Flame Sound offers Sound Design Starter Kit for $9 + 50 FREE Tension Builders
Flame Sound launched the Pyro SFX ($49) cinematic sound design starter kit with a limited-time intro price of $9 and a bonus of 50 FREE cinematic tension builders. If you’ve been reading BPB for some time, you probably know about Flame Sound, my cinematic sound design label. It just released Pyro SFX, the entry-level cinematic [...]
View post: Flame Sound offers Sound Design Starter Kit for $9 + 50 FREE Tension Builders

Universal Audio Apollo X Sonarworks integration arrives Users of the latest-generation Apollo X units are now able to install the AMC Add-on and benefit from built-in SoundID Reference functionality.

Daft Punk superfan launches Patreon to fund his research and archival work on the iconic electronic duoDaft Punk may no longer be together, but one fan is ensuring their history is not forgotten anytime soon.
An independent Daft Punk historian and archivist who goes by the name of Wub is launching a Patreon in the hopes that fellow fans will support the time that goes into researching and archiving media featuring the electronic pair.

READ MORE: Daft Punk’s Interstella 5555 gets a 4k remaster with gold vinyl – but fans aren’t convinced by new ‘AI’ upscale

Wub has already been sharing his work via YouTube, X, and a number of other platforms. He will continue to do so, and says he does not have any plans to put this content behind a paywall. Any contributions to his Patreon are simply to support the hours and costs (purchasing magazines and print media not found online) that go into his work.
Wub says he’s “dedicated to preserving and sharing” the duo’s history. On his Patreon, Wub writes, “The services I provide are very niche but many people use and enjoy them. I will never put any of my research, articles, scans, playlists, or videos behind a paywall but if you have money to spare and get a lot of use out of my services, your support on Patreon would be very helpful – even if it’s just $1 per month.”
You can find out more in his video below:

Daft Punk split back in 2021. Despite rumours of a return at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony and a suggestion that they have an unreleased fifth album “in limbo”, they continue to remain quiet. Following the Olympics ceremony, Thomas Mars of the band Phoenix (who performed at the event) spoke out on the reunion hopefuls.
“Daft Punk doesn’t exist anymore. That was never an option,” he said. “People expect them to come back to life, but they’re gone. There were a few bucket-list people that I really admired and wanted to join us, but I’m not sure I want to mention them, because it’s going to disappoint people.”
In 2023, their multi-Grammy-winning album Random Access Memories celebrated its 10th anniversary. Across a YouTube series known as the Memory Tapes, collaborators on the record told their stories about how they came to work on the album and its incredible impact on the music industry.
If you’d like to donate to Wub to support his archival work, head over to his Patreon.
The post Daft Punk superfan launches Patreon to fund his research and archival work on the iconic electronic duo appeared first on MusicTech.

Simple Plugins Simple Shaper is a FREE Volume Shaping Plugin
Last month, Simple Plugins launched Simple Shaper, a volume-shaping plugin for macOS (AU, VST3) and Windows (VST3). As you might have guessed from the name, Simple Shaper has a no-frills control layout, with just four parameters to work with on the main panel. These parameters are a choice of envelope curves, sync, Attack, and Mix. [...]
View post: Simple Plugins Simple Shaper is a FREE Volume Shaping Plugin

Charli XCX: “Everything sounds better with AutoTune”Let it be known that Charli XCX and her love for AutoTune hasn’t waned.
The electropop musician, who pulled double duty on last week’s SNL episode as first-time host and musical guest, declared during her monologue that “AutoTune makes everything sound better”.

READ MORE: Director of Pharrell Williams biopic calls musician’s Blurred Lines case “one of the worst judicial decisions about creativity in history”

“Today, I consider myself to be a triple threat, which in England means I sing, I drink and I smoke,” Charli began. “I want to take a moment to thank someone who’s been there for me my entire career: AutoTune.”

The episode also saw Charli taking the stage with her tracks 360 and Sympathy Is a Knife from her latest album, Brat, showcasing her signature AutoTuned sound.

“[Like in my] early work, I can—I could sing in tune, but now I think I’ve gotten so lazy because I sing with AutoTune all the time,” the singer said on the Tape Notes Podcast back in June.
“Like I never [go], ‘I’m not singing with AutoTune.’ Unless I’m doing karaoke, which I actively don’t do, for this reason. I’m pretty out [of pitch] because my ear is so used to leaning in.”
Charli, who’s earned seven Grammy nominations for the record Brat, also admitted her reliance on AutoTune for writing music, “cutting vocals” and “singing live” has made her “lazy” when it comes to hitting the right pitch.
“You really, really get lazy because you can relax into a note rather than being super on,” she said. “And I mean, there are some amazingly technical singers who do sing with AutoTune who are still pitch-perfect, but that’s not me. Like, I drink and I smoke and I use AutoTune, those three things.”
The post Charli XCX: “Everything sounds better with AutoTune” appeared first on MusicTech.

Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4 review: Serious DAW control gets ultra-portable£109 / €109 / $119, novationmusic.com
Why would anyone want a MIDI keyboard in 2024? The obvious answer is hands-on control of software instruments without a computer mouse and keyboard — but producers have had access to such basic controllers since the 90s. Now, many creators want a portable solution that they can effortlessly integrate into their DAW, modular, and live setups while offering creative and expressive functions. The new Launchkey Mini might just be the answer.

READ MORE: Novation on the future of MIDI control and why Launchkey MK4 is “a big step forward”

The first thing that strikes you when unboxing Novation’s Launchkey Mini 25 is just how small it actually is. At 330x172mm, it’s a tad bigger than an 11-inch iPad Pro, and only 5 cm in height. Granted, the encoders add to the height, but not by much. Despite its low weight of 800g, the controller feels sturdy.
If you’re using it on the move, you’ll want to invest in a carrying case. A variety of Novation and third-party cases are available separately, but it’s a shame that a simple zip case isn’t included.
Like all the other MK4 models, the Launchkey Mini is powered by USB, with an A-to-C cable in the box, even though many people will need to replace this with a C-to-C cable. It’s class-compliant, so requires no drivers for macOS, though it does on Windows. On the rear panel is a full-size sustain pedal input – impressive on a keyboard this small – and a 3.5 mm-jack MIDI output for connecting an optional adapter. Both AKAI’s MPK Mini Plus and Arturia’s MiniLab 3 controllers do have a full-size MIDI DIN port, if you’re averse to adding an adapter.
Image: Press
With the controller’s MIDI tools now baked into the firmware, it can operate in a standalone mode, free of a computer if required. So you can hook it up to your MIDI hardware, like drum machines and modular synths, and take advantage of the arpeggiator, scale and other performance tools.
That’s a nice bonus, but it’s the DAW integration that is the star of the show. This is especially the case with this diminutive model, offering comprehensive control without using up desk space. The setup procedure depends on your DAW, with Ableton Live users benefitting from the deepest level of communication – perhaps not a surprise given Novation’s long collaboration with Ableton. Here, the controller is recognised and set up automatically, letting you navigate around a Set in Live using its page controls.
For other DAWs, it’s slightly more involved. Cubase and Logic Pro both require the download of a script and then a little setup within the DAW. FL Studio doesn’t require a script but does require some setup inside the app. This stuff generally only needs doing once per DAW and some make it easier than others. For example, Cubase’s built-in MIDI Remote Manager is particularly intuitive, providing an editable, graphical version of the controller right inside its main window.
Cubase mapper. Image: MusicTech
The Mini 25 will switch itself into whichever DAW mode it detects from the computer but it can also be freely configured in software. A downloadable app for macOS and Windows called Components lets you upload and download preset templates for various hardware and software instruments and create, edit and manage your own. This functionality is also available via a MIDI-compatible browser like Chrome (though not Apple’s Safari). It’s ultra useful since it means you can always access your templates even if away from your own computer.
A lot of controls fit into the Mini 25’s compact frame, starting with the 25 synth-style mini keys. These are more playable than you might imagine and, while you wouldn’t necessarily want them to be much smaller, they offer a remarkably effective playing experience within the size constraints. They don’t have polyphonic aftertouch, though the 16 backlit pads do. The pads are again compact but both fun and musical to play, doubling up as visual feedback when required and in Live, function as clip triggers and more.
The eight encoders are continuous, so they don’t have physical start or end points, while both the pads and encoders have page buttons to access a second bank of functions. The Mini 25 has pitch bend and modulation touch strips as opposed to the wheels on the largest units, but these are just as effective and also programmable using the Components system. The monochrome display is small but adequate and provides feedback about the various tools and functions.
Components app. Image: MusicTech
Novation has built handy MIDI performance tools into the MK4s in addition to the physical controllers. There’s a generative arpeggiator with a step editor, a Scale mode with 30 scales to choose from and a Chord mode with fixed or user-generated chords that can be triggered. This makes up for the limited key range but also helps less experienced players. There are octave controls and DAW transport buttons too.
A glance at the nearest competition reveals a few interesting differences. AKAI’s MPK Mini Mk3 is cheaper, available for around £75 and has a sustain pedal input but no hardware MIDI port, and fewer pads and overall number of physical controls due to its even more compact size — though the form factor may appeal to some very mobile musicians. Arturia’s MiniLab 3, available for around £90, also has fewer pads but does feature four sliders and a full-size MIDI port and control pedal input. In terms of performance per pound, the higher number of pads that the Mini 25 fits into its diminutive frame will for some musicians give it the edge.
While Launchkey’s DAW integration with Live is especially tight, elsewhere it will take a little getting used to. Regardless of whether you stick with a template or modify one, muscle memory takes a bit of acclimatisation while controlling playback and the various software instruments from the hardware. This is pretty standard for controllers, however, and most people will only be doing it with their main DAW.
Image: Press
Novation throws in a generous software bundle – the same one with every model – including Live Lite and instruments and effects from Klevgrand, GForce and Orchestral Tools. There’s enough software there to get anyone started with making tracks.
The Mini 25 is the perfect companion for anyone performing or producing on the move. At the same time, it has many of the features of its larger siblings and is attractively priced. It’s also well-suited to use in a studio, particularly a smaller one, being so unobtrusive it can sit next to or above a computer keyboard without needing extra stands yet providing keys, pads, encoders and DAW control.
Of course, smaller keys mean certain playing styles are not achievable but there are larger models if that’s crucial to you.
As a clever, compact solution for playing and performing that won’t break the bank, the Launchkey Mini 25 MK4 is tough to beat.

Key features

USB power and data
25 mini synth-style keys
8 continuous encoders
16 touch-sensitive pads with polyphonic aftertouch
DAW control
Components app for customisation
Scale and Chord modes
Generative arpeggiator with step editor
Sustain pedal input
3.5mm MIDI output
Weight: 800g

The post Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4 review: Serious DAW control gets ultra-portable appeared first on MusicTech.

Wave Arts launch TrackPlug 7  Designed to complete a wide range of tasks, TrackPlug 7 incorporates a gate, compressor, 10-band equaliser, transient shaper, tube saturator and peak limiter.

World of Warcraft turns 20Blizzard Entertainment first released World of Warcraft in November 2004, so The New York Times celebrated the anniversary by outlining the many ways we can still see the massively multiplayer online roleplaying game’s influence’s 20 years later. For one thing, while multiplayer games and early social networks such as MySpace already existed, WoW provided a […]
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US’s UFO-Hunting Aerial Surveillance System Detailed In ReportFormerly known as Unidentified Flying Objects, Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) is a category of observations that are exactly what the UAP label suggests. This topic concerns the US military very much, as a big part of national security involves knowing everything that appears in the skies. This is the reason for the development of a new sensor suite by the Pentagon called GREMLIN. Recently, a new report has provided more details about what this system actually does.
Managed by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) within the DoD, GREMLIN blends many different sensors, ranging from radar to ADS-B and RF monitors, together to establish a baseline and capture any anomalies within the 90-day monitoring period to characterize them.
UAPs were a popular topic even before the 1950s when people began to see them everywhere. Usually taking the form of lights or fast-moving objects in the sky, most UAP reports can be readily classified as weather balloons, satellites like Starlink, airplanes, the Northern Lights, the ISS, or planets like Mars and Venus. There are also curious phenomena such as the Hessdalen lights, which appear to be a geological, piezoelectric phenomenon, though our understanding of such natural lighting phenomena remains limited.
But it is never aliens, that’s one thing we know for sure. Not that UFO’s don’t exist. Really.

Schooling ChatGPT on Antenna Theory MisconceptionsWe’re not very far into the AI revolution at this point, but we’re far enough to know not to trust AI implicitly. If you accept what ChatGPT or any of the other AI chatbots have to say at face value, you might just embarrass yourself. Or worse, you might make a mistake designing your next antenna.
We’ll explain. [Gregg Messenger (VE6WO)] asked a seemingly simple question about antenna theory: Does an impedance mismatch between the antenna and a coaxial feedline result in common-mode current on the coax shield? It’s an important practical matter, as any ham who has had the painful experience of “RF in the shack” can tell you. They also will likely tell you that common-mode current on the shield is caused by an unbalanced antenna system, not an impedance mismatch. But when [Gregg] asked Google Gemini and ChatGPT that question, the answer came back that impedance mismatch can cause current flow on the shield. So who’s right?
In the first video below, [Gregg] built a simulated ham shack using a 100-MHz signal generator and a length of coaxial feedline. Using a toroidal ferrite core with a couple of turns of magnet wire and a capacitor as a current probe for his oscilloscope, he was unable to find a trace of the signal on the shield even if the feedline was unterminated, which produces the impedance mismatch that the chatbots thought would spell doom. To bring the point home, [Gregg] created another test setup in the second video, this time using a pair of telescoping whip antennas to stand in for a dipole antenna. With the coax connected directly to the dipole, which creates an unbalanced system, he measured a current on the feedline, which got worse when he further unbalanced the system by removing one of the legs. Adding a balun between the feedline and the antenna, which shifts the phase on each leg of the antenna 180° apart, cured the problem.
We found these demonstrations quite useful. It’s always good to see someone taking a chatbot to task over myths and common misperceptions. We look into baluns now and again. Or even ununs.

Neural DSP launches Archetype: Cory Wong X  Wong’s collaboration with Neural DSP results in a versatile suite that caters to players seeking pristine funk tones and dynamic effects.

Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson fight shows Netflix still struggles with live eventsViewers have been talking about Friday evening’s boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul — but probably not for the reasons Netflix was hoping. Yes, the 27-year-old Paul (a YouTuber turned professional boxer) defeated the 58-year-old Tyson (a former heavyweight champion who came out of retirement for this match) in eight rounds, but the […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Ripple Labs and CEO come under fire amid rumors of a Trump meetingRipple's native currency, XRP, surged by more than 17% on November 15, based on expectations of a friendlier regulatory climate in the US.

World’s First Virtual Meeting: 5,100 Engineers Phoned InWould you believe that the first large-scale virtual meeting happened as early as 1916? More than a century before Zoom meetings became just another weekday burden, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE) pulled off an unprecedented feat: connecting 5,100 engineers across eight cities through an elaborate telephone network. Intrigued? The IEEE, the successor of the AIEE, just published an article about it.
This epic event stretched telephone lines over 6,500 km, using 150,000 poles and 5,000 switches, linking major hubs like Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. John J. Carty banged the gavel at 8:30 p.m., kicking off a meeting in which engineers listened in through seat-mounted receivers—no buffering or “Can you hear me?” moments. Even President Woodrow Wilson joined, sending a congratulatory telegram. The meeting featured “breakout sessions” with local guest speakers, and attendees in muted cities like Denver sent telegrams, old-school Zoom chat style.
The event included musical interludes with phonograph recordings of patriotic tunes—imagine today’s hold music, but gloriously vintage. Despite its success, this wonder of early engineering vanished from regular practice until our modern virtual meetings.
We wonder if Isaac Asimov knew about this when he wrote about 3D teleconferencing in 1953. If you find yourself in many virtual meetings, consider a one-way mirror.

Get IK Multimedia Mixbox SE multi-effect suite for FREE
Our friends over at Audio Plugin Deals are currently offering the Mixbox SE effects suite from IK Multimedia, for absolutely free for the next few days. They have actually done this giveaway before, I’ve personally got Mixbox SE through them for free. But if you’ve missed it before, now is a great time to grab [...]
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