Peavey & Muse Research Join Forces To Develop The Musebox Flexible Musical Instrument And Effects Module

At Winter NAMM 2010, Peavey Electronics and Muse Research and Development have introduced the new, portable, flexible MuseBox Musical Instrument and Effects Box. The MuseBox uses virtual instruments and effects technology in a brand-new way, so players of all types can easily take cutting-edge software-based synths, sounds and effects to rehearsals, gigs, to the practice room, or to the studio. The MuseBox's compact 2U half-rack design is portable, versatile, and built for the road.

Representing the first product of a collaborative union between Peavey and Muse Research, the MuseBox utilizes technology derived from its powerful big brother, the RECEPTOR Hardware Plug-in Player, which is used by the world's leading bands and artists like U2, Coldplay, Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock, Jordan Rudess, and Billy Joel.

The key to the MuseBox is its custom MuseMachine software environment that takes computer technology and turns it into musical instruments, relying on a super-stable operating system made specifically to run software plug-ins with efficiency and pristine, 24-bit/48kHz pro quality audio. A CF-Card slot provides instant access to new software synths and effects.

MuseBox features flexible I/O, with front-panel guitar and microphone inputs, MIDI, and four USB ports. Musicians can play with it, sing through it, process keyboards, play along to backing tracks, and of course, create lush keyboard sounds with a MIDI controller. Guitarists can use it to run their favorite amp modeling software, multi-effects libraries and more. Singers can enhance their vocals with reverb, compression, de-essing and pitch correction in real time. Keyboardists can run virtual pianos and other instruments with super-low latency and superb stability.

The MuseBox comes pre-loaded with a wide variety of ready-to-use virtual instruments and effects, including an assortment of essential keyboard sounds, reverb, chorus and Peavey's ReValver, an amplifier modeling software VST effect that captures the true characteristics of vacuum tubes while allowing users control over their tonality and gain structures.

MuseBox's SoundFinder preset architecture makes it easy to quickly sort through thousands of presets to find the perfect sound, and it automatically creates new presets as you add virtual instruments and effects to the MuseBox. Creating user presets is easier than ever, too, and can be done by selecting the instrument or effects slot, choosing the preset and saving it to the User bank. For the ultimate in editing flexibility, the entirely new DuoHost software environment allows users to connect a computer monitor, so it's easy to see every parameter of the plug-ins.

The MuseBox comes standard with 1GB of RAM (expandable to 2GB), and is equipped with a 4GB solid-state system disc module (expandable to 8GB). The MuseBox offers an optional 250GB laptop hard drive for additional storage.

The MuseBox will be available in spring 2010 from authorized retailers with a U.S. MSRP of $1199.99. Find out more soon at www.museresearch.com