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

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
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
Arturia Memory V software synthesizer interface emulating the 1982 Memorymoog
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
Best Drum Machines — and Grooveboxes in 2026
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
DJ performing a live set in a club
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
Camelot wheel with harmonic mixing keys
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
External hardware effects routed through a DAW
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
Windows PC optimized for DJing and music production
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