Work Horse.

Up to four layered sources for basses, leads, pads and hybrid sounds.

Mix analogue, wavetable, FM, granular, physical and more in one patch, through two filters, a resonant body and six effects.

$49.99Introductory priceRegular price $99.99 from 2 December.

Pay once. Yours to keep. Windows VST3 · macOS VST3 and AU.

No iLok. Activate online or offline on up to 3 computers.

Price-drop promise: if our price drops before 1 December, we refund the difference.

Buy once · Up to 3 computers · 14 days to change your mind, even after download

Free trial: 30 days · No card · Up to 2 computers. Trial terms

Hear it first ↓

Version 1.0.0 · Windows and Mac

Hear it before you buy

Hear this instrument in a recorded performance. Choose an example, then press Play.

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Preset: Breathing Eighties Ensemble. Recorded from the same plug-in you download.

What it is: A synth with four sound sources and ten synthesis types on each.
What it sounds like: Whatever you need: fat analogue, glassy digital, evolving textures, or all of them at once.

Build one layer with a single engine, then compare resonant bodies before adding more sources.

How it is built

Four source slots each take one of ten engines: Analog, Wavetable, FM, Additive, Phase Distortion, Formant, Physical, Sample, Granular or Spectral. Two filters run in Serial, Parallel or Split, and a Modal, String or Tube resonant body adds a physical ring. ADSR and MSEG envelopes, LFOs, macros and modulation routes move the sound, with voice, glide, tuning and expression controls for playing it. Six effects finish the patch.

Split gives sources different filters

Serial runs one filter into the next. Parallel puts two filters side by side. Split sends some sources to one filter and the rest to the other, so a steady low layer can stay dark while a bright layer moves on top. Choose the routing before you start moving cutoffs.

Specs and compatibility

Windows VST3 · macOS VST3 and AU. Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (x86-64) · macOS 14.0 or later

Formats, systems and licence

At a glance

Formats: Windows VST3, macOS VST3 / Audio Unit
macOS: macOS 14.0 or later
Windows: Windows 10 or later, 64-bit (x86-64)
Windows architecture: x64
Mac architecture: universal
Activation: Browser, serial or offline activation on up to 3 machines
Licence: Perpetual single-user licence

What it does

Four configurable source slots
Ten source-engine types
Dual filters with Serial, Parallel or Split routing
Modal, String or Tube resonant body

Show all 6

ADSR/MSEG envelopes, LFOs, macros and modulation routes
Voice, glide, tuning and expression controls

DAW setup help

Installation help for 15 DAWs, including Ableton Live, Apple Logic Pro, Image-Line FL Studio, Steinberg Cubase, PreSonus Studio One and Cockos REAPER.

See all 15 DAWs and versions

Already own it? Download your installer More synth plug-ins

Thirty days in your own session

The full plug-in, no card. If you buy later, it unlocks without reinstalling.

Download the installer for your computer.Your account keeps the licence and the installers together.
Rescan plug-ins in your DAW.Windows VST3 · macOS VST3 and AU
Load the instrument on a MIDI-capable track and play some notes.Your DAW guide names the right track type. Start from a preset, then shape it.

Work Horse is also in Instrument Room, 9 plug-ins for $139.99. Separately they cost $274.91.

See Instrument Room →

Before you buy

Need help choosing or installing? Email support@fatberrydsp.com

What is it for?

Layering basses, leads, pads and hybrid acoustic-electronic sounds from up to four different synthesis types.

How does it fit in a session?

On an instrument track, played from MIDI. One or two sources often leave more room in a mix than all four.

Does it run in my DAW?

Windows VST3, and VST3 or Audio Unit on Mac, in any host that loads those formats. Minimum system versions are listed above. There is no AAX.

Work Horse