“Next time don’t bring a wet sponge to a tech fight”: deadmau5 and James Hype are feuding – here’s what’s going onThe great pre-recorded DJ set debate has risen once again, and this time, it’s among artists James Hype and deadmau5.
The beef between the two was ignited as Hype shared a promotional video to his Instagram page for his new live show, SYNC. Within it, he references old comments from 2021 made by deadmau5 where he claimed DJs were often required to play pre-recorded sets at large scale events and festivals.

READ MORE: The best rotary mixers to buy in 2025: 15 best mixers for DJs

The video in which deadmau5 made these comments resurfaced in 2023, prompting him to respond and refute the debate, and re-iterate that he does not consider himself to be a DJ: “The fuck do I care. I’m an engineer first, producer second, performer third. Pre-recorded, on the fly, DJs, live PAs… who cares, everyone does shit their own way,” he said. “So maybe just try to have a good time?”
In Hype’s new SYNC promo, he says, “deadmau5 said that you had to pre-record your set if you wanted to sync it to visuals, I think this proves him wrong,” before triggering the deadmau5 logo to flash up around him in response to the sounds he plays. “This is my new live show, SYNC, and it really is live,” he concludes, before another, much larger image flashes up of deadmau5.

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A post shared by JAMES HYPE (@jameshype)

Anyone familiar with deadmau5 will know he’s not one to keep quiet, and he’s already responded both in the comments under Hype’s video, and via two of his own posts. In the comments, he writes, “Good shit! Now do it without MIDI and resolume. Hint: UDP socket / port 50000.”
He also adds, “If you’re going to map the top of that table, make it a projection with perspective with a height variable so you can adjust it at venues for the folks above deck height. Looks like shit if it’s just flat mapped like that.”
In his own posts, deadmau5 has shown himself using a CDJ to trigger the words “It’s not that hard” to appear on a desktop screen, and in another has mapped the CDJ to control the Elden Ring video game.
Though DJ and producer Louie Gonzo has weighed in under his post stating, “but you were the one that said u hadda [sic] pre record a set to sync visuals”, deadmau5 has responded claiming he never made the comments, and that things have been taken out of context. He says, “Didn’t say that. Much of the out of context brain rot you rely on as education may have put that in your head though.”

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A post shared by deadmau5 (@deadmau5)

“Next time don’t bring a wet sponge to a tech fight. I can’t even imagine what it’s like renting a stage / film crew / video tech / audio tech to film a deadmau5 burn only to get ruined by a response made with an iPhone, 100 lines of cpp and MS paint. Feel better soon,” he later responds to Hype once again. At the time of writing, he has not yet responded to deadmau5.
Both James Hype and deadmau5 are playing shows this spring and summer. You can get tickets to see them via their respective websites.
The post “Next time don’t bring a wet sponge to a tech fight”: deadmau5 and James Hype are feuding – here’s what’s going on appeared first on MusicTech.

SUPERBOOTH 2025: Tiptop Audio Tiptop Audio have been working on a whole host of new modules for their polyphonic Eurorack system, as well as some additions to their growing collection of Buchla 200 Series recreations.

pointblank Music School releases two FREE courses for Logic Pro and Ableton Live
pointblank Music School has created two new courses for budding music producers using either Ableton Live or Logic Pro. Each pointblank Music School course consists of over 30 video tutorials crafted with help from music industry experts that you can watch at your own pace. Feeling lost in the vast complexity of a DAW is [...]
View post: pointblank Music School releases two FREE courses for Logic Pro and Ableton Live

“A lot of artists need to understand that it’s part of music production”: Myd on overcoming the fear of a blank DAWFrench producer Myd wants you to know that even the best musicians are intimidated by a blank DAW.
The artist, real name Quentin Lepoutre, recently wrapped up a week-long Twitch livestream from his LED-drenched studio in France, where he cooked meals, did yoga, slept, hosted DJ sets, and – importantly – made music in front of a live audience.
While the stream was partly born out of necessity (he’d lost two key tracks and needed to finish them before a label deadline), it became a real-time experiment in balancing creativity with well-being.

READ MORE: Kel P: “I love producing Afrobeat so much. I guess it was unique enough that when the world heard it, they loved it too”

For starters, the marathon session helped Lepoutre break down the “fantasy” he once had that spending more time in front of your DAW makes you more productive. The artist now swears by a routine of four to six hours of studio time each day (not night) and says he doesn’t put any pressure on himself while he’s inside.
“I discovered little by little that it’s not the solution; it’s about having your brain in good condition, taking care of your health, and seeing people getting inspired,” Myd tells MusicTech. “It’s as important as what you will do when you are in front of your computer or in front of your synths or drum machines.”
Still, opening a blank DAW project remains “frightening”, even for a seasoned producer like Myd. The solution? Get into a routine of being in the studio and constantly flexing your creative muscles, he says.
Crediting the elusive Gesaffelstein for this realisation, Myd – who used to be labelmates with the French techno artist – explains, “One day [Gesaffelstein] told me, ‘I’m starting my new album’ – I don’t remember which one, maybe his second album – and I was like, ‘Oh, that must be so cool’. And he said, ‘No, that’s not cool. That’s frightening as fuck.’”
“And he was already big [at this point] and had a thing going, so I’ve never forgotten that,” says Myd. “It made me realise that it’s part of [being creative]. And a lot of artists, especially young ones, need to understand that it’s just part of music production.”
Myd’s new album All that Glitters Is Not Gold arrives in less than a month. Check out his latest single below.

The post “A lot of artists need to understand that it’s part of music production”: Myd on overcoming the fear of a blank DAW appeared first on MusicTech.

How Allan Hall went from hobbyist to Hans Zimmer’s favourite synth makerAllan J. Hall had no intention of building synthesizers for a living when he first created the MiniMod. It was a DIY project purely for himself. He’d played guitar and dabbled in keyboards for years as a hobby, but it wasn’t a career. Then, he sold the company he owned and, suddenly, Hall says, “I didn’t really need to do much and I had a lot of spare time.” Free from the responsibility of running a 25,000 square-foot factory building decorative fireplaces (and a few million dollars richer), he threw himself into his hobby, and specifically spent a lot of time on the technology side. Hall built some guitar pedals, tackled a few DIY synth projects, and even spent time as a technician fixing up synthesizers and other music gear.

READ MORE: Myd locked himself in the studio for 168 hours and livestreamed every minute — but did it really help him finish an album?

Hall had plenty of vintage instruments and had built out a sizable 5U system, but when he ventured into the smaller form factor of Eurorack, he was disappointed. “I just thought, they sound terrible, why on Earth don’t they sound like the 5U stuff? Why don’t they sound like the vintage Moog stuff?” he says. This led to his fascination with vintage synth circuits; he needed to understand what made them sound different from his Eurorack system.
He set his sights on the Minimoog Model D, which he refers to (repeatedly) as the “Stradivarius of monosynths.” And what he discovered was, it’s not what vintage synths do well, it’s “what they don’t do well that makes them sound so damn good.” Eventually, he’d cobbled together essentially a Model D in Eurorack form. This wasn’t the “one trick pony” of a real-deal Moog, though. Hall embraced the open architecture of modular synthesis, breaking the Minimoog down into its constituent parts that could be freely assembled, patched and rearranged as desired — the first MiniMod system. “So if you wanted to try five VCOs with or try it with an Oberheim filter,” you’d be able to do that, according to Hall.
Soldering prototype MiniMod modules. Image: AJH
All of this was simply something to occupy himself, something he was doing for fun, having more or less retired at 42 years old. But a few friends heard the system and asked if he’d build one for them. And as the requests piled up, Hall began exploring the possibility of turning his creation into an actual commercial product and, 18 months later, AJH Synth debuted the MiniMod at Frankfurt Musikmesse in 2015.
Ten years later, AJH Synth has grown from a hobby to one of the most respected manufacturers in the Eurorack space. Part of that is down to the quality of the modules. AJH’s oscillators and filters do capture the warmth and edge of the vintage gear it’s modelled after, but adapted for use in the expansive universe of Eurorack with tons more inputs, outputs and controls than the Model D.
The other factor is that Allan claims his decisions for what modules to make are “never ever driven by the market.” The company doesn’t waste time chasing fads. Instead, Allan’s own whims decide what to make next. “The thing I did then, and I’m still doing now, is I’m building myself the ultimate modular system,” he says, so he just goes where his interests and desires for his own system lead him. This has led to some slightly wacky devices like the Lunar Module, which is designed to recreate the sound of Apollo-era space-to-ground communications.
That sincerity is obvious when you talk to Hall, and it’s likely part of what has endeared him to the synth scene. His passion and knowledge are obvious. But he also recognises the lucky position he finds himself in. “I’d just do this stuff for fun, and people are kind enough to buy this stuff,” he says.
Hans Zimmer and Allan Hall. Image: AJH
This authenticity and dedication to quality are likely part of what caught the attention of Hans Zimmer. Hans had been using an AJH system for some time, including on his many scores for Christopher Nolan, like The Dark Knight. He’d gotten in touch with Allan just to compliment him on the quality of his work. Still, when Hans decided to recreate the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, it was something of a surprise to Hall when he was tapped to create “the ultimate modular system” for it.
It’s a daunting and admittedly sort of vague design brief, but ultimately, Hans and Allan landed on a system based loosely on the EMS VC3 layout with a stereo signal path — a necessity when scoring film. The two batted around a few ideas for what shape the synth would eventually take. But Allan chose the VC3 because of its importance to Hans. The EMS VC3 was the first synth that Hans Zimmer ever owned, but being a struggling musician in London, he was eventually forced to sell it, something he told Allan he always regretted. But don’t worry, the story does have a happy ending. Hans eventually tracked down his VC3 and bought it back.
Allan would tell you, unequivocally, that creating that system (two of them in fact) for Hans Zimmer and being part of an effort to resurrect the BBC Radiophonic Workshop is the highlight of his career at AJH. But that doesn’t mean he’s ready to say he’s peaked and move on. Ten years after the introduction of the MiniMod, when asked what’s next for AJH, Allan Hall simply responds, “The next 10 years.”
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My Forever Studio: Charlie Deakin Davies’ perfect vocal chain is attainableIn this episode of My Forever Studio, brought to you in partnership with Audient, we speak with self-taught production prodigy Charlie Deakin Davies. After kickstarting their professional career as a teenager recording in their shed, Davies went on to become the youngest producer ever to get BBC Radio 2 airplay, and has worked with huge artists like Fred Again, Laura Marling, and other My Forever Studio guests, Gary Barlow and Ellie Dixon.
But our guest wears more than one hat, and takes to the stage as Charlieeeee, a crossover indie Drum ‘n’ Bass artist with a live show that’s driven by high-energy singable tunes, audience participation – and Beyblades.
This time, Charlie joins us at TYX London as we learn what they use for an instantly great vocal sound, how they survived having their laptop drowned the day before Glastonbury, and why they chose to record two simultaneous drummers on a monster live Drum ‘n’ Bass session.
Watch the full episode below.

Last week, we heard from TOKiMONSTA, who joined us fresh off the release of Eternal Reverie to talk affordable bass synths, using field recordings, and the classic synth she’d steal off an iconic producer — if she could. The Brainfeeder mainstay reflected on her creative roots, her battle with Moyamoya disease, and how breaking the rules often leads to the most honest music.
The My Forever Studio podcast – created in partnership with Audient – sees artists, producers, and engineers create their dream fantasy Forever Studio, wherever they want in the universe. However, hosts Chris Barker and Will Betts impose some strict rules in the Forever Studio. Our guests are permitted a limited number of items in their creative space, so they must choose carefully. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles!
Subscribe to My Forever Studio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and check out all episodes so far via MusicTech.
The post My Forever Studio: Charlie Deakin Davies’ perfect vocal chain is attainable appeared first on MusicTech.

US Prosecutors recommend 2 years for SEC hackerThe US government has asked a federal judge to impose a two-year sentence for Eric Council Jr., the individual who helped post a fake message announcing the approval of Bitcoin exchange-traded funds through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) X account.In a May 12 filing in the US District Court for the District of Columbia, prosecutors recommended Judge Amy Berman Jackson sentence Council to two years in prison for his role in posting a message to the social media platform X suggesting that the SEC had approved spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs) for the first time in January 2024. The fake announcement, which shook markets in the roughly 24 hours before the regulator actually approved spot Bitcoin ETFs, led to the arrest of Council.“This case deserves a guidelines range prison sentence,” said US prosecutors. “Defendant profited through a sophisticated fraud scheme involving fraudulently produced identification documents, a series of misrepresentations at telecommunication stores, and the transmission of password reset codes for victim online accounts to co-conspirators located in the United States and abroad. This conduct deserves a significant penalty.”US government’s May 12 sentencing recommendation for Eric Council. Source: PACERAs of May 12, Council’s legal team had not filed a response to the sentencing recommendation. He is scheduled to appear before Jackson on May 16.Related: Ledger secures Discord after hacker bot tried to steal seed phrasesCouncil pleaded guilty to being part of a group that took control of the SEC’s X account through a SIM swap attack. With control of the regulator’s social media account, the hackers posted a fake message announcing the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs. The SEC quickly removed the message and announced official approval of the crypto investment vehicles the following day.Many in the crypto industry had been anticipating whether the SEC would approve or disapprove of listing spot BTC investment vehicles on US exchanges when the fake X post appeared. The price of Bitcoin surged by more than $1,000 before then-SEC Chair Gary Gensler refuted the false post’s claims.DOJ leadership change-up under TrumpThe Council case and others will be decided under US Attorney picks who have not received confirmation in the Senate. President Donald Trump appointed interim leadership for the Eastern District of New York, the Southern District of New York, and the District of Columbia after facing pushback from Democrats.It’s unclear how the president’s influence could affect the Justice Department pursuing criminal cases involving digital assets, given his ties to the industry and his own crypto holdings. In New York’s Southern District, a judge ordered former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky to 12 years in prison after a December 2024 guilty plea. Magazine: SEC’s U-turn on crypto leaves key questions unanswered

AllTrails debuts $80/year membership that includes AI-powered smart routesAllTrails, the hiking and biking companion that was named 2023’s iPhone App of the Year, is launching a new premium membership called “Peak” that includes an upgraded feature set. This $80-per-year subscription will introduce AI tools to build custom routes, real-time trail condition forecasts, trail traffic heatmaps, and a feature that lets you identify trees […]

COIL: Mutated Scoring Guitars by The Very Loud Indeed Co. Rather than simply emulating the instruments it samples, COIL: Mutated Scoring Guitars provides a ‘playground’ that allows users to craft them into unique and inspiring new tones and textures.

Equi=Tech Partners with Sound Vision Works to Launch Model 1RFor over three decades, Equi=Tech has been a quiet force—literally—in the world of professional audio. Founded in 1992 by the late Martin Glasband, the southern Oregon-based company has led the charge in symmetrical power technology, helping studios large and small eliminate electrical noise and interference at the source. From wall-mount to rack-mount systems, Equi=Tech’s offerings have long been trusted by top-tier recording and post-production facilities. Now, with a strategic new partnership and a product aimed at more compact setups, the company is preparing to bring balanced power to a broader audience.Equi=Tech has announced a new collaboration with Sound Vision Works, a sales, marketing, and distribution firm with deep roots in the professional audio industry. A statement from the company discloses that the partnership “aims to champion Equi=Tech’s three decades of innovation and support new product releases, beginning with the Model 1R Balanced Power System.”The Model 1R is the first product launched under this new partnership, and it’s designed with boutique studios and smaller-scale operations in mind. This 1U rackmount unit delivers 1000 watts of balanced power and plugs into a standard 120V outlet. Inside, a bifilar-wound isolation transformer generates a 60Hz sine wave based on Martin Glasband’s original specifications from 1992—technology that has not only stood the test of time, but continues to be more relevant than ever.“Equi=Tech is eager to introduce Martin’s legacy to a new generation of users,” said Jan Glasband, CEO of Equi=Tech. A statement from the company continues, “Martin conducted his groundbreaking research on the safe-use and nationwide standard of balanced power applications over thirty years ago, and yet the technology is more relevant than ever.”The 1R is aimed at users who want the benefits of Equi=Tech’s larger systems in a more accessible format. “The Model 1R is a fantastic entry point for engineers and studios curious about the benefits of symmetrical power,” Jan Glasband added. “It’s an easily integrable version of our larger wall-mount units that clients like Blackbird and Ardent Studios have come to rely on.”For Sound Vision Works Managing Director Will Kahn, the proof is in the performance. “Plugging in my Equi=Tech at the studio was mind-blowing,” Kahn shared. A statement from Kahn adds, “During my A/B test against wall power, I thought I'd made a mistake—the instant improvement seemed impossible. Beyond just reducing noise, I gained depth, width, and stability... I’ve heard converter shootouts with less dramatic differences.”The Model 1R includes a front panel with standby and power switches, two unswitched outlets, and ten filtered outlets on the back, making it flexible for a range of studio configurations. It can be rack-mounted or used on a desktop and, like all Equi=Tech products, is hand-assembled in Grants Pass, Oregon.Retailing at $1,990 USD, the Model 1R is now available through select retailers. For studios looking to minimize noise and maximize clarity without overhauling their entire power infrastructure, this new unit may be just the right fit.The post Equi=Tech Partners with Sound Vision Works to Launch Model 1R first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

5 ways to get the most out of forgotten gear from LAN Party
LAN Party shares a few of his favorite production techniques and devices for breathing new life into forgotten gear.

Revealed Recordings Revealed Spire Drops Vol. 2Revealed Spire Drops Vol. 2 is a collection of 100 cutting-edge presets designed to deliver maximum impact in the most critical moment: your drops. Spanning four preset categories (Acid, Leads, Sequences, and Synths), this pack arms you with a fresh suite of searing acid riffs, rave stabs, aggressive screeches, pulsating sequences, and high-powered leads. Each preset is equipped with modwheel controls and intuitive macros, giving you enhanced flexibility in shaping your sound just how you want it. Whether you're producing Techno, Hardcore, Big Room, House, Trance, or Hardstyle, you'll have a premium collection of next-gen source sounds to dominate the drop. Reveal Yourself. Revealed Spire Drops Vol. 2 - Details 4 Main Preset Categories: ACID [7] LEAD [45] SEQUENCE [20] SYNTH [28]. 100 presets Core synthesizer patch mapping and programming All presets assigned intuitive modwheel parameters All presets assigned all four macro controls for easy tweaking and multiple sound variations. Preset format(s): .swzip (Full Bank) + .spf2 (Individual Presets) Note: Presets Require Full Retail Version of Spire 1.5.11 or later. Read More

Unwinding an Unusual Slide RuleIf the Otis King slide rule in [Chris Staecker’s] latest video looks a bit familiar, you might be getting up there in age, or you might remember seeing us talk about one in our collection. Actually, we have two floating around one of the Hackaday bunkers, and they are quite the conversation piece. You can watch the video below.
The device is often mistaken for a spyglass, but it is really a huge slide rule with the scale wrapped around in a rod-shaped form factor. The video says the scale is the same as a 30-inch scale, but we think it is closer to 66 inches.

Slide rules work using the idea that adding up logarithms is the same as multiplying. For example, for a base 10 logarithm, log(10)=1, log(100)=2, and log(1000)=3. So you can see that 1+2=3. If the scales are printed so that you can easily add and then look up the antilog, you can easily figure out that 10×100=1000.
The black center part acts like a cursor on a conventional slide rule. How does it work? Watch [Chris’] video and you’ll see. We know from experience that one of these in good shape isn’t cheap. Lucky that [Chris] gives us a 3D printed version so you can make your own.
Another way to reduce the scale is to go circular, and you can make one of those, too.

Ed Newton-Rex: Why I’m deleting my SoundCloud account.This MBW Views op/ed comes from Ed Newton-Rex (pictured), CEO of the ethical generative AI non-profit, Fairly Trained.  
Source

Tilr releases FREE Gate-12 Volume Modulation Effect with Custom Curves
Tilr has released Gate-12, a free volume modulation plugin for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Gate-12 is the latest iteration of the developer’s Gate-1 plugin. It includes several upgrades that make it more versatile and optimized for live performances. For me, the coolest new feature is Audio Trigger mode. It allows the gate to respond to [...]
View post: Tilr releases FREE Gate-12 Volume Modulation Effect with Custom Curves