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

DealsHardwareControllersBuying Guides

Latest from Elena

Parish Audio Aethon granular transformation engine with Transform knob, grain controls, and finishing FX
Software

Parish Audio Aethon: Granular Transform From Any Track

Parish Audio Aethon is a $34.97 intro granular transform with Freeze, a full grain engine, and finishing FX. Specs, real prices, and who should buy v1.0.0.

Elena MarshSep 1, 202611 min read
Born Second BS-203 MacroAcidizer plugin panel with Classic, Silver, and BB modes
Software

Born Second BS-203 Packs Three Acid Boxes for $25

Born Second BS-203 is a $25 monophonic acid synth with Classic 303, Silver 202, and Bassboy modes plus a pattern generator. Specs, price, and who should buy.

Elena MarshAug 31, 20269 min read
u-he MELT analog Eurorack filter module in a modular synthesizer rack
Hardware

u-he MELT Review: The First u-he You Can Touch

u-he MELT is the software maker's first analog Eurorack module: a 14HP cascade low-pass and band-pass filter with variable slope and a Core Temperature drive. Full specs, sound, and price.

Elena MarshAug 31, 20269 min read
reFX Rippler physical modeling synthesizer plugin interface
Software

reFX Rippler: Modal Synthesis Without a Single Sample

reFX Rippler is a dual-layer physical modeling synth with 12 acoustic models and 441 presets. Full specs, sound, how it compares to Chromaphone 3, and price.

Elena MarshAug 30, 20268 min read
Scrap Brain Audio WHORL microslice sequencer on a laptop, official product artwork
Software

Scrap Brain WHORL Slices Any File on a 16-Step Grid

Scrap Brain Audio WHORL is a $39 intro microslice sequencer for VST3, AU, and standalone. Transient analysis, 16 steps, and a per-step FX matrix explained.

Elena MarshAug 28, 20269 min read
UVI Thorus XT dual-engine chorus plugin showing Analog and Digital modes with morphable voices
Software

UVI Thorus XT Adds a Morphable Analog BBD Chorus

UVI Thorus XT pairs digital chorus with an analog BBD engine on a morphable 8-voice architecture. $49 intro through 7 September. Specs and who it's for.

Elena MarshAug 27, 202610 min read
Techivation T-De-Breather breath suppression plugin interface with waveform detections
Software

Techivation T-De-Breather: Zero-Latency Breath Control

Techivation T-De-Breather is a zero-latency RNN breath suppressor for vocals and dialogue. $45 intro until 5 September, then $90. Specs and comparisons.

Elena MarshAug 26, 20268 min read
ONRI Audio REISEI mastering processor with spectrum, EQ, dynamics, and limiter on one screen
Software

ONRI Audio REISEI Keeps Mastering on One Screen

ONRI Audio REISEI is a one-screen Mac mastering processor for Apple Silicon: PARTIAL harmonic EQ, DE-DYN, limiter. $299 launch until 31 August, then $399.

Elena MarshAug 25, 202611 min read
Behringer D Mini portable analog synthesizer with three oscillators, filter section, and touch keyboard
Hardware

Behringer D Mini: Minimoog Sound for €99

Behringer D Mini is a €99 portable analog synth inspired by the Minimoog Model D, with three oscillators, a 16-step sequencer, MIDI and USB-C. Specs and verdict.

Elena MarshAug 24, 20268 min read
Parish Audio Parametric Compressor plugin with an interactive spectrum, overlapping compressor bands, and per-band dynamics controls
Software

Parish Audio Parametric Compressor Places Bands Like an EQ

Parish Audio Parametric Compressor is a $34.97 intro plugin that places up to 10 overlapping compressor bands like a parametric EQ. Specs and who it is for.

Elena MarshAug 24, 202610 min read
1010music blackbox 2 desktop sampler with 4-inch touchscreen, four encoders, and step sequencer grid
Hardware

1010music blackbox 2: Four Tracks and a Battery

1010music blackbox 2 is a $649 / £649 desktop sampler with a 4-inch touchscreen, four tracks, USB-C I/O, and a battery. Specs, price, and who it is for.

Elena MarshAug 21, 202612 min read
Harrison Flex-10 USB-C audio interface with two console-style channel strips and analog VU meters
Hardware

Harrison Flex-10: Console Preamps in a USB Interface

Harrison Flex-10 is a 10-in/12-out USB-C interface with two console preamps, H-DRIVE, ADAT, and Mixbus 12. A first look at the specs and £547 Thomann price.

Elena MarshAug 20, 20269 min read
Fender Motion 16 and Motion 32 pad controllers with RGB FATAR pads, touch encoders and color displays
Hardware

Fender Motion 16 & 32: First Look at the ATOM Successors

First look at Fender Motion 16 and 32, the PreSonus ATOM successors: poly-aftertouch FATAR pads, deep Studio Pro control and a bundled perpetual DAW license.

Elena MarshAug 6, 20268 min read
Teenage Engineering OP-XY sequencer and sampler, discounted 30% at Thomann until 7 August 2026
Hardware

Teenage Engineering 30% Off: Best Buys Before Aug 7

Thomann's 30% Teenage Engineering promo ends 7 August 2026. We checked every UK price: what to actually grab, from the £29 PO-12 to the £1,329 OP-XY flagship.

Elena MarshAug 6, 20268 min read
Steinberg Classics collection showing the LM7, Karlette, VB-1, CS-40 and Neon plug-in interfaces
Software

Steinberg at 30: Free Classics, HALion 7.5 and 60% Off

Steinberg marks 30 years of VST with five free classic plug-ins, a free HALion 7.5 update with MPE, HALion Sonic Play for iOS, and up to 60% off to August 24.

Elena MarshAug 4, 20267 min read
AlphaTheta XDJ-AN two-channel all-in-one DJ system with 7-inch touchscreen and twin 132mm jog wheels
DJing

AlphaTheta XDJ-AN: The Cloud-First All-in-One for $1,199

AlphaTheta's XDJ-AN is a $1,199 two-channel standalone with a 7-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi streaming, SonicLink wireless monitoring and USB-C-only storage.

Elena MarshJul 23, 202611 min read
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II portable sampler, part of the 30% off Thomann promotion
Hardware

Teenage Engineering 30% Off at Thomann (Ends Aug 7)

Thomann is running 30% off Teenage Engineering through 7 August 2026. Add the gift-voucher code in your basket to save on the OP-XY, EP-133, TX-6 and more.

Elena MarshJul 23, 20266 min read
Korg NTS-4 Nu:Tekt performance mixer kit with six channels and effects
Hardware

Korg NTS-4 Review: A DIY Mixer for DAWless Rigs

Korg's NTS-4 is a $249 build-it-yourself performance mixer with per-channel send FX and a master FX engine. Full specs, price, and Volca Mix comparison.

Elena MarshJul 12, 20267 min read
Akai MPC 2026 lineup comparison showing MPC One G2, MPC Live III, MPC Key 37 G2, MPC XL, and MPC Sample standalone workstations
Hardware

Which Akai MPC Should You Buy in 2026? Complete Lineup Guide

Which Akai MPC should you buy in 2026? We compare the MPC One G2, Live III, Key 37, XL, and Sample by price, specs, and workflow to find your best match.

Elena MarshJul 11, 202612 min read
Polyend Drums hybrid analog and digital drum machine in black aluminum chassis
Hardware

Polyend Drums Review: Analog and Digital in One Box

Polyend Drums review: an 8-track hybrid drum machine with four analog SSI voices, four digital tracks, deep sequencing, and $2,699 price. Full specs inside.

Elena MarshJul 8, 20267 min read
AlphaTheta CDJ-1500X DJ multi player with 10.1-inch touchscreen and mid-size jog wheel
Hardware

AlphaTheta CDJ-1500X: The Flagship Player, Shrunk to Fit

The AlphaTheta CDJ-1500X brings the CDJ-3000X's 10.1-inch touchscreen, streaming, and new CoBeat feature to a smaller, booth-friendly DJ multi player.

Elena MarshJul 7, 20268 min read
Forma Labs Filament real-time orchestration plugin interface
Production

Forma Labs Filament: Real-Time Orchestration Plugin

Forma Labs Filament hosts up to 64 instruments and voices your chords into a live orchestra. Full breakdown of features, pricing, and who it's for in 2026.

Elena MarshJun 30, 20268 min read
Novation FLkey 2 49 MIDI keyboard controller for FL Studio, top view
Hardware

Novation FLkey 2 Review: FL Studio Gets a Screen

Novation FLkey 2 adds an OLED screen, semi-weighted keys, USB-C, and four sizes for FL Studio. Full specs, pricing, and how it compares to the MiniLab 37.

Elena MarshJun 27, 20269 min read
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II sampler running firmware 2.5
Hardware

EP-133 K.O. II Firmware 2.5 Adds USB Audio, Free

Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II firmware 2.5 is a free update adding USB audio in/out, sample reverse, an arpeggiator, 40-second recording, and auto-chop.

Elena MarshJun 26, 20263 min read