Sample-Free Drums, Analog Wavetables, and Secrets to Cinematic Reverb

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LATEST IN MUSIC SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE

Quad Cortex Gains Looper and New Tones

Neural DSP's CorOS 1.3.0 update significantly enhances the Quad Cortex by introducing a robust looper with over 4 minutes of recording time. This update also adds nine new amplifier models, three new cabinets, and various new modulation and delay effects, expanding the device's sonic capabilities.

Baby Audio Tekno: Sample-Free Drum Synthesis

Baby Audio Tekno is a drum synthesizer plugin featuring 18 engines for creating diverse electronic drum sounds like kicks, snares, and hats. It generates sounds without samples, offering unique sound design possibilities, and includes a built-in FX rack and a randomizer for creative exploration.

ShaperBox 3 for Rhythmic Modulations

Cableguys ShaperBox 3 is a plugin bundle designed for rhythmic modulations, including the classic trance gate effect. Beyond gating, it provides a wide array of creative effects such as tremolos, filter sweeps, drive, bitcrushing, panning, and stereo widening, offering extensive sound design tools.

u-he Hive 2: A Trance Production Powerhouse

The u-he Hive 2 synthesizer is a top choice for trance music production, known for creating thick supersaws with up to 16-fold unison per oscillator. Its integrated effects and robust modulation matrix facilitate crafting complex trance sounds, all while maintaining processor efficiency.

Blanketfort Audio Updates Ruinator to v1.1

Blanketfort Audio has released Ruinator v1.1, its multi-mode distortion plugin, with new features. The update introduces AAX support for Pro Tools, two new distortion modes, and a resizable user interface, providing producers and sound designers with versatile distortion and degradation effects.

Waldorf Unveils PROTEIN Synthesizer

Waldorf Music has launched PROTEIN, a new, affordable, and compact 8-voice polyphonic wavetable synthesizer. It blends the classic 8-bit sound of Waldorf's Microwave 1 with modern features from the Iridium family, offering an intuitive interface for deep sound design.

DEALS

• Kiive Audio's holiday sale offers significant discounts on popular plugins like NFuse ($59) and Kstrip ($89), alongside bundle deals, available now at their holiday sale collection.

• Splice's Black Friday deal offers a 50% discount on its Creator subscription for new users, including 200 monthly credits and full Splice INSTRUMENT access for $120 annually via their special offer page.

• Spitfire Audio's Black Friday sale features up to 50% off bestselling libraries, plus an extra 20% off with code STKRHW2D, available through their sale collection until December 2nd, 2025.

• Native Instruments is offering up to 50% off a wide range of music production and DJ software and hardware, including Kontakt Libraries and Maschine, with deals available at Thomann until December 8th.

• Audio Damage's Black Friday sale provides 30-50% off their entire catalog of software synthesizers and effects, including iOS apps, with no coupon needed when you shop the sale by December 1st.

• Polyverse Music’s Black Friday & Cyber Monday sale with up to 55% off for their audio plugins and effects.

• Softube's Black Friday sale offers an extra 25% off plug-ins and unlocks special in-cart deals until November 30, 2025, excluding items like the Console 1 Mixing System Mk III.

• Get 50% off e-instruments' 'Slower', an audio tool creating lush harmonics via analogue tape and half-speed playback, with the offer ending December 8th.

• Audio Plugin Deals offers 'The Ultimate 30K Loop Bundle' with over 30,000 royalty-free sounds for just $30, a massive 99% discount from its $2400 value.

• Karanyi Sounds launches its biggest Black Friday storewide sale, featuring discounts on over 55 premium plugins with no exclusions.

DEMOS, REVIEWS & TUTORIALS

• Dan Worrall demonstrates the extensive capabilities of PitchShaper, showcasing how this powerful plugin can manipulate audio pitch comprehensively. His insights reveal innovative ways to transform sounds, offering producers versatile tools for creative audio manipulation.

• To evoke the illusion of vast spaces in audio production, implement longer reverb pre-delay times, typically 80-120 ms. This technique, ideal for piano or ambient soundscapes, generates a wide, cinematic sound without muddying the mix.

• Tempo-syncing reverb pre-delay with a track's BPM integrates ambient effects rhythmically, making reverb a complementary layer rather than a detached wash. By aligning pre-delay to note divisions like 1/16, the reverb enhances the groove, proving particularly effective for electronic drums or synth stabs. Calculate your delay times with this online tool.

• Waves has launched a new tutorial, "Get Started with L4 Ultramaximizer: More Than Just Loud," presented by Guy Britton. This guide educates users on leveraging the plugin's features —including five limiting modes and upward compression —to achieve loud, musical, and dynamic masters.

FREE

Bedroom Producers Blog has released BPB Saturator Plus, a free, updated effect plugin. This version introduces a new diode circuit drive mode, a mix control, and internal optimizations, expanding on its existing tube and tape saturation capabilities.

ValhallaDSP has updated its free Valhalla Supermassive plugin to version 5.0.0, introducing the 'Sirius' mode. This new reverb and delay setting offers a fast attack, smooth decay, and adjustable echo density, allowing for clear and versatile effects.

AIR Music Tech is offering its Tape Double Track plugin for free during Black Friday week, limited to 10,000 licenses. This plugin emulates the iconic "artificial double tracking" (ADT) technique from Abbey Road Studios, enhancing vocals and instruments with vintage tape characteristics.

Moog Music has released a free, official editor for the Moog Messenger synthesizer. This standalone software for Mac and Windows allows users to manage presets, adjust parameters, and control the sequencer via USB, with VST/AU plugin versions expected in December 2025.