Phantom Sounds releases Orbit, a FREE spatial reverb plugin
Phantom Sounds has released Orbit, a free reverb plugin in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows. We aren’t exactly short of reverb options, so when a new plugin comes along, it’s nice if it has a bit of a twist, like the fantastic SOL by S1gns Of L1fe. Phantom Sound’s Orbit has [...]
View post: Phantom Sounds releases Orbit, a FREE spatial reverb plugin

Feeling lucky? Get over 90% off this mystery plugin bundle from Antelope AudioIf you’ve started the new year feeling pretty optimistic, then you might want to grab this mystery Antelope Audio plugin bundle, with over 90 per cent off until 1 February.
The bundle can feature anywhere from six to 20 plugins, all for less than £50. Every bundle is completely unique and draws from Antelope Audio’s entire plugin catalogue – that’s 76 in total. You could essentially receive a bundle that is around £3000 in value from a single purchase. Not bad, huh?
[deals ids=”19Kkrte3b6wblqpM0zhLvX”]
It seems the number you get may depend on factors like the original value of the individual plugins, their popularity, or complexity. For example, you may get a smaller bundle filled with its more high-end plugins, or a larger bundle that is more varied.

READ MORE: Antelope Audio’s Zenith 2 interface “bridges the gap between million-dollar studios and bedroom setups”

You’ll need to head over to the “My Offers” tab in the Antelope Audio User area, then click “Open My Bundle” to generate your unique collection. The licences will be deposited to your iLok account, and you can download your new plugins from the Antelope Launcher.

Antelope Audio released its A4-1B compressor in January last year, and we included it in our top selections of the best outboard gear releases from 2025. The A4-1B is an analogue automated opto-valve compressor in a 2U rack, designed to preserve vintage Opto-Tube units’ legendary smoothness and musicality.
But if it’s even more plugins you’re after to kickstart your creativity this year, then you can check out our round-up of the best free plugins of 2025. It features all the best freeware releases from across the year, including deep sound design plugins, impressive synths, and complex sample mangling tools.
Shop the Antelope Audio mystery bundle deal now over at Plugin Boutique.
The post Feeling lucky? Get over 90% off this mystery plugin bundle from Antelope Audio appeared first on MusicTech.

Rockheyday releases SlowWave, a free slow + reverb standalone app for Windows
Rockheyday has released SlowWave, a free, standalone Windows app that instantly applies slowed-down playback and lush reverb to any audio file. At 40 (someone recently called me unc and I had to Google it), I’m definitely not in the target age group for this kind of effect. But even so, I instantly figured out what [...]
View post: Rockheyday releases SlowWave, a free slow + reverb standalone app for Windows

Google co-founders may be leaving CaliforniaSergey Brin and Larry Page appear to be pulling back from the state where they co-founded Google.

EnderSpark: Convert Your Broken Creality FDM Printer Into An EDM machine!EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) is one of those specialised manufacturing processes that are traditionally expensive and therefore somewhat underrepresented in the DIY and hacker scenes. It’s with great delight that we present EnderSpark, a solution to not one but two problems. The first problem is how to perform CNC operations on hard-to-machine materials such as hardened metals (without breaking the bank). The second problem is what to do with all those broken and forgotten previous-generation Creality Ender 3D printers we know you have stashed away.
To be honest, there isn’t much to a cheap 3D printer, and once you ditch the bed and extruder assembly, you aren’t left with a lot. Anyway, the first job was to add a 51:1 reduction gearbox between the NEMA 17 motors and the drive pullies, giving the much-needed boost to positional accuracy. Next, the X and Y axes were beefed up with a pair of inexpensive MGN12H linear rails to help them cope with the weight of the water bath.

The majority of the work is in the wire feeder assembly, which was constructed around a custom-machined aluminium plate. It’s not lost on us how the original RepRap bootstrapping concept could be applied here: a basic frame made externally in a low-cost material, then using the machine to cut a much thicker, stronger copy for its own upgrade. The main guide nozzle is an off-the-shelf ruby part surrounded by a 3D printed water-cooling jacket. To maximise power transfer from the wire into the electrically conductive workpiece material, the top part of the wire feeder, including the wire itself, is one electrode, and the entire bottom part of the frame is electrically isolated from it. The bottom part pulls the ‘consumed’ stock wire through the nozzle above and keeps it under tension, sending it onward to the waste spool.
Electrically speaking, the project is based on stock Ender electronics, with an additional power driver stage to send capacitor-discharge-derived pulses down the wire from the 48V power supply, up to 10A, generating the needed tiny sparks as the wire is advanced into the electrically grounded workpiece. Industrial machines operate around twice this voltage, but safety is a big issue with a DIY machine. Not to mention 48V and water don’t make the best of friends. Speaking of water, it needs to be de-ionised to reduce dielectric loss, but ionic contamination will build up over time, so it needs to be regularly changed.
Software-wise, the machine is running on G-code, so all that is needed is a custom plugin for Fusion 360 to turn the extracted toolpath (they’re using the Wazer water cutter profile as a basis) into G-code, with knowledge of the material. There aren’t too many variables to play with there.
In the future, a few things are being considered. Adding closed-loop control of the pulse energy would be straightforward, but controlling the horizontal feed rate would be a little trickier to implement with a pure G-code approach. We’ll keep an eye on the project and report back any advances!
If you’re thinking you’ve seen this sort of thing before, you’re right. Here’s another DIY EDM machine, and another, and finally, a Kickstarter we covered a while back that converts any 3D printer into a wire EDM.

Thanks [irox] for the tip!

Elon Musk’s X sues major music publishers – plus BMG, Kobalt, NMPA and more – alleging industrywide ‘collusion’ to force licensing dealX’s lawsuit points to successful licensing agreements between the NMPA plus Roblox and Twitch as evidence of an alleged ‘extortionate scheme’.
Source

Revealed Recordings Revealed Serum 2 Big Room Techno Drops Vol. 2Revealed Serum 2 Big Room Techno Drops Vol. 2 is a collection of 64 festival powered presets and MIDI, designed to deliver maximum energy and impact into your drops. Organized into 3 main categories: Acid (4), Leads (50), and Synths (10), this pack equips you with the freshest Big Room Techno sounds on the market. From blistering acid to explosive drop leads and gritty stabs & screeches, these presets are built to hit hard and cut through the mix with clarity and force. Among every preset having modwheel assignments, each preset is assigned all eight macro controls, providing quick modulation options to customize and evolve your riffs. With Serum 2 Big Room Techno Drops Vol. 2, you'll have an arsenal of source sounds to create tracks built for the mainstage. Reveal Yourself. Revealed Serum 2 Big Room Techno Drops Vol. 2 - Details 3 Main Preset Categories: ACID (4) LEAD (50) SYNTH (10). Revealed Serum 2 Big Room Techno Drops Vol. 2 (MIDI) - Details MIDI (64). 64 presets, 64 MIDI Core synthesizer patch mapping and programming All presets assigned intuitive modwheel parameters All presets assigned all eight macro controls for easy tweaking and multiple sound variations. Preset format(s): .SerumPack (Full Bank) Note: Presets Require Full Retail Version of Xfer Record's Serum 2 version v2.0.22 or later Approx. 7.98MB compressed .zip download. Read More

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television)The 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television) category.

Take a listen to the nominated soundtracks below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

How To Train Your DragonJohn Powell, composer

Severance: Season 2Theodore Shapiro, composer

SinnersLudwig Göransson, composer

WickedJohn Powell & Stephen Schwartz, composers

The Wild RobotKris Bowers, composerThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media (Includes Film And Television) first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

e-instruments launch Velvet Guitars The latest addition to the e-instruments range introduces a new virtual guitar instrument that been designed to explore a range of warm, emotive and atmospheric guitar sounds. 

SpaceX gets FCC approval to launch 7,500 more Starlink satellitesThe Federal Communications Commission has given SpaceX approval to launch another 7,500 of its second generation Starlink satellites.

Simplifying the SmartKnob
A knob can make a surprisingly versatile interface, particularly if it’s the SmartKnob, which builds a knob around a BLDC motor for programmable haptic response. It can rotate freely or with a set resistance, spring back to a fixed point when released, stick at detent points, and completely change its behavior as the interface demands. For people inexperienced in electronic assembly, though, smartknobs can be difficult to assemble. That’s why [Kokensha Tech] designed a simpler version, while at the same time letting it use a wider range of BLDC motors.
In addition to a motor, the original design used a magnetic encoder to detect position and a strain gauge to detect pressure on the knob. A circular LCD on the knob itself provided visual feedback, but it also required the motor to have a hollow center shaft. The LCD control wires running through the shaft proved tricky to assemble.  [Kokensha Tech] moved the display out of the knob and onto a separate breakout board, which plugs into the controller board. This greatly broadens the range of compatible motors, since they no longer need a hollow shaft.
The motor now fits on a separate carrier board, which makes it easier to swap out different motors. The carrier board has mounting holes sized for a wide variety of motors, and four different types of motor connectors. [Kokensha Tech] also redesigned the rest of the PCB for easier soldering, while avoiding components with narrow pin spacing whenever possible. The original design used a LILYGO T-micro32 Plus MCU. The ESP32 is both cheaper and easier to solder, so it was a no-brainer to swap it in. 
We’ve covered the original SmartKnob before, including a more in-depth look at its design. We’ve also seen another project use BLDCs and field-oriented control to make haptic knobs.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual MediaThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media category.

Take a listen to the nominated soundtracks below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

A Complete UnknownTimothée ChalametNick Baxter, Steven Gizicki & James Mangold, compilation producers; Steven Gizicki, music supervisor

F1® The Album(Various Artists)Brandon Davis, Joe Khoury, Kevin Weaver, compilation producers; David Taylor & Jake Voulgarides, music supervisors

KPop Demon Hunters(Various Artists)Spring Aspers & Dana Sano, compilation producers; Ian Eisendrath, music supervisor

Sinners(Various Artists)Ryan Coogler, Ludwig Göransson & Serena Göransson, compilation producers; Niki Sherrod, music supervisor

WickedCynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande (& Wicked Movie Cast)Stephen Oremus, Stephen Schwartz & Greg Wells, compilation producers; Maggie Rodford, music supervisorThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

UT Vintage87 from United Studio Technologies The UT Vintage87 is said to deliver the same vintage tone as its U87-inspired sibling, but comes with a fixed cardioid pattern and at a more affordable cost. 

Korg Collection 6 is immensely powerful — but it’s also inconsistent$399 / $99 upgrade from Collection 5, korg.com
The sixth edition of the Korg Collection has arrived, bringing three new additions to the stable of classic instruments from the Japanese synth giant.

READ MORE: Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere 3 review: Still a must-have plugin

Among the new inclusions are plugin versions of the monstrous and incredibly rare PS-3300 semi-modular divide-down synthesizer, the TRINITY multitimbral workstation synth, and the SGX-2 piano software instrument. Like all the plugins in Collection 6, each of these provides a completely different sonic ecosystem suitable for creative applications like music production in a wide range of styles, as well as film and video game scoring.
As far as installations go, Korg Collection is a real pleasure to set up, with the ability to pick and choose exactly which instruments you plan on using, and completing the activation process is only a few clicks away. For the most part, each plugin is a joy to use, with the strength of classic Korg hardware interface design leading you through a great range of sounds.
However, because most of the plugins are created with hardware-style control platforms, this can also be a major weakness. While some plugins are so seamless and intuitive, some of the more complex synth interfaces become hard to love, especially on a laptop-sized display.

What makes Korg Collection fun to use?
As most of the stronger plugins in the Collection offer something specific, it helps a great deal when you know exactly what instruments and effects suit your workflow and fit the style of music you’re trying to make. For me, the Polysix stands out immediately, with its unmistakable sound and a simple but effective interface that lets you dive into sound creation without relying on the patch library.
In almost the same way, the ARP Odyssey captures the magic of the original, with a cleverly scalable interface that lets you hide the keyboard or access the arpeggiator and effects section, which adds a new dimension to this classic synth. The next gem I unearth, which is far from an undiscovered secret, is the microKORG. As one of the biggest-selling hardware synths of all time, you could argue that the winning formula was already written. However, the Korg team has truly outdone itself again with easily one of the most accessible and fun-to-use synth plugin recreations available.
Like the microKORG, many of the other virtual analogue and wavetable synths truly shine in Korg Collection’s plugin format. Instruments that had slightly ungainly interfaces, with plenty of menu diving, like the Prophecy, TRINITY, or the KAOSS PAD, become far more fluid sound creation platforms in plugin form. This allows you to exploit sweet spots quickly, rather than being bogged down by dated hardware or being limited to endlessly browsing the patch library.
Although it may appeal more to Korg fanatics in particular, one of the other standout features of the Collection lies in the simplicity and immediacy of instruments like the ELECTRIBE-R. While the interface is a long way from many of today’s sound design tools, it acts like a creative time machine that takes you transports you instantly back 20 years to a completely different music production era. Whether you’re on a purposeful side quest for sounds of a bygone era to use in a particular project or simply feeling nostalgic, instruments like the M1 and the WAVESTATION have a unique character that isn’t readily available elsewhere.
TRINITY. Image: Press
The old and the new
There’s no question about Korg’s ability to design fluid, functional plugin interfaces, but you start to experience a noticeable divide when switching from some of the newer instruments in the Collection to the older ones. While the sound engines are undeniably great, the household names like the MS20, Mono/Poly, and Polysix start to seem a little dated and behind the times compared to the miniKORG 700S, the microKORG, or the ARP Odyssey, which have a decidedly modern edge to their look and feel.
However, the overwhelming nature of scaled semi-modular synth interfaces like the new PS-3300, the ARP 2600, and even the classic MS20 is an elephant in the room that must be confronted. There is simply no logical reason to have access to every synth parameter on a single page, and it results in a decidedly unmusical user experience. Korg could easily revise the designs of these incredible synths and transform them with slicker interfaces, as it has with the multi/poly native and other recent offerings.
The discrepancy in the user experience between the different plugins becomes more apparent when you explore the non-synthesis-heavy plugins, such as the EP-1, the VOX Super Continental, and the new SGX-2, which allow you to find and sculpt dynamic sounds with spontaneity and ease.
SGX-2. Image: Press
Why would you buy Korg Collection 6?
Despite being comprised mostly of recreations of hardware from a single manufacturer, Korg Collection offers an incredibly diverse collection of instruments that can take you from the 1970s or 1980s to the 1990s and beyond in a matter of seconds, provided you know what you’re looking for.
There is no doubt about the strength of Korg Collection, especially the analogue and digital synths, but unfortunately for Korg, the competition is immense in this area, with a myriad of options from Arturia, Roland, and Cherry Audio (with Cherry having just released its own version of the Korg Trident – go figure).
With this in mind, Korg has its work cut out to keep up with the competition. The musical heritage of Korg instruments is as relevant as any developer in this space, but I don’t feel this sentiment comes through as clearly as it could with Korg Collection.
However, with a few facelifts of the classics and some unique additions from the Korg back catalogue like the SE-500 and the DVR-1000, this legendary manufacturer could easily get this spaceship back on course.

Key features

Collection of 20 instruments and effects (AU, VST3, AAX)
PS-3300, ARP 2600, and MS-20 developed with Component Modeling Technology (CMT)
Sound libraries from original hardware
New additions: PS-3300; SGX-2; TRINITY

The post Korg Collection 6 is immensely powerful — but it’s also inconsistent appeared first on MusicTech.

CES 2026: Everything revealed, from Nvidia’s debuts to AMD’s new chips to Razer’s AI oddities CES 2026 is in full swing in Las Vegas, with the show floor open to the public after a packed couple of days occupied by press conferences from the likes of Nvidia, Sony, and AMD and previews from Sunday’s Unveiled event.