Beat Magazine #243 - April 2026

GEAR P*RN: 64 New Synths & Tools Reviewed – What You Really Need And What Not

New synths, interfaces, controllers, monitors, and studio tools from AlphaTheta, ASM, Behringer, Focusrite, GIK Acoustics, Korg, MOTU, Nord, Novation, Polyend, SOMA, Teenage Engineering, Yamaha, ZOOM, and many more: At NAMM, numerous manufacturers unveiled a wealth of new products. Much of it shines. Some of it is truly exciting. And some of it is simply old wine in new bottles. In our focus section, you‘ll hear and see all the new releases, categorized by purpose and features, with tips and a no-nonsense assessment: who it‘s for – and who it‘s not. This leaves you more time for music and your next favorite tool that will truly propel you forward!

To be Successful You Need to be a Brand – And Your Music a Revenue Model

For decades, creatives and the creative industry eyed each other with suspicion and hostility. Now, many musicians have switched sides and become entrepreneurs themselves. What happens when they gain power, but lose their moral superiority? These are unpleasant facts that we will shed light on in our digital culture section.

Free Plug-ins Worth € 132: Draw Your Punch With Stagecraft ReContour

ReContour takes a different approach than traditional compressors or distortion plug-ins. Instead of selecting presets or blindly turning knobs, you shape the effect directly using a curve. Dynamics and tone colouring are not separate here, but are intertwined. This is precisely what makes ReContour a fast tool for sounds that need to stand out: More punch, more body, more bite – without plug-in chains and detours.

Test: Waldorf Protein – A Portable Microwave DNA

Protein is an affordable and compact 8-voice polyphonic wavetable synthesizer based on the Microwave 1 ASIC oscillators, combining them with modern features from the Iridium series – including a sophisticated arpeggiator, step sequencer, chord mode, effects and more.

Discovered: Sigrid & Askjell – Pushing through the wall

Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid‘s new album „There‘s Always More That I Could Say“ is a ticking energy bomb, tugging at your heartstrings and always ready to explode. But at its heart are real stories and intimate emotions – as well as her time-proven creative partnership with producer and fellow artist Askjell Solstrand. Navigating between big pop, tender folk, dancefloor propulsion and playful sonic experimentation, it establishes a new paradigm: Local is the new global.