Reverb Launches Independents Day 2025 Sale to Celebrate Its Return to Independence
Derek Oswald
Reverb is celebrating two big things this week. Not only is Independence Day around the corner, but the company itself is now independent again. And to mark the occasion, it’s throwing a major sales ...
The McNally Strumstick: Why 2025 May Finally Be The Year You Get Better at Guitar
Derek Oswald
Why Strumstick? Learning the guitar can feel like a slow-motion car crash. Your fingertips go numb. Your chords sound like furniture falling down the stairs. You realize playing “Wonderwall” takes weeks, not hours. Worst ...
The Arturia MicroFreak in 2025: Still Brilliant, Still Bizarre
Derek Oswald
Sometimes the story of a synth starts before you ever turn it on. The Arturia MicroFreak isn’t new—it’s been turning heads since 2019—but somehow, I’d never pulled the trigger. Most of the gear I’ve ...
Novation Launchkey 61 MK4 Review – Powerful Features, Thoughtful Design, Modest Price
Derek Oswald
Around for over a decade, the Novation LaunchKey line has long been a preferred MIDI controller for those looking for a cost-effective way to control their DAW, especially Ableton Live users. Now in its ...
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen Review: Pro-Level Power Made Ridiculously Simple
Derek Oswald
The first time I ever plugged a microphone into an interface, it was a Scarlett Solo—the tiny red box that launched a thousand home studios. Mine included. Back then, it felt like magic: clear ...
Daydreamer Synth 1 Review: The Stunning Wooden Wonder Redefining Analog Access
Derek Oswald
First Impressions It’s not every day you stumble across a synthesizer that looks like it was carved from a tree trunk, but that’s exactly what the Daydreamer Synth 1 feels like at first glance. ...
Michigan Synth Works MSW-810m Review: A Forgotten Classic, Reborn for the Modern Desktop
Derek Oswald
The Michigan Synth Works MSW-810m is a modern tribute to the rare Roland CMU-810—a synthesizer that, while largely forgotten outside niche circles, represents an intriguing chapter in the history of music technology. Originally released ...
Native Instruments and iZotope Are Doing Major Summer 2025 Sales with Amazing Discounts on Industry-Leading Tools
Derek Oswald
New RX11 deal launches today with 40% off. Native Instruments and iZotope have kicked off their annual summer promotions, delivering significant savings on software bundles, instruments, and hardware for music producers and audio professionals. ...
Beetlecrab Audio’s Tempera: Turning 4,096 Grains into Colorful Sound Art
Derek Oswald
Some gear seems unassuming until the moment you lay a finger on it. While attractive to the eye even without its power on, Beetlecrab Audio’s Tempera is one of those devices. Encased in a ...
Tom Morello’s New Reverb Exclusive Pedal Pays Tribute to Wayne Kramer & MC5
Derek Oswald
When Tom Morello announces a new piece of gear, people listen. Morello’s past gear choices — from his heavily modded “Arm the Homeless” guitar to his unique effects rig — have shaped some of ...
Learn, Play, Repeat: How CubyFun’s EasyPlay 1S and EasyPlay Meow Make Music Education Fun
Derek Oswald
For generations, learning music meant hours of drills, dry theory, and expensive lessons. But what if picking up scales, understanding intervals, or recognizing melodies could feel more like playtime than practice? Enter CubyFun’s EasyPlay ...
Sonic Youth Reopens Their Reverb Shop Again in 2025 with Rare Gear and Personal Treasures
Derek Oswald
Even more than a decade after their final live performance, Sonic Youth remains one of the most influential bands to ever emerge from the underground rock scene. Now, fans and fellow musicians have another ...
Midicake ARP Review: How One Man’s Dream Made For a Pretty Damn Fun 4-Track Arpeggiator
Derek Oswald
Let’s be honest, arpeggiators can sometimes feel like an afterthought. Many synthesizers include them, but more often than not, they’re simple, one-trick ponies with limited control and little personality. They’ll feel tacked on and ...
Chroma Console by Hologram Electronics: An Amazing Effects Console That Feels like 20 Pedals In One
Derek Oswald
Some effects pedals are designed to color your sound. The Chroma Console is designed to transform it. From the moment I unboxed the Chroma Console, it was clear this wasn’t just another multi-effects unit. ...
Fever Dreams by Ari Mason: Beautiful, Quirky and Experimental – 10% Discount Code Inside
Derek Oswald
Ari Mason's Fever Dreams checks all the boxes for our plugin reviewer Derek: beautiful, yet weird and quirky (and you can save 10% on a copy of your own).
Time Crystals Review: Emergence Audio’s Stunning Ambient Tool
Derek Oswald
Emergence Audio’s Time Crystals isn’t just another Kontakt library: it’s a living, breathing ecosystem of sound, says our reviewer.
Sound Sculpture for the Soul: Inside MNTRA’s Beautiful Library Powered by MNDALA 2 Engine
Derek Oswald
What happens when you take ancient instruments, capture them in stunning high-definition audio, and then run them through a synth engine inspired by video games and nonlinear storytelling?
Pitch Innovations Review: 5 Creative Tools That Will Transform Your Music
Derek Oswald
What if your pitchwheel never hit a wrong note again? What if a simple chord could evolve into an entire melody? What if your rhythm section could swing, shuffle, and surprise—without hours of programming? ...
Is Claire the Best Fazioli F308 Library Yet? Native Instruments Might Have Nailed It
Derek Oswald
When it comes to sampled pianos, the bar keeps getting higher. Every year, new libraries promise pristine realism, expressive nuance, and creative tools that move beyond the traditional. In late 2024, Native Instruments dropped ...
CMEPRO WIDI Master – Unleash Wireless 5-Pin MIDI and Ditch the Cable Chaos!
Derek Oswald
Intro – An Overview of the WIDI Master The CMEPRO WIDI Master is designed as a wireless MIDI solution that frees you from the traditional cable clutter. For bigger studios or even a smaller ...
