Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
More
  • NAMM 2026: as it happened
  • Best NAMM tech gear
  • Joni's Woodstock
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps
  3. Plugins

VST/AU plug-in instrument/effect round-up: Week 22

News
By Ben Rogerson published 7 September 2011

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

A six-pack of tools

A six-pack of tools

There are two fresh takes on our old friend the compressor this week, plus a vocoder, a couple of synths and a six-in-one processing tool that’s designed to help you give your music that professional finish.

Also make sure you check out these regularly updated features.

The 17 best VST plug-in synths in the world today

The 14 best VST plug-in drum machines in the world today

If you've got a new PC or Mac plug-in, make sure you let us know about it by emailing musicradar.pressreleases@futurenet.com with all the details.

NEXT: Waldorf Lector

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Waldorf Lector

Waldorf Lector

At its heart, Lector is a vocoder, but it also appears to be considerably more than that. There’s a multimode filter, three-band EQ and a 16-voice synthesizer, plus effects that include overdrive, distortion, chorus/flanger, delay and reverb. As such, it’s suitable for far more than creating robotic vocals.

Buy or download demo ofWaldorf Lector

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Tone2 AkustiX Enhancer

Tone2 AkustiX Enhancer

This “one-click solution to make your mix sound professional without knowing about mastering-voodoo” comprises six tools in one interface. There’s Psycho EQ, Ultra Stereo, Phase Enhance, Multiband Exciter, Smart Filter and Stereo Width. Use it for mixing, mastering and signal restoration.

Buy or download demo ofTone2 AkustiX Enhancer

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Sound Magic BlueTube Compressor

Sound Magic BlueTube Compressor

Inspired by a hand-crafted, vintage tube mastering compressor, this plug-in version promises ultra-low distortion. It sports Fatness and Gain sliders, plus Threshold, Ratio, Attack and Release dials. Peak and Reduction meters give you a visual guide to what’s going on.

Buy Sound Magic BlueTube Compressor

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Minimal System Instruments Stereo Buss Compressor

Minimal System Instruments Stereo Buss Compressor

Another compressor, this one designed for those times when you want to put the finishing touch to your mix. It’s modelled on the legendary buss compressors of the past and is designed to glue the various elements of your track together, making the whole thing sound bigger and punchier.

Buy or download demo of Minimal System Instruments Stereo Buss Compressor

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Hamburg-audio Nuklear

Hamburg-audio Nuklear

Nuklear is the vessel for ‘pulsar synthesis’, which the developer claims can create previously unheard sounds by disassociating the note pitch from waveform length. There aren’t currently any audio examples to illustrate this method, but you can download a demo and test the theory yourself.

Buy or download demo of Hamburg-audio Nuklear

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
De La Mancha Basic 65

De La Mancha Basic 65

In both look and sound, this monosynth is inspired by the Commodore 64 and its famous SID chip. It builds on said chip’s waveforms by adding an arpeggiator, a modulation envelope and two LFOs. There’s also pulse width modulation, ring modulation and oscillator detune/sync.

Buy or download demo of De La Mancha Basic 65

Liked this? Now read: Free music software: the best audio app and plug-in downloads on the net

Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Ben Rogerson
Ben Rogerson
Social Links Navigation
Deputy Editor

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

Latest in Plugins
Harry Styles Aperture
How Harry Styles brought the sounds of minimal techno to the world of pop with new single, Aperture
 
 
Reason Rack plugin
You can now buy Reason’s iconic Rack of virtual outboard as a standalone plugin for the first time
 
 
Roland CR-78 plugin
I can go for that: Roland releases an official plugin version of the CR-78 drum machine
 
 
Universal Audio Paradise Guitar Studio
“A one-stop shop for almost everything a guitarist might need”: Universal Audio Paradise Guitar Studio review
 
 
amenbreak
AmenBreak VST is a break-slicing, sample-mangling junglist powerhouse - and there’s a free version
 
 
Neural DSP Archetype: John Mayer X – The latest and most high-profile addition to the Finnish brand's signature plugin range, Mayer's plugin is replete with captures of boutique, rare and one-off amps and pedals
It’s official! Neural DSP’s John Mayer Archetype plugin suite is here – and with Dumble, Klon and Reverberator captures, it is the motherlode for boutique electric guitar tone
 
 
Latest in News
Lily Allen physical release
A dish best served cold: Lily Allen releases a version of her latest album as a novelty butt plug USB stick
 
 
Swedish singer Zara Larsson performs at the main stage of the Rock in Rio music festival at the Rio 2016 Olympic Park in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 14, 2024. (Photo by Mauro PIMENTEL / AFP) (Photo by MAURO PIMENTEL/AFP via Getty Images)
The making of Zara Larsson's 2015 hit, Lush Life, and the original version you might never have heard
 
 
Napster 26 mock-up cassette tape
“We don’t think that the future of music involves the labels anymore”: Napster is back – with a new AI app
 
 
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 01: PinkPantheress attends The Fashion Awards 2025 presented by Pandora at the Royal Albert Hall on December 01, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)
PinkPantheress is so Sincere as she joins MJ Cole on a new version of a UK Garage classic
 
 
Sir Brian May attends the Cirque du Soleil OVO VIP premiere
“Everyone is thinking twice about going there at the moment”: Brian May on why Queen won’t tour the US
 
 
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Score $220 off a stunning Gretsch, $150 off a unique Les Paul Custom Widow, as well as hundreds off pianos, interfaces, and headphones
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...