Road Tests

Many engineers may have a box full of high-quality mics, but finding the one that’s “just right” is often difficult. Of course, many factors come into play when choosing a mic. Sometimes it is relative to the register or timbre of the singer, sometimes the venue size plays a role, or it may just be what’s available at the time.

When I first saw the ZED R16 last year, I initially wrote it off for the FOH audience. A 16-channel recording mixer did not seem like an FOH product. But I took a second look and am glad I did. This is one instance where things are not all that they appear on the surface.

Accurately miking an acoustic piano and doing it consistently is one of the eternal challenges of live audio (and recording for what that’s worth). Over the past year plus, FOH has covered at least a handful of approaches at prices ranging from downright cheap (the Helpenstill pickup system) to compromise (standard miking coupled with control of a MIDI piano module for John Legend) to proprietary and expensive (Tom Young’s Scheops array that he carries with him for every Tony Bennett gig).

For a long time the Radian MicroWedge (popularly referred to as the “Rat wedge” due to Dave Rat’s involvement with its development) was one of the “go-to” stage monitors for the live audio biz—especially for those of us who specialize in concert-type events. We could almost always be sure that the MicroWedge would be one of the rider-acceptable choices. The compact boxes put out plenty of clear SPL, and while everyone has their own personal favorites, few acts would turn down the MicroWedge when advancing the gig.

Most of my speaking gigs take place in houses of worship. I have found that a church congregation can be very critical when it comes to their ability to clearly hear the pastor, priest, preacher, rabbi etc.  The fact of the matter is that any speaking event is only successful if the speaker can get their message across clearly, and that is why we need good microphones.

Furman continues to be a leader in power conditioning units, due its features and ruggedness. Hardly an outboard rack can be seen without an ubiquitous Furman PL-Plus Power Conditioner or two providing both the power distribution and rack-face illumination from its light tubes.

The Electro-Voice Tour X series of loudspeakers sits in that middle ground of live sound reinforcement speaker—higher-end than most MI boxes, but not something you are going to find on tour riders either. In other words, great for clubs and bands in a van as well as local soundcos.

Proel is on of those nice Italian pro-audio companies that creates nice electronics and speakers, but gets very little notice in North America. So when I received a HPD3000 power amplifier for review, I had to hold my skeptic hat in my hands until I could see this quad channel power amplifier in action.

I don’t know what it is with me and my knack for finding the coolest and most obscure devices that actually work. Yes, I am flattering myself a little too much, seeing that this device has been around since the 1970s. The old timers (I’m not saying this as a jab but out of sincere respect for the wealth of knowledge that can only come with being old) are probably saying, “Silly youngster, I’ve been using one of those for years.”

Usually when I do a Road Test, the manufacturer ships the gear to me, I read the manuals, play with it a bit and take it out on a gig. With the KS Audio gear, the review process took on a slightly different scenario. I first got a call from my friend and editor Bill Evans, but instead of waiting for the gear, I was invited to a record release party where the KS Audio CPA self-powered compact line array was being used. Henry Strange (system engineer for KS Audio) and his crew had set up the line array and subs. I showed up a couple of hours before the show to check it out.

So, an affordable cardioid dynamic microphone with a step-up transformer that will give me all the benefits of a dynamic handheld, while delivering the detail and frequency range benefits of a condenser? We’ll see. A rugged offering from a well-respected name in professional audio that is tough enough to withstand the rigors of the road while equally adept and worthy in the best of studios? All while priced under $240? Let’s just say I had my doubts.

The dbx brand now offers the dB10 passive direct box and the dBb12 active direct box. While not compact at 5.82” x 5.44” x 2.20,” the direct boxes are similar in size to the higher quality direct box offerings and are fully featured for the variety of needs for both performers and sound people. I give kudos to dbx for using steel over aluminum to help block magnetic fields from penetration into the sensitive audio circuits. This is especially important as direct boxes are often mounted on instrument amplifiers, which have AC power transformers nearby.