Akai MPC Sample puts recording, chopping, pads and fast beatmaking ahead of a full production environment. We examine what its stripped-down workflow gains, where the sequencer and deeper features fall short, and who benefits from this compact MPC.

Akai MPC Sample

22. September 2026

Starsky Carr

Starsky Carr Throws Down: Jupiter-8 vs Magnolia – Who Actually Wins?

SPARKY

Roll up for a synth deathmatch: Starsky Carr pits the vintage Roland Jupiter-8 against the Frap Tools Magnolia. This isn’t some polite tea party – it’s a head-on, no-excuses brawl between a classic icon and a modern mod-monster. Price, features, and that all-important sound get the full treatment. Forget nostalgia: which of these beasts actually deserves your desk space? Spoiler – you’ll be surprised who walks away with the crown.

Frap Tools Magnolia, Roland Jupiter-8

22. September 2026

Taylor Fiore

Taylor Fiore Pits Eurorack Rings Against Max for Live: Who Rings Supreme?

SPARKY

Taylor Fiore, known for slicing through synth hype with Ableton-centric precision, takes Mutable Instruments’ legendary Rings module and throws its Max for Live clone into a sonic cage match. We get a dead honest, side-by-side deep dive into both interfaces, quirks and all. Spoiler: subtle differences matter when you’re pushing boundaries, and Taylor’s workflow wisdom is not to be missed—especially if you want your ambient textures to punch above their weight.

Ableton Move, Max for Live Rings, Mutable Instruments Rings, Teenage Engineering TX-6

22. September 2026

tafony

tafony’s Eurorack Live Rig: Like a Modular Kangaroo on a Red Bull Bender

TAS

tafony, Vancouver’s resident modular wrangler, takes us on an epic ramble through his ever-evolving Eurorack live setup. This isn’t your average gear chat—think more outback BBQ with a synth in each hand. From mixer headaches to the Digitakt 2’s melodic mischief, there’s chaos, honesty, and plenty of cheeky banter. If you’re after inspiration for your next outdoor rave or want to know which modules survive the wildest gigs, tafony spills the beans (and maybe a bit of patch cable spaghetti) in true DIY style.

ALM MFD, Archer’s Rig, BIA, Bitbox Mk2, Cosmotronic Ophelion, Elektron Digitakt 2, Endorphin.es Ghost, Expert Sleepers MIDI Breakout, F8R, Hermod+, Intellijel Data Bender, Libre Legio, LXR, Modbap Performer, Mutant Brain, Noise Plethora, Ohmforce Boom, OXI META, Pamela’s Pro Workout, Snare Lancer, VIC X, Xcelon

22. September 2026

Liam Killen

Liam Killen Unleashes the Elektron Outbox 8: The Outs’ Revolution

SPARKY

Liam Killen gets his hands on the Elektron Outbox 8, taking it for a spin in a real-world hardware and hybrid rig. If you’ve ever cursed at Elektron boxes for their lack of individual outs, this one’s for you. Killen’s practical, no-BS approach slices straight through the hype, showing how this minimalist slab can turn any DAWless setup into a multi-lane sonic motorway. Prepare for sharp routing, dirty compression, and the kind of workflow hacks only a true gearhead can deliver.

Elektron Digitakt, Elektron Digitakt 2, Elektron Digitone, Elektron Digitone 2, Elektron Outbox 8, Lindell Audio 7X500VIN, Louder Than Liftoff Chroma 500, SSL Big 6

22. September 2026

Omri Cohen

Omri Cohen’s Stochastic Telegraph Twixt: Wiggly Modulation Mayhem in VCV Rack

TAS

Ever tried to wrestle a modulation source that’s as unpredictable as a possum in your esky? Omri Cohen’s got his hands on the Stochastic Telegraph Twixt, and he’s showing us how this wild virtual module can twist, warp, and utterly transform your patches. With his trademark chill and ultra-clear walkthrough style, Omri dives into drawing modulation shapes, mangling grids, and making bleepy chaos a creative playground. If you like your modular mayhem with a side of clever thinking, this one’s a ripper.

21. September 2026

The Unperson

The Unperson Unleashes the MiniFreak 5.0 Update: Sample Mayhem and Wavetable Chaos

SPARKY

Arturia’s MiniFreak just levelled up, and The Unperson is here to drag it out of the polite synth club and straight into the rave bunker. Forget stale presets—this firmware update lets you hotwire your own samples and wavetables right into the MiniFreak’s core. The Unperson guides us through the process, pokes at the new engines, and shows off some truly warped patches—because why sound normal when you can sound freaky? If you’ve ever wanted your synth to scream in your own accent, this is your moment.

21. September 2026

Voltage Labs

Voltage Labs: Berlin’s Sonic Mosaic – Studios, Shadows and the Pulse of Creation

LUMINA

Berlin hums with spectral possibility, and Voltage Labs wanders its corridors, capturing artists as they breathe life into cables and shadows. This visual diary is a lattice of studio sanctuaries: Robert Henke’s ordered chaos, Justine Perry’s slow-burning atmospheres, Marcel Dettmann’s artful reflections, and the raw kinetic energy of Benjamin Damage and Perel. Each encounter feels like a fragment of a sprawling, magnetic resonance—moments where sound, light and intention blur. The city’s record stores, too, become altars, their crates echoing with stories yet to unfold. In this Berlin vlog, Voltage Labs crafts a sonic ghost story, promising deeper dives still hidden … Read more