Zebra 3 is here, a sprawling semi-modular plug-in that runs deep

What if an integrated plug-in instrument could rival even full-blown modulars? That’s the question posed by u-he’s Zebra 3, out now at long last for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It’s unlikely any other soft synth takes on just this much synthesis territory, or with this much depth. From spline-based morphing oscillators to physical modeling and […]

Absynth 6.1: Audio modulator, LFO retrigger, sound content, more

If you need an excuse to suit up for an extravehicular activity in the cosmos of sound, Absynth is back again. Native Instruments quietly dropped Absynth 6.1, with oft-requested LFO retrigger and undo/redo, plus a surprise: a new audio modulator.

Peter Kirn - April 17, 2026

Intellijel made Swells a playable reverb with faders, rise, fall, ebb, and flow

Let’s hear it for reverbs you can play, morph, squash, and swell — not just set and forget. That’s Intellijel Swells, the “Multi-Model Reverb Module with Swell Generator,” or perhaps more aptly, “a lush reverb with a bunch of faders you can jam on.”

Peter Kirn - April 14, 2026

Synth Days in Kyiv: inside the wartime Ukrainian modular scene

Kaximia - April 12, 2026

Elastic OSC, Plaits as an instrument app, now supports Android, MPE

Peter Kirn - March 26, 2026

1010music shares live setup ideas for Bento

Peter Kirn - March 19, 2026

Find whole worlds inside samples: Baby Audio Grainferno deep dive

Peter Kirn - March 11, 2026

Making music on the TI graphing calculator — and a TI-inspired plug-in synth

Peter Kirn - March 6, 2026

Michigan Synth Works has an open-source 303 processor and a new kit

Peter Kirn - March 3, 2026