There are so many great instruments and effects plug-ins Already on the market it’s easy to wonder what music software developers could possibly have to accomplish, but year after year they delight us with new products and improved versions of existing favorites.
2020 was no exception, with a constant stream of releases entertaining us in our locked studios.
Based on your votes, here are the best new plugins and music software the last 12 months have had to offer …
1. PSP Audioware PSP oldTimer MB
Released in 2010, the original PSP oldTimer from PSP Audioware is still one of our favorite vintage-style “analog” compressor plugins.
It was followed in 2011 by the more versatile PSP oldTimer ME, and now, almost a decade later, there’s a, uh, new oldTimer on the block in the form of the MB Edition (VST / AU / AAX / RTAS).
This is essentially a multiband ME oldTimer PSP, racking up three frequency-limited instances of the compressor for more complex dynamics processing tasks than the single ME band might be able to handle.
Powerful, versatile and distinctly vintage, PSP oldTimer MB adapts the established PSP oldTimer architecture without compromising its sound or spirit in the process.
Read the full PSP Audioware PSP oldTimer MB review
2.oeksound soothes2
Released in 2016, the original soothe was billed as an “automatic dynamic frequency notcher” designed to effortlessly remove harshness and overly bright highs from any instrumental or vocal signal.
In a nutshell, this is a dynamic EQ plugin that uses voodoo spectral processing to detect unpleasant and intrusive resonances and then dynamically attenuates them through the application of numerous level sensitive notch filters.
soothe2 marks a complete rewrite of the plugin from scratch, so in addition to new features and improvements, it now claims less system overhead and faster UI rendering. For many users, the headlines with soothe2 will be its extended processing range and improvements to the equalizer controls.
Improving v1 in terms of ease of use, adaptability and transparency, soothe2 is a dynamic EQ that no producer should be without.
Read the full oekSound soothe2 review
3. Roland Zenology
In 2020, Roland unveiled a significant update to its Cloud subscription service, introducing a new three-tier pricing structure largely modeled on a unique new instrument – Zenology.
Rather than offering an emulation of a single classic from the brand’s past, as most previous Roland Cloud instruments did, the Zenology plugin is an expandable sound engine capable of creating everything from pianos and organs to drums and percussion.
While the plugin itself is new, the technology behind it – Roland’s ZEN-Core engine – first appeared last year, in several instruments, including the MC-707 and the Jupiter X. Zenology is actually a direct port of this same sound engine, using a mixture of PCM samples and virtual analog synthesis to generate sounds.
Zenology isn’t particularly flashy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t useful. While this is essentially just a preset player with an effects unit attached, the 3000 patches are generally excellent, and as a convenient and relatively inexpensive source of bread and butter sounds, this has a lot of advantages.
Read the full Roland Zenology review
4.iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced
There is no denying the sound and functional excellence of Ozone, which has become the de facto standard for software mastering in pro and home studios.
As you might expect, version 9 continues the good work, with new features adding to this already excellent package. Master Balance is one of the most powerful spectral processors we have ever used; Low focus is useful; the improvements in Master Assistant, Imager and Match EQ are excellent; and none of the “unimproved” tools have lost their luster over the past year.
In summary, for in-box mastering, nothing else comes close to Ozone 9’s dazzling combination of usability, depth, richness of features and, most importantly, its knockout.
Read the full iZotope Ozone 9 Advanced review
5. Toontrack EZBass
Toontrack’s EZdrummer 2 and EZkeys virtual instruments give music producers everything they need to create authentic sounding drum and keyboard tracks.
At the heart of EZbass are two multi-sampled electric bass guitars – a Fender Jazz “Vintage” and a “Modern” Alembic, totaling around 2GB of samples – each used as the basis for a variety of presets that, ‘, incorporate fixed effects racks.
EZbass absolutely delivers on its promise to make completely realistic b-lines a snap to put together. Both multisampled instruments sound fantastic and contrast well (and we have no doubt that expansion packs will add more in the future), and the sequencing tools are top notch – this is essentially a complete mini DAW for electric bass. Another EZ win for the Toon ‘, we cannot recommend EZbass highly enough.
Read the full review of Toontrack EZBass
6. Arturia OB-Xa V
As well as being a faithful rendition of the original Oberheim OB-Xa (and tracks from the X), the OB-Xa V adds nice touches in terms of modern modulation and effects. But it’s the brilliantly simple way the two are implemented that is a huge highlight.
These could be detrimental to the authentic recreation, but since they’re almost bolted (but in a much better way than that expression implies), you can enjoy the purity of the original synth and then explore its options. modern as you wish. Hobbies.
There are other options if you want OB-Xa sound, from free software to huge, expensive hardware. However, the OB-Xa V gives you a great marriage of old and new, and overall we can see that this is a synth that we come back to time and time again for a wide variety of functions, not to mention quick sound design and inspiration.
Read the full review of Arturia OB-Xa V
7.iZotope RX 8 advanced
Two years after version 7, RX 8 is looking to go beyond the call of duty audio cleanup. Its new mods – Guitar De-noise, Spectral Recovery, Loudness Control, and Wow and Flutter – are joined by improvements to several mods.
RX 8 adds valuable new modules and significantly improves others, although the overall package experience is starting to be overwhelmed both by its size, layout, and the settings of some modules.
Read the full iZotope RX 8 Advanced review
8. Wavesfactory cassette
With a simple and clean interface modeled after the appearance of a classic tape recorder, Cassette is a deceptively simple effect. You would be forgiven for writing this as a unique novelty effect – a simple processor that you can insert over a channel insert in order to make things “a little bit retro”.
Appearance can be deceptive though, as this is a plugin that takes tape emulation seriously, with an abundant amount of settings allowing users to really dive into the nuances of tape effects.
It all adds up to a plugin that is more than just a gadget. By deepening and seriously studying the effects of recording to tape, Wavesfactory has produced a tool that allows users to accurately capture the individual nuances of the tape. The results sound great on the pads, drums, and mix buses. It is a great and inexpensive tool.
Read the full Wavesfactory cassette review
9. Thermal output
Asa with the previous effect of Output, Portal, Thermal is designed to strike a balance between ease of use and creative depth. The main concern here is distortion, with algorithms ranging from analog emulated overdrive to digital clipping and various wave bending forms.
There is, however, such an abundance of additional processing tools here that it would be almost more accurate to describe Thermal as a multi-effects plugin.
As with Portal, Thermal uses a two-tier user interface. Upon opening, users are greeted with a simple interface centered around a sleek XY pad, two corresponding macro controls, and a wet / dry slider. Clicking on a tab toggles Thermal to its advanced view, providing full access to the inner workings of multistep effects processing.
The well-organized 250+ presets mean there’s plenty of inspiration right at your fingertips, and it’s the kind of creative and flexible effect you’ll turn to when you need to overcome a creative hurdle. Recommended.
Read the full thermal output review
10. Spitfire Audio Ólafur Arnalds Stratus
The fourth collaboration between famous Icelandic composer and musician Ólafur Arnalds and British sampleware giants Spitire Audio is a software-based Kontakt Player engine developed by Arnalds, which triggers rhythmic note patterns on two identical pianos using “Sophisticated MIDI algorithms”.
The pianos themselves – along with his Korg PS3100 and Roland Juno-60 synths – were captured in 15GB of recorded performances, curated by the man himself.
The flagship titles are the eight Stratus instruments – four piano-based, four synth-based – but you also get a collection of additional NKIs that put various heavily processed “Warped” versions of the main sounds right at your fingertips in the Simple Mercury. and intuitive. interface.
While it can best be described as a one-trick pony with a decidedly idiosyncratic sound, this trick is very intelligently and efficiently implemented – and endless in its permutations – and the sounds that Stratus makes are truly sublime.
Read the full Spitfire Audio review Ólafur Arnalds Stratus
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