New Gear

For increased traction, Guard Dog Low Profile Cable Protectors are now available with optional Carpet Kit with Velcro brand fasteners and/or anti-slip rubber pads for use on smooth surfaces. With 1, 2, 3, or 5 channels, these interlocking protectors are only 1.25 inches high with a .75-inch channel height. They feature either standard ramps or low angle ADA-compliant ramps.

Outline's Grand Touring Outline (GTO) line expands with the GTO-DF (down-fill) element, designed for the first rows of the audience at events where GTO systems are used. The GTO-DF's aperture (120°) flares downward, and unlike the GTO, which has 10 loudspeakers, the GTO-DF has six: four 8-inch mid-woofers and two 3-inch compression drivers. Users will be able to control the GTO-DF with Outline's new app for Apple iPads, which will also be presented at PLASA.

Sennheiser's K-array KB1 is the first in the new Blueline series of K-array loudspeakers. As with items in the extremely small footprint K-array RedLine series, the KB1 is an ultra-slim, powered line array system featuring a 12-inch sub-woofer and eight 3-inch drivers.

JoeCo Limited is now shipping the new BBR64-MADI version of the BlackBox Recorder. Designed for audio acquisition and capturing live performance, the recorder enables multi-channel audio to be captured directly to a USB2 drive, in Broadcast WAV format, without the need for a computer.

HK Audio is offering contractors and system integrators a free "Configurator" iPad/iPhone/iPod touch App for its Elements line of modular sound reinforcement. The new App helps these audio professionals put together an optimized HK Elements system.

Neumann's KMS 104 D and 105 D digital microphones for live vocal applications serve as digital counterparts to the company's KMS 104 and KMS 105 condenser vocal microphones. Equipped with the core features of the existing models, the KMS 104 D, with its cardioid pattern, and the KMS 105 D, with its super-cardioid pattern, offer additional digital advantages such as an extended dynamic range, more robust operation and integrated peak limiters that prevent clipping.

Beyerdynamic's 25-mic Touring Gear series, featuring the company's Sound Channeling Technology, is now starting to ship. The series encompasses four categories of gear. They include TG 30 (entry level); TG 50 (for vocals, instruments and drums, including headsets and lavalier microphone); TG 70 (a step up from TG 50 mics) and the top-of-the-line TG 90 models, which include the TG V90r ribbon mic and the TG V96c true condenser mic for live vocal applications.

Waves Audio has updated SoundGrid plugin server capability for DiGiCo SD consoles. Waves SoundGrid-compatible plugins come pre-loaded, eliminating the need to install. Users just need to bring their iLok. All DiGiCo SD consoles support Waves V8 plugins, with the flagship SD7 supporting up to 32 stereo processing racks, with eight plugins per rack, including dual engine support for redundant SoundGrids.

Sanken's COS-11D HWM is a lightweight, ultra-miniature head worn omni-directional condenser microphone. Based on Sanken's lavaliers used for film and broadcast, it employs a unique vertical diaphragm placement for a greater effective area within its small casing and is optimized for voice. Its adjustable dual-earpiece frame has a mic boom that is interchangeable for left or right side use. It's designed for immunity to RFI and available in beige or cocoa and has a variety of connectors or bare wire. Specs include 50 to 20,000 Hz response and a -43 dB sensitivity at 1 kHz.