I think I have more respect for AIR than I do for Native Instruments these days. At least AIR is developing new products. Sure, most of these products appeal to beginners (but are unfortunately more expensive than most of the Cherry Audio plugins, which sound better and are more interesting for the most part). Native Instruments is just a cautionary tale for Vampire Capitalism, i.e., what happens when a private equity company acquires a once-innovative company.UltimateOutsider wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 10:05 pm When I started this thread, NI and AIR were both kind of in the back of my mind. I don't consider them abandoned in the sense that you can still get customer support for them, and they appear to make bug fixes to the products still in their active catalog- but any business that gets picked up in a leveraged buyout is almost guaranteed to stop innovating, and to focus on maximizing financial growth over delivering cutting-edge products that delight customers.
Abandoned plugins that are still available for sale?
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- KVRist
- 179 posts since 23 Mar, 2025
- KVRian
- 1362 posts since 11 Jun, 2020 from Woop Woop
I meant Spectrasonicsjsp1979 wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 9:22 pmI know what you're talking about. They used to come up regularly at KVR for their plugins that never really specified what they did. Seen pretty much as a scam company. Anyone remember the name?Choikdoi wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 12:09 pm What were they called?.... Septa... Specto... Specta... I forget, it's been so long.
EDIT: Oh wait...I'm thinking of Cryosonic. Guess i was off base on that one although they did have a plugin called Spectralive.
I'm just salty about waiting for a v3 for Omnisphere. And I always wanted to see a new Stylus too. Trilian I'm fine with as is.
Until forever fades away.
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- KVRian
- 630 posts since 11 Nov, 2003 from Vancouver. Canada
Just a few minutes ago I saw what Omnisphere is selling for. Amazing after so many years.
They're 'famously' secretive about development so maybe there's something impressive in the pipeline.
They're 'famously' secretive about development so maybe there's something impressive in the pipeline.
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- KVRer
- 13 posts since 16 Feb, 2025
It seems that Black Octopus is selling The Legend (not the HZ edition) by Synapse Audio. I believe they’re the only ones offering it. This product seems to have been abandoned by Synapse (it has disappeared from their website).
https://blackoctopus-sound.com/product/ ... he-legend/
Btw, I’m also concerned about the future of Reaktor.
https://blackoctopus-sound.com/product/ ... he-legend/
Btw, I’m also concerned about the future of Reaktor.
- KVRAF
- 7637 posts since 2 Sep, 2019
A plugin that has been abandonware for many years but is still for sale is parallax-audio Virtual Sound Stage.
The good news is Audio Modeling saves the day with SWAM Solo Strings and Ambiente.
Edit:
Originally I had also listed Expressive E Arché Collection, as I had given up on it ever seeing an update years ago, but I just checked it for the first time in a while and it has been updated to VST3 and Apple Silicon recently!
(Not that that really matters to me at this point since I'm all in with SWAM.)
Edit #2:
Well now Virtual Sound Stage 2 has just been updated to v2.0.2! And now it's free!! So it is no longer abandoned or for sale.
https://parallax-audio.com/docs

The good news is Audio Modeling saves the day with SWAM Solo Strings and Ambiente.
Edit:
Originally I had also listed Expressive E Arché Collection, as I had given up on it ever seeing an update years ago, but I just checked it for the first time in a while and it has been updated to VST3 and Apple Silicon recently!
(Not that that really matters to me at this point since I'm all in with SWAM.)
Edit #2:
Well now Virtual Sound Stage 2 has just been updated to v2.0.2! And now it's free!! So it is no longer abandoned or for sale.
https://parallax-audio.com/docs
Last edited by jamcat on Sat Oct 11, 2025 3:05 am, edited 3 times in total.
THIS MUSIC HAS BEEN MIXED TO BE PLAYED LOUD SO TURN IT UP
- KVRian
- 1489 posts since 7 Jun, 2021
Yes !bmanic wrote: Tue Apr 29, 2025 8:37 pm Ariesverb. Still available to purchase in the KvR webshop..
Oh how I wish this magical plugin was updated to native Apple silicon. I would gladly pay full price again for that to happen.
i think it was you and another guy who pointed me to it at Muffwiggler.
we should start to pester some Devs, if they´re not willing to pick up on that legacy.
Tryed Shawn from Valhalla allready.
My next bet wou.....could be Liquid Sonics
"Plugin has turned Drug now"....and the business knows it.
- KVRian
- 1489 posts since 7 Jun, 2021
in general:
be cautious if on an apple silicon mac.
there are MANY sales with old ones that won´t ever come to apple silicon.
if i remeber correctly: Krotos
and yes: i WANT to have Absynth back, in fresh, beter GUI,....hire that man back, let him refresh the code and GUI. I´m In !
be cautious if on an apple silicon mac.
there are MANY sales with old ones that won´t ever come to apple silicon.
if i remeber correctly: Krotos
and yes: i WANT to have Absynth back, in fresh, beter GUI,....hire that man back, let him refresh the code and GUI. I´m In !
"Plugin has turned Drug now"....and the business knows it.
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- KVRAF
- 2202 posts since 16 Apr, 2004 from between my ears
jamstix.
