The PlayStation Vita just got a new sampling groovebox and synth

Sony may have abandoned the PS Vita, but homebrew is ready to keep it alive. And the gorgeous handheld gaming console now gets a new identity as an all-in-one groovebox — with free, open-source software. It even supports multichannel audio over USB via a custom kernel plug-in. Meet DS-8 Drumstream, portable beatmaker.

Free: 4ms VCV Rack ROMplers put gobs of drums under voltage control

The library for the free and open source VCV Rack has been on fire lately. But this one is a standout: 4ms has a sprawling library of ROMpler modules based on classic drum-machine samples. And don’t let the “ROMpler” part fool you: those samples are ready for full voltage control.

Peter Kirn - May 19, 2026

Video guide to accessibility in Ableton Move, Move Everything – Andre Louis

Unofficial screen reader support in Ableton Move may be new, but it’s already a revelation. Andre Louis, a visually impaired musician and technologist/artist extraordinaire, takes us on a tour of Move Everything. That’s must-watch material, I hope, for sighted users and developers, too, to understand how these features work for visually impaired users.

Peter Kirn - March 8, 2026

Ableton Move hardware, compact grid-based standalone groovebox, running Move Everything, showing overlay of (streamed) display wit OB-Xd open source Oberheim model and cutoff parameter

Move Everything hacks Ableton Move for custom devices — and accessibility

Peter Kirn - February 19, 2026

Paulee Alex Bow makes songs from transphobic, ableist hate mail

Peter Kirn - May 29, 2025

Free Roland SH-4d 2.0 update: new oscillator models, pattern chaining

Peter Kirn - May 12, 2025

MC-101/707 Zen-Core get the comprehensive editor Roland forgot

Peter Kirn - September 9, 2024

New MPC One+ standalone: wireless and more storage, $699 – and runs AIR’s new Juno plugin

Peter Kirn - May 30, 2023

Roland SP-404MKII v3.0 firmware drops – here’s why we’re excited about it

David Abravanel - March 10, 2023