New Gear

Crest Audio's E-Lite series amps are built on a high-speed class D design with a switch-mode power supply to reduce weight while increasing reliability, thermal efficiency and output power. The E-Lite 1800 and E-Lite 1800 DSP offer 900 watts per channel, and the E-Lite 3000 and E-Lite 3000 DSP have 1500 watts per channel. Both versions weigh less than 10 pounds and can be used in parallel, stereo and bridged modes.

Ashly Audio's pêma (Protea Equipped Media Amplifier), a powered processor,  combines Ashly's DSP functionality with the company's amplifier functionality inside a two-rack space unit.

Martin Audio's MLA Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array uses optimization software and a new cellular array design to "take the guesswork out of daily system design," according to R&D director Jason Baird. "We are convinced that MLA is a game-changing product."

Turbosound's six-model Compact series includes four passive trapezoidal loudspeakers and two subwoofers, all outfitted with rigging features suited for portable live sound and fixed installation applications.

The Club Series Tempoflex from Sommer Cable is designed for permanent installations and mobile applications for theater and other live performances, particularly those where the mikes are allowed to dangle from truss.

Rational Acoustics's Smaart v.7, the culmination of an two-year development effort, is also the first version of Smaart designed and released solely by Rational Acoustics, who purchased the brand from EAW in November 2009.

The Mackie SRM1801 Powered Subwoofer delivers 1000 watts of Class-D power in a lightweight portable design. The 18-inch woofer is designed to deliver high output, and active electronics include a precision crossover and tuning filters for accurate bass response.

The Smart DI from Optogate features an integrated microcontroller and an LCD display to address some of the problems commonly associated with traditional DI boxes: the need to hunt for signals between stage and desk, the lack of fine adjustments of the input signal and the "pop" heard when connecting or removing an input connector.

Lectrosonics' Aspen line of DSP matrix audio processors, now shipping, includes the SPN1624 matrix mixer, the SPN16i input-only module and the SPNConference telephone hybrid unit for teleconferencing. Features include TCP/IP control over Ethernet, unlimited input expandability, real-time clock, 48-channel matrix bus, 1 Gbps expansion port and 48-Volt phantom powering for all inputs.

EAW recently announced two new subs-one passive and one powered. The SB2001 Subwoofer, pictured here, which goes beyond the company's SB1001 with a dual 21-inch cone driver, provides more than double the volume of air displaced without a significant increase in size.

The Radial PowerPre microphone preamplifier fits inside a standard API style lunchbox frame. Its differential design and discreet components deliver up to 60dB of gain with low noise. The simplicity of the design is reminiscent of vintage equipment, and it avoids zero-cross distortion and other limitations imposed by off-the-shelf op-amps.

Audient's eight channel ASP2802 console, launched at MusikMesse 2010 in Frankfurt, combines analog features with DAW integration and control and includes Audient's Dual Layer Technology.