The GrainHeads app transforms your iPhone into a granular synthesizerGrainHeads is a new iOS app that brings granular synthesis to your iPhone, totally free.
A quick primer: granular synthesis essentially slices audio samples into tiny fragments called grains, rearranging them to create new, evolving textures and soundscapes. It sounds complex, but now you can play with granular synthesis in your phone.
Available as a standalone app or as an AUv3 plugin for use in any compatible DAW or host app on iOS, GrainHeads offers eight independent granular playheads for experimentation, each with its own set of parameters, volume control and Moog-style modulatable ladder filter.

READ MORE: The best free synth plugins you can download right now

The app also offers 8 LFOs, allowing “virtually every” parameter to be modulated for “complex, evolving motion”.
It features a multi-touch 2D performance pad, which supports the tweaking of numerous parameters simultaneously. The previously mentioned Moog-style ladder filter on each of the eight playheads has a selectable 12dB or 24dB/octave slope, self-oscillation and even overdrive for “warm, analogue-inspired tonal shaping”.
GrainHeads also comes with a 16-step polyrhythmic sequencer, with the ability to lock to parameters for pitch, grain size, position and more.
The app also comes with a slew of effects, including noise, stereo delay (BPM-syncable), and reverb with filtering. Again, the touch pad makes them easy to access, as they can be dragged and dropped to re-route your signal flow at will.
For truly wild textures, the app also features a Dice Randomizer – with which you roll a virtual dice to randomise “everything” in one tap for “infinite happy accidents and unexpected textures”.
GrainHeads is free to download, but users can also pay for a $6.99 upgrade, which grants the ability to record directly to the app using your iPhone’s built-in microphone, and load up external samples.
GrainHeads is available now via the App Store, and you can learn more via the official GrainHeads website.
The post The GrainHeads app transforms your iPhone into a granular synthesizer appeared first on MusicTech.

The Crow Hill Company has added 1986, a Prophet-VS-inspired synth plugin, to the FREE Vaults series
1986 is the latest addition to The Crow Hill Company’s Vaults series, and it’s available in AU, VST, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows. As always, Vaults releases are free to download for six months before moving into the donationware category. At which point, they are available to purchase with a £3 donation, [...]
View post: The Crow Hill Company has added 1986, a Prophet-VS-inspired synth plugin, to the FREE Vaults series

“I have severe gear acquisition syndrome”: Deadmau5 shows off his synth paradise in new studio tourFrom pawn shop bargains to museum-grade rarities, Deadmau5’s studio is exactly what you’d expect from a self-confessed gear obsessive.
“This is my office, my lab, my retreat… I have a severe gear acquisition syndrome,” the producer says, as he opens the door to what is, by all accounts, a seriously stacked electronic music setup.
In a new Reverb tour, Deamau5 takes viewers inside a synth collection that spans vintage Roland classics, sprawling modular rigs, and rare one-off curiosities – each meticulously curated over years of obsession.
As Deadmau5 explains, turning this dream studio into a fully functional creative space wasn’t exactly easy: “I had a really good idea of what I wanted coming in,” he says. “This took like a solid three years just to get it to make sound.” And it shows. Every corner is packed with instruments that will make any synth nerd’s jaw drop.

READ MORE: Deadmau5 discovers DJ using an AI-generated version of him to promote their music: “This is just the beginning for talentless f**ks abusing this tech”

Among the first stops on the tour is a Roland Juno-106, “maybe the second synth I ever bought,” which Deadmau5 scored for just $40 from a pawn shop in Niagara Falls.
“I go in there, and I know exactly what the fuck that thing is,” says the producer. “He’s got it sitting sideways in a ‘fuck it’ bin. I say, ‘hey man, I’m looking for a MIDI controller’, and I pull it out and I’m like ‘what about this?’ He didn’t even know what the fuck it was. I said, ‘I just need the keys.’ And he’s like, ‘okay, 50 dollars.’ I was like, ‘eh… 40?’ He’s like, ‘yeah, whatever.’”
Beyond classic analogue staples like the ARP 2600 and Oberheim SEM modules, Deadmau5’s studio is also home to instruments that verge on museum territory. Take the Fairlight CMI30A, a historic sampling synthesizer complete with a still-functioning light pen, for example.
“This predates the invention of the [computer] mouse,” Deadmau5 notes. “I’ve used this on tracks. I use it on a track called 2448.”
Elsewhere, the EMS Synthi AKS – a compact modular synth – remains a firm favourite, with Deadmau5 joking he’d ‘definitely grab it in a fire’.
“It’s not dirty, but I use it a lot,” he says. “It’s the justification that, oh, I spent so much money on this fucking thing, I might as well use it, you know?”
The room also houses a gold-plated Minimoog Voyager 10th Anniversary edition, which Deadmau5 refers to as “the last unicorn.” One of only 31 ever made, the $15,000 synth is housed in a wooden box painted with high-gloss piano lacquer and accented with Japanese Awabi pearls.
“I never tour with anything I can’t replace,” Deadmau5 adds. It’s a rule he’s only broken once, when he brought the Voyager out for a one-off orchestral performance at The Wiltern Theatre in 2018.
Watch the full tour below.

The post “I have severe gear acquisition syndrome”: Deadmau5 shows off his synth paradise in new studio tour appeared first on MusicTech.

James Blake wants production credit removed from Kanye West’s new album, Bully: “My original version is a completely different production in spirit”James Blake has asked to have his production credits removed from Kanye West’s latest album, Bully, saying the released track no longer reflects the work he originally created.
West – who now goes by Ye – debuted his long-awaited 12th studio album during a livestreamed listening event in Inglewood on 27 March. The record features a wide range of collaborators including 88-Keys, The Legendary Traxster, and Travis Scott. On the closing track, This One Here, Blake was originally credited alongside Ye, Don Toliver, and Quentin Miller.

READ MORE: The MacBook Neo is Apple’s cheapest MacBook model ever – will it be any good for music production?

However, the producer has now requested that his name be taken off, arguing that the “spirit” of his production is “mostly absent” from the final version.
“The way I pitched his vocals and constructed the track from his freestyle is partially there, majorly peppered with other newer vocal takes etc. but the spirit of my actual production is mostly absent other than that,” Blake explains on his direct-to-fan streaming platform Vault.
“My original version is a completely different production in spirit. Happy for the fans but I’ve asked to be taken off the producer credits for now as I don’t want to take credit for other people’s work and this version isn’t what I created with Ye,” he adds.
The producer also insists that the decision was “not personal”: “I just hit a point where [I] don’t want to be credited on music where I can’t affect the end result.”
The two have worked together several times over the years, with their partnership stretching back as far as 2014. The rapper has also previously called Blake one of his favourite artists.
Bully, released via YZY and the independent label Gamma, is Ye’s first LP since 2024. At the time of writing, Blake’s credit remains on the track across major streaming services.
Earlier this month, Ye announced the tracklist and clarified that no artificial intelligence had been used in its creation, contradicting comments he made last year where he claimed to have incorporated the technology into his writing process “the same way I incorporated Auto-Tune.”

The post James Blake wants production credit removed from Kanye West’s new album, Bully: “My original version is a completely different production in spirit” appeared first on MusicTech.

Loops, leaks and Roger Linn: How Akai’s MPC Sample became the most-hyped gear of 2026Something strange happened when Akai’s MPC Sample leaked online three weeks before its official release. In March, a music gear retailer mistakenly uploaded a handful of images and its $399 price tag to eBay – enough material for excited MPC fans to create their own teaser videos for this dinky sampler using generative AI.
Searching ‘Akai MPC Sample’ on YouTube before the sampler’s official launch produced some bizarre results. There were clips of an MPC Sample with 20 pads instead of 16, LEDs that extended beyond the hardware’s volume meters, and even AI-generated content creators showing off their finger drumming skills on a sampler they hailed as “the greatest creation of all time”.
The Akai MPC Sample on the MusicTech Cover. Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
Fan-made AI product demos are a new challenge for Akai, but leaks are familiar territory. January’s MPC XL and 2024’s MPC Key 37 were also subject to leaks. So frequent are these accidents – which stirred up immense hype from the dedicated sampling community – that you can’t help but wonder whether they’re actually all part of Akai’s plan.
“The leaks have been very interesting. We’re not responsible for them, but they are giving us a good understanding of the excitement online,” Akai’s Andy Mac assures MusicTech three days after the first leak of the MPC Sample. “It was really disheartening. We didn’t want this. We really kept it under wraps. But you have to look at the positives after that, right? And looking at the comments, they’re very overwhelming.”
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
Mac is the global marketing and artist relations manager for Akai, and also presents a plethora of online video demos and masterclasses on the company’s products. As such, he’s become a micro celebrity among Akai fans; he laughs in bewilderment as he recalls the time a household-name musician called him up after buying an MPC XL and said, “I can’t believe it’s you. Oh my god, I’ve watched all your videos!”
Mac’s role also involves speaking directly to power users, super fans and potential customers to find out what they want from an MPC. And in his opinion, the MPC Sample couldn’t have come at a better time.
“People have been asking for something like this for a while; there’s so much nostalgia around the brand, and we’re in a really strong position to bring something out that honours the whole legacy of sampling,” he says.
“I could probably make 10 beats on this versus one beat on another device” – Andy Mac
Not merely nostalgic
The MPC Sample takes heavy cues from the family’s 1988 debut, the MPC 60. Created by legendary instrument maker Roger Linn, the MPC 60 and its subsequent models defined the look of modern samplers: a grid of 16 drum pads, a small but detailed screen, and a curated collection of knobs, buttons and slider. A design choice that didn’t stick around from the late-80s was the cushion along the bottom panel – providing ergonomic comfort for producers who’d sit at the unit for hours slicing up samples. The new Sample revives that, along with the Pantone grey casing and blue accents. Even the Akai logo has reverted to its old-school styling.
Nostalgia isn’t the only pull here, though. The MPC Sample is decidedly powerful for its iPad-like size and $399 price tag, and, despite some limitations, it’s much more capable than its ancestors. The portable sampler boasts the classic 16-pad workflow with RGB-velocity sensitive pads and polyphonic aftertouch. Its MPC sequencer and Real-Time Swing lets you channel your inner J Dilla, and the 60 different effects are a boon for creative sound-shaping. The full-colour LCD screen, meanwhile, is a true mix of vintage and modern — a small display that gives you just enough control over waveform editing.
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
“You could put together the foundation of an album so fast on this thing,” Mac says, making beats on the fly during our video call. “Your creativity isn’t focused on plugins and screens. You’re just listening to the vibe of what you’re doing. It really takes you back to a lot of the original ways people were programming music.”
When Mac and the Akai team were road-testing the MPC Sample, they took it to Venice Beach in Los Angeles, captured the sounds of a piano that was on the boardwalk, and flipped the samples immediately. They recorded the ocean waves, warping and detuning them into grainy textures to colour the beats. Mac rejects the idea that the Sample is just a toy and believes it will “take a lot of people out of their comfort zone” to create new styles of music. “You’re just like, ‘It’s just me and this little device — I’m going to see where it takes me.’”
It is, of course, also aimed squarely at hobbyists who have always been enticed by the idea of an MPC, but have never wanted to pay the higher asking price of the brand’s flagship instruments.
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
But the competition is already incredibly stiff. At $399, the Sample has to contend with Roland’s SP-404 and Teenage Engineering’s TE-133 K.O II, and it’s not far off from the Telepathic Instruments Orchid, which is also catered to music enthusiasts who want a friendly gateway into production. When pressed on why someone would choose the MPC Sample over these instruments, Mac promises that its ease of use is next level.
“I could probably make 10 beats on this versus one beat on another device,” he asserts. “The workflow is second to none. You put all three devices together [MPC Sample, SP-404, TE-133 K.O. II], and this is leagues ahead in speed functionality.”
“Your creativity isn’t focused on plugins and screens. You’re just listening to the vibe” – Andy Mac
Sampling anytime, anywhere
Of course, it is Mac’s job to sell the MPC. One gambit: revealing that Dibia$e, a celebrated SP-404 power user, has taken a shine to the MPC Sample. (The veteran Los Angeles beatmaker has since appeared in an Akai video demo for the Sample.) “He didn’t even have the manual, and he made nearly 16 beats within the first couple of hours,” Mac brags. “We picked him up from the airport, we’re sitting in the car, and he plugs into the auxiliary and plays all these bangers that he made on the plane.”
The MPC Sample’s portability is the major marketing message from Akai: “Sample, chop, and build beats anywhere. No computer required,” says a press release. And the Sample’s pick-up-and-play nature is a joy — I’ve found myself flipping samples in bed, in the kitchen while I cook, and while I’m at my desk. Much like Teenage Engineering’s TE-133 K.O II, the MPC Sample has been subject to online quips comparing it to a calculator, which are not totally unwarranted. But you also can’t deny that the MPC Sample is a head-turner: on release day, Reddit and YouTube saw plenty of unboxing videos and photos uploaded, debates about whether one really needs something like the Sample in their studio, and comments from excited customers and naysayers alike.
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
The MPC Sample, and others like it, mark a potential shift in sampling culture. Mac notes that more producers are sampling from YouTube – which the unit’s USB-C connectivity is intended to facilitate – rather than digging through crates of vinyl and ripping CDs. Meanwhile, artists in the mainstream such as Justin Bieber, Djo, Fred Again.. and Kenya Grace have all been spotted using an MPC, not to mention a growing number of artists outside the world of hip-hop and beatmaking. Akai wants to pounce on this phenomenon, and is betting the MPC Sample will be the gateway for many other artists.
“The MPC has already been moving into so many different markets,” says Mac. “I’ve never seen this many artists on our platform. [The MPC Sample] is going to bring in people who are into their jungle music, who are making drum ‘n’ bass and house music.”
Leaning into the classic MPC designs that Roger Linn conceived was key to making the new sampler an approachable instrument. Cherry-picking elements from multiple MPCs brought an element of heritage even as Akai seeks to push the series into a new generation. “You can’t go back and change the past, but you could create the past using the future,” says Mac. “I remember it distinctly: I pulled up a picture of the MPC 60 and the 2000 XL, and I was like ‘I want the fader from that, and I want the armrest from that…’”
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
The MPC Sample combines nostalgia, portability, and affordability — it’s no wonder it captured so much attention when it leaked. Creatives who’ve never touched an MPC now have fewer excuses not to, but will the Sample flip more SP-404 loyalists, Teenage Engineering fanatics and DAW-only producers? Well, the first batch has already sold out.
The Akai MPC Sample is now available.
Words: Sam Willings
Photography: Simon Vinall
The post Loops, leaks and Roger Linn: How Akai’s MPC Sample became the most-hyped gear of 2026 appeared first on MusicTech.

The Pixel 10a doesn’t have a camera bump, and it’s greatThe Google Pixel 10a can lay flat on a table, but otherwise the company hasn't brought a ton of upgrades to its newest budget smartphone.

DeadLoop MoonPadMoonPad is a polyphonic synthesizer built for atmospheric sound design — from lush evolving pads to aggressive textured leads. 128 voices, 50+ presets, ~3% CPU. Synthesis Engine Dual oscillators with 6 waveforms (SuperSaw, Wavetable, Saw, Square, Triangle, Sine). PolyBLEP anti-aliasing, PWM, wavefold, hard sync, and FM synthesis. Shimmer Reverb 8-line FDN with allpass diffusion, modulated delays, dual-band damping, and granular pitch shifting at +12 semitones. Tidal Granular Engine 8-grain processor with pitch shift, scatter, stereo spread, feedback, and freeze mode. Filters 12 models: SVF, Moog Ladder, MS-20, Sallen-Key, Formant vowels, and resonant Comb. Effects & Modulation Multiband compressor with Linkwitz-Riley crossover. Full parametric EQ (HP, LP, 2 mid bands, shelves). Stereo chorus and syncable delay. 8-step trance gate with per-step level. BPM-synced arpeggiator (4 modes, up to 4 octaves). 8-slot mod matrix (9 sources, 13 destinations). Interface GPU-accelerated lunar UI with interactive Moon XY pad, crater snap points, and audio-reactive particles. Built in C++ with JUCE — 6MB install, ~180MB RAM. Important Notes MoonPad is developed by DeadLoop, an independent one-person studio. Our installers are not yet code-signed by Apple or Microsoft: Windows: SmartScreen may show a warning. Click "More info" then "Run anyway". macOS: Right-click the file, select "Open", then click "Open" again. These warnings are standard for independent developers. MoonPad contains no malware or tracking software. 14-day free trial available — no credit card required. Perpetual license with free lifetime updates. Activate on up to 2 machines. Bugs or issues? Contact us at contact@deadloop.fr — we respond quickly. Read More

Laser Ranging Makes GPS Satellites More AccurateAlthough GNSS systems like GPS have made pin-pointing locations on Earth’s sphere-approximating surface significantly easier and more precise, it’s always possible to go a bit further. The latest innovation involves strapping laser retroreflector arrays (LRAs) to newly launched GPS satellites, enabling ground-based lasers to accurately determine the distance to these satellites.
Similar to the retroreflector array that was left on the Moon during the Apollo missions, these LRAs will be most helpful with scientific pursuits, such as geodesy. This is the science of studying Earth’s shape, gravity and rotation over time, which is information that is also incredibly useful for Earth-observing satellites.
Laser ranging is also essential for determining the geocentric orbit of a satellite, which enables precise calibration of altimeters and increasing the accuracy of long-term measurements. Now that the newly launched GPS III SV-09 satellite is operational this means more information for NASA’s geodesy project, and increased accuracy for GPS measurements as more of its still to be launched satellites are equipped with LRAs.

FX-Mechanics Black Widow DrumsThe Black Widow Drums project is the first published drum sampler showcase for FxmeSampler's advanced spatial and processing features. Recorded on a Gretsch Black Widow kit, it utilizes an original microphone array and signal processing chain to deliver a studio-ready drum sound. Video demo here Microphone Configuration: Overheads: Rode NT-SF1 First-Order Ambisonic microphone, capturing a full 360° sound field. Kick: Blue Kick Ball. Snare/Toms: Three Shure SM57s (Snare, High Tom, Low Tom). Advanced Ambisonic-Mono Routing: Each drum element leverages the ambisonicmono hybrid strip. This routes the 4-channel B-Format overhead signal plus the dedicated proximity microphone into a single channel strip. This allows for: Spatial Sculpting: Precision control over the elevation, azimuth, and width of the overhead "view" for each specific drum. The Virtual MS Mic: The ability to treat the ambisonic field as a virtual Mid-Side pair that can be panned and balanced. Hybrid Mixing: An equal-power mix control to blend between the localized spatial field and the punch of the close-mic proximity signal. Room Modeling To optimize performance and reduce the plugin's memory footprint, the room sound is not played back from raw multi-channel files. Instead, a transfer function was calculated between the omnidirectional (W) component of the ambisonic overheads and the physical room microphones. This resulted in Impulse Responses (IRs). The Room channel in the mixer functions as a real-time convolution engine, applying these IRs to the dry signals. This provides an authentic room character while saving gigabytes of sample data. Processing & Mix Architecture: Channel Processing: Every strip features a dedicated effect chain consisting of a 4-band EQ, Dynamics (Compressor/Limiter), and Tube Saturation for harmonic enhancement. Parallel Compression Bus: A dedicated stereo bus for "New York style" parallel compression to add weight and density to the kit. Spatial FX Bus: A secondary bus hosting a combined Delay and Convolution Reverb for additional depth and atmosphere. Read More

Mark Zuckerberg texted Elon Musk to offer help with DOGEWhile the relationship was once thorny enough that Musk challenged Zuckerberg to a cagefight, things seem to have warmed up by the early days of the second Trump administration.

Apple’s Most Repairable Laptop is Thanks to Right-to-RepairThe common narrative around device design is that you can have repairability or a low price, but that they are inversely proportional to each other. Apple’s new budget MacBook Neo seems to attempt a bit of both.
Brittle snap-fit enclosures or glue can make a device pop together quickly during manufacture, but are a headache when it comes time to repair or hack it. Our friends at iFixit tore down the Neo and found it to be the most repairable MacBook since the 2012 unibody model. A screwed in battery, and modules for many of the individual components including the USB ports and headphone jack make it fairly simple to replace individual components. Most of those components are even accessible as soon as you pop the bottom cover instead of requiring major surgery.
As someone who has done a keyboard replacement on a 2010 MacBook, the 41 screws holding the keyboard in brought back (bad) memories. While this is a great improvement over Apple’s notoriously painful repair processes, we’re still only looking at an overall 6/10 score from iFixit versus a 10/10 from Framework or Lenovo.
The real story here is that these improvements from Apple were spurred by Right-to-Repair developments, particularly in the EU, that were the result of pressure from hackers like you.
If you want to push a Neo even further, how about water cooling it? If you’d rather have user-upgradeable RAM and storage too in a Mac, you’ve got to go a bit older.

Tip Jar: Brian Kehew Brings Classic Music Techniques, Equipment, and Mindsets to the Modern WorldMusic historians are driven by a passion for the art that goes beyond lyrics and melody. It’s about the inspiration behind the sound and for the technically-minded, that means every detail that goes into music creation, from the equipment to the boards to the room to the various players themselves. 

Best known as an engineer and producer, Brian Kehew has an impressive list of credits, from Fiona Apple and Aimee Mann to Beck and Eels. But it’s his deep knowledge and understanding of era-specific sonic construction and craft that make him an authority, especially when it comes to classic rock and the best music ever made. 

His ability to identify and recreate aural effects and evocative vibe on record has made him the industry go-to man when it comes to mixing music that evokes the past.

“My main work for the last 25 years has been mixing projects of classic bands and artists who are putting out box sets and unreleased things like concerts,” Kehew explains. “I studied music and recording history, so I can make a 1958 record sound correct. I can make a Madonna record from the '80s sound correct. Whether it’s early Black Sabbath or a jazz record from the '60s, I know the different styles and techniques.”

If you bought or downloaded a re-release or special collection from the likes of Aretha Franklin, Talking Heads, or Fleetwood Mac recently, and enjoyed the package’s extras (from a live concert track to a never before heard alternate version of your favorite hit) chances are Kehew mixed it, bringing clarity and quality to the old material, but also an audiophilic authenticity that makes the whole recording flow seamlessly.

He’s known for this kind of work with countless artists including Ramones, The Pretenders, Morrissey, Alice Cooper, The Faces, The Stooges, MC5, Yes, Elvis Costello, Van Halen, and so many more.

“My studio is full of old tape machines so playing music from the past—like from the '60s and '70s for example—is no problem,” he explains. “My job is to go through the archive with the producer—a specific album or it could be a whole career—and see what’s not been heard before. Then I get to mix it to fit. That is my favorite job and just my favorite thing to do.” 

These types of older recordings would lose their magic in the hands of a less-schooled, less informed mixer. As Kehew explains, “you can fix vocals, drums, line things up, and ‘modernize it’ or make it cleaner or tighter, which modern music values, but I’m also trying to keep a '70s record sounding and feeling like the '70s.”

A lot of Kehew’s mixing jobs happen to be for legendary artists who led him down his professional path to begin with. Born and raised in San Bernardino, he learned engineering and recording at Cal State Dominguez Hills, took piano and guitar lessons as a kid, and later formed an electro duo with Jellyfish’s Roger Manning called The Moog Cookbook, doing inventive covers of alt-rock and classic rock gems. 

Working as a musician has never been Kehew’s focus, but he did just get one of the coolest gigs ever. As a regular crew member for The Who, he played a slew of fill-in dates for their keyboardist on the final tour, including the Hollywood Bowl. He also just shared the stage with Pete Townshend during a surprise GRAMMY party jam.

Kehew’s work with the biggest bands on the planet doesn’t stop there. 

He serves as lead engineer on the Grateful Dead’s Angels Share series, featuring hours of unreleased alternate takes, experimentation, and even studio chatter. “What I like about these is there’s almost no overdubs,” he says. “There’s no trickery. They haven’t finished the record yet, so you get to hear them as they were.”

Studying an artist’s records, knowing the traditions of recording from the past and the equipment used all factor into conjuring their nostalgic feel, and beyond mixing and producing, Kehew has channeled his nerdom for all of it into other game changing endeavors, including books. 

His extensive survey of the Beatles gear and processes (with co-author Kevin Ryan) called Recording The Beatles: The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used To Create Their Classic Albums became a collectable best-seller. He followed it up by publishing two more Beatles books—Kaleidoscope Eyes and Places I Remember—with photographer Harry Grossman. 

His next Beatles tome is a massive project exploring the work of master producer/arranger George Martin, which he dubs “the number one project in my life because I’ve worked on it for over 10 years now.” The three volume George Martin: The Scores is finally due out this month on Kehew’s Curve Bender Publishing.

While researching the first book he became interested in the Sound Techniques mixer used on records by everyone from David Bowie to Elton John, as well as Queen, The Stones, and yes, the Fab Four too, all in the U.K. After connecting with its designer, he also had a hand in helping it get remanufactured and placed at major studios across the country. 

Kehew also owns his own studio, called Round and Wound in North Hollywood, specializing in tape and media transfers done by the best ears in the business. It’s his HQ for mixing and a place to connect with musicians of all ilks beyond the biggies. In these unstable and erratic times for the music industry it provides an old school, human touch that is much needed as A.I. and social media threaten what we love about music. With this in mind, he offers this advice for would-be producers, mixers, and music makers in general: 

Follow your passion—“It should be more than a hobby. It should be who you are. If all the record stores closed, I would still be making music. I would be arranging songs and working with friends.”

Show off your skills—“I’ve always felt that work will find you if you put it out there. And my best, like my Warner Brothers studio work, found me because I was doing what I do. Do it all the time, for everybody, maybe for free. People will find you.” 

Figure out ‘your thing’ that’s different from everybody else—“There are five, six people on my block in North Hollywood that do what I do. But what I do that’s different comes from studying music history. So do what only you can do!”The post Tip Jar: Brian Kehew Brings Classic Music Techniques, Equipment, and Mindsets to the Modern World first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Shadaloo Audio DSP releases H, a FREE tone and loudness enhancer plugin
Shadaloo Audio DSP has released H, a free tone and loudness enhancer plugin for macOS and Windows. H was built by Fabio “Shadaloo” Caterino, an Italian multi-platinum certified mix and mastering engineer. He originally designed the plugin for his own mixes and then decided to release it publicly as a pay-what-you-want download. First of all, [...]
View post: Shadaloo Audio DSP releases H, a FREE tone and loudness enhancer plugin

Win a FREE copy of maniFold Omega FULL by Strange Audio
Strange Audio is giving away two free copies of maniFold Omega FULL (worth €29 each) to BPB readers. We featured the free maniFold Σ experimental microlooper from the same developer last year, and it was included in our popular roundup of unusual free plugins released in 2025. maniFold Omega is a hybrid real-time effect processor [...]
View post: Win a FREE copy of maniFold Omega FULL by Strange Audio

Sonora Cinematic launch Movimento Strings The latest addition Sonora Cinematic's range of Soundbox instruments throws some chamber strings into the mix, and aims to tackle the issue of long, sustained notes sounding too clean or static.