Latest articles by Si Truss
“A fairly underwhelming update to what remains a must-try synth”: Korg Opsix MkII review
There’s little exciting about its MkII update but Opsix remains an all-time-great FM synth
“An unmissable and great value package”: Arturia FX Collection 5 review
As Arturia’s effect bundle gets a clutch of new tools, we ask if this is now the one to beat
“Murmux’s gorgeous, characterful sound and quality design live up to its top-end price point”: Dreadbox Murmux Adept review
The on-again off-again polysynth returns in its most capable form yet. We find out if it's worth the price
“Trash 2 fans will no doubt find the lack of depth or new ideas disappointing”: iZotope Trash review
One of the all-time great distortion plugins returns but long-time users may be disappointed…
"The Prophet-6 is my most used synth. It’s got a nice balance of not trying to do too much, but doing enough to be flexible": In the studio with Max Cooper
The UK producer invites us into his studio for a tour of his hardware synths and creative stompboxes
"Bitwig finally has a suite of unique, flexible effect tools to match its creative ambitions": Bitwig Studio 5.2 review
[UPDATED to version 5.2] With version 5, Bitwig is redefining what a DAW is. This latest update sees it become a modulating monster of a DAW and instrument
6 ways to process your drum machine
Whether analogue, digital or sampled, drum machine sounds often benefit from a touch of polish. Here are 6 go-to effects…
Get to know your drum machine's sequencer
Your machine’s features explained, and how you can make the most of them
"The most expressive application of aftertouch technology": Arturia PolyBrute 12 review
The French flagship synth gets upgraded with more voices and better aftertouch
“At its best when integrated into a wider setup and pushed to its creative limits”: Moog Spectravox review
Is it a vocoder, a filter or an analogue monosynth? As we discover, Moog’s latest is all of these things and more…
Best small studio monitors 2024: Compact speakers from budget to professional
The best speakers for small studios and portable use, from KRK, Focal, IK Multimedia and more
"We love its West Coast sound and experimental design": Moog Labyrinth review
The US brand’s second semi-modular of the year has the makings of a West Coast-inspired, IDM powerhouse
Best DJ laptop 2024: our pick of PCs and M3 Macs for playing out and performing
Our hand-picked laptop choices for DJs, all perfect for Serato, rekordbox, Traktor, Ableton, Virtual DJ and more
How to craft the perfect synth bassline
Get the lowdown on low-end with our guide to bass synthesis
The ultimate guide to ambient sound design
Whether you’re creating a majestic work of meditative ambience or an atmospheric pad for the breakdown of your club banger, we’re here to teach all you need to know
How to synthesize drums using noise
Create your own snares and hi-hats using white noise with Arturia's Pigments synth
6 processing techniques for ambient noise
Some carefully applied processing can transform ambient noise into a versatile tool in your productions
“Unique and inspirational”: SOMA Labs Metaconformer review
SOMA’s latest is more than just a basic MIDI thru box
How to use noise in your music-making
From white noise to incidental ambience – ‘noise’ plays an important role in sound design, and could be the secret weapon for bringing your tracks to life
"Ableton came along and pretty much took over the whole creative process of what I do": Luke Slater
As the UK techno legend prepares to release his new L.B. Dub Corp album, we visit him in his gear‑stuffed studio
The TEO-5 gives you the classic Oberheim sound at an affordable price point
Based on the same platform as the Sequential Take 5, the TEO-5 keeps it Oberheim with a classic state-variable SEM filter and X-Mod functionality
“A novel and powerful new take on drum generation”: Forever 89 Visco review
This drum machine from former Ableton and Teenage Engineering developers uses a distinctive resynthesis ‘blob’. We investigate
Moog introduces the Spectravox, but you might have seen it somewhere before
Prepare yourself for a visit from the ghost of Moogfest past
