 YAMAHA CP50
SOME CP1 FOR
EVERY 1
THE PITCH The most
affordable sibling of the CP1 (see last month’s New Gear) doesn’t skimp on sound.
THE BIG DEAL Retains the CP1’s Spectrum Component Modeling for six A-list acoustic and electric piano sounds, and
adds 215 more sounds derived from the Motif XS: Clavs, organs, strings, synths, rhythm patterns, and more. Has VCM effects
from Motif XS.
WE THINK Given the next-level SCM piano sound you get for the price, plus all the other gig-ready sounds, this could be the
killer app in the new CP family.
$2,199 list/approx. $1,700 street, yamaha.com
 RADIAL J+4
SIGNAL LEVEL
DIPLOMAT
THE PITCH Unbalanced,
consumer-level
signal goes in the RCA
jacks or the 1/8" stereo
mini-jack. Balanced, pro
line-level signal comes out the XLR jacks.
THE POINT Lets you plug your CD player, iPod, computer,
or other consumer device into a pro mixer for P.A., post-production,
or broadcast.
WE THINK Your mixer may have a “tape” input with RCA
jacks, but this sounds way better. It also lets your signal take
advantage of the EQ, aux sends, and other features of your
mixer’s full channel strips. Plus, it has a ground lift and lowcut
filter to kill buzz and rumble.
$220 list/approx. $200 street, radialeng.com
 PRO TOOLS
INSTRUMENT
EXPANSION PACK
ALL THEIR
SYNTHS BELONG
TO YOU
THE PITCH Full versions
of Digi’s high-end soft synths
for Pro Tools in one box.
THE INSTRUMENTS Structure, a powerful
soft sampler. Strike, a virtual drummer with uncanny
human-feel functions. Velvet, a killer vintage electric
piano plug-in. Transfuser, which is like MPC-meets-
Reason. Hybrid, a virtual analog synth that goes
beyond virtual analog.
WE THINK You can get into Pro Tools cheap these
days, and a lot of great soft synths come with it. Add
this pack, and you’ve got every sound you could want,
in what’s still the dominant multitrack environment.
$499 list, avid.com
 IMAGE-LINE HARMLESS
21st CENTURY SCHIZOID SYNTH
THE PITCH Uses additive synthesis to make sounds you’d normally
reach for a virtual analog (subtractive) synth for.
THE BIG DEAL Instead of filtering, say, a sawtooth wave full of
harmonics, you add up a bunch of waves that have been pre-filtered, giving
you a lot more control over the sound.
WE THINK As avant-garde as it seems, Harmless is actually quite easy to
use, and quickly gets sounds that would take longer to create with complex
tools like Reaktor. Gotta love the price, too.
$79 direct, image-line.com
 CAKEWALK A-PRO SERIES
CAKEWALK DOES
CONTROLLERS
THE PITCH Made in partnership with Roland,
the first MIDI keyboards to bear the Cakewalk brand
feature Active Controller Technology (ACT).
THE BIG DEAL All sizes have same complement
of knobs, faders, and buttons, and drum pads. Dedicated
ACT button handshakes with included software to map these
gizmos to your onscreen controls. Included software: Sonar
8.5LE, Rapture LE, Cakewalk Sound Center, and Studio Instruments
Drums.
WE THINK If you’re a Sonar- or PC-centric user, these will certainly
edge out the Edirol PCR series as the controllers of choice.
A-300 Pro (32 keys): $299 list;
A-500 Pro (49 keys): $349 list;
A-800 Pro (61 keys): $399 list, cakewalk.com
 MUSE RESEARCH MUSEBOX
THIS MUSE WON’T SPEND ALL YOUR
MONEY
THE PITCH The Receptor gets more affordable and
flexible, thanks to a collaboration with Peavey.
THE BIG DEAL Hosts VST instruments and effects for
live gigging. Mic and guitar inputs on front panel. OS lives
on a 4GB solid-state drive (expandable to 8GB); 250GB
laptop hard drive is optional for storing sample libraries.
Comes with Peavey ReValver amp modeling software.
WE THINK If price and/or perceived tweakiness made
you shy away from the Receptor for playing soft synths
onstage, Muse heard you — check this out.
$1,199 list/street TBD, museresearch.com
 SONIVOX EIGHTY-EIGHT
HIGH-END PIANO, LOW-END PRICE
THE PITCH Up to 16 velocity layers per note. Large and
economy sizes for memory and CPU efficiency. Includes 35
piano/pad layers as well as 52 “straight” presets, plus 15 multiinstrument
splits with adjustable split point.
THE FORMATS Mac or PC, VST, RTAS, AU (Mac only),
and standalone.
$199 list/approx. $150 street, sonivoxmi.com
 KORG KAOSSILATOR PRO
MORE KAOSS, MORE CONTROL
THE PITCH Massively upgraded new version of the alreadycool
Kaossilator touchpad synth (reviewed May ’08).
THE BIG DEAL Up to four-bar looping. Overdubs external audio
onto loops of internal synth and drums. New drum samples. Vocoder
mode for external signals. Gate arpeggiator from Korg’s Electribe
grooveboxes. MIDI out and USB for use as a MIDI controller.
WE THINK Once you picked up the original Kaossilator, you
couldn’t put it down. That’s even more true here. Go ahead — we dare ya.
$460 list, korg.com
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