New Gear

The N8000-1500, based on the technology inside the Electro-Voice NetMax N8000, has a new DSP-2 engine with three dual-core processors, expanding the total processing power to 1500 MIPS. Each input or output card added to a chassis provides an additional DSP engine and another 100 MIPS of processing power. A fully loaded chassis provides 1900 MIPS of processing — almost double the power of the original N8000. Options and add-ons include the CobraNet interface, NetMax’s monitoring and supervision options, FIR-Drive, and control options provided by IRIS-Net.

The Radial SW4 is a four-channel club and festival switcher that allows the system tech to switch between various mixing consoles and music sources, such as a CD player, DJ mixer or iPod. The Radial SW4 features four stereo inputs: 1, 2 and 3 are 100-percent passive balanced XLR for high-end touring consoles. Input 4 is active and designed for CD players, DJs, and I-Pods. It is set up with 4a and 4b input sets for use in multi-function facilities. A headphone monitor bus allows any or all of the sources to be selected for pre-switch auditioning. A stereo monitor bus output is also available to drive reference monitors or a second sound system.

Carvin Ultra-light DCM “L” Series Power Amps
Carvin introduces the Ultra-light DCM “L” Series power amps. The CLASS A/B linear topology features high current bipolar output devices that reduce distortion to.03% THD while delivering high slew rate performance. The DCM’s headroom reveals its dynamic power from the Switchmode power supply that operates at 100,000 Hz. The Switchmode supply is designed to save AC input power and reduce internal heat. The soft-start gently turns the DCM on to prevent tripping AC breakers and a heat transfer system offers advanced cooling. Features include recessed front controls with status indicators that won’t get bumped or easily moved. A “Ground Lift” switch eliminates ground loops. A “Parallel Input” switch eliminates “Y” adapters. The mono “Bridge” switch delivers the full power into one output. www.carvin.com

Great city, great weather, OK gear

If you didn’t make it to the City by the Bay for this year’s AES, you missed out. Fun show. Great chance to see and meet old friends. Lots of new and shiny gear. How much of it is applicable to what we as live audio providers do every day? Well, that’s a different story.

Digidesign D-Show Profile Mix Rack System

Developed specifically for small- and mid-sized performance venues, houses-of-worship, touring and fixed installations, or as an upgrade for existing analog systems, the D-Show Profile Mix Rack System combines a D-Show Profile console with the new Mix Rack, a compact 11-space rack enclosure that incorporates all audio I/O (stage and local) and DSP into a single chassis. The resulting system combination is designed to offer a compact, portable and cost-effective way to take advantage of the power and flexibility of VENUE, including native control of a vast library of TDM plug-ins and tight integration with Pro Tools software for live multitrack recording and playback. www.digidesign.com/venue

Ahhhhh. Smell that? It’s the exciting but somehow slightly putrid smell of trade show season bearing down upon us. And the dance begins. Everyone wants A) their stuff covered as widely as possible and B) to have it still be a surprise when officially unveiled at PLASA in September or AES in October. You know, everyone wants to go to heaven, but no one wants to die. Can’t have it both ways.

I got the call on Wednesday that I would be leaving for England on Monday, having been invited by the folks at Midas to be present for their latest and greatest product unveiling. I knew Midas would not spend the time and money necessary to gather journalists from all over the U.S. and Europe if they didn’t have something big to show off. I figured that they had created a new digital mixer or stage box, but Midas was keeping their new baby a secret.

AKG D7 Dynamic Vocal Microphone

AKG Acoustics introduces the D7 vocal microphone for live sound applications. AKG`s newest dynamic microphone features a humbucking coil that reduces electrical interference and stage feedback. The D7 also features an integrated high-pass filter that cuts out low frequencies, eliminates handling noise and provides audio clarity. The D7 delivers high-end sonic performance with its new Laminated Varimotion diaphragm. This design allows the diaphragm to be fine-tuned without extra tuning resonators. The D7 response evokes the subtle, open sound of a condenser microphone, while maintaining the rugged reliability of a dynamic microphone. The D7 comes complete with a carrying case, mounting clamp and replacement windscreen. Two additional models are also available: the D7-S, which features an on/off switch; and the D7-WL1 microphone capsule for use with AKG wireless systems. www.akg.com

Let’s start by getting the obvious out of the way. With NSCA folding their trade show into InfoComm there is now really only one install show of real interest to the FOH crowd (CEDIA doesn’t count). And there were a number of marketing-type references to that fact including a big sign outside touting the “One Show.”

Now I have made it pretty clear for a long time now just how much I “enjoy” trade shows. So you would think I would be doing some version of the Happy Dance that there is one less show to go to this year. But it ain’t quite that simple. It is all about timing. First, the timing sucked because Summer NAMM moved back to Nashville and had to move to June to do so, which meant that it overlapped by a day with InfoComm. That meant almost zero presence for audio companies in Nashville and, say what you may about musician-oriented events, but musicians grow up to be sound guys, and it’s important to learn ‘em right while they are still learnable.

Allen & Heath ZED 4-Bus Series

Allen & Heath has announced the ZED-420 (16 mono + 2 dual stereo channels), ZED-428 (24 mono + 2 stereo) and ZED-436 (32 channel + 2 stereo) mixers. Similar to the smaller ZED-14, the 4-bus series features the same performance DuoPre TM padless preamp, which is a microphone circuit and an optimized line input circuit, rather than one pre-amp handling both mic and line signals. It uses a two-stage design with carefully controlled amounts of gain in each stage, offering high headroom and a low-noise, clean signal path. The ZED 4-bus series has a responsive 4-band, 2-swept mids EQ with in/out switch, 6 aux sends (2 pre, 2 post, 2 pre/post), 4 sub groups, direct outputs on each mono channel, separate L, R & M main buses, 100 mm long-throw faders, 2 matrix outputs and a talkback facility to auxes or LRM. The connectors are placed on the top surface for easy plug-in and patching, and the construction, with individual circuit boards nutted to the top panel, is identical to Allen & Heath professional touring mixers.

www.allen-heath.com

Digidesign Mix Rack
When combined with a D-Show Profile system, Digidesign’s Mix Rack option for its VENUE live sound systems is designed to offer a compact and affordable entry into the Venue family for small- to mid-sized venues, houses of worship, corporate A/V applications and regional tours. Mix Rack combines all stage, local audio I/O and DSP into a single compact 11-space rack enclosure. Mix Rack offers much of the same functionality of the dual VENUE I/O and processing components with a smaller footprint and easy portability.
www.digidesign.com

Here is our “virtual” show coverage of Europe’s major music trade show.
By Bill Evans

The ProLight and Sound show in Munich, Germany, is one of the biggest music trade shows in the world and there is plenty of audio there. So why don’t we at FOH attend? Well, truth is that if I am going to fly to Europe, I want it to be for more than another freaking trade show. Sue me. But we get lots of announcements of stuff that was intro’d at the show, so we have put together this bit of “virtual” show coverage. Just pretend we actually went…