Audionautic | Covering the Latest in Music Production, Marketing and Technology

This week we're taking a slightly wider look at something that's been happening around Elektron and modified firmware.The immediate question is about sharing firmware mods and the tools and instructions needed to use them. But that opens up a much bigger conversation about ownership.If you buy a piece of hardware, what are you actually entitled to do with it?Can you modify it? Reverse engineer it? Share your discoveries? Keep an old machine alive after the manufacturer has stopped supporting it?And then there's the other side. Firmware isn't necessarily yours, modifications can brick hardware, support becomes complicated, and manufacturers obviously have intellectual property they want to protect.Somewhere in the middle you've got the music-tech community, people who have always hacked, modified, repaired, extended and generally poked at things to see what happens.So this week we're going Round Robin on the whole thing.Where should the line be between protecting IP and letting people experiment?And are we reaching a point where you don't really own a modern instrument in the same way you used to?Thanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerJoin the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/jPbMKgJhDSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

We're doing another round of Show & Tell.We've each brought along a few tracks that have caught our attention recently. New discoveries, old favourites, things we've stumbled across, or just songs that we've found ourselves going back to again and again.We'll listen to them together and talk about what grabbed us, what we're hearing in the production, the sounds and decisions that caught our ears, and whether any of it has made us want to try something ourselves.No particular genre or theme. Just music we're enjoying and things we find interesting.What have you been listening to lately?Thanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerThis week's show features music from:What Has Not Yet Been Named - Corrado Maria De Santis out on @shadyridgerecords https://corradomariadesantis.bandcamp.com/album/what-no-longer-is-and-what-has-not-yet-been-namedRising Fall - James Murrayhttps://quietdetails.bandcamp.com/album/islands-alightHOLMIUM - White Dunehttps://whitedune.bandcamp.com/album/rare-earthLevothyroxine Lament - STYLIANOS OUhttps://stylianosou.bandcamp.com/album/moodtoxicosis01 No Human Being A27 [Work In Progress] - P.R.O.B.E.Shttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuT0XSVT0ZkJoin the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/kBxXb8pjaSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

Steinberg is celebrating 30 years of VST by bringing back a collection of its classic early plugins, so we've downloaded them and we're going to see what they're actually like to use today.We'll be demoing the sounds, having a play with the instruments and effects, and talking about what these early VSTs were actually useful for.But rather than just looking at them as pieces of music-production history, we're interested in whether the limitations of these old plugins might actually be interesting today.Do simple instruments make you work differently? Have modern plugins become too complicated? And are there sounds in these early VSTs that we'd still happily use in a track?We'll be putting them through their paces and seeing what still holds up after 30 years of VST.The Synthesis COOP has a new LP out, check it here:https://tscoop.bandcamp.com/album/the-synthesis-co-op-volume-oneThanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerCheck out the new release from Sunwarper here:https://sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/signal-fragmentsJoin the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/kBxXb8pjaSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

This week we're having a bit of a debate about studio upgrades.I'm making the case for moving from the Tascam Model 12 to the Model 16, while Eonlake is going to do his best to convince me that I absolutely don't need it.So we'll be looking at the reasons for upgrading, the reasons for sticking with what you've already got, and whether a bigger, more capable setup actually makes any difference to the way we work.More inputs, less cable swapping, having more of the studio permanently connected, changing the way we mix and work all useful reasons to upgrade, or just very convincing ways of justifying buying another piece of gear?And that's really the bigger question. At what point does a studio upgrade solve a genuine problem, and when are we just buying gear because we fancy something new?We'll put the case forward and see where we end up.What do you think? When is a studio upgrade actually worth it?Thanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerCheck out the new release from Sunwarper here:https://sunwarper.bandcamp.com/album/signal-fragmentsJoin the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/eCtxzxTrJSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

This week we're taking Ableton Live out of the studio and onto the stage.Ableton can be a sampler, sequencer, mixer, effects rack, instrument, looper and the brains behind an entire live setup. But having all those possibilities doesn't necessarily make for a good performance.We're digging into how Ableton can actually be used live, from Session View and clip launching to controllers, effects, routing, improvisation and the less glamorous question of reliability.How much should be prepared? How much should be improvised? What are we actually performing when the computer is doing so much of the work?Thanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerCheck out Survey Channel's New Release Here:https://surveychannel.bandcamp.com/album/macrozonesJoin the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/g5ZKQuSdYSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

Community Radio is back.This week we're putting the gear, plugins and production talk to one side and simply talking about music.Each of us has brought along tracks we've been listening to recently. Things we've discovered, rediscovered, become obsessed with, or simply can't stop playing.We'll talk about what grabbed us, where we found it, what we're hearing in the production and why these particular pieces of music have stayed with us.What have you been listening to lately?Join the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/g5ZKQuSdYSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

There are hundreds of reverb plugins available today. So why should anyone care about another one?This week we're exploring RocketVerb by Zak Sound, not just as a plugin demo, but as a starting point for a wider conversation about creativity and sound design.When does a reverb stop being a mixing tool and become an instrument in its own right? Do we really need more reverbs, or are we simply looking for new ways to be inspired?Join us as we put RocketVerb through its paces and discuss the role reverb plays in modern music production.Thanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerThere's a new compilation out, it deserves your attention:https://music.bonkwave.org/the-four-seasons-of-bonkwave-autumn-waves-2/Join the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/g5ZKQuSdYSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

We're back!After a summer away from the weekly schedule, we're catching up on everything we've been exploring in the studio, the music we've been making, and the lessons we've learned along the way.We're also discussing a significant development from Traxsource and TIDAL, who have both introduced new approaches to identifying AI-generated music. What does this mean for musicians, producers, and the future of digital music platforms?Finally, we're sharing some exciting changes coming to Audionautic in the weeks ahead and giving you a look at the direction we're taking the show.It's great to be back.Thanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerThere's a new compilation out, it deserves your attention:https://music.bonkwave.org/the-four-seasons-of-bonkwave-autumn-waves-2/Join the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/sDvGEDNBMSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

This week, we’re talking about the subtle growth that happens over years of making music:the things we’ve quietly improved at without really noticing.From trusting our ears more, to simplifying workflows, finishing tracks more naturally, and becoming more comfortable creatively, this episode is about the small changes that shape us over time as producers and musicians.A more honest conversation about music production, creativity, and the reality of being stuck.Thanks to our Patrons who support what we do:Audionauts: Abby, Bendu, David Svrjcek, Josh Wittman, Paul Ledbrook, Matt Donatelli and Stephen SetzepfandtLars Haur - Audionaut ProducerJonathan Goode - Audionaut ProducerThere's a new compilation out, it deserves your attention:https://music.bonkwave.org/the-four-seasons-of-bonkwave-autumn-waves-2/Join the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/KJHkz3b4SSunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com

This week we revisit the story of Native Instruments following the announcement that the company is being acquired by inMusic.After insolvency proceedings earlier this year, the future of Native Instruments, iZotope, Plugin Alliance and Brainworx appeared uncertain. Now, a new chapter begins.We discuss:What this acquisition means for musiciansThe importance of Native Instruments’ legacyThe growing consolidation of music technology companiesWhether software ecosystems are becoming too important to failThen in our round robin segment:“What’s something you wish someone had told you earlier about music production?”A reflective discussion on growth, mistakes, creativity and the realities of learning to make music over time.Join the conversation:💌 [email protected] 🐤 Twitter @Audionautic📸 Instagram: @audionauticsounds📡Discord: https://discord.gg/8FpkdFmx6Sunwarper: https://sunwarper.com​​​​​​Kh3rtis: https://kh3rtis.com