My two favorite deals this week come from Solid State Logic and IK Multimedia
Solid State Logic and IK Multimedia have two heavily discounted offers that are well worth your attention if you’re looking to upgrade your creative effects toolkit or guitar setup. I’ll cover both below, but please note that the one from SSL expires very soon (probably a matter of hours at this point). SSL X-Delay & [...]
View post: My two favorite deals this week come from Solid State Logic and IK Multimedia

This app from Sonarworks & Dolby creates you a personalized Dolby Atmos headphone profileSonarworks – the audio calibration company known for its SoundID Reference software – has partnered with Dolby to deliver a better experience to creators working with Dolby Atmos.
The brand is about to launch its SoundID Reference Tools mobile app for iOS and Android, and will enable the creation of a personalised Dolby Atmos headphone profile free of charge. As Sonarworks explains, the app creates an image of the user’s head, ears and shoulders via the phone’s camera, leveraging Dolby tech to create a personalised profile compatible with Dolby Atmos creation tools.

READ MORE: This headless guitar has MIDI and can control your software instruments and hardware synths

This file can then be loaded into the Dolby Atmos Renderer or any compatible DAW. Sonarworks says monitoring with this profile can “improve spatial and timbral accuracy of Dolby Atmos headphone mixes, allowing a more accurate and consistent monitoring experience.
“Every creator’s physical characteristics are unique, which affects how they experience immersive audio over headphones,” says David Gould, Sr. Director of Content Creation and Distribution at Dolby Laboratories.
“By combining Dolby’s technology with Sonarworks’ calibration expertise, the app enables more accurate Dolby Atmos monitoring. We are excited to work with them, and our DAW partners, to bring advanced headphone experiences to Dolby Atmos creators everywhere.”
 “At Sonarworks, our mission has always been to help creators hear their mixes accurately and with confidence, no matter where they work,” adds Martins Popelis, CPO and Co-Founder at Sonarworks. 
“We are thrilled to partner with Dolby to help Dolby Atmos creators make great sounding immersive mixes on headphones as well as deliver more value to the broad community of users who rely on SoundID Reference calibration for accuracy.”
Learn more at Sonarworks.
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This headless guitar has MIDI and can control your software instruments and hardware synthsHeadless guitar maker Strandberg has teamed up with Jamstik on a new MIDI-infused guitar, allowing players to control software instruments and hardware synths, while assisting in producing, transcribing and other areas of modern digital music production.
Strandberg makes some of the most forward-thinking electric guitars around right now, so it’s not all that surprising that it would be the next brand to tinker with adding MIDI to its instruments.

READ MORE: NAMM 2026 Live: All the news, gear, and innovations from the biggest music gear event

“By embedding our MIDI technology into Strandberg’s guitars, we’ve built an instrument that supports modern creative workflows while still feeling unmistakably like a world-class guitar,” says Jonathan Keller, Senior Engineer at Jamstik.
“Strandberg’s craftsmanship and ergonomics gave us the ideal foundation to make MIDI feel expressive, musical, and completely natural to play.”
Credit: Strandberg
The guitar itself sports a “chameleon-style” finish – which shifts between purple, green and graphite tones as the light moves – and features a USB-C input for direct computer and DAW integration, TRS-MIDI for controlling hardware synths, and Bluetooth for wireless configuration and real-time setting adjustments.
“Strandberg guitars are designed to remove friction between the player and their ideas,” says Ola Strandberg, Founder and Creative Lead at Strandberg Guitars.
“This collaboration with Jamstik extends that philosophy into the digital domain, giving players new creative possibilities.”
Each Chameleon MIDI Guitar owner will also gain access to Jamstik Creator, software for configuring MIDI behaviour, sensitivity, tuning options and performance settings.
Price-wise, the Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon MIDI Guitar clocks in at $2,199/£1,799, and is available now for pre-order from both Jamstik and Strandberg. First models will ship in early spring 2026.
If you’re lucky enough like us to be attending this year’s NAMM Show, you can visit Strandberg at Booth #5414 and Jamstik at Booth #9907.
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A timeline of the US semiconductor market in 2025From leadership changes at legacy semiconductor companies to wishy washy policy around chip exports, a lot happened last year.

Reloop launches high-spec turntable, the RP-5000 MK4With an industry-standard torque, a refined brushless DC motor and a slew of features to reduce wow and flutter, the RP-5000 MK4 is a bold new turntable from Reloop. It’s a tactile, old-school bit of kit that’s learnt some new tricks – and it could be the mid-range turntable you’re looking for.
While Reloop is known for its reliable turntables, the RP-5000 MK4 builds upon the company’s formula, optimising and enhancing legacy features. The result is a machine with glimmers of club-standard quality, with its 2.5 kg/cm torque, an intuitive new layout and a refined chassis.

READ MORE: AlphaTheta’s new DJM-V5 mixer “condenses the essence” of its larger DJM-V10 sibling

Alongside the RP-5000 MK4’s refined motor characteristics, the turntable also aims to minimise any potential interference that may disturb your sets. This includes increased damping and shock-absorbing feet to reduce vibration, as well as a gold-plated phono output and IEC connector with a detachable cable to maximise cabling flexibility while lessening potential sources of error.
As well as this, the turntable also employs an internal switching power supply, another effort to reduce unwanted interference.

But what’s it like to play? Well, the RP-5000 MK4 has a die-cast aluminium platter, as well as a statically balanced, S-shaped tonearm equipped with a hydraulic lift and anti-skating mechanism. There’s also an integrated pop-up stylus LED target light, a must for those dark club nights. The button layout has also been tweaked to make it as ergonomic and intuitive as possible, meaning DJs should take to it like a duck to water.
The turntable also boasts three different speeds, 33 ⅓, 45 and 78 rpm, with a clearly marked strobe light indicator and tempo scale to keep you in the know. Elsewhere, you can also adjust your pitch, with the option of exploring ranges of ±8%, ±16% or ±50%. There’s also a smooth, clickless pitch fader and a reverse switch.
Reloop’s RP-5000 MK4 is currently available for £397 from Thomann, with stocks expected to drop within 7-9 weeks.
The post Reloop launches high-spec turntable, the RP-5000 MK4 appeared first on MusicTech.

Maroon 5 and the End of the Analog EraSennheiser this week released word that, with Maroon 5's "first tour to fully deploy Sennheiser Spectera, Dave Rupsch proves that wideband digital wireless is the future of high-stakes stadium audio."

"For 25 years, monitor engineer Dave Rupsch has occupied the high-stakes sonic cockpit for global icons like My Chemical Romance, Katy Perry, Megadeth, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nick Jonas and more," a statement reads. "He has watched the industry undergo a digital revolution, seeing line arrays and consoles evolve into marvels of precision — yet one crucial link remained stubbornly tethered to the past. To Rupsch, a flawless, end-to-end digital IEM transmission was his 'white whale' and the 'utmost needed component to close the loop on modern concert audio technology.' This search felt like an elusive and unattainable goal for far too long."

"That search came to an end during the 2025 Maroon 5 tour. While Rupsch had spent years relying on industry-standard analog wireless systems, the increasing congestion of the UHF spectrum was becoming an unavoidable disruption."

Mark Chipeur, Business Development Manager at Sennheiser who worked directly with the band's audio team on Spectera deployment.

“Introducing Spectera to Maroon 5’s monitor team was about tackling real-world RF and workflow challenges head-on. Rolling the system out with them on the fly at the first Phoenix show in its especially congested RF environment was a true test, and Spectera delivered. Working closely with Dave throughout evaluation and deployment highlighted his deep RF expertise, thoughtful approach to system design, and ability to quickly translate new technology into a reliable, tour-ready solution. 

"Dave’s team had already coordinated their existing wireless Mics and IEM channels so we decided to use the clean RF spectrum in the Duplex Gap. Following this selection Dave wanted coverage not only on stage but also backstage. This helped us to determine optimal antenna placement for continuous performance.”

For further info, visit here.The post Maroon 5 and the End of the Analog Era first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Windows-G E-Limiter600A JSFX lookahead peak limiter plugin for REAPER that features: * 1 ms lookahead: Lets the limiter analyze peaks ahead of time and respond before they arrive. For a limiter, 1 ms lookahead is sufficient to prevent ceiling overshoot and distortion artifacts. The latency it introduces is reported to the DAW for automatic delay compensation. * Stereo Link (0% to 100%): Controls how much the left and right channels are linked during limiting. At 0%, each channel is limited independently based on its own level, which can alter the stereo image but can sound expressive. At 100%, both channels are limited together based on the loudest of the two channels, preserving the stereo image but can sound static. Values in between 0% and 100% provide a continuous blend of independent and linked limiting behavior. * Input Gain (-40 dB to +40 dB): Boosts or attenuates the level of the input signal. This is useful for maximizing loudness, driving the limiter harder to achieve more gain reduction, or reducing the input level to avoid excessive limiting. * Ceiling (-100 dB to 0 dB): A brick-wall ceiling that sets the maximum output level the limiter will allow. Because the ceiling range extends from -100 dB up to 0 dB, it can be used flexibly for track-level, mix-bus, and master-bus limiting. * Release (1 ms to 2000 ms): Controls how fast the gain reduction returns to unity after the detected signal drops below the ceiling. Fast release (1 ms to 14 ms) creates quick recovery, allowing the limiter to restore gain rapidly, which is ideal for maximizing loudness. Slow release (70 ms to 2000 ms) makes the gain reduction return toward unity at a slow pace, causing gain reduction to persist for a longer period, which can result in quieter output but may be useful for achieving a "glue" effect. Medium release (15 ms to 69 ms) provides a middle ground between fast and gradual recovery, that is, between louder and quieter output. The release uses an exponential curve for smooth sound. * Optional DC Filter (1 Hz): An optional 12dB/oct high-pass filter at 1 Hz that removes DC offset from the output signal after the limiting process. Limiters introduce DC offset during limiting, even if minimal, so the DC filter removes this DC buildup to maintain a clean signal. The DC filter is active only when enabled. * Output Gain (-40 dB to +40 dB): Sets the final output level of the limited signal. This is particularly useful when the DC Filter is turned ON, as even a 1 Hz DC filter can increase peak levels slightly (e.g., by around 0.2 dB). The output gain can be used to compensate for the slight peak increase introduced by the 1 Hz DC filter. * GUI Delta Button: Solos the difference between the wet and dry signals. It lets you hear what the limiter removed from the main signal. This is very useful when adjusting settings. It is available for automation as "Delta (Smooth)" in the plugin's parameter list. * GUI Bypass Button: A smooth bypass button for toggling the limiting effect on or off without audio clicks. The bypass button accounts for the Input Gain setting by using the signal after Input Gain is applied, allowing the user to toggle between the dry and wet signals at roughly the same loudness level, so the user is not tricked into thinking the louder signal sounds better. It is available for automation as "Bypass (Smooth)" in the plugin's parameter list. * GUI Max Left/Right IL Readouts (dB): Display the maximum input signal levels for left and right channels since playback started. The values automatically reset on each playback start and when Stereo Link and Input Gain parameters change. * GUI Input Level Meter: Displays the current input signal levels for the left and right channels independently on a -100 dB to 0 dB scale. A white reference line indicates the ceiling level. * GUI Gain Reduction Meter: Displays the current amount of gain reduction being applied by the limiter. * GUI Cur Left/Right GR Readouts (dB): Display the current amount of gain reduction being applied by the limiter to left and right channels. The values automatically reset on each playback start and when limiting parameters change. * GUI Max Left/Right GR Readouts (dB): Display the maximum gain reduction applied by the limiter to left and right channels since playback started. The values automatically reset on each playback start and when limiting parameters change. * GUI L/R Output Max Readouts (dB): Display the maximum output levels reached for left and right channels since playback started. The value automatically resets on each playback start. You can also click on the readouts to reset them. * Zipper-Noise-Free Operation: Advanced interpolation ensures no zipper noise during slider automation or real-time adjustments. * Minimal CPU Usage. You can grab it for $10. All future updates are free, just make sure to use a valid email so I can send future updates to you. Listen to the audio demos here or on the Gumroad product page to hear what the plugin can do. Email Support: info.windowsg@gmail.com ================================================== Using This JSFX Plugin in Other DAWs: If you want to use this JSFX plugin in other DAWs, you can do so using the open-source YSFX plugin. YSFX is available in VST3, AU, and CLAP formats for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Download your preferred version of YSFX from here (Click on "Assets" for the downloads to appear): https://github.com/JoepVanlier/ysfx/releases YSFX comes in two versions: * ysfx-s FX (for JSFX effects). * ysfx-s instrument (for JSFX instruments). 1. Open ysfx-s FX in your DAW, 2. Then click "Load", find your "E-Limiter600_Windows-G" file, and click "Open." The JSFX plugin will now run inside the YSFX host, working perfectly in any DAW that supports VST3, AU, or CLAP plugins. Read More

LANDR’s Blueprints and Layers are AI tools that promise to inspire ”mix-ready” ideasFollowing LANDR’s recent acquisition of Reason Studios, the AI-forward company has launched two new tools to inspire artists. With LANDR Blueprints offering songwriting support and LANDR Layers assisting with the final mix, this dual release promises streamline your production process.
First up, LANDR Blueprints is somewhat of a musical brainstorming companion. Its goal is to help inspire artists, from generating a diverse range of song starters to encouraging structural experimentation. Still, there’s a focus on user input, with Blueprints requiring an initial input of preferred genre, example lyrics, reference audio or other initial prompts to work from.

READ MORE: Josh Baker on why workflow, AI tools and delegation are as important as the music

Once Blueprints knows what the user wants, it can also conjure up DAW-ready stems. These can vary from simple stems to fully arranged sections, including intros, verses and choruses, which users can pluck sections from.
While Blueprints gets the initial cogs turning, LANDR Layers is there to provide the finishing touch.
Layers serves as an AI co-producer, taking your work, or even work from Blueprint’s output, and generating professional, mix-ready layers and instrumentals spanning from guitar leads to bold basslines. And it’s all fully adapted to a song’s structure, key and tempo.
Co-developed with AI music creation platform Aiode, Layers also allows enhanced control for users — this centring of the artist is key, says the brands. “This partnership with LANDR shows that there is a better path forward for AI in music, one where technology serves artists instead of sidelining them,” Idan Dobrecki, CEO & co-founder of Aiode, explains.
“By combining our models with LANDR’s groundbreaking production ecosystem, we’re proving that innovation and respect for musicians can go hand in hand,” he adds.
In terms of “respect for musicians”, LANDR asserts itself as an “ethical” AI platform, powered by LANDR’s Fair Trade AI Framework. This essentially means that the company’s software is trained on “ethically sourced data”, provided by consenting and compensated artists.
“Our goal is simple: to support creators at every stage of the creative process,” Pascal Pilon, CEO of LANDR, says. “Blueprints helps them start. Layers helps them finish. And everything runs on ethical AI that respects creators.”
While LANDR Layers is currently in open beta, LANDR Blueprints is in a closed beta stage. Though, there are plans to allow public access to LANDR Blueprints in February. Once released, both tools will be available as part of the LANDR Studio subscription. Both tools will be demonstrated during this year’s NAMM.
 
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Repair and Reverse-Engineering of Nespresso Vertuo Next Coffee MachinesWell there’s your problem. (Credit: Mark Funeaux, YouTube)
Akin to the razor-and-blades model, capsule-based coffee machines are an endless grind of overpriced pods and cheaply made machines that you’re supposed to throw out and buy a new one of, just so that you don’t waste all the proprietary pods you still have at home. What this also means is a seemingly endless supply of free broken capsule coffee makers that might be repairable. This is roughly how [Mark Furneaux] got into the habit of obtaining various Nespresso VertuoLine machine for attempted repairs.
The VirtuoLine machines feature the capsule with a bar code printed on the bottom of the lip, requiring the capsule to be spun around so that it can be read by the optical reader. Upon successful reading, the code is passed to the MCU after which the brewing process is either commenced or cruelly halted if the code fails. Two of the Vertuo Next machines that [Mark] got had such capsule reading errors, leading to a full teardown of the first after the scanner board turned out to work fine.
Long story short and many hours of scrubbed footage later, one machine was apparently missing the lens assembly on top of the photo diode and IR LED, while the other simply had these lenses gunked up with spilled coffee. Of course, getting to this lens assembly still required a full machine teardown, making cleaning it an arduous task.
Unfortunately the machine that had the missing lens assembly turned out to have another fault which even after hours of debugging remained elusive, but at least there was one working coffee machine afterwards to make a cup of joe to make [Mark] feel slightly better about his life choices. As for why the lens assembly was missing, it’s quite possible that someone else tried to repair the original fault, didn’t find it, and reassembled the machine without the lens before passing the problem on to the next victim.

Cranborne Audio unveil the Brick Lane MC4 As its name suggests, the Brick Lane MC4 comes equipped with four channels of Cranborne’s clever PWM compression, and offers a versatile selection of routing options.

Opusonix Review: A Cleaner, Smarter Way to Collaborate on Music Projects
As an audio engineer, a surprising amount of time is spent not mixing or mastering, but managing files, links, and feedback. Cloud storage folders multiply, email threads grow long, and important notes get buried. Even with good intentions, projects can quickly become fragmented. Opusonix is designed to remove that friction by combining file storage, structured [...]
View post: Opusonix Review: A Cleaner, Smarter Way to Collaborate on Music Projects

Duetti secures $200m in fresh financing, led by $50m Series C equity investment from The Raine GroupThe funding consists of a $50 million Series C equity round led by Raine Partners and a $125 million private securitization.
Source

It’s the return of a Hollywood legend – Neumann revives its M 50 V Tube MicrophoneLights, camera, action – it’s time to roll out the red carpet for the return of Neumann’s legendary M 50 Tube Microphone. Originally released in 1951, the microphone defined an era of classic orchestral recordings and film scores. Now, the microphone has been reimagined for the modern era. Enter: the M 50 V Tube Microphone.
The original M 50 Tube Microphone was heralded as a Hollywood gamechanger due to its innovative design. The mic utilised a small diaphragm omnidirectional capsule mounted inside of a 40 mm acrylic sphere, as well as opting for a durable titanium diaphragm to improve stability. Its design resulted in a unique polar pattern and top-notch response – making it the perfect option for live recordings.

READ MORE: I’ve fallen in love with ribbon mics all over again with Warm Audio’s Fen-tone

The M 50 also served as a pivotal microphone in the development of the Decca Tree recording technique, a multi-miking technique often used for choirs and orchestras for a well balanced recording. It was the key to capturing truly vivid, deep sound, with a brilliantly powerful bass response unlike any mic before it.
The modern rebirth of the M 50 V meticulously revives the original microphones’ inner workings, with a few tweaks to suit our contemporary world. One example is how the original circuit design adds in an ultra-low-noise subminiature tube and an RF-proof connector to aid with modern interference from mobile networks and WiFi.
Credit: Neumann
Neumann has also improved the mic’s original yoke mount. The new mount adopts elements for mechanical decoupling of the microphone, as well as a nifty cable holder to suppress any potential cable-related interference.
There’s also a special NM V power supply that can automatically adapt to your local mains voltage – which supports the new M 50 V as well as any original M50s you may have lying around.
Speaking on the rebirth of Neumann’s M 50, the company’s Portolio Manager, Jorma Marquardt, explains: “The M 50 V is handmade in Germany to original specifications, but with enhancements like a titanium capsule and improved mechanical decoupling in the yoke mount. It is the ultimate choice for orchestral recordings and film scoring, be it in stereo, surround, or immersive formats.”
“This reissue is not just a microphone — it’s a piece of recording history reborn,” Medzid Veseli, Head of Neumann Service and Quality Control, adds. “The production team and I take immense pride in crafting each unit by hand. Every component is meticulously inspected and assembled to deliver the legendary sound that professionals expect from Neumann.”
This isn’t the first time Neumann has revived an old icon. Back in 2022, the company notably reimagined another legendary 1950s microphone, the M 49.
Head to Neumann to pre-order now, with first shipments due to kick off in February.
The post It’s the return of a Hollywood legend – Neumann revives its M 50 V Tube Microphone appeared first on MusicTech.

Ed Sheeran Is Letting Fans Curate His Setlists. You Should Too. Ed Sheeran is letting fans curate five songs in his setlist on his current tour. Is this something all artists should take note of?
The post Ed Sheeran Is Letting Fans Curate His Setlists. You Should Too.  appeared first on Hypebot.

Brodinski on his sonic identity, production techniques, and new sample pack
In this exclusive interview, legendary producer Brodinski shares insights into his sonic identity, production techniques, and more.