Since I don't get paid for modding and I'm on a tight budget these days I'm wondering if anyone knows of any good free synthesizer software? I'm not really looking for something that I can create musical masterpieces on but rather something that can do a reasonable job of creating sound effects with (especially game sound effects).

Even though I can use Audacity it only has limited waveform generation and is much better suited for morphing and editing.

You could try Anvil Studio. But that is limited to what your physical hardware is capable of. (You need a decent midi controller to get better results)

That's a fun thing to play with, I only just did a quick little muck around but with a bit of experience you could probably make some half decent game music with it.

I use it to 'transplant' instruments in those generic midi files you find on the web to fit better on the waveset used by my sound card's hardware midi. It IS fun to play with. And if you actually know how to read music and use midi you can create some good stuff.