Justin Kahn

Native Instruments is one of the biggest names in the music production game these days. It produces some of the best software instruments and sound libraries for producers and sound designers along with a fleet of great hardware including everything from Traktor DJ controllers to the KOMPLETE keyboards and its drum pad oriented Maschine gear. All three of those product lineups are getting refreshed hardware today, but NI is also introducing completely overhauled versions of some of its most popular and groundbreaking instrument software as well as its behemoth KOMPLETE bundle.
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While last month’s release schedule was somewhat underwhelming outside of the yearly Madden release, this month we are seriously getting back on track. One of the most long-awaited JRPGs is finally here in Dragon Quest XI, the latest Tomb Raider game is on the way and Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man will release this week! All that and more is down below as part of September’s best console game releases.
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have notable price drops on Invoice By Alto, Krome Studio Plus, Tallowmere, Time Crash and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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While the entire gaming world is still fixated on CD Projekt’s new Cyberpunk 2077 footage that finally released last week to the public for the first time, the franchise that put the studio on the map is making headlines today. The Witcher series, its main character Geralt and the world it all exists in has been the main bread and butter over at CD Projekt for many years. While the game series is taking a major hiatus, an upcoming Netflix series will attempt to give new life to the legendary monster slayer.
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While Mega Man fans have largely been left in the dust over the years with a lack of high quality new releases in the series and any real innovation in the Blue Bomber’s arsenal. Having said that, Capcom has certainly made a concerted effort over the last year or more to bring supporters of the series loads of new content and even a brand new game. The Legacy Collections have brought much of the series’ nostalgic origins back to modern day consoles, Mega Man 11 is in the holster for release in a couple months time and Capcom just unveiled one of the most premium, high-end gaming collectibles we have ever seen.
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have notable price drops on Pixagram, Ship Tycoon, Gif Me! Camera, thankful and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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Straight from Berlin at IFA 2018, Sennheiser is showing off some of its latest and greatest including a closer look at the upcoming AMBEO Soundbar with a 5.1.4 home entertainment experience and the next generation entry to its MOMENTUM headphones lineup.
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Last month Microsoft announced that it would be unveiling a series of new hardware and accessories come gamescom in August. Now that one of Europe’s biggest gaming events is all wrapped and the dust has settled, we have a good idea of what Microsoft’s hardware lineup is shaping up to be for the holiday season. On top of a series of Xbox one X bundles and more, Microsoft is readying another version of its Elite controller.
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Well, you know when Amazon releases its Top 100 Toys of the Year list it likely means the summer is coming to a close. Fortunately, that also means we are just months away from the busy deal season where we see the lowest prices of the year on the hottest items out there. Amazon’s 2018 toys list is full of usuals like LEGO, Nerf, Melissa & Doug and Star Wars items, but we are also seeing some interesting STEM products from littlebits, Anki, Osmo and more.
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Cyberpunk 2077 was one of our games of show at E3 2018 and the public didn’t even get to see any gameplay footage. Select media members, however, did and now CD Projekt has finally unleashed that footage on the rest of us!
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While the big time first-party release schedule for Switch has started to slow down a little bit over the last few months, clearly this will be the year of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The massive new Switch version of the storied franchise is set to bring back every playable character from the franchise’s past, along with a host of new fighters and much more. Ever since E3 2018, hype for Nintendo’s upcoming mascot brawler has continued to skyrocket, and it’s about to get even more interesting with the new Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Pro Controller bundle.
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While old-school gaming just seemingly gets more and more popular with every YouTube play-through video that gets uploaded, the classic side-scrolling beat-em genre mostly died off with the 16-bit era consoles. Double Dragon has seen a couple of revivals as of late, but today publisher DotEmu has announced the sequel to Streets of Rage.
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Choosing the right desktop speakers can certainly be challenging. It usually boils down to something like how much you value high-quality over how much cash you’re willing to part with. I would personally rather fork over some serious loot for a hardcore set of drivers. But I thought it was time to start taking a look at some of the extremely affordable options on the market to see what saving a thousand dollars or more sounds like.

Enter Samson’s latest MediaOne M50 Power Studio Monitors. The extremely affordable desktop speakers are set for release later this month so we thought no better time than now to see how the sub $120 monitors will hold up in a typical podcast/music production workflow.
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Mobile game sensation Monument Valley launched some 4 years ago now and has been downloaded more than 160 million times. Developer Ustwo Games followed up the critically acclaimed original with a sequel in the summer of 2017 and has since racked up loads of Apple Design Awards, an iPad Game of the Year trophy and a pair of BAFTAs for for Best British Game and Best Mobile & Handheld Game. And now it looks like Paramount Pictures has tapped director Patrick Osborne to bring the game to the big screen.
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After an impressive E3 showing, Microsoft said that it was planning on announcing a series of new hardware and accessories last month. Now that gamescom 2018 is in full swing, we have all the details on the new gear.
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As expected for this time of year, the major gaming companies are starting to unveil the big hardware additions for the busy holiday shopping season. Last week Microsoft hit us with a pair of new controller color schemes including that awesome matte translucent black Phantom design and today it’s Sony’s turn.
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Nintendo’s hybrid Switch console has completely destroyed sales records even without a deep online network service like its competitors. While we are apparently less than one month away from the launch of its better-late-than-never online service, the new SNES Party hack is already live.
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have notable price drops on KRFT, Extreme Agenda, My Town, Vocabulary and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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Last week, Sony took to the official PlayStation blog to announce the brand’s 500 Million Limited Edition PS4 Pro bundle. In celebration of having sold more than 520 million PlayStation consoles worldwide, the new bundle features a 2TB hard drive and a unique dark blue translucent design at a premium. Today, the company is talking PS VR sales numbers along with some new game release dates, deals and more.
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(Update 8/17 4:20pm): The new Mario Tennis Aces Switch bundle is now up for pre-order at Walmart for $359 shipped.

Well, it’s that time of year again. All of the major gaming giants are beginning to unveil special bundle offers and limited edition consoles in preparation for the big shopping season in a few months time. Sony dropped the new 500 million Limited Edition PS4 Pro and Microsoft unveiled some new wireless controllers with more coming down the pipeline next week. Nintendo is already set for a massive holiday season with the release of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate just before Christmas along with the Limited Edition package, but now we are getting our first glimpse at the hardware offerings coming for the end of 2018.
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We know Microsoft is set to unveil some new hardware at gamescom 2018 next week, but it looks like the Xbox division jumped the gun with a pair of new special edition gamepads. While many are suspecting to see something regarding a next generation Elite controller soon, today’s reveal consists of two standard edition models with some interesting designs.
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Pad & Quill is back again today with a brand new carrier for your precious iPad Pro. After the company finally released a notebook and pen product a couple months ago, it is no jumping back to Apple-specific accessories with the new Traveler Leather Case.
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Originally released back in April, the reboot of God of War was certainly a highly anticipated title ahead of its launch. But we’re not sure anyone expected something this incredible. Widely regarded as one of the best PlayStation exclusives ever released and most definitely the biggest of the year, God of War squashed expectations with its incredible visuals, seamless cinematic approach, memorable characters and a somewhat drastic move to over-the-shoulder third person combat. The game is triumphant on just about every measure and is about to get even better at the end of the month.
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More than 525 million PlayStation systems have now been sold since the brand took the gaming world by storm about 24 years ago. Sony is celebrating the milestone with a brand new special edition PlayStation 4 Pro.
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Nintendo hit us with another one of its Direct presentations this morning entirely focusing on the highly anticipated next entry in the Smash Bros. series. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate was officially unveiled at E3 2018 and excitement has been growing ever since. Set to feature every single character from every game in the franchise, today Nintendo and director Masahiro Sakurai dropped another 25+ minutes of new details on the hottest upcoming Switch game of the year.
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WaterField has been running an interesting crowdsourced design process which has its most passionate customers participating to some degree in the design and development of new products. As part of its Gear Case Month, the first of three new products born out of the program is now ready for prime time.
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Nerf is teaming up with Blizzard Entertainment to create a line of replica blasters modeled after in-game weapons from the company’s popular team-based FPS, Overwatch. The popular hero shooter has amassed a giant and extremely dedicated fan base that are sure to appreciate the new Nerf blasters.
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It’s time to look at this month’s best console releases. August does tend to be a slow one but we are seeing some major releases across all the big platforms here. Switch gamers will be getting their first taste of some Monster Hunter with Generations Ultimate while story-driven cult classic Shenmue makes a triumphant return to PS4 and Xbox One. This year’s Madden NFL hits next week and you’ll find all the rest of August’s best console releases down below.
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These days our iPhones provide some of the best and most convenient ways to capture special moments on video. While they will surely get the job done for your casual videographer, including live location audio from the subjects in the shot in combination with the ambient noise of the setting isn’t always that simple. Whether it’s wind noise or just a busy public area, picking up high quality voices and things of that nature with basic iPhone videos can be a chore at best.

Clearly, some kind of mic system is needed to ensure you get high quality voices and there are some options out there for that specifically tailored to mobile recording environments. But the new Sennheiser Memory Mic looks to bring a level of simplicity to the whole process, but does the functionality here justify the somewhat steep price tag?
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Today we are taking a look at a hilarious indie game about being a raccoon that makes giant holes to steal things from people. Donut County is an odd and yet interesting looking physics-based experience that is set for release later month on iOS, Mac/PC and PS4.
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Nintendo has an incredibly successful console generation with the Switch. The console has smashed records all over the place and is nearing 20 million in total sales. All of that sounds pretty impressive but the numbers have started to slide over the last quarter or so. After reporting 2.93 million and 7.23 million units sold in the previous two quarters, sales have slowed down to 1.88 million in the most recent three-month period. That number is still quite high, especially considering it’s the slowest time of year for console sales and the company hasn’t been cranking out as many big-time titles. However, Nintendo is going need an amazing holiday this year in order to meet its sales projections.
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In today’s best game deals, Walmart is now offering Minecraft on Nintendo Switch for $19.99. Shipping is free in orders over $35, otherwise opt for in-store pickup to avoid the delivery fees. Regularly $30 at Amazon and Best Buy, this is the best produce we can find.

More game/console deals:

• Super Mario Odyssey $50 or $40 w/ GCU (Reg. $60) | Best Buy
• Far Cry 5 Xbox One $29.50 (Reg. $40+) | Newegg
  • Using code EMCPWSP33 at checkout
• Assassin’s Creed Origins $30 (Reg. $38) | Newegg
  • Using code EMCPWSP33 at checkout
• Cave Story+ on Nintendo Switch $20 (Reg. $30) | Target
• Owlboy Standard Edition PS4 $19 (Reg. $30) | Amazon
• Owlboy Xbox One $20 or $17.50 w/ Live (Reg. $25) | Microsoft
• DOOM + Wolfenstein II $32 or $26 w/ Live (Reg. $60+) Microsoft

ICYMI: Here’s the Spider-Man PlayStation 4 Pro and Microsoft is reportedly readying cloud-only next gen Xbox Scarlett console.

Down below you’ll find more console game deals and new products. Your daily iOS/Mac app sales are on the way!

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Audiobus 3 has a major new update out now. The handy little tool for iOS musicians and sound designers allows many of those audio apps in your collection to talk to one another and it just got a whole lot more fluent.
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Hello Neighbor is developed by Dynamic Pixels and was later picked up by publisher tinyBuild for release on Xbox One and PC. It is a unique stealth experience with interesting AI that will see players sneaking into a neighbor’s house to discover its secrets. Today the game is set for release on both iOS and Android devices along with Nintendo Switch and PS4.
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Synthesizers in general, especially hardware variants, can seem daunting at first to your average musician. Modular synthesis adds another level (or two) of complexity on to the formula making it even more out of reach for up and coming producers, sound designers and audio programmers. Another thing to keep in mind is that synthesizers are inherently expensive and modular setups can get pretty crazy with the need for external power supplies, cases for each unit, cables and more.

There are certainly companies out there looking to offer up interesting products to ease musicians into the world of modular synthesis and synthesizers in general, but the new desktop modular boxes from Hungry Robot certainly caught our eye.
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A few months back we touched down with a fresh Guacamelee 2 update. We were hit with a load of gameplay footage and a series of details from the game’s GDC 2018 appearance. While its colorful action-based gameplay and interesting twist on Mexican folklore has caught our attention from day one, developer Drinkbox studios has now dropped a brand new release trailer along with the official launch date.
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Last week, Microsoft announced that it would unveiling next generation hardware and accessories at gamescom come August. While there’s basically no chance of this being the new Xbox, it is likely we could see an updated Elite Xbox controller along with some special bundles. However, some new leaks have pointed at interesting details regarding the currently in development next generation Xbox console hardware.
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Japanese audio/electronics company Roland is once again teaming up with the folks at PUMA for an exclusive new sneaker design. Earlier this year, the two brands linked up for the RS-0 which brought vintage elements from PUMA’s early silhouettes together with Roland’s iconic TR-808 drum machine. And now, the two have joined forces once again on the new PUMA RS-100 Roland.
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PreSonus is one of those music production gear companies that offers up some great gear at very affordable price tags. It just recently debuted the latest version of its FaderPort controllers and has now issued a new podcasting/home recording bundle. The new package brings together just about everything one might need to get their YouTube media empire off the ground for under $300.
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe may not have been the completely new, refreshed cart racing title Switch fans were hoping for when Nintendo’s latest console dropped, but it has been a great addition to the library nonetheless. It’s hard to imagine a new Nintendo console without an updated Mario Kart game to play on it, so it’s easy to see why Nintendo opted for a re-release of sorts while it toils with the next generation Mushroom Kingdom racer.

However, that’s not going to stop Nintendo from introducing new content to the game. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is getting a free Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild update that will see the titular character in his latest iteration enter the fray.
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Arturia has been one of our favorite music gear makers over the last few years. Its affordable analog Brute-series synths and drum machines provide that classic sound to those that may have otherwise been left dreaming about having that MiniMoog one day. While personally I like to have a balance between pricey analog sound sources and interesting software options, Arturia is unveiling the latest member in its analog Brute family and we are stoked about it.
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Microsoft had a surprisingly notable E3 showing this year. After it appeared as though it might not have much to show when it hit the stage, it proceeded to bombard us with 50 games including 18 exclusives and 15 world premieres. So yeah, things turned out alright. After all, we awarded the Cyberpunk 2077 trailer shown off during the Xbox presser one of our Game of Show awards this year.

Since then, we have seen some notable official price drops and even a pair of new Xbox One bundles as we continue through summer 2018, but it looks like the Xbox announcements and product unveils are just starting to heat up.
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In today’s best iOS and Mac app/game deals, we have notable price drops on YoWindow Weather, Dawn of Crafting, Survival: Man vs. Wild-Escape, Anytune Pro+ and more. You’ll find a complete list of today’s absolute best apps curated by hand down below:
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