Technics continues its commitment to premium sound fidelity with new flagship EAH-A1000 wireless headphonesTechnics has become a staple for DJ performance, but the Japanese audio brand is also committed to the listening experience. Enter the company’s new flagship wireless over-ear headphones: EAH-A1000.
These new models feature a new build from the ground up, reworking key elements including the driver mechanism, diaphragm, structure, and how they fit around the ear.
Rather than build the biggest driver possible, which could lead to distortion, Technics has implemented a more standard-size 40mm driver. Except this part uses Technics’ specially developed magnetic fluid technology, first introduced for in-ear models such as the EAH-TZ700 and EAH-AZ100. The magnetic fluid drivers retain both magnetic and liquid characteristics to create precise reactions to different frequencies and thus precise sound reproduction. 

READ MORE: Ableton CEO and co-founder Gerhard Behles on independence, longevity and community

Zooming out a bit, over-ear headphones sit generally between a speaker and an in-ear headphone in terms of sound potential. So, Technics also brought in an element from its speaker models. Specifically, the SST (Symmetrical Surround Technology) Edge that goes around the rim of the driver. With emphasised symmetrical movement of the edge, there is less distortion.

The headphones also manage external audio with adaptive noise cancelling. Each side of the frame has three feed-forward microphones and one feedback microphone to capture and eliminate noise coming from all sides.
Then, with a sleek metal frame, the cans will look cool but also be sturdy in case they fall from your head for whatever reason. Though that won’t happen too often, given the high-density memory foam and the newly designed headband that fits both snugly and comfortably on the ear.
Credit: Technics
Furthermore, the EAH-A1000’s offer 45 hours of playback, hi-fi playback over LDAC and USB audio, and they come in both Black and Platinum Greige.
The new EAH-A1000 wireless over-ear headphones are currently available for €449,  £399, and $449 USD. Learn more at Technics.
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Strymon launch the La Brea The latest member of Strymon's new Series A family features multiple gain stages that have been designed to replicate the behaviour of vintage tape machines.

How This Classical Piano/Cello Duo Built a Sustainable Career For Their FamilyThis week, Ari welcomes Patrick Laird, cellist and half of the acclaimed instrumental pair Brooklyn Duo.

Which software is best for recording and creating DJ mixes?For decades, recording a DJ mix was hooking up the output of your mixer, hitting the record button and hoping you didn’t make a galloping mistake 30 minutes in. Today, the process is far more sophisticated. Whether you’re creating a radio show, demo mix, YouTube mix, Mixcloud upload or simply archiving your sets, there’s now software designed specifically for every stage of the process.

READ MORE: Best DAWs for producers, songwriters, engineers and DJs right now

Some tools focus on recording live performances. Other more sophisticated approaches allow you to build and edit mixes offline, perfecting every transition, non destructively. There are even AI-powered platforms that can assemble an entire mix for you before you fine-tune the details. Meanwhile, production software such as Ableton Live and DJ.Studio continues to blur the lines between DJing and music production.
Rather than simply ranking the software available, we’ve selected the best tool for each type of DJ mix creation workflow.
Best DJ Mix Recording Software Overall
DJ.Studio

If your goal is creating polished DJ mixes but with maximum creative flexibility, nothing currently comes close to DJ.Studio.
Often described as a DAW built specifically for DJs, DJ.Studio was created when the founder couldn’t find a decent alternative to the then-ageing, MixMeister Studio. DJ.Studio allows you to import playlists from rekordbox, Serato and other platforms, automatically generate transitions, adjust track order, split tracks into stems, non-destructively edit mixes on a timeline and export professional-quality audio without ever pressing play on a controller. It also integrates magically with Mixed In Key, Beatport and Ableton Live workflows.
For creating radio shows, promo mixes, and long-form DJ sets, it can reduce hours of prep work and trial and error to just minutes.
DJ.Studio
Pros

Purpose-built for creating DJ mixes
Timeline-based editing
AI-assisted transitions and stems
Ableton Live export
Integrates with existing DJ libraries
VST plugin support

Cons

Requires a pretty high-specification computer
Subscription can become expensive

Best DJ Mix Recording Innovation
Density One
Old heads will remember when NI’s Traktor Pro was called Traktor DJ Studio. Mixes could be recorded as a Mixfile, and all actions during the mix could be recorded as automation for editing afterwards before the final export. It was a smart idea that unfortunately disappeared. Fast forward to now, and Density takes a similar approach but in a revolutionary way.

Rather than recording audio, Density records the performance data itself, capturing track loads, cue points, loops, mixer movements, EQ adjustments, filters and effects. Once the set is finished, Density rebuilds the mix using the original audio files, allowing DJs to edit transitions and fine-tune performance details afterwards.
It’s the authenticity of a live performance without getting lumped with every little mistake. Similar to Mixmeister Studio and DJ.Studio, Density can also function as a standalone mix-building application, allowing DJs to create and edit studio mixes without connecting any hardware. While compatibility is currently focused on Pioneer DJ and AlphaTheta club-standard hardware, Density represents one of the most innovative developments in DJ mix creation we’ve seen in years.
Reasons to buy

Records performance data rather than audio
Non-destructive editing after recording
Can work as a standalone, offline mix creator like DJ.Studio
Dedicated hardware available for capturing club and festival sets

Reasons to avoid

Requires access to compatible club-standard hardware for live capture
Does not record microphones, crowd noise or external instruments
Limited compatibility with non-Pioneer ecosystems
New workflow compared to traditional DJ recording software

Best Software For Producing Studio-Quality DJ Mixes
Ableton Live

Ableton Live isn’t traditional DJ software, but for DJs who obsess over perfection, edits and audio quality, it accidentally became one of the best mix-production environments available.
You can record a mix in real time on two input channels, edit transitions, automate effects, add custom intros, create mashups, adjust levels and master the final result without leaving the software. Or simply import tracks and piece together a mix like in DJ studios. Many radio shows, festival promo mixes and commercial DJ compilations are refined using Ableton for precisely this reason.
Pros

Complete creative control
Professional mastering tools
Perfect for mashups and edits
Supports stems and loops

Cons

Steep learning curve
A very manual process, especially if using unquantized material
Not traditional DJ software

Best Free Software For Editing DJ Mixes
Audacity

Audacity has been a weapon of DJs for years. Record or import your set, then use Audacity for trimming, level adjustments, EQ tweaks, compression and final export. It lacks the sophistication of a full DAW, but for many DJs, it’s all that’s needed.
The software has been around for over two decades, too, so you’re never too far from a tutorial via YouTube if you need one.
Pros

Completely free
Easy to learn
Fast, detailed audio editing
Lightweight software

Cons

No multi-track workflow
No AI tools or auto features
Basic compared to modern DAWs

Best Software For Automated DJ Mix Creation
DJ.Studio
If you need to produce a 60-minute mix quickly, DJ.Studio is currently the most advanced solution available. Simply import or create a playlist, let the software analyse tempo and key, generate transitions automatically and then refine the results manually. It’s one of the few products specifically designed around creating finished DJ mixes rather than performing them.
Pros

Huge time saver
Integration with DJ playlisting software
Excellent transition tools
Stem separation
Mixcloud, Ableton and WAV export

Cons

Less satisfying than performing live
Some automation still needs refining
Needs a decent computer
Can be expensive for all the features

Best DJ Mix Recording App
Pioneer DJ DJM-REC

Pioneer DJ’s DJM-REC app remains one of the simplest ways to capture high-quality mixes directly from compatible DJM mixers. Perfect for club DJs, it allows direct recording to an iOS device, meaning there’s no need to carry a laptop or external recorder. If your goal is simply capturing a live performance, few tools are more convenient.
Pros

Extremely portable
High-quality recording
Ideal for club DJs
Direct upload options

Cons

iOS only
Limited editing functionality

Best Free Remix & Mashup Studio
Silverdaw
The surprise newcomer
One of the most interesting arrivals of 2026, Silverdaw is a free open-source DAW designed specifically for remixing, mashups and sample-based DJ mix creation. Unlike traditional DAWs, it focuses entirely on working with existing audio, making it ideal for DJs who want to create studio-quality mixes, mashups, transitions and radio edits. Features include automatic tempo and key detection, stem separation, timeline editing, loop slicing, effects automation and support for selected DJ controllers.
What makes Silverdaw particularly interesting is that it feels designed by DJs rather than producers. Everything revolves around importing tracks, reshaping them and exporting a finished mix rather than building songs from scratch. The fact that it’s completely free only adds to its appeal.
Pros

Completely free and open source
Purpose-built for mashups and DJ mixes
Stem separation included
Automatic key and BPM detection
DJ controller support

Cons

Windows only
Still relatively new
No VST support yet

Best Software For Creating Mixes From Playlists
DropLab

DropLab sits somewhere between DJ software and a DAW, allowing DJs to build complete timeline-based mixes without needing to perform them live. The software focuses on preparing sets, editing tracks and creating polished mixes from scratch, with recent additions including stem separation and advanced transition editing. For DJs creating promotional mixes, radio shows or online content, it’s one of the most interesting alternatives to DJ.Studio.
Pros

Timeline-based workflow
Built specifically for DJ mixes
Stem separation tools
Mac and Windows support

Cons

Smaller user base
Less mature ecosystem than DJ.Studio

Revised Verdict
For most DJs, DJ.Studio remains the best all-round solution for creating polished DJ mixes, radio shows, mashups and remixes, while Ableton Live remains the gold standard for DJs who want complete production control over every transition and edit. Audacity continues to be the best free audio editor, and Spotify is probably the best way to share your skills and taste with family and friends. MixMeister Studio remains a capable veteran of timeline-based mix creation but will not be around for much longer, so DropLab offers an exciting alternative for playlist-driven mix production. Silverdaw is one of the most promising new arrivals for DJs interested in mashups, remixes and stem-based editing.
The post Which software is best for recording and creating DJ mixes? appeared first on MusicTech.

Odd Duck Audio Girnhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHKmMaWFuf0 A one-knob guitar compressor, from clean studio squeeze to wrecked, snarling grind, with the level held all the way. One knob, Girn. Up to 60 it's a hard-kneed squeeze that climbs to infinity:1; past 60 the ratio goes negative and it drives the part into op-amp rails and a transformer, trimmed back so it never just gets louder. One LED glows with the gain reduction. 1 ms latency. Formats: VST3, AU (macOS), CLAP, LV2, Standalone Systems: Windows 10/11 (64-bit), macOS 11 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel), Linux (64-bit) Copy protection: licence key, activated once (up to three computers); no iLok, no internet needed after activation Version: 0.1.0 (first release) Price: $6 USD (7-day full trial). Part of the Odd Duck compressor line: all five on one key for $25. Read More

a16z-backed EliseAI raises $350M, doubles valuation to $4BEliseAI raises $350M, doubles valuation in a year.

Megadeth Rocks The Grammy MuseumOn a warm Thursday night, right in the middle of Downtown Los Angeles amidst tall buildings, honking horns, and a thin layer of grey smog, Megadeth visited The Grammy Museum’s Ray Charles Terrace for a special Q&A and live performance, which proved to be almost too heavy for the usually quiet museum to handle.

For the sold-out event, excited metal fans lined up on the sidewalk of Figueroa Street, some waiting for hours prior to doors opening at around 6:30 p.m. Slowly, people were let in and made their way up to the fifth floor of the museum, home to an open-air patio with the beautiful cityscape in the background, and about 200 seats lined up in rows in front of a small stage, one that almost seemed too small for this band.

Bright red stage lights faced the audience, who waited until about 7:40 p.m. for the programming to begin. A small merchandise table was set up in the lobby near the venue’s entrance, selling about five Megadeth shirts and two different hats. None were official tour merchandise, but instead generic band items ranging in price from $40 to $100.

Beginning with a Q&A moderated by television host and music journalist Matt Pinfield, the band sat down in four seats on stage and answered questions related to their most recent (and supposedly final) studio album, the 11-track self-titled Megadeth. Frontman Dave Mustaine was a bit quiet for most questions until he was asked about the process behind recording the album and whether there were any extra songs written. He answered that the band has many megabytes of unused music from throughout their career that he’d still be interested in revisiting and potentially releasing, while specifically stating that it would not be for another studio album.

The band was then surprised with official plaques commemorating the album reaching No. 1 in nine countries upon its release - a clear sign that rock and metal are indeed alive and well.

After answering a few more fan-submitted questions, the band took about a 20-minute break while their gear, microphones, and setlists were brought onto the stage. Some audience members began standing up from their seats in anticipation, almost hesitantly wondering if the rest of the crowd was really going to stay seated for a Megadeth concert. That would be almost sacrilegious.

The night grew darker and the city lights began shining brighter as the band finally stepped onto the stage at 8:45 p.m., guitars in hand. They started with three tracks from their recent album: the three No. 1 singles “Tipping Point,” “I Don’t Care,” and crowd favorite that everyone was singing along with, “Let There Be Shred.”

It was an unusual audience for this type of show, with only a few true headbangers near the front and scattered throughout the small terrace. Most people stood completely still to film the performance, almost shocked at how loud the roar of the band’s guitars were. C’mon people, haven’t you ever been to a metal concert before?

Dave Mustaine said a few thank-yous between songs before proceeding to play some of the band’s older material. Another fan favorite, “Sweating Bullets,” came next, followed by “Symphony of Destruction” and “Peace Sells,” during which the band’s mascot, Vic, walked through the audience throwing Megadeth-themed money to everyone before joining the band on stage.

As an audience member, it most certainly felt like a private show and almost too good to be true for a ticket priced at only $65. The band then ended with a bang on “Holy Wars,” during which Mustaine introduced each member: Teemu Mäntysaari on lead guitar, James LoMenzo on bass, and Dirk Verbeuren on drums.

When the final chord rang out, the audience looked around at each other in amazement, feeling lucky to have witnessed this performance on such a small scale.

Overall, it was an amazing night at The Grammy Museum with, no doubt, one of the loudest metal bands to have performed there to date. Hopefully, the night inspired many audience members to stream the band’s new record, purchase some merchandise, and potentially even buy a ticket to see the band live again at one of their shows this coming weekend at BMO Stadium, opening for Iron Maiden.

Keep up with all things Megadeth on the band’s website, here.

The post Megadeth Rocks The Grammy Museum first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Designing a Fully 3D-Printed Mechanical CalculatorEven if almost tragically impractical in a world where digital calculators are cheap as chips, mechanical calculators and their big mechanical computer brethren remain an absolute marvel of engineering. Using nothing but elements like simple gears their motion is used to calculate everything from a simple multiplication to the proper targeting instructions for an Iowa-class battleship’s guns.
This fascination, along with the mind-bendingly high prices for commercial digital calculators led [3D all Workshop] to spend 2 months on designing his own mechanical calculator. Fully FDM 3D-printed, of course.
In the video the design process and troubleshooting step are covered along with the workings of the mechanisms for both addition and multiplication. While this may seem simple, basically converting numbers of rotations into a final indicator position, aspects like carrying a digit and adding a multiplication feature to the mechanism require some proper engineering.
Of course, using FDM printing for tolerance-sensitive things like gears meant that a lot of time was spent redesigning aspects of the mechanism, going through about a hundred design iterations until it worked, with the help from a bit of lubrication.
Naturally this isn’t the first 3D-printed mechanical calculator, not to mention ones made from wood, but always it’s pretty cool to see one made from first fundamentals.

Crypto regulation at SEC, CFTC to come down to 3 commissioners following key resignationSeven commissioner seats at the SEC and CFTC will be empty after Friday, leaving only a few leaders at financial regulators to oversee aspects of the $3 trillion crypto industry.

Red Light Management and The Very Good launch Red Light Management ScandinaviaIt will be headed by Red Light Management UK founder James Sandom and The Very Good founder and CEO Jakob Emtestam.
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Get Drum Spice FREE while 5,000 licenses last
CELEST DSP and Audio Spices are giving BPB readers 5,000 full licenses for Drum Spice, a new drum bus processor normally priced at $59.99. These are perpetual licenses with lifetime updates. The giveaway is first-come, first-served, and the free checkout will close when all 5,000 licenses are claimed. Drum Spice is a collaboration between two [...]
View post: Get Drum Spice FREE while 5,000 licenses last

Spitfire Audio once again teams up with BT on Phoenix, a hybrid synth built from the producer’s private archiveSpitfire Audio has released Phoenix, a hybrid synthesizer made in collaboration with Grammy-nominated composer and producer Brian Transeau, aka BT. It’s the third collaboration between the pair, following Phobos in 2017 and Polaris in 2022.
Phoenix combines material from BT’s personal archive of vintage synthesizers, samplers, cassettes and vinyl with recordings from Spitfire’s orchestral libraries. It runs two complete synthesis chains per voice, one for each stereo channel.
Contained in the synth are 50 sampled instruments, covering strings, brass, woodwind, choirs, guitars, pianos and tuned percussion. Spitfire says the selection leans toward the unfamiliar, including frozen strings, quarter-tone clusters and bowed textures at the edge of pitch. Spitfire intends the recordings to be resynthesized and reshaped inside the instrument rather than played back as-is.
Under the hood

Each side of a sound can be shaped independently, so movement, detuning, spectral modulation and phase warping happen as part of the synthesis itself, rather than in post-processing.
The synth has six engines: spectral wavetables, FM, a sampler, 2OP FM transients, sub generation and a noise oscillator, all capable of cross-modulation. The FM engine offers six operators and 34 algorithms and its eight-voice unison can stack up to 48 operator-oscillators into a single note.
“This is a dream inspiration engine fully realised,” says BT.
Built for movement
Credit: Spitfire Audio
The synth has eight multi-segment MetaSequencers, four random generators loaded with 636 handmade rhythm patterns and a probability arpeggiator drawn from the rhythmic language of BT’s StutterEdit plugin. The modulation matrix has no slot limit and there are 37 bespoke effects, each with its own interface, ranging from spectral smearing to granular reverbs to lo-fi vinyl emulation. A real-time 3D renderer displays the waveform being synthesized at each stage. The instrument supports 16-voice MPE.
“Phoenix gives composers brand new ways of combining and transforming source material,” says Spitfire Audio co-founder Paul Thomson, describing a range from subtle evolving textures to aggressive tones and cinematic soundscapes.
Pricing & availability
Phoenix launches at a price of £199 from 29 September until 25 October, and will then rise to £249. It is sold exclusively through Spitfire Audio’s website as a perpetual licence.
The synth is to be demoed at ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) from 21-25 October, where BT will be available for demonstrations.
Learn more at Spitfire Audio.
The post Spitfire Audio once again teams up with BT on Phoenix, a hybrid synth built from the producer’s private archive appeared first on MusicTech.

Leit Audio releases UnClip, a FREE plugin for repairing clipped audio
Leit Audio has released UnClip, a free audio restoration plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux. I am mostly sharing this one for fun. We have featured so many free clippers (REGENT and E-Peakclipper-500, to name a few) lately that covering an “unclipper” feels almost necessary as an antidote to clipping. Of course, UnClip is not [...]
View post: Leit Audio releases UnClip, a FREE plugin for repairing clipped audio

Wes Audio unveil the ngOmniBox The latest addition to Wes Audio's ng line-up has just been revealed, and this time the company are trying their hand at an all-in-one bus processor aimed at mixing and mastering duties. 

My Forever Studio: Hazel Mills invents a new instrumentHazel Mills, the singer, songwriter and session musician, has toured with Kylie Minogue, Florence and the Machine, Goldfrapp, and more. In this episode of My Forever Studio brought to you in partnership with Audient, Hazel — a long-time fan of the show — specs up an inviting but remote studio and finds a series of new studio hacks that test the forever studio rules.
In this episode, hear Hazel’s stories of touring with Kylie Minogue, how she balances session work with her artist project, and the time she got really into prepared piano. Expect deep studio geekery, plus an exclusive hint at her new “dystopian dance music” album.

The My Forever Studio podcast – created in partnership with Audient – sees artists, producers, and engineers create their dream fantasy Forever Studio, wherever they want in the universe. However, hosts Chris Barker and Will Betts impose some strict rules in the Forever Studio. Our guests are permitted a limited number of items in their creative space, so they must choose carefully. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles!
Subscribe to My Forever Studio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and check out all episodes so far via MusicTech.

The post My Forever Studio: Hazel Mills invents a new instrument appeared first on MusicTech.