2024 has been a strange year for studio gear, with few completely new products hitting the shelves, and many popular existing product lines received updates and overhauls. But we don’t mind this so much, especially when said updates focus on the features users are asking for.
Here, then, is a rundown of the mics, monitors, controllers and interfaces that have most impressed us in 2024.
RØDE NT1
The digital conversion and USB connectivity of the NT1’s 5th generation Dual Connect system may be helpful to streamers and podcasters, but are a lot to pay for if you already have studio-grade preamps to record through. Addressing this, RØDE kicked off the year by releasing the NT1 Signature Series.
The new mic features the same one-inch gold-sputtered diaphragm and analogue electronics found in the 4th and 5th generation NT1s, but has lost the digital conversion and USB connectivity of the 5th Gen. As RØDE CEO Damien Wilson explained: “We wanted to offer creators this new-and-improved NT1 with the original pure-analogue design of previous generations”.
The mics come in a range of vibrant colours to, as RØDE puts it, “match your own unique aesthetic” (read: “so you can choose your favourite colour”!). When talking about colour in relation to mics, we usually mean sonic colouration, and here we found the NT1 Signature Series’ rich and detailed character and glossy high-end sheen to be widely flattering to the vocal sources it is primarily designed for.
Best of all, the Signature Series costs over £100 less than the regular 5th gen. NT1, and so is astonishing value for a microphone of this quality and calibre.
Read our full review of the RØDE NT1 Signature Series.
Warm Audio WA-19
The WA-19 is based on the vintage AKG D19c that, amongst many other claims to fame, was used extensively during The Beatles’ sessions at Abbey Road Studios.
Although a dynamic mic, the sound produced by the WA-19 approaches that of a small diaphragm condenser. Excellent clarity and top-end detail combines with snappy responsiveness and a focussed cardioid pickup pattern to give us a mic that’s well matched to a multitude of different uses and a wide range of instrumentation.
Drums and guitar amps are a particular speciality thanks to super high SPL tolerance, a vented body that minimises the proximity effect and – important, if mic’ing drums – a rugged build quality that can take the odd hit from an over-exuberant tub-thumper.
Impressively, the WA-19 costs just a shade over £200, which is remarkable for such a versatile and superb-sounding mic.
Read our full review of the Warm Audio WA-19.
Audient Oria
The growth and widening appeal of immersive audio systems such as Dolby Atmos exposed a gap in the market for a professional audio interface capable of handling multi-channel monitoring. The Audient Oria comfortably fills that gap.
Oria offers a fairly typical (for a high-end interface) 18 inputs and 24 outputs, but what makes it special is that 16 of those outputs are dedicated to serving a multi-channel playback system, supporting up to 9.1.6 speaker configurations. The unit is Dolby certified and can interact directly with the Renderer for Dolby Atmos included in some DAWs. It also supports Sonarworks SoundID Reference to ensure a fully calibrated system.
Oria doesn’t come cheap, but it massively simplifies the process of configuring a multi-channel immersive audio production system.
Read our interview with the Audient team on the release of Oria.
Read our full review of the Audient Oria.
Arturia KeyLab Mk3
A new generation of Arturia’s popular KeyLab range of controller keyboards hit the shelves at the end of the Summer, and we were mightily impressed with what the company had done. The new keyboards come in 49 and 61 note variants, and feature an all-new keybed with full sized keys, full colour high-resolution display, 12 large drum pads, nine rotary encoders and nine faders, along with a host of buttons.
The build quality is faultless, with a robust enclosure and real wood end pieces, responsive and silky-smooth semi-weighted keybed, and great-feeling pads. Also, the encoders and faders are firmly mounted yet their movement is buttery-smooth with the perfect amount of resistance.
DAW integration is excellent, with dedicated transport and navigation controls, and the ability to switch smoothly between controlling mix or plugin parameters and visual feedback via the display.
Integration is even tighter when teamed up with an Arturia synth, such as AnalogLab or Pigments, running in standalone mode. In this mode, the barrier between software and hands-on control becomes almost non-existent.
Read our full review of the Arturia KeyLab Mk3.
ROLI Seaboard Block M
We first spoke about the new ROLI Seaboard BLOCK M at the end of 2023, at which time we figured the unit would be out by Spring. This was perhaps a bit optimistic, but when the new controller finally landed it did not disappoint!
This latest take on the novel Seaboard design incorporates the very latest technology and refinements to make it more creative than ever. In the words of ROLI’s founder, Roland Lamb: “It’s more than an instrument; it’s a gateway to infinite musical possibilities.”
The innovative multi-touch sensitivity comes via a two octave / 24 “Keywave” playing surface (two units can be hooked together for a 48 Keywave surface) that’s sensitive to Strike, Press, Glide, Slide and Lift gestures. Connected to an MPE-compatible synth, or mapped through the ROLI Dashboard and Studio software, this creates a uniquely expressive and intuitive performance experience. As ROLI puts it:
“5D Touch technology lets you play intuitively on a tactile keyboard surface where you can easily manipulate pitch, modulate sounds and explore unique sonic landscapes with gestures that go far beyond conventional keyboard playing.”
With a much more accessible price than the full Seaboard controller, the BLOCK M is an ideal choice for those who wish to explore the creative limits of a keyboard-style controller.
Read our interview with the ROLI team on the Seaboard Block M.
Read our full review of the ROLI Seaboard Block M.
Shure MV6
Music producers tend to be well served for getting high quality audio into their computers, but a studio-grade, preamp-equipped audio interface can be overkill for podcasters and streamers, not to mention those who just need to capture a good voice signal. Shure’s MV7 podcast mic, which has an inbuilt preamp and analogue-to-digital converter feeding a USB output, has been a popular solution, but at nearly half the price the company’s 2024 variant, the MV6, is even more attractive.
MV6 has a cardioid pickup pattern, and a 50Hz to 15kHz frequency response that’s typical of many dynamic mics. The inclusion of Shure’s proprietary Voice Isolation Technology aids with excellent directional and rear-rejection characteristics, and whilst the mic comes with a foam wind shield which will reduce unwanted noise and pops, it also features digital noise reduction and pop-stopper processing to ensure your voice is always crystal-clear.
As we said in our review: “the MV6 is perfect for podcasters, gamers and streamers alike”.
Read our full review of the Shure MV6.
IK iLoud Micro Monitor Pro
IK Multimedia’s updated iLoud Micro Monitor don’t just sound good for compact monitors, they sound good full stop. As Starsky Carr puts it in his review of the Monitor Pro: “Compared to [my Dynaudio LYD-7 monitors] my first reaction was simply ‘Wow!’”
What makes the new iLouds particularly special, and is key to their accurate audio reproduction, is that they incorporate IK’s ARC room correction technology directly within the monitors themselves. This is particularly advantageous if your rig incorporates several different mix sources – a production machine and an “office” computer, for example – because it makes it easy to apply the same correction no matter what you’re feeding to the monitors.
Read our full review of the IK iLoud Micro Monitor Pro.
UA Apollo Gen 2
Universal Audio updated its ever-popular Apollo range to Generation 2 status this year, with all units in the range receiving an upgrade. Along with a refreshed and more streamlined appearance, UA upped the Apollo audio specifications to bring the desktop units up to Gen.1 rackmount levels of performance, and lift the rackmounts to be on a par with the flagship Apollo x16. That means a massive 130dB of dynamic range delivered via best-in-class converters.
Other improvements include Auto-Gain on all Unison-preamp-equipped inputs and integrated support for Sonarworks SoundID Reference monitor calibration (this last being available to all Apollo users by upgrading the UA Console software).
In truth, the scope of the Generation 2 update is quite small, and there’s some consternation that the power of the onboard DSP has not been upped. However, the new Apollo is sure to be a studio mainstay, just like its predecessor.
Read our interview with Bill Putnam Jr on Universal Audio Apollo Constellations.
Learn more about the UA Apollo Gen 2.
Novation Launchkey Mk4
2024 saw Novation update its Launchkey range once again. The new Mk4 models come in a variety of form-factors, with 25- and 37-key mini keyboard and full-size-key “synth action” models, along with 49- and 61-key semi-weighted versions.
All variants sport pitch bend and mod wheels (or touch strips on the Mini models), sixteen colour backlit pads, eight rotary encoders, and buttons for interacting with, and controlling the transport of, your DAW. The 49- and 61- key variants also pack in a set of nine fader style controllers.
Launchkey integrates tightly with Logic, Cubase/Nuendo and FL Studio. But it is particularly well matched to Ableton Live, with easy navigation of tracks and scenes, and a pattern sequencer that creates MIDI clips in Live automatically.
Read our interview with the Novation team about the Launchkey Mk4.
