Bull City Summit Incubator: Zroverse & the Virtual Commerce Revolution

BCS 2023 INCUBATOR:ZROVERSE AND THE VIRTUAL COMMERCE REVOLUTIONSamya Potlapalli (Junior Software Developer, Zroverse) First there was real commerce (in person), then came e-commerce (see some pics, add to cart, and enter your card info), and now there is V-commerce - wait what? Virtual commerce, in person experiences but online. If one wanted to go to Dubai and had no money, Google lets them go there via Google street view. What If I wanted to go shopping inside the stores or experience something beyond the streets? Samya Potlapalli, Zroverse Junior Software Developer and Computer Science major at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, presents Zroverse -- a new platform built for the Metaverse that will reshape the every day customer's shopping experience.Wednesday, September 20, 2023 | 3:45pm - 4:45pmThe Durham Armory 

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SiriusXM responds to new $150M SoundExchange lawsuitSiriusXM has responded to the SoundExchange lawsuit alleging more than $150M in unpaid royalties and late fees owed for the use of recordings on the satellite streaming service. The suit. Continue reading
The post SiriusXM responds to new $150M SoundExchange lawsuit appeared first on Hypebot.

Universal Audio UAD UA 610 Tube Preamp & EQ Collection When Universal Audio founder Bill Putnam Sr. introduced the 610 Modular Amplifier preamp in the early '60s, it was a milestone in audio recording history. The 610 became famous among record... Read More

Universal Audio UAD Neve Dynamics Collection The Neve Dynamics Collection gives you fully-endorsed end-to-end emulations of Neve's most cherished dynamics hardware — the Neve 2254/E and refreshed 33609/C limiter/compressors —... Read More

SoundExchange sues SiriusXM over alleged $150m in unpaid royalties owed to artists and rightsholders'SiriusXM has and continues to wrongfully exploit the rules to significantly underpay the satellite royalties that it owes,' said SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe
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Concord buys portion of song catalog of ‘Hey There Delilah’ writer and Plain White T’s frontman, Tom Higgenson'Hey There Delilah' has been streamed over 960 million times on Spotify alone
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The first prototype of Behringer’s OB-X clone, the UB-X, is hereThe Behringer synth brigade marches on, as the brand drops a prototype of its long-awaited 1979 Oberheim OB-X replica, the 8-voice UB-X.

READ MORE: Behringer’s “super portable” JT-4000 Micro synth officially launches

The German brand, which has racked up an extensive list of new gear releases replicating legendary synths, drum machines and controllers in recent years, posted a photo of the prototype to Facebook today, writing “The UB-X has landed.” It’s the first time we’ve seen a photo of the physical product.

First prototype:-) The UB-X has landed. ——————-Collaborate with our synth developers, share your ideas and get a…
Posted by Behringer on Wednesday, August 16, 2023

First announced in April 2022, the synth takes on Tom Oberheim’s legendary OB-X, which was released in 1979 and has been used by everyone from Queen to Herbie Hancock.
The more recent OB-X8, released in May 2022, has been arguably one of the most sought-after new synths. MusicTech named it Product Of The Year for 2022. So, no pressure for Behringer then.
The UB-X aims to emulate many aspects of the OB-X, such as the synth’s distinctive black and grey design, buttons and knobs. It’s the sound, however, considering the rich nature of the original’s, which matters most.
After announcing the UB-X in 2022, Behringer wrote: “The OB-X is quite different from other synths, as it uses predominantly discrete circuitry, which makes the design and manufacturing more challenging.”
The challenging circuitry does then perhaps reflect the estimated cost of the synth – $1,199, says Behringer. While this is slightly steeper than many other Behringer replicas. Of course, compared to the cost of the now rare OB-X, which feature at around £20,000 on Reverb, this is still a steal. We’re holding out for a demo soon, however, to justify the cost.
This isn’t the only Oberheim replica that Behringer has been working on. The brand has also replicated the classic Oberheim OB-Xa analogue polyphonic synth with its – you guessed it – UB-Xa. In May 2022, it released a demo video of this. No release date has been confirmed but it’s estimated to set customers back by $1,500.
A release date for the Behringer UB-X has not yet been revealed. For all the latest news on Behringer, head to behringer.com.
The post The first prototype of Behringer’s OB-X clone, the UB-X, is here appeared first on MusicTech.

SoundExchange sues SiriusXM for more than $150M in unpaid royaltiesSoundExchange has filed a lawsuit against SiriusXM to recover what it says are substantial unpaid royalties and late fees owed under the Copyright Act for the use of recordings on. Continue reading
The post SoundExchange sues SiriusXM for more than $150M in unpaid royalties appeared first on Hypebot.

Elon Musk’s X platform files to dismiss music publishers’ $250 million copyright lawsuitX, the Elon Musk-owned social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has filed to dismiss a lawsuit filed by major music publishers back in June.
The lawsuit accused the platform of wide-scale copyright infringement, and was filed by a coalition of 17 music industry bodies, with plaintiffs including Sony Music Publishing, Universal Music Group, Warner Chappell, BMG and more.

READ MORE: Warner Music Group sign licensing deal with TikTok to boost social media revenue

The original lawsuit against X seeks to claim $250 million in damages for “hundreds of thousands” of alleged infringements of approximately 1,700 pieces of music.
As opposed to other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, it was reported at the time of the filing that the platform had not negotiated music licensing agreements with music copyright holders.
The motion to dismiss now filed by X is the first response the platform has made since the original lawsuit was filed.
In the document (via Rolling Stone), it has cited a 2005 supreme court ruling from MGM Studios v. Grokster, and has claimed that the publishers “do not allege that X encouraged, induced, or intended to foster the infringement of Plaintiffs’ works,” further arguing that the music publishers “must allege that the defendant took active steps with the intent of encouraging infringement.”
It also adds, “To the contrary, X’s anti-infringement policies and practices, including its DMCA policy, believe any reasonable assumption that X has induced its users to infringe any copyrights,” and further states, “Even reading the Complaint in the light most favourable to Plaintiffs, no liability can be established on the facts as pleaded.”
David Israelite, CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA),  said in a statement (via Music Business Worldwide) on 15 August that “X’s response is par for the course – another attempt to deny the fact that they have consistently failed to stop or even slow the rampant piracy on their platform.”
View the full motion to dismiss at Music Business Worldwide.
The post Elon Musk’s X platform files to dismiss music publishers’ $250 million copyright lawsuit appeared first on MusicTech.

77% of US festival goers say they plan to use drugs thereAccording to a new survey, 77% of US festival-goers admit they plan to use drugs during their next festival. That’s a very sobering stat for festival organizers in two distinctly. Continue reading
The post 77% of US festival goers say they plan to use drugs there appeared first on Hypebot.

“What do they do up there? Twiddle filter knobs and clap”: Deadmau5 says most DJs play pre-recorded sets at major festivalsElectronic music producer Deadmau5 has said that most DJ sets at major festivals are pre-recorded.
The artist, who’s real name is Joel Thomas Zimmerman, shared that he has played pre-recorded shows himself, explaining that at most big festivals “you have to”.

READ MORE: Deadmau5 on plugins vs. hardware: “For me, fun isn’t struggling on a laptop”

The topic is a divisive one, but Deadmau5 had no problem in being honest and upfront about it. He began discussing the topic of pre-recorded sets during a live stream which has since been posted to YouTube. Responding to a comment that asked if he had “ever faked a DJ set”, he was happy to share that he had played pre-recorded ones due to time restraints.
“If he means a pre-recorded set, yeah, wow, all the time. Most of the time. Does that make you mad? Do I go to jail for that? Sometimes they are, sometimes they aren’t,” he says.
Whilst nonchalantly eating popcorn, he then goes on to make a joke about the FBI knocking on his door: “How dare you play a pre-recorded set due to a strict timeline!”
“[At] most major festivals you have to play a pre-recorded set. Like EDC [Electric Daisy Carnival in Las Vegas], I would be surprised if somebody actually played a set that wasn’t pre-recorded to be honest, because theres such a big deal to the fucking artist in the production schedule and the timeline and all that stuff that they wouldn’t wanna fuck up.
“You know what a dead giveaway is to a pre-recorded set? The visuals, believe it or not. When shit is so immaculately timed that everything is lining up, that means everything is on a playback system,” he explains. “What do they do up there? Twiddle filter knobs and clap, yes absolutely. That’s all you can do.”
Deadmau5 then went on to respond to a comment saying those who play pre-recorded sets are not real DJs, “Okay. Says who? The fucking DJ police?” he scoffs.
Watch the video below:

Tickets to see Deadmau5 live are available through his website.
The post “What do they do up there? Twiddle filter knobs and clap”: Deadmau5 says most DJs play pre-recorded sets at major festivals appeared first on MusicTech.

“Pop will be way more minimal sounding” in the future, Charli XCX predictsElectro-pop and PC Music singer-songwriter Charli XCX has taken to Twitter – now X – to share her predictions about the future of pop music, foreseeing a more minimal sound.

READ MORE: PC Music to stop releasing new music after 2023

“I predict that over the next year pop music will be way more minimal sounding – like 3 or 4 sounds per song plus vocal” the Boom Clap singer wrote yesterday.
After one fan responds to her minimalism prediction by tweeting that pop music should be “highbrow and exciting”, Charli XCX justifies that minimalist music can be “exciting and avant-garde”, not necessarily translating to just acoustic or soft sounds.
“Extreme drama” can be created through minimalism, she writes, found in songs like Peaches’ Fuck The Pain Away and SOPHIE’s Bipp.

“When i say minimal”, she defends, “I do not mean ‘simple’ or ‘lacking complexity’ or ‘small’. i mean that there are only 4 or 5 sounds that make up the entirety of the song – and this choice ends up making everything feel monolithic to me. There is no clutter. Every slight change feels gigantic because you can hear every detail.”
The Crash singer also says that she thinks lyrics will become less metaphorical and “flowery” moving forward and more conversational – “things you’d actually say to your friends on FaceTime”, she writes.

i predict that over the next year pop music will be wayyyy more minimal sounding – like 3 or 4 sounds per song plus vocal
— Charli (@charli_xcx) August 13, 2023

Charli XCX, who has become a cultural icon for the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, was included in the Barbie soundtrack with her track Speed Drive. The soundtrack, curated and produced by Mark Ronson, made UK chart history, with Charli’s track reaching nineteenth in the UK Top 40 charts.
After being added to the soundtrack, she tweeted “Wont lie I did used to behead my Barbies but really happy to be on the soundtrack tho!”
Charli XCX isn’t the only artist to have made predictions regarding the future of music this year. At the BRIT Awards in February 2023, David Guetta said “the future of music is in AI. For sure. There’s no doubt. But as a tool.”
Keep up to date with all things Charli XCX via charlixcx.com.
The post “Pop will be way more minimal sounding” in the future, Charli XCX predicts appeared first on MusicTech.

Scientists have reconstructed Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall by listening to people’s brain wavesScientists have successfully managed to use people’s electrical brain activity to accurately reconstruct the classic Pink Floyd song Another Brick in the Wall.
The experiment – the first time a recognisable song has been decoded from brain activity [per The Guardian] – is hoped to restore the musicality of natural speech in patients who struggle to communicate as a result of neurological conditions like stroke or ALS.

READ MORE: This new AI music generator can generate over one billion different soundtracks

29 patients were played a three-minute segment from Another Brick in the Wall, with the following brain activity recorded using electrodes placed directly on the surface of their brains as they underwent surgery for epilepsy.
AI technology was then used to take the brain scans and turn them into audible material. Though somewhat muffled, the line, “All in all, it’s just another brick in the wall” was heard, with its rhythms and melodies intact.
“It sounds a bit like they’re speaking underwater, but it’s our first shot at this,” says Professor Robert Knight, a neurologist at the University of California in Berkeley who helped conduct the study.
Knight says by using a higher density of electrodes – the team worked with an average separation of 5mm between electrodes – the results of the experiment may improve.
“Now that we know how to do this, I think if we had electrodes that were like a millimetre and a half apart, the sound quality would be much better,” he says.
Staff at the same laboratory have reportedly been able to decipher speech – and even slightly imagined words – from brain scans, but according to Knight, “in general, all of these reconstruction attempts have had a robotic quality”.
“Music, by its very nature, is emotional and prosodic – it has rhythm, stress, accent and intonation,” he continues. “It contains a much bigger spectrum of things than limited phonemes in whatever language, that could add another dimension to an implantable speech decoder.”

The post Scientists have reconstructed Pink Floyd’s Another Brick in the Wall by listening to people’s brain waves appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer’s “super portable” JT-4000 Micro synth officially launchesBudget synth manufacturer Behringer has officially launched its JT-4000 Micro synth, which you can now order with immediate shipping.
The small and portable synth is inspired by the Roland JP-8000 which launched back in 1996.

READ MORE: “We don’t pay to play”: Behringer further outlines policies on supplying free gear to reviewers

Behringer revealed that the product was officially in production back in May this year following chip shortages, and branded it as “the most powerful synth in the smallest package ever.”
The price at this time rose to an estimated $69, up from $49. It now appears that the list price has gone back down to this original listing, as announced by the brand on Facebook.

JT-4000 MICRObit.ly/BE-JT-4000MICROA super portable programmable 4-voice hybrid synth that comes with 2 analog…
Posted by Behringer on Sunday, August 13, 2023

The JT-4000 is a programmable four-voice hybrid synth that comes with two analogue modelling oscillators per voice. Behringer says it is a reproduction of the JP-8000 sound engine with a Supersaw waveform. Further than that, it also has 32 memory presets, and hosts 16 touch sensitive keys.
It has two LFOs, and 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.
Check it out in the video below:

Last month, Behringer also unveiled its Pro VS Mini which replicates the Sequential Prophet VS, a Vector synthesiser which launched in 1986 with a much larger size.
Behringer has been launched new products with a steady flow following global chip shortages which occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Behringer now works with new chip plants in the United States to facilitate manufacturing.
In March of 2022, the brand shared that it was working on over 50 products. These are continuing to be frequently launched, with more product announcements landing on its social media regularly.
Find out more and order yours via Behringer.
The post Behringer’s “super portable” JT-4000 Micro synth officially launches appeared first on MusicTech.

Tascam update Sonicview consoles’ firmware The latest firmware for the Sonicview 16 and Sonicview 24 consoles introduces some new functionality and promises to simplify the operation of both units.