Soundgas’ December Gasaway now live Soundgas have announced that their second monthly Gasway prize draw is now live and open for entries until 7 January 2026.

Sampleson introduce Funkastic Designed primarily to generate Clavinet-style parts, Sampleson's latest offering has been trained on an array of “funky grooves”, and is said to be capable of generating organ and bass lines as well as electric piano parts. 

Ice Audio ICE FILTERICE FILTER A FREE auto filter with few curve parameters to shape your melodies and your transitions. Read More

nakst Integrate virtual analog synthesizer for Windows and Linux is now FREE
Developer nakst has announced that Integrate, a virtual analog synthesizer for Windows and Linux, is now available for free. The instrument was initially priced at $54.99 when released in 2022. Integrate takes inspiration from classic virtual analog synths but isn’t a straight emulation of any single piece of hardware. Instead, it feels like a modern [...]
View post: nakst Integrate virtual analog synthesizer for Windows and Linux is now FREE

MuseScore Studio gains Cantai integration MuseScore Studio now includes a built-in Online Sounds tool that allows composers to type in lyrics during the writing process and have them played back in real time. 

Strymon announce the Fairfax Inspired by a little-known valve device from the 1960s, the Fairfax is said to take an altogether different approach to overdrive, and marks the introduction of a new Series a line-up that contrasts the company’s DSP-based offerings.

2Rule TugMoveEffectTugMoveEffect is an audio fx plugin that brings 2D positioning to audio effects processing. Core Concept: Place mulltiple effects instances on a 2D workspe and control their influence through distance-based mixing. A movable control point determines how much each effect contributes to the final sound based on its proximity. Adding Effects: Drag & drop an effect from the right-side panel onto the black 2D workspace window. Moving the Listener Point: Move the orange listener point manually with your mouse inside the workspace. Or choose movement modes: Sinusoidal or Bouncing for automatic motion. Sequential Movement (Step-Sequencer Mode): Hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) + drag an effect from the workspace into one of the boxes in the Sequentialsection. When your DAW playback is running, the listener point will move between these assigned effect positions in the sequence. Sequence options: Forward, Backward, Mirror, Random. Main Features: 13 Effect Types: Distortion, Reverb, Delay, Chorus/Flanger, Filter, Compressor, Pitch Shifter, Decimator, Phaser, Vibrato, Tremolo, Repeater, Ring Modulator, and related many parameters. Up to 10 Effect Instances: 3 slots per effect type, each with independent parameters. Spatial Mixing: Distance-based volume control via adjustable coverage areas. Movement Automation: Manual, Sequential (step sequencer), Sinusoidal, or Bouncing control point motion. 16-Step Sequencer: Automate effect switching and create rhythmic patterns. Preset Management: Save/load configurations with custom folder support. Real-time Visual Feedback: Volume meters, coverage visualization, and effect highlighting. https://youtu.be/9jkZaPd7MKg https://youtu.be/87OBqjeKRdU Notable Effects: Repeater: Musical tone generation with MIDI note/octave control and triggering modes. Pitch Shifter: Phase vocoder-based pitch manipulation for creative sound design. Ring Modulator: Frequency modulation for metallic, bell-like, and experimental timbres. Decimator: Bit-depth and sample-rate reduction for lo-fi, retro digital textures. Read More

Arturia unveil the MiniFuse 2 OTG As its name suggests, the MiniFuse 2 OTG includes USB OTG (On-The-Go) connectivity that allows audio from a computer connected via its main USB port to be passed directly to a phone or tablet.

Somerville Sounds releases Christmas Percussion, all the FREE sleigh bells you can handle
It’s that time of year again, when you’re going to hear some of the cheesiest music ever recorded, whether you like it or not. With that in mind, Somerville Sounds released Christmas Percussion for all the free sleigh bells you can handle! Christmas is a time of year when everyone gets a free pass to [...]
View post: Somerville Sounds releases Christmas Percussion, all the FREE sleigh bells you can handle

Syngular for Modartt Pianoteq 9 A few months on from its release, Modartt’s Pianoteq 9 has gained a new instrument pack that uses the software’s praised physical modelling to create a range of keys and synth pad sounds. 

Steinberg VST Live 3 has arrived Steinberg’s live performance software platform has just been treated to a major update that adds an array of new creative tools and enhances many of its existing features.

u-he announces Zebralette 3.0 RC, improving one of the best FREE synthesizers
There isn’t much more to say about Zebralette; it has been among the best free software synths for a very, very long time, and the excitement about this new release is merited. For anyone new to Zebralette, it’s the much-loved little brother of u-he’s premium synth Zebra, and you can find out more about it [...]
View post: u-he announces Zebralette 3.0 RC, improving one of the best FREE synthesizers

Modartt SyngularSyngular is a creative playground with imaginary timbres and organic expressivity that transforms Pianoteq's physical modelling engine, originally designed to emulate real acoustic instruments, into a powerful laboratory for sound creation. While rooted in the modelling of strings and hammers, the technology extends far beyond just pianos, enabling the generation of entirely new, imaginary timbres. Its core parameters – Unison Width, Strike Point, Spectrum Profile and many more – become instruments for exploration, allowing users to design sounds that are detached from the limitations of real-world acoustics, and yet retain an organic, dynamic feel with natural velocity response. Syngular comes with more than 50 presets: inspiring Keys ranging from crisp and shimmering to warm and lo-fi; richly textured Pads, some soothing and nostalgic, some tense and mystical. Dive into Replicant Dream, a spacious, retrofuturistic keys patch, or lose yourself in Outer Rim, a richly textured pad that feels like floating among the stars. For cinematic scores or ambient soundscapes, layer the Mixed Choir or Strings Ensemble presets with your favourite grand piano. Syngular also features a range of Basses, Leads, and Synth-like sounds for modern productions. Being part of the Pianoteq engine, Syngular can be layered and morphed with other Pianoteq instruments. All the creative features of Pianoteq are also available with Syngular, including Mallet Bounce for expressive note repetition, Randomisation for instant exploration of many variations of a preset, and audio effects like Amp distortion and Ping-pong delay. Read More

SSL introduce SpringVerb plug-in The latest addition to SSL’s family of plug-ins promises to deliver an authentic recreation of some classic spring reverb effects, but also includes some parameters that allow it to offer far more control than would be possible on a physical unit. 

HOFA release Colour Saturator Colour Saturator promises to open up new possibilities for producers, mixers and sound designers, and will deliver everything from “silky harmonics and subtle warmth to aggressive distortion and extreme fuzz”.