Music Expo (San Francisco) becomes MONO Music Conference Ahead of their 2026 return, Music Expo have announced that they have now officially changed their name to the MONO Music Conference. 

Growl Audio gFractorgFractor Multi-mode Spectrum Analyzer & Oscilloscope gFractor is a multi-mode spectrum analyzer and oscilloscope plugin for music producers, mixing engineers, and mastering engineers who need an accurate picture of what's happening across the stereo field — not just left and right, but mid and side, and tonal versus transient content. Built on the JUCE framework in C++17, gFractor combines a configurable real-time FFT display with a tempo-synced oscilloscope, full stereo metering, and an A/B reference workflow in a single window. The audio path is fully realtime-safe: no allocations or locks occur on the audio thread. Three Channel Modes The same generic Primary / Secondary abstraction is used across three analysis modes, so the workflow stays consistent no matter what you're inspecting: Mid / Side — separate the mono centre from the stereo sides. Left / Right — traditional per-channel view. Tonal / Transient — split the signal by content type, with an adjustable transient time constant (0.1–10 ms). Spectrum Analyzer Configurable FFT order from 1024 up to 16384. Overlap from 2x to 8x. Adjustable decay and spectral slope. Infinite peak hold. Freeze. Loadable / savable target curves for spectrum comparison. Right-click-drag Audition Filter for precise bell-filter isolation of any frequency region. Oscilloscope View Tempo-synced time-domain display. Optional spectral colouring of the waveform. Reference Mode Sidechain-fed A/B comparison with ghost overlay. Momentary reference via held modifier key, for quick before/after checks while mixing. Stereo Metering Goniometer. Phase correlation meter. Width-per-octave display (10 bands), to see exactly where stereo width lives in the spectrum. Workflow Three themes: Dark, Light, and Balanced. Preset system with save, load, rename, and dirty-state tracking. Full keyboard control — every major feature has a shortcut, including channel-mode cycling (Tab), view toggling (V), reference (R / Ctrl), freeze (Z), peak hold (H), target curve (T), fullscreen (W), and one-key cycling through slope, decay, overlap, and FFT settings. Formats VST3 (Windows, macOS, Linux). AU (macOS). System Requirements MacOS 10.13 or later (Intel and Apple Silicon, universal binary). Windows 10 or later (64-bit). Linux (64-bit, VST3). Read More

FSK Audio release QRonicle  QRonicle is capable of generating a QR code that is then displayed in its GUI, and allows users to link to information stored on a cloud drive. 

Polarity releases Polarity-RES, a FREE resonator effect
Polarity is a name that many readers will be very familiar with. The developer has now released Polarity-RES (v0.1.0), a free resonator effect for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It wasn’t too long ago that we covered Polarity-MD, a free multiband dynamics processor (something like a four-band OTT). But many of you will know Polarity best [...]
View post: Polarity releases Polarity-RES, a FREE resonator effect

The 3 free plugin bundles I tell every beginner to install
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the only five free plugins a beginner actually needs, and the argument was simple. Stock plugins in modern DAWs are good enough for almost everything, so don’t drown yourself in 50 free downloads on day one. This is the follow-up to that piece. At some point, you do [...]
View post: The 3 free plugin bundles I tell every beginner to install

Rob Papen launch eXplorer 11 Rob Papen’s all-encompassing plug-in and virtual instrument collection has just been treated to another update, with two new additions bringing the total count to 36.

Purafied Audio Everything Bundle is FREE for a limited time
Purafied Audio is once again offering its Everything Bundle for free with the coupon code MYSHITWASFUCKED at checkout. The Everything Bundle includes every plugin Purafied Audio has released so far: LED Compressor, VU Compressor, Micro Limiter, SLP 538 EQ, The Panda Rooms, DEATHWESTERN Amp, and Liquid Death Snare. The regular price is $238 (down from [...]
View post: Purafied Audio Everything Bundle is FREE for a limited time

Dynamix Audio Sampling MasterSampling Master is an autosampling and sample library creation tool for recording and building multisampled instruments from hardware and software sources. It supports automatic key mapping using pitch detection, metadata, or file names, and provides tools for looping, normalization, leveling, and sample organization. The software is designed to streamline the process of capturing audio, mapping samples across the keyboard range, and exporting structured sample libraries for use in samplers and production workflows. Read More

Engine DJ 5.0: on-board stems on the System 1, RGB waveforms for everyoneEngine DJ 5.0 from Denon DJ went live today. The headline feature: on-board stems rendering. It’s exclusive to the Rane System 1, which now becomes the first piece of standalone DJ hardware that can split a track into 4-part stems without an external computer in the chain. If you don’t own a System 1, the […]
The post Engine DJ 5.0: on-board stems on the System 1, RGB waveforms for everyone appeared first on DJ TechTools.

Hyperfocus DSP releases Niner, a FREE open-source 909-style kick drum synth
Hyperfocus DSP has released Niner, a free open-source kick drum synth with a parallel 909-style clap voice for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It’s been a while since I last covered a free drum synth specifically focused on kicks. I recently wrote about Sender Spike’s DR.89, which goes for the full 909 kit experience. Niner is [...]
View post: Hyperfocus DSP releases Niner, a FREE open-source 909-style kick drum synth

Nugen Audio update DialogCheck Set to debut at the 2026 Media Production & Technology Show, DialogCheck 1.1 adds a selection of new features and functions that make it quicker and easier to use, as well as extending its immersive audio support. 

Pür Recording & Residence Pür Recording & Residence have announced their official opening, introducing a new world-class residential recording complex on Cunda Island along Türkiye’s North Aegean coast.

Sonic Republic Pluginize!Pluginize! is a native macOS application that scans, catalogs, and organizes installed audio plugins across AU, VST, VST3, AAX, CLAP, Universal Audio (UAD DSP and UAD Spark), and Waves. Pluginize! is the first plugin manager that handles individual Waves bundles and individual UAD plug-ins as separate items, rather than only operating at the vendor-folder level. Producers can. enable or disable a single Waves bundle (e.g., a specific compressor) or a specific UAD plug-in without going through Waves Central or UAD Connect, and without uninstalling anything. A whitelist. and auto-restore system protect user organization across vendor updates, which historically reset everything to "all enabled". Other features: - Cross-format grouping — AU, VST, VST3 and AAX versions of the same plugin are treated as one entity, switchable together with a single click. - Plugin Sets — saved active-library configurations (e.g., "Mixing", "Mastering", "Sound Design") switchable in one click. - 40+ auto-detected subcategories (Synth, Drum Machine, Reverb, Saturator, Vocal Tuner, etc.). - Storage breakdown with charts, broken down by vendor, format, and processing type. - Plugin Catalog Pro — visual catalog with editable icons and previews. - Setup Assistant — first-run guided configuration with vendor folder detection. - Menu bar integration. - Email-based activation, no serial keys. - Non-destructive by design — plugin files are moved between Active and Unused folders, never deleted. Platform: macOS 14 Sonoma or later. Universal Binary (Apple Silicon + Intel). Apple Developer ID signed and notarized, Hardened Runtime. Pluginize! is a standalone application — not a plugin. Read More

Get 30% off u-he Repro at Plugin Boutique for a limited time
You can now get 30% off the u-he Repro at Plugin Boutique for a limited time. Repro (includes Repro 1 and Repro 5) combines the sound of two legendary synths by Sequential: the Pro-One and the Prophet 5. Plugin Boutique’s 30% discount means you can buy Repro for $104 (usually $149) until the offer ends [...]
View post: Get 30% off u-he Repro at Plugin Boutique for a limited time

Cavitation Fractures is a new FREE fluid-dynamics distortion plugin for macOS
Unusable Engineering has released Cavitation Fractures, a free distortion plugin for macOS inspired by fluid dynamics. I love distortions in general, and I especially enjoy trying new ones that don’t follow the standard overdrive/clipping playbook. Cavitation Fractures is one of those. It’s different but not weird in a way that you don’t know how to [...]
View post: Cavitation Fractures is a new FREE fluid-dynamics distortion plugin for macOS