There are two things we should be doing more of: cramming independent music into our minds and embracing grassroots aid. Last week, Northern Cebu in the Philippines was hit by a devastating earthquake. Local outlet Pawn Records has some beautiful music to support and not nearly enough people supporting it. Let’s change that, CDM readers. I’m curious to see how many people we can get onboard.

Audacity always had some appealing features, not least of which being free and open source. But a glimpse inside the design work being done on Audacity 4 suggests it could become something else: a slick, efficient wave editor that just happens to be free. This UI breakdown will be of interest to anyone pondering UI/UX in creative tools.

Akai’s MPC Live III hits the same week as Roland’s new analog-digital flagship. This new standalone box has an updated 8-core processor and specs, enabling new features — but the biggest story here is expressive pads with 3D sensing.

It’s a master class in Western “common practice” music and its power. It decodes complex music theory and its impact on the mind. It’s also got some deeply entertaining action with a bearded psychiatrist operating a reel-to-reel machine and filters. Let’s watch this 1975 episode of BBC’s Horizon on the science of music and MUZAK.

Louna Sbou, the director of Berlin cultural space Oyoun, is one of hundreds of civilians whom Israel illegally detained in international waters yesterday. It’s yet another moment highlighting the ongoing genocide. Here is my appeal to all my friends and colleagues across culture and creative technology in Germany: will you do something?

Roland’s new flagship drum machine leaked everywhere. But we’ve got details on what’s new under the hood, including specifics on analog voices, expanded ACB modeling and other digital features, and new sampling powers, direct from the source. You wanted a new monster from Japan? You got it.

You know Max for Live can help you create your own instruments and effects in Ableton Live — but you’ve got to take the first step. Max 9’s addition of ABL objects gives you a huge leg up, unlocking Ableton’s own DSP building blocks in ready-to-mod form. Let’s dive straight in, because this is both an easy entry point for absolute beginners and a toolset that’s useful to experienced patchers, too.

It’s not a subscription. And Ableton is still offering their existing “buy now” licenses and upgrades. But if you don’t want to pay for the flagship Ableton Live Suite all at once, you now have the option of a rent-to-own plan. That could be a way for more folks to take advantage of Suite features like full Max for Live support. Here’s how it works.

Multi-dimensional polyphonic expression, connecting gestures underneath your fingers, finally makes the full range of sound synthesis something you can feel. You might even want to practice, like when you first discovered instruments. Let’s take a quick break and look at some examples featuring AAS’ Multiphonics CV-3 and Osmose, for MPE plus modular, then a bonus round with Osmose and Soliste, for string lovers.

The simple, immediate UI of Cluster, the fourth plug-in in Sinevibes’ Dynamic Collection, belies a deep engine. Yes, this is a multi-filter with a sequencer, and yes, with the same ability to sketch in ideas quickly or roll the dice. But you can push the filters inside to open up worlds of sounds.