ADPTR Utopia: what makes this spectral reverb one of the best effects of 2025

Move over, recycled ideas and emulations: it’s been a year of reimagining entire effects categories. And ADPTR Audio’s Utopia stands out in a 2025 class of reverbs that are more than just reverbs. Here’s a look at why it’s an effect I can’t put down, why it’s so much fun to tweak, and how the developers thought about it.

The best music making software and plug-in deals right now

Sale-itis has made the full year a maddening deluge of discounts. (You know who you are, inbox plagues!) But here are some legitimately excellent deals on music software available now.

Peter Kirn - December 1, 2025

Black Friday: pimp my Live with the best add-ons

Ableton Live 12.3 is out of beta; it’s time to liven up your Live setup (plus Ableton Move and Push and Novation Circuit Tracks). Black Friday deals have these at the lowest prices you’ll see all year, so if you’re stocking up for winter or holiday breaks, we’ve got you. These are tools to solve some problems, add some inspiration, and even just make your Live setup look better.

Peter Kirn - November 28, 2025

Sinevibes Cache has turned into a buffer-mangling, playable breaks machine

Peter Kirn - November 25, 2025

Valhalla’s all-new reverb, 8 years in development, goes clean and natural

Peter Kirn - November 13, 2025

LZX’s Videomancer can get you excited about video hardware FX again

Peter Kirn - November 6, 2025

GForce just made a West Coast, MPE-playable synth playground

Peter Kirn - October 28, 2025

Tim Exile’s Finalist mixes and masters creatively, colorfully — with no AI

Peter Kirn - October 14, 2025

UZU is a new rubbery spectral smearing phaser effect from CRQL, Ewan Bristow

Peter Kirn - October 11, 2025

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