“I’ll never go back to 440Hz”: How Ziggy Marley found his new frequencyAfter nearly five decades making music, Ziggy Marley could be forgiven for resting on his laurels. With nine Grammy wins, an Emmy, countless high-profile collaborations—not to mention being the son of one of the most famous musicians in history, Bob Marley—he’s reggae royalty through and through.
Yet with his ninth solo album, Brightside, Marley not only set out to build a new studio and adopt new songwriting techniques, but he also challenged himself to sing, play, and record tuned to 432Hz, instead of the standard 440Hz.
“I’m a musical explorer, you know?” he offers by way of explanation. “To do something new is always refreshing to me, as an artist.”
Artwork for Ziggy Marley’s 2026 album, Brightside
440Hz, commonly referred to as A440, is the standard reference pitch across Western music; it’s the A above middle C on the piano, which most other instruments are tuned in relation to. In recent decades, an increasing number of musicians have instead used 432Hz as their reference pitch, with many claiming that the tuning can aid meditation and help mental well-being.
The science is far from settled on the matter, but to Marley, the benefits are clear. “It’s just a different vibe,” he puts simply. “I tried it for my live shows, I liked it, and I saw the audience responding to it. It felt more comfortable to me, and I felt like I could express myself, vocally, much better in that frequency. So, 432Hz is like getting a new toy – it inspires me to sing different, play different. I’ll never go back to 440Hz.”
Recording at a new frequency was no small commitment. As Mike Schuppan, who mixed and engineered Brightside, points out, not only did the strings, brass, and pianos all need re-tuning, but all the electronic instruments as well. “There are no virtual instruments on this record,” Schuppan emphasises. “We couldn’t just pull up the computer and change the tuning. So, the Rhodes, the clavinet, the analogue synths, they were all tuned to 432Hz. There was no cheating.”

“For the Hammond B-3 organ, we didn’t know if it could be done,” Marley adds. “We had specialists come in, and the guy said it’s just the amount of electricity that goes to the organ. He fine-tuned it so that we could click a switch and have it go to 432Hz, which was mind-blowing to me because I didn’t even know that was possible.”
For Schuppan, the album also presented a unique challenge to mix. “It’s a bit of a learning curve to get your ear to 432Hz,” he reflects. “For me, being in the pop world and tuning vocals for years in 440Hz, I know that tuning really well. So, I’d hear something and it would feel a little bit flat, but then I’m like, ‘oh, wait, it’s in 432Hz.”
Despite the tricky logistics, Marley and Schuppan believe that the end result was worth the effort. “There were a couple of times during rehearsals and pre-production where we went back and forth between 440Hz and 432Hz,” recalls Schuppan. “We all preferred 432Hz. It’s funny because it’s sort of unexplainable – the science doesn’t necessarily make sense, it just feels good, it feels right, and I think that’s what’s so cool about this record.”

At the same time, Marley was also experimenting as a songwriter. “On previous records, I was excited to get into the studio and start making music, figuring it out as I went along,” he concedes. “But on this record, I wanted to focus on the songs, the lyrics, the arrangements. I really wanted them to feel good, to be what they are, before going into the studio.
“That was a different approach for me,” continues Marley. “But I felt like I needed to do that as an artist, as a musician. I needed to redirect that energy into the songwriting.
All of this new creative ground was being broken in Marley’s newly completed Rebel Lion Studio. “It’s been years that I’ve been dreaming about it,” Marley says of the desire to build his own recording space. “I’ve had little studios in my house, but I always had to go to other studios if I wanted to record a bigger setup like live drums or horns. I was always shuffling around.
“I think I’m following the example of my father, because he did the same thing too,” Marley continues. “It’s just that independent spirit that I grew up with. Having my own space, I create my own energy, my own vibes. It’s really great to work in that way where you’re not under any kind of constraints or limitations.”
Together with Schuppan, who has worked on numerous releases with Marley, the pair set about designing the ideal recording setup – with a custom-fitted Rupert Neve Designs 5088 console as its centrepiece.“It’s a great console,” Marley offers without reservation. “Over my years, I’ve had different consoles in my home studios but I was not satisfied. I wanted a different feel, a different sound. I was always looking up this Rupert Neve stuff, and so finally we pulled the trigger on it.”
Image: Wonder Knack (courtesy of Tuff Gong Worldwide)
“It was my first time installing and working on it, and I absolutely love it,” interjects Schuppan. “They really simplified it: it has the classic analogue console that we all know and love from tape, but then they’ve stripped out the things that we don’t use anymore. Most of us are on Pro Tools, and we don’t really need a big matrix or DIs on the back of everything. They simplified it without making it useless.
“Being able to mix and match whatever preamp and EQ you want to is also really cool,” continues Schuppan. “We were able to load the first half of the console with 16 BAE 1084 preamps, and then the rest of the console has the Shelford 5053s in it. So you’re not limited to one thing; you kind of have a bunch of different flavours.”
Helping guide the studio build-out also meant that, when it came time to start work on the new album, Schuppan was already an expert on the spaces’ workflow and on what the new gear could offer. “Mike knows all the crevices, he knows every little secret,” laughs Marley. “He put the studio together, then he recorded Brightside, he mixed it. He was there from birth to the delivery, so it was just great.”
“It was amazing,” agrees Schuppan. “I was there pulling wire through the walls, soldering everything up, getting it all worked out with a console, and then recording the album and mixing it in-house. I’ve built a bunch of studios, but to be able to take things full circle was a first for me.”
From tuning to songwriting to workflow, Brightside has precipitated many new turns for Marley, but perhaps the most striking change is who the artist had in mind while he was writing it – himself. “I wasn’t thinking about what the people want,” he says thoughtfully. “I think that was one of the things I did on this record that was different: I wasn’t writing this album for the people, I was just writing it for me.”
Image: Wonder Knack (courtesy of Tuff Gong Worldwide)
As a lifelong activist and humanitarian, Marley has penned many anthems that shine a light on the injustices of this world and encourage positive action to affect change. The artist sees recent world events, including the devastating Hurricane Melissa, which hit Jamaica in late 2025, as moments that “call us to action.”
But while the album’s lead single, Racism is a Killa, and tracks such as Hey People Now, certainly still rouse a sense of activism, by Marley’s own admission, these new songs are unabashedly personal.“I think people get tricked sometimes by the idea of what reggae is, or who I am,” he says. “But there’s a lot of inward, introspective thinking going on for the music and for the lyrics. When I sing these songs, I have a deep emotional connection to them because of what they mean to me personally. Really, a lot of these songs are about me.”
Brightside is Marley’s most emotionally charged album, and it’s also his most therapeutic. In that context, the artist’s decision to work at 432Hz was less about giving audiences a soothing or meditative experience and was instead something that Marley himself needed. “I wrote a lot of songs for my own mental and emotional health,” he emphasises. “Tuning to that frequency just worked out well for me personally. In dealing with my issues, in dealing with how I was feeling, to be in that frequency was healing for me.”
Ziggy Marley’s Brightside is available now. 
The post “I’ll never go back to 440Hz”: How Ziggy Marley found his new frequency appeared first on MusicTech.

Jury rules Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as an illegal monopoly and overcharged concertgoersA federal jury has ruled that Live Nation, the entertainment giant that owns Ticketmaster, illegally operated as a monopoly in a decision that could reshape the live music business.
The verdict follows four days of deliberations in a seven-week trial in New York City, stemming from an antitrust lawsuit filed in 2024 by the US Department of Justice alongside dozens of state attorneys general. The case centred on claims that Live Nation had effectively cornered the live music market by controlling ticketing, concert booking, promotion and venues.

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According to the lawsuit, that dominance enabled “anticompetitive conduct” that led to higher fees for fans, fewer touring options for artists, and pressure on venues to use Ticketmaster’s services.
Per NBC news, the jury found that Ticketmaster overcharged concertgoers by $1.72 per ticket at “major concert venues” in the plaintiff states as a result of that behaviour. Additional monetary damages may still be awarded, with US District Judge Arun Subramanian set to determine the final amount.
The ruling also lands in the wake of damaging internal messages that surfaced during the case. In one exchange, employees allegedly joked about “robbing” customers, while another message mocked fans paying high VIP fees, stating, “These people are so stupid.”
Meanwhile, Live Nation has rebuffed the verdict and signalled its intent to challenge the outcome.
“The jury’s verdict is not the last word on this matter. Pending motions will determine whether the liability and damages rulings stand,” the company said in a statement Wednesday, adding that it plans to appeal “any unfavorable rulings.”
The company also argued that the jury’s award of $1.72 per ticket applies to a limited subset of tickets – those sold at 257 venues, representing about 20% of total sales – and only to purchases made by fans in certain states over the past five years.
While the decision marks a significant moment for the live music industry, any tangible changes are unlikely to be immediate. Ticket prices and fees are not expected to drop in the short term as the legal process continues.
Judge Arun Subramanian will now oversee a second trial to determine remedies, including whether to grant the states’ request to break up parts of the company or enforce structural changes such as divestitures. Among the potential outcomes is the forced sale of Ticketmaster — a move that could fundamentally reshape the live events landscape if enacted.
“It will be an earthquake in the industry in terms of people’s perception in feeling validated,” Scott Grzenczyk of law firm Girard Sharp tells CNN. “There’s a big difference between people complaining about Goliath and getting a jury verdict that Goliath was a monopolist and doing something wrong.”
The post Jury rules Live Nation and Ticketmaster operated as an illegal monopoly and overcharged concertgoers appeared first on MusicTech.

Ford EV and tech chief leaving automakerDoug Field had stints at Apple and Tesla before joining Ford in 2021.

How to use the new Splice Sounds Plugin (beta)
Learn how to use the new Splice Sounds Plugin to find loops and one-shots in new ways and get even more out of the Splice Sounds library.

Ten of the Best Iron Maiden SongsAt long, long last, heavy metal icons Iron Maiden are being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. After five decades, and 17 albums with three vocalists, Maiden is finally getting its dues. Sadly, former vocalist Paul Di'Anno and former drummer Clive Burr are no longer around to celebrate. But we can all revel in the glory of all things Maiden. Here are 10 of their best songs, in order of release.

"Iron Maiden"

From Iron Maiden (1980)

"Wrathchild"

From Killers (1981)

"The Number of the Beast"

From The Number of the Beast (1982)

"The Trooper"

From Piece of Mind (1983)

"Aces High"

From Powerslave (1984)

"Wasted Years"

From Somewhere in Time (1986)

"The Clairvoyant"

From Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)

"Fear of the Dark"

From Fear of the Dark (1992)

"The Clansman"

From Virtual XI (1998)

"These Colours Don't Run"

From A Matter of Life and Death (2006)

Photo by Ceedub13, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.The post Ten of the Best Iron Maiden Songs first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Hacking Fermentation for Infinite Pickles from Pass-thru BioreactorHome-fermented foods are great– they’re healthier, more flavourful, and cheaper than store-bought alternatives. What they aren’t is convenient: you need to prep a big batch of veggies, let it sit, and then you have to store the excess pickles. If you’re not careful, you end up with ancient, over-fermented pickles at the bottom of the crock, or worse– run out of pickles! Surely a fate worse than death. [Cody] at Cody’s Lab has a solution: a continous-flow fermentation process that keeps just the right supply of pickles coming at all times. Our grandmothers who kept a crock for months in the cold room or root cellar might be confused, but this hack brings pickles into the Just-In-Time framework of the 21st century.
Specifically this is for lactic acid fermentation, the type that gets you kosher dills, saurkraut and kimchi along with a whole mess of other tangy, tasty vegetable treats. Vinegar pickles are a whole other thing. It’s done in a brine, as the lactic acid bacteria are salt tolerant in a way that most things that would rot your food and/or make you sick would not. You can reuse the brine over and over, which is what [Cody] is doing: he crafts a U-shaped crock out of old glass bottles and a couple of pickle jars. He cuts the jars into angled pipe segments that are held together with aquarium sealant, which is apparently food safe. It holds water and looks surprisingly good, in that it isn’t hideous.
The bioreactor gets loaded up with veggies on one end, plus lots of salt and spices to taste, plus some cultured brine from an old batch to kickstart everything. The starter isn’t necessary; it just gets things going faster. The initial packing is the hardest: after filling it the first time, one needs only press new veggies in at one end, while removing tasty treats at the other. A special packing tool [Cody]makes helps with that, but he plans on adding a larger feed side. Thanks to that kickstart, the pickles were ready to try after about a week– which means his tube is a bit long, for his desired dwell time. If you like more fermentation to your pickles, then you might like this size.
May be the first time pickles have been featured on Hackaday without turning them into LEDs. We’ve featured plenty of fermentation projects, with automation to help make the best brew or a build for better tempeh, but not a lot of vegetables.
Thanks to [cam72cam] for the tip!

Sonicworld Telsie TSonicWorld Telsie T is a 3-band equalizer plug-in based on the famous W695 discrete class A equalizer from the 1970s. The W695 is known for its wonderfully silky highs and tight bass. Telsie T delivers this sound, along with some very useful upgrades compared to its analog counterpart that make it a very powerful equalizer plugin. Like the original hardware, Telsie T features a low-shelf filter at 60 Hz and a high-peak filter at 10 kHz. Its midband section operates as a presence filter with six selectable center frequencies, offering users precise tonal shaping capabilities. Building on this classic foundation, Telsie T introduces a suite of modern enhancements that significantly expand its sonic flexibility: The low band offers additional peak filter frequencies at 40, 60, 100, 160, and 220 Hz, each with selectable Q-factors (Wide, Medium, Narrow), enabling far more detailed tone shaping than the original fixed shelf. The high-frequency section retains the signature 10 kHz peak filter while adding a 15 kHz high-shelf alternative, both with up to ±15 dB gain in precise 3 dB increments. To improve tonal balance, Telsie T includes crossover controls between the low/mid and mid/high bands, allowing users to refine how frequency curves interact and extend midrange linearity. A dedicated Linear Phase mode offers a more phase-consistent alternative for critical applications. Each band also features a harmonics section with "Drive" and "Out" controls, enabling users to add subtle saturation or harmonic richness. Additional tools include continuously variable low-cut (high-pass) and high-cut (low-pass) filters with a musical -12 dB/octave slope, as well as a master gain control for precise level compensation. A comprehensive parameter bar provides clear visual feedback of all key settings, including harmonic levels, filter states, crossover points, and output gain. Read More

Live Nation operated as illegal monopoly, jury finds in landmark antitrust trialLandmark verdict could reshape the live entertainment industry.
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UAD Explore Free from Universal Audio Universal Audio’s latest bundle brings together a selection of their renowned plug-ins and virtual instruments, and is being offered free of charge!

Moog unveils super-limited Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model DMoog is celebrating the enduring legacy of its founder and synth innovator Bob Moog with a new limited-edition version of the Minimoog Model D.
With just 500 units available worldwide, the Bob Moog Tribute Minimoog Model D is built by the Moog team in North Carolina, and boasts an updated look, with a custom quartersawn white oak cabinet, and a Bob Moog Foundation photo-anodised decal on the rear panel.

READ MORE: A banana-shaped synthesizer is going viral on Kickstarter

Functionally, it’s exactly the same as Moog’s 2022 reissue of the Minimoog Model D, which paired an analogue sound engine – recreated from the original ‘70s unit – with a number of modern features including MIDI support, spring-loaded pitch wheel and Fatar keybed with aftertouch.
Credit: Moog
At its core though, the Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D bears the sound analogue signal path that made the original such a legend, with a discrete analogue mixer, analogue oscillators, dual envelope generators and an analogue VCA. Of course, it also features its iconic 24 dB/octave Ladder Filter, which shaping everything from warm bass tones to harsh peaks, helped define the sound of the Minimoog Model D.

Each Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D comes with a semi-rigid case for protection during transport, and $500 from each sale will be donated to the Bob Moog Foundation, to support its ongoing educational work in music, science, history, and innovation.
“Here at Moog Music, we believe in honoring Bob Moog’s legacy and his innovations that continue to have a meaningful impact on today and tomorrow’s creatives,” the company says. 
Credit: Moog
“Whether that’s behind the scenes as we’re developing new instruments, in conversation with artists, through stories on social media, or in writing like this (to you, here and now), it’s at the heart of all we do.”
The Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D is available now, priced at $3,999. Learn more at Moogmusic.com.
The post Moog unveils super-limited Bob Moog Tribute Edition Minimoog Model D appeared first on MusicTech.

Flow Studio is an ultra-compact control surface from Softube offering album-ready signal chains and “lightning-fast” controlSwedish audio company Softube has unveiled Flow Studio, a new control surface offering “album-ready signal chains and quick, hands-on control” in a compact form factor.
While other Softube control surfaces boast a number of knobs and faders reminiscent of a typical outboard mixing console, the Flow Studio condenses everything you need into just five knobs.
Credit: Softube
Each of them can adjust several controls at a time, including vocal tuning, delay, reverb, compression, saturation, guitar amps, and more. The large centre knob meanwhile, known as The Omni Knob, gives control for all eight macros in addition to master controls such as input gain and output volume.

READ MORE: A banana-shaped synthesizer is going viral on Kickstarter

The Flow Studio comes loaded Flow Studio Suite, which boasts over 100 signal chains designed to enhance vocals, guitars, synths, drums and more. These chains – called Flows – have been built by “top sound designers and music producers”, Softube says.

Flow Studio Suite also features 25 Softube software effects – including EQs, compressors, guitar amps, reverbs and delays – and this is expandable with an optional Flow subscription, which unlocks up to 145 additional Flows plus 65 plugins.
To streamline workflow in different phases of production, Flow Studio has three modes built in. DAW Mode is for control of parameters like track volume, pan, solo/mute and sends, Flow Mode is for exploring the Flow Studio Suite plugins, and Detail Mode allows the user to dive into each plugin in the signal chain for refined adjustments.
The Flow Studio also sports a 4.3″ full-colour hi-res screen, which gives feedback on metering and parameter adjustments via “inspiring graphics”.
Flow Studio is available now for €395/$399. For more information, head to Softube.
Credit: Softube
The post Flow Studio is an ultra-compact control surface from Softube offering album-ready signal chains and “lightning-fast” control appeared first on MusicTech.

SonicWorld introduce Telsie T SonicWorld's first software launch delivered a meticulous recreation of the Siemens W295b equaliser, and this time it’s the turn of another popular EQ design: the Telefunken W695.

A banana-shaped synthesizer is going viral on KickstarterThe market for kid-friendly synths is booming, it would seem.. You might remember hearing about the Tembo, a beginner synthesizer and sequencer made entirely of wood that smashed its Kickstarter goal by nearly 20x, with over £700,000 pledged when we covered the story last month.
Now, we’re here to share a similar Kickstarter success story in the entry-level synth space, as Banan-a-Synth – a synthesizer shaped like a banana – has already vastly exceeded its pledge goal in just days. At the time of writing, the project has raised £34,301 of funding, compared to its £2,967 goal, with 674 backers.

READ MORE: Plugin Boutique is offering “the lowest price ever” on iZotope’s Ozone 12 mastering suite

Touted as a “pocket-sized sound machine and musical science lab”, the Banan-a-Synth from MicroKits lets you use electricity to play notes and control effects.

At its heart, there’s a custom sound engine with 12 different instrument sounds, eight built-in sound effects – and even four-note polyphony for chords – and comes with a pack of alligator clips so you can turn all manner of conductive objects into instruments you can play.
Onboard instruments include guitar and bass sounds, synths, brass and a number of other miscellaneous instruments. Meanwhile, the eight onboard sound effects are: Pitch Bend, Vibrato, Octave Up, Low Pass, High Pass, 8-bit Arpeggio, Chorus and Delay.
The device also includes an analogue conductivity sensor for effect control – so the harder you press the sensor, the stronger the sound effect.

As you might hope from a banana-shaped synthesizer, the Banan-a-Synth is completely portable, powered by two AA batteries and boasting a built-in speaker and headphone jack. The unit can also be powered via USB-C.
“Yes, it’s a banana shaped synthesizer. It’s also a synthesizer that turns bananas and other conductive objects into musical keys you can play,” says Dave of MicroKits. 
“This is both a pocket sized sound machine and a musical science lab that lets you use electricity to play notes and control effects. Whether you’re a STEM student or pro musician, there’s so much to explore with the Banan-a-Synth.”
At present, there’s a Kickstarter Special tier available, with which customers can back the project for $60 and get the Banan-a-Synth plus 10 alligator clips for experimenting with real-world conductive objects.
For an in-depth rundown of the Banan-a-Synth project, head over to Kickstarter.
The post A banana-shaped synthesizer is going viral on Kickstarter appeared first on MusicTech.

Elementary Sounds releases TSUD, a FREE sample-based kalimba instrument
Elementary Sounds has released TSUD, a free sample-based kalimba instrument for macOS and Windows. This is Elementary Sounds’ first free release and their first new product after roughly a year of silence. I was a bit surprised I hadn’t heard of them before, since their paid stuff looks pretty cool. They have a handful of [...]
View post: Elementary Sounds releases TSUD, a FREE sample-based kalimba instrument

AI datacenter startup Fluidstack in talks for $1B round at $18B valuation months after hitting $7.5B, says reportFundraising is reportedly flowing for Fluidstack after it secured a $50 billion deal to build data centers for Anthropic.