It's Here! NUGEN Audio Releases NUtility ToolkitNUGEN Audio unveils its new NUtility Toolkit, which comprises its SigMod, AB Assist, Jotter and Aligner plug-ins. Ideal for entry-level and professional audio professionals alike, NUtility Toolkit fills gaps in DAW functionality and speeds up tedious admin tasks in order for audio engineers to focus on the more creative aspects of their job. 

“Introducing these utility plug-ins to your workflow will be a gamechanger,” says Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe, Product Specialist, NUGEN Audio. “It’s like finally buying a food processor when you’ve been using a pestle and mortar for the past decade. Do you have any idea how much more often I make pesto these days?”    

SigMod enables the user to create custom signal architecture to enhance the functionality of both the DAW and third-party plug-ins. The plug-in also offers easy access to functionality that is often either missing or difficult to access in certain DAWs, including but not limited to, a phase flip and a mid/side encoder and decoder. 

AB Assist 2 receives and compares up to four audio sources — different takes, plug-in options, mix revisions or versions of a master, with support for all surround channel counts. The blind test function randomly labels the streams as W, X, Y and Z for a completely unbiased assessment of the audio options. Additionally, an auto-level match function allows the user to match short-term loudness (LUFS) of sources, while a mono-check feature compares mono fold-downs and the smooth tool creates fades between sources.

Aligner is an automatic phase and polarity alignment tool designed for convenience and speed. With the automatic linking functionality, users can connect multiple instances of the plug-in to phase-correct all channels via one single user interface. The plug-in also includes manual phase adjustment for fine-tuning especially challenging audio.

Jotter provides easy sharing of timestamped notes and comments between the plug-in and the free standalone Jotter app. The latter allows clients and collaborators who may not own the plug-in (or do not use a DAW) to share their important feedback, and for audio engineers to view this feedback locked to the correct position on the project timeline. 

NUGEN’s NUtility Toolkit is available in AAX, VST3, AU and AudioSuite formats in 64-bit for both Mac and Windows OS. The bundle will be available for $99, which is a savings of $107 versus purchasing each of the individual tools. Each plug-in can still be purchased individually, and current users of any of these tools can upgrade to the bundle at a reduced rate.The post It's Here! NUGEN Audio Releases NUtility Toolkit first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Group music listening improves with Stationhead upgrade, Rythm relaunchNumerous startups and several of the streaming services are working on improving the group music listening experience. This week, a pioneer in group listening relaunched on Dischord, and an innovator unveiled a major new feature that identifies and rewards superfans.....
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Take a look inside Peggy Gou’s secret gig in London200 lucky fans were able to spend an evening with Peggy Gou in celebration of her debut album last week, as she hosted a secret gig in East London.
At Café 1001, Gou celebrated the release of I Hear You and gave fans the chance to experience her live show in an intimate setting ahead of her biggest UK headline set on 17th August at Gunnersbury Park.

READ MORE: Justice, Nia Archives, Peggy Gou, James Blake and more are playing Glastonbury 2024

Gou also surprised fans earlier in the day at a special pop-up store closeby to the gig venue. The album landed on 7 June and includes singles such as her huge hit (It Goes Like) Nanana, and I Believe in Love Again, featuring Lenny Kravitz.
At her secret show, Gou can be seen beaming as fans are gathered around the decks under cosy red lighting. Take a peek inside her secret gig below:
Image: Sienna Gray

@dailymailshowbiz
Peggy Gou suprises fans at a secret gig in London Launching her new album, Peggy will be playing Gunnersbury Park in London on Saturday 17th August #peggygou #surprise #gig #london #shoreditch #fans #fyp
♬ original sound – Daily Mail Celeb

In November last year, Gou spoke of her collaboration with Kravitz came to be. She told Zane Lowe, “In the whole album, I have 11 tracks. That music, the inspiration came from ‘90s music, some rave, house music, but this song is more like R&B ‘90s because I also listen to a lot of songs from that period. I guess from my idea ‘90s music is timeless for me. I also love hip hop and every song from that period.”
She later added, “I listen to Lenny’s songs a lot and my favourite album from him is 5. I’m sure a lot of people agree. His songs are to me very timeless and it was such an honour to get a chance to work with him.”
At her Gunnersbury Park gig, attendees can also catch performances from Mochakk, LSDXOXO, Sally C, and Hiver. Find out more via the Gunnersbury Park website.
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Music Publishers FTC complaint escalates battle, Spotify respondsThe National Music Publishers Association has ramped up its battle against Spotify on several fronts, including a complaint to the US Federal Trade Commission alleging the streamer converted Premium users into a bundled subscription that includes audiobooks without providing an option to remain on a music-only tier....
The post Music Publishers FTC complaint escalates battle, Spotify responds appeared first on Hypebot.

Secretly scores at Libera Awards and on Billboard Indie Power Players listIt was a big week for Indie music juggernaut Secretly, which scored big at A2IM's Libera Awards and on the Billboard 2024 Indie Power Players list....
The post Secretly scores at Libera Awards and on Billboard Indie Power Players list appeared first on Hypebot.

“You’re going to take 24 cents on our dollar and that’s all you can do, come up with a f**king fake viral TikTok moment?”: Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows takes aim at major record labelsAvenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows has shared his thoughts on the current landscape of traditional record deals, and how viral tracks are often a big focus for labels.
A7X have been doing things differently in recent years to gain more control over their revenue. Their 2023 album, Life Is But A Dream… was their final album to be released through Warner Records, which they had previously left and rejoined amid legal disputes.

READ MORE: “We’re taking power away from corporate networks, and saying, ‘No, we’re gonna reward our fans, not you’”: M. Shadows on Avenged Sevenfold’s new Fortnite-style Season Pass

In 2021, the band stared Deathbats Club — an NFT-based fanclub that rewards members with real-world merch discounts and opportunities for meet and greets. More recently, they launched Season Pass, a Fortnite-style progression system that lets fans earn points and unlock rewards.
In a new cover feature with Kerrang!, Sanders says, “We’re one of those bands who [have] actually survived releasing eight records for a major record label, and so we’ve seen a lot. And we’ve seen the numbers, and we’ve seen the ways that corporations pretty much control art.”
He adds, “It’s an interesting, weird sort of dynamic, but you’re going to get people involved who… make money off the back of art. And one of the things that happens is that the artists say, ‘Leave me alone, I want to create.’ And that’s fair enough. I get that. But my own brain works a little differently.
“I like getting into the technology and the weeds of the contracts that we sign. I like seeing the deals and I like seeing how much somebody is making off me or our band – where it’s fair and where it’s a little egregious.”

He goes on to explain, “Now what they [labels] do is they go to TikTok and they take someone who’s already gone viral [on social media], but who doesn’t have a label and they wrap ’em up into a shitty deal, but they can’t do anything for them.
“When Avenged Sevenfold were on Warner Bros., they were trying to figure out how to create a viral TikTok moment. What? I’m a fucking 42-year-old man, I’m not trying to figure out how to do a viral TikTok moment. I’m sorry. You’re going to take 24 cents on our dollar and that’s all you can do, come up with a fucking fake viral TikTok moment?”
Avenged Sevenfold will headline at Download Festival on 16 June. View all of their upcoming tour dates.
The post “You’re going to take 24 cents on our dollar and that’s all you can do, come up with a f**king fake viral TikTok moment?”: Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows takes aim at major record labels appeared first on MusicTech.

Cakewalk Next: An overview of the new DAW for macOS and WindowsBandLab has announced the official rollout of Cakewalk Next and Cakewalk Sonar, two digital audio workstations (DAWs) that build on the legacy of Cakewalk by BandLab, a DAW released in 2001.
The two new DAWs have been in public beta for several months, but are now available to download and use worldwide with a BandLab Membership account. Cakewalk Next and Cakewalk Sonar are the first off-platform additions BandLab’s creative toolset. But, with Cakewalk Next in particular, there is a twist.
READ MORE: The best DAWs for music producers in all genres, styles and workflows
What is Cakewalk Next?
Cakewalk Next. Image: MusicTech
Cakewalk Next seems like an ideal companion app for music makers working on the BandLab mobile app and browser app.
Free to anyone with a BandLab Membership at Cakewalk Next lets you import your BandLab song projects and build on your ideas with an additional suite of tools. You can load in third-party plugins, access over 100,000 samples from BandLab Sounds directly from the DAW, write down lyrics, group tracks, and separate your project into sections — intro, verse, chorus, et cetera.
You can also export your projects back to BandLab, so you can get an idea going on your desktop and continue tweaking it on your commute with the tools on the mobile app. You can download Cakewalk Next at cakewalk.com.
Cakewalk Next’s BandLab Sounds integration. Image: MusicTech
To some producers, the most obvious omission in Cakewalk Next is a traditional mixing window. You can still apply effects (including third-party plugins) to each track and adjust the expected parameters, but there’s no page dedicated to mixing your track. Cakewalk Next seems to be the perfect platform for laying down ideas, figuring out the arrangement, and not getting caught up in the mixing process.
For that, you might want to head to Cakewalk Sonar…
What is Cakewalk Sonar?
Cakewalk Sonar, naturally, is a revision of Cakewalk by BandLab, maintaining the familiar workflow and award-winning UI, but bringing a powerful suite of audio effects and virtual instruments, an unlimited number of audio, MIDI and auxiliary tracks, and high DPI support.
Image: BandLab Technologies
This DAW has long been the choice of newcomers and pros alike, with Grammy and Emmy-winning producers and sound designers using Cakewalk for its impressive capabilities. Cakewalk Sonar aims to continue catering to all types of users. However, staying true to its heritage, it’s a Windows-only DAW.
You can download Cakewalk Sonar at cakewalk.com. Those using Cakewalk by BandLab and previous versions of Cakewalk can still access their account and installs using the Legacy Cakewalk login.
What is BandLab Membership?
BandLab Membership is a paid tier of BandLab. It gives you a base offering of artist services, such as music distribution and fan engagement tools, plus opportunities to promote your music. You also get early access to new tools and features. It’s available for $14.95 per month.
Learn more at bandlab.com.
[Editor’s note: BandLab and MusicTech are both part of Caldecott Music Group.]
The post Cakewalk Next: An overview of the new DAW for macOS and Windows appeared first on MusicTech.

Musik Hack update Master Plan plug-in Master Plan 1.5 sports a brand new look and introduces an additional EQ band, improved loudness metering and more. 

Deadmau5 says he “doesn’t enjoy” dance music, but loves “the process of making it”Deadmau5 has candidly admitted that he doesn’t actually enjoy electronic music all that much, but the process of making it is what attracts him to the genre.
If we know one thing about Deadmau5, it’s that he’s unfiltered. Whether it’s discussing pre-recorded DJ sets or trolling Grimes for her technical issues at Coachella, he’s often doing or saying some pretty bold things.

READ MORE: “My favourite acronym for EDM is event-driven marketing”: deadmau5 reflects on the commercialisation of rave culture

“I don’t really enjoy dance music,” he tells Q’s Tom Power (via CBC). “I don’t partake. I don’t pump it in my car. I don’t walk it, I don’t talk it, I don’t breathe it, I don’t get excited about it… but I love the process of making it. I like the technical challenges. I like sonic development.”
While this statement might make other creatives infuriated, the producer – whose real name is Joel Zimmerman – can explain exactly how he ended up incidentally becoming an artist, when he originally had his heart set on working behind the scenes.
As a child, his interest began when he heard Tears For Fears on his father’s CD player: “There was so much accompaniment to it that just wasn’t somebody beating on a drum or playing a guitar or a keyboard or something like that. There’s always just some underlying machine behind it,” he recalls.
As electronic music began to develop over the years, young Zimmerman ended up interning at a recording studio in Niagara Falls. He told his boss he could build a computer for the studio to record and produce dance music, and word got around that he was good at working with such tech.
As his studio career began to blossom, he set his sights on developing a career in this same environment: “I thought, ‘Wow, what a really great thing to pursue a career in, working in a studio.’ I wasn’t having these dreams of being a DJ or a producer or a creative. I wanted to be just in the rear with the gear,” he says.
Despite this, he made his own electronic music too, and began noticing a gap in the market for a DJ that didn’t actually have the word “DJ” before their name (aside from a few artists such as Daft Punk), and decided on wearing the famous mouse helmet “because everyone else was [already] themselves”. He adds, “It’s ‘DJ-this’ and ‘DJ-that’ and it’s like the name, you know what I mean?”
Check out the full interview below:

The post Deadmau5 says he “doesn’t enjoy” dance music, but loves “the process of making it” appeared first on MusicTech.

Modartt launch Bösendorfer 280VC for Pianoteq Modartt’s latest Instrument Pack kits Pianoteq users out with a physical model of Bösendorfer’s 280VC concert grand piano.

This artist made a soundscape for the world’s largest sub-sea tunnel network. Here’s how he did itAs far as unique and surreal experiences go, journeying to the Faroe Islands to travel through the world’s largest sub-sea tunnel network of its kind, stopping off at its globally-renowned ‘Jellyfish Roundabout’, and later interviewing the producer who composed its singular soundscape is certainly up there.

READ MORE: EU AI Act explained: What does it mean for music producers and artists?

“I wanted to give the tunnel a voice,” explains Faroese-Danish producer and sound artist Jens Thomsen of the eerie immersive audio piece he was commissioned to create for the Eysturoyartunnilin’s dedicated radio station.
The soundscape — which runs for the average length of time it takes to drive across the 12-kilometre tunnel — is currently a live audio installation. Broadcast via FM radio, anyone travelling through the tunnel can tune in 24 hours, seven days a week.
Having opened in 2020, the Faroes’ answer to the Eurostar connects several otherwise-isolated islands locally and reduces travel time from an hour to 15 minutes. Inside the tunnel, there’s an ominous atmosphere, which is especially heightened when circling the Jellyfish Roundabout; alongside colour-changing shades of blue, red and green, black silhouettes of faceless figures stand tall around it as if they are guarding the central domineering structure.
Jens Thomsen at the Eysturoyartunnilin
When Thomsen was asked to create the audial soundtrack, he was immediately intrigued by the sonic possibilities. “It’s like painting with sound,” he says of the creative process. Having started out travelling into the tunnel in 2019, Thompson began sampling the sound of the construction taking place, as well as the frequent silence. Also key to his sonic collage were the meditative chants derived from samples of traditional Faroese chain dance.
“I wanted the piece to slow the listener down,” Thomson says, suggesting that, because it has to be experienced in motion, it’s a very literal case of travelling in time. This concept also presents an antithesis to the fast-paced nature of modern living, he adds: “Society going faster and faster, the way we consume art and social media,” which is generally at odds with life on the comparatively relaxed Faroe Islands.
Another contrast that Thomsen draws on is the fact that the track can be “explored in a totally different way to music that needs to go on the radio. All the other channels are news or radio to catch attention”, he adds, but with the composition “there’s nothing that’s trying to catch [one’s] attention.”
With all this in mind, Thomsen decided that he wanted to split the soundscape into three acts: driving from the tunnel entrance to the roundabout, going around the roundabout, and driving to the exit and out of the tunnel. He also had one question in mind: What does the tunnel sound like when it’s resting?
Jens Thomsen in his studio
Inspired by artists such as John Carpenter, Nam June Paik and Ingálvur av Reyni, as well as the Japanese Environmental music scene, when it came to creating his piece of “ecological sound art”, Thomsen used a Modular synth ES8 to interact with CV tools in Ableton.
Though traditionalist touches are subtly embedded into the multi-layered piece, the finished result is world’s away from what Faroese music has historically been known as. Sonically, the ominously chugging composition is an ambient mix of static frequency, whirring wind-like noise and eerie bleeps.
A bridging of old and new, both in sound and technique, the composition reflects a linking of two contrasting times. “In the Faroes, we have total silence but also adrenaline,” reflects MusicTech’s tour guide during our morning exploration of the capital city Torshavn.
Until a century ago, there were no instruments on the Faroes, which is an archipelago of 18 mountainous islands located halfway between Scotland and Iceland in the Northeast Atlantic. While the first was a violin, resourceful locals would often sing together based on rhythm and melody, with harmony being a much newer concept. They would also make noise from whatever items they could find; MusicTech learns that the inspiration for the Faroese national anthem stemmed from two beer bottles being clanged together.
Jens Thomsen at the Eysturoyartunnilin
Music remains integral to the island’s inhabitants (50,000 humans and 90,000 sheep) a century later. Many people who MusicTech meets during our weekend visit are musicians or involved in music in one way or another. As well as revered late-night hotspot bar Sirkus and independent record store Tutl, whose ethos is to release any and all music they are pitched, there are often several concerts on the same evening (spanning indie to contemporary classical) and even the semi-final of a local talent contest called Sement. After-parties in the Faroes typically see people gathering to unite in voice, too, often around a piano; for the vast majority of Faroese people, who are proud of their traditions, singing is integral to their culture.
This is true for Thomsen, too: “When I was a young child, I would sing over the sound of the milk compressor,” he remembers, also likening the constant sound of the sea as like a drone. As well as having grown up regularly hearing music, he explains that his grandfather was actually responsible for one of the oldest singing recordings on the Faroes.
As he got older, Thomsen started joining bands locally. “I was really fascinated with the whole recording studio process,” he recalls. Following a stint in London, where he lived from 2003, around the time that he became fascinated with the trip-hop sounds of Massive Attack and Tricky – “I wanted to recreate that”, he says – Thomsen immersed himself in the capital’s club culture, particularly parties like Hyperdub, and joined several different bands.
When he returned to the Faroe Islands to start the band ORKA in 2005, Thomsen began making his own instruments back at the farm he grew up on. “That was necessitated out of a longing for home,” he explains. Since moving back to his homeland in 2019, Thomsen has become a prolific name internationally as well as in local Faroese towns and villages, having mixed and produced a seemingly endless number of albums for other people. He has also released several albums from his own bands, including ORKA, and is regularly called upon for sound exhibitions at local galleries and theatres. This immersive side of music is something that has long fascinated him.
Jens Thomsen in his studio
Visiting his studio in the local area, which he built himself over several years, makes this abundantly clear. A sampler-loving self-confessed gear geek, among the vast range of tech he has amassed is a Minimoog, MPC60, MPC3000, Juno 60, Juno 106, Roland JD-800, MS20, ASR-10, and a modular rig. He also has some strong referencing options in the Barefoot speakers, Auratone speakers, NS10 speakers and a 5.1 Neumann setup. That’s before we get into the extravagant outboard gear.
Having so much at his disposal, it’s unsurprising that he describes the sub-sea tunnel project as a feat of “sonic archeology”. While it started off as a sequence part, reflecting the building of the tunnel and the progression, he triggered the pitch by using a sequencer and granular synthesis.
He then used a Minimoog, which added dark and unnerving elements to the piece, thus conjuring a dystopian atmosphere in the process. “I’m very interested in the reproduction of sounds,” he says, citing watching There Will Come Soft Rains as a five-year-old.
He adds that the plan was to remove the static of the piece, because it annoyed him initially. However, as “nobody could fix it”, despite the wider team enlisting the help of technicians around the world to try and do so, Thomsen now feels that it’s become “part of the piece, like the ghost in the machine. I find comfort in it being there now.”
Jens Thomsen at the Eysturoyartunnilin
After chronicling the technical process of creating the hypnotic and suspenseful piece in intricate detail, he goes on to share several specific influences that inspired it: Disintegration Loops by William Basinski and Mark Fisher’s Ghosts of my Life, of which he suggests “the noise is making cracks in late capitalism.”
While Thomsen says the roundabout has become an attraction due to it being so rare, he has been surprised to find the soundscape reaching a younger demographic. “Apparently children love it and are asking their parents to put it on,” he says.
What makes it even more special is that it’s only available on vinyl as a two-track EP. Conceptually, Thomsen suggests that ÆÐR (‘vein’ in English) explores modernity and post-war freedom through a Faroese lens. Moreover, he hopes that releasing the soundscape in a physical format will not only depict the parallels between the tunnel and Faroese society today, but also bring it to a wider audience around the world.
The post This artist made a soundscape for the world’s largest sub-sea tunnel network. Here’s how he did it appeared first on MusicTech.

DJ Duo Sock & Buskin to host rave on moving CTA train this weekendYou might have attended raves before, but have you ever partied on a moving train?
This coming Saturday (15 June), DJ duo Sock & Buskin will gear up to transform a Brown Line train into a mobile rave. From 7pm to 11pm, your otherwise routine CTA commute will be electrified with pulsating beats and a whole lot of groove.

READ MORE: Rythm music bot returns to Discord with full UI and ‘00s-style music visualiser

Chicago-based event company Redline is set to host what it calls the Redline Express, a unique train rave that will feature a live, five-hour set by Sock & Buskin.
Sock & Buskin, known for their impromptu “walk-up” DJ performances across Chicago, will bring their act to CTA commuters by loading their gear onto the train at the Kimball station.
The event is powered by 10 SOUNDBOKS speakers and promises an immersive auditory experience as the train travels towards the Loop, making a stop at the Washington and Wells station. The train will circle the Loop a couple times, giving passengers the opportunity to hop off and on for breaks, before heading back to Kimball.
The Redline Express will occupy six CTA cars, offering attendees the chance to dance their way through Chicago’s iconic train system. The rave is split into two segments, with the first departure from Kimball at 7pm and the second at 9:20pm.
Tickets to the event are priced at $75 per person and grant access to the entire journey. Attendees can check in and board the trains 40 minutes before departure.
Sponsored by Red Bull and SKAA, the rave aims to create a one-of-a-kind experience reflective of Chicago’s rich and global music scene.

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In related news, deadmau5 recently commented on the commercialisation of rave culture, saying: “I hear kids saying, ‘Hey, going to the rave, bought my ticket on Ticketmaster, and it’s in Vegas, it’s sponsored by Live Nation and Coca-Cola’ … you know what I mean?”
“My favourite acronym for EDM is event-driven marketing. That’s so funny, I know, because it’s what it is really – that doesn’t take away from anyone wanting to go out and have a good time.”
The post DJ Duo Sock & Buskin to host rave on moving CTA train this weekend appeared first on MusicTech.

DJs using a tool, Aslice, to pay producers whose tracks are featured in their setsAslice, founded by DJ DVS1 in 2022, enables DJs to allocate a percentage of their performance fees to producers. This software uses machine learning to match tracks and distribute payments accurately.
The post DJs using a tool, Aslice, to pay producers whose tracks are featured in their sets appeared first on DJ TechTools.

Mariachi instruments: An introductory guide
From the vihuela and guitarrón to the violin and trumpet, learn about five instruments that define the sonic identity of mariachi music.

Blockchain thriving among Fortune 500 companies, but US lags — CoinbaseCoinbase’s fourth annual corporate adoption report found that Fortune 500 companies and small businesses are adopting blockchain technology.