Mutable Instruments’ Clouds defined granular instruments even beyond the modular world. Beads – making a surprise debut today – is a brilliant-looking follow-up, retaining the design but improving almost every element.

You’ve got an iPhone or an iPad, and you want to control …. a Max patch, a live visual or VJ app, Unreal Engine, a live-coding synth in Tidal/SuperCollider. Finally, there’s a worthy, fresh option for making it happen – one that makes making layouts uncommonly easy.

No obscure Moog synthesizer past is left out – it’s like a party. The latest is IK Multimedia, the 1981 Moog Memorymoog, and – it’s available for free (with mailing list sign-up).

Ableton Live 11 has its final release on Tuesday, 23 February. Near-release beta is available, too. Here’s a refresher on what’s new – and an open thread on what you might like to know.

How do you set the mood to concentrate, especially in times of distraction and anxiety? Adjust the light, open a window to allow some air flow? Here’s a unique set of sound design tools and music to match that accomplishes that with audio.

Analog synth + Sinevibes digital effects – the Dreadbox Typhon is one of the most compelling synths of the moment. So we turn to one of its bug testers to let us know how to get the most out of this week’s big new update.

Novation’s Circuit Tracks is out now – I’ve got one to test. Circuit Rhythm is coming in summer. It’s the one that samples directly; here’s what we know so far.

Okay, everybody’s been seeing their computer too much lately. So Novation’s Circuit Tracks does stuff with no screen, no menus, even no power plug – and squeezes tons of musical power for the money, at US$399 (about 399 EUR with VAT).

“It’s very brave to look complex things in the eye and say, calm down.” Some Björk TV clips from the 90s explore minimalism, immediacy, tiny handheld instruments, and the work of the late Mika Vainio.

Forget what platform it’s on for a moment – a Friday is a perfect time to support independent DIY music production, by directly supporting the artist and downloading something that you can come back to again and again.