PMI STUDIO PROJECTS C3
The Studio Projects C3 ($599) is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone from PMI Audio Group that offers a trio of polar patterns: cardioid, omnidirectional, and figure-8. The microphone has a dual 1-inch gold-sputtered Mylar capsule, and it requires 48V phantom power.
Applications for which the C3 is intended include choir overheads, vocals, pianos, stringed instruments, and drums. The microphone features a maximum sound pressure level (SPL) of 142 dB for 1 percent total harmonic distortion (THD). The C3 comes with a 10 dB pad switch in addition to a highpass filter that rolls off 6 dB per octave at 150 Hz. PMI Audio Group rates the frequency response of the microphone at 20 Hz to 20 kHz, and gives the signal-tonoise ratio as 76 dB. PMI Audio Group; tel. (877) 563-6335 or (310) 373-9129; email info@pmaudio.com; Web www.studioprojectsusa.com.
BUCHLA & ASSOCIATES PIANO BAR
The Piano Bar ($2,350) from Buchla and Associates brings powerful MIDI implementation to acoustic pianos without the need for instrument modifications. The unit is quickly and easily installed; nothing touches the piano keys or interferes with the sound and feel of the piano, and you can adjust the Piano Bar to accommodate a variety of pianos and key spacings.
The Piano Bar's MIDI features include transposition, zones and layers, and support for MIDI Program Change and Bank Select commands. Assignable knobs on the front panel of the unit can send MIDI Control Change messages on any channel. For each piano key, the controller has LEDs that light up when MIDI messages are received. The Piano Bar gives you 25 presets and room for 100 user programs.
The Piano Bar's I/O box features a built-in, XG-compatible, 32-note polyphonic synthesizer with more than 500 instruments and drums. The rear panel sports a pair of RCA analog outputs, two stereo mini headphone outputs, and MIDI In and Out ports. The main unit has a ¼-inch expression-pedal jack. The Piano Bar also comes with a carrying case, a pair of pedal sensors, and the power supply. And yes, the bubbles in the front panel's stenciled champagne glass light up! Buchla and Associates; tel. (510) 528-4446; e-mail sales@buchla.com; Web www.buchla.com.
BOSS WP-20G
The WP-20G Wave Processor ($299) may look like just another guitar stompbox, but unlike traditional boxes, it employs the Composite Object Sound Modeling (COSM) technology of Roland's Virtual Guitar series processors. The WP-20G accepts 13-pin connectors from Roland GK-2 and other divided pickups to produce synthlike sounds. Settings include Saw Lead, Square, Sitar, Slow Gear, Ring Mod, and Acoustic. You can modify the timbre of a sound using the Color knob. Onboard effects, among them delay and chorus, provide additional sonic options.
Like the units in Roland's V-guitar series, the WP-20G requires no MIDI triggering, and tracking is immediate, accurate, and, above all, polyphonic. Jacks on the rear of the pedal provide an unbalanced ¼-inch output for the straight guitar sound, an unbalanced ¼-inch output for the processed guitar signal, an unbalanced ¼-inch effects return, and the requisite 13-pin input jack for connecting your instrument's divided pickup. A rear-mounted switch allows you to toggle the unprocessed signal on and off. If you use the WP20G with the Roland GKP-4 parallel box ($145), you can simultaneously play as many as three additional devices that accept 13-pin cables, including MIDI guitar converters and other Roland V-guitar processors and amplifiers. Roland Corporation U.S.; tel. (323) 890-3700; Web www.rolandus.com.