If getting your headphones and studio monitors calibrated sounds like a good New Years’ Resolution, we’ve got you covered. Some good questions came up in our last story on Sonarworks Reference, the automated calibration tool, so we’ve gotten answers for you.
Music
“Magic Can Be Fun”: remembering Ken Downie of The Black Dog
Music Stories December 23, 2025
S.A.D. cure mix o’ the day: mx. pinky on Hong Kong Community Radio
Music December 11, 2025
Turbocharge KORG’s Prologue synth with Sinevibes
Synth hot-rodding? Earlier this year, KORG introduced the notion of their synth as extensible platform, by adding an SDK for their Prologue polysynth. The only question was, what would developers do with it – and now we get one answer.
Mystical music for midwinter, with SO of Tokyo’s Labyrinth, more
The Northern Hemisphere’s darkest days make a good scene for music, whatever your spiritual/religious persuasion. So here we have some gorgeous sounds in this holiday week.
Explore sonic inspiration, via this artist’s approach to Novation’s Peak 1.2
Novation packed new sounds – and 43 new wavetables – into an update for their flagship Peak synthesizer. Sound designer Patricia Wolf writes to share how she approached making some of those new sounds.
Dreadbox Hypnosis: teaser for a dreamy synthwave effects box
From the mint-and-hot-pink labels to the wobbly pitch and effects, make no mistake: Dreadbox are teasing their upcoming Hypnosis with retro synthwave fetishists in mind. And from the sound, we’re okay with that.
Images of KORG volca modular, volca drum appear online
Unconfirmed and unofficial images identified as KORG volca modular and volca drum are circulating across social media channels today, after first appearing on Reddit.
Ethereal, enchanting Winter Solstice drone album, made in VCV Rack
It’s the shortest day of the year and first astronomical day of winter in the Northern Hemisphere. Don’t fight it. Embrace all that darkness – with this transcendent album full of drones, made in the free VCV Rack modular platform.
Download a free two-hour Panorama Bar mix from nd_baumecker
Nothing brightens midwinter like music. So the warm glow of nd_baumecker’s mixing is something special. The delayed download is out now from Ostgut Ton, the label associated with Berghain and Panorama Bar.
Build your own scratch DJ controller
If DJing originated in the creative miuse and appropriation of hardware, perhaps the next wave will come from DIYers inventing new approaches. No need to wait, anyway – you can try building this scratch controller yourself.
Here’s an Electro-Harmonix pedal in concrete, for some reason
So many questions. Someone decided to encase their Electro-harmonix Big Muff Pi Distortion / Sustainer in concrete, and now wants to/is forced to get rid of it.













