HOT GEAR
Source Audio ZIO Analog Front End + Boost Pedal
Source Audio has released the ZIO Analog Front End + Boost pedal . ZIO is Source Audio ’ s first all-analog effects pedal and designed in collaboration with Christopher Venter , the owner and sole engineer at Shoe Pedals and creator of the Looking Glass pedal from DOD .
The ZIO is an all-analog preamp / boost pedal that includes a choice of four distinct preamp circuits , each with up to 20dB of additional output boost .
The pedal is designed to take a guitar ’ s high impedance signal , sweeten the tone with any of its four preamp circuits , and output a strong , low impedance signal that won ’ t be altered by the buffered dry tones of effect pedals further down the signal chain . High fidelity , noise-free Burr-Brown op amps help give the ZIO a high level of clarity and responsive pick dynamics , while maintaining ideal body and warmth .
The ZIO has four distinct preamp circuits . JFET offers a completely transparent signal boost with zero colouring or distortion . Low-Cut reduces “ tubby ” bottom-end for a tighter sound with added headroom . Studio finds inspiration from the “ Pultec Trick ,” a studio technique that adds clarity by cutting the “ mud frequencies ” and adding mid-range articulation . E-Plex captures the focused and subtle grit of the preamps found in vintage Echoplex Tape Delay units .
TASCAM 424 Studio Master Cassette
TASCAM has introduced the 424 Studio Master High Bias Type II Cassette tape , which is specifically designed for use with the company ’ s Portastudio series cassette recorders .
The 424 Studio Master C-60 was developed for the 50 th anniversary of TASCAM as a tribute to its heritage . In 1979 , TASCAM / TEAC created the 144 Portastudio , the world ’ s first portable home studio integrating a mixer and multi-track recorder . The new TASCAM 424 cassette was developed in close coordination with National Audio Company of Springfield , MO , the world ’ s largest manufacturer of quality cassette tape and the largest duplicator of recorded music cassettes . The TASCAM 424 cassette employs a hand-assembled shell manufactured using traditional injection molding and 3D printing to recreate the original TEAC shell with miniature gold reels from the early 1980s . These are the only High Bias Type II cassettes currently being manufactured today , according to the company .
70 CANADIAN MUSICIAN