Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Guitar Amps
  • Plugin Week 25
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Artist news
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • Drums
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Plugin Week A-Z
  • You Oughta Know
  • Fake AI band
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Wrecking Crew
Recommended reading
Pluginweek logo
Plugins Plugin Week 2025: Exhibitor A-Z
Plugins
Plugins To mark Plugin Week, here’s our pick of the most out-there sound design plugins you should grab now
plugins
Tech "It's a stupendously powerful tool": 10 of the best sampler plugins in 2025
Sonic Charge Synplant 2
Software & Apps "This really is the ultimate sound design tool": 6 of the most creative plugin synths for sound design
Plugins Future owns
Plugins Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
plugins
Tech The ultimate soft synth showdown: Serum 2, Pigments 6, Phase Plant, Vital and Massive X: But which is best?
excite audio plugin
Tech Excite Audio's Motion: Fractal plugin is a granular powerhouse for twisting, stretching and scattering sounds
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps
  3. Plugins

VST/AU plug-in instrument/effect round-up: Week 43

News
By Ben Rogerson published 2 May 2012

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

Your one-stop release guide

Your one-stop release guide

Arturia gave us the Wurlitzer V and Native Instruments Instruments unveiled Skanner XT, but these aren’t the only plug-in releases from the past week or so. Read on for the best of the rest.

Also make sure you check out these regularly updated features:

The 20 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: Subsonic Labs Wolfram

Page 1 of 9
Page 1 of 9
Subsonic Labs Wolfram

Subsonic Labs Wolfram

Billed as an ‘advanced sound manipulation device’, Wolfram is a slightly eccentric-looking multi-effects unit. It offers the likes of delays, pitch shifting, distortion, chorusing, phasing, panning, filtering, cabinet emulation “and all strange combinations in between”. Plenty of modulation options are included, too. The price rises to $80 on 27 April.

Buy or download demo of Subsonic Labs Wolfram

Page 2 of 9
Page 2 of 9
Modartt Pianoteq 4

Modartt Pianoteq 4

Another update for the acclaimed physically modelled piano. This time we get a brand new grand that’s based on the Steinway D (the D4), which promises an even better sound. There are new effects, too - including a convolution reverb - and a resizable interface.

Buy or download demo of Modartt Pianoteq 4

Page 3 of 9
Page 3 of 9
Sound Magic Hybrid Harpsichord

Sound Magic Hybrid Harpsichord

Now here’s a real vintage emulation: Hybrid Harpsichord is based on an instrument built by Kirckman in the 1770s. It has a single manual with three stops, one of which is a lute stop (you can switch between the stops using key switches). As its name suggests, the plug-in uses a combination of samples and physical modelling.

Buy or download demo of Sound Magic Hybrid Harpsichord

Page 4 of 9
Page 4 of 9
Scuffham Amps S-Gear 2.0

Scuffham Amps S-Gear 2.0

An update for the virtual guitar amp suite - it’s free for existing users. You can now drag ‘n’ drop modules in the effects rack for extra flexibility, there’s a dedicated modulation processor in the shape of ModThing, you’ll find more MIDI controller options and the factory presets have been revised.

Buy or download demo of Scuffham Amps S-Gear 2.0

Page 5 of 9
Page 5 of 9
Mecha Audio Dirty Bits

Mecha Audio Dirty Bits

A rack-style multi-effects unit that comes with three devices that are designed to mess up your audio. These go by the names of Distortion Compressor, Vintage Bit Crusher and Vinyl Damage, and we’re told that they can be used subtly or pushed to the extreme.

Buy or download demo of Mecha Audio Dirty Bits

Page 6 of 9
Page 6 of 9
NTS Audio Labs Drum Loop 2

NTS Audio Labs Drum Loop 2

Designed to create beats and grooves on the fly that can then be triggered via MIDI, Drum Loop 2 comes with a sizeable collection of one-shot samples and can also make loops out of the ones you already own. The price listed above is an introductory one.

Buy or download demo of NTS Audio Labs Drum Loop 2

Page 7 of 9
Page 7 of 9
Voxengo Warmifier 2.0

Voxengo Warmifier 2.0

A valve warming effect that sports valve preamp and console colouration simulators, plus a harmonic enhancer. You can control the strength and colour of the effect using various parameters, and although the overall impact is said to be subtle, the developer believes it can make a difference. The price listed above is an introductory one.

Buy or download demo of Voxengo Warmifier 2.0

Page 8 of 9
Page 8 of 9
Vox JamVox III

Vox JamVox III

Announced at Musikmesse 2012 but only just available, this significant update to JamVOX combines amps and effects, the Guitar Xtracktion feature (which enables you to remove/isolate an instrument track in a song, apparently) and now plug-in support. The price listed above is an introductory one.

Buy or download demo of Vox JamVox III

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 9 of 9
Page 9 of 9
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. 

Read more
Pluginweek logo
Plugin Week 2025: Exhibitor A-Z
Plugins
To mark Plugin Week, here’s our pick of the most out-there sound design plugins you should grab now
plugins
"It's a stupendously powerful tool": 10 of the best sampler plugins in 2025
Sonic Charge Synplant 2
"This really is the ultimate sound design tool": 6 of the most creative plugin synths for sound design
Plugins Future owns
Our resident platinum award-winning mixer and producer shares 10 of his go-to plugins
plugins
The ultimate soft synth showdown: Serum 2, Pigments 6, Phase Plant, Vital and Massive X: But which is best?
Latest in Plugins
Atlas DSP - Your Final Steps
Atlas DSP, Your Last Steps Review
Plugins
How to get famous sounds and effects using only Logic’s stock plugins
caelum audio
"If your singing sounds like a dying cat, this finally kills the cat": This hilariously bad mic modelling plugin is free for International Joke Day
Plugin Chains
How to emulate a classic analogue recording system entirely with plugins
Mixing Night Audio
Predicting the future evolution of plugin design
Pluginweek logo
Plugin Week 2025: Exhibitor A-Z
Latest in News
Joe Armon-Jones
Ezra Collective’s Joe Armon-Jones on the imagined musical apocalypse that inspired All The Quiet
Melbourne Instruments Roto-Control
Melbourne Instruments' Roto-Control gets Bitwig Studio integration following 2.0 firmware update
Waves 4th of July
Waves just made building a pro-level plugin chain a lot cheaper - grab 2 for $59.99 or 4 for $99.99
Deals of the week
MusicRadar deals of the week: Celebrate the 4th of July in style with hundreds slashed off gear from Gibson, Fender, Alesis, Roland, Yamaha, Boss and more
Paul McCartney at the piano at Live Aid
Bob Geldof on how Paul McCartney’s Live Aid performance was almost a disaster
ai band
Who is behind The Velvet Sundown, the AI-generated band that blew up the internet?

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

  • 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...