BEAST
BEAST is a digital synthesizer and music creation system for Linux and Windows.
What BEAST is
BEAST is a digital synthesizer and music creation system for Linux and Windows. It supports multi-track editing, unlimited undo, real-time synthesis, MIDI automation, and Linux Audio Plugins through LADSPA. Supported audio formats include WAV, AIFF, Vorbis, Soundfont 2, Gus Patch, FLAC, and MP3. The project lists 32-bit rendering, full duplex support, multi-core rendering, SIMD utilization, sample-granularity timing, and FFT spectrograms. BEAST is primarily developed on Linux and supports 32-bit and 64-bit platforms. A Windows port has started, and the project is seeking volunteers. Releases are available as source tarballs and binary packages under the LGPL-2.1+ license. The 0.15.0 release announcement identifies JACK as a PCM driver. Support options include a mailing list, email, IRC chat, and GitHub issues. A new web-technology and Electron interface is in development. The latest listed release is version 0.15.0, dated November 5, 2019.
Good
- Supports multi-track editing and unlimited undo
- Provides real-time synthesis and MIDI automation
- Handles numerous audio formats
- Offers multi-core rendering and FFT spectrograms
- Free and LGPL-2.1+ licensed
Watch out
- Windows port is still seeking volunteers
- Latest listed release is from November 5, 2019
- Linux is the primary development platform
Who it suits
BEAST suits Linux-focused musicians who need synthesis, editing, MIDI automation, and broad audio-format support. Windows users should note that its port is still being developed.
Verdict
BEAST offers a broad free toolkit for synthesis and music editing, especially on Linux. Its older listed release and unfinished Windows port may matter when choosing a current production environment.
The facts
Each one read from BEAST's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audio driver
- The 0.15.0 release announcement says BEAST supports JACK as a PCM driver.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Audio formats
- It supports WAV, AIFF, Vorbis, Soundfont 2, Gus Patch, FLAC, and MP3 files.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Audio processing
- The site lists 32-bit rendering, full duplex support, multi-core rendering, SIMD utilization, sample-granularity timing, and FFT spectrograms.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Downloads and license
- Releases are available as source code tarballs and binary packages, and the source code is licensed under LGPL-2.1+.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Editing and synthesis
- It supports multi-track editing, unlimited undo, real-time synthesis, and MIDI automation.checked 4 Oct 2026
- New interface
- The site says a new UI based on web technologies and Electron is in development.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Plugins
- It supports Linux Audio Plugins (LADSPA).checked 4 Oct 2026
- Product
- BEAST is a digital synthesizer and music creation system.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Project status
- The latest release listed on the site is version 0.15.0, dated November 5, 2019.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Support
- The site lists a mailing list, email, IRC chat, and GitHub issue reporting for support and bug reports.checked 4 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Linux support
- The project is primarily developed on Linux and supports 32-bit and 64-bit platforms.checked 4 Oct 2026
- Windows support
- A Windows port has been started, and the site says it is looking for volunteers.checked 4 Oct 2026
Alternatives to BEAST
- 1
djay
Free planAndroidiOSmacOSWindows8.1From $49.99 a year - 2
rekordbox
Free planAndroidiOSmacOSWindows8.0From $10 a month - 3
VirtualDJ
Free planAndroidiOSAPImacOS8.0From $4 a month - 4
RØDE UNIFY
Free planmacOSWindows7.4From $45.31 a year - 5
DJUCED
Free planmacOSWindows6.7From €5.99 a month - 6
KLANG:app
Free planAndroidiOSmacOSWindows6.6Free plan