Tech reviews: new products, March 2024
Jonathan Savage
Friday, March 1, 2024
Dr Jonathan Savage reveals what's new this month.
Universal Audio plug-ins
Price: £99 upwards
Universal Audio (UAD) plug-ins serve as an educational bridge between the rich legacy of analogue sound and contemporary digital composition. By providing a plethora of vintage preamps, compressors and reverbs, these plug-ins offer a genuine insight into the sonic intricacies of classic studio gear. In the world of music education, UAD plugins play a vital role, allowing students and educators to delve into the historical sound and grit of recording techniques. The faithful recreation of iconic equipment provides a tangible link to the past, helping to foster a deep understanding of sound aesthetics and production methods. Up until recently, you could only use UAD plug-ins if you owned their hardware, so now is a great time to access this level of analogue detail.
JBL Flip 6
Price: £129.99
The JBL Flip 6 features a two-way speaker system engineered to deliver a loud, crystal clear, powerful sound. Its racetrack-shaped woofer delivers exceptional low frequencies and midrange, while a separate tweeter produces crisp, clear high frequencies. The Flip 6 is easy to connect via Bluetooth to a range of devices. You can also pair two together should you need greater volume or a stereo mix. It is rugged, waterproof, dust-proof and drop-proof. The Flip 6 would be a great solution for an instrumental teacher working in different locations. It is certainly loud enough to play backing tracks for play-along activities with all instruments (except drums, perhaps). Available in a variety of colours.
Boss Waza Craft pedals
Price: £119 upwards
In an exciting new launch, Boss has released a new line of pedals. Waza Craft pedals are essentially Boss's premium line, showcasing meticulous attention to detail and enhanced features. In a teaching environment, they provide a valuable opportunity to demonstrate the evolution of classic sounds while offering modern flexibility and reliability. Take the BD-2W Blues Driver – it retains the classic bluesy character but adds a refined touch, offering a custom voice and increased versatility compared to its standard counterpart. The CE-2W Chorus embraces the legacy of the iconic CE-1 and CE-2 models but introduces a CE-1 chorus/vibrato mode for a vintage twist. It's the perfect teaching companion, providing students with a glimpse into the evolution of chorus tones. Similarly, the DM-2W Delay captures the essence of the vintage DM-2 but extends its capabilities with longer delay time. This innovation allows for more creative teaching scenarios, exploring extended sustain and ambient textures.
Teenage Engineering KO-II
Price: £299
The Teenage Engineering KO-II offers a unique and engaging educational experience for students interested in music production and electronic sound design. This synthesiser and sequencer seamlessly blends learning with creativity. Its intuitive interface allows students to quickly grasp fundamental concepts of synthesis, sequencing and sampling. The device's portability encourages exploration outside the traditional classroom setting, fostering a hands-on and experiential approach to learning. The KO-II's minimalistic design hides a powerful tool for teaching various aspects of music technology. Teachers could leverage its real-time sound manipulation features, pattern sequencing, and diverse sound engines to teach principles of electronic music composition. The device's compatibility with multiple platforms really helps to enable seamless integration into your current setups.
