Versilian Studios Vintage XylophoneFull of classic character and charm, Vintage Xylophone features a deep sampling of two adjustable mallet types, 6 velocities, and 9 round robins of an antique Deagan "Xylorimba" featuring rosewood keys. Captured across 6 mic arrays including everything from state-of-the-art measurement omnis to warm ribbons and ultra low noise condensers, it provides unparalleled flexibility in any mix and context, from cartoons to nature documentaries and anything in between. Vintage Xylophone is also the perfect match to Virtuosity Vibraphone, having been recorded using the same mic arrays and techniques. A Classic Sound Many modern xylophone sample libraries record modern instruments intended for orchestral performances, but many classic records and film/TV scores feature older instruments with a distinct sound and character impossible to achieve with samples of a modern instrument. Worse still, most large orchestral collections treat the xylophone as an afterthought, often only including the hardest mallets or greatly lacking in detail, not to mention often in fixed, wet spaces which don't fit other genres. While recording Musicmakers Volume 2, we found this antique instrument in a dark corner of the beautifully quiet Wild Horse Studio. With time left in our final day of recording, we set out to right the "score" and create a xylophone library of decades past. State-of-the-Art Recordings 6 sets of microphones were used to record the vibraphone at various distances and with various sound qualities. These microphones were hand-chosen for their low noise and high accuracy, over more popular recording mics an order of magnitude or two noisier or higher distortion. In doing so, objectionable post-processing such as denoising could be completely avoided. Up close, the newly-released AEA N28 stereo ribbon mic provides a warm, wide sound while retaining 100% mono compatibility with its coincident Blumlein configuration. For the critical overhead role, two pairs of SDCs provide two contrasting views: the laboratory reference Gefell M221 measurement omnis vs. supercardioid M310 SDC's. Space and precision vs. focus and clarity. Rather than compromise by choosing one or the other, VISAGE lets you mix continuously between the two overheads, creating a "virtual mic" of any pattern between omni and supercardioid, dialing in your perfect overhead sound. The main position is filled by a pair of Gefell UM930's. Among the most expensive and rarest solid state mics in existence due to its unique dual-capsule design, this microphone is extremely low noise (7 dBA) with an articulate, present character inspired by vintage designs. Further out in the room, a pair of Gefell M950 wide cardioids with equally low self noise and spacious but detailed wide cardioid pattern provide the perfect sound for blending with your favorite samples from scoring stages and concert halls. Underneath the xylophone are a pair of TLM 170's capturing the resonance and body of the instrument in a configuration mirroring the overheads. Realism & Flexibility Two mallet choices are provided, yarn and rubber. A hardness knob allows you to adjust the strength of the mallet, based on measurements made of a variety of mallets. When yarn is set to its hardest and rubber to its softest, the effect is almost indistinguishable. In this way a smooth gradient of colors are possible while keeping the sample count "vaguely reasonable". No effort was made to hide the character of the instrument. All inconsistencies in voicing, rattles, and thumps were allowed through. However, great care was taken to ensure a consistent sample set. Each velocity layer was recorded a constant dB distance apart within a range of +/- 1.5 dB. This was then normalized to ensure perfectly smooth transitions. An incredible 9 round robins were recorded of each and every hit, ensuring natural rendering of rolls/tremolo and ostinati. Neighbor-borrowing RR is available if desired. The entire xylophone is chromatically sampled, providing a more accurate sound than instruments sampled using wholetone or diatonic methods. Chromatic sampling allows the slightly different positioning of the accidentals ("black keys") to be audible in the instrument. Both mallets feature 6 Velocities and 9RR for a natural and dynamic feel. Advanced Control Utilizing the new VISAGE 3 engine to its fullest, Vintage Xylophone packs in a range of controls over every aspect of the instrument including but not limited to: Volume, pan, width, solo/mute, purge, and routing for each mic position. Blendable OH microphones (continuous variable pattern control). Full velocity curve control. Dynamic range control. Moveable keyswitch block. Transposition. Range limiting & expanding. Easy-access reverb settings. Fully customizable tuning & temperaments engine. Neighbor-borrowing RR (customizable). Mono aftertouch note-off triggering available. Integration with NKS/NI keyboards. MIRAGE FX control panel Exposes and simplifies Kontakt's internal FX engine. Utilizes the latest FX in Kontakt 7. Modular construction allows updates to VISAGE/MIRAGE FX separately. Complementary Colors Recorded with the same microphone structure and a similar environment as Vintage Xylophone, Virtuosity Vibraphone perfectly complements its sound with a dusty, warm tone captured from a brand-new 3.5-octave vibraphone. Our fan-favorite Tubular Bells II also features a similarly dry, detailed sound suitable for any context and a similar mic setup. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqtb0LX5OYg Read More

Saelin Audio releases Shine, a FREE adaptive clarity plugin for vocals and acoustic guitar
Saelin Audio has released Shine, a free adaptive clarity plugin built for vocals and acoustic guitar. I love plugins that speed up my workflow, and this one fits that description perfectly. You drop Shine on your recording track, and it adjusts presence and air in real time based on how you’re performing, without any presets [...]
View post: Saelin Audio releases Shine, a FREE adaptive clarity plugin for vocals and acoustic guitar

Stam Audio announce the SA-4000+ Following some requests to introduce a cleaner-sounding G Series-style compressor, Stam Audio have overhauled their existing SA-4000 design with a new Modern mode.

Techivation releases Tilt EQ, a FREE linear phase tilt equalizer with a Drive saturation control
Techivation has released Tilt EQ, a free linear phase tilt equalizer for macOS and Windows. Before we check out the plugin, a quick look at the download process. To get this into your DAW, you’ll need to create a free Techivation account (email and password), which also unlocks the rest of the developer’s freebies in [...]
View post: Techivation releases Tilt EQ, a FREE linear phase tilt equalizer with a Drive saturation control

Sound Skulptor introduce the LA502T Building on the success of the company’s acclaimed LA502, the new LA502T promises to deliver the same iconic LA2A-style levelling, but with the addition of a full high-voltage valve makeup gain stage and some enhanced control options.

Jun Murakami TestToneTestTone is a very simple test signal generator plugin that lets you quickly send out the signal you need — sine waves and pink noise — with adjustable frequency and level. It is handy for setting up gear, calibrating monitoring systems, and various audio checks. Available in VST3, AU, AAX, LV2 and CLAP formats for macOS, Windows and Linux. Free and open source (MIT License). I have created a demo site as a web application that runs in your browser, so please feel free to try it out. https://testtone-demo.web.app/ Read More

Kulshan Studios Rivet Industrial Soundset for Roland JP-8080 & JP-8000 & JE-808650 gritty Industrial dual-layer performances, compatible with the Roland JP-8000 and JP-8080 hardware synths. This soundbank is 100% Industrial-oriented, which means no weird brass, pianos, or FX. The sounds in Rivet were referenced against classic and modern tunes of the 80s, 90s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s. So this soundset is designed to fully exploit the JP's iconic SuperSaw oscillator, gritty distortion, Ring Mod, Cross-Mod, and virtual analog sound engine to their fullest potential. Performances in Rivet are based on sounds by the likes of Rammstein, Deathstars, Combichrist, White Zombie, Motionless In White, OOMPH!, Faderhead, Studio-X, Front 242, Rob Zombie, Perturbator, Godflesh, Skinny Puppy, Grendel, Extinction Front, Noisuf-X and many many more. And to cap off the bank some slots were set to INIT, so you have room to write and store your own sounds without overwriting any existing presets. Only 3rd party FX used in the demo was Virus TI2 reverb, on the leads, pads, and plucks. Sounds in this preset pack are suitable for the Industrial Rock, Industrial Metal, EBM, and Aggrotech genres, and are organized by category into Leads, Plucks, Pads, and Basses, for quick reference. All performances are royalty-free and delivered instantly via email as a 24-hour download link. Requirements: Roland JP-8000 or JP-8080 synthesizer. Also compatible with Adam Szabo Airwave, The Usual Suspects JE-8086, DiscoDSP Retromulator, DiscoDSP Corona VSTi using included .syx file, and Arturia Jup-8000 V VSTi using included split Performance files. Read More

MNTRA releases FLTRS-LE, a FREE Roland Jupiter-6 filter plugin
MNTRA has released FLTRS-LE, a free filter plugin based on the Roland Jupiter-6 filter circuit. FLTRS-LE is a trimmed-down version of the developer’s full FLTRS plugin, which costs $49 during the launch sale (regular price $79) and packs 37 analog circuits and experimental physics engines. The filter we get in the freebie is called EUROPA-6, [...]
View post: MNTRA releases FLTRS-LE, a FREE Roland Jupiter-6 filter plugin

Brainworx introduce bx_tonebox Aimed at obvious, creative processing rather than subtle shaping duties, bx_tonebox comprises six modules that can be freely reordered and offer a mixture of compression, saturation, filtering, noise and more. 

Saint Mike DSP PitchCureMost vocal tuners make you choose. You can sound perfectly in tune, or you can sound human. PitchCure gives you both. It is a high-end vocal tuner. Some plugins turn real singing into robot sounds. PitchCure does not do this. It tracks the voice and keeps the real feeling safe. Words stay crisp. Breaths stay natural. The tuning feels subtle and natural. It is built for fast work. You do not have to draw lines on a screen. Find your key with one click. Pick your voice range. Then, turn the main knobs. Use Speed to fix bad notes. Turn up Humanize to keep the song's emotion. Use Transition for smooth slides between notes. Use the Color knob to add rich tone. You might want hidden tuning for a quiet song. You might want fast tracking in the vocal booth. Or, you might want vocals locked to your MIDI chords. PitchCure gives you great pitch that still sounds human. Features: - Transparent Tuning: Artifact-free, time-domain pitch shifting without metallic phase-smearing. - Vibrato Protection: The Humanize engine actively maps and preserves natural vibrato and emotional expression. - Fluid Transitions: Control the glide between notes—from instant hard-snaps to smooth, natural portamento. - Auto Key & Custom Scales: One-click key detection, or build your own scales using the interactive Edit Notes matrix. MIDI Target: Override the scale and force the vocal to follow the exact chords or melodies you play on your keyboard. One-Knob Color EQ: A built-in tilt EQ to instantly add chest warmth (Dark) or brilliant air (Bright). Live Tracking Ready: Near-zero latency in Real Time mode, or switch to HQ for maximum processing quality during mixdown. Ultra-Light CPU: Highly optimized to run at low CPU, easily handling massive multi-vocal sessions. Read More

Stone Voices releases Retro Radio, a FREE AM radio simulator plugin
Retro Radio from Stone Voices is a free plugin for macOS and Windows that emulates the sound of vintage AM radios. The sound of AM radio is generally characterised by low fidelity and numerous flaws. But, if there’s one thing that we all share as music makers, it’s that we strive for imperfection! Joking aside, [...]
View post: Stone Voices releases Retro Radio, a FREE AM radio simulator plugin

VSL announce free Big Bang Orchestra expansions VSL have recently introduced some new free expansions for two of their most popular Big Bang Orchestra Packs.

IK Multimedia ARC X Immersive arrives IK Multimedia’s ARC X Immersive expands the original room-correction system, extending support from standard stereo setups through to full 9.1.6 Dolby Atmos immersive monitoring systems for complex multi-speaker environments.

Authentic Soundware Space Age Colors - Volume 1Space Age Colors features a selection of muted brass and woodwinds used in the classic midcentury studio orchestra. The instruments for this volume were chosen based on their complementary nature and ability to combine in quintessential swingin' style. Space Age Colors will expand your palette of colors and bring vibrant detail to your orchestrations. Features: 7 instruments spanning muted brass and woodwinds: Flute, Alto Flute, Bass Clarinet, English Horn, Trumpet (Harmon mute), and Trombone (cup mute), plus an Espressivo Flute for lyrical solo passages. 7 orchestrated multi patches for rapid sketching and inspiration. 20 articulations including legato, sustain, tenuto, swell, grace notes, rips, falls, doits, flops, bends, scoops, and more. Runs Arranger — play realistic, performance-sampled runs in any key, any scale type, from any note to any note, with control over duration, dynamics, and resolution. Trills Arranger — play polyphonic trills and chord tremolos on a single MIDI channel, with three modes including diatonic chord trill support. 5 vintage microphone positions. Onboard tape, echo, tone, and limiter effects. Flexible articulation switching via key switch, MIDI CC, or host automation. Read More

Cre8audio unveil the Programm Boasting MIDI and CV/gate connectivity and functioning either as a standalone unit or Eurorack module, Cre8audio's new unit promises to deliver the ultimate sequencing experience for just about any setup.