Music making tools and resources that seem to be less widely known than they deserve.
Software
Plugin Hosts, Chainers
Almost all of the following can be used standalone or as plugin:
Modalics Plugin Buddy is free
Kushview Element (free and paid versions available)
DDMF SuperPlugin and Metaplugin (runs as plugin only)
Visual Programming
Visual Programming for Audio and MIDI: plugdata is a wrapper for Pure Data (which is a distant cousin of Max)
Plugin Instruments
Momentum – Sample Slicing and Manipulation by Big Fish Audio is a feature rich Instrument plugin for advanced sample slice manipulation. Free. Needs login to work.
Dexed is an amazingly accurate free and open source software simulation of a DX7 synth. It can even exchange presets with a real hardware DX7 and be used as a library manager for a hardware DX7.
Surge XT is a free and open source hybrid synthesizer with several synthesis methods.
Sound Libraries
This DX7 Cartridge Does Not Exist is a website by Nintorac Audio which lets you quickly generate a smartly randomized DX7 presets in groups of 32 sounds in DX7 cartridge format. From what I’ve tried, the resulting patches import cleanly into Dexed, the DX7 emulating synth, as well as a real vintage DX7. As is generally the case with (somewhat randomized) patch generators, results vary – but for individuals into that sort of thing, it’s a delightful addition to the scene.
Sampler Instruments
TX16Wx Software Sampler is a remarkably feature rich software sampler by CWITEC with openly documented formats. As of this writing (2021-03-29) the free version already includes advanced auto sampling features competitive with much more expensive options and the two paid levels aren’t very expensive.
Decent Sampler is another delightful free sampler gaining quite the indie sound designer following.
SoundPaint is a very feature rich free sampler engine, that allows users to import their own samples and make full instruments.
Sampler related Utilities
Björn Bojahr created some excellent free utility programs, helpful for making one’s own sample libraries
Jürgen Moßgraber created a very useful program Convert with Moss to convert between the formats of quite a few different sampler instruments.
Sound Mangling Utilities
Ultimate Vocal Remover is a free vocal separation / extraction program.
Lists
Native Instruments Komplete – Unofficial version history with considerable detail about what’s included in Google Sheets