Cure Audio releases Scream, a FREE recreation of Massive’s iconic Scream filter
Cure Audio has released Scream, a free and open-source plugin that recreates the Scream filter from Native Instruments’ Massive synthesizer as a standalone effect you can use in any DAW. I’m used to seeing plugins that emulate hardware, but here’s a plugin that emulates software. The Scream filter was one of Massive’s iconic modules, known [...]
View post: Cure Audio releases Scream, a FREE recreation of Massive’s iconic Scream filter

Charlie Puth on why musicians shouldn’t write for the feed: “I don’t think anybody should be adjusting their music to the likes of social media”Musicians in the 21st century often feel pressured to chase streams, go viral, and tailor every song to the latest social media trends. But Charlie Puth says he’ll release a track whether fans love it or not.
With nearly 20 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, Puth often shares playful, behind-the-scenes snippets of his music-making – from recording unusual sounds to breaking down chord progressions – giving fans a window into his creative process.
In a recent chat with Rick Beato, the singer, songwriter, and producer explains why, for him, staying true to the music matters more than chasing the feed.

READ MORE: “AI, when done right, isn’t here to replace musicians”: Charlie Puth joins AI music platform Moises as Chief Music Officer

While he occasionally tests songs with fans online, Puth says their reactions – even negative ones – rarely determine whether a track sees the light of day.
“If a hundred people vote in, like, ‘I don’t like that drum snare,’ I played with that a little bit and be like, ‘should I release this?’ I knew damn well I was going to release it. I just wanted to gauge interest… or compare a song, like should this song come out first or should this song come out first?”
Despite how music promotion has evolved, Puth believes the essence of a good song hasn’t.
“The thing that is always going to stay true,” he says, “is that a good song is a good song. I don’t think anybody should be adjusting their music to the likes of social media.”
He also reflects on how record labels used to control every step of the process: “There was a point in time where I was given a list… You’re going to this radio station. You’re going to shake [this person’s hand], say hello to this person because they’re going to give you all the spins.”
Today, while radio remains relevant, its role in a release cycle has shifted.
“It exists, but it comes a little bit later in the cycle now,” says Puth. “Radio’s still a really important thing for every artist. [But] it can come in the beginning, it can come in the middle, it can come in the end, whereas [in the past] it needed to come in the beginning.”
Looking back on his early days sharing music on MySpace, SoundClick, Ustream, and blogs, Puth says the core of his approach hasn’t changed – he’s always documented the process of making music and shared it with fans: “It’s all the same stuff. But the thing that’s remained the same is, if the song is going to resonate with people, it’s going to resonate with people.”
Elsewhere in the chat, the musician also opens up about vocal production and the dangers of overprocessing.
“When you tune the hell out of your vocals, I think it also takes the emotion. I’ve definitely overtuned my vocals in the past on past works,” Puth admits. “If it’s too tuned, in all honesty, if I’m doing the vocal production, I just delete it and re-sing it.”
Watch the full interview below.

The post Charlie Puth on why musicians shouldn’t write for the feed: “I don’t think anybody should be adjusting their music to the likes of social media” appeared first on MusicTech.

Gary Numan thinks AI music hype is short-lived: “It will go full circle and people will want to go back to sharing a human experience rather than just brilliantly copied one”To license your music to AI or not? That’s quickly becoming one of the biggest questions facing artists today.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the debate around generative AI in music is impossible to ignore. Some see it as a powerful creative tool – jazz legend Pat Metheny, for instance, has described it as part of a “wonderful array of tools” available to modern musicians – while others fear it could erode the very human core of songwriting.
Just recently, Eurythmics co-founder Dave Stewart called AI an “unstoppable force”, arguing musicians should “bow to the inevitable” and license their music to generative AI platforms. Gary Numan, however, isn’t buying it.

READ MORE: “Play an instrument – now more than ever”: Flying Lotus says AI-generated music will make demand to see real musicians go up

Speaking on the I’m ADHD! No You’re Not podcast, Numan took a firm stance against licensing his catalogue to AI and laid out exactly why he thinks the current hype won’t last.
“The thing about AI from my point of view is, when you’re listening to a human, a song written by a human, you’re listening to that person’s experience, and that’s why it resonates with people,” the singer says. “It’s a shared experience, whatever it might be: a love song, one of my silly things about robots, whatever.”
“When you’re listening to AI, no matter how beautiful the music is – and if it isn’t already, it will be – it will be stunning. The artwork I’ve seen is the most stunning artwork I’ve ever seen… The music would be amazing. But what you’re listening to is a learned copy of a human experience. It’s not real.”
Numan reckons AI acts will grab everyone’s attention for a time – much like the ABBA Voyage shows – but that eventually, listeners will yearn for the authenticity of human artists.
“To begin with, the fascination for AI would dominate everything, and everybody will be willing to excuse the fact that it looks amazing and that I don’t care about the human content,” he explains. “[But] I think over time, if we’re around long enough, it will go full circle and people will want to go back to sharing a human experience rather than just brilliantly copied one.”
This philosophy underpins Numan’s approach to his creative process.
“I don’t use AI for anything. I don’t need it to help me write letters. I think I write perfectly well,” he says. “I certainly don’t want it to write lyrics because that’s the very essence of what a song is about. It might be easier. It might be good to do it like that, but fuck it – I’m willing to spend a day or two writing a lyric that means something to me. And it’s really important. Musically, although I struggle and I’m worried all the time whether it’s good enough, it has to be mine.”
Listen to the full interview below.

The post Gary Numan thinks AI music hype is short-lived: “It will go full circle and people will want to go back to sharing a human experience rather than just brilliantly copied one” appeared first on MusicTech.

FSK Audio update Bark24 Dyn California-based developer FSK Audio have released a significant update for their innovative multiband dynamics processor.

FSK Audio updates Bark24 | Dyn psychoacoustic dynamics processor (+ 2 FREE Copies)
FSK Audio has released Bark24 | Dyn v1.1, a major update to its 24-band psychoacoustic dynamics processor developed in collaboration with Mark Jeffery, the original designer and primary developer of Pro Tools. We’re checking out the update and also giving away two free copies of the plugin. First, the giveaway. To enter the giveaway, sign up [...]
View post: FSK Audio updates Bark24 | Dyn psychoacoustic dynamics processor (+ 2 FREE Copies)

Pepsi and Diageo withdraw sponsorship of UK’s Wireless Festival as Kanye West booking sparks backlash"We have informed the organizers of our concerns, and as it stands, Diageo will not sponsor the 2026 Wireless festival," said a company spokesperson.
Source

A folk musician had her voice cloned by AI – and her recordings claimed by a copyright troll. Welcome to 2026.Gamma-owned Vydia caught in controversy over musician whose videos were claimed against
Source

Tiny Moves, Big Depth: An Open-Source Macro Focus SliderWhen taking macro photographs, you often need just a tiny bit of controlled motion — so little that it’s tough to pull off by hand. To address this, [Salveo] designed a small open-source macro photography slider featuring an anti-backlash handle.
Macro photography gives you an extremely shallow field of view, sometimes under 1 mm of depth, in which subjects stay in focus. To combat this, it’s common to capture multiple images while sliding the camera forward or backward, then combine them for a much larger depth of field than a single shot provides. [Salveo]’s slider gives fine control over this focus-stacking process, with the knob even marked to show every 1 mm of linear travel.
The slider is built around a 150 mm linear rail, though it could easily be lengthened or shortened to suit your needs. A T8 leadscrew, paired with anti-backlash nuts, translates the knob’s rotation into smooth linear motion. The knob itself uses a custom-designed anti-backlash mechanism to ensure the slider works cleanly in either direction.
You can grab all the 3D-printable files as well as the full bill of materials from the project page. Be sure to check out [Salveo]’s build video below. Thanks [Tim L.] for sending in this awesome open-source slider. Be sure to check out some of the other macro photography projects we’ve covered, too.

Polymarket odds of US invading Iran this year reach 63% after Trump's postThe President of the United States continues to give contradictory signals of escalating the war and winding it down within a few weeks.

Polymarket took down wagers tied to rescue of downed Air Force officerA Democratic congressman had harsh criticism for Polymarket for allowing users to bet on the date the U.S. would confirm the rescue of Air Force service members shot down over Iran.

Latest SoundBridge update now live SoundBridge have just announced the launch of a new update that introduces a couple of minor changes to their remote collaboration-focused DAW, as well as tackling all of the known bugs.

Cloudy Samples Pianolifthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjr6-d_mKPE Elevate your sound with Pianolift by Cloudy Samples, a versatile grand piano VST instrument designed to bring organic warmth and modern character to your productions. Whether you are scoring a cinematic masterpiece, producing Lo-Fi beats, or writing a pop anthem, this plugin provides the essential tools to lift your melodies to the next level. Pianolift comes loaded with 32 meticulously crafted presets, spanning a wide emotional range. From elegant, crystal-clear concert grands to intimate, felt-dampened classic pianos, authentic xylophones and marimbas for rhythmic precision and bright, melodic layers. Browse through nostalgic, tape-saturated pianos perfect for Chillout, RnB, and experimental music. Take a full control of your sound with an intuitive interface coming with built-in ADSR Envelope and Parametric EQ. Shape your tone with a suite of high-quality effects, including lush reverbs, vintage delays, and character-filled phases. Elevate your sound. Inspire emotion. Please Note: This plugin is delivered as 64-bit VST3/AU format. Compatible with all DAWs. Features: Pianolift VST Instrument 64-bit VST3/AU Plugin. 32 Factory Presets. 26 Dedicated Controls & Equalizer. Velocity, MIDI Learn & Full Automation Support. Windows & macOS Support. Read More

Unpacking Peter Thiel’s big bet on solar-powered cow collarsWhy did Founders Fund invest $220 million in cattle management startup Halter?

Scrap Vintage Camera Goes Digital with Scanner PartsEvery collector ends up with items that are worthless, usually because they are broken or incomplete. When [Graindead] found a 1920s glass-plate reflex camera for pennies with plenty of missing parts, it was obvious that what he had was a piece of junk. Throw it away? No, he turned it digital with the aid of a small document scanner.
A reflex camera like this one is the ancestor of the 35mm single-lens reflex cameras we may still be familiar with today, in that is has a flip-up mirror inside to bounce the light onto a ground glass screen. The photographer can see what the lens sees to set up the shot, before flipping the mirror out of the way and exposing the glass plate film by pulling out a dark slide. This one was missing the ground glass and the lens, so he has to grind a replacement, and bodge in a similar-age Carl Zeiss Tessar lens.
In the video below you can see the build, and a range of pictures including some trichrome colour shots. It gives an imperfect result even compared to the same camera with its period film, but the point here is the art rather than the clarity. We’d take this one out with us, if it were ours.
For more vintage digital fun, have a look at a similar adaptation that shoots video.

Telegram founder Pavel Durov says Iranian government's ban backfiredThousands of software developers are currently developing virtual private networks to circumvent state control of the internet, Durov said.