New Products
Jan 1, 2003 12:00 PM, By Markkus Rovito
ALLEN & HEATH XONE : V6
CLUB MIXER
Allen & Heath poured 30 years of professional mixing console expertise into the design of the Xone : V6 ($5,999), a high-end rotary club mixer. With discrete circuitry, top-notch components and tube preamps on channels 5 and 6, the V6 aims to capture the hearts and ears of audiophiles. Each of the six stereo channels has a Penny & Giles rotary dial, an eight-LED level meter and a highpass filter sweepable from 30 to 600 Hz. All channels also have a stereo insert for adding external effects or EQs. A balanced XLR mic input has an insert and a 2-band EQ, as well as optional phantom power.
Dual 1950s-style VU meters monitor left and right mix levels. The master section features stereo inserts, a 2-band EQ and a level control, as well as XLR and TRS main mix outputs. Booth output also receives a 2-band EQ and a level control. The record outputs are standard RCA connections. Headphone jacks sit on the front and back panels, and three knobs control headphone monitoring: level, tone and cue/mix preview control. The Xone : V6's external power supply automatically monitors and matches AC voltages from 100 to 265V, assisting international DJs in their travels.
Allen & Heath; e-mail
marketing@allen-heath.com; Web
www.allen-heath.com
ROLAND MC-909
SAMPLING GROOVEBOX
If you thought the D2 signaled the death of the Groovebox, think again. Roland has combined and improved upon some of the best features of its most successful dance machines to form the coup de grace of the series, the MC-909 ($1,795) Sampling Groovebox. It contains not only a professional sampler but also a synthesizer that is expandable with an SRX-series expansion board. The onboard sequencer controls the sampler and synth and provides tighter timing and longer patterns. The MC-909 includes an eight-part mixer with faders similar to the MC-505; a Turntable Emulation slider, like that of the MC-307, for independent control of pitch and tempo (in the synth and sampler); and two D-Beams for modulation and control tasks. Its 16 pads are now velocity-sensitive.
The MC-909 can import samples and standard MIDI files through the SmartMedia-card drive or the USB port connected to a PC. Stereo analog inputs and two sets of digital inputs (coaxial and optical) serve to record samples. Samples can be chopped, time-stretched, effected, resampled and synchronized to other samples. The four-tone synthesis engine comes with 32 MB of sample ROM and 800 patches and 64 rhythm sets as starting points. A larger and improved LCD shows all parameters. A dedicated 3-band compressor combines with a 24-bit reverb processor and two multi-effects processors with dozens of algorithms each. The back panel includes six analog and two digital outputs and MIDI I/O. As a final bonus, the V-Link can trigger video clips from the sequencer when synched to the Edirol DV-7PR Digital Video Workstation.
Roland; Web
www.rolandus.com
SERATO SCRATCH STUDIO EDITION
AUDIO-SCRATCHING PLUG-IN (MAC/PC)
The latest product to use special vinyl records to control digital-audio files on a computer is the RTAS/HTDM plug-in Scratch Studio Edition ($299) from Serato. Recently, a few similar products have gotten some DJs scratching MP3s and others scratching their heads. Perhaps Scratch will be the one plug-in that unites them all.
With Scratch, DJs can scratch digital sound files from a computer by using a normal turntable with an included proprietary piece of vinyl or simply by using a computer mouse. The two packaged vinyl records contain control signals that let the software track the motion of the records and simulate the same movement within the sound file. Serato claims that the resulting sounds are indistinguishable from scratching vinyl records. Scratch also supports and simulates the reverse play and pitch control from the user's turntable. DJs can also scratch audio recorded from the mic input on the fly.
An MAS version of the Scratch Studio Edition plug-in, as well as a stand-alone Scratch Live program, are also in the works and should be available by the time you read this.
Serato; e-mail
info@serato.com; Web
www.serato.com
STEINBERG NUENDO 2.0
MEDIA-PRODUCTION SYSTEM (MAC/PC)
Steinberg's flagship product is not Cubase, but Nuendo 2.0 ($1,499). For Windows 2000/XP and Mac OS X, this complete production system is made for all aspects of professional audio: music composition, postproduction, surround mixing, film, broadcast and games/multimedia. Nuendo's particular forte is multichannel surround-sound audio. The entire signal path — from the input, audio track, effect, group and output — is outfitted for a total of 12 discrete channels to accommodate productions of 10.2 surround sound, in addition to more common configurations such as 5.1 and 7.1. The 32-bit mixer has been entirely re-engineered with multichannel capability and user customization in mind. But user customization doesn't end there: Producers may choose to hide unnecessary functions from the user interface and from the menus to make the work flow smoother. For example, if MIDI is not needed, users can hide all MIDI track controls.
VST System Link is the most radical advance. With that, Nuendo users can chain as many computers to the system as they like to increase the real-time processing power needed for large projects. They can also link Nuendo 2.0 projects to a TCP/IP LAN and give individual users IDs and various read-and-write privileges with the project. Nuendo flawlessly imports Cubase SX projects; it also imports and exports a wide array of audio formats to exchange projects with systems from other manufacturers.
Steinberg; e-mail
info@steinberg.net; Web
www.steinberg.net
STANTON SA-12
DJ CRAZE SIGNATURE MIXER
Whether the stamp of approval from master turntablist DJ Craze matters to most jocks, DJs of all types should appreciate the thoughtful design and innovations of Stanton's new SA-12 ($999) 2-channel, 10-inch mixer. Crafted to meet the expectations of both club DJs and turntablists, the SA-12 features a removable effects module that DJs will be able to replace with future modules from Stanton. The current packaged module offers pitch shift, flange and delay effects with parameter and mix controls. Effects are routable to channels 1 and 2, the mic or the main mix, and a footpedal output triggers the effects module. Each of the two channels has a set of line and phono inputs, and the phono/line switches have a new lock option to avoid accidental switches to the other input during a performance. Three selectable cue positions — pre-crossfader, post-crossfader and master — round out the significant new features.
A 3-band EQ with slider controls per band, as well as a pan slider, are present on each channel. The SA-12's crossfader and channel faders were custom-made by Penny & Giles and have reverse switches and curved adjustments. Master outputs are balanced TRS jacks with an output trim control. The SA-12 sports two headphone jacks: one ¼-inch and one ⅛-inch. Stanton assures that there will be no pops or noise when the mixer is switched on.
Stanton; e-mail
info@stantonmagnetics.com; Web
www.stantonmagnetics.com
M-AUDIO MIDISPORT 2×4
USB MIDI INTERFACE
M-Audio's latest MIDI interface, the MIDISport 2×4 ($179.99), is USB-equipped for PC and Mac computers. Carrying the Midiman logo, this 2-In, 4-Out interface derives power from the USB bus, making it particularly well-suited for laptop users. Travelers will also appreciate the compact yet solid construction, but they won't have to sacrifice MIDI channels. The MIDISport 2×4 accepts a maximum of 32 discrete MIDI-Input channels and sends as many as 64 discrete MIDI-Output channels. Having more ports also enables more MIDI devices to be directly connected, which can tighten up sketchy timing caused by daisy-chaining devices with MIDI Thru ports. Additional MIDISports can be connected to expand the number of ports. All MIDI transfers to a computer will be fast and reliable through the high-speed USB connection.
The MIDISport 2×4 includes one MIDI In and three Outs on the back panel and one MIDI In and Out on the front. Also on the front are MIDI-activity LEDs for each of the six ports. The unit includes a 6-foot USB cable, OMS software and drivers for Windows 98/2000/ME/XP and Mac OS 9.1 and higher (including OS X). Installation is plug-and-play, and the box carries a lifetime warranty.
M-Audio; e-mail
info@m-audio.com; Web
www.m-audio.com
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