Recording Devices

Jan 16, 2007 2:32 PM

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BOSS MICRO BR DIGITAL RECORDER
A palmtop recording studio and guitar companion that’s only slightly larger than an iPod. In addition to four recording tracks, the Micro BR Digital Recorder ($319.50) offers eight additional Virtual Tracks (32 total) for comping, loads and plays back MP3s to an SD card, and can time-stretch in real time without affecting pitch. The BR also features internal guitar effects, more than 250 drum patterns, USB connectivity, a stereo line input and headphone output with separate volume control. NAMM booth #2652.
www.bossus.com

CAKEWALK SONAR PRODUCER EDITION
Optimized for multi-core CPUs, Cakewalk's SONAR 6 Producer Edition is a powerhouse, taking a giant step ahead of earlier versions, with a new Synth Rack, high-performance VC-64 Vintage Channel effects, AudioSnap timing correction, Active Controller Technology for seamless mapping of external devices and more. NAMM booth #6800.
www.cakewalk.com

DIGIDESIGN PRO TOOLS 7.3
Pro Tools 7.3 is a Universal Binary release and offers user-interface improvements such as savable window sets and upgraded looping functions. The new version also offers integration with Sibelius notation software, which was recently purchased by Digidesign. NAMM booth #6606.

DIGIDESIGN MBOX 2 MINI
The Digidesign USB-powered Mbox 2 Mini ($329) allows recording at up to 24-bit/48kHz and features two analog in/outs (two1/4-inch, one XLR), front panel volume control, zero latency monitoring, monitor mute switch, stereo headphone out, phantom power and a Kensington Security lock to prevent your Mini from disappearing. The unit ships with Pro Tools LE and comes packed with DigiRack and Bomb Factory plug-ins and the Xpand! sample-playback/synthesis workstation software. NAMM booth #6606.
www.digidesign.com

FOCUSRITE SAFFIRE PRO 10 I/O
The Saffire PRO 10 i/o delivers higher performance specifications than any other interface in its class. Featuring the highly acclaimed Saffire plug-in suite—comprising EQ, compression, amp simulation and reverb in both VST and Audio Units formats—along with Focusrite’s high-performance 24-bit digital converters, the Saffire PRO is the only choice for tracking and monitoring multiple channels of high-quality audio to and from the DAW. NAMM booth #6474.
866/474-7711
www.focusrite.com

GLYPH GT 062
The GT 062 (320 GB, $475) offers SATA drive technology, more connectivity and multiple configurations than its predecessor, the GT 060BR. The tabletop unit can be configured in JBOD (two drives are seen by the computer as two single volumes) Spanning (multiple drives seen as one large volume), or RAID 0 (reading and writing data from two drives at the same time). Its Seagate SATA drives incorporate Native Command Queuing (NCQ), which reduces rescheduling and reordering commands, so the heads travel less over the drive platters allowing more data to be streamed from the drive. The rear panel has two FireWire 800 ports, a FireWire 400 port and a USB 2.0 connector. NAMM booth #6820.
www.glyphtech.com

KORG MR-1 AND MR-1000
Korg will demo two portable, pro high-res stereo recorders. The pocket MR-1 handles 1-bit/2.8MHz recording/playback; the tabletop MR-1000 delivers up to 1-bit/5.6MHz—double that of DSD standards. Both decks have balanced mic and line inputs and support DSDIFF, DSF and WSD 1-bit formats and multibit PCM format (BWF) up to 24-bit/192kHz. Included Mac/PC software can convert 1-bit recordings into WAV and AIFF formats at various bit rates and vice versa. NAMM booth #6440.
www.korg.com/mr

MAGIX SAMPLITUDE AND SEQUOIA
V. 9 of Magix Samplitude and Sequoia V.9 feature a video engine (Sequoia), hybrid audio engine, advanced dual-CPU support, track and score editors, and tons of effects improvements and additions. NAMM booth #6915.
Dist. by Synthax
www.synthax.com

MARANTZ CDR310
The CDR310 ($1,049) portable CD recorder can operate in the field for a limited time on AA batteries, or up to four hours using an optional rechargeable battery. Recording in either uncompressed or MP3 formats, it also features built-in mic preamps, XLR connectors and 48V phantom power, or use its built-in mic. The burner can create audio CDs or data discs for transfer to a computer or archiving purposes. Background Record Mode enables recording to always be active, as an ongoing backup, even when the CDR310 is in Pause. Analog and S/PDIF I/O assures connectivity with a wide array of other gear. NAMM booth #7105.
www.marantz.com

MOTU 8PRE
The single-rackspace 8pre FireWire audio interface ($595) offers eight mic preamps with up to 96 kHz/24 bit conversion, MIDI I/O, two 400 Mb FireWire ports and dual ADAT optical I/Os. The ADAT output can feed eight channels at 44.1/48 kHz, or both can be used at 88.2/96 kHz to feed a recorder that supports SMUX. Eight TRS/XLR Combo inputs accept mic- or instrument-level signals. Each mic input features 60 dB of gain, switchable phantom power and -20dB pad. The front panel has five-step LEDs for each channel’s input level, and a headphone output with volume control. Additionally, the included CueMix Console software works as a 16x8 digital mixer and built-in SMPTE synchronizer/generator. NAMM booth #6410.
www.motu.com

NATIVE INSTRUMENTS AUDIO KONTROL 1
Native Instruments has released Audio Kontrol 1 ($299), an affordable, compact USB 2 audio interface with 24-bit/192kHz Cirrus Logic converters. Additional features include USB 2 connectivity, two inputs (line and mic), and hardware control of instrument parameters. The handsome desktop unit comes bundled with Xpress Keyboards–three software instruments based on Native Instruments’ acclaimed Pro-53, B4 and FM7—and Guitar Combos, with three amp emulations from NI’s Guitar Rig. NAMM booth #6920.
www.native-instruments.com

PHONIC FIREFLY 302
Portable FireWire unit with 3-in, 2-out. 24-bit/96kHz I/O S/PDIF digital I/O support. 16-channel MIDI I/O. Stereo headphone output, Dual FireWire ports with bus power. NAMM booth #6979.
813/890-8872
www.phonic.com

PRESONUS FIRESTUDIO UPDATE
PreSonus has added Applied Acoustics Systems' Lounge Lizard and Ultra Analog Session to the FireStudio 26x26 FireWire recording system. The Session Series instruments are simplified versions of the Lounge Lizard EP-3 electric piano and Ultra Analog VA-1 virtual analog synthesizer, respectively. Also in the PreSonus ProPak Complete software suite, which ships with the FireStudio is Cubase LE, Amplitube LE, BFD Lite, Riff Works and more than 2 GB worth of plug-ins, drum loops and samples. NAMM booth #6330.
www.presonus.com

SOLID STATE LOGIC MIXPANDER
Mixpander is a new 64-channel PCI audio interface for PCs designed to be used with the recently launched XLogic Alpha-Link Audio Converter range. The combination of Mixpander and Alpha-Link makes a versatile, scalable system that enables users to configure their ideal combination of audio input and output connections for PC DAW platforms. Mixpander ships with a stand-alone software-based mixer that works with host PC-powered VST or DSP powered plug-ins. NAMM booth #6905.
212/315-1111
www.solid-state-logic.com

SONY MZ-M200 Hi-MD
This handheld linear recorder from Sony ($439.95), the MZ-M200 Hi-MD uses Hi-MD media (up to 1 GB) and can record 94 minutes uncompressed and up to 34 hours in ATRAC4 Plus format. Features include a USB 2 port, Mac/PC software, ECMl-DS70P stereo mic, MDR-EO931 ear buds, AC adapter and a Lithium Ion rechargeable battery. The svelte unit’s front panel display features an illuminated stereo meter with battery life indicator, track name/number and elapsed recording time. NAMM booth #6210.
www.sony.com/professional

STEINBERG CUBASE 4
Steinberg's Cubase 4 represents a significant upgrade. The focus is improving audio quality (32-bit floating-point audio engine) and making it easier to use with SoundFrame, which combines track presets, instrument tracks and the MediaBay database for improved organization. NAMM booth #6524.
www.steinberg.net

TASCAM DV-RA 1000HD
The DV-RA1000HD stereo master recorder provides a pro solution for capturing high-res audio to DVD or hard disk at up to 192kHz/24-bit PCM formats or Direct Stream Digital audio. It has a 60GB hard drive so projects can be recorded and then burned to CD or DVD. NAMM booth #6491.
www.tascam.com

TC ELECTRONIC KONNEKT 8
The stackable Konnekt 8 FireWire audio interface from TC Electronic ($375) has two preamps, two Hi-Z inputs, two aux line inputs, two balanced outs, stereo S/PDIF I/O and MIDI I/O. The unit can be used as a stand-alone mixer via the front panel light ring and encoder controls, and stacked units can be networked, allowing musicians to monitor each other in real time. Other features include two headphone outs (one with a speaker muting function) and low latency drivers for Mac OS X (Intel-based Macs included), Windows XP, and applications supporting WDM, ASIO and Core Audio drivers. NAMM booth #6840.
www.tcelectronic.com








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