Simple Synth - Big Sound
The Sounds of Trance.
An open-source VST3 synthesizer for approachable leads, pads and plucks, with clear signal flow and a preset browser that explains saved sounds.
Real SAWSTAR 1.0.3 screenshots captured in REAPER, supplied by Gyuricza Róbert
(build 8040390). The displayed preset count includes user-library entries alongside 24 factory presets.
Download the latest published SAWSTAR release from GitHub Releases. The version marked Latest there is the public download version.
SAWSTAR 1.0.4 is published. Download the verified Windows and macOS packages
from the 1.0.4 release.
Later development on main may differ from the released packages.
Recommended installers: Windows x64 / ARM64 Setup EXE, or macOS Universal DMG containing the PKG installer. Manual installation: separate VST3 ZIPs are available for each target. All packages include English/Hungarian PDF guides and license notices. The installers are unsigned; read the installation guide before proceeding through platform security prompts.
See the 1.0.4 release notes for the current public packages.
- Two waveform oscillators with 7-layer unison, SUB oscillator, White/Pink/Dark noise and independent Noise Color.
- Four-source mixer, filter modes/drive, amp and filter ADSR envelopes.
- Poly/Mono/Legato, glide, pitch/mod wheels, two LFOs and four modulation routes.
- Arpeggiator, chorus, delay, reverb and master stereo width.
- 24 embedded presets: seven Templates and 17 finished sounds.
- User .sawstar files, batch import, favorites, safe Save/Save As and recovery.
- MAIN, ADVANCED and PRESETS pages, pre-FX scope, output meter and DSP CPU display.
VST3 host and graphics driver required. Build targets are Windows x64, Windows ARM64 and macOS Universal (Intel + Apple Silicon). Build minimums are distinct from verified support: see System requirements. Users do not need Visual Studio, CMake, Git, a compiler or the VST3 SDK.
Use a matching installer or copy the full VST3 bundle manually. Close the host before updating and preserve your user presets. See Installation for locations, architecture matching, unsigned-package status and avoiding duplicate macOS installations.
- User guide index
- English PDF
- Magyar PDF
- Factory library
- Changelog and 1.0.4 release notes
- 1.0.4 publication record and historical checklist
- Development documentation index and current status
- Consolidated bugfix and validation plan, 2026-10-20
- Next release plan and real REAPER CPU acceptance
- Current development order and open release gates
- Historical development log and measurement evidence
- Repository review, 2026-10-09
- Repository review and release readiness, 2026-10-02
The English and Hungarian guides describe SAWSTAR 1.0.4 and include the supplied 1.0.3 screenshots.
Read Building for toolchain and pinned dependency setup. Development prerequisites are not end-user prerequisites. Contributing describes how to report bugs and propose changes. Historical implementation notes are indexed by the development history.
Actual SAWSTAR 1.0.3 About window, capture build 8040390.
Original SAWSTAR code: MIT. External components retain their own terms; see Third-party notices. Creator branding has separate treatment and is not granted for unrestricted reuse by the code license.
Version 1.0.4 was published on October 2, 2026. It includes MIDI/editor lifecycle, envelope precision, VST3 tail and preset-validation fixes. Parameter IDs, state compatibility and GUI layout remain unchanged. See 1.0.4 changes and release validation.
For future RC builds, set candidate to rcN and leave the release date empty.
Final packages require an empty candidate, an actual date and successful
checks of the exact release commit. At publication, confirm that the release,
Latest designation, package/About versions and public download text agree.
A build-metadata date is not evidence that a release has been published.