Latest articles by Si Truss
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
"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
“Nicely immediate and fun when pushed to its extremes”: Minimal Audio Swarm Reverb review
We discover Minimal Audio’s new reverb is at its best when pushed to the weirder ends of its capabilities
10 years of the Korg Volca: Every synth, drum machine and sampler ranked from best to worst
VIDEO: Korg's compact and affordable instruments go head-to-head. Which you should buy?
Teenage Engineering EP-133 KOII: 3 things we love... and 3 things we don't
VIDEO: We put the Swedish brand's latest Pocket Operator-derived sampler to the test and ask if it's worth the hype
NAMM 2024: Arturia updates Pigments with a revamped sequencer, new presets, wavetables and samples - and you can now use its effects to process sounds from your DAW
One of the most powerful software instruments on the market just got better
"An impressive free update that adds extra sonic scope and enhanced usability to one of our favourite synths of recent years": Arturia MiniFreak 2.0 review
The hybrid poly and its plugin counterpart gain new engines and effects. We freak out…
"When it’s done well, the vocal ‘flip’ is an art form all in itself": The essential guide to vocal sampling
From sourcing samples to extracting a capellas, rearranging your audio to creative effect processing, let’s take a deep dive into the art of the vocal ‘flip’
What actually is reverb and how does it work?
It’s an essential effect used on almost every track, but how does it work its magic?
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II review
A highlight of the Pocket Operator range gets beefed up in size and specs but is it worth the beefed-up price?
Hauschka on discovering new sounds with prepared piano and effects pedals: "I wanted to make experimental music without a laptop - creating sounds with a piano that had the same qualities as electronic music"
Oscar-winning composer and producer Volker Bertelmann on prepared piano, the need for optimism and finding room to experiment
