This Home Made Laptop Raises The BarWith ready availability of single board computers, displays, keyboards, power packs, and other hardware, a home-made laptop is now a project within most people’s reach. Some laptop projects definitely veer towards being cyberdecks while others take a more conventional path, but we’ve rarely seen one as professional looking as [Byran Huang]’s anyon_e open source laptop. It really takes the art to the next level.
The quality is immediately apparent in the custom CNC-machined anodised aluminium case, and upon opening it up the curious user could be forgiven for thinking they had a stylish commercial machine in their hands. There’s a slimline mechanical keyboard and a glass trackpad, and that display is an OLED. In fact the whole thing had been built from scratch, and inside is an RK3588 SoC on a module sitting on a custom-designed motherboard. It required some effort for it to drive the display, a process we’ve seen cause pain to other designers, but otherwise it runs Debian. The batteries are slimline pouch cells, with a custom controller board driven by an ESP32.
This must have cost quite a bit to build, but it’s something anyone can have a go at for themselves as everything is in a GitHub repository. Purists might ask for open source silicon at its heart to make it truly open source, but considering what he’s done we’ll take this. It’s not the first high quality laptop project we’ve seen by any means, but it may be the first that wouldn’t raise any eyebrows in the boardroom. Take a look at the video below the break.

 
 
 
https://www.byran.ee/posts/creation/

Splice Collections: Organize and discover samples in new ways
Learn about Splice Collections, explore our curated sounds, and use zero-credit samples to spark some inspiration for your next track.

Trump has music industry worried as new term beginsMusicians and Donald Trump has music industry worried as he begins his second term as U.S. President begins.
The post Trump has music industry worried as new term begins appeared first on Hypebot.

Telegrapher showcase Rhino monitors Telegrapher will be demonstrating the Rhino alongside the rest of their speaker range at the NAMM Show 2025.

Vinyl Record Pressing is finally improving thanks to new techAfter years of stagnation vinyl record pressing is finally improving thanks to new tech that speeds up production and improves quality. Plus, eco-friendly methods are making the process greener than. Continue reading
The post Vinyl Record Pressing is finally improving thanks to new tech appeared first on Hypebot.

Native Instruments’ new Cremona Quartet Ensemble pack features sounds from four of the most venerated stringed instruments in the worldNAMM 2025: Few people could ever imagine owning a stringed instrument made by illustrious luthiers Stradivari, Guarneri, or Amati. But now, thanks to Native Instruments‘ Cremona Quartet Ensemble pack – which features samples of two violins, a viola and a cello crafted by these historic makers – any producer can add those sounds to their music.
All four instruments were built in either the 17th or 18th century, and have been preserved since by the Museo del Violino in Cremona, Italy. In order to capture the sounds of these antiques, Native Instruments recorded them with a 32-microphone setup in Cremona’s Auditorium Giovanni Arvedi, which is renowned for its acoustics.

READ MORE: NAMM 2025 Live: Latest rumours, news and products from the biggest music technology show in the world

Per official information provided by Native Instruments, here is a breakdown of the four pieces of the Cremona Quartet Ensemble:

Stradivari Violin “Vesuvius” — The leader of its Cremona Quartet was built in 1727 by Antonio Stradivari, towards the end of the master craftsman’s golden period.
Stradivari Cello “Stauffer” — Built in 1700 and listed as an Italian national treasure, this extraordinary cello completes the quartet with deep, velvety tones, and adds weight to the overall sound of the ensemble.
Guarneri Violin “Prince Doria” — The second violin in the quartet was crafted in 1734 by Guarneri del Gesù, considered by many to be the finest luthier in the world.
Amati Viola “Stauffer” — The oldest instrument in the quartet, this viola was built in 1614 by Gerolamo Amati, the son of pioneering luthier Andrea Amati, who is widely regarded as the inventor of the violin as we know it. 

The new pack also includes add-ons including Auto Divisi to assist with arranging different parts for each piece of the quartet. It also has articulation controls to capture precise orchestral qualities such as vibrato and marcato.
Credit: Native Instruments
Four versions of the pack are available now. Check out the pricing breakdown below:

Cremona Quartet Solo: $399
Cremona Quartet Ensemble: $399
Cremona Quartet: $499
Upgrades from $99

For more info, head to Native Instruments.
The post Native Instruments’ new Cremona Quartet Ensemble pack features sounds from four of the most venerated stringed instruments in the world appeared first on MusicTech.

Music Biz Weekly Podcast: LA Fire Relief For Musicians & Music Industry ProfessionalsThis episode dives into Hypebot’s continuously updated list of LA Fire relief, events, donations and resources for musicians and music professionals. The stories of loss and devastation in Los Angeles. Continue reading
The post Music Biz Weekly Podcast: LA Fire Relief For Musicians & Music Industry Professionals appeared first on Hypebot.

Native Instruments’ Native Kontrol Standard programme integrates its software with thousands of Akai, Novation, Nektar, Korg and M-Audio instrumentsNAMM 2025: Native Instruments has announced the Native Kontrol Standard Hardware Partner Program, joining forces with industry-leading brands including Akai Professional, Novation, Nektar, Korg, and M-Audio. Now, producers are able to use Native Instruments software with a range of controllers made by those companies – totalling over 2,000 instruments and effects from more than 250 brands.
“This expansion highlights the impact of collaboration,” Simon Cross, Chief Product Officer at Native Instruments, says in a press release. “It marks an important milestone in our mission to provide musicians with an open, connected platform, making professional-grade tools, instruments, and technology more accessible to creators everywhere.”

READ MORE: NAMM 2025 Live: Latest rumours, news and products from the biggest music technology show in the world

The key factor in these new partnerships is NKS, a standardised software designed to be compatible across a wide range of instruments and effects offered by the partners.
Here are some specific products from the partners that are NKS-compatible:

Akai Professional: NKS integration now supports the MPK Mini Series (MPK Mini, MPK Mini Play, and MPK Mini Plus). There are also exclusive offerings for Akai MPC users including five MPC expansions and Play Editions instruments.
Novation: NKS enhances the Launchkey MK3 and MK4, FLkey, and SL MK3 controllers, complementing its seamless DAW integrations. This additional integration expands Novation’s streamlined workflows to more creators.
Nektar: The velocity-sensitive LX MK3 brings intuitive NKS integration, offering producers an expanded creative workflow.
Korg: The advanced MIDI 2.0-compatible Keystage controllers bring enhanced flexibility and sound design options through NKS, catering to both studio producers and live performers.
M-Audio: The current-generation Oxygen Series keyboards will feature NKS compatibility, providing cutting-edge tools for studio and stage.

To further promote this new partnership program, NI is offering its flagship production bundle, Komplete 15 Select, free to owners of NKS-compatible hardware. There are three primary editions:

Beats Edition: Synths and sound packs ideal for pop, hip-hop, and R&B.
Band Edition: Guitars, keys, and studio effects designed for songwriters and live performers.
Electronic Edition: Advanced synths and tools for house, techno, and trance producers.

NAMM attendees can hear Simon Cross and Akai Professional’s Chief Marketing Officer, Joe Richardson discuss this new partnership at the NAMM 2025 Global Media Day. They can also check out NKS in action at each of the partners’ booths listed below:

Akai Professional and M-Audio (booth 204A)
Novation (booth 10810)
Nektar (booth 16223)
Korg (booths 119 and 6903)

For more info, head to Native Instruments.
The post Native Instruments’ Native Kontrol Standard programme integrates its software with thousands of Akai, Novation, Nektar, Korg and M-Audio instruments appeared first on MusicTech.

Harrison release 32Classic MS channel strip Harrison puts the the iconic sound of the Harrison 3232 and 32Classic recording consoles into a compact format.

Polyend launch Step drum machine Step is said to be the world’s first fully programmable drum machine in a compact guitar pedal format.

UMG’s Frank Briegmann advocates for robust copyright protection on ‘AI and Content Creation’ panel at DavosExec spoke on the 'AI and Content Creation' panel at the World Economic Forum event
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Ethereum whales add $1B in ETH — Is the accumulation trend hinting at a $5K ETH price?Numerous cohorts of Ethereum addresses added over 330,000 ETH in the last two weeks. Is this a sign that a $5,000 ETH price is in the making?

Nearly 10 year later, Tumblr TV launches to all as a TikTok alternativeIn 2015, the blogging site Tumblr launched a GIF discovery feature called Tumblr TV as an experimental product. Now, with the U.S. TikTok ban leaving the fate of the short-form video app uncertain, Tumblr has decided it’s finally time to launch Tumblr TV, which has since evolved to support video, to all its users as […]
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Make Your VR Controllers Handle Like Two-Handed WeaponsWielding things like two-handed swords in VR can be awkward. There’s no sense of grasping a solid object. The controllers (and therefore one’s hands) feel floaty and disconnected from one another, because they are. [Astro VR Gaming] aims to fix this with a DIY attachment they are calling the ARC VR Sword Attachment.
The ARC is a 3D-printed attachment that allows a player to connect two controllers together. They can just as easily be popped apart, which is good because two separate controllers is what one wants most of the time. But for those moments when hefting a spear or swinging a two-handed sword is called for? Stick them together and go wild.
The original design (the first link up above) uses magnets, but an alternate version uses tapered inserts instead, and provides a storage stand. Want to know if the ARC is something you’d like to make for yourself? Watch it in action in the video embedded just under the page break.
VR is an emerging technology with loads of space for experimentation and DIY problem solving. We wish more companies would follow Valve’s example of hacker-friendly hardware design, but even just providing CAD models of your hardware to make attachments easier to design would be a big step forward, and something every hacker would welcome.

FLOSS Weekly Episode 817: Incompatible With RealityThis week, Jonathan Bennett and Dan Lynch chat with Stefano Zacchiroli about Debian and Software Heritage!

https://www.softwareheritage.org/
https://upsilon.cc/~zack/

Did you know you can watch the live recording of the show right on our YouTube Channel? Have someone you’d like us to interview? Let us know, or contact the guest and have them contact us! Take a look at the schedule here.

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