The AES convention is the feeding frenzy of the audio world. Like sharks to chum, audiophiles from the world over descend upon the caucus and devour the newest, the latest and the yet-to-come of the best that audio manufacturers can offer. It is a feeding frenzy catering to the most basic needs of any gear-head. As exhilarating as it is overwhelming in its enormity, the experience of AES truly has the feel of a school of sharks gorging themselves on the massive body of a whale until they are overly satiated by their own gluttony and can do nothing but float belly-up in a stupor. Each year seems to bring more vendors, newer products and, in short, more bells and whistles. While many products are just the same old offerings in a new package, there are always the new designs, add-ons and plug-ins that make the convention exciting and worthwhile.
As a vendor for a rental house, I am prone to stick with the items that tend to be the most requested on any given rider. As much as I would like to have everybody’s first-choice item, it is almost impossible to stock everything that everyone wants or needs. It is imperative for us to make our choices based upon our own buying budget and what we think will bring us the best return for the dollar. Whereas I, for example, am a big fan of the Joe Meek compressor, the unit is not necessarily an item that I would stock as a rental piece. However, it would make for a nice piece of gear in my personal effects rack.
The Avalon 737, on the other hand, is a great little pre-amp/compressor that can be used as a rental item as well as going nicely in one’s personal rack. In recent years, I have seen certain engineers who still have Aphex Aural Exciters in their racks, and they swear by them to this day. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this unit, it was introduced in 1975 and was so in demand that it rented for $30 per recorded minute. It was, in its prime, considered the Holy Grail of audio electronics. Since then, it has become considerably cheaper and used in recording, broadcast touring and fixed installations. It’s a great piece of equipment, so how many units am I going to buy? Not a single unit! I don’t see it on riders anymore.
We are all like kids in a candy store at AES. “I just need this, and this, and this…,” and year after year, it only gets that much more difficult to keep up. My wireless microphones and personal monitors work fine, but I need the newer models because, not only do they sound better, they also scan internally until they find available frequencies. This feature is a real time-saver, especially when setting up multiple channels. Speaking of which, the airwaves are getting so crowded these days that the Helical Antenna is the next thing on my “to purchase” list, right after I get some new I/O cards for my PM5D.
So what is it that makes a piece of gear become a staple of the industry? I tend to think of it in terms of ergonomics. Take, for example, the Heritage 3000, which debuted in 1999. It has all the features of the XL-4, but in a smaller package. It came on the market as a streamlined XL-4 and started to push aside the Yamaha 4K as the “go to” board because it has everything the 4K has plus more. With its automation and 24 auxiliary mixes (or 12 stereo), it was perfect for the oncoming tide of personal monitoring. By 2002, it was almost a necessity for any self-respecting sound company to have at least one Heritage 3000 in stock.
Yamaha, who had introduced its PM4K in 1992 and whose hold on the market hadn’t been significantly threatened, decided to compete with Midas by releasing the PM5K. I like the console and thought that it might make a nice addition to my audio arsenal. However, at the time, the digital revolution was in full swing, and in my estimation, I could not foresee the need for another large-frame analog console. Not that my personal analysis had any effect on Yamaha or the marketplace, but as far as I could tell, digital was the next wave.
It’s amazing to think that it was only seven years ago, in 2000, that Yamaha introduced the PM1D, and that within only a few years, the PM5D started to inundate the market. With the innovations in the audio industry moving at such a quick pace, it is almost impossible, as an audio provider, to keep up. There are new products flooding the market each day, and while some are just repackaging the same old ideas, others are truly groundbreaking and have staying power. Many times, with the advent of some new product, it is the audio company that can accommodate the winning product, but the question still remains, “With the rapidly changing marketplace, how does one decide which product will sustain the test of time?”
It is truly an amazing experience to wander the isles of the AES convention, and I am excited at the prospect of over-indulging myself in an orgy of new gear and accessories that may or may not enhance my mixes, my sales and my inventory. I can’t wait to be milling around with thousand of my peers as some salesman is selling me on a new microphone that is so sensitive it can pick up my thoughts…even before I think them.
Speaking of innovative products: As the new owner of Midas, Bosch might think about releasing a new item for consumption that will allow me to mix a show while riding around my yard on one of those tractor lawn mowers. I’m sure it will be great, although I may want to wait until next year to buy it since the upgrade might be able to do my taxes as well.
E-mail Baker at his shark tank: blee@fohonline.com.
