House Of Marley launches sustainable Bamboo-made turntable, Stir It Up LuxHouse Of Marley, an eco-friendly music tech brand created in collaboration with the Marley family, has launched a sustainable wireless Bluetooth turntable called Stir It Up Lux.

READ MORE: Spin in style with this sweet Supreme x Technics turntable

The turntable is made out of sustainable materials, so you don’t have to feel like you’re damaging the planet while dancing to your favourite records. Don’t worry about a thing.
There’s a solid bamboo plinth, a solid glass platter, a replaceable Audio-Technica 95E elliptical stylus and recyclable aluminium headshell, and a double-sided cork slipmat.
House Of Marley’s own Regrind Silicone material also features in the turntable. This is built from silicone scraps, and often can be found in House Of Marley’s slipmats, speaker backings, and wireless charger bumpers.

It’s not all about materials, however, with the Stir It Up Lux. Regarding connectivity, you can traditionally play music via headphones or through speakers thanks to a switchable pre-amp with 3.5mm aux out and RCA (phono/line) out options. The turntable also supports Bluetooth v5.3, allowing you to pair wirelessly to nearby speakers.
When it comes to sound quality, the elliptical stylus has a narrow shape with a larger contact area than conical styluses, making for improved tracking and better sound.
House Of Marley doesn’t just make sustainable turntables. In July, it released new over-ear headphones called Positive Vibration. These are made using FSC-certified wood, recyclable aluminium, and the brand’s own REWIND fabric made from organic cotton, reclaimed hemp, and recycled PET.
Looking to make your turntable setup even better for the environment? In 2022, British tech startup elasticStage introduced “the world’s first on-demand vinyl manufacturer”, a process which involves a “patent-pending” method which requires less energy, and doesn’t require PVC or harmful chemicals.
Stir It Up Lux wireless Bluetooth turntable is available for $399. For more info, visit House Of Marley.
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Meet Snapbeat, a lo-fi sampler so simple it has just 11 buttonsLooking to enter the world of lo-fi sampling? Here’s a tiny piece of instrument that could get you started.

READ MORE: Aphex Twin’s new augmented reality app lets you enjoy the “festival experience” in your living room

Dubbed Snapbeat, this cute-looking retro-styled device allows you to sample in real-time via a 3.5mm audio input by pressing any of the keys. The unit features a simple numerical display, a control knob and eight independent sound channels that can play sound at the same time, though multiple keys input is not vaild. Only one pad can trigger its sound at once.
Users can also extract a specific part of their sampled sound such as a single drum shot just by specifying start and end address. Headphones and active speakers can be connected via headphone out and analog LINE OUT, and the unit uses a USB type C connector on the board for power supply (not included).
As creator Hiro Akihabara explains, the sounds on Snapbeat “are true Lo-fi”. The device uses a Nuvoton ISD1700 voice recorder chip commonly found in sound and voice toys. The chip records analog sound directly, without analog to digital conversion, which means that “although the sampling frequency bandwidth is narrow, the sound is smooth and live.”
Fans of customisation can even DIY their own SnapBeat case using a 3D printer as the hardware is completely open source. The keys on the unit are also compatible with popular Cherry MX keyboard switches so you can easily swap them out.
As of now, Snapbeat is available as a pre-soldered board kit at $140 or in its fully assembled form at $180 for early adopters. Prices for the device will rise to $160 after 25 August for the former and $200 after 31 August for the latter.
Check out the Snapbeat in action below.

Learn more at Snapbeat.
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Spin in style with this sweet Supreme x Technics turntableTechnics has teamed up with streetwear brand Supreme on a snazzy-looking limited edition SL-1200MK7 turntable arriving later this year.

READ MORE: “I don’t think people can tell” the difference between original and re-issued Prophet-10, says Jungle’s J Lloyd

The turntable was revealed as part of a preview of Supreme’s highly anticipated Fall/Winter 2023 collection. It features a coreless direct drive motor, vibration damping platter, 78RPM speed with wider pitch adjustment, and reverse play function, though users will have to get their own cartridge.
Available from 17 August, the limited edition SL-1200MK7 is decked out in Supreme’s iconic red-white colours, with a metallic Supreme badge on the unit’s body, as well as logos on both the slipmat and the included hingeless dust cover.
Other music-related products in the collection include Supreme/Maxwell cassette tapes, Bluetooth speakers in collaboration with Harman Kardon and Supreme/Koss PortaPro headphones.
In related news, Audio Technica has recently launched its battery-powered vinyl player, the Sound Burger, in three new colourways: black, white and yellow.
Priced at £199, the Sound Burger has a belt-drive system that can play 33-1/3 and 45 RPM records with a tonearm that “employs a dynamic balance system in which stylus pressure is applied through a spring”.
The new iteration of the Sound Burger (the original was released in the 80s) also features Bluetooth compatibility, with wireless play lasting up to 12 hours. It is charged via a USB-C in and a minijack instead of an RCA output.
Learn more at Supreme.
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Sequential’s Trigon-6 Desktop is compact and MPE compatibleSequential has announced a desktop version of its Trigon-6 analogue six-voice polysynth, now with added MPE support.

READ MORE: Best synthesizers to buy in 2023: 18 of the best synths under $600

The desktop version is a more compact version of the Sequential Trigon-6, which was launched in 2022 and combines elements of the Prophet-6 and the OB-6. It was the final farewell for Sequential’s owner, Dave Smith, who sadly died in May of that year.
Trigon-6 Desktop, while obviously acting as a space-saving instrument compared to the larger original, most notably has received MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) support. This means the unit can be hooked up to expressive keyboards such as the Expressive E Osmose and Seaboard Rise 2, letting you adjust pitch-bend, filter cutoff, and modulation functions just by sliding, touching and wiggling individual notes.
Alongside MPE, the desktop keeps the same aspects of the Trigon-6 such as its three oscillators per voice with triangle, sawtooth, and pulse waveforms, switchable two/four pole ladder filter with drive and feedback controls.
“Desktop module designs continue to be a popular choice with our players.” David Gibbons, CEO of Sequential has said. “We spent a little extra time on MIDI polyphonic expression capabilities as we finalised this one, in anticipation of people pairing it up with some of the awesome MPE-capable controllers on the market. We’re looking forward to hearing what people will do with it!”

In our gleaming review of the original Trigon-6, we called the synth a “fitting conclusion to the monumental legacy of one of the synth world’s most revered minds”, praising the synth’s sound, which has “distinct character and real bite”.
The Trigon-6 sits alongside a string of recent releases by Sequential. The brand’s re-issued Prophet-10, which was launched in 2020, was described in our review as “climbing into a classic car which has made a couple of small concessions to the modern nature of driving.”
The Sequential Trigon-6 Desktop is available for $3,109. Find it at Thomann.
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Hozier would “absolutely” strike over the threat of AI on the music industryIndie musician Hozier has said he would “absolutely” join strike action if any were to take place due to the threat of AI in the music industry.
AI technology is currently being used to emulate vocals, replicate lyrical and production styles, and even form music from brain scans.

READ MORE: New music platform Myvox lets artists licence and monetise their own AI voice models

Music industry figures have been consistently divided on whether or not the tech is beneficial or a threat to artists since it began being used more prominently over the last year.
Artists such as Grimes, David Guetta and more have shown interest and support in AI, with Grimes even allowing people to use an AI version of her vocals to make music via her own software. Others such as Will.I.Am and Nick Cave however, have assumed more concerned stances.
Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire on Newsnight yesterday (17 August), Hozier weighed in with his view: “Whether [AI is] art or not, I think, is nearly a philosophical debate. It can’t create something based on a human experience. So I don’t know if it meets the definition of art.”
He continues, “Actors at the moment… there’s huge strikes on at the moment. Yeah, a huge part of that is that [AI] can be used to create a product without human labour.”
Hozier was then asked if he could imagine going on strike over AI in music, to which he responds: “Can I imagine? Yeah. Joining in solidarity if there was action on that? Absolutely.”

‘Can you imagine going on strike about AI?’ @vicderbyshire asks Irish singer-songwriter Hozier
‘If there was action on that, absolutely’
Tonight @ 10:30pm Hozier speaks to Newsnight ahead of the launch of his new album Unreal Unearthhttps://t.co/P0zxS1DNGF pic.twitter.com/Ej5XLgn0Ku
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) August 17, 2023

Earlier this month, it was reported that Google and Universal Music Group are currently in talks over licensing issues that surround ‘deepfake’ AI music. Both companies are supposedly hoping to create a partnership through which deepfakes can be shared, with royalties going to Universal.
Hozier’s new album Unreal Earth lands today (18 August) – view his website for a full list of upcoming live dates.
The post Hozier would “absolutely” strike over the threat of AI on the music industry appeared first on MusicTech.

G-High names 5 K-pop producers to watch
G-High of MonoTree sat down with us to share five K-pop producers / topliners that are worth keeping an eye (and ear) on.

Kazrog launch Avalon VT-747SP plug-in Kazrog's latest plug-in emulates the Class-A optical compressor and six-band equaliser found in Avalon's VT-747SP, and is officially licenced by Avalon Designs themselves.

New music platform Myvox lets artists licence and monetise their own AI voice modelsArtists who want to clone, protect, licence and monetise their voice can now do so via a new AI music platform named Myvox.

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

Founded by musicians and producers Maeve (Arianna Broderick) and John Clancy, Myvox is an AI vocal and music distribution platform allowing users to transform their vocals into the vocals of their favourite artists using licensed AI voice models.
Per the website, users can create original songs with these AI-cloned vocals, distribute directly to all streaming platforms, collect royalties and share in the revenue with the artist, who maintains full control over the whole process by defining their own royalty splits.
To create your AI voice model, all you have to do is upload an acapella vocal or record a vocal directly on the Myvox platform. The firm’s AI technology will then transform your vocal into the vocal of a licensed artist.
The platform is said to be the first of its kind to allow direct distribution of licensed AI voices to streaming services, with the aim of making music production more collaborative, accessible and obtainable for those without access to swanky studios.
The service, which launched on 14 August, now offers a growing voice library of licensed studio quality artist vocals and royalty-free vocals for bedroom producers to create music they previously had no access to.
Myvox has also introduced their first AI artist, Dahlia, an AI voice model created by Iranian-Dutch singer-songwriter Sevdaliza. Creators can transform their vocals into Dahlia’s and release subsequent tracks on all streaming platforms, with a 50/50 royalty split with the artist. Sevdaliza introduced Dahlia last year via the video for OH MY GOD, which has since amassed 1.5 million views.
The first Dahlia track is slated to arrive on 24 August.
Currently, the free version of Myvox entitles you to two artist vocal conversions per week and unlimited royalty-free conversions; the premium version, which includes unlimited artist conversions, unlimited royalty-free conversions, two releases to all streaming services per month, automated royalty payments and artist distribution dashboard will cost you $14.99 per month.

Learn more at myvox.
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Ripple, ConsenSys participate in Mastercard program to promote CBDC innovationThe payment processor has enlisted a range of market players in its quest for innovation and efficiencies in a technology that 93% of central banks are investigating.

Documentary: Ghosts of the Chelsea Hotel (and Other Rock & Roll Stories)

The new Chip Baker film, "Ghosts of the Chelsea Hotel (and Other Rock & Roll Stories)", directed by Filmmaker Danny Garcia will have theatrical screenings across the globe. The American theatrical debut is set for a pair of New York City screenings at Joe's Pub at The Public Theater and are almost sold out. (See below for a list of worldwide screenings)

Actor, Writer, Musician and former resident Michael Imperioli (The Sopranos, Law & Order, The White Lotus); Author Sherill Tippins (Inside the Dream Palace, The Life and Times of New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel); Actors Ned Van Zandt and Victor Colicchio; Musicians; Harley Flanagan (Stimulators/Cro-Mags); Richard Barone (The Bongos); Cynthia Ross (B-Girls); the late Howie Pyro (D Generation); Warhol Superstar Ruby Lynn Reyner; Photographer Marcia Resnick; and many others give first hand accounts of their time at the hotel.

SCREENINGS

All currently scheduled screening dates, locations and ticket purchase links for "Ghosts of the Chelsea Hotel (And Other Rock & Roll Stories)" are listed below, with more being planned.

>New York City, Sept. 5th & 11th @ Joe's Pub

https://publictheater.org/productions/joes-pub/2023/g/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel

>Seattle, WA, Sept. 5th @ The Crocodile

https://www.ticketweb.com/event/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel-here-after-tickets/13470588?pl=crocodile

>Düsseldorf, Germany, Sept. 6th @ Metropol

https://filmkunstkinos.de/filme/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel/?preview_id=30076&preview_nonce=24b0d111e2&preview=true

>Arlington, MA, Sept. 7th @ The Regent Theatre

https://regenttheatre.csstix.com/event-details.php?e=145

>Dallas, TX, Sept. 7th @ The Texas Theatre

https://thetexastheatre.com/film/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel-and-other-rock-roll-stories/

>San Francisco, Sept. 7th @ Balboa Theatre

https://ticketing.uswest.veezi.com/purchase/10587?siteToken=52wkfzmjpwjjfpz3ye7tz8wscg

>Toronto, Canada, Sept. 10th @ The Paradise

https://www.ticketweb.ca/event/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel-paradise-theatre-tickets/13385998

>Portland, OR, Sept. 13th @ Hollywood Theater

https://hollywoodtheatre.org/events/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel/

>Munster, Germany, Sept. 18th @ Cinema & Kurbelkiste

https://www.cineplex.de/film/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel-and-other-rock-roll-stories/395477/muenster/

>Harrisburg, PA, Sept. 24th @ Midtown Cinema

>Philadelphia, PA, Oct. 4th @ PhilaMOCA

https://link.dice.fm/w23bfce89013

>Minneapolis, MN, Oct. 11th @ Trylon Cinemas

http://www.soundunseen.com/upcoming-events/2023/10/11/ghosts-of-the-chelsea-hotel

>Berlin, Germany, Oct. 15th @ Lichtblick

>St. Leonards-On-Sea, UK, Nov. 8th @ Kino Teatr (The Art of a True Story Festival)

Match Group’s background check provider Garbo ends its partnershipTech nonprofit Garbo announced today it’s ending its formal partnership with Match Group, the dating app giant behind Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Match and other apps. The two companies first teamed up in 2021, when Match made a seven-figure investment in the background check provider, following a series of reports about harm that came to dating app users through Match-owned apps.
In particular, a damning investigative report by ProPublica and Columbia Journalism Investigations published in December 2019 prompted the company to begin to better focus on user safety, which also included a 2020 investment in Noonlight to help it power new safety features inside Tinder and other dating apps.
In March 2022, Tinder rolled out access to background checks powered by Garbo through the app’s in-app safety center. The experience directed users to the Garbo website where they were able to fill in basic information about their match. The company said users typically only needed their match’s first name and a phone number to get started.
Garbo’s unique quality, compared with other background check companies, is that it only focused on public records that contained reports of violence and abuse, including arrests, convictions, restraining orders, harassment and other violent crimes. It didn’t return any non-violent charges, like drug possession and general traffic tickets, excluding DUIs and vehicle manslaughter.
After Tinder, Garbo rolled out to other Match dating apps in July, including Match and the single-parent dating app Stir.
Despite its usefulness, there was some criticism that Match was passing the buck by offloading critical safety checks to a third-party partner which wasn’t deeply integrated into its apps, thus requiring daters to do more work. Others were skeptical about whether background checks were even helpful in terms of predicting the potential for abuse, as many abuse and domestic violence cases aren’t reported.
Today, Garbo says it’s winding down its consumer background check service and also ending its relationship with Match. However, it will continue to honor credits users purchased (for a limited period of time). This includes users who claimed Garbo credits through partnerships with online platforms, including Roomi, HUD and Match Group apps (Tinder, Plenty of Fish, Stir and Match.com). These new and existing credits will be honored through August 31, 2023, Garbo says.
For users who purchased credits directly from Garbo, credits are redeemable through August 31, 2023, or can be refunded through October 31, 2023.
Garbo says the decision to wind down background checks will allow it to focus on “new technology and tools that directly empower individuals to protect themselves in the digital age.” Specifically, the company says it will instead work on a new guidebook to help people protect themselves online across every platform.
There are hints of sour grapes in Garbo’s announcement, as it suggests that the Garbo app was meant to be an easier and more effective and affordable way to uncover histories of harm and violence, but “a lack of commitment from online platforms and the growing problems with public records has compromised the ability of users to harness the full power and potential of Garbo’s technology.”
Garbo’s decision to pivot its business follows leadership changes at Match which saw Match Group CEO Shar Dubey stepping down in May 2022, with Bernard Kim taking over just as Garbo was meant to start rolling out to the company’s dating apps, which may have complicated matters.
A Wall Street Journal report also indicates there were internal disagreements within Match Group about how Garbo tools should work, in addition to difficulties in getting online platforms to pay for its services. It also pegs the Match partnership investment at $1.5 million to get the background check service off the ground.
At Tinder, the report says, execs wanted to add badges to profiles that were background-checked. Garbo disagreed, saying that underreporting of sexual violence means a simple badge doesn’t provide a full picture. Garbo also didn’t feel like Tinder fully promoted the tool to users.
“Garbo is doubling down on our commitment to directly serving individuals over companies, along with more comprehensive engagement with public officials,” said Kathryn Kosmides, founder and CEO of Garbo, in a statement. “Over the next few months, Garbo is exploring a variety of innovations and opportunities to continue empowering people to protect themselves from bad actors. We will not stop advocating for survivors and working to protect those most vulnerable from violent and harmful behavior.”

Tinder rolls out in-app access to background checks, powered by nonprofit Garbo

Lex Borrero’s NEON16 and NTERTAIN expand multi-year partnership with the NFLNEON16 acts will produce four tracks exclusively for the NFL and its 32 clubs to use as part of their soundtrack to the 2023 season
Source

Primary Wave acquires catalog from Dennis DeYoung, founding member of rock band StyxDeYoung penned seven of the band’s eight Top 10 Billboard hits
Source

MIDI Innovation Awards: Finalists announced The MIDI Association have announced the finalists of this year’s MIDI Innovation Awards, with the winners to be revealed in a live stream event taking place on 16 September 2023.

Why isn’t Hip Hop conquering Live Music as it has Streaming?The new “Return to live” study by MIDiA Research based on data from Bandsintown showed that Hip Hop ranks lower in genres that music listeners prefer to see live. Report. Continue reading
The post Why isn’t Hip Hop conquering Live Music as it has Streaming? appeared first on Hypebot.