The leaves are changing colors, there’s a crispness to the air, footballs are flying… and the AES 2011 trade show has just wrapped up — it must be fall! This year’s AES show was jam packed with enough drool-worthy gear to make this season truly special. Manufacturers from all over the globe descended upon New York City to show off their latest. Here are just a few of the great new items from this year’s AES show.
A-Designs
Love A-Designs’ incredible Pultec-inspired EM-PEQ 500 Series EQ module? Now you can get that great performance in a rackmountable 2-channel format, with the new EM-EQ2. This surprisingly affordable unit is perfect for tracking, mixing, and mastering. A-Designs also showed off their versatile JM-3001 preamp/EQ. It gives you microphone, instrument, and EQ/insert inputs, and you can use the preamp and the 3-band parametric EQ sections together or independently. As with all A-Designs products, the JM-3001 is handbuilt in the USA with premium components.
Chandler
Chandler brought an inspiring batch of gear goodies to this year’s AES. With its Class A gain stage and outstanding tweakability, Chandler’s new Little Devil Preamp 500 Series module definitely stands out in the crowded preamp crowd. The updated Germ 500 MKII preamp features a spruced-up faceplate and an improved power supply. It makes a great addition to any 500 Series rack. On the pedal side, we were very excited to see Chandler’s Little Devil Colored Boost. Loaded with a Class A amp, a feedback/bias control, and handy presets, this pedal pushes your amp into sweet overdrive — and it adds the character you love. The Germanium Drive gives you all the distinctive character you’d expect out of a germanium pedal, with none of the muddiness. It’s great for everything from light overdrive to full-on fuzz.
Coleman Audio
Coleman Audio’s new line of VU meters and systems includes the dual-meter MBP2 VU module, the 4-meter MBP4 VU module, and the MSP2V stereo VU meter. The MSP2V includes a source switcher and makes a perfect meter for duplication suites. Coleman’s stellar new SMP5.1 meter system gives you incredibly accurate metering for surround environments.
Crane Song
Crane Song’s versatile Titan compressor/limiter combines classic analog performance with digital control. You get threshold, attack, release, shape, makeup gain, and other standard controls — plus an array of “color” controls. The Titan’s main signal path is a discrete Class A design, and the high-speed DSP sidechain makes this unit far more flexible than a standard comp/limiter. The Phoenix II suite updates Crane Song’s stellar tape-emulation plug-ins. This incredible software emulates the characteristics of magnetic tape as well as its interaction with the machine, plus it adds an impressive analog-style feel to your tracks.
Focusrite
Loaded with a pair of Focusrite’s incredible mic preamps, the Scarlett 2i2 USB 2.0 interface packs a whole lot of quality into a very compact unit. This 2-in/2-out interface is also very easy to use, making it perfect for beginners and pros alike. AES attendees were also treated to the amazing Control 2802 small-format analog recording console/DAW control surface. With eight faders and 28 inputs, the Control 2802 puts pro-studio quality and control on your desktop.
Novation
The new Impulse line of USB/MIDI keyboard controllers offers great playing response, but Novation didn’t stop there. They added eight drum pads, a control surface, and even transport controls, so you can work with all your favorite virtual instruments and your DAW.
Millennia
Millennia’s brand-new 2-channel NSEQ-4 parametric equalizer gives you pro performance from a Class A discrete FET design. The HV-35 preamp module fits in your 500 Series rack and works with mics (even ribbons) and instruments. The AD-596 packs eight premium channels of A/D conversion into a compact 500 Series module format.
SSL
Solid State Logic’s stellar Duende Native plug-in suite is now available in a dedicated RTAS format — no more wrapper! This award-winning suite includes SSL’s acclaimed EQ & Dynamic Channel, Stereo Bus Compressor, Drumstrip, Vocalstrip, X-EQ, X-Comp, and X-Verb plug-ins. Duende Native is 64-bit capable and works with both Mac and Windows systems.
TASCAM
Three powerful new solid-state recorders join the TASCAM lineup: the SS-CDR200, the SS-R200, and the SS-R100. Ideal for install and broadcast applications, these recorders give you 24-bit quality and feature both SD/SDHC card slots and USB ports. The X-48MKII workstation gives you the ease of use you’d expect from a standalone hard-disk recorder, plus the convenience and flexibility of a computer-based workstation. This 48-track unit includes a built-in 1TB hard drive, a user interface, and an automated 48-channel digital mixer. On the ultra-portable end of the digital-recording scale, the DR-40 handheld 4-track recorder includes onboard condenser mics, external mic/line inputs, and mixdown capability. The pocket-sized iXZ interface turns your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into an incredibly portable recording studio, thanks to its array of inputs as well as phantom power.
True Systems
Optimized for ribbon and dynamic microphones, True’s pT2-500D preamp module provides a robust 76dB of gain — from a compact 500 Series format. This preamp also works very well with self-powered tube microphones. The pT2-500D provides a convenient low-frequency adjustment control (very useful for vocal and bass DI applications). An onboard discrete FET DI includes input and throughput connections.
Waves
The ever-impressive plug-in powerhouse introduces the Eddie Kramer Tape, Tubes, & Transistors bundle, developed with engineer extraordinaire Eddie Kramer. His favorite audio chain is meticulously modeled and formatted into three easy-to-use plug-ins: the Kramer Master Tape, the HLS Channel, and the PIE Compressor. Waves also brings us the powerfully flexible H-EQ (with several vintage and modern filter types plus a mid-side matrix mode) and the bass-optimized Bass Rider plug-in. The Bass Rider lets you keep a handle on those bass tracks, without using compression.
Many of these amazing new products are already in stock at Sweetwater, and others will be arriving soon. Call your Sales Engineer to find out more!