ATtiny-Powered Business Card Plays Cracktro HitsPCB business cards are a creative way to show your tech skills while getting your name out there. This take on a PCB business card, sent in by [VCC], tackles one of the big challenges with them: making them in such a way that they are cheap enough to not feel bad about handing them out.

These cards plug into a USB port for power and have over a dozen small LEDs that light up the stars on the front, and a small buzzer that can play over ten minutes of cracktro music. To keep the cost down, [VCC] went with an ATtiny1616 microcontroller costing under 50 cents and still having plenty of outputs to drive the buzzer and LEDs. The final per-unit cost prior to shipping came out to only 1.5 euros, enabling them to be handed out without worrying about breaking the bank.
To aid in the assembly of the cards, [VCC] 3D printed a jig to apply material to the back of the USB connector, building up its thickness to securely fit in the USB port. He also wrote a small script for assembly-line programming the cards, getting the programming process down to around ten seconds per card and letting him turn through prepping the cards. Thanks, [VCC], for sending in your project—it’s a great addition to other PCB business cards we’ve featured.

Chiqui-Audio South Pacific Vibes - Percussion KitThese libraries offer a great sound quality from a group of membranophone and idiophone instruments used in the Polynesian islands for creating rhythmic patterns or atmospheric ambience. It includes the sound of drums, log drums, shakers and other percussion instruments such as the tari parau, pa'u mango, fa'atete, pahu tupai, to'eres, pātē, tin cans, iharas, opaas, oro oros, ra'au sticks, ofe tupai, water splashes and body slaps. This library is also included in Chiqui-Audio - South Pacific Vibes and Chiqui-Audio - Polynesian Vibes bundles. Features: Two libraries for Kontakt: South Pacific Vibes - Percussion Kit which contains the samples of instruments whose purpose is the creation of rhythmic patterns and South Pacific Vibes - Percussion Kit 2 to include samples that also work for the creation of rhythmic patterns, SFX and nature sounds such as water splashes. Striking and intuitive design that includes effects and editing tools such as equalizer, compressor, saturation, reverb, delay, modulation effects, among others. 23 percussion instruments were recorded playing different styles and techniques to offer a wide variety of sounds. 20 factory Snapshots. Round robbins. Ten octaves. Ten royalty free MIDI rhythm loops. Over 1.06 GB uncompressed file size. South Pacific Vibes - Percussion Kit occupies 0.71 GB of RAM memory and South Pacific Vibes - Percussion Kit 2 80.41 MB. 3671 stereo samples / 48kHz, 24-bits. User manuals with cultural information of each instrument with useful tips to reach the maximum potential of the libraries. Compatibility with Kontakt Player in demo mode. System Requirements: Full Kontakt 6.3.1, Kontakt Player 6.3.1 or higher. Approx. 4 GB of free hard drive space. 8 GB of RAM or more is recommended. I am delighted with the quality of this library. Its an excellent source of inspiration. Jorge Costa - Music producer, mixing and recording engineer who has worked with artists such as Carl Verheyen, Engelbert Humperdinck, East of Eli, Korn, Melissa Etheridge, Wiz Khalifa, Dr. Dre, Bill Evans, Jerry Goodman, Stu Ham, Simon Phillips, Greg Bissonette, Richard Gibbs, Alex Wurman and Vidjay Beerepoot. Read More

Recording and Mixing Engineer Thiago Baggio Thrives with DPA MicrophonesCurrently working with Everest Studio in São Paolo, Thiago Baggio — a three-time Latin GRAMMY winner and nominee for his work in recording and mixing engineering — approaches his multi-genre discipline with a heavy reliance on DPA Microphones, specifically the 4011 Cardioid Microphones. “I love DPA mics; they’re my favorite,” Baggio said in a press release. “To be honest, I don’t even know how to record certain instruments without them. So, when I go to a studio that doesn’t have DPA, I struggle. The 4011s specifically are a huge part of my everyday workflow.”Whether it’s engineering música popular brasileira or jazz music, Baggio relies on DPA to honor the authentic sound of the artists’ work. “Musicians often spend their entire lives crafting their sound, and I never want to interfere with that,” he says. “That’s why I love DPA; the mics are very transparent and produce high-fidelity sound, with low noise and no coloration. I also love how detailed they sound. People spend years looking for a piano for their studios, for example, so I want to honor the integrity of that instrument and uphold that authentic sound in the recording, which is when the 4011s come in handy.”The post Recording and Mixing Engineer Thiago Baggio Thrives with DPA Microphones first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

“I believe the ability to change one’s mind is the very definition of strength”: Nick Cave says his views on AI have “softened” with release of AI Elvis music videoNick Cave has changed his opinion on AI, as the Bad Seeds frontman has released a video of the band’s 1985 single, Tupelo, featuring archival images of Elvis “brought to life” using the technology.
Cave has been a prominent critic of AI in the past, particularly of ChatGPT. He previously branded the platform as a “grotesque mockery of what it is to be human” and said it should “fuck off and leave songwriting alone.”

READ MORE: AI music awards organisation bans viral AI band Velvet Sundown from entering: “This doesn’t align with our values…”

Despite this, he’s addressed the newly released video for Tupelo – which celebrates its 40th anniversary – in reply to a fan question submitted via his website, The Red Hand Files.
Within the post, Cave explains how the video was presented to him as a gift by filmmaker Andrew Dominik. The pair have worked together in the past, namely on Cave’s 2016 documentary One More Time With Feeling.
He shares how the song describes the birth of “the King” Elvis Presley during a heavy storm in Tupelo, Mississippi. Though Cave says he was skeptical at first, he says Dominik told him, “Suspend your fucking prejudices and take a look!”
“So, I watched Andrew’s film, then watched it again,” writes Cave. “I showed it to Susie [Cave’s wife]. To our surprise, we found it to be an extraordinarily profound interpretation of the song – a soulful, moving, and entirely original retelling of Tupelo, rich in mythos and a touching tribute to the great Elvis Presley, as well as to the song itself.
“The AI-animated photographs of Elvis had an uncanny quality, as if he had been raised from the dead, and the crucifixion-resurrection images at the end were both shocking and deeply affecting,” he adds. “As I watched Andrew’s surreal little film, I felt my view of AI as an artistic device soften. To some extent, my mind was changed.”
Cave continues, “I believe that the ability to change one’s mind is the very definition of strength. We pursue the truth wherever it may lead, remaining flexible and humble enough to adjust our views as new evidence emerges, regardless of how uncomfortable that may feel. It is ultimately a form of resilience, not a sign of weakness. Rigidity breaks; flexibility endures.”
You can watch the video below:

The post “I believe the ability to change one’s mind is the very definition of strength”: Nick Cave says his views on AI have “softened” with release of AI Elvis music video appeared first on MusicTech.

Open Planet Software release Sessions 3.0 Open Planet Software have announced the launch of the latest version of their Mac-based plug-in host, along with the welcome news that the application can now be used on an iPad. 

2% of Spotify listeners buy 50% of concert ticketsSpotify dropped some stats and advice on nurturing streaming Super Listeners last week. With the data comes a surprising takeaway on the importance of an artist's most active fans, particularly when it comes to selling tickets to live shows.
The post 2% of Spotify listeners buy 50% of concert tickets appeared first on Hypebot.

Native Instruments release FREE Massive X Player virtual synthesizer
Native Instruments has released Massive X Player, a free, streamlined version of its flagship synthesizer, now available as part of the Komplete Start bundle for macOS and Windows. Massive X Player brings the power of Massive X’s sound engine to a broader audience, now available as a free virtual instrument. It features a simplified interface [...]
View post: Native Instruments release FREE Massive X Player virtual synthesizer

7 Features every Musician Website Must Have + How to add themA well-built website is one of the most powerful tools a musician can have to attract fans, industry attention, and new opportunities. The experts at Cyber PR share 7 features every musician website must have and how to add them.
The post 7 Features every Musician Website Must Have + How to add them appeared first on Hypebot.

LAST CALL: Get Sonnox Voca for Only $14.51 until July 31st (90% OFF)
Plugin Boutique is offering a massive 90% discount on Voca, the all-in-one vocal processing plugin from Sonnox, until July 31st. Originally priced at over $150, you can now grab it for just $14.50 in a fantastic deal for anyone working with vocals. Sonnox is well-known for high-end studio tools like Oxford EQ and Inflator, and [...]
View post: LAST CALL: Get Sonnox Voca for Only $14.51 until July 31st (90% OFF)

Rekordbox just made DJing on your phone ridiculously easy with the new Lite modeAlready deep into Rekordbox but wish you had a simpler way to mix on the go? Maybe something you can fire up on your phone during commutes, holidays, or sofa sessions? Say hello to Lite mode, the brand new, stripped-back version of Rekordbox built right into the iOS and Android app.
Available now as part of Rekordbox 4.5.0, Lite mode offers a stripped-back, beginner-friendly experience that still feels legit. It’s free to use, super intuitive, and designed to get you mixing tracks on your smartphone or tablet in seconds, even if it’s your first time trying.

READ MORE: How AlphaTheta Chordcat puts 110,000 chords at your fingertips

Lite mode’s interface is designed to keep things fun and frictionless. You get a pair of virtual decks with animated jog wheels and pulsing backgrounds that match your music’s beat and album art. It’s colourful, clean, reactive – and honestly, pretty hypnotic to watch.
Moving the on-screen crossfader intelligently and smoothly adjusts the tempo to transition from one song to the next. No beat matching is required. Plus, you can throw in echo and rhythm-based effects with those big on-screen buttons that don’t need a manual to figure out even for beginners. Visual feedback also appears on-screen with every tap, adding to the interactive nature.
If the two-deck setup feels like overkill, Single mode gives you just one track to focus on by displaying one track’s record artwork across the screen. Everything works in vertical orientation, too, making it super handy for commuting, chilling, or just zoning into a song and vibing with it in your own way.
And with support for popular music streaming services such as Apple Music, SoundCloud, Beatport, and Tidal, you can start mixing your favourite songs from your playlists or top track lists without even having any music stored on your device.
Once you’ve got the hang of Lite mode, you can switch to the full version of Rekordbox with a single tap. Everything’s designed to grow with you, with no pressure, no paywall in the way of the basics.

Learn more at rekordbox.
The post Rekordbox just made DJing on your phone ridiculously easy with the new Lite mode appeared first on MusicTech.

MusicTech Magazine relaunches – here’s how to get your copy of the July/August 2025 issueMusicTech returns to print this week – as part of a bundle with NME Magazine! Here’s how you can get a copy of the July/August 2025 issue.
In April, we announced the relaunch of the MusicTech print edition after a four-year hiatus. This Thursday, you’ll be able to get your hands on the July/August 2025 issue of MusicTech Magazine, featuring unmissable features and reviews, which comes with a copy of the July/August 2025 issue of NME Magazine.
Mark your calendars for Thursday July 31 at 2pm BST – that’s when the cover stars of both magazines will be revealed and the mags go on sale exclusively via retailer Dawsons. The waiting room is open, so check it out now.
Besides MusicTech, Guitar.com has also returned to print. Guitar.com, MusicTech and NME are sister publications under NME Networks. The new Guitar.com and MusicTech print editions will alternate with every bi-monthly edition of NME Magazine – which itself was relaunched in 2023 – meaning three print editions per calendar year for each brand.
Subscribe here for more information about MusicTech Magazine and for the chance to receive an exclusive queue jump opportunity, where readers can get their hands on a copy before anyone else. MusicTech will be sending out queue jump tickets shortly before the magazine goes on sale to randomly chosen subscribers.
The post MusicTech Magazine relaunches – here’s how to get your copy of the July/August 2025 issue appeared first on MusicTech.

The Formant was a ’70s modular synth you could only build from a magazine diagram. Now it’s coming back as a DIY kit – here’s how to get yoursBefore Eurorack took over studio walls and YouTube feeds, there was the Formant, a fascinating modular analogue synth you could only build by following circuit diagrams from Elektor, the groundbreaking electronics-themed magazine from the 1970s.
Now, it’s getting a proper revival thanks to Erica Synths, who’ve turned the elusive system into a modern DIY kit.

READ MORE: “I’m like the Nutty Professor!”: Watch Ozzy Osbourne work his way around a vintage ARP 2600 synth

In collaboration with British musician and YouTuber Look Mum No Computer aka Sam Battle, Erica Synths previewed the updated Formant at a live soldering marathon that took place at Battle’s This Museum Is (Not) Obsolete museum. The mission? Assemble the entire synth in just 24 hours.
Spoiler: it took 25 hours instead. But that’s still pretty awesome.
With support from artist and synth builder JacqNoise, a team of solder-hardened enthusiasts spent a sleepless night piecing together Erica’s reimagined Formant. The project kept the soul of the original but added some very welcome modern touches: MIDI, pitch and gate transfer, 12V compatibility, and an easier back panel for rewiring.
For those who missed the big build, fear not for this isn’t just a one-off flex. According to JacqNoise, the full Formant system will soon be available as a DIY project you can reserve through Erica Synths.
While the Formant’s final configuration hasn’t been confirmed, the system shown at the Kent event was nothing short of beefy, featuring a sequencer, two VCOs, two filters, RFM, FX, ADSR envelopes, dual VCAs, LFOs and more. Basically, everything you need to build weird, wonderful walls of sound.
And yes, it looks as gnarly as it sounds.
As JacqNoise writes in her latest Instagram post: “The OG design has been challenged with upgrades like MIDI, 12V, pitch and gate transfer, a Gucci beauty case… definitely worth it for your next crown in your studio or for making the stage rattle.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by J̥ͦḁͦc̥ͦk̥ͦy̥ͦ 🄹🄰🄲🅀🅽︎🅸🆂🅴 (@jacqnoise)

Check out the synth below.

Learn more at Erica Synths.
The post The Formant was a ’70s modular synth you could only build from a magazine diagram. Now it’s coming back as a DIY kit – here’s how to get yours appeared first on MusicTech.

“Looping is merely the ultimate extension of overdubbing”: Top insights from the creator of the Akai MPCMost musicians know the Akai MPC as a beat-making powerhouse, but according to original creator Roger Linn, it may also be “the ultimate looper” – even if it wasn’t exactly meant to be one.
In a new video, the legendary electronic instrument pioneer and designer behind the MPC60 walks through how he uses the Akai MPC for live looping.
“If you think about it, looping is merely the ultimate extension of overdubbing,” Linn says. What makes live looping so compelling, he explains, is that it allows the audience to witness the music being built in real time – much like watching a “painting” unfold stroke by stroke.

READ MORE: Akai Professional brings stem separation to its standalone MPC hardware

Most conventional loop pedals, however, come with two major limitations: they only record audio, which “removes the possibility of live manipulation of the MIDI data after recording”, and they don’t allow switching between different multi-track sequences, which can make performances feel repetitive over time.
That’s where the MPC blows the doors wide open.
“Although the MPC isn’t primarily intended to be a looper, I found it to be the ultimate looper,” says Linn.
He explains that the MPC allows for the recording of drum tracks, pitched sequence tracks, and audio tracks as overdubs in real time, as well as the manipulation of tracks (effects changes, transposition, etc.) and the changing between multitrack sequences – all without ever stopping playback.
“You can create a multitrack loop sequence and then without stopping, create another… then another,” he says. “Then arrange them in real time with manipulations.”
This is something that can’t be done even in major DAWs like Apple’s Logic Pro or Ableton Live.
“Computer DAWs only load a single multitrack sequence at a time,” Linn notes. “This is significant, because it’s tricky to write software that manipulates so much data. So kudos to Akai’s software team.”
Linn’s endorsement is also especially noteworthy given the rocky history between him and Akai. While he collaborated with the company on the original MPC60 back in 1988, later changes in management led to a falling-out over unpaid royalties. That said, the two parties appear to have reconciled recently, with Linn even praising the MPC Live 2 on his YouTube channel last June.
“It is said that the reward is in the journey,” Linn concludes his demo. “So, let audiences see your journey. Thanks for watching.”

The post “Looping is merely the ultimate extension of overdubbing”: Top insights from the creator of the Akai MPC appeared first on MusicTech.

“There is no perfect mix”: If you’ve ever been stuck on a mix that never seems finished – you should listen to this stellar advice from Andy WallaceStuck on tweaking that chorus for the tenth time? You’re not alone – but maybe it’s time to walk away. As legendary producer and mix engineer Andy Wallace puts it: “There’s no perfect mix”.
And he would know. With a resume that spans Nirvana’s Nevermind, Slayer’s Reign in Blood, and Linkin Park’s Meteora, Wallace has shaped some of the music business’s most definitive sounds.

READ MORE: Get over 60% off the “secret weapon for top mix engineers” right now at Plugin Boutique

In a rare new interview with Rick Beato, the engineer opens up about the creative tightrope that mixing demands: balancing vision with “instinct”, clarity with character, and polish with personality.
“There’s different mixes and there’s good mixes, but there’s no perfect mix,” he says.
For Wallace, mixing isn’t just about nailing the sonics – it’s about serving the artist’s intent and vision without flattening their identity in the process.
“I always like to have the artist input as well. Because it’s their record,” he explains. “I’ve said this many times. It’s their record. It’s not my record. And I can mix it on my own and you know, hopefully it’ll sound great and people will love it, but their input is what makes it their record.”
“I like to make sure that the band likes what I’m doing and they don’t feel it’s turned into a cartoon or something.”
When it comes to knowing when a song is “done”, the mixing legend relies on two gut checks: catching the right “vibe”, and resisting the temptation to overload the mix.
“To some degree even before you start, when you are doing pre-production or something like that you have a basic concept, however ethereal it might be, of what you want that song to be,” he says. “Maybe you know some reference songs, like ‘I want it to sound like Led Zeppelin’s this, that or the other thing.’ Or have that vibe. So you kind of know when you caught that vibe in it.”
Once that vibe is locked in, it becomes a matter of knowing when enough is enough. Or in Wallace’s words, “[it’s] when you don’t feel that it’s lacking.”
“There’s always a temptation to put too much on it and then it gets distracting,” says the engineer. “That’s something I think you learn with experience – when to say that’s enough.”
“It’s certainly possible to add more things that are really cool,” he adds, “but you can’t have everything in there at once or you lose the special, unique quality that you’re looking for because you want that song to stand out and be unique.”
At the heart of it all is a sensibility that can’t quite be taught: “Instinct. I can’t really put a name on it other than that,” says Wallace. “Because it’s the same thing that happens in anything that I that I mix or produce, whether it’s Jeff Buckley or Slayer, the same mindset is happening just with different tools, and sometimes a different objective”

You can follow Rick Beato via his official YouTube channel.
The post “There is no perfect mix”: If you’ve ever been stuck on a mix that never seems finished – you should listen to this stellar advice from Andy Wallace appeared first on MusicTech.

Soyuz announce the 023 MALFA Delux Soyuz have announced the upcoming launch of a limited-edition mic based on a modified example of their 023 Bomblet, along with a capsule option for their existing 023 Bomblet and 017 TUBE/FET.