Helm vs Vital
Helm
tytel.org
Vital
vital.audioSide by side
| Figure | Helm | Vital |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $5/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 5 |
| Spec score · Software Synthesizers | 8.6 (#4) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Modulation | Modulation sources include two monophonic LFOs, one polyphonic LFO, three envelopes, keyboard controls, random values and polyphonic aftertouch. | Vital supports drag-and-drop modulation, audio-rate modulation, stereo-splittable LFOs, keytracked LFOs and custom envelope curves. |
| Oscillators | The synthesizer has two oscillators with cross modulation and up to 15 unison oscillators per oscillator. | The oscillators are designed for low noise and near-alias-free output, and unison uses SSE optimizations for CPU efficiency. |
| Plugin formats | The official site distributes Helm as standalone software and LV2, VST, VST3 and AU plugins. | The official factsheet lists VST, VST3, AU and LV2 formats. |
| Praise: value | Equipboard reviewers repeatedly praise Helm as a free alternative to expensive synth plugins and suitable for producers with limited budgets. | Independent reviews repeatedly describe the full synthesis engine being available free as exceptional value compared with paid wavetable instruments. |
| Rating on KVR Audio | 4.33 out of 5 from 6 reviews. | 4.79 out of 5 from 24 reviews |
| Self-hosting | Developers can build and install standalone, LV2 and VST binaries locally with make on Linux, with Xcode projects for macOS and Visual Studio solutions for Windows. | The source can be built independently, but the repository says commercial login, downloads and update services cannot be connected from custom builds. |
| Support | The maker asks users to email bug reports with operating system, standalone or plugin details and crash information. | Subscribers receive prioritized support through private Discord channels or the forum. |
| System requirements | The FAQ lists Windows 7 or later, macOS 10.7 or later, Ubuntu 14.04 or later, and Debian Jessie or later. | Supported systems are Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+ on Intel or Apple Silicon, and Ubuntu Linux 18.04+; 64-bit and OpenGL 3+ are required. |
| What it does | Helm is a computer software synthesizer for creating electronic music. | Vital is a spectral-warping wavetable synthesizer that changes waveform harmonics to create new timbres. |
Plans
Vital
- BasicFree
- Subscription$5 a month
- Subscription$5 a month
- Plus$25, paid once
- Pro$80, paid once
In their own words
Helm
Helm is a free software synthesizer for creating electronic music on a computer. It is available as a standalone application or as a plugin in LV2, VST, VST3, or AU formats, with GNU/Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows versions in 32-bit and 64-bit editions. Its sound tools include dual oscillators with cross modulation, unison, a sub oscillator, filters, modulation, a step sequencer, an arpeggiator, and audio effects. MIDI Learn lets users assign a MIDI control to a knob or slider. The maker describes Helm as software that can be run without DRM, studied, changed, and redistributed in original or modified form. The FAQ says the person who plays a sound made with Helm holds its copyright. Listed requirements include Windows 7 or later, MacOS 10.7 or later, Ubuntu Trusty 14.04 or later, and Debian Jessie or later. The project is described as being in beta with outstanding bugs. For bug reports, the maker asks users to include details such as what happened, crash reports, their operating system, and whether they use the plugin or standalone version.
Vital
Vital is a spectral warping wavetable synthesizer for Linux, macOS, and Windows. Its oscillators reshape wavetable harmonics through stretching, shifting, smearing, and skewing to create timbres. Users can make wavetables by converting samples with pitch-splice or vocode, editing tables, or generating them from text. Modulation includes drag-and-drop assignment, audio-rate modulation, stereo-splittable and keytracked LFOs, and custom envelope curves. Sound tools include two routable voice filters, eight routable effects, an oscilloscope, and a spectrum viewer. Vital supports MPE and microtonal tuning files, with VST, VST3, AU, and LV2 plugin formats listed. Requirements include 64-bit operation and OpenGL 3 or higher; the listed systems are Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+, and Ubuntu Linux 18.04+. The free Basic plan costs nothing and includes 75 presets, 25 wavetables, and full synth features. Plus costs $25, paid once and includes 250 presets and 70 wavetables. Text-to-wavetable requests are limited to five per day unless a plan unlocks unlimited requests.