It’s exactly as you might expect: sample libraries are at the point of being able to convincingly recreate entire symphony orchestras, close to original recordings. Composer Simon Passmore has done that with Star Wars and Apple’s Logic Pro.

Everyone else might sign up for a gym or make some self-improvement lists. Music lovers reorganize their playlists – and what a joy to do so. So resident music lover David Abravanel is back and joins your dear edito. It’s a look back at music from 2022 that we can’t stop playing right into 2023.

Black-led, female-led, New York-based Willie Mae Rock Camp is providing inspiration to female and gender nonbinary musicians. Executive director LaFrae Sci talks to us about how it works – and it begins with breathing with a drum machine.

The UNO Synth Pro and Synth Pro Desktop each offer a wealth of possibilities with their analog oscillators and filters, external audio input, and digital control and software. Here’s your guide to hooking them up, maximizing their sounds, and getting ready to jam and play live.

Audulus 4, the open-ended modular music app for macOS and iOS, is available now and just got a wonderful free add-on – a Buchla-inspired “A4 Ridiculously Complex Waveform Generator.” Check out round-trip Mac-to-mobile patching with a truly modern UI.

Don’t overlook the UNO Synth Pro. This digital-analog hybrid synth is accessible and full of character – and it’s discounted now. So that’s a perfect time for a full guide to what it can do. We’ve partnered with IK Multimedia to give you detailed tips on working with this instrument.

Touch a parameter in Live, then take control with MIDI – one at a time. It’s on-the-fly MIDI mapping, without the MIDI maps, and it’s free in the latest ElisabethHomeland gem.

Here’s some Soundtoys goodness to end the year. You can grab the Little Radiator modeled preamp plug-in entirely for free, there’s a sale on, plus from third-party maker ElisabethHomeland you can get a set of handy UI wrappers for Ableton Live, too.

Long-running Ableton Live guru Brian Funk has made a holiday tradition of releasing freebies. He’s outdone himself this year, by turning the sound of Rudolph’s nose in the 1964 TV special into a complete Live Instrument Pack.

He’s been a vocalist (as a founding member of Cabaret Voltaire), a lyricist, a vocalist. But if you know the incredible Mal from his past, you don’t want to miss his latest, either – the groove is alive on the wonky disco Tick Tick Tick, ““cowbell on every track, and entirely no reverb.” David Abravanel shares words with the wordsmith and frontman.