From the AltWire Archives: Reviews
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 ...
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 ...
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 — ...
F9 TRAX House Nation V1.5: The Best For House Producers
Derek Oswald
Introduction – F9 TRAX House Nation V1.5 When it comes to the vibrant world of EDM, nothing resonates with me quite like House music. My love for this genre was sparked in the early ...
Infiltrator 2 Review: An Effects Swiss Army Knife of Greatness
Derek Oswald
As a lifelong fan of Peter Gabriel, I’ve always been captivated by his fearless creativity. Gabriel’s ability to blend unconventional sounds with emotional depth has made him one of my biggest influences since childhood. ...
