Now triggering interactive lights and other DMX toys in Ableton Live is as easy as firing off MIDI and audio. Beam 1.5 is here, with upgraded features.

The United States’ underfunded, understaffed immigration program is looking to make up operating deficits by charging more for already-expensive visas. For artists, that could mean up to a 200% higher fee. But if that sounds bad, don’t just get frustrated – take action.

From dub to techno to ambient, the Zen Delay hardware has proved itself as a sought-after boutique effect instrument. Now there’s a software counterpart, with new modulation and sound design features to match.

Every time Bastl Instruments and Casper Electronics collaborate, something special happens – so it’s no surprise a mixer/VCA is going to come with tasty fixin’s, too. The concept has roots in Casper concept module”Party Mix” and … it’s a party and a martial art.

Max for Cats is here with SynthieCat. It’s like using Ableton Live in an alternate universe where it was developed at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.

Per-note expression is a beautiful thing. It’s beautiful enough that sometimes you might want to use it even without the input hardware that it was developed to facilitate. AudioSlide is here for Ableton Live, an automatic ramp generator with various shapes, time controls, mod matrix, and more.

The latest Dillon Baston creation is really special – a do-everything modulated sample player and effect. That green CRT-style display might make you assume it’s just about some glitch – and it definitely does do that if you want. But go deeper, and this is an extraordinarily versatile effect.

While speaking of developer Alexander Zolotov, aka WarmPlace (also the name of his 2005 album), here’s some rare footage of his unique tracker that came before SunVox.

The runs-on-any-OS modular music studio got a major 2.1 update this week, with better high-res graphics, a new keyboard, and more. It’s a synth. It’s a tracker. It runs on Raspberry Pi so you can make your own mobile music hardware. It’s stupidly good – and those keys make it easy to jam with on the go. SunVox is a bright music maker even in hard times.

It was once the stuff of dreams — a patchable, modular environment for sound, synthesis, music, and procedural generative audio. Now it’s free (MetaSounds) in a free game engine (Unreal Engine). You just have to learn to use it – which is why this free comprehensive tutorial series by our friend Matt Spendlove is a must.