Instant percussion joy with DFAM-inspired Vertex for Max for Live

This has got to be one of the quickest routes to sheer drum happiness inside Ableton Live ever. Meet the pay-what-you-want/donationware Vertex by aorist (aka Tom Duncalf). It’s a bit like a Moog DFAM, but in the Live idiom, with a bunch of extras. You just need this one. Trust us.

AirWindows’ free PointyDeluxe is dangerous, unstable, and wonderful

AirWindows, if you aren’t already in the know, is a planetary treasure. Developer Chris Johnson has built a massive playground of DSP, available for free/Patreon donationware. And this time, he’s created something he says is “not normal.” What was supposed to be a brutal guitar sound went off the rails. But don’t let that stop you from getting onboard.

Peter Kirn - July 29, 2025

Way more than acid: pay-if-you-can Sting 2 is instant inspiration

Sting 2, Iftah’s follow-up to the acid-generating Max for Live device, is packed with new features like accessibility and Push support. But that’s not the best way to describe it. It works on acid. It works on melodies. It works on percussion. You may wind up smiling as much as its UI is. Imagine a one-click source of pure joy.

Peter Kirn - July 7, 2025

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

Peter Kirn - August 9, 2024

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

Peter Kirn - March 14, 2023

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

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

CDM Newswire

brings together the latest breaking news on music, technology, gear, and live visuals. Got a project, found a news tip, or want to share your product? Submit to us directly.

Submit to CDM NEWSWIRE