Mike Byrd

Love this synth the colour display is really clear and intuitive, this synth sounds lush and is easy to program . The ability to have a different effect on any off its 16 midi channels is a plus and the ability to use the chord and arp on each midi channel is superb. My only dislike is the inability to fine tune patchs in DAW control mode. But if you dont mind not using the DAW transport controls on the FA 06 , the synth architecture is completely open and ready to be manipulated in the multi mode option on this synth. Great synth offering many possibilities.

This Acid machine really delivers and sounds exactly as the Roland Tb 303 , but the Aira TB3 has more patchs under the hood and an effects engine as well all welcome plus's . The ability to see exactly what your inputting when programming the TB3 is priceless and allows you the ease off being able to create any pattern your heart desires saving frustration. The TB3 is a 303 plus more and is a steal when it comes to value for money, for what it has on offer theres nothing to fault.

This surpasses the Roland 303 as it comes with a software Editor making programming the Behringer TD-3 a breeze and yet it holds true to its Analog roots and costs a fraction off the price of a 303 but delivers the same 303 sound we've grown to love. You won't get better for the price.

Got my Kyra Thee other week, its 8 part multitimbral function is powerful and each track has a dedicated effects and Arp section, this synth can easily match the Access Virus ti polar and has loads that's over 3000 factory sounds installed that all can be sculpted to one's own taste and over 4000 waveforms, awesome. Its has great sturdy metal build quality with metal Knobs 👌 champion this is a powerful module and delivers on all fronts, Highly recommend.

This synth delivers on all fronts the wavetables are great and allows you to program everything, it's a deep synth creamy 😋 you'll never run out of patchs its programming possibilities are endless, every studio should have one.

The Novation Bass Station II AFX Station comes with 128 new synth patches and seven new overlay banks from various artists, including Noyze Lab, Perplex On, Richard Devine, r beny, and Lightbath.

Iam chuffed that I purchased this duo last year the drum sequencer is second to none comprehensive and super easy to use. The drum samples on this unit sound dynamic and can be edited to the users tastes it comes with a multiple effects suite where four effects can be applied to a single drum sample offers the programmer the ability to create any drum sound imaginable. Yes this maschine comes with over 8 GB off content and colours can be applied to the drum pads for easy recognition of what instrument is being triggered. Also the chord and arp function can control external vsts so opening up a wealth off possibilities. In my opinion maschine make the best hybrid groove station on the market today.

This feature packed drum machine has all the TR series drum machines installed and has a easy learning curve to operate this behemoth. There are plenty of youtube tutorials available for more advanced use and windows 10 and above users have the option to use the free software editor for total control. With the ability to load samples this machine covers all the bases. Well worth the money, highly recommend 👌

Signature has more vst's and effects included in its bundle but has the same architecture as producer. This Daw requires a lot of learning to produce something and doesn't follow the conventional Daw workflow but once learnt it comes into its own it has one of the best piano rolls in any daw ive ever used.. It comes with some great vst's synths effects etc, and this Daw can also be used as a vst third party daw in your primary daw so it has its pluses. Its midi instrument definitions are none existent unfortunately. I'd say this Daw is really cut out for the musician who uses mainly vst's not midi . If your new to DAW,s this one takes a bit off learning but when mastered it delivers.

Been using this DAW with dual display monitors , for the past 5 years in windows 7, it's a breeze to use and the ability to have unlimited midi channels and audio channels is a a welcome must . I haven't had to look elsewhere for a better DAW, it does the lot, a real keeper this one.

This is a bargin of a midi controller it comes with analog lab software which is worth the price of the hardware alone. Minilab has 16 control encoders that are sturdy and durable and it also comes with a midi control center so that you can control all your vsts and midi equipment. The mini keys on it feel sturdy and offer a synth action iam not to keen on the pitch bend and modulation sliders I'd prefer analog rotary wheels but for the price I expect you can't complain. I paid £67 for mine you wont find a such a comprehensive controller at this price that delivers anywhere else I dont think. Well worth the money.

This is a full 88 key controller with a synth action feel with the cosmetics off a piano. You can control your DAW an change patchs with the controls on this it doesn't feel cheap and flimsy also it feels like quality to the touch well worth the money gets the job done.

I use this audio interface in my productions it really easy to use and produces 24 bit input and output. My recordings sound mint and crisp and ive noticed zero latency. This interface can be used in usb mode or firewire iam using the latter. It also has a 7.1 output option and offers a digital input output facility. Great interface with many features.

Easy to operate and to get a result, the voice transformations this unit offers are basic but acceptable and can add some flavour to a mix . It does exactly what it says on the tin .

I bought this Audio interface because my old soundcard started giving off White noise, the MOTU MK3 is real quiet and when used with my DAW, gives Latency free rock solid transport its a pleasure to use iam so glad I upgraded to this interface. The phantom power for the mic's gives off feedback when iam in echo mode when in my DAW. Mind you I think this is a DAW issue more than a interface issue my DAW responds differently to different manufacture interfaces I've noticed in the past, so I can't be sure if the same issue iam getting occurs in other DAW's. The sound quality an ease off use of THE MOTU MK3 is unsurpassed, its compact and punchy very well throughout and easy to use, the CUEMIX Onboard DSP software is great for monitoring your mix or altering your input output mix. For the price the MOTU MK3 is a worthy Contender, so much packed into one box and as its, firewire and usb compatible you won't be disappointed.

This Audio interface works well with older windows systems iam using mine in windows 7, 64bit. This AKAI Soundcard delivers 24 bit sound and is a joy to use very low Latency to say the least. Highly recommend.

I heard one or two idiots trying to slate these speakers what a load of bell end cheese. These are great active monitors for the price their dynamic and deliver the sub frequency other 5inch monitors dont deliver a great addition to any studio. The mids and highs on these are more than acceptable and are great for mastering work especially for those who havent a lot of space to spare in their studio. Theres also a bass boost switch at the rear of the control monitor if you need a bit more sub personally I dont use this as i try to monitor flat so giving a true image of the music iam producing. Also I compared the output off these monitors to the image I get on my sennheiser headphones and they sounded the same rich and detailed. I wont be changing these monitors for some time till I decide to upgrade to 8 inch studio active monitors. The elevate 5s are great value for money and deliver.

For the price these headphones sound brill. Clean highs and mid range with rich undistorted bass. These also feel comfortable to wear for long periods. Id happily master productions with them i don't think you'd get better for the price.

This is a bargin of a condenser microphone its fantom powered and picks up great no distortion and gives crisp recordings. I use this mic in the projects ive worked and am working on, it also has a led to show that its receiving fantom power. Ive heard mics costing four times as much as the C1 not giving such a good result as this one. A great investment sturdy and reliable.

There are loads of plugins for this software sampler this player does the job with a licence upgrade it allows you to use third party vsts a bit expensive though.

This wavetable synth sounds lush fror such a small download capacity it delivers great analog warmth it's filter and two adsr envelope responses in the graphical editor .menu are very distinguishable and flicking through its wavetables theres a timbre for just about everything. My only annoyance with this vst is that the voices selection which determines polyphony resets itself when the play button is stopped in some daw's also the bugger self oscillates to much it has a mind of its own which is really a big pain so two stars off.

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard the patch selection on this free to download vst .Kairatune has some awesome unique patchs that can be manipulated through synthesis its filter sounds great as well this synth sounds fat and analogy which is brill its a pity its only monophonic though, which is why I deducted one star off but all the same what the patchs do offer are some great usable timbers that you can really play with and that you wont have heard anywhere else. This freebie is a must add on to any recording studio.

Easy to program and has some great patchs to manipulate I was surprised by some of the timbres I can get out of this thing ha!

Easy to program and sounds lush. Has some unusual unique to die for patchs.

This is z3ta 2's little brother it comes with a separate effects suite plugin that can be used on vocals etc the synth itself sounds great and you can manipulate patchs to your hearts content great sounding synth and easy to use.

I use this synth plugin for analog emulations its the only one of few softsynths thats been able to give me the warmth off analog that so hard to come by the filter is brilliant on this synth and the waveshaping and routing facility on board offers the sculpter the possibilty off endless new patchs. Great plugin for the price worth splashing the cash on.

This is a steal for anyone wanting the feel and warmth of analog in their projects. There are twelve different analog synths in this package and all can be edited. They sound brilliant. The only drawback is the matrix 12 synth consumes to much cpu power and the jupiter 8 audio drops out occasionally a bug arturia need to fix otherwise you'll be in heaven using this plugin so much variety easy to use and a steal for anyone on a budget. By the way its VST3.

This plugin is easy to program and gives some warm textures it sounds analogy when correctly programmed theres a hell of a lot of presets on this synth as well, a bit expensive for what it does though £169 grrr for a plugin ive seen better for the price if youve got plenty off wade splash out ha!

This plugin sounds great the only flaw with it is its sequencer dosnt recognise daw song pointers. Its best used as a midi drag an drop method of pattern programing. Also its best to get a steinberg usb elicenser dongle when purchasing this software this gives you the capability off using vdm on any pc or mac the softwares loaded on. Great bit of kit.

If your into Dance and Electronic music this drum module is mint, it offers full complex manipulation and synthesis of drum timbres simply amazing you can get sounds out of it that youve never dreamed of ha! Ive been running this module through my maschine mikro mk2 sequencer and they compliment each other perfectly as its a vst attack can be trigged by other daws or sequencers as well. If your into dance electronica etc dont look any further attacks a worthy contender.

A great synth a bit buggy though so one star off.

This synth uses modal synthesis as its engine and a good multi effects suite the soundscapes and fx on this synth are awesome they sound as if you can use them in film production etc really crisp and proffesionally dynamic. A great addition to any studio lush.

This is a great vst and standalone synth it houses a selection of 16 analog synths eg roland super jupiter, memory moog, sequential circuits pro one, korg polysix, oberheim matrix 12 etc. For a single patch it gives 8 variations of that patch patchs can also be morphed to create some weird and wonderful timbres it gives the user the bread and butter encoders you'd use in a analog environment and houses a dedicated arp and chord memory . All the synths sound warm and lush and are easy to program for what it does this multiple synth is mint

This four track digital recorder can record, line in and with its internal mics simultaneously. It offers three compulsory recording formats peak reduction, auto level and limiter all work great no complaints here. Great for video an sound engineering work and other professional applications. It has a built in speaker and records in 96, 48 and 44.1 khz formats and has a fantom power option for external xlr mics. Its takes three alkaline batteries and is supplied with a 2gb sd card this gives about 2 and a half hours recording time at the full sample rate. As seen in the photo the dr 40 has mic guards for usage protection. Completed files are downloaded to pc via usb 2 they also can be titled in the dr 40. This unit is portable easy to get to grips with packed with goodies and the recording quality is unsurpassed. Great bit of kit.

Bought this mixer thee other day to make my final music cuts sound more dynamic it dosnt disappoint the build in effects processor can be sent to all the track inputs and be applied individually theres over 100 effects presets on this mixer so you wont run out of choice their 24bit and sound mint. The only draw back on this mixer is that it has no on off switch so you'll need a plug with it's own on off switch to stop the unit from constantly being on all the time. Therefore one star off until behringer sort this out on the 1202fx all saying theres a hell of a lot of mixer offered here for your buck.

This synth has some great patchs in it rich and atmospheric easy to program and theres plenty of it. Its a pain to install though. Great sounding vst though over 1.3 gb.

My only criticism with this plugin is that the encoders should have a more clearly visible indicator to show their turned to position and there should be a zoom option to see the encoders close up so one star off otherwise this is a great analog vst synth for programming it sounds unique outstanding. Plus your saving thirty grand on purchasing a original for the same sounds ha!

To use this monophonic beast you'll need reaktor player but this synth emulation sounds simply outstanding this vst is what film productions are made of its got guts. Highly Recommended. If you want a in depth review google ni monark sound on sound

If your into pure sound design and sculpting this is the vst to get its a three oscillator granular synth and effects suite, offering two new forms of additional synthesis here such as Mutator and Aetherizer anyway envelops such as amp, frequency, pitch and modulation are displayed graphically and can be fully manipulated by two forms of easy insertions step and slope these waveforms can be further manipulated using the node insert method with a total of 64 nodes available for insertion in each individual waveform complex and articulate. The Mutator function lets you make new Absynth sounds you never knew exsisted before.. First, you choose an existing preset as a starting point, and then select some of the tags from the Browser database .First seen in Absynth 4. These comprise Instrument, Source, Timbre, Articulation and Genre. As you add further tags, your search is narrowed down to a list of presets whose parameters will be used as targets for your mutations.Once you're happy with the target list, you click on the Mutate button, and each time you do so, a new Mutation preset is generated that combines the attributes of the original and target presets. The Mutation Amount slider adjusts how far from the original sound you want to go, while the Random Amount slider defines how much variation there will be between mutations..If you don't like the current Mutation, click on the Retry button for another. Each one you do accept appears in the pop?up Mutation History window, where you can decide which you want to save as new presets and which you want to discard. You can further refine your new sounds by excluding various modules from future Mutations, and by tweaking one or more of the eight fine? tuning knobs that control parameters such as brightness, resonance and mod amount.You can spend a long time generating lots of mutations, and with a little practice your able to produce very acceptable results ranging from gentle variations on the original all the way through to radically new creations. While the results will never match the finely hand?crafted creations of professional sound designers, Sound Mutation is nevertheless far more intelligent than your average 'random patch creation' tool, and will be welcomed by many long?term Absynth users. Aetherizer Absynth 5 features the rather intelligent and very useful Sound Mutation section with Fine Tuning and History features, which finally makes it easy for the newcomer to create unique sounds next comes.Granular synthesis (where audio is chopped into short 'grains' and recombined in various ways to produce new sounds) has always been a core feature of Absynth, but the new Aetherizer granular delay effect goes much further. Each grain is sent to a random position in the stereo field and can be pitch?shifted before being fed back into the effect's input, while most parameters have a random control to generate more chaotic results. For instance, increasing the random aspect of pitch?shifting gives results ranging from gentle chorus to swarms of insects.The output of this 'grain cloud' can be band?pass or comb filtered, and a very clever twist here is that you can also quantise the filter frequency so that its tuning jumps between notes in various musical chords or scales. Once you turn up the filter resonance and random filter frequency parameters, your grains emerge in chordal groups. Mint! You really do have to hear the possibilities to appreciate how good the Aetherizer is, especially once its parameters are being modulated via custom envelopes and LFOs. From tuneful tonal clusters to total chaos, you  soon can generate plenty of sounds that youve never heard before. The animated graphic representation of the grain cloud below the other controls is also a huge help in understanding what each one does. Given that it can also be used as an effect on incoming audio, This synth is a sculptors dream a must have.

This is no word of a lie but this sampled steinway piano sounds as close as you can get to the original. I mean the software is over 5.3gb so the samples are crystal dynamic and pristine. Out off all my synths hardware and vsts this is the most realistic sounding off them all. Shockingly authentic sounding il definitely be using this plugin in future productions. The only pain is getting the software to work its complicated I had to route my daws vst folder to the file related to this plugin and rescan before I could get it to work. Otherwise its worth every penny magnificent.

Poizone is a 16 note polyphonic, 4 voice, 3 filter, 2 adsr, multi mode arpeggiator synth with a effects suite. This vst sounds brill and offers great ease of programming with analog style encoders you'll find yourself sculpting usable patchs in no time ah great synth.

If your looking for that hybird sounding kit but want ease of programming drum labs the one for you you'll need kontakt 5 player to generate the sounds as a standalone or vst but its worth every penny and sounds mint bascically two different versions of the same drum can be layered and manipulated to create a new drum patch this applies to all the drums in the entire kit the great thing is that drum lab is dynamic an versatile and an absolute must if your after that hybrid sound and its idiot proof when it comes to programming and creating your own kits on it. Great vst.....

I love this vst the drum manipulation on offer here is complex but easy to understand and to achieve the sounds your looking for the ease of tweeking to get a result is superfast. Another thing I found great was the drag an drop of drum patterns from addictive drums into my daw simple an logical leaving room for further pattern manipulation also routing addictive drums through my maschine mikro mk 2 sequencer proved simple giving the addition of being able to use all the effects and facilities maschine has to offer on the addictive drums kits. Addictive drums 2 solo is a great sounding drum module and offers great ease of programming.

The SRX-05 Supreme Dance Wave Expansion Board is the must-have collection of dance music sounds for the Juno G and Fanthom X synths. This board focuses on individual drum sounds and instruments for maximum dancefloor impact: 818 new waveforms, 312 patches and 34 rhythm sets. These sounds have been seriously pumped up in the Roland Sound Labs, so they're ready to go in your next track — whether it be hip-hop, house, trance, techno, or you-name-it dance style.

I bought this usb dongle for my spark vdm drum software. It stores the drum softwares activation code it works by you performing the simple task of transferring your software activation code from your pc to the usb dongle therefore you dont have yo re-enter a new activation code if your pc crashes or if reloading or freshly installing older arturia or steinberg software. The dongle has a red light that flashes when placed into your usb port and can hold a innumerable amount of activation codes for compatiable software. I saves the pain of having to contact your software provider for a new activation code if your pc crashes or others problems that may arise all your activation codesi are stored on this dongle. Nice one.

This is a great ARP vst its free to download and works a treat. You can achieve some great arpeggiations with this plugin it drives all external vst synths and midi external synths too. You cant go wrong for what your getting and able to achieve with this freebie check it out!

This effects engine is easy to use I just drag an drop it into my track and your away. Audio and synths can be altered dramatically using its filter etc achieving some intresting vocal drum and synth effect timbres if your into experimenting d-pole is worth having. Good bit of.kit

This daw revamp is extremely easy to learn and a dream to use it delivers professional results.its perfect for running outboard midi equipment and has a library of instrument definitions of just about every synth and drum machine on the market today from the past to the present day this makes patch selection and operation a breeze .I thought X3 studio was good but it suffered from bugs sonar professional seems to have ironed out all X3's problems and added great stability more plugin instruments, effects and a simpler way off downloading updates via its command centre with a improved screen interface and a much improved piano roll with copy an paste features. This Daws a dream to use. Nice one Cakewalk.