forward audio faIR Progressive MetalUnleash the Complexity of Progressive Metal. The 'faIR – Progressive Metal' impulse response (IR) pack is meticulously engineered to capture the intricate dynamics and technical sophistication that progressive metal demands. Designed for the architects of complex soundscapes, this IR pack is your gateway to unlocking the nuanced tones and expansive sonic palette found in progressive metal's ever-evolving landscape. Whether you're crafting ethereal clean passages or delivering crushing, polyrhythmic riffs, 'faIR – Progressive Metal' equips you with the sonic versatility to create emotionally compelling and technically precise tracks. Super Blends: The Evolution of Progressive Sound. At the heart of 'faIR – Progressive Metal' lies the revolutionary 'Super Blends' concept — a carefully curated collection of IRs designed to embody the dynamic range, clarity, and expressive depth essential for progressive music. These Super Blends are created using blends of anywhere from two to four, and sometimes even a dozen, strategically positioned microphones to capture the multifaceted personality of legendary progressive cabinets. Each IR is engineered to maintain crystal-clear articulation through complex compositions, delivering the emotional punch that progressive metal's dynamic sections demand. Revolutionary Progressive Tone Crafting. 'faIR – Progressive Metal' sets a new standard by offering a premium selection of tones, meticulously captured from the industry's most revered microphones and cabinets. Experience everything from the precision of the Shure SM57, the detailed nuance of the AKG C414, to the commanding presence of the Sennheiser MD421. This pack features the focused power of the Mesa 4×12 Rectifier, articulate Marshall 1960AV response, and clear definition from Engl cabinets — all driven by Celestion Vintage 30 (UK Made) speakers, renowned for their dynamic range and tonal versatility. Whether you're dialing in ambient cleans or tech-metal ferocity, this pack provides unmatched flexibility and quality, opening up a landscape of progressive tones built for modern players. Read More

Suno, in talks to raise $100m at a $2bn valuation, just released its most advanced free AI music tool yetSuno’s rapid sequence of updates and new products highlights the growing competition among AI music-making platforms
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Auburn Sounds releases Selene, a versatile FREE algorithmic reverb plugin
Auburn Sounds is a developer we’ve covered multiple times at BPB, with plugins like Graillon 3 (a vocal pitch correction tool), Inner Pitch (a pitch shifter), and Lens (a spectral multiband compressor/expander). Now, they have released Selene, a free algorithmic reverb plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Selene, a versatile algorithmic reverb plugin, is the [...]
View post: Auburn Sounds releases Selene, a versatile FREE algorithmic reverb plugin

Infinite Guitar from Emergence Audio Emergence Audio’s latest release takes the techniques that helped create their Infinite Upright instrument, and applies them to the guitar.

Turning Tables: What Musicians & Venue Staff Can Learn from the Art of ServiceLearn how Bruce C. Bryan's new book Turning Tables connects the lessons of great service with success in live music. From teamwork to timing, find out how the restaurant floor and the concert stage have more in common than you think.
The post Turning Tables: What Musicians & Venue Staff Can Learn from the Art of Service appeared first on Hypebot.

quietformat releases ValveDesk vintage tube plugin and it’s FREE for 48 hours
quietformat has released ValveDesk, a vintage tube tone coloration plugin that brings the warmth and harmonic richness of analog tube gear into your DAW. Even better, it’s free for the first 48 hours (until October 29, 2025, 11:59 PM EST). ValveDesk is a saturation plugin designed to add musical harmonic coloration inspired by vintage tube [...]
View post: quietformat releases ValveDesk vintage tube plugin and it’s FREE for 48 hours

Blanketfort Audio releases Ruinator distortion plugin with $29 intro offer
Blanketfort Audio has released Ruinator, a dual-engine distortion plugin for macOS and Windows. It’s available in VST3 and AU formats, currently discounted to $29 until October 31st (regular price $49). Ruinator is more than a typical overdrive. Instead, it offers a more creative approach to distortion, blending flexibility with a raw distortion engine capable of [...]
View post: Blanketfort Audio releases Ruinator distortion plugin with $29 intro offer

HEDD Audio reveal Type 05 A-Core Edition X Limited to a production run of just 100 units, the Type 05 A-Core Edition X are hand-made in Germany, and come sporting a stylish new finish. 

Get UJAM’s Virtual Pianist Vogue for only €9.45 at Plugin Boutique (92% OFF)
You can now get UJAM’s Virtual Pianist Vogue for a massive 92% off deal at Plugin Boutique for a limited time. As we edge closer to Black Friday, the discounts continue to get bigger and better, and you can check out this year’s best deals in our Top 100. We still have some time before [...]
View post: Get UJAM’s Virtual Pianist Vogue for only €9.45 at Plugin Boutique (92% OFF)

Welcome to Earth, Whimsical Raps Atrium: This five-voice, gesture-controlled analogue synth looks like it landed from another planetSome instruments demand you play them. Others, like Whimsical Raps’ new Atrium, practically beg you to interact, experiment, and occasionally just marvel at their glowing, alien-spaceship-like control surfaces.
Described as a “new instrument, where playful gestures meet dynamic systems”, Atrium isn’t a synth you sit behind politely – it’s a console you hover over, twist, tap, and probe, with every gesture sparking new sonic possibilities.

READ MORE: Get your hands on a synth used on Kraftwerk’s Autobahn – Florian Schneider gear collection to be auctioned next month

To start, Atrium is a five-voice analogue polytimbral synth built for composers, performers, and sound designers who like their gear a little… otherworldly.
Drawing on a decade of modular experimentation, Whimsical Raps rethinks how polyphony and polytimbrality can be expressed with the Atrium. Each voice is shaped by its own harmonic energy while three core timbre modes offer everything from simple sub-octaves and noise wave, through FM, to a reimagined formant synthesis. The voices are then filtered through a lowpass/gate system, keeping the sound grounded while allowing bursts of character and emphasis to emerge organically.
Credit: Whimsical Raps
There are no digital multi-effects hiding in the back either. Instead, Atrium’s lush character comes from a tactile, hands-on combination of three filters, two delays, and feedback.
Everything is designed to respond intuitively to gestures, and just about every parameter is mappable to every other, encouraging playful experimentation. In addition, gestures can be recorded across five recorders, stretched in time, and dynamically phased across voices.
Connectivity is comprehensive: USB, MIDI, and CV inputs make Atrium extensible, while its spaceship-inspired interface, with glowing touch-sensitive surfaces and ergonomically placed controls, invites exploration while keeping performance immediate.
“This resonant body is meant to be played,” says Whimsical Raps – and it certainly shows.
Priced at $1,600, Atrium launches for pre-order on 31 October. Those in Los Angeles can try the synth in person at official unveiling events on 31 October and 1 November – details are on the Whimsical Raps website.

The post Welcome to Earth, Whimsical Raps Atrium: This five-voice, gesture-controlled analogue synth looks like it landed from another planet appeared first on MusicTech.

Morphor’s ECHON 6 is the world’s first polyphonic analogue synth powered by BBD resonatorsMorphor has launched the ECHON 6, a six-voice analogue polysynth built around Bucket-Brigade Delay (BBD) resonators and capable of “acoustic behaviours far beyond the limits of the physical world”.
Billed as the world’s first polyphonic synthesizer based around BBD resonators, the ECHON 6 brings the principles of modal synthesis into the analogue domain. Each of its six voices features a discrete BBD delay-line resonator that tracks the keyboard, producing organic overtones and complex harmonic depth.

READ MORE: Behringer scales down its UB-Xa synth (again) with the “travel-ready” UB-Xa Mini

Allowing you to excite those resonators in creative ways, ECHON 6 can generate anything from plucked and bowed strings over leads and basses to big pads and evolving soundscapes.
The synth’s Exciter section blends analogue VCO waveforms, external audio, and noise sources – from continuous analogue white to sample-and-hold textures – shaped by a loopable ADSR envelope with onset delay. Each Exciter output is fed into its own BBD resonator, each of which consists of a pitched delay-feedback network with analogue low-pass filters in both input and feedback paths, enabling dynamic control over tone, texture, and decay.
Credit: Morphor
Rooted in Morphor’s modular design philosophy, the ECHON 6 also features a 9×32 modulation matrix that links the envelope, modwheel, LFOs, velocity, aftertouch, and key tracking to nearly any destination. Modulation depth can be assigned instantly by holding a source key and adjusting the target parameter, while dedicated buttons let users mute, invert, or max out modulation for fast, expressive sound design.
With six stereo outputs, full MIDI support, and a rugged aluminium chassis that can sit on a desktop, 19-inch rack, or VESA mount, the ECHON 6 is designed for both studio and stage performance. There are no screens or menus as well – just one-knob-per-function control for total immediacy.
 
The Morphor ECHON 6 is priced at $2999,99 / €2,295 (including VAT) and ships in February 2026, with a limited first batch of 500 units.
Pre-order yours today via Morphor’s website and authorised resellers.
The post Morphor’s ECHON 6 is the world’s first polyphonic analogue synth powered by BBD resonators appeared first on MusicTech.

Warm Audio WA-87jr and WA87jr SE deliver the world-famous ‘87 sound in a streamlined packageWA-87jr $299 / £299
WA-87jr SE $199 / £199
warmaudio.com
When it comes to value for money, Warm Audio’s faithful reproductions of vintage hardware are hard to beat. The WA-87 R2 is a best-seller for the Texas-based company, retailing at $699, a fraction of the cost of the Neumann U 87 it’s inspired by. Now Warm has two new 87-style microphones, priced at an even more wallet-friendly $299 and $199.
The WA-87jr and the more basic WA-87jr SE (Studio Essentials) are streamlined versions of the WA-87, utilising contemporary technology rather than the historically accurate design of the original model. What makes these new mics still 87s at heart though, is the use of the same vintage-correct, gold-sputtered K87-style capsule found in the more expensive model.

READ MORE: United Studio Technologies’ UT Twin48 sounds fabulous on practically everything

The original U 87 first appeared in 1967 to supersede the K87-equipped, valve-powered U 67 and has become arguably the most iconic and recognisable large-diaphragm condenser microphone of all time. If asked to picture a lead vocal mic, most of us will instantly think of an 87. Warm’s new offerings share the essential classic 87 look, albeit on a smaller scale.
Where the new models differ from the full-sized microphone is in the internal electronics used. Conventionally, 87s incorporate a transformer in the output stage, yet the WA-87jr models are modern transformerless designs using discrete components within a surface-mount construction. This type of design is not only less expensive to manufacture, but also lowers the mic’s self-noise for a cleaner sound.
Feature-wise, the WA-87jr mimics the classic design with three available polar patterns, cardioid, omnidirectional and figure-8. It also has the familiar 70 Hz high-pass filter and -10dB pad switches. The Studio Essentials model has a fixed cardioid response and lacks the filter and pad. Cost is also reduced by excluding the shock-mount that comes with the WA-87jr. instead, a simple hard-mount is included for the SE.
WA-87jr. Image: Press
There is also a difference in the K87 design, with the SE version having a single backplate as there are no omni or figure-8 options. However, both mics are said to share the same tonal characteristics in cardioid mode and a 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response. Like classic FET (Field Effect Transistor) designs, both mics’ internal components feature premium transistors and film capacitors from Toshiba and WIMA, respectively, while the WA-87jr also incorporates Panasonic electrolytic capacitors.
Just like the more expensive mics in Warm’s portfolio, the jr mics are solidly built with a durable metal head-basket grille. And the jr’s shock-mount is also a robust piece of kit.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Warm Audio’s founder Bryce Young, who told me how the WA-87jr came into being:
“In 2016 Warm Audio released the WA-47jr alongside its flagship WA-47 tube microphone. The WA-47jr was somewhat of an experiment to see if customers would appreciate a legitimate K47 style capsule in a simplified circuit, the result far exceeded our expectations with tens of thousands sold and many smiling customers.
Now almost 10 years later, Warm Audio releases the WA-87jr to give customers access to the classic K87 style capsule found in the famous 1960s classic. The WA-87jr now allows more people access to this vintage accurate capsule recreation. Utilising the same simplified transformerless circuit design as the WA-47jr, the WA-87jr provides a clean signal path with the unmistakable clarity of a classic capsule, this time of the U 87 style.”
WA-87jr SE. Image: Press
Before getting into the specific character of the WA-87jr models, it’s worth looking at the difference between transformer balanced microphones, like the WA-87 R2 and transformerless designs like the mics on test here.
The first two points are evident with the WA-87jr without even plugging it in. The absence of a transformer makes it a lot less expensive to manufacture, so you can buy two WA-87jr or three jr SEs and still have $100 left in your wallet. Also, the transformerless design can be built into a smaller body. While the larger WA87 R2 certainly looks impressive when set up to record lead vocals in a professional setting, those wishing to use the mic for podcasts might prefer the sleeker, visually less intrusive jr models. It’s also worth noting that some engineers like to use an 87 as a close top-snare mic, like Alan Parsons did when recording Pink Floyd’s seminal The Dark Side Of The Moon album. In this situation or any other when space is limited, a smaller mic can be advantageous.
Other characteristics of transformerless mics, which may be an advantage depending on your requirements, are a cleaner overall sound with crisper transients and the ability to handle higher SPLs. In contrast, as most large diaphragm microphones heard on recordings before, say the 1990s, were transformer balanced, we now think of their coloured, more characterful sound as inherently ‘vintage’.
In a side-by-side comparison with a transformer balanced WA-87 R2, the new transformerless WA-87jrs certainly have a more contemporary sound. That’s not surprising as the R2 is based upon the original 1967 U 87 rather than the models Neumann offers today. What you get with the jr is a brighter, more high-mid-forward balance with exceptional clarity and detail. You don’t get the low-mid warmth or darker upper mids of the R2, or indeed other vintage-style mics, yet the WA-87jr delivers a focused sound with plenty of presence that is well suited to modern pop productions.

While sonic contrasts are noticeable, it’s not in quite the same way you might notice the difference in quality of an expensive microphone in comparison with a budget model – the WA-87jr sounds way more expensive than it actually is.
This is because the jr is built around the same K87-style capsule as the WA-87 R2. And a microphone’s capsule has far more influence on its sound than transformers and other internal components. As such, the jr shares many familial attributes with its larger and more expensive sibling. High frequencies are smooth and extended, with none of the spiky resonances that often plague cheaper mics.
Throughout the review process the WA-87jr acquits itself admirably. For critical recording, such as lead vocals, it performs as well as (or better than) many more expensive mics. It expresses much of the classic 87 character, detail and clarity especially, if not the ultimate warmth of vintage Neumanns or indeed Warm’s WA-87 R2.
For the price, the WA-87jr is superb and would be an excellent choice for anyone requiring one decent mic to record anything and everything. And if you only need a cardioid design and can live without the high-pass, pad and shock-mount, the SE is practically a gift.

Key features

Vintage K87-style gold-sputtered capsule
Transformerless design
Cardioid, omnidirectional and figure-8 polar patterns (Cardioid only for WA-87jr SE)
70 Hz high-pass filter (WA-87jr only)
10 dB pad (WA-87jr only)
Self-noise: 9 dBA
Hard-mount clip
Shock-mount (WA-87jr only)
Storage pouch

The post Warm Audio WA-87jr and WA87jr SE deliver the world-famous ‘87 sound in a streamlined package appeared first on MusicTech.

Setting the Stage for Alt-Rock's Early '90s UprisingAllMusic presents an excerpt of Greg Prato's new book Alternative for the Masses: The '90s Alt-Rock Revolution - An Oral History in which Ian MacKaye, Fred Armisen, and Matt Pinfield (among many, many others) recall what the indie music scene was like pre-Nirvana, and the stepping stones that led us to late 1991 – when alt-rock seemingly exploded on a global scale.

RME TotalMix FX 2.0 beta now live The latest version of TotalMix FX has been treated to an all-new, fully scaleable graphics engine that allows users to freely zoom and re-size its Mixer and Matrix views.

D’Addario Unveils John Lennon Art Series Picks & StrapsD’Addario announced on Monday the "John Lennon Art Series Signature Collection, a limited-edition lineup of instrument straps and picks, all honoring the imagination of a legend.""The Collection includes two unique strap designs and two pick assortments, each featuring Lennon’s original animal illustrations, as well as drawings inspired by the life and love he shared with Yoko Ono," they said in a statement. "From playful sketches to bolder, more intimate designs, every item in this Collection honors Lennon’s vision while giving players unique, premium tools they can rely on, all backed by elite D’Addario craftsmanship. The Collection also includes the Imagine Animals small instrument strap, perfect for kid-sized instruments or adult ukuleles and mandolins, with matching collectible picks."

Highlights (direct from D’Addario):

Secure & Reliable Straps. Each strap features durable leather ends for long-lasting security. That means a comfortable and dependable fit for every player.

Premium Picks for Superior Playability. Crafted from high-quality celluloid, these picks deliver a smooth feel and warm tone that’s perfect for players at any level.

Exclusive Collectible Items. These limited-edition designs put Lennon’s visual artwork on a new canvas, making them not only perfect tools for players, but one-of-a-kind stocking stuffers for collectors and fans.

“John Lennon’s art was as imaginative and honest as his music,” said Cassie Meloy, Accessories Product Manager. “This Collection celebrates Lennon’s creativity for players of all ages and introduces D'Addario’s first strap designed for kids, perfectly inspired by his playful Animals artwork.”

Availability & PricingThe John Lennon Art Series is available now through daddario.com and authorized retailers. Pick packs are priced at $7.99, with straps starting at $16.99.For more information, visit: ddar.io/johnlennon-prThe post D’Addario Unveils John Lennon Art Series Picks & Straps first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.