The Digital Lifestyle.com

We talk Windows, smart home, music tech, vintage tech, EVs and lots more.

OP-6, Hydrasynth & More! Chalkwalk Music Talks Sound Design & Gear 09/24/2025

Yamaha DX7 History & Legacy | Rob Puricelli on FM Synthesis, Classic Sounds & Synth Evolution 09/18/2025

Underrated Synths You Need to Hear: DW-8000, Alpha Juno 2 & More 09/04/2025

Underrated Synths You Need to Hear: DW-8000, Alpha Juno 2 & More This week, Ian sits down with Alex Dalliance (aka Vulture Culture) to shine a light on the analog synths that deserve way more love. From the gritty charm of the DW-8000 to the overlooked brilliance of the Alpha Juno 2, we dig into the gear that delivers serious tone without the boutique price tag. If you’re tired of hearing about the same five synths over and over, this episode is your antidote. We cover real-world usability, sonic character, and why limitations can be a creative superpower. ⏱️ Timestamps – Synth Spotlights & Deep Dives 00:00 – Intro: Why underrated synths matter 01:46 – Matrix 12, Andromeda, Monopoly, Juno 6: Big names, mixed feelings 07:01 – DW-8000: Digital oscillators, analog soul 13:25 – DW-8000 vs Modwave: Warmth vs modern emulation 14:20 – Envelope programming tips for DW-8000 16:23 – DW-10,000 fantasy patches & filter resonance 18:05 – DW-8000’s built-in delay: A secret weapon 19:44 – Behringer Pro-800: Prophet clone or missed opportunity? 24:18 – Korg Poly-800: Vintage value vs modern clones 27:38 – Dreadbox Typhon: Analog mono with digital FX 29:36 – Polyox: Soviet snarl and unique character 32:08 – Gen SX1000: Simplicity, nostalgia, and raw tone 34:02 – DCO synths: Avoiding redundancy in your rig 36:59 – JX-8P: Warm analog tone on a budget 38:05 – Matrix 6: Deep architecture, great value 40:07 – JX-10: Worth it with mods and programmers 46:00 – Alpha Juno 2: Bright, brassy, and criminally underrated 47:22 – Retroactive programmers: Unlocking hidden potential 49:20 – DW-8000 programming with Full Bucket emulator 50:36 – Poly-6 vs Juno 6: Surprising poll results 53:11 – Poly-6 battery leak warning & buying tips 54:33 – Why vintage synths still matter 56:03 – Synth golden eras: What makes a classic? 🎹 Join the conversation: What’s your favorite underrated synth? Drop it in the comments—we might feature it next time! /episode/index/show/iandixon/id/38083010

Surface Pro 12 & Laptop 13 – Hands-On with Rob Quickenden | Copilot+ PCs, AI & ARM Performance 08/28/2025

Surface Pro 12 & Laptop 13 – Hands-On with Rob Quickenden | Copilot+ PCs, AI & ARM Performance This week on The Digital Lifestyle Show, I’m joined by Microsoft Surface MVP Rob Quickenden to dive into the latest Surface devices and what they mean for users. We cover the new Surface Pro 12 and Laptop 13 models, Snapdragon vs Intel processors, Copilot+ PCs, and what it’s like using these devices for music production, video editing, and day-to-day work. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:25 Welcoming Rob Quickenden back 01:00 AI features in Windows 11 (Recall, Copilot, Studio Effects) 03:00 How AI is rolling out in Windows Insider builds 05:20 The shift from Windows 10 to AI-powered Windows 11 06:00 Overview of new Surface Pro 11 & Laptop 7 07:00 The new Surface Pro 12 and Laptop 13 explained 08:10 Design changes – ports, keyboards & pen storage 12:00 Battery life on Snapdragon devices 14:00 What happened to Surface Go? 16:00 Performance of ARM vs Intel devices 20:00 Naming confusion & processor choices (Intel, AMD, Snapdragon) 24:00 App compatibility on ARM (Adobe, Cubase, plugins, Korg drivers) 29:00 Using Surface for music production setups 30:20 5G Surface Laptop – antennas & connectivity 33:20 Will there be a new Surface Go? 36:00 Ideal form factors & personal device stories 40:00 Tablets, pen support, and where Microsoft went with Surface 42:30 Innovation, Surface’s role in Windows hardware 47:00 What’s next for Surface? Studio, accessories & naming 50:00 GPU options, performance devices & niche power users 55:00 Why Microsoft’s focus is business and productivity now 57:00 Copilot identity crisis vs ChatGPT awareness 58:45 Wrapping up & where to find Rob Rob shares his first impressions of the new Surface devices, design changes like the redesigned keyboards and pen storage, and what it’s like to live with ARM-powered hardware. We also talk about compatibility for creators using apps like Cubase, Camtasia, and plugins on the new Snapdragon-based Surfaces. If you’re thinking of upgrading to a new Surface Pro, Surface Laptop, or Copilot+ PC, this conversation is packed with insights from real-world use. 🔗 Connect with Rob: 👉 Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell for more deep dives into Windows, Surface, and music tech. #MicrosoftSurface #SurfacePro12 #SurfaceLaptop13 #CopilotPlusPC #Windows11 /episode/index/show/iandixon/id/37997995

Gadgets, Smart Home, Synth Sounds & My New Album | The Digital Lifestyle Show 08/21/2025

Synth Chat Podcast – Episode: Marc Barnes on Sound Design, Sampling & Vintage Synths 08/15/2025

Synth Chat Podcast – Episode: Marc Barnes on Sound Design, Sampling & Vintage Synths This week on the Synth Chat Podcast, Ian catches up with Scottish sound designer and musician Marc Barnes. Marc returns to talk about his latest Korg Multi/Poly and Wavestate sound packs, programming tips, and his thoughts on the creative process. We dive deep into sampling workflows, vintage synths, and even the challenges of producing other artists’ music. From the underrated DW-8000 to the TX7, from SampleRobot tips to full album mastering, this is a wide-ranging discussion packed with useful insights for musicians, producers, and synth enthusiasts. 🔹 In This Episode Marc’s new sound packs for Korg Multi/Poly & Wavestate Multi/Poly vs. Wavestate – how programming differs Vintage synth chat: DW-8000, TX7, string machines & more Sampling workflows and looping techniques Producing & mastering Graeme Sloan’s guitar instrumental album Sharon’s trance track hitting 1 million streams What synth Korg should release next 🕒 Timestamps 00:00 – Marc Barnes returns 01:33 – New sound packs for Multi/Poly & Wavestate 03:33 – Multi/Poly vs Wavestate – which is better to program? 07:44 – Why the ARP 2600 software is a favourite 10:18 – Modular hardware vs software workflow 11:13 – How Multi/Poly nails Virus, Moog & JP-8000 sounds 12:57 – Wavestate wave sequencing for instant inspiration 15:04 – Should Korg bring back physical modelling? 18:37 – Vintage string machines & Behringer Solina 22:00 – DW-8000 – underrated vintage gem 26:42 – Using DW-8000 wavetables in modern synths 27:54 – Sampling hardware into Wavestate 31:31 – Sample looping secrets with SampleRobot 36:41 – Sampling unusual sources 37:44 – Producing Graeme Sloan’s guitar album 40:02 – Producing for others – what’s different? 44:23 – Inside Take a Picture – a multi-genre guitar album 47:49 – Sharon’s trance track hits 1M streams 49:56 – The toughest part of mixing trance 50:16 – Wrapping up & dream Korg synths /episode/index/show/iandixon/id/37832845

From Battery Mods to CS-80 Sounds – This Week on The Digital Lifestyle Show 07/31/2025

TDL Synth Chat – Interview with Chileas: From Hip-Hop Beats to Vintage Synth Heaven 07/23/2025

Smart Homes, AI Assistants & EV Tech | TDL Show 07/17/2025

Smart Homes, AI Assistants & EV Tech | TDL Show Welcome back! After a short break, we're back discussing the latest in smart home automation, AI integration, electric vehicles, Windows 11 builds, music tech, and more. Join Ian and Gary for a packed episode covering gadgets, home automation experiments, and future tech. 👇 Timestamps & Topics: 00:00 – Welcome back & holiday recap (Surface Go, Kindle, suitcase trackers) 01:48 – Capturing field sounds for future projects 02:01 – Gary’s smart home experiments with Xiao AI device 03:12 – Flashing ESPHome firmware & integrating Google Gemini 04:00 – Voice assistant demo: "Who is Ian Dixon?" 05:01 – Studio lights control via AI assistant 06:00 – On-device voice processing using Home Assistant 07:04 – Controlling blinds with voice commands 08:02 – Future of voice AI vs Alexa limitations 09:00 – Using wake word detection and custom voices 10:02 – Natural language commands for smart home tasks 11:00 – Smart assistants learning from user habits 12:06 – Blink camera battery extender & long battery life 13:04 – AI voice assistants mimicking human-like behavior 14:02 – Large language models vs real intelligence 16:00 – AI’s impact on job roles & skill development 18:00 – Copilots and code suggestions: useful or misleading? 19:04 – AI visual detection to monitor gate state 20:34 – Using LLMs for natural alerts & prompts 21:07 – Smart homes that ask questions & respond with context 22:07 – Predictive automation and habit learning 23:02 – Microsoft Copilot and smart features in Windows 24:15 – Podcast AI show notes automation 25:15 – New Windows 11 features & UI tweaks 26:01 – Windows machine recovery improvements 27:09 – Is Windows 12 coming or not? 28:24 – New MIDI 2.0 and audio stack in Windows 29:18 – YouTube videos: CR-78 recreations, Modwave tutorials 30:09 – Ring modulation on Korg Multi/Poly explained 31:09 – Upcoming synth album inspired by '80s vibes 32:02 – Blink camera usage and extended battery life 33:35 – Blink vs Arlo cameras & integration with Home Assistant 36:02 – EV updates: new government grants & EV signage 37:49 – EV grant details, new MG IM range 40:00 – Solid-state battery revolution: watches, GPS, trackers 42:58 – Cooling tech advancements: Peltier effect, nano AC 45:02 – Future possibilities in fanless laptop cooling 46:09 – EV Driver YouTube channel info & upcoming guest 46:48 – Show wrap-up & how to get in touch 👍 Like, comment, and subscribe for more weekly discussions on tech, music gear, and smart homes. 📺 Check out our other videos on Modwave patches, synth sounds, CR-78 recreations, and more. #SmartHome #Modwave #ElectricVehicles #Windows11 #AI #Synths #TechPodcast #HomeAssistant #CR78 #SurfaceGo /episode/index/show/iandixon/id/37438965

AI in Music, Smart Homes & Synth Design – Creative or Just Copying? | The Digital Lifestyle Show 06/25/2025

AI in Music, Smart Homes & Synth Design – Creative or Just Copying? | The Digital Lifestyle Show This week on The Digital Lifestyle Show, Ian and Garry are back with a deep-dive discussion after a string of great guest episodes. From the creative impact of AI to hands-on synth sound design and smart home automation hacks — it’s a wide-ranging conversation packed with insights, demos, and gear tips. 🎧 In This Episode AI in Music Creation Can AI truly be creative? Or is it just cleverly copying? Ian and Garry explore the impact of AI-generated lyrics, music, and vocals — and how prompt engineering is becoming a new creative skillset. Home Assistant & AI Integration Garry shows off his latest Home Assistant upgrades, including ESP32-powered devices, AI camera feeds, presence tracking, and voice assistants using Chinese open-source projects like Xiaoi. Using AI for Productivity Ian explains how he uses Copilot and ChatGPT to automate repetitive tasks like podcast show notes, timestamps, and YouTube descriptions — freeing up time for creative work. Synth Talk & Sound Design Ian shares his 5-minute synth patch challenges (with free downloads), recreating everything from MiniMoog leads to CR-78 drum patterns using the RD-78. He also previews a new Pink Floyd sound pack for the Korg Wavestate and a free community sound pack. Smart EV Charging Hacks Automating your car charger with Home Assistant? Garry walks through how he uses presence detection and charger APIs to set charging targets automatically. 👇 Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction and recent guest highlights 01:13 – AI in music: creativity vs. automation 04:41 – How prompt engineering shapes AI output 07:06 – AI for smart home: Home Assistant and LLM Vision 09:02 – Using AI to automate podcast show notes and timestamps 10:45 – Can AI design YouTube thumbnails and album art? 12:06 – Xiaoi open-source Chinese AI device overview 14:25 – Integrating Xiaoi with Home Assistant using MCP 16:59 – UK vs China AI accessibility & open tools 17:43 – Real-world AI use: security cameras and gate detection 19:11 – Using Copilot + Power Automate to process documents 21:04 – AI hallucinations and corrections 23:01 – Songwriting with AI and prompt quality 25:02 – Vocal synthesis and creative applications 29:11 – 5-minute synth patch creation challenges 30:42 – Pink Floyd sound pack for Korg Wavestate 31:19 – Free community sound pack: 23 performances 32:03 – Recreating CR-78 patterns on the Behringer RD-78 32:38 – ESP32 and BLE triangulation for home presence tracking 35:08 – Dashboard automations and context awareness 36:41 – mmWave sensors and Zigbee repeaters 38:00 – Smart EV charging automation via Home Assistant 40:05 – Follow-me LED lighting and ambient control 41:55 – Retro-futurism, LED strip tracking, and presence UX 43:25 – Temperature sensors and home heat mapping 45:21 – USB-controlled Zigbee hubs and gadgets 47:00 – Sun tracking for blind control and temperature automation 48:13 – Simplifying overly complex home automations 49:01 – Gary’s EV channel and future interviews 50:00 – Ian’s Surface Go travel plans and synth-free holiday 50:34 – Wrap-up and where to find downloads and videos 50:55 – Outro: AI-generated theme music /episode/index/show/iandixon/id/37146185

The Digital Lifestyle Show: Daniel Fisher from Sweetwater on Synths, Sound Design, and Live Performance 06/19/2025

Hacking the Korg DW8000 with Thomas Jansson 06/11/2025

Synth Stories & Studio Secrets with Peter Dowsett – TDL Podcast Episode 05/28/2025

Exploring the Octave Cat with James Brennan 05/21/2025

Exploring the Octave Cat with James Brennan 🎙️ This Week on the Show: Exploring the Octave Cat with James Brennan James Brennan is back! Following his popular appearance discussing the Polyvox, James returns to dive deep into another quirky classic – the Octave Cat analog synthesizer. In this episode, we explore the history of Octave Electronics, how the Cat compares to synths like the ARP Odyssey and Minimoog, and what makes this rare monosynth so unique. James also shares a fascinating story about acquiring and restoring his Cat, explains the synth’s duophonic mode, and walks us through its filters, modulation, and signature growl. We also touch on the synth’s connection to Turtle Beach, discuss vintage synth quirks, and talk about modern recreations from Behringer and Cherry Audio. 🔧 Whether you're a synth nerd, collector, or just love analog gear, this episode is packed with insight and great sounds. 🕒 Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction & James Brennan returns 00:51 – Polyvox follow-up and interesting backstory 03:12 – Introducing the Octave Cat 04:46 – History of Octave Electronics and Turtle Beach connection 06:05 – Other synths by Octave Plateau 07:16 – Voyetra 8 and early computer integration 08:00 – Acquiring the Octave Cat (and restoration troubles!) 11:56 – Octave Cat architecture overview 14:00 – Sound demo: resonant bass and envelope looping 16:00 – LFO tricks and sample & hold 17:00 – Performance section quirks 18:05 – Versions: CAT, SRM1, SRM2 – key differences 19:04 – Filter discussion and SSM 2030 20:00 – VCO1 deep dive and modulation 22:50 – Waveform mixing & sub oscillators 24:25 – VCO2 features and metallic cross-mod sounds 25:32 – Filter section demo and self-oscillation 27:00 – Filter modulation and ring mod-style effects 28:36 – VCA & noise generator 29:36 – Hard sync sound demo 31:05 – Duophonic mode and how it behaves 33:38 – ARP lawsuit story and duophonic patent 34:52 – Filter-as-oscillator trick & sine wave glide 36:40 – Final sound demos: fat bass, duophonic chords 40:00 – General impressions & how it fits synth-pop 41:25 – Behringer and Cherry Audio versions of the Cat 43:03 – Synth collection chat: Polyvox, Monopoly, JD-800 trade 45:27 – Outro and thanks /episode/index/show/iandixon/id/36654335