FREE Mystery Plugin from FKFX Drops on December 6 (Sign Up Now)
FKFX Audio is offering a mysterious free plugin for Black Friday on December 6, 2024, and the sign-up to receive the freebie is open now. The chance to sign up for the free, previously unreleased plugin will run until December 6.  FKFX’s other plugins are Windows and macOS releases, so we can probably expect the new plugin [...]
View post: FREE Mystery Plugin from FKFX Drops on December 6 (Sign Up Now)

Staff Picks: Raleigh Ritchie, Jimmy Eat WorldOperations Manager Robin RoseRaleigh Ritchie"Stronger Than Ever"This song, as well as those on this album, send a message of resilience going back and forth between singing and rap, with an emotional backdrop of stings and pounding percussion.

Associate Editor Brett CallwoodJimmy Eat World"Sweetness"In honor of the Coachella lineup announcement, and the inclusion of emo heroes Jimmy Eat World, I've been listening to the Bleed American masterpiece a lot this week. "Sweetness" is an incredible tune, partly because it feels like somebody cut up a Bon Jovi anthem and then pieced it back together in a different order. The "whoah-oh" refrain comes in right at the top. Magnificent!

Photo of Raleigh Ritchie, by George Ezra/mouse555, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.The post Staff Picks: Raleigh Ritchie, Jimmy Eat World first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

As Believe UK celebrates its 15th anniversary, key executives Ben Rimmer, Alex Kennedy and Malena Wolfer talk recent successes and what comes next.Three top Believe UK execs celebrate the company’s 15 anniversary and look to its future...
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Get a pair of Yamaha HS5 studio monitors for under $300 this Black FridayDespite the fact we’re still a day away, the Black Friday music technology deals are coming in thick and fast. We’re seeing thousands of killer discounts just waiting to be lapped up by savvy music producers, and we’re making it our mission to bring the best ones to you.
Like this awesome deal over at Sweetwater: you can save $50 on individual Yamaha HS5 studio monitors, meaning you pay just $149.99 instead of $199.99. Obviously, you’ll need two of them for your home studio, but that means you can get a pair for just $299.98 in total.
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The drivers in Yamaha’s HS series offer top-quality audio performance, while a carefully designed arrangement of screws and a mounting ring eliminate unwanted vibration and resonance, allowing the speaker to realise its full sonic potential without distortion or colouration.

READ MORE: The best Black Friday music technology deals 2024: the biggest savings on synths, DJ controllers and plugins right now

The HS5 also features an advanced smooth-contour design tweeter frame to minimise losses, allowing you to hear high-frequency details with stunning clarity. This frame also dampens resonance which can interfere with treble clarity.

In terms of specs, the HS5 features a 5” cone woofer, 1” dome tweeter, large magnets in an advanced magnetic circuit design, dedicated power amps which are perfectly matched to the woofer and tweeter, and Room Control and High Trim response controls for optimum performance in any room.
Of course, if you’re after a little more firepower, the Yamaha HS7 and HS8 are also discounted at Sweetwater for Black Friday. Whatever your requirements, now’s the time to upgrade your home studio.
If you want to take advantage of this awesome deal, head to Sweetwater right now.
The post Get a pair of Yamaha HS5 studio monitors for under $300 this Black Friday appeared first on MusicTech.

Music production’s most beloved EQ is now on sale with 25% off for Black FridayHow many producers haven’t thought about picking up FabFilter’s Pro-Q3 EQ at least once? This ubiquitous and universally loved EQ plugin, which you’ll find in studios around the world, is now on sale for Black Friday.
Available at Plugin Boutique, the Pro-Q 3 plugin’s price has been slashed by $45, bringing it down to $134. This EQ is used by a plethora of different producers, from bedroom beatmakers like Satl to some of the most revered Grammy-winning mix engineers out there, including Dave Pensado. According to Plugin Boutique, Pensado says that “FabFilter Pro-Q 3 has one of the best GUIs of any EQ out there and sonically compares to the best.”
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Why does everyone love it so much? Well, its clean interface and real-time visualiser make it incredibly easy to see which parts of the frequency spectrum your sounds occupy. If you have a vocal recording that sounds a little too hissy, you can easily find the frequencies that you need to tame.
You can then apply a whopping 24 EQ bands onto your signal, if you need to, with a variety of curve shapes and an optional Dynamic EQ for all bands. Also, the ‘brickwall’ slope for low-pass and high-pass filters makes it effortless to cut low-end rumble or piercing high frequencies. Other smart features, like EQ Match and Spectrum Grab, make this a seriously modern EQ.
If you want to add more than just an EQ to your plugin folder this holiday season, FabFilter has plenty more plugins on sale. The 25 per cent discount is shared across the Pro-L 2 limiter, Pro-C 2 compressor, Pro MB compressor, Pro-G gate, Pro-DS de-esser. Pro-R 2 reverb, all on Plugin Boutique.
We rated the Pro-R 2 reverb plugin as a 9/10 in our review last year, and FabFilter’s Volcano 3 filter plugin was awarded our 10/10 Excellence Award back in 2021.
 
Find more music production deals
The post Music production’s most beloved EQ is now on sale with 25% off for Black Friday appeared first on MusicTech.

Save £60 on the Shure SM7B, one of the best podcasting mics around, this Black FridayBlack Friday is almost upon us, and the team here at MusicTech are working hard to bring you the very best deals on gear from all the biggest music retailers. Naturally, as one of the biggest music retailers in the world, Thomann is hosting deals on thousands of pieces of gear, so there’s no better time than now to upgrade your rig.
Podcasting has never been more popular, and we’re sure at some point or another you’ve considered starting your own. But you can’t do that without a good quality microphone, right? The Shure SM7B, an all-purpose dynamic microphone which excels for podcasting, is discounted by a cool £60 at Thomann this Black Friday, meaning you pay just £333.
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But don’t just take our word for it. The Shure SM7B is used by some of the world’s biggest podcasters, including Joe Rogan, Conan O’Brien, Lex Fridman, so all you need to do is listen to their podcasts to hear how silky smooth this mic sounds.

READ MORE: The best Black Friday music technology deals 2024: the biggest savings on synths, DJ controllers and plugins right now

The Shure SM7B features a cardioid pattern, meaning sound in front of the mic is picked up in crystal clear detail, while sounds behind the mic are much quieter. This is perfect if you’re chatting with a guest and want to be able to adjust mic levels individually.
Other specs include a frequency range between 50 and 20,000 Hz, sensitivity of -59 dB, a bass roll-off switch, mid-boost switch, and a swivel mount so you can orient it how you like while recording.
Of course, the SM7B is a perfect podcasting microphone, but it’s impressively versatile, and great for recording musical elements, too.
Don’t wait around, we expect this deal to sell-through before the weekend is over. For more info, head to Thomann.
The post Save £60 on the Shure SM7B, one of the best podcasting mics around, this Black Friday appeared first on MusicTech.

Save up to 96% on Universal Audio UAD plugins in this absolutely bonkers Black Friday sale at Plugin BoutiqueUniversal Audio’s UAD plugins are some of the most highly acclaimed in the game, and as such, usually come with hefty price tags. But this Black Friday is your opportunity to cop some at some absolutely huge discounts via Plugin Boutique.
Take the UAD Studio Classics Bundle, for example. Featuring five legendary tools – the Fairchild Tube Limited Collection, LA-6176 Signature Channel Strip, Lexicon 224 Digital Reverb, Ampex ATR-102 Mastering Tape Recorder and 175B and 176 Tube Compressor Collection – this bundle brings the unmistakable and sought-after sound of classic analogue processing to digital production, offering that vintage feel with a modern workflow.

READ MORE: The best Black Friday guitar deals 2024 – hand-picked guitar savings you can get right now

And the best part? While this bundle usually retails at $1,595, this Black Friday you can get it for just $59. Yep, you read that right. No, that isn’t a typo. Saving a massive $1,536, you can upgrade your plugin collection with some of the best vintage tools on the market right now for under 60 bucks. Honestly, Black Friday plugin deals don’t really come much better than this.
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Also up for grabs is the UAD Producer Edition bundle, which includes a comprehensive selection of virtual instruments and plugins – including PolyMAX synth, Moog Minimoog and more – designed to take your production to the next level. This bundle has an 80% saving for Black Friday meaning you pay just $79.99.
There’s also the UAD Save The Music Holiday Bundle, which includes the LA-6176 Signature Channel Strip, Pultec Passive EQ Collection, Teletronix LA-2A Classic Leveler Collection, UAD Ruby ’63 Top Boost Amplifier, Opal Morphing Synthesizer and Verve Analog Machines. Discount is 96% percent, meaning you save $1,536.
Don’t wait around, as deals this good don’t last forever. Head to Plugin Boutique to learn more.
The post Save up to 96% on Universal Audio UAD plugins in this absolutely bonkers Black Friday sale at Plugin Boutique appeared first on MusicTech.

Black Friday 2024: Best gifts guide for producers, DJs and musiciansWhile you’re looking for the best deals on the latest music software and hardware for your studio setup, you might consider something a bit more quirky for yourself or for family or friends. How about a beautifully produced book about the history of electronic instruments for example, or a Dolby Atmos speaker that hangs on the wall and looks like a picture frame? Find all of this and more with our handy gift guide for musicians and producers.
READ MORE: The best Black Friday music technology deals 2024: the biggest savings on synths, DJ controllers and plugins right now
Marshall’s Emberton II Black & Steel Bluetooth Speaker has £30 off
Everyone loves a great-sounding Bluetooth speaker but why not go that extra mile with one that sports the legendary Marshall design? With 30 hours of playback, it’s also waterproof so you can take your sound with you wherever you go. Grab one now for £99.99.
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Push Turn Move is a gorgeous and compelling history of electronic instruments
Kim Bjorn is celebrated for his amazing books – they aren’t just informative but look and feel incredible too. This edition contains 253 pages of interviews, profiles, diagrams and photos covering some of the most important and beloved instruments going back 100 years. Priced at £65 you’ll want to return to it again and again, and it’s a great centrepiece for any living room.

Check it out at bjooks.com.
Work better with 15% off this adjustable standing desk
Sitting for endless hours is recognised as being bad for our body, so why not invest in a desk that can be both a sitting or standing way to work? This model is adjustable so it can raise up to become a standing desk when required meaning you take the strain off your back when you need to. It’s also less costly than you might think.
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Nanoleaf LED lighting gives your studio character
Studios need to be relaxing, inspiring spaces. You’ll spend a lot of time here so, alongside overhead lights, you’ll want a few more ambience options. Multicoloured LED strip lighting is an easy way to calm things down while still providing enough visibility to work. Avoid the cheap stuff and it’ll last longer – these are just under £65 for 2.5m and can be used inside or outside.
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Rock out with the iRig USB 2 guitar and bass interface at just 70 Eur

IK Multimedia’s super-compact interface connects your guitar or bass directly to an iPad, computer or USB-C iPhone and lets you record and monitor as well as jamming along with your favourite tracks. The bundled Amplitube and Tonex apps give you a suite of virtual amps, cabs and stomp boxes to use too.
Check it out at Zzounds.com
Go retro with Roland official clothing
Credit: Roland
Roland has been around since the 70s and as well as amazing instruments also makes some cool and stylish outerwear and hats. Check out their official online store to find some bargains like this New Balance cap for just $34 as well as a range of hoodies and jumpers.
Check out the full Roland collection. 
DJ anywhere with a professional vinyl-carrying bag
Never mind record bags bearing a predictable name – why not go for something that has a Carrying your vinyl to a gig need not be a hassle? These LP bags starting at under £40 look the business and will protect your precious vinyl wherever you go to DJ. They’re even water resistant too.
Find it at Amazon
Charge up wherever you go with an Anker power bank
With £54 off, these high-capacity power banks can charge up your phone, laptop, iPad or even power a synth or controller. The latest tech means they are light and portable while also sending up to 250W, and recharging at high speed too. Perfect for topping up all your devices on the move. There’s even a mobile companion app to help you manage the settings.
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Carry your music collections anywhere with a high-capacity thumb drive

It might seem like a dull gift, but for producers and digital DJs, a USB stick is a no-brainer. These tiny companions can carry entire music collections, a whole arsenal of music plugins, and even pre-analysed tracks for DJ decks. You can grab a drive for as low as $10, with more durable and secure options taking you up to $100. Whatever size you go for, any music-maker will know that a USB stick can prove priceless.
See our full list of USB drives for DJs and producers. 
Find more music technology deals. 

The post Black Friday 2024: Best gifts guide for producers, DJs and musicians appeared first on MusicTech.

Want to hear a saxophone meow? Just ask Nvidia’s new AI music generator, FugattoHearing a trumpet bark or getting a saxophone to meow might sound like the product of one of your fever dreams, but it won’t remain so for long with Nvidia’s new AI music generator.
Called Fugatto (short for Foundational Generative Audio Transformer Opus 1), the tool is said to be capable of generating “any combination of music, voices and sounds” using texts and audio inputs. It can even let you produce sounds “never heard before”, says the chip giant.

READ MORE: “You get to a point where you’ve gotten good enough so that nothing is good enough”: Billy Joel describes the “curse” of being a songwriter

Researchers at Nvidia described Fugatto as a “Swiss army knife for sound”, and found that it could handle tasks it was not pretrained on, like generating a high-quality singing voice from a text prompt.
Unlike most AI music generators on the market which can only recreate the training data they’ve been exposed to, Fugatto allows users to “create soundscapes it’s never seen before”, such as a “thunderstorm easing into a dawn with the sound of birds singing” — or a saxophone that howls and barks for that matter.
To put it simply, “whatever users can describe, the model can create.”
Musicians can use Fugatto to quickly compose or edit ideas for a song, try out different styles, instruments and voices (even accents and emotions!), as well as isolate vocal and instrumental stems. They can also add effects and enhance the overall audio quality of an existing track.
Want to replace a MIDI melody for some power female opera vocals? Or desecrate Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata with some sick drum beats? Fugatto can do it for you.
“We wanted to create a model that understands and generates sound like humans do,” said Rafael Valle, a manager of applied audio research at NVIDIA and one of dozens of people behind Fugatto. “Fugatto is our first step toward a future where unsupervised multitask learning in audio synthesis and transformation emerges from data and model scale.”
To build Fugatto, researchers had to put together a dataset containing millions of audio samples used for training. The team then generated “data and instructions that considerably expanded the range of tasks the model could perform, while achieving more accurate performance and enabling new tasks without requiring additional data.”
“The history of music is also a history of technology. The electric guitar gave the world rock and roll. When the sampler showed up, hip-hop was born,” says Ido Zmishlany, a music producer and member of Nvidia’s Inception program. “With AI, we’re writing the next chapter of music. We have a new instrument, a new tool for making music — and that’s super exciting.”
Check out what Fugatto can do in the video below.

Learn more at Nvidia.
The post Want to hear a saxophone meow? Just ask Nvidia’s new AI music generator, Fugatto appeared first on MusicTech.

Minichord: This pocket-sized Omnichord-inspired synth is the cutest thing everLove the Omnichord but find its near-$1000 price tag a little too intimidating? You might want to turn your attention to the Minichord – a compact, open-source Omnichord-inspired synthesizer that promises a wealth of musical possibilities.
Creator Benjamin Poilve describes the Minichord as a “pocket-sized instrument that allows anybody to create nice sounding chord progressions”, born from his love for easy to use/not keyboard-based synthesizers and the Audio library of PJRC (manufacturer of teensy 4.0).

READ MORE: Best synth plugins 2024: 10 of the best polyphonic synth plugins for all genres

The Minichord features 21 main chord buttons, divided into 7 columns of 3 buttons as well as 1 ‘sharp’ button on the top left corner. Each column of the main chord buttons is associated with a note of the C Major scale, indicated by the letter on the first row of buttons.
As shown in the demo video, basic chords are easily selected by choosing single buttons while more complex chords can be built by selecting multiple buttons at once.
“I wanted to give the possibility to create a ‘slash chord’ (where the root of a chord is replaced by a different note) as it is something that is commonly used in guitar chord progressions,” says Poilve. “Of course, the exterior design is a respectful nod to the Omnichord, but the synthesis capability and customisability are much greater and derive from my interest in analogue synthesizers.”
The other side of the Minichord features a touch zone which is divided into 12 different sections stacked vertically. You can strum notes by sweeping your finger across all sections or pick them individually. Notes can also be held by keeping the contact with the section.
Under the hood, the Minichord boasts a full subtractive synth engine with 12 presets, all of which can be replaced with your own custom ones. Users can also share presets with each other. Poilve explains that due to the physical limitations of the device, he decided to create an interface to edit the internal parameters from a computer instead.
“To do that, I used MIDI Sysex signals, because those signals are compatible with webMIDI. That means that all the internal parameters of the device are user-configurable live simply by connecting the minichord to a computer and opening a webpage!”
Power wise, a full charge (under 3 hours) will offer up to 8 hours of playtime. Charging is done through the mini USB jack available on the bottom right of the device.
That said, the Minichord isn’t in production just yet — though that could become a reality if there’s enough support for the project.

Learn more at the Minichord website.
The post Minichord: This pocket-sized Omnichord-inspired synth is the cutest thing ever appeared first on MusicTech.

Best Thanksgiving Playlist: Songs to Set the MoodWhat is the best Thanksgiving playlist to satisfy the diverse family and friends sitting around your holiday table? We diverge from our regular music industry programming to find out...
The post Best Thanksgiving Playlist: Songs to Set the Mood appeared first on Hypebot.

Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt: Increased practicality meets time-honoured performance at under $300£233/$279/€280, sennheiser.com
Few dynamic microphones can boast the longevity of the classic Sennheiser MD 421. Launched in 1960, it predates the ubiquitous Shure SM57 by five years.
Like the ‘57, the MD 421 has long been favoured as a trusted workhorse for guitar cabs, bass, brass instruments and drums, especially toms. During its first decade of production, it could be seen used as a live vocal mic for everyone from The Beatles onwards. It remains a fantastic tool both on stage and in the studio.

READ MORE: Is Shure’s SM4 a perfect microphone for the home studio?

What’s the MD 421 Kompakt like to use?
The trouble with the original design though, is that it’s a bulky beast, with all earlier models featuring a precarious mounting clip. It’s not unusual to see ancient examples with dented baskets due to the clip failing and the mic dropping to the floor, not to mention being battered by inaccurate drummers.
The MD 421 Kompakt addresses all these issues by having an integrated mount attached to a body that’s almost half the size and weight of the original design. An optional drum clamp is available, as included with our review example, however, the mic can also be attached to a conventional mic stand.
The smaller body means that the Kompakt is not suitable for use as a hand-held mic, however, Sennheiser still manufactures the full-sized version in the form of the MD 421-II, which first appeared in 1998.
Image: Press
Missing from this new, dinky design is the five-position bass roll-off switch, used principally for vocal and speech applications on the older models. However, as the ‘421 is more commonly used for instrument mic’ing, it’s voiced for the flat setting most engineers use as standard. Any EQ or high-pass filtering can be done further along the signal chain, so the lack of this switch is not so important in modern-day recording or stage work.
Despite its diminished dimensions, the performance of the new MD 421 Kompakt is not compromised in comparison with its larger sibling, featuring a fixed cardioid polar pattern with excellent feedback rejection and a frequency response of 30 Hz to 17 kHz. With more high-frequency clarity than most dynamic mics, the Kompakt also retains Sennheiser’s clever internal bass tube, crucial to the mic’s deep and firm low-end performance.
Build quality is as solid as ever, with the stainless steel basket attached to a tough, scratch-resistant frame. And just like the original model, it features an inner chassis enclosure to protect the microphone from dust and humidity. The XLR connector is gold-plated for durability and longevity, according to the company. Of course, gold plating also serves as a stable, non-corrosive conductor to ensure the consistency of your precious audio signal.
Image: Press
How does the MD 421 Kompakt sound?
I’m lucky enough to own several full-sized MD 421s of various vintages, including the very first model and the revised (MD 421-II) version currently available. When set up in turn to record an electric guitar amp, one thing is immediately apparent: While each mic sounds slightly different when listening critically, the basic character of all three is close enough for this to not really matter.
Differences are mainly in the upper midrange, where both the MD 421-II and Kompakt sound a little richer with more presence than the oldest mic. An A/B test between the current models gives the edge to the Kompakt, which expresses more detail with a brighter treble response.
Moving down the frequency spectrum, things even out a bit more, especially in the bass where the Kompakt delivers the full, weighty low-end response we’ve come to love about ‘421s. Don’t let the reduced dimensions fool you into thinking it won’t have the authority and depth of its bigger siblings; this one punches well above its weight.
Image: Press
The Kompakt really shines on sources that require the full force of the bottom end to be accurately captured. Placed in front of a bass guitar cabinet playing at high volume, the Kompakt sounds mighty special. It captures not only all of the low-end welly and punch coming from the 15-inch speaker but also the throatiness in the midrange and excellent definition in the percussive attack of the plectrum.
Where the bijou body design really makes it a better proposition than the larger model is in one of its most favoured applications; recording toms. The optional MZH drum clamp (which is essential in my opinion) works brilliantly, snapping securely to the drum rim and allowing the both angle and distance to be simply and accurately adjusted. And, unlike the traditionally-sized ‘421, there’s no need for a mic stand, helping to reduce clutter as well as the risk of the mic being accidentally nudged out of position.
Of course, when the Kompakt is used at close range on toms it does interact with other mics, most notably the overheads, which reminds me that quite apart from being an excellent microphone when used in isolation, it’s a fabulous team player. Historically, many engineers like to use an MD 421 alongside a Shure SM57 on guitar cabinets, its robust low- and top-end clarity marrying well with the Shure’s mid-focused bite. I’m able to achieve superb results with this combination, however muting the SM57 to allow the MD 421 to do the donkey work still produces a more full range tone than using the ‘57 in isolation.
Image: Press
Should I buy the new Sennheiser MD 421?
I’m extremely impressed by this new version of the old faithful studio stalwart. It could be considered something of a leap of faith to reimagine a microphone design as iconic as the MD 421, but the original version — or at least the 1998 revision of it — is still available for those who insist upon this full-sized model.
The smaller body does not compromise performance, especially if you disregard the largely ignored filter switch of the original, and it won’t buckle when asked to capture extreme levels of sound. The redesigned integrated mounting clip and optional, invaluable MZH drum clamp are real winners.
I reckon it won’t be long before the MD 421 Kompakt overtakes the MD 421-II in popularity, particularly as it’s less expensive too. If you require one world-class dynamic microphone to record just about anything you place in front of it, the MD 421 Kompakt should be right at the top of your audition list.

Key features

Cardioid dynamic microphone
Frequency response of 30 Hz – 17 kHz
Redesigned mounting clip
Optional MZH drum clamp
Innovative internal bass tube
Protective inner chassis enclosure

The post Sennheiser MD 421 Kompakt: Increased practicality meets time-honoured performance at under $300 appeared first on MusicTech.

Tracktion & Dawesome's free Zyklop synth Although it shares the same cutting-edge engine employed by its sibling, Zyklop is said to “forge its own path as a vibrant, standalone powerhouse”.

Best synth plugins 2024: 10 of the best polyphonic synth plugins for all genresThere are loads of reasons to opt for a software synthesizer over a hardware one. Software can faithfully emulate and expand iconic models, offer brave new sounds, and even present fresh ways to synthesise audio – all at prices that are typically far lower than their physical counterparts.

READ MORE: 10 of the best freeware soft synths

From legendary models to complex modular setups and newfangled instruments, there are countless software polys to choose from. We’ve rounded up 10 of our favourites, all with their own quirks that will keep you busy for hours on end.
U-he Diva: A synth stalwart that still holds up today

Price: $173/£138
Synthesis: Virtual Analogue/Subtractive

Diva is, without doubt, one of the most popular soft synths out there.
Originally launched in 2011 by U-he – which shows how well it holds up – Diva is renowned for its various emulations of iconic synth components, such as the oscillator sections based on the Moog Minimoog, Roland Alpha Juno-2, Roland Jupiter series, Korg MS-20 and Roland JP-8000. There are also filters based on the Moog Ladder filter, Oberheim SEM filter and more.
Even now, ten years after its original release, producers are taken aback by its pristine, detailed sound, and its performance against vintage analogue synthesizers. The Trimmers panel allows you to go all-out on making Diva sound more analogue, with voice detuning per oscillator, voice drift and more. If you’re in the market for some retro synth flavours, Diva should be one of your first stops.
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Check the latest deals for Diva on Thomann.
Arturia Pigments 5: Inviting and powerful — one of our favourites

Price: $206/£164
Synthesis: Subtractive, wavetable, sample-based & additive

Arturia’s Pigments is now in its fifth iteration and more powerful than ever. This synth plugin looks and feels inviting to play thanks to bright and detailed visualisers and its drag-and-drop-style modulation stacking. It sounds rich and detailed, too, thanks to its five sound engines, which provide a wide range of sonic possibilities for users to explore and manipulate. You’ll also find loads of flexible filters and effects, including eleven filter models and 18 high-quality effects, so you can further shape your sound.
Pigments is so good, that its past three editions have all deservedly been awarded 10/10 by MusicTech. In our review of Pigments 5, we confirmed that it is still “one of our absolute favourite synths”.
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Check out the latest deals for Pigments 5 on Thomann.
GForce Oberheim OB-X: Fat, vintage sounds

Price: $139/£111
Synthesis: Virtual analogue/Subtractive

GForce’s OB-X is the first-ever officially endorsed emulation of Oberheim’s iconic OB-X synth, having been created in close cooperation with Tom Oberheim himself.
The GForce Oberheim OB-X captures its authentic sound, offering monophonic, polyphonic, legato, and unison trigger modes, as well as programmable Aftertouch. It goes further than the possibilities of hardware, with expanded Velocity controls and a robust preset browser offering over 400 production-ready presets. It also incorporates GForce’s X-Modifier technology for comprehensive sound modulation.
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Check the latest deals for OB-X at Thomann.
UAD x Moog Minimoog: The icon in your DAW

Price: $250/£199
Synthesis: Subtractive/Virtual Analogue

Oberheim and GForce aren’t the only brands to have worked together on a software emulation of a legendary synth. In 2023, Universal Audio and Moog officially launched a plugin version of the legendary Minimoog Model D, initially launched in 1970.
This plugin synth, you could argue, is as good as you’re going to get when it comes to recreating this classic synth. Using custom robotics for precise knob measurements, it accurately replicates module-to-module coupling and impedance, resulting in near-zero latency. Universal Audio has also effectively rebuilt Moog’s renowned ladder filters, oscillators and detailed pitch tracking anomalies, making for distinctive, distorted, off-kilter hardware Moog sonics.
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Check the latest deals for UAD x Moog Minimoog on Plugin Boutique.
Spectrasonics Omnisphere 2.8: Vast sound palette with an intuitive layout

Price: $479/£339
Synthesis: Sample, wavetable, granular, FM

Spectrasonics’ flagship soft synth is not to be overlooked. Omnisphere uses its unique STEAM synthesis and sampling engine to deliver over 14,000 inspiring sounds that you can manipulate using granular, wavetable and FM synthesis, among other timbre-warping techniques. You can load up to 20 oscillators per patch and modulate them using eight LFOs, 12 envelopes and 34 filter types, with the Flex-Mod modulation matrix helping you get detailed with sound design. There are then 58 modulatable effects units to further develop your patches.
In our review of the Omnisphere 2, we said: “Thanks to some genuinely innovative features, not to mention a wealth of extra sonic material to play with, it’s hard to imagine any software instrument delivering the same breadth and sheer sonic excellence as Omnisphere 2.”
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Check out the latest deals for Omnisphere 2 on Amazon.
Kilohearts Phase Plant: Endless playground of sound design

Price: $201/£160
Synthesis: Wavetable, FM, Granular, Subtractive, Sample

From the old and trusty to the new and fresh-faced: Phase Plant is an award-winning, cutting-edge semi-modular soft synth by Swedish brand Kilohearts that lets you modulate your sound in plentiful exciting directions.
Its open modular architecture lets you create everything from simple synth riffs to complex and diverse patches. With Kilohearts’ built-in effects and advanced modulation capabilities, including FM modulation and MPE compatibility, Phase Plant is a solid choice of soft synth if you’re looking to shape your sound in cool new ways.
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Check out the latest deals for Phase Plant on Plugin Boutique.
Vital: Unbelievable free synth

Price: FREE
Synthesis: Wavetable

The 2020-launched spectral-warping wavetable synth Vital by Vital Audio, maintaining itself as a free-to-download piece of software years since its launch, remains one of music tech’s biggest mysteries. Yes, the Basic package doesn’t cost a dime (Pro costs $80, unlocking 400+ presets and 25 wavetables), but even in its free form, it seriously holds up against other high-end soft synths in this list, delivering sonics of a similar quality. That makes Vital a – dare we say it – vital asset for your soft synth library.
The synth is known for its wavetable synthesis capabilities, intuitive user interface, and vast number of modulation options. With features like custom wavetable creation, spectral warping, and intuitive modulation, it acts as a no-brainer for music producers on a budget – or not, frankly.
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Download Vital for free at vital.audio.
Xfer Records Serum: Essential synth for EDM

Price: $189
Synthesis: Wavetable

Deadmau5 and Steve Duda’s Xfer Records spawned a powerful go-to synth for a myriad producers in 2014. Ten years on, it’s still an essential synth for many in the EDM world. It’s consistently top on Splice’s plugins chart, and is used by Deadmau5 himself, Flume, What So Not and Marshmello, among others.
Serum is an advanced wavetable synth with 144 wavetables, 10 effects modules, drag-and-drop modulation routing and custom wavetable creation. Its pristine sound and intuitive interface make Serum a dream to navigate and create with, whether it’s big EDM leads or thick pads. It’s known to be a little heavy on the CPU, though, so do try before you buy and check if your system can handle it.
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Find out more about Serum at xferrecords.com.
Synplant 2 – Best AI-assisted synth

Price: €149
Synthesis: Subtractive

When Sonic Charge released Synplant in 2009, it was hard to tell whether its rather unique approach to synthesis was gamechanger or gimmick. But at the very least, its organic and intuitive approach helped the instrument stand out in the crowded world of synth plugins — and 2023 was the year we finally saw a sequel announced.
Unlike conventional methods, Synplant 2 lets you ‘grow’ sounds by planting seeds and adjusting parameters through a unique interface, assigning various mutations of the original sound to your keyboard so you can rapidly compare them. Find one you like? Simply plant it as a new seed and develop it further.
A particularly exciting feature new to Synplant 2 is its Genopatch technology, which creates synth patches based on user-supplied audio. It’s akin to sampling — except instead of playing back an audio file, Synplant uses artificial intelligence to synthesize the sound. It may not get it right all the time, but with a little serendipity, you could land on something entirely new and unexpected. Read our full review of Synplant 2.
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Find out more about Synplant 2 at soniccharge.com.
Softube Model 84 – Everyone needs a Juno

Price: $159
Synthesis: Virtual analogue, subtractive

Softube’s Model 84 may not be the first software iteration of the Roland Juno-106, but it’s definitely one of the best, capturing the character of the beloved synthesizer with remarkable precision. This plugin doesn’t just mimic the sound of the original hardware — it enhances it with modern capabilities such as additional modulation options, and an expanded filter section and envelope controls.
From silky pads to punchy basslines to shimmering leads, the Model 84 delivers buckets of authentic Juno tone, including a faithful reproduction of the instrument’s chorus effect that’s famed for its lush, wide stereo presence. Check out our full Model 84 review for all the details.
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Find out more about the Model 84 at softube.com.
Softube Model 77 – Best way to get the Yamaha CS synths

Price: $71
Synthesis: Virtual analogue, subtractive

The second Softube plugin in our list, this developer knows a thing or two about recreating hardware synths in the digital realm. The Model 77 takes inspiration from Yamaha’s iconic CS series, delivering the same expressive sound that has defined countless classic tracks.
At the heart of the plugin is a meticulous recreation of the original analogue circuitry found in three models — the CS-50, CS-60, and CS-80.
The plugin goes beyond emulation by adding features like flexible modulation routing and more detailed envelope controls. What’s more, the intuitive interface makes patch programming more accessible than it was on the original CS instruments. If you’re looking for a workhorse that excels in rich pads and ethereal textures, the Model 77 is an excellent choice. See our full review of the Model 77 for more information.
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Find out more about the Model 77 at softube.com.
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