The Only Lofi VST Synths You Really Need in 2024
Let me guess, you’re here because your New Year’s resolution was to be a world-renowned lofi beats producer by December 31st 2024. And now you’re here because you’re ready to buy a couple VST synths to get the inspiration going. Well, you’re at the right place my friend. Nowadays, cool synths don’t have to break the bank, there are plenty of cool instruments with even cooler presets that will provide you with that lofi magic with a few clicks of a mouse. Let me take you on a tour of all things synthesis, and be sure to stick around at the end for a couple free options. Things are about to get chill AF, my only question for you is: Can you handle it?
These are the only lofi VST synths you need in 2024
8. Mellotron V - Arturia
7. Rhodes V8 Virtual Instrument - Rhodes
6. Polysix - Korg
5. OPx-4 - AIR Music Technology
4. Scaler 2 - Plugin Boutique
3. Arcade - Output
2. Kontakt 7 - Native Instruments
1. Anything + RC-20 Retro Color
BONUS: Free Plugins + Hardware Synths
8. Mellotron V - Arturia
I can’t make a list of my favorite synths without mentioning Arturia. I just can’t! So let’s get this out of the way and start this list of the best lofi instruments with a little gem: the Mellotron V.
The original Mellotron was a keyboard that would let musicians channel orchestra and keys sounds through a pre-installed tape rack. So you got cool sounds plus the character of tape. It was essentially a veeery primitive sampler.
That’s all fine, but of course, this VST version is much more flexible and lets you tweak every aspect of its 61 presets. But that’s not all! You can also upload your own samples and give them that vintage feel, which makes this an instantly inspiring instrument for any producers out there.
Get the Mellotron V here (or get Arturia’s whole V Collection here)
7. Rhodes V8 Virtual Instrument - Rhodes
A good lofi beat is all about them keys. You might want a clunky piano that sounds like it’s been rotting in your grandma's basement for 50 years (check out my favorite lofi pianos here), or you might want some spacey synth keys, but the ultimate lofi sound for me will always be the electric piano.
There are all sorts of options out there if you want that soulful, cerebral sound associated with so many great jazz records from the 60s and the 70s, but if you want an authentic Rhodes, why not go to the source and get Rhodes' very own plugin, the Rhodes V8.
Built with 30k samples (!), it has become the reference in the world of keys VSTs. Plus you will save a whopping 9,450$ because you won’t have to buy a Rhodes Mk8, and that’s what the actual physical keyboard will run ya’ (although it is a wonderful beast of an instrument!)
If that’s still not enough Rhodes for your buck, you can also check out this list of my favorite electric piano VSTs.
Get the Rhodes V8 here
6. Polysix - Korg
Lofi is nothing without the vintage sounds of a retro poly synth. Sure, any ol’ producer will probably pull up a Juno emulation and call it a day (and why wouldn’t you…) That being said, if you want to get out of the beaten path and set yourself apart from the pack, you might want to consider Korg’s very own Polysix.
The Polysix is 100% that b*tch when it comes to warm analog tones, and you can capture all this synthy magic with a little help from Korg’s emulation of the 80s classic.
And like I said, having a Juno or two in your arsenal probably wouldn’t hurt.
Get Polysix here
5. OPx-4 - AIR Music Technology
I’m recommending the OPx-4 here, first and foremost because the interface makes me think of a Teenage Engineering synth (the OP-Z in particular) and that is the go-to company for lofi beats influencers on YouTube. (Also, lofi beat influencers are a thing now, so deal with that!)
Beyond its good looks, the OPx-4 is also perfect for lofi because it’s an FM synth, which means it uses a form of synthesis that became really popular in the 80s. A lot of those glassy, cold, hollow sounds from 80s records come from Yamaha’s groundbreaking Keyboard, the DX7.
In the context of lofi beat, it can help you achieve this little post-modern edge that will please one of your friends, you know the one… The guy that says he’s not a hipster, but you’re like: “Come on dude, you’re a hipster. Embrace it.”
I was joking about the twee UX of this plugin, but seriously, FM synthesis is notoriously obtuse and, like, not user friendly AT ALL!! So if a synth designer manages to make it visually palatable, that’s already a huge feat.
Check out OPx-4 here
4. Scaler 2 - Plugin Boutique
Scaler 2 isn’t an instrument per se. It’s a music theory tool that can help you detect the key of a beat and come up with great complicated chords for a track you’ve already started, or brand new chord sequences for a new composition. You can export those chords in MIDI, or you can play them through your favorite VST with a single finger. You’ll be a regular Mozart with this thing!
So if it’s not an instrument, what is it doing in this post? Well, Scaler 2 is equipped with a powerful sound engine and plenty of very usable keys and synth sounds. I usually use those sounds as placeholders while I’m looking for good chords, but I’ve often ended up keeping them in the final track because they’re just that good!
If you find yourself always falling back on the same old chords and the same old sounds, this is a good way to get you out of your comfort zone. Also, it’s super affordable.
Grab Scaler 2 here
3. Arcade - Output
Another tool that will help you generate ideas is Arcade. This is one of those instruments that doesn’t try to replicate something that exists in the wonderful world of hardware, but rather invents something new.
Arcade gives you access to a plethora of sample banks that come preloaded in a sampler, and it has dope effects and parameters under the hood to help you achieve a lively sound like you’ve been dreaming off.
All those sounds and musical phrases are of course royalty-free, so you can upload your tracks to streaming platforms or on YouTube without fearing a copyright claim, or risking having your music taken down (which might happen if you just sample some random vinyl you found somewhere.)
There are plenty of packs aimed at the lofi beatmaker too, so whether you’re trying to generate some cool ideas or produce a track on a deadline, this one might get your creative juices going! (And sorry for using the phrase “creative juices.” Didn’t sound right when I said it, and now that I’m reading it back… Doesn’t sound right either.)
Check out Arcade here
2. Kontakt 7 - Native Instruments
At first sight, Kontakt 7 might seem a bit expensive. What you have to realize though, is that while it costs about the price of 2 VST synths, it comes loaded with 900 instruments! Anything from acoustic to granular, from bagpipes to drum machines.
There are plenty of great sounds for lofi of course, including pianos, keys and drums, but I’d suggest getting this bad larry for its guitar and electric bass emulations alone. That’s right, lofi really thrives when the ethereal synth textures meet some live-sounding vibes, and adding some realistic bass tones to your arsenal will take your game to the next level, my friend.
Some of those instruments have a pretty basic interface, while some of them - like Playbox, or the new Session Percussionist - are incredibly creative and inspiring in the way they present their workflow.
Kontakt 7 is a powerhouse, an industry standard. If you’re new to music production, you should start here.
Check out Kontakt 7 here
1. Anything + RC-20 Retro Color
https://www.pluginboutique.com/product/2-Effects/44-Saturation/3016-RC-20-Retro-Color/?a_aid=60b80ed9924e2&a_bid=86e5ae2e
That’s right, if you can’t find the sounds you’re looking for in a synth preset bank, perhaps you need to experiment. You can take any poly synths, any pianos, any rhodes… Basically anything that can produce a note, and put that thing through a RC-20 Retro Color, the magical plugin that gives you funky cassette warble and textures.
If you’ve been listening to lofi on Spotify, you’ve surely heard the multi-fx plugin that rules them all. Loaded with awesome presets, RC-20 should give you that vintage spice in a few clicks.
That being said, the point here is to experiment, no matter what you do. Beyond using a trendy plugin, there are many ways to achieve a signature sound that will be unique to you. For instance, you could mess with a whole lot of stock plugins, try switching the pitch on your keys, you could sample loops, or even record your voice with your phone and put that on a sampler.
As cliché as it sounds, it’s important to remember that there are no rules here. For more ideas on how to use RC-20 Retro Color creatively, check out this post.
Get RC-20 Retro Color here
Free Plugins
There are really awesome creators out there who are doing the lord's work and providing synth maniacs with amazing free tools. DiscoDSP is a great example, and I’d recommend the Fury800 to everyone who has a pulse. For FM, there’s Dexed, and for more complex synthesis there’s the revered Vital. You can even turn to the reliable Surge XT, an open-source synth I’ve used many times when I was broke as a joke and couldn’t even afford a Moog.
Other more established companies will often give the people what they want with free options. It’s that thing that drug dealers do where they’ll give you a taste to get you hooked, and then they’ll make you fork over the cash.
Arturia offers a lot of value for 0$ with their newly-revamped Analog Lab V Lite, the free version of my absolute favorite synth plugin. Togu Audio Line also gives you the warm tones of a Juno 6 with their U-No…, not to mention the NoiseMaker, a funky digital synth that sounds like nothing else.
Finally, if you’re looking for some cheap thrills, why not check out the instruments and effects that come with you DAW. Whether you’re using Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio, or even Garageband… Most DAWs come with really cool and unique tools that are perfect for lofi. That genre is all about those basic waveforms and level-entry modulations anyway.
Who knows, maybe you’ll find out the chill vibes were inside you all along… (Wow, that was profound!)
Hardware
If you want to branch out of the computer and you’ve got a couple hundred dollars burning a hole in your gig bag, you can turn to the dark side and blow a bunch of money on a hardware synth.
The trick here is not to use a synth the same way you would use a VST, but rather to take advantage of all the shiny knobs and sparkly buttons to let your creativity flow. Record yourself playing around for 15 minutes or so, then listen back and sample the little bits and bobs you like, put that in your track and call me in the morning.
The point is to disrupt your routine, and to do so, you might follow your favorite influencer’s lead and buy an OP-1 by Teenage Engineering. The OG OP-1 is more and more affordable on the used market right now. Or you might prefer to get yourself one of their Pocket Operators.
For lofi beats, I’d probably recommend a poly synth over a mono, so you could get yourself a Korg, like the Minilogue or the affordable Volca FM2 (an insane value!). If you don’t mind crossing the synth nerd picket lines, you can look towards Behringer offerings and consider a Poly D (inspired by Moog) or the Monopoly (inspired by… well, Korg’s MonoPoly)
Finally, Roland has a couple options from their Boutique range that would be well-suited for lofi, like the JX-08 or the JU-06A. The new Aira Compact range is also worth considering.
Or hey, here’s an idea: Why don’t you go on Marketplace or at your local Goodwill warehouse and get yourself a crappy toy keyboard. There are millions of Casios out there that desperately need a home. Many years ago, I inherited a Yamaha Portasound from my grandma and it’s one of my go-to synths (I am NOT making this up, it’s all over my lofi beats!)
Get the vintage sound from the horse's mouth is my point.
Conclusion
My final bit of unrequited advice is this: Don’t buy too much stuff at once. Lord knows I’ve made that mistake! What you want to do is start with one instrument, learn how to use it inside and out, and in a few months, when you feel you’ve exhausted its possibilities, then you can buy something new.
Think of it like a guitarist. A guitar is just a bunch of strings tacked to a resonator, but no two guitar tones are the same. The great guitar players in history are the people who used the limitations of that instrument and turned it into something unique.
It’s easy to buy the new plugin, cycle through the presets and move on to the next thing, but the best results always come when you’ve exhausted the basic possibilities. Creativity is pretty much always preceded by boredom.
That’s it, those were my 2 cents. Didn’t mean to synth-splain ya’! Now, get out there and have fun :)
What’s your favorite lofi synth? Let me know if I forgot one and maybe I’ll include it to this list! If you’re looking for more lofi plugins, check out my post on the matter.
Photo credit: @froufroudeluxe / Instagram