What does the DEI rollback mean for the music technology industry?“Don’t Give Up On Diversity, Equity and Inclusion”. That’s the proud and defiant message Spotify posted on its HR blog in 2023. Two years later, the term ‘DEI’ has soured. Spooked by the Trump administration’s ‘war on wokeness’, many leading companies are deleting policies aimed at creating a fairer workplace.
So, should we in the music industry be worried about similar rollbacks?

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“I think the entire world is worried about what’s going on,” says Emily Lazar, “What’s happening with DEI right now is going to impact all of us. It already has.”
Lazar is a Grammy Award-winning mastering engineer and no stranger to the fight for equity in the music industry. In her career, spanning over three decades, she says she’s seen “change and contraction, expansion and change again.” More than once, she’s been a key figure in delivering that change herself.
Her first Grammy Award nomination as a mastering engineer was for the Foo Fighters’ album Wasting Light. Incredibly, this made her the first ever woman to be nominated in the category. “How is this possible?” she recalls. “That was in 2011. It was kind of horrifying.”
Emily Lazar. Image: Press
Recognising the need for advocacy, Lazar founded We Are Moving The Needle in 2021, a non-profit that “empowers women, non-binary, and trans tech creators to succeed at the highest levels.”
In the past few years, the movement has driven diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, which has resulted in high-profile public campaigns from some of the biggest companies in the music tech space. The Beatport Diversity and Parity Fund was established to focus on “underrepresented groups and promote diversity in the music industry”, and AlphaTheta (formerly Pioneer DJ) launched its Start From Scratch initiative to “provide free access to the DJ industry for underrepresented communities”.
“Even just 10 years ago, talking about gender inequality in music would elicit a yawn from most people in the industry,” explains Isobel Anderson, a UK-based artist, producer, and founder of the podcast Girls Twiddling Knobs. “It was seen as a non-issue at best, if not needlessly complicated and boring. That’s changed.”
Isobel Anderson. Image: Georgina Piper
For Anderson, the benefits to everyone involved are clear. “With increased DEI comes increased prosperity for all, including financially, regardless of gender or other characteristics,” she says. “Industries that lack diversity and inclusion often have lower wages and opportunities for almost all, except those in high positions of power.”
When asked if she is worried about the DEI pushback, her answer is definitive. “Absolutely. And not just because it will negatively impact women, gender diverse people and other minorities, but because it’s not based on any logic or reason. It’s entirely ideological, with no evidence to back it up.”
The evidence we do have tells us that in music production, women and women of colour barely enter the equation. The USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which analysed 900 songs from the Billboard Hot 100 End of Year Charts, puts the figure in the single digits. Just 5.9 per cent of producing credits in 2024 went to women. That’s just 14 women, only two of whom were women of colour.
Companies removing DEI language is a mistake. It will have an impact on the diversity of not only an individual company’s workforce, but the culture of music overall.
Prior to 2019, no woman had ever been nominated for an album at the Grammys in the Electronic/Dance category, until TOKiMONSTA was up for an award, to which she also made history by being the first Asian-American to do so.
TOKiMONSTA. Image: Ben Bentley for MusicTech
Since the first Annenberg Report was published in 2017, the numbers starkly outline just how much work lies ahead. Recognising that progress on this issue has been painfully slow, both Lazar and Anderson believe now is simply not the time to give up on creating a more inclusive and diverse music industry.
No matter what they say in public, businesses seem to understand just how much support there is for DEI in general. Speaking anonymously to the Financial Times, one music executive explained that while it’s a “commercial imperative” to continue their company’s DEI efforts, they simply wouldn’t call it ‘DEI’ anymore. In the current political climate, the word has become all but toxic, and simply mentioning it can place a target on a business’s back.
This raises a thorny issue about how much language matters.
“Companies removing DEI language is a mistake,” says Anderson. “It will have an impact on the diversity of not only an individual company’s workforce, but the culture of music overall.
“When women or people from other minorities in music see a job or opportunity that specifically indicates an intentional commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” Anderson continues, “it makes them more likely to apply and take part. Not because they think they’ll have a better chance at being selected, but because they trust that if they were to be, they would be joining an inclusive and welcoming culture where they can thrive and contribute.”
Skye Landgraf, director of partnerships and programs at We Are Moving The Needle, understands the corporate and organisational perspective on the issue. “Scrubbing DEI language and changing how we talk about this work means that we’re losing an important element of accountability. If you don’t tell me what your commitments are, how do I know what your commitments are?”
“This is not the time to shut down a diversity of voices” — Alicia Keys
At the same time, the way people feel about DEI terminology, even those who benefit from it, is complicated. These words can feel like an empty promise or even a scarlet letter. It’s not uncommon to hear stories about being the ‘DEI hire’, that awkward and uncomfortable feeling of only being picked for a role to fill a quota based on ethnicity, gender or other minority characteristics. Lazar, who is a proponent of DEI, makes a point not to dwell on the terminology. “I am very clear that it’s not really about the language. It’s really about the actions.”
When it comes to Spotify, the largest music streaming platform on the planet, it’s fair to wonder where they stand on these issues. On the one hand, its Equity Impact Report states that “inclusion shapes everything we do at Spotify”, and the company consistently funds scholarships for underrepresented groups and sponsors initiatives like the USC Annenberg Report on inclusion in the recording studio.
Yet, at the beginning of 2025, Spotify donated $150,000 USD to President Donald Trump’s inauguration committee ceremony, raising the question of whether this is ‘business as usual’ or a signal that it might change its policies to placate a US administration which has threatened investigations and punishment for private companies who keep ‘illegal’ DEI policies on the books. Amazon, for example, donated $1 million to the inauguration and then promptly rolled back its DEI policies; however, Apple donated the same amount but ultimately voted against an anti-DEI proposal. The picture is not clear-cut.
Asked for comment, a Spotify representative told me: “We serve 678 million users in 180+ markets, so our workforce is inherently global to ensure we have the best people to support the artists, creators, authors and audiences in the local communities we serve.” It is worth noting that Spotify currently supports a number of initiatives, including GLOW With Pride: Amplifying LGBTQIA+ Voices and the Heart & Soul Initiative, which aims to bring mental health support to artists and creators.
Outside of the corporate context, it’s important to remember that artists, producers, DJs, and audio professionals can and do apply their own pressure on this issue.
“This is not the time to shut down a diversity of voices”, said Alicia Keys as she accepted the Dr Dre Global Impact Award at this year’s Grammys. A key advocate for more women in the music industry, Keys spelled it out for everyone in the audience: “We’ve seen on this stage talented, hard-working people from different backgrounds, with different points of view, and it changes the game. DEI is not a threat, it’s a gift — and the more voices, the more powerful the sound.”

At the ground level, Lazar is witnessing a lot of positive steps being taken: “We’re seeing people assemble teams of 50 per cent women. We’re seeing touring artists who are intentionally hiring women for their tours and trying to fill the backline of their tours with women. We’re seeing artists who are making an effort to hire women producers and engineers, extending beyond that to look at all of the roles to go into filling out a team from management, to PR, to label services.”
In the past, these decisions were the domain of labels, but with an increasing number of music makers “steering their own ship”, as Lazar says, “Artists are now learning that they have more power.”
Even as DEI undergoes a surface-level rebranding in many corporate circles, public support for DEI is helping to shape actual policy choices. As a result, some businesses are choosing to embed diversity, equity and inclusion into the culture, rather than do away with it entirely.
Ultimately, despite witnessing yet another backslide in culture, Lazar holds a positive view of the music industry and how it might respond. “What matters is how we react and what we do as an industry to stand up for ourselves and our own,” she says. “That’s going to really tell the rest of this story.”
Lazar points to the LA wildfires at the start of 2025 as an example of people in the music industry coming together to support each other during one of the most devastating moments in LA’s music history. Throughout these cycles of change, she says that one thing remains constant: “We are an industry that supports our own.”
The post What does the DEI rollback mean for the music technology industry? appeared first on MusicTech.

Fuse Audio Labs announce OCELOT Octaver OCELOT Octaver can be used to add some low-end weight to kick drums and basses, brighten up lacklustre synth sounds and more, all while incurring minimal latency and CPU load. 

Sound Dust PLATOSOUND DUST PLATO for Kontakt An otherworldly melodic surprise generator, shimmer machine, drone engine and all round lovely instrument: 4 HYBRID ARTICULATIONS : 2 pianos, strings and 'flute' - but not really any of these.. Intricate internal signal chain means everything interacts with everything else, often in unexpected ways. Merge and melt the unexpected into ravishing new music. Every note/sound has its own sequencer, with 9 sub-divisions per note. midi drag & drop per sequencer. OOOF: sequenced multi effect tape effects: 128 morphable presets. WOOF: sequenced EQ in 3 flavours: 128 x 3morphable presets. DOOF: sequenced dynamics multi effects in 3 flavours: 128 x 3 morphable presets. EBB: sequenced master ducking. PLATO-tudinator : handy Platonic words of wisdom for every note. for FULL version of Kontakt 6.7.1 and above. PLATO is built around a network of subtle to dramatic interactions; sounds, frequencies, transients, levels and effects all affect and can change each other in surprising ways. It is an instrument you try and steer. Fortunately the complex stuff is under the hood, and you use the intuitive GUi to wrangle new ideas and bend new sounds without getting bogged down in details. https://www.sound-dust.com/plato: 1 Kontakt instrument. 100 themed snapshots. 200 single track and sequencer presets. over 2000 samples. 4GB download. INTRO OFFER until JUNE 30th 2025 40% off. £30/$42/€35 (inc VAT). https://youtu.be/B5T7745jmG0?si=aoXWJtnrPHz44Eci Read More

“It’s quite unique for a hard rock band”: Producer reveals the secret trick Ghost use to fill out their low endWhen listening to Ghost’s new album Skeletá, the word ‘pristine’ comes to mind regarding the quality of its production. 
Its silky sweet vocal harmonies (Cenotaph, Guiding Lights) and top tier guitar tones throughout are matched only by its deeply satisfying and punchy low end, and in an interview in the new issue of Sound on Sound, mix engineer Dan Malsch dives deep into how it was achieved.

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“One interesting thing about Ghost is that they have a subkick that changes with the chords, around 40, 50 Hz,” Malsch reveals. “It’s quite unique for a hard rock metal band.”
It’s not uncommon for producers and artists to stack kick drum sounds in order to either create something more unique, or use the punch of one to flavour another, for example. But as Malsch explains, stacking elements in your low end can lead to mud in a mix.
“Clarity is a huge thing for me,” he says. “I want to have as much bottom end and sub as I can, but if I hear any mud in a mix, I don’t enjoy it.”
He goes on: “I’ve been called a clinical mixer because I need to hear every instrument clearly. If it’s there, I think you should hear it. Sometimes you’ll have to shave off a little more than you might want to, because there might be three or four different guitar parts or different key parts, and to make sure they are all heard, you have to take out some 300 Hz, 400 Hz or 500 Hz, which are problem frequencies in a lot of music I work with.”

Malsch and veteran mix engineer Andy Wallace received rough mixes for Skeletá which were recorded at Stockholm’s Atlantis Studios, the location of early ABBA recordings as well as work by Opeth, The Hives and many more.
“The production and rough mixes of the Ghost tracks that we received were great – in my opinion, probably good enough to release,” Malsch says. “Andy and I would look at each other like, ‘How are we going to make it sound better than this?’”
The answer lay in carving out more space in the mixes. “What you’ll notice most from the rough mixes to the main mixes is more space and a depth and a width,” he says.
Elsewhere, Ghost recently made headlines when they announced that shows on their tour supporting Skeletá – cleverly dubbed Skeletour – would be a phone-free experience.
“If you have 10,000 people at a concert and 8,000 of them are holding a phone, there’s something deeply disconnected,” said frontman Tobias Forge.
The post “It’s quite unique for a hard rock band”: Producer reveals the secret trick Ghost use to fill out their low end appeared first on MusicTech.

Fazioli F308 Essentials from VSL VSL have just announced the launch of a new, packed-down version of their library Synchron Fazioli F308 library, which captures one of the world’s largest grand piano models. 

US DOJ files to seize $225M in crypto tied to pig butchering schemesJustice Department officials did not go into great detail regarding the investment scam, but said that more than 400 suspected victims had lost millions of dollars.

Yachtley Crew Release New Original Single "Pain Of Losing You" We have a proper treat for yacht rock fans today! Yachtley Crew has announced that it will "release their new single and original song 'Pain Of Losing You' via Earache Records. The song was written by the iconic and multi-award-winning songwriter Diane Warren and will  be featured on the group’s  upcoming album Seas The Night, set for release on September 19, 2025."According to a press release on Wednesday, "'Pain Of Losing You' was  produced by Chris Lord-Alge (Stevie Nicks, Steven Tyler, Keith Urban, Bruce Springsteen, Green Day), and mastered by Ted Jensen (Eagles, Norah Jones, Evanescence, Alice in Chains, James Taylor) at Lord-Alge’s studios in Los Angeles."“Our new song “Pain Of Losing You” was written by none other than the legendary  songwriter Diane Warren…and it’s a fun story of how it came about. We heard through our manager Andy Gould that Diane was a fan of Yachtley Crew and loves the genre yacht rock. When Andy was speaking with her about our upcoming album, Seas The Night, she told Andy that she had a song that she thought would be a perfect fit in the yacht rock genre and for Yachtley Crew to record as an original. That’s when we heard the song ‘Pain Of Losing You’ and we knew that we had to record it.  Honestly, it’s a dream come true to get to record a song written by someone as iconic as Diane Warren, and our producer Chris Lord-Alge knew exactly what to do to get it to sound like the Crew.” Yachtley Crew“It was a pleasure working on an “original” song with the band , thank you Diane for such a great one. From playing so many shows they are a fine- tuned machine and after learning the track it came together very quickly. Phillip is a great singer and really sold the song. Rob and Chaz built a great foundation while Tommy , Matt, Paul and Stoney brought all the flavors needed to make a fantastic song. They all sing and always have great ideas.  It’s a pleasure producing all the Yachtley Crew music!“ Chris Lord-Alge“'Pain of Losing You' is the 2nd single from Yachtley Crew’s upcoming album Seas The Night album and follows the release of the band’s cover of the  Boz Scaggs classic 'Lowdown'," they said. “'Lowdown is accompanied by a video that captures footage from some of  Yachtley Crew’s sold-out international and U.S. shows. The band are fresh on the heels of an Australian tour and are currently on the 3rd leg of their 2025 Seas The Night tour, with dates scheduled through November, including their  longstanding residency at KAOS at The Palms Casino & Resort in Las Vegas, NV.""Yachtley  Crew is comprised of  lead vocalist Phillip Daniel (Philly Ocean), drummer Rob Jones (Sailor Hawkins), bassist Chaz Ruiz (Baba Buoy), guitarist Thomas Gardner Jr. (Tommy Buoy), backing vocalist Curt Clendenin (Stoney Shores), saxophone/flutist Paul Pate (Pauly Shores) and keyboardist Matt Grossman (Matthew McDonald)."

"Diane Warren is one of modern music’s most celebrated songwriters. She has penned nine #1 and thirty-three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 and is tied for having written the most #1 songs as a sole writer in Billboard history. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001 and received the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award from the organization in June 2024.   Warren has received 16 Academy Award nominations, is a GRAMMY winner with 15 nominations, an EMMY winner, and is a two-time Golden Globe winner whose songs have been featured in more than 150 films.  She is an Honorary Oscar recipient.""Yachtley Crew have appeared on HBO’s Yacht Rock : A Dockumentary, Andy Cohen’s Watch WhatHappens Live, helped ring in the New Year on KLAS and KTLA’s “Las Vegas Countdown to 2023” (the exclusive, Emmy-winning special syndicated program that reached more than 16.5 million U.S. TV households), performed on countless morning television and radio shows throughout the country, been featured on Fox News nationally, and performed on SiriusXM’s Yacht Rock Radio “Yacht Rock 311” show as the first ever Yacht Rock band to perform live at the satellite radio studio and have performed at a cadre of charity and special events throughout the years including the Mario Lopez Golf Classic Tournament in support of the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center."Yachtley Crew On The Road!06/19/25 Enid, OK, Stride Bank Center06/21/25 Flagstaff, AZ, Pepsi Amphitheatre06/25/25 Wyandotte, MI, District 14206/26/25 Midland, MI, Dow Diamond06/27/25 Paw Paw, MI, Warner Vineyards06/28/25 Ludington, MI, Stix07/03/25 Worley, ID, CDA Casino Event Center07/04/25 Worley, ID, CDA Casino Event Center07/05/25 Boise, ID, Knitting Factory – Boise07/11/25 La Jolla, CA Epstein Family Amphitheater07/16/25 Quakertown, PA, Univest Performance Center07/17/25 Glen Allen, VA, SERVPRO After Hours Concerts at The Innsbrook Pavilion07/18/25 Roanoke, VA, Dr. Pepper Park @ The Bridges07/19/25 Selbyville, DE, Freeman Arts Pavilion07/20/25 Hyannis, MA, Cape Cod Melody Tent07/23/25 Annapolis, MD, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts07/24/25 Webster, MA, Indian Ranch07/25/25 Hyannis, MA, Cape Cod Melody Tent07/26/25 Cohasset, MA, South Shore Music Circus07/27/25 Cohasset, MA, South Shore Music Circus08/02/25 Arlington, WA, Angel Of The Winds Casino Resort08/07/25, Portland, OR, McMenamins Crystal Ballroom08/08/25 Eugene, OR, WOW Hall08/09/25 Bend, OR, Volcanic Theatre Pub08/12/25 Salt Lake City, UT, The Depot (SLC)08/14/25 Redding, CA, Redding Civic Auditorium08/15/25 San Francisco, CA, The Regency Ballroom08/16/25 Santa Barbara, CA, Arlington Theatre08/22/25 East Meadow, NY, Eisenhower Park - Harry Chapin Lakeside Theater08/29/25 Rocklin, CA, Quarry Park Amphitheater Concert Series08/30/25 Paso Robles, CA, Vina Robles Amphitheatre09/06/25 Pala, CA, Pala Casino09/11/25 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond09/12/25 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond09/13/25 Louisville, KY Bourbon & Beyond09/15/25 Chattanooga, TN, The Signal09/16/25 Memphis, TN, Minglewood Hall09/18/25 Savannah, GA, Johnny Mercer Theater09/19/25 Lexington, KY, Icehouse Ampitheater09/20/25 High Point, NC, High Point University09/24/25 Little Rock, AR, The Hall09/26/25 St Lois, MO, The Hawthorn09/27/25 Topeka, KS, Topeka Performing Arts Center09/28/25 Tulsa, OK Cain’s Ballroom09/29/25 Wichita, KS, The Cotillion10/01/25 Colorado Springs, CO, Pikes Peak Center10/03/25 Dallas, TX, Granada Theater10/04/25 Leander, TX, The Haute Spot10/09/25 Morristown, NJ, Mayo Performing Arts Center10/10/25 Atlantic City, NJ, Harrah’s Resort10/11/25 Atlantic City, NJ, Harrah’s Resort10/14/25 Alexandria, VA, The Birchmere10/16/25 Red Bank, NJ, Count Basie Center for the Arts10/18/25 Danville, VA, Caesars Virginia-Danville10/30/25 Joilet, IL Rialto Square Theater10/31/25 Detroit, MI Music Hall for the Performing Arts11/01/25 La Porte, IN, La Porte Civic Auditorium11/07/25 Las Vegas, NV KAOS at the Palms Casino11/08/25 Las Vegas, NV KAOS at the Palms Casino11/29/25 Los Angeles, CA, The Peacock Theater12/13/25 Porterville, CA, Eagle Mountain Casino12/19/25 Las Vegas, NV KAOS at the Palms Casino12/20/25 Las Vegas, NV KAOS at the Palms Casino12/27/25 Del Mar CA, The SoundThe post Yachtley Crew Release New Original Single "Pain Of Losing You"  first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Trump grants third TikTok extension as US sale talks stallThe latest extension pushes ByteDance's deadline to sell its TikTok US operations to mid-September.
Source

Here are the 24 US AI startups that have raised $100M or more in 2025Last year was monumental for the AI industry in the U.S. and beyond. How will 2025 compare?

BhangmeterV2 Answers The Question “Has a Nuke Gone Off?”You might think that a nuclear explosion is not something you need a detector for, but clearly not everyone agrees. [Bigcrimping] has not only built one, the BhangmeterV2, but he has its output publicly posted at hasanukegoneoff.com, in case you can’t go through your day without checking if someone has nuked Wiltshire.
The Bhangmeter is based on an off-the-shelf “nuclear event detector”, the HSN-1000L by Power Device Corporation.
The HSN 1000 Nuclear Event Detector at the heart of the build. We didn’t know this thing existed, never mind that it was still available.
Interfacing to the HSN-1000L is very easy: you give it power, and it gives you a pin that stays HIGH unless it detects the characteristic gamma ray pulse of a nuclear event. The gamma ray pulse occurs at the beginning of a “nuclear event” precedes the EMP by some microseconds, and the blast wave by perhaps many seconds, so the HSN-1000 series seems be aimed at triggering an automatic shutdown that might help preserve electronics in the event of a nuclear exchange.
[Bigcrimping] has wired the HSN-1000L to a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W to create the BhangmeterV2. In the event of a nuclear explosion, it will log the time the nuclear event detector’s pin goes low, and the JSON log is pushed to the cloud, hopefully to a remote server that won’t be vaporized or bricked-by-EMP along with the BhangmeterV2. Since it is only detecting the gamma ray pulse, the BhangmeterV2 is only sensitive to nuclear events within line-of-sight, which is really not where you want to be relative to a nuclear event. Perhaps V3 will include other detection methods– maybe even a 3D-printed neutrino detector?
If you survive the blast this project is designed to detect, you might need a radiation detector to deal with the fallout. For identifying exactly what radionuclide contamination is present, you might want a gamma-ray spectrometer.
It’s a sad comment on the modern world that this hack feels both cold-war vintage and relevant again today. Thanks to [Tom] for the tip; if you have any projects you want to share, we’d love to hear from you whether they’d help us survive nuclear war or not.

Love ambient music? Sonicware’s LIVEN Evoke might be the perfect polyphonic synthJapanese synth brand Sonicware has unveiled its latest polyphonic synthesizer, LIVEN Evoke.
Described as a “nostalgia-evoking ambient music box” specially designed to make “acoustronic” music, LIVEN Evoke features an Acoustronic Flux Oscillator, which uses sample-based and wavetable synthesis to create “nostalgic pianos, drone strings and bizarre vibraphones” among its vast array of sonic possibilities.

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Within its built-in wavetable oscillator lie 34 sample engines and 20 wavetables, which are overlaid with a noise generator for a spacious, ambient quality. LIVEN Evoke also comes equipped with a range of reverbs: “10 diverse reverbs – including the veiled ambience Mirage – for deep atmospheres”.
Like other LIVEN products, the Evoke features a four-track sequencer, allowing users to layer these expansive sounds over one another in real time. There are also 128 patterns preloaded into the hardware that are able to be extended as far as 64 beats, laying the groundwork for the longer compositional style many ambient artists, such as Arushi Jain and James Ginzburg, flaunt.

Effects are also essential to the ambient sound, and so the Evoke has a signature Grain FX: “Micro-grain slicing transforms phrases into musical glitches and evolving textures.” With five options of grain, filter, pitch, random, and reverb, the effects can hone in on specific elements created from the wide-ranging sounds and manipulate their most subtle elements into brand new musical ideas.
In terms of physical hardware, the Evoke is modelled after other pieces of hardware in the LIVEN series, offering a 27-key keyboard as well as an internal speaker and battery-powered capability for producing on the go.
The LIVEN series includes various synths, drum machines, groove boxes, and more. Some of the other pieces are the LIVEN Ambient Ø, LIVEN Texture Lab, and LIVEN Lofi-12.
The LIVEN Evoke is priced at $239/£229. Shipping begins 30 June.
Learn more at Sonicware.
The post Love ambient music? Sonicware’s LIVEN Evoke might be the perfect polyphonic synth appeared first on MusicTech.

How to find fans and build a fanbase as a musicianWith over 20,000 tracks uploaded to Spotify every day, standing out as an artist has never been harder - but also never more possible. This guide breaks down 10 essential strategies to find fans and build a fanbase as a musician.
The post How to find fans and build a fanbase as a musician appeared first on Hypebot.

All-American Rejects play House Parties to help fix live musicThe All-American Rejects play house parties to help fix what's broken in live music. Their backyard concerts and pop shows come during a summer when the band is also opening for the Jonas Brothers in major venues.
The post All-American Rejects play House Parties to help fix live music appeared first on Hypebot.

$69 Behringer Klon clones are being spotted online for over $2,000 following Bill Finnegan lawsuitIt’s not uncommon to see vintage guitar pedals listed online for considerable prices. But what about copies of vintage pedals? Well Behringer‘s Centaur Drive isn’t fake, per se; it was modelled after the legendary Klon Centaur overdrive pedal, and originally retailed for just $69. Now, in some cases, it’s going for prices similar to the original Klon. But why?
Well, it’s all due to a lawsuit filed by Bill Finnegan, creator of the original Klon Centaur, against Behringer’s parent company Music Tribe last month, in which he accused it of “blatant counterfeiting” over its Klon clone.

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“I have filed a federal lawsuit against a well-known pedal manufacturer that is currently marketing and mass-producing a pedal that we believe blatantly infringes upon specific intellectual property owned by my company Klon LLC,” Finnegan wrote in an Instagram post.

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A post shared by Bill Finnegan (@klonllc)

Finnegan continued, “For the record, I have never been consulted in any way about this pedal, it has never been authorised by me, and I have never had any involvement whatsoever in its design, production, or marketing.”
As a result of the lawsuit and the possibility of Behringer’s Centaur Drive being discontinued, owners of the once affordable pedal are attempting to capitalise. We’ve seen listings on eBay for as much as £1,500 (approx. $2,014), while another, slightly more reasonable listing is priced at nearly 10 times the original at $500.
In its description, the latter listing reads, “Listings are getting taken down everywhere, so grab it before it disappears.”
In lawsuit court documents, “consumers expressed extensive actual confusion (that went deliberately unabated by Defendants), with many rushing to purchase Defendants’ counterfeit pedal believing Defendants are delivering on a mass scale a discounted product licensed or endorsed by Plaintiffs”.

The post $69 Behringer Klon clones are being spotted online for over $2,000 following Bill Finnegan lawsuit appeared first on MusicTech.

Cherry Audio ODC 2800Cherry Audio's ODC 2800 is an exceptional three-in-one virtual instrument that pays tribute to the legendary synth pioneer Alan R. Pearlman on the momentous 100th anniversary of his birth. This powerful synthesizer plugin draws inspiration from the revolutionary Odyssey analog duophonic synthesizer, launched by ARP Instruments in 1972. With precision-crafted and circuit-modeled DSP designs from the award-winning developer Mark Barton, ODC 2800 goes beyond merely emulating ARP's "Model 2800" synthesizer. ODC 2800 not only provides an authentic reproduction of the sound and appearance of all three versions of the original hardware, but also enhances the experience with expanded polyphony, an additional oscillator and LFO, extensive modulation options, and support for both velocity and polyphonic aftertouch. Furthermore, it features a redesigned and intuitive integrated effects suite that simplifies the sound design process and improves usability. ODC 2800 offers the ultimate sonic journey through time, connecting the past of synthesis innovation with today's essential tools for music production. ODC 2800's user interface includes matching designs for Models 2800, 2810, and 2820. You can lock the design to your favorite, and hide a lower panel for the keyboard and effects, now easily accessible through a new tray. The duophonic architecture has been upgraded to support Monophonic, Mono Legato, Duophonic, and Polyphonic modes. Users can choose from 1, 4, 8, or 16 voices, along with a unison mode. The synth supports velocity, channel aftertouch, and polyphonic aftertouch with three assignable controls. It also includes adjustable portamento settings and a CS-80-like "smart portamento" for enhanced musicality. The syncable dynamic arpeggiator includes Swing, Chance, and Feel to add degrees of randomness and a human touch to arpeggiated patterns. ODC 2800 has also been expanded to include three complete VCOs with sawtooth and square/pulse waveforms, with quantizable frequency control and extended oscillator sync routing. Each VCO has three frequency modulators (FM), including an assignable modulator offering 35 source options. Ring modulation is straightforward, and cross-modulation is now possible through assignable FM menus. The LFO options have been significantly expanded, now featuring two separate LFOs with five waveforms and options for mono and poly modes, key reset, sync, pulse width, and delay. The Sample/Hold Mixer allows for assignable modulation of the VCF and VCA, with 35 predefined modulation sources. ODC 2800's VCF emulation features three filters: the Mk I 4023 (12 dB/Oct, 2-pole), the Mk II 4035 (24 dB/Oct, 4-pole ladder), and the Mk 4075 (24 dB/Oct, 4-pole cascade). Each offers lowpass, bandpass, and highpass responses, with optional gain compensation to prevent bass loss at high resonance. A separate highpass filter is also included. The envelopes have also been expanded, with two complete ADSR envelope generators with velocity control and trimmer-style drift controls for VCO, VCF, and EG to further emulate the analog vibe. ODC 2800 features a resourceful new effects strip with accessible controls for toggling effects, soloing tracks, and adjusting the dry/wet mix. Global controls allow for enabling all effects, changing the overall level, and expanding the stereo width. The expanded effects tray includes five studio-quality pedal-style options: Distortion/EQ, Dual Phaser, Flanger/Chorus, three Delays, and five Reverbs. ODC 2800 also includes comprehensive MIDI mapping for controllers, seamless DAW integration, and over 330 professional presets across 13 categories, making it an essential virtual instrument for vintage synth lovers and modern music producers. Features: All aspects of the classic ARP Instruments Odyssey synthesizers — the 1972 Mk I 2800 series, the 1975 Mk II 2810 series, and the 1978 Mk III 2820 series — have been meticulously replicated with precise detail. Additionally, ODC 2800 has been significantly enhanced with expanded functionality and modulation options, making it the ultimate expression of the legendary synth that inspired it. Award-winning synth designer Mark Barton's proprietary DSP coding perfectly reproduces every sonic nuance and response of the original synthesizers. Introduces a new look for Cherry Audio virtual instruments with the integration of an expandable panel for more immediate access to effects settings. Over 330 professionally-designed presets in 13 categories. Monophonic, Mono Legato, Duophonic, and Polyphonic modes with 1, 4, 8, or 16 voices, and unison. Three complete VCOs, each with sawtooth and square/pulse waveforms. VCO frequency with quantize options. Extended oscillator sync routing for VCO-2 to VCO-1 or VCO-3, and VCO-2 to VCO-1 or VCO-2. Three Frequency Modulators (FM) for each VCO, including an extra assignable modulator with 35 source options. Portamento with adjustable VCO-2 and VCO-3 delay settings. Smart portamento enhances polyphonic performance in a more musical fashion. Customizable options for PPC (Proportional Pitch Control) for Pitch Bend (+/-12 semitone range) and PPC modulation (+/-7 semitone range). Noise generator with white and pink, with additional violet and brown noise colors. Ring mod, and now cross-modulation between the VCOs possible through the assignable FM menus. Greatly expanded LFO options with two discrete LFOs, each with sine, triangle, square, sawtooth, and ramp waveforms, and options for mono or poly, key reset, and sync. Additional waveshaping options with pulse width and delay amount. Sample/Hold Mixer with assignable modulation sources. VCF filter emulation based on the three versions: Rev 1 4023 (12 dB/Oct, 2-pole) from the 2800; Rev 2 4035 (24 dB/Oct, 4-pole, ladder) from the 2810; and Rev 3 4075 (24 dB/Oct, 4-pole cascade) from the 2820. Highpass filter. Lowpass, bandpass, and highpass responses on all three VCFs. Selectable gain compensation on both 4-pole filters so you don't lose bass at high resonance. Adjustable VCA drive. Individually assignable modulation controls in the mixer for VCF and VCA with 35 possible sources. Two full ADSR Envelope Generators with velocity control. Trimmer-style Drift controls for VCO, VCF, and EG. Matching UI panel designs for Models 2800, 2810, and 2820 with UI lock option and hideable panel for keyboard and effects. Syncable dynamic arpeggiator with Swing, Chance, and Feel to add degrees of randomness to arpeggiated patterns in regular, order, or random play modes. Support for velocity, channel aftertouch, and polyphonic aftertouch with compatible USB/MIDI controllers. Three distinct assignable aftertouch controls with 24 destinations. New Effects panel with persistently accessible UI controls for on/off, solo, bipolar modulator amount slider, and dry/wet mix for each effect. Global FX on/off, level, and stereo expand. Integrated studio-quality pedal-style Effects: Distortion/EQ effect, Dual 4/8-stage Phaser, Flanger/Chorus, three Echo delays, and five Reverb types. Syncable discrete Effects Modulator (FX LFO) with ramp, saw, triangle, sine, square, and random waveforms and delay. Master Volume with Limiter, and Master Tune. Standalone virtual instrument and plug-in versions included. Super accurate DAW sync. Highly optimized coding for optimal performance with ultra-low CPU load. User-adjustable oversampling control. Complete MIDI control and DAW automation for all controls, with easy-to-use MIDI learn and mapping (Preset and Global). Cherry Audio's popular Focus zoom-in feature, as well as standard UI zoom and resize via drag. Complete documentation available directly online from the instrument or in downloadable PDF format. YouTube.com/watch?v=5piA9mnEGrI Read More