1. Manson Guitar Works Violin Bass
After acquiring a majority stake in the company last year and revealing a new range of affordable MBM-1 signature models earlier in the year at NAMM, Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has debuted what looks to be the first bass model from Manson Guitar Works: a souped-up violin bass in the spirit of Paul McCartney.
Like anything that comes out of the Manson camp, this bass is paired with a unique sci-fi aesthetic that sees it being adorned with LED body binding (!!!!) and a luminous headstock logo to make for a radical modern interpretation of the classic model. There’s no official word yet on whether this is just a custom build for Bellamy’s Jaded Hearts Club Band or if Manson are planning on taking the model to production, but we’ll endeavour to keep you updated along the way.
2. Baby Audio Parallel Aggressor Plug-In
Baby Audio are one of the most exciting plug-in designers to emerge in recent times, with releases like the Comeback Kid, Super VHS and I Heart NY cutting through the noise with their powerful functionality and appealing design. The firm have now released the Parallel Aggressor, combining features from the I Heart NY and Super VHS to offer a practical parallel processing unit that will surely worm its way into your production process.
The plug-in works by splitting your audio into one dry signal and two processed tracks, which get fed into the Parallel Aggressors’s Heat and Spank engines to beef up the sound without compromising the integrity of the original audio stem. There’s also a bunch of other little tools like low-pass and high-pass filters, as well as sidechaining and mono summing modes, while Baby Audio have also included a number of presets from renowned producers to get you started on your way.
3. Audio-Technica ATH-M50xPB
Audio-Technica’s ATN-M50x headphones are universally regarded as the best cans for mixing, monitoring and casual listening in their price range, and are subsequently used by some of the biggest names in the world today. If you’re still looking for an excuse to grab a pair for yourself, now is the time: Audio-Technica are celebrating the legacy of these awesome headphones with a brand new set in a limited edition colour way, available exclusively through Store DJ and Mannys.
The limited edition Purple and Black cans are available in both Bluetooth and wired versions to suit a range of listening or mixing applications, and provide a colourful alternative to the all-too-drab and matte black world of studio gear. If you want to snag a pair, you’ll have to be quick: head to Store DJ or Mannys to secure a set today.
4. Dawner Prince Electronics Pulse Revolving Speaker Emulator
Hendrix, Gilmour and SRV all made use of pulsating rotary speaker tones in their music, and now you can too with the release of the Dawner Prince Electronics Pulse Revolving Speaker Emulator. After months of intensive R&D, these Croatian wizards have crafted a pedal that delivers a remarkably similar sound to units like the Maestro Rover RO-1 and Pink Floyd’s legendary Doppola rotary speaker, offering plenty of warble to thicken up your signal.
With stereo outputs for realistic 3D sound imaging and a mix control to blend wet and dry signals, the Dawner Prince Electronics Pulse looks to be one of the most comprehensive Leslie emulators on the market. There’s two footswitches to turn the unit on and toggle between fast/slow speeds, with an external input allowing for a remote speed switch or expression pedal to control the unit even further. If you’re chasing that authentic ’70s rotary speaker tone, the Pulse could be the one for you.
5. Poly Effects Beebo
Combining the world of Eurorack modular synths with guitar pedals, Poly Effects have debuted the Beebo, a fascinating multi-modulation pedal with a touchscreen display and a wide array of routing options. With a whole bunch of chorus, delay, EQ, phaser and compressor effects on offer, the Beebo lets you drag and draw blocks together via the touchscreen to create unique patches that are guaranteed to astound you.
There’s even a bunch of crazy effects onboard like a 16-model macro oscillator, meta modulator and granular texture synthesiser, while a number of DJ-leaning effects like turntable stop, twist delay and time stretch make the Beebo appealing to all those non-guitarists out there. There’s even a built-in drum machine included – is there anything this pedal can’t do?
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