Tech Reviews: New products (March 2022)
Jonathan Savage
Tuesday, March 1, 2022
Dr Jonathan Savage reveals his top picks for the month
PreSonus Studio One v5.5
Price: Free update for existing users
PreSonus’ Studio One DAW has been receiving rave reviews for several years now. This update (v5.5) is a very significant release, adding crucial functionality to the software's mastering environment, the Project Page, among other new features and improvements for producing, mixing, and performing in Studio One.
Many of these new features have been on users’ wish lists for years – features such as Automation and Clip Gain Envelopes in the Project Page, Target Loudness and Multiple Format export for Digital releases, and many more. A full guide to the new features within the software is available online. Educational licenses are available from authorised dealers at competitive rates depending on the number of licenses required.
http://www.presonus.com/products/Studio-One
Steinberg's LoFi Piano for HALion
Price: Free
Users of Steinberg's HALion – their VST (virtual studio technology) sampler and sound design system – will be excited to know that they have released a new, free LoFi piano for use within their software. Conceived and designed for sound designers, beatmakers, musicians and producers, LoFi Piano is based on an upright piano recorded with carefully selected microphones. The warm characteristics provided by the microphones were processed to lend each composition a gritty blend of contemporary and vintage piano sounds. Also included are six effects, and pre-sets for interesting chord progressions. Contemporary artists such as Billie Eilish have made these piano sounds incredibly popular and commercial. This LoFi VST instrument gives your students access to these sounds for free!
http://www.steinberg.net/vst-instruments/lofi-piano
Casio CT-S400 Electronic Keyboard
Price: £279
Casio's new CT S400 Electronic Keyboard is the latest in their range of well-equipped and great sounding keyboards that are ideal for classroom use. In addition to an impressive grand piano voice, this keyboard contains around 600 other tones that your students will enjoy exploring and using in their performance or composition work. The keyboard benefits from 61 touch sensitive keys.
This is one of the first keyboards at this price point that Casio has produced with connectivity for smartphone and tablets. With the purchase of a Bluetooth dongle (the WU-BT10), you can add Bluetooth MIDI and Bluetooth Audio functionality to the mix and use the keyboard to play with your favourite apps.
http://www.casio.co.uk/ct-s400
Roland GO:MIXER Pro-X
Price: £129
Roland's GO:MIXER Pro-X is the latest in a line of audio mixers for smartphones that will help your students create high quality audio content for their videos, podcasts, composition portfolio, or showreels. It contains a range of inputs for instruments (including a high impedance input for electric and bass guitars) and voices (including one XLR input with phantom power available for condenser microphones).
Within the classroom setting, small mixers such as the GO:MIXER Pro-X allow your students to take responsibility for recording their work quickly and easily onto their smartphone without the need for larger, more expensive, hardware setups. Their portability means that recordings can be done in the moment, within practice rooms, corridors, or anywhere else around the school.
Finally, the GO:MIXER Pro-X doubles up as an audio interface for your computer and can also be used as a portable, standalone mixer for live performances.