Latest articles by Matt Mullen
Loopcloud's Flip Sample feature transforms any sample from its library with a single click
The sample platform says the new tool "bridges the gap between browsing and producing", allowing users to slice, sequence, and reimagine samples on-the-fly
"It is not a polite instrument – nor is it clean, safe, or obvious": Cherry Audio revives the cult classic Crumar Spirit in its latest plugin
That's the Spirit
Breakout producer Silva Bumpa on the secret to creating sub bass and UKG rhythms
The fast rising producer reveals his top tools and techniques in our new video interview
"This can't be serious": Billboard reveals the top producers of the 21st century so far – and people aren't happy
Max Martin unsurprisingly snags the top spot, but the absence of greats such as Pharrell Williams – and the inclusion of artists such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift – has sparked debate
"No strings attached": The Crow Hill Company releases Lo-Fi Strings, a free tape-treated string library with a warm and nostalgic sound
Another instalment in Crow Hill's ongoing Vaults series, Lo-Fi Strings brings the beloved sonic imperfections of tape recording into the orchestral world
"It's one of my favourite synths": Rudimental reveal their favourite plugins for drum 'n' bass production
Rudimental's Piers Aggett and Kesi Dryden appear on the Tape Notes podcast to discuss the software that's shaped their soulful, radio-friendly DnB
Try out this free modular sound design playground used by Aphex Twin
Mylar Melodies reveals the genius of Composers' Desktop Project in his latest video – and shows us how SoundThread makes it accessible
Dubreq unveils Stylophone Gen X-2 – and you can play it without the stylus
Thanks to CV/gate connectivity, you can now play this retro mini-synth with a keyboard or sequencer or even hook it up to a DAW or modular rig
"Take your pig squeals to the next level": Ablaze's Screamer is a vocal production plugin "crafted for metalheads, by metalheads"
Described as "the ultimate plugin for extreme vocals", Screamer is designed to enhance screamed vocals with the bold and punchy vocal tone that's characteristic of modern metal production
Teenage Engineering's latest experiment is a free computer case made from one piece of foldable plastic
"We set a goal to design the cheapest computer case in the world. Our engineers worked day and night to push the limits, and they engineered it all the way down to a cost of 0"
Critter & Guitari's Organelle S2 can be anything you want it to be: synth, sampler, sequencer, drum machine, effects unit and more
A self-contained music computer built to run Pure Data patches, Organelle has just been updated with a faster processor and a handful of hardware tweaks
"He's not using a guitar amp. He's using a Tascam 424": JHS Pedals puts a Portastudio in a pedal to help you recreate Mk.gee's "elastic, lo-fi tones"
The 424 Gain Stage is a preamp pedal designed to recreate the sought-after sonics of a Tascam four-track cassette recorder
Auxy launches macOS version of its mobile music-making app and teases forthcoming hardware instrument
One of our favourite music-making apps for iOS just came to desktop
Eventide is giving away a killer $99 distortion plugin for free
A lo-fi powerhouse with a few tricks up its sleeve, CrushStation delivers everything from "creamy saturation to brutal sonic assault"
It might be a little ugly, but Lambda Synthetics' PolyPulse could be the instrument that finally breaks you out of the 16-step grid
Is that a control panel at a Soviet-era nuclear power plant? No, it's an algorithmic performance workstation
"Everybody was screaming out, 'what record is that?!' It wasn't a record – it was the 808": Roland celebrates 45 years of the TR-808 with Rhythm Creators video series
Episode one premieres today with Egyptian Lover, and later instalments will feature Fatboy Slim, Prince Paul and Soul II Soul's Jazzie B
PWM declares Mantis "the next generation of OSCar" as V2 update adds original wavetables from the cult classic synth
Designed in collaboration with the late, great engineer Chris Huggett, Mantis is a spiritual successor to Oxford Synthesiser Company's ultra-rare OSCar synth
Spitfire Audio's latest instrument captures the sound of the historic Strawberry Studios
Château Piano samples a 1901 Steinway B found in an 18th-century French manor house and residential studio beloved by '70s icons
Slate + Ash releases Ruins, an experimental virtual guitar instrument developed with Sunn O)))'s Stephen O'Malley
Featuring recordings from six avant-garde guitarists and produced by Randall Dunn, Ruins explores how "sound can degrade with purpose, and how decay itself can be compositional"
Why Silva Bumpa created his own R&B instrumental just to remix it into the garage-inspired Feel Da Same
Watch the rising UK artist break down his energetic track with vocalist Carla Monroe
"Attention span is slowly creeping back up”: Song lengths are increasing after years-long decline, according to BBC study
The average length of a song in the UK Top 40 reached just under 3m 30s in 2025, up from an all-time low of around 3m 15s in 2019
“My computer blew up on me, but I didn't want to leave the studio without having done anything that day”: How a crashed PC led to the creation of Hide and Seek, the robotic a cappella that introduced millions to the power of vocal processing
Sparked by a tech malfunction at the end of a late-night studio session, Hide and Seek was featured in hit TV shows and sampled by Jason Derulo, becoming Heap's best-loved song. Two decades on, we recount its unlikely story
"The MIDI keyboard that goes beyond MIDI": Nektar introduces Mk3 versions of its Impact LX range of MIDI controller keyboards
Nektar brings redesigned hardware, enhanced DAW integration and Native Instruments NKS support to its Mk3 line of keyboard controllers
