In a world, where high-end consoles dominate the floor, one company stands alone for the needs of the struggling budget producer. That company, Mackie, has introduced four new small format mixers, all of which serve the needs of live sound, as well as computer-based recording. The ProFX8 ($230 MAP) and ProFX12 ($280 MAP) both feature 3-band EQ per channel, as well as a 7-band graphic EQ on the master output and a built-in 32-bit effect processor with 16 gig-ready effects. Their USB ports provide stereo I/O for recording and playback.

Two even more compact mixers, the U.420 ($299 MSRP) and the U.420d ($359 MSRP), come with 24-bit 96 kHz FireWire connectivity for recording and playback. Both are 4-channel mixers, but whereas the U.420 offer 4 stereo line inputs and a phono input, the U420.d includes 2 premium Mackie preamp mic/line inputs, two stereo line/phono inputs. The U420.d also adds faders on channels 1 & 2 and a crossfader between channels 3 and 4.

Both mixers also include 3-band “full kill” EQ per channel and Mackie Tracktion 3 production software.

With five new mic introductions, Audio-Technica has focused on the field recording and broadcast industries. Two stereo condenser mics, the AT8022 ($499 MSRP) and BP4025 ($749 MSRP) will be availale later this month. They are both X/Y stereo microphones with 80 Hz highpass filter switches. The balanced or unbalanced AT8022 runs on battery power (1 AA) or phantom power, while the balanced BP4025 is phantom power only. The BP4025 also adds a 10 dB pad and large diaphragm capsules for pristine, low-noise sound.

A-T’s three new shotgun mics, the BP4073 ($999 MSRP), BP4071 ($1,169 MSRP) and BP4071L ($1,299 MSRP) are set for January 2009 availability. These Line + Gradient condenser mics provide focused pickup throughout the frequency range for greater distance recording, a switchable 150 Hz highpass filter and rugged aluminum alloy housings. The 21.2-inch long BP4071L is one of the longest shotgun mics you could find and offers a very narrow polar pattern. All three shotgun mics require phantom power.

The new Waves MV2 dynamics processing plug-in makes it fantastically simple to maximize the volume of a track, thereby cutting it through a mix, without screwing up your levels. MV2’s stripped-down interface includes only three faders: high and low compression and output level. Minimal controls, but copious results. In the demo I saw, it was quick and intuitive to use MV2 to bring a wide variety of tracks, including kicks, hi-hats and synth loops, to the forefront of a mix, all while keeping the track levels in check.

MV2 comes as part of the Waves Gold, Platinum, Diamond or Mercury bundles, but unfortunately is not available as a stand-alone purchase at this time.

Hey, I’m here with Elias Gwinn from Benchmark, and he’s got some things to say about their studio party tonight. Elias…

Presonus dropped a huge new release in the StudioLive 16.4.2, a 16-channel recording and live performance digital mixer. About 2 months out from availability, the $1,999 mixer comes with 16 Xmax mic pres, the same ones from the Presonus Firestudio line. Equally adept as a stand-alone mixer or as a 28 x18 Firewire recording and playback interface, the StudioLive revolves around its Fat Channel, the blue section in the center of the mixer that operates the EQ, compressor, limiter, gate and highpass filter that are available on all 16 input channels, as well as every aux output, subgroup and the main output. STudioLive also includes two 32-bit DSP effects engines.

For live recording from the StudioLive’s 16 inputs, Presonus has included Capture, a 16-track recording software that requires no setup to begin recording instantly from StudioLive to your computer. Capture exports to Wav and Open TL audio formats, so you can import the tracks into any DAW.

Focusrite has stepped up their interface game with the Saffire Pro 40 Firewire 20-in/20-out audio interface. It comes with eight of Focusrite’s award-winning preamps, and each of those eight channels has a front-panel gain knob and a 5-LED level meter. Two headphone outs have discrete level controls, and the main monitor controls include level knob, Dim and Mute switches. You get 8 XLR inputs (2 switchable to Hi-Z), 10 1/4-inch outputs ADAT optical I/O and coaxial S/PDIF I/O.

The real story behind the Saffire Pro 40 is its price–$499 retail–and its software. The Saffire PRO 40 Control software gives you a full digital mixing interface with extreme routability. Any input signal or DAW output–or a mix of both–can be routed to any of the 20 outputs. You also get four Focusrite VST/AU plug-ins: a gate, compresser, EQ and reverb.

Although it is still in beta, Jazzmutant is showing V2 of its hyper-cool Lemur multitouch controller. Lemur V2 introduces new controller objects to the graphic interface, including Gesture, an emulated trackpad with gesture recognition; Breakpoint, a multi-segment envelope editor; and Tabbed Containers, which allow you to add different page tabs to a graphic controller module.

Additionally, you can now use Lemur as your mouse and QWERTY keyboard for your computer. JazzEditor, the computer software that lets you set up and edit control environments for the Lemur, has also been redesigned with a cleaner, more intuitive interface.

Twenty-five years after introducing the first rackmount power conditioner in 1983, Furman has reinvented the standard with its Classic Series Power Conditioners. Including five models, the Classic Series rocks a new indusstrial design and a full feature set for A/V professionals.

To be available next month, the Classic Series models include 8 rear-panel sockets and 1 front-panel socket in a single rack space design. They also give you a 12V rear lamp socket, and two front-panel pull-out LED lights, which use little energy and produce little heat.

The PL-8 C ($179 MAP) is the basic model, and the PL-Plus C ($229 MAP) adds an LED voltage meter to display incoming line voltage. The PL-Plus DMC adds a three-digit voltmeter/ammeter. Those three units are 15 amps, while the following two are 20 amps. The PL-Pro C ($359 MAP) has the LED voltage meter and adds a front-panel USB charger, while the PL-Pro DMC ($419) also has the USB charger and adds the 3-digit voltmeter/ammeter.

Synth-heads have been impatiently awaiting the Arturia Origin, and they’ve had plenty of time to save up their money. Finally, Origin is now shipping for $3,200 MSRP ($2,490 MAP). This semi-modular monster combines several synthesizers compiled from Arturia’s legacy of original and modeled sounds and mashes them into one hardware DSP system.

You can choose sounds from Arturia’s Galaxy or its emulations of the Moog Modular, the Yamaha CS-80, the Roland Jupiter-8, the Minimoog, the ARP 2600, the Sequential Circuits Prophet 5 and Prophet VS. Best of all, you can select individual modules from all of those sources and combine them together to create huge and unique sounds of your own.

Great for live performance as well as spontaneous sound design, Origin contains a 16/32-step seqeuncer that can sequence notes, as well parameter motions in up to three sub-sequences at a time. Multi-mode lets you play four instruments at once, and Origin includes seven real-time effects types.

Ultrasone, the headphone company with a rabid, cult-like following, showed it latest flagship set, the recently-announced Pro 900 headphones, which are available now for a retail price of $599.

In addition to the trademark comfort of Ultrasone headphones, thanks in part to the velvety ear pads, the Pro 900 is Ultrasone’s first set to feature built-in S-Logic Plus technology. As the latest advancement of the S-Logic Natural Surround Sound System, S-Logic Plus simulates the experience of listening to surround sound in a set of stereo headphones.

The ample accessory complement for the Pro 900 includes a zippered, hard-sided carrying case, two sets of detachable cables (one coiled and one straight), an extra set of ear pads and a 1/4-inch to 1/8-inch adapter.