Synsonic Instruments has made three of its previously paid drum plugins free to download for macOS and Windows.
If you’ve been following Bedroom Producers Blog for a while, you’ll probably recognize the name Synsonic Instruments from their old BD-808 Free (featured in our article about the best free 808 plugins) and BD-909 Free plugins. Those two simple but effective kick drum emulations have been available for years and still remain free today.
The big news, though, is that three plugins that used to cost $20 each have now joined the free lineup: BD-808 Pro, Apollon, and BDE-01.
All three plugins can be downloaded directly from Synsonic Instruments’ website, and each product page now includes a free activation key that unlocks the full version.
BD-808 Pro
BD-808 Pro is an expanded take on the developer’s original free 808 kick drum plugin. It focuses on recreating the classic 808 bass drum sound but adds several performance and sound-shaping options that you won’t find in the original.
Most importantly, you get built-in compression and overdrive for extra punch and harmonics. There’s also a glide function, which lets you use the plugin as a simple bass synthesizer rather than just a one-shot kick.
Another pretty cool addition is extended MIDI control, where velocity can influence parameters like decay, tone, drive, compression, and accent.
If you already like the free BD-808, this version is definitely worth a look, as it offers more flexibility without changing the overall character, which is a pretty good take on the 808, in my opinion.
Apollon
Apollon is a compact virtual analog drum machine inspired by early hardware units.
You get eight synthesized instruments: bass drum, snare, low tom, high tom, closed and open hi-hats, clap, and rimshot. Each sound has a small set of dedicated controls, so things are intentionally straightforward and pretty similar to the features you’d typically find in a vintage drum synthesizer.
However, the plugin also adds some advanced features.
You get a built-in 16-step sequencer with velocity-sensitive steps and per-track shuffle, which I think is the best addition. Being able to apply different shuffle amounts to individual instruments makes it easy to create groovy patterns without much effort.
There’s also a simple reverb and delay, with send levels per instrument, plus full MIDI triggering if you prefer to sequence everything in your DAW.
BDE-01
The third free plugin, BDE-01, is the most flexible of the bunch in terms of synthesis power. It’s a dedicated bass drum synthesizer designed for more advanced drum sound design.
The plugin is split into a sound section for the main body of the kick, a noise section for clicks, noise, or layered samples, and a master section for global control. You can choose different waveforms, shape pitch and amplitude envelopes, add harmonics, and layer factory or user samples to build more complex kicks.
Compared to the BD-808 Pro, the BDE-01 is better suited for modern or experimental bass drum design.
Compatibility
All three plugins are available for free. Apollon supports VST2 and AU formats, while BD-808 Pro and BDE-01 are available as VST2, VST3, and AU plugins, depending on the platform. They run in 64-bit hosts on macOS and Windows.
Download: Synsonic Instruments (FREE)
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Last Updated on January 31, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
