2024 Rewind
A look back at some of the best community projects from last year
With 2024 still in the rearview mirror, we wanted to reflect on a year of significant creative and technical evolution for Bela. This year marked continued growth – both in instrument design and the development of foundational tools that empower makers and artists to create their own instruments.
At the center of the past year was Gliss, which we can proudly say emerged on various platforms as one of the top-selling modular controllers of the year. Its use in a wide range of musical contexts – from Surgeon’s exploratory performance setup to the rigorously composed electronic pieces by Eric Whitacre – has both inspired and humbled us. This year also saw the release of the 1U version of Gliss alongside a free firmware update that expanded its expressiveness and adaptability.
Perhaps most importantly, throughout 2024 we continued to work closely with musicians to explore the creative and technical boundaries of instrument design.
1. Gliss Patch Notes & Artist Collaborations
One of the most rewarding aspects of our work is seeing how musicians interact with our instruments, which is why we introduced X Meets Gliss, an ongoing series where we invited musicians to explore Gliss in their own creative contexts. For our inaugural episode, Barker showcased Gliss’s potential for intricate harmonic modulation within both ambient and club-oriented electronic contexts.
Sarah Belle Reid explored Gliss’s timbral possibilities by using it extensively as a non-linear waveshaper, sculpting complex sonics that pushed Gliss beyond traditional modulation roles.
Tristan Arp integrated Gliss into shifting rhythmic frameworks, harnessing its expressive voltage shaping for evolving percussive textures.
This was also supported by our Patch Notes series, which takes a deeper dive into sound design through in-depth explorations of Gliss patches. The first four episodes focused on distinct aspects of musical control and performance. You can find the full playlist here: Gliss Youtube playlist.
2. Arca & the Magnetic Resonator Piano
Few artists have redefined both the sonic and conceptual boundaries of contemporary electronic music quite like Arca. In 2024, she incorporated the Magnetic Resonator Piano into her live performances, showcasing its expressive potential in new and unpredictable ways. A standout moment came during her performance at the Pinault Collection in Paris, where the Magnetic Resonator Piano (or MRP for short) played a central role in her tactile manipulation of sound.

Arca performing on the MRP. Courtesy of Pinault Collection. Photo: Léonard Méchineau.
The MRP, an electronically-augmented acoustic piano capable of eliciting new sounds acoustically from the piano strings, was created by Bela founder Andrew McPherson. Arca used it to sculpt intricate and morphing sonics, oscillating between moments of raw intensity and subtle, micro-gestural articulation. Her use of the MRP not only showcased its versatility but reaffirmed its role as a instrument for boundary-pushing electronic performance and composition. The production of the MRP is now taken care of by Bela. For more information: https://bela.io/mrp.
3. Bela in Instruments
Bela continues to be embedded in groundbreaking musical instruments, and this year three projects particularly stood out. Stacco, developed by Nicola Privato and Giacomo Lepri, is an innovative instrument that combines neural audio synthesis with a hands-on interface using magnetic marbles.

Stacco V1 with stack on magnets.
While Stacco uses Bela for low-latency signal processing and real-time control, it also connects to a laptop for handling higher-level neural computation. Our in-depth interview with its creators revealed insights into the creative and technical challenges of designing an instrument that blends machine learning with tactile, physical interaction. Read the full story here: https://blog.bela.io/stacco-magnetic-instrument/
Another excellent example of Bela-powered design is Augury, a project by Juan Duarte Regino that examines real-time sonic transformation where pieces of obsidian — a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava cools rapidly – serve as tactile interfaces.
Participants place their hands on the obsidian, and the underlying Bela Trill Craft touch sensors detect their gestures with precision. This input is then processed on a Bela Starter Kit, where Pure Data patches translate the touch into dynamic soundscapes in real time. Read the full story here: http://blog.bela.io/augury-by-juan-duarte-regino/
Migrant Sound Stamps is an interactve sound installation which was developed as part of a larger project aiming to map out the sonic identity of Argentina. This touch sensitive installation allows visitors to recompose with the sounds of Argentinian migration.
The installation uses a Bela board running Pure Data for the sample playback and a Trill Craft for detecting touches on the conductive materials on each of the faces. Here you can see learn more about the making process: https://blog.bela.io/migrant-sound-stamps/
Stay tuned for big announcements of new instruments and tools in 2025 – and here’s to another year of experimentation, creativity and new deep sonic dives!