Top five recording and mixing gear announcements from NAMM 2020
NAMM 2020 saw a range of new product announcement, here are our top five pieces of recording and mixing gear.
Korg SoundLink
What is it:
The Korg SoundLink is a new line of mixing consoles, it’s a joint venture between Korg, Greg Mackie and Peter Watts, designers of some of the most popular affordable mixing consoles ever made.
The core idea behind the new line of mixing consoles is the hands-on playability and quality of older analog consoles with the convenience of digital consoles.
Best feature(s):
- Built-in spectrum analysers
- Analog compression per channel and more in-depth digital dynamics processing
- Large variety of internal DSP effects
Price:
To be announced…
More info
Audient Evo
What is it:
The new range of interfaces from Audient is designed to be the choice for anyone who wants to focus on being creative.
“We believe technology shouldn’t get in the way of the creative process; it should enhance it and be accessible to all, no matter what their skill-level or art-form and EVO is here to help make great-sounding recordings as easy and effortless as possible.” Says Andy Allen from Audient.
Best feature(s):
- “Smartgain” feature which automatically sets the gain levels when you start playing or signing
- Intuitive and impressive performance specs
- Loopback function
Price:
Audient Evo 4 – USD $129 (Around R1900 excl. duties)
Audient Evo 8 – USD $199 (Around R2900 excl. duties)
More info
Roland GO:LiveCast
What is it:
In short, an all-in-one streaming solution that is designed to bridge the gap between casual and professional.
The Roland GO:LiveCast has various audio and video capabilities, from title and soundboard triggers to multi-camera support via WiFi. It supports inputs from microphones, line-level devices and the interface has several buttons to make it easy to switch between them on-the-fly.
Best feature(s):
- Runs on USB power, great for mobile use
- Built-in Reverb
- The companion app supports direct streaming to YouTube, Facebook Live, Twitch and more
Price:
The Roland GO:LiveCast is set to retail at USD $249 (Around R3600 excl. duties)
More info
Audeze LCD-1
What is it:
The Audeze LCD-1 is a pair of headphones designed with a digital component in mind, the digital component is said to build a unique personalized auditory model which can then be loaded into a plugin in an attempt to deliver the most accurate listening experience on headphones yet.
Reveal + is the plugin element, it’s actually designed to work with all Audeze models and it does sell separately.
Best feature(s):
- The Audeze LCD-1 use the same award-winning technology from their high-end headphones, at a more affordable price
- Built-in profiles for various professional studios
- generic/personal switch to audition the difference between auditory models
Price:
Audeze LCD-1 – USD $399 (Around R5800 excl. duties)
Reveal + – USD $199 (Around R excl. duties)
More info
Singular Sound Aeros
What is it:
The new Singular Sound Aeros is just about the most intuitive and advanced Looper pedal ever made, it’s the first-ever looper with advanced visual feedback, an intuitive touch screen and the ability to tweak parameters using a unique “foot wheel” (A big mod wheel for your foot).
Best feature(s):
- Up to six audio tracks, with overdubbing per track – no track limitations
- Song Parts let you loop switch between different parts in a live arrangement
- Multitrack input supports several instruments
- Control volume and other parameters on-the-fly with the “foot wheel”
Price:
The Singular Sound Aeros is set to retail at USD $599 (Around R8800 excl. duties)
More info
A Notable Mention…
Lewitt Audio just unveiled what they’re calling “the ultimate microphone system”, the Project 1040 uses tube technology to deliver four unique sound characteristics as well as an FET circuit that can seamlessly blend with the tube characteristics.
The microphone is designed to deliver maximum flexibility in almost any recording application from vocals to instruments.
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