Arturia’s KeyStep 37 mk2 brings new generative tools to assist with forming musical ideasArturia has unveiled the KeyStep 37 mk2, the next-generation of its versatile 37-key controller and sequencer.
Expanding on the first-edition KeyStep 37, the mk2 version brings a number of upgrades, including a clearer OLED display, expanded connectivity, a more powerful 64-step sequencer – with eight-voice polyphony – and a 16-mode arpeggiator and an overall refreshed design.

READ MORE: “A new standard for vocal manipulation”: UJAM’s Voxcraft is its first plugin dedicated to vocal processing – here’s what you need to know

The KeyStep 37 mk2 also brings new generative tools like Mutate, Spice and a Phrase Arpeggiator, all of which transform sequences or arpeggios instantly without stopping the music. There’s also Scale and Chord Modes to assist with musical idea generation like harmonies or melodies.
The unit also boasts new physical controls, with five more keys, two additional buttons and four knobs to control sub-menus. The addition of new tactile controls, Arturia says, “drastically enhances the overall playability of the instrument while keeping the same amount of functionality”.

Users also get new visual feedback, with a strip of LEDs over the keybed which indicate the notes being played on the keyboard at a given time. Of course, you’ve also got pitch bend and mod strips, as well as 37 velocity-sensitive keys with aftertouch. There’s also four mode-aware encoder knobs for fast Seq/Arq/Chord/Mutate editing without having to “menu-dive”.
The KeyStep mk2’s aforementioned expanded connectivity means users can control modular, vintage and modern gear alike alongside your DAW, while there’s also a controllable CV/Gate, MIDI DIN, Sync I/O and USB-C.
KeyStep 37 mk2 is more than keys,” says Arturia. “It’s a sequencer, arpeggiator, and musical nerve-centre that bridges hardware and software so you can compose, jam, and perform anywhere your ideas take you.”
Price-wise, the KeyStep mk2 clocks in at €189, €60 over the first KeyStep’s €129 price tag. For more information, head to Arturia.
The post Arturia’s KeyStep 37 mk2 brings new generative tools to assist with forming musical ideas appeared first on MusicTech.

Bela open pre-orders for Trails The Trails builds on the success of the Gliss, expanding on the idea of recordable touch control and presenting users with a fully polyphonic system that offers a fresh new take on music creation. 

SSL autoSeries Bundle review: Smarter mixing or just another SSL plugin collection?£119 (£79 introductory price), solidstatelogic.com
Whether it’s made by Waves, Universal Audio, Brainworx, Softube, or an indie developer, chances are you have at least one plugin emulation of a console-style SSL processor. So why would you need more SSL plugins?

READ MORE: Arturia Pigments 7 review: “Almost a no-brainer at $199”

Well, autoSeries Bundle has a slightly different design philosophy compared to previous plugins of this kind. Rather than taking a piece of the famous SSL 4000 console and making it available in your DAW in its detailed entirety, autoSeries is focused only on the elements that are truly relevant to in-the-box music production and mixing.
In 2023, SSL’s parent company, Audiotonix, bought Sonible — an acquisition that enabled the technological cross-pollination that is evident in autoSeries. The result is a suite of three plugins: the autoBUS, based on the SL 4000 G-Series bus compressor; the autoDYN, based on the E-Series dynamics section with compressor and expander/gate; and the autoEQ, also based on the E-Series.
Together, the autoSeries trio becomes a toolbox for processing individual tracks, channel groups, and your master bus. Naturally, you can use the autoEQ before the autoDYN or autoBUS dynamics plugins in your processing chain, after them, or both.

What exactly does the AI do in autoSeries?
Each of the three plugins in autoSeries is equipped with the magical green Sonible Learn button that allows the AI engine to analyse the input signal. When you activate the AI, the process works in a slightly different way in the backend of each plugin. On autoBUS, it takes a reading of the peak and average loudness to help you get the best glue compression for your mix or channel group.
The AI works similarly on autoDYN, but pays closer attention to dynamic range and transient behaviour. Meanwhile, autoEQ uses spectral analysis to identify masking and mud-prone areas of the frequency range. However, before you analyse the incoming signal, two features on each plugin provide context and help target the process more accurately.
The first aspect is Profile — this allows you to select the type of instrument you’re working with, and in some cases, the range. For example, if you select the Vocals High profile, you have the perfect setting to analyse a soprano-range lead vocal.
The second function, Style, lets you choose between three character settings that determine the tonal or dynamic processing approach you’d like to take. This allows you to guide how the AI-assistance determines the ideal compression or EQ settings by selecting Bright or Strong settings accordingly. Then, when you hit the Learn button, the analysis takes about 5-10 seconds before the plugin automatically loads the suggested settings. As you adjust parameters, you’ll notice that a green ring surrounds the control that glows brighter as you move further away from the original AI-suggested position.
The concept behind the workflow is to provide you with a creative starting point rather than a finite setting. There will still be cases where autoEQ isn’t cutting quite enough 6 kHz from your drum EQ or autoDYN isn’t grabbing the transients quickly enough. If this is the case, you simply check your Profile and Style settings, as you may need to reanalyse or make manual adjustments.
SSL autoEQ. Image: Press
How does autoSeries compare to other SSL-style EQ and compressor plugins?
If you’ve used an SSL bus compressor, channel strip EQ, or dynamics plugin before, the first thing you’ll notice is that the focus of autoSeries is slightly different. Instead of trying to mimic every aspect of the real-life design, there is a distinctive shift toward workflow fluency in every area.
Make no mistake, the autoSeries plugins still sound and behave like SSL EQs and compressors should, but the interface design allows you to dial in your sounds rapidly so that you can move on to the next part of your mix that needs attention.
When you approach an SSL channel strip as a new user, there is that moment of “Hmmm, where do I start?” as you inspect the various processing sections. With autoSeries, SSL has worked hard to eliminate any learning curves or unfamiliarity. To achieve this, the control layout of each plugin is laid out horizontally rather than its traditional vertical orientation. This instinctively suggests a left-to-right workflow progression, which feels more streamlined and similar to many plugins you’ll find in your DAW.
Another key aspect of the autoSeries plugin interfaces is the use of interactive visuals that demonstrate exactly how the various parameters are affecting the signal. As you hover the mouse pointer over each control, you get a detailed reading of the parameter setting, while the visualiser screen gives you a reading of the compressor behaviour or EQ curve.
SSL autoBUS. Image: Press
Why choose SSL autoSeries?
SSL’s autoSeries provides the perfect introduction to the brand’s channel strip and bus processing, with an intuitive workflow that even rivals plugins that aren’t limited by being based on hardware interfaces. The use of AI-assisted technology is not invasive, so you might even stop using the analysis function when you’ve truly mastered the processing workflow.
This makes autoSeries ideal for experienced users who like the SSL sound and way of doing things but want a faster workflow. Meanwhile, those new to the idea of using plugins based on the 4000 Series consoles have an excellent platform for learning the ropes while using professional tools at the same time.
For £119, autoSeries is a competitively-priced collection of plugins you’ll likely use on many channels in your DAW projects. You’ll probably find, however, that cheaper alternatives are available for your needs.
SSL autoDYN. Image: Press
Key features

AAX / AU / VST2 / VST3 plugin
Analogue modeling of SL 4000 E channel strip and G-Series Bus Compressor
Compressor/limiter and expander/gate
4-band EQ with 242 ‘Black Knob’
SonibleAI-assisted signal analysis

The post SSL autoSeries Bundle review: Smarter mixing or just another SSL plugin collection? appeared first on MusicTech.

Arturia announce FX Collection 6 Arturia’s flagship effects bundle has expanded once again, and is now available in two different sizes. 

Get iZotope VocalSynth 2 for $29 at Plugin Boutique until March 1
Plugin Boutique is currently offering iZotope VocalSynth 2 at 85% off, bringing it down to $29 from its regular price of $199. The deal runs until March 1st. VocalSynth 2 is one of my favorite vocal processing plugins, and at it’s almost a steal at this price, considering how versatile it is. Also, it’s primarily [...]
View post: Get iZotope VocalSynth 2 for $29 at Plugin Boutique until March 1

“A new standard for vocal manipulation”: UJAM’s Voxcraft is its first plugin dedicated to vocal processing – here’s what you need to knowUJAM has launched a new vocal multi-effects plugin, Voxcraft, marking its first product dedicated to vocal processing.
Unlike many vocal plugins on the market, Voxcraft does not focus on repair or clean up, but instead is designed for creative processing and sound design. At its core, it offers a voice-shaping section with tools for tuning, formant shifting, and voice multiplication, followed by a chain of effects for dynamics, character, filtering, delay, reverb, and rhythmic chopping.

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Voxcraft comes loaded with 100 presets covering a wide range of vocal styles. UJAM says it provides mix-ready results, ranging from vintage-inspired and lo-fi textures to distorted, chopped, and futuristic vocal effects, without the need to stack multiple plugins.
The company also stresses that it offers an intentionally simple interface. Peter Gorges, Co-founder of UJAM, comments: “To maximise flow and inspiration and eliminate frustration with technicalities, we deliberately designed the interface so there are no ‘wrong’ choices.”
Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Yachty and Kelela collaborator and songwriter Jam City also touts the plugin, calling it “truly transformative for vocals”, adding: “I’ll be having fun with this for a long time to come.”
Check it out in the video below:

 
Voxcraft is available now for an introductory price of $39 until 15 March (regular $69). Find out more at UJAM.
The post “A new standard for vocal manipulation”: UJAM’s Voxcraft is its first plugin dedicated to vocal processing – here’s what you need to know appeared first on MusicTech.

Dreamtonics intros three Choir Voice Collections for Synthesizer V Studio 2 Pro
Dreamtonics has released three new Choir Voice Collections for use within Synthesizer V Studio 2 Pro, alongside a free version 2.2.0 update for the software. After two years of development and recording, the new Choir Voice Collections bring a total of three virtual choir voices to the platform. Each collection contains 16 individual voices (four [...]
View post: Dreamtonics intros three Choir Voice Collections for Synthesizer V Studio 2 Pro

“A lot of people know me as a guitar player, but I want to showcase my production”: Cory WongThere are some musicians who simply cannot sit still. As enterprising and creative as they are prolific, it’s as if such artists have endless reserves of energy— or perhaps time in their universe moves at half-speed, allowing double the productivity. Whatever the secret, Cory Wong belongs firmly in that category. And given the speed of his guitar playing, it may well prove the half-speed-universe theory in more ways than one.

READ MORE: Margo XS on producing “pop music as noise music”

As a member of eminent funk outfit Vulfpeck, the Grammy nominee is set to headline London’s biggest indoor stage in July. He’s also about to embark on an extensive solo tour of North and South America with his new studio album Lost In The Wonder, a helter-skelter pop-funk record replete with collaborations which he produced and mixed himself.
He continues to self-produce his variety series Cory and the Wongnotes, and hosts the Wong Notes podcast, welcoming guests from Joe Satriani to Jacob Collier to Joe Walsh. His website offers a link to the Cory Wong Guitar Course, where he guides you through chord voicings, right-hand technique, practice methods and even his own ‘signature moves’. If that all sounds like hard work, it’s because it is. But for Wong, it’s all in the name of one painfully simple thing:
“I’m chasing what’s fun for me,” he reflects from his Minneapolis studio. “I’m chasing things that will challenge my artistry and creativity. So if those things all align on the Venn diagram, that’s what’s fun for me.”
Watching any of Wong’s concert films, it’s hard to reach any other conclusion. A funk-laden thrill ride backed by virtuosic brass and rhythm sections, the Stratocaster-armed Wong assumes a master-of-ceremonies role. He exuberantly bounds about the stage while welcoming a revolving door of guests — all, of course, without missing a beat. It’s no surprise that with Lost In The Wonder, Wong saw an opportunity to set himself another challenge.
Image: Press
“A lot of people know me as a guitar player— and rightfully so, because I’m a guitar guy!” says Wong. “But with this album, I wanted to really showcase a lot more of my songwriting, my production and my arranging. And then ask, how can I make the guitar the showcase instrument within all that other stuff?”
Wong’s voracious appetite for collaboration has so far led to his playing with a litany of venerable players; Jon Batiste, The Jonas Brothers, Bruce Hornsby, Billy Strings, Tom Misch and Victor Wooten— even Gene Simmons is on the list. Lost In The Wonder leans into that dynamic even further, with guests including Taylor Hanson, Devon Gilfillian, Stephen Day, Cody Fry, Yam Haus, Louis Cato and Magic City Hippies featured in various iterations across every one of its tracks.
“It was really fun to make this album and do collaborations with people where I can approach it more like a ‘producer’ type-guy, you know?” He laughs. “In a similar way that a lot of other people in the pop world do it. You look at the EDM world, [where] somebody like Zedd produces and works with a lot of other artists. Those sorts of folks have really inspired me. Really, my aim with this album is to ask: How can I draw something out of these collaborators that maybe they wouldn’t do on their own albums? How can I offer them a space and a creative outlet to do something a little bit different, but still showcase their artistry? And I ask the same of them: ‘I want you to draw something different out of me. Let’s find out what we can pull from each other, how we can grow each other’s artistry in this collaboration.’ With this album, I really wanted to continue to explore that. Again, it’s fun!”

Today, Wong is among the most lauded guitar players anywhere. He even has signature guitars with Fender and Music Man. But with great power comes great responsibility; the history of his craft is peppered with shred-fest soloing and braggadocious machismo. He’s capable of this, and it’s a thrill when the man lets rip. But how does such an energised performer and prolific instrumentalist keep the balance?
“There’s a long history of the guitar being this thing where we’re showboating our technical facility,” Wong says. “Or just constantly shredding guitar. And there’s a time and place for that— I like a lot of that music. But that’s not really what I want to do, and that’s not really what I feel is the most compelling part of my artistry.
“Sure, there are times where it’s like, ‘Let’s give them the fireworks! I’m going to get out there and shred.’ But I like the sound of other instruments. I like the arrangement. So much of what I’m doing requires me to be a band leader; I need to use my taste and my influences to arrange for different things. When you listen to the Duke Ellington big band, it’s not just about the piano.”
When it came to making Lost In The Wonder, Wong’s proclivity for collaboration naturally presented him with a surfeit of potential guests— not least those with whom he has played for years, such as Vulfpeck’s own Theo Katzman. The process of choosing guests for the album was once again demonstrative of Wong’s confidently whimsical approach to the record. “It was just, ‘What feels fun to do?’ He explains. “What do I want to explore?” Doubtless, that approach also required him to be light on his feet and adaptable; not tied to any one studio or band but taking contributions from practitioners wherever time and space allowed.
“For instance, somebody like [producer and artist] Ellis,” Wong continues. “I was in London, doing another session thing for somebody. I was like, ‘Hey, I’m going to be over at this studio, Sleeper Sounds, I’m just kind of hanging and writing. You want to come by and do something?’ He’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I’ll take the train down. Let’s hang for the afternoon!’ And we just sat down and wrote this tune together, The Big Payoff, and got the skeleton and some of the meat on it. Then I sent it over to my horn section leader, Michael Nelson. So it ended up getting done in three different studios.

“With Benny Sings, I flew to Amsterdam, and we wrote and recorded the song in the studio in one day. With Magic City Hippies, I had a song idea, and I sent it over to them. They were like, ‘Ok, here’s where we’re hearing this going!’ They added some different things. They sent it back to me. I said, ‘Ok, try this.’ They did some stuff, sent it back. It was all remote. So the process is always different. It’s just about what works for the collaborators and what we’re doing.”
The boyish energy Wong brings to his recordings extends to the technical aspects of creating Lost In The Wonder, with a surprisingly light guitar setup. While most of the recording was conducted at Minneapolis’ Creation Audio with producer John Fields (“a close friend of mine, one of the best producers”), the heart of Wong’s own setup— specifically when it comes to capturing his guitar playing— is startlingly simple.
“I don’t need them to have fancy outboard gear,” he says. “I track into a Universal Audio Apollo, just using the internal preamps, you know, just one rack space. I don’t need a whole rack of extra gear. If you have that, cool! But just get me the good sounds. I don’t care as long as the sounds are good. Because the musician and the decisions that they make is going to be the most compelling thing. How can you capture the essence of that? How can you capture that in the most pure way? A lot of times, for my guitar, it’s just plugging directly into the console. If you listen to a lot of the early Prince rhythm guitar stuff, or a lot of the Nile Rodgers guitar stuff, that’s what a lot of that is. Direct into the console.”
As for the next step along the signal chain, when it comes to Cory Wong, a custom guitar can only be followed by custom software. In this case, the product of a collaboration between the artist and venerable plugin developer Neural DSP.
Image: Press
“Most of the time, I use the Archetype: Cory Wong X plugin that I helped create with Neural DSP. There’s basically an emulation of an SSL console and a Neve console; there are characteristics of both hidden in there. But then there are also very clean amps in there.”
With filtering, compression, overdrive, cabinet simulation, room simulation and more available with the Archetype: Cory Wong X, the fact that Wong himself uses it must be evidence of its success, I offer.
“I was like, ‘The only way this thing goes out is if I am 100% satisfied, and if you are 100% satisfied,” Wong remembers saying to Neural DSP. “They sent me version one, and it was pretty good. And we made revisions. By version five, I was still like, not yet. It is great, but I don’t plug into it right now and think, ‘I have to use this for everything’. So we got to, like, version nine!”
If there’s one thing Lost In The Wonder demonstrates as much as Cory Wong’s propensity to stretch himself, it’s his willingness to back himself— and perhaps most impressive of all is the fact that it has yielded ample rewards on both fronts.
If time does indeed move at half-speed for the lightning-quick guitar player, he’s sure allowed plenty of it to pass before entering the new chapter of an ever-ascending career, positioning himself as an enabling force within the remarkable mechanics of his own artistic output. It’s a fresh precedent for Cory Wong the Producer, another unequivocal string added to the prolific artist’s already substantial bow.
The post “A lot of people know me as a guitar player, but I want to showcase my production”: Cory Wong appeared first on MusicTech.

Bitcoin’s upcoming $10.5B options expiry may end bear market: Here’s howBitcoin markets are bracing for Friday’s $10.5 billion monthly options expiry. Does the data show bulls or bears at an advantage?

Get free intimate woodwinds for Splice INSTRUMENT
Download our free woodwinds preset for Splice INSTRUMENT—grab these presets during the drop window and they’re yours to keep forever.

Sony Group’s blueprint for AI music detection tech is promising. Here’s what it’s working on…MBW reacts to three research papers detailed by Sony AI.
Source

Random Number Generator Uses Camera NoiseRandom numbers are very important to us in this computer age, being used for all sorts of security and cryptographic tasks. [Theory to Thing] recently built a device to generate random numbers using nothing more complicated than simple camera noise.
The heart of the build is an ESP32 microcontroller, which [Theory to Thing] first paired with a temperature sensor as a source of randomness. However, it was quickly obvious that a thermocouple in a cup of tea wasn’t going to produce nice, jittery, noisy data that would make for good random numbers. Then, inspiration struck, when looking at vision from a camera with the lens cap on. Particularly at higher temperatures, speckles of noise were visible in the blackness—thermal noise, which was just what the doctor ordered.
Thus, the ESP32 was instead hooked up to an OV3660 camera, which was then covered up with a piece of black electrical tape. By looking at the least significant bits of the pixels in the image, it was possible to pick up noise when the camera should have been reporting all black pixels. [Theory to Thing] then had the ESP32 collate the noisy data and report it via a web app that offers up randomly-generated answers to yes-or-no questions.
[Theory to Thing] offers up a basic statistical exploration of bias in the system, and shows how it can be mitigated to some degree, but we’d love a deeper dive into the maths to truly quantify how good this system is when it comes to randomness. We’ve featured deep dives on the topic before. Video after the break.

The White House wants AI companies to cover rate hikes. Most have already said they would.Many hyperscalers have already made public commitments to cover electricity cost increases.

Release Radar: Jai’Len Josey Is A Serial RomanticIt’s a rare thing in the current R&B landscape to find an artist who doesn’t just sing about the cycle of heartbreak, but actually hands you the exit map. Enter Jai’Len Josey.

After years of being the "songwriter’s songwriter"—including co-writing gold-certified hits like Ari Lennox’s “Pressure”—Josey is finally stepping into her own light with her debut album, Serial Romantic. Executive produced by five-time GRAMMY Award-winner Tricky Stewart, the project is a masterclass in what happens when a Broadway-trained powerhouse decides to stop looking for salvation in other people and starts finding it in the mirror.

While the industry has been buzzing about Jai’Len since her 2026 "Artist to Watch" nod from Spotify, the soul of this record was forged in the fire of a 2024 breakup. It wasn't just a "sad girl" moment; it was a total recalibration.

“This project really came together at the breaking point of a relationship I was in back in 2024,” Josey tells us. “I had all these songs accumulated, and I didn’t know what to do with them. My A&R, Drew Corria, had the idea to bring Tricky Stewart into the picture, and the rest is history.”

The title Serial Romantic might sound like a diagnosis, but for Josey, it’s an autopsy of her past self. She’s remarkably candid about the "tests" that led her here.

“The inspiration was all the experiences, failed relationships, and tests that ultimately led me back to myself. Every lesson, every heartbreak—it all pointed me inward.”

She isn't just making music to fill space in a playlist; she’s trying to disrupt a pattern.

“Being a ‘Serial Romantic’ was the loop I was stuck in—trying to find God in romantic partners when I really needed to recognize God’s love within myself. I want my listeners to feel strong enough to break that loop. That’s what excites me most—the possibility of someone hearing this album and choosing themselves.”

If you’ve been following her journey from her days as "Pearl" in The SpongeBob Musical to her 2020 Illustrations EP, you know Josey’s voice is seismic. But Serial Romantic is where the storytelling catches up to the scale of the vocals.

Whether it's the flirtatious energy of "New Girl" or the raw, boundary-setting vulnerability of "Won't Force You," the album plays like a cohesive narrative. While she’s biased toward the whole tracklist, she urges fans to listen to the project as a single piece of architecture.

“I’m excited for supporters to hear every song… but I really can’t wait for people to experience them in the full context of the story. It’s meant to be heard as a journey.”

For an artist who has spent years perfecting the art of the "creative therapy session," the actual mechanics of the music industry are the only things that still feel daunting.

“Honestly, the hardest part has just been getting the music out for people to hear. Creating it was therapy. Releasing it? That’s the real leap of faith.”

But don't mistake her vulnerability for hesitation. When asked about her plans for the rest of 2026 and beyond, Jai’Len’s answer was clear:

“The first plan for 2026 is simple: release this album. After that? The world is mine.”

If Serial Romantic is the sound of breaking a cycle, it’s also the sound of stepping into something bigger. Not searching for salvation in somebody else’s arms—but recognizing it in your own voice.

Look out for Serial Romantic in the coming months.

Photo Credit: Zoë MillsThe post Release Radar: Jai’Len Josey Is A Serial Romantic first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Evolve Air from Excite Audio The latest arrival to Excite Audio’s Evolve series promises to “blend fragile sonic moments into something intimate yet intangible, half-there, floating at the edge of the ethereal”.