IK Multimedia’s UNO Synth Pro X is what the synth community deserved from the startEnrico Dell’Aversana is effusive when he talks about the new IK Multimedia UNO Synth Pro X. As well he might be – as the brand’s product manager, he has overseen a complete user interface redesign that reimagines its predecessor as an instrument focused on creation, performance and experimentation (he describes previous version as a ‘preset machine’).
“We really thought about how people use and experience the synth and we wanted as many people as possible to be able to have a good experience using it” he tells us from his base in Italy.
The new model is the result of extensive consultation and feedback from the synth community. Building on the powerful synth engine from the UNO Synth Pro, taking control of the redesign process gave Enrico and his team the chance to address what some producers felt were the shortcomings of the original. Largely, in the lack of hands-on control that it offered.
Image: Simon Vinall
“We wanted to gather as much information as possible about how people were using the synth and how they wanted to use it – otherwise it would just be just my point of view. When we did the first UNO Synth Pro, I wasn’t fully involved in the project; the interface wasn’t something I had a lot of input into. But with the Pro X, I took complete control of everything from the user experience to the decisions about which potentiometers to use. I think, with the mechanical designers, it took us a month and a half to come up with the knob specifications.“
This approach is applauded by YouTuber and synth aficionado BoBeats, who provided feedback not only on the original synth but on where he thought its successor should be aiming, as a self-professed ‘synth nerd.’
“It started when I was checking out the original UNO Synth Pro”, he tells us. “It was a great synth but I sort of knew immediately that the physical UI and the colour scheme didn’t quite do it justice. I talked to IK about the expectations when you are a synth nerd and you have something that is this advanced – you don’t really see features like these on an analogue synth under $1,000. I tried to convey to them what I’m drawn to as a user.”

Bo’s issues with the original synth were less about its powerful sound engine and more about the way it limited your access to its parameters. He explains “[IK] took a lot of the ideas from the original UNO Synth Pro and thought, ‘OK, we have to create something that has a look that’s equivalent to the power inside. I think the team figured out the balance between the complexity of the sound engine and an interface that is still accessible.
“On the original UNO Synth Pro, I found as a synth educator that you have all this power but only a few knobs to turn, and you’re going through lots of submenus, which can be difficult to demonstrate to users.”
Enrico confirms that opening up the incredible depth of programming capabilities to faster and easier control by the user was paramount when he approached the design of the new model. “The UNO Synth Pro was really a preset machine, so you went into your studio and prepared your presets and sounds and they were easy to call up. And the same for the keyboard version – you go to the stage and play without much experimentation.”
“With the Pro X, I wanted to create more of an experimentation machine; to really focus on the involvement of the user in creating the sounds instead of just recalling presets. So the interface had to be completely different – more tactile, easier and faster to use. And that’s why the sequencer is way more prominent in the interface. In 2023, a lot of synth aficionados aren’t necessarily keyboard players.”
Image: Simon Vinall
Bo concurs about swapping the prominence of the keyboard and sequencer, suggesting that it’s a better fit for the synth’s audience. “On the Pro X, IK have put the sequencer front and centre which makes a lot of sense because it’s something you interact with a lot. The keyboard now features less prominently – in fact, on the original, it wasn’t the greatest quality – and I think people are much more likely to program the Pro X using the sequencer than by playing its onboard keys.”
The Pro X (Enrico suggests, half-jokingly, that the ‘X’ is for experimentation) packs a lot of functionality into its compact and very portable frame, including three discrete wave morphing oscillators, dual filters with an OTA-based multimode filter, 10 stereo effects, a paraphonic 64-step sequencer, 10-mode arpeggiator and a host of CV/gate ins and outs to connect to your other analogue studio gear and computer, with a companion plug-in for preset management and remote operation. The extensive feature set sounds like it could exclude less-experienced creators, but neither the designers nor those who have used it extensively see that as being the case.
Discussing the kind of person who would get the most out of the Pro X, Bo suggests that it depends on how complex you want to go. “If someone just wants a simpler bass synth for example”, he says, “they might think about a Korg Minilogue XD or something like that.”
Image: Simon Vinall
He continues, “To be honest you can use it as a beginner or an advanced user but who is the ideal user? It’s an intermediate to advanced user that will get the most out of it. As a beginner, you can use its depth – a mod matrix, advanced sequence programming – as a learning tool.”
Enrico agrees. “What I had in mind was to make a synth where, even if you’re less experienced, you can get familiar with it because the layout makes sense – it’s very Moog-ish – so you know where things are. But as soon as you know what you’re doing you will discover new things, and start connecting things.
“When we were designing the synth, the idea was ‘maybe the user doesn’t know everything about synths yet but they want to be able later on to do more and more.’ So, yes, it’s for people who know what they’re doing but also for those that don’t yet, but will grow into it. You can do simple sounds but you can grow with it over time.
Image: Simon Vinall
“We designed it to be an investment for people. I’m the kind of guy who saves to buy the synths I like. When I go and buy something, it’s not because of the brand or how Instagrammable it is, but how long I’m going to be using it for, how much it’s going to give me in exchange for my money.”
Price is a factor that comes up in discussions about the Pro X, which IK has tried to keep as affordable as possible while maintaining a feature set that you don’t necessarily see in comparably priced synths. MusicRadar describes it as “well-priced” and while Bo suggests that trying to get the price down by $100 could potentially make it an easier sell, that’s arguably true of any product.
Most people who have tried it out agree that the Pro X occupies something of a unique position in terms of its features versus its price. In his review, Loopop identifies some monosynths out there that can be had for a couple of hundred less – mostly from Behringer – but generally lack onboard effects and sometimes presets, and are typically not paraphonic. For a little more money, he identifies the Behringer Deepmind 6 and Arturia MiniFreak as possible alternatives, albeit with different feature sets.

Enrico highlights the tradeoffs that he feels other synths appear to make when balancing features with cost – and why he feels they got the balance right with the Pro X. “For the price, it really doesn’t have that many compromises compared to the competition. You can have a polyphonic synth, but it won’t have a sequencer with this level of depth. Or it doesn’t have this breadth of effects. Or you get a monophonic synth that has a keyboard but no effects or lacks a good sequencer. Or doesn’t have presets! Even if some people don’t need them in 2023, you need to provide the facility to save presets.”
Bo tells us that, in his opinion, the decision to go with a more portable build as opposed to super-premium for cost reasons is the right one. “If IK had gone with an even more expensive build and a higher price, that could have been problematic because UNO Synth is supposed to be accessible; it’s not supposed to be a super-premium and expensive product. I think it’s on the reasonably priced side of things. It’s really about what IK is aiming for here.”
But for him, its position as the flagship of the UNO range still makes sense. “I like what IK is doing – it would have been easy to make another super budget synth but its saying, ‘OK, let’s increase the budget and improve the physical design and focus on the small details.’ And it’s a synth that’s designed for enthusiasts, so I think that’s the right way to go.”
Image: Simon Vinall
Enrico expands on the design decisions that were made when re-imagining the physical interface and software for the Pro X – not all of them financial by any means. “We have a very powerful analogue synth engine that’s quite hard to find for the price. Very few have two filters – maybe the Korg MS20, of which I am a huge fan. I traded off some features in the Pro for others in the Pro X.
“A simple example is that, in the original, there was a compare function that toggled between saved and current versions of a sound. But in the Pro X, there’s a record function. The idea is that someone might be experimenting with a sound and not necessarily know how they arrived at the end result so now they can wind back and find out.”
And it’s not just a case of adding a bunch of features either – a lot of tweaks were made along the way. Enrico continues; “we dropped the old phaser and flanger; great effects but not that popular any more. And I went for a Univibe effect which is weirder.”
Other changes were mostly in the refinement of the analogue engine. “The presets between old and new machines aren’t compatible for the simple reason that I changed so much about the internal design of the engine –smoothing off the rough edges. And we added the bass mode. I’m a huge fan of the TB-303 so that’s a feel that we wanted to give to the users.”
Image: Simon Vinall
However, IK is keen to stress that, unlike some other synth manufacturers, it isn’t trying to imitate any particular sound or chase trends but leave its mark in a crowded field. Discussing the wider market, Enrico opines: “To me, it shows that some other companies are holding back from giving everything they could. So with the UNO Synth Pro X, you get something that has all these features for the price or less than the price of something that doesn’t, but that has a brand.”
“We’re not a clone company and we’re not trying to be somebody else – we have our own sound. We’re going to give you another choice of sound, adding another flavour into your cooking, as it were. And how could you do that without doing something different? We give you a new flavour, without being someone else, and for a price that is reasonable – and that was the whole idea!”
Image: Simon Vinall
He credits his team, Davide Mancini and Luca Starna from Soundmachines, Francesco Spelta (mechanical and UX designer) and Enrico Lori, the CEO of IK “who helped in many ways and let us go for it”) for the success of the project.
The last word goes to Bo, clearly enamoured of the Pro X. “IK has really listened to the feedback it got from the whole synth community – improve the build quality, give us more hands-on control and show us on the front panel how deep and complex it is. I feel like the team pushed really hard within the company to get what they wanted. With the original, I had a lot of suggestions but with this one, they took my wish list – not literally – but they took it and made it happen.”
No doubt, however, that even the UNO Synth Pro X will leave producers with a new wish list of features; no doubt IK Multimedia and Enrico will be on the lookout for more ideas.
Learn more about the UNO Synth Pro X at ikmultimedia.com.
The post IK Multimedia’s UNO Synth Pro X is what the synth community deserved from the start appeared first on MusicTech.

It seems really interesting scientific research and reminds a bit of a project by DJ Fresh called Mindtunes.
Scientists reconstructed Another Brick In The Wall listening to people's electrical brain activity.
#MusicTechnology #science #Music #MusicIndustry

SoundExchange sues SiriusXM for more than $150M in unpaid royaltiesSoundExchange has filed a lawsuit against SiriusXM to recover what it says are substantial unpaid royalties and late fees owed under the Copyright Act for the use of recordings on. Continue reading
The post SoundExchange sues SiriusXM for more than $150M in unpaid royalties appeared first on Hypebot.

How much #Music #AI is really enough?
Hey #MusicIndustry, wtf... I like #MusicTechnology but for which purpose do we need all that stuff in these crazy scales?!
PS: New music generator can [again] generate more than billion soundtracks.
It is understandable from the tech startup point of view but currently already 2 tracks a second are being released.
#MusicBusiness #Musicians #artists #Producers

MNTRA Instruments releases Mirage, the FREE cinematic instrument for macOS and Windows.
Mirage is a musical collaboration that blends the ancient art of Dhrupad vocals with the deep resonance of a rare 1830 Church Bass.
#musicproduction #free #plugin #Film

The Chainsmokers to support fellow musicians in NY

Public places music detection tool for #royalties by Audoo with PRS and PPL support.
#Music #Musicians #artists #MusicIndustry #Tools #MusicTechnology

#AI voice generation technology for artists to license their voices.
#musictech #musicproduction #MusicIndustry #Musicians #artists #Licensing

The Recording Academy has revealed its key dates and deadlines for the upcoming 2024 GRAMMYs which will be held on February 4 2024. Submissions are now open until August 31st, with the nominees to be announced on November 10th. Grammy submissions now open.
#Grammy #Musicians #artists #Producers #Music #MusicNews

#Meta has launched #Opensource AudioCraft #AI #Music #tool. Is it good or bad please decide by yourself 🤐

Major investor of Native Instruments and iZotope bids to acquire AVIDUS firm Francisco Partners, a major investor of Native Instruments and iZotope, is among private equity firms competing to acquire AVID, otherwise known as Avid Technology Inc.

READ MORE: “I saw you spreading lies on your Facebook group”: Loopop on Behringer not sending ‘free gear’ to reviewers

Earlier this year, Francisco Partners backed up the new partnership with iZotope and Native Instruments, which saw the two manufacturers team up to “shape the future of music making and audio production”.
Another company that is currently bidding for acquisition of AVID is Symphony Technology Group, a private-equity firm focused on technology investments. Earlier in the year, STG made a deal to take Momentive Global Inc, the parent company of SurveyMonkey.
AVID provides valuable software for the music industry, owning both digital audio workstation Pro Tools and music notation software Sibelius. Its products are widely considered to be industry standard, with Pro Tools likely the most used digital audio workstation in the world.
Sibelius is also one of the most commonly used scoring softwares in the composition world, and counts the likes of Hans Zimmer among its users.
Therefore, the potential purchase is a monumental move, especially considering that AVID has a current value of $1.2 billion.
According to Reuters, AVID started exploring options, including the sale of the company with the help of investment bank Goldman Sachs, earlier this year. Anonymous sources have since told Reuters that a deal could be signed as early as this month.
The post Major investor of Native Instruments and iZotope bids to acquire AVID appeared first on MusicTech.

Discussion of AI for producers.
#AI #Music #Musicians #Producers #musicproduction #Creators

Best free plugins and freeware of the month: August 2023It’s always nice when you uncover some useful or creative tools online – and it’s even nicer when they turn out to be free.

READ MORE: Best sample packs of the month

We’ve rounded up a handful of this month’s free releases for you to check out, including a chord-based ROMpler, a transparent limiter, a fully-featured spatial 3D instrument, an epic, endless reverb, and a fun sample chopping sequencer.
Monster DAW – MONSTER OctaChord v1
MONSTER OctaChord v1. Image: Monster DAW

macOS and Windows
64-bit VST/VST3/AU
Download OctaChord

If you’re looking for some inspiration to get you started, then Monster DAW’s chord plugin with built in sounds could be just the ticket. There are 18 presets for different styles including lo-fi, techno, cinematic, R‘n’B, pop and more.
Each preset includes a full set of 12 scales, plus an Ornament set of fill-ins, melodic lines and sound effects that match the chords. Additional features include master volume, pan, reverb and delay controls, plus separate volume controls for the chord and ornament sections. It’s easy to build up progressions, but with so many different sounds and chord samples, note that the full plugin library size is over 6GB.
Press Play – Wave Breaker
Wave Breaker. Image: Press Play

macOS and Windows
64-bit VST/VST3/AU
Download Wave Breaker

Press Play is best known for its excellent free oscilloscope plugin, Wave Observer. Its new release uses the same waveform display engine, but this time puts it to use as instant visual feedback within a true-peak stereo limiter plugin.
Wave Breaker offers a transparent sound with precise true-peak detection, look-ahead audio analysis and 4x oversampling. You can use the Drive control to push volume into the limiter at a desired threshold and choose from manual output compensation, or target peak-level normalisation. You can also add a touch of saturation, choose from a range of colour schemes and resize the GUI.
SpatStrument SM24
SpatStrument SM24. Image: Acousmodules

macOS and Windows
64-bit VST3
Download SpatStrument SM24

SpatStrument SM24 is a beast. It’s an effect, a synth, a sampler, a 3D panner and a controller all in one. It’s designed to offer a fun and playful approach to audio-spatial sculpting, especially if you have an MPE controller.
Its whopping feature set includes up to 24 output channels with free arrangement in 2D or 3D space, Periphonic and Volumetric Spatial modes, Spatial Shaper and Animator, live input processing, an eight-voice sampler, a three-oscillator synth with FM, cross modulation and ring modulation between the sampler and synth, eight-channel delay/resonator and hall reverb, lockTrigger and VeloPad for granular effects and more.
Airwindows – Galactic 2
Galactic 2. Image: Airwindows

macOS, Windows, Linux, Pi
32/64-bit VST/AU/VCV Rack
Download Galactic 2

Airwindows has built up a massive library of excellent free plugins over the years, with an emphasis on sound rather than snazzy GUIs. Its latest release is a massive-sounding reverb that gives a different twist on Airwindows’ first Galactic reverb plugin.
You get simple controls for drive, sustain, Darken and wet, which can all be manipulated to craft epic-sounding, infinite drones and pads. With sustain on full, it will even start to feedback on itself. You can also put in mono signals and get a wider-sounding stereo reverb out.
HY-Plugins – HY-Slicer2 free
HY Slicer2. Image: HY-Plugins
This cut-down version of HY-Slicer2 can be used as a fun and creative way to re-invigorate your loop library. You get 3 slicer units where you can load three different samples that get chopped into smaller pieces. These can then be sequenced in the Sampler Track where you can rearrange up to 16 slices.
Things get a little more interesting when you start using the additional lanes that let you sequence things like chance, reverse, tune, pan, filter, effect sends and more. You also get built-in effects and master effects to refine your new loops, and a Pattern chainer to help develop longer ideas.

macOS, Windows, Linux
64-bit VST/VST3/AU
Download HY-Slicer2 free

The post Best free plugins and freeware of the month: August 2023 appeared first on MusicTech.

Songwriters are using AI Generated voices for song pitches.
#AI #Music #Production #Creators #Singer #artists

iZotope Nectar Elements Plugin Is FREE At Plugin Boutique.
#free #plugin #musicproduction