Surge Synthesizer Now Free & Open Source

Vember Audio has announced that their Surge synthesizer for Mac & Windows is now free and open source:

As of 21th September 2018, Surge stopped being a commerical product and became an open-source project released under the GNU GPL v3 license.

For the existing users this will allow the community to make sure that it remains compatible as plug-in standards and Operating Systems evolve.

For everyone else, this is an exiting new free synth to use, hack, port, improve or do whatever you want with!

It’s available as a free download via the Vember site.

Specifications:

General

  • Synthesis method: Subtractive hybrid
  • Each patch contain two ‘scenes’ which are separate instances of the entire synthesis engine (except effects) that can be used for layering or split patches.
  • Quick category-based patch-browser
  • Future proof, comes as both a 32 & 64-bit VST plugin (Windows PC)
  • Universal Binary for both VST and AU (Mac)

Factory sounds

  • 1010 patches
  • 183 wavetables

Oscillators

  • 3 oscillators/voice
  • 8 versatile oscillator algorithms: Classic, Sine, Wavetable, Window, FM2, FM3, S/H Noise and Audio-input
  • The classic oscillator is a morphable pulse/saw/dualsaw oscillator with a sub-oscillator and self-sync.
  • The FM2/FM3 oscillators consists of a 1 carrier with 2/3 modulators and various options.
  • Most algorithms (except FM2, FM3, Sine and Audio-input) offer up to 16-voice unison at the oscillator level.
  • Oscillator FM/ringmodulation
  • Most oscillator algorithms (except FM2/FM3) are strictly band-limited yet still cover the entire audible spectrum, delivering a clear punchy yet clean sound.
  • Noise generator with variable spectrum.

Filterblock

  • Two filter-units with arrangeable in 8 different configurations
  • Feedback loop (number of variations inside the parenthesis)
  • Available filter-algorithms: LP12 (3), LP24 (3), LP24L (1-4 poles), HP12 (3), HP24 (3), BP (4), Notch (2), Comb (4), S&H
  • Filters can self-oscillate (with excitation) and respond amazingly fast to cutoff frequency changes.
  • Waveshaper (5 shapes)

Modulation

  • 12 LFO-units available to each voice (6 are running on each voice and 6 are shared for the scene)
  • DAHDSR envelope generators on every LFO-unit
  • 7 deformable LFO-waveforms + 1 drawable/stepsequencer waveform
  • LFO1 allows envelope retriggering when used as stepsequencer
  • Extremely fast and flexible modulation routing. Almost every continuous parameter can be modulated.

Effects

  • 8 effect units arranged as 2 inserts/scene, 2 sends and 2 master effects
  • 10 top-quality algorithms: Delay, Reverb, Chorus, Phaser, EQ, Distortion, Conditioner (EQ, stereo-image control & limiter), Rotary speaker, Frequency shifter, Vocoder

System Requirements (Windows PC)

  • A computer running Windows 2000/2003/XP (32/64-bit) or newer
  • The computer’s CPU must support the SSE instruction set. This is supported on Intel Pentium 3/4/M, Core, Core2 and AMD Athlon XP/64/X2 (and newer) processors.
  • 256 MB RAM
  • A VST-compatible Host application
  • An x64-compatible CPU, OS and Host is required to use the 64-bit version

System Requirements (Mac)

  • Requires Mac OS X v.10.3.9 or later.
  • Any Intel Mac or a PowerPC Mac with a 1GHz G4/G5 or faster CPU
  • 256 MB RAM
  • An AU or VST2.4-compatible Host application

25 thoughts on “Surge Synthesizer Now Free & Open Source”

    1. It’s a fun and capable synthesizer. I like some of the “extra” parameters it has on the wavetable oscillators and how easily everything can be modulated. I was searching a few weeks ago for my Key but it seems I won’t have to anymore 🙂

  8. The site won’t let me reply directly to the peeps asking about downloading the installer, but it’s located here:

    https://github.com/kurasu/surge/releases

    I’m not sure why Mac is listed as supported at all. There’s no Mac release currently and (based on the last system requirements) the last one was probably 10 or so years ago when PowerPC was a thing. It will take some work to get it up to modern OSX (GLHF indeed! But I’m sure someone will do it).

  9. The site won’t let me reply directly to the peeps asking about downloading the installer, but it’s located here:

    https://github.com/kurasu/surge/releases

    I’m not sure why Mac is listed as supported at all. There’s no Mac release currently and (based on the last system requirements) the last one was probably 10 or so years ago when PowerPC was a thing. It will take some work to get it up to modern OSX (GLHF indeed! But I’m sure someone will do it).

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