Feds ask Waymo about robotaxis repeatedly passing school buses in AustinThe agency already opened an investigation in October over Waymo's performance around school buses.

Build A Pocket-Sized Wi-Fi AnalyzerWi-Fi! It’s everywhere, and yet you can’t really see it, by virtue of the technology relying on the transmission of electromagnetic waves outside the visual spectrum. Never mind, though, because you can always build yourself a Wi-Fi analyzer to get some insight into your radio surroundings, as demonstrated by [moononournation].
The core of the build is the ESP32-C5. The popular microcontroller is well-equipped for this task with its onboard dual-band Wi-Fi hardware, even if the stock antenna on most devboards is a little underwhelming. [moononournation] has paired this with a small rectangular LCD screen running the ILI9341 controller. The graphical interface is drawn with the aid of the Arduino_GFX library. It shows a graph of access points detected in the immediate area, as well as which channels they’re using and their apparent signal strength.
If you’re just trying to get a basic read on the Wi-Fi environment in a given locale, a tool like this can prove pretty useful. If your desires are more advanced, you might leap up to tinkering in the world of software defined radio. Video after the break.

24 Wavell St liminal machineEffect rack inspired by the sounds of analog horror. controllable parameters includes: reverb. shimmer. bit depth. bit reduction. Read More

Epidemic Sound sues Meta again, alleging copyright infringement of 1,000 additional worksEpidemic filed its first lawsuit against Meta in July 2022
Source

Fender and Jackson Drop Anniversary Signature Collection Celebrating 50 Years of Iron Maiden MetalIron Maiden has officially hit the 50-year mark—and Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is celebrating in style. To mark the milestone, Fender (along with Jackson) just unveiled a full lineup of limited-edition signature instruments designed to channel the tone, feel, and firepower of Maiden’s legendary players.

FMIC’s Chief Product Officer, Max Gutnik, nailed it when he said the collection is “more than tributes; they are stage-ready tools built to inspire today’s players and the next generation.”

For the die-hard Maiden fan (and player), the crown jewel is the ultra-premium Strat built for longtime guitarist Dave Murray. Crafted in collaboration with Custom Shop masterbuilder Andy Hicks, the Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster is finished in NOS Olympic White and loaded with top-notch specs: a walnut Oval “C” neck, compound-radius rosewood fingerboard, stainless-steel frets, Seymour Duncan Hot Rails + JB Jr pickups, and high-end FU-Tone hardware engineered to survive global touring.

But there are more accessible options too. Fender’s standard 50th-Anniversary models include a Dave Murray Strat, a 50th-Anniversary Strat for Janick Gers, and a signature bass for Steve Harris—each tailored to the playing style and tone that helped define the band’s sound.

Finally, guitarists that favour the gritty versatility of Jackson get so see rocker Adrian Smith immortalized too. The 50th-Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson SC1 delivers a tone and feel tailored to his melodic yet powerful style—perfect for stage or studio.

According to a release, the collection includes:

Fender Custom Shop

Masterbuilt Dave Murray Stratocaster - Built with Masterbuilder Andy Hicks to mirror Murray’s ultimate touring guitar. Features include a walnut Oval “C” neck, compound-radius rosewood fingerboard, stainless-steel frets, Seymour Duncan Hot Rails and JB Jr pickups, and premium FU-Tone hardware for stability and power. Finished in NOS Olympic White.

Fender

50th Anniversary Janick Gers Stratocaster - Black finish, 7.25" rosewood fingerboard, vintage tall frets and dual JB Jr pickups designed for Gers’ high-energy playing and stage showmanship. Fender online exclusive. 

50th Anniversary Dave Murray Stratocaster - Three Seymour Duncan pickups, Floyd Rose R2 tremolo and compound-radius neck deliver Murray’s fast, articulate attack.

50th Anniversary Steve Harris Precision Bass - Satin Black finish with mirrored pickguard, all-maple construction, split-coil Precision pickup and Harris’ signature details for his unmistakable galloping low end.

Jackson

50th Anniversary Adrian Smith Jackson SC1 - A studio and stage-ready alder build with a DiMarzio DP100 humbucker, Fender Noiseless Sumerian Cobalt pickups and top-mounted Floyd Rose bridge. Engineered for Smith’s blend of melodic phrasing, speed and tonal versatility.

More info and shop at Fender Custom Shop, Fender, and Jackson.

The post Fender and Jackson Drop Anniversary Signature Collection Celebrating 50 Years of Iron Maiden Metal first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

MusicTech’s favourite music gear of the decade…so farAudio hardware is having a renaissance this decade. The 2010s were dominated by vapid, redundant ‘analogue vs digital’ debates, an unstoppable avalanche of iOS apps and innovative plugins, and countless new MIDI controllers.
In the 2020s, however — despite the furious noise around artificial intelligence — we’re seeing tactility and analogue circuitry back at the forefront. In the past five years alone, historic brands like Oberheim, Sequential and Moog reprised their leviathan synth roots, Behringer led the charge on affordable analogue hardware, boutique rotary mixers have become the centrepiece of many hi-fi DJ booths, and brands like Warm Audio have put valve mics firmly back on the market.
Still, plugins, apps and DAWs are, expectedly, better than ever; you could decide to never own any hardware instruments, and still drop a Grammy-winning record with the tools available. Hell, with the number of capable smartphone DAWs, you don’t even need a laptop anymore.
READ MORE: MusicTech’s favourite studio gear of 2025
MusicTech‘s writers have tested and tweaked hundreds of products already since 2020, and there are plenty of brands and products to celebrate at the decade’s halfway point.
In no particular order, here is MusicTech’s favourite gear from the 2020s.
MasterSounds Valve MK2
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
When I first hooked up the MasterSounds Valve MK2, it felt less like testing a new piece of DJ gear and more like reconnecting with an old friend. There’s a particular calm that descends when you put your hands on something this considered — the hand-built quality, the joyful tactility, and analogue glow that slows your pulse before cueing a track.
Emerging during a period where digital tools were accelerating at breakneck speed, the Valve MK2 offered a moment to breathe, to listen, and rediscover the nuance of mixing on instinct rather than screen. What struck me most was how instantly musical the mixer felt. The valve circuitry adds a richness nudging every blend into something warm, physical, almost intimate.
Since the collaboration with Union Audio, MasterSounds has ceased mixer production, meaning the Valve MK2 carries a bittersweet significance. Using it feels like holding a snapshot of boutique analogue craftsmanship at its peak.
— James Day
Oberheim OB-X8
Oberheim OB-X8. Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
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An outstanding return for one of the world’s most revered synth designers, the Oberheim OB-X8 is every bit the synth we knew it could be but didn’t dare hope it would be. It’s a mammoth eight-
voice instrument that benefited from substantial contributions from the late, great Dave Smith,
The OB-X8 is not just well-built; it’s beautifully built. It’s heavy, it’s spacious, it has a FATAR keybed, walnut sides…I could go on. Above all, it sounds astonishingly good, both forward-thinking and
steeped in tradition, with all-but-flawless (all-analogue) homages to previous Oberheim models.
It’s a phenomenal instrument in almost every way that will doubtless stand the test of time as well
as its predecessors.
— Vincent Joseph
Behringer 2600
Image: Behringer
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I wanted to get together a modest modular setup, but by the time I’d specced a system with sufficient modules to make a half-decent synth the bill started to look excessive for what was – I’ll admit – a GAS-powered whim. But then Behringer released its homage to (or, as some would have it, rip-off of) the legendary ARP 2600 and my dreams were answered.
There are ethical arguments surrounding Behringer’s cloning habit, but it’s not like they’ve stolen a sale from anyone else: I can’t afford $12k-ish for the real thing, nor $4k+ for Korg’s “official” rerelease. I’ll also take synth YouTuber Ralph Baumgartl’s word for it that the Behringer isn’t as “brutal, untamed and raw” as the ARP (he should know — he owns an original ARP and all three Behringer variants). But I don’t care – my Behringer 2600 scratches my modular itch nicely, didn’t break the bank, and has proved to be the perfect base from which to grow a modular rig.
In his detailed review video, Tim Shoebridge opines that the Behringer 2600 is “the most modular or any semi-modular synth”, whilst Baumgartl points out that the instrument packs “all the essential synthesiser modules in one single box”. As such, the very affordable Behringer 2600 is the ideal starting point for anyone wishing to explore modular synthesis.
— Adam Crute
Positive Grid BIAS X

Positive Grid has long been a front-runner in the space of in-the-box guitar tones. Its BIAS FX 2 software has long been a core part of my home guitar setup, and honestly, with its massive range of authentic and solid-sounding emulations of classic gear, began  to replace my dependency on real-world amplifiers.
And this year brought a massive overhaul for BIAS with the introduction of BIAS X, an all-encompassing guitar tone suite with a twist: the ability to harness AI with text-to-tone and audio-to-tone prompts.
We guitarists are often very quick to land on the guitar tone we’re looking to create for a project – but making it a reality is another matter entirely. But with BIAS X, you can take so much of the painstaking knob-turning out of the equation, describe the exact tone you’re looking for and stay in your creative flow. You can even upload an audio file and it’ll match the track’s guitar tone. This is a game-changer for the guitar gear industry.
— Sam Roche
Teenage Engineering PO-133
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I vividly remember disliking the PO-133 and PO-128 when they first arrived at my house for review in 2021. I saw them as a lazy reskin and resell of the PO-33 and PO-28 from 2017, which I also thought were limiting and toy-like. Affordable? Sure. Actually useful for music makers? Surely not.
A few days with the PO-133 sampler, and I was drastically converted. Yes, the Capcom series Pocket Operators from Teenage Engineering are a reskin and re-release, but the included sounds are nostalgic and fun, and the Capcom logo makes it feel like some collector’s item. Better yet, the features that I once viewed as limiting became liberating. I was enjoying flipping samples on the PO-133 much more than on Ableton Live. I even looked into the world of Pocket Operator power users, who were producing albums with little more than the PO-133.
Sadly, I was careless with the PO-133 while moving house, and it’s been temperamental ever since. I’ve added one to my Christmas list this year in hopes I can revive my lo-fi sampling journey.
— Sam Willings
Teenage Engineering EP-133
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O.II. Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
To that end — despite ‘fadergate’ — the EP-133 K.O.II was an admirable success on Teenage Engineering’s part. I’m a sucker for old-school sampling, and was curious, sceptical even, when this drop, especially with its very reasonable price tag of £300. Like the Pocket Operators, this calculator-looking instrument comes with plenty of limitations, but therein lies its appeal. A fun, flashy display provides real-time visualiation on your effects, sample editing, and layers, and the hardware itself is a delight to tinker with. But it isn’t capable of deep sample editing, it doesn’t have a lot of memory, and you can’t make entire tracks on it. That hasn’t stopped thousands of creators picking one up and conjuring interesting ideas.
Ricky Tinez put it best when he spoke with me about the EP-133: “It’s refreshing for a company to be like, ‘This is the product. And if you’re not vibing with it, it might not be for you. And that’s okay.’”
Evidently, Teenage Engineering plans to further develop the EP-133 with new themes, with the Medieval version arriving to mixed reviews, and the new EP-40 Riddim launching with a bespoke microphone. This may not be the ‘best’ sampler released this decade, but it’s certainly among the most interesting.
— Sam Willings
Arturia Pigments
Vocoder. Image: Press
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Although Pigments started out before the 2020s, I didn’t come to it until its third version, released in 2021, and have only seen it go from strength to strength since then.
The synth’s ability to load different oscillator, filter and effect models isn’t unique, but what makes Pigments’ approach so compelling is that those models have grown from Arturia’s extensive R&D of accurate models of classic synths and processors. Indeed, it includes many models lifted directly from Arturia’s V-Collection instruments and FX-Collection processors. So whether I’m looking for vintage analogue, early digital, or thoroughly contemporary tones, I know I can rely on Pigments to deliver.
Pigments packs the history of sound and synthesis technology into a single, attractive and easy-to-use instrument whose deep sonic versatility ensures it blends perfectly with whatever music you’re working on.
— Adam Crute
Elektron Digitakt II
Image: Elektron
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It’s telling that the first Elektron Digitakt was, in the wake of its successor’s release, the best-selling piece of gear on second-hand marketplace site Reverb. The Digitakt II is not only an astonishingly good piece of gear in its own right with capacious room for sample storage, immense effects and sequencing power and stereo functionality across the board; its release also set a precedent for a significant levelling-up of Elektron’s more compact boxes in general, with a second iteration of the Digitone following not long after and the ambitious Tonverk after that.
The only groovebox I’ll ever need? Quite possibly.
— Vincent Joseph
Music Thing Modular Workshop System
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I spent the past year on the fence about diving into modular, keenly aware of both its learning curve and potential to bankrupt me. When I saw this starter system from Music Thing Modular, my brain lit up as it checked all the boxes: small, compact, affordable, deep enough to grow my skills but not overwhelming.
It’s returned a playful element to my musical practice that was in short supply for a long time. There’s no agenda and no expectations when I switch it on, and I find crafting patches almost meditative; it’s creating for creating’s sake. And when I do find myself back in Ableton, it often feels like it’s with more inspiration and direction.
— James Langley
Logic Pro for iPad
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We don’t love the subscription model either, but Apple’s rewriting of Logic Pro to work on iPad with its touch-based interface was a revolution in mobile music-making.
Facing criticism for touting the iPad as a Mac replacement but not creating pro apps for it, Apple crammed the best of Logic’s workflow into a stunning, slick app that feels familiar to Logic users but translates perfectly to the mobile platform.
In our review, we noted that iPadOS was a bit limiting, but since then, iPadOS 26 has massively improved multitasking, windowing, mouse and keyboard support and inter-app working on the platform, as well as external monitor support. More recent models like the M4 or M5-based iPad Pros are very powerful, with USB-C for connecting external drives and some audio interfaces.
All this makes Logic Pro on iPad an excellent way to make music on the go, and of course it can exchange projects with the desktop version too.
— Hollin Jones
Steven Slate Audio – VSX Headphones
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It’s hard to overstate the impact that VSX has had on my mixing, and if you read the comments of other users around the world, it seems like I’m not the only one. I have a decent room and speaker set-up, but after four years of use, I’m now mixing through VSX around 90% of the time. It provides a complete system with decent headphones, finely calibrated to work with excellent software, offering you the ability to mix in some fantastic-sounding studio and speaker setups. With the recent version 5, there’s even a calibration system that helps tailor the sound to your ear canal.
Overcoming the issues of a bad-sounding room is a difficult and expensive endeavour, but VSX provides an affordable system that can help you make better mixes with more consistent results.
— Alex Holmes
Sequential Fourm
Image: Press
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In more ways than one, I see the Fourm as a gateway. This is Sequential’s most affordable synthesizer to date, placing it within the grasp of many people who have coveted the legendary brand but been priced out of the market. Then there’s the polyphonic aftertouch keybed, which is so beautifully crafted that it convinced me of how musical, playable, and fun this feature can be. Each individual key is pressure sensitive and assignable to different controls, and, while feeling a little odd at first, you can ‘massage’ the keys to create wonderfully evolving sounds.
This is an atypical synth from a time-honoured maker — one that shouldn’t be overlooked!
— Garling Wu
Traktor Pro 4
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The battle for DJ software supremacy has become hotter than hardware rivalries with Serato, Rekordbox, and more in the mix. But when Traktor Pro 4 broke cover in summer 2024, it quickly became clear the blueprint for Berlin’s Native Instruments was to push performers further… far further. Stem separation is arguably the most significant development in DJing this decade. Coupled with flexible beatgrids, virtually flawless beat detection, a suite of live effects, and growing hardware integration — including the new Traktor MX2 controller — Traktor Pro 4 remains the most comprehensive, creative, and adventurous DJ platform available today.
No wonder it landed a MusicTech Choice Award with Hollin Jones’ review noting: “Native Instruments has built on an already stellar performance tool that’s as approachable for new performers as it is powerful for experienced ones…Stem separation will revolutionise the way you think about mixing and layering, the beat detection is near-flawless and the integration with NI’s hardware for live performance control makes for an outstanding all-round DJ experience. You’ll have no trouble at all getting the party well and truly started.”
— James Day
Ableton Move
Ableton Move. Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
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This pint-size idea-starter impressed me when I first got my hands on it, and my appreciation for Move has only grown over time. The sound banks are excellent, the build quality is travel-worthy, and the workflow is uber-accessible. Sure, my initial caveats remain – pricey, four-track limit, the near-mandatory use of Ableton Live – but outweighing all of that is the simple, unadulterated fun of using Move. I missed it once it was gone. I borrowed one from a friend. I eventually bought my own. This playful, colourful, portable slab of beats and grooves nails the quintessential function of every great instrument: it inspires you to create.
Fast, fun, and addictive – Move is everything I want in a portable groove box
— Clovis McEvoy
Cableguys – ShaperBox 3

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ShaperBox is probably my favourite, most used plug-in out of a long list of plug-ins. It’s one of those bits of software that provides an incredible amount of flexibility and power, but makes you feel in total control. The list of Shaper effects has steadily grown, and now includes Volume, Pan, Width, Filter, Drive, Noise, Crush, Reverb, Liquid, Time, and the newly released Pitch, plus an added compressor and oscilloscope.
The combination of multi-band, plus an LFO/curve, MIDI or audio-triggered workflow gives ShaperBox the unique ability to create original sounds and target hard-to-reach areas of audio. It’s incredibly useful for both wild sound design and everyday mixing tasks, and I couldn’t live without it.
— Alex Holmes
Thermionic Culture Snow Petrel Microphone Preamplifier
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This 2-channel all-valve microphone preamplifier is simply one of the best I’ve ever used. It’s not a feature-packed ‘channel strip’ type of unit; however, it offers an abundance of super-clean tube power to drive even the most insensitive microphones, including the Coles 4038 ribbon mic. The ‘Air’ control is superb, elevating lead vocals and just about anything else.
Back in 2020, I said, “Unlike regular EQ controls where less is often more, the Air control can be used quite liberally to great effect, so don’t be afraid to crank it up. Dialling in the Air control creates a halo of space around the kit, highlighting harmonics from cymbals and bringing out the snap of the snare drum.”
— John Pickford
Denon PerL Pro
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After almost three years, I still use these earbuds every day. The Denon PerL Pro are deeply slept on by the mainstream, with many opting for Apple AirPods Pro or whatever the latest Sony variant is called. Nay, I say — try the Denon PerL Pro, previously known as the NuraTrue Pro, and I doubt you’ll ever go back.
Personalised sound, a flat circle design that’s easy for gestures, and a comfortable fit make these buds a daily essential. I think my AirPods Pro are in a drawer somewhere…I’m not sure; I haven’t looked for them in a long time.
In my review, I said: “Denon’s PerL Pro, an exact recreation of the NuraTrue Pro, are a pair of earbuds that you simply must consider buying. With Nura’s trademark extraordinary sound personalisation (now called Masimo Adaptive Acoustic Technology), easy operation, lossless audio and an intuitive companion app, these are still some of the best earbuds out there.”
— Sam Willings
Zoom H6essential
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My most used piece of studio gear fits in the palm of my hand, can run on four double AA batteries and has toured all over the world in the back of my beat-up suitcase — I’m talking about the Zoom H6essential.
The unbeatable shift to a 32-bit recording format means you never have to set the gain levels again, or worry about audio clipping – seriously. This makes it perfect for on-location recording, sampling, or just capturing an impromptu jam session. It’s portable, functional, and a wonderfully creative tool that will allow more people to take their studio on the road.
— Garling Wu
Moog Muse
Moog Muse. Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
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After a few troubled years, Moog came roaring back with the release of the mighty Muse. It’s not just that it has world-class circuitry, or that its rock-solid build quality puts to bed worries about offshore manufacturing. What makes Muse a triumph is how it balances legacy with what professional musicians are looking for right now. A deeply featured arpeggiator and sequencer, a set of innovative probabilistic functions, a highly accessible modulation system – it’s this deft combination of analogue authenticity with digital convenience that captures the zeitgeist of modern synthesis.
Effortlessly reaffirming what Moog stands for, Muse helps define our current era of synthesis.
— Clovis McEvoy
Warm Audio WA-CX12 Tube Condenser Microphone

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Based on one of the most sought-after and expensive valve microphones of all time, the WA-CX12 is probably my favourite of all Warm Audio’s fabulous mics. Designed to emulate the most desirable versions of the AKG C12, built between 1953 and 1963, it is supremely versatile, offering 9 polar patterns. Sounding superb with most vocalists, it’s also fabulous on acoustic guitar, piano, orchestral instruments and even loud electric bass cabs.
At the time of the review, I said, “The CX12 is a gorgeous-sounding microphone. Its character is warm, rich and sweet, with excellent extension at both frequency extremes.” If I had to choose one Warm Audio microphone to record absolutely everything, this would be it.
— John Pickford
Sony MDR-MV1 open-backed headphones
Sony MDR-MV1 headphones. Image: SIRMA
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In a crowded field, Sony’s lightweight open-backs blew us away with their stunning accuracy and detail. At £420, they’re not cheap, still cost less than many competitors, which in my opinion, they outclass. Our review noted, “the first thing that strikes you about the sound of the MDR-MV1s is just how balanced it is. Years of wearing closed-back headphones or earbuds can condition us to get used to a more boomy, boxy sound. These cans are quite the opposite; their open-backed design means there’s no colouration of playback at all”.
They’re wired only – no fancy electronics here, just drivers that go from 5Hz to 80kHz, far outside the range of human hearing. They’re also tuned to accurately reproduce Atmos and other surround formats, which are a revelation to listen to. At the same time, they’re superb workhorse cans too – maybe not for tracking as the open backs leak sound, but for any kind of mixing or mastering, they’ll give you an uncompromising picture of your audio. To top it off, they are comfortable to wear for long sessions, which isn’t always the case with audiophile headphones.
If you spend any serious amount of time mixing on headphones, these are well worth your money.
— Hollin Jones
Arturia MiniFreak
Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
There was already so much to love about Arturia’s petite MicroFreak, even with its touch-capacitive keyboard. The MiniFreak elevated this waveform wrangling beast, however, with an expanded mini keybed with aftertouch, more voices, and a powerful effects section.
I got lost many times in the MiniFreak’s sequencer mode, blending the multiple advanced synth engines with delays and reverbs; not to mention the analogue filters. With its accompanying plugin and attractive price, I’ve since recommended the MiniFreak to any friends looking for a portable synth powerhouse.
As Adam Crute said in his review: “The MiniFreak is a small instrument whose unassuming exterior hides a behemoth of a synthesiser. It’s tough to believe the richness and character you can coax from such a compact, almost cute, instrument.”
— Sam Willings
Polyend MESS
Image: James Langley
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When I reviewed MESS, Polyend’s multi-track modulating effects box, it didn’t truly click with me until I fed in a drum machine. I love the way it transforms unremarkable percussion loops into captivating grooves that can almost stand on their own as a discrete piece of music, and, to me, it feels like a bit of a secret weapon.
I’m also excited to see how Polyend might update it. I’m impressed at just how much creative potential lies within the unit, but at times it feels difficult to unearth. With a few workflow tweaks, it’s easy to imagine using MESS on anything and everything to great reward.
— James Langley

The post MusicTech’s favourite music gear of the decade…so far appeared first on MusicTech.

HeadRush introduce 5.0 Firmware The HeadRush Prime, Core and Flex Prime amp modelling systems have just received a firmware update that introduces some significant new features.

What is a chorus in a song? Understanding its role and importance
Dive into the role of a chorus in a song, how it enhances the emotional impact of music, and tips for writing your own.

Spotify offers ‘context’ to Hypebot’s streamshare payouts postSpotify reached out to take issue with Hypebot's reporting on the streamer's Substack "The Truth About Streaming Payouts."
The post Spotify offers ‘context’ to Hypebot’s streamshare payouts post appeared first on Hypebot.

Lewis Capaldi Is Back on the Road. We Need to Talk About the Mental Health Toll of TouringThe widely-adored Scottish singer-songwriter is back on tour after a long hiatus due to health issues; his story is becoming increasingly common.
The post Lewis Capaldi Is Back on the Road. We Need to Talk About the Mental Health Toll of Touring appeared first on Hypebot.

The best gifts for DJs this holiday season After 11 months of taking song requests, Christmas is the one time of year DJs get to ask for something they want, so here are some of the best gifts this holiday season.
Whether they’re a bedroom dreamer, mobile party starter, or club resident, pick from 10 present ideas for the vinyl and digital DJs that they’ll actually use – and I should know, because I’m all of the above.
Curated by the MusicTech team, choose from a setlist of designer slipmats, modular headphones, a DJ-specific flash drive and more from familiar brands like AlphaTheta, Native Instruments, and Teenage Engineering. Get in quick, and you may even find a Black Friday bargain or two.
Give their turntables a designer Defected Records upgrade – £8 each
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Whether they’re rocking vintage Technics 1210s or set to unwrap new decks, slipmats are an essential addition for protecting records from scratches and a vinyl DJ’s kryptonite – vibrations. Defected’s 16oz designs don’t merely evoke memories of their favourite dance track or artist – they also come in six different styles intentionally sold separately so you can mix and match. If you can’t choose, simply buy the lot and use them as table mats for Christmas dinner.
Protect their lugs with Alpine earplugs
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Like a large number of DJs, I suffer from tinnitus and at times it can be infuriating. Protecting my hearing in the booth has become more important than ever, and so a solid pair of earplugs is a must-have. Custom earplugs can be costly, but Alpine’s off-the-peg MusicSafe Pro aim to match that performance for 100 uses. The plugs come complete with three sets of filters for 16, 19 & 22dB, a carry case, cord so you don’t lose them, and a cleaning spray.
The UDG Ultimate DIGI is the Rolls-Royce of headphone bags
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The carry case that comes with most DJ headphones can veer into chocolate teapot territory. UDG’s headphone holder will protect their precious cans from damage during transit and is something of a tardis when it comes to storing digital DJ essentials such as flash drives and spare cables. Made from Ballistic Nylon – developed for use in flak jackets – it looks like the sort of thing Lucian Fox would make for Batman if he had a set at Sankeys. Now there’s an idea. You can also shop Thomann’s remaining Black Friday weekend deals now.
Milty’s ZeroStat 3 might just fix their vinyl
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Another static revenger for vinyl DJs, the Milty Zerostat 3 is a battery-free gun that zaps away unwanted pops. A few slow squeezes will neutralise charges and restore clean playback. It’s durable, dead simple to use, and equally effective on both new and vintage records. For crate diggers with OCD (so, er, all of them), Milty’s anti-static taser is designed for those demanding pristine, noise-free mixes – just make sure they carry the paperwork with them in case security questions why they’re packing.
Gift them AIAIAI’s DJ headphones with a difference
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Danish audio company AIAIAI has long been a pioneer in headphone design. Its TMA range is fully modular, allowing you to build your own to match their lifestyle or choose from ready-made configurations for studio, DJ, or everyday use. The lightweight TMA-2 DJ XE are built for marathon sets thanks to an anti-fatigue design, while at the top end, the TMA-2 DJ Wireless claims a ‘world first’ with an ultra-low-latency, cable-free connection. AIAIAI’s emphasis on modularity also makes its headphones easy to repair.
SanDisk’s AlphaTheta Flash Drive is my DJ stick of choice
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I bet you’ve never thought about gifting someone a USB stick for Christmas, but hear me out. I’ve been using SanDisk’s AlphaTheta Flash Drive since the summer, and it’s now the centre of my digital DJing world. First off, it’s optimised for Rekordbox, my DJ software of choice. It’s got masses of storage, meaning I now carry around all my playlists, not just some, and the lightning-fast speeds mean no lag when uploading songs or loading tracks. Plus, that glorious dual USB-C/USB-A connectivity ensures seamless transfers between laptop and CDJ.
Illuminate their streamed sets with Nanoleaf lighting
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Nanoleaf is a smart lighting brand, a bit like Philips Hue, and I’m one of those insufferable tech nerds with Wi-Fi bulbs throughout my house. Try multicolour tiles from Nanoleaf’s Shapes range, like these Ultra Black Triangles, and there’s added Engine DJ integration allowing those with compatible decks and controllers to configure and trigger their own lighting display during sets. Great for bedroom DJs, streaming sets from the studio, or even mobile DJs performing at parties. Nanoleaf goes big on Black Friday, so check out its other deals here.
Ride the riddim with Teenage Engineering’s EP-40 & EP-2350
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Arguably the MusicTech team’s favourite pick for what we’d like for Christmas, Teenage Engineering’s latest stroke of genius is the EP-40 Riddim sampler and EP-2350 Ting microphone. Available as a bundle for a short time only, this reggae sounds sampler, sequencer and composer can be connected to turntables and mixers for on-the-fly sound system-inspired creativity. That’s thanks to a menagerie of mono poly voices, loops, and effects all wrapped up in a beautiful lo-fi design. TE has even produced a full accessories range ripe for gifting, including these adorable Riddim n’ ‘Ting’ socks. Sold.
Treat them to Native Instruments’ clever new DJ controller
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I had the privilege of reviewing the Native Instruments Traktor MX2 in October, and it sets a new benchmark for affordable DJ controllers. It costs a bit more than entry-level options like AlphaTheta’s altogether competent DDJ-FLX2, but the extra bang for your buck is considerable and could well set a bedroom DJ on the way to something far more creative. If they’re the sort of person who prefers to experiment rather than paint by numbers, this is the controller for them.
HEDD Audio’s DJ monitors got top marks from MusicTech
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A favourite from our best small studio monitors to buy in 2025, HEDD Audio’s TYPE 05 A-CORE speakers received a coveted 10/10 score and MusicTech Excellence Award when we reviewed them back in June. Hand-built in Berlin with an all-analogue design and featuring the holy trinity of XLR, TRS and RCA inputs, we love the tactility of control knobs for volume, bass and treble EQs without being distracted by yet another app. While designed for everyone from bedroom DJs to mobile performers, a small studio setup is probably their happy place.
The post The best gifts for DJs this holiday season  appeared first on MusicTech.

Acon Digital announce Extract:Dialogue 2 Extract:Dialogue 2 introduces a whole host of new features including real-time reverb reduction, per-audio stem EQ, optional Mid-Side processing and a redesigned mixer-style interface that gives users direct control over dialogue, noise and ambience levels.

Track Record: Shure CEO Christine Schyvinck on the company’s 100th anniversaryWhen you type the word “microphone” into a Google image search, the first item that comes up is Shure’s SM58. Everyone from the biggest performers in the world to artists taking the stage for the first time uses the famous wired vocal mic.

READ MORE: How AlphaTheta’s CDJ-3000X is finding an unexpected new audience

The SM58 is just one staple of the audio market that Shure has released since it opened its doors in 1925. When MusicTech asks Shure Chairman, President, and CEO Christine Schyvinck about its full century of success, she’s quick to reel off the core values Mr Shure – as she calls founder Sidney N. Shure – laid out so long ago.
“Listening to our customers, always making high-quality solutions, dealing in our business practices in the most ethical way possible, and showing respect to each other and our partners,” Schyvinck says. Mr. Shure started out as a one-man show, helping every customer and building every product, she notes. “Those values are engraved in our brains.”
Schyvinck herself joined Shure in 1989 as a Quality Control Engineer, then held positions such as Vice President of Corporate Quality, Vice President of Operations, and Chief Operating Officer, stepping into the top role in 2016. She now oversees thousands of employees on five continents, but an essential part of her job is making everyone feel like they are a part of a family, as she did for the company’s recent 100-year celebrations.
“We spend a lot of time in the field trying to figure out what customers are trying to get done in their day jobs”
“We have more people outside of the United States than we have inside, and we really wanted to make sure that this celebration let everybody participate,” Schyvinck says. “In many locations, musical entertainment was provided by the associates. We have a passion for the products that we make because we have that interest and curiosity with our own hobbies and our own interests.”
Audio quality is a passion for Schyvinck and Shure, which is why the SM58 remains the legendary product it is decades after its introduction in 1966.
“If you count the fact that SM58 heads go on a lot of wireless solutions, that would be more than half of our business. We never worry about that product,” Schyvinck remarks with a big smile, explaining how, after nearly 60 years, its technical components haven’t changed. “Maybe some kind of material becomes unavailable, or a supplier changes. But by and large, the construction of the product is the same.”
“Any podcast, any livestream for gaming, you’re going to see Shure microphones being used”
Timeless Sound
There’s no need to change the SM58 because everyone still loves its sound, and as Shure ventured into gaming and podcasting, Schyvinck saw new opportunities for another classic product that remains beloved for its audio quality: the SM7 voiceover mic, which was developed in 1973.
Gamers had started adopting the SM7, but they wanted a product that could plug directly into their computers. So Shure’s engineers went to work developing the MOTIV series.
“We had this decades-old product with this little brother, the MOTIV line, coming out around the same time. Popularity was growing, and the need was growing during the pandemic,” Schyvinck says. “Those solutions are ubiquitous. Any podcast, any livestream for gaming, you’re going to see those microphones being used.”
Schyvinck knows what mics are being used in gaming and podcasting because she takes pains to stay updated on what’s happening in the audio market. “I make sure that the executive team gets out and about,” she says, mentioning a recent tour of the Chicago Bulls’ arena home, the United Center. She and her team saw, from end to end, what it takes to broadcast an NBA game. “We spend a lot of time in the field trying to figure out what customers are trying to get done in their day jobs.”
That on-the-ground experience is, for Schyvinck, crucial to being able to live out Mr Shure’s values – the principles that have guided the company to its pole position in audio technology.
“Shure has a reputation for being easy to work with and having very rugged, reliable solutions. At the same time, we’re known for exceptional audio and intelligibility. Those are the tools that we want to use for all of our innovations going forward,” she says. “A hundred down, and another hundred in front of us.”
The post Track Record: Shure CEO Christine Schyvinck on the company’s 100th anniversary appeared first on MusicTech.

Xilentch releases XMTubePre, a FREE mastering tube preamp plugin
Xilentch has been busy over the past few months, and after releasing XMLimiter V2 and XMTape&Clip, the developer has added another plugin to the XM series: XMTubePre. XMTubePre follows the same design philosophy as previous releases; the intention is to recreate the feeling of expensive hardware in a free, simple plugin. In this case, Xilentch [...]
View post: Xilentch releases XMTubePre, a FREE mastering tube preamp plugin

How to remove background noise from your vocals within seconds using BandLab’s Voice CleanerAd feature with BandLab. Editor’s note: BandLab Technologies and MusicTech are both a part of the Caldecott Music Group.
Music creators habitually record their ideas into their phones. It’s comforting to know that all the musical snippets you may want to revisit are in your pocket, but if you’re just using your phone’s basic built-in audio recorder, the ever-growing list of ideas can be intimidating to unravel. This is why more songwriters opt for smarter apps like BandLab Studio to organise and store their creativity.

 
Having your instrumental and vocal ideas in one place is much more efficient than singing into the void. But a noisy vocal recording can easily take you out of your flow state while making music. The distracting environmental sounds won’t match the pristine sonic quality of the virtual instruments you’re working with. Suddenly, the mood is ruined.
BandLab Studio’s Denoise feature is a helpful tool to snap vocals into focus. But when it comes to vocal isolation, it’s the new AI Voice Cleaner that’s hard to beat. It removes ambience from recordings so that you can adapt even the roughest phone-recorded vocals into your mix.
Testing different environments
As the holiday season is already in motion, many musicians hope to travel with a compact, portable setup. This was me on Thanksgiving week, as I left New York to visit my in-laws in Milwaukee. Though I didn’t plan to work every day, I wanted to be able to capture moments of inspiration on my phone. With so many distractions in and around the house, I had small windows of opportunity to do so.
Away from the chatter, I found some peace in the bathroom to record a verse I had in mind. With droplets of water and plenty of natural reverb, the environment was less than ideal to record in.
But this is where the Voice Cleaner shines. Using my earbud microphone, I recorded the part into the BandLab Studio app on my phone. One tap on the resulting audio clip, and the Voice Cleaner option comes right up, with three options to choose from: Noise Remover, DeReverb, and AutoEQ.
This was my first time using Voice Cleaner, so I left the AutoEQ switch off at first. All I had to do was select Apply to separate my voice from the rumble and echoes bouncing off the tiles. My vocals sounded clean and dry with very minimal artefacts. Intrigued, I ran the Voice Cleaner again, this time switching only AutoEQ on. Now, each word was crisper and clearer.
Here’s the process, step by step.

Having heard what the Voice Cleaner is capable of, I wanted to challenge it further by turning the bathroom fan on. Despite the loud noise, the Voice Cleaner differentiated my voice from its surroundings. It was a bit grainier compared to the earlier version, but it was still usable as a scratch vocal in a demo track.

Denoise vs AI Voice Cleaner
BandLab Studio’s AI tools are available with a Membership, but you can still benefit from the regular Denoise feature in the free version of the app.
Denoise can reduce the volume of consistent interference, like an AC running in an acoustically treated room. Try it on vocals that you recorded outdoors, and it’ll fall short.
To compare, I re-recorded the same verse on a balcony by the river. In the following video, you’ll hear the raw recording, as well as how Denoise and Voice Cleaner each processed the vocals.

There was plenty of wind, as well as boats and cars passing by. Might Denoise work better indoors? Let’s run the test again, this time in the kitchen, with the water running in the background.

Evidently, Denoise can suppress some noise. But it can’t eliminate all types of noise and reverb.
Taking mobile recordings to the next level
Although it’s as close to a miracle-worker as you can get, there are challenges even Voice Cleaner can’t overcome.
While recording another take in a separate room, the earbud microphone picked up the family dog’s barks in the background. With Voice Cleaner, I managed to erase one of them. But the other bark, though muffled, was still there. Would I use the voice-cleaned version over the original take, though? Absolutely.

Organised creativity, stored in the cloud
My biggest takeaway from this experiment is that with BandLab’s Voice Cleaner, any vocal recording can find a place in your productions.
In a basic voice memo app, you can’t record to a click, and importing a voice memo into a DAW and building a track around it requires a significant amount of effort. Before you can focus on the instrumentation or what comes next in the song, you’ll first have to quantise the recording. Then, you’ll have several stages of EQ, noise suppression, gating, and audio editing to look forward to.
That’s a lot of work for a scratch vocal that may not even appear in the final version of a song.
Now, imagine opening up BandLab Studio from the get-go instead. Maybe you already have a few chords in mind, so you write the notes in on a synth track. Maybe you look into the vast collection of BandLab Sounds to find a sample to start your song with. Maybe you grab a full instrumental from BandLab Beats to keep your focus on your songwriting process.
Next, you record your melodic and lyrical ideas on the grid. You hit Voice Cleaner, which gives you a clean slate to mix your vocals into the instrumental. You confidently run your voice through AutoPitch, apply a vocal FX preset, or build your own chain with EQ, compressor, reverb, and delay.
Because BandLab Studio files get stored in the cloud, you have access to your sessions on your smartphone, tablet, and computer. An idea you start on the road can quickly turn into a fleshed-out arrangement before you get back home. By combining the power of Voice Cleaner with a USB microphone, you can even achieve studio-quality vocals you’ll want to keep forever.
No matter how you use it, you’ll always be ahead of the details that hinder your creative output with Voice Cleaner.
The post How to remove background noise from your vocals within seconds using BandLab’s Voice Cleaner appeared first on MusicTech.