Elena Marsh

Deals & Gear Editor

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.

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Latest from Elena

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

Akai MPC One G2 and MPC Key 37 G2 standalone grooveboxes

Hardware

Akai MPC One G2 & Key 37 G2: 8-Core, New Synth Engine

The Akai MPC One G2 and Key 37 G2 bring an 8-core CPU, 64GB storage, and the MPC 3.9 OS synthesis engine. Specs, prices, and who should upgrade.

Elena MarshJun 22, 20263 min read

Software

Arturia Memory V: Is the Memorymoog Worth It?

Arturia Memory V revives the 1982 Memorymoog as software with triple oscillators, a ladder filter, Multi-Arp, and modern modulation. Here's what's new.

Elena MarshJun 17, 20263 min read

Arturia MicroBrute compact analog mono-synthesizer

Hardware

Arturia MiniBrute & MicroBrute RED: Same Synth, New Look

Arturia MiniBrute RED and MicroBrute RED wrap the analog Brutes in striking red. Same 100% analog engine, cosmetic-only change, and who should buy.

Elena MarshJun 16, 20264 min read

Arturia MiniLab 37 universal MIDI controller with 37 slim keys and RGB pads

Hardware

Arturia MiniLab 37 Review: The 37-Key Fix, Two-Handed

The Arturia MiniLab 37 fixes the MiniLab's key-count gripe with 37 slim keys, 16 RGB pads, and a deep software bundle for $199. Full review inside.

Elena MarshJun 16, 20264 min read

Best Audio Interfaces in 2026 — Picks for Every Budget

Hardware

Best Audio Interfaces in 2026: Top Picks for Every Budget

Our honest 2026 guide to the best audio interfaces, from Focusrite Scarlett and SSL 2+ to Universal Audio Apollo, MOTU M2, and Audient. Picks by budget and use.

Elena MarshJun 12, 20268 min read

Best DJ Controllers in 2026 — Beginner, Gigging & Standalone Picks

DJing

Best DJ Controllers in 2026: Beginner, Gigging, and Standalone Picks

The best DJ controllers in 2026, compared. Honest picks for beginners, gigging DJs, and laptop-free standalone sets across AlphaTheta, Denon DJ, Hercules, and Numark.

Elena MarshJun 12, 20268 min read

Hardware

Best Drum Machines and Grooveboxes in 2026: A Buyer's Guide

Our 2026 guide to the best drum machines and grooveboxes, comparing the Roland TR-8S, Elektron Digitakt II, Akai MPC One+ and more by sound, use, and price.

Elena MarshJun 12, 20268 min read

Best Laptops for Music Production — 2026 Producer's Guide

Hardware

Best Laptops for Music Production in 2026: A Producer's Buying Guide

The definitive 2026 guide to the best laptops for music production — MacBook Air/Pro M5, the M4 value pick, and top Windows machines, matched to your workflow.

Elena MarshJun 12, 202612 min read

Best MIDI Keyboards in 2026 — Picks for Every Studio

Hardware

Best MIDI Keyboards in 2026: Top Picks for Every Studio and Budget

An honest 2026 guide to the best MIDI keyboards, comparing Akai, Arturia, Novation and Native Instruments on keybed feel, pads, DAW control and MPE.

Elena MarshJun 12, 20267 min read

Best Studio Headphones 2026 — Open vs Closed Back

Hardware

Best Studio Headphones in 2026: Open vs Closed Back for Mixing and Tracking

Our 2026 guide to the best studio headphones for mixing and tracking. Compare Sennheiser HD 600/650, Beyerdynamic DT 770/990, AKG K371, and ATH-M50x.

Elena MarshJun 12, 20267 min read

DJing

DJ Tips: 12 Techniques That Will Improve Your Live Sets

12 practical techniques working DJs use to improve live sets — from set construction and cueing to crowd reading, EQ mixing, and the soft skills that separate good DJs from great ones.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20269 min read

Key-detection accuracy compared across Mixed In Key, Beatport, Rekordbox and KeyFinder

DJing

Beatport Key Finder vs Mixed In Key: Accuracy Tested (2026)

We keyed 200 tracks by ear, then ran them through Mixed In Key, Beatport, Rekordbox, and KeyFinder. Mixed In Key won 178 to 121. The full results.

Elena MarshMay 10, 202616 min read

Mixed In Key analyzing tracks for accuracy testing

DJing

Harmonic Mixing Part 3: Is Mixed In Key Actually Accurate?

We tested Mixed In Key 12's accuracy across 200 tracks spanning dance, pop, hip-hop, jazz, and ambient. Here's where the algorithm gets it right, where it doesn't, and what to do about the misses.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20266 min read

DJing

Harmonic Mixing: A Practical Guide for DJs (Part 1)

Harmonic mixing in 2026: how the Camelot wheel works, why some key changes feel right and others jar, and the practical workflow for using key info in Rekordbox, Traktor, and Serato.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20268 min read

Hardware

How to Route External Hardware Audio Effects in Your DAW (2026)

A practical guide to routing outboard analog effects through Ableton Live, Logic Pro, Cubase, and Pro Tools — send/return loops, plug-in delay compensation, and the gain staging that keeps everything clean.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20269 min read

Traktor and Maschine synced for hybrid DJ-producer set

DJing

How to Sync Traktor and Maschine: A Hybrid DJ-Producer Setup (2026)

Step-by-step guide to syncing Native Instruments Traktor with Maschine — Ableton Link, MIDI clock, audio routing through one or two interfaces, and the live workflows that actually work.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20269 min read

DJing

How to Optimize a Windows PC for DJing and Music Production (2026)

A 2026 producer's guide to tuning Windows for low-latency music production and DJing. Power plans, audio drivers, background services, ASIO, and the BIOS settings that actually matter.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20268 min read

Roland TR-8S drum machine on a producer's desk

Hardware

Roland TR-8 / TR-8S Tips: Getting More Out of Roland's Modern Drum Machine

Practical tips for the Roland TR-8 and TR-8S drum machines — sound design, sample loading, performance techniques, and the hidden features that take your patterns from generic to musical.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20268 min read

Vinyl records and turntable in a record store

DJing

The Vinyl Resurgence Continues: How We Got Here and Where It's Going

Vinyl outsold CDs again in 2025 for the third year running. A look at how the format came back, what producers should know about pressing in 2026, and why independent record stores are quietly thriving.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20267 min read

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.

Elena MarshMay 10, 20268 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.

Elena MarshMay 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.

Elena MarshMay 8, 20265 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.

Elena MarshMay 8, 20266 min read