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Trap Door Electronics Active Acid: Prophet-5 Character In A Stomp Box

Derek Oswald

If recent reviews and demo videos on AltWire haven’t already made this clear, I’m a massive fan of acid-style music. Its sounds, its subgenres, and the numerous 303 hardware clones, tributes, and VSTs that emulate them. I found Trap Door Electronics’ Active Acid because I thought this was a 303-inspired guitar pedal. It’s got “acid” in the name. The letter that comes with it talks about acid house and techno. The designer comes from Death … Read more

Strange Things: Subsocial Studios’ War on Boring Samples – Plus 25% Discount Code!

Sim’n Tonic Nome II Review: Finally Making MIDI Timing Work The Way It Should Have Since 1983.

Hosted by Derek Oswald. New episodes coming soon!

Altwire Podcast - Josh Eppard of Coheed and Cambria

Episode 21 – Coheed and Cambria Podcast: An Intimate and Honest Conversation with Josh Eppard – 2025 Tour, Good Apollo and More!

Episode 20 – Alan Robert: Life of Agony, Beauty of Horror, Ghouliana and More!

July 13, 2025

Episode 19 – The Return of Sleaze: Wednesday 13 Talks Mid Death Crisis and His Roots

May 2, 2025

Episode 18 – From Camden to Stardom: A Chat With Bush’s Gavin Rossdale

June 21, 2024

Derek’s Plugin Reviews

Looking for the perfect plugin for that next music project? AltWire’s Derek Oswald (and sometimes others) reviews the ones to try.

Strange Things: Subsocial Studios’ War on Boring Samples – Plus 25% Discount Code!

Derek Oswald

EEnjoy a Subsocial Studios Now & Forever discount code, courtesy of Altwire! Purchase a forever subscription here, and use code … Read more

Noon Instruments: Vessels, and Toska Review – Impressive Atmosphere In Real Space

NOTE: Noon Instruments’ BF sale is now live meaning both Toska & Vessels are currently 20% Off until 12/12/25. More … Read more

Unison Audio Plugins Review: Powerful Tools or Overpriced Hype? MIDI Wizard 2, Drum Monkey, Bass Dragon, Chord Genie

Unison Audio’s plugins spark spirited debate in all corners of the music world. I tested four of them: MIDI Wizard … Read more

Hardware Reviews

We review a wide range of music hardware, from hobbyist to professional (and occasionally some non-music stuff, too).

Trap Door Electronics Active Acid: Prophet-5 Character In A Stomp Box

Derek Oswald

If recent reviews and demo videos on AltWire haven’t already made this clear, I’m a massive fan of acid-style music. … Read more

Sim’n Tonic Nome II Review: Finally Making MIDI Timing Work The Way It Should Have Since 1983.

Here’s the thing about running hardware synths into a DAW: it should be simple. MIDI has been around since 1983. … Read more

The ESI XSynth Review: A Surprising Tiny Synth With Brilliant Depth

I first saw the XSynth on Instagram and had to get my hands on it. At 387×148×27 mm and 634 … Read more

Interviews

Over the past decade-plus, AltWire writers have conducted over 200 interviews with some of the biggest names in music.

Altwire Podcast Alan Robert Beauty of Horror

Alan Robert on The AltWire Podcast (2025) – Exploring His Dual Talents: From Music to Horror Art

Derek Oswald

What was expected to be a six-month detour became a thirty-year run on stages worldwide. Throughout it all, Alan Robert never set down his pencil.

Amanda Achen is Changing the Soundtrack of Modern Gaming.

Amanda Achen didn’t plan to become one of the most distinctive voices in video game music. In fact, she’s not even a gamer. But that’s exactly what makes her work feel so otherworldly.

Grammy Winner Young Fyre Is Building the eSports of Beatmaking, and It’s Only the Beginning

Raj Thomas sits down with Grammy-winning producer Young Fyre to discuss Audeobox, the world’s biggest beat battle platform.

Guides

AltWire’s guides provide a deep dive into our favorite bands, events, memes, and cultural moments.

11 Essential Mental Health/Stress Relief Devices and Supplements That Actually Work (Tested for 2025)

Altwire Staff

With so many Mental Health products out there, it’s easy to feel lost. To help, we tested a wide range of tools to find what works, not just what sounds good in ads.

Dance Pop 101: From the 1970s to Today

Dance Pop music is a genre of electronic dance music that contains music suitable for nightclubs but is accessible enough to find its way onto pop radio. Learn more here.

5 Great Cyber Monday Headphone Deals for Broke People

We get it. Inflation sucks, our credit card bills have doubled (or tripled), and we’re living paycheck to paycheck. Welcome … Read more

Music

Our “bread and butter:” reviews, festival and concert news, and the latest on your favorite artists.

Wu-Tang Clan Brings the Ruckus to Austin’s Moody Center – 06/15/25

Daniel Benavides

It was a night of torch-passing at the Moody Center as Wu-Tang Clan brought their farewell tour to Austin, with Run the Jewels setting the stage for a show that felt like both a celebration and a send-off.

Travis Barker is Returning to Reverb for Round 2 with Exclusive Memorabilia

Reverb, one of the leading online marketplaces for music gear, has announced the return of iconic drummer Travis Barker of Blink-182 to its platform.

Sunset: The Festival at The Espee (2025), Succeeds In It’s First Year

Sunset: The Festival delivered an eclectic mix of genres and artists, creating a vibrant atmosphere that resonated with attendees, Daniel Benavides reports.

(Counter)Culture

Memes, interesting people, TV shows, and those making a name for themselves in 21st-century culture.

Mark’s Guitar Exchange: How One 2025 Accident Changed Things Forever

Raj Thomas

On a quiet Monday night in January, after a weekend spent networking at the NAMM Show, Joshua Augustin, co-owner of … Read more

Craig Peters: His Unlikely Journey From Deathmatch Wrestling Dreams to Scoring Digital Worlds

It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and Craig Peters is in his home studio — guitars hanging like a wall of trophies, … Read more

The 10 Greatest Wrestling Theme Songs of All Time

In honor of WrestleMania 41, Raj Thomas picks what he thinks are the greatest entrance theme songs from professional wrestling, along with a a few more that didn’t make the cut.

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About the Podcast:
Host Derek Oswald holds intimate conversations with top names in the entertainment world. Each episode provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives and careers of musicians, artists, and performers, revealing their creative processes, personal stories, and industry insights.

AltWire Podcast

Episode 21 – Coheed and Cambria Podcast: An Intimate and Honest Conversation with Josh Eppard – 2025 Tour, Good Apollo and More!

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Episode 21 – Coheed and Cambria Podcast: An Intimate and Honest Conversation with Josh Eppard – 2025 Tour, Good Apollo and More!
Aug 20, 2025 •
Few bands in modern rock have built a world as distinct and devoted as Coheed and Cambria. At the heart … Read more
Episode 20 – Alan Robert: Life of Agony, Beauty of Horror, Ghouliana and More!
Jul 13, 2025 •
Alan Robert has built a rare career that bridges two creative worlds. As bassist and songwriter for the long-running band … Read more
Episode 19 – The Return of Sleaze: Wednesday 13 Talks Mid Death Crisis and His Roots
May 2, 2025 •
Wednesday 13 has always embraced theatrics, horror, and excess. With his new album Mid Death Crisis, he reconnects with the … Read more
Episode 18 – From Camden to Stardom: A Chat With Bush’s Gavin Rossdale
Jun 21, 2024 •
In this episode of the AltWire podcast, host Derek Oswald interviews Gavin Rossdale, the legendary frontman of Bush. They discuss … Read more
Episode 17 – Perseverance, Faith, and Fire: Matisyahu on His Latest EP and Life Journey
Jun 13, 2024 •
Over the multi-decade history of American rap music, there has been no shortage of unique artists. However, Matthew Miller, better … Read more
Episode 16 – Brandon Boyd on Morning View XXIII
May 27, 2024 •
In this episode of the AltWire Podcast, Brandon Boyd, the lead singer of Incubus, joins the hosts to discuss the re-recording of their iconic album ‘Morning View’ after 23 years.
Episode 15 – Hopeful Sign – Ryan Key of Yellowcard
May 3, 2024 •
Yellowcard called it quits in 2016 after their tenth studio album, with its frontman Ryan Key pursuing a solo career. … Read more
Episode 14 – “Bad Woman” – Paloma Faith
Feb 27, 2024 •
NOTE: This episode was recorded over Zoom instead of our traditional recording option, Riverside. Please excuse any audio glitches that … Read more
Episode 13 – Reflections – Matt Flood of Caskets
Nov 9, 2023 •
In this episode of The AltWire Podcast, we are thrilled to be conversing with Matt Flood, the powerhouse lead vocalist of … Read more
Episode 12 – “The Black Couch” – Jared Weeks of Saving Abel
Nov 6, 2023 •
As you can see from the episode image, there’s never a shortage of energy when it comes to Jared Weeks. … Read more

Derek’s Plugin Reviews

Hardware Reviews

Interviews

Guides

Music

(Counter)Culture

Episode 21 – Coheed and Cambria Podcast: An Intimate and Honest Conversation with Josh Eppard – 2025 Tour, Good Apollo and More!

Episode 20 – Alan Robert: Life of Agony, Beauty of Horror, Ghouliana and More!

Episode 19 – The Return of Sleaze: Wednesday 13 Talks Mid Death Crisis and His Roots

Episode 18 – From Camden to Stardom: A Chat With Bush’s Gavin Rossdale

Episode 17 – Perseverance, Faith, and Fire: Matisyahu on His Latest EP and Life Journey

Episode 16 – Brandon Boyd on Morning View XXIII

Episode 15 – Hopeful Sign – Ryan Key of Yellowcard

Episode 14 – “Bad Woman” – Paloma Faith

Episode 13 – Reflections – Matt Flood of Caskets

Episode 12 – “The Black Couch” – Jared Weeks of Saving Abel