As Bill was getting ready and packing his bags to go to NYC for the AES show, he got a phone call from the owner of a regional sound company. Bill thought he remembered the owner saying he was going to AES at least for a day and asked, "Am I on crack or did you say you were going to AES?" The answer came, "No, I said I was going to LDI." Interesting choice. And once we hit the show floor, a few companies–big names in live event audio but with little to zero studio cachet–were conspicuous in their absence. Most notable among these were the Telex family (EV, Midas, KT) and the Peavey/Crest machine. There had also been a notice on the AES Web site some months ago that there would be a live audio pavilion set up on the show floor with hands-on training and demos, but–unless we just failed to notice it on any of the 2,367 times we walked the show floor–it wasn't there. There was a pavilion sponsored by Future Publishing and Line 6 that was a kinda cool "hang out and play guitar" sort of place, but there was no promised live audio area. You can already see, no doubt, what road we are going down, but it is not as simple a thing to just say that AES is not a live audio show. There were some strictly live companies exhibiting, including Adamson, L-ACOUSTICS and Martin Audio–speaker companies all. But most companies were touting stuff more appropriate for the studio than the stage– like JBL's extension on their line of self-tuning studio monitors. But not all. Shure intro'd a new high-end pro wireless system, and both Yamaha and EAW unveiled digital mixers that are totally live animals. We can't tell you how good or how well-attended the much-ballyhooed live audio seminar/sessions went because we didn't go to any of them. Just not enough time. But no one we talked to even mentioned them, much less went on about how great they were. On the other hand, the hourly Pro Tools demos were pretty much a packed house every time.
Funny thing is that for FOH, the show was a big success. We signed up a record number of subscribers for a trade show. So ask our publisher about the AES show and he'll tell you how great it was. Ask us, and we're likely to shrug.
As to the actual stuff, the AES show seemed to be all about line arrays a few years ago, and while there is still stuff happening on that front, this was definitely a console show.
EAW shrugged off the "we only make speakers" mantle and now has the umx.96–a touring digital console featuring a full-size LCD touchscreen, smart controls and 48 mic channel inputs. The umx.96 also integrates SIAsoft's SMAART Live 5 software for flexible monitoring of the console's inputs and outputs. As was the case when we first saw the DiGiCo D5, words can not adequately describe the experience working with the console interface, so a hands-on demo should be required for any interested customers. EAW main man Ken Berger literally unveiled the console, and word is that a couple of folks, including Rat Sound's Dave Rat, will begin road testing the console soon with actual availability dependent on how those tests go. Early word also says that retail will be in the $50K range. The two-tier console is sexy and has a great feature set, but there is this one big-ass knob in the master section that responds differently depending on the function assigned to it. (Kind of like the Mackie Big Knob that won a TEC Award for Ancillary Recording Product, hmmm?) We love gadgets and this is about as gadgety as it gets in console land, but when we sat down with new FOH columnist Steve La Cerra after the press briefing, we all said–pretty much in unison–"that thing might break."
In fact, it was that conversation that gave us our focus on what to ask about any new gear. After the marketing spiel, we asked two questions: 1. What happens if a roadie pours beer on it? and 2. Can a drummer use it?
Next up in console land was Yamaha. First shown at PLASA and officially unveiled for the U.S. market at AES was Yamaha's new M7CL digital console with 32- and 48-channel formats and a feature set that defines a mid-market digital console. This M7CL has modest cosmetics, but with full-featured LCD touchscreen and impressive metering for simple operation. In other words, every mixer who we saw look at it felt he or she could walk up and start mixing without any steep learning curve. The simplicity of the interface coupled with some impressive power and add-on capabilities was mondo impressive. And you can apply four built-in SPX2000 effects processors and eight 31-band graphic EQs to any input or output as required. Did we mention that the 48-channel retails for about $25K and the 32 for under $20K? Getting an itch in that old checkbook pocket?
Finally, Allen & Heath debuted its digital console, called the iLive system, with three desk sizes and a remote iDR rack of input and output analog connections with Ethersound digital connectivity. Sporting a beautiful, three-rank work surface with a colorful LCD and channel strip indicators, the iLive also provides an analog-style channel controls and indicators to convert the most die-hard analog desk fanatic to a believer.
As we leave console land without really talking about analog, note that this is not a dis to analog desk makers. Some people will always want analog, and there will likely always be an analog place setting at the audio table. We like analog boards and there was some neat stuff at the show, including the Spectra-C and Spectra-T from APB DynaSonics and a new console from Inter-M called the Kensington. But the news here is the falling prices and increasing ease of use of digital boards. And face it, if you want to stay in this business, non-audio concerns (like weight and footprint and the fact that you don't have to carry big effects racks) dictate that most of us will be using some form of digital desk in the next three to five years.
From the middle to the end, let's look at the last part of the signal chain–amps and speakers. On the amp front, not much really new except some new relationships with Euro amp makers and some American companies that will result in a higher profile for some excellent yet underappreciated brands. The biggest of these is the announcement that processing powerhouse Ashly has taken over North American distribution of the Camco line, a move that could result in yet another significant player in the U.S. amp market. (Don't laugh, just a few years ago few but the biggest of audio geeks had ever heard of lab.Gruppen…)
On the speaker side, SLS was showing a compact version of its "line-array-in-abox" column called the LS6593 that is being pitched for installs. Two versions here the 6593S is a straight array of six 5.25-inch drivers and nine coaxially positioned ribbon drivers, while the 6592A has the same drivers, but internally articulated to allow for greater vertical dispersion.
Renkus-Heinz put on a party off campus at a place called Zanzibar with a jazz trio to show off its new ICONYX Series, which has the same kind of "thin stick" vertical profile as the 6593, but adds DSP software and digital amplification for each driver in the column, allowing the designer or operator to define the shape and aiming of the vertical beam without moving the columns from their installed position. Beams can be symmetrical, asymmetrical or dual, and can be custom-shaped to fit specific applications. Each ICONYX Series driver is driven by an individually- processed signal, delivered by an eight-channel processor/amplifier module specially developed for this purpose by D2 Audio. Added bonus: CobraNet connectivity can be specified as an option.
Back to the beginning of the signal chain: Not a lot new in mics, but what there was noteworthy. First up, Shure put out a pro price and pro performance wireless system called the UHF-R wireless (and unlike a lot of the stuff touted at the show, this one is actually now shipping). With 2,400 selectable frequencies across a 60MHz bandwidth, UHF-R allows up to 40 preset compatible systems to be operated per band, and up to 108 systems can be put to work using multiple bands. Engineered to save time and effort in both fixed installations and touring sound applications, UHF-R boasts a feature set including automatic frequency selection with group scan and infrared automatic transmitter sync.
A few years back, Bill bought a no-name Chinese condenser package that included a typical side-address mic and a pencil-style unit for about $200. Now you can get the same kind of package, but the brand is Audio-Technica and the price is only a little higher. Although this combo of an AT2020 side-address and an AT2021 small diaphragm cardioid is called the "Studio Pack," expect to see a bunch of 'em on a stage near you.
With a "take-no-prisoners attitude," Bob Heil of Heil Sound presented three novel, large-diaphragm dynamic mics that prove that dynamic elements can both provide wide frequency response and very low distortion output. The PR20 handheld and PR30 and PR40 live/recording microphones use state-of-the-art materials to offer excellent handling noise rejection and articulate reproduction of vocal and instrument sound sources. Bob Heil's collaboration with Joe Walsh (of the Eagles) has shown it is still possible to shake up a relatively quiet industry niche in dynamic microphones.
We can't leave mics behind without noting the release of the DPA 4090 and 4091. Based on the highly-regarded but highly-priced mini omni-directional mics that are found in theatres and orchestra pits around the world, the new models are mounted in a 19mm barrel housing that tapers down to the 5.4mm capsule which is covered with a très cool spring-loaded grill. It looks funky, but has that sought-after DPA sound, can take up to 134dB of SPL and is priced at about half the cost of what you would expect from DPA. One to check out.
With the move toward digital consoles and their related built-on plugged-in processing, there seemed to be a lack of new processing toys, but count on TC which unveiled the VoiceDoubler. It takes one input and gives you up to four humanized (i.e., imperfect) "overdubs which can be male or female perfectly in tune or just a bit off and can even vary timing for a looser feel." (There is a control like this for the doubling feature on my Line 6 Vetta, but we call it the "drunk" knob.)
With all this talk about digital consoles and wired digital data protocols, Whirlwind has hedged its bets on its E Snake system, giving it compatibility with either Ethersound or CobraNet protocols. Now users can daisychain with Ethersound or home-run to a hub with Cobranet using E Snake fiber optics or CAT-5 cables. Also, the CO2a Cobranet output module makes a great programmable CAT-5 breakout box to create two analog line outputs to drive zone speakers with its two XLR jacks and rotary bundle select switches.
As long as we are talking connections, Neutrik has come up with an XLR connector with built-in filtering to get rid of RF noise. You know, like when your cell phone rings mid-set and puts a horrible hum through the system with each ring? The EMC-XLR connector likely means that some of us will be doing a lot of soldering over the next few months.
There was an awful lot going on in the digital command and control and networking worlds, but you can check out this month's Product Gallery for more on the developments and what some of us think about them.
We don't often talk about recorders, but Sony came out with a small digital unit that is perfect for recording gigs. The PCM-D1 includes a stereo-pair of condenser mics mounted in an X/Y configuration that can be swiveled into different positions. It has actual VU meters and 4GB of internal recording memory, plus a Memory Stick slot and a USB port to download the whole thing after the show.
Finally, we all know that what we are really looking for are cool little toys, and we found a couple at the same booth. The SonoPak looks like a standard-issue fanny pack, but has built-in stereo mics that sound good. Throw a small MD recorder into the bag and just throw it on the table at a club and record away. Sure to be a fave with the bootleg police. More useful, the Tensimount is a spider-type mic holder/ isolator that takes any size handheld mic and then fits right into a standard mic-stand clip. An elegant and easy way to isolate problem mics, and the really cool part is that they only run $14.95. I'll take a dozen, please.
