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CrushStation delivers everything from ‘creamy saturation to brutal sonic assault’.

Eventide’s CrushStation is typically priced at an RRP of $99 but currently available for no charge, this should be an instant download for anyone looking to expand their collection of plugin effects.

Eventide has a stellar reputation in the effects game that goes back decades, so when the company drops a freebie, it’s always worth a look. CrushStation features the same distortion algorithm that can be found in Eventide’s popular H9 Harmonizer effects pedal.

A stereo distortion and overdrive with a few tricks up its sleeve, Eventide says CrushStation is “capable of everything from pleasing saturation to massively destructive tones”, and it’s not wrong: this is a versatile processor that’ll come in useful across a variety of contexts, from overdriving guitars and sweetening vocals to crushing the living daylights out of a drum break.

Alongside its core distortion algorithm, CrushStation features a handful of additional effects. Compression can be dialled in via the Sustain control, and can be applied pre- or post-distortion, and the Octave control lets you blend in pitch-shifted copies of the signal at multiple octaves above and below its original pitch, much like an octave pedal.

The plugin’s Grit control dials in additional low-end prior to the distortion stage for a gnarly and abrasive tone, while the unique Sag parameter simulates the sonic quirks of poorly-designed tube amps to apply a “sputtery, crushed and broken” quality to the input reminiscent of “the dead and dying gear of times past”. CrushStation also features a three-band EQ and noise gate.

Another interesting feature is CrushStation’s Ribbon control, a macro control that lets you morph between two snapshots of multiple parameter values. This can be automated or controlled via MIDI CC, so you’re able to hook it up to something like your keyboard’s mod wheel for expressive control over CrushStation’s destructive tones. There’s also a Hotswitch button onboard for quickly toggling between two different presets.

Eventide CrushStation is compatible with macOS and Windows and available in VST3/AAX/AU formats.

To download the plugin, follow this link and use the code PIRATE100 at checkout.

Developer Andrew Stroev shared this preview of Synchrotron, a live audio engine built in Python.

“Synchrotron is an audio engine I’ve been building from scratch over the past year,” notes Stroev. “Finally I have something semi-presentable to show the world!”

Synchrotron is all of the following:

• DSP (Digital Signal Processing) engine
• Audio router / muxer
• Synthesizer
• Audio effects engine
• MIDI instrument
• And more!

It’s free and open source.

Links:

• Editor
• Source

Massive X Player is a new free virtual synth that enables users morph and modulate presets from Native Instruments’ wavetable powerhouse. With its new freebie, Native Instruments aims to bring its next-gen Massive to the masses.

Native Instruments’ original Massive synth was always going to be a tough act to follow. Released in 2006, Massive became one of the best selling and most influential software instruments of all time, helping to define the sound of 2010s EDM with its gritty wavetable oscillators and copious modulation tools.

Following a decade of small, incremental updates, NI released a fully-fledged Massive sequel in 2019 in the form of Massive X.

Now, six years on from its release, Native Instruments appears determined to broaden the appeal of Massive X with a significant upgrade that also introduces a new free version, named Massive X Player.

Massive X Player is a preset-driven version of the synth that gives users free access to sounds created by Massive X without having to worry about what’s going on under-the-hood. Users can select a sound from a bank of presets that contains basses, leads, pads and more, all of which can be adjusted using a bank of eight macro controls.

In the words of NI: “Whether you’re chasing growling basses, shimmering leads, or ambient pads, Massive X Player offers instant inspiration with a premium preset library and no steep learning curve.”

While these free sounds are appealing on their own, Massive X Player also features a trio of features that have the potential to turn the plugin into a bountiful source of sonic inspiration.

The first of these is the Morpher, which allows users to assign multiple presets across the points of an X/Y pad and blend between these selected sounds. This can be done manually, by clicking and dragging the visual interface, or be modulated using the second of the synth’s new features, the Animator.

This features a set of pattern-based modulation curves that can be used to add rhythmic sound shifts as the control node maps an automated course around the Morpher interface. This movement can be synced to project tempo and comes with direction and rate controls to adjust the movement of the pattern.

The final creative tool in Massive X Player’s arsenal is a Randomize button, which will generate a randomised sound that can be adjusted using the macro controls.

Features:

• 60 synth presets, plus an extra free Massive X Expansion
• The Morpher lets you shift between parameters in real time.
• Animator introduces evolving movement and rhythmic modulation with just a few clicks.
• Use Randomize to spark ideas, break patterns, and make each sound your own.

Massive X Player is available to download as part of NI’s free Komplete Start bundle, which also contains a variety of other instruments and effects. And, it’s also accessible to current owners of Massive X, and those with access to the full plugin can open up Player presets to dive under the hood using the full synth engine.

Massive X Player is available to download now. It also comes with the Bass Music Essentials expansion pack, offering additional sounds for low-end loving electronic music makers.

Visit the Native Instruments site for more information.