Contributors / AI Music & Technology

Theo Nakamura

Theo writes about where music software is heading — generative tools, stem separation, the messy middle where AI meets the DAW. Equal parts producer and skeptic, he covers the AI-music beat without the hype.

AI Music & Technology

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Latest from Theo

Software

Phaseburn One: The Synth Built on a Phase-Locked Loop

Phaseburn One is a new software synth built around a phase-locked loop oscillator, with a probability sequencer and a patchbay. Full specs, how it compares to Phase Plant, and price.

Theo NakamuraAug 31, 20269 min read

Arturia Pure SUB bass design synthesizer plugin interface

Software

Arturia Pure SUB Review: A Synth Made Only for Bass

Arturia Pure SUB is a $49 bass design synth with independent sub, harmonics, and texture layers plus a built-in processor. Full specs, sound, and pricing.

Theo NakamuraAug 30, 20269 min read

Hampshire Electronics Vulcan MK2 37 HP Eurorack analog polysynth with OLED display and dedicated oscillator controls

Hardware

Hampshire Electronics Vulcan MK2 Packs Two Synths in 37 HP

Hampshire Electronics Vulcan MK2 is a 37 HP Eurorack poly from £549, pairing eight analog voices with dual digital engines. Pre-order specs and who it is for.

Theo NakamuraAug 24, 202610 min read

WaveMachine Labs ReStem 2 drum stem separation plugin interface with separated kick, snare, and cymbal tracks

Mixing & Mastering

WaveMachine ReStem 2: Seven Drum Stems, No Cloud

WaveMachine Labs ReStem 2 splits one drum recording into seven stems on your machine, no cloud. Core $99, Pro $199. Formats, per-stem tools, and who it's for.

Theo NakamuraAug 24, 20267 min read

Twisted Electrons vMEGAfm plugin interface showing its four-operator FM synthesis controls

Software

Twisted Electrons vMEGAfm: FM Grit From the Sega Era

Twisted Electrons vMEGAfm brings its gritty MEGAfm hardware FM synth to your DAW: 12 voices, 4 operators, MPE. Full specs, price, and how it compares to FM8.

Theo NakamuraAug 23, 20266 min read

Official Stability AI artwork for the Stable Audio plugin and web beta launch

Software

Stable Audio Plugin: Generation on a Live Instrument Track

Stability AI's Stable Audio plugin puts 3.0 generation on a Mac AU/VST3 instrument track. Early beta: six-minute takes, BPM sync, a rebuilt web mixer.

Theo NakamuraAug 19, 202610 min read

Suno Studio 2.0 browser DAW with colored MIDI and audio clips, a chat prompt, and EQ on a dark timeline

Software

Suno Studio 2.0 Adds MIDI, a Synth, and Unlimited Stem Export

Suno Studio 2.0 adds MIDI, a wavetable synth, chat-built plugins, and unlimited 32-bit/48kHz stem export on Premier. A first look at Suno's browser DAW.

Theo NakamuraAug 19, 202611 min read

Close-up of a black 12-inch vinyl record spinning, illustrating Suno's new custom vinyl pressing service

Software

Suno Vinyl: What It Costs and the Alternatives

Suno Vinyl presses tracks from your Suno library onto a real 12-inch record for about $45. Here's what's confirmed, what isn't, and how rivals compare.

Theo NakamuraAug 6, 202610 min read

Native Instruments SuperStarSaw synthesizer interface with its pink and green stacked-saw layers and X/Y Morpher

Software

Native Instruments SuperStarSaw: A.G. Cook's Supersaw Synth

Native Instruments SuperStarSaw is a dedicated supersaw synth built with A.G. Cook: dual saw layers, a 4-corner X/Y Morpher and star motion, from $99.

Theo NakamuraJul 23, 20269 min read

Melatonin Sine Machine additive synthesizer interface showing per-harmonic volume bars

Software

Melatonin Sine Machine: 10,000 Oscillators, No Knobs

Melatonin's Sine Machine is a friendly additive synth with 10,000 oscillators, a zero-knob UI, and MPE. Full specs, price, and how it compares to Harmor.

Theo NakamuraJul 13, 20267 min read

Hardware

Best Hardware Synthesizers 2026: Top Synths for Every Budget

Best hardware synthesizers 2026: 10 verified picks from €249 to €2,555, with live Thomann prices, honest trade-offs, and the right synth for every budget.

Theo NakamuraJul 11, 202612 min read

Roland ZENOLOGY GX synthesizer app running on an iPad with the ZEN-Core interface

Software

Roland ZENOLOGY GX Brings ZEN-Core to iPad, Free for Now

Roland ZENOLOGY GX puts the full ZEN-Core engine on iPad with 4,000+ tones, 90+ effects, and AUv3 support, and it's free during the 2026 launch period.

Theo NakamuraJul 10, 20267 min read

Software

UVI Synth Anthology 5 Review: 300 Hardware Synths in One

UVI Synth Anthology 5 review: 300 sampled hardware synths, 100 new machines, 6,000+ sound layers, a new engine and filters, for $89 intro. Is it worth it?

Theo NakamuraJul 8, 20268 min read

Steinberg SpectraLayers 13 spectral audio editor interface showing a spectrogram display

Software

SpectraLayers 13 Adds AI Sound-Effect Unmixing

Steinberg SpectraLayers 13 arrives July 1, 2026 with Unmix Sound Effects, Reconstruct, and two-voice separation. Here's what changed, the €359 price, and how it stacks up to iZotope RX.

Theo NakamuraJul 5, 20268 min read

Anukari 3D physics synthesizer interface showing masses and springs

Sound Design

Anukari 3D Physics Synth: Build Sound From Springs

Anukari is a GPU-powered 3D physics synth that builds sound from masses and springs. Our guide covers its features, specs, pricing, and who it's for.

Theo NakamuraJun 30, 20268 min read

Roland Melody Flip palette library showing creative palettes tagged by mood, BPM, and key

Software

Roland Melody Flip Review: AI Co-Writer Explained

Roland Melody Flip analyzes your audio and suggests melodies, chords, bass, and drums. Here's what it does, how it works, and who it's for in 2026.

Theo NakamuraJun 29, 20269 min read

Waldorf Microwave 1 Plugin Version 2 wavetable synthesizer interface

Software

Waldorf Microwave 1 Plugin V2: From 8 to 32 Voices

Waldorf Microwave 1 Plugin V2 quadruples polyphony to 32 voices and adds two arpeggiators, a new delay, and Robin modes. Here's what changed and the €99 price.

Theo NakamuraJun 28, 20263 min read

Software

Cherry Audio Ensoniq ESQ-1: The 1986 Hybrid, Licensed

Cherry Audio's Ensoniq ESQ-1 revives the 1986 hybrid synth as an officially licensed $69 plugin, built from the original 32 waveforms with modern extras.

Theo NakamuraJun 23, 20263 min read

Korg phase8 acoustic synthesizer with steel resonators

Hardware

Korg phase8: The Synth That Plays Real Steel Resonators

Korg phase8 is an 8-voice synth that makes sound by physically driving real steel resonators. What acoustic synthesis is, who it's for, and the price.

Theo NakamuraJun 22, 20262 min read

UVI Rumble multiband bass synthesizer plugin interface

Software

UVI Rumble: A Multiband Bass Synth, 3 Frequency Engines

UVI Rumble is a multiband bass synth splitting sound into Body, Character, and Air engines, with 9 oscillators, deep modulation, and 500 presets. Price inside.

Theo NakamuraJun 22, 20263 min read

u-he CVilization eurorack module running the new free Quad VCO mode

Hardware

u-he CVilization Gets a Free Quad VCO Mode: What It Does

u-he added a free Quad VCO mode to CVilization, turning the eurorack module into four virtual analog oscillators with chords, PWM, and a sub. Here's how.

Theo NakamuraJun 17, 20263 min read

Ableton Live Extensions SDK — custom JavaScript tools inside Live 12 Suite

Software

Ableton Extensions SDK: What It Is and Why It Matters

Ableton's new Extensions SDK lets anyone build custom tools inside Live 12 Suite with JavaScript. Here's what it does, what you need, and why it's a big deal.

Theo NakamuraJun 16, 20264 min read

Suno Voices — using your own voice to generate AI songs in 2026

Software

Suno Voices: How to Make AI Songs With Your Own Voice in 2026

Suno Voices lets you sing AI-generated songs in your own voice. Here's what it does, how the verification works, what it costs, and whether it's worth it.

Theo NakamuraJun 16, 20264 min read

AI Music Licensing Explained — Can You Sell Suno and Udio Tracks?

Software

AI Music Licensing Explained (2026): Can You Legally Sell Suno and Udio Tracks?

Can you legally sell Suno or Udio tracks in 2026? A clear breakdown of commercial rights by tier, the UMG, Warner, and Sony lawsuits, and what producers need to know.

Theo NakamuraJun 12, 20267 min read