"Digital Goes Midas." No, I didn't coin this phrase (nor did I have anything to do with the Matrixlike magazine ad). The phrase is the promotional tag Midas (Telex, Klark Teknik) hung on their new digital mixing console. I would have said "Midas puts the analog in digital." However, I am not an ad guy; I am simply a writer for FOH who found himself an invited guest of the Midas folks to witness the unveiling of XL8 digital desk. The press pre-unveiling took place at the enormous Musikmesse show in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 29. (In the interest of full disclosure, FOH, like a number of other U.S.-based publications, had not planned on sending anyone to MusikMesse. FOH readers should know that Telex, the parent corporation of Midas as well as EV, Klark Teknik and others, saw the XL8 introduction as important enough that they paid airfare for some journalists, including FOH's Jamie Rio. While Jamie was able to cover some other gear at the show, the Midas launch was over two days at three hours per day. There is a lot here to write about. We will get more from Jamie on other aspects of the Messe show in next month's FOH. –Ed.) This special launch was chock-full of info. So much so that after two hours I was nearly in a coma–in a good way. The following will hopefully explain why Midas hopes to take this new console to the front of the class.
Failure Is Not An Option
The very first thing that the Midas reps let us know was that throughout the three years of R&D and the $10 million it took to get this console up and running, their primary concern was reliability. Only time in the field will tell that story, but there does appear to be a high degree of redundancy in this system. That word "system" is an important distinction between digital and analog consoles. When you purchase a Midas XL8, in addition to the control surface, you get four 24-input digital stage boxes with splits and a separate set of 24 independent balanced outs for broadcast or recording. You also get DSP boxes and I/O boxes and an outboard moving fader EQ. Also, the XL8 is able to control other computers via its touchscreens, keyboard and mouse. For instance, if the system is set up as an install, you can view and control the house HVAC system through the desk. No, really.
But before I get off on a tangent, let me get back to the reliability aspect of the XL8. The control surface has five multipleredundant power supplies. The stage boxes sport dual integral power supplies. Midas decided to use the open-source Linux operating system as the foundation of the system and all master controls are duplicated. As a matter of fact, you could run the stage boxes via a laptop if the desk went down completely (also possible with a number of other digital mixing systems). Midas will also offer 24/7 global telephone support via service centers located in Minneapolis, Kidderminster (Midas HQ in the UK) and Singapore.
The use of Linux is important, but it is not the only way in which Midas opted to go with an integrated open architecture. Rather than inventing their own protocol, they leased Sony's AES50 digital audio distribution. With calls for the standardization in systems for the control and distribution of digital audio getting louder all the time, this is a potentially huge move, one that opens Midas up to the rest of the world. Using the Sony protocol, the XL8 can run up to 100 meters of dual redundant (there's that word) connectivity between hardware elements using CAT5 cable and up to 500 meters using optical fiber. The system incorporates an automatic integral delay management system which Midas says eliminates the comb filtering problems associated with latency. (For you analog guys, this is the time delay inherent in all digital devices that is added because of the conversion form analog to digital and back.) We'll have to wait to really see it in action to confirm that.
Still on the open architecture tip, Ethernet TCP-IP & USB tunneling are used for third-party add-ons, and keyboard-, videoand mouse-switching are on the control surface. Basically, Midas is using tried-and-true technologies from the computer world for the connectivity and communication. Which just freed up more time and money to work on the desk itself.
Knobs, Buttons and Faders
Now that I have given you all this background infrastructure information, how about we look at the control surface? The desk looks very analog except for the daylight- viewable display screens. Three banks of eight each make up the input channels and those banks go four layers deep. The "top" channels are each fully displayed on the input screen. Three Midas mic pre amps are present at each input channel along with a line input for 96 total inputs, and each input channel has a very analog feel. The input gain is where you would expect it, the aux and pan controls are where they should be, and the look and feel is very Midas. Hardware is dedicated, meaning that knobs don't change function: The gain knob is a gain knob, etc., and nothing else. Next to each bank of eight input channels is the EQ, compression, effects, aux sends and "anything else I forgot" strip. This control strip is also very analog and very Midas. You do not have to travel through layers of digital pages with this desk. Basically, you turn a knob or touch a button and you see what it is supposed to do. The color-coding of control groupings allows you to work without having to read. For example, I can set the drums up as red buttons, the vocals as blue, the lead vocal as green, guitars as orange, etc.
Like with other digital desks, there is no need for board tape. Individual channels can be named via the main channel button and the process is painless. There is actually a pulldown menu with a variety of instrument names or you can type in the individual instrument. The desk is also perfectly set up for dual operators. I can have eight drum inputs on the left side of the control surface and send it to my partner on the right side or vice versa using any combination of input channels. This is a handy feature and can free up one engineer for a specific task while the other engineer is working on a completely different piece of the mix without moving their assigned locations.
The master section of the console has the "all meters, all the time" screen. That's pretty self-explanatory, letting you see every input channel. Of course, there is a screen for all processors, whether it is EQ, compression, gates, limiters or effects processors. Everything is onboard and visually accessible. All in all, there are five daylight-visible screens at the front of the desk. Of course, full capability theatre-style scene automation is onboard, along with snapshot scene automation and cross-scene global edit capability.
The fact of the matter, folks, is that I am only scratching the surface of this digital system. But the most important thing is I can tell you that with all it has to offer it is very easy to operate. Midas U.S. sales manager Matt Larson took a little extra time with me after the initial introduction and went over the operation of the desk. About 15 minutes into this second demo, I had a pretty clear idea of how things worked. Not because I am some kind of genius, but because the console is very analog in operation.
Midas had the system set up in its own outdoor tent at the Messe show. The sound was great, but to tell you the truth, I could not tell if it had that "Midas sound." I own a Midas, and I have to be at the board personally to hear and feel that tonality. I think Midas has developed an exceptional product. On the one hand, Midas knows that they will automatically sell a certain amount of these units. Large sound companies will almost certainly have to have at least one of these systems in their arsenal. The question is how well Midas will sell outside of their already predetermined customer base. They certainly have spent the time and money on this project. There is no doubt that the console looks and feels like the best of Midas. Only time will tell.
