We have achieved it. Another year and another holiday season have come and gone, and whether Santa got you what you wanted or not, few music industry professionals will argue: it was a banner year for music technology.
From speakers to synthesizers, if one device hasn't caught your attention, another probably has. To put it lightly, resisting the temptation to jump into buying all the shiny new gear from vendors like JBL, Harman Kardon and Bose has been more than a little challenging.
From more technical equipment vendors, such as Teenage Engineering, KORG, and Roland, we've even seen items like the OP1 gain popularity to the point that it remains strong in today's market. Reverb's list of best-selling devices for 2023. Even old-school brands like Victrola have reached new levels of popularity with modern takes on technology that's been available to consumers for years, proving they can still grab ears enough to turn heads.
After seeing, hearing, and playing with the knobs and buttons on more than 50 of the best-selling devices of 2023, we've put together a list of the top 10. Some are simply necessary and some are flashy and fun, while others are unlike anything we've seen to date. Whether you're looking for new gear as part of a New Year's resolution to up your game on stage or in the studio, or just want to know what else is available, check out the products below.
To get serious in your home studio
JBL MKII-305P with LSR-310S subwoofer
When creating a studio setup for making music at home, balancing quality equipment with a frugal budget can be more of a challenge. Luckily, JBL has the MKII-305P Studio monitors with the optional but extremely robust LSR-310 subwoofer.
Sporting polished fiberglass accents that are sleek and sexy like a flashy new car, a pair of these bad mamas will hit hard enough to serve as monitors for any DJ on a small stage. They are also suitable for handling music production at home with ease.
To create your own rhythms while traveling
Teenage Engineering OP-1 Portable Synthesizer and Sampler
When this technology hit the market at the NAMM show years ago, Flying Lotus and The Gaslamp Killer were some of the early adopters and eagerly awaited word from the company in its infancy to be the first to have one. Nowadays they use Teen Engineering OP-1 regularly in his live sets and the latter even said EDM.com It is “a piece of equipment I bring with me more than any other.”
Despite the high price of around $1,500, it is intuitive and easy to use. Plus, this year it cemented its place in the hearts of producers around the world when it topped Reverb's list of best-selling electronic gear of 2023.
To have fun with musical production and a new and attractive toy.
Artiphon Chorda and Orba 2
Creativity comes in all shapes and sizes, as does ingenuity in the devices you'll find at Artiphon. He Orba It plays like the popular '80s game Simon and a MIDI Controller Made a Baby, but with such a strange twist that it's almost futuristic. He Ropeon the other hand, it plays like a keyboard and guitar with some other fun touches.
Both offer beat loops, a variety of standard sounds, and you can use a mobile app to boost, record, and upload new sounds on the go. They are exceptionally compact, making them perfect for the music producer on the go. Both are also aesthetically fresh, so they attract attention wherever they appear.
For the first time your best friend listens to your new song.
authentic JBL 500
When the conventional Bluetooth speaker simply isn't enough, the authentic JBL 500 It delivers rewarding bass and decadent, catchy mids. It's probably the sexiest way to present your new song to a friend or love interest, with your clothes on. It is also distinguished by an elegant design with retro reminiscences that proves that nostalgia does not have to seem old-fashioned.
More importantly, it's the ideal unit for the home dance floor with enough oomph in a down-sounding sub to keep the vibes going right until the after-party. In addition to being seven (yes, seven) speakers in one, the Authentics 500 comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, built-in Wi-Fi, and Amazon's Alexa and Google Assistant, so it also doubles as a high-end multi-room smart speaker. also.
For a futuristic update to the conventional surround system
Bose 900 Smart Soundbar
If you're making music for movies or television, or just an audiophile who watches YouTube and seeks crystal-clear, cinema-quality sound, then give Bose a listen. 900 Ultra-Smart Sound Bar. Stellar, whether as a stand-alone system or as a complement to an existing system, its closed nine-speaker array keeps vocals clear, builds suspense and hits hard.
With Bose's exclusive and patented “TrueSpace” technology, it sounds brilliant in any room you place it. For more power, jump towards the Bass module 500and between the two you'll discover solid engineering balanced with such precision it can shake the soul without even shaking the room.
For deep diving box excavators
Victrola Onyx Hi-Res Turntable
True vinyl connoisseurs know that not just any turntable will do when it comes time to unpack a prized collection. In fact, in the pantheon of options, few brands even come close to what Victrola offers in the stream-onyx-works-with-sonos-turntable”>High resolution onyx.
In addition to being a stylish addition to any home listening system, the Onyx is SONOS compatible, uses hyper-smooth AptX linking, and is Bluetooth ready. So whether you have a large system or not, it will play clean, crisp sound right out of the box.
For looping enthusiasts and multi-instrumentalists
Line 6 DL4
If you're looking for the ultimate delay pedal with enough looping power to satisfy even legends like Reggie Watts and Marc Ribellet, check out the Line 6 DL4. The unit works just as easily with a guitar, synthesizer or microphone and also includes multiple reverb algorithms and multiple inputs.
And the new MKII edition of the DL4 is equipped with a variety of updated features, such as clamp functions and tempo controls. You can even use the tap switch as a single-switch looper. in a recent instagram postWatts said it's an “indispensable piece of equipment.”
To share your music in public places with style.
Harman Kardon Go + Play 3
While the Authentics mentioned above are perfectly suited as a home unit, Go + Play 3 by Harman Kardon It's our top laptop pick this year. It comes pre-calibrated with a surround sound design, quad drivers, and 80 dB of killer bass, all in a compact package smaller than your mom's favorite purse.
Perhaps the best feature yet: multiple units can be joined together wirelessly to address multi-room audio needs, a truly rare feature in a portable speaker of such caliber.
For the music industry professional who's always on the go
JBL Live Free 2 TWS
When traveling is a must and there just isn't enough room in your carry-on, turn to JBL's 11mm in-ear headphones (and they still somehow cancel noise) Live Free 2 TWS Headphones are the perfect tool for the job. They charge wirelessly and feature an ultra-long 35-hour battery life, making them ideal for life on the road. They also feature six microphones in each earbud to handle dropped calls from tour managers and show promoters like a dream.
If all that wasn't enough, in 2022 they took home the CES innovation award, so just a year ago they were the hottest thing on shelves. The only difference now is that they have a price that is easier to afford than ever.
For the mad scientist who makes music
Korg Nu: Tekt NTS-2 Oscilloscope and Spectrum Analyzer
Visual learners can't always discern the minutiae of a busy track with just their ears. Thats why he NTS-2 Text It's so essential for synth players.
The built-in waveform generator and tuner speed up production and make it easier than ever to analyze, compare and combine up to four channels of music. The process of mastering tracks for different listening devices seems to be simplified when you've also calibrated your songs by voltage.
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