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Category: Drum Machines & Groove Boxes

Polyend Keys – A Mechanical QWERTY Keyboard for Musicians

Polyend is introducing Keys, a mechanical QWERTY keyboard with a three-octave piano layout designed for both everyday computer use and making music.… Read More Polyend Keys – A Mechanical QWERTY Keyboard for Musicians

August 27, 202647 Comments

FMS Cartridge Turns Your Game Boy Advance Into A 4-Track Groovebox

FMS Cartridge Edition is a high-quality GBA cart, produced with 1M flash memory, that comes programmed with the latest version of FMS.… Read More FMS Cartridge Turns Your Game Boy Advance Into A 4-Track Groovebox

August 26, 2026August 27, 2026Leave a comment

Free Alt Firmware For The Korg Volca Drum Adds Trig Conditions & More

The free alt firmware gives the volca drum new powers, including Elektron-style trig conditions, new editing features, enhanced sequencing options and more. … Read More Free Alt Firmware For The Korg Volca Drum Adds Trig Conditions & More

August 23, 2026August 24, 20268 Comments

Roland TR-808 Gets New Firmware After Over 45 Years, Adding Ratcheting, Probability & More

The classic Roland TR-808 Computer-Controlled Rhythm Composer is getting a new lease on life, after 46 years, with a third-party, open source firmware update. … Read More Roland TR-808 Gets New Firmware After Over 45 Years, Adding Ratcheting, Probability & More

August 13, 2026August 13, 20265 Comments

The Beginner’s Guide To Game Boy Chiptune

The guide covers an introduction to chiptune, using LSDJ on the Game Boy to make music, hardware, syncing with other gear and more. … Read More The Beginner’s Guide To Game Boy Chiptune

August 1, 2026August 3, 2026Leave a comment

Akai MPC60 Retro Gear Review

The MPC60 was developed by Akai and Roger Linn and released in 1988, and went on to be used on classic albums by DJ Shadow, Dr. Dre, J Dilla, MF Doom and others.… Read More Akai MPC60 Retro Gear Review

June 11, 20265 Comments

Ellitone Groov~e Console Groove Synthesizer

The Groov~e Console automatically generates musical “grooves”.… Read More Ellitone Groov~e Console Groove Synthesizer

June 9, 2026June 9, 2026Leave a comment

Prelude & Fugue For Korg ER-1 Drum Machine

Synthesist Hank Mason shared this live performance of his original composition, Prelude and Fugue for the ER-1.… Read More Prelude & Fugue For Korg ER-1 Drum Machine

May 14, 2026May 14, 20262 Comments

Fors FMS Turns Game Boy Advance Into A FM Groovebox

FMS is designed for quick and intuitive programming of sounds and music, for live performance and studio recording and for just having fun.… Read More Fors FMS Turns Game Boy Advance Into A FM Groovebox

May 9, 2026May 9, 20263 Comments

Roland TR-1000 Update Expands Sound Design & Performance Options

Roland has released a free firmware updated for the TR-1000 drum machine, expanding its sound design and performance capabilities.… Read More Roland TR-1000 Update Expands Sound Design & Performance Options

May 8, 20262 Comments

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Something To Think About

That’s right. I find that you’re a completely different person as a maker than you are as a listener. That’s one of the reasons I so often leave the studio to listen to things. A lot of people never leave the studio when they’re making something, so they’re always in that maker mode, screwdriving things in—adding, adding, adding. Because it seems like the right thing to be doing in that room. But it’s when you come out that you start to hear what you like.

— Brian Eno
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