Kesha goes independent, launches label with ADA and CrushKesha has launched her own independent label. It will be distributed by WMG's with Crush Music overseeing marketing and promotion.
The post Kesha goes independent, launches label with ADA and Crush appeared first on Hypebot.

Motel 6 offers Musician Discounts, launches Songwriting ContestStaying at a Motel 6 has long been a right of passage for musicians trying to save money on tour. Now Motel 6 offers musician discounts and launched a songwriting. Continue reading
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Limp Bizkit’s Wes Borland launches digital amps and effects suite in partnership with STL TonesLimp Bizkit guitarist and nu metal’s snappiest dresser Wes Borland has debuted a new digital amp and effects suite in partnership with STL Tones.
Tonality: Wes Borland, the sixth entry in STL’s Tonality series, is based on the amplifiers and pedals from Borland’s own touring rig, enabling guitarists to experiment with Borland’s own tones, and recreate the teeth-rattling riffs of Break Stuff, Nookie and more.

READ MORE: Our favourite plugins, effects and VST instruments released this week

“Developed in collaboration with Wes Borland, this signature guitar plugin suite accurately captures the sonic and visual anarchy that Wes has become so distinctly renowned for,” STL promises.
“Using the most advanced hardware modelling algorithms, STL’s software uses internal circuit tracing from the schematics of the amplifiers Wes uses playing live and in the studio, as well as his favourite overdrive pedals, effects, and personal guitar cabinets.”
Credit: STL Tones
Three amps are included in Tonality: Wes Borland. First is the Roland JC-120 Jazz Chorus, a mainstay of Borland’s touring rig used for his clean tone. There’s also the Diezel VH4, a versatile and heavy amp that was employed by many nu metal giants in the early noughties. Finally comes the Selmer Zodiac 50 MKII Tremolo, which Borland has for his edge-of-breakup tone.
The plugin also features five pedals. The Mini Filter is based on the Electro-Harmonix Mini Q-Tron, which Borland uses for his wah. The Big Wezz is inspired by the Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal. There’s also the Borland Delay, which is based on the Dunlop Echoplex delay pedal. Lastly there’s the WB7 Chorus/Flanger, which STL says “is capable of warm, vintage choral tones to morphing flange sounds”, and the Digital Delay WB-8, based on the Boss DD-8.

STL Tones meticulously studied Borland’s rig and playing to make the new plugin; the company measured each amplifier in his live setup using five microphones in 156 different positions to get as close as possible to the nu metal master’s sound.
The company has previously made Tonality plugins in collaboration with Will Putney (Fit for an Autopsy/End/Better Lovers), Josh Middleton (Sylosis/ex-Architects), Andy James (Five Finger Death Punch), and producers Howard Benson and Lasse Lammert.
For more information on Tonality: Wes Borland, head to STL Tones.
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Wes Audio refresh Dione & Rhea plug-ins Wes Audio's Rhea and Dione 500 series hardware compressor modules each get a redesigned control plug-in and new features.

PreSonus users rage at Studio One Pro 7 upgrade prices and lack of new feature mentionsLast week, PreSonus unveiled Studio One Pro 7, the latest version of its flagship DAW. The move will see the discontinuation of the Studio One Artist and Studio One Prime Editions, with Studio One Pro being the one-stop solution for everything moving forward.
Exciting as it may sound, the announcement has generated significant backlash from the PreSonus user community, who described the company’s latest pricing strategy as a “slap in the face” to their most loyal users.

READ MORE: Music production is officially in its ‘subscription’ era

Much of the contention surrounding Studio One Pro 7 revolves around the new pricing structure for upgrades. Previously, users with the perpetual license could upgrade from one major version to the next for $149, which included several years (typically two) of updates and bug fixes. With Studio One Pro 7, however, the expectation is that users will pay the same amount for just one year of updates.
As stated by PreSonus, “A full year of new feature releases will be included with all licences and upgrades going forward.” New users will pay $199, while a subscription model is still available for $179 per year.
Some longtime Pro users have also expressed their frustration at being required to pay the same $149 upgrade fee as those transitioning from cheaper, lower-tier versions like Artist or Prime. One user explained, “The upgrade from any Studio One PRO (SOP) version to SOP 7 should be priced lower than it is, because SOP owners are being treated no better than Studio One Artist owners. That is, the difference in the investment already made is neither recognised nor properly appreciated.”
And while the promise of more frequent updates – three to four major releases each year – has been welcomed, fans were disappointed by the complete lack of detail regarding those features in the announcement video.
“Can’t believe that in 2024 a company like PreSonus makes a video like that without mentioning a single new feature,” a user commented.
Check out the launch video below.

Studio One Pro 7 arrives on 9 October. Learn more at PreSonus.
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Is Shure’s SM4 a perfect microphone for the home studio?£195 (standard)
£249 (Studio Kit)
shure.com
When it comes to microphones, commercial studios tend to have all bases covered, the shelves of their cupboards creaking under the weight of legendary models from the likes of Neumann, AKG and Shure. Unfortunately, home studios can rarely afford the luxury of an extensive mic collection, yet may still need to cater for the same diversity of tasks and instruments as a commercial studio.

READ MORE: Warm Audio’s WA-19 microphone unveils a forgotten treasure that truly sparkles

The solution is to seek an all-rounder mic whose frequency response and performance characteristics are suited to as wide a range of sound sources as possible. While many mics on the market fit this bill, Shure took a look at these and figured it could do better. To prove the point, it created the SM4 Home Recording Microphone.
Why is the Shure SM4 a good choice for home recording?
SM4 is a side-address condenser mic featuring a one-inch diaphragm. It has a smart, professional appearance that will satisfy those creating video content, and a compact size that ensures it is not too obtrusive.
Good looks are more than just skin deep, with the mic’s solid metal shell and foil grille conveying the solidity and robustness we’d expect from Shure. We’re confident the mic will come to no harm if thrown in a backpack for lugging to sessions, or even if used on stage.
The SM4 in a home recording environment. Image: Press
One problem Shure’s engineers identified with many home studio mics is a susceptibility to interference from the plethora of radio-frequency sources that surround us in our daily lives – wi-fi, Bluetooth, monitor screens, LED lights and so on. Such interferences can be particularly problematic when reading a script, lyrics or music from a phone held close to the mic, or when using ring lights for filming. To combat this, SM4’s capsule and circuitry are wrapped within a cylinder of ultra-fine mesh that acts as a Faraday cage, protecting the innards from interference.
This acoustically-transparent mesh also serves a secondary function as an integral pop shield, and this is not just a happy side effect of the interference screening. Shure also identified susceptibility to pops as a shortcoming of many mics aimed at the home studio market, and so designed-in as much plosive tolerance as possible.
Engineers also tested many different capsules for plosive tolerance before settling on a dual-diaphragm brass configuration. In addition, the low frequency response (flat from 1 kHz down to 200 Hz, with a gentle roll-off below that) was chosen to reduce boominess and lessen the impact of pops and bumps that do make it to the capsule.
Further plosive control is available if buying the Studio Kit bundle, as this comes with a wrap-around pop shield that clips conveniently via magnets to a shock mount (the mic-only package comes with a basic hard mount). The shock mount is solid, effective and well designed, and uses short rubber bands to limit the amount of stretching that will occur over time – it’s neat that replacement bands are also included. Studio Kit also comes with a padded case with cutouts for each part to nestle in.
The SM4 in use in a home recording environment. Image: Press
How well does the Shure SM4 perform?
SM4 has a cardioid polar pattern that remains impressively stable across the entire frequency range, thus ensuring accurate directionality and excellent off-axis rejection. These are particularly useful traits when recording in smaller rooms, reducing sensitivity to, and pick-up of, unpleasant resonances and echoes that may be bouncing around.
Somewhat unusual for a cardioid mic, though, is SM4’s modest proximity effect (this being an increase in low-end the closer a mic gets to a sound source). On the down side, this reduces the importance of mic placement and the control this gives over the timbre of the captured sound. But on the plus side, it creates a larger tonal ‘sweet spot’ and makes it easier for someone who is recording themself to maintain a consistent tone as they flit between playing takes and operating controls.
SM4 has the sensitivity you’d expect from a mid-priced condenser but it can also cope with extremely high sound pressure levels of up to 140 dB. So it does as good a job of capturing a whispered vocal as it does a guitar amp turned up to 11.
Another key to the mic’s versatility is a wide frequency response. We’ve already mentioned the lower-mid flatness and low-end roll off, and this, as well as controlling plosives, delivers warmth and weight without becoming boomy. The sensitivity starts to pick up above 1 kHz, with a small presence peak around 4 kHz that suits vocals and guitars, and a significantly stronger, wider peak in the highs, centred around 15 kHz.
The SM4 Studio Kit case. Image: Press
These peaks ensure the mic captures a lot of spectral detail in the all-important upper-mid and high frequency bands, but they can give the raw sound a harsh edge. This is exactly what EQ is designed to fix so it isn’t an issue, and of course it is preferable to be cutting frequencies that are too loud rather than boosting ones that are too weak.
All the above characteristics add up to a mic that is an exceptional all-round performer. It’s as happy in front of a guitar amp as it is a bass amp, as pleased to capture a snare drum as a kick, and all whilst sounding crisp and clear when being sung or spoken into.
While the ‘Jack of all trades’ approach may not be to everybody’s tastes, Shure SM4 will be an attractive prospect for those looking for an affordable, robust and professional mic that can turn its hand to any recording task with minimal fuss or complication.

Key features

Front-address condenser mic
Cardioid polar pattern
Designed to handle a wide range of sound sources
Incorporates Shure’s interference shielding technology

Mic-only package includes:

SM4 mic
Swivel mount
Mic stand thread adapter
Carry/storage pouch

Studio Kit includes:

SM4 mic
Shock mount with spare rubber bands
Mic stand thread adapter
Pop shield
Carry case with cutouts for all kit items

The post Is Shure’s SM4 a perfect microphone for the home studio? appeared first on MusicTech.

WA Production launch Babylon 2 WA Production have released Babylon 2, an upgraded version of their popular and comprehensive synthesizer based around all controls appearing on a single screen.

Repercussions: Meet the dB's, the Big Star of College RadioFrom time to time, here at AllMusic, we shine a spotlight on overlooked albums in the discography of a major artist. In the case of the star-crossed dB's, that pretty much means their entire catalog.

New Music Critique: SieskaContact: worldpeachrecords@gmail.com

Web: sieski.com

Seeking: Review, Feature

Style: Pop

Sieski’s electro-pop/synth-pop vibe is instantly attractive, from the moment we hear the pulsing beat and insistent melody on “Gumdrops.” Think classic female-fronted acts such as Goldfrapp, but also more contemporary projects like Magdalena Bay and Sofi Tukker. “Lady Deity” is better still—a sultry, brooding statement of intent. This strong woman knows what she wants and what she likes.

Her voice is evocative and emotional, while maintaining a level of chill like a modern Beth Orton or Beth Gibbons. All the while, the electronic backdrop is exemplary. Never intrusive, the music frames the vocals. “Happy to be Here” is perhaps the most expansive song of the three—a hypnotic journey. But there’s much to admire here.The post New Music Critique: Sieska first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Samourai wallet forked into 'Ashigaru' Open Source ProjectAccording to the website, Ashigaru uses CoinJoin and other mechanisms to shield users from analytical heuristics and tracking.

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son has been planning his comebackA new Financial Times profile of Mayayoshi Son opens with SoftBank CEO seeming to hit bottom, staring at his “ugly” face on Zoom and telling himself, “I have done nothing I can be proud of.” The scene is presented as the prelude to a hoped-for a comeback, with Son largely disappearing from the public eye […]
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Hackaday Links: September 22, 2024Thanks a lot, Elon. Or maybe not, depending on how this report that China used Starlink signals to detect low-observable targets pans out. There aren’t a lot of details, and we couldn’t find anything approximating a primary source, but it seems like the idea is based on forward scatter, which is when waves striking an object are deflected only a little bit. The test setup for this experiment was a ground-based receiver listening to the downlink signal from a Starlink satellite while a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone was flown into the signal path. The drone was chosen because nobody had a spare F-22 or F-35 lying around, and its radar cross-section is about that of one of these stealth fighters. They claim that this passive detection method was able to make out details about the drone, but as with most reporting these days, this needs to be taken with an ample pinch of salt. Still, it’s an interesting development that may change things up in the stealth superiority field.

Another week, another example of how the fine print on the EULA is never your friend. This time around it’s the popular Wyze security cameras, where there’s an unconfirmed report that a recent firmware update nerfed the “Recording Cooldown” setting menu, making the option to have no cooldown period between recording a paid feature. As we understand it, Wyze cameras previously had a cooldown feature, intended to keep the camera from overheating or killing the battery if the motion sensor detects a lot of continual movement. But it looks like earlier firmware revs allowed users to bypass the default five-minute period between recordings, a reasonable choice for anyone using these as security cameras. Now, bypassing the cooldown seems to require a paid subscription. We have to stress that we don’t know anything beyond this one unconfirmed report, but this enshittification is certainly something we’ve seen before, so it at least rings true, and it seems like another solid example of the fact that with cheap IoT appliances, you never truly own your stuff.
We hate to be the bearers of bad news — well, that might be a stretch given the two articles above — but this is really the kind of news we hate to hear. The Eugene Makerspace in Eugene, Oregon, suffered a major fire in their community shop on September 15. Judging by the pictures, the place was pretty thoroughly destroyed, and the fact that it was an early morning fire probably contributed to the lack of injuries. Their GoFundMe campaign is doing pretty well, but they could certainly use some help getting back on their feet. If you’re in a position to contribute, we’re sure they’d appreciate it.
When it comes to OpenAI’s newest AI model, you’d better watch what you think — or rather, you’d better not think too much about how the model thinks. Trying to get inside the model’s “head” is apparently against the terms of service, with users getting nastygrams from OpenAI warning them to step off. The “Strawberry” AI model has a feature that lets users have a glimpse into the “chain of thought” used to answer a question or complete a task, which on the face of it seems to be exactly what they don’t want users to do. But the chain of thought is only a hand-waving summary of the raw thought process, filtered through a separate AI model. This is what OpenAI doesn’t want people probing, and any attempts at engineering tricky prompts to reveal the raw chain of thought will potentially get you banned.
And finally, although motorsports aren’t really our thing, we have to admit a certain sense of awe at this video that exposes some of the extreme engineering that goes into top fuel drag racing. Specifically, this video concentrates on drag racing, where nitromethane-fueled engines-on-wheels scream down a quarter-mile track in less than four seconds. Everything about this sport is extreme, especially the engines, which run themselves almost to death for the few seconds they are under full power. The video is packed full of tidbits that boggle the mind, such as these engines burning out their sparkplugs about halfway through the course, with the engine continuing to run in diesel mode thanks to the high compression and temperatures. Drivers experience a brain-squishing 8 g of acceleration during a run, which consumes over 30 gallons of fuel and exerts so much force on the engine that the connecting rods get compressed. The supercharger alone takes 800 horsepower to run, and yet the engine still produces enough power that the car is going 60 miles per hour before it covers its own length. Oh, and that ridiculous exhaust plume? That’s raw fuel that is purposely left unburned until it escapes the exhaust tips, which are angled to provide additional down-force to make sure as much torque as possible gets from the tires to the track. Enjoy!

Brass Propeller Gets Impressive Hand TrimmingWhether you’re a landlubber or an old salt, you’ve got to appreciate the effort that [The Aussie boat guy] puts into cutting an old brass propeller down into a far smaller and sleeker specimen. Especially since he does the entire thing with hand tools, a couple different calipers, and that most valuable of natural resources: experience.
The whole process was made somewhat easier by the fact that [The Aussie boat guy] had a model to work from — his friend had a small propeller that was already known to perform well, it was just a matter of cutting the larger prop down to match its dimensions. Using what appears to be pieces of leather (presumably for its flexibility), a template was made to accurately map out the front face of the blade.
As Bob Ross would say — “Here comes your bravery test”
By measuring out from the hub of the prop with his calipers, [The Aussie boat guy] was able to make sure the template was properly positioned before scribing its shape into the larger prop. An angle grinder was used to cut the shape out of each blade, followed by a smoothing off with a flap wheel.
But there was still a problem — the blades were the right shape, but they were far too thick. So he took the angle grinder to the back of each one to start removing material, using another set of calipers to occasionally spot-check them to make sure they were thinning out at roughly the same rate.
This thinning out process continued until the prop was brought into balance. How do you check that, you might be wondering? Well, if you’re a madman like [The Aussie boat guy], you chuck the thing into a power drill and spin er’ up to see how badly it shakes. But this only gives you a rough idea, so he has to move over to a somewhat more scientific apparatus that uses a set of parallel bars to help determine which blade is heavier than its peers.

Along the way, [The Aussie boat guy] also installs a bushing in the hub of the prop to adapt it to his engine, but he doesn’t spend much time talking about that given the far more audacious surgery he’s performing. He takes the end result out for a test run and achieves a notable speed boost when compared to the prop he was running previously — the final product doesn’t just look incredible, it brings the results as well.

This would appear to be the first time we’ve come across [The Aussie boat guy], which looking at some of his past videos, is a bit surprising. His channel is full of engine and boat modifications made in the pursuit of speed; check it out if you’ve ever dreamed of screaming across the surface of the water in a boat not much larger than a bathtub.

Thanks to [Bill] for the tip.

Release details
Release title:
Like a spacetronaut
Main artist name:
YeyoxIsaac
Release date:
6th Mar, 2023
https://publme.lnk.to/Likeaspacetronaut
#newmusic #Release #Music #indepedent #artist #hiphop #rap

SOMA Labs re-introduce LYRA-4 SOMA Laboratory have revived the LYRA-4, a smaller and more portable version of its LYRA-8 ‘organismic’ drone synthesizer.