RØDE MAKES ITS BIGGEST NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT at NAB 2023

RØDE has today made its biggest product announcement ever at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, introducing seven new products and product updates, which will be launched over the coming weeks. This includes new firmware updates for the industry-leading Wireless GO II and RØDECaster Pro II, groundbreaking new products like the Streamer X, RØDECaster Duo and PodMic USB, and much-anticipated accessories.

RØDE will be showcasing these products alongside recent new releases, including the NT1 5th
Generation, Wireless ME and RØDE Capture, at the NAB Show from today, Sunday April 16, until tomorrow, Monday April 17 at the B&H Booth at NAB, Central Hall, #C8317.

WIRELESS GO™ II FIRMWARE UPDATE 

 A new firmware update is coming for the Wireless GO II, which will unlock even more features for what is already the most feature-packed compact wireless microphone system available. This includes the ability to save on-board recordings as WAV files for easy transfer to a computer on-the-go and start/stop on-board recordings using the transmitter and receiver power buttons – two highly requested features – as well as new camera models added to the camera preset feature, which was introduced in the most recent firmware update, and a number of system enhancements and workflow improvements. 

RØDECASTER PRO II™ WIRELESS MICROPHONE CONNECTIVITY

A new firmware update will also soon be released for the RØDECaster Pro II, which unlocks an incredible hidden feature: wireless microphone connectivity. Already the most powerful audio solution for content creators on the market, the RØDECaster Pro II features a flexible array of audio inputs, including combo jacks for connecting both microphones and instruments, Bluetooth connectivity, and dual-USB interfaces for connecting computers and mobile devices. With this new update, users will also be able to connect any RØDE Series IV wireless transmitter – including the Wireless GO II and Wireless ME – for recording pristine wireless audio directly to the RØDECaster Pro II. This incredible feature is a world-first and makes the RØDECaster Pro II even more versatile, with more inputs and outputs than any other device of its kind on the market, affirming its place as the ultimate audio production console for content creators. 

RØDE created the world’s first compact wireless microphone system with the original Wireless GO and revolutionised the category again with the Wireless GO II and, most recently, the Wireless ME. These latest updates see RØDE continue to innovate in the wireless category, expanding product capabilities and ensuring they offer maximum creative potential. 

STREAMER X 

The Streamer X is a revolutionary new product that combines a professional audio interface and video capture card in a compact, easy-to-use console. It features studio-grade audio inputs for XLR and line-level devices, headsets and RØDE wireless microphones, with an ultra-low-noise, high-gain Revolution Preamp™ and powerful APHEX audio processing delivering pristine sound quality. It also offers 4K30 / 2K60 streaming and up to 2K120 / 4K60 pass-through for incredible video quality in a wide variety of applications, from streaming and gaming, to podcasting and content creation, to business presentations. Two USB-C connections seamlessly accommodate dual PC setups, and four customisable SMART pads allow for on-the-fly triggering of sound or voice FX and other actions on a computer. It is also fully compatible with RØDE software solutions, including UNIFY, RØDE Central and RØDE Connect for expanded functionality and unmatched flexibility. The Streamer X represents a new way to livestream with incredible audio and video. Never before has broadcast-quality video and audio capture been possible using a single console. This is the ultimate all-in-one streaming solution.

 

RØDECASTER DUO

The RØDECaster Duo is a compact and incredibly powerful all-in-one audio production solution for podcasters, streamers, musicians and content creators​. It offers the same unmatched feature set and peerless versatility as the revolutionary RØDECaster Pro II – with the same high-power quad-core audio engine, Revolution Preamps™, APHEX® audio processing and endless customisability – now in an even more compact and portable form factor. 

RØDE created the all-in-one podcasting console category with the original RØDECaster Pro in 2018 and, since its release in 2022, the RØDECaster Pro II has been praised as the most powerful audio production console of its kind. The RØDECaster Duo will continue this legacy, delivering everything that users have come to love about its sibling in a more compact footprint – perfect for creators that require fewer audio inputs but don’t want to compromise on audio quality.

PODMIC USB

The PodMic USB is an ultra-versatile, broadcast-grade dynamic microphone for podcasting, streaming and content creation. It offers the same incredible sound quality and compact yet rugged form factor as the best-selling PodMic, with a powerful new feature up its sleeve: XLR and USB connectivity. 



Fresh off the back of the release of the NT1 5th Generation – the world’s first studio condenser to offer both XLR and USB connectivity – this incredible feature has now been added to the PodMic. When using the analog XLR output, the PodMic USB is exactly the same as the original, albeit with a sleek new finish and studio-grade pop filter. When using the digital USB output, it offers a range of next-generation features that make it super flexible, including a Revolution Preamp and high-quality analog-to-digital conversion for pristine audio capture, advanced DSP for adding professional APHEX voice processing to any recording, and compatibility with smartphones and tablets for use on the go. It also features a zero-latency headphone output and on-board volume control and is compatible with the complete RØDE software suite, including RØDE Central, RØDE Connect, RØDE Capture and UNIFY, making it the most versatile microphone ever.



RØDECASTER BACKPACK

The Backpack is a custom-designed carry bag for the RØDECaster series, including the RØDECaster Pro, RØDECaster Pro II, and RØDECaster Duo. Made from high-quality materials, including a soft, durable Alcantara® handle, ballistic nylon straps and water-resistant exterior, it is rugged and hard-wearing. It can accommodate a RØDECaster Pro, Pro II or Duo, plus microphones, studio arms and other accessories, as well as laptops up to 16 inches. Ergonomic adjustable shoulder straps with back and chest support ensure absolute comfort, with exterior pockets and compartments providing additional storage.

WIRELESS GO II CHARGING CASE

The Charge Case is a handy charging case for the Wireless GO II. It accommodates both transmitters and the receiver and features an integrated battery that facilitates three full recharges for up to 30 hours of continuous use. With a rugged enclosure and zip system, it is also perfect for protecting the Wireless GO II when in transit or storage. 

Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Review – Hands-Free Entertainment

Wires are seeming increasingly old-school these days. The new generation of headphones are wireless, and the market is flooded with options for those who like to listen to music without getting bogged down in wires. I have good news to report: Bluetooth headphones have come a long way. Although the first generation of Bluetooth wireless headphones could be iffy at best, the latest models offer a clear sound and convenient design that makes them a more useful tool than those of the past. The hi-Edo Wireless Bluetooth Headphones are an example of cool cheap gadgets. Whether you’re looking for headphones for commuting or your next holiday, these offer an array of features at a very reasonable price. Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons.

Hands-Free Features

The biggest benefit of these wireless Bluetooth headphones is that you can carry on with your day without being weighed down by wires. You can also use the headphones to talk on the phone, as well as listen to music. There’s no need to untangle headphones or store any extra gear; everything you need is in one handy place. The headphones connect to your smartphone, and with the latest Bluetooth technology the data exchange is fast and reliable. 

So let’s talk specs: the headphones have a battery life of up to 30 hours if you’re actively using them, but if they’re put in standby mode the battery lasts for a good 15 days. The maximum power is 20mW, with a frequency response of 20Hz to 20 KHz. Touch sensitivity of the headphones is 96dB share, and there’s an operating range of approximately ten metres. The headphones are equipped with a built-in microphone that lets you place and receive phone calls, but the primary purpose of these Bluetooth headphones is really listening to music. 

Basic Controls

You can control the volume on your headphones or skip past songs you’re not in the mood for by clicking on the side of the headphones. Although there are some fancier models out there that are voice-controlled, you’ll pay a lot more for that privilege. One area where these headphones do excel is in the design. They’re packaged in a range of fun colours with a minimalistic design, which goes pretty well with anyone’s wardrobe and sense of style. Some headphones can be clunky, but the hi-Edo are fairly chic. You can choose from a wide range of different colour combinations, including white and gray, black and gray, black and pink, white and red, and black and green among others. 

While style isn’t such an important feature to me personally, I do have to say that the headphones were nice and lightweight which made me forget that I was wearing them at times. They were easy to control with the buttons on the side of the right earphone. There’s nothing complicated here about these headphones, but everything worked. The price point for these gadgets is also lower than what you’d pay for new Apple or Bose wireless headphones, so if you’re looking for an affordable gift they can be a good option.

iRig Pads from IK Multimedia now shipping

IK Multimedia, the leader in mobile music creation apps and accessories, today announced it's shipping iRig® Pads, the full-featured, ultra-portable MIDI groove controller for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch as well as Mac and PC. It's the perfect companion for the mobile electronic music producer on the move: Now you can make beats, grooves and mixes anywhere you go.

Effortless portability
iRig Pads is designed to be effortlessly portable. It's smaller than an iPad and less than 1" thick - it's the smallest groove controller in the market. It has a slim, compact form factor and it's lightweight, which means that it can be slipped into any iPad or laptop bag or backpack and carried around with ease. For maximum portability, iRig Pads is a low energy consumption device - it draws its power directly from its host device and does not need a power source to be fully functional. It can be used with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch via its included Lightning cable (30-pin connector sold separately) without the need of an adapter as well as Mac and PC via its included USB cable.

Extreme versatility, custom controls
At the heart of iRig Pads is its 4x4 grid of 16 velocity-sensitive, backlit multicolour rubber pads. Each pad lights up in multiple colours - red, green, orange and every shade in between - depending on the velocity of your playing and the MIDI information sent by your chosen music app or software.

But iRig Pads does more than your average mobile pad-based MIDI controller. Its full spread of controls - two knobs, two buttons, one slider and one pushbutton rotary encoder - let you get creative. All controls are MIDI assignable and customisable: Up to 16 distinct MIDI maps or "scenes" can be saved, which allows for full control of apps and software on stage or in the studio. iRig Pads comes with 6 pre-programmed scenes designed to work with many of your favourite apps and software right out of the box.

Apps for Beats, Loops, Decks and more
To help you get in the groove, IK is working to make iRig Pads the ultimate controller for beats, loops and more by adding support for a growing suite of powerful apps and software. iPhone and iPad users will be able to make beats out of the box with the included SampleTank® free, and they'll soon be able to control grooves and launch loops with GrooveMaker® 2 free for iPhone and iPad and remix their preferred tracks with DJ Rig™ free (all downloadable from the App Store℠).

On Mac/PC the included SampleTank 3 SE (worth $99.99/€79.99), available as a standalone and a plug-in virtual instrument for every major DAW, includes over 6.5 GB of sample contents, 400 instruments and 150 MIDI patterns, for a complete music production workstation, out of the box (coming soon as download from the IK user area). In addition, by registering their iRig Pads, users will be able to receive The Grid, an exclusive and free additional collection of 50 instruments (800 samples) and 50 MIDI patterns - designed exclusively for beat makers and groove performers who use iRig Pads - for SampleTank on iOS and Mac/PC (a value of $9.99/€7.99 for iOS and $39.99/€29.99 for Mac/PC).

And that's only scratching the surface - iRig Pads is also fully MIDI class-compliant, which means you can use it and customise its controls for use with virtually any MIDI-compatible app such as FL Studio Mobile, iMPC Studio and GarageBand or Mac/PC software such as MPC Studio, Ableton Live, Maschine, GarageBand and more.

Pricing and Availability
iRig Pads is now available from music and electronics retailers worldwide for $149.99/€119.99 (excluding taxes) as well as on the IK online store. Thanks to its generous feature set, included content value and universal uses for iOS devices as well as Mac and PC, iRig Pads offers the best quality to price ratio of any MIDI groove controller on the market.

You can find out more information here.

Do We Know Microphones?

Most consumers think that there is just one type of microphone that everyone uses, but that is far from the truth. There are many different types of microphones that are used in a variety of situations. So what are they? There are four main types which are dynamic, condenser, boundary and ribbon. 

Fun fact: Did you know that a microphone is a speaker reversed?

Dynamic microphones are the most common that are used in live performances, in a recording studio and the same technology is used video camera microphones. They work using magnets and a copper coil which create an electrical current which then turns into an audio signal. A small diaphragm inside the microphone moves when air is passed through causing the magnet to move back and forward through the copper coil creating the electrical current. These microphones are well known to have a solid build quality, which is why they are used for live performances. The most well known and most used by musicians is the Shure SM58, this microphone was developed in the 60s for rock and roll but others soon learnt about its clear and crisp sound quality and now use it for professional sound recordings.

The most common type used in a studio situation is a condenser microphones and typically needs an electrical current to operate. These microphones are mostly used in a studio situation and not in live performance as they are too sensitive. They work with two plates, one being the diaphragm. These move when current audio waves pass through changing how much signal goes through the microphone. They can be used in all sort of situations in a music studio, to capture vocals, room ambience, drum mic ups and guitars. They offer a flatter frequency when compared to the dynamic variety but come at a heavier price.

The next two microphones are well less known and used within the music industry, but they are still used in some places. A boundary is a small microphone which is can be used in a recording studio environment but it is mainly used in meeting rooms so the meeting can be recorded. It works with a boundary plate and a dynamic microphone. Sound bounces of the boundary plate and into the microphone capsule. For best results it has to be flat or mounted on a wall.

A ribbon microphone is very special, this type was used in the early days of radio, giving broadcasts that amazing warm sound. These microphones are mainly used in studios for the clear crisp sound, which is caused by a ribbon of metal in the microphone. This minute piece of delicate metal is suspended between a magnet when the pressure changes it sends the signal to the microphone. Ribbon microphones are extremely delicate and very expensive, they can easily be damaged by loud noise.

I hope this give you some insight into the four main types of microphone available.

Author: Jake George

Is Apple Purchasing Beats by Dre a Good Move?

Its been in the news that Apple has recently bought Beats audio. Before we get to what we think, lets go back to the very start of digital music, and what many say started it all; Apple …

Specifically the iPod was the very first true way of having your music go where ever you did. It changed the way people listened to music, and literally changed the music industry. Some would argue that the Ipod was one of the most important inventions Apple ever made. Boy did it sell, at the start nearly 400 million sold, not to mention  the millions if not billions that have been sold ever since. Then the iPod touch came out, the true start of capacitive touchscreens and what gave way to perhaps the most well known and most talked about phone ever; the iPhone

Beats isn't a company to mess with either. A privately owned company that never releases results or revenue earnings and who is known for the color red does very well for themselves. The high priced and amazing quality and portable speakers are where their main revenue comes from. Beats Music does okay, just okay with an estimated paid subscription group of just 200 000 people, but the streaming service does have some great options in terms of songs. Lets face it, Beats is one of the best known audio brands in North America and Europe where Apple dominates in not only profit but also market shares

So why now? Well with Apple getting set to launch their new iPhones very soon I'm sure they wouldn't mind having Beats Music to add to their iTunes collection, Beats has some very big contacts and experts in the music industry as well. Apple might also want some help in the headphones department, when Beats was working with HTC the made some awesome earphones that shipped with the HTC One. Now does that mean the Apple will stop including their well known while earpods? Probably not, but Beats could of course help improve them. But the biggest reason they probably would have bought Beats is to improve sound. When Beats was working with HTC they produced such amazing sound that we just couldn't get enough of it. I still personally use an HTC One as my daily driver and one of the biggest reasons is because it still has Beats. Apple already has amazing sound and having Beats on board will only help that cause.

Now nothings been officially announced but what do you think? Do you think that this will help Apple, as always leave a comment down below and follow us on social media, subscribe on Youtube and keep checking the website. Thanks for reading!

Author: Ben Smith - Twitter

NewMediaCreator Launch - helping creators

It gives me great pleasure to share details with you about the NewMediaCreator launch. Everything you need to know is in the video below.

For a long time now, I have been sharing my experience with technology on the Geekanoids Channel. Nothing will change there. However, over those years you (and myself) have had to research products and buy them from companies in the hope that they deliver on their promises. 

Rather than being a box-shifter with 100's of lines, NewMediaCreator features only hand-picked products that I have actually used.

"Here at NewMediaCreator we have hand-picked a selection of products that either meet or exceed our expectations. They will enhance your productions, either in audio or visual quality or in the way they make your workflow easier. We don't believe in struggling or just managing, instead the tools we use should disappear into the background allowing us to focus on our creativity."

I am so excited to share this all with you. Geekanoids is an open community, so if you ever have any feedback or suggestions for new products just get in touch.

GTI + Underworld -- Play the Road Official Video

Volkswagen Golf GTI + Underworld have collaborated on a project that synchronises driving and music in real time. Play the road generates music via a phone app that's connected to the GTI's onboard computer, reading the driver's location and movements to compose music live.



Subscribe to the Volkswagen UK channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/UKVolkswagen

My favorites in budget Bluetooth sound

I'm a proud member of the Bluetooth cyborg army. I'm the guy who always seems to be talking to himself in the car next to you at red lights, and I'm the dude at the gym working out to Spotify, podcasts, or Audible with a flashing thing in my ear. Since going wireless for almost all my audio needs, I've never looked back and have actually become a bit of a connoisseur, particularly when it comes to budget Bluetooth options...

Read the full story here... Source: CNET

World’s Fastest Wireless Radio Frequency Chip Boasts 10 Billion Bytes Per Second

Researchers from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a new radio frequency chip capable of sending/receiving 10 gigabits per second.  That equates to a 4.7GB movie file that can be downloaded in 3.76 seconds.

Park Cheol Soon, the lead KAIST professor of the project, states the chip can be used in future smartphones and cameras, but can also replace cables and deliver cable/fiber optic speeds without the costly infrastructure.

The team claims the design of the chip and antenna has been made to be small (4mm tall and 6.6mm wide) for use in most mobile devices. The antenna itself is designed to transmit and receive data, rather than needed multiple antennae to perform the task, further reducing the size of the design.

For consumers, this means some really cool applications, imagine Google Fiber datatransmission speeds without all the laying of wires and infrastructure in homes, or transferring a full 64 GB SD card wirelessly in mere seconds.

[Source: TechnoBuffalo]