Dirk Ulrich has announced that he has re-acquired Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, bringing both companies back under his personal leadership. As of July 15, 2026, the brands now operate within RCKFRC, Ulrich’s new company, which also includes Apogee and Manley.
The announcement marks a structural change in ownership and leadership for Brainworx and Plugin Alliance. According to Ulrich, the move is intended to continue the development of both brands under founder oversight while maintaining continuity for existing users.
Brainworx was established two decades ago with a focus on developing professional audio tools for daily use in studio environments. Plugin Alliance followed in 2012, creating a distribution platform and collaborative framework for a range of audio software developers and hardware brands. Together, the two entities have released a broad catalogue of mixing, mastering, and production plugins used by engineers, producers, and musicians worldwide.
In his statement, Ulrich addressed questions from users regarding the future of their software and licenses. He confirmed that protecting existing customer investments is a central priority under the new structure. This includes maintaining plugin functionality, preserving license validity, and ensuring continuity for ongoing projects.
Ulrich outlined several immediate priorities for Brainworx and Plugin Alliance under RCKFRC:
- Ensuring continued operation and support of existing plugins and licenses.
- Ongoing product development aligned with professional audio workflows.
- Transparent and direct communication with users.
- Introducing the team responsible for the next phase of development.
- Sharing a future product roadmap.
He stated that the transition is not intended as a restart of the brands, but as a continuation with renewed focus and responsibility. The stated aim is to further develop the Brainworx and Plugin Alliance ecosystem while maintaining the reliability that users expect in professional production environments.
The integration into RCKFRC places Brainworx and Plugin Alliance alongside Apogee and Manley, both established names in professional audio hardware and software. Further information about how these brands will interact within the expanded structure is expected in the coming weeks.
Ulrich also acknowledged the role of inMusic and its team in facilitating the transition, describing the collaboration as constructive throughout the process.
Additional details regarding the organisational structure, development plans, and future releases from Brainworx and Plugin Alliance are expected to be shared as part of the next phase of communication from the company.
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