My Top 6 Free Audio (VST) Plugins for Game Sound Design

Hey guys, I wanted to highlight my best 6 VST plugins when it comes to game sound design. This goes from designing sound effect (SFX) for games and game background music.

When it comes to game design, there are plenty of free virtual instruments (VST Plugins) which are free to use and free to download.

I wanted to highlight my best 6 virtual instruments (VST plugins) which I tend to use or will use when it comes to game sound development. 

I would highly recommend all game sound designers and developers to check these out below:

1. Charlatan

Charlatan comes with some great LFO's, sound wave modulations and settings, built in noise output which is great to create whoosh, wind or a sea waves types of sounds. With Charlatan, I was able to create some amazing sound effects from whooshes, to rising sounds, transient effects.

I highly recommend trying Charlatan plugin out, with this plugin it's quite possible to create over 500 different style of sound outputs, great for any style of video game sound design.

2. Charlatan 3

Charlatan 3 is an upgrade from Charlatan, this plugin comes with extra built-in modulation features providing the ability to re-produce many different types of game style sound effects.

In my opinion, this is quite possibly one of the best VST plugins to use when it comes to game sound design compositions and working projects, providing the ability to create almost any type of sound effects and any style of virtual instrument, ranging from leads, pianos, pads, and experimental sounds.

Again, I highly recommend this virtual synthesizer plugin.

3. Vital VST

This VST comes with built-in wavetables, allowing the game sound designers to edit the wave input and pretty much recreate any sound desirable. Comes with 3 sets of oscillators, in addition it also comes with unison features, built in post-effects, ability to link and control the LFO's uniquely. 

This VST is free to download and free to use, in my opinion this is an extraordinary VST plugin which is great for creating any style of sound effects as well as game design background music.

4. Primer VST

Primer VST is pretty much new when it comes to music production, this virtual instrumental synthesizer comes with tonnes of features and presets. It provides the ability to create some unique style of sounds and great for creating some unique and high quality sound effects.

I would highly recommend this type of virtual instrument for any style of game sound design ranging from sound effects, re-creating unique virtual foley sounds to background music.

This plugin comes with:

• ADSR features.
• 2 types of Oscillators.
• Built in filter.
• LFO's.
• 3 type of voices, mono, legato and poly.
• 2 or 4 unison voices.
• Built-in effects such as phaser, reverb, chorus delay.

5. Podolski instrumental plugin

Podolski is a great free virtual instrument when it comes to creating, generating and composing unique types of video game sounds. In my opinion, it would be very easy to create tonnes of sound effects with this VST. It comes with built-in oscillator, wave warp, glide features, wave shape filters and so much more.

This plugin could also be very powerful when it comes to creating game background sound design.

I will definitely use this virtual instrument in the future to create some amazing sound effects when it comes to game design or even TV/film video style sounds.

6. Zebralette

This free spectral synth is something I have used in the past to create some amazing music compositions, this plugin can be used to create some awesome game design background music. 

This -plugin comes with built-in:

• OSC FX
• Mixer
• Effects
• MSEG filter which comes with poly, single or mono settings.
• LFO and Envelope settings.
• Its UI allows easy to modify and edit the wave shape using its waveform editor. Also, great for sound effects.

It's quite possible to make wide range sound sounds using this synth, sounds such as:

• Virtual pianos
• Virtual synths
• Virtual leads
• Virtual Pads
• Experimental virtual sounds
• FX virtual sounds
• And, so much more!

I would highly recommend trying this virtual instrumental plugin.

 

Why do I recommend these 6 free (VST) virtual instruments/synthesizers for game sound design?

Overall, I would highly recommend downloading and trying these virtual instruments out.

When it comes to game sound design, each of the virtual (VST) plugins come with their own unique set of settings and features. 

If anyone is looking for some decent virtual instruments, these 6 plugins which I have highlighted above are the ones I would highly recommend any game studio or game sound designer to use.

All of these virtual plugins are freeware, open source or simply free to use. Meaning, they can be used inside commercial game sound design projects without any copyright issues.

 

If you guys have any extra virtual (VST) plugins or synthesizers you would wish to add to this list, simply reply to this topic below, thanks.