Why discoDSP Donated $1,000 to The Usual Suspects — And Got It Back
The Retromulator controversy and the unwritten rules of open-source audio Earlier this week, discoDSP donated $1,000 to The Usual Suspects, the team behind some of the best free synth emulations out there. The Usual Suspects sent the money back. If you’ve been following the Retromulator situation on KVR, GearSpace, or in BPB comments, you probably [...]
View post: Why discoDSP Donated $1,000 to The Usual Suspects — And Got It Back

MPG announce new Impact Award The MPG (Music Producers Guild) have announced the launch of a brand-new honour that will recognise music projects that deliver meaningful social and cultural impact through the craft and collaboration of music production.

Rumors emerge of a CLARITY Act deal between White House and lawmakersThe deal reportedly focuses on stablecoin yield and interest-bearing stable tokens, a major pain point for the banking industry.

Microsoft rolls back some of its Copilot AI bloat on WindowsThe company is reducing Copilot entry points on Windows, starting with Photos, Widgets, Notepad, and other apps.

Signing Stories: The 69 EyesDate Signed: January 2026Label: BLKIIBLKBand Members: Jyrki 69, vocals; Bazie, guitar; Timo-Timo, guitar; Archzie, bass; Jussi 69, drumsType of Music: Glam, GothManagement: Pasi Moilanen, management@69eyes.comBooking: TKO Booking Agency, dandevita@tkoco.com (North America); Bottom Row - The Music Agency, nikolas.krofta@bottomrow.com (rest of the world)Publicity: Freeman PromotionsA&R: Aldo LonobileWeb: 69eyes.com

Not only have Finnish dark glam rockers The 69 Eyes been at it since the late ‘80s, they’ve also managed to keep the same lineup in place since 1992 which, let’s face it, it practically unheard of. They have an armful of awesome albums to their name, but it was time for a change so they recently signed with BLKIIBLK, the metal imprint of the hard rock-associated Frontiers Label Group.

It’s just the latest chapter in what has been a fascinating story up to this point. It’s refreshing, in a genre associated with chaos and unpredictability, that The 69 Eyes have retained a level of consistency, with the lineup, the quality and the sound.

“It’s ‘80s glam rock with ‘90s goth keyboards and ‘50s swagger,” says vocalist Jyrki 69. 

BLKIIBLK is a recent initiative from Frontiers, and they quickly made the wise choice of appointing industry veteran Mike Gitter as global head of A&R. That they’ve signed The 69 Eyes, alongside Forbidden, Cro-Mags, Unto Others, and the gloriously named Nunslaughter, points to a big future for the imprint.

“This part is dreamy,” says Jyrki 69. “I realized I was on the phone talking about G.G. Allin with A&R metal legend Mike Gitter, as he was telling me about their new label BLKIIBLK, and I was thinking that it would be very cool to be on that. Later on, I found out that, actually, that was the reason I had a chance to talk with him. We were to be on the label! Now Mike labels The 69 Eyes like ‘Elvis-meets-GG.’ Something like that. Nevertheless, legendary.”

The band has kicked off its new life with BLKIIBLK with the single “I Survive,” which sees guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol) guesting.

“I had been recording with Steve Stevens on my solo album American Vampire, on Cleopatra Records, some years ago,” says Jyrki 69. “I asked if he had any suitable tracks for The 69 Eyes, and he sent me the demo of ‘I Survive.’ I immediately wrote the lyrics for it, and now a couple of years later we finally have it released. Steve’s such a legend in our books that the whole process was pretty surreal. When it comes to guitarists, I love Link Wray, Johnny Thunders, Cheetah Chrome, Ron Asheton, James Williamson, and Steve Stevens. The 69 Eyes has recorded a Dead Boys cover, ‘Sonic Reducer,’ with Cheetah quite recently, so recording with Steve Stevens is on the line of my rock ‘n’ roll fantasy. L.A.-based Barry Pointer mixed the track to be THE Sound of Glam in 2026! It’s an anthem for us all!”

The 69 Eyes will spend 2026 doing as much touring as possible, so look out for dates as well as news of a new EP soon.The post Signing Stories: The 69 Eyes first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

How Long Can a Quadcopter Drone Fly on Just Solar?The final second prototype flying. (Credit: Luke Maximo Bell, YouTube)
The dream of fully powering everything from aircraft to cars on just the power generated from solar panels attached to the machine remains a tempting one, but always seems to require some serious engineering including putting the machine on a crash diet. The quadcopter that [Luke Maximo Bell] tried to fly off just solar power is a good case in point, as the first attempt crashed after three minutes and wrecked its solar panels. Now he’s back with a second attempt that ought to stay airborne for as long as the sun is shining.
Among the flaws with the first prototype were poor support for the very thin and fragile PV panels, requiring much better support on the carbon fiber frame of the drone. To support the very large solar array, the first drone’s arms were made to be very long, but this interfered with maneuvering, so the second version got trimmed down and the array raised above the frame. This saved 70 grams of weight from the shortened tubs, which could then be added to the new panel supports.
After an initial test flight resulted in a crash when the PV output dropped, the need for a small battery buffer was clear, so this was added, along with a reduction of the array to 4×7 panels to get the same 20V as the battery. The array also had to be reinforced, as the thin array was very wobbly in addition to making it impossible to fly with any significant wind.

The power circuit as implemented on the second prototype. (Credit: Luke Maximo Bell, YouTube)
During the subsequent five hours long test flight it was clear that the resulting PV-powered drone was at the limits of its performance, with even some mild cloud cover forcing the battery to provide backup power.
For the test location a tree-sheltered site far away from windy Cape Town was also selected to provide the best possible shot, as keeping position with this drone was very hard. With the low weight and the big surface area of the solar panel array catching any little bit of wind, the GPS-based position keeping was essential. Unfortunately a few hours into the test this feature failed.
Manual position keeping is definitely possible, but [Luke] had to constantly counteract the drone wanting to drift off somewhere else. Ultimately the test flight ended when it was still very much a sunny South African summer’s day, due to the current provided by the array no longer keeping up with the power demands of the motors.
What this perhaps demonstrates best is that if you want to use PV solar power for your flying drone – especially with a significant payload – it’s probably best to use it for recharging while idle, or to extend the battery life by an appreciable amount. That said, props to [Luke] for persevering and making it work in the end.

KSHMR talks producing for Justin Bieber and Beyoncé, making sample packs, and more
Globally-acclaimed producer and artist KSHMR discusses his landmark collaborations, greatest learnings, new sample pack, and more.

From WMG’s Netflix deal to BMG’s Anthropic lawsuit… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days...
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InnerMono releases a collection of FREE FX racks for Ableton Live
InnerMono has released a collection of almost 30 free racks for Ableton Live. Like a hardware FX rack or a software rack that hosts multiple effects in a single plugin, Ableton Live racks provide a streamlined workflow for manipulating multiple effects from a single device (rack). From what I understand, Ableton Live has various rack [...]
View post: InnerMono releases a collection of FREE FX racks for Ableton Live

Samples From Mars Lo-Fi Drum Machines From MarsA Curated Collection of 20 Rare and Overlooked Vintage Drum Machines. If you've ever heard a drum machine on a record and couldn't quite place it, Lo-Fi Drum Machines is for you. Built from the everyday gear that powered countless studios, bedrooms, and early productions, these nostalgic machines were the affordable, accessible alternatives to out-of-reach classics like the 808. At first glance they may seem unremarkable - but their limitations are exactly what give them a gritty, hard-hitting character that pricier machines simply can't replicate. These drum machines aren't about pristine fidelity or polite tones - they're full of unmistakable character, with sounds that still feel fresh and less familiar today: https://soundcloud.com/samplesfrommars/lo-fi-drum-machines-from-mars Built to Work, Not to Impress Most of the drum machines in this collection were designed as affordable, practical tools - not studio centerpieces. They weren't meant to be legendary. They were meant to get the job done. But over time, those design limitations became their greatest strengths and we've found ourselves craving the sound of these early digital converters, noisy circuitry, limited memory, and straightforward yet hard-to-place sound sets. The drums lock into a groove easily. They sit in a mix without fighting for attention. They just work (unless they are broken, which is often the case!). For this pack, we grabbed well-known classics like the Roland R-8, DDD-1, Casio RZ-1, and Yamaha RX-11, but also less celebrated boxes like the Mattel Synsonics, Korg KPR-77 and Kawai GB-2 Session Trainer. Some of these machines were super common in home studios (I owned a few - did you?), some appeared briefly in professional setups, and some were never taken seriously at all. Yet all of them left fingerprints on records - sometimes obvious, sometimes impossible to identify, but instantly recognizable once you really hear them, influencing countless early Chicago House, Techno, New Wave, Italo and Hip Hop records. A Focused Sound That Cuts Through Any Mix The drums in this pack are direct, punchy, and full of usable character. Kicks tend to be compressed, focused and present rather than oversized, making them easy to place in a mix. Snares range from tight and snappy to dry and textured, with just enough edge to stay interesting. Hi-hats and cymbals often carry a noticeable grit or movement that adds life without clutter. Alongside the core drum hits, you'll also find supporting percussion and digital textures shaped by the era these machines lived in, including early digital reverbs, flangers, delays, and onboard effects that were baked into the sound of many of these boxes. These effects aren't polished or pristine; they're simple, musical, and full of character, adding space, motion, and depth in a way that feels immediate and familiar. Sampled with Restraint Every sound in Lo-Fi Drum Machines From Mars was recorded directly from the hardware with the goal of preservation, not enhancement. No compression, no EQ, no added saturation - just careful gain staging and faithful capture. The character you hear comes from the machines themselves. Each hit was trimmed, level-matched, and organized so it drops straight into your sampler or DAW without friction. The result is a library that feels immediate and musical from the first load, while still leaving plenty of room for your own processing and interpretation. A Different Kind of Classic If you're ready to step beyond the usual drum icons, this pack offers 750 one-shots from twenty trusted machines that followed a different path, and quietly became classics of their own. Whether you're making house, techno, hip-hop, synthpop, indie, or anything that benefits from rhythm with personality rather than polish. Content: (750) 24-bit WAV Lo-Fi Drum Machines Samples. (20) 16x hit drum kits for instant jamming. Classic lo-fi machines like the RZ-1, DDD-5, RX-11, DR-550, and MR-16. Gritty Bass Drums, crunchy Snares, cutting Hats and classic eighties Toms. Bongos, Congas, Guiros, Cuicas, Surdos, Claves, Snaps and more. Sampled through an API 1608 console and Apogee Symphony. 100% Hardware processing. 240 MB Unzipped. About Formatting: Ableton includes (1) master drum rack containing all samples, and (20) pre-made kits racks. Kontakt, Logic, Reason, SFZ include: (11) Individual Hits and (20) Kits instruments. FL Studio includes: (11) Individual Hits and (20) Kits instruments. Maschine, Battery include: (20) pre-made kits. MPC1000 and MPC2500 include: (20) pre-made kits on 5 programs. MPC Live and MPC X include: (20) pre-made kits on 5 programs. Read More

Mix Rescue: Ian Shepherd Video To accompany his words in SOS April 2026's Mix Rescue, Ian Shepherd has created a video where he demonstrates the difference between new and original masters of the same album. 

Plugin Boutique’s Music For Film sale has all the instruments you need for cinematic scoring and epic soundtracks – at huge discountsFancy trying your hand at some orchestral film scoring? Or perhaps you’re already a seasoned composer looking to upgrade your arsenal. Well, right now, Plugin Boutique is hosting its Music For Film sale, offering tools for cinematic scoring, orchestral sound design and epic soundtracks at big discounts.
The sale itself includes everything from individual plugins and instruments to whole collections that will pretty much end the need to ever buy another plugin again. Take IK Multimedia’s TOTAL VI MAX 2, for example – a comprehensive collection of professional virtual instruments usually priced at £1,439, but now just £69 until 29 March. That’s an insane 95% off!
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Or try Scaler, a professional music theory workstation which is on hand to help you write the perfect chord progressions and melodies, and think about your compositions in new ways, making them better than ever. Until 22 March, you can save £20, and get it for just £79 down from £99.
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UJAM’s 2025 Season Bundle is also included in the sale, packed with all the plugins and virtual instruments to supercharge your production arsenal. Consisting of 13 plugins, spanning advanced multi-FX processors, cinematic and synth instruments, distortion/lo-fi tools, and rhythm-focused engines with deep modulation and hundreds of presets, this bundle is included in PB’s Music For Film sale, but to be honest, it would be a great addition to any producer’s arsenal. Usually priced at £872.96, and now just £130, too.
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Elsewhere, there’s a number of individual virtual instruments – including pianos from Rhodes, string and brass instruments from Roland, and even Celestial Harp from Sonuscore. You could also go for the Everything Bundle: Orchestral Sounds for all of your orchestral needs, originally priced at £194, now just £15 until 31 March.
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This is just a small selection of what’s on offer in the Music For Film sale, so head over to Plugin Boutique now to browse for yourself and upgrade your production arsenal today.
The post Plugin Boutique’s Music For Film sale has all the instruments you need for cinematic scoring and epic soundtracks – at huge discounts appeared first on MusicTech.

Plea Teach releases Spectaverb, a FREE multi-FX reverb plugin for Windows
Spectaverb is the second plugin by Plea Tech we’re looking at in one day, and it seems just as interesting as the first, Pure Amber. Pure Amber is a spectral shaping and resonance suppressor plugin for Windows, and it’s free for a limited time, so don’t miss it. Spectaverb is also a Windows exclusive, which [...]
View post: Plea Teach releases Spectaverb, a FREE multi-FX reverb plugin for Windows

Bitcoin price tussle at $70K may hint that market bottom is not inBitcoin price dipped under $70,000, but a bull-friendly set-up on the lower time frames forecasts a swift rebound.

Jeff Bezos reportedly wants $100 billion to buy and transform old manufacturing firms with AIThe Amazon magnate has a new project centered around acquiring industrial firms and revamping them with AI technology.