DIY + Unusual Music tech Software Tech

plugdata, cyclone get major updates — free stuff for patchers and end users

Recent updates for the visual programming environment plugdata (a wrapped for Pure Data) and the powerful object library cyclone are keeping the goodness going. Whether you’re looking to do patching and development in a graphical tool or just enjoy the free stuff people are making with Pd, that’s great news.

Ableton Move hardware, compact grid-based standalone groovebox, running Move Everything, showing overlay of (streamed) display wit OB-Xd open source Oberheim model and cutoff parameter

Move Everything hacks Ableton Move for custom devices — and accessibility

Move Everything is a hack for Move that lets you run custom synths, effects, and controllers alongside stock Move functions. But the truly momentous development is that its creator has added screen reader support, which makes Move the first truly standalone groovebox open to blind and visually impaired users.

Peter Kirn - February 19, 2026

DIY + Unusual Gear Music tech Tech

Share

Tweet

SonicSketch DAW interface with audio controls, post-processing for image, and audio effects. In the center, the Indaw Anticline visualized seismic data, with a waveform puck in red moving across a teal path through the black and white image.

Live out your Xenakis fantasies, free in your browser, with SonicSketch

JeongHo Park, a self-described “algorithmic composer” and artist, is building a delightful instrument that turns images into scores with full drawing capability for making paths. Inspired by the likes of Xenakis’ UPIC, the tool gives you instantly mind-bending results, living in that netherworld between synthesizer and score.