iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Trying something new: I’m starting a weekly blog covering interesting updates, releases, firmware, and other things happening in the music-making world. This week: SP404 MK2 firmware hacking, the new Polyend Loop, Maschine 3.7, and new features for the MPC2000/2000XL.

sunwarper.com

This Week in Music Gear: SP404 MK2 Hacking, a New Polyend Looper Pedal & More

This was a surprisingly busy week for hardware music making. The SP404MKII community has started digging into the sampler’s firmware, Polyend introduced a completely new looper and drum machine, Nativ...

032

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Hard to believe it's already been a week since Signal Fragments came out! Thanks so much to everyone who's listened, picked up the album, or grabbed a CD. CDs have already started shipping out, and it's meant a lot getting to share these songs with you :) sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/signal...

sunwarper.bandcamp.com

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I’ll be performing songs from Signal Fragments live in just under an hour! Head here to join ⬇️ sunwarper.bandcamp.com/merch/signal...

030

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

New EP, Signal Fragments, out today on @audionautic.bsky.social Records! Created almost entirely with hardware samplers, these tracks grew out of years spent embracing chance, texture, and imperfection as part of the creative process. Buy/Listen: sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/signal...

sunwarper.bandcamp.com

Signal Fragments, by Sunwarper

5 track album

011

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I Never Thought I’d Use This SP404 MK2 Feature… Now It’s My Main Workflow youtu.be/lKokAJwHf5Y

000

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

My album, Today’s Traces, is name your price through this weekend only. If you’ve been meaning to pick it up, now’s the perfect time. There are also a few CDs left if you’d like to add a physical copy to your collection. sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/todays...

sunwarper.bandcamp.com

Today's Traces, by Sunwarper

9 track album

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Sampling has fundamentally changed how I approach music making. As a guitarist, it’s incredible to take old jams and ideas that never quite fit and hear them in a completely different way. Here’s every way I like to flip a sample:

sunwarper.com

The Art of Sampling: Why Great Beats Start with Multiple Sampling Techniques

When I first got into sample based music making, I kept coming back to the same question: what's the best way to flip a sample? Some producers swear by chopping. Others re-pitch and transpose everythi...

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

I ranked every sampling technique I use. What started as a fun experiment ended up being a deeper look at just how transformative and awesome sampling really is youtu.be/kSyrQ39KD_Y

030

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Everyone Seems to Have Moved On From the Roland P-6... I Keep Coming Back to It www.youtube.com/live/mcP9v45...

youtube.com

Everyone Seems to Have Moved On From the Roland P-6... I Keep Coming Back to It

YouTube video by sunwarper

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I underestimated iPad beatmaking youtu.be/WvA-xv35XI4?...

021

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

I just posted a new video breaking down all the SP404 performance methods I used in my latest live set, plus how you can use them in your own sets: youtu.be/5CE7vmknA9Y

youtu.be

The SP404 MK2 Pattern Sequencer Trick I Use In Every Live Set

YouTube video by sunwarper

000

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

I tried a lot of gear in 2025... some completely changed my workflow, while others barely lasted a week. In this video, I’m breaking down every piece of gear I picked up this year: what stuck, what surprised me, and what totally flopped. youtu.be/CzfnOotMEAY

youtu.be

My Brutally Honest Thoughts On All the Gear I Tried in 2025

YouTube video by sunwarper

000

Reposted by Sunwarper

Audionautic @audionautic.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

This week we’re sitting down with Sunwarper to explore Today’s Traces, a reflection on memory, impermanence, and what remains after the moment passes. We’ll talk about finding purpose outside the algorithm, and how creative shifts can redefine who we are as artists. youtube.com/live/cp3d107...

youtube.com

Artist Spotlight: Sunwarper - Today's Traces

This week we’re continuing our Artist Spotlight series with Sunwarper and his new album Today’s Traces: a meditative, ambient journey through memory, impermanence, and the emotional residue of everyda...

121

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Thanks to everyone who tuned into the Bandcamp Live set this weekend! All of the songs in that set were reworked solo guitar and sampler versions of my new album Today’s Traces. It’s out now, featuring warped, atmospheric guitars and lush analog synths sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/todays...

000

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

To celebrate the release of the new album, Today's Traces, join me in a little under an hour for a special Bandcamp live performance built entirely on a sampler and guitar. sunwarper.bandcamp.com/merch/fading...

sunwarper.bandcamp.com

Fading Traces (Ambient Live Set) from Sunwarper

Live Stream from Sunwarper.

031

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 07/11/2025

New album, Today's Traces, Out Now! Today’s Traces is a meditation on memory, impermanence, and emotional residue. An ambient journey shaped in the quiet spaces between life’s bigger moments. sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/todays...

sunwarper.bandcamp.com

Today's Traces, by Sunwarper

9 track album

040

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

This week’s been all about revisiting old workflows. With all the new gear announcements lately, I decided to take a step back and reconnect with a few instruments that had been sitting unused in the studio. There’s something special about returning to the instruments that helped shape your sound.

000

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

Happy Bandcamp Friday! There are just a few Future Fade CDs and Through the Quiet Dark cassettes left before the merch store is sold out… for now Thanks so much for supporting my music and keeping this journey going 🌌 sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/future...

000

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

A lot of new music production gear was announced this week And while the marketing always promises better, faster beats, I’ve been reminded how much you can get out of simply iterating with what you already have. Here are some thoughts on making the most of gear: www.sunwarper.com/post/gear-ac...

sunwarper.com

The Joy of Iteration: What New Gear Like Akai MPC Live 3, Roland TR-1000 & Elektron Tonverk Can Teach Us About Our Current Gear (Gear Acquisition Syndrome Avoidance)

There have been some awesome looking new releases in the music production world lately. With promises of “better and faster workflows,” it’s easy to get caught up in the marketing hype around new gear...

011

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

As I put the finishing touches on my next album, I’ve been looking back at the records that got me here. Each album feels like a snapshot of a moment in time: who I was, where I was, and what I was experiencing. Read below to join me in some reflections from each album

110

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 27/09/2025

A Sampler and a Groovebox Are All You Need to Make Beats | SP404 MK2 + SEQTRAK youtu.be/f1Chz4g3gwI

030

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

Making a beat in just 10 minutes on Koala Sampler The pressure was real, but there’s a strange sense of finality in accepting whatever you create in that time is the song. youtu.be/2ug-pvu6fCY

youtu.be

Can I Make a Beat with Koala Sampler in Just 10 Minutes?!

YouTube video by sunwarper

110

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Sample chopping is one of the most powerful ways to flip sounds into something completely new. By slicing sounds into small fragments, the SP404 mk2 opens up insane possibilities for beatmaking. youtu.be/8hvIoDqF8QQ

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 16/08/2025

What’s your favorite SP404 MK2 effect? For me, It would have to be Cassette Sim or Ko-Da-Ma... they both work so well for glueing melodic sounds together. I just dropped a new post on making the most out of the SP FX and my go-to signal chain. Check it out here: www.sunwarper.com/post/sp404-m...

sunwarper.com

SP404 MK2 Bus FX Explained: How to Make the Most of Them for Better Beats

The SP404 MK2 has a ton of useful effects for sound design, live performance, and beatmaking. But between the input effect and the 2 different kinds of bus effects, the routing can get a little confus...

000

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

It’s been 5 years since my debut album Idolon dropped. To celebrate, CDs and digital are just $5 today only. Something really special is coming soon… 👀 sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/idolon

sunwarper.bandcamp.com

Idolon, by Sunwarper

8 track album

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

Some of the samplers I’ve been using for the next few videos

020

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

The Yamaha SEQTRAK surprised me with just how much it can do... but with great power comes a pretty steep learning curve. Here are 5 things I wish I knew before using it: www.sunwarper.com/post/5-thing...

sunwarper.com

Yamaha SEQTRAK: 5 Things to Know Before You Buy

The Yamaha SEQTRAK is a powerful and highly portable groovebox packed with features. But that compact size and button-heavy design come with a learning curve. After a few months of diving into its wor...

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

The tracker workflow is nothing like what I’m used to, but it’s absolutely fascinating and really fun to experiment with. Here’s a little late night jam.

030

Reposted by Sunwarper

Faex Optim @faexoptim.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

10 years today since this (my first real EP). Back when I was still making wobbly hauntology, recording on old cassette tapes with an MPC and Roland SH101: faexoptim.bandcamp.com/album/mercury

faexoptim.bandcamp.com

Mercury, by Faex Optim

8 track album

194

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Every sampler I’ve owned has something great and something frustrating. Here’s how I’d rank them all in 2025 youtu.be/n9bOS9GUP6Y

youtu.be

Ranking Every Sampler I Own in 2025 // Standalone Power, Portability and Price

YouTube video by sunwarper

010

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

When chopping samples, matching BPM isn’t always the best method. Chopping, pitching, & embracing timing imperfections can bring out natural groove and swing you just can’t get from quantizing. I just dropped a blog post breaking down this approach: www.sunwarper.com/post/samplin...

001

Reposted by Sunwarper

DJ SpaceTerrapin @gehegedrei.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Tonight's show.

163

Sunwarper @sunwarper.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Late night ambient jamming 🌘 Finding time to just sit and play guitar has been rare lately, but I’ve decided to change that. Once a week, I’m hitting record and capturing 5–10 minutes of pure improvisation with guitars, keys, and whatever else is within reach. Here’s the first in this new series

3166

Reposted by Sunwarper

Audionautic @audionautic.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

This week's ADSN is an artist spotlight for @frequencycontrol.bsky.social With the release of his new LP 'The 1988 Anomaly' on our label, we're peeking behind the veil and finding out how this album was made. If you've got questions for Paul, drop a comment! youtube.com/live/dZ7WkwN...

youtube.com

Artist Spotlight: Frequency Control Centre & The 1988 Anomaly

YouTube video by Audionautic

122