Hardware Reviews
Blipblox myTRACKS Review: A $349 Groovebox for Kids
Fifteen minutes after the Blipblox myTRACKS arrived at my doorstep, I had it sitting on the desk with the built-in speaker pointed toward the ceiling. Then I hit…
Drum Machines & Grooveboxes
Every Drum Machines & Grooveboxes review on AltWire, newest first.
Hardware Reviews
Teenage Engineering EP-40 Riddim Supertone: 13 Artists, One Very Bold Vision
Many years ago, Teenage Engineering had an idea for a reggae-themed Pocket Operator. What shipped in November 2025 was something else entirely.…
Hardware Reviews
Woovebox Micro Music Workstation Review: A Compact Wonder Gets Even Better With Firmware 2.0
The Woovebox Micro Music Workstation asks a simple question: Can something smaller than a smartphone replace a 1990s studio setup? Remarkable in…
News
Roland Announces TR-1000 Rhythm Creator: Their First True Analog Drum Machine In Nearly 40 Years
Roland has announced the TR-1000 Rhythm Creator, a new drum machine that combines analog circuitry, digital sound engines, and integrated sampling in…
Hardware Reviews
Roland SH-4d Current Review: With v2.0, a Robust and Satisfying All-in-One Synth Gets Even Better
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…
Hardware Reviews
Randomwaves DrumBoy Review: A Fun and Easy Open‑Source 24-Bit Audio Pocket Drum Machine
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…
Hardware Reviews
Novation Circuit Tracks: Is Novation’s Easy To Use Groovebox Still a Great Buy?
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,…
Hardware Reviews
Sonicware SmplTrek in 2025 Review: A Productive & Compact All-in-One Music Workstation
Introduction: What is the Sonicware Smpltrek? When Sonicware first launched the SmplTrek, it was pitched as a handheld sampler and groovebox that…
Hardware Reviews
Donner Essential B1 and D1 Review: Budget-Friendly Acid and Beats That Work Together
Donner has been expanding from entry-level pedals and beginner instruments into more serious production tools. The company, once best known for affordable…
Hardware Reviews
Polyend Tracker Mini: Our Honest Verdict Before the 10th Anniversary Limited Edition
The Polyend Tracker Mini is a compact music workstation built around a tracker interface: streamlined, portable, and shaped by deliberate design choices.…
Hardware Reviews
Yamaha SEQTRAK Review: A Fast, Focused, and Fun Groovebox with Over 2,000 Sounds
Yamaha has a long history of blurring the line between groovebox, synth, and sketchpad with some of their flagship synths. But the…
Hardware Reviews
OP-XY Review: What Would Happen if The OP-1 Field and OP-Z Had a Love Child?
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…
Hardware Reviews
Teenage Engineering EP-1320 Medieval: An Adventurous Sampler for Bards, Beats, and Battlefields
Introduction to the EP-1320 Medieval Only Teenage Engineering would take the phrase “sampler workstation” and respond with “What if we made it…
