Get Softube Bad Speaker or UVI Digital Synsations Vol. 1 for FREE with any Audio Deluxe purchase
This month, Audio Deluxe offers either Softube Bad Speaker ($59) or UVI Digital Synsations Vol. 1 ($149) with any paid purchase for free. Audio Deluxe offers this free-with-any-purchase deal until the end of May.  Softube Bad Speaker is a macOS and Windows release for AU, VST, VST3, and AAX.  The lo-fi distortion plugin requires an iLok [...]
View post: Get Softube Bad Speaker or UVI Digital Synsations Vol. 1 for FREE with any Audio Deluxe purchase

Heritage Audio HA240 Gold Foil Verb The Heritage Audio HA240 Gold Foil Verb is a native effect plugin that meticulously models a rare and storied vintage gold foil plate reverb unit from Heritage Audio's private collection. Thought to be non-functioning for years, this particular unit, serial number #0183, was discovered to be not only operational but possessing a unique and enhanced sonic character developed over years of storage. This plugin captures the distinct, dark, yet enticing spatial qualities of this one-of-a-kind studio classic, aiming to inject a fun and musically inspiring vibe into your mixes. Designed to impart a unique sense of space, the HA240 Gold Foil Verb is particularly well-suited for adding depth and atmosphere to vocals, guitars, strings, and synthesizers. Its characteristic tone provides a darker and perhaps slightly more diffused or "cloudy" reverb compared to brighter plate reverbs, offering an enticing alternative for shaping the spatial dimension of your tracks. By emulating the specific nuances of this aged and unique hardware unit, Heritage Audio brings a piece of analog history and its sonic individuality into the digital audio workstation environment. The development of the HA240 Gold Foil Verb plugin stemmed directly from the rediscovery and appreciation of this vintage hardware unit within the Heritage Audio facility. Rather than letting the unit be cannibalized for parts, its unexpected and sonically pleasing performance inspired the creation of a plugin that faithfully replicates its gorgeous sound and vibe. This allows modern producers and engineers to access the distinct character of this rare gold foil reverb without the need for the original, fragile, and hard-to-find hardware. The plugin is designed for native operation within your digital audio workstation, utilizing iLOK Native for authorization and offering both perpetual and demo licensing options. It is also notably included as part of the plugin suite that accompanies Heritage Audio's i73 Pro series audio interfaces, providing added value to users of their hardware. Features: Authentic emulation of a rare vintage gold foil plate reverb unit (Serial #0183) from Heritage Audio's private collection. Captures the distinct, dark, and enticing spatial characteristics of the original hardware. Ideal for adding a unique reverb character to vocals, guitars, strings, and synthesizers. Based on a specific hardware unit whose sound was uniquely enhanced by years of storage. Designed to provide a fun and musically inspiring reverb effect. Available as a standalone native plugin. Included as part of the plugin bundle with Heritage Audio i73 Pro series audio interfaces. Uses iLOK Native for authorization. Offers perpetual and 14-day demo license options. Compatible with major DAW formats (VST3, AU, AAX). Read More

“There’s a disposable attitude to making music that’s prevalent these days”: Producer Danny L Harle says musicians must take time to reflect on their workBritish producer Danny L Harle is shining a light on what he considers an “undervalued” skill among musicians today: taking the time to listen and reflect on one’s own music.
Harle, who co-produced Dua Lipa’s 2024 hit album Radical Optimism and worked with the likes of Charli XCX and Caroline Polachek, is currently lending his expertise to the Amex Unsigned initiative — a mentorship program offering six unsigned artists the chance to work with him at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios.
In a new interview with MusicRadar, the producer opens up about the creative mindset he hopes to pass on to young talents and why mentoring matters to him on a personal level.

READ MORE: “Everybody thinks that it gives them a professional edge… however, you are somehow a villain if you use it”: New study reveals widespread use of AI among music producers, though most “do not want to publicly talk about it”

“I’m very reluctant to get involved with these sorts of processes unless I feel like I can actually contribute something that’s of worth,” Harle explains, “but this exact form of mentoring is a process that I’ve personally benefited from in my past.”
“It’s so helpful to take the time to listen to your own work in a studio and reflect back on your entire project — that’s an undervalued thing,” he adds. “There’s a disposable attitude to making music that’s prevalent these days, whereas I think that for young people, there needs to be a sense of respect to one’s own development that should be projected by older people as well.”
According to Harle, artistic growth rarely happens in isolation. Creative breakthroughs don’t just come from long hours alone, he argues, but from sharing, dialogue, and accountability.
“It’s very hard to do that on your own, just to sit down and listen to everything you’ve done. You almost need the discipline of someone else in the room to properly do that. Listening in the room with someone else, you know what’s wrong with the music, if there’s something wrong. You know if it’s really good almost before you’ve played it.”
Sometimes, he says, it’s less about feedback and more about giving encouragement when it matters most.
“When you’re making your own thing, sometimes it’s quite a lonely process, and it can be really helpful for someone to just listen to what you’re making and be like, ‘this is really good’,” Harle says. “When someone’s making amazing stuff, it can be really valuable to just tell them: ‘Just keep doing that — you’re doing your thing, that’s all one can do.’”
Still, the producer acknowledges that honesty is just as crucial, particularly when it comes to keeping artists from becoming complacent.
“Sadly, it can be really useful to hear someone tell you that you can do better,” he says. “I wouldn’t just say that to anyone; I’d make sure that they’re somebody who’s in a position to take it, or somebody that knows me well enough. But that’s an important thing for some people to hear as well, because some people that achieve a certain level of success can start to rest on their laurels.”
“They need someone to come in the studio and say, ‘you could be pushing a bit harder here’. That’s what me and my friends are like, we push each other in a really good way.”
Learn more about the Amex Unsigned initiative at American Express.
The post “There’s a disposable attitude to making music that’s prevalent these days”: Producer Danny L Harle says musicians must take time to reflect on their work appeared first on MusicTech.

TOKiMONSTA: “The more satiating it is for the musician to create, the better the music is”Should producers and beatmakers be calling more upon sounds heard in everyday life when making music? TOKiMONSTA does, and it’s a key part of her artistic process.
In a new episode of MusicTech’s My Forever Studio podcast – in which we sit down with producers and have them select gear for their fantasy Forever Studio – the veteran DJ and producer dives into her approach to using field recorders to source sounds for her beats.

READ MORE: My Forever Studio: TOKiMONSTA nabs a historic synth

Asked about her process using real-world samples, she explains: “If I go out and I use my field recorder to [record a] twig snapping, you know, maybe a car door shutting, stepping on rocks or sand, whatever, all those sounds are [a] nice texture, so it’s using those to layer. Then you have an unlimited amount of samples in that way.”
She adds that another benefit to capturing her own samples for beats is that they are completely unique.
“I’ll always know that those are my sounds,” she says. “And so if I have stock kicks and I like the body of it, but maybe it’s not fuzzy enough or it doesn’t have the tack I want, there’s always a way to manipulate real life. Something from real life that’s recorded to give it that umph. 
“And if I have a good field recorder, it’s. It’s unlimited. I can keep making sounds and manipulating sounds, I guess, with my stock Ableton plugins.”
She recalls: “I made a bass line that I recorded playing something that wasn’t real. Like I had tapped on this really interesting surface, and then I pitched that sound into a bass line. It required a lot of work, but those are just the little, little things. And people might not notice. It may not matter to anyone else, but for me, it’s fun in the process of creating stuff like that.”
Speaking more broadly on the importance of enjoying the creative process, TOKiMONSTA concludes: “The more fun the musician has, or the more satiating it is for the musician to create, the better the music is. That’s sort of where I’ve landed on my journey.”
The My Forever Studio podcast – created in partnership with Audient – sees artists, producers, and engineers create their dream fantasy Forever Studio. However, hosts Chris Barker and Will Betts impose some strict rules. Our guests are permitted a limited number of items in their creative space, so they must choose carefully. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles!
You can subscribe to My Forever Studio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and check out all episodes so far via MusicTech.
The post TOKiMONSTA: “The more satiating it is for the musician to create, the better the music is” appeared first on MusicTech.

Is Duolingo the face of an AI jobs crisis?Duolingo announced plans this week to replace contractors with AI and become an “AI-first” company — a move that journalist Brian Merchant pointed to as a sign that the AI jobs crisis “is here, now.” In fact, Merchant spoke to a former Duolingo contractor who said this isn’t even a new policy. The company cut […]

All-Band Radio Records Signals, Plays MP3sIn these days of everything-streaming, it’s great to see an old school radio build. It’s even better when it’s not old-school at all, but packed full of modern ICs and driven by a micro-controller like the dsPIC in [Minh Danh]’s dsMP3 build. Best of all is when we get enough details that the author needs two blog posts — one for hardware, and one for firmware — like [Minh Danh] has done.
This build does it all: radio, MP3 playback, and records incoming signals. The radio portion of the build is driven by an Si4735, which allows for receiving both in FM and AM — with all the AM bands, SW, MW and LW available. The FM section does support RDS, though because [Minh Danh] ran out of pins on the dsPIC, isn’t the perfect implementation.
Just look at that thru-hole goodness.
The audio section is a good intro to audio engineering if you’ve never done a project like this: he’s using a TDA1308 for headphones, which feeds into a NS8002 to drive some hefty stereo speakers– and he tells you why he selected those chips, as well as providing broken-out schematics for each. Really, we can’t say enough good things about this project’s documentation.
That’s before we get to the firmware, where he tells us how he manages to get the dsPIC to read out MP3s from a USB drive, and write WAVs to it. One very interesting detail is how he used the dsPIC’s ample analog inputs to handle the front panel buttons on this radio: a resistor ladder. It’s a great solution in a project that’s full of them.
Of course we’ve seen radio receivers before, and plenty of MP3 players, too — but this might be the first time we’ve seen an electronic Swiss army knife with all these features, and we’re very glad [Minh Danh] shared it with us.

5 iconic Star Wars sounds demystified
In celebration of Star Wars Day, join us as we take a look at some iconic sounds from the series and demystify the unique production techniques behind them.

ProduceRNB Tempo 2First drum plugin to blend AI with detailed human input. For truly custom drum loops in a fraction of the time: Say hello to Tempo V2—a cutting-edge drum plugin that blends AI intelligence with real-time input from music producers. Designed to spark creativity and save time, Tempo generates unique 8-bar drum patterns that evolve with every click, giving you endless rhythmic inspiration in seconds. Whether you're building around a melody or starting from scratch, Tempo acts like an autonomous drumming assistant that understands your direction and delivers results that surprise you. Customize complexity, adjust styles, and drag fully-editable MIDI patterns straight into your DAW: The AI works off of YOUR input. Drag in your own drum samples and even LAYER drums instantly. Define your beat and let Tempo find alternate grooves you never thought of. Use the AI and fine tune things to your liking. Create an endless number of drum loops. Drag and drop MIDI patterns to your DAW. Includes FREE Drum Box Kit with 400+ Drum Samples. Tempo 2 is now available at https://truesoulvibes.com/step/tempo2/ for $29. Read More

TOKiMONSTA: “The more satiating it is for the musician to create, the better the music is”Should producers and beatmakers be calling more upon sounds heard in everyday life when making music? TOKiMONSTA does, and it’s a key part of her artistic process.
In a new episode of MusicTech’s My Forever Studio podcast – in which we sit down with producers and have them select gear for their fantasy Forever Studio – the veteran DJ and producer dives into her approach to using field recorders to source sounds for her beats.

READ MORE: My Forever Studio: TOKiMONSTA nabs a historic synth

Asked about her process using real-world samples, she explains: “If I go out and I use my field recorder to [record a] twig snapping, you know, maybe a car door shutting, stepping on rocks or sand, whatever, all those sounds are [a] nice texture, so it’s using those to layer. Then you have an unlimited amount of samples in that way.”
She adds that another benefit to capturing her own samples for beats is that they are completely unique.
“I’ll always know that those are my sounds,” she says. “And so if I have stock kicks and I like the body of it, but maybe it’s not fuzzy enough or it doesn’t have the tack I want, there’s always a way to manipulate real life. Something from real life that’s recorded to give it that umph.
“And if I have a good field recorder, it’s. It’s unlimited. I can keep making sounds and manipulating sounds, I guess, with my stock Ableton plugins.”
She recalls: “I made a bass line that I recorded playing something that wasn’t real. Like I had tapped on this really interesting surface, and then I pitched that sound into a bass line. It required a lot of work, but those are just the little, little things. And people might not notice. It may not matter to anyone else, but for me, it’s fun in the process of creating stuff like that.”
Speaking more broadly on the importance of enjoying the creative process, TOKiMONSTA concludes: “The more fun the musician has, or the more satiating it is for the musician to create, the better the music is. That’s sort of where I’ve landed on my journey.”
The My Forever Studio podcast – created in partnership with Audient – sees artists, producers, and engineers create their dream fantasy Forever Studio. However, hosts Chris Barker and Will Betts impose some strict rules. Our guests are permitted a limited number of items in their creative space, so they must choose carefully. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles!
You can subscribe to My Forever Studio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and check out all episodes so far via MusicTech.
The post TOKiMONSTA: “The more satiating it is for the musician to create, the better the music is” appeared first on MusicTech.

Harrison Audio launch D510 500-series system Following on from the introduction of their 500-series modules, Harrison Audio have announced the launch of a new 10-slot rack and an expandable analogue summing mixer module.

Temu stops shipping products from China to the U.S.Chinese retailer Temu has shifted strategy in the face of U.S. tariffs. Through executive order, President Donald Trump has ended the so-called de minimis rule, which allowed goods worth $800 or less to enter the country without tariffs. He’s also increasing tariffs on Chinese goods by more than 100%, forcing both Chinese companies like Shein […]

Tablet Suspension System Avoids Fatigue at BedtimeYou know how it is. You’re all cozy in bed but not quite ready to doze off. You’re reading Hackaday (Hackaday is your go-to bedtime reading material, right?) or you’re binge-watching your latest reality TV obsession on your tablet. You feel the tablet growing heavier and heavier as your arms fatigue from holding it inches above your face. You consider the embarrassment you’ll endure from explaining how you injured your nose as the danger of dropping the tablet gradually increases. The struggle is real.
[Will Dana] has been engineering his way out of this predicament for a few years now, and with the recent upgrade to his iPad suspension system he is maximizing his laziness, but not without putting in a fair amount of hard work first.
The first iteration of the device worked on a manual pulley system whereby an iPad was suspended from the ceiling over his bed on three cords. Pulling on a cord beside the bed would raise the bracket used for holding the iPad out of the way while not in use. This new iteration takes that pesky cord pulling out of the user’s hands, replacing it with a motorized winch. A spot of dark ink on one of the cords in combination with a light sensor helps to calibrate the system so that the ESP32 which controls it always knows the proper limits of operation.
Of course, if, like [Will], you’re using an ESP32, and your room is already fully controlled by a voice interface, you may as well integrate the two. After all, there is no sense in wasting precious energy by pressing buttons. Utter a simple command to Alexa once you’re tucked in, and it’s time for hands-free entertainment.
We’ve covered several of [Will]’s previous creations, such as his Motorized Relay Computer and Harry Potter-inspired Sorting Hat.

Independent Musician News Last WeekLast week, our tips, advice and independent musician news covered advice from a Spotify exec, how to release physical music, fingerprinting (who knew?), mental health, accounting terms for musicians, and more...
The post Independent Musician News Last Week appeared first on Hypebot.

Music Business News Last Week: Live Nation, Tariffs, SpotifyA busy week by any definition, the music business news last week was no exception, with a forecast from Live Nation, tariffs affecting fans, advice from a Spotify exec and more...
The post Music Business News Last Week: Live Nation, Tariffs, Spotify appeared first on Hypebot.

Sonic Sirius The Sound Lightshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxMXlO89YMU The Sound Lights Soundset by HO for the Hansen Audio - K-Whooms. Hello K-Whooms Synthesizer Users, Music makers and Aliens. - Inside the Download: One Sound Lights Free Soundsets with 90 Presets - 1x Bass, 13x FX, 9x Leads, 13x Pads, 4x Plucked, 20x Seq, 30x Step Seq - Genre: Typical K-Whooms Sound - Modern Synth Music - For: Hansen Audio - K-Whooms v2025.03 or later - BPM/Tempo: Select " 120 " in your DAW - Format: VSTPRESET / Size 1,53 MB - Release: May 2025 - Price: Free. Please use a Limiter FX, otherwise all the sounds would be too quiet when creating presets. This means that almost all presets exceed the 0 dB limit. Please note that the K-Whooms doesn't have its own preset browser, so you'll have to load each VST preset individually. Read More