Sunwarper

For years, I assumed a DAW was the ultimate music making tool. On paper, it certainly looks that way, with unlimited tracks, unlimited plugins, visual editing, automation, recall, and enough processing power to build virtually anything you can imagine. And yet, over the last few years, I've consistently made more music on portable samplers than on any DAW I've owned. The answer turned out to have very little to do with gear and everything to do with how we actually create.

Koala Sampler somehow just became even more powerful. With the addition of AUV3 plugin support, you can now run third-party iOS synths and effects directly inside Koala. That means Koala is no longer limited to just its built-in sounds and effects. You can now load full synth plugins, experimental effects, reverbs, delays, and basically turn Koala into a tiny mobile DAW. It’s a massive update for iPad and iPhone music production. But it also raises an interesting question: at what point does...

Sampling is at the heart of so much modern music. Hip-hop, lo-fi, electronic, jazz-influenced beats, it's all built on the idea of taking sounds and making them your own. But the second it comes time to releasing your track, copyright can become a real problem. And the sample clearance rules aren't always obvious. Here's a breakdown of your actual options. Option 1: Sample Clearance This is what major label artists do. You find a sample you want to use, then you track down the rights holders...