“It let us play the music of an imaginary future”: Why Hans Zimmer worked with the Expressive E Osmose on Dune 2Hans Zimmer has shared why he chose to work with Expressive E’s Osmose synth on the Dune: Part Two soundtrack in a mini documentary.
In Behind the Music of Dune 2 : Hans Zimmer x Osmose, shared to Expressive E’s YouTube channel, Zimmer explained his vision for the film’s score, and described how the synth helped to create a futuristic soundtrack that weaved together a mix of cultures.

READ MORE: Expressive E Osmose takes keyboards to “level nobody thought possible”, says Jordan Rudess

For those unfamiliar, the Osmose resembles a traditional digital keyboard, but is described as “a next-generation instrument” by Expressive E. Every gesture played on the Osmose – whether pressing or moving laterally – alters sound “with unmatched precision”, making it akin to a voice or acoustic instrument, allowing musicians to shape pitch, volume, intensity, and vibrato much more expressively.
Speaking in the documentary, Zimmer reveals that he wanted to go beyond a stereotypical orchestral score. He says, “Science fiction movies, other than I suppose Blade Runner, were always in a Galaxy far away, and then you hear the orchestra and you go, ‘Really? In the future we’re still going to be doing this? Why can’t we believe that there will be new instruments, there will be new sonic textures? Why can’t we go and invent new things that don’t remind us in a peculiar way of the past?’
“So rather than doing an orchestral score, ultimately what we did was we made a score of a band of virtuosos, a small group of the people who were the best in the world at what they do,” he states. “The other thing which I really do like about the band is that everybody brings a little bit of their culture to it, and because now it’s a mishmash of culture, when you write something which is futuristic it is like that’s what happened, you know? The cultures all got muddled up a little bit so it actually helps in the expressiveness of the music.”

As part of his quest for unique sounds, Zimmer started experimenting with the Osmose. Soon after, he said he wanted to track down five more to continue building the score. He goes on to add, “When you play a note on a piano, basically it goes ‘plonk’, and it dies out. What [Expressive E has] done is when you touch the keyboard, it knows you’re already touching the keyboard.
“Within that travel of that key, the sound can change completely, and then of course the one thing every keyboard player wants to do is what a violinist can do or guitarist can do, is have vibrato. So you can go and wobble your keys left to right, and you literally can transform a sound completely… It let us play the music of an imaginary future,” he says.
You can view the full documentary below:

Dune 2 is out now. Find out more about the Osmose via Expressive E.
The post “It let us play the music of an imaginary future”: Why Hans Zimmer worked with the Expressive E Osmose on Dune 2 appeared first on MusicTech.

“The production is a little distracting. It’s a bit slick” Early Nirvana producer on his “least favourite” record from the bandJack Endino, the producer behind Nirvana’s debut album Bleach, has opened up about his “least favourite” record from the band.
While fans often cite Nevermind or In Utero as their top picks — albums that propelled Nirvana into mainstream success — the former gets the least love from Endino due to how ‘polished’ it sounds.

READ MORE: “Some of the things that age most quickly are electronic drums”: FINNEAS on making Billie Eilish’s Birds of a Feather sound “timeless”

“It’s probably my least favorite Nirvana record to listen to because, for my ears, the production is a little distracting,” says Endino of the Butch Vig-produced follow-up to 1989’s Bleach [via Ultimate Guitar].
“It’s like there’s a barrier between me and the band,” he explains. “And I don’t feel that barrier so much with In Utero. Steve Albini’s sonic choices are there clearly in how things were miked and recorded and mixed, but it still sounds like a band playing in a room. And Nevermind sounds a little bit like a production to me. It’s a bit slick.”
Despite his reservations about the production style of Nevermind, Endino acknowledges its impact: “But you can’t argue with something that sounds that amazing on the radio,” he says. “It was the right production for that music, for that time, to get the result that it got, which was to sell a zillion copies. But just personally, I like hearing the live recordings of them doing those songs, because that’s the band I remember.”
Nevermind has since sold more than 30 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time.

Elsewhere in the chat, Endino also shares how he’d sensed Nirvana’s potential while he was working on Bleach and liked the band enough to that “it occurred to me that if they ever needed a second guitar player, I should probably, like, raise my hand.”
The post “The production is a little distracting. It’s a bit slick” Early Nirvana producer on his “least favourite” record from the band appeared first on MusicTech.

PSP Chamber & EasyVerb plug-ins from PSPaudioware PSP Chamber features a single algorithm that’s been designed to emulate the acoustics of a variety of physical spaces, while PSP EasyVerb comes loaded with nine additional algorithms that cater to a wider range of creative needs. 

Brian Eno, Jamie xx and more to host shows on Apple Music, as it launches three new stationsApple Music has launched three new radio stations, Apple Música Uno, Apple Music Club, and Apple Music Chill, which sit alongside existing stations Apple Music 1, Apple Music Hits and Apple Music Country.
All three new stations feature live hosts, with the likes of Becky G hosting some of Apple Música Uno’s Latin-centric programming and electro icon Brian Eno hosting an ambient show on Apple Music Chill.

READ MORE: Behringer invokes ’80s nostalgia with its new Wave synth

Meanwhile, Apple Music Club will be a 24/7 dance party, with a wide range of dance and electronic music hosted by Tim Sweeney and NAINA. Honey Dijon, Jamie xx, FKA twigs and more will also host exclusive shows.
“My show is a series of recordings taken from The Floor, a club that I opened for 10 days in London in May 2024,” Jamie xx explains. “I invited all my friends and collaborators down to play sets alongside me. Some of my favourite DJs and artists appear in these sets, so I’m very grateful to them, and I’m so glad to be able to have all these sets here in one place for listeners on Apple Music.”
Apple Música Uno honours a range of Latin talent across the globe. Alongside Becky G, Puerto Rican rapper Rauw Alejandro and Mexican-American unit Grupo Frontera are hosting their own shows. Daily hosts Evelyn Sicairos and Lechero are on permanent duty, with Sicairos having her own La Oficial Radio, and Lechero hosting ¡Dale Play! Radio.
“I feel incredibly honoured to have my own Apple Music radio show and be the voice of Apple Música Uno, where I can curate some of my favourite tracks and share my experiences with my fans,” Becky G says.
“Growing up, I used to watch and listen to music programmes that inspired me so much… I can’t believe I get to have my own show and hopefully inspire others in the same way,” she continues.

Finally, Apple Music Chill offers a place of solace for those wanting to wind down. The ambient and calming curation aims to be a sonic “sanctuary” where listeners can “feel at ease.” Brian Eno, Stephen Moccio and Zane Lowe will also host shows for the station.
“All my listening life I’ve been drawn to the slower, quieter, more mysterious end of the musical spectrum,” Eno says. “My radio show gives me the chance to share with others some of the things I’ve found there.”
Listeners can tune in for free on Apple Music Radio – a subscription to Apple Music isn’t required.
The post Brian Eno, Jamie xx and more to host shows on Apple Music, as it launches three new stations appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer invokes ’80s nostalgia with its new Wave synthBehringer has officially released the Wave Synthesizer, a clone of the iconic PPG Wave hybrid synthesizer from the 1980s. This long-awaited instrument, which has been four years in development, is now available for $599, and promises to bring the legendary sound of the original PPG Wave to modern musicians.

READ MORE: “No other company delivers as many innovative and affordable products as we do”: Behringer hits back at “vapourware” critics following NAMM 2025 announcement

Behringer’s new synth is designed to replicate the unique architecture of the PPG Wave 2.2 and 2.3, which are groundbreaking instruments known for their wavetable synthesis capabilities. Notable artists who used the original PPG Wave include Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Rush, Gary Numan, and electronica pioneers Tangerine Dream.
The Wave is an 8-voice multi-timbral hybrid synth equipped with 16 digital oscillators, each of which can draw from 30 original factory wavetables. It hosts 64 user-defined wavetables, each containing 64 waveforms, along with 32 user-defined transients. Users can easily import their own wavetables and transients via the SynthTribe app, available on both macOS and Windows.
Capable of classic 8 or 16-bit resolution wavetable synthesis, the sound of Wave is synonymous with the sound of the 80s, says Behringer. Its oscillators run through a 24db low-pass analogue filter, and the synth features two ADSR envelopes, an additional AD envelope, and an LFO for creating vibrato, tremolo or cyclic wavetable sweeps.
There’s also a built-in polyphonic sequencer and dual arpeggiator that features various play modes (up, down, up-down, random).

On the hardware side, we have 49 full-size keys equipped with aftertouch and velocity sensitivity, offering the “perfect balance between expressiveness and playability”. And while the Behringer’s latest synth — with its blue front panel and retro-style numeric keypad — shares a striking resemblance to the original PPG Wave, it is noticeably more compact.
Complementing this is a robust selection of input and output options, including USB, CV/gate, sync, and MIDI In/Out/Thru connections. The Wave also features a stereo main output, headphone output, and eight mono outputs — one for each voice — as well as inputs for expression and sustain pedals.
Check out the synth in action below.

 
Learn more at Behringer.
The post Behringer invokes ’80s nostalgia with its new Wave synth appeared first on MusicTech.

Selling out Clubs With Very Few Followers? This DIY Band Is Making It Happen.This week, Ari is joined by the band DOUBLECAMP to discuss how they built such a successful independent career.

ElevenLabs’ AI voice generation ‘very likely’ used in a Russian influence operationGenerative AI has a plethora of well-documented misuses, and now, it appears to be cropping up in state influence operations.
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Chainlink integrates with Coinbase tokenized assets platformChainlink will enable verifiable data transmission and crosschain interoperability for Coinbase’s Project Diamond.

3D Printer Eliminates the Printer BedAnyone who has operated a 3D printer before, especially those new to using these specialized tools, has likely had problems with the print bed. The bed might not always be the correct temperature leading to problems with adhesion of the print, it could be uncalibrated or dirty or cause any number of other issues that ultimately lead to a failed print. Most of us work these problems out through trial and error and eventually get settled in, but this novel 3D printer instead removes the bed itself and prints on whatever surface happens to be nearby.
The printer is the product of [Daniel Campos Zamora] at the University of Washington and is called MobiPrint. It uses a fairly standard, commercially available 3D printer head but attaches it to the base of a modified robotic vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner is modified with open-source software that allows it to map its environment without the need for the manufacturer’s cloud services, which in turn lets the 3D printer print on whichever surface the robot finds in its travels. The goal isn’t necessarily to eliminate printer bed problems; a robot with this capability could have many more applications in the realm of accessibility or even, in the future, printing while on the move.
There were a few surprising discoveries along the way which were mentioned in an IEEE Spectrum article, as [Campos Zamora] found while testing various household surfaces that carpet is surprisingly good at adhering to these prints and almost can’t be unstuck from the prints made on it. There are a few other 3D printers out there that we’ve seen that are incredibly mobile, but none that allow interacting with their environment in quite this way.

JMG Sound introduce DarkFire plug-in DarkFire offers a more flexible approach than most saturation plug-ins, providing users with some tone-shaping controls that affect only the generated harmonics.

The Blues Foundation Salutes The 2025 Keeping The Blues Alive Recipients During International Blues Challenge WeekThe Blues Foundation launches its 40th year by saluting the 2025 Keeping The Blues Alive (KBA) honorees during International Blues Challenge week, Tuesday, January 7 through Saturday, January 11. This year's KBA recipients are The Rhythm Room; Blues Blast Magazine; Charlie Hussey; Big Ed's Blues Jam; Little Steven's Blues School; Cincy Blues Society; Jefferson Street Sound Museum; and Ryszard Gloger.Keeping The Blues Alive Awards are chosen annually by a select panel of blues professionals, honoring those who have played crucial roles in advancing the art and commerce of blues. This year’s esteemed honorees will be recognized for their achievements at the Keeping the Blues Alive Awards brunch, taking place Friday, January 10 at 10:30AM, at the Hyatt Centric Hotel on Beale Street. Tickets are $80. and available on the blues.org website.The KBA ceremony is part of the Blues Foundation’s 40th Annual International Blues Challenge. This year's IBC Week kicks off Tuesday, January 7, 2025, with International Showcase performances on historic Beale Street, concluding with the Finals at Memphis’ Orpheum Theatre Saturday, January 11. Over a thousand musicians will converge in Memphis from across the globe, competing with their blues peers for the honor of winning — along with prizes and bookings — the International Blues Challenge, the world’s largest and most renowned blues music competition. Showcases, jams, panels, workshops, and master classes take place throughout Beale Street; spontaneous live music jams continue into the early-morning hours after the IBC performances conclude each evening, including unannounced appearances by well-known artists.This year marks the 33rd anniversary of the Rhythm Room, a cornerstone of the blues community in Phoenix, Arizona. Over the past three decades, the Rhythm Room has hosted thousands of performances by blues artists and has become a vital hub for the genre. In a city as large as Phoenix—the fifth largest in the U.S.—it remains the only venue offering weekly blues performances, making its role indispensable to the local music scene.Owned and operated by blues musician and advocate Bob Corritore, the Rhythm Room has faced numerous challenges in its mission to keep blues music alive in the Southwest. At a time when many blues venues are shutting their doors, Bob’s dedication and personal sacrifices have ensured that the Rhythm Room remains a sanctuary for blues fans and musicians alike.The Rhythm Room’s importance extends beyond its role as a live music venue. It attracts blues enthusiasts from across the country, providing local audiences with opportunities to see national and international blues acts, not just local talent. Moreover, the venue offers a unique benefit to musicians: many performers who play at the Rhythm Room are invited to stay an extra day to record in Bob Corritore’s world-class recording studio. These sessions often result in music that is distributed at no cost to the artists, providing additional income and exposure. This model of support is unparalleled among music venues globally.In addition to its contributions to blues music, the Rhythm Room is a steadfast supporter of the broader blues community. It has hosted the Phoenix Blues Society’s International Blues Challenge competition and has been a longtime advocate for the Blues Foundation’s HART Fund, organizing an annual benefit where all proceeds from ticket sales go directly to the fund’s mission of helping blues musicians in need.While the Rhythm Room welcomes artists across various genres, its unwavering commitment to blues music is what sets it apart. Few venues can claim such a strong and enduring dedication to preserving and promoting the blues. Through its exceptional efforts, the Rhythm Room has solidified its place as an essential institution for the blues community and beyond.The post The Blues Foundation Salutes The 2025 Keeping The Blues Alive Recipients During International Blues Challenge Week first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Stingray’s karaoke app is becoming a common feature in electric cars. Now the company has secured an expanded $352m credit facilityMontreal-headquartered music, media, and tech company is involved in numerous businesses, from advertising to streaming and conventional broadcast TV and radio
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100+ indie distributors in 20 countries have now signed up for The MLC’s data portal for unmatched royaltiesThe MLC says "millions of dollars" in royalties have been paid out thanks to its portal for indie distributors
Source

Trying to Shatter the World’s Fastest RC Car RecordThe RC car is controlled via an FPV setup. (Credit: Luke Bell, YouTube)
Fresh off a world record for the fastest quadcopter, [Luke Bell] decided to try his luck with something more own to earth, namely trying to tackle the world record for the fastest RC car, with the current record set at 360 km/h. Starting off with a first attempt in what will be a video series, the obvious approach seems to be to get some really powerful electric motors, a streamlined body and a disused runway to send said RC car hurtling along towards that golden medal. Of course, if it was that easy, others would have done it already.
With the quadcopter record of nearly 500 km/h which we covered previously, the challenge was in a way easier, as other than air resistance and accidental lithobraking there are no worries about ground texture, tire wear or boundary layer aerodynamics. In comparison, the RC car has to contend with all of these, with the runway’s rough tarmac surface being just one of the issues, along with making sure that the wheels would hold up to the required rotation speed. For the wheels you got options like foam, hard rubber, etc., all with their own advantages and disadvantages, mostly in terms of grip and reliability.
So far speeds of over 200 km/h are easy enough to do, with foam wheels being the preferred option. To push the RC car to 300 km/h and beyond, a lot more experimentation and trial runs will have to be performed. Pending are changes to the aerodynamic design with features also commonly seen in F1 race cars such as downforce spoilers, diffusers and other tricks which should prevent the RC car from (briefly) becoming an RC airplane.

Layoffs at CD Baby as DIY & Indie Music Distributors struggleThere are layoffs at CD Baby, one of the largest DIY and independent music distribution services.
The post Layoffs at CD Baby as DIY & Indie Music Distributors struggle appeared first on Hypebot.