The Importance of Insurance for MusiciansLots can happen unexpectedly as a traveling musician; from equipment to vehicles to health, there’s plenty of bases to cover. by CHRIS CASTLE of Music Tech Policy Car theft is. Continue reading
The post The Importance of Insurance for Musicians appeared first on Hypebot.

Oeksound Bloom is one of the best plugins in its category — despite being more expensivePrice: £169
Oeksound’s Soothe 2 is celebrated by some seriously accomplished producers, from Disclosure to Kenny Beats, thanks to the unique way it can dynamically tame frequency peaks. The company’s lesser-known plugin, Spiff, is also a phenomenal dynamics tool, and remains our go-to for surgical transient control. Its latest plugin, Bloom, comes with high expectations, then. Fortunately, the Swedish developer’s expertise in making bloomin’ good plugins is on full display once again.
What is Oeksound Bloom?
Bloom is an adaptive tone shaper that shares ideas with Soothe, but is designed for making broader mixing strokes.
It’s perhaps not as innovative as Soothe however, as we’ve seen a mass of spectral balancing plugins recently, with examples including Soundtheory Gullfoss, Wavesfactory Equalizer, Voxengo TEOTE, Baby Audio Smooth Operator, sonible smart:EQ4, and iZotope Ozone 11’s Stabilizer module.

But, in Bloom, Oeksound has come up with a version that takes influences from other tools, but works a little bit better. But is it worth the steeper price tag?
What is spectral shaping?
Like other spectral shaping tools, Bloom listens to your incoming audio and massages any peaks or troughs in the frequency spectrum towards a pleasant-sounding, pink-noise-ish spectral balance. This happens in real-time, so it can react to changes in the audio, which is especially useful on something that moves around a lot like a vocal.
Oeksound Bloom processing range
A large dial controls how hard the effect works, while attack and release dials set how fast it responds. The actual boosts and cuts are then presented in a silky-smooth display that moves and wiggles as the audio changes. You also get handles at either end of the spectrum that can be dragged in to restrict the processing range (which can also be inverted), plus low-pass and high-pass filters for extra audible taming.
Using Bloom’s tone controls
But what if you don’t like the effect Bloom is having on your music — what if there’s too much bass or not enough top end?
This is where Bloom’s four adjustable tone controls come in.
In a simple yet powerful example of interface design, you can click and drag the band nodes and adjust both the frequency focus and the positive/negative amount in one move.

Rather than boosting or cutting frequency bands like a regular EQ, you’re actually adjusting the overall tonal balance that Bloom is working towards. The bonus of this is that you could, for example, increase the brightness of a vocal witout worrying about extra sibilance, as the adaptive nature of the processing will tame any excessive or harsh-sounding peaks.
Splitting signals
You can keep Bloom simple and work in stereo mode, or you can split the signal into M/S or L/R.
Oeksound Bloom’s Mid/Side function
In these modes, you essentially have control over two instances of the processing, with an extra node on each band. This means you can, for example, increase the mids while reducing the sides; you can split or link the analysis, which can help emphasise the width of the source audio.
There’s also a Focus control that lets you set the relative amount of processing for each of the split channels.
Bloom’s Squash compression mode
If you want to push beyond Bloom’s more transparent-sounding tonal shaping, you can keep increasing the amount dial until it activates Squash mode. This uses frequency-dependent upwards and downwards compression to highlight low-level details, with a meter next to the dial displaying the average amount of compression applied.

With Squash engaged, the attack and release controls have much more of an audible effect, allowing you to dig hard into transients, or let parts of the signal through and only focus on processing the tails. Although not wholly unique, it’s a wicked effect for slamming drums or mustering grit on synth parts, and it’s quick and easy to use. It’s also nice that this adds an extra, slightly more creative facet to Bloom.
Calibrating levels
The main tonal shaping of Bloom works independently of the input level but with Squash active, you have to start thinking about the gain coming into the effect. Thankfully, there’s a Squash Calibration amount that you can adjust to taste, or you can hit a Set button to handle this automatically. Similarly, there’s a trim for the wet signal volume with a useful Set button to volume-match the wet and dry signals. This can be handy when using the mix amount to blend your squashed sounds in parallel with the cleaner original.
Plugin extras
Elsewhere are buttons for switching A/B states, an adjustable plugin window size, and a drop-down menu to select the quality mode between normal, high, and low latency. The high-quality mode gives a higher resolution that updates the processing more frequently, and the low-latency mode is useful for tracking, but both come at the cost of more CPU usage. Speaking of which, Bloom has a similar hit on your CPU as Soothe 2d oes, but the latency is a little lower, sitting at around 1,000 samples at 44.1 kHz, and only 64 samples in low latency mode.
There’s also an external sidechain input that could be useful for ducking duties such as making space for a vocal in a piano part, or for exporting stems with bus processing. The only thing we really miss is a delta listen button. This is featured on both Soothe and Spiff and is really useful for hearing only the processed part of the signal. On the plus side, you do get band solo buttons to help set the frequencies.
Bloom’s Presets
There are loads of well-categorised presets but, to be honest, Bloom is at its best when you fine-tune it to your specific material and use it to make broad strokes that help a certain sound sit in the mix.
Bloom in the mix
We test Bloom on individual elements in a track and find the combination of tonal shaping, compression and stereo control can go a long way towards a finished mix without even needing to reach for additional plugins. Unpleasant build-ups are tamed and areas that are lacking can be brought to the fore, all while sounding smooth and natural.
You’ll probably want to be a little more subtle when working on a whole mix to keep the processing as transparent as possible, but the addition of the attack and release can help to let transients through cleanly.

Is Oeksound Bloom worth the money?
Comments on forums and videos appear to complain about the price. Bloom is more expensive than some competing products, for sure, but it also has a sleek and refined user experience.
You’re paying for several years of work and research that has resulted in a well-designed algorithm. One example is how the response automatically blends between minimum and linear phase depending on whether it’s making broad or detailed strokes, to get the best balance between pre-ringing and parallel summing behaviour.
In my projects, Oeksound’s other two plugins have made their way onto every track in some form since their release, and the speed and quality with which they solve problems can be said to more than make up for the price. As a quick tonal shaping tool, Bloom may also find a permanent place in my plugin folder.
If you already have a spectral balancing plugin that works for you, then Bloom may not offer much more to warrant a switch. However, if you’re in the market for a plugin like this, it is one of the best. And if you’re working professionally and want something to speed up workflow, then it could prove a valuable ally.
Key features
Adaptive tone shaper plugin
VST3, AU, AAX
Requires iLok account
4-band tone control
Squash upwards/downwards spectral compression mode
Attack & Release controls
M/S and L/R modes
Sidechain input
Resizable GUI
Normal, high and low latency quality modes
The post Oeksound Bloom is one of the best plugins in its category — despite being more expensive appeared first on MusicTech.

Vain Audio Releases FREE Orange Gate Plugin For Windows
Vain Audio released Orange Gate, a free gating plugin for Windows only.  Vain Audio describes Orange Gate as a “straightforward gating plugin that lets you control audio dynamics effortlessly.” The developer continues, saying the tool “allows you to gate through filtered input, giving you precise control over your audio.” The Orange Gate controls are on, [...]
View post: Vain Audio Releases FREE Orange Gate Plugin For Windows

Akai lanches dub siren-inspired Ring The Alarm software synthInspired by the iconic dub siren – a sound popularised by Jamaican dancehall music – Akai‘s latest synth plugin, Ring The Alarm, is set to bring the bounce of dancehall to the masses.

READ MORE: Akai Professional’s stem separation software MPC Stems is now available for its MPC desktop software

Created in collaboration with AIR Music Tech, the synth allows users to customise their own unique alarm sounds. The engine boasts an oscillator, LFO controls with different shapes, and even echo and feedback controls.
Despite its simple interface, the plugin allows a respectable degree of flexibility. There is an envelope that automates on the LFO speed, and the LFO’s multiple wave shapes can be easily tweaked. Users can also toy with tape echo and spring reverb effects.

The plugin is designed to be a hands-on, experimental experience. Akai has posted a video of the synth plugin in action, and it highlights just how easily the sounds can be manipulated.
While some may consider the plugin a specialist piece of software, it’s remarkably versatile. It’s able to construct a soporific, effortlessly smooth reggae instrumental transitions, but is equally as comfortable dishing out almost Space Invaders-esque bleeps and buzzes.
The plugin runs as a VST2, VST3 and AU plugin on Mac and Windows, and works standalone on MPC hardware.
Priced at £24.99, Ring The Alarm is available now from Akai’s MPC store.
The post Akai lanches dub siren-inspired Ring The Alarm software synth appeared first on MusicTech.

“I love Grimes and wouldn’t wish this on anyone”: Morgan Page shares top tips for avoiding DJ issues at major eventsWe’ve all seen the news of Grimes’ nightmarish DJ set at Coachella last weekend, the artist herself has even since issued an apology after her slot at the festival was overrun with technical difficulties.
Well, DJ and producer Morgan Page has since taken to X (Twitter) to share his best advice for avoiding such technical hitches, as “someone who’s played the Sahara tent and gone through a laptop crash”.

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 prominent error Grimes encountered was that many of her tracks were playing at double their speed, a result of rekordbox incorrectly analysing them. For example, it would identify a 128 bpm song as 256 bpm.
At the time of her set, Grimes told the crowd: “We’re having a major technical error where all the song tempos are at double speed. I’ve not practised the math and I’m not fast at math.” In another video shared online, she also said, “Just don’t blame me, it’s not my fault. Well it’s partially my fault, but it’s not entirely my fault.”

Grimes dealt with technical difficulties throughout her set at Coachella on Saturday night, restarting songs and complaining about problematic track files
"All my tracks are twice as fast.. Just don't blame me, it's not my fault. Well it's partially my fault, but it's not… pic.twitter.com/fSLjvhQsjF
— SFGATE (@SFGate) April 14, 2024

Page is now hoping to share some advice so situations like this can be avoided. The 2x Grammy-nominated artist firstly states, “It’s especially brutal with a short Coachella set. I love Grimes and wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
So, here are his top tips: “1) Never broadcast your mistakes, even though it’s tempting to explain the situation. 2) Never update to the latest OS or rekordbox on your touring laptop. Test on another machine. No stage techs can fix rekordbox issues in the moment. Verify on CDJs that every track is working because rekordbox will often say everything is fine when it’s not.
And finally: “3) Have a backup – a redundant double laptop setup in parallel, or 15-minute chunks of your DJ set for an emergency. Use multiple high-quality USBs or SDs. 4) Anchor everything down to avoid cables coming loose. Rehearsals will not prepare you for the impact of the sound at a major festival.”
He concludes, “Hope this helps. I never had any issues with crashes or bugs until I played some of the most critical shows of my career, but I’ve learned a lot from every experience.”

Some takeaways from the #grimes set – as someone who’s played the Sahara tent and gone through a laptop crash. It’s especially brutal with a short @coachella set. I love @Grimezsz and wouldn’t wish this on anyone
1) Never broadcast your mistakes, even though it’s tempting to… https://t.co/avfAuRgJu9
— Morgan Page (@morganpage) April 14, 2024

Grimes is set to DJ at Coachella again for its second weekend, and is undoubtedly hoping the second time around goes a lot smoother.
You can get more information about the festival via the Coachella website.
The post “I love Grimes and wouldn’t wish this on anyone”: Morgan Page shares top tips for avoiding DJ issues at major events appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer’s Vintage plugin “has not been officially launched”, says brand as it admits leakLast week, eagle-eyed customers spotted a glitch on Behringer’s website. A registration page was available for its first free synth plugin, Vintage, despite there being no word of it elsewhere. While some may have been quick on the draw to fill in the registration form, the page was quickly taken down.

READ MORE: Behringer releases its first synth plugin, Vintage, for free…or does it?

Behringer has since explained the situation in a Facebook comment in response to a Computer Music news story. “The Vintage VST has not been officially launched and the Weblink for our testers has accidentally leaked,” Behringer explains. “We’re in the process of finalising the plugin and launching it soon.”
The company has also responded to comments on a MusicRadar Facebook post about the breach, clarifying that the new plugin was not created with Tone2 Audiosoftware.
“The look and feel of the recently released Behringer Vintage has caused confusion among our customers. Behringer Vintage is not a new version of Tone2 Saurus,” Tone2 Audiosoftware wrote. “Both products have a different synthesis architecture and sound different. We are not involved in the development of Behringer Vintage.”
Behringer has also added one extra layer of information. Speaking to MusicRadar, it reveals that the VST has apparently been designed by a “famous designer who creates sound engines for many leading VST brands” and says that it hopes to release more free plugins in the future.
“We’re very proud of this partnership and will introduce many more VSTs for free or a minimal fee to empower musicians that ‘have not and cannot,’” Behringer tells MusicRadar. “We’re closely working with Playing For Change Foundation and encourage you to donate whatever you can. We will match any donation up to $1 million USD.”
The post Behringer’s Vintage plugin “has not been officially launched”, says brand as it admits leak appeared first on MusicTech.

“It doesn’t come for free”: Twitch CEO says DJs will soon have to share revenue from streams with labelsDan Clancy, CEO of live streaming platform Twitch, says DJs using its platform to stream sets will soon have to share their revenue with labels. However, Twitch will be splitting the costs with you.
Clancy proposes that in order for this to happen, Twitch may need to track all music played by DJs. If it detects copyrighted music, it will require the streamer to disclose the money earned from the stream to the applicable labels.

READ MORE: Coachella’s Quasar stage illuminates the art of longer-form DJing – we’re here for it

No information on when this new system will come into play is yet available, but it will reportedly apply only to DJ streams (as per DJ Mag), and not live streams and videos on demand, which have different regulations regarding the use of copyrighted music.
Clancy made the statement during a live interview with TweakMusicClips hosted on Twitch, in which he said: “Pretty soon we’re gonna have a structure so that in the end we are gonna have to share money with the labels, it doesn’t come for free.
“I’ve already told a number of DJs this, and they realise of course they would rather not have to share some money but we’re gonna kind of split whatever the cost is. So we’re gonna pay a portion of it, and then the streamer will need to contribute a portion in terms of the revenue.”
Take a look below:

Twitch will soon require DJs to share part of their revenue with the music industry.
"We're going to have a structure, where we are going to have to share money with the labels, it doesn't come for free… we're going to split whatever the cost is."#TwitchNews #TOSg pic.twitter.com/YndPV8JIcH
— Zach Bussey (@zachbussey) April 10, 2024

Clany seemingly hopes that this new change will prevent DJs from receiving takedown notices, and allow both artists and the platform to share revenue. Interestingly, Engadget reports that currently, Twitch pays labels money for the use of copyrighted tracks, but “it’s not a sustainable long-term solution”.
The website also says that the labels are only okay with this deal for now because “they know Twitch is working on another solution that will make them (more) money”.
The post “It doesn’t come for free”: Twitch CEO says DJs will soon have to share revenue from streams with labels appeared first on MusicTech.

Antares launches Auto-Tune Pro 11 – what’s new?Antares has unveiled the latest version of its popular autotune software, Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11, and its available now to buy on Plugin Boutique. Building upon two decades, this latest edition introduces new features such as integration with its new Harmony Engine, two new Auto and Graph modes, and MIDI mapping.

READ MORE: Best new mixing plugins, effects and VST instruments out this week

Auto-Tune Pro 11 is now powered by the brand’s Harmony Engine, which you can adjust through its new Harmony Player section. The engine gives you “four individual harmonies that can be mixed and MIDI-triggered for instrument-like playability”.

There are intuitive controls, so you can play with the formant, pan, and level adjustments, crafting intricate harmonies becomes seamless. Advanced mix options, including EQ and stereo width adjustments, offer unparalleled control over vocal textures.
Auto-Tune Pro 11 also has a new Auto Mode which lets you correct pitch in real-time, and a Graph Mode for meticulous hands-on editing. The Graph Mode lets you ​​easily change notes manually, fine-tuning parameters such as retune speed, vibrato, and formant on a note-by-note basis.
Credit: Antares
The plugin also updates its support for ARA2 technology in Logic, Studio One, and Cubase/Nuendo, enhancing workflow efficiency, and enabling seamless exchange of audio data, tempo, pitch, and rhythm in real-time. Additionally, smart MIDI mapping simplifies the assignment of MIDI controllers to Auto-Tune Pro functions, facilitating intuitive real-time control.
Another cool addition to Antares’ plugin is Multi-View. This mode means you can process multiple vocals at the same time within one window. There’s also an updated Presets Manager, featuring exclusive artist presets.
Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11 is available to buy for $459 at Plugin Boutique.
The post Antares launches Auto-Tune Pro 11 – what’s new? appeared first on MusicTech.

“Every penny we make with Justice, we invest into stuff that’s not necessarily commercially viable”: Justice say every record they make renders them “bankrupt”It can be expensive to make music. Given that you’re here, you probably know that already, but it seems that even electronic giants such as Justice struggle with the costs of putting out records.
The duo, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, are to release their brand new album Hyperdrama on 26 April. It marks their fourth record and is their first studio release since 2016’s Woman. Like many artists, Justice say they put every penny they earn from their releases right back into their musical projects.

READ MORE: Kanye West allegedly samples underground producer TSVI without permission: “We’re at the bottom; he’s at the top with billions in his bank”

In an interview with Billboard, de Rosnay says, “[We] have no idea how much we get paid from streams. Not that we don’t care, but we don’t really look out for that.” He continues, “Every time we finish making a record, we are, like, ruined.”
“Like, bankrupt,” Augé says. The duo’s concert film IRIS: A Space Opera by Justice, which landed in 2019, is an example of one of their costly grandeur projects, but as de Rosnay goes on to explain, they don’t mind so much that money gets tight, as they’re grateful for what they already have.
“Like, we don’t have any money left, because every penny we make with Justice, we invest into stuff that’s not necessarily commercially viable,” he states. “As long as we are not in dire need, we don’t need to earn more money. We have houses. We have fun. We have food. It sounds cliché, but that’s the truth.”
Check out their latest single from the forthcoming album, Saturnine, below:

Justice are performing at Coachella festival on Friday 19 April. They will be touring following this date, and you can view all of their upcoming shows via their official website.
The post “Every penny we make with Justice, we invest into stuff that’s not necessarily commercially viable”: Justice say every record they make renders them “bankrupt” appeared first on MusicTech.

Austrian Audio Hi-X55 / OC818 offer Until 31 May 2024, those who purchase an OC818 will receive a complimentary pair of Hi‑X55 headphones.

4 tips for making your own drum kits
From layering to labeling, here are four tips to keep in mind if you're interested in making your own drum kits from scratch.

NAMM Foundation Celebrates 25 Years of 'Best Communities for Music Education'The NAMM Foundation celebrates and recognizes over 1,000 school districts and individual schools across 43 states for their support and commitment to music education and their efforts to ensure access to music for all students as part of a well-rounded education.READ MORECelebrate the 2024 Scholarship and Award RecipientsRead MoreJoin the Worldwide Celebration of Music, June 21Learn MoreThree scholarships that offer support to attend The 2025 NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA, are available. They are open to college students exploring careers in music, college faculty creating innovative music curricula, and mid-career music business professionals striving for career advancement. APPLYIMPORTANT DATES & EVENTSApril 15Scholarship Applications OpenApplyJune 21Make Music DayLearn MoreJan. 21-25The 2025 NAMM ShowLearn More

Plasma Cutter on the Cheap ReviewedIf you have a well-equipped shop, it isn’t unusual to have a welder. Stick welders have become a commodity and even some that use shield gas are cheap if you don’t count buying the bottle of gas. But plasma cutters are still a bit pricey. Can you get one from China for under $300? Yes. Do you want one that cheap? [Metal Massacre Fab Shop] answers that question in the video below.
First impressions count, and having plasma misspelled on the unit (plasme) isn’t promising. The instructions were unclear, and some of the fittings didn’t make him happy, so he replaced them with some he had on hand. He also added some pipe tape to stop any leaking.
The first test was a piece of quarter-inch steel at 35 amps. The machine itself is rated to 50 amps. Sparks ensued, and with a little boost in amperage, it made a fair-looking cut. At 50 amps, it was time to try a thicker workpiece. It made the cut, although it wasn’t beautiful. The leaking regulator and the fact that he can’t run the compressor simultaneously as the cutter didn’t help.
From the look of it, for light duty, this would be workable with a little practice and maybe some new fittings. Unsurprisingly, it probably isn’t as capable as a professional unit. Still could be very handy to have.
It is possible to convert a welder into a plasma cutter. A handheld unit like this probably won’t benefit from a Sharpie.

Meta thinks it’s a good idea for students to wear Quest headsets in classMeta continues to field criticism over how it handles younger consumers using its platforms, but the company is also planning new products that will cater to them. On Monday, the company announced in a blog post that later this year it will be launching a new education product for Quest to position its VR headset […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

3D Printing a Cassette Is Good Retro FunThe cassette is one of the coolest music formats ever, in that you could chuck them about with abandon and they’d usually still work. [Chris Borge] recently decided to see if he could recreate these plastic audio packages himself, with great success.
He kicked off his project by printing some examples of an open source cassette model he found online. The model was nicely accurate to the original Compact Cassette design, but wasn’t exactly optimized for 3D printing. It required a great deal of support material and wasn’t easy to customize.
[Chris] ended up splitting the model into multiple components, which could then be assembled with glue later. He then set about customizing the cassette shells with Minecraft artwork. Details of the artwork are baked into the model at varying heights just 1/10th of the total layer height. This makes it easy to designate which sections should be printed with which filament during his multi-colored print. And yet, because the height difference is below a full layer height, the details all end up on the same layer to avoid any ugly gaps between the sections. From there, it’s a simple matter of transferring over the mechanical parts from an existing cassette tape to make the final thing work.
It’s a neat trick, and the final results are impressive. [Chris] was able to create multicolored cassettes that look great. It’s one of the better uses we’ve seen for a multi-colored printer. This would be an epic way to customize a mixtape for a friend!
We’ve seen some great 3D printed cassettes before, too, like these retro reel-to-reel lookalikes.