Our guide to the biggest drops in the gear world this week.
With so many brands to keep up to date with, it can be easy to lose track of all the latest equipment launched into the gear-sphere each week.
Today, we’re taking a look at some of the best releases that might’ve flown under the radar recently, with this week bringing us a swathe of effects from Mad Professor, Line 6 and NU-X plus a new Fender-voiced amp from the folks at Quilter and a packed M-Audio MIDI keyboard.
This week’s top picks:
- Mad Professor Electric Blue II Chorus/Vibrato
- Line 6 POD Go Wireless
- Nu-X MG-30
- Quilter Aviator Cub
- M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro
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Mad Professor Electric Blue II Chorus/Vibrato
An update take on this tried-and-true classic, the Mad Professor Electric Blue II takes the blueprint (emphasis on the blue) of its predecessor and fleshes it out for a new generation of players. The unit comes in a sleek aluminium-brushed chassis with white controls for a cool aesthetic, and offers up four controls to play with: Depth, Speed, Mix and Tone.
The Electric Blue II does add a little Chorus/Vibrato toggle to flip between the two modes, with Mad Professor designing the Vibrato circuit up from scratch to provide you with all the wobbly goodness you could ever ask for. Hear how it sounds below.
Line 6 POD Go Wireless
We loved the Line 6 POD Go when it was launched last year – in fact, it was even one of our favourite product releases from 2020 – so needless to say, we’re pretty keen to check this one out. Line 6 have launched a version of the POD Go that boasts an inbuilt Relay wireless receiver to give players an exceptionally simple wireless guitar experience straight out of the box, with the unit otherwise containing all the same killer features as the original.
The package includes a plug-and-play Relay G10TII transmitter to hook straight up to the POD Go, enabling you to access all those HX tones without ever reaching for a cable. Nice!
Nu-X MG-30
Somewhat of a continuation of their MG-300, Nu-X ‘s new MG-30 offers players with a down-sized take on their acclaimed multi-effects unit, packing 2K definition and power amp bias parameter tweaking to flesh out your tones even further.
Powered by two NXP RT Processors, the MG-30 packs 1024 samples of IR resolution for a laser fast response, while two AD/DA 32-bit audio CODECs allow for some incredible tones and a whopping dynamic range of 110dB.
With 30 classic amp models, 11 independent signal blocks and a four-inch display to navigate them all, the Nu-X MG-30 looks to be a hot contender for the best bang-for-buck multi-effects unit in this price range, and we cannot wait to give it a run.
Quilter Aviator Cub
Want classic Fender tube-amp tones without having to lug around a big, bulky Silverface amp? Don’t fear – the Quilter Aviator Cub is here. This single-channel, 1×12″ solid-state amp offers three distinctive Fender tones plucked from ’60s Tweed, ’62 Blonde and ’65 Blackface models, letting you tap into an array of vintage blues, rock, funk and country tones.
On the control front, this one boasts master volume, three-band active EQ, gain, limiter and reverb, with the front panel also playing host to a handy effects loop. Give it a listen below – if you’re chasing Blues Jr tones on a budget, this one might be worth a look in.
M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro
Packing 88 individually weighted keys for an authentic touch and feel, the M-Audio Hammer 88 Pro is a top-tier MIDI controller designated towards those who dabble in classical scoring and performance. There’s an inbuilt arpeggiator and aftertouch can be assigned to the keybed, while the top panel offers a host of assignable faders, knobs and RGB velocity-sensitive pads to let you tailor your own workflow.
M-Audio have also included a bunch of templates to allow the Hammer 88 Pro to auto-map to a range of DAWS, such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro, Stdio One, FL Studio and Cubase. Elsewhere, there’s an OLED screen that can be used to scroll through sounds and map controls, while three expression pedal inputs, a footswitch input, MIDI ins and outs and a USB port to hook straight up to your computer.
Catch up on all of last week’s hot new gear right here.
