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Free synth pluck samples

Free synth pluck samples: short, bright plucked synth notes for house, trance, future bass and pop melodies, with root notes and a licence verdict.

Samples
26 samples
Sources
from 4 sources
Cleared for commercial use
9 cleared for commercial use
Direct downloads
26 with direct download
Updated

Search live for “pluck”Use it from code or an agent

26 samples

Picked automatically from a live search of 41 sites and refreshed daily. Each sound belongs to its creator: check its licence on the source page before you release it.

Short, bright and melodic

A pluck is a synth sound with a sharp attack and a quick decay. It carries fast melodies and arpeggios without clogging the mix, which is why plucks lead so many house, trance, future bass and pop tracks. Variations range from soft, marimba-like tones to bright, detuned stabs.

Playing plucks from samples

Load a single pluck note into a sampler, set its root (shown on the card when known), and play your melody. Plucks transpose well, because they are short; a sample stays usable over two octaves or more. Program a sixteenth-note arpeggio, add a tempo-synced delay, and you have the basis of a lead.

Free plucks come from producer giveaways, vintage-synth sample sites and Creative Commons archives. Licences vary, so check the verdict on each card before a release.

Questions

What makes a synth sound plucky?
A fast attack and a short decay on both volume and filter, so the note starts bright and dies away quickly, like a plucked string. Little or no sustain is the key.
How do I make a pluck melody sound wider?
Add a short stereo delay, a little reverb and slight detune or chorus. Keep the low end of the pluck mono and let only the upper part spread.

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