Music Production Forum

In much of today’s AI-driven music technology, the emphasis is on speed and output, on systems designed to deliver finished results with minimal process. At Native Instruments, our interest lies elsewhere: how can computational tools support the act of making music without substituting artistic intention? This perspective shaped the design of the Absynth 6 Preset Explorer. Rather than using AI to generate sound, we use it to listen – analyzing and organizing presets to reveal relationships across a vast library. The goal is orientation, helping artists navigate complexity while keeping creative intent firmly in their hands... The post Absynth 6 Preset Explorer: where AI m…

Turnt Plugins and Epica Audio have both released free one-knob audio effects, and while they come from different developers, the idea behind them is surprisingly similar. If you’re into ultra-simple plugins that aim to enhance your sound with a single control, this article is for you. If not, feel free to skip it and save [...] View post: Two FREE one-knob audio enhancers from Turnt Plugins and Epica Audio View the full article

The modular starter pack: Today, we present three essential “building blocks” for beginning your journey into modular synthesis. If you’re interested in entering the world of Eurorack modular synthesis, you’re sure to find some inspiration here. It’s a perfect match... The post Modular Starter Pack: 3 Tips for Entering the Modular World – Perfect Match appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

With AUv3 compatibility, you can now use iWavestation within Apple’s Logic Pro, GarageBand, and other third-party iOS music production apps. … Read More Korg iWavestation Update Adds AUv3 Support, Drops Inter-App Audio & AudiobusView the full article

The UB-1 Micro is a portable mini-synth that offers dual DCO oscillators, a 24 dB/oct low-pass filter and a built-in arpeggiator.… Read More Behringer UB-1 Micro Synthesizer Now AvailableView the full article

Audulus can be used to create synthesizers, sequencers, audio effects and more. … Read More Audulus Modular Audio Processor Now Free On iOS, iPad & macOSView the full article

Skew is an experimental reverse delay plugin that has been around for a few years and was recently updated to Skew v2. With this new update, Sinevibes has implemented various improvements, tweaked the interface, and decided to give us Skew for free. It’s always nice to get a new plugin without digging into your pockets, [...] View post: Sinevibes Skew v2 non-linear reverse delay plugin is now FREE View the full article

Despite their roots in band-based music such as funk and disco, electronic styles such as house and trance are often extremely synth-heavy. Introducing a more traditional element, like a guitar part, can create an appealing juxtaposition with the synthetic tones, enhancing the emotional impact of the music. Session Guitarist: Electric Neon Essentials is a Kontakt instrument that will help you create guitar hooks for your electronic music productions entirely in your DAW, with zero guitar skills necessary. In this walkthrough, we’ll show you how to create an emotional guitar breakdown for a house track ... The post 5 ways to get club-ready guitar hooks into your house trac…

Looking for a stocking filler this festive season? Well, Behringer’s UB-1 MICRO might be the perfect bitesized bit of kit for you. Don’t be fooled by its name or size – the UB-1 MICRO’s compact format holds huge potential. With dual analogue DCO oscillators supported by a sub oscillator or noise generator, the UB-1 MICRO is able to capture a rich level of depth and texture... The post Behringer’s compact and affordable UB-1 MICRO could be the perfect stocking filler appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

ACE Studio 2.0 is an all-in-one AI music studio for macOS and Windows, focused on AI-generated vocals, instruments, and related production tools. ACE Studio is designed around expressive AI-powered singing rather than full song generation (although that is also possible in version 2.0 with the Generative AI Kit “Inspire Me”). The core idea is that [...] View post: ACE Studio 2.0 is an AI music studio for AI-generated vocals, instruments, and more View the full article

Soundtoys has made Devil-Loc, a distortion plugin for macOS and Windows, available until December 19 as the final freebie in the company’s 12 Days of Soundtoys promotion. This is the sixth and last plugin in the giveaway, following earlier freebies like Little Plate and Little MicroShift. While Little MicroShift is still my personal favorite of [...] View post: Soundtoys offers Devil-Loc distortion plugin for FREE until December 19 View the full article

The Behringer UB-1 Micro puts Oberheim sound in your pocket! The tiny analog synth might be the smallest and cheapest way to get your hands on Oberheim Matrix-style oscillators and filters. It’s been almost four years since Behringer first announced the UB-1 (see below). At the time, we thought the UB-1 Spirit—as it was then called—was a tiny teaser meant to shorten the wait for the big UB-Xa. However, things took a different turn. While the UB-Xa has been out for a while, the UB-1 took its time. But now it’s here! Following in the footsteps of the recently-released UB-Xa Mini, the UB-1 Micro delivers Oberheim sound in an even smaller format... The post Behringer UB-1 Mic…

Elektron has released Tonverk OS 1.2.0, a free firmware update that adds new effects, more options with the existing effects, a random mode for the arpeggiator, bug fixes and other improvements.… Read More Tonverk OS 1.2.0 Adds New Effects & MoreView the full article

Acustica Audio Squid-3 promises to “sound finished, even before the FX.” Is this modeling and convolution-powered soft synth just what your productions need? Acustica Audio is really cranking out the synths. Since it debuted its first instrument, Thing-8, at the end of 2024, the company best known for its effects and mixing plugins has gone on to release a Prophet-5 emulation as well as an original, Alice-9. Now it’s back with another, one that looks set to get its tentacles wrapped around your DAW... The post Acustica Audio Squid-3: “Built to Make Raw Synthesis Sound Like a Mastered Record” appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Pigments 7 is the latest (brand-new) version of Arturia’s flagship multi-engine synth, and there are a few ways to get a great deal right now. Pigments 7 is available for $99 (usually $199) from Arturia until January 5, 2026. It’s available for the same price at Plugin Boutique, along with a gift. Before I get [...] View post: Get 50% off Arturia’s brand-new Pigments 7 synthesizer View the full article

In the lead-up to Xmas, we often find ourselves being grateful for all we have received throughout the year. Well, I hope you’ve saved some of that gratitude for some of the developers featured here today, as we give you not one, not two, but three free banks of sounds! With just a week until Xmas, it is only fitting that some of these lovely music tech companies drop some free gifts our way, and that’s exactly what Native Instruments has done with this new expansion pack for their Massive X instrument... The post Creative Chords and More Free Patches: Sounds and Presets appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

The Cinematic Metal Whooshes by Slava Pogorelsky is a sample pack that is free for a limited time via A Free Sound Effect. I’m a self-confessed hoarder of cinematic sounds, some of which have never seen the light of day. But I know I’ll need every single one of them one day, and it would [...] View post: The Cinematic Metal Whooshes sample pack is FREE for a limited time View the full article

SHIMA’s debut album, Welcome to SHIMAJIMA, captures a rare balance between tradition and modern production. Born in Tokyo and now based in Los Angeles, she’s built her sound around cultural memory, storytelling, and field recordings that blur the line between heritage and digital experimentation. The record moves fluidly between koto lines built in Kontakt, taiko drum recordings from Japanese festivals, and ambient textures shaped to feel both traditional and immediate. At the very center of Welcome To SHIMAJIMA is SHIMA’s reflection on curiosity about where sound comes from. Kontakt plays a central role in that process, giving her access to instruments she might never ha…

Audio Deluxe is currently offering MeldaProduction’s new MMicSim microphone simulator plugin for just $17.10 (normally $79) when you use the additional XMAS10 code at checkout. MMicSim is a 64-bit exclusive release for macOS (VST, VST3, AU, AAX) and Windows (VST, VST3, AAX). The introductory deal sets MMicSim’s price at $19, but after you add the [...] View post: MeldaProduction MMicSim Plugin is just $17 in 78% Off Deal View the full article

2B Played Music offers the QFX Mash, a one-knob sound degradation plugin for macOS and Windows, for free until December 26 by using the coupon code XMAS25 at checkout. If you’ve followed 2B Played Music releases for a while, you’ll know they regularly turn their QFX series plugins into limited-time freebies around Black Friday and [...] View post: 2B Played Music offers QFX Mash FREE for a limited time with XMAS25 coupon View the full article

Artists in DSP has released Euclyd, a multitap delay plugin for macOS and Windows that takes a unique approach to rhythmic echo effects. BPB readers get a 50% off discount with the coupon code EUCLYDBPB50. Instead of thinking in terms of simple repeats, Euclyd is built around Euclidean rhythm, turning delay taps into evenly distributed [...] View post: Artists in DSP releases Euclyd, a Euclidean multitap delay with an exclusive BPB discount View the full article

You want to know which pedals were the best sellers in 2025? These are the top-selling and most popular pedals on your pedalboard. Want to see if you’re on trend? Maybe this top ten list will inspire you to make a spontaneous purchase or two. I noticed that a few surprises made it into the top 10, and established classics are being revisited... The post Top 10 Best-Selling Pedals of 2025 appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Pigments 7 is a free update free that they say delivers "punchier sound, sharper control, and deeper playability".… Read More Arturia Pigments 7 A Free Upgrade, Adds New Effects & MoreView the full article

As producers and mix engineers, we all know the fatigue that begins to set in after a long session in front of the screen. It’s routinely recommended by the top professionals to take regular breaks while working with audio in order to keep our ears sharp. But these breaks are often when those golden moments of inspiration actually happen... The post This app lets you effortlessly send a DAW mix to your mobile device – and record ideas wherever inspiration strikes appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

When the press release dropped on the Gearnews desk, a colleague was overheard saying, “How do they still come up with new stuff to add to this thing?” We chuckled, but seriously, how do Arturia do it? How can they continue to improve upon what is already a great instrument? Well, it’s time to find out as I put it through its paces... The post Arturia Pigments 7 – Magnificent and Deadly: Review appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Developer unAbleton has released Volture, a free distortion plugin for Windows, available in 64-bit VST3 format only. Volture is a stompbox-style distortion with a bright yellow GUI that clearly nods toward classic overdrive pedals like the SD-1. And the interface looks like it was designed for a guitarist’s pedalboard. But at the same time, the [...] View post: unAbleton releases Volture, a FREE distortion plugin for Windows View the full article

2025 has been an incredible year for free orchestral instruments. Whatever the reason you have to use orchestral plugins (producing music in a bedroom studio, writing cinematic scores, working on game audio, or designing experimental textures), this year was fantastic for building an orchestral toolkit without spending a cent. We’ve seen everything from full symphony [...] View post: The Best Free Orchestral Instruments released in 2025 (So Far) View the full article

Dutch producer Pythius has spent more than a decade blurring the line between cinematic sound design and high-intensity drum and bass. His music balances chaos with control, combining distorted percussion, dark melodies, and detailed atmospheres that feel both mechanical and alive. Over the years, he has built a strong reputation for pushing boundaries across genres, performing at major festivals including Let It Roll, Rampage, Lowlands, and Beats for Love... The post Inside Pythius’s workflow for fusing metal and drum and bass first appeared on Native Instruments Blog. View the full article

Soundtoys offers the Little Plate plate reverb plugin for free until December 18th as part of the 12 Days of Soundtoys promotion. The free offer on Little MicroShift (my absolutely favorite Soundtoys plugin from the Little lineup) just expired, but the next freebie is equally sweet. If you’ve ever wanted the lush sound of a [...] View post: Soundtoys is giving away Little Plate for FREE until December 18 View the full article

Which were the best-selling synths of this year? We got an exclusive look at Thomann’s sales figures in 2025. Get ready for some surprises! We asked our retail partner Thomann which synths flew off the shelves this year, sorted by number of units sold. Not surprisingly, the list of best-selling synths is dominated by budget instruments. Nevertheless, some of this year’s best-sellers came as real surprises to me! ... The post Top 10 Best-Selling Synths of 2025 appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article