Canadian Musician - May / June 2020 | Page 64

HOT GEAR Akai MPC One Standalone Music Production Centre Akai Professional has released the MPC One, a desktop standalone music production centre. On the MPC One, four touch-sensitive controls and a large data encoder map to critical parameters. The 16 velocity- and pressure- sensitive RBG pads deliver ideal response for full expressive range. MPC mainstays including Note Repeat, Full Level, 16 Levels, and dedicated Transport Controls complete the unit’s control options, providing complete production capability. Akai’s reimagined MPC 2 Software drives the MPC One in both standalone and controller modes. The production suite combines 128-track sequencing capability, real-time time stretching, clip-launch functionality, advanced MIDI editing capability, VST compatibility in controller mode, operation as a standalone application on Mac and PC, advanced sampling and audio editing/ recording functionality, DAW integration, a redesigned GUI, and much more. For more information, contact inMusic Canada: 450-619-7710, [email protected], www.inmusicbrands.com. IK Multimedia iRig Pro Duo I/O Audio & MIDI Interface To mark a decade since launching its fi rst iRig audio interface, IK Multimedia has released the iRig Pro Duo I/O, an enhanced two- channel audio and MIDI interface. The follow-up to the original iRig Pro Duo, the unit off ers two analog combo inputs so that musicians can connect and simultaneously record their favoured combination of instruments and mics. These inputs come with updated Class-A preamps, adjustable gain (increased for this model), and phantom power. There’s MIDI I/O, too, along with two balanced 1/4-in. outputs and a headphone output. Users can engage the direct monitor switch for latency-free monitoring of the incoming signal, and the iRig Pro Duo I/O comes with a USB-C cable for compatibility with modern devices (lightning and USB-A cables are supplied, too). There are new dedicated PC drivers as well, along with a refreshed fi nish. For more information, contact Hal Leonard: 414-774-3630, [email protected], www.halleonard.com. Rode NT-USB Mini Microphone Rode Microphones has released the NT-USB Mini, a compact and aff ordable RF-shielded condenser microphone aimed at laptop- and tablet-based recording musicians. The mic is easy to use, producing class-compliant output over USB, which is instantly recognized when the mic is connected to a computer, and no phantom power is required. Even the plosive-reducing pop fi lter is an integral part of the mic’s design. The cardioid pickup pattern is designed for optimal capture of any audio source located in front of the microphone at the expense of other ambient sound, and a headphone amp (with mini-jack output and hardware output level control) is built in, allowing audio to be monitored with negligible latency pre-A-D conversion if required. For more information, contact Audio Distributors International: 450-449-8177, [email protected], www.adipro.ca 64 CANADIAN MUSICIAN