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.

This free tool lets you create interactive, live graphic scores in Ableton Live

It might blur the line between VJ/animation tool and score generator. But SIGN/e lets you produce graphical scores that live inside an Ableton Live session, as abstract shapes appear and shift in time with the electronic music. And with the right players, it looks like a godsend — free, provided you can run Max for Live.

Peter Kirn - May 15, 2026

Link Audio, now in Max, Pd, VCV Rack, TouchDesigner, oF, and plug-ins, free

Ableton Live 12.4 is inbound, with Link Audio support coming to Live, Move, Note, and Push. But Live Audio can also be about routing audio over a network to other hosts, too. Julien Bayle (VOID) has an early, open-source implementation. If you’re ready to start experimenting even while this API is still in alpha, you’ve got a wide variety of sound and visual tools to try, all for free.

Peter Kirn - May 3, 2026

Tim Exile built an experimental modular system, all about playability

Peter Kirn - April 28, 2026

Max for Move: run RNBO patches on Ableton Move — like Granulator III

Peter Kirn - March 17, 2026

The best way to learn Bitwig Grid, Serum 2 is in Japanese from LOBOTIX

Peter Kirn - March 5, 2026

The developer of Tweakbench wants to remake the DAW without linear time

Peter Kirn - March 4, 2026

On 303 Day, acid bassline love abounds, and some freebies, too

Peter Kirn - March 3, 2026

Learn spectral filters and other spectral tricks in Max (or elsewhere)

Peter Kirn - March 2, 2026