A musician-led initiative is aiming to bring more plug-ins to Linux. That includes promoting developers (both proprietary and libre/open source), featuring software for users, and answering developer questions. Linux Audio Plugin Development (LAPD) is already worth a look; you’re likely to discover some plug-in or information you hadn’t before.

Ardour, the criminally underrated free and open source DAW for Mac, Windows, and Linux, has been a little quiet lately. Over the weekend, we learned what’s coming in Ardour 9.0/9+, and why the devs have been busy. Not sure where to start? Check out how-to videos, including voice-activated recording(!)

Firefighters are battling Los Angeles wildfires today as winds threaten in the next 24 hours. Amidst evacuations and air quality issues, life continues for local residents, including preparation for NAMM and Buchla meetups later this month. But it also requires healing. For anyone looking for assistance or ways to help, here are some of the resources our friends in LA have been sharing.

Ornament & Crime is the open module that basically is a computer – but a very elegant, minimalistic one. And with the actively developed Phazerville firmware, it keeps getting more superpowers, all on a module platform you can buy affordably or make yourself. Here’s a snapshot of how active that Phazerville development is, as version 1.7 drops.

This month has brought unimaginable suffering atop thousands of deaths in both Morocco and Libya. To readers whose communities and loved ones have been directly impacted, we’re thinking of you. As music makers and instrument makers, I hope we continue to connect to remain tuned in and responsive. News can be overwhelming, but we live in a world where connections – and action – is never far away.

Patch sheets and synth overlays too often assume sighted users – so how do you make them accessible for people with low vision or blindness? Geert Bevin and Tim Burgess have tried 3D-printed patch sheets for the Moog DFAM and Mavis. They’re open source and could be a starting point for more; we’d love to hear from people with different levels of sight about whether this works for you.

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 […]

It’s difficult to focus today here in Europe as we’re rocked by war and have friends in danger in Ukraine. To readers, colleagues, friends in Ukraine – I can’t imagine what you’re going through. I hope to make at least some space for networks in Ukraine and across the region working for better futures.

Patch we’ve seen already to be an unparalleled tool for building interactive musical instruments and complete immersive worlds in VR. Now it’s nearing beta release, with a sign-up for closed access immediately.

It’s a laboratory for sound design packed into iOS – which means you can use it anywhere. Any day is a good excuse to talk about Igor Vasiliev’s SoundScaper, but the latest news is an update that improves compatibility.