Though new portable PA speaker enclosures are increasingly self-powered—encompassing lightweight, high-power Class D amplification—many professionals still require separate amplifiers for their preferred passive speaker enclosures. Recognizing the needs of these end users, ...read more

We’ve heard a lot about laser-based projection over the last three or four years. From the outset, the technology promised low maintenance and long lamp life. Early models were cool (literally), but they were just not very bright. Finally, there are now some real laser-based ...read more

Having recently evaluated Mackie’s unique FreePlay Personal PA, the subsequent arrival of a Reach portable PA (PPA) system for review made a lot of chronological sense. While the “new century boom box” design of the 11lb., battery-powerable FreePlay makes it the easiest PPA I’ve ...read more

I’ve relied upon an Electro-Voice portable PA (PPA) for the past few years as my “workhorse” system—two E-V ZLX-12P powered cabinets serving as main monitors, stage wedges, and all purposes in between. To me, E-V has proven itself as a reliable source of sound reinforcement for ...read more

Electret shotgun microphones—such as beyerdynamic’s MCE 86 II ($379 street), reviewed here—are small diaphragm condensers, yet ones with key design features, making them the only choice for some recording and sound reinforcement tasks. Live events (such as sports and outdoor ...read more

About $400 more than Adam Audio’s comparably sized, budget-priced F-Series model, the F7, the A7X is one of the best all around reference-grade powered studio monitors I’ve discovered on the market, at any price. At $749 street each, the A7X is firmly within the mid-level ...read more

Currently shipping, the FreePlay Personal PA is the result of Mackie’s latest and greatest brainstorm: a super portable “Swiss Army knife” sound reinforcement problem solver, quite useful in many applications both personal and professional.  Visually, the black polymer-encased ...read more

As 1000W Class D amps in near-bulletproof cabinets become the unofficial rule in pro-grade PPA, lightweight all-in-one systems are growing up, too—just in slightly different ways. Case in point, the 600i—Yamaha’s latest incarnation of its successful STAGEPAS Series—offers ...read more

If you’re looking for a feature-packed small projector for installation, then you’ll need to take a look at the newest addition to the compact line of installation projectors from Canon, the REALiS WUX500. While this new projector is small, compact, and quiet, it’s anything but ...read more

The multi-pattern large diaphragm condenser (LDC) is often a focus in aspirational studio glamour shots—mostly because it’s a key, useful tool, and partly because it’s generally one of the priciest items in a pro’s kit. Recognizing both the needs and desires of, for example, ...read more

In the future, we’ll look back at 2014 and 2015 as the time when mixer control exclusively by computer or tablet first arrived on Planet Earth. But wait—we’ve had the capacity to control mixers remotely with laptops for eons now! But those mixers have sported faders and ...read more

Primarily vocal capture tools, Primacoustic’s flexible absorptive and noise attenuating products are affordable and quite useful in multipurpose A/V production environments. I’ve long found Primacoustic—the acoustic materials firm birthed from Canada’s respected Radial ...read more

There was a time when a conference call was kind of a big deal. We were excited by the Jetsonesque notion of sitting at a table and discussing important business with people scattered across the globe. Excitement also arose from the relatively infrequent occurrence of conference ...read more

Long before many stalwart analog-centric live console companies dipped their toes in the digital pool, Yamaha emerged as a leader in high-end live sound mixing with its digital offerings. As such, they’ve created now-standard ways of working for many live sound engineers that ...read more

This 1U unit is packed with features to significantly update any audio system via proprietary Harman room-sculpting DSP technology. For those already invested in a non-DSP portable PA system—older powered systems or a component-based passive speaker/amp-based rig—dbx’s DriveRack ...read more

The SRX800 Series is a premium portable PA (PPA) range featuring a variety of Harman-cultivated technologies for what I would call tour-grade performances. I know this by applying the full-range SRX800 Series’ flagship—the three-way SRX835P—in a variety of outdoor and indoor ...read more

Budget-conscious audio pros, venues, and discriminating DIY musicians can benefit greatly from the 2.4GHz technology now available in many wireless systems. It’s the most user-friendly range of wireless transducer technology (probably ever); it’s irresistibly affordable; and it ...read more

Audio engineers and recordists generally enjoy the option of creating a complex recording signal chain: combining microphone, preamp, and perhaps other hardware-based processing direct to digital recording software or device. That said, the simplicity of using a high-quality USB ...read more

The Live 1604 is a clear progression in the evolution of Alto Pro mixing products. Today’s Alto Pro is building gear that can indeed sit on professional stages—e.g., its Black Series Powered Loudspeakers, which I reviewed last year with quite impressive results. Alto’s Live 1604 ...read more

The unveiling of Gibson’s Les Paul Reference Monitor Series at last year’s 137th AES Convention allowed us a first look at the Les Paul guitar’s aesthetics overlaid on a studio monitor. Based on initial buzz, the LP Series was just a bit shocking to those averse to “style ...read more

JBL 3 SERIES LSR308 ACTIVE STUDIO MONITORS In January 2013, JBL Professional unveiled its large reference studio monitor—the M2—to intrigued pro audio types at the Winter NAMM Show. In private listening sessions, the M2 certainly was impressive to me, due to a number of new JBL ...read more

Mackie’s ProFX analog mixer series has proven to be an ideal solution for many applications: small clubs and venues, houses of worship (HOWs), and portable PA-reliant, self-mixing musicians and bands, etc. In mid-2012, I reviewed Mackie’s flagship first-generation ProFX console, ...read more

Elite Acoustics Designs’ Sunburst Gear M3BR8 could be the most useful multipurpose monitoring tool I’ve ever used. Is it a studio monitor, instrument monitor, sound reinforcement speaker, Bluetooth-ready portable DJ/KJ rig, remote-location battery-powered portable PA, or a ...read more

The P-Series is one of two powered live loudspeaker lines by Cerwin-Vega, the other being C-V’s flagship CVA Series—quite possibly the best all-around PPA (portable PA) gear I’ve ever used. The P-Series incorporates some notable CVA-influenced features as well as a variety of ...read more