Software Synth/Sampler, Drumbox, Looper

See also:

• Synthesis/Composition Tools

If described as a “sampler”, this means the app loads/plays sampled waveforms. If described as a “synth”, this means the app's sounds are synthesized via oscillators, or physical modeling.

Page	Description	Release Date	Tags
Aeolus	Pipe organ synth with 3 manuals and 1 pedal, 5 different temperaments, variable tuning, stereo, surround or Ambisonics output, flexible audio controls including a large church reverb. Uses JACK	2013
ALSA Modular Synth	Complex modular synth. Uses JACK	2014-04-01
amSynth	Modelling synth. Uses JACK	2017-06-25								DS JS
AZR-3 [JACK]	A tonewheel organ with drawbars, distortion and rotating speakers. Uses JACK audio and MIDI. Based upon the AZR3 VST plugin by Rumpelrausch Täips	2010-03-12
Beatrix	Command-line hammond-style drawbar organ app with overdrive, leslie sim, and reverb. Uses OSS (not ALSA or JACK)	2006
Chionic	Linux sampling software from Juan Linietsky (reduz)	2005-05-01
connie	Simulation of an electronic organ like Vox Continental. A second model features a "poor man's hammond". Uses JACK for audio and MIDI	2009								JS
ct-synth	Polyphonic synthesizer, built with custom GUI toolkit, for Linux and Android	2016-4-20
Cumulus	real-time granular synth. Uses OSS	2001-02-12
cursynth	Command-line 32 voice polyphonic synth. 2 osc's with 15 anti-aliased waveforms. Low/high pass resonant filter. Routable modulation matrix with MIDI learn	2014
Delfin	a realtime software sampler	2003-02-16
RTSynth	Voice controlled resonance instrument. Requires JACK and a microphone
din	Synth that lets you draw your own oscillator waveform using Bezier curves. Uses JACK for audio and MIDI	2017-03-26
Elara	Old MIDI-controlled synth	2001-03-04
FluidGUI	GUI for FluidSynth written in Java / Swing	2004-06-18
FluidSynth	MIDI synthesizer using SF2 soundfonts. Uses JACK and/or ALSA directly	2014-06-07								LP
fsthost	App that runs Windows VSTs via WINE libs	2016-05-31								JS
GENPO	Replicates the essential features of any pipe, theatre, or reed organ. GENPO reads a description of an organ (from a XML file) and presents a GUI for operating that organ. You must supply your own organ waveforms	2008-11-26
GrandOrgue	sample based pipe organ
gsynth	Old Roland TB-303 emulator synth. Plays programmed bass line	2001-07-30
horgand	FM-synthesis organ, JACK-aware, with DSP effects and programmable accompaniment	2008
Ingen	modular synthesizer that runs under JACK and uses LADSPA andor DSSI plugins (formerly known as Om)									JS LP LV2
Internet Synth	Web-based synth (source available by request)
JSampler	Java GUI for "Linuxsampler"	2009-08-03
Minicomputer	Synth for creating experimental electronic sounds. Uses JACK	2010-01-31
Mono	mono synth	2000-04-14
MSS	GTK Synth. Uses OSS (not ALSA or JACK)	2002-06-22
Mx44	synth very good for esoteric pads and ultra electric leads. Uses JACK	2009-12-24
obx	Oberheim OBX synth emulation	2016-10-1
Octavian	Modular MIDI-controlled synth. Uses JACK	2005-02-09
Petri-Foo	Petri-Foo is a contemporary fork of the Specimen sampler	2012-08-06								JS
PHASEX	GTK Synth built around flexible phase modulation and flexible oscillator/LFO sources. Modulations include AM, FM, offset PM, and wave select. PHASEX comes equipped with multiple filter types and modes, a stereo crossover delay and chorus with phaser, ADSR envelopes, etc. Uses JACK	2013
pleiad maia	simple GTK 2 osc substractive synth. Uses ALSA
QSampler	Qt GUI for LinuxSampler	2017-04-27
QSynth	Qt GUI Interface for FluidSynth	2017-04-27
RTSynth	midi-controlled synth. Uses ALSA or JACK	2006-12-24
San Dysth	Synth that generates various sounds inbetween white noise and pure tone	2008-03-06								LP
simsam	Software sampler maps multiple wave files to "key ranges". Uses JACK
Slat	Child-like synth works/sounds like a theremin	2005-09-27
Soundtank	LADSPA host designed for making and playing softsynths	2004-11-22								LP
Specimen	a MIDI-controllable sampler. Uses JACK	2007-03-12
SpiralLoops	a loop-based sampler with plugin support	2001-05-07
Spiral Synth	synth
Spiral Synth Modular	modular software synth, augment it with LADSPA plugins	2004-03-20								LP
Swami	SoundFont editor and management software.	2014-04-25
SynthForge	A modular sound synthesiser, for creating audio synths and effects for Linux.	2009-08-17
The Linux Softsynth Roundup	the shape of things in May 2003	2003-05-01
TiMidity++	greatly extended and enhanced version of TiMidity	2004-10-04
Ultramaster Juno-6	software emulation of the classic Roland analog synth	2006-06-16
Xsynth	MIDI-controlled analog-style realtime synthesizer	1999-08-06								DS
Yoshimi	A Software Synthesizer forked from ZynAddSubFX	2017-06-24								JS
ZynAddSubFX	Impressive FLTK-based realtime softsynth with multiple synthesis algorithms and FX	2016-11-28

The following software are plug-ins, designed to be used with apps that load plug-ins.

Page	Description	Release Date	Tags
ams	LV2 plugins derived from "Alsa Modular Synth". These plugins are used to create modular synths and contain a VCO, VCF, VCA, LFO, Slew Limiter, Envelop, and Sample+Hold	2017-01-21
BLOP	band-limited oscillator LADSPA plugins	2004-06-20
Calf Studio Gear	MIDI synthesis instruments, filters, and effects	2017-11-04								LV2
Calf Studio Gear plugins	Large collection of synths and effect LV2 plugins
Chainsaw synth	Basic subtractive synth with supersaw oscillator. Linux VST plugin	2010-11-17
DISTRHO Project	Large collection of synths and effect LV2 plugins	2014
FluidSynth-DSSI	Turns "FluidSynth" into a DSSI plugin	2009-01-05
foo-yc20	YC20 organ emulation	2011-01-28
hexter	Yamaha DX7 modeling DSSI plugin	2014-06-11
newtonator	LV2 synth that uses a unique algorithm based on simple ideas of velocity and acceleration to produce some unpredictable sounds	2012-08-26
samplv1	MIDI-controlled LV2 sampler. Standalone version also	2017-06-21								JS
setbfree	hammond-style drawbar organ	2017-01-04
Sineshaper	Monophonic waveshaping DSSI synth
synthv1	LV2 polyphonic synth. Standalone version also	2016-02-22								JS
Triceratops LV2 Synth	Substractive Poly LV2 Synth	2016-11-28
VCO-Plugins	Three anti-aliased oscillators as LADSPA plugins
WhySynth	A DSSI Softsynth Plugin	2012-09-03
zyn	Port of ZynAddSubFX synth engines to LV2

These apps mimic “drum machines”. If described as a “sampler”, this means the sounds are sampled waveforms of real drums. If described as a “synth”, this means the sounds are synthesized via oscillators (like the analog Roland TR-808), or physical modeling.

If described as “MIDI-controlled”, this means the sounds are playable in real-time via a MIDI controller such as drum pads or a keyboard (or another MIDI app if the ALSA Sequencer interface is supported). If “Pattern-controlled”, then the app requires you to program “beat patterns”, and the app plays these patterns at whatever tempo you set.

Recommended: Hydrogen

Page	Description	Release Date	Tags
Beatfish	Pattern-controlled drum sampler. Uses JACK for audio. Enlightenment for its GUI
Beats By Design	an "artificially intelligent drum machine", requires jMusic and Java	2013
Drumpiler	Write or generate drum and tone patterns in a simple programming language. Mix it using the sample assembler (asampler). Renders to files or plays real-time
Fultron 2002	Old Pattern-controlled drum sampler. Uses SDL	2002
Gneutronica	GTK Pattern-or-MIDI-controlled drum sampler, step-based like Hydrogen. Uses JACK for audio, and ALSA sequencer for MIDI	2006-07-03
Groovit	Old command-line Pattern-controlled drum synth. Uses OSS	1999
Jackbeat	Pattern-controlled drum sampler. Uses JACK or PulseAudio	2012-02-08
orDrumbox	drum-machine in Java	2016-11-06
PSIndustrializer	Physical modeling synth for generating percussion sounds. It also can produce chimes, bubbles, gongs, hammer hits on different materials and so on. With OpenGL GUI	2005-10-03
pyTrommler	GTK Pattern-controlled drum sampler written in Python	2006
Slag	Pattern-controlled drum synth. Uses JACK	2006
Smack	MIDI-controlled drum synth. Uses JACK
TK-707	Pattern-controlled drum synth. Emulation of the Roland TR-707 drum machine. Uses ALSA
Virtual Drum Machine	Old command-line Pattern-controlled drum sampler. Uses OSS
Xdrum	Old Pattern-controlled drum sampler for X and the Athena widget set

The following software are plug-ins, designed to be used with apps that load plug-ins.

Page	Description	Release Date	Tags
drmr lv2 drums	lv2 MIDI-controlled drum sampler that uses hydrogen drumkits	2012
drumkv1	LV2 MIDI-controlled drum sampler. Standalone version also	2016-02-22								JS
eDrummer	Turns your computer into a drum kit you play live with MIDI drum pads.	2016/05
Fabla	LV2 MIDI-controlled drum sampler	2012-01-07

The following software load and operate plug-ins.

Page	Description	Release Date	Tags
ags	GTK audio sequencer with a piano roll, synth, matrix editor, drum machine, soundfont2 player, mixer and an output panel. Uses ALSA	2018								DS LP LV2
Ardour	Professional-grade multitrack/multichannel hard-disk recording	2017-08-16								JS LP LV2
Bipscript	a simple programming environment for creating music.									LV2
carla	A host for LADSPA+LRDF, DSSI, LV2, VST2/3 and AU plugins plus GIG, SF2 and SFZ support.									DS LV2
guitarix	rock guitar effects	2017-08-11								JS LP LV2
Ingen	modular synthesizer that runs under JACK and uses LADSPA andor DSSI plugins (formerly known as Om)									JS LP LV2
jalv.select	A little gtkmm GUI to select lv2 plugs from a list and run them with jalv	2016-04-01								LV2
Nama	DAW with a command language and terminal mode	2016-01-10								LP LV2
Qtractor	Advanced Qt-based audio/MIDI sequencer supporting plugins (softsynths/effects). Uses JACK for audio, and ALSA sequencer interface for MIDI	2016-11-21								DS JS LP LV2
Synthpod	A lightweight non-linear LV2 plugin container	2015-04-02								JS LV2
Traverso	multitrack audio recording and editing program	2010-10-08								LV2
zynjacku	JACK based, GTK (2.x) host for LV2 synths	2009-01-21								LV2