Original programmer who worked on Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean reveals how he created its iconic four-chord stackBill Wolfer, who originally programmed and performed on the iconic Yamaha CS80 heard in Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean, has revealed exactly how he created the famous four-chord stack that repeats throughout the song.
Anthony Marinelli, a composer and performer, broke down how the chord stack was put together and how to recreate it in a YouTube video posted last week (15 December). Marinelli also worked on the Thriller album himself as a performer and arranger. Since then, Wolfer has left a comment underneath the video further adding some clarity to exactly how he achieved that unforgettable tone.

READ MORE: Michael Jackson’s first-ever studio recording released digitally

In his video, Marinelli says that the stack “consists of four completely different sounds that all play at the same time”, adding: “Back in the early 1980’s it was unheard of to use this many tracks of tape to record just one musical part. Sound one is stringy, sound two is brassy, sound three is voice-like, and sound four is actually Michael singing ‘oohs’ in two-part harmony.”
Watch Marinelli’s video below for his break down of the chords:

In Wolfer’s comment, he notes that Marinelli’s take on the synth sound “is very close” to the original. “It started when Michael heard me fooling around with trying a string/brass combination patch on a CS80 during the ‘81 Jacksons tour,” he adds.
“Afterwards, he asked me to work on the demo, and then do the part on the record at Westlake. For the record, I didn’t use the chorus circuit, because that thing was noisy as hell. I used pulse width modulation and a bit of detuning to animate the string sound. I also didn’t use any noise in the patch. The key to it, especially on the string side, is the release envelopes.
“My secret sauce was to have a shorter release on the filter than the VCA. If the cutoff frequency of the filter is set right, along with the right amount of envelope control, it simulates the resonance you get from a hollow body string instrument,” he explains.
“I recorded it in Studio B with Matt Forger, as Michael and Quincy were under a deadline for that E.T. children’s record they did. I knew the tune, so I got Michael to come approve the sound, and then recorded it just with Matt there. Then Michael and Quincy came down to listen.”
Recorded in 1982, Billie Jean was released as the second single from Jackson’s famous Thriller album. In 1984, it was certified as being the best selling album of all time.
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Sonos’ Move 2 might just be 2023’s best portable speaker£449, sonos.com
Sonos has found serious success with its Roam and Move portable speakers since branching out from its more traditional home cinema line-up. Now, the company has released the Move 2, a significant upgrade to the original but with a higher price.

READ MORE: Surround mixing on headphones just got serious with OLLO Audio’s S5X

Typically, speakers tend to fall either into the category of portable but lower tech, or shelf-mounted but more advanced. The Move 2 manages to be portable yet very advanced – could it be the ultimate go-anywhere speaker?
Sonos 2 battery, connectivity and durability
The unit is extremely solid, weighing 3kg and fitted with internal shock-mounting to make it resistant to drops – though, obviously, that’s something you’d try to avoid. It’s also IP56 water and dust resistant so splashes and rain aren’t going to cause it any problems.
It ships with a power adapter with USB-C and also a dock into which it can be placed to charge, with a full three-hour charge giving you up to 24 hours of playback, which is a significant improvement over the original Move’s 11 hours. The internal battery can also charge smaller devices like smartphones over USB-C which is a nice bonus, and is replaceable should you ever need it.
Sonos Move 2 in White, in use on a kitchen counter
You’ll need to download the excellent Sonos app for iOS or Android and initiate setup from your phone or tablet, registering the unit and performing any available updates. This gets it onto your wi-fi network and makes it available as an Airplay 2 device. It can be paired with other Sonos units for multi-room playback or with another Move 2 for true stereo, though sadly it’s incompatible with a Move 1.
The app gives you access to multiple streaming services including Sonos Radio, which is controlled from inside the Sonos app, and you’re also able to set up other services including Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, Bandcamp and a host of others. The app can also connect to shared media folders on your local network, which is a welcome addition for anyone who has a bunch of music stored locally, perhaps in uncompressed formats.
Sonos Move 2’s microphones
The speaker has multiple microphones that serve several purposes, the first being voice recognition using the “hey Sonos” command, which works effectively even when music is playing. You can use this to play and control music on one or more units. There’s support for the Amazon Alexa voice assistant, though no longer for Google Assistant, which is a shame for those using Google Home. The mics can be disabled using a hardware switch on the rear if you are concerned about privacy, though this does also turn off voice control and related functions.
The second thing the mics can do, if you switch it on, is power the unit’s TruePlay technology that monitors reflections from nearby surfaces and tweaks playback accordingly, which is helpful since it’s designed to be used in all kinds of environments. In use, this seems to attenuate bass slightly when placed near a wall and, for example. There’s a simple bass and treble EQ in the software too, as well as a Loudness button. In our tests, we find leaving these flat works well, though the Loudness control does nicely boost the low end when engaged, without ever seeming too boomy.
Sonos Move 2 in Olive, in use outdoors
There are a couple of other hardware changes from the first model, starting with touch-enabled controls on the top that let you affect volume and playback without having to go to the app or another device. The second is a line input on the rear, which requires you to add a £19 Sonos adapter to convert 3.5mm to USB-C to connect other audio devices with a compatible cable. While it might be nice to throw this in with your purchase, it’s probably niche enough that many users wouldn’t need it, and £19 isn’t a huge stretch but does put the unit over the £450 mark.
The third change is that while the original Move allowed you to use Bluetooth or wi-fi, the Move 2 lets you use both at once, sharing streamed Bluetooth audio from a smartphone, for example, to other Sonos units over wi-fi. Again, perhaps a little niche but nice to have.
What codecs does the Sonos Move 2 support?
Only SBC and AAC codecs are supported which is a bit of a shame for owners of devices capable of higher-quality aptX or LDAC streaming (so this excludes Apple users). If you are using the speaker away from a broadband network it’s unfortunately not able to create an ad hoc wi-fi hotspot, so any cellular streaming from your phone will be over Bluetooth and by definition, data-compressed. This is a shame in such an explicitly portable speaker, and perhaps something that Sonos could enable in future software updates.
Where the Move had a single woofer and tweeter the Move 2 has a woofer and two angled tweeters, giving a sort-of-stereo field. It’s not really stereo as that would require a second larger driver, but it does make an appreciable difference to widening the sound field especially at closer quarters. There’s no Dolby Atmos – for that, you’d want to look at the Sonos Era 300.
Music services available on the Sonos app
How does the Sonos Move 2 sound?
The Move 2 sounds excellent. Its three amplifiers provide tons of headroom and plenty of volume, with digital signal processing kicking in to prevent distortion at high playback levels. The soundstage is rich but balanced, and the low end is remarkably powerful and accurate, especially given the lack of any porting.
Chase and Status’ 2 Ruff crackles with energy and deep bass, while a selection of very different music from jazz to rock is also beautifully rendered. While there’s EQ available, we find it unnecessary to use it indoors, adding just a notch or two of bass and treble while outdoors for more punch.
If you already own a Move 1 – still on sale for £399 – the doubled battery life, dual tweeters and smartphone charging of the 2 could be a reason to upgrade. For potential new owners, the Move 2 is an incredible portable smart speaker with an immense sound, a powerful and comprehensive app, weather resistance and effective voice control. That price is going to be a sticking point for some – you have to really value the portability here when the mains-powered Era 300 with Atmos is available online for £50 less – but for impressive sound and performance inside the house and out, the Move 2 is a superb performer.
Sonos Move 2 key features

3 class-D digital amplifiers, woofer and dual tweeters
24-hour battery with USB-C charging and dock
Touch controls and Sonos app
Sonos Radio and many streaming stations
IP56 waterproof, shock protection
Trueplay environmental audio adjustment
AirPlay 2, Bluetooth and multiroom
Voice control, Amazon Alexa
Adjustable EQ
USB-C phone charging

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

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

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

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

The Amplifiers

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

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

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

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

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

For more information on Neural DSP, click here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Paul Hourican, Global Head of Music Partnerships and Programming at TikTok, says of the triumphant concert, “In The Mix was an awe inspiring event where fans and artists came together to celebrate what we love about TikTok, where the power of the platform’s music discovery played out on stage.
“An event of this magnitude truly takes a village, thank you to the amazing line up of incredible artists, our partners, the sold out crowd in Arizona, and the record breaking audience who watched around the world in their millions on TikTok,” Hourican concludes.
If you missed In The Mix and would like to catch up on some of its highlights, there is a one hour special streaming now on Hulu and Disney+, featuring all the best bits from the show.
Find out more over at the TikTok Newsroom.
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