Latest articles by Si Truss
“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 2025: 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 2025: 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
Superbooth 24: Tracker+ updates Polyend's flagship groovebox with 4 new synth engines, stereo sampling, an expanded sequencer and more
SUPERBOOTH 2024: This major upgrade makes Tracker+ a real challenger to Elektron's recently-updated Digitakt 2
Tourist on how AI tech helped shape his new album, Memory Morning
The British producer on how technology shaped his new album, plus his 'Holy Trinity' of synths
“I'm almost ashamed to be known as a DJ”: Dave Clarke on the state of dance music and Archive One
The Baron of Techno on making his seminal album, how he approaches remixes and why ‘90s sounds are back in fashion
“Fairly conservative in its design but makes up for it with quality sounds and smart workflow features”: Klevgrand OneShot review
The Swedish developer launches a sample-based drum machine. We give it a shot
Best budget audio interfaces 2025: Start recording today for less than $60/£60
Kickstart your recording journey with an incredible interface that won't break the bank. Here’s our pick of cheap audio interfaces for PC, Mac and iOS
"It puts ease-of-use, speed and versatility ahead of sound design depth – at least when it comes to the hardware": Arturia AstroLab review
Those hoping for the full V Collection experience in hardware form might be disappointed. But, as we discover, AstroLab’s simplicity is its biggest selling point
“A powerful mix tool that does a lot to justify its ‘pro’ price point”: Oeksound Bloom review
Following the widely-loved Soothe, we ask if Oeksound’s latest might become another must-have
“A well-designed, hugely convenient plugin”: Denise Audio Bass XXL review
Denise’s latest ‘single use’ plugin looks to add harmonic presence to bass sounds. We go XXL
“Come for the otherworldly pads, stay for the surprisingly hard-hitting bass”: Baby Audio Atoms review
A network of springs? A shape-shifting violin? We attempt to explain Baby Audio’s new synth…
“For creating ambient textures and drones, there’s endless fun to be had”: beetlecrab.audio Tempera review
This granular instrument is unique and slightly baffling, but it’s also hugely rewarding
Paranoid London: "Our 808 is completely different to everybody else’s in the world. The snare and kick are ridiculous. When we had it fixed they opened it up and said someone had done a load of weird stuff - instead of using glue they’d used hairspray"
Quinn Whalley of the UK acid duo on studio sessions and capturing the magic of analogue gear