You can get them all in one fell swoop by snaggin' Arturia's sick V-Collection for $499 as opposed to searching out and dropping $10K+ on the legendary but finicky analog predecessors.

Arturia's latest project, hitting the streets June 1st, takes the company in a bit of a different direction. The SPARK Creative Drum Machine ($549) is a physical hardware drum machine with MIDI capability in combination with a powerful software platform (480 instruments & 30 drum kits included), providing a wide range of acoustic and digital sounds. This "beat production center" continues Arturia's latest trend of hardware/software combination products (see their Analog Experience line) - an interesting twist for a company known for digitizing physical synths. Regardless, SPARK is a truly adaptable new instrument, made for beat producers and live performers alike. See SoundOnSound's excellent review of SPARK for more details, and feast your eyes on this impressive demo video:

It's happening.  Trentemoller LIve Band at Royale and Wolfgang Gartner at the Middle East in one amazing last hurrah for Together Festival 2011.  We're extremely excited, proud, nervous and exhausted - this is why we do Together.  Make sure to get out early tonight, you don't want to miss a thing.  Wolfgang is sold out, but Royale still has a limited number of tickets available for day-of purchasing at the door.  Don't miss this finale of epic proportions, we want to thank you in person for your participation in Together 2011.

Today, we're taking Together to MassArt's Tower Auditorium (621 Huntington Ave) for some of the week's most-anticipated panels and demos.

12:00pm -- Demo: MIXXX.ORG
Open source. Free for all. Also a recent #1 App in the Mac Store. Create your own live mixes and more. Two of the Boston-based developers behind Mixxx.org, Owen Williams and RJ Ryan, will show you how to use their innovative new DJ software.

1:00pm -- Live Edit Sessions
Hear it to believe it. Watch iZotope's Jack Cote manipulate a Together remix using Stutter Edit. (It really is that cool.)

2:00pm -- Together Remix and DJ Awards
Presented by Music Studio Direct, you don't have to be in attendence to collect your prize (worth thousands!), but we're still putting all the pomp and circumstance out there in case you want it.

2:30pm -- Creative Economies
Discover how Boston's creative economies are preparing the city for a brand new future. It's a cultural shift you'll want to be a part of. Moderated by our very own creative economist Joe Grafton of Somerville Local First, this do-not-miss panel includes some of Boston's most innovative thinkers -- Greg Selkoe (Karmaloop.com & Future Boston Alliance), Lisa Gross (Boston Tree Party), Erik Molander (BU School of Management), Sam Aquillano (Design Museum Boston), Jay Calderin (Boston Fashion Week), and Kofi Jones (Commonwealth Marketing Office)

3:45pm -- Free Boston
Follow up Creative Economies by learning more about Boston's emerging status as an international hub of culture and technology. Hear from panel of those who have their thumbs on the pulse of the city and are maximizing our urban potential -- Greg Selkoe (Future Boston Alliance & Karmaloop.com), Ace Gershfield (6one7 Productions), Dave Ralph (Royale), Together's David Day (DigBoston.com), Tito Jackson (Boston City Council), and Chip Greenidge (National Black College Alliance). Moderator: Dave Wedge (Boston Herald).

And just because we want you to have it again, here's the full schedule of today's and all Together events. There is A LOT of Together going on today all over Boston. From 1-8pm, The Dubspot Hi-Fidelity Sessions are going on at Bristol Studios.This artist workshop gives you the chance to learn one-on-one from some of the brightest minds in electronic music.

And whenever you're at a Together event, talk about it via Twitter. Discuss with us and other attendees with #tgthr.

Butch the Dinosaur wants to party with YOU.

Somerville artist Pete Dilworth is bringing his dinosaur robot child (Butch is 21 in dinosaur years) out on the town for Together. If you had no idea, dinosaurs went extinct because the Cretaceous Period brought meant the end of sick beats in prehistoric times. Butch is special. The most powerful of his robotic dinosaur kind, Butch loves attention, affection, electronic music, beer and Zipcar (they're helping Butch get around the city since Butch does not believe in drinking and driving).

According to Pete...

he can't see you if you stand perfectly still, but if you run, he will instinctively chase you and kill you, other than that, not really, he just needs a patch of flat ground and the occasional power outlet to aid in recharging

Ok. Pete is totally kidding. Butch will not kill you. HE WANTS TO GIVE YOU THINGS.

So if you see Butch out on the town for the rest of the week, you best go up and talk to him. And dance with him. Buy him a drink. Tell Pete how beautiful his child is. It would be especially cool if you took photos of you and your friends with Butch (using #tgthr via the Twitter, of course, as that's our extra-special hashtag).

Track Butch's whereabouts via Twitter (@together) and if you happen to approach him and tell him Hey Butch, I've always wanted to meet you, you might win some kick ass Together schwag. T-shirts, comps...whatever may it be? Or maybe it will be a photo that will get you the goods. Who knows. But come on, who doesn't want to party it up with a dinosaur robot to the sickest beats in Boston.

Dinosaurs. Robots. Together. Boston. Nothing could be more awesome. Ever.

What are you doing right now? We've got a killer lineup of FREE EVENTS all day long at Northeastern University's Fenway Center (77 St. Stephen St).

11:00am — Video Games: The Final Frontier
The day begins with a discussion about the intercection of music + video games featuring some of Boston's brightest minds in gaming — Patrick Balthrop (Irrational Games) and Caleb Epps & Josh Randall (Harmonix). Moderator: Ben Houge (UbiSoft)

12:30pm — Harmonix presents Dance Central
The Harmonix crew demos their mega-hit Dance Central.

1:15pm—The Body Electric
Explore innovations in motion-sensitive technology and the fine line between our heads and the physical realm. Learn more about new interfaces designed for existing hardware with Robby Grodin & Ian Headley (Northeastern University), Jacob Fenwick (Vermin Street), and Matt Boch (Harmonix).

3:00pm—ShapeMix
Get a first-hand look at the iPad's coolest mixing app. Anyone can be a DJ with ShapeMix.

And just because we want you to have it again, here's the full schedule of today's and all Together events. And whenever you're at a Together event, we hope you talk about it via Twitter. Discuss with us and other attendees with #tgthr.

VISIT SCHED.ORG FOR YOUR PANEL LINE UP TODAY. USTREAM TO COME.

The Center earlier this morning:

HERE'S THE STREAM. CHECK THE SCHED ONLINE

Monday 5 p.m. - General Motor 6 p.m. - Radio ScotVoid 7 p.m. - DJ Bruno

Tuesday 5 p.m. - Profresher (Minneapolis) 6 p.m. - Wheezie (Houston) 7 p.m. - Electronic Anonymous

Wednesday 5 p.m. - DJ Darkandstormy 6 p.m. - DJ Melee 7 p.m. - Stereo Telescope

Thursday 5 p.m. - U.M.I. (Japan) 6 p.m. - LOL Boys' Markus Garcia (Montreal/L.A.) 7 p.m. - Joe Bermudez

Friday 5 p.m. - Spliffolian 6 p.m. - Mike Swells 7 p.m. - Aether (Chicago)

CLICK FOR .PDF

The latter of which has remained a monthly staple a mere skulls throw away from where ManRay once stood. Every second Friday, TT the Bear’s is over run in a sea of fetish and leather strapped, post-apocalyptic vampires and other creatures of the dark (minimum all black dress code).

I don’t know exactly what went in to the Vampire’s Blood served up by the lovely Terri in  the lounge last time, but I do know that only go out at night now. 

Ewen also currently throws the 80’s retro electro-clash, new wave, no wave and punk weekly dance night Heroes every Saturday also at TT’s so weather you’re into dancing in glitter and spandex, or leather and bondage, Chris is always on hand to fulfill our every fantasy.

While the rest of us are sleeping off our romp in the arms of the dark arts, Ewen maintains an active day life working as freelance sound engineer for websites and video games and manning the keys in various musical endeavors. Currently, Ewen creates the music for local synth pop group, Future Bible Heros, along side Magnetic Fields counter parts, Stephin Merritt & Claudia Gonson, where he’s presently composing their new album, while simultaneously shopping around his new project, the Hidden Variable. — Clay Adamczyk

Catch Heroes with Ian Fford and Chris Ewen at TT's as part of TOGETHER on April 23rd.

Together Passes are now SOLD OUT!

If you didn't get your badge, that's ok, too. There are plenty of FREE (and super cheap) activities all week long, and there are still tickets available for our headliner shows—which you definitely do not want to miss. You can still take advantage of nearly every bit of awesomeness that is Together.

DO NOT MISS:
Mary Anne Hobbs

Following Coachella, Queen of Dubstep Mary Anne Hobbs will be getting it all TOGETHER in Boston at the Paradise on April 24 @ 8pm. A DJ and BBC Radio 1 journalist, Mary Anne also sourced tracks for many of the scenes in director Darren Aronofsky's Oscar-winning Black Swan. Joining Mary Anne at the Paradise are Lorn (Brainfeeder), Mike Slott (LuckyMe), and Take (Alpha Pup). Get your tickets before they sell out. Only $15!

Trentmøller

The Danish producer may be known for his deft remixes, but just wait until you see Trentmøller with a live band. Closing out the 2011 Together Festival on Monday April 25 @ Royale, well...we couldn't think of a better finale. Get your tickets now.