The Beat Thang in July at Best Buy

Producer and owner Dallas Austin (Michael Jackson, Boyz II Men, TLC, Madonna, Pink, Gwen Stefani)of Atlanta-based Rowdy Electronics is introducing this mobile music-making machine (remember?) through a joint venture with Nashville’s BKE (Beat Kangz Electronics).

Best Thang gives access to a library of 3,000+ original sounds (live drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, strings, horns, Latin and African percussion); hundreds of beats, patterns and loops; 65 digital effects (EQ, compression, reverb, delay, filter, chopped, screwed, reverse record); sampling; waveform editing; and mixing and mastering functionality, among other functions.

Portable but also able to integrate with a Mac or PC, the Thang has a 3.5-inch color video LCD screen.  It offers various customization possibilities. It features a rechargeable battery and metal frame no heavier than a laptop, according to the manufacturer.

Austin announced that they will have a few models available for pre-order. So far only 1,000 units have been produced, he says.

Pricing & Availability:

The Beat Thang will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy July 17, 2011 as a limited edition with a suggested retail price of $1,500.

To check out the Beat Thang, visit beatthang.com.

You can also see a video there: vimeo.com/23881021