Eventide has quietly made their excellent H9 CrushStation free for a limited time, with code PIRATE100 — a $99 savings. I’m not sure how long it’ll last, but it’s worth grabbing and we’ve got some tips on mapping PS5 controllers to this and other Eventide plugs. Let’s get crushing.

Sonic Pi creator Sam Aaron is building something new. It’s early days, but Tau5 promises to be a “next-gen” creative coding environment. You can use it with your favorite tools, including Ableton Live, hardware, TidalCycles, Hydra, and others. And you never have to feel alone: you can jam with others, code with friends, and even code with AI — or keep it all-human if you prefer. Let’s explain.

Nope, this is not a contact mic. Intellijel added an omni microphone inside a 2HP module — the same microphone type as you’ll find in phones and other mobile gadgets. And that turns out to be a good idea.

Here’s the Roland news we really need: Bandai is expanding the ridiculously detailed miniature gear for miniature capsule machines. There’s a tiny TR-808, plus the JC-120 Jazz Chorus and Blues Cube Artist 212 amps and the JUPITER-X. Gotta catch ’em all. Here’s the full view. You’ll need to find a capsule machine, of course, so […]

Roland has largely shifted product announcements to other dates, but 808 Day is still a party. And every year brings some left-field surprise. This year, it’s animated films. But that’s perfect for your 808 Day celebration, even if it’s just a party of you, a drum machine, and a night off.

You think you know the 808? Listen to how Mr. Tadeo Kikumoto, Roland’s lead developer at the time, talks about what went into the machine. That walks through origins, from kick to claps, in this excerpt from the book Inspire the Music: 50 Years of Roland History, thanks to publisher Bjooks.

Four artists/researchers, three collectives: Leilani Hermiasih, Ari Wulu, Andreas Siagian, and Wok The Rock; Gayam 16, Instrumentasia, and Yes No Klub. Starting today through August 17, they’re launching the first GAUNG electronic and experimental music festival in Yogyakarta, switching on a “power station” for the scene across Indonesia. It’s a different way to run a festival — even a different way to understand what a festival is — so let’s take a look at what they’re doing.

Cinematic Laboratory has produced two films that are so beautiful, you can almost put them on as a soundtrack and visual atmosphere. Meet VHIKK X by FORGE TIME / Glasgow Synth Guild, and Kharper from ERROR Instruments.

“Art is a struggle against nothingness,” says Pharoos from Hormuz. TIMEZONES, the series produced by Norient, we’ve visited before. Their planned June episode on Tehran was delayed by war. Now is a perfect time to take in its threads, woven from multiple voices in a narrative that flows gently, as if in a breeze.

It’s a hot Max for Live summer: here are three more don’t-miss tools for Max for Live for you. There’s a tool to bounce MIDI without the usual manual legwork. There’s a controller app that lets you play Live with gamepads. And there’s the synth follow-up to the blockbuster acid sequencer Sting! Let’s go: