .dll file to c:/program files (x86)/Steinberg/VstPlugins/ or copy any 64 bit .dll file to c:/program files/Steinberg/VstPlugins/.

Mac users: Copy any .vst file to your VST plugins folder /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST/ and copy any .component file to your AudioUnit plugins folder: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Component/.

In order to use your new plugin from a host application (i.e. from MIDI Guitar) that application must scan your plugins folder to discover the new plugins. In MIDI Guitar press the scan button in the Plugins section.