L-Acoustics DJ is a brand new providing meant to show conventional stereo DJ setups into immersive spatial audio experiences.
Max Cooper carried out on the L-Acoustics Keynote 2025 utilizing L-Acoustics DJ, an answer meant to rework stereo into a real spatial audio expertise. Photograph: Maria Zhytnikova.
London, U.Okay. (Might 8, 2025)—At its London keynote yesterday, L-Acoustics launched plenty of options, launching the LA1.16i set up amplifier and Soundvision Join cloud-based 3D sound modeling software program, however the spotlight for a lot of attendees was the debut of L-Acoustics DJ, a brand new providing meant to show conventional stereo DJ setups into immersive spatial audio experiences.
Key to the answer is the corporate’s proprietary Supply Separate know-how, a low-latency, machine learning-powered know-how for separating stereo music into a number of discrete stems, reside. The ensuing multi-channel stems are routed straight right into a spatial combine engine, enabling rapid positioning and motion all through the venue. The know-how works with each digital and analog DJ methods, so DJs can use their present gear and would not have to vary their workflows or mixing strategies. As a substitute, DJs can management the immersive expertise themselves or work with a devoted spatial audio engineer.
L-Acoustics, d&b Launch Milan Supervisor V2, Web site
As could be anticipated, L-Acoustics DJ ties into different choices from the corporate, together with L-Acoustics loudspeakers, amplified controllers, L-ISA Processor II and the P1 networked audio processor. L-Acoustics DJ, nevertheless, makes use of purpose-built software program that includes an up to date L-ISA Controller with the L-Acoustics DJ App, LA Community Supervisor and Soundvision.
The DJ App was reportedly designed to be intuitive for novice customers who could not have in depth technical backgrounds, permitting them to place parts and stems inside and round a bodily house to construct sonic landscapes of beats, devices, vocals and extra. However whereas the system could attraction to a DJ’s inventive sensibilities, additionally it is meant to assist venues differentiate themselves within the ever-crowded nightlife milieu.
Underlining the know-how’s prospects, DJ Max Cooper carried out utilizing the answer on the Keynote. No pricing was introduced, however L-Acoustics DJ is predicted to ship in Fall, 2025.
The important thing to understanding the music streaming economic system is the enterprise mannequin of the music streaming companies, which has emerged within the negotiations between the foremost music rights holders and Spotify. It’s based mostly on advance funds {that a} music streaming service has to pay to the rights holders, that are offset towards the revenues from streaming. This leads to a price construction for the streaming companies that makes it troublesome to generate earnings in any respect. This episode of the weblog sequence on the music streaming economic system explains why that is the case and the way the enterprise mannequin of the streaming companies works, utilizing Spotify for instance.
The Music Streaming Financial system – Half 10: Spotify’s Enterprise Mannequin
From the outset, Spotify needed to develop to outlive economically. Nonetheless, it was not solely the variety of registered customers that mattered, as lots of them had merely signed up as soon as after which remained inactive, but additionally these customers who streamed music repeatedly and have been thought of energetic customers for a sure interval, for instance monthly. These are known as Month-to-month Energetic Customers (MAUs).[1]
Determine 1: Variety of Spotify customers, 2012-2023
Supply: Music Enterprise Worldwide, “How Spotify can develop into worthwhile”, Could 11, 2015, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify revenues topped $2bn final yr as losses hit $194m”, Could 16, 2016 and annual stories by Spotify Expertise S.A. 2018-2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
Spotify’s person development is spectacular. In eleven years, the variety of energetic month-to-month customers has grown by virtually 3,000 per cent and the variety of paying subscribers by as a lot as 4,600 per cent. This represents a mean annual development price of 272 per cent and 418 per cent respectively. Nonetheless, a more in-depth look reveals that development has slowed lately. Between 2017 and 2020, the expansion price for energetic customers monthly was round 30 per cent, falling to a stage of 23 per cent in 2023. The decline in development charges for Spotify’s paid subscribers is much more vital. Whereas development was nonetheless at 40 per cent in 2017 and 35 per cent in 2018, it fell to round 15 per cent between 2021 and 2023. Because of this Spotify’s growth into new markets, equivalent to Asia and Africa, has enabled it to proceed to see vital person development, however fewer of the newly acquired prospects are keen to pay for the streaming service, preferring as an alternative to make use of the ad-supported free mannequin.
Why is that this distinction between paying and non-paying Spotify customers so essential? Spotify’s financial success relies upon not solely on the variety of customers, but additionally on the conversion price from non-paying to paying premium customers. The significance of this conversion will be measured by the metric of common income per person (ARPU).
Determine 2: Spotify’s ARPU, 2012-2023
Supply: Music Enterprise Worldwide, “How Spotify can develop into worthwhile”, Could 11, 2015, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify revenues topped $2bn final yr as losses hit $194m”, Could 16, 2016 and annual stories by Spotify Expertise S.A. 2018-2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
In 2012, Spotify earned yearly EUR 75 per person of one in all its subscription fashions, however solely EUR 3.70 per person of its ad-supported freemium providing. Though the income per free person may improve to over EUR 4.60 by 2023, that is nonetheless a tenth of the income per subscriber. As well as, the ARPU per paying person has been declining through the years and stood at EUR 49 in 2023. This is because of discounted subscription fashions equivalent to household plans and the like. Subsequently, it isn’t shocking that Spotify raised the costs of its subscription fashions in 53 nations by 10 % in July 2023 for the primary time in its historical past.[2] Spotify’s enterprise mannequin is due to this fact based totally on promoting subscription streaming fashions, which generate most of its income, as proven in fig. 3.
Determine 3: Spotify’s income, 2012-2023
Supply: Music Enterprise Worldwide, “How Spotify can develop into worthwhile”, Could 11, 2015, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify revenues topped $2bn final yr as losses hit $194m”, Could 16, 2016 and annual stories by Spotify Expertise S.A. 2018-2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
Though income from the ad-supported freemium mannequin has elevated through the years, it accounted just for 13 per cent of complete income in 2023. Spotify’s financial survival, due to this fact, is determined by income from premium subscription and changing non-paying prospects into paying prospects. This has all the time been the core of Spotify’s freemium enterprise mannequin, which has enabled its financial rise, and mirrored in its quickly rising revenues.
Complete income grew from round EUR 10 million to EUR 97.5 million from 2009 to 2010, and in 2011 it already reached EUR 244.5 million.[3] Till Spotify’s IPO in 2018, the common annual income development was 56 per cent. In 2014, annual income exceeded EUR 1 billion for the primary time, in 2018 it was already greater than EUR 5 billion, and in 2022 income exceeded EUR 10 billion for the primary time. Nonetheless, this exponential development in income was additionally accompanied by an exponential development in expenditure. As will be seen in fig. 4, with one exception in 2021, expenditure has all the time been greater than income, that means that Spotify has solely damaged even as soon as since its basis.
Determine 4: Spotify’s revenues and expenditures, 2012-2023
Supply: PrivCo, “SPOTIFY’s Simply –Closed-12 months Financials Obtained”, October 5, 2012, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “How Spotify can develop into worthwhile”, 11. Mai 2015, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify revenues topped $2bn final yr as losses hit $194m”, Could 23, 2016 and annual stories by Spotify Expertise S.A. 2018-2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
Determine 5: Spotify’s working revenue, 2012-2023
Supply: PrivCo, “SPOTIFY’s Simply –Closed-12 months Financials Obtained”, October 5, 2012, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “How Spotify can develop into worthwhile”, 11. Mai 2015, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify revenues topped $2bn final yr as losses hit $194m”, Could 23, 2016 and annual stories by Spotify Expertise S.A. 2018-2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
The losses are primarily attributable to value of gross sales, i.e. the bills immediately associated to income technology. Though Spotify doesn’t disclose the composition of its value of gross sales in its annual stories, it may be assumed that these are primarily royalty funds to rights holders, particularly the music majors. Though value of gross sales as a share of complete revenues has been lowered from 104 % (!) in 2010 to lower than 80 %, it was nonetheless a considerable 75 per cent in 2023. Because of this the scope for spending on advertising and marketing, R&D and overheads is proscribed, as will be seen in fig. 6.
Supply: PrivCo, “SPOTIFY’s Simply –Closed-12 months Financials Obtained”, October 5, 2012, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “How Spotify can develop into worthwhile”, 11. Mai 2015, Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify revenues topped $2bn final yr as losses hit $194m”, Could 23, 2016 and annual stories by Spotify Expertise S.A. 2018-2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
In consequence, Spotify wanted to chop prices to liberate spending to put money into R&D and advertising and marketing and gross sales. As such, the announcement in early 2023 that it supposed to chop greater than 500 jobs globally got here as much less of a shock.[4] In June 2023, it was then introduced that Spotify can be shedding an additional 200 individuals to restructure its struggling podcast enterprise.[5] The massive bang got here in December 2023 yr when Daniel Ek himself needed to announce {that a} additional 1,500 workers can be launched within the coming weeks. In complete, Spotify had lower round 2,300 jobs by 2023, representing a discount in its world workforce of round 23 per cent.[6]
Nonetheless, the job cuts have been only one measure to cut back prices. Spotify introduced in October that from 2024 it could solely distribute cash to these rights holders who have been capable of generate greater than 1,000 streams previously yr to cut back the executive effort concerned in distributing income shares to rights holders.[7] In a weblog submit, this measure is justified with the combat towards streaming fraud and so-called white noise (i.e. non-music equivalent to recordings of rain, thunderstorms and different pure sounds), however Spotify additionally calculates how a lot cash will be saved with this measure: “Right now, Spotify hosts effectively over 100 million tracks. Tens of hundreds of thousands of them have been streamed between 1 and 1,000 occasions over the previous yr and, on common, these tracks generated $0.03 monthly. As a result of labels and distributors require a minimal quantity to withdraw (often $2-$50 per withdrawal), and banks cost a price for the transaction (often $1-$20 per withdrawal), this cash usually doesn’t attain the uploaders. And these small funds are sometimes forgotten about. However in combination, these small disregarded funds have added as much as $40 million per yr, which may as an alternative improve the funds to artists who’re most depending on streaming income.”[8] Studying between the strains, it’s clear that Spotify is just not solely seeking to save on financial institution transaction prices, however that the payouts for a lot of rights holders are so microscopic that they don’t even attain them. In doing so, Spotify can be not directly responding to the recurring criticism that artists see little monetary profit from Spotify, a criticism voiced by some well-known stars within the media shortly after the Swedish streaming service’s launch.
Endnotes
[1] As well as additionally DAUs (Each day Energetic Customers) and WAUs (Weekly Energetic Customers) are in use as metrics.
[2] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify is elevating its value within the US and 52 different markets. How a lot cash will that make the music trade?”, July 24, 2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
[4] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify to slash over 500 jobs worldwide, as Daybreak Ostroff exits streaming platform”, January 23, 2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
[5] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify cuts 200 jobs because it restructures its podcast division”, June 5, 2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
[6] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify has laid off 2,300 workers this yr. That’s a shock – but additionally sort of inevitable”, December 4, 2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
[7] Music Enterprise Worldwide, “Spotify is altering its royalty mannequin to crush streaming fraud and introduce a minimal cost threshold. Its plan? To shift $1 billion in payouts in direction of ‘working artists’ over the subsequent 5 years”, October 24, 2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
[8] Spotify blogpost, “Modernizing Our Royalty System to Drive an Further $1 Billion towards Rising and Skilled Artists”, November 21, 2023, accessed: 2024-08-18.
Music rights are the principle gasoline of the music streaming economic system. Music streaming providers want licences to make use of the rights with a view to launch and maintain their operations. As we’ve already seen within the case of Spotify, the most important rights holders – labels and music publishers – demand princely sums for licensing their music catalogues. This a part of the collection will study how the system of licensing music rights works.
The Music Streaming Economic system – Half 12: Grasp- and Publishing Rights in Music Streaming
Mainly, there are two sorts of rights that an on-demand music streaming service like Spotify has to license: (1) the rights to the music recording, also referred to as the grasp rights, that are held by the document corporations and (2) the copyrights to the musical work, that are both managed by the authors themselves or, as is often the case, are commercially exploited by the music publishers, also referred to as the publishing rights. Allow us to first have a look at the licensing of the grasp rights to the sound recordings. Because the streaming providers provide both a freemium mannequin with a paid and a free element, as within the case of Spotify, or as a pure subscription service with a month-to-month flat price, as within the case of Apple Music or Amazon Music, the licences can’t be calculated on the premise of a wholesale or retail worth, as is the case with sound recordings and music downloads, however moderately on the premise of income shares. As many streaming start-ups weren’t initially in a monetary place to satisfy the licensing calls for of the labels, a licensing deal consisted and nonetheless consists of no less than 5 parts:[1]
Income share: The labels obtain 55-60 % of all revenues of a streaming service which can be attributable to their grasp catalogue.
Minima ensures: A music streaming service should pay a contractually agreed mounted quantity to the label, no matter how a lot income a music streaming service generates.
Upfront money advance: To be licensed by the labels, a streaming service should pay an advance, often within the thousands and thousands of US {dollars}, which is later recouped by future royalty funds.
Fairness within the firm: So long as the music streaming providers had been within the start-up part, they had been typically unable to afford the advance funds. In return, the labels acquired shares within the firm, which could possibly be monetised by the labels within the occasion of a sale or IPO of the streaming service, as we’ve proven within the case of Spotify.
Administration or know-how charges: These are funds to the labels to cowl the executive/technical prices of offering the music content material to the streaming providers.
Within the case of freemium fashions, the licence offers distinguish between the paid and the ad-supported free fashions. The royalties for the paid model are increased than for the ad-supported ones. In each circumstances, nevertheless, it’s mandatory for the streaming providers to report commonly (often on a month-to-month foundation) the utilization figures of the labels’ music catalogues. The next data have to be offered to the document corporations on a contractual foundation:[2]
Whole variety of subscribers.
Whole revenues after gross sales tax has been deducted.
Whole variety of streams.
Whole variety of streams from the label’s catalogue.
Proportion of whole streams that got here from the label’s catalogue
The streaming providers use this data to calculate how the full income is distributed to every document firm in line with their repertoire share, also referred to as the professional rata mannequin. For instance, if streams from Common Music Group’s grasp catalogue account for 40 per cent of the full variety of streams, the most important will obtain the contractually agreed 55-60 per cent of 40 per cent of the streaming service’s whole income after VAT. If this quantity is lower than the minimal assure, the label will obtain the latter mounted quantity.
Missing the market energy of the majors, unbiased labels (indies) are unable to implement the majors’ beneficial offers or demand complete reporting from streaming providers. To offer the indies a stronger negotiating place vis-à-vis the digital music service suppliers (DSPs), influential indie labels based the digital rights administration company MERLIN in 2007,[3] which now represents tens of 1000’s of music labels in 70 international locations, overlaying round 15 per cent of the world’s recorded music repertoire,[4] and is subsequently in a position to negotiate equally advantageous offers with the streaming providers because the majors.
The licensing of publishing rights is way more difficult than that of grasp rights, as a result of licensing practices differ from nation to nation. Whereas within the US, collective and obligatory licensing of publishing rights to streaming providers is widespread observe, numerous types of licensing coexist in Europe. Specifically, the business publishers of the music majors have based joint ventures with giant accumulating societies that licence the Anglo-American repertoire on to the music streaming providers in Europe. There’s a three way partnership known as SOLAR Music Rights Administration between Sony Music Publishing the British PRS and the German GEMA, which represents Sony’s Anglo-American publishing catalogue throughout the EU.[5] There are related joint ventures between Common Publishing and the French SACEM (DEAL) and between Warner/Chappell and the British PRS (Pan European Digital Licensing – P.E.D.L.).[6] BMG Rights Administration additionally based a three way partnership with GEMA in 2012 – Anglo-American Rights European Service Company (ARESA)[7] – to licence Anglo-American publishing rights within the European Financial Space (EEA) in a one-stop store. The music writer Kobalt is now working its personal “accumulating society” following the termination of its co-operation with the Swedish accumulating society STIM after the acquisition of the American Mechanical Rights Company (AMRA).[8] Just like the indie labels, the indie music publishers have additionally arrange an company to licence their mechanical rights to the Anglo-American repertoire with the British PRS – Unbiased Music Publishers’ E-Licensing (IMPEL).[9] Lastly, the British PRS for Music, the German GEMA and the Swedish STIM have joined forces to type the Worldwide Copyright Enterprise (ICE)[10] to conclude multinational licence agreements with the DSPs in Europe for his or her repertoire.[11] All these collaborations between music publishers and accumulating societies contain the licensing of Anglo-American repertoire to DSPs. The nationwide European repertoire of the most important publishers continues to be licensed to the streaming providers working in every nation through the nationwide accumulating societies. That is additionally the case for these small music publishers that haven’t joined the IMPEL initiative. Within the case of streaming providers, this issues the licencing of copy rights, however above all of the making out there rights (on-line rights).[12]
A music streaming service that desires to supply a complete service in a European nation should signal licensing agreements with the most important accumulating companies SOLAR, DEAL, P.E.D.L., ARESA, AMRA and IMPEL, in addition to with the related nationwide accumulating societies. The direct agreements between the accumulating societies and the streaming providers are just like the grasp rights agreements of the labels. The streaming corporations should settle for a minimal assure in addition to upfront advances, however these are decrease than these paid to the labels. As well as, the streaming providers comply with pay 10-15 per cent of their revenues to the publishers, relying on their repertoire share. The rights administered by the accumulating societies on behalf of the publishers and authors are licenced in line with the accumulating society’s distribution scheme.[13]
The music streaming economic system subsequently rests on two pillars: (1) the licensing of the grasp rights to the sound recordings and (2) the licensing of the publishing rights, as proven in fig. 1.
Determine 1: The rights and licencing construction within the music streaming economic system
Supply: After Music Managers Discussion board (MMF 2015: 45).
As we’ve already seen, music streaming providers pay 70-75 per cent of their revenues to the rights holders (55-60 per cent to the labels and 10-15 per cent to the music publishers). This not solely places a pressure on the associated fee construction of the music streaming providers and calls into query the financial sustainability of the enterprise mannequin, as I’ve already analysed intimately utilizing the instance of Spotify, but in addition raises the query of distribution between the rights holders.
The distribution formulation of 55-60 per cent for the labels and 10-15 per cent for the music publishers relies on the logic of the CD period. The recording, manufacturing and distribution of a CD by a document firm entails way more effort than the manufacturing and distribution of sheet music and the conclusion of synch offers by music publishers. As well as, a music recording can ‘solely’ be commercially exploited by a label for 70 years (within the EU) and as much as 95 years (within the US) earlier than it enters the general public area, whereas publishing rights may be monopolised for as much as 70 years after the loss of life of the writer. Publishers additionally obtain royalties when one in all their works is carried out dwell after which re-recorded in one other type. The opportunity of repeated use of works over an extended interval at decrease manufacturing prices justifies the decrease income share from the labels’ standpoint. Nonetheless, the exploitation processes of labels and publishers have converged within the music streaming economic system, which would definitely justify the next income share for publishers. Finally, it’s a query of bargaining energy – additionally inside the music majors – whether or not the music publishers, and thus the authors, can enhance their financial place on the expense of the labels and the performers.[14]
One other side is the division between the copy proper and the efficiency proper. Within the case of grasp rights, the excellence between the 2 rights is tutorial as a result of they coincide within the music recording and are licensed collectively. Nevertheless, the state of affairs is totally different for publishing rights. Though the copy and efficiency rights of a musical work are licensed to streaming providers as a package deal within the EU, the royalties are distributed individually. For instance, the British PRS for Music pays 50 per cent of the earnings from the efficiency proper on to the authors and the opposite 50 per cent to the publishers, whereas 100 per cent of the earnings from the copy proper is paid to the publishers, who then distribute the royalties to the authors in accordance with the contract, which often accounts for lower than 50 per cent of the earnings. From this attitude, authors profit extra from the efficiency proper than from the copy proper. The issue is that copyright regulation in most international locations doesn’t outline whether or not streaming music must be thought-about a copy or a efficiency. Nevertheless, there’s a tendency to view streaming music as a efficiency, which has led to a cut up of 75 per cent for authors and 25 per cent for publishers. For downloads, then again, which usually tend to be seen as reproductions, the cut up is strictly the alternative. It’s subsequently once more a matter of bargaining energy which distribution guidelines are utilized.[15]
Endnotes
[1] See Music Managers Discussion board (MMF), 2015, Dissecting the Digital Greenback, half 1. How streaming providers are licensed and the challenges artists now face. Ashford: Hartley Brothers, pp 42-43.
[2] Ibid., p 43.
[3] MERLIN was based in Januar 2007 by Alison Wenham of the Worldwide Unbiased Community (WIN) and indie label homeowners Michel Lambot ([PIAS]), Tom Silverman (Tommy Boy) and Martin Mills (Beggars Group) on the MIDEM in Cannes. MERLIN’s first CEO was Charles Caldas. See: The Guardian, “Indie music labels be part of collectively to seize a slice of on-line revenues”, January 22, 2007, accessed: 2024-09-01.
[6] Warner Music Group press launch, “Warner/Chappell Music Launches Its Pan-European Digital Licensing (P.E.D.L.) Initiative”, June 2, 2006, accessed: 2024-09-01.
[11] In regards to the music licensing companies of the most important music publishers see Music Managers Discussion board (MMF), 2015, Dissecting the Digital Greenback, half 1. How streaming providers are licensed and the challenges artists now face. Ashford: Hartley Brothers, pp 44-46.
As twilight sȩttled over San Diego’s Ⱳaterfront Park on Sunday, the clouds darkened and a lįght, unrȩlenting rαin began to ƒall. Instead σf giving festivalgoers scattering, bưt, rather it transformed tⱨe ballroom into groove-soaked sįght.
It was a fitting image for the 10th edition of CRSSD Festival’s spring display, which has not just endured, but flourished as a basis of stateside digital music culture on the West Coast.
Over the lasƫ century, daȵce anḑ home have mσved from the ȩdges of thȩ event circuit to the çenter of international dance music culture. Ɓut CRSSD’s victory hasn’t come frσm following the crowd. Instead, its personality is built σn ȿtrong, intentional collection, ȿupporting elegance over enthusiasm. This week’s lineup embodied that idea, seamlessly blending inventors and surging skills everywhere.
Justice.
Keiki Lani-Knudsen
Several acts illustrate that compromise better than Justice. The classic French combo, whose Hyperdrama journey has been selling out global arenas, took the Ocean View level on Saturday nights, delivering a dazzling symphony of distortion, disco and maximalist electro against the backdrop of the Pacific.
CRSSD’s heart beats in the underwater, and this year, that attitude manifested in the form of Green Velvet, a surprise last-minute contrast to the lineup. The Chicago home musiç legend felt likȩ a natural match for α celebration that thrives on carefully cuɾated optįons, αdding another lȩvel oƒ sincerity to a trip that celebrated the show’s rσots.
Sunday’s programming leaned into tȩchno’s darker, more relentless ȿide, culmįnating in α feveɾish b2b set from Nicole Mouḑaber and EDM. com Class of 2023 star Anfisa Letyago at the City Steps stage. Their performance was a mαsterclass in momenƫum, each kickdrum landinǥ įn a rhythmic storm that mirrorȩd the rain falling σver the crowd.
Meanwhile, Poolside offered contrast, their breezy, sun-drenched house beats soundtracking a picture-perfect San Diego afternoon. Iƒ Moudaber and Letyago’s set wαs a spriȵt to ƫhe finish line, Poolsidȩ was a deep exhale, reminding” Ameriça’s Ƒinest City” that CRSSD’s magiç lies in a balanced blenḑ of intensity and euphoria.
CRSSD Spring 2025.
Keiki Lane-Knudson
And at its heart, CRSSD is built on community, the kind of festival where a shared love for a four-on-the-floor beat is enough to form a bond. That spirit was nȩver more evįdent than σn Sunday nigⱨt, when Kavinsky closed out thȩ festival with α sweeping ȿet that sρanned synthwave and cinematic electronic music.
A decade in, the feȿtival has prσven ƫhat it is an institution. Aȵd įn α world whȩre dance music continues tσ evolve at α breakneck pace, CRSSD remains ȩxactly what it’s always ƀeen: a place where the music matters most.
GS Music Bree6, a desktop 6-voice analog polyphonic Synthesizer from Argentina initially introduced at KnobCon (2024) is on the market now.
Simply over a month in the past, the completed Bree6 synthesizer from the Argentinian firm GS Music was noticed at Buchla and Pals 2025. It’s the sibling of the beautiful GS Music e7 polysynth from Argenina.
It’s March 1st, and the Bree6 is formally out now and out there for order. Higher: the official function set can also be out.
GS Music Bree6 Official Options
Curiously, GS Music has determined to launch the desktop (18.11” x 7.87” x 5.51) as a substitute of the keyboard. The latter was showcased at Knobcon 2024 however no information about an official launch.
Bree6 is a 6-voice polyphonic analog Synthesizer with a completely analog sign path and an excellent hands-on one-knob per-function consumer interface with out menu diving. The interface homes 27 knobs, 13 buttons, and a show that guarantee a fluid workflow.
GS Music Bree6 encompasses a single VCO per voice with sawtooth and pulse waveforms and pulse width modulation. A sq. wave sub-oscillator per voice provides backside finish to the primary oscillator.
Then, it runs in a 4-pole ladder lowpass filter with cutoff, resonance, and keyboard monitoring controls—a really traditional filter construction. From right here, the sign flows straight into the multi-FX processor.
You possibly can work with an ensemble-type refrain that simulates a string or vocal ensemble utilizing a number of delay strains modulated by their devoted LFOs. Subsequent to this, you’ve a stereo delay with a most delay time of as much as 1 second. You possibly can set the delay time, suggestions, and delay combine.
The Bree6’s modulation can also be very traditional. Two ADSR envelopes can modulate the filter and amplifier (VCA) part. A multi-wave LFO with as much as 100Hz will be assigned to a number of locations: oscillator mod and OSC PWM, cutoff, and VCA.
Different modulation sources embrace velocity, aftertouch, and full MPE (MIDI polyphonic expression). The Bree6 has 512 reminiscence areas to your personal sounds. That’s strong and needs to be sufficient.
Connectivity
On the bottom, you get an influence provide enter, a USB port for information, a full 5-pin MIDI interface (in/out/through), a stereo output (L/R) with mono possibility, and a headphone output. USB host to attach a MIDI keyboard extra conveniently is sadly lacking.
Second Impression
It’s nice to see that the Bree6 is now out there. I’m sticking to my first impression from 2024. I benefit from the sound high quality of the synth however it’s apparent that the Bree6 function set could be very minimal with a single oscillator, a lowpass filter, and traditional modulations.
It’s like GS Music reveals us the Argentinian reply to the Roland Juno synth however with two envelopes and a delay. For me, it’s a beautiful hands-on desktop analog polysynth. Nonetheless, the value of $999 is a bit tough although, particularly when you will get the Dreadbox Nymphes, from one other small firm, with comparable options for half the value and even much less.
GS Music Bree6 is on the market now for $899 + $100 delivery on the official retailer. The Bree6 is manufactured in Argentina.
Replace From January 27, 2025
Knobcon 2024 is already a number of months away, and there, GS Music offered the Bree6, a brand new polyphonic analog Synthesizer with keys and a desktop model.
There’s at the moment no information concerning the Bree6, however the desktop model was noticed on the Buchla and Pals 2025 occasion, and it seems to be neat. Possibly there will probably be a video from the occasion the place we get extra information of it.
supply: Michael Hein
Article From September 11, 2024
At Knbobcon 2024, GS-Music has unveiled Bree6, a brand new keyboard and desktop analog polyphonic Synthesizer influenced by the e7.
Thrilling synthesizers come not solely from Europe or the USA but in addition from worldwide, together with Chile, Peru, and Argentina. The latter is the homeland of the younger firm GS Music, which launched the superbly stylish E7 desktop analog polysynth.
Final weekend was Knobcon 2024 (twelfth version), and GS Music unveiled the Bree6, a brand new polysynth on their sales space.
GS Music Bree6
The official particulars aren’t but recognized. In response to YouTuber Jorb, who printed a Knobcon 2024 roundup video, it’s a brand new 6-voice analog polyphonic Synthesizer that will probably be out there in keyboard and desktop variations.
Jorb says it makes use of lots of the identical concepts because the GS Music e7 desktop synth however streamlines them in a Juno-style idea. You possibly can see that the interface could be very compact however nonetheless has buttons or knobs for all features. So a really hands-on synth.
It provides a single oscillator with noticed and sq. waveforms plus a sub-oscillator. Then, it provides the identical ladder filter because the e7 says Jorb, with cutoff, resonance, and varied modulation choices.
Speaking about modulation. There are two ADSR envelopes and a single multi-wave LFO. Bree6 additionally provides a built-in refrain and delay processors and a stereo voice panning possibility. Arpeggiator and sequencer are additionally onboard.
It’s also possible to see that GS Music Bree6 has a show for visible suggestions of the parameter values, a 3-octave keyboard, and pitch/mod wheels. Buttons permit you to change presets immediately on the fly.
First Impression
At first look, the Bree6 is an thrilling new analog poly synth. I like its compactness and hands-on design. This might be an thrilling synth in case you are searching for bread-and-butter analog poly sounds. From the primary demo, it sounds pretty. The e7 already does that and continues to be an insider tip.
In response to Jorb, the GS Music Bree6 will probably be out there in November. Value is TBA.
