Chris McHugh Added to SONOR Drums’ Artist LineupChris McHugh, known for his exceptional talent and versatile career, is the latest drummer to join SONOR Drums’ roster of artists. With a career spanning over four decades, McHugh has established himself as a highly sought-after drummer in the music industry.Starting with Christian rock band White Heart from 1986 to 1989, McHugh transitioned into a prolific career as a session and touring drummer. Over the years, he has collaborated with a wide range of artists, including Aaron Neville, Peter Frampton, Jewel, Alabama, Kenny Rogers, and numerous others. McHugh is on the Nashville "A" list of session drummers with over 3200 credits, 93 platinum and 15 gold certifications, and contributions to projects with over 24 billion streams. His live performances have taken him on tours with Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, and Garth Brooks, as well as onto some of the world’s most prominent stages, including appearances on the Grammy Awards, SNL, the Super Bowl pregame, the Country Music Awards, and many more. McHugh has also toured as Music Director and drummer for Keith Urban and has been the session drummer for seven of Urban's studio albums.For more information about SONOR Drums and its artists, visit www.sonor.comFor more information about Chris McHugh, visit www.chrismchugh.com and www.sonor.com/drums/artists/artists-detail/chris-mchughThe post Chris McHugh Added to SONOR Drums’ Artist Lineup first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Ableton Move: A guide to its key features, workflows, and more
Here's everything you need to know about Ableton Move, from its layout and stock instruments to lesser-known features and tips.

If you can make this AI bot fall in love, you could win thousands of dollarsIf you can be the first person to get an AI bot named Freysa to say ‘I love you,’ you’ll win anywhere from $3,000 to tens of thousands of dollars.  
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Ethereum ‘impulse breakout’ will lead to $15K ETH price in 2025 — AnalystEthereum price finally took out the $4,000 resistance level, and one analyst says ETH could hit $15,000 by May 2025.

VNAs and CrystalsOscillators may use crystals as precise tuned circuits. If you have a vector network analyzer (VNA) — or even some basic test equipment — you can use it to learn the parameters of a crystal. [All Electronics Channel] has the details, and you can see how in the video below.
There was a time when a VNA was an exotic piece of gear, but these days they are relatively common. Crystal parameters are important because crystals have a series resonance and a parallel resonance and they are not at the same frequency. You also may need to know how much loading capacitance you have to supply to get the crystal at the right frequency.
Sometimes, you want to pull the crystal frequency, and the parameters will help you figure that out, too. It can also help if you have a crystal specified as series in a parallel-mode oscillator or vice versa.
If you don’t have a VNA, you can use a tracking signal generator, as [Grégory] shows towards the middle of the video. The quality of a tuned circuit depends on the Q factor, and crystals have a very high Q factor.
We did something similar in 2018. The other way to pull a crystal frequency is a bit extreme.

Ampere WS-1: The Other APL Portable ComputerWhen thinking of home computers and their portable kin it’s easy to assume that all of them provided BASIC as their interpreter, but for a while APL also played a role. The most quaint APL portable system here might be the Ampere WS-1, called the BIG.APL. Released in Japan in November of 1985, it was a very modern Motorola M68000-based portable with fascinating styling and many expansion options. Yet amidst an onslaught of BASIC-based microcomputers and IBM’s slow retreat out of the APL-based luggables market with its IBM 5110, an APL-only portable in 1985 was a daring choice.
Rather than offering both APL and BASIC as IBM’s offerings had, the WS-1 offered only APL, with a custom operating system (called Big.DOS) which also provided a limited a form of multi-tasking involving a back- and foreground task. Running off rechargeable NiCd batteries it could power the system for eight hours, including the 25 x 80 character LCD screen and the built-in microcassette storage.
Although never released in the US, it was sold in Japan, Australia and the UK, as can be seen from the advertisements on the above linked Computer Ads from the Past article. Clearly the WS-1 never made that much of a splash, but its manufacturer seems to be still around today, which implies that it wasn’t a total bust. You also got to admit that the design is very unique, which is one of the reasons why this system has become a collector’s item today.

As Federal Court upholds Sale or Ban: Top TikTok AlternativesIn a major setback for TikTok and boon for top TikTok alternatives, a federal appeals court unanimously upheld a US law that will lead to a sale or ban in mid-January.
The post As Federal Court upholds Sale or Ban: Top TikTok Alternatives appeared first on Hypebot.

9th Annual Christmas Songwriting Competition Kicks OffThis is a limited time only opportunity when songwriters can enter Christmas or Holiday songs. If you are a songwriter or co-songwriter and you have an Original Christmas Song you have written or co-written like “Last Christmas” by Wham! or “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey, you may enter the Christmas/Holiday Songwriting Competition. You could be the top winner and have a special Christmas Songwriting trophy for that special place on your mantle and possible songwriting contract with a major music publishing house.Also, the top 15 finalists’ songs will appear on our Christmas/Holiday Compilation CD, which will be promoted to various radio stations in USA and Canada. This is excellent music industry exposure for up-and-coming songwriters and music artists.Songwriters Ben E. Davis, Nitanee Paris and Ulf Anneken from London, England won top honors with their song "All I Need for Christmas Is You" in the 2023 Christmas Songwriting Competition.“We are thrilled and humbled to have won first prize in the Christmas competition. It was a team effort – we wrote this with Nita and Ulf in LA and me in London, zooming, texting and sending lyrics back and forth to make the 2023 Christmas deadline. Big shout out 7to our producer Joe Rodwell for bringing it all together”, said Ben E. Davis, top winner of the 8th Annual Christmas Songwriting Competition.London, UK based independent singer and songwriter Ben E. Davis released a festive and romantic holiday single titled “All I Need for Christmas Is You” last year. The song, born out of collaboration with LA-based songwriters Nitanee Paris and Ulf Anneken, takes listeners on a magical journey of a chance meeting on a snowy December night. The lyrics of “All I Need for Christmas Is You” convey the warmth and joy of newfound love during the holiday season, with a chorus expressing Ben’s sole wish for Christmas – the presence of his love interest. The song found new life when producer Joe Rodwell, known for his work on the popular Netflix series Bridgerton, joined forces with Ben in London. This heartwarming tune captures the enchanting magic of the holidays, making it a perfect addition to any Christmas playlist. The song’s catchy melody, combined with Ben E. Davis’s soulful vocals, creates an unforgettable listening experience that resonates with the spirit of the season.Songwriters T.J. Kirby, Deema Homsi and Dave Smith of Nashville, TN won the second prize with “Santa Got Stuck in my Chimney Tonight”.Songwriters Dakota Esker and Randi Driscoll of Nashville, TN took the third prize with his song “Fallin’ in Love with Christmas and You”.All three top winners have received various music publishing offers from various music publishers after their win. Also, all the top three songs were multi-way co-writes. Deadline to enter the 9th Annual Christmas Songwriting Competition is December 23rd. For more information, visit: https://www.songwriting.net/xmasmcThe post 9th Annual Christmas Songwriting Competition Kicks Off first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

From ADOR’s NewJeans lawsuit to the biggest music deals of 2024… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe biggest stories from the past week – all in one place…
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!K7 Music founder and CEO Horst Weidenmüller honored by IMPALA for Outstanding Contribution to the European independent music sectorWeidenmüller founded !K7 Records in 1985
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What Artists earn from Ticket Sales: A revealing revenue breakdownEver wondered where your ticket money really goes? A NITO study reveals what artists earn from ticket sales and how it impacts the live music industry.
The post What Artists earn from Ticket Sales: A revealing revenue breakdown appeared first on Hypebot.

World’s Top Music Schools in 2024Check out the top music schools shaping the next generation of musical talent, and what it costs for aspiring musicians to attend.
The post World’s Top Music Schools in 2024 appeared first on Hypebot.

A for Alpha on the power of sampling and the gear that makes her 90s heart soarBritish DJ and producer A For Alpha, AKA Abby Gray, has proved her admiration for the spirit of 90s underground. She offers a real fusion of past and present, paying homage to the decade’s legends while adding modern flare.

READ MORE: Geeking out with Douze & Lo Galbo about the analogue gear on their 80s-inspired soundtrack album

Although still early on in her career, she’s supported heavyweight artists as a DJ, such as Annie Mac, Eats Everything and Chaos in the CBD. She also has a weekly residency on SWU.FM and runs her own label, Alpha’s Trip.
The producer takes us through the gear that allows her to stay true to the underground scene that gave her the drive to be the musician she is, and the techniques that she uses to emulate the sounds she knows all too well.
Image: Press
Congratulations on the release of your new EP HARD24! How do you think it echoes the iconic sound of the underground scene in the 90s while still sounding modern?
Thank you very much, it’s great to see the tracks out in the world!
I think it’s down to me being really inspired by this decade as it’s pretty much all I listen to. So, when it came to creating the EP those were the kind of ideas and sounds that I had in my head. I also have a very big collection of records from the 90s and I spent a lot of time sampling parts out of those tracks, which was a real snapshot of that time incorporated within the music.
I also spent a lot of time researching what equipment was used during the decade and found plugins and hardware that created this iconic sound which I used a lot during my production process. The tracks still sound modern because ultimately they were created within Ableton – I also use other plugins that I feel have quite a modern sound.
Akai MPC-2000XL. Image: Press
Your sound takes inspiration from the 90s underground scene. How is your studio set up to achieve this?
I have an MPC-2000XL which I love so much — it’s my baby! It’s a really iconic bit of gear from that time used to create a lot of house, garage and hip-hop. It’s been modded so you can put a memory card where the floppy disk used to be and load all your own samples.
I also have a Roland TR-09 which is based on the legendary 909 drum machine by Roland. I don’t use this as much as I used to, but I’d like to get it out more to get those classic-sounding house drums with the signature 909 swing.
The rest is all in the box on Ableton, as well as using other plugins. I used quite a lot of the Roland plugins on this release; you can get all their synths as plugins and there is some wicked-sounding stuff on them that instantly gives you the 90s vibe.
I also use D16’s Decimort for bit reduction, which gives such a great crunch to the drums and creates that 90s roughness. The GSatPlus is also a great saturator that helps to add the 90s sound.
Roland TR-09. Image: Press
Tell us a bit about your studio.
My studio is in Bristol, which is great because it’s a very creative and independent area. I use the studio to produce and prepare for my DJ sets but I also use it to run my own DJ and music production tuition business.
What’s your latest gear or plugin purchase?
My latest purchase is a plugin called FEM-BASO. It’s a vintage FM bass generator that has really cool-sounding bass on it. I bought it because it was recommended by one of my favourite producers, Burnski. I love using it, you can instantly get a great-sounding bass from it and it was very worth it, only £15!
Plugins used by A For Alpha. Image: Press
What’s the best free plugin you own?
There is an amazing free bundle of effects plugins by Kilohearts. I use the frequency shifter on every track, which gives the drums a nice gritty and dark feel which I think is quite a big characteristic of 90s tracks. I also use the trance gate on a lot of tunes, such as on the vocal samples in Dark Bongos and some of the FX in Let Me Hear Ya.
What’s been the biggest investment in your career/studio?
I would have to say my DJ setup. I have three XDJ-700s, a DJM-750Mk2, two Technics 1210Mk2 and about 1,000 records. As you can imagine, that’s cost quite a bit of money to build up over the years!
It’s been hugely worth it though; it’s really elevated me as a DJ. I can also record my vinyls so I can play them digitally as well if I need to. These older tracks are a very unique part of my sound as an artist, so it’s worth it.
A For Alpha’s DJ setup. Image: Press
Is there a particular tool or technique that you like to use that allows your sound to stay true to genres and style you take inspiration from, while being uniquely you?
Sampling is what allows me to achieve this; it’s the easiest way to stay true to the genre and style that I’m most inspired by. It’s not a unique process as it’s been used for decades, but the unique part would be what I choose to sample. For example, with vocals, I do a lot of extensive research into vocalists from the 90s tracks that I like.
How did you approach sampling more non-traditional instruments in your tracks, such as in Dark Bongos?
For the bongos, I found a loop sample in an old 90s sample pack. However, the loop was pretty full-on and busy with lots of drumming and layers of bongos. To strip it back while maintaining the original groove from the loop, I played around with transient shaping in Ableton which reduced some of the peaks of the audio and almost removed parts of the drums from the loop.
Do you have a dream piece of gear? What is it? Why?
A Roland SH-101 would be pretty cool! You can get some incredible bass sounds out of that thing.

What’s a music production myth you think needs debunking?
One myth that I’ve heard is that you have to create every preset yourself on synthesisers. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s fun to create your own and it gives you a unique sound, but in my opinion, it’s all about the general vibe of the track, the end result is really the part that matters the most.
In my experience, creating the 90s sound is best done by sampling or using iconic patches from iconic synths, and so creating a new preset each time isn’t really going to help me achieve that sound.
Who gave you the biggest lesson in your career? Can you tell us about how it impacted you?
I’m going to shout out my old radio producer Paul here. He taught me lots about radio, of course, but he also taught me a lot about 90s tunes. Whether that be specific labels and artists, the best way to mix vinyl and the biggest part really, which is how to deal with the ups and downs of the industry. It’s maybe not something that is discussed a lot, but trying to break through as an artist can be really tough. You’re working 40-50 hours a week at your day job and then you’re trying to create and build your music career on the side. It can be really tough to balance it all and not feel super stressed and burnt out. Paul really helped me to deal with that struggle a lot and how to ultimately enjoy what I was doing, a huge lesson for me that I still embrace to this day.
The post A for Alpha on the power of sampling and the gear that makes her 90s heart soar appeared first on MusicTech.

Sampleson introduce Tronic drum synth Tronic combines a pair of analogue-modelled oscillators with a 16-step sequencer, and comes packed with parameters that allow users to fine-tune the beats it generates. 

Uber will need to fingerprint drivers in California to transport teensUber has 30 days to require certain drivers to get fingerprinted if the ride-hail giant intends to continue transporting unaccompanied teens in California.  The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) issued a ruling Thursday that requires taxi and ride-hail drivers who are carrying unaccompanied minors in the state to pass a fingerprint background check. The ruling […]
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