An in-depth guide to Spitfire Audio and BT’s Phoenix with J Scott Rakozy
Acclaimed composer and sound designer J Scott Rakozy (Hereditary, Hogwarts Legacy) overviews Phoenix, a new hybrid synth from Spitfire Audio and BT.

Crypto PAC announces support for 32 House candidates in US midtermsFairshake said it would financially back 32 House candidates who all voted in favor of the CLARITY market structure bill in 2025, as the bill remains in limbo in the Senate.

How to Grow a Giant Crystal from Copper SulfateCopper sulfate crystals are probably among one of the prettiest crystals you can grow at home, with even just a simple setup with some copper scrap and vinegar already capable of producing lots of them. Yet what if you want to grow really big ones? In that case the [Crystalverse] has got your back, with a recent video that expands on an older blog post.
In lieu of the copper-and-vinegar approach you can also obtain copper sulfate directly, since it’s a common fungicide, rootkiller as well as drying agent. This means that your local brick-and-mortar retailer or favorite online store probably has a few kg of the stuff available for sale.
As with most large crystal growing procedures the key is to have a saturated solution, which for copper sulfate just takes near-boiling water, to create a mesmerizingly blue liquid if there are no contaminants in it. By adding slightly more copper sulfate there are also crystallization sites on the bottom of the jar to draw these away from your large crystal.
From there it’s the same as with growing other large crystals – even those from sugar – with a seed crystal suspended into the solution, along with a silent prayer to the crystal gods that said seed crystal continues to grow without any defects. One gotcha with copper sulfate crystals is that the intense blue color is largely due to the presence of water molecules. This means that once it dehydrates, it turns effectively white.
Also of note that is the slower the crystal grows, the better the result is likely to be. During the months that it takes for these large crystals to grow, you need to carefully manage the copper sulfate solution, remove competing crystals on the bottom of the container and keep the temperature as constant as possible.

Hatebreed Signs With BLKIIBLKDate Signed: January 2026

Label: BLKIIBLK

Band Members: Jamey Jasta, lead vocals; Matt Byrne, drums; Frank Novinec, rhythm guitar, backing vocals; Wayne Lozinak, lead guitar, backing vocals

Type of Music: Heavy Metal

Management: steve.ross@nonameworldwide.com

Booking: Tim Borror - Sound Talent Group

Legal: Scott Bradford

Publicity: Amy Sciarretto - Atom Splitter PR, amy@atomsplitterpr.com

A&R: Mike Gitter

Web: hatebreed.com

Metalcore titans Hatebreed have had deals with numerous labels throughout their 32 years of making noise, enjoying stints with Victory, Universal, and Razor & Tie among others. Now a staple on the hardcore circuit, Hatebreed has reportedly played over 3,000 shows since its inception.

One figure in the metal world they met during their travels is Mike Gitter. As Director of A&R at Roadrunner Records during Hatebreed’s tenure with the label, they had a great working relationship back in the day. “He’s been a part of heavy music and hardcore for like four decades,” notes Matt Byrne, the group’s drummer since 2001. “He’s a friend. He gets the band and understands us.”

Having most recently released a trio of albums with Nuclear Blast, Hatebreed wanted to make a change. “They’re a great team,” Byrne diplomatically points out. “We just wanted to switch it up a bit.” 

Gitter’s latest endeavor is BLKIIBLK Records, a metal and hard rock-focused arm of Frontiers Label Group. Word got around fast about the GRAMMY-nominated band being a free agent, and it wasn’t long before Gitter reconnected with the kings of hardcore. “It made the most sense to land with him and BLKIIBLK,” explains Byrne. “We felt they would give us the push and direction that we need.” FLG made the grand announcement as part of its 30th anniversary celebration.

Hatebreed feels at home being on the same roster as other hardcore legacy acts Megadeth, Cro-Mags, and Biohazard. They’re also confident that Gitter will be able to honor Hatebreed’s history while simultaneously helping them carve out their future. Artists with the longevity of Hatebreed are likely to experience diverging goals with their labels over time. “We’re more apt to do one-album deals now,” Byrne reveals, and that’s ultimately what they got with BLKIIBLK. 

The group is in the midst of recording a new album due this fall; it will be their first since 2020’s Weight of the False Self.  “They’re not pigeonholed into a certain style or genre of music,” observes Byrne regarding BLKIIBLK’s artistic mission. “Obviously, they’re dealing with heavy bands, but it’s fresh energy. Let’s work well together and see where we go.”The post Hatebreed Signs With BLKIIBLK first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

fedDSP release quadCHO fedDSP's new chorus plug-in combines two independent sections with an array of modulation tools that make it possible to craft everything from subtle stereo movement to complex ‘moving’ effects.

UMG is now managing 130+ artists in Southeast AsiaGranite spoke during a fireside session at the Music Matters strand of the All That Matters conference in Singapore on October 5
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FRCTL Audio releases GRNi Lite FREE granular sampler
FRCTL Audio GRNi Lite is a free granular sampler instrument for macOS, Windows, and Linux. We previously covered GRN Lite, a simplified granular effect from the same developer. The names are similar, but their jobs are different: GRN processes audio already passing through a track, while GRNi Lite turns a sample you load into a [...]
View post: FRCTL Audio releases GRNi Lite FREE granular sampler

Rapid Flow gives away True AB Referencing plugin for FREE
Rapid Flow True AB Referencing, normally priced at $39, is currently free when you subscribe to the developer’s newsletter. The offer is part of Rapid Flow’s fourth-anniversary celebration. This is the complete plugin with a perpetual license, so it’s not a demo or some time-limited version, although the developer has not announced when the promotion [...]
View post: Rapid Flow gives away True AB Referencing plugin for FREE

IK Multimedia Tonex 2 Player now available The public beta of Tonex 2 Player is now complete, with the full version officially available alopngside a firmware update that kits the recently released Tonex Board out with some powerful new features.

Arswerk releases Nyx, a FREE harmonic reverb that lets you draw the room
Arswerk has released Nyx, a free harmonic reverb that lets you design the room in meters and shape a tail around the notes in your source. The developer also released Harmonia EQ, a dynamic and spectral equalizer plugin. Nyx The latest Nyx 1.3 update introduces a new engine with six algorithms: Space, Steel Plate, Spring, [...]
View post: Arswerk releases Nyx, a FREE harmonic reverb that lets you draw the room

The Crow Hill Company has released Pedal Bass, its latest FREE Vaults instrument
The Crow Hill Company releases Pedal Bass, the latest instalment for the free Vaults instrument. The Crow Hill Company’s Vaults series has been around for a few years now, and despite a 2025 Season Two rebrand, some things never change. From Bridge Guitar to Solo Bodrán, and 1986, every Vaults instrument is packed with character, [...]
View post: The Crow Hill Company has released Pedal Bass, its latest FREE Vaults instrument

Maniac Audio Maniac Audio Sounds LoopsSounds Made For Your Next Hit. Royalty-free drums, 808s, loops and one-shots. Preview every sound, download only the ones you need. Also maniac audio sound plugin. DARKSTUDIO DAW Comes with built-in Maniac Audio Sounds. Read More

Google froze its open source bug bounty program due to a ‘significant rise’ in AI submissionsAI slop seems to be overwhelming bug bounty programs.

Tearing Down a Heavy OscilloscopeWhen [Thomas] showed his 1960s-era Tektronix 545A oscilloscope in a recent video, it made us both nostalgic and happy. Nostalgic because we miss the days when our oscilloscopes were “mainframes” that could take plug-in modules. Happy because we noticed the two handles on top to manage hauling the almost 70 pounds of tubes, transformers, and glass around if you didn’t have the requisite cart.
Not only did old scopes have plugins so you could reconfigure them, but there were also handy plugins and racks that could power them so you could build different test setups easily. This scope was an early version of that idea, but it only accepted a vertical section plugin. The mainframe part of the scope has 75 tubes, and the plugin, a type D, has six tubes, too. The power consumption was about 500 watts!

If you’ve used a scope like this before, you’ll probably remember a lot of the oddities mentioned in the video. If not, you’ll gain a new appreciation for your modern, sophisticated, and lightweight scope. Of course, the old boat anchor wasn’t working. Apparently, these scopes had ceramic points that didn’t like regular solder, so there was a spool of silver solder inside the unit for repairs.
[Thomas] made a lot of progress, although it still needs work to get it working perfectly. We have no doubt he’ll get it working in time. Even the graticule on these old scopes was an issue.

"The Scene Police Story" by Dennis P. Merklinghaus(paperback) $33.99

Much like Blijboom’s Rebellion book, The Scene Police Story is a niche punk rock exploration about a DIY punk collective. According to the blurb, “From sweaty squats and empty venues to landmark releases, endless touring, ideological clashes, broken vans, and mounting debt, this is a story about what happens when DIY ethics collide headfirst with reality.”

It’s a fascinating tale and, if nothing else, it vividly depicts the highs (and lows) that can be reached when a dedicated bunch of miscreants really put their minds to it. 

The post "The Scene Police Story" by Dennis P. Merklinghaus first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.