From Dieter Doepfer, the fine fellow who coined “Eurorack,” the Basic System 3 looks like a true return to form. This is an open-ended analog system with some room to grow, revealed in a new teaser to start out our week.
Music
In Tbilisi, music is on pause because democracy is on the line
Music Stories October 25, 2024
In music video, Lebanese duo Rust captures emotions of “Diaspora”
Music October 11, 2024
Logic Pro gets massive updates on iPad, Mac: new features, shared features
In a big synchronized release, Logic Pro for Mac 10.8 and Logic Pro for 1.1 both dropped today. That’s a jam-packed iOS update, new features on both Mac and iPad, and a lot of the new iPad features migrating as expected to the Mac. The upshot: Mac users also benefit from some of the iPad action, even if you’re sticking with the desktop version.
Free Soundtoys Little Plate reverb plug-in – and the plate that inspired it
Soundtoys is again giving away their superb Little Plate reverb plug-in – normally $99 – through December 1. It’s a model of the vintage EMT 140 but with extras like infinite Decay Time, a Mod switch, and an adjustable lowpass filter.
Xaoc Batumi II could be the perfect quad LFO/VCO for Eurorack
What do you do if you make one of the best modulation modules out there? Make it better. That’s the Batumi II and the optional Poti II expander, a complete redesign with more features in the same space.
ShowMIDI is the free MIDI visualization utility you’ve been waiting for
Finally, here’s a MIDI utility that shows you just the information you need about MIDI activity, instead of dumping a massive list of messages on the screen. ShowMIDI is free and open source, with builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux, thanks to developer Geert Bevin.
D16’s Drumazon 2 review: a must-have 909-inspired drum machine plug-in
Polish software house D16 has been cooking something special for its flagship 909-inspired drum machine, Drumazon 2. It’s an emulation that captures not just the feeling of the original hardware – but the spirit of the music that was made on it. Let’s have a detailed look.
Deeply-felt house and brutal techno – now Akua Grant deserves support
Industry trends and power grabs ultimately suck all our souls dry. So let’s return to the originators making the music, and support both the music and the humans making the music. Akua Grant, aka Femanyst, aka Lady Blacktronika, is one of the most naturally intuitive and imaginative producers I know. She’s also in need, and it’s way past time that the music translates into real sustenance.
Detroit’s “The Scene” dance show, 1980s: Juan Atkins and Halloween
Boiler Room? TikTok? They’ve got nothing on Detroit’s “The Scene,” the city’s own dance music show of the 70s and 80s on Black-owned WGPR-TV. And if you need a little groove in dark days, let’s turn the clock back to Halloween and Model 500 techno.
A very Unreal Halloween: playable Theremin, scenes from cinema
People continue to do wild things with Unreal Engine and MetaSounds. Celebrate Halloween with an interactive Theremin deep dive tutorial, and some classic cinema scenes from Halloween and The Shining recreated as ambient environments.
Gnarly free Halloween saturation plug-ins from Acustica: distooooooortion
Necco wafers? Trail mix? No, we want only the best candy – and free saturation plug-ins. Acustica Audio has not one but two free gems that range from light heat to complete, horrifying destruction. Here’s how to grab them.