Is this the official Sono Elements website?
No. From 2018 to 2020 this domain hosted the developer’s own site. After it went offline, the domain registration lapsed and the address was parked and offered for sale. The site you are reading now is an independent archive that restores the old page addresses with newly written information. It is not run by, endorsed by or connected to Sono Elements. More on the About page.
Can I still buy eTron, eTron Pro, Model Keys, SolinStrings or RetroByts?
Not as far as we can tell. The plugins were sold through Gumroad, and every original store link, eTron Pro’s included, now returns “not found” (checked 2–3 November 2026). Nothing is sold on this site, and we do not know of an authorised reseller. Be careful with “cracked” or re-uploaded copies offered elsewhere: the licence did not allow redistribution, and such files are a common way to spread malware.
I bought one of these plugins. Can you resend my download or licence?
No. This archive has no access to the developer’s customer records, files or licence system. If you bought through Gumroad, your Gumroad account library or the original purchase email is the place to look.
Which formats and operating systems did the plugins support?
All five were instrument plugins for Windows and macOS. The figures below come from the developer’s manuals and the archived product pages.
| Plugin | Formats | Disk | RAM | Launch price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| eTron | VST, AU | 200 MB | 1 GB | US$19 |
| Model Keys | VST, AU | 1 GB | 2 GB | US$19 |
| SolinStrings | VST, AU | 100 MB | 1 GB | US$19 |
| eTron Pro | VST, AU (KVR also lists VST3) | 300 MB | 1 GB | US$29 |
| RetroByts | VST, AU | 60 MB | 1 GB | US$19 |
Every manual lists Windows 7 or 10, or macOS High Sierra or later, a VST or AU host, and at least an Intel Core i5 at 1 GHz. The product pages also mentioned Windows 8.
Do they work on macOS Catalina or newer?
By 2020 the archived product pages said the plugins were not compatible with macOS Catalina (10.15) and that an update was coming (the note is absent from December 2019 captures and present from September 2020). We have not been able to confirm whether that update was released, and we have no information about later macOS versions or Apple silicon Macs. We cannot test the plugins ourselves.
How were the plugins installed?
There was no installer. According to the manuals and the original site’s FAQ:
- Windows: copy the plugin’s
.dllfile and its matching.instrumentsfile into your VST plugin folder, then rescan plugins in your DAW. - macOS (AU): copy the
.componentfile to/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/Components/. - macOS (VST): copy the VST file to
/Library/Audio/Plug-ins/VST/.
Then restart the DAW so it rescans its plugin folders. The later manuals add that restarting the Mac can help if a plugin still does not appear.
Which MIDI CC numbers did the plugins respond to?
All five manuals list the same controller assignments:
| CC number | Controls |
|---|---|
| 1 | Modulation wheel |
| 5 | Glide time |
| 6 | Pitch-bend range |
| 7 | Volume |
| 8 / 10 | Pan |
| 11 | Expression |
| 64 | Sustain pedal |
| 69 | Legato pedal |
| 91 | Reverb |
| 120 / 123 | All notes off |
| 121 | Reset all controllers |
| 126 | Mono mode |
| 127 | Poly mode |
What did the licence allow?
In summary, the manuals granted buyers the right to use the plugin in their own music. Finished tracks could be released, licensed and sold, and original loops made with the plugin could also be sold without extra fees. Redistributing the plugin itself, or resampling it to build a competing product, was not allowed without permission. This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; the full wording is in each manual.
Where can I find the manuals and audio demos?
The developer uploaded the manuals to the Internet Archive, and they are still online: eTron, Model Keys, SolinStrings, eTron Pro and RetroByts. The audio demos are on the developer’s SoundCloud account (eTron Pro’s is also in its Internet Archive item). Each product page has a player that loads the demo when you ask it to.
Why do the page addresses contain 2018 and 2019 dates?
They are the original Blogger addresses, kept so that old links from magazines, forums and bookmarks still work. The dates are when the products were first published. The text on each page was written in November 2026 and says so.
What happened to the “Black Friday Sale” page?
An address for a November 2019 “Black Friday Sale” post shows up in web-archive records, but only from after the site went offline, and the post never appears in the original blog’s own archive list. Its content cannot be verified, and the offer would be long over anyway, so the address returns “410 Gone” instead of a made-up page.