Two Bits, Four Bits, a Twelve-bit OscilloscopeUntil recently, hobby-grade digital oscilloscopes were mostly, at most, 8-bit sampling. However, newer devices offer 12-bit conversion. Does it matter? Depends. [Kiss Analog] shows where a 12-bit scope may outperform an 8-bit one.
It may seem obvious, of course. When you store data in 8-bit resolution and zoom in on it, you simply have less resolution. However, seeing the difference on real data is enlightening.

To perform the test, he used three scopes to freeze on a fairly benign wave. Then he cranked up the vertical scale and zoomed in horizontally. The 8-bit scopes reveal a jagged line where the digitizer is off randomly by a bit or so. The 12-bit was able to zoom in on a smooth waveform.
Of course, if you set the scope to zoom in in real time, you don’t have that problem as much, because you divide a smaller range by 256 (the number of slices in 8 bits). However, if you have that once-in-a-blue-moon waveform captured, you might appreciate not having to try to capture it again with different settings.
A scope doesn’t have to be physically large to do a 12-bit sample. Digital sampling for scopes has come a long way.

What is blues music? History, characteristics, and impact
Learn about the unique history of blues music, its key characteristics, influence on other genres, and more.

Heavyocity Sonara: Voices In MotionSonara: Voices In Motion is an innovative and inspiring virtual instrument dedicated to modern vocal sound design, designed to imbue your tracks with dynamic and emotive vocal power. Building upon Heavyocity's reputation for impactful sound design, Sonara steps into the realm of human voice, delivering pristine and intimate performances that aim to feel as if they are unfolding live within your studio. This versatile Kontakt-powered library is crafted to seamlessly blend into a wide array of musical projects, from cinematic scores and game audio to contemporary pop, electronic, and ambient music. At its core, Sonara offers a rich tapestry of vocal elements, meticulously performed by three distinct vocalists: Kristin, Carla, and Ally. Each singer brings their unique timbre and expressive quality to the recorded material, ensuring a diverse and adaptable sonic palette. The library is not simply a collection of raw vocal samples; it provides a comprehensive toolkit of rhythmic pedals, melodic motifs, dynamic textures, and expressive improv phrases, all designed to be instantly inspiring and highly manipulable within Heavyocity's powerful Gravity 2 engine. This blend of organic vocal performances and advanced sound design capabilities allows composers and producers to create everything from subtle, ethereal vocal layers to driving, rhythmic elements and evolving, cinematic soundscapes. Features: Diverse Vocal Collection: Features over 2,060 unique vocal sources across three distinct female vocalists (Kristin, Carla, Ally), providing a broad range of tonal characteristics. Rhythmic Pedals: Includes 576 multi-sampled and tempo-synced rhythmic pedals, offering foundational rhythmic performances in straight and triplet feels, with solo, soft, backing, and soft backing styles for layering. Melodic Motifs: Offers 1,152 unique musical phrases across 24 motifs in 8 keys (both major and minor), providing ready-to-use melodic content. Dynamic Textures: Features 48 multi-sampled dynamic textures, including "Dancers," "Moving Vowels," "Sustains," and "Group Textures," for crafting lush pads and evolving soundscapes. Expressive Improvisations: Contains 288 improvisations in 4 different keys (major and minor) for adding organic, spontaneous vocal nuances. Gravity 2 Engine Integration: Housed within Heavyocity's powerful Gravity 2 engine, providing advanced control and flexibility for sound manipulation, including a convenient width knob, source swapping across channels, and a comprehensive effects section. Three-Channel Layering: Allows for rich, full-bodied vocal stacks by utilizing three channels to layer solo performances with background sources (panned left and right), including softer versions for intimate moments. Intuitive Browser: An intuitive browser allows for easy curation and loading of phrase-based sources across three banks. Tuning Keys: Provides tuning keys to change the root tune of phrases, adapting them to your composition. Macro Control: Features a MACRO knob for dynamic multi-parameter control and sequencing, enabling complex sound transformations. Per-Channel FX: Offers per-channel effects controls for Envelope, Tone, Drive, Motion, and Space. Advanced Mixer: Includes an advanced mixer with "Drift" and "Scatter" controls, plus recordable automation. Performance Controls: Provides performance controls for tempo-sync, start times, and sequencing. Custom Master FX: Features a custom master effects section including Punish, Compression, Reverb, and Delay. Settings Page: A detailed settings page allows for fine-tuning of legato, glide, sustain, and velocity parameters. NKS Ready: Fully compatible with Native Instruments NKS for seamless integration with Komplete Kontrol keyboards and Maschine. Compatibility: Requires Native Instruments Kontakt Full or Kontakt Player 7 or higher. Download Size: Over 8 GB of vocal content. https://youtu.be/uhnhCST7CXg?si=TsQKuvRqcoFA7AaU Read More

Franklin Templeton launches 'intraday yield' for tokenized assets on BenjiYield for assets is often calculated over at least one-day periods, a problem that blockchain composability could address, according to the asset manager.

Universal Audio’s Apollo E Series now shipping The new arrivals to UA's Apollo range allow engineers to seamlessly integrate Unison preamp emulation, personal monitoring and UAD plug-in processing into live sound, broadcast and networked studio environments.

Anthem Music Publishing acquires Marty Robbins song catalogThe acquisition covers more than 500 songs released across 72 albums spanning the late 1940s through the early 1980s.
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“The best Polyend deal on the internet”: Get over 40% off two of Polyend’s most celebrated pieces of gear on ReverbThe official Polyend shop on Reverb is currently hosting a sale on its Tracker+ workstation and Play+ groovebox, with over 40 percent off each.
Play+ launched in 2023 after the brand debuted it during 2022’s Superbooth. Tracker+ followed shortly after, arriving just in time for the 2024 event. At full price they are $899, but are now retailing for just $499 each via Reverb – the gear marketplace describes the deal as the “best on the internet” right now.

READ MORE: Polyend celebrates 10 years in business with sleek limited-edition Tracker Mini – here’s how to get yours

Tracker+ offers a 16-track sequencer, and integrates advanced sampling, MIDI sequencing, and built-in synthesis. It retains the “intuitive interface” of the original Tracker, hosting a large screen, responsive mechanical keys, and a tactile jog wheel.
It also introduces multiple synth engines, with each offering unique traits, plus a generous library of presets. The synth engines are:

ACD: Emulates classic monophonic analogue synths for vintage tones.
FAT: For “rich”, analogue warmth with three virtual oscillators and detune control.
VAP: A virtual analogue polysynth with dual oscillators and a versatile modulation matrix.
WTFM: A two-operator FM synth engine utilising wavetable-based oscillators for complex textures.
PERC: A dedicated drum machine engine, offering classic 808/909 sounds and even modern percussive elements.

As for Play+, this groovebox delivers “endless possibilities for beat creation”; it offers flexible sequencing across eight audio tracks and eight polyphonic MIDI and synth tracks. Polyend also brands it as the “centrepiece of your studio”.
Play+ also features the same synth engines, and upcoming updates will add even more engines, as well as a Perform mode for synth and MIDI tracks. Both items are sold as brand new via the official Reverb store.
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In April, it was announced that Reverb had been sold by its parent company Etsy, making it a privately held, independently operated company for the first time since 2019. The marketplace was purchased by Creator Partners and Servco, two investment firms with strong ties to the music industry.
To find out more or shop the deals now, head over to Reverb.
The post “The best Polyend deal on the internet”: Get over 40% off two of Polyend’s most celebrated pieces of gear on Reverb appeared first on MusicTech.

Live Nation invests $1B in new venues in 18 smaller U.S. citiesLive Nation invests $1B in 18 new venues across the U.S. "bringing more big shows to smaller cities."
The post Live Nation invests $1B in new venues in 18 smaller U.S. cities appeared first on Hypebot.

These free music-making apps for iPhone and Android are a must-have for creatorsMobile apps for phones and tablets are the perfect way to make beats and tracks on the move and even in the studio, often capable of transferring projects and data to your desktop computers via the cloud. With some incredible paid apps now available, including pro-level DAWs like Logic Pro for iPad and Cubasis, you’ll also want to get your hands on some of these excellent free ones, ranging from serious synths to beatboxes and composition tools.

READ MORE: Best freeware for music-making: Top free apps, DAWs, plug-ins, instruments and more

In fact, if you wanted to keep things as affordable as possible, it’s quite easy to record, arrange, mix and edit entire tracks using only the free apps in this guide. You will notice that many are for iOS — that’s because Apple’s software and devices have a more consistent approach to their design, making developers more inclined to make apps for them. Nonetheless, Android users are well catered for too, and you’ll find plenty to like here, whatever your OS. Get downloading and start making music for free today.
The best free mobile apps for making music – at a glance

Animoog Z for iOS
AudioKit Synth One
Auxy Studio
Reason Compact
BandLab
Splice
Soundtrap
Hypertron for iOS
Korg Gadget 2 Le
Apple GarageBand
Roland Zenbeats

Animoog Z for iOS
Image: Moog
Designed by legendary synth brand Moog Music, the Animoog Z runs on iPhone, iPad or Mac and is free to download with a series of optional unlocks for individual sound packs, or just £15 for the lot. Running as a standalone app or as a plug-in on your device inside a mobile DAW, it has 16 voices of polyphony and uses a bespoke synth engine with a novel “orbit system” that lets you sculpt sounds in a 3D space. You can play and program it using its own built-in keyboard or via a connected MPE-compatible controller, taking advantage of the extra expression allowed by the advanced MIDI format.
Experience new sonic worlds by using the polyphonic modulation and pitch-shifting capabilities with configurable scales, key distances, pitch correction and glide, all in a unique interface. Choose from a large selection of built-in timbres or make custom sounds by recording your own timbres directly in, or importing your own samples. A battery of advanced effects rounds out the compelling feature set.
Audiokit Synth One

Claiming to be the world’s first free, open-source professional synth app, Audiokit Synth One is the product of a collaboration between industry experts, volunteers and others that easily rivals paid mobile synths for sound and features. With a slick and powerful interface, its list of capabilities is impressive, a six-voice hybrid analogue / FM polysynth with over 300 presets, Audiobus 3 and inter-app audio support, compatibility with mobile DAWs like Cubasis, GarageBand and Logic Pro, five oscillators, a 16-step sequencer, Ableton Link and tons more.
There’s also a bunch of onboard effects, support for MIDI control and input from a physical controller as well as the touch pads, MIDI learn and an arpeggiator. While “free” can sometimes be a byword for middling sound and performance with paid upgrades unlocking the real functionality, here there aren’t even any annoying ads – just download the app to your device – a relatively tiny 50MB – and start patching and making presets wherever you are.
Learn more at audiokitpro.com.
Auxy Studio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80OhUoQXIk8
With a slick, minimal interface that’s reminiscent of Reason and Ableton Live, Auxy Studio can be downloaded for free, with a 7-day trial of the full feature set, after which you can opt to pay for a subscription. Its colour-coded, touch-based interface makes Auxy ideal for newcomers and seasoned beatmakers alike.
To begin with, draw in notes to create beats and melodies. Then, arrange loops into tracks or just experiment as you go, using the thousands of downloadable sounds including the ability to import your own samples. Onboard effects and automation let you add interest to your mixes while finished tracks can be uploaded straight to the cloud.
Learn more at auxy.co
Reason Compact (iOS)

Reason’s powerful synth and drum engines in the palm of your hand, for free? Surely it’s too good to be true? For Android users, it is. Still, Reason Compact is a nifty app that integrates with the desktop version of Reason, and has the ability to export sounds as WAVs for use in other DAWs. It sports a unique and user-friendly interface, with tempo-sync via Ableton Link, Inter-App Audio and Audiobus support. The downside is that you’re limited to three tracks, and most of the creation tools are locked behind a paywall.
Read our guide on how to use it, here.
BandLab

[Editor’s note: BandLab and MusicTech are both part of Caldecott Music Group.]
With no in-app purchases, cross-platform compatibility and a free download, BandLab is an ideal solution for getting your musical ideas down and collaborating with your peers. With an extensive library of built-in instruments, free loops and samples (including packs created by established artists), you can create compositions up to six minutes long, with 12 instrument channels.
BandLab doubles as a social platform, so you can share your tracks instantly, participate in competitions, explore new music and connect with other users. Collaboration is achieved via ‘forking’, in which other users dive into your project with your permission and add their own ideas. With more than 16 million users, worldwide competitions and an ever-increasing roster of contributing artists, BandLab should be on your radar regardless of your skill level. Just make sure you have a stable internet connection or you could run into latency issues.
For more information on BandLab, check here.
Splice Mobile
Credit: Splice
Splice makes its vast sample collection available for you to access and work with anywhere in its free iOS app. Browse the entire catalogue from your phone, audition samples and loops and then stack them up using the straightforward sequencer to create songs. You can even use the record function to capture live audio over your productions; vocals, guitars and other sources.
If you’re struggling for inspiration, simply use the app’s Create Mode to call up an auto-generated, genre-specific set of stacks, then tweak and edit these as you wish to make them your own. You can AirDrop your projects or mixdowns to friends to collaborate, or go via the cloud. If you want to transfer to your desktop DAW to continue working, you’ll need a paid subscription — there are various options here — but if you’re happy to stay in the app it remains free.
Learn more at splice.com
Hypertron

Keeping its layout and design super simple, Hypertron brings an MPC-style of sampling and sequencing to your Mac, iPhone or iPad. Able to run both as a standalone app or as an AUv3 plug-in inside a DAW, you can customise your workspace, sample and edit, sequence and even use the onboard monophonic synthesizer to add more dimensions to your sample-based productions. Ableton Link is also supported.
Each pad can be a loop with up to 64 bars and can have its own individual bar length. Build your song by toggling pads on and off during a performance, add multiple effects from the selection provided and load and edit your own samples with ease. You can even generate totally unique sounds with text-to-audio AI generation of new samples – this feature is free to try, and a one-time purchase of $4.99 unlocks the full feature set.
Learn more at hypertron-insrtument.com
Korg Gadget 2 Le

Korg’s fun yet powerful Gadget software is a unique combination of a large selection of Korg’s own instruments, synths and beatboxes and a bespoke sequencer plus a ton of FX. It’s really a self-contained MIDI programming studio with a focus on creating everything from cool loops and beats to entire tracks.
While the paid version of Gadget is at V3, the free Le version is still available both for iOS and for Mac. Here you get just three Gadgets plus a further two if you connect an official Korg MIDI controller to the software. When you’re done programming, you can upload your tracks to the cloud for sharing with other users.
While the app contains fewer features and instruments than the full version, it’s a stellar introduction to the world of Gadget, and you can upgrade to the newer version at any time should you want to. 
Learn more about Korg Gadet 2 Le on the App Store.  

Soundtrap

Available for Android, iOS and desktop browsers, Soundtrap is similar to BandLab. It gives you a DAW approach to mobile music-making with MIDI instruments, sample and loop libraries (albeit not as vast as BandLab’s), and the ability to record in your own audio and import MIDI data. You’ll get tutorials as soon as you create an account, so you won’t need to spend ages getting to grips with it, and even if you skip the tutorials, it’s fairly user-friendly.
Unfortunately, to unlock some of the more advanced features like automation, Auto-Tune and Time Restore, you’ll need a subscription of £6.49 per month. Plus, as it requires a constant internet connection, you’ll need reliable speeds. For a quick jam or getting ideas down, this is easily a go-to application, though.
For more information on Soundtrap, check here.
Apple GarageBand (iOS only)

Don’t underestimate the power of Garageband iOS – many pros have made hit records using this app. Apple’s iOS DAW integrates into its big brother, Logic Pro X, and includes a loop feature for quick jamming, and a library of comfortable touch instruments. You’ll also get an array of built-in pedals to run your signal through. It’s ridiculously capable, with the ability to load AUv3 instruments and effects such as the Minimoog Model D, or Fabfilter’s iOS plug-ins. The only downside is that it isn’t available on Android devices.
For more information on GarageBand, check here.
Roland Zenbeats

After purchasing Stagelight, Roland rebranded the mini music-making station to Zenbeats and packed plenty of genuine vintage Roland synth and drum machine sounds into it. You can create multi-track projects and export them to your DAW, and use it alongside other apps with AUv3 support. Unfortunately, despite its great intentions, it can be fiddly and almost has too many features. You’ll need to make a few in-app purchases to get the best sounds, though there’s an offer at the moment that gives you Zenbeats Unlock for free. Those with limited storage will have to be careful not to overload on sounds as well, as they take up a lot of space.
Why You Can Trust MusicTech
MusicTech reviews hundreds of new products every year, from powerful synthesizers, DAWs and pro plugins through to everyday headphones and portable speakers. Our expert reviewers are producers, engineers and enthusiasts with hundreds of years of collective experience, with a keen ear to the ground on new trends and technologies.
Every guide on MusicTech is created by a producer, musician and tech enthusiast just like you. We understand what you’re looking for when searching for a new MIDI controller, and we want to ensure you purchase genuinely useful products for your craft. So you can guarantee that every product MusicTech recommends to you is a product we’d be happy to have in our studios.
Check out more buyer’s guides on MusicTech here.
For more buyer’s guides, check here. Looking for more freeware? Head this way.
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How to Upgrade Your Online Presence in just One DayStale social media might be costing you fans, but a quick DIY refresh can turn that around in just one day. Learn how to upgrade your online presence, optimize your profile, boost engagement, and convert casual visitors into loyal listeners, without a big budget.
The post How to Upgrade Your Online Presence in just One Day appeared first on Hypebot.

Mary Droppinz went from juvie DJ sets to global stages — now, her Virtual DJ University is giving others a head startIt’s been about a decade since Mary Droppinz first took her place behind the decks. In that time, she’s gone from a local DJ in LA to a Twitch partner and international touring artist, performing at Lightning in a Bottle, Infrasound Festival, Shambhala, Friendship, Coachella’s Do LaB, and many more.
READ MORE: Best DJ gear: 9 of the best USB sticks for DJs in 2025
Before she was a mainstay on the road, Mary (real name Alyssa Johnson) DJ’d somewhere most people work all their lives to avoid: juvie. For two years, she worked with Give a Beat, an organisation that offers music and arts courses to “communities affected by incarceration.” Through this program, she went to juvenile detention centres to teach incarcerated youth how to become a DJ.
“They obviously struggle — they’re stuck there, locked up,” Johnson tells MusicTech. “To hear them say, ‘I can’t wait to get my DJ equipment when I get out,’ to give them hope and something to work towards, is really special.”
Sharing that hope through knowledge has been an essential aspect of her career. Now, she’s started Virtual DJ University — and she wants her students to find success much sooner than she did.
“If I’d known the stuff in this course when I first started [as an artist], I’d be where I’m at now five years ago,” Johnson says.
To make it work, Johnson developed the DJ training course to dive into the entire process and lifestyle of becoming a headlining DJ. With the help of production studio Killed With Kindness, she filmed a series of videos to comprise the curriculum, allowing students to move through the course at their own pace.
There are lessons on preparing for a set, such as finding new tracks, picking the right USBs and headphones, and organising playlists in Rekordbox. For when you’re actually on stage, the Virtual DJ University has tutorials for switching between genres, using DJ mixer effects, strategies for reading the crowd, and how to play best as an opener or headliner. Moving into the business aspect of DJing, Johnson explores topics like branding and finding a manager and agent.

“I’m very good at simplifying and sharing things that seem complicated”, Johnson says, doing her best to appeal to her students as both a teacher and a friend. “The best way to learn to DJ is one-on-one with someone you’re hanging out with who knows how to DJ. I’m their friend, teaching them what I know and how I learned it.”
But after so much time learning the craft on her own, Johnson knows that to fast-track success, a DJ has to understand their inner self in addition to having technical skills and a professional network.
“My thing is healing blocks”, she says. “I really explain in the University, ‘Find what your story is’. A lot of people are like, ‘Pick a lane,’ so everybody’s built up these walls. I’m trying to break them all down and plant the seed — let your flowers grow wherever they may.”
Johnson’s confidence as an educator comes from being involved in teaching since 2017. In 2020, she started teaching with Femme House, LP Giobbi’s platform for giving women, gender-diverse, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC people more opportunities in electronic music. Today, she is the organisation’s DJ curriculum director.
“[Giobbi] and Lauren [Spalding] from Femme House were the first ones to say that I’m a gifted teacher. When I heard them say that, I was like, ‘Maybe I am?’” Johnson says. “My mom was a teacher. My aunt was a teacher. My grandma. All these women in my family were teachers. So it’s actually not so random anymore to me. I just didn’t realise it. I know I’m a DJ teacher and not a first-grade teacher. But still, I’m a teacher.”
Learn more about Mary Droppinz’ Virtual DJ University. 
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
The post Mary Droppinz went from juvie DJ sets to global stages — now, her Virtual DJ University is giving others a head start appeared first on MusicTech.

My Forever Studio: Luxxury goes punk rock in the BahamasLuxxury might be known for the One Song show but on this podcast, we’re all about Six Items. How will he fare in Studio Foreverdom?
If you’ve got absolutely no idea what we’re talking about, that’s fair — let’s break it down.
Luxxury, the LA-based musicologist, producer, DJ and remixer (real name Blake Robin) is renowned for his groove-laden remixes and edits. But you might also know him as the co-host of the critically-acclaimed One Song podcast, where he and Diallo Riddle strip back iconic tracks to find out how they were produced. In this episode of My Forever Studio, brought to you in partnership with Audient, we chart his journey from drummer to producer via a collection of important four-track tapes.
We dive deep into discussions around musical gatekeeping, explore how to keep a DIY punk-rock ethos alive in the studio, and discover which legendary artists Luxxury dreams of ‘borrowing’ instruments from.
Listen to the full episode on your favourite podcasting platform.

When Luxxury’s not pulling apart your favourite music, he’s blending disco, funk, and house to make bona fide bangers. His remixes and original tracks have found mainstream appeal and have been played on dance floors worldwide, making him a sought-after figure in the contemporary electronic music scene.
In the previous episode of My Forever Studio, producer and viral content creator Ellie Dixon joined us to share her home recording secrets — including which kitchen utensils double as the ultimate percussion instrument. You can check out the full video, recorded at TYX London, below, or listen on your favourite podcasting platform.

The My Forever Studio podcast – created in partnership with Audient – sees artists, producers, and engineers create their dream fantasy Forever Studio, wherever they want in the universe. However, hosts Chris Barker and Will Betts impose some strict rules in the Forever Studio. Our guests are permitted a limited number of items in their creative space, so they must choose carefully. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles!
Subscribe to My Forever Studio on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and check out all episodes so far via MusicTech.
The post My Forever Studio: Luxxury goes punk rock in the Bahamas appeared first on MusicTech.

Telegram founder Durov on arrest, detention in France: ‘I’m confused’In an interview with Tucker Carlson, Pavel Durov’s first since being indicted on six charges in 2024, said his company did nothing wrong.

Sir Lucian Grainge’s interview with Spotify’s Alex Norström at Brilliant Minds: 5 things we learned…Universal Music Group's Chairman and CEO sat down for a fireside chat with Spotify's Co-President, Chief Business Officer at the Brilliant Minds conference last week
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Still no AI-powered, ‘more personalized’ Siri from Apple at WWDC 25Apple announced a slew of updates at the Worldwide Developer Conference with one notable exception. It still hasn't revealed its previously announced AI-powered Siri.