Kraftwerk’s Wolfgang Flür and Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter have been making music togetherFormer Kraftwerk member Wolfgang Flür has revealed that Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, Juan Atkins and New Order’s Peter Hook have all contributed to his upcoming solo album.

READ MORE: Unearthed 1982 Brian Eno interview: “I generally don’t like electronic sounds”

Flür, who was the percussionist for Kraftwerk before exiting the band in 1997, later releasing solo albums Eloquence: Complete Works in 2015 and Magazine 1 in 2022, is set to put out his next work, Time, in September.
According to a new interview with German news channel Blick, Flür hasn’t held back on getting legendary talent in the studio to work on the album. He says Peter Hook, bassist and co-founder of Joy Division and New Order, Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk, and Detroit techno pioneer Juan Atkins have all contributed.
“My album Time will be released in September,” he tells Blick. “Great people are involved: Peter Hook from New Order, Thomas Bangalter from Daft Punk, U96 from Hamburg – and Juan Atkins from Detroit. I will present dance versions of the songs in Zurich.”
Since Daft Punk’s split in 2021, Thomas Bangalter’s working on a number of solo projects. In 2022, he released a solo orchestral album called Mythologies, and in 2023, Bangalter scored the movie Daaaaaalí!, a film exploring the life of artist Salvador Dalí.
Recently, the Daft Punk member was interviewed by French news channel Brut. In it, he revealed that he was once unknowingly sold a ticket to his own show and he also discussed the impact of anonymity as a result of wearing Daft Punk’s iconic robot helmets.
He said: “At some point, it seemed pretentious to continue staying anonymous, and I found myself in situations where people apologised for not having photos to ensure I wouldn’t be disturbed. I wasn’t seeking attention, but the anonymity started to attract more attention than it removed.”
For more artist news, head to MusicTech.
The post Kraftwerk’s Wolfgang Flür and Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter have been making music together appeared first on MusicTech.

NAMM 2024: The microKorg is back, packing classic “essence” with “powerful new features”NAMM 2024: Korg has revived one of its most successful classic synths with the all-new microKorg 2. This new offering captures the “legacy of innovation and excellence” which has kept the original microKorg a “mainstay” in studios for more than twenty years, but with exciting contemporary features.
In celebration of the release, two limited edition colour variants will be available – metallic black and metallic white. Both models are accentuated with aluminium details and come with a matching soft case.

READ MORE: NAMM 2024: Korg’s KR-11 is a compact yet feature-packed rhythm box

“The microKORG 2 is not just a new instrument; it’s a new chapter in synth history,” says Korg. The brand had previously celebrated the microKorg’s 20th birthday back at Superbooth last year with a special Crystal edition, but this is the first time the brand has offered an entirely new and upgraded successor.
The microKorg 2 hosts five dynamic knobs, each one a “gateway to fine-tuning your sound”, plus an expanded bank selection. It has a 2.8-inch colour display, where you can see your parameters come to life by animated effects for instant feedback. Users can also switch to an oscilloscope view to watch their changing sound waves.

One distinctive feature of the original microKORG was its own mic. It offered the ability to produce unique robotic voices, which at the time, was a tool typically reserved for specialised studio equipment. The microKorg 2 now offers a new vocal processor with advanced technology, including hard-tune pitch correction and a harmoniser feature.
As for effects, users can decorate their vocals with reverb, crisp delay, and more. The famed gooseneck design of the mic also now has a metallic aesthetic for that added modern flair.
Elsewhere, it also integrates a loop recorder, an arpeggiator, and a new programme selector with eight preset programmes for each bank, and room for up to 64 saved custom sounds. All the usual patching capabilities are on offer, but this time with a “digital twist” where you can shape your sound and see your patches come to life on the screen.
The microKorg 2 is due for a June 2024 release. Find out more at Korg.
The post NAMM 2024: The microKorg is back, packing classic “essence” with “powerful new features” appeared first on MusicTech.

OSC Audio’s Kalimba Keys Virtual Instrument is FREE for Limited Time
OSC Audio released the Kalimba Keys virtual instrument, and it’s available for free download for a limited time.   Kalimba Keys is available for Windows, MacOS, and iOS in VST3, AU, AUv3, and standalone formats.  OSC Audio has made Kalimba Keys available in a ‘name a price’ format. If you enter the coupon “kalimbakeysfree” at checkout, [...]
View post: OSC Audio’s Kalimba Keys Virtual Instrument is FREE for Limited Time

Every electronic artist playing Coachella 2024 at a glanceThe official Coachella 2024 lineup has landed, and this year festival goers can catch sets from over 60 electronic artists in total.
Due to take place across 12-14 and 19-21 of April at its home of the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, the festival will host headline performances from Lana Del Rey, Tyler, The Creator and Doja Cat.

READ MORE: Four Tet played at his daughter’s birthday to “deeply unimpressed” teenage girls following Coachella set

Many of the dance and electronic artists lined up for this year’s event are listed high up the bill, with acts spread across nearly all of its stages such as the mainstage (of course), the Outdoor Stage, the Sahara Tent, the Yuma tent plus others. The Do Lab also hosts a range of electronic artists at its own space, but this lineup is yet to be announced.
Fans are particularly excited to see that duo Justice will be performing at the festival – their first time returning to Coachella since 2017. Peggy Gou, who has also not performed at the festival since her debut in 2018, will be making a return.
View a round up of all of the electronic artists due to perform below (via Billboard):
Friday April 12 & 19

Justice
Everything Always (Dom Dolla & John Summit)
Peggy Gou
Anti Up (Chris Lorenzo & Chris Lake)
Steve Angello
Cloonee
Gorgon City
Tinashe
ANOTR
Adriatique
BLOND:ISH
Mall Grab
Kevin de Vries x Kölsch
Skin On Skin
Innellea
Miss Monique
Ben Stering
Keyspan

Saturday April 13 & 20

Gessafelstein
Jungle
Dom Dolla
Grimes
Charlotte de Witte
ISOxo & Knock2
Purple Disco Machine
Skream & Benga
Orbital
The Blessed Madonna
SPINALL
Oneohtrix Point Never
Kenya Grace
Patrick Mason
Reinier Zonneveld
Mahmut Orhan
Âme x Marcel Dettman
Brutalismus 3000
Maz
Will Clarke
Rebuke
Kimonos

Sunday April 14 & 21

Anyma
John Summit
DJ Snake
BICEP
ARTBAT
Barry Can’t Swim
Two Shell
Folamour
Carlita
Adam Ten x Mita Gami
Eli & Fur
Flight Facilities
DJ Seinfeld
JOPLYN

Pre-sale starts Friday 19 January at 11am PT. Find out more over at Coachella.
The post Every electronic artist playing Coachella 2024 at a glance appeared first on MusicTech.

Voice Enhancement Assistant (VEA) plug-in by iZotope VEA offers an intuitive all-in-one vocal processing solution using the technology found in iZotope's RX, Ozone and Nectar software.

Voice Enhancement Assistant plug-in by iZotope VEA offers an intuitive all-in-one vocal processing solution using the technology found in iZotope's RX, Ozone and Nectar software.

Arturia’s AudioFuse 16Rig is excellent for the modern studios of synth lovers£1,159 / €1,299 / $1,499, arturia.com
Better known for its synth products, Arturia launched the AudioFuse interface in 2017, which instantly won fans with its innovative ergonomics, ease of use, and assortment of useful extras. The range has grown to include interfaces with progressively more inputs and outputs — with the desktop format Studio and the rack-mounted 8Pre — and now comes the impressively equipped flagship: the 16Rig.

READ MORE: SR Studio 1073-style preamp achieves a classic analogue sound at an extremely attractive price

Armed with a dazzling array of inputs, outputs and similarly useful extras, the 16Rig is for home and project studios with lots of external gear to plug in. It easily fends off competing products from the likes of MOTU and RME, but also comes at a reasonable price and is in strong supply. A recipe for sweet success – but how does the new leader of the AudioFuse gang fare in the wild?
Arturia AudioFuse 16Rig
What inputs and outputs does the AudioFuse 16Rig have?
Arturia has many bases covered with I/O, with 16 analogue line ins and 10 line outs. That’s ideal for leaving an array of external synths and drum machines plugged in and ready to go or, in a recording studio, for interfacing with a clutch of external mic preamps and outboard.
Handily, all line connections have digital trim adjustable in 0.1dB steps — perfect when lining up levels with external gear. Two parallel headphone sockets are forced to share the same feed and volume control, but there’s another easy way to set up multiple pairs of headphones — more on that later.
Also on the analogue side — around the front — are a couple of digitally-controlled mic preamps for when you don’t have boutique preamps plugged in. Two alternative TRS jack sockets offer multiple purposes; the most useful being passing an instrument level signal out for re-amping — ideal for sending clean guitar sounds to an amp or sending synths and guitars through a chain of pedals (and subsequently returned to inputs 1 and/or 2 at the front if required since these can be switched to instrument level).

Alternatively, during a tracking session, you can also use the Multi sockets as additional headphone outs. Or, switch them to line level for connecting gear that isn’t usually plugged in without diving to behind the rack. Finally, a stereo minijack input alternates with line ins 3-4, ideal for quickly plugging in mobile devices.
All of these forward-facing sockets alternate with corresponding ins and outs around the back. So, to help ease frustrations in the studio, you can switch between front and rear options without unplugging cables (you can even save presets in the software).
Digital expansion comes via two banks for ADAT ports, offering up to 16 extra ins/outs at sample rates of up to 48kHz. A word clock is provided to keep everything tightly clocked together.
Arturia AudioFuse 16Rig I/O
Can you plug MIDI devices into the AudioFuse 16Rig?
AudioFuse 16Rig has a pleasing range of MIDI options. As well as DIN sockets for in, out and thru, you can get your devices hooked up in other convenient ways. This includes a USB MIDI port and, for those analogue rarities, line outs can transmit CV data.
Speaking of USB, there are two extra hub sockets for chaining extra devices. Arturia seems to have thought of everything — all these features truly establish the interface as an all-in-one synth studio solution. Bravo!
Arturia AudioFuse 16Rig in use
What is the AudioFuse 16Rig like to use?
Getting going is simple. Download the control software and you can access the attractive bundle of the brand’s plugins including a nice Neve-style preamp with EQ, a plate reverb, plus the Analog Lab Intro sound collection.
On the hardware end, we’re suckers for a decent graphical user interface with metering. This one displays input and output banks with a clear screen layout. Preamp controls are also quickly accessed and easy to adjust without recourse to using the software.
But an annoying blip occurs with switching between meter screens; instead of using a quick access button to toggle between banks, you’re forced to scroll through the channels on screen with the rotary encoder until they reach the next bank; we hope the user experience here might be improved in a firmware update.

Setting up line inputs and mixing through analogue gear is a breeze with trim levels and input gain offering fine control and being easily recallable. This is especially flexible when you’re sending the signal through a chain of outboard processors and want to drive the outboard in the analogue domain but bring the signal back to the A/D converters at a sensible level.
The control software offers useful versatility in setting up a headphone mix using either the pre-defined cue mix or via aux sends. There’s a learning curve, but the upside is that you can set up more than one independent alternative mix.
Sadly, the loopback implementation is poorly documented — there’s no easy way of finding out how it works without searching out third-party demos on YouTube.
Monitor controller features — not always present on this type of interface — provide useful alternative speaker switching from any line out pair, dim, plus two physical buttons (mute and a multifunction button switchable between dim, mono and alt speakers). However, there’s no talkback and you can’t assign the monitor dial to multiple pairs of line outs — really limiting if you’re working with a surround setup.
Arturia AudioFuse 16Rig alongside other gear
How does the AudioFuse 16Rig sound?
With a mic plugged in, there’s plenty of clean gain with the impression of slightly more high-end detail when compared to our Audient iD44.
16Rig’s converters all measure well in the specs and this manifests itself in noise-free, crystal-clear sound when playing back audio and looping it through outboard gear. Meanwhile, the headphone preamp has loads of level — switchable sensitivity is also a bonus here — so you hear the fine detail of everything you’re tracking.
Core Audio is used on MacOS rather than a proprietary driver, so the interface is not going to compete with RME’s ultra-low latency figures, if it matters to you.

Should you buy the Arturia AudioFuse 16Rig?
Minor grievances aside, Arturia has hit the target perfectly with the AudioFuse 16Rig, and then some. The interface combines a range of analogue ins, outs and ADAT interfacing just as other products do, at a highly competitive price.
But then there’s the array of neat features that truly help seal the deal: a couple of mic preamps, basic monitor controls, multi-outs with re-amp capability as well as an array of MIDI, CV and USB options. Oh, and genuinely useful bundled software, which might find regular use in sessions.
Synth heads and hybrid mixing fanatics will be licking their lips at all this goodness. We predict that many-a patch cable will be dropped in amazement even, and then quickly consigned to the cupboard.
Key features

USB-C connectivity with two-way USB Hub
16 analogue inputs
2 mic preamps with digital gain, phantom power and instrument level option
10 analogue outputs
2 multi-out sockets
Headphone preamp with parallel 3.5mm/6.3mm sockets
Dual ADAT ins/outs
Wordclock in/out (BNC and minijack Clock Out)
MIDI in/out/thru plus USB MIDI connector
Basic monitor controls (mute, alternate monitor switching and multi-function button)
Comes with USB cables, power supply, desktop and rack ears

The post Arturia’s AudioFuse 16Rig is excellent for the modern studios of synth lovers appeared first on MusicTech.

Eight Songs To Chase Those January Blues AwayWhen the temperature drops and the hours of sunlight slowly slip away, it can be be tough to keep your spirits up. Music is the way to embrace this quieter season rather than bemoan it. While some of these songs bring up themes that can be helpful when the winter is getting you down, hopefully they'll all bring a spark of light to the winter darkness, or at the very least help you embrace it.

Pitchfork is laying off staff, merging with Condé Nast’s GQMusic is losing another trusted source as publisher Condé Nast “merges” Pitchfork with its men’s magazine GQ. Respected Pitchfork editor-in-chief Puja Patel will exit along with an unspecified number of. Continue reading
The post Pitchfork is laying off staff, merging with Condé Nast’s GQ appeared first on Hypebot.

Land Moto accelerates its electric bike battery play with $3M infusionCleveland-based electric motorcycle startup Land Moto is looking to diversify by powering up the battery design side of its tech, and has raised $3 million (on top of $7 million raised last summer) to do so in 2024. Land’s primary product is a striking electric motorbike called the District, which sits somewhat at the intersection […]
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Republic Records makes chart history, with 8 of the Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 for two straight weeksRepublic Records' 2024 is off to a flying start
Source

A different kind of streaming fraud: Over 1m ‘manipulated’ tracks are on audio streaming servicesPex’s Rasty Turek believes the issue of ‘modified audio’ could be fixed by the DSPs
Source

Kali Audio announces LP-UNF Ultra Nearfield Studio MonitorsKali Audio has announced the LP-UNF Ultra Nearfield studio monitors. Similar to Kali’s IN-UNF, the LP-UNF is made for people working in desktop environments with limited space and ability to get loud. 

The LP-UNF is sold as a pair of speakers, with a primary speaker that houses the amplifier, electronics, and input section and a passive secondary speaker. Each speaker uses a 3.5-inch woofer and 1-inch textile dome tweeter, and measures 6.5 x 7.5 x 10 inches, taking up minimal space on a desktop. At the prescribed listening distance of 0.8 meters - about arm’s length - the LP-UNF delivers 85 dB max SPL with 20 dB dynamic headroom and has a frequency response from 37 Hz to 25 kHz. 

The LP-UNF is made to suit a wide spectrum of desktop applications. It includes tunings for optimizing the speakers’ sound to desktops whether the monitors are sitting directly on the desk, on desktop monitor stands, on the built-in stands found on recording desks, or even on speaker stands behind the desk. For all the of desktop applications, you can further optimize the sound for whether you’re against a wall or further out into the room. 

Robust inputs include stereo TRS for use with professional audio gear, 3.5mm for use with consumer equipment, USB-C for direct use with a computer or tablet, and Bluetooth 5.1 for casual listening. The USB-C connector will also allow users to keep firmware up to date as Kali adds features and improvements to the LP-UNF. 

The LP-UNF uses much of the same technology as Kali’s best-selling LP-6 and LP-8 V2 speakers. A 3-D imaging waveguide is employed to create a detailed, lifelike stereo image where all of the elements of the mix can be clearly perceived in space. The large front-firing port tube uses a unique. fluid dynamics derived shape that eliminates port noise and compression. This allows you to place the speakers against walls without worrying about adverse effects on the port’s performance. Like the larger LP-Series speakers, the LP-UNF uses Kali’s 2nd Wave amplifier technology for low noise, low distortion, and high dynamic range. 

The LP-UNF is available now in the United States, with an MSRP of $299 for the pair. More information can be found at KaliAudio.com/lp-unf  The post Kali Audio announces LP-UNF Ultra Nearfield Studio Monitors first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

IK Multimedia introduce iRig Stream Mic USB The new iRig Stream Mic USB makes many of the features found in their popular iRig Stream Mic Pro available at a lower price point.

How Memphis rap created phonk
Learn about what phonk music is, explore its origins in Memphis rap, and dive into recent variants such as drift phonk and phonk house.