New Gear Alert: Universal Audio’s Apollo x4 + Twin X, Lyra USB Mic by AKG, ZYLIA’s ZR-1 Portable Recorder & More

Universal Audio’s Apollo x4 and Apollo Twin X have landed.

Universal Audio furthers the Apollo series with the brand new Apollo x4 and Apollo Twin X.

With elite-class A/D and D/A conversion inherited directly from the award- winning Apollo X rackmount interfaces, four Unison-enabled mic preamps, and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for Mac and Windows, Apollo x4 is the world’s most advanced desktop audio interface.

Built for musical collaboration, this 12 x 18 Thunderbolt 3 desktop interface features dual front-panel Hi-Z inputs and four mic preamps with 127 dB dynamic range, plus Realtime UAD Processing via built-in UAD-2 QUAD Core DSP—letting you track and mix with the full library of UAD Powered Plugins with near-zero latency.

Like Apollo x4, Apollo Twin X also features elite-class A/D and D/A conversion inherited directly from Apollo X, and Thunderbolt 3 connectivity for Mac or Windows. Apollo Twin X is a potent sonic update to the world’s most popular professional desktop audio interface.

Available in UAD-2 DUO or QUAD Core formats for running acclaimed UAD plugins in real time, this 10 x 6 Thunderbolt 3 audio interface provides unrivaled sonic detail with 127 dB dynamic range. This conversion represents a new gold standard in desktop audio quality, ensuring that Apollo Twin will be used to capture a new generation of hits.

Both units feature Unison-enabled mic preamps, giving you the impedance characteristics, gain stage “sweet spots”, and unique circuit behaviors of the world’s most sought-after tube and solid state preamps, guitar amps, and stompboxes—including authentic emulations from API, Neve, Fender, Manley, SSL, Helios, UA, and more.

For further information and pricing, visit the Apollo x4 and Apollo Twin X product pages.

HARMAN announces the AKG Lyra USB mic.

The Lyra mic is AKG’s first foray into the growing world of USB microphones geared towards podcasters and content creators.

Featuring advanced circuitry based on 70 years of AKG acoustic engineering, the AKG Lyra delivers the highest audio quality in its class, with acoustically transparent, 4K-compatible, Ultra HD-grade 24-bit/192 kHz audio resolution.

Lyra features the innovative AKG Adaptive Capsule Array, which provides user-selectable capture modes that are optimized for any performance, and makes it easy to deliver professional sound for any application. Plug-and-play operation allows creators of all experience levels to get set up and start recording quickly, while easily accessible controls provide seamless ease of use.

An internal self-adjusting shock mount minimizes contact noise, while a built-in sound diffuser and AKG’s proprietary Internal Element Overload Prevention automatically reduces noise, eliminates pops, and improves signal levels.

For further information and pricing on the AKG Lyra, click here.

ZYLIA unleashes the ZR-1 portable recorder.

The ZR-1 portable recorder is the perfect complement to ZYLIA’s cutting-edge ZM-1 microphone array.

The ZYLIA ZR-1 portable recorder is designed for professional users of the innovative ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone array. The ZR-1 offers a convenient laptop replacement for outdoor and ambient sound recordings, third-order Ambisonics recording, and 360-degree recording.

The ZR-1 supports the recording of audio from any ZYLIA ZM-1 microphone connected via USB. Equipped with an SD memory card (up to 2 TB) and powered either by 8 AA batteries or an external 5V power source, the ZYLIA ZR-1 allows you to record over 220 hours of 19-channel 48 kHz/24-bit PCM audio. Stored files can be easily transferred to a laptop and further processed with dedicated ZYLIA software.

The ZYLIA ZR-1 portable recorder is available now, priced at $999.99.

Electro-Harmonix announces the re-release of the 1973 Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi.

EHX offers a re-release of the burly 1973 Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi.

Electro-Harmonix has unveiled a faithful re-creation of their original 1973 Violet Ram’s Head Big Muff, renowned for its exceptional sustain and articulate string separation.

The new pedal is housed in a pedalboard friendly die-cast chassis and equipped with a few select updates for convenience; these include true bypass switching, an LED to indicate effect status, and the option of being powered by a 9-volt AC adapter.

Click here to check out a video demo of the Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi.

Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi is available now, priced at $99.

PSP updates the PianoVerb plugin.

PSP offers user-friendly improvements to their popular (and free) PianoVerb plugin.

PSP PianoVerb is a freeware plugin which reproduces a special kind of reverberation originally provided by piano strings. The new and updated version of this plugin offers a redesigned GUI with a brand new resize feature and new presets management.

PianoVerb generates reverberation using twelve string operators with adjustable damping and decay time. Each of them is tuned to a particular note starting from A(55Hz) to a G#(103.8Hz). The PianoVerb string system can be transposed in the range of +/-24 semitones, tuned within a range of +/-100 cents, and be detuned as well. Transposing to lower octaves produces a bigger and less resonant sound similar to traditional reverbs, while in turn transposing to higher octaves produces a very bright harp-like effect.

Check out an introductory video to the updated PianoVerb here.

PSP PianoVerb is available for free here. PSP is also offering a 45% discount on their entire range of plugins, now through October 31st, 2019.

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