MIDI Tape Recorder, precise capture, now standalone for macOS, iOS

Geert Bevin’s terrific MIDI Tape Recorder precisely captures MIDI performances, including MPE, verbatim — not the slightest variation in sound. v2.0 adds a host of new features, plus a standalone version alongside the existing AUv3 plug-in. It’s low-level, direct CoreMIDI capture of what you played, exactly as you played it, with every expression intact. And it’s and open source.

Bastl’s Kastle 2 and Citadel Eurorack are now DIY kits, open source platforms

It started with Kastle 2, Bastl Instruments’ cute and clever handheld. It could be a multi-effect, a sample player, a synth. Then Citadel modules came along and did those things in Eurorack. Now, Bastl’s got a surprise: you can buy these as DIY kits, and a big chunk of the Raspberry Pi-powered platforms are being released as open source. Here are all the details.

Peter Kirn - January 21, 2026

Get dark and strange with this free GodHatesGodRecords compilation

Out of Belgium, there’s a murky, forbidding free underground netlabel that has survived from another era. It’s aggressively anti-algorithmic, soul-chillingly dark in its aesthetics, and committed to free culture and commons like if social media and AI never happened. And it’s perfect for a frozen European night, wherever you might be.

Peter Kirn - January 10, 2026

Freesound, massive shared sounds library, turns 20 with talks and listening

Peter Kirn - October 28, 2025

Three years of solar flares transformed into music: ESA x Maple Pools

Peter Kirn - January 15, 2025

Add a free video player to your Ableton Live set with modulation, FX

Peter Kirn - June 4, 2024

Free sounds and samples in Ableton Live, powered by commons and community

Peter Kirn - August 7, 2020