The MPC Sample is my new favorite portable beat maker
The MPC Sample is my new favorite portable beat maker Back to basics. | Image: Terrence O’Brien / The Verge Akai MPC is one of the most storied names in music history. But over the last decade, it’s strayed pretty far from its roots as a humble sampler. The modern MPCs run virtual synthesizers, have […]
Tembo is a playful drum machine that thinks it’s a checkerboard
Tembo is a playful drum machine that thinks it's a checkerboard Checkers? Go? | Image: Alon Daniel / Musical Beings Tembo looks like a toy, but one of those bougie wooden toys you get on Crate & Kids, not some cheap plastic garbage. Despite its appearance, it is a fully functional drum machine and sampler. […]
Apple Music adds optional labels for AI songs and visuals
Apple Music adds optional labels for AI songs and visuals No AI usage will be assumed on works that providers haven’t voluntarily tagged. | Illustration: Alex Castro / The Verge Apple is asking artists and record labels on its music streaming platform to voluntarily label songs that were made using AI. The new “Transparency Tags” […]
Arturia’s FX Collection 6 adds two new effects and a $99 intro version
Arturia's FX Collection 6 adds two new effects and a $99 intro version Arturia launched a new version of its flagship effects suite, FX Collection, which includes two new plugins, EFX Ambient and Pitch Shifter-910. FX Collection 6 also marks the introduction of an Intro version with a selection of six effects covering the basics […]
Laurie Spiegel on the difference between algorithmic music and ‘AI’
Laurie Spiegel on the difference between algorithmic music and 'AI' From Bell Labs to Macs, Laurie Spiegel has pushed musical boundaries. | Image: Irina Prosser / Eventide In 1986, electronic music pioneer Laurie Spiegel created Music Mouse, a way for those with a Mac, Atari, or Amiga computer to dabble in algorithmic music creation. Music […]
Georgia Tech announced the finalists in its wild musical instrument competition
Georgia Tech announced the finalists in its wild musical instrument competition There’s a playable henge of fiddles. | Image: Georgia Tech / The Verge Georgia Tech has announced the finalists in its annual Guthman Musical Instrument Competition. Every year, for the last 28 years, the school invites inventors from around the world to submit new […]
Live Nation’s monopoly trial is reportedly fracturing Trump’s Justice Department
Live Nation's monopoly trial is reportedly fracturing Trump's Justice Department Live Nation executives have reportedly sidestepped the Justice Department’s antitrust division to negotiate directly with more sympathetic senior officials in the hopes of avoiding a monopoly trial. Citing “people familiar with the matter,” Semafor reports that some talks have excluded antitrust chief Gail Slater, who […]
YouTube Music starts putting lyrics behind a paywall
YouTube Music starts putting lyrics behind a paywall Free YouTube Music accounts are now seeing their access to lyrics limited, according to multiple reports. Google started testing lyrics as an exclusive feature for Premium users in September, but it appears that it’s now receiving a wider rollout. It seems that free users will be limited […]
Roland’s TR-1000 is the ultimate drum machine
Roland's TR-1000 is the ultimate drum machine This is actually tidier than my desk normally looks. It took way too long, but Roland finally caved and gave the people what they want: a proper analog successor to the iconic TR-808 drum machine. The 808’s sound, especially the kick drum, is embedded so deeply in the […]
Casio teased a retro gaming-inspired sampler
Casio teased a retro gaming-inspired sampler Casio SX-C1 sampler prototype on display at NAMM. Casio showed up to NAMM (CES for music gear nerds) this year with a prototype sampler called the SX-C1 that looks every bit the lovechild of a Game Boy and an SP-404. The top has a directional pad and four buttons […]