Recording Industry News headlines
Groove production for the next generation! The Rhizome SXE from FeelTune is based around a dedicated audio computer that you can interact with using 16 touch-sensitive pads and 32 rotary controllers. Four large displays tell you what each control is doing. Windows VST plug-ins are supported and a built-in 500GB drive provides plenty of storage for projects and sound files. MIDI I/O is built-in, along with balanced TRS audio I/O, an eSATA port, a gigabit ethernet port, an HDMI port, and a DVI port. But don't think of this as a computer, think of it as a dedicated groove-production instrument...new creative possibilities await!
The effects produced by the early-'90s Eventide H3000D/SE processor are classics. Now you can have all those sounds — we're talking the exact presets — in a native plug-in with the H3000 Factory Ultra-Harmonizer. Compatible with Audio Units, VST, and Avid's new AAX formats, this plug-in also has many new sounds, including many programmed by Richard Devine.
Every bass player needs a thick, fat, cutting fuzz sound in their arsenal, and the new Bass Fuzz Deluxe from MXR is the one to have for a couple of excellent reasons: first, it sounds incredible! It's been specifically tailored to work with bass, this is no second-hand guitar pedal. Second, it has separate level controls for both the dry (unprocessed) bass sound and the wet (fuzz) sound. Using these two controls you can dial in exactly the amount of saturation you want, from light "hair" to full-on buzz while maintaining the solid low-end punch you need for your tone.
With six 6550 power tubes onboard, you just know the Super Bassman head from Fender is going to crank! This all-tube monster bass amp puts out 300 watts of power wth two footswitchable channels, Vintage and Overdrive. There's a Silent Record mode and the tubes are auto biasing. If you need big power, big features, and big tone — whether nice or nasty — then the Super Bassman is the one you want for your bass amp! A full line of matching Bassman cabinets are also available, with configurations including 1x15, 4x10, 6x10, and 8x10, all with a compression-driver horn tweeter and neodymium speakers for super light weight.
The BK-5 arranger keyboard from Roland provides an amazing array of nearly 1,200 sounds, Musical Assistants, instant recording to USB, tons of built-in effects, onboard stereo speakers, and much, much more. 128-note polyphony gives you plenty of power to create complete songs and arrangements.
This installment of inSync brings our Winter NAMM 2012 coverage to a close, though there are still many, many new products to talk about. We'll be bringing you those in our regular daily news going forward. In the meantime, be sure to enjoy our comprehensive online report as well as nearly 100 videos shot live on the NAMM show floor, which are posted at our YouTube page.
The 88-key Nord Piano 2 HA88 stage piano has a hammer-action keyboard and is loaded with over 1,000 high-quality instruments; built-in phaser, wah, flanger, chorus, and delay effects; and also includes a 3-band EQ, amp simulations, and a compressor and reverb. It is designed for fast, intuitive, and expressive operation on stage.
500-series users looking for a mic preamp that is optimized for use with dynamic and ribbon mics should seek no further than the True Systems pT2-500D. With 76dB of gain, a low-frequency adjust control, and precision components, the pT2-500D handles the job with ease and outstanding clarity. A discrete FET DI with a separate thru connection is included.
Peavey has teamed with Muse Research to create the MuseBox, a dedicated synth, sampler, and effects processor that runs VST effects and virtual instruments with zero latency. Mics and instruments can be routed through the MuseBox and its MIDI I/O turns it into a full-on sound module. Tons of instruments and effects are pre-installed, including Peavey's ReValver HP guitar plug-in.
The new DXR series powered PA speakers from Yamaha feature built-in Class D power amps in lightweight, compact, durable ABS enclosures. The line includes four 2-ways: DXR8, DXR10, DXR12, and DXR15, as well as the DXS12 12-inch subwoofer.
2012 is Audio-Technica's 50th anniversary as a company, and they are celebrating with limited edition versions of several of their most popular mics and this set of headphones, the ATH-M50s Limited Edition. These are closed-back headphones, with a coiled cable, rotating earcups, and sturdy construction for a long, useful life.
Are we finished with Winter NAMM 2012 coverage? No way! Lots of new gear still to tell you about!
Get great stereo sound straight into your iPod Touch, iPhone 4/S, or iPad 1 or 2 with the new Blue Mikey Digital microphone. Mikey Digital plugs into your iOS device, and can be swiveled over a 220-degree range for perfect placement for any recording environment. Features include a 3-position gain switch, guitar input, soft carrying pouch, and compatibility with almost any recording/music app.
Keyboardists of the world, step up to the front of the stage! The Alesis Vortex is said to the first "keytar" strap-on keyboard with USB capability with support for Mac, Windows, and even iOS (with the optional Camera Connection Kit). There are 37 keys, a touch strip, a volume slider, a pitch wheel, and an tilt-sensing accelerometer that can be assigned to various parameters. There are also eight trigger/drum pads for laying down rhythms. The Vortex can run on batteries or bus power over USB.
Designed in collaboration with blues-rock giant Joe Bonamassa, the Dunlop Joe Bonamassa Signature Cry Baby features a modified vintage circuit with an internal switch for selecting true bypass or buffered bypass operation. A Halo inductor provides a wide vocal-sounding sweep.
Among the new amps released by Fender at NAMM was the Excelsior, a vintage-looking amp with incredible vibe. The Excelsior puts out 13 watts of 6V6 power through a 15-inch Special Design speaker, and has a brown textured covering. There are three inputs: guitar, mic, and accordion, a volume knob, a bright/dark switch, and a dripping wet, swampy tremolo circuit. An internal speaker disconnect allows you to drive external cabinets.
Tired of cable mess with your Apogee Duet 2? Then you need the new Apogee Duet 2 Breakout Box! This convenient, solidly built aluminum breakout box features studio-quality connectors — XLR and 1/4-inch — along with a 6-foot extension cable so you can place the breakout box near your source while keeping the cable clutter away from your Duet and desktop.
We still have more products from NAMM to cover for you! Plese be sure to visit our complete online report, and check out the nearly 100 NAMM videos we've posted to YouTube.
With the Alesis DM Dock, you can connect your drum pads to your iPad for an infinitely expandable selection of sounds! Thirteen TRS trigger inputs support dual-zone or 3-zone pads or cymbals (including continuous hi-hats, a hinged door locks your iPad in place, and professional audio and MIDI I/O keeps the signal flowing. The new DM Dock app lets you download new sounds whenever you want, wirelessly.
Zoom wasn't content to make bassists happy with the B3 (see above), they also brought the joy to guitarists with the new G5. The G5 gives you 20 amp models, 100 stompbox effects, 100 DSP effects, and more, in a powerful but easy-to-use multieffects floor processor. There's even a Tube Booster switch for 16dB of gain. As with the B3, a USB port lets you edit and save patches using your computer as well as record audio straight to your DAW. A 60-second looper is built in.
The B3 from Zoom provides 12 realistic amp models and 99 world-class effects for your bass, all in a single, simple-to-use pedal. Create and store 100 of your own presets, or use factory presets created by the likes of Victor Wooten, David Ellefson (Megadeth), and Doug Wimbuch (Living Colour). A USB port lets you edit and save patches using your computer as well as record audio straight to your DAW.
To infinity and beyond! The all new Pigtronix Infinity Looper is designed for easy use onstage and in the studio, with two completely independent stereo loops, sample-accurate MIDI sync, an aux output, and multiple looping modes.
The PolyTune Mini gives you all the simultaneous tuning accuracy and features of the full-size PolyTune, but in a tiny form factor that will fit anywhere on your pedalbard or that can be stashed anywhere in your studio for convenient use during sessions. Tune one string at a time or strum all six for instant display of all six strings' tuning.
Will our Winter NAMM 2012 coverage ever cease? Not while there are great new products to tell you about!
The original cassette-based Tascam Portastudio could be said to have started the entire home studio revolution, and now, the latest generation of Portastudio takes things to an entirely new level! The DP-24 is a self-contained, full-featured recording workstation with 24 digital tracks. Up to eight tracks can be recorded at once at 24-bit/48kHz resolution. A color LCD and 12-controller channel strip let you take control. When you are finished, print and backup your masterpiece to the internal CD-RW drive.
The iPad and iPhone are everywhere, and now they can be in the DJ booth making music with you! The IK Multimedia iRig Mix is a DJ-style mixer that has two 1/8" inputs for iOS devices, a mic input, and an instrument input. There's a cue system with headphone out, 2-band EQ for the iOS inputs, a crossfader, and more! IK was also showing the very handy iKlip Studio, an adjustable studio desktop stand for the iPad.
Sonodyne burst on the studio scene here in the U.S. recently (though the company has been cranking out great speakers for many years internationally). At NAMM, the company unveiled the SM 200AK, their latest active monitor achievement. the SM 200AK features 250 watts of power driving an 8-inch Kevlar woofer and a 1-inch metal-dome tweeter. The baffle is die-cast aluminum for maximum rigidity. A power switch and volume control are up front, while gain and response switches are around back.
Want to take your guitar playing to new lows? Then you need the brand-new Blacktop Telecaster Baritone from Fender! This deep-voiced Tele features a 27-inch scale length, a rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets on a maple neck, and an alder body. A Blacktop Tele Humbucker and two Blacktop Tele single-coils provide the sound; switch among them with a 5-way pickup selector. Skirted amp-style knobs provide volume and tone control, and the cast saddles and through-the-body stringing give up all the support you need to twang those low notes.
Hard to believe that it's been 50 years since the original Fender Jaguar first hit the streets! Since then, the guitar has re-emerged as the axe of choice for many, many artists, especially in the "alternative" genres. Now, you can have all the original Jaguar vintage vibe with the 50th-anniversary Jaguar! This limited-edition guitar features two hot single-coil Jaguar pickups, an alder body with a maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, 22 medium-jumbo frets, a vintage-style floating trem with lock button, and all the switches and controls that made the Jaguar a tone monster!
Welcome back to our ongoing Winter NAMM 2012 coverage — there are still tons more new NAMM products to tell you about! For more info, contact your Sweetwater Sales Engineer or see our full report online.