Moog’s move will also have them operating above popular café and record press Citizen Vinyl.

Moog also plans expansion of its factory in Weaverville, a short drive north of Asheville. According to a Citizen-Times interview, expanding “will enhance assembly and warehousing capabilities and is more convenient for staff who build the synthesizers.”

Asheville Citizen-Times Building, the new home of Moog Music Inc. Image credit: Warren LeMay

About Moog Music

R. A. Moog Co had its start in 1952 by Robert Moog and his father. It was later rebranded as Moog Music in 1972. Devices like the Moog (the first commercial synthesizer) and the Minimoog are notable as the world’s most influential electronic instruments.

Alongside synthesizers, Moog creates apps for many different computing platforms and devices.

Music enterprise inMusic purchased Moog in June of 2023. The acquisition laid nearly 30 workers (of a team of 90), some who are responsible for building the instruments by hand. 

Find more information on Moog’s website. 

Custom transformer circuitry in the euphonia by Rupert Neve Designs adds what AlphaTheta calls “harmonics to the music.” The four-channel rotary mixer’s circuitry also boasts a high signal output, with 32-bit D/A and A/D converters.

Its output also uses 96khz/64-bit floating point and AlphaTheta’s proprietary DSP mixing operations. A “Boost Level” switch adjusts the volume level of each frequency band by 0dB to +12dB, depending on the users preference.

Unique Faders and Weights

The near black-finish mixer is slightly larger but similar-looking than its E&S and Bozak competitors, coming standard with four large rotary faders. Each copper fader comes with vibration-absorbent elastomer knobs for smooth volume control. The “3Band Master Isolator” knobs atop the mixer control the cutoff and slope of the master frequencies.

Special weights are also built into each fader knob, as the AlphaTheta site explains:

“When you turn [the fader] at different speeds… a smooth [weight] load is applied when you turn a knob slowly for delicate fine-tuning… a limited load level is applied when you turn a knob quickly to instantly reach your intended volume level.”

The euphonia’s “Energy Visualizer” digital display carries a spectral analyzer and “4-needle” VU Meter, showing a meter for each channel.

Send Effects and Boost Send

Send effects on the euphonia include Delay, Tape Echo, Echo Verb, Reverb, Shimmer, and HPF (high-pass filter).

These effects are accessed via a send button for each channel, with send/return inputs for external devices. A mechanism controls the clicking on Delay, Echo and Echo Verb effects, setting to its specific parameters on the display. Alternatively, the knob will stop clicking and turn smoothly when Reverb or Shimmer is selected, based on non-BPM parameters.

The “Boost Send” feature also pairs with the 3Band knobs. Using the Boost Send button adds effects to the low, mid and high bands, allowing for one-handed effect and EQ control.

Pricing, Additional Support and Availability

The euphonia costs $3,799 and is available now.

Serato DJ Pro and rekordbox software support is available for the euphonia mixer.

For Serato DJ Pro, support is available now via a paid upgrade. Find more information and download Serato on their website.

For rekordbox, a Core, Creative or Professional plan ($10-$30/monthly) is available to access the DVS support feature for the euphonia. Find out more information on AlphaTheta’s website.

Four layers — drums, bass, melodies, and vocal elements — can be split via MPC Stems. Akai Pro states each layer processes out with little to no artifacts in the processing. 

The process of extracting stems in MPC Stems is simple: Load or record a sample and then press “Create Stems.” Selected audio from the four separation layers are then ready for use inside MPC software. 

Volume, Pitch and Pan are available, either working individually or linking across each stem layer for simultaneous parameter control.

From there, Akai’s MPC environment with audio editing, automation and more is ready to use. Each stem separated will keep its separated regions on the MPC pads, even after editing. 

Additionally, any stem software separation done on an MPC Desktop is transferrable to a standalone MPC device. 

Pricing and Availability

MPC Stems costs $9.99 from the Akai Pro store.  The app works with MPC 2 Desktop Software version 2.14 and above. MPC Beats is not compatible with the stem separation software. 

MPC Stems is currently not available for Standalone mode. Stem separation capability nonetheless works for the following products in “Controller Mode”: MPC Live Series, MPC One, MPC One +, MPC X, MPC Xse, MPC Key 61, MPC Key 37, and MPC Studio Mk2.

Find more information and purchase MPC Stems on Akai’s website.

Over 700 apps are already optimized for the augmented reality device, yet two at the moment work for music creation and curation: Moog Music‘s Animoog Galaxy and Algoriddim‘s Djay Pro. Both apps carry an array of features that cater to Apple Vision Pro’s “spatial computing” features like hand gestures, eye tracking and more.

Selector takes a further look at the standout features from the newest AR/VR versions of these apps. Read on for more information on each one.

Animoog Galaxy

Animoog Galaxy is an Apple Vision Pro version of Animoog Z, the iPad app released in 2021 that Moog calls a “Multisensory Synthesizer.”

Animoog Galaxy uses Moog’s proprietary “Anisotropic Synth Engine,” allowing the X/Y/Z axis shaping of unique timbres to create many different soundscapes. Graphically, Animoog Galaxy enhances the virtual user experience with “a futuristic user interface that takes cues from popular sci-fi imagery.”

Selecting and dragging the orbit path using Vison Pro’s hand gestures allows the instrument to move through various timbres and sounds. Over 120 presets are ready to use for Animoog Z for easy setup and play.

Like the Animoog Z, Galaxy comes with an expressive keyboard, MIDI Out for external keyboards, and MPE support. Moog’s standard four-pole filter, delay effects, and looper are also included of Animoog Galaxy.

Animoog Galaxy includes backwards compatibility with presets and timbres from Animoog Z.

Algoriddim Djay Pro

Algoriddim Djay Pro adds Apple Vision Pro support to its app, turning its flagship software into an augmented reality DJ booth.

Djay Pro’s notable turntable setup becomes three-dimensional, Technics-like turntables in the Vision Pro app. The virtual setup includes a fully interactive stylus, mixer and pitch fader controls.

A selected song in Djay Pro then renders out as a floating 3D vinyl record with a sleeves. From there, Vison Pro motion commands also open panels in the app to select songs and place the “vinyl” on the platters. 

Audio effects, “Neural Mix” stem separation, and features available across each iOS platform are in the Vision Pro version (but Neural Mix is not available for Apple Music or TIDAL streaming). Djay Pro’s graphics options also include customizable VR/AR visual backgrounds and spatial video effects using hand motions. 

Apple Music

Apple Music integration is also now part of Algoriddim Djay’s already vast streaming service accessibility. Connecting to Apple Music grants access to Apple’s entire library. In the app, a selected Apple Music track also renders the artwork of the release as the “sleeve art” of the 3D vinyl.

Pricing, Compatibility and Availability

The Apple Vision Pro costs $3,499 and is available now to purchase at Apple.com. Find more info on the Apple website.

Animoog Galaxy for Apple Vision Pro costs $29.99 and is available now on the App Store. More information is available on the Moog Music website. 

Algoriddim Djay is free to use and available now on the App Store. A “Pro” subscription to Djay is required to gain access to Apple Vision Pro and its features. A monthly Pro subscription is $6.99; an annual subscription is $49.99. At the moment, Algoriddim is currently offering a free seven-day trial for all users to test out Djay Pro. Existing Apple Music subscribers can get a free two-month trial for subscribing.

Algoriddim Djay and Animoog Galaxy require visionOS1.0 and later versions to work. Find more information about Djay on Algoriddim’s website.

A recent press statement explains the rebrand to its parent company’s name in more detail:

“The name AlphaTheta directly refers to the brain wave frequencies achieved in optimal performance… Our aim is to use our innovative technologies in sound and music creation to enable and enrich these peak moments. With products launching as AlphaTheta, we’ve created a brand that will propel us into the future, while also maintaining the quality and innovation that you’ve come to expect from us.”

Pioneer DJ became AlphaTheta Corporation at the beginning of 2020. The rebrand, as mentioned in their December 2019 press statement, was intended to “better reflect [AlphaTheta’s] values and vision.” In March of 2020, equity firm KKR sold AlphaTheta to Noritsu for $606 million. 

AlphaTheta gained acquisition of all Serato Audio Research Limited shares in August of 2023. Ultimately, the purchase adds Serato to AlphaTheta’s growing group of products including rekordbox, KUVO, and more.

“AlphaTheta embraces diversity and inclusion, and celebrates the playfulness of DJing and producing music,” the company further explains. “We look forward to growing alongside you, the community who are connected by a passion for music and its culture.”

New products under the AlphaTheta name will be launching this week ahead of their appearance at NAMM Show 2024 in Anaheim, California. Current Pioneer DJ releases include the DJM-A9 DJ Mixer and the OPUS-QUAD 4-Deck DJ Controller. 

The music streaming service’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) is around $2.1 million. This gain mirrors their near $32 million negative loss reported in 2022. A recent insight from Music Business Worldwide shows the company’s annual profitability sitting at a $310 million revenue.

In 2017, Raine Group and Tamasek acquired majority stake in Soundcloud for $170 million. At the time, the sale valued the company at around $300 million. In February 2020, it also received $75 million in investment from SiriusXM, making the satellite radio company a minority shareholder.

May of 2023 saw an 8% cut in their global staffing. Current CEO Eliah Seton touted the cuts as a way to “ensure the health of our business and get SoundCloud to profitability this year.”

The general sale of SoundCloud will not begin for “some months,” according to the Sky News report.

About SoundCloud

Since 2007, SoundCloud has provided a platform for users to upload and share music. Their user base consists of over 40 million accounts sharing over 320 million tracks to date.

SoundCloud’s impact on the music industry is strong, with its platform starting new genres and the music careers of modern artists worldwide. The company’s business mainly centers around subscription payments from listeners and ads, and creator-oriented platforms like their SoundCloud for Artists service.

Find more information on SoundCloud’s website.

These new additions add hundreds of new presets, covering many popular styles and genres of modern music. The new update comes after Arturia recently gave significant discounts on their previous version (V Collection 9) during the Cyber Holiday sales events.

Read on for Selector‘s breakdown of the new instruments and updates in V Collection X.

MiniFreak V

Arturia’s 37-key polyphonic, six-voice multi-oscillator synthesizer is now available in V Collection X. Originally released as a standalone plugin in early 2023, the MiniFreak V comes with 300 unique presets for easy use upon startup.

Added enhancements include an “advanced” panel for fine-tune modulations and routing, and mirroring is available for owners of the physical MiniFreak, allowing full parameter control of the Minifreak V. The new “sequencer view” adds access to create complex arpeggios and automation for intricate and unique arrangements.

Connecting any Arturia Lab-branded controller gives full mapping, along with easy-to-use setup to map to other controllers.

Acid V

The Acid V is Arturia’s Roland TB-303 Bassline clone, with many more modern features included in the software than in its physical version.

Arturia enhances the iconic acid house synth with two-octave range sub oscillators, 14-algorithm distortion, a dedicated sequencer, modulation control, and more. An effects panel is also on the Acid V, with 4 FX slots and 17 total FX settings.

Over 150 factory presets and 350 sequence presets are also added on the Acid V, along with MTS-ESP (Microtuning) compatibility. Drag-and Drop MIDI is part of the Acid V; users can arrange sequences and use the MIDI data with other instruments.

CP-70 V

The CP-70 V is a faithful emulation of the Yamaha CP-70, the go-to electroacoustic keyboard of many artists from the ’70s through today.

Arturia’s modern features on the CP-70 V start with a full, three-band equalizer and a chainable effects array with 16 assignable settings. The “Twin AMP FX” setting changes the sound of the CP-70 V, giving it a more Fender Twin or Leslie-like keyboard sound.

An “age option” allows the detuning of the plugin to sound like an older, untuned Yamaha CP-70. There are over 50 factory presets moving between classic grand piano, electric keyboard and other styles of keyboards.

The CP-70V’s “Advanced ” screen allows for more intricate control over velocity response, tuning, timbre shift and other parameters. Arturia V Collection X also includes pedal and key noises for the CP-70 V that replicate the sound of playing a physical CP-70.

Augmented BRASS, GRAND PIANO and WOODWINDS

The Augmented series of instruments come with “production-ready” pianos, brass and woodwind instruments, making it suitable for users writing game scores and movie soundtracks.

Each Augmented plugin is a mix of high-quality recorded and processed samples, along with other abstract plugins. A “flexible” synth engine is present in each device, allowing the user to add more details in their sound design. This engine carries ranges of synthesizers, including granular, virtual analogue, and more.

As a whole, seven additional macros outfit the Augmented plugins: Time, FX A/B, Motion, Delay, Color and Reverb. Each also comes with two LFOs, two Random Generators, two Function Generators, and four Keyboard modulation sources. A 16-step arpeggiator and over 300 presets comes standard for each plugin.

Rounding out these powerful plugins is a standout feature found in the Augmented WOODWIND plugin. It is the only plugin in the series that works alongside MIDI Polyphonic Expression, or MPE-compatible controllers and DAWs.

Synth Rebuilds: Mini V and Wurli V (V3)

The Mini V is Arturia’s triple-oscillator, six-voice synthesizer emulation of the Moog Music Minimoog keyboard from the ’70s and ’80s.

The Mini V’s rebuild adds a stronger sound engine, more modulation, a polymetric arpeggiator, and four “keyboard expressivity” (MPE) modes. “Filter Bass Compensation” raises or lowers resonance or cutoff on Mini V’s filters without losing is lower-end frequencies. 150 factory-ready presets are available for quick use in the Mini V, covering basses, leads, pads and more.

Wurli V‘s Wurlitzer rebuild adds new preset palettes and a pedal rig with four FX slots and 16 FX types. 64 Different presets cover many different styles of keyboards and tonal qualities of the Wurli V.

The Mini V and Wurli V instruments also come with an “Advanced” panel, giving users ability to control and connect many parameters across each device.

Pricing and Compatibility

The Arturia V Collecton X costs $599. The entire collection is available for both Mac and Windows computers and is installed using the Arturia Software Center (ASC).

The MiniFreak V, Acid V, CP-70 V, Mini V 4 and Wurli V 3 cost $199 separately. The Augmented BRASS, Augmented GRAND PIANO and Augmented WOODWIND series cost $99 separately.

For current owners of the V Collection 9, upgrading to V Collection X costs $199. Additionally, A $99 upgrade to V collection X is for current owners holding a license of V collection 9 and at least three V Collection X instruments.

Find more information on Arturia’s website.

Moog Music‘s Mariana Bass Synthesizer is a new software the company calls its “next evolution of Bass.”

The company explains in detail the features of Mariana on their website:

“Mariana is a dual-layer synthesizer, allowing you to mix together two completely different synthesizer sounds that can dynamically complement each other or be played duophonically. Each layer is built around two oscillators … with a sub-oscillator adding even more low end weight.

Two resonant Moog filters and a third filter specifically for the sub-oscillator let you shape your sound… Mariana is optimized for quickly fine-tuning stereo content while simultaneously preserving a powerful mono bass foundation.

Warm tube, tape, and overdrive saturation and a tight compressor add heaviness and glue to your bass lines while an illuminating real-time metering section lets you monitor your sounds and dial them in to a professional standard… Whether designing your own bass tones from scratch or using one of the 200 included presets as a starting point, Mariana is an accessible and versatile tool for any modern production environment. [Although] Mariana is optimized for bass, it is fully capable of producing strong leads, punchy percussion, and multidimensional effects…

Nearly every parameter of Mariana can be modulated internally via MIDI, MPE, and virtual CV to build an interconnected ecosystem right in your DAW.”

The Mariana Bass Synthesizer starts at an introductory price of $49 (Originally $99) for Mac 11.7 Intel and Apple Silicon and Windows 10 64-bit versions. The iOS version is $19 (Originally $29.99) for iOS versions. Mariana comes in VST3, AudioUnit, and Pro Tools AAX formats and standalone AUv3 for Mac.

Find more information and buy Mariana on the Moog Music website.

This year’s offerings are a little different, however. Some discounts start on Black Friday, Cyber Monday and continue until the end of the year and beyond.

Read on for a few of the best deals Selector found online from across the internet.

iZotope Creative Mix Bundle

Apple/PC, AU/VST2,VST3, 64-bit 

$49 (originally $545), Plugin Boutique until December 3rd

iZotope‘s Creative Mix Bundle works best for those looking to add more dynamic elements  while making or mixing tracks.

The bundle comes with the VocalSynth 2 vocal production synthesizer plugin, the Neoverb reverb plugin with real-time setting assistance, music producer BT‘s award-winning Stutter Edit 2, and iZotope’s latest mixing plugin (also with real-time assistance) Neutron 4 Elements.

The Creative Mix Bundle comes at a 91% discount, one of the largest out there for modern mixing solutions.

Additionally, Plugin Boutique has three of the four plugins available at a discount until January 15th, 2024. VocalSynth and Stutter Edit 2 cost $31 each, while Neoverb is on sale for $25.

Universal Audio UAD Essentials Edition

Apple/PC, VST3, AAU, AAX

$49 (originally $299) until December 1st

The UAD Essentials Edition boasts 11 plugins, mostly faithful recreations of Universal Audio‘s flagship analogue hardware into plugins.

Teletronix & Pultec

The Teletronix LA-2A offers three different versions based on various histories of the compressor – LA-2A Silver, Gray, and the LA-2. The three models offer distinct variations in time constants, compression knee, headroom, distortion and more.

The Pultec Passive EQ Collection are a collection of three Universal Audio vintage tube equalizers. The EQP-1A crafts bass and low end, the midrange MEQ-5 work best with vocals, and the HLF-3C adds effects to audio as well as correcting issues in higher audio frequencies.

POLYmax

UA’s POLYmax synth plugin is also part of the package, a plugin emulating two analogue circuit systems found in many iconic synthesizers: the Solid State Music (SSM) and Curtis Electronic Music (CEM) chips. Along with this emulation, the POLYmax also features Universal Audio’s classic effects, like the “Hall B” reverb, flangers, tape delay, and more.

Other plugins in the package include the Oxide Tape Recorder, Roland RE-201 delay emulator Galaxy Tape Echo, and the Pure Plate Reverb.

UAD Native, UAD and UADx Plugins

Universal Audio’s UAD Essentials Edition runs on Mac and PC, with plugins listing in DAWs as “Native UAD” (UADx), meaning no additional hardware such as the Apollo/UAD-2 is needed for the software to work.

In turn, a faster, accelerated version of the plugin package is available for hardware owners of the Apollo and UAD-2 series audio interfaces. These plugins are offered in VST2, AU, and AAX formats and are listed in DAW as “UAD” plugins. As of recently, UAD v11 plugins now carry support for VST3.

Purchasing the bundle gains access keys to both standalone and accelerated hardware versions.

Arturia V Collection 9

Apple/PC, Standalone / VST / Aax / AAU

$299 (originially $599), until December 5th

Arturia‘s V collection 9 is down to its previous introductory discount rate of $299.

The V collection’s massive, 33-instrument plugin suite emulates classic synthesizers from brands like Korg, Yamaha and VOX Continental. In total, 14 sound banks and over 9,000 presets are ready to use in the collection.

V Collection 9’s recent Discovery Update 9.1 comes with customizable MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) support and additional workflow commands for the MiniLAb 3 controller. Faster MIDI mapping across many controllers is also a part of the pack. The 9.1 update is free to current owners of the full plugin suite.

V Collection 9 is compatible with Windows 10 and Apple computers; installation is available via the Arturia Service Center (ASC).

All The Samples From Mars – Full Pack

$49 (originally $2,067)

62GB of 75 sample packs make up the All The Samples From Mars pack, sitting at a staggering $2,018 discount.

Samples From Mars is a popular destination for producers, gathering content from “extensively sampling” rare and vintage drum machines, synthesizers, samplers and more. The group also meticulously pitches each sample to the correct settings as they sound on the authentic devices from which they’re recorded.

Aside from providing high-quality 24-bit WAV samples, each pack is mapped and playable for various DAWs and controllers like Ableton, Logic, Akai‘s MPC, Native Instruments‘ Maschine and more.

At the time of writing, there does not seem to be an expiration on the deal, which means it may remain a deal from not through 2024 or later.

Native Instruments Komplete 14

Apple/PC, 64-Bit AU/AAX/VST

50% off Komplete Select, Standard, Ultimate and Collector’s Edition ($99.50 – 899.50)

Native Instruments‘ recent release of their expansive sound library Komplete 14 is marked down as part of their site-wide Cyber Season sale.

Starting at the Select edition at $99.50, purchasers get 18 instruments and effects, 8 Expansions, and 15,000 sounds.

The Standard edition ($299.50) comes with additions from iZotope, Brainworx and Plugin Alliance, plugin developers now part of Native Instruments. These editions are ideal for the starting producer or sound designer.

Ultimate’s package ($599.50) carries over 80,000 sounds and 62 Expansions, and the Komplete Collector’s edition ($899.50) carries over 103 Expansions and 148 instruments. Both collections are software offerings. According to Native Instruments, they’re more fit for television, film and game composers’ needs.

Additionally, upgrades for each version start at $49.50 for Select, $99.50 for Standard, $199.50, and $249.50 for the Collector’s Edition.

It is also one of the longest-lasting sales on this roundup, continuing until January 15th, 2024.

The acquisition between STG and AVID is an all-cash transaction valuing Avid at approximately $1.4 billion, inclusive of Avid’s net debt.

“We are pleased to announce this transaction with STG, who share our conviction and excitement in delivering innovative technology solutions to address our customers’ creative and business needs,” said Jeff Rosica, AVID’s CEO and president.

The company will run privately, meaning their shares will not trade publicly on the public stock markets.

The Agreement

As the agreement stands, AVID stockholders will receive $27.05 in cash for each share of AVID common stock. The cash purchase price is 32.1% higher than AVID’s unaffected closing share price on May 23rd, 2023. This transaction is to close by the fourth quarter of 2023, subject to AVID stockholder and regulatory approval, amongst other closing conditions.

AVID announced their earnings for Q2 on June 30, 2023. The Press Release is available on their website under “Investor Relations” and via their X (formerly Twitter) page.

$AVID: @Avid Technology Announces Q2 2023 Results

https://t.co/1zVBp3nlno#avid #media #technology #innovation pic.twitter.com/AL8n6B3Fk0

— Avid IR (@AvidIR) August 9, 2023

Trending Mergers And Acquisitions

This major acquisition by STG is a part of a trend of equity firms buying music companies. Recently, InMusic acquired Moog Music Inc., making Moog no longer an independent company. Global supply chain issues were among the main reasons for the buyout.

Pioneer DJ parent company AlphaTheta Corporation acquired Serato Audio Research Limited earlier this year. Both companies will still continue as standalone brands.

About Avid

Massachusetts-based AVID Technology, Inc. is a technology and multimedia company founded in 1987 by Bill Warner.  AVID develops digital editing systems, video and audio editing software, and management and distribution services.

About STG

California-based STG is a mid-market private equity firm focusing on technology investments.

STG began in 2002 as Symphony Technology Group, LLC, with the leadership rebranding the firm as STG in 2017. STG’s portfolio has consisted of more than 50 global companies with $10 billion in assets under management as of March 2023.

Earlier this year, STG took Momentive Global Inc, the parent company of SurveyMonkey, private for $1.5 billion.

Find more information on AVID’s acquisition by visiting AVID’s website.