Denon DJ’s new Prime 4 G2 is an all-in-one DJ controller with MPCe pads
Denon DJ has released a new all-in-one DJ system, the PRIME 4 G2 with a new “industry-first” feature for performers, with new tools that have never before been found in Denon products.
Namely, the PRIME 4 G2 introduces MPCe multi-zone performance pads, the first of their kind in a standalone DJ system. If that sounds familiar, you might be thinking of the MPC range from Denon DJ’s sister brand, Akai. Both are housed under the InMusic conglomerate, but this is the first time the two brands have shared hardware technology.
The 16 velocity- and pressure-sensitive pads use 3D-sensing technology to combine multiple functions and parameters within a single pad, quadrupling the triggering options available for Hot Cues, Stems, Rolls, FX, and lighting control.
READ MORE: InMusic has allegedly shut down Native Instruments UK

 
The G2 builds on the PRIME 4 platform with full-size 8-inch jog wheels featuring dynamic LED displays, a multi-function navigation encoder, redesigned premium dual-rail faders, and a 10.1-inch HD multi-touch display.
An 8-core ARM processor and 4GB of RAM give PRIME 4 G2 four times the processing power of the previous generation for faster library navigation, onboard Stems rendering, and smoother overall performance.
The PRIME 4 G2 also features standalone-to-software switching with OmniSource architecture set to offer compatibility with Serato DJ Pro, Algoriddim djay, and VirtualDJ.
Jason Stout, DJ brands product manager at InMusic, calls the system a perfect item for performance-driven DJs. He said: “Performance-driven DJs want technology that disappears into the background and lets creativity take centre stage.
“As someone who regularly DJs high-end events, I rely on equipment that can adapt as quickly as the crowd does. PRIME 4 G2 combines powerful performance tools, onboard Stems, streaming access, and integrated DMX lighting control into a single workflow, giving DJs the freedom to shape both the music and the atmosphere without missing a beat.”
PRIME 4 G2 will be available September 1, 2026, priced at $2,599 USD / 2,699.99 € / £2,299.99 through authorised Denon DJ dealers and select music retailers worldwide.
Further details can be found on Denon DJ’s website.
The post Denon DJ’s new Prime 4 G2 is an all-in-one DJ controller with MPCe pads appeared first on MusicTech.

IK Multimedia unveil the Tonex Board IK Multimedia's new Tonex Board expands on the concept introduced by the Tonex pedals, offering a powerful all-in-one pedalboard-style system aimed at both stage and studio use. 

I got hands-on with Reason Free and its remarkably addictive modular patching environmentAd feature with Reason Studios/LANDR
Reason has always felt like something of an outlier in the production world, largely thanks to its virtual hardware Rack. Hit the flip button, and you’ll discover patch points, CV connections, and a tangled spaghetti of animated cables, all ready to be rerouted as you please. This distinctive approach to music-making has earned Reason a dedicated following since its release in 2000.
Earlier this year, LANDR acquired Reason Studios, marking a new chapter for one of music production’s more idiosyncratic names.
For those yet to experience said idiosyncrasy, the recently launched Reason Free makes for an enticing introduction. The bundle puts 15 fully functional Reason devices – four instruments, five effects, and six utilities – inside the DAW you already use at zero cost, with no trials, expirations, watermarks, or strings attached.

Once installed, Reason Rack loads as a VST3, AU, or AAX plugin in a DAW, meaning there’s no need to abandon the workflow you already know. But Reason Free can also run as a slimmed-down 16-track version of the Reason DAW, complete with its hardware-inspired mixer that includes per-channel EQ, filtering, compression, and gating.
The Rack plugin comes in instrument and effect versions, depending if you want to generate sound or process incoming audio. I load the instrument version onto a MIDI track in my main DAW, and Reason’s familiar skeuomorphic rack cabinet appears, ready to be filled with devices.
Reason Free includes four instruments, but the flagship Europa Shapeshifting Synthesizer feels like the obvious place to begin. Powerful yet accessible, its three independent engines offer a unique combination of synthesis techniques including virtual analogue, wavetable, spectral, physical modelling, and FM.
I familiarise myself by touring the selection of 600 diverse presets. While wavetable synthesis often veers towards hard, glassy, or digital tones, I’m immediately struck by Europa’s organic character, especially evident in its soft, textural pad patches.
As I start to pull the patches apart, Europa’s depth becomes clear. There’s a vast range of wavetables, multiple ways to morph and manipulate them, plus a flexible modulation system plus semi-modular effects section. It’s a sound designer’s dream, and Europa alone makes Reason Free worth a download.
Image: Reason Studios
I begin to explore the effects bundled with Reason Free, starting with the Scream 4 Distortion. Initially aggressive and unwieldy, it can be tamed, but I’m more interested in its less conventional algorithms – Feedback, Warp, and Modulate – that make my patch far less predictable. By now I’m firmly in the Reason mindset, so I flip the rack and start connecting cables.
Reason Free includes the Pulsar Dual LFO utility for deeper modulation duties, but Europa can also route its own internal mod sources to four CV outputs. I send two of its LFOs and the Key source into Scream 4’s parameters, creating rhythmic distortion that responds to the notes I play.
Not every connection produces something you’ll want to keep, but after a while it’s easy to unearth something characterful enough to build an entire track around.
Maybe this is why Reason endures. Its workflow encourages me to drop a few things in and think of an interesting way to make them interact. I’m nudged in a more playful direction; the Rack’s immediacy compels me to design sounds with more depth and movement than usual, but doing so feels instant, exciting, and remarkably addictive.
There are three other instruments to explore in Reason Free. The ID8 Songwriter’s Toolbox provides ready-to-go sounds akin to a ROMpler, while the Monotone Bass Synthesizer handles low end and leads. Finally, Kong Drum Designer covers the rhythm section, with various sample- and synth-based approaches to creating kits.
Reason Free in Ableton Live. Image: James Langley
Again, Reason’s patching makes these devices immensely compelling. I plug a Pulsar Dual LFO module into Kong’s gate inputs, creating meditative, off-kilter drum loops devoid of quantisation and predictability. Pulsar can even output its oscillators as audio, opening the door to more experimental patches built from the basic ingredients of synthesis.
Another effect within Reason Free is the Audiomatic Retro Transformer, with one-knob control that instantly places your sound within a new era or space. There are 16 models to choose from; more subtle options like Tape, VHS, or Hi-Fi are perfect for adding the finishing touches to a patch, while settings like mp3, Gadget, and Cracked can fully degrade your signal into mulch when pushed. Users also get lush convolution-powered reverb via the RV7000 mkII, The Echo for classic, dubby tape delay reminiscent of the fabled RE-201, and the MClass Maximizer for enhancing dynamics.
In any case, Reason Free has captured my imagination. There’s a tremendous amount of possibility within this modest collection of devices, and I could sink hours exploring the many thousands of ways to patch them together.
Reason Free will undoubtedly give some users a taste for more. That’s where Reason’s paid options come in.
A Reason 14 perpetual licence is currently £299 and includes the DAW and plugin, or you can buy the plugin only for £199. With both, users get 68 Reason Rack Devices and over 50,000 samples, loops, and patches.
Subscription plans are available too, which include all 93 Reason Rack Devices plus new sound packs added weekly. The plugin-only version costs £8.25/month, while Reason+ for £10.14/month includes the DAW, Rack plugin, and a variety of LANDR tools including unlimited AI stem separation, AI mastering, and distribution.
Download Reason Free today to get 15 legendary devices in your DAW, forever.
The post I got hands-on with Reason Free and its remarkably addictive modular patching environment appeared first on MusicTech.

ukdf releases GrainCharlie, a FREE granular synth for macOS and Windows
Developer ukdf has released GrainCharlie, a free granular synthesizer plugin for macOS and Windows. The developer, who also releases music as uknowdatfeel, created GrainCharlie after spending around a year looking for an affordable granular synth without unnecessary complexity. Granular synthesis can be intimidating at first, so the idea behind GrainCharlie is to provide the essential [...]
View post: ukdf releases GrainCharlie, a FREE granular synth for macOS and Windows

The best new music plugins this week, free and paidEvery week, we round up the most exciting new plugin releases — from virtual instruments and creative effects to mixing tools and workflow upgrades. There are tons of plugins released every week, both free and paid-for, so be sure to check back here every Friday to find out the software worth adding to your plugin folder.
This week’s new and noteworthy virtual instruments, effects and mixing plugins
[Updated 3 September 2026]
Arturia – Pure Sub
Image: Arturia
Arturia has released Pure Sub, a virtual instrument dedicated to creating deep, punchy, and characterful bass. The plugin combines bass synthesis with onboard processing designed for immediate, driving low end.
Pure Sub features three sound layers. Sub provides the foundation, while Harmonics has three different modes — including Reese, Pressure, and waveforms like 808s — that define your patch’s character. Then, dial in extra grit with the Texture layer, which can be shaped with key-tracked tones, ring modulation, and more.
Each layer can be independently routed to a filter section with more than 40 modes, before hitting a 12-slot effect rack with 18 effects to choose from. The mix section also features compression, multiband processing, and a powerful Maximiser, while advanced modulation can be used to animate your sound in impressive detail.
Pure Sub is available from Arturia for intro pricing of €49 (full price €79).
Reason Studios – Reason Free
Image: Reason Studios
Reason, acquired by LANDR in January, has launched a new free version of the cult classic DAW and Rack plugin, giving musicians 15 legendary Reason devices at zero cost.
Instruments include the Europa wavetable synth and Kong Drum Designer, alongside characterful effects like Audiomatic, Scream 4, and RV7000 MKII.
You’ll also get Reason’s iconic modular-style patching, which lets users make new connections between the devices in their rack — modulating a distortion’s drive using a synth’s onboard envelope, for example.
Reason Free runs as the Reason Rack VST3, AU, or AAX plugin in your choice of DAW, or as the standalone Reason Free DAW limited to 16 tracks. Read more about Reason Free or download it from Reason Studios.
Lewitt – Space Replicator Free

We covered Lewitt’s new Space Replicator plugin a few weeks ago, and the company has now released a free version of the virtual monitoring plugin designed specifically for mixing on headphones.
Space Replicator Free includes three playback systems: Lewitt Studio A with high-end speaker system, a typical living room, and H-Pods Pro in-ear headphones. There are also over 800 profiles to compensate for your headphones’ frequency response.
Space Replicator Free is available to download from Lewitt.
TONE3000 – Free Neural Amp Modeling
Image: TONE3000
It seems to be the week for freebies, as TONE3000 — the open-source platform for sharing digital models of amps, pedals, and outboard gear — has released a zero-cost plugin that offers plug-and-play access to thousands of Neural Amp Modeler captures and impulse responses.
Previously, using these NAM captures and IRs required finding the tone, downloading and unzipping it, and loading it into a third-party plugin. The TONE3000 plugin bypasses all of that, letting users browse sounds and configure chains instantly.
The enormous TONE3000 library includes captures of boutique amplifiers, rare pedals, outboard gear, and even bizarre experimental captures like the passenger door speakers of a 2016 Cadillac SRX.
The plugin is available for free download from TONE3000, and there’s no cost for NAM captures or IRs either.
MixWave – Spiritbox: Courtney LaPlante

MixWave has released an all-in-one vocal processing plugin based on the approach of Courtney LaPlante. As the vocalist of Canadian metal band Spiritbox, LaPlante ranges from delicate melodies to uncompromising screams, so every module in the plugin has been designed with flexibility in mind.
The plugin includes a Pitch module, with formant processing to reshape a vocal’s character, plus Distortion and Compression modules for highly musical saturation and control.
There’s also Modulation for adding movement and width, and a three-algorithm Reverb and multi-mode Delay.
Finally, the Line Amplifier adds analogue-style colour to the signal, perfect for enhancing clean vocals or pushing sounds forward. The chain is modular too, and can be freely reordered to create your own signature style.
Spiritbox: Courtney LaPlante is available from MixWave for intro pricing of $79 (full price $139).
Where to download free plugins and VSTs
Looking for free plugins? Our freeware section is an excellent place to start; each month, we also compile round-ups of the best free plugins and samples to download.
The production community is full of passionate developers who’ve given away instruments, effects and other plugins as freeware. Some of our favourites include Valhalla’s Supermassive reverb and Matt Tytel’s Helm polysynth. Remember, most developers also offer free trials for their plugins.
How to install VST and AU plugins on Windows, macOS and iOS
If your plugin came as a zip file, you may have to manually install it. Here’s how:
VST3 plugins:

Unzip the plugin folder
Copy the VST file to your default plugin folder (Windows default: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3, Mac default: /Library/Audio/Plugins/VST)
Start your DAW
Rescan your plugin directory

AUv3 plugins:

Download and install the plugin from the App Store
Insert the plugin in your DAW
Select the AUv3 plugin from the Audio Unit Extensions tab

The post The best new music plugins this week, free and paid appeared first on MusicTech.

The Story Behind The Beatles' 'A Day in the Life' — The Two Songs That Became OneHow did The Beatles create “A Day in the Life”? Discover how John Lennon and Paul McCartney combined two unfinished songs into one iconic masterpiece.

Google spared from ad-business breakup, but judge orders changes to how it operatesGoogle has dodged an effort to break up its ad business, but a judge said Wednesday that the company will need to adjust its business to benefit competitors.

US officials work with CrowdStrike to fight malware behind crypto theftFederal authorities and private-sector partners were part of an operation to disrupt malware that redirected about $150,000 in crypto over the last eight years.

Donald Trump’s administration just sided with OpenAI in a key ‘fair use’ case. Here’s what it means for music’s fight with Anthropic and Suno.It appears to be the first time Washington has intervened in any of the copyright cases now stacked up against AI companies
Source

Egowaves AnalogEntropyAnalogEntropy brings organic character to your tracks by recreating the subtle imperfections of vintage tape machines, analog consoles and classic hardware that give analog recordings their warmth, depth and soul. It can be used on anything from a single track to the entire mix. For best results, use several parameters gently rather than pushing one too far. You may not notice it. Until you bypass it. Key Features: COLOR: Drive: ANALOG PREAMP SATURATION: two-zone soft clipping, from gentle tape preamp rounding to heavier saturation. Warmth: TRANSFORMER HARMONICS : even-order harmonics (2nd, 4th) filtered below 280 Hz, the signature of an analog transformer. Saturation: DYNAMIC TAPE SATURATION : envelope-following tape saturation: peaks compress harder than quiet passages, like a real magnetic tape under heavy signal. Air: HARMONIC EXCITER : harmonic exciter à la Aphex/BBE: generates new harmonics above 3.5 kHz rather than boosting what's already there. MOVEMENT: Haze: BBD CHORUS : BBD chorus with two interacting LFOs, the technology behind 1970s tape echoes and classic chorus pedals. Sway: HARMONIC DETUNING : three drifting delay taps creating internal harmonic beating, like a piano whose strings have slowly gone out of tune with each other. Flutter: TAPE FLUTTER : tape flutter with filtered noise injected into the LFO phase, so it never sounds like a mechanical sine sweep. Warp: APERIODIC MODULATION : sslow, unpredictable phase modulation, the kind heard on degraded tape or off-speed playback. IMPERFECTION: Dropouts: RANDOM SIGNAL DROPOUTS : partial random signal fades with independent L/R asymmetry, simulating uneven oxide wear on a playback head. Crackles: VINYL NOISE : granular noise texture, crossfaded grains of 30–80 ms with independent stereo seeds. Hiss: ANALOG TAPE HISS : warm band-passed tape hiss from dual noise sources with a slowly evolving spectral blend. Drift: TAPE WOW & FLUTTER : tape motor instability modelled as a slow sinusoidal wow at ~0.6 Hz combined with a filtered noise flutter. SWITCHES: Vintage: LPF at 13 kHz, S-curve waveshaper and light quantisation at 30 kHz, narrowing the frequency response like a well-maintained 1970s tape machine. Bleed: console crosstalk at −2.5 dB with early reflections at 8 and 13 ms, the natural channel contamination of an analog desk. Spread: 5 ms delay on the right channel only, the looseness of two slightly misaligned tape heads. Smear: temporal blur that rounds transients and pushes the signal back from the source. Buzz: 50 Hz + 100 Hz hum modelling a slightly misgrounded tape deck or console. MODEL: Six converter and tape characters ordered from cleanest to most extreme: Akai S900 (12-bit / 40 kHz, clean filter). E-mu SP-1200 (12-bit / 26.4 kHz, coloured LP, low-mid punch). E-mu Emulator II (10-bit / 27.7 kHz, warm reconstruction). Mellotron (tape saturation, wow/flutter, 8 kHz roll-off). Casio SK-1 (8-bit / 9.38 kHz, heavy quantisation noise). AM Radio (300 Hz–6 kHz bandpass, AM demodulator saturation). EQ / MASTER: Bass / Treble: bipolar vintage tone stack: the cut side behaves passively with interacting bands like a real amp, the boost side is active. Blend: global dry/wet after all processing. Glue: analog bus compression curve, transparent below halfway, character zone above with harmonic saturation on transients. Output: final gain with auto-gain calibration. Read More

Harvesting Namib Desert Fog with High VoltageAs fun as mucking about with simulated environments in a laboratory is, at some point you have to do those field tests to demonstrate that your prototype actually works in the real world, under real conditions. This is what the [Plasma Channel] recently did for their fog harvesting system by setting it up in the Namib desert.
We previously covered the atmospheric water harvesting attempts, using electrostatic precipitation to draw the moisture in the air onto the collectors where it can then be harvested. This is rather different from existing approaches with e.g. fine meshes and hoping that enough water molecules bump into your mesh, so theoretically it should be much more efficient. In the lab it worked well, but reality always has the last word.
The Namib desert is at the top of the world’s most arid regions, competing with the Atacama desert. What it does have going for it is regular fog rolling in that lasts until sunrise, providing a good target for water harvesting. Interestingly, this field test was performed together with the University of Namibia.
Of course, moving the prototype in check-in luggage for the flight to Namibia took some redesigning and testing. Fortunately everything, including the solar panel, arrived intact, allowing trials to commence. This initially took place at the campus of the University of Namibia, joining a number of other atmospheric water harvesting projects that had been previously installed there.
Unfortunately the fog proved to be rather elusive, leading to a few fruitless attempts. It also proved that the salt in the air from the ocean spray, even a few kilometers inland, was highly corrosive, especially to high-voltage electronics. Although the system basically worked, happily harvesting water under the right conditions, it does need some redesign before it’ll be tested next in the Atacama desert.

The 13 best vocal microphones of 2026
Whether you’re singing, rapping, or podcasting, these are 13 of the best vocal microphones to consider in 2026.

The new TONE3000 is FREE and provides access to countless NAM profiles
The TONE3000 plugin has been released for macOS, Windows, and Linux, and it is available for free! We’ve mentioned the TONE3000 platform plenty of times when discussing other guitar-related releases. The TONE3000 platform provides access to countless gear models (NAM profiles), and this new plugin makes it more convenient than ever. The TONE3000 plugin is [...]
View post: The new TONE3000 is FREE and provides access to countless NAM profiles

Release Radar: Post Sex Nachos Go Big (and Bad) on their Latest AlbumLet's get this out of the way: Post Sex Nachos is still one of the best band names in indie rock, and it's still doing a disservice to how much this Midwest outfit can wreck you emotionally in under four minutes. Their new album Big Bad is out in a matter of weeks, and it might be the most vulnerable thing they've put their name on yet—which, for a band that turns anxiety spirals into songs you can dance to, is saying something.

Formed by Sammy Elfanbaum and Chase Mueller, Post Sex Nachos built their reputation the old-fashioned way: relentless touring, sets at Lollapalooza, Summerfest, Mile of Music, and Bonnaroo, and an independently organized, 1,000-plus-attendee Nacho Fest that sounds like it shouldn't work on paper and clearly works great in practice. Their Booster Pack EP gave the world "Supergirl" and "SOS"—the latter currently sitting at No. 1 Spun on SiriusXM Alt Nation. Big Bad is the next chapter, and by the sound of it, a bigger swing.

Ask Elfanbaum what inspired the record and you don't get a vague answer about "growth" or "the journey." You get this:

"The inspiration behind Big Bad was that the boys and I both separately and together were going through some big changes in our lives. I wanted the lyrics to be very personal. Some of the songs are about anxiety, and like, in this world we're living in I feel like every song should be about that. I don't know how you could live in America right now and not be anxious."

That's the emotional spine of the album, but Elfanbaum is quick to clarify this isn't a 40-minute panic attack. "There's uplifting stuff mixed in there too, and some classic PSN love songs about partners and friendship. Not all doom and gloom, but hopefully you cry maybe once while listening to the record?"

A reasonable request from a band that's earned the right to make it.

Big Bad came together over roughly six months in the studio with producer Aaron Wagner (VEAUX), and according to Elfanbaum, he didn't just twist knobs—he pushed the band somewhere new. "There were definitely some surprises in the studio, mostly good ones! I think Aaron really pushed us to be the best we could be and the record would not be the same without him."

It also marks the band's most collaborative process to date. Instead of arriving with finished songs, instrumental ideas came from across the whole lineup before lyrics and top lines got layered in—which tracks with how unified and deliberate the record sounds. It's the difference between a band writing songs and a band building something together.

If you want the emotional thesis statement of Big Bad in one song, it's the BAILEN collaboration. Elfanbaum explains the origin: "I've always wanted to write a song about a ride-or-die kind of friendship. Everybody has that person they can call up at any time and pick up right where they left off, no matter how long it's been."

He brought the concept to BAILEN, and things moved fast from there. "I brought this idea to BAILEN and they absolutely ran with it. We came up with the chorus together over a Zoom call, and came back with our respective verses a couple weeks later." The verdict, unprompted: "BAILEN really elevated this track, making 'A Lot to Lose' my favorite song on the record."

Ask Elfanbaum to pick favorites and he'll actually pick favorites, which we appreciate. "I think my sleeper pick on the album is called 'Insane.' But my favorite is probably 'All For You' or 'Junk.'"

Consider that your starter pack.

If there's one thing Elfanbaum wants clear before you press play, it's that this isn't a band coasting on their old formula. "I want the world to go in with an open mind when listening to Big Bad. We stepped outside of our comfort zone and pushed ourselves, taking a lot of big swings. We have definitely transformed as a band through making this record and I think it paid off."

And despite the confidence, there's real nerve behind the release too—the kind that comes from actually caring. "I hope listeners walk away connecting with at least one song. I hope it makes them think about their lives or the state of the world. I think it's our best album yet and I am equally nervous and excited for it to be out in the universe."

Post Sex Nachos aren't just dropping the album and disappearing—they're bringing it straight to a stage near you. Asked about the rest of 2026, Elfanbaum kept it simple: "Shows, baby! Come see us on tour in the fall!"

The North American Fall Headline Tour kicks off September 25 in Nashville at The Basement East and wraps November 7 in Chicago at Bottom Lounge, with VIP packages available for the fans who want the full experience. Big Bad will also be available on vinyl, along with exclusive merch bundles for anyone who wants to hold this era in their hands.

Between the anxiety anthems, the friendship ballads, and at least one guaranteed cry, Big Bad is Post Sex Nachos at their most honest. Go listen with an open mind—they asked nicely!

Big Bad drops on September 18, keep an eye out.

Photos by Sophia BiancoThe post Release Radar: Post Sex Nachos Go Big (and Bad) on their Latest Album first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Stereophonic Bundle from AIR Music Tech AIR Music Tech have just introduced a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide producers, beatmakers and mix engineers with more more depth, width, warmth and impact across individual tracks, busses and complete mixes.