norns

A pocket-sized sound laboratory, it transforms from textural drone box to sample-cutting workstation to generative sequencer the moment you load a new script. Each patch turns the same minimal interface into a completely different instrument, inviting performance, experimentation, and deep listening.

This standalone, open-source sound computer runs user-created Lua scripts and DSP engines to handle everything from granular sampling and physical modeling to FM and subtractive synthesis, plus live looping and audio effects. Three encoders, three keys, and a crisp 128×64 OLED give you focused, hands-on control, while dual 1/4" line inputs with analog gain, dual 1/4" outputs, and a dedicated headphone out keep it ready for the studio, stage, or couch.

Powered by a quad‑core Linux-based system with an internal rechargeable battery, it acts as a host for USB MIDI controllers, monome grid, and other devices, and can manage up to multiple controllers at once via its USB ports. With Wi‑Fi and a fully open platform, you can browse, install, and modify an ever-growing library of community-made instruments—or write your own—to make this single compact box become, quite literally, many sound instruments.