Music Production Forum

Dusk Audio has released Chord Analyzer, a free MIDI chord detection and music theory analysis plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux. We’ve covered a few Dusk Audio releases recently, including DuskVerb and the 4K EQ, MultiComp, and Tape Machine trio. Chord Analyzer is a different kind of tool. Instead of processing audio, it reads incoming [...] View post: Dusk Audio releases Chord Analyzer, a FREE real-time chord detection plugin View the full article

Sojus Records has released a free and open-source VST3 emulation of the Ensoniq SD-1/32 synthesizer. It’s the first plugin emulation of this synth. But the coolest part for me is that it’s built on MAME, the same emulation framework used to preserve arcade machines and vintage hardware. I’ve spent hours playing some of my favorite [...] View post: Sojus Records releases a FREE open-source Ensoniq SD-1/32 VST emulation View the full article

April is Vocal Month at Minimal Audio, and the developer behind Ripple Phaser, Poly Flanger, and the free Formant plugin is kicking off proceedings with a free vocal sample pack – Elevated Vocals. It’s worth noting that Audio Plugin Deals is offering a massive 90% discount on Ripple Phaser for a limited time. You [...] View post: Minimal Audio offers a FREE vocal sample pack: Elevated Vocals View the full article

Audio Plugin Deals is throwing a huge sale this month, and you can now get their April Mega Bundle for $9.99. The original price is a whooping $507, so to say this is a massive discount (98% off) is almost an understatement. If you’re into cinematic and ambient atmospheres or on the lookout for percussive [...] View post: Get the entire April Mega Bundle from Audio Plugin Deals for $9.99 in LIMITED time offer View the full article

Developer Urban Kits has released Plural, which is a free pitch-shifting sequencer plugin for macOS and Windows. Urban Kits is known to provide tools and sounds that help musicians create music from the ground up. What I mean is that Urban Kits offers products with no barriers to entry; they are free, easy to use, [...] View post: Urban Kits releases Plural, a FREE pitch-shifting sequencer plugin for macOS and Windows View the full article

Tuva is a standalone desktop application that helps music producers organize, classify, and search their audio samples, MIDI files, and DAW project files from a single interface. My sample and loop content gets scattered across hard drives, so any help with organizing this stuff is welcome. If, like me, you’ve accumulated tens of thousands of files [...] View post: Tuva is a smart sample manager with AI tagging and DAW project browsing (30% OFF) View the full article

OTT (over-the-top) compression has become one of the most recognizable sounds in modern music production.… Read More Audio Damage Intros Free Over-The-Top Compressor For Linux, Mac & Windows, Evil OttoView the full article

The free alt firmware adds physical modeling capabilities, based on the MI Elements module.… Read More New Firmware Turns Mutable Instruments Rings Module Into ‘Mini-Elements’ Physical Modeling SynthesizerView the full article

Are you ready to 'unleash the creativity'?… Read More Erica Synths Intros Perkons Keys – The First Portable Drum Machine KeyboardView the full article

SOMA Laboratory, in collaboration with The Midium, has introduced the PULSAR-23: 1984, a 'dystopian' take on Vlad Kreimer's organismic drum machine design. … Read More SOMA Laboratory Intros PULSAR-23 1984 Limited Edition Drum MachineView the full article

Midifex has released Plugoff, a free app for macOS and Windows that scans, organizes, and offloads your audio plugins. It supports AU, VST, VST3, and AAX formats. Plugoff is currently free, but the developer stated that it will become a paid product in the future. So, now is the perfect time to get it. When [...] View post: Plugoff is a FREE audio plugin manager for macOS and Windows View the full article

Audio Assault has released Amp Locker 98, a free guitar amp simulation plugin dressed head-to-toe in Windows 98 aesthetics. Yes, it’s an April Fools’ release, but no, it’s not a joke. Well, it is, but it’s also a real guitar amp plugin. If you grew up in the late 90s like me, this will be [...] View post: Audio Assault releases Amp Locker 98, a FREE guitar amp sim in full Windows 98 style View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Reykjavik-based instrument developer Genki Instruments announces the Katla – a Voice Rotating Polyphonic Synthesizer inspired by Iceland’s largest subglacial volcano as its natural namesake. NOTE: Synth and Software does not recommend leaving your synths on rocks by the ocean. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT Active at the core of the Katla Voice Rotating Polyphonic Synthesizer — to give […] The post Katla – A Voice Rotating Polyphonic Synthesizer appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

Werkdiscs has released Concrète Waves, a new live album by Actress and Suzanne Ciani.… Read More New Music From Actress and Suzanne Ciani – Concrète WavesView the full article

From @synthandsoftware - Kenton announces USB Solo mk2 – a bridge between modern DAWs and vintage analog synthesizers. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT The Kenton USB Solo mk2 is a multi-functional MIDI-to-CV converter and USB MIDI interface designed to bring legendary analog monosynths into the modern production era, offering 16-bit precision, ultra-fast response times, and unparalleled flexibility for studio and live […] The post New Kenton USB Solo mk2 appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

GRE "lets you effortlessly blend total randomness and perfectly locked loops."… Read More Augmatic GRE Algorithmic Drum Sequencer Now Available For Windows, Mac & iOSView the full article

Suno v5.5 has arrived, with the AI music creation platform touting it as its “best and most expressive model yet”. Front and centre among the new updates for Suno v5.5 is the addition of Voices, a new feature which enables users to clone their own voice and create new music with it. Available on Suno’s Pro and Premier tiers, Voices entails a verification process whereby the singing voice in your live-captured audio is matched to a random phrase Suno asks you to speak, after which you’re free to create... The post “More expressive. More you”: Suno adds voice cloning in its v5.5 update appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

From @synthandsoftware - The Pulsar-23: 1984 is a special edition instrument born from a collaboration between The Midium and the SOMA US Division. PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT In an age where every signal is monitored and every voice risks being flattened, new tools are required for artistic originality. Only 84 numbered units of the 1984 PULSAR-23 have been made available […] The post SOMA Laboratory Announces Pulsar-23:1984 appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

Developer dBdone has released Glas, a free spectral chaos engine for macOS and Windows. dBdone has been a fairly busy developer early in 2026. In January, we looked at Pentimento (a collaboration with the musician and YouTuber TAETRO), a texture-layering plugin available in both paid and free versions. In February, we covered AI Chords, a [...] View post: dBdone releases Glas, a FREE spectral chaos engine for macOS and Windows View the full article

From developer Wayhan comes Naked EQ, a free stripped-back EQ plugin for Windows. It sometimes seems like we can’t move without falling over another EQ plugin, and that’s not a complaint, horses for courses, and all that. To name a few, we have Dusk Audio’s 4K EQ, TDR Nova, and ZL Equalizer 2, all of [...] View post: Wayhan releases Naked EQ, a FREE stripped-back EQ plugin for Windows View the full article

XLN Audio has released DB-30 Drum Butter, a multi-effect plugin designed for drum processing. It’s available at an introductory price of $99 until April 30th, after which it goes up to $129. A free trial is also available. DB-30 is built around the same workflow philosophy as XLN Audio’s hugely popular RC-20 Retro Color, so [...] View post: XLN Audio releases DB-30 Drum Butter multi-effect plugin ($99 intro price) View the full article

Fantamidi is a step sequencer, synth, and MIDI generator toolkit meant to help producers try different musical ideas effectively. It features a MIDI randomiser that is aware of the musical scale and key you’re in. Key and scale can also be changed on the fly. Additionally, Fantamidi boasts a melody and bass generation section, drag-and-drop [...] View post: Granvia released Fantamidi, a FREE step sequencer and MIDI generator plugin View the full article

Ripple Phaser by Minimal Audio is currently 90% off at Audio Plugin Deals, bringing the price down from $49 to $4.90. Ripple Phaser is a multi-mode phase manipulator that goes beyond conventional phaser effects. It features seven distinct modes covering classic phasing, inverted phase, a clean targeted mode, low pass, high pass, band pass, and [...] View post: Minimal Audio Ripple Phaser is 90% off at Audio Plugin Deals ($4.90) View the full article

WarpCore by ManasWorld is an experimental multiband spectral inversion plugin that can infuse your sounds with a ring-modulated, distorted character that ventures into negative harmony. Similar to the likes of the Wormhole plugin by Zynaptiq or ProSoniq’s PiWarp. The plugin works on macOS, Windows, and Linux and comes in VST3, AU, and LV2 formats. I [...] View post: ManasWorld releases WarpCore, a FREE a multiband spectral inversion plugin View the full article

You can choose from a set of effects, including saturation, lo-fi degradation, ring modulation, delay, and reverb, and blend them precisely within each band.… Read More FAC Intros BANDIT 2 Multiband Multi-Effects ProcessorView the full article

The Bob Moog Foundation has announced a new addition to their archives, a rare Moog Liberation keytar synthesizer, previously owned by composer and synthesist Gary Wright. … Read More Rare Moog Liberation Keytar Synthesizer Donated To Bob Moog Foundation ArchivesView the full article

You’ve probably read our article about the free KERN CHECK spectral mono compatibility analyzer earlier this month. We absolutely loved it. CHECK shows you where your stereo image collapses in mono across 40 frequency bands, and it’s a very useful little diagnostic tool. The developer behind CHECK, Jonas R, also makes three paid mixing plugins [...] View post: KERN Audio offers a complete plugin mixing chain (SMOOTH, WARM, WIDE + free CHECK) View the full article

The MARF is a powerful voltage generator that can be used for a wide range of purposes, including sequencing, modulating, envelopes and more.… Read More Tiptop Audio & Buchla 248t Multiple Arbitrary Function Generator (MARF) Now AvailableView the full article

Zimmerman admits to being a G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) addict, and, at one point, even says he built out his Modcan modular synth to 'one-up Daft Punk'.… Read More Deadmau5 Studio Tour – “I Wanted To One-Up Daft Punk!”View the full article

AI is finally most useful where producers actually lose time: stem extraction, cleanup, transcription, fast mastering, and idea generation. The best tools in 2026 aren’t “make a hit song” buttons — they’re time-savers that slot into your existing workflow. Below are 10 AI tools (and categories) that producers are actively using, with specific, practical use cases and a quick “when to skip it” reality check. View the full article