Massive = Helm

Massive has been an ubiquitously used staple of electronic music production for several years now. It’s a wavetable synth with a multitude of flexible modulation options.

Helm is an open source synthesizer available in nearly every DAW plugin format.

It has one of the more polished and visually pleasing UI’s when compared to other open source plugins. 12 different oscillator waveforms are available. Like Massive, the modulation is fairly flexible. Nearly every parameter can be modulated in a similar manner to the way Massive allows a user to. A modulator can be assigned, and then a mod range set in the UI. The preset browser is fairly mature and has helpful categories. Like Massive, there are also several built in effects.

Kontakt = SoundFonts

When you think of adding orchestral instruments to a production, you probably think of Kontakt.

However, there is another option that is free. SoundFonts are a format that were originally developed in the early 1990’s.

If you are on a budget, SoundFonts are the optimal choice. They lack the articulations and detail of Kontakt instruments, but can be used to create fairly convincing orchestral mock-ups. They are not limited to orchestral instrumentation either. You can find collections of synth, 8 bit, band, and other instrument sounds online.

For information on how to use SoundFonts in your DAW, please see my article detailing how.

Finale = Muse Score

Finale and Sibelius are the time worn and proven champions of music notation.

Muse Score is a great alternative that embraces open source standards such as MusicXML, MIDI, and more. This allows you to import existing music from Finale and Sibelius.

You can even take your musical compositions from a DAW, export the MIDI, and import into Muse Score. Obviously some massaging will have to be done to the notation for it to be readable and sensible to a performer, but it is a useful shortcut that will save you time.