Could this Neumann w495 emulation be the most useful free EQ plugin you download this year?
Pulsar is giving away a software version of the 3-band equalizer that became a mastering legend and is still in use today
Music software
All the latest music making software news, reviews and tips on MusicRadar
Latest music software news
Pro Tools Sketch: industry-standard DAW gets Ableton Live-style clip launching and a free iPad app, but will it convince you to switch?
Avid makes its pitch to loop-based music makers
DAW not doing it for you? Cantor is a free “music playground” for looping, sampling and sound design
A self-contained app that can be used for improvising, jamming and performing
DAACI is the AI-powered 'meta-composition' software that writes music like a human: "It's interpreting what comes from a composer’s brain, rather than trying to imitate something that’s already been made"
DAACI CEO Rachel Lyske talks us through how this Abbey Road-backed startup is taking "the next step in the evolution of music creation"
9 time-saving plugins that will speed up your workflow in the studio
Ain't nobody got time for that!
James Hype: "The kick drum is everything in dance music. The best way to fix a shit track is to change the kick"
The in-demand DJ and hit-making producer demonstrates his approach to crafting bootleg edits
The NoInputMixer app is a no-input-mixer with no input and... no mixer
It's all getting a bit meta
10 artists share 50 ways to make your music better: "If something in your mix sounds crap, it’s probably you - not the gear!"
Chris Lake, MEDUZA, Chloé and more dish out 50 essential production tips for aspiring music-makers
IK Multimedia’s Miroslav Philharmonik 2 CE giveaway means that everyone can have a $150 orchestral plugin for free
10GB library includes 733 instruments, effects, a convolution reverb and mastering processors
Latest music software tuition
How to design a punchy, radio-ready synth bass sound
Recreating the impactful bass sound of pop hits like Jax Jones’ Whistle needn’t be difficult. Let’s learn how…
How to liven up your mix with legendary Fairchild compression
We use Universal Audio's superb plugin emulations of this classin compressor to lift up a mix in seconds
How to get a vintage tape sound like the Studer J37
We recreate the sound of this classic tape machine with Waves' J37 plugin
How to use the UREI 1176 'all-buttons-in' trick to get punchy, overdriven compression
We use IK Multimedia's Black 76 plugin to recreate a classic effect from one of the most revered processors in recording history
How to get the sound of Abbey Road's vintage plate reverbs
Waves' Abbey Road Plates plugin emulates four different physical plate reverbs from the iconic London studio
How to perfect your kick and snare with Arturia's Neve 1073 emulation
Get the sound of the most revered preamp and EQ circuit ever designed with this faithful software emulation
How to use the Pultec 'low-end trick' to improve your bass and kick
This classic trick, recreated with an emulation of the vintage hardware, delivers a tight and characterful low-end
How to use distortion to enhance individual elements of your mix
Distortion can be great for adding energy to your mix, and in this tutorial, we’re focusing on applying it to specific sounds
How to make '80s stereo synth stabs
Ever wondered how you can make your short and snappy synth sounds even more interesting? It’s all about the stereo
Latest music software reviews
Exonic UK AI Master review
- £79
While the world asks if it’s time to limit AI's exposure to humanity, we ask if it’s time to expose AI to limiters? It’s time to automate (meet) your Master
Neural DSP Archetype: Rabea review
- €139
A monosynth in an amp plugin? We get our shred on
Minimal Audio Fuse Compressor review
- £42
- €49
- $49
Fuse aims to make multiband compression easy. But does that come at the cost of versatility?
Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen series review
- £139.99-289.99
- $139.99-289.99
Focusrite’s most popular audio interfaces have received a welcome update. We size up the new Scarletts
Orchestral Tools Peteris Vasks Strings review
- €549
Proving the point that it’s not the size of the orchestra, it’s what you do with it, OT’s new suite shrinks the string section to chamber size
United Plugins Pluralis review
- £68
- €79
- $87
A delay with a difference? We’ve heard that before, but Pluralis could well be one of the most creative plugins out there, with twice the appeal
Toontrack EZKeys 2 review
- £155
- €179
- $166
We can all use a little pianistic virtuosity in our productions, and Toontrack’s much anticipated update keeps you right on the EZ track
EastWest Hollywood Fantasy Orchestra – String and Brass Sections review
- £360
- €415
- $399
Magic awaits us in this new orchestral library, as we prepare to be transported to another world via the back of a wardrobe, or Platform 9¾!
D16 Lush 2 review
- £145
- €168
- $185
One of the most hotly-anticipated softsynths of a decade ago gets an update. But after ten years, is D16’s Lush 2 still relevant in 2023? Oh yes
Spitfire Audio British Drama Toolkit: Brass and Reeds review
- £169
- €199
- $199
Whether you’re scoring a film or scouting for evocative textures, Spitfire has a dramatic new proposition to capture your imagination
