AudioMedia - December 2008 - (Page 67) > written by Midas for this desk, and go together well. It is easy to go in and find anything you want to adjust as you’re working, as everything has a direct display access button. The EQ on the input channels is a four-band parametric EQ, which is easier to use than some analogue desks, and you can make it do exactly what you want. The only drawback for me was not having a complete four-band EQ control section, but just control over one band at a time, then scrolling to the next, which was part of the attempt to make the PRO as compact as possible. On each input channel, you also have a choice of four excellent compressors, which was worth the trip for me alone. Alex Cooper at Midas, who is behind the sound of all the compressors and effects in the PRO , has done the most amazing job. The compressors are very different, and nine times out of ten it is obvious which one to use for what application. They have been modelled on high-end compressors, and sound great. As part of the dynamics there is also a gate for each input channel too. One of the biggest factors that will help the PRO stand out from the crowd is the great job Midas has done ensuring the sound is that well known Midas sound. Everything analogue on the system and the way the DSP sounds is very replicative of the famous forerunners. For instance, if you drive the pre-amps hard, then all you get is pure analogue distortion without digital clipping, so you can still use Midas preamps to get your sound. As I said, the EQ and dynamics are stunning, but the effects really bring home that this is a live desk. The reverbs sound brilliant and even though they are emulations of many different types of reverb, such as room, plate, hall, and so on, they all sit in a space that I could hear would translate to a large PA very well. It was as if there was a third dimension to them that wouldn’t cloud up your mix, but could also be very forthright in its effect. This really is as great as we were all hoping it to be. I think the Midas PRO will suit so many applications, and its ease of use will make it the favourite more often than bigger consoles like the XL . All the current digital mixing manufacturers are claiming their console is easy to use even for analogue engineers, and whilst they might be intuitive, the Midas PRO is certainly the most analogue-familiar that I have used, possibly because of its roots. The desk looks great and feels of high quality, but most importantly, the sound is there. It has that Midas sound, and with its excellent DSP plug-ins and reverbs, it suits the live environment really well. It seems as if Midas has thought of everything in this system, but time will tell. ∫ I N F O R MAT I O N Conclusion £ GB£/US$ - TBA A Midas Europe HQ, Walter Nash Road, Kidderminster, Worcs, DY11 7HJ T +44 (0) 1562 741515 F +44 (0) 1562 745371 W www.midasconsoles.com AUDIO MEDIA DECEMBER 2008 http://www.sommercable.com http://www.midasconsoles.com http://www.sommercable.com
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