Logic Pro user tries Ableton Live for the first time
Watch expert producer and vocalist Julie Schatz challenge herself as she makes a complete track in Ableton Live for the first time.

OSHA probing worker death at SpaceX’s Starbase siteThe death is the latest worker safety issue at the Starbase facility, which has a higher injury rate than all other SpaceX sites.

Mixed Notes May 2026: Nessa Barrett, Lykke Li, Bea, and MoreNESSA BARRETT DIVES INTO DARK ROMANCE ON JESUS LOVES A PRIMADONNA

Nessa Barrett unveils her new EP Jesus Loves a Primadonna, an eight-track exploration of toxic love and vulnerability wrapped in noir rock and trip-hop textures. Alongside the release, she drops the cinematic “Buffalo 66” video starring Jesse Rutherford and announces intimate, sold-out shows, offering fans a closer look at this moody, emotionally charged chapter.

BEA STEPS INTO A NEW ERA WITH “CAN’T HELP FALLING OUT OF LOVE”

London singer-songwriter Bea, formerly Bea and her Business, redefines her sound and identity with the emotive new single “Can’t Help Falling Out of Love” via Warner Records. Co-written with Matt Maltese and produced by Jordan Riley (RAYE, Cat Burns), the track showcases her majestic vocals and stripped-back power balladry, marking a fearless fresh chapter in her journey from Gen Z breakout to confident, introspective artist.

YEAT AND ESDEEKID UNITE ON “MADE IT ON OUR OWN”

Multi-platinum artist Yeat linked up with Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid for the high-energy single “Made It On Our Own,” produced by Lucid and Mathaius Young. Shot at Drake’s Toronto home with Director X, the track fuses Yeat’s galactic rage rap with EsDeeKid’s scouse style, arriving amid Yeat’s ongoing rollout for his upcoming album ADL (A Dangerous Lyfe).

LYKKE LI LAUNCHES EXISTENTIAL ERA WITH “LUCKY AGAIN” AND ALBUM THE AFTERPARTY

Lykke Li returns with “Lucky Again,” the first glimpse of her forthcoming album The Afterparty (out in May via Neon Gold/Futures), ushering in her existential era. Layered with disco strings, Max Richter samples, and euphoric momentum, the track turns samsara into maximalist pop, marking a fearless reinvention as Li explores mortality, hedonism, and impermanence with her signature emotional intensity.

SOPHIE POWERS & LEXIE LIU JOIN FORCES FOR “KLEPTO”

After a streak of explosive singles including the provocative “popoff,” apocalyptic “muddy” and electrifying “spiderwebs,” pop disruptor Sophie Powers returns with her most confidently chaotic release yet: “klepto,” a hyper-catchy collaboration with Chinese superstar Lexie Liu. Out via Encore Recordings, the single blends bold storytelling with a sonic rush that feels like a late-night shopping spree gone haywire.

VENDREDI SUR MER SETS THE MOOD WITH “DES MONTAGNES DE TOI” AHEAD OF AMERICAS TOUR

Vendredi sur Mer returns with “Des Montagnes de Toi,” a delicate, piano-led track steeped in melancholy and intimacy. Serving as a bridge to her Malabar Princess era, the single highlights her signature poetic storytelling as she hits the road for an eleven-date North and South American tour, bringing her dreamy, nostalgic sound to audiences across the continent.

ALEX ISLEY CAPTURES L.A.’S AFTER-HOURS GLOW ON WHEN THE CITY SLEEPS

Alex Isley unveils her major-label debut When the City Sleeps, a lush, late-night meditation on love and solitude inspired by Los Angeles after dark. Alongside the album, she drops the nostalgic “Westside” video and announces a 2026 North American tour, marking a new chapter in her evolving artistry and continued presence in contemporary R&B.The post Mixed Notes May 2026: Nessa Barrett, Lykke Li, Bea, and More first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Voltmeter Clock Has The Time Dialled InYou could make a clock with three hands spinning about nested central shafts. If you did that, we probably wouldn’t publish it on Hackaday unless you really found a way to make it interesting. Make a clock out of voltmeters, however, and that usually catches our eye. [lcamtuf] has done just that.
The heart of the build is an AVR128DB28 microcontroller, an 8-bit microcontroller that is still currently in production. It runs at 8MHz, and drives a series of three Baomain 65C5 voltmeters to display hours, minutes, and seconds. Each has a custom printed face with the correct number of 13 or 61 divisions as needed. The voltmeters are driven by a continuous stream of 1-bit pulses with a software-controlled duty cycle determining exactly how far the needle moves. Yes, it’s using simple pulse width modulation, coded by hand by [lcamtuf] to do the job. All the components are wrapped up in a beautiful wooden case, with delicately kerf-bent panels to create the attractive curved lines.
We’ve featured similar builds before, too. As it turns out, hackers just really love clocks and old-school dials. Video after the break, which is worth watching for the rollover behaviour alone.

Bitcoin’s trend defining battle starts at the $74K support: AnalystBitcoin traders are closely watching the $74,000-$75,000 support zone as exchange inflows rise and market signals weaken following BTC's loss of momentum above $82,000.

Viiri Audio launch Aava All of Aava's impulse-response parameters can be manipulated in real time, creating everything from rhythmic effects to pitched, synth-style tones. 

MMPR Technologies Weathered ElectronicWeathered Electronic drum sample pack contains drum samples with a vintage analog feel. Made for people who require a weathered vintage style sound for their drum samples. Read More

As ABS deals reshape the music rights landscape, KBRA says it’s rated $12.9B in music royalty-backed bonds since 2020 – but expects issuance to fall 25% in 2026The music ABS market has more than tripled in size in just three years, says new KBRA report
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Save up to 80% on Roland plugins in Plugin Boutique’s exclusive Manufacturer Focus Sale
Plugin Boutique has launched an exclusive Roland Manufacturer Focus Sale, with discounts of up to 80% across the Roland Cloud plugin catalog. The sale runs from today through May 31, 2026. Two deals stand out the most for me. The JUNO-106 is down to $49 (75% off the usual $199), and the TR-808 is also [...]
View post: Save up to 80% on Roland plugins in Plugin Boutique’s exclusive Manufacturer Focus Sale

UChord by Ultimate MIDI Plugin is FREE for a limited time (Windows-only)
UChord is a MIDI chord progression generator, available in VST and VST3 formats for Windows. The plugin is available for free until June 15, 2026. If you’re looking for a chord generator plugin, but you’re on macOS, check out Bloomer Free, a chord engine focusing on emotion. Like all chord generators, UChord comes with a [...]
View post: UChord by Ultimate MIDI Plugin is FREE for a limited time (Windows-only)

leONE from fedDSP fedDSP's new plug-in is a dual-stage limiter that's been designed to add weight, presence and colour as well as provide detailed control over peaks. 

POPlab Sounds releases Modern Live-Drums with intro offer
POPlab Sounds has released Modern Live-Drums, a new acoustic drum library modeled after the sound of current pop hits. The library is built around the kind of live-but-punchy drum sound that’s been front and center in modern radio pop production. In this case, instead of offering a generic acoustic kit, POPlab Sounds focused on recreating [...]
View post: POPlab Sounds releases Modern Live-Drums with intro offer

Look Mum No Computer on his Eurovision “mega-synthesizer”: “I drilled so many holes that my nipples chafed”Sam Battle – better known as Look Mum No Computer – represented the UK at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest final. The DIY enthusiast slash electronics musician also arrived into the competition with something most entrants don’t: a self-built “mega synthesizer” and by his own admission, a serious amount of drilling.

READ MORE: Roland Zenology GX for iPad is here – and it’s completely free for now

Speaking to the Press Association, the 37-year-old confirmed that much of his Eurovision staging was built by hand – a process made slightly more complicated by the small matter of becoming a new father at the same time.
“It has been a lot of work, especially as I have just become a new dad at the same time as prepping for Eurovision,” he says. “But overall, it’s been a lot of fun – I’m really proud of what we’ve pulled together and can’t wait to put it into practice.”
At the centre of the show is what Battle calls a “mega synthesizer” setup – a network of oversized synth panels and custom electronics designed to scale up his usual DIY chaos for the Eurovision stage.
Describing the build as being “on a much bigger scale than ever seen before”, Battle says that while he was responsible for most of the electronics and control systems, not everything made it past official approval – largely because “the BBC didn’t trust my welding”.
“I had the idea of using a car as well, but because the floor [of the stage] is an LED screen made of glass, there’s a solid weight limit of 500kg for all the props, so we had to abandon that,” he tells the BBC.
And as for the build itself, it was every bit as hands-on as you’d expect from someone whose entire artistic identity is built around DIY electronics.
“Many holes were drilled,” Battle says with a laugh. “I drilled so many holes that my nipples chafed.”

The UK ultimately finished last with Battle’s Eins, Zwei, Drei, while Bulgaria claimed its first-ever Eurovision win on Saturday night (16 May), with DARA’s Bangaranga taking the crown.
The post Look Mum No Computer on his Eurovision “mega-synthesizer”: “I drilled so many holes that my nipples chafed” appeared first on MusicTech.

Andrea Caccese releases Midrange Crush, a FREE saturation plugin for macOS
Mixing engineer Andrea Caccese has released Midrange Crush, a free vintage-style saturation and summing plugin focused on the midrange. Caccese is an artist in the band Dead Rituals as well as a mixing engineer, and Midrange Crush is his first plugin release. The plugin is based directly on a mixing technique he uses a lot [...]
View post: Andrea Caccese releases Midrange Crush, a FREE saturation plugin for macOS

Mikey Audio releases Shu, a FREE reverb plugin with seven algorithms
Mikey Audio has released Shu, a free reverb plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Shu offers seven different reverb algorithms in a single interface. The seven modes are Silk (a smooth and clean reverb), Drift (spacious with a bit of modulation), Plate (classic studio plate), Classic (bright), Slap (tight room), Spring (spring tank), and Ether [...]
View post: Mikey Audio releases Shu, a FREE reverb plugin with seven algorithms