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Today, Izotope launches Velvet: a new de-esser plugin that will smartly split audio into sibilance and tonal channels to let users de-ess, de-click, and re-shape troublesome vocals into a perfect performance.

The idea is that while traditional de-essers can often dull the overall character of a vocal, Velvetʼs more precise control and smart features allow users to be far more accurate in rooting out the problems.

Velvet is the latest plugin in iZotope’s affordable, fast, easy to use and task-focussed, Catalyst series, appearing alongside new offerings such as Aurora – an ‘intelligent reverb for cleaner mixes’ – and Plasma, the tape saturation plug in for ‘adding precise warmth, depth, and character’.

Velvet features what iZotope calls ‘intelligent de-essing’ which dynamically reduces sibilance only where it’s needed, leaving the tonal quality of the vocal untouched.

It can automatically identify sibilant frequencies and then create ‘intelligent’ EQ nodes to hone in and zap those problem frequencies.

Velvet’s Lift and Tame controls allow users to shape vocals toward a variety of smooth and polished vocal tones, all without affecting sibilance.

And its de-click feature will eliminate any unpleasant pops, clicks, mouth-noise and other accidental knocks and thuds with a simple fader tweak.

Most powerful of all though, Velvet’s separate processing for sibilance and tonal channels allow users to tweak one without having an adverse effect on the other. Then hit the delta button to hear exactly whatʼs being processed.

“Velvet is an instant problem solver for vocals! It replaced 3 plug-ins on my vocal bus… I love it!ˮ says Dave Cerminara, the producer and mix engineer for Father John Misty and Bartees Strange.

Like all of iZotope’s simple but powerful Catalyst series, users will get one powerful effect per-plugin, with just the right number of parameters to achieve quick, creative, and clean results.

And, with 50 presets on board it seems like it’ll be simple to deploy and get your noisy vocals sounding great without fuss.

Velvet is priced at just $49 or $39 in a limited-time crossgrade from any paid iZotope product (anytime prior to 21.05.2025). Find out more on iZotope site.

At Superbooth 2025, being held May 8-10 at the FEZ-Berlin, Arturia and Native Instruments are introducing NKS integration for KeyLab MK3, KeyLab Essential MK3, and MiniLab controllers.

The collaboration builds on NKS Hardware Partner Program, announced at the 2025 NAMM Show. That means owners will soon be able to audition and select sounds from Native Instruments plugins and those from fellow partners such as Best Service, Big Fish Audio, Ohm, Spitfire Audio, Sugar Bytes and more – all directly from their Arturia keyboard. This enables third-parties to create NKS devices that give you more immediate and tactile control over your virtual instruments and effects, without the need for you to manually configure how your hardware maps to your software.

“This collaboration gives producers, performers, and composers a streamlined creative workflow – where software and hardware speak the same language, right out of the box,” said a statement from Arturia.

“Arturia is committed to designing universal MIDI controllers, built to inspire creativity without limits.” says Martin Dutasta, Product director at Arturia. “We’re thrilled to partner with Native Instruments on NKS integration. This initiative brings greater connectivity and a more fluid workflow, benefiting creators who rely on both ecosystems.”

“This reinforces our commitment to an open and connected music industry,” adds Simon Cross, Chief Product Officer at Native Instruments. “We’re giving musicians the freedom to explore sound without workflow limitations.”

This will be a free update for anyone using the KeyLab mk3, KeyLab Essential mk3 and MiniLab 3.

NKS lets musicians use compatible hardware devices to intuitively access and control over 2,000 NKS-compatible instruments and effects. You can learn more about NKS at the Native site.

If you are attending Superbooth, you can see this in action at the Arturia and Native Instruments booths.

Komplete 15 Select Added To Arturia Lab Controller Bundle

To celebrate the launch, newly registered owners of supported Arturia controllers will receive Komplete 15 Select (valued at $99/€99) free. The offer is valid for new activations only.

KORG berlin is previewing the final design of the phase8 at Superbooth 2025, being held May 8-10 at the FEZ-Berlin.

phase8 is an eight-voice electro-acoustic instrument, with envelope control, sequencing, waveshaping and audio modulation. It synthesizes sound using eight independent electro-mechanical voices, where the sound is generated using electronically controlled metal resonators.

The company previewed the instrument at Superbooth 2024. Now, they’re showing the phase8 synthesizer in its final form.

Here’s what Korg shared about the new phase8:

“Ever since the beginning of KORG berlin we’ve been experimenting with ways of making sound by hitting objects. Hitting things to make sound is such a primitive act and when done right, it can be the most expressive form of performance. Look at all the amazing musical instruments across millennia that have perfected this art.

We dreamed of making such an instrument, but in the familiar format of a synthesizer and we’ve cracked it. The result is an instrument that feels, acts and sounds alive, as well as being a box full of fun knobs to twiddle.

The demo units shown at Superbooth this year are made using tooling samples. If you’re not familiar with tooling, it’s basically the molds that you need to manufacture the product many times repeatedly—think cookie cutters for making many cookies. Tooling is a big step towards gearing up to production, but there’s a whole bunch of other stuff like software, electronics, procurement, production engineering, quality assurance, certification etc. etc. before we can start series production reliably.”

Korg expects for the phase8 to be available starting in Q1 of 2026, priced under € 1000.