More like this, please. Novation’s Launchpad 2.0 updates (for Launchpad Mini and X) are a great example of how manufacturers can make it easier to adapt hardware to your setup. Now they’ve added keystrokes to the custom faders and melodic and drum widgets you can lay out on your custom controls.

It’s a modular in a modular. It’s a multitrack recorder. It’s a multi-channel audio interface. It’s a hub for CV. And now it does 3D graphics – and a plugin SDK has attracted well-known developer TheTechnobear.

Ready to get started in modular – without spending any money? Or at the opposite extreme, ready to go way deeper in Reaktor Blocks and even integrate live coding with TidalCycles? I’ve got a tutorial for you…

Peope are finding new, organic inputs for synthesizers – the patterns of leaves, humidity and climate, and even electricity pulsing through your friendly neighborhood plants. It might be just the kind of Earth connection you need right now.

For the year 2022, it’s remarkable how much visual generation is still based on decades-old algorithms. But here’s one to watch – voraciously experimental media artist Robert Henke is into noise as his next jam. That makes it a perfect time to revisit some of the ubiquitous stuff that came before.

It’s a way of going truly off the grid – MIDI Tape Recorder captures and recalls performances as sample-accurate, like tape. It’s free for Mac and iOS now, from developer Geert Bevin / Uwyn.

Let’s not get sucked into any mention of the “metaverse” – from the standpoint of pure graphics power on mere-mortal PCs, Unreal is one of the tools that is now seriously accessible for artists, even on a budget. And that’s worth celebrating, given it previously required getting a rare gig in a Hollywood VFX company.

For all the hardware and software out there, some tools just shine as dreams for sound design – and this particular update is well worth the wait. Pigments now adds cross-modulation, distortion, new filters and wavetables, and M1 native performance, but the sum is greater than those parts.

Patching for the people – there’s no reason cost or access has to keep you from the powers and fun of modular synthesis and music making. VCV Rack’s launch this month got lots of attention, but there are other options, too. Here the latest, best picks.

The anticipated VCV Rack 2 is here and out of beta. What will it support? What does the release mean for compatibility with modules? What will it cost if you opt for the ‘Pro’ version? All the details here – but yeah, you can finally run VCV Rack inside your DAW.