Meta and Instagram spotted developing a new social music-sharing featureMeta and Spotify are exploring deeper music integration in Meta’s Instagram app. New findings indicate the companies are testing a feature that would allow users to continuously share what music they’re listening to through Instagram’s Notes. The new functionality was first spotted by reverse engineer Alessandro Paluzzi, who often finds unreleased features while they’re still […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

“A lot of producers don’t know how to do it properly”: Slash on the “dying art” of guitar recordingThe rise of amp modellers in modern music production has left many producers incapable of recording live guitar tones, according to Guns N’ Roses legend Slash.
The guitarist, whose new blues album Orgy of the Damned was recorded using live instruments, tells Goldmine that the technique is pretty much a “dying art” these days as more and more artists embrace the convenience of digital solutions.
He adds that Mike Clink – the producer who worked on GNR’s Appetite for Destruction (1987), Use Your Illusion I and II (1991), and his recent album – is one of the few up to the task.

READ MORE: Ibiza’s Pikes is extending its dancefloor phone ban to 7 days a week

“Mike Clink is a great producer, but more importantly… he’s one of the most fantastic, real-deal engineers,” says Slash. “He knows how to get a great sound out of a guitar or drums or a bass or whatever. He knows what he’s doing.”
“He’s almost one of the last of the Mohicans because it’s a dying art to be able to record a guitar through a cabinet. A lot of producers don’t even know how to do it properly anymore.”
He continues: “Mike was the guy that I knew could get these analogue sounds that we were producing and get them on tape properly and make it sound really good, which is exactly what he did. He’s also a great guy to work with, too.”
And while Slash himself has previously dabbled in digital gear — even praising the AmpliTube 5 for its ease of use, he maintains that amp sims only have a place in his writing process, and not his recording process.
At his core, the guitarist is very much still an “analogue” guy: “I love working with an amplifier because there’s something… Maybe it’s old school, but there’s something pure about the way the speakers react, the sound of the cabinet and all that kind of stuff,” he said.

The post “A lot of producers don’t know how to do it properly”: Slash on the “dying art” of guitar recording appeared first on MusicTech.

Watch Aphex Twin DJ at his friend’s weddingImagine celebrating one of the most important days of your life with one of the greatest electronic musicians of the 21st century spinning tracks just for you.
Last weekend, Aphex Twin – real name – Richard David James – was spotted DJing at a private wedding in what’s probably one of the most overqualified wedding gigs ever.

READ MORE: Watch deadmau5 play the medieval EP-1320 while wearing a suit of armour. No, seriously

The precious moment, which has since been immortalised on TikTok and Twitter/ X, sees the musician performing for a small crowd of under a 100 people at the wedding venue. One of the songs featured in James’s set was The Bells by drum and bass producer Jonny L. The DJ’s signature visuals were also projected on the screen behind him during the show.
According to an attendee on TikTok, Aphex Twin and the groom have been friends for years, and that the DJing gig was a wedding gift. The evening also featured British electronic musician Luke Vibert and a DJ from the London-based record label futureRetro behind the decks.
Check out the moment below.

aphex twin playing his friends wedding party yesterday. (luke vibert also played).
currently drowning in an endless sea of envy. pic.twitter.com/RjLZ0rLXI8
— babybera (@babyberafinance) August 18, 2024

Went to a friend's wedding reception last night and they had APHEX TWIN DJing! pic.twitter.com/nMHT14UaO3
— Heather (@_hthr_) August 17, 2024

Meanwhile, Aphex Twin is celebrating the 30th anniversary of his 1994 sophomore album Selected Ambient Works Volume II with a new box set arriving on 4 October. The collection will be available in digital, 3xCD, double-cassette, and 4xLP standard and box set editions.
This marks the first time that every track from the album will be universally accessible across all formats, bridging a gap that previously limited access to certain tracks, notably the vinyl-only release #19. The expanded edition also features two additional songs, th1 [evnslower] and Rhubarb Orc. 19.53 Rev.
Fans can pre-order the record from Aphex Twin’s web store.
The post Watch Aphex Twin DJ at his friend’s wedding appeared first on MusicTech.

New Twitch DJ Program: Everything You Need To KnowThe new Twitch DJ program offers groundbreaking opportunities to expand reach, make money, and engage with audiences. Here's what you need to know to leverage this platform effectively.
The post New Twitch DJ Program: Everything You Need To Know appeared first on Hypebot.

Roblox strikes deal with DistroKid – but indie artists won’t be paid any money from itRoblox revenues are forecast to hit $3.5bn across the course of this year
Source

Zedd to host super small NYC rave for only 25 people – here’s how you get inZedd is hosting a secret rave for just 25 attendees this August, and you’ll need to get your detective hat on if you want to get in.
In partnership with 5 Gum, Zedd is hosting an online scavenger hunt. Hopeful attendees will need to follow a series of hints shared on both 5 gum and Zedd’s social media channels.

READ MORE: Storage locker hunters uncover Kanye West gear in epic haul – featuring AKG mics, Yeezys, an Ensoniq sampler and more

This special, intimate show will take place on 22 August at a New York City bodega. Fans need to use the hints shared online to decipher the exact location, and also “decipher clues hidden in plain sight,” according to a press release (via EDM).
The first 25 people to figure out the location must visit the bodega in advance to receive a glow-in-the-dark pack of 5 Gum, which also serves as their ticket. At the show, fans will be treated to new music from Telos, Zedd’s forthcoming album (and first in nearly a decade), landing officially on 30 August.
Those who don’t manage to get into the super secret rave will still have the chance of winning $500 for tickets to spend on Zedd’s upcoming tour or event merchandise. The drawing will commence on the 5 Gum website on 26 August and run until 6 September.

“I love to deliver the unexpected at my shows, and performing at what will be one of my most intimate and unique venues yet – an actual New York City bodega – certainly aligns with that. Partnering with 5 Gum to deliver this amazing experience will definitely be one for the books,” Zedd comments.
“We know that 5 Gum and Zedd fans alike are known to embrace the thrill of a new adventure, so what better way to do that than getting the chance to be one of the few to uncover and attend such an intimate, unforgettable experience with a world-renowned DJ,” adds Maria Urista, Vice President, Gum & Mints at Mars.
Find out more information at 5 Gum.
The post Zedd to host super small NYC rave for only 25 people – here’s how you get in appeared first on MusicTech.

Drake just dropped 100GB of unreleased content – and it gives you a peek into the sound of Abbey Road StudiosDrake has once again surprised the music world with his latest content drop, offering fans a glimpse into his creative process at the legendary Abbey Road Studios via 100GB of unreleased content.
This treasure trove, available on the newly launched website 100gigs.org, includes unreleased tracks, demos, and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. It also marks the first major release from the Canadian rapper following his ongoing feud with Kendrick Lamar.
The pair have been trading diss tracks for the last couple of months, with Drake only featuring on tracks like Snowd4y’s Wag Gwan Delilah and Gordo’s Sideways during this period.

READ MORE: The beat for Kendrick Lamar’s Drake diss Not Like Us was created in 30 minutes

With the new drop, fans now have an epic 100GB worth of fresh material to explore. Among the highlights of Drake’s latest release are three brand-new songs: It’s Up, featuring the dynamic duo of Young Thug and 21 Savage, Housekeeping Knows, a collaboration with Bitch From Da Souf rapper Latto, and a new Drake track titled Blue Green Red.
Beyond the music, fans can also dive into intimate studio sessions from the iconic Abbey Road Studios as well as from Barbados, alongside a variety of never-before-seen video content. In a moment that epitomises the behind-the-scenes chaos of music production, we see Drake’s producer, Noah “40” Shebib, working on tracks at Abbey Road before he accidentally knocks out the power for the audio interface running Pro Tools.
In short, it’s a lot of footage for a lot of stuff. Drake and his label OVO Sound have also shared screenshots of the site via their socials, inviting fans to dig away at the media dump.
Check out the new tracks via Drake’s new “plottttwistttttt” Instagram account below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @plottttwistttttt

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @plottttwistttttt

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by @plottttwistttttt

The post Drake just dropped 100GB of unreleased content – and it gives you a peek into the sound of Abbey Road Studios appeared first on MusicTech.

4 places you’re missing to market music to tens of millions of fansEveryone markets music on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. But chances are there are at least 4 places you’re missing to market music to tens of millions of fans 4. Continue reading
The post 4 places you’re missing to market music to tens of millions of fans appeared first on Hypebot.

BandLab partners with London’s Strongroom Studios for “treasure trove” of royalty-free sample packsBandLab has partnered with Strongroom Studios for a “treasure trove” of exclusive royalty-free sample packs recorded by producers, engineers and artists who have worked at the Shoreditch, London recording facility.
Available both free within Studio, BandLab’s online DAW, and directly through BandLab Sounds, the Strongroom packs add to BandLab’s existing library currently comprising over 100,000 samples.

READ MORE: BandLab mobile users can now experiment with beats for free before buying

The new Strongroom packs series includes “breathtaking and inventive” piano sounds by Fi Roberts, “blissful and twinkling” pop elements by TATYANA, Jelly Cleaver’s smooth soul guitar and piano textures, Alex O’Donovan’s warping synth tones and gritty drums, and much more.
Strongroom Studios has, during its 40-year history, hosted the likes of Lorde, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX and Radiohead, but this new partnership with BandLab marks its first foray into the world of sample packs.
In other BandLab news, the platform last month rolled out advanced features for mobile users including automation, an expanded library of vocal effects and improved filters.
It later introduced BandLab users the ability to experiment with beats on the platform for free before buying, even allowing them to add additional tracks and apply effects to a beat with no up-front financial commitment.
“This is the latest among many updates that demonstrate BandLab’s commitment to eliminating any barriers to creativity and making music creation accessible,” said BandLab. “This feature encourages users to try Beats in real-time, experiment freely, and immediately put their inspiration to work without upfront costs.”
You can learn more about the BandLab x Strongroom collaboration and have a listen to some of the sounds over at BandLab.
Editor’s note: BandLab and MusicTech are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.
The post BandLab partners with London’s Strongroom Studios for “treasure trove” of royalty-free sample packs appeared first on MusicTech.

What is a spectrogram?
Learn about what a spectrogram is, how to read one, and the unique findings it can uncover about your audio.

Neural DSP Technologies Introduces 'TINA' Robotic Amp ModelingAs part of its enduring commitment to pioneering industry-leading amplifier modeling technology, Neural DSP announced the arrival of TINA, the company’s proprietary data-collection robot which takes authentically and faithfully modeling the sonic nuances of a guitar amplifier to an unprecedented level. TINA – a Telemetric Inductive Nodal Actuator – marries mechanical robotics with machine learning to digitally replicate analog devices, such as guitar amplifiers, like never before.

Leveraging the advanced capabilities of TINA, Neural DSP also launched CorOS 3.0.0 and the arrival of Quad Cortex Plugin Compatibility (PCOM), giving creators the ability to access the virtual devices in their Neural DSP plugins on their Quad Cortex. This initial release includes compatibility for two plugins: Archetype: Plini X and Archetype: Gojira X, with additional QC-compatible plugins set to launch in subsequent CorOS updates.

"TINA represents a groundbreaking integration of robotics and state-of-the-art machine learning for audio processing, furthering Neural DSP's commitment to redefining the standards in guitar amplifier modeling accuracy,” says Douglas Castro, CEO at Neural DSP Technologies. “This feat is the result of collaboration between our respective plugin and Quad Cortex teams, who have worked tirelessly to significantly improve the architecture of both platforms to ensure plugins can run on Quad Cortex. We’ve successfully removed all human intervention within the amplifier modeling process – ensuring an unparalleled level of precision in every model by capturing every subtle detail in the amplifier's controls.”

TINA: Leveraging Robotics for Authentic Sound Replication

In the spaces between the markings on an amplifier’s controls — gain, bass, mid, treble, presence, master — there is an entire universe of complex interactions and sonic distinctions. Guitarists will naturally play with these controls in a subjective manner, dialing in changes instinctively. But in trying to digitally emulate that process, even snapshot models of different configurations of those controls cannot translate all of the possible fine-tuned interactive combinations, and managing those million or more combinations would be impossible.

What Neural DSP does with TINA is robotically access the entire spectrum of every control’s range by physically connecting with those controls via actuator arms. Every control is systematically turned with its output recorded. With enough recorded examples (typically thousands of control positions), a neural network is trained to replicate the behavior of the device for each one of these settings. Through this training process, the finished model will also generalize and precisely infer the sound of the device in any unseen control setting and input signal.

TINA does the tedious part, deducing what control positions need to be recorded, plans the sequence to turn the knobs while minimizing wear-and-tear, and finally returns a collection of recordings with all of the related control positions carefully and precisely annotated.

By combining robotic data collection with machine learning, Neural DSP can distill the full range of an amp’s continuous control into a single neural network model with unparalleled precision. It also removes the need for painstaking and often biased human analysis and design. The collected data is always a complete representation of the device and its history; every tube, every transformer, every pot, every ding, and every scratch; anything you can hear and feel will be a part of the data the models are trained on.

“TINA is the backbone of our robust and automated modeling pipeline, pushing the boundaries of model fidelity,” says Aleksi Peussa, Machine Learning Team Lead and Researcher at Neural DSP Technologies. “The collected data provides the ground-truth for the sound and feel of the device. No assumptions, no preferences, no limitations. Purely data. The vast amount of data along with advanced machine learning approaches can systematically push model accuracy to unparalleled levels of realism. Our goal is always to create models that are indistinguishable from the real thing, even by experts.”

To learn more about PCOM and how to update to CorOS 3.0.0, click here and here.The post Neural DSP Technologies Introduces 'TINA' Robotic Amp Modeling first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Real-time voice morphing with Dreamtonics Vocoflex Dreamtonics have announced the release of a new AI-powered plug-in that’s capable of transforming the sound of a vocalist in real time.

This might be the most customisable delay plugin ever releasedAudio plugin innovator Sound Particles has launched InDelay, a “modern take on a traditional delay plugin” with never-before-seen features.
Featuring the brand’s 3D Particles interface and functionality – seen in spatial audio synth SkyDust 3D, which we gave a 9/10 last year – InDelay allows users to play with up to 100 different delays in a whole host of configurations.

READ MORE: BandLab mobile users can now experiment with beats for free before buying

Features include the ability to position up to 100 delays anywhere around you, plus the option to move them dynamically while a track plays.

InDelay allows users to “particle-ize” delays with a click, add Air simulation to create realism, or dive under the hood and customise independent channel sources for each of the 16 taps available.
“This new audio effects plugin is designed for musicians, mixers, sound designers and all sound professionals and enthusiasts who wish to expand their toolset with new cutting-edge software,” says Sound Particles.
“A delay is one of the most used plugins by sound professionals, so we had to create something that could fit this daily need, but keep pushing the boundaries of creative expressiveness,” says Nuno Fonseca, founder and CEO of Sound Particles.
“So we decided to create our modern take on a classic delay, with plenty of new features never done before inside a delay. We’re sure that it will captivate a lot of musicians and sound designers and that they’ll find tonnes of inspiration on InDelay.”
Check out what InDelay can do in the introductory video below:

InDelay is available now for a July-only price of £115.43. For more information, head to Sound Particles.
The post This might be the most customisable delay plugin ever released appeared first on MusicTech.

Link Rot: Why your Digital Links won’t last foreverUnfortunately, link deterioration, often called link rot, is inevitable. Here are some effective strategies for managing its impact on online content. by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0 Just about everyone. Continue reading
The post Link Rot: Why your Digital Links won’t last forever appeared first on Hypebot.

“Once tech like stem separation is inside the CDJ, people will get a bit more creative”: Richie Hawtin on how real-time stem separation will impact live showsRichie Hawtin has shared his thoughts on the impact real-time stem separation might have on contemporary DJs, especially their approach to live sound manipulation.
Hawtin debuted his new concert series, DEX EFX XOX, at this year’s Movement Festival Detroit and Sónar Barcelona. The show sees him focus less on grandeur and visual spectacle, and far more on the most important element – the music.

READ MORE: Erica Synths and Richie Hawtin’s Bullfrog Drums will “teach you drum programming and sampling”

For DEX EFX XOX, Hawtin uses Traktor, Bitwig, his own MODEL 1 mixer, two A&H Xone K2 MIDI controllers, a Novation Launchpad, and a bunch of “custom scripts” that allow on-the-fly control over a suite of Roland software emulations, including the TR-808, TR-909, and the SH-101.
In the future, the use of stem separation – something he’s avoided up til now – may also make its way into his sets. In a new interview feature for MusicTech, he explains, “My shows are all pretty spontaneous. I’ve been reluctant to use any stem separation because it all has to be done beforehand. But real-time, high-quality stem separation is coming very shortly, and I’m excited because that will allow for even more fluid mixing.”
With his shows, Hawtin wants to revive that hypnotic state that immersive sound and lighting can induce alone. He wants his shows to feel more like a club experience, rather than concert which may focus more on feeding the eyes than the ears. Of the current DJ sphere, he says, “On one level, I see that the scene has exploded with the TikTok DJ generation who maybe think that DJing is just two CDJs and a mixer, but I’m starting to see some of the DJs who’ve been around longer really jumping into these hybrid setups.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Richie Hawtin (@richiehawtin)

“Once tech like stem separation is inside the CDJ, people will get a bit more creative — but will we see a whole generation of DJs working on their own unique setup? I’m not sure that that’s going to happen.”
He adds, “I don’t want to sound like I’m slagging off the new-school DJs. Really, the production etiquette and technique of young, modern producers is fucking mind blowing. The music they’re making crosses and combines genres more than ever before — there used to be the house lane, the techno lane, the minimal lane. Now, it’s all going back into the melting pot and that’s where a lot of the energy and excitement is coming from.”
So, why does he feel rising DJs are not experimenting with their setup as much as they perhaps should? “Part of it is just the convenience of jumping on a plane with a USB stick and jamming out some great tunes,” he says. “I would have been excited if I could have done that 30 years ago, instead of dragging around three 50kg cases and a friend to help me.”
Find out more about Richie Hawtin, or view all of his scheduled live dates.
The post “Once tech like stem separation is inside the CDJ, people will get a bit more creative”: Richie Hawtin on how real-time stem separation will impact live shows appeared first on MusicTech.