Technology

Polish music tech company Polyend has reached 10 years in business, and to honour the occasion, is putting out a 10th anniversary edition of its Tracker Mini handheld groovebox. While the original Tracker Mini sports a sleek black enclosure, this new limited-edition model features a silver aluminium frame and newly designed buttons, alongside its distinctive high-resolution glass display. It also comes in a newly designed black enclosure, if desired. READ MORE: Polyend’s Tracker Mini is a por

Rhodes has added a new instrument to its virtual arsenal: the Wurli. It’s modelled on the Wurlitzer, a historic electric piano which generates sound from hammers striking metal reeds. This plugin is specifically based on the 200A, a variation of the Wurlitzer which has been used in classic songs like What’d I Say by Ray Charles, I Heard It Through the Grapevine by Marvin Gaye, and You’re My Best Friend by Queen. READ MORE: Can Linux really replace Windows and macOS for music production? “

Klon is taking Behringer‘s parent company Music Tribe to court over what it describes as a “blatant counterfeit” of its prized Centaur pedal. The lawsuit accuses Music Tribe of trademark infringement and misleading consumers, claiming the company’s actions go “far beyond the line of permissible inspiration versus unlawful copying”. Klon founder Bill Finnegan confirmed the suit in a statement posted to the company’s official Instagram, writing: “I have never been consulted in any way about this

Ad feature with SoundFlow Modern DAWs offer incredible power, but that power often comes at the cost of speed and focus. Setting up sessions, diving through menus, and performing multiple mouse clicks on tiny buttons can pull you out of the creative flow. SoundFlow, a workflow automation platform, has set out to change how musicians, composers, producers, and audio engineers create with their DAW of choice. With support for Elgato Stream Decks, iOS and Android devices, custom keyboard shortcut

As the music industry wrestles with the impact of generative AI, Spotify appears to be taking a measured – and some might say, permissive – approach. The streaming giant hosted an ‘Open House’ event for journalists at its Stockholm headquarters last week, where executives fielded questions about the platform’s evolving strategy surrounding artificial intelligence. While some of its rivals, such as Deezer, have been purging AI-generated songs from their platforms, Spotify’s tone was noticeably

Once the preserve of specialists, hobbyists and geeks, Linux is nowadays a wholly viable solution for everyday desktop computing. Moreover, and for various reasons, Linux tends to be less demanding of system resources than Windows and macOS, and so can give a new lease of life to older hardware that would otherwise be added to the burgeoning e-waste mountain. The big question for us music production types, then, is ‘Can we use Linux for audio production?’ The answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’. I’d

Major music labels are reportedly in talks with generative AI music platforms Suno and Udio — the very companies they sued last year for alleged copyright infringement. According to Bloomberg, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Entertainment are discussing potential licensing deals that would not only bring in fees but also include a small equity stake in the companies. READ MORE: “It’s a weird kind of wanky, tech-bro nightmare future”: Radiohead’s Thom Yorke says AI do

Total Studio 5 Standard – $/€299.99 Total Studio 5 Pro – $/€399.99 Total Studio 5 MAX – $/€599.99 Introduction and upgrade pricing available IK Multimedia is on a roll. Over the past few years, the company’s product lineup has gone from strength to strength, with venerable classics such as its standalone Mastering Console getting significant improvements. Meanwhile, new standout plugins have arrived, including the multi-band Quad Saturator, alongside some impressive hardware, like the Uno Sy

Over 400 items that belonged to filmmaker David Lynch are due to go up for auction this month, including unique musical instruments and audio equipment from his home studio. The auction is being hosted by Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies, and will take place on 18 June live and online from Julien’s Studios in Los Angeles. Lynch was behind famous works such as Twin Peaks, Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, and more. He died in January 2025. READ MORE: Warm Audio WA76-A and WA76-D2 review

Ricky Tinez, an artist and music production educator on YouTube, is stepping back from his channel for a new career with Apple. Tinez has also stepped down from his role as brand manager at Elektron for his new career move, though he assures all was left on a good note. He will be joining Apple’s worldwide product marketing team. Tinez’s YouTube channel spans videos from across nine years, and features content on production tips and tutorials, gear reviews, and more. READ MORE: Apple Logic Pr

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is the latest artist to speak out against the rise of AI in the music industry, slamming its lack of “genuine original creative thought” and the way it “steals” from human artists without proper credit. In a recent chat with Electronic Sound magazine, Yorke offers a scathing critique of Artificial Intelligence’s creative limits – and the exploitative systems behind it. “As far as I can tell in music and art and all creative industries, Al is so far only able to ‘c

To most electronic music fans, Dutch producer Lodewijk Fluttert AKA Bakermat needs no introduction. His 2012 EP, Vandaag, sky-rocketed to the top of the charts across Europe and eventually went Platinum, consisting of an integrated sample of the I Have a Dream speech by Martin Luther King Jr. As for his 2020 single, Bainia, it currently holds a staggering half a billion streams on Spotify. READ MORE: “You don’t always need to mix a song — hear me out…”: Grace Davies on DIY production, breaking

Making music for free has never been easier. All you need is a computer – or even just your phone – to start cutting tracks using nothing but freeware. Here, we compile our roundups of the best freeware music-making software, apps, instruments and plug-ins that every producer, musician, beatmaker and DJ needs. READ MORE: The best sample packs, updated every month Your first step should be to bookmark our regularly updated list of the best freeware of the month. There, you’ll find a selection

As I walked the floors of a pop-up music venue within the LA Convention Center, pristine images of magenta-hued nebulas were projected on all four walls and the ceiling. The legendary recording artist, Moby, and his six-piece band were performing atmospheric electronic music on a stage in the center of the space. And the sound was being emitted evenly from every angle by L-Acoustics’ state-of-the-art L-Series speakers. READ MORE: In 3 hours, Hans Zimmer Live reminds you why AI won’t replace re

LANDR is hosting two plugin giveaways in collaboration with Synchro Arts for those who sign up to a free trial of either LANDR Studio or Synchro Arts subscriptions. The LANDR Synth X and Synchro Arts’ RePitch Elements premium plugins are available free of charge for those who start a trial on either platform. These plugins are valued at $99 each. READ MORE: LANDR Sampler uses AI to organise your sample library – could this be a godsend for producers? LANDR Synth X is described as “a powerho

Have you been spending hours searching for samples and synth presets to inspire your next track? Getting creative with a single sound source can help you break the cycle. READ MORE: How to record vocals on your phone and mix them to perfection You can grab a phone-recorded vocal today and produce a full track with it. Here’s how. Start with the bass I’ve already captured a song idea on my iPhone in free tempo, so I’ll import it into a new session in Ableton Live 12. Find or record a vocal

Beloved for his delicate, detailed, and highly emotive production style, Martin Stimming has carved out a niche in the world of experimental IDM. Based in Harmburg, Germany, the producer is currently on part two of a trilogy of albums; each one dedicated to his three sons. 2021 brought us Ludwig; a glorious subversion of the artist’s more club-centric work, while the recently released Friedrich retains that sonic freedom but arguably dives even deeper into the emotional resonance that electronic

Excite Audio has released Motion: Fractal, a granular plugin that can transform and manipulate audio in real time through dual granular engines and rhythmic effects. The launch marks the third plugin within its Motion series, joining Motion: Dimension (space and time modulation) and Motion: Harmonic (dynamic distortion modulation). Excite Audio says Fractal can offer “endless motion, texture, and modern sonic transformation”. READ MORE: Waves’ ILLUGEN text-to-sound engine can create sounds no

Apple has unveiled surprise updates to Logic Pro for macOS and iPad, with Logic Pro 11.2 and Logic Pro for iPad 2.2. New features include an enhanced Stem Splitter, Learn MIDI for iPad, a ChatGPT integration and a revamped feature that you probably never knew existed. READ MORE: “You don’t always need to mix a song — hear me out…”: Grace Davies on DIY production, breaking studio rules, and trusting your ears The new versions of Logic Pro are out now and available for current owners to update t

Single-channel models: $699 / € 749 / £629 Dual-channel models: $1199 / €1299 / £1159 warmaudio.com Warm Audio’s WA76 compressor/limiter has been performing stellar dynamic control duties in studios worldwide since its launch way back in the before-times of 2014. Indeed, your MusicTech correspondent here was one of the first to sing its praises; so much so, I bought a pair of them. READ MORE: Are KIT Plugins’ BB F66 and F67 convincing emulations of classic Fairchild compressors? Now, WA

Waves has launched an AI-powered text-to-sound engine called ILLUGEN, and it’s capable of making unique sounds from specific and incredibly weird prompts. The new tool is available as a subscription-only app as of current, with three tiers (basic, premium, and pro) available, and prices starting at $7.99 per month. This model is an interesting choice, given Waves’ previous u-turn on making its plugins available through subscription plans only after significant backlash. READ MORE: Waves’ Curv

In an age where concert entry constitutes little more than a digital barcode, it feels like music fans have lost a once crucial part of their connection to a favourite artist. With e-tickets deleted the morning after and print-outs often primed for the trash, it’s a sad development – especially for those who, like this writer, have actively kept gig and festival tickets archived in a folder for the past decade and a half. For avid gig-goer Nathan Flaskett, who has also collected signed albums a

Should music stay out of politics? Should every protest anthem blow your mind? And is it really fair to expect a chart-topping banger to double as a political manifesto? Anthony Fantano, host of The Needle Drop and one of the internet’s most influential music critics, says no – and thinks our expectations around political music might be the real problem. READ MORE: “It would basically kill the AI industry overnight”: Nick Clegg thinks asking artists for use permission is a bad thing “I thin

Loco Dice has played the biggest clubs in the world, collaborated with legends, and just dropped a new album packed with stars like Skrillex, Carl Cox and Marco Carola. But in 2025, even he’s at the mercy of the algorithm. Speaking to Billboard about his latest project Purple Jam, the German DJ and producer shares how making great music is only half the battle – getting people to actually hear it is the real challenge. READ MORE: “It’s our job to question the algorithms”: Jaden Smith on exper

Legendary rap artist Snoop Dogg has just dropped the official music video for his single, Sophisticated Crippin’, from his album Iz It A Crime? And it’s packed to the brim with generative AI footage. The music video starts out with a suited-up current-day Snoop Dogg having a conversation with a younger Snoop Dogg, wearing crip colours — older Snoop pleads that younger Snoop “keep crippin, but keep it ‘sophisicated crippin’”. If you’re somehow not convinced that these two Snoops aren’t made with