Beatsurfing VRAC+: the synth that turns any sample into a drum kit now in fully featured

July 23, 2026 Synth Anatomy News, Plugins, Software 0

Beatsurfing VRAC+ is the feature-rich version of the free VRAC synth plugin that turns any sample into a drum sound.

In early July, the Belgian company Beatsurfing released the free plugin VRAC. This generated a lot of interest because of what it does. It can transform any sample into a versatile drum kit, and all this without using AI.

A plugin that can keep you busy for a long time. If you like the free version, you might also like the Plus version. Beatsurfing has released the VRAC+, a more powerful version of its free plugin with more features, unlocking new ways to craft drum sounds.

Beatsurfing VRAC+

VRAC+ is based on the same concept as the free version. Take a random sample from your library, drag it into Beatsurfing VRAC+, and the plugin will transform it into a drum kit you can explore with pad morphing.

The free version can do that too. VRAC+, however, takes it a step further with new features and options not available in the free version. The differences begin with the process itself.

Instead of just importing your sounds, the plus version allows you to record audio straight from your DAW into the engine up to two minutes via the sidechain/audio input. Plus, it saves the audio in the sample manager.

Yes, there is a new sample manager that brings order to your sounds. It has a folder system, including current folder, imported, recorded, and more.

Also, the sample length has been drastically expanded. While the free version has a 60-second limit, VRAC+ lets you use samples up to 60 minutes long.

A highlight of VRAC+ is the new auto-slicing function that automatically detects every transient in your source. Once done, you can jump between hits with the arrow keys. Manual searching is a thing of the past.

More Plus Features

Alongside this, Beatsurfing VRAC+ users also benefit from 16 pads instead of eight pads (free version). They not only doubled the pads, but they also infused extra creative power into them.

Each pad now comes with its own dedicated shaping tool. Warp is a three-band dynamic reshaper, Impact shapes the transient, and Instability introduces randomness to each hit. Tone Shift is a spectral shifter, Super adds saturation and stereo width, and each pad also includes a 3-band EQ.

The velocity on each pad is also now more versatile, as it’s no longer limited to the volume but also now includes the length and tone shift. There are also new global controls that shape the whole kit at once: tone shift, DJ-style filter, transpose, and volume.

Further, VRAC+ users benefit from multi-output support. More precisely, you get eight stereo pairs instead of regular stereo. And you can now export not only your individual sound but also the whole kit at once.

As a bonus, Beatsurfing teamed up with Oliver Thys to create a sample library with cinematic, rich, and authentic textures that you can find in the VRAC+ library.

First Impression

The free VRAC plugin is very fascinating. For me, it’s even one of the best free plugins of the year. If you haven’t tried it yet, you absolutely must download it. It’s super fun. I’m pleased that there’s now a Plus version that makes it even more comprehensive.

Beatsurfing VRAC+ is available now for an early bird price of 39€ instead of 149€. The offer ends July 29th, 2026, and the plugin will be officially released on July 27th, 2026.

It runs as a VST, VST3, AU, and AAX plugin on macOS (native Apple Silicon + Intel) and Windows.

More information here: Beatsurfing

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