Virtual Instrument

This suite of sampling, effects and live performance software, with a bundled 65GB library, is feature-rich but also up against heavy competition. Can it make its mark?

According to Submersible, Kitcore offers “great drum sounds without all the fuss.” We put it to the test.

This major new free update adds innovative loop-matching features to Spectrasonics groove-based instrument.

Ocean Way Drums offers 19 drum kits, recorded in a world-famous studio by a world-renowned engineer. Is this the best drum sample library money can buy?

Fed up with bland, me-too plug-ins and tasteful processing? Ohm Forces unique effects and synths could have exactly the spice your studio needs.

The successor to G-Forces popular M-Tron instrument brings dual layers and subtractive synthesis to the Mellotron party — but also manages to keep authenticity firmly in mind...

Prominy have put 64 Gigabytes of lovingly sampled Stratocaster into their SC instrument. That's a lot of Stratocaster — so does the sonic end justify the means?

Multi-gigabyte drum instruments are of limited use if you don't have the time or skills to program realistic MIDI performances. Can SoundTrek's Drummer plug-in fill the gap?

Spectrasonics' ambitious new sample-based power synth explores the realms of psychoacoustics and organic synthesis while running on a STEAM engine — what can this all mean? Let's find out...

Toontrack's DFH Superior received excellent reviews but perhaps didn't really make the impact that it deserved. Will the drums and cymbals of their new Superior Drummer 2.0 make a greater splash?

With a new synthesis engine, some new ideas about interface design and 50GB of novel samples ranging from lightbulbs to burning pianos, Omnisphere will be Spectrasonics biggest soft synth yet. Its creator, Eric Persing, gives us a sneak preview.

Long considered to be terminally un-hip, string machines are on the brink of a revival. Will Gforce's VSM advance their rehabilitation?

Music Lab impressed us with the playability and sound quality of their virtual acoustic guitar instrument, Real Guitar — and now they've gone electric...

If recording a real piano isn't for you, there's no shortage of very convincing software alternatives.

It's been a long time coming, but has the latest version of Steinberg's Groove Agent been worth waiting for?

Is ‘scanned synthesis’ the best thing since sliced bread, or a triumph of hype over substance? We put Humanoid Sound Systems’ Windows soft synth on the test bench to find out.

There was always something quite special about Roland's classic Jupiter 8 analogue megasynth, but can Arturia capture that magic with their emulation?

•Rob Papen Albino 3 •SSL Drumstrip •Starplugs Admiral

Is it really necessary to give up an entire hard drive in order to get your hands on a good-sounding drum library? XLN Audio think not.

Combining multitimbral sample playback, loop tempo matching, synthesis, multi-effects and an 8GB sound library, is Plug Sound Pro the only software sound source you need alongside your DAW?

When it comes to hands-on control, we're used to being told that the mouse is a poor substitute for knobs and faders. This unique soft synth might just change all that...