Happy Monday, and welcome back to our ongoing report featuring all the great news from this summer’s NAMM show in Nashville. Our coverage started Monday or last week so fee free to go through your back inSync issues to catch up, or you can find the whole report on line in the publications section of our website.
Sony
Exciting news in microphones continues this summer from Sony, with the C-800G large diaphragm tube condenser microphone. This world-class microphone delivers impressive reproductions of many sound sources with the help of its internal built-in thermal cooling device to cut down on tube self-noise. We’re seeing more and more of these in use all the time.
Still making a big, washy, ambient reverberation in the Sony room this summer was the DRE-S777 Sampling Reverb Unit. This beautiful double rack space reverb unit features lush, digitally sampled reverbs that are true representations of room environments. Instead of using modeling technologies, the DRE-S777 uses actual samples from acoustic spaces, with a blend of a convolution technology employed by Sony, to help fill out anything that may be missing. With the elegance like that of a fine wine, this incredible reverb unit is waiting to reshape the way you think about reverb in your studio.
Sony also announced news of the latest software revision soon to be available for the already incredibly powerful DMX-R100 console. The software revision is to be released sometime around the September AES convention, with more information about the newest features to be announced then.
Soundcraft
Soundcraft will be shipping the M12 console in the next 4–6 weeks. This is a bonus for those of us who love the M Series mixers, but need more inputs. These are very sexy, great sounding mixers, which are easy to use. Retail: $995.95.
Rotosound
Rotosound has two new offerings for bass players this year. The new RS44 and RS44-5 (five-string set) offer an amazing rich sound for those acoustic bass players out there. Both are LG scale length, and available now for $45, or $55 for the five-string set.
Tascam
The exciting news from the Tascam booth is a new digital mixer. The 24bit/96kH DM-24 has EQ and dynamics on each channel with flying motorized faders. Retail: $3,000. For those MX2424 users, Tascam is releasing an upgrade to version 3.0 available in the next month or two. This will allow for full waveform display and more virtual track enhancements. Additionally, Tascam showed us just how easy it really is to pull a removable harddrive from the MX2424, slide it into a Glyph rack, and import all the tracks, sample accurately, into a ProTools session. Wow, it really changes the way that ProTools users may think, with the ability to track to a real hardware recorder and still have the full functionality of mixing and editing in ProTools. Speaking of upgrades, version 3.0 for the US428 has been announced. This now includes a guitar tuner as well as support for more software interfaces. They also announced the new model 322 will replace Tascam’s 302 cassette deck. This dual cassette deck has full RS-422 support.
Tech21
The biggest news from the Tech21 camp this summer is the latest in foot switch stomp box technology in the SansAmp TRI-A.C. Triple Channel, Programmable Stomp Box. It doesn’t really get too much easier than this to operate. Simply dial in the tone you want, from the sparkling clean to full metal rhythm, double click on anyone of the three footswitches found on the top of the pedal, and you’re set. This simple operation even lends itself to some very cool abilities like changing and saving your sounds on the fly, or dial them in and plug it right into the console and start recording your next big hit. At a price of $149.00, this small and durable SansAmp TRI-A.C. will fit in the pocket of your gig bag, and produce the sound of a full stack of amps. You will be able to get your feet on one of these by year’s end. Also big news from the Tech21 guys was that of the Killer Wail 3-mode selectable wah pedal for guitar and bass. Featuring three different modes of use giving it powerful flexibility for either guitar or bass. Improving on the shortcomings of many of the pedals out there, the Killer Wail still stays true to classic looks and performance. Get your ears wrapped around the amazing sounds of the Killer Wail sometime this coming fall.
Vestax
What comes around goes around, and so does the newest addition to the Vestax booth at this summer’s NAMM show in the VRX-2000 Vinyl Cutting Machine. Now with the power to be able to put your own material on record, DJ’s are going to have a lot of extra power in creating, writing, and performing their sets. This very large unit is capable of cutting vinyl on the Vestax specially designed vinyl discs that are even durable enough for scratching. Of course, like burning your own CD’s nowadays, these vinyl discs will have the same durability and superb sound quality of even commercially available vinyl now available on the market. Look for the Vestax VRX-2000 for about $12,000.00 retail now.
JBL
JBL showcased an affordable new series of loudspeakers. The MPRO series merges great looks with consistent legacy. The MP418SP features on-board Crown amplification.
Voce
Searching for that perfect keyboard sound from yesteryear? Voce’s Electric Piano additive synthesis module was still the talk of their booth this summer. Not only does it have tons of effects like Stereo Tremolo, Chorus and Wah-wah, this half-rack space module contains many of your favorite Wurlitzer, Rhodes, and Pianet electric piano sounds sure to please your needs. Six knobs on the front of the unit add for powerful real time MIDI control of the effects on board. The warm tone and very powerful dynamics are excellently created in the Electric Piano. Retail is $599.00 and is available now.