Music Production Forum

Orchestral Tools has introduced Svara, a virtual instrument that brings the sounds of a 'Bollywood' style orchestra to your DAW.… Read More New Virtual Instrument, Svara, Brings ‘Bollywood’ Orchestra To Your DAWView the full article

Want to transform your voice into a robot or heavenly synth choir? Look no further than these five best hardware vocoders. The vocoder may not be the most versatile instrument on the planet. But what it does, it does very well: it lets you sing through a synthesizer. Whether that be robot-style like electro classics of the 1980s, heavenly choirs like ELO or Air, or something a little more experimental, if your song is calling for a vocoder then nothing else will substitute. Although the heyday of the vocoder in terms of popularity may be gone (the Autotune era shows no sign of ending), there are still plenty of applications for a good synth song. And it doesn’t…

Dance music thrives on groove. Whether it’s techno, EDM, drum and bass, or any other genre, the bass and percussion are always at the forefront of the mix. Artists who want to excel in these genres must give these layers the proper attention if they want their tracks to not only sound great on large systems but also energize a dance floor in a live setting. Hannes Bieger, a German melodic techno producer and live performer, knows this well. His recent album, Galaxies, released on his own Elektrons label, is a masterclass in melodic techno production… The post Drum processing in melodic techno with Hannes Bieger: Club-ready percussion made fast and easy first appeared on N…

Tiptop Audio, in collaboration with Buchla USA, has announced two more modules in its series of Euro-format reissues of classic 200-series modules.… Read More Tiptop Audio & Buchla Intro Programmable Pulser Model 242t & Quad Sample And Hold Model 264tView the full article

Nozoïd let us know that they've introduced the Kagouyar, a semi-modular polyphonic virtual analogue synthesizer.… Read More Nozoïd Intros Kagouyar Polyphonic SynthesizerView the full article

The US Copyright Office has released a new report that clarifies and reaffirms their stance on AI-generated works, essentially stating that AI-generate works can't be copyrighted.… Read More AI-Generated Works Can’t Be Copyrighted, Reaffirms US Copyright OfficeView the full article

The Synthe A100 is a hybrid of the Synthi A and Synthi 100.… Read More Switchtrix Electronics Intros EMS-Inspired Synthe A100View the full article

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been revolutionizing many industries, and Electronic Dance Music (EDM) is no exception. AI is already being used to generate melodies, create beats, and even produce entire tracks autonomously, which raises an intriguing question: Can AI replace human musicians in EDM? In this article, we will explore the limitations of AI in EDM, specifically how AI struggles to capture human emotion, improvisation, and artistic intention. We’ll also dive into the opinions of EDM artists and producers about AI’s place in the creative process, and whether machines can truly replace the human touch in dance music creation... The post Can AI Replac…

At the 2025 NAMM Show, held Jan 21–25 in Anaheim, CA, Ketron introduced the Fusion Real Arranger, a arranger workstation keyboard that supports international musical styles.… Read More Ketron FusionView the full article

The Sound Stone shared this preview of the String Armonica mkII, an updated version of their electroacoustic instrument, based on 'acoustic synthesis'.… Read More The String Armonica mkII Adds 4 New Performance modesView the full article

The in-depth interview on Ableton's blog about Jon Hopkins provides an insightful look into the creative process of a highly respected electronic music producer. Hopkins is known for his intricate sound design, emotive compositions, and innovative use of technology, and the article delves into how he integrates Ableton Live into his workflow. Listen to exclusive stems from the record as Jon breaks down how the sounds were made and get his thoughts on overcoming creative blocks, the psychedelic experience, and the importance of collaboration... Read the interview

NAMM had been and gone for another year. We get back to our sounds and presets with a selection of goodies covering lots of bases, including Chiptune! After last week’s hiatus for NAMM 2025, I’m back with a veritable feat of sounds and presets covering a broad range of styles and genres. From Chiptune to classical, we have something for almost everyone. Rest your show-weary eyes and legs and fill your synths with these beauties! ... Chiptune Trilogy for BA-1 by Baby Audio Ambient Frost for Vital by Tom Wolfe Presets Cremona Quartet Ensemble for Kontakt by Native Instruments Studio FX Piano by Vienna Symphonic Library Aurora for Lush 2 by D16 Group The post Chiptune Patch-…

Save 80% on the ultimate sound design package, including UVI Falcon, 19 premium expansions, and all factory content, available for just $199. FL Studio, the world’s leading Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), has partnered with UVI to launch the Falcon Special, an exclusive bundle designed to elevate music production. This powerhouse package includes UVI’s award-winning Falcon [...] The post FL Studio x UVI: Kickstart 2025 with the UVI Falcon Special appeared first on DJ Life Magazine. View the full article

BaconPaul has released Six Sines, a free and open-source TX81Z that was inspired by the FM synth plugin. FM synthesis is a somewhat divisive topic; some love it, some hate it, and others don’t understand all the fuss. There’s no denying the power of FM synthesis, even if synths like the Yamaha DX7 gained fans [...] View post: BaconPaul releases Six Sines, an Open-Source TX81Z-inspired FM synth plugin View the full article

Quagliardi Audio has made its BoomBlender Lite 576 FET compressor plugin free for a limited time as a tie-in with the NAMM Show. Media reports suggest BoomBlender is a macOS and Windows plugin for VST3, AU, and AAX. I’m referring to media reports for that detail because I can’t see any specs listed on the [...] View post: Quagliardi Audio BoomBlender Lite 576 FET Compressor Plugin is FREE for a Limited Time View the full article

Arturia’s flagship soft synth returns for its latest iteration, Pigments 6, and introduces a new Modal engine, new filters, a vocoder effect and more! Pigments has always been a trailblazer when it comes to powerful software synthesis. It has a huge fanbase that revels in its seemingly endless creative prowess and possibilities. And with Pigments 6, Arturia have further increased its ability to astonish and astound. So with it already being a formidable sound design and performance tool, what could Arturia possibly bring to it that takes it beyond the last version and warrant that all-important new version number? I asked my friends in Grenoble and their reply w…

MIDI Kinetics has announced that Lemur - the pioneering touchscreen control application - is now available again.… Read More Lemur Is Back, With New Subscription-Based Model To Support Long-Term DevelopmentView the full article

PSP Audioware has introduced PSP Wobbler, a modulation effect plug-in created in collaboration with legendary recording engineer, producer, and musician Alan Parsons.… Read More PSP Audioware Intros Wobbler, ‘The Alan Parsons Plug-in Project’View the full article

ReBeat is designed to automatically separate drum tracks into six distinct stems: kick, snare, hi-hat, toms, ride, and crash.… Read More WaveMachine Labs Intros ReBeat Drum Stem SeparatorView the full article

Midi-2-the-Max has introduced M2TM Commands, a MIDI editing plugin for Ableton Live 12 Suite Edition or Standard with Max-for-Live support.… Read More M2TM Commands Brings New MIDI Editing Actions To Ableton Live 12View the full article

Tempera v2.1 firmware transforms Tempera into an even more powerful and versatile tool, with new features, enhancements, and improvements.… Read More Tempera v2.1 Update Adds Live Granular Processing & MoreView the full article

Pigments 6 features a powerful new Modal engine, upgraded filters, advanced modulators, and a suite of creative tools.… Read More Arturia Unveils Pigments 6 – Here’s What’s NewView the full article

Network MIDI 2.0 is a new standard that defines how MIDI devices can communicate over Ethernet and WiFi. What are the advantages for musicians and producers? NAMM 2025 is officially over, and as always, the new synths, guitars, and studio gear got the most attention. But NAMM is also a great place to catch up on some of the “background stories” from the music business that are no less important for us musicians. This year, the MIDI Association once again showcased the latest developments in the world of MIDI. At NAMM 2025, the Association officially launched the new Network MIDI 2.0 (UDP) standard, which was ratified in November 2024. Network MIDI 2.0 specifies …

IK Multimedia and iZotope both have amazing offers for studio owners and music producers right now – but you’ll need to be quick! This week’s edition of Software Deals also features big discounts on two fantastic software synths. NAMM may be over, but IK Multimedia’s massive NAMM Slam Sale continues for a few more days. This means that you can still save 60% or more on nearly all of IK’s software titles, from AmpliTube 5 and all available collections to T-RackS 6, the Modo series, Syntronik 2, SampleTank 4, and many more. Treat your studio to the latest mixing and mastering plugins and software instruments from IK Multimedia, or stock up on AmpliTube Collections for your …

Modbap Modular has introduced Trinity 2.0, a 3-channel digital drum synth array module for Eurorack modular synthesizers.… Read More Modbap Modular Trinity 2.0 Digital Drum Synth Array Adds New Synthesis OptionsView the full article

At the 2025 NAMM Show, Flock Audio introduced Switch, a new device that lets you quickly toggle between 8 mono/stereo Inputs and a set of Stereo Outputs.… Read More Flock Audio Intros Switch Digitally-Controlled Analog RoutingView the full article

Modular without the modules? Here’s a convenient way to get into modular synthesis. We’re looking at some of the best semi-modular synths for starting your own patch-lead spaghetti empire. Semi-modular synths first rose to fame with instruments like the Roland System 100, ARP 2600, the EMS VCS 3 and Synthi AKS, and the Korg MS-20. Although these instruments are revered for their sound, they provided a different approach to sound design than the workflows of classic subtractive synths like the Minimoog... The post The Best Semi-Modular Synths for your Studio Setup appeared first on gearnews.com. View the full article

Ewan Bristow has blessed us with yet another weird and wonderful release: EB-CatNip, a frequency-shifting delay plugin powered by Plugdata. If you’ve used Ewan Bristow’s plugins before, you can no doubt guess that EB-CatNip runs in the free Plugdata programming environment. Plugdata runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, and more as a plugin (VST3, LV2, AU, CLAP) [...] View post: Ewan Bristow releases FREE EB-CatNip Frequency Shifting Delay for Plugdata View the full article

The Crow Hill Company has released Amp Bass, their latest addition to the free Vaults series. The Crow Hill Company’s Vaults series has delivered some inspiring sounds since it came on the scene and is, perhaps, starting to fill a gap left by LABS, as many users jumped ship at the mention of a subscription [...] View post: The Crow Hill Company releases FREE Amp Bass for Vaults View the full article

I know it’s early, but Tespest Audio has given us a contender for the free Kontakt Player instrument of the year (in my opinion) – Sona/Chroma. This free orchestral instrument requires Kontakt Player 8. Sona/Chroma is an experimental Kontakt library featuring sixteen symphonic orchestra instruments across four distinct sections: Woodwind 1, Woodwind 2, Brass, and [...] View post: Tempest Audio releases FREE Sona/Chroma orchestral instrument for Kontakt Player View the full article