Music tech Software Tech

VST is 30 years old, and Steinberg is giving away some of its earliest plugins

It’s the format that changed software music making forever: the VST plug-in format turns 30 this year. Steinberg is giving away updated versions of Neon, CS-40, Karlette, VB1, and LM7 — some of its earliest plug-ins — to celebrate. And that means you can run these vintage instruments (plus one tape delay) on your modern Mac or PC.

In Expressive E’s Noisy 2.6 synth, expression everywhere, MIDI to MPE

Expression control is integral design feature of each component of Noisy, in each building block of the sound. And now Noisy 2.6 vastly expands the software’s sound palette — just in time to make this a worthy companion to Expressive E’s own Osmose and Osmose CE.

Peter Kirn - July 23, 2026

Music tech Software Tech

EPROM built an instrument for Current: complete guide

EPROM, the West Coast experimental bass and production legend, meets Minimal Audio’s Current with Memory Rites. Here’s a guide to exploring those sounds, whether the full flagship synth or the new Current Expansion Player.