Polyend Tracker Mini: Our Honest Verdict Before the 10th Anniversary Limited Edition

Polyend Tracker Mini

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 of your hand.  You don’t need experience with trackers to get started on the Tracker Mini. The layout feels different at … Read more

Ten Years On, And The Reface DX Still Impresses in 2025 (REVIEW)

Yamaha Reface DX

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 a laptop controller. Ten years on, the Reface DX is still in production and has not waned in popularity. In this … Read more

Timetosser MK2: Bold Time-Slicing Wizardry in a Compact Tool

Alter Audio TimeTosser MK2 in USB mode

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 rearranging live audio while staying on beat. It’s not a sampler, sequencer, or loop station. It’s built for one job: real-time … Read more

Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen Review: Pro-Level Power Made Ridiculously Simple

Scarlett 18i20 Focusrite front panel

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 vocals, clean guitar tone, and no fuss. It was my gateway drug into the world of direct recording, and I’ve had … Read more

Daydreamer Synth 1 Review: The Stunning Wooden Wonder Redefining Analog Access

Daydreamer Synth 1

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. Its unique design philosophy makes an immediate impression—and one that sets it apart from everything else on the market. It’s a … Read more

Midicake ARP Review: How One Man’s Dream Made For a Pretty Damn Fun 4-Track Arpeggiator

MIDICake MIDICake ARP

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 not something that was truly given any thought in the first place. So when the passionate and creative Chris Brown (no, … Read more

Chroma Console by Hologram Electronics: An Amazing Effects Console That Feels like 20 Pedals In One

Chroma Console by Hologram Electronics

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. Created by boutique builder Hologram Electronics, this dreamy, visually striking pedal is a full stereo sound-shaping workstation that fuses vintage charm … Read more

CMEPRO WIDI Master – Unleash Wireless 5-Pin MIDI and Ditch the Cable Chaos!

CMEPRO WIDI MASTER

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 bedroom studio, wires can often be a big issue and if we’re being more frank: a unsightly pain in the ass. … Read more

Tiny Titans of MIDI Control: This.is.NOISE.inc’s Astonishing NM2 and NMSVE

this.is.NOISE.inc NM2 and NMSVE

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 — they work. Their first offering, the Noise Machine Straight Vibin’ Edition (NMSVE), proved that wireless MIDI could be tiny, functional, and … Read more

Crystal Clear and Camera Ready: How the ISOVOX ISOPOP BroadCast Fixed My Sibilance In 5 Minutes

ISOVOX ISOPOP Broadcast in use during a recent episode of The Altwire Podcast

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 face on camera, or a windscreen that kills the sparkle in your voice trying to tame plosives, most of us settle … Read more