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News, reviews, and hands-on tutorials for music producers and DJs. Browse every article — sorted newest first.

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Buchla Ziggy desktop analog synthesizer shown from the front, with sliders, encoder dial, and screen visible on its slanted panel
Hardware

Buchla Ziggy: A Sub-$1,000 West Coast Synth From the Originators

Buchla Ziggy is a $999 desktop analog monosynth built around a complex oscillator, low-pass gate, and the Cycler — announced ahead of Superbooth 2026.

Dubspot TeamMay 5, 20265 min read
Native Instruments Komplete 26 product collage showing Absynth 6, Kontakt 8, and the included instruments
Software

Komplete 26 Review: Is the Absynth 6 Return Enough to Justify the Upgrade?

Komplete 26 ships with Absynth 6 back in the box, plus iZotope Elements bundles and a Fazioli grand. The headline is real — the rest of the upgrade is murkier.

Dubspot TeamMay 5, 20265 min read
Native Instruments Maschine+ standalone groovebox alongside the Maschine 3.5 desktop software interface
Hardware

Maschine 3.5 and Maschine+ 2.2: The Standalone Catches Up

Maschine 3.5 redesigns the Sampler UI and adds Sound Focus, while Maschine+ 2.2 brings the Kontakt 8 engine and more Play Series instruments to standalone.

Dubspot TeamMay 5, 20264 min read
Akai MPC 3.8 firmware update on MPC standalone hardware and MPC Sample
Hardware

Akai MPC 3.8 Firmware: The MPC Sample Joins the Family

Akai's free MPC 3.8 firmware connects the new MPC Sample to the standalone lineup, ports five effects across, and tightens the studio-to-couch workflow.

Dubspot TeamMay 1, 20263 min read
Auxy Svensson 49 looping keyboard with metal body and oak side panels
Hardware

Auxy Svensson 49: A Looping Idea Keyboard from a Swedish Software Studio and Cuckoo

Auxy's debut hardware is a 49-key, always-listening looping keyboard with sounds by Cuckoo, German-built oak-and-metal construction, and a $999 price tag.

Dubspot TeamMay 1, 20264 min read
Chase Bliss Big Time hybrid analog digital stereo delay pedal
Hardware

Chase Bliss Big Time: An 80s Rack Delay Reimagined as a Stereo Hybrid Beast

Chase Bliss and EAE's Big Time is a $999 hybrid analog/digital stereo delay-and-looper with motorized faders, modeled on early-80s rack delays.

Dubspot TeamMay 1, 20264 min read
Expressive E Osmose CE 49-key MPE MIDI controller in white with black base
Hardware

Expressive E Osmose CE: The Famous MPE Keybed, Now Without the Synth

Expressive E's Osmose CE strips the EaganMatrix engine and keeps the Augmented Keyboard Action, pairing it with Ctrl-e and 900+ presets at $999.

Dubspot TeamApr 30, 20264 min read
Akai MPC Sample — portable battery-powered standalone hardware sampler from Akai Professional
Hardware

Akai MPC Sample Review: A Portable, Battery-Powered Standalone Sampler That Channels the MPC60

The Akai MPC Sample brings 16 RGB pads, 60 effects, a 5-hour battery, built-in mic and speaker, and classic MPC workflow to a $399 portable standalone.

Dubspot TeamApr 28, 20265 min read
AudioKit Pro Retro Keys — iOS app modeling four vintage electric pianos
Software

Retro Keys: AudioKit Pro Packs Four Vintage Electric Pianos Into One iOS App

AudioKit Pro's Retro Keys delivers Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Yamaha CP, and upright piano sounds in a 150MB iOS app with AUv3 support. Intro $4.99.

Dubspot TeamApr 28, 20265 min read
Bitwig Studio 6 — full GUI screenshot of the modular DAW from Bitwig GmbH
Software

Bitwig Studio 6 Review: Clip Aliases, Project Key Signature, and a Major Automation Overhaul

Bitwig Studio 6 brings clip aliases, automation clips, project-wide key signature, Spray Can, and layered editing to the modular DAW. Out April 2, 2026.

Dubspot TeamApr 28, 20265 min read
Siberian Cat Audio Distortion Bass — free instrument library for Audiomodern Soundbox sampler
Software

Distortion Bass: Siberian Cat Audio's Free Soundbox Library Adds Grit to Your Productions

Siberian Cat Audio's free Distortion Bass library for Audiomodern Soundbox delivers gritty bass guitar samples processed through a Taurus distortion pedal.

Dubspot TeamApr 28, 20263 min read
GrainHeads 3.0 — sequenceable granular sampler/synthesizer for iOS and macOS
Software

GrainHeads 3.0: Andrei Nevar's iOS Granular Sampler Levels Up With Eight Playheads and a New UI

GrainHeads 3.0 brings a completely redesigned UI, eight playheads, Lo-Fi effects, and deeper sequencing to Andrei Nevar's free granular sampler for iOS and macOS.

Dubspot TeamApr 28, 20264 min read