madBee::audio has released Optopus, a free optical-style compressor with tube saturation for Windows. Optopus originally appeared in February, so this is an older freebie that we missed when it first arrived. It is still available, though, and I bumped into it this weekend, so I decided to share it because it offers quite a bit…
CRSSD After Dark Returns To San Diego Next Weekend
CRSSD Festival’s afterparty series returns to San Diego from 25 to 27 September with sets across multiple venues. CRSSD Festival has confirmed the return of CRSSD After Dark, its official afterparty series, for three nights in San Diego between 25 and 27 September 2026. The series extends the festival weekend beyond Waterfront Park, moving performances…
VSL releases Synchron Cimbalom and Synchron World Percussion II
Vienna Symphonic Library has released two new Synchron Series Collections: Synchron Cimbalom and Synchron World Percussion II. Both libraries were recorded on Stage A at Vienna Synchron Stage. Synchron Cimbalom features Hungarian concert cimbalom player Gergely Lajti, with standard, Romanian, and Gypsy mallets, plus full damper-pedal control. The instrument’s chromatic range and distinctive metallic resonance…
sonicLAB updates PROTEAN to v2
sonicLAB has updated PROTEAN to version 2. PROTEAN merges fluid dynamic simuPROTEANlation with advanced sound synthesis algorithms. It has a shape-shifting audiovisual synthesis engine where fluid particle interactions generate metamorphosing sonic texture. The version2 offers the following improvements and features: The audio engine now uses less processing power, handles silent voices more efficiently, and remains…
accSone updates crusher-X to v12.20
accSone has announced a free update to crusher-X 12.20 featuring a new Binaural Processor, cleaner voice and instrument pitching, broader audio file support, higher sound quality, and a faster, smoother engine and UI. Binauralization renders sound with the directional, distance and height cues the ear uses in the real world, so stereo material is heard…
Smart Audio Plugins releases Timbral Box, a parallel harmonic processor
Smart Audio Plugins has released Timbral Box, a parallel harmonic processor for mixing and mastering. Every section works in parallel: it adds harmonics next to the signal and leaves the original untouched — the choices made in the mix, or the character of the instrument. The aim is to add presence and rebalance parts of…
VB Audio Updates Voicemeeter – New Windows Audio Map for Complete System Visibility
VB‑Audio Software has announced what they describe as “a landmark update” to its Voicemeeter virtual mixing ecosystem, celebrating more than a decade of continuous development. This new version introduces significant improvements in stability, workflow, and system transparency—most notably the Windows Audio Map: This new visual tool makes the entire Windows audio system visible in real…
Beat Magazine #249 includes FREE Synthesizer V Studio Core
Buy Beat Magazine #249 and get the Synthesizer V Studio Core plus a free gift from Plugin Boutique. Beat Magazine is a regular source of good articles, useful tips/guides, and excellent freebies. Technically, the magazine costs $6, but the content alone is worth that; the bundled software is the icing on the cake. One of…