The Akai MPC remains a popular tool, but chopping up beats on those tiny screens simply isn't as easy as it is on a computer with dedicated beat-slicing software such as Propellerhead's ReCycle.


Thanks to developer SteamSHIFT, however, Mac users can now convert their ReCycle rcy, rex or rx2 filter to work with their MPC 1000 or 2500. The handy app only costs £11 to register, and you can download a demo here.

Modern audio software makes it easier than ever to create beautiful music, but art-monger Pixelh8 took computer music in a different direction altogether last weekend with a performance called Obsolete? at the National Museum of Computing last weekend.


The various pieces performed included contributions from ancient computers such as the IBM 29, Colossus Mk 2 and Sumlock Adding Machine. You can read more about the performance and check out a video of Pixelh8 in action here.

Aside from actually facilitating the creation of music, the best thing about owning music technology is being able to show it off.


Gearjunkies Userstudios is a site where computer musicians can create a virtual representation of their home studio by piecing it together from lists of available kit. It's also possible to upload pictures of your set-up in all its glory, which makes it the closet thing we've seen to a Facebook for studio owners. Thankfully though you won't have to put up with the vampire applications, friend requests from people who you've never heard of and pictures of yourself looking worse for wear.


Incidentally, if you're the social networking type, come on and join the Computer Music Facebook group. Search for "Computer Music magazine" to join in the fun!

Microsoft's foray into the world of entry level music software Songsmith has had its fair share of detractors, not least because of the its cringe-worthy promo clip.


The software automatically generates a backing track to your vocal, and is intended for creating original compositions. That hasn't stopped internet wags from creating Songsmith versions of famous songs – check out Music Radar's top 10 Astonishing Songmith remixes to hear the software in action.


Our favourite is Roxanne - what's yours? And is this the end of song writing as we know it?