Ableton today introduced their long-awaited third-generation Push hardware. The layout and functionality are familiar, but there’s new hardware including new pads, MPE support, and audio + CV + MIDI connectivity, plus standalone operation and upgradeability. CDM has talked to Ableton and tested the gear with prerelease software.

Sound recordist, producer, audiovisual producer, and modular experimentalist Behrooz Farahani is spinning deep ambient excursions live in modular. And sometimes there’s literal spinning.

Meanwhile, at Roland… Check your bingo cards, because I’ve got … “the 1980s…” … “digital” … “Roland rackmount digital delays” … “BOSS” … “floor pedal” and … “Eddie Van Halen.” Who has bingo?

In the midst of lots of splashy effects, Soundtoys’ latest is an exercise in subtlety and precision. These plates are as lush as you’d expect, but they stand apart in giving you detailed control over their results.

“Check it out.” It’s just The Kids in the Hall’s Bruch McColloch and a BOSS DR-660, “the hottest drum and percussion sounds.” “And the surprisingly low price makes this the best value of any drum machine on the market.” Now add one Bruce. Just watch.

Okay, forget the vaporware “metaverse” business. You can open a browser tab and use this right now (in beta). Create, build, remix, and code 3D rooms for any kind of fun you imagine. While the big tech platform internet is unraveling, we can all play with stuff like this instead. And it’s kid-friendly – and a way for kids to learn to code (human coding, not AI).

Universal Audio, which now make native plug-ins you can run anywhere (not on specialized hardware), has a couple of new releases this week. Most interesting: they’ve recreated an insanely rare tube compressor.

Molli Looper is a new quick-looping tool you can use standalone or drop in any iOS host. It’s always on, so you can grab a recording or loop whenever inspiration strikes. And there’s synced loop playback and filtering onboard, as well.

Skating, like music, can be an escape and a DIY means to healing. “No ComplY” is a new compilation from Arabic- and African- region artists benefiting children in Gaza. They’ve just lost their skate park, but there’s hope – and a call for your help.

Liquid Sky d-vices have unveiled their warped limited-edition modular hardware: a dual oscillator with 8-bit wavetables and analog envelopes and overdrive, and a sprawling patch bay expander for circuit-bending those oscillators.