Get Audio Assault’s Voice of Reason bass enhancer plugin for FREE
You can now download Audio Assault’s Voice of Reason bass enhancer plugin for free. Audio Assault is the developer behind Amp Locker and Mix Locker, two collections with lots of free content. Amp Locker is a collection of amp sims, cabs, and FX pedals that includes the Prestige 1950 (a British hot-rodded amp) and various [...]
View post: Get Audio Assault’s Voice of Reason bass enhancer plugin for FREE

“The role of the music webstore is becoming less significant”: Independent music webstore Juno Download has shut downAfter two decades, Juno Download has called it a day – without any prior notice. The abrupt closure comes as a massive shock to users, with some netizens claiming they were buying music from the digital store mere hours before its surprise shutdown.
The news broke when Juno Download updated its online webstore, which now restricts you from searching through its music catalogue. Now, it simply displays a bittersweet farewell on the homepage. “It’s been our privilege to share some of the most incredible music from the most amazing artists, but we’re sorry to say, that the time has come to say goodbye,” the announcement reads.
The message also redirects customers to competitor stores Traxsource and Beatport, explaining that “for now, this is Juno Download signing off”.

READ MORE: “I just want to hear the band!”: Jack Antonoff on why artists should strip back their production

For anyone worried about their pre-existing purchases, the announcement explains that users can get in contact if they need any help securing content from their accounts. “You can download previous orders from your account, and if you need to get in touch, please send us a message, and we will help out however we can,” it concludes.
Juno Download has also seemingly deleted its social media accounts, with its Instagram and Facebook pages both currently inaccessible.
Speaking to Resident Advisor, Juno Download’s COO Lucas Garcia also suggests that webstores like Juno Download have simply become obsolete. In his opinion, buying digital music just isn’t as common in the age of streaming. “It’s obviously a sad day, but as streaming has become the dominant model of digital music consumption, artists and labels are now more connected than ever with their fans via social media and ‘direct to fan’ services like Bandcamp, so the role of the music webstore is becoming less significant” he explains.
First established in 2006, Juno Download has served as a holy grail for dance music lovers. The independent store has not only been a great way to discover new artists, while also keeping pricing lower than its competitors.
Over on Reddit, Juno Download customers are mourning the abrupt closure of the store. Users note that Juno Download was a blessing in comparison with the site’s “expensive” competitors – however, while this was a perk for customers, it may have lead to the store’s downfall. Some users note that the site had experienced some price increases over the last year, concluding that the hiked prices may not have been enough to make ends meet.
Despite Juno Download saying goodbye, Juno’s vinyl store is still running. While downloading digital music has gone out of fashion, physical media is back in. Back in April, Forbes reported that the vinyl market surpassed $1 billion in 2025, due to the recent boom of ‘going analogue’ and embracing reliable, physical forms of media.
The post “The role of the music webstore is becoming less significant”: Independent music webstore Juno Download has shut down appeared first on MusicTech.

Audio Plugin Deals launches June Mega Bundle with five tools for $9.99
Audio Plugin Deals has launched the June Mega Bundle, a $9.99 collection of virtual instruments, sound libraries, and cinematic assets. The June Mega Bundle is listed at $9.99 throughout June, down from a combined claimed value of $626. I think this kind of bundle is fun if you want to experiment with new sound sources. [...]
View post: Audio Plugin Deals launches June Mega Bundle with five tools for $9.99

“I just want to hear the band!”: Jack Antonoff on why artists should strip back their productionWhile mutating a bassline through plugins can add some experimental spice to your production, it’s important to know when an instrument’s raw sound is exactly what a track needs. In fact, Jack Antonoff insists that, in such a filtered, AI-heavy world, it’s becoming even more vital to strip things back now and then.
Speaking on the Tape Notes podcast, Antonoff digs into his band Bleachers’ latest single, I’m Not Joking. He explains that the recording ultimately began as a demo session in an unfamiliar Rome studio, with little focus on what mics were being used to record – but that blasé, spur-of-the-moment approach is exactly what made it work. “I was so out of my element… so [I wasn’t] being obsessive [about] what [mics] I wanted…” he explains.  “I focused on recording demos with the band in the room [and wasn’t] being precious about how things were hooked up.”

READ MORE: “Who cares if you layer two kicks if it sounds great?”: Collect 200 talk synths, samples and letting the strongest parts of your tracks speak for themselves

The approach was just to “keep moving”, focusing on tracking drums, bass and piano just to get it down and chase the bubbling inspiration. And it’s something you can sense on the track, because Antonoff ended up using minimal plugins to tweak the final track. “I could turn off every plug-in in the session, and it would sound no different,” he says. “The plug-ins going on are essentially just carving here and there for a little bit of energy.”

“What I love about this song [is that] I’m not trying to show you, ‘oh, you’re never going to guess what I did with B3…’” he adds. “I’m free of that. I’m just in the room with someone playing a B3. And it’s an interesting thing I’m going through – and maybe some people are too – where I feel the most shocked by the least ‘pretence’ [on a track].”
He goes on to note that the mindset may be “a reaction to the world in general”, considering how ultra-filtered and AI-infused music has become in recent years. “Maybe all this is just a fucking reaction to culture and the concept of interesting sounds being more duplicable than they ever were that I just want to hear the band!” he explains.
Just listening to the track, you can tell that it didn’t need to be overcooked in production. “Maybe if I was in a nice studio, I’d do this with tape, offset it, and just automatically kind of ‘Bowie’ it…” he says. But, as Antonoff notes, the track allows listeners to “hear everyone just completely as they are”, and that is what makes the track so special.

Antonoff has made his stance on AI very clear, recently posting a massive condemnation of the “slop” it creates. His social media post reads: “What we do has become an ancient ritual. You don’t have to write music anymore, you don’t have to record it and you don’t have to bring the band out and play it. And yet for us, the idea of optimising what we do is a complete miss of the entire point of what compels us in the first place.
“We (myself, the band and everyone I know) have never been looking for this work to become quicker or easier. We were never frustrated by the randomness and magic it takes. We do it for that exact reason – and without the process itself ::: nothingness. So to everyone who is gassed up about the new ways you can fake making art, by all means drive right off that cliff. We’re genuinely happy to see you go.”
“Writing music, recording and performing it – that’s it. Nothing more embarrassing than considering there is a way to optimise that holy process. Godless whores.”

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Erin Brockovich takes aim at data center secrecyEnvironmental activist Erin Brockovich has a new mission.

A Camera Viewfinder Makes A Great TVWhen we think of CRT camera viewfinders, most of us probably imagine the tiny CRTs you’d find in a 1980s camcorder. They’re super cute and a load of fun to play with, but they’re very much a consumer device. Professional cameras of the type you’d find in a studio had their own viewfinders, which were a lot closer to a small TV. They’re about as high quality as it gets for a monochrome CRT, and [Evan Monsma] has done the conversion to a general-purpose monitor.
On one side, this is a very straightforward hack, simply a case of tracing wires to identify the power and video pins. Given a tool battery, the monitor fires up and gives a super-sharp picture. What we like about this is the wooden base he’s made for the thing, at the same time rough-and-ready, and professional-looking from the outside. It has a routed space for the cables, and once mounted flush with the monitor base and given a bit of wood stain, it looks almost as though it was manufactured that way.
It’s likely most of us won’t find a broadcast viewfinder in the trash, instead settling at best for a little Chinese portable TV. But it’s still interesting to see these unusual devices. Perhaps it might make a good cyberdeck.

Thanks [Luis] for the tip!

Strategy's Michael Saylor teases BTC buy with 'working better' tweetStrategy could be set to announce it has resumed buying Bitcoin after pausing in recent weeks as the biggest crypto looks poised to close out the month down more than 3.5%.

Gooey Controlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqeFEeTOtBs Control is a Feedback Delay Network designed to capture diffusion, echoing, and instability in a warped yet cohesive way. Inspired loosely by the classic Schroeder reverb architecture, Control does not behave like a traditional reverb. Its matrix of delay lines has been altered and destabilized, creating reflections that smear, morph, and collapse into unpredictable sonic textures. As the feedback is pushed further, Control transforms from a reflective and dispersed echo reverberator into a machine capable of screeching resonance, spectral howls, and collapsing atmospheres. Built around diffused feedback networks and immersive diffusion chambers, Control moves fluidly between epic soundscapes tearing through washed-out frequency fields and more familiar reverb-esque spaces. With a powerful Squash control and hefty pre-gain staging, the plug-in excels at driving reverberations deep into the audio field, saturating and reshaping signals in uniquely aggressive ways. The result is a one-of-a-kind plug-in that exists somewhere between a reverb processor, a feedback experiment, and an unstable convolution-inspired machine — capable of everything from subtle spatial enhancement to complete sonic obliteration. Read More

Production Music Awards 2026 The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of this year’s ceremony at the spectacular Bloomsbury Big Top, London on Thursday 19 November 2026.

SoftBank says it will invest up to €75 billion to build French data centersThe goal, the firm said, is to develop and operate up to 5 gigawatts of additional data center capacity.

Senator Lummis says China will 'write the rules' of the new financial era if CLARITY failsThe Senate Banking Committee voted to advance the CLARITY Act in May, but it must still pass both chambers of Congress before heading to the president's desk.

Breaking Enigma with an FPGA, Just like at Bletchly ParkThe pioneering work done by Alan Turing and others at Bletchley Park in England was perhaps as important in the history of technology as it was the history of the war. Given the last 80-odd years of technological development, their revolutionary work should be within the realms of a student project — which it was, specifically in ECE 5760 at Cornell University. The work was done by [Erica Jiang], [Kelvin Resch], and [Isabella Frank].
Nowadays if someone told you there was a code to be broken, you wouldn’t be reaching for electromechanical devices, but you just might think of trying an FPGA. After all, the programmable gate arrays allow for much faster execution of fixed logic than software running on a traditional CPU. That won’t help much with modern RSA schemes, and for Enigma, it’s massively overkill, but doing it that way was a great learning opportunity for the students.
Their project emulates the whole Bletchley Park cryptography apparatus, not just the Bombe Machine, and if you’re interested in learning about this piece of history you could absolutely do worse than to examine their documentation. If you’re into video, you can check out the final presentation and demo video below. Meanwhile if you’re wondering what the opposition was up to, we have good explainer of the enigma machine here.

Thanks to [Hunter Adams] for the tip!

Radio Memphis Keeps Memphis’ Heritage Upfront… and PersonalIf ever there were a musical “bunker,” it’s the place Radio Memphis calls home. You find it tucked deep in the basement of an unassuming strip mall somewhere around 4745 Poplar Avenue in Memphis, TN. It’s easy to miss from the outside—but once you’re inside, you realize this little station has been sending out waves of good vibes since day one.

Before long, you understand why it’s become the go-to groove joint for musicians passing through Memphis.

What happens here—what you’re stepping into—is an outlet for the music, the culture, and the history of Memphis. And the blues, of course. Keeping that flame alive isn’t always easy, but every day something happens in the station that reminds you why it matters. You leave feeling proud to be even a small part of the musical fabric of Memphis, TN.

You’re plugged directly into the city’s musical bloodstream—from Beale Street to the Delta, from the P&H Café to Little Rock. There’s a pulse here that hits harder and grooves deeper than almost anywhere else.

But access to The Bunker isn’t automatic.

You might even face a little pop quiz at the door.

Four Things You Must Do Before Entering the Radio Memphis Bunker

Know something about the Memphis Blues scene.

Order a cheeseburger from Matt at the P&H Café (bring the receipt).

Grab a cup of coffee at Java Cabana in Cooper-Young.

Know what the “B.B.” stands for in B.B. King.

Get those right—do a little homework—and you’re in good shape. And if you love Blues or rock-and-roll in any of its many forms, you’ll have a mighty fine time down in the Bunker.

Meet the Crew

At the center of it all is Rick Chetter, the calm eye of the storm and the waterspout from which the Radio Memphis groove flows out into the known universe.

Rick’s on the mic in the Bunker more often than not—day or night. If you stop by, chances are you’ll find him there, rocking the airwaves amid the flotsam and jetsam of what can only be called The Radio Life.

There’s always something happening: new recordings arriving, new guests dropping by, or the occasional surprise visit from an A-list blues artist who happens to be in town. Interviews happen. Impromptu showcases happen. Sometimes people just walk through the door and plug in.

Legends like Paul Butterfield, Howlin’ Wolf, and Stevie Ray Vaughan are part of the station’s musical DNA, and the playlist also welcomes rising artists from around the world.

Send in your music, and chances are they’ll play it.

Then there’s “Dirty D”—Dianna Fryer—who’s been with Radio Memphis since the very beginning. She hosts several shows and also serves as the station’s General Manager. Good radio attracts good people, and when it comes to Dirty D (Detroit street shorthand), you’ve hit the jackpot.

She’s the driving force that keeps the station alive—keeping the lights on, the doors open, and the signal strong. So be polite, be respectful… and don’t challenge her musical knowledge unless you’re ready to lose.

Running a radio station is a labor of love. It can be challenging, infuriating, and occasionally overwhelming. But when the day ends and the microphones go quiet, you realize there’s nowhere else you’d rather be than right here at Radio Memphis, working with remarkable people and helping keep Memphis music alive.

Dianna also happens to be a terrific on-air personality and a skilled interviewer. Like Rick, she has a way of putting you at ease immediately. Talking with her feels natural—easy, relaxed, and genuinely fun.

And they’re not alone. The station has a fantastic team of hosts, including Phil Berger and Jeff Janovetz, along with a lineup of other dedicated radio lifers who bring their own shows and personalities to the airwaves.

Connected Locally… to the Universe

If you’re serious about the blues in Memphis, sooner or later you’ll cross paths with the Memphis Blues Society. The organization plays an important role in keeping the scene thriving—and it’s closely tied to the Radio Memphis family.

If you’re heading to Memphis or just passing through, make a point of connecting with Mark Caldwell from the Memphis Blues Society. He’s the kind of guy you’d clone if science allowed it—but until that technology arrives, you can meet him in person at the station.

And while you’re exploring the region, don’t forget the nearby musical landmarks—Muscle Shoals, FAME Studios, and Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. That whole corridor is soaked in music history.

Back at Radio Memphis, you never quite know who you’ll meet. Artists wander in, friendships form, and bands you hear in the Bunker today might be touring nationally tomorrow.

Take Slim and the Percolators from Philadelphia. Memphis noticed Slim tearing it up at The Twisted Tail in Philly. A few years later he landed in Memphis for the International Blues Challenge—and he’s been rocking stages ever since.

That’s the magic of the place.

Everyone you meet at the station feels real—natural, grounded, and completely committed to the mission. Before long, you find yourself caught up in the excitement and riding the same wave.

The Blues World Converges Here

Every year Memphis hosts the International Blues Challenge, one of the biggest gatherings of blues talent anywhere on the planet. Artists come from around the world—and if Jupiter or Mars had blues clubs, they’d probably send competitors too.

If you’ve never been, you’re missing out.

Because one day—far, far down the road—you may find yourself sliding up to the Pearly Gates. And St. Peter might look over his glasses and say:

“Hey… weren’t you the one I saw in Memphis last year at the P&H Café?”

Think about it.

Note: Sadly, we lost Diana a few months back and she’ll be forever missed...The post Radio Memphis Keeps Memphis’ Heritage Upfront… and Personal first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Maniac Audio Dark2ADark2A — Tube Optical Leveling Amplifier. A schematic-accurate emulation of the legendary Teletronix LA-2A — the smoothest, most musical vocal and bass compressor ever built. Authentic T4B electro-optical attenuator, 12AX7 tube gain stage, and UTC HA-100X output transformer modeling, calibrated against the original hardware spec. Topology: T4B Photocell — dual-stage release with program dependency (the signature LA-2A "self-adjusting" feel). 12AX7 tube gain stage with authentic harmonic profile. UTC HA-100X output transformer modeling. 18 Hz sidechain HPF (LA-2A 15 Hz spec). Always-on R30/C6 sidechain tilt (intrinsic to the LA-2A schematic, independent of HF Emphasis). 30 ms RMS detector, 450 ms GR decay, 3 s slow release — calibrated for the relaxed, "rounded" LA-2A response. Peak Reduction tuned to pin the needle at 20 VU on typical program material. x2 / x4 / x8 Kaiser FIR oversampling. Read More

Flame Sound offers Blaze Tension Builders FREE for BPB readers until June 1st
Flame Sound is offering Blaze Tension Builders, a pack of 50 cinematic tension-builder sound effects, as a free download for BPB readers until June 1st. The offer brings the price down from $29 to $0. At the time of publishing, that gives you around 48 hours to claim the pack for free. To get it, [...]
View post: Flame Sound offers Blaze Tension Builders FREE for BPB readers until June 1st