MASSIVE X synth arrives; here’s what makes it special

The last time Native Instruments released a synth called Massive, they accidentally helped define genres (EDM, dubstep). But MASSIVE X returns to the original vision: make it easier to get deep with wavetables and modularity and go wild with sound. And now, the wait is over.

Learn synthesis basics in your browser, free, with Ableton

If you still don’t know your LFO from your amplitude envelope from your square oscillator – or you’re trying to answer this for someone else – Ableton have made everything visual and playable and sonic, in a browser, for free.

Motor Synth is brutal, electro-mechanical synth – last days of discount

Gamechanger Audio’s Motor Synth is a devastating industrial machine – with actual motors driving the sounds, all built in Latvia. Here’s everything you need to know about it, as this week is the end of its steep crowd funding discount.

Delaydelus 2 is a patchable sampler/delay from Daedelus, Dr. Bleep

Delaydelus 2 is a devilishly clever box that’s really two devices in one – it’s a sampler, and it’s a pitch-able delay with feedback. And the whole thing is patchable. Meet the latest from Daedelus and Dr. Bleep.

WARP take over NTS radio with 100 hours of Eno, FlyLo, Autechre…

What better way to celebrate the solstice and Make Music Day / Fête de la Musique than with 100 hours of all the all stars from Warp Records?

PORTAL from Output lets you navigate granular effect chaos

PORTAL is a new granular synthesis effect plug-in from Output – and it lets you get into some serious mayhem across pitch, time, and synced tempo.

VCV Rack hits 1.0; why you need this free modular now

Software modular VCV Rack just hit a major milestone – it’s now officially version 1.0, with polyphony, full MIDI, module browsing, multi-core support, and more. And since it’s a free and open platform, you don’t want to sleep on this.

Hands on Erica Synths Techno System, dream industrial modular

The modular world is replete with ideas – but what would a complete modular concept look like? Erica Synths’ Techno System is just that rare kind of concept, a modular made for dancefloors rather than chin scratching, and a total vision instead of just components parts. So we thought it deserved a proper techno test […]

Ambient music you can time to a sunset, from Christopher Willits

Drop the inane Spotify “chill” playlists, forget the meditation app that isn’t working … what you need to really feel some peace is the gorgeous new Christopher Willits outing, Sunset. He even suggests hitting play just as the sun starts to come down.

The E-mu SP-1200 sampler is getting a reboot: SP 2400

It’s meant as a “spiritual successor,” say the creators – with both emulation of the classic E-mu sound and new features. But the SP 2400 in preorder still hope to bank off the renown of one of the most popular samplers ever, the genre-defining E-mu SP-1200.