Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56
Focusrite launched the latest addition to the Saffire range with the Liquid Saffire 56.
Saffire 56 is a 2U Firewire audio interface/recording consolette that has two Liquid Channel mic pre-amps (out of a total of eight mic channels) with your choice of 10 different mic pre-amp emulations.
These include emulations based on the Neve 1073, Pultec MB-1, Telefunken V72 and seven more.
A harmonics dial on each Liquid pre-amp will creatively add levels of 2nd, 3rd and 5th harmonic distortion.
This would make Liquid Saffire 56 the first 8-channel mic-pre that can be set with three different types of pre-amps simultaneously. (Two different Liquid Channel emulations and the standard Focusrite.)
Liquid Saffire 56 acts as either a master clock or slave and has a lot of I/O options: 10 analog outputs, 16 channels of ADAT Lightpipe In/Out, stereo S/PDIF or AES (on RCA phono), MIDI connections and two virtual ‘loop back’ inputs for routing digital audio between software applications.
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Finally, the included Saffire Mix Control software offers a zero-latency 18 x 16 DSP Mixer/Router for one-click mixing setups and large on-screen metering for inputs, outputs, submixes, headphones and plug-in usage.
Find out more about Saffire 56.
VocalBooth.com Amplifier Enclosure
I found many problem solvers at this year’s show and VocalBooth.com’s VB Amplifier Enclosure is a great one.
It solves the problem of recording electric guitar in proximity to other quieter instruments or in the same room as your apartment/home studio.
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After you place your amp inside this enclosure and close it up, you’re ready to dial up a full and loud rockin’ tone, play on “10” if you must, all without breaking your lease.
The enclosure comes in four sizes and has a convoluted foam interior.
There is a cable “pass-through” port and room for your microphone(s) and you can order it with optional caster wheels and/or baffled-ventilation system to vent heat from a big tube amp.
Find out more about the VocalBooth Amplifier Enclosure.
Heil Sound Drum Microphone Kits
Bob Heil of Heil Sound showed three new drum microphone kits, the HDK-8 Primo, the HDK-7 and the HDK-5.
All of the HDK drum kits come in road-worthy, foam-lined travel cases and feature microphones from the Heil Sound product line as well as several brand new mics specifically designed for drum kits.
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The HDK-8 Primo kit consists of two PR 22s for snare and high-hat, three PR 28s for toms, two PR 38s for overheads and a single PR 48 for kick.
In addition, a new tom mount called the HH-1 is included.
I checked the HH-1 on the show floor and there is no doubt in my mind that you can put the mic exactly where you want it—no matter how gnarly a drum kit setup you encounter.
Find out more about the Heil Drum Mic Kits.
Pete’s Place Blast Filter
Pete’s Place also showed the most effective and best-looking microphone pop filter I’ve ever seen.
Peter Montessi refers to this all-metal beauty as the Blast Filter and it enables the use of condenser or ribbon mics in generally verboten applications.
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Not only does this filter kill air blasts P-popping and other plosives it also lowers the actual SPL from kick drums, guitar amps, or ridiculous loud singers who insist on eating the mic!
Weighing in at about five ounces and at five inches in diameter, the filter is made using an anodized aluminum ring with two different mesh sizes of stainless steel screens sandwiched together.
Air exit ports are machined into the ring’s circumference. I’ve been using this in the studio and it is like an insurance policy for any sensitive mic I know would sound great on loud and raucous sound sources but didn’t want to risk it.
More photos of the Pete’s Place Blast Filter.
Cranesong Ltd. Egret
Cranesong has Egret an eight-channel line mixer with eight D/A converters that takes mixing outside the box to the upper most level with its ability to add analog color (a blend of 2nd and 3rd harmonics) in any amount that fits your music’s style.
Each channel has a level knob, a post aux send control, analog color control, pan, solo and mute buttons.
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Every channel also has an analog/digital source button for selecting an alternate analog line input such as a live audio source.
There are also completely balanced direct outputs and inputs for inserting analog processing into individual channels and a balanced stereo effects return. The master stereo bus level control is a 1-dB stepped attenuator for accurate and repeatable gain control and stereo gain matching is better than .05 dB.
Multiple Egrets can be chained together for more inputs or for connection to other Cranesong products.
The standard interface supports AES single wire to 192KHz, ADAT, and S/MUX to 96K.
Find out more about the Cranesong Egret.
Visit Barry Rudolph at http://www.barryrudolph.com