InSync’s coverage of Winter NAMM 2002 continues, with more of the latest and greatest from the leaders in professional audio.
Over at the Emagic booth they were showcasing their Logic Control Surface platform in conjunction with their Logic 5 Platinum software (they had a whopping 64 channels of moving fader automation up and running at their booth). The Logic Control – with control of 8 channels and direct access to all audio, MIDI data, inputs, sends, aux and bus, plus a whole mess of other features we don’t have time or space to wrap our heads around right now – is one seriously powerful piece of audio hardware. It’s also surprisingly easy-to-use, especially if you’re running with the Logic Control Surface. Together they make the first and only native software sequencer with completely integrated hardware control. The Logic Control Surface lets you control all the mixer functions and hundreds of parameters in Logic 5 Platinum. Keep your eye on InSync for more on Emagic’s latest – coming very soon.
EMU were putting their XK-6 keyboard though its paces. Yes, you read correctly: the XK-6 is a keyboard, and it’s by EMU. It’s an EMU keyboard. But really, that shouldn’t be too surprising for any student of music technology history. Back in the day, before they made their name as a leader in sound generation modules and sampling, EMU designed some pretty sophisticated analog synths. So there’s definitely a precedent there as far as EMU keyboards go, even though the 61-key XK-6 isn’t analog and packs a degree of power and performance that would have been terrifying a couple decades ago. The XK-6 is a performance production synth with many of the features common to EMU’s incredible sound generation modules. You get EMU’s exclusive SuperBEATS performance mode, plus an included the Electronic/Techno soundset that features cool lead, cutting edge drum and pad sounds so you can hit the beats right out of the box. Realtime control enables you to bring beats in and out of your mix on the fly, while 12 controllers let you tweak filters and keyboard parameters in realtime for performances that will literally never be the same twice. Other features include 64-voice polyphony, 4 programmable realtime control knobs, a 24-bit dual effects processor, plus 24-bit analog outputs and two footswitch inputs.
Maybe you’ve already heard of SampleTank XL from IK Multimedia. We’ve been talking it up a little bit in InSync recently. Billed as the first plug-in sound module for VST, MAS & RTAS systems, the Sampletank XL is really remarkable. You get 450 top-quality (that’s 2.5GB!), 32-bit pristine samples ranging from acoustic, electric and concert pianos to finely crafted ethnic and electronic sounds. Even better, there is now an ever expanding array of 3rd part libraries that work with SampleTank, including Sound Modules Vol. 1, Brit Horns, Loop Soup!, Guitar Collection and many more. With perfect sequencer integration there’s no need to have extra applications running simultaneously-a real advantage. Sampletank XL includes 20 multi-parameter DSP effects all easily accessible and applied in realtime. Also available as a special edition set with a more affordable price tag, the SampleTank L contains 200 of the finest samples from SampleTank XL.
Whenever Rode comes out with a new microphone, we take notice. This NAMM, they were showing not just one but two new additions to their NT family of mics, the NT4 and the NT5. The NT4 is a pretty interesting mic. It’s a stereo mic with dual 90 XY placed, externally polarized single-diaphragm condenser transducers. Because of its unique design, this cardioid (per capsule) mic sounds as pristine as it is different and delivers a great stereo sound every time it is used. As clean sounding as its NT4 cousin, the NT5 sounds as clean as its NT4 cousin and uses the same cardioid pattern condenser, but without the dual head design. Output Impedance: 200per side, Frequency Response: 20Hz – 20kHz.
“I will call him…Mini Me.” That’s what Apogee decided to call their new 2-channel, portable mic pre/converter, anyway. Featuring 24/96 sampling capability, Mini Me combines the best of old and new Apogee design with a visual nod to its illustrious predecessor, the AD1000. Mini Me is capable of handling a wide variety of power sources. In addition to its pristine sound quality, Mini Me offers digital output in the standard AES/EBU and S/PDIF formats. There is also a USB output for direct connection to any USB equipped computer, making this a quick and easy recording solution for the musician on the go.
We can always rely on BOSS to deliver some impressive stuff at NAMM – especially if you’re a guitarist – and we weren’t disappointed. They had two new pedals to show us. The first, the PW-10 V-Wah, is a programmable COSM modeling wah pedal, the first of its kind. This powerful pedal gives guitarists AND bassists instant access to six classic and modern wah sounds like “CBY-Wah” (classic wah), “VO-Wah” (Brit wah), “MO-Wah” (new-school wah), and “Uni-V” (vintage swirling rotary effect). Two modes, “Voice” and “Double Resonance,” have never appeared in a wah pedal before.
Both guitarists and bass players can tap into the power of the PW-10 V-Wah, but BOSS second offering in the effects pedal department was exclusively for the bassists. The GT-6B Bass Multi-effects Processor. The floor-based GT-6B offers new COSM Bass Amp Modeling – with modeled compression – and a host of essential effects, including modeled overdrive/distortion, modeled wah and touch wah, octave, delay and more. XLR and digital outputs are provided for recording. The GT-6B sports 24-bit converters and has a true analog bypass to allow bass players to switch back and forth between the GT-6B’s effects and their pure bass sound.
For even more guitar madness we headed over to the Marshall booth where they were displaying their impressive new MGIII Series amplifiers. The MGIII Series consists of 9 combo amps featuring Marshall’s proprietary FDD (frequency dependent damping) circuitry that accurately mimics the interaction of an all-tube amp’s power stage with the loudspeaker(s) it is driving, so the MG amps respond and “feel” much like tube amplifiers. Other properties all the amps in the series have in common: two channels (Clean & Overdrive); contour controls in their EQ network for fine-tuning; CD inputs; Emulated Line Outs; Headphone jacks; and Marshall’s trademarked, brushed gold front panel. Six of the amps also feature built-in digital effects (DFX) and deliver a choice of four (Reverb, Delay, Flange or Chorus) or five (Chorus/Delay, Delay, Flange or Chorus plus Reverb) custom-voiced effects. The sound? We’ll just say that Marshall connoisseurs will NOT be disappointed. We’ll also add that anyone who has wanted to get into the classic sound of a Marshall will find the price of the MGIII amps very appealing, considering the power and features they provide.
That’s all for today. Keep your eyes peeled for more NAMM soon!