A Sound Effect Cloud is a FREE sample collection and online DAW
A Sound Effect has launched a new online platform for music creation, where you get access to over 1000 sound effects and 100+ free customizable music tracks. With that, you also get a browser-based DAW interface. And best of all, it’s free!  This collection includes a wide variety of sounds—everything from ambience to mechanical and industrial sounds [...]
View post: A Sound Effect Cloud is a FREE sample collection and online DAW

Native Instruments’ Traktor X1 MK3: the new go-to controller for myriad DJs?£259, native-instruments.com
In recent years Native Instruments has pivoted away from designing larger controllers for its popular and established Traktor DJ software. While the more expensive S-series models remain available, the newer Z1 and the X1 are far smaller and more portable.
Nonetheless, the X1 on test here retains plenty of functionality. Native Instruments describes it as ‘modular’, designed to mix and match with other units to create systems that best suit your needs. Presumably, further modules are planned for future release.

READ MORE: Native Instruments Traktor Z1 MK2 review: A massive upgrade – but does it go far enough?

The X1 MK3’s £259 price tag includes a licence for Traktor Pro 4. This makes it excellent value as an entry point to the Traktor universe, but arguably the X1 is slightly expensive if you already own the software.
The look and build are familiar if you’ve already used Native Instruments gear – sleek and solid – with the unit itself weighing just 754g.
The X1 sends power and Control Data over the included USB cable, though this is USB-B at the controller end and USB-A at the computer end. This is anachronistic in 2025. While there may be technical reasons for the choice of port, ideally a USB-C connector (or converter) at the other end would be much more suitable for many laptop users. There’s also a three-port USB-A hub built into the rear panel for connecting other controllers or devices, the use of which requires the X1 to be powered using the power adapter supplied in the box.
Image: Press
On launching Traktor, the X1 is automatically recognised and you’re asked which decks you would like to control. The software can host up to four and, thankfully, you can use two X1 units to control all four decks and FX units. Changing this assignment means rebooting the controller. In the software settings in Traktor, you can also customise the hardware to best tailor them to the tasks you perform frequently.
There are two main modes; control of effects and a new Mixer mode, switched by pressing a Mode button at the top. In fact the controller is divided into two halves, with the lower half controlling playback in either mode. Here the left and right sides of the interface correspond to your two decks, with identical controls. The ten buttons per side control play, sync, cues, reverse and jumps while the four knobs above, complete with displays, control browser and track navigation and track loading as well as setting up loops for each deck.
These transport controls are the bread and butter of any performance and here they’re beautifully implemented, cutting through the many on-screen elements of the software to get to the heart of things. The displays are small but convey plenty of information like track name, time remaining, the Loop Size and more. The Shift button enables secondary functions here as elsewhere in the interface but doesn’t feel overly fiddly and with a little practice becomes second nature to use efficiently. Moving up the unit while still in Mixer mode, the four knobs and buttons per side control three-band EQ, deck volume and cue on/off. The button enables an EQ band and the knob changes its value.
Image: Press
Switching to Effect mode, the upper part of the interface controls effects with the lower three buttons corresponding to the three effect slots per deck. Shift+pressing the first button will cycle between FX unit modes of the effects while shift+pressing the other three will cycle which effect is loaded into that particular slot. One of your options here is to load the Pattern Player into an effect slot and then use the controls to cycle between drum patterns and even individual drum sounds to complement your performance. Here you’re essentially mixing in beats generated on the fly, giving a more personal touch to the set.
All of this is embellished by welcome underbody LED lights which can be customised in the software but also perform the important function of showing you things like when a loop is active and when a track is nearing the end by flashing specific colours. They can be switched off, if you’d prefer that.
The X1 isn’t compatible with the Controller Editor software since Native Instruments says its MIDI commands are hard coded, but it can easily be switched into MIDI mode and mapped to other software. We tried this with Ableton Live where the X1 was immediately available to select as an input, though mapping is done via the standard MIDI Learn procedure and assignments saved with your Live Set. It’s easy enough to do and the X1’s relatively simple layout means you’ll likely stick to basic playback and mixing assignments. You won’t get the more integrated experience of a controller like Novation’s new Launchkeys for example, though they are a somewhat different proposition anyway.
The X1 MK3 is a fun Traktor controller that is also a serious performer’s tool. Like most DJ software the best way to unlock the power and joy of playing is by using some form of hardware, and the relatively low cost of entry here means that even beginners will be able to figure it out and be quickly up-and-running.
Image: Press
While there is a small learning curve, it mostly involves developing a muscle memory for the controls and effects, however the multicoloured backlights and clever screens help enormously with finding your way around. Since the controller isn’t trying to do everything it won’t overwhelm you, even with the addition of the new Mixer mode.
There’s some interesting crossover with the Z1 MK2 which has more mixing controls and a smattering of effects versus the X1’s better effect controls. The Z1 adds an audio interface into the mix as well, meaning you might well want to pair an X1 and Z1 for a more comprehensive rig. The two models give you the choice to focus on one part of performance or the whole thing. Then, there’s the F1, which focuses on Stem and Remix decks, another element of Traktor.
Of the three members of this controller family the X1 is the most comprehensive all-rounder and the one you should get first if you’re a ‘conventional’ DJ whose time is spent playing, looping, syncing and triggering effects.
Core performance tools are put right at your fingertips in a super-portable package and the workflow and integration are so well thought-out that novices will find it easy to pick up, while seasoned professionals can still get the seamless performances they demand. Somehow Native Instruments has ticked both those boxes with this controller; the results are a joy to experience.

Key features

DJ controller
USB and Native MIDI support
3-port USB-A hub (available when using included power supply)
Traktor Pro 4 included
Effect and Mixer controller modes
MIDI mode for mapping to other software
Customisable underbody and button backlighting
Multiple OLED screens
Transport, sync, loop and cue controls
Browser and deck load controls
Shift layer to access additional controls

The post Native Instruments’ Traktor X1 MK3: the new go-to controller for myriad DJs? appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer’s 676 recreates Universal Audio’s 6176 with its “classic” vacuum tube preamplifier and FET-style compressorBehringer has launched the 676, a vacuum tube preamplifier and FET-style compressor, inspired by the 6176 Vintage Channel Strip from Universal Audio.
Though released in 2004, it’s still available on the market today. The original brought together recreations of the preamp from Bill Putnam Sr.’s classic 610 mixing console and the 1176 compressor in one unit. It was also recreated by the brand as a plugin last year.

READ MORE: Universal Audio Apollo x8 Gen 2 raises the bar — a little bit

Behringer says the original 6176 “served as the secret sauce” for some of the most well-known artists and recording engineers, such as Norah Jones, John Mayer, and even producers like Tony Visconti. The budget brand says it wants to keep the “classic alive” with its 676, offering custom-built Midas transformers, plus premium 12AX7/ECC83S and 12AT7/6072 tubes for a “warm and rich sound”.
The preamp section of the 676 hosts controls for input gain, impedance, polarity, high or low frequency shelf, as well as high or low boost/cut. It can also be operated independently of the compressor due to a Join/Split switch. The FET compressor part offers an attack time of 20 to 800 microseconds, an adjustable release time from 50 to 1100 milliseconds, and a vintage-style meter to display gain reduction and output levels.
Take a closer look below:

Other recent releases from Behringer include the RD-78 – inspired by the “granddaddy to all drum machines”, the Roland CR-78 – and the Chorus Symphony pedal, which emulates the Boss CE-1 Chorus Ensemble.
Behringer’s gear remakes have been the topic of much debate over the years, and while some creatives appreciate the brand’s budget friendly versions of gear they feel priced out of, others have questioned the ethics of its practice – including the likes of Roger Linn, who wrote an essay in light of Behringer’s LM Drum.
Behringer previously addressed backlash on its Facebook page. In January, the company wrote, “IP refers to legally protected rights over creations, such as trademarks or patents. Unless these protections are registered, the content is typically in the public domain and free to use.
“This system is intentional. Society thrives on progress, and limiting rights to a few individuals or companies would stifle creativity. Imagine if only one company could produce cars or guitars – innovation would stall, and access would be restricted.” It further added, “If companies want to protect their IP, they must file for trademarks, patents, or other legal measures.”
The Behringer 676 is priced at $469. Find out more or locate a dealer via the official Behringer website.
The post Behringer’s 676 recreates Universal Audio’s 6176 with its “classic” vacuum tube preamplifier and FET-style compressor appeared first on MusicTech.

Global Music Market 2024 tops $36.2B, streaming growth slowsThe global recorded music market reached $36.2 billion in 2024, growing 6.5%. However, streaming's growth is slowing, and DSPs are gaining more power, reports MIDiA.
The post Global Music Market 2024 tops $36.2B, streaming growth slows appeared first on Hypebot.

Live Music Industry News: Wayne Forte’s for Rent • Brooklyn Mirage reborn • ILMC wraps • MoS + Dice • promotions @ PRGIn the latest live music industry news, veteran booking agent Wayne Forte is auctioning a private lunch meeting as a fundraiser for the National Independent Talent Organization (NITO).
The post Live Music Industry News: Wayne Forte’s for Rent • Brooklyn Mirage reborn • ILMC wraps • MoS + Dice • promotions @ PRG appeared first on Hypebot.

Techivation release M-Leveller M-Leveller analyses the incoming signal and applies gain changes to individual notes and phrases, and promises to ensure consistent levels with unmatched transparency.

“As I was jamming I found myself making about 25 tracks”: How Carl Cox produced an entire live album in 90 minutesThe material for Carl Cox‘s 2022 album Electronic Generations was written in 90 minutes, with the help of some trusty hardware and a Pioneer DJ V10 mixer.
During the Covid pandemic – a time in which he was unable to tour – Cox revisited the live electronic setups he experimented with in the early days of his career. He collated his arsenal – including a Moog Labyrinth and DFAM, and a Roland TR-8S drum machine – routed them through a V10, a mixer which can record individual channels as stems rather than outputting a stereo feed, and into Ableton.

READ MORE: Ableton Live 12.2 is now in public beta – here’s what’s new

Cox would simply turn on the gear, press record and start making music in the moment. Then, 90 minutes into one particularly inspiring jam session, he realised he’d made a full album. He explains the process in detail in a new interview with MusicTech.
“I found as I was doing all these different ideas while I was jamming that I was actually making a live album,” he says. “I wasn’t expecting to do an album. But everything that was coming about, I could tell – ‘That’s another track. That’s another track. That’s another track.’ I found myself doing about 25 tracks,” Cox recalls. This process birthed the new live setup he’s been touring with since events resumed post-pandemic.
“I’m just jamming the shit out of this stuff and all of these patterns, ideas, basslines, chord progressions and stories were just oozing out, and I recorded everything,” he said in another interview with Mixmag, further detaing his process for writing Electronic Generations.. “So, after about an hour-and-a-half, I sat there and I topped and tailed all the ideas of what I was doing. My last album took six months to do; [Electronic Generations] took an-hour-and-a-half.”

Cox will headline the Carl Cox Megastructure at Ultra Music Festival on March 29 using the same live setup, and he’s already announced more live shows for 2025 at notable venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.
These shows are meant to capture the same process he used to make Electronic Generations and share it with an audience.
“When you go in the studio to record, you use these machines. You use a drum machine. You use synths. You use keyboards. So why don’t you do what we’re doing in the studio, and then create that live?” Cox tells MusicTech.
Read the full interview with Carl Cox via MusicTech.
The post “As I was jamming I found myself making about 25 tracks”: How Carl Cox produced an entire live album in 90 minutes appeared first on MusicTech.

Ableton Live 12.2 is now in public beta – here’s what’s newAbleton Live 12.2 is now in public beta, and the latest update delivers improvements to all editions of Live 12, plus “major” new features for Push.
Live 12 officially launched in March last year, and was rated 9/10 by MusicTech for its improved MIDI editing and generators, plus its many small but significant workflow enhancements and improved browsing features. Once the beta testing period is over, Live 12.2 will be free for all owners of a Live 12 licence.

READ MORE: Best MIDI controllers to buy in 2025: 12 best Ableton Live controllers to buy

For this latest edition of the flagship DAW, users can now bounce clips or time selections on any MIDI or audio track, including all processing, to a new audio track with a few clicks. Similarly, you can also use Bounce Track in Place to convert the whole track to audio. Auto Filter – which now comes to Move and Note for the first time – has also been redesigned with creative new filter types, real-time visualisation, and a revamped modulation section.
Expressive Chords, a new MPE-enabled Max for Live device for all editions of Live and Push, lets you play interesting progressions intuitively, one key or pad at a time. Meld (the bi-timbral synth) also gets a new Chord oscillator and Scrambler LFO effect, while Roar (the saturation effect) adds a new routing mode and filter type, plus an external audio and MIDI sidechain.

For a smoother user experience, a new Quick Tags panel lets you view, edit and assign tags directly in the Browser. Here, you can now view multiple columns of metadata at once. The Filter View has also been simplified, with its hidden features more discoverable.
New, significant updates also arrive for Push – Expressive 16 Pitches lets you play samples in Drum Rack melodically, and with added control from Push’s MPE-enabled pads. You can structure songs, perform Sets, and “explore flexible ways of sequencing clips and scenes” with Follow Actions. Bounce to New Track, the Groove Pool and Live 12’s Tuning Systems are now fully accessible too. And in addition to Expressive Chords and the updates to Auto Filter, Meld, and Roar, Live 12.2 also brings the External Audio Effect device to Push.
To view the full list of what’s new in Live and each version of Push, check out the release notes. If you already use Live 12, you can sign up for the Ableton beta programme now to test the new features.
The post Ableton Live 12.2 is now in public beta – here’s what’s new appeared first on MusicTech.

W. A. Production DetroublerStress-Free Sound Whether sculpting silky synths or crafting perfectly-balanced vocals, it's always a challenge to make audio pop whilst simultaneously reigning in those irksome frequencies.... Read More

Hate your speakers? This new wavetable distortion plugin will give them some punishmentDawesome’s new Hate plugin is a wavetable distortion tool that lets you turn ordinary sounds into something “alive, aggressive, and full of character”.
Following on from its softer counterpart – the ambience effects plugin, Love – this new tool aims to break away from typical, one-size-fits-all distortion tools by allowing users drag and drop any audio file, and transform it into a custom saturation shape, “so your distortion isn’t just different, it’s yours”.

READ MORE: This industry-favourite hardware EQ by Heritage Audio has been turned into a plugin – and it’s much more affordable

Hate lets you stack up to six effects, which Dawesome likens to a pedalboard. There are 29 modules to mix and match, ranging from studio essentials like reverb, compression, or EQ, to more experimental and out-there sound tools that, as the brand suggests, might make “your speakers question their life choices”.
But it’s not just about making the most aggressive sounds possible, though. At its core, Hate is about making something unique and individual to you by manipulating your custom saturation shape as freely as you like.
Check it out below:

Also on board are over 200 presets and a Creative Randomiser with the possibility to exclude parts from randomisation if you choose. Currently, you can give Hate a go with a 90 day free trial without any constraints. You can also buy Hate as a bundle with its Love sibling, currently for just $59.40, or purchase it individually at a reduced rate of $35.40.
If you fancy shopping for even more plugins, you can check out our rolling guide of the best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week, featuring tools from Excite Audio, Spitfire Audio, and a whole lot more.
To find out more about Hate or purchase now, head over to Tracktion.
The post Hate your speakers? This new wavetable distortion plugin will give them some punishment appeared first on MusicTech.

TONEX Editor from IK Multimedia The latest addition to IK Multimedia’s TONEX family provides users of the hardware pedals with the ability to organise and make real-time edits to their Tone Models and presets.

Sesame, the startup behind the viral virtual assistant Maya, releases its base AI modelAI company Sesame has released the base model that powers Maya, the impressively realistic voice assistant. The model, which is 1 billion parameters in size (“parameters” referring to individual components of the model), is under an Apache 2.0 license, meaning it can be used commercially with few restrictions. Called CSM-1B, the model generates “RVQ audio codes” from text […]
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Breaking Into the Music Industry Early Bird Special Ending SoonREASONS TO BUY EARLY BIRD TICKETS FOR BREAKING INTO THE MUSIC INDUSTRYEvent Set for May 1-3 in Indio, CAUNBEATABLE VALUE FOR THE PRICE:The cost of your ticket is less than the value of what you're receiving in breakfasts, lunches, drinks, exclusive parties, and a swag bag! It's a no-brainer investment in your music career.SAVE MORE BEFORE PRICES GO UP:Ticket prices increase after March 24, so locking in early means huge savings for both students and non-students.SECURE YOUR SPOT: The event is expected to sell out, and early bird tickets ensure you don't miss out on this game-changing opportunity.EXCLUSIVE NETWORKING:Get a head start connecting with top music executives, producers, and influencers who will be mentoring and sharing industry secrets.PLAN YOUR TRIP WITH EASE:Buying your ticket early gives you more time to book travel and accommodations at the best rates before prices go up.GAIN INSIDER ACCESS:Learn proven strategies from industry leaders that can fast-track your success in music — whether you're an artist, producer, or entrepreneur.MORE TIME TO PREPARE:By securing your spot early, you can prepare questions and research speakers to get the most out of the event.NO LAST-MINUTE STRESS:Avoid the price hikes and ticket rush by locking in your ticket now — peace of mind, plus all the extra perks included!Breaking Into the Music Industry is a one-of-a-kind, 2-day experience designed to inspire and educate aspiring artists, entrepreneurs, college students, and industry professionals. Taking place May 1 through 3, 2025, in Palm Springs, CA, this event will feature top music executives and industry leaders offering mentorship, actionable strategies, and insider knowledge to attendees.Tickets and event details are available now at this location.Speakers are as follows:Rich Best  —Global Tour Promoter, Live NationMatt Sorum — Guns N Roses , Velvet Revolver , The Cult, Rock N Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy award winning Musician Ryan Harlacher — Music Agent, Creative Artist AgencyCory Brennan — Founder and CEO of 5B Artist ManagementJohn Feldmann — Record Producer and MusicianKasey Mckee — Music Agent, Creative Artist AgencySean Akhavan — Festival Producer, Artist ManagementVinnie Capizzi — President of 1Fifty1 Inc and West Coast Concessions Keli Tomack — Managing Principal, Epic Insurance Entertainment & SportPeter Kahn — CEO of Patriark Records and Fight Game AdvisorsBobby Alt — Artist & EntrepreneurJason May — CEO of Weird BeveragesRyan Borba — Managing Editor, PollstarSam Simmons — Site ArchitectKylie Zinsser — Festival ProductionBlasko — Manager, MarketerAmy Sciarretto — Owner and Publicist, Atom Splitter PRMatt Rosenblum — Tour Manager, Production Manager, TechDave Brooks — Senior Director of Live Music + Touring (Billboard)Jennifer Clemens — Makeup ArtistMatt Pinfield — Author + Syndicated Radio + TV HostBelle Popoff — Sponsorship DirectorJoe Muller — Former Mayor,  Dana Point, CAJosh Bernstein - Producer + Publisher The post Breaking Into the Music Industry Early Bird Special Ending Soon first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square to raise $1.4bn from sale of 2.7% stake in UMG (report)'We believe UMG is one of the best businesses we have ever owned,' said Ackman on X today
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IK Multimedia TONEX Pedal Bring your Tone Models live on stage. TONEX Pedal lets you store and play your AI Machine Modeling Tone Models live on stage. Choose from thousands of the world's most sought-after... Read More