Everybody likes new stuff - Sand, software and soundSand, software and sound

Everybody likes new stuff. Unfortunately, the pickins have been slim as of late. I suspect that the global tariff situation has made manufacturers cautious. It’s tough to price products in a dynamic, uncertain business climate.

Here’s a couple of new products that caught my attention.

Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble

Boss (Roland) have announced the Boss RT-2 Rotary Ensemble — “authentic spinning speaker effect” in a compact pedal. It has three tones (modes): 1. vintage (warm Leslie 122), 2. wide frequency response, and 3. aggressive spin (presence) with increased drive. Sample rate is 48kHz and conversion is 24 bits.

Boss RT-2 Rotary speaker pedal

The RT-2 has a few cool features. In addition to concentric level and drive knobs, concentric knobs control SLOW to FAST and FAST to SLOW transition times. There is a SPEED jack which takes either a foot switch or an expression pedal (e.g., EV-30 or EV-5). The treadle switch is over-loaded with four different kinds of effect ON/OFF and SPEED control configurations. Switches on the back further tune the transition time and drive balance.

Visual feedback (animation) is provided by a multi-color LED-based display, AKA the “Virtual Rotor”. The red LED animates the treble/horn while the blue LED animates the bass/drum.

The pedal has stereo INs and OUTs with the usual one lead mix-down to MONO. The RT-2 can send Wet and Dry independently (phase-corrected) to outputs A and B, respectively. Having independent Wet and Dry can be handy.

You can power the RT-2 with a standard 9V battery! Access to the battery compartment is reminiscent of Behringer’s low-end, plastic fantastic pedal line. Current draw is 115mA and alkaline battery life is approximately 2.5 hours.

No doubt, Roland want to sell this pedal to guitar players. But, hold on! The promotional video shows the RT-2 in use with a Fantom 07. Will miracles ever cease? Check the Boss article about effect pedals for keyboards.

If you want the inside dope, Boss/Roland published an interview with the RT-2 development lead, Takeshi Mitsuhashi. The RT-2 supersedes the 2005 RT-20.

To enhance the RT-2’s three-dimensional stereo sound, we modeled a Leslie 122 in our anechoic chamber at the Roland headquarters using a pair of high-quality, flat-response microphones. We experimented with various angles and set them at the position that captured the best dynamics. [Takeshi Mitsuhashi]

The Boss RT-2 is available for pre-order at $239.99 USD. At that price, if the sound is truly “authentic,” the RT-2 will give the Neo Instruments Vent a run for the money.

Sonicware Liven Evoke

The Sonicware Liven Evoke mines the ambient music space. The Evoke complements its sister, the Liven Ambient 0, with more natural, acoustically-rooted sounds. The Ambient 0 tilts synthetic. Between the pair, I’d choose the Liven Evoke.

Sonicware Liven Evoke

It features the Back to the Future Acoustronic Flux Oscillator. Check out Dr. Endo at the controls: EXPR Residue, RISE Again, Tear, and his how to make cinematic ambient music video.

And, it looks like I am not alone in liking the Evoke. [I have friends everywhere.] Sonicware has sold out the third production run!

Quite frankly, I don’t know how Dr. Endo and company can develop and manufacture a nifty box like the Liven Evoke for $239 USD. The hardware is made in Malaysia and I don’t know how the USA tariff situation will affect the price or the import duty.

It’s not just a groove box, it’s a relaxation machine.