New on the blog
I Built an LA-2A Plugin with AI (Twice)
With Claude doing the coding, I built two working LA-2A-style compressor plugins for Logic with one prompt. Claude took 8 minutes to create and register the plugin. I then compared it to Softube's Opto, and UAD's LA/2A
Latest gear reviews
Long-term, first-person, from a studio that has to earn its space in a house.
Sire S7 FM — A Strat That Punches Way Above Its Price
A hands-on review of the Sire S7 FM — a stunning flame maple Strat-style guitar that delivers premium features at a mid-range price.
Sonible Pure:DeEss — Another Absolute Home Run by Sonible
A look at Sonible's AI-powered de-esser plugin. Smart, fast, and way less fiddly than traditional de-essers. Another win from the Pure series.
Vocalista App Review — Can It Help You Become a Better Singer?
A hands-on look at the Vocalista vocal training app. Does AI-powered vocal coaching actually work for home studio musicians who need to track their own vocals?
Free tool
Headrush Core FX Browser
Every amp, cab, mic, and effect model in the Core 5.0, searchable, with the real-world gear each one is based on. Built because the manual doesn't tell you, and I needed to know.
Straight answers
All posts →How to Make a Songwriting Assistant with AI with YOUR ideas and content
AI gives wrong answers because it's pattern matching on whatever you give it. Here's how I set up a Claude project that pushes back, asks questions, and helps me decide.
How to Release an Album by Yourself: The Solo Artist Checklist
Eight stages in order: finish the songs, track, mix, master, art and metadata, distribution, pre-release, launch. The order I used for Small Town Wanderer.
Can You Use the Positive Grid Spark 40 as an Audio Interface for Logic Pro?
Yes. The Spark 40 connects by USB and appears in Logic Pro as an audio device, so you record the processed amp sound. Fine for demos, limiting for a release.
Coming 2027
Small Town Wanderer
This is the name of the full-length album I'm working on. It'll be released in 2027.
Hear what's out now →On YouTube
The video back catalog
Gear reviews, long-term updates, and walkthroughs of the Spark, Headrush, Sire, and Alesis gear that a lot of home studios run on.
Subscribe on YouTube →The gear
Everything the content on this site is built around. If you own any of it, you're in the right place.
Guitars & Bass
Sire L7 · Sire S7 FM · Sire T7 · Ibanez SR400 EQM · Gold Tone AC-6 · Fender Highway Series · Yamaha FGX800
Amps & Modellers
Headrush Core 5.0 · Positive Grid Spark 40 · Positive Grid Spark 2 · Yamaha THR10 II
Drums
Toontrack Superior Drummer 3 · Alesis Strata Core
DAW & Plugins
Apple Logic Pro · Apple Logic Remote · Softube mix suite · Sonible Pure series
Monitoring
Sennheiser HD 490 Pro · KRK KNS 8400 · Sonarworks SoundID Reference
Vocals
Slate Digital ML-1 · Vocalista