Reviews
Decksaver Review: We Tried 10 Different Covers – And Their Superior Protection Stood Out
Derek Oswald
Get 10% off with the Decksaver discount code ALTWIRE by going here. “****, I Broke Something On My Synth, Now What?” …words you hope you never have to say! For any person who has ...
Plinky Synth Review: A Fearless 8-Voice Polyphonic Powerhouse of Mood and Motion
Derek Oswald
Introduction I don’t say this a lot about synthesizers I review, but with Plinky, it truly was love at first sight. There’s something so different about this device that once you’re lucky enough to ...
OWC Envoy Pro Elektron 4TB SSD: This Reliable SSD Speeds Up Massive Kontakt Libraries
Derek Oswald
Reviewing VSTs and libraries have left our laptop's internal hard drive crying for mercy. Can the OWC Envoy Pro Elektron 4TB SSD solve our woes?
Shure MV7+ Review: A Powerful Upgrade from The MV7
Derek Oswald
The Shure SM7B still sets the pro standard, yet many creators now want a mic that’s simpler, cheaper, and just as solid on sound. Enter the MV7+.
Ferrous by Landscape.fm: A New Way to Explore Sound
Derek Oswald
Landscape.fm and artist Victoria Shen's Ferrous helps you discover unfamiliar sounds via exploration, and the experience itself helps you view music in a new way, says our reviewer.
Polyend Tracker Mini: Our Honest Verdict Before the 10th Anniversary Limited Edition
Derek Oswald
The Tracker Mini is a compact music workstation built around a tracker interface: streamlined, portable, and shaped by deliberate design choices. It delivers serious production capabilities in a form that fits in the palm ...
Yamaha SEQTRAK Review: A Fast, Focused, and Fun Groovebox with Over 2,000 Sounds
Derek Oswald
Yamaha has a long history of blurring the line between groovebox, synth, and sketchpad with some of their flagship synths. But the SEQTRAK is something different. Both a purpose-built workstation and a sequencer, it’s ...
Ten Years On, And The Reface DX Still Impresses in 2025 (REVIEW)
Derek Oswald
Introduction In 2015, Yamaha introduced the Reface DX to make FM synthesis more approachable. It packs a four-operator engine, a Full-Dot LCD, and 37 mini keys. All fit into a chassis the size of ...
Timetosser MK2: Bold Time-Slicing Wizardry in a Compact Tool
Derek Oswald
Introduction The Timetosser MK2 is a compact, button-driven box built to reshape audio in real time. No screens, no saved loops—just rhythm manipulation at your fingertips. This device focuses on one thing: cutting and ...
OP–XY Review: What Would Happen if The OP-1 Field and OP-Z Had a Love Child?
Derek Oswald
Since launching the game-changing OP-1 in 2014, Teenage Engineering has carved out a reputation for marrying playful design with pro-grade functionality, from the pocket-sized OP-Z to the OP-1 Field workstation. With the OP–XY, they’ve ...
The McNally Strumstick: Why 2025 May Finally Be The Year You Get Better at Guitar
Derek Oswald
Why Strumstick? Learning the guitar can feel like a slow-motion car crash. Your fingertips go numb. Your chords sound like furniture falling down the stairs. You realize playing “Wonderwall” takes weeks, not hours. Worst ...
The Arturia MicroFreak in 2025: Still Brilliant, Still Bizarre
Derek Oswald
Sometimes the story of a synth starts before you ever turn it on. The Arturia MicroFreak isn’t new—it’s been turning heads since 2019—but somehow, I’d never pulled the trigger. Most of the gear I’ve ...
Novation Launchkey 61 MK4 Review – Powerful Features, Thoughtful Design, Modest Price
Derek Oswald
Around for over a decade, the Novation LaunchKey line has long been a preferred MIDI controller for those looking for a cost-effective way to control their DAW, especially Ableton Live users. Now in its ...
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen Review: Pro-Level Power Made Ridiculously Simple
Derek Oswald
The first time I ever plugged a microphone into an interface, it was a Scarlett Solo—the tiny red box that launched a thousand home studios. Mine included. Back then, it felt like magic: clear ...
Daydreamer Synth 1 Review: The Stunning Wooden Wonder Redefining Analog Access
Derek Oswald
First Impressions It’s not every day you stumble across a synthesizer that looks like it was carved from a tree trunk, but that’s exactly what the Daydreamer Synth 1 feels like at first glance. ...
Michigan Synth Works MSW-810m Review: A Forgotten Classic, Reborn for the Modern Desktop
Derek Oswald
The Michigan Synth Works MSW-810m is a modern tribute to the rare Roland CMU-810—a synthesizer that, while largely forgotten outside niche circles, represents an intriguing chapter in the history of music technology. Originally released ...
Beetlecrab Audio’s Tempera: Turning 4,096 Grains into Colorful Sound Art
Derek Oswald
Some gear seems unassuming until the moment you lay a finger on it. While attractive to the eye even without its power on, Beetlecrab Audio’s Tempera is one of those devices. Encased in a ...
Learn, Play, Repeat: How CubyFun’s EasyPlay 1S and EasyPlay Meow Make Music Education Fun
Derek Oswald
For generations, learning music meant hours of drills, dry theory, and expensive lessons. But what if picking up scales, understanding intervals, or recognizing melodies could feel more like playtime than practice? Enter CubyFun’s EasyPlay ...
Midicake ARP Review: How One Man’s Dream Made For a Pretty Damn Fun 4-Track Arpeggiator
Derek Oswald
Let’s be honest, arpeggiators can sometimes feel like an afterthought. Many synthesizers include them, but more often than not, they’re simple, one-trick ponies with limited control and little personality. They’ll feel tacked on and ...
Chroma Console by Hologram Electronics: An Amazing Effects Console That Feels like 20 Pedals In One
Derek Oswald
Some effects pedals are designed to color your sound. The Chroma Console is designed to transform it. From the moment I unboxed the Chroma Console, it was clear this wasn’t just another multi-effects unit. ...
