FrozenPlain July 2025 Newsletter
Welcome to our July update! This month has been about polishing Floe, our free sample player plugin — releasing version 0.11 with some great improvements. Version 1.0 is finally within reach next month along with a new FrozenPlain sample library.
Floe 0.11: The Fun Stuff
The latest Floe update brings improvements that makes the tool more enjoyable and fluid to use.
The star feature is velocity curve control for each layer. This replaces simple on/off velocity mapping with full curve control, letting you craft sounds that evolve dramatically as you play. By configuring these for the 3 layers, you can create instruments that are alive and morph between different timbres.
We’ve also streamlined the picker panels with much more intuitive navigation. Single-click loads sounds, double-click loads and closes the panel. The background dims when panels are open, keeping you focused. Plus, we’ve added next/previous buttons throughout the entire GUI—every menu now lets you quickly step through options without opening dropdowns.
The stability improvements have been substantial too. Floe 0.11 and its bugfix releases have squashed the nearly all the remaining rare crashes and edge cases. As always, let us know if you find a bug — we’ll fix it.
Final Features Before V1.0
We’re working on three exciting features that will complete Floe’s core feature set:
Macro knobs will let you create sophisticated custom controls for each preset. Map a single knob to control filter cutoff, reverb depth, and layer balance simultaneously—perfect for creating expressive, playable instruments that respond exactly how you want them to.
Preset descriptions will appear right in the UI, so preset makers (like us) can include helpful notes about each sound’s character and intended use.
Keyboard region splitting will let you assign different layers to different areas of the keyboard, opening up entirely new sound design possibilities.
Looking Ahead: Version 1.0
Next month brings the full launch of Floe version 1.0 alongside our first native Floe-format library. This isn’t just a version number bump—it represents Floe reaching maturity as a creative platform that’s ready to grow with you for years to come.
Understanding Formats: Mirage vs Floe
All our current products are Mirage-format, which works seamlessly in Floe but doesn’t yet tap into Floe’s more advanced capabilities like comprehensive tagging and cross-library mixing.
Floe-format libraries will unleash these features. Imagine combining strings from one library with pads from another, or searching across all of libraries by mood tags like "dark cinematic keys" or "ethereal acoustic textures." Libraries creatively enhance each other but without locking you into a cumbersome commercial platforms; Floe is free and open source - anyone can make changes to its functionality.
We’ll be converting our existing products to Floe-format as free updates, transforming your current collection into a much more powerful creative toolkit.
Product Spotlights
Deep Conjuring
Deep Conjuring (£20.00) explores the fascinating space between dreams and nightmares. Created with Beautiful Void Audio, it offers 92 instruments that range from nostalgic melancholy to harsh horror dread. Designed for adding psychological depth to any production.
Wraith
Wraith (£20.00) specialises in dark ambient textures and expansive pads. With 230 synthetic instruments organised into drones, tonal pads, and textures, it’s fantastic for creating atmospheric layers and building tension in cinematic work.
Floe in the wild
Word about Floe is spreading: we’ve been featured on several respected music technology sites this month:
- Synthanatomy wrote an overview article and demo video
- Bedroom Producers Blog featured our beta release
- Audio Plugin Guy also wrote up about our beta release
- audiofanzine also wrote about our release (French)
- KVR Audio added us to their plugin database
Community
Thanks for following Floe’s journey. Your feedback continues to shape our development priorities. Join the conversation on our forum, or catch up with us on Bluesky Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X.
See you next month for the big 1.0 launch!
