The Digital Lifestyle.com

Hosted by Ian Dixon

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Episodes

1413

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

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

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60 recent

September 9, 202637 min

Podcast: EV Road Trips, Home Assistant and Synth Projects

Ian and Garry catch up for The Digital Lifestyle Show, covering EV road trips, smart home upgrades, Home Assistant, retro tech projects and the latest synth work from Ian's studio. Garry talks about a 2,000 mile trip to Denmark in the VW ID. Buzz and what European charging infrastructure looks like in practice, while Ian shares updates on the new album Each Machine a Voice, TX7 and Korg KARMA editor projects, Keyfax 3, old synths and a few future ideas. This episode moves between practical connected-home discussion and music technology: thread and Zigbee changes, mini PC upgrades, USB UPS power, ESPHome voice devices, OpenClaw voice experiments, Yamaha and Korg editor/librarian tools, MOSS physical modelling, retro synth books, album production and Music Assistant. Chapters: 00:00 Coming up: catch-up show, EVs, gadgets and synth projects 00:35 Garry returns and the 2,000 mile Denmark EV road trip 01:43 Denmark charging infrastructure and motorway charging 03:00 ID. Buzz sightings, Legoland and real-world EV range 05:05 Home Assistant and smart home revamp 06:12 Thread routing, Zigbee and removing older smart-home layers 07:00 Moving Home Assistant to a mini PC 08:13 USB UPS power for the Home Assistant box 09:33 ESPHome voice hardware and Nabu voice assistant experiments 13:11 Controlling lights and custom voice responses 16:51 Ian's new album Each Machine a Voice 19:30 YouTube videos, Boss ME-25 synth guitar effects and synth demos 20:51 Modern editor/librarian tools for old synths 21:33 TX7 editor, MS2000 editor and patch management 22:01 Korg KARMA, MOSS physical modelling and editor work 24:00 Korg DW-6000 editor and building the editor collection 24:40 Keyfax 3, late-80s synths and vintage adverts 26:25 Album release, voice quality and OpenClaw voice control 29:00 More retro gear, E-MU samplers and project backlog 29:29 Running Home Assistant on older hardware 31:34 Future guests and tidying Home Assistant automations 32:03 Water leak sensors, alerts and spoken notifications 32:54 Kitchen lighting, daylight sensing and smart switches 34:14 Music Assistant, multi-room audio and old touch devices 35:59 Twinkly lighting, upcoming videos and wrap-up

August 26, 202649 min

How to Make Synthwave: 80s Sounds, Basslines & Arrangements with Synthwave Dojo

This week I chat with Alonzo from Synthwave Dojo about making 80s-inspired synthwave, from the roots of the sound through to practical ways of building bass lines, drums, pads, leads and full arrangements. Alonzo shares how he moved from playing drums in rock bands to producing electronic music, what defines synthwave, why the Drive soundtrack helped introduce a new audience to the genre, and how producers can start with simple tools, free synths and classic drum machine sounds. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro and meeting Alonzo 02:15 From rock drums to electronic music production 05:35 Making music solo with synths and a laptop 08:10 What is synthwave? 11:50 Kavinsky, College and the Drive soundtrack 16:20 80s influences, nostalgia and the synthwave sound 23:20 The quick synthwave recipe: drums, bass, pads and leads 27:45 Turning an 8-bar loop into a full track 33:15 Free VSTs, drum samples and getting started 36:30 Affordable hardware for synthwave sounds 39:30 Synthwave Dojo tutorials, courses and live builds 42:00 Sound design, sound banks and FM synthesis 45:00 Building 40-bar and 80-bar arrangements Check out Synthwave Dojo: https://synthwavedojo.com/ https://www.youtube.com/@SynthwaveDojo If you enjoy music technology, synths and electronic music production, please like the video, subscribe to The Digital Lifestyle and leave a comment with the synthwave sound or artist you would like us to talk about next. #Synthwave #SynthwaveDojo #MusicProduction #80sSynth #ElectronicMusic #Synthesizer #TheDigitalLifestyle Watch the video on YouTube .

August 19, 202641 min

Smart Home Catch-Up: Alexa Cleanup, Home Assistant & New Gadgets

Gary Whittaker is back for a smart home catch-up, with new gadgets, Home Assistant updates, Zigbee and Thread talk, presence sensors, AI automations and a few workflow updates from the studio. In this episode we talk about cleaning up thousands of old Alexa devices, moving away from SmartThings, using a multi-radio smart home hub for Zigbee and Thread, LinknLink presence sensors, local AI image recognition, LED panel notifications, OpenClaw automation, new microphones and the Kawai K1m. Chapters: 00:00 Intro and Gary returns 01:04 Cleaning up old Alexa and smart home devices 04:49 Kawai K1m, one-synth tracks and synth librarian tools 08:47 Vibe coding, AI workflows and token costs 12:06 Multi-radio smart home hub for Zigbee and Thread 18:35 Home Assistant integration and range improvements 19:23 LinknLink presence sensor setup 23:35 Using sensors with lights, Hue and OpenClaw 28:08 New wireless microphone kit 29:28 Recent videos, SynthFest and one-synth tracks 30:42 LED panel notifications with AI recognition 33:38 OpenClaw automations for podcasts and video workflows 36:08 Local AI models for smart home image recognition 38:44 Night lighting and bedroom automations 40:12 Wrap-up and Gary's channels If you enjoy smart home tech, Home Assistant, music technology and practical AI automation, please like the video, subscribe to the channel and let us know in the comments what smart home gadget has made the biggest difference in your setup. https://riddix.github.io/home-assistant-matter-hub/guides/alexa-bulk-delete-devices https://alexa.amazon.co.uk/api/behaviors/entities?skillId=amzn1.ask.1p.smarthome

August 6, 202644 min

The Man Behind Knobcon and STG muSonics

Suit & Tie Guy joins me for a TDL Synth Chat covering STG muSonics, Knobcon, modular synth history, why he moved away from software-based music making, and the stories behind his hardware design work. Suit & Tie Guy is the founder of Knobcon and the person behind STG Soundlabs / STG muSonics. In this long-form synth podcast we talk about early computer music, Numerology, hardware sequencing, the move from software to dedicated instruments, module design, the muSonics story, and why in-person synth events still matter. Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:49 Suit & Tie Guy joins the show 02:07 Early music work and Mac game scoring 06:31 Numerology and analogue sequencing ideas 08:46 Live rigs, Hammond-style controllers and Manchester 11:35 Moving from software to hardware 14:07 KiCad, modular design and prototyping 17:35 Why dedicated hardware matters 20:40 Building a video studio for music technology 23:20 The Lyall four-voice synth and rare hardware 26:43 STG Soundlabs, mythology and muSonics 30:55 What muSonics is and why the name matters 33:37 Finishing the Moog 900-series idea 36:34 Knobcon and planning a part two 39:32 Synth communities and real-world connections 42:01 Sound design plans for the next chat Let me know in the comments what you would like me to ask Suit & Tie Guy when he comes back for part two. If you enjoy synth interviews, sound design and vintage electronic music technology, please like the video, subscribe to the channel and check out more TDL Synth Chat episodes on The Digital Lifestyle. Knobcon: https://www.knobcon.com/ muSonics / STG muSonics store: https://musonics.square.site/ Suit & Tie Guy's site also links the muSonics newsletter: https://suitandtieguy.com/ #SuitAndTieGuy #STGmuSonics #Knobcon #SynthPodcast #ModularSynth #Synthesizer #SoundDesign #TDLSynthChat Watch the video on YouTube .

July 30, 202657 min

Scott McAuley Sound Design Podcast: Synth Patches & Modern Classics

In this new podcast episode, I sit down with professional sound designer, synth programmer, musician, and Pro Synth Network regular Scott McAuley for a wide‑ranging conversation about the craft of sound design. It's a proper deep dive — from early musical influences to the realities of commercial patch creation — packed with insights for anyone who loves synthesizers, sound design, or electronic music production. 🎙️ The Conversation Scott shares his journey into music, from Casio keyboards and Walkmans to the synths and artists that shaped his ear. We explore how he approaches programming useful patches , why some presets are designed to show off rather than slot into a track , and how he balances vintage inspiration with modern tools. We also get into the practical side of sound design: letting each instrument dictate its own sonic personality recreating iconic artist sounds commissioned patch work teaching one‑to‑one sound design and why instruments like the PolyBrute 12 , OB‑X8 , OB‑6 , Korg Multi/Poly , and classic Roland gear still spark new ideas today Scott's work spans hardware, software, commercial patch banks, and even game audio — including sound design for Star Citizen . 🔗 Links Scott McAuley Sounds — synthsounds.co.uk Scott on YouTube — youtube.com/@scottmcauleysounds If you enjoy synths, sound design, and music technology, subscribe for more videos — and leave a comment with the next topic you'd like covered.

July 23, 202659 min

AI, Synths & the Future of Music — Mike Dunn Interview

In this episode of The Digital Lifestyle Show, I'm joined by Mike Dunn from the Academy of Contemporary Music for a wide-ranging conversation about synthesizers, sound design, music education, hardware vs software, and the rapidly changing role of AI in music. Mike shares his journey from growing up in Toronto and discovering synths like the Korg Poly-800 and Yamaha DX100, through touring and professional performance, to teaching the next generation of musicians. We also explore how synthesis is taught today, why creative restrictions can actually improve your music, the continuing debate over hardware versus VSTs, and whether AI represents a threat to musicians or simply the next major technological shift—just like samplers, drum machines and DAWs before it. There's plenty here for synth fans, musicians, producers and anyone interested in where music technology is heading next. ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:20 Meet Mike Dunn 00:48 Mike's musical background 02:17 First synths: Korg Poly-800 and Yamaha DX100 05:11 VSTs, Ableton and vintage synthesizers 09:04 Hardware vs software synths 11:34 Teaching sound design 12:40 How students learn synthesis 15:28 Why creative restrictions help creativity 16:39 Choice paralysis in modern music production 17:32 Growing up with 80s synth technology 19:46 DX100, TR-808 and early samplers 26:16 How synthesizer priorities have changed 27:20 Presets, realism and the return of classic synth sounds 30:46 Arturia, Cherry Audio and learning synth history 33:02 Why hardware can inspire better sound design 34:51 Synths as performance instruments 38:51 Samplers, AI and changing music technology 39:13 Is AI just the next sampling revolution? 42:37 Will AI replace musicians? 45:05 How students feel about AI 47:31 Using AI creatively without losing authenticity 48:44 Could AI trigger the next musical revolution? 50:28 New music, live performance and avoiding streaming platforms 52:12 Why synth players should collaborate with other musicians 53:34 Advice for synth musicians 53:46 Academy of Contemporary Music and keyboard courses 55:08 Synthesis, Ableton and live performance education 58:14 Final thoughts 👍 Enjoyed the conversation? Let me know in the comments: Do you see AI as a threat to musicians, or simply the next tool in the evolution of music technology? Please like the video, subscribe to the channel and turn on notifications for more synthesizer tutorials, sound design, music technology discussions and interviews. Visit The Digital Lifestyle for more synth news, tutorials, sound packs and music technology content.

July 16, 202641 min

Why Everyone Wanted an E-mu Emulator (The Story Behind the Icon)

The E-mu Emulator is one of the most influential musical instruments ever made. From Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode to Genesis, Rush and countless film composers, the Emulator helped define the sound of the 1980s. In this episode of TDL Synthchat, I'm joined by Peter James Steven from the Pro Synth Network to explore the complete history of the Emulator family, from the original Emulator I through the legendary Emulator II, Emulator III, Emax, Proteus and beyond. Peter owns several original Emulators and even helped develop the Emulator 5 "Vampire Rack", giving him a unique insight into the evolution of E-mu's groundbreaking samplers. We discuss the iconic string sounds, why the Emulator still has such a devoted following, how it compares with the Fairlight, and why many musicians still believe nothing quite captures the original hardware. If you're interested in vintage synthesizers, classic samplers, 80s music production or electronic music history, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction 01:44 - The origins of E-mu and the Emulator 05:25 - Emulator I: early sampling and its limitations 09:55 - Emulator II: the sampler that changed everything 10:43 - Peter's Emulator memories and CD-ROM libraries 16:29 - Emulator III, Emax and the rise of affordable sampling 17:39 - Creative Labs, Proteus and the Emulator legacy 22:03 - Building the Emulator 5 "Vampire Rack" 24:18 - Why the Emulator sound is still special today 28:25 - Meeting E-mu founder Dave Rossum 32:05 - Creating your own samples vs using presets 34:15 - Vintage sampling compared with modern workflows 38:01 - Buying an Emulator today: what should you look for? 40:02 - Final thoughts Featured Topics The history of the E-mu Emulator Emulator I, II, III, Emax and Proteus Dave Rossum and E-mu Systems Fairlight vs Emulator Classic 80s sampler sounds Pet Shop Boys Emulator strings Vintage sampler maintenance Sample libraries and floppy disks Emulator X software Modern alternatives to classic hardware If you enjoy vintage synthesizers, classic samplers and electronic music history, please Like, Subscribe and leave a comment telling us your favourite Emulator sound or the artist who inspired you to discover these incredible instruments. #EmulatorII #Emulator #EMU #VintageSynth #Sampler #Synthesizer #ElectronicMusic #SynthHistory #PetShopBoys #DepecheMode #Genesis #Fairlight #MusicProduction #TheDigitalLifestyle

July 9, 202649 min

Oli Freke on Beat Gems, Drum Machines & the Oberheim DX

Oli Freke joins me for a drum-machine special on this week's show. We talk about his new book Beat Gems, why rhythm boxes changed modern music, the sound of classic machines like the Roland CR-78, TR-808, TR-909, Linn LM-1, Oberheim DMX/DX and Yamaha RX5, and how drum machines helped shape synth pop, hip-hop, house, techno and 80s production. Oli also opens up the Oberheim DX, shows the EPROMs inside, talks through the sounds, and demonstrates a classic DMX-style groove. Beat Gems - Drum Machines in Modern Music: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/bjooks/beat-gems-drum-machines-in-modern-music Bjooks: https://bjooks.com/ If you enjoy classic synths, drum machines, electronic music history and studio tech, please like the video, subscribe to the channel, and let me know in the comments which drum machine sound instantly takes you back to a particular record or era. Chapters: 00:00 Oberheim DMX groove teaser 00:27 Welcome to drum-machine chat with Oli Freke 01:42 Beat Gems and how the book came together 03:14 Why rhythm matters in electronic music 05:45 Early rhythm boxes, Donca Matic and studio metronomes 07:10 Drum machines as songwriting tools 08:20 Connecting machines to musicians, genres and records 09:42 Dating records by their drum-machine sounds 11:30 Cameo, Linn 9000 and distinctive sampled hits 12:25 Drum machines, limitations and synth-pop workflows 14:30 Programmability, the 808 and early dance music 16:00 Real-time recording vs TR-style step programming 18:00 Why analog drum machines sounded futuristic 20:00 Disco, affordable production and the rise of electronic dance records 22:00 Realism, the Roland R-8 and the human rhythm composer 24:00 Computers, software drums and the return of hardware 26:05 How drum loops inspire writing 27:00 How far Beat Gems goes into modern drum machines 28:15 Affordable vintage drum machines and overlooked classics 30:20 Why Oli chose the Oberheim DX 32:00 Inside the DX: EPROMs, voice cards and tuning 34:00 DX sounds: kick, hats, toms, clap and percussion 35:20 The DX, DMX and hip-hop history 36:30 Blue Monday-style Oberheim demo 38:10 New Order, creative instinct and not overcomplicating 39:10 Favourite cheaper and mid-80s drum machines 40:15 Yamaha RX machines and tuning tricks 42:00 Engineering cleverness in early digital drum machines 43:10 Steely Dan, Roger Nichols and the Wendel story 46:05 How electronic drums shaped the sound of the 80s 47:00 How to get Beat Gems 48:10 Books, old tech culture and what Oli might do next

July 1, 202639 min

TDL Show 1038: AI Producer, Smart Homes & Classic Synths

Gary Whittaker joins me for a bonus TDL Show catch-up. We talk about the Roland D-110 and sequencing before DAWs, smart home voice control, Home Assistant, OpenClaw, local AI models, MCP, and how AI agents can help with the repetitive production tasks around podcasts, YouTube uploads and general automation. We also get into smart displays, ESPHome, local vs cloud AI, privacy, using AI as a practical assistant rather than a creativity replacement, and a few gadget projects along the way. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, share it, and let me know what you are using AI assistants or smart home automation for. Chapters: 00:00 Coming up: D-110, smart homes and OpenClaw 00:31 Bonus catch-up with Gary 02:00 AI-generated podcasts and assistant workflows 04:00 Smart display experiments and battery limits 06:00 Voice control, local LLMs and Home Assistant load 08:00 ESPHome touchscreen setup 10:00 Roland D-110, Atari ST sequencing and pre-DAW workflows 12:00 D-110 editors, MT-32 and classic game soundtracks 14:00 OpenClaw as a personal automation assistant 16:00 Automating podcast production, Teams, YouTube and Libsyn 18:00 MCP, permissions and keeping AI agents secure 20:00 OpenClaw setup, Telegram access and local models 22:00 What AI is actually useful for 24:00 Home Assistant AI costs and model access 26:00 Hybrid/local AI and getting value from hosted models 28:00 Keeping private data private, creativity vs utility 30:00 Using AI to speed up support and code investigations 32:00 AI-generated images for smart home dashboards 34:00 Sensors, displays and smart-home gadgets 36:00 Finishing thoughts on projects and automation 38:00 Separating music creation from upload/admin tasks

June 24, 202634 min

Catch-up Show: Smart Home Displays, 80s Disco & EV Road Trips

In this week's catch-up show, Ian and Gary dive into the latest in smart home tech, music production, and the evolving world of electric vehicles. Ian shares the impressive survival story of his Samsung Galaxy S24 after an unexpected dip in the pool and previews his brand-new 80s Italian Disco-inspired track, "Midnight Riviera." Gary showcases a versatile new ESP32 dev board with a high-quality touchscreen—a budget-friendly potential game-changer for Home Assistant enthusiasts. We also tackle the growing issue of EV charger vandalism in the UK, discuss the shift back to sporty electric hatchbacks like the Cupra Raval, and look ahead to the future of hydrogen power at Le Mans. Timestamps: 00:00 – Coming up in this week's catch-up show. 01:00 – Tech Survival: Ian's Samsung S24 vs. the swimming pool. 03:45 – Smart Home: The $28 ESP32 touchscreen board & Home Assistant integration. 08:05 – Using the ESP32 board as a Surface Dial equivalent. 10:25 – DIY Smart Home: Building custom "announcement clocks" and Bluetooth proxying. 11:40 – AI-powered delivery alerts and visual bedtime countdowns for kids. 13:00 – Exploring passive smart home sensors using ultrasonics. 14:05 – Troubleshooting Thread-based sensors and Matter updates. 16:50 – Reviewing the Dreo misting fans for summer cooling. 19:10 – Music Feature: Ian's new track "Midnight Riviera" and 80s Italian Disco vibes. 21:10 – Synth Tutorials: Korg Wave State, OP-six, and recreating classic 80s sounds. 22:50 – Upcoming projects: Recreating the sounds of John Carpenter and Tangerine Dream. 24:30 – EV News: Dealing with cable theft and vandalism at charging hubs. 25:25 – Planning a Nordic EV road trip and managing long journeys with children. 26:55 – The rise of micro-EVs and the return of the electric hatchback. 28:50 – A look at the sporty Cupra Raval and Hyundai Ioniq 3. 31:00 – Electric Racing: The speed of Formula E and hydrogen power at Le Mans. 33:35 – Wrap up and where to find Ian and Gary's latest content.