Brad Lunde from TransAudio Group was showing off a single-rack space EQUALUX EQ from Tonelux, the equivalent of their Tonelux EQ4P vertical unit. It features proportional Q and fixed 1/3 octave switches on all bands, shelving on both the high-frequency band and the low-frequency band, a silent IN/OUT switch, and the addition of a hard wire bypass switch that also bypasses the unit in the unlikely event of a power failure. Also at the show was their DYNALUX Compressor, a two-channel version of the TXC compressor offering many added linking and control features. A dual mic pre is also in the works.

Prism Sound has been very busy this year, first buying SaDie, then releasing the super-cool Orpheus FireWire I/O box (be sure to read our upcoming review in the November Mix). For AES they’ve released major upgrades of their MEA-2 stereo analogue equalizer and MLA-2 stereo compressor promising improved performance a new look. The MEA-2 features faster amplifiers with wider bandwidth and improved low frequency EQ filters. Similar updates have been applied to the MLA-2, a stereo or 2-channel compressor with stepped drive (input gain), ratio, attack and release time and output gain controls.

SSL had a range of new products in their booth including the new Vocalstrip plug-in. It is the latest addition to the Duende collection combining powerful EQ and dynamics sections with essential vocal processors calibrated to deliver great results every time. Features include comparative analysis & dynamic envelope based De-esser/De-ploser, a 3-band SSL EQ with High-Pass, ‘asymmetric notch’ and ‘air’ bands all delivered via an informative GUI showing EQ curves and real time FFT overlay.

SPL came with some new toys for AES including the 2Control which combines speaker and headphone monitoring functions all in an attractive desktop unit. The entirely analog 2Control allows for connection and selection of two stereo sources, two stereo speaker sets and two headphones. A third mono speaker output can be used to feed a subwoofer. Speaker volume is controlled by a central, massive volume potentiometer. Each headphone output is supplied by a separate amplifier stage and can be controlled individually. It also features Crossfeed control circuitry which creates frequency dependent interaural level differences between the stereo channels to generate a real speaker playback impression on headphones.

I truly had a spiritual experience when I saw the new Church mic from Pearlman. It is a meticulously faithful remake of the revered microphone initially created by Stanley Church for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in the mid-’50s. The Pearlman model is the only replica truly adhering to the original schematics, including the use of the authentic Triad transformer that has been out of production for nearly half a century. Like its venerable predecessor, the Pearlman Church mic employs a Neumann M7 (or optional K47) capsule, hand selected GE five-star 6072 dual triode (12AY7) vacuum tube, and “new old stock” Triad transformer, which is currently exclusively being made available to Pearlman.

The new Crystal Console from Lawo brought some bling to the floor. The low-profile digital console is designed for radio on-air and edit-suite applications. Don’t be fooled by the size, Crystal features a matrix of up to 288 I/Os, can be customized and integrated with other consoles and matrices. A companion 19 inch chassis houses I/Os, signal processing and the control system. Both units are connected via CAN bus (CAT5 cable), known as a practicable and reliable interface for real-time applications.

We have mere days to go now, and Mix is ramping up for a great show.