The Organelle music computer is nearly $100 off this weekend

The do-anything instrument might be easier to justify.

Here's a sweet deal on a gift that could make sense for the more adventurous music-makers in your life. Critter & Guitari is running a sale on the Organelle M that drops the price from $595 to $499 from now through December 2nd. At that price, the music computer may be hard to resist -- it's a do-it-all instrument that can stand in as a synth, sampler, sequencer, drum machine or virtually anything else if you have the right code.

We found that the Organelle requires patience and a curious mind, but that effort can pay off in spades. You can produce effects that would normally require multiple (and frequently expensive) devices to achieve -- you don't even need headphones or a mic if you're willing to use the built-in hardware. It can also run on AA batteries, so you can play wherever inspiration strikes. Add an active community building patches and it could easily keep daring musicians busy for a long time.