Two designs once relegated to oddball bins of Fender’s history—the Jazzmaster pickup and the Seth Lover-designed Wide Range humbucker—were re-imagined by Curtis Novak, builder of some of the best Wide Range repros available. This splendid set retains traditional Jazzmaster looks, with less noisy, meatier, Wide Range-style tonalities.
$150 (each) street
curtisnovak.com
This year’s Premier Gear Award winners are, as usual, an eclectic set—full of old-school vintage homage, leading-edge digital developments, and imaginative meetings of those worlds. Dig in and dig it as we revisit the gear that fired the enthusiasm and wonder of our editors and contributors in 2017.
A 2x2 USB-C audio interface for macOS, iOS, and Windows, designed to kickstart any music or content creation project in the studio or on the go.
With BOOM you can record, monitor, and mix through class-leading mic preamps and pristine digital conversion. Capture any source from guitar, keyboard, and percussion, to voice and vocals with legendary Apogee sound quality at 24-bit/192kHz resolution. BOOM is the only interface in its class that lets you fine-tune your input sources with premium built-in hardware DSP FX. Are you a creator on the go? BOOM is powered by your device - just connect BOOM directly to your Mac, iPad Pro, or Windows laptop, and let your ideas flow wherever you go.
For almost four decades, Apogee has been perfecting the art of analog recording in a digital world. BOOM continues that legacy by focusing on the details and premium components - allowing your projects to stand out from the rest.
BOOM is the first audio interface in its class to offer onboard hardware DSP. With the Symphony ECS Channel Strip (tuned by legendary mixer, Bob Clearmountain), you can shape and sculpt your input sources with a 3-band EQ, compression, and a drive knob that adds the warmth and grit of analog gear. The ECS Channel Strip is also available as a native plugin from Apogee.
Create the perfect live streaming production with the onboard Mixer and Loopback mode. Allowing you to listen to your game, Spotify playlist, & chat notifications all at the same time and at the perfect level.
Bundled with BOOM is Ableton Live Lite, which is a fresh and easy way to write, record, produce and perform your own music. It includes essential workflows, instruments, and effects for creating new sounds, recording ideas, performing on stage, and much more.
BOOM is available for $299.99 (USD) at Apogee dealers Worldwide.
For more information, please visit apogeedigital.com.
When using low-output dynamic or passive ribbon microphones, a consistent struggle is the introduction of noise from external preamps. Consoles, mixing boards, interfaces, and other preamps can sometimes require the gain to be maxed out, amplifying unwanted noise and often still being too quiet in overall volume. The Hosa MPA-149 Mic Preamp provides an immediate 26dB’s of gain with an impressive -97dBu signal-to-noise ratio, giving users a very clean and immediate gain boost for louder, clearer microphone performance.
Many volume-boost solutions include more cables, electronics, and failure points, whereas the HosaMPA-149 simply connects directly into the microphone. This convenient solution makes it ideal for podcasters, streamers, public speakers, and gigging professionals relying on unpredictable venue preamps to power low-output ribbon or dynamic mics. The Hosa MPA-149 only needs a preamp supplying 48V phantom power but does not pass the phantom power onto the microphone.
The Hosa MPA-149 utilizes a discrete Class-A circuit design and selected FET circuitry to help achieve a clean signal path and low-noise operation. Its compact metal housing is designed to perform reliably in any circumstance, whether it’s standing up to harsh environmental changes, eccentric performances, or getting thrown in and out of gig bags on the road.
The new Hosa MPA-149 Mic Preamp is available at an MSRP of $127.45. Street pricing $88.95.
For more information, please visit hosatech.com.
The Deluxe Atlantic Baritone and Deluxe SS Baritone were designed to offer exceptional comfort and vivid, articulate tone—unmistakably different from most baritone offerings.
D’Angelico Guitars has announced the release of two baritone models. The Deluxe Atlantic Baritone and Deluxe SS Baritone were designed to offer exceptional comfort and vivid, articulate tone—unmistakably different from most baritone offerings. Custom pickups from Seymour Duncan capture every nuance in the low-end, while premium features such as Grover Locking Tuners and Jescar fretwire result in professional grade performance and feel.
The Deluxe Atlantic Baritone is a bold new take on our standout single-cutaway solid-body, offering both remarkable articulation and unprecedented depth of tone. Powered by two Seymour Duncan Seth Lover A4 humbuckers, the Deluxe Atlantic Baritone provides the sparkling top ended needed to achieve baritone clarity, but with thick, rich midrange that yields powerful, gut-punching tone. An ebony fingerboard offers sustain and brightness, while a 26.75" scale length strikes the balance between prioritizing player comfort and achieving vivid tone. Designed to be both highly powerful and highly wieldable, the Deluxe Atlantic Baritone features a deep belly cut and a mid-weight Alder body wood. Now available in Solid Black and Satin Walnut.
US MAP $1699.99
The Deluxe SS Baritone is a wholly unique semi-hollow. Pairing its punchy, undersized body shape with two Seymour Duncan D'Angelico Great Dane P90s, the Deluxe SS Baritone stirs together seemingly disparate elements into something all new. A fifteen-inch-wide semi-hollow body offers airy woodiness on top of thick, pronounced midrange—providing enough power to lead a heavy ensemble and enough elegant clarity for emotive clean tones. A 26.75" scale length strikes the balance between prioritizing player comfort and achieving vivid tone. Now available in Satin Trans Wine and Satin Honey.
US MAP $2199.99
More info at: danjelicoguitars.com.
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