Breakthroughs in microphone technology don’t come along very often, so when something truly new comes along, it definitely piques my curiosity. And some months ago, when I found out some preliminary details about the AM-1 Realtime Steering Array Microphone System from TOA Electronics, I wanted to check it out firsthand.
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Larry Villella is a musician, audio enthusiast and former Steinway piano dealer who turned his love of vintage mic collecting into a full-time business as ADK Microphones in 1998. Most of the ADK line centered around mics that emulated the sound of classic studio models. A couple years ago, he branched out with his new 3 Zigma line, which were more compact than the large body and tube models that ADK offered and employed the CHI (Capsule/Head-Amp Integrator) Series.
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Over the years, headworn microphones have become significantly more improved, with better performance from smaller, near-invisible packages. So last year, when Audio-Technica debuted its BP894 MicroSet — a design that takes a completely new approach to headworn microphones, I was intrigued about its performance — and sound.
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I’m one of those types who likes to avoid wireless if at all possible and I usually shake my head wondering why when a client or artist insists on using an RF mic when they never wander more than about five feet in any direction. So last year when Alto Professional announced its Stealth Wireless speaker system, I initially wasn’t too impressed. In most portable sound systems, adding another component (and level of complexity) just to replace 25 feet of cable feeds from a stagebox or snake to the mains just didn’t seem worth the extra effort.
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I never thought I’d be reviewing a mic stand. But then again, Triad-Orbit’s Advanced Microphone Stand Systems aren’t ordinary mic stands. Actually, the real point here is whether I need another (or several) more mic stands. After all, I have a ton of them that I’ve bought over the years, ranging from cast base models to various folding versions.
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Sometimes, it’s all about the look. There are literally thousands of live performance vocal mics to choose from for stage applications, ranging from large side-address condensers to handheld dynamics to ultra-miniature headworn microphones. So is there really a place for a new live vocal mic that emulates the appearance of a classic 1920’s Western Electric double button carbon microphone? For the right artist, in the right setting, the answer would be absolutely.
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Allen & Heath has built a good reputation and become popular with their larger digital consoles. Now they have taken a lot of the technology that has served them well with their iLive and GLD series mixing boards and incorporated it into the Qu-16 (and recently introduced 24-channel Qu-24) consoles.
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Well-known in studio circles, but perhaps less familiar to sound reinforcement users, Focusrite has a long and distinguished legacy in professional audio. The company was founded 29 years ago by audio legend Rupert Neve (whose circuit designs still grace a number of Focusrite’s products) and four years later, it was acquired by Soundcraft co-founder Phil Dudderidge. After a short bout in the large console market, Focusrite began expanding its world-class signal processing series with a successful line of audio interfaces that were on-time and in-step with the burgeoning studio market.
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Whether aging a fine wine or tweaking a speaker design, good things often take a while to develop. During the InfoComm show back in 2012, I stopped by the Alto Professional booth and was taken aback by a preview of the company’s just-unveiled Black Series loudspeakers. I had been aware of Alto Professional since 2000, when the company was first launched. That young company had ambition and good ideas, but seemed unfocused and often embarked on products which, I suppose, had great appeal to overseas customers, yet weren’t always quite in sync with the needs of pro users in North America.
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Like so many of you, I’m a self-confessed mic junkie. And when an interesting new mic comes along, I’m hooked. So last year, at summer NAMM, when MXL unveiled its CR-77 live sound vocal mic, I was definitely interested.
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The V75-40V is the latest digital wireless microphone from Line 6. It transmits in the 2.4 GHz band and features an Earthworks WL40V hypercardioid capsule. It’s made to be used with Line 6’s 2.4 GHz receivers, the XD-V75, XD-V55 and XD-V35, running v2.0 firmware or later. The V75-40V equipped with the Earthworks WL40V capsule is sold a la carte and is not packaged with any particular wireless receiver system.
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CEDAR Audio is no stranger to noise reduction systems. The company pretty much wrote the book on state-of-the-art hardware- and software-based solutions for all types type of unwanted audio artifacts, ranging from pops and crackling on vintage 78 records to wind, rain and nearly every other type of sound that could creep onto an audio channel. In fact, CEDAR received an Academy Award for its original DNS (Dialogue Noise Supressor) system.
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