New Gear Alert: KRK Updates KNS Headphones, Stage Mics from Austrian Audio, Miroire by Orchestral Tools & More

KRK enhances their line of KNS Headphones.

KRK improves upon their popular KNS Headphones line.

The KNS 6402 and KNS 8402 build on KRK’s renowned predecessor KNS 6400 and 8400 headphone models, enhancing their durability and comfort. Delivering an accurate listening experience in a high-performance package, KNS 6402 and 8402 headphones are jam-packed with features that provide musicians and producers of all levels with reliable tools for educated ears. Additionally, the 8402 has a sleek new look that’s perfect for professional studio applications, while the 6402 holds true to the traditional at-home producer’s style.

Whether deploying KRK KNS headphones for studio tracking, editing, mixing, or for any general listening applications, KNS headphones are fit for the job. With a closed-back circumaural (around the ear) design, both the KNS 8402 and KNS 6402 headphones offer an extremely comfortable listening experience to support music producers through long studio sessions, without any fatigue.

The KNS 6402 and 8402 are available now, priced at $99 and $149, respectively.

Austrian Audio announces two studio-quality stage mics.

Austrian audio debuts two powerful studio-quality mics that are built for the rigors of live performance.

The Austrian Audio OC707 is a rugged vocal microphone with a die-cast body and true condenser technology for superior sound on stage. Developed and built in Vienna, the OC707 contains a small-diaphragm condenser capsule with a frequency response optimized for the human voice. The capsule is handmade in Austrian Audio’s facilities in Vienna. Its combination of low self-noise (19 dB SPL) and high sound pressure level (150 dB SPL) results in an impressive dynamic range, creating a vocal microphone that has all the important characteristics of a studio mic but can withstand the rigors of everyday stage use.

The OD505 is an Active Dynamic microphone that combines the advantages of a dynamic stage mic with the sonic refinements of a condenser microphone. This outstanding vocal microphone achieves nearly the same sensitivity as a condenser mic due to its state-of-the-art dual capsule design where the bottom capsule is phase-inverted and passively switched. Combined with a switchable 2nd order high-pass filter and Austrian Audio’s Open-Acoustics-technology, noise from handling, bumps, and stage rumble are effectively eliminated.

The OC707 will be available in the USA in early December 2021, priced at $479; the OD505 will be available in the USA in early October, priced at $299.

Orchestral Tools announces the Miroire library.

Orchestral Tools unleashes the eighteenth-century inspired Miroire library.

Miroire by Orchestral Tools features instruments plus voices inspired by an earlier era, all recorded with specialist musicians. With an array of string, woodwind, brass, and choir samples, you can get exactly the right sound for period dramas or fantasy-themed TV shows, films, and games. But Miroire is also intended as an inspiring sound aesthetic that can evoke new ideas for any kind of creative music production.

Baroque violins and violas use gut strings and period bows for warm tonality with complex overtones. Five solo woodwind instruments—including Baroque flute and oboe, oboe d’amore, and oboe de caccia—provide a mellow, intimate timbre. Four valveless trumpet and horn instruments, all restricted to harmonic-series notes, deliver a powerful, direct sound. Miroire also includes a basso continuo section—with double bass, two celli, and a bassoon—for creating unison bass lines.

Miroire can be pre-ordered for €249 until its release on September 2nd, 2021. An introductory price of €299 will be available from September 2nd through September 16th (reg. €399).

Audio-Technica releases the updated ATH-M50xBT2 wireless over-ear headphones.

Audio-Technica furthers the ATH-M50x headphones with the improved M50xBT2 model.

The M50xBT2 delivers the same wireless listening experience as its predecessor, offering exceptional clarity and deep, accurate bass response. Updated and enhanced features include improved vocal pickup, incorporating dual-microphone beamforming technology for clearer phone calls and communication with the built-in Amazon Alexa voice assistant; the addition of multipoint pairing to let you connect wirelessly to two Bluetooth devices at once; an updated USB-C connection; a low-latency mode, improving synchronicity between audio and video for smooth streaming and gaming; and compatibility with multiple audio codecs (SBC, AAC and LDAC).

The M50xBT2 even features the option to adjust the headphone’s EQ settings by making the changes in the A-T Connect app and saving the settings on the headphones themselves. Battery life is approximately 50 hours of continuous use on a full charge and up to 3 hours of use on a 10-minute rapid charge via USB-C connection.

The ATH-M50xBT2 headphones are available now, priced at $199.

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