Tannoy Reveal 501a, 601a & 601p Nearfield Studio Monitors

By Stefan | Published: February 22, 2011

Tannoy Reveal 601A Black 228x300 Tannoy Reveal 501a, 601a & 601p Nearfield Studio MonitorsA long standing name in the monitor business, Tannoy has built a reputation on different sides of the market.  Apart from their high-end and mid-range studio monitors, Tannoy’s Reveal nearfield monitors are indeed renowned both for their quality and great value for money. Wave goodbye to the jolly red and blue Reveals of former glory, and welcome 3 new revamped models: the 501a (60W) active 5 inch, the 601a (90W) active 6 and a half inch along with the 601p (50-100W recommended) passive in the same size all of which are available in nothing but black. The cabinet has a simple but functional 2 way design with a flared bass port below the low frequency driver which would lessen rear reflections considerably should one have to place the speakers in close proximity to a wall – which in some cases can be unavoidable. All versions all make use of the same soft dome tweeter which has slight boosting and attenuation controls on the back of the cabinet to further aid those in smaller mixing environments. The option of both XLR and TRS input connections also provides further user flexibility. Read More »

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Pearl E-Pro Live Electronic/Acoustic Drum Kit

By Stefan | Published: January 19, 2011

EProLiveCJB xlarge 300x255 Pearl E Pro Live Electronic/Acoustic Drum KitThe industry leading drum manufacturer Pearl has certainly decided to step outside the box for this one, announcing the recent release of their latest  E-Pro Live hybrid electronic drum kit. After all the hype it certainly looks the part, as each percussion trigger pad has been built onto an actual acoustic drum-shell with chokeable brass cymbal triggers. Although the rebound of the pads and the feel of the cymbals takes a little getting used to, it feels extremely comfortable to play and the fact that the shape, size and arrangement of the kit in its entirety allows for some true musical intuition to come into play. The idea behind the design of this phenomenal looking kit is give you limitless control over sonic capabilities on the digital side while making you completely forget that you are in fact playing an electronic kit in the first place. In this regard, the E-Pro Live is revolutionary because it creates a very convincing illusion of playing your favourite acoustic drum kit which is exactly what you want as a musical performer especially with the nature of an instrument like drums. Read More »

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Cakewalk V-Studio 100 and Sonar VS

By Stefan | Published: December 10, 2010

The Cakewalk V65878 l 300x300 Cakewalk V Studio 100 and Sonar VS-Studio 100 is a multifaceted compact solution to some of the problems presented being a musician. It is first and foremost a USB recording interface compatible with both Mac and Windows platforms allowing easy passage between the analogue and digital worlds. It comes equipped with 8 in/6 out connectivity and all the necessary fundamentals such as phantom power, 2 mic pres, a hi-gain instrument input and MIDI. In addition to this it also provides seamless control of the bundled Sonar VS, a downscaled version of the Windows only DAW, Sonar. The software is straight forward system with an intuitive layout and some great plug-ins – the most notable of which is VX-64 vocal strip, a 7 stage processor with plenty of power. Read More »

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Antix – Cavalier – Iboga Records

By Stefan | Published: August 7, 2010

antixcav 150x150 Antix Cavalier Iboga RecordsThe long awaited and highly anticipated 4th Antix album brings forth an absolute feast of flowing energy. Masters of their craft, the Strom brothers have constructed a seamless 9 track album in the same vein of their moving live performances. To top it off they have included a second remix disc with interpretations from some of the most innovative minimalist dance music producers of today. Read More »

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Clavia Nord Wave

By Stefan | Published: March 29, 2010

nordwave 300x189 Clavia Nord WaveIt’s big, it’s red and it’s mean. The Nord Wave synthesizer from Clavia, Sweden combines sampling technology with the powerful virtual analogue engine from their infamous Lead range to create a truly unique performance instrument. The dual patch system allows the user to merge sounds generated using analogue style waveforms, FM modulation, wavetable synthesis and sampled waveforms. Any 44.1 kHz 16/24 bit WAV file can be exported from the editor to the Nord Wave via USB and used as a sound source. Read More »

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Uncharted vol.2 – Compiled by Pena & Nano-Mechanic – Flow Records

By Stefan | Published: March 29, 2010

flr1cd025 b 150x150 Uncharted vol.2 Compiled by Pena & Nano Mechanic Flow RecordsFor many years, Flow Records has been a driving force in the international Psy-trance and progressive scene. Label boss Pena and Nano Mechanic have carefully put together a selection of tracks from some of the finest minimal and progressive artists from around the world. Full attention has been given even to the finest detail in each track, resulting in a highly sculpted and polished sound. These vivid ideas have been brought across through relentless rhythmical groove patterns accompanied by darker more moody melodic interludes. This is quite simply some of the most innovative music in this ever evolving style. Read More »

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Progenitor – Electro Bite – IONO Music

By Stefan | Published: March 29, 2010

inm1cd038 b 150x150 Progenitor Electro Bite IONO MusicGreek duo Progenitor brings you a refreshingly new take on progressive with their début full-length release. Electro Bite is a fine exhibition of technical wizardry with a unique Mediterranean flavour. As the name suggests, they’ve taken a rather large bite out of electro, techno, disco and house resulting in a very new-school progressive sound. This record is filled with sexy melodic grooves with whimsical undertones throughout, all immersed in an uplifting daytime atmosphere. These bouncy morning anthems are sure to fill dance-floors and give you the illusion that summer will never leave. Read More »

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Abstract Visions – Compiled by Cubixx & Murus – IONO Music

By Stefan | Published: March 16, 2010

inm1cd037 b 150x150 Abstract Visions Compiled by Cubixx & Murus IONO MusicIONO Music brings you to the absolute cutting edge in outdoor daytime dance music. In a style reminiscent of the Scandinavian masters who pioneered this sound over a decade ago, Cubixx and Murus have compiled a serious collection of tracks that will move your mind rather than just your feet. Each fluently sequenced track leads you into deep soulful soundscapes driven by high energy bass-lines, with surprisingly very little club influence on the sound or musical structure which is commonplace in the progressive trance of today. Abstract Visions is an asset to the collection of DJs and listeners worldwide. Read More »

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Roland TD-20SX

By Stefan | Published: March 14, 2010

roland TD20SX 300x220 Roland TD 20SXRoland unveils its flagship model of V-Pro Electronic Drums with the newly revamped TD20SX. Never before has a V-Drum kit been styled so closely to an acoustic kit, with chrome hardware frames and cymbal pads, deeper drum shells and a 14” kick pad to give a more authentic experience when played. Cymbal stands can be adjusted to either straight or boom for more flexibility and even the drum shell wraps are interchangeable. Apart from being tunable, the mesh drum pads respond both dynamically and tonally to each part of the pad struck. The TD-20X module has also been updated and contains all sounds from TD-20 and TDW-20 expansion board providing you with 100 kit presets and a total of 920 instruments.  Read More »

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Spectrasonics Trilian

By Stefan | Published: March 14, 2010

trilian box 300x300 Spectrasonics TrilianThose legendary sound gurus from Spectrasonics have struck yet again with the update of the award winning Trilogy bass module. The new Trillian Total Bass Module now runs on the same STEAM Engine technology which powers Omnisphere,  and includes a massive 34 GB  patch library consisting of acoustic, electric and synth basses. Eric Persing and his team have outdone themselves once again with a fantastic collection ranging from rare upright and hollow body basses to retro synths and electric basses sampled on vintage input channel and mic setups. The Omnisphere user interface has been carefully adapted to fit Trillian with fully customizable main panel controls, intuitive patch browser, the familiar set of effects and of course the powerful arpeggiator. Read More »

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