“I saw you spreading lies on your Facebook group”: Loopop on Behringer not sending ‘free gear’ to reviewersMusic technology specialist and content creator Loopop has called out Behringer for suggesting he won’t review the brand’s gear because it claims it refuses to send free units out to reviewers.
The creator shared a screenshot of a comment Behringer had sent to a Facebook user questioning the reception of the Toro synth. The comment wrote: “Interesting comment. [The Toro] is the fifth best-selling product, not sure this is called a flop.
“I’m sure Starsky [Carr] will be reviewing it as, while Loopop is not reviewing products as we don’t send out free units. [sic]”
Behringer has since edited the comment to omit the last sentence.
Loopop claims Behringer blocked and deleted his response, which he then reshared. “Hey Behringer this is Ziv – Loopop, please stop spreading the lie that I stopped reviewing your units because you wouldn’t send me any for free.
“I first reviewed your synths without any contact with you (Model D, Neutron). At that point you offered to send me a few others, which I accepted and disclosed.
“When you made the offensive video about Peter Kirn and started copying affordable products from existing manufacturers with zero innovation (swing), I became disgusted with your corporate culture, which I see now includes spreading lies like you did now.”
The video Loopop refers to dates back to 2020, where the company attracted widespread criticism for releasing a bizarre clip attacking Kirn that appeared to use anti-Semitic tropes. Behringer later apologised.

Hey @Behringer – since you blocked my response, I'll share it here. I saw you spreading lies on your Facebook group, that I won't review your gear because you don't send it for free, when actually you offered and I refused. Should I share your email offering? pic.twitter.com/cRT1Y8ouzM
— Loopop Music (@loopopmusic) August 3, 2023

“A couple of years ago you disclosed to me your entire roadmap and offered anything I’d like, and I refused because of what I mentioned above, as I explained to Dan. I am happy to share this correspondence if you insist on lying about why I stopped reviewing your gear.
“If you apologise and at some point change your ways I would be happy to explore interesting affordable innovative products, whether you send them to me or not – they’re not that expensive compared to the time and costs of making my videos.”
Several other content creators backed him up, with Bo Beats saying on Twitter that “Behringer lying doesn’t surprise me at all”, while Benn Jordan tweeted a GIF with a man wearing sunglasses to hide his tears with the caption, “Behringer passive aggressively pretending they’re not pp hurt”.

Behringer lying doesn’t surprise me at all https://t.co/moatOdVbrX
— Bo (@BoBeatsMusic) August 3, 2023

Behringer passive aggressively pretending they're not pp hurt https://t.co/KBg1EFvETq pic.twitter.com/jbtGer271v
— Benn Jordan (@bennjordan) August 3, 2023

Kirn added: “I don’t know about @loopopmusic but I like to get my reviews from heavily moderated comment threads where any negative commenters are blocked! It just keeps everything sunnier and more real.”
Meanwhile, the publication Sonic State also spoke out in support of Loopop, revealing that it stopped reviewing Behringer’s products for the same reason and has “nothing to do with how good or bad the gear is”.

Good for you! I was tempted to wade in on that thread – our reason for not reviewing their gear has nothing to do with how good or bad it is , it is because of those exact reasons.
— sonicstate (@sonicstate) August 3, 2023

I don't know about @loopopmusic but I like to get my reviews from heavily moderated comment threads where any negative commenters are blocked! It just keeps everything sunnier and more real.
— peterkirn (@peterkirn) August 3, 2023

The post “I saw you spreading lies on your Facebook group”: Loopop on Behringer not sending ‘free gear’ to reviewers appeared first on MusicTech.

iZotope Nectar Elements Plugin Is FREE At Plugin Boutique
Plugin Boutique offers the Nectar Elements ($129 list price) vocal processing plugin by iZotope as a free download for a limited time. Nectar Elements is a streamlined tool for correcting your vocal’s pitch, dynamics, frequency response, and general quality. Its workflow is mostly automated, taking advantage of iZotope’s unique Vocal Assistant feature. I always found [...]
View post: iZotope Nectar Elements Plugin Is FREE At Plugin Boutique

Church featured on The Chemical Brothers’ album artwork to receive Grade II* statusThe UK government is upgrading the church The Chemical Brothers famously featured on the album art for their 1998 compilation album Brothers Gonna Work It Out from a Grade II listed site to a Grade II* site.
The church – Our Lady of Fatima in Harlow, Essex – features its iconic needle spire, which was designed by British architect Gerald Goalen. The upgrade came after a recommendation from Historic England to the UK government in a bid to protect its historical and architectural significance.
Ed Simons, one half of the big beat pioneers, celebrated the news on Twitter, saying: “Harlow church on Chemical Brothers album cover granted protected status.”

Harlow church on Chemical Brothers album cover granted protected status https://t.co/tt3q3oJVlq
— ed simons (@eddychemical) August 3, 2023

Builders completed the church, with its “jewel-like” interior, in 1960. It had 500 seats circling a freestanding altar – an innovative design at the time.
Clare Price, of the C20 Society said, “The effect of walking into the church is uplifting, the feeling of entering a shifting kaleidoscope of colour … must surely have made many a new town worshipper gasp in astonishment”. The group campaigns for the preservation of architectural heritage from 1914 onwards.
The Chemical Brothers are releasing their 10th studio album, For That Beautiful Feeling, on 8 September. It’ll be their first album since 2019’s No Geography.
Not only that, but they’ve also announced a “career-spanning retrospective book”, Paused in Cosmic Reflection. It will arrive on 26 October via White Rabbit Books.
Want to pre-order the book from Waterstones for £30? You’ll be in with a chance to win a Chemical Brothers bundle, which includes tickets to their upcoming tour, a vinyl bundle, a signed framed print, and the only signed deluxe edition of the book.
The post Church featured on The Chemical Brothers’ album artwork to receive Grade II* status appeared first on MusicTech.

Robbie Williams wants to collaborate with Trent Reznor on It’s Raining Men coverRobbie Williams has said that he wants to bring Trent Reznor – and Radiohead – on board for a rock cover of The Weather Girls’ 1982 hit It’s Raining Men. 
Williams said he hoped that Radiohead would provide him with a rocky backing track for his cover, but as of yet, one is yet to materialise.

READ MORE: “I’m relieved to look back and say ‘Okay, we didn’t mess up too much’”: Thomas Bangalter on the end of Daft Punk

“I want to do a cover of It’s Raining Men but I want Radiohead to do a backing track for me,” he told The Sun’s Bizarre column. “But they have not got back to me. I keep asking but nothing back. I dunno. I might ask Trent Reznor.”
Indeed, Williams once admitted he once envisioned making music that was more in the vein of Radiohead or Oasis rather than the mainstream pop he made as part of Take That.
“I went through a pompous moment when I didn’t want to have anything to do with the mainstream stuff I used to enjoy. I thought it was babyish. I wanted to be Oasis and Radiohead,” he told The Daily Star. 
“Then I was fortunate enough to relinquish those chains and go, ‘Who am I? What do I like? What do I want to be?’ And, actually, who I am is Morecambe and Wise, the Two Ronnies, Bruce Forsyth, Terry Wogan – that sort of British, professional entertainer who brought so much joy to someone like me, and now I hope to bring it to others.”
Williams will be playing two shows on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk later this month as part of the Heritage Live concert series, where he will be supported by his former Take That bandmate Mark Owen.
Meanwhile, Reznor unveiled the soundtrack to the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem film, which he worked on with Atticus Ross.
The post Robbie Williams wants to collaborate with Trent Reznor on It’s Raining Men cover appeared first on MusicTech.

“I’m relieved to look back and say ‘Okay, we didn’t mess up too much’”: Thomas Bangalter on the end of Daft PunkThomas Bangalter has discussed the end of Daft Punk in a new interview with BBC Radio 6.
The musician and producer, who formed the iconic duo in 1993 with Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, says that it “felt good” to end the project in 2021, revealing that he asks himself why they ended it more often than he asks himself how it lasted for so long.
“It’s a lot like a story or mini saga,” he explained. “Sometimes there’s a TV show that has a special place in people’s heart and it keeps that place, and it runs for one, two, three, four, five, sometimes 10 seasons.”
“There’s a moment where it ends and I think it’s actually interesting to have this opportunity to start, have the middle and to end it.”
He explains that they started the project when he was 18, and it carried through until he was 46 – he described it as a “significant part” of his life.
“I’m relieved and happy to look back on it and say ‘Okay, we didn’t mess it up too much’,” he adds. “It’s a lot of discipline and effort – same thing with the characters, with everything, so it definitely felt good.”
As for the duo’s famous helmets, Bangalter – who has recently entered the world of classical music – explains that “You have an idea like that when you’re like 25, you don’t say ‘You know what, we’re just going to build robot masks and dress up like robots until the day we die.’”
He also looked back on their first live show, during which they were “terrified”, with Guy-Man spending almost half of the show hiding under the table: “It was just me with him, but him adjusting the buttons and the machines from below like that.”

Guy-Manuel may still be active in music, too. He’s been credited as a producer and writer in Travis Scott’s new album, Utopia, although fans have noted that his input could be an old, unreleased beat from the duo’s work on Kanye West’s 2013 album, Yeezus.
There’s plenty of Daft Punk sounds to explore, though. Just last month, longtime collaborator Todd Edwards revealed the samples used on the 2001 track Face To Face, which featured on the robots’ seminal 2001 album Discovery. Edwards shared the samples following a fan-made video that reconstructed the track using the original samples – which fans have been tracking down for over 20 years.
The post “I’m relieved to look back and say ‘Okay, we didn’t mess up too much’”: Thomas Bangalter on the end of Daft Punk appeared first on MusicTech.

Super fans may not be super enoughThere has been a lot of talk recently of music superfans and how they may be the shining light of the industry’s future. Little surprise, given how record labels are trying to establish superfans as the next growth driver for an investor community that is growing increasingly concerned about slowing streaming growth and looming threats, such as AI. There is no doubt that superfans are crucial – they always have been. The problem is that they may not be as valuable in the future as they once were. And the reasons for that lie in the very same streaming economy that the industry is trying to build beyond.

A brief history of superfans

In the early days of the modern music business, music fans were the superfans. The means of demonstrating that fandom was buying the records and, if you were really lucky, seeing the band. A small portion were also members of (usually fan-run) fan clubs. Throughout the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, the music business further professionalised and productised. The live business emerged as a revenue generator in its own right (rather than the loss-leader for selling albums that it had largely been). Merchandise became widely deployed. Fanclubs became more serious. 

Yet, music sales were still the main fandom game in town. The CD era catalysed music buying at scale and the heyday of the album era. Superfans would buy multiple albums every month (leading to the rise of the ‘50 quid bloke’). Superfans were album fans. Superfans were album buyers. And there was no ceiling on how much they could spend.

Then along came Napster, turning the world upside down. Music sales started to plummet and the album began its long, steady demise, as consumers dissected albums, first on Napster, then iTunes, and then YouTube and Spotify. 

When everyone is super….

When Spotify came to market, the recorded music industry was in crisis, with revenues in freefall. People just were not buying albums anymore. 50 quid bloke had become an endangered species. Recorded music’s loss was live’s gain. As music sales fell, live revenues grew, almost in mirror opposite curves. Live became the place superfans began to shift their spend, with merch sales growing in live’s wake. 

So, when Spotify came along with the promise of getting people back into the habit of spending on recorded music again, it was eagerly welcomed. Perhaps not immediately, as much of the label community needed convincing, but that speed bump was cleared when labels started to see consumers commit, at scale, to monthly spend. With more people spending more frequently, revenue growth returned. The problem was that those people who used to buy multiple albums every month, now only spent the cost of less than one album to get all the music they could ever want. 

Streaming placed a cap on superfan spend. As the years passed, newer, younger music fans came into the market who had never spent large chunks of their disposable income on buying albums. The average, semi-casual fan was now spending the same as superfans. And to quote Syndrome from the Incredibles “When everyone’s super, no one’s super”.

Nurture fandom, don’t just harvest it

Over recent years, the industry has started to nudge people towards becoming superfans again, or at least spending like them. Whether that be indie fans on Bandcamp, or Swifties being convinced to ‘help Taylor’ by buying yet another re-recorded album. The problem is that this behaviour is at the fringes of consumer behaviour. We have had 15 years (i.e., almost a generation’s worth of time) of educating consumers that music does not need to cost more than $9.99….ok….$10.99. Superfans have been un-supered. 

None of this is to say that there is not a massive superfan opportunity to be had, but it will take work. Much of the latent superfan spend has dissipated due to fading habits and the wallet share shift to live. Consumers will need re-educating, re-familiarising. But there is more to it than that. When consumers spend money on a live concert, they get a unique, in the moment experience. When they used to buy five albums a month, they got hours of new music that they would not have had otherwise. Buying a special edition of an album is simply another version of something that fans already have on streaming. 

So, to Make Fans Super Again, there has to be a genuine value exchange. Fans need new things to persuade them to spend, new things that actually build and deepen their fandom rather than simply a new opportunity to fleece them for another dollar.

Best USB Microphones 2023: Eight of the best for podcasting and streamingUSB microphones are a go-to solution for many podcasters, broadcasters and streamers, as well as those recording vocals or spoken voice from a home studio. Their popularity is born out of simplicity, since they usually have a built-in audio interface and headphone socket, and are bus-powered, dispensing with the usual additional equipment and cables associated with standard XLR microphones. This is especially handy when you’re on the move.

READ MORE: BOSS Gigcaster 8 is a powerful audio hub for recording, streaming and live mixing

USB mics come in both condenser and dynamic types. Condensers are best-suited for capturing crystal-clear voices without worrying about being up-close to the mic. However, dynamic mics work well at close range in spaces with no acoustic treatment or those prone to external noise such as traffic.
For more detailed control over sound shaping, look out for digital signal processing (DSP) capabilities. Having on-board processors means you can carefully tailor your sound ahead of it being fed to a stream – this can range from a quick fix with a noise gate to get rid of next door’s dog barking outside, through to lavish EQ and compression shaping to achieve an upfront, broadcast-ready sound.
With the basics established, let’s take a look at eight of our favourite models.
Eight of the best USB microphones at a glance:

RØDE PodMic USB
Blue Yeti
Audio-Technica AT2020USB-XP
RØDE NT1 5th gen.
Shure MV7
JBL Quantum Stream
AKG Lyra
Sennheiser Profile

RØDE PodMic USB
RØDE PodMic USB. Image: RØDE
A new addition to RØDE’s broadcast and podcasting range, the PodMic USB is sturdy and heavy in weight, its cool looking, detachable foam windscreen putting us in mind of iconic broadcasting mics such as the Shure SM7B and Electrovoice RE20. The dynamic capsule offers smooth, natural reproduction of voice and instruments – we’re happy to report there’s no scoops or brittle presence peaks here. A strong headphone amp is another defining feature.
For extra brightness and exact control over the sound, there is onboard DSP, offering a high-pass filter, noise gate, compressor and an Aphex exciter to bring out some extra sparkle, but lacking an option to make a basic tonal adjustment using an EQ graph or slider. All these extra features are accessed using a companion app.
Finally, the XLR port adds to the mic’s impressive versatility by allowing users to bypass all the digital stuff and simply plug the mic into an audio interface or mixer, for use alongside other mics in a live or studio application.

Price: $199
Type: dynamic
Key features: USB and XLR connection; built-in DSP; detachable windshield

Blue Yeti
Blue Yeti. Image: Blue Microphones
The Yeti from Blue Microphones offers a number of different polar patterns and even stereo capture. You’ve probably seen this on the desks of top streamers, podcasters and content creators, thanks to its affordability and versatility. While mounting on its included desktop stand is the norm, you can screw the mic straight onto a boom stand using the integral ⅜-inch thread, or even explore the range of third-party shock mounts that have sprung up on the internet.
With all controls quickly accessible on the mic body, it’s really easy to adjust gain on the fly, or to reach for that all-important mute button when you’re about to cough mid way through a live session.

Price: $129.99
Type: condenser
Key features: multiple polar patterns including stereo option; mute switch; no software required

Audio-Technica AT2020USB-XP
Audio-Technica AT2020USB-XP. Image: Audio-Technica
Audio-Technica’s (non-USB) AT2020 has won many fans in the home recording world, offering detailed, crisp capture of just about any instrument at an affordable price point; the USB version, then, was bound to be a roaring success.
Multiple iterations on from the initial release, we recently reviewed the ‘X’ variant of the AT2020USB that added USB-C, a new look and cool LED lighting to the feature line-up. More recently, an XP variation was launched, adding higher sample rates and noise reduction DSP. In our minds, this is well worth the modest price jump up from the X (which comes in at around $40 less than the XP).

Price: $169
Type: condenser
Key features: noise reduction DSP; LED lights

RØDE NT1 5th gen.
RØDE NT1 5th Generation. Image: RØDE
Another dual connectivity USB/XLR design from RØDE, this mic packages-up everything we all love about the trusty NT1 into a product that is easy to use and fast to get going with on any computer or iOS device. It enjoys the same built-in DSP as the PodMic USB for shaping the incoming sound, but don’t underestimate its sonic performance straight out of the box.
An option to record in 32-bit floating point is the icing on the cake, making clipping or noisy capture things of the past.
We were blown away with the sound and sheer versatility of this mic, so much so that it scored a coveted 10/10 rating and Innovation Award in our review.

Price: $259
Type: condenser
Key features: 32-bit recording; USB and XLR connection; built-in DSP

Shure MV7
Shure M&. Image: Shure
Shure really nailed it with the MV7. It has a capsule that sounds nicer than a SM58 (although not quite as nice in the mid range as its big sibling, the mighty SM7B), onboard DSP is easy to use, and there’s a convenient mute switch on the mic’s body. Dual USB/XLR operation is another winning feature, allowing users to swap between a convenient-and-fast USB connection straight into a laptop on the go, and plugging it in alongside other great mics in the studio.
The ShurePlus MOTIV companion app is simple to operate and gives you the likes of EQ curves, playback/mic balance for headphone monitoring, plus a compressor and limiter (but no noise gate unfortunately). For the less initiated, there are a number of presets suited to different applications – these affect EQ curves and the amount of compression – as well as an automatic gain setting function.

Price: $249
Type: dynamic
Key features: detachable windscreen; onboard DSP and user presets (including a simple mode)

JBL Quantum Stream
JBL Quantum Stream. Image: JBL
JBL Quantum Stream is a stylish USB-C microphone aimed towards live-streamers and those using a Windows operating system, since its PC-only desktop app offers far more customisation including EQ presets, altering the LED lighting and switching polar patterns (cardioid and omnidirectional are on offer).
The Quantum Stream came out of our review with a very respectable 8/10, and since that time, its price has been reduced, so it’s now somewhat of a bargain, especially in the UK market.

Price: $99
Type: dynamic
Key features: dual polar patterns; LED lights; EQ customisation

AKG Lyra
AKG Lyra. Image: AKG
AKG’s Lyra boasts high-resolution recording capabilities reaching up to 24-bit/192kHz, while also delivering healthy amounts of volume to its on-board headphone preamp. The real trick up its sleeve, though, is the choice of switchable pickup patterns via its four-capsule array, including options for front, front and back (for round-table discussion or similar), plus standard and wide stereo options for capturing whole groups or room ambiences.
An integrated, sleek desktop stand is included, so you can get going quickly straight out of the box (mic stand mounting is also possible, if preferred). At the time of writing, the Lyra is available at a heavily-discounted price at Andertons and Thomann.

Price: $155
Type: condenser
Key features: four-capsule mic array offering polar pattern choice and stereo options; desktop stand included

Sennheiser Profile
Sennhieser Profile. Image: Sennhieser
With ease of use in mind, headphone and microphone giant Sennheiser entered the USB mic arena with the Profile in early 2023. All controls are physical and up-front, with no additional software required, which means users can quickly tweak settings including toggling the mute switch, and adjusting the input gain based on visual feedback from the control’s surrounding ring-LED meter.
To complete the podcasting package, there’s also the Streaming Set option at $70 more, which includes a handy desktop boom.

Price: $129 / $199 with desktop boom
Type: condenser
Key features: ring LED metering; mute switch; desktop boom arm option

The post Best USB Microphones 2023: Eight of the best for podcasting and streaming appeared first on MusicTech.

JBL Tour Pro 2 brings a whole new way to control your wireless earbudsWireless earbuds have evolved to a point where they can seem more like tiny computers. JBL’s latest offering, the flagship Tour Pro 2, takes this even further with the introduction of a touchscreen on the case, one of only a handful of models incorporating this feature – HP’s Voyager Free 60 being another example..

READ MORE: BOSS Gigcaster 8 is a powerful audio hub for recording, streaming and live mixing

Such a feature divides opinion somewhat, with PCMag and WhatHiFi deeming it something of a gimmick, while simultaneously praising the product’s build. We think it’s a more useful feature than they conclude, but still needs improvements. And after all – do you really need a touch screen for your earbuds when you already have a phone?
The case and buds certainly are well-built with a premium feel, as they should be for £250. With a waterproof rating of IPX5, the buds shake off splashes and the case comes with a USB-A to USB-C cable for charging. It also charges wirelessly and you’ll get a solid 10 hours of playback with active noise cancelling (ANC) turned off, eight with it on; charging from empty takes two hours.
With the buds and case fully charged you can expect 40 hours of use – up there with the best on the market. A 15-minute quick charge will supply four hours of battery life, which will be welcome when you’re about to head out of the door.
JBL Tour Pro 2 Black case. Image: JBL
Bluetooth pairing is simple, and multipoint connection with Bluetooth 5.3 is supported so you can switch between devices seamlessly. There are only three sizes of ear tips provided – competing buds come with up to five sizes – but we had no issues with fitting and the buds proved comfortable and secure to wear.
JBL’s app for iOS and Android is able to detect your earbuds model, provide access to the settings and advise of any available firmware updates.
There’s a lot to see here, starting with Person-Fi 2, a multi-step process you can invoke that plays sounds and runs various analyses to tailor the buds’ sound to your own ears. This is optional and you can turn it off if you decide it’s not materially improving the listening experience. Personally we preferred it off, but with EQ adjustments – there’s an EQ section in the app with user-storable presets and 10 bands of adjustment.
JBL Tour Pro 2 app Ambient Sound Control. Image: JBL
You’re also able to turn on JBL’s Spatial Sound feature to create a virtual 360-degree effect. It’s decent with compatible material, though as with any system like this, can sometimes mangle a simple stereo signal in a way that doesn’t quite work. There’s the ability to configure the tap-to-control features on either earbud to your liking too.
Let’s turn to what, at present, makes these buds unique. Many of the features from the app are also available via the touchscreen on the case, which is responsive and intuitive to use. There’s a header that displays the current battery level in both buds and the case, as well as the time. Battery display is something many buds and cases are very bad at, often reporting an ‘averaged’ value (rather than the value for each bud) to your phone. Here, you get the full information.
The screen can mirror message notifications from your device together with a message preview and also notify you of incoming calls and let you answer them. There’s a Find My Buds feature that will play a loud sound to help you locate them, and a useful mode called SilentNow that activates ANC while disconnecting Bluetooth and setting a wake-up alarm – the idea being to turn the buds into earplugs. You can switch between EQ presets from the screen, which is genuinely useful, and also use your pictures as screensavers, which is perhaps less so, but is certainly a fun inclusion.
JBL Tour Pro 2 Champagne. Image: JBL
Speaking of noise cancellation, its implementation here is respectable, with Adaptive mode being effective when out and about, plus a special ‘TalkThru’ mode that prioritises human voices during ambient listening. There are six microphones that also help when making and taking calls; voice clarity is excellent.
Sonically, the buds are relatively impressive performers, if not quite up to the level of some others in this price range like Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 or Grell’s TWS1s. The soundstage is coherent and the overall sound is fairly punchy but they lack the detail and finesse of, say, Master and Dynamic’s MW08s. On the other hand, they do offer an awful lot more features so that may be a consideration for you. We found that making some very minor EQ tweaks helped to fine-tune playback to our liking.
So do you really need touch screen control from your earbuds case? Maybe. Some people – including this reviewer – aren’t big fans of multi-tapping earbuds to invoke features and tend to go to their phone or smartwatch instead. Indeed, if you have an Apple Watch and an iPhone, some of this functionality around playback is already on your wrist. Of course, JBL’s buds are platform-agnostic, so they use their own system rather than Apple or Android’s.
JBL Tour Pro 2 in use. Image: JBL
Then there are our listening habits. When you’re listening, your phone is probably in your pocket or your hand, and your earbuds case is safely tucked away in a pocket or bag. So there’s a question of whether having the buds’ case to hand is much different to having your phone out. On balance, it’s definitely quicker to get at these tools from the case than by unlocking the phone and opening and navigating the app.
You can also remove pages from the swipe screen, streamlining it to just the things you regularly need like EQ, playback and ANC mode. Plus, some of these remain available by tapping the buds, so you may find you end up using a combination of methods to interact with them; it might just require a minor readjustment of your muscle memory. PCMag takes the view that “(some) features do feel wholly unnecessary, like the toggle for the auto play/pause function and a flashlight mode” but we’d counter that you can hide these, or simply not use them so it’s not a huge issue.
The Verge noted that one missing feature that would be a handy inclusion is track name display on the screen and that is certainly true – seeing the current track without pulling out your phone, assuming it’s technically possible.
These are feature-heavy earbuds with excellent battery life, solid if perhaps not category-leading sonic performance, and a touchscreen that is definitely not a gimmick. Don’t be surprised to see other companies try their own version of it in future.
The post JBL Tour Pro 2 brings a whole new way to control your wireless earbuds appeared first on MusicTech.

Boss launch AC-22LX Acoustic Amplifier Boss' new acoustic amp uses the company's new Air Feel technology to emulate the detail captured by stereo microphone setups.

3 timeless sound design tips from MYLK
We had the opportunity to sit down with veteran producer and vocalist MYLK to hear about the lessons she’s gathered across the span of her creative journey in sound design.

AI.com flips from ChatGPT to Elon Musk’s X.aiThere was a bit of a hubbub in February as it emerged that OpenAI had seemingly purchased AI.com in order to redirect it to the ChatGPT web interface. But now erstwhile backer, Twitter haver, and X lover Elon Musk appears to have taken the valuable domain off their hands, or else someone has done it for him: AI.com now redirects to X.ai, the billionaire’s embryonic machine learning research outfit.
Of course domains are bought and sold every day. But two-letter .com domains are rare and highly expensive, especially those that form words or familiar abbreviations. When AI.com started redirecting to OpenAI’s site, Mashable pointed out that the domain could hardly have sold for less than IT.com’s $3.8 million the previous year, and likely attained a far higher price given the hype around artificial intelligence in general.
No doubt OpenAI hoped that the purchase of AI.com would turn confused URL bar typers into lifetime users. Or perhaps it intended to eventually move its consumer-facing operations (like ChatGPT’s web client) over to the shorter domain. It seems we’ll never know, because now the domain goes to X.ai.
The news seems to have first been reported by Analytics India Magazine (perhaps a bidder itself at some point), but the truth is outside the transfer, there is precious little to say about the switch. It’s just bizarre and expensive enough to warrant noting here.
X.ai is still a largely notional organization, with a handful of academics and engineers working on, one imagines, whatever Musk tells them to. Its stated goal is “to understand the true nature of the universe,” but they haven’t made any visible progress since the site went up in July. Admittedly Musk has been busy during that time.

Elon Musk wants to build AI to ‘understand the true nature of the universe’

What could it mean? Did Sam Altman tire of his toy? Was the plan to shift to the new domain scrapped in favor of a new one? Was the sale tentative to begin with, or perhaps a month-to-month lease? Was there a bidding war, or did someone lose interest?
Whatever the case, it ends up just feeling like a couple rich guys squabbling over a shiny object. ChatGPT is the most recognizable brand in AI — so why pay millions to start a new one from scratch? And X.ai is already short and memorable (or at least it will be until there are 8 other Musk companies called X), and there’s nothing worth looking at on the site, so why pay so much to redirect another empty site? It’s worth noting that OpenAI never did actually confirm it bought the domain, and Musk has not yet, and would never return our emails.
Logo from a recent staging site for AI.com
I will say that if I had $10 million and the opportunity to buy AI.com, you know what I would do? Redirect it to the obvious candidate and then dangle it in front of their competitors for a 50% markup. If that didn’t work, I’d switch it to the rival and offer it to the first company. Here’s hoping some information superhighwayman (if you will) had the same brainwave and squeezed one of these billionaires for a solid payday. If so, well played.
I suspect that ultimately no one actually cares who owns AI.com, and people in fact may be suspicious of whatever corporate entity controls what is obviously a vanity domain. Let’s all just agree not to use it. That will teach everyone a lesson.

Age of AI: Everything you need to know about artificial intelligence

Curve, Metronome and Alchemix offering 10% bug bounty on Vyper hackThe exploit on July 30 resulted in the theft of roughly $70 million in cryptocurrencies, bringing the bounty close to $7 million.