Miguel Hadelich demonstrates the Contour

There has been quite a bit of publicity already about this unit, so I am sure most people are aware by now that it takes DSP and touch-screen technology to a level that has not really existed before. Prior to being made available to the public, the Contour existed as the Clair Brothers Digital I/O, and I had seen one in use by Jon Lemon, mixing the Beck tour.

I had the pleasure at NSCA of meeting Bruce Jackson, who is a very tall gentleman, and who has been into digital technology for quite some time, founding and selling Apogee Electronics before joining the Lake team, to develop the Contour in conjunction with Clair Brothers. Ken Berger, former Fearless Leader of PSW and now with Mackie, showed up while I was talking to Bruce, and took a moment to help me find and delete some old files on my laptop, to free up disk space.

Lake’s Miguel Hadelich was in charge of giving presentations about the Contour, which was being displayed on a plasma screen, as well as on the small tablet computer he was controlling it with. I first saw how SMAART is now functioning as part of the Contour package, and watched streaming data it was generating. In about six weeks from NSCA, all Contour units purchased will include SMAART. The basic rack mount processor will retail for $4,999.

Lake will configure a tablet computer for you, which costs $3,499. The wireless Cisco option for it will go for $1,499. Each rack mount Contour unit has a virtual serial number, so that the computer knows which one it is addressing, when they are looped together with Ethernet cabling. Something I was glad to hear was that the Contour is automatically updating itself all the time, so that if there is a loss of power, it will return with the most recent settings intact.

There are two inputs and six outputs, so a single Contour can control a stereo three-way crossover setup. To do a four-way rig, you will have to buy two units. You may have already heard about the MESA filtering, by which you can make the leading edge of an EQ shape different than the ending slope. There are a variety of crossover types, and both brick-wall and softer output limiting.

Mommy, if I am good, will Santa bring me a Contour?

I had not been aware that Lake is affiliated with Dolby Laboratories, and offers a Dolby-branded headphone that delivers a surround-field experience to listeners. I was pretty skeptical, but Miguel told me I would have to hear it to believe it.

From reading Live Sound International, I learned that Bruce Jackson originally wanted to make a digital console, prior to beginning work on the Contour. I would have to say, after checking out the Contour, that I would certainly look forward to anything he might someday come up with, in terms of a desk!