Expensive Camera, Cheap 3D-Printed LensIf you’re a photography enthusiast, you probably own quite a few cameras, but the chances are your “good” one will have interchangeable lenses. Once you’ve exhausted the possibilities of the kit lens, you can try different focal lengths and effects, but you’ll soon find out that good glass isn’t cheap. Can you solve this problem by making your own lenses? [Billt] has done just that.
Given some CAD skills, it’s possible to replicate the mount on an existing lens, but he takes a shortcut by using a readily available camera cap project. There are two lenses detailed in the video below the break; the first is a plastic lens from a disposable camera, while the second takes one from a Holga toy camera. The plastic lens is inserted mid-print, giving the colour aberrations and soft focus you’d expect, while the Holga lens is mounted on a slide for focusing. There may be some room for improvement there, but the result is a pair of fun lenses for experimentation for not much outlay. Given the number of broken older cameras out there, it should be relatively easy for anyone wanting to try this for themselves to have a go.
The video is below the break, but while you’re on this path, take a look at a previous project using disposable camera lenses. Or, consider printing an entire camera.

The Les Paul Recording Studio The Les Paul Recording Studio features a restored collection of Les Paul’s original gear, including his groundbreaking audio console and eight-track recording setup.

LANG Electronics Inc. introduces LANG PEQ-2 plug-inHeritage Audio® brand LANG Electronics Inc., itself a notable name in pro audio circles dating back to the Sixties, is proud to introduce its LANG PEQ-2 plug-in — an authentic emulation of its industry- shaking PEQ-2 Program Equalizer (https://heritageaudio.com/peq-2/) released to widespread critical acclaim in 2023 while effectively bringing back to life one of the most desirable equalizers of all time some six decades after the original (albeit as a brand-new piece providing problem-free access to some of the sweetest- sounding tones and textures the industry has ever heard, putting pay to the prevailing practice of overcoming inflated pricing for used units that are almost always in a questionable state of operation when seeking out original Model PEQ-2s held in high regard by many discerning artists, engineers, and producers who consider the so-called ‘LANG PROGRAM EQUALIZER’ to be better than the ubiquitous Pultec when choosing it as their secret weapon) — in both native and DSP (Digital Signal Processing) formats, as of February 24…Since successfully recreating the so-called ‘LANG PROGRAM EQUALIZER’ as the PEQ-2 Program Equalizer, it stands to reason that LANG Electronics Inc. brand owner Heritage Audio collectively considered itself as being the only company capable of translating that hardware unit’s uniqueness into a plug-in that does justice to the original. After all, Heritage Audio has a proven track record in doing just that with several of its own hardware classics — think SUCCESSOR, successfully recreating all of its namesake British Diode-bridge STEREO BUS COMPRESSOR’s features as a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) workflow-friendly plug-in with welcomed additions; SYMPH EQ — executed as a stereo mix-enhancing plug-in that readily recreates its SYMPH EQ notable namesake released in hardware form to widespread critical acclaim as a single rack space-occupying master bus-/mastering-orientated unit taking its full (STEREO ASYMPTOTIC EQUALIZER) name from the shape obtained by its shelving curves; and BritStrip, baking its BritStrip CONSOLE CHANNEL STRIP modern-day classic into a vibe-infused, all-in-one plug-in. Put it this way: with LANG PEQ-2, PEQ-2 Program Equalizer’s uniqueness ultimately now evident for all to hear after months of meticulous modelling, it is clear that time has been spent wisely on LANG Electronics Inc.’s behalf by Heritage Audio.Although the LANG PEQ-2 plug-in’s layout — effectively mirroring that of its hardware namesake — is deceptively simple, it is actually capable of some extreme processing while maintaining the musicality of the signal being processed. Thanks to its independent controls for BOOST and DROOP (cut) for both the HF (high frequency) and LF (low frequency) bands, users can quickly transform their material in interesting, creative ways that they will have almost certainly not considered before. An ability to boost and cut at the same (or similar) frequencies produces equalised response curves that are, quite simply, sure to excite — experimentation is key here, but users will soon discover just how powerful this feature can be.Lastly, LANG PEQ-2 also features a high peak boost with a completely variable HF BOOST BANDWIDTH setting that spans from SHARP to BROAD to cover anyone’s needs in a most musical-sounding manner; moreover, the range of BOOST actually varies depending on what that selected HF BOOST BANDWIDTH setting is, thereby offering a very smooth and natural response at all times — very clever indeed!Helpfully, Heritage Audio’s goal with LANG Electronics Inc.’s LANG PEQ-2 plug-in — as, indeed, is the case with its own (above-mentioned) plug-ins — is to create a tool to channel creativity and put the focus firmly back on music production, which is exactly why the vintage- sounding recording equipment developer wants to reach as many users as possible by applying a pricing scheme that is both comprehensive and fair. For instance, all owners of LANG Electronics Inc.’s PEQ-2 Program Equalizer hardware unit can complete an online form (https://heritageaudio.com/lang-peq2-owners-form/) to redeem a native version of LANG Electronics Inc.’s LANG PEQ-2 plug-in for free, while both native and DSP versions of LANG PEQ-2 are also available for free to owners of Heritage Audio’s i73® PRO family products — offering varying I/O and features as the first ever USB-C audio interfaces with built-in Class A 73-style preamps — via a firmware update (https://users.heritageaudio.com), upon completion of which they will be automatically added to their plug-in collection. Fortunately for everyone else, a no-nonsense price of €99.00 EUR/$99.00 USD is guaranteed. The native version of LANG Electronics Inc.’s LANG PEQ-2 plug-in is available to purchase — as a 64-bit AAX-, AU-, and VST3-format compatible effect plug-in for MacOS (10.15.7 and higher, with both INTEL and Native Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3 compatibility) and Windows (10 and 11) — directly from Heritage Audio here: https://users.heritageaudio.com/product/lang-peq-2/An iLok account is required for LANG PEQ-2 activation. (If running LANG PEQ-2 in trial mode, note that the trial will be fully functional for 14 days after activation.)Watch Heritage Audio’s illuminating introductory video for LANG PEQ-2 here: https://youtu.be/vKTLnsKoIdwBecome better acquainted with LANG PEQ-2 while watching Heritage Audio’s walkthrough video here:https://youtu.be/-N5-KSdfSIoThe post LANG Electronics Inc. introduces LANG PEQ-2 plug-in first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

US will use stablecoins to ensure dollar hegemony — Scott BessentPresident Trump and Scott Bessent both called for a comprehensive regulatory framework on stablecoins and a clear regulatory environment.

Microsoft reportedly ramps up AI efforts to compete with OpenAIMicrosoft is accelerating its push to compete with OpenAI, its longtime collaborator, by developing its own powerful AI models and exploring alternatives to power products like Microsoft’s Copilot bot. Microsoft has developed its own AI “reasoning” models comparable to models like OpenAI’s o1 and o3-mini, the The Information reports. OpenAI is said to have refused […]
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Trio of Mods Makes Delta Printer More Responsive, Easier to UseJust about any 3D printer can be satisfying to watch as it works, but delta-style printers are especially hypnotic. There’s just something about the way that three linear motions add up to all kinds of complex shapes; it’s mesmerizing. Deltas aren’t without their problems, though, which led [Bruno Schwander] to undertake a trio of interesting mods on his Anycubic Kossel.
First up was an effort to reduce the mass of the business end of the printer, which can help positional accuracy and repeatability. This started with replacing the stock hot-end with a smaller, lighter MQ Mozzie, but that led to cooling problems that [Bruno] addressed with a ridiculously overpowered brushless hairdryer fan. The fan expects a 0 to 5-VDC signal for the BLDC controller, which meant he had to build an adapter to allow Marlin’s 12-volt PWM signal to control the fan.
Once the beast of a fan was tamed, [Bruno] came up with a clever remote mount for it. A 3D-printed shroud allowed him to mount the fan and adapter to the frame of the printer, with a flexible duct connecting it to the hot-end. The duct is made from lightweight nylon fabric with elastic material sewn into it to keep it from taut as the printhead moves around, looking a bit like an elephant’s trunk.
Finally, to solve his pet peeve of setting up and using the stock Z-probe, [Bruno] turned the entire print bed into a strain-gauge sensor. This took some doing, which the blog post details nicely, but it required building a composite spacer ring for the glass print bed to mount twelve strain gauges that are read by the venerable HX711 amplifier and an Arduino, which sends a signal to Marlin when the head touches the bed. The video below shows it and the remote fan in action.

Tone Sculptor Audio TSA Comp-1TSA Comp-1 is a compressor engineered to preserve the natural character of your sound, ensuring that your music retains its integrity while benefiting from enhanced dynamics and punch. It delicately... Read More

From YouTube’s 125m subscribers to UMG’s $5bn recorded music subscription revenues… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe biggest stories from the past week – all in one place…
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Mixing Dune 2 OST: Alan Meyerson Webinar Sound Particles and Apogee have announced an upcoming webinar with none other than Alan Meyerson, the Grammy-winning mix engineer behind blockbuster films such as Inception, The Dark Knight, and Dune.

Gen Z Loves Live Music, new study confirmsMore than any other generation, music is a central component of Gen Z identity and happiness, according to a new study. 87.9% of those surveyed said that music moulds their personal identity and helps them navigate life.
The post Gen Z Loves Live Music, new study confirms appeared first on Hypebot.

20 Short Form Video Music Promotion IdeasWant to boost engagement and drive more streams with short form video? These 20 proven TikTok and Reels short form video music promotion ideas can help indie artists stand out.. Continue reading
The post 20 Short Form Video Music Promotion Ideas appeared first on Hypebot.

The Pocket Queen on drum production, social media, and collaboration
The Pocket Queen (Beyoncé, Doja Cat) sat down with us to discuss drum production, finding long-term success on social media, and more.

This is the best Tears for Fears remake tutorial on the planet right nowIt’s been 40 years since Tears For Fears released their landmark second album Songs From The Big Chair, which is now considered a staple of ’80s synth pop. It notably made prominent use of MIDI sequencing, which at the time was very fresh technology.
To celebrate, Reverb Machine has provided provides an in-depth recreation of the band’s song Everybody Wants To Rule The World using modern software synths, with no sampling of the original hit.

READ MORE: Here’s how to remake Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime with plugins and emulations

As Reverb Machine points out, the original song employed synths including the Yamaha DX7, PPG Wave 2.3, and Sequential Prophet T-8. The system was controlled by UMI (Universal Musical Interface), a software-based MIDI sequencer running on the humble home computer, the BBC Micro.
The intro used the factory presets on either a DX7 or Yamaha’s DX1, both of which were pretty new technologies at the time. Reverb Machine recreated the electric guitar riff using a Les Paul on the neck pickup through a Roland JC-120 patch on a Kemper Profiler. Sampled guitar tracks are used alongside the live guitars.
There’s also the sound of a choir, which was originally created with the sampler and workstation Fairlight CMI. It uses the samples OOHH1 and CHOIR6, which were put in separate tracks on the remake. The recreation used Arturia CMI V to recreate it.
The Arturia Prophet-V 5, a software emulation of the Prophet-5, was used to recreate the main synth part. Reverb Machine also identifies that the DX7 preset used was ROM1B 32-BASS 4. There’s also a PPG wave layer that comes from a modified version of the 013 A preset, which was replicated with Waldorf’s PPG Wave 3 VST plugin.

As for the drum machines, Tears For Fears used the new Fairlight and Emulator samplers alongside as the sample-based drum machines that were also fresh onto the market at the time. For the remake, a DMX kick was layered with a LinnDrum kick, while the hi-hat and shaker sounds are classic LinnDrum sounds. In addition, there is the use of a snare sample from Zenhiser’s Classic 80’s Snares sample pack.
The reverb used was the Valhalla VintageVerb with the Small R-Hall preset, with the low cut tweaked to remove excessive bass.
You can take a look at a full – and impressively comprehensive – breakdown of Everybody Wants To Rule The World right now over at Reverb Machine.
The post This is the best Tears for Fears remake tutorial on the planet right now appeared first on MusicTech.

UVI released UVI Workstation 4 update with new FREE sounds
UVI has released a major update for their free sample player – UVI Workstation 4. With this new update, they’ve also included the refreshed UVI Starter Soundpack, a collection of free samples for Workstation 4. Installing Workstation 4 will automatically install the free sound pack, which is very cool! Feel free to watch the one [...]
View post: UVI released UVI Workstation 4 update with new FREE sounds