Hector is a virtual modular synth you can put in your real modular synth

Poly Effects has made quite a splash over the last couple of years with the Digit and Beebo — two highly modular guitar pedals that covered everything from amp simulation to drum synthesis. Oh, also, the two pedals were completely interchangeable — y...

Arturia’s JUN-6 is a free chorus plugin based on the iconic Juno synth

One of the most cherished chorus effects ever isn’t some piece of expensive studio rack gear or a guitar pedal with piles of knobs. Instead its the almost painfully simple chorus unit built into Roland’s ‘80s era Juno synths. Arturia’s new V Collecti...

MOD Duo X review: A do-it-all music box with potential

There’s this growing trend of musical devices that try to do it all. The Organelle. The ZOIA. The Polyend Digit / Beebo. The Mod Duo. They’re basically computers that can be effects processors, synthesizers, loopers or samplers. They all have particu...

ZOIA review: A complex and rewarding modular effects pedal

The world of guitar effects is weird. It’s a place where old-school analog gear and crazy high-tech digital pedals are both fetishized with the same amount of zeal. Some companies, like Empress Effects, even try to straddle both worlds simultaneously...

See how VFX artists included Carrie Fisher in ‘The Rise of Skywalker’

Whatever your opinion on Rise of Skywalker, we can probably all agree that its effects were pretty impressive -- not least because of the seamless inclusion of Carrie Fisher's scenes. The iconic Leia actress had only recorded a small amount of footag...

Finally: A guitar pedal you’re supposed to spill beer on

I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the history of guitar pedals. But, I'm fairly confident in saying there has never been a pedal quite like Rainger FX's Minibar. It's an overdrive pedal, but one that requires a little something extra to wor...

Adobe brings Photoshop tricks directly to your smartphone camera

Adobe has showed off a preview of a new app called Photoshop Camera at its Adobe Max conference that brings Photoshop editing tricks and AI directly to your smartphone's camera. Like most camera apps, you can use it to capture, edit and share photos...