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EDI Summit takes place on the same weekend as the NAMM Show

A new four-day electronic music event is about to take place at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, bringing together “industry-leading artists, educators, manufacturers, and music tech innovators for an exploration of current and future technologies and music-making applications for electronic instruments.”

The Berklee Connect 2022 EDI Summit (EDI being Electronic Digital Instrument) is sponsored by big name tech companies Ableton and Elektron, who we assume won’t be joining the crowds for the twice-cancelled NAMM show that’s making its return on the exact same dates.

What’s ON at EDI?

The new show promises in-depth workshops and live instrument demonstrations with acclaimed artists including producer and assistant professor Daedelus and electronic jazz trailblazer Mark de Clive-Lowe ’94.

“In the last few years we’ve seen an explosion of interest from electronic music producers of all kinds who want to be able to perform their work in front of a live audience,” said Michael Bierylo, chair of the Electronic Production and Design Department. “Berklee is at the forefront of offering students the opportunity to study electronic performance as part of their core music experience at the college, and we’re excited to share this at the Connect 2022 EDI Summit.”

The new show’s theme is “Machines and Musicianship”, with talks and demos on that theme plus an extensive product showcase with many of the most trusted and inventive digital instrument manufacturers from across the industry.

Find out more on the EDI Summit website.

Ahead of 2022 NAMM, Audient has announced an upgrade to its popular iD44 audio interface. The iD44 MKII adds new features and improved quality, bringing it into line with new development elsewhere from the premier brand. As Audient’s marketing director, Andy Allen puts it: “We saw an opportunity to make the best better.”

The ADCs’ THD+N figure on the MKII sees a 9dB improvement for even cleaner audio, with less added noise and even less audible distortion, while three user-defined function keys enable users to punch in and punch out and switch inputs with ease. And with 24-bit/96KHz quality on tap, the iD44 is once again all set for high-end recording tasks.

The iD44 MKII has a new all-digital internal Audio Loopback feature that enables users to capture playback from multiple applications on the computer, all at the same time as the microphones that are plugged into the interface.

And is the perfect solution for podcasters, streamers and other online content creators who are often recording their own audio live and adding effect and stings digitally while streaming in remote VC audio from show guests, audience and participants.

For those working in groups, a new dual headphone amp – with both a 1/4-inch jack and a mini-jack – meaning that now three sets of headphones can be plugged in at once, and a new-look chassis and facia help set the MKII apart.

“As far as audio performance was concerned, iD44 was already fully spec’d,” Andy Allen continues. “Yet we saw an opportunity to make the best better: making a major improvement to the all important ADC’s, incorporating additional must-have features and styling it with a beautiful new smoke-grey finish. All at the same price, delivering yet more value to our customers.

“The combination of these enhancements alongside four Audient Console mic preamps, class-leading converters, ADAT expandability and balanced inserts means iD44 MKII really does deliver the audio performance of an Audient console straight to your desktop, and ensures that with iD44, our customers get a professional grade audio interface without breaking the bank.”

The iD44 MKII  retail at $699. Find out more on the Audient website.

Ahead of  the 2022 NAMM Show, Focusrite  has introduced its new Vocaster audio interface range, which is designed specifically for podcasting. This comprises two devices, both of which promise great audio quality and to “remove technical hassle”, leaving you to get down to some serious chat.

In addition, despite their simplicity, Vocaster One and Two include podcast-friendly features such as Auto Gain, which will set your levels, and an Enhance feature to ensure that your voice sounds crystal clear. Three presets are included here to make things even easier.

Additionally, there is a Mute button, so that you can quickly silence your mic if you need to, and a Loopback feature that enables you to stream pre-recorded segments – interviews, jingles, background music, and more from your computer.

The companion Vocaster Hub software enables you to set up, record and mix your show. An additional suite of software, worth over $600, is included, as well.

Both interfaces include Studio editions. Vocaster One Studio adds Focusrite’s Vocaster DM1 dynamic mic (with built-in grille and pop filter) plus the HP60v closed-back studio headphones. The Vocaster Two Studio replaces the DM1 mic with the DM14v dynamic mic, which has a built-in windshield and shock mount.

The Vocaster One and Vocaster Two are available now with a three-year warranty, priced at $229.99 and $339.99 respectively. The Vocaster One and Two Studio bundles cost $339.99 and $569.99 respectively.

Find out more on the Focusrite website.