Results for gear

Korg has announced Kross, a mobile synthesizer keyboard with impressive features.

With the KROSS, the sounds and songs that you’ve created at home and the system that you use every day can go with you onto the stage or into the street! Featuring rich sounds that exceed its class, yet remaining highly portable, the KROSS is designed for practical usability.

There’s a convenient mic input and a built-in audio recorder, and it can run on 6 x AA batteries. It’s a distinctive new standard in music workstations, with specs and style that set it apart from all others.

Kross features

• Stylish and distinctive red and black two-tone color design.
• The lightweight body is only 4.3 kg/9.5 lbs (61-key model) or 12.4 kg/27.3 lbs (88-key model), and can be powered by 6x AA batteries.
• Piano, electric piano, and drum sounds that exceed its class.
• A wide variety of sounds that utilize twice as much PCM memory as previous instruments, and meet the needs of a broad range of musical styles.
• Sound Selector makes it easy to find the sound you’re looking for.
• Favorites function lets you register 64 selected sounds or audio songs for one-touch access – a great feature for live performances.
• Pro-quality EDS-i sound engine built-in, with a total of seven effects available for simultaneous use.
• External input jacks allow a mic or external audio source to be directly connected..
• Quick Layer/Split function for on-the-fly versatility.
• Stereo audio recorder allows you to record and overdub your performances and vocals.
• Step sequencer inherited from the Electribe, a 16-track MIDI sequencer, a drum track, and an arpeggiator.
• Connects to your computer via USB for plug-in integration with your favorite DAW.

The Korg Kross will be available in August 2013, priced at $699 USD (61-key) and $999 USD (88-key).

More information: Korg / Kross

Tronical has announced the highly acclaimed Tronical Tuning Technology to be available for all customers, brands and makes of guitars.

With Tronical Tune everyone has access to this amazing self-tuning system as a retro fit kit for his own instrument. Based on the new Min-E-Tune system known from the latest Gibson models Tronical presents Tronical Tune as a retro fit kit to bring perfect tuning to potentially all guitar players – finally.

Installed within ten minutes and with minimum effort Tronical Tune basically works straight out of the box. No drilling required. The push of one single button gets the guitar in perfect tune within seconds. Additionally the player has immediate access to 12 different alternate tunings plus 6 custom tunings – this opens an infinite array of new creative possibilities.

Tronical Tune features

• Multi-string & single-string tuning.
• Custom tuning, reference tuning.
• 12 factory presets & 6 user presets.
• String Up and Down, Calibration, and Accurarcy modes.
• Robohead Delay.
• Interference and battery levels.
• Reset mode.

The Tronical Tune retro-fit-kit is available at the Tronical-Components online store and at dealers worldwide for 299 EUR/USD.

More information: Tronical

Audient has introduced its new iD22 audio interface at the MusikMesse in Frankfurt.

iD22 provides two classic audient microphone preamplifiers, ALL NEW pristine AD/DA convertors that have been designed to deliver impeccable detail and impressive depth during both tracking & mixing.

iD22 is expandable via ADAT i/o – perfect for partnering with an ASP008 for 10-ch recording [total 10-in, 12-out + headphones]. Our console-style monitor controller functionality and USB2.0 connectivity complete the ergonomic desktop package.

iD22 will transform your DAW into a world-class recording system by connecting directly to your microphones, computer and monitors.

iD22 features

• 2-in, 6-out high performance 24-bit/96kHz AD/DA converters.
• 2 superb class-A mic preamplifiers & 1 discrete JFET instrument input.
• Fully balanced insert points for integrating outboard gear.
• High current headphone amplifier fed by an independant DAC.
• Main and alternative stereo outputs.
• User defined monitoring functionality with hardware control.
• USB2.0 class compliant connectivity with integrated DSP mixer.

Price and availability TBA.

More information: Audient

Arturia has introduced its KeyLab range of professional-grade MIDI keyboard controllers with all-new accompanying Analog Lab synthesizer software at Musikmesse 2013.

25, 49, or 61 keys; velocity sensitivity or velocity sensitivity and aftertouch; beat-making or breath control… whatever your performance preference, there’s a KeyLab MIDI keyboard controller to suit with Analog Lab to boot.

Let your musical ideas flow forth with the greatest of ease with these superb-sounding software/hardware hybrid synthesis combos!

KeyLab features

• 25/49/61 semi weighted keys with velocity and aftertouch.
• Controllers include encoders (incl. clickable), sliders, modulation & pitch bend wheels, switches, assignable control buttons, octave up/down buttons, touch & pressure-sensitive pads.
• MIDI in & out, USB, Sustain pedal, Expression pedal, Aux footswitch, Breath controller inputs.
• High quality aluminum and wooden construction.
• 32 digits LCD screen.
• Functions as an universal MIDI controller.
• Includes Analog Lab with 5000 synth sounds.
• All presets are carefully selected from the Arturia Classic Synths (mini V, Modular V, CS-80V, ARP 2600 V, Prophet V, Prophet VS, SEM V and Jupiter-8V) and from Wurlitzer V, our recreation of the classic 200A electric piano. These TAE® powered sounds offer unparalleled audio quality.
• Fast filter the presets to your requirements: by Instrument, by Type (Bass, Pads, Leads…), by Characteristics (long, bright, dark…).
• In-depth Preset Editing available for the owners of the Arturia Classic Synthesizers (Mini V, CS-80 V, etc.). Edit your sounds on the original instruments within Analog Lab.
• More than 200 Multi patches organized by musical genres, each made of two different synth patches with effects, layers and splits.
• Straightforward editing, with a complete array of parameters for tweaking sounds, directly assigned to the controls of the Keylab.

The KeyLab controller series will be available soon.

More information: Arturia

Sound Performance Lab has announced the Crimson USB audio-interface and monitor controller and the Madison 16+16 channel MADI interface at Musikmesse.

The SPL Crimson combines a USB interface with high-quality preamps and a separate, fully-featured monitor controller. You can play and play back, record and convert, control and listen with one single device.

So all you essentially need for a truly professional recording setup is the Crimson and DAW.

Crimson features

• 30 I/O channels (10 recording channels and 20 playback channels).
• +/- 18V operational voltage for professional levels up to +24dB.
• Two boutique level, discrete Class A, +/-30V high-voltage mic-preamplifiers.
• Two Hi-Z instrument preamplifiers.
• Two separate headphones amps, individually controllable.
• Connect and control two stereo speaker sets.
• Monitor signal mix function for playback and recording paths.
• MIDI input and output via two DIN sockets.
• USB 2.0, S/P-DIF input and output.
• 24Bit/192kHz converter.
• Made in Germany.

The Crimson is scheduled for release in July 2013, with a RRP of 549 EUR (including German VAT) / $725 USD.

The Madison 16+16 channel MADI interface is the “most analog digital converter”, according to SPL.

With excellent converters and a unique 36 volts analog section, the SPL Madison offers the pure SPL analog sound for every MADI equipped digital console, audio router and PC MADI card.

With 16 input and 16 output channels in a single rack space, the Madison combines state of the art signal conversion with highly reliable clock and MADI processing. And as a true SPL unit it is simple to operate, easy to expand and, of course, an awesome sounding conversion system.

Madison features

• 16 AD and 16 DA converters in 1U.
• Superb sounding converters with a sophisticated analog section on 36?V audio rails.
• +24?dBu professional output level.
• Best price/performance value.
• Up to 64 I/Os on 1 MADI port (4 units).
• Latency neutral MADI chaining.
• 44.1 to 192?kHz, ±10% vari-speed.
• SPL clock-shop for jitter-free operation.
• Ultra-compatible, always operational MADI IO with ultra low conversion latencies.
• Four directly selectable reference levels: 15/18/22/24.
• Simple operation and setup right from the front panel controls.
• Ergonomic, distance-readable meters for clear level status indication of any I/O channel.
• Fanless, absolutely silent low-power design (max. 30?W).
• Redundant power supply optionally.
• Four analog, 8-channel multicore DB 25 sockets (TASCAM industry standard).
• Made in Germany.

The Madison is scheduled for release in June 2013, priced at RRP 1.499 EUR (including German VAT) / $1.899 USD.

More information: Sound Performance Lab

Paul Vo has launched a Kickstarter project for the Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer, a new product that is allows dazzling new sounds on the acoustic guitar through precise harmonic control of string vibration.

The Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer is based on a key invention that enables accurate control of acoustic vibrations. I’m the inventor. My technology was behind the well-known Moog Guitar and the Moog lap steel — instruments based on the same key principle. Since then I’ve been advancing this invention towards its full potential. Now I’m going ahead with the Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer. It’s my full ‘inventor’s version’ product and will be produced by my design company Vo Inventions LLC.

The Vo-96 was never intended to be a retail type of product. It is a concept product that takes the technology to the max and demonstrates what’s really possible with acoustic synthesis. It’s the “inventor’s cut” and it leaves nothing out — which makes it impractical to sell through the standard retail channels with their customary price mark-ups. Making the Vo-96 available through Kickstarter allows us to maximize the value to you and provide the most powerful product for the price; and there is simply nothing else available at any price that does what the Vo-96 does.

Our goal is to launch Acoustic Synthesis technology with a bang. We want to put the most powerful instrument possible into the hands of as many forward-thinking guitarists as possible and listen to the new music you all create. This is where Kickstarter really shines! I’m thrilled to have found a way to offer the Vo-96 directly to you at the fairest price possible – about half what it would cost as a retail product!

The project is looking for $50,000 to be pledged by Sunday May 12, 11:59pm EDT. Various pledge rewards are offered, including signed Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizers, numbered and signed by Paul Vo.

More information: Vo-96 Acoustic Synthesizer