IK Multimedia drops huge AmpliTube 5 CS December promo with 6 freebies
IK Multimedia has kicked off its December AmpliTube 5 CS giveaway, and it’s a huge one, with six guitar gear module giveaways. IK’s AmpliTube 5 CS is a free guitar and bass workstation, and a 64-bit exclusive release for macOS and Windows.  The gear freebies for December 2025 are the Fender ’65 Deluxe Reverb head, [...]
View post: IK Multimedia drops huge AmpliTube 5 CS December promo with 6 freebies

MIT Report Reveals Live Music’s Carbon Footprint: How Artists, Venues, and Fans Can Cut EmissionsThe concert and touring industry has long talked about sustainability. Thanks to an extensive MIT study there is now real data on live music's carbon footprint and where artists, venues and fans can cut emissions.
The post MIT Report Reveals Live Music’s Carbon Footprint: How Artists, Venues, and Fans Can Cut Emissions appeared first on Hypebot.

Billy Corgan to be awarded 2025 TEC Innovation Award for his “his transformative impact on modern, guitar-driven music” at next year’s NAMM ShowBilly Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins will be awarded the 2025 TEC Innovation Award at The NAMM Show next year.
The 41st Annual NAMM Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards will take place on the evening of Thursday, 22 January, during The NAMM Show in Anaheim, California. Corgan has been selected as the award recipient due to his “transformative impact on modern, guitar-driven music and his forward-thinking approach to tone shaping and sonic architecture.”

READ MORE: “You ruined music!”: Engineers reveal how Loudness Wars peaked in the digital era in new Waves documentary

The TEC Innovation Award recognises visionary contributions that shape the future of music, sound, and creative production. His work on The Pumpkin’s classic records Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness are noted as stellar examples of his craft, as well as the band’s more recent releases ATUM: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, and Aghori Mhori Mei.
Beyond his work within the band, Corgan’s solo catalogue includes four albums TheFutureEmbrace (2005), Aegea (2014), Ogilala (2017), and Cotillions (2019). He’s also worked with artists such as Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, New Order, Code Orange, and more, as well as having scored music for films such as Ransom, Stigmata, and Spun.
He hosts his own podcast, The Magnificent Others, and even recently partnered with the Lyric Opera of Chicago for the world premiere of A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness: an operatic reimagining of the classic Pumpkins double album.

John Mlynczak, NAMM President and CEO, says: “Billy’s fearless approach to production, imaginative pedal chains, analogue exploration, intricate layering and boundary-breaking studio techniques have influenced countless creators. His deep commitment to innovation and artistic evolution places him among the most distinctive and influential musical architects of the last three decades.”
Find out more about the TEC Awards, or register for the 2026 NAMM Show. 
The post Billy Corgan to be awarded 2025 TEC Innovation Award for his “his transformative impact on modern, guitar-driven music” at next year’s NAMM Show appeared first on MusicTech.

How To Create A Fans First Concert IndustryCan the concert and ticketing industry be disrupted in ways that benefits fans? Self-described "fandom analyst" Monia Ali of Fandom Exile offers some thoughtful and provocative suggestions on how to create a fans first concert industry.
The post How To Create A Fans First Concert Industry appeared first on Hypebot.

AmenBreak VST offers a generous FREE edition and a hands-on approach to break mangling
Infinite Digits has released AmenBreak VST, a performance-based beat slicer and sample mangler for macOS, Windows, and Linux, with a generous free version that’s well worth your time. I appreciate it when a paid plugin comes with a free edition that isn’t crippled or constantly nagging you to upgrade, and AmenBreak VST gets this part [...]
View post: AmenBreak VST offers a generous FREE edition and a hands-on approach to break mangling

Best gifts for singers, songwriters and vocalistsShopping for loved ones is rarely as straightforward as you hope. You’re busy wrapping up the year at work as the holidays rapidly approach. Suddenly, you’re days away from Christmas without a single gift idea for that one singer-songwriter in your life.

READ MORE: Best gifts for musicians and producers this holiday season

Luckily, you’ve found a sensible guide that narrows down your options. From music creation apps and tools to voice-friendly stocking stuffers, we’ve compiled the essentials that any singer-songwriter will be grateful for.
Gadgets that help capture ideas anywhere

Songwriting requires an open mind that’s ready to welcome any idea whenever it emerges. Sometimes, you sit down in front of a piano for hours and struggle to come up with anything good. Other times, you’re at a coffee shop, and a random melody or lyric interrupts your thoughts.
Most songwriters use the voice memo app on their phones to capture such inconvenient bursts of creativity. But what if they had access to tools that improve the audio quality of their sketches?
Shure’s MV88+ Stereo USB Condenser Microphone offers a multipurpose solution for recording and streaming professional audio on the go. It’s a pocket-sized microphone that plugs into smartphones, tablets, and computers. It comes in a simple case with standard accessories like a microphone clip, windscreen, and cables. But it becomes more powerful when paired with Shure’s MOTIV video and mixing apps. The MOTIV apps have audio clean-up presets and various polar patterns, as well as effects like EQ and compression. All in all, the MV88+ has proved its worth in my collection over the past couple of years. I often use it for recording voiceovers and field sounds, which I sample in my music.
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Still, Shure’s MOTIV apps don’t provide extensive functions for building basic song arrangements. The cloud-based music creation platform, BandLab Studio, is a much better fit for demo-making. Although it has a free version, the paid BandLab Membership gets you additional features. For example, the new Voice Cleaner effectively removes surrounding noise from any vocal recording. Apple customers automatically gain access to GarageBand, which can be stored in iCloud. However, BandLab artists can open their projects even in a web browser, which makes it perfect for touring artists who enjoy spontaneous collaborations.
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Editor’s note: BandLab Technologies and MusicTech are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.
Meanwhile, a hi-fi recorder like the Zoom H4essential is a better fit for songwriters who don’t want to be around screens while they’re writing.
It’s a standalone device with sensitive stereo microphones, high-capacity storage, and two XLR inputs. Many musicians use it to capture their rehearsals because it can handle high sound pressure levels well.
Home studio must-haves
It’s important to capture a fleeting idea. But it’s just as important to see it through in the studio. Making full demos at home is common practice for songwriters, and their setup can always benefit from a little support.
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The Beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO X closed-back headphones are a solid choice for recording vocals. They’re comfortable to wear and do a decent job of preventing headphone mixes from bleeding into the recording. Some headphones make audible clicking sounds with every jaw movement, which can ruin an otherwise beautiful vocal take – but not this pair. And while closed-back headphones aren’t ideal for mixing, the DT 770 PRO X sounds detailed enough for demo production.
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Another device that makes demo-making easier is a MIDI controller, like the Novation Launchkey Mini 37.
Artists who want to step beyond the limitations of playing a single instrument get into producing music with a DAW. A MIDI controller that has pads for finger drumming and keys for playing virtual instruments is destined to become a long-term staple. It’s easy to set up for beginners, but also versatile enough to entice advanced producers. Plus, it comes packed with a software bundle that includes Ableton Live Lite, Cubase LE, and Komplete 15 Select from Native Instruments.
Live performance tools
You can’t assess the true potential of a song until you put it in front of an audience. Even if they don’t have a show booked yet, many artists start by performing at open mics, busking, and posting live clips on social media. Gifting a piece of equipment to help them improve their sound will go a long way.

For social media performers, check out Roland’s battery-powered audio mixer for smartphones, the GO:MIXER PRO-X. It’s small enough to fit into your hand, yet houses multiple channels with four control knobs.
It can connect a microphone, guitar, or any mono/stereo instrument to your phone. And from there, whether you livestream or record videos to share later is up to you. GO:MIXER PRO-X has a stereo output, so it’s unsuitable for multitrack recording. But it’s handy for capturing quick performance videos.
One key feature that simple audio mixers lack is effects processing. For that, a multi-effects station like the BOSS VE-22 Vocal Performer sets a high bar. With it, singers can control their reverb, delay, and distortion effects on stage. The VE-22 is also capable of generating harmonies, looping, and improving the vocal mix with EQ, compression, and chorus effects.
Thoughtful stocking stuffers
Last but not least, here are some stocking stuffers for gifting on a tight budget.
For hearing protection at loud rehearsals, earplugs like the Loop Switch 2 get the job done. Though they’re not as effective as some of the more premium, customised pairs on the market, they’re a huge step up from foam earplugs that muffle the sound.
There are also numerous resources that support musical growth. Anne Peckham’s Vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer focuses on expanding range while keeping vocal cords healthy. Pat Pattison’s Writing Better Lyrics is a complete introduction to Nashville-style songwriting, but it will benefit all writers just the same. The online learning hub Soundfly offers courses not only in songwriting, but also in harmony and music production for as little as $12 a month.
Though they may seem small, pastilles like Grether’s, Throat Coat tea from Traditional Medicinals, and single-serve honey packets from Nature Nate’s are especially welcome in winter.
Accessories such as windscreens and XLR cables for microphones are as useful as they are easy to misplace. As for musical keepsakes, a pitched percussion instrument like a kalimba or a keychain that stores guitar picks can be a good choice.
No matter which gift you pick, you’ll earn compliments for putting in extra thought.
The post Best gifts for singers, songwriters and vocalists appeared first on MusicTech.

One of the biggest deals ever? Save $3,500 on this Rupert Neve Designs 5058 Nexus Monitor ControllerWe’re still tracking down all the best deals in celebration of the festive period, and we’ve found a serious deal: A $3,500 discount on a Rupert Neve Designs monitor controller.
The 5058 Nexus Monitor Controller is based on the monitor section in RND’s flagship 5088 large-format console, and is complete with Class A analogue signal paths, custom Rupert Neve Designs transformer-coupled outputs, a dedicated Class A headphone amplifier, and a stepped attenuator for precise monitor output level control. You can get it now via Sweetwater for $4,499.00 while stocks last.
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RND’s high-end audio equipment has earned stellar reviews from MusicTech in the past. We rated its Newton Channel a flawless 10/10, while its 5254 Diode Bridge compressor and its Master Buss Converter both received 9/10 – just to name a few top-tier examples.
Rupert Neve’s 80-series consoles were a staple of ’70s rock and were used in studios across London, New York, Los Angeles and more. The 5088 console that this compact controller is based on is renowned for its “meticulously crafted” Class A circuitry, discrete high-voltage op-amp cards, and custom transformers coupling every input and output.
The full 5088 console was installed in Studio A of Sweetwater Studios back in 2022. You can learn more in the videos below:

To find out more or shop this deal now, head over to Sweetwater.
The post One of the biggest deals ever? Save $3,500 on this Rupert Neve Designs 5058 Nexus Monitor Controller appeared first on MusicTech.

Inlet Audio releases ANIMATE and SPHERE, two FREE atmospheric Kontakt libraries
Inlet Audio has released ANIMATE and SPHERE, two free sample libraries for Native Instruments Kontakt (they also require the Pulse Downloader), aimed at composers and producers who enjoy atmospheric, organic, and cinematic textures. Before getting into the sounds, there’s one important thing to mention upfront: both libraries require the full version of Kontakt (6.8.0 or [...]
View post: Inlet Audio releases ANIMATE and SPHERE, two FREE atmospheric Kontakt libraries

Get the new Solid State Logic SpringVerb for $29 + a Plugin Boutique freebie
Solid State Logic has released SpringVerb, a vintage-inspired spring reverb plugin for macOS and Windows, and it’s currently available at a discount along with some pretty awesome bonus freebies at Plugin Boutique. I’ve had a soft spot for spring reverb ever since I fell down the dub music rabbit hole roughly 25 years ago (Your [...]
View post: Get the new Solid State Logic SpringVerb for $29 + a Plugin Boutique freebie

Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere 3 review: Still a must-have pluginAvailable now for $499 / $199 upgrade
When a software instrument becomes a standard in multiple industries— the way that Omnisphere did almost immediately after its release in 2008— it’s easy for a developer to become progressively complacent. Omnisphere is such a household name by now that I’ve even heard naysayers refer to it as a “mere ROMpler” in an attempt to discredit or invalidate its status.

READ MORE: Native Instruments Absynth 6 review: The return of a vintage classic

However, Spectrasonics has taken the complete opposite route with Omnisphere, repeatedly pushing boundaries in almost every direction by continuously coming up with new creative tools and improved workflow solutions. For this reason, Omnisphere is a staple in music production, motion picture, and video game scoring, as well as sound design, with its hybrid system giving users access to a powerful synthesis engine, for an almost endless sound library that lets you create or adapt sounds for any application.
Naturally, the flowers of success sow the seeds of competition, and today there are a range of alternative options that profess to do a similar thing. Although they are unique instruments in their own right, UVI Falcon, Arturia Pigments, Serum, and ReFX Nexus have each been influenced in different ways by Omnisphere.
But Omnisphere 3 assures that it’s still undisputed in its power.

Using Omnisphere 3
Despite the sizable download, setting up Omnisphere 3 is remarkably hassle-free, and it takes up the same amount of hard drive space as the previous version, which is just over 62 GB. This includes 18 new patch libraries (with 26,421 patches) and three legacy libraries (9,242 patches), as well as 5,590 sound sources and 152 multis. This may seem like an overwhelming abundance of sounds, but they are carefully curated into separate libraries for different applications, and search results can be filtered within the browser by adding or removing keywords, moods, or timbres.
As you open Omnisphere 3, you are met with the newly-designed Global Controls section, which gives you immediate access to the essential parameters. The way these controls interact with the different synth sections actually varies intuitively from one patch to another to give you the most responsive sound shaping experience. From the get-go, this is immediately elevated with the expanded library of Hardware Integration profiles.
This means that the chances of you having one of the supported devices are high, and I’m delighted to find my Virus TI on the list, which made exploring the new sounds and features far more fun. Another thing that Spectrasonics gets right is that Omnisphere 3 scales perfectly onto a 13-inch laptop display and performs remarkably well on my M2 MacBook Air, even with the library content installed on an external hard drive. Although this may sound rudimentary, you’d be surprised how many aspiring plugin instruments there are that can’t seem to get this part right.
Image: Press
What sets Omnisphere 3 apart?
The beauty of using Omnisphere is that there are so many ways to get great sounds. If, for instance, you like creating synth sounds from scratch, you have a choice of either using sample-based sound sources or a wide range of DSP wavetable-based oscillators, as well as a wide selection of filter types. At every turn, you can choose to take the traditional approach, leveraging features like vintage oscillator drift, classic glide modes, and the new dual frequency shifter, or you can break into undiscovered territory with the uniquely innovative modern creative tools, including unison phase scatter and MPE support.
One of Omnisphere’s superpowers, even from version 1, was its modulation capabilities. With a simple right-click, you can turn nearly any parameter into a mod destination and assign it to a range of sources such as LFOs, envelopes, or even bias sources, which are a more complex version of the traditional keyboard tracking parameter. What’s even more impressive is how the monstrously flexible mod matrix lets you target parameters in one or across all of the four synth layers.
Of the feature additions, Quadzone stands out to me as a simple yet effective new trick that lets you morph between the layers using the note positions on the keyboard, velocity, or a fader, which can become a modulation target. Omnisphere has always offered a dynamic response to performance-style control, so whether you’re using a hammer-action keyboard or an Osmose, the Quadzone, as well as the Stack and Live Modes, will let you map each part you need to play in a song in a way that evolves and lets you interact with the other musicians on stage.
Another truly exceptional feature is the upgraded Omnisphere FX rack, and it’s a concept that other plugin designers have borrowed from Spectrasonics instruments. In Omnisphere 3, there are 35 new effects modules, including classic compressors and EQs, reverbs, delays, distortions, and unique creative effects. What’s more, you can now use the Omnisphere FX rack as a separate processor in your DAW, à la Soundtoys, with a selection of rack presets for working with vocals, guitars, drums, and even mastering.
Image: Press
Is Omnisphere 3 still a must-have plugin?
If you take music production even semi-seriously, the chances are that you already own Omnisphere and some of its incredible expansions, such as the Bob Moog Tribute Library and Sonic Extensions. If this is the case, you’ve probably already forked out the $199 upgrade fee, which also covers Omnisphere 1 license holders.
For the uninitiated, you might be wondering why you would spend $499 on a plugin. Rather than comparing Omnisphere to other plugins, I prefer comparing it to high-end workstation synths like the Korg Nautilus, Yamaha Montage, or Roland Fantom, in terms of its sound creation and performance potential.
Put this way, the price tag becomes more than reasonable, and the fact that you can run an instrument of this level perfectly on a consumer-grade laptop makes it even more formidable.
Omnisphere’s true strength lies in how it offers a platform that delivers immediate sonic wizardry to absolutely anyone, from a bedroom producer or touring stage performer all the way to an experienced sound designer.
Image: Press
Key features

Native AU, VST, AAX
18 new sound libraries
Redesigned browser interface
New synthesis features including Quadzone, Frequency Shifter, and MPE support
New sound sources and EDM wavetables
Expanded Hardware Integration support
35 new effects modules and effects rack plugin functionality

The post Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere 3 review: Still a must-have plugin appeared first on MusicTech.

Rhodes reveal Glacial & Monolith Custom Shop Mk8 The Glacial and Monolith limited-edition models will be hand-built to order in Leeds, UK by Rhodes Master Builders, and will not be reissued once the order window closes on 9 January 2026. 

Mesa shuts down credit card that rewarded cardholders for paying their mortgagesFintech startup Mesa has shut down its Homeowners Card, which awarded points to cardholders for paying their mortgages.

Finally, A Pipe Slapophone With MIDIIf you live in a major city, you’ve probably seen a street performer with some variety of slapophone. It’s a simple musical instrument that typically uses different lengths of PVC pipe to act as resonant cavities. When struck with an implement like a flip-flop, they release a dull but pleasant tone. [Ivan Miranda] decided to build such an instrument himself and went even further by giving it MIDI capability. Check it out in the video below.
[Ivan’s] design uses a simple trick to provide a wide range of notes without needing a lot of individual pipes. He built four telescoping pipe assemblies, each of which can change length with the aid of a stepper motor and a toothed belt drive. Lengthening the cavity produces a lower note, while shortening it produces a higher note. The four pipe assemblies are electronically controlled to produce notes sent from a MIDI keyboard, all under the command of an Arduino. The pipes are struck by specially constructed paddles made of yoga mats, again controlled by large stepper motors.
The final result is large, power-hungry, and vaguely playable. It’s a little unconventional, though, because moving the pipes takes time. Thus, keypresses on a MIDI keyboard set the pipes to a given note, but don’t actually play it. The slapping of the pipe is then triggered with a drum pad.
We love weird instruments around these parts.

Memecoins will rise from the dead, but in a new form: Crypto execMemecoins were never about memes, jokes, or financial nihilism; it is the underlying technology and its implications that are promising.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Country/Duo Group PerformanceThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category.

Take a listen to the nominated performances below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

A Song To SingMiranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton

TrailblazerReba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson

Love Me Like You Used To DoMargo Price & Tyler Childers

AmenShaboozey & Jelly Roll

Honky Tonk Hall Of FameGeorge Strait, Chris Stapleton

Shaboozey photo by Daniel PrakopcykThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Country/Duo Group Performance first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.