It’s not just the firmware you can mod on Korg’s ultra-low-priced NTS-1 effect/oscillator. You can also mod the hardware. Here are two Eurorack conversion kits, other custom cases, plus Korg’s own resources for your own DIY efforts.
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CDM Deals: Independence Day edition
Another holiday in the USA means another day of deals on music tech. Here are a few of the best discounts for stuff we like.
Noise Engineering Univer Inter: USB and MIDI to CV in 6HP, configured however you want
Take 6HP of Eurorack space, add MIDI in and out, USB MIDI, and 8 outputs – then have those outs do whatever you want. It’s Univer Inter, or “UI” for short – and crucially, it does have its own UI, via a powerful Web configuration tool.
Polyend Play 1.4 adds Piano Roll plus more melodic and harmonic features
Polyend’s flagship all-in-one instrument and sequencer grid Play gets a big update this week. That includes a sought-after Piano Roll, plus a whole bunch of features for melodies and chords.
Solarus is a free Ableton Live modulation tool that uses the motions of the solar system
What if your external clock could be the orbits and rotations of the solar system – and what if the ratios were accurate? That’s the idea behind the new Manifest Audio Solarus, a beautiful free giveaway from producer, developer, and Ableton Certified Trainer Noah Pred.
Dazzle at the soft synths of the Commodore Amiga – including a forgotten 1985 gem
The obscure software synth wonders of the Commodore Amiga hold up today as unique sound creation instruments. And as early as 1985 they offered real-time polyphonic synthesis, thanks to the onboard Paula chip. Paulee Bow shares their deep dive into a wide assortment of these in a new documentary – and makes the platform tantalizing enough that even generations born long after the Amiga may find themselves booting an emulator or hunting flea markets.
TR-8S owners can get a free sound pack from Underground Resistance’s Recon X
If you want to be inspired to discover more futuristic potential lurking inside your everyday Roland machine, where better to look than Detroit’s legendary Underground Resistance? Recon X produced a free Production Pack for the TR-8S that’s pure fire.
Pioneer has added Beatport streaming to the CDJ-3000 – even if we’ll still carry USB sticks
It’s one last obstacle to streaming DJing becoming a reality: the mighty Pioneer has announced it’s adding streaming to its decks. Meet StreamingDirectPlay with Beatport.
Conway’s Game of Life, reimagined as Eurorack module with 8×8 jacks
Conway’s Game from Nervous Squirrel brings the cellular automaton “Life” to Eurorack form – complete with an 8×8 matrix of jacks, one for each cell.
Olivia Artz Time Machine makes the multi-tap delay tactile and modular
Now in its final hours on Kickstarter, Time Machine is a unique and essential Eurorack rendition of the classic multi-tap delay. And it’s also the project of a growing group of queer inventors, from the co-creator of the original Dark Sky – meaning Olivia is now returning to Kickstarter after 12 years.