Leafcutter John takes you deeper into the strange, wonderful tool Forester

If many music tools guide you, pointing you to particular sounds and hand-holding you on the grid, then Forester blindfolds you and drops you in the gaseous sea of a far-off moon. New videos give you a leg up in figuring out just how to access all that weird goodness.

RP-8 is a “demake” of the ReBirth RB-338 for the PICO-8 fantasy console

ReBirth, the software recreations of the TB-303 and TR-808, helped launch Propellerhead (now Reason Studios) and demonstrated acid could be made on a PC. Now, imagine that software in 2023 but – much lower fidelity. Like, much worse. 128×128 pixel UI worse.

Peter Kirn - March 14, 2023

Mensla’s MS-2 is a great-sounding FM synth with the safety protocols switched off

Over 60 years after its invention, FM synthesis is still full of surprises. And that’s what makes the free MS-2 synth plug-in fun.

Peter Kirn - February 28, 2023

Inflation, begone: SunVox is still donationware, and 2.1 makes it slicker and more powerful

Peter Kirn - February 3, 2023

ValhallaWrapper gives Valhalla DSP reverbs native Ableton Live UIs

Peter Kirn - October 19, 2022

SunVox 2.0: the nearly-free modular pocket DAW just got a slew of new features

Peter Kirn - January 24, 2022

Freakshow Industries’ Black Friday plug-in anti-sale will charge you more, but you can also steal

Peter Kirn - November 27, 2021

LIRA-8 reimagines the LYRA-8 organismic drone synth in Pd, VST, AU free – donationware

Peter Kirn - December 30, 2020

ReEQ is a free plugin so good, it’s a reason to use REAPER – and it keeps getting better

Peter Kirn - July 27, 2020

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