Not many new features, but bugfixes:

• song position fix (Minicommand would misinterpret received song position pointers)
• support for Midi Clock CONTINUE message
• fixed recognition of MachineDrum LEVEL parameters
• misc clock fixes (should be a slightly tighter clock)
• a new firmware: MDMonsterPatternEuclid, featuring MDWesenLivePatch and MDPatternEuclid (by popular request)

Check them out in the patch manager.

The complete set:

Due to increased component pricing, I have to up the price for the MiniCommand a bit, and it's selling for 240,- EUR + shipping (15 EUR). This is for the MiniCommand, felt bag, wood box, printed manual + power supply. I am only able to ship to the EU for these 20 devices, but will check out grouped shipping and distributors for the US and Asia, don't worry :) So if you are in the EU and want to acquire one of the MiniCommands, email me and I will send you an invoice and the device will ship immediately next week (no more waiting like on the first batch).

I've not been very good at responding lately, and I'm sorry for that. I have been working so much on the new batch and doing a lot of software development, but I'm very happy to announce that we have a new batch of MiniCommands available. As you may have read on Twitter, I moved places, and I'm very happy to live in a very creative and helpful environment, and having a lot of place for my workshop and for development. The manufacturing process is now much more relaxed and better.

We have put up a support forum at forum.ruinwesen.com which has quite a lot of new stuff available that hasn't yet made it to the main webpage. I'm very pleased to announce we have a beta version of our "Patch Manager" available, which allows you to browse newly available firmwares from the webpage, and automatically load them on the MiniCommand. This is at the moment restricted to firmwares by Ruin & Wesen, but the plan is to make this available to all the developers working with our MidiDuino environment. The complete thread about the patchmanager is here.

You can download a beta version from :

On the firmware front, the framework has been majorly overhauled, adding a lot of functionality and bugfixes. A new version of the editor is available in our SVN repository (if you feel like checking it out yourself) at http://mididuino.googlecode.com/ (including full schematics of the devices and source of the patchmanager), I'm working very hard on polishing it out and make it ready for a release real soon. If you're into development, I'm sure you will be blown away by some stuff in there (yeah I'm quite proud of it :).

I am very proud to announce the first release of the MidiDuino library for Arduino. MidiDuino is a library for sending, receiving and synchronizing over MIDI. It's the result of a lot of hard work. It supports running status, all common MIDI messages, callbacks for parsing MIDI streams, Sysex messages, and has very tight PLL for generating MIDI synchronization (either generating an internal clock, or synchronizing to an external clock).

The MidiDuino library is basically all the MIDI functionality of the MiniCommand made available for the Arduino (with a few limitations). It comes with a nice PDF manual with a small walkthrough tutorial, and some schematics for interfacing your Arduino to MIDI.

Enjoy, and get your MidiDuino here: MidiDuino page. Don't forget to check out the FAQ.

Happy Drone Day is a minimal rhythmic drone album recorded in 2008. The recording process served as an exorcism for a rough period. Atmosphere is thick on the album; sounds of slow decay and rusting textures. A perfect listen for napping, zoning out, concentration, traversing a barren wasteland, etc. Enjoy!

Happy Drone Day was released as the first ever release on the bitkins netlabel, you can either get a digital download on the bitkins website, or order a physical copy from kunaki. Don't forget to check the other releases on bitkins, they are teh awsum!

I'm super proud to announce my first release, called ZWIEBEL EP, a 3" CD limited to 100 + digital release on rednetic records, in a series of minimal techno EPs. Get it over at rednetic, click here to get to the shop. Read more on our blog!

Also mixed into a wonderfully lush and deep set by Martin Schulte that you can get for free on the rednetic website. Been listening to this on loop for the past few days!

We just released the second wicked crazy modulated random percussion synth called Synevo by Ruin, for more tasty crunchy psycho drums. Check it out on our blog!

Let me recapitulate the features of the minicommand:

• 4 encoders (metalshaft encoder with "click")
• 4 press buttons
• 2x16 character LCD screen, backlit blue/white
• 2xMIDI IN, 1xMIDI OUT
• 1 GB of storage (!!)
• 2 LEDs (RED, but email me if you want another color)
• 9V external power supply
• Solid aluminium casing, powdercoated and engraved
• Small booklet "Introduction to minicommand programming"
• Engraved wooden casing for transport

And now the prices (!). The minicommand costs, with shipping:

• 275 USD (international)
• 220 EUR (europe)

The device is all opensource (you will be able to download all schematics and sourcecode from our website), and I provide a number of firmwares geared towards Elektron Users for now:

• Standard MIDI Control firmware (assign CCs, midi learn CCs, midi learn Machinedrum Parameters, Control FX machines)
• Wesen Live Patch (Play with the RAM machines, supatrigga, etc...) MD Wesen Live Patch and MD Melody Helper
• Machinedrum Arpeggiator: MD Arpeggiator
• Bassline Generator: MD Pitch Euclid
• Polyrhythm generator: MidiDuino - Midi Command + Arduino
• MachineDrum Randomizer (video soon)
• MachineDrum archiver (video soon)
• MonoMachine revert to kit/revert to track (the monojoystick functionality)
• MachineDrum Notes (play machinedrum with a keyboard)

Of course, people will start to write their own firmwares, and I won't stop either, so this is really the extensible device per excellence. If you are on the geeky side, you can check out the complete sourcecode at http://mididuino.googlecode.com/ , and also follow the changes I'm doing in realtime :)

We just released the wicked nasty FM percussion synth Drummm by Ruin, for your tasty crunchy percussions and bass sounds. Check it out on our blog!