Z&H Designs introduce the VCA Compressor The new Z&H VCA Compressor combines the sought-after sound of the ever-popular SSL Bus Compressor with the forward, transient-focused response attributed to American VCA designs. 

Free plugin! Get Eventide’s $99 CrushStation distortion plugin for absolutely nothingDid somebody say free plugin? You’re damn right – we did. For a limited time, you can get CrushStation – Eventide’s $99 distortion and overdrive plugin – absolutely free.
‘But MusicTech, I’ve already got a stock distortion plugin that works, why do I need another?’ we hear you ask. Well, because the CrushStation has a feature set that would almost certainly blow your stock plugin alternative away.

READ MORE: “We’re doubling down on what we stand for”: How Moog delivered the Messenger

Loaded with the same distortion algorithm found in Eventide’s widely touted H9 Harmonizer pedal, the CrushStation is at home flavouring everything from guitars and synth patches to vocals, with a range of distortion flavours for most applications.
In terms of your controls, you get a Sustain pot for adjusting the level of compression of a signal, an Octave knob for dialing in octaves above or below your signal, and a Grit control for adding low-end before the distortion stage for a gnarly final result.

There’s also a Ribbon control which lets you switch between two snapshots of multiple parameter values, as well as a three-band EQ, noise gate, and a Hotswitch button for switching between presets on the fly.
Talking of which, CrushStation comes loaded with more than 100 presets so you can get going straight away.
“CrushStation isn’t just another distortion plug-in; it’s your secret weapon for adding warmth and attitude to your tracks in rich stereo,” says Eventide. 
“Use it to beef up a weak snare, add grit to vocals, or make your leads impossible to ignore. Whether you’re a producer, sound designer, or somewhere in between, CrushStation is the ultimate solution for adding life and texture.”
CrushStation is available on both macOS and Windows in VST3/AAX/AU formats.
Get your free CrushStation now by heading to Eventide and using the code PIRATE100 at checkout.
The post Free plugin! Get Eventide’s $99 CrushStation distortion plugin for absolutely nothing appeared first on MusicTech.

QuietFormat releases MELINO vintage instrument plugin at intro price
QuietFormat has released MELINO, a sample-based virtual instrument that blends the warmth of several authentic vintage instruments in a modern, intuitive interface. It’s currently on an introductory sale for $39 (regular $69) until August 14. MELINO features six distinct vintage instruments: Melloflute, Melloviolin, Xylophone (C3–D6), Vintage EP, W-200, and Home Piano. Each can be played [...]
View post: QuietFormat releases MELINO vintage instrument plugin at intro price

Besides Nirvana: 13 Great Alternative Rock Albums from the Early 1990sEarlier this year, we surveyed some great indie-rock albums from the years before Nirvana broke. Now, let's look at some of the best alternative rock LPs that competed with Nirvana in the CD racks.

Paxos renews push for US bank license as stablecoin rules take shapePaxos has reapplied for a US national trust bank charter after its 2021 conditional approval expired.

iOS 26 beta 6 adds new ringtones, snappy app launches, and moreThe new developer beta release, iOS 26 beta 6, adds new ringtones, faster app launches, and fixes the Camera swipe direction issues.

Compliant Contacts: Hacking Door Locks with Pen SpringsAs you may have guessed given our name, we do love hacks around here, and this one is a great example of making some common, everyday things work in uncommon ways. [Nathan] sent in his hack to detect the door lock position in his basement.
Having a house that dates back to the 1890s, much of it was not very conducive to using off-the-shelf home automation devices. [Nathan] wanted a way to check the status of the basement deadbolt. He went about putting together a custom sensor using some spare parts, including a spare BeagleBone Black, and some springs from a ballpoint pen. Going full MacGyver, [Nathan] used springs from a ballpoint pen to craft a compliant contact for his sensor.
The pair of springs sat in the door frame and came in contact with the deadbolt; given they are springs, the exact position of the sensor was not very sensitive, as if too close it would just compress the springs slightly more. The springs were wired to the BeagleBone Black’s GPIO, acting as a switch to sense when there was conductivity between the springs through the deadbolt.
This wasn’t just a plug-it-in-and-it-works type of project, mind you; the BeagleBone Black was over 15 ft away from the sensors, lending plenty of opportunity for noise to be introduced into the lines. To combat this, [Nathan] created an RC filter to filter out all the high-frequency noise picked up by his sensor. Following the RC filter, he added in some code to handle the debounce of the sensor, as the springs have some inherent noise in them. Thanks [Nathan] for sending in your resourceful hack; we love seeing the resourcefulness of reusing things already on hand for other purposes. Be sure to check out some of the other repurposed components we’ve featured.

Attorneys general from 14 states question FireAid’s $100M fund distributionThe inquiry, led by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, centers on growing complaints that fire victims have received no direct assistance.
Source

Lectric Panda plugins Automata and Stage are now FREE
Lectric Panda has made two of their previously paid plugins available for free: Automata and Stage. Automata (previously $35) is a cellular automata-based MIDI sequencer, and Stage (previously $15) is a simple gain stage amplifier. Automata utilizes one-dimensional cellular automation to generate unique and interesting sequences, which may sound a little complex. At a glance, [...]
View post: Lectric Panda plugins Automata and Stage are now FREE

RØDE Unveils NT1 5th Generation Studio MicrophoneRØDE, a trusted name in professional audio, introduces the NT1 5th Generation, a modern evolution of its iconic mic.A statement from the company highlights artist Kyle Charles Hall’s endorsement: “Made for Music. Kyle Charles Hall’s words, not ours (although we agree).” Hall relies on the NT1 5th Generation to “capture the dreamy textures of his signature brand of woozy indie pop,” from “warm, velvety vocals” to “the subtle detail of every instrument.”According to RØDE, the NT1 5th Generation “fuses the classic sound signature of the iconic NT1 with cutting-edge, next-generation technology.” Key features include the patent-pending Dual Connect output, allowing both XLR and USB connectivity; a world-first “unclippable” 32-bit float digital output; advanced digital signal processing; and high SPL handling — all while maintaining the NT1’s signature warmth and clarity.The company describes it as “a true studio workhorse that excels on everything from vocals and speech, to guitar, piano, drums and percussion—the ultimate studio microphone.”RØDE states that the NT1 remains “unchanged by design,” but ready for the demands of modern recording.Explore more about the NT1 5th Generation here.The post RØDE Unveils NT1 5th Generation Studio Microphone first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

“I want our music to be accessible to people. It was hard to take that away”: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard reflect on removing their music from SpotifyLast month, Aussie rockers King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard became the latest in a string of bands to remove their music from Spotify, following a high-profile investment from CEO Daniel Ek in AI-driven military weapons company Helsing.
While King Gizzard’s Spotify profile remains active, the vast majority of their music is now unavailable.

READ MORE: “We’re doubling down on what we stand for”: How Moog delivered the Messenger

Now, in a new interview with the LA Times, frontman Stu Mackenzie has spoken further on the band’s decision to leave the platform.
Upon hearing about Ek’s investment in Helsing, Mackenzie explains that he felt “a bit of shock”, followed by a “feeling that I shouldn’t be shocked”.
“We’ve been saying fuck Spotify for years,” he goes on. “In our circle of musician friends, that’s what people say all the time, for all of these other reasons which are well documented.
We saw a couple of other bands who we admire, and thought, ‘I don’t really want our music to be here, at least right now.’ I don’t really consider myself an activist, and I don’t feel comfortable soapboxing. But this feels like a decision staying true to ourselves, and doing what we think is right for our music, having our music in places that we feel all right about.”
King Gizzard’s decision to leave Spotify followed the same decision taken by indie rockers Xiu Xiu and art rock outfit Deerhoof.
But regardless of where the band stood on their opposition to Daniel Ek’s Helsing investment, they noted that many of their fans use Spotify to listen to their music.
“The thing that made it hard was I do want to have our music be accessible to people,” Mackenzie continues. “I don’t really care about making money from streaming. I know it’s unfair, and I know they are banking so much. But for me personally, I just want to make music, and I want people to be able to listen to it. The hard part was to take that away from so many people.
“But sometimes you’ve just got to say, ‘Well, sorry, we’re not going to be here right now.’ In the end, it actually was just one quick phone call with the other guys to get off the ship.”
Despite what is, in any case, a big decision for the band to leave Spotify, Mackenzie reckons Daniel Ek won’t take any notice.
“I don’t expect Daniel Ek to pay attention to this…” he says. “It feels like an experiment to me, like, ‘Let’s just go away from Spotify, and let’s see what happens.’ Why does this have to be a big deal? It actually feels like we’re just trying to find our own positivity in a dark situation.”
The post “I want our music to be accessible to people. It was hard to take that away”: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard reflect on removing their music from Spotify appeared first on MusicTech.

The Many Layers of FandomFandom goes far beyond simply being a label or identity, it’s an ongoing journey fueled by active participation and deep connection. Learn why true fans invest time and passion beyond consumption and how layers of fandom redefine what it means to be a fan in the digital age.
The post The Many Layers of Fandom appeared first on Hypebot.

Live Music Industry News Roundup: Hard Rock, Resale, PROs, MoreThis week in live music we take a look at ticket resales, soaring Metal and Hard Rock ticket sales and PRO reporting.
The post Live Music Industry News Roundup: Hard Rock, Resale, PROs, More appeared first on Hypebot.

Focusrite introduce Windows ARM support Focusrite have announced that all generations of their USB audio interfaces now boast full compatibility with Windows for ARM systems.

There’s over 20 Sonnox plugins and bundles on sale at Plugin Boutique – all with over 80% offThere’s a huge sale on Sonnox plugins going on over at Plugin Boutique, with over 80 per cent off on more than 20 products.
There are a number of Sonnox’s Oxford plugins available, which are used in a range of live and recorded applications throughout the music, broadcast, film and games sectors – as well as a handful of handy Sonnox bundles for mixing, mastering, and more. These huge deals mean that some plugins are now less than £10.
[deals ids=”2RbaZ4nb6VnZl6rR3Cwzaj”]
The cheapest offers are on the ListenHub plugin, and the VoxDoubler vocal processor – both of which are now just £7 and £8 respectively.
The ListenHub, which was originally priced just over £70, is a Mac-only plugin that lets you reference commercial tracks and gain more insight into your mix by A/B testing against songs from any streaming source. As for the VoxDoubler, formerly £82.80, this one is presented as two separate plugins that focus on the most common vocal doubling workflows.
Find out more in the videos below:

You can also find deals on the following Oxford plugins: Inflator, Drum Gate, Limiter, Envolution, TransMod, Dynamic EQ, SuprEsser (and SuprEsser DS), plus more. As for bundles, there’s an Essentials collection that includes four key Oxford products: the EQ, Dynamics, Reverb, and SuprEsser plugins.
As well as a Broadcast bundle, there’s also a Mastering collection – this is now £78 down from over £700. In this one, you’ll get five plugins including the Oxford Dynamics, EQ, Inflator, and Limiter V3, as well as the Fraunhofer Pro-Codec.
To shop these plugins or view the full range of deals available now, head over to Plugin Boutique.
The post There’s over 20 Sonnox plugins and bundles on sale at Plugin Boutique – all with over 80% off appeared first on MusicTech.