September 14, 2021

Arturia Intros SQ80 V, “Ensoniq’s Classic ‘80s Cross-Wave Synth Reborn”

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Arturia has introduced SQ80 V, a new virtual instrument for Mac & Windows that’s based on the Ensoniq SQ-80 from 1988.

The original Ensoniq SQ-80 is a hybrid synth, with three digital wavetable oscillators per voice paired with an analog 4-pole filter. It also is one of the few classic synths to offer polyphonic aftertouch, a feature that lets you expressively control the sound of individual notes, after the initial key press.

Here’s the official video overview:

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With SQ80 V, Arturia has recreated the sound of the original using hardware modeling. But they’ve also expanded on the original’s design with a variety new features, including:

The arpeggiator – including arp direction, sync, octave range, and hold.
Unison – SQ80 V offers up to 16-voice polyphony – twice that of the original hardware instrument – plus ann 8-voice unison option for creating massive sounds.
Dispersion – subtle variations and inconsistencies in the behavior of its emulated circuitry that mean no two notes will ever be exactly the same,.
Envelopes expanded – Arturia included 2 additional envelope modes: DADSR and MSEG. The former adds a delay stage to the traditional ADSR for staggered strikes and interesting rhythmic patterns. The latter is a fully-customizable looping function generator.
The Mod Mixer – Combine any 2 modulation sources, from envelopes to keyboard controls, to distort, mangle, and refract your patches in interesting and unexpected ways. With 6 different modes of modulation mixing, the combination possibilities are enormous.
MPE compatibility – SQ80 V supports MPE-compatible controllers for advanced expression.

Features:

3 digital oscillators based on the original DOC chip
Over 400 waveforms across 4 unique banks
Amplitude Modulation and Hard Sync
4 analog DCAs; 1 for each oscillator, 1 master output
Analog resonant low-pass filter based on the original CEM chip
4 polyphonic envelope generators with 3 modes; SQ80, DADSR, MSEG
3 LFOs with 6 waveforms
8 MIDI sources
Modulation mixer for combining 2 modulation sources
Built-in 7-mode arpeggiator
Up to 16-voice polyphony with Unison mode
4 FX slots across 2 busses, configurable in series or parallel]
15 master effect types
Advanced Brightness, Timbre, Time and Movement macro controls
200+ factory presets, including 40 from the original SQ-80 instrument
MPE compatibility

Pricing and Availability

Arturia SQ80 V is available now with an intro price of $99 (normally $199).

September 14, 2021

Sultan + Shepard share fourth top-notch EP on This Never Happened with ‘Break Your Fall’

Exactly six months after Something, Everything and a handful of weeks removed from a pair of evenings at the Brooklyn Mirage with Lane 8, Sultan + Shepard have been called back to This Never Happened for more new music. Out of thin air on September 9, the duo reappeared on the label’s socials with the disclosure that they had delivered their second project of the year—a brand new EP titled, Break Your Fall.

Succeeding a body of work as masterful as this spring’s LP was set to be a tall order, but Sultan + Shepard deftly walk in the footsteps of Something, Everything with their latest delivery of new material. Bringing along HRRTZ and Liz Cass for the EP’s title number, the duo glides through three more emotively-charged diamonds of melodic house excellence that include “Daughters” from the Lane 8’s “Fall 2020 Mixtape,” “Sona” and finally “The Visitor.” The new EP brings us a total of four completed works from Sultan + Shepard on the This Never Happened since Kochi in early 2020.

Hear Break Your Fall in full below.

Featured image: Sultan + Shepard/Instagram

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September 14, 2021

Waldorf M Wavetable Synthesizer A New Generation Of The Classic Microwave

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Ahead of Superbooth 2021, Waldorf has announced that it is bringing back classic Microwave and ‘modern’ Microwave II tone generation with their M wavetable synthesizer

The Waldorf M is described as a “new-generation classic hybrid wavetable synthesizer”, with an analog lowpass 24dB/Oct VCF with resonance and analogue saturation, true stereo analogue VCA and more.

Here’s the official intro video:

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With the M, Waldorf Music returns to its classic Microwave and Microwave II tone generation.

The Waldorf M synthesizer is an eight-voice polyphonic, four-part multitimbral Wavetable Synthesizer. Each voice features two wavetable oscillators, with independent wavetable-generating Classic Microwave 1 and Modern Microwave II/XT modes.

Features:

Two oscillator modes:
- Classic Microwave I mode, where 16-bit wavetables are bit-reduced to 8-bit and a 240 kHz non-anti-aliased sample rate is offered.
- The Modern Microwave II/XT mode offers a 40 kHz sample rate with band-limited wavetables, although both oscillators — OSC 1 and OSC 2 — offer the same panel parameters.
Two LFOs are available, with adjustable frequency Rate and Shape, that can be used for modulation purposes.
Lowpass 24 dB/Oct VCF (based on the SSI 2144 Improved Ladder Type), with resonance and analog saturation.
Four programmable envelopes
True stereo analogue VCA with panning option
True hard Sync (when working in its Modern Microwave II/XT mode)
ARP with 16 preset patterns & ability to sync to MIDI clock
Chord mode
MIDI-syncable global LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator).
45 knobs and buttons for quick editing
Full-metal housing
2,048 presets (divided into 16 banks, each with 128 sounds, including all of the classic Microwave sound sets, such as MW1 Factory Sound Set, MW1 Soundpool 1-5, the fat-sounding Analogue and Bassco, as well as PPG Wave 2.3 sounds converted for the original Microwave.
Connections:
- Six (rear panel-positioned) stereo analogue outputs — arranged as MAIN OUT (L/Mono and R) and AUX OUT (A, B, C, and D), the latter of which can be used to route each of the four Multi (multitimbral) parts to different outputs, if desired;
- A stereo headphone output (with an associated Volume knob in addition to the topside Master Volume knob);
- 5-pin MIDI IN, OUT, and THRU DIN connectors, complimented by a USB 2.0 MIDI port (for computer connection to transmit and receive MIDI data);
- An SD Card slot (for updating M’s firmware, importing/saving sound patches, and importing/saving M-specific data, such as user wavetables); and
- Kensington-compatible security lock slot.

Pricing and Availability

The M Wavetable Synthesizer is available through Waldorf Music’s network of distributors at an RRP (Recommended Retail Price) of €1,879.00 EUR (including German tax).

September 14, 2021

Nicky Romero, W&W put forth a commanding energy on joint effort, ‘We’re Still Young’

Nicky Romero and W&W have joined forces once again to release their latest single “We’re Still Young” featuring LUX, via Rave Culture. The three Dutchmen first collaborated on their festive 2019 track “Ups & Downs” as their latest release falls in line with the trio’s designated efforts to maintain progressive and big room house’s enduring presence on world’s biggest main stages.

“We’re Still Young” first premiered during Romero’s virtual Tomorrowland Around The World performance earlier this summer and has since been played at in-person festivals including Electric Love and Creamfields. The uplifting new track invigorates listeners with a unique essence of styles that broaden Romero and W&W’s signature euphoric and melodic frameworks, while further strengthening their will to champion a continually evolving rave culture.

Listen to the “We’re Still Young” below.

Featured image: W&W/Instagram

The post Nicky Romero, W&W put forth a commanding energy on joint effort, ‘We’re Still Young’ appeared first on Dancing Astronaut.

September 14, 2021

The Chemical Brothers closing set at Glasgow’s TRNSMT was heard across three different towns, according to locals

Physically attending Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival was not a prerequisite for enjoying The Chemical Brothers‘ closing performance at the event. Residents living as far as eight miles away in a nearby town called Renfrew reported being able to hear the performance with a variety of people posting their experience live during the show.

One Renfrew resident who goes by @xmirynkinloch on Twitter posted, “You could Shazam The Chemical Brothers from my bedroom window in Renfrew it’s that loud.”

The 50,000 person festival was one of Scotland’s first returns to large-scale events, taking place over three days from September 10 – 12. Renfrew residents were some of the many beneficiaries able to hear the show, with people across Glasgow and Crookston also sharing their experience.

“I’m 2.5 miles from the TRNSMT gig & right now The Chemical Brothers sound like they’re in my driveway,” tweeted a Glasgow resident.

Other artists who headlined the festival included Courteeners, Liam Gallagher, Snow Patrol, and Primal Scream. Ian Brown was also set to headline the festival, but dropped out last minute after denouncing the festival’s COVID policies.

I'm 2.5 miles from the TRNSMT gig & right now The Chemical Brothers sound like they're in my driveway.
— Em-Squared (@emsquare_d) September 12, 2021

Via: Glasgow Live

Featured image: Giles Smith

The post The Chemical Brothers closing set at Glasgow’s TRNSMT was heard across three different towns, according to locals appeared first on Dancing Astronaut.

September 14, 2021

Enter to win the ultimate Goldrush VIP experience with ILLENIUM, including VIP passes and exclusive side-stage access [Contest]

Arizona’s mainstay fall event, Goldrush is quickly approaching, bringing a slew of top-notch electronic talent to the southwest. Temps may begin to cool just outside of Phoenix, but Goldrush is promising to keep dance floors hot across the event’s September 24 – 26 run. Zedd, Diplo, Gorgon City, Breakout Artist of 2020 Moore Kismet, Green Velvet, and Troyboi are all slated to appear, along with a stellar roster of back-to-backs including joint performances by Zeds Dead and GRiZ, Tiga and Seth Troxler, as well as Chris Lorenzo and Wax Motif.

Best of all, fans can now enter for a chance to win the ultimate VIP fan experience with ILLENIUM, sure to mark an unforgettable weekend for four lucky fans. One (1) grand prize winner will receive four (4) VIP Goldrush passes, side-stage viewing access for ILLENIUM’s performance, as well as a table on Friday night, September 24, at the Golden Gorge stage. Entrants must be 21+ to participate.

Enter below to win the ultimate VIP Goldrush experience with ILLENIUM below.

Featured image: Rukes

The post Enter to win the ultimate Goldrush VIP experience with ILLENIUM, including VIP passes and exclusive side-stage access [Contest] appeared first on Dancing Astronaut.

September 14, 2021

Qrion announces debut LP, ‘I Hope It Lasts Forever,’ shares lead single, ‘Your Love’

Following an occupied year brimming with top-notch house material such as “Monolith,” “Sunshower,” and her latest, “Rainy April” with Spencer Brown, Anjunadeep mainstay, one of Dancing Astronaut’s Artists to Watch in 2021 Qrion has announced her upcoming debut album I Hope It Lasts Forever slated for an October 29 release. Lighting the record’s fuse with the first single, “Your Love,” the LP is sure to take on Qrion’s precise and intimate attention to detail, likely to evoke an exuberant ambiance from core to perimeter.

I Hope It Lasts Forever was eloquently compiled during last year’s lockdown, where Qrion found herself in San Francisco after a leap from Sapporo, Japan. Paying homage to her father and childhood, the upcoming album ranges from upbeat and elevated club hits to gentle-yet-creeping electronic entanglements. Speaking on these motifs, the recent Forbes 30 Under 30 designee commented,

“I feel music often creates a bridge to access memorable parts of our lives and in this sense ‘I Hope It Lasts Forever’ is a very personal and special album to me. My hope is that my music and this album will also become part of other people’s memories – something that people can carry with them into the future.”

Garnering support from the industry’s most formidable labels, such as Last Night on Earth, Mad Decent and This Never Happened, all the while touring with some of dance music’s most in-demand producers like Porter Robinson, deadmau5, Above & Beyond, and more, Qrion has finally established her own North American headline tour. Stay tuned for more updates and stream “Your Love,” ahead of Hope It Lasts Forever‘s October 29 debut.

Featured image: Julia Wang

The post Qrion announces debut LP, ‘I Hope It Lasts Forever,’ shares lead single, ‘Your Love’ appeared first on Dancing Astronaut.

September 14, 2021

Watch Steve Aoki, Bruce Buffer welcome Raiders fans to Allegiant Stadium

In classic Vegas fashion, Bruce Buffer, the “Veteran Voice of the Octagon” for UFC, and who else but Steve Aoki, inaugurated the Las Vegas Raiders’ first jam-packed regular season game at Allegiant Stadium versus the Baltimore Ravens. Buffer, known for his bellowing announcer voice, hyped up an already ecstatic stadium while Aoki tended decks prior to kick-off. Ostentatious in the best sense of the word, Buffer and Aoki’s extravagant introduction welcomed fans to the sold-out event in quintessential Vegas form. It was Vegas’ first chance to experience a packed regular season game in their new stadium, as COVID-19 restrictions affected the season prior.

To further warrant the grand opening, the Raiders took home the “W” in a hectic overtime period, beating out Lamar Jackson and the Ravens 33-27.

Featured image: Las Vegas Raiders / Twitter

The post Watch Steve Aoki, Bruce Buffer welcome Raiders fans to Allegiant Stadium appeared first on Dancing Astronaut.

September 14, 2021

The Notorious B.I.G’s apartment where ‘Ready To Die’ was recorded is up for sale

The Brooklyn apartment where The Notorious B.I.G. recorded his 1994 album ‘Ready To Die’ has gone up for sale.

The two-bedroom, two-bathroom property, which can be found in the Fort Greene neighbourhood of Brooklyn, is on sale for 1.7 million USD, or £1.2 million. It’s located blocks away from a Brooklyn street that is named after the late rapper, and was featured in the 2017 documentary ‘BiggIe: The Life Of Notorious B.I.G.’.

The current owner, Caroline Duncan, who is a fashion designer and purchased the property in 2011 before renovating it, told The New York Post: “When I moved in, the basement was just a raw space with concrete floors. I framed and put up all the walls and created a bathroom with barn wood and modern finishes.

“Upstairs had been carved into a series of puzzling small rooms so I did the opposite, and knocked down all the walls to create a lofted open space,” she continued, adding that she loved “the fact the building is on the Historic Register and had the bones of a true artist’s residence”.

Biggie lived in the apartment in the mid-’90s, with his wife, Faith Evans, and her daughter, Chyna Tahjere Griffin.

A documentary on the life and work of the rapper, ‘Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell’, arrived on Netflix earlier this year.

A film on the murders of Biggie and Tupac was also released over the summer.

September 14, 2021

New Moog Sound Studio Features Mother-32, DFAM, Subharmonicon & Some Cool Surprises

Moog Music today announced Moog Sound Studio: Mother-32 & DFAM & Subharmonicon, an all-in-one Euro system that is designed to make its family of 60HP semi-modular analog synthesizers more accessible and approachable than ever.

Along with the powerful trio of analog synthesizers (Mother-32, DFAM, and Subharmonicon), the Sound Studio comes with a custom dust cover, dedicated audio mixer and power distribution hub, 3-tier rack kit, audio cables, patch cables, cable organizer, a new synth exploration card game, creative learning tools, artwork and more.

It’s priced at $1,999 USD, which is less than the price of these three instruments alone, if purchased separately.

The newest Moog Sound Studio package includes the full lineup of Moog’s Mother ecosystem instruments:

Mother-32 is a versatile performance and production synthesizer with a step sequencer and 64 slots of sequence memory. Its classic Moog voice delivers “raw analog sound, deep Moog bass, and soaring synth leads.”
DFAM is designed to offer an inspiring approach to drum synthesis and rhythmic pattern creation with rich analog rhythms and percussive patterns.
Subharmonicon offers a unique combination of six-tone subharmonic chord shapes and polyrhythmic sequences.

Here’s the official video intro:

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Circuitous Connections Synth Exploration Card Game

**Circuitous Connections** is a unique card game, designed to make learning new ways to patch your synths fun.

With Moog Sound Studio: Mother-32 & DFAM & Subharmonicon, Moog introduces Circuitous Connections, an original sound experimentation card game designed to “encourage and embrace interconnectivity”.

The game enables the discovery of new sounds and creative patching techniques through randomly generated pathways, so that the user can play again and again without ever patching the same thing twice.

New Compilation EP

Moog has also released Explorations in Analog Synthesis, Volume II, a new seven-song EP created to demonstrate the analog sound and sonic possibilities of Moog Sound Studio.

A follow-up to Explorations in Analog Synthesis, released by Moog via SoundCloud in March, the compilation features tracks by a wide range of artists:

A dark, danceable electro-pop track from duo Jae Matthews and Gus Muller, who make music as Boy Harsher
A meditative ambient piece created by award-winning artist, composer, and producer Hannah Peel
Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith’s rhythmic experimental modular composition with rhythmic patterns and melodic pulses
Deep house beats with smooth vocals from Brooklyn-based producer Galcher Lustwerk
Ya Tseen
Tygapaw
A pulsing, up-tempo sonic creation by Paula Temple

Each track was built around the three instruments included in the Moog Sound Studio.

You can stream Explorations in Analog Synthesis, Volume II below:

Audio Demos:

Pricing and Availability

Moog Sound Studio: Mother-32 & DFAM & Subharmonicon will see its official debut at Superbooth 2021, which takes place September 15th through 18th in Berlin, Germany. It’s available now, priced at $1,999 USD.

We asked Moog if they will make the accessories included in this package available such to existing owners. They did not have any plans to share at this time.