GEAR REVIEWS: Akai, Eventide, AKG, PRS, and more

In the world of standalone samplers and drum machines, Akai has certainly made their mark on the industry with over 30+ years of MPC innovation. One of THE go-to instruments for drum beats, sampling and loop creation, the MPC One represents the pinnacle of stand-alone hardware for beatmakers, and songwriters alike (more on this in our next issue, stay tuned).

Construction-wise, the new MPC One is built like a tank, and the pads have that signature Akai feel and response. They’re velocity sensitive, but not rubbery or bouncy like other pad-based grids we’ve tested. So if you plan on testing your finger drumming skills, you should have no issues here. Yes, people on forums might quibble that the pads are every-so-slightly smaller than others in the range, but honestly after about 10 seconds, your muscle memory kicks in and it’s frankly a nonissue.

Looks-wise, the review unit we received sports a new retro-flavored skin, which is a cool, grey throwback to the vintage MPC brethren of years gone by. Digging into the software, we just feel more at home than on a Maschine. And while that might be personal preference, we do prefer having the option of untethering from a computer to make beats and string entire songs together without the need for a PC. Having a stand-alone workflow is what the MPC is all about, and the touchscreen and updated OS that Akai have developed are both…chef’s kiss.

On the rear, you’ve got your ports for you main line inputs as well as full-sized MIDI plus CV/Gate, which makes this a great way to rig up your modular kit and control external synths pretty easily. Synth heads will also adore the automated sampling features so you can fire up your fave hardware patches, like we did with our Moog Sub Phatty, then easily import them across the keyboard and map the sounds to the grid. You can also easily adjust scales and one-pad chords on-the-fly, which means you can take your favorite sounds to-go, without lugging all your keyboards, AND be able to lay down parts quickly and easily without an external MIDI controller.

One small gripe is the lack of microphone inputs and even a phono input for importing vinyl samples to slice up, but keep in mind this is the entry point for the MPC family. You can easily sample vinyl through the line inputs, and we even output line-levels from our mixer to get vocals loaded and ready for chop sessions pretty easy. So, there are workarounds.

If you want a piece of gear that can serve as the centerpiece of your beat-making production hub, this could be your gateway drug, no questions. And if you need a few more perks, like phono inputs or a battery for true mobile production, check out the MPC Live II. But we think the MPC One hits the sweet spot for those getting into programmed drums, sampling, and backing tracks. We even think it might be a killer DAW replacement for solo artists – which we’ll cover more in-depth in a future column.

Benjamin Ricci PROS

easy to use, standalone production, great pads and included sound sets.

CONS

some features only found on higher-priced models (phono and mic inputs, battery, speakers)

STREET PRICE

$899

AKAI

MPC One Retro Edition

FERROFISH

B4000+ Organ Module

When it comes to getting a true Hammond organ sound, nowadays your only real options are either software-based plug-ins, or big clonewheel keyboards that emulate the famous tonewheel sounds of yesteryear. Well, these aren’t your ONLY options anymore: enter the B4000+, probably our new favorite way of coaxing classic organ sounds from a tiny little module that can sit atop your MIDI controller.

While we appreciate things like the Yamaha reface YC (which, incidentally, is about $200 cheaper), it just doesn’t have the flexibility that most true performs are after. And the miniature keys are no help, either. You’re likely gonna want to get another full-size MIDI controller to use the darn thing, anyway, so there goes any savings.

So, what’s an organist to do? The B4000+ puts true Hammond tones into a small-format module, that’s easy to hook up via MIDI, and which contains a TON of tonal variety via its built built-in DSP. The best part is that unlike the reface keyboard, you have real drawbar action (not tiny faders), and this is where it shines. The interaction between the stops and the sound is instant, and inspiring. Much like the larger offerings from, say Crumar and their MOJO 61, it’s this back-and-forth interplay between the drawbars and the chosen sound that really allows the Ferrofish unit to outclass not only the reface, but any plug-ins you may have tried.

Sound quality is truly outstanding across the board and dialing in your desired tone is a simple matter of adjusting the aforementioned drawbars and using the on-screen display and rotary knobs to adjust parameters. The layout and UI are simple enough for anyone to pick up without needing to consult the manual, and the sheer number of options is deep without being intimidating. That’s a tricky balance, and we appreciate the effort that went into designing such a powerful yet easy to master module. The on-screen display, while a bit small, shows you your drawbar settings and other parameters, and you can even dial in fx like Leslie swooshes and overdrive on-the-fly.

Overall, we’re in love with the B4000+. We’ve tried a number of organ solutions over the years, and since space and money are both considerations for our own office studio, this is the perfect option if you’ve already got a fave MIDI controller to hook it up to. You even have the option of adding both an upper and lower manual since there are two MIDI ins on the rear.

While we’d love something with true waterfall keys, the reality is that for many players, they just don’t have the space or cash to set up a full modern Hammond rig. And for them (and us), this is the perfect solution. We love it, and we think you will, too.

PROS

excellent sound, easy to configure, tactile drawbars

CONS

small-ish, but clear/bright screen.

STREET PRICE

$599

Tracii Guns has been a gunslinger from day one, from the unsigned days of Guns N Roses, to the hard rocking LA Guns, and more recently, the Brides of Destruction. His playing and attitude are anything but subtle, and his signature Kramer Gunstar model reflects a unique blend of 80’s style, with a modern edge that’s far from a throwback.

Right out of the custom shaped gig bag, the black metallic finish that covers the mahogany body really captures the eye, and the silver ghost flames add a cool hot rod touch. There’s plenty of sparkle in the finish, perfect for stage lighting. The chrome Floyd Rose 1000 trem and other metal hardware really adds in the high-performance aesthetic. To add in some practicality, the hex wrenches reside at the back of classic Kramer headstock, each secured with a small set screw, so you’ll never be at a loss for tools in a pinch.

The business end of this guitar is the neck. Featuring a 3-piece maple set-neck design, with a super accessible neck joint for easy access on the upper frets. The fretboard is also maple, sporting 22 jumbo frets, with a shredder-approved 25.5 scale length. The slim C profile has a 12.6 radius that feels modern and smooth without feeling too flat.

As Kramer is under the Gibson family umbrella, the pickups are Epiphone Probuckers. A very unique feature is that each pickup has its own volume control, with push/pull pots enabling the pickups to be split into a single coil mode. The 3-way toggle resides at the lower front point, which might seem far away on paper, but feels close enough for quick pickup changes. We gotta admit, the Epi pickups have come a long way over the years, and the newest iteration of the Probuckers can compete with any other brand on the market. They may just represent the best value in humbuckers today. No small feat.

One very cool aspect; while this is a signature guitar, there’s no over the top branding. There’s just a simple “TG” on the truss rod cover. This is always a great bonus to a player that might like a guitar, but maybe doesn’t want to feel like they’re not standing in the shadow of someone else’s name or style.

Once we had our test guitar in our hands, it felt fantastic. The neck didn’t seem thin, and the maple board was silky smooth across the fretboard with no dead spots or issues. It’s the kind of neck that makes the player take chances, as it feels like there’s no restrictions. The body shape may take some getting used to, and while the star shape balances well, the upper rear point is really pronounced, and we had some close calls between it and the edge of our recording desk, so be spatially aware!

The Floyd Rose 1000 paired nicely, and there’s some things no other trem can handle, from simple shimmering flutters to more extreme dive bombs. Its floating configuration allows some pull up, but still felt stable with some heavy palm muting and wild bending.

We ran the test guitar into a variety of situations: a Strymon Iridium, a PRS Archon 50, as well as IK’s Amplitube 5. Each yielded great results. One thing that really stuck out was the smoothness of the neck pickup on its own; it had a fullness that didn’t get dark or foggy. There was an inherent sweetness that made this our choice tone for leads that maintained sustain nicely. The bridge pickup was no slouch either, there was plenty of cut and definition on its own for aggressive rhythm attack and leads that sang and didn’t get shrill or nasty in a mix.

The new Kramer offerings are not just a nostalgia trip for the older crowd. Modern players like unique shapes, and usable tones, and anyone who passes on this is going to be missing out. Out of the box all a player really needs is a cable, a strap, and preferably a high gain amp setup to start melting some faces.

KRAMER

Tracii Guns Gunstar Voyager

Chris Devine

PROS

High performance hot rod look and feel, excellent upper access neck joint.

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

$899

AKG

K240 MKII Semi-Open Pro Studio Headphones

When it comes to professional level headphones, the options are almost mind numbing -- both design and cost wise. Thankfully AKG has a reasonably priced set of semi-open headphones that can be a great addition to your studio situation.

For instrumentalists who want to hear a bit more of the outside ambient environment, open backed versions make sense, compared to the “lock out” type feel of closed back headphones.

AKG started with 30mm transducers with their Varimotion diaphragm for the internals, and the leatherette ear pads are replaceable. The head strap is quite comfortable and adjustable for long sessions. Included is a detachable 10’ straight cable and a 16’ coiled cable.

There’s less coloring overall with these than other models we’ve tested in the price range, and for mixing applications where it’s not intense, like an ambient soundtrack or more natural sounding instruments, they’re great. It’s a nice and yes, “open” sounding. Along with a head strap that doesn’t feel like it’s a helmet, it makes for a more comfortable experience. Tracking wise, if you’re in a room with another player or instrument, and have the tendency of pulling one side off of an ear to “hear” the room better, you might find that habit going away. The balance of the room vs signal is quite nice overall, and provides a unique experience vs. typical closed-back monitors. Using these as a personal monitoring for an amp modeler is also nice, with no issues of audio fatigue even during long sessions and practice.

A great application of these is having a mix playing back in the room, over the monitors at a louder than normal volume, while listening through the headphones. The listener gets the room’s thump, against the more direct approach directly in the ears. It can help nail down what’s a room issue or a mix issue. And the more tools in your arsenal, the better.

Overall, they’re a nice and comfortable set of headphones that are great for mixing, tracking and playback, and they won’t destroy your budget. If you have a set of closed back headphones, great. But a set of these brings in a whole new experience that’s useful and musical for the serious user.

Chris Devine PROS

Super comfortable, great natural sound.

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

$155

PRS

Archon 50 Combo Amplifier

The new PRS Archon is available as a 50-watt head with two separate cabinet choices: a 1x12 and a 2x12, or as a 50-watt 1x12 combo, which is the version we got to test out. Each channel sports a Volume, Treble, Middle, Bass and Master Volume, along with a bright switch. A global Presence and Depth control covers the overall high and low-end response of the amp’s sound. The back panel features additional speaker out options at 4 and 8 ohms, as well as an effects loop and bias jacks. Speaker wise, it’s sporting a 70-watt Celestion V-type.

The bright switches do make a difference; on the clean channel, we really found the bright switch did bring in a lot of presence, and when paired with a drive pedal, was a nice touch, adding in just that little extra without having to mess with the EQ of the amp or the pedal. It’s noticeable on the lead channel, just adding a bit of kick that’s not harsh, but allows for some noticeable cut.

The Presence and Depth control really interacts with the EQ quite nicely. We found they helped tune in the overall top end and lowend thump, and didn’t thin out or muddy the overall tone. It certainly gave an added touch of adjustment. We found it was best to start at noon on both, then adjust as needed, per the room’s feel.

The tubes are by JJ, with six ECC83S tubes in the preamp, with a pair 6CA7’s in the power amp section. The 6CA7’s are supposed to be a happy medium between 6L6’s and EL34’s. While they do have a bit more lower end roundness, there’s certainly a EL34 flavor that seems to find its way through the mix. It’s not a bad thing, as that EL34 bite and attack really gives an aggressive definition. 50 watts is plenty, with no issues of volume or clarity, headroom wise.

We put the test amp through its paces with a few PRS guitars; a 1993 CE24, Mira maple top, and a SE277 baritone. Yes, it paired nicely with those guitars, that’s a no brainer. We also ran our Partscaster Strat, a Tele and a Kramer Tracii Guns Signature into it, and were also pleased with the results.

The big signature of any high gain amp is articulation, and that is present in both channels. There’s no big overcoloring of the clean channel to fight against or compensate for. Increasing the volume really brings in a fullness and depth that is robust and well defined. On the lead channel, the articulation was phenomenal and crisp throughout, with chunky rhythms sitting right where they needed to, while lead parts didn’t get fizzy or hissy even at maximum gain settings. Single coils didn’t get shrill in this area, the bite was still there, but not the shriek. Getting great lead tones was just plain easy, with plenty of gain for sustain and thickness across the board.

On both channels the EQ was very flexible; players who usually push the highs and lows in drive settings will find that bringing in the midrange wasn’t an issue. It provides a more musical focus, rather than “honk.” Yes, you can go super saturated, and scooped, but the added midrange created a fuller sound, with depth and definition. Don’t sleep on the mids, people!

It can do modern, but classic drive sounds that are on the high gain side are also easily obtainable (think late 80’s). It really makes this an amp for a guitarist who needs great drive tones that won’t sound dated in a couple of years.

Regardless of gain options, the pedal platform concept is an option most players can’t dismiss, so we paired it with our Nobles ODR-1 mini, and on the clean channel, we got the flavor we desired from the pedal’s drive, along with the articulation of the amp’s EQ. Using the bright switch in this setting helped set the desired tone easily. We also paired it with the lead channel, using the pedal as a boost and were surprised at how it just accentuated the EQ a bit more, giving a “3rd channel” feel to the amp in a practical sense.

High gain amps used to be the territory of large heads, mega power amp tubes, and massive wattage. PRS has shown that you can get those characteristics in a small 50-watt combo that’s priced for the player who wants the tones easily, without any hassle. Versatile enough for both studio and stage, we heartily recommend it.

Chris Devine

PROS

Articulate, excellent EQ, perfect cleans, lead channel is glorious

CONS

None.

STREET PRICE

EVENTIDE

UltraTap Multi-Tap Effects Pedal

The control layout of the new Eventide UltraTap pedal is a step up from typical small format delays, with Mix, Taps, Length, Feedback, Spread and Taper adjustments. Each knob is doing double duty, with a well-lit “shift” button that lights up to let you know if it’s the primary or secondary function that’s being tweaked. Tone, Slurm (+1 for Futurama reference), Pre delay, Chop, Uutput Level, and Speed/Rise/Release dig into the deeper manipulation.

Going into each control’s specific functionality here will read like a manual, but the big takeaways were how the slurm, chop and speed rise and release functions worked together to really change it from a typical delay device. There are 64 delay ‘taps’ available, which means the delay can be subdivided into separate repeats, and those repeats can be manipulated into rhythmic elements or even smeared (or slurmed), creating cool modulation effects. Changing the LFO of the repeats brings in rhythmic aspects, allowing the unit to act like a modulation unit, incorporating tremolo and chorusing. The tremolo type effect is quite intoxicating, and with full control of every aspect, it means not having to deal with an analog unit that can’t sync up to a track’s BPM.

With a mono input, stereo outputs, and expression connections on the back, as well as USB connectivity, Eventide has a device manager application that allows for parameter editing, preset management and overall control of the device. There’s separate bypass and tap tempo switching, with the ‘Tap’ also doing double-duty, allowing the player to scroll through five presets on the pedal.

For the more analog user, Eventide provided “cheat sheets” that slide over the pedal, and gave setting ideas to kickstart the experience -- but we found that Eventide’s Device Manager really helped in understanding how all of the effects worked, and the presets also provided a good guide as to where to start.

It can also be run at instrument level, like a typical stompbox, but selecting it to line level function makes it perfect as an external effects device in a patch bay type setting. If you’re a set it and forget it delay user, move on, this isn’t your daddy’s delay. This is a fully loaded device that can manipulate time like a sci-fi villain, and might just be your new favorite synth accessory, to boot.

Sound-wise, the overall audio quality is perfect, and is what you would expect given Eventide’s history. If the Edge had this pedal in 1978 his head would have popped. The ability to have the bounce of the delay be part of a sound is nothing new, but Eventide makes it feel like it’s more practical to the player. The swells add such a change to a typical guitar sound that it’s like a new instrument.

For the user who really wants a fully functional and controllable delay that’s also pedalboard-friendly -- this is it. We can’t recommend it enough.

PROS

Fully adjustable delays (and more), hyper functionality, excellent audio

CONS

Could be overwhelming to the casual delay user

STREET PRICE

$279

PROS

Simple, compact, great audio

CONS

None

STREET PRICE

$299

RODE

Wireless Go II System

The new RODE Wireless Go II package includes two microphone/transmitters with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, each with their own snap on windscreen. With spring loaded clips they can attach to a piece of clothing (a jacket’s lapel, for example) like a traditional lav style mic, but in this case, the mic and transmitter are all in one! These Wireless mics send their signal to a receiver, and acts as a controller for the microphones. There’s a small display screen showing level, wireless signal strength and battery life, which is about seven hours per charge. What’s quite amazing is the size of these units, they are small enough to fit both transmitters and receiver in the palm of the hand!

Recording is pretty easy overall, and out of the box we had no issues, with 40 hours of on-board record time it’s quite powerful, and for additional editing options the audio can be split into separate channels, or even just hard left/right panning for giving that “in the room” feel. For additional control options, and under the hood features, RODE has that covered in an app; “Rode Central,” which allows for firmware updates, exporting audio and easy adjustment of the transmitters and receiver.

The big key is this system can be paired up as an on-board mic system for a DSLR camera -- simply connect the receiver into the mic input of your camera, and now interviews can be done with two separate mics. This configuration can also be applied to smartphones or tablets, however you will need specific adapter cables for your device(s), for connectivity.

Overall, the audio quality is very good, and in a space with background noise, there was plenty of separation between the sound sources. The ability to have this audio quality embedded in the video file, and not have to sync up audio and video made this a pretty great tool. It makes the interview process seem more natural, rather than an interviewer pushing a mic in the face of a person each time a question is asked. We wouldn’t be surprised to see YouTubes on the floor of NAMM next January using these for interviews, considering their small size, light weight and functionality (not to mention affordability).

For video podcasts, and live streams with multiple mics and no mess of wires, microphone mounts and such, these make a lot of sense. We’re hard pressed to find a simple, small rig that makes doing high quality audio something that’s less of a technical process, and more of a fire and forget system that allows the user to just get to work. We know from experience that these new RODE units will come in handy for our own A/V productions this year. Highly recommended.

Chris Devine

Ed. note -- we’ve come a long way in the past few decades, but what’s crazy is you can still get a guitar for $250 bucks that’s probably built just as well as some of these old-timers. Thought you’d all get a kick out of this throwback ad from yesteryear...

Interchangeable capsule options

Versatile High-Fidelity Wireless

3000 Series expands the possibilities of performance

• Class-leading, extremely wide 60 MHz UHF tuning bandwidth for maximum versatility • True Diversity operation reduces dropouts • Unique multifunction button on the handheld and body-pack transmitters can be used to switch to a backup frequency should interference be encountered • Automatically adjusts squelch setting to maximize range while minimizing potential interference • Frequency scan and IR sync for ease of setup • Handheld transmitter o ers industry-standard thread mount for use with six interchangeable A-T microphone capsules, as well as other compatible capsules • New rugged cH-style screw-down 4-pin connector on body-pack transmitter