Audiolatry Releases Easy Strings FREE ROMpler Instrument
Audiolatry has just released Easy Strings – a free (or ‘pay what you want’) ROMpler for macOS and Windows users. This ROMpler features samples recorded from violin, viola, and cello ensembles.  It’s not a deeply sampled instrument, as the developer Audiolatry states; hence, only one velocity layer is available.  The goal of this plugin was [...]
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10 Most Read Posts on Hypebot in 2023As 2023 winds down, we share Hypebot’s most-read posts of the last year, and believe it or not, they aren’t only about AI, and all are worth revisiting as we. Continue reading
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25 Social Media Questions musicians should know the answers to [Bobby Borg]Social Media is an integral part of every musician’s success. But with so many platforms, things can get complicated. This video helps answer frequently asked questions about social media that. Continue reading
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YOUR MORNING COFFEE PODCAST: Big Music Stories ’23 • MIDiA’s Predictions • Label Crisis • Immediate Family film • MoreYear-end Episode 176 of Jay Gilbert and Mike Etchart’s popular Your Morning Coffee: Weekly News for the New Music Business podcast is now available. Learn more and listen here. Episode. Continue reading
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Swarm Reverb from Minimal Audio Minimal Audio's new reverb plug-in is capable of delivering everything from simple room ambiences to dramatic creative effects

Minimal Audio Swarm Reverb Minimal Audio's new reverb plug-in is capable of delivering everything from simple room ambiences to dramatic creative effects

Paris producer Maison Blanche draws for Rave-O-Lution 309 drums on new EP, ‘Food For Soul’Maison Blanche is seductively smooth when it comes to house music. In his past catalogue of tracks, there are transformed disco samples, noodles of funky bass guitar and warm, jazzy keys all adeptly put together – all to make the listener dance.

READ MORE: “Everyone’s multitasking, and I’m no exception”: DIY talent Aerosol Jezus spent two years making a music video

We speak to Maison Blanche about his Paris-based studio based in the suburbs. He tells us all about the thought behind the studio’s two rooms, and tells us about how he layers drums with those of his go-to 1996-released Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution 309 drum machine.
Food For Soul by Maison Blanche
What do you love about the Paris house scene and sound?
What I particularly appreciate is the diversity of the Parisian scene and sound. There’s a mix between talented young producers and seasoned artists who never stop surprising us with their music.
Are you more hardware-based or software-based when it comes to music production?
To be honest, I have always been more inclined towards software with various plugins, but over the past three years, hardware has become a more significant part of my world. This shift is particularly evident with the acquisition of certain machines, such as my Quasimidi Rave-O-Lution 309.
Maison Blanche using the Rave-O-Lution 309
Tell us a bit about your studio/creative space.
My current studio is located in the suburbs of Paris. It’s a studio I recently began sharing with two other artists I particularly appreciate, Cosmonection and Herson. Together, we redesigned two spaces in our studio to fully fuel our creativity – the Gear Room and the Instrument Room. The Gear Room allows us to centralise the synths and drum machines.
For the second room, we have an acoustic room with guitars, bass, percussion and a mic for vocal recording. The room has an excellent sound so we use it for that. However, everything is modular, we can move machines from one room to another, to work on a live performance for example.
What atmosphere do you try to create in the studio?
We wanted to create an intimate and minimalist atmosphere that allows us to easily express our desires of the moment. All elements of the studio are closely placed from the main desk, where everything is controlled. All we have to do is produce. We’ve also decorated the studios with our personal belongings which makes us feel at home.
Maison Blanche’s studio
Which DAW do you use?
I’ve been using Ableton Live since I started production. I’m comfortable with this DAW, I think it’s easier to handle than other DAWs.
What is your favourite piece of gear?
My favourite gear is my Rave-O-Lution 309. It’s a powerful groove machine created in 1996 by Quasimidi. I often use it when I want some drums that sound raw! You can also use it for Analog Emulation Synthesis (A.E.S). This allows for the analogue oscillators to be physically modelled. So we have basses, leads and more general synth sounds via different presets which are all adjustable.
Maison Blanche’s mixing desk in his studio
What about plugins – any essential plugins you can’t live without?
My two favourite plugins are the Korg M1 for the instrument part and the XLN Audio RC-20 retro colour for the mixing part. The Korg M1 is a virtual keyboard with all the presets from the original M1 released by Korg. I could buy the hardware synth but it would take up too much space in the studio rack. The XLN Audio RC-20 Retro Color is a VST that emulates different equipment/effects such as a 12-bit sampler or a sound ripped from a vinyl. I use it regularly to change the way certain instruments sound. I never work without these two pieces of software these days.
What synth or effect can be heard the most on your new release?
The synth you hear the most in my productions is the Korg M1 – I add it practically everywhere thanks to its many different presets. It was used a lot in the 1990s/2000s, and it has a sound that’s close to the result I want to obtain.
Is there live instrumentation on this? It sounds so organic, human and funky. Tell us a bit about this process, specifically with the track, You’re Gonna Like It.
I really like mixing live organic instruments and analogue synths in my tracks. For You’re Gonna Like It, I worked on a groovy bass and a funky organ, and then I added some percussion like shakers and claps. My guitarist friend, Jim Prunier, added his final touch with a guitar solo in the break of the song which reinforces this organic and funky side.
Maison Blanche’s synth rack in his studio
Dexter On The Dancefloor is a smasher! Tell us about how you built around the sample here.
My friend and producer Cywil sent me this groovy but very slow track from 1979.
I love French touch and house from the 2000s, so I made that crazy disco loop sound with a ‘French’ vibe. I added some drums from the Rave-O-Lution and the Behringer RD-9, stuffed it with pads and synths from the Behringer Deepmind, for example, and finished it with a groovy bassline from the Minimoog Model D. I wanted to keep this track simple so the disco loop remains in the foreground.
What’s been the biggest investment in your studio?
The biggest investment in my last studio was this big mixer from Behringer – the Eurodesk SX3242FX, but it wasn’t worth it at all lol. I bought it because we wanted to integrate all the instrument tracks onto a single mixing desk. Unfortunately, it takes up a lot of space and now that I’ve changed studios, it’s no longer of much use to me.
What is next on your shopping list studio-wise and why?
I would love to find a LinnDrum LM2 in good condition but it’s so expensive! It would fit perfectly with the tracks I make.
What is your dream piece of gear and why?
It may be cliché but a Roland TR-909 is truly the dream because of the history of house music, but also because I’ve been always using samples/clones of the classic one.
Rave-O-lution 309 in Maison Blanche’s studio
If you were left on a desert island, what one item would you take with you to make music with forever?
I think I will take a Darbouka, a traditional percussion instrument from North Africa/Middle East. Because of my Moroccan roots, this is the first instrument I thought about. But to be honest, I really don’t know how to play it but I guess I will have all the time to master this instrument.
How did you go about getting the acoustics right in the studio?
We had some knowledge about the acoustics of a room. In my old studios, nothing was perfect but we managed to reach an interesting result. Currently, our studio is in the basement, with various sound-absorbing foams on the walls, the speakers placed in a certain way as well as the equipment allowing us to obtain the best result.
What is your top piece of production advice?
Keep it simple. As long as you do some quality things, there’s no need to add 15 layers of percussion or three layers of synths in your mix to sound good.
What is the one piece of advice you would give someone starting out building a studio?
I think it’s the same advice as before, you have to keep it simple, no need to buy 20 machines at the beginning if you don’t or hardly use them. Master the DAW first, buy good quality speakers (no need to buy very expensive speakers for that) and a USB audio interface to start properly. Then add the machine(s) that suit you the most to finally improve your studio.
You can hear more of Maison Blanche’s music via his Bandcamp.
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How to record and process bells
Explore the different ways bells can enhance a track, and learn how you can record and process them right in your home studio.

Apple Vision Pro tipped for late Jan/early Feb releaseWe’ve known about the Vision Pro for more than half a year now (not to mention the years of rumors), but Apple’s first “spatial computing” device is one of consumer electronics’ biggest question marks heading into the new year. The $3,499 headset was given an “early-2024” release time frame when it was unveiled at WWDC […]
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Brit Floyd at the YouTube Theatre Any fan that’s serious about the legendary band, Pink Floyd, must check out their number one cover act known as, Brit Floyd. Their show featured music from the original band’s catalog; from “Hey You” to “Run Like Hell,” this particular concert revolved around Pink Floyd’s Dark side of the Moon album. They celebrated its fiftieth year since its release. This all took place at the YouTube Theatre in Inglewood, CA.

Imagine watching a visual vinyl album from the seventies in real time, as Brit Floyd's show contained the latest in concert technology. There were colorful lights that did more than illuminate their entire set. There were a combination of lasers to animation to smoke, and more. It was a spectacle, to say the least. Musical acumen is what these professional musicians brought to the stage. Brit Floyd gave those in attendance the feel, the sound and the energy of Pink Floyd.

With approximately 25 songs that they covered during a 2-hour set, Brit Floyd delivered. In addition to the Dark Side of the Moon, songs from The Wall, Wish You Were Here, and Animals were performed. From start to finish, this concert was magical. 

Photos by Xxposure LA

Bless Audio Releases Abyss FREE Distortion And Reverb Plugin
Bless Audio released a free distortion and reverb effect plugin called Abyss. It’s available as a ‘pay-what-you-want’ on Gumroad, with no minimum price for both Mac and Windows machines. Abyss is a creative tool with simple controls spread out on a captivating interface. Layout-wise, you can access controls over the distortion (DISTO) module on the [...]
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6 Music Business Stories you missed over the holiday breakWhile you may be resting during the holiday break, the music business does not. Here is a roundup of the top six music industry stories you may have missed. Plus. Continue reading
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Guide to Vinyl vs. CDs: Which Sounds BetterWhen it comes to physical music sales, there are just a few options – vinyl, CDs, and., as a novelty, cassettes. Which is one is best? by Tony van Veen,. Continue reading
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VSL introduce Synchron Duality Strings (Colors) VSL's latest library adds flautando and ponticello articulations to their recently released Synchron Duality Strings collection.

Signing Story: Jobi RiccioDate Signed: January 2023

Label: Yep Roc Records

Type of Music: Americana / Indie

Management: Chris Tetzeli and Nate Meese - 7S Management, nate@7smgmt.com, 303-565-5690

Booking: N/A

Legal: David Wykoff - david@davidwykofflaw.com

Publicity: Anna DeNelsky - Shore Fire Media, adenelsky@shorefire.com

Web: jobiriccio.com, instagram.com/jobiriccio

A&R: Mariah Czap

Singer-songwriter Jobi Riccio caught her big break when she entered and won Citizen Vinyl’s Asheville, NC NewSong Music competition in 2019. Her prize was the professional production of her record by producer and musician Gar Ragland, who also sponsors the contest. Ultimately this led to the completion of her record Whiplash, which dropped in the summer of 2023, and to a deal with Yep Roc Records. 

“Gar knew some folks at Yep Roc through the North Carolina connection and sent them my record,” Riccio recollects. “They were super into it and that’s how I got my deal with them. He spoke with some other labels but I felt that Yep Roc seemed the most artist-driven; they really championed their artists being at the creative helm of everything.

“After I was offered a potential deal, I flew out and met with the folks at the label,” the singer continues. “I played a small showcase for them and Red Eye Distribution, who’s now my distributor. They were phenomenal people and we had the best time. It was clear that they’d listened to every single song on Whiplash. They were fired up about it as a whole body of work and about me as an artist.”

Work on Whiplash began in 2020 but due to the pandemic, it took some time to complete. Several singles from it have been released, the latest being “Lonely Tonight” in August. When Music Connection spoke with Riccio she was on a brief hiatus before stepping back out onto the road in November for a tour of the Northeast.

The NewSong Music contest is sponsored by Ragland’s Citizen Vinyl. In addition to his studio, he also runs a pressing plant and the indie label NewSong Recordings. “At the top of the building there’s an old radio studio where people like [bluegrass originator] Bill Monroe and other folk and bluegrass musicians would play when they’d come through North Carolina,” Riccio explains. “Whiplash was the first record done in [Ragland’s] studio since he acquired it.”

NewSong Music was launched in 2001 followed by Citizen Vinyl in 2020. Interestingly, Riccio’s entry was recorded as a voice memo on her phone rather than professionally. Given the minimal requirements, such contests should be within nearly any artist’s grasp.