In a word of endless software choice, hardware instruments and effects can offer something unique in terms of sonic character. Here are 5 pro tips for the best ways to use them.
Granular synthesis, invented by Iannis Xenakis in 1959, is often passed by when talking about synthesis. Here we explore what it is and show how easily it can create unique and impressive sounds.
Here's four short, to the point tips from Matt Vanacoro that'll help every producer and musician mix guitars better in electronic and dance music tracks.
The more synths the better, right? Only if they all fit nicely in the mix... Matt Vanacoro shows how you can have your cake and eat it with these five essential synth mixing tips.
The Grid in Bitwig Studio is an incredibly powerful environment for building sounds and synths from scratch. Here, certified trainer Thavius Beck gets to the heart of how it works.
Using waveform editing to cut percussive sounds out of ambient and other samples is a great way to create unique drum sounds, Adam Pollard shows you how it's done.
See how to quickly set up a cool retro synth patch from scratch in Arturia's Pigments by using the instrument's Analog mode and a few tuning, filtering and oscillator tricks.
UVI's Falcon is a powerful environment for building synth or sample-based instruments, and it's easier than you may think. Joe Albano shows you how it's done.
Longtime Buchla user, synth expert and publisher Steve H reflects on his musical journey with these unique instruments and where he thinks the future of Buchla lies...
Alchemy is one of the flagship synths in Apple's Logic Pro X. Here, Matt Vanacoro reveals some of its hidden depths and shows you how to use it at the next level.
Moog's Minimoog Model D played a pivotal role in the development of modern music from electronic to pop and far beyond. Here's its story from creation to the present day.
Quickly assign controllers from hardware or other software to parameters inside Kontakt for more dynamic and interesting sounds. Matt Vanacoro shows you how.
Roland's TR-808 is a stone cold classic in the history - and the present - of music technology. But its story has a few more twists and turns than you might have guessed...
If you want to take your synthesis skills and knowledge to the next level, this handy guide from Matt Vanacoro will tell you everything you need to know about the wonderful world of synths.