How to make sample chops like Daft Punk and Justice
Veteran music producer and DJ Devon Johnson walks through how to arrange chopped samples in the distinctive style of Daft Punk and Justice.

The modern record industry is moving into its ‘cut to grow’ phase.On layoffs at Warner Music Group and BMG, and an upcoming cost savings program at Universal Music Group
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5 of Thomann’s best pre-Black Friday deals on synths, studio gear and DJ gearWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. For more information on how this works click here.
Are you ready for Black Friday? It arrives this year on 24 November and sees music tech brands in both software and hardware give away or slash the prices of their products. These discounts can leave a lasting impact, too – remember those exclusive deals that became staples in our setups? Yep, a Black Friday offer on the right piece of kit can significantly enhance your music production setup and – without being too dramatic – change your life. What are you waiting for?

READ MORE: Black Friday deals 2023: Best early deals for music producers, DJs, beatmakers and musicians

One retailer that’s not afraid to make hefty price cuts at this time of the year is Thomann, a German music tech retailer that sells pretty much everything from saxophones to pedals to DJ controllers. Of course, we’re not so much interested in deals on acoustic instruments here at Music Tech and want to know all about thre electronic side of things. So, below are five deals on electronic gear that have caught our eye on Thomann this Black Friday.
5 of Thomann’s best pre-Black Friday deals on synths, studio gear and DJ gear, at a glance:

Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2 – 15% off
AKG Lyra – 26% off
Hercules DJ Control Inpulse 200 MK2 – Now $96
Focusrite iTrack Solo + IK Multimedia T-RackS 5 SE (worth $150) for just $85
Roland Bridge Cast – 36% off

Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2 – 15% off

The Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 MK2 is an advanced MIDI keyboard controller that boasts an 88-key fully weighted hammer-action keyboard. It integrates seamlessly with Native Instruments’ Komplete software suite, offering deep control over virtual instruments, effects, and sound parameters, enhancing workflow and creativity for producers.

Price: $833
Check deal at Thomann

AKG Lyra – 26% off

The AKG Lyra is a versatile USB microphone renowned for its exceptional audio quality and adaptability. Offering multiple capture modes, including front, front and back, tight stereo, and wide stereo, it provides flexibility for various recording scenarios. With plug-and-play USB connectivity, it suits content creators, podcasters, and musicians seeking studio-grade sound without complex setup. Its innovative design and quality components ensure crystal-clear audio reproduction ideal for professional recordings and streaming.

Price: $63
Check deal at Thomann

Hercules DJ Control Inpulse 200 MK2 – Now $96

The Hercules DJ Control Inpulse 200 MK2 is a nifty, user-friendly DJ controller built mainly for beginners. So, if you’re looking for a wildly cheap DJ controller to gert your foot in the door of DJing, this could be your best bet. Featuring touch-sensitive jog wheels, performance pads for cues and loops, it includes built-in tutorials so you can learn as you go, and it comes bundled with DJ software.

Price: $96
Check deal at Thomann

Focusrite iTrack Solo + IK Multimedia T-RackS 5 SE (worth $150) for just $85

The Focusrite iTrack Solo is a compact audio interface tailored for solo producers, compatible with iPads, Macs, aswell as PCs. With a Focusrite preamp, DI input, and direct monitoring, it makes for high-quality recordings, and is ideal for musicians, vocalists, and podcasters, too, looking for a portable recording solution.
As part of a Black Friday sale extravaganza, Thomann is throwing in IK Multimedia T-RackS 5 SE, a software bundle of vintage-style effects and processors. It’s essentially a high-end mixing & mastering collection, and, combined with the Focusrite iTrack Solo, could easily amp up your setup.

Price: $85
Check deal at Thomann

Roland Bridge Cast – 36% off

Content creator? Thomann is offering a Roland Bridge Cast for just $165. Released this year, Roland Bridge Cast is an mixer designed for both gamers, content creators and musicians alike. It features a 32-bit DSP, dual audio busses, USB-C connectivity for Windows, Mac, and mobile devices, and compatibility with the PS5, too. It boasts an XLR microphone preamp, headphone jack, intuitive controls, customisable design, voice modulating effects, EQ options, personalised Game EQ presets, delay function for synchronisation, app-based customisation, and access to BGM CAST for stream editing.

Price: $165
Check deal at Thomann

Keep up to date with all things Black Friday via MusicTech.
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ModeAudio Fluid: Ambient Techno Loops Fluid - Ambient Techno Loops from ModeAudio plumbs the depths of the sonically atmospheric and introspective, taking you on an immersive journey through shimmering soundscapes and subtle,... Read More

Move over Ableton – you might write your next song in… Google Lyria?
I’ve been telling you this for months – AI-generated music is going to come very fast and be really good. We have just seen a giant leap forward that brings us much closer to completely changing the way the music world works. Google has teased a new generation of AI music generation tools that appear […]
The post Move over Ableton – you might write your next song in… Google Lyria? appeared first on DJ TechTools.

QSC TOUCHMIX SESSIONS - CELLO AND FRIENDSCello and friends performing his song "Fire Ants" at Sweetspot Studios in Los Angeles. The song was multitrack recorded live using the TouchMix-30 Pro digital mixer direct to a USB hard drive. The recorded tracks were imported into Pro Tools and mixed at a later time. The TouchMix also provided multiple monitor mixes for the band.

Learn how to perform and record with the TouchMix Training Series videos:    • QSC TouchMix Training 01: Mixer Navig...  

Learn about TouchMix Series Digital Mixers: https://www.qsc.com/touchmix

Tracy Maddux steps down as Chief Commercial Officer of Downtown Music HoldingsMaddux has served as CCO for Downtown since October 2020
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Subs Is A FREE 808 Bass Plugin By Notonik
You can pick up 30 phat bass sounds for free with the new Subs by Notonik V2 plugin.  The plugin is available on the Notonik website, with a name and email required to get the download link. Notonik states that Subs elevates your tracks with sounds ranging from “thumping 808s to the smoothest of bass [...]
View post: Subs Is A FREE 808 Bass Plugin By Notonik

‘Music – It’s About Purpose, Stupid! ‘ (How ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ put Socially Driven Music back on the map)[EXCLUSIVE] The music industry needs to focus on the meaning behind music, tying the art back to purpose. That’s the central thesis behind this thought-provoking piece by Stephen Love, former. Continue reading
The post ‘Music – It’s About Purpose, Stupid! ‘ (How ‘Rich Men North of Richmond’ put Socially Driven Music back on the map) appeared first on Hypebot.

Former CD Baby CEO Tracy Maddux exits exec role at Downtown HoldingsTracy Maddux is stepping down from his role as Chief Commercial Officer at Downtown Holdings, effective immediately. Downtown acquired CD Baby where Maddux served as CEO in May of 2019.. Continue reading
The post Former CD Baby CEO Tracy Maddux exits exec role at Downtown Holdings appeared first on Hypebot.

“We should start putting music out on Tuesdays again and not on Fridays”: Tyler, the Creator discusses the changes he’d make to the music industryArtists should be releasing music on Tuesdays rather than Fridays, according to Tyler, the Creator in a new interview.

READ MORE: Black Friday deals 2023: Best early deals for music producers, DJs, beatmakers and musicians

“I think we should put music out again on Tuesdays instead of Fridays,” he says to journalist Nardwuar, going on to explain his reasoning. “I know people think because of the weekend they can listen and stuff, and streams go up… I think it’s a lot of passive listening at parties, or [when] people get the time to go to the gym, so they’re not really listening.”
In contrast, the rapper – real name Tyler Okonma – suggests that if artists release music during the week, people will listen more actively during the commute to work or school, for example: “You really have that hour or thirty minutes to really ‘dive in’ and really listen because you know once that’s over you’ve got to get to work.”
He also suggests that it might be better if albums aren’t released at midnight. “To work on an album for so long, and put so much energy into it, for it to be released at midnight just seems so disrespectful,” he says, particularly in the US where people on one coast are already asleep while people on the other coast are getting ready to go to sleep.
Elsewhere in the interview, he discusses his love for music, and how much he enjoys discussing it. He criticises interviews with artists in which music perhaps takes a backseat to other topics of discussion, and says that there should be more content on musicians and how they make their music.
“We’re at a point where a musician [can be] talking in detail about music and people are like ‘Why does he keep doing that?’,” he says. “But if I was on here gossiping people would feed into it. We need to get back to talking about music.”
You can watch the full interview here:

The post “We should start putting music out on Tuesdays again and not on Fridays”: Tyler, the Creator discusses the changes he’d make to the music industry appeared first on MusicTech.

“You know what your problem is?”: André 3000 recalls Prince phone call that changed his mindset on performingAndré 3000 has recalled the time he received a stern phone call from Prince following OutKast’s set at Coachella festival in 2014.
The hip-hop duo had reunited for the festival and a following tour, but being back on stage after 15-20 years away presented some challenges that lead to him becoming mentally “checked out” mid-set.

READ MORE: Black Friday deals 2023: Best early deals for music producers, DJs, beatmakers and musicians

Speaking to GQ, he remembers the performance, “You know, there’s new technology like ear buds and shit. I’d never used ear buds in my life! We were always just in front of the monitors or listening to the speakers, so if you were watching the Coachella show, I got people in my ear talking and shit. It’s like, ‘What the hell is going on?’”
He adds, “Halfway through the show, I was already checked out… so I was just trying to get through it. Yeah, the show happens and it was a bomb night. It was horrible, in my eyes.”
Prince, along with Paul McCartney, watched the Coachella set side-stage: “The very next morning I get a call from Prince. I don’t know him like that, I don’t know how he got my number — I do not know,” he remembers. “And the first thing he says is, ‘You know what your problem is? You don’t realise how big y’all are.’ Then he was like, ‘You gotta remind people who you are.’ And from that point on, I was like, ‘Okay.’”

André 3000 released his debut album, New Blue Sun, last Friday (17 November). The record is instrumental, and captures the multi-hyphenate on flute. Elsewhere when speaking to GQ, he addressed why he chose to feature no rapping on the album: “I’ve worked with some of the newest, freshest, youngest, and old-school producers. I get beats all the time. I try to write all the time,” he says.
“Even now people think, Oh, man, he’s just sitting on raps, or he’s just holding these raps hostage. I ain’t got no raps like that. It actually feels…sometimes it feels inauthentic for me to rap because I don’t have anything to talk about in that way.”
You can stream New Blue Sun below:

The post “You know what your problem is?”: André 3000 recalls Prince phone call that changed his mindset on performing appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer launches the UB-Xa, a recreation of the Oberheim OB-X, after six years of development Behringer has finally launched its UB-Xa synthesiser, a reproduction of the 1981 Oberheim OB-X, after six years of development.
The product launch has been newly announced today (20 November). It has 16 voices of “true polyphony,” with two VCOs per voice, plus dual pole or four pole VCFs.

READ MORE: Black Friday deals 2023: Best early deals for music producers, DJs, beatmakers and musicians

The original Oberheim OB-X can be heard on classic records from the likes of Depeche Mode, Tangerine Dream, Prince, and more. According to a video uploaded by Behringer, its “authentic” recreation of the synth cost an eye-watering $3.5 million to develop over the last six years.
“More than just a recreation of a classic synthesiser, we’ve made sure that the UB-Xa has all the bells, whistles and characteristics that came with the original,” says Behringer. “But it’s also filled to the brim with modern features such as velocity and after-touch, 512 user programme memories and comprehensive MIDI implementation.”
The UB-Xa includes all of the original factory patches. Its VCOs and VCFs are heavily based on the original 3340 and 3320 chip designs, and it hosts the ability to split its keyboard so you can layer two different sounds with a bi-timbral mode.
It also has a Vintage Mode which is loaded with eight presets and can provide the character of component interaction and ageing found in classic synths, using real time onboard circuit manipulation. There are two LFOs with seven waveforms each, plus assignable preset recall buttons so you can access your favourite settings in a flash.
Check it out in the video below:

Delays for the production of the synth were of course worsened by chip shortages and the global pandemic. The first demo of the UB-Xa was shown back in 2022. The brand had previously said it was hoping to price the synth below the $1,500 mark, but official pricing details do not yet appear available at the time of writing.
Find out more and view full specifications over at Behringer.
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