
OB-Xd lives up to its inspiration on both fronts. This is an emulation of Tom Oberheim’s classic OB-X polysynth, an analogue classic beloved for its thick, rich sound and easy-to-use interface. It remains our favourite freeware synth, though, based largely on its blend of simple usability and excellent sound. OB-Xd (VST/AU) isn’t the flashiest one on the market, and nor is it the newest. Once you've got your free DAW, you'll likely to want some some free plugin synths to use in it. Throw in AU plugin support and you realise that, If you need a free DAW on the Mac, there’s little reason to look anywhere else.ĭownload Apple GarageBand (opens in new tab)
Freeware audio to midi vst plugins upgrade#
If you do decide that you need more features, Logic Pro provides a ready-made upgrade path on the Mac, as much of the functionality is the same and GarageBand projects can be loaded into it. The effects library includes virtual guitar amps and stompboxes, and there are enough editing and mixing features for you to polish a track to completion. There are plenty of rhythmic and instrumental loops, too - just drag them into the Timeline and start creating - and Apple’s excellent Drummer enables you to create customised drum tracks to fit your projects. Not only can you record audio - your guitar or mic, for example - but you also get a strong selection of software instruments that can be played from a MIDI keyboard.

And guess what? It makes it ridiculously easy for pretty much anyone to start making music. The most famous free DAW of them all comes bundled with every Mac and is freely downloadable for iOS devices.
