Native Instruments’ upcoming Traktor X1 MK3 Building on the sucess of its predecessors, Native Instrument's latest DJ controller introduces a range of new features based on feedback gathered from the Traktor community.

Goldman Sachs’ Lisa Yang: Why I’m bullish about music streaming’s futureLisa Yang, senior Goldman executive and lead author of Music In The Air, joins the MBW Podcast
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Exceleration Music expands to Asia by investing in India-based indie label Azadi RecordsCompany makes financial investment in India-headquartered independent record label, Azadi Records
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UVI Synth Anthology 4 Synth Anthology 4 - A Synthesizer Tour de Force: The authentic sound of 200 synthesizers, from vintage to modern. 4,000+ presets and layers deliver incredible sound with hardware... Read More

Marshall’s Motif II ANC earbuds promise “front row sound”Iconic British music brand Marshall has officially launched its new Motif II ANC earbuds, which are said to “deliver huge sound in a tiny package”.
Building on the original Marshall Motif earbuds that launched back in 2021, the Motif II earbuds offer 10 more hours of playtime with its (newly improved) ANC activated.

READ MORE: Best Wireless Earbuds: Best all-purpose wireless earbuds for under £150

The new earbuds build upon their predecessor, which we originally rated a 7/10 in our review due to the ANC being inferior to the similarly-priced Apple’s AirPods Pro. However, they offered crisp mids and highs, and had a more attractive design.
In the Motif II ANC buds, noise cancellation has been improved, says Marshall, with the ability to block out crowded rides on public transport and other commotion. You can also now swiftly switch over to Transparency mode to have a short conversation without interrupting the flow of the music.
Delivering 10 additional hours of playtime with ANC activated than the original Motif buds, these earphones deliver six hours of wireless playtime, and the charging case provides 30 hours of listening time on the go. It also offers a quick charge ability, which gives one hour of extra playtime in just 15 minutes of charging.

They’re also Bluetooth LE Audio-ready “to ensure the best possible connection”, and the brand describes the tech as “future-proof”. It delivers higher-quality audio, which Marshall touts as “front row sound,” while increasing the streaming range and improving audio sync, for a better connection when watching videos.
Motif II ANC also comes with improved battery preservation, and its case and buds are made from 70 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic, which includes used electronics, water bottles and even automotive light covers.
The Marshall Motif II ANC earbuds are listed at £179.99 and will be shipping from 12 September.
Find out more on the official Marshall website.
The post Marshall’s Motif II ANC earbuds promise “front row sound” appeared first on MusicTech.

Sonnox announce Voca plug-in Voca offers an all-in-one vocal procesing solution that combines compression and saturation, and provides a simple set of controls intended to help users quickly acheive their desired sound.

Producer Jeremiah Chiu uses Vintage Synth Museum to create album in two daysElectronic composer and producer Jeremiah Chiu has announced an album that was made in the space of just two days at The Vintage Synth Museum in LA.

READ MORE: Watch Tycho show off his complex “mothership stereo effects rig” process

The album, In Electric Time, is set to be released on 29 September 2023 via record label International Anthem. It was created on 29/30 June and features 12 tracks created by Chiu, with additions by engineer Ben Lumsdaine. Cooper Crain (of Bitchin Bajas) also makes an appearance on the album. You can listen to the first single from the album below:

The album was solely recorded via analogue by Lumsdaine at the Vintage Synth Museum, an interactive museum and electronic music recording studio in LA’s Highland Park.
According to a press release, Chiu worked with lots of vintage gear, finding unique sweet spots for melodies and rhythms and maintaining a raw, spontaneous feeling by improvisatory editing.
The, frankly, insane number of synths used include an Elka Synthex, EML Electrocomp 101, EMS Vocoder 2000, Gleeman Pentaphonic, Oberheim 4-Voice, several Korg synths [Mono/Poly, MS10, MS20, MS50, PS3100, Trident MKII], Maestro Rhythm King, Roland synths [CR-8000, Juno– 60, Jupiter–6, Jupiter–8, JX–3P, RE–301 Space Echo, RS–505, SH–101, TR–606, TR–808], and the Serge Modular I.
On the project, Chiu says, “The approach to the improvisations was to embrace the mixer setups at VSM — where a section of synthesizers are all routed to a single mixer/patchbay — and to start at one end of the studio and work our way around the six different sections. I began with the synths I was most familiar with — or had spent years researching — and was fairly certain I could reign in quickly.

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A post shared by Vintage Synthesizer Museum (@vintagesynthmuseum)

“When working with vintage gear, there’s always a sweet spot where the instrument sings in a unique way. This may be the idiosyncrasies of its filter and how it resonates, the action of the keys, the ability to trigger and use control voltage to sequence, or the unique onboard features. I love finding the moments where a melody or rhythm appears in an unexpected way — at times feeling more like archaeology than sculpture.
“I was quite improvisatory with the editing as well, often pulling bits from distinctly different sections in dialogue with each other, in order to maintain the raw, spontaneous feeling. I loved hearing moments in the recordings when Ben started or stopped tape, so a take that was running long and beyond its moment would hit directly against a fresh idea.”
Vintage Synth Museum, LA
Vintage Synth Museum’s founder and curator, Lance Hill, says on the album: “Jeremiah arrived before the engineer showed up. We talked for maybe 5 minutes before he started programming a sound and sequence into the Gleeman Pentaphonic. By the time the engineer showed up, Jeremiah had built several other parts around the Gleeman that weren’t synced by any control method but sounded like they were just calling and responding to each other. They plugged the Tascam 388 into the patch bay, and hit record. Jeremiah played with it, and that was it. First piece written and recorded in under an hour. It felt natural, fun and free. And that’s pretty much how the rest of the session went. Constant ecstatic motion. It was the funnest non-hip-hop session I’ve ever worked on.”
Pre-order In Electric Time via International Anthem’s Bandcamp.
The post Producer Jeremiah Chiu uses Vintage Synth Museum to create album in two days appeared first on MusicTech.

SideKick2 Is A FREE Sidechain Plugin For Windows
Rewired Records has just released a free sidechain plugin for Windows called SideKick2. Apart from the naming and look-feel affinities with the renowned Nicky Romero’s KickStart 2, it looks like a solid plugin! As you would expect, its primary purpose is to create the classic sidechain pumping effect so common in EDM and similar genres. [...]
View post: SideKick2 Is A FREE Sidechain Plugin For Windows

Watch Tycho show off his complex “mothership stereo effects rig” processAmerican electronic producer and musician Tycho has revealed his impressive studio setup in a video for music tech marketplace, Reverb.

READ MORE: Watch: Legowelt runs through his “crap” thrift store ‘home synths’

The video, uploaded to Reverb.com’s YouTube channel, shows the producer – real name Scott Hanson – run through the hardware in the San Francisco-based space. He also explains the order in which he employs his vast number of hardware effects.

Standing at his “mothership stereo effects rig,” as he calls it, Hanson reveals his complex approach to effects processing. The signal starts in mono and enters the chain, he says, where the Strymon Volante converts it to stereo for enhanced width.
For mono synths, the Strymon Flint introduces tremolo before pre-tremolo reverb, creating rhythmic volume-gated effects. The Strymon Big Sky offers versatile reverb, while the GFI Specular Tempus adds pitch-shifted delay and spring reverb-like textures. These effects feed into the Strymon Deco for flanging and finally pass through the Elektron Analog Heat. Here, intense reverb or tremolo-treated sounds are driven through a high-pass filter and aggressive drive, resulting in a gritty, distorted soundscape, characteristic of Tycho’s style found on the likes of his 2012 album, Dive.
Dive by Tycho
Hanson also explains how ergonomics and accessibility are essential when considering where he places his equipment. He also emphasises that while hardware is important, about 75 per cent of his production process involves in-the-box VST effects and digital instruments.
Surprisingly, he says that while he loves his monitors, he mostly uses headphones as they are “a little bit more honest.”
A peculiar piece of hardware he shows off is his custom-made mechanical controller designed specifically for Reaper. It’s made out of an old school computer keyboard and is used, he says, “so he doesn’t have to touch the mouse and keyboard if he doesn’t want [to].”
In 2020, MusicTech got the chance to get an insight into Tycho’s studio processes. In the conversation, the producer refers to his signature combination of chords and reverb, saying how he “takes a reverb and runs it through a distortion and a filter, puts another reverb on it, then puts maybe another reverb on it before the delay”, to create “really interesting pads.”
Listen to Tycho’s music via his Bandcamp.
The post Watch Tycho show off his complex “mothership stereo effects rig” process appeared first on MusicTech.

SoundGhost Drift Introducing DRIFT, a tape degradation plugin that brings the warm, nostalgic sound of vintage tape machines into the digital realm, offering music producers and audio enthusiasts an authentic... Read More

Misaligned incentives make the music business a zero-sum game [MIDiA’s Tatiana Cirisano]The goals of music’s major stakeholders – labels, DSPs, and artists – no longer match, turning the music business into a zero-sum game, writes Tatiana Cirisano of MIDiA Research. by. Continue reading
The post Misaligned incentives make the music business a zero-sum game [MIDiA’s Tatiana Cirisano] appeared first on Hypebot.

Warm Audio’s WA-14SP stereo pair recreates “the most truthful studio mic of all time”Warm Audio has launched WA-14SP, a stereo pair package edition of its WA-14 microphone, which was only previously available as a standalone microphone.

READ MORE: The best microphones to buy in 2023: 12 best microphones for rappers and MCs

The WA-14 is modelled on AKG’s C414 EB, a now-rare large-diaphragm capacitor microphone launched in 1976, heralded as “the most truthful studio mic of all time”, according to Warm Audio. This new package duplicates the faithful mic emulation to create a stereo pair.
Warm Audio
Included in the bundle are two WA-14 mics with a brass CK-12 style capsule, a variable pad, and three polar patterns, plus two shock mounts, two hard clips, two durable travel pouches, and a stereo mounting bar. With this setup, it makes it easier to achieve natural sound with “minimal colouration and smooth high end”, says the brand.
The WA-14SP undergoes testing, Warm Audio says, to ensure each mic stays within +/- 1dB of the other, making for dependable performance for stereo recording. The WA-14 mirrors the sonic quality of its EB-circuit inspiration, offering clear mids, controlled bass, and accurate high-end focus, preserving the authenticity of the original performance in recordings.
What is stereo pairing?
Positioned in configurations like X-Y or spaced pairs, dual microphones capture audio from different angles, emulating the natural spatial hearing we experience through our ears. This helps create immersive, authentic recordings, preserving subtleties and spatial cues that a singular microphone could miss. Stereo pairs commonly record instruments, rooms, vocals, and live acts, crafting a lifelike sonic portrayal for a more genuine auditory experience.
More Warm
Warm Audio has delivered an array of fantastic mic emulations recently, which we’ve been lucky enough to test out. In 2022, the company released the WA-47F and WA-CX12, which emulate the classic Telefunken C12 and the Neumann U47. We later reviewed both the “superb all-round” WA-47F and the WA-CX12, praising its “sweet, flattering sound”.
The full WA-14SP stereo pair package is priced at $749. You can also still buy the original by itself for $462 at thomann. Find out more about the new package at warmaudio.com.
The post Warm Audio’s WA-14SP stereo pair recreates “the most truthful studio mic of all time” appeared first on MusicTech.

Cherry Audio’s Harmonia plugin “blends the nostalgia” of synths from the 80s and 90sCherry Audio has launched a new virtual synth, Harmonia, which blends together nostalgic elements of both vector and wave sequencing synths from the 80s and 90s.
Harmonia includes all of Cherry Audio’s modern touches, including support for aftertouch, flexible MIDI mapping, and a collection of over 350 “professionally designed” presets.

READ MORE: Cherry Audio’s new The CAT replica goes “way beyond” 1976 original, says original designer

Harmonia has 17 studio-quality effects such as various integrated distortion, modulation, echo, and reverb – all fully modulatable with its eight-slot mod matrix. It uses hundreds of sampled waveforms sourced from various synthesisers, traditional instruments, and voices, as well as an array of quirky lo-fi sounds, according to the developer.

It hosts two sample-based oscillators that can simultaneously deliver up to eight pitches tuned to harmonic series or semitone pitches, and the volume for each pitch harmonic can be fixed or dynamic. Harmonia also uses interpolated harmonic scanning to allow for more melodious sequences through a single modulatable slider.
By varying combinations of waveform selection and harmonic presets, you can craft unique morphed and sequencer-like tones, and also import your own samples. It includes four syncable polyphonic LFOs, a stereo multimode filter, and visual click-and-drag filter and amp envelopes.

“Cherry Audio has been great at recreating classic vintage synths, but with Harmonia, they show that they’re equally adept at creating new methods of synthesis,” says Joe McGinty, the composer, keyboardist, and arranger known for his work with the Psychedelic Furs, The Ramones, and others in a statement.
“Harmonia is unlike any other synth that I’ve played. Part additive, part sample playback, and part vector synth. You can even get into wavetable sounds. Many exciting presets are included, but I look forward to importing and manipulating my own samples.”
Harmonia is available now for $49.00, and a free 30-day demo is available.
Find out more on the Cherry Audio website. 
The post Cherry Audio’s Harmonia plugin “blends the nostalgia” of synths from the 80s and 90s appeared first on MusicTech.

Plamen saturation plug-in by Soundevice Digital The latest plug-in from Soundevice Digital offers a versatile range of multi-band saturation effects. 

SampleScience Releases FREE Virtual Vocaid Plugin
SampleScience releases Virtual Vocaid, a free instrument plugin for Windows and macOS. I will admit I did a double-take when reading the product description for this one. The fine folks at SampleScience are back at it again with a brand new instrument to tickle your fancy. Virtual Vocaid isn’t like your typical synth instruments, however. [...]
View post: SampleScience Releases FREE Virtual Vocaid Plugin