Fors introduce Pivot FM soft synth The result of years of research and development and inspired by the company’s love of FM synthesis, the latest addition to the Fors range promises to deliver just the right balance of flexibility and simplicity. 

Brazil’s central bank service provider hacked, $140M stolenThe theft occurred after the hackers allegedly compromised an employee of C&M, a software service provider, by buying the employee’s login credentials.

3D Printer Turbo-Charges a Vintage Vehicle[Ryan] of [Fat Lip Collective] has been on a streak of using 3D printing for his car mod projects. From spark plug adapters to exhaust pipes to dash panels, his CAD skills and additive manufacturing tech have played a number of roles in his process.
Most recently, [Ryan] has embarked on a mission to equip an ’80s-era Toyota KE70 Corolla with a turbo engine. The main question there being how to fit the engine back into the car once he’s inserted a salvaged turbo into the exhaust line.
There is a non-trivial amount of stuff that needs to be packed in with the rest of the engine and finding a working configuration that doesn’t get in the way of anything else requires some trial and error. Furthermore, the alignment of the many twisting and turning pieces of schedule 40 pipe that will direct gasses where they need to go needs to be pretty precise.
Juggling all of this would be tedious, time consuming, and error prone if it were not for [Ryan’s] mighty 3D printer. He printed a set of the different elbows and reducers modeled on the schedule 40 pipe that he would likely be using. He added degree markers for easy reference later and flat sections at the ends of each piece so they could be bolted to each other. With this kit of parts in hand, he was able to mock up different arrangements, re-configuring them as he considered the position of other nearby components.

The project is still ongoing. but we’re looking forward to seeing [Ryan] roaring around in his souped-up Corolla soon. In the meantime you can go deeper on ways of adding turbo to vehicles from the ’90s, the innovation of the Mercedes Formula 1 split turbo engine, and see the evolution of a 3D-printed pulsejet turbocharger.
Thanks to [Ryan Ralph] (not the same Ryan) for tipping us off.

Microsoft is closing its local operations in PakistanMicrosoft is closing its operations in Pakistan, marking the end of a 25-year presence in the South Asian nation. The Redmond-based company on Friday told TechCrunch that it is changing its operational model in Pakistan and will now serve its customers through resellers and “other closely located Microsoft offices.” “Our customer agreements and service will […]

From AI artists to Warner’s $1.2bn JV with Bain… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days
Source

“Why waste a good mic on those vocals? Use this and keep expectations low”: Caelum Audio’s Toyphonic Micraliser destroys your vocals and is totally not seriousCaelum Audio has just released a new free plugin, the Toyphonic Micraliser, alongside its International Joke Day sale. This follows on from other intentionally bad quality-sounding freebies like Dustbin and SUBscription.
The new plugin continues Caelum Audio’s trend of releasing freebies that are seemingly designed to poke fun at the music technology industry itself, including the industry’s love of jargon and overpromising on product features.

READ MORE: Kesha: “I’ve never met a man I admire more than Rick Rubin”

Touted as an “Apex Mic Modelling” tool, Caelum Audio explains that “if your singing sounds like a dying cat, this finally kills the cat”.
The plugin uses impulse responses to capture microphone and loudspeaker characteristics, except its timbres are those that recording artists would typically avoid – unless you’re looking to intentionally destroy your mic sound.
A quick listen to the plugin’s effects demonstrates its experimental approach to mic modelling, which, in the right hands, might result in some unique sounds.

As Caelum Audio also details on its website, its new joke plugin also has a plethora of other features to make your vocals sound worse: “Employ the service of modulation via the LFO, Sequencer & Envelope Follower to keep things moving, just because your music is flat and boring doesn’t mean the automation has to be too.” Additionally, users can find “15 ‘ethically’ locally sourced, organic presets… We even blessed you with a randomise button which is like infinite presets, how kind are we?!”
You can download Toyphonic Micraliser for yourself via Caelum Audio’s website – it’s available on both Windows and macOS, as well as iOS and iPadOS.
Learn more at Caelum Audio.
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EAR CANDY: IN DA CULRB, WE ALL FAMHappy Fourth, my bass-blasting bottle rockets!This week’s playlist is serving sparklers, sweaty dance floors, and that one friend yelling “This is my song!” for every track. It’s Independence Day and In Da Clurb, We All Fam. This week’s Ear Candy is built for the moment the sun dips and the real party starts. These are club-ready cuts and beat-heavy bops that explode like fireworks—big, bright, and impossible to ignore. This is your invitation to move something...now hop to it!

Click HERE to access this week's Ear Candy.While you're there, please "Like" the playlist and "Follow" Music Connection's profile so you'll never miss the chance to listen along with MC!The post EAR CANDY: IN DA CULRB, WE ALL FAM first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Sequential unveil the Take 5 Desktop Module Sequential have announced the launch of a new desktop instrument that makes the sounds and capabilities of their popular Take 5 synth available in a more compact and accessible form factor. 

Oberheim announce the TEO-5 Desktop Module The latest addition to the Oberheim line-up packs all of the sounds and features of their TEO-5 polysynth into a desktop-based enclosure that’s less than half the size.

FrozenPlain releases Floe (Beta), a FREE and open-source sample player for macOS and Windows
From developer FrozenPlain comes Floe (Beta), a free and open-source sample player for macOS and Windows. FrozenPlain is a developer we first covered over a decade ago with their Victorian Music Box library for Native Instruments Kontakt. Since then, FrozenPlain has developed its proprietary sample-based instrument players: Mirage and Floe. The journey begins with Mirage, [...]
View post: FrozenPlain releases Floe (Beta), a FREE and open-source sample player for macOS and Windows

Kesha: “I’ve never met a man I admire more than Rick Rubin”Today marks the release of Period, Kesha’s first album since departing Kemosabe Records.
That label was founded by Dr. Luke, with whom she had a lengthy legal battle between 2014 and 2023 after accusing him of numerous counts of sexual misconduct and employment discrimination.
Period is Kesha’s first independent release, and one which she worked on with Rick Rubin. And in a new interview with Billboard, she speaks of her adoration for the legendary producer.

READ MORE: Jacob Collier disagrees with Rick Rubin’s philosophies: “His audience is non-creative people for whom creativity is novel”

Kesha also worked with Rubin on her previous album Gag Order, her final release under contract with Kemosabe.
“If you go back in time, the anger, the disassociation, the feelings of complete isolation, suicidal ideation – all of that, I talk about on [Gag Order],” she explains.
“Thank God I had Rick Rubin to do that record with, because he was such a safe container for all of those emotions. 
“Up until that point in my life, I had no place to go, and I had all of these emotions that were really overwhelming and really difficult to deal with. 
“Of course, I would work on it with my therapist and my friends, and I would do a lot of spiritual work around it. But when I met Rick Rubin, it felt like such a relief for my system, because I could finally put it into the music.”
She goes on: “I had this unsubstantiated idea that I just always had to be happy and keep it together in my music, before I made what is now called Eat the Acid. I got to get out all of that aggression and pain with someone who – I mean, I’ve never met a man that I admire more than Rick Rubin. 
“I got to do it with one of my heroes, and that was a really beautiful gift. And to be honest, even the way that album performed at the time was painful, but I can now see in hindsight that it led me to my newly found freedom.”

In the same interview, Kesha reflects on society’s attitudes to women as she regains her professional independence as a 38-year-old woman.
“In our society, specifically for women in any sort of public-persona position, aging, the concept of time, is made to be our enemy,” she says. 
“Growing up, I was made to believe that by 38 years old, nobody would give a fuck about me. I actually had been told the words, by the time I was free, I would be irrelevant. 
“So to see my fans not only connecting to the music, but turning it into this psychotic, hilarious celebration of the chaos of life, was just so healing to my fucking soul on a very deep level. 
“It was also just like, ‘Oh my God, it’s not true. I’m not irrelevant! I fought this fight, and I’m free, and people do care, people are connecting.’ It made me just feel like, ‘Okay, keep going. Keep going.’”
Kesha’s new album Period is out now. Listen below:

The post Kesha: “I’ve never met a man I admire more than Rick Rubin” appeared first on MusicTech.

Get 50% off Wavesfactory’s Trackspacer dynamic processor at Plugin Boutique
Plugin Boutique is offering 50% off Wavesfactory’s Trackspacer ($29 sale price) dynamic processor until July 31st. People often refer to Wavesfactory’s Trackspacer as a secret weapon for mix engineers because it can replace time-consuming and tedious tasks with simplicity and a speedy workflow. Anything that delivers high-quality results and saves your precious time is worth [...]
View post: Get 50% off Wavesfactory’s Trackspacer dynamic processor at Plugin Boutique

Bob Ezrin says part of being a producer is being a “psychologist”Sure, being a producer takes a lot of technical know-how – but you also need to have a certain grasp of people skills, according to Bob Ezrin, whose credits include the likes of Kiss, Pink Floyd and Deep Purple.
In a new interview with CBC, the legendary producer discusses the many hats professional producers have to wear alongside the technical demands of the job.

READ MORE: M. Shadows: Spotify is run by “career people”: “I’m sure they love music, but they don’t give a damn about bringing up new artists”

“Most people don’t understand what I do for a living, but the role of producer is very similar to the role of director on a film,” Ezrin explains [via Ultimate Guitar].
“You’re dealing with extremely talented, often very high-strung or complicated people, and you’re trying to get the best performance out of them you possibly can, on every level, in terms of their writing, playing, singing, whatever.”
“So you have to deal with them as humans, as personalities. So there’s a component of, like, a psychologist to the role, and a confessor, protector, and all of that.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Bob Ezrin notes that many producers also have a big hand in artistic decision making including songwriting and arrangement.
He recalls his part in transforming the emotional sentiment of Beth, one of Kiss’s biggest songs.
“The story about Beth is that, politically, it was always important that the drummer gets at least one song,” Ezrin recalls.
“So, we went through a bunch of songs that Peter Criss had, and this was something that he had written with a friend of his, and it was called Beck, I think about a girl named Becky. It was a little more jaunty, a little less vulnerable. It was kind of like, ‘Screw you, me and the boys are going to go playing,’ and all this stuff.
“So, I said, ‘Do you mind if I take that home, and play with it a little bit?’ And on that piano right there, I sat down and and I slowed the song way down, and I started to play that figure, with a little bit of a walking bass. And suddenly, it was almost like a lullaby. It just became this gentle, sweet thing. And then I tweaked the lyrics, because didn’t want it to be about, ‘Screw you.’ I wanted it to be about the singer being actually the one who was hurt.”

The post Bob Ezrin says part of being a producer is being a “psychologist” appeared first on MusicTech.

Black Octopus Sound Mainstage DNB by V O E - Serum PresetsBlack Octopus Sound and V O E have released MainStage DnB - a collection of serum presets ideal for a variety of modern Drum & Bass music. What's inside: 100% Royalty Free. 24-bit high quality wavs. Cleared for: Spotify, Youtube, Soundcloud, Record Label Releases. Inspired by: Kanine, Koven, Culture Shock, Bou, Basstripper, Annix. 130 Total Presets. 92 Bass. 11 Leads. 7 Pads. 6 Plucks. 6 Chords. 5 Arps. 2 FX. 1 Synth. https://youtu.be/xa1XyrusWGk?si=qbd1icu_CgyCDaUJ. Read More

Sony WH-1000XM6 review: Excellent noise cancelling and sound — but missing one key feature£399, sony.co.uk
Sony’s flagship wireless WH-1000X series has consistently topped review charts since its release, and it’s now been three years since the critically-acclaimed WH-1000XM5 came out. So it’s fair to say the WH-1000XM6 has been keenly anticipated, and Sony has done much more than tinker around the edges.
There’s faster processing, hardware changes and more software options than you can shake a stick at. But in a relatively crowded marketplace, do they still have what it takes to beat the competition?

READ MORE: Sony’s MDR-M1 headphones give ​​a true picture of your mixes and masters

The design of the M6 is similar to its predecessor but with a few differences. For starters, the cups now fold down, making them much easier to transport in the hard case they come supplied with. The headband is a little wider than before, and the pressure is slightly greater to ensure a more secure fit and also to assist with noise isolation. At 255g, they are comfortable to wear for long periods and, despite the over-ear design, don’t become overly warm. The band is stepless, meaning you can adjust it precisely to suit your head.
The headphones charge over USB. A USB-A to C cable is supplied, an odd decision in 2025 when most people have a USB-C charger. Battery life is 30 hours with noise cancelling turned on, and 40 with it off, which is the same as the previous model, but also powers a much more advanced processor. A full recharge takes 3.5 hours, and a three-minute charge with a PD-compatible charger will get you an impressive three hours of playback. For the first time, you can now use the headphones during charging (although with a longer cable than the extremely short one supplied), which is likely to be of use given the prevalence of battery packs now, letting you play back and recharge on the move.
WH-1000XM6 in Midnight Blue. Image: Press
Sadly, you can’t listen to audio over USB-C. This feels like a bizarre omission — it’s a feature found on competing headphones like the Master & Dynamic MW75 and Bowers and Wilkins’ Px8, both of which offer uncompressed digital audio at the highest sample and bit rates.
There is a regular 3.5mm connection, however, with a cable in the box for connecting to hi-fi or other hardware. The headphones use Bluetooth 5.3 and support LE for low-latency gaming or movie modes, SBC, AAC and LC3, plus higher quality LDAC codecs. Two-device multipoint is available too; a must in today’s world.
There are well-placed onboard controls for power, pairing and ANC, but you’ll need to download the free Sony Sound Connect app to manage headphone settings from your mobile device. There’s the usual stuff: configuring how the touch-sensitive surface reacts for playback and invoking commands, choosing a preset or manual EQ and general power management.
Then, other more unique features include the useful Quick Access, where you set up your preferred music streamer like Apple Music or Spotify to trigger directly from the headphones, to the arguably more niche ‘scene-based listening’, which uses sensors to try to guess your surroundings and make audio settings accordingly. This works as advertised, though many people may prefer having a little more manual control.
WH-1000XM6 in Midnight Blue. Image: Press
Speaking of sensors, the M6 has twelve — count’em — microphones as well as some gyroscopes, the latter used to optionally accept and end calls with head movements and for head tracking. Mostly, though, the mics power the exceptional noise cancellation, something for which these models have long been lauded. The modes are mostly familiar; full cancelling, ambient and ambient with auto adjustment, with some fun extras too, including speak-to silence, which will stop playback and switch on ambient mode when you speak, then revert after you have finished.
You can also place a hand over the right cup to do the same, which is invaluable when needing to hear announcements. The cancelling really is first rate and right up there with the best I’ve ever experienced. Across a range of scenarios, it does a tremendous job of isolating sound without adversely changing its character, which ANC headphones often can’t manage.
That’s a ton of tech, so we do need to talk about the sound. The 30mm drivers are made of carbon fibre and the headphones have a frequency response of 20Hz – 20kHz, standard for most headphones of this type. Sony states they are capable of 4Hz – 40kHz, but this seems to be in wired mode only, or 20Hz – 40kHz when using LDAC streaming. Both 4Hz and 40kHz are well outside the range of human hearing, so while these are nice to have for sure, you’re not going to miss any detail. It’s arguably not a deal-breaker.
User wearing the WH-1000XM6 in Black. Image: Press
Taking the somewhat more common scenario of streaming over Bluetooth from an iPhone, the M6 headphones still blow me away. Leaving the EQ off (I don’t find it necessary), they produce an incredibly detailed and powerful soundstage. Tonally exceptionally well balanced, the M6 picks out instruments with expert skill, making mixes feel totally alive, sparkling and rich.
Nils Frahm’s Spells from takes on new life, pulsing with life, and every stereo movement is a joy to hear. Mogwai’s 2021 album As The Love Continues fizzes with primal energy. Calmer material works just as well — everything I throw at them sounds joyous.
There is competition around this price point. Apple’s AirPods Max have Apple-centric integration with your other products and USB-C listening, but cost £100 more and are quite dated now. Bose QuietComfort Ultra can be found on sale for around £349 and has solid specs, though slightly worse battery life. Ultimately, the M6 can take advantage of the latest tech, which does give it an edge.
While the app could be less cluttered (Sony software is often less elegant than its hardware) there are loads of cool features, like real-time spatial upmixing from stereo, for movie-style listening, head tracking and more. And while they’re not gimmicks — some people will find them invaluable — it’s the basics that really set these headphones apart. The build is superb, the sound exceptional. The noise cancelling is among the best around and the battery life too. If you’re in the market for a premium pair of wireless headphones, they’re a pretty easy sell.

Key features

30mm carbon fibre drivers
USB-C charging with up to 40 hours of playback
4 Hz – 40 kHz response in analogue wired mode
20 Hz – 20 kHz response in Bluetooth mode
AAC, SBC, LC3 and LDAC codecs
12 microphones
Multi-mode active noise cancellation (ANC)
Head tracking
Virtual surround upmixing
Quick link to streaming services in app
Scene-based automatic adaptive audio

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