Want to make your productions sound “sweeter”? Elektron just announced its Analog Heat MKII audio interface and sound processor. It’s a desktop box that connects to your laptop via USB and provides eight analogue distortion circuits ranging from pleasantly smooth tube warmth to all out fuzz and high gain saturation. It also works as a sound card for your DAW, giving you a pair of 1/4″ inputs for plugging in line level devices, a pair of 1/4″ outputs, Midi In / Midi Out ports, and a 1/4″ headphone output.
As more dance music is made inside a laptop, some producers turn to esoteric hardware processing gear costing tens of thousands of dollars to add “glue” and “warmth” that is typically associated with analogue gear. Of course there are plugins available for this purpose (the PSP Vintage Warmer is one of them) but for some producers there is still a noticeable difference between ones and zeroes in a DAW and the sound of an audio signal going through cables and circuitry.
The Analog Heat MKII gets you that kind of glue and saturation in an easy-to-use box you can take anywhere, making it ideal for intermediate digital DJ/producers who are looking to add some extra “oomph” to their productions.
Check out the promo video below.
Promo Video
• The Elektron Analog Heat MKII is available now for US$819. Check the Elektron site for more details.
What are your thoughts on this hardware processor? Want to add it to your home studio set-up? Let us know below.
Joey Santos
