Podium Free By Zynewave Goes 64-bit!

Zynewave has released an updated version of Podium Free, a freeware VST host which is now available as a 64-bit application for Windows.

Podium Free is a freeware edition of Podium. It is fully functional with only a few feature limitations. Download and installation does not require registration.

Podium Free is available for free download via Zynewave (15.6 MB download size, ZIP archive, 32-bit & 64-bit application for Windows).

Also read: Free VST Host Applications!

The latest version of Podium Free introduces the long awaited 64-bit build for Windows based computers. Other improvements include support for Unicode file names and text input, a new “Control Surfaces” page in the Audio/MIDI setup dialog, and an array of bug fixes and minor tweaks.

Podium Free is based on the $50 commerical version of Podium. Contrary to most other apps out there, the free version of Podium is a full featured app with only a few minor drawbacks when compared to the commercial version of the software.

I’ve often recommended Podium Free as the best freeware VST host application out there, and I still think that it’s cream of the crop in this category. At least when it comes to sequencer based applications. There is no other freeware DAW out there which surpasses Podium Free in terms of features, stability, and overall polish.

The workflow requires a bit of getting used to, since Podium Free has a somewhat unique way of managing projects and installed VST plugins. This is not a major drawback, though. The workflow is well explained in the user manual which is included in the download pack in the form of an HTML document.

Everything else in Podium Free is highly polished and up to par with most commercial VST host programs. I would also recommend Nucleum, which is a freeware virtual analogue synthesizer included as a factory instrument in Podium. The synthesizer is also available as a separate download in VSTi plugin format.