Floating Points is making his own sound system inspired by those he lovesProducer and DJ Floating Points is building his own sound system inspired by the greats he’s enjoyed playing through most over the years.
The project is currently in its early stages, and Floating Points – real name Samuel Shepherd – is working with designer fig. G (Carlos Figueroa) in London to bring his vision to life.

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So far, the sound system integrates parts inspired by the Aztec speakers used in the iconic system at Leeds venue, Cosmic Slop, and also the work of SBS Slammer, a high-end sound system company based in NYC created by Craig ‘Shorty’ Bernabeu. Shepherd has shared a short clip showing the early progress to Instagram, in which he talks through his current design choices.
“Here is a 1:20 scale model of the speaker we’re building,” he begins. “There’s actually a couple of little speakers in there,” he says, demonstrating how the sound will flow out of its conical shape. “I’m trying to make a sound system that is all the bits of sound systems I love.”
In the caption, he further adds, “A soundsystem! Still not sure why I’m doing it… but wanna make a sound combining all the components and systems I have loved playing on over the years.”
You can watch his video below, and also check out sped-up footage of the progress shared by fig.G:

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A post shared by Floating Points (@floatingpoints)

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A post shared by Carlos Figueroa (@fig.g)

It’s no surprise Shepherd has been inspired by the sound system of Cosmic Slop. We wrote about the iconic set up in the venue just last year, in a round-up of the best-sounding clubs and their vintage hi-fi sound systems.
Tom Smith, the founder and owner of Cosmic Slop, is the custodian of the original blueprints from New York icon Paradise Garage. He went to New York and met some of the last people who worked on the system for Larry Levan and built it to Cosmic Slop’s spec. Artist Bradley Zero says, “when you play there, you feel you’re stepping back in time to this paragon of musical excellence.”
The post Floating Points is making his own sound system inspired by those he loves appeared first on MusicTech.

Is Dreamtonics Vocoflex a must-have vocal plugin or just an AI toy?$199 (excluding tax), dreamtonics.com
Available in a bundle with Synthesizer V Studio
It’s getting tough to tell whether an online voice is real or fake, isn’t it? Our era of vocal deepfakes and generative AI vocals is eerie and precarious — but that hasn’t stopped some developers from trying to improve the prowess of music producers with new AI vocal tools. Though we’ve seen software like Voice-Swap capable of transforming and replacing vocals in any song, Japanese brand Dreamtonics has gone a step further with its Vocoflex plugin, with seriously impressive results. But is it actually useful?

READ MORE: DJ Fresh doesn’t want AI to fall in the wrong hands — so he started Voice-Swap

Vocoflex uses AI technology to transform your vocals in real-time and morph between several voices simultaneously. The output may not sound as pristine as something like SoundID VoiceAI or Voice-Swap but its real-time workflow makes it fast and flexible.
Available as a plugin and standalone software, Vocoflex can also be used alongside another Dreamtonics instrument, Synthesizer V, to greatly expand the range of possible voices.
Aside from experimental vocal morphing, Vocoflex can change the voice’s gender, blend multiple targets to create an entirely new voice, create new backing vocals that differ from the lead, or create vocal demos with a more appropriate vocal sound. You can even try it on instruments instead of vocals, which can lead to surprising sound design results. If using it live, then you can switch on a low-latency Realtime mode, with the fastest option being around 35ms. Most will want to leave it off, for a higher-fidelity output.

How do you use Vocoflex?
You can choose your target voice in three ways. The first, and easiest, is to load up one of the 40 presets that include male and female pop singers, operatic soprano, husky R’n’B, mellow baritone and more. Although they’re high-quality models, there’s a learning curve to get to know the sound of each. You can generally guess if it’s male or female based on the name (e.g. Tenor), but we’d find it more useful if the list was split into low, medium and high registers so you can pick one that best fits your vocal.
The second way to create a target voice is with the Voice Generator, which presents an X/Y pad with gender on the X axis and Tone on the Y axis. You can click Random to generate a new voice timbre, which is linked to the colour of the pad. The new colour is also listed as a hex colour code at the bottom, which you can save and recall later. Once you’re happy, click Apply to generate the target. Easy, right?
Vocoflex interface
The final, and most impressive option, is to load in your own vocal sample. You only need around 10 seconds of audio for the process to work, which is far less than some competing products that require 15 minutes of analysis. Dreamtonics suggests that quality is more important than quantity; you’ll get the best results with clean and dry, solo vocal stems.
Once you’ve chosen a target, the presets and imported voices are shown as curves on the user interface, with several dots representing small portions of the analysed audio, and the Voice Generator showing up as a single node. If you choose more than one node, then the curves or dots are distributed around the screen, with similar voices placed nearer to each other to make morphing smoother. You can then play your vocal, either via a track in the DAW or through a microphone, and Vocoflex will transform it in real-time. It’s truly impressive how smoothly it all works.

To get the best vocal sound, you’ll want a target and main vocal that are as close in register as possible. If you click on the tuning fork icon, you can transpose the output by 18 semitones, and you get a helpful graphic that suggests the most suitable range.
As the voice is synthesised, it offers a novel, alternative way to transpose vocals. To put this to the test, we take our own vocal track and feed a portion into Vocoflex. We then use the generated target on the same vocal part (i.e. on itself) and pitch it down five semitones. If you were to do this using more traditional pitch-shifting effects, and even with something like Melodyne, then you get shifts in formants that alter the voice away from the original. However, amazingly, Vocoflex sounds just like the original singer, just in a lower register, albeit with subtle artefacts.
Vocoflex’s Waypoint system lets you select a number of points for the cursor that can then be jumped to either by hitting a key or via MIDI input. This means you can morph vocals live onstage, where different sections of a song are sung in different voices. Unfortunately, you can’t slide between points, but cursor positions can be automated.
Vocoflex voice generator
When tested against other vocal-changing products such as Sonarworks’ SoundID VoiceAI and Audimee, Vocoflex falls short in terms of audio quality and how natural the voice sounds – much like the difference between real-time and offline stem separation algorithms. At times, it sounds indistinct and is more likely to have subtle audio artefacts if any portion of the original vocal isn’t perfect. But remember — Vocoflex can be used more like an instrument than the VoiceAI and Audimee, so you’re getting a slightly unique product here.
For example, when using SoundID, you need to undertake many more steps to process and re-import the audio — and you’ll probably come up against some trial and error, as you don’t necessarily know what’s going to come out when you hit ‘process’. Vocoflex, on the other hand, is instant. Simply move the cursor and hear the changes in real-time so you can fine tune the output to your liking. It’s also lightning-quick to build your own voice presets.
With that in mind, we would probably only use Vocoflex for a lead vocal if the original recording and performance are of immaculate quality. However, it’s a perfect tool for creating fast mock-ups, or adding harmonies and backing vocals.
Dreamtonics has found a novel, if frustrating, way to help make Vocoflex ethical, given the potential for misuse or copyright infringement. When you register, you have to upload a copy of your ID. This is then used to generate an inaudible watermark in audio you create with the software, which can be traced back to you. It remains to be seen how effective this is, but it’s a step in the right direction for protecting artist rights.
Vocoflex waypoints
You might feel uncomfortable with uploading a copy of your passport or driving licence to access music software, which is totally fair. With Dreamtonics, it’s all handled via a third-party in London (ComplyCube) which specialises in identity verification and uses bank-grade security to encrypt your data. We’ve already seen this as a dealbreaker for potential buyers online, while others aren’t as concerned.
Vocoflex uses incredible technology to make vocal transformation fast and fun. If you’re working with imperfect audio, then you’re more likely to get the odd artefact or unnatural sound, but experimentation with different targets can improve the results. It would improve flexibility if you could go in and alter the generated targets further.
For $199, it’s definitely on the pricey side. However, compared to a tool such as Audimee, which is $25 per month for the Pro tier, you could save money in the long run. Although, as mentioned, the results with Vocoflex might not be as convincing. Voice-Swap, meanwhile, is $10 for the Pro tier. Both are slightly different prospects to Vocoflex, but will be more affordable if you’re just looking to change the timbre of a vocal part.
Overall, the streamlined approach and fast workflow of Vocoflex make this a worthy contender to more cumbersome online voice changing options, particularly for live performers.
Key features

Real-time vocal transformation and morphing, fine-tuned for singing
Plugin (VST3, AU, AAX) and standalone
40 target vocal presets
Import your own vocal a capellas for analysis
Morph between presets by dragging a cursor around the interface
Change genders or blend and create new vocalists
Set Waypoints to perform vocal switches via key presses or MIDI
Vocal Generator can generate a new vocal timbre at random
Edit the gender and tone of the Vocal Generator on an X/Y pad
Low latency Realtime mode
Watermarking feature to help reduce unethical use

The post Is Dreamtonics Vocoflex a must-have vocal plugin or just an AI toy? appeared first on MusicTech.

Overloud Studio Sessions FREE is a Reverb Collection for the Free REmatrix Player
Overloud has made the Studio Sessions Free reverb collection available as a freebie. All you need to get it up and running is the free REmatrix Player. The REmatrix Player IR loader is a free plugin for Windows and macOS in AU, VST, AAX, and standalone formats.  Overloud describes Studio Sessions Free as a collection [...]
View post: Overloud Studio Sessions FREE is a Reverb Collection for the Free REmatrix Player

Is your company AI-washing? Rippling founder Parker Conrad thinks it might be.Right now, there’s a mad scramble to capitalize on AI.
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Over half of TikTok’s biggest global tracks of the summer are independently distributedOn Monday (August 19), TikTok revealed its Top 10 Songs of the Summer for the US and globally
Source

Arizona crypto PAC-backed candidate ekes out narrow victory after recountDemocratic candidate Yassamin Ansari, supported by more than $1 million in crypto super PAC funds, claimed victory in an Arizona congressional primary.

Pulling Hydrogen out of the WaterIn theory, water and electric current will cause electrolysis and produce oxygen and hydrogen as the water breaks apart. In practice, doing it well can be tricky. [Relic] shows an efficient way to produce an electrolysis cell using a few plastic peanut butter jars and some hardware.
The only tricky point is that you need hardware made of steel and not zinc or other materials. Well, that and the fact that the gasses you produce are relatively dangerous.

To that end, [Relic] includes an “I don’t want to explode switch” in the system by routing tubes of gas through a second jar filled with water so that the water will block its return.
Of course, we’ve seen the same setup created with a battery, two coils of wire, and some test tubes, but this can certainly produce more hydrogen faster. Like most of these designs, you can scale them by adding more steel parts. The more surface area, the more gas you’ll produce.
We’ve seen a number of similar generators before, but each one is a little different. If you want to get really fancy, you can turn to automation.

Ibiza’s [UNVRS] hyperclub is promising “high-end luxury” — and dance fans are feeling alienatedOver the past few weeks, Ibiza ravers have been scratching their heads over some curious UFO sightings. A TikTok post on 31 July seemed to hint that ET was ready to crash land and party.
Fortunately, there won’t be any little green men invading the island anytime soon (probably). It’s actually just a publicity stunt for Ibiza’s new hyperclub, [UNVRS], which has been met with some dismay from dance music fans.

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The truth has come to light thanks to Will Smith — yes, actor and Fresh Prince Will Smith. In a new video, Smith honours his Men In Black roots, valiantly embarking on a hunt for the UFO. “I feel obligated to investigate,” Smith insists, as he ‘nervously’ explores a building site and clambers up scaffolding. Of course, the X-Files-like case is quickly solved. At the top of a platform, Smith encounters Night League CEO and founder Yann Pissenem – who immediately welcomes him to [UNVRS].

“This campaign has been truly out of this world,” Pissenem says, who also owns Ibiaz clubs Hï and Ushuaïa. “Now that the truth is out there, we can’t wait to welcome everyone to our new universe in 2025 as we launch the world’s first hyperclub.”
[UNVRS] won’t be opening until 2025, but the venue is promising to raise the bar, offering a “high-end luxury” hyperclub that will reach “the scale and ambition of arena events.”
Keen-eyed ravers will also recognise the site as that of the much-beloved Privilege. The 10,000-capacity nightclub was forced to shut its doors in 2018 following a license suspension due to unlawful structural modifications. [UNVRS] will rise from its ashes, and hopes to offer a revolutionary new clubbing experience.
However, many people aren’t happy about the new hyperclub. Ravers have quickly noted that a “high-end luxury” experience will likely cost a pretty penny. On one Instagram post announcing the news, one user jokes “How much for a bottle of water there? €50?”
Another comment reads: “Another club for rich people where musical culture/quality will not matter and the same old DJs will be hired to raise their DJ fee while in interviews they declare how much they care about the scene.” On another announcement, equal levels of critique can be found. “Seems like an elaborate version of saying ‘another overpriced club for influencers and rich people,’” someone notes.
For most Ibiza ravers, a VIP experience isn’t what they go for. Reddit notes that “high-end service, luxury and attention” are buzzwords that should warn clubbers to “avoid like fuck.”
Even on the official YouTube video, the comments are sour. “The spirit of the hippies of the 70s who arrived in Ibiza were looking to get away from the empire of money, materialism, superficiality,” a user writes. “Yann, you have not understood anything.”
Still, if you’re keen to keep up to date with the club’s development, you can register your interest at the [UNVRS] website.
The post Ibiza’s [UNVRS] hyperclub is promising “high-end luxury” — and dance fans are feeling alienated appeared first on MusicTech.

Universal Audio unveil ANTI UAFX pedal UA's new ANTI 1992 High Gain Amp pedal captures the sound of a 120W high-gain amplifier used by the likes of Slipknot, In Flames, Machinehead and more.

Hollywood's Hottest

On Wednesday, August 14th, The Bourbon Room in Hollywood was the epicenter of rock 'n' roll as Music Connection Magazine's "Hollywood's Hottest!" made its highly anticipated debut. With the backing of top club promoters Dirty Mondays and Sound of U Live, the night was dedicated to showcasing L.A.'s most talked-about girl rockers-each ready to take over the industry.

Headlining the night was Zelda, the 21-year-old melodic rocker from Amador Country near Lake Tahoe with 11M social media followers, who stunned the crowd of around 200 with her electrifying red hair and dynamic performance. Fresh off her rise to international fame on America's Got Talent, Zelda's Evanescence-inspired sound struck a chord with the audience. Currently working with the guys who brought you Evanescence, Jay Baumgardner and Ben Moody from NRG Studios, Zelda's upcoming single, "Butterflies," is set for release on Friday, September 13th, via Universal Music Group, and promises to be a game-changer in the alternative rock scene.

But the night wasn't just about Zelda. Shelby Carter, a singer-songwriter, opened the show with something truly unique. Armed with a Gibson 335 electric guitar, Shelby captivated the crowd with a set of originals and a few covers that accommodated the entering audience. But that was only the beginning. Shelby returned at the end of the night with her rock band, delivering a completely different, heavier set that showcased her incredible versatility. Her upcoming single "High Speeds" is one to keep an eye on.

Following Shelby's electric opening set, Alexa Villa took the stage for the longest set of the night-45 minutes of sheer energy and powerhouse vocals. Alexa's performance channeled the intensity of Gaga and the raw power of Ann Wilson. Yet, when she wasn't radiating atomic energy, Alexa sat down at the piano to reveal her skills as a disciplined pianist and guitarist. With her Latina roots and bilingual fluency, Alexa can also deliver mesmerizing rock en Español that truly sets her apart.

Just when the crowd thought things might slow down, Devon Thompson stepped onto the stage and blew everyone away. This power trio, led by Devon, brought a raw, explosive sound that felt like a fusion of Hendrix, Nirvana, and Black Sabbath, with a double shot of X chromosomes from Lzzy Hale and Bonnie Raitt. Devon Thompson has the chops to warm up any crowd for a major artist-and might just steal the show.

Look for upcoming Hollywood's Hottest acts brought you by the same crew. The Bourbon Room has plans to evolve Hollywood's Hottest into a "Latin Music Night" and a "Divas of R&B" evening. If you fit the bill, contact us at Music Connection Magazine or The Bourbon Room.The post Hollywood's Hottest first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Remapping HID for Fun and… Well FunIf you want to remap some mouse or keyboard keys, and you use Linux, it is easy. If you use Windows or another operating system, you can probably do that without too much trouble. But what if you use all of them? Or what if you don’t have access to the computer in question? Thanks to [jfedor2], you can reach for a Raspberry Pi Pico and make this handy key-and-mouse remapping hardware dongle.

But you can do more than just swapping control and caps lock because the software is pretty sophisticated. For instance, you can define layers like you might find in a custom keyboard setup — pressing one key can trigger a layer that redefines the functions of all of the other keys. There are programmable macros and a mechanism to differentiate between a key being tapped or held.
Since it also works with mice, you can trigger macros from mouse buttons, or remap your keyboard arrow keys to the mouse’s scroll wheel. And you can configure all of this from a web browser.
On the hardware side, the code supports several different off-the-shelf and custom boards. There’s also a nice enclosure to make it look like an off-the-shelf product. There are also serial and Bluetooth versions of the device, which map them to a USB HID connection.
This has applications for accessible devices. We can also envision it being useful with turnkey devices that you might want to customize without having to reverse-engineer the existing software. Because of the mouse/keyboard cross-functionality, this might have been just the ticket for resurrecting an old light pen, for instance. If you want to dive into the HID spec that makes this whole thing work, we can help with that. What will you do with it?

Zaytoven (Future, Migos) gives an exclusive tour of his studio
Zaytoven gave us an exclusive tour of his studio, sharing stories behind his favorite records, breaking down his go-to tools, and more.

Rigid Audio’s Synferno now free Synferno, a loop-based Kontakt instrument aimed at electronic music and trailer scoring, is now available as a free download. 

How to grow streams with a cooperative Spotify PlaylistBoost your music’s reach by joining an artist-run cooperative Spotify Playlist. Collaborate with others to grow your audience and increase your streams.
The post How to grow streams with a cooperative Spotify Playlist appeared first on Hypebot.

Understanding Publishing vs. Master Rights: A Guide for MusiciansUnderstanding the differences between publishing vs. master rights can make or break your music career. Learn how to protect your work, maximize revenue, and avoid costly mistakes that could impact your future in the industry.
The post Understanding Publishing vs. Master Rights: A Guide for Musicians appeared first on Hypebot.