Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to score soundtrack for Naughty Dog’s new video game franchiseNine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are scoring the soundtrack for Naughty Dog’s brand new video game franchise, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, which is currently in development for PlayStation 5.
Reznor and Ross have been composing for a range of films over recent years. So far, the duo have composed music for movies such as Challengers, Queer, and the new Tron film which will release in 2025. Reznor has worked on a number of games in the past, including Call of Duty: Black Ops II, and Ross has formerly composed for the FIFA franchise.

READ MORE: Trent Reznor: “The terrible payout of streaming services has mortally wounded a whole tier of artists”

In a blog post from Neil Druckmann, Studio Head at Naughty Dog (the same studio which delivered games such as The Last Of Us and Uncharted) he states, “Our incredible voyage into the cosmos also needs an equally incredible soundtrack. As tremendous fans of their work, I’m excited to announce our collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross who’ll be scoring Intergalactic! The guys are cooking, and the trailer is just a small tease of their work for the game.”
The game marks the studio’s first new franchise in over a decade, and follows protagonist, Jordan A. Mun, “a dangerous bounty hunter who ends up stranded on Sempiria – a distant planet whose communication with the outside universe went dark hundreds of years ago… Jordan will have to use all her skills and wits if she hopes to be the first person in over 600 years to leave its orbit.”
You can check out the first trailer below:

In a recent interview with IndieWire, Reznor opened up on his film score work alongside Ross, and explained how the pair are flourishing within its industry as opposed to the music world.
“What we’re looking for [from film] is the collaborative experience with interesting people. We haven’t gotten that from the music world necessarily, for our own choice. You mentioned disillusionment with the music world? Yes. The culture of the music world sucks,” he said.
“That’s another conversation, but what technology has done to disrupt the music business in terms of not only how people listen to music but the value they place on it is defeating. I’m not saying that as an old man yelling at clouds, but as a music lover who grew up where music was the main thing. Music [now] feels largely relegated to something that happens in the background or while you’re doing something else. That’s a long, bitter story.”
Read more music technology news.
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SiriusXM downgrades streaming ambitions in shift back to in-carBucking industry and consumer trends, the leading satellite broadcaster is shifting focus back to in-car listening, as SiriusXM downgrades streaming. The goal is to reclaim its spot in the car dashboard and take on traditional radio, but can it work?
The post SiriusXM downgrades streaming ambitions in shift back to in-car appeared first on Hypebot.

These are the best new headphones and earbuds of 2024, according to MusicTech2024 saw a slew of excellent headphones and earphones of all shapes and sizes, and happily, the trend among the models we reviewed tended towards them remaining pretty affordable. With wireless earbuds now a common sight, it was refreshing to see companies pushing the envelope in terms of battery life, personalisation and audio quality. At the other end of the scale, bespoke developers are making premium wired models that are pricey but possess a fidelity that has to be heard to be believed.
It’s perhaps musicians and producers who have the most to be happy about this year however, with sensibly-priced studio and reference headphones released that continue legacies as well as breaking new ground, especially in terms of frequency response and yes, affordability again. There’s simply never been a better time to mix and master on headphones. We were impressed by every model we tested in 2024, for different reasons. Here’s a list of the models our expert reviewers loved this year, from buds that fit in your pocket to serious audiophile luxury.
READ MORE: Best headphones for music producers, DJs and musicians
Denon PerL Pro Earbuds
Denon PerL Pro up close
When Denon acquired Nura in 2023 it inherited the company’s product line, which includes the excellent NuraTrue earbuds, effectively re-badged here as the Denon PerL Pro. When we reviewed them (https://musictech.com/reviews/consumer/denon-perl-pro-review/) we were blown away by the sound personalisation system that outshines the competition, and also their support for high-bitrate, lossless codecs including aptX Lossless if your hardware supports it. We love the impressive battery life, with eight hours in the buds and 24 in the case, plus their up-to-the minute features like spatial audio, active noise cancelling, multipoint and pairing with a well-designed companion app.
There’s virtually nothing more we could ask of a pair of earbuds. Best of all, they are currently available for significantly less than they cost when first reviewed. Denon has taken Nura’s tech and given it a good home.
Need more? Check out our full review of the Denon PerL Pro. 
dSONIQ Realphones 2.0
dSONIQ Realphones 2.0
OK — this isn’t a pair of headphones, but is certainly an innovation worthy of merit. Estonian company dSONIQ has been researching advanced headphone modelling and measurement since 2015, and this year, Realphones 2.0, a suite designed to dramatically improve the accuracy of mixing on headphones, was released. This has been something of a holy grail for the undustry. Why? It’s impossible to physically test your mixes on as many systems as you’d ideally like – there are just too many variables. But with the Realphones 2.0 software, the dream can become a reality. Hardly any producers have access to the range of speakers and environments modelled here – a total of over 45 virtual playback setups from PA systems and cars to high-end studio monitors. And real-world variables you can control too, like crossfeed and room ambience that just aren’t covered by other apps.
How easy is it? Just load up your headphone model into the application, which works both as a plugin and system-wide on your Mac or PC so everything goes through it, and then choose from the incredible range of speakers and environments to model to hear how your track will sound on multiple setups, all without needing any extra hardware at all. Version 2.0 boasts much-improved algorithms and an expanded selection of top-end systems to emulate. With more producers than ever needing to mix on headphones this is a game-changer that, given its very modest pricing, seems sure to find a global audience.
Need more? Read our full review of dSONIQ Realphones 2.0.
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X Limited Edition
Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro X Limited Edition
Many producers and musicians find it more realistic to have a strong all-round pair of cans for studio work than juggling multiple sets. Find the right one and it makes more sense economically too. Beyer’s DT770 family is as close as you’ll get to stone cold classics of the pro audio world, yet this model is also surprisingly affordable. The Pro X provides stunning stereo separation and a well-rounded, neutral sound for tracking, arranging and mixing.
Their frequency response is a crazy 5Hz to 40KHz, far beyond the range of regular cans and also of human hearing – so you can be sure no part of the signal is being lost. They’re also comfortable to wear for long periods, their circumaural, closed-back design sitting over your ears and blocking most external sound. They’re designed to handle anything you throw at them from casual listening through to tracking and mixing, and at a price that won’t break the bank. We loved their coherence, creating a warm and well-balanced soundstage and while Beyer makes pricier models these are a set you will feel comfortable relying on day in, day out.
Need more? Read our full review of the Beyerdynamic DT-770 Pro X Limited Edition
Meze Audio Elite
Meze Audio Elite headphones
Founded in 2011, Romanian audio specialists Meze Audio build very nice headphones indeed and if you value audio fidelity above all else – and we really do mean all else – its Elite open-backed, magnetic planar headphones will certainly make your ears very happy. Hand-built from extremely high-end custom components, they use Rinaro Isodynamic Hybrid Array drivers with a frankly bonkers frequency response of 3Hz – 112kHz, far outside the range of what our ears can actually detect.
Stats aside though, they sound phenomenal, and we found they offered a supremely detailed, rich and open soundstage with flawless stereo separation. Everything you listen to on these will sound better than you’ve ever experienced it before, whether you’re listening for pleasure, mixing or mastering. At $4000 they are far from affordable but audiophiles can be comfortable spending these amounts – the company also makes the Empyrean II for $3000 though when we reviewed those we could tell where the extra money goes in the pricier Elites. They’re niche, but by heck they sound the absolute business.
Need more? Read our full review of the Meze Audio Elite. 
Sony MDR-M1
Sony MDR-M1. Image: Press
Best known for its consumer products, Sony has long had a presence in the pro audio world too, particularly in the field of reference headphones. At around half the price of the MDR-MV1s, Sony’s MDR-M1 is a fully analogue, closed-back headphone designed for mixing and mastering work in the studio. We loved their neutral and open sound, comfort and quite honestly their price too, which is very reasonable for headphones of this calibre.
In everyday studio use we appreciated the way they present an honest picture of your sound rather than flattering with boomy bass or overt sheen – a behaviour that’s crucial if you are to trust them during the mixing and mastering processes. We did notice a little brightness in the mid-range at higher volumes though this can be compensated for with software EQ. On the whole these are excellent, affordable workhorse studio headphones. Anyone trading up from even a decent pair of consumer ‘phones for studio use will notice an immediate and significant improvement in fidelity, and an openness not found in many other closed-back models.
Need more? Read our full review of the Sony MDR-M1. 
ADAM Audio H200
Image: Press
Germany’s ADAM Audio is best known for monitor speakers but also produces some excellent headphones. Designed for the budget-conscious musician and producer, the company’s H200s () are a closed-back, over-ear model with an insanely low frequency floor of just 2Hz, and 23.5kHz at the top end.
Despite a couple of minor issues we found with the practicality of their design, we were impressed with their sonic performance, finding a rich bass end and detailed reproduction all through the frequencies without the boxiness exhibited by some closed back models. In fact we declared them to be “near-perfect for beginners, professionals, and everyone in-between”.
They come with a VST/AU format plugin that lets you simulate crossfeed between left and right channels, like we experience when listening on stereo speakers, which can help you create more accurate mixes and masters. It also lets you simulate different frequency response curves, which we found greatly improved their flexibility. All this for $150 – a price lower than you might expect given their performance – makes them a serious contender for your Christmas list.
Need more? Read our full ervie of ADAM Audio’s H200. 
 
The post These are the best new headphones and earbuds of 2024, according to MusicTech appeared first on MusicTech.

UKF15 at Drumsheds — the worst-organised event at the venue yet?The UK’s nightlife industry is not in a strong place right now. With a reported 10 nightclubs closing per month since 2020, fewer people are participating in the nighttime economy. This only adds to the disappointment we, and others, felt on Friday at Drumsheds, a venue which is one of the UK’s flagship nightclubs and a beacon for the rest of the country’s nightlife scene.
And with a lineup including Pendulum, Nero, Knife Party, Modestep, Flux Pavilion and many other dance titans, it’s no wonder UKF15 at Drumsheds drew such a large crowd. But the measures in place to control the 15,000-plus attendees at Tottenham’s repurposed IKEA building on Friday 13 December were woefully inadequate, with many guests expressing serious concerns during and after the event regarding their safety.
READ MORE: Spotify Wrapped live in London: A Top Of The Pops-style end-of-year celebration at IKEA-turned-superclub Drumsheds
MusicTech was kindly invited to attend the event as a guest, and we were able to bypass a tightly packed queue of thousands waiting to enter. Still, we were forced to wrestle sideways through the crowd to reach the badly signposted guestlist entrance with just one steward responsible for maintaining its integrity.
But hundreds of attendees report on Instagram, Reddit and Google that they queued for two hours or more just to enter the venue, meaning they missed the sets of some of the earlier – and even headline – acts.
“The queue to get in was ridiculous,” one Reddit user writes. “We arrived early but still ended up waiting nearly two hours after ticket scanning. Because of this, we completely missed the three non-headliner acts we were most excited to see.”
Another writes: “I queued for two hours, [and] missed two acts I wanted to see. At one point it was an actual crowd surge to the point I was pushed so close between two people [that] when the crowd moved forward I moved without my feet touching the ground. Have venues not learned anything from what happened at Astroworld a few years ago?”
UKF – unsafe conditions/Rant byu/Sea_Flow_83 inDrumsheds

They are, of course, referring to the tragedy at Travis Scott’s Astroworld festival in 2021, during which crowd surges and poor crowd management claimed the lives of 10 people.
Once inside, the old IKEA car park which hosted a bar, locker section, and various other popup stalls provided some much-needed space after the conditions of the entry queue. But poor crowd management reared its head once again at the entrance to the venue’s main room, Room X.
Between acts, attendees were directed, for no reason that we could see and as part of a glacially-paced crowd, outside into the cold simply to come back inside again.
“Whilst waiting to get in for Caspa and Rusko, many of us were subjected to a massive bottleneck in the lobby which caused a bit of crowd crushing and a poor girl near me was having issues breathing because of it,” one guest recalls. It was extremely unsafe. There was no announcement or anything of the sort to explain what was going on. Again – managed terribly by event staff.
The person adds – and MusicTech can confirm – that in these bottleneck situations, entering and exiting the main room, stewards were rarely seen, adding to the confusion. “We were funnelled outside, five minutes into Pendulum’s set for an unknown reason – and then sent back up the adjacent stairs whilst having to wait in the cold – for what reason?”
Absolutely appalling evening, welcome to 'Queuesheds'… byu/milancosens inDrumsheds

Elsewhere, some attendees reported crowd surges during Pendulum’s set, and others say they were denied entry.
“We were denied entry to Room X just before Pendulum started their set,” one writes. “Pendulum was the main reason we came, so this was heartbreaking. At that point, we got caught in the crowds outside of Room X with people pushing and shoving. It was so bad that we left early as we felt unsafe. The entire night was completely ruined for us.”
Drumsheds has not yet responded to MusicTech’s request for comment on the handling of the event.
A website has been set up to gather people’s negative experiences of the night, and a Change.org petition has even been launched demanding refunds due to the “frightful conditions” that risked guests’ safety. The petition has gathered 1,151 signatures at the time of writing.
Following the wave of backlash, Drumsheds has deleted its Instagram post for UKF15, and have yet to put out an official statement addressing guests’ grievances. Online users are also reporting that their one-star Google reviews are going missing, though we are unable to confirm the legitimacy of these claims. Many have contacted Drumsheds asking for refunds, and have been met with the a copy-paste response email, as shared by some users on Reddit.
“We want to start by sincerely apologising for the challenges you faced at the event on 13th December,” the email reads. “We understand how frustrating this must have been, and we’re genuinely sorry for the impact it had on you and your evening.
“As a team, we have always strived to create a great experience for everyone who joins us. It is incredibly upsetting to hear about your personal experience, and we want you to know that this is the last thing we would ever want.
“We faced a number of challenges on the night, including much longer-than-usual queues and congestion in some areas, due to a combination of factors, including enhanced security procedures. While these measures were necessary on the night, we understand they caused frustration and discomfort, and for this, we sincerely apologise.”
The venue says it is conducting a “full internal review of the event”, including a “thorough examination” of guest feedback and “reports from independent safety consultants who were present on the night”.
Reponse from Drumsheds byu/tomathy15 inDrumsheds

Grievances aside, once inside the music rooms, we were treated to some truly bass-face-inducing sets from Nero, Knife Party, Flux Pavilion and Pendulum, who played a nostalgic set packed with classics like Propane Nightmares, Witchcraft and Watercolour, as well as thumping new single Napalm. We also commend the venue for its thoroughly immersive and exciting visuals.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pendulum (@pendulum)

Venues and brands can make mistakes. That’s ok. But as they face intense economic pressure and a dwindling interest in attending nighttime events, deterring punters by remaining silent after a dangerous event will do little to restore faith in those who attended and those who look to attend future events.
We sincerely hope Drumsheds remedies this issue and puts out an official statement addressing the genuine concerns of those in attendance on Friday 13 December.
Read more music tech and industry features.
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FL Studio and UVI’s flash sale saves you a $1,974 discount, but you’ll have to act quickFL Studio and UVI aren’t bothering to wait till after Christmas like every most other companies before they slash prices — they’re doing it right now, and the discounts are enormous.

READ MORE: FL Studio 2024 welcomes new plugins, AI tools and expands FL Cloud library

The popular digital audio workstation brand, which is also the parent company of UVI, has announced a 90 per cent discount on a curated bundle of 16 premium plugins. Producers of all levels have a wealth of tools at their disposal, from iconic instruments, cinematic textures, and innovative effects.
It usually retails at $1,974 but the price has dropped to just $149. Helpfully, these plugins are compatible with any DAW, so users do not need FL Studio to take advantage of the offer.
The bundle contains tools like Shade, Sparkverb, and Dual Delay X, enabling producers to shape their sound with rich textures and unique spatial effects. There’s also a host of both analog and digital synths, from Emulation II+ and Synth Anthology 4 to vintage hardware like of FM Suite and PX Memories.

Elsewhere, instruments like Drum Designer and BeatBox Anthology 2 deliver studio-ready beats while Scratch Machine opens the door to expressive scratching and sound manipulation.
Producers can also enhance productions with sounds from Meteor, Quadra – Muted and Harmonics, and Augmented Orchestra, ideal for those working on gaming, and trailers.
That’s not the only discount FL Studio are offering right now – they are currently offering their biggest End Of Year Sale ever with discounts of up to 30 per cent on FL Studio Editions and upgrades, exclusive bundles. There are also significant savings on FL Cloud subscriptions.
However, you’ve got to be quick — the sale ends 17 December.
Check it out at image-line.com.
The post FL Studio and UVI’s flash sale saves you a $1,974 discount, but you’ll have to act quick appeared first on MusicTech.

Mixed In Key Holiday Sale: get up to 80% OFF all software
Mixed In Key software is trusted by some of the world’s best-known DJs. Famous names such as David Guetta, Diplo, and Armin Van Buuren rely on it in the studio and on the stage. You can share their experiences by checking out the Mixed In Key holiday sale, where you can get up to 80% off [...]
View post: Mixed In Key Holiday Sale: get up to 80% OFF all software

HitStrip plug-in from DJ Swivel The latest addition to DJ Swivel's plug-in range is an all-in-one channel strip that comprises nine individual processing modules.

Effective FX releases FREE Poltergeist experimental modulation effect
Effective FX is an independent, experimental audio tech studio based in Baltimore, Maryland. Their latest release is Poltergeist, a free experimental modulation effect for macOS and Windows. Poltergeist is a multi-stage effect that definitely fits the experimental category. The plugin generates fractal-like phasing patterns using the incoming audio at multiple stages. That short description already [...]
View post: Effective FX releases FREE Poltergeist experimental modulation effect

Rainwater From the Road to the GardenMost small-scale, residential rainwater harvesting systems we’ve seen rely on using an existing roof and downspout to collect water that would otherwise be diverted out into the environment. These are accessible for most homeowners since almost all of the infrastructure needed for it is already in place. [SuburbanBiology] already built one of these systems to take care of his potable water, though, and despite its 30,000 gallon capacity it’s not even close to big enough to also water his garden. But with some clever grading around his yard and a special rainwater system that harvests rain from the street instead of his roof, he’s capable of maintaining a lush food forest despite living through a drought in Texas.
For this build there are actually two systems demonstrated, one which is gravity-fed from the road and relies on one’s entire property sloping away from the street, and a slightly more complex one that’s more independent of elevation. Both start with cutting through a section of sidewalk to pass a 4″ PVC pipe through to the street where the stormwater runoff can be collected. The gravity-fed system simply diverts this into a series of trenches around the property while the second system uses a custom sump pump to deliver the water to the landscaping.
For a system like this a holding tank is not necessary; [SuburbanBiology] is relying on the soil on his property itself to hold onto the rainwater. Healthy, living soil can hold a tremendous amount of water for a very long time, slowly releasing it to plants when they need it. And, at least where he lives, a system like this is actually helpful for the surrounding environment as a whole since otherwise all of the stormwater runoff has to be diverted out of the city or cause a flood, and it doesn’t end up back in an aquifer. If you’re more curious about a potable water system instead, take a look at [SuburbanBiology]’s previous system.

NeurIPS keynote speaker apologizes for reference to Chinese studentA speaker at the annual NeurIPS AI conference has drawn criticism — not for her opinions about AI, but the way she referred to a Chinese student. During her keynote presentation on “How to optimize what matters most,” MIT Media Lab Professor Rosalind Picard (pictured above) included a slide quoting an excuse given by a […]
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Wago Terminals Make This Ham Radio Dipole Light and PackableFor the amateur radio operator with that on-the-go lifestyle, nothing is more important than having your gear as light and packable as possible. If you’re lugging even a modest setup out into the woods, every ounce counts, which is why we love projects like this packable dipole antenna feedpoint.
At its simplest, a dipole antenna is just two pieces of wire cut to a specific, frequency-dependent length connected to a feedline. In practical terms, though, complications arise, such as keeping common-mode currents off the feedline and providing sturdy mechanical support for the antenna to suspend it safely. [Ham Radio Dude]’s design handles both those requirements while staying as small and packable as possible. The design starts with a bifilar 1:1 current balun, which is wound on an FT82-43 ferrite toroid with 22 AWG magnet wire. One side of the balun is connected to a BNC connector while the other is connected to a pair of Wago splice connectors that are glued together. A loop of paracord for mechanical strain relief is added, and the whole thing gets covered in heat-shrink tubing. The antenna is deployed by attaching a feedline to the BNC, clipping quarter-wave wires into the Wago terminals, and hoisting the whole thing aloft. Full build details are in the video below.
People will no doubt be quick to point out that these Wago terminals are rated for a minimum of 18 AWG wire, making them inappropriate for use with fine magnet wire. True enough, but [Dude] was able to get continuity through the Wagos, so the minimum gauge is probably more of an electrical code thing. Still, you’ll want to be careful that the connections stay solid, and it might pay to look at alternatives to the Wago brand, too.

GM ‘blindsides’ Cruise by giving up on robotaxisWelcome back to Week in Review. This week, we’re looking at GM’s decision to pull out of the robotaxi business, Google alluding to the existence of multiple universes, and how you can make some serious cash by getting an AI bot to fall in love with you. Let’s get into it. General Motors will no […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Behold a Geared, Continuously Variable TransmissionWhen it comes to transmissions, a geared continuously-variable transmission (CVT) is a bit of a holy grail. CVTs allow smooth on-the-fly adjustment of gear ratios to maintain a target speed or power requirement, but sacrifice transmission efficiency in the process. Geared transmissions are more efficient, but shift gear ratios only in discrete steps. A geared CVT would hit all the bases, but most CVTs are belt drives. What would a geared one even look like? No need to wonder, you can see one for yourself. Don’t miss the two videos embedded below the page break.
The outer ring is the input, the inner ring is the output, and the three little gears with dots take turns transferring power.
The design is called the RatioZero and it’s reminiscent of a planetary gearbox, but with some changes. Here’s how the most visible part works: the outer ring is the input and the inner ring is the output. The three small gears inside the inner ring work a bit like relay runners in that each one takes a turn transferring power before “handing off” to the next. The end result is a smooth, stepless adjustment of gear ratios with the best of both worlds. Toothed gears maximize transmission efficiency while the continuously-variable gear ratio allows maximizing engine efficiency.
There are plenty of animations of how the system works but we think the clearest demonstration comes from [driving 4 answers] with a video of a prototype, which is embedded below. It’s a great video, and the demo begins at 8:54 if you want to skip straight to that part.
One may think of motors and gearboxes are a solved problem since they have been around for so long, but the opportunities to improve are ongoing and numerous. Even EV motors have a lot of room for improvement, chief among them being breaking up with rare earth elements while maintaining performance and efficiency.

tldr-pages Keeps it Short, Wherever You Need ItLet’s face it, even the most accomplished console cowboy can’t keep everything memorized. Sure, you might know all the important arguments for a daily-use tool like tar or ls, but what about the commands you don’t use that often? For that matter, even if you do use tar every day, we bet you don’t know all of the options it supports.
Built-in documentation or the man pages are of course a huge help, but they are dense resources. Sometimes what you really need is to see just a few key examples. When that happens, check out the tldr-pages project and its array of front-ends. Whether you’re working remotely on an embedded gadget, or have the luxury of a full desktop OS and browser, the project offers a way to get the help you need as quickly as possible.

The idea behind the project is that you can provide the command or tool you want to know more about, and instantly see a list of common options it takes. You’ll also be provided a realistic example for each one, which can often help make things “click” when you’re looking at a particularly obtuse utilization.
If you’re working on a box that has Python, getting access to the database of commands and examples is as simple as running pip3 install tldr and giving it a command you want to learn more about:

There’s also a very slick browser client which can be installed as a progressive web app (PWA) for off-line use. You can even embed it into your own web pages, like so:

If none of that tickles your fancy, the entire database is offered up as a PDF for your local perusal — don’t worry, it only clocks in at around 6 MB.
No matter how you access it, tldr-pages offers up a wealth of practical command line knowledge. Whether you’re looking to hone your terminal skills, or perhaps want to submit your own examples for the benefit of the community, this is definitely a project to keep in mind.
Thanks to [abrakadabra] for the tip.

DIY & Independent Musician News Last WeekThis week in DIY & independent musician news, our indie readers tuned into topics like how to make more money on tour, make the most of the year end and. Continue reading
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