“For where traditional loudspeaker monitoring is impractical or impossible”: Beyerdynamic debuts free Headphone Lab plugin for optimising audio monitoring through headphonesBeyerdynamic has unveiled Headphone Lab, a free new plugin which enhances the performance of its range of monitoring headphones, aimed at producers working “outside of acoustically treated rooms”.
Setting up a fully fledged speaker system in your home studio is often both a logistically challenging and costly endeavour, so many producers opt for headphone monitoring to keep things simpler. But as Beyerdynamic explains, where conventional headphones deliver isolated signals to each ear, Headphone Lab employs a “sophisticated crossfeed model” that accounts for frequency-dependent time and level differences, and ensures accurate bass reproduction without phase issues or artifacts.
This, the brand says, results in a “centred, natural soundstage ideal for critical listening, mixing and mastering”.

READ MORE: NAMM 2026 Live: The latest guitar launches and news from the biggest music gear event on the planet

Compatible with Beyerdynamic’s range of monitoring headphones, Headphone Lab ensures “accurate, reliable” mix translation by optimising the tonal balance of said headphones.

“Each model’s fundamental sonic character remains intact, but it is refined using a proprietary studio sound profile – a scientifically developed reference curve built from years of research and collaboration with professional studios,” Beyerdynamic says.
Each headphone model has a Standard Calibration, which is based on a “Golden Sample” reference unit landed on by the Beyerdynamic acoustics team. 
Credit: Beyerdynamic
There’s also Factory Calibration, which uses “original production measurement data” from an exact headphone unit, “compensating for even the smallest manufacturing or material variations”, resulting in a technically precise calibration for peace of mind that mixes will translate across playback devices.
“Headphone Lab reflects our commitment to making professional-quality monitoring accessible to every creator,” says Martin Stahl, Director of Pro Audio at beyerdynamic. 
“Our studio headphones have long been trusted as a professional reference. Headphone Lab builds on that foundation, using innovative and precise factory calibration technology to unlock their full potential wherever creators work.”
Credit: Beyerdynamic
Headphone Lab’s Standard Calibration supports all Beyerdynamic DT headphone models, while Factory Calibration is available exclusively for the DT 700 Pro X, DT 900 Pro X, DT 1770 Pro MKII, and DT 1990 Pro MKII.
Headphone Lab is available now as a free download for Windows and MacOS, and supports VST3, AU and AAX formats for integration with any major DAW.
You can learn more at Beyerdynamic, or visit Beyerdynamic at NAMM 2026 and Booth #10702 – Hall A.
The post “For where traditional loudspeaker monitoring is impractical or impossible”: Beyerdynamic debuts free Headphone Lab plugin for optimising audio monitoring through headphones appeared first on MusicTech.

“The world’s most advanced analogue dynamics processor”: Cranborne Audio’s new Brick Lane MC4 is a four-channel analogue dynamics powerhouseCranborne Audio has announced the Brick Lane MC4, a four-channel, 19-inch rackmount Modal PWM Dynamics Processor described as the brand’s “most powerful and flexible” to date.
Building on the innovative architecture of the Brick Lane 500, the MC4 expands the concept into a fully featured, digitally controlled analogue dynamics system designed for tracking, mixing, and mastering.

READ MORE: RANE SYSTEM ONE: Say goodbye to your laptop with the world’s first motorised standalone DJ system

At the heart of the MC4 is Cranborne Audio’s Modal PWM Compression architecture, which offers six distinct compression modes: VELVET, FLOAT, SMASH, TAME, GLUE and POLISH. The STRESS control adds analogue harmonic saturation that evolves dynamically with gain reduction, making compression as much a creative tool as a corrective one.
Each of the four channels can operate independently or as part of advanced routing configurations including Mono, Stereo, Mid/Side, Series, Dual-Band, and De-Esser modes.
Credit: Cranborne Audio
Series mode chains two dynamic stages for smoother gain control, Dual-Band splits frequencies for precise multiband processing, while the De-Esser mode – built around analogue lookahead – provides precise high-frequency control without loss of clarity.
Despite its advanced control capabilities, Brick Lane MC4 maintains a 100% analogue audio signal path. All parameters are digitally controlled for precision and recall, along with a 5” full-colour TFT display, LED rings, and encoders providing detailed visual feedback. Remote control and preset management are available via USB or Ethernet via Cranborne Audio’s dedicated control plugin, enabling seamless DAW integration and instant recall across sessions.
“Brick Lane MC4 isn’t just more channels or more features; it’s the most advanced analogue dynamics processor we’ve ever built, and one of the most advanced ever made,” says Cranborne Audio Managing Director Sean Karpowicz. “Discovering Analogue Lookahead was thrilling in itself, then applying it to compression, and then realising that the same technology could create what is quite possibly the best analogue noise gate and expander ever made – that’s the kind of invention we live for.”
Priced at $2,799/£2699, the Brick Lane MC4 will be available from Cranborne Audio resellers at the end of Q1 2026.
Learn more at Cranborne Audio.
The post “The world’s most advanced analogue dynamics processor”: Cranborne Audio’s new Brick Lane MC4 is a four-channel analogue dynamics powerhouse appeared first on MusicTech.

HEDD Audio welcomes the TYPE 20 A-CORE, expanding its A-CORE analogue monitor seriesOn the hunt for a latency and DSP-free monitor? Well, HEDD Audio has unveiled the latest addition to its analogue A-CORE Series, and its designed specifically for professional studio environments and any cases when clarity is absolutely crucial.
HEDD Audio’s TYPE 20 A-CORE comes as a powerful expansion on the possibilities of the A-CORE Series. Built with modern ICE Power Class D amplifiers and an Air Motion Transformer (AMT), the 3-way analogue monitor promises latency-free playback, focusing on ultra-fast response and pristine, detailed sound.

READ MORE: HEDD Audio’s Type 05 A-Core monitors are practically perfect

Boasting a frequency response extending down to 32 Hz, or right up to 120 dB SPL, the monitor’s custom Honeycomb Woofers and accompanying analogue filter aids the TYPE 20 A-CORE’s mission for sonic accuracy. Promising to help tighten up your midrange and extend those lower frequencies, its yet another effort to refine the A-CORE Series to suit a more professional setting.
Yet, that’s not to say the TYPE 20 A-CORE is restricted to professional studios. The monitor is designed to easily installed, with a plug-and-play setup that requires absolutely no configuration. That means you’re ready to experience the speaker’s direct and unprocessed sound with little hassle, whether you’re hooking it up to your at-home hi-fi or a more advanced studio set up.
The monitor also offers Bass and Treble EQ controls to tweak your sound, further allowing it to suit any acoustic environment. And it’s also got a slew of XLR, TRS, and RCA connections to ensure its fully compatible with any potential audio interfaces, mixers or playback devices in your set up.
The speaker also looks the part, with its black heavy-duty MDF cabinet not only absolutely classic, but its also designed to optimise airflow and driver performance to ensure your tunes sound ace.
While it wont start shipping until 20 January, the TYPE 20 A-CORE monitor is available for €1799, with a 5 year warranty.
For more information, ‘hedd’ to HEDD Audio.
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Aphex Twin is now pulling more YouTube listeners than Taylor Swift – and it all comes down to one trackIn one of the more unexpected streaming plot twists of 2026 so far, Aphex Twin is currently attracting more monthly listeners on YouTube than Taylor Swift.
According to YouTube Music’s latest figures (at the time of writing), the famously elusive electronic producer is clocking around 430 million monthly listeners, ahead of Swift’s 396 million on the platform – a somewhat surprising stat, given that Swift remains, by virtually every other measurable metric, the biggest pop star on the planet right now.

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

Before the pop stans panic or electronic heads start rejoicing, it’s worth unpacking how YouTube arrives at these numbers. Unlike traditional streaming services, YouTube Music’s listener count draws from activity across all of YouTube – which includes official audio streams, music videos, fan uploads, Shorts, and even passive listens where a track is used as background audio.
Here’s where things get interesting.
Observers including DJ and RA contributor RamonPang have pointed to the viral resurgence of Aphex Twin’s 2001 Drukqs track QKThr as a major factor. The delicate piano piece has become a go-to soundtrack for countless Shorts and short-form videos in recent months, quietly racking up plays at an industrial scale.
More than anything, it’s a reminder of how differently music moves in the algorithm age. It also fits neatly into Aphex Twin’s long-running habit of operating just outside the usual industry playbook. In November, Richard D. James surprise-released two new tracks via his SoundCloud account – his first new material since 2024’s From The Merch Desk (2016–2023) compilation, itself another low-key, unannounced drop.

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AKG’s C104 review: “For the price, I can think of no other microphone that performs this well”€135 / £119 / $129, akg.com
The new affordable C-Series from AKG consists of three microphones: one small-diaphragm condenser design (C151) and two large-diaphragm models (C114 and C104). Designed with musicians, podcasters, YouTubers and streamers in mind, according to the company, this series aims to offer AKG’s signature sound for a lot less money than its higher-end microphones. The flagship C414, which is my all-time favourite mic, costs more than eight times the price of this new budget model.

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

You would be forgiven for thinking the C104 is a cardioid-only version of the similar-looking C114, it features an entirely different capsule and so has its own unique sonic flavour. The C104’s capsule is a smaller (22 mm) electret condenser diaphragm design, made of a plastic foil that is nickel-sputtered on one side. This is done to prevent shorting to the back electrode, even at high SPLs. This mic’s ‘perceptible distortion’ limit (in AKG’s words) is 143 dB, so it only has a couple of dBs less headroom than the C114. A modern, transformerless FET circuit ensures low self-noise, unlike many vintage condenser designs.
Keeping things simple and affordable, there are no user-adjustable controls on the mic, so any filtering required must be performed within your preamp, interface or DAW. Phantom power is needed for all condenser mics, so be sure to engage it to make the microphone work.
Image: Press
Also keeping costs down, the C104 lacks the shock-mount supplied with the C114, a basic mic clip is included in the package.
For content creators, the no-nonsense, cardioid-only C104 could be the only mic you’ll ever need. While it doesn’t quite possess the hear-through clarity of far more expensive models, its tonal balance is perfectly suited to voices. There is a slight upper-mid-forward sound character that adds presence to vocals of all kinds, helping voices sound direct and distinct from background audio.
This bright balance is most welcome when vocals and lead instruments need to pop out of a mix; if used to record sounds with inherently high treble content, it might veer slightly towards being too sharp.
Image: Press
Further down the frequency spectrum, the mic’s tonality is well-ordered, with no muddiness or artificial bass thickening. As a cardioid mic, it does produce the proximity effect when used up-close, so voices will have a degree of chestiness that can add warmth and intimacy to performances.
Despite the lack of polar pattern options, the C104 could be happily used in a wide range of applications, and its entry-level status shouldn’t be blindingly obvious to all but the most fussy users. It’s unlikely to win many friends with those who require the utmost in transparency, professional classical recording engineers, for example, but for most pop music producers, it will cover all bases admirably.
For the price, I can think of no other mic that performs as well as the C104, especially for speech recording. Expect to see it on many podcasts and YouTube videos over the coming months and years.
Image: Press
Key features

Large diaphragm condenser
Cardioid pattern
22 mm electret capsule
Weight: 375 g
Comes with hard stand mount

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Roland unveils plugin version of its classic CR-78 CompuRhythm Drum MachineThe Roland Cloud is growing once again with the introduction of the CR-78 Software Rhythm Composer, which “authentically recreates” the sound of the original vintage CR-78 drum machine.
Driven by Roland’s Analog Circuit Behaviour (ACB) technology, the CR-78 software version is brought into the present by modern sequencing features, individual sound mixing and tuning, DAW tempo sync, drag-and-drop audio/MIDI support and more.

READ MORE: Roland’s GO:MIXER STUDIO brings “studio-grade” recording to your iPhone or iPad

“Well before the famous TR-808 and TR-909 revolutionised hip-hop and dance, the CR-78 CompuRhythm had a massive influence on the music world,” Roland says.
“Debuting in 1978 as Roland’s first programmable rhythm machine, the CR-78 was quickly adopted by musicians and producers of the era seeking new rhythm textures. Its fat analog sound and distinctive pulse are integral to countless hits across many genres, from new wave and early electronic music to mainstream pop and rock.”
Credit: Roland
The new software version of the CR-78 sports a familiar interface based on the original CR-78, with selectable wood panel and black vinyl skins.
There are controls for rhythm patterns, instrument sounds, shuffle, fills, volume balance, fade-in/fade-out, and more.
Where the original CR-78 offered slots for four pattern variations, Roland’s new software version provides a detailed pattern view where users can enter, delete and fine-tune steps, control instrument levels, and adjust individual parameters like tuning and decay.
The CR-78 is available now via a Roland Cloud Ultimate membership or Lifetime Key purchase. Until 28 February, a Lifetime Key is available for an introductory price of $49 (regular price $199).
Learn more at Roland.
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Elon Musk says Tesla’s restarted Dojo3 will be for ‘space-based AI compute’Tesla aims to restart work on Dojo3, its previously abandoned third-generation AI chip. Only this time, Dojo3 won’t be aimed at training self-driving models on Earth. Instead, Musk says it will be dedicated to “space-based AI compute.”

The Legal Beat: RAPPER RBX’S CLASS ACTION AGAINST SPOTIFYIn late 2025, Rapper RBX, whose real name is Eric Dwayne Collins, filed a class action lawsuit in federal court in California against streaming giant Spotify, alleging that Spotify failed to prevent streaming fraud. The action is on behalf of RBX as an individual and “on behalf of other members of the general public similarly situated.”

The lawsuit alleges that Spotify failed to prevent bots (bots are automated software programs that perform repetitive tasks over a network, also commonly known as fake users) from fraudulently inflating the number of streams for Drake, one of the most streamed artists on Spotify, with almost 81 million monthly listeners.

RBX first had success decades ago performing for labels Death Row Records and Aftermath Entertainment alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. He is Snoop Dogg’s cousin.

Spotify is a massive company with over 713 million users, which includes 281 million paid subscribers; it offers over 100 million songs to these users and leads the audio streaming market.

In particular, the suit alleges that Spotify allowed “billions” of bot-generated streams, which increased Drake’s streams. Drake is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit perhaps because plaintiff had no proof that Drake was involved in any streaming fraud.

RBX contends that some Drake songs have gotten “more than a hundred million streams” which were from “areas with zero residential addresses.” The lawsuit further alleges that Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) were used to disguise some streams and some were apparently created by bots that “moved unreasonable locations between songs.”

The plaintiff claims that Spotify’s failure to keep bots off its platform has caused “massive financial harm to legitimate artists, songwriters and other rightsholders” due to the fact that income earned from streams on Spotify is paid to artists based upon a percentage of the streaming marketplace and that percentage is diluted by the failure of Spotify to keep bots off its platform.

The lawsuit alleges that Spotify’s efforts to eliminate bots are “nothing more than window dressing, inadequate at best.” RBX further contends that the more users Spotify claims it has “the more advertisements it can sell, the more profits the company can report.” 

The suit further states: “[T]his mass-scale fraudulent streaming causes massive financial harm to legitimate artists, songwriters, producers, and other rights holders whose proportional share is decreased as a result of fraudulent stream inflation on Spotify’s platform.”

Spotify claims that it does not benefit from artificial streaming and invests in “always-improving, best-in-class systems to combat it and safeguard artist payouts with strong protections like removing false streams, withholding royalties and charging penalties.”

According to Spotify’s website, it pays artists from a revenue pool and calculates royalty payments from the pool based on an artist’s share of the total amount of monthly streams.

In 2025, shares of Spotify increased to a stock market valuation of a 100 billion dollars. Many artists complain about low streaming income, believing that platforms like Spotify pay too little per play, thus making it hard to earn a living wage for all but very successful artists. The pay per stream rate is only about $0.004 on Spotify.

GLENN LITWAK is a veteran entertainment attorney based in Santa Monica, CA. He has represented platinum selling recording artists, GRAMMY-winning music producers, hit songwriters, management and production companies, music publishers and independent record labels. Litwak is also a frequent speaker at music industry conferences around the country, such as South by Southwest and the Billboard Music in Film and TV Conference. Litwak has been selected as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyer magazine for 2022-2025. Email Litwak at gtllaw59@gmail.com or visit glennlitwak.com.

This article is a very brief overview of the subject matter and does not constitute legal advice.The post The Legal Beat: RAPPER RBX’S CLASS ACTION AGAINST SPOTIFY first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Get a free glitchy synth pad for Splice INSTRUMENT
Download our free synth pad preset for Splice INSTRUMENT—grab these presets during the drop window and they’re yours to keep forever.

Nixie Gear Indicator Shines BrightWhen you’re driving a car with a stickshift, it’s pretty easy to keep track of which gear you’re in. That can be a little bit more difficult on something like a motorcycle with a sequential shifter. [decogabry] built a neat gearshift indicator to solve this issue.
An ESP32 devboard is used as the brain of the build. It’s paired with an ELM327 dongle over Bluetooth, which is able to hook into the bike’s ODB diagnostic port to pick up data like engine RPM, wheel speed, and coolant temperature. The first two factors are combined in order to calculate the current gear, since the ratio between engine RPM and wheel speed is determined directly by the gear selection. The ESP32 then commands a Philips ZM1020 Nixie tube to display the gear, driving it via a small nest of MPSA42 transistors. A separate self-contained power supply module is used to take the bike’s 12 volt supply up to the 170 volts needed to run the tube. There is also a small four-digit display used to show status information, RPM, and engine temperature.
Notably,  [decogabry] made this build rather flexible, to suit any bike it might be installed upon. The gear ratios are not hard coded in software. Instead, there is a simple learning routine that runs the first time the system is powered up, which compares RPM and wheel speed during a steady-state ride and saves the ratios to flash.
We’ve featured projects before that used different techniques to achieve similar ends. It’s also interesting to speculate as to whether there’s a motorcycle vintage enough to suit a Nixie display while still having an ODB interface on board as standard. Meanwhile, if you’re cooking up your own neat automotive builds, don’t hesitate to drop us a line.

Vocana and Sonicbids Launch ‘Pay the Artists’ Live Gig Series Across NYCPay the Artists will bring independent artists and discovery-hungry fans to five venues across New York City starting in January 2026.
The post Vocana and Sonicbids Launch ‘Pay the Artists’ Live Gig Series Across NYC appeared first on Hypebot.

Milk & Honey continues UK expansion, signing Grammy-winning mixer Dan Grech-MargueratGrech-Marguerat has worked on breakthrough projects for artists including Lana Del Rey, Halsey, George Ezra and The Killers
Source

Jonas Eriksson releases Tape Fiasco, a FREE time-based multi-effect plugin
Tape Fiasco is a brand-new plugin from Jonas Eriksson that combines three distinct time-based effects: Stretch, Stutter, and Varispeed. I haven’t had much time with Tape Fiasco since installing the plugin, but I have to say right off the bat, it’s a lot of fun! Whether you’re using all three effects simultaneously or one at [...]
View post: Jonas Eriksson releases Tape Fiasco, a FREE time-based multi-effect plugin

AKAI MPC XLThe Akai Professional MPC XL is a standalone music production workstation designed to function as the central hub of a modern studio without the need for a computer. Powered by a Gen 2 8-core processor and 16GB of RAM, it offers significantly expanded processing headroom compared to previous MPC models, capable of running up to 32 plugin instruments and 16 audio tracks simultaneously. The unit features a 10.1-inch tilting multi-gesture touchscreen and introduces "MPCe" pads, which utilize 3D-sensing technology to divide each pad into four quadrants for complex sound morphing and layer control. Connectivity is comprehensive, catering to both hardware-heavy and hybrid setups. The rear panel includes two XLR/TRS combo inputs with preamps, two instrument inputs, and phono inputs for direct sampling from vinyl. For output, the MPC XL provides eight assignable line outputs and 16 CV/Gate outputs (via eight stereo jacks), making it suitable for controlling modular synthesizers. It runs on the MPC3 operating system, which includes advanced features such as real-time stem separation, disc streaming, and a full DAW-style arrangement view. Key Features Standalone Operation: Powered by a Gen 2 8-core processor and 16GB RAM; no computer required. MPCe Pads: 16 velocity-sensitive pads with 3D sensing and quadrant-based modulation. Display: 10.1-inch HD multi-gesture touchscreen with adjustable tilt. Storage: 256GB internal NVMe SSD with a SATA expansion bay for additional drives. Control: 16 Q-Link knobs with individual OLED displays, plus a dedicated XL Channel Command section. Audio I/O: 2 Mic/Line combo inputs, 2 Instrument inputs, 2 Phono inputs, 8 Line outputs. CV/Gate: 16 total outputs for modular integration. Software: Runs MPC3 OS; includes Native Instruments MPC Edition Play Series and stem separation tools. Read More

NAMM 2026 Live: All the news, gear, and innovations from the biggest music gear eventOver 3,500 music gear manufacturers arrive in Anaheim this week for the annual National Association of Music Merchants Show. The Anaheim Convention Centre in California is brimming with all the latest music technology gear, software, and innovations that will shape music studios and production workflows in 2026.
MusicTech will be on the ground at The NAMM Show 2026, covering the biggest product announcements that you need to know about. We’ll share first impressions and coverage of all the hottest studio gear debuting in Anaheim, from when the show floor officially opens on Tuesday 20 January, through to Saturday 24 January when doors close.
You can catch all of MusicTech’s 2026 coverage right here, including major new gear drops, the hottest rumours, our favourite innovations, smart new plugins, and even the quirky gear that famously crops up at NAMM.
[live_timeline tag=”namm-2026″ first=”15″]
The post NAMM 2026 Live: All the news, gear, and innovations from the biggest music gear event appeared first on MusicTech.