trax.house archive

issue 35 · 2026-08-12 · for people who make house

Operator can do your kicks—here's the patch

Pull up Operator tonight. Not for a pad — for a kick. One video shows you how a sine wave, a pitch envelope, and the filter’s soft clipping can replace every drum sample you’ve been collecting. Also in this issue: open-source firmware that gives your TR-808 per-step probability and ratchets, and a free firmware that turns a Mynah sampler into a dual acid synth.

📅 today · new today

published today

▶ Tired of the same kick sample? Build one from a sine wave in Operator

The video walks through a kick patch using Operator’s sine wave, sustain at zero, and a pitch envelope for the beater — then layers a second oscillator for the transient and uses per-voice soft clipping on the filter to glue it together. No samples, no pre-made packs.

watch →

◢ free & gear

AcidBoxMynah firmware turns the Mynah sampler into a dual TB-303 acid machine(free)

Load this free open-source firmware via the Mynah web app and you get two 303-style synths plus an 808-style drum machine — all with a 16-step sequencer, per-step slide and accent, swing, and effects like bit-crushing and master compression.

2 min read · grab it →

◢ the word

OS-x0x open-source firmware brings per-step probability and 64-step patterns to the TR-808

The OS-x0x firmware swaps the 808’s CPU for a Teensy++ board and adds modern sequencing features — per-step probability, ratchets, polymeter, swing, MIDI sync, and 64-step patterns. The separate Tubbutec TR-8oh8 hardware mod adds 11 more instruments and live performance tools; the firmware itself is free, the mod will set you back 2629.

3 min read · read →
🎵 track of the day

Hardfloor — Acperience 1

the 303 line that glides into distortion right after the first break · pairs with the AcidBoxMynah firmware above

♫ In Rotation
 
Djomood, Manuel Falardeau — The More I Need - Manuel Falardeau's Deep Punch Remix
the filtered piano stab that flips at the second drop
— LarryLuxe's pick
📊 The Charts
 
Fastest riser: Praise Cats, Andrea Love, Les Bisous — Shined On Me feat. Andrea Love (Les Bisous Extended Remix)
"Shined On Me feat. Andrea Love (Les Bisous Extended Remix)" by Praise Cats, Andrea Love, Les Bisous (Subliminal) — a ~55-spot leap in 7 days on the Nu Disco / Indie Dance chart, into the upper-mid.
Producers: A ~55-spot leap inside a week — read the release behind it, and Subliminal's current slate.
DJs: Riding a week-long surge into the upper-mid — catch it on the way up.
Fastest riser: Nolek, Aaron Sevilla — Sueño Contigo (Original Mix)
"Sueño Contigo (Original Mix)" by Nolek, Aaron Sevilla (Sunset Gathering) — a ~55-spot leap in 7 days on the Afro House chart, into the upper-mid.
Producers: A ~55-spot leap in a week — the release behind it and Sunset Gathering's current slate are worth a look.
DJs: Now in the upper-mid and still moving.
Remix outperforming: Universal Love, Harry Romero — Ritmo Da Rua (Harry Romero Extended Remix)
"Ritmo Da Rua (Harry Romero Extended Remix)" by Universal Love, Harry Romero (Soulfuric Deep), a remix, is charting in the front of the chart (#2) on the House chart — a rework outrunning the field.
Producers: The rework is outrunning the field. Worth noting if you remix.
DJs: The rework is the one moving — sitting in the front of the chart tonight.
Teacher vs Audience
Teachers are leaning on ableton live beat repeat, ableton audio effect rack and max for live right now.
Meanwhile the audience keeps asking for shaperbox (asked 23×, taught 1×), ssl big six (asked 21×, taught 0×) and kbbb basslines (asked 20×, taught 0×) — gaps worth filling if you make tutorials.
From the archive: Ableton Live Browser Workflow Hacks — “that is going to be Ableton Live's browser.”

🔮 Producer Horoscope (for fun) — Your snare will transpose down three semitones and demand its own envelope. Let it.

Now stop scrolling and let that kick knock.

one of these lands every morning.

for working house producers with a track already half-finished.

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covered in this issue: superos-808