Plugindoctor fills a longstanding gap in the market: a cross-platform and cross-bitformat plugin analyzer for VST and AU plugins.

Chordz is a VST plugin that allows you to trigger full chords by playing single notes. Each trigger note is associated with a separate chord. Each chord may consist of any number of notes. Play complicated chord progressions with one finger, with a MIDI keyboard or a drum-pad, or trigger chords from single notes added in your DAW’s piano roll.

A chord can be set up to include individual notes spread out over several octaves (two octaves both below and above the octave of the trigger note). This means you can easily create chord inversions and other custom chord voicings, for example double certain notes, both above and below the root note. The chord suggestion feature suggests diatonic chords based on the selected scale and root note.

When “easy mode” is enabled, you can play the chords in any scale using only the white keys, with “C” always being the I chord. The black keys can then be used for chord variations (for example “C#” to trigger a major seventh or ninth chord, while “C” triggers a regular major chord).

The keyboard can be divided into three zones, one for playing chords, the other two (one below, and one above, the chord trigger zone) for playing single notes. Each zone can be independently transposed up or down by any number of octaves. This allows you to play chords with your left hand, while your right hand plays the melody.

Optionally, single notes outside the chord trigger zone can be forced to stay within the selected scale. When easy mode is enabled, it will follow the chord trigger setup (for example, if scale is set to F minor and a C note will produce a F minor chord, a C note outside the chord trigger zone will play a F note). This will ensure that you will always stay in key, and never hit a wrong note.

The plugin supports optional velocity scaling and randomization for each note of the chord. Another feature is the start and end delay (this can also be randomized), which can be used to, for example, emulate strumming or to create more unpredictable results (works great with sounds with a long attack and/or decay, such as pads or strings).

Chordz comes with more than 40 scale/chord templates, and a chord library with more than 50 chord types. You can add your own custom templates, and new chord types by editing the relevant text file. And you can, of course, customize the chords directly in the GUI.

Chordz can also work as an educational tool. You can use Chordz to better understand the various musical scales and corresponding chords, as well as to learn those scales and chords by following the visual guides on the plugin’s virtual keyboards display.

Back to the 70’s !
EMS created the VCS3 (also called ‘the putney’ ), then, based on the VCS3, the Synthi A and Synthi AKS. A portable synth in a suitcase ! A James Bond suitcase.

Some VST plugins (freeware) tried to recreate the original semi modular design of this synth, here’s the list :

1. Cynthia VST by NineCows

Cynthia is a free EMS VCS3 VST emulation. It was developed with Synthedit, so it’s for Windows (32 bit) hosts.
Don’t forget to read the manual it’s clear and instructive.
The Cynthia VST come with two dll files : it can also be used as effect, for processing your audio input.

2. KX-Synth-X16 VST By KX77Free

Vst Checker Plugin App Installer

Inspired by the VCS3

a Synthedit creation, based on the VCS3 structure.
It’s the best sounding VSTi in this list. And the more powerful too.
The Kx-Synth-X16 go further his VCS3 model and is polyphonic.
The original “springverb” is replaced with a delay.

Free Vst Plugins Download

3. Synthia 2 by EFM

Warning, it can blow your speakers.
I don’t really like its sound, but if you want to experiment, don’t hesitate.

4. SynthiAKS by Richard Brooks

SynthiAKS VST

This incredibly old Synthedit VSTi can do some noise.

5. VCS5 by Richard Brooks

This antiquity is modelled after a VCS3 synth.
You may like it. Or not.

Come on Jean Michel :