GEAR + TECH
Watch How to Make a Song Fit for Cyberpunk 2077
Chances are if you’ve been on the internet in the past week, you’ve been bombarded with talk about Cyberpunk 2077. Not only was it one of the most anticipated video game releases of all-time, but to the delight of EDM.com readers, it also leans heavily on electronic music culture. Considering the game’s futuristic setting, it just makes sense to include the sounds of Grimes, Nina Kraviz, Boys Noize, and more. For the music producers out there, the popular sample marketplace Splice has released a cheeky how-to video inspired by the game. The tutorial is styled like the setting of the action RPG and was developed so the viewer feels as if they are being taught by one of its characters. Using the samples provided in the description of the video by Splice, those wit...
Proposed Law Could Make Streaming Copyrighted Material on Twitch Without Permission a Felony
In the latest omnibus spending bill making its way through Congress, a provision has been added that would effectively render the streaming of copyrighted music without permission a felony offense. The provision has been added to the bill by Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina. If passed, the provision would likely land streaming platforms—including Twitch—in more hot water, as the video giant has continued to butt heads with major labels and copyright representatives for much of 2020. This fall, Twitch introduced what they claimed was a fully licensed product called “Soundtrack by Twitch,” which purportedly allowed streamers to play music without fear of being issued a DMCA takedown. However, the Recording Academy and the RIAA, among other organizations, rebut...
Sensorium Galaxy and Mubert Team Up to Launch First Performing AI DJ
Sensorium Galaxy, a virtual platform built for concert experiences, has teamed up with tech company Mubert in order to manufacture an algorithmically-driven AI performing DJ named JAI:N. If it sounds far-fetched, make no mistake—we’re likely to see just what JAI:N can do in the coming months, and she is likely the first in a new line of virtual artists. As a company, Mubert’s focus is on the real-time generation of music. Their technology will allow the virtual artist to craft a well-diversified set of music that has the ability to span over 100 unique genres. The artist will even be able to tailor the music on the fly to the appropriate tone and mood based on the reaction from the crowd. JAI:N was created alongside Sensorium Galaxy, a pioneering organization i...
Algoriddim Has Updated djay Pro AI With a New Hands-Free Mixing Feature
Renowned software company Algoriddim has been making some major waves in the world of DJing. Earlier this year, the company released its djay Pro AI software, which can isolate elements of tracks in real time for potentially limitless mixing capability. Now, Algoriddim has set its sights even higher with a new update to the djay Pro AI software, introducing a hands-free DJing element that’s straight out of a sci-fi film. Utilizing the iOS 14 Vision Framework and extensive power of Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, djay Pro AI will now allow for mixing, scratching, and adding effects to a DJ set completely hands-free. Simple hand gestures can be used to move faders, twist knobs, and cue up tracks—all without touching the iPad or iPhone. “The ability to mix mus...
These Fully Functional, Environmentally Friendly MIDI Pedals are Made from Cardboard
NILSON brand beat bars has been manufacturing some truly impressive MIDI software and hardware since 2015. Experts in 3D modeling, electronics, and computer engineering are the minds behind some of the brand’s work, including MIDI pedals and footswitches that are perfect for musicians who wish they had four hands instead of two. Pedals and footswitches are nothing new, but beat bars’ quality products have consistently garnered positive reviews and have been an effective tool for music makers across the globe for years now. beat bars recently took things a step further, crafting something that is new. The Cardboard Expression Pedal and Cardboard Footswitch are 100% environmentally friendly, using only cardboard and other biodegradable material. That̵...
deadmau5 Partners With Emanate to Launch New Digital Collectibles for WAX Blockchain
deadmau5 is well-known for being a pioneer when it comes to the intersection of music and technology. His latest venture sees him partner with Emanate, who are utilizing the WAX Blockchain for the release of deadmau5-branded Series 1 digital collectibles, also known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). According to the microsite, these items will be “exclusive, verified collectible digital merch,” each of which are “certified, authentic, unique, and can never be altered.” WAX, which stands for “Worldwide Asset eXchange,” is a blockchain created specifically for trading virtual items—such as rare collectibles—in video games and virtual worlds. NFTs are a special type of cryptographic token that represents something unique, and they are ther...
These Morphing LED Tattoos are Like a Flow Toy On Your Body
While you might have heard of glow-in-the-dark tattoos, which use UV-light activated ink for their effect, this style has been relegated to old school status with the invention of new LED tattoos. These tattoos pop all on their own, using neon colors and moving artwork to broadcast psychedelic rave visuals right on your body. With tattoos already popularized as a go-to way for EDM fans to express their love of music, adding an LED element could be a fun new option to bring these pieces of art to life. Artwork by Keegan Sweeney. The technology used for these tattoos was pioneered in 2009 by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, who developed light emitting diode (LED) devices that could be implanted under the skin and show through to the surface. Made of a thin silicone...
This New App Could Prove to be a Global Solution for Clubbing Safely in 2021
There’s a new app that could potentially pave the way to partying safely in the pandemic era. Announced at the annual International Nightlife Congress meeting in Valencia, Spain, Liberty Pass validates whether a user has produced a negative COVID-19 test within a 72-hour period, allowing the user to access bars and clubs accordingly. The app aggregates official medical information and produces a QR code with a green check mark if the individual has successfully tested negative. When a vaccine becomes available, those who receive it will also be permitted to attend events for the entire period of time the vaccine is considered valid. Liberty Pass (via DJ Mag) It’s important to acknowledge that, in theory, an attendee could become infected with COVID-19 during the 72-hour p...
Native Instruments Warns of Irreparable Damage to DJ Controllers With Apple’s Big Sur Update
A new macOS Big Sur update is usually great news for Apple users, but those who also use Native Instruments‘ Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3 DJ controller might want to take caution before nabbing the latest update. Native Instruments has warned of the potentially harmful effects of the update in regards to the company’s S4 Mk3 controller, which could be subjected to irreversible damage. The S4—and other devices built for Intel processing structures—don’t exactly mesh with Apple’s shift to their own in-house Silicon-based processing. “Using a Traktor Kontrol S4 Mk3 on macOS 11 (Big Sur) can cause malfunction and potentially damage your controller,” the company warned in a statement on its support pages. “We are working together with Apple...
Spotify Has Invented AI Technology for Songwriters to Detect Plagiarism
Spotify has filed a new European patent after inventing technology for songwriters to detect and combat plagiarism. According to a report published by Music Business Worldwide, the streaming giant recently filed a patent for a “Plagiarism Risk Detector And Interface” that is able to detect plagiarism in a musician’s lead sheets. For our non-musician readers, a lead sheet is a form of musical score that notates a song’s core elements, including its melody, lyrics, and harmony. With Spotify’s new tech, musicians are able to feed their lead sheets through a “plagiarism detector,” which would then cross-reference its components with the encoded lead sheets of Spotify’s vast library of songs. The platform will then spit out a s...
Spotify is Testing an Instagram Stories-Like Feature In Editorial Playlists
There’s a running joke that soon every digital interface—from Instagram to Microsoft Excel—will offer some kind of stories-related social feature. However, it’s becoming less of an exaggeration by the day, as Spotify has drawn attention for its latest stories feature test. If you take a look at Spotify’s “Christmas Hits” playlist on a mobile device, you may be lucky enough to see the latest test of Spotify stories. The playlist, which currently boasts music from Jennifer Lopez, Meghan Trainor, and Kelly Clarkson, includes a reel of short clips from the artists akin to Snap and Instagram’s stories features. Spotify (via The Verge) In a statement to Engadget, the company confirmed that the availability of this feature is still limited in scope. &...
You Can Win The Chemical Brothers’ Roland TB-03 Synthesizer
Want to own a piece of EDM history? You can now get your hands on a Roland TB-03 synthesizer owned by The Chemical Brothers. The legendary electronic music duo is giving away the synth to raise funds for #ILoveLive, a campaign developed to offer help to live music stage crew workers in the UK who are experiencing the financial pitfalls of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new campaign published on Crowdfunder, The Chemical Brothers called those workers the “unsung heroes of the live entertainment world” and asserted that the funds raised from the initiative could literally save their lives. “The impact of Covid-19 has been devastating for the whole music industry but particularly for the stage techs, sound engineers, guitar techs, keyboard techs, drum techs,...
