Behringer “revives a legend” with the MS-5 – a “faithful reproduction” of the classic Roland SH-5Behringer has released its first product in a while – at least by Behringer’s standards – the MS-5, an unofficial nod to Roland’s classic SH-5 monophonic analogue synth.
Touted as a “faithful reproduction of the original SH-5 circuit”, the MS-5 represents one of the older synth designs in Behringer’s current lineup, as the original SH-5 was launched in 1975.

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It boasts the same functionality as the original SH-5, with 37 full-size semi-weighted keys, two VCOs with four waveshapes and hard and soft sync modes, a multi-mode VCF with HPF, BPF and LPF settings, and an additional bandpass filter, too.
There’s also a ring modulator – which was largely responsible for giving the original SH-5 its signature sound – two fully analogue LFOs, ADSR and AR envelopes with VCAs, a sample and hold circuit with lag control, portamento and bender controllers beside the keyboard, and a flexible routing path and signal mixer.
Credit: Behringer
The functionality doesn’t stop there though; the MS-5 also sports a host of I/O options on the back including MIDI, CV, external audio input, a servo-balanced stereo output and expression controller inputs.
Additionally – in a feature for the “geeks”, as Behringer explains – there are several access points for PCB trimmer controls.
Of course, sometimes you want to play seated, and sometimes standing, so the MS-5 also features a foldable format – like Behringer’s Poly D and MonoPoly synths – with three angled positions as well as a flat mode.
Behringer promises “tremendous bass tones” and a “purely analogue signal path” perfect for “pushing out fiery riffs for that next sci-fi masterpiece”.
Price-wise, it doesn’t break the bank either, clocking in at $599.
For more information, head to Behringer.

In other Behringer news, the company has dropped a selection of other products this year so far, including the Spring Reverberation 636 Eurorack module, and teased the likes of a replica of the classic Roland Jupiter-8.
The post Behringer “revives a legend” with the MS-5 – a “faithful reproduction” of the classic Roland SH-5 appeared first on MusicTech.

Oneohtrix Point Never calls himself an “amateur musician” but a “professional recordist”In a new interview, Daniel Lopatin – better known as Oneohtrix Point Never – reveals why he considers himself a “professional recordist” but an “amateur musician”.

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Speaking with Luke Thomas of The Creative Independent, the Brooklyn-based artist says: “I remember sometime early on when I was really looking around, and saying, ‘Well, what are some of my contemporaries, or some of the people I respect, saying about these types of things?’ I remember reading an interview with Thurston Moore [of Sonic Youth]. He said, ‘I’m not a musician. I prefer not to be called that.’”
According to Oneohtrix Point Never, “A musician is someone who – and this is me talking, not Thurston – if we were having a cocktail party, and there was a piano in the room, you’d say, ‘Oh, Dan, why don’t you play us in Scott Joplin, or something?’ I’d say, ‘Sure, no problem.’ I’d put my drink down, and we’d have a great time, and I’d play whatever. I could do that… if I was a musician, and I’m not.”
“Nobody at a party wants to hear me sit down and start improvising, and doing some weird minimalist paradiddles that become some forlorn melody,” he adds. “In that sense, I’m just feeling my way through the instrument in an intuitive way – and an embarrassing way, frankly.”
“Much of what I do is as a person interested in ideas, interested in the technology of music, and interested in the possibility to express something without traditional means, which I don’t have.”
As a kid, Oneohtrix Point Never used to be a “bad piano student”, though he was admittedly “exposed to a lot of music tradition with everyone in my family playing on the upright piano.”
“I am a person who really, really appreciates ideas around music and the story of music, but I don’t consider myself to be necessarily part of a tradition, unless we’re talking about maybe the tradition of computer music, and that’s where I find myself – in that lineage, that story of 20th century modern electroacoustic music. That’s the tradition I think I could be part of,” he says.
The post Oneohtrix Point Never calls himself an “amateur musician” but a “professional recordist” appeared first on MusicTech.

Sonible launch pure:unmask Sonible’s latest plug-in uses spectral processing to tackle frequency masking and help provide some separation between competing sources in a mix.

Silver Is A FREE Kontakt Player Library By Audiobro
Audiobro has released a new free Kontakt Player library called Silver. The project is an ambitious, growing collection of carefully curated sounds to inspire creative music makers. Silver started as a single deeply sampled tongue drum library. It evolved into a diverse instrument with enough variety of sounds to create entire tunes with this virtual [...]
View post: Silver Is A FREE Kontakt Player Library By Audiobro

Billie Eilish, Jon Bon Jovi, and Ryan Tedder among artists to sign open letter protesting “predatory use of AI” in musicBillie Eilish, Jon Bon Jovi, Ryan Tedder, and Robert Smith are among a list of artists who have signed an open letter protesting the “predatory use of AI” in music.
Issued by non-profit organisation Artist Rights Alliance, the letter – titled ‘Stop Devaluing Music’ – warns that artificial intelligence has the potential to “steal professional artists’ voices and likeness, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem” if left unchecked.
It also calls for developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to “cease the use of AI to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists”.

READ MORE: “When everyone has the same tools that can make professional quality stuff, then you get to see the actual talent really rise to the top”: Grimes discusses the potential of AI in music

The letter states: “Make no mistake: we believe that, when used responsibly, AI has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere.”
“Unfortunately, some platforms and developers are employing AI to sabotage creativity and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians and rights holders. When used irresponsibly, AI poses enormous threats to our ability to protect our privacy, our identities, our music and our livelihoods.”
“Some of the biggest and most powerful companies are, without permission, using our work to train AI models,” the letter continues. “These efforts are directly aimed at replacing the work of human artists with massive quantities of AI-created “sounds” and “images” that substantially dilute the royalty pools that are paid out to artists. For many working musicians, artists and songwriters who are just trying to make ends meet, this would be catastrophic.”
“Unchecked, AI will set in motion a race to the bottom that will degrade the value of our work and prevent us from being fairly compensated for it. This assault on human creativity must be stopped. We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices and likeness, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.”
It concludes, “We call on all AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to pledge that they will not develop or deploy AI music-generation technology, content or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.”
Over 200 artists have signed the letter, including Elvis Costello, the estate of Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson, and Pearl Jam among others.
The post Billie Eilish, Jon Bon Jovi, and Ryan Tedder among artists to sign open letter protesting “predatory use of AI” in music appeared first on MusicTech.

PreSonus Studio One 6.6 arrives The latest Studio One update expands on the DAW's immersive capabilities as well as adding a new virtual instrument, implementing TuneCore integration, and offering an alternative licensing option.

Best free sample packs for Detroit techno and houseAd feature with BandLab Sounds
Detroit techno was pioneered by artists such as Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson in the 1980s, frequently referred to as The Belleville Three. As shown to us by the likes of these artists, as well as the likes of Jeff Mills and Robert Hood, this sound boasts a driving, deep and minimalist feel.

READ MORE: Kevin Saunderson is the past, present and future of techno

The sub-genre, coupled with a similar driving house sound, veers from the ferocious kick drums and crushing percussion you may hear in industrial techno. It’s deeper, warmer and more soulful, often featuring revolving soul samples paired with futuristic synth stabs.
While producers may use costly drum machines and synths from Roland and Korg to create this sound, free samples make the process quicker and easier. That’s why we’ve partnered with BandLab to gather a selection of the best sample packs from the BandLab Sounds platform that suit all facets of this hypnotic techno vibe. They’re all completely free, instantly downloadable, and royalty-free.
Detroit Techno
Detroit Techno
Where else to start than with this aptly named sample pack, Detroit Techno? Created by BandLab Sounds, this collection features 24 loops of kick drum patterns, machine-made percussion, dreamy synth pads, bassline riffs, and hard-hitting snares.
If you’re looking for a subtle percussive loop to enhance your track, or you’re missing a bassline oozing with main character energy, these loops will have you covered.
Download Detroit Techno here.
Detroit Electro
Detroit Electro
When producing Detroit techno, it’s important to explore all the aspects of Detroit-originated electronic genres that inspire this subgenre. One of those is Detroit electro, headed by the likes of DJ Stingray, Underground Resistance and DopplerEffekt. It has syncopated rhythms, and flurries of 808 hi-hats, as opposed to the more minimal 4×4 nature of techno.
This sample pack by BandLab Sounds gives you all you need to create this raw sound. There are 102 loops of snappy snares, bouncing grooves and catchy synth melodies evoking the classic feel of Detroit electro.
Download Detroit Electro here.
Deep Melodic Techno Vol.1
Deep Melodic Techno Vol. 1
Detroit techno has a deep and subtle groove. To help you create these grooves, BandLab Sounds has put together Deep Melodic Techno Vol.1, which provides all the drums you’d need to accompany the melodic elements found in melodic techno, a subgenre that takes a keen focus on emotions.
Included in this pack are 79 loops of mechanical drums in the form of beats, hi-hats, percussion, kicks, claps, cymbals, and fills.
Download Deep Melodic Techno Vol.1 here.
Patch & Play Lab: Modular Techno
Patch & Play Lab: Modular Techno
Patch & Play Lab’s Modular Techno sample pack features bizarre modular sounds with a distortion-laden twist, ideal for creating avant-garde techno tracks. The pack lets you jump straight into otherworldly drones, sinister sci-fi percussion, and pulsating drum loops.
Included in this collection are 100 loops, and 10 one-shots, covering bass, pad, drum, effects, lead, and kick elements, all recorded using quirky recording techniques Patch & Play Lab.
Download Patch & Play Lab’s Modular Techno here.
Mind Flux: Warehouse Techno
Mind Flux: Warehouse Techno
Because of their booming industrial-sounding drums and dark atmospheres, techno tracks can thrive in warehouse rave environments. This free sample pack puts you right in that warehouse state of mind, offering sounds punchy enough to slice through the foggy air at a huge party.
Created by Mind Flux, a Scottish-based sound design and production studio dedicated to creating house and techno-ready sounds, this pack offers 59 loops of synths, effects and more.
Download Mind Flux: Warehouse Techno here.
Sample This: Dub Techno
Sample This: Dub Techno
Sample This has put together a brilliant pack of sounds suitable for dub techno. Dub techno has deep, reverberating basslines, spacious and immersive textures, and rhythmic patterns that reflect the key components of dub music, such as delay, reverb, and echo effects. What this merge results in is a dazed, mellow and dreamy techno sound.
This free sample pack contains 88 loops and 12 one-shots of drums, synths, effects and atmospheres that work well for creating a dubbed-out techno track inspired by the likes of dub techno pioneers Channel One or more modern names such as Al Wootton.
Download Sample This: Dub Techno here.
Granular Techno
Granular Techno
A surefire way to achieve a dark Detroit techno atmosphere is by adding textures made out of unusual sources. One interesting technique for creating this texture is through granular synthesis, which is a method that involves breaking down audio samples into tiny grains and manipulating them individually.
This sample pack, Granular Techno, focuses on granular sounds that could easily serve a futuristic techno project. You’ve got 77 loops and 22 one-shots on offer here, featuring synths sounds, kick drums, effects, granulated samples, hi-hats and pads.
Download Granular Techno here.
Mind Flux: Techno Drum Hits Vol. 1 & 2
Mind Flux: Techno Drum Hits Vol. 1
Mind Flux is back at it again with more exclusive sample packs made for BandLab Sounds. Techno Drum Hits Vol. 1 & 2 are pretty much everything you need to create the basis for a club-destroying techno track.
These sample packs are all about the drums, so you’ll find in them 123 one shots in all, consisting of metallic kicks, snares, percs, hi-hats, effects, cymbals and claps. Some are light and bright sounds, but others are weighty and industrial.
Download Mind Flux: Techno Drum Hits Vol. 1 here.
Download Mind Flux: Techno Drum Hits Vol. 2 here.
Mind Flux: Minimal Techno Loops
Repetition plays a key part in techno, serving as a central element of its rhythmic structure and driving energy. In minimal techno especially, where all typical aspects of the genre are stripped down to their bare bones, finding the right loop is key.
This free sample pack, another by Scottish techno-orientated sample pack creators Mind Flux, features 84 loopy grooves created using analogue and digital equipment, processed in “outlandish” ways.
Download Minimal Techno Loops here.
Read more buyer’s guides on MusicTech.
[Editor’s note: MusicTech and BandLab are both part of the Caldecott Music Group.]
The post Best free sample packs for Detroit techno and house appeared first on MusicTech.

Zoom’s H6essential puts clip-free recording in the palm of your hand£285, zoomcorp.com
In the world of portable recorders, few names loom as large as Zoom. In its forty year history, the company has released a string of innovative products for on-location sound recording – all at extremely competitive prices. At NAMM this year, Zoom announced a big upgrade to its hugely popular H-series of handy recorders, and so, naturally, we had to take the flagship model out for a spin.

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Zoom’s H6 was a multipurpose powerhouse, boasting an interchangeable capsule mic system, four onboard XLR/TRS inputs, and the capacity to be used as a six-in/two-out audio interface. The new H6essential builds on this foundation with a number of improvements, the most important of which is its recording format – 32-bit float.
H6essential (side)
If you’re not familiar with this fairly recent development in recording formats, the selling point is simple. There’s no need to set gain levels and don’t worry about clipping — just hit record and walk away.
The H6essential achieves this marvel by using a pair of analogue-to-digital converters; one dedicated for low-volume sounds and the other for high volumes, with the recording stitched together as a 32-bit float audio file. The practical result is a portable recorder that can represent a staggering 1,528 dB of dynamic range, compared to 24-bit audio’s measly 144 dB.
With that kind of headroom, digital clipping becomes functionally impossible. Of course, you can still overload the microphone itself but, given that the H6essential’s built-in X-Y capsule handles levels up to 135 dB, this shouldn’t be a concern unless you’re out to record a jet engine.
H6essential (side)
A ‘clip free’ workflow has serious benefits for all kinds of recording projects, but especially for those in unpredictable conditions. Let’s say you want to record yourself playing an acoustic gig at a local market – a gust of wind, a baby crying, a passing siren, any of these unexpected noises might clip a 24-bit recording. With the H6essential, those sounds will certainly still be audible, but they won’t introduce the kind of nasty digital distortion that can render audio all but unusable.
Furthermore, that gigantic dynamic range means you can record both very loud and very quiet sounds with the same gain setting, secure in the knowledge that they can be adjusted later.
We’re able to capture the hushed ambience of a library, a passing train, and a beer can being stomped on, all with no need to worry about input levels. After loading the files into a DAW, it’s a simple matter to balance the audio – the crushed can, which peaks at +13.4 dB, has a perfectly intact waveform once the volume is decreased. Boosting up the library ambience, which peaks at around -30 dB, introduces no audible increase in the noise floor.

Working without the need to set input levels is truly liberating. However, you actually can’t set those levels even if you want to: Zoom has leaned into the benefits of 32-bit float so completely that they’ve designed the H6essential with no direct gain controls whatsoever. There is also no option to change the bit-depth when using the device as a portable recorder, so if you wanted to drop down to 24-bit for some reason, then too bad.
On one level, this makes sense; 32-bit float means that you have an all-encompassing safety net and can always fix things in post-production. However, there are scenarios where it’s preferable to get your audio levels right at source without the need to load up a DAW later on. This is technically possible on the H6essential, but it means venturing into the Mixer view, something that is hard to recommend.
In the Mixer view, audio meters are rendered in grey, not the green, yellow, red traffic light system we all know and love. There are no decibel numbers on any of the tracks, but just a single ‘0’ on the master output. The greyscale makes it hard to see what’s going on in full sunlight and tracks must be adjusted one at a time via button presses and a dial located on the side of the unit. If you can manage to navigate all this, it is possible to set your recordings to ‘Post Mixer’ and get some control over the individual audio levels but, in truth, it would be far less painful to just do it in a DAW.
When it comes to sound quality, the H6essential comes with a bright and highly directional X-Y microphone capsule which is surprisingly good for spot recording. A busking harmonica player was kind enough to give us a short performance and the mic did a great job of focusing in on the instrument while minimising the sound of some children playing nearby.

As with its predecessor, that X-Y capsule can be swapped out for a shotgun mic or an extra two XLR inputs – both available as additional purchases. Unfortunately, if you already invested in extra microphones for your old H6, these won’t fit the new model’s redesigned capsule clip.
Speaking of that new clip design, it’s hard to see what improvement it offers. While the old capsules unclipped and lifted off the top of the recorder, the new design requires you to hold the catch down and slide the microphone forward and out. The first time you do this, it feels a bit awkward, but by the tenth time… it still feels a bit awkward.
There are undeniable trade-offs with the H6essential. Musician-friendly features found on the H6, such as built in compression, limiting, and a metronome are now gone, but, at the same time, there are a number of new, well thought-out features that make up for this. There’s a new Waveform screen which gives a nice, bright visualisation of the incoming audio, and of which tracks are currently recording, there’s now support for support for microSDXC cards up to 1TB, and the additional purchase of Zoom’s BTA-1 Bluetooth adapter means you can control the unit via an iOS device.
H6essential Waveform screen
Also, there’s now a speaker situated in the centre of the unit’s front panel, and this can dispense accessibility instructions in seven different languages. Once the feature is turned on, a voice-over will read through menu options, tell you the battery level, and provide confirmation beeps when tracks are armed. This feature may not be a drawcard for everyone, but for those who need it, it’s fantastic.
Few devices try to wear as many hats as Zoom’s H-series. These recorders are used by musicians, podcasters, field recordists, and filmmakers – what’s incredible is that the company manages to offer genuine value to all of them.
There are shortcomings to be sure, but the H6essential packs a feature set that you won’t find anywhere else at this price-point. It remains the consummate all-rounder for portable recording.
H6essential battery holder
Key features

32-bit float recording
4 XLR/TRS inputs (expandable to 6)
Supports microSDXC cards up to 1TB
iOS App and timecode sync available with additional Bluetooth adapter

The post Zoom’s H6essential puts clip-free recording in the palm of your hand appeared first on MusicTech.

All His Music Got Removed From Spotify for “Fraudulent Streaming Activity” Which He Didn’t DoThis week, Ari is joined by Benn Jordan, musician, youtuber and entrepreneur, to discuss fraudulent streaming activity, the financial challenges of being an independent musician, the future of sustaining a music career, the ethics of AI in music, and the role of artists in shaping the future of music and AI.

Classical Highlights for March 2024This month we reviewed classical recordings celebrating the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, including a banjo version by Béla Fleck and an inventive medley by Michael Feinstein and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (pictured) that mixes Gershwin's songs with the Rhapsody.

@Potus just joined the fediverse via Instagram ThreadsThe fediverse — the name for the social network made of interconnected servers, like Mastodon and others — just got another boost of legitimacy Tuesday as the @Potus (President of the United States) account on Instagram Threads shared its first federated post. The account operated by Biden’s team published a message regarding the president’s support […]
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How to make lo-fi music: Tools, theory, and techniques
Learn how to make lo-fi music via our in-depth guide that explores the style's key characteristics, music theory, and production techniques.

Suno is a music AI company aiming to generate $120 billion per year. But is it trained on copyrighted recordings?Ed Newton-Rex discovers that Suno produces music with a striking resemblance to classic copyrights
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A Nifty F1C100S Dual-Board ComputerThe F1C100S (and the F1C200S) is a super simple CPU to use – it’s QFN, it has RAM built-in, and it can run Linux. It just makes sense that we bring it up to you once again, this time, on this dual-board computer by [minilogic]. The boards look super accessible to build for a Linux computer, and it’s alright if you assemble only one of them, too – the second board just makes this computer all that much nicer to use!
One the main board, you get the CPU itself, a couple USB ports, headphone and mic jacks, a microphone, a microSD socket, power management, SPI flash chip, plus some buttons, headers and USB-UART for debug. Add the second board, however, and you get a HDMI video output socket, a RGBTTL LCD header, LiIon battery support, RTC, and even FM radio with TV input.
One problem with this computer – it’s not open-source in the way that we expect and respect, as there’s no board files to be seen. However, at least the schematics are public, so it shouldn’t be hard, and the author provides quite a bit of example code for the F1C100S, which softens the blow. Until the design files are properly published, we can at least learn from the idea and the schematics. If you like what the F1C100S CPU offers, there are other projects you can take things from too, like this low-cost handheld we’re patiently waiting for, or this Linux-powered business card.

Changes to Spotify’s royalty model, including the 1,000 annual streams royalty policy, are officially live as of April 1Changes to the way Spotify calculates recorded royalties go live on the platform as of Monday, April 1
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