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Best Gear of 2025: Artist + Creator Picks
The Best New Modular Gear, Drum Machines, and More
2025 was another wild year for new gear—with excellent new releases from some of our favorite manufacturers. Make Noise introduced a whole new modular ecosystem; Elektron provided their next-generation take on an all-in-one sampling/processing box; Bastl provided the world with Eurorack adaptations of some of their most popular standalone gear. We are, indeed, bless't with options for making fun and wacky sounds :)
To help celebrate the end of the year, we hit up some of our favorite artists + content creators to talk about their favorite gear of the year. Scope out the video above and the text below to read all about it!
Sarah Belle Reid: Make Noise PoliMaths
Our pal Sarah Belle Reid's primary pick this year was the new Make Noise PoliMaths. It forms a core part of Make Noise's New Universal Synthesizer (NUSS) ecosystem—but for the sake of this short summary, let's focus on its capabilities as part of a typical Eurorack system.
You can think of PoliMaths as a boldly reimagined take on Make Noise’s classic Maths concept—less a replacement, more a parallel evolution. Where the original Maths offers two function generators, PoliMaths delivers eight, all tightly interconnected through a shared, macro-driven interface. Rather than treating each channel as fully independent, PoliMaths shines by letting you shape, offset, and relate them in clever ways, creating complex, evolving modulation with minimal patching.
At its core, PoliMaths retains familiar territory: Rise, Fall, Curve, Strength, and Cycle controls define each channel’s envelope behavior, much like Maths users would expect. But things get especially interesting on the right side, where built-in oscillation adds LFO- or audio-rate movement directly into the function generators. With controls for Osc amount, Shape, and Rate, PoliMaths can gently animate modulation with tremolo-like motion—or push into audio-rate territory for dynamic AM and timbral mayhem.
PoliMaths’ real magic lies in how it coordinates all eight channels. Multiple cycle modes allow channels to free-run together or trigger one another in cascading “follow-the-leader” chains, while three Span modes—Channel Index, Round, and Parallel—offer dramatically different ways to address and trigger channels. Whether you’re strumming across envelopes, stepping through round-robin patterns, or generating multi-channel rhythmic divisions, PoliMaths quickly becomes a modulation engine with serious personality.
The Spread control ties everything together, applying channel-based variation across key parameters so each function behaves slightly differently than its neighbors. A single twist can skew rise times, oscillation rates, or amplitudes across the module, creating motion that feels alive and intentional rather than duplicated. Add extensive CV control, and PoliMaths becomes a deep, performance-ready signal generator that rewards exploration.
While it lacks the signal-processing Swiss-army-knife tricks of the original Maths, PoliMaths isn’t trying to compete—it complements it. As a macro-focused modulation powerhouse, PoliMaths earns its place as one of the most creatively inspiring Eurorack releases of the year.
More Make Noise NUSS Modules
Our Patch Pal Wes: Bastl Citadel
Our patch pal Wes (aka soffter) is back with his favorite pick from 2025—and no surprise, it's the certifiably Fun-on-a-Bun BASTL Citadel module—the Eurorack incarnation of their wildly fun Kastle 2 platform. Wes singles out the Wave Bard as his go-to pick, but thanks to the availability of multiple excellent swappable firmwares, there's no reason to limit yourself to just ONE approach to rocking the Citadel.
Designed to work equally well as a standalone creative hub or a modular companion, the Citadel is an inviting entry point into Eurorack. These compact modules translate the Kastle’s characterful DSP engines to proper 3.5mm patching, making them easy to integrate with any modular system. Drop one into a small case and you’ve got a self-contained music-making toolkit, complete with headphone output, MIDI sync, onboard modulation, and pattern generation—no extra modules required. Wave Bard shines with sample-based grooves and warped melodies, while FX Wizard excels at transforming any sound source with rich, playful effects.
FX Wizard’s effects span delays, amplitude processing, and pitch-shifting, covering everything from clean echoes to bitcrushing, ring modulation, and rhythmic slicing. Wave Bard offers stereo 16-bit sampling with a solid factory library, simple sample loading via a web app, and built-in filtering and time-based effects. Both units feature an internal clock and pattern modulation for musical parameter control, plus TRS MIDI for seamless studio and live use.
Whether you’re just stepping into modular synthesis or expanding an established rig, Bastl’s Citadel series earns its place among 2025’s best electronic instruments—proof that small modules can deliver big adventures.
Have a B-b-b-Blast with B-b-b-Bastl
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Kastle 2 Alchemist Compact Patchable Hybrid-Synthesis Instrument
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$170.00
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$194.00
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16hp Sale
Citadel Wave Bard Experimental Sampler
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$279.00
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$319.00
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16hp Sale
Citadel FX Wizard Stereo Multi-Effects
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$279.00
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$319.00
In stock
AudioPilz: SSL 18
Whether you're recording acoustic ensemble sessions or a "retrogaming soundtrack for old millennials and young genxers consisting of demure breakbeat worship and bass-heavy darkcore reimagining" like our friend Florian (aka AudioPilz), the worst place to find bad gear in your studio is certainly at the center of it all: the humble yet all-important audio interface. Sure enough, your finely tuned reverb algorithms, fancy saturators, and time-tested dynamics processors won't make much of a mark if you don't have the preamps and converters to capture their finer details. Likewise, without the flexible inputs and outputs of a competent modern interface, sessions can quickly be drained of creative energy upon realization that you'll need to dive behind the desk and spend a few hours rerouting cables before you can even hear what that long-neglected effect unit might add to a track.
Especially for producers like Florian who have been in the game long enough to know these core tenets of sound quality throughout their gear-juggling production practice, the SSL 18 is a cool drink on a hot day. Long the go-to choice for modern producers wanting to welcome the punchy brilliance of analog preamplification and compression, SSL continues to provide small studios and solo producers an unmistakable analog sound that harkens back to their legendary studio consoles. Here, SSL 18 is no exception, providing eight feature-rich and characterful preamps for mic or line signals with a generous 120dB of gain on tap and ultra-low noise. You also get SSL's legacy 4K enhancement button, adding instant coloration from legendary SSL processing to tap into sounds typically reserved for larger consoles and outboard processing systems. Rounding out the analog features, you also get a dedicated talkback mic input with the beloved Listen Mic Compressor, which in addition to ensuring clear communication with your be-boothed musicians, also allows for using the compressor as a creative tool during tracking.
While it would be easy to focus only on the vibe-laden analog sound SSL is known for, that isn't the full story in the SSL 18. The 32-bit, 192kHz converters offer incredibly high performance for capturing sounds in rich detail. Comprehensive digital I/O offers an additional 16 channels of digital expansion via ADAT, and two additional channels with S/PIDF. Word clock output keeps things clocking in precise timing, while the onboard MIDI I/O ensures seamless integration with hardware instruments and devices. Using SSL 360, their powerful software routing and mixing management software, you can control all of the SSL 18's bevy of inputs and outputs, making it easy to create multiple custom mixes for monitoring to musicians, outboard FX, and more. Likewise, the onboard monitor control enables streamlined management of your monitoring system, enabling multichannel set-ups and multiple reference monitors. Whether you're just starting out in music production and need a centerpiece ready for anything you can throw at it, or outfitting a professional project studio with premium hardware, the SSL 18 is here to enhance your creative flow.
The Midlife Synthesist: Akai MPC Live III
Well, the Midlife Synthesist's pick shouldn't be any surprise. The MPC Live III from Akai brings a wealth of enhancements to the modern MPC workflow, offering a familiar pad-based workstation with greatly expanded performance and functionality. Whether you're coming from the MPC Live II or an old school model, or just starting your journey into making music on an MPC, the Live III has tons to love. While the workflow is quite similar to that of the Live II, the Live III offers a vastly upgraded ARM processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of internal storage. These performance enhancements make it easier than ever to treat the Live III like a fully-featured DAW workstation, deftly commanding an army of audio, MIDI, and plug-in tracks with ease.
With a highly responsive physical interface designed for real time jamming and precise sound design alike, the MPC Live III is a true joy to touch and use. The grid of sixteen performance pads have been dramatically improved thanks to 3D sensing, allowing you to track not only velocity and pressure, but also XY position on each pad. This enables a wide range of creative controls, from four-samples per pad to other real time manipulations that add deep nuance and expression to every phrase. Likewise, the addition of a dedicated hands-on step sequencer is a boon to drum and rhythm programming, giving you more direct control to arrange patterns how you see fit. As Midlife Synthesist makes clear, the addition of an onboard microphone levels-up the Live III to a true powerhouse of portable production, easily incorporating the sounds of your studio or anywhere your musical journey takes you with surprisingly professional sound.
While Live III provides the latest and greatest edition of Akai's DAW-in-a-box concept perfect for traveling tune-creation, its deep connectivity options will quickly make it an essential centerpiece of your studio. For the modular minded, eight CV and Gate outputs provide ample power for using the Live III as the heart of a hybrid rig. Two pairs of full size MIDI inputs and outputs offer the same power for your MIDI devices and instruments, commanding a fleet of your favorites with ease whether you are jamming on a massive hardware set-up or simply keeping a few synths close at hand for sampling into the Live III. Speaking of getting audio in, the dual combo XLR/TRS jacks and RCA inputs readily accept whatever instruments or turntables you're looking to record and process, while the vastly capable 24 channels of audio over USB make it easier than ever to integrate the MPC with your DAW of choice. Powerful processing, expressive hands-on control, and near limitless creative sound options make the MPC Live III a clear choice for one of the best pieces of gear in 2025.
Son Wu: Ableton Move
Likewise, Son Wu settled on one of his recent standbys / obsessions: the Ableton Move. Move is the second hardware product from Ableton, continuing their expansion from software like Live and Note into the physical domain. However, unlike Push, which is decidedly an instrument-forward performance interface for Live, Move strives to maintain its own identity as a portable musical sketchpad, groovebox, and sampler. But of course, it's packed with an abundance of beloved Ableton instruments and effects, in addition to easily connecting with both Live and Note for developing ideas further beyond the hardware, among other integrations.
Armed with four tracks, Move can configure itself as needed to suit your musical needs. To that end, Move includes a number of instruments familiar to Live 12 users, including Drum Sampler, Wavetable, and Drift—the latter of which, in my opinion, is possibly worth the price of admission into Move alone, assuming you're not already working in Live. Add in several Ableton effects, including favorites like Auto Filter and Redux, plus over 1500 built-in samples, loops, Instrument Racks, and more, and you'll realize the Move is simply packed with the tools you need to feel inspired. But if you don't find what you're looking for, you can easily sample external audio with the built-in microphone, 3.5mm line audio input, or USB-C connection to another device.
To match its sonic capabilities, Move has been adorned with robust hardware to keep up with your musical ideas. Central to Move, both physically and functionally, are 32 pressure-sensitive pads, capable of RGB illumination and polyphonic aftertouch for per-note expression. Depending on what you're doing, these pads recontextualize themselves to play notes melodically or rhythmically, or even trigger clips in Session Mode. Move also features a handy 16-bar step sequencer for a different approach to note entry.
Move shines in its portability, thanks to its internal battery and onboard speakers. But when it comes time to move your ideas into the box for further refinement, Move easily connects to Live and Note over Wi-Fi. You can even connect Move to your computer and use it as a controller and audio interface for Live. Regardless of how you make music with or without Live, and no matter your experience level, Move has something to offer for anyone.
Benn Jordan: SOMA Terra
Benn Jordan's pick was chosen simply based on the sheer joy + fun it has brought to his own musicmaking practice, as well as those around him. SOMA's TERRA is a device that beckons your hand, craves your attention, and will reward you 10 fold by creating sound worlds as organic as it appears. While it appears to be a large chunk of wood, it is, in fact, a large chunk of wood with sensors, making the experience of interaction all the more delightful. SOMA has festooned this slab of wood with over 2 dozen touch sensors, using 12 of those as the main form of tonal interaction, with 4 sensors for pitch modification, 4 for timbral modification, and a bevy of others for changing the synth engine, holding the pitch, and other timbral modifications.
TERRA is as deep as you want it to be, but it also rewards mind-wandering explorations where the intuition takes over. Breaking down the wall between our thoughts and creative expression is something that we all strive for when we practice and this device makes it fun and rewarding. Across 32 different synth engines you get sounds that range from bass to leads, from polyphonic lush pads to experimental textures. The triangular touch interface is easy to use with the included cheat sheet and the half-moon of knobs gives you direct control over the envelopes, timbre, and volume controls. Use the onboard effects and built-in LFO for adding some extra movement. Speaking of: a built-in gyroscope lets you pick up the device and jostle it for a pleasing physicality and performative flourish.
A modern classic, the TERRA transforms (terraforms?) your studio into a hotbed of inspiration and is quite the handsome slab of wood to boot.
Jorb: Michigan Synth Works MSW-810
We love Jorb, and Jorb loves gear. Often the best new gear in your studio isn't even really new at all. Jorb's pick for 2025 is a great example of this lesson in synthesizer appreciation, with Michigan Synth Works' MSW-810 Analog Monosynth taking home the top spot. A recreation of Roland's CMU-810 Monosynth, a paired down analog voice based around the same architecture as an MC-202, the MSW-810 has been available for some time, bringing this rare classic back to modern musicians. Originally intended as an expander voice for Roland's CMU-800, an early-80s groovebox instrument designed for interfacing with Apple II and PC computers, the CMU-810 and its modern Michigander counterpart are a great way to bring MC-202 and SH-101 style bass lines and melodies to your music without bringing along your coveted vintage device.
With its fader-laden layout, the MSW-810 offers a familiar set of controls for those with SH-101 or MC-202 experience, while keeping the feature set focused on the most core and crucial parameters. A single VCO with pulse width modulation capabilities serves at its foundational sound source, with both pulse and ramp waveforms alongside a dedicated sub oscillator. The mixer section also offers a noise generator for sculpting percussion timbres and other sizzling sounds, and while using the noise generator as a modulation source will be missed by the most daring of SH-101 users, this isn't a problem for the vast majority of well-tempered applications. Most importantly of all, the characterful filter section offers vintage-tinged spectral shaping and plenty of resonance for squelching your heart out, and the envelope and VCA section impart analog warmth with a snappy response for nailing nostalgic tone in any patch. Aside from the PWM and VCF envelope modulation, the LFO offers only one simple triangle shape, but can be applied to both the VCO and VCF frequency parameters for plenty of potential in typical vibrato and near-AM applications.
Just like the original CMU-810, the MSW-810 can also integrate two external sources to its signal path, though processing external sounds through the filter is not available. Also like the original, the analog only version of the MSW-810 can be controlled through CV and Gate signals, though a MIDI version is also available for the MIDI minded among us. Because all good things come to an end eventually, Michigan Synth Works is currently planning a final run of both versions, so if you're looking to jump into a fresh palette of fader-mediated fun, now is the best time to see what the MSW-810 is all about.
EZBot: Elektron Tonverk
Our friend EZBOT picked the Elektron Tonverk—which made a huge splash at its introduction just a couple of months ago. Of course, the recent 1.1.0 OS update—which includes an all-new granular sampling machine—makes Tonverk a no-brainer for an end-of-year "best gear" article. And that's to say nothing of the 1.2.0 update, which just came out today—adding some workflow updates and the new Steel Box Reverb & Filter Folder effects. Woof!
At first glance, Tonverk might look like “just another Elektron sampler”—but spend a little time with it and it quickly reveals itself as something far more ambitious. Built around a flexible 16-track architecture, Tonverk divides its duties between eight instrument tracks, dedicated buses and sends, and a global mix track, creating a workflow that feels part groovebox, part modular mixer, and part multi-effects powerhouse.
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STAFF PICK
Tonverk Polyphonic Multisampler & Audio Processor
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$1,499.00
Regular Price
$1,599.00
In stock
Like other Elektron instruments, Tonverk features the company’s famously deep sequencer, complete with parameter locks, conditional trigs, polymetric track lengths, song mode, and performance tricks galore. But where Tonverk really distinguishes itself is its polyphonic, multisampling-based sound engine. Each instrument track can act as a sampler or MIDI controller, with multiple playback engines available—from straightforward polyphonic sample playback to advanced multisampled instruments and efficient “subtrack” kits that pack multiple sounds onto a single track.
One of the most notable features here is Tonverk’s Multi Player engine and its surprisingly painless auto-sampling workflow. Tonverk can automatically sample an external MIDI instrument across pitches and velocity layers, organizing everything behind the scenes into expressive, velocity-sensitive instruments. It’s an elegant solution that makes polyphonic sampling feel approachable rather than tedious—and it opens the door to turning favorite synths, drum machines, or even modular gear into playable, sequenced instruments inside Tonverk.
Once sounds are loaded, Tonverk’s processing power becomes a principal focus. Each track features dual filters, envelopes, insert effects, extensive modulation, and flexible routing. Buses add extra layers of shared processing, sends enable classic dub-style effects workflows, and the mix track ties everything together with global effects. With effects ranging from gritty degradation and granular pitch shifting to lush reverbs and spectral warping, Tonverk doubles as a formidable multi-effects processor, even welcoming external audio sources into its routing matrix.
What initially seems familiar quickly becomes something special—and that’s exactly why Tonverk earns its spot as one of the year’s most compelling electronic instruments.
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