Winter NAMM is right around the corner; last year, it seemed as if inexpensive Chinese-produced microphones were the biggest advancement in the cost-vs-quality department. This year, it's looking like the portable digital recorder will be the biggest advancement to come down in price and up in quality, and Marantz has already released a new unit -- the PMD661 -- that looks to have an incredible feature set for a low price.

The PMD661 features XLR line/mic inputs, built-in condensor mics, S/PDIF input, easily visible metering and up to 24 bit / 96 kHz recording resolution. Retail priced at $599, the PMD661 will be available in January 2009.

This Friday, we'll be sending out a special newsletter: the 2008 Gift Guide for home recording engineers. You'll see the best gifts available new this holiday season, regardless of your price range. There's some really great, low-cost (yet powerful!) pieces of recording gear this season!

If you don't already subscribe, sign up now to receive this special edition newsletter!

Of all the parts of a regular drum kit, I find that getting the toms to sound best on a recording is the hardest part! Recently, I've been in love with the Shure Beta 98D/S as a great mic on toms, but I'd love to hear your opinions!

Got a great mic you've used on toms? Leave a comment!

Digidesign has announced shipping on the next installment of it's Pro Tools LE hardware, announcing the availability of the Digi 003-R+.

The 003-R+ includes premium features including eight microphone preamps (enough to record a full drum kit!), as well as improved onboard monitoring and compatibility with Pro Tools 8. Also included is a valued-at-$3000 plug-ins package. The 003-R+is available now from authorized retailers for Digidesign; check www.digidesign.com for your local seller.

Some of you said it was fine; great deals, fast shipping, and helpful connections made through buying. Others? You told me of items not arriving, arriving broken, or arriving as a counterfeit. It was great hearing some realistic opinions -- and I have my own to share, too!

Thanks for some great submissions! Stay tuned Wednesday for a full feature on the merits -- and dangers -- of buying your used gear from eBay.

I recently got a blog comment from a guy named Tony -- he told me that he's given up on trying to buy Shure microphones on eBay, because they all seem to be fakes! While I know from experience you can get some decent deals (my Beta 52 was a steal, and it works flawlessly and was genuine, just used), there's a lot of people out there operating dishonestly.

So, I'd like to hear your opinion. What's been your experiences buying gear from eBay? How do you like to make sure your gear purchases are safe? Your opinions will be used in an upcoming article!

Following up on the success of their portable 1-bit recording line, Korg has announced the introduction of a rack-mountable, one-rack-space DSD two-track recorder.

Featuring digital recording at up to 192 kHz at 24-bit resolution in 1-bit formats, the MR-2000 offers USB 2.0 connectivity, XLR and RCA in and out, and excellent frequency response and dynamic range. The MR-2000 offers a unique, high-resolution system for portable recording. It's a little steep, with a list price of close to $2500, but the quality promised far outweighs the investment.

Stay tuned for a full review.

After a long wait, the newest member of the Pro Tools family is just around the corner: Pro Tools 8 has been previewed at AES!

Not only has the interface been improved greatly, but several new features have been introduced, including fantastic virtual instruments, pitch-correction and amp simulator plug-ins, and on-board sampling suites -- not to mention the track count in Pro Tools LE has been greatly expanded!

Check out the preview we posted here.

As the 125th AES convention opens in San Francisco this morning, Future Sonics, the originators of the in-ear monitor, have announced another upgrade to their phenomenal Atrio Series earphones: alongside the m5 (black) and m8 (cobalt blue), Future Sonics will now offer the m3 (skintone beige) and m9 (ruby red). Available soon via FutureSonics.com and their select distribution partners, the new colors will feature the same stunning sound quality of the Future Sonics Atrio Version 2, as reviewed here.

This AES show is shaping up to be a fantastic year for new gear, and we'll be bringing it to you live as it happens!

When the AES convention opens in San Francisco this weekend, many great companies are releasing new products alongside new training and education programs for live sound & recording engineers of all skill levels -- and we'll be bringing you live coverage as it happens!

Among the great new products are Heil's PR35 vocal microphone, building on the success of the PR30. It offers an extended frequency response, roll-off switch, and internal shock mounting to allow better handling noise. Also being introduced is an eight-channel mixer attachment for Sound Devices' eight track 788t hard disk recorder, a favorite of many home recordists and field tapers.

Among the new training programs announced, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems will be offering new classes during AES on both networking for digital audio applications and mixing with the famous Yamaha PM5D console.

Stay tuned for live coverage of AES, starting October 5!