Hello New Gear – December 2024

The Kiviak Instruments WoFi is a next-generation keyboard sampler with a compact design and modern features. The WoFi is 10-voice polyphonic and samples at 48 kHz and 16 bit. You can record via the built-in microphone or the line input, and samples can also be loaded from a computer. A large arsenal of options is available for manipulating the sounds, from time-stretching to granular effects, an LFO, and envelopes for filter and amp. You can find more details in the video below and on our product page:

The Katana modelling combo series from Boss has grown again! The Boss Katana Mini X is equipped with a 5-inch speaker and 10 watts of power. It offers 3 amp sounds with variations, as well as an integrated tuner and lots of Boss effects, from chorus to phaser and tremolo to reverb and delay and many more. With an integrated rechargeable battery and  up to 10 hours of playing time, this combo is perfect for jamming on the go. A small amp with lots of power!

The Polish company Polyend, known for its trackers and grooveboxes, presents a polyphonic multi-engine synthesizer aptly named Synth. Under the hood, it is a real monster with 3 simultaneously playable independent parts that can access 8 different synth engines with 8 voices of polyphony. With everything from phase distortion synthesis, physical modelling, granular and wavetable synthesis to FM synthesis and multiple virtual-analog engines, it offers lots of sonic variety. It also boasts a selection of filters, modulation effects, reverb, and delay. Thanks to the sequencer, arpeggiators, and Smart Grid, you can easily play all 3 synthesizer parts simultaneously. Curious to find out more? Then watch the video below for an introduction to the Polyend Synth:

The new Teenage Engineering OP-XY is a dynamic performance sequencer, synthesizer, and sampler in a portable format. With 16 tracks, a 64-step sequencer with 4×16 steps, 24-voice polyphony, 8 synthesizer engines, and 8 GB of memory for samples and projects, you’ll be creating your own music in no time. The powerful dual CPU can easily handle the many integrated effects including a master EQ, compressor, and limiter. See how to create a track with the OP-XY in just 50 seconds in the video below:

RodeCaster Video is a powerful video and audio production console with a powerful CPU, an intuitive control panel, and a scene-based switching architecture for studio productions, video podcasts, and live events. It has everything you need to produce your next video, from fast switching between different inputs to creating multiple scenes, recording to an external USB drive, and direct RTMP streaming via Ethernet or Wi-Fi. Want to know all the details? Watch the video below:

This new wireless microphone system for smartphones consists of two clip-on microphones with an omnidirectional polar pattern and integrated windscreen, a receiver, and a charging case. The frequency range is 50 to 15,000 Hz, the maximum sound pressure level is 135 dB SPL (1 kHz @ 1 m), and the digital resolution is 24 bit at 48 kHz. The rechargeable battery takes 3 hours to charge and lasts for 7 hours (21 hours with the charging case). The Rode Wireless Micro is available in a USB-C version and a version with a Lightning connector for older iPhones. In the video below, Douglas from Rode explains all the features in detail:

The Roland VAD716-GE is a high-end E-drum set in the V-Drums Acoustic design with full-size drum pads, wooden bass drum and tom shells, and a stainless steel snare. Thanks to a revised design, the lighter and thinner cymbals now vibrate even more realistically. The new flagship V71 module with more than 1,000 sounds and 200 drum kits is included. Find out what the V71 module sounds like in the video below from Peter Gabriel’s legendary Real World Studios:

Roland also has a new compact E-drum kit. Thanks to the new VQD pads and improved isolation, the Roland VQD106 only has a playing volume of about 30 dB, meaning that it’s up to 75 % quieter than conventional E-drums. Nevertheless, you don’t have to make do without professional features such as the Roland TD-07 sound module. It comes with a bass drum pad, snare pad, hi-hat pad, three tom pads, and crash and ride pads. You’ll find the details on our product page, and be sure to check out the volume comparison with a conventional E-drum set in the video below: