STUDIO
Jan 1, 2004 12:00 PM, By Doug Eisengrein
TANNOY ELLIPSE iDP
STUDIO MONITORS
The acoustics wizards at Tannoy have teamed up with TC Electronic to introduce an active monitoring system that is the first of its kind. The Ellipse iDP (price TBA) combines the unique Tannoy trademark of dual-concentric drivers (in which the tweeter is housed in the center of the woofer for better frequency alignment), as well as its ellipsoidal enclosures from the Ellipse 8 and 10 models, with the latest cutting-edge digital processing from TC. The new iDP (Interactive Digital Programming) monitors feature full bass management and instant recall of preselected crossover frequencies and — taking a cue from professional P.A. systems — delay and room-compensation EQ, an amazing tool for engineers who prefer to bring their monitors with them to different locations. What's more, users can store and recall their own presets. The new Ellipse monitors are forward-thinking, too: They are ready to accept incoming digital signals at 192 kHz. A 500W, 2×12-inch side-firing subwoofer is available to complement the system, making it ideal for 2.1, 5.1 and 7.1 surround.
Tannoy; e-mail
inquiries@tannoyna.com; Web
www.tannoy.com
MOTU MX4
SOFTWARE SYNTH
The annual AES Convention always means the release of many new cool toys, and MOTU added to the fun this year with its new MX4 ($295) virtual instrument plug-in. The company's first foray into a dedicated soft-synth plug-in, MX4 is designed to work with MOTU's own DP4 (MAS), as well as Digidesign Pro Tools (RTAS) and other Mac OS X audio hosts (Audio Units). MX4 is an old-meets-new virtual instrument; it is modeled after classic subtractive synthesizers — such as the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5, the PPG Wave and the Moog Modular — yet it boasts a totally modern hybrid synthesis engine that combines subtractive, wavetable, frequency modulation (FM), amplitude modulation (AM) and analog emulation all under one hood. MX4 provides unlimited voices, polyphony and instantiations yet is designed to be efficient. Sample-accurate playback is the name of the game with MX4, and it boasts native 32-bit internal resolution while supporting all standard sample rates as high as 192 kHz.
MOTU; e-mail
sales@motu.com; Web
www.motu.com
WAVES DIAMOND BUNDLE
DIGITAL AUDIO PROCESSING SOFTWARE
Waves audio processors have become the de facto standard for many top studios, and the new Diamond Bundle ($3,800 native; $7,000 TDM) — which comprises Waves' renowned Platinum, Restoration and Transform bundles — provides a total of 35 high-quality processors that can function as your studio's processing core. The Diamond Bundle includes an array of tools for different jobs: tracking, mixing, mastering, creative sound design and audio restoration, and you can use them to suit your processing style: transparent, surgical, analog or vintage. The bundle is rather cost-effective for Waves — the entire suite costs less than purchasing the Platinum, Restoration and Transform bundles separately, bringing the best of the Waves' plug-ins together under one roof. Included with the bundle is WaveShell, which provides support for all major plug-in formats and audio-editor configurations: TDM, RTAS, AudioSuite, VST, DirectX, MAS for Mac and Audio Units.
Waves; e-mail
sales@waves.com; Web
www.waves.com
PRIMESOUNDS PRIME SFX
SOUND-EFFECTS LIBRARY
PrimeSounds delivers 11 discs' worth of high-quality sound effects and atmospheres in the Prime SFX (price TBA) library. If you are doing any kind of sound for video or postproduction or you just want atmospheres for your tracks or remixes, this collection might serve as your main sound-effects library. Prime SFX is a box set that provides a vast collection of sounds and backdrops created by Sound Control, a company involved in numerous motion pictures and television productions. Included are 10 CD-ROMs with titles ranging from Ambience Outdoors, Ambience Indoors and Rain/Thunder/Water/Wind to Machines/Tools/House, Transportation/Vehicles and beyond. Rounding out the collection is the entire 10-CD library on one DVD-ROM, which alone makes the package a good deal. All of the sounds in the collection were recorded with high-end equipment, with careful attention to editing. Some effects were designed with authenticity whereas others have been beefed up a bit, with an ear on covering a multitude of situations.
PrimeSounds; e-mail
info@primesounds.com; Web
www.primesounds.com
ARTURIA CS-80V
SOFTWARE SYNTH
Arturia's latest master reproduction, CS-80V ($249), is a faithful emulation of Yamaha's legendary CS-80 synth, which was and still is considered by many to be the finest Japanese polyphonic synthesizer ever made. CS-80V is based on the same proprietary TAE technology that Arturia used in its already-famous year-old masterpiece, Moog Modular V. The virtual CS comes preloaded with more than 400 presets created by top sound designers and offers all of the features of the original synth, as well as new innovative features such as a modulation matrix, multitimbrality, an arpeggiator and a stereo delay. Demo samples are available on Arturia's Website. Compared with the price tag of the original synth ($6,900), not to mention its weight (220 pounds), CS-80V is an obvious choice for serious musicians in the studio or on the road who love the Yamaha 1976 classic made famous in the late '70s and early '80s by acts such as Toto, Jean-Michel Jarre, Keith Emerson, Stevie Wonder and Vangelis.
Arturia; e-mail
info@arturia.com; Web
www.arturia.com
TC ELECTRONIC RESTORATION SUITE
DIGITAL-AUDIO PROCESSING SOFTWARE
For those not in the know, PowerCore is TC Electronic's open-architecture DSP platform for VST or Audio Units — compatible audio applications, meaning that CPU-hungry digital audio processors no longer need to rely exclusively on a computer's power arsenal alone. The new Restoration Suite ($1,499) is TC's latest addition to PowerCore. The Suite includes three of the most critical plug-ins for high-end audio restoration: a denoiser, a declicker and a descratcher. In collaboration with Noveltech Solutions, TC has introduced patented new technology into the three plug-ins. DeScratch is designed for removing impulsive disturbances such as extreme clicks or dropouts in digital signals or scratched vinyl recordings. DeScratch makes it possible to eliminate extremely large scratches without audible “repair” artifacts. DeNoise is optimized for broadband noise removal, from tape hiss to static environmental noise.
TC Electronic; e-mail
infous@tcelectronic.com; Web
www.tcelectronic.com
SE ELECTRONICS Z SERIES
STUDIO CONDENSER MICS
SE Electronics, a relative newcomer on the studio-mic scene, has been making a splash with some affordable microphones. The company's latest line of full-size studio condensers, the Z Series ($249-$699), includes four new models: the basic Z 1100, the middle-of-the-road Z 2200 and 3300, and the new vacuum-tube Z 5600. All of the mics feature 1.07-inch, 24-karat-gold sputtered diaphragms, a somewhat rare component in any microphone, especially in this price range. The flagship Z 5600 sets the standard for SE. It features a 9-point polar-pattern selector — located not on the mic, but on its power supply — that allows you to switch between omnidirectional, cardioid and figure-8 patterns gradually, like a polar-pattern crossfade. Under the Z 5600's casing is a 12AT7 tube for a warm tone and a vintagelike character. All Z-Series mics come with essential add-ons, including shockmounts.
SE Electronics; e-mail
microphone@seelectronics.com; Web
www.seelectronics.com
ROGER LINN DESIGN ADRENALINN II
EFFECTS PROCESSOR
Designed by none other than Roger Linn himself (maker of the classic Linn Drum machine), the AdrenaLinn II ($499) is a small yet powerful box that combines three products in one: a beat-synched multi-effects processor, a guitar-amp modeler and an excellent-sounding beat box with 200 different drumbeats and more than 40 sounds. The multi-effects processor includes tremolo, flange, rotary, delay, auto wah, talk box, random filtering and other modulation effects that work in perfect sync to the internal drumbeat or external MIDI. The amp modeler includes simulations of classic guitar amps of the past 40 years, in addition to a few original amp models. The AdrenaLinn II includes everything from the original AdrenaLinn and, using a more powerful internal computer and expanded memory, adds a lot more. Some specific highlights include the new beat-synched filter effects random filtering, random flanging, tremolo sequences and pitched arpeggio sequences; also new are emulations of classic Moog and Oberheim synth filters, as well as guitar-synth sounds.
Roger Linn Design; e-mail
mail@rogerlinndesign.com; Web
www.rogerlinndesign.com
MACKIE SRM350
P.A. SPEAKERS
Several years back, Mackie introduced the now-famous SRM-450 P.A. speakers, delighting lecturers and musicians alike with a pristine sound quality that was more reminiscent of turned-up studio monitors than bulky P.A. speakers. Now, Mackie ups the ante with its new 10-inch SRM350 (price TBA) speakers. The SRM350s deliver 195W of total power (30W for the high frequencies, 165W for the lows), with 121dB of peak SPL. That is an amazingly high level of sound pressure for a 10-inch speaker system. The new Dynamic Bass Boost, a 70Hz bandpass filter that adjusts itself according to volume level, provides full sound at all volume levels. Also added is a Contour control, which you can switch for added bass and high end; this feature is especially effective for DJ applications. The SRM350s also include built-in equalization, phase alignment, electronic crossovers and protection circuitry. The enclosures are designed for all types of placement. Mackie speakers are renowned for their easy “flyability,” and these are no exception, with multiple fly points beneath the top handle and bottom pole. They can also be polemounted, and the enclosure is asymmetrical, designed specifically for simple wedge-style floor-monitor placement.
Mackie; e-mail
sales@mackie.com; Web
www.mackie.com
STANTON SMX-301
DJ MIXER
The latest from Stanton offers what many want in a DJ mixer: no-nonsense, easy-to-read controls in a classy, professional-looking chassis that favors form over trendy fashion. The SMX-301 ($299) is an affordable DJ mixer that includes the essentials: three phono inputs, six line inputs, one mic input with 3-band EQ, master crossfader and frequency kill switches for two channels near the crossfader, as well as gain and 3-band EQ on each channel. The beauty of this board is its modular construction, which includes a replaceable crossfader and channel faders. The cue section features both prefade listen and cue pan, and the SMX-301 provides two headphone outputs, one ¼-inch and one ¼-inch. All line and phono inputs are on RCA connectors, and the output section includes master, booth and record outputs on RCAs, as well as master and booth on balanced ¼-inch connectors. Master and booth outputs are on separate volume controls, and the master output is displayed on three-color stereo LEDs.
Stanton; e-mail
information@stantonmagnetics.com; Web
www.stantonmagnetics.com
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