Recording - December 2016 - 10

Report by Mike Metlay and Paul Vnuk Jr. with Diana Smethurst
A-Designs Audio (adesignsaudio.com) premiered the Mix Factory ($2990), a
rackmount 16-channel analog summing mixer with gain, pan, and mute control
over each channel, plus a choice of transformerless or Cinemag transformer-based
output with the push of a button.
ADK Microphones (adkmic.com) featured the new TC-49 ($997), a compact and
affordable cardioid tube mic based upon the voicing of the famous Neumann M49.

The 141st AES Convention took place in Los
Angeles last September, and as usual, there were
a lot of interesting new product announcements.
The show is holding steady in size compared to
recent years; while a few manufacturers have
elected to focus on the NAMM Show coming up
this January for new releases, the steadily improving economy means more breathing room for
innovation and cool new gear.
Here are some of the highlights from the
show, for those of our readers who weren't following our live coverage on Twitter
(@RecordingMag) and followups on Facebook
(facebook.com/RecordingMag). In this report,
we're concentrating on companies making
announcements at AES rather than waiting for
NAMM. As always, we're sending a general
shout-out to firms in attendance that didn't have
new products yet, and we apologize to any
manufacturers we may have missed. Prices
quoted are best-estimate street/MAP, based on
information from the manufacturer or authorized dealers. On with the show!-MM
10

RECORDING DECEMBER 2016

AEA (ribbonmics.com) announced the new RPQ2 dual mic preamp ($1499), with
a whopping 81 dB of gain and a ribbon-friendly 63 kΩ input impedance; review
forthcoming. The RPQ500 module ($649) has also been given an upgrade.
Allen & Heath (allen-heath.com) premiered the Qu-Pac ($1499 with front-panel
touchscreen) and Qu-SB ($999, no front panel), rackmountable Qu Family digital
mixers with up to 38 inputs that can be controlled remotely from an iPad.
Amphion (amphion.fi) displayed the One12 Travel Set ($3150), a portable reference monitor system based around the One12 passive monitor and Amp100 mono
amplifier, with two speakers, two amps, and all necessary cabling neatly packed
into a custom padded wooden travel case.
Antelope Audio (antelopeaudio.com) premiered a new lineup of FPGA FX plug-ins
for its DSP-enabled interfaces like the Goliath (announced last NAMM, review forthcoming). These plug-ins, available free with compatible interfaces, include everything from guitar effects to vintage compressors and EQ.
API (apiaudio.com) has broken into the guitar pedal business! The TranZformer
GT and TranZformer LX ($579 each) are high-quality compressor/EQ/gain pedals
for guitar and bass respectively, with balanced and unbalanced outputs, ground lift,
phase reverse, and more.
Apogee (apogeedigital.com) has released the Element Series, streamlined
Thunderbolt interfaces that maximize value by relying on remote control from Macs or
iOS devices for all functions. Named for their number of analog inputs and outputs,
the line includes the Element 24, Element 46, and Element 88 ($595, $895, $1495).
Astell & Kern (astellnkern.com) made its first AES appearance touting the AK
Recorder ($999), a portable recording interface module for AK300 Series players.
It offers recording at up to 32 bits, 384 kHz, or DSD at up to 5.6 MHz, has mic
and line inputs, a touchscreen control/remote interface, and the SC4061, an
optional stereo mic array designed for A&K by DPA Microphones.
Audio-Technica (audio-technica.com) announced a new set of UniMount
ATM350a instrument mic mounting systems ($69-$119 when sold separately).
Available options include universal clip-on mounts with 5" and 9" goosenecks,
plus systems for piano, drum, woodwind, and violin.
Avedis Audio (avedisaudio.com) announced the new MD7 ($775), a 500 Series
line/instrument input module with stepped gain control, TransDrive saturation circuitry,
and a Send/Return loop for external guitar effects (the Return is also a 10 MΩ DI input).

http://www.adesignsaudio.com http://www.adkmic.com http://www.ribbonmics.com http://www.allen-heath.com http://www.amphion.fi http://www.antelopeaudio.com http://www.apiaudio.com http://www.apogeedigital.com http://www.astellnkern.com http://www.audio-technica.com http://www.avedisaudio.com http://www.facebook.com/RecordingMag

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - December 2016