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.

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.

Peter Kirn - October 2, 2026

Resolume 7.28 uses vision to let you play with intelligent live effects and blends

Take a break from the surveillance nightmare around us for computer vision that’s local, not online, and doing creative, artistic things, instead. Resolume 7.28 adds some powerful Wire nodes and new effects and blends, all powered by vision. Yep, Resolume’s removing your backgrounds, segmenting your humans, estimating depth — and it’s good, clean fun.

Peter Kirn - September 25, 2026