Reviews
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. ...
Fever Dreams by Ari Mason: Beautiful, Quirky and Experimental – 10% Discount Code Inside
Derek Oswald
Ari Mason's Fever Dreams checks all the boxes for our plugin reviewer Derek: beautiful, yet weird and quirky (and you can save 10% on a copy of your own).
Time Crystals Review: Emergence Audio’s Stunning Ambient Tool
Derek Oswald
Emergence Audio’s Time Crystals isn’t just another Kontakt library: it’s a living, breathing ecosystem of sound, says our reviewer.
Sound Sculpture for the Soul: Inside MNTRA’s Beautiful Library Powered by MNDALA 2 Engine
Derek Oswald
What happens when you take ancient instruments, capture them in stunning high-definition audio, and then run them through a synth engine inspired by video games and nonlinear storytelling?
Pitch Innovations Review: 5 Creative Tools That Will Transform Your Music
Derek Oswald
What if your pitchwheel never hit a wrong note again? What if a simple chord could evolve into an entire melody? What if your rhythm section could swing, shuffle, and surprise—without hours of programming? ...
Is Claire the Best Fazioli F308 Library Yet? Native Instruments Might Have Nailed It
Derek Oswald
When it comes to sampled pianos, the bar keeps getting higher. Every year, new libraries promise pristine realism, expressive nuance, and creative tools that move beyond the traditional. In late 2024, Native Instruments dropped ...
CMEPRO WIDI Master – Unleash Wireless 5-Pin MIDI and Ditch the Cable Chaos!
Derek Oswald
Intro – An Overview of the WIDI Master The CMEPRO WIDI Master is designed as a wireless MIDI solution that frees you from the traditional cable clutter. For bigger studios or even a smaller ...
Nightfox Audio’s Plugin Suite: A Deep Dive Into Their 9 Virtual Instruments
Derek Oswald
An Introduction to Nightfox Audio If you’ve ever wished your plugins worked like a box of LEGOs—clicking together real instruments to build something completely your own—Nightfox Audio might be your new playground. Their whole ...
Tiny Titans of MIDI Control: This.is.NOISE.inc’s Astonishing NM2 and NMSVE
Derek Oswald
Sometimes the best creative sparks come from something small. Really small. Like, fits-in-the-palm-of-your-hand small. This.is.NOISE.inc, is a hardware company that’s built a reputation around ultra-portable, ultra-playful MIDI controllers that don’t just look cool — ...
Teenage Engineering EP-1320 Medieval: An Adventurous Sampler for Bards, Beats, and Battlefields
Derek Oswald
Introduction to the EP-1320 Medieval Only Teenage Engineering would take the phrase “sampler workstation” and respond with “What if we made it Medieval?” Enter the EP-1320 Medieval—a fully functional portable groove box, completely reimagined ...
Crystal Clear and Camera Ready: How the ISOVOX ISOPOP BroadCast Fixed My Sibilance In 5 Minutes
Derek Oswald
Pop filters are one of those accessories you don’t think much about—until they’re ruining your setup. Whether it’s an awkward arm that never stays in place, a filter so bulky it blocks your entire ...
Trails by Fracture Sounds – A Hauntingly Beautiful Kontakt Library for The Modern Composer in 2025
Derek Oswald
Let’s face it—there’s no shortage of string libraries out there. But now and then, something hits differently. Trails by Fracture Sounds is one of those very moments. This one’s for the subtle stuff—the kind ...
