60 creatures that grew up with an instrument
Twenty new lines in three stages, from a panther that taps a handpan to a deer whose antlers are a harp.
NORTHFX STUDIO · FREE DAW FOR WINDOWS
The free DAW that feels premium.
Make beats, write, record, arrange, mix and master in one studio, then DJ your tracks on two decks. NORTHFX Studio listens to your song and takes the technical work off your hands, so every musical decision stays yours. And every song you make hatches a pet.
Download NORTHFX Studio free ↓See what's inside
Free forever. No trial, no watermark, no subscription. Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit.
- 0 € the whole DAW
- VST3 plugin hosting
- 10 NORTHFX effects built in
- AI that runs on your PC
- DJ two decks built in
- 52 pets to catch, free
- 11 themes
FROM THE FIRST BEAT TO THE RELEASE
One studio for the whole song.
- BeatPatterns, drum rack, sampler, fills.
- WriteChords, melodies and 808 slides.
- RecordTakes, comping, the best phrase of each.
- MixInserts, sends, buses, sidechain.
- AskNORTHSTAR hears the song and helps.
- ReleaseMaster, export, stems, versions.
- Play outTwo decks, your controller, your set.
- CollectEvery song hatches a pet.
BEAT / STEP SEQUENCER
Beats in minutes.
Every channel in the rack is a full track with its own mixer strip. Program patterns of any length on the step grid with swing, velocity, chance and rolls, load your own sounds into the NORTHFX Sampler, and let the creative tools do the rest: a fill for the end of the pattern, a loop sliced into a kit, a new snare heard in the same rhythm before you swap it.
- Step grid with swing, chance, rolls and triplets
- NORTHFX Sampler: glide, envelopes, loops, choke groups
- Fill Lab, loop slicing and sound swap
- Variations and linked copies of a pattern in the song
PIANO ROLL
Melodies, chords and 808s that slide.
A piano roll that thinks in music. Stamp chords in the key of the song, fold the view to the scale, strum, arpeggiate and humanize, draw 808 slides as you hear them and shape velocity with one stroke. Every tool plays while you adjust it, and APPLY makes it one undo step.
- Chord stamp, arpeggio, strum and humanize
- Scales, fold and quantize with grooves
- Slides and glides for 808 and bass
- Synth presets to start with
RECORD / ARRANGE
From the loop to the song.
Record vocals with count-in and punch-in and keep every take. Golden Take scores each phrase of your takes for pitch, timing, level and noise and builds a comp from the best ones. Then shape the song in sections: duplicate a chorus, insert two bars or shorten the intro, and the clips, automation and takes move with it.
- Takes, comping, punch-in and count-in
- Golden Take: the best phrase of every take
- Section edits that move everything in them
- Breaths turned down, doubles moved onto the lead
MIX
A mixer that knows every track.
Inserts, sends, buses and returns, and routing the way beatmakers know it: route or sidechain any track "to this track" in one click. Give each track a role (lead vocal, 808, drums) and NORTHFX Studio and NORTHSTAR treat it accordingly. Save mixer presets on any strip, freeze heavy tracks and compare against a reference track.
- VST3 plugins next to the built-in effects
- Route and sidechain "to this track"
- Track roles, mixer presets, routing overview
- Freeze, render in place, reference track
MASTER
Loud, clean, ready for streaming.
The master chain with the NORTHFX limiter, loudness in LUFS and true peak and a target for streaming. BYPASS CHAIN shows what the master really does. Fresh Ears lets you hear the mix through a phone, a laptop, a car or in mono, and reminds you to take a break before your ears get used to it.
- Integrated, short-term and momentary loudness
- Limiter with ceiling and release
- BYPASS CHAIN for an honest comparison
- Fresh Ears: phone, car, laptop, mono, room noise
BUILT IN
Ten NORTHFX effects, inside.
NORTHFX Studio comes with Lite versions of the NORTHFX plugins: the same sound engines with a focused set of controls, from the listening EQ ISOBAR to the listening reverb HALO, and the Pet Instrument, the Lite version of the pet instrument MENAGERIE. Want every feature? Hear a preset of the full version right in the effect window, then try the full plugin free for 14 days.
NORTHSTAR AI
Ask your studio.
NORTHSTAR knows your song: the tempo, the key, the sections and every track. Ask in plain English, "what can I improve?", "my 808 is muddy", "make the chorus hit harder", and it answers from what it hears. Requests become a plan you see first, preview while the song plays and apply as one undo step. It runs on your computer: nothing is uploaded, no account needed.
- Answers from your song, not from a template
- "Make the chorus hit harder": drop, riser, filter sweep, reverb throw
- Vocal chain set from what it hears
- Nothing leaves your computer
NORTHSTAR LIVE
Mix feedback while you work.
Switch on LIVE and NORTHSTAR checks your mix as the song plays: loudness and peaks, dynamics, tone, the low end and the vocal against the beat. A finding comes with a fix to preview and apply, and when the song is done, WHOLE SONG runs the checks on the finished mix. Suggestions, not rules: you decide.
- Findings while the song plays
- WHOLE SONG for the finished mix
- Preview, Apply or Dismiss
- Track roles tell it what each track is
FINISH SESSION
Finished, not just exported.
Say who the export is for, a singer, a mix engineer, feedback, social media or the archive, and NORTHFX Studio sets the range, format, loudness and stems. Every export is kept with the version it came from. Collect feedback at song times, compare two exports A/B and pick up any idea from your project and idea library.
- WAV, AIFF, FLAC and MP3 320 kbit/s
- Stems by track, also as one ZIP
- Versions, history and A/B of exports
- Project library and idea library
DJ
Play your tracks out.
The DJ tab turns NORTHFX Studio into a pair of decks. Load any track from your music, see both waveforms glow in sync, mix with EQ, filters and the crossfader, scratch the turntable and throw a beat effect on the drop. Learn your DJ controller in a few clicks, record the set and drop it into a song.
- Two decks with turntables, sync, key lock, hot cues, loops and rolls
- MIDI LEARN for any DJ controller, jog wheels included
- BEAT FX, a sampler, SLIP and beat-quantised starts
- CRATE suggests what fits next by key, tempo and energy
KELVIN'S PETS
Every song hatches a pet.
Making music in NORTHFX Studio hatches eggs: time in the studio, every export, the season and the day's quests. Raise the creatures through their evolutions, fuse them in the forge, send them on expeditions, fill the album and battle in the arenas, where every genre is a type. 52 creatures, free.
- Cards with rarities from common to mythic, and rare shiny forms
- Battles in the arenas, the tower and the weekly boss
- Every pet you catch plays as an instrument in the Pet Instrument
- The full instrument for every DAW: MENAGERIE
PET INSTRUMENT
Play the pets you caught.
Every pet line has its own sound: a walrus that is an 808, a fox that is a pad, an owl that is a lofi guitar. The Pet Instrument plays the first form of every pet you catch, free, with its four character macros, straight into your beat.
- 808s, keys, pads, plucks, bells and leads from your collection
- Four character macros per pet
- Record what you play, like any instrument
KELVIN'S PETS / PREMIUM PACK
PRISM ORIGINS.
Four regions, five bosses
Drum Canyon, Crystal Grotto, Harp Woods and Cloud Choir, each with its arena and guardian. ORIGO waits on the Origin Stage.
25 new instruments
Every creature of the pack plays in the Pet Instrument, in every form. A one-time purchase, nothing random.
Get PRISM ORIGINS ↗KELVIN'S STUDIO
Meet KELVIN.
KELVIN is the producer penguin of NORTHFX Studio. He dances to your beat, taps the tempo with you and greets you in his studio, where your projects wait on the desk. Next door is the Listening Room: hear your song the way a listener does, section by section, and leave yourself notes at the exact moment.
- Kelvin's Studio as a way into your projects
- The Listening Room with notes at song times
- Outfits for KELVIN as an extra
ELEVEN THEMES
Make it yours.
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
Premium, if you want it.
The DAW is free and complete. The extras change how it looks and what it can make, never how your music sounds. Prices are shown at checkout. For KELVIN's pets there is PRISM ORIGINS, the premium pack.
Premium Themes
Seven living worlds: Polar Night, Stage Haze, Neon Rain, Solar Eclipse, Tape Room, Block Party and Abyss. They move with your song.
Get Premium Themes ↗
KELVIN Outfits
Caps, glasses, chains and complete looks for KELVIN, in the AI tab and in his studio.
Get KELVIN Outfits ↗
Create Video
Turn your song into a video for social media: cover, motion and your audio, made right in NORTHFX Studio.
Get Create Video ↗Technical specifications
| Price | Free. Optional premium extras. |
|---|---|
| System | Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit |
| Plugins | Hosts VST3 (64-bit); built-in effects and instruments, ten NORTHFX Lite effects |
| Audio | Windows audio (WASAPI); 44.1 to 96 kHz |
| Export | WAV, AIFF, FLAC, MP3 (320 kbit/s); stems by track, also as ZIP; normalising and loudness targets |
| Editing | Step sequencer and patterns, piano roll, audio and MIDI clips, takes and comping, automation, sections and song lanes |
| Mixing | Inserts, sends, buses, returns, sidechain, track roles, freeze, render in place, reference track, mixer presets, effect bypass for A/B |
| Projects | Autosave and recovery, snapshots, versions, project and idea library |
| AI | NORTHSTAR: assistant in plain English, LIVE mix checks, WHOLE SONG analysis, tempo, key and section detection, Golden Take, Fresh Ears. Runs locally, nothing is uploaded |
| DJ | Two decks with turntables, mixer with 3-band EQ and filter, sync, key lock, hot cues, loops, rolls, beat FX, sampler, SLIP, MIDI LEARN for DJ controllers, headphone cue, set recording, CRATE suggestions |
| KELVIN's pets | 52 creatures to collect free (PRISM ORIGINS adds 65), eggs from making music, evolutions, forge, expeditions, album, battles; Pet Instrument (MENAGERIE Lite) |
| Look | Eleven themes (four free, seven premium), KELVIN, Kelvin's Studio and the Listening Room |
NORTHFX STUDIO / FAQ
Questions, answered.
Is NORTHFX Studio really free?
Yes. NORTHFX Studio is a free DAW: the full program with no time limit, no feature lock, no watermark and no subscription. You can record, produce, mix, master and export songs and sell your music. Optional extras are sold separately: the premium themes, KELVIN's outfits, the Create Video module and PRISM ORIGINS, the premium pack for KELVIN's pets.
Is NORTHFX Studio a good FL Studio alternative?
If you make beats the FL Studio way, you will feel at home: step patterns with swing, a piano roll with chords, scales and slides, a playlist-style arrangement, a mixer with inserts, sends, buses and sidechain, and VST3 plugins. NORTHFX Studio is free and adds a built-in AI mix assistant. FL Studio has many more years of development and a larger library of stock instruments; NORTHFX Studio is new.
Does NORTHFX Studio have a DJ mode?
Yes. The DJ tab has two decks with turntables and glowing waveforms, a mixer with EQ and filters, sync, key lock, hot cues, loops, beat FX, a sampler and SLIP. Learn any MIDI DJ controller with MIDI LEARN, record your set and put it into the song. CRATE suggests what fits next by key, tempo and energy.
What are KELVIN's pets?
Creatures you collect inside NORTHFX Studio by making music: time in the studio, exports, the season and daily quests hatch eggs. Raise them through their evolutions, fuse them in the forge, send them on expeditions and battle in the arenas. Every pet you catch also plays as an instrument in the Pet Instrument. The 52 creatures of the collection are free.
What can I do with a free DAW like NORTHFX Studio?
Everything from the first idea to the release: program drums in the step sequencer, write melodies and chords in the piano roll, record vocals with takes, comping and punch-ins, arrange the song, mix it with effects and buses, master it to a loudness target and export WAV, AIFF, FLAC or MP3 with stems.
What does the AI in NORTHFX Studio do?
NORTHSTAR listens to your song and checks the mix: loudness and peaks, dynamics, tone, the low end, the vocal against the beat. It knows the tempo, the key and the sections of the song. Ask it in plain English, for example "make the chorus hit harder" or "my 808 is muddy": it shows a plan, lets you preview it and applies it as one undo step. It runs on your computer; nothing is uploaded.
Which plugins work in NORTHFX Studio?
NORTHFX Studio hosts 64-bit VST3 plugins on Windows and comes with built-in effects and instruments, including Lite versions of the NORTHFX plugins. Every NORTHFX plugin is also available as a full version, free to try for 14 days.
What are the system requirements?
Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit. An audio interface is recommended for recording. There is no macOS version at the moment.
Does NORTHFX Studio upload my music to the cloud?
No. NORTHSTAR and the assistant run on your own computer. Your songs, stems and recordings are analysed locally and never uploaded. You do not need an account to make music.
Is NORTHFX Studio good for beginners?
Yes. You can start a beat in seconds from the step grid, hear every piano roll tool before you apply it, and ask NORTHSTAR in plain English what to improve. It explains what it hears and every change it makes is one undo step, so you learn while you work. Experienced producers get the full depth: routing, sidechain, automation, comping and VST3 plugins.
Is NORTHFX Studio a premium DAW?
It is built like one: a polished, themeable interface, a complete production workflow from the first beat to the release, an assistant that listens, and NORTHFX effects built in. The program itself costs nothing. Premium extras are optional and only change how it looks and what it can make, never how your music sounds.
NORTHFX STUDIO 1.4.6
Start your next song free.
The whole DAW, free. Make beats, record, mix, master and export with an AI that listens, DJ your tracks and collect KELVIN's pets. Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit.
Download NORTHFX Studio free ↓No account needed for the program. Questions? Write to NORTHFX ↗
TAKE IT FURTHER
The full NORTHFX plugins.
PET INSTRUMENTSVST3 · WIN
MENAGERIE
Every pet is an instrument.
Explore MENAGERIE 14 days free→
ONE-KNOB MIX & MASTERVST3 · WIN
MAGNETAR
One knob. A finished sound.
Explore MAGNETAR 14 days free→
ISOBAR
Explore ISOBAR 14 days free→
HALO
Explore HALO 14 days free→
CONSTELLATION
Explore CONSTELLATION 14 days free→