Elektron is halting sharing of mods and hacks on its forums; official comments

Music gearmaker Elektron last week announced it would not allow sharing hacks and modifications for its devices on its official Elektronauts forum or social media channels. In a statement, the company says a sudden surge in firmware hacking, apparently driven at least in part by AI, helped motivate the decision. Here are the details.

Cook every day: read Suzanne Ciani’s 1976 Buchla Cookbook, for free

In 1976, Suzanne Ciani reported back to the USA’s National Endowment for the Arts with a report on her compositions, in the form of a modular cookbook. Now you can read her notes and follow along using entirely free software, complete with sound examples. I love overusing the cookbook metaphor, maybe just because food is […]

Peter Kirn - September 21, 2026

x0xb0x, the synth that launched an open-source hardware boom, is reborn

Based on the legendary TB-303, the x0xb0x was an underground legend all its own, one that helped popularize the open-source hardware movement. And now it’s back, in a digital emulation of the original hardware, from x0xb0x’s original creator.

Peter Kirn - September 17, 2026

MOTU DP12 arrives, adding Dolby Atmos and more to a DAW classic

Peter Kirn - September 16, 2026

Elgato’s Stream Deck as a DAW companion; new Reaper controller

Peter Kirn - September 15, 2026

ALM records everything to stems, and now mixes, too, in compact modules

Peter Kirn - September 13, 2026

Kevin Saunderson teaches a free 909 workshop, online and in Detroit

Peter Kirn - September 10, 2026

Dirtywave M8 has an official iOS app — a great addition to mobile tracker apps

Peter Kirn - September 9, 2026

Virtual rendering of the Sting UI with knobs, piano roll view, and smiley face, angled next to a Novation Launchpad controller with light-up grid.

Eminently controllable, accessible by design, Sting is now a plug-in

Peter Kirn - September 8, 2026