This veteran couldn’t share 3D scans of a burnt naval ship, so he created a startup that canIn the summer of 2020, a fire broke out onboard a naval ship docked in San Diego Bay. For more than four days, the USS Bonhomme Richard burned as helicopters dropped buckets of water from above, boats spewed water from below, and firefighters rushed onboard to control the blaze. Before the embers had even cooled, […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Turning a Quansheng Handheld Into A Neat Desktop TransceiverThe Quansheng UV-K5 is a popular handheld radio. It’s useful out of the box, but also cherished for its modification potential. [OM0ET] purchased one of these capable VHF/UHF radios, but got to hacking—as he wanted to use it as a desktop radio instead!
This might just sound like a simple reshell, but there was actually a bit of extra work involved. Most notably, the Quansheng is designed to be tuned solely by using the keypad. For desktop use, though, that’s actually kind of a pain. Thus, to make life easier, [OM0ET] decided to whip up a little encoder control to handle tuning and other control tasks using an ESP32. This was achieved with help from one [OM0WT] and files for that are on Github. Other tasks involved finding a way to make the keypad work in a new housing, and how to adapt things like the audio and data module and the speaker to their new homes.
Despite the original handheld being much smaller than the case used here, you’d be surprised how tight everything fits in the case. Still, the finished result looks great. We’ve seen some other adaptable and upgradable ham radio gear before, too. Sometimes custom is the way to go! Video after the break.

The Hipgnosis Songs Fund catalog has just been valued at $2.36bn… around $150m more than HSF’s enterprise value when Blackstone acquired itBlackstone raises nearly $1.5 billion in debt financing via new ABS, based on substantial valuation for Hipgnosis Songs Fund assets
Source

DistroKid lays off 37 workers, decimating US Artist Relations teamDistroKid put 37 employees on “administrative leave” Friday, just an hour before the union was set to meet with the company to continue contract negotiations, according the DistroKid Union.
The post DistroKid lays off 37 workers, decimating US Artist Relations team appeared first on Hypebot.

Where creativity meets workflow: A letter from our CEO
Over the past few months, we’ve studied how we can get deeper into existing workflows, in order to simplify the experience while making it more creatively fulfilling.

The Woodworker’s CyberdeckComputers were supposed to be personal, customizable, and cool. At times, in this cold modern world, we forget that. However, the cyberdeck scene is chock full of people building creative, original computers that suit their own tastes, aesthetics, and needs. [DIY Tinkerer] is one such individual, and he made the most of his woodworking skills when it came time to build his own cyberdeck!
The technological basics are along the lines of what we’re used to in this field. The build is based around a Raspberry Pi 4, with [DIY Tinkerer] selecting an 8 GB model for his needs. It’s paired with a 9000 mAh onboard battery, and there’s a power jack on the front to let the thing run on anything from 5 to 20 volts DC. For ease of use, there’s a multi-memory card reader and several USB 3 ports available.
The rest of the video focuses on the woodworking side of things. [DIY Tinkerer] shows us how he managed to build a new housing out of a rugged plastic case that would also be practical to use. The final product is both functional and attractive, and comes with an oscilloscope built in to boot! It came a long way from his earlier build, too.
We’ve seen a great load of cyberdeck builds over the years.

Audient launch ORIA iPad Remote & Dante Card Audient's Atmos-capable interface and monitor controller now offers remote control via an iPad and up to 16 channels of Dante connectivity when being used in standlone mode.

Concord closes $850m Asset-Backed Securities transaction to ‘fuel strategic growth and acquisitions’Transaction was led by Apollo
Source

Ditto dumps Merlin as TikTok takedown of millions of indie tracks loomsDitto dumps Merlin deal and signs directly with TikTok as this week's takedown of millions of tracks by independent artists used in videos looms.
The post Ditto dumps Merlin as TikTok takedown of millions of indie tracks looms appeared first on Hypebot.

How To Book More Gigs: Essential Tips for Indie ArtistsBooking gigs as an indie artist can be challenging, but we've got you covered. Discover proven strategies to land more shows, build your fanbase, and take your live performances to the next level.
The post How To Book More Gigs: Essential Tips for Indie Artists appeared first on Hypebot.

Avenged Sevenfold hold intimate 25th anniversary concert exclusively for members of NFT-based fanclubStill NFT-sceptic? That makes you and millions of others. But many forward-thinking artists and their communities are already reaping the benefits of having faith in the blockchain, and its potential to provide exclusive real-world utility.
Take Avenged Sevenfold as an example. The Huntington Beach metal titans are no stranger to the blockchain, having launched an NFT-based fanclub, Deathbats Club, in 2021, and earlier this year, Season Pass, a Fortnite-style progression system which rewards the band’s most dedicated fans with special perks.

READ MORE: Avenged Sevenfold celebrate their 25th anniversary with spooky virtual museum inside Fortnite

And Deathbats Club members were treated to a very special intimate concert at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California on Friday (25 October), with a setlist composed entirely of songs from the band’s first three albums: Sounding the Seventh Trumpet (2001), Waking the Fallen (2003) and City of Evil (2005).
Tickets were made available exclusively for Deathbats Club members back in August, priced at $25 each.
Supported by Orange County hardcore punk outfit Death By Stereo, A7X took to the stage for an 11-track setlist, with fan favourites like Beast and the Harlot, Seize the Day and Unholy Confessions interspersed with rarities including Remenissions, Desecrate Through Reverence, and even Sounding the Seventh Trumpet opener To End The Rapture.
In the spirit of Spooky Season, frontman M Shadows performed in a skeleton one-piece, while guitarist Synyster Gates donned a trilby which may or may not have been a nod to his City of Evil-era look.
Take a look at the full setlist below:

To End The Rapture (first time since 2017)
Chapter Four (first time since 2018)
Burn It Down (first time since 2018)
Blinded In Chains
Remenissions (first time since 2016)
Seize The Day
Second Heartbeat (first time since 2018)
Desecrate Through Reverence (first time since 2004, first performance with Brooks Wackerman)
Unholy Confessions
Beast And The Harlot (first time since 2018; fans playing with band)
M.I.A. (first time since 2018)

When we spoke to M Shadows earlier this year, he acknowledged that many music fans still have a way to go in understanding how the blockchain can make their experience better, but said that in the case of the “6,000” people already on the Deathbats Club, they “don’t want it any other way”.
“It’s gonna take time for that to permeate into society and for other artists to say, ‘We’re gonna put the work in and build out something like this,’” he said. “Because it did take us a lot of work. We were building for two years in the bear market, even though that was irrelevant to us; the price didn’t ever matter.
“But we were building for two years when everyone else gave up on it. They didn’t see the vision, they didn’t care about the technology, they didn’t understand it. They were just trying to fucking sell shit to their fans.”

The post Avenged Sevenfold hold intimate 25th anniversary concert exclusively for members of NFT-based fanclub appeared first on MusicTech.

SSL release free X-Orcism II plug-in SSL have announced the launch of a free voice-transformation plug-in that combines a range of processors including delay, pitch-shifting, reverb, noise generation and more

Imaginando TV3: This TB-303 emulation is free until DecemberImaginando has released TV3, a software emulation of the legendary Roland TB-303 that’s free to download from now until 1 December 2024.
Inspired by the classic acid bass synth that revolutionised the electronic music industry, TV3 packs all the power of the original while offering a completely unique design and workflow.

READ MORE: “When Auto-Tune first came out, it was a tool. That’s what Suno is – the best tool of the future”: Timbaland says he spends 10 hours a day using Suno AI

TV3 features two oscillators (main and sub) and two selectable waveforms (square and sawtooth). The signal is fed into a 24dB/oct low-pass resonant, non-self oscillating filter, with cutoff and resonance controls.
Users also get an envelope section, and 4 unique distortion modes: Saturation, Saturated Wavefolding, Fuzz and Nock, along with an inbuilt high-pass filter.
Featuring a minimal set of parameters, the plugin offers a simplified control set, with an Advanced Panel for those seeking deeper control.
Notably, TV3 features a Pattern Generator, making bassline creation not only effortless but also fun. Simply click on the generate button to instantly produce an original pattern and explore unlimited sequences.
You can adjust the complexity, length, scale (21 to choose from) and key of your sequences, and export generated patterns as MIDI files directly from the plugin interface into your DAW for immediate use. Alternatively, you can drag the MIDI file to your computer’s desktop or file system, allowing you to assemble your own bassline MIDI pack in a flash.
Feel free to save patches in the plugin and recall them anytime as well. There’s also a bunch of built-in classic acid basslines for you to get creative.
TV3 is available for Windows and macOS in VST, VST3 and AU plugin formats. The plugin will return to its original price of $19 after the promotion.

Learn more at Imaginando.
The post Imaginando TV3: This TB-303 emulation is free until December appeared first on MusicTech.

“What AI means to Universal Audio is less important than what it means to the music-making community”: CEO Bill Putnam Jr. shares why the brand doesn’t “make a big deal” out of AI featuresUniversal Audio CEO Bill Putnam Jr. isn’t worried about artificial intelligence.
In a new interview with MusicTech, the executive reveals why the brand doesn’t “make a big deal” out of having “important” AI-based features in its products, such as in the case of LUNA, the DAW it made free to download for Mac users back in 2023.

READ MORE: “When Auto-Tune first came out, it was a tool. That’s what Suno is – the best tool of the future”: Timbaland says he spends 10 hours a day using Suno AI

Putnam, who admittedly uses AI to assist with prompts for his daily writing exercises, says that while anyone can make music with a single line of text and a ‘Generate’ button these days, the true magic often lies in the creative process and not the end result – a lesson his woodworking hobby has taught him.
“What AI means to Universal Audio is less important than what it means to the music-making community and the overall professional community,” he says.
“Obviously, if a computer can make music fool a listener as to whether it was created by a human or a computer, it’s certainly provocative. And then I realised, [with woodworking], I will never make a piece of furniture as well as I can go out and buy one. …Yet I find joy in making.”
“We’re makers – humans are creative beasts, you know? I can press a button right now and make music better than I’ll ever be able to, yet playing music with friends is still one of the biggest joys.”
“I don’t think I’m ever going to lose this childlike glee with new technology. I still love new stuff,” he adds. “And obviously, the most recent being everything that AI is bringing, both good and bad.”
Earlier this month, UA launched Apollo Constellations, which included an upgrade to its lineup of beloved Apollo X audio interfaces, the Topline Vocal Suite, UAD Guitar Amp plugins, and the announcement of the Apollo Monitor Correction, in collaboration with Sonarworks.
The post “What AI means to Universal Audio is less important than what it means to the music-making community”: CEO Bill Putnam Jr. shares why the brand doesn’t “make a big deal” out of AI features appeared first on MusicTech.

AllMusic's Favorite Actually Scary AlbumsHalloween novelty tunes are altogether ooky and all, but we here at AllMusic wanted to reveal the albums that actually scared us. Brooding themes and stark instrumentation. Real (perceived) devil worship and horrifying abandonment. Stabbing strings and haunting vocals. Psycho mansions and Lux Interiors. These are the themes of the recordings we've chosen to showcase: Actually Scary Albums.