VST/AU plugin instrument/effect round-up: Week 66

Where weird meets workhorse

A “chaos modulator” joins a “unique creative tool”, a ‘chipcrusher’ and an ‘unfiltering’ plugin in this week’s slightly unconventional selection. If you’re looking for something more straightforward, a collection of buss compressors, a vocal processor and a bassline synth should keep you entertained.

Also make sure you check out these regularly updated features:

The 39 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: Plogue Chipcrusher

Plogue Chipcrusher

More than just a bitcrusher (so we’re told), this retro-inspired plugin can also serve as a speaker simulator and noise machine. It puts audio through simulations of lo-fi digital audio codecs, adds grit and then outputs through speaker and filter impulse responses.

Buy or download demo of Plogue Chipcrusher

Slate Digital Virtual Buss Compressors

These three analogue-modelled compressors can be used either as separate plugins or in a rack together. FG-Grey models the “British 4000 series console compressor”; FG-Red is based on a classic ‘red-faced’ compressor; and FG-MU takes inspiration from various vintage compressors and is purportedly “full of analogue mojo and vibe”.

Buy or download demo of Slate Digital Virtual Buss Compressors

Acidgrooves LSD-611 The Kali

This “unique creative tool” offers equalization, saturation, distortion and filter-powered effects. Its signal path is circuit-modelled, and we’re told that it can be used to “add warmth, remove excessive bottom, or add classic filter funk”.

Buy or download demo of Acidgrooves LSD-611 The Kali

MaxSynths DSP-2 Vocal

Vocal processing is what this one is all about. Use it as an insert and you’ll get an Intelligent Dynamic Processor (which looks very like a compressor); a saturator; a 4-band EQ; and a room emulator. Plenty to go to work with, then.

Buy or download demo of MaxSynths DSP-2 Vocal

Zynaptiq Unfilter

As its name implies, this is a plugin that detects and removes filter effects - resonances, equalization, roll-offs and the effects of comb filtering. The detected filter response can also be applied to another signal or saved as an Impulse Response.

Buy or download demo of Zynaptiq Unfilter

SonicXTC B-Line 303

This bassline synth doesn’t just emulate Roland’s TB-303 – it takes inspiration from the same company’s SH-101 as well. There are distortion, delay and doppler effects, plus a waveshaper unit.

Buy or download demo of SonicXTC B-Line 303

Sinevibes Drift 2.0

Version two of this “chaos modulator” enables you to create unpredictable filter and phaser effects and add never-repeating stereoscopic pulsations. It’s powered by two instances of the complex-sounding Lorenz attractor algorithm, but the interface itself is pretty simple.

Buy or download demo of Sinevibes Drift