Camco Vortex 6 Power Amplifier
By Mark Amundson
I have been hearing great things about Camco amps from visiting sound engineers from Europe in recent years. Now that the Camco Vortex series of amplifiers is distributed in the United States by Ashly Audio, it's easier for us all to get a look at these amps.
I was sent a Camco Vortex 6 amplifier, the mainstay of many Euro touring sound companies. The Vortex 6 puts out 2100 watts per channel into four-ohm loads with both channels driven with less than 0.1% distortion at 1kHz. And the Vortex 6 comes in a two-rackspace size with a 12.4 kilogram weight (27 pounds), and draws a polite 16 amperes at the 1/8th power representing normal operation at 120V. Externally the Camco Vortex 6 looks like any minimalist audio power amplifier, but its modest weight for its output ratings gives you a clue that there is some magic inside. The front panel has a large cooling air inlet, but the plain power switch, two volume controls and On/Signal/Clip LEDs hide any semblance of advanced technology. Three status LEDs do give you amplifier mode operation stereo/parallel/bridged, and RS-485 control operation (CAI).
The back panel shows off a bit more technology with a 12-gauge power cord terminated with a Hubbel 120VAC, 30A twist lock plug. With its European pedigree, the binding posts are not found, and two high power NL4 speakon jacks handle the speaker interfacing. And the large rear vent shows off what looks like a chassis full of aluminum heatsinks, which is a very good thing. Also in the rear panel is the obligatory XLR input and thru jacks for signal patching. Five slide switches are also include for setting ground lift, amplifier mode, protection/limiter usage, gain selection and an optional future feature as new software is created. Yes, I said "software."
The Camco Vortex 6 technology includes a microprocessor to handle the load protection and amplifier operation function inside. Note that the Vortex 6 is still designed as analog-in and analog-out, with no digital conversion processing in the signal path. While the switching power supply does take orders from the microprocessor, the amplifier itself is a Class-H amplifier using Bipolar transistors and getting juice from the three supply rails from the switcher. Should something be abnormal in the amplifier or load, the supply rails can be lowered or crashed completely.
And just like VCA mixing consoles, the Camco Vortex 6 has both volume control and microprocessor control of a 12-bit DCA (digital controlled amplifier) per channel. This obviously takes any scratchy-ness away from the volume controls, and the 12-bit (4096) levels permits the volume control to be a perfect logarithmic characteristic without having to purchase that precision in the 40 detent rotary control. The real brainy feature is that the Vortex 6 can detect output clipping onset from the amplifier and lower the DCA level automatically (limiting). And of course, if you just want to slam subwoofers with everything the Vortex 6 has, you can switch the limiter and speaker protection out.
The Vortex 6 also has two RJ-12 jacks in the rear for daisy chaining the Camco amplifier remotely. This especially handy when you have many racks of amplifier driving line arrays and need to control many coverage angles. And the Votex 6 can drive two-ohm (at 3000w/ch) and eight-ohms loads (at 1200w/ch) as well.
The Gigs
With the Camco Vortex 6 used for subwoofer and mids, I found both power to spare and great audio fidelity. This is not always the case with high-power amplifiers. The 16.6-inch depth of amplifier (422mm) is expected, and the built-in rear ears make amp rack integration much easier than making or buying kits for rear rack tie-down.
After the large club and smaller outdoor gigs I did with Vortex 6, I ran some shop tests and found nothing to really complain about. It is a little heavier than the Crest Pro 9200 I removed from my amp rack, but both amps are superb in audio reproduction and lighter than everything else out there. You will not purchase a Camco Vortex 6 cheaply, but the amp's performance and construction will be worth every dollar (or Euro) spent.
What it is: Tour-Grade Audio Power Amplifier
Who it's for: Sound Companies with uncompromising desire for high-fidelity, and a moderate amount of remote control capability for large systems.
How much: Camco Vortex 6 $4905 SRP
Pros: Great sounding, small size, and simple interfacing
Cons: None.
APB Spectra-T Console
By Jamie Rio
Are you looking for a new board? Let me be a little more specific. Are you looking for a new analog VCA console? We all know there are a lot of companies out there to choose from, but there are not a lot of new companies building analog mixing consoles. At least not a lot of new, made in America companies. I have my own ideas on why that is the case but I won't get into it right now. Let's get back to this new company thing. APB-DynaSonics is new. They are less than two years old, however the brains behind this corporation are certainly not newcomers to the audio business. Chuck Augustowski, John Petrucelli and Taz Bhogal are the founders of APB and veterans of the audio console industry. These three guys have decades of experience working with the sound contracting community along with the tour sound industry. Why am I giving you all this info, you may ask, rather than jumping right into the nuts and bolts of this console? Well, if you are looking to purchase a new console, you will have to make a decision on why to invest your dollars in this console. So, I figure a little background information can only help you make an informed choice.
The Gear
The Spectra mixers have a laundry list of features. The input channels start with high quality Burr-Brown mic pre-amps. Phantom power, line switch, pad, polarity switches and gain controls are present on all mono inputs.
An adjustable high-pass filter with an on/ off switch starts the EQ section. The Spectra- T equalization is sweepable in all four bands, and includes shelving/bell switches on high and low frequencies.
There are 10 aux busses with pre/post faders (4) and pre/post EQ (2) switches. The aux outputs feature 100mm faders with polarity reverse switches. Aux outputs have pre/post assignments to Matrix section and assigns to Left, Right, Center and Mono busses. You get eight VCA input groups along with 12 mute groups (four discrete, eight VCA assignment linked).
Further, there's an output VCA system for Left, Right, Center and Mono Outputs plus a user selectable VCA system on all four matrix outputs. Four stereo/split-track line input channels are included on all console configurations. Inserts are present on all primary outputs of the console, including aux and matrix outputs. You also get internally illuminated solo and mute switches.
The board gives you a 15 by 4 matrix system with inserts and XLR balanced outputs. Two mono alternate outputs with XLR (transformer isolated) balanced outputs are featured along with a stereo (record) alternate output. A talkback system with oscillator is on board. Eighteen, 15-segment output meters let you see what's going on along with six-segmented input channel metering. A redundant (plug-in) power supply is standard. The console can be purchased in 24, 32, 40, 48 and 56 mono input channel formats. That pretty much covers all the features. I may have missed a few but let's just say that this console is packed with buckets of features for a piece of gear in this price range.
The Gigs
Bill Evans and I took the Spectra-T on its first outing. APB sent me a 32-channel model which I received a day before the show. I really didn't have much time to familiarize myself with the console prior to the show but both Bill and I have been around the block a few times, so I wasn't worried.
The first thing I thought after setting up the board and turning it on was how good looking it is. This may not be that important to many of you out there, but for me it's very important. If I am going to work with something day-in and day-out (whether it's my car, girlfriend or mixing console) I've got to enjoy looking at it. APB built this board with great colors and functional lighting.
Alright, back to the show. Anyway, we set everything up for a rather large Latin jazz band and started to get some sounds. The Spectra is a very clean mixer. Actually, that doesn't really describe it. The Spectra is a beautifully transparent piece of equipment. It may be the VCAs but it is probably the overall design. Whatever it is, the sense of openness is immediately apparent.
We put the drums up first and I had a lot of fun with the EQ. It is also transparent and very deep. There are some of you who don't really like VCAs, and others who will only mix on consoles featuring voltage-controlled amplifiers. That is an argument for another article, but I will tell you that the VCAs on this board operate very smoothly and cleanly. The mute groups are very handy and I loved the 100mm faders on the Aux groups.
In a nutshell, the show went quite well and the audience had a great time. During the show the client/producer came by the FOH area and mentioned how good everything sounded. He also asked about the board. I usually discount the client's overall awareness but this guy noted that we had a new console, that it was very handsome and asked if we would be bringing it to his next event.
Just three days later I took the Spectra-T out on another date with an eight-piece swing band. This was a much bigger event, however we were asked to mix from the side of stage. With all the outputs available we had no problem setting up a cue and mixing. The board once again worked beautifully. At this event the client (whom I have worked with at dozens of events) was standing right next to me at the console and didn't notice anything new or different. This client/producer is a woman however. This is not a slam folks; I am just reporting the facts of the event. On the other hand the, the lead singer of the band commented on the quality of the sound and the look of the mixer.
Both shows were very successful and I enjoyed working on this board very much. I think the Spectra will do very well in the Contracting and general install arena but APB may have an uphill battle with touring sound riders. Which brings me back to my opening paragraph. The quality and design is definitely present in this piece of equipment, but riders can be very tight. The good news is there are more churches than arenas.
CBI Ultimate Starperformer Split-Box
By Brian Klijanowicz
CBI sent over their spanking-new Ultimate Starperformer transformer split-box for review, a 56-channel VEAM mass-pinned three-way isolated split. It also has mass-pin connectors for the stage boxes. We received a configuration with M176 and M61 connectors on it. Three M176 connectors give you your main outputs, labeled "main," "monitor" and "aux." There are also three M61 connectors for the stage boxes. Each M61 carries 20 channels of signal (ie. 1-20, 21-40, 41-56). Every input on the box has a male and female XLR connector as well as a ground lift switch to help with troubleshooting. This unit comes with rack-mountable ears, so it can be mounted pretty much anywhere.
One thing that could be easily addressed is the numbering of the channels. For example, when I am patching something into channel 30, I would tend to patch it into channel 40 because the numbers are on the bottom of each connector versus the top. But I do like that they didn't jam all the connectors together, though. It's nice for the people that like to label the box with tape when patching a stage.
The stage boxes that work with this split are nice. They would be very convenient in arenas and on big stages. They also keep the split looking clean during a show (if you're into that kind of thing). However, this does raise the question: How do you cross patch between the M61 stage boxes? Say I want channel 13 (in the first on-stage M61 box) to go to channel 30 (in the second on-stage M61 box). The only way to do that is to manually take the output of channel 13 and put it into channel 30. So what's wrong with this? Channel 13 and 30 will be getting the same signal, so it basically defeats the purpose in the first place. Unless you use an old-fashioned sub snake, or a M61 XLR fan-out, cross-patching will be quite the task.
[CBI replies that Ultimate Starperformers are built to order and that this configuration for the test model was ordered by the customer. –ed.]
But all in all this is a great split box. It has a lot of good features, and is well assembled. Definitely count on seeing some of these along your journeys on the road in the near future
What it is: A split-box.
Who it's for: Regional and corporate soundco's.
Pros: XLR in and outs on every channel, ground lift switch on every channel, mass pin to keep things neat
Cons: Channel numbering can be confusing for those who are not used to it, stage box mass pin needs a better way to cross patch .
How Much: $10,000–$20,000, depending on customer specs. Each unit built to order.
Audio-Technica ATM250DE Dual Element Mic
By Bill Evans
This one will be short and sweet. We reviewed the Artist Elite AE2500 dual element mic soon after it first came out. We liked everything about it except the price. Evidently we were not the only ones because A-T recently put out a lower-cost version in their new Artist Series line that we can't find a lot different about.
The Gear
In case you weren't paying attention the last time, the ATM250DE, like it's more expensive sibling, is two, two, two mics in one (if you got that reference, congratulations, you're old like me). It has become a pretty common thing in the big leagues to put two mics on the kick drum but this means really getting the positioning down in order to avoid phasing problems that can suck the life out of your sound.
The ATM250DE addresses this by putting a dynamic capsule and a condenser in a single housing. The two elements are mounted in precise position so that phasing is not an issue. The mic uses a special cable with a five-pin XLR connector that attaches to the mic and then terminates in a pair of standard XLRs so you can run the dynamic into one console input and the condenser into the other and separately mix and EQ the two to get the best sound.
The Gigs
Though the ATM250DE was originally looked at as a kick drum mic, it has seen a lot of other uses as well. "Big Mick" Hughes uses them on guitar cabs for Metallica where they sounded brilliant, and I have heard they make a killer sax mic as well (still have to try that one).
On this gig we were mixing a pair of large bands for an outdoor event for about 1200 people. The bands were of similar sizes but had totally different sounds and very different drummers. We used the ATM250DE on both and got great results. Each of the drummers needed a bit of EQ tweaking and a different balance between the two elements, but they both sounded great and we didn't have to spend a lot of time futzing with mic positioning. Very nice.
My only issue with this mic is the connector. The cable is solidly made, but we all know that cables fail all the time and this mic is unusable without that special cable. I would really like to see A-T include some kind of hard adapter with the mic. The adapter would have the female five-pin on one end and a pair of male XLRs on the other all in some kind of molded or, better, metal casing. That way, if the cable takes a dump on the gig, you have a plan B ready. Until that happens, order an extra cable just in case. The extra expense is worth it for the very cool sonic possibilities this mic makes possible.
What It Is: Dual element mic–dynamic and condenser
Who It's For: Folks who were jealous of the original and can afford this version
Pros: Super easy to place and use. Developed as a kick drum mic, but has tons of other uses.
Cons: That special cable is GOING to fail at some point. You need an extra cable handy on every gig, just in case.
How Much: MSRP: $549.00; street price $299.
