High End Hit List: Hit Product From AES 2005 NYC!!!!

[Rob G]

All,

High End Hit List: Hit Product From AES 2005 NYC!!!!

Feel free to list your favorite new product from the most recent AES show.

Rob G..

P.S.: To the moderators. I thought this might go better in 'New product alert' but since I wanted to focus strictly on 'High End' new product I posted here. Move, or cancel the thread if it needs to be moved, or canceled.

[Legacy]

Hi Rob,

I am still thinking about Tonelux's new console possibilities - ie all those hardware possibilities from different companies in adddition to the Tonelux modules. Its a remarkable show of manufacturer's playing nice together for our mutual benefit (I hope). I am interested in seeing if Mr. Wolff et al can pull it off.

Best,
Silas

[lkingnyc]

That E series Xlogic from ssl has my name written all over it ......

I'm sure it won't sound just like the old E series but as close as I'm going to get without buyin a board

[grahluk]

I posted this in another thread related to the URS plugs. Algorythmix's plug ins will be ported to other native formats, and Mac.

[Teacher]

its not a new product but the API vision stole the show for me , though it wasn't turned on

[Revelation]

Euphonix controller for Nuendo is it for me. WOW

[Exsanguis]

Originally Posted by Teacher

its not a new product but the API vision stole the show for me , though it wasn't turned on

That little Vision is going in my school's new studio. We're all anxiously awaiting it. Between that and our 9000K, I think we'll be set for at least a year .

[djui5]

Originally Posted by Exsanguis

That little Vision is going in my school's new studio. We're all anxiously awaiting it. Between that and our 9000K, I think we'll be set for at least a year .

umm where is your school? Do they need teachers?


That API is one of the best consoles ever created

[guru007]

Originally Posted by Revelation

Euphonix controller for Nuendo is it for me. WOW

Add my vote for this one. I also dug that one of the units was controlling ProTools. Very impressive look, feel, and flexibility.

guru007

[jdunn]

Are you guys talking about the big Euphonix System 5 looking controller, or the little MC with 4 faders? Probably the big one huh?

I think the MC looks cool though. Looks more like an editing workstation, but I could easily mix on it with a DAW if I had the $23,000 to buy one.

[warhead]

Don't know if this qualifies as high end, but two compressors there kicked some serious ass.

The Electro Harmonix NY2A and the Roll Music stereo comp. Those are some seriously good sounding boxes in the $2k range give or take.

War

[Cellotron]

Coolest thing as far as end I saw at AES has to be the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor. The thing is massive at 5u with these giant bakelite knobs and big ol' vu meters with an engraved faceplate for what they call their "1936 aesthetic" Basically - the thing is big but looks really freakin cool. The insides were very impressive looking with nice looking point to point wiring and hand wound custom designed trannys. all hand built.

Since there isn't any info on it in their website - http://www.shadowhillsindustries.com - about it yet I'll paraphrase from the brochure:

Two comps in series: 1st is an optical comp/limiter using a T4B electro-optical attenuator (like the ones in the LA2). 2nd in series is a class A discrete VCA with 6 position switch for attack, 5 position for release, and 4 position switch for ratio. Each compressor section or side can be bypassed - and the optical and VCA sections each have their own threshold controls. There are seperate knobs for every control for both sides. It can operate as dual mono or linked stereo.
Now here's one of the coolest parts: there are 3 - count em, three - completely different output transformers set for completely different characters which you can switch easily from and even set different for each side (which could be cool if you used this as an M/S processor).

It goes for $4000 (which seems like a serious bargain looking at what was in it) although stock the makeup gain and the threshold knobs are not detented (which was the one thing I didn't like about it on my initial impression) - but the designer (forgot his name - seemed a like pretty young guy but also seemed sharp as a tack) told me they could probably make these detented for not that much more.

Talking with them it could be a wait to get one - but it's being distributed by Vintage King Audio - http://www.vintageking.com - who I've received excellent service from in the past (they're the folks I got my Medici from).

Biggest part - how does it sound??? Heck if I know as they really didn't have a way of demoing it - and even if they had the AES floor is a horrible place to make an evaluation - but I'm definitely going to talk to the Vintage King folks early next year about getting my hands on one to demo.

I spent a bunch of time checking out the Legendary Masterpiece with Billy Stull giving me the full tour and got to say he was one of the nicest people I've met with a real great and refreshing enthusiam for the gear and audio - even all the way at the end of the day right before the convention closed which is the time I stopped by. The eq in it looks mighty cool with a ton of optional center freq's - kind of looked like a Medici on steroids with the familiar "sheen" and "glow" buttons as options on the shelves . The option to have either the "classic" Neve or "tape" saturation elements applied to just one area of the freq spectrum looks way cool, and there's a nice insert section so you can integrate the rest of your gear (and even use it to sidechain to the built in comps, or use the Masterpieces filters so that you only effect part of the spectrum with your outboard also). The "ambience" control seems interesting also. I expressed my wanting a number of things different - i.e. the ranges of the HPF's and LPF's on the stock unit would be totally useless to me - and it is indeed hard for me to get around input output attenuators aren't deteneted, and yeah, I'd like a mono switch on it somewhere - but Billy let me know that getting it modded and customized is definitely possible. Of course $19g's is a hefty price tag - but it definitely looks a lot more interesting than some other posters have made it out to be. Billy let me know that there is a company you can get financing for it through that will be linked from their site soon.

Other things of interest:
The Benchmark ADC-1 looks like it could be pretty darned cool - stepped input attentuator that you can also bypass if you like to go to a calibrated input level set by front pane trim pot, goes up to 192kHz, has dual simultaneous outputs to AES and spdif including optional src for one of them. At $1700 looks like a pretty cool option to check out.

Also briefly stopped by the Digital Audio Denmark booth and their new AX24 converter looks pretty cool - DXD, DSD, 2x DSD or 24bit PCM up to 384kHz. Forgot to ask the price though.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[themaidsroom]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

Coolest thing as far as end I saw at AES has to be the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor. The thing is massive at 5u with these giant bakelite knobs and big ol' vu meters with an engraved faceplate for what they call their "1936 aesthetic" Basically - the thing is big but looks really freakin cool. The insides were very impressive looking with nice looking point to point wiring and hand wound custom designed trannys. all hand built.


Steve Berson

i would agree......if it sounds as good as it looks like it might sound.......it's very groovy.......
i hope someone will report about it in use soon.....
its maker...peter, a very nice guy , gave me its picture which is sitting here working
its witchcraft........

it really is beautiful
it looks like it might be a prop
from terry gilliam's "brazil"

be well


- jack

[Tetness]

(Re: Shadow Hills Compressor)

Originally Posted by Cellotron

It goes for $4000 (which seems like a serious bargain looking at what was in it) although stock the makeup gain and the threshold knobs are not detented (which was the one thing I didn't like about it on my initial impression) - but the designer (forgot his name - seemed a like pretty young guy but also seemed sharp as a tack) told me they could probably make these detented for not that much more. Steve Berson

Peter Reardon's the designer. And as far as detented knobs. That's an option you can get. He's making mine with detented knobs and a few other mastering type upgrades. Can't quote a price but it's not a big difference.

[MGA]

Hey guys,

Did anyone get to see/hear the new Buzz Audio EQ and compressor?

[Riccardo]

Originally Posted by Tetness

(Re: Shadow Hills Compressor)


Peter Reardon's the designer. And as far as detented knobs. That's an option you can get. He's making mine with detented knobs and a few other mastering type upgrades. Can't quote a price but it's not a big difference.

Tetness...and Steve...the option is on the VK website for 440 usd........not bad at all......

[Lynn Fuston]

Originally Posted by MGA

Did anyone get to see/hear the new Buzz Audio EQ and compressor?

They weren't set up to hear. Looked very cool though.

[Zooey]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

Coolest thing as far as end I saw at AES has to be the Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor. The thing is massive at 5u with these giant bakelite knobs and big ol' vu meters with an engraved faceplate for what they call their "1936 aesthetic"

Whoa--are those "magic eye" tubes? I had an old receiver with one of those.

[Gideon]

The coolest new thing that I saw (and heard) was the Weiss DNA1 Denoiser / Decrackler / Declicker / Ambience Processor / M/S Control. I usually find myself lusting more after analog outboard gear, but this box is truly exceptional.

[johnny gren]

I was surprised at all the stuff the new AMS Neve "summing mixer" could do. It had some geat line level monitoring and insert features, and event a talkback. Plus you could store your settings thru a PC/Mac software app. Interesting to hear how it actually sounds when used....

[Revelation]

Originally Posted by Lynn Fuston

They weren't set up to hear. Looked very cool though.

They were on the same isle as Great River on the right. I thought I heard their compressor and EQ. Pre was not hooked up though.

[StoneinaPond]

Originally Posted by Zooey

Whoa--are those "magic eye" tubes? I had an old receiver with one of those.

Exactly.

[Igotsoul4u]

Originally Posted by johnny gren

I was surprised at all the stuff the new AMS Neve "summing mixer" could do. It had some geat line level monitoring and insert features, and event a talkback. Plus you could store your settings thru a PC/Mac software app. Interesting to hear how it actually sounds when used....

I just did a backflip. My dream of a neve summing system is becoming a reality!!!!!

[NathanEldred]

Originally Posted by Revelation

They were on the same isle as Great River on the right. I thought I heard their compressor and EQ. Pre was not hooked up though.

The series 1.1 compressor and EQ were hooked up for listening.

The NEW REQ2.2 (passive inductor class A EQ) and DCS2.2 (all class A FET & Opto mono compressor) were shown but not able to be heard. They should both be shipping in approx 8 weeks.

We had Bob Ludwig, Allen Sides, Michael Wagener, Bob Katz, Chuck Ainley & Brad Blackwood all take a look and requested demo units of the new products to try after they are available.

Also a big congratulations to Tim Farrant for receiving a Pro Audio Review PAR Excellence award for the REQ2.2.

[mitgong]

I'm surprised that no one has yet mentioned that Abbey Road is making plug-ins. And that the Abbey Road/Chandler compresser plugin for PT is completely awesome. I've never heard smoother release characteristics from any plugin compressor. Best drum crush ever. I wish I owned the studio where I work. I would've brought 'em home with me.

[Joel Hamilton]

DW Fearn, Shadow hills, Charter Oak, and Latch Lake.

The rest was pretty boring..... I think there should be a whole weekend devoted to 1073 clones..... ;)

[jonnyclueless]

I wasn't there, but from what I understand, there were no large consoles at all. Pretty scarey.

[joeq]

The Fearn EQ, the Fearn compressor, the Li'l Freq

I agree- the large consoles were conspicuous in their absence. Like going to the zoo and there are no Lions or Elephants.

[Exsanguis]

Originally Posted by djui5

umm where is your school? Do they need teachers?


That API is one of the best consoles ever created

NYU Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music, with Jim Anderson(the AES convention chair) as the chairman of the dept. Our new room is currently being built, so we haven't used the desk yet, but we're anxious to get the chance. The show was the first time any of us, including Jim, saw it, and needless to say we were all impressed.

[Joel Hamilton]

Originally Posted by jonnyclueless

I wasn't there, but from what I understand, there were no large consoles at all. Pretty scarey.

That is because everyone seems to be devoting all their time to small, rack mounted mixers without any cool features and calling them "summing boxes."

So funny. Re-inventing the console, complete with recall....... Like it is a NEW thing! like, "our summing box has pan pots!" oh my god! no way! like a mackie?!?!? awesome!

Like, " whatever with your grandpa and his 'car' thing, only rich good old boys have those... this here is a 'transportation box' ! We got rid of the stupid trunk, and the seats, and the glove compartment.... but it does everything the old timers cars do!"

Call me old fashioned, but if it has faders, pan knobs, and a summing amp of some type we used to call that a console.