It's our Christmas Eve episode of The Digital Lifestyle Show, and Gary joins me for a relaxed end-of-year tech catch-up covering music tech, smart homes, and the latest gadgets we've both been experimenting with.

I kick things off with a look at the Korg opsix module, exploring modern FM synthesis, how it compares to classic DX-era synths, and why it's such a powerful sound design tool. We talk sequencing, programming, and how it fits into a modern studio setup.

Gary then takes us deep into the world of smart home automation, sharing real-world experiences with Matter, Thread, Zigbee, and Home Assistant. We cover presence detection that actually works, humidity-based bathroom automation, infrared heating panels, smart displays, air quality sensors, and the challenges of building a system that's reliable for the whole household.

We also chat about festive smart lighting, sound-reactive LEDs, Twinkly Christmas lights, Raspberry Pi projects, EV charging updates, and why Matter is finally starting to feel usable.

A great end-of-year episode packed with practical insights, honest experiences, and ideas to take into the new year.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Christmas Eve intro
01:05 Why we squeezed in a festive episode
01:42 Korg opsix module overview
02:50 FM synthesis explained (DX vs modern FM)
04:09 Programming & sequencing on opsix
05:55 Smart home projects update
06:16 Presence & proximity sensors
08:26 Smart heating with infrared panels
10:55 Humidity-based automation
13:10 Home Assistant on wall panels
15:28 Air quality & CO₂ monitoring
17:54 Matter, Thread & Zigbee explained
21:31 Centralised smart home control
27:12 Smart lighting & presence detection
30:51 Twinkly Christmas lights
33:00 Raspberry Pi & display projects
38:03 Festive smart lighting hacks
40:44 EV charging network updates
45:07 Fairlight CMI interview recap
46:12 Upcoming videos & synth challenge
47:19 Outro & Christmas wishes