Arturia releases FX Collection 6, the latest installment in its all-in-one FX Collection seriesArturia has unveiled FX Collection 6, an all-in-one suite of 39 tools and effects designed to help you “transform, enhance and finish” your projects.
Serving as the sixth instalment in Arturia’s FX Collection series, this package promises to “bridge the gap” between more classic and modern audio processing set ups. All 39 tools and effects in the kit are designed to work seamlessly with your DAW, with 34 tools previously included in FX Collection 5 with a few new additions.

READ MORE: Six synths that define Radiohead’s sound

In terms of the newer tools on offer, there’s two new effects to play with. First up, the dreamy Efx Ambient allows you to shape singular soundscapes through 6 different modes to create rich, emotive textures. The other new tool comes in the form of the Pitch Shifter-910, designed to inject some grainy texture, harmony and space to vocal or instrumental recordings.
Credit: Arturia
There’s also a couple of new tools specifically for fine-tuning your drum tracks. The new Bus Transient tool does what it says on the tin, allowing you to shape your transients. It’s the perfect answer if you’re keen to control the attack and sustain of your drums to capture a tighter, punchier sound. Elsewhere, Mix Drums allows you to increase the impact and loudness of your drum tracks, while preserving peak levels.
Another new addition is Tape J-37, which allows you to inject some tube-driven coloration to your track, or fiddle with some harmonic distortion.
Credit: Arturia
In terms of general ease-of-use updates, FX Collection 6 also has an improved browsing system and the ability to add preset comments, which should allow you to navigate through your favourite presets with ease.
Alongside the new additions, the entire FX Collection 5 arsenal is also included – and 24 tools have been reworked, including Efx Motions, Rev Intensity, Delay TAPE-201, and more. The reworking has added 134 new presets across the 24 effects, to get those creative juices flowing.
The suite also boasts the same low latency for live performances, so it’s perfect for people needing a digital multi-tool kit to use during gigs.
Last year, Arturia also released a the latest instalment in its V Collection, with the V Collection 11 boasting 45 quality emulation plugins. While FX collection focuses on effects and production, the V Collection offers an extensive kit of classic analogue synthesizers and acoustic instruments.
FX Collection 6 is available now for £99. For more information, head to Arturia.
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Google Gemini can now generate AI music tracks up to 30 seconds longAI image generators have flooded our feeds, text models are everywhere, and now Google is officially stepping into AI music creation. The tech giant is currently testing what it calls its “most advanced music generation model,” Lyria 3, rolling out in beta inside the Google Gemini app.
The update allows users to generate 30-second tracks from simple prompts, whether that’s a line of text, a photo, or even a short video clip. According to Google, Lyria 3 is a “high-fidelity AI music generator” capable of turning a funny moment, a specific feeling, or even a photo into a “custom soundtrack,” – complete with instrumentals, vocals and automatically generated lyrics.

READ MORE: Traxsource: “Any platform claiming foolproof AI detection is overstating what the technology can currently deliver”

The new model builds on Gemini’s existing ability to create text, images and video. It will also power the updated Dream Track feature in YouTube Shorts, enabling creators to generate backing tracks for short-form videos.
In practice, users can simply describe a genre, mood or memory and Gemini will compose a 30-second track to match, either instrumental or with lyrics. Prompts can be highly specific – for example: “I’m feeling nostalgic. Create a track for my mother about the great times we had as kids and the memories of her home cooked plantains. Make it a fun afrobeat track with a true African vibe.”
Alternatively, users can upload a photo or short video, which Gemini then analyses to generate music and lyrics that reflect the content and tone of the visual.
Google says Lyria 3 improves on its previous audio generation models by removing the need to supply your own lyrics, offering more detailed control over style, vocals and tempo, and producing more “realistic and musically complex” outputs. For now, tracks are capped at 30 seconds.
All music generated in Gemini is embedded with SynthID, Google’s imperceptible watermarking technology designed to identify AI-generated content.
Google is also clear about intent. “Music generation with Lyria 3 is designed for original expression, not for mimicking existing artists,” says the company. “If your prompt names a specific artist, Gemini will take this as broad creative inspiration and create a track that shares a similar style or mood. We also have filters in place to check outputs against existing content. We recognize that our approach might not be foolproof, so you can report content that may violate your rights or the rights of others.”

Learn more at Gemini.
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I swapped Ableton Live for Renoise 3.5 — here’s what I learned$88 / €76, renoise.com
Of all the things that impact our creative output, our relationship with our tools is one of the most significant. Whether consciously or not, they shape all our decisions, but these decisions often harden into reflexes. Before we know it, creative control has been quietly assumed by the tool, and we’re stuck in a loop of familiar behaviour.
For me, that tool is Ableton Live. Frequently finding myself on autopilot when I load up a blank project, I’ve pondered for a while how life would look if I’d picked a different DAW, and how my music might sound if I jumped ship after 15 years.

READ MORE: Suno Studio review: Is this AI DAW really the future of music production?

Modern DAWs are broadly comparable, but one still stands as a black sheep: Renoise. Unlike Ableton Live or Logic Pro, it eschews left-to-right sequencing in favour of a vertical tracker that looks a little like an Excel spreadsheet. This retro approach is a radical change to my usual workflow.
Bracing myself, I open Renoise and am transported back to where I started: a helpless beginner staring at an empty session, realising just how much of my process depends on muscle memory.
Renoise 3.5 interface, Image: James Langley
First contact
Upon loading, Renoise immediately presents its biggest difference – the tracker. Fundamentally, it does the same thing as a piano roll, telling the DAW which notes to play, when and for how long.
But the tracker strips away the piano notes, showing note data for what it truly is: a set of instructions to be parsed by a machine. This has an imposing effect on my mindset. I begin to feel like a programmer rather than a musician, writing code that commands the software. Unsurprisingly, there’s immediate friction in my creativity, but this is due to unfamiliarity rather than bad design.
Screen sample editor. Image: Press
Slave to the rhythm
To some extent, Renoise’s reputation precedes it. I’m already aware of the tracker’s cult status among breaks-focused producers, a heritage rooted in Amiga computers running software like Protracker and OctaMED.
Countless YouTube tutorials confirm the DAW’s affinity for detailed drum work, where micro slices of Amen break are deftly sequenced into a frantic performance behind the kit. Naturally, I’m drawn to giving this a try for myself.
I briefly worry. Has Renoise hijacked my autonomy just 20 minutes in, unapologetically steering me towards a specific tempo, aesthetic, even an entire genre?
If so, it’s easy to see why. Even for a novice, the tracker workflow feels incredibly fluid for composing drum parts. The in-line effects commands are where its real power is unlocked. Typing one into the FX column of a track delivers on-the-fly pitching, reversing, and retriggering — all the hallmarks of high-tempo, break-driven genres — in a fraction of the time it would take in the mainstream DAWs.
In-line FX. Image: James Langley
Abandoning notes
Shifting from rhythm to melody, a slightly more surprising nudge from Renoise is towards samples. Going in, I’d imagined myself programming intricate melodies using MIDI instruments, perhaps influenced by trackers’ historical association with early video game music.
Writing a simple bassline is easy enough, but sequencing chords instantly feels like a weak spot. Without a piano roll at my disposal, my rusty music theory is exposed and it’s hard to visualise intervals from note names alone.
Perseverance feels futile, so I throw out the pad instrument and hunt for a sample instead. Freed from note-based thinking, composition becomes more instinctual, relying on my ears rather than my brain.
An eagle-eye view
While loss of abstraction proves a challenge in the case of composing note sequences, it’s a boon elsewhere. This is particularly evident as the arrangement becomes larger, and the Renoise workflow starts to feel like a turbocharged version of Live’s Session View.
In Live, notes and samples are tucked away inside individual clips, each one a small black box. In Renoise, it’s more like being able to view — and more importantly edit — every scene’s clips at once.
Image: James Langley
The practical effect is profound. Rather than jumping between windows and views, I find myself editing more holistically. If a kick isn’t gelling with the bassline, there’s no need to dig through multiple clips or automation lanes, as I can simply tab across a few tracks and adjust the sequence in place.
This extends to automation, too. Although you can draw curves in a separate window, parameter changes can be specified directly on the note line, feeling less like isolated tweaks to discrete elements and more like an intrinsic component of the composition.
Ultimately, this ‘everything at once’ way of working encourages a kind of gestalt thinking, where you’re adjusting relationships between parts of a single, interdependent system. Making changes feels less tentative as a result. What might manifest as vague knob-twiddling in Ableton Live becomes decisive action that drives the creative process forward with Renoise.
Screen pattern matrix. Image: Press
The productive slowdown
When a track isn’t quite working, I’ve developed the unhealthy habit of adding another layer, another device, another idea to compensate for whatever’s lacking. That’s easy in Live, but it rarely solves the problem.
Renoise pushes back against this reflex. Adding new elements is possible, but it’s rarely the path of least resistance, providing just enough pause to force me to confront what’s already there. Instead, refinement becomes the more appealing solution, and parts that don’t work are adjusted or discarded rather than buried under excess.
There’s a historical echo here, where early trackers and the hardware they ran on were defined by strict limits on memory and channels. While those constraints no longer apply, I can’t help but retain a trace of that philosophy — fewer elements, but more carefully considered — rather than my usual kitchen-sink approach to channel count. Almost counterintuitively, that makes reaching ‘good enough’ easier, and often with more compelling results.

Renoise or revert?
In use, Renoise does feel closer to coding than performing. Sometimes, this technical, almost cerebral experience is at odds with my need for speed when making music. My most enjoyable moments tend to arrive in a flow state, and while Renoise might eventually facilitate that kind of fluency, the time required to get there is a tough sell.
That said, this is precisely why I’d encourage others to try Renoise — or a tracker-based workflow more broadly — even if only briefly. For some, this way of thinking may click immediately, and with hardware units like Polyend Tracker and Dirtywave M8 rising in popularity, now feels like a useful moment to experience that mindset first hand.
So, is my Renoise experiment notably different to something I’d make in Ableton Live? It’s hard to say, but my mental approach was undeniably altered, and I found myself slowing down and taking deliberate action far more than usual.
Renoise won’t be replacing Live in my setup, but I’m glad for the lessons it taught me. I’ll be returning to my comfort zone with a renewed awareness of my creative reflexes — and perhaps a little more zen.
Key features

DAW for Windows, macOS, and Linux
VST, AU, LADSPA, and DSSI plugin support
Tracker interface for editing note data, effects, automation, etc
Powerful native sampling
Over 26 native effects included
Meta Devices including Signal Follower and LFO for advanced modulation and parameter control
Graphical envelopes and in-line tracker commands for writing automation
Expandable through user-created Lua scripts
OSC (Open Sound Control) compatible

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Signing Stories: Westside CowboyDate Signed: August 2025Label: Island Records/Adventure RecordingsBand Members: Reuben Haycocks, guitar, vocals; James Bradbury, guitar, vocals; Aoife Anson-O’Connell, bass, cello, vocals; Paddy Murphy, drumsType of Music: AmericanaManagement: Alex EdwardsBooking: Carly Goldberg, Andrew Morgna, Wassmerman Legal: Ally HornPublicity: Jaycee Rockhold - Pitch Perfect PR, jaycee@pitchperfectpr.comA&R: James TalbutWeb: westsidecowboy.com

Honing one’s sound and being unique can vastly increase the odds of industry attention. It’s a truism taken to heart by Manchester’s Westside Cowboy. The fast-rising band melds alt-country, punk, Americana, folk, and indie rock into a style they’ve dubbed Britainicana. “Don’t look for [a deal],” recommends drummer Paddy Murphy. “Just write the best music you can.” 

“Which is aggravating to hear,” chimes in guitarist Reuben Haycocks. “We had people say that to us, and I would be like, ‘Fuck off. You’re already signed.’”

Nevertheless, the tactic worked. They first inked deals with a pair of local boutiques, Heist or Hit and Nice One Records. Alex Edwards, who runs Nice One with Pete Heywoode, began managing the blossoming act. Touring then ramped up, and during this period they played London’s Sebright Arms. Edwards had invited a modest throng of record people to the show, but the band believes their performance that evening was subpar. “We thought we’d shagged it,” gulps Murphy. 

Yet it didn’t matter. Word was starting to get around. Edwards, who works with English Teacher and formerly supported Sports Team, both successful Island Records acts, similarly invited label people to a subsequent gig at The Social. A trickle of interest turned into an avalanche. “This sort of weird hype started,” tells Murphy. “It wasn’t engineered. It was a right place, right time type of thing.”

The group that once wanted to be on an indie soon found itself in Island Records’ offices. Before leaving, the president said they were sending over a contract. Chuckles Murphy, “We kind of laughed, because we’d never been in a situation like that. Two hours later, it was in our email.” The agreement with newly minted imprint Adventure Records is especially generous with the timeframe around which it will relinquish their masters.

Being on a sublabel of a major comes with advantages. “It means that smaller bands like us are less likely to get lost in the shuffle,” the percussionist points out. “Hopefully, it means we get the appropriate attention and care.”The post Signing Stories: Westside Cowboy first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

FBI says ATM ‘jackpotting’ attacks are on the rise, and netting hackers millions in stolen cashThe FBI says hacks that trick ATMs into spitting out cash on demand are rising, with hundreds of attacks in the past year alone netting hackers millions in stolen bills.

Bitcoin options market structure leans toward $60K retest in FebruaryBitcoin may stay capped under $70,000 as traders deploy bearish options strategies, and spot BTC ETF outflows point to a retest of the yearly low.

Chris Welz named partner at Secretly Distribution after company’s ‘biggest year ever’The longtime COO steps into ownership after two decades at the independent distributor.
Source

RP2040 Powers A MIDI-Controlled SoundboardWhen you’re livestreaming, it can be tempting to fire off all kinds of wacky sound effects like you’re a morning radio DJ back in the heady days of 1995. If that’s who you want to be, you might like this soundboard project from [Biker Glen].
The build is based around an RP2040 microcontroller. It’s paired with an I2S digital-to-analog converter for sound output, which in turn feeds a small amplifier hooked up to a speaker or a line output.  The RP2040 is programmed to respond to MIDI commands by playing various sounds in response, which are loaded off a microSD card. It’s able to act as a USB MIDI host, which allows it to work seamlessly with all sorts of off-the-shelf MIDI controllers like the MIDI Fighter or the Novation Launchpad.
It’s an interesting hardware solution to a problem that you could probably also solve with software on your streaming machine, especially if you’ve already got a USB MIDI controller. However, there’s something to be said for lightening the load when your streaming computer is already doing lots of hard work to truck video up to the cloud already. Files are on Github if you’re eager to replicate the build.
Soundboards are just fun, which is why we’ve featured them before. Meanwhile, if you’re whipping up your own streaming accessories at home, be sure to let us know on the tipsline!

How to download MIDI on Splice Sounds
Let’s take a look at how you can get started with exploring and downloading MIDI on Splice Sounds in minutes.

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ADDAC System introduce the Mixology The ADDAC815 Mixology serves as both a dual effect chain router and feedbacker, and can also function much like a 3x3 matrix mixer, providing multiple routing configurations within a very compact set up.

Steinberg unveil Groove Agent 6 Steinberg's virtual drum instrument has gained the ability to layer and replace kicks, snares and toms, along with a brand-new Punch Kit, additional acoustic kits, a new Pattern Editor and much more.

Traxsource: “Any platform claiming foolproof AI detection is overstating what the technology can currently deliver”Electronic music-focused platform Traxsource has outlined its “nuanced” stance on AI use in a lengthy new statement on its social media channels.
In a somewhat more balanced position than other platforms – some of which have taken an overtly anti-AI stance – Traxsource acknowledges the legitimate use of AI “as a production tool” to “assist within a larger human-driven creative process”, but maintains that entirely AI-generated music “does not belong on Traxsource”.

READ MORE: Following the emergence of AI weekly music charts – the first AI-only radio station has arrived

Within the post, Traxsource downplays the infallibility of AI-detection tools often touted by other platforms and streaming services, saying 100% accurate detection is “not yet possible”.
“Detection tools are improving, but still face significant limitations and remain extremely cost-prohibitive at scale,” the platform says.
“Add in today’s hybrid workflow, which often blends human creativity with AI tools, and accurate detection is nearly impossible. Even the researchers building these systems acknowledge there is no 100% solution.
“Any platform claiming foolproof AI detection is overstating what the technology can currently deliver. We choose transparency over false promises, both to avoid enforcement we cannot accurately execute and to protect human artists from being falsely accused.”
One such platform leading the charge against wholly AI-generated music is Deezer, which last year unveiled an AI content tagging system that filters such content out of royalty payments and blocks it from showing up in editorial playlists. The French streaming service recently announced plans to license the technology out to other companies.
Traxsource touches on the “polarised” conversation surrounding AI use in music, mentioning how some believe AI is a “threat to human artistry”, while others view AI as the “next evolution in a long line of tools” to “push creative boundaries”.
“We believe the issue is far more nuanced and requires an equally nuanced position,” the platform says.
“It’s a fact that house music was born out of technological innovation, and our community has always embraced advancements. But we also must recognise the difference between a production tool in the hands of a skilled human creator and a fully AI-generated song produced from a prompt. This distinction is at the heart of our position.
Traxsource’s stance on AI use on its platform consists of five key pillars:

We champion human artistry – “Traxsource is and will remain a home for music made by artists who pour their talent, experience, emotion and identity into their work.”
We are against fully AI-generated music – “Music created entirely through AI prompting where no meaningful human creative contribution exists does not belong on Traxsource.”
We acknowledge AI as a legitimate production tool – “If an artist or producer uses AI to assist… but the musical vision, composition and artistic direction are their own, we believe that is still their music.”
We believe in transparency for our customers – “We are working towards scanning each upload and including a series of questions which will allow us to determine if a track is Fully Human, Fully AI, or AI-assisted and to what extent, providing the possibility or appropriately labelling each track to provide transparency to our valued customers.”
We will adapt as the landscape evolves – “AI technology, detection capabilities, industry standards and legal frameworks are all evolving rapidly. We are committed to staying engaged with these developments.”

You can read Traxsource’s full statement below:

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Eventide releases new version of classic Music Mouse softwarePrior to the release of Music Mouse, digital music software centred around editing recorded tracks – but in 1986, composer Laurie Spiegel launched the software which turned your computer into a standalone instrument.
To celebrate the software’s 40th anniversary, Eventide has modernised and re-imagined Spiegel’s iconic software. And it’s been produced in collaboration with Spiegel herself.

READ MORE: Six synths that define Radiohead’s sound

Originally released on the Mac, Spiegel’s software transformed the common mouse into an “intelligent musical instrument”. By moving your mouse up, down, left or right, across an X and Y axis, you can shape melodies, find new harmonies and explore a bank of diverse sounds and controls via your keyboard.
Four lines on the grid represent four unique voices, which can play simultaneously. Each shift of your mouse can alter where each voice falls on the grid, and as the lines move, they will tweak which notes are played.

Alongside its original sounds, the software comes equipped with a slew of classy retro synth presets, taken from Spiegel’s original DX7 and TX7 patches for Music Mouse. However, Eventide’s refreshed release allows you to control modern hardware and plugins with the software, too.
There are also 10 pattern sequences to utilise, as well as 4 rhythmic treatments (Chord, Arpeggio, Line, Improv) and 6 harmonic modes (Chromatic, Octatonic, Middle Eastern, Diatonic, Pentatonic, Quartal). Users can also control velocity, filter, tremolo and pitch modulation levels.
At its core, Music Mouse focuses on the joy of experimenting with new sounds. For that reason, Eventide hasn’t bloated its reimagined anniversary release; while the UI has had a bit of a tidy up, and you can now sync up your MIDI, it’s still an intuitive software anyone can pick up.
Music Mouse is available now for $29. For more information, head to Eventide.
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W. A. Production Combustor is FREE for BPB readers (10,000 licenses available)
Combustor ($29.90) is a character compressor plugin for Windows and macOS. W. A. Production offers 10,000 free licenses available exclusively for Bedroom Producers Blog readers. If you’re quick, you can grab your free copy of Combustor by signing up below. After signing up, you’ll receive a redemption key and a link to the instructions page. [...]
View post: W. A. Production Combustor is FREE for BPB readers (10,000 licenses available)