Heritage Audio just released a cheaper version of their Fairchild 670 clone that somehow costs less than half what the original Herchild Model 670 went for while adding extra features. The Herchild Next Gen Model 670N hits shelves at €2999 and keeps the same transformer-coupled op-amp plus vintage tubes from the pricier model, but throws in six custom transformers and more attack/release options than the classic unit ever had.
The company claims this thing delivers identical sound quality to their flagship recreation while boosting functionality by 150 percent, which seems wild considering the massive price drop. Progressive DC Threshold control handles both ratio and knee adjustments at once, letting users dial in anything from light...
Serato and AlphaTheta dropped a pad controller called SLAB that works specifically with Serato Studio, and it's supposed to give bedroom producers the kind of tactile vibe old-school beatmakers had back in the day. The thing costs $329 and runs off USB power, with 16 velocity-sensitive pads that light up in different colors, plus a big dial for browsing samples and tweaking parameters.
The controller handles Serato Sample and Serato DJ Pro natively, but it also has MIDI mode so you can map it to whatever DAW you're running. You get transport controls, a touchstrip for filter sweeps and pitch bends, and four encoder knobs that switch between modes. The LED display shows project info, deck settings, and effects parameters while you're...
Mnangagwa thanked Zanu PF's National Consultative Assembly for backing party initiatives during their meeting at headquarters in Harare. The president kicked things off by having everyone observe a moment of silence for members who died this year, and then highlighted wins from the past months while noting that all 10 provinces understand their role in building the country.
The government plans to hand out Pfumvudza farming supplies for the growing season without playing favorites. Mnangagwa emphasized that farmers should get equal access to inputs regardless of connections.
Some observers are drawing lines between how Zimbabwe fell apart under Robert Mugabe and what might happen to South Africa if the ANC keeps sliding. Early independence looked promising with better schools and rising literacy, but the regime started crushing dissent and merging the party with the state until elections became meaningless theater and the economy tanked hard.
South Africa still has functioning courts and an active civil society pushing back, but those protections only work if people actually defend them every day. Young South Africans who never lived through apartheid mostly see a system that delivers unemployment and corruption instead of opportunity, which opens the door for populist strongmen selling quick fixes.
The...
A Bulawayo ward councillor and his co-defendant got convicted for running a scam where they took $200 from vendors by claiming they could hook them up with official selling spots in the city. Josiah Mutangi and Janet Zhou hit up 13 street traders back in February, and one person even paid double because they got promised extra locations. The magistrate shut down their defense about running some legit association called Bulawayo Achievers Association, saying they cooked up receipts and paperwork after cops got involved.
The vendors who got burned were people like Chishamiso Chihota, Editor Hora, and a bunch of others who were tired of running from municipal enforcement and wanted legitimate spaces to sell their stuff. After collecting...
President Emmerson Mnangagwa told Zanu PF members to carry out party conference decisions, which happen to include pushing his presidency past the constitutional deadline to 2030. The whole thing blows up years of claims that overzealous supporters were behind the term extension push while Mnangagwa supposedly wanted to respect the constitution and step down when his legal time runs out in 2028.
Observers are pointing out that his refusal to shut down the 2030 agenda basically confirms he was backing it all along. The silence after ordering implementation of resolutions that explicitly extend his rule suggests the term limit conversation was never about grassroots enthusiasm, and instead was a coordinated effort to rewrite...
Zimbabwe's ICT minister, Tendai Mavetera, told young women joining Zanu PF that they need to stop viewing politics as something you get into by sleeping with powerful dudes. She went off during a party youth event about how getting ahead should be based on actual work and serving people, not trading favors with senior officials who have influence.
Her whole speech connects to online chatter about a supposed slay queen division forming in political spaces, which isn't officially a real thing but has people arguing about whether newcomers are treating politics like an Instagram aesthetic. Mavetera basically said women have to dodge the trap of becoming stereotypes or thinking advancement comes from hooking up with men at the top.
The...
Epidemic Sound just dropped a second lawsuit against Meta for copyright stuff, and this time they're going after the tech company for ripping off 1,000 tracks across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The Stockholm-based music company filed the complaint in a California federal court and is looking for up to $150 million in damages since Meta apparently keeps serving up their catalog through Audio Library and features like Original Audio without paying anything.
The wild part is that Meta already got sued back in 2022 for the same thing, and that case is still going. Epidemic says Meta keeps denying them access to Rights Manager for Music, which is basically the tool that would let them track and stop people from stealing their stuff...
Oak View Group just promoted Chris Granger from interim boss to full-time CEO after he spent five months holding down the fort. The guy previously ran OVG360 and has been grinding in sports and entertainment for over 30 years, with stops at the NBA, Sacramento Kings, and Detroit's pro teams before landing at OVG a few years back.
The timing lines up with their previous CEO, Tim Leiweke, bouncing earlier this year after getting hit with federal charges over some sketchy arena bidding stuff at the University of Texas. Trump ended up pardoning Leiweke this week, but OVG's already moved on and seems pretty stoked about Granger taking over permanently. Board chair Lee Wittlinger and senior partner Irving Azoff both hyped him up hard, saying...
