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Tag Archives: Gear of the Year

Mix’s Gear of the Year 2022, Part 2

New York, NY (January 6, 2023)—Every year, the editorial team of Mix looks back at the most recent amazing advancements in pro-audio technology with its annual Gear of the Year summary. Some incredible tools were released in 2022, so we’re taking the opportunity to gather up just a few of the must-haves, new aspirational choices and updates that came our way over the previous 12 months. Peruse through and see if you overlooked something crucial, or even whether you agree with us as we take in the Gear of the Year 2022. Don’t miss Gear of the Year 2022 Part 1!

PSP SATURATOR PLUG-IN - Gear of the year
PSPAUDIOWARE PSP SATURATOR PLUG-IN

PSPAUDIOWARE PSP SATURATOR PLUG-IN

Michael Cooper writes: PSPaudioware was one of the first developers to produce a convincing emulation of the sonics produced by vacuum tubes. Two decades later, the company’s new PSP Saturator plug-in lets you drive virtual tubes and diodes, a digital clipper and—best of all—simulations of magnetic tape and tape recorder responses that are so realistic you’ll be wondering where they hid the metal reels. But it gets even better: Place the Saturator in series with the new super-smooth PSP Impressor dynamics plug-in, and you have a killer combo for making individual tracks and full mixes sound huge without blowing them up.

SHURE AD600 AXIENT DIGITAL SPECTRUM MANAGER
SHURE AD600 AXIENT DIGITAL SPECTRUM MANAGER

SHURE AD600 AXIENT DIGITAL SPECTRUM MANAGER

Keeping the future of wireless in mind, Shure designed the AD600’s tuning range to support frequency bands from 174 MHz to 2 GHz, which includes and expands on the frequencies where AXT600, its predecessor, is operable. Compared to AXT600, AD600 boasts faster scanning that finds available frequencies and analyzes RF spectrum in real-time, streamlining site surveys and spectrum management. AD600 also provides the ability to listen to analog signals as well as Axient Digital standard and HD Modes, a new DC power option for remote production, USB connections for external data storage of scans, event logs and other data, as well as Dante connectivity for advanced audio monitoring.

SSL ORIGIN 16 CONSOLE
SOLID STATE LOGIC ORIGIN 16 CONSOLE

SOLID STATE LOGIC ORIGIN 16 CONSOLE

SSL has released a number of quality products in the past couple of years, both hardware and software. Origin 16, introduced in October at AES, offers the same features, hybrid workflows and SSL sound quality as its larger 32-channel predecessor, including a simple signal flow and layout, while also providing features such as channel direct outputs, a fully balanced electronic architecture and precision bar-graph meters. Other features include SSL’s PureDrive mic preamplifier and classic SSL E-Series “242-type” 4-band parametric EQ design. There is also a built-in classic SSL bus compressor with sidechain access and HP filter.

SSL THE BUS+
SOLID STATE LOGIC THE BUS+

SOLID STATE LOGIC THE BUS+

This deluxe version of SSL’s iconic hardware bus compressor maintains the circuitry and controls that have made previous versions of the product so influential, popular and often imitated, while adding modern features and more control. For example, although the signal path is all-analog, the Bus+ knobs are digitally controlled. Also new: D-EQ, an analog dynamic equalizer with low- and high-frequency bands and compression and expansion modes for each channel. Unlike its predecessors, Bus+ offers four different working modes, giving the unit the flexibility customarily found only on plug-in emulations. Classic Stereo; ∑ S/C Stereo (Sigma Sidechain); Dual Mono mode; and Mid-Side.

SMAART V9 (BY RATIONAL ACOUSTICS)
SMAART V9 (BY RATIONAL ACOUSTICS)

SMAART V9 (BY RATIONAL ACOUSTICS)

Rational Acoustics has provided a major version upgrade to the acoustic measurement software platform, with Smaart v9 incorporating a number of new features and improvements. The release also marks a shift to an edition-based product structure. The four editions are Smaart Suite, Smaart RT, Smaart LE and Smaart SPL. Designed for professional users, Smaart Suite is the flagship edition and includes all three Smaart measurement modes: Real-Time, Impulse Response and SPL, all with no functional limitations. Also, for the first time, Smaart will be available in a subscription-based model.

 

SONIBLE SMART:LIMIT PLUG-IN - Gear of the year
SONIBLE SMART:LIMIT PLUG-IN

SONIBLE SMART:LIMIT PLUG-IN

A “Content-Aware” peak limiter plug-in, Smart:Limit is infused with AI, and it lets you master your music to comply with loudness targets for streaming music and video services and broadcast. Smart:Limit’s intelligent limiter analyzes your song as it plays and creates a custom setting. You can then alter the results with its four-parameter Sound-shaping Panel. The Style knob adjusts the aggressiveness of the limiter’s behavior. Saturation increases the perceived loudness while maintaining the peak levels. You get loudness readings in True Peak and LUFS, and you can adjust the main Limit and Gain controls to tweak your master where needed to get in compliance.

SONNOX LISTENHUB
SONNOX LISTENHUB

SONNOX LISTENHUB

Barry Rudolph explains: ListenHub is analysis software to measure, compare or reference an in-progress stereo mix in your DAW to any other stereo source, all in real-time. It can measure an Internet stream or a .wav file playing in your computer, but its primary task is to measure and monitor two critical audio specifications: Loudness in LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) and PSR (Peak to Short-Term Loudness Ratio). The plug-in measures your music’s dynamics with an approximate rating in preparation for streaming services that apply loudness normalization to uploaded, mastered audio files.

 

SONY C-80 CONDENSER MICROPHONE - Gear of the year
SONY C-80 CONDENSER MICROPHONE

SONY C-80 CONDENSER MICROPHONE

Sony has been getting back into the mic market. The C-80 is a unidirectional (cardioid) condenser mic that combines the capsule used in the C-100 with the same diaphragm material used in the iconic C-800G. The dual-diaphragm configuration is designed to tame proximity effect, providing consistent low-frequency response even when used up close, or when a singer does not maintain a consistent distance from the mic. While the C-80 is intended for vocal and voice recording, it can also be used on a range of acoustic instruments, as well as for podcasting, webcasting and vlogging applications.

SOUND PARTICLES ENERGY PANNER
SOUND PARTICLES ENERGY PANNER

SOUND PARTICLES ENERGY PANNER

This innovative plug-in uses the intensity of a sound to control its movement automatically, providing any sound professional with a tool that combines dynamics with spatial definition. Key features include: Stereo, Surround, Ambisonics, Immersive and Binaural Outputs; Dynamic Movement, to set how the sounds move, from custom points, speaker positions or to specific directions; Sidechain, for using external signals to control the effect of the plug-in; Visualization Dome, for tracking every movement the sounds are making; Randomization, an option that outputs new results each time you click; and Timing, where you can use attack and release to control how fast you want the movement to happen.

UNIVERSAL AUDIO VOLT 476P AUDIO INTERFACE - Gear of the year
UNIVERSAL AUDIO VOLT 476P AUDIO INTERFACE

UNIVERSAL AUDIO VOLT 476P AUDIO INTERFACE

Mike Levine writes: With its four inputs and outputs (and compressor and vintage mode for added spice), you could use the 476P as a killer standalone preamp feeding another interface in a multi-input session. The headline here is that the 476P, the new Volt flagship—and the Volt line in general—offer UAD’s analog modeling and interface technology for a lower cost per channel than you’d have to pay for an Apollo. If you want UAD plug-ins to go along with it, you can get a subset of them via a Spark subscription. Between Volt and Spark, the price of entry into the UAD world has dropped significantly.

VANGUARD AUDIO LABS V13 GEN2 TUBE MIC
VANGUARD AUDIO LABS V13 GEN2 TUBE MIC

VANGUARD AUDIO LABS V13 GEN2 TUBE MIC

Rob Tavaglione writes: The V13 gen2 is simply a fantastic mic with smart design, quality construction, nearly limitless versatility and a balanced tone that seems to slightly flatter just about any source. I can recommend the V13 as “your first top-shelf mic” for its price/ performance ratio, or as an addition to “complete mic closets.” It might soon be your favorite vocal mic, bar none. Vanguard has hit the bullseye with this one, as the V13 gen2 checks all the boxes of performance, affordability and quality in what might just be the best overall workhorse-of-a-mic that I’ve tested to date.

VOYAGE AUDIO SPATIAL MIC DANTE - Gear of the year
VOYAGE AUDIO SPATIAL MIC DANTE

VOYAGE AUDIO SPATIAL MIC DANTE

This hybrid analog-digital second-order ambisonic microphone builds on the success of the company’s Spatial Mic USB, but brings with it a premium rugged design with a locking Neutrik etherCON connection. With Dante audio networking built-in, there is no need for complex multi-microphone and preamp setups—plug in an ethernet cable and focus on recording immersive audio for VR, surround sound, Atmos, spatial and stereo music, concerts and live broadcasts. Included is the new MicNet control app that lets you remotely adjust connected microphones on the network. The Spatial Mic Converter plugin (VST & AAX) now works for post-processing the entire Spatial Mic family.

Mix’s Gear of the Year 2022, Part 1

New York, NY (January 5, 2023)—Every year, the editorial team of Mix looks back at the most-recent amazing advancements in pro-audio technology with its annual Gear of the Year summary. Some incredible tools were released in 2022, so we’re taking the opportunity to gather up just a few of the must-haves, new aspirational choices and updates that came our way over the previous 12 months. Peruse through and see if you overlooked something crucial, or even whether you agree with us as we take in the Gear of the Year 2022.

ADPTR AUDIO SCULPT
ADPTR AUDIO SCULPT

ADPTR AUDIO SCULPT

Michael Cooper writes: On the face of it, the plug-in includes four broadband processing modules placed in parallel configuration in the audio path, but there’s a helluva lot more to this plug-in than meets the eye. Sculpt is not a “character” plug-in; transparency is its hallmark, and it’s primarily intended for use on your mix or master bus. [Its] new algorithm analyzes incoming audio for each processor like a human ear would (for example, distinguishing between increased bass energy and a simple level increase) and then applies to it gain changes on a sample-by-sample basis in each of its processors, producing almost zero harmonic distortion. The results can sound amazing.

AUDEZE MM-500 HEADPHONES
AUDEZE MM-500 HEADPHONES

AUDEZE MM-500 HEADPHONES

At NAMM in June, Audeze announced that Manny Marroquin would serve as the company’s new Head of Professional Products, introducing him on the show floor alongside the new MM-500 headphones that bear his signature. The MM-500’s 90mm planar magnetic driver features a frequency range of5Hz–50kHz, with a max SPL of >130 dB and THD+N of <0.1% @ 100 dB SPL, 1 kHz, providing lightning-fast transients, accurate frequency response and trusted mix translation. With premium leather earpads, an adjustable spring steel headband and a machined aluminum structure, the MM-500s weigh a fraction over 1 pound.

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT2020USB-X USB MIC
AUDIO-TECHNICA AT2020USB-X USB MIC

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT2020USB-X USB MIC

The AT2020USB-X cardioid condenser microphone is a reimagining of the popular AT2020USB+, upgraded to 24-bit/96 kHz sampling rate with the convenience of plug-and-play USB-C operation. Other improvements include a soft-touch capacitive mute button on the body of the mic, high-resolution A/D converter at 24/96 for clear and natural sound production, two-state LED indicator ring lights for when the microphone is powered on or muted, and an improved custom desk stand for a stable and secure base. It also features a built-in headphone jack with volume and mix control to let you directly monitor with no delay, as well as blend your microphone signal with computer audio.

AVID PRO TOOLS CARBON PRE - gear of the year
AVID PRO TOOLS CARBON PRE

 

AVID PRO TOOLS CARBON PRE

Pro Tools | Carbon Pre, introduced along with MBOX Studio at AES in October, was designed as a means for users to easily expand their studio setups to capture large tracking sessions. Existing Pro Tools | HD systems needing more mic preamps can add an eight-channel ADAT preamp expansion unit to scale up I/O. Users can control up to nine Pro Tools | Carbon Pre units in a Pro Tools | HD system, while also tapping into the Pro Tools Hybrid Engine for low-latency input processing. Operating at 32-bit resolution to maximize dynamic range, Carbon Pre uses stacked AD converters on each input, while also providing double-precision clocking.

AVID M-BOX
AVID M-BOX

AVID M-BOX

At the October AES Show, Avid brought back its popular MBOX desktop audio interface with the new MBOX Studio, powered by Pro Tools software. MBOX Studio operates on both Mac and Windows OS and includes a bundled Pro Tools Studio subscription (one year). The 21-in/22-out device can easily connect mics, instruments, studio monitors, Bluetooth devices, and other analog, digital and MIDI gear. MBOX Studio relies on the same mic preamps found in Avid’s S6L and Pro Tools Carbon system.

IK MULTIMEDIA ILOUD PRECISION MTM STUDIO MONITORS
IK MULTIMEDIA ILOUD PRECISION MTM STUDIO MONITORS

IK MULTIMEDIA ILOUD PRECISION MTM STUDIO MONITORS

Mike Levine writes: IK Multimedia has a history of producing DSP-assisted studio monitors, and its new Precision Series takes that technology to a new level. The Precision MTM (midwoofer-tweeter-midwoofer configuration) features a pair of 5-inch woofers and 1.5-inch tweeter, and incorporates the company’s ARC (Automatic Room Correction) technology. Once the calibration process was complete, I could open the X-Monitor app and see a color-coded readout of the frequency curve from the calibration. My studio had a considerable boost that peaked around 150 Hz and a dip between 1 kHz and 2 kHz. The ARC-processed response flattened both of those out.

JBL VTX A6 LINE ARRAY/B15 SUBWOOFER
JBL VTX A6 LINE ARRAY/B15 SUBWOOFER

JBL VTX A6 LINE ARRAY/B15 SUBWOOFER

Joining the flagship VTX line array series, the VTX A6 subcompact dual 6.5-inch passive line array element and the B15 compact, arrayable 15-inch subwoofer sport compact form factors for small- to medium-size touring and fixed installations. The A6 houses two custom 6.5-inch woofers and a 3-inch annular-diaphragm compression driver, with a reported low-frequency extension to 67 Hz and 134 dB max SPL. The companion VTX B15 15-inch subwoofer features SlipStream double- flared exponential ports and a Differential Drive dual-voice coil design, and is based on JBL’s new 2285H 15-inch woofer. Both the A6 and B15 are designed for rigging and system integration.

JH AUDIO AMBIENT PRO IEM SYSTEM - gear of the year
JH AUDIO AMBIENT PRO IEM SYSTEM

JH AUDIO AMBIENT PRO IEM SYSTEM

In early November, JH Audio released its latest ambient in-ear monitors—Ambient Pro—allowing users to hear both a monitor mix and the real-world POV sounds around them. The new IEMs are designed with built-in Core omnidirectional capsules from DPA Microphones; audio from the capsules is sent in stereo to the monitor console and back to the artist via a Lectrosonics system. Ambient Pro features eight balanced armatures per side with a four-way crossover and is modeled around the RDU Dual Supertweeter. The subminiature Core by DPA capsule technology aids with durability and can tolerate high temperatures, while being resilient to impacts and resistant to abrasion.

MASTERING THE MIX RESO PLUG-IN
MASTERING THE MIX RESO PLUG-IN

MASTERING THE MIX RESO PLUG-IN

Rob Tavaglione writes: I’ve reviewed other plug-ins with similar postmodern, frequency-taming goals, but as with all complicated tasks, methods will vary. Mastering the Mix, I found, has crafted a unique feel and operation to its handling of rogue frequencies grown a little too powerful for their own good. In the background, Reso brings an intelligent algorithm to a dynamic equalizer that tackles the multi-pronged task of searching around the frequency spectrum to find excessive energy bands, applying filters of various widths, and variably attenuating them as necessary.

MOOG MOOGERFOOGER S-SERIES PLUG-INS
MOOG MOOGERFOOGER S-SERIES PLUG-INS

MOOG MOOGERFOOGER S-SERIES PLUG-INS

Moog no longer makes its Moogerfooger effects pedals, but the company now has a collection of plug-ins (Mac/PC) featuring emulations of seven Moogerfooger models. All seven pedals feature Drive and Output knobs, input-level LEDs and on/off switches labeled Active. Most have Envelope or LFO LEDs to monitor the strength of those signals. What’s more, each has a virtual CV section that allows users to modulate various parameters using a variety of sources, including the left or right audio input or the signals from the Envelope, LFO or other parameters of any Moogerfooger plug-in open in the session.

NEUMANN M49V CONDENSER MIC
NEUMANN M49V CONDENSER MIC

NEUMANN M49V CONDENSER MIC

First manufactured in 1951, the Neumann M 49 has long been considered a classic, one of the “Big Five” among vintage condenser microphones and the first with continuously variable, remote pattern switching. Based on the latest version of the M 49 (the “c” revision), the M 49 V employs the same circuitry as the original but replaces the now-unavailable AC701k vacuum tube with a low-noise, hand-selected, subminiature triode tube. The capsule is the K 49, which Neumann has manufactured since the late 1950s, and the three-stage head basket remains faithful to the original. Power for the M 49 V is provided by the newly designed NM V power supply.

NEUMANN NDH 30 HEADPHONES- gear of the year
NEUMANN NDH 30 HEADPHONES

NEUMANN NDH 30 HEADPHONES

Everyone seems to love these. In May, Neumann introduced the new NDH 30 open-back headphone as a reference-class studio headphone for mixing and mastering in both stereo and immersive formats. While the headphone retains the metal construction of the closed-back NDH 20, it features a new acoustic system design, including optimized and positioned dynamic drivers intended to recall planar magnetic transducers. It is said to have a low harmonic distortion and uses frequency-selective absorbers to shape an even response across the audio spectrum. The company also touts the headphones’ spatial resolution, attributing it to the fact that the drivers are made “to extremely low tolerances.”

NEVE 88M AUDIO INTERFACE - gear of the year
NEVE 88M AUDIO INTERFACE

NEVE 88M AUDIO INTERFACE

Neve launched the 88M, its first Dual Mic Preamp and USB Audio Interface, at the NAMM show in early June 2022. Using the same transformer-balanced technology as Neve’s flagship, large-format 88RS, the 88M brings the legendary sound of AIR, Abbey Road and Capitol Studios into home and portable studio setups. The robust front-end recording system, with plug-and-play connectivity, is complemented with mastering- grade AD/DA conversion, producing high-end fidelity. Analog and digital components are incorporated at every stage, ensuring quality throughout the entire signal path.

COME BACK TOMORROW FOR THE CONCLUSION — GEAR OF THE YEAR, PART 2!

Pro Sound News’ Gear of the Year 2020

Gear of the Year logo 20202020 will be remembered as the year we’d like to forget, but when 2021 is recalled one day as the year everything bounced back, much of that will be due to groundwork laid down in the preceding 12 months. That includes the pro-audio industry—next year, when live events and concerts return, new hits rule the airwaves and the latest must-hear podcasts land in your listening queue, many of them will be created using pro-audio equipment that was introduced over the last 12 months. With that in mind, here’s the Gear of the Year for 2020.

So what was the Gear of the Year? That’s not an easy thing to determine, so rather than weigh a hot new plug-in against an arena-filling P.A. or an audio console years in development, we decided to let our readers show the way.

Product announcements have always been among the most popular stories on prosoundnetwork.com, so we dug through our Google Analytics (readership statistics), sifting through all the “new product” stories we ran 2020 (well into the triple digits!) to determine which ones were the most popular with PSN readers. With that in mind, here’s the Gear of the Year that YOU unknowingly picked—a true Top-20 for 2020.

YAMAHA RIVAGE PM5
YAMAHA RIVAGE PM5

1. YAMAHA RIVAGE PM3 AND PM5 DIGITAL MIXING SYSTEMS
This dual product launch in May was far and away the most popular product announcement of 2020 with our readers. Yamaha introduced two consoles—the PM5 and PM3—as well as a pair of DSP engines—DSPRX and DSP-RX-EX—and version 4 firmware that provides features to new and legacy Rivage systems.

Both of the new consoles feature large capacitive touchscreens that allow users to use multi-finger gestures, with the PM5 sporting three screens and the PM3 getting one. As with their predecessors, the PM5 and PM3 sport 38 faders—three bays of 12, with two masters—but each of the new control surfaces is laid out with an eye toward increased efficiency.

 

2. SOLID STATE LOGIC 2 AND 2+ USB AUDIO INTERFACES
Solid State Logic unveiled its first personal studio-market products—the USB-powered SSL 2 (2-in/2-out) and SSL 2+ (2-in/4-out) audio interfaces—at the Winter NAMM Show. The 2+ in particular caught our readers’ eyes, with a 4K analog enhancement mode “inspired by classic SSL consoles,” monitoring and an SSL Production Pack software bundle. Offering expanded I/O for musicians collaborating, it includes two analog mic preamps, 24-bit/192 kHz AD/DA AKM converters, multiple headphone outputs with independent monitor mix, MIDI I/O, and additional unbalanced outputs for DJ mixers.

JBL 4349 STUDIO MONITOR

3. JBL 4349 STUDIO MONITOR
The JBL 4349 studio monitor is a compact, high-performance monitor loudspeaker built around the JBL D2415K dual 1.5-inch compression driver mated to a large format, High-Definition Imaging (HDI) horn, paired with a 12-inch cast-frame and pure-pulp cone woofer. The JBL D2415K compression driver features a pair of lightweight polymer annular diaphragms with reduced diaphragm mass, while the V-shaped geometry of the annular diaphragm reduces breakup modes, eliminates time smear and reduces distortion, according to JBL.

 

APPLE LOGIC PRO X 10.54. APPLE LOGIC PRO X 10.5
Apple updated Logic Pro X with a “professional” version of Live Loops, new sampling features and new and revamped beatmaking tools. Live Loops lets users arrange loops, samples and recordings on a grid to build musical ideas, which can then be further developed on Logic’s timeline. Remix FX brings effects to Live Loops that can be used in real time, while the updated Sampler augments the EXS24 plug-in with new sound shaping controls. Other new tools include Quick Sampler, Step Sequencer, Drum Synth and Drum Machine Designer.

 

 AMS NEVE 8424 CONSOLE5. AMS NEVE 8424 CONSOLE
The AMS Neve 8424 is a small-format desk based on the 80-series console range. Intended for hybrid studios, the desk provides a center point between analog outboard gear, synths and the like, and the digital world of DAW workflows, software plug-ins and session recall. As an analog mixing platform, the 8424 offers 24 DAW returns across 24 channel faders or, for larger DAW sessions, a 48-Mix mode that allows a total of 48 mono inputs with individual level and pan controls to be mixed through the stereo mix bus.

 

MILLENNIA MEDIA HV-316 MIC PREAMP6. MILLENNIA MEDIA HV-316 MIC PREAMP
Millennia Media bowed its fully remote-controllable microphone preamplifier, the HV-316. Offering 12V battery operation, the HV-316 is housed in a 10-pound, 1U aluminum chassis housing 16 channels of Millennia HV-3 microphone preamplifiers with simultaneous analog and Dante 32-bit/192 kHz Ethernet outputs. Other digital audio output options are planned, including USB and MADI. The unit is designed for high-temperature continuous operation (up to 150° F), is powered by both 12V DC and worldwide 80–264V AC, and features “pi filter” shielding on audio and digital feeds to prevent interference.

 

Gear of the Year - SHURE SLX-D DIGITAL WIRELESS SYSTEM7. SHURE SLX-D DIGITAL WIRELESS SYSTEM
The Shure SLX-D, offered in single- and dual-channel models, provides operation of up to 32 channels per frequency band. Transmitters run on standard AA batteries or an optional lithium-ion rechargeable battery solution with a dual-docking charging station. For less technically inclined users, it offers Guided Frequency Setup and a Group Scan feature that sets up multiple channels by assigning frequencies to all receivers automatically via Ethernet connections, allowing a 30-plus channel system can be set up via Group Scan within a few seconds.

 

MEYER SOUND SPACEMAP GO8. MEYER SOUND SPACEMAP GO
The Meyer Sound Spacemap Go is a free Apple iPad app for spatial sound design and mixing. Working with the company’s Galaxy Network Platform, Spacemap Go can control Galaxy processors using a single or multiple iPads as long as the units have current firmware and Compass control software. Spacemap Go is compatible with various sound design/show control programs such as QLab, so designs assembled using them can be implemented into a multichannel spatial mix using Spacemap Go’s templates for common multichannel configurations.

 

D&B AUDIOTECHNIK 44S LOUDSPEAKER9. D&B AUDIOTECHNIK 44S LOUDSPEAKER
Housed in a flush-mountable cabinet, the d&b audiotechnik 44S is a two-way passive, point source installation loudspeaker with 2 x 4.5-inch neodymium LF drivers and 2 x 1.25-inch HF dome tweeters, delivering a frequency response of 90 Hz–17 kHz. The 44S features a waveguide and baffle design intended to provide horizontal dispersion down to the lower frequencies while being focused vertically, providing a 90° x 30° dispersion pattern to direct sound to specific spaces.

 

BEYERDYNAMIC TG D70 AND TG 151 MICS10. BEYERDYNAMIC TG D70 AND TG 151 MICS
Beyerdynamic made two additions to its Touring Gear (TG) series. The second-generation TG D70 dynamic kickdrum mic is meant for capturing the impact of bass drums and similar low-frequency-intensive instruments, while the TG 151 instrument mic is a lean microphone with a short shaft that can be used on everything from snares and toms to brass instruments and guitar amplifiers.

 

New Studio Microphone Wrap-Up : Fall 2020

 

Gear of the Year -QSC Q-SYS CORE PROCESSORS11. QSC Q-SYS CORE PROCESSORS
QSC’s Q-SYS Core 8 Flex and Nano audio, video and control processors provide scalable DSP processing, video routing and bridging for web conferencing, as well as third-party endpoint integration without the need for separate dedicated control processors. The 8 Flex includes onboard analog audio I/O and GPIO plus network I/O, while Nano offers network-only audio I/O processing and control.

 

TELEFUNKEN TF11 MICROPHONE12. TELEFUNKEN TF11 MICROPHONE
Telefunken‘s TF11 is the company’s first phantom-powered large-diaphragm condenser mic. The CK12-style edge-terminated capsule is a single-membrane version of the capsule featured in the TF51, and the amplifier is a proprietary take on the FET mic amplifier similar to the M60, coupled with a custom large-format nickel-iron core transformer.

 

L-ACOUSTICS K3 LOUDSPEAKER13. L-ACOUSTICS K3 LOUDSPEAKER
K3 is a compact loudspeaker from L-Acoustics that is intended as a main system to cover up to 10,000 people, or for use as outfills or delays for K1 or K2 systems. Designed as a full-range line source, K3 integrates 12-inch transducers for large-format system performance in the form factor of a 10-inch design.

 

CLEAR-COM HEADSET SANITIZATION KITS14. CLEAR-COM HEADSET SANITIZATION KITS
Clear-Com has sanitization kits for its CC-300, CC-400, CC-110, CC-220 and CC-26K headsets. They include replacement ear pads, pop filters, sanitizing wipes, ear sock covers and temple pads in a cloth bag. Items for each kit vary depending on the headset, and can also be purchased separately.

 

ZOOM PODTRAK P8 PODCAST STUDIO15. ZOOM PODTRAK P8 PODCAST STUDIO
The Zoom PodTrak P8 provides recording, editing and mixing capabilities all in one unit. Six mics, a smartphone and PC can be recorded simultaneously, each with its own fader and preamp with 70 dB of gain. A touchscreen controls monitoring, adjusting, onboard editing and more.

 

Pro Sound News‘ Gear of the Year, 2019

 

WAVES SHIPS KALEIDOSCOPES PLUG-IN16. WAVES SHIPS KALEIDOSCOPES PLUG-IN
Waves’ Kaleidoscopes plug-in creates classic analog studio effects such as 1960s phasing and tape flanging, 1970s stadium tremolo-guitar vibes and 1980s chorus sounds.

 

Gear of the Year - OUTLINE STADIA 28 LINE ARRAY SYSTEM17. OUTLINE STADIA 28 LINE ARRAY SYSTEM
The Outline Stadia 28 is a medium-throw system intended for use in permanent outdoor installations. A single enclosure weighs 46.2 pounds and can reportedly reach 139 dB SPL.

 

LAB.GRUPPEN FA SERIES AMPLIFIERS18. LAB.GRUPPEN FA SERIES AMPLIFIERS
Lab.gruppen‘s FA Series Energy Star-certified amplifiers are intended for commercial and industrial applications, and are offered in 2 x 60W, 2 x 120W and 2 x 240W.

 

D.W. FEARN VT-2 PREAMPLIFIER19. D.W. FEARN VT-2 PREAMPLIFIER
The updated D.W. Fearn VT-2 Dual-Channel Vacuum Tube Microphone Preamplifier now features an integrated, switchable 43 dB pad, aiding patching into a master bus.

 

KEF LS50 META SPEAKER20. KEF LS50 META SPEAKER
Our Gear of the Year list concludes with the LS50, featuring KEF’s Metamaterial Absorption Technology driver array, a cone neck decoupler, offset flexible bass port, low-diffraction curved baffle and more.

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