monome – the iconic grid and the project that produced it – are having a nice summer. Hardware is being assembled. And even if you’ve got zero money, you can give monome tools a try in the free VCV Rack grid, including on-screen grids, the powerfully programmable teletype module, and more.

Sure, probably in the summer for the northern hemisphere some of you are not thinking so much about buying music gear or plug-ins for a little while. But that means more discounts are inbound. Here’s the latest CDM Deals.

Witchpig’s Alien Step Mutha is a free step-sequenced multi-effects plug-in. But in addition to controls like impact, destroy, and subsonic/hypersonic, you’ll tweak settings by dragging little aliens around and summoning sequences from their mum.

Todd Rundgren, Babylon 5, The X-Files, SeaQuest DSV, and even those demo videos – NewTek’s Video Toaster has plenty of 90s nostalgia behind it. But it also demonstrates workflow features in switching, titling, and animation that could easily inspire streamers today.

Ableton has been updating a lot of its Max for Live Devices this summer, including CV Tools and now Microtuner. Compatibility with standalone mode on the new Push is a must, of course, but there are enhancements for everyone, too.

It’s the launch day for Neutral Labs’ Elmyra2, a hybrid digital-analog “platform for microtonal sonic exploration.” From experimental sounds and timbral play to ambient soundscapes and drones, this one looks promising. (And yes, it’s a sequel, though going way beyond the original.) This is a rich synth platform, 4-voice digital-analog hybrid with 31 modulation targets, […]

It’s been a big year for Expressive E as their Osmose flagship hardware takes off. But they’ve got strong offerings on the software side, too – and now their Imagine software instrument adds Apple Silicon support and expanded sound capabilities. Imagine is a unique one, combining instrumental layers that model acoustic properties with a complete […]

Japanese electronic musician Yotaro Shuto has created a single-window, patchable, semi-modular beat machine packs an insane amount of functionality. And after a successful crowdfunding campaign, it’s now available on the Mac App Store. Yotaro Shuto is half of the duo DUB-Russell, and 2020 looks and feels like a toybox built by someone who makes electronic […]

Handmade instruments and electronic rhythms weave together with bone-chillingly moving vocals in the latest epic from Raja Kirk. This is serious anticolonial music: Jathilan recalls the horses enlisted in the fight against Dutch colonial forces, during a war that tore early 19th century Javanese society apart.

It’s free. It’s patchable / node-based. It’s low-code – but you can hack those shaders where you want. It’s cables.gl, and it’s been getting steady updates and a ton of new tutorials, now in Español alongside the English (and as we learn to speak shader). Perfect for tweaking, understanding graphics, and making your next hit music video.