Ableton releases free Microtuner – but tuning is more than spaces between notes

Ableton has released another free Max for Live device. It’s cool, it can be useful, it’s free (if you have Live Suite or a Max for Live license). But it’s worth pausing to consider whether tuning solutions could be more.

Free Markov Variations elegantly morphs between Ableton Live settings with chance

Max for Live creator Dillon Bastan has created one of their best yet – automatically using controllable Markov Chains to shift settings via Ableton Live’s new Variations feature.

Through Friday, Kyiv’s 20ft Radio will soothe you with music and sound, resisting occupiers

Grains of Peace may be the essential addiction of this week. Wars are designed not only to produce physical harm but anxiety and hopelessness. From Kyiv comes a beacon of peace and calm – with a call to make a material difference for those fighting to end the war and protect Ukraine.

Mira Calix, ground-breaking composer, producer, multidisciplinary artist, has died

Now we’ve lost Mira Calix, an artist whose music imagination spanned every discipline and collaboration imaginable. Warp Records, the label most associated with her work, broke the bad news about the artist, born in South Africa as Chantal Passamonte, with a statement: We are devastated to learn about the death of our dear Mira Calix […]

Soundtoys gets full native Apple Silicon support, for some evergreen effects

Soundtoys has announced full support for its complete suite of effects on Apple Silicon. So let’s use that as an excuse to go over some favorite tools here, as I’ve been … just rinsing these things again on projects.

itch.io indie gaming distribution for musicians: free open-source Scritch player and more

With gaming giant Epic buying Bandcamp, why not let music-makers put their albums on indie gaming darling itch.io, too? Thanks to homebrewed, customizable, free players, it’s now totally doable.

Meditation in a time of war: Ukrainian music innovator Kotra interview, premiere

Extreme-distorted metallic surfaces buzz on the surface, but there’s deep meditation beneath. Ukraine’s Kotra, aka Dmytro Fedorenko, returns to CDM to tell us how he’s coping with the invasion of his home country and how we can respond – starting with keeping our minds together.

Free modular patching how-to with Reaktor Blocks, live coding, TidalCycles, more

Ready to get started in modular – without spending any money? Or at the opposite extreme, ready to go way deeper in Reaktor Blocks and even integrate live coding with TidalCycles? I’ve got a tutorial for you…

Reason Studios shares update and fixes, roadmap for the year, deal on Players

Reason Studios have a small update to Reason 12, some updates on their roadmap for the year (like when to expect M1 support) – plus some offers for anyone in the market for an upgrade or new license.

Bentō is an alive, unstable Japanese noise box by Giorgio Sancristoforo

Feedback networks, unstable oscillators, shaky fat quivering filters, distorted mayhem, a bunch of labels in Japanese, a bunch of switches and knobs and a tape recorder – Bentō is a delight of software madness. It’s a delicious meal of noise.