Thiel Capital’s Jack Selby nabs stakes in hot startups like Etched through Arizona connectionsSelby's VC firm Copper Sky Capital is currently raising a $300 million second fund, according to a regulatory filing.

Logan Light joins Warner Music Group as Chief of Staff to CEO Robert KynclLight joined WMG in March according to his LinkedIn profile
Source

GAVIN TEMPANY JOINS KYLIE MINOGUE’S TENSION TOUR ON SSL LIVE L550 PLUSMonitor engineer Gavin Tempany supported Kylie Minogue’s 2025 Tension Tour using a Solid State Logic Live L550 Plus console, managing complex in-ear mixes, and an extensive communications setup across nearly 70 global shows.

The production combined detailed vocal control, integrated comms routing, and full system redundancy to accommodate the scale and technical demands of the tour.

The post GAVIN TEMPANY JOINS KYLIE MINOGUE’S TENSION TOUR ON SSL LIVE L550 PLUS first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

DIY SI5351 Radio Tunes In SW, MW, And MoreThere are plenty of radios you can buy that pick up MW and SW bands if that’s what you’re into. Or, you can follow [mircemk]’s example, and whip one up yourself instead.
The build employs an ESP32 as the brains of the operation. It’s hooked up to a rotary encoder and a small colour TFT screen, which displays an old-school style tuning dial for choosing the desired frequency. This setup is paired with an Si5351—a capable clock generator chip that can deliver just about any frequency from

IMF says tokenization could transform settlement and financial stabilityThe global lender says blockchain-based finance could streamline markets but warns that fragmented standards and regulations may create new systemic risks.

FRCTL Audio releases DLAY Lite, a FREE multi-tap delay plugin
FRCTL Audio has released DLAY Lite, a free multi-tap delay plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. DLAY Lite is a simple delay with two main controls and 12 presets. You can pick a preset, adjust Mix and Wash, and you are basically done. The Wash knob is the main character control. It turns tighter, clearer [...]
View post: FRCTL Audio releases DLAY Lite, a FREE multi-tap delay plugin

Audio Brewers ab Recorder"ab Recorder" is not just another mobile recorder - it's a complete immersive audio and video capture system. Designed for Ambisonics recording on iOS, "ab Recorder" transforms your iPhone into a powerful field recorder capable of capturing professional-quality spatial audio wherever inspiration strikes. At its core, "ab Recorder" records lossless 1st-Order Ambisonics directly from your device, capturing up to 32-bit float at 48 kHz. Whether you're collecting ambiences, documenting locations, or creating immersive content, every recording preserves the full spatial soundfield for maximum flexibility in post-production. But audio is only part of the story. "ab Recorder" can simultaneously record Ambisonics audio and stunning 4K video at up to 60 frames per second. You can even capture both the front and rear cameras at the same time in dual 4K video, ensuring you never lose the visual context of your recordings. The app intelligently aligns the Ambisonic soundfield with your chosen camera and device orientation. Whether you're filming with the front camera, rear camera, in portrait, or landscape mode, the recorded soundfield always matches the visual perspective of your shot. Using your iPhone's built-in zoom controls, you can freely adjust your framing while continuing to capture the complete Ambisonic soundfield. For even greater flexibility, dual-camera recording lets you document both sides of a scene simultaneously, creating a complete audiovisual record of your environment. For creators working in the field, "ab Recorder" can also embed GPS coordinates directly into both audio and video files, allowing you to identify exactly where every recording was made. Do you find yourself discovering the perfect recording location when you least expect it? "ab Recorder" turns the device already in your pocket into a professional Ambisonics recorder, eliminating the need to carry dedicated recording equipment everywhere you go. The resulting recordings can be used directly with the Audio Brewers ecosystem and other professional Ambisonics workflows, making them ready for Stereo, Binaural, Surround, Dolby Atmos, and custom speaker layouts. In essence, "ab Recorder" is about freedom, flexibility, and never missing a recording opportunity. Professional immersive audio capture is no longer limited to the gear in your backpack - it is already in your pocket. Read More

MKS Mixing releases DelayU-42, a FREE vintage-style digital delay plugin
MKS Mixing has released DelayU-42, a free vintage-inspired delay plugin for macOS and Windows. DelayU-42 recreates the sound of classic 80s rack delays, focusing on grit, saturation, limiter behavior, and dark echoes. Although MKS Mixing does not name the original unit directly, I’m guessing it’s the PCM42, but it could also be the Korg SDD-3000 [...]
View post: MKS Mixing releases DelayU-42, a FREE vintage-style digital delay plugin

GearExpo UK 2026 Over 150 manufacturers took part in GearExpo UK, demonstrating everything from mics, synths and interfaces through to large-format consoles and high-end monitoring systems.

Plasmatic releases COGG, a FREE industrial destruction FX plugin for macOS and Windows
COGG is a free industrial destruction FX plugin for macOS and Windows released by the developer Plasmatic. Plasmatic says COGG turns any sound into something industrial, and that’s a pretty fair description. When we think of industrial sounds, they aren’t pretty sounds; they are unapologetically metallic, gritty, screeching, scraping, clunky, and none of that sounds [...]
View post: Plasmatic releases COGG, a FREE industrial destruction FX plugin for macOS and Windows

Short on booth space? AlphaTheta’s new CDJ-1500X multi player packs flagship features into a smaller footprintNot every DJ booth has room for a pair of full-size CDJs. With that in mind, AlphaTheta has unveiled the CDJ-1500X – a compact DJ multi player designed to bring the flagship CDJ-3000X experience to bars, smaller clubs, mobile DJs and home studios.
Despite its smaller footprint, the CDJ-1500X packs in many of the headline features found on its flagship sibling, while adding a few tricks of its own.

READ MORE: AlphaTheta DJM-V5 review: Are niche setups the future of DJ gear?

For starters, the CDJ-1500X features the same 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen as the CDJ-3000X, making it easy to view playlists, waveforms, BPM, keys, cues, loops, and other information. The main waveform display includes visual indicators for vocal positions, BPM change points, and phrase structures.
Users can rearrange tracks in their playlists directly on the CDJ with the Playlist Edit function. There’s also a choice of dark and light display modes to suit the atmosphere of any gig.
Credit: AlphaTheta
Music doesn’t have to live on a USB stick, either. Alongside traditional USB playback, the CDJ-1500X supports rekordbox CloudDirectPlay, letting DJs access their cloud library over Wi-Fi, as well as StreamingDirectPlay for services including Apple Music, Beatport Streaming and TIDAL.
Notably, CDJ-1500X is the first AlphaTheta multi player that’s compatible with CoBeat, the brand’s new interactive service that allows your audience to scan a QR code and request songs from a pre-approved catalogue. Those requests will be shown directly on the screen of the CDJ.
Around the front, an illuminated USB bay houses two USB ports, while customisation options include 12 LED lighting colours and optional side panels for DJs wanting to personalise their setup.
Thanks to its smaller footprint and lighter weight compared to the CDJ-3000X (3.6kg vs 6kg!), the CDJ-1500X slots easily alongside turntables and your mixer of choice, making it equally at home in a compact home studio, a bar or a club installation.
As AlphaTheta puts it, “Because this type of setup is so adaptable, it’s also ideal for permanent installations in venues where different types of DJs play.”
The launch continues AlphaTheta’s recent push to bring its flagship workflow to more compact and accessible hardware. Earlier this year, the company released the DJM-V5, a mixer that distilled the essence of the flagship DJM-V10 into a smaller and more affordable format.

Learn more at AlphaTheta.
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iZotope is no longer a Native Instruments brand, as it joins Boris FXEsteemed plugin brand iZotope has been acquired by VFX software company, Boris FX. The merge means iZotope is no longer part of the Native Instruments family of brands, which was sold to InMusic in May 2026, and comprises Native Instruments, Plugin Alliance and Brainworx.
According to Boris FX and iZotope, all iZotope licenses and subscriptions remain “fully active.”
In case all of these acquisitions and mergers seem a little confusing, here’s a recap: In 2021, iZotope and Native Instruments formed a new music technology group backed by investment firm, Francisco Partners. In 2022, that group was given the name Soundwide, after acquiring Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, plus a new company called Sound Stacks (which appeared to never conduct any business). In January 2023, Soundwide laid off 8 per cent of its global workforce. In June 2023, Soundwide became Native Instruments, with iZotope, Brainworx and Plugin Alliance being part of the brand. In January 2026, Native Instruments entered preliminary insolvency. In May 2026, Francisco Partners sold the Native Instruments brand to InMusic, which at the time included iZotope, Brainworx and Plugin Alliance. Now, iZotope exits the Native Instruments brand and joins Boris FX.
……Got it? Great. So what does this mean for iZotope users? Right now, not a lot.
If you’re a subscriber or a license holder for any iZotope plugins, you can expect these to function as normal. In a statement, iZotope’s Todd Baker assures that all products and licenses “remain fully active, with uninterrupted support.” If you’re looking to buy iZotope plugins or upgrade, you can head to the iZotope website as normal to make purchases, and you can login to your account as expected. You cannot, however, purchase any iZotope plugins via Plugin Alliance (for now).
What happens to iZotope’s team and designers? Again, not a lot, says Baker: “There are no interruptions to plugin development. The talented engineers behind RX, Ozone, Neutron, Nectar, and the rest of the iZotope lineup are hard at work. This move provides the resources and focus needed to supercharge our roadmap of next-generation plugins.”
And if you’re wondering who or what Boris FX is, Baker has offered some insight. “Boris FX has spent over 30 years as a founder-led company building professional creative software, and its move into audio is already well underway. Trusted tools like Sequoia, Samplitude, and CrumplePop, found in music studios, mastering suites, and broadcast facilities worldwide, are also part of the Boris FX family.”
iZotope’s acquisition also seems motivated by a shared interest in AI-powered software. Over on Boris FX’s website, founder and CEO Boris Yamnitsky says: “iZotope is known for its smart and practical use of AI. Combined with Boris FX’s deep expertise in AI-driven audio and video tools, we’re positioned to move faster, innovate further, and create even more powerful tools for creative professionals.”
The most recent product released by iZotope was RX 12, which we reviewed in April 2026. There’s no indication on which plugin will be the first to come from the new Boris FX home, but it’ll no doubt be one to look out for.
Read the full statements from iZotope and Boris FX. 
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iZotope acquired by Boris FX Following the news of Native Instruments joining the inMusic brand line-up, Academy and Emmy Award-winning visual effects software developer Boris FX have announced their acquisition of iZotope.

Can digital avatars unlock a new career path for ‘behind-the-scenes’ songwriters? WeAreMetaMuse thinks so“Human heart, digital skin: that’s our motto,” says Kelvin Avon from his Hong Kong recording studio and creative hub. That tagline might sound like the pitch for some new sci-fi film, but Avon, a veteran music producer and artist manager, is actually describing the anatomy of Supa Soula – his very own custom-made pop star.
Supa Soula is the first in what Avon hopes will be a roster of digital artists signed to his ‘virtual’ record label, WeAreMetaMuse. His striking good looks and retro-futuristic dress sense were crafted in the 3D modelling software, Blender; his dance moves animated in Unreal Engine, a platform typically used for video game development and film production; and that ‘human heart’ is actually an amalgam of Avon himself and a tight-knit team of songwriters and musicians.
“We’ve known each other for close to 20 years and we have maybe 60 to 70 songs we’ve written together,” Avon says of the creative crew behind the project. “He’s a picture of all of us thrown into this one avatar. That’s where his name came from: he’s a digital super soul.”
Image: WeAreMetaMuse
Of course, the success of a music artist is often a team effort – whether that’s behind-the-scenes songwriters who pen the tunes, producers who shape the sound, or managers who build an artist into a ‘brand’. The crucial difference here, says Avon, is that everyone contributing to Supa Soula’s success, even the session musicians, gets a piece of the intellectual property.
“It’s a collective,” he points out. “We all own Supa Soula. So if we did, say, a brand deal then everyone would get paid. Now that streaming royalties have dried up, this gives behind-the-scenes creators a revenue stream that we didn’t have before.”
The original motivation for all this, says Avon, was simple frustration. “I’ve been in the business now for close to 25 years as a producer, artist manager, and mix engineer. What I found with a lot of the projects was that everything is at the whim of the artist.”
Getting someone signed, assembling a team, working for years to build some momentum, only for the artist to decide they wanted a different career, to raise a family, or to change management. “It seemed to happen more often than not,” Avon reflects. “I spoke to a lot of the producers and songwriters I collaborated with and we all had very similar stories.
“We’re artists ourselves,” Avon continues. “We’re creative. We make music, we just don’t go to the front of the stage. What we’re doing now is releasing music we’ve written that, for whatever reason, didn’t get picked up. Maybe it wasn’t on-trend, not commercial enough, didn’t fit the artist but actually I think a lot of this is the best stuff I’ve done. Without Supa Soula, these songs would never see the light of day.”
With an extensive catalog of unreleased material to draw from, finding the right songs to re-arrange and record for Supa Soula’s debut was the easy part. Perfecting the look, style, and movements of the avatar was a bigger challenge.
Image: WeAreMetaMuse
“We had to think: ‘How does he look? What race is he? Is he tall? Skinny or muscly? How does he dance? What outfits can we put him in?” Avon, who models and animates the avatar, describes a detailed production that took the character from fantasy to digital fact. And while he says generative AI was used for some of the visual ideation and early prototyping, he makes it very clear that all the music and the animation was done by hand.
“People want real artistry,” emphasises Avon. “Even when you’re seeing a digital avatar, people want a human to be behind it. So, the movement you see in the music videos is a human dancing in a motion capture suit. The guitars are real. The singing is real. The production is real.”
With an eight song EP and a series of accompanying music videos still in the works for Supa Soula, Avon is already looking to “grow the family”. Mei Mei, a female avatar aimed at appealing to the Chinese music markets, is the next phase. “I wrote for a lot of Chinese artists,” Avon says. “So, again, the songs are coming from my old demos, but we’re also bringing in a local producer and working with a Mandarin singer and with Mandarin musicians.”
Catchy songs and engaging videos are all well and good – but the fan interaction is also core to a pop star’s appeal. Asked how listeners can engage with these avatars beyond Spotify or YouTube, Avon has a ready answer.
Image: WeAreMetaMuse
“We’re thinking of gamification more than personal interaction,” Avon offers. “It’s possible to do something similar to the old-style ‘meet and greet’ but I think you’d lose a bit of the magic there. I think we need to gamify the interaction with the fans and, especially with younger audiences, they’re very used to digital worlds like Roblox and things like that.
“One of the ideas we’re playing with right now,” he continues, “is to give people the ability to go into Supa Soula’s studio and do their own remixes of his songs – but to do this as a game. Maybe there’s a competition and the best remix gets a release.”
Of course, digital avatars and ‘virtual’ pop stars are far from new. Avon readily admits that Supa Soula and WeAreMetaMuse are part of a tradition that extends from Gorillaz to Hatsune Miku. “We’re not breaking the mould here,” he concedes. “But I do think our ethos, and how we’re trying to build out this digital collective, that’s what’s special.”
In a world of fake AI bands, vocal clones, and band’s resorting to ‘psy-op’ marketing campaigns, the virtual avatar of Supa Soula is a little refreshing. Which parts of a creative project are human and which digital, where AI was used and where it wasn’t: these are the details that feel increasingly important in our modern world.
There will be many who will always prefer flesh and blood performers over virtual simulacra – and that’s just fine with Avon. “I see this as entertainment,” Avon says simply. “We’re not trying to pretend that this is a real person. It’s just some great music wrapped in a digital avatar who’s dancing and singing for you; if you like it, great, if you don’t, that’s ok.”

Learn more at wearemetamuse.com. 
The post Can digital avatars unlock a new career path for ‘behind-the-scenes’ songwriters? WeAreMetaMuse thinks so appeared first on MusicTech.

Yes, the Akai MPC Sample really is that good$399 / £339, akaipro.com
During a sneak preview of the MPC Sample at The NAMM Show in January, Akai’s team fed us the hype, promising it was a landmark moment for the brand. Like many who first laid eyes on the MPC Sample, I remained sceptical about what it could do, and whether it was just a gimmicky competitor to Roland’s SP-404 and Teenage Engineering’s EP-133 K.O II.

READ MORE: Loops, leaks and Roger Linn: How Akai’s MPC Sample became the most-hyped gear of 2026

But the truth is, after casually making beats on the $400 instrument for a couple of months, I’ve found the MPC Sample really is as good as Akai made it out to be.
Does it look like a toy? Sure. Is it actually fun to make music with? You bet your sweet pads it is.
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
Beats out the box
It’s obvious what Akai wants you to experience when you first unbox the MPC Sample: immediacy.
The tiny 7.6 x 9.3-inch beat machine requires near-zero setup. My review unit came with a full battery, so I perused the quick start guide (a one-sheet document), hit the power button, and was making beats with the Sample’s 2GB library of built-in sounds in seconds, the tiny speaker just loud enough to keep me locked in. The battery reliably lasts for five hours, too, so I found myself picking it up multiple times in a week and bashing out a few beats before needing to plug it back in.
In fairness, having owned an MPC 2000XL and reviewed several other MPC products, I found the workflow familiar, but newcomers to the series will likely hit some hurdles. But that workflow is a major appeal for the MPC Sample, with its tiny LCD screen, 16 pads, and retro-inspired design. Compared to the EP-133 K.O II, the MPC Sample has more songbuilding features, which take some time to wrap your head around, but are plenty versatile and creative once you’ve sussed them out.
Happily, Akai has published a series of in-depth video tutorials, hosted by the brand’s Andy Mac. You can easily binge-watch these in an evening and learn to navigate the MPC Sample much quicker.
There’s also no additional software required to get up and running. You can update the device’s firmware via browser, which I used for upgrading the Sample to version 1.3. This was a breeze, but the browser app serves no other function, meaning you can run everything directly on the hardware. If you want new samples, load them onto an SD and pop it in. I love this approach, especially when many gear brands in 2026 require you to download companion apps to unlock further features of your hardware. With the MPC Sample, you unbox it, power it up, and it’s all there in front of you.
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
A classic MPC workflow
Playing the MPC Sample is a blast. The 16 pads — which are RGB-backlit, velocity-sensitive and have polyphonic aftertouch — are a joy to use. It’s also fun to use classic MPC features, such as 16 Levels to play with a sample’s pitch and velocity, and the trio of K knobs, which let you make quick changes to your sounds, apply filters, and change global parameters of your project.
You can save up to 16 sounds per sound bank, with a total of eight sound banks on the MPC Sample. That means that, at any given time, you can have 128 sounds loaded onto the machine, with 32 voices of polyphony. Having that many sounds to play with is immensely freeing and almost overkill at times, but I’m not complaining!
Sampling is straightforward, too. You can record your sounds directly via the stereo inputs on the rear, via the built-in microphone, or load sounds from your SD card or internal memory. If you want to slice a drum loop into individual hits, for example, the Chop button will automatically slice it across the 16 pads. You can use the K knobs to quickly set new start and end points, apply filters, and even warp samples to timestretch them to your project’s current tempo. Note, however, that the timestretching engine isn’t that sophisticated, so your samples may occasionally sound a little distorted.
Looping a sample is easily done thanks to the dedicated Loop button, and the Shift button will allow you to quickly deploy functions such as resampling, time correction, Flex Beat, and more. There are secondary functions for almost every button on the MPC Sample, and there’s also the classic MPC fader to the left of the 16 pads, for quickly changing a track’s amplitude, effects parameters and more.
Swing and quantisation are also worthy of a shout-out here. The MPC family is revered for its implementation of swing, largely in part thanks to the work of legendary instrument designer, Roger Linn, who implemented swing tech into the MPC60 — the first ever MPC and the design of which inspired the MPC Sample. As such, real-time swing is implemented excellently into the MPC Sample, allowing you to apply it to specific tracks.
The microphone is fine, but not impressive. You might use it occasionally if you’re sketching out a demo track, but if you’re serious about recording a source, you’re better off just plugging a mic into the inputs on the rear.
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
Pumped-up effects
Editing sounds is easily done once you’ve familiarised yourself with the MPC workflow.
The Pad FX, Knob FX effects engines are surprisingly intuitive. After quickly building a French house beat, I realise I’m missing some sidechain compression. Within a minute, I find and apply the Pumper effect to the beat’s main sample, and it pumps in line with the four-to-the-floor kick drums — instantly a groove.
I’m quickly frustrated, however, when I realise that effects can’t be applied on a per-track basis, nor can they be recorded into my sequence. A workaround is to resample a sound you’ve applied effects to, which isn’t exactly elegant, but instruments like this historically require some creative puzzle-solving.
Similarly, there’s no easy way to export your sounds to a DAW, nor can you output individual stems. There are ways around this, too, like soloing a track and recording that to your DAW, but that’s not exactly intuitive.
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
Should you buy the MPC Sample?
In this price bracket, there are three strong options if you’re after a portable sampler: the MPC Sample, the Roland SP-404MKII, and the Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O II. Each have their own quirks and workflows — you might find the SP-404 is more your style with its deep functionality and effects routing, or the EP-133 might attract you for its design and decidedly unserious workflow. However, the MPC Sample is my favourite of the bunch.
At $400, you’re getting the MPC that producers would’ve dreamed of having in the early 2000s. It’s immensely portable, surprisingly capable, and heaps of fun. It was tough for me to return my review unit, and I often found myself picking the Sample up occasionally throughout the day, just for a quick five-minute jam in between whatever else I was doing.
If you’re looking for your first sampler, the MPC Sample won’t disappoint. If you already produce music with a more accomplished sampler, the MPC Sample will feel limited, and perhaps frustrating at first. But once you understand what it can’t do, you’ll have plenty of fun with what it can do.

Key Features

16 RGB-backlit, velocity sensitive pads with polyphonic aftertouch
32-voice polyphony, stereo sampling
60 effects types with Flex Beat, Pad FX and Knob FX
Eight banks of 16 sounds (128 loadable at once)
2GB RAM, 8GB internal storage, microSD expansion
Built-in 3W speaker and internal microphone
Rechargeable lithium-ion battery, ~5 hours
23.6 × 19.4 × 5.0 cm

 
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