Contributors / Senior Reviews Editor

Marcus Feld

Marcus has been testing synths, plugins and DAWs for over fifteen years, with a stubborn weakness for modular and anything that abuses an envelope. He leads Dubspot’s reviews desk and owns the Dubspot Score methodology.

Senior Reviews Editor

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Latest from Marcus

Behringer JAM 32-key USB MIDI controller keyboard with built-in sequencer

Hardware

Behringer JAM Packs a 64-Step Sequencer Into 32 Keys

Behringer JAM is a 32-key USB MIDI controller with a 64-step polyphonic sequencer, Chord Play, an arpeggiator, and CV/Gate plus Sync, at around £89.

Marcus FeldOct 10, 202611 min read

Rupert Neve Designs Portico II Master Buss Processor, 551 Inductor EQ, and 542 Tape Emulator plugin interfaces

Mixing & Mastering

Rupert Neve Designs' First Plugins: Portico II, 551, 542

Rupert Neve Designs released its first in-house plugins: the Portico II Master Buss Processor, 551 Inductor EQ, and 542 Tape Emulator, built with McDSP. Specs, price, and verdict.

Marcus FeldOct 6, 20267 min read

Idle Foundry CA-72 synthesizer plugin panel modelled on the Minimoog Model D

Software

CA-72: A Free Minimoog Model D Built From Its Circuit

Idle Foundry CA-72 is a free, open-source Minimoog Model D emulation modelled from the real circuit in SPICE. Specs, polyphony, pricing and FAQ.

Marcus FeldOct 5, 20269 min read

Novation FLpad and the smaller FLpad Mini grid controllers for FL Studio

Hardware

Novation FLpad Puts FL Studio's Grid on the Desk

Novation FLpad and FLpad Mini are FL Studio grid controllers at $229.99 and $139.99, with sequencer, channel rack, and graph editor views across 64 pads.

Marcus FeldOct 5, 202610 min read

Blue Cat Free Amp 2.0 plugin interface showing an amplifier model with 3D graphics, controls, and cabinet section

Software

Blue Cat Free Amp 2.0: Four Guitar Amps at No Cost

Blue Cat Free Amp 2.0 rebuilds its four amps on the Destructor V2 engine, adds reverb and IR loading, and stays free. Full specs, FAQ, and who it suits.

Marcus FeldOct 3, 20268 min read

Mastering The Mix CARBON Q interface with connected EQ curves for the mix, vocals, drums, and bass

Mixing & Mastering

CARBON Q Sets EQ and Level Across the Session

Mastering The Mix CARBON Q sets EQ and level for vocals, drums, bass, and music from one window. The launch price is $55 from $78, or £41.30 from £59.

Marcus FeldOct 2, 20269 min read

Temecula DSP NIBBI free sampler plugin interface recreating the CHOMPI hardware

Sound Design

NIBBI Turns the Open-Source CHOMPI Into a Free Plugin

Temecula DSP NIBBI is a free seven-voice sampler plugin that ports the open-sourced CHOMPI TAPE engine to your DAW, with factory samples, a tape looper and single-knob effects.

Marcus FeldOct 2, 20267 min read

Safari Audio PolyRex vintage polyphonic synthesizer plugin interface

Software

Safari Audio PolyRex Review: A $40 Juno in Your DAW

Safari Audio PolyRex is a $39.99 Juno-106-style polysynth with 8 voices, a mod matrix, and a built-in FX engine. Full specs, pricing, and how it stacks up.

Marcus FeldOct 1, 20268 min read

Alternative Woodwind Soloists interface showing the ensemble of alto flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, and tenor recorder

Software

Alternative Woodwind Soloists: Four Rare Orchestral Voices

Alternative Woodwind Soloists from Fracture Sounds adds alto flute, bass flute, bass clarinet, and tenor recorder. Intro is $112, from $149, in Kontakt Player.

Marcus FeldSep 30, 202610 min read

Overtonium free additive synthesizer plugin with 32 partial channel strips

Sound Design

Overtonium: A Free Additive Synth Built Like a Mixer

Overtonium is a free, open-source 32-partial additive synth laid out like a mixer, with per-harmonic control and continuous microtuning, for Mac, Windows and Linux.

Marcus FeldSep 29, 20268 min read

Hügelton Nikolator physical modeling Tesla coil synthesizer plugin interface

Sound Design

Hügelton Nikolator Models a Tesla Coil to Make Sound

Hügelton Nikolator is a physical modeling synth that simulates a musical Tesla coil, with arc, discharge, and branching controls, for macOS and Windows from $1.

Marcus FeldSep 28, 20267 min read

All The Machines The Remnant drone synthesizer interface showing the feedback matrix

Sound Design

The Remnant: An 8-Voice FM Drone Synth for $19

All The Machines The Remnant is an FM drone synth with an 8x8 feedback matrix, four acoustic filters, and morphing snapshots, out now for $19.

Marcus FeldSep 26, 20267 min read

Avalanche Tones Noise Suite plugin with a modular chain of pitch, ring, glitch, and lo-fi effects

Software

Noise Suite Stacks 18 Pitch and Glitch Modules

Avalanche Tones Noise Suite chains 18 pitch, ring-mod, and glitch modules for heavy guitar tones. It's $39.99 direct, VST3 and AU, with a 7-day free trial.

Marcus FeldSep 25, 202610 min read

Soundpaint 5.0 sampler plugin interface showing the Brush sample editor

Software

Soundpaint 5.0 Adds a Built-In Sample Editor and Deep Arp

Soundpaint 5.0 is a free update that adds the Brush sample editor, a 2000-step arpeggiator, and new Racks to 8Dio's sampler platform for macOS and Windows.

Marcus FeldSep 25, 20267 min read

Yurt Rock DECADE plugin with a year timeline from 1950, a vertical room axis, and console, room, and medium controls

Software

Yurt Rock DECADE Ages a Drum Bus by the Year

Yurt Rock DECADE ages a drum bus from 1950 to now. The console, the room, and the playback format move together. Intro price is $49 and list price is $69.

Marcus FeldSep 24, 202611 min read

Phase Fiasco Kazu interface showing a stacked rack of creative effects with the sequencer and X/Y performance pad

Sound Design

Phase Fiasco Kazu Puts 50 Effects Into Motion

Phase Fiasco Kazu is a $29 creative multi-FX plugin with 50 effects, a step sequencer, and a one-click Animate button that moves the whole rack at once.

Marcus FeldSep 23, 20268 min read

AcusMagic Sonicrama V2 interface with a live Chladni sand plate, meta-tuning keyboard, and wavetable oscillators

Software

AcusMagic Sonicrama V2 Draws Chladni Figures Live

AcusMagic Sonicrama V2 pairs wavetable synthesis, per-key meta-tuning, and a live GPU cymatics plate. Launch €89, regular €129, direct from AcusMagic.

Marcus FeldSep 22, 202611 min read

Pad Works DAMP dynamic resonance suppressor plugin interface showing the LOW, MID and HIGH zones

Mixing & Mastering

Pad Works DAMP Review: A 39-Dollar Resonance Suppressor

Pad Works DAMP is a 39-dollar dynamic resonance suppressor for macOS that tames ring and harshness only while it happens. Full review of features, specs and price.

Marcus FeldSep 20, 20267 min read

Mixland Grey Matter plugin, a physics-based emulation of a 1990s console digital-to-analog converter

Mixing & Mastering

Mixland Grey Matter Review: A 90s Console DAC as FX

Mixland Grey Matter is a physics-based plugin that turns a 1990s console DAC into a saturator. Full review, specs, pricing and how it compares to RC-20.

Marcus FeldSep 19, 20268 min read

Software

Sprite Spores: A Free Multi-Chip Synth for Retro and Ruined Sound

Sprite Spores is a free multi-chip synth with AY/YM, SID and Yamaha FM engines, a drawable wavetable and glitchy video-memory effects. Full feature guide.

Marcus FeldSep 18, 20268 min read

Oddment ODD-1 granular synthesizer hardware panel, the basis for the ODD-1V plugin

Sound Design

Oddment ODD-1V Review: The ODD-1 Granular Synth as a Plugin

Oddment ODD-1V brings the ODD-1 hardware granular synthesizer into your DAW as a VST3, AU and standalone plugin. Full review of features, specs and price.

Marcus FeldSep 17, 20269 min read

Arturia MiniFreak V 5.0 update showing user sample and wavetable import

Software

MiniFreak 5.0 Imports Your Own Samples and Wavetables

Arturia MiniFreak 5.0 is a free update adding user sample and wavetable import to the MiniFreak synth and MiniFreak V. Specs, limits, and Pigments comparison.

Marcus FeldSep 16, 20268 min read

SoundGhost Orbit 3-band spectral stereo sculptor with Low, Mid, and High Position, Width, and Volume

Software

SoundGhost Orbit Pans Low, Mid, and High on Their Own

SoundGhost Orbit is a 3-band spectral stereo sculptor with independent Position, Width, and Volume per band. Current price is £29 against £39. VST3 and AU.

Marcus FeldSep 16, 20268 min read

Audio Spices Sesame step slicer with seed piles on a host-locked step grid

Software

Audio Spices Sesame: A Step-Locked Stutter Slicer

Audio Spices Sesame is a host-locked stutter slicer. Stack seeds on four to sixteen piles to ratchet a beat. Launch $39.99 against $59.99. VST3, AU, AAX.

Marcus FeldSep 15, 20267 min read