New music plugins this week

This roundup of new music plugins this week covers both free and paid plug-ins and highlights recent releases and updates in the music plugin market. The scope includes effects, virtual instruments and workflow upgrades. Items explicitly mentioned in the roundup include emulations, modulation tools, tracker ports and DAW updates. The article presents examples ranging from freeware classics to commercial releases and paid upgrades.

Examples listed in the roundup include Grey Matter, an emulation of the DAC circuitry within Sony’s PlayStation One that uses real-time modelling of molecular physics, component strain and thermal load to deliver non-linear saturation and dynamic deformation, priced at $29 (full price $49). Orbit is described as a three-band autopanner with independent bands and modulation options; clicking the dice randomises parameters on the chosen frequency band and pricing is shown as an introductory £29 and a full price of £39. Rupert Neve Designs released Portico II Master Buss Processor, noted for precise dynamic range and stereo field control, the 551 Inductor EQ presented as a 500 Series EQ designed by Rupert Neve, and the 542 Tape Emulator which includes tape saturation, a soft clipper and Silk Red & Blue saturation.

Dirtywave’s M8 Music Tracker is noted as ported to iOS with eight monophonic tracks, four synth engines and a sampler instrument, and the app is priced at $29 and runs on iPhones and iPads in portrait or landscape. LUNA 3.0 is listed with updates including stem separation, LUNA Play, clip gain automation, strip silence, a Record FX workflow, folder tracks, an improved piano roll and an adaptive grid, and pricing is given as free or $199 for the full version or as part of a UAD Spark Studio subscription at $19 per month; the freeware highlights name Valhalla’s Supermassive reverb and Matt Tytel’s Helm polysynth.

Grey Matter is an emulation of the DAC circuitry within Sony’s PlayStation One. It uses real-time modelling of molecular physics, component strain, and thermal load to deliver non-linear saturation and dynamic deformation. The plug-in is offered at a price of $29, with a full price listed as $49. The product is presented in the roundup as an example of an emulation among the newly released and updated tools covered this week.

Orbit is a three-band autopanner with independent bands and modulation options. The plug-in includes a band randomization function accessed via a dice control; clicking the dice randomises parameters on the chosen frequency band. Orbit’s pricing is shown as an introductory £29 and a full price of £39. The product is presented in the roundup as an example of a newly released modulation tool featured in the same market update.

Rupert Neve Designs released three plugins under its own banner: Portico II Master Buss Processor, 551 Inductor EQ, and 542 Tape Emulator. Portico II Master Buss Processor is noted for precise dynamic range and stereo field control, and those capabilities are identified specifically for that processor in the source material.

The 551 Inductor EQ is described as a 500 Series EQ designed by Rupert Neve, with the 500 Series form-factor attributed to its design.

The 542 Tape Emulator includes tape saturation, a soft clipper, and Silk Red & Blue saturation, and those elements are listed as the emulator’s audio-processing components.

These three items are presented together as Rupert Neve Designs releases in the roundup.

Dirtywave has ported its M8 Music Tracker to iOS as a dedicated iOS application for Apple mobile devices. The iOS port provides eight monophonic tracks, four synth engines and a sampler instrument, with those elements listed as the app’s track architecture and sound-generation components. Those components are presented in the roundup as the primary elements of the ported application’s audio workflow. The port is listed alongside other newly released and updated tools in the same market update.

The M8 Music Tracker app is priced at $29. That price is given in the article together with the product’s feature list. Compatibility is specified for iPhones and iPads. The app supports both portrait and landscape orientations on those devices as described in the listing.

LUNA 3.0 introduces a variety of updates and new features designed to enhance digital audio workstation (DAW) workflows. The updates include stem separation, allowing users to divide audio tracks into individual elements for more precise mixing and editing. LUNA Play is a new feature that enhances playback and usability. Clip gain automation is included, providing users with the ability to dynamically adjust the volume of clips over time. The strip silence function enables the automatic removal of silent sections in audio tracks, streamlining the editing process. Record FX workflow facilitates the application of effects during the recording phase, offering real-time processing capabilities.

Additional improvements in LUNA 3.0 include the introduction of folder tracks, which help organize sessions by grouping related tracks together. The piano roll has been improved for better note editing and composition. An adaptive grid is also featured, allowing flexible snapping and alignment of audio elements within the timeline.

As for pricing, LUNA 3.0 is available in three options: a free version, a full version priced at $199, and as part of the UAD Spark Studio subscription at $19 per month. This pricing structure provides various levels of access to LUNA’s features, accommodating different user needs and budgets.

The freeware section highlights Valhalla’s Supermassive reverb and Matt Tytel’s Helm polysynth, listing those two named plug-ins among the freeware examples included in the roundup. Valhalla’s Supermassive is identified in the freeware highlights as a reverb and is presented by name in the article’s freeware coverage. Matt Tytel’s Helm is identified in the same section as a polysynth and is likewise presented by name in the article’s freeware coverage.

The roundup also notes that free trials are commonly offered by developers in this week’s coverage. That note on free trials appears in the freeware section alongside the named plug-ins. The section presents these details as part of the article’s freeware coverage.

Conclusion

CONCLUSION