Hardware

Synths, drum machines, controllers, and studio gear.

newestoldest
Roland TR-808 drum machine
Hardware

808 Day: How the Roland TR-808 Became the Most Important Drum Machine Ever Made

August 8th is 808 Day. A look at how a commercial failure at launch became the foundation of hip-hop, electro, house, techno, and trap — and why the 808 still defines modern music.

Dubspot TeamMay 10, 20267 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.

Dubspot TeamMay 10, 20269 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.

Dubspot TeamMay 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.

Dubspot TeamMay 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.

Dubspot TeamMay 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.

Dubspot TeamMay 8, 20266 min read
Buchla Ziggy desktop analog synthesizer shown from the front, with sliders, encoder dial, and screen visible on its slanted panel
Hardware

Buchla Ziggy: A Sub-$1,000 West Coast Synth From the Originators

Buchla Ziggy is a $999 desktop analog monosynth built around a complex oscillator, low-pass gate, and the Cycler — announced ahead of Superbooth 2026.

Dubspot TeamMay 5, 20265 min read
Native Instruments Maschine+ standalone groovebox alongside the Maschine 3.5 desktop software interface
Hardware

Maschine 3.5 and Maschine+ 2.2: The Standalone Catches Up

Maschine 3.5 redesigns the Sampler UI and adds Sound Focus, while Maschine+ 2.2 brings the Kontakt 8 engine and more Play Series instruments to standalone.

Dubspot TeamMay 5, 20264 min read
Akai MPC 3.8 firmware update on MPC standalone hardware and MPC Sample
Hardware

Akai MPC 3.8 Firmware: The MPC Sample Joins the Family

Akai's free MPC 3.8 firmware connects the new MPC Sample to the standalone lineup, ports five effects across, and tightens the studio-to-couch workflow.

Dubspot TeamMay 1, 20263 min read
Auxy Svensson 49 looping keyboard with metal body and oak side panels
Hardware

Auxy Svensson 49: A Looping Idea Keyboard from a Swedish Software Studio and Cuckoo

Auxy's debut hardware is a 49-key, always-listening looping keyboard with sounds by Cuckoo, German-built oak-and-metal construction, and a $999 price tag.

Dubspot TeamMay 1, 20264 min read
Chase Bliss Big Time hybrid analog digital stereo delay pedal
Hardware

Chase Bliss Big Time: An 80s Rack Delay Reimagined as a Stereo Hybrid Beast

Chase Bliss and EAE's Big Time is a $999 hybrid analog/digital stereo delay-and-looper with motorized faders, modeled on early-80s rack delays.

Dubspot TeamMay 1, 20264 min read
Expressive E Osmose CE 49-key MPE MIDI controller in white with black base
Hardware

Expressive E Osmose CE: The Famous MPE Keybed, Now Without the Synth

Expressive E's Osmose CE strips the EaganMatrix engine and keeps the Augmented Keyboard Action, pairing it with Ctrl-e and 900+ presets at $999.

Dubspot TeamApr 30, 20264 min read

Explore other topics

SoftwareProductionSound DesignDJingMixing & MasteringMusic TheoryTutorialsInterviews