Contributors / Deals & Gear Editor

Elena Marsh

A studio tech turned writer, Elena tracks gear prices the way other people track sports scores. She runs the deals desk and the buying guides, and has strong opinions about which discounts are actually discounts.

Deals & Gear Editor

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Latest from Elena

Squarp Core 6HP Eurorack MIDI-to-CV/Gate module front panel with OLED display
Hardware

Squarp Core Turns One 6HP Module Into 64 CV Outputs

Squarp Core is a 6HP Eurorack MIDI-to-CV/Gate brain with 14 generative engines, driving up to 64 outputs through one or two xp32 expanders. From 190 euros.

Elena MarshOct 11, 202612 min read
UDO DMNO ON desktop synthesizer top panel with its vacuum fluorescent display and rotary controls
Hardware

UDO DMNO ON: The Desktop DMNO With Expandable Control

UDO DMNO ON puts the full 8-voice, 2-part DMNO engine in a desktop box with an expandable ONM control system, binaural analog filters and eight Play Modes.

Elena MarshOct 9, 202612 min read
Arturia AstroLab 61 stage keyboard top panel showing the macro knobs and navigation dial
Hardware

AstroLab 2.0 Adds Front-Panel Editing and 60+ Sounds

Arturia's free AstroLab 2.0 update brings front-panel Sound Edit, 60+ new sampled instruments and better sampler polyphony to the stage keyboard. Full details.

Elena MarshOct 7, 20268 min read
Arturia AudioFuse Studio Rev2 desktop audio interface on a studio desk
Hardware

Arturia AudioFuse Studio Rev2 Review: One-Box Studio Hub

Arturia's AudioFuse Studio Rev2 refines its 18x20 desktop interface with optimized DiscretePRO preamps and an upgraded Bluetooth module. Full specs, price, and verdict.

Elena MarshOct 6, 20267 min read
The six Universal Audio Volt Gen 2 and Volt Max USB-C audio interfaces lined up together
Hardware

Universal Audio Volt Gen 2: Tone Shaping on USB-C

Universal Audio Volt Gen 2 and Volt Max are six USB-C audio interfaces from $149 up to $499, with 32-bit conversion and three-mode Tone Shaping preamps.

Elena MarshOct 5, 202611 min read
AAS Player 2.0 free plugin interface with preset browser and macro controls
Software

AAS Player 2.0: 650 Free Sounds, Six Synth Engines

AAS Player 2.0 is a free plugin bundling six Applied Acoustics Systems physical-modeling engines with 650+ sounds, a new browser, Play-view macros and NKS support.

Elena MarshOct 2, 20266 min read
Soniccouture The Attic 3 artwork with a row of rare vintage synthesizers under the title
Software

The Attic 3: 24 Rare Synths, Sampled Every Key

Soniccouture The Attic 3 samples 24 rare synths on every key, with 600 presets for Kontakt Player. The intro is $175 through 6 October 2026, then $250.

Elena MarshOct 2, 20269 min read
Phoenix hybrid synth interface from Spitfire Audio and BT, with the spectral display and engine controls
Software

Phoenix: Six Engines Under One Cinematic Patch

Phoenix is Spitfire Audio and BT's hybrid cinematic synth: six engines, dual stereo chains, and 16-voice MPE. Intro is $239 or £199 through 25 October 2026.

Elena MarshSep 30, 202611 min read
Northstar mastering console with Dual, Mid, and Side EQ banks, compressor panels, and loudness meters
Mixing & Mastering

Northstar: One Mastering Window, With Linux

Northstar is a one-window mastering console with three EQ banks, FET, VCA, and Vari-Mu, plus a true-peak limiter. Launch price is $59 through 4 October.

Elena MarshSep 29, 202613 min read
mo0kid wave open-source Waldorf Wave emulation plugin interface with monochrome display
Software

mo0kid wave: An Open-Source Waldorf Wave for Your DAW

mo0kid wave is a free, open-source emulation of the 1993 Waldorf Wave that runs the original firmware, with 48 voices, for macOS. Here is how it works.

Elena MarshSep 28, 20268 min read
Expressive E Osmose expressive MPE synthesizer keyboard
Hardware

Osmose Firmware 2.3 Adds DAW Control and Free Ctrl-e

Expressive E Osmose firmware 2.3 adds hands-on DAW control and a free Ctrl-e license with 900+ expressive presets, free for all Osmose owners.

Elena MarshSep 26, 20267 min read
Polyend Loop pedal with a grid of pads, four loop tracks, and a small screen
Hardware

Polyend Loop Packs Loops and Drums in One Pedal

Polyend Loop is a $599 pedal with four loop tracks, four drum tracks, and 100+ effects. Shipping starts mid-October 2026. Thomann lists it at £524 in the UK.

Elena MarshSep 25, 202610 min read
The Usual Suspects 88emu / 88EmuPlayer interface emulating a Roland Sound Canvas module
Software

88emu: A Free, Firmware-Level Roland Sound Canvas Emulator

88emu is a free, open-source emulator that runs the real firmware of Roland Sound Canvas modules like the SC-88 Pro. Standalone for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Elena MarshSep 25, 20267 min read
Orra Pump Pro window with four layer tabs, a hand-drawn modulation curve, and ALL, SEQ, and AUTO controls
Software

Orra Pump Pro Draws Four Curves in One Window

Orra Pump Pro is a four-layer drawable modulator with 14 targets, ALL or SEQ modes, and mid/side per layer. Intro price is $19, list is $29, with a 14-day demo.

Elena MarshSep 24, 202612 min read
PolyChrome DSP NanoPitch artwork showing the micro-pitch plugin name and a guitar-and-synth width pitch
Sound Design

PolyChrome NanoPitch Adds Width in 25-Cent Steps

PolyChrome DSP NanoPitch pairs two detune voices at ±25 cents with slapback, a detunable delay, chorus, and flanger. The intro price is $59, sold direct.

Elena MarshSep 23, 202610 min read
RANE SYSTEM ONE running Algoriddim djay Pro, with djay on an iPhone connected over USB-C and track details on the unit's touchscreen
DJing

How djay Pro Works on RANE SYSTEM ONE, From iPhone to Mac

RANE SYSTEM ONE now works with djay Pro on a Mac, PC, iPhone or iPad. What Engine OS 5.2.0 adds, how to set it up, what it costs and what's still undocumented.

Elena MarshSep 23, 202616 min read
blepfx spectra plugin showing envelope morph, carrier morph, formant shift, and the spectral visualizer
Sound Design

blepfx Spectra Moves a Spectrum From One Track to Another

blepfx spectra morphs spectral envelopes between two signals and shifts formants by ±24 semitones. Official price starts at $25, on macOS, Windows, and Linux.

Elena MarshSep 22, 202611 min read
Modartt Airteq interface with virtual pipes, air envelopes, LFOs, macros, and convolution-style reverb
Software

Inside Modartt Airteq: Dynamic Aerophone Modeling

Modartt Airteq is a 99-euro physical-modeling instrument that generates sound from airflow through virtual pipes. Full specs, MPE support, and who should buy.

Elena MarshSep 21, 202611 min read
fedDSP quadCHO two-section chorus with REACT, SPACE, SWIRL, and a centre MIX, DEPTH, and TILT panel
Software

fedDSP quadCHO: A Two-Section Chorus Playground

fedDSP quadCHO is a modern chorus playground with two independent sections plus REACT, SPACE, SWIRL, WEAVE, and QUAD. Intro £35 against £75. AU, VST3, AAX.

Elena MarshSep 16, 20268 min read
Rocksolid Audio TEQ-6P six-band valve equalizer with gain, frequency, and type controls
Mixing & Mastering

Rocksolid TEQ-6P Runs a Valve EQ as a Live Circuit

Rocksolid Audio TEQ-6P is a six-band valve EQ that solves the circuit live. Standard is $109. Unique Edition is $159. VST3, AU, AAX. Free 14-day trial.

Elena MarshSep 15, 20267 min read
Rast Sound Redwood analog color rack with tape, vintage passive EQ, and valve compressor stages
Mixing & Mastering

Rast Sound Redwood Stacks Tape, Passive EQ, and Tube Comp

Rast Sound Redwood is a three-stage analog color rack: magnetic tape, vintage passive EQ, and tube compression. Intro €79 against €129. AU, VST3, AAX.

Elena MarshSep 14, 20269 min read
Sentient neural-network synthesizer by Valery Mironov
Software

Sentient: A Neural Synth That Learns Your Sounds

Sentient by Valery Mironov is a neural-network synthesizer for iOS and macOS that listens to everyday sound and builds a personal wavetable. Features, specs, and price.

Elena MarshSep 13, 20267 min read
W.A. Production Supra hybrid granular synthesizer showing twin MACRO1 and MACRO2 hubs, grain, filter, comb, and delay controls
Software

W.A. Production Supra: Hybrid Granular Mono Synth

W.A. Production Supra is a monophonic hybrid granular synth: six DSP stages, twin macros, dual randomizers. Intro $14.90 against $59.90. AU, AAX, VST3.

Elena MarshSep 11, 20268 min read
MeldaProduction MDrumCleaner plugin showing Cymbal Killer, Side-chain Remover, Spectrum Cleaner, Spectrum Gate, and Gate modules
Mixing & Mastering

MDrumCleaner Treats Drum Bleed With Five Algorithms

MDrumCleaner treats drum bleed with five algorithms. Intro €29 against a €149 list, plus a 15-day full trial. VST, VST3, AU, and AAX on Windows and macOS.

Elena MarshSep 10, 20268 min read