TF-5 Small Diaphragm Mics
Røde is well known for its microphones and there will be very few school studios that have never owned some of its products! The latest addition to its line-up is a new small diaphragm pencil microphone designed for slightly higher-end recording.
The TF-5 features tolerances down to sub-micron level to give an incredibly detailed capture. When used alongside its equivalent – the NT-5 small diaphragm condenser (great mic!) – it provides a brilliant stereo image. rode.com
Auto-tune EFX+
The latest product to bear the Auto-tune name features the suffix EFX+. I'm sure it won't take long to work out what the FX stands for… That's right – effects. This version features all sorts of production tricks that you might want to apply to a vocal, including doubling, vocoder, filters and mutation setting. Plus, obviously, what Auto-tune is famous for – pitch correction and alteration. Expect a full review in an upcoming issue as there is plenty here of use in a school environment. antarestech.com
Rick and Morty PO-137 Synth
Teenage Engineering is well known for building (and selling) slightly left-of-centre electronic instruments. Their latest product is a tie-in with the cult animation, Rick and Morty, to coincide with the release of the new series in November. If you aren't familiar with the series, think of it as a twisted Back to the Future if it helps. A number of its catchphrases have become widespread, so it's not entirely surprising to see someone capitalise on this with a more technologically advanced version of an online soundboard.
The product is based on the Pocket Operator PO-35 vocal synth that features a built-in mic, a sequencer, and 120 secs of sample memory. So, if you want to introduce synthesis and sampling to your teaching and need a novel route in – Teenage Engineering may have got it covered! More details are avalaible via their website. teenage.engineering
