NEW PRODUCTS
Aug 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Asher Fulero
CORTEX HDTT-5000
USB DJ CONTROLLER/PLAYER
The new HDTT-5000 ($1,499.95; www.cortex.com) is a turntable-style controller from Cortex that sports five USB ports. Rather than dealing with tricky CD-R compatibility or hard-drive space issues by including the drives themselves, the designers of the HDTT-5000 let you connect your favorite device directly. Any USB-compatible CD or DVD drive, flash/thumb drive, iPod or external hard drive will work. Simply use the unit's front panel or the included software for your computer to create data files for tracks on your drive and then hit Play.
Able to optionally display a track's waveform for visual cues, the large backlit screen also shows detailed track information and detailed file explorer and search options. String searching and file browsing happens quickly, and the HDTT-5000 can also receive input from any USB QWERTY keyboard for quickly typing in keywords. Four sample pads are included for easy capturing, waveform-editing and trimming of one-shot samples and loops. Loops may also be tempo synced either automatically or with the Tap button. More options include Master/Slave link for chaining units together, Instant Reverse at the push of a button, independent key/tempo control and the cool-looking, touch-sensitive turntable platter for all the finger pyrotechnics you can muster.
BLUE SKY EXO 2.1
THREE-PIECE MONITORING SYSTEM
Taking the concept of the three-piece computer speaker set to the audiophile crowd, Blue Sky created its EXO 2.1 ($399; www.abluesky.com) monitoring system. Composed of an 8-inch powered subwoofer and two small satellite speakers that total 160W of system power (35W per satellite, 90W for the sub), the system may physically resemble those low-res duds that came with your Dell. However, these babies feature all the full-range resolution and tight transient response that made Blue Sky's closed-design monitors popular and at a much lower price point. To sweeten the deal, the system includes a small desktop remote-control box that sports Master and Sub volume knobs so you don't have to climb underneath your desk to balance the subwoofer to the satellites. The main system inputs are XLR and ¼-inch TRS, but the remote box also pitches in RCA and stereo mini-jack inputs for easy iPod or laptop input, with no futzing around underneath the desk. Now your video games can sound just as pristine as your DAW.
MAGMA EXPRESSBOX
PORTABLE PCI-EXPRESS SOLUTION
Your laptop just got friendlier, thanks to Magma. The new ExpressBox ($729; www.magma.com) is an external PCI Express card system designed to make larger format PCI-E cards available for laptop junkies. Just install your favorite card under the easy-open lid on the small stand-alone box, connect the power cable and use the included adapter to link the ExpressBox to the ExpressCard port on all MacBook Pro laptops, as well as many new Windows laptops. The device is available in two sizes: the ExpressBox for half-length or shorter PCI-E cards and the ExpressBox Pro ($749) for ¾ and full-length PCI-E cards. The system operates at almost zero latency, providing 2,000 mbps (200 MB/sec) throughput, or around twice the speed of FireWire 800. The ExpressBox is capable of supporting just about any type of card, including powerful audio cards, video capture and graphics cards. And finally, there is a solution for using SCSI cards with laptops, essential for working with faster hard drives. ExpressBox opens doors to making your laptop nearly as useful and as powerful as a desktop system.
CORSAIR FLASH SURVIVOR SERIES
RUGGED USB FLASH DRIVES
USB flash drives, also called thumb drives, have been slowly taking the portable data world by storm and appealing to people looking for fast, secure and handy access to files that doesn't waste discs. The only downside to the portable, miniature size is that they are sometimes easily broken in a pocket or by a fall to the ground or in a puddle. Now you can ensure you never lose your precious data again with the Flash Survivor (www.corsair.com) line. These new USB 2.0 flash drives are designed to withstand heavy impact, water and most other types of abuse. The Flash Survivor ($59.99; 4GB) and Flash Survivor GT ($129.99; 8MB) are both water-resistant to a maximum of 200 meters (656 feet). They are encased in CNC aluminum, protected with rubber molded shielding and fitted with screw-on metal end caps. The GT version features enhanced speed, running at sustained read/write rates of 34 MB/sec (the regular Survivor runs at 24 MB/sec). Whatever you're working on, now you can take it with you — even if that means to the bottom of the lake.
VESTAX PMC-280
4-CHANNEL DJ MIXER WITH EFFECTS AND OPTIONAL USB
The new PMC-280 ($699; www.vestax.com) DJ mixer from Vestax doesn't aim to redefine the category; rather, it aims to set a standard for quality. The simple, 4-channel design is ready for just about any DJing style, featuring a straightforward input select, trim, 3-band EQ/Isolator and crossfader assign for each channel. Channel faders have been updated to be firm yet smooth, and the unit features Vestax's well-reputed CF-PCV crossfader. The flexible cue/phones section and high-quality 24-bit/96 kHz DSP multi-effects section (called Effector) are powerful and simple, offering all the basic necessities with a minimum of controls. The inputs are RCA for the widest compatibility, but the main outputs are on less noisy XLR jacks for high-quality house signals. An optional USB card installed at the front of the mixer allows a class-compliant USB computer input on channel 4 and sends the computer's audio to the master output.
SUPERLUX R102
ALUMINUM RIBBON MIC
The R102 ($399; www.avlex.com) aluminum ribbon microphone from Superlux is meant to bring together the best of the ribbon and condenser mic worlds. With the high sensitivity of a condenser mic but the smooth frequency response and transient reproduction of a ribbon mic, the R102 is just as happy in front of acoustic instruments as it is in front of amplifiers or drums. An active, charged ribbon that catches the tiniest vibrations gives it great transient response and a wide 20 Hz to 15 kHz frequency range. The figure-8 polar pattern complements a mic designed to reproduce sounds evenly across the spectrum at high or low sound-pressure levels (140 dB SPL rating). Phantom power drives the R102 across the included dual-core shielded XLR cable, and a very cool field-replaceable modular ribbon assembly makes it easy to service or replace injured ribbons with little effort. The package includes a mic-stand adapter, and users can purchase Superlux's HM-31 high-isolation shockmount separately.
ARDOUR 2.0
OPEN-SOURCE DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION
Just as happy running on a Linux machine as on Mac OS X, the DAW newcomer Ardour is ready for a larger stage. Ardour 2.0 (Free download; www.ardour.org) is a complete DAW for Mac OS X and Linux that is made available in source code for developers and comes with prebuilt binaries for Linux versions. Designed as a complete audio-production environment, version 2.0 features several hundred large and small upgrades. Advancements include an updated and improved GUI, destructive recording/dubbing capabilities, Undo/Redo even after program restart, improved stability for VST plug-ins and modular support for hardware control surfaces (such as Mackie Control or Frontier Design TranzPort). The makers expect version 2.1 to be coming soon. With no up-front cost, Ardour is a DAW-of-the-people; however, the administrators do request donations from satisfied users.
PLOYTEC LATENC-O-METER
AUDIO LATENCY MEASUREMENT TOOL
Inherent to every DAW, soft synth and computer sampling system is some sort of time lag, otherwise known as latency. Whether hitting you between your input and your software or between your software and your output (or both), some sort of latency occurs on every computer system regardless of size or power. The creative German engineers at Ploytec have released the Latenc-o-meter (€333 [approx. $445]; www.ploytec.com), a 9V battery-powered handheld gadget that runs a click through your system, input to output, and determines its actual latency by sampling the return of its own click at a sampling rate of 100 kHz. The superaccurate measurement of audio latency outputs a reading between 0.01 and 999.99 ms. The Latenc-o-meter also works for VoIP phone calling and for measuring room acoustics, making it a no-brainer for any front-of-house engineer or computer-based tracking room.
SSL XLOGIC ALPHA VHD PRE
4-CHANNEL MICROPHONE PREAMPLIFIER
The next piece in SSL's fast-growing XLogic series, the XLogic Alpha VHD Pre ($1,995; www.solid-state-logic.com), pairs four of SSL's top-tier microphone preamps with four of its VHD — Variable Harmonic Distortion — circuits. Capable of producing '50s-era valve-style overdrive (2nd harmonic), '70s-era Transistor-style distortion (3rd Harmonic) or a customized blend of the two, the Alpha VHD Pre adds more of the harmonic distortion as the gain setting increases, delivering a realistic drive effect at high gains and the classic SSL pristine clarity at lower settings. Each of the four channels features 75 dB of available gain, independent 48V phantom power, 20 dB Pad switches that illuminate upon overload, Hi-Z switches for using various level inputs and individual I/O and VHD controls. The four front-panel ¼-inch line/instrument inputs feature auto-impedance detecting and level matching, and XLR inputs and outputs reside on the rear of the unit. The 100-percent analog Alpha VHD Pre delivers the classic SSL sonic fidelity multiplied by four, all in a single rackspace.
| Want to use this article? Click here for options! |  |
