Meet the 37th Annual TEC Award Finalists: Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects

The TEC Awards “recognize the individuals, companies, and technical innovations behind the sound of recordings, live performances, film, television, video games, and multimedia.” With award categories spanning 28 Technical and Creative Achievement categories, the TEC Awards is considered the highest honor dedicated to the pro audio and sound recording industry.

TEC Awards finalists are identified through a three-step process starting with a “Call for Entries.” After the entry period, a panel comprised of industry leaders and professionals nominated eligible products and project submissions that “represent superior accomplishment in their respective fields.” Professionals in the pro audio, live event, and music industry are invited to vote for the finalists in each category, with one taking home the title of “Product of the Year.”

Finalists in the “Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects” category include instrument amps, preamp/processing/effects rack units, and pedalboards, stompboxes, among others.

Ampeg – Rocket Bass: The series of products found within the Ampeg Rocket Bass line includes five models ranging from 30 to 500 watts. Each “delivers exceptional performance, eye-catching ‘60s-style looks, and robust feature sets in lightweight and portable packages, making them ideal for everyone from beginners to professionals.” The Rocket Bass comes equipped with Ampeg’s new Super Grit Technology™ overdrive circuit and is combined with the classic 3-band EQ and Ultra Hi/Ultra Lo switches to produce a signature Ampeg tone.

Eventide – MicroPitch Delay: This pedal from Eventide appears on numerous hit records and features “subtle pitch shifts to create a rich stereo spread.” The MicroPitch Delay allows musicians to “instantly harness soaring leads that jump out of the mix.” Don’t limit your aspirations to only deploying this pedal to the guitar, as it can capitalize on the addition of brass, drums, keyboards, strings, vocals, winds, and so much more.

Hotone Audio – Soul Press II: The next evolution in the Hotone Press series pedal line, the Soul Press II, is based on the popular concepts of the Soul Press and Vow Press. The pedal integrates “up to four function models (volume, wah, volume/wah, expression), taking playability to new heights.” Hotone Audio incorporated features like a pedal position indicator, tone mode selection, Q value adjustment, and multiple I/O options to provide an improved experience, while its portability and ergonomic design make it an extremely versatile option for musicians.

Kemper – Power Kabinet: Designed for use alongside the Kemper Profiler™, the Power Kabinet is a lightweight and powerful speaker cabinet. This product combines the Kemper Kone™ loudspeaker and “an extensive speaker tone mining technology developed by Kemper making it possible to digitally ‘imprint’ various speaker characteristics onto one single cabinet.” Offering 200 watts of raw power and the choice of 19 classic guitar speaker imprints, the Power Kabinet is a perfect fit for owners of Kemper Profilers.

Radial Engineering – PZ-Pro: Radial Engineering invites users to “take complete control over your tone, EQ settings, and effect” with its PZ-Pro. This two-channel instrument preamp, DI, and switch features a separate equalizer strip complete with a filter section to reduce feedback on stage. The second channel also incorporates a microphone input to allow any dynamic or condenser mic, including clip-on instrument mics. Other unique features are the three footswitches that provide the ability to toggle between each input channel, activation of a built-in booster, and the addition of an effects loop.

Universal Audio – UAFX Golden Reverberator: This TEC Award finalist harnesses more than 20 years of reverb modeling experience to combine a trio of “iconic reverbs right at your feet.” Universal Audio describes the possibility of sounds as “the tube-driven spring reverb of classic ‘60s guitar amps” combined with the “dense and haunting sound of ‘50s studio plate reverbs” and the “endless algorithmic wonder of early digital reverb hardware.” The UAFX Golden Reverberator includes dual-engine processing and unprecedented levels of sonic authenticity, making it a “flagship, no-compromise reverb unit built to inspire you for decades.”

For more information about the TEC Awards, including the entire list of finalists, please visit https://www.tecawards.org/. For tickets to the TEC Awards, please visit https://www.tecawards.org/night-of-the-show. For more information on attending The NAMM Show, visit /thenammshow/2022/attend.