Arturia Augmented BRASS makes it uncommonly easy to build up hybrid brass sounds

Arturia has rounded out its Augmented line with Augmented BRASS. It’s like a hybrid brass plug-in even for people who don’t like brass plug-ins – more like the brass tool for synth lovers.

Here’s Ben Burtt breaking down every single iconic sound design from Star Wars, film by film

If you love sound, it’s impossible not to be enchanted by the work of Ben Burtt. His approach to sound design for Star Wars was inventive, surprising, organic — let’s let him talk about it. A lot. It’ll make you want to grab your mic. Jamming air hammers!

May the 4th: KORG reissues ARP 2600 FS in limited run, for your R2D2 sounds (Gallery)

One of the most sought-after instruments of all time is back in the form of its complete, authentic recreation (“FS”). It’s a Reverb Shop-only sale for the USA, in a rare chance to grab this instrument – and another excuse to recall how it created iconic sounds from Herbie Hancock to, yes, R2D2. May the 4th be with you.

Dials, punch cards, and reels: watch how electronic music was produced in 1960s Germany

Watch just how painstaking and time-consuming electronic music production was ca. mid-to-late 1960s, in this rare documentary of the German Siemens Studio (now preserved in Munich at the Deutsches Museum).

Polystepper, a gorgeous electroacoustic synth made with stepper motors, and more wonders

Analog, digital… we’re onto the physical, kinetic, and electroacoustic. For one example, marvel at the Polystepper by artist/woodworker Love Hultén and coder Koka Nikoladze.

Finally – Reason 12.6 is fully Apple Silicon native and has offline mode (even for subscribers)

Two long-awaited updates to Reason arrive today. Reason now is fully Apple Silicon native for Mac users, and there’s an offline mode, for both Reason+ subscribers and license owners.

Watch Tarik Barri make some 1-minute creations in Videosync for Ableton Live, macOS

Speaking of live visuals, Tarik Barri has been composing some quick 1-minute demo/tutorials in Videosync, the software he contributes to for Ableton Live / Max for Live on the Mac.

Resolume 7.15 adds some artistic new effects plus UI-workflow enhancements

Live visual tool Resolume (Avenue / Arena / Wire) gets yet another bump release – this time with Dilate, Sharpen, and Kuwahara Effects plus some nice usability improvements in the interface.

Kitbashing, by ABADIR and Nicolò Cervello, is AV subversion of endless algorithmic scrolling

“Kitbashing” is an AV protest, a hard-hitting burst of fresh air, as producer ABADIR and media artist Nicolò Cervello are here to break you out of endless scrolling by transcending its materials. From the fragments of our algorithmic existence comes 17 minutes of liberating sound and light.

iKeleton OSC captures skeleton data on iOS, sends via OSC – free through May 5

Developer/musician/media artist Gwangyu Lee has made an app for iPad and iPhone that captures skeleton data and sends it via OSC. It’s free this week, and includes a complete tutorial (for use with any tool) and a TouchDesigner example.