In the world of music production, plugins are software add-ons that expand the capabilities of your DAW; these could be virtual instruments and creative effects, EQ and compressors, or tools that make editing more manageable.
Below is a rolling list of the new plugin releases that we think you need to know about. We update this list every week, so be sure to check back regularly or bookmark this page for the latest virtual instruments, effects, mixing plugins and more. If you want more info on free plugins and how to install third-party plugins, head to the bottom of this article.
Happy producing!
This week’s new and noteworthy virtual instruments, effects and mixing plugins
(Last update: 27 February 2026)
Excite Audio – Evolve Air
Excite Audio has launched Evolve Air, the latest instrument in its series of sample-based synth engines that can blend and morph between four layers of sounds while warping sounds through easy drag-and-drop modulation.
This new addition to the line-up is designed for the ethereal, featuring breathy textures, airy vocals, and evolving pads that are perfect for crafting a soft, atmospheric bed for your track.
According to the brand, the plugin was inspired by artists like Tim Hecker, Jon Hopkins, Brian Eno, and Oneohtrix Point Never, and features over 250 presets with premapped macro effects.
You can buy Evolve Air from Plugin Boutique for £39, or get Evolve Air Lite for £19 — both are 33% off until 31 March.
Harrison Audio – Harrison Tape Saturator
Tape saturation plugins are, ahem, a little saturated at this point – but revered mix console manufacturer Harrison Audio has now thrown its own hat in the ring with the Harrison Tape Saturator.
Inspired by the Golden Era of Recording, the Harrison Tape Saturator can emulate everything from the high-end reel-to-reels of the ‘70s through to the lo-fi sounds of consumer cassette machines.
Dialling in the perfect character is easy thanks to controls for fidelity, tape speed, and drive, plus flutter, hiss, and dropouts that deliver woozy VHS-style magic.
Harrison Tape Saturator is currently on sale at Harrison Audio for £19 (down from £39) to celebrate its release.
DSPTone – Polyresonator
DSPTone has unveiled its new filtering effect, Polyresonator, inspired by the original Resonator section from the iconic Polymoog synth used by Gary Numan and Kraftwerk. The plugin encourages users to explore resonance as a tonal sculptor, providing three stages of filtering that emphasise selected bands of audio.
According to DSPTone, the magic happens when these three resonant filters interact with each other, transforming lifeless sounds into vowel-like formants or animated textures that behave more like an organic instrument.
Polyresonator features four separate modes that introduce varying degrees of saturation and harmonics, from the original Resonator’s characterful diode-based design to a subtle console mode that’s perfect for bus colouring.
Polyresonator is available from DSPTone for $17.40 (down from $29) until 5 March.
UJAM – Voxcraft
Touted by UJAM as ‘a new standard for vocal manipulation’, Voxcraft is a suite of effects designed to transform bland, generic vocals into an attention-grabbing centrepiece. To start, users can apply pitch and formant shifting, stacking, and tuning correction to their vocal signal before it hits six dedicated effects modules.
Dynamics, Character, and Filter provide tonal shaping, while Delay and Reverb dial in space, each with six character settings. For more dramatic edits, the final Chop module can add gating, reversing, and stuttering effects among others.
There’s also a final Super Glue knob that adds an exaggerated, slammed compression sound. And if you need some inspiration? Hit the randomise button, or try Voxcraft on non-vocal sources like drum loops or pads.
Voxcraft is available from UJAM for £34.
CRQL – Anina
Up-and-coming developer CRQL has released Anina, its new spectral processing plugin, for free. Similar to tools like Soothe and Trackspacer, Anina delivers individual compression to up to 2,048 frequency bands, letting users instantly eliminate unpleasant resonances for greater tonal balance.
CRQL has also pitched the effect as a handy sound design tool, thanks to a delta control where you can solo what’s been removed from the signal. Anina accepts sidechain input too, and we’re impressed that a plugin this powerful is available for absolutely nothing.
Download Anina from CRQL for free.
Are DAW stock plugins good enough?
Most major DAWs these days will come with a perfectly capable collection of ‘stock’ plugins for music-making: Logic Pro’s software instrument library is rich and varied; Ableton Live’s synth engines cover additive, subtractive and granular methods, and the Pro Tools suite of mixing plugins is still widely used by pro engineers.
Third-party plugins are there to give you access to sounds and workflows that aren’t bundled in with your DAW. Maybe you want the sound of a vintage preamp — try a plugin emulation by Arturia or Universal Audio. Want to shake up how visualise your mixing and production? Try a plugin by Baby Audio or MIXLAND.
A good producer isn’t their plugin folder, but their ability to make good decisions. Increase your knowledge: instead of buying synth samples, learn about the fundamentals of synthesis; kick drum sounding too skinny? Learn to compress properly.
Where to download free plugins and VSTs
Looking for free plugins? Our freeware section is an excellent place to start; each month, we also compile round-ups of the best free plugins and samples to download.
The production community is full of passionate developers who’ve given away instruments, effects and other plugins as freeware. Some of our favourites include Valhalla’s Supermassive reverb, Apogee’s Soft Limit and Matt Tytel’s Helm polysynth. Remember, most developers also offer free trials for their plugins.
How to install VST and AU plugins on Windows, macOS and iOS
If your plugin came as a .zip file, and not an installer, you may have to manually install it. Here’s how:
VST3 plugins:
- Unzip the plugin folder
- Copy the .VST file to your default plugin folder (Windows default: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3, Mac default: /Library/Audio/Plugins/VST)
- Start your DAW
- Rescan your plugin directory
AUv3 plugins:
- Download and install plugin from the App Store
- Insert plugin in your DAW
- Select the AUv3 plugin from the Audio Unit Extensions tab
The post The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week appeared first on MusicTech.