What's New and Cool by TweakHeadz Lab

A Really SCHWEET DEAL

KRK VXT8 Active Studio Monitor
With a visually striking enclosure design that is equally functional -- providing low resonance, improved structural integrity and extended low-end, slotted ports for reduced port turbulence, plus a sleek curvature that provides excellent imaging characteristics and a wider "sweet spot" -- the VXT monitors achieve a new level of precision.

Priced from: 499.50
Tweak: The KRK VXT series should not be confused with the KRK Rokit series. The Rokits are lower priced and amazing sounding for those of us on a budget. The VXT is KRK's design for professional studios. They exceed the Rokits. I find them accurate, powerful, clear without hype. I think they'd do well in a larger than average control room, not for the small bedroom (unless you want to blow the walls down). zZounds notes this is a temporary reduction in price on the these. Normally $599 ea. Seize the day!

All KRK Note that the VTX 4 and 6 are also reduced and these might be fantastic for a home studio.

Zoom R24 Multi-Track Recorder Controller
Multi-track recording, a USB interface, tactile DAW control, and an onboard sampler in a compact, mobile-ready format.

Roland GAIA SH-01 37-Key Synthesizer
Huge sound with three virtual analog engines onboard, each with a dedicated oscillator, filter, amplifier, envelope, and LFO.

Tweak: Want to create your own sounds? Roland makes it easier than ever before. Look, no menus, no cryptic displays, just knobs, sliders and switches.

Roland SPD30 Octapad Total Percussion Pad

The OCTAPAD Legend Continues. Combines cutting-edge drum and percussion sounds with current triggering technology, a Phrase Loop function, USB MIDI, and more. Tweak: Tons of world percussion sounds

OMG! Kill deal alert! New B-stock Mackie 32ch 8 bus console under 2k!!!!!! This mixer will handle the needs of a large recording studio of 32 Mics and 32 playback tracks simultaneously. 8 busses, 6 sends, 6 stereo returns, inserts, direct outs, Mix B...sigh, its a total analog nerve center for your studio. In stock as I type on May 29. This kind of deal does not last long.

TWEAK: When I saw the price I had to look again. How much? $1,099. Read what our members say. Watch videos and get more specs from Roland This is for a NEW unit.

You can add a computer monitor and a mouse to give you a DAW like experience. The MV8800, like the MPC5000, is a sampler, multi track recorder, mixer and effects processor in one unit. Using the pads as triggers is great for making beats and doing all kinds of sample based music. If you have always wanted an MV--don't wait.

Tweak: Coming soon. This 24-4 digital mixer has a built in 32x26 firewire audio interface. 24 preamps. 100mm faders. Lets talk about it!

Logic goes 64 bit.

Apple just released Logic 9.1 via the software update process which is now can be run as a 64 bit application from inside Snow Leopard (Mac OSX 10.6). You can choose to run in 32 bit mode if you want, for compatibility with older soft synths and plugins. However, you can also run 32 bit plugins in 64 bit mode thanks to Logic's 32 bit Audio Unit Bridge, which launches automatically when you load songs in 64 bit mode using 32 bit plugins. This also allows you to start a song in 32 bit mode and once you have defined al the synths you want to use, then switch to 64 bit mode to take advantage of the faster processing. As a long term logic user I will only say--this is the best Logic yet!

Korg SV173 73-Key Vintage Stage Piano
Stage. Vintage. Piano. The name pretty much says it all. The SV-1 contains the hippest, most in-demand and soul-satisfying keyboard sounds ever collected in a single instrument. Decades of electro-mechanical, transistorized, tape-driven, analog, and digital legends are joined by a collection of rich acoustic pianos, all reproduced with stunning realism. But the SV-1 is about much more than excellent sound; the SV-1 re-creates the look, the feel, and visceral pleasure of performing on a vintage instrument.

Tweak: The "O" or Orange is a desktop or studio unit. It has no LEDS on the back, but all the circuitry and sound of the more expensive TNR-W. The W is more for live performance art as it shows the moving LEDs on both sides (so the audience can see them) and can be run off batteries. Both have the same sequencer, 32 voice AWM2 (i.e., sample playback) synth (239 presets +14 kits) and 3 voice sampler. keyfax sells a mic stand adapter so you can mount it. Watch the YouTube

See my review

Microphones!

Do you need a Dynamic? Condenser? Ribbon?
For Vocals, Guitar Amps, Drums?
Learn the Answers
We have huge body of knowledge on Microphones here!
Read Tweak's Introduction to Studio Microphones. Check out the AMAZING forums on Mics. Check out Tweak's entertaining reviews of classic Mics! We have the Answers to every Mic question a new home studio enthusiast will have.

Each of these mIcs has a Sonic Signature. A studio professional can predict how each will sound on different sources. This is the basis for musing that an sm81 is good on acoustic guitars, an sm57 can do amps, the re20 can do a nice HH vocal. Then you try it and realize how much the choice of microphone affects the final recording.

The Yamaha MOTIF XS

LEARN what a MOTIF XS can do in Tweak's FULL REVIEW
Browse the History of the MOTIF series back to the Yamaha EX5
Find out how you can hit one button and Turn the Motif into a full featured control surface for Logic, Sonar or Cubase
Find out why Tweak calls the Motif a Song "Idea Generator"

Monitors around $1200 a pair or so?

Behringer SX4882 Eurodesk 48-Channel Mixer

Ultra-Low Noise Design 48/24-Input 8-Bus In-Line Mixer with XENYX Mic Preamplifiers, British EQs and Integrated Meterbridge

The Korg M50 has a Touch screen. The Fantom and Motif do not. There is a blemished unit under 9 bills. New ones go for $1099.00. Both are great deals.