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Erica Synths Bullfrog Drums: More Than a Drum Machine

Attack MagazineGearErica Synths Bullfrog Drums: More Than a Drum Machine A hands-on sampler and sequencer built with Richie Hawtin, the Bullfrog Drums wears "educational" lightly and delivers serious performance power. I've spent thirty-odd years now making noise with devices for a living, mo

Normal by Proxy Brings Shared, Browser-based Jamming For Up To 8 Players

Attack MagazineGearNormal by Proxy Brings Shared, Browser-based Jamming For Up To 8 Players GOGDOG's new browser tool lets groups build tracks together in real time, with no downloads, accounts or saving required. Developer GOGDOG has released Normal by Proxy, a free, browser-based space for making electronic m

XILS-lab Launches MemoryTone Software Synthesiser

Attack MagazineGearXILS-lab Launches MemoryTone Software Synthesiser The Grenoble-based developer's latest release recreates the architecture of a landmark early-1980s polyphonic analogue synthesiser, adding modern features including MPE support and 16-voice polyphony. XILS-lab has releas

Denon DJ Unveils PRIME 4 G2

Attack MagazineGearDenon DJ Unveils PRIME 4 G2 The new four-channel standalone system introduces pressure-sensitive MPCe pads, onboard Stems rendering and built-in DMX output, aimed at mobile, club and festival DJs. Denon DJ has announced PRIME 4 G2, a four-channel,

Ten of the Weirdest Drum Machines in 2026

Attack MagazineGearTen of the Weirdest Drum Machines in 2026 Step into another world with the weirdest drum machines on the market in 2026. We’re talking an all-passive rhythm box, one that blurs the line between analog and sampling, one for kids, and more craziness. We love our d

Dreamtonics Completes Its Trilogy With Instrument X

Attack MagazineGearDreamtonics Completes Its Trilogy With Instrument X Dreamtonics completes its trilogy with Instrument X, a neural acoustic modelling platform for orchestral instruments Dreamtonics, the Tokyo based developer behind vocal synthesis tools Synthesizer V and Vocoflex, has unv

Yamaha Creator Pass Review: A Subscription Built For The Budding Bedroom Producer

Attack MagazineGearYamaha Creator Pass Review: A Subscription Built For The Budding Bedroom Producer Officially launched in beta at SXSW back in March, Yamaha's first real play in software caught us off guard. This is a company that's spent the best part of a century building the physical side of music: the DX7, the Mon

Arturia Pure SUB Review: Should Bass Synthesis Be This Easy?

Attack MagazineGearArturia Pure SUB Review: Should Bass Synthesis Be This Easy? Arturia’s Pre SUB was designed for 808s and Reeses, making it now easier than ever to dial in massive bass. It’s surprisingly affordable too. The specification of plugins continues. For some reason now, we’re all really

5 Must-Watch Sets At CRSSD Festival Next Month

Attack MagazineGear5 Must-Watch Sets At CRSSD Festival Next Month CRSSD Festival returns to San Diego's Waterfront Park at the end of September, bringing another sprawling lineup across its waterfront stages. With so much on offer over the weekend, narrowing down a schedule is no small

CRSSD Festival Reveals Full Lineup for Fall 2026

Attack MagazineGearCRSSD Festival Reveals Full Lineup for Fall 2026 CRSSD Festival has confirmed its complete lineup for its Fall 2026 edition, returning to Waterfront Park in San Diego on 26 and 27 September. Headlining the two-day event are Chris Lake b2b Disclosure (DJ set) and Mochak

On the calendar

· Trade shows and launch events, this week's stories from each corner of the industry, and what its press is covering.

On view

This week, from that corner the newest stories from the corner of the industry you picked

The wire their own posts, translated

How records get made in 2026 from the industry's own reports

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About

XLR is a magazine, a radar and a diary about music gear and the making of music — for the people who make records and put on shows, wherever they do it.

The name is the three-pin connector that every signal in the business passes through: the microphone on stage and in the booth, the line to the desk, the DMX cable that runs the lights. Studio, stage and lighting rig share it, and so does this magazine. Every few hours XLR collects what the makers shipped, what the reviewers heard, what the studios and the touring crews are doing, which producers and collectives are surfacing and what they are saying — synths and modular, plugins and DAWs, guitars and drums, microphones, monitors, PA and lights, the rooms and the people — from a few hundred sources in English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and more, then plots what is moving. The editor writes a letter every few days. Nothing is sold here; when a link leads to a shop, that is the maker's shop, not ours.