BLUE MICROPHONES BABY BOTTLE
The Baby Bottle ($649) is a pressure-gradient, large-diaphragm condenser microphone that offers a cardioid polar pattern. The mic features Class A discrete electronics and transformerless output. Blue's suggested recording applications for the Baby Bottle include drums, acoustic instruments, electric guitars, and vocals.
The Baby Bottle uses a diaphragm that is handcrafted of 6-micron gold and aluminum-sputtered Mylar film. The microphone's frequency response is rated at 20 Hz to 20 kHz, with a signal-to-noise ratio of 87 dBA. The maximum SPL is listed as 133 dB for 0.5 percent total harmonic distortion. The Baby Bottle ships with a swivelmount attachment. Blue Microphones; tel. (805) 370-1599; e-mail blue@bluemic.com; Web www.bluemic.com.
FOSTEX VF-160
Fostex's VF-160 ($1,799) is a 16-track portable digital studio offering 16bit, 24 kHz recording and playback capabilities. Eight additional virtual tracks can be freely assigned to any track.
The VF-160 comes with a 20 GB internal hard drive and a built-in CD-RW unit. Fostex uses its proprietary FDMS-3 technology to provide more efficient disk and CPU management without data compression. The unit provides a 50-pin SCSI terminal for adding additional hard drives.
You get 60 mm faders, a compressor, and 3-band EQ (with parametric mids and highs) for each channel. The unit also has a master EQ and compressor. Two independent multi-effects processors provide reverb, delay, chorus, and pitch shift. The VF-160 features 99 Scene memories and supports dynamic automation when used with a MIDI sequencer.
Two of the eight mic inputs offer XLR jacks, phantom power, and unbalanced ¼-inch insert jacks. Each channel has two unbalanced ¼-inch effects sends and two auxiliary sends. You also get ADAT optical I/O and a switch that lets you change the ports to S/PDIF I/O. For analog outputs, the VC-160 provides two unbalanced ¼-inch jacks, a pair of RCA jacks, and a ¼-inch stereo headphone jack. Fostex Corporation of America; tel. (562) 921-1112; e-mail info@fostex.com; Web www.fostex.com.
DASH SYNTHESIS DAVECTOR
The open architecture of Native Instruments' Reaktor has spawned a host of compatible synthesizers designed by third parties. Among those is DaVector ($18), which draws its inspiration from the Korg Wavestation.
For starters, you get a resonant multimode filter. Four-way vector controls offer crossfades between four filters as well as crossfades between oscillators. DaVector's Wave Sequence feature is a playlist of samples for each oscillator that can provide complex rhythmic and timbral motion for as many as 256 measures. You can trigger waves randomly and synchronize Wave Sequences and other parameters to MIDI Clock. Modulation capabilities include pitch, amplitude, filter frequency, filter envelopes, and vectors. DaVector has two LFOs, and you can modulate the speed of one LFO with the other.
The synthesizer's 5 MB sound set includes waveforms derived from the Korg Wavestation as well as new samples. You get 43 presets including classic Wavestation Performances. DaVector will run on any Macintosh or Windows computer capable of supporting Reaktor. Dash Synthesis; e-mail info@dashsynthesis.com; Web www.dashsynthesis.com.