Hasta La Gadget!

At the start of NAMM 2013, Roland announced two new models in its Cube line and an iOS app to complete the trio. Both the Cube Lite and Cube Lite Monitor are on display in all of their dual-connecting glory, but we’re far more interested in the former for its guitar amp wares. The 10W compact unit touts built-in JC Clean, Crunch and Extreme tones alongside Chorus and Reverb controls. We were pleasantly surprised with how well these on-board sounds came across at the strings of a Stratocaster during the booth demos we witnessed. Usually included presets can be really hit or miss, but these are quite serviceable — especially in a portable unit. As you might expect, all of the usual controls are here including volume, treble, bass and drive and the requisite 1/4-inch input graces the backside. That’s all quite nice, but the real story here is the iOS software and aux connectivity.

That iOS app, Cube Jam, allows you to record and play along with tunes from your iDevice and connects via the i-Cube Link stereo auxiliary input from the headphone jack of a slate or handset. We were a bit disappointed that the connection didn’t come at the hands of a 30-pin jack or Lightning port, but overall the unit worked quite nicely in our limited time with it. The separate volume control for the aux port is quite nice and allows the user to adjust levels of the amp and the accompanying track independently to keep things just so. We’d surmize that you’d be able to connect an Android, BB10 or WP8 device for playback, if you’re willing give up the Cube Jam software. Cube Lite also requires a tethered power supply and doesn’t support Bluetooth connectivity like we saw on the iLoud from IK Multimedia. If you don’t have a need for the guitar functionality, the Cube Lite Monitor wields the same 1/8-inch input, but offers stereo 1/4-inch jacks instead and tosses the in-built tones. Head on past the break for a quick tour and a closer look awaits in the gallery just below.

James Trew contributed to this report.

Filed under: Misc

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Source: Roland, iTunes

When Battroborg hit shelves in Japan last June we were, admittedly, a tad jealous. Where were our tiny, motion controlled boxing bots? Well, if you can be just a bit more patient, the vicious little toys should be landing stateside in time for Christmas. Tomy was nice enough to bring them by our office for a little preview and to help us work out some intra-office tension. So, beyond the obvious Wii and Rock’em Sock’em Robots comparisons, what’s it like piloting these puny pugilists through battle? Head on after the break for impressions, pics and a dose of combat — Engadget style.

When Tomy rep, Jamie Kieffer, took out the Battroborgs we were immediately struck by how small they were. Maybe previous coverage didn’t give us proper perspective, but at about two or three inches tall, they’re damn-near pocketable, which was a tad unexpected. In fact, if we think they were a precursor to our Real Steel fantasies coming true, we’d say they were cute. Their exceptionally light plastic bodies have two arms with joints at the elbow and shoulder, which allow them to throw straight rights and jabs. We also discovered, accidentally, that if you pop the elbow joint out of place you can “teach” the little guys to throw a hook. The controller bears obvious similarities to the Wii controller and Nunchuk. Two white plastic parts are connected by a thin cord with the larger half housing four AA batteries and an on off switch. Both pieces house accelerometers that translate your furious flurries into robot rights and lefts.

Operation is pretty simple. A small connector on the front of the controller lets you dock a robot and charge it for up to 20 minutes of continuous combat. When its time to do battle you flick a tiny switch on the back of your Battroborg then turn on the controller (in that order, please) to pair the two using 2.4GHz wireless. Communication between the two is instantaneous and, even with four slugging it out simultaneously, there seemed to be no interference from the devices. In fact, TOMY claims you can have up to 20 of them slug it out simultaneously. While the punching controls are pretty self explanatory, moving about takes some adjustment. Since a single motor drives the whole bot, moving forward is accomplished through throwing a series of alternating punches. (Throwing one punch over and over will spin you in a circle.)

Battroborgs should be hitting American retailers in time Christmas, with two bots and an arena expected to cost between $70 and $80. While additional combatants can be purchased separately for around $30.

Edgar Alvarez contributed to this report.

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Headphones, there’s plenty to choose from these days that’s for sure. But amongst the celebrity endorsed pairs, and the traditional brands there appears to be a gap in the market. Or, so thinks Akai — the maker of the legendary MPC line of beat-machines — as it’s extending the brand to include three new sets of its own: the MPC Pro, MPC, and MPC Earbuds. Akai claims the new additions are designed for use with the kit of the same name, but looking at the design, we’d wager it’s not shy of taking a slice of the more image-conscious / brand aware market either. The daddy of the bunch is the MPC pro (the lower of the two you see above. These come with 50mm drivers and an over-ear design, aimed at improving isolation. The MPC model (the other pair you see above) sport 40mm drivers and an on-ear design. Both the Pro, and regular MPC editions have a metallic red and silver finish, with foldable ear-cups. The baby of the bunch is the Earbuds edition, and these are designed for “active producers,” or dare we say, sporty types too. The ear-hook design is reminiscent of other sports headphone buds to keep them in place. These, however, are Bluetooth enabled too. But, if you’re worried about the latency while you’re producing on the go, there’s a connection for going traditionally 3.5mm-cabled too. Hear more past the break.

When we first heard that Akai was venturing into the headphone market, we can’t deny we were a little excited. The idea of something specific to the MPC hardware / music production, and potential for MPC-inspired design tickled us. In reality, it’s hard not to think that it’s more about extending the brand onto another line of products. The samples we saw on the floor were early prototypes, and not final models, so things may change, but the design and the three tiered approach suggests this is as much about market appeal as it is dedicated producer hardware. The metal finish looked well designed and reminded us of the Beats Pro line (a little too much perhaps). They fold in, which is always handy for easy storage, and there is also a mic for when using with your phone. Wearing them was comfortable enough, but with no audio to enjoy, we’re unable to sample how they actually sound. So, if that turns out to be a strong point, we can happily take these as the serious producer headphones they claim to be, until then, though, we’re reserving final judgement. Price and availability to follow.

Filed under: Home Entertainment

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A few days back, Moog teased a new synthesizer that we would come to meet properly as the Sub Phatty. Once we hit the show floor here in California, we made sure to drop by for live look. The analog unit features every bit of the fine craftsmanship that we’ve come to know Moog for crankin’ out of its factory in the mountains of North Carolina despite the affordable $1,100 price tag. Sub Phatty keeps with the classic snyth aesthetic and Moog design trademarks including soft-touch coated side panels — a staple of the Phatty line — and knobs that look and feel prime for extreme mileage. Aside from a dapper exterior, the big draw here is the new Multidrive tech that graces the control panel and inner workings of the device. We could give a detailed textual explanation of said feature, but we’ll let Amos Gaynes, product development specialist at Moog, do all of the chatting in the video that follows after the break. Speaking of the jump, you’ll find an audio sample taken straight off of the Sub Phatty’s frontside here at NAMM 2013.

James Trew contributed to this report.

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What do Magpies and DJs have in common? Well, if Pioneer’s latest special edition hardware is anything to go by, it’s a love of shiny things. Announced this week, the limited-run of it’s flagship CDJ2000nexus, DJM-900nexus and RMX-1000 remix station DJ gear is all about the looks. We managed to get there the minute the show floor opened, and found the lustrous kit getting the final spit and polish before the eager hoards could get their curious hands on it. As anyone who has used Pioneer DJ kit will know, the build quality is generally high, and this is still the case here. The metallic finish really makes them something to look at, and we can see this being the set-up of choice for those who like to show off a little. With that in mind, you might be thinking what we were: what about fingerprints? Well, having got there first, meant that they had yet to endure the proper real-world challenge, but we were kind enough to apply a few firm presses to the gear in the name of science. The result? Well, let’s just say that you might want to keep a lint-free cloth close to hand. But then if you’re the kind to lay down the suggested $8,499 for the whole set, we imagine you might have thought that far ahead already. Check the gallery below to see the whole set, up close and personal.

Billy Steele contributed to this report.

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