Best new mixing plugins, effects and VST instruments out this week

Software instruments, effects and mixing plugins – here’s everything fresh in the plugin marketplace.

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Man making music using a MIDI controller

Credit: Getty / Михаил Руденко

In music production, plugins are software add-ons that expand the capabilities of your DAW; these could be virtual instruments and creative effects, EQ and compressors, or tools that make editing a lot more manageable.

Below is a rolling list of the new plugin releases that catch our eye, so you can keep on top of any software goodies you may have missed that could be essential to your production process. We update this list every week, so be sure to check back regularly for the latest virtual instruments, effects, mixing plugins and more. Happy producing!

Latest virtual instruments, effects and mixing plugins

(Last update: 28 March 2024)

Rekraft by BeatSkillz

Rekraft is all about those vintage lo-fi wobbles. With 200 factory presets and five swappable modules, it’s a multi-effect plugin offering intricate control and simplicity, letting you infuse their tracks with vintage warmth.

It has a nice, fully resizable GUI, customisable textures, handy tooltips for each control, random behaviour effects, and audio demos. The effects modules include noises, scratches, redux, bitcrush, distort, tempo-synced shapes, reverb, and wow & flutter tape effects.

Rekraft, as an intro price for now, is $59. Download it on Plugin Boutique.

BEAM by Lunacy

We don’t do standard, singular effects plugins around here. Yet another recently launched multi-effects plugin to mention is BEAM, developed by Lunacy. It’s a cutting-edge granular engine, convolution reverb, and dynamic audio graph system.

With 250+ global presets, 150+ impulse responses and 100+ node presets, it lets you build unique sounds. Featuring deep modulation, intelligent preset design, and compatibility with major DAWs, BEAM aims to push audio processing forward. It also has a really cool-looking interface.

Buy BEAM by Lunacy for $59 at Plugin Boutique.

Shaper by Kilohearts

Shaper is, well, a shaper. It shapes… things.

Hm. Let’s try that again. Shaper, a new plugin by Kilohearts is a free distortion plugin for Windows and Mac (64-bit only), expanding its Essentials Collection. Integrated with Phase Plant, Snap Heap, and Multipass, it offers flexible controls like Drive and DC filter. Users can also customise waveforms, utilising its recent updates for easier editing.

Download Shaper for free from Kilohearts.

NEOLD Wunderlich by Plugin Alliance

Wunderlich brings vintage vacuum tube processing to modern mixes, replicating the warm, nostalgic tones of Arcturus tubes from the 1930s. With preamp, compressor, EQ, and mixer sections, it’s a versatile tool for adding character to any audio source, available at a discounted launch price.

Find it for an intro price of $129.99 on Plugin Alliance.

Virtual String Machine IV by GForce Software

String Machine IV is a massive virtual instrument offering 46 classic and rare string machine emulations. With over 1900 presets and new features like a scalable UI and enhanced controls, it provides endless creative possibilities for making unique synthetic strings, ready to fit into virtually any project.

Buy it for $69.99 on G Force Software.

Pro-54 by CMajor

Pro-54 by CMajor offers a faithful browser-based emulation of the classic Native Instruments Pro-53 synth. Featuring an intuitive interface reminiscent of early 2000s music software, it provides a nostalgic experience with oscillators, filters, and ADSR controls, making it an accessible tool for exploring sound synthesis in a browser environment.

Find it for free on CMajor.

Trash by iZotope


Trash is back, baby. This iconic distortion plugin by iZotope was originally launched in 2003 but has returned with a reimagined new look and modern features.

This is a powerful distortion plugin with over 60 distortion types and 600 impulse responses. It features intuitive XY pad controls, an Envelope Follower, and a cool Dice Roll random function for finding new inspiration.

There’s a new free version, Trash Lite, and it’s now available for desktop and iPad, giving you professional sound shaping for musicians and producers alike.

Buy it for $79 on Plugin Boutique

Studio Drums by Crow Hill Vault

The Crow Hill Company, the brand of ex-Sptifire co-founder Christian Henson, introduced Studio Drums this week, the latest of its Crow Hill Vaults series. This is a free alt-rock drum kit plugin that aims to be unlike typical drum samples by letting you play multi-sampled drums. Functioning, coincidentally, a bit like LABS by Spitfire Audio, Studio Drums provides a unique ecosystem of drum sounds for you to explore, thanks to a robust alt-rock kit reminiscent of the 90s.

Find out more on The Crow Hill Company.

Bïrb by Blööps

This one’s a bit strange. Bïrb is a multi-effect plugin, “as created from a chirp heard outside of the window”, built for Ableton Live. It aims to… make your sounds sound like a bird, we thnk? Anyway, it has a petrifying promo video.

We’re not exactly sure what’s going on here, to be honest, but by the looks of it, Bïrb ​​is inspired by birds, letting you add effects, including stereo delay, fine-tune spread and feedback. It comes in three parts: Flock, a repeater, Sing, a resonating engine with 10 bird types, and Nature, an enveloping space with wind motion.

Bïrb costs $14. Find out more on Blööps.

Time Oddity Chorus by Modalics

Time Oddity Chorus, a new chorus plugin by Modalics, enriches your tracks with immersive depth and movement.

Its centrepiece, the Color knob, offers a spectrum of tones, while the Voices control adds dimension. Warp Mode is there for wild modulation effects while the Filters section includes a unique Damp knob for warmth.

Buy Time Oddity Chorus for $29 on Modalics.

TUNDRA by Soundghost

TUNDRA is a new synth that offers “frozen ambient soundscapes”.

Crafted from acoustic and modular synthesis, Tundra offers two layers of 100 frozen-in-time samples with reverb and granular effects. Randomize for infinite soundscapes, or use built-in tools like bit crushing and filters to craft your own. With 50 presets and 100 samples, it’s ideal for instant sound design.

Buy TUNDRA for £29 on Soundghost.

Super Lynn Drums by SampleScience

Super Lynn Drums is a new plugin that emulates the classic 1980s drum machine, the LinnDrum, using FM synthesis and physical modelling. It features four drum kits, customisable tuning, effects, and is available in VST/VST3/AU formats for $20.

Find out more about Super Lynn Drums at SampleScience.

How to install VST and AU plugins on Windows, Mac and iOS

If your plugin came as a .zip file, and not an installer, you may have to manually install it. Here’s how…

VST3 plugins:

  1. Unzip the plugin folder
  2. Copy the .VST file to your default plugin folder (Windows default: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3, Mac default: /Library/Audio/Plugins/VST)
  3. Start your DAW
  4. Rescan your plugin directory

AUv3 plugins:

  1. Download and install plugin from the App Store
  2. Insert plugin in your DAW
  3. Select the AUv3 plugin from the Audio Unit Extensions tab

Where to download freeware plugins and VSTs

Our freeware section is an excellent place to start; each month, we also compile round-ups of the best free plugins and samples to download.

The production community is full of passionate developers who’ve given away instruments, effects and other plugins as freeware. Some of our favourites include Valhalla’s Supermassive reverb, Apogee’s Soft Limit and Matt Tytel’s Helm polysynth. Remember, most developers also offer free trials for their plugins.

Are DAW stock plugins good enough?

Most major DAWs these days will come with a more-than-serviceable collection of ‘stock’ plugins for music-making: Logic Pro’s software instrument library is rich and varied; Ableton Live’s synth engines cover additive, subtractive and granular methods, and the Pro Tools suite of mixing plugins is still widely used by pro engineers.

A good producer isn’t their plugin folder, but their ability to make good decisions. Increase your knowledge: instead of buying a synth samples, learn about the fundamentals of synthesis; kick drum sounding too skinny? learn to compress properly.

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