MIXERFACE
Price: From £220 retail
Most portable interfaces feature a limited feature set, but MixerFace packs in two combi sockets, balanced outputs and headphone connections. It features a built-in rechargeable battery that holds up to eight hours of charge for music-making on the go.
CLARETT USB INTERFACES
Price: From £370 retail
Focusrite is a stalwart of school computer labs and recording studios, and it has updated its higher-end Clarett interfaces. Featuring high-quality, low-noise preamps, the interfaces range in size from 10-in/4-out to 18-in/20-out. All versions include a range of free software and plugins.
4XCAMERA
Price: Free (in-app purchases available)
If your pupils like the idea of creating a video in which they sing and play all of the parts, Roland has announced a new video app to help: simply record one part and then overdub the others. It is available from the iOS App Store – definitely worth downloading.
KATANA-AIR
Price: £429 retail
If you always have problems finding cables for connecting guitars to amplifiers, Boss has launched the first fully wireless guitar amp. Battery-powered, and including a transmitter so no cables are required, it features great Boss sounds and holds enough charge for up to 12 hours of music-making.
R-07 HANDHELD RECORDER
Price: TBC
A permanent fixture in my bag and in most music departments, the handheld recorder is still a very useful recording tool. A simple device, the R-07 features hybrid limiting to get the perfect volume on every recording, and one-touch settings for different recording scenarios.
