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. ...

A selection of my music production work spanning various genres and styles. These tracks explore themes of ambient soundscapes, electronic textures, and atmospheric production. Browse by Month April 2026 - 21 tracks March 2026 - 15 tracks January 2026 - 5 tracks December 2025 - 72 tracks November 2025 - 17 tracks October 2025 - 13 tracks August 2025 - 10 tracks June 2025 - 9 tracks Total: 162 tracks

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. For day-to-day impressions of the Montage M8X after six months of real-world use, see The Yamaha Montage M: 6 months in real-world usage. ...

TL;DR GitHub Spec Kit is a structured framework of version-controlled markdown files (spec.md, constitution.md, boundaries.md, etc.) that serve as the single source of truth for a software project Spec-Driven Development (SDD) means writing the specification first, then generating and refactoring code in alignment with it - preventing architectural drift over time Integrating Spec Kit with Cursor AI turns the spec from a static document into an active constraint the AI understands and respects The spec-first loop (define, implement, refine, repeat) creates development that is clearer, faster, and easier to maintain than ad-hoc planning SDD is especially powerful for long-term projects and large teams where shared mental models and consistent architecture matter most Spec-Driven Development is starting to reshape how modern software is planned, built, and maintained. Among the tools pushing this shift forward, GitHub Spec Kit stands out as one of the clearest, cleanest ways to bring structure and intention into your workflow. It turns the usual chaos of planning into something organised, navigable, and repeatable - and when combined with AI-powered editors like Cursor, it becomes even more powerful. ...

TL;DR Cursor AI is an AI-native editor that reads your repo with architectural awareness, reasons across files, and turns complex refactors into simple conversations Integrating GitHub Spec Kit (spec.md, constitution.md, acceptance criteria) gives Cursor a structured foundation it treats as living, authoritative constraints The combined workflow creates a tight loop: refine the spec, ask Cursor to implement, update the spec, generate more code - documentation and code feed each other in real time Key benefits include automatic consistency between spec and code, safer large-scale refactors, and faster onboarding for new contributors These tools don’t replace developers - they eliminate friction between thought and execution, letting you think at a higher level Every so often a tool appears that doesn’t just streamline your workflow - it rewires the way you think about building software. Cursor AI has done exactly that. After years of bouncing between editors, IDEs, extensions, and automation layers, nothing has delivered the same sense of “this is the future of development” as Cursor. ...

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.

A selection of my music production work from December 2025. Browse other months All Tracks