HeadRush launches fifth edition of its free ReValver software with new cloning toolsMusic technology brand HeadRush has launched the latest iteration of its ReValver series, ReValver 5 – now offering the ability to shape the sound of the guitar itself by cloning the tone and characteristics of other instruments.
ReValver 5 is free for life and “infinitely expandable.” Users can now recreate the sounds of acoustics, folk instruments, and even other electric guitar and pickup combinations with its Audio Cloning Technology (ACT).

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In an “industry first,” ReValver and HeadRush pedalboards have combined their amp and effects models together for this new edition of the software. Musicians can now recreate HeadRush presets in ReValver and utilise them in their DAWs via ReValver’s VST and AU plugins.
Additionally, ReValver’s RIR2 cabinet module also allows for control over the cab model’s microphone type, placement, and environment. You can now load any go-to 3rd party cab impulse responses in the RIR impulse response player module for custom tone shaping.
​​According to a press release from the brand, ReValver 5 is also the only software that offers official Peavey and Budda amp and effects models, which have been developed in collaboration with the original engineers. These models – which include the ReValver Peavey 6505 – are a “faithful” digital representation of the iconic amps they emulate.
All parameters inside ReValver 5 can be MIDI controlled, facilitating real-time adjustments and providing ease when preset switching via its GIG Mode feature.

“With over two decades of setting industry standards in realistic amp and effects modelling, this fifth generation release elevates the music creation experience, whether in a commercial studio, a home-based production hub, or live on stage,” says HeadRush.
ReValver 5 will always remain free, but a collection of four paid-for expansion packs are currently available at promotional prices until 31 December. Find out more via then official HeadRush website.
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Producer slams “hypocrisy” of artists who release physical records while championing “save the planet”Robin Millar, producer and co-founder of artist label Blue Raincoat Music, has argued that the vinyl revival is exposing the “hypocrisy” of artists who champion environmental causes.

READ MORE: Michael Jackson’s first-ever studio recording released digitally

In a new interview with Guardian, Millar says he’s “baffled that no large record company has had the backing of a big-selling artist to stop making physical records.”
The producer notes how CD and vinyl records are packaged with “chopped-down trees and plastic” and shipped to customers worldwide, saying “How can anybody stand up and say ‘save the planet’? Artists are awful for hypocritical bandwagonery.”
According to Millar – who claims he’s no “militant climate warrior”, the quality of digital songs are now comparable to vinyl. He also slams the pollution caused by the global touring of artists, saying shows can be screened online instead.
Earlier this year, it was reported that sales of vinyl records in the US have surged by over 20 per cent in the first half of 2023.
The report, generated by the Californian data analytics service, revealed that 23.6 million LPs were sold from January 2023 to June 2023, up from 2022’s 19.4 million sales.
Physical album sales overall also saw a notable rise of 13.3 per cent in 2023, with 41.5 million physical copies sold compared to 2022’s 36.7 million.
Demand aside, it’s unlikely that we’re seeing the end of physical record production and tours anytime soon as they’re often cited as the main source of income for musicians, who have long lamented the struggles of making a living from music streaming alone.
Berlin-based electronic composer Hainbach, for one, revealed last week that his 1 million Spotify streams have earned him a total of “$2160 a year or $180 per month”, a sum he reckons is enough to cover his utilities bill.
The artist also says going to a live show is “still the best way to support me and other artists”.
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TOKiMONSTA’s new music streaming platform, Sona, has no ads and no subscriptionDJ and producer Jennifer Lee – aka TOKiMONSTA – has launched Sona, a Web3-based music platform where listeners can invest in “digital twins” of tracks.

READ MORE: Michael Jackson’s first-ever studio recording released digitally

According to Techcrunch, Sona uses the basics of decentralised finance to “put the financial power back into artists’ hands” with its rewards model, auctions and ad-free streaming.
The company, which recently received $6.9 million in seed funding, unveils its first product in the form of Sona Stream, a free music streaming service with zero subscriptions or ads. Instead, artists share music and auction off ‘SONAs’, which are “digital twins” or digital assets of songs that can “only be owned by one person at a time”.
The platform allows artists to auction their SONAs to fans for 24 hours, with a set minimum price and sales to the highest bidder, providing immediate liquidity. Collectors will earn a spot on that artist’s profile – and a 70 percent split of Sona streaming rewards (based on their proportional share of total platform streams) for that song.
Artists, meanwhile, receive 30 percent and the company charges a 7 percent fee. The rewards pool is funded from a percentage of SONA sales, benefiting all artists on Sona Stream with each purchase.
Additional features such as tipping, merchandise sales, ticket purchases, stem downloads, and fixed-price audio downloads for DJs, will also be incorporated in the future.
“It’s pooled every two weeks and then redistributed to every artist and collector, proportional to how much [the specific song] is streamed,” co-founder Laura Jaramillo told Techcrunch. “So, you’re paying artists for their work quickly, incentivising the creation of that work, and then also rewarding the people that are actually supporting those artists.”
At present, Sona Streaming is home to five million tracks by artists like Rochelle Jordan, CRi, Adam Oh and Sara Hartman. The startup says that there will be 16 million songs on the platform by next year.
In an Instagram post announcing the project, TOKiMONSTA – who called herself a “not-so-subtle advocate for musician’s rights” – states: “Streaming has been a beautiful tool for music discovery & has truly given anyone a chance to make music their life, but not really a fighting chance. We live in a world where your top streamed artist may not be able to pay rent or buy groceries bc streaming isn’t paying enough and there is a huge payment lag that exists in the music industry.”
“They feel pressured to be multi-hyphenated TikT0k memecore influencers, even if they hate it. Possibly bc they make modular exotica ambient waltz and they can’t really tour the project. They prob don’t have the capital to make merch or the bandwidth to do all the extra things musicians have to make money. These musicians you cherish should be able to make music at a value that’s true to their artistry. We want them to continue being an artist so they can make the music you love.”

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Sign up today at Sona.stream.
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Dawsons launches brick-and-mortar Denmark Street store following acquisition by Vista Musical InstrumentsRenowned music retailer Dawsons has launched an online store and a brand-new physical store on Denmark Street, London.
The news comes just a year after Dawsons was officially dissolved last December, and subsequently acquired by Caldecott Music Group’s Vista Musical Instruments in June 2023.
The store will offer a diverse, intricately curated array of musical instruments, gear and lifestyle products tailored to musicians and music-lovers old and new. Fender, Martin, PRS, Marshall, Orange, Korg, MONO, Gadhouse will be amongst the many major brands available at launch, and there will be more big names offered down the line.
Credit: Dawsons
“We are extremely proud to share another exciting chapter of the revitalised Dawsons brand with the world,” Meng Kuok, Group CEO and Founder of Caldecott Music Group, says. “The heart of everything we do centres around supporting and being a partner to artists on their journey, [whether their first or fifth guitar], with a promise of much more to unfold in the future.”
The new Dawsons store is located on the iconic Tin Pan Alley of Denmark Street. A melting pot of musical history, the street has hosted a plethora of iconic music publishers, music retail stores, even serving as the home of NME, with its first office opening on the street in 1952.
With Dawsons opening a brick and mortar store and NME relaunching its physical magazine, both are waving the flag for a renaissance of the modern music experience; the pair are striving to bring music back to its tangible, physical roots, a sharp contrast to how the music world is becoming increasingly digitised. Dawsons has already hosted a slew of exclusive online drops for NME’s relaunched print magazine, with the first three editions selling out in minutes.
Credit: Dawsons
“NME’s roots on Denmark Street make Dawsons’ arrival an incredibly exciting development, especially given the success of the partnership with Dawsons on the sold-out online drops of NME’s resurgent print edition” says Holly Bishop, Chief Operating & Commercial Officer at NME Networks.
“Evolving this collaboration will introduce new initiatives designed to connect emerging artists with communities and cultivate artist and fan-driven moments that elevate the music experience,” she continues. “NME has never been more committed to championing new music, with the flagship weekly franchise, The Cover, reserved exclusively for new talent, so we are thrilled to partner with Dawsons to unlock exclusive new opportunities that deliver for emerging artists, consumers, and fans.”
The brick-and-mortar Dawsons store is now open on 23 Denmark Street. For more information, head to Dawsons.
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Universal Audio’s SC-1 and Hemisphere eight-mics-in-one are tempting additions to any studio’s mic collection£475 / $499 (street price), uaudio.com
A couple of years back, Universal Audio and Townsend Labs released the Sphere microphone modelling system. The Sphere mics feature a pair of coincident capsules and an accompanying plugin analyses and manipulates the phase and tone differences between the capsules to create convincing emulations of various sought-after mics. A mic with two capsules is obviously going to be more expensive than a conventional mic, so UA has come up with a way of pulling off a similar trick using a more affordable single capsule mic.

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The result is the new Hemisphere plugin (geddit? A hemisphere is half a sphere) and a series of three microphones that the system is calibrated to work with. Those microphones are the SD-1 Dynamic which can emulate dynamic mics, the SP-1 Pencil Pair, a small diaphragm condenser pair for stereo recording, and the SC-1 Condenser, which is the large diaphragm condenser mic that we’re reviewing here.

How does the UA SC-1 sound on its own?
The SC-1 mic is of a similar size and construction to many mid-priced condensers, with a cardioid pattern, 30mm diaphragm and chunky body. Unlike the Sphere mics, which require a special stereo splitter lead, the SC-1 (and the other Hemisphere mics) use standard three-pin XLR connectors and require only one input channel each.
Universal Audio SC-1 with mount
The mic comes with a case, which also has room for the supplied hard-bracket mount. Sadly, this style of mount isn’t ideal for a mic like the SC-1 because it transfers too much rumble and noise through the stand and into the sensitive capsule. A shock mount would have been preferable, and would surely have had only a negligible impact on the asking price. By excluding one, all UA has done is force customers to hunt out and buy a separate compatible shock mount.
Used as a standard mic, without the Hemisphere plugin’s modelling, the SC-1 is a solid all-round performer. The sound is rich and full-bodied, and works well with everything we point it at. Thanks to its surprising tolerance for high signal levels, it can even turn its hand to a bit of drum mic’ing, although the absence of on-body pad and rolloff switches mean we wouldn’t recommend putting it inside a kick drum.
Like most large diaphragm condensers, though, the SC-1 is at its best when recording vocals, which it captures with a crisp and airy sound that has just the right amount of presence and clarity.
Universal Audio SC-1 in use
How to use the UA Hemisphere plugin
The Hemisphere plugin is a UAD2 plugin for use with UA’s Apollo and Satellite hardware, and as a native plugin that runs in your DAW. No need for any additional processing hardware here.
Universal Audio Hemisphere plugin. Image: MusicTech
The plugin is free but you can only be download and activate it once you’ve registered the mic to your UA account. To do this, you need the mic’s serial number… but where is it? Not on the mic itself, nor on a card or label within the mic case; we only discovered it by typing in every number shown on the outer packaging until we eventually hit on the right one. We’e come to expect more attention to detail than this from UA!
Hemisphere can only do its thing if it knows the technical characteristics of the mic you’re using. So the first step when loading the plugin is to specify which of the three Hemisphere-compatible mics is connected. You can then select and configure a mic model. Unlike Sphere, which can model mics of different types (i.e. dynamic, ribbon and condenser), Hemisphere is restricted by the type of source mic. So the SC-1 can only model other large diaphragm condensers.
There are eight mic models to choose from but, thanks to good-old IP laws, none are given their real names, although their identity is strongly hinted at in the included descriptions.
What are the SC-1’s mic models like?
The expected brace of Neumann classics are here in the form of a U 47, U 67 and U 87, along with its modern-classic, the TLM 103. Telefunken’s vintage ELA M 251 makes an appearance, and from just over the border in Austria, there’s AKG’s classic C-12 as well as its coveted C-414. Finally, from Japan, there’s a model of the modern Sony C-800G, a particularly popular choice for hip-hop vocals.
Universal Audio Hemisphere mic models. Image: MusicTech
All of these mics are revered vocal mics but many are also known for being promising matches for other instruments. For example, the Telefunken 251 is great for drum overheads, the U 87 sounds stunning with guitar amps, and the AKG C-414 is reliable with pretty much anything you wish to throw at it.
That said, we don’t find the models quite as convincing as those delivered by UA’s Sphere system, although all are effective and give the SC-1 a huge amount of versatility.
Along with the choice of different mics, Hemisphere also allows adjustment of the apparent position of the mic relative to the sound source via proximity and axis controls. Mic positioning is an art, and even the pros don’t always get it right, so being able to modify that positioning after the performance is committed to digital bits is a massive help.
You can also change any pad or filter switches the modelled mic may have – again, a really useful thing to be able to do to an already-recorded mic signal.
Should you buy the UA SC-1 and Hemisphere?
Back of Universal Audio SC-1
Just like the Sphere system, Hemisphere multiplies the value of your investment by giving you a whole collection of microphones for the price of one. Unlike Sphere, though, you are limited to models of the same type of mic as the actual physical one, so to get a similar range of flexibility you’d need to buy all three Hemisphere mics. The cost of this is not dissimilar to the cost of the top-end Sphere mic, although you would of course have the benefit of having more actual microphones.
The Hemisphere modelling works well, but isn’t quite on the same level as Sphere. The physical mic itself is easily worth the asking price, though, so even if the modelling were only half as good as it is, the SC-1 would still make for an attractive and tempting addition to any studio’s mic collection.
Key features

Large diaphragm condenser microphone
Cardioid
Works with Hemisphere mic modelling plugin
Hemisphere plugin for UAD2 and native VST/AU/AAX
Frequency range: 20Hz – 20kHz
Self noise: 12dB
Maximum SPL: 145dB
Impedance: 200 Ohms
Comes with carry case and mount

The post Universal Audio’s SC-1 and Hemisphere eight-mics-in-one are tempting additions to any studio’s mic collection appeared first on MusicTech.

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NTERTAIN launches ‘The Art Of Being Latin’ Miami Art Week ExperienceEvent to feature exclusive presentations by Lex Borrero, Tainy, director Angel Manuel Soto, Storm Pablo, Sofia Reyes, Ahol Sniffs Glue, Vic Garcia & more
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3rd Annual ASCAP Foundation Holiday Auction Kicks Off Online(Photo credit: Lester Cohen/ Getty Images for ASCAP; L-R Snoop Dogg, shoe artist Frankie Zombie and Dr. Dre.)

Top musical talent is coming together to help support the next generation of songwriters and bring music education to young people as part of the third annual Holiday Auction for The ASCAP Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting music creators. In the past year alone, ASCAP Foundation programs benefited more than 300,000 people, including 60,000 students from 700 schools. 

A range of A-list artists and songwriters from all corners of the music world have contributed items for bid including hip-hop icons Dr. Dre + Snoop Dogg (signed, custom Air Force Ones designed by Frankie Zombie) and Big Daddy Kane, pop stars such as Olivia Rodrigo, Selena Gomez and Reneé Rapp, renowned DJs Steve Aoki and Martin Garrix, indie luminaries Cigarettes After Sex and mxmtoon, rockers Travis Barker (Blink-182), Tenacious D, Papa Roach, Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi guitarist) Chicago and Josh Klinghoffer (former Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist), songwriting legends like Paul Williams, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Desmond Child and Poo Bear, social media sensations Laufey and Paul Russell (“Lil Boo Thang”), country hitmakers Alan Jackson, Chris Stapleton, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Jordan Davis and Carly Pearce, Broadway and film titan Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Prince of Egypt) and many more.

The auction takes place online at www.ascapfoundation.org/auction23 from today through December 14.

“We could not be more excited that the Holiday Auction is becoming an annual tradition for The ASCAP Foundation,” said Nicole George-Middleton, The ASCAP Foundation Executive Director. “It has been incredible to see the donations pour in from ASCAP’s top members as we work together to raise funds to support future music creators. It is truly a one-of-a-kind auction for music fans, and we thank our supporters from the bottom of our hearts for their generosity.”

The items on auction include autographed guitars, vinyl, handwritten lyrics, original song compositions written for the winning bidder, VIP tickets to awards shows, concerts and sporting events, meet and greets, personalized videos and more.

Additional donors include the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Gibson Guitars, the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, DJ Flict and Los Angeles Football Club, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and acclaimed film and TV composers such as Natalie Holt (Loki), Michael Giacchino (Spider-Man: No Way Home, The Batman) and Lorne Balfe (Mission: Impossible films).

More information on auction items can be found at www.ascapfoundation.org/auction23. Bidding is open now.

About The ASCAP Foundation

Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education, talent development and humanitarian programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org.

Michael Jackson’s first-ever studio recording released digitallyThe first ever studio recording of Michael Jackson’s voice has been digitally released, 56 years on from when it was originally made.
The recording session took place on 13 July 1967, when Jackson and his brothers took to Chicago’s One-derful Studios. Here they produced a song called Big Boy, marking the first time Jackson’s vocals were put on tape and the first recording from The Jackson 5.

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As reported in an exclusive by Billboard, fans can now purchase Big Boy (One-derful Version) today (Thursday 7 December) as part of two different “packages” via online music and royalty marketplace, anotherblock.
Available for $25, the “open edition” package includes the Big Boy (One-derful Version) digital track, images of master tape and agreements; downloadable song stems; and a digital vinyl B-side including Michael The Lover and My Girl along with their stems.
For $100, the “limited edition” package includes everything in the open edition, plus newly designed artwork and nine additional songs and stems from the 1967 Steeltown sessions. These are:

Big Boy (Steeltown Version)
We Don’t Have to Be Over 21 (To Fall in Love)
You’ve Changed
Tracks Of My Tears
Lonely Heart
Saturday Night At The Movies
Stormy Monday
Under the Boardwalk

As part of a partnership with Jackson’s mother, Katherine Jackson, a portion of the sale revenue generated from the track will go to the Legacy Foundation, a nonprofit serving Lake County, Indiana, where Jackson’s hometown of Gary is located.
anotherblock CEO and co-founder Michel D Traore comments, “As a passionate MJ fan myself, I was instantly thrilled about introducing this significant piece of music history to the world and expanding the narrative of Jackson 5’s early days.
“We engaged in numerous lengthy discussions about the recording, its meaning, history, and the optimal way to tell the story. In total, it took us about six months to piece everything together.”
Find out more at anotherblock.
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