Articles by: Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. 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, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.

Articles by: Ben Rogerson

“Not what I expected at all”: here’s what happened when Dream Theater's Jordan Rudess was asked to play along to Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ Empire State of Mind, a song he’d never heard before

By Ben Rogerson published 17 October 23

“Shall we send it to Alicia and tell her she needs to go back in the studio and add some tracks?”

Could GForce’s enhanced Oberheim OB-X emulation be even better than the original synth?

By Ben Rogerson published 16 October 23

New plugin gives you loads of OB-Xtras

The Zoom R4 takes the old-school 4-track cassette recorder and puts it in your pocket

By Ben Rogerson published 16 October 23

Plus, it has possibly the cutest volume faders ever

There’s a reason why Madonna references Prince during a guitar solo at the end of Like a Prayer on her Celebration World Tour

By Ben Rogerson published 16 October 23

In fact, Prince gets acknowledged twice, and there’s also a ‘dance-off’ with Michael Jackson

The BBC has unveiled a new version of the Doctor Who theme, but can it compete with the synth-fuelled ones that came before it?

By Ben Rogerson published 13 October 23

And before you ask: no, it doesn’t drift in and out of time

“That is the only time in my life that a camera was ever on when magic actually happened”: Jack Antonoff reflects on the viral video that shows him and Taylor Swift writing the bridge to Getaway Car in a matter of seconds

By Ben Rogerson published 13 October 23

Is it actually a ‘bridge’ at all, though?

Eras-defining? Beyonce joins Taylor Swift on the red carpet at the Eras Tour movie premiere

By Ben Rogerson published 12 October 23

“The fact that she showed up tonight was like an actual fairytale,” said Swift

Behind-the-scenes footage of Billie Eilish and Finneas in the studio reveals the moment they overcame writer’s block and hit upon the idea for What Was I Made For?

By Ben Rogerson published 12 October 23

Eilish also says that it frustrates her when artists say they don’t like their own music: “I’m like, why are you doing this then?’”

“Oh, shit. This is fire”: watch the moment Daft Punk played Pharrell Williams the finished version of Get Lucky for the first time

By Ben Rogerson published 12 October 23

Williams also reveals that he originally thought he was writing his “Michael Jackson-esque” vocal part for someone else

Universal Audio is giving away a ‘new’ LA-2A compressor plugin for free: here’s what makes it different to all the others

By Ben Rogerson published 11 October 23

There’s no catch and no dedicated hardware required, but only if you download it before 31 October

APC64: Akai Pro goes big on the touch strips and polyphonic aftertouch with its latest Ableton Live pad controller

By Ben Rogerson published 10 October 23

Can it push its way to the top of the pile?

Waldorf downsizes its Iridium synth and launches a smaller ‘Core’ version for performers and musicians on the move

By Ben Rogerson published 10 October 23

Powerful 3-oscillator instrument heads back to the desktop

Free BFD Player plugin promises to give everyone access to high-quality drum sounds and grooves

By Ben Rogerson published 10 October 23

A new version of the classic software can be yours for nothing

Yamaha gets back into the virtual analogue synth game with the Montage M: new AN-X engine joins enhanced AWM2 and FM-X sound generators in flagship workstation keyboard

By Ben Rogerson published 10 October 23

88-note polyphonic aftertouch model harks back to the CS-80 and DX1

Austrian Audio’s MiCreator Studio looks like what it is: an audio interface and a microphone combined

By Ben Rogerson published 9 October 23

Record using the built-in condenser mic and use the audio input to capture a second device

“No credit given or permission requested”: Pet Shop Boys call out Drake for “singing the chorus of West End Girls” in new song All The Parties

By Ben Rogerson published 9 October 23

If, when, why, what?

It had to happen: Automix is a free AI tool that will mix your music for you, and you can try it right now for free

By Ben Rogerson published 6 October 23

A viable alternative to a lifetime of audio engineering learning and a DAW full of plugins?

Candle In The Wind wasn’t originally inspired by Marilyn Monroe, says Bernie Taupin

By Ben Rogerson published 6 October 23

Lyricist also claims to have spent just half an hour on the rewritten Princess Diana tribute version and to have only heard it a couple of times: “I don’t remember a word of it!”

Donner throws a curve ball with Medo, a handheld synth, sampler and music-making device

By Ben Rogerson published 5 October 23

“Multi-function musical instrument” lands on Kickstarter at a tempting early-bird price

Jorja Smith becomes the latest artist to cover Harry Styles’ As It Was, following Lewis Capaldi, John Mayer, Arcade Fire and - of course - Rick Astley

By Ben Rogerson published 5 October 23

Singer performs in BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge

“Nah. It doesn’t work”: How Harold Faltermeyer’s iconic Axel F nearly didn’t make it into Beverly Hills Cop at all

By Ben Rogerson published 5 October 23

Faltermeyer needed to convince both Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and neither of them liked it…

Could you create and release a track a day for an entire year? That’s what one EDM producer is going to do, and he’s got the tattoo to prove it

By Ben Rogerson published 4 October 23

We’d settle for finishing one track a year, to be honest

Synplant is back, and version 2 uses AI to grow sounds based on any audio file you feed it

By Ben Rogerson published 4 October 23

The horticultural soft synth has blossomed into something even more impressive

“You create your sounds simply by plugging into the right holes”: here’s how the BBC explained the Moog synthesizer to TV viewers back in 1969

By Ben Rogerson published 3 October 23

Just a few months after the moon landings, Britons were ready for a futuristic musical instrument…

“All of a sudden, he’s down to a T-shirt, and he’s ripped, and he’s 80, and he’s giving you full-blown Mick Jagger”: Andrew Watt on producing new Rolling Stones album Hackney Diamonds

By Ben Rogerson published 2 October 23

“It’s the greatest honour as a kid with a guitar who grew up idolising every single thing Keith Richards ever did,” he admits

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