New Audio Products: December 2007
Zaxcom hard disk recorder, Royer Labs live mics, Bowers & Wilkins in-wall loudspeakers…
HARD DISK RECORDER
LIVE MICS
IN-WALL LOUDSPEAKERS
WIRELESS MONITORING SYSTEM
ARCHITECTURAL LOUDSPEAKERS
MULTICHANNEL POWER AMPLIFIERS
FEMALE-VOICE MICROPHONE
POWERED CEILING LOUDSPEAKER
TRANSMITTER/RECORDER
LOW-PROFILE MICROPHONE
HOME THEATER
The Deva 5.8 hard disk recorder is the latest from Zaxcom. It features eight faders, an internal DVD-RAM drive, and a Flash slot, providing recording, mixing, and effects capabilities. The Deva 5.8 records to the DVD drive or Flash disk for a multi-track recording solution, and records 10 tracks of audio directly to a CompactFlash memory card mounted on the control panel. The recorder integrates with the Zaxcom Mix-12 control surface.
Price: $12,995.
Zaxcom.
973-835-5000.
www.zaxcom.com.
Royer Labs’ new Live Series of microphones includes two upgraded versions of its SF-24 Phantom Powered stereo ribbon microphone: the R-121 Live ribbon microphone and the R-122 Live active ribbon microphone. Intended for live performance and touring, the ribbon in the SF-24 Live has been increased from 1.8 microns to 2.5 microns. With two matched-ribbon mics placed on top of each other, the R-121 and R-122 Live models have a ribbon thickness of 4 microns, increased from 2.5 microns.
Prices: SF-24 Live, $4,495; R-121 Live, $1,395; R-122 Live, $1,895.
Royer Labs.
818-847-0121.
www.royerlabs.com.
The CWM Cinema 6 from Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) is the company’s latest in compact, in-wall, custom loudspeakers. It features dual 6-inch glass fiber-cone bass/mid drivers and a 1-inch soft dome tweeter that incorporates B&W’s Nautilus tube-loading, which is a tweeter enclosure that is claimed to eliminate coloration and smearing caused by back wave. The Cinema 6 renders a low frequency response of -6 dB at 50 Hz at 8 ohms. It measures 10.1 inches by 14.6 inches and requires a cutout of 8.8 inches by 13.3 inches. The enclosure comes in a matte, paintable white finish.
Price: $350.
Bowers & Wilkins.
800-370-3740.
www.bowers-wilkins.com.
AKG’s IVM4 UHF wireless in-ear monitoring system includes the SST4 stereo transmitter, the SPR4 stereo bodypack receiver with auto setup and environmental scan features, and a pair of IP 2 earphones. The system uses integrated dbx digital signal processing. The half-rack SST4 stereo transmitter includes an integrated dbx compressor, several EQ presets, and in-ear, optimized binaural room simulations to provide musicians, vocalists, and presenters with signal processing flexibility. It also has an RF output of up to 100 milliwatts.
Price: $1,999.
AKG.
www.akg.com.
The Visual Performance Series from Sonance includes in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers in a variety of styles and performance levels. Micro-flange grilles with 0.20-inch trim help the speakers blend with their surroundings. The 8-inch and 6-inch models are available in three shapes and three performance levels: carbon fiber woofer/silk dome tweeter, coated carbon fiber woofer/aluminum dome tweeter, and beryllium cone woofer/beryllium dome tweeter. The 4-inch models come in three shapes with a carbon fiber cone woofer/silk dome tweeter.
Price: $535 to $2,700 per pair.
Sonance.
800-582-7777.
www.sonance.com.
Rotel Electronics has two new multichannel amplifiers that feature Class D circuit topology that combines controlled oscillator modulation and enhanced cascade control. Both the five-channel RMB-1085 (shown) and the six-channel RMB-1076 produce 100 watts per channel with a range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz at 8 ohms. Both units are less than 3 inches tall, weigh less than 12 pounds, and incorporate 12-volt trigger on/off capabilities. According to the company, the amplifiers preserve their full performance under a substantial range of AC line-voltage sag.
Prices: RMB-1076, $1,599; RMB-1085, $1,199.
Rotel Electronics.
978-664-3820.
www.rotel.com.
The AKG Elle C live-performance microphone is optimized specifically for the acoustic and ergonomic requirements of the female voice, according to the company. The Elle C features a frequency range of 60 Hz to 20,000 Hz and an XLR connector module with 24-carat gold plated pins — it is also resistant to corrosion and humidity. It uses a durable wire-mesh grill and, AKG says, provides reliable control of pops and wind noise. The light-weight microphone is available with a high-gloss metallic or white pearlescent finish.
Price: $339.
AKG.
www.akg.com.
The Q-CS Power1 from Soundsphere is a compact powered loudspeaker that connects directly to projectors and computers. The in-ceiling loudspeaker includes a 15-watt amplifier, two inputs that accept left and right stereo signals with gain trim, a coaxial 8-inch driver, and 180-degree by 360-degree dispersion. According to Soundsphere, the dispersion feature allows for better coverage, so fewer speakers are needed to provide high-quality sound in large venues such as classrooms, meeting rooms, and conference centers.
Price: $329.
Soundsphere.
203-386-9200.
www.soundsphere.com.
Zaxcom introduces the TRX700, a plug-on transmitter/recorder for shotgun-style microphones. It includes a patent-pending feature set with a miniSD card that can record for up to 12 hours. Zaxcom claims that the TRX700 is the only professional wireless system that uses digital modulation, which provides audio quality that rivals the quality of a hard-wired connection. The system also reduces the distortion effects of companders, FM modulation, pilot tones, antenna diversity switching, and RF interference, according to the company.
Price: $1,695.
Zaxcom.
973-835-5000.
www.zaxcom.com.
Point Source Audio markets its CO-5 microphone toward houses of worship. The low-profile mic is highly pliable, so it can form-fit over a user’s ear. With an omni-directional, back-electret condenser, the ear-level microphone can handle up to 125 dB of sound pressure. Point Source Audio boasts an affordable price and a focus on speech optimization that house of worship buyers find appealing. The CO-5 was designed for use with the Sennheiser Evolution series wireless and the Shure SLX and ULX bodypack systems.
Price: $299.
Point Source Audio.
415-226-1122.
www.point-sourceaudio.com.
The HT-SP908 home theater in a box from Onkyo features an AV receiver, with HDMI v.1.3a switching and internal decoding, and an upconverting DVD player with 1080p capabilities. The receiver has encoding for several audio codecs, such as Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD. A full-range speaker system includes seven satellite speakers and a subwoofer with a 10-inch cone driver. The theater system is compatible with iPods through the DS-A1X Remote Interactive control dock.
Price: $1,099.
Onkyo.
800-229-1687.
www.onkyousa.com.
