Big Fish Audio releases FREE Momentum v2.0 Loop Slicer Plugin
Big Fish Audio has released Momentum 2.0, an update to their free loop slicer and sample manipulation plugin for Windows and macOS. I covered the first version of Momentum in our news section in 2020; it’s worth reading if you need a refresher. Momentum’s core functionality remains intact in the new version: it’s a powerful [...]
View post: Big Fish Audio releases FREE Momentum v2.0 Loop Slicer Plugin

LANDR Sampler plug-in released LANDR have unveiled LANDR Sampler, a powerful new plug-in which is intended as a tool for transforming bulky sample libraries into a playable, intuitive instrument.

Microsoft employees are banned from using DeepSeek app, president says Microsoft employees aren’t allowed to use DeepSeek due to data security and propaganda concerns, Microsoft vice chairman and president Brad Smith said in a Senate hearing today. “At Microsoft we don’t allow our employees to use the DeepSeek app,” Smith said, referring to DeepSeek’s application service (which is available on both desktop and mobile.) Smith […]

The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre FestStephen Schwartz and Julie Garnyé performing “The Wizard and I” at the 2025 ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Fest at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Photo credit: Cheryl Mann ProductionsOn May 5-6, the ASCAP Foundation held the 2025 ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Fest, hosted by legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis). According to a press release, "before the Fest, Schwartz told Variety that 'each night will contain nuggets of enlightenment.' Indeed, the two dazzling evenings offered a behind-the-curtain experience exploring the process and artistry of musical theatre with some of Broadway’s biggest composers.""On Monday, May 5, the Fest opened with 'Songs from the Cutting Room Floor,' a showcase for the unheard musical gems that didn’t make it into some of Broadway’s biggest shows. Schwartz, together with composers, lyricists and librettists Irene Sankoff & David Hein (Come From Away) and Karey Kirkpatrick (Something Rotten!, Mrs. Doubtfire), delivered a beautiful evening of intimate performances and stories about spectacular songs that had to be sacrificed to create a perfect musical. The evening was supported by the Gary Geld Musical Theatre Foundation." "On Tuesday, May 6, Schwartz hosted The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre & Librettist Workshop, a unique double bill of new musicals that gave audience members a sneak peek at what could be Broadway’s next smash hit. The Workshop kicked off with the creative team of Julian Hornik, Khiyon Hursey and Mark Sonnenblick, who presented selections from their musical, WEEKEND. For the second show of the evening, Roslyn Catracchia and Peter Seibert presented an excerpt of their musical Piney Needlesmith and the Road Less Traveled.""Following the performances, Schwartz hosted a collaborative and instructive discussion with each writing team and expert panelists Kevin Bannerman (Anastasia), Jay Dyer (Alfred Hitchcock Presents), Winnie Holzman (Wicked), and Karey Kirkpatrick (Something Rotten!). The second evening was supported by the Kenward Elmslie Fund."Visit ascapfoundation.org for more info.The post The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Fest first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Yamaha launches $50m fund to power music and media startupsThe fund is meant to cement Yamaha's “leadership position as an innovator in the fields of sound and music”
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Soundiron Vibraphone EffectsSoundiron's Vibraphone Effects brings you the most comprehensive and detailed collection of playable concert vibraphone effects you will find anywhere, covering a complete selection of special articulations and extended technique, including various bowing, finger and hand, wooden, and rubber mallet articulations that take you way beyond the range of traditional orchestral and jazz vibraphone playing methods. Produced in collaboration with Pearl Drums, we've carefully recorded every nuance of this 4-octave Adams Alpha with gold anodized aluminum bars. This 24GB virtual instrument is perfect for soundtrack scoring, cinematic effects, modern jazz and avant garde compositions, and any style of music that calls for long-sustaining richly tonal, eclectic and lush-sounding tuned percussion. We placed our microphones exceptionally close to capture an unmatched level of deeply-nuanced resonance and character. Each preset makes creation easy with our advanced feature set, providing you with four intuitively-shapable independent sonic layers so you can build and sculpt your own sound. Each layer module includes an independent articulation selection, arpeggiator, filter system, LFO and shaping controls, as well as its own fully-customizable variable motor speed, so you can smoothly sweep from absolutely steady to total vibrato. This allows you to layer and combine multiple articulations and sound-designed textural elements to create your own unique instruments. There are 5 distinct German Bass Bow articulations: Feathered/Flautando, Spiccato, Staccato, Marcato, Long Note and Sustaining. Each note is captured in soft and loud dynamics, with 4 round-robins per key and dynamic. The 4 Hand and Finger articulations include Finger Taps, Finger Mutes, Scrapes and Flicks with up to 6 dynamic layers, and up to 8 round-robins per key and dynamic. The 4 Rubber Mallet articulations include Small Hard Rubber Mallets, Jumbo Soft Rubber Mallets, Superball Riccochet Fast Bounces, and Superball Riccochet Slow Bounces. The Riccochet articulations also provide an additional ribbon microphone option that has a silky-smooth tonality to provide an alternative sonic flavor. And of course, we've crafted 36 unique sound-designed elements to compliment our Vibraphone Effects, ranging from aggressive and textured leads to undulating and evolving ethereal pads, as well as plenty of classic synthesized waveforms to add even more body, harmony and flavor to your sound. To cap it all off, we've also included a set of 20 creative sound-designed factory presets to take the sound farther and offer instant inspiration, so you can dive right in. The Kontakt interface includes a suite of automation-ready sound-shaping controls to give you total creative flexibility. You have control over swell, attack, release, offset, vibrato, filter, pitch (coarse & fine), articulation switching, cross-fading and layering, and so much more. This library comes with an adaptable LFO system, with selectable LFO shape, modulation target parameter, speed, intensity, tempo-syncing and fade-in time. You can also apply your choice of 12 lowpass, high-pass and FX filters, with assignable modulation targets such as velocity, modwheel, expression, after-touch, key position and step-sequencer table control. Our customizable arpeggiator offers a velocity table and control over arp direction, timing, swing, randomization and duration. We've included a key and scale lock system to constrain your notes to common scales and keys for easy melodic composition and live performance. The interface is rounded-out by our modular FX rack panel, with 27 different DSP effect modules that you can assign in any of 8 available slots, in any order that you wish. You'll find classic phaser, flanger, delay, distortion, amp and cab simulators, compressors, EQ, rotator and so much more. The Reverb effect includes our favorite convolution reverb impulse responses, including 99 different rooms, halls, chambers and outdoor environments, plus another 40 custom FX impulses to radically transform the sound and open up whole new worlds of musical possibility. We've added a great bank of FX rack chain factory presets to get you started. Listen to demos of Vibraphone Effects on Soundcloud Product Specs: 5 Bowed articulations: Feathered/Flautando, Spiccato, Staccato, Marcato, Long Note and Sustaining. 4 Finger articulations: Finger Taps, Finger Mutes, Scrapes and Flicks. 4 Rubber Mallet articulations: Small hard, jumbo soft, superball riccochet fast & slow bounces. 36 ambient pads and evolving drones created from the source content. 21 Powerful Kontakt .nki instrument presets. 15 Powerful Decent Sampler presets. 11,560 stereo samples in unlocked .WAV format. 24 GB Installed. A flexible, intuitive user interface and mixer with pro features and deep customizability. Full FX rack with convolution reverb with custom rooms, halls, chambers & FX environments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0q4wmz2USw Read More

Edison Phonograph Plays the CylindersYou might be old enough to remember record platters, but you probably aren’t old enough to remember when records were cylinders. The Edison Blue Amberol records came out in 1912 and were far superior to the earlier wax cylinders. If you had one today, how could you play it? Easy. Just build [Palingenesis’] record player. You can even hear it do its thing in the video below.
The cylinders are made of plaster with a celluloid wrapper tinted with the namesake blue color. They were more durable than the old wax records and could hold well over four minutes of sound.

The player is mostly made from wood cut with a mill or a laser. There are some bearings, fasteners, and — of course — electronics. The stylus requires some care. Conventional records use a lateral-cut groove, but these old records use a vertical-cut. That means the pickup moves up and down and has a rounder tip than a conventional needle.
Rather than try to control the motor to an exact speed, you get to set the speed with a potentiometer and see the resulting RPM on a small display. Overall, an involved but worthwhile project.
We recently looked at some players that would have been new about the same time as the blue record in the video. We don’t think you could modify one of these to play stereo, but if you do, let us know immediately!

SUPERBOOTH 25: Fresh hardware from Novation Novation have announced a fresh line-up of hardware at this year’s Superbooth, introducing four new products designed to inspire electronic musicians, live performers and producers alike. 

Arturia owners – you can now integrate Native Instruments’ NKS plugins into your Arturia hardwareArturia and Native Instruments (NI) have confirmed a new product partnership under the ongoing NKS Hardware Partner Program, making it easier to use NKS plugins with Arturia hardware.
From here on out, the mainstay NI integration technology, Native Kontrol Standard (NKS), will be integrated into Arturia hardware. So far, Arturia has confirmed that three machines will be part of the initial rollout: KeyLab MK3, KeyLab Essential MK3, and MiniLab.

READ MORE: Arturia V Collection 11: New plugins, price, V Collection Intro, and everything else you need to know

This means that users of those controllers won’t need to create custom MIDI maps to get the most out of NKS software; it’s all pre-mapped and ready to go as soon as you hook up the controller.
“Arturia is committed to designing universal MIDI controllers, built to inspire creativity without limits,” says Martin Dutasta, Director of Product at Arturia. “We’re thrilled to partner with Native Instruments on NKS integration. This initiative brings greater connectivity and a more fluid workflow, benefiting creators who rely on both ecosystems.”
“This reinforces our commitment to an open and connected music industry,” continues Simon Cross, Chief Product Officer at Native Instruments. “We’re giving musicians the freedom to explore sound without workflow limitations.”
To celebrate this burgeoning relationship, new purchasers of the three Arturia controllers listed in the partnership will receive a free copy of Komplete 15 Select. Regularly, the suite of virtual instruments and production bundles is valued at $99/€99.
This partnership is part of the ongoing series of integrations stemming from the NKS Hardware Partner Program. NI first announced the program at NAMM 2025, and now Arturia joins Akai Professional, Korg, Novation, Nektar, and M-Audio in the ability to implement NI software.
Both NI and Arturia will have displays at Superbooth 2025, taking place May 8-10 at FEZ in Berlin. Head to Arturia at booth W200 or NI at booth H130 see how NKS is works in Arturia hardware.
The post Arturia owners – you can now integrate Native Instruments’ NKS plugins into your Arturia hardware appeared first on MusicTech.

Novation just launched a slew of new products at Superbooth, including a limited-edition Bass Station II with artwork from an acclaimed graphic designerNovation has unveiled a series of new products in time for this year’s Superbooth, which is currently being hosted in Berlin. The new offerings include the Launch Control XL 3 MIDI control surface, two white Launchkey MK4 keyboard controllers – in 49-key and 37-minikey formats – and a limited-edition Bass Station II designed in partnership with famed British graphic designer Ian “Swifty” Swift.

READ MORE: Moog Messenger: Everything you need to know on features, pricing, and availability

Launch Control XL 3
Credit: Novation
Building on Novation’s popular series of DAW controllers, the Launch Control XL 3 offers “hands-on performance, production and mixing workflows” with Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase and more via eight faders, 24 endless encoders and 16 programmable buttons, each with dedicated transport controls.
Theres also a new built-in OLED display to keep the parameters front and centre while users are engaging with their chosen DAW in real-time.
Launchkey MK4
Credit: Novation
The Launchkey MK4 White is the same product as it was upon its widely-lauded release in 2024, except in a sleek new white and grey colour scheme for both the 49-key and 37-minikey versions. Users can expect all the same software additions, such as instruments and effects from Klevgrand, GForce, Orchestral Tools, Native Instruments, and Ableton Live Lite. Cubase LE is a recent addition as well.
Bass Station II Swifty Edition
Credit: Novation
And finally, the Bass Station II Swifty Edition is another aesthetic variation on a standard Novation product. Ian “Swifty” Swift has designed visuals for notable record labels like Mo’ Wax and Talkin’ Loud as well as The Face magazine. On top of this new look, the paraphonic analogue synth includes new patches from prominent artists like Legowelt, Pecq, and Maria Chiara Argirò.
Pricing and availability
In terms of pricing, the Launch Control XL 3 clocks in at £189.99, the 49-key and 37-minikey Launchkey MK4s in white are priced at £229.99 and £139.99, respectively, and the Bass Station II Swifty Edition comes in at £449.99. You can learn more and order over at Novation’s website.
Superbooth attendees can also get their hands on each new product at Novation’s booth (#0285).
The post Novation just launched a slew of new products at Superbooth, including a limited-edition Bass Station II with artwork from an acclaimed graphic designer appeared first on MusicTech.

Arturia announce Native Instruments NKS integration Arturia have just announced that their KeyLab Mk3, KeyLab Essentials Mk3 and MiniLab controllers will soon be able to take control of over 2000 NKS-compatible titles via NI’s Komplete Kontrol software.

Climate Change Impact on Festivals: Fan HesitationThe extreme weather and Climate Change impact on festivals an live music is real. Fan hesitation is causing some to delay buying tickets as others choose to attend few outdoor shows overall.
The post Climate Change Impact on Festivals: Fan Hesitation appeared first on Hypebot.

Two Music Industry Grants worth applying for now!Two very different grants from music non-profits - Salt Lick Incubator and Family Alliance in Music - support musicians and music professionals.
The post Two Music Industry Grants worth applying for now! appeared first on Hypebot.

Thomann just launched its Synth Days sale – and you can get up to 80% off synths, drum machines, and pluginsThomann has officially kicked off its Synth Days sale, offering up to 80 percent off a wide selection of synthesizers, grooveboxes, drum machines, and plugins.
Running from 8 May through 18 May, the sale coincides with Berlin’s Superbooth 2025 and features over 100 deals aimed at synth enthusiasts, sound designers, and producers.

READ MORE: Plugin Boutique is hosting a massive Excite Audio sale – including all 10 Bloom plugins for just £149

Here at MusicTech, we’ve sifted through the full range of deals on offer and picked out a few of the best:
25% off Polyend Play+

Kicking things off, we’ve got the Polyend Play+, now available for £518 – a solid 25 percent discount from its usual £689 price tag. The updated groovebox expands on 2022’s original Play, boasting four synth engines (two monophonic analogue emulations, one virtual analogue polysynth, and one FM algorithm with wavetable operators), plus a 64-step sequencer with 128 patterns.
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£40 off Novation Launchkey 61 MK4
Another standout deal is the Novation Launchkey 61 MK4, reduced from £295 to £255. Key features include 16 velocity-sensitive drum pads with polyphonic aftertouch, nine faders, eight encoders for controlling plugin parameters, a generative arpeggiator, an input for connecting a sustain pedal, pitchbend and modulation wheels as well as an OLED display.
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Save £250 on the SOMA Pulsar-23
For those seeking a serious analogue percussion solution, the SOMA Pulsar-23 is now down to £1,499 from its usual £1,750 – a sizeable drop for one of the most expressive and experimental drum machines on the market.
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29% off Cherry Audio Elka-X – plugin emulation of a classic Italian analogue polysynth

On the software side, Cherry Audio’s Elka-X has its price reduced to £29 from £41. This plugin emulates the rare ELKA Synthex, an ‘80s Italian analogue polysynth used by the likes of Stevie Wonder, Keith Emerson, and Jean-Michel Jarre (who used it for his signature Laser Harp sound).
In our review, in which the synth was given an Editor’s Choice award, we said: “The Elka-X’s sonic capabilities are a bag of surprises. While it clearly has an ’80s feel, it’s definitely different from the sound of Oberheim synths and Sequential’s Prophet series from the same era.”
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Another excellent deal is the Ninja Tune x Erica Synths Zen Delay VST, which has been slashed from £67 to just £33. For the uninitiated, this plugin is a faithful reproduction of the analogue Zen delay hardware by Erica Synths, with additional bells and whistles. In our review, where the plugin scored a high 9/10, we praised the Zen Delay VST for its superb sound and the way it “expands on the hardware in meaningful and useful ways that maximise its sound design credentials.”
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The Thomann Synth Days event wraps up on 18 May at 11:59 PM CET. Deals are available while stocks last.
Check out the full range of deals over at Thomann.
The post Thomann just launched its Synth Days sale – and you can get up to 80% off synths, drum machines, and plugins appeared first on MusicTech.

Get Sampleson’s Predictor for $29 for a limited time
Sampleson recently announced the release of Predictor, a creative plugin and standalone app that learns from MIDI files to produce unique harmonic and melodic content. Predictor isn’t the developer’s first foray into machine learning; Sampleson released the AI-powered rePEDAL earlier this year. Sampleson launched Predictor with a special introductory price of $29, but it will [...]
View post: Get Sampleson’s Predictor for $29 for a limited time