At the 2026 NAMM Show, Eventide Audio announced that it is working with electronic music composer Laurie Spiegel to bring back Music Mouse – an algorithmic musical composition application and performance instrument – after 40 years.
“Music Mouse is an intelligent instrument,” notes Spiegel. “It’s like having a composer as your partner.” Music Mouse translates mouse-controlled cursor movements into notes, harmonies and more.
Here’s an example of Music Mouse in action, via jonmerel:
Eventide says that it plans to re-release Music Mouse later this year, “carefully preserved and prepared for modern systems, without changing what made it special.”
The application was originally released in the mid-’80s for Mac, Amiga & Atari systems. Spiegel’s vintage Music Mouse site is still available via the Wayback Machine.
Here’s a reaction video from the NAMM Show floor, via guitarist and synthesist Andre Cholmondeley:
At the 2026 Buchla & Friends show, Enjoy Electronics has introduced The Don, a quadraphonic multi-FX processor for 4U Buchla modular systems.
Following The Godfather – their Eurorack multi-FX processor, The Don is tailored to the needs and ethos of Buchla format systems and West Coast synthesis. The Don is designed to be the “central nervous system: of a Buchla-format modular setup. By integrating native banana-jack connectivity and full compatibility with 4U control voltages and signals, it bridges the gap between classic West Coast synthesis and modern, high-fidelity digital processing.
Beyond standard effects and mixing tools, it introduces an experimental quadraphonic approach. Users can spatialize their mix with adjustable spatialization controls, creating dynamic and engaging movements that wrap around the audience.
They say that “The Don is built for the sonic explorer who views the 4U format as the ultimate canvas for experimentation.”
Features:
Independent Quad Channel Strips: Each channel features its own mixing, creative effects, compression with sidechain, ltering, saturation, reverb, and multiple delays with independent parameters and dedicated lters, enabling layered textures and complex polyrhythms.
Native 4U Integration: Redesigned from the ground up with banana-jack I/O and CV ranges optimized for the Buchla ecosystem.
Advanced Spatialization: Dedicated controls for immersive movement, allowing the spatial image itself to become a performative element.
OLED Display: Provides instant visual feedback for every parameter, ensuring precision and ease of use in studio sessions and live performances.
Marco Medica, left, and Fabio De Fazio, right, are bringing back Generalmusic and GEM synthesizers.
At the 2026 NAMM Show, Italian keyboard and synth maker Generalmusic announced that it’s back in business.
The brand’s relaunch will mark the return of two historic brands:
GEM, dedicated to keyboards and digital pianos;and
LEM, focused on professional audio, installation, and broadcast.
Nostalgia for vintage keyboards and synthesizers has resulted in the renaissance of many brands in recent years, like Rhodes and Oberheim – along with companies like Moog and Sequential releasing new versions of some of their classic instruments.
Generalmusic is being reincarnated by Italian music industry veterans Fabio De Fazio, co-founder of the retailer StrumentiMusicali.net and Marco Medica, CEO of Audio Effetti, an Italian distributor of entertainment technology.
The company is not making any official gear introductions at this time, but they say that they expect new products to be introduced as early as later this year.
