The Best VST Synths for Trap Type Beats
Remember when there was this big controversy surrounding type beats? People we're talking as if any producer who does type beats is an unimaginative fraud, as if a type beat was always synonymous with plagiarism. The truth is that type beats are basically just trap beats done on spec by gifted producers who want to jump-start their career. If you make a Gunna type beat (or whatever) that doesn’t mean you're ripping the artist off, but simply that you want to work with artists who are in the same ballpark, creatively. Or maybe you’re putting yourself to the test and imagining what kind of beats you would make if Gunna hit you up to produce for him. All I’m saying is: It’s all good, baby. Anyways, if you’re a type beat producer, you might be looking for some free (or affordable) new synthesizers to inspire cool new ideas. I’ve made a list of some of my favorite tools to capture that modern hip hop sound. Take a peep below.
Pigments | Arturia
Another impressive super powerful instrument? Sure.
Same shit, different day? Not quite…
Arturia is well-known for offering some of the most impressive analog emulations out there. They basically put priceless synths in the hands of every beatmaker on earth and let them run wild. And then they came up with a war machine of their own.
Pigments takes lessons from all its synthy forefathers, but it’s definitely modern. And the sounds it can produce also are! If you like your trap to have weird vibes and crazy textures, you’re gonna want to try this VST. I’m still exploring its capabilities, but it never ceases to amaze me.
Arcade | Output
If you like sample-based beats, you should give Arcade a go. Arcade supplies you with an ever-evolving collection of a wide range of samples. From a luscious West Coast extravaganza to an edgy drill beat, if you need it, it’s probably somewhere in there. Just load up a kit, pick a key and get funky.
You can also use Arcade as a regular synth, or a drum sampler. It’s really well-made and well thought-out. To be honest, I hope this is what the future of VST will look like: flexible instruments that don’t necessarily try to imitate the past but instead focus on making our lives easier and more creative.
A strong recommendation for this guy (pointing to Arcade) from this guy (now pointing at me.)
Download Arcade here.
SynthMaster One | KV331 Audio
SynthMaster is another VST that can help you think outside the box. This one is generally used by electronic music producers (and it’s pretty widely considered as one of the greats) but it might interest you if you’re looking to explore some of those hyperpop/Rage type beats.
It can produce some really fun, trance-inducing synth sounds. I’d recommend jamming on it for a little while, recording your experimentations, and then sampling some snippets. With the help of some chopping, compression, pitch-shifting, and all that, you’ll be raging in no time.
Download SynthMaster One here.
Massive X | Native Instruments
Another little gem from the people that brought you hits such as Kontakt and Maschine, and another extremely powerful synth… Please give it up for Massive X! This is the new version of the Native Instruments classic, this time with a more streamlined interface and some dope new presets.
Do you like your synths when they sound, well… Massive?! Yep? Then this one's for you. Just circling through the presets, you’ll probably recognize some complex keys, pads, and ambiances you’ve heard on tracks from your favorite artists across all genres.
This is a good one to use if you want to try out some new stuff and venture out of the sometimes reductive trap template. No offense to the trap template, though.
Download Massive X here.
Tyrell N6 | u-he
Let’s start with a freebie. Tyrell N6 is a self-described “sporty” synth, whatever that means. This compact little beauty is designed to give you the feel of tweaking a vintage synth in the comfort of your own DAW. It’s simple, and a great way to learn how synthesis works.
Tyrell N6 is often cited as one of the best free VST out there. It’s made by u-he, a really cool soft synth company that’s renowned for analog-modeled goodies such as the insanely powerful Diva, and my personal fave, the Repro-1. Tyrell shares some similarities with those beasts, in a small, easy-to-use package.
But don’t let its size fool you though, the possibilities are endless.
Download Tyrell N6 here.
Vital | Vital Audio
A new-comer in the freebie category, Vital has already made its mark in the beatmaking community. This little devil is a wavetable synth (not unlike my favorite soft synth in the world, Serum) and it offers great presets, flexibility, and MPE support… if you’re nasty.
Seriously, you can upload your own wavetable, or even generate some random ones from text. Vital is basically the Tesla of VST instruments, except it’s free and its creator doesn’t want you to die on Mars.
Download Vital here.
NoiseMaker | TAL Software
I’m definitely spoiling you because here comes another freebie. NoiseMaker is a very funky synth from TAL, a company that’s well-known for its impeccable recreation of the Juno and the SH-101 (to name a few.) TAL is a small and wonderful company - the David to the VST industry’s Goliath if you will - and NoiseMaker is no different…
This is the synth I pull up when I want to be surprised when I want to add a little je-ne-sais-quoi to a beat. NoiseMaker can produce crisp and weird sounds with crazy modulations. And you can learn how to make your own presets pretty easily if you roll like that.
If you can’t afford Omnisphere quite yet, NoiseMaker might get you those head-turning patches you’ve been craving while you’re saving your cash.
Download NoiseMaker here.
Serum | Xfer Records
If God made a synth, this would be the one. Serum is a super versatile engine that can give you really modern forms of modulation and synthesis but can also sing like an old analog machine. For the complexity of all its possibilities, it has a fairly comprehensive interface, although I’ll admit I’ve been using it for years and I still find new and exciting ways to create with it.
This being said, I like to spend my time making music rather than creating patches and tweaking new soundwaves or whatever. Luckily, Serum is also perfect for all the preset nerds like me out there. You can get really cool ready-to-wear designer sounds from developers such as Studio Sounds, Cymatics, Synth CTRL, and my favorite, Echo Sound Works.
Omnisphere gets all the love in the producer community (and deservedly so!), but Serum is the unsung hero… and it’s wayyyy more affordable.
Download Serum here.
Omnisphere 2 | Spectrasonics
Alright, hang on to your freakin’ hat. This is the biggie. Omnisphere: it’s hella expensive, hella demanding for your CPU, and it’s hella worth every penny.
I was late to the Omnisphere party, but after mortgaging my Pokemon card collection, I managed to get the scratch together to buy this handsome young buck, and I wasn’t disappointed. This is one of those instruments that keep on impressing. I can’t believe the amount of dope presets and cool features it has. It sounds futuristic but vintage, and it’s complex, but it’s fun to play with.
In short: I’m in love, and I’ll put a ring (modulator?) on that finger.
All dad jokes aside, Omnisphere is cool. We all know it. If you're considering it, just go for it. I’d even suggest getting only this one and not spending your cash on anything else because you might not want to use anything else once you’ve set your fingertips on this lil’ puppy.
Download Omnisphere 2 here.
Purity | SonicCat
Forget everything you learned so far. Forget all the incredible interfaces, the endless possibilities, the wonderful modulations. Purity does one thing, and it does it well, baby. This incredibly normcore software gives you raw and uncompromising sounds. There’s nothing I hate more than circling through presets and having to turn off tons of reverb and delay for every patch (that’s right Arturia, I’m looking at you.)
If you want a no-nonsense VST that kicks butts and takes names, try Purity. This thing will probably sound familiar too if you’re a trap connaisseur. In fact, it’s been used by some of the greats, probably most notably Pi’erre Bourne who likes this thing as much as he likes the bebop scale. Seriously, it’s been all over his Playboi Carti collabs since day 1.
Download Purity here.
Bells | Thenatan
It’s good to think outside the box, but if you like thinking inside the box, there’s no shame, okay? I love you just the way you are, and if you like a well-defined trap palette, all the better. Sometimes you just want to play the hits and that’s okay too. And I have just the thing for you.
Check out Bells, by Thenatan. Before you say anything, no this isn’t a VST for bell sounds, that’d be pretty dumb. Bells is a synth that comes loaded with all the cutting-edge trap bangers presets you need to make hits. The modulations and effects are original and user-friendly. This thing basically comes with an integrated RC-20 Retro Color, plus intuitive controls and a mind-blowing interface.
At the time of writing this, it’s on sale for 20 bucks, and it’s really all you need to make your beats and start making all those millions you’ve been talking about. (You might also need a few drum samples, but you get my point.)
Download Bells here.
Photo credit: Erwi
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