London, United Kingdom (May 26, 2021)—Shure has announced new updates for its SLX-D Digital Wireless System, with the addition of free software networking capabilities for its Wireless Workbench 6 software. Additionally, the ShurePlus Channels iOS app will be compatible with SLX-D later this summer. The software solutions aid RF management for critical oversight and control of Shure wireless systems.
Shure’s Wireless Workbench 6 software allows audio professionals to discover and automatically connect to all Shure devices on the network for remote monitoring and control. Users can scan the spectrum, identify open frequencies and deploy to networked systems while using the software. When working with SLX-D, Wireless Workbench 6 can also establish network parameters and track all devices used in any given production; manage alerts and make adjustments in real-time without interrupting the performance, and implement necessary changes to Shure devices remotely from a computer.
Meanwhile, the ShurePlus Channels app helps users monitor events and make real-time changes using a mobile device. The iOS app can be connected via Wi-Fi or an Ethernet adapter to automatically discover and manage Shure networked devices. Users are able to monitor RF signal strength, audio levels and battery life from a mobile device for performance management. Additionally, users can remotely diagnose and adjust critical channel information.
Wireless Workbench 6 software and ShurePlus Channels iOS app will be available to download for free in Summer 2021.
Charlotte, NC (May 24, 2021)—Neutrik has added new options for its DANTE network device NA2-IO-DPRO, allowing it to be fully integrated with Crestron control products.
The NA2-IO-DPRO is Neutrik’s POE powered Dante I/O solution, which can add more flexibility in a network setup for Line, MIC and even AES signals. Besides their own control software, the NA2-IO-DPRO can be remote controlled from Yamaha CL/QL consoles and from Q-Sys and Crestron control devices. The module is available for free in the Crestron application market.
With the new options, designers can now integrate the DPRO into a Crestron system and perform various controls such as gain, phantom power, lo-cut, mute and mic/line switch.
In addition, Neutrik has also introduced new DPRO Controller software 2.0 and related firmware, all of which is available on the Neutrik website.
“There’s no doubt that the future within the Pro AV market is based on interoperability between different devices within an application. We are excited to provide a convenient solution to contractors and system designers for their Crestron installations” says Florian Frick, product manager for Neutrik AG.
Hebden Bridge, UK (May 21, 2021)—In response to the evolving marketplace, Calrec has introduced Brio Duet and Brio Medley console packages that offer larger channel counts and expanded connectivity as standard.
Calrec also recently announced the launch of a free educational training module for mixing live broadcasts in Dolby Atmos using the Calrec Brio console in response to increased demand from service providers who want to deliver their live events in the immersive format. These training modules explain how to create and monitor immersive mixes with a variety of inputs quickly on Calrec’s Brio console.
Brio Duet upgrades the base specification; Brio 36 Duet becomes the baseline console with an increased input channel count of 96 channels (up from 64) to deal with more surround and immersive mixing as well as standard or slim trims (where space is at a premium), and at a reduced price. The Brio Medley package adds a Dante or MADI expansion card and a Br.IO I/O box with 24 mic/line inputs, 16 analog outputs and 8 x AES I/Os, also at a reduced list price.
Sound engineer Paul Cutler, who last year mixed Captain Tom Moore’s 100th birthday celebrations for a live broadcast in the U.K., part of a celebration of Moore’s charity achievements during the pandemic, reports, “I had never used a Brio before, but it was so intuitive that I took delivery, installed, set it up and mixed the broadcast in a matter of hours. It is amazing to use; so simple I was adding auxes on the fly and had no concern about adding any facilities. Plenty of ins and outs, huge capacity and a user interface that’s beautifully laid out and a joy to use.”
PreSonus’ Revelator USB microphone is aimed at content creators of all kinds.
The Revelator is PreSonus’s latest venture into USB microphones, touting three different microphone polar patterns—Omni, Cardioid, and Figure 8—as well as onboard DSP, software, accessories and more. We recently used it on The Art of Music Tech Podcast throughout an entire episode as I tried each polar pattern and even featured my co-host Denis performing a song on an acoustic guitar. At $249, it’s meant for podcasting, solo musical performances, livestreaming and more, and it handles those duties well.
The microphone comes with an optional table-top weighted base with a great sleek appearance, but it can also be mounted to a traditional mic stand using an included adaptor. We used that adapter on the podcast so it was easier to record Denis and myself on the couch in our studio.
The Revelator comes with access to PreSonus’ Universal Control software, which can also control other PreSonus products like its StudioLive console and StudioLive RM32 audio interface. It also controls the Revelator’s audio preferences like sample rate (44.1-96 kHz), clock source, input and output format, and Device Mode.
One of Device Mode’s key features is the Multi option, which lets you send audio simultaneously to three different platforms—for instance, YouTube, DAW and Skype. A pop-up software control panel lets users control every aspect of the mic, providing four preset modes that can be tweaked and room for another eight user-definable presets.
On the mic itself, those four main preset modes can be changed via a preset button, while both gain and headphone levels can be adjusted via the monitor button and volume knob. If you’re familiar with PreSonus’s StudioLive consoles, this is where you can dig into what they call the Fat Channel settings that control the gain, EQ, limiter, high pass filter, compression, gate and effects.
Revelator’s software mixer simplifies sending dedicated mixes to certain destinations by providing two dedicated channels just for loopback audio on both macOS and Windows. This means users can mix and record the audio from two different applications on a computer along with a voice, all at the same time. Everything that’s tweaked in the Universal Controller can be recorded or heard through the platform being used, whether it’s a DAW, Zoom, Twitch, Skype or something else. This is also useful for musical performers who want to use a preset reverb or delay effect for a livestream.
I recorded our podcast using the Revelator to Logic via my MacBook Pro and the results were great. For podcasting purposes, this microphone can be used for any situation you could possibly run into, whether you’re home and recording a podcast via Zoom, or face-to-face with a guest but with only the one microphone. As an audio professional, I’d stick with having multiple mics, but I would suggest this set up to a beginner that needs a budget-friendly set up. At times in omnidirectional mode, I felt there was a slight delay, but I just needed Denis to get closer to the microphone for the best sound. Overall, I’m very impressed by the Revelator’s flexibility and possibilities for so many content creators.
Redmond, WA (May 17, 2021)—Immersion Networks, founded six years ago by former researchers from Apple and Bell Labs, has previewed its first commercially available product, mix³ (mix cubed)—a cloud-based spatialization process that won’t require specialized hardware or codecs.
“We’ve created a platform for the capture, creation, transport and playback of an entirely different audio experience,” says COO Jim Rondinelli. “It renders a three-dimensional audio experience through a standard stereo file that can ship on the 30-year-old codecs in-market today and remain intact.” Rondinelli’s background includes producing and mixing releases by Matthew Sweet, Wilco and Weezer, as well as a decade in music licensing.
The mix³ process is intended to be accessible to any content creator and will be available via a freemium-based subscription model. Users will reportedly be able to have the platform spatialize any audio source—mono, stereo, multitrack or stems—into any selected immersive environment, or use a web browser interface to manually mix, pan and position source elements in three-dimensional space.
“Rather than asking you to buy a $40,000-plus Mac Pro system to be able to render everything, we simply do all of the heavy lifting in the cloud,” says Rondinelli. “Moving the processing to the cloud also allows us to make the tools available to people on a much less expensive basis.”
The team behind the mix³ technology has quite a track record. Chief scientist James “JJ” Johnston, an authority on human perception and signal processing, worked for years at Bell Labs and helped developed the MP3 and AAC codecs. Company founder Paul Hubert worked at Apple throughout the 1980s and later co-founded Neural Audio, where Johnston also worked, and which was acquired by DTS in 2009.
“It’s a super simple interface—a two-dimensional overview with a slider that can change the elevation of any of the sources,” says Hubert. “You can build your soundstage and map things however you want, stationary or moving. It will work on any system—Mac, PC, Linux, iPad, iPhone—in a web browser; we’ve focused on universal access.”
That kind of widespread access is expected to lend itself to a broad range of potential uses—and users. “This is designed to be a tool that anybody can create with, whether you’re creating a TikTok video, an ASMR video, a piece of music or attaching music to a video asset,” says Rondinelli. Playback won’t require a special codec or hardware either. “It’s intended to be available to everyone,” he says, including in markets where 3G is still standard.
Examples of music processed through the platform are already available for streaming, including a track, “USA,” by Inti y Vicente mixed by 12-time Latin Grammy winner Sebastian Krys. “One of the interesting things when we talked to Sebastian, who is working with us on the development and deployment of the platform, is how simply and quickly things come together in a final mix—typically, 40 minutes to two hours per title,” says Rondinelli. “That’s because it’s easier and more intuitive than any of the other approaches to mixing out there.”
A future mix³ release will introduce batch processing, allowing an entire library to be spatialized into a specific environment, for example. “One of the most impressive demos that we’ve done involves a simple mono recording from the 1950s. We had a pretty good idea of the room it was recorded in, created that environment in three dimensions and placed the mono recording in it,” says Rondinelli. It has had people familiar with the recording “shaking from the experience,” he reports.
Given the R&D team’s pedigree, it’s no surprise to learn that codecs are also coming. “We have something on the shelf that makes things sound way better than current services are capable of, in a file that’s a fraction of the size of what the services are using today,” Rondinelli claims. One example, he says, is “a music codec that, operating at less than 200 kbps, is indistinguishable from high definition to a trained user.”
And there is yet more to come, he says. “What you are seeing in the initial launch is the tip of the iceberg of years of research on every step in the chain, from loudspeaker and crossover filter design to reinventing the microphone and capture system.”
Stow, OH (May 17, 2021)—Audio-Technica has released the Version 1.2.0 update of its Wireless Manager software.
Wireless Manager is a Mac OS/Windows application for remote configuration, control, monitoring, spectrum management, and frequency coordination of compatible Audio-Technica wireless devices.
Updated features in version 1.2.0 include a new multi-point receiver function; improved interface and functionality enhancements; increased compatibility; and minor bug fixes. The multi-point receiver function allows a single transmitter to switch between multiple compatible A-T network-enabled receivers that are set apart from one another. The user of the transmitter can pass from one receiver zone to the next, providing wide coverage without the need for a distributed antenna system.
A single transmitter can switch between 10 receivers on a single group. Up to eight multi-point groups can be configured within a single session. Applications could include large auditoriums/halls, houses of worship, sporting events, education campuses and other venues where installing long RF cable runs with antennas and necessary antenna management could become cumbersome and expensive.
A-T Wireless Manager software is compatible with all wireless devices operating in the UHF spectrum. When used with Audio-Technica 5000 Series (3rd Gen) and 3000 Series (4th Gen) with network control and monitoring, the software can coordinate and control all connected systems. The software can also interface with and monitor the latest 3000 Series networked chargers.
A-T’s updated Wireless Manager software (version 1.2.0) is available for download from Audio-Technica’s website.
I’ve been a fan of JZ mics for some time now, having reviewed their Amethyst, Black Hole, Vintage series (V47, 67, 11, 12) and their small-diaphragm BT201s too, all with more than satisfactory results, all with plenty of color (except for the neutral Black Hole) and all with plenty of design style. The new BB29 from the JZ Signature Series looks to combine the overall structure of the Black Hole with the personality of the Vintage series, except sporting an output transformer—a first for JZ.
Out of the Box
The BB29 sports a Golden Drop capsule, designed to be lighter in an effort to deliver more clarity.
The BB29 is a single-diaphragm pressure-gradient condenser microphone, utilizing JZ’s patented Golden Drop diaphragm-coating technology on a 1” membrane, with a Class-A discrete hand-built circuit. The mic is shaped like a rectangular cartridge, with a flat/squarish head basket—very much like the Black Hole except the hole area is solid. An elastic suspension shock mount ($99) grabs the BB29 via four grommets, holding the mic firmly and allowing close placement to things like speaker cabinet grills.
The provided frequency response graph shows 20 to 20k response, with a little 500 Hz bump and a gradual presence rise punctuated with a high-end boost of five dB that’s not rolling off until 15k. Output impedance is 150 ohms (1000 ohm ideal load), with a max SPL handling of 140 dB and A-rated self-noise of only 9 dB. There are no pads or switches on the cardioid-only mic, which carries a substantial five-year warranty, for $1,299 direct.
In Session
Being familiar with JZ mics, I threw the BB29 right in there as a third drum kit overhead, a “lower-head” about two feet off the floor and six feet out, via Manley TNT preamp, hoping to get a fairly balanced middle-of-the-kit image with plenty of cymbal; that’s exactly what I got. I could hear the room “air,” got largely uncompressed dynamics and a nice (mono) hi-fi picture.
The next day, I put the BB29 up there with two other mics in order to pick two favorites for a super-powerful alto female vocalist tracking a full-length. With amplification from an Avalon VT737 channel, my singer didn’t prefer the BB29 (I think the high-end emphasis bothered her), so I rolled off some top and thinned out the very-bottom, and we used it for most of the backing vocals.
Next, I had a drum session with a fairly light-handed drummer where my close mics and room ribbon needed some help in both punch and excitement. I placed the BB29 much like I did the first time but amped it up with an SSL VHD preamp and dialed in moderate levels of 2nd and 3rd order harmonics, followed by compression via ART VLA-modified with low-end enhancing Carnhill transformers. The result was a much bigger-than-life sound with gutsy punch, a fancy sheen and more raw power than my overheads or room ribbon.
I often use a JZ V12 on electric guitar, where its C12-like qualities make for one nicely articulated guitar sound, so I just had to compare the BB29 directly with a pair of AMS-Neve 4081 mic preamps which are super consistent and rather neutral. I jumped around various tones, but long story short, the BB29 seemed to have a little more up top, had flatter mids than the sculpted V12 and a little more bottom. Definitely a bright sound overall, but really nice and no trouble at all with SPL, even though the BB29 doesn’t have a pad.
I got good results with tambourine, shaker and handclaps with the BB29, too, even if the resulting tone was more crisp than full. The high-end emphasis was substantial but not overbearing, and the high-frequencies were clean, not at all distorted or crunchy.
Acoustic guitar—amped up with a Cranborne Audio Camden 500, chosen for a lack of color and consistent linearity—found the BB29 putting out a well-balanced picture if going a little heavy on very high-end, but in a way that most of you might just prefer (depends on the exact situation really). My Yamaha upright piano didn’t play well with the BB29 though, as the hammers hitting the strings created prominent clicks that just weren’t musical, lid open or closed. My personal vocal tests were revealing, too; the off-axis response was forgiving enough to allow a little roll to the side to ease off that very-high-end definition bump (I’d like to try that with the alto vocalist now) and the proximity effect was audible at 5”, substantial at 3” to 4” out and a bit overbearing any closer than that.
The Final Mix
All in all, the BB29 is another high-quality, colorful and high-fidelity mic from JZ; it looks like the company’s Black Hole, sounds more like the Vintage series but with the extra emphasis both down-low and up-high from a transformer (with a touch of low-end saturation, too). Oddly enough, my most universal comparison would be a bright vintage U67 in cardioid (they all sound a little different it seems), with ample midrange (that little 500 Hz bump?) and sculpted euphony at each end of the spectrum. As with most colorful offerings, the BB29 won’t be a perfect fit for everything and its simplicity limits the range of applications, but when it does fit, you’ll find it exceptional.
Port Perry, Canada (May 10, 2021) — Adamson Systems Engineering has released a slew of new products, including its new line of IS-Series Weatherized installation loudspeakers and updated design tools.
The new IS-Series Weatherized line is intended for use in marine and coastal venues, outdoor stadiums, open-air performance spaces, and other permanent outdoor installations. As such, they offer an IP55 rating, and all structural steel elements of the IS-Series Weatherized cabinets are made of a high yield strength stainless alloy that reportedly offers 100% corrosion resistance. The new models also feature an interior and exterior coating for a water-resistant seal, aiding the cleaning and removal of dirt and grime.
Additionally, Adamson is also releasing an update to its suite of design tools for integrators, including new Autodesk Revit and SketchUp libraries for the IS-Series, and updated EASE and CAD files for the complete Adamson loudspeaker line. The design tools are available now for download on the Adamson website at.
“Working closely with our customers means we have a chance to hear exactly what they need to make it easier to design solutions that win them business,” said Jochen Sommer, Adamson’s Director of Operations, EMEA. “When we looked at expanding our toolkit for architects, integrators and sound designers, we spoke directly to our partners in the field to make sure that we built a best-in-class offering.”
“We’re excited about what our partners will be able accomplish with these new products and tools,” said Adamson’s CEO, Marc Bertrand. “And there’s plenty more to come.”
PreSonus MicroStation Bluetooth Monitor Controller
Baton Rouge, LA (May 5, 2021)—PreSonus is now shipping its new MicroStation BT Bluetooth 5.0 stereo monitor controller, which can receive audio from a phone, tablet or other Bluetooth source and feed it to powered speakers. The MicroStation BT also can be hardwired to a powered subwoofer to create a 2.1 listening environment.
While the unit can pair with a Bluetooth-enabled device with the press of a button, a stereo ⅛-inch input is also provided, allowing users to still connect via a wired input. Accordingly, the unit also sports a Bluetooth On/Off button that can toggle between Bluetooth and analog sources.
Other onboard inputs include balanced left and right ¼-inch TRS inputs, which can route audio from pro-audio hardware to speakers, while the balanced ¼-inch TRS or unbalanced RCA Subwoofer outputs can send audio to a sub. An ⅛-inch stereo headphone/aux output lets users connect headphones or send stereo audio for streaming, recording and more.
Front and center, the main control is a large, ergonomic Volume knob that controls the overall level of connected speakers and subwoofer. A Sub Bypass button mutes the subwoofer feed, allowing users to toggle between a 2.1 system and just full-range speakers. A main Mute button with an LED status indicator let users silence your speakers or headphones as needed.
The PreSonus MicroStation BT is available now with a street price of $129.95.
SPL Marc One Monitoring and Recording ControllerFela Davis is a 2019 Hall of Fame inductee at Full Sail University. She also owns 23dB Productions and One of One Productions Studio, which specializes in podcasting, video, and music production. Clients include the Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams podcast, Sirius XM, Atlantic Records, iHeart Radio and numerous Grammy award-winning musicians. www.oneofoneproductions.com
New York, NY (April 30, 2021)—The SPL Marc One Monitoring and Recording Controller is a beast, providing high-end quality whether you’re listening back or putting down tracks. It offers three monitoring modes, a 32-bit AD/DA converter and a smart, user-friendly design.
For this review, we connected it to our Kali IN-8s and Neumann KH 120s studio monitors via USB to the DAW, but it was impressing us before we even turned it on. First of all, its heavy-duty metal frame body and actual weight give you a hint of the quality you’re about to hear. All knobs and toggle switches are weighted, supporting the impression of a high-end product.
The first toggle switch on the left side of the device controls the two sets of studio monitors and has an off position in the middle. Position A on the toggle includes the subwoofer if you have one, while the off position is silent. There’s no bleed into your monitors in any switch position.
Next is the volume knob. It takes up a lot of real estate but it’s ultimately the reason I love this controller. It provides lots of ways to tweak your outputs that we will get into later. You’ll use this knob the most, and the even volume response sounds amazing.
The second toggle switch gives you the option to listen in mono, stereo or channel swap, which reverses the stereo image so you can hear everything that’s going on with your mix. There are light indicators for left and right monitor distortion to help protect your monitors.
When the monitor knob is centered, all input signals are equally loud; turn to the left and the analog stereo inputs get louder while the USB input signal gets quieter. Turning from the center to the right does the opfeposite, all helping to tweak your system to deliver the perfect volume for mixing. There’s also a headphone volume knob and a cross-feed knob so you can blind-hear the studio monitors and headphones together for more listening options. The amount of depth from the headphone amp to our studio headphones, Sennheiser HD 800s, opened my ears to new things in our mixes.
Now to the back of the unit. First is a heavy-duty on/off switch that looks like it can stand up to years of use. Next to it are two dip switches: 1 provides a 10 dB pad on your studio monitor sources, while 2 is a Rec 1+2, which mixes together both line inputs and allows you to record them together via USB in mono. Both dip switches are easy to flip without requiring a tool or a long fingernail to use.
All of the TS and TRS inputs and outputs on the back of the unit stick out for better grounding. The USB connection is class-compliant, which means that all Mac computers and iOS devices like iPads and iPhones can use the full performance bandwidth of the 32-bit AD/DA converter without driver installation. (iOS devices will need the camera adapter to connect, however.) For Windows, you’ll only have to install a driver (downloadable on the SPL site) if you need higher sample rates. The USB connection will connect to your DAW for superb studio monitor playback at very high resolutions— for example, DSD4 and DSD256 (11.2 MHz) are supported.
Over the course of our review period, we found the amazing resolution and high-quality build combined perfectly in use as we toggled seamlessly between studio monitors and headphones to listen to mixes. Used as a monitor controller, SPL got the layout perfect for muscle-memory mixing, with the monitor toggle switch and volume knob ideally located for quick adjustments while listening. When you consider that it’s also an interface for recording, able to record high-resolution audio from 10 Hz to 200 kHz, the $799 price tag is worth it. The SPL Marc One is now a staple in our studio and workflow.
Fela Davis is a 2019 Hall of Fame inductee at Full Sail University. She owns 23dB Productions and One of One Productions Studio, which specializes in podcasting, video, and music production. Clients include the Holding Court with Eboni K. Williams podcast, SiriusXM, Atlantic Records, iHeartRadio and numerous Grammy Award-winning musicians. www.oneofoneproductions.com.
Charlotte, NC (May 24, 2021)—Neutrik has added new options for its DANTE network device NA2-IO-DPRO, allowing it to be fully integrated with Crestron control products.
Hebden Bridge, UK (May 21, 2021)—In response to the evolving marketplace, Calrec has introduced Brio Duet and Brio Medley console packages that offer larger channel counts and expanded connectivity as standard.
