Bitcoin nearing late stages of bear market: Jamie Coutts, Real VisionReal Vision chief crypto analyst Jamie Coutts said it's far too early to call $1 million by 2030, but he's confident Bitcoin could climb up to $250,000 over the next couple of years.

Angelic Vibes releases Spread, a FREE stereo widening plugin
Developer Angelic Vibes has released Spread, a free stereo widening plugin for macOS and Windows. Spread is the second installment in the developer’s AV Essentials FX series (which I think also includes the free Pitchshifter that we recently featured). It is designed for vocals, samples, melodies, bass, drums, synths, and just about anything that needs [...]
View post: Angelic Vibes releases Spread, a FREE stereo widening plugin

Schulz Audio offers Portacrunch 424 cassette gain-stage plugin for FREE
Developer Schulz Audio is offering Portacrunch 424, a cassette four-track gain-stage effect for macOS and Windows, as a free download. There’s no expiry date listed on the Portacrunch 424 product page, and the summer sale had around 15 hours remaining at the time of writing, but it is unclear whether the giveaway ends with it. [...]
View post: Schulz Audio offers Portacrunch 424 cassette gain-stage plugin for FREE

Handcrafted Mallets from Handcrafted Audio  Handcrafted Audio's latest hybrid instrument ‘reworks’ a marimba and vibraphone, combining nearly 30,000 acoustic samples with an array of synthesis tools.

Bluesky’s interim CEO, Toni Schneider, drops the ‘interim’Schneider, who formerly served as the CEO of Automattic and is a partner at True Ventures, says he is "all in" on the unconventional social media platform.

Jason Mraz at the GRAMMY Museum, Los Angeles, CAWeb: jasonmraz.comContact: ashley@ashleywhitepr.com

Sitting down with rising artist Philip Labes for a Q&A session with Dan Povenmire (Phineas and Ferb) following the screening of music documentary The Opener, it is clear that two-time GRAMMY winner and Songwriters Hall of Fame Honoree Jason Mraz is a fan of Labes’ art.

Sharing the inspiring journey of a street performer-turned-opening act, The Opener navigates how the life of a viral TikTok artist changed the day Jason Mraz joined his livestream. “I took a risk [interacting with Mraz] and he stuck around,” shared Labes. “I was already familiar with the music,” says Mraz. “I clicked on it and he says, ‘Hi Jason Mraz.’ I thought maybe A.I. was communicating with me, but it was so sincere. I watched his entire performance that evening.” 

A few days later, Mraz invited Labes to be his opening act.

Labes’ friends, Jeff Toye and Sunya Mara joined the tour to document the adventure, planning to capture social media footage, but the adventure grew into a full-length documentary. Says Mraz, “I still cry when I see it, probably because I can relive my journey through the way Philip conducted himself on this tour. He went above and beyond and absolutely nailed it.” Labes says he feels like it is a “love letter to creatives and the impulse to be creative.” He hopes it inspires more creativity. 

Performing “(This Movie Is) Rated Ours” and fan favorite “I Won’t Give Up,” Mraz interacted with trademark humility, delivering stunning pure vocals and breathtaking guitar stylings, leaving the room in quiet awe before Philip Labes hopped on stage. Sharing new track, “Big Scary Thing,” sing-a-long “CANNONBALL!," and breakout favorite, “A TV Show Called Earth,” Labes’ combination of softness and sharp wit make him an absolute delight. The full-circle evening (Labes busked outside GRAMMY museum doors 13 years ago) was a magical breakout, with Mraz returning to wrap the evening with a gorgeous rendition of biggest hit, “I’m Yours.”

On creating art, Mraz shared to, “take a deep breath, exhale, [and] make a noise. Maybe the first song is all tears, sorrow and chaos, but maybe the next song has a little bit more clarity, and then after that, you have the laughter again.” 

Grandma’s Gospel Favorites—originally recorded almost 20 years ago for Mraz—is out this month, including songs recalled from his earliest church memories, a few standards with mandolin and upright bass, a Johnny Cash cover, and a couple of originals. Features include longtime collaborator Noel ‘Toca’ Rivera, Andy Powers (CEO/Chief guitar designer at Taylor Guitars), and Ray Suen.

Photo courtesy of the Recording Academy, by Rebecca Sapp, Getty ImagesThe post Jason Mraz at the GRAMMY Museum, Los Angeles, CA first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Kraken to overhaul app with AI investing assistantThe redesigned app will use AI to recommend trades and tailor investing tools around users' financial goals as Kraken expands into broader financial services.

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

How To Use Those Cute But Slightly Odd 7-Segment LCDsIf you’re not aware, there is such a thing as adorable little three digit LCD 7-segment displays. They come in a ten-pin DIP package and are just begging to be integrated into a project. The catch is they are just a tiny bit weird. Luckily for us all, [Nagy Krisztián] spells out exactly how to use them.
The first odd thing about these ten-pin LCD displays have a footprint that doesn’t quite mesh with standard 0.1 inch spacing, meaning they will not cleanly fit into a breadboard. Luckily, one can solve this with a bit of force. It’s a small part, and the pins don’t seem to mind.
These little LCDs are adorable, but a bit unusual to interface with.
The second odd thing is wrapping one’s head around the pin mapping. Figuring out which pins activate which segments in the digits is easier if one keeps in mind that each segment of each digit is the product of two different pins. For example, “2A” is digit two, segment A, and is the product of pins 3 and COM4.
That’s not all. Electrically speaking, driving this LCD isn’t nearly as straightforward as an LED.
With an LED display, the COM pins are either common anode or common cathode, which tells one whether lighting up a segment means holding the COM pin at GND with voltage applied to the segment pin, or the other way around. But in the case of this LCD display, the polarity applied is swapped every cycle. Oh, and inactive COM pins need to held at half-voltage. Neat!
[Nagy] drives the whole thing with little more than an ATtiny84 microcontroller and a few resistors. A switchable half-voltage signal is cleverly created by combining a simple voltage divider and taking advantage of the fact that the ATtiny84’s pins can be in one of three different states depending on how they are configured: high, low, or high-impedance (pin configured as an input). Each COM pin on the display gets connected to both an ATtiny84 pin, and to the supply voltage via two resistors forming a voltage divider. When the ATtiny drives the pin high, the LCD pin sees about 3 V. When the pin is driven LOW, the LCD pin sees 0 V. When the ATtiny configures the pin as an input, the LCD pin receives about 1.5 V.
The bulk of the software is defining which pins and states equal which digits, and cycling the LCD at a rate of vaguely 60 Hz which delivers flicker-free results.
We appreciate the clever combination of voltage divider with pin configuration to create three switchable voltage levels. If you liked that and want to see more serious leveraging of pin configuration on a microcontroller, check out how to drive seven LEDs with only two pins.

Sony introduce the IER-M500 Sony have announced the upcoming launch of a new pair of in-ear monitors that promise to deliver a secure, stable fit, impressive sound isolation and accurate, reliable monitoring, all at a very reasonable cost!

Xylo Audio XyloSpace About the Plugin XyloSpace is a lush, otherworldly reverb plugin built for producers and sound designers who demand depth without losing clarity. From intimate room ambience to infinite cosmic tails, XyloSpace shapes your space with precision — blending algorithmic reverb, harmonic shimmer, and a fully interactive post-EQ into one seamless workflow. Video Walkthrough Key Features: Algorithmic Reverb Engine A high-quality reverb core with full control over Pre-Delay, Size, Decay, and Damping for sculpting any acoustic space from tight rooms to endless halls. Shimmer & Pitch Harmonics Adds ethereal harmonic layers above your reverb tail with selectable pitch intervals, transforming any sound into something truly cinematic. Modulation Section A built-in LFO with Speed and Depth controls adds organic movement to your reverb tail, keeping the shimmer alive and constantly evolving. 10-Band Parametric Post-EQ A fully interactive graphic EQ placed after the reverb engine, letting you sculpt the exact tonal character of your reverb tail with pinpoint accuracy. Cosmic OpenGL Visualizer A real-time GPU-powered visualizer that reacts to your audio input, reverb size, and shimmer mix — turning your plugin into a living, breathing visual experience. Resizable Interface A fully scalable UI that adapts to any screen size while maintaining the same high-resolution aesthetic, from compact laptops to large studio monitors. Preset System A curated library of factory presets alongside full user preset saving and browsing, letting you recall and share your favorite spaces instantly. Bypass & Undo / Redo Full bypass with a visual indicator and a complete undo/redo history for non-destructive, confidence-inspiring experimentation. Read More

FREE FX plugins aplenty with the KVR Developer Challenge 2026
The KVR Developer Challenge 26 not only provides a platform for existing and aspiring developers to showcase their creativity but also offers us an opportunity to stock up on new tools that enhance our workflow for free. And show our appreciation, of course. But, seriously, it’s one of the highlights of the year, and, competition [...]
View post: FREE FX plugins aplenty with the KVR Developer Challenge 2026

From Primary Wave’s Kobalt acquisition to CVC’s DistroKid deal… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
Source

“Kill complexity”: Maono launches no-nonsense audio interfaces aimed at content creatorsThe demands of modern-day content creation mean creators are increasingly switching between laptops, smartphones, tablets and other devices during the same workflow.
And Chinese audio equipment maker Maono is addressing this increasing shift to hybrid workflows with its new P Series hybrid audio interfaces. Aimed squarely at content creators, musicians, streamers and podcasters seeking intuitive, hassle-free operation, the P Series – which comprises the P1 and P2 interfaces – seeks to disrupt this area of the market at only around the $100 mark.

READ MORE: Is AI seriously in mics now?

Aside from ease of operation, the P1 and P2 are designed for “clarity and reliability”, with high-performance, low-noise preamps. The P1 delivers up to 70dB of gain with an EIN (Equivalent Input Noise) of -130.6dB, while the P2 offers up to 56dB of gain with -129.5dB EIN. Put simply, these figures ensure “clean and consistent audio”, Maono says.
Credit: Maono
The key difference between both models beyond these states is their input and output configurations.
Designed for solo creators, the P1 features a single mic/line input, a single mic preamp, and a 3.5mm headphone output. It also features an Auto Gain function, which automatically optimises recording levels – a strong prospect for those just getting started with audio production.
Meanwhile, the P2 is designed for “dual-person recording”, with two mic/line/instrument combo inputs, dual mic preamps, and both 3.5mm and 6.35mm headphone outputs. It also features a USB power input for independent or auxiliary power supply, supporting mobile recording and more complex streaming environments.
Both interfaces sport USB OTG connectivity for direct use with smartphones and tablets, in addition to stereo loopback with three channels, allowing simultaneous capture of system audio and microphone input.
Credit: Maono
Additional features on both include dedicated mute buttons, easy-to-read gain indicators, and separate controls for headphone and monitor outputs. Both devices also support direct integration with cameras via 3.5mm outputs.
Learn more at Maono.
The post “Kill complexity”: Maono launches no-nonsense audio interfaces aimed at content creators appeared first on MusicTech.

Splice has expanded Spitfire Audio’s Originals virtual instrument range with four new librariesSplice has announced the launch of four new Spitfire Audio Originals libraries, with virtual instruments spanning strings, brass, woodwind and keys. Their arrival comes alongside the upgrade of Spitfire’s 17 existing Originals libraries to full fidelity.
Recorded at AIR Studios’ Lyndhurst Hall and Spitfire Studios and performed by hand-picked players, the four new titles – Emotional Cello, Intimate Brass, Intimate Woodwinds and Crystal Keys – looks to expand Spitfire’s Originals series into “territory it hasn’t explored before.

READ MORE: Splice acquires Spitfire Audio for a reported $50 million

Every library in the Originals series now features full mic signals, complete preset lists, as well as Spitfire’s redesigned interface, which boasts updated artwork plus a mixer for blending close, room and Vintage mic signals.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the few new arrivals in detail…
Originals Emotional Cello

For Emotional Cello, Spitfire and Splice tapped London-based cellist Reinoud Ford, who has captured the “full expressive range of the solo cello”. Producers can utilise 11 techniques from delicate Flautando to experimental Circular bowing and No Rosin textures, too.
Originals Intimate Brass
Credit: Spitfire Audio
“Built for restraint, not power,” Intimate Brass offers a custom quartet consisting of a Tuba, Euphonium, Tenor Trombone and Flugelhorn. Spitfire invites you to pair this one with Intimate Woodwinds or Intimate Strings for a complete intimate orchestra section.
Originals Intimate Woodwinds
Credit: Spitfire Audio
Intimate Woodwinds offers producers a curated ensemble of Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Alto Flute, and Flute, all captured at Lyndhurst Hall, AIR Studios. “From gentle pastoral underscore to fragile, barely-there atmospheres – these gentle whispers are perfect for scoring emotive moments on screen,” Spitfire says.
Originals Crystal Keys
Credit: Spitfire Audio
Crystal Keys captures the titanium euphone, a contemporary instrument made of chromatically tuned glass rods, played by rubbing them with wet fingertips for an “otherworldly” sound. This one features nine presets and six bespoke signals, for exploration from “angelic shimmer to horror-film dread”.
Pricing & availability
Each of the four new Originals libraries costs £29 / $29 apiece, available as perpetual purchases. You can also subscribe to Spitfire INSTRUMENT, which offers all 20+ Originals Libraries at a cost of $12.99 per month.
For more information, head to Spitfire Audio.
The post Splice has expanded Spitfire Audio’s Originals virtual instrument range with four new libraries appeared first on MusicTech.