Analog Empire: Plucks and Keys is a brand-new instrument for MSoundFactory, and it’s free until June 8, 2025.

Once the introductory offer ends, Analog Empire: Plucks and Keys will be available at a regular price of £58.

Any version of MSoundFactory (Full, LE, Free) is required to run Analog Empire: Plucks and Keys, and current owners of the Full or LE editions should note that they will receive the instrument as a free update by default.

The regular pricing above only applies to those using MSoundFactory Free.

Analog Empire: Plucks and Keys is an analog-inspired virtual synth offering 32 real synth multi-samples. The collection of pluck and key sounds isn’t limited to any particular genre because we can adapt and shape each sound in many ways.

MeldaProduction is no stranger to deep sampling, and the sound quality is top-class, but the heart of this instrument is in its sound blending engine.

Blending two or more sound layers isn’t new; we have seen something similar recently with Fracture Sounds Electric Strings. But I particularly like a few things about MeldaProduction’s approach to blending.

You can blend two sound layers (A/B) with a main Mix knob to create unique sounds. You also have dedicated controls per layer, including Pitch, Drift, Pluck, Tone, and Spread.

The Drift parameter is lovely on samples with a longer decay; it gives a bit of the authentic analog inconsistency, and you can use it to craft more harmonically ambiguous sounds.

My favorite element of the blending engine is that you can make the blend amount (Mix) dependent on your playing velocity.

For example, you could ensure that you only hear both sounds when you really dig in, which is great for hits and highlights.

You can even adjust the blend amount depending on the keyboard range, such as a different mix for the lower and higher notes, etc.

These blending tools are excellent for any genre, but they make me think of the complex keyboard setup of prog-rock/metal wizards like Jordan Rudess.

In addition to the blending controls, you’ve got a multimode filter, filter/amp envelopes, and an impressive FX section, including Rotary, delay, and Lo-Fi tape effects.

Analog Empire: Plucks and Keys require MSoundFactory, available in AU, VST, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS (10.14 and higher) and Windows (10 and 11).

Linux isn’t directly supported, but running the plugin via Wine may be possible.

Check out the deal: Analog Empire: Plucks & Keys (FREE until June 8th)

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Last Updated on May 26, 2025 by Tomislav Zlatic.