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Apple has unveiled M2 Pro and M2 Max, its latest ‘systems on a chip’, and brought them to the Mac mini and both the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro.

An evolution of the standard M2 chip, the M2 Pro features up to 12 CPU cores and up to 19 GPU cores, and can accommodate up to 32GB of RAM. CPU performance is said to be up to 20 percent faster than the 10-core CPU in the M1 Pro chip, and graphics speeds up to 30 percent faster.

M2 Max also has a 12-core GPU, but ups the ante by offering a GPU with up to 38 cores, along with a larger L2 cache. What’s more, you can equip it with up to 96GB of memory.

One of the first products to host the M2 Pro is the updated Mac mini, which is also available with a standard M2 chip for the first time. Prices start at $599/£649, though you can’t get an M2 Pro-powered machine for less than $1,299/£1,399, and there’s no M2 Max option.

The M2 Mac mini supports up to two displays, while the M2 Pro model can run up to three.

The same can’t be said of the revised 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros, which can now be spec’d with either M2 Pro or M2 Max chips. Prices start at $1,999/£2,149 and $2,499/£2,699 for the 14- and 16-inch models respectively, while the cheapest M2 Max machines will set you back $3,099/£3,349 or $3,499/£3,749, depending on which size you go for.

The new MacBook Pros are also notable for offering up 22 hours of battery life – the longest ever in an Apple laptop, we’re told – and support displays of up to 8k via “advanced” HDMI. There’s WFi 6E support, too.

All the new Macs can be ordered from today and will be available from 24 January. Find out more on the Apple website.

If you have always wanted a grand piano but have never had the require space to house one, Roland has come up with the solution in the shape of the GP-3, an “ultra-compact” model that you can actually fit in your living room.

However, we want to make clear that this is very much a digital instrument, so you are not going to get all the sonic benefits of owning an acoustic grand, but it does have a lid that you can lift up.

In addition, the GP-3 is the tiny grand that Roland says it is. From front to back, it measures less than 70cm. It is also a nice looking piano, coming with a slick gloss black finish.

Under the hood, Roland has used what it calls an “advanced sound engine”, and the 88-note hammer-action keyboard promises an authentic grand piano touch, complete with ivory-like feel. Additionally, there are sustain, soft and sostenuto pedals with support for half-pedal techniques, while the stereo speaker system delivers an immersive sound.

There are some clear benefits to the GP-3 being digital, example – Bluetooth audio/MIDI connectivity and compatibility with the Roland Piano App. Other features include a metronome, recorder and dual headphone jacks, and unlike with an acoustic grand, you will never have to pay for the GP-3 to be maintained.

Roland has not mentioned on the price and release date for the Roland GP-3. In the meantime, check it out on the Roland website.

If you are looking to expand the I/O on your current audio interface rather than buy a new one, Audient wants you to consider its new EVO SP8, and says that it’s the perfect I/O expander for your audio interface. Billed as “the mic preamp of the future”, this is an eight-channel box that could come in very handy when you want to take on larger projects such as recording a full band.

The SP8 offers eight mic/line inputs, eight line outputs and 2 x ADAT I/O. As with other EVO products, it also includes Audient’s Smartgain feature, which enables you to set the appropriate gain level automatically just by pressing a button. What’s more, you can do this for all eight channels simultaneously.

“If you’re expanding your current non-EVO audio interface, you get up to eight channels of simultaneous Smartgain with SP8, which not only takes the guesswork out of setting your levels, but also saves you time,” says Audient/EVO marketing director, Andy Allen, adding that “If you are pairing two SP8s with your EVO 16 then you have Smartgain on all 24 channels!”

The SP8 includes a high-res, full-colour LCD screen that promises a wide viewing angle. This promises to intelligently display the most relevant information, and everything can be controlled using a single, centralised knob. In addition, the display includes the option to view the currently selected channel’s status and to show metering levels.

Each of the EVO mic preamps offers 58dB of mic gain and 121dB of dynamic range. The EVO SP8 is designed to sit nicely on your desktop, or can be situated in a rack using the optional ears.

The EVO SP8 is expected to ship in the first quarter of 2023 priced at $499/£399/€499. Find out more on the Audient website.