Music News. Music Industry News, DJ News, Gear Reviews, Digital Music, Computer Music, Digital Downloads, Music Software, Gadgets, Electronic Music and DJ technology. http://www.futuremusic.com/news Check out our FutureMusic News Blog: It's A Beta World for the very latest music news that matters. Updated several times daily. Read It Now... http://futuremusic.com/blog M-Audio recently sent over their EX66 nearfield monitors for us to TestDrive. Although the monitors have been around for about a year, the EX66's push M-Audio beyond their budget monitoring options and into a new price point for the concern. It's obvious that M-Audio wanted to make a statement with the EX66's. Not only do they incorporate provocative new technology and features, but they also utilize a dual woofer design that has lost favor with other manufacturers. More... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/m-audio_ex66_monitors_review.html After the umpteenth drive of ours decided to wet its bed, we contacted Glyph. Glyph has been around for 15 years providing hard drive solutions for the audio and video markets, and they claim that not only are their hard drives more reliable than their competitors, but they also put their money where their mouth is by backing it up with a device replacement and data recovery policy. More... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/glyph_hard_drive_review.html Black Lion Audio, a small concern known primarily for their mods of popular audio interfaces, recently released their first product, an external word clock dubbed the MicroClock. Black Lion made the decision to develop their own dedicated master clock because they felt that most of the solutions available were of poor quality and contained features that many project studios never used. When BLA boasted on their website that the MicroClock "will provide a wide, separated soundstage and add smooth, neutral clarity to your digital conversion," we decided it was time for a TestDrive. More... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/blacklionaudio_microclock_review.html Now that the whirlwind of CES, MacWorld and NAMM is over, we're able to look back with some perspective at the three conferences that generally shape the technology landscape for the coming year. Being a music technology publication devoted to electronic music, we'll take a special look at the world of digital DJing. More... http://futuremusic.com/news/january2008/2008_technology_report.html JazzMutant's remarkable Dexter is a compelling digital audio workstation controller that showcases the future of computer music mixing. The extremely well-built device features several dynamic and provocative methods for working in the digital age, however there are many areas where the Dexter misses the mark, and that this price point that shouldn't be the case. More... http://futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/jazzmutant_dexter_review.html Are you having trouble scoring the perfect gift for your musically inclined special someone? Well, let us come to the rescue with the 2007 FutureMusic Holiday Gift Guide. All the gift suggestions below have been test-driven by FutureMusic to ensure quality. More... http://futuremusic.com/news/december2007/holidaybuyersguide2007.html I've always tried to come up with a snappy slang term for those people you encounter in everyday life who think their "singing" along with their iPods, but in reality sound more like they don't have a tongue. More... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/xtrememac_micromemo_review.html Freaky has tapped a solid roster of artists including D-Formation, J. Velarde, Sergio Fernandez, David Ferrero and Roman Lieske, to provide musical material for DJs, producers and remixers. The offerings mainly consist of drum loops, in various tribal flavors, although some of the artists, such as J. Velarde, also provide melodic episodes. More... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/freaky_beats_essential_grooves.html The UK record industry's equivalent of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is trying to strong-arm the country's Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to begin policing their networks for illegal file-trading. If successful, the results could have major ramifications for the rest of the world. More... http://futuremusic.com/news/october2007/uk_isps_weigh_policing_users.html KRK Systems recently sent us a pair of their new VXT8 monitors for a TestDrive. The new VXT line is based on KRK's premium Expose series and consists of three models - the VXT4, VXT6, and VXT8. More... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/krk_vxt_monitors_review.html In Taiwan, you could buy an "iPhone" six months before the official debut of the much-anticipated multimedia mobile in the United States. The iClones, as they have become known, sell for about $250 dollars in Taiwan, and only $125 in mainland China and Hong Kong. More... http://futuremusic.com/news/september2007/counterfeit_apple_iphones.html So before further ado, let's address the elephant in the room. The Arturia JP-8V does an excellent emulation of the famed Roland Jupiter 8, albeit a hyper-present and ultra-clean version. However, if that's all you care about, you're missing a big part of what makes the JP-8V a killer soft synth. More... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/testdrive/arturia_jp-8v_review.html Apple will host a media event on September 5th at the Moscone West in San Francisco to introduce a variety of new gear and software according to invites sent to members of the media this week. Here's a current rundown of the latest rumors... http://www.futuremusic.com/news/august2007/the_beat_goes_on.html