Road Tests

It is not often that Dynacord comes out with a new high-end audio power amplifier, but when it happens, it is usually a real technological marvel. The PowerH 2500 and 5000 power amplifiers are designed by the same German engineering team that produced the legendary L 2400 (P3000) concert sound amplifier.  For over 60 years, amplifiers from that location have proven to be the finest and most reliable components one could possibly find.

So, unless you have been living under a rock somewhere, you know about the Dolby Lake Processor — at least you know it exists. Quick review: The Dolby Lake grew out of a unit called the Lake Contour, also known in a modified form as the Clair I/O. It was the first speaker processor to offer the ability to run using a wireless tablet computer so you could make adjustments from anywhere in the room. It won a ton of awards and eve-rybody wanted one. Sidenote: The development was led by legendary audio designer Bruce Jackson — and Bruce does not make stuff that sucks.

As long as I have been in the sound biz, I have been looking for a better microphone. Not because I have been dissatisfied with the standard models most commonly used, but because I started my career in music as a singer. And, as a singer, I am acutely aware how a mic can color one’s voice. Well, if a microphone can make a voice sound different, then can’t it make an instrument sound different? Of course, the answer is yes and, there-fore, my never-ending quest to find a better (or at least different) microphone.

With the rapid move toward digital mixing in the live arena, it may seem to some that Allen & Heath is late to the party. But keep in mind that this company put out its first digital mixer almost a decade ago — a small-powered rig called the ICON — that is still being used for smaller applications today. The iLive is a huge jump forward and moves A&H firmly into the fray, giving them a fighting chance in the digital mixing market.

I have reviewed a ton of personal monitors for FOH and other books. It is at the point where I have pretty much decided to pass any future reviews on to someone else because there is so much good stuff out there that it really comes down to a question of sound quality versus price. And sound quality is a totally subjective thing. There are units that I like a lot that others think stink, and units that I am not fond of that others swear by. So, it is fitting that my swan song on P.M. reviews is for something that is unique. Others have talked about it and said it was in the works, but to the best of my knowledge, no one else is doing what the Sensaphonics 3D Active Ambient System does.

The BBE DS24 speaker processor intrigued me because of its low cost (around $299.95 street) and its professional looks and performance. The BBE name is famous for its Sonic Maximizer processors, a hotly contested piece of gear that some engineers dismiss as a crutch and others swear by as a gig saver. Now BBE is putting its substantial experience behind universally accepted gear, including equalization and DSP speaker processing that may have even the skeptics taking a good hard look….

Anyone who has been paying attention already knows that I am a big fan of personal monitors. I have tried probably a dozen different models from at least four different companies, and using them as a performer has really helped me understand how to handle personal mixes as a sound guy.

Where was this product 10 years ago? The answer is never satisfactory, but a lot of time is needed before clubs and other public venues can upgrade to current legal standards for power distribution. Peavey is the first broadline pro audio manufacturer to address this missing link in setting up sizable sound reinforcement systems.

When it comes to Lexicon, I have been hanging back in the weeds, waiting for a reverb/effects offering that would appeal nicely with live sound applications. There wasn’t a lot of hoopla about the Lexicon MX300 Effects Processor when I spotted it at the winter NAMM show, but it looked perfect for what a mid-priced effects unit for live sound applications should be.

We have said it often enough that it is likely sounding like a broken record (remember those? They sound a lot different than a skipping CD), but the world is getting increasingly digital, and live event audio is no exception. First, digital processing moved from the studio to the stage. Then it was consoles. The only reason someone is not hawking a digital loudspeaker is ‘cuz until we all have direct-inject jacks that go straight into the cerebral cortex,  the laws of physics dictate that you have to actually move air to create sound. The latest part of the signal chain to get the ol’ ones-and-zeroes treatment is the venerable snake.

The sixth version of System Measurement Audio Analysis Real-Time (SMAART) is the charm for EAW, a division of Loud Technologies. Having enjoyed SMAART Live 5.0 for a while, bringing in version 6 begs the question, “Why upgrade?” Well the answer is that SMAART v.6 is a complete house cleaning of the SMAART software, with patches and expansions shaken out and put together correctly and efficiently. The kludging is gone — the new SMAART looks clean, familiar and professional looking, as it means business to those who use it. 

Back when I reviewed the TC Electronic M300 Dual Effects Processor, I made it clear that the M300 spelled the end of Yamaha SPX90’s reign as the utility effects processor for instrument effects. Now, TC Electronic has upped the ante with the M350. The latest processor includes 15 new re-verb algorithms and multi-effects. An AU/VST compatible software editor to fully automate parameters and presets for Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) use seals the deal. Having fallen in love with the simplicity and sound quality of the M300 — from my perspective — the M350 has unexpectedly promised and delivered on its goodness.