Waldorf Iridium Core Review (2025): A Greatest Hits Collection Disguised as a Desktop Synth
Derek Oswald
Waldorf has been around long enough that you can watch digital synthesis evolve simply by looking at their catalog. The early PPG influence shaped everything. Those bright, shifting wavetables became a signature of late-80s and early-90s electronic ...
Norand Mono MK2: A Delicious Sounding Acid Synth That’s Not A 303-Clone
Derek Oswald
Norand hasn’t been around as long as the big Japanese or American brands, but their path is already pretty clear. The company is based in France and started with its first release, the original ...
Board Review: Rebuilding Game Night for Our Distracted Brains in 2025
Derek Oswald
There is a quiet irony to modern social life. We have never been more connected, and we have never spent so much time sitting next to one another without actually interacting. Phones glow on ...
IK Multimedia ARC On-Ear: Better Monitoring, On The Go
Derek Oswald
Headphones are often the most practical monitoring option, but they rarely replicate a full-room sound. They isolate each ear, eliminate acoustic blending between channels, and remove the cues created by speakers interacting with a ...
Gibson x Loog SG Guitar Review: 2025’s Best Guitar For Children
Derek Oswald
When our tester, Jordan, first introduced the Gibson x Loog SG to their home, it wasn’t their first attempt to help their 11-year-old daughters, Adalynn and Autumn, get into guitar. Previous efforts with full-size ...
The Chirp Contour: Decompression For Those Scared of Chiropractors
Derek Oswald
While we cover a lot of music gear, every once in a while, we cover something outside of that realm. Below is a review of the Chirp Contour, which we tried recently, that you ...
DEAL ALERT: Mixed In Key Black Friday Sale – Mixed In Key 11, Wingman and More!
Derek Oswald
Mixed In Key Launches Biggest Sale of Year! Mixed In Key has launched its 2025 Black Friday sale, offering up to 73% off its catalog of DJ software, composition plugins, and software bundles. If you’ve ...
Noon Instruments: Vessels, and Toska Review – Impressive Atmosphere In Real Space
Derek Oswald
NOTE: Noon Instruments’ BF sale is now live meaning both Toska & Vessels are currently 20% Off until 12/12/25. More details here. Sometimes it can be hard to find software that carries real spatial ...
Synido TempoPad C16: A Capable 16-Pad Controller Built for Mobility
Derek Oswald
Most pad controllers follow a familiar outline. They hand you a grid, offer a few knobs, and call it a day. The Synido TempoPad C16 takes a different route. Synido fits a sixteen-pad performance ...
Reverb Opens Early Black Friday Sale and Revives Its Blacked Out Series
Derek Oswald
Reverb has launched its Early Black Friday Sales Event, running now through November 17 at 10:00 a.m. US Central Time. The promotion includes discounts of up to 70 percent on instruments, pedals, and studio ...
Embodme Erae 2 Review: Exploring A Bold New Language of Touch
Derek Oswald
I first saw the Embodme Erae series during the surprise livestream of Linkin Park’s From Zero secret concert. As a longtime fan of the band, I tuned in to the live stream, both nervous and excited about what ...
Fart Pedal 2.0 Review: A ‘Gas’-Powered Pedal That’s Pure Fun
Derek Oswald
When the Studio Erupts The first time I stepped on The Fart Pedal: Number Two and hit a note to test it, the monitors let out such an aggressive blast that I glanced toward ...
Small Creator Spotlight: Shiela Dixon’s Retro MIDISID 4 Morpheus Revives the Legendary SID Sound
Derek Oswald
Most musicians don’t look to Etsy for synthesizers. The site is better known for boutique pedals, handmade controllers, and other curiosities. Yet tucked between craft projects and circuit art lies a fun little nod ...
Woovebox Micro Music Workstation Review: A Compact Wonder Gets Even Better With Firmware 2.0
Derek Oswald
The Woovebox Micro Music Workstation asks a simple question: Can something smaller than a smartphone replace a 1990s studio setup? Remarkable in both its size and functionality, the Woovebox combines a 16-part synthesizer, sequencer, ...
Franklin Audio RA-100 Review: The Quiet Workhorse Your Studio Didn’t Know It Needed
Derek Oswald
Purchase the RA-100 here and use code ALTWIRE to get 5% off the Franklin Audio RA-100! Noise and level mismatches can derail a session before it starts. Hand-built in Sydney, the Franklin Audio RA-100 addresses this ...
Roland Announces TR-1000 Rhythm Creator: Their First True Analog Drum Machine In Nearly 40 Years
Derek Oswald
Roland has announced the TR-1000 Rhythm Creator, a new drum machine that combines analog circuitry, digital sound engines, and integrated sampling in a performance-focused instrument. Priced at $2,699.99 USD, the TR-1000 is available now, ...
Roland SH-4d Current Review: With v2.0, a Robust and Satisfying All-in-One Synth Gets Even Better
Derek Oswald
Roland calls it a synthesizer, but the SH-4d’s four synth parts, rhythm track, and sequencer give it a groovebox-like workflow. Four synth parts, a rhythm track, per-part effects, and a multitimbral sequencer enable you ...
Randomwaves DrumBoy Review: A Fun and Easy Open‑Source 24-Bit Audio Pocket Drum Machine
Derek Oswald
Quick take DrumBoy is a handheld, sample-based drum machine featuring a five-inch color screen, touch-sensitive pads surrounding the display, 24-bit audio, and ten layers. The sequencer reaches 1/64, and each layer features a parametric ...
Novation Circuit Tracks in 2025: Is Novation’s Easy To Use Groovebox Still a Great Buy?
Derek Oswald
Introduction Novation released the Circuit Tracks in 2021 as the follow-up to its first Circuit from 2015. The newer box wasn’t a total redesign, but it did add features players had asked for: more tracks, microSD ...
Novation Bass Station II in 2025: Still The Best Value Under $600
Derek Oswald
When Novation released the first Bass Station in 1993, it landed at the right time. Producers wanted something small, affordable, and analog to sit alongside samplers and drum machines. Designed by Chris Huggett, the ...
