Miscellaneous Gear Alert: June 2023

Bass guitar

Dingwall John Taylor Rio Dream – a limited edition four-string model built to the specifications of Duran Duran's bassist commemorates more than 40 years since the release of their groundbreaking album Rio. The maple neck is attached to the body via an ergonomic joint, the two-octave fingerboard features fanned frets, and thanks to the dual scale, the base of the bridge Minimalist and three FD3-N pickups with neodymium magnets are also bevelled. The active electronics feature a high-end Rupert Neve Designs preamp, while the E-string tuner is handled by a Hipshot Drop D Xtender. Only 82 units will be available on the market, the number of which refers to the year of release of the above-mentioned album (1982). A padded gig bag, a spare pickguard in cream and a set of strings are included.

Reverend Lil LinhBacker – signature semi-hollow model built according to the preferences of bassist Linh Le from the girl punk rock band Bad Cop/Bad Cop. The back and sides are made of korina, combined with a solid spruce top. The Oval-C profile neck is fitted with three layers of korina interspersed with two walnut slabs, while the 12-inch radius rosewood fingerboard carries 21 medium jumbo frets and a 42mm wide boneite nut. The instrument, with a shorter 30-inch scale, comes with Thick Brick + Split Brick pickups, a flexible bridge (string-thru / top-load) and lightweight Hipshot Ultralight pickups. Price: approx. 1350 dollars.

Joyo R-26 Monomyth – pedal bass preamplifier with integrated overdrive features Drive, Level, Blend, Voice potentiometers and six-band graphic equaliser (bass, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1.5 kHz, 3 Hz, treble) with backlit faders and custom master. Flexibility is enhanced by two lever switches with Hi Boost and Gain Boost functions. In addition to the In, Out, Thru jack jacks, there is a balanced XLR DI output on the left side of the chassis with an earthing knob and a button activating cabinet emulation. Power supply: 9V DC, current draw: 200 mA, dimensions: 130 x 110 x 50 mm, weight: 442 g, price: approx. 120 euros.

Warwick Gnome i Pro V2 – the latest addition to the Gnome series of compact amplifiers uses a Class-D power amp with enhanced 300 W/4 Ohm (180 W/8 Ohm) output and a single-channel transistor preamp equipped with gain, master and active three-band EQ controls with +-15 dB of boost. There is also a USB card (44.1 and 48 kHz), headphone jack, minijack Aux In and a balanced XLR DI line output (post-EQ) with an earth lift button. Dimensions: 200 x 137 x 49 mm, weight: 1.35 kg, price: approx. 250 euros.

Genzler Bass Array Series 2 – the second generation of cabinets, which are equipped with an array system with midrange drivers, vertically placed in the central part of the sound box. The cabinets now feature more powerful drivers with neodymium magnets, wider frequency response, more pronounced midrange, more detailed highs and lighter Baltic birch plywood construction. Some boxes are available in both slanted and straight (SLT / STR – slanted/straight front) versions. There are a total of 6 cabinet types to choose from.

EverTune Bass Bridge – ten years after the introduction of the automated guitar bridge EverTune, bassists playing four-string instruments will be able to enjoy this increasingly popular system. The design, of course, is based on the guitar version equipped with adjustable springs to compensate for string movement and tension, ultimately eliminating detuning. According to the brand developer Matt Blackett, the pitch of the attack of a note is the same as the sustain of that note – that eliminates the frustrating pitch skipping that can come with low-tuned strings. An official price has not yet been set. The following video demonstrates the features of the ET Bass Bridge.

Keys, synths, groove boxes, samplers, etc.

Hammond XK-4 – a digital organ combining tradition and the latest technology features the MTW2 (Modelled Tone Wheel) sound engine, which accurately reproduces the mechanism with 91-tone wheels that characterise all vintage Hammond organs. The new concept provides a way to express the imperfections that give classic Hammonds their uniqueness, such as variations in pitch and volume due to tone wheel backlash and decentration. It incorporates digital emulation of the Leslie effect, modelling of the original tube circuits and transformer, chorus/vibrato, compression, overdrive delay, etc. Dimensions: 1004 x 322 x 109 mm, weight: 9.4 kg, price: approx. 2400 euros, availability: end of August/September 2023.

Donner Essential D1 – a compact drum machine designed primarily for aspiring beatmakers is based on sampling technology with the option of importing your own samples. It provides 12 channels and an intuitive interface to make it easier for new players to create patterns, both through real-time recording and through the sequencer (128 songs, 4 bars / 64 steps / 512 beats), which is partly related to the unit in the company's analogue bass model B1, evoking the classic Roland TB-303. Controls: 6x encoder, 2x potentiometer, 4x RGB fader, 16x RGB pad, 16 buttons, LCD display. Connectivity: 2x line TS output, headphone and Aux In TRS minijack, DIN MIDI In/Out connectors, USB-C 2.0 port for MIDI and remote control (Donner Control app), 9V/1A DC adapter socket.   Dimensions: 270 x 130 x 41 mm.

Drums

Meinl Byzance Dark 21" Double Down Crash-Ride B21DDCR – signature cymbal developed in collaboration with Matt Halpern, drummer of prog-metal Periphery. The hand-hammered bronze alloy B20 model offers dynamic, distinctive projection and fast decay so it doesn't overpower other instruments in the band. The manufacturer recommends this version with its dark, unlathed top and lathed bottom for a range of styles that can benefit from the massive crash sound. Weight category: Thin, price: approx. 570 euros.

Tama S.L.P. G-Kapur 14“ x 6“ ASF – limited edition luxury snare has 10mm thick shells made from 11 layers of Kapur wood and an outer Mappa Burl ply in a transparent Amber Sunset Fade finish. The black nickel-plated hardware consists of Starclassic MSL-SCTBN lugs, 2.3 mm thick steel Mighty Hoops, strainer/butt MLS50ABN / MLS50BBN and Super Sensitive 20 MS20RL14C carbon snare wires. The drum offers powerful projection, solid tone and sharp attack. Price: approx. 420 euros. Dimensions: 566 x 284 x 74 mm.

DJ

Numark Mixstream Pro Go – compact standalone mobile DJ controller with built-in speakers, battery, USB and SD card slots (2x USB-A, 1x SD), Wi-Fi module and wireless control of smart home lighting, gives DJs the ability to create and work virtually anywhere, without a host computer, laptop, etc. The model uses the Engine DJ operating system, integrated sampling section, Touch FX, software control mode (Serato DJ + Virtual DJ), a pair of decks with independent three-band EQ, filtering and four dual-layer pads, Pitch Bend, Pitch Shifter, Smart Scratch, effects unit, 7" touchscreen, microphone input, RCA or XLR outputs, USB-B port, etc. Dimensions: 566 x 284 x 74 mm, weight: 4.2 kg, price: approx. 1000 euros.

Studio

Lewitt Audio Pure Tube – professional condenser tube microphone with external power supply unit, designed primarily for studio recording of vocal lines, uses a semiconductor and capacitor-free circuit built on a hand-picked ECC82/12AU7 tube. The one-inch capsule with a cardioid pattern is coated with a layer of gold, the frequency range is from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, the maximum SPL is 132 dB and it uses the 7-pin XLR output connector. You can choose between the variant Essential (microphone, voltage module, cable, mount and case) or Studio Set, which also includes an adjustable XL shock mount and a two-layer magnetic pop filter. Microphone dimensions: 196 x 65 x 45mm, weight: 692 g. Price: approx. 1000 euros for the Pure Tube Essential version, or 1300 euros for the Studio Set.

Audix PDX720 Signature Edition – a dynamic hyper-cardioid studio vocal microphone with a function to increase speech intelligibility and high output level, eliminating the need for various external signal boosts. It features a switchable high-pass filter (120/155 Hz mods) and a presence boost (+1.5/3 dB). The microphone also works in combination with drums and other instruments, the maximum SPL level is 135 dB, the frequency response ranges from 50 Hz to 20 kHz and the output impedance is 280 ohms. The model will hit the market in July.

Black Rooster Audio Omnitec-436C – plugin, which brings the features of the vintage Altec 436C Vari-Mu tube compressor from the 1950s, offers not only advanced emulation of the hardware template but also some modern features such as a new limiter mode, dual mono/stereo circuit and additional adjustable sidechain filters SC High and SC Low (20 Hz – 12 kHz, 100 Hz – 20 kHz) with the possibility of instant comparison of the result using the switch SC Listen. Formats: VST, AAX, AU, platforms: Windows 7 / macOS 10.10 and higher.