Bela’s touch-controlled module, Gliss, brings human expression to EurorackEurorack manufacturer Bela has launched Gliss, a touch-controlled module for controlling Eurorack modular systems with human gestures.

READ MORE:  Analogue Solutions’ new Ample synthesizer is as analogue as it gets

Gliss sports a big capacitive touch sensor with two VC outputs, allowing you to produce two signals based on your touch: one follows your finger’s position, and the other responds to how hard you touch the sensor pad.
These signals can be used for a variety of control purposes. You can record gestures for up to 75 seconds and use them for modulation, LFOs, envelopes, and more. You can also loop recorded gestures to create LFOs with custom waveforms and trigger recorded gestures for custom envelopes.

It features 23 addressable RGB LEDs beneath its faceplate for visual feedback. The lights glow when you touch it, helping you see what you’re doing and also giving you information about the music you’re making and which mode you’re in.
Gliss also includes a menu with a keyboard, sequencer, waveshaper, and more. It’s also open-source for customisation and expansion.
Gliss operates seamlessly with standard Eurorack power supplies (-12V to 12V) and comes with a ribbon power cable for convenience. Additionally, it provides a USB micro socket for firmware updates, customization, and user hacking possibilities.
Bela Gliss
Bela is not the only brand to come up with more expressive ways to control Eurorack gear. In an unexpected turn, a Kickstarter was launched in June for a module that allows users to control their synths through the power of an old Wii Balance Board. It’s time to dust off those old Wii nunchucks, too, we guess.
Gliss is now being produced after, according to Bela, the brand raised $73,753 in funding – more than five times its initial goal of $14,000 set in January 2023.
Find out more about Bela’s Gliss at bela.io.
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Redeye, distribution partner of Beggars, Domino and other leading indie labels, acquired by Exceleration MusicIndependent digital and physical distribution/services company Redeye has been acquired by Exceleration Music for an undisclosed sum
Source

UMG, Deezer artist-centric payments could be better, says MIDiA’s Mark MulliganDeezer and Universal Music Group have come together to improve and update an outdated system to benefit modern musicians in this artist-centric proposal. by Mark Mulligan of Music Industry Blog. Continue reading
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It’s not too late for every artist to be part of Band Shirt DayThe annual Band Shirt Day will be on Friday, September 15th, and it’s not too late for every musician to participate in this global charity fundraising event, which celebrates the. Continue reading
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‘Blinding Lights’ and how playlist culture is changing modern songwritingIt seems as though strategy in being interjected into music creation today in a way that may be hindering artistic authenticity. And it seems like playlist culture is the first. Continue reading
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Kylie Minogue is “producing vocals better than us”, say her producersIs there anything Kylie Minogue can’t do? In a recent interview, the singer-songwriter’s producers have said she is “producing vocals better than them”, hailing her as “the queen of the remote vocals”.

READ MORE: “Pop will be way more minimal sounding” in the future, Charli XCX predicts

As revealed in an interview for Billboard in 2020, Minogue delved into the world of music production during the Covid-19 Pandemic-induced lockdown while making her album, Disco.
Starting with a simple GarageBand setup, later transitioning to Apple Logic Pro and setting up a Brauner VMX microphone, this shift empowered the singer to record remotely and collaborate globally, solidifying her self-sufficiency in vocal production. At the time, she said, “if 11-year-olds can do this in their bedroom, I can figure this out. I got really into [Logic Pro], and I’m annoyed with myself it took this long for me to get a handle on it. It’s good to add new skills to your set.”
Now, ahead of the release of her next album, Tension, regular writer and producer for Minogue, Biff Stannard has said: “Kylie won’t mind me saying this, but when she started it was during [2020 album] Disco it was the most basic GarageBand setup and we had to talk her through it. Next thing we know, she’s mastered it and is producing high-quality vocals! She’s better than me now at producing her vocals. At the end of the day, no-one knows her voice better than she does.”

Another collaborator, Duck Blackwell chips in: “She’s the queen of the remote vocals! A lot of her vocals were recorded in hotel rooms. Because she’s traveling so much it’s been really easy to make changes from wherever she is in the world. I’ll get messages saying, ‘Oh, I think we need a backing vocal in that middle eight’ or ‘I think the second take was better on that line’ or in some cases [she’ll] even rewrite a verse and ping it over and we can just drop it in. Five years ago, she’d have had to travel back, get into a studio or whatever and re-record it. This is such an exciting and easier way of working.”
Kylie Minogue’s new album, Tension, will be available on 22 September. Pre-order via kylie.com.
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Antelope Audio launch Synergy Core Native Antelope's acclaimed hardware modelling plug-ins can now be run natively on Windows and macOS systems without the need for their DSP-equipped interfaces.

Analogue Solutions’ new Ample synthesiser is as analogue as it getsUK synthmaker Analogue Solutions has unveiled Ample, a new desktop monophonic analogue synthesiser that’s said to combine “the best elements” of the brand’s recent releases.

READ MORE: Enjoy 24-hour playback in stereo with the new Sonos Move 2 portable speaker

Within the Ample’s compact body are the sound elements of Fusebox, the jack patch points of Concussor Eurorack, the patch pin matrix of Vostok, the echo from Dr.Strangelove and the sequencer and CV touchpads of Generator.
“It shares all this yet still has its own sound!” The brand describes the synth.
AS also notes that unlike “other so-called analogue synths”, Ample is as analogue as it comes: Aside from the MIDI chip (which has to be digital), everything else is totally analogue using real transistors and op-amps. There are no CPU-stabilised and quantised circuits, no DCOs, no digital LFOs and no digital EGs. Ample’s circuitry is also based on designs dating back to the mid-1970s, which lends the device a “genuine old sound.”
True to its name, the synth boasts three analogue oscillators, a single dedicated LFO with a triangle wave output, a four-pole, 24dB/octave low pass filter, two envelopes with traditional ADSR settings, and a whole lot more. Users can even use Ample as an effects processor.
As AS explains, “We have given this synth a large and diverse number of controls, that along side the patch sockets, will give even the best and experienced synthesist endless possibilities.”
Priced at £1999, Ample is currently available for immediate shipping in an extremely limited run. However, fans can look forward to a wider release “coming to selected dealers soon.”
Check out a walkthrough of the Ample synth below.

Learn more at Analogue Solutions.
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Technics unveils the new-and-improved next-generation SL-1200GR2 turntableTechnics has unveiled the latest addition to its iconic SL-1200 series of direct drive turntables — the SL-1200GR2.

READ MORE: Experimental composer Leonardo Barbadoro conducts the world’s largest all-robot orchestra in upcoming LP ‘Musica Automata’

The new model boasts several upgrades from its predecessor, including a new drive control technique for smooth, accurate rotational stability and a new multi-stage silent power supply for an exceptionally low noise floor.
The all-new Delta-Sigma-Drive and coreless direct-drive motor, in particular, allows for higher accuracy and improved electromagnetic conversion accuracy, making for a seamless listening experience. In addition, the newly added, 3mm die-cast aluminium cartridge spacers help ensure greater cartridge compatibility.
Design wise, the record player retains its sleek exterior, though all parts have now been colour-matched for a cleaner look.
Credit: Technics
The GR2 also retains most of the mechanical design of the original model, which includes the dual layer bottom chassis made of aluminium and BMC (Bulk Moulding Compound), the two layered platter made of aluminium and dampened by heavy-weight rubber, a high-sensitivity S-shaped aluminium tonearm as well as insulator feet.
Available in silver (SL-1200GR2) and black (SL-1210GR2), the new model will be available at authorised Technics retailers this coming December for $2,199.99.
In related news, the Japanese audio giant has also recently teamed up with streetwear brand Supreme on a snazzy-looking limited edition SL-1200MK7 turntable arriving later this year.
Decked out in Supreme’s iconic red-white colours, the turntable was revealed as part of a preview of Supreme’s highly anticipated Fall/Winter 2023 collection.
For £199, users will get a coreless direct drive motor, vibration damping platter, 78RPM speed with wider pitch adjustment, and reverse play function, though you will have to get your own cartridge.
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Fake Drake and The Weeknd song created with AI submitted for Grammy considerationA track which uses AI to emulate the vocals of Drake and The Weeknd has been submitted for consideration by The Grammy Awards.
The song, titled Heart On My Sleeve, was created by anonymous producer Ghostwriter. It reached a mighty 13 million views on TikTok alone when it began circulating earlier this year, and was eventually banned by Universal Music Group.

READ MORE: Hozier would “absolutely” strike over the threat of AI on the music industry

As reported by The New York Times, a representative for Ghostwriter has confirmed that the track has been submitted for Grammy consideration in two categories: Best Rap Song and Song Of The Year.
Both awards in these categories go to the writer of a song, not the performer. However, one of the requirements for submission is that the track must be “available nationwide via brick-and-mortar stores, third-party online retailers and/or streaming services”, meaning the ban imposed by UMG could potentially derail the submission.

hi im ghostwriter. #drake #aivoice #theweeknd #ai #aidrake #theweekndai pic.twitter.com/lUUAHC1Xw8
— ghostwriter977 (@imghostwrit3r) April 16, 2023

On the other hand, the Recording Academy’s chief executive, Harvey Mason Jr., argues that “It’s absolutely eligible because it was written by a human.”
He later adds in his interview with publication, “Ghostwriter really has played an important role here to bring awareness and attention. We know AI is going to play a role in our business. We can’t pretend to turn our back on it and try to ban it.
“I’m not scared of AI, but I do believe work needs to be done to make sure that things are in place so that the creative community is protected.”
Earlier this year in April, UMG asked “which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans and human creative expression, or on the side of deep fakes, fraud and denying artists their due compensation” after it also had an AI-generated ‘fake Drake’ cover of Ice Spice’s Munch banned from streaming services.
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Acon Digital unveil Remix plug-in Acon Digital's latest plug-in is capable of separating tracks into five stems (vocals, piano, drums, bass and other) in real time. 

JPMorgan moves into deposit tokens for settlements: ReportJPMorgan is reportedly developing the infrastructure to run a new deposit token, allowing settlements between banks for corporate clients.

Cruise nears approval to mass-produce robotaxis with no steering wheel, pedalsCruise CEO Kyle Vogt said Thursday at an investor conference that the company is “just days away” from getting the green light to begin mass production of its purpose-built autonomous vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) told TechCrunch that no decision to grant or deny GM’s petition […]

Wasserman Music Signs KehlaniWasserman Music has signed two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated multi-platinum artist Kehlani for worldwide representation. 

The fast-rising contemporary singer/songwriter’s recent world tour supporting 2022’s Blue Water Road (Atlantic Records), was a global smash, including a series of sold-out two-night stands at NYC’s Radio City Music Hall, L.A.’s YouTube Theater, and London’s O2 Academy Brixton, a hugely successful run across Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, and a triumphant sold-out hometown show at the Oakland Arena.

Since releasing her first mixtape in 2014, Kehlani has earned over 20 Gold and Platinum RIAA certifications, tallied 5 billion streams, and garnered a pair of GRAMMY® Award nominations for “Best Urban Contemporary Album” for the Gold-certified mixtape You Should Be Here and “Best R&B Performance” for the 2016 Platinum single “Distraction,” along with unforgettable festival performances at Outside Lands, Pharrell’s Something in the Water Festival, J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival, Lollapalooza South America, PLUS63 Festival (Philippines), Summer Sonic Festival (Tokyo), and many others worldwide.

Kehlani is represented worldwide by Wasserman Music agents Brent Smith and Eli Gelernter.

Photo credit: MÍA ANDRÉ