Virtual instruments are no longer just synths
Virtual instrument plugins and modern sound design software now blur the line between synthesizer, effect, and interactive system, turning the studio into a space where you can build virtual objects, simulate physical behaviours, and route them through entire chains of character processing to shape sound in ways that go far beyond traditional oscillators and filters.
Anukari and Retrocraft prove that virtual instrument plugins are evolving in two opposite yet complementary directions. Anukari is “part synth, part virtual physics playground”, while Retrocraft is a compact vintage effects plugin focused on analogue-style colour. Together they show that the future of sound design is not one more wavetable synth, but tools that rethink what an instrument or processor can be. If you care about character, these plugins argue that the next step is not cleaner DSP, but more personality—whether that comes from simulated springs or simulated tape.
Anukari: physics-based synthesis as a playable playground
Anukari takes physics-based synthesis and turns it into a playable construction kit. Instead of choosing a saw wave, you build virtual objects—masses, springs, mallets, bows—and then strike or excite them to generate sound. The interface is “built more like a game”, with 3D graphics where what you see is literally what you hear: the visuals are not decoration but the audio engine itself, and “the 3D visuals make the audio happen, not the other way around”.
This is sound design software that rewards curiosity more than efficiency. It works as both a virtual instrument and an effects processor, able to process external audio like vocals or guitars. You can place virtual microphones around your contraptions, tweak how they wobble or collide, and chase “kooky sounds” instead of polished presets. According to its creator Evan Mezeske, Anukari is “built for experimentation and discovery” and invites users “to make cool shit”. Priced at an introductory USD 99 (approx. RM460), rising to USD 149 (approx. RM690), it is unmistakably aimed at the intrepid sonic explorer rather than the preset surfer.
Retrocraft: one-stop vintage character and lo-fi texture
Retrocraft takes the opposite approach: instead of inventing new sound sources, it focuses on colouring what you already have. Billed as a vintage effects plugin, it packs “vintage character, analogue-style saturation and lo-fi texture” into one multi-effect window, removing the need for sprawling effect chains. Amp coloration, tape and vinyl emulation, speaker modelling, modulation and ambience are all combined in a single plugin.
This is character-focused sound design software designed for producers who want instant mood on piano chords, vocal loops or drums. Six effects modules—LoFi, Modulation, Instability, Delay, Reverb and Chop—are paired with 100 production-ready presets. A Surprise button randomises effect combinations to jump-start ideas. Retrocraft’s engine “draws inspiration from classic analogue equipment and playback devices” and lets each stage be switched from subtle warmth to heavy degradation. At an introductory USD 49 (approx. RM230), or USD 39 (approx. RM180) for existing users, rising to USD 99 (approx. RM460) with an USD 89 (approx. RM410) loyalty price, it is pitched as the quickest route to colourful, imperfect mixes.
Two philosophies of sound: experiment vs emulate
What makes this comparison interesting is not which plugin sounds “better”, but what they say about where virtual instruments are going. Anukari is a declaration that physics-based synthesis can be an instrument in its own right: an anti-efficiency tool “built for experimentation and discovery” that treats the DAW as a lab bench rather than a production line. Retrocraft, on the other hand, argues that modern workflows need smarter nostalgia: instead of “tediously building effect chains”, it gives you an integrated vintage chain that can swing from subtle to wrecked.
Both plugins appeal to producers chasing unique sonic textures and character in electronic music. Anukari offers experimental sound generation, letting you create behaviours no analogue synth could mimic, while Retrocraft delivers classic analogue emulation in a single, fast-working package. This is the new divide in sound design software: do you want to build new worlds, or repaint old ones in richer colours? The smart move is to stop treating those choices as rivals and recognise them as two sides of the same creative coin.
