Casio’s SXC-1 handheld sampler is packed with fun, coming to Japan

Memory may be vanishing, phones and laptops may be getting downgraded specs. But we’re enjoying an unexpected renaissance of mobile samplers. And of all of these, Casio might pack the most fun into a single package. The SXC-1’s Japanese preorder was announced and sold out this week, and with good reason: this looks like the most fun we’ve had with Casio since the 80s and 90s.

Best of show: walk NAMM with us in a gear-mas gallery

Who stood out at this year’s NAMM show, that festivus of gear that brightens our winters from Anaheim? We’ve given you some idea with NAMM and LA’s Buchla & Friends. Here, in images, are our favorites from NAMM, as captured by LA photographer Mehdi Hassine and veteran Berlin hardware guru Gösta Wellmer.

Peter Kirn - February 3, 2026

Casio’s expressive guitar strap controller was inspired by a chopstick case

Surprise! Casio has something unexpected — Dimension Shifter, a spring-powered expressive wireless controller that attaches to your guitar strap. And it was the invention of one employee, inspired by his kid’s school-lunch retracting chopstick and cutlery case.

Peter Kirn - January 23, 2026

Paulee Alex Bow makes songs from transphobic, ableist hate mail

Peter Kirn - May 29, 2025

bop: free, fast, friendly, fun music stuff for Pd, old CPUs and RasPi

Peter Kirn - February 5, 2025

Okay, the “frog” bass stabs on MJ’s Thriller is a Casiotone MT-60

Peter Kirn - November 1, 2024

Circuit bending progenitor Reed Ghazala has new ideas to share – with invisible rays

Peter Kirn - November 9, 2022

Casio’s MT-100 toy keyboard is reborn as a free plug-in for macOS and Windows

Peter Kirn - April 11, 2022

Eyeballs, errors, and animal keys: Reed Ghazala’s wild circuit-bent electronics keep evolving

Peter Kirn - February 10, 2022