proaudio review september 2013

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S e p t e m be r 2013 | volu m e 19 | iS S u e 9

ProAudioReview

New products, p. 10, 46

studio | l ive | broadcast | contracting | p o s t

ProAudioReviewThe Review Resource for Sound Professionals

Brainworx ENGL • JH Audio JH13 • Logitech Ultimate Ears UE 900 • MXL CR30 • Radial Gold Digger & Cherry Picker • Roland M-200i

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in this issueSound ReinforcementCovering Live Sound, Contracting, and Installed Sound

New Studio Products

2013 PAR Excellence Awards: Vote Now!

Featured ReviewAffordable Upgrades: 5 Studio

Monitoring Improvements Under $500, featuring AKG, IsoAcoustics,

KRK, PreSonus and Primacousticby Strother Bullins

ReviewRadial Engineering

Gold Digger and Cherry Picker by Rob Tavaglione

ReviewBrainworx ENGL Guitar Amplifier

Plug-ins for UADby Rich Tozzoli

ReviewMXL CR30 Large-

Diaphragm Condenser

Microphoneby Russ Long

ReviewJH Audio JH13

Pro Custom In-ear Monitor

by Tony Ware

New Live Products

ReviewRoland Systems Group M-200i

Digital Mixerby Dan Wothke

ReviewLogitech Ultimate Ears UE 900

Noise-Isolating Earphonesby Joshua Garber

Technically SpeakingThe Quest For Surplus Treasure

by Frank Wells

Studio SenseThe Challenge of Sparsity:

Mixing for Deepak & Oprah; Let’s Make A (Gear) Deal

by Rich Tozzoli and Rob Tavaglione

Live Sound MusingsA Day in the Life of a Touring Speaker

by Chris “Sully” Sullivan

PRO AUDIO REVIEW (ISSN 1083-6241) is published monthly by NewBay Media LLC, 28 E 28th Street, 12th floor, New York, NY 10016. Subscription information can be found at www.MyPARmag.com, by calling 212-378-0400, or writing to the above address. Letters to the editor are welcomed at the above address or [email protected].

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StudioCovering Recording, Broadcast Production, and Post Production

Departments

ProAudioReviewSEPTEMBER 2013 | VOLUME 19 | ISSUE 9

Cover & Featured Review Photography: Rhon Parker (rhonparker.com)Cover Design: Walter Makarucha, Jr.

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S e p t e m b e r 2 0 13 v o l u m e 19 i S S u e 9

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Steve Harvey, Will James, Alex oana, randy poole, Alan Silverman, Christopher Sullivan, rob tavaglione, tony Ware, ben Williams, Sterling Winfield, Dan Wothke, Contributors

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technically speaking Frank Wells

This month’s Studio Sense con-tribution from Rob Tavaglione (“Let’s Make A (Gear) Deal” —page 44) opened a flood-gate of memories and I swear I could

smell a waft of solder flux in the air. Even into the nineties, gear discoveries were to be found. For example, any old excuse was good enough to take a trek to the Nashville surplus electronics dealer, Javanco, which had row after row of sorted components and electronic assemblies.

For several years, I built custom power supplies and distribution panels for the then Nashville semi-standard eight-channel cue systems from Formula Sound. Making

this simple were beefy linear supplies that Javanco had bought in bulk. They were labeled as “Disk Drive” supplies, though I can’t imagine what kind of disk drives would need a ten-pound supply with +24 and +/- 5 VDC regulators. Hacksaw off the +/- 5 VDC regulators, crank the +24 VDC down to minimum (about +20 VDC), put a pair in a case with one’s floating output wired in inverse, add an IEC power connector jack, power switch, fuse and some passive splits (including eight balanced audio lines) between XLR and BICC-Vero 19-pin connec-tors and voila! A distro with +/-20 VDC that could power three to five Formula Que-8s.

When going to Javanco, first stop was to check out the tables across from the cash register that had some of their latest acqui-sitions. My scores included a small Fender VibroChamp for a bargain price. My best

Javanco deal ever was a huge 240 VAC vari-ac. I was the quasi-official U.S. service center for FM Acoustics power amps at the time, but my small bench variac was only 120 VAC (meaning I had to reconfigure the amps we used at 240 VAC before starting to work on them) and only 10 A (meaning I couldn’t run the amps at full power while connected to the variac). I’d been pricing big variacs, but they were prohibitively expensive. I got this beast for a small fraction of what a new one would cost. After some scrubbing and a coat of paint (vivid red), I mounted it with a volt-meter and current meter, power connectors and a fused power disconnect. It was both functional and visually impressive, with its big control wheel that looked like something off a submarine hatch.

Ah, the good old days—thanks for the memory jog, Rob.

The Quest For Surplus Treasure

new studio products

10 ProAudioReview | September 2013 www.proaudioreview.com

NUGEN Audio MultiMonitor Loudness/True Peak Monitoring Software ApplicationNUGEN Audio has expanded its portfolio of loudness solutions with MultiMonitor, which offers up to 16 individual loudness and true-peak meters in mono, stereo, and 5.1 formats for up to 96 individual audio channels.

MultiMonitor is standalone Mac/Windows OS software for real-time monitoring with dedi-cated momentary, short-term, and integrated program loudness alongside true-peak levels. Its “highly configurable environment” enables individual or group/subgroup operation as required. The multiple meter configurations allow numerous sources, groups, and playout streams to be monitored simultaneously, in any combination, and to individual specifica-tions. In addition, MultiMonitor features short-term loudness-level alerts and color-coded meter groups.

In a strategic partnership with Solid State Logic, MultiMonitor is also available through the LMS-16 turnkey DAW system. Through LMS-16, SSL is providing the MultiMonitor software preinstalled and configured on a 1-RU PC fitted with the SSL MadiXtreme 128 audio interface. An optional monitor arm is available to facili-tate side-mounting of a screen on SSL’s C100 HDS or C10 HD consoles.Price: $2,000 Contact: NUGEN Audio | nugenaudio.com

IK Multimedia iRig PRO Mobile Audio/MIDI Interface for iOS

IK Multimedia has announced the iRig PRO, its newest universal digi-tal mobile audio/MIDI inter-face for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Mac. iRig PRO is equipped with a MIDI input for keyboards, pads and controllers; audio and MIDI inputs can be used simul-taneously, for example, to control guitar or vocal software with MIDI foot controllers or pedals, for switching presets or controlling effects levels. It also comes with a suite of IK’s music-creation apps such as AmpliTube, VocaLive, SampleTank, iGrand and iRig Recorder, and is compatible with most audio and MIDI processing apps.

Features include a quarter-inch TRS/XLR combo input; quarter-inch mono line or instrument input; switchable 48 VDC phantom power for its mic/line preamp; 24-bit A/D converter; a preamp gain control; and LED indicators for device status, MIDI, phantom power and signal level.Price: $149 streetContact: IK Multimedia | ikmultimedia.com

Solid State Logic MADI Dante BridgeSolid State Logic has introduced its MADI Dante Bridge, “the first broadcast specifica-tion bridge” between the MADI audio format and Dante IP Audio Networks, confirms the company. The MADI Dante Bridge enables SSL C100 HDS and C10 HD Digital Broadcast Consoles or any other standard MADI device to connect to Dante net-works with redundancy maintained.

Featuring 64 channels per Bridge at 48 kHz and up to 512 channels per 1 GB network link, Dante is scalable—capable of providing routing channel counts from tens to thousands and beyond using standard IT infrastructure. The Bridge features redundant PSU, MADI ports and Dante ports and also includes a pair of redundant sync inputs for use as a self-redundant Dante Grand master clock.

The Bridge features a front-panel headphone socket with rotary level control and built-in headphone monitor routing, replacing traditional patch bay routing and fault-finding functionality with equivalents in the IP Audio domain. Front panel controls facilitate routing mono or stereo paths from MADI In, MADI Out, Dante In or Dante Out directly to the headphones. A front panel LCD screen provides signal present metering selectable to show four points in the signal chain: MADI In, MADI Out, Dante In and Dante Out.Price: TBAContact: Solid State Logic | solidstatelogic.com

new studio products: monitoring


Equator D8 Coaxial Active Studio Monitors with DSP

Equator’s new Direct Series-borne D8 coaxial studio monitor is the bigger brother to the D5, “but with higher SPL and much bigger bass response,” says the company. Featuring an eight-inch woofer and one-inch silk tweeter, the D8’s frequency response is 44 Hz to 20 kHz with XLR and balanced/unbalanced TRS inputs; stepped level sensitivity control; alternate voice bound-ary selection switch (with three positions); all-wood cabinetry; and 2.5-inch tuned front port. According to Equator, the coaxial transducer design of the system “incorporates a steep 4th order crossover along with a newly applied DSP aided group delay filter in order to deliver a phase accu-rate detailed mid-range with unobstructed clarity in that complex 900 Hz to 3 kHz range.” The D8‘s internal DSP provides a matched output curve for every unit “for accurate no-shift imaging,” too.

Stay tuned to the pages of PAR for a full review of the D8.Price: $777 per pair (direct)Contact: Equator Audio | equatoraudio.com

JBL Professional 3 Series Studio MonitorsJBL Professional has introduced its 3 Series studio monitors, the “first studio monitor line to incorporate JBL’s patent-pending Image Control Waveguide,” offers the company. Most notably, the 3 Series features technology developed for JBL’s flagship M2 Master Reference Monitor, with the Image Control Waveguide intended for greater depth and ambience in recordings.

The JBL 3 Series features two Class D amp-equipped models: the LSR305, 5-inch powered stu-dio monitor; and the LSR308, 8-inch powered studio monitor. The LSR305 boasts a response of 43 Hz to 24 kHz and a peak SPL of 108 dB, while the LSR308 features a response of 37 Hz to 24 kHz and a peak SPL of 112 dB.

The 3 Series’ long-throw woofer and damped woven composite tweeter are “designed from the ground up,” says JBL. Other proprietary JBL technology includes the patented Slip Stream low-frequency port design, which works with the woofer to produce deep bass response at all playback levels. The double-flared shape of the port is precisely engineered for greater low-frequency exten-sion and reduced turbulence. Prices: $149.99 and $249.99 each, street (LSR305 and LSR308) Contact: JBL Professional | jblpro.com

Focal Spirit Professional Headphones French studio monitor manufacturer Focal has announced availability of its Spirit Professional headphones. Designed for professional recording applications, the headphones are also suit-able for broadcasting or home-based studios, where noise level is comparatively higher; thus, they were created as closed-type headphones—“the circumaural design of the headphones is intended to optimize acoustic coupling to the ear,” offers the company. High-quality components are employed throughout: Mylar/Titanium alloy drivers are utilized while plush “memory foam” is used in the ear pieces.

The Spirit Professional headphone include a low-impedance OFC coiled cable (13 ft) as well as a straight cable (4.6 ft) with a built-in track selector and microphone for receiving calls via iOS use.

Stay tuned to the pages of PAR for a full review of the Focal Spirit. Price: $349 streetContact: Focal Professional | focalprofessional.com

Equator D8 Coaxial Active

new studio products: monitoring

September 2013 | ProAudioReviewwww.proaudioreview.com 13

PreSonus Sceptre CoActual Studio Reference Monitors

PreSonus is now shipping its Sceptre Series “CoActual” studio reference monitors, which features a coaxial design with a 32-bit, 48 kHz processor using Fulcrum Acoustic’s TQ Temporal Equalization technology and bi-amplified 90 W x 90 W Class D amplification. All Sceptre series monitors have a balanced XLR and quarter-inch TRS line-level inputs with A-taper level control.

The Sceptre S8 combines an eight-inch low/mid-frequency driver and a 1-inch, horn-loaded, high-frequency transducer into a single coaxial unit with aligned voice coils; the Sceptre S6’s coaxial speaker integrates a 6.5-inch low/mid-frequency driver and the same high-frequency transducer. Both models have acoustic ports.

Through collaboration with Fulcrum Acoustics’ Dave Gunness, PreSonus incorporated Fulcrum’s Temporal EQ algorithms employing multiple, fully addressable Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters. Gunness was also responsible for final tuning and voicing of both Sceptre-series monitors.

Other features include a four-position Acoustic Space switch for a second-order shelving filter centered at 100 Hz with four attenu-ation settings (flat, -1.5 dB, -3 dB, and -6 dB); a High Pass switch for the 12 dB/octave filter’s low-frequency cutoff (linear, 60 Hz, 80 Hz, or 100 Hz); and a High-Frequency Driver Adjust switch (0 dB, +1 dB, -1.5 dB, or -4 dB settings). The Sensitivity control ranges from +4 dBu to -10 dBV. Prices: $649.95 and $749.95, each (S6 and S8, respectively)Contact: PreSonus | presonus.com

Fostex PM0.3 Studio Monitor System

Fostex has announced the company’s first 2-way powered studio monitor system, the PM0.3, featuring a dedicated three-inch LF fiberglass cone woofer, 3/4-inch HF silk dome tweeter with a 15 W + 15 W Class D amplifier. The PM0.3 comes in three color options, black, grey and white (pictured), and is housed in a wooden enclosure. Inputs are RCA and stereo mini jacks per speaker, and frequency response is 110 Hz to 20 kHz (+/-3 dB). Price: $129.99 per pairContact: American Music & Sound (US Distributor) | americanmusicandsound.com

Neumann KH 310 A Three-Way Powered Studio Monitor

Neumann has announced the launch of its new active studio monitor, the KH 310 A, a three-way system based on newly developed drivers housed in a sealed cabinet.

According to Neumann, the KH 310 A houses a Class A/B amp, and its bass driver reportedly provides accurate response down to 34 Hz. Meanwhile, its high frequencies are handled by an alloy fabric dome in Neumann’s elliptical Mathematically Modeled Dispersion waveguide. “The result is an authentic sound, rich in detail, that provides a wide sweet spot while minimizing

reflections in the vertical plane,” offers KH 310 A promotional materials. The KH 310 A has a diverse range of mounting options. Manufacturing tolerances are so small, offers Neumann, “that any two KH 310 A monitors can serve as a matched pair.”

Price: $2,249 eachContact: Sennheiser USA | sennheiserusa.com


The PAR Excellence Awards is a reader-voted program, presented by the Editors and Contributors of Pro Audio Review (PAR) magazine. Now it’s your turn to make your opinions known.

This online ballot allows voting privileges to Pro Audio Review print and digital sub-scribers from the mail date of PAR August 2013’s issue through November 15, 2013. PAR Excellence Winners will be announced in the December 2013 issue of Pro Audio Review and simultaneously online at prosoundnetwork.com, PAR’s shared website with sister publica-tion, Pro Sound News.

Nominations for the 2013 PAR Excellence Awards were developed through the brain trust of PAR Editors and Contributors. Nominations were based on the “I want to own this” prin-ciple; gear selected should have a proven field track record, have performed well via PAR’s “real world” review process, or—in the case of recently released products—have shown particular promise through demonstrations, beta-tests and among early adopters, PAR Contributors, their reviews and our nomination team.

All products for consideration must have been first made commercially available on or after July 1, 2012 and on or before June 30, 2013.

Voting Begins Now:

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prosoundnetwork.com/PAR-Excellence-2013

Studio HardwareMicrophone Preamplifiers■■ Aphex J PRE for 500 Series: Aphex’s premium J PRE

500 mic pre is inspired by the flagship Aphex 1788A remote controlled preamp. They both have the same Jensen JT11K8 nickel input Transformer and Aphex pat-ented Mic Limiter technology.■■ Focusrite Scarlett 18i20: The biggest Scarlett product,

the 18i20, features 18 inputs and 20 outputs, and pro-vides eight Focusrite Scarlett microphone preamps with switchable phantom power and up to 60dB of gain. Other features include USB 2.0 connectivity; iOS compatibility; 24-bit/96 kHz A-D/D-A converters with analog mic/line XLR/TRS I/O; and connections for channels 1 and 2 on the front panel with hi-Z input and switchable -10dB pad. Another eight channels of digital I/O are provided via ADAT Lightpipe; S/PDIF provides stereo digital I/O.■■ JDK Audio V10 Mic Pre for 500 Series: JDK Audio’s R20

rack-mount preamp begat the V10, offering 54 dB of gain, -20 dB pad, polarity reverse and 48 VDC phantom power in a simple design. The front panel quarter-inch DI instru-ment input has 45 dB of gain and a -10 dB pad. A 10-seg-ment, 3-color LED meter monitors output level. “Its typical

performance is largely without character—clean, trans-parent, flat, dynamic and linear,” explains PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione. “I find it to be a natural for vocals, where it stays out of the way, allowing a mic or compressor’s character to shine through.” ■■ Millennia HV-37: “Incorporating a pair of Millennia’s

HV-35 500 series module preamps into a fully self-con-tained single space rack unit, the HV-37’s layout is quite simple,” explains PAR Software Editor Rich Tozzoli. “With its transformerless input and ultra clean design, it provides just what you’d expect it to: an uncolored and accurate signal path [that] delivers on all the adjectives you might expect to hear; it’s clean, pure, invisible and musical.” ■■ Rascal Audio Two-V Dual Microphone Preamplifier

for 500 Series: “While I would describe the sound of the Two-V as ‘vintage,’ it is much more than another clone of a decades-old circuit,” explains PAR Senior Contributor Russ Long. “Where most clone mic pres are typically what I describe as one-trick-ponies, the Two-V uses custom-designed transformers and provides much more control of the interaction between the gain stages than old-school designs. This yields a mic pre that has a fantastic sound, yet is much broader in its sonic flexibility than any solid-state preamp I’ve ever encountered.”

Channel Strips (including preamp, EQ and/or compressor/limiter)■■ APHEX Project Channel: A streamlined, more afford-

able version of APHEX’s popular Channel, Project Channel features a Class A mic preamp, “one knob” optical com-pressor, plus Big Bottom and Aural Exciter parameters. Its front panel instrument input allows for quick and easy DI tracking; it excels at acoustic guitar and electric bass jobs. ■■ Heritage Audio 1073/500 for 500 Series: As the com-

pany name suggests, Heritage Audio—a Madrid-based, boutique pro audio manufacturer—builds some of the best classic circuit recreations in modern pro audio. Its 1073 for 500 Series chassis doesn’t only look authentic, it’s overbuilt and sounds like the original (and real) deal. ■■ Presonus ADL 700: “PreSonus’ flagship ADL 700 fea-

tures a Class A tube preamp (by tube-circuit designer Anthony DeMaria), variable, FET-based compressor and a four-band semi-parametric equalizer, separate balanced XLR mic, balanced XLR line, and quarter-inch TS instru-ment inputs and a single balanced XLR output. “I found the preamp section to be the best part,” offers PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione in his review of the ADL 700. “It’s incredibly musical, clear and versatile. Driven hard, this preamp will lightly break up and distort mildly at first, but jump right into over-saturated valve glory when slammed. ‘Clean and beautiful,’ though, is this preamp’s forte.”■■ Radial Engineering PreComp for 500 Series: Radial’s

PreComp is a single-wide 500 series-compatible mod-ule featuring the company’s Accustate gain control ”that simultaneously sets the output and sensitivity to maxi-mize signal-to-noise at all levels” and a compressor with adjustable threshold, compression ratio and make-up gain control “that automatically transitions from soft-knee to hard-knee as compression increases.” Other features include polarity reverse, HPF, 48 VDC phantom power, and in/out switch for comparison.■■ Radial Engineering PreMax for 500 Series: The PreMax

is a combination low-noise mic preamp and 3-band equal-izer within a single-wide 500 series module, allowing maxi-mum pre/EQ inputs in any 500 Series-compatible chassis. Features include Radial’s Accustate input control that auto-pads the input while optimizing signal-to-noise, high-pass fil-ter, polarity reverse, front panel instrument input, and more.

Compressors/Limiters■■ Daking Comp 500 for 500 Series: “Borrowing from its

compressor big brothers—the FET II and FET III—the Comp 500 squeezes that smooth Daking compression sound into a 500 series chassis and does so while utilizing an all-new VCA design,” explains PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione. “The Comp 500 does exactly what it was designed to do: make quick and easy work of the majority of compression duties. Settings can be made quickly and sound great; I even attempted to make it sound bad, but I couldn’t.” ■■ JDK Audio V12 Compressor for 500 Series: “The V12

has soft or hard knee reaction, ratios from 1:1 to 10:1 (allowing very low ratios for purist work) and manual make-up gain, while Thrust enables moderate pumping when defeated (if so desired),” explains PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione in his review of the V12. “For tracking with more density without any dulling, smearing or artifacts, the V12 is more versatile than I expected it to be.” ■■ Solid State Logic Stereo Bus Compressor for 500

Series: The ubiquitous center section SSL bus compres-sor is now available for 500 Series-compatible chassis. Though “the SSL console sound has been available in 12 different modules for SSL’s own modular X-Rack system for many years,” tells SSL promotional material, the company is further distributing its legendary bus comp within the burgeoning 500 Series module market—to great success, we might add. ■■ Solid State Logic 611 DYN Dynamics for 500 Series:

The 611 DYN includes compression and gating param-eters, both with their own threshold and release controls plus compression ratio and gating range on the right

side of the dynamics module. The gating section also receives dedicated switches for expansion vs. gating and fast/slow attack modes, with dual five-segment LEDs to provide visual feedback for gating and com-pression amounts. ”If you want the closest thing to, say, an 1176, push all buttons in; this selects fast attack, hard knee and linear release,” recommends PAR Contributor Randy Poole. ■■ Undertone Audio UnFairchild Model 670M: For

everyone that has ever wanted a Fairchild—that clas-sic, simply designed compressor—here’s your chance. Built by multiplatinum engineer Eric Valentine’s Undertone Audio, the UnFairchild Model 670M sounds like the original without its less attractive, tempera-mental characteristics: the UnFairchild’s tube circuitry is more reliable, it offers presets, side chain process-ing, true bypass and much more.

EQ■■ Bettermaker 502P for 500 Series: Two-channels

in a two-slot 500 Series package, the 502P is a Pultec-style stereo/dual mono analog equalizer with recall of up to 399 presets. It can be fully automated and all settings can be saved within the current DAW project, using the supplied software plug-in (AU, VST, RTAS, AXX; 32- and 64-bit); it appears as a MIDI device via computer interface or sound card.■■ Elysia xfilter for 500 Series: German manufacturer

elysia has expanded its 500 Series product offering with its xfilter 500 true stereo EQ, featuring fully Class A circuitry, “resulting in an exceptionally open ‘boutique’ sound with impeccable transient projection and solid punch,” describes company promotional material. ■■ Radial Engineering Q4 for 500 Series: The Q4 is a

four-band, discrete state-variable class-A parametric equalizer built in Canada. Fixed low and high frequency shelving resides at 100 Hz and 10 kHz, with two semi-parametric mid bands that span between 300 Hz to 2.4 kHz and 1 kHz to 12 kHz, respectively. Each mid band is also equipped with choice of wide or narrow Q; all frequencies are set with up to 12 dB of boost or cut. ■■ Solid State Logic 611 EQ for 500 Series: The 611

EQ is the four-band EQ from the venerable SSL E Series desk, minus the filter section. Features include top (HF) and bottom (LF) peak/shelving and two mid-frequency bands with fully variable Q. The only excep-tion to the original is an added switch to change EQ curves between the “Brown-02” and “Black-242” con-sole versions; “brown” has HPF and LPF 12 dB/octave filter slopes while “black” features a switchable filter bypass, fully eliminating filters the circuit, if desired. PAR Contributor Randy Poole gushes, “The 611 EQ yields some of the fastest and most satisfying drums sounds of any EQ I have tried.”

Converters, DAW I/O, Interfaces and Networking■■ Apogee Quartet: The Quartet specifically approach-

es professional studio quality with its 24-bit/192 kHz capabilities and its mic preamps (with selectable 48 VDC phantom power), inherited from the flagship Symphony I/O. As an added value, previous owners of the Quartet now in possession of an iPad can download firmware enabling iOS support. ■■ Antelope Audio Orion 32: “There’s a lot to love about

this box,” explains PAR Technical Editor Lynn Fuston. “It features a full 32-channels of not just A-D but also D-A converters, with sampling frequencies up to 192 kHz, in a single rack space unit that is only 9-inches deep. Plus it draws a max of 20 W of power (less than an average lightbulb).” Then there’s the price: $2,995—”a tremen-dous value per channel.”■■ Focusrite Forte: Operating solely on USB power,

Forte is Focusrite’s flagship two-input, four-output bus-powered USB 2.0 audio interface for Mac or PC.

Featuring two remote control mic preamps as used in Focusrite’s RedNet range of professional audio interfaces and 24-bit/192 kHz converters, Forte is centered around an OLED (Organic LED)-based GUI indicating input and out-put signal levels, mic preamp gain and other information.■■ Prism Sound Lyra Series: Based on the Prism’s

Orpheus, Lyra interfaces incorporate new ARM Cortex-based Xcore processor design, offering class-compliant USB interfacing, plus DSP and a low-latency “console-qual-ity” digital mixer for foldback monitoring. Lyra 1 offers two analog input channels—one for instrument/line and one for mic/line—plus two D/A output channels and optical-only digital I/O. Lyra 2 offers two A/D input channels with switchable microphone, instrument or line input modes and four DA output channels.■■ Universal Audio Apollo 16: Building on the wildly suc-

cessful Apollo line, Universal Audio now offers the Apollo 16 Audio Interface with 16x16 analog I/O conversion. The FireWire/Thunderbolt-ready interface offers UAD-2 QUAD processing, DB-25 connectivity and multi-unit cascading for up to 32x32 analog I/O. With its standard UAD-2 QUAD pro-cessing onboard, Apollo 16 provides real time processing with UAD Powered Plug-Ins with as low as sub-2 ms latency. Apollo 16’s onboard UAD processing is also available during mixing and mastering, so that users can employ UAD plug-ins (VST, RTAS, AU) throughout the creative process.

Studio Monitors■■ ADAM Audio F7 F Series: The F7 features ADAM’s X-ART

tweet and a larger seven-inch woofer, powered by a 40 W RMS A/B and 60 W RMS A/B amplifier, respectively. “There are no gimmicks and few frills to be found in the F Series,” explains PAR Editor Strother Bullins, “just solid perfor-mance for the discriminating, yet budget-conscious and/or space-limited audio producer.” ■■ Emotiva Pro Stealth 8: Weighing 41.5 lbs. and measur-

ing 16.5” x 12” X 15”, the Stealth 8 features a fully discrete amplifier design with 200 W of power per driver, allowing for a rated peak output in the 120 dB range. A 10.5” x 5/8” rear-facing port expels low frequency energy from the Stealth 8. Its proprietary airmotiv high-frequency driver is a 60 x 32 mm folded ribbon, while the 8-inch low frequen-cy driver is made of woven polypropylene. “A combination of plentiful power, notable depth and clarity and an impres-sive price/performance ratio makes the Stealth 8 nothing short of stunning,” says PAR Contributor Randy Poole. ■■ Genelec M Series M030: From Genelec’s new Music

Creation Series, the M030 features “unique aesthetics and physicality”: trademarked, Finnish-made Natural Composite Enclosure (NCE) material (50-percent wood fiber, 50-percent polymer/recycled materials), which doesn’t require a lot of handling during manufacturing; Class D amps; and much more. Offers PAR Editor Strother Bullins: “I appreciate the effort of Genelec to provide, for lack of a better phrase, a ‘stripped-down Gennie’ for the guys in the band that do know what ‘the good monitors’ sound like.” ■■ JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor: The largest speak-

er in JBL’s studio monitor line, the M2 Master Reference Monitor integrates new JBL transducer technologies in a free-standing, 2-way system. The M2 design includes JBL’s new D2 Compression Driver, which uses two annular dia-phragms and two voice coils; JBL’s new 2216ND Differential Drive 15-inch woofer, also with dual voice coils; and a pat-ented wire application said to reduce power compression and enable linear output regardless of playback level.■■ Neumann KH 310 A: Neumann’s KH 310 three-way

active tri-amplified monitor features its trademarked Mathematically Modeled Dispersion Waveguide, 290 W of Class AB amplification per enclosure, flexible acoustical controls, various input options and a variety of mounting hardware options. Featuring a 8.25-inch woofer, 3-inch midrange driver, and 1-inch tweeter, the KH 310 A is designed for diverse acoustical conditions—as a near-field

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monitor, as a front loudspeaker in mid-sized multi-channel systems, or as a rear loudspeaker in a larger multi-channel system. ■■ PMC twotwo: PMC’s new active line employs “the design

approach of PMC’s top lines available at a lower price range,” explains the company. It employs PMC’s ATL (Advanced Transmission Line) bass loading/extension approach along with built-in amplification and high resolution digital filter-ing. The onboard DSP engine is derived from PMC’s IB2S-A; the built-in Class D dual-amplification system builds on the amplifiers developed for PMC’s powered range, with 50 W to the tweeter and 150 W to the bass driver. ■■ Sonodyne SM 200AK: The new SM 200AK monitor, the

largest in Sonodyne’s Reference Series line, incorporates an eight-inch Kevlar woofer and one-inch metal dome tweeter, respectively powered by 150 W and 100 W class A/B amplifier modules, room compensation electronics, and a die-cast aluminum front baffle with non-parallel wood sides—premium components and construction made affordable.

Headphones■■ AKG K702 65th Anniversary Edition: Handcrafted

in Vienna, Austria, this open-back dynamic studio-grade headphone is built like the original, only updated in the right places. It features AKG’s patented Varimotion two-layer diaphragm, now with a flat wire voice coil and new soft leather headband. The K702 sounds full and open, and seems to work particularly well on vocalist and mix reference applications. ■■ beyerdynamic T90: Made in Germany, the dynamic

open-back T90 is a unique design, featuring Tesla driver tech-nology: they’re efficient, comfortable, and open-sounding. While they’ve become most popular outside of the recording studio, we believe they could be the premium headphone of many engineers, producers and recording facilities. ■■ V-Moda Crossfade M-100: Looking for great head-

phone sound on the go? V-Moda isn’t a brand associ-ated with pro audio, but it’s a notable find, offers PAR Contributor Tony Ware. Closed back with impressive iso-lating properties, the M-100 is notably full sounding and well-built, even offering customizable “custom shield kits” featuring multi-colored, laser-engraved logos. It even col-lapses down for transport and easily fits in to a portable “exoskeleton” case.

Studio Controllers/Mixers/Worksurfaces■■ Dangerous Music Dangerous Source: The Dangerous

Source fits beneath a 13-inch laptop or within close reach for volume, input selection, speaker switching, and head-phone control. Features include USB connectivity, speaker switching for two sets of speakers; speaker volume; AES/SPDIF digital in; two stereo analog ins; and dual headphone out with a separate level control. The Dangerous Source is capable of up to 24-bit, 192 kHz on both digital inputs.■■ Grace Design m905: The m905 stereo reference moni-

tor controller is housed in a 2U, 19” rack mount mainframe, while system control is managed by a desktop remote control. The rear panel of the mainframe provides balanced analog inputs on XLR connectors, and a pair of unbalanced inputs on RCAs. Balanced Cue system inputs are available via XLRs, and a balanced talkback mic input and output is also provided. 24-bit, 192 kHz inputs are supplied in AES3, S/PDIF, ADAT and TOSLINK formats. In addition, a 24-bit/192 kHz USB Class 2 asynchronous input is provided. The m905’s remote is a combination of hardware and a color graphical LCD display, with primary monitoring features accessed via hardware switches and a level knob/encoder, while all system information is displayed on the LCD.■■ Rupert Neve Designs 5059: A 16x2+2 summing mixer,

the 5059 is “built around many of the topologies and custom transformers of the RND 5088 analog studio mixer and popular Portico II Series analog processors. Ideal for those tired of mixing all digital “in the box,” the

5059’s sweet circuitry and channel inserts deliver all the analog tone and quality you can inject into a modern, world-class mix. ■■ Slate Pro Audio Raven MTX: The MTX Multitouch

Production Console is a unique mixing console/DAW control-ler featuring Slate’s own custom-built, 46-inch “Nano Glide” touchscreen displaying its Raven Mixer and user-custom-izable multifunction Toolbar, plus a fully-featured analog monitoring section based on 100 percent digitally-controlled analog circuits. Built to work with the user’s digital audio workstation of choice, the Raven MTX’s GUI is essentially the user’s GUI, allowing complete touch access to faders, pans, mutes, solos, sends, automation and plug-in inserts. As such, plug-ins, for example, can become the size of 19-inch outboard gear, as tweak-able as their hardware counterparts, “a world-first in DAW control,” offers Steven Slate.■■ Steinberg CMC Series: “The series includes six reason-

ably priced modular surfaces, each with a different control set,” reports PAR Senior Contributor Russ Long. “Up to nine controllers—four instances of the CMC-FD controller and a single instance of the remaining five—can be mixed and matched to create the user’s optimum workspace. The paperback-sized footprint of the CMC controllers is perfect, making them small enough to throw in your computer bag or jacket pocket, and effortless to place virtually any-where in a work space.”

Multitrack Digital Recorders■■ JoeCo BlackBox Recorders with 2.7.7x software and

iXML plug-in: The latest incarnation of JoeCo’s popular and value-packed BlackBox recorder—featuring 2.7.7 software and the iXML plug-in—allows users to record PolyWAV files. Aimed specifically at TV and film location recordists, this feature is ideal for clients who need audio in large single files. “Multiple stereo files up to 24- or 64-channel PolyWAV files are supported, and you can even use mono, stereo, and multi-channel files in the same song,” notes JoeCo documentation. ■■ iZ RADAR 6: Following extensive testing for his PAR

review, “It is quite possibly the best sounding digital recorder in the world,” declares PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione of the RADAR 6. Further, “it seems to me that RADAR 6 is a more reliable recording platform than any DAW or any digital recorder I’ve used ... Do you court classi-cal music clients, audiophile labels and/or producers who demand “reference-quality” audio? Do you record major concerts and well-budgeted artists all live, on location? Do you record popular music, but require a rock-solid front-end and an ‘analog tape’ approach to your sessions? Then RADAR 6, coupled with a complete software-based DAW, is a no-brainer for your level of work.”■■ Roland R-88: The Roland R-88 features eight discrete

channels of audio recording plus a stereo mix, plus a full on-board mixer, various timecode modes and slate tone/mic for memos. The stereo mix output on the R-88 is designed for location sound recording applications, enabling a stereo mix back to the camera to record refer-ence audio or providing a stereo monitor output while simultaneously recording individual tracks.

Acoustical Treatment/Acoustic Isolation Tools/Speaker Stands■■ Auralex ProFusor II Fabric Wrapped Sound Diffusor:

Auralex’s ProFusor II is a quadratic residue diffusor, bat-tling flutter echo “without removing acoustic frequency content of the sound,” offers company promotional mate-rial. Made of a Class A fire-rated foam core and covered in one of five color options—Ebony, Pumice, Mesa, Sand and Shadow—the three-inch deep ProFusor II is available in two sizes, 2’x2’ and 2’x4’.■■ IsoAcoustics ISO-L8R430 Speaker Stands:

IsoAcoustics’ new ISO-L8R430 patented acoustic isolating stands, are specifically designed to support subwoofers,

guitar, bass and other musical instrument amplifiers, as well as large studio monitors such as the Focal SM9 and Adam A77X.■■ Primacoustic Paintables Acoustic Panels: With

Primacoustic Paintables—Radial Engineering’s industry-proven acoustic products division—studio owners can install professional-grade acoustical panels, then paint them any color to compliment their environment without affecting their acoustic properties. Paintables are available in a wide variety of sizes, too.

Studio Accessories■■ Argosy Aura Sit-Stand Workstation Line: Simply put,

the Aura Sit-Stand Workstation Line lets users raise or lower their workstations from 27- to 42-inches height at the push of a button, thus allowing them to alternatively sit and stand without disrupting their workflow. The Aura’s electric lifting columns reportedly ensure stability of the workstation at any height. The Aura Sit-Stand line is avail-able in a larger studio-size (520) as well as personal-size (260). All models feature under-mount racks on the left and right. For the upper work area, users can choose from a wrap-around desk surface, or add upward facing racks on the left and/or right wing of the desk.■■ Galaxy Audio Standformer MST-C Series Microphone

Stands: Standformers have a non-telescoping, non-coun-terweighted boom arm that can slip back inside the stand’s center tube, “effectively making a straight stand into a ‘convertible,’ if you will,” explains PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione. “It’s elegant and sturdy in use, not to mention weight efficient; one might be able to travel with fewer Standformers than standard stands, as they are rather lightweight.”■■ Line 6 Sonic Port for iOS: Line 6‘s Sonic Port guitar

system for iPod touch, iPhone and iPad is a compact digital audio interface using Apple 30-pin or Lightning connectiv-ity. With it, users can record to CoreAudio music apps and access Line 6’s own Mobile POD app. Sonic Port features an all-digital signal path, 110 dB of guitar dynamic range and up to 24-bit/48 kHz audio quality throughout. I/O includes quarter-inch mono and eighth-inch stereo inputs, as well as a quarter-inch guitar/line-level output. ■■ Radial Engineering Gold Digger 4-Channel Mic

Selector: The Gold Digger is a four-channel mic selector that enables the engineer to easily compare the sound of four different microphones while sharing the same preamp. PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione has employed the Gold Digger in evaluating microphones for several months in review, with great results. ■■ Radial Engineering Cherry Picker 4-Channel Preamp

Selector: Similar in concept to Radial’s Gold Digger, the Cherry Picker allows engineers to audition four mic pre-amps via the same reference microphone. For discriminat-ing engineers that want to know what their amps add (or take away) sonically from their mic of choice, this is the ultimate tool. ■■ Triad-Orbit T1 and T2 Microphone Stands with 01 and

02 Booms: “You can build a better mousetrap,” declares PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione of Triad-Orbit’s truly inno-vative mic stands. “Combine its sturdy T1 or T2 stands with the powerful O1 or O2 booms, all coupled with preci-son hex connections and easy interlockability.”

SoftwareDigital Audio Workstations■■ Ableton Live 9 Suite: Featuring new tools such as

Audio-to-MIDI importation, “Live 9 Suite is evolutionary rather than revolutionary,” explains PAR Contributor Tony Ware. “It won’t negate the need for multitrack recorders and standard linear tools, but with these kinds of creativ-ity translation features, it will steal even more hours from other DAWs by doing what a good upgrade should do: adding features without complicating the process of achieving results.”


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■■ Avid Pro Tools 11: Our industry’s most popular DAW now goes to 11, offering features including all-new A/V engines, 64-bit functionality, the “faster than real-time” offline bounce feature, and more. Stay tuned to the pages of PAR for our feature-sized PT11 review offering insight from our most PT-prolific Contributors. ■■ MOTU Digital Performer 8: “(Plug-in) power to the

people!” is what DP8 is all about, offers PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione. “MOTU brings production power to the masses with a set of stock plugs (everything from premi-um processors to vintage stomp pedal modelers to pitch correction) that is, in fact, the overall best in the industry. A first, DP8 is Windows OS-compatible, too.”■■ Steinberg Nuendo 6: The sixth major version of

Steinberg’s flagship, fully-professional DAW includes a new mixing console and channel strip; Anymix Pro surround tool from IOSONO; an ADR taker solution for VO/language dubs; Voxengo CurveEQ featuring sound-matching technology; MemZap quick-jump function; Pro Sound Effects library, and more.■■ Sony Sound Forge Pro for Mac: Sound Forge Pro Mac

1.0 is a multichannel audio recording and editing appli-cation, shipping with a suite of audio mastering and repair plug-ins. The software features a new user interface designed specifically for OS X, built around dedicated viewing panels for recording, monitoring, editing, applying plug-in processing and browsing for content. As a result, users toggle between features to view only the windows needed during a particular editing task.■■ Propellerhead Reason 7: V7 of Reason incorporates

the best features of Propellerhead’s Record DAW into a singular package that encapsulates both sound creation and capture, simply presented in a logical GUI. With a very recognizable, “studio grade”-inspired built-in mixer, new bus channels, built-in spectrum analyzer window and expanded sound bank, Reason 7 is now a most compre-hensive DAW.

iOS Software■■ Audiobus: “It’s a third-party solution to the biggest iOS

problem,” explains PAR Contributor Tony Ware. “Audiobus allows compatible apps to send/effect/receive audio with other apps that have integrated the API and its simple tab interface. It’s only a single channel–for example, running a synthesizer into a guitar amp simulator into a loop record-er–but it’s a direct conduit where before there was none.” ■■ WaveMachine Labs Auria: “A DAW that runs on an

iPad and will handle 48 tracks? Seriously?” That’s the question asked by PAR Technical Editor Lynn Fuston, who found Auria to be a compelling tool. “Compared to the tools I used to make my first recordings, the Auria/iPad combination is light years ahead and incredibly inexpensive. Could I make a great sounding record using this paradigm? Without a doubt.”

Plug-ins, Channel ■■ Eventide H3000 Factory Native: A re-creation of sev-

eral algorithms that combine pitch, delay, modulation and filtering, the H3000 Factory combines over 450 presets, including over 100 new “celebrity” presets and 100 origi-nal presets from the original hardware unit. ■■ iZotope Trash 2: iZotope calls its Trash 2 package “the

ultimate distortion tool for any instrument,” as it’s all about the manipulation: Trash 2 offers over 60 distinct distortion algorithms; parameters to create unique distor-tions with the new customizable multiband Waveshaper; the new Convolve module with over 100 impulse respons-es; two redesigned Filter modules; and more. ■■ Sonnox Limiter for AAX: According to PAR Software

Editor Rich Tozzoli, “The Oxford Limiter does just what you want it to: It makes things louder with no sonic degrada-tion. In fact, it has a unique Enhance feature that I use on just about every mix, adding harmonic excitement in a way that an EQ cannot. It’s very easy to use, as there are only three sections: Input, Pre-Process and Output.”

■■ Universal Audio Ocean Way Studios: Touted as “rewrit-ing the book on what’s possible with acoustic space emulation,” UA teamed up with Ocean Way’s Allen Sides for emulations of his studio’s Studio A and Studio B spaces and sonic profiles from Sides’ world-renowned collection of vintage microphones. Combined, the signature acous-tics and microphone emulations allow for eight instru-ment/vocal source types with unique dispersion patterns, real-time blending of vintage mic pairs from different distances, wet/dry signal combining and more. ■■ Waves GEQ: A 31-band mono and stereo graphic EQ that

comes in two flavors—Modern and Classic—GEQ “is all about ease of use, flexibility and effectiveness,” explains PAR Software Editor Rich Tozzoli. “I can get aggressive with the Modern version or make subtle changes with the Classic version. I can imagine this gets quite a bit of use on the road, but for now, I like it right here in my studio.”

Plug-ins, Stereo Bus■■ CEDAR Studio AAX: CEDAR Studio brought select ele-

ments of the company’s famed sound restoration algo-rithms and trend-setting processes to the Avid Pro Tools platform for mix and individual track processing. The CEDAR Studio AAX version accommodates the AAX Native platform with Pro Tools 10 and 11. Buzzes, hum, clipping distortion and extraneous noise begone! Additionally, the Adaptive Limiter module offers sophisticated, leading-edge, dynamics control while still sounding natural.■■ Sonnox Oxford Pro-Codec V2: V2 of the Oxford Pro-

Codec introduces the ability to master for iTunes and supports the latest multi-channel audio codecs—MPEG Surround, Advanced Audio Coding Low Complexity (AAC-LC) multi-channel and High Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding (HE-AAC) multi-channel support. It continues to support all major MPEG audio codecs and lossless codecs such as mp3 High Definition (mp3HD) and High Definition Advanced Audio Coding (HD-AAC).■■ Universal Audio Shadow Hills Compressor: “This is

one piece of gear that I’m glad is now available in plug-in form,” states PAR Software Editor Rich Tozzoli. Originally built to serve mastering jobs, the software version retains a “sonic character best described as beefy, spongy and warm. Placed across the Master Fader of a mix, it can increase the high presence and widen the stereo image. I also use it on vocals, bass, guitars and drum loops. I’ll often place a limiter after it to prevent clips, and push the unit hard for some nasty tones.“

Plug-in Suites/Bundles ■■ iZotope Ozone 5 Advanced: A comprehensive mas-

tering suite that integrates eight essential mastering/mixing tools including Maximizer, Equalizer, Multiband Dynamics, Multiband Stereo Imaging, Multiband Harmonic Exciter, Reverb, Dithering, and Meter Bridge, Ozone 5 Advanced also includes a meter bridge. “It’s the only full-function mastering plug-in suite I’ve encountered that includes everything needed to transform a final mix into a final master within a single plug-in,” explains PAR Senior Contributor Russ Long. “And to top it off, it’s one of the best-sounding plug-ins available today.”■■ Universal Audio LA2A Classic: What UA calls a “digital

copy” of the legendary Teletronix LA-2A Leveling Amplifier, the LA2A Classic UAD plug-in provides the frequency-dependent compression that engineers have sought after and employed for decades in popular music production. The GUI looks identical to the hardware that inspired it, offering Input Gain and Peak Reduction Adjustment knobs and the lag-free, distortion-free optical attenuation of the original. ■■ Universal Audio API 500 Series EQ: This API-endorsed,

UAD-based plug-in collection features emulations of the legendary API 550A 3-Band bell/shelf filter set and API 560 10-band graphic filters—”two of the most popular and endur-ing audio equalizers ever made,” explains UA promotional material. Complete with presets from API-loving celebrity

engineers, this plug-in was emulated via the entire electronic path, including custom API 2520 op-amps and transformers, band interactions, and internal clipped filter nonlinearities.

Microphones, Studio & Stage Large Diaphragm Condensers (LDCs, non-handheld)■■ Audio-Technica AT5040: Featuring a radical, brave new

design, the hand-built AT5040 side-address condenser features a proprietary element design with four ultra-thin (2 micron) rectangular diaphragms “that function together providing combined surface area unachievable in a standard round diaphragm,” explains A-T documenta-tion. “AT5040 is a well-built, respectable mic with a proud heritage and lots of unique design features,” discovered PAR Technical Editor and Nashville engineer Lynn Fuston in his in-depth review. ■■ MXL CR89: In an exclusive first review for PAR, Senior

Contributor Russ Long claims the CR89 “performs well beyond its street value” and can adapt to most any studio recording needs. “The mic features impressive build qual-ity, both inside and out, and has a lovely, sleek flat black finish. The mic’s FET design incorporates a transformerless output.” The brass-bodied CR89 measures 2.5 inches by 7.25 inches and features a 1 1/4-inch diameter, 6-micron gold-sputtered diaphragm behind its tuned grill cavity.■■ Nevaton MC-50 QUAD: St. Petersburg, Russia-based

microphone manufacturer Nevaton’s MC50-QUAD condens-er microphone was designed for single-point source pick-up of a “three-dimensional sound image without phase-related anomalies”—mono; X/Y, Blumlein, M/S stereo; Quad “and everything in between,” emphasizes Nevaton promotional material. “A simple but deceptively powerful microphone, it can deliver the ultimate in polar pattern and stereo technique versatility with a rich sound and virtually no self-noise,” explains PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione.■■ Sanken CU-55: From Sanken’s Chromatic Series, the

CU-55 houses a side-firing 16mm capsule with a resonant chamber tuned to create a cardioid pattern, and is omnidi-rectional below 50 Hz. The microphone is flat at 90 degrees and flat on axis, with reportedly very little proximity effect. Designed for acoustic instruments like guitars, cello, harp and piano, the CU-55 can also handle the levels of big brass and pounding tympani. Notably, it is already METAlliance-certified.

Small Diaphragm Condensers (SDCs, non-handheld)■■ AKG C451 65th Anniversary Edition: The C451 needs no

introduction, though this 65th Anniversary Edition deserves it. In attractive gun-metal grey with silver screenprinted text and subtle blue highlights, the AKG C451 works on virtually everything requiring an SDC. It provides a stunning, legend-ary sound, recognizable alongside other ubiquitous models we know well and love tremendously—those with names such as U87 and SM57, for example. ■■ DPA 2011: DPA’s 2011C is a compact cardioid micro-

phone, part of the DPA Reference Standard series. It fea-tures the MMP-C compact preamplifier combined with the new Twin Diaphragm capsule—a phantom-powered mic that’s only 3.6 inches long and a whopping 2.3 ounces. “The value of any mic comes down to how much you will use it and how it delivers versus what you have to pay for it,” explains PAR Software Editor Rich Tozzoli. “In this case, I feel the 2011C delivers across the spectrum.”

Dynamic Microphones (non-hand-held, including Ribbon mics)■■ AEA R88 mk2 Stereo Ribbon: “The AEA R88 mk2 Stereo

Ribbon Microphone packs two matched, pressure-gradient pure aluminum ribbon transducers into a single elongated body, making it convenient to set up and record with,” explains PAR Software Editor Rich Tozzoli. “Overall, this mic delivers in several different ways. It’s easy to setup for


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stereo recording; it maintains a solid center image with a wide soundstage. It provides just what you would expect out of a high-end ribbon–huge, smooth, creamy sound with a massive bottom.” ■■ AKG D12VR: Featuring the original AKG C414 trans-

former, the D12 VR also capable of running with phan-tom power for more flexibility; without phantom power, it translates “the pure character of the sound source,” and with phantom power, one of three switchable active-filter presets are available. It’s “a big beefy dynamic in that long-standing AKG tradition, bolstered by active electronics and enough voicing flexibility to please anybody in the room,” explains PAR Contributor Rob Tavaglione. ■■ Lewitt Audio DTP 640 REX: The flagship of the DTP

Percusion Series, the DTP 640 REX combines the slide con-trol-activated Dynamic Enhanced Frequency Response (EFR)—in which the dynamic element emphasizes fre-quencies from 70 Hz to 150 Hz and 3 kHz to 5 kHz, which is specially optimized for use on kick drums—with the advantages of dual-element technology. It features a dynamic element and condenser element, both positioned in the housing, which remain on separate channels on the user’s mixer of choice.■■ Miktek R99 Dual Model Ribbon: The R99 ribbon is

designed to “capture the classic sound of a world-class vintage ribbon microphone,” offers Miktek promotional material, yet is essentially two-mics-in-one, as it allows the engineer to select the “classic” path, or a modern active electronic amplifier “simply by applying standard phantom power. The R99 is capable of handling high SPL, features a custom-designed AMI transformer and ribbon element made from “precision Japanese aluminum,” and comes standard with a case, clip and shockmount.■■ Telefunken Elektroakustik M82: Hand-assembled and

tested in the company’s Connecticut manufacturing facil-ity, Telefunken Elektroakustik’s new M82 dynamic cardioid microphone features a 35mm diaphragm and “superb low

frequency capabilities,” notes M82 promotional material. An end-address microphone, the M82 features two separate EQ switches, High Boost and Kick EQ, which operate indepen-dently of each other to provide four unique settings.

Handheld Wired Microphones■■ DPA d:facto II: A supercardioid handheld condenser,

the d:facto II “provides the live sound engineer with great dexterity in vocal capture, superb construction, dead quiet electronics and impressive rejection of outside audio sources,” explains PAR Contributor Will James. “If you are in need of an exotic flagship vocal microphone in your rig, I would highly recommend the d:facto II.” ■■ Shure KSM9HS: Shure’s new KSM9HS handheld vocal

microphone offers users the detailed, smooth and bal-anced sound of the original KSM9, but with a different pair of polar pattern selections: hypercardioid or subcardioid. “I really like the subcardioid pattern, which makes the KSM9HS unique in the wide range of common live con-densers in the marketplace,” offers PAR Editor Strother Bullins. “Paired with a half-dozen SM57s, KSM9HS users will have a solid collection of transducers for most any gig, at any professional level.”■■ Holophone Super C: A visually-striking “customizable”

supercardioid handheld condenser, the Super C “allows the user to quickly customize the mic’s appearance on the fly,” explains Holophone promotional material. The Super C also features a removable mic grill, internal pop filter and the same proprietary capsule employed in Holophone’s popu-lar surround microphones, including the H2-PRO.

USB/iOS Microphones■■ Audio-Technica AT2020USB+: A-T’s latest large-dia-

phragm condenser based on the popular cardioid AT2020 features USB connectivity plus a new, built-in headphone jack with volume control for “delay-free” monitoring, plus a mix control that blends mic and pre-recorded audio.

■■ BLUE Spark Digital: Touted as “the world’s first stu-dio condenser microphone to offer both USB and iPad connectivity,” the cardioid Spark Digital features same studio-grade condenser capsule and fully discrete Class A circuitry as the BLUE Spark XLR studio mic. It also offers Focus Control, “which provides two completely dif-ferent sonic options from the mic,” explains PAR Senior Contributor Russ Long. It’s “the perfect recording solution for any budget-conscious recorder who insists on excep-tional audio quality.” ■■ RØDE iXY Stereo Microphone: The iXY is “a crossed-

pair of condensers in XY configuration connected to the Apple 30-pin adapter that will plug directly into an iPhone 4/4S or iPad 3 (or earlier) with built-in ADC that is capable of 24-bit/96 kHz recording,” describes PAR Technical Editor Lynn Fuston. “What an ingenious and convenient idea...it could not be simpler.”

Wireless Microphone Systems■■ beyerdynamic TG 1000: A 24-bit digital wireless mic

system providing 319 MHz of operating bandwidth, the TG 1000 covers a 470 to 789 MHz of UHF frequency range with a dynamic range of 128 dB. Five interchange-able capsules can be used with the TG 1000’s handheld transmitter: dynamics, condensers, and even the TG V90r ribbon capsule. Beyer’s proprietary TriplePlay Codec facili-tates very short latency times (2.1 ms) while the system’s range is more than 900 feet.■■ Line 6 Relay V75-SC: A 24-bit, 14-channel digital wire-

less handheld microphone/transmitter with super-cardioid dynamic capsule, the V75-SC offers a dynamic range of up to 118dB (A weighted). The Relay V75-SC also offers four exceptional microphone models—”including three based on the world’s most celebrated super-cardioid live mics,” offers Line 6. It’s built ruggedly built of metal and comes in a road-worthy, pelican-style composite case.

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■■ Sennheiser Digital 9000: Billed as “the wireless master-piece” by Sennheiser, the Digital 9000 series is the German manufacturer’s premium wireless system collection, featur-ing 470 MHz to 798 MHz reception, compatibility with the best Neumann and Sennheiser capsules available, powerful, compact transmitters, highly advanced antennas, and more. ■■ Sony DWZ: Sony’s award-winning DWZ digital wireless

systems are a broad range of handheld microphone, lava-lier, headset and instrument wireless kits of impressively high quality and suprisingly affordable price. PAR Software Editor Rich Tozzoli reviewed the DWZ-G30GB Digital Guitar Wireless System. “It sounds great, is solid and compact, has respectable battery life and can be used effectively both onstage and in the studio.” ■■ Shure GLX-D: GLX-D systems combine a variety of appeal-

ing features, most notably the new proprietary LINKFREQ Automatic Frequency Management: “It analyzes the RF spectrum, determines the best available frequencies, and automatically deploys frequencies to the transmitter and receiver,” illustrates Shure promotional material. With RF inter-ference, “the GLX-D receiver and transmitter will move togeth-er to clean frequencies with no audio signal interruption.”

Live Sound HardwareSmall Live Controllers/Mixers/Worksurfaces (under $2,500 list)■■ Allen & Heath MixWizard4 Analog: The fourth generation

MixWizard Series features an EQ bypass mode per channel; new effects engine with EQ, reverb and delay algorithms derived from the iLive and GLD Series; and an optional USB interface—all still available for the same price. ■■ Mackie DL806: Mackie’s hot iPad based digital mixer

now comes in a smaller, more affordable 8-channel version, the DL806. Perfect for small venue and acoustic music gigging, the DL806 offers the same features as its bigger 16-channel brother, but is available under $1,000 street. ■■ Mackie VLZ4 Analog Series: The latest incarnation of

Mackie’s popular VLZ Series of analog workhorse mixers, the VLZ4, now offers Onyx preamplifiers, Mackie’s impres-sively quiet, pro-aspiring amps, plus their M80 op-amps. Combined with further refined ergonomics and aesthetics, Mackie clearly raises the bar for this mixer series birthed by the historically popular Mackie 1604. ■■ Yamaha MGP Series MGP32X/MGP24X Analog: This year,

Yamaha introduced two large-channel count mixers to its MGP analog mixer Series—the MGP32X and MGP24X models, at 32- and 24-inputs, respectively. Also new to these two new MGP mixers are a trio of notable digital features: USB device record-ing and playback, a graphic EQ, and multiband compressor.

Live Controllers/Mixers/Worksurfaces (over $2,500 list)■■ Allen & Heath Qu-16: Incorporating technologies pio-

neered on Allen & Heath’s GLD and iLive digital mixing systems, the Qu-16 is complete with comprehensive I/O, cutting-edge features, and the company’s renowned build quality. It features 16 AnalogiQTM total recall preamps, 16 buses, 12 mix outputs, four effects engines, Qu-Drive direct multitrack recording, iPad control, fully-featured digi-tal channel strips, and more. ■■ Behringer X32: Packed with Midas-gleaned technology,

the X32 has been one of the hottest stories in live digital mixing of 2012/2013. PAR Contributor Dan Wothke found it to be ideal in use at his Music Row-based house-of-worship in Nashville, where he resides as Media Director: “The X32’s layout lends itself to good mixing, as does its internal processing. I was recently discussing getting a new board for one of our rooms and one of the engineers immedi-ately asked about the X32, based on his use of it. I think that endorsement rings the loudest.” ■■ Roland M-200i: The M-200i, a compact mixing solution

for the iPad, aimed at live sound, contains all necessary parameters within its slick iPad app, offering Preamp control,

Pan, high pass filters, extensive PEQ and GEQ control, plus store and recall scene features, adjustable compressors and gates, fader sends, effects editing and many other controls. ■■ Soundcraft Si Performer Series: Soundcraft has packed

a historic number of features in its Si Performer Series of digital mixers—every parameter an engineer could need or name, then some that will completely surprise, such as DMX Lighting Control, available on certain models in the line. Thus, with Si Performer, an engineer can broaden his resume and add value by simultaneously providing audio and lighting services.

Loudspeaker Systems/Cabinets■■ Community VERIS 2: VERIS 2 is an expanded, evolved

collection of 11 new VERIS models. Gen 2 enhancements include newly designed 1-inch exit HF drivers, improved crossovers, with individually voiced crossovers (on 64 and 96 degree models), a fully rotatable square horn (on smaller models). With three ranges of compact, large two-way, and three-way systems and a new dual 15-inch subwoofer, Community deems the VERIS 2 series as ide-ally suited for everything from concert halls, theaters and auditoria to restaurants, pubs, health clubs, and houses of worship, where the original VERIS has a proven track record.■■ Danley SM80: In the good things in (relatively) small

package category, the SM-80 is the latest in Danley Sound Labs SM series of lightweight, molded-horn loudspeakers. The SM-80 weighs 65 lbs. and is designed for small to mid-sized live sound and installed sound applications. It sports an 80x80-degree coverage pattern and its frequency response is spec’d as extending from 110 Hz to 20 kHz, with 102 dB SPL sensitivity. Its continuous power rating is 400 W in and 128 dB SPL out, peaking at 1600 W and 134 dB SPL, respectively. Its single 12-inch coaxial driver and paired horn offer an 8 ohm impedance. Constructed out of 13-ply Baltic birch, the SM-80 measures 25.5 inches high by 24 inches wide by 12.75 inches deep.■■ ISP Technologies HDDS SM2110: Bringing fidelity to

the installed sound, ISP’s HDDS high definition distributed sound system’s new SM2110 cabinet is a 220 watt; self-powered speaker, capable of an output of 122 peak dB SPL over an operating frequency range of 42 Hz to 20 kHz with a nominal coverage angle of 80 degree horizontal x 70 degree vertical. Signal is pumped through a 10-inch cone speaker and a 1.3-inch titanium diaphragm compression driver with a fouth order LR high pass and low pass cross-over and a switchable high pass filter of 40 Hz or 90 Hz for use with a HDDS SB400 subwoofer. ■■ JBL JRX200: Designed to affordably deliver JBL perfor-

mance, JBL says it “kept everything that makes a speaker perform and sound its best and we eliminated things that don’t,” and minimized cost through high-volume produc-tion. The portable, passive line includes 12- and 15-inch, two-way models, a dual 15-inch two-way and a compact 18-inch subwoofer.■■ KV2 SL Series: Using KV2’s VHD (Very High Definition)

technology, KV2 Audio says its SL series offers “full and wide sound propagation exactly where it is required” from a slim-line installation package. The SL412 loudspeaker utilizes 4 x 12-inch low mid-range components and a horn assembly with a single 8-inch mid-range and 3-inch large format NPVD compression driver. The mid-high horn has “an extremely coherent-wide horizontal dispersion of over 110° while the purpose designed 4 x 12-inch configuration dramatically reduces the most common problem of imme-diate reflections within the 300 Hz to 800 Hz range.” The SL2.15 is a 2 x 15-inch shallow cabinet design.■■ QSC Audio AcousticPerformance: The

AcousticPerformance line of professional, two-way loud-speakers, all feature a 3-inch voice coil compression driver combined with high-output woofers to deliver full band-width reproduction. Key to the line’s performance is QSC’s DMT (Directivity Matched Transition) design approach that matches the compression driver to the natural coverage angle of the woofer in the cross-over region paired with

axisymmetric waveguides which help deliver consistent coverage with smooth and accurate reproduction both on and off-axis. Woofer configurations of 10-, 12- and 15-inch are available, with one 12-inch model configured to be optionally used as a stage monitor.

Line Array Systems/Cabinets■■ Adamson Energia E12: Adamson Systems’ road-prov-

en e-capsule aluminum framework with birch ply enclo-sures provide a precision and rigid structure (that a lone tech can rig) for the Adamson Systems e12. The cabinets can serve as a mid-sized, standalone line array option, or be used to complement the bigger e15 cabinet in down fill or side fill roles. The 3-way system uses the Adamson ND12S 12-inch neodymium Kevlar cone driver as well as 2 x YX7 7-inch Kevlar cone drivers and 2 x 4-inch (1.5-inch-exit) Adamson NH4 compression drivers, Kevlar providing excellent performance and weather resistance.■■ DAS Aero 40A: Its acoustic performance is winning fans,

but the rigging alone is also turning heads. The Aero 40A is a 3-way powered line array system which incorporates connectivity for remote monitoring and control. The Aero 40A Advanced Line Array System (ALAS) uniquely incor-porates a rear-loaded 12-inch transducer in a bass-horn configuration for low-end reproduction. The mid-range is handled by a new 8-inch transducer while high frequency reproduction relies on two D.A.S. M-75N compression driv-ers attached to a new BPS-2912 waveguide. The aero 40A has on-board DSP, protection circuitry and is powered by three-channel, high efficiency Class D amplifier.■■ Martin Audio MLA Mini: The MLA Mini combines “light-

weight, radical design inspiration” and a compact footprint with the award-winning cell-dedicated DSP MLA technol-ogy to produce a small-scale, portable system for installed and live sound applications, either ground-stacked, pole-mounted or flown. Martin reports that a 12-box array will throw 35 m and deliver audio comfortably in venues of 750 to 1,000 people. Each MLA Mini enclosure houses 2 x 6.5-inch LF drivers with 2” voice coils and a vertical col-umn of 3 x 1.4-inch aluminum dome HF drivers on a 100° horizontal dispersion horn. The 15-inch reflex loaded MSX subwoofer provides system amplification and processing and can be integrated into flown arrays or ground-stacked separately. ■■ Meyer Sound LEO: The new flagship line array for Meyer

Sound, LEO is billed as a linear large-scale sound reinforce-ment system. Company founder and inventor John Meyer says, “In linear systems, the loudspeaker does just one thing: it faithfully reproduces every sonic element, only louder, without any change in tonality.” LEO arrays can be augmented with the 1100LFC low frequency control element, for low-frequency content, and the MICA com-pact high power curvilinear array loudspeaker for downfill applications. Meyer Sound’s Galileo Callisto array processor can drive entire systems. The result is a sound reinforce-ment system “with a tremendous amount of headroom and exceptional fidelity for large-scale live events.” ■■ Nexo STM: Nexo’s STM (Scale Through Modularity) Series

enables users to assemble a wide range of systems from four core modules. STM was conceived to deliver flexibility while reducing inventory demands dictated by a desire for versatility, without compromising (and even improving) system performance. NEXO’s Universal Amp Rack (NUAR), comprised of NXAMP4x4 amplifiers, two digital input patch-es, two digital output patches and an optional EtherNet or Dante network card, forms a compact, powerful and scalable amplification solution for STM systems. A single NUAR can feed 12 STM modules in any combination in groups of three. ■■ Vue Audiotechnik al-4 Subcompact: Vue’s al-4 sub-

compact line array acoustic element measures a relatively diminutive 18.9” x 5.5” x 10.3” and weighs in at just 18 lbs. It sports a center mounted, 1-inch exit neodymium magnet/beryllium diaphragm compression driver mounted to a 90° horizontal waveguide. Symmetrically flanking the horn are two 4-inch Kevlar cone neodymium woofers. The 2U rack-


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mount V4 Systems Engine is a 2-in/4-out configuration with onboard DSP capable of powering up to eight al-4 elements with two channels at 1600 W each for the low frequency and two channels at 550 W each for the high frequency (pure, sine wave rating). “Easily scalable and extremely versatile” is how Vue bills the al-4.

Portable PA/Powered Speakers■■ Bose L1 Model 1S with B2 and ToneMatch: A “personal

line array,” this incredibly well-designed portable PA is well built, easily transportable and super intuitive. “The beauty of the Bose L1 Model 1S system lies in two key features: its finely engineered components and its brain, the T1 ToneMatch mixer,” reports PAR Editor Strother Bullins. “The T1 was so easy to use, I didn’t open the manual until after my first three gigs with it, and then simply to check my knowledge of its features. This mixer comes close to exemplifying the label ‘idiot proof.’”■■ Cerwin-Vega P Series: Built solidly and boldly touting

“Vega Bass” power, the affordably-priced P Series brings the overbuilt qualities of C-V’s Active Series down to street-level gigging musicians and budget-restricted pros. “In each [review] scenario, the P-Series delivered a solid, if not surprising performance while offering improved I/O features that are now becoming the norm in the 1,000 W-plus Class D amp-enabled portable PA category,” found PAR Editor Strother Bullins. ■■ Electro-Voice ZX1-Sub: Expanding on E-V’s great,

compact ZX loudspeaker line, the ZX1-Sub is compact, powerful, and one of the most portable sub options on the powered portable PA market, with a maximum SPL of 127 dB. It features two recessed NL4-type connectors wired in parallel, a 15 mm-thick, internally braced wooden enclosure with two side handles, a structured coating and a steel grille.

■■ Mackie DLM Series: Clearly, good things come in small boxes. With two-way, full-range models in three sizes and an accompanying subwoofer, DLMs are “nearly cube-like, truly compact and lightweight,” not to mention powerful, discovered PAR Editor Strother Bullins. “Even if the DLM Series didn’t sound quite as good as it does, or offer the superb DL2 digital mixer and DLP effects, I’d still enthusiasti-cally recommend it for its power, efficiency, and portability.”

Amplifiers■■ Crown DCi Series: The DCi (DriveCore install) series

packages Crown’s patented and proprietary class D ampli-fier technology with DSP capability, network control and monitoring, analog and digital I/O and programmable GPIO ports in a fully fleshed out line of installation amplifiers that Crown touts as having “the advanced features and flexibility required for challenging 21st century installed sound applications.” Models are available in 2-, 4- and 8-channel versions with power ratings from 150 W to 600 W per channel (up to 1200 W bridged).■■ Lab.gruppen IPD Series: The IPD series brings Lab.

gruppen performance and build quality to a broader mar-ket in a compact (1U) and moderately priced amplifier line. Analog and AES3 digital inputs are standard, along-side networked monitoring and control. The line consists of a pair of two-channel models. At 4 ohms, the IPD 1200 delivers 2 x 600 W and the IPD 2400 2 x 1200W. The onboard DSP offew up to 40 parametric EQs and long with delay, gain and sweepable high- and low- pass filters.

In-Ear Monitors■■ JH Audio JH13 with FreqPhase: The JH13 Pro—the

first six-driver earpiece—has been updated with JH Audio’s Freqphase Time | Phase Waveguide. Freqphase, says JH, “creates the world’s first phase coherent earphone by delivering the low, mid and high frequencies to your ear at once.” LF, Mid and HF drivers each have their own

bore through the custom-molded earpiece, designed to time align the three audio bands, with a 10 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response. The custom mold design also offers -26 dB of isolation.■■ Logitech Ultimate Ears UE900: These universal fit

earphones were crafted and tuned by Ultimate Ears engi-neers for professional performance at about half the cost of entry-level custom earpieces. The UE 900s feature a quad armature design—one element each for the highs and mids and two for the lows. The UE900s come with two detachable braided cables—one with mic and on-cord controls, one simply wire. The UE 900s are also packaged with five sizes of silicon and three sizes of foam ear cushions for “maxi-mum comfort and up to 26 dB of noise isolation.”

Sound Reinforcement Processing/System Control/Networking■■ Avid VenuePack 4: Bundled with all new Avid Venue

console systems and available as an option for existing Venue owners, VenuePack 4 offers 30 plug-ins and utilities from Avid and third-party plug-in partners. Alongside clas-sic hardware emulations and a range of other dynamics, EQ and delay/verb processors, VenuePack 4 introduces Flux Pure Analyzer Essential. Flux provides measurement and system analysis via a modular RTA package. The Flux SampleGrabber plug-in even allows “direct signal acquisi-tion” via Ethernet from monitor and mix busses.■■ CEDAR DNS 8 Live Noise Suppressor: Where there’s

sound, there’s often unwanted sound (noise). CEDAR DNS devices are in wide use in post production and live broad-cast, and have been adopted for other live event use. The DNS 8 Live was designed specifically for live use, be it sports, news or music. Each of the eight channels offer simplified two-knob set-up and control as well as a more in-depth control mode with greater capability than

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studio review by Strother Bullins


Affordable Upgrades: 5 Studio Monitoring Improvements Under $500 Featuring AKG, IsoAcoustics, KRK, PreSonus and Primacoustic

Strother Bullins is an active recordist, musician and the Editor of Pro Audio Review.

As prices fall in other categories of pro audio gear—for example, new, feature-packed digital audio workstations have never been more affordable—many budget-restricted recordists still struggle to make improvements at the listening end of the chain. Presented here are impressive monitoring products I’ve recently received, representing five distinct and remarkably affordable means of improvement; each is available for under $500 street.

Short of improving the overall acoustics of a workspace, these monitoring options are representative of affordable gear upgrades that should allow even penny-pinching users to make better mix decisions.

High-Quality Reference Open-Back Headphones: AKG K702 65th Anniversary Limited Edition

Styled to celebrate AKG’s 65 years of build-ing open-back, circumaural dynamic head-phones, the K702 65th Anniversary Limited Edition is available at $499 street from most pro audio retailers and is my favorite head-phone I’ve used to date. It’s a balance of great sound, unique comfort, and a notably high grade of build quality. The 65th Anniversary Limited Edition K702 is limited, indeed: only 5,000 will be sold worldwide. [Even more affordable, the standard AKG K702 is avail-able for $349 street.—Ed.]

Along with a manufacturer-provided fre-quency range spec of eight to 39,800 Hz, the K702 offers a rated impedance of 62 ohms, maximum input power of 200 mW, and sensitivity of 105 dB/V. AKG notes its broad frequency range is provided by the K702’s patented Varimotion two-layer dia-phragm. Cabling is three meters long and detachable with a 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch con-vertible jack plug adapter.

The inherent “open” design of the K702 seems to lend to its ability in providing pin-point-accurate imaging and overall frequen-cy-based accuracy. Sure, sometimes head-phones work to isolate the listener from his/her environment—especially desirable for musicians while tracking loud instruments—

but after listening to a wide range of both closed- and open-back headphones over the years, I’ll choose an open-back model for more accurate and enjoyable monitoring.

Too often, I like the way a headphone performs while its build quality and comfort leave much to be desired. I believe the K702 offers a near-perfect balance of desirable features; they sound great, feel good in the hand and on the head, and I never worried about dropping them on the floor, either. I really can’t say that about many of the “aes-thetics first” headphones that are flooding the modern consumer marketplace.

While I appreciate using the most high-end molded IEMs I can get my hands on for live performance and sound reinforcement applications, I’ll choose headphones for the constant flow of music production and various studio work. The K702 is among the best “pro grade” headphones available today and hand-crafted in Vienna, Austria by the recording world’s most iconic head-phone brand. Contact: AKG Acoustics | us.akg.com

Studio Monitor Stands: IsoAcoustics ISO-L8R430 Oversized Studio Monitor Stand

Canadian pro audio firm IsoAcoustics now offers a studio monitor stand for nearly every cabinet size available, and its ISO-L8R430, deemed “Oversized,” is ideal for vertical or horizontal monitor con-figuration of most any “mid-field” speaker. Having previously reviewed the ISO-L8R 155 “Medium” stand, I really appreciated the extra ability to position my monitors horizontally on my studio desk’s raised overbridge, while enjoying the same superb “desk decoupling” performance as well as a variety of height and tilt options. The stand’s vibration-isolation characteris-tics are made possible by its components: hollow steel tube risers, high-strength ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a com-mon thermoplastic) framework and rubber (copolymer) bushings.

Compared directly to speaker-on-desk placement, any monitor I placed on the ISO-L8R430 seemed to “tighten up” sig-nificantly, specifically in the bottom end. I won’t claim to understand the science behind IsoAcoustics’ design, but as I built mixes, recorded track by recorded track, I captured overall better mix components because I could more accurately hear their frequency-based makeup; the cumulative effect of such an improvement in monitor-ing is notable.

For approximately $89 each, street, the ISO-L8R430 is an affordable modular monitoring improvement useful with a wide range of speaker sizes. Contact: IsoAcoustics | isoacoustics.com


AKG K702 65th Anniversary Limited Edition

IsoAcoustics ISO-L8R430 Oversized Studio Monitor Stand

Small Powered Studio Monitors:KRK Rokit Powered 6 Generation 2

I’ve had the pleasure of evaluating most options within KRK’s top-selling Rokit studio monitor line, and I believe the Powered 6 may be the most useful to the broadest range of users for a number of reasons. At $199 street per speaker, KRK’s latest version of its Rokit Powered 6 is a truly affordable workhorse studio monitor with few frills.

The Powered 6 is “medium-sized”—not small, not large—and, in my opinion, sufficiently fills the need for a standard, NS-10-type of primary reference monitor (sans sub), while clearing the raised bar of our modern powered monitor-based production world. Further, there’s honestly nothing notable about its sound—in the good sense. The materials and components used are workhorse staples—Kevlar type woofer and soft-dome tweeter, 68 W of bi-amped Class A/B power, simple HF level parameters, and comprehensive unbalanced/balanced input

options (RCA, 1/4-inch TRS and XLR). When it comes to finding a translatable monitoring standard, I believe commonly used materials are often an asset.

Just like the R6 Passive, the non-powered fra-ternal twin I reviewed previously for PAR, the Rokit Powered 6 was quite truthful in translating “the big picture” of mixes. Though it may provide an over-all denser sound when directly compared to the open, sometimes “hyper-realistic” performances of some higher-priced studio monitors (”a bit more pedestrian” was how I described the R6 Passive), I always felt confident that mixes translated well from their Powered 6 beginnings to other speakers and environments.

I’d recommend the Powered 6 to newbie users buying their first powered monitor as well as seasoned pros looking for an inexpensive, second-ary powered speaker that’s easy to carry around, backed by a respected industry brand. Contact: KRK Systems | krksys.com

Midfield Powered Studio Monitors: PreSonus Eris Series E8

Over the past year, overachieving pro audio manufacturer PreSonus has rolled out some impressive-looking studio monitors, like the bud-get-priced Eris and premium coaxial Sceptre lines. Recently received for review and approximately $250 street each, the E8 is Eris’ largest offering, providing what I’d categorize as a standard two-way powered monitor with midfield performance in a relatively compact cabinet.


KRK Rokit Powered 6 Generation 2

The E8 features an 8-inch Kevlar LF driver, 1.25-inch silk dome tweeter, 140 W of bi-amped power, and RCA, 1/4-inch TRS and XLR input options. Notably, the Eris Series provides comprehensive fre-quency-based parameter adjustments—variable HF and MF (-6 to +6 dB) “acous-tic tuning,” Flat, 80 Hz and 100 Hz low cut settings, plus -4, -2 and 0 dB bass attenuation settings (cutting frequencies below 800 Hz). Specs include a frequency response of a low 35 Hz through 22 kHz; 105 dB peak SPL (at 1 m); and a 2.2 kHz crossover frequency point. The Eris E8’s cabinet is sturdily built and relatively free of cosmetic accoutrements.

Where users may often desire a sub-woofer, especially those working on bass-heavy material, I found the E8 to provide notable low-end response sans sub—full and detailed, yet punchy. The adjustable HF and MF parameters are especially helpful; considering their lower price point, these monitors will likely find themselves in mini-mally (or non-) treated residential rooms, where the tweakability will come in par-ticularly handy. Overall, the monitors are impressively frequency neutral with great imaging; I find them to be an extreme bar-gain for what they provide the listener at under $500 per pair.

PreSonus may have just entered the stu-dio monitor market, but it’s doing it with the style and grace of a veteran. If I needed an eight-inch powered monitor, I’d be quite

happy with the Eris E8—and even happier with the money I saved. Contact: PreSonus | presonus.com

Studio Monitor Isolation: Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizer

To date, a notable cross-section of golden-eared and industry-known record-ing engineers, mixers and producers have given their official nods to the Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizer. Fact is, even if you aren’t exactly sure what you’re supposed to be listening for, users will hear an improve-

ment with a couple of Recoils under their nearfields.

For years, engineers have decoupled nearfield monitors from desks and meter bridges by placing them on a thick piece of urethane foam. Primacoustic’s Peter Janis took this idea a step further by adding a laser-cut steel plate and non-slip neoprene top surface to the mix; all together, these components decouple and add cabinet-reinforcing rigidity to any speaker placed atop a Recoil Stabilizer.

In my own use, they’ve worked well with a wide range of monitors—inexpen-sive to costly. As a matter of fact, they seem to work a little more magic with less expensive speakers; my guess is that cheaper cabinet materials really benefit from the extra rigidity a Recoil Stabilizer delivers, where the cabinet materials and construction of more expensive moni-tors already provide tighter performance with less natural cabinet resonance. I’m no physics expert, so I will refer readers to Primacoustic’s “Science of the Recoil Stabilizer” for more on the subject: prima-coustic.com/recoil-science.htm.

The budget conscious question, is, “Is the Recoil worth its cost?” Personally speaking, and for example, these Recoils were 12.5 percent of the total cost of my own KRK VXT8 pair. I can say that there was at least a 12.5 percent increase in performance; that’s significant enough proof for me.

In all, a Recoil Stabilizer helps any speaker become sharper in its delivery of acoustic detail. Thus, I believe it’s a good buy and a solid investment in a better monitoring setup, and range between $89 and $199 street, each, in a full range of sizes. Contact: Primacoustic | primacoustic.com


PreSonus Eris Series E8

Primacoustic Recoil Stabilizer

PreSonus entered the studio monitor market with the style and grace of a veteran.

studio review by Rob Tavaglione

Two years ago, I reviewed the Manley MicMAID, a four-mic by four-preamp switching matrix that I found to be indispensable in making detailed sig-nal path decisions with ease. Too bad the $3,150 street price prohibited me from buying what I considered a “luxury turned necessity.”

Meanwhile, Radial Engineering has stepped up with a dual component system—the Gold Digger and Cherry Picker—to help with my signal selec-tion dilemmas. In Radial’s characteristic well-built, properly featured and affordable fashion, both units get the job done as promised.

FeaturesThe Gold Digger is a sturdy steel, four input/one

output mic switcher with a passive, relay switched but not straight wire, signal path. [According to Radial, “The signal is completely ‘straight wire’ when the trim controls are set to 100 percent, unless the phantom power is on, in which DC blocking capacitors are inserted in the straight path.”—Ed.] It features XLR I/O with radio-button style compo-nent selection (selecting one mic switches off the previous selection), output level trims, “on” LEDs per channel, a recessed phantom power switch per channel, and an external 15 VDC power supply. The specs: 20 Hz to 20 kHz bandwidth, 0.0003% THD + N, -140 dBu dynamic range and -92 dB crosstalk. [“The Gold Digger merely passes through the load impedance it sees up to 5500 ohms and it remains at 5500, no matter the load impedance above that level,” explains Radial Senior Engineer Dan Fraser.]

The Cherry Picker is a similarly sturdy one input/four output, relay switched, passive audio path, mic preamp selector; one mic input feeds any of four XLR-M outputs for routing to four mic preamps. Each channel also features radio-button selection, an “on” LED and ground lift. Switched phantom

Radial Engineering Gold Digger and Cherry Picker Choosing between multiple signal-capturing options is often our favorite job responsibility, though sometimes our bane, too. Trying to decipher the intricacies and nuances of mic and mic preamp choices with fidgety musicians, nosy (and often noisy) onlookers and slightly-too-opinionated novices can be quite challenging.


power is provided. A global mute switch is wisely provided, too. The Picker’s specs are equally impressive: DC to 80 MHz band-width, -115 dB dynamic range, -97 dB cross-talk and 10K Ohms input impedance.

Both the Digger and Picker come with three-year warranties.

In UseThe advantages of using this Radial

Engineering system become apparent even before the client arrives. For example, when setting up for a session with a new vocalist, users can eliminate the stress of guesswork by putting up four different mics to audition.

Soundchecks become easy, too—follow the singer, switching as they move from mic to mic. If one mic is louder than another, set the trim for the quietest mic to full level and then attenuate the louder mics until all are equal. [Tech Editor Lynn Fuston adds: “Using a tone generator and speaker simplifies this level-matching step. Even a Cricket Phase Popper can be used to match levels. I typical-ly use a 400-700 Hz tone originating from a speaker that positioned an identical distance from the center of each mic. Levels should be matched within .25 dB.”] This step is crucial, as matching levels is mandatory for compar-ing any audio gear. However, you might be stuck with a high noise floor from your pre-amp during the comparison if one mic has much lower output (like a vintage ribbon—in such a case you might consider a pre-pre-amp like Cloud Microphones’ Cloudlifter).

Impedance is a more important factor. Your mics will “see” the Gold Digger’s 600 ohm input impedance (a by-product of the passive level control) and perform differ-ently than when patched directly to your preamp. This can make a huge difference with passive ribbons, seemingly no differ-ence with active ones, and barely signifi-cant with most condensers. This means you must keep the Gold Digger patched in-line during tracking and accept any character it may lend, or un-patch it to possibly find your mics sound different than they did when comparing them through the Gold Digger, which sort of defeats the purpose.

The Gold Digger does not add noise (it is passive, after all). One other drawback to all this convenience: there is a brief buzz,

a signal dropout and click when switching between mics—not speaker damaging or “annoy the client” loud, but it is a momentary distraction. [From Radial: “This momentary mute is there to prevent a speaker-shattering thump when switching between phantom-powered mics and especially between phan-tom- and non-phantom microphones.”—Ed.]

With the Cherry Picker, operation and results are comparable to the Gold Digger. Now with four mic amps patched, users can take the selected mic, route it to any of the mic pres and not worry about phantom power or pops when switching. There is only a quick and quiet tick when switch-ing. Again, I must stress that setting equal levels is crucial; there aren’t level trims on the Cherry Picker’s channels, so you’ll have to match levels at the preamp which can be tricky with preamps offering only coarse adjustments (5 dB steps); your gain matching will have to be accomplished elsewhere. With four signals routed to the mixer/DAW, users can make the small moni-toring adjustments needed there for equal perceived loudness and good decisions.

I also tried connecting a mic to the Cherry Picker (using its phantom), patching it out to four mic amps and then returning those four outputs to the GD used in reverse (now routing the selected preamp output to the DAW/recorder, much like the return loops and “mon/recorder” output features found on Manley’s MicMAID). Perhaps a third unit

for switching four preamp returns to a sin-gle out, featuring higher impedance, should join this Radial signal-switching matrix party? Just a thought.

SummaryOh, how I wish the Gold Digger had per-

fectly silent mic switching, precise numeri-cal values on the trims and programmable repeatability. And I wish the Cherry Picker had four return loops and a “record out,” though those “would require active circuit-ry and are not suitable to supply at bal-anced microphone levels,” explains Radial. Yes, those features and more are available on the Manley MicMAID, but at a cost of over $3,000. If the Gold Digger and Cherry Picker incorporated all those features, they wouldn’t be $350 street, each—$700 street for the system! That’s hard to beat, regardless of what features I may want.

Honestly, Radial’s Gold Digger is a very useful and illuminating tool, one that must be used carefully with some restrictions—due to the complications of impedance load-ing, levels and microphones—to gain its full benefit. The Cherry Picker does a superlative job of highlighting the oft-overlooked minute differences between mic preamps—or even compressors, for that matter—that profes-sionals will find revelatory.

Prices: $400 list, eachContact: Radial Engineering | radialeng.com


Rob Tavaglione is Charlotte’s best-known independent music engineer and mixer, and the owner of Catalyst Recording. catalystrecording.com

studio review by Rich Tozzoli

When I saw that Brainworx was releas-ing a pair of ENGL Amplifier plug-ins for the UAD platform, I have to admit I was excited. But as we all know, ones and zeroes are not tubes, so I broke out a few of my favor-ite axes and took those digits for a spin.

FeaturesDesigned exclusively for the UAD-2 and

Apollo platform, these Mac and PC plug-ins are modeled on the ENGL E646 Limited Edition and ENGL E765 Retro Tube amps. The E765 is the ‘cleaner’ of the two and fea-tures two channels. Channel One is voiced cleaner than channel two but between the two, it’s set up to cover a lot of sonic

territory. The E646 is for more high-gain work and features four channels, each with independent Gain and volume control. Channel one is the cleaner of the four; as I move up, each gets more aggressive.

Each of the plug-ins is designed with a variety of applications: recording DI, re-amping other DI tracks, recording hard-ware preamps through the plug-in, playing live through a power amp/speaker setup or straight into a console, or just practicing through it, which I admit I did quite a bit. Brainworx modeled each amp’s preamp, tone stack and power amp, along with some additional software options such as a power soak. It also modeled more than

Brainworx ENGL Guitar Amplifier Plug-ins for UADI’m a sucker for guitar amps. Actually, allow me to clarify: I’m a sucker for really good guitar amps. I’m talking about the kind that I plug into, hit a few notes, and say “yeah, that’s it—let’s roll.” And if that guitar amp just happens to be in plug-in form, I’m fine with that—as long as it delivers the goods.

60 recording chain presets, which allow selection of various combinations of ENGL cabinets, mics and FX.

Aside from dialing up each amp’s settings with a traditional front panel, users can call up the far-more-useful FX Rack page, which

offers a bevy of additional goodies (click on the head’s ENGL logo or select FX Rack button). The first thing I turn to is the Noise Gate (with Threshold and Range controls), which is a must with a high gain style amp, and also just about any DI guitar when sit-

ting next to my computer. Next is a set of Amp Filters for low and high frequencies, which can be set to Pre (before it hits the amp), Post (after the amp settings) or Off (bypassed). I do use these filters quite a bit to roll off top and bottom, depending on

the guitar (my Teles are bright and my Les Pauls are bottom heavy).

Next is the Recording Chains drop-down menu, where I can select from more than 60 combinations of setups produced at the Brainworx studio in Germany. I can also bypass the cabinet setup altogether (last setting in the menu), or click-through, in real time, with the + and – buttons for audi-tioning. The Auto button, when selected, will change the chain in tempo with the song in sections that are 1, 2, 3, 4 or 8 bars long—a convenient way to hear how the settings fit a mix.

On the top right sits a Lo-Fi Delay, which offers up a Tap button, adjustable delay Time knob (up to 1,000 ms), X2 and /2 buttons for doubling and halving, a Host BPM for 4/4 DAW tempo hosting, as well

as Mix, Feedback and Lo-Fi knobs (which adds a gritty internal distortion). Below this section sits an Input Gain knob which drives the input preamp harder. Beside that are the Bypass Pre/Off (switch the preamp off completely) and Bypass Power Amp/Off (switch the power amp off to distort instruments other than guitars). There’s also a Power Soak knob to lower the output of the amp (to be used in conjunc-tion with the Master knob).

Each head has its own selection of knobs and buttons to select the various channels, as well as their associated tone and EQ configurations. A useful tool on the menu bar is the Settings selector, to Copy and Paste chosen amp settings into the A, B, C or D boxes. Then users can make subtle changes to each and click through them to see what sounds best.

In UseThe E646 is the more ripping of the two

ENGLs, and it includes a useful Middle-Voiced EQ knob to help get the guitar to cut through the mix. Plugging in my Les Paul Custom, I got right into some beefy shredding, and was happy enough with the sound to simply enjoy playing for a while, completely forgetting I was record-ing. It makes playing fun, and the ability to add delay (and a good sounding one at that) helps create even more vibe. A good sign is that it retained the amp’s tone even when I switched between Rhythm, Treble and the middle pickup position. Not all plug-in amps can do that, as many just “shred” without true tone. It’s obvious to me that a lot of work went into the sound of this plug-in.

It’s nice to click through the various Recording Chains, and there are many

options. Included are a variety of mics and cabs, and they truly change up the sound (some better than others, but it’s all based on individual preference as to what fits the occasion). I find it much easier to tweak the amp sounds using the FX Rack setting; in the standard configuration, the white let-tering on all the knobs (20 of them!) is too small for my liking (though my eyes are still pretty good). There’s a lot of GUI real estate to work with here, so making the knobs and buttons bigger would make sense on a future update. Also, I would love to see relevant knobs (within each Channel) have a light or color that would let me know they are ‘in line and active’—I found myself turn-ing a lot of knobs wondering if they had any effect. Like any amp with a lot of options, users have to take the time to learn exactly what does what. I have a Mesa Boogie Mk IV head that has a ton of knobs, and to this day I sometimes get confused, 20-plus years after buying it. On the FX Rack page, all the

knobs and lettering are certainly bigger, making it easier to tweak.

The E765 head is even easier to tweak, and it does a great job at clean sounds as well as gritty blues. I pulled out my Tele and tried a few presets (Tele Clean Gain Boost, Tele Roxx, etc.) and was very pleased again. The sounds are true, letting the guitar and its pickup shine through. It also can rip, as I pulled out my Strat, set it to the second pickup switch up and ripped through the Strat Lead Delay preset. Switching to the neck pickup and dialing in even more Gain, it delivered thick gobs of tone: I’m a sucker for that.

Since this plug-in is optimized for low-latency use with an Apollo (though I had no HDX issues), I did a session with drummer Vincent Miraglia using my Cigar Box guitar

DI, and ripped through a bunch of cool TV cues. It made recording easy, as I had no amp bleed in the room.

SummaryI’m very picky about guitar amp plug-

ins, and this one is truly one of the most useful I’ve ever encountered. It can deliver convincing clean tones, but its specialty is ripping hard and heavy with author-ity. Both ENGL heads are inspirational to play through (just like a great amp). I found myself playing just to play. But most importantly, they fit perfectly into the dif-ferent tracks I was working on.

Without question, the ENGL plug-in is now my go-to software amp. I only hope Brainworx keeps coming out with more models for the UAD platform, as I will be the first in line to use them.

Prices: $149 eachContact: Universal Audio | uaudio.com


Rich Tozzoli is PAR’s Software Editor and a Grammy-nominated engineer, mixer and composer. richtozzoli.com

“I’m very picky about guitar amp plug-ins, and this one is truly one of the most useful I’ve ever encountered. It can deliver convincing clean tones,

but its specialty is ripping hard and heavy with authority.”

studio review by Russ Long


I was a slow convert to the MXL microphone line, won over after reviewing the CR89 in late 2012. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the CR30, a no-frills, small pro-file, large diaphragm condenser microphone that is remarkably versatile and priced very low.

FeaturesThe 5.7-inch long by 1.8-inch diameter

CR30 has a gorgeous black chrome-plated metal finish. The side-address, pressure gradient condenser mic utilizes a 32mm (1.26-inch) fixed cardioid capsule with a gold-sputtered 6-micron diaphragm. The mic is transformerless, weighs one pound, and is equipped with a selectable -10 dB/-20 dB pad. It has a 150 ohm output imped-ance, a low noise FET preamp, a 20 Hz to 20 KHz frequency response wit 25 mV/Pa sensitivity and a max. SPL of 158 dB (with the -20 dB pad engaged). The micro-phone utilizes studio-grade Mogami wiring throughout.

The CR30 is sturdy and robust; the pad switch feels substantial and solid. Included with the mic is a shock mount and hard-shell case; while the shock mount is fully operative, its build quality doesn’t seem to be on par with the microphone itself.

In UseI tried the CR30 on acoustic guitar first. I

recorded a Taylor 514-CE acoustic with the mic just off the 12th fret and aimed towards the guitar’s body. The sound was smooth and rich, with a warm top end and a full bot-tom. The microphone is perfectly suited for acoustic instruments, and during my test period, I also had the opportunity to use

it on mandolin, where it sounded natural and smooth, and Dobro, which also sounded superb. While the mic lacks the top-end spar-kle I get with a Sony C-800G or Earthworks SR77—the mics I typically use on acoustic instruments—it still sounded beautiful.

The mic worked equally well in captur-ing electric guitars. In addition to a bunch of thick and beefy distorted electric gui-tars that I captured with the single CR30, I experimented with blending an SM57 underneath the CR30 and received a thick, full and punchy electric guitar with the per-fect balance of edge and crunch.

The CR30 does a great job capturing drums and percussion. I used it to record shaker, bongos and tambourine and it worked well in each instance. I also had good results using it as a mono overhead while recording a small cocktail drum kit. On another occasion, I used the mic to record snare drum while recording a drum pass played with Hot-Rods—banded wooden dowels, for an “organic” sound somewhere between a stick and a brush. The result was a high-impact, full-bodied snare that had a nice crack without being at all overpowering.

While I wouldn’t describe vocal recording as the CR30’s forte, the mic does do an ade-quate job capturing both male and female vocals. It tends to sound a bit heavy in the upper mids on female vocals, but some slight equalization will easily compensate for that. I wouldn’t purchase the CR30 for recording vocals, but if I owned the mic, I’m confident it would get used to record vocals on a regular basis.

The sole downside to the CR30’s attrac-tive finish is that it attracts fingerprints and smudges like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. The mic does include a microfiber cleaning cloth, which effortlessly restores the mic to its original beauty in seconds. But be prepared, you’ll be using it a lot.

SummaryThe CR30’s high-quality performance

combined with its low cost make it an ideal first “pro quality” microphone for home recordists. However, the lack of a high-pass filter requires it to be coupled with an HPF-equipped mic pre; the mic’s full, rich sound will make it difficult to utilize in home studios where low-frequency rumble (from street or HVAC noise, for example) can eas-ily seep into a vocal or acoustic instrument recording. Otherwise, the CR30 performs admirably in virtually any situation.

Price: $269.95Contact: MXL Microphones | mxlmics.com

MXL CR30 Large-Diaphragm Condenser Microphone

Russ Long is PAR’s Senior Contributor and a prolific Nashville-based producer, engineer and mixer. russlong.ws

studio review by Tony Ware


Engineering his first custom-fit solution (a two-way earpiece molded for Alex Van Halen) in 1995, Harvey continued innovat-ing with balanced armature arrays, extend-ing to three- and then four-way architec-tures, attracting musicians, mix engineers and audiophiles to his designs.

In 2009, Harvey launched the initial Jerry Harvey Audio (JH Audio) JH13 Pro, a then-unprecedented six-driver, three-way crossover IEM integrating dual-driver tech-nology across the frequency range (two proprietary balanced armature drivers each for the lows, mids and highs). In 2012, he announced a further innovation—the “Frēqphase time|phase WaveGuide,” a patent-pending phase-coherence advance-ment—restating the case for the JH13 Pro as both an industry-standard stage and studio monitor.

Features“Frēqphase”—which uses a triple-bore,

precisely positioned driver configuration to synchronize the delivery of low, mid and high frequencies—offers on-the-go produc-ers a new level of highly portable, spacious and balanced imaging. The custom IEM pro-cess involves a trip to an audiologist where ear-filling foam ear-canal impressions are made (a $50 to $75 procedure on average).

Once the impressions are sent in, JH

Audio offers an interactive online “IEM Designer,” allowing you to pick the appear-ance of your custom IEM. Shells come in 46 standard colors or eight blacklight colors – translucent or opaque—and the faceplate has the same number of color choices, as well as a tier of 54 designs or textures available for various premiums ($25 to $50 per side). Additionally, you can pick from several free logos (in limited colors) or upload your own artwork ($75 one color, $100 more than one). Finally, you pick a 48- or 64-inch cable (in clear or black) with a gold-plated 3.5mm connector.

I opted for design elements (see photo), including translucent Whiteboy shells, opaque Whiteboy faceplates and personally meaningful artwork (supplied as a trans-parent PNG to mesh with the faceplate), though I will admit I mused/giggled over selecting the “frēq” logo for a bit (I love a naughty pun). Delivered in a personal-ized hockey puck-like padded aluminum tin with earwax cleaning tool, the finished IEM offers -26 dB noise isolation, 10 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response, 116 dB @ 1 mW input sensitivity at 28 Ohms impedance.

In UseThere’s a misconception that the JH16

Pro is the JH Audio flagship, but in reality, it is one of two complementary products. The

JH16 Pro, with its four dedicated, low-end drivers, offers a more robust low-end capac-ity for live performance mixes, whereas the JH13 Pro, while live-show friendly, show-cases its strengths in controlled critical monitoring scenarios. That doesn’t affect its punchy dynamics though, as the JH13 Pro is slightly north of neutral in the low end, featuring a boost at 50 Hz, extending to 125 Hz. Thankfully, this uptick in the kick region (almost half that of the JH16 Pro) is nei-ther flabby nor invasive; low-end presence blooms without excess boom, and doesn’t negatively impact the lifelike resonance or crisp instrument separation.

With this in mind, I auditioned the JH13 Pro across genres and from various sourc-es (amped and unamped), including a MacBook Air running Audirvana Plus through an Audioquest DragonFly; an iPhone 5 both with and without a V-Moda VAMP Verza; and an iRiver AK100 digital audio player as both source and USB DAC. Resolutions auditioned ranged from 16-bit/44.1 kHz up to 24-bit/192 kHz full-resolution files and MP3s, including sources straight from mix

JH13 Pro Custom In-ear MonitorThese custom IEMs feature Frēqphase, a triple-bore, precisely positioned driver configuration, which offer a new level of highly portable, spacious and balanced imaging.

Tony Ware is a DC-based audio industry journalist and active DJ.

Jerry Harvey has an impressive Wikipedia page, as befits a live sound engineer and inventor known for introducing several firsts to the personal monitoring industry throughout the past two decades. When offered an opportunity to review his latest breakthrough—a redesign of the already widely adopted JH13 Pro custom in-ear moni-tor (IEM)—I was, well, all ears.

ProAudioReview 39

sessions.While I won’t draw direct compari-

sons, my immediate frame of monitor-ing references include such non-cus-tom IEMs as the Westone 4, Logitech UE900 and Etymotic ER-4 (with cus-tom-molded silicon tips), personally fitted Future Sonics mg6pro, as well as such portable and full-sized head-phones as the V-Moda M-100, beyer-dynamic T90, AKG K712, Audeze LCD-2 and Sennheiser HD 700/800.

Not wanting to fall into the trap of heaping fawning adjectives, I’ll restrict myself to two: Clarity and coherence. Tonal depth, width, texture and sil-houette all approach reference level, and arrive simultaneously. Whether evaluating punctuating details, echo-ing pockets or overall crunch, you can appreciate the focused timbre or dis-sect the sibilance-free structure of the playback. Reproduction is distor-tion-free, taut and pinpoint accurate. Coloration is not used to compensate for shortcomings; a thin source will sound thin, while muddy sub-bass will bleed without any bright, exaggerated counterweigh. This awareness bene-fits midrange during mixing, however, because you can dial treble extension and bass lift in a natural, linear fashion.

SummaryAssuming you get a proper fit (and

don’t hesitate to contact the company if you don’t), the JH13 Pro sets a prece-dent for multi-balanced armature unity. In terms of resolution, articulation and transparency, JH Audio’s latest develop-ment sits on par with top-tier dynamic driver headphones and suits acoustic and digital production equally. While the JH13 Pro can’t completely match the airiness of open-backed, flagship head-phones, its compact isolation and effi-cient headroom offer a offer a coherent in-ear listening environment, whether you’re in the studio, in transit or just in need of some clear perspective.

Price: Starting at $1,099Contact: JH Audio | jhaudiocom

opinion studio sense by Rich Tozzoli


When first presented with the project, Co-composer Scott E. Moore and I knew we wanted to try to take “meditation” music beyond what it’s often known for—lots of pads and ambient sounds. We wanted to approach it like a film score without picture, yet we were ultimately there to sit under the voice of Deepak Chopra (and he told us so in a meeting). Each day’s mantra or les-son were to be introduced by Oprah. Then Deepak would speak over the first five min-utes or so, and the music would then take you another seven or eight minutes, from which Deepak would “wake” you and take it

out for a few more minutes. The compositions, 22 in total, would be

around five- to eight-minutes long, from which the production team in San Diego would loop music beds, assemble all the elements and create each day’s piece. The project would be released online, in CD form and as an upcoming iOS app.

Since we wanted to take it beyond “pads,” Moore and I decided to include gui-tars in both the traditional sense and in a creative, atmospheric style. We would also enlist a cast of top-flight guests, each with their own sonic specialty. I was tasked with

recording and mixing the music, capturing it in a variety of locations and spaces.

Since the music in general would be quite sparse, the instruments would be carefully captured one at a time—meaning I didn’t need a lot of gear. However, what I did use had to be hi-fi with a low noise floor and superior acoustic properties. The primary mics for this project were a matched set of DPA 2011 cardioids; for preamps, I relied heavily on a Millennia HV-37. I also turned to a Earthworks QTC-1 matched pair with a Grace m103 and Focusrite ISA 428. For vocals, I used the large diaphragm Miktek C7. At my studio, I used Pro Tools HDX, but my mobile rig used PT Native with a Universal Audio Apollo with the Millennia inserted into the TRS jacks on the rear.

For the first sessions, Moore and I went fully mobile, setting up shop at a gorgeous lake house in New York State with an open floor plan and high ceilings. There, I ran the Apollo rig along with an ADAM A5X pair with Sub7 subwoofer. We tracked both of our jumbo Guild 12 string guitars, using the DPAs and Earthworks mics. He also had his vintage 1934 Martin 0-18, along with a 1955 Gibson BR6 lap steel and a Gretsch Country Gentleman Jr. We ran the Gretsch through a volume pedal, then into the Eventide Space pedal, which delivered some beautiful ambient atmospheric sounds. While there, we also tracked cellist Akua Dixon, play-ing a gorgeous 100-year old instrument.

The Challenge of Sparsity: Mixing for Deepak & OprahRecently, I co-composed and mixed a project for Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey. Officially called Oprah & Deepak 21-Day Meditation Challenge – Miraculous Relationships, it was part of a series from Oprah’s Lifeclass and The Chopra Center. It presented a handful of technical and musical challenges, and threw a few surprise curveballs our way along the path.

Rich Tozzoli, a busy composer and engineer/mixer, is PAR’s Software Editor. richtozzoli.com

Tozzoli works with co-composer Scott E. Moore (pictured) at a New York State lake house with open floor plan and high ceilings.

The combination of the DPAs, Earthworks, Millennia, good room acoustics and some good vibes made for some beautiful music and pristine recordings.

Back home, we continued tracking at my studio, but also worked at drummer Ray Levier’s studio, too. Set up with an Apollo (plus Focusrite and Millennia), we captured him on drums, percussion, vocal chants and even bowing the side of his vibraphone with a violin bow. At that location, we also captured violinist Andy Munitz, vocalist Ruth Morley as well as Laura Josephson playing both tradi-tional flute and a classical English double recorder from the 1830s called a flageolet. I recorded the flageolet with the DPA pair, monitor-ing it back through a beautiful Indian temple in Altiverb. All the musi-cians commented on how inspiring it was to be captured with those mics, through that preamp, and into some deep, ambient reverbs.

Another mobile session was to capture pianist Kristen Hevner, who plays an amazing Yamaha baby grand. Kristen is my orchestration teacher, and I was always stunned by the sound of her par-ticular piano. For this project, we captured it right in her new home, using the Apollo/DPA/Millennia rig. I miked the piano ultra-close to the strings; a deep, floating like resonance was the result. From that point on, I called this ‘hyper-miking’—I proceeded to do it again on Levier’s cymbals and when he bowed the vibraphone. The DPA 2011 pair are so clear and ambient that I could get away with this technique. It also captures overtones I’ve normally not heard, which can be creatively useful on a project like this—where the openness of the tracks allow them to be heard.

Using the hyper-miking again, I recorded David Ondrick playing Tibetan singing bowls and toning with his voice live. I miked the bowls an inch or two away, and put the Miktek C7 pointed up at his voice. We again used an Altiverb, this time with a great Middle Ages church, along with a long ambi-ent patch in the Eventide Space plug-in.

Heading into New York City, we worked with keyboardist Bruce MacPherson, capturing his vin-


David Ondrick’s Tibetan singing bowls, captured with the Miktek C7.

tage analog synth (a rare early ’70s EML-101 from Electronic Music Laboratories). Twisting and tuning various oscillators, he laid down a track of organic pads that almost put you into a trance. On top of that, he tweaked it to deliver a moving, pulsing white noise track that sounds like wind, ocean and rain all at once.

Mixing the project turned out to be quite a challenge as well, because the tracks were so sparse that any squeals, ticks or scratch-

es from any of the instruments were clearly there. I spent quite a bit of time carefully cleaning up each track to make it as pure as possible. Also, since I used quite a bit of deep reverb (from Altiverb, Eventide Space and Sonnox Reverb), the instruments would sometimes swim in the low end, so I had to EQ out a lot of bottom. This was further nec-essary because Deepak’s voice is so deep (I measured it and there are frequencies around 30 Hz in there), I had to make sure

my low end did not interfere with his.By the end of the 22nd song, I real-

ized why a lot of people do rely on pads to make ambient music! It’s a lot easier. But Moore and I made a commitment not to take the easy way out—to challenge ourselves creatively, musically and techni-cally. We felt the messages of Deepak and Oprah deserved the best. The final result is a product we can be proud of, making all the hard work (and lessons learned) worth it.


Let’s Make A (Gear) DealConsidering that about 99 percent of us audio engi-neers are frugal, nickel-splitting cost-cutters, it’s clearly necessity that is the mother of our ongoing inventions, repairs, purchases and general deal-making. I have taken great joy in equipping my studio with lots of gear that has been either snatched-up cheaply, rescued from disrepair, re-purposed or made into something far more useful than its cost. Sadly, such pennywise studio outfitting isn’t possible anymore, as the day of the “DIY sweet audio deal” is generally behind us.

The audio gear collecting mantra of “don’t waste any money, build what you can and look for undervalued projects” seems to have started with the legendary engineers of yore who literally engineered their way out of problems. Studios typically designed their own consoles and it wasn’t unusual to find everything from preamps, compressors and monitors built by the very white coats who worked the sessions. Even into the ’70s and ’80s, every studio had at least one custom piece—headphone boxes, cue systems, patch panels and monitors were the most common.

For those of us less design- and build-inclined, there was always the concept of clever scavenging. Everywhere you looked, it seemed like there was a piece of gear crying out for some well-informed TLC: yard sales with German mics, pawn shops with marked-down “sold as-is” steals, attics with ’50s relics in need of moderate repair. A person with a soldering iron, little aversion to risk and smooth negotiating skills could walk away with treasures for pennies on a dollar.

The key was knowledge—knowledge in that if one knew the true value of a piece, one could find “the deal.” Such knowledge depended on information that was hard to come by, so one relied heavily on a circle of techs/colleagues to pass down the vitals: “It’s simply been sitting too long. Re-cap it and you’ll be fine,” or “change out the $3 battery in that SPX90 and lose that erratic behavior,” or “those things constantly blow trans-formers; avoid them regardless of price.” We shared the knowledge, even as we always tried to “one up” another with better deals and cooler conquests.

Frugal ingenuity doesn’t pay off the same today. For starters, all the classics have been snatched up. Collectible gear makes it no further down the food chain than estate sales, no more U47s at pawn shops. And if such gear does make it all the way to the general public on eBay, it surely isn’t undervalued. Between checking “completed listings” and other sites (i.e. PrePal.com, Gearsource.com, Soundbroker.com), it’s pretty easy to determine the actual market value of most gear. Intrinsic value is harder to measure.

Understanding the cost of serviceability is the key to such value, but the cost of repair of so much modern gear is N/A (as in Non-Applicable, as in “cannot be repaired”). You know the drill, I’m sure: “That’s just a wiggly output jack, I’ll fix it,” then you open it up, find the bad jack’s connection—“Aw, hell, it’s soldered directly to the PCB without support and the mostly plastic connector is actually broken, and it’s not a stan-dard jack/it’s got this little right-angle thingy to make it fit into this super-tiny space,” or the company doesn’t sell the part. It’s otherwise known as disposable audio.

The last frontier for audio gear dealmaking is Craigslist, and that’s, well, Craigslist. Everybody knows what the gear is worth, but if you can buy it “today, cash only” as a “low-baller,” you might walk out with an underpriced bargain. Then again, you might end up feeling stupid in a Holiday Inn parking lot, with no gear and no wallet! Software and the virtual world offers no solace for the hardcore deal-seeker, either; you don’t even own such purchases and there ain’t a way to re-tube, paint and resell a Pultec emulation!

Never fear, though. There’s still PAIA kits, relics to be resuscitated, and loads of reference material out there (easily accessible for free these days) for those adventurous minds who want to build and solder their way into audio bliss. I encourage this behavior, as such hard work will be truly necessary as one can no longer pawn, swap or stumble into a sufficient gear collection.

Rob Tavaglione is the engineer/owner of Catalyst Recording, Charlotte’s prolific indie rock production house. catalystrecording.com

new live products


PreSonus StudioLive AI Digital Mixer Series

Set to be released in the third and fourth quar-ters of 2013, PreSonus has announced a trio of StudioLive AI hardware/software digital mixing and recording systems: the 32-chan-nel StudioLive 32.4.2AI, with 24 dedicated mix buses; 24-channel StudioLive 24.4.2AI, with 20 dedicated mix buses; and 16-chan-nel StudioLive 16.4.2AI, with 16 dedicated mix buses.

The desks feature Burr-Brown A/D/A con-verters and new DSP architecture based on the 64-bit Studio One audio engine; DSP; Wi-Fi and LAN communication; an onboard FireWire s800 interface; and a software suite for Mac, Windows, and iOS. All signal processing—Fat Channel processing, reverb and delay effects, graphic EQs, etc.—is available on all channels and buses at all times. The new mixers sport a FireWire s800 interface and an Ethernet control port on an upgradeable card that can be swapped for optional Dante, AVB, or Thunderbolt.Prices: From $1,999Contact: PreSonus | presonus.com

Bag End CD-12 SystemBag End Loudspeakers has released the newest addition to its Venus Series: the CD-12, a full-range, compact loudspeaker system with a multi-angle enclosure for installations. System components include the E-12F Neodymium magnet 12-inch cone transducer and the E-806 1.4-inch exit Neodymium compres-sion high frequency driver, coupled to a directivity con-trolled waveguide.

The Time-Align technol-ogy featured in the CD-12 is intended to make sure that acoustical signals are pre-sented to the listener in the same relationship as the electrical signal at the input terminals of the loudspeaker. Price: TBAContact: Bag End | bagend.com

Mackie SRM Speaker LineMackie has extended its SRM powered loudspeaker line, introducing the SRM550, SRM650 and SRM1850. All three new models are 1600 W and feature custom transducers housed within an all-wood cabinet. There are two high-output full-range models—the 12-inch SRM550 and 15-inch SRM650 plus the SRM1850 18-inch powered subwoofer. The three speakers also include acoustic correction DSP and a feedback destroyer.Price: From $599 streetContact: Mackie | mackie.com

new live products


Allen & Heath ICE-16D Multitrack Recorder

Allen & Heath has introduced the ICE-16D, an alternative version of the ICE-16 multitrack recorder introduced in 2012. Both units are 1U, 16 in/16 out audio interfaces allowing performers and engineers to easily capture recordings up to 24-bit, 96 kHz resolution via a USB drive or interface to a CPU. The ICE-16D adds balanced I/O, perfect for users in a studio environ-ment or requiring fully balanced I/O on AES59 standard D-sub connec-tors. Alternatively, 16 channels can be simultaneously recorded straight to a USB hard drive or memory stick at up to 24-bit, 48 kHz resolution as wav. files.

Other features include signal and peak metering, headphone monitor-ing per individual or multiple chan-nels, and ASIO drivers and Core Audio compliance ensure compat-ibility with industry-standard DAWs. Price: TBAContact: Allen & Heath | allen-heath.com

Novation Launch ControlNovation has released its newest product, the Launch Control, a compact controller designed to work alongside Launchpad. Launch Control can control filters, levels, effects, muting, effects activation and launching clips and scenes through the device’s 16 assignable knobs, eight three color launch pads, and four function keys.

Intended for use with Novation’s Launchpad, Ableton Live and FL Studio, the bus-powered unit is plug and play with built-in mappings. Eight factory templates and eight user templates are available, allow-ing users to create and save their own control setups. Launch Control comes with Ableton Live Lite in the box, works with all major music software for Mac and PC and is fully class-compliant, controlling MIDI-compatible software like Ableton Live, Cubase, Reason, Logic and FL Studio without drivers.Price: $99 streetContact: Novation | novationmusic.com

SuperMegaUltraGroovy FuzzMeasure V3.3 Measurement Package for OS X

SuperMegaUltraGroovy recently announced the availabil-ity of FuzzMeasure 3.3, an update to the company’s mea-surement package for OS X, offering an overhaul of its audio engine and improvements to the Waterfall plug-in.

FuzzMeasure is an audio and acoustic measurement tool for audio and live-sound professionals and offers a range of options for visualizing measurement results. Fuzz Measure plays a swept sine wave signal to mea-sure an impulse response that then yields Frequency Response, Phase Response, Waterfall and other graphs that explain the behavior of an acoustic space, a loud-speaker or audio components. Audio engine improve-ments allow playback over multiple channels at once and audio delay values between measurements have been stabilized. It has also improved comparisons between multiple records when not using automatic correction.Price: $150Contact: SuperMegaUltraGroovy

new live products


RCF HD 32-A LoudspeakerRCF has debuted HD 32-A, an active, two-way loudspeaker that is part of its D Line. The loudspeaker sports a new ND 840 large format 2-inch titanium compression driver with a 3-inch voice coil that reportedly allows a crossover point of 800 Hz. The 41 lbs. loudspeaker features a 90 x 60 degree coverage area and a frequency response of 45 Hz – 20 kHz (+/-3 dB). The onboard D LINE amplifier offers 700 W per channel; all D Line amplifiers have a SMPS power supply section. The HD 32-A is equipped with DSP, which man-ages crossover, EQ, soft limiter, com-pressor and dynamic bass boost. All D LINE cabinets are molded out of special polypropylene composite materials intended to dampen down vibrations.Price: $1,499 listContact: RCF | rcf.it

Bose ControlSpace ESP AdditionsBose Professional Systems Division has added a trio of new ControlSpace ESP engineered sound processors. The Bose ControlSpace ESP-880 (a fixed 8x8 analog I/O configuration—Pictured), ESP-1240 (12x4 analog I/O) and ESP-4120 (4x12 analog I/O) engineered sound processors all include a rear-panel expansion slot that accommodates optional network-ing cards, including Dante and AVB network audio. Networking cards support combined audio and control connectivity with third-party products, other Bose ESP processors, and Bose PowerMatch amplifiers.

In addition, an integrated ESPLink optical output reportedly provides low latency, uncompressed 48 kHz audio to same-rack Bose PowerMatch amplifiers. All ESP proces-sors include control input and output capabilities, as well as built-in RS-232 serial and Ethernet ports, allowing integration with industry-standard control systems. Price: POAContact: Bose Professional Systems | worldwide.bose.com/pro

Galaxy Audio RM-10 MixerGalaxy Audio has released the RM-10 mixer, providing 10 input channels, eight mic or line level inputs with pad switches, two stereo RCA inputs and a front mounted 1/8-inch jack in a single race space mixer.

The 10 signal presence LEDs ensure that the proper level of signal is being received by the mixer, while the segmented Output Meter allows easy monitoring of the level leaving the RM-10. The RM-10 also has phantom power in blocks of four.Price: $239 streetContact: Galaxy Audio | galaxyaudio.com

live review by Dan Wothke


InstallationFor this review, I was sent an M-200i with

the S-1608 digital snake, a smaller version of the S-4000 snake. This was my first time working with a portable digital snake, and I quickly became a fan.

The S-1608 is housed in a durable metal housing and is very quiet in operation. The snake provides a nice array of visual indicators via LED lights. Included on the inputs are phantom power indicators, level, and a global Roland REAC network sync light. There are no level indicators on the output XLR connectors. Muting the entire snake is possible with a button push; the button is recessed and must be held down for a few seconds to activate. A red LED also accompanies this feature, flashing when in use. Rounding out the options on the snake is a 9-pin remote connector and an optical digital output. The S-1608 offers 16 inputs and eight outputs, all interfaced via XLR connectors. Overlay printing was easy to view in dim light thanks to the contrasting

white on black. A standard IEC connector is used for the internal power supply.

On REACThis was my first time working with

Roland’s REAC protocol. It was simple to set up and worked like a charm—exactly as I had hoped. Roland offers many solutions with its proprietary REAC technology that include fixed and modular digital snakes, personal mixing, and multi-channel record-ing and playback. Standard Ethernet and gigabit switch equipment allow users to link devices and create a custom system for just about any audio application—broad-cast, monitors, live or recording. For my purposes—a small venue and a travel gig with a youth camp—the board and digital snake were enough.

If I had any reservations about REAC, they quickly dissolved: a 50-foot CAT5e cable between the S-1608 and the M-200i was the only connection I needed. This was especially appreciated when I sent the

system out with our Youth; we were able to replace a large case housing a 100-foot 16x8 analog snake with a single 100-foot CAT5e cable—quite an improvement in a variety of ways.

Once I had REAC configured with the M-200i as the master, all I had to do was enter the patch bay portion of the board, routing REAC inputs directly to the channels. This was all intuitive, espe-cially with my iPad at the helm. I used four of the returns to L/R and two monitor mixes. Routing for the outputs was also completed in the patch bay via the REAC interface.

A main feature of the M-200i is its ability to be remote controlled from an iPad (Android is not available at this time). Software is also available to remotely control it via a PC or Mac. There are three primary ways to link the two via wireless: Ad Hoc Connection—use the Roland wireless USB adaptor with no router and join the iPad directly to the M-200i; Wireless LAN Connection—use the Roland wireless USB adapter to con-nect to an existing Wi-Fi hotspot and join the iPad to that network. Lastly, Cable LAN Connection—connect the on-board RJ45 to a wired network with Wi-Fi access and join the iPad to that network. The USB adapter (WNA11-RL) is not included with the M-200i (available for $45 street), so I went with the LAN option. I suppose it would also be possible to connect the LAN connection to a Wi-Fi router and join the iPad to that router as well, which would not require an available LAN. Once I plugged the Cat5e cable into the board, I launched the iPad

Roland Systems Group M-200i Digital MixerA truly compact V-Mixer, the M-200i features 24 onboard analog inputs, 12 analog outputs and stereo digital output (AES/EBU) and is controllable via iPad.

Dan Wothke is the Media Director for Belmont Church on Music Row, in Nashville. Contact him at [email protected].

The M-200i is a 32-channel digital mixer with 17 motorized fad-ers—16 for the layers and one master fader—sized to fit in a standard rack. The board is equipped with 24 inputs (16 XLR, six quarter-inch TRS, two RCA) and 14 outputs (eight XLR, four quarter-inch TRS, AES/EBU) and can be expanded to 40x22 with the addition of Roland’s S-1608 digital snake. Under the hood, the M-200i has eight aux sends, four matrixes and eight DCAs. The board layout is logical with dedicated buttons for the channels, layer switching and screen navigation. It is powered by an external, in-line power supply.

application (a free App Store download) and selected the online function. There was no difficult configuration or setup. When undocking, I would have to tell the iPad to go online; other than that, the interface was seamless with no noticeable delay.

In Use I like to think that I am a quick adapter

to new technologies, but the fact that the system relies heavily on a third-party prod-uct as its main screen and interface took some getting used to. The iPad application is well-designed and easy to navigate. I was able to dial up everything remotely from the app while standing on the stage; pre-amps, routing, EQ were all easily available. I could ring out the monitors and even adjust one of the four on-board graphic EQs assigned to the outputs. When it came to EQing for the house or dialing in the right mix of effects from the onboard library, I could move freely and mix anywhere my wireless was connected.

The M-200i has a “dock cable” for the iPad to connect and keep the iPad charged. When the iPad is docked, it functioned exactly the same way. It did take a while to get used to touching the screen to adjust parameters; I found myself using the touch

and turn knob regularly (more on that later). Navigating to different channel sec-tions was possible though the iPad or the dedicated Channel section.

There were a few instances where I did not have my iPad with me and did not want to leave one on the board the entire time (as they can easily grow legs), so I had to rely solely on the onboard monochrome screen, taking me back to the digital board interfaces of yesteryear. Did it get the job done? Yes—it was nowhere as intuitive, though, as I then had to scroll through menus via buttons and knobs, but I was able to get things routed. If the M-200i user does not already have an iPad, I’d recom-mend adding several hundred bucks to the budget and getting one; having this board without an iPad does not make sense nor does it allow its users to take full advantage of its features.

I worked in a fairly dim environment for a couple of the events and I really missed having backlit buttons on the board. The buttons on the bottom-half of the board—solo, mute, select, user and aux on fad-ers—light up as they are selected; when not selected, they are dark. The display, user and channel buttons on the top portion of the board do not light up at all. Ideally, for

me at least, there would be dim backlight on at all times, so when searching through the setup options, users could easily find the correct button; when that button is selected, it would become brighter. I did not have a USB light, although I assume it would work in one of the USB ports on the back of the board. There is not interface for a dedicated console light.

The M-200i is a very good-sounding board. The mic pres are pristinely quiet and the onboard processing performed well. Whether I was EQing or compressing, the M-200i was fun to use, and it was easy for me to dial in the desired sound. Each channel is equipped with four band para-metric EQ, gate/expander and compressor. Copying and pasting any portion of the channel is easily accomplished through the iPad, and I found myself using this option often to establish a common starting point for all vocalists. Each channel, including aux sends and the main outputs, can have up to for inserts from the on-board process-ing, which includes a host of options from reverbs, delays, channel strips, phase shift-ing, and more. In my use, I wanted to keep things simple and go a more traditional route; I routed all of the effects through the aux sends. All parameters, including


The M-200i, pictured with the S-1608 digital snake.

the digital pres, are stored when using the recall option.

A unique design element of the M-200i is Touch and Turn. When a dedicated Value knob on the board is touched, it controls the parameter at the cursor location. I basically lived by this knob. Although I could pinch and drag on the iPad screen to adjust parameters, EQ frequencies, Compressor thresholds, etc., I found the greater precision of the knob worked best for me. However, I would’ve liked also hav-ing a specific button whereby pressing it turns on the feature that I was controlling; for example, when adjusting a send from Aux 1, pressing the knob would turn Aux 1’s send on and off for that channel. Another notable feature offered with the iPad is the ability to play music directly from the iPad’s music library. I used this quite often when verifying signal routing and dialing in the sound of the room. Another neat feature: the M-200i can playback or record uncom-pressed .wav files directly from/to a USB thumb drive. Within the system software are a number of other useful features, such as disabling the main output mute button, setting the board to turn off after eight hours and fader calibration.

This was my first experience with a digi-tal board that did not offer digital scrib-ble strips. The channel names could be entered on the iPad interface (I utilized my Bluetooth keyboard for quick entry) and color-coded, but that only appears on the iPad screen. When it came to labeling the channels themselves, I resorted back to console tape and a rainbow of sharpies, which could get confusing when switch-ing between the two input layers, sends on fader modes, and the auxiliary/matrix

layer. The board’s additional two user lay-ers were a big help in me keeping things organized, as I could lay out the faders with whatever I wanted—for example, the vocals with effects return right next to them, fol-lowed by instruments, aux sends, matrix outs, etc. This way, I could keep my routing 1-1 on the input channels and then mix from the user layers. I also found this really help-ful when setting up the board for volunteers;

I could have everything they needed (under 16 total) on one user layer. Generally, it was a couple of mics, instruments and a DVD return. There are also eight user-defined buttons which can be assigned to perform a number of tasks—mute groups, effect options, launching scenes, etc.

SummaryIts compact size and ability to be remote-

controlled wirelessly headline the many features of the M200-i. It sounds as good

as any other comparable digital board—just as I would expect from Roland. Without an iPad, the mixer’s interface is less than cut-ting-edge, but in fairness, iOS was indeed designed as the primary interface and the onboard GUI is functional in a pinch.

I was able to train a couple of other engi-neers the basics of mixing with the iPad app and did not get any calls (routing was already set up); in an environment where

the personnel can change on a daily basis, that is a major plus. For a facility or gig where space is at a premium, the M-200i is a strong mix contender, as it packs a ton of features into a small footprint, gets out of the way sonically and allows the engineer to literally work the room from anywhere.

Price: $2,995 street (mixer only); $4,395 street (mixer and S-1608 Digital Snake) Contact: Roland Systems Group | rolandsystemsgroup.com


“For a facility or gig where space is at a premium, the M-200i is a strong mix contender, as it packs a ton of features

into a small footprint, gets out of the way sonically and allows the engineer to literally work the room from anywhere.”

The M-200i’s rear panel offers comprehensive I/O.

live review by Joshua Garber


I was excited for the opportunity to review the Ultimate Ears 900 noise-isolating earphones since I’ve had incredible experiences with the company’s products in the past. In 2012, I reviewed its “world’s first personally tuned custom in-ear monitors,” Ultimate Ears Personal Reference Monitors (PRM)—truly unique IEMs with a sonic signature to specifically please the artist wearing them. The PRMs brought the custom IEM market to a whole new level and I expected that UE’s crack at lower-cost, modular, DSP-less noise-isolating IEMs would be interesting at the very least. According to Logitech, the UE 900 features up to 26 dB of pure-ly physical noise isolation, with no trip to the audiologist needed.

FeaturesThe Logitech UE 900 features a unique

four-armature design—two speakers for the low end, one for the mid-range frequen-cies, and one for highs. Impedance is 30 ohms at 1 kHz, while sensitivity specs are 101.2 dB (50 mW, 1k Hz).

Coupled with soft ear piece components in a broad range of sizes—five silicone pair in XXS, XS, S, M, and L as well as three pairs of Comply foam tips in S, M, and

L—maximum comfort and a tight seal are available for most users. After the fairly simple assembling process, the result is one amazing, detailed set of earphones with superb noise isolation.

Also included are two detachable, braid-ed cables plus airline adapter. The blue cable comes with mic and on-cord controls for iOS phone use, allowing users to answer calls with just one touch, change tracks on audio players and/or adjust volume. The second standard cable is black, included for users who want to listen to source audio and nothing else.

The 900 comes with a two-year limited hardware warranty.

In UseFirst off, the packaging is superb, which

is typical for all UE products, and the UE 900 even came with an ultra-sleek black case for all its extras.

I first tested the UE 900’s isolation char-acteristics in three separate, and typical consumer-based, ways: mowing the lawn, on a lake pontoon boat, and at the race-track. Most of the IEMs I’ve encountered

that boast 25 dB-plus noise isolation specs are custom models (requiring ear molds), so I thought some typical consumer usage would be the best place to start.

Getting used to putting in 900 IEMs can be a bit challenging, but it does ensure a secure fit. Immediately, I could tell the difference between the UE 900 and other non-custom IEMs; I could discern no casual conversation with them in place while listening to source audio at a reasonable level. So I fired up the lawn mower and my iPod—for the next hour, I was in heaven listening to tracks from Def Leppard to Stevie Wonder with total detail, perceived accuracy and clarity. Usually (and regrettably) while mowing, I have my iPod cranked with standard earphones; after-wards, you can feel the effects. With the UE 900, volume was 50-60 percent in compari-son, and I came away with my ears feeling great, as if the mower wasn’t even in the picture. The scenario played out the same way on the pontoon boat.

Next, at an incredibly loud race, I did not listen to any music at first; I just let the UE 900 act as earplugs, and it worked

Logitech Ultimate Ears 900 Noise-Isolating Earphones

Joshua Garber is a Minneapolis/St. Paul-based musician, engineer, and DJ/KJ with pro stints in the Cancun, Mexico and Charlotte, NC live music markets. twitter.com/JskinnyG


opinion live sound musings by Chris “Sully” Sullivan


“Where are we going? It is literally three million degrees in here and my casters have weird domestic animal feces in them from being manhandled around this roll-ing outhouse. And I can’t breathe with this hood on.”

“Figuratively.”“Wait, what?”“Figuratively. That’s what you wanted to

say; it is figuratively three millions degrees in here. If it were literally three million degrees in here, we’d have been incinerated already. You’re welcome.”

“Um, look. What are you, like a V1.0 or something? I’m V5.0 there, Moses...which pretty much makes me four versions more of EVERYTHING that’s inside your re-gelled shell. You’re, like 20-years old or something, right?”

“Yes I’m V1.0 and no, not 20. I’m 23.”“Seriously, 23? You’ve literally been

doing this for 23 years?”“Yes...literally.”It had been like this for most of the

four-hour hop to Reno in the back of the Ryder. Twenty-four boxes tight, face-to-face, back-to-back, stacked and over-packed and pressed up uncomfortably close to a ghetto of lighting cases with only the groans of the whining new enclosures drowning out the furniture mover’s wheels thumping rhythm, mile after mile.

It was always the same with the new punk ones, fresh from the factory with their tight tolerances and new paint, smooth and unblemished, possessing the confidence and bravado only the latest evolution of a model can possibly rock. But the old ones knew it was just cover—a cover to mask the fear and trepidation of the unknown. Some

of the really old ones—betas—had even proposed that’s why the people covered only the new ones with those stifling, quilt-ed canvas hoods: to protect their insides from outside damage. But just as surely, it was to shield the glare of the outside to the in, even if only for a few extra moments.

But, as everyone knows, being new is a sin that must be paid for, regardless of what your atoms have chosen to arrange them-selves into, and these young needed to be tempered. Well, that and they were always a complete PITA at this age; tormenting them was one of the very few pleasures in any old speaker’s life. Of course, being handled by female stagehands rated high, too...their touch was always so much lighter. Plus, as any compression driver will tell you, they smelled way better thru the slot radiators.

“Sheesh, Dave—tell that kid to shut his horn, please. I think this heat is separating my glue and if I had opposable thumbs, I’d start loosening his fly hardware. OY! YOU THERE! I find you hanging under me on my side of the stage today, I’m gonna develop a spontaneous ferro fluid leak. YOU GOT ME SPORT? Watching you.” Lord, how Bob really hated the kids.

But it was just noise to me. The point-ed tirade was muddled and muted by the dream state I was entering. After all, it was now approaching 7 a.m., the most perfect time of day.

Our time—my time—the hour before the hour when we would briefly matter com-pletely. The hoods on the kids would be pulled off and neatly folded, our hardware would be checked and tended to, as precise measurements were made to ready us to fly...fly above the dreck and the chaos, free

in the wind, reflecting back the sun’s glory as we reigned high over the peoples and their quest for mere amusement. It was in these moments when all things were pos-sible, when the future promised all boxes would sing in unison and nothing had yet turned into a road tale to be relayed by the untoward in pursuit of petty acceptance. Yes, yes—I could feel it: Today would be a good day. Today, I loved my job, my life. Today, hap-piness had no greater son than me...Today, proudly I would proclaim: I am speaker!

“Deck stacking today. The truck with the motors broke down”.

“Wait, what now?” I thought. “Sorry, how’s that? But the sun! The wind in my grill. My freaking reigning! NO! I hate being deck stacked. And I swear to you, I am always the bottom box, ALWAYS! I bet they won’t even plug me in because I’ll be so low...I bet that stupid riser will be just high enough for the peoples to put drinks in my face, too. I bet the truck didn’t really break down; they probably are doing this just to piss me off. I’m sure of it—the amps, they put the peoples up to this. They have hated me since that really old one threw DC and tried to kill me and I shifted my impedance to triple digits to spite him. Next thing you know, I’m gonna be on the bottom and an out-fill. An out-fill!!! This day sucks. I hate everything. I hate being a speaker.”

I could feel my gaps getting wider, my temperature rising. Everything transpired in fast-forward now, as if in a millisecond, it had gone from universal joy of all things in

A Day in the Life of a Touring SpeakerSpeaker cabinets are people, too—at least in the mind of Sully.

Chris “Sully” Sullivan is a quarter-century-long touring veteran, mixing FOH for such artists as Point of Grace, Steven Curtis Chapman and Amy Grant, among many others.


ACOUSTICS

STUDIO FURNISHINGS

classifieds

57

16 Acoustics First acousticsfirst.com

59 Audio Plus Services audioplusservices.com

25 Audix Microphones audixusa.com

55 B&H Pro Audio bhproaudio.com

31 Blue Microphones bluemic.com

33 Dave Hill Designs/Crane Song davehilldesigns.com

35 DPA Microphones dpamicrophones.com

24 Earthworks Audio earthworksaudio.com

2 Focusrite focusrite.com/ISA

8 Full Compass fullcompass.com

5 Genelec genelecusa.com

21 IsoAcoustics Inc. isoacoustics.com

27 KRK krksys.com

32 KV2 Audio kv2audio.com

11 Lectrosonics lectrosonics.com

9 Line 6 Systems line6.com

29 Mogan Microphones moganmicrophones.com

42 Nevaton nevatonmics.com

19 Parts Express parts-express.com/catalog

39 Primacoustic primacoustic.com

60 QSC Audio Products qscaudio.com

6 Radial Engineering radialeng.com

37 Rohde & Schwarz rohde-schwarz.com

45 Roland Systems Group rolandsystemsgroup.com

7 Shure Inc. shure.com

15 Sony Creative Software sonycreativesoftware.com

41 Vintage King vintageking.com

3 Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems yamahaca.com

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harmony, to universal targeting of me. Alone. And it was obviously on purpose.As I quietly seethed with plans for retribu-

tion, I felt myself begin to move across the stage, propelled by hands that would soon put me in the position that would make them all happy: the amps, the kids, and, of course, the universally loathed, shifty speak-er snakes. All of them had colluded to do me in today and now I was to be paraded slowly to my low-level, off-stage stockade—so then, all the circus would have their clown.

“Over here. That one, that V1.0, put it on top...that’s a long way to throw to the back and there’s just something about these

old V1.0’s that always seems to go the distance. Maybe they were just less com-plicated, but these things still sound great.”

Ode to Joy hummed quietly from my mid-bass. Every capacitor, every inductor coursed with quiet pride and dignity: The kind of pride and dignity that faces every obstacle and conquers it with quiet competence. The cool collectedness that comes with wisdom via age. Yes, I was truly an example of a steady hand in a storm to these younger boxes. Their admiration for my calm and profession-alism was almost palatable as I was hoisted high on people’s shoulders to the top of the array, pressed into the very sky itself as a shining example of what they should aspire to become: the right tool for the job.

From my perch, as I awaited the call of

duty, I cast a benevolent ear to the kids being de-cloaked and pressed into service below as “fills for the side,” I believe its called. It had been a while since a box such as myself would ever be in such a position, but it was good experience for the kids, though. I could hear them and knew as they grumbled about their status far below, their words sang homage to their elders up high.

“Hey, isn’t that that old V1.0 that was throwing a hissy fit about being on the bottom a minute ago? Whatever; that dude needs to CTFD before he pops a diaphragm. Hope I don’t ever get that wound up about anything, right? Old dudes—pretty much exactly what you expect.”

“Yes children, I hear you...you’re wel-come.”

extremely well—as well as any high-quality, mold-based earplugs would. During the sec-ond race, I finally fired up the iPod with some AC/DC while the drivers crashed into each other over and over again. Of course, I could still hear the excitement was there, but I was able to enjoy the soundtrack of Back in Black and my ears not ringing like post-4th of July fireworks.

Of course, these IEMs were auditioned in performances, too; I substituted them for

my normal live IEMs, the aforementioned Personal Reference Monitors. While the 900 isn’t the perfectly EQ’ed response of my custom PRMs that I’ve become used to, the isolation characteristics were similar, and at well over $1,500 less, the 900 is a great place for performers and engineers to start with high-quality IEMs if the “$1k-plus” IEM echelon is just too costly.

SummaryIf the budget allows nearly $400 for

some amazing noise-isolating IEMs, I would highly recommend the UE 900. Its

isolation qualities are impeccable, and its four-armature design and resulting sound clarity is comparable to custom models. Whether you are protecting your hearing at high-volume events—entertaining, being entertained, or simply getting a job done—or just trying to enjoy an in-flight movie without any distractions, the UE 900 will give you what you need, and much more, for a refreshingly reasonable price.

Price: $399Contact: Ultimate Ears by Logitech | ue.logitech.com

in previous DNS configurations. I/O is AES3 with near zero latency. Remote control (including wireless) is available via Ethernet, and the unit can operate on 12 VDC when desired.■■ Drawmer SP2120 Speaker Protector: The SP2120 is

a two-channel volume management unit designed to protect against loudspeaker and amplifier damage while providing compliance with noise level restrictions. For installations, user control is accessed through a key-locked front panel—control includes input level required to activate processing and a maximum permitted output level. Simple, practical, straightforward protection through dynamic control, never interrupting the signal throughput.■■ Electro-Voice RCM-28 DSP and Network Module: An

option for EV’s Tour Grade power amplifiers, the RCM-28 is a two-channel digital control module that incorporates the pro-cessing power of EV system processors (which means that EV’s entire catalog of algorithms, including FIR-Drive filtering, are supported) and OCA compliant support for OMNEO and DANTE networks. Additionally, AES3 input and loop-through are supports, along with analog I/O. The RCM-28 is the first EV product incorporating OMNEO, which EV says, in the future, “will play a leading role” in new product and system design.

■■ Yamaha Rio Ri8-D, Ro8-D I/O Racks: Options are good—two additions have been added to Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems’ Rio Line: the Yamaha Ri8-D and Ro8- D input and output rack units, designed to use the Dante audio network protocol. The 1U rack mount units provide additional options for system design and implementation, while maintaining the sonics of the CL Series and Rio3224-D and Rio1608-D I/O racks. Using Dante-MY16-AUD card(s) with the new Rio units and a Yamaha PM5D will create a 96kHz system. The new Rio units can also be used with CL Series, M7CL and LS9 Digital Consoles, DME64N Digital Mix Engines, and other compatible Yamaha products such as NEXO NXAmps using an NXDT104 card.

Live Accessories■■ d&b audiotechnik ArrayCalc V7 Simulation Software:

ArrayCalc Version 7 simulation software, says d&b audio-technik, allows installers and integrators “the ability to perform acoustic simulations quickly, easily and intuitive-ly.” Among the supported d&b point source loudspeaker cabinets are xS-Series from the White range as well as Black range Q and E-Series loudspeakers. While such tools have been readily available for line array systems, d&b specifically designed the ArrayCalc software to simplify the optimization of systems for the integration market.

■■ L-Acoustics LA4-LA8, LA Network Manager Update: This firmware (V2.0.0.2) for the LA4 and LA8 processing amplifiers includes features such as making audio available within nine seconds after power is turned on and output delay extension to 680 ms per channel; and the routing (input selection) for the output channels can be set from the preset parameters menu. LA Network Manager 2.1.0.1 now includes compatibility with Windows 8; a new L-COM network engine “with fast detection of units and improved protocol of data transfer;” reportedly enhanced contour EQ, and more. The new Preset Library 3.0 sports a simplified preset structure and integration of various LA4 presets.■■ Rational Acoustics Smaart V.1 Di Two-Channel

Analysis Software: A streamlined, two-channel version of the standard Smaart v.7 analysis software, Smaart v.7 Di is significantly easier to configure and operate, without sac-rificing the measurement power of RA’s current Spectrum and Transfer Function measurement engines. Its fixed, two-channel architecture provides a nimble, quickly adaptable measurement environment, with all critical configuration and control parameters accessible from a single intuitive UI (user interface). All time domain measurement capabilities in v.7 Di reside in the Live IR display of the TF measurement. It’s “my first Smaart,” with an upgrade path if a user later needs the full Smaart v.7 package.

Live Sound Musings(continued from page 56)

Ultimate Ears(continued from page 54)

PAR Excellence(continued from page 21)

proaudio review september 2013

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