NIVA State of Live: How US Independent Venues Power Local EconomiesAcross the United States, independent music venues are doing far more than hosting concerts—they are fueling jobs, tourism, and cultural connection in every community. A new state level reports from the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) shows just how vital these spaces are to state and local economies, while also highlighting the challenges threatening their survival.
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Get a free indie baritone guitar for Splice INSTRUMENT
Download our free indie baritone guitar plugin for Splice INSTRUMENT—grab these presets during the drop window and they’re yours to keep forever.

Why Sign With a Label?Why Sign With a Label? Weighing the value against independent release strategies in today’s music landscape.
The post Why Sign With a Label? appeared first on Hypebot.

Hisong AirStudio S1: the all-in-one mobile recording studio that literally fits in your pocketAudio tech startup Hisong has announced the AirStudio S1, a pocket-sized “recording capsule” that promises to simplify mobile music-making and content creation once and for all.
Designed for musicians, podcasters and streamers who need professional-grade audio without the bulk, AirStudio S1 combines a dual-mode microphone, wireless in-ear monitors, and a USB-C audio interface in a single pocket-sized device.

READ MORE: Pro Sound Effects launches CORE 7, a sound library for creators featuring over 1.3 million sounds and contributions from Oscar-winning artists

The goal? To make high-quality recording, monitoring and streaming possible anywhere without the hassle of tangled cables and external gear.
At its core, the AirStudio features a switchable condenser/dynamic mic with a built-in pop filter, capable of 24-bit/48kHz recording and handling up to 137dB SPL. An onboard DSP engine delivers EQ, compression, reverb and limiting, along with AI-powered noise reduction, all adjustable via the Hisong Link app.
Wireless monitoring is another major selling point. Hisong says the bundled in-ears offer “imperceptible” ultra-low latency, with up to 10 hours of battery life on the mic and 3.5 hours on the earbuds. The device can also double as a USB-C audio interface for laptops, tablets and smartphones, and comes with a free license for Steinberg’s Cubasis LE app to get users started right out of the box.
Three versions of the kit are available: The $299 4-in-1 Musician Kit, which includes the capsule, IEMs and interface; The $349 5-in-1 Creator Kit which adds a Wireless RX Mini dongle for USB-C connectivity; and the $399 Master Kit which includes the Wireless RX Plus with a 3.5mm output.
Hisong’s Kickstarter campaign for the AirStudio S1 launches 14 October, with early-bird VIP slots offering up to 40% off. First units are expected to ship on 30 November.

Learn more at Hisong.
The post Hisong AirStudio S1: the all-in-one mobile recording studio that literally fits in your pocket appeared first on MusicTech.

Metric Halo MELDMELD provides a comprehensive signal chain for your ATMOS and stereo mix processing: 12-band fully parametric EQ with Analyzer. Compressor. Limiter. Loudness/Clipping processor. MixHead tape saturation processor. All of the process blocks are dynamically reorderable and groupable across any number of instances. MELD is the answer to the problem of building a cohesive music mix in ATMOS. It was created to solve the key issue that John Hanes was encountering while building immersive ATMOS mixes to match stereo mix masters. In ATMOS immersive mixes, channels are mixed to beds and objects. A bed is a multichannel bus or stem, and may be processed similarly to how a stereo bus is processed (as long as you have multichannel capable tools - which MELD provides). Objects, which are required for immersive overhead panning, are panned by the renderer - which means they must be delivered discretely. Simply put, with ATMOS objects, when you are processing audio that conceptually forms a bus, the bus you are creating is virtual (as there is never a sum available in the mix environment). With a virtual bus there is no place to apply bus processing, which is a key technique in building proper music mixes for pop and rock. MELD elegantly and quickly solves this problem. It turns out that solving these problems in ATMOS mixes yields great benefits for stereo mixes as well. When you insert MELD into a session, every instance is aware of all the other instances. You can access any channel directly from within the MELD UI - no need to navigate your mix from the host DAW - everything (including Solo, Mute, Metering and grouping) is at your fingertips within the MELD UI. MELD has 26 virtual busses (groups); any instance can be added to a group. All instances in a group share the same processor settings. This allows you to apply the same processing to many channels - same as you would if you bussed them together and applied the processing on the bus. But each channel is still available discretely to be sent to objects or processed further. MELD also allows you to manage the detector sidechain for the dynamics processing blocks (Compressor and Limiter) in a group. This lets you key channels within a group or from any other channel or bus that has a MELD instance - all without having to manage complex routing within the host. The default shared-sidechain routing for groups allows you to achieve bus-compression for channels routed to objects. MELD also provides exciting new tricks that are unavailable in traditional bus-processing workflows; since the channels that are part of the bus are still available discretely after processing, you can adjust levels and EQ post-bus compression - whether or not you plan to send the channels to objects or simply submix them back to a stereo bus or a multichannel bed. And of course, it sounds great. Key Features World-class Signal Processing and Workflow 12-band Fully Parametric EQ w/ Analyzer. Compressor. Limiter. MixHead tape processing. Loudness clip processing. Instantaneous Process block reordering. User-Selectable Over-sampling (up to 16x). Process-overview UI. 26 Virtual Busses/Groups. Integrated Solo+Mute. Instance Table with project overview and metering. LUFs and True Peak Metering per channel. Reference LUFs and True Peak Metering readouts for selected channels. Support for Mono to 9.1.6 channel instances. Shared-sidechains between instances to support keying and virtual bus compression/limiting. Many presets included. Adjustable UI size. MH Preset Manager - Provides cross-platform presets. YouTube.com/watch?v=1H0Y-axDiy4 YouTube.com/watch?v=lwXYwjA4J68 Read More

API 312 joins Karno’s SEPIA platform The latest third-party module for Karno's SEPIA brings an official version of API's much-loved 312 mic pre to the modular platform.

Techivation launches M-Puncher 2 – a transient shaper for enhancing impact without increasing peak levelsTechivation – a UK-based brand specialising in music production tools and software – has unveiled M-Puncher 2, a new transient shaping plugin designed to enhance impact without increasing peak levels.
As the brand explains, some transient shapers can “throw your mix off balance by raising the peak levels unpredictably”. But M-Puncher 2 enables producers to add “punch and impact” to a track without the worry of raising these peak levels.

READ MORE: How to get better Google Search results: follow MusicTech on Google News and make us a Preferred Source

M-Puncher 2 includes features like tonal shaping for attacks, frequency-dependent targeting and even intelligent setting suggestions to streamline the mixing process.
Additionally, there’s a Thump-Presence slider, which offers another level of tonal control by allowing the user to adjust both the low end and high end without affecting overall tonal balance.

The aforementioned Mix Assistant is also on hand – powered by machine learning – to analyse audio and propose settings to optimise the user’s workflow.
M-Puncher 2 also features an updated interface compared to the previous iteration, with a waveform visualiser offering clear visual feedback on the effect the plugin is having on your mix.
Pricing and availability
M-Puncher 2 is available now – at an introductory price of $45 (down from $129) until 24 October – on both Windows and macOS, and in VST, VST3, AU and AAX formats, compatible with all major DAWs.
Owners of Techivation’s M-Puncher Mk1 can download M-Puncher 2 for $25, while owners of other Techivation plugins can purchase for $35. Additionally, Techivation Full Access users can download M-Puncher 2 totally free.
For more information, head to Techivation.
The post Techivation launches M-Puncher 2 – a transient shaper for enhancing impact without increasing peak levels appeared first on MusicTech.

Pro Sound Effects launches CORE 7, a sound library for creators featuring over 1.3 million sounds and contributions from Oscar-winning artistsIf there’s a sound you can imagine, Pro Sound Effects’ new CORE 7 library probably has it.
The Brooklyn-based company has unveiled the latest evolution of its flagship sound effects bundle, packing 1.3 million sounds across more than 650 categories, including 112,000 new recordings added in 2025.

READ MORE: KV331 Audio’s new SynthMaster 3 Player is made for those who prefer tweaking presets over designing sounds from scratch

For sound professionals working across film, television, games, and immersive media, CORE 7 is designed to be the one-stop sonic toolkit that keeps up with fast-changing production demands. The new edition adds 13 fresh libraries and high-profile collaborations with Oscar-winning sound designers Mark Mangini (Dune), Richard King, Alan Howarth, Dave Whitehead, alongside renowned nature recordist Chris Watson.
“CORE 7 reflects our commitment to giving creative professionals the tools they need to deliver world-class audio faster and more efficiently,” says Douglas Price, the founder and CEO of Pro Sound Effects. “By expanding our library with over 112,000 new sounds this year… we’re ensuring our users stay ahead of the creative and technical demands of today’s media landscape.”
Beyond its sheer size, CORE 7 stands out for its workflow optimisations. Every sound is meticulously tagged with Universal Category System (UCS) metadata, delivering faster, more accurate search results and saving valuable time – whether you’re accessing via the cloud or locally. Licensing is made simple too, with the promise of “lifetime, royalty-free, commercial usage”, saving you from any legal headaches.
CORE 7 is available via monthly and annual subscriptions, or as a lifetime license for those who prefer to own their library outright. Meanwhile, individual sounds can be searched, previewed, and purchased à la carte for $5 each, making Hollywood-grade audio accessible to creators of all budgets.
From now till 23 October, the bundle is available at up to 83% off its total value.

Learn more at Pro Sound Effects.
The post Pro Sound Effects launches CORE 7, a sound library for creators featuring over 1.3 million sounds and contributions from Oscar-winning artists appeared first on MusicTech.

How to get better Google Search results: follow MusicTech on Google News and make us a Preferred SourceWith more content available on the internet than ever, our feeds have never felt so cluttered. And this probably means what you really care about – the latest news, gear releases, artist insights and reviews from the world of music production and technology – feels sparser on your feed than you’d like.
That’s why you should make sure you’re following MusicTech on Google News, so you make sure you never miss the latest news from the world of music technology, or in-depth interviews with DJs and veteran producers and expert reviews on the latest synths, DJ controllers and software.
To follow us, simply head to Google News, enter ‘MusicTech’ in the search bar, and hit follow in the top right-hand corner. Easy!
Additionally, Google has just introduced a new feature – Preferred Sources – which allows you to manually curate your own Google News feed, prioritising your favourite outlets, including MusicTech, obviously. But how does it work?
The feature is currently only available in the US and India, but should be rolling out to other countries soon.
Adding MusicTech to your list of Preferred Sources is straightforward and will ensure you never miss our content.
So if you’re reading from the US or India, simply click this link right here, and tick the box next to MusicTech.com to add us to your Preferred Sources. In return we’ll make sure we deliver you the very best music technology content.
Alternatively, you can follow these steps directly from the Google homepage to add MusicTech as one of your Preferred Sources:

Visit the Google homepage and search for any news story
Hit the icon next to ‘Top Stories’ that looks like a box with a star in it
Type ‘MusicTech.com’ in the search box that then appears
When you see MusicTech.com show up, check the box to the right
Hit the ‘reload results’ button and enjoy more MusicTech in your searching!

Credit: MusicTech
It’s also worth noting that by adding MusicTech as a Preferred Source, you won’t only see MusicTech content – you’re basically just telling Google that you like what we do and that you want to see more of it in your feed.
You’re also free to remove any Preferred Sources at any time following the same method, though with MusicTech’s top-quality content we doubt we’ll ever lose a place in your list…
“When you select your preferred sources, you’ll start to see more of their articles prominently displayed within Top Stories, when those sources have published fresh and relevant content for your search,” says Google.
So it’s as simple as that – by following these steps you can have MusicTech’s news, features, and reviews front and centre in your “Top Stories” and “From your sources” sections on Google.
The post How to get better Google Search results: follow MusicTech on Google News and make us a Preferred Source appeared first on MusicTech.

Get Matra, a versatile delay effect by Karanyi Sounds, for FREE in a LIMITED time offer
If you’re on the lookout for an addition to your delay effects, Karanyi Sounds currently offers their flexible Matra delay plugin for free! I couldn’t determine the exact time window for this offer, so act quickly if you want to secure the plugin. You must provide an email address, and Karanyi Sounds will instantly send [...]
View post: Get Matra, a versatile delay effect by Karanyi Sounds, for FREE in a LIMITED time offer

Elysia’s xmax could be the only piece of outboard gear you need to inject analogue vibe and finalise your mixesRack version £1449 / 500 series £949 / qube £1349, elysia.com
Elysia is a brand well known for a combination of great quality and versatile analogue gear, typically at an attainable price, save for its most coveted, high-end pieces.
The new xmax is no exception. It’s a master bus processor with both multi-band and mid-sides.

READ MORE: iZotope Ozone 12’s AI assistant is cool, but the Stem EQ is the real star

VCA-flavour compression, soft clipping, stereo enhancement and a simple EQ. This unique combination makes xmax a compelling all-in-one box for mix bus and mastering. There’s a lot to unpack, so let’s dig in.
My review unit comes as a 1-U rack unit, but two alternative options are available; a double-width 500 series unit, or the qube version – a 500 unit mounted into an individual enclosure that is ready to plug in and make music. Out of its box, the first impression is of quality. There’s an all-metal case, controls are sensibly laid out, there’s a satisfying click to switches and knobs have 41-step positions with soft detents – striking the ideal balance between dialling in changes in small increments and the ability to recall settings later on.

What can the Elysia xmax do?
The conventional stereo signal entering the xmax is first encoded into mid/sides. From here, the mid component of the mid/sides encode is split into two bands labelled Low and Mid using a variable crossover (the X-freq knob). Low compresses everything in the M/S mid component below the crossover, and Mid, everything in the M/S mid component above the crossover, including high frequencies. The naming convention is a little confusing, but perhaps unavoidably so, so it’s worth taking a quick look at the signal flow diagram below. It’s one of those rare moments where reading the flippin’ manual is important. Side represents the full-range sides component of the mid/sides encode.
The first set of controls establish the compression threshold for these three components, and these work on a ‘turn-up-for-more’ basis. Typically, you’d apply most compression in the Low band to take care of kick drums and bass lines that need better dynamic control. The next two threshold controls are more everything above the set crossover point, split into mid and sides (M/S). More gentle compression can be applied to the Mid component above the crossover, meaning vocals are left to breathe rather than sounding squashy. Conversely, turning up the sides threshold knob gives more compression to side elements (hard-panned instruments, stereo reverb and delay tails etc), taking away some of their transients so they don’t mask the vocal and snare while also adding sustain where required. Extremely neat.
The second section is labelled Control. First in this section is the variable crossover frequency, then a Time knob to control release, and finally Link. When turned up, link, erm, links the compression of the three different components so that when turned to maximum, you have a single-band compressor instead of a multi-band one. This is more suited for applying subtle mix bus compression for glue, rather than a slamming master. The hidden advantage though is, using the three threshold controls, you have multiple sensors for when the compression should cut in. The obvious example on a mix bus would be to set the Low band’s threshold knob to a low position (which is actually a high threshold) to stop every kick drum activating the compressor and making the whole mix pump.
Rack version. Image: Press
On the opposite side of the rack are the Gain and Shape sections. Gain houses the make-up gain for each of the three components. Since low frequencies tend to get compressed the most, these get brought up by make-up gain the most too, perhaps with a bit of extra boost to make the low end punch. Mid gain is most likely to undergo a small shift according to the amount of compression taking place, but Side is where the magic takes place. An extra boost on the sides beyond that needed to compensate for compression gives you natural-sounding stereo widening. And if the mix you’ve been delivered sounds too wide already, just attenuate the side gain to give more focus to centre-panned tracks. Magic.
Shape gives the final polish for audio passing through xmax. Tone is a fixed high shelf and S-clip is a soft clipper designed to round off harsh transients and avoid converter clipping, rather than adding an obvious colour to the sound. Finally, Level controls the master output. By this point, the mid/sides components have been decoded back to left/right, conventional stereo signals.
Three switches in the centre take care of bypass (quirkily labelled Hit it!), Punch (which switches between a lighter compression ratio of 1.45:1 to a heavier 2.55:1 and Lowmo. A common mid/side master bus trick is to high-pass the sides component of the mix, so that effects tails, room ambience and hard-panned tracks don’t sound too bassy at the extremes of the stereo field, for a more controlled and centre-focused sound. Lowmo offers a quick and simple way to gently high-pass the sides from 150 Hz downwards.
Rack version. Image: Press
What’s the xmax like to use?
Put to work, xmax swiftly earns its place as a one-box wonder for mastering. Set up on the master bus using the I/O plugin in Logic Pro I test the xmax on a wide variety of project styles. I’d ultimately add a software limiter at the end of the chain to bring the level up to the required LUFS value, but do demonstrate what xmax is capable of and in attempt to approximately level-match the before and after, it’s xmax only in the demo clips. Lowmo is used to high-pass the sides throughout, but the effect is pretty subtle. I’d have liked a couple of cut-off or slope settings here, but you can’t have everything I suppose.
I receive two pre-masters from Cambridge-based friends, Future Infinite and route them through the xmax. For Short Change, featuring Ozay Moore, Punch is selected for a higher ratio and I apply heavier compression to lows and more subtle gain reduction to the remaining two bands. Sides make-up gain gets an extra boost to enhance wideness, and low band make-up is given a healthy boost for added sub-bass heft. Soft clipping is used at 30%, to reduce transients a touch without sounding crunchy, while the high shelf Tone knob is left alone as it sounds a little harsh for this track.
For Golden, I once again select Punch and dial in plenty of compression on both the low frequency and sides bands, while only taming the sharpest peaks of the mid component. Kicks and bass are brought under tight control and there’s lots of extra sustain throughout the frequency spectrum. Sides benefit from a generous boost in make-up to noticeably widen the mix and emphasise ambient guitar textures, and I’m pretty bold with soft clipping too as it suits the track. A miniscule shelf boost sounds pleasant here, but it’s easy to overdo this and render the hi-hats too harsh.
On other tracks –with principally acoustic instruments– I experience similar results. Low frequency punch is tightened and the mid range is hugged nicely by the compression. I tip up low end with extra make-up gain, plus a tiny high shelf lift to create a tasteful loudness curve, and setting soft clipping at around 30% to help tame peaks. The result is warm, life-like tones that cannot easily be replicated with plugins.
Qube version. Image: Press
Who should buy the Elysia xmax?
Xmax is a perfect fit for anyone looking to get into hardware mixing and mastering without going too far down the rabbit hole.
It’s a virtually perfect one-box solution for introducing analogue vibe through compression, saturation and tone shaping, while also offering creative stereo enhancement possibilities. Just be sure to keep the signal flow diagram to hand.
Qube version. Image: Press
Key features

Stereo analogue multi-band, mid/sides mastering processor
VCA-style compression
Fixed compression ratios of 1.45:1 and 2.55:1
Variable crossover frequency to split mid component of M/S into two bands
Variable release time
150 Hz high-pass filter for sides component
Separate make-up gains, allowing bass boost and stereo widening
Fixed high shelf EQ
Soft clipper
LED metering
41-step soft detent knobs

The post Elysia’s xmax could be the only piece of outboard gear you need to inject analogue vibe and finalise your mixes appeared first on MusicTech.

Binance says tokens did not crash to $0, claims 'display' issue responsibleThe tokens did not actually crash to $0, but users saw tokens drop to nearly $0 due to a 'display' issue, the Binance exchange said.

DIY 35mm Film ScanningIf you are sitting on a horde of negatives, waiting for the digital photography fad to die off, it may be time to think about digitizing your old film. [Kinpro1024] can help with the PiDigitzier, an open-source film scanning solution. The build centers around a Pi Zero 2, a Pi HQ camera, and a diffusing  LED lighting fixture. Of course, there’s also some miscellaneous hardware and a camera lens; the example used a Pentax 50 mm f1.8 lens.
Half of the project is mechanical. An MDF tower provides a stable 250 mm workspace and decks that can slide up and down using threaded rods and curtain rods. Apparently, leveling the platforms is important not only for the optics but also to allow the MDF to move along the rods without binding.

On the software side, some Python software orchestrates the capture and builds a high-resolution scan by combining three different images from different positions. As you might expect, though, the image stitching doesn’t occur on the Pi.
[Kinpro1024] has only scanned black and white film so far because the LEDs have a poor color rendering index. If you wanted to scan color film, you may have to experiment with better lighting or software correction. The camera’s rolling shutter also causes some issues if the LEDs don’t hold their intensity through the entire scan. You could, of course, replace this with a global shutter camera.
Stray light can also be a problem. Ideally, you’d use bellows like a big camera, but if that’s not available, you can wing it with some homemade light baffles.
If you decide you want to try color, you will be interested in this project. You might also think of raiding the kids’ Lego box.

Golden Screw Studio Psytrance EssentialsEmbark on a mind-bending journey through 58 Vital presets built for Psytrance, Goa, Hitech. From hypnotic leads to glitchy sequences and pristine pads, this pack delivers ready-to-play sounds that spark creativity. What's Inside? 58 Total Presets to electrify your tracks: 15 Leads – soaring, twisted, and otherworldly voices. 10 Pads – lush, evolving textures for immersive soundscapes. 10 Plucks – sharp, rhythmic arps and melodic pops. 10 Sequences – off-kilter loops and quirky patterns for movement. 10 SFX – transitions, and psychedelic flourishes. 3 Basses – deep subs and resonant drivers tailored for Psytrance. Product details: 53 Wavetables — From crunchy analog scans to crystalline digital shapes, primed for modulation. 44 LFO Shapes — Custom rhythms and envelopes to breathe life into every preset. 50.7 MB unzipped — Lightweight, fast download and install. 100% Royalty-Free — Use in your tracks, streams, films, or live sets without restrictions. Why You'll Love It: Plug & Play – minimal macro mapping; jump straight into creativity. Beginner & Pro-Friendly – expertly designed by VibraNova to inspire both newcomers and seasoned producers with zero tweaking needed. Volume-Oriented – perfect for crafting hypnotic Psytrance, Goa, Hitech and beyond. https://youtu.be/SD_hOgzudnQ?si=d_9Z57hVtGaPfDu2 https://youtu.be/WLHShGRk8Sk?si=niHGiQSoVEnD2iN9 Read More

The ZoraSafe app wants to protect older people online and will present at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 ZoraSafe is designed to protect some of the least protected internet users out there: your parents and grandparents.