Roland TR-1000 1.5: keyboard mode, seamless kit switching, more

Roland has one more announcement — a 1.5 update for its flagship TR-1000 drum machine. That includes note sequencing, a must-requested keyboard mode for playing bass and melodic parts on the gear, the ability to swap patterns and kits with effects on without a hitch, and a lot of tweaks and UI improvements.

teenage engineering op-xy added a drum synth, sound shaping, more

teenage engineering, the company that made news for slipping in an interview that it isn’t making new synths (maybe), might also make news for making its synths do new things. There’s an official (not hacked!) firmware update for the op-xy flagship, and it adds a new drum synth, multichannel audio, dynamic filter, and detune. The […]

Peter Kirn - October 15, 2026

Elektron is halting sharing of mods and hacks on its forums; official comments

Music gearmaker Elektron last week announced it would not allow sharing hacks and modifications for its devices on its official Elektronauts forum or social media channels. In a statement, the company says a sudden surge in firmware hacking, apparently driven at least in part by AI, helped motivate the decision. Here are the details.

Peter Kirn - September 23, 2026

Listen to three hours of “Mad” Mike Banks, plus a chat with Waajeed

Peter Kirn - September 1, 2026

The TR-808 is getting an MSW open-source firmware and a Tubbutec mod

Peter Kirn - August 11, 2026

Strange, wonderful #808day creations from Japan — and a DIY D-Beam!

Peter Kirn - August 9, 2026

The PlayStation Vita just got a new sampling groovebox and synth

Peter Kirn - August 6, 2026

VST is 30 years old, and Steinberg is giving away some of its earliest plugins

Peter Kirn - August 4, 2026

Unfiltered Audio Battalion drum synth, FX in VCV Rack are a revelation

Peter Kirn - June 9, 2026