Hybrid music production in 2025: The good, the hard, and the recallMuch of the music that inspires our modern recording workflow comes from earlier eras of sprawling mixing consoles in rooms packed with compressors and tape machines. Live bands would lay down song beds in lively rooms with overdubs and layers to come later. In the modern day, we still have access to all this old equipment, but digital audio workstations (DAWs) give us immense power to easily edit, comp, shift, and adjust our music, as well as tune, quantise, time align, re-amp and re-route.
Plugins are sounding better and better, and it’s common for many producers and engineers to work entirely on laptops. But there’s still something romantic about racks of tube-filled compressors, rows of buttons and potentiometers on a console, all sending and receiving sound to and from a tape machine.
The reality, however, is that an artist I’m working with has every right to request minute changes, thanks to the technology we have available today. I might recall all the analogue equipment with the photos and notes I meticulously took, but it may not sound quite the same, and a quick null test in the digital realm confirms something has changed. Will the band notice? I hope not. It’s their music I’m working on after all.
Harnessing the best of both worlds, analogue and digital, is a tough one to wrangle. Some bands don’t really care how you’re achieving that final mix, as long as you get to the finish line. I struggle to say ‘No’ when they’re asking for revisions or changes to a mix. And why should I? The digital realm has enabled us to save a session, requiring zero recall. The relative ease of nudging that hi-hat they’re unhappy with is tough to argue with.
In my studio, using the Soundcraft 8000. Image: Benjamin Erbacher.
But I enjoy working on analogue stuff. I feel like I have a better overview of my mix, being able to see faders and EQ laid out on a console. The limitation of the workflow forces me to think my way out of problems, while also providing a more uniform sound when everything is running through the same channel strip. It brings me joy, and while I could achieve entirely in-the-box, that’s not always the point.
Having spent a few years working on a small Soundcraft 200B console as a summing mixer with some outboard equipment, I spent more time recalling a mix than on the revisions themselves. Mixing itself was fine; I’d do some cleanup work and balancing in my DAW, then take my time sending audio around, shifting faders and compressing it all before recording it back into my DAW. Revisions, however, became the hurdle, and (understandably) bands expect no changes besides what they’ve asked for when sending mixes back and forth.
Analogue equipment, consoles especially, are very much alive and imperfect. Depending on the temperature, time of day (compared to when they were first powered up) and more, they can deviate sonically by more than you’d think. Even without touching anything, my mixes would shift from day to day.
My solution came as an old Soundcraft Series 8000 console for $800 AUD, a few minutes from home. It needed a little love, some elbow grease and a handful of new lamps for the VU meters, but it was in otherwise working order. A huge jump from the 200B, the 8000 gave me direct outs on every channel, a more detailed EQ, extra auxiliaries and additional insert points. The direct outs were the selling point for me, allowing each of the 24 faders to be recorded back into my DAW.
The Soundcraft 8000 in my studio. Image: Lewis Noke Edwards
What this enabled was a solution to the hybrid workflow I’d been pursuing. While plugin emulations exist, there’s something about the tactility of a real console that works for my mixing brain. I can see each channel before me and make adjustments quickly without toggling menus or scrolling across a screen. My newfound workflow has a little compromise on my end (I don’t use the groups or even master fader on the console), but it makes for a more consistent and seamless experience for my clients; ultimately, the reason I’m doing all this.
The 24 faders are fed by digital sub groups like lead vocal, stereo backing vocals, kick drum, snare, through to rhythm guitars and more. The beauty of this is that I can mix sources per channel with outboard inserted if I like, as well as console EQ. Once balanced and mixed, I print each fader back into my DAW to be summed digitally, so in this sense I’m using the console as 24 pieces of outboard.
The Soundcraft 8000 in my studio. Image: Lewis Noke Edwards
Recall is non-existent, unless the band wants a total do-over, where recall wouldn’t be all that helpful anyway. My patchbay is normalled from converter output to console input, direct output to converter input, so I don’t need to patch besides outboard. Don’t be fooled, though; each of these normalled connections required physical connection, soldering, heat shrinking and a test tone, while also limiting me to the physical hardware I have available; one compressor means one source is compressed! But I can mix to my heart’s content with the confidence that whatever I mix on the day will be printed and committed to digital, with the summing and mix bus processing all being in-the-box.
A client has every right to request changes, and it’s ultimately my choice to work this way — my clients shouldn’t feel compromised because of the archaic nature of analogue recalls. They should just be able to harness the sonic bliss of the op-amps, transformers and circuitry I choose to employ.
In my studio, using the Soundcraft 8000. Image: Benjamin Erbacher.
The post Hybrid music production in 2025: The good, the hard, and the recall appeared first on MusicTech.

Get Softube Transient Shaper for only $10 at AudioDeluxe
Softube’s Transient Shaper is currently available for just $10 at AudioDeluxe. That’s an 89% discount from its usual $89 price. Transient shaping can completely change how a sound sits in your track. The ability to emphasize or tame the attack and sustain of a sound is essential for getting punchy drums and bass. Of course, [...]
View post: Get Softube Transient Shaper for only $10 at AudioDeluxe

FuturBeats releases AI-powered FuturBeats Trap plugin for instant song inspiration
FuturBeats has released FuturBeats Trap, a free AI-assisted VST/AU/Standalone plugin for macOS and Windows that helps producers generate and arrange beats in seconds. The plugin delivers eight loop stems that are musically compatible and ready to drag directly into your DAW or desktop. A built-in feature called EXPAND takes those loops further by automatically generating [...]
View post: FuturBeats releases AI-powered FuturBeats Trap plugin for instant song inspiration

Wise is going to #crypto?

A Strategy is not a Plan

Again Spotify

Get your hands on a synth used on Kraftwerk’s Autobahn – Florian Schneider gear collection to be auctioned next monthThe instruments and equipment that helped Kraftwerk redefine electronic music are set to find new homes. Nearly 500 personal items belonging to the band’s co-founder, Florian Schneider, will be auctioned by Julien’s Auctions next month, offering fans and collectors a rare glimpse into the creative tools behind one of the genre’s most influential acts.
The sale will take place on 19 November at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, and is expected to fetch between $450,000 to $650,000. Among the highlights is Schneider’s EMS Synthi AKS suitcase synthesiser, thought to have been used on Kraftwerk’s landmark 1974 album Autobahn, valued between $15,000 and $20,000.

READ MORE: Behringer scales down its UB-Xa synth (again) with the “travel-ready” UB-Xa Mini

According to notes from the Florian Schneider Estate, this was the first synth acquired by Kraftwerk in around 1972 and is the only EMS Synthi that Florian owned, and was used at Kraftwerk’s Kling Klang studio. Features include three oscillators, a 16×16 pin matrix, 20 pins, ring modulator, envelope filter, reverberation, and more.
Credit: Julien’s Auctions
“It’s a very early synthesizer, in the form of a suitcase, so it’s quite unusual,” says Giles Moon, head of music at Julien’s Auctions. “It’s the first synthesizer they acquired in the early 1970s when Florian decided to stop using classical instruments. He would attach it to his flute and use it to process these amazing sounds.”
That flute – an Orsi G alto Schneider performed with until 1974 – is also up for sale, estimated at $8,000 to $10,000. Meanwhile, a late ‘70s Sennheiser VSM 201 vocoder believed to have been used on The Man-Machine (1978) and Computer World (1981) could fetch between $20,000 to $40,000.
Other lots include Schneider’s collection of over 100 brass and woodwind instruments, a bright yellow acrylic guitar, his custom-painted VW panel van, a stage played Hameg HM 107 tube oscillograph, and his Panasonic Panaracer bicycle featured in Kraftwerk’s Tour de France video. Even his gold-framed green sunglasses and the Polaroid photos of him wearing them are part of the sale.
Schneider’s estate says the auction honours his wish for his instruments and creations to “continue living beyond him”.
“He always believed that they are meant to be played and shared – not left unused or gathering dust in storage,” a spokesperson says.
Kraftwerk’s influence on electronic and pop music remains immeasurable, inspiring artists from David Bowie and New Order to Run-DMC and Coldplay.
Describing the band as “groundbreaking”, Moon says, “They were one of the first bands that used synthesisers and they created music that no one had ever heard of before. It was very unworldly and it moved music forward in a way nobody had ever seen, in a totally different direction that most people probably didn’t think was even possible… It inspired a lot of bands to move in the direction of using synthesized electronic music.”
Stephen Morris of New Order adds, “Autobahn was an album that made us all sit up and say: what’s this? They were doing something different … something completely new – they were consciously rejecting the past. A lot of New Order’s approach was like that.”

Check out the full collection at Julien’s Auctions.
The post Get your hands on a synth used on Kraftwerk’s Autobahn – Florian Schneider gear collection to be auctioned next month appeared first on MusicTech.

Spotify holds songs mashup patent...interesting

Spotify holds a patent for tech that can generate song mashupsSpotify has patented a 'method, system, and computer-readable medium for creating song mashups'
Source

Sesame, the conversational AI startup from Oculus founders, raises $250M and launches betaFormer Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe’s new startup, Sesame, is building AI-powered smartglasses with natural, humanlike voice interaction. Backed by Sequoia and Spark, the company also launched an invite-only iOS beta to preview its conversational AI.

Native Instruments’ Traktor MX2 sets a new benchmark for affordable DJ controllers £349 / $449 / €399, native-instruments.com
What did you achieve by 30? Your own place? Steady job? Vaguely acceptable dress sense? If you’re Native Instruments, you built an empire of pro audio tools, pioneered software DJing, and now — just before hitting the big three-o in 2026 — dropped your best-looking and most ambitious controller to date.

READ MORE: Is AlphaTheta’s CDJ-3000X really such a big deal for the DJ industry?

Traktor MX2 lands in a two-channel controller market that was coasting until AlphaTheta dialled up the design with the DDJ-FLX4 in 2022, followed by the DDJ-FLX2 in 2024. Numark, Hercules, and Reloop are in the mix, too, attempting that Goldilocks balance of competing on price while pushing innovation. But with AlphaTheta and Native Instruments being home to two dominant DJ software ecosystems, everyone looks at them to set the pace.
But here’s where it gets interesting: MX2 isn’t undercutting anyone. At £349, it’s more expensive than the FLX2 (£159) or FLX4 (around £279). The play? Whilst the FLX series holds your hand with automation and simplified effects, MX2 offers the full toolkit. Traktor Pro 4, stems separation, a step sequencer, 43 studio-grade effects, and 16 performance pads. Creative firepower at a price that won’t require a great deal of saving up.
Image: Press
Traktor MK2 is designed for the darkest booth
Traktor MX2 is light-years away from the Traktor Kontrol S2 Mk3. Gone are the clunky metal jog wheels, garish Traktor logos, or indeed any markings. It’s all rather black… and it looks better for it. It may be plastic, but everything feels solid enough not to creak under normal use.
MX2’s size and weight strike a balance between portable and substantial, but it doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be handled with care if constantly carting it around. Plus, where the Kontrol S2 had slanted grips for grabability, the Traktor MX2 has none — greasy fingers beware.
The matte finish resists fingerprints, while minimal white indicator lines on select knobs provide visual reference points. Knobs and faders feel precise without being stiff, the chunky cue and play buttons are responsive, performance pads have a nice amount of give, and the RGB lighting is bright enough in the dimmest environments.
The touch-sensitive jog wheels felt responsive and smooth, with slightly more tension than the S2 Mk3. The wheels themselves are 1 cm larger at around 15 cm, but then so is the entire unit. Unless you’re DJing in the CBBC Broom Cupboard or preparing for a Tiny Desk concert, this needn’t concern you.
Once alive, the MX2’s illuminated bottom shell steals the show. LEDs glow blue during normal playback, flash red when tracks are running out, and pulse green when a loop is active. The feature debuted on the Z1 MK2 and X1 MK3 compact DJ mixers from where the MX2 gets its design language. Native says credit goes to former designer Johannes Schroth for the brainwave.
Every button can be customised with different LED colours too. You can make it look like a unicorn threw up, or keep it classy. It’s not an aesthetic distraction when assigning colours helps muscle memory.
Image: Press
Traktor MK2 is a creative toolkit demanding respect
Most affordable decks get the basics right, but Native Instruments has loaded Traktor MX2 with a raft of creative tools.
Mixer FX provides the quickest route to crowd-pleasing moments — nine one-knob effects sit in the mixer section with dedicated on/off buttons per channel, while four snapshot buttons instantly switch combinations. Deck FX reveals the MX2’s lofty ambitions where two full units access 43 studio-grade NI effects using the same processors touring Traktor Pro users have trusted for years.
The 16 RGB performance pads unlock four modes. Hotcues does what you’d expect with solid implementation. Stems mode uses Traktor Pro 4’s AI to split tracks into drums, bass, instruments, and vocals in real time. Swap drums from one track with vocals from another, filter out the bass, bring in just the instruments — bada bing.
Pattern Player transforms pads into a 16-step sequencer with eight sample slots and multiple drum kits. A moving light across the steps makes it playful for performance, not hunched programming sessions. Finally, Flux Loops add energy with stuttered loops that automatically return to the track’s natural flow. It’s 2025, not 1995; we shouldn’t still be manually calculating loop points. Hate mail can be directed here.
Image: Press
Browse, load, and perform
A large encoder scrolls and loads. Hold shift to navigate your library tree. The favourites button gives quick access to go-to tracks, while the preparation list button flags tracks on the fly.
A preview player routes to headphones automatically. A view button switches to full-screen mode when tiny text is giving you a headache. Functional customisation extends beyond LED colours — switch pitch fader modes, change mixer effect buttons from toggle to temporary, and to configure preview player behaviour.
Sound quality and software on Traktor MX2
The 24-bit /96 kHz audio interface delivers high-fidelity output. iZotope’s Ozone Maximizer keeps mixes loud and punchy without distortion. Master outputs include RCA and 3.5mm mini-jack for portable speakers. The mic input is a full-size jack with gain control. Headphone outputs cover mini jack and 6.3mm jack. Exactly as you’d expect here.
Traktor Pro 4 is included in full. Not a lite version, not a trial; the full works. Traktor Pro 4 alone costs £129, so you’re essentially getting the controller for £220. A two-month Beatport/Beatsource streaming trial gives immediate access to millions of club-ready tracks.
Image: Press
Should I buy Traktor MX2?
The Traktor MX2 occupies interesting territory. It costs more than entry-level hand-holders but delivers a professional creative toolkit treating you like a DJ who’s capable of independent thought. Native Instruments hasn’t built another budget controller; they’ve built a capable performance instrument that happens to be temptingly priced.
If AlphaTheta’s FLX series is ski school — safe, guided and keeping you on the bunny slope – MX2 throws you on the mountain with proper skis. You might fall off the odd cliff, but that’s how you learn.
At £349, you’re getting full Traktor Pro 4, stems, step sequencer, 40+ effects, 16 pads, and a proper audio interface. Native Instruments is making a bold statement about what accessible yet professional DJ gear should look like in 2025.

Key features

2-channel DJ controller
24-bit/96 kHz audio interface
Traktor Pro 4 software included
16 RGB performance pads
4 pad modes: Hotcues, Stems, Flux Loops, Pattern Player
Touch-sensitive jog wheels (Turntable and Jog modes)
Mixer FX (9 one-knob effects)
Deck FX (40+ studio-grade effects)
Stem separation and control
Pattern Player 16-step sequencer
Backlit bottom shell with visual feedback
Customisable LED colours
USB-C connectivity
Master out: RCA and mini-jack
Headphone out: mini-jack and 6.3 mm jack
Mic in: 6.3 mm jack with gain control
Beatport/Beatsource streaming trial
Dimensions: 323.1 mm x 511.4 mm x 61.9 mm
Weight: 2.73kg

The post Native Instruments’ Traktor MX2 sets a new benchmark for affordable DJ controllers appeared first on MusicTech.

Crypto bill deliberation reaches fever pitch between industry execs and US lawmakersThe shutdown could stall progress on the crypto market structure bill, but lawmakers continue to insist that the legislation is on track.

Snapchat makes its first open prompt AI Lens available for free in the USSnapchat is expanding access to its AI-powered “Imagine Lens,” allowing all users to generate and edit images with custom prompts for free.

Ten Top Sitcom Theme SongsAll of the great sitcoms have a great theme song, and here are ten of the very best. Some are old, some are new, all are wonderful. Let us know what we missed on our socials.

The Big Bang Theory

Performed by: Barenaked Ladies

Cheers (Where Everybody Knows Your Name)

Performed by: Gary Portnoy

Golden Girls (Thank You for Being a Friend)

Performed by: Cynthia Fee

Shameless (The Luck You Got)

Performed by: The High Strung

Friends (I'll Be There for You)

Performed by: The Rembrandts

See part 2 here

Golden Girls cosplay photo by Clinton Steeds, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

The post Ten Top Sitcom Theme Songs first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Amplitude series from GIK Acoustics Replacing the company’s long-running Alpha and Impression offerings, the Amplitude line-up is said to consolidate years of customer feedback and design research into a single, streamlined family of products.