Technology

Michael B. Tretow, an audio engineer who worked extensively with ABBA – and was often called the group’s ‘fifth member’ – has died aged 80. In light of the news, all four members of the Swedish pop powerhouse have issued emotional tributes praising Tretow’s role in crafting the ABBA sound over the course of their career. READ MORE: Zeds Dead sampled a century of sound to create their new sci-fi bass odyssey In a collective post on the ABBA Facebook page, Björn Ulvaeus says Tretow’s “importa

Over the past year, Tracklib has been expanding its musical offerings, from royalty-free sounds to a new desktop platform. Now, the platform has announced its latest venture – a mobile app to make beatmaking quick and easy on the go. The Tracklib app offers artists access to the platform’s existing library of pre-cleared and curated sounds. Producers can experiment with vintage sounds spanning from vintage ‘70s soul to rare funk grooves, or toy with samples packs provided by Grammy-winning prod

Vaughn Oliver, one half of the production duo Oliver, is no stranger to crafting killer drum loops. As the creator of Power Tools, one of Splice’s most downloaded sample packs, his sounds have featured in hits by the likes of Dua Lipa, The Weeknd, SZA, Doja Cat, Adele and many more. Now, in a new tutorial, the producer, DJ, and mix engineer peels back the curtain on some of the techniques behind his signature loops, and offers tips on levelling up your drum sound. READ MORE: Thomann just laun

Ad feature with DistroKid The rise of music streaming has brought an incredible opportunity for musicians, producers and beatmakers around the globe. Freed from the conventional model of physical distribution, you no longer need to hire a lengthy chain of expensive middlemen to get your music out to the world. But, in truth, that’s only the first part of the music revolution. More than ever, a producer also needs to manage other aspects of their creative business; releasing music on the ever-ex

Calvin Harris has just scored his 45th Top 10 hit in the UK with his new track, Blessings. With its thumping dance beat and bright vocal performance from Clementine Douglas, it’s a summer-ready anthem – and it’s inspired, in part, by Grateful Dead. In a new Instagram video, the Scottish DJ explains how Blessings’ foundational riff exists thanks to his obsession with Grateful Dead. Last summer, he hunted down the guitars and bass guitars used by the rock group, and he’s been using them to aid hi

Marshall has made its long-anticipated entrance into the home audio space with the launch of the Heston 120. As the brand’s first-ever soundbar, the Heston 120 aims to do more than just pump up your Netflix marathons. It’s designed to deliver a “colossal audio experience for both TV and music,” blending Dolby Atmos and DTS:X spatial sound with Marshall’s signature analogue flair. READ MORE: This soundbar optimises sound specifically for where you’re sitting in a room “We know that soundbar

Fender Studio has arrived, and with its one-tap recording, range of amp sims and jam tracks and simple-to-understand user interface, it could very well be a disruptor to existing simplified DAW offerings like GarageBand and BandLab. Available on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and Linux, Fender Studio can be downloaded on any computer or mobile device, offering a simple recording and editing solution for anyone looking to quickly capture their ideas when inspiration strikes. READ MORE: The best

£1,299 / $1,300 / €1,300, somasynths.com Soma Labs doesn’t necessarily have a monopoly on oddball instruments that seem custom catered to film scores and experimental noise makers, but it’s certainly a leader in the area. The Lyra series, The Pipe, The Pulsar 23, Ether, RoAT, Terra… The list goes on and on. READ MORE: Arturia’s V Collection 11 Pro almost made me forget I had other plugins Flux is the latest addition to its stable of wild instruments. Underneath the hood, there’s a complex

“Ideas? I got a million dreams. That’s all I do is dream. All the time.” A Million Dreams by Zeds Dead begins with these wondrous sentences spoken by the piano legend, Duke Ellington. READ MORE: Myd locked himself in the studio for 168 hours and livestreamed every minute — but did it really help him finish an album? “This is not piano, this is dreaming,” he continues. Ellington passed away in 1974. In order to include his whimsical oration on their new album, Return to the Spectrum of Inte

British audio brand Allen & Heath has unveiled six new Qu mixers that bring 96 kHz FPGA and DEEP Processing capabilities, Dante options, and a host of workflow and hardware enhancements to the digital mixing platform. “Every aspect of the mixer has been re-thought, the XCVI core, enhanced I/O capability, all the way to the screen and faders,” says Senior Product Manager Keith Johnson. “We’ve completely reimagined the UI, keeping the simple layout and workflow that Qu is known and loved for.

Native Instruments has launched Circular, a new polyphonic sequencer which transforms single notes or chord progressions into “breathtaking rhythmic soundscapes”. Polyphonic sequencers are, of course, nothing new, so how does Circular work, and what sets it apart? READ MORE: Could this $5 reverb plugin transform your mixes? Circular utilises four independent layers, each a separate canvas for modulation. Users can control pitch, filter and other effects in real-time, and create “motion-rich

After partnering with Chromeo to launch a one-of-a-kind casette player last year, nostalgia-crazed brand We Are Rewind has unveiled a new boombox, the GB-001. Injecting the classic boombox with a modern twist, the GB-001 boasts all the classic functions of a boombox, allowing you to both play, mix and record onto cassette tapes, but can also play tracks via Bluetooth or a 3.5mm jack input. This means you can play music from your phone or laptop, making it a truly modern playback device. READ

If you’ve ever felt your mixes needed just a touch more space, air, or emotional depth, now might be the perfect time to act. Excite Audio’s Lifeline Space module, a powerful reverb tool praised for its ease-of-use and versatility, is now available for less than the price of a coffee from now till 31 May. READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week Built with flexibility in mind, Space can sit early in your signal chain like a reverb pedal or act as an env

Sir Elton John has slammed the UK government as “absolute losers” over its handling of artificial intelligence (AI) and copyright law, accusing ministers of siding with big tech firms at the expense of artists. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the music icon criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government for rejecting proposals from the House of Lords that would have forced AI developers to disclose the copyrighted materials they use to train their models. R

HEDD Audio has launched a new pair of loudspeakers – and is calling them its “most advanced analogue speakers to date”. Handcrafted and assembled in Berlin, the TYPE 05 A-CORE and TYPE 07 A-CORE two-way active speakers feature components in the company’s existing MK2 monitor line and Tower Mains system. READ MORE: The best free and paid-for plugins you need to know about this week In terms of such components, the A-CORE range uses the MK2 line’s Air Motion Transformer tweeter, which is sa

Spotify is back on good terms with Snoop Dogg, as the rapper has returned to the streaming platform following an exit over royalty payments. Snoop has launched a new, surprise album titled Iz It A Crime?, which is now available to stream via Spotify. Back in March, he said he was moving his work over to blockchain-based streaming service Tune.FM following a dispute with Spotify, after he believed the payout for hitting a billion streams to be too low. READ MORE: Spotify’s AI DJ now takes requ

Workflow automation platform SoundFlow has launched a public beta of its official Ableton Live integration, turning repetitive or complicated workflows into one-touch actions. Whether using a MIDI controller, mobile device, Stream Deck, or keyboard shortcut, users can trigger multi-step macros built with SoundFlow’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor. There are already over 850 pre-built commands ready to use within the public beta. READ MORE: Moog Messenger: Everything you need to know on featur

Fancy getting your hands on over 18,000 new sounds courtesy of IK Multimedia? Plugin Boutique has your back. The brand’s sound and groove workstation SampleTank 4 MAX v2 is currently on sale for just £49.99 – but the deal ends 2 June. With a usual retail price of £282, SampleTank 4 MAX v2 is the comprehensive SampleTank experience, cramming all 88 SampleTank products into one package. This includes all 28 SampleTank 4 libraries, every legacy library from SampleTank 3, and all 34 synths included

Since the release of V Collection X, Arturia has dug even deeper than ever with its digital ambitions. Both the recently-reviewed KeyLab 88 MK3 and preceding AstroLab testify to this, pulling few punches when it comes to breaking Arturia software out of the computer and into the physical studio. Fair to say, those instruments’ affinity with V Collection extends to the degree that they only really come to life upon interfacing with those software instruments. READ MORE: Will GTA 6 change the wa

Abbey Road Studios, Adidas, and Co-op Live have opened the doors to a first-of-its-kind recording studio within Manchester’s Co-op Live arena. Situated inside the UK’s largest music arena, the Adidas Originals Recording Studio is designed as a “vibrant hub for emerging musical talent and young creative communities”. The space has been engineered by Abbey Road’s own team of technicians and sound engineers, blending decades of audio expertise with the latest workflows and cutting-edge gear. RE

Arturia has released the MicroLab MK3, a small but seemingly powerful MIDI controller that could fit nicely in your bedroom studio and your backpack. Plus, with licenses for Ableton Live Lite, Analog Lab Intro, and a handful of nifty features, the $60 asking price seems pretty tantalising. The third model in Arturia’s MicroLab controller series, the MK3 sports a compact, minimalist design with plug-and-play USB connectivity. You’ll be able to hook this up and get playing within seconds, whether

To close out his panel on video game composition for the debut edition of the London Soundtrack Festival, Steve Schnur, President of Music for Electronic Arts, asked the composers on stage the following question: “What composers have influenced you?” Sitting on the panel were lauded game composers such as Ludvig Forssell (Death Stranding) and Stephen Barton (Star Wars Jedi: Survivor), the latter of whom organised the video game programming for the festival. READ MORE: Behind the sound of Star

Been holding off on concert plans because of high ticket prices? Live Nation is here to change that with a limited-time deal offering $30 all-in tickets to over 1,000 concerts this summer. Going on sale starting 21 May, the “$30 Ticket to Summer” promotion includes access to shows across the US and Canada from artists such as The Offspring, Pantera, “Weird Al” Yankovic, Avril Lavigne, Billy Idol, Halsey, and The Black Keys, among many others. READ MORE: SoundCloud CEO writes open letter follo

SoundCloud’s CEO Eliah Seton has penned an open letter to its users following suspicion that it was using artists’ content to train AI. Earlier this May, SoundCloud users raised concerns about the platform’s Terms of Use, which seemingly suggested that their content “may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence”. However, there was a misunderstanding about what this actually meant. The term had been in place since February 2024, but had garnered new attent

Electronic producer Isaac Baden-Powell, AKA Waz-u, has become acutely attuned to spinning many plates. As well as the release of his latest album, Preludes: Duck Psalms, Baden-Powell also runs a studio alongside his brother and fellow producer, Mali Baden-Powell, and is the drummer for alternative soul project Monzanto Sound and experimental punk project Nexus_0. READ MORE: Myd locked himself in the studio for 168 hours and livestreamed every minute — but did it really help him finish an album