nakst Altitude, a multi-engine Synthesizer plugin for macOS, Linux, and Windows, previously a commercial release, is now a free download
In recent years, the developer nakst has released several great-sounding Synthesizer plugins. Many of them are free, like ExtraBold , Apricot, and Regency. He also ventured into the commercial sector with two plugins, but that didn’t work out as hoped.
The plugins that used to cost money are now free of charge. Following Integrate Synth back in December 2025, Nakst Altitude is now also available as a free download.
nakst Altitude
Altitude is the latest Synthesizer plugin from nakst, now available as a free download for macOS, Linux, and Windows. It is also the most comprehensive synth plugin from the developer.
Altitude is a multi-engine/hybrid Synthesizer with virtual analog synthesis, FM, and sample playback. At its core are four virtual analog oscillators and four sample layers.
The VA oscillators come with various waveforms and classic controls like volume, pan, phase, detune, and more. PWM, 15 FM routing options, and unison modes (super, hyper, and modern) bring extra complexity and harmonics into the sounds.
There is also a neat keyboard mapping feature where you can configure how the generators are assigned to incoming notes.
Besides the VA oscillators, you can also work with four sample-based oscillators that are adjustable with various controls. You can set the loop mode (forward, ping-pong, one-shot), detune them, and more.
A large factory with factory ROMs is included. Alternatively, you can import your own samples into the sample oscillators. Both oscillator types also include a chaos function that infuses a wobbly, unstable character into them.
A mixer section is missing, but you have a dedicated mixer control in each sound source. Then, it goes into the filter section that consists of two multimode filters with 15 algorithms.
There are all the classics, plus more unusual types like phaser, comb, formant, and rate reducer. You can tweak them with classic controls.
Modulation, Refining & Sequencing
After a rather extensive oscillator and filter section, we move on to the modulation, which also offers quite a bit. You can patch sounds with five envelopes, where one is a traditional ADSR, and four are more advanced DAHDSRs.
Next to this, you have four LFOs with drawable shapes and clever functions like fade in and different trigger modes. There are also two step modulators hidden in the sequencer page, four math modulators, and four macro dials with two XY pads.
A modulation matrix with 21 slots manages all these modulations, giving you an instant overview of your assignments. Up to 39 modulation sources and 510 mod destinations, where 251 are polyphonic, await you.
Further sound refinements are possible with the built-in multi-FX processor. 17 different effects (reverbs, distortion, pitch shifter, trance gate…) are on the menu table that can be assigned to eight FX slots with three routing modes.
On the third UI page, you have two 24-step programmable sequencers with velocity, probability, and gate length. Plus, it also includes two multimode arpeggiators. MTS-ESP tuning support is also onboard.
nakst ships Altitude with over 300 factory patches that covers every sound type and 256 MB content for the sample-based oscillators.
First Impression
A great-sounding and very powerful synthesizer plugin. You don’t need to subscribe to a newsletter or anything, so all I can say is: definitely give it a try. It’s just a shame there’s no VST version but that was also one of the downsides of every Nakst plugin so far.
nakst Altitude is available now as a free download. It runs as a CLAP, AU, and native FL Studio plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel), Linux, and Windows.
More information here: nakst
I like the nakst synths. Installation on my M4 Mac mini is uncertified and there are some loose ends with not existing directories but this could be fixed quite easily. Once installed they work rather intuitively.
they work on my M4 Macbook Air without issues
This is what AI learned me:
The “patch database could not be updated (P2)” error in Nakst synthesizers happens because the plugin cannot find or access its required user content folders. You can fix this issue by creating the missing folders manually or checking your user permissions