What is it?

Donner is a breakout name in the budget guitar-accessory market – the brand that launched a thousand Amazon storefronts. First famed for its affordable micro-format guitar pedals, it’s since collaborated with Ruben Wan and Jack White’s Third Man Records, and broken guitar-pedal containment entirely to sell a suite of instruments and accessories. Among these, a small, handy, Game Boy-shaped box of a musician’s friend: the Donner DBM-100, a three-in-one digital metronome, guitar tuner and rhythm trainer.

Truth be told, it’s not the most exciting product on the planet. Metronomes rarely are, but they are useful. It’s a feature-packed little box of (relative) fun, with four sound banks, tap tempo, and a variety of time signatures and beat subdivisions to choose from. There’s tap tempo, an on-board microphone for detecting your own timely playing, a 3.5mm out for headphone metronome-ing, and a built-in, USB-C-chargeable battery with 11.5 hours of life to it. And there’s a neat little kickstand on the back, too.

On paper, it’s a pretty solid one-stop answer to most of the instrument-practising questions you might have - and a very convenient little box accordingly. It’s a reasonably priced accessory (around $35/£25) too, but does it walk the walk?

Specifications

• Battery Life: 11.5 hours
• Modes: Tuner, metronome and trainer
• Tempo Range: 30-280bpm
• Tuning Modes: Chromatic, guitar, ukulele, bass, and violin
• Extra Features: Tap tempo, four metronome sounds
• Contact: Donner

Performance

In the hand, the Donner DBM-100 feels like a very well put-together object. It’s got some reassuring heft, and the plastic chassis feels robust enough to withstand more than a few fumbles. The buttons are pleasingly soft and firm to press; for something you only handle a few seconds at a time, it’s very ergonomic to handle and operate – much like the handheld games consoles it seems designed to resemble.

When turning the DBM-100 on for the first time, I reflexively looked for a slider switch on the side, much as I would with those game consoles. After a minute of dumbfoundedly turning the thing over, I came to realise there’s nothing of the sort – and that, in fact, power is a matter of pressing or holding the big yellow-circled button on the front.

Does this speak to the quality of the DBM-100? No, but I do feel a weight of responsibility to share the exact moment when I was outmatched by an unfeeling technological object. That said, this moment of shame does become somewhat relevant, foreshadowing, as it does, the DBM-100's vague inscrutability in certain instances.

Features

The DBM-100 has three modes: tuner, metronome and trainer. The tuner mode is easy to use and decently accurate. As well as the LCD display, there are three LEDs beneath the screen that light up to indicate sharpness, flatness, or perfect tuning. It has five settings to cycle through - chromatic, guitar, ukulele, bass, and violin - and an adjustable pitch standard ranging from 430 to 450Hz.

In metronome mode, there are four sound banks to choose from: a classic pitched woodblock, a clap, a bicycle-style bell with a click beneath it, and a robotic female voice counting upwards to a maximum of nine. There’s a button to advance the number of beats in each bar from 1 to 9, and a separate button for subdivision beats, which cycles through a dizzying variety of note lengths, rhythms, and feels, including triplets with rests, dotted notes, and other syncopated patterns.

That last counting-up sound bank demonstrates some secret cleverness under the hood; it counts the beat subdivisions separately from the overarching beat. However, if you have the BPM set even remotely at pace, the voice rushes to cut itself off with each new count. The resulting cacophony is distracting at best and actively painful at worst. Best in most cases, then, to stick to that classic woodblock.

Finally, the trainer mode seems a bit more like an add-on than a core feature of the DBM-100. It plays you one 4/4 bar, subdivided by a beat or pattern of your choice, then asks you to sound the same rhythm back, in time, with only a visual indicator for the tempo. Every beat you sound in time is heard by the built-in mic and registered by the supportive flash of a green LED. In my view, the mic could stand to be a bit more sensitive here - it was either clapping, banging the table or flicking the mic aperture itself that registered, but nothing remotely quieter. And you can’t change the underlying time signature either.

Using the DBM-100 is extremely easy, but only once you’ve got to grips with what is quite an esoteric control interface. The buttons are semi-intuitive, but still require some experimentation before you figure out exactly what they mean.

For instance, ‘source’ refers to the various metronome sounds you can cycle between, not ‘select’, which actually advances the time signature by one beat with each press. ‘Menu’ on the side doesn’t take you to a menu (not that it could – the screen is a static LCD screen, cycling through pre-etched displays), but instead toggles you between the tuner and metronome modes; to access the training mode, you have to hold it down.

My final gripe is the dedicated subdivision button, which asks you to cycle through nineteen different note values and rhythms in one direction. No easy reset to the crotchet beat; just go round, and then round again when you overshoot. It’s illustrative of a device that could be so much smarter than it is, but which gets in its own way a bit here and there.

Verdict

For the money, the Donner DBM-100 is a perfectly viable little musician’s friend. I wouldn’t trust the tuner in an orchestral pit, but it’s a handy thing for a quick sit-down practice session at home. I wouldn’t use the trainer function for more than five minutes at a time, but it’s a nice little between-drills exercise for resetting your internal rhythm.

The metronome function is the best bit, with its comprehensive array of beat subdivisions to play along to - but it’s slightly let down by a limited library of metronome sounds. For me, I’d say, ultimately, the Donner DBM-100 is an affordable metronome that does its main job well enough. For the price, and if you want a physical metronome rather than an app, the DBM-100 is inarguably worthwhile.

MusicRadar verdict: Donner’s DBM-100 is an interesting little box of tricks. It offers a handy onboard tuner, a full-featured digital metronome, and a trainer mode that seems more like an afterthought than a feature. It’s a clever device that hamstrings itself with some strange choices - a welcome entrant to the world of portable metronomes, but not without some small shortcomings.

Also try

Hands-on demos

Steven Kambach

For as long as I have been teaching music, people have asked me if there is some way to automatically turn audio recordings into sheet music. Until recently, I told them that it couldn’t be done. But now there are a few AI products on the market that claim to do exactly that.

Klang.io's Transcription Studio promises to turn audio into notated transcriptions, lead sheets and guitar tablature. This would be a valuable tool for music educators, songwriters and composers alike. But does it work? We recently reviewed an AI transcription tool called Songscription, and we were not impressed. It detects pitches well, but it does not do so well with rhythm. Can Transcription Studio do better? Let’s find out.

What is it?

The word “klang” suggests “clang” to English speakers, but it means “musical tone” or “musical note” in German. Klang.io has been in operation as a company for a surprisingly long time; the hype around AI might be recent, but researchers have been working on the underlying machine learning technologies for decades.

Klang.io has been offering computer-assisted transcription tools for specific instruments for several years, but their latest offering is Transcription Studio, a browser-based audio-to-notation platform. (It's also available as a VST3/AU plugin, but for this review, we only tested the browser-based tool.)

In theory, you can drop any piece of music into Transcription Studio and get a notated score. However, these kinds of tools are only as good as their training data, and Transcription Studio's transcriptions work better on some kinds of music than others, as we will see below.

One disclosure before we go any further: I came to this review with a strong anti-AI bias, and I believe that we should approach generative AI with skepticism. Before I started writing, I spoke to the company’s founder, Sebastian Murgul, along with his public relations representative. I came away liking Sebastian and feeling more open-minded toward the product as a result.

Why should you care about my thought process, or my feelings about a tech company founder? In assessing a new technology, it isn’t enough to ask what the tool does now; you also want to think about where it might be headed in the future. There are many reasons for a music educator like me to be concerned about AI. Is this tool going to be an excuse to lay all of us off, even if it doesn’t do our job as well as we do?

Sebastian Murgul shares my concerns. He is a deeply nerdy person who just wants to make a useful product, not to disrupt (or destroy) music education as we know it. He does not actually think AI can replace human music transcription and analysis, and he recognizes that it can’t make sense out of every kind of recording.

Murgul has some specific cases in mind for Transcription Studio: for DAW-based composers of film and game music to be able to communicate their ideas to human performers, for example, and for pop songwriters to be able to generate lead sheets for copyright registration. (In the US, you only have to submit a sound recording of your song, but in Latin America you have to submit a notated lead sheet too.)

Murgul is clear that users will only get good results from Transcription Studio if they already have a good understanding of the music they are trying to transcribe, and if they are able to edit its output themselves.

Performance

When you enter the Klang.io Transcription Studio, you can choose between uploading an audio file, entering a link to YouTube, Instagram or TikTok (but not Bandcamp or SoundCloud), or recording straight into the computer mic. From there, you select a transcription mode from the options below.

• Multi-Instrument Mode: the default setting.
• Single-Instrument Mode: the most accurate and reliable mode, especially if it’s a transparently recorded acoustic instrument like piano.
• Classic Mode: this setting is optimized for classical music.
• Rock Mode: a beta feature. It differs from multi-instrument mode in that it is optimized more specifically for guitar, especially distorted guitar.
• Arrangement Mode: rather than transcribing each individual instrument or voice, this mode produces a lead sheet, just top-line melody and chord symbols. (Based on my tests, this should probably be labeled as a beta product too.)

After choosing a mode, you select the instruments in the recording. You can have Transcription Studio detect them for you, but it performs better if you tell it what to listen for. Finally, on the Additional Options screen, you can specify key, time signature, approximate tempo, note duration quantization, and whether you want triplets or not. Again, you can have the software detect all of this, but the results will be less accurate.

Once you have created your transcription, you can view and listen to it as a notated score or as a vertically scrolling piano roll. You can export your score in various formats, including Music XML and MIDI. Transcription Studio also has Note Editor mode, a rudimentary notation editor, though for any serious overhauls or formatting you will want to work in a separate program like MuseScore, Dorico or Finale.

The most interesting feature of the Note Editor is the Anacrusis (Pickup Bar) setting. Transcription Studio’s makers recognize that the software has trouble identifying downbeats, especially if the recording has any silence at the beginning, so they make it easy to move the location of the first beat of the first bar. Unfortunately, you can only move the downbeat in increments of one beat. (This is an issue, as I discuss later in the review.)

In testing out Transcription Studio, I repeated some of the same tests I performed on Songscription for the sake of comparison, but I mostly selected pieces of music that were better suited to showing Klang.io’s strengths and weaknesses.

I started with Nina Simone’s recording of the blues standard Nobody’s Fault But Mine. It’s a simple piano-plus-vocal recording, and had I recently assigned my aural skills students to transcribe it. Could they have used Transcription Studio to cheat on the assignment?

The answer is: sort of. Transcription Studio detected the notes and rhythms of the piano part very accurately. However, it gave the key signature incorrectly as D major; the song is a blues in A. In fairness, there is no consensus on the correct way to write key signatures for blues, but A or A minor would be the usual choices.

Transcription Studio’s take on Nina Simone’s vocal was less accurate. It simplified her melismas significantly, and it was thrown off by her vocal timbre, because notes that she sang with more inflection appeared in the transcription on the wrong pitches.

For a comparison with Songscription, I tried Crazy by Patsy Cline. Songscription had failed to make head or tail out of the song, presumably because its training data doesn’t account for 1950s recording fidelity or instrumentation.

Transcription Studio did not do much better when I asked it for a lead sheet. It could not distinguish the lead vocal from the backing vocal or instruments, and the triplet feel threw off its rhythmic detection, so it couldn’t find the tempo or downbeat. It did get the chord symbols mostly right, and it detected the lyrics accurately too.

However, Transcription Studio shows lyrics in a strange way. Rather than placing each syllable with its corresponding note, it groups entire phrases together in the middle of their approximate location on the score. I would prefer to have lyrics be on a separate page; it is confusing to see them placed so unconventionally.

I wondered whether Transcription Studio would do better on a multi-instrument transcription of Crazy. This time, I specified the instruments, the key, the time signature and the approximate tempo, and also told it that Patsy Cline is an alto. Klang performed better this way. The bassline was quite accurate. The vocal melody was still mixed up with other parts, but now the meter and rhythm were right. The guitar and piano parts were more hit and miss, and the drum part was completely chaotic; I guess the training data doesn’t include drums played with brushes.

Next, I tested Single Instrument mode with a solo piano recording of Blue Monk by Thelonious Monk. Transcription Studio offered me the choice of pop or classical; jazz was not an option. I chose pop, because that seemed closer. I also entered the key and tempo. The results were good, at least until Monk’s improvised solo started. The software rendered some of his expressive timing strangely, but that is understandable; many human transcribers would struggle to represent those rhythms.

Transcription Studio’s chord symbols were mostly on point, but with some odd omissions. The chord library does not include ninth chords, so Klang wrote Bb9 as Fm7. In Monk’s solo, something about his timing threw off Transcription Studio’s beat detection, so even though his tempo is steady throughout, the transcription was off by one beat from that point. Unfortunately, the anacrusis correction feature only works for the first downbeat. This is something you could easily correct in an external editor, though.

Transcription Studio’s training data includes lots of classical music, so I expected it would have an easy time with Prelude No. 1 from the Well-Tempered Clavier by Johann Sebastian Bach, as performed by Glenn Gould. I was right: the transcription took one tenth as long as any of the others I had done so far. It was quite accurate, aside from the fact that it was confused by the silence at the beginning of the recording, which it rendered as a one-and-a-half-beat-long rest. The anacrusis correction only works in increments of one beat, so you would need to fix this in an external editor.

I was interested to see that Transcription Studio added chord symbols to the Bach piece, with about 95% accuracy. I sometimes write jazz-style chord symbols on classical scores for harmonic analysis purposes. It is intriguing to consider the idea of having software do it automatically at scale, though I think people should be doing this kind of thing by hand for the sake of their own understanding.

For a further test of Classic Mode, I used Bach’s Contrapunctus I from the Art of Fugue, performed by the Emerson String Quartet. This chart was mostly accurate too, though Transcription Studio missed the first note, along with a few others that were played quietly. Transcription Studio also combined the violin and viola onto the same staff. Once again, it placed chord symbols throughout, which is not a feature that most classical performers would want, but that jazz and pop musicians might find extraordinarily useful.

I wanted to see how Transcription Studio would do with electric piano, which is not one of the instruments on its list. So I gave it What'd I Say by Ray Charles. I gave the software the key and tempo, and told it to listen for vocals, piano and drums. It did pretty well on the electric piano, with good pitch accuracy and timing, and mostly accurate chord symbols.

The timbre of the electric piano did confuse it somewhat, because it heard the top notes as a vocal part. Transcription Studio got the broad outline of Ray Charles’ actual vocal melody, but the rhythms were squared off and the pitch was sometimes a half-step off. As with Crazy, Transcription Studio could not even approximate the drums.

Maybe the noisy vintage recording was throwing the transcription off? I figured that a cleaner, more contemporary recording would work better, so I tried Everybody Laughs by David Byrne. As I expected, the results were more impressive. Transcription Studio misidentified acoustic guitar strums as hi-hats, but the guitar part itself was remarkably good, with clear and accurate tablature along with notation.

The vocal part was uneven, with David Byrne’s idiosyncratic singing clearly throwing the software off. Transcription Studio did pretty well with the string arrangement, showing that the training data includes a lot of orchestral music. The only real problem was that it heard harmonics as separate notes in places, but this is a problem that all pitch detection algorithms share.

For a more mainstream pop recording, I used Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen, assuming that this kind of loud, bright and clear pop banger would be easy to transcribe. Transcription Studio wrote this vocal line extremely accurately. However, it had trouble distinguishing the other instruments, presumably because they are layered and processed so heavily.

For a more authentic transcription challenge, I wanted a song that I didn’t already know how to play. I chose Burnin’ Hell by John Lee Hooker. I wasn’t expecting much for the vocal, but I thought Transcription Studio might do well with the guitar, since it is unaccompanied and has clean tone. Sadly, whether it was Hooker’s open tuning or playing style, Transcription Studio couldn’t make head or tail of it. I guess there isn’t much blues guitar in the training data.

How about the Beatles? I tried Blackbird, figuring that it is sufficiently classical-informed in its harmony and playing style. However, I forgot that the song has a lot of meter changes, and Transcription Studio understandably could not follow them. Also, it had trouble distinguishing Paul McCartney’s voice from the guitar. So some measures were perfectly clear and accurate, while others were chaotic.

My final test was one of my own original compositions, a track I made in Ableton Live using only synthesizers and drum machines. I can’t find my Ableton session anywhere, and I can’t remember exactly what notes or chords I used. I’m sure I could figure it out, but I have never had the time to sit down and do it. This is the exact use case that the company has in mind.

Transcription Studio has an option for synthesizers, but there is clearly a limit to the weirdness and inharmonicity that it can cope with, so its transcription of my melody and bassline was not very good. However, it did get the majority of the chords right. The transcription is not usable as a guide for a performer, but it would be quite helpful to me if I were to transcribe the track myself.

Verdict

As with other transcription and audio-to-MIDI tools I have tried, Transcription Studio does very well at detecting pitches, especially on single instruments that are recorded clearly. It also does a good job with vocals in a conventional pop style. It can identify note onsets accurately, and if the rhythms are straightforward, it can organize those rhythms into a meter fairly well.

However, if the rhythms are too far off the grid, or if they're too swung and idiosyncratic, Transcription Studio struggles. The more complex the recording, the less able it is to separate the layers, and older or noisier recordings are a problem too. Also, even when its output is accurate, you may still need to do extensive editing and formatting before you could hand charts out to an ensemble.

The difference between Transcription Studio and its competitors is that its designers recognize the limitations of their tool. They are assuming that you are not a complete novice, but rather that you already have some musical sophistication. The user interface makes clear that the more you can inform the software in advance, the better the results will be, and that you should expect to edit and adjust the output afterwards.

The best way to understand Transcription Studio is not as a tool for generating sheet music. Even if its scores were perfectly accurate, writing sheet music for human performers requires more than identifying the notes. You need to use your judgment to decide how to lay everything out and how much detail the performers will need. (I expect AI transcription to get more accurate, but I do not expect it to develop editorial or graphic design skills.) I think it’s better to think of Transcription Studio as a tool that gives you clues for writing your own sheet music, and in that application, it has significant value.

What is it?

Electro-Harmonix has been doing a grand job of reissuing the different versions of its Big Muff Pi fuzz pedal, with all of the major circuit revisions now represented in the brand’s roster.

The Big Muff Pi 2 is the latest to hit the stores, but there’s a twist with this one in that it was never available in the first place.

This pedal is a dual op-amp version by designer Bob Myers that dates from the late 1970s.

Its existence, as a hand-drawn schematic, only came to light when Josh Scott of JHS Pedals was interviewing Bob for a book, Made On Earth For Rising Stars: The Electro-Harmonix Story.

While EHX did produce an op-amp-based Big Muff in 1978 (also known as the IC or V4 Big Muff), celebrated for its use by Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins, this new one has a different clipping arrangement and an extra gain stage.

Specs

• PRICE: $122 | £125 | €119
• ORIGIN: USA
• TYPE: Fuzz/distortion pedal
• FEATURES: True bypass, latching/momentary footswitching
• CONTROLS: Volume, Tone, Sustain, bypass footswitch 
• CONNECTIONS: Standard input, standard output
• POWER: 9V battery (supplied) or 9V DC adaptor 15mA
• DIMENSIONS: 65 (w) x 111 (d) x 47mm (h) 
• CONTACT: Electro-Harmonix

Usability and sounds

A Nano-sized pedal that will fit snugly on any pedalboard, the Big Muff Pi 2 features the familiar triumvirate of Volume, Tone and Sustain knobs, but, brilliantly, comes with a dual-action footswitch that – besides standard latching operation – can also be used momentarily for a burst of dirt for as long as you press and hold.

Plugging in, there’s no doubt that this is part of the Big Muff family, but the differences from the usual four-transistor models are immediately apparent.

There’s a fuller midrange in place of the regular scooped sound and that fullness extends to the low frequencies with a bigger bottom-end grunt.

There’s plenty of variation via the Tone knob, with the sludgier stuff to the left, but we found our sweet spot at around the two o’clock mark and beyond where the upper mid presence makes itself apparent.

There’s also a nice clarity to the top-end, which, incidentally, doesn’t get as fizzy as a standard Muff when the Tone knob is maxed.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

With a gritty textured edge to its fuzz/distortion, this is a pedal for big riffs and endless sustain.

MusicRadar verdict: This dual op-amp version was never released back in the day as EHX boss Mike Matthews felt that it strayed from the traditional Big Muff voicing. But these days we positively embrace fuzz varieties across the board and the Big Muff Pi 2 is a valid choice, particularly for players who value something heavier and more aggressive.

Hands-on videos

Electro-Harmonix

Guitar Guitar

Guitar Center

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• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save

What is it?

Cubase really needs no introduction. It was the first computer-based sequencer to incorporate a graphical arrange window, and it even embraced hard-disk audio before many others. In recent years, it has settled into a steady pattern of yearly updates, and the latest of these is Cubase 15.

As before, it comes in three flavours, with the Pro version delivering the full feature set. As well as the main DAW software itself, you get a cut-down version of SpectraLayers (SpectraLayers Go) and, as usual, a big selection of sound content, virtual instruments and plugins. Steinberg’s aim is to make it a self-contained system without the recourse to third-party additions (though of course many users will have their own favourite additions).

The headline additions in Cubase 15 are the expanded modulator system, a new melodic mode for the pattern sequencer introduced last year, redesigned expression map functionality, stem separation, two new effects, the Omnivocal vocal synthesis engine (open beta), plus a bunch of workflow improvements and functional tweaks. Whilst it's fair to say that a quick glance at this list doesn't point to any game-changing new features, it does cover quite a bit of territory. Let's take a closer look.

Performance

The modulators introduced in Cubase 14 were one of its big new features, and something that the users who had experience with Ableton Live and Bitwig had been calling for.

The update expands on this with six new modulator types – Random Generator, Sample & Hold, Wavefold LFO, Crossfader, Attack/Decay and Morph LFO. Modulators are a great way to create tempo-synced effects (eg, filter sweeps), but the ability to chain them and incorporate more modulator types extends their use into more creative and experimental areas.

It's worth noting, though, that Cubase works on a per-track basis for the modulators. It would be nice to see a global modulator track that can be freely routed to multiple destinations.

The pattern editor introduced in Cubase 14 was primarily aimed at drum sequencing and at the time quite a few users hoped that a more versatile version that could work easily with melodic/musical patterns might be on the cards. Thankfully, we now have it in the form of the Melodic Pattern Sequencer. It is based on its rhythmic predecessor, but to address the melodic aspects of this type of sequencing, Steinberg has added interesting scale- and shape-generation features. This means that even with a few presses of the randomisation button, the results are likely to fit well within the context of your existing track. The more we played, the more fun we had, and although it's still quite basic, especially in pattern management and copy/paste features, this is a really nice addition.

There's no escaping AI right now, and those two letters seem to be assigned to all kinds of products at the moment. In Cubase 15, it's applied to the new stem separation feature, which can split any audio file into vocals, drums, bass, and other elements (ie, all the rest). It performs this directly from the project window, splitting tracks into separate layers. It's quick, works quite well, and is free; however, you'll find better results with specialised software solutions, including online options, where there is significant competition. In fact, explore a little further and you’ll discover that SpectraLayers Go, bundled with Cubase 15, can separate vocals from music and appears to do a superior job – at least on the tracks we tested.

The same goes for OmniVocal, although this time it is clearly labelled as a beta. It's certainly not going to compete with something like Dreamtonics Synthesiser V or Ace Studio in terms of its expressiveness, realism and flexibility, but once again comes as a free addition. Hopefully, as it develops, it will become a little bit more fluid to use, particularly when adding and editing lyrics. At the moment, it can be a bit of a slog to get the most realistic results.

Regarding new plugins, Ultra Shaper offers transient shaping, limiting, and EQ, making it a useful addition. The Pitch Shifter – as the name suggests – is designed for vocal processing and features formant-preservation and saturation modes. It's not particularly cutting-edge, but it works well, though primarily suited to mixdown rather than live processing due to its significant latency.

These and other stock plugins now support UI scaling (finally!), which is a real boon when using high-res displays. We only wish there were a way to apply a simple 2x scaling to older plugins (including some from Steinberg). This would be a simple, unfussy solution for navigating plugins that shrink to tiny proportions in some setups.

One interesting feature of the newly designed hub is Project Preview, which stores a small snippet of a track for quick listening before loading. This feature only works with newly saved projects that have it enabled (allowing you to customise which small, ie, 5-second segment, is previewed). Despite its simplicity, it is surprisingly useful, especially for those who do not employ a helpful naming scheme or work on multiple tracks at once. It's also worth noting that DAWproject support allows sessions to be shared with other compatible DAWs.

A small but significant arrival in Cubase 15 is the automation’s ‘Last Touched Parameter’ feature, which provides quick drawing/editing access to whichever knob or slider you've last moved for any given track. This is a real time-saver, as is the new ability to add volume or pan directly to the Track Controls Area (though we prefer the accuracy of a vertical fader). This is a nice way to tweak levels, and it will be a real time-saver for some.

Finally, Expression Maps have been redesigned. The setup process is now more streamlined, integration with the Key and Score Editors has improved, and per-articulation attack compensation aims to enhance the realism of orchestral mock-ups. For those with large orchestral sample libraries, especially those with compatible instruments that automatically import key switches, this will be warmly welcomed.

Verdict

This release introduces many features to boost your creativity and streamline your workflow, and it is a strong update overall. However, it might seem a bit underwhelming for some, and there is certainly some sentiment on Steinberg forums that the total on offer here doesn't quite justify the annual upgrade cost. Another perspective is to consider the £83 upgrade fee as roughly equivalent to a £7/month subscription. If it were a subscription, we would say it offers fair value for money.

Nonetheless, there are some areas we would like to see improved in the future. Key Command options could be expanded, and the Remote Editor could become more accessible. Fully featured API access, capable of integrating with AI tools (such as Claude and ChatGPT), would be a fantastic addition – possibly even a game-changer – for delivering long-awaited features. We’ve barely scratched the surface of what AI can do – not as a replacement for the composer or producer, but as a time-saving assistant, and it would be great to see Steinberg take a leading role in this.

Opening, closing and project loading times can be slow on more complex projects or setups with many plugins. It would be beneficial to see some optimisation in this area. We also hope attention is given to the comping functionality in Cubase, as there are ongoing frustrations about moving active comps to other tracks and a few other issues that cause difficulty when working with multiple live audio elements.

One of the challenges with a major DAW such as Cubase is that it must accommodate a wide range of users. For every person who finds the expression map functionality or notation capabilities particularly useful, there will be others demanding clip-based playback or improved AI generative tools. Steinberg has to carefully balance its approach to satisfy everyone. Overall, however, Cubase remains a fantastic piece of software that we are happy to continue using.

Hands-on demos

Cubase

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Seemingly emerging from nowhere, Baum Guitars feels like a relative newcomer to the main stage, yet the company has been going since 2015. Founded by Morten Bau, what began as high-end, custom builds out of Denmark has now evolved into mass-produced electric guitars from the Far East under the Vega Series moniker, delivering custom-inspired instruments without the lofty price tag.

There’s no need to state where the Baum Guitars Verve gets its inspiration from, with that lineup of chrome-covered neck single-coil and angled bridge pickup mounted to a metal plate. The pickups are Baum’s own Goldsound Skylark Alnico V pickups, controlled by master volume and master tone controls with 250K potentiometers, and a 3-way toggle switch. Unusually for a guitar remeniscent of a Telecaster, Baum has opted for a mahogany body here instead of ash or alder.

The bridge is a Wilkinson WTB model with compensated brass saddles, which is also unusual as most Baum guitars feature proprietary hardware. This theme returns for the tuners, however, which are Baum Performer tuning machines with an 18:1 ratio. The scale is 25.5 inches, and the roasted maple neck is shaped to Baum’s modern ‘C’ profile. It’s got a rosewood fretboard with a flat, 12-inch radius, and 22 medium jumbo, nickel frets marked with mini ‘Crown’ inlays.

Specs

• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string electric guitar
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Roasted maple / Modern ‘C’
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Scale length: 25.5”/647.7mm
• Nut/width: High-density composite / 42.9 mm
• Frets: 22, medium jumbo, nickel
• Hardware: Baum Performer, Wilkinson WTB bridge with compensated brass saddles
• String spacing at bridge: 52.6mm
• Electrics: 2x Goldsound Skylark, master volume & master tone, 3-way toggle switch
• Weight: 7.05lb/3.2 kg
• Options: N/A
• Left-handed options: N/A
• Finishes: Amber Gold (as reviewed), Dark Burst, Moon Silver, Pure Black
• Cases: Baum Deluxe Gig Bag
• Contact: Baum Guitars

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

The Baum Guitars Verve comes in a really nice Deluxe Gig Bag, and when I pull it out, my first impression is that it’s an eye-catching guitar with its metallic Amber Gold finish and retro modern body shape. It’s sort of Telecaster-shaped if you think of it as a shallow, single cutaway, but I do get Danelectro vibes from it as well. It manages to stand on its own without feeling too alien, which is a definite design achievement.

The single-ply, black pickguard cuts a diamond shape across a body that’s pretty much devoid of comfort carves, apart from a very slight flattening where my picking arm rests over the body. There’s no neck heel carve either, giving it a decidedly retro feel. Flipping it over, I spy there’s no plate on the back for the controls, so if you do want to dive in, you’ll need to take the strings off.

The paint is very well applied, and although I spot a couple of dark flecks on the back side of the guitar, these are only noticeable when the guitar is held up to the light and inspected closely. The neck pocket is neatly done, and all of the electronics and hardware are robustly applied. It feels worthy of gigging and ties in with other Indonesian-made guitars I’ve had in my hands recently in terms of the quality of the build.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

As soon as I sit down to play the Verve, I feel right at home. As a regular Telecaster player, it doesn’t feel much different at all from my number one guitar. It’s lighter in weight as the body is markedly slimmer, but the neck feel is pretty similar. It doesn’t take me long to get up and running with it, and my favourite licks and riffs come easily.

The medium jumbo frets feel lovely to bend against, no matter where I am on the fretboard, and the overall feel is slinky and smooth. There’s nothing that gets in my way, whether I’m playing legato, open chords, barre chords, or any other technique. It’s not a shred neck, but the profile feels buttery smooth, and alternate-picked scale runs fly around the fretboard.

It’s nicely balanced both in my lap and when I put it on a guitar strap at rehearsal, but I do notice when standing that it’s easy to accidentally hit the toggle switch. This only happens when I perform some aggressive strumming of chords, but it just means a small adjustment is required to my admittedly aggressive playing style, so I can’t rapidly strum near the higher frets of the guitar.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

I start off my sound testing by plugging the Verve into an audio interface and loading up an instance of Neural DSP’s Tone King plugin. Using a totally clean tone with a touch of a spring reverb, I notice that the high E doesn’t quite ring out true here when played on its own, which I didn’t notice when I play-tested it unplugged. My first instinct is a nut issue, but pressing behind the nut while playing the string doesn’t resolve it.

Moving up and down the E string to see if I can find a culprit, I notice it buzzes at the 9th fret, and getting my bank card out, I determine that the 10th fret is sitting ever so slightly proud at the treble end. This can happen with guitars when they get shipped from place to place and subjected to drastic changes in temperature, and I’m easily able to remedy it by raising the bridge saddle slightly. The open-E issue proves trickier, however, and I’m unable to make it better without really getting into the weeds with the nut slot.

Undeterred, I continue to play in the bridge position, and there’s plenty of Tele twang on tap here, with an output I’d put somewhere between vintage and modern. There’s loads of spank and attack when I dig in with some country-inspired leads, and it bites when I strike open chords hard, giving a nice balance of low-end weight and treble cut.

Moving to the neck pickup, there’s a noticeable volume drop, but it’s that tried-and-tested T-style sound, warm and a little woolly. It feels really smooth when I play leads with it, but there’s still plenty of articulation when playing full chords hard. The middle position is really nice when played clean, though, and due to the volume difference between the two pickups, it’s got a delicious balance to the overall tone.

Next, I load up an overdriven guitar amp tone with a Bluesbreaker-style overdrive pedal in front of it, and the bridge pickup really comes into its own. It’s really full-sounding and cuts through nicely without getting into icepick territory. The more modern voicing gives more midrange with a smooth high end. When strumming punky power chords, it really sings, and adding in a reverb pedal and delay pedal while I play lead licks delivers a very satisfying and modern-leaning guitar tone.

Moving back the bridge pickup, it’s straight into Tom Morello riffing tone. It’s warm and round, a little dark, but not so much that it sounds dull. It manages to stay pretty articulate when I strum full chords, although I do lose a little of the treble strings under the weight of the low end and mids here. In the middle position, again it’s nicely balanced as it was with the clean tone. There’s a little more of the bridge pickup than the neck, giving a very usable tone that blends the good parts of each pickup’s character.

Verdict

There are a lot of T-style guitars on the market right now, so the Baum Verve needs to do something very special to stand out from the rest, and it succeeds in most ways. The roasted maple and rosewood combo of the neck plays really nicely, with a profile that encourages faster playing and felt super comfortable no matter what I attempted on it.

The bridge pickup is really great too, offering that Tele twang with a little extra heat for the modern player. It’s probably not the best for those after 50s or 60s Tele tones, but it can deliver a wide range of tones that will cover funk, country, rock, blues, and more. I did find the neck position a little uninspired when played clean, but it held its own with overdriven tones and works great alongside the bridge pickup in the middle position.

The QC on this model wasn’t the best, however. An issue with one of the frets and the nut needed to be resolved to make the guitar play perfectly, which, while admittedly par for the course when it comes to import guitars and sometimes, even American-made instruments, to be totally fair, is nonetheless a little disappointing. Granted, these weren’t issues that made the guitar unplayable, but small hurdles that needed to be jumped over.

Guitar World verdict: For me, the real strength of the Baum Guitars Verve lies in its playability. The neck profile is fantastic, and I never felt like any playing style was out of reach in my time with it. The pickups are nicely versatile, although I wanted a little more from the neck position; for the most part, it’s capable of a huge array of styles. That said, the QC on my review model wasn’t perfect, with a couple of issues that needed resolving to get it to where it should be.

Also try

Hands-on videos

Kris Barocsi

TheGuitarGeek

What is it?

The CX102 is part of Kawai's new CX line, which takes over from the well-known KDP series. For years, the KDP-75 and KDP-120 have been favourites in the digital pianos for beginners category. Now, with the CX102 and the larger CX202, Kawai is offering a fresh option for anyone starting out, hobbyists, or families who want to get into piano without spending a fortune.

Sitting at the entry level of the CX range, the keyboard uses Kawai's Responsive Hammer Lite action, with fully graded keys designed to support the development of finger strength and technique. Kawai has carried over some of the hammer-sensing and key cushioning technology from their higher-end CN series, resulting in a keyboard with a softer feel than a traditional acoustic piano action, while still aiming to replicate its fundamental feel.

The Responsive Hammer Lite features a shorter pivot length than Kawai's higher-end actions; the pivot is the hinge around which each key rotates when pressed, making the keys lighter and more accessible.

While designed as an entry-level digital piano, the CX102 still features Kawai's Harmonic Imaging technology, sampling each key individually to deliver a realistic tone with ample dynamic range. The main piano sound is based around the iconic Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand. Hand-built at the Shigeru Kawai R&D Laboratory in Ryuyo, Japan, the SK-EX is widely regarded as one of the finest concert grands in the world, regularly gracing the stages of international competitions and concert halls. There are three different SK-EX concert grand piano sounds: Classic, Jazz, and Mellow.

The CX102 also includes 17 built-in sounds in total, with the three SK-EX concert grand voices alongside 14 additional instrument sounds covering essentials like electric pianos, organs, string pads, and even an upright bass with a ride cymbal for walking bass lines.

For amplification, the CX102 uses a 2 × 11W stereo system driving two 12cm speakers tucked under the keyboard for a wide stereo image. The design is compact, simple, and clean, with just a few buttons, a keyboard lid, and three pedals. It's available in embossed black or embossed white.

The CX102 works with two free Kawai apps. PianoRemote lets you control the piano from your phone, allowing you to change sounds, adjust settings, and set the metronome without using the piano's buttons; particularly useful since entry-level models can be tricky to navigate. PiaBookPlayer turns our phone or tablet into a digital score viewer for the built-in lesson library, with pieces from Burgmüller, Czerny, and Beyer, and you can even turn pages using the pedals. Beyond Kawai's own apps, the CX102 also supports Skoove for structured interactive lessons and Tomplay for sheet music with professional backing tracks; both are available via separate subscriptions.

As I'd expect, the CX102 comes with a built-in metronome and recorder, plus a range of lesson pieces from popular classical method books. It also features material from Alfred's well-known piano method series, giving beginners a structured practice plan right from the start.

Performance

To me, the CX102 makes a quietly confident first impression. The cabinet is neat and unfussy, with a classic piano look and layout that feels immediately familiar – sit down, and you know exactly where you are. At just 40.5cm deep, it sits neatly against a wall without eating into the room, making it a practical choice for smaller spaces. I would say it does feel a little light and plasticky up close, but at this price point, that's clearly a trade-off Kawai has deliberately made, choosing to focus on what matters most, like the keys and the sound.

One small note worth mentioning is that navigating the CX102's functions relies on button and key combinations rather than a dedicated display, and Kawai has moved from text labels to icons on the control panel. Personally, it's not a dealbreaker, but it can feel a little unintuitive at first, particularly for newcomers to the digital piano world.

What makes the CX102's keyboard interesting is that Kawai has taken a different approach to the key action here. Rather than scaling down a heavier action, they've opted for the Responsive Hammer Lite, a lighter action originally found on more portable stage pianos, making it more approachable for younger players or complete beginners who might find a heavier keyboard tiring. The shorter pivot length does mean the key weight can feel slightly inconsistent depending on where you press, something acoustic pianists will likely notice more than beginners. Overall, the action is soft and pleasant to play, though more accomplished players may find it limiting when pushing into bigger, more dynamic passages.

The CX102 also benefits from Kawai's key cushioning technology, which dampens the mechanical noise of the keys during play, a small but genuinely useful feature for anyone practising at home without wanting to disturb the rest of the household.

On sound, the CX102, with 22 watts of power, produces a surprisingly crisp and vibrant tone that fills a room well. The stereo image is wide and immersive, even if the overall tone can feel a little boxy compared to more premium models. Experienced pianists may find the sound lacks the finesse and detail of a higher-end instrument, and I do feel it has a digital edge to it, but for an entry-level piano at this price, it delivers far more than you might expect.

Through headphones, as is often the case with digital pianos, the experience steps up a notch. The sound becomes genuinely immersive, with lovely low-end warmth and interesting tonal nuances that feel inspiring to play. I did notice the mids can get a little muddy, with not much room to breathe, but it's far from a dealbreaker. Having the SK-EX as the tonal foundation of a piano at this price is no small thing; the three grand piano voices are gorgeously sampled, and the additional 14 instrument sounds are simple and well-chosen; everything a beginner needs without overwhelming them. A personal highlight is the upright bass and ride cymbal combination, a neat touch for anyone looking to explore jazz and work on their walking bass lines.

The CX102 is well-equipped on the connectivity front, too. Dual headphone outputs, one full-size 6.3mm jack and one 3.5mm, make it easy for a teacher and student to listen simultaneously, while Bluetooth MIDI opens the door to a growing ecosystem of piano learning apps without a cable in sight. It's worth noting that, unlike the step-up CX202, Bluetooth Audio is absent here, meaning you can't stream music through its speakers from your phone. I understand why this isn’t included here, but it feels like a missed opportunity to me. Most modern learners will expect this functionality as standard, so it’s disappointing that we don't have it here.

Verdict

The Kawai CX102 isn't simply a remake of the much-loved KDP-75. It's a different proposition entirely. Kawai has made deliberate trade-offs in the right places, and the result is a compelling entry-level piano that delivers strong sound quality both through the speakers and headphones, solid connectivity, and an accessible keyboard designed to make those first steps at the piano a little easier and kinder on the fingers. The lighter build won't be for everyone, but at this price, it's hard to argue with.

The CX102 is at its best in the hands of a complete beginner, a younger player, or a family looking for a reliable first instrument that won't intimidate and won't break the bank. It takes a different road from the KDP-75, and while purists may miss the feel of the old action, for its intended audience, it makes a strong case for itself.

Those who outgrow it will naturally find themselves looking at the CN series for a more realistic action and richer sound, but that's a conversation for further down the line. For now, the CX102 does exactly what a good entry-level piano should: it gets out of the way and lets you focus on learning to play.

Hands-on demos

MusicRadar

Kawai Pianos

Specifications

What is it?

There aren’t many who don’t know at least a little about who Ed Sheeran is. With his own album sales totalling over 200 million, and having written/collaborated with the likes of Taylor Swift, One Direction and Justin Bieber, he is one of the most recognisable musicians on the planet.

He is also a pretty handy acoustic guitar player and has delved into the world of gear with products such as the Sheeran by Lowden guitars and the Sheeran Looper. Now it’s acoustic amplification that is getting his attention, this time in the form of a collaboration with Orange with the Orange Outlowd range of acoustic amplifiers.

The range features 3W, 60W and 100W amps named the ES3, ES60 and ES100 respectively. It's the diminutive ES3 that I have in front of me for review - an amp with very few bells and whistles, built to facilitate home practice with your acoustic guitar.

You may be thinking, as I am, what is the point here? Acoustic guitars are, for the most part, more than loud enough to use at home without an amp, and generally speaking sound great on their own too. So, why would anyone need an acoustic amp designed only for home practice?

Well, let's keep an open mind and find out.

Specs

• Launch price: $199 | £149 | €179
• Type: Acoustic amplifier combo
• Origin: China
• Output: 3 Watts RMS
• Speaker: 4” full range
• Channels: 1
• Controls: Volume, Reverb, Shape
• Connectivity: ¼” input, Bluetooth connectivity
• Power: Rechargeable battery, charged via USB-C
• Weight: 3.18Lbs/1.44kg
• Dimensions: 165x145x125mm/6.5”x5.71”x4.92”
• Contact: Orange

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

For something that measures only 165x145x125mm, the amp is surprisingly weighty. At 1.44kg, it's not problematic, but instead gives me confidence that the ES3 is built to last. The three controls and single button (for Bluetooth) follow suit and feel robust in use, as does the leather strap that the amp comes with. So far, so good.

The amp sports the classic bright orange finish associated with the brand, and it’s an aesthetic that pleasingly oozes the iconic nature of Orange Amplifiers.

The thick sides are finished in a rather bougie feeling tolex, and the tough metal grille on the front makes the unit feel like a real amp. I point this out because a lot of products of this size can come across a little toy-like, but not the ES3. It feels like a high-end, miniature version of a quality amp, rather than a budget version of something nicer.

Lastly, looking at the bottom of the unit, there are thick rubber feet to stop the amp from sliding about a desk. Alongside those feet is a join in the Tolex that could perhaps be a little neater; however, this is definitely within nitpick territory. What we have is a little amp that is very well put together, and perhaps importantly, won't look out of place in your front room.

Usability and features

Usability and features rating: ★★★★½

In use, this amp is almost as easy as it gets. Three controls: Volume, Reverb, and Shape. Volume is self-explanatory, and Reverb adjusts the overall reverb level without cluttering ther mind with more in-depth parameters. This works as long as those parameters have been calibrated well, which, in this case, they have.

Shape is a little interesting, as Orange says that turning clockwise reduces mid-range frequencies and brightens the sound, whilst turning anti-clockwise adds mid-range and reduces brightness. Honestly though, most are just going to approach this like a tone control.

I say ‘almost as easy as it gets’, because indicating what each control does, are Orange’s trademark icons rather than text. These are a long-established part of the Orange brand, but, to be blunt, I'm not a fan.

There is a whole suite of these icons across the gear in the Orange catalogue. Some are easy to figure out; others use things such as sine waves that beginners won't understand or abstract symbols that are annoying in the, admittedly small, amount of thought they take to translate.

I know that it saves space and gives the amps something that is aesthetically interesting, but other brands have no problem using words or abbreviations to get the function across in similarly tight spaces. Let’s just do that.

On the ES3, the speaker icon above the Volume control is pretty clearly indicative of the control's function, but I’d argue that the use of a spring icon to indicate the reverb may not be obvious to some beginners, and the shape used to indicate the Shape control even less so.

Having said that, it won't take long for anyone to figure it out, and if you do find yourself stuck, a quick gander at the manual will see it concisely explained to you.

Beyond its function as an amp, it also operates as a Bluetooth speaker and is dead easy to connect to a device. Press the Bluetooth button, find it in your chosen device's list of Bluetooth connections, connect, and go. Handy for playing along with tracks, or as a standalone way to listen to music.

The ES3’s battery-powered nature makes the amp super portable, which, combined with the carry handle, gives it a massive tick in the convenience column. I didn't need to recharge the battery at all during the multiple hours of testing, so there is plenty of juice here too.

And that is it. Very few 'extra features', but as a result it’s a pretty straightforward piece of gear.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Testing with my Taylor 214CE and my Faith Venus, the general tone is surprisingly full for a 4-inch speaker. As expected with an amp of this size, there is not a ton of low end, but there is enough to keep the guitar sounding big when strumming those open chords.

With the Shape control set in the middle, it is a relatively full sound, with a nice midrange body that I find is often lacking in acoustic guitar amplifiers. The high end does not sound too ‘plinky’ at this setting, which is impressive for such a small thing.

Turning that shape control clockwise does exactly as earlier described, but I find that it quickly gets into the aforementioned plucky, thin high-end thing often associated with acoustic pickups.

Similarly, turning anti-clockwise quickly gets too dark, resulting in a loss of definition. So, for best results, keep that shape control in the middle and make only small adjustments to suit your guitar. In my case, I left the control untouched for my Taylor's impressive ES1 system, but turned slightly anti-clockwise to roll off some highs for the Faith's Shadow pickup.

The reverb is the highlight for me, as it is a lovely, bright-sounding hall-like 'verb that wraps the guitar in a very rewarding sense of space. Even at the higher settings, which is more than most will ever need, the reverb manages to stay out of the way of the dry signal. Impressive, and a lot of fun.

Furthermore, it’s the reverb that answers my earlier question - what is the point here? The amp starts to distort the signal on both guitars with the Volume control around 75%, meaning that while it’s enough to get over the acoustic sound of the guitar, it's not enough for anything more than home practice.

As acoustic guitars project plenty of volume on their own, arguably we don’t need an acoustic amp at home unless it’s adding something inspiring or extra to the tone. And that’s where the reverb comes in.

I can see many finding the space that it adds to be an inspiring sound to play with, leading some to get more out of their home acoustic sessions. For those people, this amp will be worth it.

As a Bluetooth speaker, it again does an impressive job for its size. With my Google Pixel 9 Pro on full volume and streaming from Spotify, the speaker begins to distort with around 75% of the volume dialled in. Enough to fill a small room for casual listening, or a solo jam session.

Just like with the guitars, there is not an excess of low end here, but there is more than you would expect given that it’s a small 4-inch speaker. I also felt that, in this context, the midrange sounds a little scooped - hyping the hi-fi listening experience a bit too far. But, again, impressive for its size and a pleasant listening experience.

Verdict

From my own experience and a previous life as a guitar teacher, it didn’t take long before I concluded that the biggest hurdle for a lot of players is in the gap between the thought of playing and the action of doing so.

Whether you are getting some practice in or just playing for fun (I’d argue the latter is more important than the former), that gap usually involves some form of setup, for example, digging out the leads and amplifier for an electric guitar. One of the joys of an acoustic guitar is that it amplifies itself; you can just pick it up and go, therefore minimising that gap.

Plugging an acoustic guitar into an amp at home removes this benefit.

But the other side of the coin is that a good sound is always more motivating and inspiring to use. The Orange Outlowd ES3 undeniably improves the experience through its excellent reverb, and although it’s only loud enough for home use, it’s still loud enough to increase the volume of the acoustic you are using. As the simple creatures most of us are, more volume usually equals more fun.

So, whether this amp is worth it for you will depend on how much of a kick you get out of that fantastic reverb and the little extra volume. Some will find it pointless; others will find it to be a brilliant addition to their home setup.

MusicRadar verdict: The Orange Outlowd ES3 feels like a quality bit of gear that is built to last. It’s surprisingly full-sounding for a small amplifier, and does a good job moonlighting as a Bluetooth Speaker. The highlight is the lovely reverb, pleasingly adding some space to your home sessions. Yes, we don’t need to amplify our acoustic guitars for home use, but this amp makes it fun to do so.

Also try

Hands-on videos

Thomann

Guitar Center

Orange

What is it?

Following on from its ID:X series of modelling amps, Blackstar has expanded the ID:X range with a release of three floor processors, the ID:X Floor One, Two and Three. All of these have the same onboard DSP so are capable of the same sounds, but each delivers it in a different way.

The small One unit features three footswitches as does the Two, which adds a treadle for control of wah, volume or effect parameters. But our focus is the Three here, which ups the flexibility quota by having eight footswitches and adding an effects loop among other features.

The ID:X Floor Three gives you amp and effects modelling with 99 onboard patches to store your sounds. It features 12 guitar amp models, three bass amps, two acoustic voices and an acoustic simulator. In addition, there are 35 onboard effects in various categories.

While the (very) affordable price is a major factor of its appeal, another is that it is gloriously easy to use with a proper hands-on aesthetic: there are some screen parameters to navigate, but there’s no deep diving into the menu, and operation is really intuitive.

Specs

• PRICE: $399 | £279 | €279
• ORIGIN: China
• TYPE: Amp and effects modelling floor pedal
• FEATURES: Buffered bypass, 99 presets, tuner, tap tempo, noise gate, hardware FX loop, 2 in/4 out audio interface
• CONTROLS: Voice switch, Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble, ISF, Master, 10x buttons, 2x turn/push encoders, footswitches (Channels 1, 2, 3, Tap, Pre FX, Modulation, Delay, Reverb), treadle
• CONNECTIONS: Standard instrument input, Standard Send, Standard Return, Standard ‘To Amp’, XLR Outs (L/Mono, R), TRS stereo line out/phones, 1/8” stereo line in/streaming, MIDI In, MIDI Thru, USB
• POWER: Supplied 9V DC adaptor, 500 mA
• DIMENSIONS: 397 (w) x 195 (d) x 68mm (h)
• RANGE OPTIONS: ID:X Floor One ($269 | £169 | €189), ID:X Floor Two ($319 | £219 | €235)
• CONTACT: Blackstar Amplification

Usability and sounds

Although the treadle is plastic, the ID:X Floor’s bent sheet-steel chassis offers confidence that it’s rugged enough for use underfoot, and has the connectivity to take care of all the common onstage, studio and home tasks.

There’s a single guitar input with a pair of main XLR outputs for connection to a front-of-house mixing desk or PA, plus a single output to connect to an amp or FRFR speaker.

You also get a stereo line output that’ll take headphones for silent practice and, tied in with that, there’s a stereo line input for an external audio source – Bluetooth streaming is not supported.

Send and Return sockets allow you to connect external pedals into the system (with the option of having them pre- or post- the amp modelling), and there’s a pair of MIDI sockets for implementing MIDI control.

A USB-C socket enables connection to a computer to take advantage of the unit’s audio interface capability for recording, along with Blackstar’s Architect software editor and librarian, which offers a quick way to set up sounds with a few mouse clicks, and also gives you access to any firmware updates.

The onboard patches are arranged three to a bank and are instantly recalled with the first three footswitches on the lower row, which are also used for scrolling through the banks by pressing two simultaneously – something that requires a slight angling of the foot. The fourth lower row footswitch offers tap tempo or calls up the tuner. The footswitches in the upper row turn the effects in a patch on and off.

These are arranged in a fixed but logical order with one effect before the amp block, and modulation, delay and reverb effects coming after the amp.

There is a choice of two compressors, auto wah and envelope filter to select before the amp, as well as a comprehensive range of dirt options that includes models of Tube Screamer, Klon, Rat and Big Muff, among others.

The modulation slot offers chorus, flangers, phasers, tremolos, UniVibe and vibrato, while there are five different types each of delay and reverb.

The amps are chosen by a six-way rotary Voice switch allied to a button that selects one of three banks of six. The first bank has signature Blackstar amp sounds including various St James models, and the second bank features the company’s Ampton models, which cover classic tone builders: a Fender Twin, Vox AC30, Marshall ‘Plexi’ and JCM800, Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, and Peavey 5150.

The usual array of controls (Gain, Volume, Bass, Middle, Treble) are available as easily grabbable knobs for the amps, but you also get some extra tonal variation from the ISF knob, which is designed to morph from British to US sound. On top of that you have a selectable choice of modelled output valves – EL84, EL34 and 6L6 for Vox, Marshall and Fender flavour respectively.

Each amp has the CabRig IR-based speaker simulation that offers a selection of cabs with adjustable mic’ing and room options, or ITR (In The Room), which gives you more of a feeling of playing through a real amp in a real space, rather than listening to a mic’d cabinet.

Plenty of options, then, to dial in a range of tones. But it’s worth starting with the factory-programmed patches that have been carefully curated to be usable for common guitar tasks straight out of the box. Alternatively, you could switch to Manual mode where the sounds are purely down to the position of the physical knobs and switches.

What you get is an effortlessly usable unit that delivers dynamically playable amp sounds. The complementary effects are suitable for a wide range of styles, and also give you a passable simulation of acoustic guitar that will fit in nicely with a band mix, as well as alternative acoustic voices if you use an electro-acoustic.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

The ID:X Floor Three costs just £279. Just think about that – there are plenty of boutique dirt pedals that do one simple task and cost around the same.

With the Floor Three you get a full amp/cab and effects chain, fully footswitchable. It can be used as your sole onstage item if required or fulfil the at-home roles of being a practice tool and the source of all your recorded guitar sounds when connected to a computer.

Where’s the catch, then? Well, there isn’t one. Okay, you can’t experiment with the effects order and the sounds aren’t quite in the same class as the (much more expensive) Neural and Fractal units, but they are good, eminently playable sounds from clean right through to high-gain.

MusicRadar verdict: All three ID:X Floor units should attract the attention of anyone who wants to get into the world of modelling processors, but this model is the one that is most capable of making the graduation from bedroom to stage.

Hands-on videos

Blackstar Amplification

The Studio Rats

Cameron Cooper

• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

Warm Audio produces an impressive selection of vintage-inspired mics from full-on valve recreations, such as the WA-67, through to more affordable transformerless designs, such as the multipattern WA-87jr. Its most affordable designs are the Studio Essential models, which are available for both the WA-87jr and WA-47jr, and it’s the latter we have up for review.

Offering a more affordable but streamlined version of the WA-47jr, the WA-47jr SE is a vintage-inspired cardioid condenser. Featuring a large single backplate capsule, with gold-sputtered centre tapped diaphragm, the mic has a voicing based on the classic Neumann K47 capsule and FET-based circuitry inspired by Neumann’s U47 FET design. Available in both nickel and black finishes, the box includes the mic, a hard mount with thread converter and a storage pouch. There’s no flight case, but the padded retail box provides a good storage solution.

The transformerless phantom-powered design features a fully discrete signal path, utilising high-quality Wima film capacitors and Toshiba FETs. On the specification front, it offers excellent self-noise (9dBA) and good sensitivity (14mV/Pa). Importantly, and in line with what you’d expect from a FET U47 design, it also has high SPL handling (147dB maximum).

Meanwhile, in line with the streamlined remit, there are no on-body options such as a low-cut filter or a level pad. Finally, much like other Warm mics we’ve tested, the WA-47jr SE is manufactured in China, quality tested and checked at Warm’s Texas facility and comes with a 5-year warranty.

Performance

The WA-47jr SE build quality and finish are excellent, with good labelling and stylish yet minimal branding. At 52mm diameter and 212mm length, the mic has a reasonably slender profile and standard cylindrical shape, so it is not really based on a Neumann U47 shape. That said, the post-mounted capsule sits high in the headstock and slightly behind the grille framing, which is like the Neumann classic. At 647g, including the clip, it feels reassuringly solid and is easy to adjust and set up.

Neumann’s U47 FET is highly regarded as a more robust alternative to the valve version and is often preferred for high-SPL applications such as brass, bass guitar amps, and kick drums (typically outside, not inside). The capsule voicing features a presence boost of a few dB in the upper-mid frequencies, a further lift around 10kHz and a reasonably flat low-frequency response that tails off gently below about 250Hz.

The WA-47jr SE offers something similar, and first impressions are of a smooth mid to low-frequency response with some presence lift for the mid frequencies around 3-4kHz. The high-frequency air is not immediately obvious, and a quick look at the frequency response reveals a few dB of boost up to around 13kHz, which is slightly different to a U47. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for some kind of general comparison, the sonics are noticeably less hyped than a U87-style mic, for example.

The WA-47jr SE has a fixed cardioid pattern, which is reasonably focused, with obvious upper-frequency reduction from about 45 degrees off-axis onward. Meanwhile, the fully off-axis rejection, although not specified in detail on the chart, is good and will prove handy for directional use in the studio. Overall, the transition from on-axis to off-axis response is pretty smooth, making the mic easy to use for vocals or acoustic guitar, for example, which it captures really well.

In terms of high SPL uses, the WA-47jr SE performs well. We’d recommend a pop shield for vocal use; even so, the mic handles vocal plosives and other blast situations, such as kick drum sound holes, better than many large capsule condensers we’ve tried. All told, this makes for a very flexible mic.

Verdict

Maybe surprisingly, there are not that many options if you’re after an affordable mic inspired by the Neumann U47 FET. Warm’s WA-47 jr SE is not an exact copy (its own WA-47F fits that bill), but it certainly captures much of the original, including high-SPL handling and a smooth, unhyped frequency response. It’s a shame they couldn’t sneak in the low-cut filter, but overall, the WA-47jr SE still offers excellent value.

Hands-on demos

Warm Audio

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

The Kawai ES120 is a portable 88-key digital piano and the successor to the popular ES110. Released in 2022, it builds on an already strong foundation with an improved keyboard action, refinements to its sound engine, enhanced Bluetooth connectivity, and a sleek visual redesign. Aimed at a broad audience from beginners and home players to gigging musicians and teachers, it sits in the mid-range portable stage piano bracket at a competitive price point.

Portability is a key feature of the ES120. Weighing only 12.5kg and measuring 130.5cm wide by 28cm deep, it is easy to transport to rehearsals or gigs and fits comfortably into most gig bags. Its design is minimal and functional, with a row of clearly labelled buttons along the top left of the instrument handling voice selection and key functions.

The ES120's keyboard features Kawai's Responsive Hammer Compact action, a fully-graded keyboard that mirrors the weight distribution of an acoustic piano, with heavier keys in the bass and lighter ones in the treble. Updated cushioning materials and revised key mechanics contribute to a quieter action and a more consistent playing experience across the keyboard, and both black and white keys feature a matte finish.

This model uses Kawai's Harmonic Imaging sound engine, with every one of the 88 keys individually sampled from the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX concert grand. Recording each note separately rather than stretching a smaller number of samples across the keyboard results in a more natural and consistent tone.

The ES120 also includes Kawai's Virtual Technician feature, accessible via the PianoRemote app, with 18 parameters covering everything from voicing and damper resonance to key volume and temperament. A Low Volume Balance function keeps the tone and touch natural at lower volumes, a useful addition for home practice.

It offers 25 built-in voices, covering all the essentials. In addition to its main piano sounds, you will find electric pianos, organs, strings, and other useful instruments such as vibraphone, harpsichord, and a bass and ride cymbal combination that is especially useful for exploring jazz styles.

Kawai’s ES120 is equipped with a dual 10-watt amplifier that powers a pair of 4.7-inch speakers, designed to provide ample volume for home practice and produce a clear, balanced sound with a convincing stereo spread. The keyboard is equipped with two headphone inputs.

Through headphones, the ES120 benefits from Kawai's Spatial Headphone Sound technology, which adds depth and dimension to the listening experience and, according to Kawai, helps reduce ear fatigue during longer practice sessions.

On the connectivity front, Bluetooth MIDI and Audio handle wireless app integration and audio streaming, USB to Host takes care of computer connectivity, and two headphone outputs alongside dedicated stereo line outputs cover both practice and performance needs. And of course, it is compatible with both PianoRemote and PiaBookPlayer apps.

Out of the box, the ES120 includes a damper pedal and a music rest. Half-pedal support is also available when using a compatible sustain pedal. An optional wooden designer stand and matching triple pedal unit are available separately, which neatly transforms it into a compact home digital piano. The ES120 is available in two finishes: Black and White.

Performance

Right off the bat, the ES120 makes a pretty strong first impression with its simple, sleek design. The control buttons sit neatly in a single row and are easy to access. Although it is lightweight, the ES120 feels solid and well-built, with a sturdy chassis and quality plastics that give it a reassuringly robust feel. It genuinely feels like it won't rattle apart on the way to a gig. However, the included damper pedal is quite basic and may not meet the needs of more advanced players. I’d say that upgrading to a better sustain pedal that supports half-pedalling is recommended to get the most out of the instrument.

The ES120's minimal button layout keeps things refreshingly simple, with direct access to the essentials. That said, navigating beyond the basics can get a little confusing without the manual, as some functions rely on button combinations that are not immediately obvious. For deeper customisation, including the Virtual Technician parameters for fine-tuning touch and tone, you will need the PianoRemote app; a reasonable trade-off that keeps the physical design clean, but worth knowing before you buy.

For me, the ES120's key action is where Kawai's expertise truly shows. The keyboard has a modest, no-frills appearance, with a plain matte finish on both the black and white keys and no simulated ivory texturing, but I don’t mind that at this price point. The touch is on the lighter side with an even response across the full range; some players may notice a slightly firm initial resistance before the action settles into a smoother feel once past that first point of contact.

Players who rely on precise pianissimo technique may need a little time to adjust. That said, playing fast and complex passages feels natural and comfortable, and Kawai has struck a good balance; the keys are neither sluggish nor overly forceful, making the ES120 a genuinely enjoyable keyboard to play at any level.

The sound of the ES120 is impressive for a portable piano and delivers a surprisingly wide, immersive tone. There is a slight boxiness to the sound that is common to beginner digital pianos, but it does not detract from what is an engaging and enjoyable listening experience at this price.

Now, a particularly useful feature for home players is Low Volume Balance, which automatically adjusts tone and touch at lower volumes, keeping the sound natural and responsive even during late-night practice sessions.

Personally, I think the ES120 performs particularly well through headphones. The main piano voices feel lush, warm, and detailed, and Kawai's Spatial Headphone Sound technology adds a welcome sense of space and depth to the experience, while also aiming to reduce ear fatigue during longer practice sessions; a thoughtful inclusion for an instrument at this price, for sure.

When it comes to voices, the ES120 offers a simple but well-chosen selection. The piano sounds are responsive and organic, the electric pianos warm and colourful, and the remaining keyboard instruments feel realistic and characterful. A personal highlight is the upright bass and ride cymbal combination, a fun and practical addition for anyone looking to explore jazz accompaniment.

In practice, the connectivity of the ES120 works exactly as it should. Bluetooth pairing is seamless, the dual headphone outputs are genuinely useful for shared practice or teaching, and the line outputs make plugging into a PA at a gig a straightforward affair. Everything performs reliably and without fuss, and I can’t ask for more than that.

Verdict

The Kawai ES120 is a confident and well-rounded portable digital piano that punches above its weight in almost every area. The key action is its strongest card; light and approachable without ever feeling cheap, and is comfortable enough to satisfy players at any level. The sound holds up impressively on both speakers and headphones, and the SK-EX sampling delivers a level of tonal quality rarely found at this price point.

It is not without its compromises. The plain matte key finish and the basic included pedal are the most obvious, and players with a classical background may need time to adjust to the lighter action. But these are conscious trade-offs rather than oversights, and none of them undermines what a genuinely strong package this piano is.

For a beginner looking for a first serious instrument, an intermediate player wanting something portable, or a gigging musician needing a reliable, lightweight stage piano, the ES120 makes a compelling case. At this price, it is hard to find a more complete portable digital piano.

Hands-on demos

MusicRadar

Kawai Pianos Global

Specifications

What is it?

Modal Electronics has had a turbulent few years, running into financial difficulties in 2023 and consequently undergoing a fairly lengthy restructuring process. This delayed the release of the synth on test here, Carbon8X, first previewed at Superbooth in 2023 and now finally available in 37-, 61-key and module versions.

The company's range of synths has been varied to say the least, from high-end and very well-regarded synths like the 001 to the (much) more budget-friendly Skulpt and Craft Synth. In fact, all the synths have been pretty well received, so it was disappointing to see the company – a UK one at that – in trouble.

However, Modal appears to now be on less choppy waters (under the banner of Hong Kong-based WT Technology Development), and with a more streamlined set of products, which should help make the company's synth proposition much clearer and more attractive.

Argon8 is Modal's 8-voice wavetable synth, packing a lot of the company's 00 synth into a much cheaper unit, while Cobalt8 is the company's more virtual analogue offering.

Carbon8 boasts double the power of these (although the same eight voices of polyphony) and can, in some ways, be seen as a 'best of' Modal synth, packing a lot of sonic punch and clout into a very solid synth proposition.

Performance

One thing you can't ignore is Carbon8X's build quality. This thing feels like it's built to last, with a steel and aluminium body, and could take on any gigging/transport situation… should you have the muscles to carry it. It's not light, put it that way, and if you have to lug a keyboard around, this might be off-putting, but at least you can be sure it's not going to get easily damaged should you manage to venture out with it.

The screen, at less than 4cm wide, is a bit small, but functional, and displays many features, like the envelopes and filters, with graphics not unlike a 1970s amusement arcade, but it certainly does enough without adding too much in the way of frills.

Probably the most important buttons are on either side of it, used for stepping through presets – which we'll cover later – or adjusting any parameter you like. Here you can access the 58 cores for both oscillators, which gives you an idea of how Carbon8X sounds on a ground level.

There are 38 wavetables and 18 algorithms, which give this synth a lot more sonic flexibility than others in its price range. Extra parameters here include a Contour dial to change the timbre of the selected Core, plus the Xmod/XCore. This controls the amount and type of extra cross modulation for oscillator 2, either with Osc 1 as the source or a so-called 'hidden' oscillator.

You can adjust six oscillator modifiers like phase distortion, wave shaping, ring or amplitude modulation – great for extra real-time control and well worth exploring as a sound design option in their own right. It's very easy, for example, to completely rebuild a preset from scratch and create your own right here, and that's before taking advantage of other modulation features.

These are pretty good too, with three LFOs (one with direct controls, two switchable), each with 16 shapes, and three envelopes for Amp, Mod and Filter. You get 12 sources and 55 destinations, but only eight slots to set up, which could be seen as a bit tight, but we'll assume these can be added to with a software update.

Setting these up is easy with the left-hand screen button, although with all selections, you are only given a few seconds to make your changes before the synth reverts back to its previous setting. Not really a problem, just something you might need to get used to.

A Shift option accesses a second layer of parameters on most buttons, and a couple of other nice touches include a joystick which can be (and has been) assigned to popular parameters to adjust in real time (think filter frequency, modulation depth and so on), and a Vintage dial to introduce gnarl and tuning issues just like an old analogue, which this clearly isn't.

Sounds

That said, some of the sounds are surprisingly lush and 'vintage', with lots taking advantage of the up-to-32-step arpeggiator for some full-on, classic synth movement, and even more can be created by way of a 512-note sequencer. Both steal the LEDs from other parameters to show you 16 steps of whatever mode you're in.

Meanwhile, the filter section adds the most diversity, featuring 34 filter types – analogue, digital and hybrid – and large Filter and Resonance dials to make the most of them. Here you get typical HP/LP/BP options plus a huge range of static, ladder, and dual 2-pole filters with continuous morphing.

It's really simple to get a feel of these in action with the screen pulling its weight and enabling you to see the different filter shapes and home in on the resonating frequencies for extra bite, not to mention the Warp dial, which allows you to add extra grit and drive.

A small niggle again comes down to the screen workflow where, as you step through filter types and adjust their frequency, you then have to go back to selecting filter type to keep auditioning – essentially the screen doesn't always seem to return to (or stay at) the parameter you hoped. Again, it's not a deal breaker, just a workflow step or two that you'll need to get used to.

While Carbon8X is clearly a digital synth at heart, it doesn't come with too much in the way of sonic harshness that (if you were our age) you might associate with the medium. In fact, it's right up there with one of our current favourites, Arturia's MiniFreak, in terms of sheer variety of sounds, with impressively programmed presets that you can easily and cheekily make your own, and plenty of hands-on action to call up should you wish.

You'll be tempted by that joystick, for example, and wonder why your favourite keyboard doesn't come with one as standard – Carbon8X makes it such a natural tweaking process. And use it you will to turn some already superb sounds into more dynamic and evolving textures. These are here aplenty, along with other pads, sequences, evolving and pretty nondescript atmospheres, and imaginative key, pluck and bell sounds.

We should also finally mention the three effects engines, each with 26 options to choose from, which add even more to your already bristling list of design options.

Verdict

Carbon8X has some features and workflow niggles, small ones if we're honest, and which might be sorted with system updates. But really, its sound blows these away and we were surprised by how much we were drawn in by what's here sonically, and what you can do with it.

The synth certainly wears its digital credentials proudly and has a character of its own which can really be appreciated by stepping through those presets – few synths boast quite as good a set of sonic adverts as this, and if you do nothing else, audition these sounds in your local dealer if you can.

This character is its clear raison d'etre and big draw, and a necessary one as hardware synths have really got to work for their lodgings in your studio over your plugins. However, it's joining a fairly crowded line-up of digital hardware synths – think Korg and that Arturia (see our alternatives for more) – which all offer a great deal of sonic mayhem for similar or less cash.

However, Carbon8X is pretty unique, even compared to some of the more unruly and 'trying to be out there' contenders, all within a (very solid) package. Of the three Carbon8Xs on offer, we'd probably opt for one of the keyboard versions over the module, simply for the extra controls that make using them much more intuitive, and for not much extra cash, but whatever you opt for, you'll wrestle some fantastic new textures out of it and create some inspiring and cutting-edge sounds.

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

The CA901 is Kawai's flagship Concert Artist digital piano and the top of their digital range. This is the most ambitious instrument Kawai makes before stepping into the world of hybrid pianos, which combine digital sound generation with real acoustic piano mechanisms. Aimed at serious home pianists, advanced students, returning players, and dedicated hobbyists, it offers the closest possible experience to an acoustic grand piano without the space, tuning bills, or price tag of the real thing.

Starting with the keyboard, all 88 keys are crafted entirely from wood, with finely textured ivory- and ebony-like surfaces, and each key pivots on a balance pin that replicates the seesaw motion of an acoustic piano action.

Now, Kawai’s Grand Feel III action has four key details: an extra-long key pivot length, which matches that of a Kawai grand piano; metal counterweights graded beneath each key, giving a balanced, substantial touch; a triple sensor detection system for improved responsiveness and note layering; and let-off simulation that recreates the subtle notch sensation felt on a grand piano when playing very softly.

When it comes to sound, the CA901 uses SK-EX Rendering. This exclusive sound engine combines multi-channel, 88-key sampling with resonance modelling. It captures the Shigeru Kawai SK-EX, one of the most celebrated concert grands, from multiple microphone positions. The result is a richer, more three-dimensional sound. Unlike most digital pianos, the CA901 also features a genuine wooden soundboard, like the resonating panel found in acoustic pianos. This soundboard vibrates to project sound. Driven by transducers rather than traditional speakers. Two top-mounted speakers with 360-degree diffuser panels, two front-facing speakers, and two tweeters complete the six-speaker, 135-watt configuration.

The CA901 comes with 96 voices in total, covering electric pianos, organs, strings, and more. At the core are two distinct SK-EX grand piano recreations: the Competition Grand, which is brilliant and clear with a weighty attack, and the Concert Grand, which is warmer and richer in character. Each comes with five rendering characters for further tonal shaping.

Rounding out the feature set, a 5-inch anti-glare LCD touchscreen lets you access sounds, settings, and the Virtual Piano Artisan voicing tools. Bluetooth MIDI and Audio v5, USB recording and playback, and Spatial Headphone Sound complete the connectivity picture. The CA901 is available in Premium Satin Black, Satin White, Premium Rosewood, Ebony Polish, and Natural Walnut, with a soft-fall fallboard included as standard.

Performance

First impressions of the CA901 are hard to argue with. The cabinet is compact and convincing enough to be mistaken for a small acoustic upright, and the build quality is immediately apparent, from the soft-fall fallboard to the sleek, anti-glare LCD touchscreen, which sits discreetly in the cheekblock without disrupting the piano's clean lines. To me, it feels like a well-thought-out instrument from every angle.

Although there are two small observations worth noting. I think the wood-grain texture on the satin black finish feels a little artificial. I’d say it’s worth considering one of the polished finishes if aesthetics matter to you. The CA901 is also notably slow to boot up, though with the complexity of the audio engine under the hood, this is perhaps to be expected, and a small price to pay for what follows.

Before getting to the sound, it is worth spending time on what most players will notice first, the keyboard. Kawai's expertise in piano making is on full display here, with the keys feeling deceptively real, and it takes a beat to register that you are playing a digital instrument rather than an acoustic one.

The let-off simulation and counterweights deliver a genuine sense of mechanical feedback with every keystroke, allowing for dynamic control and expressive nuance that is rarely found at this price point. The ivory- and ebony-like key surfaces are a pleasure to touch, too, with a smooth finish that absorbs moisture and maintains consistent control even during longer playing sessions. It is an impressive and genuinely pleasurable keyboard to play, and arguably one of the finest key actions available on any digital piano today.

Moving on, I’m happy to report that the three pedals feel solid underfoot, and I like that the sustain pedal supports half-pedalling, a must for many classical pieces and a nice touch from Kawai.

The wooden soundboard takes the experience a step further. Playing in the lower register creates a physical vibration that I could feel through the cabinet and my fingertips. This brings an organic quality to the playing that no conventional speaker system can replicate. The six-speaker system is equally impressive, delivering a wide, detailed, and immersive sound that easily fills the room. I soon stopped thinking of the CA901 as a speaker, as it simply sounds and feels like a real piano.

The piano voices of the CA901 are excellent across the board. To me, they have genuine realism, rich harmonics, and detailed resonance, whether through speakers or headphones. With headphones, the dedicated amplifier and Spatial Headphone Sound technology create a genuinely three-dimensional listening experience and a great sense of space. This makes extended practice sessions a pleasure instead of a chore, in my opinion.

The new SK-EX Competition Grand voice is a particular highlight. It’s vivid, responsive, and instantly inspiring, while the upright voice is characterful and full of life. The broader selection of sounds maintains high sampling standards, offering plenty to keep even the most demanding player engaged.

The CA901 covers all the connectivity bases you would expect at this level, and everything works as well in practice as it looks on paper. The touchscreen is responsive and intuitive mid-session, the Bluetooth pairing is seamless, and the Spatial Headphone Sound makes late-night practice genuinely immersive. The Virtual Piano Artisan voicing tools are a particular standout, offering a level of tonal control that goes well beyond what most digital pianos offer at any price.

Verdict

As Kawai's most advanced digital piano, the CA901 brings together some of the most sophisticated technology found in any digital instrument today, from the multi-channel SK-EX Rendering sound engine and Grand Feel III wooden key action to the Virtual Piano Artisan voicing tools and six-speaker system. It is the key action and soundboard in particular that blur the boundary between digital and acoustic, giving the CA901 a physical, tactile quality that is genuinely unlike anything else in its class.

Okay, so at this price, it is a serious investment, and is certainly not a beginner digital piano, but one that is hard to question when you consider what it delivers. Yes, the Yamaha Clavinova CLP-885 and the Casio GP-510 are both strong alternatives, each with its own take on key action and sound delivery, but I’d go as far as to say the Kawai CA901 may just be the best in its class.

Of course, piano playing is personal, and what feels right under the fingers varies from player to player. I always recommend trying each option side by side before committing at this level.

Hands-on demos

MusicRadar

Kawai Pianos Global

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

In 2025, Gretsch reignited its solidbody Corvette design – spurred-on by the success of the Jack Antonoff Princess CVT – with the production model Electromatic CVT Double-Cut. This dual-humbucker rock machine turned heads worldwide, proving once again that there’s more to Gretsch than grease.

However, while the retro looks and middleweight tones ticked a lot of boxes for standard-tuned players, the overall identity of the CVT (especially when decked-out in Havana Burst and Wychwood finishes) positively screamed for a trip downtown.

An excursion made difficult (as I noted in my review) by the one-size-fits-all 24.6-inch scale length. Well, contrary to philosopher Jagger’s claims, it turns out that sometimes you can get what you want, because Gretsch has gone back to the bench and given the CVT a little more road with the 27-inch scale Electromatic CVT Baritone.

Specs

• Launch price: $599/£599/€649
• Made: China
• Type: Six-string solidbody baritone electric
• Body: Mahogany
• Neck: Maple, bolt-on, Performance C shape
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Scale length: 27"/686mm
• Nut/width: Graph Tech Nu-Bone, 42.86mm
• Frets: 22, medium
• Hardware: Gretsch die-cast tuners, Adjust-O-Matic bridge and stoptail, nickel finish
• String spacing at bridge: 52mm
• Electrics: 2x Gretsch Twin Six humbuckers, master volume, master tone, push/pull coil splits, treble-bleed circuit
• Weight: 8lb/3.62kg
• Options: N/A
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Bristol Fog
• Cases: No
• Contact: Gretsch

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

On the face of it, this is the Electromatic CVT Double-Cut with a longer neck - it obviously features the same CVT outline, here cut from mahogany and bevelled at the edges producing a weight of 8lb, edging towards the hefty end of manageable for some. It uses the same Twin Six humbuckers as the regular-size version too. But look a little closer and you’ll discover a few spec changes. First up is the fingerboard which is rosewood for the baritone version, marked neatly with Neo-Classical ‘Thumbnail’ inlays and bound tidily at the edges.

Next up, the humbuckers are wired to enable coil splitting via the single volume and tone pots. These, along with the selector switch feel purposeful with their chunky metal design, making quick engaging/disengaging easier than some plastic control knobs. They’re fastened with grub screws too, so you’re not going to end up yanking it off the guitar by mistake when you go looking for single coil tones. The bridge has been swapped as well, changing from the wraparound bridge of the regular CVT to an Adjusto-O-Matic bridge and tailpiece.

There really isn’t a lot to complain about here, that is, until you realise that the Bristol Fog finish (a sort of trans-brown ’burst we’ve seen throughout Gretsch’s line-up) is the only available colour option. That’s right, no Wychwood, and no Havana Burst that caught the eyes of so many with the Electromatic CVT.

To counter that, Gretsch has done a superb job. It’s a bit of a chameleon, stylistically, being simultaneously dark, moody and totally beardcore-friendly, while also unlikely to look out of place in more classic settings. So, a limited palette, but a potentially diverse application.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

The great thing about a baritone guitar is that everything you learned in standard tuning is immediately transferable. Standard baritone tuning shifts your tuning down by 5 semitones, so the open strings now become B E A D F# B. To accommodate this, Gretsch has fitted the CVT Baritone with 14-68-gauge strings.

If you’re used to playing 9s or 10s, this is obviously going to require a bit of getting used to, but it’s not entirely alien, and as a result the tension is maintained for the lower register - refreshing if you’re used to down-tuning a regular scale-length guitar and discovering that your lower-pitched strings lose their tuning and intonation due to being too flappy.

Of course, the trade-off is that it’s still six strings across 22 frets, so the same interval range applies, but it starts lower and finishes at a lower pitch too. The heavier strings also take a bit more shifting when it comes to string bends, and the review model feels a bit draggy at a few of the frets. It’s nothing a quick polish wouldn’t fix, but does mean that this review model leans slightly more towards the riff/rhythm side than shredding.

The ‘Performance C’ neck profile is a continuation of that offered on the normal CVT, which to my hand feels like the Goldilocks C-shape found on many guitars from the Fender stable, but slimmed down a touch to feel a bit more ‘modern’. The Gretsch tuners feel particularly smooth, and there’s a softened feel to the edges of the Adjust-O-Matic bridge and saddles that makes palm-muting very comfortable. All of which adds up to a stable, well intonated and comfortable low-end riffing platform.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Played clean, the Twin Six pickups react ‘fine’ in humbucker mode. These are Alnico V magnets, and while the output is punchy, they are a touch one the dull side.

This guitar is fitted with a treble bleed circuit, so, turning down the volume control allows the higher frequencies to pass direct to the output jack. Doing this helps to even out the balance slightly. The biggest impact, though, comes from splitting the coils.

Removing some of the low end heft makes for a much more satisfying clean tone, bringing back the definition and giving some of that scoopier articulation to the neck position.

But it’s when you start feeding the Twin Sixes to some overdrive that the CVT Baritone reveals its heartland. That extra wool that’s a slight hindrance to clean tones comes into its own with big, beefy overdrive.

I played the CVT through a Way Huge Pork and Pickle - a bass gain box which provides selectable overdrive and fuzz, as well as the option to blend some of your clean tone in parallel, and the result was huge, doomy tones that still had some clarity.

One of my favourite things about baritone guitars is their ability to make ordinary progressions sound immediately more interesting, in the same way that a capo does, but in reverse. With that in mind, it makes exploring tunings a lot of fun.

Take that B down a tone and you’re into drop-A, making all of those ’90s one-finger powerchords sound fresh again, with the added benefit of being more menacing to boot. Go the other way and the CVT excels in C-standard too. Add some fuzz, start chugging and you’ll feel like you’re riding along with Josh Homme’s desert road trip.

At this register, the CVT’s heavy, hairy firepower is given plenty of room to stretch out, and playing it through the Universal Audio Knuckles (a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier amp and speaker sim) and EVH 5150 models on my Line 6 HX Stomp, it’s a joy to play way down without fear of the strings giving out.

Dedicated metal players might want to investigate a pickup upgrade if that’s the full-time aim of this guitar, but there’s no denying that it’s tailored for rock and metal straight out of the box.

Verdict

While baritone guitars have a long association with trem-soaked surf rock, but the CVT isn’t going to be hanging-10 anytime soon. The lack of a vibrato and the overall blend of a chunky mahogany body and those Twin Six pickups lay out its brief from the go.

And it meets it brilliantly, for the most part. So much so that the baritone format might just be the CVT’s natural home. It suits it so well that it all just makes sense - it’s comfortable to play, handles the lower pitches without stuttering or warbling, and, dare I say, looks the part too, even if one or two finish options wouldn’t go amiss. Then consider the price and it’s very hard to find fault.

MusicRadar verdict: For many, a baritone guitar is a commitment rather than a ‘play it for a couple songs’ type indulgence. But here, Gretsch has managed to check both boxes at once by delivering a quality example of the baritone configuration at what is rapidly becoming the new ‘affordable’ price point.

Also try

Hands-on videos

Gretsch

• Best baritone guitars

What is it?

Multifunctional recording hardware is nothing new, but this device from audio newcomer Hisong aims to push this to the limits. The S1 is a combined mic and audio interface, but with the added bonus of onboard DSP, minimal latency monitoring and both wired and wireless functionality. Clearly, this ‘all-in-one mobile recording capsule’, as Hisong calls it, is aiming high.

But before we get into how it works, let’s take a look at what you get. AirStudio S1 comes in three different bundles. The core 4-in-1 Musician Kit includes the S1 mic with proprietary wireless IEMs, an adjustable magnetic desktop stand, foam windscreen, USB-C cable, USB-C to USB-A adapter, IEM silicone tips and storage bag. The Creator Kit adds the RX Mini Wireless Receiver for a 5-in-1 package, and finally, the 6-in-1 Master Kit adds both the RX Mini and RX Plus Main Receiver, with the latter including further physical connectivity.

Fundamental to all bundles is the main S1 unit, which, in addition to its mic duties, is also a 2-in 2-out wired USB audio interface. It also includes wireless IEMs and integrated low-latency monitoring. Power comes from the onboard rechargeable battery (up to 10 hours of battery time) or via USB. Meanwhile, the IEMs are stored and charged inside the slide-open mic body. The S1 includes some on-body buttons for setting mic and monitoring options, but the whole ecosystem is primarily managed using the Hisong Link mobile app. Note: There is no desktop app.

The two RX-equipped kits add wireless connectivity between the S1 and your USB-equipped recording device. The RX Mini just provides wireless connection, however, the RX Plus is a more fully-featured rechargeable battery-powered wireless breakout box with two mini jack outputs (line and headphone) as well as a USB-C powering input and on-body level buttons. There’s also a slot-in USB-C shoe for connection to a target device and a cold shoe option for camera top mounting via the included 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable.

Performance

We don’t usually dwell on the unboxing aspect of the products we test, but here we’ll make an exception as the S1 package is excellently conceived. All components come in a bespoke compact toiletries-style carry case. This includes plenty of pocket sections, so even if you buy the Master Kit, all bits slot away neatly for transit.

At just over 12cm long, the S1 is nicely compact, and the use of magnetic coupling to the table top stand or included camera stand adapter makes mounting the mic quick and flexible. The S1 mic is end-addressed with two modes, condenser and enhanced dynamic, which you select using the on/off switch. These provide cardioid and super-cardioid patterns, respectively, and the condenser mode is obviously brighter with a much wider pickup pattern. Both modes handle plosives pretty well, and there’s only low-level proximity, making the S1 good for speech. That said, it definitely sounds good enough to capture other instruments.

The onboard IEMs pair automatically with the S1 providing immediate minimal latency monitoring, and the S1’s onboard buttons provide various options including mic mute and level. You’ll find more extensive controls in the Hisong Link mobile app, where you can also choose from a chain of DSP options including EQ, compression, reverb, noise reduction and limiting. These are quite basic single slider designs, but are nonetheless handy for quick changes. What’s more you can also specify processed or unprocessed for the USB output (though not the RX output). The mobile app also includes two handy recording features, OneTrack and DualTrack, designed for RX and USB connection respectively.

The kit has some further interesting functionality. First up, you can use the RX Mini and RX Plus at the same time. So, for example if you wanted to simultaneously send your mic audio to your camera mounted RX Plus and use its mini jack output to record onto the camera track, and at the same time record the S1 output to a laptop or phone all wirelessly, then you can. With the RX Plus in use, you also have both IEMs and a headphone output, again, both outputting simultaneously. Finally, the S1 is also available as a Bluetooth music target, allowing you to stream via Bluetooth to your S1 in stereo, and this audio will be blended with the mic source and sent to both RX devices.

Verdict

It’s clear a lot of thought has gone into this product, with functionality and portability at its heart. But it’s sonically pretty decent too, and although maybe not a first choice for audiophile music users, it still provides a great general purpose solution.

Hands-on demos

HISONG

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Expressive E is a company that has always pushed the limits of MIDI control, through its impressive lineup of hardware and software. At the very heart of its development manifesto is the ability to control electronic instruments in a unique way, exploring some of the outer limits of the MPE format.

Its journey began with the unique design of the Touché, a hardware controller of sorts, which was designed as an add-on to your existing MIDI or modular setup. Then came software that fully embraced the MPE format, inviting users and players to engage the Touché for all of those control niceties.

The pinnacle of its most recent explorations arrived a couple of years ago, with the Osmose synthesizer keyboard. This not only allowed us to see its unique keybed technology for the first time, but also gave us a very weighty onboard MPE synth engine, taking full advantage of a performance-level keyboard package.

Now Osmose is available in a new CE format, providing a cheaper controller option for those who don't need Osmose’s internal sound engine. The unique selling point is undoubtedly that, where other MPE controllers provide unique styling and design, the heart of Osmose is a traditional piano layout, at least at first sight. Beyond that, the Osmose keyboard responds to all manner of strikes, after touch-style pressure, lateral movement, and more!

Performance

So if you are paying considerably less for the CE edition, what are you losing? In essence, the onboard sound engine! The keybed technology is identical in every way, so we could easily argue that there is no compromise. The lack of a sound engine is unlikely to be a deal-breaker for anyone who is studio-bound and DAW-based. Apart from its availability in both a 49 and 61 key (four and five octave) format, there is an included bounty of over 900 sounds available, through the installation of the Ctrl-e software, which runs as a VST or AU plugin in your DAW.

At the present time, there is no standalone version of Ctrl-e, or indeed a version that might run on a tablet, but maybe that might be something that appears in future. Osmose CE integrates fully with Expressive E’s other products, and arguably opens an entirely new area of control for Soloiste (its virtual solo string instrument plugins) and Noisy 2 (synth), although the Ctrl-e software is a fantastic MPE showcase for other manufacturers too, who have contributed patches – Synapse, G-Force and Kilohearts, to name just a few – alongside Expressive E’s own included sounds.

Build and construct

The hardware itself is manufactured in Poland, with the component elements being a black metal base and aluminium upper panel. The keybed sits proud of the fascia, with pitch and modulation sliders located on the far left, along with a number of buttons and pots and the ever-important display.

Power is supplied via USB-C, meaning that you can plug it directly into your computer for both data/MIDI and power connectivity. It's a very neat solution. Should it be more convenient for your setup, you can also connect MIDI via more usual 5-pin DIN connectors, both in and out, although you will still need to connect USB-C for power. The build quality itself is exemplary.

Use and feel

So how does Osmose CE perform, as an MPE-biased controller, versus more regular pianistic use?

This starts with the physical attributes of the keys themselves. When you play a key, pressing it down with the force of your finger, there is quite a lot of travel. Unlike a piano or similar keyboard, there is no hard stop, that is, unless you increase the travel of your finger to the very depths of a key’s depression point. This means that you effectively have a halfway point, which might be considered the more usual stopping point for a regular keyboard. If we refer to the rest of the travel as an ‘aftertouch zone’, there is about the same degree of movement again, but of course, the point here is that you can initiate further control through the software, such as the induction of vibrato, or the application of some form of synth-based modulation.

Osmose CE goes much further, though, with lateral movement too, which often induces vibrato. Bizarrely, this concept of lateral movement dates back to the 14th century, and the instrument known as the Clavichord. However, Expressive E has taken the concept to new heights, with a high level of programmability which complements the sound engine palette. This means that you can engineer considerable secondary control, once the initial note strike has occurred.

Thanks to the accompanying Ctrl-e software, you can quickly get up and running with an incredibly extensive sound palette, which is designed to show off Osmose to its fullest potential. There are plenty of pads, synths and guitar-like plucks within the software, but we were also interested to test Osmose CE with its unique Soliste suite, which concentrates on members of the orchestral string family.

The level of control supersedes what may be possible with a conventional controller, but it underlies one notable point, which is that this is such a radical design that you may need to engineer some Osmose practice to get the very best from the action. It is a different instrument, in the way that it plays and feels, and while it's clearly very simple to switch to a piano sound, it is also a very different proposition if you are used to sitting at an acoustic piano, or one of the excellent fully-weighted MIDI controllers that are currently on the market.

Integration and install

There can also be a high level of integration between Osmose CE and your DAW. We were testing the unit with Logic Pro, but must note that installing all the appropriate software that might be required wasn't quite as simple as it could be.

The basic setup of plugging in gets you off the blocks very quickly, but installing additional components, notably the Ctrl-e software and support script for your DAW, are treated as separate elements.

The Ctrl-e software is essentially a sound source, in the shape of a plugin. The installation procedure was simple enough, but we had to do a number of full restarts of our system and Logic before the plugin was recognised and appeared. It just seemed to be a little bit temperamental, which might also be because of the presence of iLok, for authenticity.

The accompanying DAW script allows the Osmose CE to integrate fully with your DAW. This extends from sound selection within Ctrl-e, through to transport and even fader control. As a specification, this seems like a good idea; however, the Osmose CE display is nowhere near as gratifying as a computer screen, so while incremental/decremental navigation of sounds might be useful, it seems unlikely that you will use the onboard display when your computer screen will presumably be very close at hand.

Moreover, navigation via the display is through six infinite and clickable pots and five buttons, and while it does get easier with use, it’s not the most intuitive menu hierarchy or way of getting things done. It's also worth noting that loading times for many of the Ctrl-e sounds felt quite laboured. This did vary from one patch to another, and probably has everything to do with the sonic complexity of each sound.

There are two 1/4” jack connection points on the rear of the unit for pedals, one of which could easily be a sustain pedal. In operation, we also noted that applying the sustain pedal meant that any attributes that had been triggered within a patch, such as a change in filter cutoff, would not be held with the sustain. Presumably, this is to do with the nature of MIDI sustain pedals, where they tend to operate in an off/on scenario, for notes only.

You also have to use the display for making settings on the Osmose CE, which is entirely fair enough, particularly as you probably won't need to change these settings very often, but for DAW control, it feels somewhat surplus to requirements, although the tactile nature of the transport controls has a degree of appeal.

Verdict

Being available in both four and five-octave versions, Osmose CE is incredibly appealing for anyone making music within a DAW. It is capable of some pretty clever party tricks, such as the Pressure Glide mode, which allows portamento movement between notes, but with a useful degree of control and accuracy.

Where the jury may be out is with its attractiveness as a straight replacement for a conventional MIDI keyboard. If you are a pianist or keyboard player, there is an overwhelming attraction to an MPE controller, which looks identical to a regular piano keyboard. This is, however, where it ends!

The playing experience is very different to that of the piano, and will take some time and encouragement to fully embrace. Playing slower and more chordal progressions allows you time to embrace the MPE control, but rapid playing presents greater challenges, particularly as ends of notes are nowhere near as tight as more conventional controllers. The upside is, of course, you get all the other MPE elements, which you could not do in the same way with a regular controller, even armed with a bank of faders.

There is something very musical about the way you can approach playing Osmose CE, and we like that an awful lot. The only problem is that we are thinking that we might need to make space for two controllers in our studio setup, in much the same way that we have a weighted keyboard and a synth action keyboard. It has to be worth it, just for the sheer style of the Osmose CE!

Hands-on demos

Expressive E

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Following on from the release of the ’25 Series’ last year, which (as the name suggests) commemorated 25 years of cymbal production for Zultan, the all-new Alaris Series continues to expand an already vast array of traditionally manufactured cymbals for the German cymbal-smith.

Zultan now boasts a significant range of 16 different cymbal lines, catering for any style from rock to jazz and even orchestral. As one of Thomann’s in-house brands, each of the cymbal lines, which include Aeon, Dune, Heritage, Rock Beat, Z and several others (the majority of which have been reviewed here on MusicRadar), is exclusively available on the Thomann website.

Touted as Zultan’s high-end offering, the Alaris Series cymbals are Turkish-made and hand-cast from a B20 bronze alloy (20% tin and 80% copper). This is generally seen as the gold standard when it comes to professional-level cymbals, which puts them in good company alongside popular choices like the A and K ranges from Zildjian or Sabian’s AAX and HHX lines, plus the vast majority of other top-end cymbals from the likes of Paiste, Meinl and many others.

The complete Alaris range comprises 14”, 15” and 16” hi-hats, 20”, 21” and 22” rides (each also available in a light ride model), plus 16”, 17”, 18”, 19” and 20” crashes. A full price list can be found below, which is accurate at the time of writing. They are fractionally more expensive when compared to other Zultan cymbals, but still considerably more affordable when compared to the bigger brands.

In today’s market, we’d expect to pay around £400 for a ride cymbal from the aforementioned brands, whilst the rides in this set land between £228 and £254. On average, then, the Zultan’s are coming in at about 60% of the cost, which begs the question: how do they compare to the big dogs?

Performance

The Alaris cymbals feature a traditional finish with deep hand-lathing and hammering. The build quality is excellent and there are no noticeable blemishes or imperfections, which we’ve experienced with some Zultan cymbals in the past.

For review, we have been sent the 14” hi-hats, 16” crash, 18” crash and 20” ride. These make up the only pre-configured set currently available within the Alaris Series, which comes in at £615 including a Zultan-branded carry bag. This represents a saving of just under £200 when compared to the individual prices of each cymbal in the set – enough left over to allow for an additional crash, perhaps?

Overall, these cymbals have a fairly dark tonal quality and, despite a healthy decay, veer somewhat towards a dry and slightly earthy nature. That said, they possess a broad frequency response with higher-pitched overtones apparent in the stick response. This can be heard most clearly in the bells of the crashes, which are surprisingly cutting. Harder strikes open up these higher frequencies, which give the crashes an explosive nature, opening up quickly and resonating with complex overtones – giving them the ability to cut through a mix without being overbearing.

The ride bell is equally clear but lower-pitched and comes with an incredible amount of wash from the whole cymbal. Playing on the bow of the ride at lower volumes gives a delicate and sweet sound with a crisp stick definition, but any amount of power spreads across the cymbal, resulting in a loss of clarity and sound more akin to playing the edge.

This makes it well-suited as a crash-ride but not necessarily ideal as a main ride, depending on playing style. On a related note, the ride sounds just as good, if not even better, as a crash cymbal – exploding into life with a dark sound yet not overstaying its welcome and fading back into the mix relatively quickly.

The 14” hi-hats are actually quite cutting with a dry stick definition. They work well held tightly closed, but any loss of pressure underfoot causes a noticeable high-pitched sheen as the cymbals react together, which isn’t particularly pleasant. The hi-hats’ open sound is also surprisingly high-pitched and lacks the body possessed by the ride and crashes, which is somewhat underwhelming.

Due to the handmade nature of these cymbals, there is every chance that this isn’t the case with all of the Alaris hi-hats but is with these particular cymbals. We’d love to get our hands on the 15” and 16” models to see how they compare.

Verdict

With the exception then of the hi-hats, the Alaris set is well-balanced and they sit wonderfully with each other in terms of pitch.

Hands-on demos

Zultan

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Mastering the Mix has built a reputation for plugins that focus on helping anyone making music on computer, to engineer smarter mixing decisions, rather than just constantly adding processing.

In the latest part of their mix-chain, it turns its attention to one of the most difficult elements to control, relating to stereo width and panorama.

Stereovault is a plugin which is available as a single purchase, although it will be easily integrated with other Mastering the Mix plugins.

If there is one company which wears its branding on its sleeve, it has to be Mastering the Mix, although it's important to note that, as this is a single plugin, it can be used in channel, sub-mix (bus) or master fader situations, as well as forming part of the final mastering process.

Performance

Upon loading Stereovault for the first time, its visual guise makes it incredibly easy to see exactly what's going on. The display adopts an X/Y format, with frequency response being displayed from bottom to top. Lower frequencies unsurprisingly populate the lower portion of the display, so you can guess where the upper frequencies reside - up top.

The frequency plot is then divided into four sections, which can also be altered to suit your frequency band preferences. Within each band, you simply adjust the width parameters by clicking and dragging to hear the immediate effect of the broadening or narrowing of each particular band. It's a surprisingly simple process, with even more surprising results.

Don’t overcook it!

As is the case for any new plugin, we quickly found ourselves pushing things to an extreme, to establish the overall effect, and whilst there are considerable benefits to be had, it is also possible to completely undermine a mix.

A case in point: overextending the bottom-end of a mix too broadly can completely destabilise the foundation of a track, but adopting a similar technique with upper frequencies can really make a track shine.

If you feel that you need a little bit of help in this regard, Stereovault is on hand. Thanks to its included analytical tools, Stereovault can listen to your track and make some sensible suggestions. The plugin does ask for some input along the way, such as whether or not Stereovault is being used on specific instrumentation or a wider mix, and also suggestions for the style of music.

At this stage, it does present a minor challenge, as there are only five styles of music presented initially. Some of the tracks that we used as audition mixes could be described as jazz or cinematic, neither of which is represented in this situation, leaving us to make a best guess. It's not a huge problem, as you can select the next best genre and tweak-as-you-go, but it underlines the need to listen at all stages, because it is conceivably very easy to click a few buttons and find your mix in a state of flux.

Talking of flux, the Creative section pushes things further into sound-design territory. The included modes can dramatically reshape material, adding movement and cinematic depth to otherwise static sounds. Used subtly, they provide excellent dimensional enhancement.

Level matching

One familiar problem relates to monitoring levels, and the temptation to increase your listening volume while working. This will almost always result in your ears telling your brain that your mix sounds much better than it is. As any mix engineer will tell you, it's very much a false economy.

Stereovault provides a level-matching setting, meaning that once you have applied any processing, there is no discernible change in volume. Perfect!

Verdict

Stereovault really does have something for everyone. You can engineer a considerable degree of control, or take advice from the plugin. Either way, listening is fairly essential, but it is also packed with some useful presets, which can offer some good starting points.

It is also capable of taking mono signals and making them sound mightily wide and impressive, which can be particularly useful for clean guitar or monosynth signals.

Stereovault could easily become an indispensable plugin, although our view is that it will feel more at home on the backend of most signal chains, which isn't entirely surprising, given its position in Mastering the Mix’s portfolio.

Hands-on demos

Mastering The mix

Alternatives

Specifications

Donner has visibly grown its reputation over the past few years, offering true bang for your buck entry-level to mid-range music gear in a range of product categories, including electronic drums. Now, with the 3-tier Groove Series, the brand is targeting intermediate drummers on a budget. Sitting right at the top of this lineup is the flagship Donner Groove Ultra that I have here on test.

Available exclusively through Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, and direct from Donner, the 9-piece Groove Ultra comes in at a highly competitive price of $859.99, slotting neatly into one of the most fiercely contested price bands - sub-$1,000 kits aimed at intermediate players - and is designed to tempt drummers away from long-established e-kit giants like Roland, Alesis and Yamaha.

Elsewhere in the Groove Series is the Groove Max ($659.99) and the standard 8-piece Groove kit ($599.99). The main difference between these two kits is the number of pads, while the Groove Ultra boasts pads with a deeper ‘shell’, plus a full hi-hat stand with single zone hi-hat pad.

Donner Groove Ultra review: What is it?

Configuration

The Groove Ultra is a 9-piece kit centered around three dual-zone mesh tom pads (2x 8” and 1x 10”), a 10” dual-zone mesh snare pad and a 6” mesh bass drum pad on a tower alongside a supplied bass drum pedal. The cymbal offering is generous, comprising the aforementioned 10” single-zone hi-hat pad mounted to a supplied stand, two 12” dual-zone crashes with choke functionality and a 12” dual-zone ride pad with bell. All of the mesh heads are tensionable so you can dial in the right feel and everything is mounted to a gunmetal grey rack system that I’ll go into more detail on below.

Also included in the box is a cable loom and a pair of sticks. The latter are basic yet functional if you have no alternative and want to get playing straight away, but I can’t see them lasting too long. The only other items you’ll need to factor into the cost is a drum throne and a pair of kit-friendly headphones.

Looks

Visually, this kit really stands out from the flock. Tom and snare pads include a shallow ‘shell’, approximately 2 inches deep and finished in a vibrant orange with faux wood grain. We’ve seen this style before on kits like the Alesis Nitro Max, but the Donner really pops and I personally like this splash of colour in a world of mostly black and white e-kits.

Module

Usually the module is the first thing I would talk about, but I’ve left it until last for two reasons: 1) I really do love the hardware offering, particularly the rack, and 2) the module is a little underwhelming. It’s a pretty basic affair, but comes loaded with 575 sounds, 25 pre-ordained kits and space for 25 user kits.

Donner Groove Ultra review: Performance & verdict

Hardware & build

So, onto the build… I’ve constructed countless electronic drum sets over my many years as a product tester and it’s rarely a quick process, particularly when it comes to building the rack (assuming it doesn't come built out of the box like some Roland kits). However, the Groove Ultra rack brings some light relief. It’s built from lightweight aluminium bars and connected via heavy-duty plastic lugs. It comprises four vertical posts and just three horizontal bars, plus the snare arm. Despite the minimalist footprint, it’s one of the sturdiest racks I’ve tested in this price bracket.

This standout stability comes courtesy of Donner’s Swift Rack system, centred around two large locking wheels located at the top of the central vertical posts. Adjusting the kit is beautifully streamlined: position your outer horizontal bars to your preferred angle, tighten both wheels, and the entire structure locks solidly into place. Want to make minor tweaks? A half turn of the wheel and you can swing it in or out with ease - no thumb screws or drum key to wrestle with. This is not only a great feature for speed tweaks, but it also makes it easier to adjust the overall layout of the kit for different sized players - ideal if you have multiple drummers in the house.

Mounting the pads is straightforward and painless thanks to a cable loom with clearly-labelled pad jacks and a single pad-to-module multi-pin connector.

Performance

So, with the kit set up, how does it feel to sit behind? I would describe it as both comfortable and spacious, thanks in part to the Swift Rack. I never felt like the pads were crowding me, or I couldn’t achieve the reach I’m used to on my personal e-kit.

The Donner-branded mesh heads feel pleasing under the stick, offering a convincing acoustic rebound that can be tailored to your preference using a standard drum key.

For me, the included hi-hat stand is a major hardware win. It’s a robust, double-braced unit featuring a chunky chain-drive and oversized rubber feet that stayed firmly anchored to my drum rug throughout testing. It’s obviously a cheaper stand and I experienced a bit of mechanical noise in use, but I couldn’t hear it so much once my headphones were on and I’ll always choose a physical stand over a pad and floating pedal controller where available.

The bundled bass drum pedal is less of a win. There’s a thin single-chain connecting the footplate to the rocker shaft/beater, and I noticed a fair amount of side-to-side play in the footplate. It’s a mechanically loud pedal that clatters under heavy footwork too. In its favour, there’s plenty of adjustment so I was able to dial it in to my taste. Beginners should get on well with it, but more experienced players will likely target this as an early upgrade.

So, while the hardware - mainly the rack and the hi-hat stand - punches above its weight class, the literal brains of the operation - the Groove Ultra module - brings things back down to earth with a bump. It’s housed in a lightweight plastic chassis that feels fragile; I spotted some hairline cracking in the plastic around the module mount a couple of weeks into testing.

The minimalist module interface centres around a small, monochrome LCD screen, a central jog wheel and a handful of other buttons. It’s pretty clear to see where you’re at with the screen, so I can’t criticise too harshly, but in an era where vibrant, full-colour, screens, and even touchscreens are becoming increasingly common in the mid-top-end, this style is beginning to feel distinctly retro.

I do really like the phone/tablet notch located along the top edge of the module. It’s such a simple addition, but so handy when you consider the majority of players will be streaming backing tracks or following lessons from a smart device; this solves the riddle of where to put your device when you’re playing.

So, what about the sounds? As I mentioned, the Groove Ultra module comes pre-loaded with 575 individual sounds, mapped across 25 factory preset drum kits with an additional 25 blank slots for user creations.

Scrolling through the 25 presets reveals a list of functional, if unimaginatively named options, like 'Rock 1', 'Loud Rock', 'Funk', and 'Metal'. There are 10 core acoustic kits on offer, giving you a range of sounds from punchy and wet, to more controlled and dry. Then you’re into electronic/dance territory and more unique and esoteric choices, including a crunchy, lo-fi 8-bit kit. Kits like this are fun for a while, but it’s the more typical kits where most drummers will spend their time.

The sounds are a mixed bag. Snare samples on the main kits are punchy, but I found the toms to be a touch thin and machine-gunny. Dynamic performance is ok, but if you’re looking for truly nuanced sensitivity and wide tonal dynamics, this module will leave you wanting more. Pad sensitivity can be tweaked which helps you dial things in a bit more, and creating custom kits isn’t too difficult, but it does takes time.

Connectivity-wise there’s plenty to shout about. The onboard Bluetooth audio is fantastic. It took me a moment to figure out the initial pairing sequence within the sub-menus, but it has been rock-solid ever since, finding my iPhone seamlessly every time I power up.

Around the back of the module, you'll find a solid suite of connections: there’s USB-MIDI for driving external computer software, making the Groove Ultra a viable low-cost MIDI trigger option for VSTs like Superior Drummer. There’s also an auxiliary input, left and right main outputs, and an expansion jack to add a fourth tom pad. A slight niggle is that the 1/8-inch headphone output is also located on the rear panel. I always prefer when these are located on the front edge of the module purely to make connection easier.

The foundations of the Donner Groove Ultra are fantastic - I can’t fault the rack or the pads, and the addition of a mechanical hi-hat stand is a real boon. It’s great to get a full complement of cymbals at this price too. My only real hardware gripe is the bass drum pedal, which was a little finicky. I found the module to be functional but overall pretty underwhelming both in terms of operation, tweakability and the sounds on offer.

If you want a deeply expressive electronic kit for intricate, dynamic practice, this isn't a kit I would recommend, however if you’re in the market for a robust, mesh-headed setup to jam along to music or to trigger your favourite VST, this is a great-looking package that comes in comfortably under $900.

Donner Groove Ultra review: Hands-on demos

The Cowboy Drummer

Mike Malone

Donner Groove Ultra review: Specifications

• Kits: 50 (25 preset, 25 user)
• Sounds: 575 percussion voices
• Connections: 1/8" headphone out (rear), USB-MIDI, aux-in, main out (L/Mono, R), extra tom input
• Snare Pad: 10" dual-zone mesh
• Tom pads: 2x 8" dual-zone mesh, 1x 10" dual-zone mesh
• Kick pad: 6" mesh tower with single pedal
• Cymbal pads: 12" hi-hat with physical stand, 2x 12" dual-zone crashes with choke, 12" triple-zone ride with choke
• Hardware: Swift Rack 4-post locking frame, double-braced hi-hat stand, bass drum pedal, drumsticks
• Contact: Donner

What is it?

Probably the most recommended machine when it comes to PCs for music production, the Apple Mac Mini M4 is the latest version of an absolute studio powerhouse. Pretty much every professional studio I’ve worked in has something similar at its heart, whether it’s a Mac Mini or a Mac Studio, and particularly for home studios, the Mac Mini is a great value option.

There are a lot of options when it comes to ordering a Mac Mini, but for posterity, my review model features an M4 Pro chip, 24GB of Unified Memory, a 512GB SSD hard drive, and shipped with macOS Sequoia 15.1, which will set you back $1,399. Of course, you can spec yours much cheaper if you don’t feel you need the additional power, with the lowest model coming in at a very reasonable $799 with the standard M4 chip and 16GB of Unified Memory. You’ll need to factor in screen, mouse, and keyboard if you don’t already have these to hand.

Specs can go well beyond this, of course, and with everything maxed out, the Mac Mini comes in at a whopping $4,499, with the most powerful chip, 48GB of Unified Memory, 8 TB of storage, and a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port. Undoubtedly overkill for music production tasks, the ability to tweak for your particular use case, or to future-proof yourself, is a useful one.

On the front of the Mac Mini M4, you’ve got two USB-C ports and a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the rear displays three Thunderbolt 5 connections, an HDMI port, an Ethernet connection, and the figure-8 socket for the IEC C7 cable. It comes with one in the box, but it’s compatible with 3rd party cables, too. One thing to note is that, unlike Apple laptops, you can’t power the Mac Mini M4 with USB-C as stock, but some users have managed to mod it to do this.

On the underside of the Mac Mini is where you’ll find a fan, and the housing for this raises the aluminium body up from whatever surface you place it on in order to provide good airflow. It’s also where the power button is, rather awkwardly placed. If you’re installing this in a permanent space out of the way in your studio, then you’ll want to utilize the sleep mode versus shutting it down completely every night.

Performance

Taking it out of the box, my immediate impression is that it’s shockingly small. It’s like the smallest personal pizza box you’ve ever seen, with dimensions that make it more akin to something like an audio interface rather than a fully-fledged PC. It’s an impressive build, and like all Apple products, it features the aluminium unibody design that will be instantly familiar. It’s lightweight too, so you could use it on the go, with it weighing much less than my MacBook Pro M3.

One initial point of confusion is the location of the power button, which, it turns out, is on the bottom of the unit, and at the back to make it doubly hard to get to. It’s because the design has shrunk so much since the M2 version that the button had to be placed here, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re planning on hiding it away somewhere in the studio.

Loading up a project in Logic I’ve been working on, the Mac Mini M4 handles anything I throw at it with aplomb. Using the Core Audio with the buffer size on 32, it doesn’t even blink as I start loading up multi-band compression, spectral EQ, or quickly run the built-in stem splitter in Logic to separate the demo guitars from the drums. Everything loads up super quickly, making it an absolute pleasure to work in.

The track count runs to more than 90 by the time I’ve finished, including buses and sends, but I don’t see the CPU meter go higher than a quarter during this time. It plays back the whole thing without any issues, with around 70 plugins in the project. Granted, these were all Logic stock plugins, which are very well integrated, and of course, Logic itself works very well in macOS. That means it probably wouldn’t be this simple if you’re using a DAW like Pro Tools or Cubase.

I duplicate the project twice to stress test the Mac Mini M4 and see what it’s capable of. With 291 tracks running concurrently, the CPU meter shoots up, but it manages to play back the full duration of a four-and-a-half-minute song without any errors. You probably wouldn’t get this performance with this number of virtual instruments, but it speaks volumes that this is a very capable machine that will handle pretty much anything you throw at it. I can’t imagine many hitting this high a number of tracks in the real world unless you're scoring for film.

Verdict

With the latest M-chips, Apple is going from strength to strength in the music-making world. The Apple Mac Mini M4 is so insanely powerful that I could see it lasting a decade or more in home recording studios. Paired with a solid audio interface, you’ll have a very capable machine indeed, one that’s powerful enough to handle most tasks and stable enough to be used in a working environment.

You should consider your initial spec very carefully, though, because this isn’t an easily upgradeable machine. In particular, the hard drive size should be a concern, especially as OS updates often end up taking up more room, and you’ll likely be adding more plugins and programs as time goes on. You won’t feel a huge jump between the 16GB and 24GB RAM versions, but if you can, always go for the higher spec.

MusicRadar verdict: For me, the Apple Mac Mini M4 is a no-brainer for the producer or recording engineer who wants a permanent home setup. Its small size makes it well-suited to fitting into a variety of spaces, and the performance is simply superb, making it a very capable companion for music making. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the power button placement, but apart from that, there’s very little to complain about here.

Hands-on videos

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

There’s an issue with the latest line of Apple silicon processors in that they’ve gotten too powerful for their own good. The huge leap in processing power we've seen over the past few years means that a MacBook Air is now just as powerful as the MacBook Pros of yesteryear. Ever-increasing costs, driven by AI and geopolitics, mean the MacBook Air may no longer be the budget-friendly machine it once was for the cash-strapped modern musician. With that in mind, the low price of the Apple MacBook Neo makes total sense. But is it actually any good as a laptop for music production?

Priced at just $/£599 (or $/£499 for students), it’s significantly cheaper than any other MacBook the company offers. It doesn’t feature an ‘M’ chip, instead opting for the A18 Pro processor, which is similar to what you’d find in the iPhone 16 Plus. It’s got 8GB of Unified Memory, and isn’t configurable for larger sizes to help keep the costs down. You can, however, configure the SSD with options for 256 GB or 512 GB, adding an extra $/£100 to the price.

The display is a 13-inch liquid retina, with an impressive 500 nits of brightness. The keyboard isn’t backlit like you get on the other MacBooks, but on the face of it, the design looks largely similar. The multi-touch trackpad features here, too, with Touch ID for quick and easy signing in and out. It’s also got a 1080p web camera to ensure you’re looking your best in meetings and video calls.

Dual, side-firing speakers provide the onboard sound, and it also has dual microphones to ensure your voice is captured clearly. Connectivity is limited, with just two USB-C ports, one of which can only handle USB 2.0. It also has a 1/8-inch headphone jack, but most users will need to factor in the additional purchase of a USB hub, particularly if it proves powerful enough for music creation tasks.

Performance

My review model is in Citrus, which is certainly distinctive when I pull it out of the box. It feels very much like an Apple product, though, with the smooth aluminium body and rounded edges of their more expensive models. The logo on the back is more subtle than you get on other designs, with a shade slightly darker than the rest of the body, but still lightly debossed as you’d find on a MacBook Pro or Air.

Opening it up, the keyboard is also colour themed, looking like a sort of mint-green nestled in amongst the Citrus background. After installing some programs and downloading some project files to test with, I feel that while the keys and touchpad are not exactly the same as those on the MacBook Airs I’ve tested and my own MacBook Pro, it’s really not far off.

It’s the typical comfortable experience with short travel keys that feel smooth and precise, and the layout is exactly the same, so if you’re coming from another Apple machine you’ll be able to dive in straight away. The trackpad also offers a similarly precise experience, although on the Neo you only get a single press, not the double press 'Force Touch' offered on the more expensive models.

It’s plenty responsive though, and as I load up a Logic Pro project I’ve been working on, I find I can quickly and accurately get around the session without having to adapt coming from my own MacBook Pro. It’s a pretty seamless experience moving from one to the other, although I’m sure users will miss the light-up keys when working in low light.

Getting stuck into my project, it’s around 90 tracks of recorded audio, including busses and aux sends, which is a reasonable amount for a modern rock production. Starting with my drums and working through the project while keeping an eye on the CPU monitor in Logic Pro, I can see it gradually starting to fill as I make my way through the mix, adding copious amounts of EQ, compression, and multi-band compression.

I started on about half battery, and after a couple of hours of tweaking, it had run down so completely that it switched itself off while I went to get a cup of tea. It’s a far cry from what I’m used to with my MacBook Pro, but then this is a machine that’s really designed for students or business owners sipping vanilla lattes in coffee shops.

With the charger plugged in and my mixing done, I’m at around 70 plugins and ready to commence some stress testing. Setting the sample rate to 32 and using the Core Audio device on the Neo, I play through the track with no issues. The CPU meter spikes between halfway and three-quarters full, but it gets through the entire song, which is around 5 minutes, without any issues. Duplicating the entire project and trying again, I hit my first snag.

As soon as it gets to the middle 8, which features lots of additional tracks for atmospherics, I get the dreaded system overload. It’s over 180 tracks and around 140 plugins, which is not too shabby at all considering this laptop is designed for light use. Removing tracks one by one, I get to 171 tracks before any errors occur during a full playthrough. It’s a remarkable performance for a budget laptop.

There are some caveats to this though, the first of which is that Logic is extremely well integrated into MacOS, so it will enjoy superior performance to other DAWs. I highly doubt I'd get the same performance with my usual Pro Tools. The second is that I only used stock plugins for my testing, and that more advanced programs will consume more CPU power, so your real-world performance may well differ from mine. AI tools, virtual instruments like synths and drum kits, are a lot more power-intensive, so those working exclusively in the box will probably find they hit a lower track count.

That said, if you’re a beginner or student, I think this is a great laptop to cut your teeth on. Adding an audio interface will give a slight performance improvement, perhaps even more so if it features DSP, and for simple demos and recordings, I see no reason you couldn’t use the MacBook Neo as a production machine. It’s not going to satisfy power users, but then it isn’t really designed for that, is it?

Verdict

I had high hopes for the MacBook Neo when it was first announced, and I’m very happy to say it does not disappoint. It’s really great value for money considering the amount of processing power you get, and for simpler recording tasks, it performs admirably. It’s lightweight, looks great, and has many of the features of the more advanced and costly MacBook Air, making it well worth considering if you want an Apple machine on a budget.

Of course, it won’t satisfy professional producers or those who need insane track counts and huge plugin numbers. It doesn’t have Thunderbolt, which limits connectivity with more advanced hardware, and some users will definitely feel limited with just two USB 3.2 and 2.0 connections.

MusicRadar verdict: For beginners and students on a budget, the MacBook Neo can absolutely do a job as a budget laptop for music production. It’s not going to set the world of the professional musician on fire, but for those taking their first steps into the world of music creation, there’s no reason this can’t be your first laptop to start building up from.

Hands-on videos

Alternatives

Specs

Yamaha EAD50 review: What is it?

In late 2017 Yamaha unleashed the EAD10 (Electronic Acoustic Drum Module) to an unsuspecting public. The surprise announcement was made at a Yamaha Drums Show held in Paris to commemorate 50 years of drum production for the Japanese company.

As many drummers reading this will likely already be aware, this magical box of tricks is essentially a microphone interface and trigger module rolled into one neat package. The compact sensor unit mounts to the rim of your bass drum and captures a stereo image of the whole kit from a central position using two small internal mics, arranged in an X/Y configuration. This unit also cleverly doubles as a bass drum trigger, allowing pre-recorded or electronic drum sounds to be mixed seamlessly with the acoustic kit sound.

Now, nearly a decade later we’ve welcomed the EAD50, which centres around the same functionality, whilst offering a massive number of additional features. Most importantly, the upgraded module is able to run up to five separate mic channels, acting as a mixer or mic interface in its own right.

The sensor unit has had a complete overhaul too, which despite fulfilling the same function as the original, now also boasts higher quality mic sensors optimised for drums, plus improved triggering capabilities.

This is achieved by picking up vibration from the bass drum’s hoop rather than the drum head, as is the case with the EAD10 sensor.

The new DSU50 unit uses a 5-pin stereo XLR output and a separate jack connection for the trigger output, rather than the dual A/B jack setup of the EAD10. It’s also available to buy as a standalone product (currently $399/£350) which Yamaha says can be used as an extremely compact pair of overheads for augmenting and further enhancing your overall kit sound. The XLR output also means the unit can be used universally with any mixer or interface as a portable, all-in-one drum mic.

Other key features of the EAD50 include multi-track USB recording, wireless app control, additional trigger inputs, independent audio outputs and Bluetooth audio input. There’s also an SD card slot which can be used for playback or recording.

For the record, the EAD10 is still available alongside its new bigger brother and retails for around $599/£500, nearly a third of the current EAD50 price tag, which is around $1,599/£1,399.

Yamaha EAD50 review: Performance & verdict

I found the initial setup to be straightforward and it took me very little time to get up and running, particularly when compared to individually mic’ing a full kit. After mounting the sensor unit to my bass drum, I connected it to inputs 1 & 2 of the module via the included XLR splitter cable (and jack cable for the in-built bass drum trigger), then plugged in and powered on the module.

Also included in the box are two standard XLR cables which can either be used to connect the master left and right outputs to a PA system or to connect microphones to the additional XLR inputs. This is ideal for dedicated snare, toms or overheads. The only thing you’ll need that isn’t included is a stand for mounting the module as you would with an e-drum module. There are plenty of options out there for integrating a module within a kit setup and thankfully at least the mounting bracket is included with the EAD.

There are 70 in-built presets or ‘scenes’ on the EAD50 module which showcases its capabilities across a vast range of styles. Ranging from more straight ahead studio sounds to reverb soaked stadium kits, dub reggae style delays to hefty EDM powerhouses. These make for great fun straight out of the box, but also serve as inspiration for filling the 200 user slots with custom creations.

Six LED rotary dials called ‘modifiers’ allow convenient control of assignable parameters such as reverb, compression, delays, EQ, filters, pitch and much more (this is twice as many as the EAD10). There are quick access menu buttons for scene, mic/trigger, click, recorder, live set and main menu - these call up the relevant controls on the small LCD screen to the right of the module.

A decent amount of real estate has been given to the mixer controls which I found made life a lot easier than poking around complex menus when making quick adjustments. Each of the five mic inputs can also be edited in regard to volume, panning, EQ, compression and effects. Trigger inputs can also be controlled in the same way by simply pressing the trigger button to switch the focus of the LED faders. The module also features handy physical faders for aux-in, click, mic/trig, master output and headphones output.

The only real downside of using a stereo mic setup is that control is lost over mixing the individual elements of the kit, except of course by physically playing them louder or softer. This is because the kick, snare, hi-hats, toms and cymbals are picked up by the same inputs through the stereo microphones within the DSU50. Therefore, any adjustments in terms of effects and EQ will apply to the whole kit. Thankfully Yamaha has considered this and the use of XLR inputs for the DSU50 means it can be replaced by individual kick and snare mics should that be a concern.

I experimented with this while repurposing the DSU50 as an overhead and it gave me more control over a mix, although I did still encounter limitations with the toms. This is where running triggers on the kick, snare and toms brings that individual control.

There are so many options with ten trigger inputs (compared to six on the EAD10) that countless configurations are possible. There’s also plenty of room to run external pads which can be used not only for samples such as hand-claps and the like but even controlling playback. The EAD50 is capable of running 4-track audio directly from an SD card without needing to import to the module.

There’s no question that the EAD50 is an expensive bit of kit. However, when considering its sheer versatility in terms of application, it actually begins to represent incredible value for money. Indulge me if you will: it’s a mixer, trigger module, sample pad, multi-track playback unit, USB interface, looper and potential e-kit module (it even has hi-hat control through the foot switch inputs). This makes it an immensely powerful tool for recording, live use, rehearsing and practising, teaching, live streaming and more.

Yamaha EAD50 review: Hands-on demos

Yamaha

Cowboy Drummer

Guitar Center

Yamaha EAD50 review: Specification

• Sound engine: SWX100 with 512-note polyphony and 2GB of ROM
• Effects & modifiers: Studio-grade effects and 6 assignable modifier knobs for reverb, FX, triggers, and compression
• USB audio: High-speed interface supporting up to 8-in / 10-out, plus USB MIDI
• Wireless: Bluetooth audio (for streaming backing tracks) and Bluetooth MIDI (for wireless parameter control)
• App integration: Compatible with the Rec’n’Share and EAD Touch apps
• Outputs: 2 x XLR (balanced main outs), 2 x 1/4" (L/Mono, R), and 8 x 1/4" individual balanced outs
• Inputs: 5 x mono combo jacks, 5 x dual/triple zone trigger inputs, and 2 x 1/8" aux inputs.
• Other ports: 2 x footswitch jacks, MIDI Out, SD Card slot, and 1/4" & 1/8" headphone jacks
• Contact: Yamaha

What is it?

It’s just a fact that DSP in pedals is better than ever. It’s also way more accessible, too, meaning that it’s not only the big guns like Strymon or Eventide that can make impressive do-it-all reverb units packed full of studio-quality sounds.

That’s where the Hotone NC-200 Verbera comes in. Packed with instant IR loading, superb tweakability, and a comparatively reasonable price tag, this is The Hunan, China-based pedal maker branching out and proving they can hang with the big dogs.

The Verbera is built around a rather unique dual-engine design, with one side capturing the nuanced reflections of real spaces through IR convolution, while the other offers XR, a sophisticated algorithmic reverb that is there when you want massive trails and epic ambient beds. Of course, combining the two is where things get very interesting indeed.

In case that wasn’t enough, you can also clone your favourite pedal and use it to create custom IRs, storing up to 1024 within the unit – arguably way more than anyone would ever need. Of course, as you'd expect, there is a companion software, Neon Collector, that makes managing your IRs and presets a little easier.

Using dual-colour LED rings for quick status checks, intuitive one-touch IR sorting, dual footswitch mode, and full MIDI and expression pedal support, the Verbera offers a host of contemporary features at a very reasonable price tag, indeed.

Specs

• Launch price: $299 | £249 | €299
• Type: Digital reverb pedal
• Controls: Decay, ATK/PRE-DL, Tone/Mod, Preset, Mix, IR, ALT/Menu, Clone, Active, Freeze
• Features: 120 impulse responses pre-installed (saves up to 1024 IRs and 200 presets)
• Connectivity: Input: 6.3 mm stereo jack, Outputs: 2 x 6.3 mm stereo jack, MIDI/EXP: 2 x 3.5 mm stereo mini jack
• Bypass: True Bypass
• Power: 9V, 1000 mA (1A)
• Dimensions: 84 x 126 x 63 mm
• Weight: 485g
• Contact: Hotone

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

I must say, this is a pretty good-looking pedal. With its neon-glowing lights, it could easily be a part of the inner-working mechanics of the Death Star, but they serve a practical purpose, too, but we will get to that later.

To me, the build quality feels solid too, which is what I’ve come to expect from other Hotone pedals I’ve tried in the past – I’m a big fan of its volume-and-wah hybrid, the Soul Press.

The unit itself is robust and sturdy, with smooth controls. It’s genuinely satisfying to dial in your settings on this pedal. The twin footswitches are pleasantly light and soft underfoot, making them incredibly easy to operate – they are pretty close together, though, so if you have large feet, you may find it a tad cramped.

Now, if I were to have one major complaint about this pedal's build, it’s the downright bizarre positioning of the MIDI Thru and MIDI IN/EXP jacks. For reasons only known to Hotone, they’re situated at the bottom of the pedal, directly beneath the footswitches.

Considering there’s ample space on the sides of the unit, it makes me wonder why Hotone couldn’t have placed the MIDI jacks there. Perhaps the internal circuitry simply wouldn’t allow it?

Whatever the reason, the jacks being there make me very uncomfortable. Not only are they easily knocked, but on a tight pedalboard, this placement makes even less sense. That said, if you don’t plan to take advantage of the MIDI functionality, then it won’t be a problem at all.

Usability and features

Usability and features rating: ★★★★★

This is a packed pedal, so it's easy to assume it could be challenging to operate. However, that’s simply not the case.

This pedal can be used in two main modes. Right out of the box, the dual footswitches are used to scroll through the numerous presets, with the right pedal cycling up through the presets, while the left one allows you to go backwards. Pressing both switches simultaneously transitions to a mode that more closely resembles a traditional stompbox.

In this configuration, the first switch is a dedicated toggle for the effect, while the second activates the very fun Freeze function. Both modes have their advantages, but for the sake of this review, I found the second mode suited me more.

As I said up top, there are two different styles of reverb in this pedal, and thankfully, Hotone has gone out of its way to make sure it’s as easy to operate as possible. When the pedal is amber, you’re in the realm of IR reverb; switch to blue, and you're exploring the algorithmic reverb options.

Positioned directly above the easy-to-read screen, you'll find an encoder dial for navigating through presets, a mix control to fine-tune the intensity of the effect, and an IR encoder that lets you scroll through the extensive range of impulse responses loaded within the unit. One standout feature of the IR encoder is its ability to allow you to reorder the IRs by simply pressing it down, which significantly streamlines the process of locating the perfect sound – trust me, with so many IRs to choose from, this was a welcome addition.

Further up, you'll find controls for Decay, Attack, and Tone – a pretty standard affair for any reverb pedal. However, these controls do change when you engage the Alt button, switching you over to the algorithmic side. In this mode, the top controls become Decay, Pre-Delay, and Modulation.

With so much going on inside this pedal, I genuinely felt like I was going to get a bit lost, but I never did. Each dial is clearly labelled, and the coloured lights surrounding the knobs provide continuous feedback, ensuring I am always aware of which settings I am tweaking.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★★

Okay, I won’t beat around the bush, this pedal sounds mega. The sounds here are massive. Seriously, that’s the best way to describe this pedal. The way it mixes realistic room sounds from the IRs with the wild, modulated tones of the algorithmic verbs is honestly impressive when you get the settings just right.

Yes, it’s easy to go overboard and drown your sound in too much verb. But if you find the right blend of long trails and keep enough attack to hear your notes clearly, this pedal is truly engaging.

For testing, I used my beloved Fender Strat, which has low-output '54-style pickups, into a wide open and clean Fender Twin, with the reverb turned off. I wanted a fairly neutral starting point for the pedal so I could hear every detail of the verbs.

A couple of standout presets for me were the Arena 5000, which, unsurprisingly, was captured from a 5000-seat stadium. This verb is huge and super fun to play with, especially if you dial in the mix just right. Both cave settings are also wild, and Brent Heaven, which is captured from a church, is, well, heavenly.

We even have a Ping Pong Fun setting that comes directly from the Peavey Dual DeltaFex Multi Effects processor and a superb-sounding Plate captured from the legendary Universal Audio EMT 140.

I love the Freeze feature, too. Press it once, and the pedal holds your reverb trail, giving you an ambient background for lead parts that can almost become synth-like.

If I were going to nippick, I’d say the basic spring sounds are a bit bright for my taste, but you can adjust that with the tone knob. If you want a classic ‘60s spring reverb, this might not be it. This pedal is for lush, modern reverbs with huge, endless trails, and it really delivers on that front.

Verdict

If you’re after a basic reverb for a tight spring or a general sense or ambience, this is not the pedal for you. To me, this is a creative, inspiring, and genuinely useful, do-it-all verb that sounds so good, it should be making the industry leaders, Strymon, sit up and take notice.

Despite boasting a colossal number of presets and a myriad of fancy modern features, this pedal remains very intuitive to navigate, with a layout that’s clear and even beginner-friendly. Honestly, it’s a breeze to dial in, and it certainly helps that the vast majority of presets are instantly usable straight out of the box. Okay, so I’m not the biggest fan of the spring settings, as they simply don’t measure up to the ethereal, spacey options onboard, but the rest are pretty killer.

My only real gripe with the unit is the downright weird placement of the MIDI jacks. Honestly, I just don't understand the choice here; they just seem too easy to knock loose. Perhaps we can convince Hotone to change this in future versions.

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Hotone Audio

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What is it?

MIDI was first introduced in the early 1980s and kick-started a revolution in the composition and production of music.

From easy programming of synthesizers to creating complex multi-instrument scores, it allowed musicians to streamline their processes to a degree that would have been unthinkable before. It’s still the technical standard for music programming, with millions of users worldwide.

For all this ubiquity, and all this ease of use, MIDI still exists on the fringes of consciousness for many guitarists. There are plenty of MIDI-capable amplifiers and effects out there, but the proportion of buyers that use those features is anyone’s guess.

And what of the MIDI electric guitar? In theory, a fantastic crossover instrument that allows guitarists to communicate in this universal musical language, creating notation that can be read instantly by any other MIDI instrument, and allowing notes played on the guitar to be heard in the voices of other instruments.

In practice, though, dedicated MIDI guitars are often quite a compromised proposition, with tedious setup procedures, plus latency and triggering issues severely hobbling the guitar's expressive potential.

In theory, these are the problems Jamstik is here to solve. The company has become known for its MIDI guitar architecture, and now its technology finds a new home - in an instrument by Swedish ergonomic guitar mainstays Strandberg.

Specs

• Price: $2,199 | £1,799
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string MIDI-enabled electric guitar 
• Body: Meranti
• Neck: Roasted maple, EndurNeck profile
• Fingerboard material/radius: Rosewood, 20”
• Scale length: 25.5”/648mm
• Nut/width: Plastic, 42mm
• Frets: 24, DHP 28HFS stainless steel
• Hardware: EGS Arc fixed bridge and tuners
• String spacing at bridge: 52.5mm
• Electrics: Strandberg Custom Hot bridge humbucker, Strandberg Custom Vintage neck humbucker, 6-channel hexaphonic MIDI pickup, Volume, Tone, 5-way pickup selector
• Weight: 4.7lb/2.1kg
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Chameleon gloss
• Case: Strandberg gig bag included
• Contact: Jamstick

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

I’ve reviewed a couple of Strandbergs in recent months, their design and execution impressing each time. In order to sit at a similar price point to its non-MIDI stablemates, this model is based on the more affordable Boden Essential; it concedes some features to the Standard models, but the essence is still there.

The body is meranti and the roasted maple neck is capped with a light-coloured rosewood fretboard - and this is the first Strandberg I've played with straight, rather than fanned, frets. Two own-brand magnetic humbuckers mix it with Jamstik's six-channel hexaphonic MIDI pickup, with all its processing built in - no need for cumbersome outboard gear here.

The usual excellent build, feather-light weight and fantastic balance is present and correct and, of course, the company's ergonomically-optimised EndurNeck profile makes an appearance too.

Rather than the usual satin, here we’ve a tasty gloss ‘Chameleon’ finish, for which the guitar is named. True to its namesake, the finish changes in the light between shades of green, grey and purple.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

All the guitar parts of this MIDI guitar feel as good as you’d hope. Every Strandberg I’ve met has been fantastic to play, and the Chameleon is no exception. It's a delight to sit, or stand, with it for hours on end, the lightweight ergonomic design exerting minimal strain on your body.

If you’re new to Jamstik or to MIDI guitar in general, though, you might expect the mental strain of setting up the tech to make up for it.

There’s certainly the question of exactly how to connect the guitar to the computer – Jamstik supplies a MIDI-TRS cable, and a USB-C data cable, but if you've no MIDI interface or no USB-C input on your computer, neither will be much use. Luckily, I had a data-enabled USB-A to USB-C cable to hand.

In practice, the Jamstik Creator app (and its extensive associated sound library) works very well, and provides easy access to an impressive range of sounds. It can also be used as a plugin on your DAW – I loaded it into Logic, and was able to record straight away using sounds chosen from the library.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

There’s quite some novelty to the Jamstik experience. As a fairly hopeless keyboard player, it was very gratifying to hear myself finally sounding competent through a variety of synth sounds. A key part of Jamstik's USP is the promise of extremely low latency, and indeed it is barely noticeable; it should pose no functional issue at all for most users.

And of course, everything you record is able to be read by any other MIDI instrument – so if you want to create a large score but guitar is your only instrument, it’s a whole lot easier to achieve that goal.

It must be said that, in my experience, the tracking and triggering were good but still not perfect – and even the best MIDI guitar still requires you to play differently than you otherwise might. Machine-like precision is paramount when recording accurate MIDI and, though the clever processor recognises bends, slides and vibrato, for some players, the expressiveness of the guitar can still be lost in the process.

Further tweaking of sensitivity settings, pickup heights and so on will all steer you closer to an ideal setup. It's more involved than ‘just’ recording guitar tracks, of course, but never lose sight of how much more utility is on offer here.

And in all of this, the quality of the Chameleon shines through – making the aforementioned precision that much easier. And it can still be used as a normal magnetic-pickup guitar, with all the aplomb of other Strandbergs we’ve seen recently.

Verdict

The Chameleon is significantly more expensive than the non-MIDI Boden Essential on which it's based, but the tech creates so much added value that there's little use comparing the two.

It has all the strengths of the usual Strandberg experience, with a huge amount of extra utility, and with that in mind, the price makes more sense.

Is it a foil to all the issues with previous MIDI guitars? Perhaps not – but with this technology, and the strength of the instrument it's mounted in, it's the MIDI guitar to beat.

MusicRadar verdict: The Strandberg x Jamstik Chameleon certainly lives up to its name – providing access to sounds you'll never have heard from a guitar before. The MIDI guitar remains an esoteric idea for most, but that idea has been executed to an extremely high standard here.

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What is it?

Erica Synths has been building an increasingly impressive range of desktop effects processors in collaboration with Dutch DSP developer 112dB. Following the Echolocator delay and Nightverb reverb, the Xenodrive is the third unit from this partnership and takes a rough and rowdy aim at the world of distortion, overdrive and waveshaping.

Housed in the same sturdy aluminium enclosure as its siblings, Xenodrive is a stereo effects processor with 15 dedicated knobs, an OLED display and a signal path that combines multiple processing stages.

It starts with an analogue input gain stage capable of boosting up to +24dB – accommodating everything from guitar to line-level signals – before passing through a simple compressor, a germanium diode-style overdrive emulation (with drive and tone controls), and then into the unit's headline feature: a two-axis wavetable-based waveshaper.

Audio waveshapers work by remapping the amplitude of an audio signal through a so-called transfer function. These are essentially curves that determine how the input level translates to the output level. Simple curves produce gentle saturation, while more complex shapes add increasingly gnarly harmonic components.

What sets Xenodrive's implementation apart is its use of a 16×16 grid of carefully selected waveshaper waveforms, navigated via the X Wave and Y Wave knobs. This provides a huge landscape of tonal possibilities, with continuous morphing between grid positions. The Rotate knob shifts the phase of the selected waveshape, and the large central Shaper Gain control determines the intensity.

At higher settings, the signal starts folding back on itself (wavefolding), producing increasingly dense and aggressive harmonics. The envelope follower (X MOD) adds a dynamic dimension, modulating the X-axis wave selection based on the input signal's amplitude, so the distortion character responds to playing dynamics. The Envelope Follower’s Attack and Release times can be tweaked by accessing the relevant menu items via the OLED.

After the waveshaper, the signal passes through a two-band shelving EQ with a shiftable centre frequency and a Scream button that adds resonance (reminiscent of a miced-up guitar cab) to the EQ cutoff. The EQ section is, however, limited to shelving only. The inclusion of switchable high-pass and low-pass filter modes, as found on some competing units, would have added useful flexibility here.

A noise gate sits at the end of the chain – and given the extremities of gain this unit can reach, it is very much a necessity (especially when working with inherently noisy vintage drum machines and synths). Again, additional control is provided in the menus, where the noise gate Threshold can be adjusted.

Performance

The Xenodrive arrives in eco-friendly inner packaging, though, at least in our case, it left a noticeable layer of dust on the unit. Not a biggie, but not the ideal first impression for a product in this price bracket.

In practice, the most notable feature of Xenodrive is its hands-on workflow. Generously sized knobs with decent spacing make sound design immediate and engaging, and the OLED display provides useful visual feedback, including a real-time representation of the waveshaper's effect on the signal. The build quality feels robust and gig-ready.

The waveshaper is where the Xenodrive distinguishes itself from simpler overdrive or distortion boxes. Sweeping through the X and Y wave axes while adjusting the Shaper Gain reveals a wide range of tonal possibilities, with results spanning subtle harmonic thickening, buzzing metallic textures and outright sonic obliteration.

The Scream button adds an extra dose of aggressive resonance, reminiscent of guitar cab/pedal tones that can push things further still. The 42 factory presets provide a good tour of what the unit can do, with categories spanning bass and guitar, drums and percussion, alongside more experimental/textural territory.

However, there are some notable workflow frustrations. The front-panel Shaper Mix knob only adjusts the waveshaper's gain balance – it is not a global dry/wet control. A true dry/wet mix exists, but it is accessed only through the Effect menu. For a unit that invites you to dial in extreme settings, the ability to blend those results with the dry signal from the front panel would have been very useful, particularly for those wanting to use it more subtly. This feels like a missed opportunity given the unit's otherwise excellent tactile design.

Similarly, the Input Gain and Volume controls are excluded from both MIDI control and preset recall. The argument here, perhaps, is that these will both vary with source/context and that once set, they will remain the same when switching presets – there are also some limitations due to where each element sits in the analogue vs digital signal path. Nonetheless, it would be helpful if the front panel clearly indicated which controls are and aren't included in MIDI and preset functionality.

Verdict

The Xenodrive can certainly handle more restrained duties – gentle saturation, subtle harmonic enhancement – but its personality leans firmly toward the aggressive end of the spectrum. This makes it a natural fit for industrial, techno, noise and experimental electronic music, where its ability to completely transform source material is its biggest asset.

There is also the consideration that the Xenodrive's signal path – beyond the analogue gain stage – is entirely digital. For those who work primarily in the box, there are plenty of plugin alternatives that offer distortion, waveshaping and saturation at a fraction of the cost, albeit without the tactile, hands-on control that a hardware unit provides. The Xenodrive's value is therefore strongest for those whose setup centres around hardware sound generators, or who want to break out of the screen-based GUI environment. At this price point, given the digital nature of the processing, potential buyers should also weigh up whether a hardware approach better suits their workflow than the many capable plugin alternatives.

Hands-on demos

Erica Synths

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

The Nux MG-50Li is the new flagship amp modeler and profiler from the Chinese brand. Nux used to be known for its budget gear, and while that remains the case today, over the past few years, they’ve begun to take steps into the intermediate level of the guitar market with some seriously advanced tech, all while retaining that value-for-money focus.

The MG-50Li is yet another entrant into the busy multi-effects pedal market, but it’s got some very unique features that help it stand out from a congested field. The first feature that caught my attention is the addition of native support for the Neural Amp Modeler (NAM), an open-source software that uses machine learning to capture tube amps, preamps, and drive pedals.

It may well be the tech that brings the cost of amp modeling down dramatically, and with access to a quarter of a million amp captures for free, it massively expands the capabilities of the MG-50Li. Previously, you needed a laptop or PC to run these due to the processing power, but different methods of shrinking down these neural captures have made them usable on DSP-equipped units. You’ll also find NAM on modelers from Hotone and Valeton, and there are rumours that bigger names are starting to adopt the technology too.

Surprisingly, the MG-50Li can be run on an internal lithium battery (hence the ‘Li’ in the name), which is very impressive. There’s a similar feature on the Boss GX-1, and it shows just how far we’ve come with respect to the power of amp modeling. The ability to take captures of the world’s most famous tube amps in a portable, power supply-free unit is leaps and bounds away from where we started with the Line 6 POD.

The 5-inch HD colour LCD screen doesn’t feature any touch compatibility, so 7 encoders allow for control over parameters on the unit itself. 5 of these sit below the screen for tweaking settings, while two larger ones sit to the right for more overall control. It’s got 7 footswitches, 2 that handle banking up and down, 3 that control presets, and an additional CTRL switch that can perform a variety of functions. It’s also got a full-size expression pedal that can be assigned to various roles.

There’s plenty of connectivity, too, although there’s just a single mono input. You can send signals out via dual 1/4-inch jacks or XLR outs; both carry the same signals, but the former is better for sending to FRFR cabs, while the XLR outs are for connecting to a PA system or an audio interface. There’s an additional expression out for hooking up another expression pedal or a switch, as well as a 1/8-inch aux in, headphone out, and MIDI in/out ports. Finally, there’s a USB-C port for the included N-BT1 Bluetooth dongle, and a separate USB-C for connecting to a computer. The internal battery can be charged by using the included 12V DC power supply.

Specs

• Launch price: $499 | £389 | €419
• Type: Amp modeler & profiler
• Controls: 7x rotary encoders, 4x buttons, 6x footswitches, 1x expression pedal
• Features: TS/AC-4K white-box physical modeling, DeepImage profiling, stereo Cyber IR cab engine, dual send/return loops, built-in USB-C audio interface, Bluetooth connectivity, built-in rechargeable battery, 5-in. HD color LCD
• Connectivity: Ins - 1 x 1/4", 1 x 1/8" (aux), Outs - 2 x XLR (DI), 2 x 1/4, Headphones - 1 x 1/8", Send/return - 4 x 1/4", MIDI In/Out, 2x USB-C
• Bypass: Buffered
• Power: 12V DC power supply
• Dimensions: 71.8 x 392.9 x 209.8mm
• Weight: 2.79 kg (6.17 lbs)
• Options: Dark Blue colour option also available (White reviewed)
• Contact: Nux

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

Taking the MG-50Li out of the box, it’s a hefty bit of kit indeed. It weighs just below 3kg, which is fairly weighty for a pedal, more than the Quad Cortex and close to the similarly sized Blackstar ID:X Floor Three. It definitely takes away from the portability of it. Despite the battery operation implying use as a travel rig, it’s not quite chuck it in a gig bag and hardly notice it, that’s for sure.

It does feel durable, though, and the heavy-duty aluminium shell is very robust. My review model is a white one, but you can get it Dark Blue if you prefer something a little more muted. The expression pedal is all metal, which no doubt adds to the weight, with a textured grip surface and the Nux logo in silver in the corner. A metal bar on the left side of the pedal helps prevent you from knocking the control encoders when stomping, and the two bank footswitches come with the option of a couple of orange Nux footswitch toppers to make them more accessible.

The screen is recessed into the unit, which should hopefully prevent it from taking any damage, and each of the 5 encoders below can be pushed in to select parameters. The far left encoder is detented, whereas the others rotate freely. The travel of all the encoders is nice and smooth, but they do feel a little loose as I turn them, although there is a small Allen key grub screw that can be used to tighten them.

All of the footswitches offer an audible click when you press them, but it’s that soft-touch footswitch I often see on modern modellers, with none of the ‘clack’ you get on a traditional stompbox.

Usability and features

Usability and features rating: ★★★★☆

If you’ve never used a multi-effects unit before, the Nux MG-50Li comes with a clear card that goes over the front of the chassis, with some instructions as to which button does what, although it’s quite hard to read with light grey writing on a white background. For those who’ve already used one, operating the unit is pretty simple.

The two bank switches move you up and down, while the three footswitches marked A to C select three presets within each bank. With 99 banks, that means 297 different presets are available, which let’s face it, is more than most of us are ever likely to use. The first 64 banks are already preloaded with presets from the factory, with the remaining free for users to create their own. When you press the bank switch, the display flashes, and it’s only once you’ve settled on a patch and pressed the appropriate lettered footswitch that the sound changes.

Like most amp modellers these days, the MG-50Li has a stomp mode, accessed by pressing the far left endless encoder or by pressing both of the bank footswitches. Here, you can assign one block to each of the three lettered footswitches to treat it more like a traditional pedalboard. This mode also allows you to see the full signal chain, with 14 blocks available to chop and change your signal flow. There are options to split your signal across multiple amps or run effects in parallel, and you cycle through the chain by using the master encoder in the centre of the unit.

It takes me a while to get used to using it, however, because the controls are weirdly spread out. A push of the master encoder, for example, does not let you dive deeper into the selected block but turns it on or off. Instead, there’s a dedicated button under the encoder that allows for deeper editing, which feels backwards to me. Similarly, when I press the back button under the encoder, it doesn’t return me to the previous menu, but takes me all the way back out of editing mode to the overall preset menu.

There are also multiple ways of doing the same thing, which in my early forays in the pedal led to a bit of confusion. Entering stomp mode shows the same screen as when I press the master encoder in. Pressing the left button under the encoder enters a slightly different - and much more useful - edit menu where images of the effects each block is simulating appear, and I can control parameters using the smaller encoders under the screen. It’s a shame there’s no way to change the effect order in this mode, as I find I much prefer working on it in this way.

No modern piece of tech would be complete without an app, so I head to Google Play to download the Nux Audio companion app. Handily, the Bluetooth adapter is included with the pedal, which is a nice touch as some manufacturers like to make you pay extra for this. The app finds it instantly, and I’m able to immediately start jumping into tweaking the effects, as the app mimics exactly what is on the screen of the MG-50Li, which is a nice touch.

Annoyingly though, on certain amp blocks, the settings don’t respond, which means I have to lean down to the pedal to change them. It only seems to be when there’s more than three parameters to control, as it works fine on those but not others where there are five controls.

The app is very slick indeed in its feel; there’s no discernible lag between changing something on my phone screen and the action happening on the pedal, and it’s quick and responsive to changing menus. There’s an option to use the looper via my phone, and a menu to access the global settings, including the input trim that allows you to save six different instrument settings, great if you’re swapping between active and passive pickups.

When I eventually got around to sound testing after exploring all the features, I found that having the app open on my phone with the pedal at my feet worked really well as a workflow for playing and recording. No need to bend down and change settings on the pedal itself as these were readily available on my phone, but I could still do all the quick switching, expression pedal use, and bank changing with my feet. I can also engage the looper with my phone, which is much easier than trying to hit both bank buttons at the same time.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

Plugging in my trusty Telecaster Player Plus and using two XLRs into a Universal Audio interface, I set about cycling through the presets already on the pedal. As is pretty usual, some are good, some are great, some are not so good. The sounds themselves are very hot going into my audio interface despite my relatively low-output single coils, and I frequently find myself having to turn the amp models down as they clip the inputs. Strangely, the master volume has no effect here, but they can be reined in with the expression pedal.

The presets consist of the usual amp modeler fare, with all the basic food groups represented. There are Fender cleans, Marshall crunch, Diezel high gain emulations, and everything in between. Some of them sound really great from the off, others feel like they need tweaking, especially in the high end, which can get quite harsh at times. With my phone open on my desk, it’s really easy to chop and change things and get them more to my liking. I like that the switching is almost completely seamless, with a drop in sound measured in milliseconds.

With one of the big appeals of this pedal being the ability to run NAM profiles, I download the Nux Image app, which takes mere seconds, install it on my MacBook, and head to the Tone3000 website to take my pick of a cool quarter of a million different profiles. Grabbing some of the most popular ones in clean, mid-gain, and high-gain formats, I import them onto the pedal via the Nux Image App, which then converts them and allows me to load them up on a user preset.

First, I set up the MG-50Li’s white box Deluxe Reverb as preset A, with one of the ‘Images’, or captures/profiles depending on your preferred nomenclature, as preset B, before putting the NAM profile into preset A. I configure all the settings to be as close as I can get them, as they all slightly differ coming from different places. I also add a room block turned down very low to presets A and B, as the NAM profile also features a capture of the room. There’s a clear winner, though, as I cycle through each preset playing the same profile.

The MG-50Li white box modeled amp sounds really good, although it’s a little woolly on the low end, easily compensated for using some EQ. The Nux ‘Image’ is the worst of the bunch for me, sounding quite hollow and thin in comparison to preset A. The NAM profile is streaks ahead of the others, though. It’s that classic scooped Fender clean tone, and the response of it just feels better to me. I cycle through a few more times to be sure, but there’s no getting away from that amp-like feel the NAM profile offers.

I don’t stop there, though. Next up, it’s a white box Plexi 100 from Nux versus a NAM profile of a Plexi 50, as these were the closest two Marshall sounds I could get. Due to the Plexi 50s' lesser headroom, it naturally has a bit more saturation than the Nux version, and again, I try to compensate by neutralising settings on both amps to make it a fair comparison. They both sound really great, but I find the NAM profile to be superior. Even with more gain, it’s clearer when I strum open chords, and the higher notes sound smoother and less shrill than those on the stock amp.

Finally, I bring up the Nux 5150 and place it up against a NAM profile of a 6505. I match the cabs as close as possible, both using oversized Mesa 4x12 cabs with Celestion V30s, plus a Tube Screamer in front of the amp. There’s so much more bottom end to the NAM profile though, that it’s not even close here. Even when I try to amend the Nux version with EQ, that fat, controlled low end is so much more satisfying on the NAM profile. The NAM profile just does the thing straight away, meaning I keep playing rather than feeling like I need to reach for the settings.

Verdict

There are a lot of amp modellers and budget multi-effects out there at the moment, and the Nux MG-50Li definitely holds its own against some much esteemed and established competition. It’s got all the features you’d expect to find on a modern floor modeller, plenty of connectivity, and the addition of battery operation is a genuinely useful one – offering around five hours of use on a charge.

The UI isn’t as good as some of the competition; however, with a bit of a learning curve to get you around the unit. The inclusion of a Bluetooth adapter and using your smartphone as a remote control is a really nice touch, but it’s a shame that some functions of the app aren’t working currently.

The real ace in the hole is the NAM profile compatibility, putting instantly great guitar tones at your fingertips with just a few clicks of the mouse button. It allows it to compete with the Neural DSPs and Line 6s of the world, and all at a price that’s significantly less. The built-in modelling is overall pretty good too, although I imagine most players will want to do a bit of tweaking to get them to their liking.

MusicRadar verdict: It’s not perfect but for the money, there’s a lot to love about Nux MG-50Li. It’s a very full-featured amp and effects modeller, solidly put together, and has everything the modern player demands in terms of features and sounds. The UI and companion app can be clunky at times, but the addition of NAM profile compatibility pushes it well beyond your average multi-effects pedal, massively expanding the scope and scale of what’s possible at a reasonably low cost.

Also try

Hands-on videos

The Studio Rats

Elmo Karjalainen

Ola Englund

What is it?

It’s no secret that Sennheiser knows a thing or two about making fantastic studio headphones for mixing music, and it's for that reason that a pair of Sennheiser’s has sat at the top of our buying guide for a long time. Looking at any list online, you'll find most of the top-rated mixing headphones tend to be open back, which makes them less than ideal for mixing on the go or doubling as a tracking pair. Enter the Sennheiser HD 480 Pro, which aims to give you that same reliable performance of a classic mixing headphone, but in a closed-back package.

Comparing this pair to its popular open-back cousin in the Sennheiser HD 490 Pro, the HD 480 is strikingly similar in terms of the key specifications. Both share 38mm dynamic drivers, a 130 Ohm impedance rating, and are available in Pro or Pro Plus versions, which see the addition of a more sturdy case. Both have very similar frequency responses with 3 Hz - 28,7 kHz for the 480s and 5 Hz - 36,1 kHz for the 490s, as well as similar SPL (Sound Pressure Level) stats at 130dB for the 480s and 128dB for the 490s.

Like the HD 490, the 480s have a detachable cable that can be plugged into either ear cup, and they both have very soft ear pads and a headband cushioning with a detent in the middle to reduce the pressure on the top of your head. The only noticeable difference in terms of aesthetics is that the back of the ear cups is perforated on the HD 490 and solid on the 480, and that with the 490 Pro Plus, there's a second set of mixing-specific ear pads available.

The HD 480 Pro also has some very fancy terms attached to it, including something called multistage passive shielding, which is designed to help isolate the headphones further on top of the closed-back design. It’s also got a ‘Vibration Attenuation System’, a new technology that allegedly prevents distortion. But the most pleasing to engineers and producers will be that Sennheiser has paid close attention to the comfort of these cans, with a mechanical headband design that should fit any size or shape head, and a comfort zone for those who wear glasses.

Performance

I also have a pair of HD 490 Pros in my home studio, so I will do a comparison of sound, but for now, let’s pay attention to the HD 480s. My first impression upon putting them on my head is that they feel pretty much the same as the 490s. There’s a slight difference in weight, but this isn’t noticeable in real-world use, and the 480s are super comfortable thanks to the soft lining of the ear cups and headband.

They fit my head nicely, and I’m a big fan of the oval-shaped ear cups here, which very nicely surround my larger-than-usual lobes without pressing down on them like some other headphones. The detachable cable can be used on either ear cup, which seems like a small detail, but once you’ve made use of it, it’s hard to go back to a headphone without this feature. I frequently move my cans to different studio settings, so this makes sure I can keep things as ergonomic as possible, no matter what I'm doing.

During the course of my testing, I used the 480s in a busy coffee shop, and although some ambience crept through at lower levels, once I got towards the middle and higher volume settings on my laptop, it was easy to block out the din. And the bleed levels? Hard to say, but no one looked at me funny whilst I was blasting the new Mandy, Indiana album.

I also used them in a studio setting, and as the console and live room are in the same space, I needed the cans to monitor while my singer did her vocal takes with a Neumann U87 condenser mic. The isolation was good enough that I couldn’t hear others in the room talking to me whilst the music was still running, which I’ll take as another plus in the isolation column. I also got my singer to wear them while she was tracking to see how the bleed was, and from what I could hear on the multis, it was negligible.

Sticking on my headphone tester playlist, I start with the low end and my go-to sub bass test in Lil Wayne’s ‘A Milli’. The low end is certainly strong with this pair of headphones, robust and full, but without being overpowering to the rest of the mix. It’s the same with James Blake’s ‘Limit To Your Love’ and a couple of Massive Attack tracks, really muscular and present, so I reckon these will be great for seeing how your low end translates if you’re using smaller studio monitors.

Moving on to some busier mixes, Radiohead’s ‘Paranoid Android’ sounds as good as it ever has, with plenty of detail and a great separation between all the different elements of the mix. It bodes well for those using these as a primary mixing can, and that strong low-end is present here too, as well as a nice bit of stereo spread.

A/Bing this with the HD 490s via the dual headphone inputs of my Universal Audio interface, the 480s feel slightly narrower and more closed-in, which is expected due to the design of each. To my ear, the 490s sound a touch brighter and more open, especially when Thom Yorke’s high-pitched vocal kicks in. Moving back to Lil Wayne, there’s clearly less low-end in the 490s, but overall, the sonic characteristics of both are pretty similar. You wouldn’t confuse them for the same pair, but if you already own a set of 490s, I don’t believe you’d benefit enough to justify picking these up, unless you want a really fancy pair of cans for tracking.

Verdict

Overall, I was really impressed with the performance of the Sennheiser HD 480 Pros. I got to live with them for a good few months and they excelled in mixing, monitoring, and casual listening duties, delivering an excellent response across the spectrum, but particularly with low-end detail. For engineers mixing on small studio monitors, these will be a huge asset for checking the bass and sub bass.

They’re incredibly comfortable too, which makes long mixing sessions an absolute breeze. The large, oval ear cups mean they’ll accommodate a wide variety of ear shapes and sizes, and the headband design ensures they can fit pretty much any size and shape head. With a super soft ear cup and headband material, these are supremely comfortable studio headphones.

Of course, they have natural limitations due to the closed-back design. They don’t feel as wide with hard panned elements of the mix, and sound less open than a pair of open-back headphones. The muscular low end might be too much for some producers as well, so if you prefer an open-back design, then check out the HD 490 Pro instead.

MusicRadar verdict: If you’re after a pair of closed-back cans for mixing duties, the Sennheiser HD 480 Pro is a no-brainer. With fantastic low-end reproduction and a wonderful balance across the full frequency spectrum, they could be just the thing for checking the low end of your mix alongside a pair of studio monitors. Add in excellent isolation characteristics, and you’ve got a do-it-all pair for any mixing or monitoring tasks.

Hands-on videos

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Fender has been somewhat lacking a decent tuner pedal offering for guitarists since its PT-100 chromatic pedal tuner, which was discontinued some time ago. So when Fender announced it was finally ready to enter the market to join TC Electronic, Boss and Peterson, to say I was intrigued would be an understatement.

The Strobo-Sonic Pro is a more precise strobe-type tuner that Fender claims to be accurate with ±0.01 Cent, which puts it above some of its main pedal competition, with the exception of the Peterson Strobostomp models that claim the same degree.

While you can use the Strobe display, there’s also a Needle display mode if you prefer. Whichever you choose, it’s illuminated on the large 2.3x2.1” LED screen, which sits front and centre.

Specs

• Launch price: $129.99 | £99 | €119
• Type: Tuner pedal with strobe and needle display modes
• Features: ±0.01 tuning accuracy, 2.3" x 2.1" display, auto-dimming screen brightness, adjustable reference pitch from 430Hz to 450Hz
• Connectivity: 1/4-inch Input/Output, USB-C
• Bypass: Switchable true bypass, buffered bypass or mute footswitch modes
• Power: DC 9V, 180mA
• Dimensions: 2.6x4.5x1.7in / 66x115x44mm
• Weight: 8oz / 0.23 kg
• Contact: Fender

Build quality

Tuner pedals need to withstand some serious abuse, especially from touring musicians who may stomp on them hundreds of times in just a single tour. Luckily, the Fender Strobo-Sonic Pro feels tough as nails with a sturdy aluminium enclosure and a soft-touch relay footswitch that's satisfyingly responsive with its click.

The controls have been kept simple, but there's a surprise too, with the Bypass modes (True, buffered and mute) and Mode / Pitch button located with physical controls on the side for quick and easy customisability when needed.

The back of the pedal is completely flat, and unlike Boss stomp pedals it’s not rubberized – making it easier to attach velcro to it neatly for use on a pedalboard, though there is the option of adding the stick-on rubber feet that are in the box.

Usability and features

The Strobo-Sonic Pro takes a leaf from TC Electronic's success with the PolyTune by making it relatively slim. Space-saving doesn’t just come from its physical proportions, though. Fender has placed the input and output jacks at the top of the pedal, allowing other pedals with top-mounted jacks to sit closer together on a pedalboard. Unlike Walrus's Canvas Tuner, the LCD display can't be rotated for the option of sideways placement, but with the power input placement on the top too, Fender has kept things streamlined for your 'board vertically here.

There is flexibility in the power department, because while there's no battery power option, players can choose use a 5V USB-C power input or the 9V DC input. The latter has a current draw of 180mA that's higher than the PolyTune's 100mA and TU-3's 85mA maximums, but well under the Canvas's 300mA with its 2.8" TFT screen.

The bonus of the USB-C power is countered by its side placement, though, which will be an issue for close placement alongside other pedals.

The hardware controls for the pedal's mode are refreshing in an industry that moves towards app and screen parameter controls. While the bypass mode is changed with a slider switch, holding the button on the Stobo-Sonic's side enters Mode functions if it's pressed briefly or Pitch changes if it's held longer

The reference pitch can be changed between 430 and 450Hz to cover most needs. There's no control for brightness control on the pedal but Fender has already considered this with auto-brightness dimming. This light-sensing will adjust the screen's brightness according to your surroundings, and I found it worked so well in my testing it negated the need for user editability.

I really like the Fender Stobo-Sonic's choice of Strobe and more old school Needle modes to change between super precise ±0.01 Cent tuning accuracy in Strobe mode and a faster, but less precise ±1 Cent in Needle mode. You might decide the latter is a worthwhile compromise for quick changes in a live set.

The main display in Strobe mode actually cleverly manages to combine a hybrid of both, with the LED pattern strobing to the left or right for super fine adjustments to make the note more flat or sharp, while the needle display is shown above and below this graphic to help you dial in broader adjustments.

My guinea pig for testing is a Fender Stratocaster with a hardtail bridge and American Standard tuners (the non-locking type). It was supposedly set up by a professional before I purchased it second-hand several years ago – the action has always been spot on, but I was keen to see if the intonation is holding out since my last check.

The interface on the Strobo-Sonic Pro makes it easy to dial in rough tuning adjustments with its needle graphic, which is displayed at the same time as the more accurate strobe that's vital for intonation. I found it fast and efficient to help the process of setting the intonation, and being my go-to tuner for general playing for a couple of weeks. I also plugged in my Yamaha TRBX174EW bass guitar to see how the Strobo-Sonic Pro handles its lower frequencies, and I had no problems there either.

Verdict

Tuner pedals, much like many ‘utility’ parts of our setups, fall into the category of reluctant purchase; you can’t be without it, and you probably don’t think about changing it very often. Therefore, it pays to get a good one. Fender has wrapped high-performance tuning capabilities in a remarkably compact, lightweight aluminum chassis that shaves off significant bulk compared to the traditional options you may have grown up using.

Where it truly triumphs is in its versatility and value proposition. At $129.99 USD / £99 GBP, it is priced competitively. It undercuts some premium strobe tuners while remaining accessible to everyday gigging musicians. By offering a hybrid display interface that combines the rapid, macro-level guidance of a traditional needle mode with the micro-tonal precision of a moving strobe ring, Fender ensures that users do not have to sacrifice stage speed for studio accuracy.

MusicRadar verdict: For touring musicians looking to lighten their load, studio engineers demanding immaculate intonation, and any player seeking a modern, highly visible board centerpiece, the Strobo-Sonic Pro is an investment that easily earns its place on the pedalboard of any guitarist.

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Hands-on videos

Fender

What is it?

The Ibanez RG is one of the enduring miracles of electric guitar design. You can find it at all price points in the Ibanez catalogue and, as a general rule, the performance-to-price ratio remains reassuringly high.

It has been in production since 1987, initially as a more affordable alternative to Steve Vai’s JEM, with which it shares that offset double-cutaway silhouette but lacks the cut-out Monkey Grips and Tree of Life fretboard inlays (and Vai’s DiMarzio pickups).

This player-friendly unit-shifter has gone forth and multiplied over the years. There are super-premium Japanese-made J Custom and Prestige RGs that push the envelope of high-performance. There are über-metal RGs in the Iron Label series, electric guitars for beginners in the entry-level GIO series, and all in between.

You can find 7-string guitars bearing the RG designation, 8-strings, too. There is even a 9-string with a 28” scale. Beastly.

What we have today is a little more conventional – six-strings, the usual 25.5” Fender-esque scale length, the super-skinny Wizard neck – and yet the RGR431PB still speaks to the constant evolution of the RG concept.

The RG made its name on the back of that aggressive S-style body shape but also the Gotoh-designed Edge series double-locking tremolo units that drew inspiration from the Floyd Rose. Here we have a six-saddle hardtail instead.

We also have dual-humbuckers, as opposed to the traditional HSH configuration. Had anyone heard of meranti as a tone wood in the early ‘90s? Or jatoba for a fretboard? The very best guitar designs endure reinterpretation.

This Charcoal Gray Flat stain over a poplar burl top is far removed from the solid colour finishes of ’92, Laser Blue, Grape Ice, Purple Neon et al, and from a distance, with that reverse headstock, this looks of a piece with the Iron Label’s blackout aesthetic. Until the light hits it, revealing the details of that poplar burl top.

With a street price that offers change from 500 bucks, the Standard series RGR431PB is absolutely a budget-friendly purchase, and yet, it has the name Ibanez on the headstock, the design DNA of its forebears…

And at this point I should declare a certain bias here – an abiding affection for the RG. My first quote/unquote good guitar was a ‘92 RG770 in Laser Blue with one of the original Edge Floyd-style vibratos. The RGR431PB has a lot to live up to.

Specs

• Launch price: $499 | £429 | €459
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string electric guitar
• Body: Meranti with poplar burl top
• Neck: Maple / Wizard III profile
• Fingerboard: Jatoba with dot inlays
• Scale length: 25.5"/648mm
• Nut/width: Plastic / 42mm
• Frets: 24, jumbo
• Hardware: Sealed die-cast, F106 hard-tail bridge, black
• String spacing at bridge: 10.5mm
• Electrics: 2x Ibanez Quantum ceramic humbuckers, 5-way pickup selector, volume, tone
• Weight: 6.46lb/2.93kg
• Options: There are 20-plus RG models in the current Standard Series, including the RG470PB [$649/£549/€659] has a Red Eclipse Burst poplar burl top, HSH pickups, and Edge-Zero II vibrato, and the ash-bodied RG470AHM, which has a maple fingerboard and similar configuration and is priced $649/£499/€530
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Charcoal Gray Flat,
• Cases: No
• Contact: Ibanez

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

Guitars at this price point tend to pull the eye one way then the other. There are details here that might fool you into thinking this is one of those high-end RGs, such as the top. Poplar burl is not AAAAA figured maple but it’s still a premium appointment on sub-$500 guitar like this – and it is not a veneer.

Ibanez gives us a generous 6mm cap, and it’s meticulously applied, left with an open-pore finish as on the back of the body. Matte finishes can attract fingerprints but not this.

Unlike early RGs, this has no neck plate, just four recessed screws securing the neck, and it makes for a more ergonomic heel (more on that shortly). It’s noticeable around these recessed bolts that the Charcoal Gray stain does not extend down to the entirety of the holes – but no one is going to see a little exposed wood.

Concessions to budget mean that we have an unbound neck and headstock, and that exposes a little untidiness with the headcap paint job. Again, no one will notice but still.

If the prospect of a jatoba fingerboard does not fill you with joy – it’s lighter in colour than rosewood, with a brickish redness to it – it is at least, uniformly coloured, dense and hard, and not quite as dry as some rosewood alternates feel.

The knurled metal knobs have a nice action. The five-way switch is solid. The bridge is a tidy little six-saddle job, strung through the ferrules on the underside of the body, and it has recessed grub screws so that you don’t scratch your palm when muting.

These are all good signs.

The sealed die-cast tuners aren’t great. There tends to be a little travel before the string changes pitch. But these can always be upgraded.

One thing about any electric at this price is we are looking for a solid foundation, perhaps your second guitar or first electric for a player who is going to stick with the instrument. We want a guitar that we can future-proof through mods.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★★

This where the RG excels. Those prudes who take offense at a neck measuring just 19mm at the 1st fret and swelling out to a less-than-tumescent 21mm at the 12th, look away now. The Wizard III is a neck of indecent proportions. There are some guitar-playing civilisations that would call for it to be banned on account of its skimpyness.

Not this one. We’re all in on it, and allied to the 15.7” fingerboard radius and fat frets, it really is an easy instrument to have fun on.

All joking aside, some players might find a little more timber on the neck to be a more comfortable proposition, particularly if playing chords for a long period of time, but that comes down to individual preference.

What we can all agree on is that this neck heel is an improvement on those early ‘90s RGs. The upper-fret access is top-tier.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Ibanez’s Quantum humbuckers have been kicking around in one form or another since ’94 but came back into production about 10 years ago and are one of these passive ceramic winds that are aimed at high-gain players, perhaps even the kind who might silently harbour fixations on having an active humbucker doing the Lord’s work at the bridge.

Personally, I lean towards the passive designs. The smoke alarm, TV remote, Blu-ray player remote, kitchen scales, bathroom scales… there are already too many batteries to change. But also my favourite pickups are passive. And while I am quite sure the Quantum ‘buckers won’t be dethroning the Seymour Duncan JB any time soon, they suit this RG well.

They remind me of the Quest series humbuckers, in that their bright and punchy, abundantly clear, if a little strident at the bridge. However, with the gain jacked up on the trusty Blackstar tube combo there is that harmonic volatility that you need from a shred guitar. That almost goes without saying.

What is really impressive, however, is the tone pot’s ability to take some of that treble off without muddying everything up. There’s so much travel in it that the bridge pickup can do a decent impersonation of the neck pickup when you roll it all the way back.

The five-way switching presents you with options. You can run the neck pickup full-fat, or in parallel, run both humbuckers in series in the middle, run the inner coils of both humbuckers together, and have the bridge pickup on its own.

Positions 2 and 4 yield are a godsend for cleans, not quite single-coil snap but more elasticity, great for playing triads with a little chorus. Just note that there is a drop in output volume in the in-between settings.

Verdict

The question I find myself asking is whether I miss the vibrato unit. The RG has always wore it well.

You see the name on that reverse headstock, the sharpness of the cutaways, and there is a Pavlovian response, this great urge to play a harmonic and let it squeal as you pull on the bar. But there is no whammy bar.

And yet, this bridge, easy to intonate, comfortable, tidy, is more than fit for purpose, and no one misses setting up the Edge tremolo when tuning down to D standard.

This presents players – especially those new to the instrument – with a fuss-free high-performance performance instrument with a touch of class with the poplar burl. Yes, we’d swap those tuners out over time. Most likely we’d upgrade the pickups, too.

But there is a lot to enjoy in the here and now. Divebombing might be off the menu but there’s nothing stopping you from bending the notes yourself, there’s nothing stopping you, period. For this is an RG and it’s all about the tearing it up on that fingerboard. Steve Vai wishes he started out on something like this.

MusicRadar verdict: Ibanez serves up another RG that is built for stunt guitar, priced for virtuosos-in-training, and with enough sounds to please the fusion kid and headbanger alike, and that has always been its USP. And that neck – the Autobahn for the fretting hand – is not going to put the brakes on you.

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What is it?

To say AI is everywhere right now is one hell of an understatement. It’s writing our e-mails, editing our photos, generating unsettlingly convincing videos, and now it has wormed its way into our guitar amps, too.

Okay, before we get into that, let’s rewind to 2019. It’s fair to say that Positive Grid didn’t just enter the practice amp arena; it crash-landed in spectacular fashion with the Spark. Here was an amp so clever, so downright fun, it turned the entire practice space on its head. Since then, Positive Grid has been tinkering away, spinning out multiple Spark variations, from the pint-size Spark Mini to the pocket-sized Go and the gig-ready Spark Edge.

​Fast forward to 2026, and the folks at Positive Grid have dropped the Spark moniker for its latest release, in a move that we can only assume is to diversify its lineup a little. The new Reactor is somewhat familiar to those who have used any of Positive Grid’s amps already, but it is different in some pretty significant ways.

This is Positive Grid flexing its creative muscles and taking a wild swing at the next big thing in digital amplification with a helping hand from AI – because it wouldn’t be a 2026 product release without the mention of Artificial Intelligence, would it? Except in Positive Grid's world, that means Amp Intelligence.

Available in 50W and 100W options, both Reactor models come loaded with custom 1x12 speakers. It’s worth noting that this is not an FRFR, like other Spark models; instead, Reactor features a standard guitar speaker. Both amps can also be switched from full power, 25W, or 1W.

Now, what really sets Reactor apart is its Amp Intelligence (perhaps a phrase the company is pivoting to in order to avoid some of the negative connotations around Artificial Intelligence in the guitar community lately). The company is focusing on something it calls Tone Memory here. The idea is more you play, the more this amp gets to know your style, helping you zero in on your signature sound faster every time.

Like Spark, this new amp runs on an app, but it is its own dedicated application. Where the Spark leans more into practice, Reactor is all about crafting, saving, and sharing tones. Within the Creator Hub, you have multiple ways to generate a tone by describing what you want, uploading a photo, sharing a song, and even asking the app to “fix" elements of your tone you're unhappy with.

Out of the app, the amp itself features a Boss Katana-esque top panel with a slew of tactile knobs for when you want to get hands-on with your tweaks. The rear panel is packed with everything the modern player wants: USB-C for recording, MIDI, an FX loop, Bluetooth, line-out, and headphones.

On top of that, two unique switches, Push/Smooth and Heat, let you sculpt your tone and gain structure further. Now, if you want to switch patches mid-performance, you’ll want to grab the optional Reactor Control footswitch. This is being sold separately for $149.

Specs

• Launch price: $349 | £349 | €349
• Type: Digital combo amp
• Origin: China
• Output: 50-watts
• Speaker: Custom 12"
• Channels: Clean, Warm, Grit, Crunch, Hi-Gain, Extreme
• Controls: Amp selector, Push/Smooth, Heat, Gain, Bass, Middle, Treble, Master, Effects, Volume
• Connectivity: Guitar Input, Foot Control, MIDI In, Power Amp In, Line Out, Headphones, FX Loop, USB-C, Bluetooth audio, Bluetooth control
• Footswitch: Reactor Control six-button switch available separately for $149
• Weight: 22.9lbs / 10.4kg
• Dimensions: 460x420x200 mm
• Contact: Positive Grid

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

If you’ve handled any Positive Grid amp before, you’ll know the company doesn't really mess around when it comes to construction, and the Reactor keeps that tradition alive. It’s lightweight enough to schlep to rehearsal without breaking a sweat, but still feels solid and robust. The large rotary selector switch for selecting the various channels is stiff and turns with a satisfying click, and the Heat and Push/Smooth switches are equally tactile to use.

The optional footswitch – connected via cable or Bluetooth – balances a rugged dependability with a premium feel. That's just as well for $149. The switches have a smooth, confident action, and the layout’s intuitive enough that you won’t be tap-dancing in a panic mid-gig. Everything here feels like it’s built for the long haul, not just a few bedroom sessions.

That said, the looks are, well, perhaps controversial. Gone are the sharp red and gold accents of the Spark series; instead, you get a silver “R” badge and a metallic grille that perhaps leans a little too hard into a ‘90s solid-state aesthetic for me. It’s got a sort of Gallien-Krueger vibe. Honestly, it feels a little bland.

What’s more curious is that you have to search for a tiny Positive Grid logo tucked away in the corner. Sure, they want to distance Reactor from the Spark family, but visually, it’s not winning any beauty contests, and I think the majority of players wouldn’t know this was a Positive Grid product just by looking at it.

If you're going to use it live, though, rest assured. If you can get past the looks, I think the Reactor’s build will take a beating from the rigours of venues.

Usability and features

Usability and features rating: ★★★☆☆

The first thing that comes to mind when using this amp for the first time is the ever-popular Boss Katana. The big channel selector knob is clearly labelled, and for the most part, this is an easy amp to navigate, but the effects section can be a little clunky at first. You’ll probably find yourself double-checking which knob does what, at least until muscle memory kicks in.

Each effect has two variants to select from, but instead of a colour change to indicate which one you have selected, here you have a solid colour and a blinking colour. I’ll be honest, that system isn't particularly intuitive for me, and I found myself referring to the manual to try and work it out.

The app is where things get both wild and a little weird. The interface feels like it was dreamt up by an AI art generator from last year. Some of the images look a bit off, and very, well, AI-generated. We have see-through Marshall-style stacks covered in roses, skulls coming out of combos, and cyber punk neon lights; it all feels a little tacky, and in a practical sense, it makes it difficult to understand exactly what style of amp you’ve selected.

As I mentioned before, there are a number of ways to generate a tone, but the one that I was the most excited to try was showing it a photo of my guitar and seeing what it would come up with. Sometimes it nails the model, as it did with my Gibson Les Paul Special, generating a ‘Bogner Blue P-90 Bite’ tone as well as a punk-inspired searing high-gain JCM-800 patch that actually rips.

Other times, the AI hallucinates and just makes up stuff that doesn’t exist. Showing it a photo of the new Epiphone RD, it came up with a fantasy Jackson signature model for Bill Kelliher of Mastodon, and spit out a “Stoner Crush Tone” that sounded more like a wet Marshall with chorus than anything truly heavy.

Using a song for generating a tone yields better, more consistent results. Loading up a couple of Tom Petty classics, the AI correctly gets that I want a clean-ish Fender-style combo with lush reverb and a touch of chorus to give me that faux-12-string jangle. This is where the Reactor could be a great starting point for players, and especially beginners, who want help getting the right tone to play their favourite songs.

When you tap on the “describe it” tab, you are greeted with a few prompts to help get you started. “A tone that sounds like a relaxing waterfall” is the first suggestion. Of course, I click it. I have absolutely no idea what that could possibly mean.

What is returned is three ambient, crystal clear, clean amps swamped with copious amounts of reverb and delay. I suppose that matches the prompt pretty well.

Having your entire amp built around AI is a bold approach, especially since the technology is still in its infancy, and as such, the AI’s results are a mixed bag. When it’s on, it’s magic. When it misses, you’ll probably just want to dial in your own sound the old-fashioned way.

There’s a learning curve for sure, and the ambition sometimes outpaces the execution. Like any AI, it takes time to learn which prompts work and which don't, but I feel like the learning curve would be eased by a cleaner, easier-to-navigate app. Having clear images of the pedals and amps would make a big difference to the user experience, like, why does the Dyna Comp compression need to be a transparent box with a glowing red heart? Show me a two-knob red compressor, so I know instantly what sound to expect when loading the patch. In my opinion, the app feels a little too chaotic and out there, which distracts you rather than helps you.

As for the Reactor footswitch, it’s a fairly simple and satisfying thing to operate. You can hook it up the traditional way with a cable, or if you want to feel like you’re living in the future, it also works with Bluetooth MIDI for wireless use. You can have it in one of two modes. Preset Mode allows you to switch between your favourite tones saved in your banks, or Effects Toggle Mode enables you to run it like a pedalboard, where you can turn on and off effects at will. It’s just a pity that it’s sold separately.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Once you wrangle your way through the app menus and AI hijinks, the Reactor actually sounds fantastic. Like the Spark, there’s a ton of great tones in this box, everything from sparkling cleans to gnarly high-gain dirt, all with that familiar Positive Grid polish. The high-gain models in particular are absolute standouts, keeping up with the best of the digital crowd.

The amp selector knob at the start of the control panel cycles through various amp modes, starting clean and working its way to the Line 6-esque Extreme setting. I must say, I like this approach a lot, and the Grit setting with the Smooth switch pressed and Heat setting three engaged is delightful. It's well, reactive, dynamic and just plain fun to play through and even better with a touch of reverb.

Moving away from the hardware and over to the app is a different story. Yes, there's a lot of sounds to choose from, but a lot of those killer tones are buried behind an ambitious AI system that sometimes feels more like a hurdle than a helper. Navigating through layers of preset folders and tone suggestions can get needlessly complicated, especially if you’re just trying to grab a quick, classic rock crunch or bluesy edge.

Still, it’s hard to stay mad when the amp actually delivers. BIAS fans will feel right at home with the tones at least, and the overall tonal quality is every bit as good as what you’d expect from Positive Grid’s top-tier Spark series. Annoyingly, you’ll find yourself wishing the interface just let you get to the goods a little quicker, but if you’re willing to put in a few extra minutes, there’s a goldmine of usable, gig-worthy tones here.

The effects are top-class too. Again, like the Spark, you have an abundance of stomps you can switch in and out, from utility essentials like gates and compressors to drive pedals, delays, modulation, and even a programmable wah pedal – and they all sound ace. Genuinely, the effects here give most of their competition a run for their money.

I do need to mention that while it looks like there is only one reverb available on the app - in stark contrast to the nine pedals available with the Spark app - there are actually multiple to choose from under the mode dial. You can choose from Room Studio A, Room Studio B, Chamber, Hall Natural, Hall Medium, Hall Ambient, and a collection of Plates. What is noticeably missing is a decent Spring, but we can live with that.

Double-tapping the effects icon in the app gives you access to different options. For example, with the drive section, you can choose from an OB Drive to a Rat Distortion and my personal favourite, the Big Muff. It is worth noting that the photos of the pedals are again AI-generated and look pretty horrendous. The Rat clone has a literal nose and teeth, while the Muff Fuzz looks like the inside of a Hoover bag. This is perhaps something Positive Grid can address over time.

Verdict

A gig-ready combo with a Katana-like layout and a handpicked set of Positive Grid’s greatest hits should’ve been a slam dunk. On paper, the Reactor ticks nearly every box. It’s portable, roadworthy, stacked with tones, and ready to slot straight into rehearsal or the stage. But what could have been a breakthrough is instead tripped up somewhat by its own ambition right now, saddled with an AI-powered app that pulls focus away from what it does best.

Of course, the hardware itself is hard to fault. The tactile knobs and rugged footswitch are built for more demanding gigging scenarios, not just bedroom noodling. Sure, the visual style might be divisive, and the branding’s a head-scratcher, but once you plug in, those gripes fade away.

The core issue is the app right now, which tries to be your sonic sherpa but too often leaves you scrambling through menus and oddball AI art in search of the tones you want. When the app’s AI gets it right, it’s genuinely impressive, but when it misses, you’re left scratching your head as it conjures up fantasy gear or nonsensical patches. There could be real magic here, but it’s buried beneath layers of novelty and a learning curve that some players simply won’t tolerate.

What’s more annoying is that sound-wise, the Reactor absolutely delivers. The amp models and effects are as good as anything in Positive Grid’s arsenal. The high-gain options are standouts, and there’s a goldmine of usable patches if you’re willing to dig. The effects roster covers everything from basics to boutique, and the tactile controls mean you can still go old-school and dial in with your ears, not your thumbs.

The Reactor is an amp with real potential, offering killer sounds and a robust chassis in a compact package. But with an app that’s more of an obstacle than an asset, Positive Grid’s bold leap into AI perhaps proves that the technology hasn’t quite caught up yet. Fix the interface, and this could be a modern classic, but as it stands, it’s a glimpse of the future that’s not quite ready yet.

MusicRadar verdict: A killer-sounding, road-tough amp that’s currently hampered by a clunky AI app, which is brilliant in flashes but not quite the revolution it wants to be. Fix the interface, and the Reactor could be a winner, but for now, it’s a rare work-in-progress for Positive Grid.

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What is it?

Fractal’s flagship Axe-Fx III amp and multi-effects processor may be a bit overkill for most of us, not just in its £2.5k asking price (and that’s without a foot controller) but also in the facilities it provides.

However, Fractal is, of course, aware of this and does provide more affordable stripped-down iterations of its modelling technology with the likes of the FM3, FM9 and the (effects only) VP4 Virtual Pedalboard.

The current FM3 MKII Turbo (retailing at £1,149) has been the entry point into the full Fractal amp and effects world up until now, but that’s all changed with the release of the new AM4, which makes the sounds more accessible to a larger audience.

It still has the same four-footswitch form factor and the same price point as the VP4, but where the VP4 has no amp modelling, the AM4 has a full quota of Fractal’s finest amp models alongside a choice range of effects.

Specs

• Price: $699 | £789 | €925
• Origin: USA
• Type: Amp and effects modelling floor pedal
• Features: Buffered bypass, 104 presets, tuner, tap tempo, noise gate and EQ on each preset
• Controls: Level, Select, Soft knobs (A, B, C, D), 6x buttons, Footswitches (1, 2, 3, 4)
• Connections: Standard instrument input, standard outputs L (mono) & R, Standard Send, Standard Return, Pedal 1 & 2, 1/8” headphone output, SPDIF In & Out, MIDI In & Out, USB
• Power: Supplied 9V DC adaptor, 1500 mA 
• Dimensions: 252 (w) x 162 (d) x 62mm (h) 
• CONTACT: Fractal Audio

Usability and sounds

The AM4 falls neatly into the ‘compact modeller’ category with a size and shape that’s both eminently portable and suitable for slotting into a pedalboard alongside your other pedals. While its main use in a live scenario is direct connection to a PA system or an FRFR speaker, there’s no reason you couldn’t use it as an effects processor with a conventional guitar amp.

What you’re getting is a unit with 104 presets onboard in 26 banks of four, each preset comprising a signal chain of four blocks – one amp and three effects is the norm, but you can have four effects blocks.

Now, while four blocks may seem paltry to anyone who is used to longer signal chains, it really can be enough to cover many contingencies because those blocks have an inherent flexibility. Every block has four channels, each with a different model or parameters.

This means you can have four different amps in your amp block and four types of delay, for example, or simply one delay with four different delay times in your delay block. The amp block is of particular note as it has facilities that might otherwise have used up several blocks – it doesn’t just have the amp but also contains the full associated cabinet modelling with built-in stereo room ambience, plus a footswitchable boost.

For each preset you also get four Scenes, each Scene basically a snapshot of which blocks are active and which channel is selected for the block – this means you can call up a wide variety of sounds by switching Scenes.

Everything in a preset can be quickly set up or tweaked from the unit itself – there’s no touchscreen, but using the buttons and soft knobs is intuitive. Alternatively, you can use the excellent AM4-Edit software on a connected computer.

Changing between the three primary modes of operation (Preset, Scene, Effects) is implemented by pressing footswitches 1 and 2 together and then making your selection via one of the other footswitches, each corresponding to a different mode shown above in the display. In Preset mode you can gaplessly select the four presets in a bank with the footswitches, and bank changes are implemented by a press-and-hold of footswitches 1 or 4.

Scene mode lets each footswitch call up the different scenes within a preset, while Effect mode is for turning effects blocks on and off and, in the case of the amp block, turning its boost on and off.

There’s also an Amp mode of operation that assigns each of the four channels from the amp block its own footswitch, so you have access to four independent amp-and-cab setups.

While the signal chain may not be as complex as that of the Axe-Fx III, the AM4 still has its component-level physical amp modelling and DynaCab cabinet emulation, which makes for a classy range of sounds with excellent playing response.

You get more than 240 different amp models – albeit some being different channels of the same amp – with all of the big hitters covered, as well as a wide selection of more obscure and boutique examples. As for the cabs, there are more than 45 DynaCab models, all with real-time visual mic positioning, and there’s also the option of using your own IRs.

Effects are well represented by a selection of 80-plus drive models, loads of reverbs and delays, many modulation types, and compressors and wah pedals. While there’s no dedicated pitch shifting, there is some for shimmer in the reverb block.

The AM4 comes well stocked (22 banks) with usable pre-programmed presets for use straight out of the box or as advanced starting points for your own tweaks. A lot of these are in the format Drive>Amp>Delay>Reverb, which may be all you need. You can also choose from 16 different effects blocks (a maximum of two of any type) to easily set up your own chain, and if you need to free up blocks it’s useful to know that you can have reverb and delay in a single block by choosing one of the Echo models for your reverb block.

If you want to use other effects pedals with the unit, there’s nothing to stop you placing them before or after the unit, but there is also a send and return loop with a fixed position just before the output.

This would allow you to use external pedals in the chain while taking advantage of the AM4’s balanced outputs or the headphone output for a bit of silent practice. That headphone output also comes in handy for recording, taking advantage of the AM4’s ability to function as a 4-in/4-out audio interface.

Comprehensive MIDI capability is available for those who wish to take advantage of it, and there’s also provision to connect up to two expression pedals for real-time control of effects – essential if you want to use the onboard wah options.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

MusicRadar verdict: If you want to get into the Fractal amp-modelling universe, the AM4 is your entry point – but we’re in no way describing it as ‘entry level’. Make no mistake, it could grace any professional stage with its superb range of sounds, rugged build and great flexibility in how you use it.

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What is it?

The Hot Rod Deluxe was forged in the musically chaotic post-grunge era of the mid-90s when electronica and alternative rock were vying for pole position and bands such as Radiohead – to name just one example – featured edgier, brasher guitar sounds from valve amps.

With 40 watts of valve power, dual channels and two footswitchable levels of boost, the Deluxe seemed a great fit for the times. And indeed, the enduring success of this guitar amp speaks to the wisdom of Fender’s design.

Through the years we’ve seen a number of models and variations of the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, with a range of different speakers deployed including the Eminence Legend (1996 to 2010), Celestion G12P-80 (HRDx III, 2010) and Celestion A-Type (HRDx IV, 2018); however, this 30th Anniversary edition sticks with the Celestion G12M-65 Creamback choice with its ample 65-watt power rating.

The overdrive circuit, with its two stages of boost, has been massaged over the years to refine its saturated character. Another important improvement over the early models is that the clean channel volume control now has a more gradual operation, rather than the rapid ascent to full volume that could be reached with the knob turned up to 2! Final tweaks were made to achieve a smoother reverb sound from the onboard spring reverb tank.

The styling is in line with the 30th Anniversary Blues Junior amp cosmetics, including the ‘western’-styled tooled leather-look commemorative covering, a brown-and-gold Bassman-style grille cloth and the smart chrome top panel complete with those distinctive black ‘chickenhead’ knobs.

Unboxing the amp from its carton, its fancy looks are worth appreciating for a moment. If you’re not familiar with this model, it’s perhaps somewhat large for a 1x12 combo amp due to chassis-sharing with the 2x12 Hot Rod DeVille. The weight is kept down by virtue of its pine cabinet, another improvement from the particle board of previous incarnations.

The chromed control plate has a premium look, printed with helpful player-facing control lettering in white. Channel 1, the clean channel, employs a single volume control alongside a Bright switch before moving on to Channel 2 with its overdrive functions. Two preset levels of drive can be selected in addition to Drive and Master knobs.

The three-band shared EQ – ordered Treble, Bass, and then Middle – precedes the Master, Reverb and Presence controls.

Unusually, the top panel also houses the effects loop in and out jacks and the footswitch jack, which might normally be placed on the back of the amp. But this quirky positioning has obviously not hindered its popularity in any way.

Specs

• Price: $1,299 | £1,269 | €1,489
• Origin: Mexico
• Type: All-valve combo
• Valves: 3x ECC83, 2x 6L6
• Output: 40W
• Dimension: 61.6 (w) x 27.3 (d) x 53.3mm (h)
• Weight (kg/lb): 25.28/55.75
• Cabinet: Pine
• Loudspeaker: 12” Celestion G12M-65 Creamback
• Channels: 2
• Controls: Volume, Bright Switch, Volume, More Drive, Drive, Treble, Bass, Middle, Master, Reverb, Presence
• Footswitch: 2-button switch included
• Additional Features: Effects loop
• Options: None
• Range Options: Hot Rod Deluxe (non-anniversary) is £1,049. 60W 212 Hot Rod DeVille 2x12 is £1,369
• Contact: Fender

Usability and sounds

Going in with the Telecaster on Channel 1, with the EQ controls at half mast, I can assess the range on the clean volume. I would say it comes to life a little more progressively now than on previous iterations, and the amp is pretty much at full clean headroom around 3 to 4.

The cleans sparkle with the help of the Bright switch for the classic smile-EQ sound where the full body and the sparkle take precedence over midrange grunt.

It’s the essence of the Fender clean sound and feel beneath the strings, and while at this price point we may not achieve highly sweetened boutique-style tone, this amp is aimed at players in bands, rather than YouTube cork-sniffing aficionados.

Continuing upwards volume-wise from there, it starts to deliver a thicker response with some bloom from the 6L6s. Indeed, switching over to a Les Paul you can get thick slabs of classic rock overdrive with the volume towards the higher numbers alongside a little push from the Bright switch.

It is actually possible to create a makeshift master volume for this channel by placing a pedal with a volume control in the loop if you wish to get a little more bloom at lower volumes. If this floats your boat, you will find devices on the market made for this specific purpose, comprising two jacks and a volume control in a simple moulded plastic unit.

Over to the second channel with its dual levels of diode-induced saturation. The first level of drive brings that US-style overdrive reminiscent of Money For Nothing-era Dire Straits. It’s overdrive, for sure, but with a gritty tough edge when digging into the strings. This sound really does evoke those recognisable 90s angular overdrive sounds on guitar hits from the era.

Pushing on the More Drive switch ups the gain stakes just a smidge, nothing particularly earth-shattering but it would certainly provide a little confidence boost for solos. A decent ZZ Top-style raspy drive comes naturally with a little reduction in bass level and a push in the mids.

Working further with the EQ, its powerful range helps achieve some interesting tones such as a fluid fusion sound reminiscent of the late great Allan Holdsworth, by using the More Drive function and a lower treble setting.

The reverb does indeed now have a smoother sound than the early Hot Rod models due to some specific circuit tweaks.

However, it’s fair to say it doesn’t have the magic, splashy presentation that one might expect from a valve-recovered circuit of the type that made Fender’s name. Conversely, it does sit in the background well giving us a deep and rich halo.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

This updated classic is the very essence of the Fender aesthetic: that of a solid and reliable workman-like tool, commonplace everywhere from showrooms to rehearsal rooms and stages of all sizes.

It reigns supreme for its no-nonsense approach to a dual-channel, giggable package.

MusicRadar verdict: The improvements leave little to nit-pick about, with the smoother reverb and overdrive sounds and the improved clean volume taper. And it certainly looks a treat, too, in its black western vinyl. The slightly quirky choices of the external jack-socket furniture mounted on the top control panel can easily be overlooked for the overall benefits that this amp packs.

Hands-on videos

Fender

• Best Fender amps: From all-tube classics to cutting edge modelling options
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

Considering headless guitars have enjoyed an exponential rise in popularity in recent years, it was no surprise to see Ibanez crash the party. Its Quest series, first launched in 2021 alongside a signature model for Ichika Nito, saw it decapitating its headstocks for the first time in its history.

The Japanese firm has since doubled down on its mission to conquer a headless market that frontrunner Strandberg once ruled with little to no challenge. Four more lookers came in 2024, with Nito again its poster boy. While he’s been used to help launch its all-new Alpha model – built as a modern progressive metal guitar to rival Abasi Concepts – Ibanez has reprised its 2026 headless line-up a little more quietly.

The none-more-black QX527B, which also has a six-string counterpart, is one of two extended-range models on the list, alongside the HSS-configured Q547PB. of the two, it is decidedly more metal.

Yet while its Quest series guitars are visually distinctive in the Ibanez lineup, their genetics are a little less so. An Okoume body and Parallel Wizard-7 five-piece neck made from roasted maple and bubinga, and ebony fretboards don’t deviate from its current go-to tonewoods.

Elsewhere, an Ibanez Mono-Tune bridge, which locks in Strandberg and Floyd Rose-style after-the-nut tuning, slanted frets, and luminescent side dots also feature.

With the wiring, Q58-7 passive ceramic humbuckers are augmented by Volume and Tone knobs and a dyna-MIX10 switching system, replacing a push/pull coil tap for a different approach to achieving single coil sounds.

On paper, at least, it’s very much everything the world has come to expect from Ibanez save for the obvious. Does this latest prog-metal-leaning axe increase the intensity of competition for the likes of Strandberg, or is this a coup that will fail to dethrone the king?

Specs

• Price: $1,299 | £1,069 |€1,223
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Headless seven-string electric guitar
• Body: Okoume
• Neck: Five-piece Parallel Wizard-7, roasted maple/bubinga
• Fingerboard material/radius: Ebony, 20”
• Scale length: 25.5”
• Nut/width: Black plastic, 47mm
• Frets: Jumbo stainless steel frets
• Hardware: Ibanez Mono-Tune bridge, custom string lock machine heads
• String spacing at bridge: 68mm
• Electrics: Ibanez Q58-7 passive ceramic humbuckers, Volume knob, Tone knob, five-way pickup switch, dyna-MIX10 switching system w/Alter Switch
• Weight: 5.4lbs/2.3kg
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Weathered Black
• Case: Black gig bag
• Contact: Ibanez

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

Put simply, this guitar is another shining example of why the narrative that Indonesian-made 'affordable' guitars are low quality needs to stop. From the fretwork to the neck carve to its comfort-forward contours and robust, user-friendly bridge, the build quality is pretty immaculate.

There are no discernible flaws, and it’s really tightly put together with high-quality materials, with a special mention to the rather lovely neck joint.

The concept of headless guitars may be a little daunting for some, but what I think is the Q Series’ biggest trump card is that it really smartly bridges the gap between alien design and something most players are intimately familiar with.

Restringing is less fiddly than a Strandberg because the tuner caps stay on at all times – losing them and the washers is a nightmare, trust me. The neck profile, while fairly flat, is more traditional than trapezoidal, and making minor adjustments to the truss rod and individual saddles is really easy, with both the truss rod wheel and saddle screws easily accessible.

With it being a headless guitar, the “ergonomic” buzzword is naturally being bandied around with abandon. But Ibanez has the receipts to back it up here. The guitar sits comfortably and perfectly balanced on my leg with absolutely no neck dive, and has a really inviting contour for my right arm. It screams, “play me for days.”

The Mono-Tune bridge is a simple-yet-effective design, with the tuners being really responsive and holding tuning steadfast. Putting it through the wringer by dropping and changing the tuning in regular intervals over an hour or so, it rolls with the punches. Test passed.

My one small gripe here, however, is that the tuners are spaced very close together. With my Strandberg Boden, it feels easy to jump from one to the next when tuning. These are tightly packed together and are so surrounded by black that I can foresee minor issues on a darkened stage. But I also feel it’s something that I’d get plenty used to in time.

It’s like Ibanez has seen the Strandberg recipe, accepted that it’s selling like hot cakes, and decided to dial-down some of the weirder features to broaden its accessibility. And with a comparatively low price point, these factors feel like a big win in Ibanez’s mission not to scare off non-headless players.

Elsewhere, I’m really impressed with the cutaway; my hand slides easily all the way up to the 24th fret, and from those frets on the lower strings, the neck is thin enough – without being gaunt – to make playing them just as easy.

Fans of super low tunings might be a little disappointed to see it retain a 25.5” scale, but it’s a smart move to make its subtly slanted frets, and extended-range feel familiar to those wading into such waters for the first time. I’d recommend a slightly thicker, 12–85 string set for tunings as low as drop F#.

It feels a little clichéd when a metal guitar is decked out in all-black, as Ibanez often does with its Iron Label line; this is another example. The Weathered Black finish showcases the beauty of the wood grain while maintaining a sleek, understated look. It’s a beautiful guitar, but you really have to look closely to admire it.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Anyone vaguely familiar with Ibanez guitars will know its Wizard necks are designed for speed merchants, and are known for just how flat they are. Unlike Jackson and Charvel necks, which are thin and curvy, Ibanez takes a different approach, and the neck here is particularly flat. Still, it feels great in my hands.

It takes a short while for me to find the sweet spot for my picking hand that really let palm mutes either bloom or choke out at will, but since then, playing has become a real joy. The flatness of the neck does, personally, become more noticeable when playing the higher strings, but, honestly, it’s more about getting used to it than it is a drawback, because at no point do I find playing this guitar a chore.

Where Strandbergs are best seated on a right-handed player’s left leg with the neck angled upwards (although I freakishly buck that trend quite often), the QX527B is comfy on either leg without fuss.

Meanwhile, the dyna-Mix switch for “more realistic” coil-splitting is a dream. One of my biggest annoyances with push/pull pots is that they really aren’t geared for changes mid-riff. I have to stop playing to get my hand on the knob and activate the split coil. To that end, push/push knobs are frustratingly rare with off-the-shelf guitars. Here, it’s a quick flick of the wrist.

It is a little easier to activate humbucker mode by pushing it away from the strings than to flick it towards me for split coils. But with a small bit of practice, I’ve got the movement down to a fine art.

What I will say is that the metal switch itself has a little sharpness to it. I find myself flicking it with my middle finger near the cuticle, and it can start to hurt over time. Maybe I’ll grow a callous there in the long term, or I’d look to add a tip of sorts to it that both made it a slightly larger target, and also make hitting it a more gentle experience.

Compare it with the plastic, thumb-tack-like tip of the pickup switch, which is very user-friendly, offers a little resistance, and is controllable. The concept of a dedicated mini switch is genius, but its execution is just a little bit off.

On the whole, though, it’s really hard to fault its playability, with the dyna-MIX switch a wonderful quality-of-life addition.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Being an Iron Label, made-to-metal machine, it’s no surprise that the pickups pack some serious heat. The Q58-7 passive ceramic humbuckers hold their own more than I gave them credit for going into this review, ringing with lots of individual note clarity even at high-gain settings.

It can punch hard, as I found churning it through Odeholm Audio’s unrelenting Thall Amp, but the bridge pickup does have a fair amount of bass heft, especially on the seventh string, and that’s worth keeping in mind. Paired with Neural DSP’s Fortin Nameless amp, for instance, which prioritises a little more bite than sheer, caveman brutishness, stops it from getting too ground-shaking.

The neck pickup, on the other hand, smooths the edges of the tone, without getting too muddy, lending itself to really buttery, fast-flowing lead lines, and cleans with a sparkling quality without the fluff.

The bridge, in both humbucker and single-coil modes, is a little brittle for cleans, to my taste, but excels at icy, cab-free djent tones a la Tesseract and Spiritbox.

Again, though, the dyna-MIX switch is its secret weapon. Notably, it only affects the bridge, middle, and neck positions, meaning it simply doesn’t do anything in positions two and four. What’s clever about the system is that, while it turns humbuckers into snappy single coils, it prevents any volume discrepancies between the two. It ultimately makes the switch a great way to add a little more delicacy to my tones.

That feature does, as a small consequence, also amplify their noise, but it’s worth it for the extra versatility they imbue this headless warhorse with. Because the mileage I get out of it is mad. The split coil in the neck is spanky. Still, it provides plenty of body, especially with a modern clean amp like the Roses amp or Tim Henson’s signature Neural DSP plugin, with the bridge split coil shining with naturally warmer amps like Henson’s Pink amp, based on a Marshall JCM800.

If I want the guitar to be a real firebreather, the Victory Amps Kraken on my Quad Cortex proves a real doozy, but if I were to pick holes in this broad range of tones, it would be for two things. Its crunch tones need to be run fairly hot – with gain around seven – to satisfy me properly, as it’s a bit too meek otherwise, and the dyna-MIX switch does positions two and four, in positions one and five, better. I would be tempted to rewire it to a three-way switch and abuse the dyna-MIX a lot more. Still, there’s a lot of versatility to be had from this guitar’s stock pickups.

Verdict ★★★★☆

I often find myself double-checking the price when playing this guitar. I know that $1,299/£1,069 is still a fairly substantial outlay, but it certainly performs beyond its pay grade.

For players intrigued by the scary realm of headless guitars, especially those a little scared to dive in because of how weird they seem on paper, this is a wonderful entry point. But beyond its headstock-free guise, it’s a very well-built, slick-playing guitar that can handle all the metal tones I could need.

Would I say it could shine outside of metal? Not really. Mid-gain amps aren’t the best match, which is odd considering how nice its cleans are, but let this guitar do what it was born to do, and it’s a real standout for the price. The Ibanez QX527B is a modern metal djent stick that’s ready to take names.

MusicRadar verdict: For those who find Strandberg’s space-age designs a little too alien, Ibanez’s Q series is the perfect middle ground. Harnessing some of the greatest tropes of modern headless guitar designs with more traditional guitar-like features, the QX527B is an accessible and ultra-playable, modern metal beast that I can’t get enough of.

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Ibanez

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What is it?

Eastman’s move away from well-received and very respected ‘inspired-by’ designs began back in 2019 with the thinline archtop-inspired Romeo, which – as good as that guitar is, not least its LA and NYC variants – seemed a little like a toe-in-water indication of what might come.

But clearly a fire had been lit and next we saw the solidbody Juliet models with their Firebird-like raised centre yet otherwise very classic-inspired original style.

The gauntlet was thrown down with Eastman’s head designer Otto D’Ambrosio’s eponymous mini-range of USA-built boutique-style electric guitars: really classy original designs and high-build level but with a price to match and limited availability.

A wrong turn? Not at all, as the essence of those guitars was distilled into the two-guitar FullerTone range introduced last year. Made in China at Eastman’s own long-running Beijing facility, and named after the unique neck joint first seen on those D’Ambrosio models, these dropped into a far more affordable everyman category and stood out in a market dominated by copies with the wrong headstock. Seriously good guitars.

Catching up with the story, at this year’s NAMM Show, Eastman launched the Kauffmann series based on the D’Ambrosio designs but artfully aged and relic’d by Albert Kauffmann: “Made in Holland, Born for Tone.”

It was these guitars that grabbed the show headlines and so many missed the intro of the third FullerTone model, the Offset we have here, which references the design that already features in the much higher-end D’Ambrosio and the newly launched Kauffman ranges.

So, the third FullerTone model introduces the very Juliet-like body shape, a single-cutaway like the SC’52 but with an offset lower bass-side bout. That aside, there’s plenty of commonality, not least the Fender-scale 24-fret roasted maple neck with its unique two-bolt fixing.

This complex design means that the neck remains curved as it goes into a similarly shaped body pocket; there’s no extending body heel. And, although the neck joins the body at the 16th fret on the bass side of the body, access is easy to the 22nd fret, and a little stretch to the 23rd and 24th.

The Offset is offered in two new colours, Dakota Red and our satin metallic Gold (the SC’52 and DC’62 models come in three choices each), which we have to say is pretty classy. Under the finish is a roasted black limba body with a standard 45mm Fender-like thickness, a light ribcage cutaway and stylish forearm chamber.

While the Offset’s treble side is pretty much identical to both the SC and DC models’, albeit with seemingly a slightly more pointed treble horn, the large scratchplates of all three appear identical. Here, the anodised aluminium scratchplate contrasts the gold colour, while the Dakota Red model goes for an equally contrasting gold. We get the same three controls, too – master volume and a tone for each pickup – with their amp-style white plastic knobs, and at the lower tip is the output jack.

Last year, we enjoyed the Tonerider soapbar-sized humbucker with its Gold Foil-style cover used in the neck position of the FullerTone SC and bridge position of the DC that we tested. We get the same here but in the bridge and neck positions, both directly mounted to the body and not attached to the scratchplate.

Unlike either of the earlier models, which use a three-way lever pickup selector switch mounted on the scratchplate, the selector switch here is toggle-style and is rear-mounted on the bass-side shoulder.

As the name implies, the two-piece vibrato system, unlike the Strat-style wiggle-stick of the DC, is offset in style with a tune-o-matic bridge and lower mounted vibrato.

Both parts come from the extensive Göldo catalogue and are designed by Duesenberg founder, Dieter Gölsdorf. These are typically well-designed pieces, but the ‘DG Tremolo’ plays with the offset style considerably.

While it’s a direct retrofit for that Fender classic, instead of the pivot point being at the base of the unit it’s much closer to the separate bridge, meaning that the string length behind the bridge is considerably reduced, as well as giving a slightly steeper back angle.

The strings top-load into keyhole cut-outs directly behind the two pivot points, and behind those is a tension screw – for the large single spring – and the mounting for the fully adjustable arm.

The ‘3-Point-Vario Tunamatic’ bridge is well used by Eastman and Duesenberg, and aims to reduce any rattle from the saddles, which are spec’d as stainless steel. In use, the bridge lightly rocks with the vibrato and the saddles appear to have been carefully filed.

Certainly, for typically light use, the system retains its tuning very well, obviously once the strings are stretched (and out of habit) we added a touch of lubrication to the saddle slots.

The actual plating of the vibrato has been abraded slightly perhaps to match in with the dull, old-looking pickup covers, although the actual bridge looks brand-new. Hey, we can live with that.

Specs

• Price: $999 | £899 | €999
• Origin: China
• Type: Offset single-cutaway solidbody electric
• Body: Roasted black limba
• Neck: Roasted maple, ‘medium round’ profile, ‘2-bolt long tenon’ body join
• Scale length: 648mm (25.5”)
• Nut/width: Bone/43.2mm
• Fingerboard: Rosewood, pearl dot inlays, 305mm (12”) radius
• Frets: 24, medium-jumbo (Jescar 47104)
• Hardware: Göldo DG Tremolo and ‘3-Point-Vario Tunamatic’ bridge, unlogo’d Kluson-style tuners – chrome/nickel-plated
• String spacing at bridge 51.5mm
• Electrics: Tonerider Soapbar Humbucker w/ custom Goldfoil cover (bridge & neck), 3-way toggle pickup selector switch, master volume, individual tone controls for neck and bridge pickups only
• Weight (kg/lb): 3.1/6.75
• Range options: Also in the FullerTone range are the SC’52 (£799) and the DC’62 (£899)
• Left-handed options: No
• Case: Gigbag
• Finish: Gold (as reviewed), Dakota Red – Truetone satin
• Contact: Eastman

Playability and sounds

As with the FullerTone SC and DC, the feel of the Offset is really good. It’s light in weight with a lovely balance, and every facet seems player-informed, not least the neck.

It certainly has a roomy feel, a relatively big classic ‘C’, and while we’re told that its inspiration comes from the archtop world, we can’t help thinking ‘old Telecaster’, especially in upper positions. It’s 43.2mm wide at the nut (with 36mm string spacing), 22.2mm deep at the 1st fret, increasing to a hand-filling 25.7mm by the 12th.

Along with a good setup, the medium tall frets really suit the guitar, which feels lively in the hand from the off.

Whether or not it’s the physical size of the pickup – think mini-humbucker like a good Les Paul Deluxe and you’re in the ballpark – the bridge isn’t overblown in output or midrange focus; one reason we found it worked so well in bridge position on the FullerTone DC.

It veers on the single coil side of the tracks, with a little smoothness to the high-end, plenty of clarity but little spike. It’s very responsive to pick strength and position, too.

At the neck the clarity stops the mud, but, of course, it is a thicker voice, and it’s actually worth spending some time balancing the outputs of the two (via the easy height adjustment).

On receipt of the guitar, the neck overpowered the bridge a little, giving the impression that the latter was a little thin and weedy, but very small adjustments bought a near-perfect balance. As a consequence, the mix is very good, nicely Fender-y with a welcome sparkle and good depth.

Adding some hair and grit to our amp works superbly, too; the low-output ’bucker voice at the bridge means plenty of definition, rootsy and country tinged. We’re back in Laurel Canyon in the late 60s. There’s certainly some Gretsch in here, too, not least the slightly snappy response, and we can’t help thinking the vibrato is helping that.

There’s less of those typical offset artefacts, especially with its shorter behind-the-bridge string length; it’s a little more direct-sounding but less ‘firm’ than a stronger anchor.

That said, these are still humbuckers, and particularly at the bridge you can pile on some pretty heavy and fuzzy gain and that smooth clarity keeps things nicely defined.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

The Offset expands the FullerTone line-up to a trio that references the flavour of those Fender classics but in such a classy and original style.

As with the SC and DC models, there’s an almost played-in vintage feel to this new Offset that’s appealing: it doesn’t feel like a glossy new guitar. There’s also a lot of experience evident in the design.

MusicRadar verdict: From the innovative neck join and the great-sounding Tonerider pickups, the quirkily efficient Göldo vibrato to the really good neck shape, feel and playability, it’s a proper guitar, no question. For those of us who are bored with the increasing number of lookalikes and clones of the classics, the FullerTones really stand out. We can’t wait to see what’s next.

Hands-on videos

Jason Mays

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• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

Back in the ‘90s, cymbal brands periodically leaned into the ever-increasing popularity of electronic music, offering drummers the opportunity to recreate the pitched-up, crunchy sounds emerging from sampled breakbeats used in hip-hop, jungle and house music. This led to a number of options from Sabian’s VFX line (a collaboration with Tony Verderosa), Meinl’s Generation X partnership with Johnny Rabb – who quite literally wrote the book on playing live drum ‘n’ bass – while Zildjian joined the fun with its Remix range.

Now, despite the fact that technology means it’s now easier than ever to not only replicate, but create a perfect facsimile of any given sound and play it from the comfort of our kits, options in the cymbal world are now far more varied than ever, too.

Zultan’s designers are clearly aware of this, because its 8” Raw series hi-hats tap into the more recent version of this trend, most associated with German groove-wizard, Benny Greb. Here, Zultan delivers a pair of B20 bronze cymbals, served up in their un-lathed but heavily-hammered Raw finish, where the cast blank is finished with a wax coating, allowing that earthy patina to really pop through. Oh yes, and there are holes. Six of them, to be exact, which removes a fairly large amount of the top cymbal’s surface area. Un-lathed, cast B20 bronze cymbals of this type are known for their already-dry tonal character, but with the additional perforations, we're expecting desert-level conditions. After a gulp of water, it’s time to dive in.

Performance

These are mini-hats, and are unlikely to be a first choice for ‘main’ hi-hats, but in order to try the full count of articulations, we begin with the cymbals mounted on a regular hi-hat stand. First up, it’s worth noting that while the top part of the hi-hat is missing (perhaps these parts fuel a Zultan B20 tambourine?), the bottom cymbal is intact and weighty. This is a classic pairing for hi-hats, designed to enhance the fatness of the ‘chick’ sound. It’s exactly the case here, with heavy attack coming both when played with the foot or – more likely for these cymbals – with a stick in a fixed position. Except it does so with a bit of a twist, because the combination of the dryness from the simplified finishing process and the Polo-ing of the top cymbal creates an additional layer of trash, sort of like layering a traditional hi-hat with a burst of electronic white noise.

Played semi-open open for tight barks and accents, you get a fast, dark response, with some of that trash still present, while separating the hats fully for more sustained eight-note lifts, the sound dries out again, bringing the effect of those holes into play.

Finally, we mounted them in the ‘Greb’ position (to the right of our rack tom) using a fixed X-hat on a boom. As an addition to a larger setup, this feels like the hats’ natural home, allowing for some cool two-handed patterns between these and a more conventional 14-inch pair of hi-hats, while also having the option for ‘riding’ on the mini-hats. We found the most responsive fixed clutch setting was to have them closed to about 85-90% of our X-hat’s range, delivering a solid, staccato note without losing the trashy element. One thing that stands out, though, is the versatility of these cymbals. Tensioned carefully and they’re a trashy pseudo-stack, but they could just as easily be incorporated into percussion and hybrid setups when you want to add some additional colour.

Verdict

You might expect a pair of 8-inch hi-hats to sound thin, high-pitched and great for reliving those early ‘90s Acid Jazz grooves (much like our long-lost Zildjian 10-inch Special Recording hats). But that’s not really what’s on offer here. These are chunky, organic, trashy and very characterful. The fact they’re made of ‘proper’ cymbal alloy means that they feel and sound quality, and let’s be honest – they should do. Zultan has been making its name for over 25 years, and while it has a reputation for making high-quality yet affordable cymbals, these hi-hats still cost just shy of £200.

They’re not going to cut it as a main pair of hi-hats in any sort of rock-derived band setup, and it’s debatable even outside of those genres. But they are a brilliant auxiliary addition, and as mentioned, can serve multiple purposes. In that regard, they represent excellent value and a lot of fun.

Hands-on demos

Zultan

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

When you think of the humble wah pedal, maybe your mind flashes to the late '60s and early '70s, with the guitar heroes of yesteryear adding that trademark wacka-wacka to lead and rhythm parts, but it could be argued that the ‘90s were just as heavy with wah use, with this expressive stomp having something of a renaissance. That percussive quack made way to a weeping lead tone that now had more attitude, more aggression, and a hell of a lot more gain.

From Kirk Hammett’s wah-drenched Black Album leads to Jerry Cantrell’s searing, vocal-like phrasing, Tom Morello’s riotous riffage, and of course, Slash’s sweet harmonic minor licks, the wah pedal was most definitely back in the ‘90s, and it meant business.

​This is where the original Cry Baby 535Q comes in. Dunlop launched this beast in 1994, aiming it squarely at the guitar-slingers who rekindled interest in the Cry Baby, dragging it kicking and screaming into the grunge era. This could be considered the first commercially available 'modded' wah, sporting a frequency selector, a built-in boost, and a custom inductor tuned for a more throaty tone. While the original had four voice modes, by 1999 it had expanded to six, adding two more vintage options to the mix and making it Dunlop’s most versatile wah to date.

It is this 1999 version that Dunlop has decided to relaunch in 2026. Painstakingly recreating the original’s circuit, it even features the proper inductor supplied by the original manufacturer – meaning it should sound like a vintage example.

The only real departure from the original ‘99 model is that you now have on/off LEDs located at the top of the pedal for both the wah and boost, meaning you now know at a glance if you’ve forgotten to turn it off after your solo.

Specs

• Launch price: $229 | £234 | €269
• Type: Wah
• Controls: Boost Gain, Wah Range Selector
• Features: Six wah tones in one pedal, with built-in boost of up to 12dB
• Connectivity: 1/4" input and output
• Bypass: Buffered
• Power: 9V, 12mA
• Dimensions: 11" (L) x 5.1" (W) x 3.5" (H)
• Weight: 4.12 lbs
• Contact: Dunlop

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

If you’ve played any Dunlop wah in recent years, you’ll know exactly what to expect here. This pedal is big, unapologetically hefty, and pretty rock-solid.

I’ve had my fair share of Cry Babys over the years, and honestly, my pedalboard feels a little naked without one. My journey started with the basic, but dependable GCB95, before I graduated to the more versatile 535Q, and eventually, I took the plunge on the Slash signature model. The Slash wah was my go-to for a long time, though its weight and monstrous size eventually wore me down. That’s when I downsized to the Mini 535Q Auto, and I honestly haven’t looked back since.

Coming back to a full-size wah like the BB535 after years of using a mini is a bit of a shock. This thing feels huge on your 'board, and the oversized mode selector knob sticking out certainly doesn’t do it any favours. That said, there’s a reassuring quality to the build. The treadle sweep is beautifully smooth and stable, with just enough resistance to feel precise – it’s even stiff enough to stay put if you want to fumble your way through Money For Nothing. The six-position switch has a tactile and satisfying click, and the mini boost control is easy to access and tweak on the fly.

If I have one gripe with the BB535’s build, it’s the position of the on/off LED lights. They’re tucked away right at the tip of the pedal, ever-so-slightly obscured by the treadle. On paper, this seems logical enough, and it’s hardly the first Cry Baby to put them there, but in practice, your foot can block the view, making it tricky to check your status mid-song.

To be fair, I will concede that there’s not really a perfect place for these indicator LEDs on a classic wah pedal format. Both the Slash and Buddy Guy models have them on the side, which I personally prefer, while Dimebag and Akira Takasaki went for the heel-end placement. No matter where Dunlop puts these lights, someone’s bound to find fault; we all have our opinions after all, and what works for one won’t necessarily work for another. When I use a wah, my toes tend to hang over the edge, so this placement just doesn’t work for me.

Ultimately, though, it doesn’t detract from the BB535’s overall build quality. At the end of the day, this pedal is tightly constructed and expertly put together.

Usability and features

Usability and features rating: ★★★★½

Wah pedals are pretty simple by nature, and thankfully, the new BB535 is no different. Now, while the unit may be loaded with a wealth of features, most of which are found on other Cry Baby pedals, it still manages to keep a very intuitive layout.

The BB535 offers six distinct wah voicings, courtesy of a chunky side-mounted rotary switch. This is the heart of what makes the BB535 such a versatile beast. With a simple twist, you can jump from a bright, vintage-style quack to a deep, throaty growl and so much more.

Whether you’re chasing the glassy top end of classic funk or the mid-heavy snarl of ‘90s alt-rock, this pedal has you covered. I do wish there were small numbers or markings around the dial so you could see your setting at a glance, though. This would be especially helpful in the heat of a gig. However, the dial is easy to adjust, and thanks to the thick rubber padding of the control, I could even adjust it with my foot, meaning I didn’t have to constantly bend down to make changes.

The footswitch is easy to engage without feeling stiff or unpredictable, and the pedal’s action is smooth across the entire sweep, just how a good wah should feel.

The onboard boost is another highlight. I’ve always loved the boost switch on these pedals. To me, it’s very easy to push on and off, perfectly placed for heel operation, letting you kick in up to +12dB of gain when you need to cut through the mix. Engaging it feels pretty seamless, and the boost circuit, taken from the beloved MXR Micro Amp, sounds transparent and musical, and complements the wah sounds really well.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★★

For this review, I plugged in my trusty Gibson Explorer and ran it into a Jet City JC-100 head with its matching 2x12 cab. That amp’s Soldano-designed circuit seemed like the perfect pairing for this ‘90s throwback stomp. I dialled in a healthy dose of gain, with the mids slightly scooped to give those wah frequencies a little more room to breathe, and set about putting the Cry Baby through its paces.

First things first, this is a wildly versatile pedal. Each position gives you a totally different character, and frankly, it’s hard to find a "bad" setting.

I kicked things off with the boost disengaged, wanting to hear the pedal in its purest form. Even without any extra push, the BB535 delivers a wide range of voices. The first position, which has a frequency range of 444 to 2117 Hz, is all about that classic, percussive ‘wacka-wacka’ sound. It’s funky and pretty expressive, but you do lose a fair bit of your low-end. The second position moves the frequency band down a little, cutting a little of the sharp highs, and introduces more mids, at 385 to 1888 Hz. Notching over to the third position, and we’re into classic Cry Baby territory, at 300 to 1468 Hz. This is the closest setting to the quintessential Cry Baby tone, for me. The sound is nasal, mid-forward, but not too bright, and ideal for classic rock solos and beyond.

The fourth setting quickly became my favourite. At 248 to 1217 Hz, it feels slightly rounder, more vocal-like, and fuller in general. It’s perfect for those Jerry Cantrell detuned riffs, when you don’t want to lose too much bass.

Fifth position is where things start to get really throaty and aggressive, at 214 to 1050 Hz, the highs are noticeably notched out, and the low-mids are fat and full-on; you can really hear that “wow” sound when you sweep through the full range of the treadle. Lastly, we have the sixth position, which at 173 to 847 Hz is the deepest and tubbiest of the six.

What really surprised me was just how musical every mode is. I can genuinely see a use for all of them. There’s a lot of sonic ground covered in this pedal.

With the boost engaged, the pedal takes on a whole new personality. That extra 12dB of gain doesn’t just make you louder, it adds meat and presence, making your solos pop out of the mix without getting brittle or boxy. It’s especially fun with big, saturated amp settings.

Verdict

Dunlop’s BB535 Cry Baby is a love letter to the 90s alt-rock revolution and to the players who brought the wah back to the forefront. As expected from Dunlop, this pedal is hefty, solid, and ready for a lifetime of stomping. The build is robust, with a sweep that feels reassuringly smooth and tactile. Okay, the slightly obscured LEDs are a bit of a bug barer for me, but even that can’t overshadow just how road-ready and well-crafted this thing is.

Six distinct wah voices mean you can cover every classic era of wah from snappy funk and vintage rock to the snarling, mid-heavy tones that defined the ‘90s. Every mode is genuinely usable, and the frequency ranges are voiced so thoughtfully that you’ll struggle to find a setting that doesn’t bring something unique out of your playing, and the addition of a built-in boost is the icing on the cake, giving solos extra muscle.

If you’re after a pedal that delivers classic Cry Baby attitude with plenty of versatility, this is the one.

MusicRadar's verdict: For me, the new BB535 Cry Baby nails that iconic '90s wah attitude with a killer range of tones that will make anyone understand the wah boom of the 90s, but the indicator LEDs, while certainly practical, feel awkwardly placed, especially if you have large feet.

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What is it?

The new Charvel represents a bit of a departure from the norm for the company. Typically, the home of high-end, hot-rodded guitars, the new Charvel Standard Series San Dimas Style 2 SD2 HH HT has the potential to bring the brand to a totally new audience, thanks to its price point hitting just above the $550 mark.

Promising professional performance at a much lower price, it’s interesting that the company, owned by Fender, is looking to enter the incredibly busy $500-$750 price point. In researching for this review, I had a look at how many guitars were available at this price point, and just on Sweetwater alone, there are well over 300 guitars.

There’s also the question that it might step on the toes of the Squier guitars with more modern appointments, but perhaps it’s going to be the line that replaces the now-discontinued Squier Contemporary series.

The Standard Series San Dimas has some very appealing specs, like rolled fingerboard edges, a compound-radius fretboard, locking tuners, and a heel-mounted truss rod adjustment, all of which are found on the company's higher-end guitars. It also has an unusual 25.1” scale length, closer to a PRS guitar than a Fender or Gibson.

It’s a very simple guitar, with two of Charvel’s own humbuckers controlled by just a single volume knob and a three-way pickup selector. There are some less high-end features to help keep the cost down, with the obvious ones being the nyatoh wood used for the body and neck, as well as an amaranth (aka purpleheart) fretboard.

A Charvel hardtail bridge strung through the body rounds out the hardware offering, and it comes in Satin Gray or Gloss Black, and both options have a painted faux-binding in black or white, respectively.

Specs

• Launch price: $569.99 | £449 | €489
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string electric guitar
• Body: Nyatoh
• Neck: Nyatoh / speed neck profile
• Fingerboard / radius: Amaranth with rolled edges / 12"-16" compound radius
• Scale length: 25.1”/638mm
• Nut/width: Black plastic / 42.86mm
• Frets: 22, jumbo
• Hardware: Charvel die-cast locking tuners, Charvel HT6 string through body bridge
• String spacing at bridge: 52.4mm
• Electrics: Charvel Custom Humbucking pickups, master volume, three-position toggle switch
• Weight: 6.39lbs / 2.9kg
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Satin Gray (as reviewed), Gloss Black
• Case: No
• Contact: Charvel

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

There’s something that immediately screams out as soon as I unbox the Standard Series San Dimas, and it’s the amaranth fretboard. It’s decidedly red/purple in appearance, and a far cry from the typical dark woods or light maple I’m used to seeing. Amaranth is also known as purpleheart, thus the colour, but it’s a bit of a shock to see something so radically different from the usual fretboard fare.

The other side of the nyatoh neck is interesting too. It’s an oiled finish, which to my hand feels very dry at first. Running my hand up and down the neck, I can feel the texture of the wood grain; it’s a very slight feeling, but noticeable coming straight from my regular Telecaster neck with its satin urethane finish.

The neck is attached to a nyatoh body via four bolts, with a lightly sculpted neck heel for better upper fret access. The lower horn features a cut on the back side of the body to assist here, while a belly cut and forearm rest offer additional comfort features. The painted binding of the body is very nicely applied in razor-straight lines, although I do spot it going ever so slightly skewiff near the neck join.

The hardware is very nicely applied, with the single knob and pickup toggle switch offering a firm operation. The bridge has four screws attaching it to the body, while the locking tuners feel very robust and offer a similarly firm and reassuring travel.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Sitting down to play, the neck immediately feels ready for fast playing thanks to the slim, ‘Speed Neck’ profile and the very flat feeling 12-inch radius, which evolves to 16 inches as I get further up the fretboard. Despite the weird colour of the fretboard, it doesn’t really feel any different to any dark wood ‘board I’ve played, and naturally I’m drawn to speedy licks and chunky power chords thanks to the overall feel.

I’m playing unplugged, and it’s here I notice there’s a bit of chorusing effect going on whenever I hit the ‘D’ string open, caused by either the cut of the nut slot itself or the break angle going over the nut. It’s not noticeable when I plug in later on, but something to note with regard to the overall setup of the instrument. There’s also some serious neck dive as soon as I take my right arm off the guitar body.

The action is just north of the 1mm point at the 12th fret on the low ‘E’ with my finger on the first fret, helping aid that speedy feel and overall gearing towards more technical playing. The 25.1” scale length also aids that slinky overall feel. The jumbo frets offer plenty to bend against, and with a relatively light gauge set of strings on it from the factory, it’s very easy to achieve full tone and more bends even without a supporting finger.

However, when I do this on the ‘B’ string, I somehow manage to pull the ‘G’ string out of the slot in the locking tuner, presumably as it wasn’t clamped down with enough force. I also notice that it doesn’t seem to hold its tune as well as my other guitars with locking tuners. I have to retune relatively frequently during the initial playtesting session, and it’s the same when I take the guitar to practice with my band.

In the rehearsal room, we play our set front to back twice in a row, and I use my normal Player Plus Tele for one and the Standard Series San Dimas Style 2 for the second playthrough. The neck dive when I put it on a strap is even more noticeable than it was when I had it in my lap, with it diving as soon as I take my hands off the guitar.

It’s a really comfortable feeling guitar overall in terms of playability once I get going, and I don’t feel like I need to do much adjustment to my playing style despite the very different feel from my usual instrument. The neck dive disappears with both hands on the guitar, but it could probably benefit from a leather strap if you’re really sensitive to that kind of thing.

Everything from the chugging power chords to measured lead playing feels easy, and now that I’ve played in the neck a bit, that raw feeling is gone, leaving a very fast playing instrument in its wake. It’s really interesting because I wanted to write it off after seeing the fretboard and feeling the back of the neck initially, but it won me over with its overall phenomenal playability.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

In the rehearsal room I play the Standard Series San Dimas through my pedalboard and Orange Rocker 32 tube amp, and there is a noticeable jump in volume from the Noiseless single coil pickups on my Fender, so much so that I have to drop the master volume on my amp a touch. They’re seriously high-output humbuckers, and my initial assessment is that they sound great considering it’s a relatively cheap guitar.

Charging through our set, the bridge humbucker dealt with oodles of gain via multi-stacked overdrive pedals and still remained articulate, even when I start adding in a phase-shifted overdrive, as well as some tube echo and spring reverb via my HX Stomp. I do find it lacking a bit of sophistication during a clean interlude, though, sounding a little bit sterile and dull versus my usual, sparkly single coils, particularly as I move higher up the neck.

Switching to the neck pickup for the clean stuff takes away a bit of the edginess from the bridge position, but it’s not an overly warm or dark sound in general. There’s a decent bit of bite to it when I start digging in, and I unlock some warm, round tones in the lower registers when striking the strings more gently. It’s a much more pleasing sound as I get higher up the neck versus the bridge position, taming a bit of that harshness.

Moving back to the overdrive channel, it’s not quite sludgy doom territory with the neck humbucker, but for single note riffing it offers a very satisfying, thick tone. It’s a guitar that definitely excels more in high-gain stuff, sounding great with metalcore riffs and ripping leads. When I try to do some more soft touch bluesy stuff, it just lacks the sophistication, sounding a bit brittle at times.

Verdict

I was pretty excited when Charvel announced these guitars. The idea of more high-end inspired instruments at a lower price is definitely something that will appeal to a lot of players, and in terms of playability, the Charvel Standard Series San Dimas Style 2 definitely delivers. The rolled fingerboard edges, compound radius fretboard, and oiled neck make for a heavenly playing experience.

The humbuckers also delivered, provided you like things heavy. For rockers and metalheads, I can see you getting along very well with the dual Charvel pickups, but it does lack a bit of sophistication for clean and mid-gain stuff. I doubt beginner players would notice this, but those more experienced players wanting a cheaper guitar or a backup definitely will.

There are also some questions around the setup, which is unfortunately a feature of a lot of guitars at this price point, and I do think a lot of guitarists might be surprised at the fretboard colour. It was enough to make me do a double-take, and I’ve had a lot of guitars pass through my hands in the past few years. Those looking for a classic, dark fretboard wood may find it a bit too garish for their tastes.

MusicRadar verdict: Overall, I think this is a good guitar for the money. Stick some better pickups in it and give it a good setup, and you could definitely have something on your hands that competes with guitars in the $1,000+ range. The fretboard colour may be a shock to some, and it is a little one-dimensional in terms of tone, but the playability is the real standout here.

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What is it?

As anyone who’s tried to make music using Bluetooth headphones will tell you, the latency that they introduce makes this all but impossible in most situations. The obvious solution is simply to use a wired connection, but for the past few years we’ve seen various companies giving us another option: low-latency wireless headphones.

AIAIAI is the company most closely associated with this technology, which involves adding a dedicated wireless audio transmitter into the mix, and AlphaTheta has had a go, too. And then there’s OneOdio, a Chinese company that’s seeking to disrupt the market by offering similar tech at a lower price.

The company is now having another bite at the low-latency wireless cherry with the Studio Max 2, the successor to the original Studio Max headphones. These introduce OneOdio’s 3rd Generation RapidWill+ Ultra-Low Latency 3.0 technology, which promises to bring latency down to nine milliseconds and to up the wireless bitrate from 160kbps to 400kbps to deliver cleaner, better quality audio.

Alongside the low-latency mode, the Studio Max 2 also offers Bluetooth 6.0 and wired connectivity options. OneOdio actually claims that there are four connectivity modes, but two of these are just the wired option with two different plug sizes (mini-jack and 1/4-inch) which is a little misleading (if you were hoping that the fourth mode was USB audio, we’re afraid you’re out of luck). You do get all the required audio cables in the box, though (including a nice curly one), along with a mini-jack-to-1/4-inch adapter.

On the Bluetooth side, there’s support for the high-quality LDAC codec and dual connections, so you can pair with two devices simultaneously. There’s also a gaming mode, which reduces latency.

Both headphones and transmitter are charged using the supplied USB-C cable, and promise up to 120 hours (60 hours in low latency mode) and 50 hours of operation respectively. There’s a dedicated app, where you can make EQ adjustments, change settings and update the firmware.

Performance

The first thing that strikes you when you unpack the Studio Max 2 is the size of the hard case that comes supplied. It’s a bit of a beast, and the same could be said of the headphones themselves.

There’s no sense of minimalist design here: these are unapologetically large headphones that will take up a fair amount of space in your backpack. The vinyl-style pattern on the back of each earcup indicates that DJs in particular are the target market, a hunch that’s supported by the fact that the Studio Max 2 is launching alongside a limited edition (just 1,000 units) signature model from DJ KSHMR, which features his own “acoustic tuning” and comes with a pack of his samples.

There’s a fair bit of plastic in the build, though the internal adjustable headband is metal. What’s more, although these are chunky cans, they’re not outrageously heavy, and feel reasonably comfortable being worn for extended periods of time.

Engaging the low-latency wireless mode is pleasingly simple. Assuming both the transmitter and the headphones are charged, you just need to turn them both on and ensure that the mode selection switch is set to ULL (Ultra Low Latency). At this point, pairing should be automatic.

If your audio source is a computer, tablet or phone, you can simply plug in the transmitter over USB-C – no analogue audio connection is required. If you’re working with an instrument or DJ mixer, you’ll use the appropriate audio cable.

We’re pleased to be able to report that low-latency performance exceeded our expectations. When using some similar products, the transmitter has introduced a noticeable background hiss that you could never really get rid of, but the signal on the Studio Max 2 is pretty clean. The connection was also reliable during testing; we didn't experience any dropouts, and the quoted 10-metre range seems conservative, if anything.

What’s more, the latency really is low – to the point where it doesn’t really feel like an issue at all. The response when playing a keyboard was perfectly acceptable, and it did feel good not to have a cable trailing around the place as we jumped between that and a DAW.

Sound quality is also pretty decent. Out of the box, it’s well-balanced, and we noticed plenty of snap on the snares in particular. There is a slight lack of sparkle, and perhaps a little mushiness at times, but the Studio Max 2 is certainly a match for other headphones in its price range.

As you’d expect, the wired connection offers the best performance, but the Bluetooth listening experience is also a satisfactory one. You can make EQ adjustments in the app, but we were happy enough to keep this flat for the most part.

All the pieces are in place, then, for the Studio Max 2 to be a success, though the question you still need to ask yourself is whether you actually need low-latency headphones when, in most instances, you’ll still be standing within a cable’s reach when you use them. Yes, it’s a nice thing to have for instrument monitoring and DJing, but we’d struggle to think of a specific situation where it’s essential.

But then you’ve also got to consider the cost. Even if there was no wireless transmitter, the sub-£200 price for the Studio Max 2 wouldn’t seem outrageous when you consider the rest of the feature set. We’re not sure we’d want this to be our only pair of headphones – the case is just too bulky for them to be a pair that you’d throw in your bag everyday, there's no active noise cancelling, and they do look big on your head – but for the price, and when compared to the direct competition, there’s plenty to like here.

Verdict

It's hard to say who actually 'needs' low-latency wireless headphones, but if you want a pair for DJing or instrument monitoring, the Studio Max 2 ticks all the necessary boxes and a few more besides, and comes at a very tempting price.

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

Just as with your clothes, it can feel like you’re making a statement when you put on your headphones in public, with others able to judge their style, size and – let’s face it – brand.

It shouldn’t really be this way, though. Now, as ever, the key factors to consider when buying a new set of cans are price, comfort, function, reliability and, most importantly, sound.

Which leads us to Soundcore, an offshoot of high-value tech company Anker, which offers headphones (and other audio/video products) that promise the same kind of performance you’d get from the premium brands, but at significantly lower cost.

Its latest over-ear pair, the Space 2, isn’t the company’s cheapest, but at £130 it has similar specs to products that cost significantly more.

Like the well-received Space One headphones, four mics are used for Adaptive Noise Cancelling, but the processing has been upgraded here for enhanced performance. There’s wearing detection (taking your headphones off stops the music or video; putting them back on starts it again) and up to 70 hours of battery life on a single charge (up from 55 promised hours on the Space One). If you’re short on time and power, you can give yourself a 4-hour boost from just a 5-minute charge.

In terms of sound, the legwork is done by 40mm double-layer diaphragm drivers and, if you’re an Android user, you can make use of the high-quality LDAC Bluetooth audio codec, for improved performance. For Apple users, there’s AAC support.

As you’d expect, configuration of the Space 2’s buttons and settings is handled in an app, where you can also update the firmware as and when required.

Performance

We’ll get to the Space 2’s sound in a moment, but first let’s consider what’s arguably the headphones’ standout feature: comfort. We’ve tested quite a few pairs of cans that sound great but just aren’t conducive to being worn for long periods of time, but Soundcore has made sure that the Space 2 is in it for the long haul, flight or otherwise.

The company claims to have based the design on an ‘anthropometric database’ of more than 2,000 real head profiles, but for us, the high level of wearability comes down to two things: the light weight (just 264g) and the plush-but-not-too-cosy earpads and headband.

Build quality seems pretty solid – the metal hinge/swivel mechanism doesn’t feel like it’s going to break in a hurry – and the headphones fold in on themselves to keep them portable.

And yes, they sound pretty good, too. Even after taking the HearID test in the app, which generates an EQ curve based on your auditory abilities, it took a little bit of tinkering to come up with a profile we were happy with (you can also start with the factory-set ‘Soundcore Signature’ if you wish) but once we had, the Space 2’s sonic strengths became apparent. There’s a slight lack of detail and separation in comparison to some of its higher-priced competitors, but no lack of depth, punch and power.

If you want even better performance – and no latency if you’re making rather than listening to music – then you can opt for a wired connection over 3.5mm audio cable (also useful if you run out of battery power), though there’s no USB audio support. As such, an adapter is probably going to be required if you want to plug into your phone.

As with its predecessor, the Space 2 has impressive noise cancellation capabilities, though the transparency mode – which we’ll admit we rarely turned on during testing – doesn’t feel as useful. As you might expect, engaging noise cancelling reduces the battery life, but not drastically, and almost certainly not enough to justify turning it off. We suspect that most users will just leave it on all the time.

As always, you’ll need to spend a little while getting your head around which button and how many presses does what, but it soon becomes second nature. You might have to consult the manual a few times initially – next/previous track control comes from holding down the volume buttons, which caught us out for a moment – but everything is kept pretty simple.

In fact, simplicity and practicality are very much the Space 2’s calling cards. There are lots of handy features that you might not expect at this price – a dual Bluetooth connections option, which worked seamlessly for us, and even built-in white noise sounds for those times when you want to block the world out – and overall performance is high enough to make you wonder if it’s really worth spending any more on a pair of day-to-day headphones.

Verdict

Combining decent sound and effective noise cancelling in a lightweight, comfortable package, the Space 2 ticks a lot of everyday headphone boxes, and significantly undercuts many of its competitors on price. That sounds like a recipe for success.

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

The Kelly is one of those Jackson guitars that looks like the sort of instrument Conan the Barbarian might play at an open-mic night, its headstock and lower horn serving as examples of how electric guitar anatomy could be used as a means of impalement.

Popularised by Marty Friedman in his early ‘90s Megadeth days, with signature guitar variants in today’s lineup for Brandon Ellis and Jeff Loomis, the Kelly is unapologetically a metal guitar.

But clearly not metal enough. And so, for the second year running, Jackson has given it the Pure Metal treatment, stripping it down to a single pickup, giving it a stealth black finish and a Floyd, grey binding on the body, neck and headstock, grey Jackson logo to make it dark and brutal.

This year’s version swaps out the Fishman Fluence for a Bare Knuckle Holy Diver humbucker, and swaps nickel/chrome hardware for black, and Jackson has performed a Linda Blair move on this Kelly and reversed the headstock for extra heavy points.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,599 | £1,449 | €1,699
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string electric guitar
• Body: Poplar
• Neck: Maple / three-piece through-neck
• Fingerboard: Ebony with sharfkin inlay, 12”-16” compound radius
• Scale length: 25.5”/658mm
• Nut/width: Floyd Rose 1000 Series locking nut / 42.86mm
• Frets: 24, jumbo stainless steel
• Hardware: Jackson sealed die-cast tuners, Floyd Rose 1000 Series double-locking vibrato, black
• String spacing at bridge: 55mm
• Electrics: Bare Knuckle Holy Diver humbucker (bridge), volume
• Weight: 8.07lb/3.66kg
• Options: The Pro Plus Pure Metal RR1 Rhoads ($1,649) and SLA1 Soloist ($1,499) are included in this limited edition run; the Pro Series Brandon Ellis Kelly ($1,779) is offered in Green Crackle, the Jeff Loomis Kelly ($1,699) is offered in Black with a basswood body and sandblasted ash top.
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Satin Black
• Cases: Gig bag included
• Contact: Jackson

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

This Kelly has an all-over shell matte finish that makes it feel like it was turned out of a mold, or is of extra-terrestrial provenance like the Monoliths in 2001: A Space Odyssey.

We are assured there is wood under it, and that wood comprises poplar wings glued to a three-piece maple neck that runs through it.

While Jackson necks such as this are super-thin, they’re tough as old boots, with graphite rods reinforcing them. The jumbo stainless steel frets are immaculately installed.

The Pro Plus range is Jackson’s premium Indonesian line, and its meticulous when it comes to the fit and finish, even if that Satin Black is murder for attracting fingerprints.

There is no heel-mounted truss rod wheel as found on the American Series and some other Pro Plus models (i.e. Christian Andreu’s Rhoads). Adjustments need to be made the old-fashioned way, at the headstock.

The Floyd Rose 1000 Series is largely similar to the 1500 Series vibratos found on US Jacksons, only the latter has the push-in tremolo arm and stainless steel screws. The Floyd Rose website sells these parts if you wished to upgrade it yourself. They share the same smooth action.

Now, yes, this is a common complaint we have for Pro and Pro Plus series Jacksons, but the gig bag really is a little on the flimsy side. These are serious guitars, and this is not one of those super-padded gig bags that are really soft cases in name. Talk to your local music store. They might cut you a deal.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★★

In profile, the Kelly is a lot of guitar; you’ve got to be mindful of what’s behind you. But at a hair over 8lbs this is a good weight.

Minimalism is the order of the day. The electronics are super simple. That Holy Diver humbucker is wired to a single volume control. Just turn it up and play.

You get full access to the fingerboard. The neck is the lowest of lower-case C profiles, barely there, flat behind the thumb, reminding me how Jackson guitars can take a bit of getting used to when you’ve been playing a thicker vintage-style neck.

The tendency is to rush, to overplay, to speed ahead of the beat, and it's remarkable what those slinky stainless steel frets can do for adding an extra bit of zip, and a greasiness for string-bending.

Like the Rhoads, the Kelly is an odd shape that balances perfectly on a guitar strap. Unlike the Rhoads, you can sit on your backside and work through the Tomb of the Mutilated tab book in comfort.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Bare Knuckle describes the Holy Diver as “a celebration of the original ‘80s hot-rodded humbuckers” and with its Alnico V design, it strikes me as more in the style of a Seymour Duncan JB than the DiMarzio X2N that Vivian Campbell preferred when performing Holy Diver with Dio.

There might be some progressive metal players who are disappointed that we don’t have an active humbucker, or who miss the Fishman, but this does not lack muscle, and with the stripped down controls, this dynamic, slightly mid-forward electric guitar pickup might be the perfect choice. It cleans up better than you might expect.

Still, the Kelly is for those who park themselves at the bridge position and run everything on 10. Through a Blackstar tube amp, with extra juice from a Fulltone OCD overdrive pedal and a little squeeze from the compressor pedal, it eats the gain up.

Personally, I don’t miss a neck pickup but a tone control would be useful for rolling some top-end off on busy lead passages. Sweep-pickers might well agree.

Verdict

Like the best Jackson designs, the KE1A stays out of your way. The 12” to 16” radius fingerboard feels like the platonic ideal for high-performance electrics.

You’ll find it across most Jacksons, and its Fender-owned high-performance sibling brands, EVH and Charvel. And yet on this Kelly, with that neck – with its awesome reversed six-in-line headstock offering some weird psychosomatic aerodynamics – it just feels faster.

Speed isn’t everything, of course. The Pure Metal Kelly works because its Bare Knuckle humbucker is a pickup with depth. It can be percussive when you’re palm-muting. It breathes when playing open chords, those black metal open Emin to Cmin chord progressions sound on point.

Together with that neck-through build boosting sustain, you can hit a natural harmonic, pull down on that Floyd, and you’ve got a squeal that sounds… Well, like the lamentations of your enemies? Maybe. But a few hours throwing riffs around with this and perhaps the answer to the riddle of the steel will become clearer in the mind's eye.

Guitar World verdict: Just when you thought the entire Jackson catalog was already “Pure Metal,” the Californian high-performance specialist goes and makes something like this – a pro-quality limited run beast with speed, with firepower, with everything you could want from a metal guitar – just as long as you don’t need a neck pickup.

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What is it?

The announcement of Telepathic Instruments Orchid heralded a flurry of chat that one might associate with a boutique fashion or limited-run IPA drop. This was in no small part due to the involvement of Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker.

According to TI, the Orchid is a “chord-generating digital synthesizer built on a revolutionary chord logic algorithm and industry-leading, voice-leading technology.”

While the concept of a chord-focused synth isn't entirely new – having its roots in the Omnichord and auto-accompaniment capabilities of ’80s era ‘home-keyboards’ – the Orchid attempts to drag that accessibility into the modern production era.

At its core, it is a 16-voice polyphonic synthesizer and keyboard that promises to translate musical intuition into immediate sonic results, with the intention of bypassing the learning curve of traditional music theory, subverting a user's hard-wired ‘chord memory’, or just as fun a bit of kit for finding new ideas. The idea being that rather than hunting for a major 9th on a standard keyboard, you simply hold a root note and tap a button, and all in a portable, battery-powered ‘ideas machine’ format.

In the flesh, apart from the small OLED screen, it looks like a child’s toy from the ’70s. In use, it perhaps feels like one as well, but more on that shortly.

Performance

The primary draw of the Orchid is its workflow, which, despite some initial cynicism on our part, is fun and genuinely transformative, offering an engaging way to escape a creative rut.

The standout feature is undoubtedly the Voicing Dial. This allows you to cycle through inversions and octave spreads with a simple flick of the wrist, creating harmonic shifts and variations that would usually require greater keyboard and chord proficiency to achieve. If actually deciding on a chord type is too much for you, then it’s easy to select a specific major or minor key and allow the Orchid to choose chords for you by mapping different, but appropriate ones, to each key of the keyboard.

It’s easy to be sniffy about some of this, especially if you are of the more judgmental ‘muso’ persuasion, but we really enjoyed this mode, and there’s nothing stopping you from tweaking chord types as you go.

You can also use the unit as a song-drafting tool to sketch out sophisticated harmonic progressions, and then split the chord, bass, and 'performance' data onto separate MIDI channels to trigger different hardware (or software) instruments. The aforementioned performance elements reflect the Orchid’s ability to turn block chords into something more engaging by allowing it to play them in different ways, with variations that take in ‘strumming’, arpeggiation, harp glissandi and 11 different trigger patterns.

The synth engine features 16-note polyphony and uses Virtual Analogue, FM, and Reed Piano models. The sounds themselves are good, with a solid array of presets, but editing is limited to overall filtering and effects. However, given that this is not intended as a standalone in-depth synth system, the lack of options here allows you to focus on other things and not be distracted by an endless menu of synth-engine parameters.

However, if you do wish to delve further, TI has released Pistil, a synth plugin featuring the Orchid synth engine, with full access to all its under-the-hood parameters – and it allows you to save patches to the hardware. Currently, Mac-only and in Beta, but a promising development, nonetheless.

It’s good to see that there have been some significant firmware updates over the course of Orchid’s development, which expand its features and flexibility. This includes the provision of additional time signatures and more expansive beat and looping options. The loop recorder included here is simple and effective but is only really intended as a notepad for generating one-off ideas. You won’t be creating complex multi-section music pieces here, and there’s no way to access or save anything other than what is in the loop recorder at that moment. Again, the focus clearly is on working in the moment.

Despite its boutique branding, it is disappointing to report that the physical chassis feels surprisingly lightweight and plastic, lacking the structural integrity of some other pro gear. The keyboard feels cheap and lightweight, and the encoders feel a little flimsy.

It is also worth pointing out that we have experienced some occasional glitches in use, and there have been some reported hardware issues on early units – though Telepathic Instruments itself does seem responsive in terms of support on this front.

Verdict

The Telepathic Instruments Orchid is a fun and fascinating, if occasionally charmingly flawed, attempt to rethink the interface between the composer/producer and the synth or computer. It prioritises fun and workflow over 'menu diving', making it the ideal choice for those who want to explore harmony without returning to music school. But it can also act as an ideas generator, or simply a way to find more interesting chord progressions for tracks you might already have started. Even just adjusting the Chord Voicing knob to create different inversions can be very helpful when considering different approaches to enhancing a track.

Compared with something like the Roland Aira J-6, the Orchid is much more interesting from a harmonic perspective and ultimately more useful across a wider range of genres.

Those looking for a controller that includes chord generation functionality could consider the Arturia KeyStep range, but although these excel in other areas, they don’t offer the charm, enjoyment, or inspiration we found in the Orchid, even with its premium price.

Let’s face it, the Orchid is not cheap, and to some, it looks like a toy. That being said, we really like ours. We bought it at full price, and don’t yet regret it. It has proven to be both fun and useful.

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Telepathic Instruments

Alternatives

Specifications

What is it?

It’s fitting that one of the most idiosyncratic artists of this decade, Jacob Collier, is a fan of the seldom seen (outside of Keef) five-string guitar.

His route into it, however, is not – as you might think – that of a six-string guitarist seeking a simpler, more direct expression of the instrument. In fact, Jacob says he grew up playing the four-string tenor guitar and “used to dream of augmenting the tenor guitar with an extra string.” Well, now he need dream no more, because Taylor has done the honours.

The five-string GS Mini is one of two new affordable signature guitars Taylor has released with Collier. There’s an Academy Series 22E five-string made of walnut and smoked eucalyptus (if that was a salad, I’d buy it) plus the Jacob Collier GS Mini that I have here, which features a torrefied Sitka spruce top and layered sapele back and sides, Taylor’s genteel term for ‘laminated’ though, by any name, it’s a perfectly good material for acoustic bodies.

Like other guitars in the highly popular GS Mini range, the guitar has a 23.5-inch scale length and a body that’s essentially a 7/8th scale version of its Grand Symphony (GS) guitars, hence the name.

Specs

• Price: $699 | £699
• Made: Tecate, Mexico
• Body shape: ⅞ size Grand Symphony
• Body top: Torrefied Sitka spruce
• Top bracing: X-bracing
• Back & sides: Layered (laminate) sapele
• Neck/shape: Tropical mahogany / standard carve
• Scale/length: 23.5” / 597mm
• Nut/width: NuBone / 1.65” (42 mm)
• String spacing at bridge: 14 mm
• Fingerboard wood/Radius: Crelicam ebony / 15-inch (381mm)
• Body depth: 4” / 101mm
• Finish: Natural with Jacob Collier soundhole graphic
• Bridge/pins: Black plastic
• Tuning Machines: Die-cast chrome ‘paddle’ type
• Weight: 3.7lbs / 1.67kg
• Case: Taylor padded gig bag
• Left-handed options: No
• Contact: Taylor Guitars

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

As mentioned, the Jacob Collier GS Mini’s Sitka spruce top is torrefied – a carefully controlled baking process that makes tonewood more stable and simulates the effect of natural ageing, giving a brand-new instrument the voice of a mature guitar (or at least that’s the idea).

The soundboard, meanwhile, is supported by traditional X-bracing, rather than Taylor’s innovative V-Class or C-Class bracing.

Styling wise, the Jacob Collier GS Mini is a mixture of plain, functional elements – it has no binding at all, for example – mixed with a flash of Collier-esque flamboyance via the colourful geometric rosette design, which appears to be a well-executed decal applied under the topcoat.

Overall, the scrupulous tidiness of the build lends the Jacob Collier GS Mini a plain integrity.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

As always, the 20-fret Taylor neck is easy playing and electric-like, with a hint of a soft V to its profile. The string spacing feels quite natural under the fingers and there are surprisingly few fumbles getting used to it.

The only time I reached for something and missed was when I went to use the tuners on the lower side of the headstock – you’ll search in vain for the third tuner there.

And again, that compact GS Mini body tucks right under the arm and, combined with the short neck, makes this guitar so easy to engage with.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

The GS Mini is not a D-35 by any stretch but it definitely jabs above its weight.

In its intended tuning, the guitar’s sound is full, warm and surprisingly loud and, with fingerstyle in particular, notes really pop without losing composure.

Top end is slightly attenuated but in a pleasant, sweet-toned way. And then there’s that Collier-approved DAEAD tuning that avoids thirds to offer a kind of airy, open canvas for chordal improvisation.

I found it easy to get modal sounding, drone-like riffs going and make mercurial shifts between major and minor moods – and while there’s a learning curve it’s quite an approachable, attractive tuning scheme.

Collier's GS Mini ships without electronics but Taylor's ES-Go soundhole mounted magnetic pickup is specifically designed as as an easy install aftermarket option (you can pick one up for $99/£74/€84). The review model shipped with an LR Baggs VTC pickup with soundhole mounted controls, however this is a non-standard addition and doesn't contribute to the overall scoring of this review.

Verdict

This is quite a hard guitar to categorise – and perhaps Jacob Collier likes it that way. Its big voice (for its size) and no-frills build quality are impressive and the torrefied top works brilliantly here.

The advantages of the unique tuning and the five strings are harder to buy into. Collier has said he wants new players to be able to conjure up unique and inspiring chord voicings more easily and that is indeed possible on this guitar.

But it also disconnects you from the vast body of established guitar traditions and the ability to learn directly from them.

Nothing’s stopping you from tuning your six-string differently, either, if you want to try something new. At this price we’d love to feel this unusual platform offers something undeniably, uniquely valuable. In that much, at least, it feels like a beguiling solution in search of a real problem.

MusicRadar verdict: The Jacob Collier GS Mini 5-String is quirky, great-sounding and unique – but it’s hard not to feel its limitations are at least as great as the musical vistas it opens up. For the right player, though, it could be the key to experiencing guitar anew.

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What is it?

Unlike much of the tech in wider society, guitarists haven’t changed their habits much since the 50s and 60s, when classic designs like the Strat and Les Paul first emerged. While gear like guitar amps and pedals have gotten smaller and more powerful, the guitar itself hasn’t diversified much from those 70ish-year-old designs that brought it into the mainstream.

When I first brought the Strandberg Boden Original N2.6T to some of my rehearsals and practice sessions, the reactions were pretty varied, and definitely much more intense than those I get bringing a more regular-looking guitar. From comments like ‘it makes me uneasy’ to ‘that is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen’, it’s understandable that these headless guitars polarise people because they are just so different from the norm.

It’s like when the internet relentlessly mocked the look of AirPods when they were first announced. Or how people dubbed the first commercial steamboat ‘Fulton’s Folly’ back in the early 1800s because they never thought it would replace traditional sailboats. It makes me wonder if this type of guitar will be the norm 70 years from now, or whether we guitarists will still be clutching our S-types, T-types, or our LPs and SGs.

The Boden Original N2.6T still has many of the features you’d expect from a regular guitar. It’s a chambered swamp ash body with a flame maple veneer. The roasted maple neck features a roasted birdseye maple, multiscale fretboard with 24 stainless steel frets. It’s got dual Strandberg POWR:D by Fishman USA humbuckers with active and passive modes for tonal variety, engaged via a push-pull tone knob. So nothing too untoward here.

That’s where the similarities to your average electric guitar end, though, as the headless, multiscale fretboard helps set it apart, along with that eye-catching body shape. The EndurNeck profile features here, with its alien, asymmetrical carve looking different from pretty much anything else on the market.

It’s also got a totally redesigned Arc Tilt tremolo bridge, with Strandberg EGS 'barrel' tuners, bridge saddles that sit exactly in the correct intonation positions for a set of 10-46 electric guitar strings, and a radiused base plate that aligns with the radius of the fretboard. It’s got a wider range of movement compared to the original Strandberg tremolo systems, and features an improved whammy bar design with no deadzone or wobble.

Specs

• Launch price: $2,599 | £2,499 | €2,899
• Made: Indonesia
• Type: Six-string, multiscale, headless electric guitar
• Body: Swamp ash
• Neck: Roasted maple with titanium reinforcement, EndurNeck
• Fingerboard: Roasted birdseye maple
• Scale length: 25-25.5"
• Nut/width: Neutral stainless steel fret, 42mm
• Frets: 24 frets, stainless steel
• Hardware: Arc TILT 6-string multiscale tremolo bridge
• String spacing at bridge: 52.5mm
• Electrics: 2x Strandberg POWR:D by Fishman USA humbuckers, master volume, master tone with push pull, 5-way pickup selector
• Weight: 5.73 lbs / 2.6 kg
• Left-handed options: No
• Finishes: Black Denim Burst (as reviewed), Sunset Coral Burst
• Cases: Strandberg Standard gig bag
• Contact: Strandberg

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

Unboxing the Boden Original N2.6T, it ships in a Strandberg Standard gig bag, which looks comically small next to my other guitar cases. It’s a grey colour with the Strandberg logo in bright green, a small Swedish flag near the zipper, and a reflective patch on the top to make you easier to spot in the dark, I presume.

Opening up the case and pulling out the guitar, there’s an immediate difference in weight versus many of the other guitars I’ve tested out over the past few years, with the N2.6T weighing in at 2.6 kg on my scales. The body’s alien design isn’t just aesthetic either, with the carve to allow for playing in different seated positions, such as over the right leg, over the left leg, and classical positions over either leg.

Looking at the back of the body first, the swamp ash features a light, 3D grain with a very slight belly cut. There’s no plate on the rear side of the tremolo for easy access, and the neck joint features another light carve that gets thinner the closer it gets to the neck itself. The output jack is also visible from the rear of the guitar, which is unusual, and has been redesigned from previous models, joining the thin, metal electronics plate.

On the front of the body, there’s another slight carve on the upper bout, with the lower bout staying flat. The words ‘Strandberg Boden’ are embossed subtly above the fretboard. The flame maple veneer is subtle, and looking at the edge of the guitar body, there’s a smooth line where the solid maple top has been applied.

The neck is a fairly deep roasted maple with some dark knots on it, and there’s a visible difference between the birdseye variant, which sits on the fretboard when you look at it side on. The fretwork is ultra-smooth, with the edges feeling like they’ve been rounded off.

The Luminlay fretboard markers sit on the bass side up until the 12th fret, before moving to the treble end for notes higher in pitch. Interestingly, the side dots seem slightly skewiff due to the multi-scale, but we’ll get onto that in the playability section.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★★

Sitting down to play it sans guitar amp, I try my hand at the classical, or ninja pose, as it’s better known in the internet age. It feels weird, to be totally honest. Near the nut, the multiscale isn’t so noticeable, but as I get into lead work, I find myself occasionally hitting the wrong notes as they’re not quite where I expect them to be. The side dots above the 12th fret also feel misleading, as they’re in line vertically with the treble side of the neck, which makes them look off-centre versus the bass side of the neck.

Despite these initial complaints, I find myself continuing to play, emboldened by the asymmetric neck profile, which feels peculiar for the first five minutes, but then seems to disappear in my hand completely. I stop feeling the trapezoidal shape of it, because my thumb naturally wants to rest on the flat part of the neck.

Moving the body to a regular position, the guitar balances perfectly on my right knee, even when I take both hands off it. Diving into some prog metal acrobatics courtesy of Between the Buried and Me, now that I’m up to speed, the neck is lightning quick for extended scale runs, sweep-picked licks with tapping, and some twisty technical riffing. All previous qualms about the multiscale are gone, and especially with lead work, I feel like I’m playing faster and smoother than I would on a regular-scale instrument.

The lack of a headstock has a few other benefits too. For example, while I’m sat at my desk, it feels less cumbersome moving around to tweak various components of my home studio, whether it’s the amp I’m recording, an audio interface on my desktop, or leaning over to tweak settings in my DAW on my laptop. Similarly, when I sit down to play on the sofa, there’s less guitar to get in the way, making it a surprisingly comfortable instrument to play with a guitar headphone amp.

When I took it to a rehearsal and put it on a strap, the headstock-less design meant it pulled less on my left shoulder, which is a very unfamiliar feeling for me, and I imagine most other guitar players. Once I’d run through half of the set, that feeling disappeared, and the Boden Original was less a weight on my shoulder and more like an extension of my body.

Utilising the new tremolo design, I find it very responsive to even the slightest touch, which is really nice, as with a lot of cheaper trem designs I find you get a little bit of dead zone. It’s not quite Floyd Rose territory in terms of room to maneuver, but there’s a good bit of movement either way, and it can handle some pretty extreme dives. I find that heavy use does take the guitar out of tune by a few cents, which is easily remedied by raising the bridge up sharply to knock it back into perfect tuning.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

The active Fishman pickups, exclusively designed for this particular Strandberg model, are supposed to give players the best of both worlds with a ‘dynamic voice’ for a medium output, more responsive tone and a ‘precision voice’ that’s higher output, and better for high gain playing. These are accessed with the tone knob with the down position giving the ‘dynamic’ mode and the opposite giving the precision voice.

Starting with the ‘dynamic voice’ through a reissue Fender Princeton, I’m surprised at how organic the tone feels. With some spring reverb and a touch of vibrato from the amp, the tones I’m able to get feel far removed from any other active pickup I’ve tried. There’s a lot less compression than I expect, with it responding really nicely to softer playing, allowing me to really eke some bite out of it when I dig in.

Moving through the split coil modes, the pups deliver a very satisfying single coil tone, with plenty of trebly bite. They’re not overly spanky to my ear, lacking a little sweetness versus a true single coil guitar, but through the Fender amp, it’s close enough that I can trick my brain into thinking I’m playing a passive pickup rather than an active one.

Pulling the knob up for the ‘precision voice’ and switching to the high gain channel of a Mesa/Boogie MKVII combo, the difference between the two modes is less than I initially expected. There’s a boost in the low end and more midrange emphasis that makes it much more satisfying to chug power chords and play palm-muted riffs, with less harsh high-end than I find doing the same thing with the ‘dynamic voice' engaged.

The jump between the two isn’t huge though; it’s not like going from a PAF to an EMG, but something nestled in the middle of those two extremes of sound. There’s plenty of sustain on lead work, and adding on some octave pedal tones with some reverb and delay makes it great for long, drawn-out bends. Drawing back on the delays and letting rip with alternate picked runs and the occasional sweep delivers a very shreddy tone that will please those looking to play fast.

It's overall an interesting palette to play with, and the Boden Original N2.6T is capable of a lot more versatility than you'd think based on the looks alone. I don't think it will please those looking for a true single-coil sound, but for those who prefer humbuckers and occasionally want to stray into that territory, it does the job.

Verdict