CDM Create Digital Music

iZotope is now joining founder-owned AV software house Boris FX

Peter Kirn — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:48:01 +0000

iZotope is now coming to rest post-Native Instruments as the music software maker is acquired by Boris FX. And when they say founder-owned, they mean it: the guy's name is actually Boris (Yamnitsky). The pairing frankly makes more sense than either NI/Soundwide or inMusic. It makes Boris FX the most interesting software house to watch right now. Here's why.

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Sinevibes Quarta: 10 FX, 4 zones on the pocket-sized NTS-3 kaoss pad

Peter Kirn — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 09:37:26 +0000

Korg's NTS-3 is an absolute joy -- a cute, pocket-sized, inexpensive kit that you can load up with custom effects. But that gets even more interesting once you add Sinevibes' library of effects. And now you get one especially created for the X/Y pad. I've been testing a prerelease build, and this is a return to everything that I love about kaoss. And oops -- here's the perfect pocket live/DJ effect.

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Blackmagic and Final Cut camera apps for iOS quietly added HDMI out, more

Peter Kirn — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 15:36:52 +0000

Using your iPhone (or iPad) as a camera continues to get easier and more flexible. Blackmagic Camera and Apple's own Final Cut Camera each got significant updates recently. Apple wins here either way, but the Blackmagic app in particular opens up a lot of options, including with an optional dock. Full-quality codecs and live HDMI output are suddenly the norm. Let's have a look.

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Jordan GCZ, Mei Honeycomb, magic synths, and the jazz/techno divide

David Abravanel — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:53:15 +0000

Timed with the release of Clairvoyant Dimensions, his new album with saxophonist Jeff Hollie, the JuJu & Jordash and Magic Mountain High mainstay talked at length about pressing record and jamming, the lesser-known synths behind the album’s shimmer, and the hilarious origin of the group’s name.

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Amiga Lagoon and the enduring power of marine aquarium screen savers

Peter Kirn — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 18:57:37 +0000

Long before anyone was teetotaling screen time like it was some kind of vice, we once stared into our displays for no reason at all, as long as possible. Friends, I'm here to tell you that that dream is alive, and everything from your latest smartphone to computer to flat panel TV can again come to life as a virtual undersea world. And for aquarium love, no one compares to computer artist Jim Sachs.

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D16 PunchBox 2 is a surprisingly deep sequel to the brutal kick plug-in classic

Peter Kirn — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 12:51:55 +0000

D16's kick plug-in PunchBox was already a legendary drum weapons development laboratory, full of layers of crunchy, cruel, wonderful sounds. The Polish developer isn't messing with that formula, but they've packed more than just a few extras into the long-awaited V2 update. It's just in time for us to work out any aggression with kicks.

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Ekssperimental Sounds Studios analog-style wonders for Reason: hands-on

Peter Kirn — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 20:20:41 +0000

It's a portal into a wonderland of retro-inspired gear, all in Reason. Sweden's own Erik Karl Stephan Söderberg built EKSS as a one-man passion project, building Rack Extensions that ooze personality—that boutique hardware feeling, but all in the box. Come with me down the rabbit hole, including Erik's fantastic new FreakShift effect and drum step-sequencer.

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Venezuela is reeling from major earthquakes; artists on how to help

Peter Kirn — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 10:52:32 +0000

Our friends from Venezuela are facing a horrific reality. Wednesday night, the country was hit by two back-to-back earthquakes, each among the strongest in a century. As I write this, the official confirmed death toll is well over 200 and rising, with thousands injured and many more trapped under rubble. Here are some resources for supporting the relief effort, including a wonderful book.

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Emotional electronics, from Mexicali’s underground beacon: four essential releases

Peter Kirn — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 19:01:09 +0000

We live in dissonant, uncertain times, and maybe our consciousness struggles if we try to make it fit square corners and easy forms. So now is a perfect time to feature long-time favorite label Facade Electronics out of northern Mexico. Their opening releases of the year, from artists dotting different parts of the world, flow into a narrative -- one uncomfortable, sublime, beautiful.

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Flexur and Chill, with this Trautonium-inspired DIY synthesizer

Peter Kirn — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 10:40:36 +0000

I missed this when it dropped earlier this month -- Synthtopia was there! But now is a perfect time to chill out to the smoothly gliding sounds of this original Trautonium-inspired synthesizer design in progress. Flexur can cool down an overheated Europe.

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