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Aisles were full at AES, as here
by the Crest booth. |
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LIVE FROM NEW YORK! Okay, as live(ly)
as I’m likely to feel at 8 o’clock in the morning.
But then, this is the web and we don’t make you wait
weeks for smashed dead trees to arrive in the mailbox. So
I’ll lay in on you NOW. (Ignore my stifled yawn.)
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Doomsayers Denied
By any measure this AES show ranks as a modest success, and under
the circumstances it is a resounding success. Those who said the
show should be cancelled or drastically downsized have been proven
way off -base. Granted, exhibit space is down by nearly 50%, and
a random badge survey shows attendees predominantly from the Northeast.
But the Friday crowds were considerable, with aisle densities approaching--
if not surpassing--some other shows of the past five years. Most
exhibitors seemed happy with the turnout, and a few—as we’ll
detail later—were practically overwhelmed by nonstop attention.
There were a few more scattered, last-minute no-shows (Post Magazine,
Alcorn-McBride) and plenty of lounge spaces, but at least 90% of
the announced exhibitors were on the floor. Granted, some such as
Harman Pro had downsized their real estate considerably and brought
very little product. You had to look at your AMEK and Studer consoles
in a brochure. But most of the key personnel were here, and this
year the show is as much about people—and their commitment
to the industry—as it is about audio gear.
So hats off to the AES, the City of New York, and everybody who
showed up. Dammit, we did it!
SACD Solid, 192kHz Creeping Up
The digital world seems driven by the move to high-def audio in
consumer formats. Of course 24-bit/96 kHz is locked into the DVD
standard, and although DVD-A seems to be faltering, the Sony-Philips
SACD is showing signs of potential dominance. (Sony is pushing SACD—using
James Taylor’s “Hourglass” as the come-on—on
New York’s WQXR classical station.)
Jeff Giedt of SADiE shows their new
SACD mastering system. |
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Software is the key to SACD’s success,
and as the demand builds, companies like SADiE and Tascam
are respsonding. At the show, SADiE announced some fine-tuning
of the SACD mastering editor first unveiled in
Amsterdam. The system supports all two-channel SACD mastering
and authoring functions, using the same familiar interface
as the PCM SADiE system. It is currently in beta release and
is in use at facilities in the UK and Nashville. TASCAM is
entering the fray with its DS-D98 recording, the first tape-based
system
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designed to record DSD audio files. Again,
this is two-channel only, leaving multi-channel applications solely
in the domain of Sony’s own pricey Sonoma system.
On the PCM front, 24-bit/96kHz is entrenched
as the new standard, which leaves some people moaning over consoles,
digital microphones and digital monitors with embedded 48kHz chips.
Oh well, it keep the industry pumping.
But now 192kHz sampling is rearing its (ugly?) head. When I mentioned
this as a possible new standard to an exec at one DAW maker, he
visibly flinched. At least one chip maker was on hand to push the
high sampling. Hey the A-D chip is only $5 more. Now all you need
is mega-gigbytes to store all that data.
Some say it’s overkill, but other makers are hedging their
bets. Manley, for example, is offering a digital I-O board for their
new SLAM dynamics unit, and it does handle 192kHz. Once bitten,
twice shy as they say.
One of the sexiest digital offerings has to be the new Fairlight
Dream Station editor and Dream Console, both using the same QDC
engine. The hardware interface is an ergonomic wonder, built for
those who gotta get it done fast and have no time for mousing around.
A Couple New Mics
AT showing its new 30 Series microphones |
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New microphones were everywhere,
so I’ll just touch on a couple here. The move into the
bargain basement has prompted makers like A-T to lower price
points while maintaining reputations. A-T’s latest entry
is the 3035 large diaphragm condenser, street priced around
$200, complemented in the series by small diaphragm omni and
condenser models, the 3031 and 3032, with street prices around
$150.
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The AKG C451 B is an updated classic, a recreation
of the C 451 EB + CK1 small diaphragm condenser that was deleted
from the line about eight years ago. The new one features the same
even, gradually rising frequency characteristic, and is likely to
be a favorite for overheads, percussion and acoustic guitar. Expect
to pay around $450.
Hendrix “Crosstown Traffic” Award
The most densely populated part of the floor, all day long, was
the Underground Audio Coalition corridor, nicknamed (by me) “Analog
Alley.” It was packed all day long, as attendees jostled to
view the latest offerings from the aforementioned Manley, along
with the likes of Great River, Brauner, Drawmer, Soundfield, Sequerra,
Soundelux and other like-minded associates such as Fletcher’s
Mercenary Audio and ATR Service Company, which was wowing the crowds
with its 2-inch 8-track remake of the Ampex ATR analog recorder.
Speaking of Fletcher and Manley, why did Fletch and Evanna exchange
show badges? If this were junior high school, this might mean something.
In this case….who knows?
Monitors are Revealing
Had a chance to listen to the new Blue Sky monitors from the Group
One folks. Designed by ex-JBL, M&K and THX gurus, these are
very nice systems for the bucks. They are sold only as complete
2.1 or 5.1 systems—subs are mandatory—and the results
seem more than satisfactory considering the complete 2.1 system
can be had for around $1400. They passed my basic standard for judging
monitors these days: can it reveal the limitations of a 44.1/16
bit CD. Yes, it can. Blue Sky and other monitor makers are considering
SACD playback for next year. YES!
Gotta Go!
Time to hit the floor again. I only covered half of what I intended,
but more will follow in the days to come. And you’ll see it
here long before anywhere else.
One final note on the great New York enigma. Hotel rooms are outrageous,
yet you can go to any streetcorner and get great food of any ethnic
variety at prices no higher than you’d pay anywhere else in
the USA. Go figure. And enjoy it.
Check Out The Rest of Bruce's AES Coverage:
Monday: Goodbye to a
Triumph
Sunday: Even Mo' Bettah
AES 2001: A Cautious
Odyssey
Tell us what you think! - Join the AES discussion on the RecPit!
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