Get a MajorDecibel Plugin of Your Choice for Free
You can currently snap up almost any MajorDecibel plugin for free by using the coupon code ‘FREEPLUGIN’. The code works with any of MajorDecibel’s plugins, except Mastering Studio Rx. That means you can score one of the following plugins for free: Dynamics ($19), Equalizer ($19), Spatializer ($19), Limiter ($19), and the most exciting of all, [...]
View post: Get a MajorDecibel Plugin of Your Choice for Free

Sample Logic GrainScaperWHAT IS GRAINSCAPER? ELEVATE YOUR SOUND WITH NEXT-GEN GRANULAR SYNTHESIS. Unlock the power of sound with GrainScaper – a cutting-edge tool designed to elevate your music productions. Harness the magic of granular synthesis, breaking audio into tiny "grains" to create entirely new textures, evolving soundscapes, and complex sonic worlds. With precise control over pitch, timing, density, and more, you can craft shimmering atmospheres, rhythmic patterns, and otherworldly effects like never before. Perfect for electronic music, soundscapes, film scores, and experimental genres, our plug-in empowers you to push the limits of sound design and redefine what's possible in your productions. GrainScaper at a Glance: 240 Granular Presets. 4 independent grain modules with dedicated cloud mixing. Drag & Drop modulators. XY spatial controller. Built in Master effects. Realtime virtual instrument or audio processing. Randomizer for quick inspiration. Overview Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4GTrTXqVdo Read More

How Publishing Works and Songwriters Get PaidThis week, Ari is joined by Mag Rodriguez, founder and CEO of EVEN to discuss how direct-to-fan platforms are changing the game for artists.

Elon Musk says he may keep doing DOGE work for ‘the remainder’ of Trump’s termTesla CEO Elon Musk says he may keep doing work with the Department of Government Efficiency through the remainder of President Donald Trump’s second term, amid calls for him to step away from politics. Musk said he plans to reduce his role with DOGE to a “day or two” per week starting next month, “or […]

Sperzel Style 1-Pin InvisoMatch PlatesGraph Tech Guitar Labs has announced the latest addition to its InvisoMatch® Adapter Plates lineup: a new set of Sperzel-style 1-pin plates. "With this release, Graph Tech now offers seven different InvisoMatch® plates, allowing guitarists around the world to upgrade to Ratio® Machine Heads without drilling, filling, or damaging their instrumentsm" they say."Whether you're replacing tuners on a Fender®, PRS®, Gibson®, or now a guitar with Sperzel-style tuners, there's an InvisoMatch plate that lets you make the switch — cleanly and easily."Specs are as follows:The Full InvisoMatch® Adapter Plates Line-up Now Includes:1. Fender® 2-pin 2. Fender® 2-pin (Deluxe Style) 3. Vintage-style 6-in-line 4. Vintage-style 3+3 5. Modern 45-degree screw 6. Offset screw 7. NEW! Sperzel-style 1-pinEach plate is designed to align perfectly with your guitar’s existing mounting holes, so you can drop in Ratio® Machine Heads with no drilling and no extra holes, keeping your guitar in original condition while upgrading to better performance.Why Upgrade to Ratio®?Unlike standard tuners, Ratio® Machine Heads use individual gear ratios for each string, delivering a consistent and intuitive tuning feel across the entire set. This means:·       More precise and predictable tuning·       No overshooting·       Faster string changes and better tuning stabilityThe complete range of InvisoMatch® Adapter Plates, including the new Sperzel-style 1-pin plates, is available now at graphtech.com and through authorized dealers worldwide.Finish: Chrome, Nickel,  Black. GoldExplore All InvisoMatch® Plates: graphtech.com/pages/invisomatch-mounting-platesView the New Sperzel-Style Plates: Click hereLink to online-related content: https://graphtechguitarlabs2.box.com/s/0a84d25kguq3atiwjcc22nsib3clk4xn

The post Sperzel Style 1-Pin InvisoMatch Plates first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

DIY Record Cutting Lathe is Really GroovyBack in the day, one of the few reasons to prefer compact cassette tape to vinyl was the fact you could record it at home in very good fidelity. Sure, if you had the scratch, you could go out and get a small batch of records made from that tape, but the machinery to do it was expensive and not always easy to come by, depending where you lived. That goes double today, but we’re in the middle of a vinyl renaissance! [ronald] wanted to make records, but was unable to find a lathe, so decided to take matters into his own hands, and build his own vinyl record cutting lathe.
[ronald’s] record cutting lathe looks quite professional.It seems like it should be a simple problem, at least in concept: wiggle an engraving needle to scratch grooves in plastic. Of course for a stereo record, the wiggling needs to be two-axis, and for stereo HiFi you need that wiggling to be very precise over a very large range of frequencies (7 Hz to 50 kHz, to match the pros). Then of course there’s the question of how you’re controlling the wiggling of this engraving needle. (In this case, it’s through a DAC, so technically this is a CNC hack.) As often happens, once you get down to brass tacks (or diamond styluses, as the case may be) the “simple” problem becomes a major project.
The build log discusses some of the challenges faced–for example, [ronald] started with locally made polycarbonate disks that weren’t quite up to the job, so he has resigned himself to purchasing professional vinyl blanks. The power to the cutting head seems to have kept creeping up with each revision: the final version, pictured here, has two 50 W tweeters driving the needle.
That necessitated a better amplifier, which helped improve frequency response. So it goes; the whole project took [ronald] fourteen months, but we’d have to say it looks like it was worth it. It sounds worth it, too; [ronald] provides audio samples; check one out below.  Every garage band in Queensland is going to be beating a path to [ronald’s] door to get their jam sessions cut into “real” records, unless they agree that physical media deserved to die.

https://hackaday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/01_Test-Cut-6th-April-2025-Move-For-Me.wav
 
Despite the supposedly well-deserved death of physical media, this isn’t the first record cutter we have featured. If you’d rather copy records than cut them, we have that too. There’s also the other kind of vinyl cutter, which might be more your speed.
 

Yraki releases LayerLab Device for Ableton Mariano Sibilia, or Yraki, has announced the release of a new Max for Live Device that’s capable of creating new one-shot sounds from a collection of loaded samples. 

Sampling permafrost: The world’s quietest climate change threat
Musicians Charles Van Kirk and David Crowell traveled to Alaska to sonify permafrost, the world's quietest climate change threat.

‘My interest is purely about what’s right for the artist… who also happens to be my daughter.’Dugi Lipa is the manager (and father) of Dua Lipa, one of the most successful global pop stars of recent years. His own story is pretty incredible in its own right...
Source

Toontrack Music Beat Revamper EZmix Pack Beat Revamper EZmix Pack is an expansion for EZmix 3 focusing on creative sound design and experimental mixing for drums. This release marks the ninth expansion created uniquely for the new EZmix 3 format launched in Q4 2024. If you're looking for ideas for whenever you stumble on a drum part or beat in need of a new suit, this collection of presets for EZmix 3 is what to reach for. Featuring anything from the basic and mildly saturated to the completely mind-bendingly warped and experimental, it has settings that can be applied in virtually any context, genre or style. Be it for acoustic drums that may be lacking grit, flavor or vibe or for any stock- or static-sounding electronic beat in need of more organic mojo, dive into this pack and revel in presets that include overdriven amps, LFOs, feedback, pitch shifters and practically any other effect you can think of. As always with EZmix 3 and any collection of presets, don't let any instrument indicator dictate what you ultimately apply a setting to – experiment, stack, mix and match and let your ears guide you to where you want to go. This is a preset pack all about the beats and for making sure you don't miss a single one. Be it when mixing, painting with sound or composing – make an impact. Feature Spotlight: An expansion for EZmix 3. Presets designed primarily for drums but applicable on any audio source. Featuring complex chains of amps and effects involving reverbs, delays, distortion, LFOs and more. Ideal for elaborate sound design and experimental mixing. Read More

Deadmau5 apologises for drunken Coachella set: “Lemme work on some new music, and come back better”Deadmau5 has apologised following a drunken set at Coachella, which was reportedly cut short.
The artist, whose real name is Joel Zimmerman, performed under his Testpilot alias alongside ZHU at the festival last Friday (18 April) on its electronic stage, Quasar. Videos later surfaced online showing them drinking together, with some showing Zimmerman falling over and slurring his words when speaking through the mic.

READ MORE: Watch deadmau5 play the medieval EP-1320 while wearing a suit of armour. No, seriously

@edmboon
Deadmau5 took to the mic after the set was stopped #Deadmau5 #ZHU #Coachella2025 #FestivalDrama #SetCutShort #EDM #MusicFestival #LiveSetGoneWrong #TooLit #DJLife #RaveCulture #CoachellaVibes #UnfilteredFestival
♬ original sound – EDMBOON

Zimmerman later took to Instagram to share that he doesn’t “remember a thing” from the set, and that it would likely be his last Coachella performance. The electronic artist has been an open critic of other festival performances in the past, notably Grimes’ when she suffered major technical difficulties last year.
Another post from him later reads, “Man, even my cat is disappointed in me. Though, it could be argued that she always has been. Sorry about last night. To be fair, I felt the first 3/4 was great! Huge shout out to Zhu for introducing me to whisky and carrying my dumb ass till the bitter end. Lemme quit smoking, do some personal resetting here at home, find my spirit animal, work on some new music, and come back better.” Another post shows a video of his cat, with the simple caption of “I’m fine thanks.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by deadmau5 (@deadmau5)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by deadmau5 (@deadmau5)

In other deadmau5 news, back in March it was revealed that he had sold his catalogue to Create Music Group for $55 million. The deal means Create acquires the rights to the mau5trap Records catalogue, meaning the company now owns more than 4,000 new songs in total. It also marks the beginning of a new partnership between Create Music Group and deadmau5, who will work together on future deadmau5 records and mau5trap label releases.
The post Deadmau5 apologises for drunken Coachella set: “Lemme work on some new music, and come back better” appeared first on MusicTech.

Sesh superfan platform adds $7M, innovative Member CardThe Sesh superfan platform has raised $7 million to date. Like its many competitors, it connects artists directly with fans while giving them full ownership of the data. But Sesh adds an innovative twist.
The post Sesh superfan platform adds $7M, innovative Member Card appeared first on Hypebot.

Artificial “mini-brain” made from blood cells of composer Alvin Lucier is making music – four years after his deathAn artificial brain made using blood cells from composer Alvin Lucier is making posthumous music, four years after his passing.
The American composer was the first artist to use brainwaves to generate live sound in his famous piece, Music for Solo Performer, back in 1965. Lucier was known for his experimental compositions, also notably the sound art piece, I Am Sitting In A Room. He died in 2021.

READ MORE: One of the world’s smallest acoustic pianos raises $45k on Kickstarter

In 2020, Lucier gave his permission to a team of scientists and artists to carry out the project, and agreed to donate his blood. Called Revivification, it was created by artists Nathan Thompson, Guy Ben-Ary, and Matt Gingold, alongside neuroscientist Stuart Hodgetts, as per The Guardian.
For the project, Lucier’s white blood cells were reprogrammed into stem cells and transformed into cerebral organoids, described as “clusters of neurons that mimic the human brain”. The artificial mini-brain is now on display in the Art Gallery of Western Australia, where a raised plinth hosts a magnifying lens showing “two white blobs” which form the lab-grown brain, as it composes “a posthumous score in real time”.
As outlined on the art gallery’s website, the walls of the exhibition are lined with 20 large, curved brass plates that are both sculptural and the source of the immersive sound environment. Each of the plates is directly connected to the neural activity of the brain organoid. “As the ‘in-vitro brain’s” signals pulse through transducers and actuators, they strike the brass, creating complex, sustained resonances that fill the space with sound”, the gallery explains.

Artist Ben-Ary says the team involved are “very interested to know whether the organoid is going to change or learn over time”. As for the ethical and philosophical questions raised by the project, the team say Revivification “is art first and science second”.
“Where does creativity lie?” Thompson tells The Guardian. “As cultural workers, we are really interested in these big questions. But this work is not giving the answers. Instead we want to invite conversations … Can creativity exist outside of the human body? And is it even ethical to do so?”
You can find out more about Revivification via the Art Gallery of Western Australia.
The post Artificial “mini-brain” made from blood cells of composer Alvin Lucier is making music – four years after his death appeared first on MusicTech.

“We recommend ordering within this month”: Sonicware warns price of its CyDrums drum machine will rise from $399 to over $900 due to Trump tariffs Hefty tariffs imposed by US president Donald Trump are already wreaking havoc, as manufacturer Sonicware now warns that the price of its CyDrums drum machine will likely jump to over $900 from a much smaller price tag of $399 for customers based in the States.
President Trump has already placed a 10 per cent universal tariff on the import of goods from foreign countries, but even higher rates – which he calls “reciprocal tariffs” – could be put in place for further specified countries by July. There is currently a 90-day pause on these higher tariffs for all countries except China, which is facing a whopping 145 per cent duty.

READ MORE: How will Trump’s tariffs affect the music gear and vinyl pressing industries? A Billboard journalist breaks it down

In a new notice on its website, Sonicware writes, “Due to new US customs regulations, a 145 per cent duty will apply to China-made products, including this item. This $399 item will incur over $578 in additional import charges starting next month. We recommend ordering within this month to avoid the new duties.”
A similar notice is also placed under many of its other products, including its SmplTrek portable sampler, which will face an extra $622 in import charges. Sonicware is based in Japan but some of its products are manufactured or use parts from China, hence the additional charges.
Recently, NAMM president and CEO John Mlynczak urged the Trump administration to “exempt musical instruments and accessories, along with materials used to manufacture musical products” from the tariffs.
In a statement he said, “The negative effects of these measures threaten the economic and cultural impact of US-made musical instruments and accessories, as well as cause our US music products industry to lose its global competitive advantage in producing high-quality products, especially at professional and entry levels.
“The 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs announced last week via executive order  is a welcomed measure, but the continued unpredictability of these tariff actions makes it difficult for companies to react in a meaningful way… The effects of these sudden and unpredictable tariff actions will have a long-term effect on musicians worldwide.”
Check out more from Sonicware. We will continue to report on any tariff updates that will impact the music industry.
The post “We recommend ordering within this month”: Sonicware warns price of its CyDrums drum machine will rise from $399 to over $900 due to Trump tariffs  appeared first on MusicTech.

Reverb is now independently operated again after being sold by EtsyReverb has been sold by Etsy, and is now a privately held, independently operated company for the first time since 2019.
The online music gear marketplace has been bought by Creator Partners and Servco, two investment firms with strong ties to the music industry. Creator Partners, for example, owns SoundCloud and BMI, while Servco is a majority shareholder of Fender. Creator Partners founder is also the former CEO of SoundCloud.

READ MORE: “We need more listeners and dancers and less DJs”: JKriv says DJs should have “more anonymity” when performing

Reverb CEO David Mandelbrot stresses that Reverb will not be merging with Creator Partners, Servco, or any of the companies in which they invest, that Reverb’s team will remain intact and that buyers and sellers on the platform will not notice any disruption as a result of the deal.
“Creator Partners and Servco share our passion for the musical instruments industry and a community-first approach, plus a deep desire to strengthen creative industries,” Mandelbrot says. 
“The musicians, shops, and brands who use Reverb have always been at the centre of all that we do, and these two partners will help us support our music-making community in new and better ways.”
Reverb also says that while both Creator Partners and Servco are investors in Fender, Fender will not receive preferential treatment on the platform as a result of the deal.
“We’ve got a lot of exciting changes in the works,” Mandelbrot says. “We’re expanding access to music-making software on Reverb and we’re getting ready to pilot a new option for selling that allows musicians to get paid faster, while skipping the listing and shipping process.
“Our teams are working on improving our search functionality, making it easier to ship, and shortening the time it takes to resolve support issues. All in all, there’s a lot for our community to look forward to and I’m very excited about what’s coming as we move forward as an independent company again.”
“Reverb is the #1 global marketplace for musicians, and a one-of-a-kind platform that has transformed access to quality used gear for creators of all levels,” says Creator Partners founder Kerry Trainor. “We are thrilled to join the Reverb mission to make the world more musical, and grow the entire industry through seamless secondhand commerce.”
“We are thrilled and honoured to be a part of Reverb’s continued success,” adds Executive Chair of Servco, Mark Fukunaga. “For nearly 90 years, Servco has been deeply involved in musical instruments and music education programs. And we remain committed to being good stewards of leading musical instrument companies, like Reverb, and supporting players everywhere in pursuing their passion to create music.”
Learn more about Reverb, Creator Partners and Servco.
The post Reverb is now independently operated again after being sold by Etsy appeared first on MusicTech.