New Gear Alert: LUNA Recording System by UA, AudioFuse Studio Interface by Arturia, Softube’s Zener-Bender & More

Universal Audio launches the LUNA Recording System.

Universal Audio’s LUNA Recording System marks the next frontier for Apollo owners.

The LUNA Recording System by Universal Audio is a groundbreaking music production workstation shaped by over 60 years of analog exploration. Available for download and free for all Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo and Arrow owners,* LUNA transforms UA’s industry-standard Apollo into the most inspiring and fully integrated recording system available.

LUNA gives Apollo owners the fastest recording environment for music production, editing, and mixing. LUNA’s Accelerated Realtime Monitoring gives you seamless hardware-software integration for capturing audio through UAD plugins with no discernible latency, offering Apollo owners the most natural, analog-style workflow of any DAW available.

Rounding out LUNA’s feature set at launch is a full suite of built-in instruments and extensions, created in collaboration with the biggest brands in audio. From integrated Studer multitrack tape and genuine Neve summing, to all-new LUNA Instruments from Moog, UA, Spitfire Audio, and more, LUNA brings Universal Audio’s expertise in modeling, sampling, and synthesis to the forefront of audio production.**

*LUNA is currently available as a free download for all Thunderbolt-equipped Apollo and Arrow audio interface owners for macOS systems only. LUNA is not compatible with Apollo FireWire or Apollo Twin USB.

**LUNA Recording System includes ARP, Shape, and Oxide Tape Recorder. All other plugins, Extensions, and Instruments sold separately at http://www.uaudio.com.

Arturia announces the AudioFuse Studio desktop interface is now shipping.

Arturia’s AudioFuse Studio interface offers some useful and not-so-traditional add-ons.

The AudioFuse Studio gives you 4 world-class preamps, incredible connectivity, a versatile feature set, hands-on control, and a host of clever design features.

This new interface from Arturia provides superb preamps, rock-solid performance, low latency, dozens of incredibly useful “just in case” features like a built-in phono preamp for vinyl sampling, Bluetooth streaming to your monitors or a channel in your DAW, awesome USB-C, ADAT, MIDI, and Word Clock connectivity, robust build, and even a handy protective cover to keep it dust and scratch-free.

With the four Discrete Pro preamps to track your music, AudioFuse Studio features a superb analog signal path that will reveal every nuance of your audio. The super-low Equivalent Input Noise (EIN) lets you capture every subtle detail, while the huge 72dB input gain gives you enough gain to drive even the quietest ribbon mic. Everything is also captured with a practically perfect flat frequency response, too.

The AudioFuse Studio is available now, priced at $999.

Softube and Chandler Limited release the Zener-Bender.

Harness the unmistakable sonic footprint of the Chandler Limited Zener-Bender in your DAW, thanks to Softube.

A powerful and musical modern plugin channel strip with the unique vintage sound of Chandler Limited, the Zener-Bender combines the crisp and colorful character of the Curve Bender Mastering Equalizer with the big, punchy Zener Limiter to bring class, history, and most crucially of all, a phenomenal sonic impact. Component-modeled with Softube’s customary care and experience, these units together can take charge of any mix.

Adding the focused channel strip workflow, as well as modern plugin features such as External Sidechain, Mid/Side Processing, and Channel Linking, the Zener-Bender is a step into the future for your mixes. Bring the mojo and musicality of the Curve Bender, and the sophisticated authority of the Zener Limiter, to your DAW of choice and hear the improvements.

In addition to the Zener-Bender, Softube and Chandler are releasing two new products: the Zener Limiter is now available as a standalone plugin in native format, and Console 1 owners will be able to take advantage of the Zener-Bender’s sound with an exclusive Console 1 version of the strip.

The Zener-Bender is available now at a special introductory price of $449 (reg. $549).

The Plug-in Collective and Sound Collective offer Sonible Balancer for free.

Focusrite and Novation join forces with Sonible to offer the Balancer plugin for free through May 4th.

For those who are in the position to be staying at home during these challenging times, Focusrite and Novation want to help make it as easy as possible for you to stay creative. So, for a one-off Plug-in Collective / Sound Collective special, they are offering Balancer, a plug-in collaboration between Focusrite and Austrian audio-processing experts Sonible.

Balancer is an audio processor that brings out the best in any source signal. It is designed on the principle that a creative producer’s time is best spent shaping their sound, not getting bogged down in the technicalities. Balancer epitomizes that approach, delivering powerful results, fast, with a simple user interface.

Balancer analyzes the input signal, then applies adaptive smart filters to optimize the spectral qualities of the sound, based on a chosen sonic profile: Vocal, Guitar or Drums, for example. The Intensity slider adjusts the amount of the effect applied, and the Flavour setting tailors the sound further by switching the overall character between Neutral, Warm, and Bright.

This offer expires May 4th, 2020. To join the Plug-in Collective and Sound Collective, simply register any Focusrite or Novation hardware product, then look out for a new offer every couple of months.

Tone Projects releases the Unisum Mastering Compressor plugin.

Whether performing surgery or creating vibe is the goal, Tone Projects’ Unisum Mastering Compressor can get you there.

Unisum is a state-of-the-art mastering compressor based on a novel topology combining impeccable sound with unmatched musical flexibility.

Built in collaboration with experienced mastering professionals, Unsium features clean wideband compression driven by flexible multi-band detection, and extensive control over envelope and transfer curve. Whether you want to add glue or groove, shape the dynamic contours, or solve a challenge in the mix, Unisum helps you achieve your goal with precision and integrity.

Check out an introductory video to the Unisum Mastering Compressor here.

The Unisum Mastering Compressor is available now in VST3/AU/AAX plugin formats for macOS and Windows; it is offered at a special introductory price of $149.00 (reg. $199.00).

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