JoMoX Announces AiRBase 99 Analog MIDI Drum Machine
 January 28, 1999With the success of the XBase09, JoMoX has designed a new MIDI analog drum expander which continues the great sound production and stomach-churning performance of its predecessor. There are a lot of musicians who are reluctant to let go of their beloved sequencer software programs and who look at old-school internal step sequencers as toys. These people should be quite please with the new JoMoX AiRBase 99.
The AiRBase 99 is a single-space, 19" rackmount unit MIDI machine with LCD Display, data wheel, and editing buttons. Instead of an expensive "knob gallery," all parameters are controllable over MIDI. For the commonly used sequencer systems, JoMoX will add mixermaps and environment editors. All sound production and parameters are identical to the JoMoX XBase 09, with additional expanded features (like toms, polyphony, and more) as well.
Features
Sound Production
- Bass/Snare Drums - Identical parameters and circuitry as used in the XBase09.
- Tom Tom - A new analog Tom Tom has been added, with the wide tuning range of other XBase-09 analog instruments.
- Hi Hat - The ROM section has bee somewhat reworked. As before, the hi hat and the rest of the percussion instruments are contained in an 8-bit sample ROM, which is then routed through an analog VCA envelope. However, now the Hi-Hat, Clap, Rim Shot, Crash and Ride are FULLY POLYPHONIC, which means that they can be played back all at the same time. The tuning ranges are similar wide like at the XBase09. In addition, they can all be played back in reverse.
- There will be several hi hats to select:909, 808, Noise, Filtered Noise with tunable center frequency (analog, of course).
- All percussion / cymbal envelopes are analog!
- Outputs - Each sound generator has its own individual out (9 in total). These are: Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Tom Tom, Hi Hat Open/Close, Clap, Rim Shot, Crash, and Ride.
- Headphone jack included, along with an audition button to pre-listen to sounds in the studio without disturbing the rest.
- 1024 programmable ram user presets and 500 ROM presets.
- Filter - Additionally, there is a 2-pole resonant HP/LP filters placed in the hi hat section whose parameters can be adjusted individually. With this, you can process a noise signal or the hi hat rough sample to obtain a wide variety of sounds.
- Envelopes - All ROM based instruments are post processed with an analog VCA envelope. For each envelop, you can control attack, peaktime, and decay separately.
Planned Future Revisions
- So-called "sequencer-macro-loops," that can be played back like internal drumloops triggered as a single "sound." The speed of these macro-loops will be controlled over midi-clock and BPM input. Such a macro-loop is not a sample-loop, but a little micro-sequencer that runs the internal sounds. It will be programmable by midi editors in the form of a remote-controlled step sequencer.
- As in the XBase09, the AiRBase 99 should be able to have 2 LFOs that can be routed onto the various parameters of the instruments. The LFO speed can be adjusted by BPM, midi clock or a rate parameter.
Pricing and Availability
The estimated list price is $995.00, is the AiRBase 99 is now shipping. For more information, visit their web site at home.earthlink.net/~johnnyvn/jomox.html. |
