Bob Moog Foundation Marks 20th Anniversary of Bob Moog’s Passing With a Month of RemembranceTo carry on the legacy of pioneer synthesizer, Bob Moog, the Bob Moog Foundation is honoring the 20th anniversary of the musician’s passing with a month-long dedicated celebration including special offerings and remembrances. For the month of August, the foundation will release a series of commemorative videos chronicling Moog’s impact with his synthesizers titled Voices for Bob, which will feature insight from members of the music world in regards to Moog’s contributions. The month will additionally offer a streaming of the Synth Legends symposium and a limited edition poster and portrait of Bob Moog on the foundation’s store online.The post Bob Moog Foundation Marks 20th Anniversary of Bob Moog’s Passing With a Month of Remembrance first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

The Tape Speed KeyboardFor those who experienced any part of the 1960s, even if it’s just experiencing the music from that era here in the future, the sound of the Mellotron is immediately recognizable. The Moody Blues were famous for using the tape-based instrument, and the Beatles and David Bowie produced hits with it as well. It’s haunting sounds are still highly prized today, but the complexity, cost, and maintenance requirement for the tape loops and other moving parts can put many musicians off from owning one. But [Japhy Riddle] has built an instrument without these downsides called the Tape Speed Keyboard.
Unlike the Mellotron which used a tape loop for each of its keys, the Tape Speed Keyboard uses only a single cassette tape. As the name implies, it changes the pitch of the sound by modulating the speed of the single tape housed in its own tape deck. The keyboard itself started off life as a Casio MT-35 but since this is a completely analog instrument, it was rewired so each key is connected to a potentiometer whose output voltage is tuned to a specific tape speed. [Japhy] reports that this is similar to tuning an analog piano and the process can be equally temperamental.
With everything electronic working, [Japhy] turned to making this a more acceptable musical instrument. Predictably, turning the motor on and off for each key press came with a bit of delay, causing the sound to come out goofy and muddy. To solve this problem he changed the design to make the tape play continuously rather than start and stop for a key press, and then modified other keys to be on-off switches for sound output. Since cassette tapes have two sides, he can also play either of two sounds in this way.
With the final polish on, the Tape Speed Keyboard is able to produce completely unique compositions that separate it from even the venerable Mellotron. Be sure to check out the video linked below to hear its sound. There have been plenty of other musical projects based around tape decks as well, including this one inspired by the original Mellotron and this tape deck-based guitar effects pedal.
Thanks to [splashbun] for the tip!

Rafael Ricardo Jiménez-Dan on building Rimas, staying independent, and why he’s all in on music publishingThe founder of one of the world's most important independent labels speaks out on its foundations, and the future of the business
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Musical Sampling Midnight: Tenor Sax Midnight: Tenor Sax is a Kontakt sample library from Musical Sampling, designed for composers, producers, and songwriters who need an expressive, attitude-heavy tenor saxophone in their tracks. It's built to capture the vibe of classic jazz clubs and the powerful, soaring melodies of 80s ballads, providing a versatile and emotional virtual instrument for a wide range of musical genres including jazz, pop, R&B, lo-fi, and film scoring. The library's core philosophy is to deliver a no-holds-barred instrument in a single, playable patch, focusing on bold and expressive performances. The developers expanded upon techniques from their previous "Austin Saxes" library, incorporating multiple mic positions (close and far) and a deeper integration of critical articulations. These articulations are intuitively triggered by a combination of velocity and dedicated "latch keys," allowing for dynamic and nuanced performances without complex key-switching. Midnight: Tenor Sax features a variety of articulations to ensure a lifelike performance. It includes three distinct legato types—slurred, tongued, and glissando—each triggered by different playing velocities. This approach makes it easy to switch between smooth, connected phrases and more punchy, articulated ones on the fly. The library also includes short and long scooped attacks, selectable glissando attacks, and bend-down and gliss-fall releases, all of which contribute to an authentic, human-like feel. The instrument was recorded at Warm Studios in Leander, TX, with a focus on capturing a warm and full-bodied tone. The inclusion of both close and far mic positions gives users the flexibility to blend the sound to fit their mix, whether they need an intimate, upfront solo or a more spacious, ambient sound. Features: Attitude-Heavy Legato Tenor Saxophone: Designed for bold, expressive writing. Intuitive Articulation Switching: Articulations are triggered via velocity and dedicated latch keys, eliminating the need for complex key-switching. Three Legato Types: Features slurred, tongued, and glissando legato, allowing for a wide range of expressive phrases. Two Mic Positions: Close and Far mic positions provide flexibility in mixing. Multiple Round Robins: Ensures natural-sounding sustains without repetition. Authentic Articulations: Includes expressive scoops, bends, and glissandos. Versatile Tonal Quality: Suitable for genres ranging from smoky jazz to 80s power ballads and modern pop. https://youtu.be/UQz3UciEfkI?si=zJhrrSh1K20lfXdN Read More

“The band didn’t like what I was doing”: Why Steven Wilson’s spatial audio Guns ‘N Roses remix album was scrappedSince 2009, Steven Wilson has been transforming classic records into spatial audio experiences. From Chic, to Tears For Fears, to The Who, plenty of artists have asked the Porcupine Tree frontman to remix their tracks – but Guns ‘N Roses weren’t too impressed by Wilson’s work.
While Wilson’s remix of November Rain did see the light of day, with a spatial audio version of  dropping in 2022, there are nearly 40 remixes that remain unheard. Despite Wilson being enlisted to remix 1991’s Use Your Illusion I and II double release, the band pulled the plug. “Well, the challenge was that the band didn’t like what I was doing,” Wilson reveals on a new episode of the Scars And Guitars podcast.

READ MORE: I tested Sony’s 360 Virtual Mixing Environment at Battery Studios — here’s how it works

“I did it all, and then the band basically vetoed it all,” he adds. “So the only thing that ever came out was my remix of November Rain, with a real orchestra added. It’s a shame, ’cause there’s a lot of music on those records… I think I worked on about 40 songs, including outtakes, B-sides. And then the band turned around and decided they didn’t like it!”
Instead of telling him directly, the bad news was delivered through the record company. “They didn’t like Dolby Atmos, they didn’t like the idea of their music being in spatial audio,” Wilson explains. “So that project is kind of just sitting on my hard drive, unreleased and unheard. It’s such a shame.”

In a NME interview earlier this year, Wilson explored his fascination with immersive 3D audio and the potential future of the sound. “Atmos sound has nothing below you, and you could have speakers underneath,” he mused. “But the big innovation won’t necessarily be in expanding spatial – I think it’s how to bring it into a live context. Right now, it’s tricky, as you need a week to acoustically calibrate and tune it, and that’s not practical when you play a new city every night.”
“It’s interesting to see more venues having spatial audio already installed, like The Sphere in Las Vegas,” he added. “If more venues do that, it gives artists chance to tour a more immersive show. I hope that will be a big progress over the next few years.”

While Wilson was at least able to give a new lease of life to November Rain with the help of a 50-piece orchestra, he’s been making his own efforts to breathe new life into rock in his own solo work. 2025’s The Overview record saw Wilson delving back into the realms of prog-rock, attempting to reimagine the prog guitar solo on the track Objects Outlive Us.
“I said to Randy McStine: ‘We’re going to reinvent the notion of the extended classic rock solo’,” Wilson told NME in the same interview.

The post “The band didn’t like what I was doing”: Why Steven Wilson’s spatial audio Guns ‘N Roses remix album was scrapped appeared first on MusicTech.

“Having fun with reverbs, delays and compressors is like being in a toy shop. But if you have a shitty song, None of it matters”: Acclaimed producer Howard Benson on the importance of songwriting before productionWe all get caught up in the production tools we use, but according to acclaimed producer Howard Benson, they matter little if you’re working with a sub-par song.
In a new episode of MusicTech’s My Forever Studio podcast, Benson – who has worked with the likes of Kelly Clarkson, My Chemical Romance and Bon Jovi – stresses the importance of the fundamentals of songwriting above obsessing over creative tools.

READ MORE: “They said, ‘Why would you do that?’”: How Bob Rock’s production approach on The Black Album differed to Flemming Rasmussen’s on previous Metallica records

“Vocals – top line and melody – those are really what sell records,” he explains. “I mean, the rest of the stuff… You walk in as a kid and you look at all the buttons and switches and knobs and strings and all that, and you just go, ‘Oh, my God, that stuff’s so important,’ but it means absolutely nothing at all.
“What really matters is does this feel good or not? Do I like it or not? We’re selling feelings. That’s what we sell. This has been a problem for a lot of artists that have their own DAWs. They get caught up in that part of it and they forget about the song. It’s the song that really matters.”
He says this principle rings true not only in music, but in film and TV, and anything else creative, too.
“If you think about it, it’s the same in the movie business and the TV business,” he goes on. “You have a shitty script – I don’t care how many Avengers and Marvel movies you make. 
“And by the way, that’s what’s wrong with the franchise. Those franchises are suffering because the scripts suck. So that’s something you learn the hard way, because you go into these sessions and you bring all your guitars and your amps and your effect pedals… 
“It’s kind of like a toy shop: you’re just having great fun with reverbs and delays and compressors and all that. But if you have a shitty song, it doesn’t matter what you just did. None of it matters.”

Subscribe to My Forever Studio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and check out all episodes so far via MusicTech.
The post “Having fun with reverbs, delays and compressors is like being in a toy shop. But if you have a shitty song, None of it matters”: Acclaimed producer Howard Benson on the importance of songwriting before production appeared first on MusicTech.

“They said, ‘Why would you do that?’”: How Bob Rock’s production approach on The Black Album differed to Flemming Rasmussen’s on previous Metallica recordsWhen Bob Rock took over the reigns of Metallica’s production on 1991’s The Black Album, it was a match made in heaven. However, while the record has gone down in history as one of the biggest selling records of all time, the band were initially confused by the producer’s approach.
When Rock was enlisted to work with Metallica, he entered the thrash metal camp with a different approach to previous producer Flemming Rasmussen. “I don’t follow the rules of metal, which is probably wrong, and I’m sorry,” the producer admits on the latest episode of The Metallica Report. “Because, really, my relationship with Metallica is that I’m a song person, and so it doesn’t matter however you style it.”

READ MORE: I tested Sony’s 360 Virtual Mixing Environment at Battery Studios — here’s how it works

Instead of playing into thrash metal cliché, Rock was eager to help Metallica evolve. While Rasmussen had shaped Metallica’s rise with a trio of killer records (1984’s Ride The Lightning, 1986’s Master Of Puppets and 1988’s …And Justice For All), Rock believed the band’s self-titled 1991 record should sound and feel more live than their previous efforts.
“When I first met them, they told me how they record,” Rock recalls. “Basically, what they knew was how [Rasmussen] put together a record… And I told them, ‘I don’t do that. I record everything live.’”

While the idea of recording live feels self-explanatory – capturing the raw, chaotic energy of thrash metal – Metallica were initially dubious about Rock’s process. “They said, ‘Why would you do that?’” he says. “I said, ‘well, the way [Rasmussen] did it, it’s very mechanical… And you don’t really realise what the whole song is until you finish it. But when you record live, you get a good example of pretty much all the parts.”
As a case in point, Rock notes former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted’s playing style. “Jason wasn’t playing bass like a bass player,” he remembers noticing. “He was just doubling the guitar. So I taught him, like, ‘Dude, be a bass player’… that would’ve never happened if you just did it to a click track, separately recording all the guitars.”

After proving his worth on The Black Album, Metallica would further “embrace” Rock’s process on the following 1996 and 1997 Load and Reload records – ignoring the “rules of metal” and simply penning tracks that inspired them. “I wasn’t the guy that said, ‘No, we’ve gotta copy The Black Album,” Rock says. “I was glad we weren’t copying The Black Album, ’cause you can’t make The Black Album again.”
Initially intended as a double record, Load and Reload would eventually be split into two, with Reload being produced a year later in New York. The shift in location was initially a bid to regain focus in the midst of Metallica’s busy personal lives, but it inadvertently aided the records’ experimental feel.
“We had to get out of town because they all just started having kids!” Rock notes. “They married and stuff, and nothing was getting done. So I said, ‘We’ve gotta get out of here.’ We picked New York, and, in New York, it kind of changed,” he explains. “They started experimenting.”

The production was also significantly different, due to the mixing consoles at Rock’s disposal. “When we were in New York, they didn’t have the console that we used before, the [Solid State Logic] 6000,” he explains. “All the studios that were available had an SSL 9000. It’s a different ball of wax.”
Unfortunately for Rock, he wasn’t a huge fan of the SSL 9000 – and neither was recording engineer Randy Staub. “We fucking hated it,” he recalls. “It kept breaking down… I’m not gonna get into it, but it’s an acquired taste. It’s not what I do, but that’s what we had to finish it with.”
Rock goes on to note that, as a result, Load and Reload are “completely sonically different” records. The SSL 9000 resulted in a far more “aggressive” feel on 1997’s Reload. “To me, it was really apparent that the records were so different,” he adds.
Sometimes, Rock does admit that he wishes he could go back and toy with the records once more. “So I’d like to re-mix Load… but that’s never gonna happen,” he laughs.
The post “They said, ‘Why would you do that?’”: How Bob Rock’s production approach on The Black Album differed to Flemming Rasmussen’s on previous Metallica records appeared first on MusicTech.

Instagram restricts going live to accounts with 1000+ followersInstagram restricts going live to public accounts with at least 1,000 followers, as of last week. It's part of a trend among social and music platforms making it harder for new musicians and creators to build a following.
The post Instagram restricts going live to accounts with 1000+ followers appeared first on Hypebot.

What is a Stream Worth in 2025? [MIDiA Report]What is a stream worth in 2025? The value of a music stream is shifting as passive listening becomes the norm and streaming revenue plateaus. Check out MIDiA's recent report on why artists must look beyond stream counts and focus on building genuine fan connections.
The post What is a Stream Worth in 2025? [MIDiA Report] appeared first on Hypebot.

Walrus Audio introduce the Xero Polylooper Boasting dual-channel looping functionality with independent loop control for each channel, the Xero Polylooper includes a trio of operation modes that allow it to tackle everything from practising licks to building up evolving soundscapes during a live performance. 

Luxora Audio releases FREE Lox Vocal Preamp and Lux Sub-Bass plugins
Luxora Audio has released Lox Vocal Preamp and Lux Sub-Bass, a pair of free saturation plugins for Windows and macOS. These are some of the most polished-looking freeware effects I’ve tested recently, with slick interfaces that are right on par with paid plugins. Of course, I don’t mind minimal GUIs either, but these look top-notch. [...]
View post: Luxora Audio releases FREE Lox Vocal Preamp and Lux Sub-Bass plugins

Soundghost release EKKO plug-in EKKO is capable of producing everything from warm, saturated echoes to warped, chaotic reflections, and also has some extra tricks up its sleeve thanks to an innovative Scramble feature. 

Apple might be building its own AI ‘answer engine’Apple is reportedly working to create a lightweight competitor to ChatGPT.

Tron network founder Justin Sun returns from spaceThe Tron founder said it has been a long-time dream to travel to space and reflected on the fragility of the planet following his return.

Repairing An Obscure Apple II CloneThe Apple II was made in great numbers, as was the Commodore 64. But the Mimic Spartan? It was a weird Apple II clone that you needed a Commodore 64 to use. [ARC Javmaster] has found one of these obscure machines and has set about bringing it back to life. Check out the video below.
The story of the machine has been told online by one of the developers on the project, one [Brent Marykuca]. Basically, the Mimic Spartan was an Apple II clone that was intended to take advantage of a C64 as a host machine. It came in a beige box with a bunch of edge connectors and cables sticking out, and you were intended to nest it on the back of your C64 so it could hook up to all the ports. Then, you could use your machine as a C64 or an Apple II, or sort of… both… and even exchange data between both machines in some limited ways. There are also a few details of this obscure machine that have been collated by [Mike Naberezny], who is seeking the original disk that shipped with the machine when new.
It’s early days yet for [ARC Javmaster]’s efforts to restore the Mimic Spartan. Thus far, it’s had a clean and basic test. It was able to display a short line of text on a display before ceasing activity. A full boot hasn’t been achieved just yet, but we can’t wait to see where the resurrection efforts go next.
Back in the day, there were all kinds of Frankenstein computer cards that effectively put one kind of computer inside another. These days, you can condense an entire retro machine down to run on a single microcontroller.

 
[Thanks to Stephen Walters for the tip!]