For the modern maker and artist, the latest wave of software tools offers a distinct choice: spend hours chasing vintage character or embrace intelligent assistance to bypass creative blocks. This week’s releases range from plugins that artificially age your samples to AI-driven harmonisers that turn single notes into full chords instantly.
This week’s new and noteworthy virtual instruments, effects and mixing plugins
[Updated 5 June 2026]
Silen – Sample AgeR
Producers seeking the gritty, worn texture of classic hardware samplers now have a dedicated solution. Silen’s Sample AgeR is a rapid-fire sampler that prioritises core editing functions while introducing a unique feature: it artificially degrades your audio by decades using ‘imperfection engines’.
To achieve an instant retro aesthetic, the Age slider offers six distinct modes. Three are derived from the MPC 60, S950, and SP-1200, while the other three are original models developed by Silen. The plugin also incorporates a time-stretching algorithm reminiscent of 1990s hardware and emulates the distortion caused by a turntable stylus.
Sample AgeR is available from Silen for an introductory price of £16 (full price £27).
Sound Particles – Beat Panner
Sound Particles has introduced Beat Panner, a creative panning sequencer designed to inject genuine three-dimensionality into a mix. The tool grants rhythmic control over sound placement between speakers, offering significant depth.
Users can configure up to 32 steps per channel, then humanise the movement by introducing position variations and micro-movements within each step. A Glide control allows for smooth transitions between steps or hard cuts for stuttered, impactful effects.
Post-production professionals may find this particularly useful. The software supports ambisonics, binaural audio, and multichannel setups up to 22.2, alongside various stereo configurations. Three-dimensional room views provide a clear visualisation of exactly where the signal is placed.
Beat Panner is available from Sound Particles for a launch price of £119.04 (full price £159).
Universal Audio – Topline Vocal Tune
Universal Audio has expanded its vocal production suite with Topline Vocal Tune, a plugin capable of both transparent correction and hard-tuned creative effects.
The interface remains straightforward, featuring automatic key and scale locking plus a few controls for shaping the tuning’s character. Alongside Speed, users can adjust Elastic and Sustain knobs to preserve the nuance of a performance.
Pitch and Formant shifting controls can transform a vocal part into something more stylised. There is also a MIDI repitching mode that allows you to ‘play’ the vocal or generate new harmonies. Thanks to ultra-low latency, the plugin is suitable for use during recording sessions.
Topline Vocal Tune is available from Universal Audio for an introductory price of $79 (full price $99) plus VAT, and it runs natively on Windows and macOS without requiring UA hardware.
Scaler Music – Carbon Electra 2
Scaler Music, known for its music theory plugin, has released a sequel to the Carbon Electra synth, originally launched in 2015. Like its predecessor, Carbon Electra 2 offers a unique approach to patch creation by locking oscillators and filters to a selected key and scale.
The engine utilises four independent ‘wave terrain’ oscillators that scan across a 3D surface to generate vast tonal variety, movement, and texture. Each oscillator can be assigned to a musical scale degree rather than a standard pitch value, while filter cut-off can be locked to scale notes to emphasise specific tones. The note and chord sequencers follow suit to ensure everything remains perfectly in key.
Additional features include a new assignable modulation system, powerful onboard effects, and fresh presets from producers including Carl Cox and Timo Garcia.
Carbon Electra 2 is on sale at Scaler Music for $79 (full price $99), and existing users can upgrade for $39. It’s also available at Plugin Boutique.
Clayworks – Harmonimo and Kodotone
Clayworks has made an impressive debut with two creative plugins designed to inspire producers through rapid exploration.
The first, Harmonimo, transforms single notes into expressive chords via an intelligent harmonisation system. Users can set the key, scale, and style, then trigger full progressions — with smart voicings shaped by context — using a single finger, while also playing melodies on top.
Kodotone is the second plugin, a drum machine that utilises Euclidean rhythms to generate patterns inspired by various genres. The pattern can then be shaped by bespoke controls like Tension, Lift, and Pocket. Kodotone includes built-in drum synth voices but can also load your own samples or output MIDI to the DAW.
Both Harmonimo and Kodotone are available from Clayworks for $39.99 each.
Last week’s plugins
Arturia – Memory V
Arturia has expanded the extensive V Collection with Memory V, a premium recreation of the rare Memorymoog polysynth released before Moog’s 1987 bankruptcy.
Dubbed the ‘Analog Ladder Titan’, Memory V features three oscillators per voice — which can be set to Square, Ramp, or Triangle waveforms — shapeable via a low-pass ladder filter with 12dB and 24dB modes.
This architecture allowed the Memorymoog, and now the Memory V, to create everything from mighty bass and majestic brass to atmospheric pads and silky leads. While the Memory V includes modern enhancements, Arturia has included Vintage and Dispersion controls to return plenty of analogue character and drift to your patches.
Memory V is available from Arturia for €149, as part of V Collection 11 Pro for €699, or existing customers can receive crossgrade pricing.
Softube – Bus Processor 670
The second software recreation this week comes from Softube’s Bus Processor 670, a modern take on one of the most legendary vacuum tube compressors in history: the Fairchild Model 670. Fewer than 1,000 of these coveted units were made, leading to a highly sought-after — and expensive — status.
According to Softube, its take on the dual-channel variable-mu compressor distils the original’s warm and weighty essence into a modern workflow with expanded controls over saturation, spatialisation, and sidechaining.
Bus Processor 670 is available from Softube for intro pricing of £85.71 (full price £129) until 27 June
Excite Audio – Evolve Nest Acoustics
If you’re active in Instagram’s producer community, there’s a decent chance you’ve come across Nest Acoustics, whose impressive Serum sound design techniques are nothing short of wizardry. Now, he’s collaborated with Excite Audio on its latest Evolve instrument, putting his organic, nostalgic patches at your fingertips.
Like other Evolve libraries, there are four blendable sound layers, this time combining foley and field recordings with analogue synths. Four macro effects — Holo, Crust, Breeze, and Erode — deliver instant movement, while deep modulation capabilities mean there’s plenty of runway to explore deeper worlds within each sound.
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