Orchid Synth Drop 2, ManiFold Σ, & Free Podcast Tools!

LATEST IN MUSIC SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE

Supergrass-Inspired Fuzz Pedal

Funny Little Boxes has launched the "Caught By The Fuzz" pedal, named after a Supergrass song and inspired by their '60s fuzz sound. This op-amp based pedal aims to cover a wide range of fuzz tones, from vintage rock reminiscent of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath to grunge tones like Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and modern styles. Founded by Andy Ilgunas in Norwich, the company maintains its philosophy of keeping pedals affordable, pricing the Caught By The Fuzz pedal at £99. It features Fuzz and Volume controls along with unique flashing sirens.

Orchid Synthesizer Drop 2

Telepathic Instruments and Tame Impala have announced the second release, 'Drop 2', of their collaborative Orchid Synthesizer. This highly anticipated drop is scheduled to launch on May 29th. The release will make 3,000 units of the instrument available to the public.

TIME-12 Delay Modulator Plugin

TiagoLr has released TIME-12, an updated delay modulator plugin inspired by effects like Shaperbox and GrossBeat. It specializes in creating creative and glitchy effects such as stuttering, tape stop, scratch, reverse, and pitch shifting. The plugin features a multi-segment editor for up to 12 MIDI-triggerable patterns, an improved editor, a new sequencer for pattern building, and audio transient triggering. Get TIME-12 here; it is available for macOS, Windows, and Linux in VST3, AU, and LV2 formats.

maniFold Σ Texture Generator

Strange Audio presents maniFold Σ, a unique texture generator plugin designed to transform audio into ethereal soundscapes. It uses an 8-head micro looper, each processing a 5-second audio buffer with randomized parameters, and includes 32 delay lines to create dense, reverb-like textures. Currently in alpha development, maniFold Σ is available on a pay-what-you-want basis for macOS and Windows in AU and VST3 formats, appealing to sound designers and ambient musicians.

Waves Online Mastering Service

Waves has launched a new service called Waves Online Mastering. This platform is powered by an advanced AI mastering engine, designed to help users achieve professional, release-ready masters quickly and efficiently. The service allows users to easily create top-quality masters with minimal effort, requiring just a few clicks to get started with Waves Online Mastering.

Arturia MiniFuse Limited Edition

Arturia has announced the launch of limited-edition versions for three of their popular products. Among these is the MiniFuse USB audio interface. New color options are available for these limited runs, including a Champagne Edition as shown in promotional images.

DEALS

• Get Karanyi Sounds' Midnite Expanded Plus with exclusive bonuses using coupon BONUS40PLUS-2482 for 96 hours.

• Softube brings back all May public offers, including the Tube-Tech CL 1B Mk II for $79, until June 3 due to prior website updates.

• Tone Empire's Goliath V2 analog saturation plugin is available for just $19 for one week, trusted by pros like Tom Salta.

• Karanyi Sounds' Loyalty Weekend offers up to 75% off Plus products, stackable with the $40 coupon BONUS40PLUS-2482 for 96 hours.

• Audio Damage is holding a Memorial Day Sale with up to 43% off selected products like Axon 3 and Replicant 3 until the end of May.

• Waves' Memorial Day Sale offers plugins like API 2500 and Silk Vocal for $39.99 or bundle deals like 4 for $99.99 for a limited time.

• Get the Soundbox + Cosmo Bundle by Audiomodern for $19, a 68% discount, for a limited time at VSTBuzz.

• Plugin Alliance is having a summer sale with over 200 plugins starting at $9.99 for a limited time.

• Spitfire Audio is offering 20% off four celebrated libraries including Jupiter by Trevor Horn and Hammers until May 31st.

• Sonible's 12 Year Anniversary Sale on Audio Plugin Deals is extended with discounted plugins and an extra 10% off storewide using code SONICBOOST10 until May 31.

DEMOS, REVIEWS & TUTORIALS

• Avoid the trap of creating flat, lifeless mixes by relying solely on EQ; explore creative strategies like dynamic mixing and spatial effects to build separation and dimension without sacrificing your tracks' character.

• Learn twelve distinct and practical methods for integrating Waves' newest new-wave equalizer plugin, Curves AQ, into your existing mixing workflow, offering producers unique approaches to enhance their tracks.

• Elevate your MIDI compositions from static notes to expressive performances by mastering 5 advanced MIDI velocity techniques designed to add dynamics, realism, and nuance to your virtual instruments.

• Explore the creative potential of the Waves Vocal Bender plugin by watching artist Roomie Official demonstrate how he uses it in the process of making a hit song.

• Watch an educational video tutorial that meticulously demonstrates the process of mixing a complete song, track by track, highlighting the effective application of the CLA Epic plugin throughout the production.

• Discover seven effective Waves plugin combinations recommended for producers looking to optimize their audio mixes, much like classic pairings such as EQ and compression, detailed further in this guide.

• Delve into the rich history of Brooklyn's airwaves with the interactive Brooklyn Pirate Radio Map, offering extensive audio archives and filtering options by time, culture, language, and music style.

FREE

Klaus Scheuermann has released PodcastPlugins, a free plugin bundle designed for simplifying speech processing. The bundle is compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms.

Universal Audio's vintage-inspired virtual instrument, the PolyMAX synthesizer, is now available as a free download for both Mac and Windows users.

Fracture Sounds has released Blueprint: Electric Strings, a free vintage string synth for Kontakt Player. The developer also clarified that their Arrival library is not compatible with the free Kontakt Player.

Strange Audio DSP has released maniFold Σ, a free experimental microlooper and delay plugin. It features an 8-playhead system and a 5-second audio buffer for creating diverse sonic textures.