Vital
Free wavetable synth by Matt Tytel · since 2020

What Vital is
The wavetable synth that made Serum optional. Spectral warping, drag-and-drop modulation, all of it free.
- Basic tier: full synth, 75 presets, 25 wavetables
- Text-to-wavetable, GPU-accelerated 60 fps interface
- MPE and microtonal (.tun/.scl/.kbd) support
The free Basic tier has the complete engine with 75 presets and 25 wavetables; paid tiers only add content.
How to install Vital
Vital 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 vital.audio, run the installer or copy the plugin into your plugin folder, then rescan plugins in your DAW.
Questions
Is Vital free?
Yes. Vital is free tier (basic); plus $25, pro $80, subscription $5/mo from Matt Tytel, and it is open source under the Free tier (paid upgrades); source GPL-3.0, presets/branding proprietary license. The free version is the complete instrument; only extra content costs money.
What plugin formats does Vital support?
Vital is available as VST3, VST2, AU, LV2 and Standalone.
Which operating systems run Vital?
Vital runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.
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