Feelin’ Retro?
RETRO-KING
18 Watt Combo
Retro-King Amps‘ 18 Watt Combo featuring two 10-inch or 12-inch speakers is the latest labor of love in their custom-made lineup of hand-wired tube amplifiers. A class AB amp, the 18 Watt Combo is a replica of the hard to find (and afford) 1966 Marshall 18-watt lead combo amplifier. Retro-King Amps are hand built by Chuck Dean, who has made a mission out of recreating classic amps of the the ’50s and ’60s. Retro-King offers one clean channel with reverb and tremolo along with a classic birch chassis wrapped in red or black Tolex. Finding a 1966 Marshall would cost you at least $2,500, while the 18 Watt Combo lists for $1,695. All Retro-King amps include a five-year warranty on parts and labor (90 days on tubes and speaker). For more information visit www.retrokingamps.com.
GROOVE TUBES
VELO8 Microphone
Groove Tubes‘ $799 Velo8 mic brings together the most attractive modern technologies combined with classic ribbon mics of yesteryear. The Velo8 features a large ribbon element activated by its modern touch — Neodymium, a rare magnet that offers maximum sensitivity output and wider response compared to standard dynamic mics. The mic’s strongest suit is smoothing out the rough edges on sources such as horns, guitars, and brassy vocalists. Operating in a figure-8 polar pattern, Velo8 is a good choice for studio owners wishing to upgrade their standard dynamic mics, without spending $1,000 or more. For more information visit www. groovetubes.com.
M-AUDIO
Podcast Factory
M-Audio‘s Podcast Factory enables virtually anyone with a modern PC or Macintosh computer to produce a Podcast — joining thousands of talk radio novices and corporate giants on the Web. Podcast Factory includes plug-and-play software that easily lets users of any level record and edit program material such as speech and music with sound effects, as well post MP3s with RSS feeds to the Web. M-Audio also supplies a collection of music loops in many genres as background and transitional music. Also included is the “brain unit” of the Podcast Factory, the two-input/single-output interface that can take XLR or 1/4-inch inputs for mics, or line level inputs from a CD or MP3 player. The Podcast Factory is compatible with both Macintosh computers (minimum G3 300MHz/G4 350MHz processors with OS X 10.2.8 or greater and a minimum of 128MB RAM) and PCs (minimum Windows XP (SP1) running on a Pentium II 350 with a minimum 64MB RAM). A microphone is included. The Podcast Factory is available now and carries a price of $199.95. We’ve seen some mail-order catalog Podcast studios going for $1,000, so we’d consider the Podcast Factory a good starting point for would-be Podcast-ers. For more information visit www.m-audio.com.
TALKING PANDA
iRocker
iRocker is a cool little practice companion for guitar players designed specifically for 2003 to 2005 model year iPods with LCD displays. iRocker software loads its Guitar Tuner, Virtual Chordbook, Metronome, and a jam-along program called Riffs onto your iPod. Virtual Chordbook is a handy learning tool that displays chord diagrams on the iPod screen, showing the correct fingering for each chord — offering more than 30 major and minor chords. Riffs lets you play along with five different chord progressions, letting a player solo over standard blues and rock riffs. iRocker lists for $19.95; you supply the iPod. For more information visit www.talkingpa nda.com.
— David Gedge
