How Eminem used AI to recreate Slim Shady voice on new album, The Death of Slim ShadyEminem used AI to recreate the voice and image of Slim Shady for his latest album The Death of Slim Shady (Coupe de Grâce), which came out earlier this month.
It’s been 25 years since we were first introduced to the rapper’s alter ego in Em’s 1999 song My Name Is, from his major-label debut album The Slim Shady LP. And in the video of his new single Houdini, Slim – who’s getting killed off – comes back. He travels forward in time to today, as he and Eminem go back-to-back with lyrics from the 2002 song Without Me, quoting “Shady’s back/Tell a friend.”

READ MORE: YouTube’s revamped eraser tool uses AI to remove copyrighted music without impacting other audio

According to Billboard’s Damien Scott, Eminem used the AI company Metaphysic to bring Slim Shady back in both voice and image. He explains that the company, founded in 2021, offers tools that allow artists to “create and manage digital versions of themselves that they can then manipulate and use for their own projects or license out to third parties for movies, TV shows, or other commercial projects”.
Artists can protect their image and likeness at a time when AI is exploding, and registering with Metaphysic gives them the opportunity to build a database of their face, voice, and videos from any point in their career.
There isn’t a lot to stop companies and other bodies from exploiting the image and likeness of a musician or artist, but if you’re registered with Metaphysic, the company will notify you when they find any instances online, providing some semblance of protection in an area where it’s lacking.
Ed Ulbrich, chief content officer and EVP of production at Metaphysic, says: “We’re here to help people protect themselves and at least understand what’s going on. It is not unreasonable to believe that people should own their own likeness. They should own their own biometric data. They should have access to their AI self. They should be able to control it.
“And if you are an individual that is in command, we don’t own that. We maintain it for them, but it’s up to them if they want to license it to someone.”
The post How Eminem used AI to recreate Slim Shady voice on new album, The Death of Slim Shady appeared first on MusicTech.

First time faced CID #YouTube denial myself for the track #TuttiFrutti using classic distribution. The track was made in 2012-2014 something and has no samples and is completely authentic. However, it shows too many flags of similarity with other released tracks (obviously created later). The lesson here - don't wait, try to release your production ASAP, as soon as you mastered your original track. CID system is too straightforward, remember that. #MusicBusiness #musicproduction #artists

Bitwig Studio 5.2 now available The full release of Bitwig Studio 5.2 has arrived, and includes a new multi-band compressor, three EQs, a new clipper and a whole host of additional features and enhancements.

New Toys: Taylor 614ce LTD 50th Anniversary Acoustic GuitarCelebrating 50 years of exemplary guitar making, the Taylor 614ce LTD 50th Anniversary Acoustic is a limited-edition guitar of which 614 guitars will be made. Master luthier Andy Powers' latest offering has a Sitka Spruce top, Bigleaf Maple sides and back, gloss finish, impeccable appointments and Taylor V Class bracing. This bracing is advertised as increasing sustain, and this guitar does not disappoint. West African Crelicam Ebony as the fret board and bridge material also contributes to sustain. Electronics are the Expression System 2 Pickup with volume, bass, treble control and a phase inversion switch for feedback reduction. This is a high-end guitar of fantastic quality and sound.

Maple tends to have a more precise, forward and focused sound than the more traditional mahogany or rosewood. Maple can have a hard sound, and Taylor has taken deliberate steps in the aging of the spruce top and bracing to counteract that characteristic. With the necessity of manufacturing heading towards sustainable tone woods, you will see more use of maple. 

Grand Auditorium is one size smaller than the de facto standard dreadnought, and has become increasingly popular over the last few years. The Venetian cutaway enables players to reach the highest frets. Pictures do not do it justice—this guitar has a translucent white finish that shows the flame of a perfectly book- matched maple back, and a touch of white paint on the top blended smoothly at the edges of the spruce top gives a nice subtle shading similar to a sunburst finish. Taylor calls this Edgeburst.

The appointments of this guitar are definitely premium. The green abalone “Wing” neck inlays are a unique Taylor design. The sound hole rosette is also abalone. The headstock inlays are mother of pearl. The bridge is the Taylor swept wing design. The ebony bridge pins sport gold dots and match the gold tuning machines to celebrate the 50th anniversary.

The guitar plays beautifully as you would expect. Tuning and intonation is precise and this guitar shines for recording. The neck is a touch on the wide side, which is a giveaway that it is designed for finger style players, but still within a width that makes it good for any style. The action is a touch on the high side but still plays accurately and easily, even with the medium gauge strings the guitar shipped with. 

I fell in love with this very special guitar. This guitar is a great addition to any player’s tool kit. MSRP list: $3,999.00

taylorguitars.comThe post New Toys: Taylor 614ce LTD 50th Anniversary Acoustic Guitar first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Jimmy Song criticizes BTC 2024 speakers—'Not what makes Bitcoin great'The author and Bitcoin advocate's panel was sobering, harkening back to the Bitcoin community's, anti-establishment ethos.

Why UMG’s slowdown in streaming revenue growth is (partly) an illusion… and 4 other things we learned from UMG’s latest earnings callUMG's leadership team isn't worried about one quarter's worth of results, and says they're looking at the long term
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Luxury fashion startup The Floorr empowers personal stylists with tools to grow their businessesThe Floorr offers tools for conducting sales, hosting tailored styling sessions, creating mood boards, and engaging in text or voice chats with clients, all in one place. 
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3D-Printed RC Drift Car Comes With Smoke EffectsDrift cars are cool, but they’re also expensive. If you don’t have money for endless tires, fuel, and engine rebuilds, you might like to get involved at the RC scale instead. [Max Imagination] has just the build to get you started.
The design uses 3D printing for the majority of the chassis. Rigidity is front of mind, as is creating the right  steering and suspension geometry for smooth, controllable drifts. The drivetrain is 3D-printed too, using plastic gears and universal-joint axles combined with off-the-shelf bearings. Steering is controlled via an off-the-shelf servo, with a brushless motor putting power down to all four wheels. While drifting at full scale is best achieved with rear-wheel-drive, it’s easier to control at the small scale with four driven wheels.
True to the DIY ethos, an Arduino-based RC system is used to drive the steering servo and motor speed controller, with a home-built pistol-grip controller. It also activates a small power supply which runs little humidifier modules, which turn water into a visible vapor for a fun smoke effect. It doesn’t really imitate tire smoke, since it disappears nearly the instant the car moves, but it’s still a neat effect.
It’s a neat build that makes a great starting point for your dive into RC. Meanwhile, if you’re more about speed than getting sideways, we’ve seen a homebrew RC car designed to that end as well. Video after the break.

Alexis Lanternier appointed as the new CEO of DeezerHe will succeed interim CEO Stu Bergen at the France-headquartered music streaming service
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USB-C Powered Hotplate Is Not For FoodOnce upon a time, it was deemed mostly silly to try and schlep power from a computer’s ports. Then it was kind of amusing to do so with USB, and before you knew it, we were running whole laptops off what started out as a data connector. These days, it’s not unusual to run a soldering iron off USB-C, or, as [MarkTheQuasiEngineer] has done—a hotplate!
This hotplate is not for quesadillas, nor samosas. Instead, it’s a tiny hotplate for tiny reflow tasks. Given many PCBs are quite small, there’s no need for a huge hot plate to get your circuits assembled.
The device relies on metal ceramic heating elements to provide the warmth. An NTC thermistor is used for monitoring the temperature for accurate control, which is handled by the STM32 microcontroller that’s running the show. It also drives a small display indicating the mode of operation and current temperature. The STM32 controls the power going to the heating element from the USB-C feed with a stout power MOSFET.
Sadly, the project hasn’t been a complete success. With a PCB on the plate, [MarkTheQuasiEngineer] was only able to achieve peak temperatures of around 200 C. That’s not great for doing proper reflow, but it’s a start. He believes upgrading to a more powerful supply to feed the hotplate will help.
We’ve featured some other great reflow hotplates before too.

SideMinder Max from RJ Studios SideMinder Max offers some comprehensive stereo widening capabilities while avoiding mono compatibility issues.

AI firm Udio launches major update – while it battles lawsuit from RIAA and major labelsUdio has launched its Version 1.5, offering users new AI-powered song creation features.
The launch comes at a somewhat odd time, though, as the company is currently dealing with a lawsuit from major record labels and the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) alleging “unimaginable scales” of copyright infringement.

READ MORE: Listen to some of the AI songs that RIAA allege copyright infringement by Suno and Udio

The new update includes improved audio quality – more clarity, instrument separation, musicality and more, according to Udio – a dedicated creation page for easier access to songs and generation features, and the ability to download stems.

There’s also key guidance, the ability to remix audio using Udio’s tech, and an expanded set of languages, including Mandarin, Korean and more. There’s also now shareable lyric videos, too, which Udio hopes will improve shareability.
Udio is an AI company that allows music creation via text prompts, enabling users to turn ideas into professional-quality tracks.
But like any generative AI, it has to be trained on existing content, which isn’t always cleared through all the necessary legal channels before it’s used. So while Udio, for example, might spit out a completely new song, the fact it’s used existing copyrighted work as inspiration gets the company into murky waters, legally speaking.
RIAA’s lawsuit against Udio – and Suno, another AI-powered music making platform – claims both are engaging in copyright infringement “at an almost unimaginable scale,” and says they are trained unlawfully on the music catalogues owned by the big three record labels: Universal, Warner and Sony.
The 34-page lawsuit has been well received across the music industry, by artists and business executives objecting to both the scraping of data without permission or remuneration, and the ability of AI to churn out derivatives of existing art at speed and scale.
Learn more about the new update at Udio.
The post AI firm Udio launches major update – while it battles lawsuit from RIAA and major labels appeared first on MusicTech.

Jack White and Strategies for Releasing a New Album in 2024Fred Jacobs offers essential tactics for labels and musicians releasing a new album in 2024. He delves into industry trends, marketing strategies, and practical tips to help artists maximize their. Continue reading
The post Jack White and Strategies for Releasing a New Album in 2024 appeared first on Hypebot.

PS5 beta update introduces immersive 3D audio profilingWatch out – it’s behind you! With brand new 3D audio profiling, the PS5’s latest update promises to immerse gamers like never before.
Beta participants can now take advantage of Sony’s new personalised 3D audio profiles. The innovative feature is spatially-aware like surround sound in your headphones. This means it can accurately track sounds to your environment – meaning a monster will always sound like it’s stood in the same place, even if you move around.

READ MORE: How Eminem used AI to recreate Slim Shady voice on new album, The Death of Slim Shady

The update is sure to revolutionise gaming – and even elevate some heart rates, if you’re into the odd horror game.
In order to create a personalised profile, the PS5 performs an optimisation test. The test asks users questions to tailor the experience to the individual. You can create an audio profile by going to the settings menu and selecting Sound > 3D Audio (Headphones), prompting the PS5 to conduct its short quiz.

This isn’t the first time Sony have been interested in 3D audio. The PS5 already offers 3D audio support for built-in TV speakers, as well as being compatible with Dolby Atmos-enabled audio devices.
Elsewhere, the update also welcomes in some Remote Play updates. Users can now adjust Remote Play settings per user, allowing more control over who can connect to your console. This means, even if you’ve let someone log into your PS5 in person, you can modify whether they can continue to access your PS5 console via Remote Play.
To adjust your Remote Play settings, go to Settings > System > Remote Play > Enable Remote Play. There, you can select any users you’d like to have access to your PS5 console.
There’s also adaptive charging updates for DualSense wireless controllers, DualSense Edge wireless controllers, PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, and Access controllers. Users can adjust how much power is pumped into their controller, cutting it off after a certain period of time.
Users will also be able to invite friends to join their gaming sessions with handy new links. To do so, simply open the game session action card and select Share Link. Then, users can scan a QR code and be provided with a link they can share.
The updates are all currently only available to beta participants. Sony notes that it hopes to roll out the update globally in the coming months.
Learn more at blog.playstation.com.
The post PS5 beta update introduces immersive 3D audio profiling appeared first on MusicTech.

Stone Voices releases DReverb 2.0, a FREE algorithmic reverb plugin for macOS and Windows
From Stone Voices comes DReverb 2.0, a freshly updated free plugin for creating high-quality algorithmic reverbs. You might remember DReverb from last year, a very well-received reverb plugin from Stone Voices. The popular freeware plugin is back, now in version 2.0, with a few tweaks and a slight interface refresh. The man behind Stone Voices [...]
View post: Stone Voices releases DReverb 2.0, a FREE algorithmic reverb plugin for macOS and Windows