ACROSS THE BOARD

Kurzweil has introduced a new keyboard, the budget-priced, 61-key KME61 ($849). Featuring synthesizer-key action, it offers sounds from Kurzweil's PC2 keyboard in a significantly lighter package.

Arguably the highlight of the KME61's sound set is the Triple-Strike Stereo Piano, which crossfades between dynamically sampled layers to provide more realistic response. You also get electric pianos, strings, acoustic and electric basses and guitars, brass, drums and percussion, and samples of the well-known vocal group Take 6.

The KME61 caps off its sounds with 30 effect combinations, including delay and reverb. The keyboard provides 32 multitimbral setups for stacking sounds or for using them with a sequencer; 16 of those are user programmable. The instrument is 32-note polyphonic.

The KME61 sports wheels for modulation and Pitch Bend, and you get jacks for a footswitch and an expression pedal. The analog outputs are a single stereo pair of unbalanced ¼-inch jacks. The keyboard is equipped with MIDI In, Out, and Thru jacks. Kurzweil Music Systems, Inc./Young Chang America (distributor); tel. (800) 874-2880 or (253) 589-3200; Web www.kurzweilmusicsystems.com.

SHURE THING

Shure's SM86 ($300) is a cardioid condenser vocal mic designed for use onstage. The mic's rugged dark gray housing and matte-finish steel grille are designed to withstand the rigors of touring, yet the SM86 provides a 50 to 18,000 Hz frequency response.

The SM86 features a three-point shockmount and a unidirectional cardioid polar pattern; both help minimize handling and off-axis noise. You get a two-stage pop filter to reduce wind and breath noises. To allow better use of the proximity effect without boominess, the SM86 filters provide a gentle, gradual rolloff slope for low frequencies.

Shure rates the SM86's maximum SPL at 147 dB, its dynamic range at 124 dB, and its self-noise at 23 dBA. The mic requires 11 to 52 VDC phantom power. Shure includes a microphone bag, a break-resistant mic clip, and a ⅝-to-⅜-inch adapter. Shure, Inc.; tel. (800) 25-SHURE or (847) 866-2200; e-mail info@shure.com; Web www.shure.com.

ON A ROLLS

The new Rolls WPM61 ($150) is a wireless personal monitor system consisting of a VHF transmitter and receiver (earphones are not included). The system provides a frequency response of 30 Hz to 15 kHz. Bands can use as many as four WPM61 systems for individual mixes.

The transmitter features an ⅛-inch stereo input jack and mixes the input to a mono signal. Another ⅛-inch TRS jack feeds the mono signal to the headphones of your choosing. Other features include transmitter volume control, a power switch, and a telescoping antenna. You also get a switch for selecting a 9V battery or the included 12V power supply. Rolls Music Corporation; tel. (801) 263-9053; e-mail rollsrfx@rolls.com; Web www.rolls.com.

DEATH AND TRANSFIGURATION

Have you ever wondered what your stompboxes would sound like if they could control each other in different ways or if you could connect your effects in an unusual order? Total Sonic Annihilation ($150), made by Death by Audio, is a stompbox that uses effects loops to combine existing effects pedals in unique ways. The box, which offers true bypass, can create new sounds by forcing effects to modulate themselves in controllable feedback loops. It can also be set to morph between effects.

The number of sonic variations the unit can create by interacting with your effects is practically unlimited. For example, you can connect several pitch-shifting pedals to produce multiple octaves, use reverbs to create crescendos and crashing sounds, or create rhythmic drum-pattern and synthesizer-like sounds.

Each stompbox is handcrafted from high-quality components. Death by Audio; tel. (540) 371-3986; e-mail skywave@killerrockandroll.com; Web www.killerrockandroll.com/deathbyaudio.

BEEF UP YOUR BOTTOM

The MaxxBass plug-in from Waves has long been a staple in the world of audio software, and now the company has come out with a hardware version. Geared toward sound installations and P.A. systems, the MaxxBass 101 ($350) provides a deeper, more natural-sounding bass without blowing out your speakers. It does its voodoo by using psychoacoustic principles to increase perception of low-end frequencies.

By generating certain harmonics in the presence of low-frequency signals, MaxxBass emphasizes our perception of bass presence and avoids the pitfalls of overloading amps and speakers when using EQ or subharmonic-generation devices.

MaxxBass takes up a single rackspace and sports balanced ¼-inch and XLR line-level inputs and outputs (+4 dBu). It has an input-level control as well as Frequency and Intensity controls for tuning and adjusting low-frequency output. Once you've fine-tuned MaxxBass, you can use the Lock button to retain your settings. DJs might want to check out the MaxxBass 102 ($250), a half-rack unit with a pair of analog unbalanced -10 dBV RCA inputs and outputs. Waves; tel. (865) 546-6115; e-mail info@waves.com; Web www.waves.com.

THE SHRINKING EURO

If your performance space is a bit cramped and cluttered, you'll surely appreciate Behringer's Eurorack UB802 ($89.99). With a footprint only slightly larger than this magazine, the mixer offers a total of eight inputs: two mono channels with mic preamps and phantom power, two stereo channels, and a pair of tape inputs. The UB802 also has a postfader aux send on each channel and a stereo aux return. Each channel has 3-band EQ, with low-cut filters added to the mono channels. Outputs include a pair of unbalanced ¼-inch main mix outputs, a separate pair of unbalanced ¼-inch jacks for “control room” outs, a stereo headphone jack, and unbalanced RCA stereo tape outputs.

The UB802 is one of ten new UB compact mixers released by Behringer; other units range from the 5-input, 2-bus UB502 ($59.99) to the flagship 24-input, 4-bus UB2442FX-Pro ($439.99). Behringer U.S.A.; tel. (425) 672-0816; e-mail support@behringer.com; Web www.behringer.com.

THREE FOR 2

The affordable new 2-Series graphic equalizers from dbx come in three models, each of which offers a rugged chassis suited for sound reinforcement and a straightforward user interface.

The dbx 215 ($149) is a dual 15-band, ⅔-octave equalizer, controlled by 20 mm faders. You can select 6 or 12 db boosting or cutting ranges. The EQ offers a 10 Hz to 50 kHz frequency response and a 108 dB dynamic range. You also get switchable 50 Hz/12 dB-per-octave low-cut filters. Each channel has an LED frequency meter. The dbx 231 ($199) offers the same dual-channel capabilities and features, but it provides 31 bands of graphic EQ and upper- and lower-channel controls rather than a left-and-right array.

Also available is the dbx 131 ($149), a single-channel version of the dbx 231. All units provide inputs and outputs on balanced ¼-inch TRS jacks and XLR connectors. Dbx (Harman); tel. (801) 568-7660; e-mail customer@dbxpro.com; Web www.dbxpro.com.

PODULATION

Line 6 now offers the Pod XT ($569), a new and improved version of its popular Pod guitar processor. The XT contains a new set of amp, cabinet, and effect models (including amp models from Line 6's Vetta series and effects from the company's stompbox modelers); a more informative display; flexible effects routing; and significantly enhanced connectivity.

The display shows the status of a preset's main parameters and current settings, and it changes as you make adjustments. The controls provide access to more complex edits, and all tweaks can be captured and played back into the Pod XT as MIDI data, letting you automate your sound when performing with sequenced tracks.

The Pod XT provides 32 amp models, 22 cabinets, 4 mic models, and 49 effects. You can route modulation and delay effects in various ways; for example, you can route effects before or after the amp. Mic models provide on- or off-axis settings, and you can adjust distance from the cabinet. The Pod XT can combine up to six effects in a single patch. All modulation and delay effects can sync to tap tempo.

You get an unbalanced ¼-inch analog input for guitar and ¼-inch left and right analog jacks that switch between +4 dbU balanced and -10 dbV unbalanced output, depending on the type of jack you connect. You also get a ¼-inch stereo headphone jack. The unit provides MIDI In and Out (with a software switch for Thru). A USB port lets you connect the Pod XT directly to your computer for recording digital audio. You can connect Line 6's optional FBV ($599) or FBV Shortboard ($369) footpedal controllers through the RJ-45 jack. Line 6; tel. (818) 575-3600; e-mail info@line6.com; Web www.line6.com.