The new Headliner R4 is a four-channel analogue rotary DJ mixer that gives you “absolute control” over your soundHeadliner has unveiled the R4, a four-channel analogue rotary mixer designed for DJs who want precise control over their sound without breaking the bank.

READ MORE: It’s settled: Logic Pro is the best digital audio workstation in the world, at least according to the NAMM TEC Awards

Sporting genuine ALPS potentiometers, a robust metal enclosure, and stained wood side panels, the R4 boasts a classic aesthetic that complements any DJ setup.
The mixer features four Line inputs, three phono inputs, and one mic input on four stereo channels. Each channel is equipped with essential features like gain control with peak LED, a 3-band isolator EQ, headphone cue selector, generous channel volume knob, and a filter activation switch, giving you the tools needed for seamless mixing.
At the heart of the R4 lies the Master channel, equipped with an analogue filter, headphone monitoring, and a comprehensive output control section. Seamlessly toggle between High Pass / Low Pass Filter modes with Frequency and Resonance controls to shape your signature sound.
Image: Headliner
The unit also comes with independent Master and Booth outputs, both equipped with volume controls and XLR and RCA connectors, ensuring seamless connectivity across various sound systems. Additionally, the mixer includes a dedicated Record output with unbalanced RCA jacks, and an additional microphone input with level control located on the front panel.
As for power, the R4 will need to be connected to an external power supply via a locking Mini XLR.
The Headliner R4 is priced at $599.99.
Learn more at Headliner-la.
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Merck Mercuriadis to exit CEO role at Hipgnosis Song Management, becoming Chairman; Ben Katovsky promoted to Chief Executive of companyHSM, which has approximately $3 billion-worth of assets under management, counts Blackstone as a majority investor
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Embody’s Immerse Virtual Studio gains Apple Music support The latest edition of Immerse Virtual Studio fully integrates Apple’s binaural rendering technology, making it possible to mix and render immersive mixes for Apple Music without Logic Pro.

Sausage Fattener creators Dada Life have released a new ‘Secret Sauce’ plugin bundleDada Life, the creators behind the infamous Sausage Fattener, have released a new ‘Secret Sauce’ bundle made up of 3 different plugins: Space In-Your-Face, Eternal Return, and Wide Awake.

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

Like the Sausage Fattener, all of the plugins in the Secret Sauce bundle feature an ultra-minimalist interface with just two knobs.

According to Dada Life, Space In-Your-Face is a reverb plugin, “just wider and better than the rest.”
“A lot of people asked us about the reverb in [2017’s] Endless Smile so we created the plugin Space In-Your-Face with the same idea: a lush reverb that doesn’t sound muddy even if you use a lot of it,” says the brand.
Next, Eternal Return is a riser effect that “keeps rising forever”. It’s perfect on sounds that have some white noise in them, like a snare drum buildup.
And finally, Wide Awake is a stereo widener that can give drastic results. You can use it to convert mono sounds to full on rainbow-stereo, but it can also be used more subtly. Simply choose the frequency range you’d like to focus on, and adjust the Amount knob accordingly.
Priced at $39, the full Secret Sauce bundle is now available at Dada Life’s website.
Check out the plugins in action below.

Learn more at Dada Life.
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2B Played Music Offers QFX Color Plugin For FREE Until February 5th
2B Played Music’s QFX Color analog-like filter, which normally costs €17, is now free until February 5, 2024. You can pick up the Windows and Mac plugin by using the coupon code QFXKNOB at checkout on the product page linked below.  2B Played Music released the QFX Color sound coloring, analog-like filter in June 2023.  [...]
View post: 2B Played Music Offers QFX Color Plugin For FREE Until February 5th

AI-powered music manager app Maverick SoundZ offers a database of radio stations, DJs and journalists to aid promotion – for just £7.99 a monthAI-powered app Maverick SoundZ is a new “all-in-one” virtual music manager, designed to help artists from all backgrounds get their music out there.
The app is the brainchild of London-based independent artist, entrepreneur, and actress Mariska Ariya. The Maverick SoundZ company has been supporting independent artists for the past five years.

READ MORE: Record labels should commit to regular publication of statistics on the diversity of their rosters to push back against “boy’s club”, says new report

The app is priced at £7.99 per month and, according to the company, does all the jobs of a music management team. This includes a customised “battleplan” to guide artists through their careers, and even a database of radio stations, DJs, and journalists to aid promotion. Artists can also send their own press releases directly from the app.
Additionally, it also offers mental health check-ins, a calendar with a reminders feature, an AI-powered artist bio generator, press release generator, a caption generator for social media content, plus email templates.
“This app is made for independent artists, by independent artists, who understand the nuances of making music in the industry,” says founder Ariya. “When I was starting out, I found the lack of control and resources within the industry for independent artists really overwhelming.
“Many artists struggle with burnout, anxiety, and a lack of finances when it comes to managing their music careers. This app was created to mitigate that stress and streamline the process so that artists can focus on creating the music.”
She adds, “We prioritise mental wellness for artists within the app, with prompts and motivational quotes to remind artists to celebrate themselves.”
Just last year, it was revealed that 75 percent of musicians who spend money on promoting their releases, spend more than they make from streams, sales, syncs and other music revenue streams combined. 51 percent of artists also said they had taken a social media detox at some point in their career due to its impact on their mental health. Maverick SoundZ is hoping to push back against these struggles faced by independent musicians with its new app.
Find out more at Maverick SoundZ.
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Softube Console 1 Channel MK III promises console-like mixing in your DAW£869 (street price), softube.com
Rather than trying to solve every remote-control-conundrum thrown up by your average DAW, Softube’s Console 1 system focuses entirely on recreating the experience of working on a mixing console.

READ MORE: How Sonible smart:EQ 4 offers a glimpse into the future of AI mixing

The system centres around a pair of hardware controllers. Console 1 Channel (the new version of which we are looking at here) arranges its panel of knobs and buttons into sections, much like the sections on a console’s channel strip (preamp, filters, EQ, etc.). And Console 1 Fader provides 10 motorised faders for controlling channel levels, panning and send levels.
The hardware connects to an app on the host computer and provides an on-screen display (OSD) reflecting the settings of the selected channel. This app connects to the Console 1 plugin that you load into any DAW channel you wish to bring under Console 1’s control. This plugin is essentially a duplicate of the OSD, hosting Console 1-ready processor and channel strip plugins and mapping their parameters to the hardware controls. This arrangement ensures the knobs on the hardware always map to the same (or, at least, very similar) parameters in the software.

Next-gen updates
Whilst of a similar size to its predecessor, the new Console 1 Channel has an entirely new look, with a darker, sleeker appearance, a refreshed layout of controls, and the inclusion of two 3 cm by 3 cm, high-resolution displays. These offer a range of different visualisations – VU meters, dynamics graphs, and such – that can be chosen manually, or that can switch automatically depending on the controls you are interacting with.
The rotary controls found in the new unit are quite special, being built around high-precision endless potentiometers that give a very direct, linear connection between the hardware knob and software parameters. In use, these rotaries are rock solid to the touch yet have a silky-smooth feel when turned. The current value for a knob is shown by a surrounding ring of LEDs that brighten as soon as you touch the control.
Softube has been busy on the software side of things too. When hooked up to the Mk III hardware, the system provides nine processing stages/channel strip sections, and the bundled Core Mixing Suite gives you a set of processors for loading into these sections. These new models replace the SSL 4K-based models that graced the previous versions of Console 1 in favour of a collection based on Softube’s existing collection of modelled vintage hardware. Most notable here are the inclusion of Softube’s FET Compressor Mk II, OPTO Compressor and BUS Compressor, all of which offer outstanding models of the original hardware and deliver a classy, vintage sound.
The suite also includes two EQ models, named generically as Vintage and Modern. The former is a vintage-style passive offering oozing with colour and character, whilst the latter is a much more precise affair, ideal for pinpointing specific frequencies. Additional channel strip packs are available, as are individual Console 1-ready plugins, all of which can be mixed and matched as you see fit.

Not all Console 1-ready plugins have parameters that precisely match the labelling and layout of the hardware, however, which runs counter to the Console 1 ethos. However, touching a control will reveal its parameter name and value on the nearest screen, and only controls that are in use have their LED surrounds switched on, all of which alleviates the problem somewhat.
The first channel strip section is an all-new Tape/Preamp stage for emulating analogue tape or a console’s mic preamp. Unfortunately, the Core Mixing Suite includes only a single tape emulation model… it’s a very good tape emulation, for sure, but we think it outrageous that the nearly £900 asking price doesn’t include a single mic preamp model! The Filter section follows, offering low and high cut with variable slope, and the ability to be routed to the sidechain of the Shape or Compressor sections.
Shape and Compressor, along with the EQ section that dominates the centre of the hardware control panel, are referred to as “middle” sections, and have been doubled-up in the Mk III system. That is, you now get two Shape sections, two EQ sections and two Compressor sections, with buttons on the hardware for selecting which is being controlled. These middle sections can be reordered in whatever way you like, allowing for some very flexible and powerful channel strips to be created. Things conclude with a Drive section and a set of channel controls (level, pan, mute, etc.).

Compatibility
The new Console 1 System software fully supports the previous generation hardware, and the new Channel Mk III works perfectly in conjunction with the original Console 1 Fader hardware (although it won’t be long before Softube releases the next-gen version of this as well).
As before, the updated Console 1 integrates closely with Universal Audio UAD plugins, but the details are a bit different to previously. The system will recognise, load and control any Console 1-ready UAD plugins, but it cannot control UAD plugins that are loaded into regular DAW processing slots.
There is, however, a new Apollo mode that enables direct control of the Apollo Console mixer. This allows you to load and control both Unison and standard UAD plugins directly within the Apollo Console, and control channel settings. Switching from regular DAW mode to Apollo mode is quick too, so you can flip back and forth as required.
Quality and class…and cost
The latest generation hardware is dripping with quality and class, with smart looks matching smart operation. It’s clear that no expense has been spared… but unfortunately this is reflected in an asking price that has more than doubled from the previous incarnation. Ouch.
It’s obvious enough what this extra money is paying for, but it places Console 1 squarely up against SSL’s DAW controller systems (which may explain why Softube dropped the SSL channel strip models it bundled previously). That system offers a similar knob-to-parameter tie-up when using SSL channel strip plugins, but can also function as a generic controller for any plugin or instrument. They’re different beasts, but it’s going to be interesting to see how the competition plays out!
In summary, though, despite performing a task similar to any other DAW controller, Console 1 really does deliver on its promise to recreate the intuitive immediacy of a full mixing console. So good is this recreation that, if you fully embrace the workflow, you can literally run an entire tracking or mixing session without once touching a mouse or looking at your computer screen. Everything can be done from the hardware, and everything is intuitive and easy.
Softube Console 1 Channel Mk III key features

DAW controller system
2 USB-C connectors
2 USB-C to USB-C, and 1 USB-C to USB-A cables included
Bus powered or external PSU (included)
Mimics repeating channel strips of mixing consoles
27 high precision endless potentiometers
Dual 3 cm x 3 cm high resolution displays
Console 1 System software and Core Mixing Suite comprising:

Filters: 6db/oct, 12db/oct, 18db/oct, 24db/oct, 48dB/oct
Shape processors: Dynamic Shaper, Panner, Dual Dynamics
Compressors: Console 1 versions of Softube FET Compressor Mk II, Softube OPTO Compressor and Softube Bus Compressor
EQ: Modern and Vintage
Drive: drive stages from FET and OPTO compressors

Rackmount kit available
VESA mounting points on rear of unit

The post Softube Console 1 Channel MK III promises console-like mixing in your DAW appeared first on MusicTech.

Big change at Universal Music Group: John Janick and Monte Lipman to head up newly-restructured label groups in the USBoth key executives increase responsibilities at UMG
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Apple Vision Pro: Day TwoLast night, I fell asleep under the stars, the chirp of crickets intermingling with the old radiator’s whistle off in the distance. I just finished an episode of Justified: City Primeval on the big screen. It was a constant 68 degrees, but I tucked myself into the duvet, nonetheless. For tonight, I’m thinking the surface […]
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Live Review: Frankie And The Witch FingersThe Troubadour Los Angeles, CA 

Web: frankieandthewitchfingers.com 

Conatct: frankieandthewitchfingers@gmail.com 

Players: Dylan Sizemore, vocals, guitar; Josh Menashe, guitar, synthesizer; Nikki Smith, bass; Nick Aguilar, drums 

Material: Frankie and the Witch Fingers is a hard rocking, open-minded band. They are very progressive and mix it up extremely well with punk, metal, jazz and pop. The band is many faceted in many ways. They introduce a trumpet and a sax into a few of their songs and the songs themselves have many layers, twists, turns and spirals. Fast and furious at one point, then a slow-go for a bit, then it’s back on the horsie to gallop away; but only to get into the next song. Hints of Yes, Zeppelin and the Sex Pistols oozed out of the band’s pores as they played very melodic and melodious hard tunes. 

Musicianship: Excellent musicianship all around. These guys (and gal) put it on the line this particular evening in Hollywood. Sizemore walked the tightrope, did a few flips and landed straight on and wanted more. Great shredding from Menashe added ‘umph’ to the already great tunes as the horns and synthesizers added sophistication to the mix. The rhythm section was so on, you could tell these guys have been playing together for a while. Sizemore, Smith and Aguilar could do no wrong as they laid the foundation for a great evening of entertainment. 

Performance: The performance was extremely good. Super high energy was emanating from the stage all night. Aguilar is a monster behind the kit. Not just because he had painted his face super ugly, but because he prodded, poked, yelled and provoked, the audience, as well as his bandmates, to dance, jump and shout all night long; all the while twirling his sticks and sneering at who-so-ever dared lock eyes with him. Together with Smith and Sizemore, the chemistry is unmatched. 

Summary: Frankie and the Witch Fingers was super fun to watch and listen to. Superb lighting show by the Troubadour crew added ambiance and mood to the already vigorous atmosphere that Frankie and the Witch Fingers exuded. A great band performance that not only entertained on a Broadway level, but entertained and impressed on a musical level. If you’re into high energy Rock n Roll and want to dance, jump and shout all night long, Frankie and the Witch Fingers is your band. Prog-Metal at its best! 

Primary Wave moves into Brazilian music with stake in Nas Nuvens Catalog (report)The deal reportedly involves Primary Wave taking a 50% stake in the three-year-old Brazilian music rights company
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TikTok UMG music takedowns have begun and will happen in 3 phasesTikTok began taking down or muting Universal Music-related artists and songs overnight after the two parties failed to agree on a new licensing agreement. The battle for words between the. Continue reading
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Artists predicted to make $5.2b from vinyl sales in 2024 Forecasts suggest a $5.2b windfall for artists from vinyl sales in 2024, the highest since 1990...

Emergence Audio launch Viola Textures library Viola Textures takes a different approach to traditional string libraries, aiming to create interesting, evolving pad sounds from the source samples.

College Radio Promotion for Independent MusiciansCollege radio is one of the few outlets open to independent and self-released music and a prime place to promote to many artists’ biggest listening demographic. Here’s how to get. Continue reading
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