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Reusable rocket startup Stoke raised another massive round: $260MY Combinator alum Stoke has an ambitious goal to build the first fully reusable rocket and VCs have opened their wallets wide.
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XRP rally to $3 holds, overtaking Bitcoin searches on Google TrendsXRP spot traders provided the volumes needed to send the altcoin above $3. Is a new all-time high the next stop?

Universal Music hits back at Drake, says he ‘seeks to weaponize the legal process to silence an artist’s creative expression’UMG: "We have not and do not engage in defamation — against any individual."
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Forget the Coax, Wire Up Your Antennas with Cat 6 CableThese days, anything with copper in it is expensive. If you doubt that, a walk into any Home Depot electrical department, where the wire is locked up tighter than Fort Knox, will prove otherwise. Coaxial cable is a particularly expensive species, which is a pity for hams and other radio enthusiasts since it’s the only thing we can use for antenna feedlines.
Or is it? [Steve (VE6WZ)] has found a way to use ordinary Cat 6 Ethernet cable for antenna feed lines that seems pretty clever. As he points out, Ethernet cables are designed to handle frequencies that coincide nicely with most of the interesting amateur radio bands, and their insertion losses are acceptably low, especially for Cat 6 cable. The twisted pairs are also a balanced system that’s good at rejecting common mode noise. Cat 6 cable also has four pairs of conductors, allowing you to feed multiple antennas with one cable, or to distribute power to amplifiers and switches along with antenna feeds.
The downside? Cat6 conductor pairs have a characteristic impedance of around 100 ohms, which isn’t a match for the 50-ohm feedline impedance universally expected by ham radios. Also, the relatively small wires probably aren’t up to the job of carrying much current, limiting their use to feedlines for receive-only antennas. That works for [Steve] since he uses Cat 6 to support his massive Beverage antenna farm (Beverage antennas are non-resonant horizontal antennas that live close to the ground and point in the direction of the signal, rather than broadside to the signal as with a resonant antenna like a dipole.) Each antenna in his farm has a transimpedance amplifier that needs to be powered, plus switching relays so he can turn the correct antennas on for the signals he wants to receive. He describes the amps in detail in the video below, along with the custom impedance-matching transformers he uses and the combining gear.
Coax will probably still be the cable of choice for most feedline applications, but it’s nice to know there are alternatives. And who knows—if you stick to QRP work, maybe Cat 6 could even be used for transmitting.

ASCAP offers $1M in emergency relief to LA songwritersASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) had announced that it will distribute $1 million in emergency relief to songwriter and composer in the Los Angeles area.
The post ASCAP offers $1M in emergency relief to LA songwriters appeared first on Hypebot.

On… Los Angeles, The Grammys, and The Recording Academy’s TV gamble.MBW founder Tim Ingham's latest 'Review' for MBW+ subscribers
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Tascam’s Hi-Res Editor gains Apple Silicon support The latest version of Tascam Hi-Res Editor introduces some handy new features, and is now natively supported on Apple Silicon processors. 

FLOSS Weekly Episode 816: Open Source AIThis week, Jonathan Bennett and Aaron Newcomb chat with Simon Phipps and Stefano Maffulli about Open Source AI. Why did we need a new definition? Has it been controversial? And why did OSI step into this particular conversation?

https://opensource.org/ai

Did you know you can watch the live recording of the show Right on our YouTube Channel? Have someone you’d like us to interview? Let us know, or contact the guest and have them contact us! Take a look at the schedule here.

Direct Download in DRM-free MP3.
If you’d rather read along, here’s the transcript for this week’s episode.
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Theme music: “Newer Wave” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Overloud TH-U Essentials Guitar Amp Sim is FREE until January 20
Overloud is giving away free licenses for the TH-U Essentials guitar amp sim (normally $89) until January 20, 2025.  TH-U Essentials is a release for macOS (VST, AU, AAX, standalone) and Windows (VST, AAX, standalone). Overloud is giving away 1000 TH-U Essentials licenses daily from January 14 to January 20.  TH-U Essentials is a guitar sim [...]
View post: Overloud TH-U Essentials Guitar Amp Sim is FREE until January 20

Free Intro to Marketing Music on Snapchat Webinar ThursdayA free webinar on marketing music on Snapchat with Jon Bonigno, Manager of Snap Music Partnerships will be held this Thursday, January 16th.
The post Free Intro to Marketing Music on Snapchat Webinar Thursday appeared first on Hypebot.

Diffusing Music: Inside Ben Neill’s Vision of Sonic Democratization [Book Excerpt]Composer/performer and professor Ben Neill is the inventor of the Mutantrumpet, a hybrid electro-acoustic instrument, and recognized as a musical innovator who, as Wired Magazine said, “uses a schizophrenic trumpet to create art music for the people.” His book "Diffusing Music: Trajectories of Sonic Democratization" has just been released.
The post Diffusing Music: Inside Ben Neill’s Vision of Sonic Democratization [Book Excerpt] appeared first on Hypebot.

Donner update Essential D1 drum machine firmware The latest D1 firmware introduces aftertouch support for the instrument's Drum Roll function, new Function Button Latch and All Sound Off options, and also tackles a range of bugs.

NAMM 2025 Live: Latest rumours, news and products from the biggest music technology show in the worldThe NAMM Show 2025 is taking place on 21 -25 January in Anaheim, California, despite speculation that the tragic Los Angeles Wildfires might impact the world’s biggest music technology trade show. And, judging by the schedule and exhibitors, it’s certainly set to be an action-packed edition of the 123-year-old convention.
Held annually at the Anaheim Convention Centre, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Show brings together over 3,500 music brands, over 150 performing acts, and 75,000 attendees. This year, the show is spread across five days rather than the usual four, bursting with even more music workshops, panels, performances and products. Plus, a handful of music technology’s most notable brands are returning after being MIA from the show for several years, including Behringer, Fender, Marshall, Gibson and more — presumably with a load of new gear to show off.
MusicTech will be on the show floor across the entire exhibit, keeping you in the loop about all the cool gear we find, from synths, plugins and samplers to headphones, audio interfaces, MIDI controllers, and all the other wacky stuff we find along the way.
We’re updating this page with all the latest music technology rumours, news and products from the NAMM Show. We’ve also published a rundown of what to expect at NAMM 2025, with insights from NAMM CEO John Mlynczak, who also reassures the team is “closely monitoring LA wildfires”.
Let’s go.
Reloop’s new Keypad MIDI controller and RMX-30 Bluetooth DJ mixer
Reloop is an often overlooked brand that specialises in affordable DJ and studio gear. At NAMM 2025, it’ll demo the new Keypad MIDI controller and the RMX-30 Bluetooth DJ mixer, among other products.
The Keypad — which, admittedly, looks cluttered and jam-packed at first glance — is a MIDI controller for Bitwig, but can be used with any other DAW. It sports 25 velocity-sensitive keys, pitch and modulation wheels, and 16 velocity-sensitive, aftertouch-equipped RGB pads. Eight full channel strips feature line faders, an endless encoder (pan), two potentiometers (send/return), and three illuminated function buttons (Channel, Solo, Rec). A DAW section is where you can find transport controls and an OLED display to check parameters. This is shipping now for $249/£219/€249  Read the full article.
Image: Reloop
Reloop’s RMX-30 BT is a three-channel DJ mixer designed for small events or home DJing. Theres’ nothing fancy going on here, with Reloop’s focus being convenience and connectivity. With eight inputs and four outputs, you should be able to hook up everything you need for a basic DJ setup, with control over your mix with a 3-band EQ and gain control on each channel strip, plus a dedicated mic channel with 2-band EQ and gain control. Naturally, with BT in the name, you’ll be able to stream music over Bluetooth from your smartphone or other wireless device. This is also shipping now for €230/$250/£200.
DPA Microphones acquires Austrian Audio

We didn’t see this one coming. Both exhibiting at this year’s show are Austrian Audio and DPA Microphones. These two mic brands are revered in their respective fields, with DPA being a powerful force in broadcasting solutions and miniature mic categories, with a respectable offering of studio mics. Austrian Audio, meanwhile, was founded by ex-AKG engineers and has made strides in home recording, streaming and headphone monitoring. Now, Austrian Audio will operate under DPA Microphones as the brands develop “a broader product range” and continue to “address the high end of the market”.
Read the full article. 
 
The post NAMM 2025 Live: Latest rumours, news and products from the biggest music technology show in the world appeared first on MusicTech.

Roger Linn on the ethics of gear remakes: “Asking my permission would be appreciated”In light of his essay about Behringer’s reinterpretation of his LinnDrum, Roger Linn has further spoken out about the importance of consent when it comes to gear emulations.
Roger Linn’s LinnDrum launched in 1982 via his Linn Electronics brand following its predecessor, the Linn LM-1, and marked the first drum machine to use samples of real drums. Behringer’s LM Drum landed back in December for $399, and was branded as a modern reinterpretation with extra features including MIDI support.

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

Following Behringer’s emulation of the iconic drum machine, Linn penned an essay which he shared on his official website. Within it, Linn claimed that CEO Uli Behringer “never asked permission” to “copy my visual design or my drum sounds”, and went on to add, “I’d have preferred for Uli to ask my permission. Even if he thinks it is legal, I question whether it is ethical.”
Now, speaking to Attack Magazine, Linn says that getting involved with legal battles “doesn’t interest” him, and he’d rather put his passion into making instruments. He later adds, “One issue is whether it’s legal to copy any digital information that is copyrighted. The other issue is whether I have any interest in chasing down people who copy my sounds, which I haven’t so far because it’s not fun. My essay explains my thoughts on this.”
Asked what would be an ethical way for a company to remake another company’s product in his opinion, he simply responds, “Asking my permission would be appreciated.”

Back in September 2023, Linn’s LM-1 was revived as the Luma1 by Joe Britt, CEO of Afero in Silicon Valley. It was built with the approval of Linn himself, and fully recreates the original design of the LM-1. Speaking about this recreation with Attack, Linn says Britt “makes no money on it but rather created it just for fun” and that he is “happy to let them use the sounds.”
Behringer has run into similar predicament before in regards to its UB-Xa synth, which took inspiration from Oberheim’s OB-Xa. Tom Oberheim himself also released a response to the synth (similar to that of Linn), in which he clarified there was “no collaboration” between himself and the brand after Behringer alleged it had gotten consent from him. Behringer then stated the UB-Xa was “not a clone” and said it “clearly shared the plan for the UB-Xa synthesiser and received consent to use the trademark”.
In a Facebook post made four days ago (11 January), Behringer, without mentioning any of the synth makers it’s had recent disputes with, commented on the “misunderstanding about intellectual property and what it means”.
“IP refers to legally protected rights over creations, such as trademarks or patents,” the company wrote. “Unless these protections are registered, the content is typically in the public domain and free to use.
“This system is intentional. Society thrives on progress, and limiting rights to a few individuals or companies would stifle creativity. Imagine if only one company could produce cars or guitars – innovation would stall, and access would be restricted.
“If companies want to protect their IP, they must file for trademarks, patents, or other legal measures. At Music Tribe, we’ve done this with around 100 patents to safeguard our innovations.”
The post Roger Linn on the ethics of gear remakes: “Asking my permission would be appreciated” appeared first on MusicTech.