Music Production

Grooveboxes are island universes of music creation — sequencing, sampling, synthesis, and performance all in a single box. They let you sketch ideas, build full tracks, jam live, and take your studio wherever you want. In 2025, they’re more powerful and diverse than ever.(musicradar.com) Roland MC-707 (£1,013) The MC‑707 is a flagship groovebox from Roland with a ZEN‑Core sound engine that packs thousands of presets, drum kits, effects, and routing options. Its strength lies in pattern and clip‑based sequencing, deep effects, and live remixing capabilities. Each track can be assigned Tone, Drum, or Looper engines, and you can arrange your patterns into complete songs right from the hardware. The MC‑707 also has strong mixing features, send/return loops, and plenty of audio and MIDI connectivity. It’s a studio and stage workhorse, ideal for electronic, hip‑hop, and multi‑genre performance rigs.(musicradar.com) ...

Suno Voice Personas: Consistent Vocals, Creative Freedom Suno has just rolled out a vocal-first update to Personas, and it’s a genuinely important shift for anyone creating music at scale. For the first time, you can build an entire album around the same vocalist, without being locked into a specific instrumental style. What’s New: Voice Personas Voice Personas are designed to focus on what most creators care about first — the singer. ...

Arturia Pigments 7 — A Sonic Canvas for the Modern Creator Arturia’s Pigments has long been beloved by producers, sound designers, and musical adventurers for its bold combination of synthesis power and visual clarity. Pigments 7, the newest iteration of this flagship software synthesizer, continues that tradition — adding fresh expressive tools, workflow refinements, and creative content that invite both deep exploration and instant inspiration. https://www.arturia.com/products/software-instruments/pigments/overview At its heart, Pigments is an all-in-one synth engine built to blur the line between imagination and sound. It brings together six distinct synthesis engines — including wavetable, virtual analog, granular, sample, harmonic and the increasingly explored modal engine — all within a responsive, color-coded interface designed for playful experimentation. ...

Overview Two 88-key instruments that sit on very different creative axes: Yamaha MODX M8 — a synthesizer/workstation built for deep sound design, layering, and performance without a computer. Arturia AstroLab 88 — a stage keyboard with a massive curated sound library drawn from Arturia’s Analog Lab/V Collection, optimized for instant playable tones. Instrument Philosophy Yamaha MODX M8 A self-contained synthesizer/workstation blending multiple sound engines — sample-based AWM2, FM-X (frequency modulation), and AN-X (virtual-analog style) — into one performance instrument. It’s built to do sound design, real-time modulation, layering, effects, and sequencing all internally. ...

Synth-shopping is one of those delightful rabbit holes where technology, creativity, and philosophy collide. Yamaha’s MODX M8 and Montage M8X share the same genetic code — three powerful sound engines — but they live in different worlds when it comes to feel, performance depth, and long-term ambition. If you’re torn between them, this breakdown should make your choice a whole lot easier. (Image:Yamaha MODX M8) (Image: Yamaha Montage M8X) ...

My Top 10 Plugins of 2025! 30 BEST VST Plugins For Music Production In 2025 (Tier List) | FL Studio, Ableton Live, Logic Pro X These Are The Only Plugins Worth Buying in 2026

Arturia KeyLab 88 MK3 vs Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3 A detailed comparison of two flagship 88-key MIDI controllers aimed at serious players, producers, and composers. (Image: Arturia Keylab 88 MK3) (Image: Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3) 1. Concept & Philosophy Feature Arturia KeyLab 88 MK3 Native Instruments Kontrol S88 MK3 Design approach A versatile, all-round studio controller with lots of hands-on controls. A premium, streamlined controller optimised for NI’s ecosystem. Ecosystem stance Open and flexible; works well with many DAWs/plugins. Deeply tied to Komplete, Kontakt, and NKS libraries. Best for Multi-role producers and players wanting a central studio hub. Composers and sound designers who rely heavily on NI software. 2. Keybed & Playability Feature KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 Keybed type Hammer-action with aftertouch. Fully weighted premium keybed. Playing feel Expressive, piano-like with extra modulation via aftertouch. Consistent, high-end piano feel designed for precision and reliability. Extra performance features Aftertouch, splits, layers, scales, chords, arpeggiator. Light Guide for key switches, scales, drums; deep instrument feedback. Ideal for Pianists, film composers, expressive players. Kontakt users, sample-library players, orchestral composers. 3. Controls, Layout & Workflow Component KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 Drum pads Yes (RGB pads) No Faders & knobs Many – suitable for DAW mixing and sound design. Minimal – relies more on screens and pre-mapped controls. Transport controls Full transport + DAW shortcuts. Supported for major DAWs but less extensive. Screens Small display mainly for utility. High-resolution dual displays for browsing and editing. Navigation style Hardware-first (pads/faders/encoders). Screen-first (instrument browsing, parameter pages). Workflow strength Live production, DAW control, hybrid workflow. Virtual instruments, sample library navigation, preset browsing. 4. Software Integration & Ecosystem Integration Area KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 DAW support Wide support: Ableton, Logic, Cubase, Studio One, Bitwig, etc. Supported: Ableton, Logic, Cubase, etc., but less mixer control. Plugin integration Broad compatibility with generic MIDI mapping. Deep NKS support: pre-mapped parameters, categories, tagging. Arturia software Excellent with Analog Lab + V Collection. Not designed for Arturia workflow. NI software Works, but not deeply. Best-in-class integration with Komplete & Kontakt. Ideal use-case Mixed plugin environment, flexibility. NI-centric production, cinematic scoring, large sample libraries. 5. Build Quality & Design Component KeyLab 88 MK3 Kontrol S88 MK3 Construction Metal chassis + wood ends; very solid. Sleek, modern, premium design. Layout Busy front panel due to many controls. Minimalist, streamlined. Hardware extras Music stand, laptop stand, rack-style frame options. Light Guide, large screens. Aesthetic “Instrument + controller” hybrid. High-end studio keyboard. 6. Use-Case Scenarios Scenario Best Choice Why All-round production / hybrid workflows KeyLab 88 MK3 Pads, faders, knobs, DAW control, broad compatibility. Deep Kontakt / Komplete library work Kontrol S88 MK3 Screens, Light Guide, preset browsing, NKS mapping. Live performance KeyLab 88 MK3 Performance controls + hardware layout. Minimalist, clean studio aesthetic Kontrol S88 MK3 Less clutter, screen-driven workflow. Sound design across multiple plugin brands KeyLab 88 MK3 Not tied to any single ecosystem. 7. Pros & Cons Summary KeyLab 88 MK3 Pros Cons Expressive hammer-action with aftertouch Busier layout Pads, faders, knobs, transport controls DAW script quality varies Broad DAW/plugin compatibility Less deep NI integration Great for all-round production Can feel “controller-heavy” Kontrol S88 MK3 Pros Cons Outstanding NI/NKS integration Limited hardware controls High-quality screens & Light Guide Best features depend on NI ecosystem Premium keybed feel Less suited to DAW mixing/beat workflows Excellent for cinematic/orchestral libraries Not a generalist controller 8. Verdict Recommendation Why Choose Arturia KeyLab 88 MK3 A flexible, hardware-rich controller great for DAW work, sound design, playing, and broad plugin compatibility. Choose NI Kontrol S88 MK3 The definitive controller for Komplete, Kontakt, and NKS libraries, with unbeatable browsing and parameter integration.

Traktor MX2: A New Beat in DJ Creativity The DJ world is buzzing, and for good reason: Native Instruments has dropped a controller that’s both familiar and forward-thinking. The Traktor MX2 isn’t just another piece of DJ gear. It’s a compact performance instrument that wraps pro-level tools into a friendly two-channel format — perfect for bedroom DJs stepping up their game, vinyl lovers exploring digital workflows, or seasoned selectors looking for a portable second rig. ...

Suno Suno has launched Suno Studio, a cloud-based platform it calls the first generative DAW - a digital audio workstation built around AI. Unlike traditional DAWs that rely only on pre-recorded sounds, Suno Studio puts generative technology at the core, letting creators compose, edit, and arrange music directly from text prompts while still offering pro-level multitrack tools. Users can upload samples, tweak tempo, pitch, and volume, and export stems for use in other software. ...