Howard Jones revisits this “king of synths” he’s owned since 1983: “2026 and it’s like a beast still”It’s almost impossible to talk about Howard Jones without talking about synths. And in a new video, the British synth-pop pioneer revisits one he’s had by his side for over four decades: his beloved Roland Jupiter-8, which he’s owned since 1983.
“I love this synth so much,” Jones says. “The way it spits out those notes is incredible. The attack – I just miss that on modern keyboards.”

READ MORE: Cherry Audio’s new SH-MAX instrument plugin fuses together three vintage Roland synth emulations 

Described by Jones himself as the “king of synths”, the Jupiter-8 has long been considered one of the defining instruments of the ’80s – and for him, that reputation is fully earned.
“This is the amazing Jupiter 8. King of synths. Always will be my favorite,” he says.
Getting hold of one back in the day, however, was no small feat: “I think it cost something like 8,000 quid in those days, which was nuts. I didn’t have that kind of money at all, but I had to have one of these.”
Part of the magic, he explains, lies under the hood. “It’s got about 18 miles of cabling inside it. This is a proper analogue synth,” he says, before urging viewers to listen closely: “Listen to how those filters attack.”
“I wish you could have your head in between the speakers because Jupiter’s got a sound like no other,” Jones continues. “It’s sort of incredibly stereo. I don’t even know how they do it, but the software can’t get there quite yet.”
There’s also something about the physicality of it. Unlike some menu-heavy modern workstations, the Jupiter-8 is a smorgasbord of tactile controls begging to be tweaked.
“It’s a very hands-on synth, you know, like performance synth – because everything is kind of within your grasp to change the sound and manipulate it as you go along.”
And perhaps most impressively, after more than 40 years of service, it’s still firing on all cylinders.
“See how it’s difficult not to get very excited about Jupiter-8. It’s just working so well after all this time around. When did I get this? In 1983. And like what is it now? 2026 and it’s like a beast still. The beast,” says the musician.

The post Howard Jones revisits this “king of synths” he’s owned since 1983: “2026 and it’s like a beast still” appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer’s BM-17 Frequency Box channels the iconic Moogerfooger MF-107 – for just £99Behringer has launched the BM-17 Frequency Box, an analogue VCO-based frequency effects pedal inspired by the iconic Moogerfooger MF-107 FreqBox by Moog.
For players looking beyond the standard distortion pedal, this powerhouse unit offers a standalone VCO you can drive with audio input or let loose on its own.
“With intuitive controls and versatile connectivity, it’s perfect for both synth setups and adventurous guitar rigs,” says the company.

READ MORE: Behringer launches the BMX, its take on the classic Oberheim DMX drum machine

At the core of the pedal is a voltage-controlled oscillator that can be tuned in multiple ways: manually using the Frequency control, via an envelope follower that tracks the amplitude of your playing, or by flipping the Sync switch and using your instrument’s signal to dictate the pitch. These techniques can be combined, giving you crazy sputtering textures that react to every nuance of your performance.
As you might expect, the BM-17 leans heavily into experimentation. Behringer describes it as an invitation to “forget what you think you know about what a pedal should be,” and that ethos is reflected in the sounds on offer. Depending on how it’s set, the pedal can deliver thick fuzz-style distortion, snarling harmonic layers, or full-blown modular-style synth tones.
Around the back, the BM-17 offers extensive I/O for CV and expression pedal control, along with dedicated outputs for the envelope follower and oscillator. This means it can integrate with modular systems or other CV-capable gear, effectively transforming from a pedal into a compact analogue sound module. The unit is also housed in a compact, rugged enclosure designed to withstand life on the road.
“Essentially, this is the voice of a synthesizer captured and crammed into a box like an unwilling genie but instead of granting you wishes it will grant you insane sounds that will make your neighbours think you’re being abducted by aliens,” says Behringer. “Whether you’re a modular wizard, synth freq, or a guitarist craving chaos, the BM-17 opens up new worlds of sonic possibility.”
Priced at £99, the Behringer BM-17 Frequency Box is now available to pre-order. Check out the pedal in action below.

Learn more at Behringer.
The post Behringer’s BM-17 Frequency Box channels the iconic Moogerfooger MF-107 – for just £99 appeared first on MusicTech.

How we remixed Steve Aoki: Tips from Laidback Luke, Dani Thorne and NostalgixSteve Aoki is one of the most recognisable EDM stars of all time. After running Dim Mak since 1996, throwing cakes during DJ sets all around the world, and guesting in documentaries, he’s naturally crossed paths with hundreds of artists. He tapped 26 of them for remixes on HiROQUEST 3: Paragon Remixed.

READ MORE: ‘I opened my mastering studio 14 months ago — here’s what I’ve learned’: Kevin Tuffy

This release was the follow-up to his biggest project yet: HiROQUEST 3: Paragon, a 38-track album. Through the remix album, exciting newcomers such as Dani Thorne are named alongside modern stalwarts such as Nostalgix and seasoned veterans such as Laidback Luke. Not to mention that Aoki remixed 11 of the tracks himself or with a collaborator.
In the wake of this immense body of work, MusicTech speaks to those three remixers about their technical process and their individual tracks:

Play The Track (Dani Thorne Remix)
What do you think makes a good remix?
Dani Thorne: It depends on the original track and inspiration. Sometimes it’s playing off a melodic or bass line that is immediately noticeable or loved by fans, but with [my remix], I felt the theme was open to other possibilities. Lyric lines like “Play the track” and “Now time for the drop” could go the original way in a lighter, bouncier tone or drive you into an unworldly hard drop. I chose the latter.
What are some key plugins, synths, or other pieces of gear you used to make your remix?
DT: I’m a Serum girly, and have been since my dubstep days. Serum 2 is incredible and feels like the possibilities are endless. This year, for my birthday, I want to get myself an acid machine. I’m looking into the Behringer TD-3-MO-AM.
Tracks in your discography like That’s My Name have a spacey quality to them, similar to the original version of Play The Track. Why did you opt to make your remix full-throttle hard techno?
DT: My original version of this remix was actually more like That’s My Name. Steve asked me to make him a 140bpm melodic techno track, and I wanted to make something that he would be happy to play. Tech house and melodic techno have a clear bridge that makes them very similar, but in the end, I didn’t want to deliver the same track just a little faster.
Not to mention, it was a major key, and I prefer to write in minor because of the tone it sets. It’s like heaven or hell, light side or dark side, and you’re talking to 2026 Dani. The sonic journey I’m on is hard and punishing. While I did love my first version, it wasn’t something that would fit into my sets.
Dani Thorne. Image: Press
Hard techno is a thriving genre at the moment. What are some general tips you have for producing those towering kicks and high-pitched synth stabs that define the sound?
DT: I’m not going to act like I’m some kick master; I’m constantly experimenting and growing through trial and error. One note I used to get a lot of on my demos from peers was: “The writing is great, but the kicks aren’t hitting hard enough”. So with every track, I’m trying something new. The kicks on this remix were layered to the heavens.
From a production planning standpoint, I almost always start with the drums. If I can get a solid feeling and energy from just drums, I know we’re in a great place. They are also the backbone of differentiating sub-genres. Then that usually inspires my writing.

Flashing Lights (Nostalgix Remix)
What do you think makes a good remix?
Nostalgix: A good remix is all about balance. You want people to recognise the core of the record, but also feel like they’re hearing it in a whole new way. A remix should keep the essence of the original record, while amplifying the energy. I love taking my favourite parts from the original and adding my sound to it to give it a whole new light.
What are some key plugins, synths, or other pieces of gear you used to make your remix?
N: I mainly used Serum for sound design on the drops. It’s my go-to synth because it gives me a lot of flexibility when building aggressive but controlled bass sounds. I used Omnisphere and Serum in the breakdowns to pair with the original melody. Omnisphere is another one of my favourite plugins, especially when it comes to creating atmosphere in a record. Some other plugins I used are FabFilter Pro-Q 3 for mixing and Valhalla VintageVerb for reverb.
Steve Aoki’s original track uses pretty and glowing melodic lines. In your remix, you directly borrow those for the interludes, but you recreated the drops. Did you sample the melodic lines from the original and morph them into your drops?
N: The original melody of Flashing Lights is what initially drew me to the record. When I started playing around with ideas, I knew I wanted to keep the core melody.
I began by taking the melody from the original stems and experimenting with ideas for the drop. I used Serum for a lot of the drop synths. I’m big on layering, so I layered multiple synths to make the drop feel full. Once I had the core ideas down and the drop was feeling good, I started adding elements into the breakdown to elevate the record as a whole.
How did you feel when Steve approached you for a remix?
N: I was stoked for the remix! Steve Aoki is such an inspiration to me, and I have so much respect for him and what he does in the electronic music space. I’ve played some incredible shows with him in the past year, so it was definitely an honour to remix Flashing Lights. There’s a certain level of responsibility in remixing someone else’s work, so it was very fun diving into the project and exploring different ideas.

3 Days (Steve Aoki & Laidback Luke Remix)
What do you think makes a good remix?
Laidback Luke: I used to have one simple theory for that: whatever works for my sets. I would often take the pieces that I thought were the best out of the original version to make it work properly. You don’t necessarily need to take everything from the original to be able make a proper remix.
You shared remix duties with Steve on this. How was the labour divided?
LL: Steve came in with a clear vision: make it a proper house version, catered to the modern sound of 2026. He gave me a few references for that, and was very pleased with the first sketch version I handed in. We went back and forth with the stems to be able to finish it the way he envisioned it.
He knows what works for his sets, and so do I, so we trust each other. It saves me a whole lot of time going in with a clear direction for the remix. The concept, you can tinker with outside of the studio. Then, when it’s time to properly hash it out, it’s easy to get it done quickly.
What are some key plugins, synths, or other pieces of gear you used to make your remix?
LL: Interestingly, the bassline is simply from Nexus 4. But I love using standard Ableton plugins like Roar and Auto Filter to manipulate it so it sits right in the pocket and gives it a bit of distortion as well.
To lock in the kick and bassline properly, I love using Trackspacer. The key is to give the plugin a very short release so it almost sounds invisible but has maximum effect. I also performed mastering duties on the track, and I still love to involve my own Laidback Luke Limiter plugin for that.
Laidback Luke. Image: Julia SH
The original track blends Latin and trap styles; your remix is pure 4/4 house. What goes into converting non-house music while maintaining key elements, like the vocal?
LL: It comes down to recognising the specific genre you’re looking for. For instance, the original is 117 BPM. Current house music hovers around 130 BPM and above, so it’s essential to get all the stems to that BPM. For house music, you need to have a proper kick drum. Choices of which clap and hi-hats to use are important too.
For this remix, we combined three claps into one to give it a special feel. The upbeat bassline seals the deal, and over that bed, you can layer elements of the original to tie it all together.
You and Steve have collaborated numerous times throughout your shared decades in the scene. What do you enjoy about putting a spin on his tracks?
LL: I’ll always get full creative freedom whenever I do a remix for him. He trusts me like that. And often people know that if I remix something, the result will have maximum effect. That gives me the best mindset going in and will always benefit the remix.
The post How we remixed Steve Aoki: Tips from Laidback Luke, Dani Thorne and Nostalgix appeared first on MusicTech.

Wes Audio to launch the ngSumBox Despite only having a handful of front-panel controls, Wes Audio's new summing mixer has plenty more going on behind the scenes, and comes paired with a companion plug-in that promises to provide those working in the box with a console-like mixing experience. 

Get over 80% off reverbs from SSL and Eventide at Plugin Boutique
For a limited time, Plugin Boutique is offering massive discounts (80%) on two premium reverb plugins: FlexVerb and ShimmerVerb. These offers end on February 28, 2026. I picked up SSL Native FlexVerb a few years ago, during another promotion, and I’m glad that I did. It’s one of a select few SSL plugins I’ve purchased [...]
View post: Get over 80% off reverbs from SSL and Eventide at Plugin Boutique

When we started creating PublMe I was thinking quite a lot about Spotify's success and the main message from Daniel too. The #MusicIndustry economy and #Technology already changed and for #artists now the key is sustainability, otherwise, it is just a hobby. #AI is cool and some people use the tool for profit, but what's next and what an asset is?

Coinbase misses Q4 earnings with $667M loss as crypto markets fellCoinbase’s fourth-quarter earnings missed Wall Street expectations, with the crypto exchange reporting its first net loss since the third quarter of 2023.

ASCAP Launches New Telehealth Benefit For MembersNews broke this week that The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) has announced that it has launched "a new virtual care offering as part of its ASCAP Wellness Program, which includes a broad range of health and well-being benefits provided exclusively to its members. Through a collaboration with MD Live by Evernorth, a leading provider of virtual health care services in the U.S., ASCAP members and their eligible dependents can engage in virtual visits with board-certified MD Live clinicians for mental health, dermatology, or 24/7 urgent care—all at discounted pricing."

“We know that health and wellness are foundational to creative work and longevity in our industry, but many music creators struggle to access and afford health insurance,” said ASCAP Chief Strategy and Digital Officer Nick Lehman (pictured). “That is why it’s important for us to launch this service for our members, providing easy access to high-quality care at very reasonable costs – regardless if they have insurance or not.  As the only truly creator-first PRO in the US, our commitment to our members is to support them with the resources they need to be at their creative best.”

"We understand that the work and life of a music creator is uniquely challenging right now. Creators face stress from many angles, demanding schedules, rejection, isolation and uncertainty in their creative and business lives," Lehman told MC. "That is why it’s important for us to launch this service for our members, providing easy access to high-quality care at very reasonable costs."

According to a company statement, "MD Live has a national network of board-certified doctors, pediatricians, dermatologists, psychiatrists and therapists who provide personalized care for medical and mental health needs. ASCAP members can sign up for access to MD Live virtual care services through the ASCAP Member Access portal."

“Virtual care is a huge benefit for people with busy lives who want to stay on top of their health,” said Vontrelle Roundtree, MD, MPT, Associate Chief Medical Officer, MD Live. “By connecting with doctors via phone or video calls, we can empower ASCAP members to take control of their health without sacrificing convenience.”

ASCAP announced the new virtual care benefit at its February 12 annual Membership Meeting held at Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.The post ASCAP Launches New Telehealth Benefit For Members first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Musk needed a new vision for SpaceX and xAI. He landed on Moonbase Alpha."I really want to see a mass driver on the moon that is shooting AI satellites into deep space."

The Empire Strikes Back: The majors and Merlin gained (a bit) of market share on Spotify last year.Spotify's new annual report updates a crucial yearly stat – with a surprise new number
Source

The future of scoring: How NYU students are bridging MIDI and modern production
Splice had the privilege of leading a workshop for 17 young film composers at NYU Steinhardt, diving into the need for technical fluency in music production.

Storing Image Data As Analog AudioHam radio operators may be familiar with slow-scan television (SSTV) where an image is sent out over the airwaves to be received, decoded, and displayed on a computer monitor by other radio operators. It’s a niche mode that isn’t as popular as modern digital modes like FT8, but it still has its proponents. SSTV isn’t only confined to the radio, though. [BLANCHARD Jordan] used this encoding method to store digital images on a cassette tape in a custom-built tape deck for future playback and viewing.
The self-contained device first uses an ESP32 and its associated camera module to take a picture, with a screen that shows the current view of the camera as the picture is being taken. In this way it’s fairly similar to any semi-modern digital camera. From there, though, it starts to diverge from a typical digital camera. The digital image is converted first to analog and then stored as audio on a standard cassette tape, which is included in the module in lieu of something like an SD card.
To view the saved images, the tape is played back and the audio signal captured by an RP2040. It employs a number of methods to ensure that the reconstructed image is faithful to the original, but the final image displays the classic SSTV look that these images tend to have as a result of the analog media. As a bonus feature, the camera can use a serial connection to another computer to offload this final processing step.
We’ve been seeing a number of digital-to-analog projects lately, and whether that’s as a result of nostalgia for the 80s and 90s, as pushback against an increasingly invasive digital world, or simply an ongoing trend in the maker space, we’re here for it. Some of our favorites are this tape deck that streams from a Bluetooth source, applying that classic cassette sound, and this musical instrument which uses a cassette tape to generate all of its sounds.

I Tested 4 Free DAWs for 2026 — Waveform Free Wins
It’s 2026, and free DAWs are better than ever. So I spent last week testing four of them to see which one I’d actually use for real projects. One clearly stood out. Waveform Free is my top pick for anyone who wants a real, full-featured DAW without spending money. Here’s why it beat the competition. [...]
View post: I Tested 4 Free DAWs for 2026 — Waveform Free Wins

GPU Audio update their SDK GPU Audio have announced that their SDK (Software Development Kit) has now been updated to support the latest graphics cards from NVIDIA and AMD, along with another significant development.

“Rock and roll stocks and shares”: Dune is a new app where fans can invest and trade shares in artists – could it be the future of music monetisation?From traditional shares to the digital cryptocurrency landscape, stocks come in many shapes and forms. But what if you could invest in an artist? Well, Dune is an app which allows fans to do just that.
Conjured up by music entrepreneurs Paul Bowe and Paul Knowles, has essentially set up an artistic stock market. The app transforms fans into “stakeholders”, allowing them to browse through artist metrics, buy “stakes” and trade them with other fans.

READ MORE: Suno says “accessibility” is the reason for its success — but I think accessibility is the problem with AI music

Through these stakes and shares, Dune allows artists to earn more from their streaming figures. While streaming platforms like Spotify have been criticised for its low per-stream payouts and changes to its royalty model, the app allows artists to earn extra royalties from the stakes fans buy and trade.
In terms of the stake prices, Dune’s marketplace stocks fluctuate in value depending on a musician’s streaming metrics. This means that fans have to keep an eagle eye on whether they should trade during an artist’s low listening period, or to cash in when they’ve had a particularly impressive chart-topper.
The system is also apparently AI-proof, so you won’t be able to rely on a bot to keep your stocks in check.
While the system will help put some extra pennies in artists’ pockets, Dune is mutually beneficial for both the artist and the fan. It allows its ‘stakeholders’ access to multiple benefits, such as exclusive events, discounted ticket sales, backstage passes and merch giveaways.

“Dune acknowledges the fact that income from streaming simply isn’t enough to sustain most artists and that 99.9% of them face a funding gap,” Knowles explains in a statement. “Data shows that only 0.1% of artists generate enough revenue from streaming to cover modest monthly outgoings.”
The pair of entrepreneurs have also sat down with journalist and Membranes frontman John Robb to add more insight, with Robb branding Dune as “rock and roll stocks and shares”.
“Essentially, Dune is a way of monetising the streaming data effectively for artists and fans,” Knowles says in the interview. “It’s something that’s never been attempted before. We’re not trying to take money from the streaming – we’re literally monetising it in a new way.”
“What we’ve tried to do with Dune is to remove the legwork from the artist,” he later adds. “An artist has got four or five profiles they have to maintain… it’s great for the fan, but it’s a lot of work the artist has to do. Our ethos is how can we make it easier for the artist? And the software that we’ve designed in the back end, is that user-friendly that you can do everything with the touch of a button.”
“Rather than commodifying the music, we’re commodifying the artists,” Bowe adds.
To find out more, head to Dune.
The post “Rock and roll stocks and shares”: Dune is a new app where fans can invest and trade shares in artists – could it be the future of music monetisation? appeared first on MusicTech.