DSSI

DSSI (pronounced "dizzy") is an API for audio processing plugins, particularly useful for software synthesis plugins with user interfaces.

DSSI is an open and well-documented specification developed for use in Linux audio applications, although portable to other platforms. It may be thought of as LADSPA-for-instruments, or something comparable to VSTi.

Download DSSI here:

http://dssi.sourceforge.net/download.html

Breakage - Drum Machine

Breakage is an intelligent drum machine designed to make it easy and fun to play complex, live breakbeat performances. A step-sequencer pattern editor and previewer, database, sample browser, neural network, pattern morphs, statistics and probabilistic pattern generator give you the tools to work with breaks on a higher level than ever before.

Compose

Write drum patterns in the step sequencer grid and save them to the database. Use the neural net in a live performance to generate complementary parts as you compose and edit breaks. Generate entirely new patterns based on drum hit probablities across the database.

Arrange

Transition between patterns by editing, loading a pattern from the database or morphing. Morphs smoothly fade, add or subtract from one pattern to another.

Preview

The pattern editor shows two patterns at once so you can preview transitions before performing them. The pattern currently playing is shown with the central red circles and the next pattern is indicated by the circles' borders.

To Download Breakage, visit this link:

http://www.blackholeprojector.com/download.html

LinuxSampler - Free Audio Sampler

The LinuxSampler project was founded with the goal to produce a free, streaming capable open source pure software audio sampler with professional grade features, comparable to both hardware and commercial Windows/Mac software samplers and to introduce new features not yet available by any other sampler in the world.

Download LinuxSampler here:

http://www.linuxsampler.org/downloads.html

ZynAddSubFX - Open Source Software Synthesizer

ZynAddSubFX is a open source software synthesizer capable of making a countless number of instruments, from some common heard from expensive hardware to interesting sounds that you'll boost to an amazing universe of sounds.

Features

Realtime synth

Polyphonic synth (allows playing more than one note at once)

Mutlitimbral synth (allows playing more than one instrument at once)

Microtonal capabilities with any scale, up to 128 notes per octave, and key mapping

Three synthesizer engines:

1. "ADsynth" or "ADnote" is a complex engine which makes sounds by adding a number of voices. Each one has filters, envelopes, LFOs, morphing, modulation (Ring Modulation, Phase Modulation... the modulators can have any shape), resonance, etc. Each voice includes a very powerful waveform generator with up to 128 sine/non-sine harmonics. You can use Fourier synthesis or if you don't like it you can wave-shaping/filtering of functions. This engine includes anti-aliasing.
2. "SUBsynth" or "SUBnote" is a simple engine which makes sounds through subtraction of harmonics from white noise
3. "PADsynth" or "PADnote" is engine that makes very beautiful pads and other instruments.

Instruments can be organized in kits, which allows you to make drum kits or layered(mixed) instruments; this makes possible to use more than one instrument for a single part. It is possible to choose what items from the kit should be processed by the Part's effects.

Effects:

• Reverb, Echo, Chorus/Flange, Phaser, AlienWah (it's a kind of vocal morpher), Distortion(Wave-shaping), EQ, DynamicFilter
• The effects can behave as System Effects or as Insertion Effects; this allows to use many effects at the same time. You can put any insertion effect on any part(or more insertion effects to same parts, if you like so) or you can put the insertion effect to Master output (very useful if you use the EQ effect). Also, you can have instrument's effect (which save with the instrument).

Filters up to 60dB/octave (or more..); filters can be analogic (LPF,HPF, BPF,etc.), formant(advanced formant filters) and state variable (SVF)

Envelopes can have ADSR (or ASR, etc..) modes or can be free modes (with any shape)

Many settings have a "randomness" option, which you can make instruments that every time produces a subtle different sound; this produces a very pleasant effect (like analogue synths or natural instruments that can't produces exactly same sound twice). Because of this, even if it is digital synthesis, it sounds "warm". Listen the ogg vorbis demos from this page to hear this effect.

The specifications can be easily changed, so (for example) if you want to change the number of voices or parts to a higher value or to allow a higher number of effects at the same time, there is necessary to change only a single value from the source file (globals.h) and to recompile the program

Intuitive and easy to use User Interface with Clipboard and many objects has user presets

Midi support (supports many controllers) and (if you want) JACK support

A built-in Virtual Keyboard which let you to use it even if you don't have a real midi keyboard

The graphical user interface can be completely disabled if the user need so

It is a free program, licensed under version 2 of the GNU General Public License

Over 300 high quality instruments included

Download ZynAddSubFX here:

http://zynaddsubfx.sourceforge.net/download.html

FluidSynth - real-time software synthesizer

FluidSynth is a real-time software synthesizer based on the SoundFont 2 specifications.

Features

• Cross platform support (Linux, Mac OSX and Windows to name a few)
  
• SoundFont 2 support
  
• Realtime effect modulation using SoundFont 2.01 modulators
  
• Shared library which can be used in other programs
  
• Built in command line shell
  
• Playback of MIDI files
  

To download FluidSynth, visit the link below:

http://fluidsynth.resonance.org/trac/wiki/Download

Qsynth

Qsynth is a fluidsynth GUI front-end application written in C++ around the Qt4 toolkit using Qt Designer. Eventually it may evolve into a softsynth management application allowing the user to control and manage a variety of command line softsynth but for the moment it wraps the excellent FluidSynth. FluidSynth is a command line software synthesiser based on the Soundfont specification.

Download Qsynth with the link below:

http://qsynth.sourceforge.net/qsynth-index.html#Downloads

Bristol Audio Synthesis

Bristol Audio Synthesiser is an emulator for diverse keyboard instruments. Currently about 20 are implemented: various Moog, Sequencial Circuits, Oberheim, Yamaha, Roland, Hammond, Korg, ARP, and Vox algorithms. The application consists of an audio engine and an associated graphical user interface called Brighton which acts as a dedicated master keyboard for each emulation.

To download Bristol Audio Synthesis, visit the link below:

http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=157415

amSynth

Amsynth provides virtual analogue synthesis in the style of the classic Moog Minimoog/Roland Junos. It offers an easy-to-use interface and synth engine, while still creating varied sounds.

Features

two analogue-style audio oscillators, featuring:

• sinusoidal, saw/triangle (with adjustable shape), square/pulse (with adjustable pulsewidth) waveforms
• white noise with or without sample & hold
• hard sync
• of course, detune and range controls

mixer section with ring modulation

analogue-style low-pass filter

• 24dB/octave curve
• dedicated ADSR envelope
• cutoff and resonance control
• keyboard pitch tracking

amplifier with dedicated ADSR envelope

modulation LFO

• up to 58Hz modulation
• routable to all sections (pitch, filter, amplifier)

Effects

• High quality stereo reverb (freeverb)
• Distortion/crunch

Easy navigation and manipulation of presets

To Download amSyth, visit the link below:

http://amsynthe.sourceforge.net/amSynth/?p=download

Seq24

Seq24 is a minimal loop based midi sequencer. It was created to provide a very simple interface for editing and playing midi ‘loops’, and excludes the bloated features of the large software sequencers, and includes a small subset of features that I have found usable in performing.

To download Seq24, visit the link below:

http://www.filter24.org/seq24/download.html

Qtractor

Qtractor is an Audio/MIDI multi-track sequencer application written in C++ with the Qt4 framework. Target platform is Linux, where the Jack Audio Connection Kit (JACK) for audio, and the Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) for MIDI, are the main infrastructures to evolve as a fairly-featured Linux desktop audio workstation GUI, specially dedicated to the personal home-studio. Qtractor is free, open-source software, distributed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (GPL) version 2 or later.

Features

• Multi-track audio and MIDI sequencing and recording.
  
• Developed on pure Qt4 C++ application framework (no Qt3 nor KDE dependencies).
  
• Uses JACK for audio and ALSA sequencer for MIDI as multimedia infrastructures.
  
• Traditional multi-track tape recorder control paradigm.
  
• Audio file formats support: OGG (via libvorbis), MP3 (via libmad, playback only), WAV, FLAC, AIFF and many, many more (via libsndfile).
  
• Standard MIDI files support (format 0 and 1).
  
• Non-destructive, non-linear editing.
  
• Unlimited number of tracks per session/project.
  
• Unlimited number of overlapping clips per track.
  
• XML encoded session/project description files (SDI).
  
• Point-and-click, multi-select, drag-and-drop interaction (drag, move, drop, cut, copy, paste, paste-repeat, delete, split)
  
• Unlimited undo/redo.
  
• Built-in mixer and monitor controls.
  
• Built-in connection patchbay control and persistence (a-la QjackCtl).
  
• LADSPA, DSSI and native VSTi plug-in support.
  
• Unlimited number of plug-ins per track or bus.
  
• Plug-in presets, programs and chunk/configurations support.
  
• Audio/MIDI clip fade-in/out (linear, quadratic, cubic).
  
• Audio/MIDI clip gain/volume, normalize, export.
  
• Audio clip time-stretching (WSOLA-like or via librubberband), pitch-shifting (via librubberband) and seamless sample-rate conversion (via libsamplerate).
  
• Audio/MIDI track export (mix-down, merge).
  
• Audio/MIDI metronome bar/beat clicks.
  
• Unlimited tempo/time-signature map.
  
• MIDI clip editor (matrix/piano roll).
  
• MIDI instrument definitions (a-la Cakewalk(tm))
  
• JACK transport sync master.
  
• MMC control surface enabled.
  
• MIDI Song Position cueing support.
  
• Configurable keyboard shortcuts.
  

To download Qtractor, visit there page:

http://qtractor.sourceforge.net/qtractor-index.html#Downloads

Amuc (The Amsterdam Music Composer)

Amuc is a Linux application for composing and playing music.

Features

• Tune fragments are entered graphically. These are combined into a complete tune by means of a script file.
  
• Five-bar staff or piano roll display.
  
• 5 different built-in instruments, 6 mono synthesizers, sampled instruments.
  
• For the composer there is help available with scales and chords.
  
• Tunes can be exported as WAVE or MIDI files, or as human-readable scores in postscript format.
  
• MIDI files can be imported.
  
• WAVE files can be read and transformed to notes.
  
• Support for USB keyboard.
  
• Interface with Jack (the Jack Audio Connection Kit).
  

To download Amuc, click on the link below:

http://members.chello.nl/w.boeke/amuc/

Rosegarden - Editor, Composer, and Sequencer

What is Rosegarden?
Rosegarden is a well-rounded audio and MIDI sequencer, score editor,  and general-purpose music composition and editing environment. Rosegarden is an easy-to-learn, attractive application that runs on Linux, ideal for composers, musicians, music students, and small studio or home recording environments.

To download Rosegarden, visit the link below:

http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/getting/