CDM Create Digital Music

dadamachines tbd 16: a groovebox that’s compact, capable, and open by design

Peter Kirn — Tue, 05 May 2026 16:39:11 +0000

tbd 16 does everything the other standalone grooveboxes do, but in a handheld form factor, built as an open platform that you’re free to customize, mod, and hack. Choose the engines and apps you want to use. And get them all on a compact, standalone device that rivals big-name competitors in a fraction of the […]

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Buchla Ziggy: the complex oscillator gets a friendly standalone synth

Peter Kirn — Tue, 05 May 2026 09:40:58 +0000

It's been decades in coming: what if you took the best parts of the classic Buchla complex oscillator with its, well, ziggy waveshapes, and built a friendly compact synth around it? It's all that modular fun, but in a package that lets you tweak right away without connecting a single patch cord.

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From Éliane Radigue to West Coast, Homework is a patchable wonder

Peter Kirn — Mon, 04 May 2026 18:48:57 +0000

It's a modular week, yes, but here are things you can never have too much of: great food, open beaches, modular environments, and Giorgio Sancristoforo sound playgrounds. So here's Homework, a 4-track cassette recorder, retro effects including granular processor and tape echo, and modular synths inspired by Buchla and ARP. It's all you need to recreate some Éliane Radigue-inspired drones and float away on a sea of noise.

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Play together with Ableton Live: how Circle of Live sets up for improvisation

Peter Kirn — Mon, 04 May 2026 09:52:54 +0000

"It's okay to not have a plan -- it's okay to just jump and see what happens": Circle of Live is an event that brings together artists for spontaneous improvised performance. Ableton filmed Clark, Rival Consoles, Sebastian Mullaert, and the organizers at a recent event. Here's what we can learn from how they work (plus some more Circle of Live selections).

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

Peter Kirn — Sun, 03 May 2026 15:16:09 +0000

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.

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For May Day, United Musicians and Allied Workers shares wins, goals

Peter Kirn — Fri, 01 May 2026 22:45:20 +0000

Today is May Day, the original date for Labor Day, or a pagan date to drive away evil spirits. Actually -- why not both? For today's International Workers' Day, United Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) is sharing some optimism, as it takes on justice for musicians in the era of streaming and AI.

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30+ labels join to raise funds for Lebanon; music to support

Peter Kirn — Fri, 01 May 2026 14:26:00 +0000

Over 30 labels are uniting to raise funds for the 1.5 million people now forcibly displaced in Lebanon. With Bandcamp Friday today, now's your chance to maximize album purchases for that effort. Here are the details -- and a few music selections to consider.

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Apple AirPods Max Spatial Audio mixing, “pro” uses, demystified

Peter Kirn — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:09:02 +0000

Apple now offers two USB-C models of the AirPods Max 2 that support live mixing with Spatial Audio. Are there production uses for Apple's flagship consumer headphones? Let's explain.

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Akai update makes the MPC Sample a satellite to the rest of the MPC line

Peter Kirn — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 15:29:37 +0000

Today’s MPC 3.8 software integrates the mobile MPC Sample with the MPC family. Bring your MPC Sample projects to your MPC or computer, load MPC tracks onto the MPC Sample, and use MPC Sample effects anywhere. This really makes the MPC Sample a mobile companion. Even if the MPC Sample is the only standalone device […]

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Next-gen MPE: Expressive E adds smarter control, $999 MIDI keyboard

Peter Kirn — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:29:56 +0000

Expressive E is making its expressive, multi-dimensional keyboards more accessible, with 49- and 61-key controller Osmose options starting at $/€999. And across the full range, the company's sound ecosystem is expanding with updated software, including the new Ctrl-e platform for sound. That means it's easier to afford and get started with these unique MPE keyboards, and you'll more quickly find ready-to-play sounds.

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