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These Korg synth plugins are now half-price, starting at $25 – but only for a limited timeKorg has made some truly prestigious synths and instruments in the past five decades. The Mono/Poly, the M1, the MS-20 – who can forget the Kaoss Pad? If you’ve ever wanted one of these, or others, now might be your chance.
The entire Korg Collection, and all of the individual synths that come with it, is available now at half price at Plugin Boutique. Sure, these aren’t the hardware originals, but they’re all developed and created by Korg, so it’s pretty much the closest you can get — and for a fraction of the price.READ MORE: “A listening experience unlike any other”: Sonos’s eagerly awaited launch into the headphone market is here – meet Sonos Ace
Starting at $24,99, you can download 16 of its virtual synthesizers, or grab the Korg collection, all at a 50% discount.
So what’s exactly on offer? Aside from the Korg Collection, you can get the following virtual synths and effects at half-price:microKORG
Kaoss Pad
Electribe-R
M1
MiniKORG 700S
MDE-X
MonoPoly
PolySix
MS-20
Wavestate native
Prophecy
Triton/Triton Extreme
Modwave native
Opsix native
Wavestation
ARP OdysseyNaturally, the best value option is the Korg Collection, which lands you a boatload of new plugins for $200, down from $400. You’ll miss out on the Opsix, Modwave and Triton native plugins, but the bundle should give you enough to keep busy anyway.
This deal runs until 2 June, giving you a little bit of a window to take advantage of the deal. Also, if you purchase now, you’ll be able to claim iZotope Ozone 11 Elements for free alongside the purchase, which might sweeten the deal for you.
Grab the deal at Plugin Boutique.
The post These Korg synth plugins are now half-price, starting at $25 – but only for a limited time appeared first on MusicTech.Diplo shows off his analogue library and home studio on his 62-acre private estate in Portland, JamaicaDJ and producer Diplo has offered a tour of his analogue library and home studio on his 62-acre private estate in Portland, Jamaica.
READ MORE: Tom Oberheim stayed up “36 hours straight” to play the first synthesizer he ever bought
Describing the house as his “home away from home”, Diplo reveals that the inspiration for his two-floor library actually came from Harry Potter.
“When I designed this room, I really told my architects, I need a library and I want it to be two floors,” he tells Architectural Digest. “I want it to look like something from Harry Potter, where you can go upstairs and get lost in the books, get lost in the records, get lost in some of the old magazines.”
The library houses over a thousand books and records and is designed so people who come here can “be inspired, find things they’ve never seen before, read things they never read before,” says Diplo.
It also offers a stunning view of the jungle greenery and is fully analogue, a feature the musician absolutely loves.
Moving on to “the part that pays for the whole house,” we get a glimpse of the mixing room and live room of Diplo’s newly opened Pompey Studios where “the magic is made”.
“This is actually my first proper music studio. I’ve always been a bedroom producer. I’ve always had a studio in one of my rooms in my house so to build a fully functioning studio was a very big deal for me,” he says.
“I wanted it to be something that anybody could be comfortable in, whether you’re a band, pop star, or doing a soundtrack. But it definitely hearkens to the ‘70s. It’s got that vibe with all our accessories and double pane glass.”
As Diplo would have it, the studio also features “one of the best lounges” for stressed out musicians to decompress between takes. Highlights include a ping pong table (because “because every studio has ping pong”), a Polycade arcade machine that’s got “every video game in the world of all time” under its hood, and glass doors that open you to the lush outside environment.
“You can be recording, and then a cow or goat will walk by and just add to your pallet of inspiration.”
Watch the full tour below.The post Diplo shows off his analogue library and home studio on his 62-acre private estate in Portland, Jamaica appeared first on MusicTech.
Warm Audio’s WA-44 expertly revives a vocal microphone design from the 1930s£999, warmaudio.com
With a portfolio of over 40 products, mostly recreations of classic microphones, analogue preamps and processors from the 1950s, 60s and 70s, we wondered where Warm Audio chief Bryce Young would go next. The answer is, of course, even further back in time…to the 1930s!READ MORE: IK Multimedia’s iRig Stream Mic Pro is a hassle-free solution for all recording artists
The WA-44 is an authentic replica of a classic figure-8 ribbon mic from the mid-30s, once (and still) used by professionals in the recording, broadcasting and film industries.
The original RCA 44 BX can be seen in iconic photos of a young Elvis Presley, who used the mic to record many of his classic early rock ‘n’ roll recordings, regarded as the foundation on which modern pop music is built. There’s no denying this is one seriously cool-looking microphone.
As usual, Warm Audio has cut no corners recreating this ancient design, with the WA-44 weighing almost 3 kg. It’s a large beast for sure yet, by nature, ribbon mics are extremely delicate so the sturdy, foam-lined case the company has designed for it should be used for protection when not in use.
Inside the hefty metal casing is the ribbon itself, a ‘true-to-length’ 60 mm design manufactured in Japan from 99.1% pure aluminium. This ribbon is bigger than those found in most other designs and is crucial to the lush, larger-than-life sound it delivers.
WA-44 with case
While this new 44-style microphone is authentic to the vintage design in most ways, it embraces modern technology with the choice of magnet in which the ribbon is suspended. Original RCA 44s used AlNiCo (aluminium, nickel and cobalt), however, the WA-44 employs a Neodymium magnet, which is more efficient, stronger and durable than the ancient type.
A custom, American-made CineMag output transformer is used (these transformers are premium designs as found in several Warm Audio products), which helps the WA-44 partner with modern mic preamps as well as providing a degree of protection against the accidental use of phantom power. Usually, the application of phantom power will destroy or badly damage a ribbon instantaneously, however, this circuit design offers protection for the delicate ribbon. Even so, the use of phantom power is best avoided.
The fragile nature of the ribbon should also be considered when subjecting it to large gusts of moving air. A thick, protective ‘sock’ is provided for transportation yet it’s also advisable to use a windshield or pop filter (not provided) when using the mic to record, say, close-mic’d horns or kick drum.
Like all ribbon mics, the WA-44 is relatively insensitive in comparison with other types of dynamic microphone and condenser designs, which means it requires a liberal amount – at least 65 dB – of amplification. Most decent outboard mic preamps will deliver adequate gain, however plugging directly into an interface will not provide enough juice to enable the mic’s true tonal quality to be appreciated. With that in mind, Warm Audio has created the WarmLifter, an inline active preamp that can be inserted between mic and interface to provide an additional 26 dB of gain. This is sold separately for £159, which could be a cost-effective way of providing gain without the expense of buying an outboard mic preamp.
WarmLifter
Also common to ribbon mics is the figure-8 polar pattern, meaning the back of the microphone captures audio as much as the front. This means care has to be taken when positioning the mic in a room. If it’s placed close to a boundary with a reflective surface, with a vocalist addressing the front for example, the mic will pick up reflections from the rear surface; this may even cause problems with phase cancellations. Placing the mic more towards the centre of your recording room will eliminate these problems but, if space is tight, some absorbent material (such as portable vocal booths) can help.
The figure-8 pattern is excellent at rejecting sound from the sides, though, so judicious positioning can eliminate unwanted spillage better than cardioid designs.
The sonic signature of the WA-44 is unmistakably vintage in character. Acoustic guitar is captured with plenty of mid-focused resonance and weighty low-end heft albeit without the top-end sparkle you get with many condenser designs. The mic has no onboard filters of any kind so a high-pass filter on a mic preamp (or the WarmLifter) would be useful for this and many other applications.
Many potential customers will want to use the mic for lead vocals and, here, a certain amount of mic technique comes into play. More than most, the WA-44 has a pronounced proximity effect, so the closer the sound source, the more low end will be captured. This can work particularly well when all the warmth and smoothness of an intimate, close-mic’d performance is desired, however for punchy rock and pop vocals, a little more distance than usual between performer and mic will give a brighter balance.
WA-44 in use
While the WA-44 lacks the super-top response characteristics of many condenser vocal mics, the ribbon provides a degree of midrange detail and transparency few others can attain. What’s more, it responds extremely well to a liberal boost of high-end EQ; a 16kHz boost from a Pultec-style equaliser sounds sublime, adding a halo of air to a full-bodied recording.
Despite the delicate nature of its ribbon, the WA-44 is capable of handling SPLs of up to 140 dB, so louder sources such as drums and amplified instruments can be recorded without fear of damage.
Amplified electric bass cabinets benefit from the inherently fulsome bottom-end response, while the WA-44’s use on double bass is a no-brainer. Smaller stringed instruments such as violins, which can often sound shrill and sharp, benefit from the smoother, slightly muted top-end response to bring out the body and phrasing of notes without the scratchiness of leading edges.
Warm Audio’s WA-44 is a world-class ribbon microphone offering warmth, detail and dynamic expression few can equal. Driven with sufficient good-quality gain, it delivers clarity and mid-range transparency as good as, or better than many more costly, boutique designs. While it doesn’t boast anything in the way of cutting-edge DAW-friendly technology, it expresses a rich, vintage vibe in a truly sumptuous package.
Key features99.1% aluminium, 2.5 micron-thick ribbon
Custom CineMag USA transformers
Powerful Neodymium magnet
Pigtail XLR Gotham cable with Star Quad shielding
Polar pattern: figure-8
Frequency response 20 Hz – 20k Hz (+/- 12dB)
Max SPL: 140dBThe post Warm Audio’s WA-44 expertly revives a vocal microphone design from the 1930s appeared first on MusicTech.
“There is no collaboration between us”: Tom Oberheim on Behringer’s UB-XaTom Oberheim, synth designer and founder of Oberheim Electronics, has addressed recent claims by Behringer that its UB-Xa synthesizer was created with his “consent”, saying “there is no collaboration between us.”
Earlier this week, Behringer announced that the UB-Xa has officially taken the top spot as German mega-retailer Thomann’s best-selling synth. Responding to comments under a post celebrating the milestone, the brand alleges that it had “discussed the UB-Xa with Tom Oberheim and got his consent” to build an instrument inspired by Oberheim designs.
A claim that has been called into question by the man himself.READ MORE: “I’m just a puppet when it comes to comping her vocal”: FINNEAS taught Billie Eilish how to comp vocals so she could record alone in new album Hit Me Hard and Soft
Addressing the matter in a Facebook post this morning, Tom wrote: “You may have seen the recent stories online where Behringer is claiming that they have my ‘consent’ to make UB-XA, and that I ‘know their plans’. There is, of course, no collaboration between us and no discussions of their plans for synths or anything else.”
He clarified that Behringer “do have limited rights to use the name UB-XA, but not the Oberheim name. So they have permission under certain conditions to release a product using the UB-XA name, but that’s all.”
“I hope this doesn’t cause any confusion about the real Oberheim products like OB-X8 and TEO-5 and the others we plan to release!”
The brand recently announced the TEO-5 polysynth, a compact analogue-digital synth with a much more affordable price tag ($1,499) than any other Oberheim instrument in history.In the past six years or so, Behringer has faced considerable criticism for releasing audio instruments that are ‘inspired by’ or replicas of classic designs from renowned brands, often at significantly lower prices.
The post “There is no collaboration between us”: Tom Oberheim on Behringer’s UB-Xa appeared first on MusicTech.Warner Music Latina inks global deal with Dominican artist Tokischa to launch new record label, SOLThe deal is also supported by Atlantic Records
Source“I’m just a puppet when it comes to comping her vocal”: FINNEAS taught Billie Eilish how to comp vocals so she could record alone in new album Hit Me Hard and SoftIn a new interview, Billie Eilish takes us behind the scenes of the making of Hit Me Hard and Soft, and the evolving musical partnership she shares with her brother FINNEAS.
Diving into the album’s recording process, FINNEAS – Eilish’s longtime production partner – tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe that he actually taught his sister how to comp her own vocals this time so she could record alone in the studio.READ MORE: Steve Albini’s four-hour Mix with the Masters lesson is now available to watch for free
“She has such a good ear and I’m just a puppet when it comes to comping her vocals because she’s so meticulous,” says FINNEAS. “And I can comp a vocal, no prob, I’m doing it forever. But she got better and better at knowing like, ‘I like this take and I like this word from this, taking like this word’.”
“And so I was just like, well, let me teach you how to do this. It’s not that hard. And so I taught her how to record herself and how to comp herself.”
“[Sometimes] I’d get a call to come downstairs, she’s like ‘something’s wrong come downstairs and fix it’,” he continues, “but one of the reasons I did it is because I’ve always recorded alone and there’s stuff that I am just not brave enough to do in front of somebody else. It’s like I know I’m her brother but…”
It’s a sentiment Eilish shares in. Highlighting a vocal moment near the end of the track Birds Of A Feather, the singer says that she “could never have done that” had FINNEAS been in the room.“This is the most I’ve ever written and contributed,” says Eilish. “I did some production stuff, even. And I did all my own vocals.”
Watch the full interview below.In other news, Billie Eilish has released an isolated vocals version of HIT ME HARD AND SOFT for producers to get creative with. Fans are invited to remix the album via BandLab and the winner will get to “take home an exclusive merch pack with a HIT ME HARD AND SOFT vinyl autographed by Billie, and a pair of tickets to her upcoming tour.”
The post “I’m just a puppet when it comes to comping her vocal”: FINNEAS taught Billie Eilish how to comp vocals so she could record alone in new album Hit Me Hard and Soft appeared first on MusicTech.Expressable brings speech therapy into the homeExpressable is a platform that offers one-on-one virtual sessions with speech language pathologists.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.Fantom unveils Sonic Foundation for new Sonic ChainThe CEO of the Fantom Foundation has unveiled the Sonic Foundation, which will oversee the creation and launch of Fantom’s new Sonic Chain.
Izotope Neutron 4 Elements is FREE Until July 8th!
Izotope’s Neutron 4 Elements channel strip plugin is currently available to download for free until July 8th, 2024. The product is normally priced at $49 and is available in AU, VST3, and AAX plugin formats for Windows and Mac. Neutron 4 Elements is the little brother of the full Neutron 4 suite, which costs $249. However, [...]
View post: Izotope Neutron 4 Elements is FREE Until July 8th!Almost Breaking The World Record For The Tiniest Humanoid Robot, But Not QuiteDid you know there is a Guinness World Record for the smallest humanoid robot? We didn’t either, but apparently this is a challenge attracting multiple competitors. [Lidor Shimoni] had a red hot go at claiming the record, but came up ever so slightly short. Or tall.
The former record holder was measured at 141 mm, so [Lidor] had to beat that. He set about building a humanoid robot 95 mm tall, relying on off-the-shelf parts and 3D-printed components of his own design. An ESP32 served as the brains of the operation, while the robot, named Tiny Titan, got big flat feet to make walking relatively stable and controlled. Small servos were stacked up to actuate the legs and create a suitably humanoid robot to claim the title.
Sadly, [Lidor] was pipped to the post. Some procrastinating in finishing the robot and documentation saw another rival with a 60mm robot take the record. It’s not 100% clear what Guinness requires for someone to take this record, but it seems to involve a robot with arms, legs, and some ability to walk.
Sometimes robots are more fun when they’re very small. If you’re developing your own record-breaking automatons, drop us a line won’t you?BURL Audio 2024 Songwriting Contest: It's Time to Meet the Excellent JudgesHere at BURL Audio we have had the great pleasure of working with some of the best musicians, vocalists, producers and engineers in the music industry. A few of them have been gracious enough to lend their time to selecting their favorite songs in the BURL Audio 2024 Songwriting contest, "Come Together".
We have had some truly amazing entries and it is really hard to decide which songs are "The Best." This is a very subjective process. Thank you to all who have entered. We will be announcing the winners during the first week of June.
Asdru Sierra: Born and raised in Los Angeles, Asdrubal "Asdru" Sierra is the co-founder of the multi-Grammy Award-winning, Ozomatli, spending the last 20 years as the group’s lead vocalist, trumpet and keyboardist. and songwriter. As part of Ozomatli, Sierra garnered two Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album of the Year Grammy Awards: One Latin Grammy, three Latin Billboard Awards. https://spotify.link/XnCNDXZemJb
Tammi Brown: Tammi performs with some of the most notable Music Industry Icons known to the world, including renowned Music Producer, Quincy Jones, Lauren Monroe & Rick Allen (Def Leppard), Alan Parsons Project, Stanley Jordan, Dr. Maya Angelou, Joan Baez, Spyro Gyra, and Eric Bibb to name a few. Ms. Brown received the prestigious award of ‘Artist of the Year’ in 2024 presented by the Arts Commission for Santa Cruz County. She is currently a vocalist for the ten-time Grammy and Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Bobby McFerrin, in his group Motion.https://www.instagram.com/tammibrownmusic/
Chad Gordon is a Grammy Nominated, Multi-Platinum Engineer and Producer based out of Los Angeles, CA. Chad cut his teeth at EASTWEST Studios in Hollywood, CA, and has been very fortunate to have worked with the biggest names in music over the past decade. He bleeds BURL GREEN, to the point that everyone who knows him, thinks he's a damn leprechaun! xchadgordonx.com instagram.com/xchadgordonx
Etienne Franc is THE premiere bass player extraordinaire from Santa Cruz California. Etienne is Burl Audio's go-to-guy when we need the best, most professional session musician who rules the school in every genre of music. Etienne is a bassist, guitarist, singer, and rapper, but most of all he understands and is a master of SOUL POWER. He is bassist for L.A based Check in the Dark, and with Check in the Dark has released two albums independently. Their music was featured on ABC's Extreme makeover - home edition, and on ESPN. Check in the Dark toured and recorded with Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester.https://www.instagram.com/the_roksta_orkestra_?igsh=NGVhN2U2NjQ0Yg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
Allison Piccion graduated from Berklee College of Music with a BA of Music in Film Scoring and achieved her Master's of Music in Composition for Screen from the Royal College of Music, London. Allison is currently a professor for Thinkspace Education as a post-graduate composition and songwriting instructor. Originally from Ohio, Allison is a Los Angeles based film composer, orchestrator, arranger, performer, voiceover artist, singer/songwriter and recording musician - rocking keys, synths, vocals, saxophone and a wireless keytar! She regularly performs with her four piece all-female power group, L.A. Dollz. https://www.allisonpiccioni.com/The post BURL Audio 2024 Songwriting Contest: It's Time to Meet the Excellent Judges first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.
Turning an ATX PSU Into a Variable Bench SupplyBench power supplies can sometimes be frustratingly expensive and also kind of limited. If you’re enterprising and creative, though, you can create your own bench supply with tons of features, and it doesn’t have to break the bank either. Do what [Maker Y] did—grab an ATX supply and get building!
ATX power supplies work as a great basis for a bench power supply. They have 12 volt, 3.3 volt, and 5 volt rails, and they can supply a ton of current for whatever you might need. [Maker Y] decided to break out these rails on banana plugs for ease of access, and fused them for safety, too. But the build doesn’t stop there. [Maker Y] also added a buck-boost converter to provide a variable voltage output from 1 to 30 volts for added flexibility. As a nice final touch, the rig also features a pair of USB A ports compatible with Quick Charge 3.0, for keeping smart devices charged while working in the lab.
[Caelestis Workshop] also designed a fully enclosed version if you prefer that style. Check it out on Instructables.
No matter which way you go, it’s a pretty simple build, with a bunch of off-the-shelf parts tossed together in a 3D printed housing. Ultimately, though, it’s got more functionality than a lot of cheap off-the-shelf bench supplies. You can build it just about anywhere on Earth where you can get cheap eBay parts via post.Spotify’s battle with songwriters and music publishers is getting complicated. Here’s a recap.MBW Explains what's happened, who has said what so far, and what could happen next...
SourceHow to make a neurofunk track (free project file included)
Veteran drum and bass producer Redpill showcases how to make a neurofunk track and offers a free project file for producers to experiment with firsthand.Brainworx launch bx_glue The new bx_glue plug-in from Brainworx combines the sounds of classic British VCA compressors with some more modern functionality and multi-band processing capabilities.
