Function Loops Offers FREE Billboard Vocals Sample Collection
Function Loops released the Billboard Vocals ($17.99 value) vocal sample pack as a free download (requires a newsletter signup). Billboard Vocals is a goodie bag of various audio content featuring vocals, instruments, and drums for modern pop production. Despite its name, this previously paid and now free library isn’t focused exclusively on vocals. Yes, it [...]
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Take Action Music Summit & Concert Marketing Panel Tuesday in AustinThe free Take Action Music Summit & Showcases are happening tonight and all day Tuesday at the Mohawk in Austin during SXSW, and you don't need an official festival pass to attend the daytime Summit on Tuesday, March 12th.....
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Joe Biden suggests he wants to “ban AI voice impersonation” – a win or loss for musicians?Joe Biden has hinted at the possibility of making AI voice impersonation illegal, which could lead to both positive and negative consequences for music artists as a byproduct.
Per The Verge, the US President briefly brought up the topic during the State of the Union address last week (March 7) but didn’t expand much further on any potential proposals.

READ MORE: Smart Songs: how AI is changing the way we listen

The idea is likely to have a mostly political purpose given that there was recently a spate of robocalls using an AI voice clone of the President attempting to dissuade people in New Hampshire from voting. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) subsequently issued a ban on such calls.
However, a total ban on AI voice impersonation would hold important ramifications for the arts and entertainment world. On one hand, artists could rest easy knowing the likeness of their voice isn’t being used for nefarious purposes, or as a way to earn money without fair compensation, but on the other, it could stifle creativity, and penalise those who use the technology fairly and give credit where it’s due.
Many musicians have been critical of the concept of AI impersonating their voices – Ariana Grande, for example, recently hit out at people attempting to recreate her voice using the technology, branding it “terrifying”.

In contrast, other artists have been more positive about the possibilities AI could bring to music, such as Damon Albarn, who said he was curious about the concept of posthumous AI releases following the success of The Beatles’ final song Now And Then, whose release was only made possible by the technology.
“It’s a question of scale: if enough people are interested, there could be hundreds of my songs released after my death, including songs that I would never have wanted to release,” he told Les Inrockuptibles. 
Grimes is another artist who has expressed particular openness towards the use of AI, saying last year that she thought it was “cool to be fused with a machine” and later launched AI software allowing users to mimic her voice in songs. Despite that, she recently performed a DJ set at an event calling for looser regulations of artificial intelligence, before telling the crowd that she is against “the sentiment of this party”.
Despite this, AI recreations of vocals have been continually doing the rounds on social media in recent years. One notable example was a song created by an artist named Ghostwriter977 called Heart On My Sleeve, featuring vocals which sounded like they were recorded by The Weeknd and Drake.
The post Joe Biden suggests he wants to “ban AI voice impersonation” – a win or loss for musicians? appeared first on MusicTech.

Instagram beats TikTok user growth for the first time in 4 yearsAccording to data from Sensor Tower, Instagram surpassed TikTok in new app downloads last year for the first time since 2020, making it the most downloaded app globally.....
The post Instagram beats TikTok user growth for the first time in 4 years appeared first on Hypebot.

Save Big During The UAD All Stars Sale
From now until the end of the month, you can save on select Universal Audio plugins at Plugin Boutique during the UAD All Stars Plugins Sale. Universal Audio seems to have picked up the reins from constant sales advocates like Plugin Alliance.  The latest offer is the UAD All Starts Plugins Sale with up to [...]
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SSL 360° Link plug-in now available Following their preview at NAMM 2024, SSL have announced that their 360° Link plug-in is now available to download. 

Meze Audio Elite are stunning planar magnetic headphones with supreme musicality£3,749, mezeaudio.com
It’s not often that a pair of headphones comes along costing more than your first car. But in the rarefied world of high-end planar models, extortionate prices are commonplace. In fact the £3,749 that Meze Audio asks for its new, flagship Elites is something of a sweet spot for other manufacturers including Audeze, Focal, HiFiMan and Final Audio. As you might expect, these are not your run-of-the-mill headphones. They’re a serious investment for anyone who values cutting-edge fidelity — and has a big budget. So what does this almost-£4,000 really get you?

READ MORE: With Sennheiser’s HD 490 Pro, mixing on headphones has never been better

Meze Audio’s Elites are hand-built with top-class components. The frame is fashioned either from aluminium or tungsten (both at the same price), the headband is leather and the cups are joined by a flexible strip that distributes their weight evenly while providing a snug yet remarkably comfortable fit. Two sets of leather ear pads are provided, one slightly thinner to lower bass pressure a moderate amount if that’s more to your taste. The cups also slide up or down a little to adjust to your head but the mechanism is firm enough that once in place they won’t move around by themselves. Their weight is just 420g, despite feeling relatively large.

There’s no wireless tech here — these are a wired-only model. Each cup has a proprietary mini XLR socket to which you connect the high-quality braided cable. Five terminator types are available; 4-pin XLR, 6.3mm, 4.4mm, 3.5mm and 2.5mm, and you order the one you want on purchasing, or extra ones separately. An XLR cable would be suitable for a mixing desk or a higher-end headphone amplifier unit, while the more common 6.3mm and 3.5mm cables will connect to a much wider range of gear like hi-fi separates, iOS devices and computers. The mini XLRs at the cup end fit very comfortably and have catches to disconnect them.
Given the lack of bells and whistles, you won’t be surprised to learn that Meze Audio has directed all its efforts into just two things. The build — which, as we’ve already noted, is superlative — and the sound. While most headphones use a dynamic design, these are planar magnetic headphones; a system employed more often in higher-end models such as these. They use a thin, flat diaphragm with a magnet suspended next to it and an electromagnetic signal running through wires turns the diaphragm on and off. Planar magnetic drivers tend to be more sensitive and precise than dynamic models but also larger and sometimes require more juice to drive them, though happily, that isn’t the case here with a relatively low 32 Ohms resistance.
Meze has collaborated with acoustic specialists Rinaro Isodynamics in developing the new Elite Isodynamic Array used in the headphones. You can read in-depth about how this works on the website but at its heart is a dual driver system where a coil in the upper area emphasises low-frequency sounds and a smaller coil lower down focuses on mid and high ranges. This apparently eliminates small time delays when sound enters the ear canals. There’s a lot more detail about the science behind the system but, honestly, you don’t really have to understand it to enjoy the sound it produces.
Meze Audio Elite headphones (tungsten)
And enjoy it you will, because the Elites sound phenomenal. The open-backed circumaural design means they envelop your ears but don’t box in any bass; instead they release a fair amount of sound in the form of leakage but that’s true of any open-backed model. The frequency response is a jaw-dropping 3 Hz to 112 kHz, making them capable of reproducing a far wider range of sounds than most cans with their standard 20 Hz to 20 kHz range. While better numbers don’t always mean better performance, with the Elites it’s unarguably true that they do.
The soundstage is exquisite, with flawless separation and stereo placement across a range of genres. In sonic terms they are extremely well balanced, offering sweet, detailed and rich reproduction in every frequency range. One thing they do, which is a feature of high-end open-backed models, is reveal the huge variation in loudness and mixing treatments between different tracks and albums. Music that has been mastered to a lower level, or mixed more to the centre than using panned elements, is very noticeable on the Elites when listened to next to punchier or more dynamic mixes. This is of course a good thing, since it’s revealing what the mixes really sound like rather than artificially creating more bass and thus making tracks all sound more alike. There are plenty of much cheaper cans around if that’s what you’re after.
While the Elites perform to the highest standard with all genres, it’s fun to revisit particularly detailed or dynamic tracks because these headphones reveal nuances that you have probably never heard before. Some of our favourites, in no particular order include John Martyn’s Solid Air, Spiritualized’s Let It Flow, or most anything by Sigur Rós. Electronica is just as rewarding, with Massive Attack’s Mezzanine sounding even more dense, lush and layered than usual. At this level of engineering it’s always preferable to use a high quality source to maintain the best possible fidelity all the way from a turntable and converters for example to the headphones, though even just playing a music library from a Mac the experience was still a real eye-opener.
Meze Audio Elite headphones (tungsten)
These are truly impressive headphones that you could easily mix and master on, confident in the knowledge that you’re hearing a true representation of your music. For audiophiles, the listening experience is spectacular with any style of music. Price is going to be an issue and likely place them out of reach of many people, even some who are working professionally in music production. You are paying a premium for sure but it does elevate things to a level that will make you find real joy in listening in a way that, after experiencing the Elites, makes other headphones seem rather dull.
Key features

Open-backed, circumaural design
Magnetic planar system
Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array drivers
Mini XLR plugs with multiple connector options
3 Hz – 112 kHz frequency range
Custom designed and built
Max SPL: >130dB
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Aluminium and tungsten frame options
Weight: 420g

The post Meze Audio Elite are stunning planar magnetic headphones with supreme musicality appeared first on MusicTech.

Ilio launch Jason Miles Sequential OB-6 patches Ilio have teamed up with renowned keyboardist, producer and composer Jason Miles to create a collection of patches for the Sequential OB-6.

Fall Out Boy at the Honda CenterVery few bands have had the longevity of multi-platinum band Fall Out Boy. Since the early 2000s, the band has consistently reinvented their punk-rock sound across their eighth studio album. Their latest project So Much (for) Stardust is filled with addictive anthems, dynamic guitar riffs and euphoric lyrics that redefine their sound. In support of the album the band headed on the road last year for the So Much For (Tour) Dust tour. Due to the huge success the band is back with the encore tour, So Much For (2our) Dust –  a 20+ date run across the US. The band stopped by the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA in March. 4th, joining them this time around was Jimmy Eat World, The Maine, and Daisy Grenade.

The night began with a fun 30-minute performance by punk grunge duo Daisy Grenade. Dani Nigro and Keaton Whittake’s charismatic personas and catchy harmonies won the crowd over. The biggest cheers of the night came when they performed the popular Pierce the Veil cover “King For A Day.” It’s a hard song to sing but the duo gave a memorable rendition. Their style is fresh and youthful, the perfect openers for the night.

Dressed in matching white suits, pop punk band The Maine know how to make an entrance. The band have been busy promoting their ninth self-titled album, The Maine. Their outfits are an homage of the mood and aesthetic of the dance rock project. Frontman John O’Callaghan’s energetic persona had the crowd cheering and dancing along. The band offered the crowd a taste of their diverse catalog with songs including “blame,” “Black Butterflies & Déjà Vu” and “Loved You a Little.” 

Rock bands Jimmy Eat World have been in the music game since the late 90s and are pros at what they do best – perform live. Their music resonated with the crowd as they received one of the biggest applause of the night. The band kicked off their set with the crowd favorites "A Praise Chorus," “Big Casino” and one of their biggest songs to date  “Sweetness.” Frontman Jim Adkins’ powerhouse vocals are a real treat to see live, he has a very distinctive voice that echoes through the entire venue. The band’s hour-long set included fan-favorites “Lucky Denver Mint,” “Pain,” and “The Middle.” 

Before Fall Out Boy made their grand entrance bright red curtains set the theatrical atmosphere as a recording of “The Pink Seashell,” a spoken word piece narrated by Ethan Hawke from So Much (for) Stardust, blasted over the speakers. Their set began with the first single of their new album “Love From the Other Side.” The show featured unique set pieces that set the atmosphere for the night. We were transported from the sea to a mystical forest and later in the night joined by giant doberman puppet. The band is known for their insane use of pyrotechnics and energetic performance. Ahey did not disappoint with awe-dropping moments including Pete Wentz’s iconic flamethrower bass during “Phoenix,” and “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up).” Wentz was the biggest hype man of the night, often taking time to chat with the crowd and interacting with them.

The set spanned the band’s extensive career defining discography, keeping old and newer fans happy. Frontman Patrick Stump may say he’s a shy person, but his soulful and versatile vocals made him the center of attention. Towards the middle of the show, he took time to chat with the crowd, revealing he’s currently writing music for television before performing a solo piano medley of “I’ve Got All This Ringing In My Ears and None On My Fingers,” “What a Catch, Donnie” and ending with “Don't Stop Me Now.” Wentz also had some solo time on stage, as he performed a spoken word track, “Baby Annihilation.” Keeping up with the ominous vibes, he held black fabric over his head and disappeared from the stage. Emerging towards the end of the venue in a lifting podium while the band covered Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.”

Each night the band calls upon a magic 8 ball to help them with their set list. For this performance, the first song the ball chose was “7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)” from the album From Under the Cork Tree. For their next surprise song, the band brought out the band Cobra Starship for a performance of their mega  hit “Good Girls Go Bad.” Marking their first performance since 2014. 

Over the course of two hours, the band had the entire venue dancing along to their immense hit’s including “Sugar, We're Goin Down, “Uma Thurman ""This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race " "Thnks fr th Mmrs.” As is tradition, the band ended their set with the classic “Saturday.”

How Thermal Post-Curing Resin Prints Affects Their StrengthCredit: CNC Kitchen
Resin 3D prints have a reputation for being brittle, but [Stefan] over at [CNC Kitchen] would like to dispel this myth with the thing which we all love: colorful bar graphs backed up by scientifically appropriate experiments. As he rightfully points out, the average resin printer user will just cure a print by putting it in the sunshine or in a curing station that rotates the part in front of some UV lights. This theoretically should cause these photosensitive resins to fully cure, but as the referenced Formlabs documentation and their Form Cure station indicate, there’s definitely a thermal element to it as well.
To test the impact of temperature during the UV curing process, the test parts were put into an oven along with the UV lamp. Following this uncured, ambient cured and parts cured at 40 to 80 ºC were exposed to both tensile strength tests as well as impact strength. The best results came from the Siraya Tech Blu resin cured at 80 ºC, with it even giving FDM-printed parts a run for their money, as the following graphs make clear. This shows the value of thermal post-curing, as it anneals the resin prints. This reduces their impact strength somewhat, but massively improves their tensile strength.

An interesting data point is also that not only does thermal post-curing work during the exposure to the UV source, but also afterwards, even if you lose a few points in the tensile strength test. Although these results are just for this one type of resin, it’s possible that heating the resin prints while UV curing may universally benefit resin prints. This would surely make for a fascinating follow-up study.
Credit: CNC Kitchen
Credit: CNC Kitchen

The women in AI making a differenceAs a part of a multi-part series, TechCrunch is highlighting women innovators — from academics to policymakers —in the field of AI.
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Ford Patent Wants to Save Internal CombustionThere’s no doubt the venerable internal combustion engine is under fire. A recent patent filing from Ford claims it can dramatically reduce emissions and, if true, the technology might give classic engines a few more years of service life, according to [CarBuzz].
The patent in question centers on improving the evaporative emission system’s performance. The usual evaporative emission system stores fuel fumes in a carbon-filled canister. The canister absorbs fuel vapor when under high pressure. When the engine idles and pressure in the cylinder drops, the canister releases fumes, which are combusted with ordinary fuel/air mixture.

However, these fumes tend to reduce engine performance, which is why you should only use them during idle. If the engine exceeds the canister’s capacity without removing vapor, the residual gasses vent to the atmosphere.
The invention uses a pre-chamber that allows the engine to purge the canister more often and faster. The [Carbuzz] post claims this will improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and reduce carbon deposits on valves.
Of course, there are two big questions: will this be practical at scale production, and how effective will it be? We aren’t sure we could answer either of those questions, especially from arcane patent language.
Engines are an amazing bit of tech and even more complicated now that we care about emissions. The tiny ones are especially awe-inspiring. Then again, if you build your engines with Lego, emissions aren’t really a problem.

Orchestral Tools EQUINOX Bundle & Spring Textures Sale The EQUINOX Bundle comprises five libraries from Orchestral Tools' FABRIK collection, and will be available exclusively as part of their Spring Textures Sale.

Women in AI: Claire Leibowicz, AI and media integrity expert at PAITo give AI-focused women academics and others their well-deserved — and overdue — time in the spotlight, TechCrunch is launching a series of interviews focusing on remarkable women who’ve contributed to the AI revolution. We’ll publish several pieces throughout the year as the AI boom continues, highlighting key work that often goes unrecognized. Read more profiles here. […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

A Vanadium Redux Flow Battery You Can BuildVanadium flow batteries are an interesting project, with the materials easily obtainable by the DIY hacker. To that effect [Cayrex2] over on YouTube presents their take on a small, self-contained flow battery created with off the shelf parts and a few 3D prints. The video (embedded below) is part 5 of the series, detailing the final construction, charging and discharging processes. The first four parts of the series are part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.
The concept of a flow battery is this: rather than storing energy as a chemical change on the electrodes of a cell or in some localised chemical change in an electrolyte layer, flow batteries store energy due to the chemical change of a pair of electrolytes. These are held externally to the cell and connected with a pair of pumps. The capacity of a flow battery depends not upon the electrodes but instead the volume and concentration of the electrolyte, which means, for stationary installations, to increase storage, you need a bigger pair of tanks. There are even 4 MWh containerised flow batteries installed in various locations where the storage of renewable-derived energy needs a buffer to smooth out the power flow. The neat thing about vanadium flow batteries is centred around the versatility of vanadium itself. It can exist in four stable oxidation states so that a flow battery can utilise it for both sides of the reaction cell.

The reaction plates in the cell’s heart are printed with an ‘ABS-like’ resin for this build. They comprise a flat plate with through-holes for clamping, a central opening to house the charge collector electrodes, protection layers, and the ion exchange membrane. Pipes on the edges lead to tiny holes at either end of the flow region, on the inner edge, to enable electrolytes to flow to and from the external reservoir. Resin printing was chosen due to its strength and, most importantly, the surface smoothness, which will help to prevent leaks. The electrodes are copper sheets, with a protective layer of conductive HDPE and a second layer of graphite felt. The last layer allows electrons to be conducted to the HDPE and copper electrode whilst allowing a lateral electrolyte flow from the reservoir. A Nafion-based ion exchange membrane in the centre prevents mixing positive and negative electrolyte solutions. However, initial testing with baking paper also works for a while. Each half of the battery is filled with vanadium pentoxide and sulphuric acid.
The theoretical cell voltage is centred on 1.5 volts, but a fair current must be available even for such a small electrode area. Watching the two halves of the cell change the electrolyte state visibly during the charging process was fun. Vanadium does produce some spectacular colours in its various oxidation states! If you want to play along at home, the STL files for the 3D-printed parts can be found on the Cayrex2 Patreon site.