Best MIDI controllers to buy in 2024: 13 best Ableton Live controllers to buyIf you use Ableton Live but are looking for a more inspiring, tactile music-making process, an Ableton Live controller is the hands-on solution to your problems. A controller that’s compatible with Ableton Live will personify the DAW’s fundamental aspects, such as faders and knobs, so that you can have better control over your project, plug-ins, and parameters. Step away from the trackpad, give your weary index finger muscles a rest and take your project by the horns with an Ableton Live-optimised controller.

READ MORE: The best controllers to buy in 2022: 15 best MIDI keyboard controllers under $300

From MIDI keyboards to MPCs and touchpads, these 13 Ableton Live controllers will ensure you’re using every aspect of Ableton’s DAW to the best of its ability.
At a glance:

Ableton Push
Novation SL MkIII
Yaeltex TURN
Zerodebug TouchAble Pro
Novation Launchpad Pro Mk3
Novation Launchkey Mini Mk3
PreSonus Atom SQ
Akai Pro APC64
Arturia Keystep Pro
Ableton Move
Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4
OSC/Pilot

Ableton Push
Ableton Push. Image: Ableton
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Push is the de facto controller for Live. Many pick up the Live/Push combo on day one of their musical mission. Push is available bundled with any of the three versions of Live – Lite, Standard and Pro. The truth is, Push does such a thorough job out of the box, you need a clear reason not to use it. There’s zero setup time and you’re instantly armed to play instruments, launch clips, and use the knobs to tweak instrument and effect parameters.
The new Push , which many are calling Push 3 but is indeed simply called Push, is being heralded by Ableton as their new “timeless” controller. It can be easily upgraded, modded and updated as Ableton Live updates. It features new standalone capability, meaning you can send Live Sets from Ableton to the device, unplug, take it anywhere and send your projects back again. With 250GB storage, it becomes a portable studio, equivalent to carrying a loaded laptop. Max For Live devices can be loaded, and Ableton Packs can be downloaded directly to Push via wi-fi. Additionally, Push features 64 expressive MPE pads with velocity and polyphonic aftertouch for expressive playing, and a built-in audio interface for recording external instruments. It also supports CV and gate signals for modular instruments. From our own experience handling the Push, the controller is well-designed, sturdy, and enjoyable to use, with a detailed display and a large jog wheel for easy navigation.
Features:

64 MPE pads with velocity and polyphonic aftertouch
8 touch-sensitive rotary knobs
Live Set Transfer
250GB Storage
Built-in Audio Interface
CV and Gate Support
Multi-colour display
Price:

Push: £879/$999
Standalone: £1,699/$1,999

Find out more about the Ableton Push at ableton.com
Novation SL MkIII

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This might be the best Live keyboard controller around at the moment, with an onboard eight-track sequencer, semi-weighted keys, aftertouch, and additional visual feedback from on-key RGB LEDs. Throw in faders, pads, CV and an arpeggiator, and it has you covered for most of your Ableton Live needs. However, it’ll also function as a very capable hub for your hardware rig, which is a real bonus. It’s available in 49 and 61 varieties.
We said: “If you are frustrated by how little your stuff gets on, how little your software seems to gel with a large hardware rig, then this could be the one ring to rule it all. And don’t forget the sequencer angle too. SL MkIII is a game-changer for sequencing your hardware and software away from or, indeed with your computer.”
Features:

49- or 61-note velocity-sensitive, synth-style, semi-weighted keyboard
16 full-colour RGB backlit velocity-sensitive drum pads
2 page and 2 scene launch buttons
8 continuous rotary knobs
8 sliders
Price: £499/$599

Read the full review of the Novation SL MkIII here.
Check out deals for the Novation SL MkIII at Thomann.
Yaeltex TURN
Yaeltex TURN. Image: Yaeltex
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Yaeltex crafts the most beautiful looking custom MIDI controllers, and the Turn is no exception to their impressive catalogue. The brand says it was made to be a “perfect companion” for the Ableton Push 2, but this beauty is more than capable as a standalone product to be used in conjunction with your Ableton Live DAW. With a background boasting a high resolution image of – you guessed it – the surface of Mars, it has encoders, buttons, faders, potentiometers – the lot.
The Miniblock 2 is a smaller, slightly more affordable version. Or, if you’re looking for something even more high end and unique, head to the Yaeltex Factory site to design your own custom controller online, from the knob layout to the colour way.
Features:

32 RGB encoders
24 Small RGB buttons
16 Long RGB buttons
8 faders
32 potentiometers
Price: £1,000/$1,318

Find out more about the Yaeltex TURN at yaeltex.com.
Zerodebug TouchAble Pro

 
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Available on Android and iOS, TouchAble is an easy-to-use control app designed specifically for Live. You can make mixer adjustments, manipulate effects and parameters, launch clips and scenes, write MIDI notes into the piano roll and much more. TouchAble does a stellar job at putting the full functionality of Live right at your fingertips.
We said: “TouchAble Pro is easy to configure, fast to use, and engages with the software like nothing else. Also, it doesn’t exclude the use of hardware controllers alongside it, such as Push or APC40, or whatever else you have. The Device control is outstanding, and the ability to view two modules together is the icing on the cake. It’s not truly tactile, and using a glass surface for a controller isn’t for everybody, but other than that, I have no quibbles about this at all. This app is the reason I have an iPad Pro.”
Features:

Available on Android & iOS
Split-screen
Extensive MIDI mapping
Waveform view
Automation drawing
Full control of Live’s devices
Price: £28

Read the full review of the Zerodebug TouchAble Pro here.
Download the Zerodebug TouchAble Pro at zerodebug.com.
Novation Launchpad Pro Mk3

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The latest incarnation of Novation’s Launchpad range, which debuted in 2009, the Pro Mk3 works brilliantly with clips and instruments in Live, but also as a standalone controller for other MIDI gear. However, it’s primarily a Live controller at heart – and a sturdy, mobile one at that. Its four-track sequencer happily lets you record and tap in MIDI notes into Live, with note-length adjustments for individual steps in a sequence of up to 32.
We said: “If you’re on a budget, this is a good option, especially as it includes a copy of Ableton Live 10 Intro. The real kicker comes in the form of its increased connectivity and sequencer. If you want to send MIDI notes and control messages to synths or drum machines, or VJ software, and you like the idea of a feature-loaded step sequencer, this is ideal for you.”
Features:

64 Touch- and pressure-sensitive RGB pads
4-Track sequencer with 32 steps
Chord mode
Dynamic note and scale modes
8 user-defined modes with Components Editor
Price: £290/$349

Read the full review of the Novation Launchpad Pro MK3 here.
Check out deals for the Novation Launchpad Pro MK3 at Thomann.
Novation Launchkey Mini MK3

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This compact, affordable, nifty controller from Novation can instantly make your track-tinkering more enjoyable. The Launchkey Mini takes up minimal real estate on your desk, being only 13 inches wide, and is built with 16 RGB, velocity-sensitive pads to take control of your session, drum racks, mixer and more.
It also includes a set of knobs, touch-sensitive mod wheels and some transport controls for tweaking your instruments and effects. The Arp and Fixed Chord modes are great fun, too, providing plenty of options to turn boring parts into intriguing textures.
We said: “Use Live a lot but limited in space? Use Live out and about? If the answer is ‘yes’ to either of these then ‘need’ could well be a word you could use because Launchkey Mini certainly delivers a great control experience for either scenario. We found that after a short time with the (online) manual, we were scooting around Live with aplomb, accessing functions and parameters without having to access our damn computer mouse.”
Features:

16 Velocity-sensitive RGB pads
8 rotary controllers
Touch-sensitive strips for pitch and modulation
Arpeggiator
Fixed Chord Mode – One Finger Chord Automatic
Buttons for recording, playback, stop / solo / mute and octave switching
Price: £99/$109.99

Read the full review of the Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 here.
Check out deals for the Novation Launchkey Mini MK3 at Thomann.
PreSonus Atom SQ
PreSonus Atom SQ. Image: PreSonus
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Atom SQ offers deep integration with both Studio One and Ableton Live, which is ideal for those wielding a double-DAW setup. It offers a pleasing amount of MIDI features like an arpeggiator, scale mode, and different layouts for the 32 pads. You can set the velocity-sensitive pads to represent a keyboard spanning three octaves; a trigger for sampling devices like Drum Rack; as transport controls for Live and much more. When playing an instrument with the pads, you can also deploy aftertouch for further expressivity.
The controller lets you navigate your Live projects with ease using arrow controls, endless rotary encoders and a context-sensitive display for keeping track of your instruments and channels.
We said: “The Atom SQ’s integration with Studio One and Ableton Live is so tight that it makes us wish every company could model itself after PreSonus in this regard. While there are cheaper alternatives out there, you’d have difficulty finding any that match the deep functionality of the Atom.”
Features:

32 velocity-sensitive pads
Arrow controls
Context-sensitive screen displays
Hybrid MIDI keyboard/pad performance
8 rotary encoders
Price: £250/$249.95

Read the full review of the Presonus Atom SQ here.
Check out deals for the Presonus Atom SQ at Thomann.
Akai Pro APC64
Akai Pro APC64. Image: Press
Akai touts its APC64 as a ‘next-generation Ableton Live controller’, and it’s hard to disagree. With its vibrant 8×8 pad grid, the unit doesn’t look dissimilar to the Push — but it has a few tricks of its own up its sleeve.
The APC64 touts an impressive eight touch strips, all fully assignable to give you hands-on control of devices and parameters within Live. Using these, it’s easier than ever to add expression and depth to your music, whether you’re controlling effects in Live, adjusting macros, or writing automation.
Each button has been meticulously mapped so you can focus on creating music, with a handy encoder for navigating sessions without your mouse. And if you fancy going beyond the DAW, you can even use the APC64 as a standalone 32-step sequencer thanks to 3 MIDI ports and 8 CV/Gate outputs.
Features:

64 velocity-sensitive RGB pads with polyphonic aftertouch
8 assignable touch strips
Dedicated transport controls
Seamless Ableton Live integration
Smart screen and encoder for real-time feedback
3 x ⅛” MIDI ports for integrating external hardware
8 x CV/Gate outputs and standalone 32-step sequencer
Price: £250

Find out more about the Akai Pro APC64 at akaipro.com.
Arturia Keystep Pro

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Definitely one of the most attractive controllers in this guide with its white finish, colourfully labelled track sections and bright pastel backlit buttons, the Arturia Keystep Pro, released back in April 2020, injects inspiration into your Ableton Live setup. A compact and sturdy controller, the Keystep Pro offers a ton of creative sequencing tools and is perfect for fans of modular and hardware synths.
We said: “As a hub, it should integrate splendidly with your DAW, computer-based plug-ins, other CV-based equipment, and even good old MIDI modules. Arturia has all the bases covered. The standout feature for us, though, is simply the speed at which the KeyStep Pro allows you to get hooked up and get going.”

Features:

37 mini keys with touch response & aftertouch
4-track step sequencer, 16 step buttons
24-part polyrhythm drum sequencer
Melody sequencer with real-time recording, step recording and step editing (pitch, velocity, gate length and time shift)
Performance friendly sequencer
Price: £350/$460

Read the full review of the Arturia Keystep Pro here.
Check out deals for the Arturia Keystep Pro at Thomann.
Ableton Move
Ableton Move. Image: Ableton
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Designed to capture musical inspiration wherever it strikes, Ableton’s new Move device is primarily a groovebox but with seamless DAW integration.
Equipped with a 4-track system, Move lets you assign each track as one of three existing Live instruments (Drift, Wavetable, and Drum Sampler) and the Move-exclusive Melodic Sampler. Rhythms and melodies can be quickly programmed using the step sequencer, and over 1,500 onboard samples provide a diverse palette of sounds.
Designed for portability, Move features a built-in speaker and microphone, while the battery provides up to four hours of use on a single charge. And once you’re ready to expand your ideas, Wi-Fi connectivity enables easy transfer of sets to Ableton Live, providing a smooth transition from initial inspiration to finished production. Check out our review for the full lowdown.
Features:

4-track system with flexible track assignments
Built-in step sequencer
Over 1,500 samples and presets
Integrated speaker and microphone
Up to four hours of battery life
Wi-Fi connectivity for transferring sets to Ableton Live
Price: £399 / $449

Read our Cover story of the Ableton Move here.

Find out more about the Ableton Move at ableton.com.
Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4
Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4. Image: Press
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This compact, affordable, nifty controller from Novation can instantly make your track-tinkering more enjoyable. The Launchkey Mini takes up minimal real estate on your desk — the 25-key model is just 13 inches wide while the 37-key is around 19 inches.
Both are built with 16 velocity-sensitive RGB pads (now with polyphonic aftertouch as of the MK4) to take control of your session, drum racks, mixer, and more. Also included are eight continuous encoders, touch strips for pitch bend and modulation, and handy transport controls to keep you in the zone. The Arp and Chord modes are great fun, too, providing plenty of options to turn boring parts into intriguing textures.
In our review, we said: “The Launchkey Mini 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.”
Features:

16 velocity-sensitive RGB pads with polyphonic aftertouch
8 continuous encoders controllers
Touch-sensitive strips for pitch and modulation
Arpeggiator
Chord Mode – Chord Map / Fixed Chord / User Chord
Buttons for recording, playback, stop / solo / mute and octave switching
Price: £99 / $109.99

Read the full review of the Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4 here.
Find out more about the Novation Launchkey Mini 25 MK4 at novationmusic.com
OSC/Pilot

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Developed by Deadmau5, OSC/Pilot is a customisable control surface application that lets you create personalised interfaces for audio and visual software, including DAWs like Ableton Live.
With its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, you can combine various widgets, such as faders, dials, X/Y pads, and buttons, to design control surfaces tailored precisely to individual workflows. Your imagination is the limit here — so if you’ve ever wanted an entirely bespoke solution, this could be the way forward.
Optimised for touchscreen devices, OSC/Pilot works with touch-enabled Windows computers or via the companion app for iPadOS. And with multi-touch support, performers can interact with several controls simultaneously. Check out our full OSC/Pilot review for more details.
Features:

Drag-and-drop interface for controller creation
Multi-touch support
Customisable widgets including faders, dials, X/Y pads, and buttons
Compatibility with OSC and MIDI protocols
Runs on Windows, macOS, and iPad devices
Price: £41

Read the full review of the OSC/Pilot here.
The post Best MIDI controllers to buy in 2024: 13 best Ableton Live controllers to buy appeared first on MusicTech.

“Get the f**k out of my business right now”: The Musician’s Club CEO under fire after laying off 99 freelancers for not attending a meetingThe CEO of a musical instruments retailer has responded to online backlash after a viral Reddit post revealed his sudden dismissal of 99 contracted freelancers and employees. The post has since been deleted by Reddit moderators.
According to a screenshot of a Slack message posted by the Reddit user and intern, the CEO of The Musician’s Club (and its subsidiary, The Brass Club) was dissatisfied with the poor turnout of a meeting reportedly scheduled for the company’s 110 employees. “11 employees” showed up to the meeting, reads the message. The CEO, Baldvin Oddsson, appears to have then fired the 99 employees who didn’t show, telling them to “Get the fuck out of [his] business right now.”
READ MORE: “It’s a dangerous job to be a young artist”: Skrillex shares sentiments on the music industry and plans for new music in 2025
MusicTech has heard audio clips of one of the company’s subsequent internal meetings and seen further screenshots from Slack conversations. The provided material appears to represent a number of employees expressing frustration and confusion at the mass firing, with one employee — reportedly in a managerial role — claiming: “The main issue [with the company] is our CEO…That’s not gonna change.” A message from Oddsson at 8:24 AM also reads: “Anyone who is not [in the meeting] will be fired at 1 PM today”.
In an official statement to MusicTech, Oddsson says that he’s received “an overwhelming amount of attention – both positive and negative. While some attempted to ‘cancel’ me, it has completely backfired. Our traffic has surged to over 20,000 views, sales are at an all-time high, and we’re receiving hundreds of applications daily.”
The Musician’s Club CEO Baldvin Oddsson fires 99 employees over Slack. Images supplied anonymously to MusicTech
The Reddit user and intern, who asked to remain anonymous, has told MusicTech that they joined The Brass Club on 15 November, fulfilling an unpaid cybersecurity role.
The intern posted on the r/MildlyInfuriating Subreddit on 15 November, “an hour” after joining the company, stating that Oddsson had fired a majority of the 110 employees. The post says, “I joined an internship and an hour later the entire team got fired.” In another comment, they add: “The company is just a startup…[It] relies on remote interns.”
The CEO’s full Slack message, originally shared on Reddit as a screenshot by the purported intern, reads:
“Dear Team…This is Baldvin, the CEO.
“For those of you who did not show up to the meeting this morning, consider this your official notice: you’re all fired. You failed to do what you agreed to, you failed to complete your part of the contract, and you failed to show up to the meetings you were supposed to attend and work for.
“I will cancel all agreements between us. Please return anything you have, sign out of all accounts, and remove yourself from this Slack immediately.
“I gave you an opportunity to make your life better, to work hard, and to grow. Yet you have shown me that you don’t take this seriously. Out of 110 people, only 11 were present this morning. Those 11 get to stay. The rest of you are terminated.
“Get the fuck out of my business right now.”
An anonymous source at The Brass Club tells MusicTech that ​​“there was virtually no notice of a meeting…At around 8:23 AM CST, [Oddsson] threatened anyone who did not show up to be fired,” adding that it “sent the group leaders and long-time workers into a frenzy.”
On the Reddit post, the intern comments that after “attending a meeting and hearing about the terrible work conditions caused by the CEO, I deactivated my account and left. There’s no way I’m going to put work into this potential headache of a company.”
The Musicians Club, based in Wyoming, is an online marketplace specialising in musical instruments and accessories. According to Oddsson’s LinkedIn profile, he founded the company in 2022.
The full official statement Oddsson provided to MusicTech reads:
“Over the past weekend, I’ve received an overwhelming amount of attention — both positive and negative. While some attempted to ‘cancel’ me, it has completely backfired. Our traffic has surged to over 20,000 views, sales are at an all-time high, and we’re receiving hundreds of applications daily.
“I’ve had more than 300 messages, including inquiries from CEOs, industry leaders, and major newspapers requesting interviews. I will do my best to respond over the next few days. I stand by my decisions and the values we uphold. Firing those individuals was the right move for our organization, and we are stronger than ever.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out and supported us through this. The momentum is undeniable, and we are excited to keep moving forward.”
Read more music industry news. 
The post “Get the f**k out of my business right now”: The Musician’s Club CEO under fire after laying off 99 freelancers for not attending a meeting appeared first on MusicTech.

ServiceTitan names LLMs from Microsoft, OpenAI as risk factorsWith ServiceTitan's public IPO documents, we may be witnessing the birth of a new boilerplate warning: LLMs.
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MicroStrategy to raise $1.75B with 0% interest notes to buy BitcoinMicroStrategy’s 0% senior convertible note means it will not need to pay regular interest to bondholders. 

MusiCares & Moms in Music Partner to Host Free Women’s Wellness ClinicMusiCares, the leading charity supporting the health and wellbeing of the music community, is partnering with Moms in Music to host a free Women’s Wellness Clinic on Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at MusiCares HQ, 3030 Olympic Blvd in Santa Monica, CA. The clinic will offer essential health and wellness services to women working in the music industry, including mental health resources and support in navigating the unique demands of balancing career and family life. The event will feature a range of wellness services, including: Mental health screenings 

Physical therapy screenings 

Holistic chiropractic services 

Custom ear molds for hearing protection 

Massage therapy 

Yoga 

Information about MusiCares and Moms in Music services 

A chance to connect with other women in music Throughout the event, information about MusiCares services specifically for women, covering areas such as mammogram support, cervical cancer screenings, childcare, and more will be available. MusiCares is proud to partner with women-owned businesses and providers to offer these services. The upcoming Women’s Wellness Clinic represents a significant step in making wellness accessible for women at all stages of their careers in the music industry, where they often face distinctive challenges. This clinic is a natural extension of MusiCares' mission to create a supportive environment for women to prioritize their health. In collaboration with Brittney Brock, founder of Moms in Music and a prominent advocate for working mothers in the industry, MusiCares aims to address gaps in women’s access to preventive care, mental health support, and other vital wellness resources, making this event both meaningful and impactful. Together, MusiCares and Moms in Music are creating a nurturing, accessible environment for women in music. Both Theresa Wolters of MusiCares and Brittney Brock of Moms in Music are available for interviews to discuss the event and the importance of fostering support systems that allow women to thrive in the music industry. Event Details What: MusiCares Women’s Wellness Clinic, in partnership with Moms in Music When: Thursday, November 21, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. PST Where: 3030 Olympic Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404  The post MusiCares & Moms in Music Partner to Host Free Women’s Wellness Clinic first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

“It’s a dangerous job to be a young artist”: Skrillex shares sentiments on the music industry and plans for new music in 2025Dance music titan Skrillex, real name Sonny Moore, has spoken about the struggles new artists face in the music industry, meeting Quincy Jones, and his upcoming release on Atlantic Records.
“The industry is like politics…It’s designed to be almost impossible [to] understand. I’ve seen so man[y] artist[s] get caught up in the illusion and delusion of the business. It’s a dangerous job to be a young artist,” the nine-time Grammy-winning artist says on X, formerly Twitter.
READ MORE: Take a look at the Orchid, the first product from Tame Impala’s Telepathic Instruments
“I’m blessed and lucky to have lived through what I’ve lived through and will continue to do my best as an artist and just make things that provoke beauty and emotion.”
Moore goes on to share how he met Quincy Jones, who passed away earlier this month at age 91 from pancreatic cancer, which he lived with for years. “He came to one of my shows and spent the time to chat after… I’ll never forget that,” says Moore. “He’s my absolute hero and his passing has definitely put some things into perspective.”
The producer continues to share details about an imminent release which he hints will arrive in 2025. Moore adds that the new music will be released as an “independent artist” — a term which he says makes him feel “very existential.”

The industry is like politics , it’s designed to be almost impossible for I understand. I’ve seen so man artist get caught up in the illusion and delusion of the business. It’s a dangerous job to be a young artist.
— Skrillex (@Skrillex) November 18, 2024

“I’ve never felt more inspired and in lockstep with my intentions as an artist. As I’m nearing completion of my next work and my final project for Atlantic Records I can’t help but feel very existential about it all,” Moore says. “I’m thrilled to get this out and focus on more release[s] in [2025] as an “independent” artist. But “independent” is such a strange term because I still depend on my team as well as all the other creatives and executors to do what I do…But now I’m able to rethink/relook at how the structures are designed. I want to find ways to simplify decimating music and art. I see lots of artists in a constant panic.”
In the same thread, Moore appears to give thanks to his fans and offers some advice:
“Knowing how much you care inspires me every day to be a better person and make better music”, he ays.
“It really is in the journey ..and the best things come when they aren’t expected…Make things for smile.”

Make things for smile
— Skrillex (@Skrillex) November 18, 2024

Earlier this year, Moore’s regular collaborator Four Tet — a revered producer himself — said that watching Moore use Ableton is like “alchemy.”
“Just watching him use Ableton is the highest level I’ve ever seen,” says Four Tet. “The pace he works at and the way he knows how to use plugins and make sounds, it’s very overwhelming actually.
“I don’t really understand why his stuff sounds so insanely good, I watch him do it and it seems like alchemy to me, it’s another level. And I learn bits and pieces from him but mostly I look at it and it’s just all happening too fast for me to really replicate the ideas but it’s so brilliant to have him be like, ‘Oh, hang on let me sort this out I’ll make the drop really really good’ you know? … He just does it in this amazing way.”
Read more music tech and production news.
The post “It’s a dangerous job to be a young artist”: Skrillex shares sentiments on the music industry and plans for new music in 2025 appeared first on MusicTech.

Crowdsourcing Ionosphere Data with PhonesHow do you collect a lot of data about the ionosphere? Well, you could use sounding rockets or specialized gear. Or maybe you can just conscript a huge number of cell phones. That was the approach taken by Google researchers in a recent paper in Nature.
The idea is that GPS and similar navigation satellites measure transit time of the satellite signal, but the ionosphere alters the propagation of those signals. In fact, this effect is one of the major sources of error in GPS navigation. Most receivers have an 8-parameter model of the ionosphere that reduces that error by about 50%.
However, by measuring the difference in time between signals of different frequencies, the phone can estimate the total electron current (TEC) of the ionosphere between the receiver and the satellite. This requires a dual-frequency receiver, of course.

This isn’t a new idea. There are a large number of fixed-position stations that make this measurement to contribute to a worldwide database. However, the roughly 9,000 stations can’t compete with cell phones everywhere. The paper outlines how Android smartphones can do calculations on the GPS propagation delays to report the TEC numbers.
Hams often study the ionosphere. So do sounding rockets.

Introducing the Chroma USB Drive for DJs: our drive syncs DJ libraries quicklyWe like solving problems for DJs. A lot of the time, they’re our own problems. DJTT’s store manager Josh wanted a nicer-looking USB drive, and I wanted one that wouldn’t take forever to sync my Rekordbox library. We’ve watched Reddit threads and the Pioneer DJ forums and seen DJs frustrated with not knowing what USB […]
The post Introducing the Chroma USB Drive for DJs: our drive syncs DJ libraries quickly appeared first on DJ TechTools.

All the music gear to buy instead of Teenage Engineering’s $2,300 OP-XYIt’s sleek, it’s smart, and it’s sophisticated. But it’s $2,300. Can Teenage Engineering’s OP-XY really be worth the eye-popping price tag? We’re reviewing the new synth, sampler and sequencer later this month to find out but, in the meantime, we’ve been looking at what else producers can get for the cash, instead of feeding their GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). Spoiler: it’s a lot.
READ MORE: “We dare say it’s probably the most complete, portable sequencer ever built”: Teenage Engineering introduces the OP-XY
An entire bedroom studio setup
Please, for the love of god, do not buy the OP-XY as your first piece of music gear. I don’t care if you’re a rich and overzealous newbie — just don’t do it. Find a space in your house, whether it’s an office space or just a section of your bedroom, and set up a desk (this $95 Amazon desk will do) and cram it with gear. Even if you don’t have a laptop or computer yet, a $2,300 budget will get you everything you need from a mouse to a vast plugin bundle.
Here’s everything you might need to start making music, coming in at $2,272. There’s no skimping here either — you can get alternatives to the below for a much lower price, but these selections are for maxing out the budget.

Apple M4 Mac Mini: $574
Samsung 27 Inch Curved Computer Monitor: $130
Logitech wireless mouse & keyboard: $20
Desk $95
Apple Logic Pro: $200
Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 (software bundle included): $270
IK Multimedia T-Racks 6 Pro software bundle: $202
IK Multimedia iLoud MTM monitor speakers: $250
Focusrite Scarlett 4i4: $280
Rode NT1 Microphone: $250

Image: IK Multimedia
All of Teenage Engineering’s Pocket Operators, an OP-1, an OP-Z, and an EP-133 K.O II.
Yep. This comes in at around $2,230. You could buy all nine of Teenage Engineering’s Pocket Operators and its EP-133 K.O II sampler direct from the Swedish brand and pick up a second-hand OP-1 and OP-Z for that price. And there’s some serious power in that bundle. Check it out:

Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O.II: ~ $299
Teenage Engineering OP-Z: ~$400
Teenage Engineering OP-1: ~$700
All 9 Pocket Operators: $79 to $99 each

Teenage Engineering EP-133 K.O.II. Image: Simon Vinall for MusicTech
An amazing synth, a powerful sampler, and an intuitive sampler…plus some plugins
Ok, let’s say you have a studio setup but you’re desperate for what the OP-XY can offer: deep synthesis, easy sampling, and effective sequencing. At $2,300, you can get this in droves.
Recommending ASM’s Hydrasynth is practically a meme to many synth nerds at this point, but it really is a powerhouse. For $800, you can get the desktop version, which you can play with a MIDI keyboard or using a sequencer, such as the Akai MPC Key 31. That’ll set you back $900, which leaves us $600 in the budget for a powerful sampler. Easy — you can get a second-hand Elektron Digitakt for that. If you prefer more old-school workflows, go for a Roland SP-404 MKII

AKAI MPC Key 37: $900
ASM Hydrasynth Desktop version: $800
Eletrkon Digitakt: ~$600
Roland SP-404 MKII: ~$500

Image: Akai Professional
Studio time at a gear-packed space with a producer
Maybe you don’t want to buy new gear but you want a place that inspires you and lets your creativity flourish. For $2,300, you can spend some quality time in a studio space near you, which will likely be packed with gear and could even have an engineer or producer as part of the hire.
As an example, a look at The Room Melrose in Los Angeles is currently $300 per 12 hours. For a more casual solution, Pirate Studios has locations in London, New York, Houston, Chicago, Berlin, Dublin and more — you’re looking at around $25 per hour in one of its studio spaces.
Years of musical instrument and music production lessons
Knowledge is power, right? Why spend all that money on gear that you don’t really need when you can learn how to play an instrument and make your music sound impeccable?
Picture this: Over the next three and a half years, you spend a few hours a week learning how to play keyboard and guitar, and watch and learn from some of the best products in the world, all online. How good would your music sound if you committed to that?

Melodics annual subscription: $135
Fender Play annual subscription: $150
Mix With The Masters annual subscription: $319

Six years of Suno Premier
Maybe you don’t care about making music at all and you just want an AI to do it for you. Suno Premier is $30 a month, so $2,300 will get you a solid 76 months of not making your own music.
Save it
Or don’t buy anything and save it, invest it, give it away — whatever. It’s $2,300. You could hire a professional accountant for an hour, who will probably tell you to save the remaining $2,200 you have after the session.
Just buy it
If you’ve scrolled all the way here and you’re still not convinced that you shouldn’t buy the OP-XY, then just buy it. I clearly can’t convince you and you must need it for something right? So buy it and, please, send me the tracks you end up making with it. I should probably see what I’m missing out on.

Go on, then…Head to Teenage Engineering to learn more about the OP-XY. 
The post All the music gear to buy instead of Teenage Engineering’s $2,300 OP-XY appeared first on MusicTech.

Gloriously Impractical: Overclocking the Raspberry Pi 5 to 3.6 GHzThe Raspberry Pi 5 board strapped to a liquid nitrogen cooler with an ElmorLabs AMPLE-X1 power board attached. (Credit: Pieter-Jan Plaisier, SkatterBencher.com)
As impractical as most overclocking of computers is these days, there is still a lot of fun to be had along the way. Case in point being [Pieter-Jan Plaisier]’s recent liquid nitrogen-aided overclocking of an unsuspecting Raspberry Pi 5 and its BCM2712 SoC. Previous OCing attempts with air cooling by [Pieter] had left things off at a paltry 3 GHz from the default 2.4 GHz, with the power management IC (PMIC) circuitry on the SBC turning out to be the main limiting factor.
The main change here was thus to go for liquid nitrogen (LN2) cooling, with a small chipset LN2 pot to fit on the SBC. Another improvement was the application of a NUMA (non-uniform memory addressing) patch to force the BCM2712’s memory controller to utilize better RAM chip parallelism.
With these changes, the OC could now hit 3.6 GHz, but at 3.7 GHz, the system would always crash. It was time to further investigate the PMIC issues.
The PMIC imposes voltage configuration limitations and turns the system off at high power consumption levels. A solution there was to replace said circuitry with an ElmorLabs AMPLE-X1 power supply and definitively void the SBC’s warranty. This involves removing inductors and removing solder mask to attach the external power wires. Yet even with these changes, the SoC frequency had trouble scaling, which is why an external clock board was used to replace the 54 MHz oscillator on the PCB. Unfortunately, this also failed to improve the final overclock.
We covered the ease of OCing to 3 GHz previously, and no doubt some of us are wondering whether the new SoC stepping may OC better. Regardless, if you want to get a faster small system without jumping through all those hoops, there are definitely better (and cheaper) options. But you do miss out on the fun of refilling the LN2 pot every couple of minutes.
Thanks to [Stephen Walters] for the tip.

Suno, after being sued by the majors for copyright infringement, preps launch of V4, claimed to mark ‘a new era of AI music generation’The company has also hired Jack Brody, formerly of Snap, as its Chief Product Officer
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Take a look at the Orchid, the first product from Tame Impala’s Telepathic InstrumentsDetails surrounding Tame Impala’s synth brand Telepathic Instruments are still pretty vague, but we do officially have the name of its first product – the Orchid.
Kevin Parker, the man behind Tame Impala, launched the company back in June this year, keeping details super limited. He then gave another teaser in August by sharing an Instagram video of him playing what we now know to be the Orchid.

READ MORE: Tame Impala says the Sequential Pro One is his favourite synth: “It sounded like crying in outer space”

Telepathic Instruments has teased the launch in a brand new (and very short, 21-second) video that plays a snippet of its sound.  The video declares that the product is “for chords”, and an accompanying email says that “Orchid is a new kind of instrument that helps songwriters and musicians find what’s on their mind.”
Take a closer look below:

No specifications or information on its official launch and pricing have yet been shared, though you can sign up to a mailing list to be informed of any new details. From the glimpse we get in the new video, we can see a keyboard, a small display screen, plus a range of dials. These include bass, loop, BPM, options, and volume on the right side, plus controls for sound, perform, FX, and Key on the left.
There’s also two jog wheels on the left side, and though the text is a little blurry, it looks as though these control voicing. There’s also eight buttons, which seem to allow users to select between major, minor, or other types of chords.
MusicTech will share more details on Orchid as soon as we have them. In the meantime, you can sign up for email alerts over at Telepathic Instruments.
The post Take a look at the Orchid, the first product from Tame Impala’s Telepathic Instruments appeared first on MusicTech.

New Live Nation lawsuits, investor action signal turbulent times aheadEven as Live Nation basks in a record breaking concert season and the likelihood that a Trump led DoJ will take a less aggressive posture, new lawsuits and investor activity point to a turbulent year ahead for the concert giant.
The post New Live Nation lawsuits, investor action signal turbulent times ahead appeared first on Hypebot.

Spotify gave every Musician a Gift: They have 3 Days To Use ItOn Friday, Spotify extended the deadline to update Artist profiles to take full advantage of the popular Spotify Wrapped promotion.
The post Spotify gave every Musician a Gift: They have 3 Days To Use It appeared first on Hypebot.

Taylor Lindsey promoted to Chairman and CEO of Sony Music NashvilleKen Robold also named President and Chief Operating Officer of Sony Music Nashville
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