Editor’s Picks

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 sound. The Microwave took that identity and sharpened it. The Q carried virtual analog into new territory, and the XT became one of the most recognizable digital … Read more

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 Mono, released in 2020. The original Mono arrived as an analog monosynth featuring two VCOs, a deep sequencer, and an advanced … Read more

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 opposite ends of couches. Conversations fracture mid-sentence as notifications arrive. Even shared entertainment has drifted inward, toward personal screens and individualized … Read more

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 space. This exaggerates stereo width and alters how depth and balance are perceived, which makes midrange and low-end decisions less reliable. … Read more

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 acoustics hadn’t worked out. The guitars were too big and too uncomfortable, and early practice sessions left them frustrated. As we … Read more

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 surface, a functional sequencer, a broad set of controls, wireless MIDI, DIN connectivity, and an internal battery into a small chassis … Read more

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 the window, half expecting a concerned neighbor to peer in. It was loud, unapologetic, and absolutely hilarious. That one moment told … Read more

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 to computer music’s past: the MIDISID 4 Morpheus. Built by Shiela Dixon under her PeacockMedia banner, Morpheus is a dual-SID hardware … Read more

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, and sampler into a battery-powered device that fits in one hand. With the 2.0 firmware update, it expands its creative range … Read more

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 issue by providing engineers with a clean, isolated connection between studio hardware and instrument-level gear. It’s a small box that quietly … Read more

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 to sketch and chain layered parts within the unit to craft a complete arrangement. Within this, you can build a beat, … Read more

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 EQ, dual multi-mode filters, two multi-FX units, and a separate reverb. It runs on an ARM Cortex‑M7, stores projects on an … Read more

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 mind behind the Wasp and OSCar, the Bass Station delivered that. Two oscillators, a 12/24 dB filter, MIDI, and stable tuning … Read more