Published 27/8/09
MIDI gets down (under)
Australian luthiers Industrial Radio are releasing their first instrument, the Midi Bass. The company is run by Steve Chick, designer of the MIDI technology used in a number of MIDI bass guitars since the late ’80s, most notably the Peavey Cyberbass. Gaining the benefit of his years of experience, the Midi Bass uses an innovative combination of pickups, including sensors running the length of the neck beneath the frets, tension-sensing saddles, and more traditional under-bridge piezo pickups. The shape of the body is relatively conventional, but a two-line, backlit LCD set into the upper horn is rather less so! This displays data that’s controlled by a small switch on the scratchplate and MIDI messages from the bass itself.
MIDI-tracking latency is quoted at between 5ms and 8ms, depending on your playing style, and MIDI data is sent from the instrument via a special eight-pin DIN cable, which interfaces with the bespoke Midi Bass control box. This box hosts an input for the aforementioned cable, a quarter-inch jack socket for a standard footswitch controller, a port for a MIDI footpedal, and an input for the 12V wall-wart PSU that powers the unit. A MIDI output connects to your chosen DAW or MIDI device, and a quarter-inch jack socket is provided for feeding a standard bass-guitar rig. Alongside its advanced tracking technology, the Midi Bass offers the sound and facilities that players have come to expect, featuring two magnetic pickups, on-board passive EQ, and balance control.
The Midi Bass comes with a nice bundle of extras, including a hard-shell case and cleaning accessories, and is priced at $3995, which was £2414 at the time of writing. Industrial Radio currently have no UK or US distribution, and prospective customers should remember that customs and shipping charges may be added to the purchase price.
www.industrialradio.com.au
MIDI-tracking latency is quoted at between 5ms and 8ms, depending on your playing style, and MIDI data is sent from the instrument via a special eight-pin DIN cable, which interfaces with the bespoke Midi Bass control box. This box hosts an input for the aforementioned cable, a quarter-inch jack socket for a standard footswitch controller, a port for a MIDI footpedal, and an input for the 12V wall-wart PSU that powers the unit. A MIDI output connects to your chosen DAW or MIDI device, and a quarter-inch jack socket is provided for feeding a standard bass-guitar rig. Alongside its advanced tracking technology, the Midi Bass offers the sound and facilities that players have come to expect, featuring two magnetic pickups, on-board passive EQ, and balance control.
The Midi Bass comes with a nice bundle of extras, including a hard-shell case and cleaning accessories, and is priced at $3995, which was £2414 at the time of writing. Industrial Radio currently have no UK or US distribution, and prospective customers should remember that customs and shipping charges may be added to the purchase price.
www.industrialradio.com.au
