Road Tests

Capture, Studio One and Virtual StudioLive

Each of the three mixers in the current StudioLive family – the original 16.4.2, the flagship 24.4.2 and the new compact 16.0.2 – share the ability to be a full FireWire-enabled digital audio recording interface. All three come with Virtual StudioLive control software, Capture for basic digital recording and Studio One for the more advanced work. The included software makes StudioLive consoles veritable Swiss Army knives. This review covers some highlights of each and how they can be implemented in a live setting.

Yamaha introduced their popular StageMix iPad application for their M7CL at PLASA last fall, and there's been strong interest in an LS9 version since. Released at Frankfurt's Prolight + Sound in April, it's a free download on Apple's iTunes store. I got the call from IATSE steward Susan Phillips to work at Florida State College's Wilson Center with the school's nationally recognized jazz band. Because they have an LS9-32 in a typical performing arts center control booth, I knew this was a great test for the LS9 app.

As I sit here contemplating this review, it occurred to me that I have been writing about Yamaha gear for over 15 years now. Not that this really matters for my DSR review, but, just as a reference point, I have seen a lot of innovation come out of Yamaha over the last decade and a half.

This is the first of a two-part review. Next month: A closer look at some of the things you can do with the software bundle that comes with this product. Far from a throw-in, the software is really an integral part of what this product is all about. -ed.

One of the quirks about this business is that the older and supposedly more knowledgeable you get, the faster the transition is from cool, new "toy" to necessary "tool!"

The first thing that caught my eye when I looked at the Peavey Impulse 12D is that the enclosure sports a ribbon driver rather than the typical high compression driver. The ribbon driver is an exclusive Peavey design based on the ribbons used in the Peavey Versarray line arrays. Even if you don't know what a ribbon driver is, you can't help but notice that the horn section of this injection-molded enclosure is very different from what would be considered the norm.

In the studio world, everyone faces the same challenge of referencing. All of us have spent God-knows how many hours tweaking and EQing to get our mix to sound the best it possibly can. Then you finally burn the masterpiece to a CD and put it in the car to hear it and, lo and behold, your face is melted with 4k. Or you have a wonderful 120Hz roar. What happened? Your wonderful studio monitors, that's what.

This is kind of like reviewing a tailor-made suit – I may love it but it may not fit you at all. Or vice-versa. But there has been a lot of talk and interest out there, so I am going to give this a go.

In this day and age, we all want more for less. Whether it's your car, phone, computer, TV, or even a Smart Amplifier. We all want it to do more, weigh less, and have the cost cut in half. I say good luck. Every time something new comes out, it cost more for that one feature that I can't live without. But, dammit, I'm not going to sleep tonight until I've stood in a line that nearly traverses the earth and purchased my new whatchamacallit.

Microphones may just be my favorite pieces of gear to review (insert sarcasm here). I actually find a microphone review to be one of the hardest to do, because just about everything to do with a mic is matter of opinion. And my opinion may or may not differ from everyone else's. But in the case of this review, mine will be the only one that matters!

The Audix FP7 Fusion Series drum mic package is a complete mid-level package designed for both studio and stage use that offers working drummers and small soundcos a worthy solution to all their drum and percussion miking needs.

Editor's Note: Steve submitted this as his regular "On the Digital Edge" column for the January issue of FOH but, as it is a pretty extensive look at the nuts and bolts of a much-used software program, we are running it as a Road Test instead. Same stuff, different header.

We are all familiar with the legendary AKG C 414 microphone and all of its incarnations. Actually, that statement may be incorrect. I currently specialize in live sound reinforcement, but all of my C 414 use was during my studio engineering days.