Is Spitfire Audio Jupiter by Trevor Horn a knockout or cop-out?Not many people can be credited with helping define the sound of a decade. Trevor Horn can. Working with 80s icons like Grace Jones, Yes, and Frankie Goes to Hollywood to realise some of their most enduring records, Horn’s energetic brand of synth-pop laid down a blueprint that still influences myriad music makers today.

READ MORE: Universal Audio launches the new Apollo Twin X USB audio interface

Now, the man who helped popularise digital sampling has teamed up with Spitfire Audio to create his very own sample library, Jupiter. There are plenty of fantastic retro sounds that will interest producers and composers alike, but software missteps may give buyers pause.

Worldbuilding
Jupiter is built on 208 unique samples split across five categories; bass, synth, drums, piano, and effects. Flicking through the unprocessed sounds is like encountering old friends – the booming drums, the ultra-defined bass guitars, the characterful, slightly zany stingers; it’s pure 80s ear candy.
Of course, these ‘Core’ recordings are just the start. Thankfully, Spitfire has also included a number of variations on the original samples. There’s a ‘Reflect’ version that sports an oh-so-80s gated reverb; a ‘Calibrate’ version that uses uncalibrated saturation tape; an ‘Alias’ version that brings down the bit-depth and clock-rate to intentionally introduce artefacts into the sound. Finally, a ‘Dimension’ version runs everything through vintage modulation devices like the classic Roland Dimension-D chorus module.
Effects section
If you’ve previously used Spitfire’s Polaris or Mercury libraries, then the basic premise remains unchanged – take any two samples and dynamically blend them together using oscillation or automation. Plus, a host of time- and frequency-based effects processors can be applied to each sample individually, or on the combined output.
Planetary presets
Jupiter boasts some standout presets, with percussion arguably offering the most authentic taste of Horn’s production style. From the thumping sound of a LinnDrum sampler, to deliciously over-the-top pitched percussion patches, all the way synth stabs that you can feel in your gut, many of these sounds are a pure joy to play with.
Bass is easily the co-star of this show. Trevor Horn is an accomplished bassist, and his personal collection of guitars have been sampled with acute attention to detail. There’s plenty of punchy resonance, should you need to bring a little funk to your mix, but there’s also a number of beautiful, Twin Peaks-esque tones that feel quite unique to this collection.

Then again, they can’t all be hits and the more pedestrian pads and leads are something of a weak point. That isn’t to say there aren’t a number of gems here too, but as you flick through the library’s 300 presets, you’re bound to stumble across a fair number of humdrum options that could be found in just about any generic 80s-themed software synth or sample collection.
However, that mixed bag of presets is ultimately not a deal breaker, as when the sounds are good they are sublime. Hell, the bass and drums almost justify the price of admission alone.
Exploring Jupiter
The real shortcoming here is the plugin user interface; specifically, its search functions. Housed within the Solar instrument, Jupiter is the second in what appears to be a series of upcoming sample collections. Users who own the excellent Mercury library have access to all those samples from within the single instrument and can combine sources from both libraries.
Sound bay search
This is awesome, in theory, but Solar’s search menu is simply too cramped and cluttered to effectively accommodate multiple libraries. If the Spitfire Audio team continues adding sample collections to this instrument, sooner or later, they will need to prioritise a complete revamp of its search function.
As it stands, even browsing through the Jupiter library in isolation is a frustrating experience. Your only means of navigation are a set of search tags which are squashed into a little side panel. How many search tags, you might ask? The answer is two. Jupiter’s 300 presets are categorised as either ‘Long’ or ‘Short’. By comparison, the Mercury library is furnished with 11 descriptive search tags, and the neglect given to this new library is both perplexing and disappointing.
Additionally, all of Jupiter’s presets share a single, unhelpful description: ‘a preset utilising complex signal chains across both channels.’ So, if you’d like to find your way to a lead or bass patch, the only option is to doomscroll your way down, auditioning sounds as you go.
Preset description
This leads to the second glaring issue – the search function currently has a bug that frequently turns its results into a rectangle of blank space with no sounds or presets whatsoever. Flick from the ‘short’ tag to the ‘long’ tag: blank space. Open up the preset menu after trying out a sound: blank space. Click on the ‘Core’ tag in a sound bay: blank space. Currently, the only way to fix this is to scroll back to the top of the search menu – at which point, you restart the slow, painful search for an appropriate sound.

This issue was repeated across a number of DAWs and on both macOS and Windows. Of course, all software suffers from occasional bugs, and this one will undoubtedly be fixed, but it’s hard to escape the feeling that this library has been released unfinished. It’s a surprising misstep given the quality we’ve come to expect from Spitfire Audio.

A Horn of Plenty?
Leaving those frustrations aside, there is much to like and even love in the sound of Jupiter. Horn’s flair for synth-pop production comes through and, suitably, this library will have just as much use in the hands of songwriters and producers as it will with composers looking to make those retro, synth-wave scores that are still so en vogue.
Moreover, despite being firmly rooted in nostalgia, the collection is actually surprisingly versatile and has lots of potential for atmospheric scoring and even sound design. This is thanks in part to Horn including a selection of experimental sounding samples, but also to Solar’s eDNA interface which offers deep and very powerful synthesis capabilities.
Ultimately, Horn’s samples win the day here and keep Jupiter afloat. It features some truly special sounds that will add much to a song or score – nevertheless, some uninspiring presets and a laborious search experience diminish what could easily have been a knockout.
Key features

300 presets
208 samples
eDNA interface
Integrates the Mercury sample library
45.59 GB download size
Price: £99.00 / $129.00
Contact: Spitfireaudio.com

The post Is Spitfire Audio Jupiter by Trevor Horn a knockout or cop-out? appeared first on MusicTech.

Streaming Fraud is More Serious (and Inventive) Than You ThinkThis week, Ari is joined by Andrew Batey and Morgan Hayduk, Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of Beatdapp.

DeepMind partners with Google Cloud to watermark AI-generated imagesIn partnership with Google Cloud, Google Deepmind, Google’s AI research division, is launching a tool for watermarking and identifying AI-generated images. But only images created by Google’s own image-generating model. The tool, called SnythID and available in beta for select users of Vertex AI, Google’s platform for building AI apps and models, embeds a digital […]

New Music Critique: OnoleighOnoleigh  Contact: michelle@pitchcandypr.com

Web: onoleigh.com

Seeking: Label, Booking, Film/TVStyle: Country-Pop, Americana

Nashville-based artist Onoleigh brings an interesting slant to her work. For example, on “Why Can’t We Dance” her naturally country voice delivers a country-sounding  song but with an electronic-pop treatment, along with some heavy-sounding rock guitar licks. And the song’s subject is impressive. It’s an anti-love song in which she proclaims to her suitor, “Make the rough edges round.  I just don’t wanna be in love!” Onoleigh gets melancholy and serious on “Tightrope” whose fiddle and twangy pedal-steel whine underscore a beautiful duet with a male singer. On the downtempo ballad “Walls,” she pays tribute to her surroundings with “You wrap yourself around me like a friend.” An artist to watch.

How indie artists can unlock the massive Brazilian music marketWith a population of 214 million, the Brazilian music market is great for artists to find new fans. Learn more about how you can get started regardless of the genre.. Continue reading
The post How indie artists can unlock the massive Brazilian music market appeared first on Hypebot.

How to network and gig swap to book a better tourLearn how to expand your professional reach by networking with other musicians and professionals and mastering the important art of gig swapping. by Adam Percy from Bandzoogle No matter your. Continue reading
The post How to network and gig swap to book a better tour appeared first on Hypebot.

Traktor X1 MK3: A First Look
In 2001, I switched to DJing with Traktor because it allowed me to use MIDI controllers and customize them to create new ways of playing. The modularity they offered was exciting and very innovative. Then MIDI controllers became standardized, and sadly, no custom mapped them anymore. As the years went by, DJ hardware became just […]
The post Traktor X1 MK3: A First Look appeared first on DJ TechTools.

You’ve written a song, now what? How to sell your musicMaking great music is only half the battle. Here’s how to get your songs off your computer and into the hands of your fans. by Philip Kinsher of Disc Makers. Continue reading
The post You’ve written a song, now what? How to sell your music appeared first on Hypebot.

Crypto community jubilant over Grayscale decision, but uncertainty remainsThe court’s decision that the SEC has to consider Grayscale’s Bitcoin spot ETF application is good news for crypto but maybe not as impactful as some hoped.

Universal Audio unveil Apollo Twin X USB With the launch of the Apollo Twin X USB, all of the features of UA's popular compact desktop audio interface are now available to Windows users via USB 3.

Universal Audio launches the new Apollo Twin X USB audio interfaceUniversal Audio has released the Apollo Twin X USB, a desktop audio interface that gives Windows-based musicians and producers “elite-class” audio conversion with the tone, feel, and flow of analogue recording.

READ MORE: InMusic seeks to block AlphaTheta Corporation’s $100m Serato acquisition

According to UA, the new Apollo Twin X USB improves upon the original Apollo Twin’s audio quality with revamped A/D and D/A conversion — giving you extra dynamic range and ultra-low THD.
The unit comes with 10 x 6 USB 3 audio interface for Windows, and has two Unison preamps which offer “stunning models” of classic tube and transformer-based preamps, guitar amps, and stompboxes. It also features UAD-2 DUO Core Processing that allows for tracking through vintage compressors, EQs, tape machines, mic preamps, and guitar amp plug-ins with “near-zero latency”, says UA.
Apollo Twin X USB works with your Windows DAW via rock solid ASIO drivers, and runs UAD Powered Plug-Ins via VST & AAX in all major DAWs.
Out of the box, each interface comes complete with UA’s Heritage Edition UAD plug-in bundle, featuring Teletronix LA-2A and 1176 compressor collections, 610-B Tube Preamp & EQ Collection, Pultec Passive EQ Collection,Pure Plate Reverb, and more
The Apollo Twin X USB is now available for $999.
In related news, Universal Audio has launched four new single-footswitch stompbox effects pedals that emulate vintage effects from ’50s to ’80s. They are: the Orion Tape Echo, 1176 Studio Compressor, Heavenly Plate Reverb and the Evermore Studio Reverb.
Each pedal costs $219, apart from the 1176 Studio Compressor, which will set you back $199.
Learn more at uaudio.
The post Universal Audio launches the new Apollo Twin X USB audio interface appeared first on MusicTech.

Abbey Road Studios returns to back MBW’s A&R Awards on Tuesday, November 7… with Platinum tables now sold outShortlists will be announced for the event next month
Source

JKBX, music royalty trading platform, will launch September 12, aiming to become ‘transformative force in music and investing’Songs that will appear on the platform on day one will include a run of chart hits performed by artists like Beyoncé, Major Lazer, and Taylor Swift
Source

How to Prepare A Song For Mixing
Let’s explore how mix prep can speed up your mixing process. Here’s how you can get your song ready for mixing. Mixing music is so cool that it is tempting to dive straight in and ride those faders, sculpt your signature tones, and slam that loudness limiter – it will be okay, right? Well, maybe, [...]
View post: How to Prepare A Song For Mixing

Cherry Audio Harmonia Synthesizer Melodic Transmutations Harmonia is the latest wildly innovative virtual instrument from Cherry Audio, designed to easily create rich, evolving polyphonic tones through its intuitive... Read More