Addict Some Plugins #001
The June 2026 Audit: Things Worth Downloading Before You Buy Another Saturator
Welcome to Addict Some Plugins, the part of the internet where we collectively admit that the phrase:
"I already have enough plugins" has never stopped anyone.
This month's audit focuses on a simple question:
What is actually worth your time?
Not every release. Not every sale. Not every plugin with a cinematic trailer and twelve uses of the word analog. Just the interesting stuff.
Download This
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Aurora
Aurora recently became free and open source. That alone makes it more appealing than many modern audio products. It's a waveform visualizer. Not glamorous. Not revolutionary. Just useful. And useful plugins tend to stay installed longer than exciting plugins.
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Vital
At this point, Vital feels less like freeware and more like a public service. If you're new to synthesis, download it. If you're experienced with synthesis, download it anyway. If you already have it installed, congratulations. You're making reasonable decisions.
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Surge XT
Surge XT continues its mission of making expensive synthesizers uncomfortable. Ridiculously powerful. Open source. Actively developed. And somehow still free.
Surprisingly Good
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Amp Squeezer
Every month another saturation plugin arrives claiming to deliver warmth, character, punch, glue, depth, vibe, magic, and possibly spiritual growth. Amp Squeezer skips most of that marketing language and simply sounds good when pushed hard. Which is refreshing.
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BPB Dirty LA
A reminder that simple tools often win. No complicated routing. No twenty-tab interface. No AI-powered vintage harmonic neural enhancement. Just fast results.
The Sale Section
The most dangerous section. Not because of the prices. Because sales create the illusion that saving money and spending money are the same thing. They are not.
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Oxford Inflator
Still one of the few plugins that has survived years of hype and remained genuinely useful. A rare achievement in audio software.
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Shadow Hills Class A
For many producers this has been a permanent resident of the wishlist folder. At $25 it's difficult to argue against. At full price it's a serious decision. At sale price it's closer to a reasonable mistake.
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Total VI MAX 2
The discount is so large that it almost becomes a philosophical discussion. The bundle contains enough instruments to keep most producers busy for years. The real question isn't whether it's worth the money. The real question is whether you'll install 200 GB of content and then use the same piano preset you've used since 2023. Be honest.
The ASP Reality Check
Before downloading anything this month, ask yourself:
Which problem am I solving?
Not: "Is this a good deal?" Not: "What if I need it someday?" Not: "Everyone on YouTube seems excited." A real problem. A real need. A real workflow improvement. Because the best plugin purchase is not the one with the biggest discount. It's the one you still use six months later.
Final Score
Download immediately
- Aurora
- Vital
- Surge XT
Worth considering
- Amp Squeezer
- BPB Dirty LA
- Oxford Inflator
Only if you'll actually use it
- Shadow Hills Class A
- Total VI MAX 2
And remember:
A producer with ten plugins and a finished track is doing better than a producer with two hundred plugins and a perfectly organized wishlist.
See you next month.
— ASP