#808day has become a predictable annual event, a content churn in the lazy days of summer. That is, predictable except for … the machine’s original manufacturer, Roland. I’m sure precisely no one had “custom BMX bike” on their bingo card. Here we go.

The Playdate looks at first like a curiosity – a black-and-white pocket game system with a crank, from Teenage Engineering and Panic. But now as it starts to get into the world, it’s proving itself as a beautiful mobile instrument, especially with developer Orllewin making everything from samplers to effects pedals and recorders.

Bandcamp Friday pick. Beirut’s stellar label System Revival earlier this year put together a must-hear compilation of music with a who-who of Lebanese and international artists. And if you slept on it before, now’s the chance – made more poignant by the anniversary this week of the Beirut blast.

AAS’ Multiphonics CV-2 modular is great; what we want now is more modules. And AAS is delivering, with five new modules for your West Coast, waveshaping, signal sculpting and mangling pleasure. Five may not sound like a lot, but you can do a lot with a couple of these. Here’s a look at what AAS have added in CV-2 version 2.1.

Okay, I’m normally opposed to teasers and quick clips but uh what is this and why do I suddenly want it? The new Noise Engineering thing, as posted to the service formerly known as Twitter:

Meet UNO Synth Pro X. It’s a fully upgraded version of the UNO Synth Pro with enhanced sound and effects and a lot more hands-on control. That means it’s time for a sequel on our side, too – with an update to our deep dive for the original, this time with more ideas for creating sounds and playing live.

Soundtoys, the independent music software developer, is responding to devastating extreme floods in their Burlington, Vermont hometown. August 2 and 3, 100% of sales will go to flood relief. Here’s how to help, and where your support is going.

The scene format that began its life at Pixar Animation Studios is poised to become a standard for all things 3D – scenes, but also tools, data, and workflows. And yes, that could make this into 3D’s MIDI moment. It’s not that OpenUSD is anything like MIDI – it isn’t. But it has the same […]

What’s the best winner for something to add to the slim 1U space on a modular? Stuff you use every day, of course. And it’s hard to beat a multimode filter with notch and FM. That’s the insta-buy Intellijel SVF 1U, from the maker that got us hooked on the clever 1U module row in the first place.

Intellijel is on a sudden tear, taking some of their most beloved modules and adding some wonderful bells and whistles. Tangrams is no exception – it’s a Roland System 100m-style dual envelope, as before, but now with two VCAs and more.