SAMPLED▌ FRONT AND CENTER
What Are the Last 10 Songs on the Billboard Hot 100 This Week? (October 17, 2026)
Jelly Roll, GENER8ION and Yung Lean, Quavo and Future, and Olivia Rodrigo and Robert Smith appear at Nos. 91–100. Here is who is debuting, returning or holding on.
// also right now
MusicWhat Is Lucki Doing Going Into 2027?
A first top 10 album, a Summer Smash set and a bloody fight outside ComplexCon. Here is where the Chicago rapper stands at the end of 2026, and what to watch for next.
BusinessHow Much Does It Cost to Join ASCAP, BMI or SESAC in 2026?
Membership fees, step-by-step ASCAP sign-up for songwriters, and what businesses pay ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for music licenses in 2026.
// from the dispatch
Semi-modular for people who hate patch cables
Semi-modular gear works out of the box and only asks for cables when you want more. A gentle way in.
The best analog synths under $500 right now
Real voltage-controlled instruments that cost less than a decent audio interface, and what each one gives up.
Mono vs paraphonic vs polyphonic: what you are actually buying
Voice count is the single most misread spec in synth shopping. Here is what each mode can and cannot do.
How to program your first analog bass patch
A step-by-step patch you can build on any two-oscillator mono synth, plus the three knobs that do most of the work.
Subtractive synthesis explained without the math
Oscillator, filter, amp, envelope. The four blocks that make almost every analog patch you have ever loved.
Analog synths in 2026: why the oscillators came back
Analog is not nostalgia anymore. Here is what actually changed in circuits, prices, and workflows to put voltage back in bedrooms.