Ben Rogerson

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Group Content Manager for MusicRadar, specialising in all things tech. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 20 of which I’ve also spent writing about music technology. 

Articles by: Ben Rogerson

Moog Minimoog Model D 2022

The iconic Moog Minimoog Model D synth is back in production and looking better than ever

By Ben Rogerson published

Now with a spring-loaded pitchwheel and updated MIDI functionality

Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field

Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 Field didn’t have a velocity-sensitive keyboard, but it does now

By Ben Rogerson published

Luxury portable synth/sampler gets a pretty bog-standard feature

Rick Rubin and Neil Young

Neil Young says that “nothing is real” when you take the “dark step” into digital music production, as Rick Rubin praises its convenience

By Ben Rogerson published

The pair explain their hybrid approach to recording new Crazy Horse album World Record

UA UAD Spark Windows

3 months of UAD Spark for only 99¢: Black Friday deal gives you use of 19 top-quality Universal Audio native plugins for less than a dollar

By Ben Rogerson published

Pay next to nothing for more than 90 days of using UA’s iconic vintage effects and top-notch instruments

Denon DJ SC Live controllers

Denon DJ drops SC Live controllers: DJ without a laptop and mix tracks direct from Amazon Music Unlimited

By Ben Rogerson published

Standalone, WiFi-enabled devices have built-in speakers, too

Beyonce

Beyonce and Bonobo vie for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Recording Grammys

By Ben Rogerson published

Jazz prodigies Domi & JD Beck and producer Jack Antonoff also in the running for awards

David Paich

Toto’s David Paich on the making of Africa: “We had fun with it like The Beatles did, made a loop, adding instruments one at a time, and then it just took off”

By Ben Rogerson published

Also says that “Keith Emerson was our Jimi Hendrix”

Rode NT-USB Plus

Rode’s new NT-USB+ microphone offers easy plug-and-play recording and next-gen features

By Ben Rogerson published

One of the most popular USB microphones gets an upgrade

Teenage Engineering OP-Z synesthesia Stable Diffusion

Teenage Engineering’s OP-Z is being used to power an interactive AI art installation inspired by the synesthesia phenomenon

By Ben Rogerson published

The Stable Diffusion platform translates musical properties into hypnotic visuals

Kodamo Mask 1

Mask 1 shows its face: new ‘bitmasking’ polyphonic digital synth exhibited in public for the first time

By Ben Rogerson published

What’s the story behind Kodamo’s new keyboard?

Anyma Omega

Aodyo’s Anyma Omega puts physical modelling into a hybrid hardware synth

By Ben Rogerson published

Both keyboard and desktop versions are available

FKJ

FKJ reveals the free plugin that he says is his “favourite digital distortion”

By Ben Rogerson published

“This always works. You get very close to the sound of the analogue console distorting”

Bleass Megalit

Bleass’s Megalit plugin promises to be the power synth that even ‘non-technical’ musicians can use

By Ben Rogerson published

Wavetable and subtractive instrument has a friendly looking GUI

Gorillaz and Thundercat

Thundercat joins Gorillaz on stage at the 2022 MTV EMAs, as Taylor Swift takes home four awards

By Ben Rogerson published

Enjoying a cracking rendition of Cracker Island and see Muse expressing 'The Will of the People'

Taylor Swift MTV EMAs 2022

How to have a number one song in 2022: keep it short, don’t use a key change and write in 4/4

By Ben Rogerson published

Research celebrating 70 years of the UK singles chart also indicates that minor keys are in and fade-outs are out

Air Music Edition

Air | Music Edition is free plugin that promises to give your music more depth and space

By Ben Rogerson published

A simple way to add a sense of distance?

RipX DeepCreate

RipX DeepCreate is a recording playground that treats audio and MIDI as one

By Ben Rogerson published

The DeepRemix creator release another new module

Teenage Engineering Choir

Teenage Engineering’s MIDI wooden doll choir is the most baffling music tech product of the year

By Ben Rogerson published

Eight-piece ensemble can sing built-in songs or you can feed it your own

Sam Smith and Kim Petras

Unholy moly: Soundation has remade Sam Smith and Kim Petras’s huge hit in its online DAW

By Ben Rogerson published

You can open the finished project and access the samples for free

Pioneer DJ DDJ-200

Want to start DJing? Pioneer DJ says that its DDJ-FLX4 controller makes it easy to learn

By Ben Rogerson published

Find your feet in rekordbox or Serato DJ and create “effortless transitions” with the Smart Fader

Donner DDP-200

Donner is back with the DDP-200, another classy-looking digital piano

By Ben Rogerson published

Slimline wooden instrument promises a great piano tone and authentic keyboard

Behringer Dual-Phase

Behringer’s Bi-Phase is now the Dual-Phase, but it still looks very similar to Mu-Tron’s classic hardware

By Ben Rogerson published

Your new swirl friend?

Korg Minilogue Bass

Korg takes the Minilogue polysynth to deep, dark places with a new limited edition Bass version

By Ben Rogerson published

Inverted red and black keys, a liquid swirl design and 100 new bass-focused presets

Daptone Reverb sale

Daptone Records is selling-off classic analogue studio gear, including the Tascam tape machine used to record Amy Winehouse’s Black to Black

By Ben Rogerson last updated

“Most of what I know about gear and sounds and recording, I learned at Daptone,” says Mark Ronson

macOS Ventura

macOS Ventura not currently so ace for computer music makers: check your DAW and plugin compatibility before you upgrade

By Ben Rogerson published

Multiple developers advise against installing macOS 10.13 too soon

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