Music tech Software Tech
Pure Data (Pd) 0.57 inbound, enduring free software for tinkering with sound
Technology keeps asking us to speed up. Pd is happy to let you slow down: tinker, patch, make mistakes, obsess over a number or signal routing, and do it all visually. The free and open source software is getting a nice 0.57 update with new features, relevant to Pd and tools like libpd and plugdata that are based on it.
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The delicate, tiny sound machines in the world of Kuro Kasetto
From Mexico, Kuro Kasetto produces music with solenoids and machines that quivers and rustles as if it’s more flora than machine. It’s a world of “tiny sounds” and a source of exquisite escape.
Peter Kirn - July 24, 2026
DIY + Unusual Music Music tech Tech
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
Motion Music tech Software Tech
plugdata, cyclone get major updates — free stuff for patchers and end users
Peter Kirn - February 24, 2026
DIY + Unusual Music tech Software Tech
Cosmolab, open DSP development kit, in final hours of crowdfunding
Peter Kirn - January 29, 2026
DIY + Unusual Gear Music tech Tech
Free Envion Deepscan turns your hard drive’s lost files into a soundscape
Peter Kirn - October 29, 2025
DIY + Unusual Music tech Software Tech
Envion: a free, open, algorithmic drum composition environment in Pd
Peter Kirn - October 24, 2025
DIY + Unusual Music tech Software Tech
