Product Review: Propellerhead Balance

Propellerhead is a Swedish company founded in 1994 by three people. The first product they released was called ReCycle, which allowed users to change the tempo of a loop without affecting the pitch. In the years following that, they released several products which were marketed to be used together with Cubase. But in the year 2000 they released their own DAW called Reason, which had many pro's when compared to the competition. In 2009 they released Record, which has won several awards. So most people would agree that they make quality software, but can the same be said about their shot at hardware?

In comes the Balance, equipped with a crazy amount of inputs and outputs. With the standard outputs for headphones and speakers, two mic inputs, two guitar inputs and two keyboard inputs (I think that should do it). Both volumes are adjustable by the two big knobs on the bottom of the device, and turning them feels very smooth.

If there are any devices connected, the ones that are currently active are indicated by a small light. The knobs to the left decide the volume and feel sturdy and lock in place. Even better is that everything can be recorded with a 96kHz sound quality. 

In terms of looks, it's definitely not an ugly duckling. The black finish feels almost like rubber and is soothingly soft to the touch. In my opinion the angle of the device makes it look good on any desk and a quick glance at the device provides an overview of everything you need to know. When all the inputs and outputs are taken, it can be a bit of a cable clutter at the back, but I guess that's unavoidable in any studio.

Good news and bad news for everyone who has become interested in Propellerheads after this review. It seemed that they thought that hardware was out of their league and is therefore offering major discounts off bundles with Reason Essentials. Mine even came with a free upgrade to Reason 7 and free Rack Extensions, so I advice you to look around for the best possible deal!

Pro's 
- High quality sampling up to 96kHZ
- Many different inputs and outputs
- Good design

Con's 
- They don't make them anymore

Product Review: Novation Launch-Key Mini

Product Review

Novation 'Launch-Key Mini' 

Novation is an English company founded in the year 1992 and has been a part of Focusrite Audio Engineering Ltd. since 2004. The company is perhaps most famous for it's software applications 'Basstation' and 'V-Station', which are both included with the Launch-Key Mini that was released recently. These applications have some really cool features, but sadly I can't use them in Reason. However, any other DAW supporting VST plug-ins will run them. Novation also offers a wide variety of hardware equipment, including many keyboards, and some created specifically for optimal use of their own software. An interesting company to say the least.

Now on to the Launch-Key, since most people would agree that it looks really appealing in the picture, with all the colorful lights and what-not. And when taking it out of the box for the first time, it doesn't disappoint. It's really amazing that such a small device could have so many features. It doesn't trade size for functionality which is always a big plus if you travel a lot. The Launch-Key weighs next to nothing and can fit in almost any bag. The lack of weight presumably comes from the housing, which on the bottom looks like some cheap plastic toy. The top has a nice metallice finish though, and remains cleaner and more scratch-free when compared to more expansive hardware.

And since you'll mostly be looking at the top, it doesn't even matter that much. You'll probably be too busy playing with the shiny keys, which feel just like someone would expect them to do, accompanied by a good sensitivity. The drum-pads feel very stable and are easy to get used to. It doesn't seem to register very light taps however, but I presume that is because they are able to withstand a relatively high amount of force. The knobs, although nothing special, feel sturdy. Some people might argue that they are a bit loose, and prefer a tighter feel when turning the knob.

To close off I'd like to warn users of older DAW's, because of compatibility problems. When the Launch-Key was acquired, I was using Reason 5 when version 7 was available. Therefore it took me a couple of days of searching for solutions until it worked. It does however work flawlessy with most, if not all the latest version of DAW's.

• Pro's

Everything in one

Small, easy to travel with 

•  Con's

Older DAW compatibility problems