It’s time for some Reaktor love. Native Instruments’ Reaktor may not get the attention of tools like Traktor or Maschine. But the software is part of the company’s DNA, still used to prototype devices (like the new drum synths for Maschine), and able to create a vast array of instruments and effects for those willing […]

Not to be out-geeked, it seems that while BT is stumbling around the command line, the community at Renoise have built a free tool around the archaic sound-mangling goodness of the now-available-for-free CDP (Composers Desktop Project). For those of you just joining us – that’s a strange and wonderful tool that processes sound files into […]

Pioneer DJ is celebrating its 20th anniversary with some looks back, starting with a celebrity-packed video that recalls the evolution – and impact – of the CDJ. The material is basic (yes, we kind of know what a CDJ is and how vinyl works), but it’s charming to see this star-studded roster take us back […]

From the mysterious underworld of 80s sound software, it’s a library of free sound transformation tools so cool you’ll happily head to the command line to run them – no real-time preview to be found. No, seriously. Even if the fanciest you get is changing a preset in Logic, you want to hear about this. […]

It’s the EDM sensation going viral on the Internet. Its catchy “When Will The Bass Drop” hook is one you can’t get out of your head. It’s the party you wish you could be a part of – EL wire dress included. And it represents the return of arguably Web video’s greatest-ever stars. It’s also […]

Coded Matter(s) #5: Coding the Club from FIBER on Vimeo. For so much of the world, the club experience is nothing if not predictable. The sound, the aesthetic, the entire evening fit to a predictable mold. But drawing upon decades of work in experimental audiovisual performance, a new generation of sound and light artists are […]

LEGOs and rapid, hacked construction have led to the development of hardware sold to musicians; Push and Maschine each saw hacked-together versions as prototypes before the more-polished versions we see today. So, why not use some of those toys and hacks to make something you can actually use, right now? Apparently what happens when you […]

It’s a big-ass MIDI cube. Okay, sometimes the name kind of sums up all of it. But among various wonders at MIDI Hack Day here in Stockholm this weekend, “developer/designer/entrepreneur” Per-Olov Jernberg has teamed up with artist Håkan Lidbo to bring a giant, inflatable green cube into the offices of Spotify and transform is into […]

Can an echo of the old still bring something new? Dub Machines, an Ableton Live pack of delay Devices, is both a painstaking set of digital models of analog delays and a chance to open those old techniques to new possibilities. And its unique flavor is in no small measure thanks to its creators. We […]

Hard to add words to these few moments of Mick Jagger, apparently auditioning for the part of prettiest modular synth operator face ever, in a take from the 1970 promo for the film Performance by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg. Note to self: makeup needed for next performance, clearly. The narrator will likely make you […]