Music Production Forum

Cyber Weekend may be over, but there are still plenty of great deals on offer over at Thomann in celebration of the festive period, including a generous saving on Native Instruments’ Kontakt 8. This latest version of NI’s treasured sampling platform was described as its “biggest update in years” by us at MusicTech, and received an 8/10 in our review. We noted its updated interface and new additions such as Tools elevated Kontakt to an “idea generator”... The post Native Instruments’ Kontakt 8 marked its “biggest update in years” – and you can now get it for nearly half price appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

We’ve got something here we don’t come across too often: a Mac-only plugin. Analog Glow is a new saturation plugin from TonalMark, available in AU and VST3 formats for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon). You can download the .pkg installer directly from Gumroad. If you want to support the developer, you can enter any amount [...] View post: TonalMark releases Analog Glow, a FREE analog-style saturation plugin for macOS View the full article

Synchro Arts is the name behind plugins like RePitch and the recently covered VocAlign Pro 6, and this December, the developer is spreading the joy with 12 Days of Free Plugins. The 12 Days of Free Plugins promotion will run from December 4 to December 15, 2025. It’s not like a mini Advent calendar where [...] View post: Synchro Arts 12 Days of Free Plugins: Get four FREE plugins for a limited time View the full article

Audio effects creator Soundtoys today launched a special "12 Days of Soundtoys" holiday promotion. The campaign offers six free plug-ins between December 8 and December 19. Each free plug-in will be available for 48 hours only, exclusively at soundtoys.com giving artists, producers, and sound designers powerful new tools to shape and enhance their creativity.… Read More 12 Days of Soundtoys Holiday Giveaways Offer Six Free Plug-ins, December 8-19View the full article

Why do some melodies live in our heads for weeks, while others disappear seconds after the song ends? It’s not luck — it’s science, pattern recognition, and emotional contour. Great producers don’t rely on guessing. They understand how the human brain processes melody — and they design hooks that feel instantly familiar, emotionally resonant, and impossible to forget. Let’s break down the psychology behind unforgettable hooks and how you can apply it in your productions. View the full article

With the Elektron Tonverk, the company recently released a polyphonic sampling workstation based on eight stereo tracks, modular routing structures, and a powerful sequencer. It combines multisampling, subtracks, granular sound generation, and performance features in a device that aims to be more than just a sampler. For years, Elektron has been known for its uncompromising hardware instruments that encourage creativity rather than dictate workflow. But how far does this claim really go, and where does the concept reach its limits? Here is my review... The post Elektron Tonverk: Granular Power and Sequencer Magic in One Box – Review! appeared first on gearnews.com. View t…

After what feels like an eternity of beta testing, u-he has published a new release candidate of Zebralette 3, possibly one of the most eagerly awaited free software synths. If all goes well, Zebralette 3 will be officially released very soon. But you can already try it today! u-he had first unveiled Zebralette 3 almost two years ago at NAMM 2024 (see below). The free software synth, which also serves as a testing ground for the upcoming Zebra 3, has since been making the rounds in the beta community. Now, u-he has published a new release candidate, stating that they “aim to officially release the little horse into the wild next week”... The post u-he Zebralette 3 Is Almo…

Pro Tools was my first DAW. Unlike many of my friends who first dabbled with FL Studio or Logic Pro, I went straight to acoustic recording and then worked my way backwards to MIDI. I clicked with the workflow then, and I still do now – it’s powerful, fast, and, for me, incredibly familiar. It’s also painfully expensive, pushes you toward annoying subscription models, supports only AAX plugins, and has an unabashedly steep learning curve. It’s a love-hate relationship, to be sure. So, like many Pro Tools veterans, my eye has been wandering – and what it found was Universal Audio’s LUNA. This fledgling DAW, first released in 2020, has been getting stronger every year, expan…

Supercritical Synthesizers has released a new firmware update for the Redshift 6, their 6-voice, 96-oscilator synthesizer. … Read More Supercritical Synthesizers Updates Redshift 6, Introduces New FX SectionView the full article

The release of the Roland TR-1000 Rhythm Creator is welcome news. First, it is—after a long time—the quasi “real” successor to the classic TR-808 and TR-909 (and R-8, we would… Read More The post Roland TR-1000: the hybrid Rhythm Creator appeared first on GreatSynthesizers. View the full article

Miniraze 1.5 adds more waves, patches, formant filters & more. … Read More Media Overkill Updates Miniraze Wave-Slicing Synth With Analog ControlView the full article

The Bob Moog Foundation has announced their winter fundraising raffle. The grand prize, a custom-built Eurorack modular synthesizer system housed in a handcrafted 15U (126 hp), is themed around the question, "What Would Bob Do?". Valued at $24,000, the system includes 50 Eurorack modules, 11 controllers, and components from 52 companies across 17 countries.… Read More Bob Moog Foundation Announces ‘What Would Bob Do?’ Fundraising Raffle for a Custom Eurorack ModularView the full article

Guy Mantzur and Chicola have always treated collaboration like a conversation between worlds. Their new EP, Neon Bible, released on Sasha’s label Last Night on Earth, captures that dialogue perfectly. It’s deep, hypnotic, and emotionally charged without losing its precision. Central to that sound is their use of Raum and Replika XT, two tools that gave the track its shape and sense of movement. Both producers have built careers on control and atmosphere, and those instincts come through clearly here. Raum helped carve out a spatial identity for the synths, allowing melodies to drift but never blur, while Replika XT added a rhythmic pulse that kept the reverb alive inside …

Cyber Monday might be over, but there are still a number of music technology deals worth grabbing – including AIR Music Tech’s Tape Double Track plugin, which usually costs $99 and is available for free until Monday, 8 December... The post Say goodbye to Cyber Week with AIR Music Tech’s $99 Tape Double Track plugin – now available for free! appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Stylophone’s CPM DF-8 is a standalone and Eurorack-ready dual filter unit with eight filter types, envelopes, VCAs and effects. It’s flexible, affordable, and way more fun than it has any right to be. And no stylus in sight! ... The post Stylophone CPM DF-8: Ridiculously Fun Filter – Review appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Audio hardware is having a renaissance this decade. The 2010s were dominated by vapid, redundant ‘analogue vs digital’ debates, an unstoppable avalanche of iOS apps and innovative plugins, and countless new MIDI controllers. In the 2020s, however — despite the furious noise around artificial intelligence — we’re seeing tactility and analogue circuitry back at the forefront. In the past five years alone, historic brands like Oberheim, Sequential and Moog reprised their leviathan synth roots, Behringer led the charge on affordable analogue hardware, boutique rotary mixers have become the centrepiece of many hi-fi DJ booths, and brands like Warm Audio have put valve mics fir…

How to succeed in the music industry is likely a question you have already wondered about. After helping thousands of students achieve their music production dreams, there are 12 key steps I’ve identified that separate successful music producers from those who struggle. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to level-up your career, these habits will help you move forward faster and smarter... The post How to Succeed in the Music Industry (12 Proven Steps) appeared first on EDM Tips. View the full article

Xilentch has been busy over the past few months, and after releasing XMLimiter V2 and XMTape&Clip, the developer has added another plugin to the XM series: XMTubePre. XMTubePre follows the same design philosophy as previous releases; the intention is to recreate the feeling of expensive hardware in a free, simple plugin. In this case, Xilentch [...] View post: Xilentch releases XMTubePre, a FREE mastering tube preamp plugin View the full article

Developer Variety of Sound has just released FerricTDS mkIII, a free tape saturation effect for Windows. FerricTDS has had a long and storied journey, going back over fifteen years when it won the KVR Developer Challenge way back in 2009. We’re used to applauding Variety of Sound plugins (even me, as a bystander with my [...] View post: Variety of Sound releases FerricTDS mkIII, a FREE tape saturation effect for Windows View the full article

The first dedicated controller for Serato Studio, Serato Sample, and Serato DJ it’s a music production tool for all creators. Serato has officially unveiled SLAB, the first pad controller purpose-built for Serato Studio and co-developed with AlphaTheta Corporation. Designed to give producers a fast, expressive, and intuitive beatmaking experience, SLAB seamlessly integrates with Serato Studio, [...] The post Serato & AlphaTheta Launch SLAB appeared first on DJ Life Magazine. View the full article

Since studying piano and electronic music from a young age, Kelly Moran’s journey has seen her perfect the art of preparing pianos — placing objects on the strings to radically alter the sonic character of the instrument. A series of experimental releases helped her get signed to the legendary Warp imprint, and then the pandemic intervened, leading her to rethink her approach to creating tracks. On her new album Don’t Trust Mirrors, Kelly Moran transforms her prepared piano recordings into hypnotic, loop-driven compositions, blended with rich analogue synthesis. We discuss her unconventional approach to processing, why she sampled every note of her piano into a VST, and w…

From @synthandsoftware - Modulation changes everything when you route control signals from sources to destinations. Original lesson from December 2019 Turning knobs by hand while a synthesizer is producing a tone is a great way to add expression to your music. Most of us have only two hands, however, and quite often one or both of them will […] The post A Lesson From Christmas Past…Jim Aikin’s Modular Synthesis: Modulation appeared first on Synth and Software. View the full article

SynTesla has announced that their online store is now live.… Read More SynTesla Store Now Live, So Now You Can Buy Synths Like Hans ZimmerView the full article

Valhalla DSP has released Valhalla Supermassive 5.0, a major update to their free reverb effect plugin. … Read More Free Valhalla Supermassive Plugin Gets Sirius UpdateView the full article

Wave Alchemy has unleashed a massive deal on its Reverb Bundle, which is now just $20 at Plugin Boutique until December 7. I was blown away (much like everyone else) with Wave Alchemy’s free Magic7 reverb. It’s a fantastic emulation of the legendary Bricasti M7 reverb and an absolute killer freebie. If you liked that [...] View post: Get the Wave Alchemy Reverb Bundle for only $20 until December 7 View the full article

Officially, Black Friday and Cyber Monday are in the rear-view mirror, but as retailers try to outcompete each other for how long they can drag out their sales, that’s where you can jump in, take advantage and bag yourself a killer deal in the Cyber Weekend aftermath. If you’re in the market for a new pair of studio headphones – either just a spare pair, or a replacement after the earcup cushions in yours started flaking (a curse I am currently afflicted with) – these AKG K92 closed-back studio headphones might just be the ticket... The post Get these solid closed-back studio headphones for just $49 in this lingering Cyber Monday deal at zZounds appeared first on MusicTec…

WideFire is an analogue-style saturation plugin by JMG Sound/United Plugins that takes an interesting approach to audio widening, and now you can get it for 90% off at AudioDeluxe! The WideFire plugin typically sells for $29, but with a 90% discount, you can pick it up for just $3 (I’m not sure how long the [...] View post: Get 90% off the United Plugins WideFire + get UVI Model D for FREE View the full article

If you didn’t manage to grab any bargains during last week’s Black Friday madness, you’re in luck. Plugin Boutique has rolled out a fresh Cyber Week sale featuring deep discounts across Korg’s classic software lineup – from legendary synth emulations to modern effects – with prices starting at just £23... The post Cyber Weekend is over, but you can still save up to 55% on Korg plugins all of this week! appeared first on MusicTech. View the full article

Distropolis Goods has introduced the Prismatic Spray II 'bytebeat adventure synth', an updated version of their experimental desktop synthesizer. … Read More Distropolis Goods Intros Prismatic Spray II ‘Bytebeat Adventure Synth’View the full article