Unreal Engine’s sonic powers are extraordinary and free of cost – both in games and audiovisual environments but even powerful enough to consider Unreal as a music tool in its own right. The challenge is navigating the deep interface. The Sound FX Guy is one of the must-have learning resources for Unreal sound and music.

Hey students (and audio teachers): from SuperPlate to Decapitator, EchoBoy to Crystallizer, qualified academics can get the full Soundtoys 5 bundle for just US$99. That’s the first academic pricing on the bundle since 2018, but it’s only available for a limited time.

There’s no substitute for modular synthesis, patch cords and all. And there’s nothing quite like a classic Nintendo Entertainment System. So? Combine them.

If many music tools guide you, pointing you to particular sounds and hand-holding you on the grid, then Forester blindfolds you and drops you in the gaseous sea of a far-off moon. New videos give you a leg up in figuring out just how to access all that weird goodness.

No excuses: A Guy Called Gerald is here with more presets proving Roland’s ACB emulation of the TR-808 can sound f***ing great. Plus a quick round-up of steep flash discounts for your 808 Day enjoyment.

Miranda (aka pulu) Finnish electronic artist and livecoder, is doing the archaic things others won’t. That includes bringing your Novation Nocturn back from the dead, using ancient versions of SuperCollider on iBooks and Mac OS 9, and sharing some truly happy jams.

cables.gl is a wonderful creative environment for everything the browser can do visually – interaction, motion, and 3D. And now it sports a full open source MIT license and a version you can download and use offline.

Teenage Engineering was apparently worried we’d stopped thinking they were bats*** insane. So they’re here with a fully Medieval edition of the EP-133 drum sampler/composer, complete with lute and farm animal samples and a silkscreen inspired by illuminated manuscripts.

So-called 808 Day isn’t until later this week, but Roland has announced two upcoming collaborations already. Bingo cards out: this year it’s “New Balance shoes” and “Twitch livestream with Grandmaster Flash.” And the real news here is that 8.08 Day will kick off a big change for Twitch DJs.

As much as music making can pick you up, sometimes you need an extra injection of joy. So meet Max – a blue dancing figure you will “vïbe” to your music on any Ableton Live track, free. And more freebies: a bathroom reverb for Ableton Live and a chipper chippy 12-bit polysynth for any DAW.