FabFilter has released a new Synth Classics sound set by Daniel Maurer for FabFilter Twin 2, its powerful and innovative software synthesizer.

The Synth Classics sound set includes over 150 presets, featuring leads, pads, plucked sounds and a vintage polysynth selection, programmed by Daniel Maurer. All sounds were thoughtfully created to not simply bring back good memories, but to inspire new music with several fun twists the originals could never have done. Useful parameters are assigned to the Mod Wheel, Sustain Pedal and, of course, the fun X-Y pads in Twin 2 allowing for quick, painless personalization to your music.

Daniel Maurer is a long-time synthesizer lover and programmer who started tweaking synthesizers in 1978. Many classic synths followed these humble beginnings and at one point he was touring with six different keyboards across North America to produce all the sounds needed. Daniel's sounds can be heard in many of today's popular software synthesizers as well. The Synth Classics sound set was inspired by the way FabFilter Twin 2 faithfully reproduces and vastly improves both the sound and flexibility of those analog monsters Daniel used to work with.

The Synth Classics sound set for FabFilter Twin 2 is now available in FabFilter's online shop for €19, $28 or £17. It can be used on both Windows and Mac OS X in any of the available plug-in formats.

Spring is nearly here, and EastWest heats things up with its "Buy One Get One Free" worldwide promotion of PLAY products.

Until April 15, 2010 each customer that purchases a PLAY virtual instrument will receive an additional free product of equal or lesser value from among the following products : SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA GOLD, PLATINUM and PLATINUM PLUS, SYMPHONIC CHOIRS, PIANOS, PIANOS GOLD, FAB FOUR, GOLIATH, STORMDRUM 2, GYPSY, MINISTRY OF ROCK, VOICES OF PASSION, SILK and RA.

For more information, please visit the link below :

SoundToys has just released Decapitator and PanMan.

Decapitator ($349 TDM/$179 Native) is an analog saturation modeling plug-in. It models the saturation or distortion created when driving professional analog studio equipment. SoundToys analyzed vintage and modern classics from Neve, API, Ampex, EMI and Thermionic Culture, and more to create accurate models of high-end studio gear. Decapitator creates that highly sought after analog sound from subtle harmonic changes to extreme driven distortion.

PanMan ($349 TDM/$179 Native) is an advanced auto-panner plug-in with groove control. It takes the process of moving audio back and forth in the stereo field and gives it that special touch that is uniquely SoundToys. It features a complete range of panning modes to recreate classic analog ...

Stillwell Audio has announced the release of Bombardier, a buss compressor plug-in. Here's what they say about it :

"Bombardier is our most ambitious project to date – a premium quality buss compressor, tailored for smooth and musical processing of complex audio such as drum groups, vocal stems and your full stereo mix, lending a controllable sense of weight, fluidity and cohesion.

Bombardier gives a nod to the non-linear and frequency-variant subtleties of a wide range of Grade-A hardware buss compressors, and should you wish these can be pushed almost into the realms of a character compressor.

Due to its RMS compression engine (and unlike The Rocket, which uses peak compression), Bombardier is ideally suited to final mixdown and mastering usage, as well as for those who like to set up buss dynamics first and then mix 'into' the buss compressor.

Toontrack unveils a new virtual instrument called Beatstation.

Not much information available yet but as you will see on the official website, Beatstation plays percussion pads, lead instruments and melodic basses. It uses a flexible and skinnable open playing surface and it handles custom samples, MIDI grooves and .rex files.