Live visual artists, visual producers, media artists, VJs – the best news from Apple this month for us is that the company has added the ability to turn off the orange dots that appear when an audio input is active.

You dreamt of it; it’s here. Arturia has unveiled a beast of a flagship. More than just a 12-voice version, the PolyBrute 12 is a deep instrument with 3-mode poly aftertouch and MPE for expression and imaginative morphing and control.

Rekordbox 7 from AlphaTheta (née Pioneer DJ) promises to address the biggest needs for the popular DJ software and CDJ prep tool. The UI is cleaned up and more flexible, prepping cues is less of a chore, and at last the company says it won’t slam your CPU like past versions. And yes, this is yet another music software update touting machine learning functionality, though what’s there looks potentially useful.

Polyend’s Tracker+ completely enhances the standalone stereo sampler, sequencer, synth, and drum machine all-in-one. There’s more of everything: stereo sampling and playback, USB audio, more synth and drum machine engines, and expanded tracks and memory sample. At $/€799, it’s looking really competitive – and those new engines with this full-sized grid also bring back some of what was great about Polyend’s classic Medusa.

The newest hardware from Xaoc Devices is Berlin. On its own, it’s a very respectable compact VCO with LFO mode and extremely wide range for tracking and clock. But connect it to one of the company’s Leibniz Subsystem modules, and a whole world of binary hacking unfolds.

Delia Arts Center in Gaza was a core of the musical community there – until it was destroyed and looted by occupying Israeli forces. Now, musical organizations have shifted to sheltering artists, shelter that is gravely threatened by the unfolding operation in Rafah. CDM spoke to the organization about their work and their call for participation, with time or treasure, depending on your capabilities.

Could the exploitation of generative AI disproportionally impact neurodivergent people? Paulee Alex Bow joins for a guest editorial from the perspective of an autistic person. It’s vital reading for people working on AI tech – and can hopefully spur debate and action.

Two compilations from Berlin reveal artistic communities consistent and united in their advocacy. In any small way, they’re working to provide real material relief and a chorus of outcry in a moment of urgent need.

Apple had an event yesterday to launch a new M4 chip, a thinner and improved iPad Pro, an updated iPad Air range, an improved Pencil Pro, plus major updates on the Pro Apps side for Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. Here’s everything in one place.

While we’re talking retro, here’s a full hour of the work of Robert Abel, the innovative computer animator who worked on projects like the 1982 Tron.