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Behringer has introduced Vintage, its first software synth plugin.

As its name suggests, this is modelled on the classic analogue synths of the ‘70s and ‘80; unlike many of Behringer’s hardware synths, though, it isn’t a direct emulation of any specific product. The ‘wooden’ end cheeks are there to emphasise the plugin’s all-round ‘vintageness’, and the interface is scalable.

In addition, you get a couple of oscillators with hard sync, two LFOs, a pair of filters and the same number of envelopes.

They say that “Vintage is packed with all the features you need to effortlessly get those lush, classic synth tones that made the 70s and 80s roar, or you can also create your own wild patches!”

Features:

• Sine, square, saw, and noise waveforms
• Lowpass, bandpass, highpass, and notch modes
• Dual LFO with controls for rate, attack delay and retrig
• Synthesizer engine based on meticulous modelling of the analog circuitry of legendary vintage synthesizers
• Carefully crafted UI for intuitive sound sculpting and vast sonic possibilities
• Two high-quality oscillators with hard sync function and selectable waveform: sine, square, saw, noise and sub-oscillator
• Pulse width modulation of square wave oscillator
• Two versatile filters featuring 12/24 dB switchable lowpass, bandpass, highpass, notch and formant modes, plus selectable drive curves for lush harmonic saturation
• Filter ADSR controls are easily accessible on the main UI and a flexible routing scheme allows for serial or parallel filtering
• Noise generator with Color knob controlling low pass cut-off
• Following the filters two amplitude modules allows for panning and levelling with controllable ADSR envelope
• Powerful dual LFO to modulate Oscillator, Filters and Amplifiers. The two LFOs have separate controls for rate, attack, delay, retrig and waveform, which encompass triangle, sine, random and square wave with pulse width control

Behringer Vintage is a free download, with the company encouraging users to support the Playing for Change Foundation. It runs on PC and Mac in VST/AU formats.  The Behringer Vintage link is currently down.

ZAK Sound has introduced Atmospheres, a free reverb plugin for macOS and Windows that’s designed to create immersive spaces and dreamy textures.

Here’s what they say about it:

“Atmospheres is a one-knob plugin for crafting dreamy and atmospheric textures. It was created using its big brother Deep Waters processor, renowned for its water-based approach to creating distinctive reverbs.

This free plugin allows you to create textures and effects without thinking too much, with just a knob and a button. The Randomizer function allows you to change many internal parameters and reverb types with a single touch.”

Atmospheres is available now as a free download.

Universal Audio launches Verve Analog Machines saturation effects, and makes the ‘Essentials’ version free until April 30.

Universal Audio has announced two new plugins that each have a number of retro saturation effects – or Machines – included. Verve Analog Machines is the headliner but the support act, Verve Analog Machines Essentials, might be the main attraction as it’s free until the end April.

With Verve Analog Machines you get 10 ‘Machines’, saturation effects of various colours that give creators everything from “subtle tape warmth and hi-fi tube saturation to full on distorted textures and more”.

The cut-down Verve Analog Machines Essentials includes four Machines but is just $99. It is free until April 30.

The fuller Verve Analog Machines features controls like Drive, Tone, and Tape Warble. The Machines are all analogue in nature (although obviously digital in delivery), all utilising the same kind of component level modelling employed in the rest of UA’s plugins.

The 10 Machine effects are Sweeten (reel-to-reel tape machine), Edge (analogue console), Glow (harmonics via a tube preamp or channel strip), Warm (older tape machine), Thicken (lo-fi tape), Vintagize (old tape), Distort (driving analogue preamp), Overdrive (fuzzy tape tone), Fire (searing analogue tape), and finally Sputter (broken distortion).

Verve Analog Machines Essentials is all of the above but with just four machines and has just the Drive control included (so no Tone or Warble).

“We really want people to get creative with true-to-life analogue tones,” says Ryan Wardell, UA’s Director of Software. “Verve Analog Machines gives music producers and beatmakers a sleek, fun collection of machines to experiment with everything from gentle warmth to sonic obliteration.”

You can get Verve Analog Machines on the standard UA subscription ($19.99/month or $149/year) which gets you close to 40 UAD Spark plugin instruments and effects, most of which are pretty amazing.

Or buy it for a one off fee of $99 until the end of April, or download the Essentials version now for free while you can. Get it now! You can do that, and grab more information on both Verve Analog Machines bundles here.