Get it here for $16 (the bug with the VST3 file should be fixed by now):
https://nonchalantdev.com/products/ay-3-8912-juce
The demo potentially will be available soon. Stay tuned.
Listen to the best tracks of ZX Spectrum composers through our AY-3-8912 device in this playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCPX3x75JJ8A
Official introduction:
"Welcome to the AY-3-8912. This plugin brings the gritty, iconic sound of the classic General Instrument sound chip directly into your modern production workflow.
Designed for producers who appreciate the raw character of vintage hardware but prefer a streamlined, native software configuration, this plugin bridges the gap between retro chiptune tracking and modern music production. It faithfully emulates the architecture of the AY-3-8912, utilizing a sample-accurate 1.7734 MHz internal clock to deliver true-to-era tones, noise, and hardware envelope generation.
Whether you are recreating the exact soundscapes of the 1990s demoscene or injecting aggressive, lo-fi hardware textures into modern electronic and rock tracks, the AY-3-8912 puts a complete 8-bit retro sound engine right inside your DAW."
Personal take:
To the best of my knowledge, there are no analogs of this device in VST3/AU format on the market. The closest counterpart is ZX Spectrum UDS in Soundpaint (starting at $19), but it's so all over the place that it's difficult to comment. In any case, that ZX Spectrum UDS is sample-based, so you get only so much of true ZX Spectrum sound. Certainly not enough to even try to recreate some of the best tracks of the Spectrum demoscene.
There are also different propositions ranging from free Kontakt libraries through Ujam to Nexus. But again, they are sample-based and tend to provide a more generic, console-like experience, not AY-3-8912 specifically.
On the other side of the spectrum (pun not intended), there are dedicated standalone trackers, like Vortex Tracker 2 (made in the 2000s) and its clones. They are incredibly truthful to the real AY-3-8912 sound, but the UI/UX of such trackers is pretty inconvenient (let's name it like that, though the word 'abysmal' would be even more appropriate). I heard there were developments to attach MIDI to them, but I'm not following. Maybe they did it. You can't use them in a DAW, that the main point.
Our version of AY-3-8912 is an attempt to bridge the tracker with the DAW (like by having multiple Samples and Ornaments in one instance of the device). And while keeping workflow close to how it was back in Pro Tracker 3 days on ZX Spectrum, make it as convenient and as rapid as possible.
Even more personal take:
AY-3-8912 is not just a device for me personally. This is truly part of my life.
This is where I produced my first-ever track in 1995 when I was 14.
And then I programmed a demo to accompany this track using Z80 assembler.
And, as they say, the rest is history...
I've been listening to that 8-bit music for 30 years now (there was a period when I listened to it exclusively), and I'm still amazed by the talent and skills of those composers.
And here is your chance to prove your music skills as well
Technical note:
To test the device, I've created a converter from Pro Tracker 3 to Ableton Live. Realistically, the same converter can be used for Studio Pro, Bitwig and Reaper. If there are those who are interested in making such a converter, I'm ready to provide my script. Let's discuss it on our Discord server https://discord.gg/jYaUXpYC7B
Get AY-3-8912 here for $16 (the bug with the VST3 file should be fixed by now):
https://nonchalantdev.com/products/ay-3-8912-juce
Because of ST I'm a bit averse to this sound, but good luck 