The avalanche of sales can be overwhelming, and Cyber Monday sounds like a weird themed costume night, but here are some top picks to grab musical tools and toys. And it’s great to be able to support folks making business around music making, so I’ve highlighted some small and independent makers where I can, plus the shops where their stuff is sold.
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Gear deals
Lots of these around, so let’s be picky:
Perfect Circuit Deals is a treasure trove of synths and especially a lot of Eurorack deals.
Some picks:
- Moog Mavis $249
- Joranalogue Filter 8
- Doepfer A-135-2 Quad VCA / Mixer
- Bastl Basil Stereo Delay
- Bastl Pizza (oh yeah, still want that one myself!)
- Qu-bit Nautilus Sub-Nautical Complex Delay Network
- 1010music Bitbox Micro Eight-Channel Sampler Eurorack module $384 (ooh…)
- 1010music Bluebox – the desktop version, but with beta software its USB-C port now also does audio I/O like the Eurorack version I tested
- Eventide Misha “interval-based” melodic Eurorack module, $399
Sweetwater has a ton of synth stuff, which you’ll find all under the Keyboards category (even machines without keyboards – just like wandering into that corner of the store).
But I especially like Elektron’s model:samples and model:cycles for $299. These are both such wonderful, underrated gems; model:cycles remains one of my favorite FM machines all round.
In their recording section, there’s also $50 off the Universal Audio Volt USB-C interfaces – these have a built-in 1176-style compressor and a nice “vintage” mode (a little gimmicky but it works)! They’re great interfaces and terrific value for money even before the discount.
Guitar Center has deals for today Monday, up to 40% off through November 29.
Arturia KeyLab Essential 49 for $159 is a great flexible controller keyboard for the money.
NI’s Maschine MK3 is now down to $499 – I know people who continue to swear by this workflow; it’s a beast.
Oh, and it’s not a Black Friday / Cyber Monday thing, but they do have that cute K.O. II Teenage Engineering sampler for $299.
And some modular sales on direct from manufacturers:
Bastl Instruments has up to 50% off – including DIY kits
Noise Engineering as I mentioned before is 15% off with code TUBULAR (so yes, that mixer I reviewed!)
Super Synthesis, thanks for writing in – your stuff looks great, also on sale!
Software deals
Plugin Boutique is an easy first stop, as lots of the sales are consolidated there (plus multiple payment options). Drumazon 2, anyone, one of my current obsessions?
Maybe the best of what’s in their deals right now, FabFilter has a big, big sale on everything – so now is the time to pick up Pro-Q or mastering tools if you don’t have them already.
Several of you wrote to remind us of Newfangled Audio’s sale. The Elevate mastering tools are really something special, and Generate is a gorgeous, contemporary take on West Coast synthesis and adventurous synth techniques. That’s available both from Newfangled Audio and Plugin Boutique. Oh and don’t forget, the Pendulate synth is free.
This is typically the best time to grab Arturia software, with 50% off their flagship tools.
As I mentioned before, AAS is up to 60% off, their best offers of the year.
And Soundtoys is still running through December 1.
Riemann Kollektion’s techno sound bundles are amazing, on a steep sale now for up to 80% off (today only, a few hours remaining)
Manifest Audio has all their great stuff – perfect for adding onto Ableton Live (with Live 12 and Push 3 standalone support included) – on sale. Devices, bundles, Toolkits, and Archives until 30 November 2023 — and take an extra 20% off at checkout with the code: FREIBLACK2023
Cycling ’74 has a 30% off deal on Max, RNBO, and more, through November 29.
VCV Rack has a sale on all their add-on modules through December 1.
Other notable deals
Klevgrand has a big sale on their unique plug-ins through December 4; I’ve been loving their Richter compressor, which takes a completely different approach – you can count on some really clever and sometimes whimsical interfaces and DSP.
Reason Studios has 50% off Reason through midnight Monday – notably they include both the subscription and the permanent licenses – plus 70% off instruments and effects (which also includes some real goodies).
K-Devices is 50% off+ through end of day Monday; always loved their creative musical tools.
Puremagnetik has 50% off all their wonderful stuff – really a sound design lover’s paradise.
Long-time fave Audio Damage is running their sale through December 4.
There are too many iOS deals to keep up with, but I competely endorse all the picks from Gavinski’s Tutorials:
That’s all I’ve got time for at the moment, but comments have been really helpful in the past so feel free to sound off!
And whatever you do, hope you get to enjoy some of this stuff.
See also part 1, as most of these offers are still on, too: