Bandcamp launches ‘Discover’ feature to explore music + merch, appeal to artists to grow fan base
Bandcamp is making moves again with an appeal to music producers and artists as well as fans who use the platform to buy music and merch. After the company was acquired by Songtradr – a music licensing startup – and laid off half of its staff back in September, the future of the platform seemed questionable, […]
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The Human Beat Pack by elysia elysia's first loop pack offers a collection of high-quality drum grooves captured at Limusic Studio in France by Moses Schneider, a producer renowned for his extraordinary style.

Neural DSP Launches Morgan Amps Suite Guitar PluginNeural DSP announced the launch of the Morgan Amps Suite guitar plugin, which combines the tonal sophistication and feature-laden functionality of Morgan Amplification with the virtual mastery of Neural DSP’s plugin technology. Morgan amps can be heard beneath the fingers of guitar legends, including the searing riffs of Josh Smith (Joe Bonamassa, Raphael Saadiq), the soulful melodies of Michael Landau (James Taylor and many more), and the genre-defying riffs of Tosin Abasi (Animals As Leaders).

In the world of guitar amplification, few brands shine as brightly as Morgan Amplification. Founded by the visionary amplifier builder and guitarist Joe Morgan in 2009, Morgan Amplification emerged as a beacon of craftsmanship and innovation for a new generation of guitarists. Drawing inspiration from era-defining vintage tones, Joe set out to create amplifiers that not only paid homage to the classics but also pushed the modern boundaries of sonic possibilities.

“What we share with guitarists is a deep and abiding respect for legacy sound,” observes Neural CPO Francisco Cresp. “Our modeling technology has been able to precisely capture the nuances and features of the Morgan amps, and bring them to life in a plugin version for anyone to access to their fullest extent.”

The Amplifiers

Inspired by classic designs, modernized and made more reliable, these amps were born out of a desire to provide the most touch-sensitive and responsive sound possible while also providing an unparalleled pedal platform.

AC20 — The Morgan AC20 is a single-channel, 20-watt amplifier based on a vintage Vox AC30. It provides very rich, thick tones at high gain settings. 

PR12 — The Morgan PR12 is a single-channel, 12-watt amplifier based on a classic Fender Princeton Reverb. It offers bright, super-clean tones to robust overdrives. The PR12 also features a distinctive spring reverb that has become a hallmark of this compact but powerful amp type.

SW50R — The Morgan SW50R is a single-channel, 50-watt amplifier based on a Dumble clean channel with the addition of a tube-driven reverb tank. Entirely hand wired and built to order, this amp encapsulates everything Morgan Amplifiers does best. At full volume, the amp breaks up dramatically, producing killer tones for grunge and stoner rock.

To learn more and purchase the Morgan Amps Suite, click here.

For more information on Neural DSP, click here.

AllMusic Loves 2023 ReissuesSeeking a connective thread among the AllMusic editors' favorite reissues and archival releases from 2023 is a bit of a fool's errand. There is variety within these editors' lists, not only in terms of genres but also in the reissues themselves. Dig through the individual lists to discover the myriad reasons why we loved the archival releases of 2023.

Apple has halted Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 online salesAs promised, Apple has officially removed the Watch Series 9 from its online shop. Word on the surprise move arrived earlier this week, when the company confirmed that an on-going patent dispute has forced it to pause sales of the flagship smartwatch. Click through to the site, and you’ll find the words “Currently Unavailable” in […]
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Earl Scruggs’ 100th Birthday CelebrationOn Saturday, January 6, 2024, a stellar lineup of bluegrass and country artists will come together at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium to celebrate the 100th birthday of the legendary Earl Scruggs, whose revolutionary style of banjo playing forever changed the landscape of bluegrass music. The special tribute concert will air LIVE, one time only, exclusively on Veeps. All Access subscribers can access the show for free, otherwise individual tickets are on sale for $14.99. 

This extraordinary show will feature musical direction by the renowned Jerry Douglas, with performances by The Earls of Leicester, The Del McCoury Band, Gena Britt, Alison Brown, Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Stuart Duncan , Jimmie Fadden, Bela Fleck, Jeff Hanna, Sierra Hull, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Jim Mill, Justin Moses, Jerry Pentecost, Todd Phillips, Harry Stinson, Bryan Sutton, Tony Trischka, and more. Proceeds will benefit The Earl Scruggs Center, which is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of Scruggs' remarkable life and contributions to music.

Scruggs is the most influential and imitated banjo player in the world. The duo he co-founded, Flatt & Scruggs, provided the banjo-driven music for the theme song of the hit TV series, The Beverly Hillbillies. The 1967 blockbuster film Bonnie and Clyde featured their 1949 recording of Scruggs’ composition, “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” — one of the most recognizable songs in the bluegrass canon. He was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1985, the Bluegrass Hall of Fame in 1991, the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2007, and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2009. The Recording Academy presented Earl with four GRAMMY performance awards and the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Among numerous other honors, Scruggs was presented with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003.

Earl Scruggs’ 100th Birthday Celebration will be available for free for Veeps All Access subscribers, or fans can buy an individual show ticket for $14.99 on veeps.com. The show will air LIVE on Veeps on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 8 p.m. CST. 

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About Veeps: Veeps is the world’s leading streaming platform for live music and entertainment where fans can connect with their favorite artists through live and on-demand concerts, comedy shows, and more. Launched in 2018 by Joel and Benji Madden, Veeps has streamed performances to millions of viewers worldwide for thousands of artists including Billie Eilish, Bob Dylan, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Foo Fighters, and Kings of Leon. Veeps has been named a Fast Company World’s Most Innovative Company, nominated for an Emmy, and holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest ticketed livestream performance by a solo male artist. Veeps content is available via veeps.com and apps on Apple TV, Roku, iOS, Samsung, and Android. Veeps is a part of Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV).

About All Access: Veeps All Access is the first music subscription service to offer premium quality concerts and live music entertainment, connecting artists with fans when they can’t be in the crowd. Subscribers will have unlimited access to hundreds of upcoming live and on-demand performances each year, exclusive Veeps-only artist content, merch drops, and more for $11.99 a month, or an annual fee of $120. It’s your all-access pass to a show, every night, wherever you are.

ABBA Voyage had a $400m+ economic impact in London in its first yearConcert series' producers have published an analysis of the event's socio-economic impact in London
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VEVO DSCVR ARTISTS TO WATCH 2024: Fridayy, Libianca, StrandzIntroducing the final three artists in Vevo's global watchlist for 2024
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Arturia launch Efx REFRACT Arturia's new unison and multi-effects plug-in, Efx REFRACT, is being offered as a free download until 4 January 2024.

Best Holiday Deals 2023 For Music Producers
The holidays are almost here, and it’s the best time of the year to purchase a gift for your music producer friends or yourself (why not?). I handpicked some of my favorite holiday deals for music producers in the article below. Instead of an endless list with hundreds of links, I compiled a shorter selection [...]
View post: Best Holiday Deals 2023 For Music Producers

GForce launches AXXESS software synth inspired by a streamline ARP classicGForce Software has launched a modern recreation of ARP’s 1975 AXXE synthesiser with the new AXXESS plugin. The product is described as offering “the AXXE sound on steroids”, and it’s currently selling at half price.
AXXESS is inspired by ARP’s most affordable synth – which was developed as a streamlined, budget-friendly version of the Odyssey – and is said to “retain the warm analogue sound”.

READ MORE: Party like it’s 2005 – Yamaha has just released a 5-disc CD player

Despite the original AXXE launching at a price point for budding musicians, it was still used by artists such as Paul McCartney and Heart. This emulation of the famous synth is the “sibling” of GForce’s award-winning Oddity3, and the brand says it has inherited its character.
AXXESS features over 350 new presets, a new sub-oscillator, an arpeggiator and a 16-step sequencer. Distortion, analogue delay and Reverb effects are on board, and there’s also a Vintage control to add analogue imperfections, velocity to filter, VCA for expressivity, and fully scalable UI designs.
Watch the video below for more:

The new soft synth also utilises X-Modifier technology, which enables users to “reach new sonic heights” by making the most of an independent LFO and Envelope for nearly every parameter. GForce says that while the tone and character of the synth remain authentic to the original, the X-Modifiers “allow you to take this classic sound to unexplored realms of possibility.”
Earlier this year, GForce also launched the world’s first official OB-X plugin emulation. Unlike other emulations such as the Arturia OB-Xa V and UVI UVX80, this was the only official software emulation, which of course integrated the official Oberheim logo and the brand’s name.
The GForce AXXESS is currently retailing at a sale price of £33 (standard price £66). The sale ends on 9 January 2024. Find out more and buy directly over at GForce Software.
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Baby Audio launches free Beat Slammer plugin for “smashing and squashing” beatsBaby Audio has today (21 December) introduced the latest plugin in its lineup of Freebies – the Beat Slammer compressor. Not designed to be subtle, this new tool is ideal for “squashing and smashing” drums, beats or entire mix busses.
According to the brand, Beat Slammer will give you that “pumping and bouncy compression sound that slaps you in the face” to give weaker tracks that added oomph.

READ MORE: “We saw a clear opportunity to work with all their amazing DSP and improve on everything that was lacking”: Baby Audio acquires Denise Audio

Every year, Baby Audio releases a free plugin to celebrate the holidays as a treat for its existing users. These are often streamlined, square-shaped tools inspired by its premium plugins.
The freebies have been downloaded more than half a million times to date, with Beat Slammer becoming the fifth addition to the range so far. It follows on from 2022’s Pitch Drift (which provides a mix with subtle pitch changes, all the way to knocking everything completely out of tune), as well as the Magic Dice, Magic Switch and others released in previous years.
The plugin is based on Baby Audio’s IHNY-2 (shown in the video below) and functions as a parallel compressor. It allows users to compress even harder than they normally would and blend in the compressed signal to their desired taste, while retaining the dynamics of the dry signal.

 
In September, we rated Baby Audio’s effects plugin, Transit, a 9/10 in our review. The product was designed with producer and YouTuber Andrew Huang, and we noted that it offered an intuitive design and fast workflow, with good quality effects. We also thought, however, that its volume balancing sweeps were a little fiddly and the pitch shifter quality could be better.
Find out more about Beat Slammer via the official Baby Audio website.
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TikTok’s first live music event was a record-breaker watched by over 33.5MSocial video platform TikTok hosted its first ever live music event, TikTok In The Mix, earlier this month and viewing figures have revealed that it was watched by over 33.5 million people.
Not only did the concert attract an audience of millions, but it also broke a TikTok record as the biggest ever live event streamed on the platform.

READ MORE: 7 of TikTok’s 10 Breakthrough Artists in 2023 were women

The concert took place at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona on 10 December. Tickets to attend the event sold out, with an audience of 17,000 in attendance. It ran for a total of five hours, with performers including Cardi B, Niall Horan, Anitta, Charlie Puth, Offset, and Peso Pluma.
Reneé Rapp also gave a special performance, and artists from TikTok’s Elevate programme – which celebrates and amplifies emerging new artists – also showcased their talent. These included Isabel LaRosa, Kaliii, LU KALA, and Sam Barber.
The viewing figures have been shared by TikTok itself via its Newsroom, and show that over 33.5 million viewers watched the event across the original broadcast and its subsequent three rebroadcasts. Its record-breaking livestream also garnered 9.6 million viewers who watched in real time on the platform.

@tiktok
Missed #TikTokInTheMix? Relive all the highlights and unforgettable moments from our first ever live music experience NOW on @Disney+ and @hulu
♬ original sound – TikTok

Paul Hourican, Global Head of Music Partnerships and Programming at TikTok, says of the triumphant concert, “In The Mix was an awe inspiring event where fans and artists came together to celebrate what we love about TikTok, where the power of the platform’s music discovery played out on stage.
“An event of this magnitude truly takes a village, thank you to the amazing line up of incredible artists, our partners, the sold out crowd in Arizona, and the record breaking audience who watched around the world in their millions on TikTok,” Hourican concludes.
If you missed In The Mix and would like to catch up on some of its highlights, there is a one hour special streaming now on Hulu and Disney+, featuring all the best bits from the show.
Find out more over at the TikTok Newsroom.
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Arturia releases Efx REFRACT plugin – free for a limited time onlyArturia has today (21 December) launched a brand new stereo multi-effect plugin, Efx REFRACT, which is completely free until 4 January as a festive gift from the brand.
Efx REFRACT is described as having “versatility at its core”, utilising unison-based processing with a range of secondary effects and modulation options.

READ MORE: Arturia V Collection X boasts six new instruments – here’s what’s new

Its unison-based processing uses a method of multiplication, where the same sound or note is duplicated and played in parallel. An example of this provided by the brand is a string section in an orchestra, which earns its brilliant and moving sound due to many instruments playing at once. Unison replicates this for a chorus-like effect.
“Based on super unison architecture, Efx REFRACT delivers instantaneous size and character to your sound. Whether marking key moments or making sweeping transformations – bring any track to life with flare and multi-effect dispersion,” says Arturia in a press release.
The plugin’s Refract section can duplicate your input by up to eight stereo voices. The Refraction ‘Amount’ increasingly detunes and modulates each voice against one another to widen them for a thicker sound. There’s also five additional Mode FX (BandPass Filter, CombFilter, Bitcrusher, Distortion, and Harmonizer) which are added onto each Refracted voice and processed individually.
Users can also toy with the Sample & Hold LFO ‘Wave’ to create “choppy” modulations, or use the Sample & Glide tool to “keep the chaos but smooth it out”. You can also create shimmers and reverbs by utilising the Harmonizer and Comb Filter tools.
Back in October, Arturia released a “flagship” interface – AudioFuse 16Rig – to “challenge” the current interface market. The audio and MIDI interface was designed for hardware users wanting to connect and synchronise their whole setup. Arturia stated at its release that it features an “unmatched” variety of inputs, outputs, and creative features.
Find out more about Efx REFRACT at Arturia.
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Arturia Offers FREE Efx Refract Multi-Effect Plugin Until January 4th
French boffins Arturia are giving away their new Efx Refract stereo multi-effects plugin for free until January 4, 2024. The plugin was released today, and you can pick it up via the product page linked at the bottom of the article, or the Arturia Software Center app. After January 4, Efx Refract will be priced [...]
View post: Arturia Offers FREE Efx Refract Multi-Effect Plugin Until January 4th