Yamaha launch the DXR/DXS & CXR/CXS Mk3 Yamaha have just refreshed four of their hugely popular PA speaker ranges, delivering significant improvements to their acoustic performance, functionality and power.

Shy Audio introduce EQT-1M Their latest offering is decidedly less crunchy-sounding than their 90s-inspired releases, and shifts the focus from purposeful ‘character’ to uncompromising audio quality.

Wire Grind BlizzVerb 2BlizzVerb 2 is a high-quality algorithmic reverb plugin. It features an "Acoustic Model" for realistic reverb, and "Artistic Controls" for everything else. Other controls provide for classic sounds, tonal coloration, and reverb-based echo. There are also three freeze modes, most notably a mode that does "freeze and replace" which can be saved. Highlights: Realistic sounding reverberation. Echo Fluttering. Self-refreshing "Freeze and Replace" mode. Auto predelay mode. Virtually seamless parameter changes. Acoustic Model: The "Acoustical Wetness" slider works by rebalancing the acoustic model. It improves realism compared to knobs labels "mix," "dry," and "wet". Frequency damping is modeled on measured acoustical data. Dual stereo models for headphones and speakers. Room Size adjustment. Artistic Controls: Three freeze modes including a new and fully savable "freeze and replace" mode. Echo fluttering: Makes the reverb sound periodic and repetitious. Can also be tempo synced. Tone mode: an alternate mode for hi/lo frequency decay. It provides stronger coloration than default "room" mode. Predelay adjustment with "auto" mode. Can also be tempo synced. Classic Dyr/Wet adjustment for vintage and creative reverb sounds. Other Features: Highly automatable: Parameter adjustments are very smooth. Hyperwidth: Stereo rendering up to 200% (Physics sets a soft limit around 100%). Undo / redo. A / B settings toggle. Factory presets. Read More

Conceptual Machines releases MAGDA, a FREE AI-assisted DAW
MAGDA is a free and open-source DAW built on JUCE and Tracktion Engine, and Conceptual Machines has just released version 0.4.0. It’s very early days for MAGDA, so updates might come with significant additions, but before we get into what the latest version has to offer, let’s take a broader overview. Although it’s early days, [...]
View post: Conceptual Machines releases MAGDA, a FREE AI-assisted DAW

Reason Studios preview Reason 14 Currently available as a public beta, Reason 14 introduces a new track-centric layout, an enhanced sequencer, a new effects module and more. 

Merging Technologies launch Pyramix 16 Designed for engineers who demand uncompromising sound quality and production flexibility, the latest version integrates the PanNoir plug-in with the DAW’s mixer, adds a built-in Dolby Atmos Renderer and introduces an array of other new additions and improvements. 

Hivetune releases Relica 2, a FREE 8-bit synthesizer plugin
Hivetune has released Relica 2, a free subtractive synthesizer designed to recreate the sounds of the 8-bit era. If you’re after NES-style leads, classic handheld console percussion, or chiptune sequences, this one is worth a look. Relica 2 is the sequel to the original Relica synth from the same developer. It offers four classic oscillator [...]
View post: Hivetune releases Relica 2, a FREE 8-bit synthesizer plugin

Superlunar TS-440TS-440 is a cassette tape machine emulation that faithfully models 20 real cassette recorders and 4 tape formulations, capturing the unique preamp characteristics, EQ topology, head response, and transport behavior of each machine. Every cassette recorder features a preamp with its own sonic fingerprint. The TS-440 models each one, from the warm JFET input stage of the original TEAC 144 to the punchy op-amp circuits of the Tascam 424 series. Crank the input to overdrive the preamp and push it into harmonic saturation, or bypass the tape entirely to use TS-440 purely as a channel strip. TS-440 also includes four tape formulations, each offering different styles of compression and saturation. Type I Ferric, Type II Chrome, Type III Ferrichrome, and Type IV Metal. Driving each formulation differently is one of the most powerful creative tools in TS-440. Beyond the preamp, TS-440 gives you hands-on control over the physical degradation of the tape and transport. Simulate years of use and damage by dialing in tape aging, head wear, drift, wow and flutter, dropouts, hiss, and other lo-fi artifacts. Like many of these vintage recorders, TS-440 lets you control the pitch of the playback for detuned, warped effects. Three tape speeds further shape the character, with slower speeds naturally increasing hiss, saturation, and wow and flutter. 33 factory presets provide instant starting points across the full range of TS-440's capabilities, from clean studio masters to fully destroyed tape effects. Use them as-is or as a jumping-off point for your own sounds. Whether you are looking for destroyed lo-fi textures on individual tracks or reaching for subtle analog warmth and natural compression across your mix buss with a pristine hi-fi deck on Metal tape, TS-440 delivers. Twenty unique preamps, four tape formulations, and deep degradation controls give you a range that stretches from tape machine as an instrument to tape machine as a mastering tool. Read More

Blue Cat Audio release Axiom 2.3 Axiom 2.3 delivers improved audio performance along with multi-touch display support, expanded MIDI control, greater compatibility with third party plug-ins and much more.

Sound Devices unveil the Astral Mini Plus The Astral Mini Plus builds on the success of its predecessor by offering improved battery life, an extended RF tuning range and IP67 water resistance.

Trona Audio Dream Catcher DRME Dreamy — Dual Ribbon Mic Emulation Audio Plugin by Kyle Hurst &TRONA AudioDream Catcher DRME — Dual Ribbon Mic Emulation by TRONA Audio. We got tired of music feeling like work. So we built something that makes it feel like music again. The Dream Catcher DRME started as a personal frustration. Ribbon microphones have a sound that nobody forgets — warm, honest, and alive in a way that condenser mics rarely are. They make recordings feel like recordings. Like someone was actually in a room, playing something that mattered. But real ribbon mics are fragile, expensive, and out of reach for most people making music today. So we measured ours. Not modeled. Not approximated. We captured actual impulse responses from real physical TRONA ribbon microphones — the little ribbon and the large ribbon — and built a plugin around what we found. Every knob in the DRME exists because something real in that microphone behaved that way. What came out the other side is a plugin that doesn't feel like a plugin. It feels like putting up a mic in a room and just playing. The proximity bloom when you lean in. The figure-8 pattern bleeding in from behind. The transformer adding that last little bit of weight that makes a vocal sit in a mix without you having to think about it. It sounds like the records that made you want to make music in the first place. That's the only reason we built this. Not to add another tool to your chain. To give you back the feeling that started all of this for you. Features. Dual Ribbon Engine — R1 (Little Ribbon) — smaller element, grittier character, higher harmonic content (~7.5% THD) — R2 (Large Ribbon) — larger element, cleaner response, smoother saturation (~2.4% THD) — R1 and R2 Length controls (0–100) — shape the physical ribbon length and its effect on frequency response and pattern behavior. Three Processing Modes — RR Mode — length-based comb filtering, dramatic figure-8 character and frequency shaping — PR Mode — physics-correct Faraday induction modeling, more transparent and realistic ribbon behavior — OFF Mode — all ribbon processing bypassed, IR and character processing only. Ribbon Controls — Proximity (0–100) — distance simulation from 1 foot to 1 inch close-mic, with authentic low-frequency bloom — Ribbon Tone (0–100) — blend of measured impulse response and harmonic character — Port Size (0–100) — rear acoustic port simulation from tight cardioid to full figure-8 — Rear Distance (0–100) — acoustic rear path length from 2 to 6 inches — Corrugation (0–100) — ribbon tension and resonance pattern, tuning the low-frequency floor from 70Hz to 20Hz. Character Controls — Transformer (0–100) — output transformer saturation and warmth, from subtle color to heavy saturation — Ribbon Glue (0–100) — warmth, high-frequency sag, bloom, and gentle compression in one control. Level Controls — Input Level (-60 to +12 dB) — Sensitivity (-60 to 0 dB) — virtual mic position and source level — Output Level (-60 to +12 dB). Utility — BK (Back) — simulates rotating the mic 180° for a darker, more saturated tone — LC (Low Cut) — cycles OFF / 30Hz / 80Hz / 160Hz — PH (Phase Flip) — 180° polarity inversion — BYP — plugin bypass with 60ms crossfade, use instead of DAW bypass for clean transitions — A/B Comparison — store and recall two full parameter states for instant comparison — Delta Mode — monitor the wet/dry difference only, for precise dialing of subtle processing. Under the Hood — Real impulse responses captured from physical TRONA ribbon microphones — Harmonic saturation models built from measured THD profiles — Physical modeling of Faraday induction, resonance, and phase effects — Acoustic emulation of port sizes, rear paths, and corrugation patterns — AutoFreeze CPU management — silently captures and freezes processing after 5 seconds of inactivity, dropping from 20–25% to 5–8% CPU, instantly unfreezing when any control is touched. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS — Formats: AU (Audio Unit), VST3 — Platform: macOS 10.13 or later — Universal Binary (Apple Silicon + Intel) — DAW Support: Logic Pro, GarageBand, MainStage, Ableton Live, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper, any AU or VST3 host — Sample Rates: 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz — Bit Depth: 32-bit floating point — Latency: 100–300 samples (IR-dependent) — CPU Usage: 15–25% per instance (5–8% when AutoFreeze is active) — RAM: 16 GB recommended — License: 1 license, up to 3 computers — Price: $49. Read More

Mastering The Mix releases REFERENCE 3 mix referencing plugin (win a FREE copy!)
Mastering The Mix has released REFERENCE 3, a major update to its popular mix referencing plugin. We are taking a closer look at the latest update and giving away one license to one lucky BPB reader. REFERENCE 3 is priced at $79 with a 15-day free trial available (no credit card required). Owners of REFERENCE 1 [...]
View post: Mastering The Mix releases REFERENCE 3 mix referencing plugin (win a FREE copy!)

Roland announce SPD-SX Pro Version 2.0 The SPD-SX Pro Version 2.0 firmware promises to make the popular unit even more powerful and flexible, introducing a number of enhancements for both live and studio users.

VU202 is a new FREE sampler plugin for iOS, macOS and Windows
Vubeatz has released VU202, a free sampler plugin that started life as an iOS beat machine and now works as a VST plugin on macOS and Windows. I typically expect a plugin designed for mobile to feel awkward in a DAW, especially with its portrait-oriented interface. I tested the VST version in Studio One on [...]
View post: VU202 is a new FREE sampler plugin for iOS, macOS and Windows

Kreuzberg Audio KA-303KA-303 Acid Bassline Synthesizer The sound that invented Acid House, Acid Techno and Hard Acid. Built for your DAW. No compromises, no hardware required. The KA-303 takes the legendary 303 sound as its starting point but goes far beyond cloning. Circuit-modeled at component level, not emulated. With a full Composing Engine, four distortion models, a Unison Engine with up to 7 voices and the Angel Fish Mod as a standalone sound extension, the KA-303 is its own instrument with its own character. Circuit-Modeled Diode Ladder Filter A detailed reproduction of the original diode ladder circuit at component level with Zero Delay Feedback architecture. Four cascaded integrator stages with asymmetric coefficients, soft-clipping saturation modeled after 1S2473 silicon diodes, the original 150 Hz highpass in the feedback path. The fat, signal-dependent squelch that transistor ladder designs simply cannot replicate. Slide, Accent and the Gimmick Circuit are also modeled at component level, including the capacitor-based accent sweep that accumulates across consecutive accented notes. Just like the hardware. Waveform Morph Every other 303 plugin forces you to choose: Saw or Square. The KA-303 doesn't. A dedicated MORPH knob blends seamlessly between both waveforms. At 30% with high resonance you get timbres that neither Saw nor Square can reach alone. Fully automatable via MIDI CC. Angel Fish Mod Inspired by Robin Whittle's legendary Devil Fish mod. Overdrive, Muffler, Filter FM, extended envelopes, adjustable portamento. One click and the 303 gets an entirely new dimension. From warm overdrive to aggressive filter FM to screaming leads with Hi Reso. 4 Distortion Models with Intelligent Crossover Logic DS-1, Tube, Rat, Fuzz. But the magic happens before the distortion: a Pre-Distortion Crossover splits sub-bass and mids. The bass stays clean, distortion only hits where it belongs. HP Resonance adds the characteristic nasal growl, ENV>HP couples velocity to the highpass frequency for dynamically responsive distortion. From light crunch to aggressive acid growl without the bass falling apart. Composing Engine. Built specifically for acid basslines. An intelligent note grid only allows notes within the selected scale. Wrong notes? Not possible. Slides and accents visible directly in the piano roll. 98 factory patterns from "Chicago Deep" to "Berlin Basement" to "Final Boss." Scramble, Mutate, Octave Jumps, Groove and Density as creative tools. MIDI Drag & Drop straight into your DAW. Dynamic Pattern Grid with lengths from 1 to 32 steps for polyrhythmic patterns. Page System for chaining multiple pages per pattern. MIDI Import. Groove Engine with five modes: Tight, Shuffle, Funk, Push, Laid Back. Grid resolution: 1/8, 1/16 or 1/32. Lasso selection for precise editing. Unison Engine Up to 7 full synthesizer voices, each with its own filter, envelopes and slide processor. Stepless detune and stereo spread. From subtle thickening to a massive wall of sound. Automatic gain compensation across all voice counts. Built-in Effects Tempo-synced stereo delay with crossfeed and darkening filter. Signalsmith reverb with room sizes from 0.3s to 5s. Brick-wall Master Limiter. Up to 8x oversampling. Full MIDI CC mapping via right-click and MIDI Learn. Dark and Light theme. Formats: VST3, AU, Standalone Systems: macOS 10.14+, Windows 10+, Linux Price: €89 (Introductory: €69) Free demo available (all features, no time limit). Read More