Articles by: James Russell

9 next-gen drum plugins that could change the way you make beats

By James Russell published 22 March 23

Push your beats to the next level as we take you on a guided tour of the most advanced drum tools out there

6 drum processing techniques to help you program state-of-the-art beats

By James Russell published 16 March 23

Learn some of the most essential tools and techniques for getting a modern drum sound

iZotope Neutron 4 review

By James Russell last updated 9 September 22

$399

The AI mixing package is back for its fourth incarnation. We sum up the new additions and replacements

The producer's guide to arps, riffs and sequences

By James Russell, Future Music published 19 May 22

Inspire your next track with some of today’s top tools and techniques for programming music. James Russell shows us how…

AAS Chromaphone 3 review

By James Russell published 1 February 21

$199

The ‘acoustic object synthesiser’ is back. What's new in this version of AAS’s physical modelling instrument?

iZotope RX 8 Advanced review

By James Russell published 2 December 20

The audio repair stalwart adds and improves a few modules. Can it give a fresh sheen to our tracks?

Elk Audio's Blackboard breakout box bridges the gap between code and control

By James Russell published 17 April 20

The board fits onto the company's Elk Pi, providing faders, buttons, jacks, and a glorious layer of abstraction

Austrian Audio's Hi-X55 headphones were designed for "contemporary music production"

By James Russell last updated 5 August 20

On-ear Hi-X50 model is also coming soon

IK Multimedia’s ARC System 3 gives you an “all-new listening experience”

By James Russell last updated 17 April 20

Studio calibration package adds new analysis algorithm, quicker measurement process, updated GUI, and the ability to use third-party mics

Convergence is a multi-band compressor with up to 10 bands (or four for free!)

By James Russell published 16 April 20

Mastering-grade plugin offers real flexibility

Elektron Overbridge 2 is “music making made more fluid”

By James Russell published 16 April 20

The long-awaited update to the company’s free computer-integration software

Behringer is teasing another synth and the first person to guess it wins one

By James Russell published 15 April 20

The company has posted a PCB design on Facebook

Pioneer DJ’s Rekordbox 6 adds cloud library management

By James Russell published 15 April 20

v6 on desktop and v3 on iOS unifies your collections and syncs between multiple devices

Klevgrand’s Foley-based instrument samples everyday household objects

By James Russell published 15 April 20

Ting lets you make beats with virtual boxes, cutlery, sofas, keys and more

Can Singdaptive help you sing better?

By James Russell published 15 April 20

Online learning platform tracks your progress and costs $25 per month or $249 per year

Remix the chord progressions behind your favourite songs for free with Ripchord

By James Russell published 14 April 20

Share presets and upload your own with this MIDI plugin for Mac and PC

Build the channel strip of your dreams with PSP’s InfiniStrip plugin

By James Russell published 14 April 20

Mix and match 22 modules including EQs, compressors, preamps, filters and more

RetroVolt is the 'Samplesizer' with easy access to classic synth sounds

By James Russell published 14 April 20

Beatskillz' new plugin samples Roland, Sequential, Oberheim, Waldorf and Yamaha instruments for its sounds

How to make music on an old computer: 4 things you need to consider

By James Russell published 7 April 20

Tune an older system for music production, and choose the right DAW, plugins, OS and settings to keep it running smoothly

What is MIDI 2.0, and what does it mean for musicians and producers?

By James Russell last updated 31 January 20

We chat to Art+Logic’s Brett Porter to find out what makes this new interfacing spec tick

Plugin mogul Steven Slate: "You don’t need external DSP for tracking, you don’t need it for mixing, and it just doesn’t make sense to me"

By James Russell published 31 December 19

Best of 2019: The Slate Digital boss on emulation, motivation and why the future of making music isn’t about audio engineering

Massive X updated with dynamic envelopes/LFO, new presets and new skins

By James Russell published 1 November 19

Native Instruments make good on some promises for version 1.1, and finally publishes a manual, too

"Fattier than ever" Cheeze Machine synth is back, and the Pro version has an added touch of the Minimoog

By James Russell published 1 November 19

The classic freeware plugin has been envigorated by 2getheraudio for pay-what-you-want pricing

Waves v11 updates the Renaissance line, adds 1400 artist presets and increases compatibility

By James Russell last updated 6 August 21

Each bundle is updated with more plugins, too

Dubreq’s Stylophone Gen R-8 is ready to ship

By James Russell published 31 October 19

This modern-day Stylophone is higher-tech and patchable, but still stays true to its roots