Hola, Superfans! Universal Music Group opens its own retail store inside UMusic Hotel in MadridUniversal Music Group has opened its second physical retail location globally, launching the UMusic Shop inside its UMusic Hotel in Madrid. The Madrid shop joins Universal Music’s existing retail presence in Tokyo’s Harajuku district, where the company operates a flagship store. The two-floor Madrid store will open on July 8 to coincide with the city’s … Continued
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Pong in Discrete ComponentsThe choice between hardware and software for electronics projects is generally a straighforward one. For simple tasks we might build dedicated hardware circuits out of discrete components for reliability and low cost, but for more complex tasks it could be easier and cheaper to program a general purpose microcontroller than to build the equivalent circuit in hardware. Every now and then we’ll see a project that blurs the lines between these two choices like this Pong game built entirely out of discrete components.
The project begins with a somewhat low-quality image of the original Pong circuit found online, which [atkelar] used to model the circuit in KiCad. Because the image wasn’t the highest resolution some guesses needed to be made, but it was enough to eventually produce a PCB and bill of material. From there [atkelar] could start piecing the circuit together, starting with the clock and eventually working through all the other components of the game, troubleshooting as he went. There were of course a few bugs to work out, as with any hardware project of this complexity, but in the end the bugs in the first PCB were found and used to create a second PCB with the issues solved.
With a wood, and metal case rounding out the build to showcase the circuit, nothing is left but to plug this in to a monitor and start playing this recreation of the first mass-produced video game ever made. Pong is a fairly popular build since, at least compared to modern games, it’s simple enough to build completely in hardware. This version from a few years ago goes even beyond [atkelar]’s integrated circuit design and instead built a recreation out of transistors and diodes directly.

Thanks to [irdc] for the tip!

Emergence Audio’s Infinite Summer Sale Emergence Audio have announced that their Infinite Summer Sale promotion is now live, with savings of up to 50% applied across their entire line-up of cinematic Kontakt instruments. 

GForce’s first original instrument, Halogen FM, offers a shortcut to FM synthesis proficiencySince the days of the iconic Yamaha DX7, frequency modulation synthesis – or FM synthesis – has been a major part of electronic music production. But while FM synthesis is not the easiest discipline to master, GForce has designed its first original instrument, Halogen FM, to be a shortcut to FM proficiency.
“We built [Halogen FM] to remove the barriers that have kept so many from exploring the raw, expressive power of FM,” GForce writes in the product description. “Instead of diving into confusing algorithms or endless parameters, Halogen invites you to discover sound through play. It’s a generative instrument that responds to instinct, not instruction – giving you evolving textures, organic tones, and sonic surprises without requiring deep synth knowledge.”

READ MORE: Meet the Solid State Logic Oracle – a revolutionary new analogue console with instant recall and reset capabilities

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The central function of Halogen FM is the Halogen Spark core, which generates new patches at the touch of a button. Instead of using a complex modular rig, plugging dozens of cables into different inputs and outputs then turning all the knobs and hoping for the best, the generative tool creates the sonic foundation. Then the user can adjust the different elements from there with controls for timbre, envelope generators for OPR 1 and 2, modulation, and FX macro.
Once a user is happy with the overall patch, they can specifically randomise each of the macro controls and operators as well to continue exploring without altering the entire soundscape. Halogen FM also comes preloaded with 320 patches made by professional sound designers, a.k.a. people who already understand FM synthesis, so users can start from a less random place to see how different controls affect the sounds.
Halogen FM is available to purchase now for £33, 50% off the list price of £66.
Learn more at GForce.
The post GForce’s first original instrument, Halogen FM, offers a shortcut to FM synthesis proficiency appeared first on MusicTech.

Meet the Solid State Logic Oracle – a revolutionary new analogue console with instant recall and reset capabilitiesSolid State Logic has unveiled the Oracle, a new console which offers SSL’s signature analogue sound, but with groundbreaking and revolutionary instant recall and reset capabilities.
While SSL’s SL 4000E console – launched in 1979 – introduced total recall, allowing engineers to save the settings of the console on a floppy disk, they still had to manually adjust all the parameters to match the saved settings of a previous session.

READ MORE: MusicTech’s favourite studio gear of 2025 — so far

But the Oracle – dubbed a “future analogue console” – is able to instantly recall settings from previous sessions with no manual input required, no doubt bringing huge time-saving benefits to engineers.
Credit: Solid State Logic
“Oracle fulfils the dreams of producers, engineers, and studio owners around the world: a true professional solution, delivered with SSL quality, reliability, and support,” SSL says.
The new recall capabilities come courtesy of SSL’s new ActiveAnalogue technology, which combines the classic sound of SSL’s analogue processing and summing with ultra-precise adjustment and an active recallable control system.
As the brand explains, the ability to instantly switch between mixing or tracking setups – “in less time than it takes the artist to switch tracks” – will “significantly increase the potential throughput of any studio facility, while delivering the authentic analogue tone that artists and producers crave”. And the Oracle offers all of this in a compact AWS-size footprint, too.
Credit: Solid State Logic
Elsewhere, engineers can choose between 24 or 48 mono line-in channel setups, and other features include four stereo mix busses, 16 track busses, 10 aux busses and 16 stereo ‘Flex’ groups.
The Oracle also features next-gen PureDrive mic pres with ‘Drive’ control, SSL’s “legendary” four-band parametric EQ with switchable E/G Series curves, integrated THE BUS+ and dynamic EQ compressors, flexible channel architecture, small and large fader paths with assignable EQ and insert points and flexible monitoring options.
There’s also VU or plasma-style metering with dynamic ‘Detail View’, as well as advanced DAW control with SSL 360 integration.
“The Oracle is capable of producing the beautifully precise sounds of SuperAnalogue audio, to a palette of driven analogue tones, and everything in between,” SSL explains. “From an SSL legacy perspective, Oracle embodies the DNA of the classic E, G, and J/K consoles, while taking SSL’s sonic signature into the future.”
MusicTech has been on location at Bath’s Real World Studio to see the Oracle in the flesh. We’ll be bringing you our thoughts very shortly…
Learn more about the Oracle at Solid State Logic.
The post Meet the Solid State Logic Oracle – a revolutionary new analogue console with instant recall and reset capabilities appeared first on MusicTech.

Now even Chromebooks come with Dolby Atmos…Google’s Chromebook series is getting a major upgrade. The new Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 is fitted with Dolby Atmos technology – far outshining the audio capabilities of previous models.
The injection of Dolby Atmos audio has been a long time coming. It’s the very first time Dolby has been involved in the creation of a Chromebook, with the Chromebook Plus 14 offering Google’s most “immersive” sound experience to date, boasting “unparalleled clarity and depth”.

READ MORE: This car company is fitting its entire 2026 range with Dolby Atmos – here’s why

“Chromebooks are powerful devices celebrated for their simplicity, affordability, and ability to inspire creativity,” Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Entertainment at Dolby Laboratories, Mahesh Balakrishnan, explains.
“With Dolby Atmos now available on the Lenovo Chromebook Plus, we are bringing cutting-edge, immersive audio to an even broader and more diverse audience.”
Lenovo has worked with the audio company multiple times in the past. The YOGA line, ThinkPad and Horizon lines are all fitted with Dolby audio technology – it was only a matter of time before a Chromebook got the Dolby Atmos treatment.

“It’s an important milestone in our long-standing collaboration with Dolby,” Executive Director and General Manager of Chromebooks in Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group, Benny Zhang, explains.
“We are committed to bringing innovative firsts to consumers everywhere and, through working with Dolby, our Chromebook users will now enjoy best-in-class premium audio.”
The new lease of sonic life is only the beginning of the new Chromebook’s improvements. The 14” laptop will offer an abundance of new AI-powered productivity features, all powered by a new MediaTek Kompanio Ultra processor.
The laptop also offers up to 17 hours of uninterrupted battery life, which is also the longest-lasting battery a Chromebook Plus has ever had. Premium models boast a touchscreen capabilities, as well as a fingerprint scanner.
The Chromebook Plus is available now. A premium touchscreen model costs $749.99, while a non-touchscreen model drops the price to $649.99.
The post Now even Chromebooks come with Dolby Atmos… appeared first on MusicTech.

SSL unveil the Oracle analogue in-line mixing console Available in 24- and 48-input configurations and boasting up to 112 inputs at mixdown, the Oracle promises to "revolutionise analogue console technology once again" thanks to complete recall of all processing, routing, gain and pan settings.

NIVA names new President and BoardThe National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) named a new President, officers and board members at his annual convention in Milwaukee this week
The post NIVA names new President and Board appeared first on Hypebot.

How to Turn Casual Listeners into Loyal FansWhat actually turns casual listeners into loyal fans? Ian Campbell breaks down the emotional and strategic steps every artist should know to build a real and monetizable fanbase.
The post How to Turn Casual Listeners into Loyal Fans appeared first on Hypebot.

UVI Dual Delay X is $19 at Plugin Boutique until June 30
UVI Dual Delay X, a creative stereo delay plugin for macOS and Windows, is available for just $19 at Plugin Boutique until June 30. Dual Delay X is a highly musical delay that takes the classic effect in some unexpected directions that I find super inspiring when working on my cinematic SFX. Rather than relying [...]
View post: UVI Dual Delay X is $19 at Plugin Boutique until June 30

“I don’t know my way around a patchbay, but I can press Record”: Mix engineer recalls the “stressful” task of remixing Ghost’s new album SkeletáGhost’s latest record, Skeletá, made waves across the globe. Not only did it place Tobias Forge and co right at the top of the US Billboard 200 albums chart, but Skeletá also peaked at #1 in their home country of Sweden, as well as Germany and Australia. The record has been a rousing success – though it went through two rounds of mixing before Forge was satisfied.
The original mix was a collaborative effort between Dan Malsch and Andy Wallace in August 2024. A few months later in November, Malsch would be asked to return to the mix with fresh eyes – and at a fresh sound desk. Originally mixed at Malsch’s own Soundmine Recording Studio in Pennsylvania on an SSL 4000 desk, the re-mixing took place in an entirely new studio in Stockholm.

READ MORE: “It’s quite unique for a hard rock band”: Producer reveals the secret trick Ghost use to fill out their low end

“I received a call asking whether I could come to Stockholm and touch up all the mixes,” Malsch tells Sound on Sound. “This turned out to be a huge learning curve, because I ended up in a studio that I had never worked in before.”
Plunged into a totally foreign studio with monitoring equipment and a console he had “never used before”, Malsch worried he might be out of his depth. With an inability to do recalls, he admits: “It was a tall order for a mix engineer. Over two and a half weeks I was at the studio, IMRSV, with 16‑hour daily marathon sessions and no breaks.”

There was the added pressure of retouching the work without his collaborative mixer Wallace. “It was a lot of pressure, and very stressful,” he says. “I mean, I didn’t want to be the one messing up a bunch of Ghost mixes! The entire Ghost team wanted the record to be great, and there was no shortchanging anything. They could have gone with the Pennsylvania mixes.”
Of course, that’s not to say the original Skeletá mixes were poor. “They were great mixes,” Malsch insists. “But they still wanted to go that extra mile, trying to get the mixes to another level.”
The theatrical metallers also took a unique approach with songwriting, opting for a more introspective perspective that adopted the pop-tinged songwriting abilities of Max Grahn.
While his roots are firmly in hardcore acts, his career of playing in “30-something bands” has left him with an incredibly diverse palette – perfect for expanding Ghost’s sonic world. “I started going my own path in production, writing pop music, which I’ve always loved,” he explains. “Turns out writing actually good pop is harder than I thought!”

“During writing we didn’t have engineers in the room,” he recalls. “I have kindergarten level knowledge of how stuff works in a live studio. I don’t know my way around a patchbay, but I can press Record. Once in the box, in Pro Tools, I’m at home.”
“We were [writing] mostly in the big live room, where we had drum kits and guitars and stuff hooked up. For us, playing instruments is the cornerstone of every song we write. We both play drums, guitar, bass and synths. It’s very important that things feel fun.”
Together, Grahn and Forge worked out the sweet between “intuitive and unintuitive” sounds. Once that was found, the songwriter explains that the pair would record with a Shure SM7 cardioid dynamic microphone going into a Fairman. A 1176 compressor was used for vocals.
“We’d play electric and acoustic guitars, the former through a Rockman, made by Tom Scholz from Boston,” he adds. “They’re like a portable cassette player that you can clip to your belt and plug into your computer. With headphones you sound like you’re a rock star on a rock stage.”

The post “I don’t know my way around a patchbay, but I can press Record”: Mix engineer recalls the “stressful” task of remixing Ghost’s new album Skeletá appeared first on MusicTech.

Fraudulent streams of AI-generated music are being filtered out of royalty payments from DeezerDeezer has launched a new AI music tagging system within its platform, that clearly states when songs have been generated by artificial intelligence technology.
Deezer launched an AI detection tool back in January, and at the time, it discovered that around 10,000 fully AI-generated songs were being uploaded to its platform every day. In response, Deezer began using its new tool to help it sideline this music from its algorithmic recommendations.

READ MORE: Artist-friendly streaming platform Deezer earned €134 million in revenue in Q1 2025

Now, Deezer reports that about 18 percent of music uploaded each day is fully AI-generated (equating to over 20,000 tracks), and as a result, it has expanded its transparency over the issue with the new tagging system, which it claims to be the world’s first.
Not only is the platform labelling these tracks, but it’s continuing to block them from showing up in editorial playlists or listening suggestions. Currently, AI-only songs make up just 0.5 percent of all streams on Deezer, but with the “trend growing fast”, these measures have been put in place at an early stage.
Interestingly, Deezer has also found that 70 percent of the streams on AI music are actually fake, and that this fraudulent activity is being used to exploit the royalty pool. To combat this, these streams are being filtered out of any royalty payments generated on Deezer.
Deezer CEO, Alexis Lanternier, has previously branded its royalty model as “user-centric”. In an interview with The Guardian back in February, he said: “The overwhelming feeling for a lot of people is that their life is more and more dictated by algorithm, and there is this ask that we see from our user base, and especially the young generation, to kind of take back control, understand how the algorithms work and be able to influence it.”
He added, “Your subscription goes to the artist you listen to – nobody can fraud that because you cannot influence the rest of the pool… It’s a long journey, but it’s a journey we’re well into.”
Find out more about Deezer via its official Newsroom.
The post Fraudulent streams of AI-generated music are being filtered out of royalty payments from Deezer appeared first on MusicTech.

I tested Sony’s 360 Virtual Mixing Environment at Battery Studios — here’s how it worksAt rush hour on a Tuesday evening, I walked through the buzzing Manhattan streets to enter a quiet room at Sony’s Battery Studios for a private session. I sat in the chair in the middle of the room, surrounded by 14 Genelec loudspeakers and two subwoofers, as the audio engineers placed the tiniest microphones I’ve ever seen into my ears.
“They have the capsule facing outwards. Literally taking the measurements of how sound enters into your ear canals,” said Isaac Rodrigues. As the manager of technical partnerships & professional support at Sony Audio, he’s measured the listening experiences of people of all shapes and sizes.

READ MORE: Lewitt Space Replicator review: Affordable virtual mixing plugin with room to improve

With my head facing the centre speaker, staying very still, I listened to pink noise and sine waves firing from all direction. “Almost there—we just have the headphone measurement left,” said Rodrigues, prompting me to put a pair of Sony MDR-MV1 headphones on. He played the same series of sounds, and I wondered how I could hear them almost exactly as I did before. Turns out, the speakers were muted the second time around. My customised headphone profiling for Sony’s 360 Virtual Mixing Environment (VME) was already complete.
To double-check the placement of each channel in my headphones, I listened to recordings of spoken words coming from various directions. Next, the spatial audio mix of Daft Punk’s Get Lucky started to play. I removed the headphones, and the monitors were unmuted almost immediately to ensure an accurate A/B test. Though I could hear the sub-bass better through the speakers, the difference felt nearly indiscernible. Unsure, I put the headphones back on. I could sense the artificial quality of the ambience ever so slightly—or was I trying too hard to find fault? The comparison felt so surreal that halfway through the song, I was already doubting my ears.
Battery Studios NYC. Image: Press
Then, I began pondering the technical aspects of the technology. In a room where phase cancellation issues were almost non-existent, these measurements could produce transparent digital results. But not everyone has access to a treated room at Battery Studios. And, even if they did, wouldn’t they miss the other environments they’re more familiar with?
Apparently, that’s exactly why many 360 VME customers request multiple profiles at once. Some even get their headphone measurements done in their cars for use as a preset on days when they fly out of town. Professional mixing and mastering engineers like the idea of encapsulating the spaces they’re used to.
“We work with people who want to either take their studio with them or mix in immersive formats, but don’t always have access to a studio,” explains Rodrigues. “Especially in schools where students are fighting for studio space—we measure the students at the studio, and then, they can do some of their mixing in their dorm rooms with their headphones”. Sony claims it’s already held sessions at Drexel University, Ithaca College, and the University of Toronto, among other campuses.
For now, the public 360 VME measurement services are handled by ASG and GC Pro in North America. Sony says it’s planning to expand its reach beyond the US, Canada, and Japan soon.
Sony ear mics. Image: Press
If you’re interested in custom profiling, you’re advised to bring your headphones to the session for best results. You’ll get a copy of the software with your specific measurements summed into a preset. Rodrigues cautiously agrees that any pair of flat open-back studio headphones would work. But, unsurprisingly, he insists that Sony’s MDR-MV1 headphones are the best fit for 360 VME.
The resulting virtual mixing environment functions as a receiver rather than a spatial audio renderer. For example, the Dolby Atmos Renderer can render up to 128 inputs down to a binaural format. You could listen to a mix that complex through the 360 VME standalone software. But you’d still have to tweak it in Dolby Atmos when needed.
Likewise, you can use 360 VME to hear your stereo mixes in the environment where you got your headphone measurements. In such cases, choosing 360 VME as the output setting of your DAW would be the way to go. After that, you could still pick your audio interface as the output device within the 360 VME app.
That may seem like one too many steps to follow, but Sony is not alone in its hyper-realistic audio ventures. While many tech giants equate virtual reality with visual elements, the audio component is also expanding.
Not too long ago, Steven Slate Audio introduced the VSX Headphone Mixing System, which promises the sound of “perfectly tuned pro studio speakers, car systems, clubs, and more”. Sonarworks offers the Virtual Monitoring Add-on that aims to deliver “the most accurate spatial simulation of stereo studio monitors on your headphones”. It might be worth a try, especially if you already enjoy the rest of their SoundID Reference bundle. Similarly, Waves Audio targets EQ correction for specific brands of headphones with its Nx – Virtual Mix Room over Headphones plugin, to bring the listener closer to the experience of mixing with studio monitors. Lewitt Audio’s Space Replicator takes this concept one step further by presenting a diverse range of virtual mixing rooms.
SIRMA’s custom profile on Sony 360 VME. Image: Press
But these products don’t offer the customised immersive experience Sony does with its 360 VME software and MDR-MV1 headphones integration. Any manipulation on sound placement, EQ, or room size to simulate the experience of listening through loudspeakers colours the listener’s perception. That said, how accurate can the tech really be outside of a tested space like Battery Studios? That’s still up for debate.
At the very least, Sony’s 360 VME stands out as a product that respects not only the integrity of your room but also your exact position inside it. While no virtual mixing room may fully replicate the real thing for now, 360 VME is a promising step toward making immersive mixing more portable. And more personal.
The post I tested Sony’s 360 Virtual Mixing Environment at Battery Studios — here’s how it works appeared first on MusicTech.

Anchorage adds DeFi capability for institutions with Uniswap wallet integrationAnchorage Digital is expanding its Porto wallet with Uniswap integration, giving institutions direct access to DeFi swaps and liquidity.

The Latest from FocusriteNews has come in directly from Focusrite."STL Tones AmpHub LE - Free plugin for hardware ownersFor a limited time, Focusrite hardware owners can claim a free copy of STL Tones' all-encompassing electric guitar effect plugin, AmpHub LE.""Wu-Tang producer reveals all: Producer and engineer Josh Gannet shares his workflow with Focusrite interfaces."
"Recording drums with 18i20: Join George 'G1' Lever and drummer Georgia Challinor recording drums with Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen."

"Recording guitar with 2 mics: Get inspired by some innovative recording and sampling tricks."
 

 
"Bedroom indie folk guide: AudioHaze explores how to sound like Elliott Smith in a home or bedroom studio."
The post The Latest from Focusrite first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.