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James Michael Nugent

James Michael Nugent, writer at Higher Hz

James is a writer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, sound designer, and synth enthusiast. From bebop to hip-hop, he has a diverse passion for music that blends modern and traditional concepts.

After studying as a pianist and composer, James developed a keen interest in music production and sound design. Pursuing these interests at the SAE Institute, he discovered just how expansive the world of music production truly is.

A massive jazz fan, James was drawn to the production and engineering styles of pioneers like Rudy Van Gelder and Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero. He then studied the works of seminal engineers and producers from each era, drawing influence from figures like Quincy Jones and Joe Meek to Dr. Dre and Ryan Tedder.

Over the past 20 years, James has gained vast experience as a performer, educator, composer, and content creator. He has worked on various educational projects to highlight the many benefits of music.

Through collaborations with organizations like Youth Music UK and brands like JBL, he has led campaigns encouraging young people to get involved in music. He has also composed music for campaigns promoting mental health awareness.

As a writer, James covers major music industry trade shows (especially synth-focused events like Superbooth), creating content that showcases the latest releases from manufacturers and developers.

He has produced demo and tutorial content for brands like Akai, iZotope, and Plugin Boutique, accumulating hundreds of thousands of views. His writing has also appeared on platforms such as Bedroom Producers Blog, Pianist's Compass, and Music Critic.

As a musician and producer, his goal is never to close doors but to take influence from everywhere - never be defined by a single genre, just make music.

M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro review

The Hammer 88 Pro is the enhanced version of the popular Hammer 88 keyboard controller. M-Audio made many pianists very happy with the original Hammer 88 and looks set to build on that success with this latest release.

M-Audio Keystation Mk3 review: Simple, no-fuss controllers

M-Audio’s Keystation range provides some of the best-selling MIDI keyboard controllers on the market.

The success of the Keystation range is primarily thanks to three defining characteristics: simple, reliable, and budget-friendly. You can go for 88, 61, or 49 keys, and there’s even a much smaller 32 mini-keys version.

Tegeler Raumzeitmaschine review: Best modern hardware reverb?

The Raumzeitmaschine from German manufacturer Tegeler is an all-analog hardware reverb unit. It’s a high-end unit that aims to deliver authentic, natural reverbs as well as offer room for experimental or ethereal sounds.

Hardware reverb units are often a hard sell these days, so in our review, we’re looking at what it has to offer and why it might tempt potential users away from reverb plugins.