Is there a drum machine more influential than the Roland TR-808? Since 1980, the analogue beatbox has found its way into myriad genres, from new jack swing and soul in the 80s to dubstep and trap in the 2010s. Its sound has since become an essential for producers, beatmakers and DJs for creating and

In partnership with dBs Institute. What does it mean to be a music producer? It goes beyond making beats or DJing clubs; a producer can craft sample packs, score for film and TV, design foley, or develop audio software. One fast‑growing niche is audio design for video games. As AAA budgets swell, s

Whether it’s a crying baby or a bulldozer, everyday soundscapes can never be as blissful as birdsong. That’s why when you’re out and about, a reliable pair of earbuds can help drown out the noise of normality, and whisk us away to a new sonic world of your choosing – be it a podcast, music or Faceti

Britsh brand Focusrite has seen roaring success with its family of Scarlett audio interfaces. Sales of the first, second and third generations of Scarlett surpassed six million, making it the most popular interface in the world. Now, with Generation 4, the company brings more features for all levels

Once you’ve set up your studio with various pieces of hardware, you’ll need an audio interface to convert signals to a format your DAW understands. Without an audio interface, you can’t record or moniter sound you’re making with your hardware. But with a huge variety of high-end luxury audio interfa

After already dropping cash on a microphone, headphones and maybe even a new DAW, spending even more money on an audio interface with bells and whistles can feel like unnecessary pain for your wallet. However, it’s an essential component in most recording setups if you actually want to plug that mic

The biggest obstacle to kick starting your DJ career can often be the rising costs of the essential tech you need to get going. However, not all DJ gear has to be overly fancy or expensive. There are some fantastic affordable options out there that give you all the key features, leaving out any unne

If you’re picking out your first proper audio interface, but don’t necessarily want to break the bank, it’s a great time to be in the market. The boom of affordable home recording gear has led to fierce competition between brands, which, much to the benefit of music-makers, has led to more affordabl

Ever considered building your own synthesizer? It might sound like tough work, but you’d be surprised how achievable it is with programming software Max by Cycling74, a touch of imagination, and a bit of guidance. This tutorial will give you all the information and knowledge to build your own monoph

In this tutorial, you will learn how to build a basic synthesiser, just using an input/output and an oscillator. We’ll be providing the foundations for you to add important functions such as an envelope and filters in the next few tutorials.READ MORE: Max MSP Beginners Guide: How to build a monophon

In this tutorial for our Max MSP Beginners Guide, you’ll learn how to build an envelope system to attach to the oscillator, so that the notes being produced by the monophonic synthesizer stop playing once you release the MIDI key.READ MORE: Max MSP Beginners Guide: How to build a monophonic software

If you haven’t caught up on the previous three tutorials where we go through the basic tools needed to use Max MSP, how to build an input/output and oscillator, and how to build an envelope system, please do so before following this tutorial.In this guide, you’ll learn how to create and insert a fil

If you haven’t caught up on the previous four tutorials where we go through the basic tools needed to use Max MSP, how to build an input/output and oscillator, how to build an envelope system, and a filter system, you can do that ahead of this tutorial.In this guide, you’ll add the finishing touches

Advertorial feature with FocusriteThere’s never been a better time to be a music-maker, thanks to top-quality studio gear available at super-accessible prices. With the right tools and a laptop, desktop or iPad, you can be making beats, recording audio and mixing pro-sounding tracks with minimal has

Cyber Monday is finally here, swiftly following Black Friday. Doesn’t it just feel like Christmas morning? Or perhaps Boxing Day? We’re eyeing up the most eye-catching deals on music gear from across the web in giddy excitement, but until we clock off and go shopping ourselves, it’s our job to help

Cyber Monday 2023 is finally here. And if you’re in the market to kit out your home studio with a new MIDI keyboard, there’s no better time in the calendar year to make that purchase.READ MORE: Cyber Monday deals 2023: Best early deals for music producers, DJs, beatmakers and musiciansHere at MusicT

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… but you don’t know what to buy. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there. If you’re asking ‘What should I buy for a music producer this Christmas?’ then you’ve come to the right place. MusicTech’s gift guide is rammed with twelve of production-focused present id

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more information on how this works click here.It feels like everyone’s already thought about and completed their yearly rounds of Christmas shopping. But not everyone! We can’t all be so quick off the mark to prep

What do we mean when we say an analogue synth has an American or Japanese sound? In our recent review of Black Corporation’s ISE-NIN, we said that it’s “very Japanese-sounding.” This means its overall sound follows the general trend of Japanese synthesizers having a sound that’s clean and precise bu

2023 was another stellar year for free software and plugins, with some superb releases from both smaller developers and big-name companies.READ MORE: Best free plugins and freeware of the month: December 2023We’ve been selecting our top five favourites each month of the year, but here we select the