Miscellaneous Gear Alert: April 2022

Bass guitar

Ibanez EHB1006MS-MGM and EHB1265MS-NML—modern five-string and six-string basses with headless construction, dual scale 32.5/33 to 35 inches, active electronics with controllers volume, balance and three-band EQ with parametric mids, a pair of angled humbuckers, 24 compensated stainless steel frets, abalone inlays and the company's bridge Mono Rail with tube tuners and separate segments for each string.

EHB1006MS—body made of American linden, bolted neck combining roasted maple and walnut, fretboard made of roasted birdseye maple, 2 x passive HB Ibanez T1, colour: Metallic Gray Matte, price: 1365 euros + gig bag and Schaller S-Locks strap locks
EHB1265MS—ash body, walnut top, bolt-on neck made of 9 layers of panga panga and walnut, fretboard made of panga panga wood, 2 x passive HB Bartolini BH2, colour: Natural Mocha Low Gloss, price: 1,419 euros + gig bag and Schaller S-Locks strap locks

Charvel Pro-Mod San Dimas PJ V—a five-string model with a Fender Precision style alder body, a caramelized maple neck with a design close to Jazz Bass, graphite bracing and a bolt-on neck. The fretboard made of the same material has a variable radius of 12 - 16 inches, it is fitted with 20 jumbo frets, a Graph Tech TUSQ XL nut (44.45 mm) and luminescent dots on the fretboard edge in addition to the standard inlays. The company's bridge Hi-Mass is complemented by a 4+1 configuration, Charvel 5-Str Split-Coil P and DiMarzio Area J DP551 pickups are connected to electronics (passive/active) with volume, blend and three-band corrections. Colours: Metallic Black, Platinum Pearl. Price: approx. 1,100 dollars.

Darkglass Exponent e500—a compact amplifier built on the new technology Powered Platform with programmable presets and an emphasis on pure dynamic sound. The integrated Bluetooth module allows communication with the Darkglass Suite mobile editing app featuring virtual preamps, effects section including pedals Alpha Omicron, B3K, Vintage Microtubes, cabinet IR pulses, etc. Potentiometers can be assigned additional functions, there is a tuner, MIDI In, line, effect loop or USB-C port connected to the built-in 4 x 4 card. The 500 W, 21 x 17.5 x 6 cm and 1.65 kg machine is expected to be available for a price of about 1,017 euros.

Boss Katana KTN-110 a KTN-210—the first representatives of the Katana series of bass combo amplifiers, following the successful guitar versions, offer three sound modes Vintage, Flat, Modern, a four-band equaliser with a choice of several mids, a directly accessible compressor and overdrive, a bank for six presets, Power Control (Standby, 1 W, Max), an effects unit expandable via Boss Tone Studio software and much more. The modelling preamplifier is connected to a Class AB end unit, the KTN-110 variant equipped with a 10-inch speaker and tweeter with a power output of 60W, the KTN-210 version with a pair of 10-inch woofers and tweeter with a power output of 160W. The price is around 400 euros and 700 euros.

Keys

ROLI Seaboard RISE 2—ROLI has relaunched its flagship keyboard, the Seaboard MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression), and introduced a modified model, the Seaboard RISE 2. The soft-touch controller with the synth MPE Equator2 received an improved "keyboard" with tactile feedback and a chassis made of blue anodised aluminium. The touch fader controller, integrated battery and wireless MIDI support (Bluetooth) were retained, a USB-C port and MIDI connector were added, the entire workflow and compatible software ecosystem were dramatically redesigned, and the 5D visualiser panel was updated. The price of the controller is around 1,300 euros, including the ROLI Studio app and the aforementioned Equator 2.

Korg Wavestate Native a Opsix Native—relatively shortly after the premiere of the Wavestate and Opsix digital synthesisers, Korg also launched their software counterparts in VST3/AU/AAX formats. Like the prequels, the Native versions are based on wave sequence or FM technology, and their features are identical to the originals, which can, of course, control this pair of virtual models. The manufacturer recommends using the software versions in the studio and then loading the presets into hardware for live use. Wavestate Native and Opsix Native are offered to owners of either of the synths in question for the discounted price of 49.99 dollars; the standard price tag has been set at 199 dollars, but the software can also be temporarily acquired for the introductory price of 149 dollars.

Rhodes MK8/75AE—to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Rhodes brand, product director Dan Goldman has put together a limited edition of ten electric pianos MK8/75AE with special design and analogue effects based on BBD chips. The facelift includes a gold logo and a custom black keyboard designed by Kluge Klaviaturen. The boutique piano will be presented by the manufacturer on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, but what's probably most important in this case is the fact that you can win one of the models—just click on the link next to the instrument's name and fill in the registration form.

Drums

Adoro Drums Silent Sticks—the so-called silent drumsticks from the Hamburg-based company are now offered in three new versions, reducing the volume of the drum set, whether for unplugged gigs or home practice. A heavier version SSX with a 14.5mm diameter has been added to the Silent Sticks collection, an SSE (15.5mm) variant designed for electronic kits with a softer grip that cushions the harder bounce of rubber pads, and the SPS Scott Pellegrom Signature version with red padded handles and a 16.5mm diameter. All models are made from polycarbonate and feature patented Dual-Twist Reflex tips. The prices are around 25 euros.

DJ

QSC AD-DWL—passive monitors in the series AcousticDesign Direct Weather Landscape for outdoor use boast an elegant, elevated bollard design, allowing sound to be transmitted over obstacles while providing a robust, shockproof solution for outdoor installations, without compromising sound quality. The AD-DWL edition includes models AD-DWL.180 (180° coverage) and AD-DWL.360 (360° coverage), capable of addressing individual space requirements by directing sound where it is most needed, while the accompanying subwoofer AD-DWL.SUB enriches and extends lower projection bands.

The boxes are made of durable polypropylene and fibreglass with stainless steel accessories, IP-55 protection, the dimensions are 766 x 164 x 164 mm and weight 4.7 kg, impedance 16 ohms, max. SPL 110 dB or 112 dB (sub), frequency range 55 Hz to 25 kHz / 49 Hz to 200 Hz (sub), 1 x 135 mm ferrite magnet woofer + 1 inch aluminium tweeter or 2 x 135 mm woofer (sub), power 80 W / 160 W (sub).

Studio

sE Electronics NEOM USB—cardioid condenser microphone, designed primarily for podcasting, streaming, vlogging and related activities, uses a 16mm capsule, which, according to the manufacturer, provides a clear, transparent presentation with good dynamics. In addition to the USB-C port, the model features a headphone minijack and three potentiometers controlling gain and microphone and playback levels, so monitoring and playback volume can be adjusted independently. Maximum recording quality is limited to 24-bit/192kHz, the microphone supports Mac, iOS, Windows and Android; the price of about 250 dollars includes a metal desktop stand, threaded adapter, mic clip, and USB cable.

Sound Magic Drum One—a free drum kit plugin using the lite version of the software Supreme Drums Engine can provide musicians or producers with sound quality and easy to use drum kits. Thanks to the use of more advanced modelling, the file is a reasonable size at around 80MB. According to the manufacturer, the software should also work as a user evolution tool, which means that the company will respond to user suggestions and apply them in future updates. The plugin works as a 64-bit VTS3 for Windows or in an AU variant for Mac systems.

Locomotive Audio Model 86B-2—tube two-channel preamplifier in the style of Ampex 601 preamp from the fifties uses tube EF86 in the input section while the output circuit is based on tube 12AY7. Each channel of the rack model features gain, volume and a rotary mic/line/DI mod switch. There is no phantom power, pad and low-cut filter, but there are Wima polypropylene capacitors and NuMetal high-end transformers. A professional studio preamp costs about 2000 dollars.

Low Gain Electronics 4U Matrix Mixer —mixing console with 8 inputs and 4 outputs should be available both in modular version "Serge" 4U and in the classic desktop version. Each of the 8 inputs has 2 gains with attenuators and the Summing Node inputs are equipped with three-way switches with the ability to turn on, off and invert the signal from the respective output, which will be appreciated not only by musicians using modular systems. Channel 8 and Output A have jack sockets, the other connectors are banana plugs. The 4U module costs about 600 dollars, the desktop version is available for about 800 dollars.