October 2026– date –

Toontrack's EZdrummer 3 suits people who have never programmed drums and want to start by finding phrases that fit a song and arranging them. We rate it on three criteria against 6 drum instrument plug-ins, using official manufacturer information.

FabFilter's Twin 3 suits people who want a simple analog-style synthesizer with a clear screen. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

Vital Audio's Vital suits people who want to start with a serious synthesizer without spending money. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

u-he's Diva suits people who want to use analog-synth sounds straight from the presets. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

Kilohearts' Phase Plant suits people who want to build the structure of their own sound design. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

Native Instruments' Massive X suits people who want to change a sound just by choosing a preset and moving a few knobs. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

Xfer Records' Serum 2 suits people who want to build sounds from scratch, centered on wavetables. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

Spectrasonics' Omnisphere 3 suits people who want to quickly find the sound that fits a song among thousands of sounds. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

Arturia's Pigments suits people who want to design sound with several methods in one synthesizer, and people who want to try a free version first. We rate it on three criteria against 13 synthesizers, using official manufacturer information.

Eventide's MicroPitch suits people who want to widen a vocal and give it presence. We rate it on three criteria against 10 harmony and doubling plug-ins, using official manufacturer information.