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About
Plugin Noise is independentaudio plugin-oriented blog owned by Viliam Sulek and all content is written by my friends, Berk Öztuna and Shaurya Bhatia.
Hey, I’m Berk Öztuna, and music has pretty much taken over my life, in the best way possible! I produce my own tracks, play a bunch of instruments, and spend way too much time tweaking plugins in Logic Pro. If I’m not lost in my DAW, you can probably find me jamming on my guitar, handpan, or percussion, trying to come up with something that sounds half as cool as it does in my head.
I picked up the guitar in 2008, and that was it, I was hooked. A couple of years later, in 2010, I joined the band Quantum as the rhythm guitarist. We were all about rock, hard rock, progressive rock, and heavy metal. We played gigs, won some competitions, and even got an album offer, which was a huge deal for us.
We started working with some of the best names in Turkey’s music scene to release an album, which taught us many things about the music industry and a professional approach to music at a young age. We had the chance to play in the most popular festivals, bars, and events in Istanbul with top bands in Turkey. That led to us diving into music production, and I quickly realized I loved being in the studio just as much as being on stage. Unfortunately, the band didn’t last forever, but my passion for making music definitely did.
After Quantum disbanded in 2015, I kept creating music, but I started experimenting with different instruments. I got into percussion around the same time, and in 2017, I discovered the handpan, which completely changed the way I approached sound. There was something about its ethereal, meditative tones that just clicked with me.
Since then, I’ve been blending guitars, handpan, percussion, and virtual instruments into ambient, instrumental tracks that have a bit of everything: deep textures, rhythmic grooves, and just enough weirdness to keep things interesting. Oh, and sometimes I take classic rock songs and turn them into something unrecognizable with ethnic instruments. Because why not?
When it comes to production, I live in Logic Pro and geek out over plugins. Some of my go-to tools include Neural DSP Archetypes, FabFilter, and Waves plugins, but I also love experimenting with iZotope and Solid State Logic units to give my tracks that extra bit of depth and character. For shaping guitar tones, sculpting ambient spaces, or just going nuts with distortion, the right plugins make all the difference.
In 2020, I took my passion for music in a new direction: writing. I started creating articles for various platforms, covering everything from gear reviews and plugin roundups to music theory deep dives and playing techniques. If there’s a cool new plugin or a game-changing piece of gear, you can bet I’m either testing it out or writing about it (or both). Writing about music lets me combine my love for playing, producing, and nerding out over the latest tools. Plus, it’s always fun to share insights and discoveries with other musicians and producers.
Outside of music production and writing, I keep my creative energy flowing through different projects. I’m a part-time digital nomad, traveling through the world and meeting new people and cultures. Whether I’m collaborating with other artists, recording new tracks, or testing out a new plugin that just dropped, I’m always looking for ways to push my life and sound in new directions.
If you’re curious to hear what I’m up to, you can check out my music on Spotify or Instagram (just look up Berk Öztuna). My tracks are a mix of ambient vibes, rhythmic explorations, and plenty of handpan goodness combined with different instruments. Some of my songs you might enjoy include Nostalgia, Kaplumbaga, Reflections, and Dragon Eyes. Who knows, maybe you’ll find something that resonates with you!
I also love exploring different styles of music, experimenting with new textures or diving into unconventional rhythms. Lately, I’ve been incorporating more world music influences into my compositions, drawing inspiration from traditional percussion techniques and blending them with modern production elements. It’s always exciting to find new ways to push boundaries while keeping the essence of organic sound alive.
My musical taste is all over the place, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I grew up on bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and Camel, but I’m just as inspired by artists like Miles Davis, Alfa Mist, Portico Quartet, Julian Lage, Guthrie Govan, Erkan Oğur, Aydın Esen, and Kabeção. Jazz, progressive rock, world music, fusion, you name it, I probably listen to it. I think blending different genres and influences is what keeps music fresh and exciting.
At the end of the day, music is my biggest joy. Whether I’m playing, producing, or writing about it, it never stops feeling like the best thing in the world. And hey, if you ever want to talk about plugins, guitars, or the best way to make a handpan fit into a rock mix, I’m all ears!
New Author – Shaurya Bhatia
Shaurya discovered his passion at the intersection of writing and music. Starting his career as a songwriter and rapper, he gradually picked up FL Studio and soon delved deep into the world of audio engineering and music production. As a Delhi-based writer and engineer, he has worked with some of the best studios in India.
With his solo act ‘Mc Snub’ and duo ‘babyface,’ the rapper-producer has also been featured on Red FM, Desi Hiphop, Indie Music Diaries, has garnered millions of streams on Spotify, and released music with major labels like Sony and Hitz.
He also founded India’s first song gifting company called Gift a Company, and developed channels for rapidly producing and composing templates to create songs as gifts.
