Black Friday is right on the horizon, and we here at MusicTech have been scouring all the big online retailers to find you the very best deals on music gear.
And right now at zZounds, there’s a wealth of instruments, recording accessories and software up for grabs at killer discounts, just ready to enhance and upgrade your music-making life. From audiophile headphones and bespoke analogue synths to deals on DAWs and classic drum machines reimagined, there’s something at zZounds for everyone.
Check out our pick of the best Black Friday deals at zZounds below…
Focal Bathys high-end reference headphones – $150 off
Focal’s Bathys closed-back wireless headphones feature Bluetooth connection, 30 hours of battery life and a quick charge facility for when you’re short on time. Their Aluminium/Magnesium ‘M’-shaped dome speaker drivers made in France give the headphones an audio quality superiority that’s unrivalled in its category, Focal says. Wireless Apt-X and Adaptive codecs are supported for high quality wireless listening but there’s also a wired connection with a DAC USB mode allowing crystal clear audio transmission at up to 24-bit, 192kHz quality. At $699 they’re not on the cheaper end of the spectrum, but that’s a saving over the regular list price of $849.
FL Studio All Plugins Edition – $135 off
FL Studio is one of the most revered DAWs out there, with a unique pricing model with free lifetime updates for the version you buy. If you’re looking to go all in on Image-Line’s full stable of varied instruments and effects, you can get the All Plugins edition for $314 for a limited time. That’s hundreds of sounds, plugins, synths, libraries and more – everything you need to create, mix and master your music. Historically only on Windows, the DAW has been native to the Mac platform for some years now so everyone can get on board…
Akai MPC Key 61 keyboard – $200 off
This multi-functional studio and performance keyboard from Akai might just be the key to unlocking your creativity… The MPC Key 61 features an incredibly expressive and playable semi-weighted keybed with aftertouch to drive its world-class sounds with dynamic responsive control, as well as 100 onboard effects from mix tools to harmony processors. With native onboard recording of audio, MPC Key 61 is the world’s first production synthesizer incorporating vocal FX plugins which can also be used for creative sound design. It’s a serious beast that could be the only tool needed to complete your studio.
Universal Audio Apollo Twin X audio interface – just $999
Universal Audio has always made top-end studio hardware and software and the Apollo Twin X Duo is no exception. On sale at $999, it’s bus-powered over Thunderbolt 3 with 10×6 audio I/O, two Unison mic preamps, auto gain and monitor correction plus Duo core DSP processing. This also powers access to the full library of 200+ UAD DSP and Native plug-ins, including award-winning titles like Capitol Chambers, Sound City Studios, EL8 Distressor, and more. The unit’s onboard power lets you record in real-time through authentic emulations of Neve, API, Avalon, Manley, Fender hardware and more. It’s a powerful addition to any setup.
Oberheim TEO-5 analogue synth – save $300
Down to $1549 in the zZounds early Black Friday sale, Oberheim’s monster TEO-5 analogue synth captures the secrets of the OB-X, Four Voice, and TVS, resulting in the company’s legendary spirit distilled into a compact, affordable dream machine. The dizzying feature set includes a 5-Voice VCO/VCF-based polysynth, simultaneously selectable waveshapes for each oscillator: triangle, saw, variable pulse, multiple filters, arpeggiator and much more. It’s also a performance machine, with 35 keys with velocity and aftertouch, a bunch of analog and USB audio and MIDI ins and outs and multiple pedal inputs. It’s a serious machine that will help you design serious sounds.
Roland’s TR-8S Rhythm Machine – $200 off
Updating its classic beatboxes and drum machines for a new era was a triumph for Roland; the TR-8S combines the best of the company’s legendary classic models with all manner of modern conveniences. Using detailed circuit-models of the 808, 606, 909, 707, 727 and 626 these are not sound-alike samples or recordings of TR drum sounds. Each machine is a detailed, down-to-the-circuit-model that sounds and behaves like the original hardware. You can even import your own samples to use in the powerful onboard sequencer, route sounds through the many onboard FX and stream audio, MIDI and power over its USB port. A classic reimagined for modern production.
Shop all the early Black Friday deals at zZounds.
Playing in bands in the 90s led Hollin into the world of production, joining MusicTech on issue 2 in 2003. With several internationally published books on composition and software he is an expert in Apple and consumer tech, having written for most leading Mac publications for many years. He is also a commercial photographer with work appearing in the national press.
Get the MusicTech newsletter
Get the latest news, reviews and tutorials to your inbox.