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. 

Bitcoin tests key support as bulls reset to prepare for futures-led rally to $101.5KBitcoin traders’ risk sentiment turned bullish, with the proof being in this week’s futures-led advance to $95,000. Will bulls make another attempt after retesting a key underlying support level?

Best mastering plugins for Pro Tools (free and paid)
We explore the best mastering plugins for Pro Tools, including powerful free options as well as industry-standard paid tools.

Seeing Sound with a LaserYou can hear sound, of course, but what if you could see it with a laser? That’s what [Goosetopherson] thought about, and thus a new project that you can see in the video below was born.
The heart of the project is an I2S chip and an ESP32. Sound energy deforms a plastic film that causes a mirror to move. The moving mirror alters the course of the laser’s beam.
An important part of the project is the 3D printed enclosure designed in Fusion. Some wires are routed through during printing, and there are heat-set inserts.
If you haven’t run into it before, you can think of I2S as I2C for stereo audio. It uses a synchronous protocol to push audio data using three wires. The board in question takes the digital data and decodes it to drive the speaker.
This is a simple project that would lend itself to lots of substitutions if you decide to replicate it. In fact, we’ve seen a version of this that is nothing more than a Bluetooth speaker, some plastic film, a mirror, and a laser.

MusicPro ’26 Brings Artists and Professionals TogetherOn Thursday, January 8, a campaign was launched to "invite independent and emerging artists to attend MusicPro ’26."

"MusicPro ’26 is a unique gathering of independent and emerging artists, music professionals, and the companies and organizations that exist to support them," said Dendy Jarrett, Give A Note CEO. "It’s been created as a fundraiser for music education non-profit Give A Note foundation, which over its 13 years has undertaken a variety of music education initiatives including helping over 800 schools develop and install music technology in their classrooms. Give A Note began with a grant from the producers of the TV Show “Glee.” All attendee and sponsor fees from MusicPro ‘26 go to benefit Give A Note."

"Another unique aspect of MusicPro ’26 is that it’s being held during spring break at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, a particularly compelling location," he continued. "With full use of the campus, the conference presents an interactive learning activity held in a teaching facility that has recording studios, performance spaces, rehearsal rooms and wired classrooms. The place is brimming with backline, streaming capabilities and music technology. MI also has a new and central outdoor Commons area that’s covered and perfect for our sponsors’ booths, our registration kiosk, and networking receptions."

"Attendees will have the opportunity to meet and work with one another as well as interact with members of the music industry in workshops, panel and listening sessions, structured music creation activities, demonstrations and keynotes. Our first 20 sessions were just posted at musicpro26.com."

The post MusicPro ’26 Brings Artists and Professionals Together first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

You’ve got 2 days left to get Excite Audio’s complete professional plugin collection at half priceIf you’ve still got a little bit of cash left over after the holidays, then you might wanna snatch up this huge Excite Audio plugin bundle that’s on sale with over 50 percent off.
The complete Excite Audio collection bundle available from Plugin Boutique packs in all Excite Audio plugins, and you pay as little as €15 / $15 per plugin. The offer ends on 11 January though, so you’ll need to get moving.
[deals ids=”2U0ij33SgG5q30PDJvwAFJ”]
The bundle includes loads of plugins, including Excite Audio’s Evolve series. This features a collection of sample-based synths, each built around the sonic character of a different material, such as elastic, velvet, or even metal.

READ MORE: LANDR acquires Reason Studios: “This isn’t about changing Reason, it’s about giving it room to grow”

Its Bloom series is also included in the offer, featuring eleven instruments with each built from loops, one-shots and phrases. These phrases can be triggered, transformed, and rearranged all while staying in key and in time with your project.

Offering distortion, reverb, and granular effects, the Motion series is included to help producers “push the boundaries of sound design”, and provide all the necessary tools for shaping, modulating, and transforming audio.
You’ve also got VISION 4X within the bundle, a visual analysis plugin that provides a deeper understanding of your sound, and KSHMR Chain, which copies your plugin chain from one track to others.
Completing the collection are the Lifeline multi-effect plugins: Lifeline Console brings recordings to life with the warmth of analogue audio processing, while Lifeline Expanse breathes life into any sound by adding character, space and width.
Shop the bundle now over at Plugin Boutique.
The post You’ve got 2 days left to get Excite Audio’s complete professional plugin collection at half price appeared first on MusicTech.

SSL reveal autoSeries plug-ins SSL's latest software release introduces a new bundle of EQ and compression plug-ins that combine the company’s modelling expertise with sonible’s AI-assisted anaylsis tools. 

Nice Stomps AmpBrowserAmpBrowser brings thousands of free amplifier profiles directly into your DAW through an intuitive search-and-load interface. Powered by Neural Amp Modeler (NAM) technology and connected to the Tone3000 community library, you can instantly access classic and modern amps by simply searching by brand, model, or amp type. Choose between Full Rig (FR) profiles—where the speaker cabinet is baked into the capture—or DI amp profiles, which let you use your own IR loader and cabinet impulses for complete tonal control. Each amp profile is captured using machine learning for authentic feel and response, and with built-in controls for Gain, EQ, Level, Gate, and Presence/Bright, you can dial in professional tones quickly without managing files or scrolling through endless preset folders. A free Tone3000 account is required for the plugin to function as intended. Please read the manual for setup and usage instructions. No more downloading individual profiles or digging through preset banks — just search, load, and play. Read More

Waves has announced Curves Resolve, a FREE plugin to kick off 2026
Once again, Waves has announced that it will be giving away a free plugin to kick off 2026 – Curves Resolve. Over the last couple of years, Waves has given us freebies like Magma StressBox and IDX Intelligent Dynamics. The thing both plugins have in common is that they were Black Friday freebies, which is [...]
View post: Waves has announced Curves Resolve, a FREE plugin to kick off 2026

From Salt-N-Pepa’s dismissed UMG case to UK music streaming subscription revenues’ 3.2% growth… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
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