IK Multimedia unveil the Tonex Board IK Multimedia's new Tonex Board expands on the concept introduced by the Tonex pedals, offering a powerful all-in-one pedalboard-style system aimed at both stage and studio use. 

I got hands-on with Reason Free and its remarkably addictive modular patching environmentAd feature with Reason Studios/LANDR
Reason has always felt like something of an outlier in the production world, largely thanks to its virtual hardware Rack. Hit the flip button, and you’ll discover patch points, CV connections, and a tangled spaghetti of animated cables, all ready to be rerouted as you please. This distinctive approach to music-making has earned Reason a dedicated following since its release in 2000.
Earlier this year, LANDR acquired Reason Studios, marking a new chapter for one of music production’s more idiosyncratic names.
For those yet to experience said idiosyncrasy, the recently launched Reason Free makes for an enticing introduction. The bundle puts 15 fully functional Reason devices – four instruments, five effects, and six utilities – inside the DAW you already use at zero cost, with no trials, expirations, watermarks, or strings attached.

Once installed, Reason Rack loads as a VST3, AU, or AAX plugin in a DAW, meaning there’s no need to abandon the workflow you already know. But Reason Free can also run as a slimmed-down 16-track version of the Reason DAW, complete with its hardware-inspired mixer that includes per-channel EQ, filtering, compression, and gating.
The Rack plugin comes in instrument and effect versions, depending if you want to generate sound or process incoming audio. I load the instrument version onto a MIDI track in my main DAW, and Reason’s familiar skeuomorphic rack cabinet appears, ready to be filled with devices.
Reason Free includes four instruments, but the flagship Europa Shapeshifting Synthesizer feels like the obvious place to begin. Powerful yet accessible, its three independent engines offer a unique combination of synthesis techniques including virtual analogue, wavetable, spectral, physical modelling, and FM.
I familiarise myself by touring the selection of 600 diverse presets. While wavetable synthesis often veers towards hard, glassy, or digital tones, I’m immediately struck by Europa’s organic character, especially evident in its soft, textural pad patches.
As I start to pull the patches apart, Europa’s depth becomes clear. There’s a vast range of wavetables, multiple ways to morph and manipulate them, plus a flexible modulation system plus semi-modular effects section. It’s a sound designer’s dream, and Europa alone makes Reason Free worth a download.
Image: Reason Studios
I begin to explore the effects bundled with Reason Free, starting with the Scream 4 Distortion. Initially aggressive and unwieldy, it can be tamed, but I’m more interested in its less conventional algorithms – Feedback, Warp, and Modulate – that make my patch far less predictable. By now I’m firmly in the Reason mindset, so I flip the rack and start connecting cables.
Reason Free includes the Pulsar Dual LFO utility for deeper modulation duties, but Europa can also route its own internal mod sources to four CV outputs. I send two of its LFOs and the Key source into Scream 4’s parameters, creating rhythmic distortion that responds to the notes I play.
Not every connection produces something you’ll want to keep, but after a while it’s easy to unearth something characterful enough to build an entire track around.
Maybe this is why Reason endures. Its workflow encourages me to drop a few things in and think of an interesting way to make them interact. I’m nudged in a more playful direction; the Rack’s immediacy compels me to design sounds with more depth and movement than usual, but doing so feels instant, exciting, and remarkably addictive.
There are three other instruments to explore in Reason Free. The ID8 Songwriter’s Toolbox provides ready-to-go sounds akin to a ROMpler, while the Monotone Bass Synthesizer handles low end and leads. Finally, Kong Drum Designer covers the rhythm section, with various sample- and synth-based approaches to creating kits.
Reason Free in Ableton Live. Image: James Langley
Again, Reason’s patching makes these devices immensely compelling. I plug a Pulsar Dual LFO module into Kong’s gate inputs, creating meditative, off-kilter drum loops devoid of quantisation and predictability. Pulsar can even output its oscillators as audio, opening the door to more experimental patches built from the basic ingredients of synthesis.
Another effect within Reason Free is the Audiomatic Retro Transformer, with one-knob control that instantly places your sound within a new era or space. There are 16 models to choose from; more subtle options like Tape, VHS, or Hi-Fi are perfect for adding the finishing touches to a patch, while settings like mp3, Gadget, and Cracked can fully degrade your signal into mulch when pushed. Users also get lush convolution-powered reverb via the RV7000 mkII, The Echo for classic, dubby tape delay reminiscent of the fabled RE-201, and the MClass Maximizer for enhancing dynamics.
In any case, Reason Free has captured my imagination. There’s a tremendous amount of possibility within this modest collection of devices, and I could sink hours exploring the many thousands of ways to patch them together.
Reason Free will undoubtedly give some users a taste for more. That’s where Reason’s paid options come in.
A Reason 14 perpetual licence is currently £299 and includes the DAW and plugin, or you can buy the plugin only for £199. With both, users get 68 Reason Rack Devices and over 50,000 samples, loops, and patches.
Subscription plans are available too, which include all 93 Reason Rack Devices plus new sound packs added weekly. The plugin-only version costs £8.25/month, while Reason+ for £10.14/month includes the DAW, Rack plugin, and a variety of LANDR tools including unlimited AI stem separation, AI mastering, and distribution.
Download Reason Free today to get 15 legendary devices in your DAW, forever.
The post I got hands-on with Reason Free and its remarkably addictive modular patching environment appeared first on MusicTech.

ukdf releases GrainCharlie, a FREE granular synth for macOS and Windows
Developer ukdf has released GrainCharlie, a free granular synthesizer plugin for macOS and Windows. The developer, who also releases music as uknowdatfeel, created GrainCharlie after spending around a year looking for an affordable granular synth without unnecessary complexity. Granular synthesis can be intimidating at first, so the idea behind GrainCharlie is to provide the essential [...]
View post: ukdf releases GrainCharlie, a FREE granular synth for macOS and Windows

The best new music plugins this week, free and paidEvery week, we round up the most exciting new plugin releases — from virtual instruments and creative effects to mixing tools and workflow upgrades. There are tons of plugins released every week, both free and paid-for, so be sure to check back here every Friday to find out the software worth adding to your plugin folder.
This week’s new and noteworthy virtual instruments, effects and mixing plugins
[Updated 3 September 2026]
Arturia – Pure Sub
Image: Arturia
Arturia has released Pure Sub, a virtual instrument dedicated to creating deep, punchy, and characterful bass. The plugin combines bass synthesis with onboard processing designed for immediate, driving low end.
Pure Sub features three sound layers. Sub provides the foundation, while Harmonics has three different modes — including Reese, Pressure, and waveforms like 808s — that define your patch’s character. Then, dial in extra grit with the Texture layer, which can be shaped with key-tracked tones, ring modulation, and more.
Each layer can be independently routed to a filter section with more than 40 modes, before hitting a 12-slot effect rack with 18 effects to choose from. The mix section also features compression, multiband processing, and a powerful Maximiser, while advanced modulation can be used to animate your sound in impressive detail.
Pure Sub is available from Arturia for intro pricing of €49 (full price €79).
Reason Studios – Reason Free
Image: Reason Studios
Reason, acquired by LANDR in January, has launched a new free version of the cult classic DAW and Rack plugin, giving musicians 15 legendary Reason devices at zero cost.
Instruments include the Europa wavetable synth and Kong Drum Designer, alongside characterful effects like Audiomatic, Scream 4, and RV7000 MKII.
You’ll also get Reason’s iconic modular-style patching, which lets users make new connections between the devices in their rack — modulating a distortion’s drive using a synth’s onboard envelope, for example.
Reason Free runs as the Reason Rack VST3, AU, or AAX plugin in your choice of DAW, or as the standalone Reason Free DAW limited to 16 tracks. Read more about Reason Free or download it from Reason Studios.
Lewitt – Space Replicator Free

We covered Lewitt’s new Space Replicator plugin a few weeks ago, and the company has now released a free version of the virtual monitoring plugin designed specifically for mixing on headphones.
Space Replicator Free includes three playback systems: Lewitt Studio A with high-end speaker system, a typical living room, and H-Pods Pro in-ear headphones. There are also over 800 profiles to compensate for your headphones’ frequency response.
Space Replicator Free is available to download from Lewitt.
TONE3000 – Free Neural Amp Modeling
Image: TONE3000
It seems to be the week for freebies, as TONE3000 — the open-source platform for sharing digital models of amps, pedals, and outboard gear — has released a zero-cost plugin that offers plug-and-play access to thousands of Neural Amp Modeler captures and impulse responses.
Previously, using these NAM captures and IRs required finding the tone, downloading and unzipping it, and loading it into a third-party plugin. The TONE3000 plugin bypasses all of that, letting users browse sounds and configure chains instantly.
The enormous TONE3000 library includes captures of boutique amplifiers, rare pedals, outboard gear, and even bizarre experimental captures like the passenger door speakers of a 2016 Cadillac SRX.
The plugin is available for free download from TONE3000, and there’s no cost for NAM captures or IRs either.
MixWave – Spiritbox: Courtney LaPlante

MixWave has released an all-in-one vocal processing plugin based on the approach of Courtney LaPlante. As the vocalist of Canadian metal band Spiritbox, LaPlante ranges from delicate melodies to uncompromising screams, so every module in the plugin has been designed with flexibility in mind.
The plugin includes a Pitch module, with formant processing to reshape a vocal’s character, plus Distortion and Compression modules for highly musical saturation and control.
There’s also Modulation for adding movement and width, and a three-algorithm Reverb and multi-mode Delay.
Finally, the Line Amplifier adds analogue-style colour to the signal, perfect for enhancing clean vocals or pushing sounds forward. The chain is modular too, and can be freely reordered to create your own signature style.
Spiritbox: Courtney LaPlante is available from MixWave for intro pricing of $79 (full price $139).
Where to download free plugins and VSTs
Looking for free plugins? Our freeware section is an excellent place to start; each month, we also compile round-ups of the best free plugins and samples to download.
The production community is full of passionate developers who’ve given away instruments, effects and other plugins as freeware. Some of our favourites include Valhalla’s Supermassive reverb and Matt Tytel’s Helm polysynth. Remember, most developers also offer free trials for their plugins.
How to install VST and AU plugins on Windows, macOS and iOS
If your plugin came as a zip file, you may have to manually install it. Here’s how:
VST3 plugins:

Unzip the plugin folder
Copy the VST file to your default plugin folder (Windows default: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3, Mac default: /Library/Audio/Plugins/VST)
Start your DAW
Rescan your plugin directory

AUv3 plugins:

Download and install the plugin from the App Store
Insert the plugin in your DAW
Select the AUv3 plugin from the Audio Unit Extensions tab

The post The best new music plugins this week, free and paid appeared first on MusicTech.

The Story Behind The Beatles' 'A Day in the Life' — The Two Songs That Became OneHow did The Beatles create “A Day in the Life”? Discover how John Lennon and Paul McCartney combined two unfinished songs into one iconic masterpiece.

Google spared from ad-business breakup, but judge orders changes to how it operatesGoogle has dodged an effort to break up its ad business, but a judge said Wednesday that the company will need to adjust its business to benefit competitors.

US officials work with CrowdStrike to fight malware behind crypto theftFederal authorities and private-sector partners were part of an operation to disrupt malware that redirected about $150,000 in crypto over the last eight years.

Donald Trump’s administration just sided with OpenAI in a key ‘fair use’ case. Here’s what it means for music’s fight with Anthropic and Suno.It appears to be the first time Washington has intervened in any of the copyright cases now stacked up against AI companies
Source

Egowaves AnalogEntropyAnalogEntropy brings organic character to your tracks by recreating the subtle imperfections of vintage tape machines, analog consoles and classic hardware that give analog recordings their warmth, depth and soul. It can be used on anything from a single track to the entire mix. For best results, use several parameters gently rather than pushing one too far. You may not notice it. Until you bypass it. Key Features: COLOR: Drive: ANALOG PREAMP SATURATION: two-zone soft clipping, from gentle tape preamp rounding to heavier saturation. Warmth: TRANSFORMER HARMONICS : even-order harmonics (2nd, 4th) filtered below 280 Hz, the signature of an analog transformer. Saturation: DYNAMIC TAPE SATURATION : envelope-following tape saturation: peaks compress harder than quiet passages, like a real magnetic tape under heavy signal. Air: HARMONIC EXCITER : harmonic exciter à la Aphex/BBE: generates new harmonics above 3.5 kHz rather than boosting what's already there. MOVEMENT: Haze: BBD CHORUS : BBD chorus with two interacting LFOs, the technology behind 1970s tape echoes and classic chorus pedals. Sway: HARMONIC DETUNING : three drifting delay taps creating internal harmonic beating, like a piano whose strings have slowly gone out of tune with each other. Flutter: TAPE FLUTTER : tape flutter with filtered noise injected into the LFO phase, so it never sounds like a mechanical sine sweep. Warp: APERIODIC MODULATION : sslow, unpredictable phase modulation, the kind heard on degraded tape or off-speed playback. IMPERFECTION: Dropouts: RANDOM SIGNAL DROPOUTS : partial random signal fades with independent L/R asymmetry, simulating uneven oxide wear on a playback head. Crackles: VINYL NOISE : granular noise texture, crossfaded grains of 30–80 ms with independent stereo seeds. Hiss: ANALOG TAPE HISS : warm band-passed tape hiss from dual noise sources with a slowly evolving spectral blend. Drift: TAPE WOW & FLUTTER : tape motor instability modelled as a slow sinusoidal wow at ~0.6 Hz combined with a filtered noise flutter. SWITCHES: Vintage: LPF at 13 kHz, S-curve waveshaper and light quantisation at 30 kHz, narrowing the frequency response like a well-maintained 1970s tape machine. Bleed: console crosstalk at −2.5 dB with early reflections at 8 and 13 ms, the natural channel contamination of an analog desk. Spread: 5 ms delay on the right channel only, the looseness of two slightly misaligned tape heads. Smear: temporal blur that rounds transients and pushes the signal back from the source. Buzz: 50 Hz + 100 Hz hum modelling a slightly misgrounded tape deck or console. MODEL: Six converter and tape characters ordered from cleanest to most extreme: Akai S900 (12-bit / 40 kHz, clean filter). E-mu SP-1200 (12-bit / 26.4 kHz, coloured LP, low-mid punch). E-mu Emulator II (10-bit / 27.7 kHz, warm reconstruction). Mellotron (tape saturation, wow/flutter, 8 kHz roll-off). Casio SK-1 (8-bit / 9.38 kHz, heavy quantisation noise). AM Radio (300 Hz–6 kHz bandpass, AM demodulator saturation). EQ / MASTER: Bass / Treble: bipolar vintage tone stack: the cut side behaves passively with interacting bands like a real amp, the boost side is active. Blend: global dry/wet after all processing. Glue: analog bus compression curve, transparent below halfway, character zone above with harmonic saturation on transients. Output: final gain with auto-gain calibration. Read More

Harvesting Namib Desert Fog with High VoltageAs fun as mucking about with simulated environments in a laboratory is, at some point you have to do those field tests to demonstrate that your prototype actually works in the real world, under real conditions. This is what the [Plasma Channel] recently did for their fog harvesting system by setting it up in the Namib desert.
We previously covered the atmospheric water harvesting attempts, using electrostatic precipitation to draw the moisture in the air onto the collectors where it can then be harvested. This is rather different from existing approaches with e.g. fine meshes and hoping that enough water molecules bump into your mesh, so theoretically it should be much more efficient. In the lab it worked well, but reality always has the last word.
The Namib desert is at the top of the world’s most arid regions, competing with the Atacama desert. What it does have going for it is regular fog rolling in that lasts until sunrise, providing a good target for water harvesting. Interestingly, this field test was performed together with the University of Namibia.
Of course, moving the prototype in check-in luggage for the flight to Namibia took some redesigning and testing. Fortunately everything, including the solar panel, arrived intact, allowing trials to commence. This initially took place at the campus of the University of Namibia, joining a number of other atmospheric water harvesting projects that had been previously installed there.
Unfortunately the fog proved to be rather elusive, leading to a few fruitless attempts. It also proved that the salt in the air from the ocean spray, even a few kilometers inland, was highly corrosive, especially to high-voltage electronics. Although the system basically worked, happily harvesting water under the right conditions, it does need some redesign before it’ll be tested next in the Atacama desert.

The 13 best vocal microphones of 2026
Whether you’re singing, rapping, or podcasting, these are 13 of the best vocal microphones to consider in 2026.

The new TONE3000 is FREE and provides access to countless NAM profiles
The TONE3000 plugin has been released for macOS, Windows, and Linux, and it is available for free! We’ve mentioned the TONE3000 platform plenty of times when discussing other guitar-related releases. The TONE3000 platform provides access to countless gear models (NAM profiles), and this new plugin makes it more convenient than ever. The TONE3000 plugin is [...]
View post: The new TONE3000 is FREE and provides access to countless NAM profiles

Release Radar: Post Sex Nachos Go Big (and Bad) on their Latest AlbumLet's get this out of the way: Post Sex Nachos is still one of the best band names in indie rock, and it's still doing a disservice to how much this Midwest outfit can wreck you emotionally in under four minutes. Their new album Big Bad is out in a matter of weeks, and it might be the most vulnerable thing they've put their name on yet—which, for a band that turns anxiety spirals into songs you can dance to, is saying something.

Formed by Sammy Elfanbaum and Chase Mueller, Post Sex Nachos built their reputation the old-fashioned way: relentless touring, sets at Lollapalooza, Summerfest, Mile of Music, and Bonnaroo, and an independently organized, 1,000-plus-attendee Nacho Fest that sounds like it shouldn't work on paper and clearly works great in practice. Their Booster Pack EP gave the world "Supergirl" and "SOS"—the latter currently sitting at No. 1 Spun on SiriusXM Alt Nation. Big Bad is the next chapter, and by the sound of it, a bigger swing.

Ask Elfanbaum what inspired the record and you don't get a vague answer about "growth" or "the journey." You get this:

"The inspiration behind Big Bad was that the boys and I both separately and together were going through some big changes in our lives. I wanted the lyrics to be very personal. Some of the songs are about anxiety, and like, in this world we're living in I feel like every song should be about that. I don't know how you could live in America right now and not be anxious."

That's the emotional spine of the album, but Elfanbaum is quick to clarify this isn't a 40-minute panic attack. "There's uplifting stuff mixed in there too, and some classic PSN love songs about partners and friendship. Not all doom and gloom, but hopefully you cry maybe once while listening to the record?"

A reasonable request from a band that's earned the right to make it.

Big Bad came together over roughly six months in the studio with producer Aaron Wagner (VEAUX), and according to Elfanbaum, he didn't just twist knobs—he pushed the band somewhere new. "There were definitely some surprises in the studio, mostly good ones! I think Aaron really pushed us to be the best we could be and the record would not be the same without him."

It also marks the band's most collaborative process to date. Instead of arriving with finished songs, instrumental ideas came from across the whole lineup before lyrics and top lines got layered in—which tracks with how unified and deliberate the record sounds. It's the difference between a band writing songs and a band building something together.

If you want the emotional thesis statement of Big Bad in one song, it's the BAILEN collaboration. Elfanbaum explains the origin: "I've always wanted to write a song about a ride-or-die kind of friendship. Everybody has that person they can call up at any time and pick up right where they left off, no matter how long it's been."

He brought the concept to BAILEN, and things moved fast from there. "I brought this idea to BAILEN and they absolutely ran with it. We came up with the chorus together over a Zoom call, and came back with our respective verses a couple weeks later." The verdict, unprompted: "BAILEN really elevated this track, making 'A Lot to Lose' my favorite song on the record."

Ask Elfanbaum to pick favorites and he'll actually pick favorites, which we appreciate. "I think my sleeper pick on the album is called 'Insane.' But my favorite is probably 'All For You' or 'Junk.'"

Consider that your starter pack.

If there's one thing Elfanbaum wants clear before you press play, it's that this isn't a band coasting on their old formula. "I want the world to go in with an open mind when listening to Big Bad. We stepped outside of our comfort zone and pushed ourselves, taking a lot of big swings. We have definitely transformed as a band through making this record and I think it paid off."

And despite the confidence, there's real nerve behind the release too—the kind that comes from actually caring. "I hope listeners walk away connecting with at least one song. I hope it makes them think about their lives or the state of the world. I think it's our best album yet and I am equally nervous and excited for it to be out in the universe."

Post Sex Nachos aren't just dropping the album and disappearing—they're bringing it straight to a stage near you. Asked about the rest of 2026, Elfanbaum kept it simple: "Shows, baby! Come see us on tour in the fall!"

The North American Fall Headline Tour kicks off September 25 in Nashville at The Basement East and wraps November 7 in Chicago at Bottom Lounge, with VIP packages available for the fans who want the full experience. Big Bad will also be available on vinyl, along with exclusive merch bundles for anyone who wants to hold this era in their hands.

Between the anxiety anthems, the friendship ballads, and at least one guaranteed cry, Big Bad is Post Sex Nachos at their most honest. Go listen with an open mind—they asked nicely!

Big Bad drops on September 18, keep an eye out.

Photos by Sophia BiancoThe post Release Radar: Post Sex Nachos Go Big (and Bad) on their Latest Album first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Stereophonic Bundle from AIR Music Tech AIR Music Tech have just introduced a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide producers, beatmakers and mix engineers with more more depth, width, warmth and impact across individual tracks, busses and complete mixes.

Stoic’s 9-to-5 routine has helped him release over 1,000 beatsIt’s 11 am on a Wednesday in Staten Island when I speak with Stoic. Tonight, he’ll publish an instrumental hip-hop beat to YouTube, just like every other Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
The 29-year-old producer has followed this schedule for over seven years, with over 1,000 beats to his name—including one for Doechii’s 2024 BULLFROG that helped the song win a Grammy for Best Rap Album via  Alligator Bites Never Heal. He has more than 115,000 subscribers, and over 100 million streams across streaming platforms.
I speak to the moustached beatmaker in August, a week before he releases PAELLA!, his debut solo album of smooth, soulful, and sometimes experimental hip-hop. He’s produced, mixed and mastered the LP, and collaborated with a slew of artists he admires, including Mick Jenkins, LIFEOFTHOM and Deante’ Hitchcock.
He’s excited for his fans and peers to hear the music. But he’s not hoping for compliments.
“It’s a cliché that everyone says like, ‘Oh, I don’t care about the numbers,’ but everyone cares about the numbers,” explains Stoic, real name Matthew Moleta. “You hope the numbers are good, and you hope the reactions are positive. But I like to see when my music splits the room. I actually think that’s a positive. It usually means you’re giving people something they didn’t know they wanted, or they don’t think they like. Being able to turn them is really cool. Hopefully we’ll split the room a little.”
That bold approach is prevalent from PAELLA!’s intro track, PEGAO, which combines a lazy hip-hop beat with fast-paced breaks and chopped-up jazz guitar. “All my favourite albums have that first intro track that sets the stage for what you’re about to hear. I think it’s so important,” he says.

Young Stoic
Moleta’s career started in 2015, when he began uploading ‘type beats’ to YouTube and selling them on Bandcamp. If you’re out of the loop, a type beat is an instrumental track that’s made in the style of another producer or artist. As Stoic, he’s uploaded MF DOOM type beats, The Alchemist type beats, Tyler, The Creator type beats, making his name and honing his skills by emulating his idols.
Before the type beats, Moleta had been making homemade demos as a guitarist and bassist. He’d learned how to use GarageBand after his mother encouraged him and his brother to “get out of the house” during summer break when he was 12. They ended up attending Apple Camp at the Staten Island Apple Store.
“I had such a fun time doing that,” he recalls, smiling. “That was my first time making a beat, and producing anything on a computer. That was a big day in my life.”
In 2015, Stoic posted his first beat to YouTube. At the time, he had no intention of using the platform to make money or launch a career. “I started it to just catalogue all the music I was making, so I could listen to it when I wasn’t home — in the car, or whatever.”
That same year, however, Moleta started putting some of his finished work on Bandcamp (you can still find his old profile, which reads “18 year old artist from New York. I make beats”). To his surprise, he sold his first track, Iron Mike, while he was at the mall: “I got this notification on my phone, [that said] ‘25 bucks from Bandcamp’. I’m like, ‘What the hell is this?’ To this day, I remember that feeling of like, ‘Holy shit! Someone just paid for my bullshit that I made in my bedroom!’”
Image: Stoic
By 2019, Moleta was in his last year of college and had begun the three-beats-a-week routine. A career in beatmaking was becoming more realistic, as he was seeing other online type beat producers making a living off their music on beat marketplaces. “I was like, ‘You know what? I’m making them already. Let me set up a beat store.’ But I was, like, whatever— I didn’t expect anything.” At first, he recalls $50 a month turning into $100 a month, then becoming $200 a month, and then $400 a month. He still remembers the first month he cleared $1,000, using some of the cash to buy his buddies drinks at the bar, and “feeling like a big shot”, he laughs.
Once the novelty of buying beers wore off, Moleta realised this was “real money”. It was the end of 2019, and while he’d been training for a career in the medical field, the music biz seemed to be calling.
“I was about to graduate. I was going to become a nurse, and I was ready to start working,” he says. “But by the time I graduated, I was making more money off of type beats than I would be as a nurse. And I hated nursing — it’s a very tough profession. If you have any nurses that are friends or family, give them a hug. That shit is not easy. But I thought, ‘lemme just go all in on this music stuff.’ I’ve been doing it the same way ever since then.”
Still cooking
Although he still produces and publishes type beats most days, he’s no longer trying to replicate the style of an artist. Now, he’ll make the beat and ask himself, “Who could I hear on this?” Sometimes, YouTube commenters will claim that the track sounds nothing like the artist that Moleta’s referencing. “You know what? Honestly, good,” he says. “Maybe it’s not the best for SEO or branding or stuff like that, but in my mind, it makes sense, and that’s all I care about.”
It’s essentially the same mindset that led to PAELLA!. The album is a collection of Moleta’s favourite beats and favourite people — from his musical collaborators to his mom, who reads out her own Puerto Rican recipe for paella on the album’s skit, THE RECIPE. He took the “most rappable” tracks from his catalogue, and worked with his favourite people to bring the record to life.
“Sometimes as producers, we overproduce just because we’re having a good time. PAELLA! was beats that are just unique enough to still have an artist on it and make sense,” he says.
Image: Stoic
11 years on since his first Bandcamp sale, Moleta’s achievements are compounding. He jokes about his “15 minutes of fame” from his Grammy win; he’s thankful for working with his favourite artists and releasing his debut solo album, and he’s ultimately now living his dream.
A reasonable question might be ‘What’s the next big thing?’
But today is Wednesday. And all that matters to Stoic is posting that beat at 8 pm.
How to be a Stoic
Banging out multiple beats every day is now part of Moleta’s routine. It’s fairly disciplined, which you might expect from a producer who named himself after a philosophy based on moral discipline and improvement. But his reasoning is less philosophical than you might think.
“I didn’t want to be the producer that starts making music at midnight and doesn’t end till five in the morning,” he explains. “There’s a lot of studio rats, and I respect it, I love it, and I have a lot of friends like that. As for me, I always wanted to structure it like a nine-to-five, because all of my friends and family are nine-to-five, and I figured that would be the only chance I would get to have a regular workday and then go see them.”
This is how a Stoic workday usually goes down:

Pre-work: “Stumble out of bed, get some cold brew, and a big jug of water”
9 am: “If we’re being honest with each other, I usually start my day with half an hour of YouTube, just general browsing. I’ll sit there, watch some videos, some music-related, some not, and then I’ll get right into it right after that.”
9:30 am: “I use this website for samples called Tracklib. I’ll browse through there, download four or five tracks I think could be cool, and then start sampling them. I keep doing that for about four hours.”
1 pm: “Usually hit the gym around 1 o’clock… Us producers can get stuck in our chairs all day. But if you take just even 30 minutes or an hour to yourself and go for a walk, or ride a bike, or hit the gym, whatever it is…I think your mind and your body are so connected in that way. If you don’t move your body, the gears in your brain are going to stop turning after a while…Staying active definitely helps me with posting a beat every day and having new ideas and all that jazz.”
2 – 5 pm: “Come back for lunch, and then work the rest of the day until my wife gets home from work…Usually, my process is that I’ll lay down a drum break and then chop the sample over that. I’m really looking for the most unique sounds I could find in the sample. I’ll go through on Serato and ‘favourite’ moments, then I’ll reshuffle it a couple of times and see what I find. Once I have about 8 to 12 chops that could really fill 16 bars of music, I lay those down, then take the drum break out and then make my own drums. Once I have that, the beat is essentially finished, besides some sound effects, and maybe play in a bass line or a guitar lead.”
“I mix as I go. I know some people don’t do it like that, but I need to hear the sounds as clear as possible, and how they’re interacting with each other. Honestly, my mixing is literally just EQ, levelling, panning. That’s about 95% of it. I think mixing really is simpler than people make it out to be.”
8 pm: “I set myself to the YouTube schedule [of posting a track every Monday, Wednesday and Friday]. No matter what, I’m putting out a beat at 8 pm that night. One or two months a year, I’ll do something special with my subscribers where I’ll post a beat every day of the month. Those are tough, but very fun and very rewarding.
“Producers will report getting ‘beat block’ for days or weeks at a time, and it’s definitely a thing. No one has new, fresh ideas every single waking moment of their life, especially after making thousands of beats at this point. But I think that it’s something that you acknowledge. You say, ‘Okay, I’m not too hot today, but I was amazing yesterday. I think I could get back to that point.’ It’s about finding the confidence in yourself to know that, even when you think you suck, you’re gonna get out of it.”

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