TL;DR – Infinite Collection Infinite Collection is a free library for Kontakt Player and an entry point into the company’s Infinite Motion Series. It combines ten instruments with the company’s proprietary Non-Static Sampling and the streamlined Infinite Motion Engine Lite, providing cinematic textures and sound design tools completely free of cost. Unlike many free Kontakt downloads, … Read more
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).
Emergence Audio’s Time Crystals isn’t just another Kontakt library: it’s a living, breathing ecosystem of sound, says our reviewer.
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?
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? That’s not a wishlist—it’s exactly the kind of creative freedom Pitch Innovations is chasing. With a growing suite of plugins built … Read more
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 Claire, a grand piano library that continues Native Instruments’ legacy of well-made sample libraries. Built in collaboration with Galaxy Instruments, this … Read more
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 approach is about stacking: blending authentic sampled sources like guitars, strings, and pianos into powerful hybrid patches, then giving you the … Read more
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 of textures that whisper, swell, shiver, and evolve. If your scoring projects lean into emotional nuance, atmosphere, or delicate storytelling, this … Read more
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 international collective has evolved from an underground band of musical experimenters to a producer of cutting-edge audio tools. Their journey—from humble … Read more
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 Mastroianni, has earned a stellar reputation by delivering stunning sounding virtual instruments. Today, we’re diving into a select suite of their … Read more
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 humor, vibrant visuals, and witty catchphrases, these ads instantly captured my attention—and my curiosity. A few clicks later I was led … Read more
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 to shake up your creative flow. Enter Motif 2 from Rast Sound—a tool that’s less a virtual instrument, and more a … Read more
As our AI underlords get smarter and smarter (and perhaps one day become our overlords and take over our lives ala SkyNet), many music plugin developers are dipping their toes into the space, discovering fun new ways to combine the emerging tech of AI with music creation. One such plugin, MIDI Agent (currently in beta) … Read more
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 to time. Bristling with character and texture, their library of vintage sounds has become one of my go-to secret weapons in … Read more
In today’s musical landscape, where tons of new plugin companies pop up daily and saturate the market, Klevgrand, a small but passionate Swedish music software company, isn’t afraid to break the rules. Known for its inventive and sometimes quirky approach to plugin design, this small but mighty company has steadily built a reputation for offering … Read more
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 test some incredible software and I can’t wait to tell you about it. Created by two Armenian musicians, TAQS.IM is dedicated … Read more
Baby Audio’s Humanoid offers a fun and inviting premise. While many vocal modification plugins aim to refine, enhance, or subtly tweak vocals while keeping them as natural and transparent as possible, BABY Audio’s Humanoid, however, takes a completely different approach. Designed for robotic chaos, this plugin isn’t about subtlety—it’s about pushing vocals as far into … Read more
As a lifelong fan of Peter Gabriel, I’ve always been captivated by his fearless creativity. Gabriel’s ability to blend unconventional sounds with emotional depth has made him one of my biggest influences since childhood. So, when I discovered that, according to their website, Peter Gabriel himself had endorsed Infiltrator 2, and his team uses it in … Read more