The CD Booklet: How to elevate your next album releaseAn album cover, though important to your brand, is just the surface of possibilities at hand when releasing music. In this post, learn how to get creative with your packaging. Continue reading
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Ryuichi Sakamoto’s final studio performances at NHK Broadcast Center Studio arriving in new film, OpusFive months following his death, the final performances of legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto are set to be shared with the world as part of a film called Opus.

READ MORE: Producer Jeremiah Chiu uses Vintage Synth Museum to create album in two days

The film, which will debut at the Venice Film Festival on 5 September, includes performances of works by Sakamoto’s former band, Yellow Magic Orchestra, his film scores, and music from his final album, 12. Watch the trailer for Opus below:

The film was directed by Ryuichi Sakamoto’s son, Neo Sora, and produced by his wife and manager, Norika Sora. It was recorded at studios with “the finest acoustics in Japan”, Sakomoto said in a posthumous statement, in Tokyo’s NHK Broadcast Center in the months leading up to Sakamoto’s death.
In the posthumous statement regarding the film, Sakamoto said: “The project was conceived as a way to record my performances – while I was still able to perform – in a way that is worth preserving for the future. We borrowed the NHK Broadcast Center’s 509 Studio to record in, which is a place that I think offers the finest acoustics in Japan.
“I played every piece at home which we recorded on an iPhone to construct the overall composition of the concert that will express the progression of time from morning into night. Everything was meticulously storyboarded so that the camera positions and the lighting changed significantly with each song. I went into the shoot a little nervous, thinking this might be my last chance to share my performance with everyone in this way. We recorded a few songs a day with a lot of care.
“In some sense, while thinking of this as my last opportunity to perform, I also felt that I was able to break new grounds. Simply playing a few songs a day with a lot of concentration was all I could muster at this point in my life. Perhaps due to the exertion, I felt utterly hollow afterwards, and my condition worsened for about a month. Even so, I feel relieved that I was able to record before my death – a performance that I was satisfied with.”
Find out more at sitesakamoto.com.
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Behringer’s Kobol Expander synth is officially available – here’s everything you need to knowBehringer’s Kobol Expander synthesiser, based on the RSF Kobol Expander of 1979, is officially available with shipping available immediately.
The music gear manufacturing brand teased the product in April last year and announced that it was in its testing phase.

READ MORE: The first prototype of Behringer’s OB-X clone, the UB-X, is here

The original RSF model was dubbed “the French Minimoog” back during its prime. Only 200 units of the original RSF Kobol (which also hosted a keyboard) were made, yet it still was used by musical greats such as Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel.
To compete with competition from US and Japanese-based brands, RSF broke down the Kobol into three racks, where the Kobol Expander came into play.
Behringer says its iteration is an authentic reproduction of original Kobol Expander circuitry, but of course with implemented modern elements, such as a MIDI socket on the front panel this time around.
The duophonic, analogue model is being branded as an “affordable and accessible” version of the vintage gem. It has two VCOs and seven morphing waveforms, with a semi-modular design and a pure analogue signal path.
It features a unique four-pole VCF, only found in Kobol synthesisers, and its analogue LFO has two selectable waveforms and multiple destinations. There are also 32 Eurorack-friendly patch points for advanced modular connection, an external audio input for processing external sound sources, a 16-voice Poly Chain option, and Voice Priority selection.
Check out more in the video below:

Earlier this month, Behringer also launched its JT-4000 programmable four-voice hybrid synth. Behringer says it is a reproduction of the classic Roland JP-8000 sound engine with a Supersaw waveform. It also has 32 memory presets, and hosts 16 touch sensitive keys, as well as two LFOs.
The small but mighty model uses analogue filters coupled with a 12-bit DAC to provide the “warm and natural sound” associated with classic full-sized synths, but in a much smaller enclosure.
The Kobol Expander currently has a list price of $199. You can find out more information, including full specs, and locate a dealer directly from the Behringer website.
The post Behringer’s Kobol Expander synth is officially available – here’s everything you need to know appeared first on MusicTech.

KIT Plugins launch BB A5 channel strip As well as capturing the sound of API's 212L preamp, BB A5 also models three of their most coveted EQs: the three-band 550A, the four-band 550L and the proportional Q-based 560L graphic equaliser.

Dubstep producer Vaccine dies aged 43US dubstep producer and DJ Christine Clements AKA Vaccine has sadly died at the age of 43.
The news was broken by Clements’ husband and fellow musician James Clements AKA ASC. In an Instagram post published last Thursday 24 August, he wrote that she “radiated warmth and kindness”, winning the hearts of her fans through her “delicate and emotional approach to dubstep and autonomic” music.
“It’s with immense sadness that I announce the death of my beautiful wife, Christine,” Clements’ husband writes in the post. “She passed away in the early hours of August 22, after being admitted to hospital on the 16th for a sudden downturn in health.”
“Everyone that met Christine would say she radiated warmth and kindness, was a beautiful person, and was simply a joy to be around. She lit up the room with her smile and humour. She was selfless and always wanted to help people, whether she knew them or not. Life was all about love and compassion for her,” Clements goes on.
“Many of you know her for the music which she released under the name Vaccine. I know she touched a lot of people’s hearts and minds with her delicate and emotional approach to dubstep and autonomic.”
Clements, as Vaccine, was a prominent name in the early dubstep scene in the US. She released tracks on Scuba’s Hotflush label and Boddika’s Nonplus label, becoming one of the first female producers to be signed to a dubstep-related record label.
Her tracks, such as Anaesthetic and Wishful Thinking, boast a melodic, ethereal take on the dubstep genre. XLR8R once described her tracks as “not necessarily main floor rave fodder, but rather, comedown music for a 6 a.m. all-back-to-mine”

“She was the light of my life, and life seems so much darker since she departed. I can’t even begin to try and put into words what I’m feeling right now, or begin to understand the void her death has left for me and her family,” continues the post.
“I will never forget how you changed my life and made me a better person. You will always be with me in my heart and mind, and I will love you forever. I miss you so so much.”
The electronic music scene has taken to X to react to the sad death of the producer:

RIP Christine Clementsbeloved Vaccinem/a..x pic.twitter.com/VBZn95cs4x
— maryanne hobbs (@maryannehobbs) August 25, 2023

Woke up to the awful news of Christine Clements’ passing, far too young. Through her alias Vaccine, she composed dubstep from the exact palette I love most: soft and feminine, dark and heavy, ethereal, unreal. Her songs meant so much to me when I was young. Rest in peace angel pic.twitter.com/saYqpPxdeo
— the real love inside me (@Post1000Tension) August 26, 2023

The post Dubstep producer Vaccine dies aged 43 appeared first on MusicTech.

AI, music rights, and known unknownsThe music industry is approaching a tipping point, with the building blocks of what will be the post-streaming era beginning to fall into place. The streaming era will make way for something new. Innovation, disruption, and change will define the coming years, with AI, fandom, and the creator economy centre stage. Consumer behaviour will enter a new phase too, having gone from the listening era of the CD, through the consumption era of streaming. What comes next will likely be a polarisation of those two extremes, with participation carving out a path down the middle.

Humans like to think about the history of the world in chapters or eras. The music business is no different. We have had the CD era, the piracy era, and the streaming era. While it is easy to look back and see those changes, it was not as if someone (with the possible exception of Daniel Ek) looked at their calendar on the 7thof October 2008 and said “oh, we are now in the streaming era”. We need to look for early warning signs to try to understand when change is coming. The music industry is full of them right now and the change to come will likely be so fast that music licensing will need a new playbook. Rights normally play catch up to new tech, but this next wave of change threatens to run far faster than rights can.

Technology’s exceptionalism

A recurring theme in the history of rights is rightsholders translating and transposing traditional frameworks into digital contexts, while trying to grapple with how things change when technology does something instead of a human. For example, when someone sings a song on a livestream to an audience of 20 people, that is considered in an entirely different context to someone singing to 20 people in their local bar. Similarly, if someone was to spend weeks learning every chord progression and melody of an artist to write a song in their style, there would be no rights permutations unless the resulting work actually replicated the music of the artist, as opposed to the style. But get a machine to do the learning and suddenly there is a (contentious) rights conversation to be had.

This is because technology can do the input stage once but the output an infinite number of times. The 20 people on the livestream could suddenly become 200,000. The music learning could be used by millions of people, not one. This approach has enabled music rights to be both protected and remunerated, but it has also led to incongruous work arounds. This is happening even in streaming, where there is both a mechanical right and a public performance right, because a stream is simultaneously considered a copy and a performance. In practice, it is just a stream. 

The music world has changed and so will music rights

The reason music rightsholders were able, to put it bluntly, to shape the streaming market in their image is because the majors had a de-facto monopoly over supply of content (Amazon was the only global streaming service that was able to launch without all three majors on board). Streaming services had to curb their enthusiasm and make their propositions fit rightsholders requirements (both in terms of rights and cold hard cash).

What comes next will not play out that way because:

Major labels’ market share has lessened 

Cultural fragmentation means mainstream is less important (you do not necessarily need the hits anymore)

Future music experiences will be less focused on traditional recordings

So, if music rightsholders were to lock themselves in another long-term debate about whether something is a copy or a performance or both, the market will likely work out a way to progress without them. What is more, many of the rights that will be implicated or created in this new era — such as the right to an artist’s voice (not the recording of it) — belong to the artist, not the label (or at least not yet, as labels should and probably will try to write these rights into future contracts).

To be clear, this is 100% not an advocation of avoiding rights – quite the opposite in fact. If the compositional rights side of streaming had just been a new streaming right, there is no inherent reason why songwriters would have got paid a penny less. The simpler and more streamlined music rights can be for future formats, the more likely that more of the resulting revenue will result in royalty payments.

When they were licensing streaming, rightsholders could threaten to throw up a roadblock. In this new world, they will only be able to throw up speed bumps.

AI will accelerate change 

The path to a vibrant and licensed music future will require a more agile and future-facing approach to music rights. The technology we have in place today is already throwing up rights questions that are not easily answered. The rate of change is going to accelerate due to the role of AI, less in terms of the apps created and more because of how AI itself will accelerate learning and development. Look no further than the AI programme that generated 40,000 new bioweapons in just six hours. AI is going to power a new industrial revolution process that will likely leave today’s tech landscape looking like the agrarian economy that the first industrial revolution rendered obsolete.

So, how do we plot a path forward? For that, I am going to turn to Donald Rumsfeld’s ‘known unknowns framework’, or the ‘Rumsfeld Matrix’ as some like to call it. For those of you too young to remember it, this is what I am talking about. Basically, it is a framework for splitting the world into what you know (known knowns), what you know you do not know (known unknowns), and what you do not know you do not know (unknown unknowns). It translates really well to music rights.

The known unknown rights are those we either already know we need or that there is the start of a conversation around (e.g., live streaming is hardly new, yet we still lack a global licensing solution). The unknown unknown rights are all the new possibilities merging technologies may throw up. Here are two key examples:

Temporary rights: Much of the social world is defined by content that only exists for a limited time (e.g., Instagram Stories lasting for just 24 hours). It is reasonable to assume that much of the music content consumers will create in the future will also only be temporary, but revenue will still likely be generated against them. So, unless a rights framework exists, the creators (consumers in this context) would not be renumerated for their creation.

Generative rights: Most of the rights conversation around generative AI has focused on the works that AI learns from being protected and remunerated. But that is only the input. There is also the output. Just like De La Soul, that spent years clearing samples to get onto streaming, still own the rights to their songs, the creators (and consumer creators) that use AI to generate music will have created a work that should have a right of its own. Years spent clearing source rights will not work. So, the generative AI right will likely need to incorporate some form of derivative rights to ensure money flows to the rightsholders. AI start-up Boomy somewhat cynically claims the rights to all works created by users on its platform but has, perhaps inadvertently, established the precedent for a generative creation right.

None of this will be easy. But little will be easy about what comes next. If you thought change was fast this last decade, wait for the next one. 

As William Gibson’s quote goes: “The future is already here – It’s just not evenly distributed.”

Get your music professionally produced and engineered with MusicTech and BandLab’s Final Mix opportunityGot a demo track or idea that you’d love to get mixed and released? MusicTech is teaming up with BandLab Opportunities to offer you the chance to have your demo track produced by a professional at Tileyard Studios.

READ MORE: Can ChatGPT be useful for sound design? YouTuber TAETRO finds out

One artist will be selected through the BandLab Opportunities platform to record their music at the London-based studio complex. Their reputable producer will help record and mix the single so that it’s ready for release. MusicTech will spotlight and support the chosen artist with an interview feature, social media content, newsletter coverage and a behind-the-scenes video that documents the production process.
If this sounds like your perfect day out, here’s how to enter. You’ll simply need to submit your demo track via the BandLab platform, and include your artist name, track name, and a short bio about yourself. You’ve got until 25 September 2023 to upload the track, so if you’ve got a musical idea brewing, you’ve got a little bit of time to lay down the demo.
This Opportunity is genre-agnostic – it doesn’t matter whether you’re a hip-hop head, a dance producer, or a singer-songwriter, so long as your idea is sound. MusicTech’s panel of experts will make their selection shortly after submissions close, and will get the opportunity underway. By 25 October 2023, your song will be recorded and we’ll start publishing content to support your new single.
Additional details:

Artist must own 100% of the rights to all submitted content
The selected artist will be chosen by the MusicTech editorial team
Selected artist will be the subject of a MusicTech-produced editorial feature
Entrants require a BandLab Membership

Head to BandLab Opportunities to enter.
[Editor’s note: BandLab Technologies is part of Caldecott Music Group, which is also the parent company of MusicTech, NME Networks]
The post Get your music professionally produced and engineered with MusicTech and BandLab’s Final Mix opportunity appeared first on MusicTech.

Romy brings life-affirming rave euphoria to All Points EastA sweaty big top tent is the perfect setting to indulge in Romy’s uninhibited rave utopia.

READ MORE: TSHA’s live band brings the sunshine to Field Day 2023

Performing for a packed All Points East audience, thousands of carefree gig-goers ensure the artist’s London show – structured in two halves, moving from DJ set to live show – is among the Victoria Park festival’s busiest.
Casually stepping behind the decks, Romy’s name – written in large, gloopy, neon pink – luminates from the huge backing screen. As does her turquoise roll neck – a contrast to the all-black attire she formerly wore when playing guitar and singing as one-third of atmospheric indie pop trio The xx (alongside Oliver Sim and Jamie XX).
Equally vibrant are the Fred Again collaborator’s serotonin-boosting track selections, which included club-ready edits of noughties pop classics like Rihanna’s Only Girl (in the World) and a trance-y reimagining of Rihanna and Calvin Harris’ This Is What You Came For.
Romy at All Points East festival / Credit: Sharon Lopez
Gradually teasing snippets of her own tracks (Love Her), Romy dips into nostalgic dance anthems such as Sonique’s 2000 hit It Feels So Good and Alice Deejay’s iconic 99 floor filler, Better Off Alone. This bridging of time pays homage to the nostalgic influences that inspired the sound of her solo project and upcoming album, Mid Air.
As dancers join her on stage, the emotional release of her acclaimed track Lifetime blends perfectly into Cher’s Believe.
Bouncing around behind the decks as pink strobes flashed over the crowd, Romy’s rave mode has been well and truly activated. The Brit’s selections also chimed perfectly with the current 90s trance and Euro dance revival.
While she’s undeniably a stellar selector, the show’s second half sees Romy take on more of a leading role as the performance transitioned into a live-DJ hybrid. Continuing the workout, but now from centre stage, a DJ arrives to deliver the beats while Romy sings at the microphone.

After first easing herself in, she gradually starts to move away from the mic stand and interacts with the dancers. It’s a delight to see Romy’s confidence grow in real time; making a heart sign with her hands, telling everyone she loves them; it’s clear how much this show means to her.
Absorbing the energy of those in the crowd who cheer, dance and jump along, when the titular message of Enjoy Your Life shows on screen, its positive ethos lifts everyone’s spirits even further. With a sea of arms reaching skywards, the empowering mantra is rapturously received by the audience who sing the chorus at the top of their lungs.
Similarly, Lights Out, which starts with just Romy’s voice and sombre keys, erupts when thousands in the audience unite to belt out the infectious chorus; the urgent lyrics plead “I never want it to end” as white strobes blind, conjuring the feeling of a spiritual awakening.
An unreleased song from her imminent debut album – her love letter to formative years of queer clubbing and 00s Euro-dance – has everyone clapping along to its simple foot-tapping beat. Closing the 60-minute workout with an emotive beacon of hope, Strong, she leaves the stage with the dancers to deafening cheers and applause.
After such a euphoric, technicolour performance, it’s easy to see how once-introverted Romy has ascended to become a shining light of the UK’s underground dance scene. A main character moment, indeed.
See Romy’s tour dates via romyromyromy.com.
The post Romy brings life-affirming rave euphoria to All Points East appeared first on MusicTech.

Focusrite’s Scarlett 4i4 is designed for the new generation of recording artistsThe Scarlett range has been a whopping success for Focusrite, selling over six million units worldwide. This is thanks to the series’ combination of high-quality preamps, accurate conversion, stylish simplicity and surprising affordability.

READ MORE: 

With the launch of the Scarlett 4th Generation interfaces, Focusrite will be hoping to maintain the runaway popularity of the series, but will the various tweaks and improvements be enough keep Scarlett ahead in a fiercely competitive market? We grabbed the all-new Scarlett 4i4 to find out.
Connections and capabilities
The core 4i4 specs remain unchanged from the third generation: four channels of analogue I/O, headphone output, MIDI I/O and USB host connectivity. The first pair of input channels support mic, line or instrument inputs via a pair of front panel XLR/Jack combi sockets, and feed into a pair of updated preamps (more of which in a mo’). The second pair of inputs, located on the rear panel, are line-level only, making them ideal for hooking up to hardware synths, effects units, DJ mixers, and other gear.
Scarlett 4i4’s inputs feed to converters that are taken directly from Focusrite’s pro-grade RedNet interfaces. This results in an impressive 120dB of dynamic range – significantly more than the 111dB of the previous generation.

The 4i4’s four rear panel line outputs are supplemented by the front panel headphone jack that is independent of the other outputs and powered by an all-new custom designed headphone amp. Although its not the loudest that we’ve heard built in to an audio I/O box, this packs ample volume level to for use even in live situations, and maintains a crisp and accurate sound across its full volume range.
Focusrite’s Control 2 software provides computer-side control over proceedings – configuring input channels, setting up direct monitoring, and managing the three independent output mixes. Each mix can be routed to one-or-more of the available destinations – that is, any of the three stereo pairs of physical outputs or to an internal loopback buss.
Sound matters
Happily, the new preamps deliver a clear, crisp and accurate sound, much as you would expect, but now feature a re-engineered ‘Air’ mode. The presence peak this introduces is slightly different to the one produced by the previous generation preamps and is a bit less harsh overall, although its effectiveness still depends on the sound source you’re working with.
A new second Air mode adds a touch of harmonic distortion alongside the presence peak, adding a subtle high-end sparkle to your sound. This helps vocals and synths sound lush, and is exceptional on a DI’d electric guitar, giving the signal an extra push into your plugin amp that truly brings the guitar tone to life. Our only complaint here is that the harmonic drive can’t be engaged independently of the accompanying – and sometimes unflattering – presence peak.

The Scarlett’s preamps make it easy to maintain a strong, clip-free recording level too, with a new Auto Gain feature that listens to a few seconds of your performance to determine the perfect gain setting, and a Clip Safe mode that monitors the incoming signal and auto-adjusts the gain to prevent clipping.
Light show
You’ll recognise that signature red finish anywhere – the Scarlett 4i4 4th Gen’s enclosure proudly sports the metallic casing of its predecessors, and has the same compact-yet-chunky solidity. Focusrite has slightly tweaked the front panel layout, though, to accommodate a new cluster of buttons that allow the inputs to be configured directly from the panel, which is very handy.
The button labels are backlit which, as well as looking smart, allows them to give visual feedback on their state – whether phantom power (which is now per-channel rather than global) is enabled or not, for example.

Even more visually striking are the updated Gain Halos – light rings surrounding the input gain knobs. Where the previous generation hardware simply changed the halo colour – green, amber or red – to indicate signal level, the new halos progress smoothly around the ring, giving a much more accurate indication of the gain setting and signal levels. The master output dial also now has its own halo that gives a constant output level reading.
Price matters too
Practically everything about the new 4th Gen Scarlett 4i4 is an improvement over its highly popular predecessor, but there is one thing that may dent that popularity: price. Now, this all depends on where you are, with the price actually dropping in the EU, but with a 20 per cent rise in the UK and a whopping 50 per cent leap in Australia, it may be that some potential buyers will end up looking elsewhere.
Nevertheless, the new Scarlett 4i4 delivers a top-notch sound, has sufficient I/O for many different projects, is easy to use and looks smarter than ever – it’s hard to think of an interface better-suited to a small studio or portable setup.
Key features

USB Audio Interface
External or buss powered
2x mic/line/instrument input with per-channel phantom power
2x line-only input
4x line output
Independent 6.35mm headphone output
MIDI I/O
Internal loopback buss
Includes comprehensive package of production software
Price: £289.99 / €260.50 / $279.99 (USD) / $399.99 (AUD)
Contact: focusrite.com

The post Focusrite’s Scarlett 4i4 is designed for the new generation of recording artists appeared first on MusicTech.

Best speakers to buy in 2023: 10 best small studio monitorsThe modern studio is more compact and affordable than ever before. And, although opting for larger, more expensive monitoring solutions can garner the most accurate results, smaller speakers can offer a surprising amount of clarity for audio production.

READ MORE: The best synths to buy in 2023: 17 best polysynths

Smaller studio monitors are nearfield by nature. You won’t be using these in wide-open studios, but in spaces such as bedroom studios, living rooms, audio-post studios, and so on. These will sit perfectly on your desk, taking up minimal space while providing you with an enjoyable and assured listening experience.
Buying tips
When comparing models, we advise checking the availability (and flexibility) of any EQ or onboard digital signal processing (DSP) for customising the sound. Models with little or no customisation may need the help of additional room correction software in an untreated listening environment – an extra cost that needs to be factored in.
And with stated frequency ranges, be aware that manufacturers measure this to different tolerances, often making smaller monitors appear more capable of bass reproduction than they actually are. Therefore, a monitor with a frequency range of 55Hz upwards at -3dB is going to have much more bass than a similar low frequency extension measured down to the -10dB point.
That said, whether you’re looking for an extra pair of reference monitors, kitting out your home studio or just fancy some new speakers for your multimedia listening, these mini speakers are primed for the job.
Best small studio reference monitors at a glance

KRK GoAux 4
PreSonus Eris 4.5 BT
ADAM Audio A4V
Genelec 8020D
Neumann KH80 DSP
IK Multimedia iLoud
IK Multimedia iLoud MTM
Mackie CR3-X
PreSonus Eris 4.5 BT
JBL One Series 104-BT
Behringer Truth 3.5
Genelec 8010A

KRK GoAux 4
KRK GoAux 4. Image: KRK
KRK’s GoAux 4s represent a killer proposition for monitoring on the move. These four-inch active monitors come with desktop stands, a neat carry case and a measurement lapel microphone to use with the basic onboard room correction function. Aside from this, there are simple push-button controls for high and low-frequency boost/cut.
You can connect the GoAux in a variety of ways, including jack, RCA, Bluetooth and USB audio. There’s also a 3.5mm stereo aux in plus a headphone out. Oh, and they sound excellent, too – in our review we judged the audio quality to be in the same league as much more expensive offerings from Genelec.
KRK GoAux 4 key features:

Price per pair: $375
Design: 2-way, rear-ported
Drivers: 4-inch woofer; 1-inch dome tweeter
Sound customisation: high/low frequency adjustment (+2dB/flat/-3dB); automatic room correction with included measurement mic (limited to low and mid range)

PreSonus Eris 4.5 BT
Presonus Eris 4.5 BT. Image: Presonus
PreSonus’ flagship studio monitor range, Eris, features two dinky monitors: Eris 3.5 and Eris 4.5. We’ll focus on the slightly bigger Eris 4.5 BTs here, named so because of their 4½ -inch woofer, because their price is still hard to turn down. The most recent BT model offers Bluetooth connectivity, and for extra bass, users can opt for the add-on, Sub8 subwoofer.
In our review of the original, non-Bluetooth Eris models, we said: “We hadn’t expected that much from the Eris 4.5s because they closely resemble computer speakers and are priced accordingly. Given those caveats, the sound quality was absolutely remarkable. Although they have all the tone-shaping controls of their bigger brothers we felt less inclined to tweak them because the Eris 4.5s sounded so good straight out of the box.”
Presonus Eris 4.5 BT key features:

Price per pair: $199
Design: 2-way, rear-ported
Drivers: 4½-inch woofer; 1-inch tweeter
Sound customisation: high frequency and low frequency gain dials (+/- 6dB)

ADAM Audio A4V
Adam Audio A4V. Image: Adam Audio
The most compact speaker in ADAM Audio’s new A-series, the A4V – as the name suggests – features a four-inch woofer paired with the brand’s much-lauded X-ART ribbon tweeter. In terms of onboard DSP, there’s no corner-cutting when compared to the A7V we reviewed in March this year, with a multitude of handy ways to tweak the sound within your own listening environment.
DSP ranges from simple physical controls to alter the frequency response to account for positioning near walls or desk mounting, through to more detailed software control via a network port on the speaker. Better still, you can take advantage of a 60-day free trial of Sonarworks’ SoundID Reference to apply room correction; the measured, corrective response can then be loaded directly into each of the monitors, meaning less latency and CPU load. You don’t need to pay for a Sonarworks licence unless you end up moving the monitors, which would require further measurement.
Adam Audio A4V key features:

Price per pair: $999
Design: 2-way, front-ported
Drivers: 4-inch woofer; 1-inch X-ART tweeter
Sound customisation: 4-band physical controls; 6-band advanced mode EQ via A-Control software; Sonarworks integration

Genelec 8020D
Genelec 8020D. Image: Genelec
A tough, all-metal construction has made Genelec 8020D monitors a go-to choice for location and broadcast sound since the first 8020 model was released in 2005. There’s no clever GLM signal processing on offer here (users can try the likes of Sonarworks SoundID Reference and IK’s ARC instead), but there are a series of ‘set and forget’ dip switches to tailor the high and low extremes plus a 200Hz desktop notch filter. Plus, a screwdriver-operated dial can be used to accurately match the level of the left and right sides – something not always possible with smaller monitors.
The 8020s sound far bigger than you’d expect from a 4-inch-woofer monitor. If you fancy a future upgrade, they play nicely with Genelec’s range of active subwoofers and happily sit beside larger siblings in a surround set-up; there are even brackets available for wall or ceiling mounting.
Genelec 8020D key features:

Price per pair: $1,100
Design: 2-way, rear-ported
Drivers: 4-inch woofer; ¾-inch tweeter
Sound customisation: dip switches for bass roll-off, bass tilt, desktop filter and treble tilt; level fine control

Neumann KH80 DSP
Neumann KH80 DSP. Image: Neumann
Though Neumann is revered for its iconic studio mics, the brand’s acquisition of Klein + Hummel in 2009 extended its stalwart reputation to the monitor market. These four-inch speakers are among the most expensive on this list, but they deliver on the investment. The soundstage is solid and deep, and with their front-firing bass reflex ports, they offer more tightly controlled bass than they have any right to at this size.
Apart from their stellar sound quality, which reveals unheard nuances in your favourite tracks, they also have switchable low-mid profiles depending on your setup (freestanding or small, medium, large desk). To tailor the sound further, the Neumann.Control app and optional measurement mic allow fine-tuning of their response to your room.
Neumann KH80 DSP key features:

Price per pair: $1,099
Design: 2-way, front-ported
Drivers: 4-inch woofer; 1-inch tweeter
Sound customisation: dip switch presets tuned to location in room; level fine control; network-controlled DSP including room correction

IK Multimedia iLoud
IK Multimedia iLoud. Image: IK Multimedia
They might look like retro computer speakers, but IK Multimedia’s iLoud monitors pack a serious punch for their size. These perform competitively against larger speakers, with EQ switches to shape the sound to suit your environment. These are a little more expensive than the lowest budget monitors, but you’ll find these more suitable for production and mixing in a home or portable set-up.
In our review, we said: “Up against our more expensive monitors they surprisingly held their own in the bass – one area where we thought they might fall down, given their size. There must be some colouration added here, we would assume, but IK has done it very well, and the bass sounds round and twangy when needed and not as artificial as some monitors many times the price.”
IK Multimedia iLoud key features:

Price per pair: $349
Design: 2-way, front-ported
Drivers: 3-inch woofer; ¾-inch tweeter
Sound customisation: high cut, low cut and desktop filter switches; ARC 3 room correction software frequently bundled at low/no extra cost

IK Multimedia iLoud MTM
IK Multimedia iLoud MTM. Image: IK Multimedia
IK Multimedia’s iLoud MTMs are slightly bigger than the iLouds and employ a three-speaker design for a more powerful sound, but will still fit neatly on your desk space or bookshelf. Thanks to the dual woofers, you’ll get a defined, tight mid-range, as well as an uncoloured bass and smooth high-end. The iLoud MTM also ships with a measurement mic for tailoring the speaker’s response to your room.
In our review, we said: “Small studio monitors have definitely come of age with IK and JBL, and the MTMs will be a serious contender against speakers going right up in size and to over four figures in price.” They are not as cheap as some – but still cheap for studio monitors – and I wouldn’t hesitate using them as secondary monitors and even my primary ones if I had space..”
IK Multimedia iLoud MTM key features:

Price per pair: $349
Design: 2-way, front-ported
Drivers: 3-inch woofer; ¾-inch tweeter
Sound customisation: high cut, low cut and desktop filter switches; ARC 3 room correction software frequently bundled at low/no extra cost

Mackie CR3-X
Mackie CR3-X. Image: Mackie
Mackie’s entry on this list is another mind-bogglingly affordable pair of speakers, with the CR3-X sitting at just $99 for a pair. You’ll find these easy on the ear in production environments, during multimedia playback and referencing for lower-end sound systems. The CR3-X’s custom-tuned ports and waveguide will give you a reasonably comprehensive idea of the stereo image, even when you’re not quite in the sweet spot. There’s no sound customisation here, but they are a viable starting point for building a new setup.
In our review, we said: “Although the CR3-X monitoring system isn’t feature-packed with EQ controls and room placement filters like many modern monitors, the inclusion of Pro Tools First software more than compensates, making them an extremely attractive proposition for budding bedroom producers starting from scratch.”
Mackie CR3-X key features:

Price per pair: $99
Design: 2-way, rear-ported
Drivers: 3-inch woofer; ¾-inch tweeter
Sound customisation: none

JBL One Series 104-BT
JBL One Series 104-BT. Image: JBL
Available in both Bluetooth and non-Bluetooth versions, the two-way JBL One Series 104 come with a mission to “provide the most accurate sonic presentation of any monitors in their class”. They don’t fall short of that mission at all, with a coaxial design that offers a wide sweet spot.
In our review, we said: “Overall, the JBL One Series 104s stand up incredibly well, given price and size. They deliver best-in-class performance – certainly, you won’t find anything at this price point that gets close. These are about as good as it gets for the price and, size-wise, there’s simply nothing else out there that beats them.”
JBL One Series 104-BT key features:

Price per pair: $149
Design: coaxial, rear-ported
Drivers: coaxial driver with 4½-inch woofer and ¾-inch tweeter
Sound customisation: none

Behringer Truth 3.5
Behringer Truth. Image: Behringer
Behringer’s latest line of compact speakers is incredibly affordable, starting at just $99 for the 3½-inch base model. There’s an aux input, headphone socket, a choice of TRS jack and RCA connectors for the main stereo input, plus the ability to easily tweak high and low frequency content via two dials on the back.
For $20 more, the BT variant of the Truth 3.5 adds the convenience of Bluetooth connectivity, but for those who have the budget and space – and enjoy a bit more bass – the range also features 4½-inch models.
Behringer Truth key features:

Price per pair: $99
Design: 2-way, rear-ported
Drivers: 3½-inch woofer, 1-inch silk dome tweeter
Sound customisation: High and low frequency gain dials (+/- 6dB)

The post Best speakers to buy in 2023: 10 best small studio monitors appeared first on MusicTech.

Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen interfaces The latest Scarlett interfaces are equipped with converters from the company’s flagship RedNet range, and come packed with features that promise to deliver unprecedented ease of use.

Focusrite’s Scarlett 4th Generation range enhances the world’s most popular audio interfaceFocusrite has launched the fourth generation of its coveted Scarlett audio interface range. The series includes three new products – the Scarlett Solo, 2i2, and 4i4, along with two new Studio bundles.

READ MORE: The best audio interfaces to buy in 2023: 10 best audio interfaces under $500

To date, Focusrite has sold over six million Scarletts across the series – here’s what the brand has learned and implemented into its fourth generation.
Each Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen audio interface range offers 120dB dynamic range, which makes use of the converters from Focurite’s pro-grade RedNet series. Featuring new remote-controlled preamps with 69dB of gain, the interfaces ensure optimal sound quality from any microphone, the brand says.
The Air mode has been re-engineered, incorporating Presence and a fresh Harmonic Drive. Auto Gain function automatically adjusts recording levels, while Clip Safe prevents clipping by adjusting gain automatically. A new custom-designed headphone amp delivers apparently superior playback quality.
Perhaps most obvious is the Dynamic Gain Halos, which have been redesigned with output metering, updating the iconic Scarlett Gain Halos. The front panel of each Scarlett has also been tweaked in an effort to streamline your setup process.
Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen. Image: Focusrite
The new Scarlett Solo is ideal for singer-songwriters, with a compact design, mic preamp, Hi-Z input and a custom headphone amp.
The 2i2 has two remote-controlled mic preamps, with two Hi-Z inputs, a Clip Safe function, Auto Gain, and Air mode. The 4i4 also has two mic preamps but adds switchable line/Hi-Z inputs, fixed line inputs, four balanced outputs, and MIDI I/O.
In addition to these new interfaces, Focusrite is offering two Studio bundles. The Scarlett Solo Studio and Scarlett 2i2 Studio packs include either a Solo or 2i2 interface, along with a CM25 MkIII studio condenser mic, and SH-450 closed-back headphones, providing all the essentials for immediate studio-quality recording.
In our review of the 4i4, we said: “Practically everything about the new 4th Gen Scarlett 4i4 is an improvement over its highly popular predecessor, but there is one thing that may dent that popularity: price.
“Nevertheless,the new Scarlett 4i4 delivers a top-notch sound, has sufficient I/O for many different projects, is easy to use and looks smarter than ever – it’s hard to think of an interface better-suited to a small studio or portable setup.”
Prices for the new range of audio interfaces are as follows: Solo – $139.99, 2i2 – $199.99, 4i4 – $279.99, Solo Studio – $249.99, 2i2 Studio – $299.99.
Find out more at focusrite.com.
The post Focusrite’s Scarlett 4th Generation range enhances the world’s most popular audio interface appeared first on MusicTech.

Generative AI startup AI21 Labs lands $155M at a $1.4B valuationAI21 Labs, a Tel Aviv-based startup developing a range of text-generating AI tools, has raised $155 million in a Series C funding round led by Walden Catalyst, Pitango, SCB10X, b2venture, Samsung Next and Amnon Shashua, the founder of Intel-owned Mobileye and an AI21 Labs co-founder. Google and Nvidia also participated. The tranche, which brings AI21 […]

Classical Highlights for August 2023The reviews from this month display the prowess of several up-and-coming soloists including pianist Su Yeon Kim (pictured) who issued a wonderful debut with a recital of music by Mozart, and Yunchan Lim's Gold Medal performance from the 2022 Van Cliburn Competition which delivers brilliant performances of Liszt's Études d'exécution transcendante.

Backline Announces World Mental Health Day Events, Tom Petty Benefit ConcertBackline, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides mental health and wellness resources to the music industry and their family members announces Handle With Care - a World Mental Health Day Benefit and Tom Petty Tribute featuring performances by Wynonna Judd, Brittney Spencer, Charles Wesley Godwin, Ella Langley, Maggie Rose, Sierra Hull, Vince Herman, Derek Wells, and more on 10/10/23 at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville. Handle with Care is presented by Master Tour, the music industry’s leading software for touring and logistics, Gateway Studios & Production Services, a world-class live touring rehearsal complex and production services company, and ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music.

Ahead of the benefit show, Backline will be hosting the inaugural two-day Harmony In Practice Clinical Training Workshops for mental health providers. Backline maintains a clinical community of 582+ vetted providers across all 50 states. These providers accept referrals from Backline’s Case Management program, where music industry professionals are able to receive custom mental health care plans.

The Harmony in Practice Clinical Training Workshops will be led by music industry professionals and licensed providers, and will cover Backline’s firsthand experience, profession-specific situations, and effective treatment approaches, equipping providers with invaluable skills and tools to effectively support their clients. Providers and sessions include the following:

Ari Jacobson, LCPC, NCC (Working with members of the music industry, the need for resources in the music industry, and open discussion)

Heather Monroe, LCSW (Working with Relational Trauma in the Music Industry)

Danielle Archer, EdD, LMHC (Family Systems in the Music Industry)

Dorian Lamis, PhD, ABPP (Suicide Assessment, Intervention, and Safety Planning in the Music Industry)

Janey Brown: (Fear to Fearce: Embrace your Dark Side, Unleash Your Mental Warrior)

More information and tickets can be found at: backline.care/nashville-2023