Minimal Audio

It works for me but will require you to create an account on their website to download.

It is an installer exe file instead of a zip that contains VST or DLL files.

The problem with most of these simplified versions of the OTT compressor is that Xfer Records' free plugin still does the job very well. Yes, OTT has more controls, but simply putting it on a track and adjusting the depth and output to taste is usually enough. I think Minimal Audio could have picked better parameters for the XY pad as well. 'Tone' could be 'Dry/Wet', and the 'Dry/Wet' slider could be 'Output'

-when opening more than 1 instance of this plugin in my DAWs(Cubase 14, BWS 5.2.7), sometimes the additional instances that are opened dont respond to sound. At first I thought this plugin only supported 1 instance, but after deleting and adding it back to the channels I wanted it on, it eventually worked and they all processed sounds.

-It barely works as a send no matter your input or plugin settings, and has a *very* weak effect on the sound. This can be 100% wet and also set to +6.00dB on input and you can barely hear the effect on any sounds. Switching it to an insert makes it much louder and cleaner in both my DAWs.

The filters this includes are interesting and can have a strong and decent effect on sounds, and the envelope follower does good things to drums and sounds with hard attack, as well as others. This little plugin is good and best acquired as a free add-on (Bitwig is giving it away right now, PluginBoutique gives it away, and it is often in larger bundles), but by itself $50 is probably too much for this. The sale price is $24, and this is an ok price imo.

Minimal Audio's Current has clearly demonstrated that the Wavetable Synthesis era is far from over. This review is written before the actual relaunch (after the drama dealing with rent-only pricing), so the bugs mentioned may not be present in the future.

The Good: A whole plethora of new unique wavetable spectral warp knobs that give you endless possibilities even with just a Sawtooth. Combining them and resampling into the wavetable importer is a clean process. Current also has a large selection of morphable filters as well as complete access to Morph EQ and Rift Filter for very quick yet powerful subtractive synthesis. Morph EQ allows you to create custom filters as well as quickly modulate EQ parameters. The rest of Minimal Audio's best FX such as their Distortion/Delay/Reverb/Chorus are also included. Not only are the FX unique in quality and capabilities, but you can stack multiple of the same FX in any order; In comparison to synths like Serum/Vital which can only have 1 of each effect.

The Bad: FM section is a bit weird to use, you have to replace the filter window with the FM matrix. Feels like it could be better placed in my opinion. All other bugs I mentioned in my previous review have been fixed for the most part!

(Edited Verdict - March 2024): I initially rated this 4/5 due to bugs. All synths come with bugs on release. Since then I've purchased the full version and the plugin runs smoothly now. Infact... this plugin is starting to become my absolute favorite. This plugin really feels like Serum/Vital version 3.0. The filters are amazing and unique; the formant filter is way better than most other synths because the cutoff goes much further, and the morph knobs give you tons of creativity when combining with Rift. The Harmonic stretch warp mode and phase disperser have far higher quality compared to Vital's. Some of Current's warp modes are even additive (although Vital still has a better spectral filter since you can draw the shape). The wavetable importer is so clean and easy, and easily takes in Serum/Vital/Phaseplant tables. Overall, beautiful wavetable synth. 5.0 stars.

I recently tried out the "cluster delay" plugin, and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed. This plugin is incredibly versatile and can be used as both a standard reverb and a creative one. I really appreciate that it's so easy to use, with a simple and visually pleasing GUI that makes it easy to navigate and tweak.

One of the standout features of this plugin is the ability to sync all timings, which makes it super easy to keep your delay effects in time with your music. And the modulatable diffusion is a really unique and fun feature that adds a lot of depth and interest to my sounds.

I also love that the plugin comes with a ton of musical presets to get me started, and that the price is really reasonable. All in all, I think "cluster delay" is a fantastic plugin that I'll definitely be using in my music-making going forward.

really cool thing. good concept. some of the stuff is a bit too fancy for me like a filter type that morphs between lowpass and highpass, as if i ever want to do that.. or will i? maybe i got uncreative, but i can't imagine a sit.. well anyway. one thing that i love about this plugin is the section with the formant filters and the phaser ones. because they really give you a unique way to think about these types of modulations and they sound great.

A very nice little filter plugin. Sounds great, and the added ability to "play" the filter's center freq by MIDI notes is very cool. I'm looking forward to the full version coming soon.