The Psychosynth project aims to create an interactive modular soft-synth inspired by the ideas of the Reactable.
Here’s how the Psychosynth creators describe their virtual instrument:
Our main goal is to create a free software alternative to allow newbies, developers and professionals explore new ways of making music. It is also important to build a comunity to […]

Image Line Software has released FL Studio 8, the latest version of their digital audio workstation. FL Studio 8 offers an improved interface, sound engine, revised mixer, the addition of pattern clips to the playlist, new multilink MIDI learn system, a suite of new plug-ins and updates to many others.
Here are the details:

PowerFX has announced the release of Grand Colour, a new virtual instrument piano library from Colour Sonics. The library has been split up into individual downloads of particular pianos with each download including patches for Kontakt 1, 2.1 and HALion.
The acoustic pianos consist of the Bösendorfer 290, the Steinway D, the Baldwin Vertical and the […]

SonicProjects has released version 2.0 of its Oberheim OB-X clone, which is ready for shipping. The update brings a completely new GUI, new envelopes, enhanced analog approximations and a lot of new sounds.
Note to SonicProjects: those gorgeous 3-D renderings of software synths makes us lust for real hardware synths, not virtual synths.

VirSyn has announced the release of Poseidon 1.1.
Features:

Key trigger modes for envelopes: normal, reset and single
64 new presets (only available in the sales version)

Bugfixes:

Intel based Macs: Problem with Multiprocessor fixed
Ableton Live: crashes on MIDI program change
Effect settings didn’t reload correctly with some hosts
Menu texts showed up very slowly sometimes
Mac stand alone version: Interface disappeared if […]

Sinevibes has released Critical Mass, a sound library for Native Instruments Massive software synthesizer. Critical Mass takes advantage of Massive’s flexible sound engine and elaborate modulation possibilities.
This collection delivers fresh and innovative sounds that only Massive is capable of: from dense, delicious basses, synths and motion sequences to lush cosmic pads, lively drum and percussion […]

VirSyn has updated Tera to version 3.2, adding support for Intel Macs.
Features

Universal Binaries for Intel-based Macs.
VST 2.4 compatibility.
New voice allocation gives about 30 % performance improvement
Sample key / loop range imported on sample load.

Bugfixes

Ableton Live 6: fixed crash on loading VST version.
Cubase 4: Mouse pointer offset fixed.
Pattern selection with MIDI notes works now in plugin […]

Native Instruments today announced ABSYNTH 4, the fourth generation of its award-winning semi-modular software synthesizer that is renowned for its unique evolving sounds and textures. The new version offers extended sound design and performance capabilities through a new customizable signal flow; additional oscillator, waveform and envelope features; and a completely revised modulation concept. Numerous usability […]

PowerFX has introduced a new VSTi plug-in for Windows, the Swiss Army Synth, designed to give creative musicians a simple but powerful synth with big, raw sound files and dynamic FX controls to create unique sounds for under $20.
Swiss Army Synth uses sample-based subtractive synthesis and comes with 17 bass patches, 15 synth lead patches, […]

FabFilter has released of version 3.0 of its FabFilter One synthesizer plug-in. Version 3 adds a polyphonic mode and support for Mac OS X.
Originally released in March 2004, FabFilter One focuses on the best possible sound and filter quality. The updated design results in a pure and solid-sounding oscillator and a unique self-resonating cut-off filter […]

Muse Research has announced that its first product, Receptor, is shipping today, and will be available through music retailers worldwide. Receptor is a dedicated music device designed to run VST plug-ins in both studio and live applications.
Using proprietary Muse software, Receptor can run VST software from the best developers in the world without the complexity […]

FabFilter One is a new virtual synth for the PC that offers basic monosynth functionality, but does it exceptionally well.
FabFilter One is the first release from FabFilter Software Instruments. FSI is a Dutch software developer, founded in 2002 by Frederik Slijkerman and Floris Klinkert. They felt that most software instrument companies had rushed into designing […]

 

 Fabfilter demo [0:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

At the Winter NAMM Convention, Open Labs introduced NEKO, the first open platform musical keyboard workstation and the OpenSynth™ hardware and software reference platform.
NEKO is designed to bridge the gap between the personal computer and traditional music keyboard workstations. It is a keyboard and music control surface that gives immediate physical access to the controls […]

What would you pay for a semi-modular synthesizer that supports both subtractive synthesis and frequency modulation synthesis? One that has been called a masterpiece, and one of the best soft synths available?
Amazingly, Green Oak’s Crystal synth is still available at no cost. If you haven’t tried it, it’s worth checking out. I’ve worked with it […]