Solid State Logic (SSL) SSL 80'S BundleDial it back to the '80s with these essential 1980s-inspired plug-ins from Solid State Logic - available as a bundle for a limited time only for just $49.99 (usually $519.97). Fusion Vintage Drive The Fusion Vintage Drive plug-in is a digital emulation of the Vintage Drive processor from SSL's critically acclaimed Fusion hardware. It has been designed to produce gentle harmonic saturation and soft compression reminiscent of driving vintage hardware into the analogue sweet spot, to all-out authentic analogue distortion. LMC+ The LMC+ Plug-in brings a significantly enhanced version of the classic SSL Listen Mic Compressor as originally found in the centre section of the legendary SL 4000E console to your DAW, with a range of new creative tools for artists, producers and engineers. X-Delay X-Delay has been inspired by legendary hardware processors from the 80's era of big delays, huge vocals and blazing guitar tracks. It is perfect for cavernous FX, up-front doubling and vast stereo soundscapes. And all with that SSL sound that can slap-you-back to the '80s or take you straight to 2080. Read More

How The World’s Largest Songwriting Camp WorksThis week, Ari is joined by Danny Ross, the founder of Anti Social Camp, to discuss how songwriting camps and writers’ rooms work.

SSL & Spitfire Audio announce official controller mappings SSL have teamed up with Spitfire Audio to create official SSL controller mappings for the renowned sample library maker’s Originals Intimate Strings.

The latest Google Gemma AI model can run on phonesGoogle’s family of “open” AI models, Gemma, is growing. During Google I/O 2025 on Tuesday, Google took the wraps off Gemma 3n, a model designed to run “smoothly” on phones, laptops, and tablets. Available in preview starting Tuesday, Gemma 3n can handle audio, text, images, and videos, according to Google. Models efficient enough to run […]

HYBE reportedly eyeing expansion into India – could a local acquisition be its route into the emerging market?HYBE's reported plans to expand its reach into India arrive at a time of heightened M&A activity in the market
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Steve Levine: 50 Years in the Music Industry In an evening in conversation with broadcaster, writer, performer and pop music superfan Katie Puckrik at the Liverpool Philharmonic’s Music Room facility, Steve dishes the dirt beneath the gold dust and discusses the big hits, bad behaviour and behind-the-velvet-rope studio moments throughout his career.

Justin Sun to attend Trump's dinner with memecoin backersAfter weeks of speculation among crypto enthusiasts and news outlets, Tron founder Justin Sun has claimed he owns the wallet that purchased the largest amount of Donald Trump’s memecoin, allowing him to qualify for a dinner and reception with the US president.In a May 19 X post, Sun said he had received an invitation to attend Trump’s dinner at his golf club outside Washington, DC, as part of a reward for the top 220 memecoin holders. The Tron founder claimed he controlled the top wallet on the TRUMP token leaderboard under the username “Sun,” which held roughly $19 million worth of the memecoin at a price of $13.20.According to Sun, he plans to network at the May 22 memecoin dinner, “talk crypto,” and “discuss the future” of the industry. It’s unclear why the Tron founder chose to announce his planned presence at the event now, when the leaderboard was finalized on May 12. Cointelegraph reached out to a spokesperson for Sun for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.Source: Justin SunThough not a surprise to many who speculated that Sun was the individual behind the memecoin purchases, his attendance at the dinner only deepens his ties to the Trump administration and the president’s family. In addition to the dinner for the 220 tokenholders, Trump said he would hold a reception and “VIP tour” for the top 25 wallets on the leaderboard.Related: What to expect at Trump’s memecoin dinnerSun spent $75 million on tokens through World Liberty Financial, the crypto platform backed by Trump’s three sons, including a $30 million investment a few weeks after the 2024 election. The Tron founder is also an adviser to the company.Before Trump won the November election, Sun had been facing a lawsuit from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed in 2023 over the alleged “orchestration of the unregistered offer and sale, manipulative trading, and unlawful touting of crypto asset securities.” In February, roughly a month after Trump took office and appointed Commissioner Mark Uyeda as acting chair of the SEC, the regulator and Sun jointly filed a motion for a federal judge to stay the case, which was granted.Memecoin’s potential conflicts of interest are affecting CongressSun’s and others’ involvement in Trump’s crypto ventures has prompted calls for investigations and oversight among many Democratic lawmakers, who argued that some individuals could use digital assets to essentially purchase influence with the president. The concerns initially slowed progress on a bill to regulate stablecoins in the Senate, the GENIUS Act, complicated by World Liberty Financial’s own stablecoin, USD1. The chamber voted to move forward on the bill on May 19, a few hours before Sun’s announcement.“How convenient: the day after the Senate advances the GENIUS Act, Justin Sun — a major investor in the Trump family crypto venture — announces he’s getting a private dinner as the president’s top crypto buyer,” said Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, according to Bloomberg. “It’s critical that everyone understands the GENIUS Act doesn’t stop this type of corruption — it greenlights it.”At a May 20 oversight hearing, Maryland Representative Glenn Ivey questioned SEC Chair Paul Atkins on Sun’s case being stayed, as well as his investments in World Liberty Financial and Trump’s memecoin. Though the case was stayed before Atkins was sworn in as chair, Ivey expressed concern about the timeline between Sun’s investments and the SEC not pursuing its own enforcement action.The memecoin dinner applicants are likely still subject to background checks before meeting Trump in person. As of May 20, those planning to attend included Kronos Research chief investment officer Vincent Liu, Hyperithm co-CEO Oh Sangrok, Synthetix founder Kain Warwick, a consultant named Vincent Deriu, crypto user Morten Christensen, a World Liberty Financial adviser going by the pseudonym “Ogle,” and a representative from the startup MemeCore.Magazine: Trump’s crypto ventures raise conflict of interest, insider trading questions

Stylus Synth Should Have Used a 555– and Did!For all that “should have used a 555” is a bit of a meme around here, there’s some truth to it. The humble 555 is a wonderful tool in the right hands. That’s why it’s wonderful to see this all-analog stylus synth project by EE student [DarcyJ] bringing the 555 out for the new generation.
The project is heavily inspired by the vintage stylophone, but has some neat tweaks. A capacitor bank means multiple octaves are available, and using a ladder of trim pots instead of fixed resistors makes every note tunable. [Darcy] of course included the vibrato function of the original, and yes, he used a 555 for that, too. He put a trim pot on that, too, to control the depth of vibrato, which we don’t recall seeing on the original stylophone.
The writeup is very high quality and could be recommended to anyone just getting started in analog (or analogue) electronics– not only does [Darcy] explain his design process, he also shows his pratfalls and mistakes, like in the various revisions he went through before discovering the push-pull amplifier that ultimately powers the speaker.
Since each circuit is separately laid out and indicated on the PCB [Darcy] designed in KiCad for this project. Between that and everything being thru-hole, it seems like [Darcy] has the makings of a lovely training kit. If you’re interested in rolling your own, the files are on GitHub under a CERN-OHL-S v2 license,  and don’t forget to check out the demo video embedded below to hear it in action.
Of course, making music on the 555 is hardly a new hack. We’ve seen everything from accordions to paper-tape player pianos to squonkboxes over the years. Got another use for the 555? Let us know about it, in the inevitable shill for our tip line you all knew was coming.

JUTES SIGNS GLOBAL RECORD DEAL WITH POSITION MUSICPosition Music, the Los Angeles-based independent powerhouse known for blurring the lines between record label, music publisher, and management firm, has officially added rising alt-rock artist Jutes to its roster. The announcement comes via Tyler Bacon, President and CEO of Position Music, and marks a new chapter for the Canadian-born, L.A.-based musician whose career has been anything but conventional.Founded in 1999, Position Music has grown into a global force, distributing through Virgin Music and working with an eclectic range of artists like Cannons, Tinashe, NoMBe, Kyle Dion, and Fantastic Negrito. As noted in a statement from the company, Position is “redefining what it means to be a music company,” and with their Billboard Hot 100 publishing rank of No. 7 in Q3 2024, the numbers seem to agree.Jutes is joining the label at a pivotal moment. After early success blending trap with pop-punk and releasing music through Capitol Records, he shifted stylistically toward darker, more cinematic rock. His 2023 grunge-inspired album Ladybug hinted at that change, but it was 2024’s Sleepyhead LP that cemented him as a rising voice in the alt-rock scene. The album’s title track became his first song to chart on both Billboard and Mediabase, peaking at #23, and helped push his total global streams past the 85 million mark.Now, in 2025, Jutes shows no signs of slowing. Recent singles like “Red Velvet” with Ari Abdul, “House of Cards,” and “SMUT” are gaining traction, and his debut U.S. headline tour recently sold out. He’s also slated to appear at both the East and West Coast Warped Tours later this year.“Jutes is a generational artist with a clear vision and an unparalleled work ethic,” says Mike Maloian of 25/7 Management, who represents the artist. “Position has built a business and team that I believe is perfect for building on the success of this project. It has been a blessing to have everyone on the team add such an immense amount of value from day one, and we couldn't be more excited for what’s to come.”That enthusiasm is echoed by Joe Brooks, A&R at Position Music, who shares, “Jutes has experienced a meteoric rise over the past year, an achievement that reflects more than a decade of hard work. I love this man's music, his journey, and the artist he’s become. He is one of the most exciting performers out there, and I’m beyond thrilled that his music is now on the Position roster.”The first release under this new deal, “Left on Dilworth,” arrives May 21—a signal that Jutes is continuing to evolve and expand his sound under new creative support. If his recent track record is any indication, this partnership with Position Music may be his most impactful move yet.The post JUTES SIGNS GLOBAL RECORD DEAL WITH POSITION MUSIC first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Strange Audio DSP releases FREE maniFold Σ experimental microlooper
Strange Audio DSP released maniFold Σ, an interesting micro looper and delay unit that can create anything from rhythmical textures to ethereal washed-out sonic landscapes. It employs eight independent playheads with a 5-second audio buffer with randomized position, length, panning, and an optional octave function. You can also lock the buffer to create a looping [...]
View post: Strange Audio DSP releases FREE maniFold Σ experimental microlooper

Calvin Harris refutes claims that his new song Blessings plagiarises a particular 1996 trance track: “So far I’m not hearing it”Calvin Harris has just scored his 45th Top 10 hit in the UK with his new track, Blessings. With its thumping dance beat and bright vocal performance from Clementine Douglas, it’s a summer-ready anthem – and it’s inspired, in part, by Grateful Dead.
In a new Instagram video, the Scottish DJ explains how Blessings’ foundational riff exists thanks to his obsession with Grateful Dead. Last summer, he hunted down the guitars and bass guitars used by the rock group, and he’s been using them to aid his creative process.
“I became obsessed with the Grateful Dead, and I bought this guitar,” he explains, picking up a Martin D-28. “It was [Jerry Garcia]’s favourite guitar, apparently, for rhythm stuff.”

READ MORE: My Forever Studio: TOKiMONSTA nabs a historic synth

In terms of recording, he set up three equally spaced-out mics. “I’ve got the condenser in the middle, and then these two for a nice stereo pair,” he says. “Then I sat in [a] chair, and I recorded!”

He humbly notes that he’s “not the best player, let’s be honest”, and that he “sounds like shit” on guitar, so he instead tends to record “one note at a time”. But he makes up for his lack of guitar skill with energy, re-enacting how he plotted out the song’s rhythm with a “bam, bam, bam!”

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A post shared by Calvin Harris (@calvinharris)

He then digs into the tech side. Drawing up his DAW, Harris shows a “very basic” chain, noting the boosts, highs and smack attack. “Get slapping!” he cries, before hitting play.
The decision to showcase the process behind his new track could be a jab at producer Nick Bracegirdle, who claims that Blessings sounds similar to his 1996 trance track, Offshore.
As Bracegirdle highlights the alleged plagiarism on Logic Pro, he explains: “I am defending my copyright and my intellectual property here guys and I’d like to know what your comments are.”

@nickchicane
Copyright Alert feel free to share the truth & facts laid out here.
♬ original sound – nickchicane

Harris’s response? The DJ wasn’t too pleased. He disproved the claim in a TikTok response, laughingly calling the producer a “stupid bastard”.
In the TikTok, Harris tries to line up the two tracks, pitch-shifting and looping certain parts to find the similarities. “OK, so far I’m not hearing it,” he says as he hunts to find the supposed plagiarism.
Harris even counters Bracegirdle’s claim by pointing out Offshore’s similarities to an even older track. In his opinion, Tangerine Dream’s 1984 track, Love On A Real Train, sounds even more similar to Offshore.

@calvinharris
Response to the people calling me a plagiarist over the last couple of days after that guys video, all the best x
♬ Blessings – Calvin Harris & Clementine Douglas

The post Calvin Harris refutes claims that his new song Blessings plagiarises a particular 1996 trance track: “So far I’m not hearing it” appeared first on MusicTech.

Fender Fender StudioFender Studio is a comprehensive and intuitive music creation application designed to empower musicians of all skill levels, from aspiring beginners to seasoned professionals. Developed by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, this versatile tool provides a seamless platform for capturing musical inspiration wherever and whenever it strikes. With its user-friendly interface, Fender Studio simplifies the recording process, making it accessible to anyone looking to record, jam, or create. Users can easily connect their guitar or bass via a Fender Link I/O or other compatible audio interface, choose from a selection of pre-loaded Jam Tracks, and immediately begin playing or recording their ideas. At the core of Fender Studio lies an extensive library of authentic Fender tones, featuring a diverse array of guitar and bass presets. These presets are complemented by intuitive tone-shaping tools, allowing users to sculpt their ideal sound with precision and ease. Beyond just recording, Fender Studio offers robust editing and mixing capabilities, including essential effects like Compression, EQ, Reverb, and Delay. Additionally, creative vocal effects such as De-Tuner, Transformer, and Vocoder are available, expanding the scope of what can be achieved within the application. A key advantage of Fender Studio is its broad compatibility, offering full support across iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms, making it a truly universal solution for music creation – all completely free of charge. The application is designed to inspire creativity, featuring professionally-recorded, remixable Jam Tracks that span various genres from pop ballads to heavy metal. These tracks are not just backing loops; they are interactive multitracks that users can transpose, mute, solo, speed up, or slow down, with new songs continually added to keep inspiration flowing. Upon initial download, Fender Studio provides a foundational set of tools, including models of the '65 Twin Reverb guitar amp and Rumble 800 v.3 bass amp, along with five essential FX pedals. Registering Fender Studio for free with a Fender Connect account unlocks even more creative potential, adding eight more tracks, six additional amp models (including the '59 Bassman and Super-Sonic), and six more effects, significantly expanding the user's sonic palette. Features: One-Tap Recording: Facilitates quick and easy recording without complex setup procedures, allowing immediate capture of musical ideas. Authentic Fender Tones: Access a wide variety of genuine Fender guitar and bass presets, along with intuitive tone-shaping tools for precise sound customization. Remixable Jam Tracks: Play along to professionally-recorded multitracks across diverse genres. Users can transpose, mute, solo, speed up, or slow down tracks, with new content regularly added. Comprehensive Editing & Mixing: Tools for refining tracks, including Compression, EQ, Reverb, and Delay. Creative Vocal Effects: Incorporate unique vocal processing with effects such as De-Tuner, Vocoder, Ring Modulator, and Transformer. Integrated Tuner: A built-in tuner ensures instruments are perfectly in tune for recording and practice. Expandable Track Count: Start with 8 tracks, with an additional 8 tracks unlocked upon free registration with a Fender Connect account. Included Amp Models (Initial Download): '65 Twin Reverb guitar amp model. Rumble 800 v.3 bass amp model. Included FX Pedals (Initial Download): Overdrive. Sine Chorus. Mono Delay. Small Room Reverb. Modern Bass OD. Additional Amp Models (Upon Free Registration): '59 Bassman. Bassbreaker 15 Medium Gain. Super-Sonic. Redhead. Tube Preamp. Mustang Series Guitar Amplifier (general model). Rumble Series Bass Amplifier (general model). Additional FX Pedals (Upon Free Registration): VariFuzz. Vintage Tremolo. Stereo Tape Delay. Small Hall Reverb. Triangle Flanger. Simple Comp. Session View: Arranger Track for structuring songs. Global Transpose for key changes. Global key and time signature settings. Ruler format options (bars / seconds). Arrangement Overview for navigation. Customizable track names, inputs, icons, and colors. Add / Remove / Duplicate Track functionality. Pinch zoom for detailed view. Drag and drop events within the arrangement. Recording and Playback: Input monitoring for real-time sound preview. Metronome for rhythmic guidance. Loop functionality for repetitive practice or recording. Automatic detection of audio interfaces. Time stretching and Pitch shifting for flexible audio manipulation. Event Editor: Split and Trim events. Fade-in / out controls. Adjust Gain and Normalize audio. Speedup and Transpose audio events. Set File Tempo for imported audio. Mixer Functions: Mute and Solo individual tracks. Pan controls for stereo imaging. FX Sends for routing audio to effects. Document Management: List, view by date, search, and delete documents. Open system browser for file management. Quickstart Jam and Record buttons. Import audio files into sessions. Export sessions in DAWproject format or as an audio mixdown. Cross-Platform Availability: Seamlessly operates on iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux devices. Multi-Language Support: Available in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, and Simplified Chinese. YouTube/a9FE2Wr-YRg Read More

Spotify Fresh Finds playlists drive new fans to Indie ArtistsSpotify is marking the 10th Anniversary if its indie focused Spotify Fresh Finds playlists with some stats that show just how important this cluster of genre specific playlists is for new artists.
The post Spotify Fresh Finds playlists drive new fans to Indie Artists appeared first on Hypebot.

Can Indie Artists Still Afford to Tour?Can indie artists still afford to tour? Going on the road might look fun, but for most independent artists, it’s a financial gamble they can’t afford to lose. Discover why so many are saying no to the road, and how you can tour smarter without going broke.
The post Can Indie Artists Still Afford to Tour? appeared first on Hypebot.

Iconic guitar amp brand Marshall enters the soundbar game with the Heston 120Marshall has made its long-anticipated entrance into the home audio space with the launch of the Heston 120.
As the brand’s first-ever soundbar, the Heston 120 aims to do more than just pump up your Netflix marathons. It’s designed to deliver a “colossal audio experience for both TV and music,” blending Dolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial sound with Marshall’s signature analogue flair.

READ MORE: This soundbar optimises sound specifically for where you’re sitting in a room

“We know that soundbar owners use their soundbar to listen to music, yet most soundbars are not built for both music and TV,” says Anders Olsson, Senior Product Manager at Marshall Group. “This gave us a reason to exist and an opportunity to really shine with our legacy in music and audio.”
Inside, the Heston 120 features 11 drivers firing in multiple directions to bounce sound across the room. The result? Deep, rumbling, lifelike bass, clearer dialogue, and a more expansive soundstage whether you’re watching a blockbuster or spinning a playlist.
Boasting HDMI eARC, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE Audio with Auracast, and even RCA inputs, the Heston 120 is future-proofed for just about any setup. It integrates directly with Spotify, Tidal, and internet radio stations – with presets available via the tactile knobs or the new Marshall app, which now includes room calibration to help you find the perfect acoustic fit for any space. The soundbar also comes with a range of different sound modes to fit the moment, including Music, Movie, Night and Voice modes.
Credit: Marshall
“We spent hundreds of hours fine tuning Heston 120,” adds Ed Camphor, Audio Technology and Tuning Lead at Marshall Group. “It was important to us that we spent equal time and effort on both TV and music, not one over the other. Everything inside is tailored and engineered to have very specific roles to give you an optimal audio experience.”
True to its roots, Heston 120 is dressed in wrapped leather trims, knurled metal knobs (for bass and treble tuning), and a brushed metal panel, all nodding to Marshall’s iconic amp heritage. It’s also built to last, featuring repairable and replaceable parts, including the fret, end caps, and the drivers and circuit boards.
To celebrate the launch, Marshall has partnered with MTV Cribs for a new special starring Dan and Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, with a cameo from alt-rock duo Nova Twins. The episode, streaming now, offers a look inside the band’s eccentric home, The Hawk’s Nest, with Marshall sound taking center stage.
The Heston 120 is available for pre-order now for £899.99 at Marshall’s website, with general availability starting 3 June and select retailers getting stock from 16 September. More models in Marshall’s new TV sound range, including the Heston 60 and Heston Sub 200, are expected to launch later this year.
The post Iconic guitar amp brand Marshall enters the soundbar game with the Heston 120 appeared first on MusicTech.