2011 AES Tech Highlights

NEW YORK CITY: As SonicScoop editor David Weiss states in his Op-Ed story this week, the 2011 AES convention was less about innovation and more about survival. At least on the surface.

Between the most troubled economy since the Great Depression and allegations of fiduciary mismanagement by the AES’ outgoing Executive Director, the 131^st convention saw lower levels of manufacturer enrollment than in recent years.

But if there a smaller exhibition floor than in the past, it didn’t stop the crowds from coming. The first two days saw especially heavy traffic through all nine rows of booths, and the convention’s flagship panels made their presentations to a packed house.

Underneath the surface of the show were a smattering of innovations. One of the largest players in pro audio made a surprising announcement, and a handful of dark horses brought promising new designs to market. While huge developments from major manufacturers were few and far between, seemingly everyone had a new little trick for the 500-series lunchbox. Here’s a small a handful of the most notable designs from this year’s convention:

AVID LAUNCHES PRO TOOLS 10 AND HDX

Whenever the industry leader in Digital Audio Workstations makes an announcement it’s hard not to notice.

For anyone in the market for a new commercial-grade studio system, Pro Tools 10 and HDX should be a welcome development. The latest cards and software allow studios to harness more power at a lower price point than ever before.

Pro Tools 10 has arrived

In the new software, session-loading speed has increased, editors can slide around cross-fades and pre-fader gain in real-time, the system architecture and mix bus have both been improved, and a powerful new Channel Strip plug-in has been thrown in for good measure.

But the announcement of PT 10 hasn’t made everyone happy. Longtime users who upgraded to PT 9 less than a year ago will have to shell out $300 if they want to upgrade immediately, while HD studios could pay upwards of $999 to make the switch in software.

While this release may not have all studio owners jumping out of their seats for an immediate upgrade, the new feature-set may appeal to some of the busiest commercial facilities, and new installations could benefit from the lower cost-of entry.

Whether an upgrade is right for your studio, and what Avid’s change in system architecture and plug-in protocols will mean for users in the long run is enough fodder for a whole separate article. Stay tuned for that story soon.

Aside from the introduction of PT 10, many of the most innovative new designs came from smaller operators, some of whom are new to the scene.

THE DARK HORSE DEVELOPERS OF AES

One of the most striking new standouts was the Pegasus large-diaphram tube condenser microphone from Ronin Applied Sciences.

Ronan Pegasus

With an eye-catching mother-of-pearl inlays and a power supply the size and shape of a high-tech toaster from the Jetsons, it was a difficult piece to ignore.

If you were willing to wait on line for the opportunity, you may have had the chance to talk to the limited-edition mic’s sharp young designer, Dimitri Wolfwood.

How does it sound? Initial impressions from engineers on the showroom floor suggest “pretty damn good.” We’ll have the whole story, and a more comprehensive review for you, in the coming weeks.

A veteran designer who recently struck out on his own had several new pieces to announce. Dennis Fink of Fink Analog Audio worked with UREI and Universal Audio on some of their best-selling designs before building his own designs.

Adding to his recent CS2-FA Vacuum Tube Dual Channel Strip are fresh new units including a 4-channel limiter, and an 1176-style compressor with a tube signal path, all of which are built right here in New York and New Jersey.

Fink Audio CS2FA

THE BOUTIQUES ARE BACK

Vintage King Audio and Studios 301 Manufacturing showcased their new Custom Series 75 Console, a Neve-powered desk that promises to deliver both clean and classic-sounding signal paths in the same frame.

This analog desk is available in 16 through 64-channel configurations with a powerful automation system.

The designers at Dangerous Music have been hard at work on a new product called the Liaison, an inventive new box that might change the way many of us think about analog routing.

Dangerous Liason

This new box helps users to audition, compare, and recall complex signal paths at with the flick of a switch. For the first time, engineers can directly compare hardware effects chains without having to patch and re-patch several pieces of gear, and even recall analog routing “presets”.

We also saw the introduction of the Black Box Tube Pre the first release from Black Box Audio. This tweak-friendly all-tube design features continuously variable triode and pentode stages, which puts the tonal character of the preamp in the user’s hands.

SWEDES KNOW AUDIO

Sweden is one of the world’s eminent producers of finely-honed pop music, and now, one of the major players in Pro Audio.

Golden Age Pre-73 DLX

Lindell Audio’s new line of 17X Compressor/Limiters sound unbelievable, according to a rep from the company’s Suffern, NY-based U.S. distributer, RAD.

This FET-based unit is a fresh new take on the classic 1176, and includes a wet/dry mix knob and 5-position electric guitar-style switches that the select between finely tailored attack and release settings.

The Swedish-based Golden Age Project has expanded their line of affordable 1073-inspired preamps by announcing their new PRE73-DLX. This version adds a 5-position high-pass filter, Active DI input and an output attenuator that allows users to milk additional overdrive out of the unit when desired.

Also new to the Golden Age line is the half-rack EQ73 new selections for 500-series users.

500 SERIES MODULES. PEOPLE STILL LIKE THEM.

Also on display at AES this year were a slew of handy new 500 modules, priced to give gear-fiends a quick and affordable fix in a sluggish economy.

Even Moog got into the game. Along with the Animoog, the first “professional-level iPad synthesizer”, this veteran company revealed their first 500-series offering, a flexible analog resonance filter called The Ladder.

The Ladder by Moog

Neve too had an unexpected 500-series module on display – its 2264A compressor/limiter is now available in the Lunchbox format (2264ALB)  via Vintage King.

al.so expanded its line with the new “British-style” Q5 EQ and the Komp5 compressor (which comes complete with a miniature 500-series VU meter).

The Sennheiser-distributed True Systems announced the pT2-500D Precision Dynamic Preamp, while Chandler debuted Little Devil 500-series preamp.

John Klett’s nonlinearaudio announced two new 8-channel preamp designs – the FlexiGuy and the Orson – both which should be available in 500-series soon. He also revealed an esoteric and inventive module called the Blenda 500 which uses the auxiliary i/o in Purple Audio’s Sweet Ten rack to “give the user a split to any external processor and a reblend function, with phase reverse, for parallel additive or subtractive re-blend within your outboard rack.”

WIRELESS WITHIN REACH

The WL40V has been adapted in wireless capsule form from the SR40V Vocal Microphone

Earlier this year, Shure introduced the PGX Digital Wireless series which promises to bring new levels of fidelity and stability to the field.

And while the PGX series makes digital wireless mics affordable, Earthworks decided to make them upgradeable. During AES, they announced the WL40V, a wireless microphone capsule based on their recent SR40V handheld vocal mic design.

This high-definition capsule can be quickly screwed onto any handheld transmitter that receive a 31.3mm/pitch 1.0mm threading, like the ones from Lectrosonics, Line 6 and Shure.

HOLDING STEADY

Plenty of older products were worth playing with. Who can resist putting together an impromptu mix on an API 1608 or listening to the entire line of ADAM monitors?

While there were new and recent products to be seen and heard, for many attendees the biggest highlight of the convention was the people.

Even when the pickings are slim, AES represents a meeting of the minds that’s rarely seen the rest of the year. We met some of my favorite designers and mixers, walking the floor, speaking on panels, eating dinner, and hitting the after-party circuit for the better part of a week.

At AES everyday engineers meet the people who build their favorite tools, write their favorite stories, and make their favorite records. New relationships inevitably form. Some of them can last a lifetime.

– The SonicScoop Staff

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