HEDD and IsoAcoustics monitor mounting solution HEDD Audio and IsoAcoustics have joined forces to offer a comprehensive solution for mounting ceiling speakers.

Spotify to launch in-app purchases, hints at “superfan clubs” to comeChanges are abound for Spotify, which says that the impending rollout of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) in the European Union will allow them to improve user experience when it comes to in-app purchases.

READ MORE: NAMM 2024: The hottest rumours and latest announcements from this year’s show

The law, which seeks to clamp down on anticompetitive practices by tech giants that behave as market ‘gatekeepers’, will take effect from 7 March, according to a blog post on Spotify’s website.
With the change, users living in the EU will be able to “seamlessly subscribe to and buy things through Spotify” on their iPhones. Apple’s current 30 percent charge on in-app purchases will also be banned under the legislation, a move that “unleashes huge opportunities” for creators, developers and users alike, Spotify says.
Notably, the streaming service also listed plans for “superfan clubs” among its list of new user experiences to come.
“Thanks to the DMA we’re looking forward to a future of superfan clubs, alternative app stores, and giving creators the ability to safely download Spotify for Artists or Spotify for Podcasters directly from our site – and that’s just the start,” the post read.
“We will be able to communicate clearly with you in the Spotify app about new products for sale, promotional campaigns, superfan clubs, and upcoming events, including when items like audiobooks are going on sale.”
As we’ve seen in recent weeks, 2024 looks to be the year of the “superfans”, with major industry stakeholders such as record labels set to tap into what they describe as an ‘under-monetised’ area of the music business.
In an internal memo outlining the company’s strategy for the months ahead, UMG CEO Lucian Grainge and Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kyncl both underscored an upcoming focus on cultivating and monetising “superfans”.
“We need to develop our direct artist-superfan products and experiences,” Kyncl told WMG staff. “Both artists and superfans want deeper relationships, and it’s an area that’s relatively untapped and under-monetised.”
The post Spotify to launch in-app purchases, hints at “superfan clubs” to come appeared first on MusicTech.

NAMM 2024: Heritage Audio introduces i73 PRO family, the “first-ever” USB-C interfaces with built-in Class A 73-style preampsNAMM 2024: Heritage Audio has introduced a new family of audio interfaces, with three brand new offerings which make the “golden era” of analogue recording accessible to all.
The new i73 PRO family is described as “the first-ever” USB-C interface line up with built-in Class A 73-style preamps. It consists of the i73 PRO ONE, i73 PRO 2, and the i73 PRO EDGE.

READ MORE: NAMM 2024: The hottest rumours and latest announcements from this year’s show

The trio of interfaces cater to varying needs and abilities for music makers everywhere, and are said to bring that analogue flair which originated in the early 1970s. Let’s dive in to each one:
i73 PRO ONE
The i73 PRO range offers users the ability to capture signals with “classic mojo” and for the first time achieve it straight from the audio interface itself to then feed into their computer.
The PRO ONE hosts a three-way input for routing signals – whether it be from vocals through the mic preamp (with up to 70dB of gain), an electric guitar or bass through the JEFT DI, or the clean line inputs — straight to the DAW with “true studio quality”.
Users can simultaneously record both dry and wet streams from Heritage Audio’s mixer to their DAW, and also insert third-party native plugins via its aux channels. It also includes +48V phantom power, PAD, and PHASE, plus MONO, MUTE, and DIM.
i73 PRO 2
The PRO 2 is slightly larger than the PRO ONE. This 2-in/4-out USB-C audio interface further includes two Class A 73-style preamps with up to 70dB gain. Each of the preamps include independent +48V phantom power, PAD, and PHASE controls with independent microphone/line inputs on combo XLR jacks. The i73 PRO ONE offers an extra line input on 1/4” jack only, but all other functionality is identical.
i73 PRO EDGE
As the largest offering out of the trio, the EDGE is the most professional. It’s a 12-in/16-out USB-C audio interface with dual integrated 73-style preamps, and although similar looking to the PRO 2, its back panel hosts some extras.
It has two extra line inputs; two analogue stereo monitor outputs over TRS, independently controlled by the EDGE mixer. There are two independent stereo headphone outputs (with dedicated cue mixes controlled by Heritage Audio’s mixer), and up to eight channels of expandability over ADAT.

All users of the i73 PRO family will have access to the following plugins — BritStrip (channel strip), HA 15 PRO (bass amp), Small Recording Amp Serial # C 17744, HA 1200 TapeSat, HA 240 Gold Foil Verb, and Heritage TAPEoPLEX. These tools have a combined street value of up to $900.00 USD, and will be made available in AAX/AU/VST3 formats.
The PRO ONE is priced at $649.00 USD, with the PRO 2 at $999.00 and the EDGE at $1,499.00.
Find out more at Heritage Audio.
The post NAMM 2024: Heritage Audio introduces i73 PRO family, the “first-ever” USB-C interfaces with built-in Class A 73-style preamps appeared first on MusicTech.

AlphaTheta enters wireless DJ speaker world with WAVE-EIGHT speaker, SonicLink ultra-low-latency tech
AlphaTheta – Pioneer DJ’s owners and now a brand onto themselves – are taking on low-latency wireless audio. Today they’re introducing the WAVE-EIGHT, a portable wireless DJ speaker that aims to make setting up a party without running cables that much easier. The easiest way to explain the WAVE-EIGHT to DJs who already are familiar […]
The post AlphaTheta enters wireless DJ speaker world with WAVE-EIGHT speaker, SonicLink ultra-low-latency tech appeared first on DJ TechTools.

McDSP introduce BOB APB plug-in McDSP introduce a powerful tool for enhancing low frequencies with additional analogue processing options.

Audeze Announces Dolby Atmos Integration, to Host Workshops at NAMMAudeze, premium headphone manufacturer, has announced the official release of the head tracking integration for their Maxwell headsets, expanding support for Dolby Atmos® binaural rendering at NAMM 2024.

Audeze will also host interactive workshops throughout the show with Grammy winning recording engineers and artists, building on the growing interest in using headphones for mixing, mastering and spatial audio.

NAMM attendees will have the opportunity to learn from and interact with legendary recording engineers who’ve worked with the likes of Beyonce, Tom Petty, Red Hot Chili Peppers and more.

Space is limited for these workshops that run from Thursday January 25th to Saturday January 27th, 12PM-4PM.

For the detailed schedule check the Audeze website.  

The post Audeze Announces Dolby Atmos Integration, to Host Workshops at NAMM first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Self-driving vehicle company Aurora cuts 3% of its workforceAurora Innovation, the autonomous vehicle technology company aiming to launch a “driverless” self-driving trucks business by the end of 2024, laid off dozens of workers this week, according to sources familiar with the action. The Pittsburgh-based company, which also has facilities in California, Colorado, Texas and Montana, has since confirmed that about 3% of its […]
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Rick Gerson’s Alpha Wave Global, backer of Elon Musk and X, has invested in GammaGamma's logo started appearing on the section of Alpha Wave's homepage reflecting its investments earlier this month
Source

Did Spotify just confirm that ‘superfan clubs’ are coming to its platform?Spotify appears to have revealed this information in a blog post
Source

Why is Pioneer DJ rebranding its products with the AlphaTheta name?Pioneer DJ’s parent company, AlphaTheta corporation, has determined that its new DJ-focused products will come with the AlphaTheta stamp, retiring the Pioneer DJ name.
READ MORE: Best DJ plugins of 2024: Free software and apps for DJing
On Pioneer DJ’s 30th anniversary (its inaugural 1994 release being the CDJ-500), it has announced its “new beginnings” as AlphaTheta. In a press release, the company says, “With products launching as AlphaTheta, we’ve created a brand that will propel us into the future, while also maintaining the quality and innovation that you’ve come to expect from us.”
Although the AlphaTheta Corporation has been the name of Pioneer DJ’s parent company since 2020, DJs online are perplexed by the origin of AlphaTheta. Pioneer D— er, AlphaTheta — sets the record straight: “The name AlphaTheta directly refers to the brain wave frequencies achieved in optimal performance. Music often guides us into these extremely powerful states of mind. Our aim is to use our innovative technologies in sound and music creation to enable and enrich these peak moments.”

New beginnings – One Through Music. Since the introduction of the CDJ-500 in 1994, Pioneer DJ has built a strong legacy of state-of-the-art products for professional DJs and a pathway for those beginning their DJ journey.
— AlphaTheta/Pioneer DJ Global (@PioneerDJglobal) January 23, 2024

The statement goes on to assure that “AlphaTheta embraces diversity and inclusion, and celebrates the playfulness of DJing and producing music. We look forward to growing alongside you, the community who are connected by a passion for music and its culture.”
The question is: why the change? Journalists and DJs have speculated — and poked fun at — the reason for the new branding.

YOU DARE CHALLENGE ME TO THE ALPHATHETA FORBIDDEN 4 DUEL?! pic.twitter.com/X7v8NL9hXq
— CONCENTRATES | DPMO (@Concentratesdub) January 24, 2024

DJTechTools has put together eight theories about the new name, and we presume these two to be most likely:
“Name Licensing? 10 Years Since Pioneer split off Pioneer DJ” – The original Pioneer brand, which is renowned for its home hi-fi products (I remember my Pioneer car stereo fondly), has been separated from the Pioneer DJ brand for “exactly a decade,” says DJTechTools. It seems likely that AlphaTheta wants to be its own brand entirely, particularly with its new acquisitions. It could also be a legal issue — AlphaTheta’s permission to use the name “Pioneer” may have come to an end.
“Their New Owners, including Serato DJ, and the acquisition” — In 2020, the AlphaTheta Corporation was sold to Japanese holding company, Noritsu. DJTechTools speculates that Noritsu is interested in a fresh start for the DJ conglomerate. And, with the pending acquisition of reputable DJ software brand Serato, Serato staff may be “have an easier time integrating into a company that is not so explicitly ‘Pioneer DJ’”, says DJTechTools.

pic.twitter.com/guoBZHQwNz
— Pioneer DJ JPN (@PioneerDJJPN) January 23, 2024

But what will the next generation of Pioneer DJ/AlphaTheta products look like? Time will tell, but a quick look online will show you that customers are yet to latch onto the name.
Read the full press release at Pioneer DJ.
The post Why is Pioneer DJ rebranding its products with the AlphaTheta name? appeared first on MusicTech.

Cranborne Audio unveil Carnaby HE2 Cranborne Audio's new HE2 combines two channels of their innovative Harmonic EQ circuitry with mid-side processing and remote control/setting recall from a DAW plug-in.

Searching for Superfans: Forget the numbers; concentrate on communityAs we continue Superfan Week on Hypebot, Janelle Borg weighs in with a piece on how Superfans are particularly important in this era of algorithms and a stark reminder that. Continue reading
The post Searching for Superfans: Forget the numbers; concentrate on community appeared first on Hypebot.

The crumbling of music media is a disaster for the music industry [Tatiana Cirisano]Tatiana Cirisano of MIDiA Research looks at the gutting of Pitchfork, the state of music reviews and music journalism, and its effects on the future of the music industry. by. Continue reading
The post The crumbling of music media is a disaster for the music industry [Tatiana Cirisano] appeared first on Hypebot.

NAMM 2024: Supercritical announces first ever desktop synthesizer, Redshift 6NAMM 2024: Supercritical, a new synthesizer manufacturer based in Finland, has launched its first ever desktop synthesizer – Redshift 6.
The brand says it has a “lush and warm sweet spot” inspired by analogue polysynth tradition, but it can also provide a range of tones from “almost digitally sterile” cleans, to chaotic distortion and beyond.

READ MORE: NAMM 2024: The hottest rumours and latest announcements from this year’s show

The filter core in Redshift 6 is an analogue four-pole state variable filter, digitally controlled to act like almost any classic vintage synthesizer filter. Additionally, it further packs in all the typical features expected of a modern synth, including plenty of modulators, flexible voice routing, multitimbrality, MPE, and DSP effects.
“Redshift 6’s idea is something that is wrapped in the moniker ‘Variable Character Synthesizer’”, says the brand. “Each voice’s analogue path regarding tuning, gain staging, filter, and more is under strict digital control.”
Technology from Supercritical’s previous products have made their way into Redshift 6. For example, its oscillator has already been “road-tested” in its Demon Core Oscillator Eurorack module, and is now featured in each of the six voices within the synth.
Users can also choose from traditional twin oscillator engines, supersaw engines, flanging phase sync engines, and transistor organ engines, all of which are easily controllable and modulatable.
You can also choose between true six-voice polyphony, a classic vintage poly dual layer mode with 3+3 voices, six individual voices each with their own patch and physical output, or any combination of the above. Each of the six voices can operate as a paraphonic voice with up to 16 note paraphony, and multiple filters can also be chained by routing audio from one voice to another.
Check out more in the video below:

Redshift 6 will be available this Summer 2024 for an MSRP of 1259€. Find out more and pre-order now over at Supercritical.
The post NAMM 2024: Supercritical announces first ever desktop synthesizer, Redshift 6 appeared first on MusicTech.

How to book your first music festival gig

Festivals are a great way to acquire new fans and open doors to opportunities. Even if just 5% of a crowd of 5,000 loves what they see on stage, that’s.