Heritage Audio transforms its Tubesessor Optical Tube Compressor into plugin formBack in 2022, Heritage Audio released its Tubesessor Optical Tube Compressor, a reimagined take on the classic optical compressor. The hardware harnessed a vintage sound and pushed it into a modern realm – and now, three years on, its been transformed into a handy, versatile plugin.
The Tubesessor Optical Tube Compressor plugin allows for “crystal-clear opto-compression” from the comfort of your DAW. Just like the physical tech, the plugin allows you to toy with sounds reminiscent of the Raytheon double triode tube, enabling you to capture subtle warmth or a full-blown clamour of fuzzy, tube-driven grit.

READ MORE: Shadow Hills OptoMax turns the prized optical section of the popular Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor into its own dedicated plugin

The plugin also has five internal side-chain filtering options, allowing for even more fuzzy experimentation. Whether you’re fiddling with your guitar, bass, drums or vocals, you can unmask sounds to add a little extra space and groove to your tracks.
In terms of controls, the plugin allows you to tweak input gain, ratio, attack, tube saturation, threshhold and more. There are also SC filter options to tweak how sensitive the Tubesessor plugin is to certain frequencies, as well as the ability to flick between different attack/release settings.
The plugin is supported on Mac and PC, as well as being compatible with all major DAWs, including Ableton Live, Pro Tools, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase, Studio One, and more.
In terms of price, the Tubesessor Optical Tube Compressor is available for $99, with the option of trialing it out for 14 days totally free. There’s also an option to redeem a free Tubesessor Native lifetime license if you’re a pre-existing i73 PRO owner.
Tubesessor Optical Tube Compressor is available now. However, if you already own the i73 PRO, head to Heritage Audio to claim your free license.
The post Heritage Audio transforms its Tubesessor Optical Tube Compressor into plugin form appeared first on MusicTech.

How EVEN’s Direct-to-Fan Platform WorksEVEN’s artist empowerment platform offers a direct-to-fan tool with daily payouts so artists can develop and monetize fan relationships.
The post How EVEN’s Direct-to-Fan Platform Works appeared first on Hypebot.

From Taylor Swift’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ to Spotify’s leadership shakeup… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past few days – all in one place
Source

Robot Rocket might be the closest you can get to a Daft Punk-style vocoder sound without a DigiTech TalkerWhen you think of artists synonymous with the vocoder, few spring to mind quite like Daft Punk. The Robots – Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo – employed the technology across their catalogue of hits, and can be heard on Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger, One More Time and Get Lucky, to name a few.
Fundamentally, a vocoder is a device which takes human voice input and uses it to control a separate signal, usually from a synthesizer. While Daft Punk used an array of vocoders across their catalogue, the DigiTech Talker was one of them.

READ MORE: “Never thought I’d be saying this, but thank you Fortnite”: Daft Punk fans hail “closure” with Fortnite collab

Now out of production, genuine DigiTech Talker units command a hefty price on the second-hand market, but thanks to a new plugin from fledgling app brand Bjango, you can now harness a similar vocoder sound for a fraction of the price.
Robot Rocket is a new plugin which “delivers the distinctive sound of a classic 90s vocoder”, and Bjango says it “captures the sound” of the original Talker.

The plugin has two distinct modes: Retro and Modern. Retro has three settings: TalkBox, “probably the sound you’ve heard the most”; NuVo, which increases intelligibility by letting more sibilant sounds pass through; and TazMania, which replaces the synth input with white noise, “which sounds like robotic whispering”.
Modern mode, on the other hand, offers users more controls to “push Robot Rocket into new soundscapes”, with a quality setting which can be adjusted to sound smoother and more intelligible.
There’s also a shift control for pitch-shifting the voice input, as well as low and high pass buttons which have been “carefully tuned” to match the original Talker.
To help keep your vocals intelligible even while sounding like a robot, Robot Rocket has a voiced vs unvoiced detection option, which means it automatically “switches between the synth output and white noise for sibilant sounds”, injecting white noise when it picks up on any “S” and “T” sounds in your vocal lines.
Robot Rocket is available now as an Audio Unit 3 plugin, and is priced at launch at $29, until 12 October, when it’ll rise to $39. There’s also a 30-day free trial, so you can use it for a few weeks before making up your mind.
For more information, head to Bjango.
The post Robot Rocket might be the closest you can get to a Daft Punk-style vocoder sound without a DigiTech Talker appeared first on MusicTech.

Splice Instrument is the new home of Spitfire Audio’s LABS
Splice releases Instrument, a free virtual instrument that is the new home for Spitfire Audio LABS. Spitfire Audio’s LABS has gone from being the people’s champion to a topic of much contention in recent times. The once seemingly universally adored LABS, a regular source of outstanding free instruments, generated a massive shift in public opinion [...]
View post: Splice Instrument is the new home of Spitfire Audio’s LABS

Synth Picnic pop-up events With more and more traditional music retailers closing their doors, and online-only sales dominating the music industry, Molten Music Technology founder and SOS contributor Robin Vincent has taken it upon himself to offer an alternative solution.

AmateurTools releases Plucks, a FREE and open-source plucking synth plugin
Plucks is the latest release from AmateurTools, and one that delivers a welcome dose of nostalgia for old-school Fruity Loops fans. Fruity Loops users might recall Image-Line’s Plucked!, a physical modeling synth that utilizes mathematical formulas to simulate the sound of a real string being plucked. AmateurTools’ take on this Fruity Loops classic is a [...]
View post: AmateurTools releases Plucks, a FREE and open-source plucking synth plugin

Want to play your reverb like an instrument? Temperance Lite, the world’s first “musical reverb” plugin by Eventide gives you ultimate control over every noteEventide Audio has launched Temperance Lite, a groundbreaking plugin that introduces what it calls the world’s first “musical reverb”.
Unlike traditional algorithmic or convolution reverbs, Temperance Lite lets you control reverb resonances using the familiar 12-note chromatic scale. Users can choose which notes bloom or fade within a space, giving them unprecedented tonal control over reverb.

READ MORE: Best reverb plugins 2025: Our favourite free and paid-for reverb plugins

Temperance Lite employs modal reverb technology, a decades-old concept previously impossible to run in real time due to computational demands. Now, using modern processing power, the plugin gives each frequency its own “tuning fork,” from deep 20 Hz rumbles to shimmering 20 kHz highs. Users can adjust the loudness and decay of each note, effectively shaping the musical character of a space.
Key features include the Temper Knob, which emphasises or de-emphasises specific notes, and three world-class spaces:

Bright Room – based on the SP2016 reverb, ideal for vocals, instruments, and drums.
Large Studio – recreated with input from acoustics pioneer Dr. Ralph Kessler.
Synthetic Space – entirely in-house, showing off the creative potential of modal reverb.

The NoteScape Visualiser provides a real-time display of sustained and decaying notes, visually mapping the musicality of the reverb. The plugin also comes with 15 factory presets including 5 Tutorial presets to get you started, along with range sliders to isolate specific frequency bands.
“I’ve been dreaming of a musical reverb for 40 years,” says Eventide engineer Tony Agnello. “In 1985, I met Isaak Vigdorchik, who believed that Cremona violins’ plates were sanded to ring out at the 12 notes of the musical scale. Isaak said, ‘Anthony, the notes are in the wood!’ Years earlier I had developed the SP2016’s reverb algorithms and, with reverb still on my mind, I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if the notes were in the room?’ But that would require modeling a room in exquisite detail and the processing power required might never be attainable.”
“Now the processing power is at hand,” Agnello adds. “Eventide’s passionate and brilliant developers have made my dream come true. Now, for the first time, any space, real or imagined, can be crafted with the artist’s musical intent.”
Temperance Lite is free to download from Eventide Audio until December 31, 2025, and is compatible with 64-bit AAX, AU, and VST3 on macOS 10.14+ and Windows 10+, requiring at least an SSE 4.2 processor on Windows.

Learn more at Eventide Audio.
The post Want to play your reverb like an instrument? Temperance Lite, the world’s first “musical reverb” plugin by Eventide gives you ultimate control over every note appeared first on MusicTech.

New York State senator proposes tax on crypto mining energy useThe legislative proposal introduces a tiered tax system for energy used by crypto miners in New York, charged by kilowatt-hour used.

Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill to Release Videos Filmed at The Cutting Room, NYCOn Thursday, Vicki Peterson and John Cowsill announced the release of "three live videos, filmed at The Cutting Room in NYC in May 2025. Out today is the first video, 'A Thousand Times,' followed by 'Come to Me' (Oct 9th) and lastly, 'Is Anybody Here?' (Oct 14th)

"The three songs are live versions of tracks off their critically lauded debut album, Long After The Fire, produced and engineered by Paul Allen," a statement reads. "The album comprises songs written by John's late brothers, Barry and Bill Cowsill. It's a love letter of sorts and a beautiful one at that."

"Vicki Peterson of The Bangles (whose work includes #1 hit 'Walk Like An Egyptian' and several other Top 10 songs, such as 'Eternal Flame,' which is the biggest single by an all-female band in history) teams up with John Cowsill, drummer/vocalist for The Beach Boys for over 23 years and original member of the platinum-selling family band, The Cowsills, to lovingly present their debut Americana album comprised of songs written by John's late brothers, Barry and Bill Cowsill titled, Long After The Fire."

See the first video here:

Photo by Pamela SpringsteenThe post Vicki Peterson & John Cowsill to Release Videos Filmed at The Cutting Room, NYC first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Building A Desk Display For Time And Weather DataJust about every laptop, desktop, and smartphone in your life can tell you the date, time, and current weather predictions. However, sometimes it’s nice to have simple data displayed on a bespoke device. That’s what inspired [Mario] to create ESPTimeCast. 
As you might have guessed by the name, the project is designed around the ESP32 and ESP8266 microcontrollers; either one is up to the task of running the show here. Both come with Wi-Fi connectivity out of the box, which makes it easy for them to hook up to the Internet to query NTP servers for the time and weather data from OpenWeatherMap. The data is then displayed on an LED matrix display, made up of four 8×8 LED modules and driven with the aid of the MAX7219 IC. Configuration is handled over a simple web interface hosted on the device itself. All the parts are wrapped up in a 3D-printed housing that would be very fitting in any home that appreciates the magic of late 60s/early 70s decor.
Hackers love building clocks, weather stations, and other useful information displays. We’ve seen a great many examples over the years. If you’re cooking up your own neat project in this area, don’t hesitate to let us know!

Department of Energy cancels $7.5B of clean energy projects in mostly blue statesThe Trump administration canceled over 300 awards related to clean energy on October 1. The states most affected by the cuts voted for Democrat presidential candidate Kamala Harris.

Native Instruments Middle EastNI's Discovery Series: Middle East is an evocative virtual instrument library that offers a wide-ranging collection of percussive, melodic, and stringed instruments drawn from the rich musical traditions of Arabic, Turkish, and Persian cultures. As part of Native Instruments' Spotlight Collection, this Kontakt-based library is designed to allow composers and producers to easily infuse their tracks with authentic regional flavors, whether for traditional soundscapes, film scores, or contemporary music. The library features 25 meticulously sampled instruments, including both solo instruments and ensembles. The percussive section is particularly diverse, containing a variety of goblet and frame drums like the darbuka, riq, and tombak, along with small kettle drums and finger cymbals. The melodic section includes iconic instruments such as the oud, kanun (a Turkish zither), ney (a long end-blown flute), and zurna (a medium-sized oboe), each captured in precise detail. A special highlight is the inclusion of a string ensemble from Istanbul, providing a beautiful and authentic bowed string texture. Beyond the raw sound, Discovery Series: Middle East excels in its playability and creative control. For melodic instruments, the interface provides access to a selection of authentic scales and editable phrases, making it simple to create traditional melodies. The percussion instruments come with a variety of customizable patterns and grooves, which can be fine-tuned and even dragged and dropped into your DAW as MIDI files for deeper editing. The seamless integration with Native Instruments' Komplete Kontrol hardware further streamlines the workflow, making this a powerful and intuitive tool for adding unique textures and rhythms to any production. Features: Extensive Instrument Collection: Includes 25 characteristic instruments from Arabic, Turkish, and Persian traditions. Diverse Percussion: Features a wide range of goblet and frame drums (darbuka, riq, tombak, bendir, etc.) and other unique percussion instruments. Authentic Melodic Instruments: Provides access to a selection of iconic instruments like the oud, kanun, ney, zurna, and various saz models. String Ensemble: A dedicated Kontakt instrument featuring a string group of violins, viola, and cello from Istanbul. Phrase and Pattern Sequencer: Comes with a library of customizable melodic phrases and rhythmic patterns that can be easily edited or exported as MIDI files. Authentic Scales: Melodic instruments feature a selection of authentic Middle Eastern scales to ensure true-to-life performances. Ensemble Instruments: Instruments are available individually as well as in stylized ensembles that contain a combination of complementary sounds. User-Friendly Interface: An intuitive interface simplifies sound customization and makes it easy to navigate through the library's various features. NKS-Ready: Full integration with Komplete Kontrol and Maschine hardware for a seamless, hardware-based workflow. https://youtu.be/RaY-Jdhkc_g?si=mRDnQEwr1SZsp5EL Read More

Get Beatsurfing’s Random or 7DeadlySnares FREE with any purchase at Plugin Boutique
Plugin Boutique is a constant source of epic discounts, and the monthly “free with any purchase” promotions are often the icing on the cake. Their latest offer is Beatsurfing’s Random or 7DeadlySnares for free with any purchase at Plugin Boutique. There’s nothing better than planning to buy a plugin or bundle, finding a great price [...]
View post: Get Beatsurfing’s Random or 7DeadlySnares FREE with any purchase at Plugin Boutique

Top European music lawyer dismisses UMG/Downtown data concerns as ‘fantasy or paranoia’One of France's top music industry lawyers has dismissed concerns that UMG might misuse indie label data through its proposed $775m acquisition of Downtown
Source