Producer Rack

Checked September 2026

Ichiro Toda (Daichi Laboratory)

Synth1 review

SynthsFree version

Free virtual analog softsynth modeled on the Clavia Nord Lead 2, widely used since the 2000s. Best for a free, CPU-light virtual analog synth with a huge legacy preset ecosystem. Price: Free.

Key features

  • 2 oscillators plus 1 sub-oscillator
  • 4 filter types with distortion
  • 32-voice polyphony
  • 128 included presets
  • Arpeggiator and tempo-synced delay

Pros

  • Freeware, explicitly licensed for commercial track use
  • A massive community preset library built up over roughly 20 years

Cons

  • Last updated June 19, 2021 (v1.13 beta11) and appears unmaintained
  • Mac support limited to 64-bit AU only as of the last release; no VST3/AAX

Synth1 alternatives

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All Synth1 alternatives

Sources: daichilab.sakura.ne.jp