Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Friture VS Surge XT

Compare Friture VS Surge XT and see what are their differences

Friture logo Friture

Friture is a program designed to analyze audio input in real-time.

Surge XT logo Surge XT

Open-source subtractive-hybrid synthesizer formerly sold commercially as Vember Audio Surge.
  • Friture Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-05-03
  • Surge XT Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-31

Surge XT is an open-source hybrid synthesizer and the synth which started the Surge Synth Team project!

Friture features and specs

  • Open-Source
    Friture is an open-source project, meaning it is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute. This fosters community involvement and continuous improvement.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The software provides an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, which makes it accessible to both beginners and experienced users who need to analyze audio signals quickly.
  • Real-Time Analysis
    Friture offers real-time audio analysis, which is useful for applications requiring immediate feedback, such as live audio engineering and acoustic assessments.
  • Comprehensive Features
    It includes a variety of features such as spectrogram, spectrum analyzer, and oscilloscope, providing a wide range of tools for users to analyze different aspects of sound.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    The software is compatible with major operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a broad user base.

Possible disadvantages of Friture

  • Limited Support
    As with many open-source projects, dedicated support can be limited compared to commercial software, which might be a drawback for some enterprise users.
  • Resource Intensity
    Real-time processing and analysis can be resource-intensive, requiring more powerful hardware to perform efficiently, particularly with high volumes of data.
  • Feature Limitations
    While Friture offers many tools, it may lack some advanced features present in premium audio analysis software, which can be critical for certain professional applications.
  • Updating and Maintenance
    The pace of updates and maintenance might be slower compared to commercial alternatives, affecting the integration of the latest technologies and features.

Surge XT features and specs

  • Open Source
    Surge XT is open source, which means it is free to use and benefit from community-driven improvements and support.
  • Cross-Platform
    The synthesizer is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility in usage across different operating systems.
  • Versatile Synthesis Engine
    Surge XT supports a wide variety of synthesis techniques like subtractive, wavetable, and FM synthesis, making it very versatile for different sound design needs.
  • Extensive Modulation Options
    The synthesizer comes with a robust modulation matrix, giving users substantial control and creativity over sound modulation.
  • High-Quality Effects
    Includes numerous high-quality built-in effects such as reverb, delay, and distortion, enabling rich and complex sound designs.
  • User Community and Documentation
    Surge XT has active community support and comprehensive documentation, which can be extremely helpful for both beginners and advanced users.

Possible disadvantages of Surge XT

  • Learning Curve
    The plethora of features and extensive modulation options may present a steep learning curve for new users.
  • User Interface
    While functional, the user interface is considered less polished compared to some commercial synthesizers, which might affect the user experience.
  • CPU Usage
    The synth can be CPU-intensive, especially when using multiple instances or complex patches, which may affect performance on less powerful systems.
  • Limited Presets
    Although the software includes a range of presets, it may fall short compared to some commercial offerings with extensive preset libraries.
  • No Official Support
    Being an open-source project, there is no dedicated customer support, which might be an issue for users who need professional help on demand.

Analysis of Surge XT

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Surge XT is considered an excellent choice for both beginners and experienced producers due to its rich feature set, ease of use, and the fact that it is free.

Why this product is good

  • Surge XT is a highly acclaimed open-source software synthesizer known for its extensive features, versatility, and high-quality sound. It offers a broad range of synthesis techniques, a wide variety of presets, and modular modulation capabilities which provide creative flexibility for sound designers and musicians.

Recommended for

  • Music producers looking for a powerful and versatile synthesizer.
  • Sound designers who want to explore a wide range of sound creation possibilities.
  • Beginners seeking a cost-effective entry point into electronic music production.
  • Users who value open-source software with ongoing community support and development.

Friture videos

Ham Radio K1GMM...Friture Spectrum Analyzer!

Surge XT videos

Free VST - Surge Synthesizer plugin

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Friture and Surge XT)
Audio & Music
42 42%
58% 58
Email Marketing
0 0%
100% 100
Audio
100 100%
0% 0
Work Management
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Friture and Surge XT. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Surge XT should be more popular than Friture. It has been mentiond 178 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Friture mentions (25)

  • Ask HN: Determine sound quality of a file, objectively?
    Https://friture.org/ spectral analyzer. Not sure if you need cli or batch function, but the frequency will be cut off regardless of the purported bitrate even if it was "upscaled" since those frequencies were chopped previously. You can see a sample screenshot in the upper left showing the frequency. re-encode a 320kbps to 128kbps and you can see the frequency range diminished on the 128kbps. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • how accurate is https://acousticgender.space/?
    As far as I know, the only more accurate tools for resonance are those that show full spectrograms, for example: In-formant, Friture, and Praat. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Deaf and finally getting Cochlear Implant in a few months. How to get started when I can’t understand hearing speech?
    Get a spectrogram like this one: https://friture.org/ (use just one graph the 2d spectrogram, dm me for settings) Try 2 things: first of all breathe into your mic and try to move the lines/groupings of data upwards and downwards by moving your tongue and throat. Then do the same but take a video of white noise (from youtube) on your phone and place the phone speaker against your lips. Move your tongue and throat... Source: over 2 years ago
  • How do I find the source of a low frequency hum outside?
    I got some free audio analysis software here. All I have is a webcam mic, but I'm pretty sure I see something on the spectrogram at 60, 120, and 240 hz. But I'm not sure if I'm going down the wrong path here. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Analyzing Voice Pitch/Frequency
    If what you want is a real spectrum analyzer you'll need to try other software. For something free and open-source like Audacity, try Friture. Source: over 2 years ago
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Surge XT mentions (178)

  • Ask HN: Comment here about whatever you're passionate about at the moment
    Good stuff! I started getting in to this at the start of the year. Already had an old, dusty MicroKORG and MIDI interface to use it as a controller, but recently splashed out on a bigger controller as the Korg's tiny keys were hurting me - plus, I wanted something bigger to get better at piano! A couple of free soft synths I'd recommend are Surge XT, and Vital. https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Obsolete (or not) DAW recommendations for windows 8?
    Https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ and https://asb2m10.github.io/dexed/ should work like a charm. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Hi, I'm new
    To get the equivalent of a symphonic orchestra in your computer, the solution is basically money; you buy the instruments you need. In the case of synthesizers, things are much cheaper - if you put in the effort yourself. https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ is excellent and could even be used if you wanted to make a more retro-style soundtrack. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • So is serum worth the money? Can someone ELI5 why I should buy it rather than use a free synth like synth one?
    Instead of Synth1, try https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ . It's pretty much better in every aspect except for the UI which is going to look a lot more daunting to you ;). Source: almost 2 years ago
  • These just appeared in my Facebook, anything to be excited about? I’m waiting on prices.
    For the DW-8000, check https://www.fullbucket.de/music/fb7999.html . Alternatively, https://surge-synthesizer.github.io/ can use single-cycle waveforms (basically wavetables that don't change) which can get you close. Source: almost 2 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Friture and Surge XT, you can also consider the following products

Visual Analyser - A powerful software implementing a Spectrum Analyzer, Oscilloscope, Frequency meter, Distorsiometer, Volt meter and more... plus complete D/A conversion, ZRLC, Impedance meter

Vital - Vital is a spectral warping wavetable synthesizer with drag'n'drop modulation workflow and animated preview of the synth's inner workings where needed. Comes with many modulation sources (including audio-rate), MPE support and FX chain.

xoscope - Xoscope uses the input of your Sound Card, EsounD and/or a ProbeScope/osziFOX and Bitscope-Hardware.

ZynAddSubFX - ZynAddSubFX is an open source software synthesizer for Linux, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows.

Spectralissime - Spectralissime High Definition Spectrum Analyzer by V.Burel

Serum - VST for FL Studio, Ableton Live, and many other VST supported DAWs. Heavily utilized in EDM.