▌ FRONT AND CENTER

Is LUNA Really Free? The Free DAWs Worth Downloading on Mac, Windows and iPad
Universal Audio's LUNA now costs nothing on Mac and Windows. Here is what that gets you, plus the other free DAWs worth your time, including Sampledex on iPad, Mac and Windows.
// also right now
GearWhat Equipment Do You Need to Start a Video Podcast at Home?
A home podcast studio built from gear I actually use: a 4K webcam, a pair of tracking PTZ cameras and the headphones every broadcast booth already owns.
FeatureIs Sampledex for iPad a Real Free DAW, and What Can It Do?
Robert Clemons has brought Sampledex from the Mac to the iPad as a free download. Here is what it does, what it can't do, and who it's for.
// from the dispatch

Sub-bass on analog: getting weight without smear
Sine sub layers, sidechain alternatives, and the mono discipline that keeps clubs happy.

Patch design for house and techno leads
Short envelopes, filter accents, and the mixing space a lead actually needs in a club track.

Analog synths for live performance
Patch recall, tuning under stage lights, and building a rig you can carry in one trip.

Prophet-style polys: the sound of stacked voices
How voice cards, unison, and detune create the width people chase with plugins.

The Minimoog architecture and why it still teaches
Three oscillators, one filter, two envelopes. The template most synths still argue with.

Vintage vs reissue vs clone: which one should you buy?
Three ways to get the same architecture at wildly different prices and risk levels.

Analog synth maintenance: calibration, pots, and keys
Scratchy pots, drifting tuning, and dead keys. What you can do at home and when to stop.

Buying used analog synths without getting burned
The tests to run in ten minutes, the faults that are cheap, and the faults that are a project.

Ring mod, FM, and hard sync on analog synths
Three ways to get metallic, aggressive tones out of two humble oscillators.