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Re: next remix review to appear in American Gear catalog



See more info @ www.tracoman.com or contact tracoman 954-929-8999 for a
demo CD

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> 
> ----------
> > 
> > >The NEXT! Wave Has Arrived.
> > >
> > >Ahh... analog. For most DJ's and producer-types, the very word itself
> > conjures up those big, deep bass tones and sharp-as-a-razor filter
sweeps
> > that only vintage analog gear can really deliver. But until now,
scoring
> > that classic piece of retro analog gear-a TB-303 Bassline, a Moog
synth,
> a
> > Vocoder, or any number of pawn-shop prizes-meant scouring the swap
meets
> or
> > paying big, big bucks on the vintage synth market. But thanks to a new
> > company called NEXT!, all that's about to change...
> > >
> > >When American Gear invited me to review four products from the new
NEXT!
> > lineup of analog music and DJ processing gear, I jumped at the chance.
> What
> > arrived on my doorstep days later was the real deal: the SUPERBASS 4.4
> and
> > SPACEBASS 3.3 Analog Bass Synthesizers, the REZ-30 Resonator, and the
> VOX-II
> > Vocoder. Each unit was a compact 1U rack-mount size and sported a bunch
> of
> > front panel knobs with cool retro synth names like "VCO," "VCF," and
> "LFO."
> > Anxious to drop these beauties into a house remix I was working on, I
> > plugged 'em right in.
> > >
> > >First up was the SPACEBASS 3.3 Analog Bass Synthesizer. This
unassuming
> > little unit was simple to set up. I connected my keyboard to the MIDI
In
> > jack on the 3.3's back panel and then connected an instrument cable to
> the
> > 3.3's audio output (the big one labeled "OUT"-duh). The front panel was
> > similarly sparse: just eight knobs for VCO Tune and Wave; VCF Cutoff,
> > Resonance, and EnvMod; VCA/VCF Accent; Envelope Decay and Master
Volume.
> If
> > you don't know what all these abbreviations stand for, don't worry.
These
> > terms come from the glory days of analog synths, standing for things
like
> > "Voltage Controlled Oscillator," and "Voltage Controlled Filter." And
> trust
> > me, you've definitely heard the sound of these knobs being twirled on
> > classic techno and electro-funk tracks from Detroit to Germany-making
it
> > easy to just plug in and start tweakin'.
> > >
> > >The devilish analog growl of the SPACEBASS 3.3 had me floored within
> > seconds of hitting that first key. Squealing techno lines of the "acid"
> > variety and ultra-deep dub-style bass from those hip-hop records your
> mother
> > warned you about are easy stuff here. This bass synth is, in short, a
> > modern-day emulation of the classic R..... TB-303 Bassline, right down
to
> > the built-in Accent functions, which activate when you play your
keyboard
> > above a certain velocity. In my opinion, this affordable little box has
> got
> > that 'must-have' 303 sound nailed-truly sick bass sounds,
teeth-grinding
> > filter sweeps and all. And it's a heck of a easier to use and more
> reliable
> > than the original.
> > >
> > >Having dropped a few choice filter sweeps and a gnarled buzzsaw hit or
> two
> > into my track, I decided to explore the SPACEBASS 3.3's big brother,
the
> > SUPERBASS 4.4. The family resemblance was strong between these two bass
> > brethren, with this big guy boasting just a few more knobs and features
> and
> > expanded MIDI capability. Namely, the SUPERBASS gives you a cool
> Autoslide
> > control for "sliding" between notes (also called portamento), a Wave
> switch
> > for selecting between Saw and Square waves (the 3.3 has a continuously
> > adjustable knob instead), an Envelope PWM control for thickening up the
> > Square wave, and a built in Distortion knob for adding, well, you know.
> My
> > favorite addition on the 4.4 however, was the Sub Oscillator, which
added
> > some phat bass frequencies so low that I'm sure only dogs could've
heard
> > them. The Sub Oscillator can be blended with the Square and Saw waves
for
> > some truly luscious and full bass sounds, which I quickly used to
replace
> > the now-wimpy bass sound in my remix. For those who spend any time in
the
> > world of MIDI sequencing, you'll be glad to know that SUPERBASS 4.4
also
> > offers MIDI In, Out and Thru jacks.
> > >
> > >I next plugged in to the REZ-30 Resonator to see what I could do to
> really
> > tweak my almost-full house track. Thankfully, the REZ-30 opened up lots
> of
> > possibilities. This unit offers some very sharp sound filtering and
> > phasing/flanging type effects based on a classic analog synth circuit
> with
> > three parallel filters. To make things interesting, it also includes a
> > three-mode LFO Modulation section with adjustable rate and depth and an
> > Envelope Modulation section with depth and decay controls-controls
which
> > react to input frequencies to make things downright scary. I decided to
> run
> > my drum loops and keyboard tracks through the REZ-30, and the resulting
> > filter sweeps and tweaks were among the sharpest and most powerful I've
> ever
> > heard. I filtered away at two of my loops to give them a unique
"pulsing"
> > feel, then I went back and used the REZ-30 to flange out the synth
sounds
> > and give them an ambient touch. Best of all, this whole process was
> really
> > simple, and I could easily see bringing the REZ-30 into my DJ rig to
> tweak a
> > mix, flange a breakbeat, phase out a vocal, and more. The possibilities
> here
> > are really endless.
> > >
> > >The final piece of NEXT! gear in my rack was the big, bad VOX-II
> Vocoder.
> > For those of you who haven't played with a vocoder-a good analog
> vocoder-the
> > VOX-II is a real eye- and ear-opener. Basically, a vocoder takes a
sound
> > with lots of sustain-a long synth sound, for example-and controls its
> attack
> > with a separate distinct sound-usually the human voice or something
with
> > lots of rhythmic variation like a drum loop. The effect produced by
> > combining these sounds is truly unique, as heard in the synth-like
robot
> > voices of some of funk and disco's biggest hits. Possible uses include
> robot
> > voices, talking basslines, singing synth leads, synth sounds that
"pulse"
> > like drum loops, and more. Not to be overlooked in the VOX-II is its
> awesome
> > 11-band Filter Bank section, which I used to dial in to the exact
vocoder
> > frequencies I wanted to hear, as well as to create some general madness
> with
> > my loop. I spent hours just playing with the VOX-II, seeing how far I
> could
> > merge my voice into synthland. I eventually decided to run the vocals
> from
> > my remix through the VOX-II and create a very funky chorus vocal.
> > >
> > >Without exception, the new analog NEXT! gear was a joy to use. Simple,
> > straightforward operation, ultra-phat analog sounds, sturdy
construction,
> > and DJ-friendly pricing was clearly the goal here. Thankfully, NEXT!
gear
> > delivers on all counts. Let's hope my remix does the same in the clubs
> next
> > weekend...
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >JK
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > 
>