Musicians

The CHOMPI Sampler, a small standalone audio sampler instrument, has been released as open source, making its hardware and software design files publicly available. Makers and electronic musicians are welcoming the move, saying it opens the door for community modifications, custom firmware, and DIY builds of the pocket-sized device.

Chompi, a compact and charmingly designed music sampler popular with hobbyist musicians, has been released as an open source project. Its makers have published the hardware designs publicly, allowing anyone to study, modify, or build their own version. The move is being welcomed by the music-tech community, which sees it as a boost for DIY instrument building and hardware experimentation.

StemKit, a new open source application, lets musicians take songs from YouTube and split them into separate audio tracks, such as vocals and instruments, so they can play along with individual stems. The tool is aimed at practice and learning, giving players an easy way to isolate parts of a track. Interest is growing around how such free source-separation tools could change how musicians rehearse and study songs.

Cleveland Orchestra musicians have reached a new agreement, ending their strike. The deal was highlighted by the AFL-CIO in its Service & Solidarity Spotlight, which regularly features labor wins across the United States. Details of the contract terms, including wages and working conditions, have not been widely reported yet, but the resolution ends a labor dispute at one of America's leading orchestras.