JUCE 8 development platform released The latest version of JUCE's development software introduces some powerful new features such as text rendering improvements, Direct2D rendering on Windows and a new animation framework. 

Antelope Audio Zen Quadro: Function over form means huge bang for your buck€599/$599, antelopeaudio.com
Having established a formidable reputation in the field of digital clock and converter technology, it’s not a surprise that Antelope Audio developed its own line of professional audio interfaces.

READ MORE: Is Lewitt Connect 2 really the “most user-friendly audio interface” ever made?

The company’s flagship Galaxy series features some highly-respected interfaces. While these may be beyond the means of most small studios, home producers and content creators, the expertise and technology that underpins Galaxy is available in the more affordable form of Antelope’s Zen range.
Digging into specifications, the newest addition to that range, Zen Quadro, promises to outperform interfaces costing between far more, and to wipe the floor with similarly-priced competitors. So we wonder — is this on-paper promise matched by on-the-job performance?
From standalone to multi-host
Zen Quadro has a sleek and solid all-metal desktop case that’s neither chunky nor compact, and that sports an uncluttered control panel featuring just one large dial, three buttons and a high-resolution colour display. Configuration and set-up can be performed directly from the hardware if desired, thereby allowing fully standalone operation as a mixer for studio, broadcast or live situations.
The interface connects to the computer via its primary USB-C port, which communicates via USB-2. It works with any device that supports the USB Class Compliant standard, but for tighter integration with the host there’s also a unified driver for macOS and Windows.
Antelope Audio Zen Quadro Mixer
There’s also a secondary USB-C port. This isn’t just a USB hub or pass-through, as found on some units. Rather, this serves the unusual and unique function of enabling Zen Quadro to be hooked up to two hosts at the same time. While this might sound like a zany concept, if you think of Zen Quadro as a mixer, and the host computers/devices simply as sources and destinations connected to that mixer, it all starts to make sense.
There are a few ways in which this is useful too. For example, you may have instruments running from an iPad and want to route these to your main DAW or, in a live situation, to mix them with other synth outputs. Or, in a streaming/programme-making scenario, the second USB port makes it easy to route audio from phone-in guests or other apps into your show’s audio stream.
What inputs and outputs does the Zen Quadro have?
The interface’s four analogue inputs are served by combo XLR/Jack sockets, and so all can operate as either mic or line-level inputs. The first pair of inputs, located on the unit’s front panel, can also be switched into instrument mode for connecting electric guitars and the like.
When designing the preamps, Antelope took inspiration from premium Langevin and Altec designs, as found on many classic large-format consoles. What it came up with employs the same discrete six-transistor design, delivering up to 75 dB of low-noise gain and recreating the clarity and musicality of classic console preamps. They really do sound good!
Adding to these four exceptional input channels is an ADAT optical input for injecting up to eight additional channels (dependent on sample rate), plus a stereo coaxial S/PDIF input. This brings the maximum input count to an impressive 14, although you will of course need external hardware in order to make use of the digital inputs.

On the other side of the equation are Zen Quadro’s ten output channels. There’s the main pair of outputs for connection to a monitoring system, along with a second pair of line outs that can be used for creating alternative monitor mixes, hooking up to external processors, and so-on. A nice feature for modular synth enthusiasts is that these line outputs can be switched to DC-coupled mode (as can the line inputs), and so can carry CV and gate signals to and from your computer.
The main mix output is mirrored in the first of two 6.35 mm headphone outputs, with the second carrying its own independent mix. The final pair of outputs are sent via a coaxial S/PDIF, and these can have any of Zen Quadro’s internal buses routed to it. That’s a choice of 34 different sources, including all inputs, DAW returns, and two internal loopback buses.
How does the Zen Quadro sound?
Antelope has loaded Zen Quadro with exactly the same converters found in its €4,000+ Galaxy interfaces, teamed up with the latest iteration of its proprietary 64-bit AFC (Acoustically Focused Clocking) technology. As a result, every subtle sonic nuance is reproduced faithfully, building an aural image that is sumptuously wide and deep with remarkable clarity and positional accuracy.
Zen Quadro also includes Antelope’s Synergy Core onboard digital signal processing (DSP). This drives a mic modelling stage linked to the preamp, as well as allowing chains of Antelope’s Synergy Core FX processors to be loaded on the first six internal mixer channels. These are typically used to handle the four analogue inputs and the main “from DAW” bus, but can have any source routed to them.
Antelope Audio Zen Quadro AuraVerb
Offloading some of the host computer’s processing duties is clearly advantageous, and allows effects to be applied to direct monitor feeds without the latency that results from a round trip through a DAW. Unlike platforms such as Universal Audio’s UAD-2, however, Synergy Core FX are intended solely as an alternative to expensive outboard processors; unfortunately they cannot be applied as plugins within the DAW.
The interface comes with a healthy collection of 37 processors ideal for input and output conditioning – EQs, dynamics processors, preamp and mic emulations and so-on – with many more available to buy. Guitarists will be particularly interested in the stack of modelled guitar amps and cabs that turn Zen Quadro into an impressive guitar preamp too.
In addition to these channel insert processors, Synergy Core also powers a flexible, rich-sounding reverb, AuraVerb, that operates as a send effect. Although intended largely as a live monitoring and mixing effect, it is possible to bus the reverb into your DAW via a loopback bus if you feel the need to.

Can the Zen Quadro beat its competitors?
Zen Quadro is an impressive audio interface, packed with high-end features and – most importantly – exceptional audio fidelity. But perhaps the most impressive thing is the asking price, the unit being considerably more affordable than anything else with similar specs and capabilities.
Some of that value comes from the design of the enclosure, which is more basic than the sleek curviness of the similarly-specified UA Apollo Twin and Apogee Symphony Desktop. The physical controls, while solid, also lack the silky sumptuousness of those found on competitors.
Nevertheless, Zen Quadro shapes up where it counts most, its pro-grade features and exceptional sound quality placing it squarely alongside these pricier options. Indeed, it’s far ahead of any similarly-priced interface.
Zen Quadro key features

4 analogue inputs plus up to 10 digital inputs
4 line outs, 2 stereo headphone outs and stereo digital out
Line ins and outs can be DC-coupled
Discrete console-grade preamps
On-board Synergy Core DSP and 37 included plugins
USB-2 class compliant
Unified driver for macOS and Windows
Standalone operation mode
Dual host operation mode
Two internal stereo loopback busses
64-bit AFC clocking

The post Antelope Audio Zen Quadro: Function over form means huge bang for your buck appeared first on MusicTech.

Spotify’s “Supremium” subscription tier to arrive “later this year”, according to reportsSpotify’s “Supremium” subscription plan with access to high-fidelity audio looks set to land this year, as reports claim it will also include new tools for creating playlists and managing your song library.
Mentions of the “Supremium” tier began back in 2021. In June 2023, it was again reported that it would arrive that same year along with audiobook access. This feature was rolled out to standard premium users instead.

READ MORE: Sony Music CEO wants free streaming users to start paying – would it ever work, though?

Now, sources are again claiming the subscription plan will arrive this year instead, and will be priced at “at least $5 more per month”. It is also alleged that it will be “an add-on” for existing subscribers, according to Bloomberg.
The publication also claims that “customers who choose to upgrade” to the new plan when it launches “will generate additional sales for [Spotify] and its business partners”.
In October 2023, a leak reported by The Independent originally alleged that the new tier would cost $19.99, citing its source as technology expert Chris Messina, who found mentions of the update within Spotify.
As Spotify currently charges $11.99 for a standard/individual premium subscriber, if “Supremium” was to be an add on, we’ll be looking at a slightly lower cost of $16.99 in total, providing that it is the minimum of the $5 increase.
In other Spotify-related news, the streaming platform released its first ever European Loud & Clear data earlier this week. The data captures artist royalty payments from across the European Union for the first time since its inception.
As one of its key findings, Spotify found that in 2023, more than 15,000 European artists generated over €10,000, and more than 25,000 generated over €5,000, “enabling artists to live off their art”.
MusicTech will provide more information on Spotify “Supremium” as we get it. In the meantime, you can also check out more from Spotify via its Newsroom.
The post Spotify’s “Supremium” subscription tier to arrive “later this year”, according to reports appeared first on MusicTech.

Juicy Loops 2: Max For Live sequencer Juicy Loops 2 is a Max for Live creation that brings FL Studio’s sequencer to Ableton Live users.

REWIND: New Music Industry’s Week in ReviewIt was a busy week by any definition, and the music industry was no exception. There were big accusations regarding Merchbar, music publishers’ fight with Spotify escalates, action on group. Continue reading
The post REWIND: New Music Industry’s Week in Review appeared first on Hypebot.

Niche is mainstream #MusicIndustry and mainstream is niche #Music #Producers #artists #Midia

RELEASE DETAILS
Release title:
1Tape
Main artist name:
Kid Rap
Release date:
7th Jun, 2024
https://publme.lnk.to/1Tape
#newmusic #Release #Music #indepedent #artist #hiphop #rap

Bitcoin uses more renewable energy, but will Tesla accept it again?Tesla removed Bitcoin payments citing environmental concerns, but Elon Musk pledged to reinstate them if renewable energy use on the network increased.

New Part Day: A Hackable Smart RingWe’ve seen prolific firmware hacker [Aaron Christophel] tackle smart devices of all sorts, and he never fails to deliver. This time, he’s exploring a device that seems like it could have come from the pages of a Cyberpunk RPG manual — a shiny chrome Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) smart ring that’s packed with sensors, is reasonably hacker friendly, and is currently selling for as little as $20.
The ring’s structure is simple — the outside is polished anodized metal, with the electronics and battery carefully laid out along the inside surface, complete with a magnetic charging port. It has a BLE-enabled MCU, a heartrate sensor, and an accelerometer. It’s not much, but you can do a lot with it, from the usual exercise and sleep tracking, to a tap-sensitive interface for anything you want to control from the palm of your hand. In the video’s comments, someone noted how a custom firmware for the ring could be used to detect seizures; a perfect example of how hacking such gadgets can bring someone a brighter future.
The ring manufacturer’s website provides firmware update images, and it turns out, you can upload your own firmware onto it over-the-air through BLE. There’s no signing, no encryption — this is a dream device for your purposes. Even better, the MCU is somewhat well-known. There’s an SDK, for a start, and a datasheet which describes all you would want to know, save for perhaps the tastiest features. It’s got 200 K of RAM, 512 K of flash, BLE library already in ROM, this ring gives you a lot to wield for how little space it all takes up. You can even get access to the chip’s Serial Wire Debug (SWD) pads, though you’ve got to scrape away some epoxy first.
As we’ve seen in the past, once [Aaron] starts hacking on these sort of devices, their popularity tends to skyrocket. We’d recommend ordering a couple now before sellers get wise and start raising prices. While we’ve seen hackers build their own smart rings before, it’s tricky business, and the end results usually have very limited capability. The potential for creating our own firmware for such an affordable and capable device is very exciting — watch this space!

We thank [linalinn] for sharing this with us!

Black founders are creating tailored ChatGPTs for a more personalized experienceChatGPT, one of the world’s most powerful artificial intelligence tools, struggles with cultural nuance.
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RC Batwing Actually FliesBatman is a compelling superhero for enough reasons that he’s been a cultural force for the better part of a century. His story has complex characters, interesting explorations of morality, iconic villains, and of course a human superhero who gets his powers from ingenuity instead of a fantastical magical force. There are a number features of the Batman universe that don’t translate well to the real world, though, such as a costume that would likely be a hindrance in fights, technology that violates the laws of physics, and a billionaire that cares about regular people, but surprisingly enough his legendary Batwing jet airplane actually seems like it might be able to fly.
While this is admittedly a model plane, it flies surprisingly well for its nontraditional shape. [hotlapkyle] crafted it using mostly 3D printed parts, and although it took a few tries to get it working to his standards, now shoots through the air quite well. It uses an internal electric ducted fan (EDF) to get a high amount of thrust, and has elevons for control. There are two small vertical stabilizer fins which not only complete the look, but allow the Batwing to take to the skies without the need for a flight controller.
Not only is the build process documented in the video linked below with some interesting tips about building RC aircraft in general, but the STL files for this specific build are available for anyone wanting to duplicate the build or expand on it. There are plenty of other interesting 3D-printed models on [hotlapkyle]’s page as well that push the envelope of model aircraft. For some other niche RC aircraft designs we’ve seen in the past be sure to check out this F-35 model that can hover or this tilt-rotor Osprey proof-of-concept.

Thanks to [Keith] for the tip!

Harmonix co-founder Alex Rigopulos and esteemed lawyer Priyanka Khimani join Songtradr boardSongtradr says duo will help company in its next phase of global growth
Source

Centre for Computing History: Synthesized 2024 The Centre for Computing History have announced the return of their Synthesized event, which will be taking place on 29 and 30 June 2024 at their premises in Cambridge, UK. 

Subscription vitamin company Care/of is shutting downCare/of, a company offering personalized subscription vitamin packs, says it will be canceling all subscriptions as of Monday, June 17 and will no longer be accepting new orders. The news doesn’t come completely out of the blue, as Care/of had previously disclosed in a New York Department of Labor filing that it planned to lay […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Binance co-founder beseeches Elon Musk to address cryptocurrency scams on XAccording to Yi He, “a significant amount of money” was lost when X.com users were tricked by an impersonation scam.