A music production roundtable with SEIDS, Alina Smith, BAER, and Kate Wild
Veteran vocal producers SEIDS, Alina Smith, BAER, and Kate Wild came together to share their unique perspectives on music production.

Bankrupt EV startup Arrival sold its assets to CanooBankrupt commercial EV startup Arrival has sold some of its assets, including advanced manufacturing equipment to Canoo, another struggling startup trying to build and sell electric vehicles. The acquisition, which was touted as a cost-saving measure that will reduce capital expenditures by 20%, comes as Canoo struggles to move beyond prototypes toward commercial production. Canoo […]
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AxxSolder 3.0 Now Takes USB Power DeliveryIf you’re big into the soldering iron scene, you’ve probably heard of the AxxSolder project. Now, it’s been updated with a whole host of nifty new features. It’s AxxSolder 3.0!
If you’re not intimately familiar with AxxSolder, it’s an open-source iron design based around the popular JBC soldering iron tips. Relying on the STM32G431CBT6 to run the show, it comes in two versions—a lightweight portable design, and a desktop version based around the JBC ADS soldering iron stand. So far, so familiar.
The new 3.0 version adds new functionality, however. Where the previous model ran off any old DC power source from 9 to 26 volts, the new version can run off a USB Power Delivery supply. Thus, you can grab any old USB-PD device, like a laptop charger, and run your iron off that.
The new version also uses a larger color TFT screen with some buttons added on as an improved user interface. Thermal performance is improved, and it’s additionally capable of measuring the current draw by the tip, so you can monitor the performance of the iron in great detail.
We’ve featured the AxxSolder project previously, too, along with some other great soldering iron projects. If you reckon you’ve just designed the hottest new soldering tool yourself, let us know about it!

Warner has 13 days to launch a bid for Believe, as French company agrees to let WMG peruse its ‘data room’This is the latest twist in an ongoing corporate saga
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Tencent Music users are ‘willing to pay’ for music produced with the company’s AI tools… and 3 other things we learned on TME’s latest earnings callKey takeaways from Tencent Music Entertainment's latest earnings call
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Submissions open for the MIDI Innovation Awards 2024 Submissions for this year’s MIDI Innovation Awards are now open, with applicants invited to submit their entries into each of the event’s five categories.

The Cryotron Remembered[Sean Haas] is a “dangerous freelance historian,” and his recent talk at the Vintage Computer Festival in Southern California covers the cryotron — a strange detour on the road to computers circa 1956. The NSA wanted a computer to break codes, but in 1956, there wasn’t much to pick from, especially since they wanted a very fast computer.
As you might expect from the name, a cryotron depends on superconductivity. The original device was a tantalum wire wrapped with a niobium wire coil. When the device is soaked in liquid helium, both wires become superconducting. The tantalum wire can carry way more current in that state unless the niobium coil generates a magnetic field, which kills the wire’s superconductivity. On the plus side, you have a relay-like switch that works with no moving parts. On the negative side, you need liquid helium.

General Electric produced one of the first integrated circuits containing a thin film cryotron, which was flat. While the switching was fast, it wasn’t as fast as it could be, so marrying the cryotron with a Josephson junction improved the device to where it could switch at less than 800 picoseconds. That isn’t all that remarkable today, but that was a technical feat in the 1950s and 1960s.
If you enjoy [Sean’s] talk, you might want to read the original paper from 1955 from [Dudley Buck]. We’ve looked back at the device before (and you can still find the broken link). Turns out you can do a lot with a Josephson junction.

Meet the Vongon Replay, the polyphonic synth “designed to embody vintage character while utilising modernity and versatility of form”Boutique pedal brand Vongon has launched its first synthesiser, the Vongon Replay – a polyphonic synth, sequencer and arpeggiator wrapped up in one sleek unit.
It offers a six-voice virtual analogue sound engine, and is inspired by keyboard synths of the early 1980s such as the Roland Juno and Korg Polysix.

READ MORE: Forever 89’s debut product is here: Visco, a sample-modelling drum machine

Replay is Vongon’s fourth product launch, following on from its Paragraphs resonant lowpass filter and waveform generator, the Ultrasheer stereo pitch vibrato/reverb, plus the Polyphrase stereo echo effect unit which has an infinite feedback loop.
Credit: Vongon
Replay has a super minimalist and modern look, with a Monochrome aluminium enclosure. It has four oscillator waveforms and seven low-frequency oscillator waveforms, and hosts 22 sound controls.
It features a  2½-octave keyboard of consisting of genuine Cherry MX keys. and you can integrate it straight into your setup with full MIDI I/O via 3.5mm jacks and USB connectivity. It’s also compatible with a standard effect pedal power supply, so you can connect it with your pedal board for live performances or studio sessions.
Users can also access the Replay web interface for managing presets, accessing extended parameters and for downloading the latest firmware updates.
Get a closer look in the video below:

In other synth news, Moog Music is moving out of its current home in Asheville, but it’s not straying too far. Last week, it was revealed that it will be moving from Broadway Street in Asheville, where the brand has lived since 2011, over to the Asheville Citizen-Times building along O’Henry Avenue.
Here, it will continue to carry out work on product design, development, and engineering. It’s also expanding its manufacturing facility in Weaverville, a city just north of Asheville.
The Vongon Replay is available now for $899.00.
Find out more over at Vongon.
The post Meet the Vongon Replay, the polyphonic synth “designed to embody vintage character while utilising modernity and versatility of form” appeared first on MusicTech.

Watch: Jon Bon Jovi makes unexpected appearance on stage with Armin Van Buuren at Miami’s Ultra Music FestivalJon Bon Jovi made a surprise appearance during Armin Van Buuren’s set at Ultra Music Festival in Miami last weekend for a remix of Bon Jovi’s 1992 track, Keep The Faith.
Van Buuren’s set took place on the mainstage, and saw the rock artist take to the stage just after 30 minutes into the performance to provide further vocals for the remix.

READ MORE: Armin van Buuren says Avicii’s death made him prioritise mental health: “When I started DJing, this was never a topic”

Ultra took place across the weekend (22-24 March), and hosted sets from huge names in electronic music such as Calvin Harris, Afrojack, Chase And Status, David Guetta, Peggy Gou and many more.
Introducing Bon Jovi to the crowd, Van Buuren called, “Ultra are you ready for something special? I remember being a little kid and buying this guy’s album. Please welcome to the stage, the legend, Mr Jon Bon Jovi.”
Watch the moment below from the 38 minute mark:

In a statement on the surprise guest appearance, Van Buuren said (via Billboard), “It’s an incredible honour to remix this track and to share the stage with Jon Bon Jovi, as I’ve been a massive fan for years.
“This track is different from anything I’ve ever released before, and no better place to first share it with you all than on the Ultra mainstage.” Bon Jovi himself has no further live dates planned as he is recovering from a previous vocal cord surgery.
Last year, Van Buuren broke two world records during one DJ set. In August, he played a set at the top of the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai – known as the world’s tallest building – and set the record for the highest performance atop the tallest building on the planet, and for the largest LED screen employed for a show. The 40-minute DJ set took place on a balcony near the top of the 328-metre-tall building.
View all of Armin Van Buuren’s upcoming live dates.
The post Watch: Jon Bon Jovi makes unexpected appearance on stage with Armin Van Buuren at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival appeared first on MusicTech.

Sonus faber and IsoAcoustics collaborate on new $750,000 Suprema sound systemItalian speaker manufacturer Sonus faber has partnered with IsoAcoustics on a new ultra-high-end speaker system, Suprema – and it comes with a truly eye-watering price tag: $750,000.
Suprema promises to deliver a supreme, ‘unsurpassed’ sonic experience. The full-range system consists of two ten-driver columns in the signature Sonus faber lute shape, originally introduced with Guarneri in 1993. Two subwoofers complete the design.

READ MORE: PreSonus Eris Pro 8 packs a big, articulate sound for main monitoring and immersive masterpieces

Sonus faber have also elevated their system by working with IsoAcoustics. To avoid any interferences impacting the quality of its 16-40 kHz range, IsoAcoustics worked on an innovative, integrated suspension system for Suprema.
The multi-level suspension system between the cabinet and baseplate in the towers and subwoofers means no resonance from supporting structures. IsoAcoustics patented GAIA-Capsule isolators are designed to decouple devices, meaning they do not make contact and keep the pure sonic vibrations contained and untainted.
The system also features IsoAcoustics’ GAIA-Capsule technology. The acoustic isolation means the sound is not negatively impacted by foreign frequencies, ultimately removing the threat of smeared or blurred sound.

“We used to have a decoupling system outside of the main body, but that solution with exposed springs or elastomers was always a compromise for us,” IsoAcoustic’s Chief Design Officer Livio Cucuzza explains. “With Suprema we wanted to keep the design cleaner and more integrated. We had the opportunity to develop a system with IsoAcoustics that is part of the main structure.”
“IsoAcoustics achieve this great performance in the mid-high frequencies where everything becomes clearer without losing dynamics on bass,” Livio explains. “IsoAcoustics is more precise, more refined, and everything in the soundstage is more clearly localized. We are really happy with the results.”
The release of the Suprema system also marks Sonus faber’s 40th anniversary. It comes in a customisable range of wood and leather finishes.
For more info, head to Sonus faber.
The post Sonus faber and IsoAcoustics collaborate on new $750,000 Suprema sound system appeared first on MusicTech.

Challenges for musicians are abundant, but so are the opportunities [MIDiA’s Hanna Kahlert]Anyone can release music thanks to technology, but getting anyone to hear it seems increasingly difficult. Hanna Kahlert of MIDiA Research explores the challenges and the opportunities for change.....
The post Challenges for musicians are abundant, but so are the opportunities [MIDiA’s Hanna Kahlert] appeared first on Hypebot.

Tracy Chan exits SoundCloud, joins AI music platform Splash as CEOVeteran music tech executive Tracy Chan has exited his role as COO of SoundCloud after less than two years to become the CEO of red-hot AI music creation platform Splash.....
The post Tracy Chan exits SoundCloud, joins AI music platform Splash as CEO appeared first on Hypebot.

12 Impressive Women Who Give Back to the Music Industry [Ariel Hyatt]International Women's Month was the perfect time for Cyber PR's Ariel Hyatt to ask twelve impressive women three questions about how they support others in the music industry.....
The post 12 Impressive Women Who Give Back to the Music Industry [Ariel Hyatt] appeared first on Hypebot.