MusicTech’s favourite outboard gear releases of 2025Visit any commercial studio, even smaller ones, and we’ll bet you find some outboard gear in use. Whether it’s a simple mic preamp unit, a hardware compressor, EQ, or master bus processor, or many rack units stacked together, producers everywhere appreciate the power, flexibility, and ultimately the sound that these products can contribute to their workflow.

READ MORE: MusicTech’s favourite studio gear of 2025

Here, we share some of the standout releases from 2025, including updated versions of classics, more affordable recreations of others and even some unique gear that lets you integrate rack processing directly into your DAW with no latency.
LANG Electronics P.LANE Type 436
Image: Heritage Audio
[products ids=”1OjlmiLmEzjC0umza61BNe”]
LANG Electronics released the P.LANE Type 436 all-tube vari-mu compressor, which it calls a modern take on the modified ALTEC 436C behind “the fresh and furious British Invasion sound that conquered the world in the ‘60s”. Its 2U rack body contains three tubes matching the design of the original hardware, six-step attack and recovery controls and a SuperFast recovery setting not found in the vintage 436C units.
Described as one of the most “mysterious” variable gain compressors of all time, the modded ALTEC 436C was notably used on recordings by The Beatles and became a staple of many other genres over time.
Learn more at heritageaudio.com
Elysia xmax
Rack version. Image: Press
[products ids=”5ID6LUFEZLH8cbAWLDXUdj”]
xmax from German outboard specialists Elysia is a master bus processor with both multi-band and mid/sides VCA-flavour compression, soft clipping, stereo enhancement and a simple EQ. It’s designed to sit across your mix or your master channel and provide all the tools you need to get perfect-sounding end results. In fact, the developers tout its abilities not just for mastering but also for band recording or managing a live performance.
In our review, we break down the complex processes by which the unit – which is also available in different form factors – splits and processes sound in order to work with it. After extensive testing, we conclude that it’s the perfect one-box solution for top-grade hardware mastering, “introducing analogue vibe through compression, saturation and tone shaping, while also offering creative stereo enhancement possibilities.”
Learn more at elysia.com
Warm Audio WA76-D2

[products ids=”2BTyyKhIJIDpzx4uSqvERn”]
Building off the fame of vintage Rev D-style compressors, lauded manufacturer Warm Audio’s WA76-D/D2 includes all the controls of the original, one of the fastest and most powerful studio compressors of all time known for ultra-responsive dynamic control with rich analogue tone, now including additional modern recording features.
Vintage ‘Rev D-Style’ 76 compressors are known for their versatility, speed and harmonic analogue tone and like the originals, the WA76-D and D2 deliver that classic performance that can be heard on legendary recordings by artists like Missy Elliott, Daft Punk, Timbaland, Rick Rubin. In our review we concluded “for a cleaner, less coloured and slightly more ‘hi-fi’ sound that still possesses that authentic ‘76 style from the mid-1970s, the Rev D models are hard to beat.”
Learn more at warmaudio.com
Antelope Audio A4-1B
Antelope Audio A4-1B. Image: Press
[products ids=”1Mlzlxa2HCzpkD1q2dfWSx”]
Better known for its high-end audio interfaces, Antelope Audio’s A4-1B is an analogue automated opto-valve compressor in a 2U rack. A4-1B was designed to preserve vintage Opto-Tube units’ legendary smoothness and musicality. Even when pushed to the limit, the compressor remains transparent, breathing new life into vocal tracks, bass, keys, or percussion.
But there’s more. This unit features unusual motorized potentiometers, allowing instant recall of patches and settings on the actual hardware front panel which is hardly ever found in rack gear, and allows the hardware to be automated from a DAW. It also links to a special plug-in version of the compressor although this is a paid extra, with different levels of access based on which tier you choose. Nonetheless it’s a new take on an outboard classic.
Learn more at antelopeaudio.com
Behringer 676
Image: Behringer
[products ids=”4b6k56AIg9zzo6u1g42Ky8″]
Behringer continues to produce versions of well-known hardware at more competitive price points, and in 2025, it released the 676, a recreation of Universal Audio’s 6176 with its “classic” vacuum tube preamplifier and FET-style compressor.
The original 6176 apparently “served as the secret sauce” for some well-known artists and recording engineers such as Norah Jones, John Mayer, and even producers like Tony Visconti. Behringer says it wants to keep the “classic alive” with the 676, which has custom-built Midas transformers and premium 12AX7/ECC83S and 12AT7/6072 tubes for a “warm and rich sound”.
It also has 2-band shelving EQ with switchable filters, switchable pad, phase reverse and vintage-style meters. Featuring a powerful FET compressor with an ultra-fast attack time of 20 to 800 microseconds, 676 ensures precise control over transients. Its adjustable release time, from 50 to 1100 milliseconds, allows for tailored control over dynamics.
Learn more at behringer.com
Neve 88C

This super compact unit brings the legendary sound of Neve compression to your desktop. First introduced in the 1970s, Neve’s VCA compressors offered greater precision and flexibility compared to the classic, gentle compression of the Neve Diode Bridge design. Powered by USB-C, this unit has a maximum +18dB threshold and built-in limiting capabilities and works as a standalone stereo or mono compressor, delivering up to a massive -50dB of gain reduction.
Other features include brickwall limiting, adaptive attack and intelligent release capabilities, variable sidechain filtering and a true bypass design. While you would usually need to budget for lots of money and space to get that Neve sound, the 88C makes it accessible to almost any producer.
Learn more at ams-neve.com
Freqport FreqInOut F01

This innovative hardware unit is an audio I/O device that lets you integrate hardware outboard effects and processing directly into your DAW without loads of fussy routing and cabling. As the developers explain: “The FreqInOut couldn’t be easier to use. Just plug it in with a single USB cable, install the software, power up, open the interface, and connect your outboard equipment.”
The built-in hardware Matrix allows you to reconfigure the signal flow through your outboard equipment and does so without adding latency. You can even capture your hardware settings by scanning a QR Code and create a custom skin inside the plug-in. It’s also expandable, allowing you to add four or eight more I/O features, a Mid-Side mode, a Hardware Mix for parallel processing, and uses top-tier ESS 32 bit converters with support for up to 192kHz sample rates. It’s a “missing link” between the hardware and software sides of your studio setup.
Learn more at freqport.com
The post MusicTech’s favourite outboard gear releases of 2025 appeared first on MusicTech.

RIP Nigerian Afro-Rock Music Percussionist/Drummer Remi Kabaka Tony Amadi a journalist on PressReader.com reported news of Remi Kabaka’s passing on December 20, 2025. 

“Rock music percussionist of international repute and Nigeria’s unsung hero Remi Kabaka has passed on at 80 with details of his death still shrouded in uncertainty. He died in Los Angeles where he lived his final days on earth on December 8, 2025. 

“He was the most influential rock musician in Nigeria history but he never flaunted the roles he played to make Nigerian music great.” 

The musician and master of the talking drum was born March 27, 1945 in Ghana to Nigerian parents.  Kabaka relocated to London in the mid-sixties, and became a central figure in the city’s expat music scene inside venues like Club Afrique in Soho.     

I knew of Remi Kabaka’s African rhythmic contributions to several Island Records discs, and Paul McCartney & Wings’ Band On The Run, along with studio sessions and live road work with Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Hugh Masekela, and Paul Simon’s Rhythm of the Saints tour.  Kabaka also wrote the tune “Happy Vibes” on the Steve Winwood four-CD set, The Finer Things.  

During the 1970s, Remi was entrenched in the afro-jazz scene and composed the 1978 soundtrack to director Ola Balogun’s Black Goddess. 

In June, 2001, The L.A. Weekly nominated Remi Kabaka in their awards category for “Best World Percussionist.” 

Over the last 25 years, Kabaka was booked in clubs and hotels around the beach community of Santa Monica.            

“To start with, I’m here to support with my hands,” explained Remi in a 2001 interview with me. 

“You establish support, and then it builds. The talking drum is an amazing instrument. It does everything that a drum can do, but it spreads the keys too.  It has taken me years to transpose all the stuff on to the talking drum.  That comes from experience as well. The vibe is almost scientific.  We tell stories with our hands and fingers,” emphasized Kabaka.  

“I’ve worked with John Martyn, Stevie Winwood, Jim Capaldi, John Lennon, George Harrison, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Arthur Lee, Denny Laine, Bob Marley, Stephen Stills, Mariam Makeba, Doris Troy, Paul McCartney, and the Rolling Stones.”

Remi appeared three times with the Stones providing percussion during “Sympathy for the Devil” in 2002 and 2003 Southern California shows. Kabaka was on stage at their July 1969 Hyde Park London concert event. 

This century, Kabaka recorded with guitarist Toulouse Engelhardt and producer Chris Darrow, and sessions with the production duo Tea.   

In our conversation, I asked about Jimi Hendrix. Kabaka knew Jimi, and occasionally played and jammed with him in the studio. 

“I called him Marshall,” Remi recalled,” a loving nod to his civilian name, James Marshall Hendrix. 

On March 17, 1970 Kabaka and Hendrix were invited by Love co-founder Arthur Lee to Olympic Studios in London and cut “The Everlasting First,” with Lee. It was included as part of Love’s False Start.  

I was aware of the association Remi had to Bob Marley and the Wailers.  He encountered Marley in very late 1970 or early 1971 at the time Bob was doing live dates in England with songwriter, mentor and music publisher, Johnny Nash.  

When Marley with the Wailers arrived in the UK for their own debut, it was Kabaka recommending his guitarist, Al Anderson for the band, and suggested another guitarist who joined Marley and the Wailers, Junior Marvin.  

Kabaka earlier studied under master percussionist and musician Ambrose Campbell, who Fela Kuti has hailed as “the father of modern Nigerian music.” 

In the mid-seventies Leon Russell invited Campbell to record and tour with him. In 1979 Leon introduced me to Ambrose, and continued to praise him globally as his “spiritual adviser.”   

“I feel a sense of pride checking out world beat and global music saturating the planet,” Remi emphasized. “I’ve been watching and helping spread the African beat around the world for the past 35 years.  

“Now I’ve got out all my recipes in a big pot.  It’s an amazing soup and all this experience of a half a century. We now get to utilize different tempos and timings in the structure of the items we record and perform together,” he summarized. 

Remi Kabaka is the father of artist and musician Remi Kabaka Jr., since 2015, the drummer, voice over artist and a producer of the virtual rock group the Gorillaz.  

(Harvey Kubernik is the author of 20 books, including 2009’s Canyon Of Dreams: The Magic And The Music Of Laurel Canyon, 2014’s Turn Up The Radio! Rock, Pop and Roll In Los Angeles 1956-1972, 2015's Every Body Knows: Leonard Cohen, 2016's Heart of Gold Neil Young and 2017's 1967: A Complete Rock Music History of the Summer of Love. 

Harvey and Kenneth Kubernik’s published The Story Of The Band: From Big Pink To The Last Waltz in 2018. In 2021 the duo wrote Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child. 

Harvey’s Screen Gems: (Pop Music Documentaries and Rock ‘n’ Roll TV Scenes) is scheduled for 2026 publication).  The post RIP Nigerian Afro-Rock Music Percussionist/Drummer Remi Kabaka  first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Saint Mike DSP Vocal AcrobaticsMixing vocals often feels like the work of Sisyphus, pushing a rock up a hill only to start over the next day. You juggle compressors, balance faders, and tweak saturation, yet the vocal still doesn't sit right. Vocal Acrobatics stops the struggle. It is a dedicated dynamics powerhouse designed to lock your vocals in place instantly. This isn't a complex channel strip. It is a "Macro" engine for your workflow. Behind the minimalist interface, intelligent algorithms handle the heavy lifting. Turning the Compression knob doesn't just squash the signal; it engages adaptive dynamics, adds expensive-sounding warmth, and applies a subtle "invisible" polish that makes the vocal sit perfectly in the mix. Whether you need transparent leveling for a ballad, upfront attitude for a rap verse, or broadcast-ready control for a podcast, Vocal Acrobatics lands the trick every time. Features: - One-Knob Macro Magic: Simultaneously handles Threshold, Ratio, Makeup Gain, and Color. - Adaptive Dynamics: Smart dual-stage detection reacts to the performance instantly. - Analog Texture: Adds a layer of subtle, expensive saturation that thickens the voice without harshness. - Automatic Polish: Gently cleans up mud and adds air as you drive the signal. - Response Control: Sweep from "Soft" transparent leveling to "Hard" modern aggression. - High-Definition Engine: Internal oversampling keeps the signal pristine and aliasing-free, fully optimized for zero-latency real-time performance. - Bulletproof Safety: Built-in True Peak Limiter guarantees you don't clip past the chosen output. Read More

39C3: Recreating SandstormSome synthesizer sounds are just catchy, but some of them are genre-defining. We think you could make that case for the Roland JP-8000 patch “Sandstorm”, which you’ve heard if you listened to any trance from the 90’s, but especially the song that was named after it.
“Sandstorm” is powered by the Roland Supersaw, and synth nerds have argued for a decade about how it’s made. The JP-8000 is a digital synthesizer, though, so it’s just code, run through custom DSP chips. If you could reverse engineer these chips, make a virtual machine, and send them the right program, you could get the sound 100% right. Think MAME but for synthesizers.
That brings us to [giulioz]’s talk at the 39th Chaos Communication Congress, where he dives deep into the custom DSP chip at the heart of the JP-8000. He and his crew had approached older digital synths by decapping and mapping out the logic, as you often do in video game emulation. Here, getting the connections right turned out to be simply too daunting, so he found a simpler device that had a test mode that, combined with knowledge of the chip architecture, helped him to figure out the undocumented DSP chip’s instruction set.
After essentially recreating the datasheet from first principles for a custom chip, [guiloz] and team could finally answer the burning question: “how does the Supersaw work”?  The horrifying answer, after all this effort, is that it’s exactly what you’d expect — seven sawtooth waves, slightly detuned, and layered over each other. Just what it sounds like.
The real end result is an emulation that’s every bit (tee-hee!) as good as the original, because it’s been checked out on a logic analyzer. But the real fun is the voyage. Go give the talk a watch.

How to make your startup stand out in a crowded market, according to investorsInvestors on what they really want to hear in a founder's pitch.

What Is Tickets For Good?In a live-music industry constantly battling rising ticket costs, empty seats, and fan disengagement, Tickets For Good is shifting the narrative. Here's an introduction to their work.
The post What Is Tickets For Good? appeared first on Hypebot.

EP vs. LP: What’s the difference (and do they still matter)?
Learn about the difference between an EP and an LP, dive into their history, and explore why these mediums still matter in the digital era.

These are my 15 favorite FREE music production plugins from 2025
2025 was probably the best year ever for free VST plugins. And that’s not an exaggeration. We covered well over 200 free plugins on BPB this year, ranging from simple utilities to genuinely mind-blowing tools that rival (and sometimes outperform) commercial software. Narrowing that list down wasn’t easy, but after months of testing, mixing, and [...]
View post: These are my 15 favorite FREE music production plugins from 2025

What was it like for Jewish Rapper to perform on Hanukkah in 2025? [Kosha Dillz]Indie rapper and filmmaker Kosha Dillz writes about how much has changed since October 7th and more recent events, and the enduring power of music during the toughest times.
The post What was it like for Jewish Rapper to perform on Hanukkah in 2025? [Kosha Dillz] appeared first on Hypebot.

beyerdynamic MMX 150 & 230 reach UK & Europe The MMX 150 Wireless and MMX 230 Wireless cater to both casual and serious gamers, are also said to be well suited to general listening. 

Police charge driver who allegedly killed a pedestrian while livestreaming on TikTokLocal police said they have charged an Illinois driver who struck and killed a pedestrian while she was livestreaming on TikTok.

Photographing Cosmic Rays with a Consumer CameraThe reason photographic darkrooms are needed is because almost any amount of light can ruin the film or the photographic paper before they are fixed. Until then these things are generally kept in sealed, light-proof containers until they are ready to be developed. But there are a few things that can ruin film even then, most notably because some types of film are sensitive to ionizing radiation as well as light. This was famously how [Henri Becquerel] discovered that uranium is radioactive, but the same effect can be used to take pictures of cosmic rays.
In [Becquerel]’s case, a plate of photographic material was essentially contaminated from uranium by accident, even though the plate was in a completely dark area otherwise. Cosmic rays are similar to this type of radiation in that they are also ionizing and will penetrate various materials even in places we might otherwise think of as dark. For this artistic and scientific experiment, [Gabriel] set up a medium-format digital camera in a completely dark room and set it to take a 41-minute exposure. The results are fairly impressive and are similar to [Becquerel]’s experiment except that [Gabriel] expected to see something whereas the elder scientist was more surprised.
Like cosmic rays or radiation from uranium, there is a lot flying around that is invisible to the human eye but that can be seen with the right equipment and some effort. Although [Gabriel] is using a camera with a fairly large sensor that we might not all have access to, in theory this could work with more off-the-shelf digital photography equipment or even film cameras. A while ago we even saw a build that used UV to see other invisible phenomena like electrical arcing.

DWP16 NexoraGlitch Grid with 10 FX Tracks Nexora is built around a powerful, performance-oriented glitch grid where each row acts as an independent FX track. With up to 10 parallel tracks, you can sculpt complex rhythmic textures and evolving sound transformations in real time. Each track can host up to 4 effects, selected from a deep arsenal of 20 creative FX, including step filter, distortion, chorus, phaser, flanger, filter, delay, reverb, repeat, reverse, pitch drop, gate, pan, shuffle, bitcrusher, ringmod, fracture, stretcher, rotary speaker, and comb filtering. Draw patterns on the grid and let Nexora slice, glitch, modulate, and reshape your audio with tight BPM-sync. Snapshots Per Pattern for Deep Control Every effect on every track supports up to 8 snapshots, so each pattern on the grid can recall its own unique parameter set. Design evolving textures by assigning different snapshots across the grid, switching between subtle movement and extreme glitch transformations without losing control. A dedicated snapshot edit mode lets you fine-tune all FX parameters quickly and musically. Flexible Play Modes and Step Engine Nexora's grid supports up to 8 divisions and 8 beats, giving you a total of 64 steps spanning two bars. The engine offers multiple playback modes: Parallel, Sequential, Random Step, Random Track, Selected Track, and Mixdown. In addition, Nexora allows manual snapshot switching on the master channel, letting you instantly switch between master snapshots during playback. This makes it easy to perform dramatic transitions, build drops, and reshape the entire FX structure in real time. Intelligent Randomization Engine Nexora features a powerful random system on both global and per-track levels. Use global random to fill the grid with patterns, snapshots, effects and play modes, with precise control over what is allowed to change and what stays locked. Define which effect types can be used and how much of the grid should be filled. Each track also has its own random buttons for patterns and FX (including optional snapshot randomization), making it easy to discover new ideas in seconds. Built-in Recorder with Threshold Mode Capture the output of Nexora directly with the integrated recorder. Use manual mode for instant recording or enable auto mode with threshold so recording starts only when your signal is loud enough. When you are done, drag the waveform straight to your DAW or save it as an audio file for later use. It's an ideal workflow for printing complex glitch passages and resampling them into your tracks. Read More

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Gospel, Best Contemporary Christian Music AlbumsThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Gospel Album and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album categories.

Take a listen to the nominated albums below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

Best Gospel Album

Sunny DaysYolanda Adams

TashaTasha Cobbs Leonard

Live Breathe FightTamela Mann

Only On The Road LiveTye Tribbett

Heart Of MineDarrel Walls, PJ Morton

Best Contemporary Christian Music Album

CHILD OF GOD IIForrest Frank

Coritos Vol. 1Israel & New Breed

King Of HeartsBrandon Lake

ReconstructionLecrae

Let The Church SingTauren Wells

Yolanda Adams photo by Dennis LeupholdThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Gospel, Best Contemporary Christian Music Albums first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Soundgas: John Paul Jones Studio Auction Soundgas’ latest gear auction sees the company offer up a selection of gear sourced from the studio of legendary British musician John Paul Jones.