Bitcoin tumbles back to key $60K support level: What’s behind the sell pressure?Bitcoin faces renewed sell pressure amid an oil price surge, Japan economic contagion risks and a fresh round of selling from Strategy.

Feds demand autonomous vehicle companies stop interfering with first respondersThe National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said emergency scenes are not "edge cases."

Pi 5 Becomes ALSA-Compatible TOSLINK Sound CardThis is one of those hacks that makes you stop in your tracks and say, “wait, you can do that!?” — before realizing, oh, yes, of course you can do that. With enough computational power, you can do a lot of things, and the Raspberry Pi 5 is a far cry from the single-board computer’s humble beginnings. In this case, the “you can do that!?” is both that [Oliver] was able to get the digital audio TOSLINK working via an LED tied to one GPIO pin on the Pi, but also the larger project that is embedded in: using the Pi as a full featured 8-channel USB sound card called Camilla DSP.
For the first one: the old TOSLink standard is very simple, and all you need to do is blink an LED quickly enough. Considering the clock frequency of the Pi 5 is in the GHz range and the TOSLINK is the same 3.1 Mbit/s S/PDIF signal you could pull off your CD-ROM drive to your Sound Blaster, there’s no problem there. Except, wouldn’t the operating system get in the way? Well, not when you have enough clock cycles to throw at the problem. Using a Pi 5 doesn’t hurt: the RP1 I/O chip included on the board is keeping things smooth with its included PIO while Linux mucks about in the background. There’s a reason we called it the most important product Raspberry Pi ever made.
As for making a USB sound card from an SBC — well, we’re not sure why that got the “you can do that” reaction. The Raspberry Pi family had ‘gadget mode’ for over a decade now, allowing you to present the computer as a USB device, so why not a sound card? That’s a valid class of USB device.

How 23dB Productions Is Revolutionizing Audiobook Recording with Focusrite Scarlett 4th GenPictured L-R: Denis Orynbekov, 23dB Productions co-founder and chief engineer; and Fela Davis, 23dB Productions co-founder.

The audiobook boom shows no signs of slowing down—and 23dB Productions is making sure geography doesn’t either. The company has expanded its remote production services into a streamlined audiobook workflow that allows authors to record professional-grade narration from just about anywhere, no studio commute required.

At the center of this operation is the Focusrite Scarlett 4th Generation audio interface, a piece of gear that’s quietly doing a lot of heavy lifting. By pairing intuitive hardware with a highly managed remote workflow, 23dB Productions has effectively turned bedrooms, offices, and hotel rooms into viable recording spaces for authors across the country.

The idea didn’t come out of nowhere. It evolved naturally from the company’s remote podcast services, which gained traction during the pandemic and quickly revealed a broader opportunity. “Our podcast clients started asking if we could help them create audiobook versions of their books,” said co-founder Fela Davis in a press release. “We had already been helping authors on a limited basis, but when we realized how effectively we could manage the entire process remotely, it opened the door to a completely new service offering.”

What 23dB ships out isn’t just a mic and a wish for the best. Authors receive a curated recording kit—complete with a microphone, laptop, and Scarlett interface—along with real-time support from an engineer who remotely monitors each session. The result is a guided experience that feels closer to a studio session than a DIY recording attempt.

According to co-founder and chief engineer Denis Orynbekov, the Scarlett 4th Gen has been a game changer for simplifying what could otherwise be a technically intimidating process. “The ability to control the interface through software allows us to remotely manage critical functions without asking authors to deal with technical settings,” he explained. “Many of our clients have never recorded professionally before, so the simpler we can make the experience, the better.”

The system recently proved its value during the production of former NBA player and coach Bill Cartwright’s audiobook. With a schedule that made traditional studio bookings nearly impossible, Cartwright was able to record on his own time while 23dB handled everything behind the scenes. “The author simply connects to the internet and starts reading,” said Orynbekov. “Meanwhile, we’re managing the session, monitoring performance and making sure we capture the cleanest audio possible.”

For Davis, the appeal of the Scarlett platform goes beyond convenience—it’s about authenticity. “What I love about Focusrite is how accurately it captures the human voice,” she said. “Audiobook listeners want authenticity. Authors want to sound like themselves. Scarlett delivers that natural, transparent sound without adding anything artificial.”

That balance of quality and reliability has been key as 23dB scales its services. Whether working with musicians, podcasters, or first-time authors, the company relies on consistent performance across every session. “We know what we’re going to get every time,” Davis added. “That consistency gives us confidence when we’re recording someone who may be hundreds or thousands of miles away.”

Focusrite, for its part, sees 23dB as a prime example of how adaptable technology can unlock entirely new creative workflows. “We've had the privilege of watching 23dB Productions grow alongside Focusrite for many years, and it's exciting to see how they've continually adapted our technology to meet new creative opportunities,” said Dan Hughley, Director of Marketing, Focusrite Group. “From music and podcast production to today's rapidly growing audiobook market, they've demonstrated that when dependable technology is paired with creative thinking, entirely new business models become possible. We're proud that Scarlett continues to be a trusted part of that journey.”

As for what’s next, 23dB Productions is betting big on the future of audiobooks. With a large percentage of published titles still unavailable in audio form, the runway is long—and their remote-first model is built to meet the moment.

“The audiobook market is still massively underserved,” said Orynbekov. “Focusrite gives us the ability to bring studio-quality production directly to authors wherever they are…without compromising audio quality.”

In other words, the studio hasn’t disappeared—it’s just been shipped directly to your door.The post How 23dB Productions Is Revolutionizing Audiobook Recording with Focusrite Scarlett 4th Gen first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Parish Audio E42 EqualizerE42 Equalizer is a high-performance, easy-to-use dynamic and static equalizer built for shaping tone, controlling problem frequencies, and making detailed adjustments without slowing down the session. Up to ten bands can be placed anywhere across the frequency range. Each band can use Bell, Low Shelf, High Shelf, High Pass, Low Pass, or Notch filtering, giving E42 the range to handle broad tonal changes, narrow cuts, low- and high-frequency shaping, and more focused control from the same interface. Bands can operate in either Dynamic or Static mode. Static mode works like a traditional equalizer, applying the selected adjustment continuously. Dynamic mode allows the band to react only when the energy around that frequency crosses the threshold. This makes it possible to reduce harshness when it appears, control low-end buildup on louder notes, soften an occasional resonance, or add presence only when a source needs it. Each Dynamic band includes Threshold, Range, Attack, and Release controls. Threshold determines when the band begins to react, Range sets how far it can move, and Attack and Release control how quickly the response begins and returns. These controls make it possible to create anything from fast, focused control to smoother movement that follows the performance more naturally. The interactive graph is designed to keep the workflow simple. Bands can be added and moved directly on the display, while dedicated Frequency, Gain, and Q controls allow more precise adjustment. The real-time spectrum shows where energy is concentrated, and the response display shows both the main EQ curve and the movement created by Dynamic bands. E42 can be used for quick tonal adjustments, detailed frequency shaping, changing resonances, uneven low end, harsh upper frequencies, and other situations where a traditional EQ alone may apply more processing than necessary. It provides the flexibility of a full dynamic equalizer while keeping the controls clear and straightforward. E42 Equalizer includes up to 10 adjustable bands, six filter types, Dynamic and Static processing, an interactive EQ graph, a real-time spectrum display, dynamic response visualization, factory presets, user preset functionality, and a resizable interface. E42 Equalizer is available for Windows in VST3 format and for macOS in VST3 and Audio Unit formats. Read More

Strymon unveil the TimeLine MX The TimeLine MX offers a signifiant upgrade over the standard version, introducing four new delays engines and a reverb, as well as the ability to run any two engines at once with a choice of series, parallel or split modes. 

Arturia has reskinned its KeyLab Mk3 with a bright orange finish – don’t look at these pictures or you might accidentally buy itTwo years after its launch in 2024, the KeyLab Mk3 – despite being a rock-solid keyboard controller option chosen by many producers – was in need of little refresh. And Arturia has come through with the goods, with a special-edition version finished in bright orange.
We were mightily impressed when we got our hands on the KeyLab Mk3 in 2024, giving it a 9/10 in our review and praising the well-balanced weighting and smooth action of the keyboard, top-drawer build quality, DAW control and ease of use.

READ MORE: Arturia’s KeyLab MK3 is a seriously impressive MIDI keyboard controller

For all intents and purposes, the new orange-finished version is the exact same keyboard controller, with expressive playability, deep DAW control and studio-to-stage workflow, it just boasts a vibrant orange skin that’ll no doubt make it the centerpiece of your production setup.
Credit: Arturia
Offering your rig a “true command center”, the KeyLab Mk3 also features responsive pads and touch-sensitive faders – the responsiveness of which we were also impressed by – as well as MIDI connectivity, a high-resolution colour display, and Chord and Scale modes designed to expedite and music composition in the absence of robust music theory knowledge.
The KeyLab Mk3 ULTRA is available in both 49- and 61- key configurations, priced at €449 and €549, respectively.
Learn more about the KeyLab Mk3 ULTRA, and get yours now at Arturia.
Credit: Arturia
The post Arturia has reskinned its KeyLab Mk3 with a bright orange finish – don’t look at these pictures or you might accidentally buy it appeared first on MusicTech.

NewJeans face copyright lawsuit from US music publisher over ‘ETA’All Surface Publishing claims "ETA" copied a combination of musical elements from a dance track released nearly two decades earlier, without a license.
Source

Analog Obsession releases TheBus, a FREE analog-style compressor plugin
Analog Obsession has released TheBus, a free analog-style compressor plugin for macOS and Windows. Coming from one of my favorite indie developers, I was super excited to test this one. Analog Obsession describes TheBus as a fully custom compressor rather than a clone or variation of a specific hardware unit. My first impressions are good. [...]
View post: Analog Obsession releases TheBus, a FREE analog-style compressor plugin

MonkeyC update Rando sampler plug-in Described as “the sampler that made thousands of producers fall in love with their sound library again”, Rando 2.5 builds on the success of previous versions, introducing the ability to create multiple keyboard zones that each correspond to different search criteria. 

Get 50+ FREE plugins in the KVR Developer Challenge 26
KVR is celebrating 20 years of its Developer Challenge, as Developer Challenge 26 gets underway! For anyone new to the annual Developer Challenge, it’s a chance for developers to showcase their creativity by creating a new free plugin, app, or sound library/pack that benefits the broader music production community. KVR members vote on their five [...]
View post: Get 50+ FREE plugins in the KVR Developer Challenge 26

“It doesn’t raise the bar in instrument amplification technology. It redraws it entirely”: Heritage Audio introduces the Mix BuddyCelebrations are in order – Heritage Audio’s Synth Buddy just got a… buddy? Expanding on from the Synth Buddy’s 10-to-1 routing passive switcher, the new Mix Buddy flips the script. Rather than a switching device, this routing hub is designed to connect your synths, samplers and drum machines, and it acts as a mixer.
Mix Buddy has a total of 19 inputs and eight outputs, allowing you to connect a wide range of kit into one central hub. The Mix Buddy then allows you to wield, mix and flick between a your wide arsenal – it’s essentially a compact, versatile mixing station for those keen to jam and experiment without the restriction of hooking things up to a DAW. As a result, it’s perfect for the studio or the stage.

READ MORE: Credits.fm is a free, open music credits database to help artists get paid in the AI era

Each of the 19 inputs boast an “extremely low noise, high class audiophile grade” of Heritage Audio’s JFET technology, derived from the Toshiba 2SK JFET series. While there’s no restrictions to what instruments you can hook up, certain channels on the Mix Buddy were designed to suit specific instruments – the eight Hi Gain inputs may be best suited to passive basses and more vintage sounds, while while Unity Inputs, will suit more modern synths, drum machines and active basses.

Of the eight outputs, one boasts a Heritage Audio 73 active DI with custom transformers, while four include stereo high-gain channels and three stereo unity channels. The goal was one of marking a “new milestone in instrument amplification” technology, putting a heavy focus on tone. Every instrument level channel on the Mix Buddy can also be switched between stereo and mono + thru settings, entirely transforming your sound.

The set up allows users to choose between mic/line level, while also having a transformer-less output for monitoring. Elsewhere, there is also a single mic preamp channel with a JFET input stage, offering up to 70dB of gain.
The Mix Buddy also has effects routing capabilities, with each aux send path boasting its own dedicated global send and return controls. This means it can incorporate a chain of effects pedals in mono or stereo.
Elsewhere, there’s also a full microphone preamp, allowing you to transform your voice into another instrument in your mix. You can also route your voice through the Mix Buddy’s AUX effects loop, essentially allowing you to send your vocals directly though any effects pedals you might have connected to the Mix Buddy, too. There is a global mute switch, if you ever need to cut the noise entirely.
For more information, head to Heritage Audio.

The post “It doesn’t raise the bar in instrument amplification technology. It redraws it entirely”: Heritage Audio introduces the Mix Buddy appeared first on MusicTech.

Native Instruments Komplete 26 review: The biggest just got biggerKomplete Select £89
Komplete 26 Standard £494
Komplete 26 Ultimate £1,124
Komplete 26 Collector’s Edition £1,754
Personalised upgrade pricing available
native-instruments.com
Native Instruments’ longstanding presence in the music software space means it has a remarkably wide range of instruments and tools in its catalogue, expanded even further thanks to its Kontakt and Reaktor platforms that allow third parties to build bespoke creations. For some years now the developer has offered a bundle of these collected under the Komplete banner, with four tiers – Select, Standard, Ultimate and Collector’s Edition. The latest version has been rebranded as 26 to reflect the year of release, just as Apple has done with its operating systems.

READ MORE: XLN Audio’s new DB-30 Drum Butter is a delicious delight

Reviewing each product here would be impractical – even the Standard Edition has over 180 instruments and 315GB of content, while Ultimate has over 280 using 950GB of space, and the Collector’s Edition, a staggering 340+ instruments amassing over 1.6 terabytes of content. Rather, I’m going to assess who each of these collections best suits, and cover what’s new since the last Komplete. It’s worth mentioning that there are a large number of upgrade pricing routes available via your account, varying if you own earlier versions of Komplete or even if you already own flagship products like Guitar Rig or Kontakt. So the upgrade price will depend on what you already own.
An entry-level bundle—Komplete Select—is also available for £89 and comes in three flavours themed by content, each with a selection of instruments, effects and sound packs. The Beats edition has Battery 4, Massive X Player and Ozone 12 Elements and others, while the Band edition focuses on ‘real’ instruments, and Electronic on synth sounds. Select is an ideal entry point if you’re unsure about committing to a larger bundle and does qualify for some upgrade pricing, though the content is, of course, far more limited in scope.
Image: Press
After registering your serial in Native Access, the products in your bundle become available for download. You can set a default content location at this stage which is essential when downloading hundreds of gigabytes of sounds since you may not want them to fill up your boot drive. NI groups things into sections; the flagship platforms of Kontakt 8, Absynth 6, Massive X and Guitar Rig 7 Pro, and then the sampled and synth instruments that run in them as well as effects and sound packs, of which there are many. You also get Battery 4, NI’s powerful drum instrument in nearly all Editions.
The key differences between the collections are largely in the amount of content you get. All versions include the main tools mentioned above and while Kontakt is based around loading pre-created instruments for most users, the other three are organic sound generation and processing platforms in their own right. So you get the full synthesis experience even with the Standard Edition, but the number of instruments, presets and expansions increases with Ultimate and maxes out with the Collector’s Edition. An exhaustive comparison is available on the NI website.
LCO, Erosia and Cremona in Komplete 26. Image: Press
New content is also spread across multiple categories. Absynth 6 is one of the newest additions to the bundle and in our review we welcomed its long-awaited return. It’s a powerful and unique synth capable of creating mind-bending sounds, brought up to date with MPE support and a new interface. Other new additions include Circular, Odes, Claire: Avant, Electric Keys Definitive Collection and Erosia. Otherwise the flagships were already in the previous version – though if you own one or more you will have got a discount on upgrading to 26.
The Standard Edition has a solid selection of instruments including the Play series, covering a range of keys, guitars, orchestral and other ‘real’ sources plus selected expansions, sound packs and synth patches. For most developers it would be almost their whole lineup. You also get a great core of effects plugins including new additions from iZotope and Brainworx, now part of the NI family. Slightly disappointingly though, all three bundles only include the Elements versions of Nectar, Neutron and Ozone – you don’t get the full versions even with the Collector’s Edition. Still, they are welcome inclusions and expand the toolset in an area where NI has not traditionally had a huge presence – mixing and mastering.
Definitive Electric Keys Collection UI in Komplete 26. Image: Press
Stepping up to the Ultimate bundle is just over double the price but adds a lot of sample and instrument content as well as Essentials versions of the Classical Instruments series and practically all of the more conventional sampled instruments in the catalogue. The Collector’s Edition costs £630 more than this and adds the rest—this content is largely in the area of cinematic scoring tools— as well as over 150 expansion packs in a bewildering array of genres and styles. The largest bundle does have the Circular, Claire: Avant and Odes instruments as exclusives.
Looking at how NI has split the content, the conclusion is that the top tier version is to an extent aimed at composers who need the vast, cinema-focused scope of the acoustic and orchestral instruments on top of everything else. These would be overkill for most people not operating in the scoring world, but honestly if your job is scoring, £1,750 for a collection this vast is a pretty sensible investment considering the bases it covers.
NI’s ongoing development of its Kontakt platform has seen a number of powerful and exciting instruments added to Komplete, in a variety of categories. To name just a few, I am particularly impressed by Odes, Circular and Erosia from the cinematic collection, the Claire piano and 24K Keys hip hop instrument. Then there’s the enormous selection of existing sounds and instruments that aren’t technically new to Komplete, but will be to you if you are a new user. You can preview any of these on the website.
Mixed instruments in Komplete 26. Image: Press
As you’d hope, any one of these bundles represents a huge saving over buying even a fraction of the content individually. NI should be applauded for not going down the subscription route here – while the company does offer a subscription option for a different set of products under the 360 umbrella, they have perhaps recognised that the approach isn’t popular especially with professional producers and composers, those most likely to buy the larger Komplete bundles and who prefer to own their software outright.
But starting at around £500, Komplete is still an investment. Including all the flagship products in the Standard Edition is a smart move, especially since most of them are sound design tools and not playback platforms like Kontakt is (as far as most people use it). The content you get with Standard is an excellent toolset for many musicians working in a range of styles. Ultimate ups the stakes in terms of size and price, and honestly gets you the majority of the stuff, barring some of the cinematic library instruments and every last expansion pack. It’s all compatible with the NKS control format; an added bonus if you have NI hardware or an NKS-compatible controller of another sort.
Komplete’s selection of sounds and instruments—especially with the two larger bundles—is all-encompassing, from world percussion to vintage keys, drums, pianos, electric guitars, vocals and horns to advanced synths, textures, classic analogue sounds and more or less anything else you could imagine. Throw in the sound design of Absynth and Reaktor, the processing of Guitar Rig and other effects and mastering, vocal and mix tools (though they are the Elements versions) and you are covered for more or less every musical eventuality.
Komplete 26 could genuinely be the only bundle you ever need.
Mixing plugins in Komplete 26. Image: Press
Key features

Up to 340 instruments and effects
Up to 180,000 sounds; 1.6TB content
Kontakt 8, Massive X, Absynth 6, Guitar Rig 7 Pro
VST, AU and AAX plugin formats and standalone versions
iZotope Elements mixing and mastering plugins
Download and manage via Native Access
40 new products (Standard Edition)
69 new products (Collector’s Edition)
62 new products (Ultimate Edition)
£22 e-voucher with each bundle (except Select)

The post Native Instruments Komplete 26 review: The biggest just got bigger appeared first on MusicTech.

How a Direct-To-Fan Rollout Secured a Billboard Top 10This week, Ari is joined by Dee Diaz, VP of Marketing at Reach Records, to break down Lecrae’s Billboard Top 10 album rollout.

The Hidden Verses That Made Grath Brooks' "Double Live" Album a Country Music BibleGarth Brooks' Double Live wasn't just a record-breaking live album—it became the only way fans could experience his concerts for years. Discover the two hidden verses that turned the album into a legendary piece of country music history.