Pro Audio/Lighting Make Their Mark @ NAMM
By Kit BengeIn September all of us here at Harmony Central get a great reason to go to the Big Apple where the Audio Engineering Society (AES) members show their stuff in a three day orgy of sound and light. The NAMM show also has many new products in the sound/lighting category on display, and we take a look at the ones that turned our heads.
Summit Audio
This 20-year-old company produces vacuum tube-based audio gear that has been popping up in studios everywhere. At NAMM, the company released it's MPE-200 microphone preamp/4-band EQ, the first in a line of equipment the company calls "Element 78." The big difference in these products, compared to others they have put out in the past, is that the MPE-200 has solid state amps. This high-end preamplifier will provide classic assistance for storing and building pre-defined preamp settings for microphones. The 2-rack space unit provides 25 user definable settings and allows the copying of settings between units plus MIDI control. Very cool, and it better be at $4,495. Visit Summit at www.summitaudio.com.
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| The EV Eliminator |
EV has designed an updated two-way PA box called the eliminator that features a 15-inch driver and a horn. The eliminator was a box the EV made in the 60's to wide acclaim. This year's model has a frequency response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz, with additional low end that can be provided by the optional 18-inch companion subwoofer. The eliminator sounds great, has a stand mount for tripod stands, and is built strong using a light-weight material the company calls RoadWood. At half the weight of particleboard, with twice the strength, it gives the Eliminator a lightweight, great sounding package perfect for small club PA or keyboard monitoring work. Kit sez check it out.
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Electro-Voice also introduced the Sx80, a new lightweight speaker that comes with an 8-inch speaker and a horn. The system is very compact and weighs only 16 pounds. Perfect for keyboard monitoring and sound contractors, the Sx80 sounds much larger than its small frame. Visit Electro-Voice at www.eviaudio.com.
Beyerdynamic
Beyerdynamic released the MCE 90 and MCE 91 project studio microphones. Each of these transformer-less microphones can handle very high sound pressure levels and will operate from phantom power of 12 to 48 volts DC. The MCE 90 has a side fire design intended for vocal recording and voice over recording in broadcast. The MCE 91 is the hand-held version without the low cut feature that the 90 has. The 91 had a great sound with rich low overtones from the small PA that I heard it through, and I can see this mic being one that you could use in a variety of situations both live and in the studio. Visit Beyerdynamic at www.beyerdynamic.com.
Uni Par Lighting
Uni Par makes the lowest weight stage lighting fixtures in the world. Available in conventional par sizes, these "cans" feature a high impact engineered plastic that comes in a variety of colors. Certainly more attractive than conventional par cans, the Uni Pars don't get as hot thanks to a patented lamp mounting system that let lamps run cooler and last longer. Uni Par also makes a new size of stage light they call the UP-3. These small par cans will accept the use of the new medium based Halogen lamps or R-series, and reflector lamps. The UP-3 is perfect for DJ situations and small clubs. Costing no more than traditional par cans, and yes ... they do also come in black, the Uni Pars are durable and well worth looking at for simple stage lighting. The company also makes dimmers and controllers for their products. Visit Uni Par at www.unipar.com.
Rip-Tie
Rip-Tie Velcro cable wraps are one good reason why you never have to have you studio or live sound wires tied with Wonder bread wraps or worse yet, nothing at all. An easy to use and affordable upgrade for studios or home recordists, Rip Tie products can help you clean up your cable mess in no time. You can visit Rip Tie at www.riptie.com.
Kit Benge (kit@harmony-central.com) has written for BAM, The Rocket, The Chicago Reader, and gobs more. He has been a sound engineer, tour manager, booking agent, and personal manager for dozens of acts since 1978. Kit currently operates a public relations/event-planning firm, plays with lots of gear, and is rarely seen outside of an island near Seattle ... except for conventions. This year's NAMM show was his 31st.
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