Paylocity is acquiring corporate spend startup Airbase for $325MHR and payroll software company Paylocity has agreed to acquire corporate spend startup Airbase for $325 million, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal is subject to regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first or second quarter of Paylocity’s fiscal year, which would be sometime in the next 30 to 60 days. It […]
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Oasis distance themselves from Ticketmaster’s ‘Dynamic’ pricing… while adding two more Wembley Stadium datesBand now announce two further Wembley Stadium shows on September 27th and 28th.
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The Worsening Raspberry Pi RP2350 E9 Erratum SituationIan from Dangerous Prototypes demonstrating the RP2350-E9 issue in a Bus Pirate prototype without pull-ups.
There’s currently a significant amount of confusion around the full extent of the GPIO hardware issue in the Raspberry Pi RP2350 microcontroller, with [Ian] over at [Dangerous Prototypes] of Bus Pirate fame mentioning that deliveries of the RP2350-based Bus Pirate 5XL and 6 have been put on hold while the issue is further being investigated. Recorded in the RP2350 datasheet as erratum RP2350-E9, it was originally reported as only being related to the use of internal pull-downs, but [Ian] has since demonstrated in the primary issue ticket on GitHub that the same soft latching behavior on GPIO pins occurs also without pull-downs enabled.
When we first reported on this hardware bug in the RP2350’s A2 (and likely preceding) stepping there was still a lot of confusion about what this issue meant, but so far we have seen the Bus Pirate delay and projects like [Agustín Gimenez Bernad]’s LogicAnalyzer have opted for taking the RP2350 port out back. There are also indications that the ADC and PIO peripherals are affected by this issue, with workarounds only partially able to circumvent the hardware issue.
In the case of the Bus Pirate a potential workaround is the addition of 4.7 kOhm external pull-downs, but at the cost of 0.7 mA continuous load on the GPIO when pulled high and part of that when pulled low. Although a final solution for Bus Pirate is still being investigated, this kind of ugly hardware hack might at least save existing boards. It also shows the lengths that hardware developers who seek to use this MCU have to go to to make it work.
Meanwhile there are lively discussions about the issue on the Raspberry Pi forums, both on the E9 erratum as well as the question of when there will be a new stepping. The official statement by Raspberry Pi is still that ‘they are investigating’. Presumably there will be a Bx stepping at some point, but for now it is clear that the RP2350’s A2 stepping is probably best avoided.

FLOSS Weekly Episode 799: Still Open Source at PerconaThis week Jonathan Bennett chats with Lori Lorusso and Steve Hoffman, the Head of Community and SVP of engineering at Percona, the open source database experts.

https://www.percona.com/

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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Expressive E update Osmose firmware Expressive E have announced that the first free major update for their flagship MPE-capable synthesizer is now available.

A Fan Page fills the need for constant social media content creationIn the age of Superfans, keeping them interested and engaged can be an overwhelming task. Fan Pages can provide a free and relatively simple answer to the need for constant social media content creation.
The post A Fan Page fills the need for constant social media content creation appeared first on Hypebot.

Martijn Tel appointed Chief Financial Officer of BMI'Martijn’s wealth of experience, particularly working with companies with ambitious growth plans, makes him a perfect fit for BMI now,' said BMI President & CEO Mike O’Neill
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Venus Theory’s free plugin lets you play sounds from the Arturia PolyBrute 12Music producer and content creator Venus Theory recently got his hands on the Arturia PolyBrute 12, and has found a way to put its sounds in your hands, too.
His free new plugin, auras:polyscape, is the first in his new ‘auras’ series of plugins, and gives you “dark, organic” sounds from the PolyBrute.

READ MORE: Arturia’s KeyLab MK3 is a seriously impressive MIDI keyboard controller

The plugin, which is accessed via the free Decent Sampler wrapper, comprises 11 presets, all focused on cinematic and atmospheric sounds. auras’ design is pretty sleek — not only does it look the part, but you get ample control over the tone of each sound with a filter, built-in effects, and envelope parameters. There’s also a Layer slider, which lets you effortlessly blend between layers A and B of the PolyBrute 12 patch. Even more impressive are the dynamics and expression controls (bound to CC1 and CC11, respectively) and a “re-designed velocity response mode tonal”, allowing you to play with more realism.
In his video demo of the PolyBrute 12, Venus Theory — real name Cameron — says he was inspired to create the plugin series by Spitfire Audio. Well…sort of.
Cameron was pretty bummed about Spitfire Audio’s decision to transform LABS into a subscription service, LABS+. Previously, LABS was an outlet of freebies that Spitfire created with unused material from its major releases. Cameron was also a collaborator of Spitfire Audio, until 2023 when ex-CEO Christian Henson came under fire for transphobia accusations.
“I think that fucking sucks, really bad,” says Cameron of Spitfire’s decision to turn LABS into a subscription service. “For me personally, had I not had access to free music-making software — things like Audacity, or all the free plugins I’ve used and so hugely benefited from over the years… I don’t think I would be making music today.
“This is a huge loss for the aspiring musician and composer community. So instead of just sitting here bitching about it on the internet, I figured: Why not just do something about it? Why not take this opportunity to just create my own series of free instruments that run in a free plugin that are free for everyone, forever, with no strings attached?’”
Thankfully, Cameron did exactly that. You can download the plugin from Venus Theory’s Gumroad page for $0.00 — unless you wish to pay something more, in which case you’re welcome to but not obliged.

On the Arturia PolyBrute 12, MusicTech said that it’s “ Possibly the most powerful analogue synthesizer of the modern age.” Cameron said: “Damn — this is one of those pieces of gear that is truly extraordinary and oozes inspiration.”
We praised it for its immense and capable feature set, adding: “It offers an almost endless array of options for adding expression and modulation to your playing. Traditional pitch and mod wheels? It’s got those. A 3D touchpad? Sure, why not? A ribbon controller? Haven’t seen one of those in a while; let’s do it. Expression pedal jacks? How about two? A customisable modulation matrix with 12 sources and 32 destinations? Heck yeah. Oh, and of course, four different implementations of polyphonic aftertouch with MPE compatibility. With all the above on offer, almost every other synth is going to look simplistic in comparison.”
Want to know more? Read the full review.
The post Venus Theory’s free plugin lets you play sounds from the Arturia PolyBrute 12 appeared first on MusicTech.

Venus Theory releases FREE auras:polyscape for Decent Sampler
Venus Theory has released auras:polyscape, a deep cinematic sound library for the FREE Decent Sampler plugin. I’m sure most of you are familiar with Cameron, also known as Venus Theory, a musician, composer, and sound designer who shares his work and valuable insights on his successful YouTube channel. If you haven’t checked out the Venus [...]
View post: Venus Theory releases FREE auras:polyscape for Decent Sampler

Rewarding Full Plays Of Songs: A Fair Deal for Artists [Bobby Owsinski]Artists get penalized if their songs are not played all the way through, so shouldn’t they also get rewarded for full plays of songs? Streaming services don’t agree. Should Musicians. Continue reading
The post Rewarding Full Plays Of Songs: A Fair Deal for Artists [Bobby Owsinski] appeared first on Hypebot.

Amsterdam Dance Event adds second wave of acts to its line-up for 2024This October, Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will be taking over the Dutch capital. Over 1,000 unique events will be celebrating every corner of dance and electronic music, from techno yoga workshops, art and photography exhibitions and a slew of live sets.
ADE has just announced an immense second wave of acts that will be performing over the five days of festivities. We’ve got Carl Craig, Jane Fitz, Kerri Chandler, Palms Trax… and that’s only scratching the surface.

READ MORE: Martin Garrix, Peggy Gou and Four Tet among 300 artists announced for 2024 Amsterdam Dance Event

The artists will be joining the 300 acts already named back in July – and that announcement featured some truly gold-star DJs and electronic acts. With sets from Martin Garrix, Peggy Gou, Four Tet and Tiësto, ADE was already looking very strong. The additional acts are a total cherry on top.
The weekend will see dance acts performing across Amsterdam, turning jazz cafes, warehouses and even museums into an exhilarating rave.
Celebrations are set to kick off on 16th October with four extremely unique performances. One such performance will be a lush piano set at the Van Gogh museum by Eefje de Visser.
Elsewhere, the Cello Octet Amsterdam orchestra will also be performing on the opening day. The orchestra will take over the Door Open Space warehouse, backed by an army of 8 robotic arms crafting a gorgeous light display.
The 5-day event will also host a slew of panel talks, as well as art and photography exhibitions. And the panels are sure to offer up some insightful tips for budding musicians; during last year’s event, producer Afrojack spoke about why new producers shouldn’t strive for perfection, as embracing mistakes can help you grow.
A full schedule announcement is set to be shared soon. For those eager to attend, tickets for individual tickets are available. For those who want to access the full range of events, you can also grab the ADE Pro Pass.
ADE will be taking place between 16-20 October. Tickets are available now.
The post Amsterdam Dance Event adds second wave of acts to its line-up for 2024 appeared first on MusicTech.

“I don’t feel like I’m in the same conversation as him – he’s taking it to the next level”: Why Fatboy Slim refuses to work with Fred again..It seems we won’t be getting a Fatboy Slim collaboration with Fred again.. anytime soon, or even at all. The iconic British DJ, real name Norman Cook, feels he “wouldn’t know where to start” if the pair were to be in the same room together.
Fatboy Slim is set to host a special headline show at The Warehouse Project on 22 November, and he’s also got new music on the way. Bus Stop Please has been confirmed as his next single, though no official release date has been confirmed.

READ MORE: “I learn bits from him but mostly it’s all happening too fast for me”: Four Tet says Skrillex’s use of Ableton is like “alchemy”

Fred again.. similarly also has new music arriving imminently, with his new album ten days landing on 6 September, and a huge tour to follow. During an appearance on The Rebecca Judd Show on Apple Music 1, Fatboy Slim explains how watching Fred again..’s immense music career unfold reminds him of how his felt 20 years ago.
“Fred again.. He’s just having the most fun at the moment. He’s the one who’s just absolutely slamming it and got that feeling that [is] the right side of entitlement. It’s like, he’s really talented so he can try anything that he wants and he’s so brave. He’s just like, ‘how far can I push this?’”
He adds, “I was in that position about 20 years ago, I think, the more I break free of the chains of what I’m supposed to do, the more people seem to like it. And that is great. He must be having the time of his life and quite rightly so.”

Because of their similar career trajectories, fans of the pair have been encouraging them to join forces: “A few years back everybody was trying to get us to work together. I was just going, I can’t be in the same room as him. I wouldn’t know where to start because of what he’s doing with technology,” states Fatboy Slim.
“I’m old school, I’m OG and I’m used to just playing records with the cross fader and maybe using a sample a bit, but he’s taking it to the next level. I don’t feel like I’m in the same conversation as him. I would sit there looking at him in awe, going – ‘how the hell did you do that?’”

You can catch the full interview via Apple Music 1. You can also find out where to catch Fatboy Slim or Fred again.. live.
The post “I don’t feel like I’m in the same conversation as him – he’s taking it to the next level”: Why Fatboy Slim refuses to work with Fred again.. appeared first on MusicTech.

Welcome Music Think Tank readers!Welcome Music Think Tank readers! Longtime Hypebot readers will remember a sister blog Music Think Tank.
The post Welcome Music Think Tank readers! appeared first on Hypebot.

Audiocube’s 3D audio software lets you design sound in a fully immersive environmentAudiocube has launched an app for Windows and Mac that lets users experiment with a suite of 3D audio tools, all designed to transform how sound designers and musicians create immersive audio experiences.
The app’s features allow you to create compositions in a fully flexible, virtual space, incorporating real-time acoustic simulation and binaural HRTF processing, alongside a range of familiar audio tools too.

READ MORE: Producers can now create custom AI voice models in their DAW with Voice-Swap’s plugin

Created with musicians, sound designers, engineers, and audio enthusiasts in mind, Audiocube lets users drop, move and edit their sounds in a vast and environment so your creativity can run wild. Audiocube says that both beginners and experts can “easily navigate the app to produce high-quality, immersive audio projects using the intuitive interface and robust feature set”.
Within the 3D audio workstation, you can import, spatialise, sequence, process, mix, master, and export sounds. Its spatial automation enables you to conduct the position of sounds over time, adding dynamic movement to your audio projects, and you can additionally get creative with custom acoustic environments by adjusting variables like reflections, distance attenuation, and flexible acoustic walls.
There’s also multiple audio device types on board – so you can utilise samplers, emitters, and tickers – plus an array of effects, mixing, and mastering tools. Your final creations are then exported as high-fidelity WAV files for “seamless integration with other software and hardware”.
For a clearer idea on how it works, you can check out the five-minute demo video below:

There’s currently a 40 per cent discount on Audiocube Perpetual for a limited time only with the code SAVE40, bringing the price down from £100 to £60. You can also trial a free version of the app before committing to a final purchase.
Find out more and download over at Audiocube.
The post Audiocube’s 3D audio software lets you design sound in a fully immersive environment appeared first on MusicTech.

FL Studio 2024 review: Image-Line gives free cloud plugins to everyoneFruity Edition £89
Producer Edition £199
Signature Edition £279
All Plugins Edition £469
image-line.com
FL Studio 2024 replaces version 21.2, with Image-Line now choosing to name its flagship DAW after the year of its release. Presumably, point updates (e.g, version 21.3) will no longer have new headline names but all updates will remain free for life, continuing the brand’s generous policy.
FL Studio has had cool stuff added recently, notably stem separation for unpicking mixed tracks into their constituent parts and, while there’s nothing in this update that’s quite as eye catching as that, the no-cost update policy means all the new stuff is free for whatever version you own anyway. So what does it offer the curious DAW newbie or prospective switcher?

READ MORE: How will AI impact the next generation of DAWs? These developers have their say

FL Studio is a well-established and popular DAW that runs on Mac or PC and also works as a plugin inside other DAWs, bringing all its instruments, sequencing and mixing tools into your Logic Pro, Cubase, Ableton or other projects. Its design and workflow are a bit of a departure for anyone coming from one of those other DAWs – a modular and highly configurable system based around sequencers and plugins. It’s not really like anything else around so there is something of a learning curve for new users though once you get used to the concepts of extensive right-clicking and submenus, things speed up a lot.
There’s heavy emphasis on MIDI programming and sequencing, with many tools for creating and editing beats and melodies. And full digital audio tracking and editing too of course, with a more conventional linear sequencer as well as playlist feature for arrangement. In addition to supporting VST plugins, FL Studio comes with a ton of its own unique instruments, effects and generators and these are the main differentiator of the various versions. Fruity has the fewest, Producer is most popular, and the All Plugins Edition being fairly self explanatory.
Audio editor in FL Studio 2024
In late 2023, Image Line added the FL Cloud service as an expansion option for users and in this update it brings a core of 10 free Cloud plugins and extra sounds to all customers, while subscribers get access to more. A subscription of £5.59 a month gets you all the sounds, 18 plugins and 16 presets and controls for the DAW’s cloud mastering tool, while the Pro service (currently on sale at £7 per month) has all 65 plugins, plus more as they’re added over time. Paid tiers also include distribution of your music to popular social platforms and online stores like iTunes and Spotify. A 30-day free trial is available in which you can decide if the Cloud extras are for you.
New plugins introduced in the 2024 update include Kepler Exo, a lush and retro-sounding soft synth based on the Roland Juno 6 and Jupiter 8, a Low Lifter effect that adds harmonics to bass frequencies, perfect for electronic music, and Spreader which enhances the stereo effect. In the Edison audio module you’ll now find an improved AI-powered de-clipper and a vocal denoiser.
Elsewhere there’s a whole bunch of tweaks and additions, notably new support for CLAP plugins, a non-proprietary format created by Bitwig and u-he, an AI-powered chord progression tool in the Piano Roll, improvements to sample previewing in the Browser and many smaller changes.
Kepler Exo in FL Studio 2024
As noted, all of this new stuff is free when you update the edition you currently own. Bringing some free cloud content to all users seems like a good way to encourage people to at least explore expanding their sonic library that way and potentially to subscribe. Since Image Line offers lifetime free app updates it’s fair enough that they need to make money via alternative avenues, and ones that are entirely optional for users. There’s an impressively varied selection of plugins available and this will grow over time.
FL Studio’s reliance on plugins and modules to do things that most other DAWs integrate more naturally – audio editing, step sequencing – can take some getting used to. It’s mostly there, but you need to add a thing to be able to do it rather than having this already at the core of the app. There are also some gaps if you’re thinking about more heavyweight composition and production tasks. There’s no native support for musical scoring for example. Surround sound is achievable but it’s a bit of a workaround. Video is via an add-on floating module, though in fairness that’s true of most of the competition too.
The extent to which these factors bother you depends on what you’re trying to do. FL Studio started life as Fruity Loops, a fun and accessible tool for making beats and loops. It’s matured hugely since then of course but its core direction hasn’t changed as dramatically as its feature set. It’s still geared up for making beats, patterns, loops and processing everything through cool effects. It has one of the most comprehensive and wide-ranging collections of native plugins of any DAW, especially if you opt for one of the larger versions.
FL Cloud
Could you record an orchestra on it? Technically yes, but really there are better options. On the other hand, does it let you put together beats, songs and patterns quickly in a way that is more performer-oriented than a more conventional DAW? Arguably it does.
That’s not to sell FL Studio short. It’s much more than a way to make beats. Indeed, for programming and MIDI editing its features run very deep. The developers have stuffed a huge number of tools in and for the most part kept it pretty approachable. There’s also the selection of plugins with the bigger versions, which outguns most other DAWs save perhaps for the Ableton Live Suite. Logic Pro’s selection is also excellent though Windows users need not apply, so it’s not quite a direct comparison.
For many users, FL Studio offers a fun and sensibly-priced package for everything from cooking up loops and simpler tracks all the way to more fully fledged recording and arrangement of songs. Expandable via the FL Cloud, it also integrates mastering and distribution services as well as creative new features like stem separation. It will probably always have its own way of doing things but that’s just one of the things that makes it one of the most-used DAWs around. Clearly, Image Line is doing something right.
MIDI editing in FL Studio 2024
Key features

Audio and MIDI recording, editing and mixing
Mac and Windows
Works as a VSTi plugin in other hosts
Bundled effects, instruments and generators
FL Cloud expansion for more plugins
Mastering and distribution features baked in
Piano roll and sequencer-based programming
Playlist and linear arrangement
Drag and drop of plugins and samples
CLAP open-source plugin support

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