The KVR Developer Challenge 2023 - Winners Announced

By KVR Audio on August 3rd, 2023

Voting in the KVR Developer Challenge 2023, the ninth free-for-all audio plug-in / audio application / soundware design has closed and the votes have been counted.

First up, thanks to everyone who took the time to enter the KVR Developer Challenge 2023. As usual we had an interesting and varied selection of submissions, from reverb, eq and dynamics plugins to a visual plugin development application, a spatial audio synthesizer and sampler, and a euclidean, non-linear, poly-metric, polyrhythmic, morph-able step-sequencer! Check them all out at kvraudio.com/kvr-developer-challenge/2023

Thanks too to everyone who has donated so far. Donations are significantly down on previous years, no doubt a reflection of the tough times we are all facing, but we'll leave the donation button active for another week (until August 10th) and then distribute the final total to the winners. If you wish to donate please do so. Whilst the primary reason for entering is not for the cash prize fund, it would be nice to get a bit more in the kitty before sharing it out.

So, who won?

Overall Winner: Solaris by Adam Szabo, a VST2 & VST3 reverb plugin for Windows

The Solaris reverb plugin is a mesmerizing tool that transports your audio into ethereal soundscapes. With its shimmering effect, it adds a celestial aura to your music, and creates cascading, sparkling reverberations. The Solaris plugin is your gateway to celestial realms, empowering you to create enchanting textures and transcendental atmospheres within your compositions. With its low CPU usage, it can also function as a modern reverb unit for many different applications.

Adam Szabo's Solaris reverb plugin was the runaway winner this year garnering more than double the points of the runner up! Apart from taking the overall winner title, Adam Szabo will receive 30% of the final donations total as the highest placed Windows entry. Congratulations Adam.

Second Place: MONSTER OctaChord v1 by Monster DAW, a VST2, VST3, & Audio Unit Chord Library plugin for Windows and macOS

Are you aspiring to become a music producer, but struggling to create captivating chords for your next hit? Have you followed numerous YouTube tutorials on "how to make chords," only to find it incredibly challenging to master? Are you in need of a spark to compose a song? Or do you want to make music but didn't have music theory knowledge at all? Fear not, because MONSTER OctaChord is here to save the day.

As the highest placed macOS entry Monster DAW will receive 30% of the final donation total for MONSTER OctaChord v1. Well done Monster DAW.

Third Place: Wave Breaker by Press Play, a VST2, VST3, & Audio Unit Limiter plugin for Windows and macOS

Wave Breaker is a true-peak stereo limiter designed to provide high levels of transparency and instant visual feedback for a seamless workflow. It uses the design concepts and waveform display engine from Wave Observer to create a mixing and mastering tool for audio professionals and enthusiasts alike.

Press Play will take home 20% of the donation total with Wave Breaker as the next highest placed entry.

Fourth Place: Northern Trumpets by VG Trumpet, a Trumpet Kontakt & sfz Instrument

Northern Trumpets is a jazz trumpet sound library for the Kontakt sampler platform (full version). I created this instrument drawing inspiration from the mesmerizing trumpet sounds of renowned Norwegian musicians Nils Petter Molvaer and Arve Henriksen. I didn't replicate their sound; instead, I aimed to capture the ambiance by blending warmth and coolness, mastery and spontaneity, and the tension of the notes with a relaxed perception.

With Northern Trumpets the highest placed soundware entry, and at a very respectable overall fourth place, VG Trumpet will receive 10% of the prize fund.

Wildcard Prize - Roundels by XiiixxiQ

This leaves the final 10% wildcard prize, which we've decided to award to Roundels by XiiixxiQ. Anything described as a "Euclidean, Non-Linear, Poly-metric, Polyrhythmic, Morph-able Step-Sequencer" deserves something. It's available for macOS in VST3, Audio Unit and LV2 plugin formats and requires a host that supports MIDI FX plugins, such as Logic or REAPER.

See You Next Time

The KVR Developer Challenge began in 2006 and has occurred every 2-3 years ever since: 2021 gave us WhispAir by Full Bucket Music, GR-8 by Phuturetone, Virtuosity Drums by Versilian Studios, and FKFX Influx by FKFX. 2018 delivered gems such as ProF.E.T. by Ignite Amps, Deducktion by Dead Duck Software and MPS by Full Bucket Music. We had Youlean Loudness Meter, Lagrange by Ursa DSP and Spaceship Delay from Musical Entropy in 2016, Multiply by Acon Digital, Nova-67P by vladg/sound and Emissary by Ignite Amps in 2014, and so it goes on...

Check out 2012, 2009, 2007, and the original in 2006 when Triple Cheese by u-he won the show!

Find out more at www.kvraudio.com/kvr-developer-challenge

See you next time... 2024?

Read More KVR Developer Challenge