Skip to main content
Become a MusicRadar VIP - it's free
- Join our community
SampleRadar
Access over 90,000 royalty-free samples
The MusicRadar app
Full access and custom feeds
MusicRadar Newsletters
The latest music and gear news inboxed
Earn Member Badges
Climb the MusicRadar charts
Coming soon: VIP-only Giveaways
Win pro-grade music gear and more
Join the conversation
Connect with other musicians and fans
BECOME A MUSICRADAR VIP
For the quickest way to join, enter your email below. We’ll send a confirmation email and sign you up to MusicRadar newsletters with the latest music news, gear reviews, tutorials and exclusive offers.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
Get VIP Access Quick

Become a MusicRadar VIP for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information, you confirm you are aged 16 or over, have read our Privacy Policy and agree to the Terms & Conditions. Geographical rules apply.

Welcome to Become a MusicRadar VIP !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Earn your first badge
Start reading to unlock your first badge
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Hot music news

Hot music news

The latest news from the hottest artists.

Explore
Make better music

Make better music

Explore tutorials, tips and guides for creating music.

Explore

Your membership perks

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Explore now

Get the MusicRadar Newsletter

Get the latest music news, gear reviews, deals and tutorials delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up here

Sign Out
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Artist news
  • Recording Week '26
  • Guitars
  • Software & Apps
  • Controllers
  • Buying Guides
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • About us
More
  • Rodrigo's Cure
  • California Dreamin'
  • "Apotheosis of mediocrity" - Rundgren vs Swift
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tech
  2. Software & Apps
  3. Plugins

VST/AU plug-in instrument/effect round-up: Week 8

News
By Ben Rogerson
Published 20 April 2011

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

Refreshment for your rack

Refreshment for your rack

With so many plug-ins already on the market, you sometimes wonder if there are any new instrument and effect concepts left to be explored, but developers are still coming up with fresh ideas and twists on old ones.

Evidence of this can be found on this week’s round-up, which is full of new sound-making and processing tools.

Also 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: Sugar Bytes Turnado

Page 1 of 8
Page 1 of 8
Sugar Bytes Turnado

Sugar Bytes Turnado

Following hard on the heels of Waves’ OneKnob series comes this new multi-effect plug-in from Sugar Bytes in which all the effects are tweaked with - you guessed it - one knob. The main focus is said to be on live performance and beat manipulation - Turnado will be sweeping in early this summer.

Find out more about Sugar Bytes Turnado

Page 2 of 8
Page 2 of 8
Two Notes Audio Engineering Torpedo PI-101

Two Notes Audio Engineering Torpedo PI-101

The Torpedo PI-101 is a guitar/bass channel strip that comprises three processing sections. There’s a power amp sim with eight different ‘topologies’; a miking section (more than 30 cabs and eight mics are featured); and a Post-FX section with a low-cut filter, 5-band EQ, exciter and compressor. The price includes an iLok 2.

Buy Two Notes Audio Engineering Torpedo PI-101

Page 3 of 8
Page 3 of 8
Empty Room Systems EMpTy 250

Empty Room Systems EMpTy 250

This is an emulation of the EMT-250, the world’s very first digital reverb. Empty Room claims to have identified the ‘specifics’ of the original unit and recreated them in this plug-in, so if you’re looking to capture the EMT-250’s lush sound but don’t have the resources to get your hands on one of the few units that were built, it could be a goer.

Buy or download demo of EMpTy 250

Page 4 of 8
Page 4 of 8
Audiffex ampLion Pro

Audiffex ampLion Pro

A new guitar gear simulator that contains 30 effects, nine preamps, seven power amps, 12 speakers, eight mics and two speaker channels. The developer claims to have packed all of these into an intuitive interface: it remains to be seen whether it has the tone to challenge the The 11 best VST guitar amp/effect modelling plug-ins in the world today. A free version is also available.

Buy Audiffex ampLion Pro

Page 5 of 8
Page 5 of 8
WOK EFU-1

WOK EFU-1

Billed as an echo freeze unit, this is a delay plug-in with a twist. As well as offering standard delay parameters, it also enables you to use the delay buffer as a sampler - it can record audio and then play this back continuously at a selectable speed (or even reversed).

Buy or download demo of WOK EFU-1

Page 6 of 8
Page 6 of 8
TubeOhm Anti-Transpirant 8000

TubeOhm Anti-Transpirant 8000

Given its vintage look, it probably won’t surprise you to learn that Anti-Transpirant 8000 is inspired by analogue hardware keyboards of yore. That said, this 8x oversampling instrument promises to have its own character. If you’re an existing TubeOhm customer, you can have a mono version for free.

Buy TubeOhm Anti-Transpirant 8000

Page 7 of 8
Page 7 of 8
Sinevibes Sequential

Sinevibes Sequential

Designed for creating rhythmical effect patterns, Sequential offers filters, waveshapers, distortion, ring modulation and audio-controlled oscillators. These can be driven by the 32-step sequencer that has variable speed and swing settings, so if your current FX processing feels a bit static, give it a whirl.

Buy or download demo ofSinevibes Sequential

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 8 of 8
Page 8 of 8
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
Steinberg Classics Collection
Plugins Steinberg marks 30 years of VST with the Classics Collection, which includes the first VST synth
 
 
Reason Free
Plugins Reason Free puts 15 classic Reason devices in one free plugin that you can use in your existing DAW
 
 
Native Instruments Komplete 26
Soft Synths “We know you want it, but do you really (really) need it?”: Native Instruments Komplete 26 review
 
 
lucid
Tech Minimal Audio's Lucid is a granular powerhouse with scale locking, deep modulation and much more
 
 
A guitar VST running in Kontakt player on a computer
Plugins Best guitar VSTs 2026: Get the best simulated guitar tones for your next production
 
 
lunacy
Tech Lunacy launches Nova platform with five free virtual instruments – but bigger things are on the way
 
 
Latest in Plugins
bubblegum
Tech This free pitch editor brings Melodyne-style note editing to Windows, Mac and Linux
 
 
Baby Audio HyperWarp
Plugins Baby Audio HyperWarp wants to be your new quick-fix for glitches, stutters and out-there inspiration
 
 
cherry
Plugins "It's one of the rarest synthesizers ever made": Cherry Audio brings a forgotten ‘80s synth back to life
 
 
Mastering The Mix CARBON Q
Plugins Mastering The Mix CARBON Q balances your vocals, music, drums and bass – all from a single window
 
 
phoenix
Tech "This is a dream inspiration engine": BT and Spitfire Audio team up for Phoenix hybrid synth
 
 
Bit Layer
Tech This free multiband bitcrusher is a surgical tool for lo-fi sound design
 
 
Latest in News
bubblegum
Tech This free pitch editor brings Melodyne-style note editing to Windows, Mac and Linux
 
 
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 19: Slash performs onstage at the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on October 19, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)
Guitarists "I cherish the relationship we had": Slash is honoured with the Les Paul Spirit Award for 2026
 
 
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 08: Don Black, OBE attends the "From The Heart" Opening Night Gala at the Garrick Theatre on October 08, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Carlo Paloni/Getty Images)
Singers & Songwriters “Harry Styles or Taylor Swift or something”: Songwriter Don Black on who might get the next Bond theme
 
 
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Emily Armstrong attends the Los Angeles premiere of "Linkin Park: Unshatter" at AMC The Grove 14 on September 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
Singers & Songwriters “We changed a bunch of the keys”: Linkin Park explain the adjustments that had to be made for Emily Armstrong
 
 
Lindsey Buckingham and Sombr
Artists Sombr stumbles over his lyrics but Lindsey Buckingham delivers a blistering guitar solo as they duet
 
 
matthew herbert
Tech "Pasta, cereal, toilet roll and tinned fruit": Matthew Herbert has made an entire album from samples of everyday food items
 
 

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 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...