FRANK is a free plug-in with a “best-of” analog EQs, and it looks and sounds pretty

Analog Obsession is creating some beautiful free plug-ins. And for all the various analog EQ emulations out there, here’s a unique take – combine them into a single set of easy-access “best” bands.

Ukrainian artists jam live today in Endlesss as Web3 fundraiser: Tolkachev, Kotra, Zavoloka, more

It’s dubbed Ukrainian Music Forces, and it’s an online event you can watch from 6PM Kyiv time. Tim Exile and Endlesss have gone full online jam and full web3 with this one, down to NFTs that fund Ukraine’s Ministry of Health. And there’s a terrific lineup of underground Ukrainian artists to catch. Details:

Beirut Synthesizer Center at Superbooth, on sharing and music in times of crisis

What good is music and music technology in moments of crisis and trauma? Beirut Synthesizer Center co-founders talk about just that – and how much it has meant to those not specializing in music as well as those who do. Now as this project grows, they’ve also had a chance to learn how to make projects effective and sustainable – lessons worth sharing in your part of the world, too.

GEMA is a delay pedal effect-synth that rumbles like an earthquake, by Senyawa x Squaresolid

From Yogyakarta, Indonesia comes a glitchy, powerful delay effect unlike any other. It’s a stompbox with an earthquake setting. And it’s a special collaboration – between Yogya’s engineer of sound and mayhem Andreas Siagian aka squaresolid and instrument builder and musician Wukir Suryadi of the band Senyawa.

Catch Berlin CTM Festival talks, music, and audiovisuals online, from anywhere

CTM Festival in Berlin remains one of the more adventurous international music festivals on the European scene – but in case you aren’t here to enjoy it, there are more ways than ever to take it in online, for free. Of course, I’m biased – things with three-letter acronyms the first of which is ‘C’ and the last of which is ‘M’ always warm my heart. (What do you mean, it’s confusing? Bah.)

Animistic technology: MusicMakers Hacklab CTM Festival flashback…

CTM Festival is here, rescheduled to May, so with it another collaborative performance laboratory – MusicMakers Hacklab. I find myself revisiting the ideas of former co-host Tad ErmitaƱo and “animistic technology,” perhaps now as essential a time as ever.

MOD Devices made a guitar synth you can actually play like a synth – so your guitar is the CV

It’s the sound and expression of a modular synth, but you can mix it with guitar sounds and play it with the guitar techniques you already know. Here’s the latest no-extra-cost addition to MOD Devices do-it-all mobile effects boxes.

EboSuite 2.0 hands-on: live video recording and more makes VJing feel native in Ableton Live

Ableton Live’s improvisatory clip- and device-based interface make the software feel like it could be as natural for visuals as it is for sound. But EboSuite 2.0’s plug-ins – some 54 of them – are the first that make the “V” side as complete as “A.”

Vangelis has died at 79, as the electronic music world mourns

The legendary Greek composer and electronic musician Vangelis Papathanassiou is the latest of a generation to leave us in 2022.

The Oberheim OB-X8 is a beast – here are more sounds from it, straight-up

The OB-X8 was live in action at Berlin’s Superbooth – one big highlight was getting to see Dave Smith, Marcus Ryle, and team. But more sounds are coming out, as well.