SAMPLEDWhich New Plugins Just Dropped? Massive XL, Photon, ILLUGEN 2.5 and More
Native Instruments, iZotope, Waves, Baby Audio, Cableguys and Cherry Audio all shipped new tools. Here is what each does, what it costs and when to use it.
Six new releases are worth a producer's attention this fall. One is a flagship synth with a new generation. One splits finished songs into stems without uploading anything. One makes sounds from a text prompt inside your session. The others are a granular glitch box, a tape-stop you draw as automation, and a revival of a synth so rare that fewer than 70 were ever built.
Nobody asked us to cover these. We picked them because they change how you start, shape or finish a track. Every spec and price below comes from the companies' own announcements and product pages, checked November 9, 2026. This is a news roundup, not a hands-on review.
What new plugins dropped at a glance?
| Release | Company | Type | Price (USD) | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massive XL | Native Instruments | Wavetable synth | $199 ($99 on sale at time of writing) | Bass, leads and big sound design |
| Photon | iZotope / Boris FX | Stem separation and audio cleanup | Crossgrade deals for iZotope customers until Dec 7 | Pulling stems from finished audio |
| ILLUGEN 2.5 | Waves Audio with Steinberg | Text-to-sample generator | See Waves for current plans | Fresh samples that match your key and tempo |
| HyperWarp | Baby Audio | Granular time effect | $99 MSRP, $49 intro | Stutters, glitches and ear candy |
| TimeStop | Cableguys | Tape-stop effect | $16 | Drops, stops and fills |
| Pentaphonic | Cherry Audio | Vintage polysynth | $59 | Warm 1980s poly pads and leads |
What is new in Native Instruments Massive XL?
Massive XL (opens in a new tab) is the next generation of the synth that helped define bass music, electro and dubstep. It builds on Massive X and still loads Massive X presets and Expansions, so your old library comes with you.
The headline feature is the Preset Generator. Drop in an audio reference and it builds a real, playable and editable patch, with stem separation included so you can pull a part out of a mix first. Mutator makes guided variations of a patch, and Randomizer scrambles single modules while you lock the parts you like.
There is plenty for sound designers too. Native Instruments lists 100+ new wavetables and 100+ new noisetables, custom wavetable import from your own samples, polyphonic aftertouch support, and new built-in effects including Raum, Replika Shimmer and Tape Wobble. Morpher and Animator turn movement into something you can perform and carry across presets.
Try it on: a reese bass from a reference you love. Run it through the Preset Generator, then use Mutator to push it somewhere that sounds like you, not the reference.
Can iZotope Photon split a finished song into stems?
Yes. iZotope Photon (opens in a new tab) is a standalone app and ARA plugin for stem separation and audio cleanup. It runs 12 custom-trained models directly on your computer's graphics card, so nothing gets uploaded and there are no usage limits or queues.
Image: iZotope Photon. Source: iZotope (opens in a new tab).
For music, Music 4 Stems splits a song into vocals, drums, bass and everything else, with an Ultra version for cleaner results when a stem has to stand alone. A drum model breaks a kit into five parts: kick, snare, hi-hat, toms and cymbals. On the cleanup side, Photon removes echo, wind and background noise and can separate up to six people talking. According to iZotope's launch post (opens in a new tab), it is the first tool built jointly by iZotope and parent company Boris FX. New models arrive through a Model Manager without reinstalling.
Try it on: a drum break. Split it into kick, snare and hats, then rebuild the groove with your own sounds layered under each hit. Just remember that separating a sample does not clear it. See our guide on how to clear a sample.
Want free options first? Our roundup of local stem separation tools covers them.
How does Waves ILLUGEN 2.5 work inside a DAW?
ILLUGEN (opens in a new tab) makes original samples from a text description: vocals, melodic parts, textures, one-shots and sound effects. Version 2.5, released November 6, adds a plugin version for all DAWs, so you can create and audition sounds in time with your project's tempo and key.
Image: Waves ILLUGEN 2.5. Source: Waves Audio press materials via Clyne Media (opens in a new tab).
Cubase 16 users get a deeper link from Steinberg. Open ILLUGEN from the right project panel and it reads the timeline tempo, follows the key track and matches loop length to your locators. If you change the arrangement, ILLUGEN follows. Double-click a sound you like and Cubase creates a new audio track named after it.
Try it on: a texture layer under a chorus. Describe the mood, generate a few takes in key, and keep the one that leaves room for the vocal. For a wider view of these tools, read how AI is changing the way audio plugins are made.
What does Baby Audio HyperWarp do?
HyperWarp (opens in a new tab) is a granular effect for movement, texture and color. It breaks incoming audio into tiny grains and plays them back according to a graph you draw. Draw speed changes, stutter steps and direction flips for half-time edits, vinyl-style scratches, sloping stutters and deep tape-stops.
Image: Baby Audio HyperWarp. Source: Baby Audio (opens in a new tab).
Seven effect profiles shape the character, from Clean Warp to Degrade Warp and Filter Spam, each with four macro knobs. You do not need granular experience: there are preset graph shapes and smart randomization. Baby Audio's press release (opens in a new tab) lists a $99 price with a $49 intro sale.
Try it on: the last bar before a drop. Drop HyperWarp on the drum bus, draw a stutter into a reverse, and let the profile do the rest.
Why is Cableguys TimeStop different from other tape-stops?
Most tape-stop plugins give you a button and a timing slider. TimeStop (opens in a new tab) asks you to draw the slowdown as DAW automation on its big Pitch knob, so any length and curve fits your arrangement and stays easy to change.
Image: Cableguys TimeStop. Source: Cableguys (opens in a new tab).
It has three modes. Classic drops pitch and speed together like a record winding down. Modern drops the pitch while the timing stays locked to the beat, which Cableguys calls a first for tape-stop plugins. Loop grabs a slice and repeats it for DJ-style fills. Sound On Sound (opens in a new tab) reports VST3, AU and AAX versions for Windows and macOS. It costs $16, or $9 for Cableguys Bundle owners.
Try it on: a vocal ad-lib in Modern mode. The pitch dives but the words stay on the grid.
What is the Cherry Audio Pentaphonic?
Pentaphonic (opens in a new tab) revives the 1981 Gleeman Pentaphonic, built by brothers Bob and Al Gleeman in a Mountain View garage. Fewer than 70 were ever made. It used a pair of Intel microprocessors to keep its digitally controlled oscillators in tune under stage lights, with Curtis CEM 3320 four-pole filters for its rich analog tone.
Image: Cherry Audio Pentaphonic. Source: Cherry Audio (opens in a new tab).
Cherry Audio keeps the original's options and adds more: greater polyphony, expanded LFOs, pulse-width modulation, oscillator sync and wider modulation. You can even choose looks based on the original black case or the rare see-through Pentaphonic Clear. Cherry Audio's announcement (opens in a new tab) puts the price at $59 for Mac and Windows.
Try it on: slow, chorused chord pads under a modern drum loop. If vintage polys are your thing, see our guide to Prophet-style poly synths.
Which new plugin should you get first?
- For sound design and bass: Massive XL.
- For remixes, flips and fixing audio: Photon.
- For fresh samples in key: ILLUGEN 2.5.
- For glitch and motion: HyperWarp.
- For the cheapest quick win: TimeStop at $16.
- For vintage character: Pentaphonic at $59.
Most offer demos or trials, so test them on a real session before you buy. Missed the earlier fall releases? Read what new plugins and music software dropped this fall, and check our best free plugins of 2026 if you are on a budget.
FAQ
Does Massive XL open my Massive X presets?
Yes. Native Instruments says Massive XL is compatible with Massive X presets and Expansions.
Does iZotope Photon upload my audio to the cloud?
No. Its models run locally on your computer's graphics card.
Does ILLUGEN 2.5 work outside Cubase?
Yes. Version 2.5 adds a plugin version for all DAWs. The extra project-following features are specific to Cubase 16.
How much does Cableguys TimeStop cost?
$16, or $9 for Cableguys Bundle owners.
Is Cherry Audio Pentaphonic based on a real synth?
Yes, the 1981 Gleeman Pentaphonic, of which fewer than 70 units were made.