Rick Ross and Maybach Music Group strike partnership with Larry Jackson’s $1bn-backed gammaAlso joining gamma is Breyon Prescott, including his Chameleon Entertainment label and catalog
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Adastra Ambiences is a FREE cinematic soundscape library for Soundpaint
Adastra Ambiences is a new FREE cinematic soundscape library for Soundpaint. 8dio released Soundpaint around two years ago, launching it with a free Vintage Steinway Grand Piano. The innovative free sample player offers an eclectic range of free and paid libraries. Adastra Ambiences is a free library packed with epic cinematic soundscapes. The library comes [...]
View post: Adastra Ambiences is a FREE cinematic soundscape library for Soundpaint

Roland unveil GAIA 2 synthesizer Roland’s latest synthesizer features a user-friendly panel layout that aims to make learning synthesis easy and fun.

Daft Punk to release drumless edition of Random Access MemoriesDaft Punk have announced the release of a drumless edition of Random Access Memories as part of the celebrations for the album’s 10th anniversary.

READ MORE: The Roland GAIA 2 has landed – featuring a new hybrid sound engine that combines wavetable and virtual analogue synthesis

The reworked version is set to arrive on 17 November, and will completely strip away all drum and percussive elements from the 13 tracks.
“Doing so brings out a timeless quality to the album, giving listeners the ability to dive deeper into the layers of each track,” a statement from the band reads.
Fans can also preview a percussion-free edition of Within, which is now out. The new version is said to highlight the track’s “timeless structure”, while lending Chilly Gonzales’ piano an even more “pensive, self-reflective quality”.

Random Access Memories (Drumless Edition) is now available to pre-order. The record will be released on CD, Double LP and digital formats including a Dolby Atmos spatial audio version.
As part of the 10 year anniversary of Random Access Memories, Daft Punk has also unveiled “Memory Tapes,” a look back at the album’s creation by collaborators including Julian Casablancas, Chilly Gonzales, DJ Falcon and most recently, producer Todd Edwards.
Discussing his experience working with the French duo, Edwards says that he wasn’t surprised when Daft Punk announced their split in 2021 due to creative differences between members Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem Christo.
“When they broke up, they were already going in different directions musically,” he says. “Guy-Man seems to be drawn more to the hip-hop realm. And Thomas was, you know, also a director.”
“It kind of felt like they weren’t on the same page anymore, anyway, so I wasn’t shocked.”
The post Daft Punk to release drumless edition of Random Access Memories appeared first on MusicTech.

IK Multimedia introduce Pianoverse Pianoverse allows users to craft everything from realistic acoustic piano parts to experimental atmospheric textures.

Exchanges federation touts crypto trading regulation, integration with TradFiThe World Federation of Exchanges, whose members handled $140 trillion in trades in 2022, has some concerns as its members adopt DLT.

It’s not clear X CEO Linda Yaccarino knew about Elon Musk’s plan to charge for XIn a live chat earlier this month, Elon Musk said X would charge users “a small monthly payment” to use its service — a necessity, he explained, in order to combat the “vast armies of bots” on the platform. But in an interview this week at the Code Conference, X CEO Linda Yaccarino seemed to […]

XILS-lab RingX Inspiring and musical multi-effects plug-in for all your needs. With Accurate input followers, Step and Locator sequencers, True Stereo Dynamic Engine. Everything you'll need... Read More

Charta Launches to Simplify Music ContractsNew company Charta has launched with the intention of revolutionizing how modern music contracts are drafted and executed. Before an artist or their label releases a song, every collaborator on that song has to sign a "clearance" agreement assigning their rights in the master sound recording to the artist. This covers producers, featured artists, audio engineers, session musicians and backing vocalists. In an era where over 100,000 new songs are being released on DSPs daily and collaboration is increasingly at the core of music creation, entertainment lawyers have been tasked with drafting and executing an insurmountable amount of clearance agreements necessitated by that collaboration. The result is that artists are often kept waiting for their lawyers to draft these agreements in order to finalize music for release. Once drafted, artists and their lawyers are kept waiting for months for their collaborators and their representation to review documents and return redlines, a process that often takes multiple rounds of revisions to reach an agreement mutually agreeable to both parties. With each passing year, the volume of music being released and the degree to which artists are collaborating with one another continues to grow rapidly while the number of entertainment lawyers does not, creating an ever-growing backlog of these agreements to execute without a solution in sight. Zachary Bohlender saw this problem firsthand as an entertainment lawyer and recognized that the problem was not only going to worsen with time, but that he and his peers were spending a disproportionate amount of their time executing relatively simple legal documents on behalf of their clients, inhibiting their ability to devote time to more skilled, strategic work. With no solution in sight, Bohlender took it upon himself to address the issue, leaving his post at the firm at which he was working to co-found Charta with his friend Arash Rashidi, an engineer with deep experience in AI.Charta's mission in the music industry is simple: to automate the process of getting clearance agreements done so artists can release music faster. Charta achieves this by building custom solutions for lawyers, labels and managers that fit their particular workflow and needs. Utilizing Charta’s intuitive interface, one can draft a clearance agreement and share that document with their collaborator or their representation in minutes or even negotiate all the terms of a clearance agreement on platform and subsequently sign the final document after it’s generated. Charta’s patent-pending process doesn’t rely on one-size-fits-all templates, and it can accommodate in excess of 800 unique scenarios for a producer agreement alone.. The result is a streamlined process that expedites the timeline on which artists can finalize these types of agreements in order to be able to release music with less delay and, in turn, alleviate their lawyers of the most onerous work placed on them. Charta’s solution to the ever-growing backlog of agreements to be executed in the music industry addresses a key pain point that ultimately aids all major stakeholders involved in the release of new music, from artists to labels, managers and lawyers alike.The benefits of alleviating this well-documented, ever-growing problem within the music industry is manyfold. Speaking to the implications of what Charta can do for artists and their lawyers, Bohlender shares:“There’s no single bigger pain point in the industry than clearance agreements. The backlog is immense and it prevents artists from releasing music, labels from achieving revenue, managers from focusing on creative and strategic guidance, and lawyers providing high value services. Gone are the days where every commercial artist is signed to a record deal and releases an album every couple years with a handful of collaborators. Charta is the missing link the music industry needs to come into the 21st century.”Other music industry veterans see the clear benefit, too. Tim Smith, CEO and founder of Blood Company shares: “I’ve known Zach for many years; beast of an attorney and amazing human. His many years of experience at leading firms in corporate / VC law and also entertainment law have positioned him uniquely to create this ingenious platform.”Charta launches with key industry support already under its belt. Its early adopters already include the record label APG, superproducer Kenny Beats, Colture and other international music companies already utilizing the platform. Ty Baisden, founder of Colture, sees the benefits of Charta as well:"Charta will be a turnkey solution for start-up producers, artists and writers who can't afford to pay for the expensive cost of having a lawyer review everything. It will help them be smarter business owners."The company also counts key members of the music industry as investors and advisors, including Che Pope, Matt Colon, Aloe Blacc, Boys Noize and Milana Lewis of Stem, whose own company's focus of affording artists more autonomy and transparency in their careers dovetails with Charta. Speaking to why she invested in Charta, Lewis shares:“Charta has built a platform that seamlessly translates between three languages — plain English, legalese and code. Applying those capabilities to the music industry is an incredibly powerful tool towards building a better future where artists can be paid more expediently and accurately, a vision that is shared with my companies Stem and Tone.”With Charta's launch, artists have the ability to take control of a process that has increasingly proven to be a major pain point in the music industry at large and alleviate entertainment lawyers of the most tedious part of their jobs. While Charta’s focus at the outset is clearance agreements, the company’s ability to expand to all varieties of agreements in the future has massive implications for streamlining the process of releasing music for the industry at large.For more information about Charta head to getcharta.com.

L-R: Zachary Bohlender and Arash Rashidi

“Denon’s development and mine didn’t align”: Laidback Luke ditches Denon DJEDM DJ and producer Laidback Luke has revealed his reasons for parting ways with Denon DJ, a brand he’s been an ambassador for since 2017.

READ MORE: Laidback Luke responds to YouTuber who “became a professional DJ to prove that it’s easy”

In a video posted to his YouTube page, he says that since introducing Algoriddim’s AI-powered Djay Pro app into his setup, he’s tried to work with the brand to integrate its user interface into Denon DJ’s hardware as with Serato, to no avail. He also pushed for “stem use in the Denon environment”, he says, with no luck.
Laidback Luke became a partner with Denon DJ in 2017, signing a deal to exclusively represent its Prime range of DJ decks and controllers, including them as an essential part of his DJ rider.
“At a certain point, Denon’s development and mine didn’t align anymore and the gear that seamlessly connects with Djay Pro AI is Reloop. It doesn’t matter what it is, if it says Reloop it can connect to my phone and I’m able to DJ off my app.
“So, when my contract with Denon ended, I started to really embrace my new setup publicly. I’ve always been in love with innovation and the next step is Reloop.”

Also in the video, the revered DJ goes on to state the many benefits of DJ apps on our phones, saying, “We communicate through it. We even find love through this device. Why can’t we DJ from our phones?”
InMusic, the owner of Denon DJ, has been in the spotlight for a number of reasons recently. The company, which owns Denon DJ, Moog Music, AIR and Akai Professional and more, responded to criticisms in a statement recently after it laid off over 30 Asheville team members of the Moog Music Camp in Asheville, North Carolina.
It said, “We’re making certain changes to ensure our long-term financial health and continued innovation and would like to share important and accurate information with you.
“First, our headquarters will remain in Asheville where we will continue to design, innovate, and manufacture instruments of the highest standard, such as [the] Moog One, Minimoog Model D, legacy modular [gear], and our newest innovative products, the first of which you will see early next year.”
Subscribe to Laidback Luke’s YouTube page.
The post “Denon’s development and mine didn’t align”: Laidback Luke ditches Denon DJ appeared first on MusicTech.

PPL to sponsor A&R Awards category celebrating behind-the-scenes linchpinsFast-growing collection society supports award for 'the glue of the A&R department'
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Songtradr acquires Bandcamp from Fortnite maker Epic GamesNews arrives a year and a half after Epic Games acquired Bandcamp
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Modular racks, Moog synths and sandwiches: Inside ‘Betty’s’, Sylvan Esso’s “off-grid” studioIn Chapel Hill near Durham, North Carolina, Sylvan Esso vocalist Amelia is returning from her local store with sandwiches. Meanwhile, her husband and the act’s predominant producer, Nick Sanborn, sits in their studio. Amelia’s speaking to us on FaceTime as she hurries back, while we talk with Nick via Zoom.

READ MORE: “When he recorded ‘Blackstar’, when he knew that his time could be limited, it didn’t stop his sense of humour in any way” Tony Visconti on David Bowie’s final years

The studio space, named ‘Betty’s’ after Sanborn’s grandmother, is in the woods ​​next to their home, “off-grid”, they say. It’s an open space available for visiting musicians; they rent out Betty’s and their home to friends at little or no cost, prioritising artistic freedom over profit.
“We could start a cult at the drop of a hat!” Nick jibes. “This is our homestead – but sandwiches, we order out.” Suddenly, Amelia exits the conversation only to appear next to Nick in the studio, shaking off her coat and unravelling their lunch.
Twice Grammy-nominated Sylvan Esso are a joyous pair. Their varied electronic sounds can lean into acoustic genres as well as synth-heavy abstract, experimental styles. Nick’s brash synths act as a revolving ribcage around the heart of Amelia’s vocals, which are often tender and gentle. The resulting sound is a unique juxtaposition.
Amelia in her studio
They’re about to embark on a nine-week tour of the US and Canada. Consequently, the studio, with its large floor-to-ceiling window and cabin-like wooden beams, is slightly chaotic – flight cases sprawl across its eucalyptus green floor. Preparation, they say, is a more mundane task than the usual music-making tomfoolery that takes place in the space. Mapping their gear, setting up presets on modular gear, and preparing loops feels “like homework,” they grumble.
“For the live shows, we have Ableton Live running stems with a FaderFox mixer for computer control,” Nick says of their live setup. “There’s a separate computer handling live looping of Amelia’s voice and effects. I have a Eurorack modular rig for drums and samples, a Roland Juno-106, and a Dave Smith Instruments Tempest. We aim to make it feel really flexible, with the starts and ends of songs stretching out in either direction, allowing for changes.”
No Rules Sandy by Sylvan Esso
It’s already sounding complex, but that’s just Sylvan Esso’s live rig. Inside the studio is a Moog Matriarch, a baritone guitar, a Shure SM7B, an Eventide H3000 rack effect, three Moog Moogerfooger effects pedals, Mutable Instruments’ Plaits, Marbles, Tides and Clouds modules, a Make Noise Morphagene, a Yamaha TX7 and – breathe – loads more.
A normal studio day sees Nick at the helm while Amelia, she tells us, will sit directly behind him, facing the back of his head. This is so both can get the optimal sound from their monitor speakers and so Amelia can whisper ideas into Nick’s ear like a wise shoulder angel.
Sylvan Esso | Credit: Nick Sanborn
“Nick does all the programming and engineering,” says Amelia, “and I contribute by suggesting things and providing lyrical and melodic ideas. It’s a collaborative process.”
“It’s a conversation,” Nick adds, “and we both produce in our unique ways. The process changes every time. We’ve worked on songs where Amelia wrote the full acapella, and I created the beat later. Other times, I create a beat, and we build from there.”
“It’s a bit like hanging out and shouting at each other for an hour, really,” says Amelia.
“Yeah, a lot of arguing,” Nick admits.
“We’re each other’s biggest fans. Because of that, we hold each other to a really high standard.”
But “usually it’s boring if we’re not fighting”, Amelia says. Often, there’s a friendly competition when they create music – a race to get to the most exciting and inspirational idea first. This involves honest feedback on each other’s creations in a wider effort to get the best out of one another.
“I’ll put some drum part in that I’m thrilled about, and Amelia will be like, ‘This is bad’,” says Nick, “and either I will deep down know that she’s right, or I will be like, ‘No, I love this. Give me five more minutes. This is gonna be awesome.’ And Amelia does the same thing where she’ll think of something and I’ll be like, ‘I just feel like you can do better’, and then she’ll be like, ‘You’re wrong’.
Sylvan Esso’s workstation
“We’re each other’s biggest fan. And so, because of that, we hold each other to a really high standard.”
Besides goading one another towards a desired sonic outcome, Amelia and Nick experiment; working away on unpredictable modular gear. They’re unafraid of a sound not working initially in the knowledge it can be re-shaped later down the line.
“It allows you the opportunity to react to what’s happening, rather than speaking into the void,” says Nick. “Even if you don’t like what’s happening, you’re already making more progress than nothing happening. It’s a helpful fallback when starting without a concrete idea. For example, with Echo Party, we began by stacking vocals, then evolved the concept into a broken club track centred around Amelia’s voice using the Make Noise Morphagene and a low-pass gate. It encourages exploring ‘what ifs’ rather than starting with a fixed idea, allowing you to narrow in on the inspiring moment.”

Amelia adds: “You let the instrument’s reaction – particularly with modular – surprise you and then that moves you forward.”
The physicality of twisting, controlling and turning hardware is a key part of Sylvan Esso’s process. The pair continue to talk us through some of their favourite items, including the Bastl Microgranny granular sampler, emphasising its unique and quirky nature. Amelia focuses on their preference for broken or vintage-sounding gear while Nick highlights the Overstayer Channel Amp as a versatile and creative tool. They also mention their love for the Make Noise Morphagene and Mutable Instruments’ Marbles for modular synthesis. For vocals, Amelia experiments with vocoders and doesn’t aim for an ultra-clean sound.
Betty’s Studio houses a wealth of gear, but unexpectedly, Sylvan Esso’s advice for producers building their own studio is:
“Don’t buy anything! Yeah, don’t buy anything.” Nick reiterates. “All this shit is cool – it’s great for my attention deficit disorder, but we made our biggest selling record on a MOTU 828 audio interface that I bought used and with a $300 Rode mic.
“Having the mindset that something is going to allow you to make music – that’s not the case. If you have a laptop and any kind of interface and any kind of microphone, you can make music.”
Amelia adds: “Limitations will help you get ideas.”
It’s going to be exciting for fans to see this power couple perform their complex live show over the coming weeks. What they don’t get to see, though, is where it all starts – in Betty’s Studio. It’s a heartwarming image: Amelia sat directly behind Nick, pushing him gently towards an idea, while he does the same back.
There’s a reason why Sylvan Esso’s music has so much weight to it – it’s what happens when two musical minds understand one another’s strengths and believe in one another’s ideas.
Check out all things Sylvan Esso via sylvanesso.com.
The post Modular racks, Moog synths and sandwiches: Inside ‘Betty’s’, Sylvan Esso’s “off-grid” studio appeared first on MusicTech.

Warm Audio launch Limited Edition Gold WA-8000 The latest version of the WA-8000 large-diaphragm valve capacitor mic comes supplied in an all-gold finish. 

Ray-Ban launches Meta Smart Glasses collectionRay-Ban has launched a next-generation collection of smart glasses with Meta Connect, in partnership with EssilorLuxottica.
The new collection builds on the company’s first generation of smart eyewear, with a new design boasting improved features, and, for the first time, also having AI capabilities that have never been used on smart glasses before.

READ MORE: The Roland GAIA 2 has landed – featuring a new hybrid sound engine that combines wavetable and virtual analogue synthesis

The new Ray-Ban glasses enable users to take photos or videos handsfree, and can be even used for livestreams. They also use open-ear audio with new custom designed speakers featuring extended bass, a higher maximum volume and improved directional audio to reduce audio leakage, even in noisy or windy environments. The new-gen glasses have the capacity for double the bass and 50 per cent higher maximum volume than the first generation.
Furthermore, they contain five microphones to support immersive audio recording, which means videos taken on the glasses capture sound exactly how someone wearing them might hear them.
Meanwhile, a new ultra-wide 12MP camera delivers better photo quality and 1080p videos for up to 60 seconds. In addition, with a simple “send photo” voice command, wearers can send photos immediately to friends and family.
The glasses come with a redesigned charging case which holds up to eight charges for a total of 36 hours of use. They are also prescription-lens compatible and more prescription lens options have been made available to meet a variety of customer needs and price points.
In addition, the new design is lighter and slimmer than ever, with a more universal nose fit and water-resistant capabilities.
They will be available to buy from October 17 and are priced at £249.
For more information, head to Ray-Ban.
The post Ray-Ban launches Meta Smart Glasses collection appeared first on MusicTech.