Latest articles by Andy Jones
"This particular 808 is arguably the single most important drum machine in history"
The origin of house music in 5 key tracks
How a small group of Chicago producers invented house and changed music forever
“I’ve got the 303 but I don’t know how to work it - it’s making all these crazy sounds!”
New to working with loops? Start here
"Those looped dance music breakdowns and drops have been done a million times before - so tweak them a little!"
Cyber Monday plugin deals 2024: Last chance software savings
Cyber Monday is over but you can still save big on VSTs and music software
Cyber Monday MacBook deals 2024: Last-minute MacBook deals
The sales are over now but you can still pick up some great deals
Black Friday plugin deals 2024: Black Friday is over, but there are still plenty of deals to get your hands on
We round up all the best plugin deals that are still hanging around post-Black Friday
“A wonderful blend of multitimbral synth hardware with clip style sequencing, wrapped up in a solid, performance-based module”: Mayer EMI MD850 Vibes review
Vibes is a multitimbral hardware synth with Ableton-style sequencing. It's hardware imitating software imitating hardware, and we like it a lot
Best studio monitors 2024: Studio speakers for musicians and producers on any budget
A comprehensive guide to the best studio monitor speakers for home studio recording, whether you’re a beginner or pro producer – including Yamaha, IK Multimedia, Focal and more
How the breakbeat genre took over the music world
“It was the B-side that became one of the most important pieces of music ever - certainly one of the most sampled”
“A well-priced synth workstation – just don't expect a 1980s Juno”: Roland Juno-D7 review
Roland's entry-level synth workstation is easy, light, and cheap, but has depth if you want it
New to making tracks? Start here
Want to make a track from scratch but don't know where to begin? We'll show you
Best studio headphones for music production and mixing 2024: tested by experts
We’ve tested and reviewed a huge range of headphones for music production. These are our tried and trusted choices – plus your FAQs answered
Best laptop for music production 2024: Portable computers for musicians, producers and DJs
Our experts have rounded up and tested the finest options from Apple, Acer, Dell and more to help you make music whenever and wherever you like
Best budget laptops for music production 2024: Affordable laptops for making music
We've got the latest laptops on test that will not only enable you to make music anywhere, but do it without spending a fortune – our top picks start at just $/£300
New to DAWs? Start here
A DAW allows anyone to make music regardless of their abilities
“An easy door into film score creation, and a wealth of creative possibilities”: Sonuscore The Score review
The Score comes up with a film soundtrack based on your stylistic choices, but that’s just the start of it. We score The Score
Unpacking the dark, sample-based sound of trip-hop
It's this genre that set a blueprint for today's down-tempo sounds
“Will breathe some vintage life into any sterile DAW and has some quality components all wrapped up in a tidy and easy workflow”: Harrison/SSL 32Classic Channel Strip review
An emulation of a classic channel strip from a console used by many music business legends, you say? Don’t mind if we do
“You only live 26,000 days, and I'm telling you, I'm gonna wear all of them out. They're gonna know we came through here”: The life and legacy of Quincy Jones
Jones might have put Michael Jackson on the map, but over a 70+ year career he worked with just about every other great American recording artist...
Best MIDI keyboards 2024: Mac, PC and iOS keyboards for players, composers and producers
Our expert guide to the best MIDI keyboards of all sizes and budgets to integrate with your home studio
“A great value phaser plugin with movement, powerful peaks, dirt and drama”: Minimal Audio Ripple Phaser review
Minimal Audio brings its distinctive power and ease of use philosophy to the world of swirling frequencies. Set your phasers to stunning
“With the polyphony and effects it has effectively ‘crossed the line’ into all-new polyphonic Brute territory”: Arturia MiniBrute V review
After going from soft to hard synths, Arturia is going soft again, with its first analogue synth getting a virtual version. It’s a Brute
"There are few producers who haven’t employed or lusted after it": Why does everyone love the UREI/UA 1176 compressor?
Here’s why the 1176 has made such an impact in the recording world
