ADPTR AUDIO Utopia reverb from Plugin Alliance Created in collaboration with Geraint Luff of Signalsmith Audio, Utopia is said to reimagine reverb not just as an effect, but as a powerful compositional and harmonic tool.

Spitfire Audio RonrocoA signature sound that adds emotion into music, film and games Step into the personal sound world of Gustavo Santaolalla. For media composers seeking truly authentic, evocative textures to score drama, tension, and expansive landscapes, or producers wanting unique acoustic character unavailable elsewhere, this library captures the unique voice of the multi award-winning composer's iconic ronroco. Heard prominently in his iconic scores for The Last of Us, Motorcycle Diaries, Babel, and his seminal solo album Ronroco, this isn't merely a collection of sounds; it's the culmination of a deep, personal connection, meticulously translated into playable form. For Gustavo, the ten-string ronroco (specifically the E-minor tuning he discovered and embraced) became a vessel for expressing identity beyond traditional boundaries. Its voice carries echoes of Andean roots but transcends them, finding its way into cinematic soundscapes and deeply personal compositions. It can whisper with introspection or soar with resonant emotion, capable of both grounding melodies and floating textures. Gustavo himself performed every sample, pouring his distinct, non-traditional fingerpicking style and emotional nuance into each note. He was driven by the desire to capture the ronroco's specific character – the resonance of the wood, the breath between notes, the gentle touch of fingertips. Spitfire explored its full spectrum, its shadows and its light, to craft something that feels genuine, intimate and alive. The distinctive sound of a legendary career Gustavo Santaolalla is a true visionary – a composer, producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist whose evocative soundscapes have left an indelible mark on both film and popular music globally. He achieved the rare feat of winning consecutive Academy Awards for Best Original Score for Ang Lee's poignant Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Alejandro G. Iñárritu's sprawling Babel (2006). His instantly recognisable and deeply atmospheric scores also grace critically acclaimed projects like the video game phenomenon and subsequent hit HBO series The Last of Us, Walter Salles' Motorcycle Diaries, and Iñárritu's debut feature Amores Perros. Beyond his influential film work, Santaolalla is a seventeen-time Latin Grammy Award winner and a pivotal figure in Latin Alternative music, having produced over 100 albums for groundbreaking artists such as Café Tacvba, Julieta Venegas, and Molotov. His own artistic endeavours include the seminal solo album Ronroco and the innovative electro-tango collective Bajofondo. His staggering collection of accolades further includes two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe, and two Grammy Awards, cementing his legacy as a uniquely gifted artist whose signature sonic palette, featuring the soulful ronroco, is revered worldwide. Expertly programmed by Mike Georgiades Renowned for his 'beautifully recorded, meticulously crafted' MG Soft Acoustic Guitar and MG Soft Nylon Guitar libraries, the Ivor Novello-nominated Mike Georgiades is an expert in engineering libraries to replicate all the behaviours and nuances of a real guitar through detailed scripting and careful calibration, achieving ground-breaking realism. Innovative performance tools that authentically approach stringed virtual instruments lay the foundation for the expressive engine here in the Ronroco. A virtuoso guitarist and ronroco player himself, Mike's programming ensures that every single note performed by Gustavo - capturing every delicate articulation, strum and squeak over five distinct velocity layers, becomes a truly responsive and musical tool for your own productions. What's included. Ronroco by Gustavo Santaolalla offers a sophisticated yet intuitive experience across four main pages – Perform, Sequencer, Calibrate, and FX – designed to let you easily harness the instrument's unique character: Perform: Real-time Playability This is your central hub for live playing, seamlessly integrating multiple performance approaches: Expressive Note Playing: Instantly capture Gustavo's feel, playing melodies across the instrument's range, enhanced by a suite of keyswitch-activated articulations. Including realistic pre/post-note slides (up and down), sampled vibrato (plus additional simulated vibrato via Modwheel), and characterful half/whole-step 'twiddles', all performed by Gustavo. Up to seven round robins and four dynamic layers per note allow for incredibly realistic expression, with intelligent string selection that cycles through strings in a manner that's true to Gustavo's real life playing technique. Authentic Slurs & Noises: Perform automatic slurs (hammer-ons/pull-offs) by overlapping notes within playable legato intervals, controlled by velocity sensitivity. Add lifelike detail with dedicated keyswitches for diverse, velocity-sensitive string squeaks, shifts, and slides. Trigger fret noises automatically on sustain pedal release for realistic transitions (can be disabled for manual control). Intuitive Chord & Strum System: Effortlessly create authentic ronroco voicings and rhythms. Easily set chords by holding the 'Set Chord' keyswitch and playing a triad. Choose between 'Auto' voicing (which intelligently interprets major, minor, 7th, and sus chords for authentic ronroco voicings) or 'Manual' for full user control. Perform realistic up/down strums using dedicated keys (yellow keys), including a string hit articulation. Control strum speed and humanization for organic variation. Arpeggio & Tremolo Control: Play individual chord strings arpeggio-style using the String Keys (blue keys) or trigger lush major/minor tremolo chords based on the current selection using the dedicated Tremolo Key. Control the tremolo attack/release envelope and start behavior (strum or fade-in). Performance Effects: Utilise the 'Fix String' keyswitch to lock playing to a specific string, effective for certain slide techniques. Engage open-string switches for specific strings to create fluid, ringing chord changes and textures. Control how chord changes respond (Squeaks, Stops, Sustain). Manage the unique octave-doubled third string manually or automatically. Sequencer: Instant Authentic Rhythm. Craft intricate patterns and rhythmic beds with a powerful, yet easy-to-use sequencing engine: Flexible Sequencing: Utilise a fully customizable 4-bank, 32-step (max) sequencer. Activate/deactivate notes per string for each step. Define articulation (style switches) and strum direction (picked, up, down) per step. Control volume per step relative to playing velocity. Authentic Rhythms: Load presets containing MIDI patterns derived from authentic ronroco rhythms and arpeggiation styles interpreted from Gustavo's playing. The library also carefully recreates playing articulations like upstrokes and downstrokes, crucial for capturing the instrument's true sound, especially on the octave-doubled third string. Creative Control: Set sequence length (Bars), Time Signature, and Rate (step division). Adjust Strum Speed, Humanise Strums (randomness), Humanise Steps (timing), and Swing amount for organic feel. Define chord and sequence release behaviors. DAW Integration: Easily record your performance within the sequencer, including chord changes, and simply drag and drop the resulting MIDI directly into your DAW project. Load and save your own sequence patterns. Calibrate: Tailoring the Feel. Fine-tune the instrument's global settings to suit your needs: Adjust overall Volume, Stereo Width, and the balance between Close and Far microphone positions. Control the level of Fret Noise and whether noises trigger on pedal release. Manage the instrument's Dynamic Range (compression) and shape the note Attack envelope. Optionally blend in the authentic Room Tone from Gustavo's own studio where the ronroco was recorded. Configure String Setup order. The FX Page: Shaping the Atmosphere. Add professional polish and ambience with three integrated effects: Choose from high-quality Convolution Reverb, Algorithmic Reverb, and Delay. Easily activate, bypass, and adjust parameters for each effect module. https://youtu.be/ReCKR_xwQK8 Read More

NoiseWorks Audio’s DynAssist gains Pro Tools ARA integration The latest update for DynAssist provides ARA support for Pro Tools, offering tighter integration and allowing users to apply intelligent dynamics processing without the need for real-time playback.

ToneLib releases TL BaxEQ, a FREE classic Baxandall EQ Plugin
ToneLib is back with another freebie after updating popular plugins TL NoiseReducer and TL TubeWarmth late in 2024. The developer’s latest freebie is TL BaxEQ, which pays homage to the late Peter J Baxandall. Peter J. Baxandall developed the Baxandall EQ over seven decades ago, and although successful, he never quite received the credit he [...]
View post: ToneLib releases TL BaxEQ, a FREE classic Baxandall EQ Plugin

MPG Awards 2025: The Winners The MPG have released a full list of this year’s MPG Awards winners following a sold-out ceremony at The Troxy in London, UK. 

VG Trumpet VG Jazz Tenor Saxophone VIYouTube/V56DGf1ZEho Virtual Instrument, VST, AU plugins, standalone application. Made by a musician, for musicians—designed to inspire and enhance your music: Five of the most common types of saxophone style sounds: Subtone, Warm, Smooth, Bright and Lead. It works with Windows and Mac as a standalone and will run as a plugin in all major DAWs (Cubase, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Reaper, FL Studio etc.) as VST/VST3/AU. Compatible with breath controllers (AirMotion, TEControl, MRTAudio), wind controllers (AKAI EWI4000s, EWI5000, Solo, Roland Aerophone AE-10, AE-20, Pro AE-30, Yamaha WX, Yamaha YDS, Berglund NuEVI, NuRad, EMEO, Robkoo R1, Clarii mini, etc.), and MIDI keyboard controllers. More than 410 unique samples. Recorded sample quality: 24-bit / 44.1 kHz. Custom designed, unique GUI. Aftertouch, Mod Wheel, and Keyswitches are the key features to morph and perform sounds while playing. Articulations: Falls, Squeezes, Soft attack, Accented attack, Bend. Expressive effects: Expression, Attack, Vibrato, Growl, Wah. Reverb, delay and stereo control to fit the instrument in every mix. Designed for electronic wind instrument performers, sound designers, and music producers. VG Jazz Tenor Saxophone Virtual Instrument Quick Start Guide (PDF). YouTube/qChu0Mm1SCo YouTube/r10qf-3NUd8 YouTube/SL5_cOum7qc YouTube/lnH9yqF_DZw YouTube/Afu8E3wnQtc Read More

Arturia V Collection 11 released The latest version of Arturia’s powerful all-in-one virtual instrument collection is now available, bringing a total of seven new additions to the table.

Bitwig Connect 4/12 now available The Bitwig Connect 4/12 marks the company’s first foray into hardware, and offers an all-in-one solution that combines audio, MIDI and CV I/O with monitoring and DAW control functions.

Filtrr is a FREE Ladder Filter and Saturation Plugin by BlepFX
BlepFX has released Filtrr, a versatile ladder filter and saturation plugin for free. We have written about the cool offerings by developer BlepFX here before, like the impressive companding distortion Destruqtor and lo-fi degrader plugin Crunchrr. BlepFX is known for making tools that are both aesthetically pleasing and easy to work with, and most importantly, [...]
View post: Filtrr is a FREE Ladder Filter and Saturation Plugin by BlepFX

Flock Audio update Patch App DX The most recent update for the application that pairs with Flock Audio’s series of digitally controlled patchbays has just arrived, delivering a range of long-awaited features that promise to further streamline the range’s functionality

Orpheus Effects releases new FREE room reverb plugin RoomLite
Orpheus Effects, a seemingly new audio developer, has recently released a new room reverb plugin, RoomLite. Best of all, it is free. As the name RoomLite suggests, this plugin is suited for room reverb sounds, specifically “high-quality and realistic emulations of small to medium-sized spaces.” It uses the room algorithm found in its parent plugin, [...]
View post: Orpheus Effects releases new FREE room reverb plugin RoomLite

Neumann launch RIME headphone software Neumann have announced the release of a new plug-in that allows users of their NDH headphones to monitor immersive audio formats such as Dolby Atmos.

Get a MajorDecibel Plugin of Your Choice for Free
You can currently snap up almost any MajorDecibel plugin for free by using the coupon code ‘FREEPLUGIN’. The code works with any of MajorDecibel’s plugins, except Mastering Studio Rx. That means you can score one of the following plugins for free: Dynamics ($19), Equalizer ($19), Spatializer ($19), Limiter ($19), and the most exciting of all, [...]
View post: Get a MajorDecibel Plugin of Your Choice for Free

Sample Logic GrainScaperWHAT IS GRAINSCAPER? ELEVATE YOUR SOUND WITH NEXT-GEN GRANULAR SYNTHESIS. Unlock the power of sound with GrainScaper – a cutting-edge tool designed to elevate your music productions. Harness the magic of granular synthesis, breaking audio into tiny "grains" to create entirely new textures, evolving soundscapes, and complex sonic worlds. With precise control over pitch, timing, density, and more, you can craft shimmering atmospheres, rhythmic patterns, and otherworldly effects like never before. Perfect for electronic music, soundscapes, film scores, and experimental genres, our plug-in empowers you to push the limits of sound design and redefine what's possible in your productions. GrainScaper at a Glance: 240 Granular Presets. 4 independent grain modules with dedicated cloud mixing. Drag & Drop modulators. XY spatial controller. Built in Master effects. Realtime virtual instrument or audio processing. Randomizer for quick inspiration. Overview Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4GTrTXqVdo Read More

Yraki releases LayerLab Device for Ableton Mariano Sibilia, or Yraki, has announced the release of a new Max for Live Device that’s capable of creating new one-shot sounds from a collection of loaded samples.