As part of the company’s traditional NAMM Show counter-programming from ‘Banaheim‘, Behringer today shared a sneak preview of its planned RD-78 Computer Controlled Analog Drum Machine, their copy of the Roland CR-78 CompuRhythm.
The original Roland CR-78 was a pre-cursor to their classic TR-x0x drum machines, and is a transitional design, between earlier preset rhythm boxes and the first modern drum machines.
It’s best known for being used iconically on a few classic 80s tracks, Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight, and Hall & Oates’ I Can’t Go For That:
Roland CR-78 drum machines are rare, and now sell for thousands of dollars, in spite of their limitations.
In this video, synthesist Alex Ball shares a great overview of the CR-78, describing it as ‘the first famous drum machine’:
Behringer says that they’re using the exact same circuitry in their version, but they’ve repackaged the drum machine into a form factor similar to Roland’s TR-606.
Pricing and availability are to be announced, but Behringer says that the RD-78 is “up and running”, and that they’re working with beta testers to ensure the unit sounds spot on.
Zoom’s new Essential Series handheld recorders have 32-bit float for clip-free recordings every time, and are more accessible than ever before ‘You’ll never have to adjust levels’.
2024 NAMM Show: There ain’t no field recorder like a Zoom handheld audio recorder, and the company has now refreshed its Essential Series with three new models: H1, H4 and H6. The handy recorders are designed for musicians, podcasters and other creators.
Starting at the top of the range, the H6 (£342/€391) has dual AD converters and can record up to six tracks. A colour display shows the waveforms for these, and there’s also a built-in mixer. You get four XLR/jack combo inputs, plus an interchangeable XY microphone capsule.
Connect the H6 to your computer via USB-C and it can also be used as an audio interface, while simultaneously being capable of recording to SD card.
The H4 (£226/€260) is the successor to the H4nPro and gives you four tracks to work with. The XY microphones are said to have been improved, and there’s a colour display. Soft touch recording and rotary controls, are designed for quiet operation, and as with the H6, you get those USB-C audio interfacing capabilities.
Lastly, the H1 (£114/€129), which is billed as “the easiest to use recorder in the world”. There’s a built-in stereo microphone, and you can also engage a mono mode. Your waveform is displayed on an OLED screen, and this one can be used as a USB microphone.
All three new models in the Essential Series have 32-bit float recording, so you’ll “never have to adjust levels”. They’re also notable for their accessibility features – menus can be navigated through audio descriptions that are offered in multiple languages. The H6 and H4 are also compatible with the optional BTA-1 Bluetooth adapter, which enables you to sync them via timecode and control them remotely using the companion iOS app.
The three Essential will be shipping in Q2 2024. Find out more about the new Essential Series on the Zoom website.
2024 NAMM Show: Heritage Audio claims that its new family of interfaces is the first set of USB-C interfaces to have built-in Class A 73-style preamps, so they bring the ‘golden era’ of analogue recording to your digital world.
The i73 Pro family has three new members, with various i/o and preamp configurations. The first is the 2-in/4-out Pro One which has a single integrated 73-style preamp. The Pro 2 has the same 2-in/4-out configuration, but boasts dual integrated 73-style preamps. The Pro Edge has the same dual preamps as the Pro 2, but ups the i/o ante with a 12-in/16- out configuration, which includes eight channels over ADAT.
The key factors here are those preamps, which are said to have the same transformer-balanced circuitry found in “the European pro audio manufacturer’s classic 73-style preamps”, which presumably means the Neve 1073. The takeaway is that the preamps and USB-C combination means that uses can capture that that “classic mojo and vibe” straight into your computer.
The interfaces also boast a 3-way input so you can record audio like vocals via the mic input with up to 70dB of gain, use a clean line input, or record electric guitar or bass with a JEFT DI.
Whichever interface you opt for, you get a $£900 software bundle that includes the BritStrip channel strip, HA 15 PRO bass amp, HA 1200 TapeSat, HA 240 Gold Foil Verb, and Heritage TAPEoPLEX.
The i73 Pro One cost €/$649, the i73 Pro 2 €/$999, and the i73 Pro Edge is €/$1,499. Get more information on the Pro One here, the Pro 2 here and the Pro Edge here.
