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James is a writer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, sound designer, and synth enthusiast. From bebop to hip-hop, he has a diverse passion for music that blends modern and traditional concepts.
After studying as a pianist and composer, James developed a keen interest in music production and sound design. Pursuing these interests at the SAE Institute, he discovered just how expansive the world of music production truly is.
A massive jazz fan, James was drawn to the production and engineering styles of pioneers like Rudy Van Gelder and Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero. He then studied the works of seminal engineers and producers from each era, drawing influence from figures like Quincy Jones and Joe Meek to Dr. Dre and Ryan Tedder.
Over the past 20 years, James has gained vast experience as a performer, educator, composer, and content creator. He has worked on various educational projects to highlight the many benefits of music.
Through collaborations with organizations like Youth Music UK and brands like JBL, he has led campaigns encouraging young people to get involved in music. He has also composed music for campaigns promoting mental health awareness.
As a writer, James covers major music industry trade shows (especially synth-focused events like Superbooth), creating content that showcases the latest releases from manufacturers and developers.
He has produced demo and tutorial content for brands like Akai, iZotope, and Plugin Boutique, accumulating hundreds of thousands of views. His writing has also appeared on platforms such as Bedroom Producers Blog, Pianist's Compass, and Music Critic.
As a musician and producer, his goal is never to close doors but to take influence from everywhere - never be defined by a single genre, just make music.
When choosing a MIDI keyboard, we often focus on production tools, features, and the number of assignable controls, and that’s usually the right approach. But, sometimes, what we need most is the perfect keyboard action for the type of work we do.
I’ve tested a wide range of 88-key MIDI controllers to find the best fully-weighted and semi-weighted options on the market.
As far as synths go, Moog has a history that most can’t rival. Bob Moog and his instruments have inspired generations of music-makers and continue to do so. The Moog synth bass sound alone has defined more than one genre of music over decades. Moog has been recently adding to the budget end of its range, most notably with the Moog Grandmother. It isn’t a preset synth; it’s a monophonic, semi-modular 100% analog synth influenced by Moog’s of the 60s and 70s. The Moog...
The Raumzeitmaschine from German manufacturer Tegeler is an all-analog hardware reverb unit. It’s a high-end unit that aims to deliver authentic, natural reverbs as well as offer room for experimental or ethereal sounds.
Hardware reverb units are often a hard sell these days, so in our review, we’re looking at what it has to offer and why it might tempt potential users away from reverb plugins.
A good MIDI controller is often one of the most powerful tools a musician/producer can buy, and you don’t have to pay a small fortune.
I’ve tested a range of budget controllers to find the best options available between $100 and $200. These MIDI controllers are ideal for beginners on a tight budget but are good enough for advanced musicians.
M-Audio’s Keystation range provides some of the best-selling MIDI keyboard controllers on the market.
The success of the Keystation range is primarily thanks to three defining characteristics: simple, reliable, and budget-friendly. You can go for 88, 61, or 49 keys, and there’s even a much smaller 32 mini-keys version.
Piano VSTs are so good these days that the idea of carrying a concert grand piano in your backpack is no longer absurd. OK, not an actual grand piano, but you can take that unmistakable sound anywhere you can fit a laptop.