Helm
Free virtual analog synth by Matt Tytel · since 2015 · version 0.9.0
What Helm is
Matt Tytel’s pre-Vital synth: 32 voices, formant filter, stutter effect. Archived in 2025 but still fantastic.
- 32-voice polyphony, up to 15 unison oscillators
- Two mono and one poly LFO, step sequencer, arpeggiator
- Formant filter, stutter, delay, distortion, reverb effects
The GitHub repository was archived in 2025; downloads still work.
On this site since 2017
Free Soft Synth first listed Helm on May 17, 2017: Helm is a free virtual synthesizer for linux, windows and mac osx by Matt Tytel. It features a nice synth engine underneath a slick and beautiful GUI. It’s been highly rated by a number of blogs. So, it’s probably at least worth the price. (Free) 😀
How to install Helm
Helm runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It ships as VST3, VST2, AU and LV2, plus a standalone version that needs no DAW. Logic Pro and GarageBand users need the AU build. Download it from tytel.org, run the installer or copy the plugin into your plugin folder, then rescan plugins in your DAW.
Questions
Is Helm free?
Yes. Helm is free (donations optional) from Matt Tytel, and it is open source under the GPL-3.0 license. There is no trial period and no feature lock.
What plugin formats does Helm support?
Helm is available as VST3, VST2, AU, LV2 and Standalone.
Which operating systems run Helm?
Helm runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
Free alternatives to Helm
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