Neumann USM69i
Neumann U89i
Neumann U87AiRhythm Magazine Review: WAVEDRUM
Rhtyhm Magazine have released the first review of Korg's WAVEDRUM.
Rhythm Magazine Review Preview:
"Those with long memories will remember the introduction of the original Korg Wavestation in the mid-'90s. It was only a decade-and-a- half ago, but that's a lifetime in electronic music terms, so it's a good thing indeed that the brand has revisited what was revered as one of the most inspiring, odd, playable electro percussion toys in musical history.
Build
The new Wavedrum might be significantly more affordable than the first version (which retailed for £1500-odd when released), but it arguably looks better. Out is the, erm, toilet-seat aesthetic of the original and in is a 'futuristic conga' look.
t's still a hefty enough piece of kit and, at just over 13" in diameter, it's perfectly sized for hand or stick playing. The chassis of the Wavedrum might be plastic, but it inspires confidence in terms of longevity, and the steel 'hoop' and tactile head are instantly inviting.
The fact that the Wavedrum feels more like a real instrument than an electronic gadget will become something of a theme in this review - and the fact that the head is tensionable (with five bolts) is just one of the factors that plays a key part in this.
The rounded profile of the hoop, and its satin finish, are clearly designed for comfort, but there's extra functionality built in here too. Two notched ridges (wide spaced on the right of the hoop and closer on the left) are present to allow for additional sonic options.
Scraping a stick or flicking across these ridges with a fingernail gives a completely different response than playing on the head in 'standard' fashion. The playing area rightly dominates the unit, with controls - limited to a volume control, six buttons, three LEDs and a 'Value' pot - taking up a narrow strip at the top of the drum.
Connections to and from the Wavedrum are similarly simple. Two 1/4" jacks for left and right stereo output, a headphone out and Aux In (the latter two both on mini-jacks) and that's your lot. Yep, there's no MIDI - more of which later.
Internally, things are a lot more complex, however. The Wavedrum's DSP innards combine analogue, additive, non-linear and physical modelling synthesis methods to deliver 36 sound-shaping algorithms. And these basic building blocks appear alongside 200 different PCM instruments that cover some extremely convincing acoustic percussion emulations. If all of that means next to nothing then read on, because it simply means good things are contained within."
To read the rest of this review follow this link.
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