Recording The Abbey Road Orchestra - Chapter Two We join Spitfire Audio and engineer Simon Rhodes at Abbey Road Studios for a behind-the-scenes look at the recording sessions for their most detailed sample library project to date. 

From the NMPA’s criticism of Spotify’s bundling plans to Concord’s bid for Hipgnosis assets… it’s MBW’s Weekly Round-UpThe five biggest stories to hit our headlines over the past seven days…
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Now Available: beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition HeadphonesToday, beyerdynamic - the preferred audio brand for live music and studio professionals globally - announced that its DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition headphones are now available for purchase. Originally debuted at NAMM 2024, the DT 770 PRO X blends the reference-setting features of the DT 770 PRO with the dynamic STELLAR.45 driver system's flexibility and a detachable cable. Redefining studio gear for a new era, the DT 770 PRO X is now available in limited quantities at beyerdynamic’s e-shop, Guitar Center and Sweetwater for $199.

In today’s fluid landscape of music creation, having the flexibility to work with a variety of applications is paramount. The DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition features the convenience of a detachable Mini-XLR cable so you can move freely while you create. A recess in the headband padding also protects against the pressure-sensitive fontanelle, allowing you to wear the headphones for hours on end. With premium sound quality, replaceable parts, low impedance and high-wearing comfort, the DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition is tailor-made for studio professionals, artists, filmmakers, producers and more.

As beyerdynamic reaches its 100th anniversary, it was important for the design of the DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition headphones to pay tribute to this accomplishment. On the side of the headband, a limited-edition anniversary emblem is hot stamped in silver and features the beyerdynamic logo.

The DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition comes with ultra-soft gray velour earpads, a 3m Mini-XLR to 3.5mm jack cable, a 3.5mm to 6.3mm jack adapter, a drawstring bag and an anniversary booklet with visual assets and information about beyerdynamic’s storied history.

Availability & Pricing 

The DT 770 PRO X Limited Edition studio headphones are now available for purchase in limited quantities at beyerdynamic’s e-shop, Guitar Center and Sweetwater for $199.

Stories In Sound at Abbey Road Studios Taking place at Abbey Road Studios, Stories In Sound is a new immersive experience that combines rich storytelling with live music.

Imogen Heap uses her AI voice model, ai.mogen, to create a remix for the first timeRevered British musical polymath Imogen Heap has released the first remix using her AI voice model, ai.mogen — and we think we can just about hear the AI-generated vocals in the mix.
Collaborating with Slovakian alt-pop singer Karin Ann (NME’s recent cover star) on her track false gold, Heap uses ai.mogen to generate her signature vocal sound heard in the remix. To clarify, Heap produced the remix on her own, but her vocals are made by an AI model that she developed with her team.
This remix is the first-ever recording of Heap’s AI voice companion, with a press release suggesting that we’re set to hear much more from ai.mogen. The track also marks Heap’s return to the music scene “after a decade-long hiatus from the spotlight,” continues the statement.

We’re pretty sure we can hear the AI model harmonise with Karin Ann in the choruses, but it’s most notable at the bridge of the song — you’ll hear the haunting, eerie drones that are reminiscent of Heap’s vocals. Check out the song at the 1:58 timestamp in the video below to hear for yourself.
The statement from Heap’s team adds that Heap is “embark[ing] on her new ventures into AI technologies and savvy music collaborations” and that she remains “dedicated to leaving a lasting impact on the way consumers engage with music.”
Such an attitude is not novel from Heap, who has repeatedly been at the forefront of emerging technologies in music. She’s perhaps recognised most with her performances using Mi.Mu gloves, which enable her to manipulate the music using hand gestures via MIDI/OSC. You can check out her NPR Tiny Desk performance for a taste.
More recently, however, the artist ventured into the Web3 space with an audiovisual NFT made in collaboration with Endlesss, the Web3 music-making platform.
Karin Ann’s album Through The Telescope and false gold (Imogen Heap remix) are available now. 
 
 
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Saturday is Record Store Day 2024: What to expectThis Saturday, April 20th, is Record Store Day 2024,​ both in the U.S. and internationally.  This gathering of music lovers takes place in hundreds of independent record stores, in celebration of recorded music with special releases, in-store performances, and much more.....
The post Saturday is Record Store Day 2024: What to expect appeared first on Hypebot.

Jacob Collier disagrees with Rick Rubin’s philosophies: “His audience is non-creative people for whom creativity is novel”British multi-instrumentalist and producer, Jacob Collier, has “critiqued” the artistic concepts of Rick Rubin, Grammy-winning producer and founder of Def Jam recordings.
READ MORE: My Forever Studio S4 Ep9: Jacob Collier steals Chris Martin’s magic mic
Specifically, Collier disagrees with Rubin’s philosophy of “the audience comes last”, saying that he finds such attitudes concerning. “There’s no one way to do anything — you can make work for people; you can make work for an audience; you can conform to the algorithm; you can make an engaging thumbnail. That’s cool.”
“You can also,” he adds, speaking on the Colin and Samir podcast, “lock yourself up in a room — like I did for many years — and just make art? that you just deeply, deeply care about that has never been made before and will never be made again. That’s cool as well.”
On the episode (titled We interviewed the Mozart of Gen Z), Collier, who has won multiple Grammy Awards for his work as a producer, composer, and musician, discusses the workflow and approach to his fifth album, Djesse Vol. 4.
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When podcast host Colin highlights Rick Rubin’s approach to music-making, which is “the audience comes last,” he says: “When I read that, I resonated with it at first[…]although many times in my career, the audience does not come last and is a high consideration.”

“I had the same response to you when I heard that,” responds Collier. “Then I thought about it more and did a lot of research about Rick[…] and I worry about the strong prevalence of an attitude like ‘the audience comes last.’”
“I would critique Rick in a sense that I don’t think his audience is creative people. I think his audience is people who aren’t creative, for whom creativity is novel. And they’re thinking ‘Gosh, wow! I never even thought that you could make something for yourself!’ But I feel that anybody who’s inherently creative in some way knows that there’s no one way to do anything.”
“I look at Rick and I’m like, ‘has anyone ever debated [Rubin] on this stuff?’ because there are [multiple] ways of approaching creativity…I’d love to sit with Rick at one point and just talk to him, and chew the cud and push him. And I’ll also welcome being pushed…Our opinions need to be squeezed and broken…
“Rick says things like ‘art is only pure if it’s made for only art’s sake’. Absolutely false.”
Though Collier says that Rubin’s philosophy can be seen as “flawed and unhelpful”, the artist celebrates Rubin’s effect on some people: “If anyone who is watching this and has watched a Rick Rubin video and felt inspired — fuck yeah. That’s great. Who am I to say don’t be inspired?”
To celebrate the launch of Djesse Vol. 4, Collier collaborated with Native Instruments to release the Audience Choir plugin. The instrument takes inspiration from Collier’s famous crowd-pleasing routine, which turns his audiences into harmonious choirs in an instant. Not familiar? No problem — just watch him work his magic at Glastonbury last year with Queen’s Somebody To Love. You’ll see what we mean.
 
 
 
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The marketing magic of including your fans in your processProducer and DJ Downupright explains how they have invited fans to do more than just listen to their music. This not only boosts engagement but is also a great way to build a mutually beneficial bond with your fanbase.....
The post The marketing magic of including your fans in your process appeared first on Hypebot.

Market like Taylor Swift: How to use Spotify Pre-Save, Countdown pagesAhead of today's release of her 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, Taylor Swift broke Spotify's record for the most pre-saved albums in its history.....
The post Market like Taylor Swift: How to use Spotify Pre-Save, Countdown pages appeared first on Hypebot.

Taylor Swift’s return to TikTok includes an in-app experience for ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ with ‘first-of-its-kind’ featuresIn-app experience follows the return of the superstar's music to TikTok, amid its licensing dispute with Universal Music Group
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Bansaw Crown Music’s Band Saturator plugin is available for free
Bansaw Crown Music recently released Band Saturator, a freeware saturation effect that is also the developer’s debut plugin.  The Band Saturator is available for Windows (VST3 and AAX) and Mac (AU, VST3 and AAX). Bansaw Crown Music describes the Band Saturator as “Three unique, carefully curated, saturation flavors you can apply to instruments, drums, vocals, [...]
View post: Bansaw Crown Music’s Band Saturator plugin is available for free

Get 50% off Native Instruments’ Komplete 14 Select bundle – featuring Massive, Monark and more – at Plugin BoutiquePlugins are kind of like cookies — you can never get enough of them, even more so when they’re available at a 50 percent discount, such as in the case of Native Instruments’ Komplete 14 Select instrument bundle.
From now till 12 May, you can pick up the Komplete 14 Select bundle over at Plugin Boutique for just $99.50, down from the original $199.

READ MORE: Watch “Synth God” Mike Dean play Moog’s highly anticipated new synth, the Muse

Said to offer “everything you need to spark new ideas and take your tracks to the finish line, from inspiring sounds and premium synths to top-notch effects, kits, and more,” the bundle features a slew of powerful synths, high-impact drums, studio-grade effects and an array of shapeable sounds to kick start your creative juices.
Most notably, it features Massive, Native Instruments’ flagship software synth. Massive is usually priced at $149 on its own, so to get it along with tonnes of other digital instruments and sounds is, quite frankly, an absolute steal. There’s also Monark, a monophonic synthesizer “capturing every sonic nuance of the king of analogue monosynths” – the Minimoog.
The pack includes NI’s Play Series instrument Soul Sessions – which costs $49 if purchased individually – as well as the latest Expansions Backyard Jams, Neo Boogie, and Mother Board.
For the uninitiated, there are four versions of the Komplete 14, with the Select being the most affordable of the lineup. At present, the bundle will get you 19 instruments including the Player editions of Kontakt and Reaktor as well as some core sound packs totalling over 15,000 sounds and a size of 34GB.
For more information about the plugins, check out our full review of the Komplete 14.

To grab Komplete 14 Select at a massive discount right now, head to Plugin Boutique.
The post Get 50% off Native Instruments’ Komplete 14 Select bundle – featuring Massive, Monark and more – at Plugin Boutique appeared first on MusicTech.

Musician points out microphone mishap in forthcoming Bob Dylan biopic and fans are dividedBiopics are all the rage lately; from Amy Winehouse to Whitney Houston and Elton John, films detailing the stories of some of the biggest music icons have been, and continue to, roll out across cinemas all over.
But as we’ve seen before in film (ahem, Back To The Future), when it comes to the musical props used throughout, sometimes mistakes can slip through the net. Musician Will Stratton appears to have spotted one in the forthcoming Bob Dylan biopic in a photograph taken on set shared via X/Twitter.

READ MORE: Band invent bionic robot arm that lets plants play musical instruments

In the photo, actor Timothée Chalamet, who is playing the role of Bob Dylan, is captured singing into a Sony C38 microphone. This mic was introduced in 1965. “Can movies like this please hire music people who know what they’re doing?” He writes online.
Users on the platform have suggested that this photo could be taken from a scene set after this period, but Stratton replies, “Then the costuming is wrong, and he is still singing into the wrong microphone. I know these details don’t matter to a lot of people, and thats fine! I like a well-researched film, especially if it’s about a pivotal cultural figure.
“I said the Sony C38 wasn’t introduced until 1965. It wouldn’t be widely available in the USA until later. And as a phantom powered mic, it certainly wouldn’t be used in live settings until much later – the condensers you see on stage at Newport had external power supplies,” he adds.
“Beyond all that, there are hundreds (thousands?) of photographs of Bob Dylan singing into different microphones from this era. Why choose a microphone Dylan was never photographed singing into, and was never in wide use in the United States during this time?”
Check out the photo below:

That microphone wasn’t introduced until 1965. Can movies like this please hire music people who know what they’re doing?? https://t.co/vHke9qy1tj
— 𝑾𝑰𝑳𝑳 𝑺𝑻𝑹𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑶𝑵 (@columnatedrunes) April 16, 2024

The biopic doesn’t have a release date yet but it’s predicted to land in early 2025.
View all of Bob Dylan’s summer live dates.
The post Musician points out microphone mishap in forthcoming Bob Dylan biopic and fans are divided appeared first on MusicTech.

How Time Warp has achieved 30 years of hard-hitting techno and next-level stage productions“30 years, 30 hours, you made it! Thank you very much for coming and dancing with us”, says festival director Robin Ebinger, praising the thousands-strong audience of Time Warp ravers still dancing at 2 pm on Sunday as techno pioneer Richie Hawtin brings his mammoth four-hour set to a close.

READ MORE: Coachella’s Quasar stage illuminates the art of longer-form DJing – we’re here for it

Ebinger’s rare moment on the mic concludes Time Warp’s 30th-anniversary event, whose expansive line-up of legendary and rising names is a who’s who of techno’s past, present and future. In fact, many of the names on this year’s programme have long been considered regulars: Richie Hawtin has played for 24 years, Ricardo Villalobos 23, Adam Beyer 23 and Sven Väth a mammoth 29 years in a row, having been a Time Warp stalwart since the mid-90s.
The brainchild of business partners and lifelong friends Steffen Charles and Michael Hock, the pair initially wanted to organise an event with the artists that were important to them. When it came to planning the debut edition of Time Warp in 1994, this meant giving a platform to innovators like Richie Hawtin, Laurent Garnier, Speedy J and John Acquaviva.
From humble beginnings of a small crowd of 1,500, Time Warp has grown to attract 20,000 electronic music enthusiasts globally to each edition in Mannheim, Germany.
Richie Hawtin at Time Warp. Image: Tyler Allix
“People from all over the world travel to attend Time Warp. It’s a truly international event,” says Robin, who stood on the dancefloor at the first edition and is now a key team member. “I believe there is not a country from which we have not welcomed a guest since we started,” he claims, citing that some attendees have travelled from as far as Australia, Canada, Brazil and Japan.
Time Warp has also evolved in scale and scope over the decades. While the line-up has diversified to feature established electronic music artists and emerging talents from various subgenres, the festival has become revered for its innovative stage designs and production values. It’s also no longer a local affair, with events now hosted in the USA, Czech Republic, Austria, Netherlands, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland and Argentina.
“Our goal was to spread the Time Warp spirit and create unforgettable experiences for attendees around the world,” Robin reflects.
Nonetheless, the flagship edition remains the festival’s beating heart, with many artists returning year on year. And, with almost half of the 30,000 guests flying in from different corners of the world for 2024’s 30th-anniversary edition (many proudly holding their country’s flag up in the crowd while hoisted on friend’s shoulders), the festival’s status as an underground institution remains unmatched.
Time Warp. Image: Marko Obradovic Edge
Running later than most club nights worldwide, Friday’s 9 pm to 8.30 am warm-up eases you into the marathon main event, which kicks off at 7.30 pm on Saturday and runs until mid-afternoon on Sunday. Despite the endurance test, the Mannheim exhibition centre is packed from the kickoff with sweating bodies of all ages and nationalities (including an abundance of bare chests and leather harnesses at this particularly sweltering edition).
Curating the line-up for Time Warp’s 30th anniversary was, says Robin, a “meticulous process aimed at celebrating the diversity of techno music while honouring the genre’s roots and evolution over the past three decades.” The goal, he adds, was to “create a programme that not only showcased established legends but also highlighted emerging talent, representing the past, present, and future of techno.”
Majoritively, thunderously hard and fast floor-shaking beats are the driving force of the 30th-anniversary party, as scene-leaders Paula Temple, 999999999, Kobosil and relative newcomers DJ Gigola, Clara Cuvé and Lee Ann Roberts really test the towering speakers. Meanwhile, a handful of back-to-back pairings (Marcel Dettmann B2B Solomun, which is like Pacha v Berghain, and Dax J B2B SPFDJ) add to the occasion.
Among the 2024 highlights are Indira Paganotto’s apocalyptically-heavy, eerie-vocal-led psy-techno, which conjures the feeling of being in an infernal ritual (in the best way possible), and Texan DJ/producer Sara Landry, who conducts the crowd effortlessly thanks to her mesmerising stage presence… and plenty of incendiary hardcore and eruptive techno.
Sara Landry at Time Warp. Image: Marko Obradovic Edge
Often, the infectious energy displayed by those behind the decks matches the relentless intensity of the beats being unleashed, particularly I Hate Models and Patrick Mason, the latter who showcases his incredible vogueing and body-bending skills by jumping onto a platform in front of the decks to give the dance performance of his life.
The handful of live sets over the weekend prove equally memorable, too: as well as NTO and Boston 186, Reinier Zonnaveld’s set-up — which includes a Roland TR-909, Native Instruments Maschine and Roland SH-101 — is an analogue lover’s dream. Elsewhere, Octave One’s expansive table of hardware features a mixing desk, Moog Sub37, Akai MPC Live and modular rig.
Several artists also spin vinyl sets, including the enchantingly eclectic digger Ricardo Villalobos, plus Anfisa Letyago and Hector Oaks who, thriving off each other’s energy, make for a perfect pairing. Laurent Garnier’s set in the legendary, greenhouse-like dome, which has its own disco ball, is an unforgettable session too: eyes closed and really feeling the music, he’s undoubtedly a master of the craft.
It’s not all techno, however, as two rooms cater for fans of more melodic, Tulum-style sounds (courtesy of ARTBAT and Mochakk), pumping tech-house (Jamie Jones, Seth Troxler) and grooving house (Jayda G, Honey Dijon); noticeably, the contrasting vibe results in different attire, including white tees and neon bracelets.
Anfisa Letyago and Hector Oaks at Time Warp. Image: Marko Obradovic Edge
The music is just one part of Time Warp, however, as the festival’s visual aspect has always been equally important.
“Each year, the festival strives to push the boundaries of creativity and technology, offering attendees a visually stunning and immersive experience,” Ebinger says.
“From the festival’s inception, we’ve prioritised integrating lights and video elements into our stage designs and production,” he adds. “As technology has advanced and costs have become more manageable across multiple events, we’ve had the opportunity to develop increasingly intricate and elaborate stage designs.”
For the 30th anniversary, each floor was crafted with a specific concept in mind. Led by technical director, Anatol Fried, interdisciplinary teams from around the world came together to create immersive spatial designs using cutting-edge lighting, video technology, and a variety of materials.
“Behind each design lies a unique idea, ensuring that every room design and dancefloor has a unique character, tailored to the size and musical direction,” says Robin. The goal, he adds, “is to captivate by transforming the halls into immersive experience zones, where every element — from the lighting to the materials used — contributes to a blend of light, colour, and form. For our attendees, the result is a mesmerising experience.”
Adam Beyer at Time Warp. Image: Tyler Allix
He’s not wrong: the ceilings above the different dance floors transform into three-dimensional spectacles, appearing both fluid and dynamic. Massive cell structures come to life, morphing over the heads of the crowd, while lightning dances, meteors move through the space, and colossal balloon-like structures arch overhead in vibrant crimson hues.
“At its core, Time Warp is about enriching the experience of electronic music by creating a symphony of artistry, music, video, light, technology, fabrics, and structure, Robin summarises. “With every moment being a testament to the transformative power of electronic music and visual artistry, each component plays a crucial role in immersing attendees in a world of sensory delight.”
And that’s exactly what it feels like to be at Time Warp. “It’s a unique experience and you have to be there to feel it,” says Mark Gwinnett, who runs electronic music website The Night Bazaar and has been coming to Time Warp every year for the past decade. “For over 30 years, they have stuck to their original principles. And, while the festival has grown into the ultimate example of what an electronic music celebration should be, they have never compromised on their original core values when it comes to presenting cutting-edge dance music to the world.
“Built by ravers for ravers, Time Warp has been very important in the global evolution of electronic music, setting a standard that so far has not been matched anywhere else,” he adds, citing everything from the production and soundsystems to the line-ups and the “impeccable” attention to detail.
“I thought I had seen it all over two decades of raving until I first came to Time Warp 10 years ago; it changed everything for me and continues to inspire each year. The festival has to be on the bucket list for anyone serious about electronic music.”
Time Warp. Image: Marko Obradovic Edge
Another Time Warp lifer, Grego O’Halloran, who experienced the festival for the first time in 2007 and has missed very few since, feels the same.
“Honestly, in all the years I’ve been going, one of the most stand-out things is how little things change: they nailed the whole concept from the outset, so why change a winning formula?” While he says production is kept up to date and the line-up always has new names each year, “when it comes to big raves in massive rooms with the biggest names in house and techno, it’s an unbeatable experience.”
With all this in mind, Grego goes on to describe Time Warp as “an annual pilgrimage for so many people where traditions die hard.” Reflecting over the many editions he has attended, he says “particularly for me, Laurent Garnier’s sunrise sets and Richie Hawtin’s closing techno assault are some of the most iconic experiences in the whole of electronic music. It should be a rite of passage for any clubber worth their salt to be part of moments like these.”
Here’s to another 30 years.
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CB Electronics reveal ER-Range The new ER-Range Eurorack modules from CB Electronics bring the company’s renowned routing matrix technology to the modular synth world.