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Universal Audio has announced the release of a new plugin, A-Type Multiband Dynamic Enhancer, capturing the legendary effect of the classic Dolby A-Type noise reduction system in software.

Universal Audio’s A-Type Multiband Dynamic Enhancer emulates the beloved effect of the original hardware while incorporating a handful of additional features and controls.

Five processing modes offer a variety of sonic flavours, from the top-end presence, sparkle and clarity you’d expect from from the A-Type to “gritty analogue textures and classic ’80s gated effects” offered by its Crush and Gate modes.

Opening up A-Type’s Circuit Mods panel exposes a number of extra controls, allowing you to adjust its compression settings, access its sidechain function, tweak output levels and control the levels and crossovers for the multiband compression.

UAD A-Type Multiband Dynamic Enhancer walkthrough video:

UAD A-Type Multiband Dynamic Enhancer is priced at $199 and available exclusively for Apollo audio interfaces and UAD hardware.

Find out more on the Universal Audio website.

Fender has announced Fender Studio, a new beginner-friendly recording app that you’ll be able to download for free. Available on Mac, PC, iOS, Android and Linux, key features include one-tap recording, Fender amp models and effects and editable Jam Tracks.

Fender Studio is the product, Fender CEO Andy Mooney’s desire to have an app that you can record into with a single action. In fact, there’s literally a big red button there as soon as you open it: click/tap this and, providing your device’s mic is enabled or your guitar is hooked up via a compatible audio interface, your playing will immediately be recorded.

“I’ve always said to the team, anyone should be able to just hit a single button on their phone and be able to start recording,” says Mooney now. “We’ve built exactly that. We believe Fender Studio will enable more music creation than ever before by serving the needs of today’s creators and that will drive sustained growth for our company and our industry. I’m proud of what the team has created and can’t wait to hear what gets recorded in Fender Studio.”

Once you’ve registered the app for free using your Fender Connect account details you get six additional amps and effects, too.

And then there are those Jam Tracks for you to play along with. These 20 multitrack audio sessions come in a range of styles, and each part can be transposed, muted, soloed, sped-up or slowed-down.

The maximum number of tracks you can record is 16 (you get eight when you download and eight more when you register), and there’s no mention of MIDI or plugin support. As such, the only effects you have are the built-in Compressor, EQ, Reverb, Delay, De-Tuner, Transformer, Ring Modulator and Vocoder devices.

With full support on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux, Fender Studio works seamlessly on everything from iPhones and Chromebooks to PCs, Macs, and more.

Find out more on the Fender site

Control your DAW via Stream Deck or smartphone with SoundFlow’s new Ableton Live integration.

If you regularly works in a DAW, a significant portion of your time will be taken up by repeating the same handful of actions.

Anything that can make those tasks quicker, saving a few seconds each time, can ultimately save you hours of time. By making the production process more streamlined and efficient, this can also help you stay in the creative flow.

SoundFlow is an app designed to do just that. A workflow automation platform for DAWs and music software. SoundFlow is already available for programs such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro and Sibelius, and has just launched a public beta version of its Ableton Live integration.

SoundFlow works by transforming frequently executed tasks into multi-step macros that can be actioned at the touch of a button. These can be triggered using a Stream Deck, tablet, smartphone or MIDI controller, and you can even create custom keyboard shortcuts if you don’t own compatible hardware.

SoundFlow’s Ableton Live integration arrives with over 850 commands and 40 pre-made decks tailored for different workflows: the software can trigger clips and scenes, assign track colours, edit and transform MIDI, or even add plugins and devices to your rack without opening the browser. Designing custom macros, scripts and decks is a simple process, thanks to the software’s straightforward drag-and-drop editor.

“This integration goes far beyond simple shortcuts,” says SoundFlow’s Chad Wahlbrink. “We’re giving Ableton users a powerful toolkit to automate entire workflows — creating, colouring and routing tracks, swapping MIDI Instruments and adding multiple audio effects at once, generating and transforming MIDI — with the push of a button. It’s a new era of creative efficiency.”

If you’re a Live user that wants to speed up your workflow and save time in the studio, SoundFlow could certainly be worth a look.

To test out the Public Beta, you’ll need to subscribe to SoundFlow Cloud Pro at $9.99/month, but a free 30-day trial is available. Find out more on SoundFlow’s website.