  | Oram Pro Audio Products Classic European Design and Audio Excellence Now Available in North America |
No one has to tell you that mixing console quality has skyrocketed over the last few years, primarily in response to the proliferation of digital recorders. Even the mass market products aimed at the millions of musicians with home studios have amazing specs that come close to what was once considered pro quality. But how good is "good"? Is there really still a great difference between semi-pro and pro equipment?
The answer is, quite simply, yes. As low to mid-priced mixers have gotten better, so too have the high end boards used in major studios around the world. While the average musician can now afford a mixer that will produce a fine recording, the domain of truly great sound still belongs in the realm of the elite few consoles. And yet, even here, absolute sonic transparency and awesome fidelity have become more affordable.
Consider this: You can now purchase a mixing console that can go head-to-head with $100,000 mixers for less than a third of that price. And the manufacturer that has done it is Oram Professional Audio in the form of their BEQ Series 8 and 24 bus Consoles. What is not surprising is that the man behind this equipment is the same person who became world famous as the "Father of British EQ," John Oram. His reputation for sonic excellence and outstanding audio designs have been heard world-wide in such diverse products as the renowned Trident Consoles, Vox amplifiers and even Martin guitar preamplifiers.
Anyone who has ever researched buying a mixer has heard the term "British EQ." This refers to a particularly smooth and musical equalization that many manufacturers have attempted to copy, but none has duplicated. Some have even termed this particular sound "magical."
Unfortunately, John Oram's latest products and designs have been rather hard to come by in North America. Those who wanted the pristine quality and authentic Oram British EQ were forced to import Oram consoles, preamps and equalizers from Europe. But all of this has now changed: When we heard these phenomenal mixers for ourselves and saw the incredible quality of their construction, we immediately knew we had to make these monster boards available to all our customers. To make a long story short, Sweetwater Sound is now the exclusive North American distributor for Oram products, meaning that America's fastest-growing music retailer will be selling one of Europe's best selling - and best sounding - professional audio products.
This partnership could not come at a better time for the many studios here in North America that have been looking to upgrade to the very best hardware available in order to finally achieve that quantum leap into world class sound. In fact, many have said that the new Oram consoles are the only products in their price range that can actually compete favorably with a Neve console for overall audio quality - high praise indeed for any product.
All Oram products essentially take a "brute force" approach to mixer design, from the individual channel strips and great-feeling full length faders, right down to the extra heavy duty power supplies. These products are built to perform day in and day out, year after year, yet still deliver the outstanding sonic performance required in even the most demanding situations.
Sitting at the top of the Oram family tree is the BEQ Series 24 with list prices starting at $39,900 - a hefty investment to be sure, but still far better value than many mixers sporting even bigger price tags, but delivering sound quality that just doesn't come close to that of the BEQ Series 24.
This console features the superb, warm, vintage sound of Oram Sonics super low noise circuitry, enhanced by the low noise characteristics and reliability of true Surface Mount Technology (SMT). There are 10 aux sends per channel with 10 FX returns, each with dual band EQ plus Oram's unique Triple Aux which allows connection to 30 FX with full level control (can your mixer do that?).
Of course, you get smooth 100mm main faders (which can be factory or retro fitted for any automation system) and 60mm monitor faders with dual channel EQ. There are 112 Inputs to the mix bus with a 32 input console plus a noise gate on every channel. Each Series 24 is fully modular with 3mm aluminum panels held in place by tough Nyloc fasteners.
The prestigious British trade magazine Sound On Sound praised the BEQ Series 24 in its August 1996 issue, stating "...above all (it) offers a quality of signal path comparable to the best. You might expect to find this much functionality on a desk at this price, but not with this much attention to detail and pride in its audio specs and performance." We couldn't possibly agree more.
Next in the Oram line is the BEQ Series 8 with a list price starting at $15,395. It, too, features the superb Oram Sonics super low noise circuitry, Surface Mount Technology, 7 aux sends per channel with 5 FX returns, 100mm main faders and 60mm monitor faders, 72 inputs to mix bus with a 24 input configuration, two separate stereo mix outs with master faders and an external, "silent running" power supply, all standard.
A quote from EQ magazine (March 1996) probably sums up the Series 8 the best: "The Father of British EQ has just made the Mother of all Consoles." Guess they were impressed, eh? So much so, in fact, that the magazine awarded this console not one, but two blue ribbons for quality at a recent AES Show. The Series 8 also was a TEC Award nominee in 1996.
From experience we know that you can find other mixers that have more "bells and whistles," but almost none can compete with the unsurpassed Oram sound quality. Plus, with a BEQ console, you get a REAL mixing desk, not some table-top mixer that your clients will look at as something "less than professional."
But Oram Professional Audio Products include more than mixing consoles. Also available is the Oram Sonics MWS ($2195 list) which stands for Microphone Work Station. Essentially, this is a stand-alone version of the ultra high quality mic preamps found in Oram's consoles, plus the company's exceptional EQ with high and low pass filters, bass and treble shelving and sweepable mids. If you want the sound of Oram's low noise (essentially NO noise) mic preamps without investing in a whole new board, this unit will make perfect sense. Talk to your sales engineer - they've heard this masterpiece and they're now true believers. You will be too, once you add one to your studio.
The stand-alone Oram Sonics HD-EQ2 ($4070 list - see photo above) applies John Oram's years of experience to the problem of designing an outboard EQ that combines outstanding flexibility with the highly desirable British EQ sound. It has a total of 8 bands of EQ per channel with both sweep and shelf circuitry, separate filter and EQ bypass, plus switch selectable plus/minus 6/18 dB control.
Look, this equipment certainly isn't for everyone, but here at Sweetwater, we knew as soon as we saw and heard them that they would be absolutely perfect for certain customers. When you simply can't compromise on audio quality, or if you only want the best for your studio at prices that you can actually afford, Oram products are the way to go. So call us for more detailed information and your special pricing on all these great Oram products.
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