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Roli, the maker of the Seaboard and Blocks expressive music devices, has collapsed and entered UK administration for the second time, leaving customers who paid for orders without refunds and fearing their hardware will be bricked without software support.
Will open firmware become the next big trend in electronic music gear? The success of M-Vave's affordable FM-1 synthesizer with community-created alternate firmware has prompted Akai Professional, Behringer, and Erica Synths to open up their hardware platforms to third-party development.
An unlocked firmware on a Vave MIDI synth sparked a wave of community-built alternative firmware, while Behringer announced new hardware explicitly designed to be open source, citing AI as the enabler for users writing their own firmware — though the Behringer Kick faces backlash for resembling an Akai device.
The $59 M-Vave FM-1 pocket FM synthesizer has become a hit after Reddit's r/synthdiy community reverse-engineered its stock firmware, spawning a wave of custom community firmware projects that transform the cheap device into a versatile pocket studio.
FlexChords is a tool that converts any YouTube video or audio file into accurate, synchronized guitar chords in seconds, combining deep learning with music-theory smoothing to remove glitches and deliver clean chord progressions with key and tempo estimation.
Dutch designer Merijn Straathof created a web-based interactive instrument from Richie Hawtin's techno album DE9: Closer to the Edit, allowing users to play and manipulate 120 original loops for free.
The Mac app Whistle Synth, which uses whistling to control a synthesizer, is now available on the App Store for free and open source, with AI-assisted improvements for lower latency and better sound quality.
StemDeck is a free, open-source local AI tool for separating audio into stems like vocals and drums, offering a DAW-style mixer without uploads or subscriptions.
A developer learned about granular synthesis in one day and built a comprehensive engine with sampler, effects signal path, and tape recorder, indicating an upcoming release.
Tunio is an AI-powered music operations platform designed for venues to manage their music needs.
A technical blog post describing the development of a real-time system that follows a drummer by estimating tempo and phase from drum hits using a phase-locked loop, enabling the software to adapt to human feel instead of forcing the drummer to follow a machine.
The Arturia MiniLab 37 is a portable MIDI controller with 37 keys that balances playability and portability, offering excellent controls and software integration for $149, despite a plasticky build and small screen.
An interview with music technology legend Roger Linn, creator of the MPC, LinnDrum, and LinnStrument, discussing his tools, habits, and advice for staying focused.
The article reviews Polyend's Endless AI guitar pedal, which uses AI agents to generate custom effects from text prompts, offering a unique approach to guitar effects pedals.