The DOJ wants a Perplexity executive to testify in its Google antitrust caseThe US government is calling on a Perplexity executive to help make its case that Google is a monopolist.
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Bitcoin ETFs flip gold funds in AUM: K33 ResearchOn Dec. 16, US spot and derivative Bitcoin ETFs collectively broke $129 billion in net assets, surpassing gold ETFs for the first time.

IK Multimedia offers 3 FREE Vintage AmpliTube 5 CS Effects
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, and you know what that means: Three more free AmpliTube 5 CS gear giveaways to close out the year! For December, IK Multimedia is giving away the Leslie 122A amp and matching cab, Chorus-1 stomp (based on the Boss CE-1), and Phazer 10 stomp (based on the [...]
View post: IK Multimedia offers 3 FREE Vintage AmpliTube 5 CS Effects

YouTube partners with Creative Artists Agency on AI deepfake recognition tools“CAA’s clients’ direct experience with digital replicas... will be critical in shaping a tool that responsibly empowers and protects creators"
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A Compass That Looks to the StarsAlthough a lot of tools have been digitized and consolidated into our smartphones, from cameras, music players, calendars, alarm clocks, flashlights, and of course phones, perhaps none are as useful as the GPS and navigational capabilities. The major weakness here, though, is that this is a single point of failure. If there’s no cell service, if the battery dies, or you find yourself flying a bomber during World War II then you’re going to need another way to navigate, possibly using something like this Astro Compass.
The compass, as its name implies, also doesn’t rely on using the Earth’s magnetic field since that would have been difficult or impossible inside of an airplane. Instead, it can use various celestial bodies to get a heading. But it’s not quite as simple as pointing it at a star and heading off into the wild blue yonder. First you’ll need to know the current time and date and look those up in a companion chart. The chart lists the global hour angle and the declination for a number of celestial bodies which can be put into the compass. From there the latitude is set and the local hour angle is calculated and set, and then the compass is rotated until the object is sighted. After all of that effort, a compass heading will be shown.
For all its complexity, a tool like this can be indispensable in situations where modern technology fails. While it does rely on precise tabulated astrometric data to be on hand, as long as that’s available it’s almost failsafe, especially compared to a modern smartphone. Of course, you’ll also need a fairly accurate way of timekeeping which can be difficult in some situations.

4 observations on… Downtown’s agreed $775 million sale to Universal Music Group/Virgin Music GroupIt's one of the year's biggest deals – and it's come right at the final whistle of the year. We dig deeper into the details.
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Why NASA Only Needs Pi To So Many Decimal PlacesIf you’re new to the world of circular math, you might be content with referring to pi as 3.14. If you’re getting a little more busy with geometry, science, or engineering, you might have tacked on a few extra decimal places in your usual calculations. But what about the big dogs? How many decimal places do NASA use?
NASA doesn’t need this many digits. It’s likely you don’t either. Image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Thankfully, the US space agency has been kind enough to answer that question. For the highest precision calculations, which are used for interplanetary navigation, NASA uses 3.141592653589793 — that’s fifteen decimal places.
The reason why is quite simple, going into any greater precision is unnecessary. The article demonstrates this by calculating the circumference of a circle with a radius equal to the distance between Earth and our most distant spacecraft, Voyager 1. Using the formula C=2pir with fifteen decimal places of pi, you’d only be off on the true circumference of the circle by a centimeter or so. On solar scales, there’s no need to go further.
Ultimately, though, you can calculate pi to a much greater precision. We’ve seen it done to 10 trillion digits, an effort which flirts with the latest Marvel movies for the title of pure irrelevance. If you’ve done it better or faster, don’t hesitate to let us know!

Discover an exclusive documentary on Tape J-37Arturia just unveiled Tape J-37: a detailed recreation of the iconic Studer J37 tape recorder. Perfect for subtle tape coloration or rich harmonic distortion, Tape J-37 brings tube-driven depth and character to any mix with unmatched accuracy.Discover the story behind this legendary machine, featuring artists Howie B, Craig Bauer, Steve Baughman, Poussin Kechit, and Clément Bastiat.Explore the world of legendary sound with Howie B, Craig Bauer, Steve Baughman, Poussin Kechit, and Clément Bastiat in our feature documentary.They share personal insights into the rich history and iconic sound of the Studer J37, revealing how the Tape J-37 faithfully brings this legendary tape recorder to life with stunning detail and cutting-edge neural-based modeling.

The post Discover an exclusive documentary on Tape J-37 first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

UK government considering allowing tech companies to train AI on copyrighted contentThe UK government is considering whether tech companies should be allowed to train AI on copyrighted content. Campaigners keen to protect creatives’ and artists’ rights have expressed their opposition.
TechUK welcomed the discussion, proposing that tech firms should be exempt from copyright laws when training AI. If accepted, the proposal will allow Google, OpenAI and more to bypass current copyright laws. However, creatives will supposedly be allowed to “reserve their rights” and “opt-out” of AI training.

READ MORE: “Human-created works must be respected”: 50 major music tech brands sign Principles for Music Creation with AI

MP Chris Bryant insists it will be a “win win” for both creatives and tech firms. “This is about giving greater control in a difficult and complex set of circumstances to creators and rights holders,” Bryant tells The Guardian. “We intend it to lead to more licensing of content, which is potentially a new revenue stream for creators.”
Despite Bryant’s positive outlook, the nature of AI training is already murky. Back in January, OpenAI told The Telegraph that it ‘complies’ with copyright laws – but it noted that “legally, copyright law does not forbid training.”
Furthermore, when the BBC blocked ChatGPT from using its content for training, OpenAI said that it would be “impossible to train today’s leading AI models without using copyrighted materials.”
“Limiting training data to public domain books and drawings created more than a century ago might yield an interesting experiment,” the company explained in The Telegraph. “But it would not provide AI systems that meet the needs of today’s citizens.”
Creatives’ rights campaigner Beeban Kidron says she is “very disappointed” with the proposal. “The government is consulting on giving away the creativity and livelihoods of the UK creative sector,” she adds.
The news comes as British composer Ed Newton-Rex’s anti-AI statement has garnered over 37,000 signatures. Backed by Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, Kate Bush, The Smith’s Robert Smith and more, the Statement On AI Training asserts that “the unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted.”
Paul McCartney also spoke out against AI just last week. The Beatles legend labelled the “mass copyright theft” of companies as a “very sad thing indeed.”
“We[’ve] got to be careful about it because it could just take over,” he reflects [as reported by The Guardian]. “We don’t want that to happen, particularly for the young composers and writers… If AI wipes that out, that would be a very sad thing indeed.”
The post UK government considering allowing tech companies to train AI on copyrighted content appeared first on MusicTech.

Behringer’s channels the classic LinnDrum drum machine with the new LM drumBehringer‘s got a new drum machine on the market, the LM Drum – and it channels the classic LinnDrum drum machine.

READ MORE: “No other company delivers as many innovative and affordable products as we do”: Behringer hits back at “vapourware” critics following NAMM 2025 announcement

While it is designed with a nostalgic feel in mind, it’s not strictly a replica of the instruments of four decades ago. Instead, it’s designed to deliver vintage sounds with modern sensibilities.
The LM Drum features an authentic 8/12-bit sampling sound engine that is preset with 100 80s drum sounds. Users can even record and store their own samples using the integrated line input.

It also boasts analog circuitry, including original 3320 VCF and 2164 VCA, 16-voice architecture and independent level and pan controls for each voice.
Furthermore, LM DRUM features a 64-step drum sequencer that supports poly-meter, step-repeat, note-repeat, real-time triggering, track-mute and track-solo. You can create intricate patterns and grooves with the 16 velocity-sensitive drum pads and there’s also an encoder to edit parameters such as Tempo, Swing, Probability, Flam and Random. You can also record, edit and playback the analog filter cutoff via automation for a greater sense of movement and expression.
It’s also designed to work well in a studio. It has 16 independent analog outputs for external processing or recording rhythms as multi-track audio. Meanwhile, there’s an integrated FX bus that features Wave Designer and dual-mode Analog Filter with per voice assignment, allowing for more sonic options and creative control.
Up to 8 songs and 128 patterns can be stored on LM DRUM and can be imported/exported during playback. The Pattern Mode and Song Mode can be used to arrange your patterns into full songs and link your songs together for live sets and expanded compositions. Elsewhere, the unique Auto Scroll feature enables improvisation in all modes, so drums can be tweaked at will.
The LinnDrum – on which the LM Drum is based – was produced between 1982 and 1985, and featured 12-voice polyphony, storage for 56 user patterns, 42 preset drum patterns and more.
The LM Drum isn’t the only ’80s-esque piece of kit Behringer has launched lately. Last week, it unveiled a Wave Synthesizer, a clone of the iconic PPG Wave hybrid synthesizer from the 1980s. It had been in development for four years.
The post Behringer’s channels the classic LinnDrum drum machine with the new LM drum appeared first on MusicTech.

Win the chance to collaborate with legendary house music vocalist Robert OwensAI vocal platform Voice-Swap has partnered with Beatport’s LabelRadar to host a competition, in which the winner will get to collaborate with legendary house music vocalist Robert Owens, and receive an official release on his label, Musical Directions.
Entrants are invited to create an original track using Owens’ AI voice model included in Voice-Swap, and submit their creations to LabelRadar.

READ MORE: DJ Fresh doesn’t want AI to fall in the wrong hands — so he started Voice-Swap

Owens himself will then pick a winner, and then re-sing his AI-generated vocals in the studio for real and release the track as a collaboration through Musical Directions.

To access Robert Owens’ Voice-Swap voice model, producers must register an account at Voice-Swap, download the free Voice-Swap VST plugin, and then fill out this Google Form to be gifted 75 free Voice-Swap credits. After that, once you’ve got Owens’ voice model loaded up, you can get creating.
Entries must be submitted to LabelRadar’s contest page by Monday, 20 January, 2025. 
As well as an actual collaboration with Robert Owens, the winner will receive a year’s subscription to Voice-Swap’s Ultimate tier, 75 LabelRadar credits, a Loopcloud Studio annual membership, and Lifeline Expanse Lite and Console Lite plugins via Plugin Boutique.
In addition, two runners up will receive a year’s subscription to Voice-Swap’s Pro tier, 50 LabelRadar credits, and one Loopcloud Artist annual membership. 
Robert Owens is a highly decorated dance music singer, and has worked with the likes of Frankie Knuckles, Larry Heard and David Guetta, to name a few. He is one of many singers who have a vocal model on Voice-Swap, with others including Farley Jackmaster Funk, Liam Bailey and Dominique Young.
For more information on how to enter, head to Voice-Swap.
The post Win the chance to collaborate with legendary house music vocalist Robert Owens appeared first on MusicTech.

SoundCloud Artist subscriptions get much more affordableMoney is almost always tight for most musicians, and SoundCloud has launched an affordable yet robust Artist subscription tier that acknowledges that.
The post SoundCloud Artist subscriptions get much more affordable appeared first on Hypebot.

The Elektron Digitakt was the best-selling piece of electronic gear on Reverb in 2024Reverb has published its annual round-up of best-selling gear – and a certain Swedish synth brand has been dethroned.
After five strong years at the top of Reverb’s Best-Selling Electronic Gear list, Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 is no longer Reverb’s best-selling piece of electronic gear. And the renowned synth and workstation has taken quite a tumble down in favour this year, dropping from #1 four places to a still-respectable fifth place.

READ MORE: This beatmaker is going viral for proving that music production has no age restrictions

Rather than another synth taking the OP-1’s place, Elektron’s drum machine and sampler, the Elektron Digitakt, stole the crown.
The Elektron Digitakt’s success could be due to the release of the Elektron Digitakt II earlier this year – a marvellous upgrade on the original that MusicTech awarded 9/10. The Digitone II synthesiser also hit the market, so Elektron has arguably been one of the hottest brands of 2024.

The Ableton Push 2 Controller secured the #2 spot, with Roland’s SP-404MkII creative sampler and effector coming in at #3.
Reverb has also shared its annual list of best-selling brands. Roland secured the top spot, with Korg being awarded silver for its #2 spot. Yamaha scores a respectable bronze at #3.
The company also revealed the best selling eurorack modules, with Make Noise Maths module selling the most units this year. ALM/Busy Circuits’ ALM017 Pamela’s New Workout master clock and modulator was the second best selling module, and Make Noise placed yet again at #3 with its 0-Coast.
Here’s the full top 10 list of the overall best-selling synths & electronic gear to have been sold on Reverb in 2023:

Teenage Engineering OP-1
Elektron Digitakt
Ableton Push 2
Roland SP-404 MKII
Korg Drumlogue
Teenage Engineering OP-1
Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O. II
Arturia MicroFreak
Arturia Keystep
Elektron Digitone

To see a full breakdown of the most purchased used and new products on Reverb in 2024, head to Reverb.
The post The Elektron Digitakt was the best-selling piece of electronic gear on Reverb in 2024 appeared first on MusicTech.

Stop the TICKET Act before it’s too late: FixTheTix Call To Action!There is new movement in Congress to pass devastating ticket legislation as part of a year-end Continuing Resolution (CR) and the FixTheTix coalition has issued an urgent call to action to stop the Ticket Act before its too late.
The post Stop the TICKET Act before it’s too late: FixTheTix Call To Action! appeared first on Hypebot.

Win $1,000, a high-profile cypher placement, and a trip to Paris via our beat battle with SNIPES Soundbooth
We're partnering with SNIPES to find the soundtrack for the next 'Exchange' cypher.