Gear Reviews

Software  |  No. 160

Ableton: Live 12 Suite

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

The importance of organization, functionality, and preparedness is central to the work we do when making music with/for others. From my perspective, DAWs are getting more comprehensive and less...

Pedals  |  No. 159

Universal Audio: UAFX Guitar Pedals

reviewed by John Baccigaluppi, Larry Crane, Dana Gumbiner, Scott McChane, Corey Reidy

Universal Audio introduced their first three UAFX Pedals in 2021, and with the release of 12 new pedals in 2023, the line now has 18 different pedal options available for a complete instrument...

Books  |  No. 157

Bjooks (publisher/author): Synth Gems 1 – Exploring Vintage Synthesizers, Inspire The Music – 50 Years of Roland History (book)

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

I've been a fan of Kim Bjørn and co.'s "Bjooks" series of hardcover synth nerd bibles since the initial release of Push Turn Move in 2017. For those unfamiliar with the series, Bjooks publishes...

Synthesizers  |  No. 157

Erica Synths: Syntrx II Analog Synthesizer

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

The first-generation Syntrx from Latvian synthesis maestros Erica Synths was a fantastic "reimagining" of the 1972 EMS Synthi AKS. The original Syntrx was a highly desirable analog synth with a...

Control Surfaces  |  No. 157

Ableton: Push 3

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

The new Push 3 is finally here! I've been an Ableton Live DAW [Tape Op #143] user since version 1, and was an early adopter of both of the first two generations of Push hardware, so I was eager to...

Books  |  No. 156

Bjooks (publisher/author): Synth Gems 1 – Exploring Vintage Synthesizers, Inspire The Music – 50 Years of Roland History (book)

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

I've been a fan of Kim Bjørn and Bjooks' series of hardcover synth nerd bibles since the initial release of Push Turn Move in 2017. For those unfamiliar with the series, Bjooks publishes a...

Interfaces, Software  |  No. 154

PreSonus: Studio One 6 Professional DAW

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Folks, let's chat about PreSonus Studio One Professional, now leveled up to version six. I tend to “DAW-jump” these days between Ableton Live [Tape Op #143], Universal Audio LUNA [#138],...

Accessories, Wiring  |  No. 153

Love My Switches: Control Knobs, Switches, & Parts

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

I found this Love My Switches’ web store while searching for aluminum replacements for the sticky, degraded soft-touch rubber vulcanized knobs on my Arturia MicroBrute [Tape Op #106] synth. Many...

Interfaces  |  No. 152

Universal Audio: Volt 476P Interface

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

The Volt 476P, Universal Audio’s latest in their line of low-cost-yet-high-quality USB-C audio interfaces, is the flagship of the Volt fleet. It has the same essential features as its little...

Synthesizers  |  No. 151

Moog Music: Mavis Analog Synthesizer Kit

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

What if we wrote this review in a 1940s radio announcer mode? Where every sentence is obnoxiously alliterative... “The minuscule monophonic Moog Music’s Mavis makes many massive melodies!...

Plug-Ins, Software  |  No. 151

Universal Audio: Hitsville EQ Collection Plug-Ins

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

With the introduction of UAD Spark, Universal Audio’s new subscription-based native plug-in collection, longtime UAD users (like myself) now have access to a subset of our existing go-to UAD...

Effects, Plug-Ins, Software  |  No. 150

Universal Audio: AMS DMX Digital Delay & Pitch Shifter UAD Plug-In

reviewed by Dana Gumbiner

Hailing from 1978, and peppered throughout several classic recordings in the ‘80s and ‘90s, the AMS DMX 15-80 S was the world’s first microprocessor-controlled, 15-bit digital delay...