Tesla still plans to build 1,800-mile charging corridor for semi trucks despite Biden funding snubTesla is pushing forward with a plan to build an electric big rig charging corridor stretching from Texas to California, despite being snubbed by a lucrative federal funding program that’s part of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. But the original scope of the project could still change, TechCrunch has learned. The company had been seeking […]
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Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band at the Kia Forum“Do You Have Anything Left?”

Photos & Words by @KevinEstradaPhotography

It’s been 8 years since Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band rolled through Los Angeles, but you would never know it – at 74 years old, Springsteen and his band is still setting the standard for arena rock shows.

Last year, Springsteen was stricken with a severe ulcer disease, causing many dates of the tour, including the two night stand in Los Angeles to be cancelled and rescheduled.  Age may have played a factor in his illness, but Bruce’s final night in Los Angeles had more energy and a longer set than most of his younger contemporaries. 

As the lights went down, the fabulous Kia Forum erupted in deafening moans of “Bruuuuce.” Springsteen & his band kicked the show off with Open All Night (the first time playing this song since 2014), then jumping into Lonesome Day and the iconic, Prove It All Night.

Bruce treated his fans to a few surprises – Fire and Tougher Than The Rest featuring his wife Patti Scialfa on guest vocals.  Next, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine joined Bruce and The E Street Band as they powered through American Skin and The Ghost Of Tom Joad.

Springsteen’s shows may be simple stage presentations compared to some of the blockbuster tours that travel the world, but the difference is quality and quantity.  Los Angeles was treated to 3 hours and some of the greatest songs ever recorded – Hungry Heart, Because The Night, Thunder Road, Born To Run, Rosalita, Glory Days, Dancing In The Dark.  With an arsenal like this, there is no need for a flashy stage show.

There was a magical moment at one point of the show – the house lights came up, Springsteen took a good look at the sold-out arena and yelled, “Do you have anything left?”  Springsteen definitely has a lot left. 

SET LIST

Open All Night

Lonesome Day

Prove It All Night

Two Hearts

Ghosts

Letter To You

The Promised Land

Death To My Hometown

Tougher Than The Rest

Fire

Hungry Heart

Sherry Darling

Spirit In The Night

My City Of Ruins

Nightshift

Last Man Standing

Backstreets

Because The Night

Wrecking Ball

American Skin

The Ghost Of Tom Joad

The Rising

Badlands

Thunder Road

Born To Run

Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)

Glory Days

Dancing In The Dark

Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out

Detroit Medley

I’ll See You In My Dreams

DIY Quad-Motor Go-Kart is a Thrilling Ride[Peter Holderith] set out some time ago to build an electric go-kart. That by itself is not terribly unusual, but where his project diverts from the usual is in the fact that each of the four wheels has an integrated hub motor.
It might not look it, but each wheel has an integrated hub motor.
This kart project is a bit of a work in progress, with [Peter] previously building (then scrapping) a failed attempt at a cheap suspension system. But it’s completely operational with all four wheels able to deliver a monstrous amount of power despite being limited by the power supply (a battery pack salvaged from an Audi Q5 Hybrid).
The kart might not look it, but it weighs 177 pounds (80 kg) with the battery and motors accounting for nearly half of that. What is is like to drive? “Nothing short of thrilling,” says [Peter]. It’s got no suspension and is pretty bare bones, not to mention limited in power by the battery, but [Peter] finds it a satisfying drive that nevertheless delivers car-like cues in the driving experience. The build isn’t done, and [Peter] plans to see if more power is available by switching battery chemistries rather than add more battery weight.
Building and driving electric vehicles can be remarkably satisfying, and it’s an area in which hobbyists can meaningfully innovate. Self-balancing one-wheeled vehicles for example look like a ton of fun. Heck, researchers have discovered that even rats seem to enjoy driving just for the fun of it.

Copyright case over Ed Sheeran’s ‘Thinking Out Loud’ continues in New York appeals courtThe long-running dispute, in which Sheeran emerged victorious last year, now continues in an appellate court in New York.
Source

Early CD Player TeardownWhile CD players are nothing new today, they were the height of high-tech in the early 1980s. [w1ngsfly] shows us the inside of a Phase Linear 9500 player from 1983. Not only does it have many components, but it is also mechanically unusual.
The CD loads into a toaster-like slot and even pops out like a piece of toast. The tracking mechanism is quite complex, and there’s something that looks suspiciously like a dial string from an old slide rule tuner radio. Apparently, the unit was made by Kyocera and is internally similar to a Kyocera DA-01.
There’s a “head position” indicator that is actually just an LED connected to the tracking mechanism. The front panel controls look great but also allow you to control the head position exactly. As [w1ngsfly] mentions, it is almost like moving a turntable’s tonearm where you can drop it anywhere you want.
If we recall, they were about $600 to $1,000 new. If Phase Linear doesn’t ring a bell, they were well known in their day. Founded by [Bob Carver] and [Steve Johnston], the company was bought by Pioneer before the introduction and, later, by Jensen before the introduction of the 9500. [Bob] would go on to found Carver Corporation. You can find plenty of history about the company online.
We’ve seen CD players that look older. These days, CD drives are cheap and they are easy enough to control.

Atlas Audio Releases FREE Auraleak Vocal Compressor For Windows
Earlier this month, Atlas Audio released the free Auraleak vocal compressor, which is a Windows-exclusive VST release. The plugin is completely free, although to get the download, you’ll need to complete the checkout process on the Atlas Audio website, which requires an email address. Users who wish to support the developer can do so by [...]
View post: Atlas Audio Releases FREE Auraleak Vocal Compressor For Windows

Independent Live Music community to gather in New Orleans for NIVA ’24Hundreds of independent live music venues, promoters, festivals, and agents will gather in New Orleans from June 3 to 5 for NIVA '24, the third annual convention of NIVA (The National Independent Venue Association), with programming at iconic independent venues Generations Hall, Tipitina’s, Republic NOLA, and dba.....
The post Independent Live Music community to gather in New Orleans for NIVA ’24 appeared first on Hypebot.

Watch “Synth God” Mike Dean play Moog’s highly anticipated new synth, the MuseA little over a week after “Synth God” Mike Dean gave us an initial insight into the new Moog Muse, we can now see footage of the producer playing it.

READ MORE: Moog Music is moving out of its current Asheville home

Andrew Huang teased a new Moog synth during Usher’s Super Bowl Halftime Show in February, when it was thought to be called the Moog Mirror, but an Instagram Story from Dean last week seemed to suggest that it was called the Muse.
And now, a Reddit user has posted a video of Dean playing the Moog Muse to the r/synthesizers subreddit. In the video, which is around one minute and 42 seconds in length, Dean showcases the synth.
Mike Dean playing the new Moog Muse byu/RK-MUSIC insynthesizers

 
 
Moog itself has not shared any official information about the Muse, as yet, so things may be subject to change, but from what we know so far, the Muse is an eight-voice, polyphonic, analogue synth with a screen display, a chord function, two oscillators, and a five-octave keyboard. It also has a ring modulator, a mod oscillator, an arpeggiator, an overload circuit and a noise generator.
And as you might expect, there’s no information yet on when it the synth may hit the market. However, the increasing frequency of rumours and footage suggest it may be getting closer. The team here at MusicTech will endeavour to keep you posted as we know more.
If you’re a Moog fan, you might want to keep an eye on the upcoming Minimoog Book, too. From the independent book publisher Bjooks, this book is set to launch on Kickstarter later this month and takes a close look at the history of the Minimoog. Can’t wait for it to come out? You can read Bjooks’ earlier release, Patch & Tweak with Moog, now.
The post Watch “Synth God” Mike Dean play Moog’s highly anticipated new synth, the Muse appeared first on MusicTech.

The Crow Hill Company launch The Vertical Piano The latest release from The Crow Hill Company aims to stand out from other piano libraries by capturing an instrument with a rather unusual back-story.

The Reese bassline was inspired by historic NYC club Paradise Garage, says creator Kevin SaundersonThere are few more iconic basslines in dance music than the Reese bass, with its driving low-end sonics that have permeated rave music. Now, Kevin Saunderson, the Reese bass’s original creator, has revealed its unexpected source of inspiration.

READ MORE: Kevin Saunderson: “I changed the game” with 1988 Heat It Up remix

In a recent interview with MusicTech, the techno pioneer and Inner City member discusses a number of impactful innovations he’s created – not just the Reese bass but also a remix technique he applied in 1988 that “changed the game”.
In the interview, Saunderson also discusses creating the first-ever Reese bass in the same year, under his Reese alias for the track, Just Want Another Chance.

“Actually when I made that record, I made it for [influential 1980s New York club] Paradise Garage. I was thinking of the Paradise Garage. I don’t know if it was still open then but I went there several times so I always thought ‘how would it sound?’ I thought this track would work, get inside the dancers. I could see them dancing, screaming, and just twirling, doing their thing and it being played for an hour. Larry [Levan] playing it over and over.”
Saunderson, who is recognised as a part of the legendary Belleville Three, goes on to respond to modern producers today trying to recreate this bassline, specifically those posting Reese bassline tutorials on YouTube.
“I’ve seen a couple try to recreate the Reese bass,” he says. “They’re using different machines I didn’t even use – I created it on a Casio CZ-1000 – but the sound was close enough.
“I didn’t know I was going to create this bass. I created this bassline — I thought it was OK. But I thought ‘how am I going to enhance that line?’ [I began] looking around the oscillators of that unit, finding a sound and developing it.
“It’s dark, it’s deep,” says Saunderson, describing the sonic qualities of the bassline. “It gets into your soul. That’s where it grabbed me. It’s vibrant, powerful. It’s a hurricane of a bassline, the frequencies.”
Listen to Kevin Saunderson’s music on Bandcamp.
The post The Reese bassline was inspired by historic NYC club Paradise Garage, says creator Kevin Saunderson appeared first on MusicTech.

Plugin Alliance releases Battalion, a new drum machine by Unfiltered Audio with 20 “distinct” synth enginesPlugin Alliance has introduced Battalion, a “flexible” drum machine from Unfiltered Audio, delivering the “colour and control of iconic drum synths”, with the sampling features of a modern drum machine.
This new offering also features a performance mode for DJ sets and live gigs, allowing users to trigger, loop and manipulate sounds on the fly.

READ MORE: Native Instruments’ Electric Keys – Tines Duo are among the best Rhodes emulations out there

Plugin Alliance, which is part of the Native Instruments family, says Battalion lets producers create studio-quality beats in three main ways. Firstly, you can build from scratch using the synth section. It features 20 “distinct” synth engines, many of which are inspired by 1980s greats.
If you prefer, you can choose sounds directly from the Battalion sample library. There are four sample modes on offer: Classic, Phase Warp, Cloner, and Granular. Or thirdly, you can upload original samples and then use the tools within Battalion to sculpt them however you like.
Onboard there is also a Blend slider, which enables you to move between sampling and synth generation for “unprecedented sonic combinations”.
Take a closer look in the video below:

Also inside Battalion, you’ll find Unfiltered Audio effects, including Shatter Delay and Headspace Reverb, plus a Channel Strip with Delay, Reverb, Pan, and Voice Gain. There’s a multi-mode filter and non-linear distortion, plus filter algorithms including Low-Pass, High-Pass, and Band-Pass.
Distortion algorithms include Bitcrush, Rate Crush, Wavefold, Phase, Tape, and Tube. You can also utilise controls for EQ and pitch, plus a Clipping Mode selector for managing signal clipping behaviour.
In our rolling guide, you can check out the best new mixing plugins, effects and VST instruments released over the past week, all curated and handpicked by the MusicTech team.
Battalion is available now via Plugin Alliance for $129 for a limited time only, eventually rising to $199.
The post Plugin Alliance releases Battalion, a new drum machine by Unfiltered Audio with 20 “distinct” synth engines appeared first on MusicTech.

Music Industry is moving from middle-men to ‘disintermediation’New technology suggests that current music business models should be more artist-centric instead of including unnecessary middlemen. from ArtistVerified via Medium Disintermediation is a really long word for a really. Continue reading
The post Music Industry is moving from middle-men to ‘disintermediation’ appeared first on Hypebot.

The marketing magic of ‘STANS’ [Fred Jacobs]How Eminem coined the term "stan" and how developing such strong bonds with music listeners can move mountains when it comes to marketing.....
The post The marketing magic of ‘STANS’ [Fred Jacobs] appeared first on Hypebot.

Tracktion’s “huge” Waveform Pro 13 update introduces a brand new Clip LauncherTracktion has launched Waveform Pro 13, a new update introducing an “inspiring” clip launcher workflow, a Wavetable synth, a refined UI and exclusive audio content from Mode Audio.
Accompanying the update is the release of the Clip Launcher Feature Expansion, which adds to the DJ Mix Tools, Pro Video, Recording Engineer, MIDI Producer and Synth Pack offerings, essentially allowing for Waveform Free users to build their own DAW. This way, users can keep workflows streamlined and costs down.

READ MORE: Plugin Boutique is offering its “lowest prices ever” on a range of Universal Audio UAD plugins

Within the new Clip Launcher, sequence actions can be used to build complicated arrangements with speed. The probability of each can be adjusted for “human-like variation”, or even quirky and unpredictable sequences.
Waveform 13 ships with a range of new content from Mode Audio so you can get easily started with the Clip Launcher, including exclusive content, from drums and basses, to synths and more, in a range of contemporary styles.
You can also capture your work with Performance Recording, which prints the performance to the arranger window so you can edit, mix and further adjust your creations later on. It’s also worth noting that a range of launchpad-style controllers are supported in Waveform, with zero configuration required.

Elsewhere in the update, the new Wavetable synth features two wavetable oscillators, plus a sub and noise oscillator. There are 150 wavetables included, and you can create your own by dragging and dropping a .wav file onto an oscillator. Serum format wavetables are also supported.
Additionally, the look and feel of Waveform 13 has been given a glow up, with a selection of new colour schemes to choose from. You’ll also have the option of creating and saving your own schemes, and colour-matched lanes can now aid with managing automation and more.
Waveform Pro 13 retails for $199. Feature Expansions for Waveform Free users start at $30.
Find out more or access a 30-day free trial over at Tracktion.
The post Tracktion’s “huge” Waveform Pro 13 update introduces a brand new Clip Launcher appeared first on MusicTech.

Bifurcation theory | How today’s music business will become twoOne of things we pride ourselves on at MIDiA is helping the marketplace peer over the horizon with disruptive, forward-looking ideas and vision. We have a long track record of doing this (you can find a list of report links at the bottom of this post). While many of these ideas were difficult to swallow, or a little ‘out there’ at the time of writing, they became (or are still becoming) a good reflection of where markets ended up heading. Well, it is now time for another of those big market shaping ideas: bifurcation theory.

Today, MIDiA publishes its major new report: ‘Bifurcation theory | How today’s music business will become two’. The full report is available to MIDiA clients here and a free synopsis of the report for non-clients is on our bifurcation theory page here. So, check those out to find more, but in the meantime, here is an overview of just what bifurcation theory is, and why it is going to affect everyone in the music business, whatever role you play in it. 

The old maxim that change is the only constant feels tailor-made for the 21st century music business. Piracy, downloads, streaming, and social all triggered music industry paradigm shifts. Now, all the indicators on the disruption dashboard are flashing red once more. AI is, of course, standing centre stage, but it is not the cause of the coming change. It is simply a change enabler.The causal factors this time round are all direct byproducts of today’s music business, unintended consequences of a streaming market that has cantered along its natural path of least resistance. Everyone across the music industry’s value chain has played their role, often unwittingly. Whether that be shortening

songs, increasing social efforts, changing royalty systems or following viral trends, each of these micro actions has contributed to a macro effect.

The fracture points of today’s music business are simultaneously the catalysts for tomorrow’s. For example, the commodification of consumption is resulting in a raft of apps and industry initiatives that try to serve superfans; the rise of the creator economy’s long tail is resulting in both traditional rightsholders raising the streaming drawbridge (long tail royalty thresholds) and a fast-growing body of creators opting to invest less time in streaming.

Streaming was once the future but now it is the establishment, the cornerstone of the traditional music business. It has rocketed from a lean forward, niche proposition for superfans into a lean back, mass market product for the mainstream. Music consumers have always fallen into two buckets:

1.    Fans

2.    Consumers

The former used to buy music, the latter used to listen to radio. Streaming put them both into the same place, pulling up the average spend but pulling down fandom into consumption. Streaming is the modern day music business’ radio, just much better monetised than the analogue predecessor. Now though, everyone across the music industry’s complex mesh of interconnected value chains is realising there needs to be something more, built alongside, not instead of, streaming. This is the dynamic behind bifurcation theory. This report explores how today’s music business challenges are becoming the causal factors of a new business defined by two parallel consumer worlds.

The music business is bifurcating – splitting into two – with streaming emerging as the place for mainstream music and lean back consumption, and social as the spiritual home of fandom and the creator economy. We identify these two segments as:

1.    LISTEN (user-led): streaming services, monetising consumption at scale

2.    PLAY (creator-led): highly social destinations where fans lean in to create, connect and express identity

Of course, this process has already started, but social is still largely seen as a driver for streaming. Many artists who try to get their fans to participate on social do so primarily in the hope of driving streams rather than for the inherent value of fans participating in their creativity. However, many next-generation creators are realising they will simply never reach the scale needed to earn meaningful income from streaming.They are therefore shifting focus to building fan relationships on social media and monetising them elsewhere, be it via merchandise or brand sponsorships. Meanwhile, a new generation of fans are creating as a form of consumption, whether that means using songs in their TikTok videos or modifying the audio of their favourite song. While copyright legislation and remuneration have lagged behind these developments, they will be an important part of the future of PLAY. Over time, PLAY will evolve as a self-contained set of ecosystems, built around the artist-fan relationship. It will not be an easy transition. Mainstream streaming will become even more lean back, and social and new apps will exert what will increasingly look like a stranglehold on fandom and the creator economy.

Social apps are plagued with challenges (royalty payments not the least of them) but they will emerge as a parallel alternative to streaming, rather than simply a feeder for it. To this end, the full bifurcation theory report not only describes the lay of the future land, but also presents bold visions of how we think both sides of the music business equation should evolve. We present detailed frameworks for what PLAY services will look like and how LISTEN services can evolve, focusing on core competences to continue to appeal to the mainstream but also deepen appeal to – and better monetise – superfans.

AI will play a key role in the future of both sides of the bifurcated music business, but rather than being tomorrow’s business, it will act as an accelerant for the underlying dynamics of bifurcation theory.

Bifurcation is such a big concept with so many layers and nuances, we have only been able to skim through some of the highest level trends here. We encourage you to check out the full report and report synopsis to learn more.

We’ve spent a long time gestating this concept, so we’d love to hear your thoughts. We’re not expecting bifurcation theory to be to everyone’s taste, but if nothing else, hopefully it will spark some creative thinking and debate.

Don’t forget to check out our bifurcation page for a video discussion of bifurcation theory and a free pdf report synopsis.

As mentioned above, here are some of MIDiA’s most impactful future vision reports, in (roughly) chronological order:

Agile Music (Free report)

Music Format Bill of Rights (Free report)

Rising Power of UGC (Free report)

Independent Artists (Free report)

Music Rights Disruption

Insurgents and Incumbents

Creator Culture

Rebalancing the Song Economy (Free report)

New Top of Funnel

Slicing the Funnel

Music’s Instagram Moment

Scenes – a New Lens for Music Marketing

Attention Recession

Creator Rights (Free report)

Creator Hubs

Music Product Strategy

Fan Powered Royalties (Free report)

Addressable Creator Markets

Misaligned Incentives

Artist Subscriptions

Field of All Levels

Kill the Campaign

Rise of a Counterculture Industry