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

Showing 49–60 of 108 articles

Opening DJ behind the decks during a club warm-up
DJing

Opening DJ Tips: How to Set Up the Headliner (and Build a Career)

What working pros teach about opening DJ sets — energy management, restraint, BPM ranges, the warm-up arc, and how doing this well leads to repeat bookings and bigger slots.

Dubspot TeamMay 10, 20268 min read
Traktor audio routed into Ableton Live for live processing
Software

How to Route Audio from Traktor to Ableton Live (2026)

Route Traktor's audio into Ableton Live as a live input — using virtual audio drivers (Loopback, BlackHole, VoiceMeeter), multi-channel interfaces, or hardware loopback. Step by step for current versions.

Dubspot TeamMay 10, 20267 min read
Audio effects plugin chain on a producer's screen
Production

Understanding Audio Effects: A Producer's Overview for 2026

A working producer's tour through reverb, delay, modulation, dynamics, EQ, saturation, pitch, and creative effects — what they do, where they go in the chain, and which plugins to reach for in 2026.

Dubspot TeamMay 10, 202611 min read
Audio interface lineup on a producer's desk in 2026
Hardware

Understanding Audio Interfaces: A Producer's Guide for 2026

Choose the right audio interface in 2026. We cover connection types, specs that actually matter, the best models from $99 to $5,000, and the buyer mistakes to avoid.

Dubspot TeamMay 10, 20269 min read
Make Noise Plexiphon Eurorack module front panel with Plexus, Size, Diffuse, Color, Couple and Skew controls
Hardware

Make Noise Plexiphon: A Modeless Stereo Space Effect From Tom Erbe

Make Noise and Tom Erbe's Plexiphon is a 16HP Eurorack module that morphs continuously between reverb and multi-tap echo, with no mode switch in sight.

Dubspot TeamMay 8, 20265 min read
Native Instruments and inMusic Brands logos representing the May 2026 acquisition agreement
Software

Native Instruments Acquired by inMusic: What the Deal Means for Producers and DJs

inMusic Brands has agreed to acquire Native Instruments, ending months of insolvency uncertainty and uniting Kontakt, Traktor, iZotope, and Akai under one roof.

Dubspot TeamMay 8, 20266 min read
Teenage Engineering EP-136 K.O. Sidekick stereo mixer with FX pad and mod stick
Hardware

Teenage Engineering EP-136 K.O. Sidekick: The Pocket Mixer the EP Family Was Waiting For

Teenage Engineering's EP-136 K.O. Sidekick is a $179 two-channel mixer, USB interface, and performance FX unit that snaps onto the EP-133 and EP-1320.

Dubspot TeamMay 8, 20266 min read
Ableton Live 12.4 interface showing the rebuilt Erosion device and a multi-track Arrangement View
Software

Ableton Live 12.4 Lands With Link Audio, a Rebuilt Erosion, and Smarter Stem Separation

Live 12.4 ships with Link Audio for LAN audio sharing, a rebuilt Erosion device, a new Delay LFO section, and per-time-selection Stem Separation for Suite users.

Dubspot TeamMay 5, 20265 min read
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