Songs for Good: The Sudden Resurgence of the Protest SongA common refrain during the first Trump presidency was "With so many people upset, where are the protest songs?" Something began stirring in Trump's second term, and beginning in the middle of 2025, politically-minded (or just fed up) musicians slowly began making their rage and frustration known. Here is a loose timeline of some of the recorded protest music thus far in the President's current term.

Just three companies dominated the $189B in VC investments last monthCrunchbase data shows a record $189 billion of global venture capital flowed to startups last month, with AI startups nabbing 90% of the capital.

What's at stake for crypto as 3 US states kick off party primaries?Super PACs backed by the crypto industry are expected to spend millions of dollars in the 2026 midterm elections after many of their chosen candidates won in 2024.

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Explore high-quality free and paid plugins that are compatible with Pro Tools, spanning essentials for composition, mixing, mastering, and more.

In the Studio with The Barbarians of CaliforniaMembers: Aaron Bruno, vocals; Eric Stenman, guitar; Zach Irons, guitar; Linden Reed, drums; David Amezcua, bass; Isaac Carpenter, drums (founding member, now in Guns N’ Roses)

The Origin: Across multiple creative circles — bands, production rooms, musical experiments, and songwriting sessions — the members of The Barbarians of California moved in parallel, simultaneously sharpening separate sonic identities as currents built and intensified toward an inevitable flashpoint.

The first phase manifested through the pairing of frontman Aaron Bruno’s punk band, Insurgence, with Eric Stenman behind the board. While their initial collaboration was transitory, the collision of their shared hardcore sensibilities resonated long after they diverged — Bruno with Hometown Hero and Under the Influence of Giants, and Stenman engineering and producing for bands including Senses Fail, Dashboard Confessional, and Deftones. Despite the distance, their creative momentum gathered strength within separate channels, set on a trajectory to converge once more.

Fast forward a few years, and the two aligned for a second time under the AWOLNATION banner. With Stenman at the helm, Bruno hammered out a sonic identity known for blending hard-edged electronics with arena-scale alternative rock. While AWOL’s music reached a global stage, a dormant undercurrent of abrasive punk mixed with metal pulsed beneath the polished synthesis —  steadily growing, waiting for a resurgence.

After harboring a collection of unleashed riffs for years, the next surge occurred when Stenman shared his power chord monstrosities. The barrage of discordant motifs immediately captured Bruno’s attention and ultimately evolved into full-bore hardcore arrangements, crystallizing an aggressive sonic landscape between the two.

This energy pulled in longtime collaborators — fellow AWOL musicians Zach Irons (Irontom), Isaac Carpenter (Loudermilk/Gosling now with Guns N’ Roses), David Amezcua (Under the Influence of Giants), and Linden Reed (AWOL) —  unifying the band’s collective history.

What had been a network of isolated currents transformed into The Barbarians of California, a self-contained, combustible force: louder, heavier, and more visceral than before. With the release of And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth, the organically formed project became a reality, reaching critical mass, channeling years of shared creative energy into a singular explosive entity.

As The Barbarians of California continue touring and toggle from stage to studio, they offer an inside look at their creative process — a proving ground for capturing evolving, volatile energy.

The Production: When And Now I’m Just Gnashing My Teeth materialized, it was an experiment — a way to reignite a passion for a genre that had simmered beneath the surface for years. The approach was intuitive; guided by a desire to release something primal and honest, for the unfiltered soul of it all.

As Aaron Bruno recalls, the goal was straightforward: to release the material, play a proper hardcore show, and see if anyone with ears to hear would ride with them. That one show, “absolutely went off,” and the unexpected embrace of their music did more than surprise them — it inadvertently validated their conviction. What had once felt like an undercurrent became something tangible: permission to create, permission to redline the sound.

Beyond the heavy sonics and raw energy, Bruno’s lyrics cut with precision — cunning, wry, and sly — offering societal observations open to interpretation, tempered with spirited irreverent defiance.

Now, stepping into a second full release, the conviction remains — but the drive has intensified. The music is expanding in every direction: “I want it to be heavier, more brutal, and as far-reaching as artistically possible,” Bruno explains. “We have no rules… no genre to adhere to. I still don’t know if we are hardcore, metal, thrash, punk, or all of the above. Maybe it’s pop music.”

Even with this boundary pushing, the approach while recording in the studio remains minimalistic.  After years in large studios with endless options, guitarist and producer Eric Stenman has embraced restraint. “I operate out of a small studio/workspace located at [his] house. Ninety-five percent of everything Barbarians (and AWOL) happens there. It’s super modest… not a lot of gear. I have an even smaller version of the same thing at my house.”

That simplicity is intentional. In a guttural punk-meets-metal band, the foundation is clear: chords, rhythm, and vocals must occupy distinct spaces while commanding sonic strength. The challenge is carving enough room in the mix so every element hits with unfettered power, clarity, and cohesion.

Anchoring the band’s aggressive sound, Isaac Carpenter and Linden Reed’s drums provide both precision and propulsion. Whether tracked in the main studio or home setups, their playing drives the riffs and chords forward, sculpting the energy and intensity while leaving clearance for vocals to hit and soar.

Layering guitars without muddiness requires skill and taste. Stenman’s longtime go-to has been a Les Paul, though he also leans into ESP/LTD tones for heavier, more metallic textures. Zach Irons brings his own dynamic; as a left-handed guitarist, his options are naturally limited. “I’m still experimenting with all of this,” Irons adds. “I recently got a vintage Carvin (Kiesel). I wanted a guitar with a full whammy bar, and now I have it.”

While the drums and guitars frame the architecture for The Barbarians’ sound, Aaron’s voice must cut through to carry the emotion. Recorded with a handheld Shure SM7 in a modest control room, vocals are often captured in three passes or less. “With Aaron,” Stenman explains, “so much of capturing his vocals is based on instinct and vibe.  If something isn’t working, he’ll know very quickly and adjust course… or throw away an idea completely.”

Shaping this specific, heavily powered sound is a constant balancing act amid chaos and control. For the band, overthinking while tracking is the enemy.  “Keeping things just raw enough to be exciting and chaotic in the right way is very important.”  Stenman adds, “However, we also want to maintain cohesion and a level of professionalism. The bigger your drum sound, the less room there is for guitars… and vice versa. The more you edit a performance to perfection, the more you run the risk of being sterile and unexciting.”

Oscillating across polish and volatility creates a beautiful tension that defines the Barbarians of California’s work in the studio. Nothing is overdone, but nothing is careless.  The band operates in a space where passion meets experience — where minimalism sharpens aggression.

What began as separate creative currents has fused into a sound with no fixed boundaries.  In a band devoid of rules to obey, that paradox feels fitting. The Barbarians occupy a realm where crossover, metal, thrash, punk, or something else entirely could all serve as monikers, but that is the point. Whatever it is, it’s loud, visceral, deliberately crafted — and unapologetically their own.

Photo Courtesy: Atom Splitter PRThe post In the Studio with The Barbarians of California first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Exploring Security Vulnerabilities in a Cheapo WiFi ExtenderIf all you want is just a basic WiFi extender that gets some level of network connectivity to remote parts of your domicile, then it might be tempting to get some of those $5, 300 Mbit extenders off Temu as [Low Level] recently did for a security audit. Naturally, as he shows in the subsequent analysis of its firmware, you really don’t want to stick this thing into your LAN. In this context it is also worrying that the product page claims that over a 100,000 of these have been sold.
Starting the security audit is using $(reboot) as the WiFi password, just to see whether the firmware directly uses this value in a shell without sanitizing. Shockingly, this soft-bricks the device with an infinite reboot loop until a factory reset is performed by long-pressing the reset button. Amusingly, after this the welcome page changed to the ‘Breed web recovery console’ interface, in Chinese.
Here we also see that it uses a Qualcomm Atheros QCA953X SoC, which incidentally is OpenWRT compatible. On this new page you can perform a ‘firmware backup’, making it easy to dump and reverse-engineer the firmware in Ghidra. Based on this code it was easy to determine that full remote access to these devices was available due to a complete lack of sanitization, proving once again that a lack of input sanitization is still the #1 security risk.
In the video it’s explained that it was tried to find and contact a manufacturer about these security issues, but this proved to be basically impossible. This leaves probably thousands of these vulnerable devices scattered around on networks, but on the bright side they could be nice targets for OpenWRT and custom firmware development.

Damon Whiteside to step down as Academy of Country Music CEOWhiteside will remain as CEO Emeritus for the remainder of 2026 as the organization searches for his successor.
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Toontrack Music Drumopolis SDX Drum Sound Expansion for Superior Drummer 3 by Toontrack The Drumopolis SDX is a premier sound expansion for Superior Drummer 3, meticulously crafted to capture the essence of rock history. Produced by the legendary, Grammy Award-winning producer Tony Visconti—the sonic architect behind iconic records by David Bowie, T. Rex, and Thin Lizzy—this library brings five decades of audio mastery into the digital realm. Recorded at the world-renowned Metropolis Studios in London, the expansion offers a diverse range of drum tones, from the massive, open energy of large room setups to the gritty, focused punch of tight iso booths. Captured by engineer Liam Nolan (known for his work with Adele and Rihanna) and performed by drummer Stephen Gilchrist, the Drumopolis SDX features a versatile collection of kits that mirror Visconti's most famous production eras. The library is divided across two distinct studio environments within Metropolis: the spacious Studio A, known for its soaring ceilings and natural ambience, and a damped isolation booth designed for vintage-style, bone-dry textures. To further enhance the sonic depth, Toontrack included recordings from an adjacent stone room using stereo ribbon microphones, providing an additional organic layer for blending. Beyond the raw samples, the Drumopolis SDX includes an extensive selection of mix-ready presets engineered by Visconti himself. These presets allow users to instantly tap into the "Bowie-era" shimmer or the hard-hitting "Thin Lizzy" drive with minimal effort. Complementing the sounds is a dedicated MIDI library of grooves and fills, also performed by Stephen Gilchrist, ensuring that your productions benefit from both professional-grade tones and authentic human performance. Whether you are producing glam rock, modern alternative, or classic indie, this SDX provides a sophisticated palette of drums that are both historically significant and modernly flexible. Features: Produced by Tony Visconti: Legendary producer of David Bowie, T. Rex, and Thin Lizzy. Recorded at Metropolis Studios: Captured in the heart of London in one of the world's most iconic recording spaces. Two Distinct Environments: Includes the open, natural ambiance of Studio A and a tight, damped iso booth for grittier sounds. Comprehensive Kit Selection: Features multiple full kits including Slingerland (1970s), Canopus (Yaiba 2), and more. Stone Room Ambience: Extra stereo ribbon mic recordings from an adjacent stone room for unique reverb layers. Custom MIDI Library: Includes a wide array of grooves and fills inspired by Tony Visconti's discography. Mix-Ready Presets: Pre-configured channel strips and effects chains designed by Tony Visconti and the Toontrack team. Surround Sound Ready: Recorded with additional height and ambience microphones for immersive audio configurations. High-Resolution Samples: Provided as raw, unprocessed waveforms for maximum flexibility in the Superior Drummer 3 mixer. Versatile Range: Covers everything from 70s glam and classic rock to modern alternative and cinematic percussion. https://youtu.be/guYaC8U-b_4?si=YlQtg_qkj1ypZV61 Read More

Get the Roland TB-303 plugin for $49 at Plugin Boutique (ends March 8)
Plugin Boutique is offering the Roland TB-303 synth plugin at 67% off its regular price, bringing it down to $49 from $149. The deal runs until March 8th in celebration of 303 Day. The TB-303 hardware was released by Roland in 1981 as a substitute for the bass guitar. We all know the rest of [...]
View post: Get the Roland TB-303 plugin for $49 at Plugin Boutique (ends March 8)

Novation introduce the Launch Control 3 Following on from the release of the Launch Control XL 3, Novation have announced that its smaller sibling has just been treated to a similar upgrade. 

A Behringer spring reverb unit for less than £130? Yes, please.Behringer’s take on the Grampian Reverberation Unit Type 636 from the late 1960s is currently on offer at Thomann, with 10% off its normal price tag.
Now down to £129, Behringer’s Spring Reverberation 646 (previously named 636), recreates the preamp/spring reverb combo made famous by the original unit used by artists like Pete Townshend and producer Martin Hannett. It was even instrumental in shaping the sounds of early reggae, and original Grampian units are now rare, often selling for four-figure sums.
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Launched in 2024, this recreation has a simple interface inspired by the original, with control knobs for Reverberate (a dry/wet mix control to adjust the amount of reverb in your signal), Aux Channel, and Mic Channel. It has an overload circuit for warm analogue tone, plus 3.5mm inputs/outputs on the front panel and 6.3mm ins/outs on the back.

READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week

Learn more and hear it in-use in the video below:

We’ve seen a number of Behringer items reduced in recent weeks. The price of the brand’s LM Drum was also slashed at Thomann. For less than £300, this drum machine is not just a modern take on the LinnDrum. Instead, it captures the essence of “a hundred legendary ’80s drum sounds”, according to Behringer, including those designed by Roger Linn such as the LM-1, LM-2, LM9000 and more.
Meanwhile, you can still get Behringer’s Wave synth – also at Thomann – for under £500…
Learn more about Behringer’s Spring Reverberation 646 – and shop more great deals – over at Thomann.
The post A Behringer spring reverb unit for less than £130? Yes, please. appeared first on MusicTech.

Novation unveils the latest generation of its Launch Control DAW controller: here’s everything you need to knowAfter giving it its first firmware update earlier this year, Novation has given its Launch Control XL 3 a whole new baby sibling with the Launch Control 3.
Designed for additional hands-on control with DAWs plugins and hardware both in studio and stage environments, the Launch Control 3 arrives as the latest addition to Novation’s line of compact control surfaces, bringing a number of upgrades and modern features. It’s essentially a downsized version of the Launch Control XL 3 with a similar sleek aesthetic vibe, eschewing its faders for a knob-and-button-only control surface.

READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week

Novation Launch Control 3: features and specs

DAW integration is the bread and butter of the Launch Control, so like its big brother the Launch Control XL, this new unit is compatible with most major workstations, with “deep integration” with the likes of Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio, Cubase and Bitwig. The unit also features Mackie HUI support for Pro Tools.
At the core of the interface sit 16 endless rotary encoders/knobs, which can be assigned to pan tracks, tweak send levels, or set to control whatever parameters you like. Each of these is customisable using adjustable acceleration curves, and has its own RGB status indicator. You can also store up to seven Custom Modes, and manage them via Novation’s Components hub.
Credit: Novation
There’s also eight assignable buttons which can be used to Solo, Arm, Mute or Select tracks, or indeed mapped to specific functions to suit your own workflow.
The front face of the Launch Control 3 features a crisp OLED display, too, offering “detailed, real-time feedback” of any parameter adjustments.
You can also connect a host of hardware to the Launch Control 3, too, with 5-pin MIDI In, Out, and Out2/Thru options available offering connectivity to other devices without a computer.
Credit: Novation
Finally, the Launch Control 3 also comes with a host of additional software, including entry-level DAWs Ableton Live Lite and Cubase LE, plus Klevgrand Fosfat percussion enhancer, Baby Audio Parallel Aggressor and Output Movement.
Pricing & availability
Credit: Novation
The Launch Control 3 is available now for pre-order, both direct from the Novation website and via select authorised retailers. Shipping is expected to begin in late March 2026. Price-wise the Launch Control 3 clocks in at $169.99 / £ 129.99 / €126.
Learn more at Novation.
The post Novation unveils the latest generation of its Launch Control DAW controller: here’s everything you need to know appeared first on MusicTech.

Flavour your recordings with the sound of the Sunset Strip with this new reverb plugin from IK MultimediaIK Multimedia has unveiled Sunset Sound Studio Reverb II – a standalone version of its popular T-RackS plugin emulating the sound of the famous Sunset Strip recording studio.
Located at 6650 Sunset Boulevard, Sunset Sound is one of Hollywood’s most iconic studios, with classic albums including Van Halen’s debut and the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St. recorded at the facility. The new plugin utilises impulse responses from Studios 1, 2 and 3 so you can use them in your own recordings.

READ MORE: A Minimoog Model D for less: Save over $1,000 on one of the most influential synths of all time

The plugin harnesses IK’s Volumetric Response Modelling (VRM) technology to accurately capture the acoustic detail of the rooms, and features up to 27 different live room source positions per studio.
It also features both directional and omnidirectional modes, with dual-engine architecture so you can combine the sound of Live Rooms, Chambers, Iso Booths, EMT plates and AKG spring reverbs, each with their own EQ, stereo control and routing options.
There’s also a size control, so you can dynamically scale the virtual room between 0% and 200%, all while “preserving the original capture’s tonal fingerprint and spatial behaviour”.

Additionally, the plugin’s onboard capture library features 336 live room stereo impulse responses, with variable acoustic damping modelling available in studios 1 and 3, which emulate the real Sunset Sound’s adjustable absorption panels.
You can also choose between two preamp and signal path emulations modelled on Sunset Sound’s professional gear: the API/DeMedio Sunset Sound Custom and Class-A Discrete NEVE 8880.
The new standalone version of Sunset Sound Studio Reverb sports an updated 3D user interface, offering “immediate feedback while maintaining precise control”.
Sunset Sound Studio Reverb II is available now, priced at $/€149.99. Get it now at IK Multimedia.
The post Flavour your recordings with the sound of the Sunset Strip with this new reverb plugin from IK Multimedia appeared first on MusicTech.

A Minimoog Model D for less: Save over $1,000 on one of the most influential synths of all timeGuitar Center is currently offering a huge deal on Moog’s 2022 reissue of its Minimoog Model D, with over $1,000 off its original price.
Regarded as one of the most influential synthesisers of all time, the Minimoog Model D was introduced in 1970, and condensed the sound of Moog’s modular systems into a portable instrument. The Minimoog marked the first portable synth to land on the market, and was used by artists like Herbie Hancock, Pink Floyd, Kraftwerk, and more.
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Its three-oscillator analogue architecture, famous ladder filter and hands-on interface made sound design much more easier to navigate. This 2022 reissue features modern enhancements including a dedicated LFO, MIDI and CV connectivity, custom reissue transistors, and a premium Fatar keybed with velocity and aftertouch.

READ MORE: Six synths that define Radiohead’s sound

It retains the classic three-voltage-controlled oscillator design at the core of this synth to deliver the  rich textures it is best known for. These oscillators feed directly into Moog’s legendary 24dB/oct ladder filter, known for its saturation and warmth. Learn more with the videos below:

Back in 2022, MusicTech looked back on the legacy of the Minimoog Model D in a feature with artists Lisa Bella Donna, Gareth Jones, Ashibah and Goldfrapp’s Will Gregory. In the piece, Gregory said, “The Model D is the distillation of a lot of processes into a format that was accessible to more lowly musicians without the wall space or the budget for a modular synthesiser.
“My first experience of it was that it had this punch to it. There’s something about the speed of the attack that is huge. It’s also got these low and warm oscillators. It doesn’t sound like some of the other American synthesisers, the Arps or the Oberheims, or the Japanese, like Roland. What they don’t have that the Minimoog has is this low, animalistic punch…”
The Minimoog Model D is available for $3,749.25 – down from $4,999 – over at Guitar Center.
The post A Minimoog Model D for less: Save over $1,000 on one of the most influential synths of all time appeared first on MusicTech.

Gong Piano from The Crow Hill Company The Crow Hill Company’s latest release delivers an answer to that age-old question: “what would a piano sound like if its strings were replaced by gongs?”