Some features:

• 24-bit recording
• 48V phantom power
• On both input channels: XLR, 1/4″ TRS, and 1/4″ TS
• Balanced 1/4″ outputs for speakers
• 1/4″ headphone output
• MIDI I/O

The IO2 will be shipped with Cubase LE and is expected to drop during the second quarter of 2010.

The Babyface offers analog stereo I/O, SPIDF, ADAT, and MIDI I/O. The preamps are digitally controlled and the Babyface ships with TotalMix FX which provides some very common DSP effects – EQ, dynamics, delay, and reverb.

• TotalMix with DSP effects
• 192 kHz AD / DA converters
• Active jitter suppression
• 2 x Analog I/O
• 2 x Mic / Line preamps, digitally controlled
• 1 x Instrument input (alternate)
• 1 x Stereo headphone output
• 1 x ADAT I/O
• 1 x SPDIF I/O (optical instead of ADAT I/O)
• 1 x MIDI I/O
• 1 x USB 2.0

Perhaps the Apogee Duo and One will see some competition? I think so. Check out rme-audio.de for more info.

• RackPack 4: A smaller, more affordable version of their previous RackPack. Four spaces of awesomeness.
• Dual Band De-esser: A RackPack-friendly de-essing unit. It’s main feature is the fact that it reduces sibilance via phase and not compression like most other de-essers. Pricing and availability for both the RackPack 4 and Dual Band De-esser is TBA.
• SPL is also showing off M/S Master, a one-unit rackspace mid/side processor that’s designed to make mid/side routing much easier when it comes to mastering. Just like the above items, the M/S Master has no price or availability info yet.
• And last, but not least, SPL has announced Transpressor. Level independent compression and transient processing is the name of the game. Again, a single rackspace unit that contains all the familiar parameters and features (read: sidechain) that you would expect but on the SPL level. Pricing and availability TBA.

Check out spl.info for more info.

The X5 is a heavy-duty looking two channel mixer modeled after their popular NS7 setup. If you read my post about the new Numark gear being shown at Winter NAMM, you’d also see the V7 which has been released. The X7 was made to be paired up with a set of V7 decks and would compliment them nicely. That being said, you’re free to use your turntables and other CD players with the X7, too.

Just like the NS7, the X7 has its own built-in 24-bit soundcard (the V7 has built-in soundcards, too). The outputs include balanced analog and SPIDF and coaxial digital outputs.

You can expect to see the X7 in the third quarter of this year at an American price to be determined.

• XLR or 1/4″ mic input
• Metering on every channel (including master)
• Balanced XLR outputs
• USB option for Channel 3: stream audio from your PC/Mac right through channel three. Or, if you don’t want to play music through your mixer you can just record to your computer
• Replaceable, assignable crossfader

Check out numark.com for pricing and availability.

The CDJ-350 blows the 200 and 400 away. The DJM-350 is pretty awesome, too. Let’s take a look at the new features:

1. MP3, AAC, AIFF, and WAV playback. The CDJ-350 reads CDRs and USB devices (no DVDs, thought).
2. Includes rekordbox software. Not sure what that is? Check the video below.
3. Beat Display Function: You can now visually see what beat you’re on and how far you are into said song. Pioneer says this will help you in just about any DJ situation you can think of.
4. Looping Features: Beat Loop (4 bars), Loop Divide (change the loop ‘rhythm’), Hot Loop (return your loop to the beginning).
5. Auto BPM: Set a session BPM and all your tracks lock to that BPM (Ableton DJing, anyone?). I’m assuming that this is something that you’ll need to do in rekordbox (warping, marking transients).
6. MIDI: Connects to a computer and lets you control Traktor, etc.

The DJM-350 isn’t too bad, either.

1. Record your mixes directly to a USB device.
2. Four FX: Filter, Crush, Jet, Gate.
3. Three-band isolator EQ.
4. Completely digital.

The CDJ/DJM-350s were shown for the first time at Musikmesse yesterday. They’ll be available in June of this year and no US price point has been announced. For all the tech specs, hit up Pioneer’s site: http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/content/press/news/cdj-djm-350.html

PAYware Mobile’s card reader attaches right to your iPhone 3G/3GS and allows fans to instantly swipe there card for a t-shirt, CD, etc, and have a receipt instantly emailed to them. There’s a built-in stylus for them to sign with and end-to-end encryption to reduce any type of fraud.

The iPhone app also allows you to view real-time reports as well as a transaction history.

PAYware Mobile is free with a 2 year contract, $49 to activate, and, as with any other credit card reader, merchant fees do apply. That being said, this seems to be the best way to deal with merch and credit cards.

Check out www.paywaremobile.com for more.

Image-Line is doing something fairly progressive by offering Drumaxx on a “pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth” model. There’s a minimum of 9 euros, but after that it’s all up to you. Image-Line is also donating $1 USD to Haiti earthquake victims.

Check out the feature set:

• 16 Physically modeled drum pad
• Multi-output for individual effects processing on each pad
• Huge range of modeling possibilities covering sounds from cymbals to kettle-drums
• Velocity modulation matrix for detailed expressiveness
• Integrated Stepsequencer with trigger-key playback
• Integrated effects
• Single-pad version ‘Drumpad’ available for tight integration with FL Studio

Check out Image-Line’s website for more info: http://www.image-line.com/documents/drumaxx.html

Major changes from v1 to v2 include the improved M/S matrix and stereo enhancer with mono maker. Add to that list indiviual M/S panning, dynamic range metering, and a solo-in-place feature for all solo modes.

I’m serious when I saw Brainworx makes my favorite plug-ins right now. Not only are they designed well, but they sound amazing. They may be little intimidating upon first run, but stick with it, learn how to use it, and you won’t regret it for a second. These guys at Brainworx are like mad scientists in the best way possible.

bx_control v2 will be 99 euros (native) or 149 euros (TDM with VENUE support). People upgrading from v1 will pay 49 euros for both Native and TDM versions.There’s also a 25% introductory sale that starts in February (and applies to upgrades!), so try the plug-in and grab it on the cheap when it becomes available.

Hit the jump for links to everything!

PS: Stay tuned for my review of a very lovely Brainworx plug-in as well as a review of Elysia’s mpressor plug-in.

14-day free trial: http://www.brainworx-music.de/index.php?nav=33&um=0&lang=en
Installer: http://www.brainworx-music.de/index.php?nav=13&um=0&lang=en
PDF Manual: http://www.brainworx-music.de/download/bx_control_V2_manual_en.pdf

TC Electronic Polytune Polyphonic Tuner Pedal

In the world of guitar gear, there are thousands of sleek, gritty, cool or knob-overloaded boxes out there.  With all the flashy pedals out there with “X-treme!!!” names, it’s easy to overlook some of their less-than-exciting counterparts – namely tuners.

Sure, they’re brilliant devices that provide important and necessary features, but let’s be real about it.  Every time I see someone walking out of a guitar shop with a $100 tuning pedal in his hand, he seems less than excited.  No new sounds or tones? No badass names?  In most cases, there aren’t even any novel tech features.  But no more!

<trumpet fanfare>

Finally something new!

<enthusiastic fingers-on-desk drumroll>

Polyphonic tuning!

You can just strum your guitar open and see which of the six strings are out of tune (no need to listen to them anymore!).  I love the concept, but I’m not totally convinced that replacing a functioning $100 chromatic tuner with a $100 polyphonic tuner is worth it, but if you don’t have a tuner yet (and you should have one) then you might as well get this new and relatively badass kind of tuner.

Well here’s a quick rundown of the World’s First* Polyphonic Tuner.

*commercially available

TC Electronics Polytune (pictured above):

Major Features:

• Polyphonic Tuning – see the tuning state of all the strings on your guitar, bass, etc at once.
• Chromatic Tuner – the tuner knows when you’re playing just one string and switches to the familiar chromatic tuner mode.
• True Bypass – not exciting, but important.
• Made out of Metal – this is super important because you step on it everyday.

Sales Pitch:

Just for fun I’m embedding this video of guy with an awesome accent demonstrating a software version of a polyphonic tuner! What an exciting day!