Watch what Herbie Hancock had to say about technology in 1984

It’s time to dig into the archives. I’d seen this before, but it hits differently now. Herbie Hancock jams out in the studio with Quincy Jones in a 1984 film. It’s notable for what Herbie says with his music, with his approach to the machines, and with how he thinks about humans.

West Coast, with penguins: Aaltoverb on Linux; Aalto 2 coming soon

Madrona Labs’ patchable West Coast synth is one of the most playable, exploration-friendly, unique instruments around — a piece of software to last. And it comes with a reverb companion, now on Linux, too as a free demo you can beta-test. The big news: Aalto 2 is coming this fall for macOS, Windows — and Linux, too.

Peter Kirn - October 4, 2026

Cook every day: read Suzanne Ciani’s 1976 Buchla Cookbook, for free

In 1976, Suzanne Ciani reported back to the USA’s National Endowment for the Arts with a report on her compositions, in the form of a modular cookbook. Now you can read her notes and follow along using entirely free software, complete with sound examples. I love overusing the cookbook metaphor, maybe just because food is […]

Peter Kirn - September 21, 2026

A patchable solar-powered synth with a speaker; birds, hot dogs, and more

Peter Kirn - September 2, 2026

Elastic Melody now does bass and DFAM-style percussion, too (Mac, iOS)

Peter Kirn - September 2, 2026

End-of-summer sales on gear and software

Peter Kirn - August 30, 2026

Reason now offers 15 Reason devices, plus Rack Extensions access, for free

Peter Kirn - August 27, 2026

Handmade experimental synths and DIY from Argentina’s Los Aparatos

Peter Kirn - August 17, 2026

otophon is a plug-in to play tones inside your head

Peter Kirn - August 14, 2026