Every audio engineer loves toys, especially ones that help on the job. Here are a few interesting items that can be useful at your next gig.
Li.LAC Microphone Disinfector
Microphone hygiene has always been a concern, but it’s especially important these days. Addressing the issue is the Li.LAC Microphone Disinfector (https://lilac.works), a device that provides low impact, contactless cleaning and disinfection through exposure to ultraviolet light (UV-C).
Housed in a 3RU chassis, a drawer on the front panel provides access to a stainless-steel grill and irradiation chamber that holds up to three handheld microphones or wireless mic transmitters. Once the mics are placed on the grill and the door is closed, pressing the Start button on the front panel initiates the disinfection cycle, which takes between 5 and 10 minutes (an additional two minutes of pre-heat time may apply for cold UV-C lamps).
Li.LAC has run extensive tests with a variety of mics to evaluate long-term impact of exposure to UV-C light, and claims that any aging associated with the disinfection process is negligible when compared to normal aging from exposure to dirt, heat, humidity or mechanical impact. Studies show a reduction of 99.3% of the viral load on contaminated microphones (including the metal grill and foam underneath) after 10 minutes of irradiation inside Li.LAC. Street price is around $1,350.
miniDSP UMIK-2 USB Measurement Microphone
The UMIK-2 from miniDSP (www.minidsp.com) is an omnidirectional measurement mic with a built-in 32-bit A/D converter running at sample rates from 44.1k to 192k Hz. It connects and draws phantom power via USB Type C connection, and features driverless (plug and play) operation with macOS, Linux, Android and iOS (an ASIO driver is supplied for Windows).
Housed inside an aluminum body, theUMIK-2 features a low-noise preamp and a ½-inch pre-polarized condenser capsule with the following specs: noise level -105.3dBfs (A) @ 0 dB gain; sensitivity -31.9 dBfs (94 dB SPL. 1 kHz); maximum SPL (0dBfs): 125 dB; equivalent input noise (EIN): 20 dB SPL @ 0 dB gain. Each UMIK-2 includes a unique calibration file to increase the accuracy of SPL measurements when using software that can import the file.
The UMIK-2 is compatible with a variety of measurement software including REW (Room EQ Wizard) and Dirac Live (version 3 and later). Street price is a modest $195.
Sound Tools Sniffer and Sender
Cables are always a source of aggravation but you can quickly test XLR cables before plugging them in using the Sniffer and Sender from Sound Tools (www.soundtools.com). Originally designed by Rat Sound, this is a two-piece system, with both devices built into XLR-sized barrels. The Sniffer has a male XLR connector at one end and three multi-color LEDs at the other end. If you connect a valid phantom power source to one end of a cable, and the Sniffer to the other end, the Sniffer will show three green LEDs for a cable with no issues. Combinations of green, red or no LEDs verify pinout and phantom power status, or indicate a variety of faults (Sound Tools provides a key).
The Sender — which has an on/off switch and a female XLR connector — is the other part of this equation, employing a 12-volt A23 battery in lieu of phantom power. If you connect the Sender to one end of an XLR cable, and the Sniffer to the other end, you can test the cable in the same manner as if the cable was connected to a mixing console — before you go to the trouble of uncoiling the cable and connecting it to a microphone or DI. An eminently useful device, Street price is around $60. Versions for Speakon NL4 and DMX lighting cables are also available.
Royer Labs dBooster
Using ribbon mics with live sound consoles can be tricky, as some ribbon mics don’t like driving long lengths of cable, and not all preamps have an input impedance optimized for use with ribbon mics. Also, due to loading issues, introducing a microphone splitter in between the output of a ribbon mic and the inputs of multiple consoles can change the frequency response of a ribbon mic.
Enter the dBooster from Royer Labs (www.royerlabs.com). The dBooster is a single-channel in-line signal booster and buffer with two gain settings (12 dB and 20 dB) so you can dial in extra gain depending upon the nature of the source. It has a low-noise, Class-A input stage with an input impedance of 3.6 K-Ohms (which should make most ribbon mics happy), and a low-impedance output (300 Ohms at 20 dB gain) that easily drives long cables without loss of gain or increased distortion. The dBooster is also useful for low-output dynamic mics such as the Shure SM7B. The dBooster is built into a compact enclosure and weighs six ounces. Street price is around $179.
K&M 19790 Tablet PC Stand Holder
Set lists, mix notes, analysis software, a remote control app for your mixer… the list of things that an iPad can do goes on forever. But placing it in the right spot can be a challenge, which is where the 19790 from K&M (www.k-m.de) comes in handy.
The 19790 has three individually adjustable support arms that accommodate tablets ranging in size from 8.75 to 13.15 inches high x 5 to 9.14 inches wide, including the iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, Amazon Fire HDX 8.9, Samsung Galaxy Tab 9, Google Nexus 9, Asus Transformer, Microsoft Surface and Surface Pro. Depth of the tablets can vary between 0.24 and 0.43 inches. Initial settings for size are made by adjusting the clamp screws to the size and depth of the tablet; a snap lock allows quick mounting and unmounting for subsequent use. The 19790 mounts on any mic stand with a standard 5/8-inch thread. Street price is around $60.
Fluke 115
More than just a gadget for a gig, the Fluke 115 (www.fluke.com) is a tool I use on a regular basis — even when I’m home. Dubbed “The Field Technician’s Digital Multimeter,” the 115 measures true RMS voltage, AC and DC voltages to 600 V, current up to 10 amps (it can sustain a 20-amp overload for 30 seconds), resistance to 40 MΩ, continuity beep, capacitance to 10,000 μF, and features Min/Max/Average with elapsed time to record variations in signal. It can also perform a diode test and measure Lo-Z capacitance with a range of 1 nF to 500 μF. The 115 defaults to Auto Range, but can also be set for Manual Range, if that’s your thing.
Controls on the 115 include a rotary switch for measurement function as well as pushbuttons for Hold, Min/Max, Range, diode/capacitance and backlight on/off. To conserve power, the 115 goes to sleep if there’s no activity after 20 minutes; pressing any button or turning the rotary switch wakes it up. It’s housed in a rugged case with a rubberized holster and ships with test leads and a 9-volt battery.
Did I mention that it can measure frequency from 5 Hz to 50 kHz? Your dog will love it! Street price is around $250 and it’s worth every cent.
Steve “Woody” La Cerra is the tour manager and front of house engineer for Blue Öyster Cult. He can be reached via email at woody@fohonline.com.
