New music tech gear of the month: review round-up (December 2011)
A pedalboard that uses an iPad as its control surface
DigiTech iPB-10 (£499)
Every month, MusicRadar’s industry-leading sister magazines - Guitarist, Computer Music, Total Guitar, Rhythm and Future Music - publish the best independent and in-depth music-making gear reviews.
We’ve collated the latest plug-ins, controllers, DJ gear, outboard, synths, effects, interfaces and other products to have fallen under the watchful eyes of Computer Music, Future Music and Guitarist’s test teams. All the gear on show here was originally reviewed in Computer Music issue 172, Future Music issues 246/247 and Guitarist issue 348.
Scroll on for this month’s top picks and click through to read each product’s full review. First up: DigiTech’s iPB-10
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“A state-of-the-art multi-FX floorpedal with the easiest editing ever, but you'll be needing an iPad. Then again, this might just give you the excuse you need to buy one…”
4.5 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: DigiTech iPB-10
(Reviewed in Guitarist magazine issue 348)
The blockbuster groovebox is reduced in size and price, but does smaller equal better?
Native Instruments Maschine Mikro (£299)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“This shrunken Maschine is everything you'd expect it to be, and crucially, it retains the fun factor of the big 'un.”
4.5 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Native Instruments Maschine Mikro
(Reviewed in Computer Music magazine issue 172)
BUY: Native Instruments Maschine Mikro currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
A fusion of traditional synth features and a novel sound generation technique
hamburg-audio Nuklear (€169)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“Nuklear is imperfect, but within its self-defined remit, it can produce some fantastic, ear-catching sounds.”
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: hamburg-audio Nuklear
(Reviewed in Computer Music magazine issue 172)
Waldorf's in-demand synth engine allied to a multiband vocoder
Waldorf Lector (€169)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“Rich vocoding, instant-harmonising and true sci-fi mayhem all await your command.”
4.5 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Waldorf Lector
(Reviewed in Future Music magazine issue 246)
BUY: Waldorf Lector currently available from:
UK: Thomann | DV247
US: Sweetwater
Emulations of two of Rupert Neve's compact Portico hardware units
Steinberg RND Portico Bundle (£672)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“Undoubtedly among the finest analogue emulations that money can buy, though for the price, you'd expect nothing less.”
4.5 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Steinberg RND Portico Bundle
(Reviewed in Computer Music magazine issue 172)
A robust DJ controller aimed at Traktor users
Reloop Digital Jockey III Master Edition (£599)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“There's plenty to love, but depending on your DJ style, there may be a few important oversights.”
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Reloop Digital Jockey III Master Edition
(Reviewed in Future Music magazine issue 246)
BUY: Reloop Digital Jockey III Master Edition currently available from:
UK: DV247
We test the latest Steinberg interface and decide if it deserves a place on our desktop
Steinberg UR28M (£380)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“A versatile interface that, alongside the enclosed software, makes for a great DAW system.
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Steinberg UR28M
(Reviewed in Future Music magazine issue 247)
BUY: Steinberg UR28M currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater | Full Compass
The two-channel child of the acclaimed Kontrol S4 is born
Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S2 (£499)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“Stripped-back but much more immediate - not as flexible as the S4, but there's still a lot to love.”
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: NI Traktor Kontrol S2
(Reviewed in Future Music magazine issue 247)
BUY: NI Traktor Kontrol S2 currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | DV247
US: Sweetwater
Steinberg releases version 3 of its entry-level DAW
Steinberg Sequel 3 (£67)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“Version 3 makes Sequel an even better deal, with a simple workflow and plenty of great features.”
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: Steinberg Sequel 3
(Reviewed in Future Music magazine issue 247)
BUY: Steinberg Sequel 3 currently available from:
UK: DV247
After being impressed by VoiceLive 2, we test the cutdown version of the vocal effects unit
TC Helicon VoiceLive Touch (£415)
MusicRadar’s verdict:
“Many of the VoiceLive 2's capabilities come to a smaller, cheaper device.”
4 out of 5
FULL REVIEW: TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch
(Reviewed in Future Music magazine issue 247)
BUY: TC-Helicon VoiceLive Touch currently available from:
UK: Andertons Music | Thomann | Gear4Music | DV247
US: Sweetwater
Liked this? Now read: The best music tech gear of 2010: synths, DAWs, plug-ins and more
Connect with MusicRadar: via Twitter, Facebook and YouTube
Connect with Rhythm: via Twitter and Facebook
Get MusicRadar straight to your inbox: Sign up for the free weekly newsletter
More about tech
