For twelve years, the best-known way to get a Matrix-12 into your DAW was Arturia's Matrix-12 V. Then, on 5 November 2026, GForce released an official version made with Oberheim and one of the synth's original designers. So now there are two. One is a week old. The...
If you've ever played a real Rhodes, you know the feeling. Press a key softly and it purrs. Dig in and it barks. Then you load a plugin, play the same chord, and something is missing. You're not imagining it. Electric piano plugins differ a lot, and players argue...
Looking for an RC-20 alternative? Four free lo-fi plugins, six cheaper paid ones, what each covers, and when RC-20 itself goes on sale.
Last updated: 29 October 2026. Plugin Boutique launched the Discovery Bundle on 29 October 2026. It's a subscription: you pay $20 a month or $200 a year and get the use of 128 plugins from 22 brands, plus one extra plugin each month that you keep for good. Both plans...
Bass Is the Synth Sound Producers Search For Most On Google, "synth bass" gets more searches than synth pads, leads, arps and plucks put together. That makes sense, because the bass holds a track together. You can make bass with almost any synth, but a dedicated bass...
Great Pianos for Under $150 Keyscape is my go-to keyboard plugin. For $399 you get 36 instruments, from concert grands and uprights to electric pianos, clavinets and toy pianos, and if you play a lot of different keyboards it's hard to beat. You can read more in our...
Chord Prism 2 vs Scaler 3 compared: one helps you find and arrange chord progressions, the other lets you play them live from your keyboard. Prices, trials, Pro Tools support and which to buy.
Melody Sauce 3 by EVAbeat: today’s price, the $39 upgrade from versions 1 and 2, what’s new in 3.1, how it compares with Scaler 3, and every deal we’ve seen.
At its core, Avenger 2 is a multi-engine synthesizer that combines subtractive, wavetable, granular, spectral, FM-style, and sample-based synthesis—all within a single plugin window.
But it goes far beyond typical synthesis:
Arturia’s Pigments 7 isn’t just another synth—it’s a fully-fledged sound design laboratory wrapped in a sleek, intuitive interface. Since its debut in late 2018, Pigments has evolved from a bold experiment into what many now consider a flagship instrument for electronic musicians, film composers, and producers who demand both depth and immediacy.
EQ, Compression, and Saturation Made Simple How to Mix Like a Pro with Beginner-Friendly Plugins Whether you're producing moody techno tracks in your bedroom or laying down pop vocals in a home studio, a clean, professional-sounding mix starts with three foundational...
The Complete Sonic Universe for Music Producers For music producers and sound designers, Eventide is synonymous with audio innovation, renowned since the 1970s for shaping the sound of countless hit records. The Eventide Anthology XII is not just another plugin...
Discover the best free plugins on Plugin Boutique. From studio-grade guitars to mastering EQs, explore pro-level free VST instruments and effects that can transform your mixes — without spending a penny.
A good techno pad sits behind the kick and hats and slowly changes shape. It fills the space in a breakdown, then steps back when the drums return. You can make one in almost any synth. Some make it much easier, either because of how they sound or because of how easy...
Chord and melody plugins for producers who get stuck after the first four bars You open the DAW with a groove in your head and a good feeling. Twenty minutes later you are still looping the same four chords. The piano roll is mostly empty. The good feeling has gone....
The Industry’s One-Stop Shop for Plugins, Bundles, and Producer Education In the last decade, Plugin Boutique has evolved from a niche reseller into one of the most influential marketplaces in modern music production. For many producers, it’s the first stop when...
Which Virtual Piano Fits Your Studio? If you’re shopping for a high-quality virtual piano, you’ve probably come across two names: XLN Audio’s Addictive Keys Studio Grand and Spectrasonics’ Keyscape. Both deliver professional sounds, but they do very different jobs....
Addictive Keys in Music Production: Pop, EDM & Hip-Hop Workflows If you’ve spent any time making beats or tracks, you know the piano isn’t just for classical recitals. It’s everywhere—in the opening chords of a pop anthem, the haunting loop under a trap verse, or...
Lo-Fi, Jazz & Noir You don’t need a dusty upright in a basement or a 1950s recording studio to get that classic piano sound. These days, a lot of the warmth, grit, and mood we associate with vintage piano sounds can be recreated right inside your DAW—especially if...
A No-Nonsense Piano VST That Just Works If you’ve ever looked for a good piano VST, you find that the “realistic” ones either cost a lot, take up half your SSD, or bring your laptop to its knees. And half the time, they still don’t sit right in a mix unless you spend...
Songwriting is both an art and a science. While inspiration often strikes unpredictably, the ability to craft compelling melodies, harmonies, and chord progressions can be greatly increased with a solid understanding of music theory. By combining theory with powerful...
When it comes to music production, chord progressions play a crucial role in creating interesting and harmonically rich tracks. However, for beginners who may not have a deep understanding of music theory, coming up with compelling chord progressions can be difficult.
