UVI lets you become a Drum Designer by layering synths and samples

With a concept reminiscent of NI's Drum Lab Kontakt instrument, Drum Designer is an elaborate tool for layering synthesized and sampled drum sounds into hits as subtle or as monstrous as you'd like them to be.

Acustica Audio Viridian Plug-in Suite: Modelling Über-rare British and German gear

Viridian is a collection of vintage British solid-state gear emulations, including a modern reissue of a "coveted" FET studio compressor and a "hyper-rare" early 60's German console.

Supro Keeley Custom 1970RK guitar amp: The perfect pedal platform?

The simple Supro Keeley Custom 1970RK is a 25-Watt combo tuned to work well with your pedal set-up. Is it the the perfect platform for pedals or is the price going to undermine its success?

Mutable Instruments reboots Tides: the Tsunami of Modulation

Without the dramatic discontinuation of the original module, Mutable Instruments have quietly upgraded and replaced their Tides: Tidal Modulator with the Tides: Tidal Modulator.

Teaser video of a Vector Digital Hardware Synthesizer

A new Vector based desktop synthesizer appears to be emerging from Vector Synth. It's all about orbits, inertia and morphing between sound sources. Check out the teaser video.

Korg Gadget 1.2 for Nintendo Switch goes multiplayer

New version 1.2 of Korg Gadget on the Nintendo Switch introduces the idea of collaboration with up to 4 players multiplayer composition mode and a cool new song transfer feature.

Mercuriall Audio models the AMT SS-11A and AMT SS-11B preamps

Mercuriall Audio is planning a new preamp plug-in based around the AMT SS-11A pedal, with some useful added features and nice loyalty pricing for existing Mercuriall customers.

Seymour Duncan unveils the Billy Gibbons’ Red Devil PAF set – for Strats!

The Red Devil PAF pickup set gets you closer to Billy Gibbon's Texan Blues tone without having to hack up your beloved Stratocaster. But how close to Billy's Pearly Gates do they sound?

Is the new Electro Harmonix Mod Rex effect pedal a modulation king?

With lots of control, four effects sections, MIDI integration, a simple user interface and 100 presets, could the new Electro Harmonix Mod Rex be the king of modulation effects pedals?

TC captures the EMT 250 reverb in plug-in + hardware controller form

TC Electronic has continued its TC ICON software-hardware integration journey by resurrecting another classic unit in the series, the DVR250-DT reverb. The classic EMT 250 Electronic Reverbator lives on!

Antelope Audio breeds an Edge-y family of modeling condenser mics

Antelope Audio has expanded its Edge large-diaphragm condenser modeling microphone into a full-on mic line-up. The Edge family, as it's called, encompasses the Edge Solo, Edge Duo, and Edge Quadro.

Free Plug-ins This Week: Distortion, Loudness Meter 2 and Pure Mono synth

We found three wo fantastic free plug-ins you can download right away: a distinct and unusual distortion called Tarabia, the Youlean loudness meter and Hora Music's free Pure Mono synth. Enjoy!

OP-Z: Teenage Engineering’s grey slab of mystery available for preorder

With the OP-Z they plan to push more boundaries, annoy more people and reach new levels of hipster smugness. 16 tracks of sequencing covering drums, synths, sampling, MIDI, CV, lights and video - and it's tiny.

Epiphone Slash Firebird: An affordable version of Gibson’s $7699 ‘SlashBird’

This great-looking limited edition new signature guitar for Slash offers a (way, way) cheaper way of getting a Slash-endorsed Firebird than last year's eye-wateringly expensive Gibson model.

Touché SE: affordable version of the wobbly block USB expressive controller thing

Become one with the Touché SE wobbly block controller and you'll be gesturing your control over all your software instruments. This USB only version is a great price for a fabulous amount of nuance and ...

Get your Krell on with the TipTop Audio Forbidden Planet Analog Filter

TipTop Audios new Steiner-Parker inspired multi-mode analog filter is going to take your Eurorack into orbit! Forbidden Planet combines the usual 3 modes with some unusual CV control - things could get spacey.

Generator: next generation three channel step sequencer now generally available

The second batch of Analogue Solutions 3-channel, CV and gate sequencer are ready and the Generator is now generally available. Could this be the modular controller you've been looking for?

Gibson bankruptcy: Guitar maker to leave Chapter 11 by October

Financial news outlets and trade press have been reporting that Gibson is likely to leave bankruptcy in a matter of weeks. But the news doesn't have us jumping for joy just yet.

Ozone 8 Elements: How to get it for free (well, almost…)

Fed up with emails flogging "great deals" on software? This one is worth checking out: Ozone Elements 8 is going for (nearly) nothing, that's USD 129 off. Just spend $1 and give them your data.

Valve vs. solid state guitar amps: Can you guess which is which?

One of these three (very different-sounding) amps is a transistor amp, the other two are valve amps. Can you guess which amp is the solid state one? And what does "valve tone" mean, anyway?

Circuit Happy uncovers “The Missing Link” between Ableton Link and analogue gear

Having trouble getting all your synths and laptops to sync together at your local synth jam? The Missing Link will fill in the gaps by turning Ableton Link into 5V Clock - but how many will you need?

Roland’s AX-Edge keytar with custom blades couldn’t be more metal

Equal parts nuts and awesome the AX-Edge is the coolest thing ever. Any normal person would feel ridiculous but in the hands of the right sort of extrovert this thing is gonna rock!

Roland makes the JUNO-DS61 slightly larger: Enter the JUNO-DS76!

I was so frustrated that the JUNO-DS61 felt a little small and yet the JUNO-DS88 was too many notes for me to cope with. With the new 76-keyed JUNO-DS76 I couldn't be happier.

iZotope RX7 and RX Post Production Suite 3 now available

The seventh generation of RX is spread across RX 7 Advanced and the RX Post Production Suite, which focus on the needs of audio post professionals, while RX 7 Standard and RX Elements solve common audio issues.