The haves and have nots of the AI gold rushThe vibes around the current AI boom aren't great, even in the tech industry.

21st Century Punch Cards are 3D Printed and Read By OpenCVWhile a punch card is perhaps the lowest-density storage medium available, it has some distinct advantages. As [Bitroller] points out in the write-up of his punch card project, if he was using stainless steel instead of PLA his 3D printed punch cards would likely outlast everything he owns, and survive a five-alarm fire to boot. If you have 16 bytes you really, really don’t want to forget — or are willing to store your private key in a shoe box — this project might be of interest.
The nice part is that he’s built a handy Python script to generate printable files for the punch cards, which encode 16 bytes of information and 4 bytes of error correction using the Reed-Solomon algorithm. That’s just enough for a password and the error correction means up to two bytes can be recovered in the case of read failure.
The reading is where this gets interesting — again, [Bitroller] provides a handy script, but this one uses OpenCV to read the entire punch card at once from a webcam image, using the contrast between a black table and the light-colored PLA cards. It’s massively overkill and would have needed a supercomputer in the days when punch cards were common I/O, but that’s what makes this a great hack.
We only have one quibble: if you use additive manufacturing, can you still call it a punch card? Nothing was punched out, after all.
If you think punch cards are totally irrelevant in the modern day, well, you might be right– but that doesn’t stop us from playing with them. If punch cards make you think of Big Iron in the early days of computing, maybe think further back– they were used for everything from Jacquard looms to the original MIDI.

Zillasound Zilla HeatZilla Heat is a free dynamic saturation and parallel bass exciter plugin designed to add massive analog character and warmth to your tracks without destroying your low-end. Key Features: - Parallel Bass Exciter: Injects rich harmonic overtones into your low frequencies while bypassing the main clipping stage to keep sub-bass tight and clean. - Mid-Range Saturation: Powered by a customized mathematical clipping algorithm to help vocals, guitars, and synths cut through dense mixes. - High-End Shimmer: An intelligent top-end engine that adds premium air and crispness to drums, overheads, or acoustic instruments. Perfect for warming up cold digital tracks, gluing drum buses, or adding safe pre-amp style saturation to your input chains. Read More

Strategy to repurchase $1.5B of 2029 convertible notesThe notes carry a 0% coupon, but can be converted into equity in the company if holders choose to redeem their notes for shares.

Unfiltered Audio releases BattleFX, a FREE multi-FX plugin based on Battalion
Unfiltered Audio has released BattleFX, a free multi-FX plugin built around the send effects section of its Battalion drum synth. I downloaded this immediately because the screenshots had me sold before I’d even finished reading the product page. It looks amazing, clean and crisp, just the way I like it! But the sound is probably [...]
View post: Unfiltered Audio releases BattleFX, a FREE multi-FX plugin based on Battalion

Eventide & Newfangled Audio release Fixate:Midrange Fixate:Midrange employs intelligent EQ processing that quickly identifies and tackles ‘muddiness’, and promises to deliver professional-sounding results with minimal effort. 

Engine DJ 5.0 update now live Engine DJ's latest software update brings built-in stem rendering to the RANE System One, as well as adding RGB waveforms, track star ratings, effects improvements and more to the entire Engine DJ hardware range.

Studio Mix May 2026: David Guetta, Tenroc, Flore Laurentienne, and MoreFLORE LAURENTIENNE UNVEILS “(À TRAVERS LES) CHABLIS” AHEAD OF VOLUME III

Flore Laurentienne teases his final chapter in the Volume series with “(À travers les) Chablis,” blending ethereal synths and strings with free jazz percussion, harp, and Casavant organ. Released on April 10 via Secret City Records, Volume III closes the trilogy while celebrating nature, improvisation, and harmony born from chaos, offering a glimpse into the evolving, experimental world of the artist.

EPIPHONE PRESENTS: SPIRITUAL CRAMP “LIVE AT ALLY PALLY”

Epiphone Presents: Spiritual Cramp "Live at Ally Pally” captures one of punk’s most compelling modern bands, live inside the historicPalace Suite of Alexandra Palace in London. Shot by Nick Suchak mid-stride during the group’s late 2025 tour with The Hives,Epiphone Presents: Spiritual Cramps “Live at Ally Pally”distills the band’s explosive, sweat-soaked stage energy into a tight, intimate performance.

DAVID GUETTA FINDS SOUL IN A DIGITAL WORLD WITH RHODES MK8

GRAMMY-winning DJ and producer David Guetta is integrating the Rhodes MK8 MIDI piano into his Ibiza studio, using it as both a creative spark and central controller. Blending its expressive feel with an in-the-box workflow, Guetta explores how soul can transcend genre—bringing warmth and musicality into his dance productions through the iconic Rhodes sound.

HARRISON 32CLASSIC ELEVATES PURE SOUND AT APSOON RECORDINGS

APSoon Recordings has installed a Harrison 32Classic console in its Estonia studio, prioritizing clarity and zero coloration for its high-resolution jazz and classical recordings. Founder Aular Soon relies on the desk’s precise EQ, flexible inserts, and transparent sound to shape mixes captured in DSD, preserving natural acoustics while allowing subtle, dynamic control.

GRAMMY-NOMINATED HITMAKER TENROC DROPS “MOURNING 2 DANCING” FT. TORI KELLY & JON KEITH, ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM

Fresh off the release of his debut single “PLAYLIST,” multi-hyphenate singer, musician, and producer Tenroc released his second single “mourning 2 dancing,” featuring GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Tori Kelly and genre-bending hip-hop artist Jon Keith. Following the release, Tenroc officially announced the forthcoming release of his debut album, God Is a Person, due on July 17th via Sony/Provident.

WAR CHILD RECORDS RELEASE "HELICOPTERS" BY EZRA COLLECTIVE & GREENTEA PENG

War Child Records released “Helicopters” by Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng—from the highly anticipated forthcoming HELP(2) album. Produced by Ezra Collective and mixed by David Wrench, the group join forces with Greentea Peng for a commanding collaboration that seamlessly fuses their distinct sonic identities. “Helicopters” follows recent releases taken from the HELP(2) record, including “Opening Night” by Arctic Monkeys, “Flags” by Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, and Kae Tempest, “Let’s Do It Again!” by The Last Dinner Party, “Begging For Change” by Pulp, and an exclusive stand-alone 7” addition of “Acquiesce (Live From Wembley Stadium, 28 September 2025)” by Oasis.

DYLAN LEBLANC ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY RE-RELEASE OF HIS ACCLAIMED ALBUM, CAUTIONARY TALE

Louisiana singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc announced a special 10th Anniversary re-release of his acclaimed album Cautionary Tale, which is due out on May 15 via Single Lock Records. To herald the announcement, he has unearthed a demo of fan-favorite track “Roll The Dice (Bedroom Demo).” LeBlanc is also hitting the road on a U.S. tour, which kicked off on March 13 in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.

PRODUCER PLAYBACK:

“The one ingredient has to be talking about something that people care about, whether that’s love, heartbreak or something political. If you can find a point of view and see it through, that’s one thing a song can’t be without.” – Philip Lawrence

The post Studio Mix May 2026: David Guetta, Tenroc, Flore Laurentienne, and More first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Solayer launches Visa-compatible card for USDC paymentsThe new card lets users spend USDC balances through online, in-store and contactless transactions while accessing ATM withdrawals in supported regions.

Arvital Soft AudioRouteAudioRoute is a system audio capture and routing utility for macOS and Windows designed for music production and DAW workflows. It allows capturing audio from browsers, streaming apps, media players and other applications directly into Ableton Live and other DAWs using one of three workflows: VST plugin integration. virtual audio device. standalone tray application for quick recording. AudioRoute was built to simplify workflows that often require more complicated routing setups with tools like BlackHole, Loopback or VoiceMeeter. Typical use cases include: sampling audio from YouTube, Spotify or VLC into Ableton. recording browser/system audio. quick resampling workflows. routing application audio into DAWs. The focus is simplicity, fast setup and minimal configuration. Read More

RJ Scaringe has raised more than $12B across three startups and investors still want moreFounder and CEO RJ Scaringe has a knack for raising money. So far, his three startups have raised more than $12.3 billion.

Building A Die Filer From ScratchA die filer is a useful tool to have if you find yourself filing parts on the regular. It’s basically a machine that reciprocates a file up and down for you so you can focus on filing the part to your desired dimensions. They’re not commonly manufactured these days, so [Richard Huberjohn] set about building his own. 
This die filer relies on a simple mechanism to turn rotational motion from a motor into reciprocating linear motion in the vertical plane. A rotating shaft is connected to a crank, which turns a pin in a slotted carrier attached to a linear bearing. As the wheel turns, the pin slides in the carrier, driving it and the linear rod up and down in turn. Attach a file to this, and you have a working die filer. In this case, the rotating shaft is driven by a pair of DC brushed motors, with output stepped down via a gearbox and then a short belt drive. Speed is varied with the aid of an off-the-shelf controller.
If you’re regularly filing small parts, a build like this could speed your work to a great degree. We’ve featured other DIY machine tool builds before, too. If you’re cooking up your own gear for the home workshop, don’t hesitate to let us know on the tipsline!

What is microtonality in music? Definition and why it matters
Learn about what microtonality is, dive into its history, and explore how you can apply it in your own music.

Ten of the Best Phil Collins SongsContinuing the theme from our recent Joy Division/New Order list, we're looking at ten of the best songs from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 inductee Phil Collins. Genesis is already in (as of 2010), so this is only Phil as a solo artist...

"In the Air Tonight"

From Face Value, 1981

"You Can't Hurry Love"

From Hello, I Must Be Going (1982)

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"

From Against All Odds: OST, 1984

"Easy Lover"

With Philip Bailey, from Chinese Wall, 1984

"Sussudio"

From No Jacket Required, 1985

"One More Night"

From No Jacket Required, 1985

"Separate Lives"

With Marilyn Martin, from White Nights: OST, 1985

"Two Hearts"

From Buster: OST, 1988

"Another Day in Paradise"

From ...But Seriously, 1989

"Something Happened on the Way to Heaven"

From ...But Seriously, 1989

Photo by Philippe Roos, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.The post Ten of the Best Phil Collins Songs first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Barry Weiss’s RECORDS promotes Andrew Saltman to SVP of Artist Development, Sara Gil to General ManagerThe pair will lead label operations across RECORDS and its country imprint RECORDS Nashville
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