New DAW for ZX Spectrum Next

The ZX Spectrum Next is an FPGA-based clone of Sinclair's classic machine - one with a bunch of modern upgrades. You can, of course, run it at the classic speed of 3.5Mhz or, throttle things up to 28Mhz! The graphics and sound are also enhanced - most noticeably by *3* AY-3-8910 soundchips (the 128K Speccy had just 1!) and *4* 8-bit DAC's (which 99% of Spectrums/Spectrum clones never had!)

Developed in 2018 by Gari Biasillo - the original version of NextDAW put those 9 channels of AY sound to good use...allowing you to arrange and manipulate monophonic lines in a left-to-right, modern DAW-like fashion. A handy patch editor and effecient "Arranger" mode completed the package.

In 2026 a new product, NextDAWPro has been announced. This builds upon the original in several interesting ways; writing on Facebook, Gari said:

"As you may have seen in the latest ZX Spectrum Next newsletter, amongst all the good news, there was a sneak peek of NextDAW Pro.

I have been sweating blood and tears for nearly two years on NextDAW Pro, and there's still lots to do. Probably the rest of this calendar year if I'm realistic. The UI has been completely rewritten...countless editing improvements, menu System, time Signature and tempo tracks, sampled audio playback, and wavetable synthesis, to name but a few.

This changes are non-trivial, with a large % of the code being new. As such, there will be no upgrade option for existing NextDAW users. I think you'll agree that 3-4 years of free upgrades was more than generous 

Anyway, here's a quick example of what's possible with NextDAW Pro. I plan to post update videos during my development to show off the many new and improved features."

Wild stuff - the samples and wavetables (I'm guessing) using those 4x DAC channels - neat! And it looks like NextDAW Pro will even offer sample chopping! I don't actually own a Zx Spectrum Next (I have the similar Sizif 512) but I might need to get hold of one - because this DAW looks like a seriously fun time!

Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/nextdaw/

Check out these teaser videos to see the new features in action:

• MTV Jungle & DnB Music Videos 18-Sep-26
• Bitwig's New Native Devices 17-Sep-26
• Reason Scream4 is Now Free! 17-Sep-26
• Broke Beats pt1 - A £37 Interface & Multi FX 16-Sep-26
• Ed O'Brien's Must-Listen Albums 16-Sep-26