Plug-ins

Dynamic convolution can be used to ‘sample’ any piece of audio gear. Have Acustica succeeded in giving this advanced technology a friendly face?

PSP’s latest equaliser seeks to combine analogue smoothness with digital precision.

Soundhack’s powerful algorithms can provide high‑quality pitch‑shifting — or sonic mayhem!

Having already given us a virtual studio multitrack tape recorder, the boffins at Universal Audio turn their attention to mastering machines.

Alan Tubbs reviews the Cakewalk Z3TA+ 2.1 plug-in for PC VST, Sam Inglis takes a look at the Dada Life Sausage Fattener plug-in for Mac AU & VST and Windows VST as well as the Waves The King's Microphones plug-in for Mac AU, Mac & PC VST & RTAS.

After much hard work, Yamaha and Steinberg persuaded Rupert Neve that they could faithfully model his latest hardware in plug-in form. We pit the virtual Porticos against the real things...

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Waves’ latest equaliser can be five different virtual analogue designs at once — and it has some other neat tricks up its sleeve too.

The metering in most DAWs does little more than tell you if you’re in danger of clipping. Zplane’s plug-in suite provides vital alternative ways of understanding audio levels.

NI’s take on the Holy Trinity of compressors adds some neat extra features that make them more versatile.

Can the failings of mixing in software really be solved by buying more software? That’s the claim Slate Digital are making for their Virtual Console Collection.

Vintage digital reverbs might not be totally realistic, but they have bags of character. Universal Audio’s latest plug‑in brings the venerated Lexicon 224 to your DSP card.

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Whether you’re rescuing an over-compressed mix or extracting maximum punch from a drum track, Flux’s innovative multi-band dynamics tool could be just what you need.

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The long-awaited version 3 of the GRM Tools suite introduces three new plug-ins, the likes of which have not been seen or heard before!

DMG Audio’s innovative plug‑ins combine friendly interfaces with an amazingly comprehensive feature set. Could they be the only EQ and compressor you’ll ever need?

You’d expect plug‑ins based on IRCAM’s research to be unique and experimental — but are they practical tools you’ll want to use every day in the studio?

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Sonnox’s clever plug‑in allows you to hear exactly what different MP3 and AAC encoder settings do to your precious mixes — in a true blind test, if you like!

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