Each day our team on the show floor at NAMM 2020 are on the lookout for products that catch their eye and in this pick of the best of NAMM 2020 from day 2, James Ivey, Dan Cooper and Eli Krantzberg share their top choices.
Sontronics Podcast Pro Dynamic Mic
The Sontronics Podcast Pro Microphone is a dynamic microphone optimised for recording spoken word broadcasts including podcasts, radio, gaming and voiceover applications.
The Podcast Pro features a high output dynamic capsule and also offers excellent side rejection thanks to the super-cardioid polar pattern making it ideal for recording vocals in busy environments.
Sontronics have deigned this microphone specifically for spoken word, so that little to no EQ will be required when setting up the Podcast Pro.
The Podcast Pro is made using internal baffling and three layers of acoustic protection, with an internal pop filter helping to combat plosive sound. This also ensures no external windshield is needed when operating the Podcast Pro.
Whether you're recording in a professional studio, a home set-up, a radio station or live environment, the Podcast Pro will perform every time.
Price And Availability
Price: £99 inc UK VAT
Availability: Early February 2020
Warm Audio BUS-COMP - A Twin Channel VCA Bus Compressor
The new BUS-COMP from Warm Audio has been designed to sound great on your stereo bus, drum bus, drum overheads, stereo acoustic guitars, keyboards, piano, orchestral instruments, voice-overs and pretty much anything you apply it to. The BUS-COMP has been designed mainly for stereo use, but it can be used on individual mono sources as a single-channel device.
VCA compressors like the BUS-COMP have become widely loved for their ability to impart dynamic control but without sounding like you are trying to hone things in. However, in doing this they can often add a very specific tone and depth to an audio signal that has become synonyms with this style of stereo compression.
Price And Availability
Price: MSRP $699
Availability: Shipping now
If you want to know more about Warm Audio BUS-COMP then check out our article Warm Audio Announce BUS-COMP - A New Twin Channel VCA Bus Compressor.
PreSonus ioStation 24C Audio Interface And Controller
The ioStation 24c audio interface features two of PreSonus’ XMAX Class A analog microphone preamps, and high-quality converters that provide 115 dB of dynamic range to capture complex musical harmonics smoothly and naturally.
In addition, they have incorporated elements from theirFaderPort-series controllers into the ioStation 24c. Rather than forcing you to reinvent your mixing method, the ioStation 24 has been designed to augment the way you currently mix.
You will still use your keyboard and mouse for things they do well, while the ioStation 24c handles what you really want to get your fingers on: your mix.
If you want to learn more about the new ioStation 24c from PreSonus then check out our article PreSonus ioStation 24c Announced - Part Interface Part Controller - NAMM 2020.
Price And Availability
Price: £299
Availability: Shipping at the end of April 2020
Manley Labs Absolute Headphone Amp
There are fifteen independent controls available, each of which was developed for convenient adjustability and aural variety. Two selectable stereo RCA jack pairs receive the input signals. Teflon insulated and gold plated, they have been producing these RCA jacks since the mid-1990s.
The volume is controlled on the facia by the front thumbwheel and also by the included Radio Frequency remote control, both of which operate a precision stepped relay ladder matrix attenuator in half dB steps.
The RF remote can be operated anywhere in the home, even through walls or cabinetry, especially useful when using the unit as a stand-alone preamplifier.
Next to the front volume control wheel, you’ll find the Mute switch to instantly kill the signal. Spinning the volume wheel all the way to a minimum also mutes the signal. There is also a user-adjustable Headphone Overload Protection System which sets a maximum output level to protect precious headphones and your ears!
Price And Availability
Price: $4500
Availability: Shipping now
Oeksound Soothe2
At NAMM 2020 on their booth 14600, oeksound has announced soothe2, a complete rewrite of the original soothe plug-in, offering improvements in performance and sound while adding many new features. These include the expansion of the processing to full frequency range, the addition of attack and release speed parameters, and the inclusion of two processing modes suitable for different situations.
soothe2 works by automatically detecting resonances in the audio material and then applying a reduction that matches the input signal. It can be used for a range of applications across the full frequency range: To reduce harshness in close-mic’d audio material, to achieve very transparent de-essing, to combat and reduce muddiness and to even out the bass frequencies.
Price And Availability
Price: Soothe2 will be priced at 199€. Upgrades for soothe owners will be 50€.
Availability: soothe2 will be released on January 23rd, 2020, priced at 199€. Upgrades for soothe owners will be 50€.
If you want to learn more about the new soothe2 from Oeksound then check out our article Oeksound Soothe2 Announced At NAMM 2020.
IK Multimedia Sunset Sound Reverb
Step into Sunset Sound Recorders and the history overwhelms you. T-RackS Sunset Sound Studio Reverb is your chance to give your tracks this iconic sound and vibe, with a suite of convolution reverbs capturing the sonic mojo of each room, booth, chamber and plate, all using the original consoles of each studio and Sunset’s own microphones. It’s the next best thing to tracking your session in this hall-of-fame studio itself.
Arguably the live rooms, vocal booths and echo chambers at Sunset Sound have become a part of the fabric of popular music itself. So IK Multimedia and studio owner Paul Camarata wanted to give all musicians the chance to add a little of Sunset’s magic to their tracks.
To capture both the unique acoustics of each studio as well as their characteristic vibe, IK created an all-new convolution engine to deliver the highest-possible quality reverb effects. And each impulse response was recorded using each studio’s unique console and Sunset’s extensive mic locker, so it’s as if you’re really there.
Price And Availability
Price: €249.99 with an introductory offer priced at €149.99 excl. VAT
Availability: To be confirmed
If you want to learn more about the new IK Multimedia Sunset Sound Reverb then check out their website.