Sound

Details
Always at the forefront of innovation, Vestax was highlighting its new CDX05 single-slot CD player that can link to a Tascam TTM1, enabling a DJ to use vinyl to control CD and MP3 playback. The QFO turntable/mixer was also catching eyes. The first of its kind, the space-age looking combination device gives DJs the freedom to 'play' it more as an instrument. Also this year, Vestax's PDX2300 Mark II Pro turntable featured the J-shaped 'active balance' tone arm, a new 'super-stable' mechanism.

Details
KAM has launched 71 new products over the last 18 months. PLASA saw the first showing of the IMS Pro series of speakers, a versatile injection-moulded mobile DJ rig with three passive full-range enclosures and two active ones and the choice of two different subs.

Details
Catering for a wide range of PA requirements, Cerwin Vega launched its Intense portable system, comprising three cabinets, all with titanium compression drivers, plywood cabinets and HighRoad horns. Also on show were the now-shipping ProStax, Structural Design Series and top-of-the-range Vision lines.

Details
A compact steerable line array, Target U16 from Duran Audio builds on this company's extensive experience in using DSP time manipulation to affect dispersion pattern on its speaker products. U16 is a scaleable self-powered mini line array containing a pair of 6.5" and a single 1" driver per cabinet capable of delivering 123dB at 1m. Tell the DDA unit where you want to hit, and at what SPL and the unit will calculate the rest. U16 is designed to be used with Duran's existing B215 sub. Duran also showed the AXYS Intellivox-V90 - a compact, passively steered vertical column loudspeaker designed for use in 70V/100V PA and VA systems. The quirky-looking Intellidisc was also on preview. Resembling a hexagonal satellite dish, the unit, at approximately 1m diameter, houses multiple drivers and, it's claimed, has a completely reconfigurable dispersion, both horizontally and vertically.

Details
Andolite displayed its comprehensive range of products designed for the installation of audio and lighting systems. New were its white light bars, now fitted with white ABS sockets. Recent projects have included installation work on His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen.

Details
Shure Distribution showed Shure's new SLX4 install range radio mic system. Simple and effective, the SLX has automatic channel scan for available frequencies, and subsequent microphone grab (interrogation and setting of the mic's transmitter to match) when held in front of the unit. On the same stand, but from QSC, comes the Modular Design series, two-way cabinets based on either 12" or 15" drivers with three horn variants (60°x40°, 90°x40° and 120°x40°); all in the same size box. The RMX 5050 amplifier is the latest addition to the range: 5kW per channel, it has all the limiters and filters QSC users will expect.

Also with Shure Distribution, Phonic continues to impress with its low-cost products; Road Gear 260 is a neat self-contained 130W per channel PA system. Speakers clip off to reveal an amp mixer unit, four mono, two stereo, two-band EQ, with effects send and le

Details
At the Loud Technologies camp, the AX speaker is a general-purpose speaker cabinet from EAW with wide dispersion, while the Element Series of compact weatherproof speakers was also launched. Attracting interest from Macie was the Onyx range of new analogue live sound mixers, from 12 to 48 channels. Big Knob is a control room master section, giving all the connectivity required, while TT24 is a live sound digital mixer, the main feature of which is turbo touch - the ability to access any function on the desk within two button pushes. You can assign faders mono, stereo or VCA.

Tapco is the new brand name from Mackie, offering the S5 self-powered active studio monitor, Tweek 31 a 31-band graphic, and Squeeze a comp/limiter with an 'air' feature to retain transients when using heavy compression.

Details
Clock Audio's bespoke audio systems have spawned the CS series, a conference microphone designed to minimize the number of units used, but maximize audio quality. The MR-88 automatic microphone mixer uses DSP technology to provide an expandable but easily controllable system.

Details
Several new 100V line install speakers from IC Audio: a 6W wall-mount unit conforming to BS 5839, a new ceiling speaker with ceramic cable clamp and thermal fuse, and a new pre-amp, the O6, a 5-channel rack-mount unit. All IC amps have built-in 24V DC power supplies for coverage during mains power loss. The new MX-120E is an economy amp with quarter-inch outs. The MX-Amp 480 is a powerful amplifier for the larger install, offering two zones of control.

Details
One of the most interesting products belonged to debut exhibitor Infinium Technologies, launching its optical, contact-free faders with adjustable torque control. Three years in development, it could have a significant impact on a wide range of control surfaces.

Details
A low profile but inventive product lurked on the Outline stand - a spherical speaker cabinet for acousticians. The omni-directional Globesource features 12 loudspeakers to fire sound out at all angles of the sphere, allowing those measuring the acoustic properties of a space to use any kind of sound, rather than being limited to a pistol shot, etc.

Details
One of the talking points of the show, Digidesign revealed the 'Venue' - its completely new live sound reinforcement mixing and processing environment, a combination of hardware and software aimed at offering studio quality sound in a live setting. The Venue system features consoles, mix engines, stage racks, FOH racks and the snake system, and is fully integrated with Pro Tools for recording.

Details
Celebrating its appointment as the UK distributor for the Audix brand, Pure Distribution had an array of the American-made microphones on show. Microphones from Sanken were also on display, along with Aphex Systems and Lexicon rack-mount signal processors.

Details
Architecta's wireless audio system uses digital transmission techniques to reproduce CD quality audio up to 260m away from the transmission source. The system uses corrective algorithms and channel hopping to prevent interference and clashes in the 2.4GHz band. The system has a 20Hz - 20kHz response, sampled at 16 bits, 48 kHz (96kHz and 24 bits is possible) and can accommodate up to 40 channels at rates of 1.5Mbps or 3.0Mbps.

Details
Bryant Broadcast enjoyed a buoyant show. Making anything from 19" rack units to PD units, jack fields and cables assemblies, its highlighted products included the new ISOL8 range of mains conditioning units. 'The Grid SMS' is a PC-controlled sequential mains unit with filtration and remote interrogation.

Details
Sound Leisure offers complete digital audio solutions for all areas of the leisure industry and custom builds systems to suit individual applications - ranging from simple digital juke boxes to state-of-the-art DJ control systems and interactive marketing units. The company can also supply customized screen solutions.

Details
Celebrating its 35th anniversary, Allen & Heath showed the VF-1 analogue stereo filter and Xone:92 MIDI-equipped, 6-channel DJ mixer. The latest generation MixWizard console, the WZ3, was also receiving a lot of attention, while the company's Vicky Willson also hinted at "a big desk in development". Watch this space.

Details
New from Cloud Electronics was the CX163, a two-zone stereo mixer with Mono utility output, which replaces its renowned CX133. The format is similar, with six line inputs, mic access and switching. Also new was the CX263 three-zone mixer, which offers one stereo zone and two mono zones.

Details
Italian manufacturer Bespeco makes music accessories, audio and lighting equipment, cables and electrical instruments. Highlights included the new X9 8-channel audio mixer with eight compressors per channel, in-built EQ with middle and medium parametrics, gate function and a direct out insert line. It's aimed at working bands wanting their own small, all-in-one mixer.

Details
Japan - D&M Professional's newly-launched DN-S1000 CD/MP3 player and DN-X100 mixer have been recognized with Good Design 2004 awards by the prestigious Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization (JIDPO). Both the DN-S1000 - an entry-level MP3/CD tabletop device - and the complementary fully-featured DN-X100 Battle mixer - were designed by Kimura Akihito, from Denon Ltd's Global Marketing Division Design Group.

This year's Good Design Awards, which give manufacturers the opportunity to achieve a closer communication with their target markets and customers, were announced on 1 October. JIDPO was founded in 1969 and is the only organisation in Japan involved in the comprehensive promotion of design activities. These activities have included the implementation of a Design Year campaign, sponsorship of the Good Design Awards (the so-called G-Mark), and publication of the quarter

Details
Aside from announcing the formation of new lighting distribution company Difuzion (see news this issue), Fuzion Plc featured many brands on its stand including Nexo and Camco. Brand new was the Radia Pro-Line range of architectural speakers, which offer equal sound anywhere in a room using planar technology: there are three speakers in the range - the Pro 1.0, the Pro 1.3 and the Pro 1.9. Finally from the Fuzion portfolio was the new Synergy series of amps from Australian Monitor.

Details
The ever-cheerful Paul Hinkly of LMC Audio was looking content, saying "Business is good after a lean couple of years." No doubt his mood was improved by receiving an order for one of Soundcraft's new GB4 consoles, which debuted at PLASA. Other new product on display included the Soundcraft GB8 desk, Drawmer DSL424 2+2 compressor/gate and dbx ZonePro 640.

Details
DiGiCo's new D1 digital audio mixing desk is based on its worthy forebear, the well-known D5. Being a smaller footprint desk - yet sporting 40 busses, 64 channel inputs (with expansion facilities up to 96) and all the familiar D5 high/low filters, 4-band EQ etc - this looks to be a product attractive to the theatre market and for smaller touring productions. It comes in three variants: 'DP' has 12 onboard graphics for possible dual FOH/Monitor role; 'DR' has two drive racks (onstage as a stage box and one local to the desk); and 'EX' is basically D5 specification, with optical snake etc, just physically smaller.

Details
The ribbon driver has yet to gain wide acceptance, but maybe the new QR Series from Alcons Audio is just the thing to do it. Designed for use in churches and large halls, this line source system utilizes an 18" ribbon driver and three 6.5" LF drivers, offering 120° by 19° dispersion. Available in two forms, Q36 and Q18, the former is merely a vertical doubling of the Q18. This two-way system has a frequency range from 70Hz - 20kHz with an SPL peak of 150dB (QR18: 144 dB - presumably at 1m).
  1. Proel
  2. Canford Audio
  3. Logic System
  4. Allen & Heath debuts products at AES
  5. Technics
  6. WLE to distribute Audio Spotlight
Page 667 of 1372

Latest Issue. . .