Plugin Alliance release Shadow Hills OptoMax The latest arrival to the Plugin Alliance range delivers a new compressor plug-in based on the much-loved Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor. 

Shadow Hills OptoMax turns the prized optical section of the popular Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor into its own dedicated pluginBrainworx and Shadow Hills have lifted the lid on the new Shadow Hills OptoMax, a new optical compressor which takes the optical section from the popular Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor and reworks it into a “new and exciting beast”.
Brainworx says it has used its “industry-leading analogue modelling expertise” to capture “every nuance” of the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor’s optical circuits.

READ MORE: You can now access your Spotify Premium library directly from rekordbox

“The result is a musical, characterful compressor with multiple transformer colourations and powerful new modes that make it adaptable for everything from transparent levelling to aggressive, saturated compression,” says Brainworx.
For anyone in need of a history lesson, the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor plugin recreated the iconic hardware compressor used by the likes of Muse, Green Day, Gnarls Barkley and many more.
The new OptoMax plugin features an expanded set of controls; ratio and speed controls (slow, med, fast) open the realm of new sonic possibilities, but while retaining the “essential bloom and smoothness of optical compression”.
There’s also a Push mode, which enables the user to tap into an “ultra-fast” timing mode for “aggressive modern sounds”.
Three distinct harmonic flavours are on tap, too, courtesy of Shadow Hills’ Nickel, Iron and Steel transformer circuits from the original Mastering Compressor.
Other modern-thinking features include a dedicated Tone control, with which the user can switch between Air for “silky brilliance” or Smooth to rein in top end.
There’s also advanced sidechain routing options, and the GUI window is resizable for the optimum creative workflow.
“Analogue optical compressors transform the non-linear characteristics of light glowing and fading into smooth, musical compression,” the company says. 
“However, due to this essential mechanism, they are often limited to slower attack and release times. OptoMax preserves that classic, bloom-without-bite feel, but uses the power of digital processing to add deeper timing control and a robust sidechain section for modern engineers.”
Shadow Hills OptoMax is available now for an introductory price of $69 until 24 December, after which it will rise to $150.
Get yours at Plugin Alliance.
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Filterverse 1.2 Review + GIVEAWAY
Polyverse Music has carved out a reputation for plugins that don’t just tweak your sound but completely reinvent how you interact with it. From I Wish to Supermodal and freebies like Wider, they’ve always leaned toward tools that sit at the edge of conventional mixing and full-blown sound design. Filterverse is their flagship filter playground, [...]
View post: Filterverse 1.2 Review + GIVEAWAY

You can now access your Spotify Premium library directly from rekordboxAlphaTheta’s rekordbox DJ software now supports playback from Spotify, allowing Premium Spotify subscribers to utilise its library of over 100 million tracks within their mixes.
Spotify’s music catalogue and playlists can be accessed directly from rekordbox, and then mixed with tracks from your rekordbox music library. Spotify’s tracks can be played on all compatible DJ equipment when using Performance mode in rekordbox for Mac/Windows, including any AlphaTheta or Pioneer DJ setup.

READ MORE: AlphaTheta CDJ-3000X review: Bigger, sharper, smoother, and cloud-ready — but you’ll need very deep pockets

The integration is now available as of 24 September in a vast range of countries and regions, including: the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Finland, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Greece, Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and more.
This news arrives just after the launch of AlphaTheta’s next-generation flagship DJ player, the CDJ-3000X. Described as an evolution of the CDJ-3000 – which landed in 2020 under Pioneer DJ (which is part of the AlphaTheta Corporation) – the player brings new features and upgrades including improved online music access, updated connectivity, and multiple hardware improvements.

A software version of the player is also coming to virtual reality thanks to a collaboration with Tribe XR. As part of the partnership, AlphaTheta is bringing the CDJ-3000X and its DJM-A9 professional mixer to virtual reality setups, including Meta Quest and Steam VR, and says they are “authentic 1-to-1 recreations”. These virtual versions are also accompanied by interactive lessons and real-time guidance from AI mentor, DJ Beatbot.
“Our partnership with Tribe XR builds on AlphaTheta’s ‘One Through Music’ mission, enabling DJs everywhere to discover, connect, and perform with a global community through our innovative products in new and inspiring ways,” comments Yoshinori Kataoka, CEO of AlphaTheta.
Find out more about these new launches via rekordbox and AlphaTheta.
The post You can now access your Spotify Premium library directly from rekordbox appeared first on MusicTech.

Chicago house legend and DJ Ron Carroll dies aged 57Chicago house DJ, vocalist, and producer Ron Carroll has died at the age of 57.
Carroll’s passing was confirmed on Monday (22 September) by fellow DJ and close friend Deonte Pennington, who wrote in a Facebook post: “The news we just received while in this hotel room for my birthday just broke my heart. Was not expecting the call to be that.” No cause of death has been disclosed.
Nicknamed the ‘Minister of Sound’, Carroll was born in Chicago in 1968. He began singing in his church as a teenager before discovering the city’s burgeoning house scene and teaching himself to DJ. By the early ’90s, he had stepped into production, releasing his debut record My Prayer in 1993 with Hula, Kay Fingers and Ron Trent.
Carroll’s career reached a turning point in 1994 when Louie Vega asked him to write lyrics for Barbara Tucker’s I Get Lifted, a track that went on to become a house music classic. From then, Carroll’s voice and songwriting became fixtures on dancefloors worldwide.
Over the decades, he collaborated with a long list of artists, including Mike Dunn, Byron Stingily, CeCe Peniston, Hardsoul, David Guetta, Axwell, and French producer-DJ Bob Sinclar – with whom he collaborated with on tracks like Tribute and Love Generation. His music also appeared on key house labels such as Defected, Glitterbox, and his own Body Music Chicago imprint.
Beyond his studio work, Carroll remained deeply connected to his hometown community and the global house circuit. He had just performed at the Summer’s Last Dance festival in Chicago over the weekend and was scheduled to appear at Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) next month.
Tributes from across the electronic music world have poured in following news of Ron’s passing. Fellow DJ and vocalist Mr. V remembers Carroll as “a unique voice in house music, a solid DJ behind the decks, funny enough to share laughs with, but most importantly he was as real as it gets.”
“Was looking forward to seeing him next month at ADE,” he says. “Unfortunately I can only have the moments and memories I had collected.”

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Read more tributes below.

RIP Ron Carroll
One of the best to ever do it pic.twitter.com/dWkwLYE3au
— ARC Music Festival (@arcmusicfest) September 22, 2025

RIP Ron Carroll pic.twitter.com/dfuV8nVfKr
— 𝕍⋓ ꗟ𝕚 (@svukeve) September 22, 2025

I will truly miss my dear friend, a beautiful soul who will forever live in our hearts. Rest peacefully, @RONCARROLLBMC. #RonCarroll pic.twitter.com/FaYfDyuReq
— EDX (@edxMusic) September 22, 2025

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This Merch Company Has Paid Artists $30+ MillionThis week, Ari is joined by Seamus Menihane, CEO and Co-Founder of the merch company, Downright Merch (now known as Armada).

Nordic Audio Labs launch new NU-100K The latest iteration of the NU-100K has been upgraded with Nordic Audio Labs' proprietary FloFET circuitry, a move which is said to deliver a warmer, valve-like sound. 

Building the New Backbone of Space at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025The space economy isn’t just about rockets and satellites — it’s about infrastructure, autonomy, and entirely new models for building and defending off-Earth assets. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, October 27–29 in San Francisco, True Anomaly’s Even Rogers and Vast’s Max Haot will join the Space Stage to explore what’s needed to unlock a sustainable and scalable space economy. Register now to save up to $668 before September 26 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Southwest Metalcore band BLOSSOMS FALL sign with Eclipse Records News broke on Tuesday that Eclipse Records has announced the signing of BLOSSOMS FALL, a metalcore band from Albuquerque, NM."The band recently finished recording their debut EP entitled La Alma with Matt Torres of Nightscape Recordings (Lights on the Coast, Wasted Potency) producing the album, and mastered by Kevin Thrasher (Escape the Fate, Machine Gun Kelly, Blink-182, Avril Lavigne) at Thrasher Productions. La Alma will be released via Eclipse Records on February 6, 2026," reads a statement.“Having met some members of Mushroomhead while recording an EP with Producer/Engineer Don DeBiase back in 2014 and opening for the band Bobaflex around that time as well, I've often heard of Eclipse Records and appreciated the label's contribution to the Metal scene.” says guitarist Matt Torres. “Now that my new band can debut with Eclipse Records, I'm ecstatic to become part of the ongoing front and hope to make an impact on the Modern Metal scene. This record is different, but it will hopefully open up doors to a wider audience and bridge gaps in the industry.” Vocalist Shay Raelynn adds "I’m very grateful for this opportunity. Eclipse Records has an amazing roster and I am so happy to be a part of it. The excitement is real for the opportunities that may be presented while working with them, and it’s going to be a great time!" Dion Elliott (drums) also adds “We’re very excited to be a part of Eclipse Records. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be among such amazing artists on an independent label with creative freedom. This is gonna be a blast!”Pre-Save or Pre-Order La Alma at this location. For more information about Blossoms Fall and their La Alma album, please visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or Eclipse Records, and follow them on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, YouTube Music, Tidal, and Deezer now!

The post Southwest Metalcore band BLOSSOMS FALL sign with Eclipse Records first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

SOL long leverage traders vanish as crypto sells off: Is $200 next?A rotation to Aster, US macroeconomic concerns and broad crypto market sell-off take a toll on SOL price. Will TradFi accumulation keep Solana price above $200?

Calculator Battery Mod Lets You Go the DistanceDisposable batteries seem so 1990s. Sure, it’s nice to be able to spend a couple of bucks at the drugstore and get a flashlight or TV remote back in the game, but when the device is a daily driver, rechargeable batteries sure seem to make more financial sense. Unfortunately, what makes sense to the end user doesn’t always make sense to manufacturers, so rolling your own rechargeable calculator battery pack might be your best option.
This slick hack comes to us from [Magmabow], who uses a Casio FXCG50 calculator, a known battery hog. With regular use, it goes through a set of four alkaline AA batteries every couple of months, which adds up quickly. In search of a visually clean build, [Magmabow] based the build around the biggest LiPo pillow-pack he could find that would fit inside the empty battery compartment, and planned to tap into the calculator’s existing USB port for charging. A custom PCB provides charging control and boosts the nominal 3.7-volt output of the battery to the 5-ish volts the calculator wants to see. The PCB design is quite clever; it spans across the battery compartment, with its output feeding directly into the spring contacts normally used for the AAs. A 3D-printed insert keeps the LiPo and the PCB in place inside the battery compartment.
Almost no modifications to the calculator are needed, other than a couple of bodge wires to connect the battery pack to the calculator’s USB port. The downside is that the calculator’s battery status indicator won’t work anymore since the controller will just shut the 5-volt output down when the LiPo is discharged. It seems like there might be a simple fix for that, but implementing it on such a small PCB could be quite a challenge, in which case a calculator with a little more room to work with might be nice.

Sequential Fourm The Sequential Fourm draws its sonic character from two of Sequential's most revered instruments: the legendary Prophet-5 and the classic Pro-One mono synth. It's built with a focus on a hands-on, knob-per-function workflow that harks back to the golden age of analog synthesis. The synth features a 100% analog signal path, from its two oscillators (with selectable sawtooth, pulse, and triangle waveforms on OSC B) to the classic Prophet-style 4-pole resonant low-pass filter with bass compensation. An analog VCA completes the voice architecture, providing the warmth and punch that is the signature of the Sequential sound. A standout feature of the Sequential Fourm is its newly developed "Tactive" slim-key keybed, which includes polyphonic aftertouch. This expressive control allows for nuanced performance gestures, enabling musicians to modulate multiple notes independently after they are pressed, unlocking a new level of creative expression. The synth also features a Pro-One-inspired modulation matrix on the top panel, putting deep sound design at the user's fingertips without the need for menu diving. Users can easily route modulation sources like the filter envelope, OSC B, and LFO to various destinations with the push of a button and color-coded indicators for quick visual feedback. The Fourm includes a multimode arpeggiator with a step sequencer mode, a feedback circuit for adding a gritty, driven sound, and a unison mode for stacking up to four voices for a thicker, more powerful sound. With 128 world-class presets and a robust, all-steel chassis, the Sequential Fourm is positioned as an accessible yet high-quality analog synthesizer for a new generation of musicians. Features: Polyphony: 4-voice polyphonic analog synthesizer. Oscillators: Two authentic analog oscillators per voice with simultaneously selectable waveforms (sawtooth and pulse on OSC A, sawtooth, pulse, and triangle on OSC B). Filters: Classic 4-pole resonant low-pass filter with bass compensation. Modulation: Pro-One-inspired top-panel modulation matrix with dedicated buttons and color-coded indicators for intuitive routing. Envelopes: Two ADSR envelopes. LFO: One syncable multi-wave LFO. Arpeggiator/Sequencer: Multimode arpeggiator with a 64-step polyphonic sequencer. Keyboard: 37-note slim-key "Tactive" keybed with velocity and polyphonic aftertouch. Unison: Unison mode for stacking up to four voices. Additional Features: Analog VCA, white noise generator, feedback circuit, and 128 user presets. https://youtu.be/vMyuN-vp_nI Read More

“A first of its kind”: An “immersive” Daft Punk experience is coming to FortniteAfter some speculation earlier this year, we can confirm that the worlds of Daft Punk and Fortnite are about to collide, with a new “immersive” in-game experience landing 27 September.
Described as a “first-of-its-kind” event within Fortnite, the experience will see players “taken on a cosmic voyage” from Fortnite’s core Battle Royale to a new Daft Punk-inspired world, complete with numerous rooms and different ways to experience the French duo’s groundbreaking music.

READ MORE: Helsing responds to “misinformation” surrounding its activities after Massive Attack becomes latest band to pull music from Spotify

Such experiences include the ability to remix and create mashups of Daft Punk’s music at Dream Chamber Studios, “blast hordes of robots” with a soundwave laser in the Robot Rock Arena, make a LEGO music video at Around the World, or simply hit the Daft Club to dance ‘til you drop.
There’ll even be in-game furniture designed by Daft Punk collaborators Hervet Manufacturier throughout the experience.
While the experience doesn’t officially launch until 27 September at 2PM ET, a new Daft Punk bundle will be available from the Fortnite Shop starting 25 September at 8PM ET. Accessories include the signature GM08 and TB3 helmets, outfits and accessories – in both Fortnite and LEGO styles – as well as instruments and a Jam Track for the duo’s mega-hit Get Lucky (with Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers).

This collaboration is the latest in a line of partnerships between Fortnite and high-profile musical artists, ranging from Travis Scott, Ariana Grande and Billie Eilish to Metallica, Eminem and Snoop Dogg.
Elsewhere, Huntington Beach metal juggernauts Avenged Sevenfold last year celebrated their 25th anniversary with a spooky virtual museum experience inside Fortnite.
And last year they took a leaf out of the way players earn rewards in-game, launching their own Fortnite-style rewards programme for dedicated fans of the band, Deathbat Rewards.
We were lucky enough to catch up with frontman M. Shadows shortly following the launch, when he explained to us the band’s motivations for instating their own game-style rewards programme.
“We’re taking power away from corporate networks, and saying, ‘No, we’re gonna reward our fans, not you,’” he explained.
The post “A first of its kind”: An “immersive” Daft Punk experience is coming to Fortnite appeared first on MusicTech.

Windows-G releases E-PeakClipper500, a FREE clipper JSFX plugin
Windows-G has released E-PeakClipper500, a free JSFX clipper plugin for REAPER, but also compatible with other DAWs via the free YSFX wrapper. While we usually focus on software that’s DAW-agnostic, I think this one’s worth your attention even if you’re not a REAPER user, mainly because you can run it in other DAWs using the [...]
View post: Windows-G releases E-PeakClipper500, a FREE clipper JSFX plugin

Sequential Fourm: The brand’s “most affordable” synthesizer to dateSequential has unveiled Fourm, a totally analogue polyphonic synthesizer – and one which happens to be the brand’s “most affordable” synthesizer to date.
With an aim to “redefine expressive electronic performance”, Fourm boasts an “organic tone”, hands-on modulation routing and a “uniquely responsive” polyphonic aftertouch keyboard.

READ MORE: Four super-rare early Minimoog prototypes to go on display at the Moogseum in November

Fourm is powered by four analogue voices, derived from the sound of the iconic Sequential Prophet 5, and features dual oscillators, a four-pole lowpass filter, and envelope curves modelled on the original 1978 Prophet 5.

The new synth also marks Sequential’s return to polyphonic aftertouch for the first time in 40 years, with a new set of Tactile slim-keys on a poly AT keybed which works with Fourm’s analogue synthesis engine.
“Every element was co-designed and precisely calibrated to unlock new levels of expression, enabling a deeper connection to our signature sound that no off-the-shelf keybed could deliver,” says Sequential. “The result is a more expressive bond between player and instrument, energizing new modes of creativity.”
Elsewhere, Fourm’s top-panel modulation matrix is inspired by Sequential’s Pro-One, and looks to put “deep sound design at your fingertips – no menu diving required”.
Credit: Sequential
“We’re so excited to bring this innovative all-analog keyboard into the world,” says David Gibbons, Sequential CEO.
“At a price-point that most people expect to pay for a monophonic synth, we think this product will invite legions of musicians who have longed for the magic of polyphonic analogue sounds to start their journey of discovery with Sequential.”
Remember how we said it was affordable? Well, Fourm has an MSRP of £799. Not chump change, of course, but a brand-new synth from one of the world’s top synth makers, and it’s certainly tempting.
For more information, head to Sequential.
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