Release notes for every version, plus step-by-step instructions for downloading and installing updates.
v1.0.0Initial Release·June 2026
What's New
Sample Engine
16 velocity-sensitive pads with drag-and-drop loading from any folder or the built-in browser
Unlimited round robin layers per pad with automatic cycling to eliminate machine-gun effect
Full waveform editor with adjustable start and end points, fade in and fade out controls
Per-Pad Processing
Independent 4-band EQ with interactive frequency response visualizer per pad
ADSR envelope, state variable filter, and compressor per pad
Per-pad volume, pitch, pan, and 8-bus output routing
NAM Integration
Compatible with A1 and A2 NAM model architectures
Full tone controls: input and output gain, bass, mid, treble, and noise gate
Route any combination of pads through NAM via the 16-pad routing grid
Multi-Output Routing
8 stereo output buses (Main plus Aux 1 through Aux 7) for full DAW mixer integration
Per-pad and master output bus assignment for complete signal flow control
Kit Management
Create kits from scratch, save to any folder on your system, and load pre-saved kits at any time
3 factory kits included with the installer, installed to Common Documents for easy sharing
Automatically restores the last-used kit on startup in Standalone mode, and in VST3 when enabled in Settings. DAW projects save and restore the full plugin state on session reopen.
How to Download Your Update
New to updating ANVIL? Here's the full process.
1
Open Anvil
Launch the Standalone application, or open ANVIL as an instrument in your DAW.
2
Go to the SETTINGS tab
Click SETTINGS in the top tab bar of the ANVIL interface.
3
Click Check Now under UPDATES
Scroll to the UPDATES section at the bottom right of the Settings panel and click Check Now.
4
Click Download Update when prompted
If an update is available, an "Update available: vX.X.X" message appears along with the Download Update button. Click it.
5
Go to the Lemon Squeezy orders portal
Your browser will open to the Lemon Squeezy My Orders page where your purchase history and downloads live.
6
Enter your purchase email
Type the email address you used when you purchased ANVIL. No password needed.
7
Click the login link in your inbox
Lemon Squeezy sends a magic login link to your email. Click it to access your order and downloads.
8
Download and run the new installer
Download the Anvil_Setup_vX.X.X.exe file from your order. Run it directly over your existing installation. No need to uninstall first.
9
Done. Your license carries over.
The installer does not affect your activation. No re-activation is required.
No re-activation needed. Your license is stored securely on your machine and carries over automatically with every update.
Scans for VST2 (.dll), VST3 (.vst3), AAX (.aaxplugin / .aax), and CLAP (.clap) plugins
Covers all standard Windows plugin directories automatically
Support for unlimited custom scan paths
Real-time file system monitoring — plugin list updates automatically when files are added or removed
Configurable scan depth up to 8 folder levels
Plugin Library
Full sortable and filterable plugin list with search by plugin name
Filter by format: VST2, VST3, AAX, CLAP, or All
Duplicate detection — identifies plugins with the same name across multiple directories
Shell plugin detection — excludes container plugins (Waves, Slate Digital, UAD, Soundtoys, IK Multimedia, and more) from duplicate detection, with support for custom patterns
Plugin file size display (MB / GB) and right-click context menus for quick actions
14,700+ plugin database — auto-categorization and manufacturer lookup
Plugin Categories
21 built-in default categories: EQ, Dynamics, Reverb, Delay, Synth, Drums, and more
Unlimited user-defined custom categories with persistent color coding
Per-plugin category overrides that survive rescans
Plugin Notes & Metadata
Add personal notes to any plugin — survives rescans and updates
Detailed per-plugin metadata panel: format, version, manufacturer, size, backup status, FL Studio preset status, custom category, and notes
Dashboard
At-a-glance library stats: total plugins, format breakdown, backed up count, duplicates, total library size
Bar chart visualization of plugin library composition
Live counts that update after every scan
Library Overview
Full-page analytics view with category breakdown and manufacturer distribution
Bar chart and donut chart visualizations
All counts live-linked to your current library
Multi-DAW Support
Detection and data integration for 12 DAWs: FL Studio, Ableton Live, Cubase / Nuendo, Studio One, Bitwig Studio, Reason, Pro Tools, Universal Audio / LUNA, Reaper, Cakewalk, Audacity, and Sound Forge
Backup System
Back up individual plugins or multiple plugins in bulk
Automatically detects and captures associated license files from AppData and ProgramData — not just the plugin binary
Intelligently skips hardware-locked plugins (iLok, eLicenser, Native Access) that can't be transferred via file copy
UAC elevation for restoring plugins in protected directories (e.g. C:\Program Files)
Backup timestamp tracking per plugin, with option to include FL Studio presets
Configurable backup folder location
Uninstall Manager
Detects and runs the plugin's native uninstaller where available
Leftover scraper — searches DAW data directories, AppData, ProgramData, and system folders for residual files after uninstall
Risk-classified results: direct matches, DAW data, and name matches shown separately
Option to remove FL Studio presets (.fst / .nfo) on uninstall
Desktop notifications on completion
Quarantine System
All files removed during uninstall are quarantined first — nothing is permanently deleted without your review
Move semantics: quarantined files are removed from their original location, not duplicated
Per-file or full-event restore with UAC elevation for protected destinations
Quarantine history retained for audit even after restore
Permanently clear events when no longer needed
History Log
Full timestamped log of all scan, backup, quarantine, and uninstall events
Filter and review past activity
CSV export for record-keeping
Licensing
Offline-first activation via Lemon Squeezy
DPAPI-encrypted license file — hardware-bound to your Windows account
SHA-256 integrity verification prevents tampering
1 seat per license key; fully offline after activation — no periodic check-ins, ever
Transfer to a new machine — releases your current seat so you can activate on another computer
Lost machine support via the Stones Audio support team
Check for Updates
One-click update check from Settings
Compares your installed version against the latest release
Download button appears only when an update is available — directs to your Lemon Squeezy order page