Eventide Offers CrushStation Distortion Plugin FREE for a Limited Time
Eventide is giving away its CrushStation distortion plugin for free for a limited time (usually priced at $99, currently on sale for $19). CrushStation is Eventide’s all-in-one distortion workstation, capable of everything from subtle saturation to complete sonic destruction. It’s based on the distortion algorithms from the company’s H9 Harmonizer pedal, but with extra tone-shaping [...]
View post: Eventide Offers CrushStation Distortion Plugin FREE for a Limited Time

UnplugRed ModManmodulation effect that produces organic and ever changing randomized movements, based on a perlin noise algorithm. allows modulating a tape drift, low pass and its resonance, saturation, and amplitude. with this effect you can add movement to a pad, widen the stereo field, create a tape style effect, or experiment with bizzare settings to create interesting textures. its cool. Free version includes a non-intrusive banner. Available for mac, windows and linux, in AU, CLAP and VST3 formats, 64-bit only. More info: https://vst.unplug.red/ Read More

Independent Musician News: Apple Music Album Motion, Music Meets Data, Super Listeners, More…Calling musicians everywhere to check out this week’s Independent Musician News with the top guides and tips to finding success in such a competitive industry… Independent Musician News
The post Independent Musician News: Apple Music Album Motion, Music Meets Data, Super Listeners, More… appeared first on Hypebot.

Music Business News Last Week: Micro-Markets, The Value of a Stream, Amazon Music Insights, More…Check out the top music business news last week including new marketing trends, what streams are worth, and more… Music Business News Last Week
The post Music Business News Last Week: Micro-Markets, The Value of a Stream, Amazon Music Insights, More… appeared first on Hypebot.

Analog Obsession releases INDEQ, a FREE inductor-based EQ plugin
Analog Obsession releases INDEQ, a freeware equalizer plugin for Windows and macOS. Although we’ve already had EDComp, MythPre, and Attractor this year, news of another Analog Obsession release never fails to excite. This time, the treasured indie developer has released INDEQ, an inductor-based EQ plugin for macOS and Windows. INDEQ is available in AU, VST3, [...]
View post: Analog Obsession releases INDEQ, a FREE inductor-based EQ plugin

UJAM launch PERRCS UJAM have just introduced the latest addition to their Hans Zimmer’s Symphonic Elements series, bringing together a collection of energetic percussion samples from the Oscar-winning composer’s sample library.

Impersonators are targeting companies with fake TechCrunch outreachFraudsters are impersonating TechCrunch reporters and event leads, and reaching out to companies. Here's what we're doing about it, and what you can look out for.

The jury’s journey to the Roman Storm verdictCourt documents showed there was at least one 90-year-old, and some people had “set in stone” their opinions about the Tornado Cash co-founder’s criminal charges.

Sam Altman addresses ‘bumpy’ GPT-5 rollout, bringing 4o back, and the ‘chart crime’The Reddit AMA got spicy as users peppered OpenAI with questions, and some asked the company to bring back its previous model.

Guitar Center’s “Big Bang” drum event returnsGuitar Center announced on Friday the return of its annual Big Bang event, "a nationwide seasonal promotion that’s focused on drums and percussion running August 7–20, 2025. The two-week event includes special pricing on acoustic and electronic drum gear, along with new product drops from top brands.""Big Bang also brings Guitar Center exclusive models developed in collaboration with Ludwig, Gretsch, and TAMA, plus an expanded snare assortment available both in stores and online," they said. "Drummers can explore event offers on select snares and shell packs designed to deliver standout tone, style, and craftsmanship. In addition, Big Bang includes 48-month promotional financing on select models and in-store opportunities to demo featured kits. The event also features deals on electronic drums from brands like Alesis, giving players at every level a chance to upgrade their sound."“Big Bang highlights what’s possible when we work closely with the world’s top drum brands,” said Gabe Dalporto, CEO of Guitar Center. “We’re bringing drummers gear they won’t find anywhere else, from custom finishes and collector-grade builds to performance ready kits designed specifically for our community.”Guitar Center Exclusive New Launches Featured in the Big Bang Event:Ludwig Supraphonic Hammered Chrome-Plated Copper Snare Drum"This Guitar Center exclusive reimagines one of the most iconic snare drums in history – the Ludwig Supraphonic. Built with a hammered, chrome-plated copper shell, it delivers a darker, harmonically complex tone with enhanced sensitivity and resonance. A warm alternative to the traditional aluminum shell, this 14x6.5" snare drum is both a visual showpiece and a studio-ready workhorse. Limited to just 75 individually numbered pieces, this model merges classic pedigree with modern musicality."Ludwig White Mosaic Snare Drum with Gold Hardware"Blending sophistication and sonic clarity, this Guitar Center exclusive 14x6.5" Classic Maple snare drum features a rare Italian-made White Mosaic wrap paired with gleaming gold hardware. Crafted from 7-ply USA maple, it delivers a full-bodied, warm tone with powerful projection and rich midrange – perfect for both recording and live performance. Only 18 pieces were produced using the last available material from the Mosaic wrap series."Pearl M80 Snare Drum (12x4")"Back by popular demand and exclusive to Guitar Center, the Pearl M80 returns with a larger 12" diameter shell for improved versatility. Constructed from 6-ply poplar, it delivers sharp, focused attack with enough body to serve as a primary snare, a tight effects drum or a dynamic side snare. The updated version also features lighter, more efficient hardware for easier integration into any setup. Compact, crisp and budget-friendly, the M80 is ideal for drummers seeking punchy articulation without sacrificing tone."Pearl GPXS Snare Drum (14x6.5")"New to the Pearl GPX lineup, this Guitar Center exclusive GPXS snare features a 1 mm black nickel-plated steel shell designed to cut through the mix with clarity and power. Tuned for projection and tone, the drum’s eight dual-tuning lugs maintain consistent tension, while the rapid-release strainer allows quick head or snare wire changes – ideal for players who switch styles mid-set. Balancing brightness with warmth, this snare is a rock-solid choice for any genre."Gretsch Catalina Club 4-Piece Shell Pack in White Satin Flame"This Guitar Center exclusive Gretsch kit is as bold in sound as it is in appearance. Featuring an eye-catching White Satin Flame wrap – limited to only 150 shell packs – this 4-piece set (10"/12"/16"/22") marks the first time a Catalina Club has been offered with a 22" bass drum, giving it broader versatility for rock, funk and live gigging. With 7-ply mahogany shells and vintage-style appointments, the kit provides classic Gretsch warmth and attack in a head-turning finish."TAMA Superstar Classic 7-Piece Shell Pack in Coastal Drift"Exclusive to Guitar Center, this expansive 7-piece maple shell pack (8"/10"/12"/14"/14"/16"/22") features the stunning “Coastal Drift” finish – an ocean-inspired gradient that fades from aqua green to natural woodgrain. Designed for expressive players who crave both tone and aesthetic excellence, the drums include TAMA’s Star-Mount system for enhanced resonance, die-cast hoops for tuning stability, and a warm, focused maple tone. With a broad configuration and an approachable price point, this kit is built for performance versatility and visual impact.""Beyond these Guitar Center exclusives, Big Bang features discounts on a wide range of drum gear, including cymbals, pedals, hardware and accessories. Shoppers can browse in-store or online and connect with expert Gear Advisers for personalized recommendations, whether upgrading a single snare or building a complete rig from scratch. Additionally, customers can use the recently introduced Rig Advisor, Guitar Center’s groundbreaking in-store AI assistant that helps musicians instantly explore, compare and choose gear available at their local store, making it easier for musicians to find the right gear for their needs."For more information, visit guitarcenter.com.Photo: Ludwig Supraphonic Hammered Chrome-Plated Copper Snare DrumThe post Guitar Center’s “Big Bang” drum event returns first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Southside on his come-up, working with Future, and going on a duck hunt
Southside sat down with us to discuss his come-up, how hunting helps his mental health, working with Future, and much, much more.

Clock of Clocks Expands, Goes DigitalSome people just want to have their cake and eat it too, but very few of us ever get to pull it off. [Erich Styger] has, though with V5 of his “MetaMetaClock”— a clock made of clocks, that uses the orientation of the hands to create digits.
We’ve seen previous versions of this clock. As before, the build is exquisitely detailed and all relevant files are on GitHub. This version keeps the acrylic light-pipe hands of version 4, but adds more of them: 60 clocks vs 24. Larger PCBs are used, grouping the dual-shaft steppers into groups of four, instead of the individual PCBs used before. Each PCB has an NXP LPC845 (a Cortex M0 microcontroller) that communicates on an RS-485 bus. Placing four steppers per microcontroller reduces parts count somewhat compared to previous versions (which had each ‘clock’ on its own modular PCB) albeit at the cost of some flexibility.
While the last version used veneers on its face, this version is cut by CNC by from a large slab of oak. It’s certainly the most attractive version yet, and while bigger isn’t always better, more clock faces means more potential effects. Date? Time? Block letters? Arbitrary text? Kaleidoscopic colours from the RGB LEDs? It’s all there, and since it’s open source, anyone who builds one can add more options. A BLE interface makes it quick and easy to wirelessly switch between them or set the time.
It’s nice sometimes to watch projects like this improve incrementally over time. [Erich] mentions that he plans to add Wifi and a web-based user interface for the next version. We look forward to it, and are grateful to  [jicasi] for the tip. Just as it is always clock time at Hackaday, so you can always toss a tip of your own into the box.

Eventually [Erich] will have enough clocks for Bad Apple, but this version can do short text strings among many other effects. Check his blog for more demo videos.
 

From Live Nation’s record Q2 concerts revenue to Kobalt’s new AI deal… it’s MBW’s weekly round-upThe biggest headlines from the past seven days... all in one place
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“What if we just flipped the process?”: Matteo Pagamici and Michael Künstle on playing an orchestra like a synthesizerOrchestras have been using the same instruments to play the same pieces for centuries, which has naturally caused composers to write for orchestras in the same way as their predecessors. And yet, when award-winning film composers and experimental musicians Matteo Pagamici and Michael Künstle wrote their new album DIMENSIONS for a 92-piece orchestra, they had a far-out idea: go in the completely opposite direction.

READ MORE: “I’m completely nothing without the world that artists create” Blake Slatkin is pop music’s humble hitmaker

They sought to make the historic ensemble to sound like a synthesizer by employing effects like delay and distortion with only the natural instrument construction. It sounds simple, but in truth, they were disregarding hundreds of years of passed-down technique.
“By asking the players to put more pressure on the strings with the bow, you get the same effect that you would if you put a distortion plugin on it. It starts to sound squeaky and harsh, and almost unpleasant,” says Pagamici. It’s a simple shift, but one that goes against hundreds of years of instruction.

“The orchestra in general has such a huge history in music that sometimes it’s really hard to think of something new,” Künstle says. He and Pagamici discovered this new approach by operating in a world that conjoins orchestras with experimental techniques: film/TV composition.
Image: Press
When they were writing Neumatt, the first Swiss series ever sold to Netflix, they created a synth part on a Roland Jupiter-8. Then, they asked their violinist to perform the same part and received results they did not expect:
“There was a ‘wow’ moment, because it worked so well, but it wasn’t something that we had ever heard on the violin,” Pagamici says. “I don’t think we could have composed this for the violin without previously trying it on the synthesizer.” After this successful experiment, the rest of the dominoes fell.
“We thought, ‘What if we just flipped the process?’” says Künstle.
“Usually when you play a synthesizer and you describe the sounds, you say, ‘This patch sounds like a violin or a flute.’ We tried to do the opposite,” Pagamici adds, referencing methods of achieving this reversal through techniques such as alternate tunings for stringed instruments. For example, with three violin sections, they had one play the notes in tune, the second play the same note minus 50 cents, and the third play it plus 50 cents. They linked this approach to using a synthesizer with three oscillators.
“It’s crazy how well this works because what you get is just another timbre of sound,” Künstle says.
Image: Press
“It’s strange that this isn’t being done more often. It feels so intuitive to reverse the process and explore so many things that you can do with an orchestra if they play or think a bit differently,” Pagamici continues. Yet, by diving deeper into this technique, they realised previous composers were thinking similarly.
“You could orchestrate a note, thinking of an attack, sustain, and release,” Künstle says. “If you study [the Austrian composer] Erich Wolfgang Korngold, you realise that he did exactly that. I think that’s also part of the reason why this orchestration sounds so good.”
Künstle and Pagamici’s creative exploration aligns with the adventurous theme of DIMENSIONS, which they describe as a “musical travel diary.” The idea stems from Künstle’s youth when he would listen to a single record throughout a family trip, associating those memories with that music in perpetuity.
On the album, each of the 10 songs was influenced by a different place Künstle and Pagamici visited throughout their lives. This personal connection imbued their technical approach with emotional sustenance.
“Whenever we went to record in London, our mentality shifted a lot. We had different ideas and different inputs. We started thinking about how this affects our process,” Pagamici says. “I’ve been to Greenland a few times, which is a very unique location. Whenever I came back, my musical ideas were so fresh and different. I had so many inputs and new thoughts.”
Image: Press
When they were initially planning DIMENSIONS, Künstle and Pagamici were aligned on the unconventional technical approach. They hosted early sessions to define the musical language with soloists playing stringed instruments and bass flute.
From there, they each wrote separately, which is their general process for their compositional works and, this time, they had no notes for each other after their solo creative sessions.
“Once we are on the same page, we can almost write whatever we want individually, and it sounds like it’s from the same world,” Künstle says.
Pagamici composed the stirring string piece, Lighthouse, with a real-life delay. He wrote overlapping repeated lines, asking each player who followed the introduction of an idea to play with a different tonal colour or at a different volume.
“I’m a huge fan of delay effects. I used to put them on everything when I composed,” Pagamici says. “I thought, ‘What if I just compose a delay effect?’, which is so easy. When we first heard it being played live, it sounded like a plugin.”
Image: Press
Abstract 2.0 is one of Künstle’s pieces, in which he notated random marks for the string sections to create atonal tension to mimic a white noise effect. This acted as a buildup to an intentional “drop” moment.
“It was completely random and looked very funny. Scribbling lines on the notation — that doesn’t make any sense musically. But we just told them, ‘Play this, and let’s see what happens,’” Künstle says. “It’s amazing because the musician wants to make sense of it. So they come up with something that you wouldn’t be able to notate in another way. When more than one string player plays this, it runs over the whole range of the instrument. All the frequencies played at the same time, almost at every moment.”
Given this emphasis on the analogue approach to sonic colours that are usually applied in post, Künstle and Pagamici applied a very minimal recording process. They didn’t use any overdubs, and almost all the pieces are complete takes of the full ensemble.
“Usually in our composition process, when we record these elements in an isolated way, we would be very meticulous about which take we’re going to place where,” Pagamici says. “Here, it was almost a process of accepting whatever we get from the musicians in this particular take. With these electronic techniques, you never really know what you’re going to get.”
Audiences at orchestral concerts have known what to expect for a long time now. But thanks to Matteo Pagamici and Michael Künstle, the oldest performance format in the world has a fresh dose of excitement and uncertainty.
The post “What if we just flipped the process?”: Matteo Pagamici and Michael Künstle on playing an orchestra like a synthesizer appeared first on MusicTech.

LANDR Distribution: Everything an Artist NeedsWhen it comes to music distribution, LANDR stands out as a service designed to deliver music to streaming platforms and fully streamline the modern independent artist’s workflow.