Top New Plugins: Free & Paid Releases This Week - [Date]

Every week, we round up the most exciting new plugin releases — from virtual instruments and creative effects to mixing tools and workflow upgrades. There are tons of plugins released every week, both free and paid-for, so be sure to check back here every Friday to find out the software worth adding to your plugin folder.

This week’s new and noteworthy virtual instruments, effects and mixing plugins

UVI – Vintage Vault 5

UVI has released a huge expansion to its vintage synth collection, which spans five decades of instruments that have been painstakingly recreated from fully restored original hardware. The headline of the new additions is Vintage Casio Legacy, a suite of six synthesizers designed by Casio in the 1980s – the CZ, FZ, VZ, HZ, CTK, and RZ drum machine.

These synths brought novel architectures like phase distortion and Spectrum Dynamic synthesis to the market, while democratising music production through lower price tags than many competitor brands. Several existing UVI instruments have been added to the collection too, including HX-20, HX-Oddy, PX WaveFrame, PX Guitar Syn, Mission 6, and Kawai Vintage Legacy.

Vintage Vault 5 is available from UVI for intro pricing of €299 (down from €499), or existing users can upgrade for €149 (down from €299) until 27 April.

AAS – Objeq Delay 2

AAS has launched Objeq Delay 2, an improved version of its acoustic filter and delay that delivers unique resonance effects powered by physical modelling.

The update increases the number of delay topologies to four – one-, two-, four-tap, and split – for everything from simple slapbacks to complex rhythmic patterns. These feed into the new Objeq module, which provides morphable resonance and colouring via plate, beam, drumhead, and string modes.

Three new modulation sources have been added too, along with a refreshed user interface and new preset library with over 100 sounds.

Objeq Delay 2 is available from AAS for intro pricing of $79 (down from $99).

Iconic Instruments – ParametrEQ

New York-based plugin developer Iconic Instruments has released ParametrEQ, its own take on the custom-built ‘Motown EQ’ used on countless hits from the ‘60s and ‘70s. Only a handful of these units were produced, with legendary status received thanks to their warm, silky sound and high-end sparkle.

The equaliser itself is a passive parametric EQ, with seven fixed bands from 50Hz to 12.5kHz. Each can be boosted or cut by 8dB, with a proportional Q value that becomes sharper with larger boosts or cuts.

ParametrEQ is available from Iconic Instruments for intro pricing of $29 (down from $39).

AIR Music Tech – Fabric Vintage Synths, Vol. 1

AIR has launched Vintage Synths, Vol. 1 for its Fabric sample-based sound engine, which includes three new instruments inspired by classic polysynths — Vintage Jup, Vintage Pro, and Vintage Memorymoog.

Each virtual instrument features dual multi-sample oscillators and a percussive layer, with independent filters, envelopes, and LFOs for each. Like other Fabric instruments, these three synths offer a streamlined interface for hands-on control, optimised for Akai’s MPC lineup as well as major DAWs.

Fabric Vintage Synths, Vol. 1 is available from AIR for intro pricing of $119 (down from $299) until 10 May.

TAL Software – TAL-J-8X

Adding to the glut of vintage synth plugins this week, Togu Audio Line has released TAL-J-8X. It’s an emulation of the Roland JX-8P, a six-note polysynth released in 1985 that’s perhaps best known for the brass patch in Europe’s ‘The Final Countdown’.

Like the JX-8P, the TAL-J-8X features two DCOs, two ADSR envelopes, and a high- and low-pass filter section with a new ‘modern’ mode that allows for self-oscillation.

The plugin builds further on Roland’s original instrument with an arpeggiator plus EQ, delay, and reverb effects. It can even control the original hardware by sending Sysex over MIDI, as well as read tone data from the JX-8P, JX-10, and MKS-70.

TAL-J-8X is available from TAL Software for intro pricing of £42.57 (usually £53.22) plus VAT until 30 April.

Last week’s plugins

BLEASS – Peaks

BLEASS has released Peaks, a playable polyphonic filter that it says ‘unites classic audio filtering with the spontaneous spirit of performance’. Within the plugin, users can configure a bell filter with up to 32 resonant peaks or notches for an incredibly detailed filter response.

The secret sauce? The root frequency of Peaks’ filter can be ‘played’ live or using MIDI input, with up to eight filters at once, opening the door to intriguing resonant effects, frequency-shifting choruses, or even tuning a drum loop to your chord progression. Throw in a variety of modulation sources and five assignable effects slots, and Peaks becomes an all-in-one sound design hub.

Peaks is available from BLEASS for intro pricing of $39 (usually $49).

Thephonoloop – Outlines

Polish sample producers Thephonoloop have launched Outlines, an expansive toolkit perfect for atmospheric textures, cinematic sound design, and ambient composition. It’s powered by two independent granular layers, each with a 16-step polyphonic sequencer, providing flexibility for blended sounds.

In terms of source material, Outlines includes 2,509 samples totaling 7.81 GB, spanning acoustic instruments like pianos, strings, and woodwinds, processed tape loops and synthesizers, and various noise textures. According to Thephonoloop, many of the sounds were recorded using a pair of ultrasonic microphones capable of recording frequencies up to 100 kHz for maximum detail.

Outlines is available from Thephonoloop for intro pricing of £97 (usually £129) plus VAT.

Heritage Audio – 80 Series Collection

Heritage Audio has launched plugin emulations of two renowned hardware units that practically precede the company itself. Both designs were based on the classic 73 circuit, and they’re now available in the DAW for the first time.

According to Heritage, the HA6673 is the perfect choice for flexibility, offering wider mid-range sculpting possibilities thanks to the addition of the 66 mid band. It’s particularly suited to vocals or the mix bus, capable of imparting both vintage warmth and modern clarity.

As for the HA8173, this model combines the 73’s EQ architecture with the mid bands from the 81, delivering four bands of musical equalisation that delivers both definition and punch.

The 80 Series bundle is available from Heritage Audio for €129.

MoMinstruments – Elastic OSC 1.3

MoMinstruments has released a 1.3 update to its Elastic OSC, a multi-oscillator synthesizer for smartphones based on Mutable Instruments’ popular eurorack module, Plaits. The update brings MPE support, adding new levels of expression, and the app is now available on Android for the first time too.

Along with the ability to generate a wide variety of sounds from 24 different engines — including analogue-style, FM, additive, physical modelling, and drums — Elastic OSC features 8-voice polyphony, recordable automation, an arpeggiator, and five master effects.

Elastic OSC is available to download on the App Store for iOS (£9.99) and Google Play for Android (£4.99), although some additional features require in-app purchases.

Cherry Audio – Crumar DS-2

Cherry Audio has launched the DS-2, a faithful emulation of a Crumar synthesizer from 1978 created in collaboration with its original manufacturer. Unlike other synths of the time, the DS-2 used stair-stepped waveforms to avoid tuning drift, but this resulted in a gritty, wild tone rich in harmonics.

Cherry Audio’s version revives this unique sonic character in a modern plugin format, upgrading its paired monophonic and paraphonic architecture with up to 16 voices for the monophonic section and 32 for the polyphonic. Other enhancements include a third LFO, additional controls, more flexible LFO routing, and three customisable effects chains.

The Crumar DS-2 is available from Cherry Audio for $59.

Where to download free plugins and VSTs

Looking for free plugins? Our freeware section is an excellent place to start; each month, we also compile round-ups of the best free plugins and samples to download.

The production community is full of passionate developers who’ve given away instruments, effects and other plugins as freeware. Some of our favourites include Valhalla’s Supermassive reverb and Matt Tytel’s Helm polysynth. Remember, most developers also offer free trials for their plugins.

How to install VST and AU plugins on Windows, macOS and iOS

If your plugin came as a zip file, you may have to manually install it. Here’s how:

VST3 plugins:

1. Unzip the plugin folder
2. Copy the VST file to your default plugin folder (Windows default: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3, Mac default: /Library/Audio/Plugins/VST)
3. Start your DAW
4. Rescan your plugin directory

AUv3 plugins:

1. Download and install the plugin from the App Store
2. Insert the plugin in your DAW
3. Select the AUv3 plugin from the Audio Unit Extensions tab