The pods and pads are taking over it seems. Chris Jeffs has released a new synth for iOS called Monnix. This live performance synthesizer uses three points of touch to control the distribution of up to 16 harmonics, allowing for unique sound effects.

midiPhon is a modular software synthesizer, which allows you to build your own synthesizers from various modules. It allows you to build synthesizers using different modules. Modules can be added / removed and connected to each other in any order. This allows each module's parameters to be controlled by the output of other modules, enabling you to create many varied sounds.

Propellerheads have introduced a new audio interface and production package. Balance, the new audio interface is a first for the company that originally brought us ReBirth, ReCycle, and Reason among other tools in the last decade and a half. Read the preliminary specs and watch the promo video for Balance below.

This week in the continuing series of his Free Ableton Live Racks, AfroDJMac says he's excited to show you how he treats drums in his live performances. He explains how he wants certain limitations and uniformity when playing live, so things don’t get out of control. Opting to not have soup of various drum clips clamoring and cajoling every which way, which can happen easily in Live, he created this particular rack to allows him to really mess with the drums and create unique, somewhat random variations. The rack here is the one used in his shows and is capable of creating nice variations and effects, all with the press of a button or turn of a knob. AfroDJMac also shows how he uses things like Follow actions and changing the Launch settings of his clips to create interesting and always changing fills.

Damon Mar sent us the latest update on thing happening with Marsynth: Greetings all, its been a while since I've sent out a news update! Things have been very busy here the past couple of months for both Marsynth and for me personally. I'm in the process of moving the studio/workshop to a new, larger location that should really improve my workflow and allow for some expansion. I apologize to those individuals that are currently waiting on units; the move will take a few days out of my time for building. I will resume working on units once things are back in order. The rest of this newsletter will focus on the current status of the Nomad, a new product, some product updates,and some info on Marsynth demos and related performances coming up.

Aalto is a semi-modular software synthesizer with an innovative, patchable UI, distinctive sounds, and a charming personality. Both Mac and Windows versions are fully 32- and 64-bit compatible.

This summer, Alan Wilder will be selling a large selection of musical / studio equipment and memorabilia at auction. Many items are very collectable and hold special value having been used extensively in the recording sessions for classic Depeche Mode and Recoil albums, as well as live performances on the 'Black Celebration', ‘Music For The Masses’, World Violation’ and ‘Devotional’ tours.

Brian Vassallo (born on 02 February 1971 in Malta) is a composer specializing in electronic music and film soundtracks . His Style is perhaps best described as an emotional blending of atmospheric sound designs, rhythmic electronica & cinematic ambience.

David Herpich of Emerald Adrift returns triumphantly to Earth Mantra with a new album entitled Shifting Labyrinths, and we could not be more excited to present this exquisite and fascinating release to our audience.

UpTiLin is a pitched feedback delay. UpTiLin stands for Up Time Line. pTiLin allows to pitch the delayed signal in real time to achieve some funky effects ranging from classical stereo delay to cartoon-like, monsters and ghost effects. UpTiLin can also be a powerful tool for vocal processing when used as a vocal-doubler or with more subtle settings as a reverb, a vocoder-like.

Teaser for Kim Cascone's "Knotted Constellation (Fourteen Rotted Coordinates)" album that will be released by MonotypeRec on July 18, 2011. Video by anechoicmedia. Check out more details on the new release now at http://www.monotyperecords.c...

Introducing Reason, version 6. The world's favorite music making platform is about to get a whole lot bigger, better, and ready for any idea you throw at it. With version 6 Reason reclaims the spotlight. Combining all the features from Record, version 6 adds audio recording and editing into Reason, along with Propellerhead's acclaimed mixing console with masterfully modeled EQ and dynamics on every channel, multiple parallel racks, all the effects you know and love plus new ones to fall in love with, and much more of what you've always wanted in Reason. In stores September 30th, 2011. Check out the new features and watch the introduction video below.

Ethereal Live returns with its second release with ambient electronic stalwart M.Peck and a stunning live album called "Bodies To The Sky." M.Peck, aka Michael Peck, is well known in the ambient and electronic communities as a solo artist, as one half of the duo Mahoney & Peck, his label Waiting World Records, and for a plethora of live performances around the U.S that include The Gatherings, City Skies, Star's End, Electro-Music, and many more.

The Pocket Piano GR is the same great instrument as the regular Pocket Piano with an added secret mode! In addition to the six sound modes of the standard piano, the GR has a seventh mode: a monophonic 4 oscillator beating synthesizer with glide.

Something old is new again in the synth world. This time it's a sampler though.
Peter Vogel presents a first look at the 30th Anniversary edition of the classic Fairlight sampler. More info available at www.fairlightinstruments.com.au

This short video shows how to record knob positions for playback, aka controller automation. This new feature lets you add much more character to your songs by changing values over the length of the track. You can accomplish classic things like filter sweeps and volume fades. Any automation will be saved into your file and exported into output files.

July 7, 2011 - 15 years of VST: Just 15 offer: Steinberg is excited to celebrate the 15th anniversary of its industry-leading Virtual Studio Technology (VST). Developed by Karl „Charly“ Steinberg and first launched in 1996, VST has been nothing short of a revolution in the pro audio world. Since then, the open technology standard has been continuously refined to provide the basis for innovative virtual effects, instruments and workflow concepts.

REFLEX free is capable of generating huge spaces, short rooms, or chorus like modulations through a cascade of regenerating delays. It's sound is a mixture of straight stereo delays followed by a dense cloud of reflections. It achieves a huge and spacey wideness with a decent amount of the two modulation sources.

Whether you are an artist who wants to incorporate sound into their art or a musician looking to compose an installation, come spend a week playing and learning with us. Elaine Buckholtz and Sasha Leitman enjoy blurring the relationship between sound and image and share a passion for creating supportive learning environments where curiousity provokes innovative idea to take shape. This is a project based class where hands on skills will be taught along side technical, theoretical and artistic learning. People of all computer skill levels welcome in this learning environment.