In a move that’s sure to thrill musicians everywhere, Korg has recently shifted gears, releasing a number of cool gadgets for guitar and bass players. For those who take tuning very seriously, the rackmountable Korg pitchBlack Pro has a lot going for it. A large LED color display not only looks awesome, it makes tuning super easy. You get three different display modes to choose from: Meter, Full Strobe, and Half Strobe. The other important function onboard the pitchBlack Pro is its cable tester, which can take the stress out of tracking down bad patch cables when you’re in a pinch.
If you’re looking for something fun for your pedalboard (or to replace it altogether), then you’ll definitely want to check out the new Korg Pandora Stomp. Part multi-effects processor, part rhythm machine, part tuner, the Pandora is the pocket-sized multi-effects processor that songwriters have faithfully carried for years. And the Pandora Stomp packs it all into a sleek stompbox. This single pedal puts 158 amps and effects at your feet plus over 200 killer presets. Creating your own setup is easy, especially when you use the included editor/librarian software, and since you can use up to seven effects at once, you can comfortably replace an entire pedalboard worth of stompboxes with this useful gizmo.
In a world of iOS apps and pocket-sized interfaces, there’s still something to be said for the convenience of a standalone rhythm machine. In this spirit, Korg released not one but two freestanding drum machines for guitarists. First, there’s the Beat Boy, which comes loaded with 100 rhythms, a full guitar and bass effects section, a tuner, and a CD-quality WAV recorder. By contrast, the KR mini focuses exclusively on rhythms, allowing you to chain drum patterns together to form songs and use foot pedals to trigger performance controls.