Audio gear reviews
Detailed reviews of the latest products, from synths to podcasting gear and beyond.
Latest
Arturia Efx Fragments makes granular approachable
Granular effects and synthesis are trendy, but often intimidating. Fragments makes it approachable.
Terrence O'Brien03.02.2022
Lemondrop and Fireball review: Impossibly small, surprisingly powerful synths
Lemondrop and Fireball review
Terrence O'Brien02.08.2022
Casio made a super fun singing keyboard
Casio's CT-S100V is a super fun singing keyboard. It's just a shame it's so damn expensive.
Terrence O'Brien01.21.2022
Universal Audio Volt review: Pro audio power at bedroom producer prices
UA's first foray into budget audio interfaces is largely a success thanks to its unique 76 Compressor.
Terrence O'Brien12.18.2021
Fender's newest Acoustasonic guitar is cheaper, but not cheap enough
Fenders' Acoustasonic Player Telecaster trades versatility for price, but still costs too much.
Terrence O'Brien12.15.2021
Hydrasynth Explorer review: Possibly the most synth you can get under $600
With rich sound design tools and polyphonic aftertouch this is a surprising value at $600.
Terrence O'Brien12.08.2021
Animoog Z ushers the landmark iOS synth into the modern age
Animoog Z is a worthy successor to Moog's groundbreaking iOS instrument.
Terrence O'Brien11.24.2021
I wish anyone other than Kanye had made the Stem Player
This fascinating pocket-sized remixer can be fun, but is clearly pushing the limits of its power.
Terrence O'Brien11.01.2021
Roland SP-404MKII hands-on: Dragging an iconic sampler into the modern age
Roland is dragging its iconic sampler into the modern age without sacrificing what made it special.
Terrence O'Brien10.13.2021
Arcade 2.0 has actual playable instruments and an AI-powered sample processor
New Note Kits and the "smart" Kit Generator make the subscription-based Arcade more versatile.
Terrence O'Brien10.08.2021
Dubler 2 can turn any microphone into a MIDI controller
Dubler 2 turns your voice into MIDI data. But it's probably best paired with its own custom USB mic.
Terrence O'Brien09.28.2021
Uno Synth Pro review: IK Multimedia shows it's serious about hardware
IK Multimedia shows its serious about playing in the hardware synth space.
Terrence O'Brien09.27.2021
Arturia's SQ80 V is one of its best classic synth emulations in years
Arturia captures all the dusty, digital charm of the original Ensoniq SQ-80.
Terrence O'Brien09.15.2021
SkulptSynth SE review: Cheap and confusing, but incredibly powerful
Modal proves once again that it can make impressive sounding synths for dirt cheap.
Terrence O'Brien08.03.2021
Novation Circuit Rhythm review: A modern sampler inspired by a classic
The Circuit Rhythm is a solid sampler at a reasonable price. The $400 groovebox takes of inspiration from the SP-404, but offers more modern features.
Terrence O'Brien07.26.2021
The second-gen iZotope Spire Studio is a big improvement at a big cost
If you liked the original Spire portable studio from iZotope, you'll love the second generation. But be warned, the solid upgrades come at a price.
James Trew06.19.2021
Elektron’s Power Handle makes its grooveboxes truly portable
The Model:Cycles and Model:Samples finally get battery power. But is it worth $50?
Terrence O'Brien06.15.2021
Make Noise Strega review: A wonderfully weird, one-of-a-kind synth
A wonderfully weird, one-of-a-kind synth for drones, noise and lo-fi effects.
Terrence O'Brien06.11.2021
Arturia FX Collection 2 packs 22 plugins ‘you’ll actually use’
Arturia's updated FX collection adds seven new plug ins and is a much better bang-for-your-buck.
Terrence O'Brien06.09.2021
Positive Grid Spark Pearl review: A high-tech guitar amp that's easy on the eyes
The Positive Grid Spark is one of, if not the most high-tech practice amp out there and packs a lot of versatility for $299.
Terrence O'Brien04.19.2021