FFOSSO
by Orchestral Tools · Synth · Instrument platform (synth and sampler)
Not rated yet
FFOSSO is a platform of creative instruments that mixes synthesis, processing and multisampling, with a modular grid for building your own instruments.
It is free with 11 instruments; FFOSSO Pro costs $10 a month for 150+ instruments.
Best for: Keys & Synths, Sound Design. Genres: Electronic & EDM, Ambient & Cinematic, Pop.
Keywords: sample-based, subscription, modular, multisampled, textures, creative, freemium, sound design, arpeggiator, beta, chord generator, cinematic, evolving, hybrid, pads, sequencer, strings, wavetable.
What it does
FFOSSO is Orchestral Tools' separate instrument platform, with its own player rather than a SINE collection. It mixes multi-sampled sources with synthesis and effects, and the developer pitches it as "an idea environment that gets you moving instantly", focused on playing rather than browsing presets.
- Sound engines: 10+ engines with Pro. Threads runs polyrhythmic arpeggios across three sequencer lanes, Chords steers chord progressions from single notes, Layers stacks ambient textures, and Orbits moves between four sound sources on an XY pad.
- More engines: Disperse spreads voices out from a central pitch, Lattice turns held notes into rhythmic retriggered parts, Jupiter drives generative particle motion with density and gravity controls, and Intermodal pairs a wavetable synth with multi-sampled acoustic sources.
- Modular Grid (beta): a modular page that shows the signal flow, where you swap modules or build your own patches from pre-mapped samples, synth and effect modules.
- Devices and presets: 14 built-in DSP, sampler and synth devices in both tiers, and 1,000+ pre-mapped multi-sampler presets with Pro.
- Content: 11 instruments in the free tier and 150+ with Pro, with new instruments added weekly.
- Offline use: downloaded instruments play without a connection.
The current version is 1.2.0. The free tier is free; Pro is available by subscription (monthly or yearly) with a 14-day trial. If you cancel, existing projects still play but can no longer be edited.
Source: Orchestral Tools product page
When to use it
FFOSSO is the better pick when you want playable, finished-sounding instruments with generative and rhythmic engines, rather than a blank synth to program. Compared with Serum 2 and Vital, it gives you far less oscillator-level control but much faster results, with real acoustic samples blended into the synthesis. Compared with Omnisphere 3, it is a small monthly fee instead of a large one-off purchase, but the library is younger and you lose editing if you stop paying. Its Chords, Threads and Lattice engines also do more of the musical work than Pigments 7's sequencer, at the cost of deep sound design.
- Best for: sketching ideas fast with evolving pads, chord beds, pulsing strings and hybrid textures.
- Genres: ambient, cinematic, electronic, lo-fi and pop.
- Look elsewhere if: you want a perpetual licence (Omnisphere 3) or detailed synth programming (Serum 2, Vital, Phase Plant).
What producers say
Early reactions praise the sound and the modular idea, but many users push back on the subscription-only model.
- Bedroom Producers Blog said Orchestral Tools "deliver fantastic sound quality" and singled out Staub – Drive and Fjara, while noting the online requirement for accounts and downloads.
- VI-Control thread users liked the presets ("some of the presets are awesome") and the modular character, and saw it as an easy, cheap entry point.
- Criticisms: forum users dislike renting with no rent-to-own option, felt the monthly fee was a lot for a young product that still feels like beta, and noted missing basics in the Grid such as muting signal paths.
Where to buy
- FFOSSO: Free (Free tier; Pro subscription $10/month (14-day trial))
Tutorials and reviews
- FFOSSO (Orchestral Tools)
- Free(mium) Synth - FFOSSO by Orchestral Tools (No Talking)
- FFOSSO (Orchestral Tools)
- FFOSSO - Introduction to the Chords engine : Part 1
- (NEW) FFOSSO: 10 Freebies + Create Your Own Instruments for Music Makers
Similar plugins
- SourceLab 2 by Initial Audio · Modular synth · $9.99
- Equator2 by ROLI · MPE synth · $249
- Parallels by Softube · Dual-layer wavetable synth · $93.13
- Resonarium by Soule DSP · Physical-modeling synth · Free
- Nave Plugin by Waldorf · Wavetable synth with speech synthesis · $165
- Abyss II by Dawesome · Perception-based synth · $149
- Phoenix by Spitfire Audio · Hybrid sample-based synth · $239
- VPS Phalanx by Vengeance Sound · Hybrid synthesizer · $169.19
- Zebra Legacy by u-he · Modular synth (Zebra2) · $112.41
- ANA 2 by Sonic Academy · Wavetable/VA synth · $111.27
More from Orchestral Tools
- SINE Player by Orchestral Tools · Sampler · Free