“Magic Can Be Fun”: remembering Ken Downie of The Black Dog

Much about The Black Dog was and remains wrapped in an air of mystery and mischief, so perhaps it’s unsurprising that Ken Downie’s death this week came as an unexpected shock to those outside of his small immediate circle.

Tweakbench plug-ins return after 20 years, from NES to ambient

Chiptune, granular, ambient pads, experimental, percussion — once upon a time, Tweakbench plug-ins were everything. And now they’re back, with full support for AU and VST3 on macOS (including Apple Silicon), Windows, and Linux.

Peter Kirn - December 18, 2025

Tom Hall on Trip Computer, computer music on vinyl, and that “Max Sound”

Deep in the annals of software’s virtual guts, its wires and nodes, what defines patching on the computer is that it’s eminently human. Perhaps in this age of instant results, that’s drawing a new generation to the manual, personal labor of computer construction. So now is a perfect time for Max-patching musician Tom Hall — and no one better to interview him than our friend David Abravanel.

David Abravanel - October 13, 2025

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.