Plugin Reviews
Looking for the perfect plugin for that next music project? AltWire’s Derek Oswald reviews the ones you should try.
Noon Instruments: Vessels, and Toska Review – Impressive Atmosphere In Real Space
Derek Oswald
NOTE: Noon Instruments’ BF sale is now live meaning both Toska & Vessels are currently 20% Off until 12/12/25. More details here. Sometimes it can be hard to find software that carries real spatial ...
Unison Audio Plugins Review: Powerful Tools or Overpriced Hype? MIDI Wizard 2, Drum Monkey, Bass Dragon, Chord Genie
Derek Oswald
Unison Audio’s plugins spark spirited debate in all corners of the music world. I tested four of them: MIDI Wizard 2, Drum Monkey, Bass Dragon, and Chord Genie. First, A Note on the Aforementioned ...
Lunacy Audio CUBE Review: Innovative 3D Motion-Controlled Sampling for Modern Producers
Derek Oswald
Introduction Lunacy Audio’s CUBE takes a bold approach to sample-based synthesis. Instead of offering a traditional library of presets or another analog-style synthesizer, it introduces a 3D interface with eight parallel samplers that can ...
Fever Dreams by Ari Mason: Beautiful, Quirky and Experimental – 10% Discount Code Inside
Derek Oswald
Ari Mason's Fever Dreams checks all the boxes for our plugin reviewer Derek: beautiful, yet weird and quirky (and you can save 10% on a copy of your own).
Time Crystals Review: Emergence Audio’s Stunning Ambient Tool
Derek Oswald
Emergence Audio’s Time Crystals isn’t just another Kontakt library: it’s a living, breathing ecosystem of sound, says our reviewer.
Sound Sculpture for the Soul: Inside MNTRA’s Beautiful Library Powered by MNDALA 2 Engine
Derek Oswald
What happens when you take ancient instruments, capture them in stunning high-definition audio, and then run them through a synth engine inspired by video games and nonlinear storytelling?
Pitch Innovations Review: 5 Creative Tools That Will Transform Your Music
Derek Oswald
What if your pitchwheel never hit a wrong note again? What if a simple chord could evolve into an entire melody? What if your rhythm section could swing, shuffle, and surprise—without hours of programming? ...
Is Claire the Best Fazioli F308 Library Yet? Native Instruments Might Have Nailed It
Derek Oswald
When it comes to sampled pianos, the bar keeps getting higher. Every year, new libraries promise pristine realism, expressive nuance, and creative tools that move beyond the traditional. In late 2024, Native Instruments dropped ...
Nightfox Audio’s Plugin Suite: A Deep Dive Into Their 9 Virtual Instruments
Derek Oswald
An Introduction to Nightfox Audio If you’ve ever wished your plugins worked like a box of LEGOs—clicking together real instruments to build something completely your own—Nightfox Audio might be your new playground. Their whole ...
Trails by Fracture Sounds – A Hauntingly Beautiful Kontakt Library for The Modern Composer in 2025
Derek Oswald
Let’s face it—there’s no shortage of string libraries out there. But now and then, something hits differently. Trails by Fracture Sounds is one of those very moments. This one’s for the subtle stuff—the kind ...
Beatsurfing: 5 Plugins You Need Right Now / Including Random, Random Metal and More!
Derek Oswald
Beatsurfing: A Creative Playground for Modern Sound Design If you’re curious about how innovative technology meets raw musical creativity, BEATSURFING is a name worth knowing. Born in 1997 under the moniker Herrmutt Lobby, this ...
5 Excellent Must-Have Sonora Cinematic Products: Emma Legato, Aria Vocalscapes & More!
Derek Oswald
If you’re into composing soundtracks or creating immersive soundscapes, chances are you’ve heard the buzz about Sonora Cinematic. This plugin developer, based in Edinburgh, UK, and helmed by Italian composer and sound designer Alessandro ...
Blezz Beats Purpl Pak Vol 3: Vocodine, SNOP & More – Packed With Vintage Greatness
Derek Oswald
A Blast from the Past Meets Tomorrow’s Sound Scrolling through Instagram one day, I was suddenly hit with a series of quirky, VHS filter-drenched ads that looked exactly like a 1980s infomercial. With over-the-top ...
Rast Sound Motif 2: Your New Creative Music Partner
Derek Oswald
Ever find yourself staring at a blank project with a head full of half-formed musical ideas? Sometimes the spark just isn’t coming, and you end up scrolling through endless plugin options looking for something ...
Elementary Sounds: Vintage Vibes Trusted by Depeche Mode and Lo-Fi Producers
Derek Oswald
In today’s world of hyper-polished digital production, it’s easy for music to lose a bit of its soul. Enter Elementary Sounds—a plugin company focused on sampling unique vintage instruments, that may have otherwise been lost ...
Void & Vista – “Folds”: The #1 Plugin Right Now for Haunting Vocals
Derek Oswald
FOLDS: A Gateway to Ethereal Expression FOLDS by Void & Vista is one of those special plugins that manages to strike a rare balance: it is at once deceptively simple in its appearance and ...
TAQS.IM: Beautiful World Culture Plugins – SOLO Synth and Microtoner – 10% Discount Code
Derek Oswald
Want a discount? Provide “ALTWIRE” at checkout upon purchasing these plugins to get 10% off. TAQS.IM: Bringing Global Sounds to Your Digital Studio Greetings Altwire readers! I recently had the privilege of getting to ...
Weird in a Fun Way: Infinitone 2 Delivers a Mesmerizing Mix of Creativity and Oddities
Derek Oswald
Introduction to Infinitone 2 When I discovered Infinitone 2, its promise to break free from the conventional 12-tone system immediately caught my attention. I was curious to see whether the plugin could open up fresh ...
DJ.Studio 3.0 Review– A Stunning DJ Software That Does It All
Derek Oswald
If you’re into DJing, whether as a hobby or professionally, DJ.Studio 3.0 is one of those tools that makes it feel like it was made to make your life easier. It’s packed with features ...
Scaler 2: Here’s Why You Should Still Try This Legendary Plugin Before Scaler 3
Derek Oswald
Music communities around the web have been buzzing with the announcement of Scaler 3, the latest iteration of Plugin Boutique’s acclaimed music theory plugin. With promises of a completely redesigned interface, a new timeline ...
