I respond to Rick Beato's argument that AI data centres are headed for the same fate as 1990s recording studios, agreeing with the core pattern while adding nuance around the hybrid future of local and cloud AI. I also demonstrate how to generate a complete AI song entirely on your local machine for free, using LM Studio and ComfyUI with the open-source ACE-Step 1.5 model.

In this follow-up to my SnappySnap review, I demonstrate the plugin's MCP integration, which lets you use Claude as a natural language interface to position immersive audio objects, create snapshots, and automate your mix — all inside your DAW. I walk through the full setup from scratch and show what this kind of AI-plugin collaboration actually looks like in practice.

In this video, I explore InShaper, Sound Particles' new LFO-driven waveshaper plugin, and put its impressive multi-channel capabilities — supporting formats all the way up to NHK 22.2 — to the test in a 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos session in Reaper. While the plugin has some limitations for immersive audio work, such as the inability to bypass individual channels internally, it's a convenient and powerful tool for spatial audio producers looking to add creative waveshaping to their multi-channel workflow.

I test Amorph, a free plugin that lets you create your own audio effects and instruments using generative AI — no coding required. Watch me build a binaural panner with interaural time difference from scratch and see how it performs in practice.

SnappySnap by Electric Smudge lets you automate entire parameter snapshots instead of individual parameters, making immersive audio workflows in Atmos, Sony 360 RA, and other formats dramatically easier. In this video, I demo the plugin with the Sony WalkMix Creator and take a look at its standout features, including snapshot interpolation, elasticity smoothing, instance linking, and built-in MCP integration for large language models.

I review Beyerdynamic's free Headphone Lab plugin, which offers headphone correction and virtual studio room simulation for Beyerdynamic headphones. While it's simple to use and costs nothing, it has limitations including stereo-only support and a missing blend option for the correction curve.

During a conference visit to Athens, I toured Alejandro Cabrera's acoustically isolated studio and discussed his recent integration of Audio Brewers' ambisonic decoder into Pro Tools, which streamlines spatial audio workflows by automating technical configuration. The conversation explored how his dual perspective as artist and developer informs plugin design that prioritizes creative usability over exposing every available parameter.

This year I'm doing something different for my year-in-review: instead of talking about my videos, I'm highlighting some of the most negative, insulting, weird, and sometimes insane comments I received in 2025—plus a couple of wholesome ones for balance. From developers upset about not making my top 10 lists to confidently incorrect commenters and AI critics, it's been quite a journey through this year's comment section.

In this video, I'm reviewing the APL Duopan plugin, a new panning tool that combines traditional amplitude-based panning with time-based panning approaches based on psychoacoustic principles. I'll demonstrate its features including the T-A slider for blending panning methods, the head shadow functionality that mimics natural frequency dampening, the dual band option for frequency-specific panning, and its seamless integration with immersive audio formats.

In this video, I review the IK Multimedia ARC On-Ear, a portable studio simulation device that promises to solve my biggest frustration with the Qudelix 5K—the difficulty of switching between different headphones. I'll show you how this compact, battery-powered device works, demonstrate its on-device headphone correction and studio simulation features, and share whether it lives up to my hopes for a more user-friendly alternative.

In this video, I review Plugin Alliance's new Hears Perfection plugin—a hearing correction tool for studio monitoring—and compare it with Altitude Audio's Aria Studio to help you decide which one best suits your needs. While both plugins delivered surprisingly accurate hearing profiles that matched my audiologist's measurements, I found myself preferring Hears Perfection for its simplicity, quick 1-2 minute hearing test, headphone-specific profiles, and more focused frequency correction range that doesn't waste energy on ultra-high frequencies you can't hear anyway.

In this video, I explore BeatGen from Novo Notes, a new AI-enhanced beat-making software that uses large language models like Claude as a collaborative assistant to help develop drum patterns—a unique approach that's quite different from typical "prompt-to-music" AI tools. While the software is still in early stages with significant limitations (Mac-only, expensive API costs, no MIDI export), I walk through the installation process, demonstrate its capabilities, and discuss why this collaborative AI approach represents an interesting glimpse into the future of music production interfaces.

In this Q&A video, I address the most common questions from my Neumann RIME plugin review, covering everything from DAW integration and head tracking compatibility to why the plugin is specifically designed as a binaural renderer for Neumann headphones rather than a general-purpose solution. I'm also excited to share that Neumann reached out directly after my review, including a call from their CEO, which really demonstrates their commitment to engaging with the audio community.

In this second part of my series, I break down the technical workflow I used to create the AI-generated visuals for "Through the Mystic Green," focusing on the challenge of maintaining character and style consistency across shots when video models treat each clip as isolated. Rather than fighting against the AI's limitations, I embraced a "happy accidents" approach inspired by Bob Ross, letting the AI guide the creative process and working collaboratively with tools like Kling 2.1 to create unexpected but compelling visual storytelling moments.

In this video, I break down the music production process behind my AI-generated animated music video "Through the Mystic Green," demonstrating that working with AI isn't about typing a prompt and getting a finished product—it's a collaborative, iterative process that requires traditional remixing and editing skills. I'll walk you through my complete workflow using Suno for music generation, from initial creation to stem separation and final production in Ableton, showing how AI serves as a powerful productivity tool that enhances rather than replaces creative expertise.

In this video, I'm sharing my ethics statement for this channel, covering how I balance YouTube as a hobby with my full-time job as a university educator, my policies on sponsorships and reviews, and my ethical approach to using AI tools in content creation. I break down what you need to know about my transparency commitments and the best ways to support the channel if you choose to.

In this episode, I sit down with Ryan Schwabe, a twice Grammy-nominated audio engineer and founder of Schwabe Digital, who shares his journey from artist to acclaimed engineer, revealing that meaningful artist relationships and collaborative energy matter far more than technical gear, while also discussing his meticulously crafted Gold Clip and Orange Clip plugins that have become industry favorites on major pop records worldwide. Ryan offers fascinating perspectives on AI in music production (cautioning about "degrading the uniqueness" of creative work), his recent venture into Dolby Atmos, and closes with invaluable advice for aspiring engineers: true success comes from obsession with your craft and building genuine relationships with collaborators at your level, rather than constantly seeking connections with those above you.

Ethics Statement guiding my YouTube channel.

In this review, I examine the Nomono Sound Capsule, a portable spatial audio recording solution that combines a 360-degree ambisonics microphone with wireless lavalier microphones, offering podcasters and content creators an accessible way to record immersive Dolby Atmos audio. While testing the device with my PhD student Nicolas Losada, we found it excels in ease of use and spatial positioning accuracy, despite some limitations in monitoring capability and music recording quality, making it an attractive option for creators looking to enhance their productions with spatial audio without specialized technical knowledge.

In this video, I count down the 10 most interesting binaural panning plugins that will transform your headphone mixes from flat to immersive, covering options for every budget from completely free tools to professional-grade solutions. My selections create genuinely convincing 3D spatial effects over headphones using technologies like HRTF processing, psychoacoustic tricks, and motion sequencing, with each offering unique approaches to help you create more engaging and realistic audio experiences for your listeners.