Sample chopping on the Teenage Engineering KOII finally gets the Free Beat treatment, and it’s about time. Our favourite daily-gear explorer dives into two ways to slice up beats, with a workflow that’s part coffee-fuelled experiment, part practical chaos. Expect hands-on action with patron-submitted drums, a few honest gripes, and a look at what makes the KOII’s sample handling both clever and occasionally clunky. If you want to know whether this box is a street weapon or a fiddly toy, you’ll want to read on—and then watch the video for the full sonic mayhem.
Ready to bin your plugin EQs and go hardware hunting? Andrew Chapman Creative is here with a no-nonsense, laugh-out-loud tier list of hardware EQs, slicing through the hype like a samurai at a toaster-fight. Forget the sales talk—this is real-world studio grit, where sound, workflow, and value slug it out for top spot. Expect sharp opinions, a few sacred cows tipped, and enough honest banter to make your rack blush. If you’re after the truth about which EQs slap and which ones should stay in the pawn shop, this is your rave bunker briefing.
Ever wondered what happens when a composer with a taste for the weird picks up a battered Dutch guitar from the sixties? David Hilowitz Music dives headfirst into a Craigslist mystery, unboxing a vinyl-clad relic that looks like it survived a toaster-fight in a Rotterdam dive bar. Expect dodgy wiring, missing ground wires, and a neck swap that would make Leo Fender blush. This isn’t your granddad’s Les Paul—think more “budget Bond gadget” than boutique classic. If you want to see a true underdog get a second chance (and hear it sing on a fresh track), this one’s for you.
Strap in, mates—Andrew Huang is back with a slice of weird gear that’ll have your head spinning faster than a kangaroo on a merry-go-round. This time, he’s roped in Anthony Dickens to show off the Circle Guitar, a self-strumming, MIDI-mad invention that turns guitar playing on its head. Expect magnetic picks, Ableton wizardry, and enough experimental tricks to make your local pedalboard faint. If you reckon guitars are all about strumming and shredding, think again—this beast is here to rewrite the rulebook. Ready for a wild ride? Let’s dive in before the outback sun melts our pedals!
AudioPilz is back in the Bad Gear ring, this time squaring up to Arturia’s Pigments—the so-called messiah of soft synths. Is this the plugin that’ll finally make us bin our battered analog boxes, or just another overhyped digital darling? Expect sharp wit, meme-fuelled jabs, and a healthy dose of skepticism as Florian Pilz pokes holes in the marketing fluff and puts Pigments through its paces. If you’re tired of synth reviews that read like press releases, this one’s got more bite than a dodgy kebab at 3am.
Molten Music Technology’s Robin Vincent doesn’t mess about, and neither does the AtoV Faderpunk Controller. Straight out the box, this 16-channel modular weapon is ready to slap your rack into shape—no manual marathon required. In this first-impressions rave, Robin dives into the Faderpunk’s plug-and-play attitude, its multi-headed CV hydra, and the kind of live performance quirks that only show up when the strobes are on. If you want a controller that’s as immediate as a caffeine shot and as flexible as a rave bunker yoga class, read on. But trust us, you’ll want to see this thing in action to
Arturia’s Pigments 7 takes center stage in this official walkthrough, where Alex guides us through the Dubstep Explorations expansion—a preset pack engineered for high-impact bass, explosive wobbles, and laser-sharp leads. The video is a deep dive into how these new sounds are layered and arranged within a hard-hitting dubstep track, with a clear focus on the interplay between different preset engines and effects chains. As is typical for Arturia’s channel, the presentation is both musical and technical, offering insight into the architecture of Pigments 7 and its workflow for modern producers. If you’re curious about how digital sound design translates
Step into the magnetic haze of digital nostalgia as Starsky Carr unveils the Waldorf Protein—a synth that exhales the spectral breath of the 80s and 90s while inviting us into a modern, tactile interface. In this immersive review, Starsky’s signature clarity meets the Protein’s lo-fi shimmer, revealing a machine that doesn’t just emulate its ancestors but reinvents their spirit. From stepped wavetables to multitimbral layering, the Protein becomes a vessel for sonic ghosts and future dreams alike. Prepare to drift through gritty textures, lush pads, and the subtle magic that only true wavetable synthesis can conjure. For those who seek
Ever tried syncing a Korg Drumlogue with a Novation Circuit Mono Station and ended up in a tempo trainwreck? Nu-Trix The Synth Guy dives headfirst into the gritty world of analog and MIDI sync, showing us where things groove—and where they fall flat on their face. Expect honest, hands-on troubleshooting, a few sync-induced headaches, and plenty of practical advice. This isn’t your average dry tutorial; it’s a real-world rave bunker test, with Nu-Trix’s trademark clarity and no-nonsense style. If you want your boxes to start together and stay in time, this is the sync battle you need to watch.
If you’re tired of sampling the same dusty jazz records and want your beats to slap with some real global flavor, you gotta peep what Verysickbeats is cooking. JFilt takes us on a wild ride, flipping a 120-year-old Indian recording into a beat that sounds fresher than street tacos at 2am. This isn’t just a history lesson—it’s a cheat code for producers who want to stand out, stay legal, and keep the groove alive. Grab your headphones, because this video is a masterclass in digging, flipping, and making ancient sounds bang in 2026.
