LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 2010: Geoff Daking and Company, Inc. launched the new Mic Pre 500 single-channel microphone/instrument preamplifier module at the 129th AES Convention in San Francisco. Derived from the company’s Mic Pre One freestanding unit, the Mic Pre 500 is designed for installation in 500 Series format equipment. The new mic pre features switchable phase, 20 dB mic input pad, +48V phantom power, and a selectable quarter-inch line/hi-z instrument input.

Like the Mic-Pre One, the Mic Pre 500 shares the gain structure and Class A, fully-discrete transistor circuitry design of Daking’s popular Mic Pre IV. The front panel controls include a variable high-pass filter (0-200 Hz) as well as continuously variable input gain. It also includes an eight-segment tri-color LED meter with simultaneous VU and Peak is included. more

JESSUP, MARYLAND – NOVEMBER 2010: Chris Cundy of Bozeman, Montana, was recently identified as the 1,000th customer of API’s highly regarded A2D. In the four short years since its introduction, the A2D has become one of the most popular and decorated products of the company’s offerings.

“It’s the ideal mix of the old and the new. The solid-state heritage of API with two reference quality 312 mic preamps in combination with the cutting-edge application of today’s technology in a superb A/D section is what makes the A2D such a hit,” said Larry Droppa, president of API. “It is our one and only product with a digital output and it’s great to have it become one of our best-selling products.”

Cundy is part of the team at The Shed, a production, tracking, mixing, educational and rehearsal facility in Bozeman. The Shed consists of two isolation rooms, a piano studio, control room and a live performance room. more

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK – NOVEMBER 2010: For twenty-five years, engineers and producers the world over have associated the no-nonsense blue faceplate and white typeface of TUBE-TECH analog processors with the lush, dimensional sound they impart to any audio that flows through them. After 25 years in business, TUBE-TECH president John G. Petersen continues to craft their equipment with simple, elegant circuitry using only premium-grade components. From the start, Petersen designed TUBE-TECH gear using only vacuum tubes in the active signal path and only transformers on the inputs and outputs. Since the first the design of the first Program Equalizer PE 1A in 1985, over 15,000 TUBE-TECH units have shipped from the headquarters of parent company Lydkraft in Denmark. Because their lifetimes are measured in decades, almost every one of those units is still helping make the music of today sound much better than it would have otherwise.

Before TUBE-TECH became a reality, Petersen had received a degree in electrical engineering from Danish Post and Telegraph and took a job in 1972 at the Danish Broadcasting Company (DBC). In his role as maintenance engineer, he received factory training at Solid State Logic, EMT, Studer, Sony, Neumann, NTP, and Lyrec. His genius for inspecting, understanding, and repairing audio circuits paved the way for TUBE-TECH. “A friend of mine was opening MOX Studio in Copenhagen in the mid-1980s,” said Petersen. “I helped him refurbish all of the gear that was going into it, including two Pultec equalizers. I was skeptical about those boxes. They looked like they belonged in the city dump! But they tested nicely and, more importantly, they sounded amazing.” more

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – SEPTEMBER 2010: Chameleon Labs, makers of value-conscious pro audio equipment, announces the release of the TS-1 MKII small diaphragm tube condenser mic. The TS-1 MKII is one of the few small diaphragm tube condensers on the market, unique in design and versatile in application. Driven by newly-designed vacuum tube electronics, the TS-1 MKII delivers an unmatched combination of sparkle and warmth.

The MKII power supply features an adjustable tube heater voltage control that gives the end user the ability to dial in a diverse range of sonic textures. Much like many guitar amps, this allows the user to starve or overdrive the tube, opening up vast range of sonic characteristics with a precision voltage meter for repeatability. The MKII package ships with omni and cardioid capsules. more

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: TransAudio Group, the U.S. distributor for ATC (Acoustic Transducer Company) audio reference speakers, is now shipping the U.K. manufacturer’s first ever compact active three-way studio control monitor – the SCM25A Pro. Designed for positioning on a meter bridge, or rack-mountable for broadcast applications, the ATC SCM25A Pro offers very high-performance in the most compact possible form factor.

The drive units all use large diameter, under-hung voice coils for excellent dynamic range and linearity. The mid-range is ATCs world-renowned soft dome and the bass driver is a hand-built, in-house, using a carbon-paper cone with high excursion capability. On-board amplification features the company’s class A/B Mosfet output stage delivering 150W to the bass driver, 60W to the mid and 25W to the high frequency driver. All three stages are fed by 4th order critically damped crossover filters with phase compensation. The unit’s ported enclosure measures 10.4 inches (264 mm) (H) x 16.9 inches (430 mm) (W) x 16 inches (408 mm) (D). more

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 2010: For a limited time (July 1 through August 31, 2010) all purchases of BOCK 151 large-diaphragm vocal condensers made from authorized U.S. dealers are eligible for a $300 rebate from TransAudio Group, BOCK Audio’s worldwide distributor. There has never been a better time to add the lush vocal capture of the BOCK 151 to your sonic repertoire. TransAudio’s substantial, limited-time rebate is an opportunity to be seized!

Built in the sonic image of the BOCK 251, the BOCK 151 uses a handmade German capsule, a hand-wound vintage-style transformer, a NOS tube, and a handmade power supply. It includes a brite/normal switch for added versatility. Most importantly, the BOCK 151 delivers that indescribable sound of the truly great vocal mics at a fraction of the cost. What was already one of the greatest values in high-end vocal mics is even better with this rebate! more

JESSUP, MARYLAND – JUNE 2010: A direct descendent of Saul Walker’s original 1967 design, the API 512C modular mic preamp embodies the legendary API sound and has been a mainstay of engineers for over three decades. Coming on the heels of API’s 40th anniversary and the delivery of the 100th 1608 console, the company recently celebrated another milestone: delivery of the 10,000th 512C. To mark the event, API president Larry Droppa dropped a note inside the 10,000th box. Toronto-based guitarist and composer Brian Legere received the unit, the note, and – complements of API – API 512C number 10,001!

Legere has been working in the Toronto-area for nearly thirty years – almost as long as the API 512C has been in production. An accomplished guitar player, Legere has worked in the studio with famed producer Daniel Lanois (U2, Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan); both men grew up in Hamilton Ontario. Legere’s compositions and guitar work can be heard on the Speed Channel’s “Dream Car Garage” and “Chop Cut Rebuild.” more

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 2010: TransAudio Group, boutique distributor of the recording industry’s best-of-the-best equipment, announces the addition of Mark Hornsby, a producer and engineer at the top of his field, to the position of marketing and project manager. Hornsby will help users understand what sets TransAudio Group’s manufacturers apart via multifarious routes, including in-the-field seminars, skilled trade show efforts, and product demonstrations, both live and online. Hornsby will remain in the pro audio hotbed of Nashville to continue his diversity of work as a producer, engineer, consultant, lecturer, and writer, based out of Java Jive Studio.

“For years, I have been searching for just the right fit for this position,” said Brad Lunde, principal at TransAudio Group. “It requires someone who will command the respect of the world’s best inventors and customers, someone who has both the on-the-ground skills and a gift for communication. I am happy to say that Mark Hornsby is that person. Few in the music industry can claim so diverse or so deep a background. He has worked in MI and pro audio retail. He co-owned Ridenour Studios in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He has produced and consulted on pro audio software sales and development. He is a regular contributor to Recording Magazine. He is a certified Pro Tools expert. He has lectured at the leading schools in the industry, including Pro Media Training, MTSU, Berklee, NYU, Belmont, SAE, and Full Sail.” more

GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA – MAY 2010: Five years ago, Danley Sound Labs started as a divine inspiration to change the world of sound reinforcement using truly innovative loudspeaker and subwoofer designs. Confirmation of that inspiration is that today Danley Sound Labs is one of the fastest growing manufacturers in the industry, and many are dispassionately asserting that the company will become the “next big thing” in the coming decade. At its core are Tom Danley’s innovative designs, born of his drive for flawless fidelity, his unconventional education, and his decades spent devising groundbreaking acoustical technologies for NASA. Danley Sound Labs owner Mike Hedden, longtime head of a successful AV integration firm, shapes the company’s burgeoning product line to perfectly suit the needs of contractors. Moving forward, the company is poised both to break into budget-conscious markets with its SM Series of loudspeakers and to shake the industry’s addiction to line arrays with Shaded Amplitude designs of greater power and fidelity. more

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 2010: As of May 1, 2010, TransAudio Group has added Chameleon Labs to its elite roster of recording gear, handling the company’s worldwide sales and marketing. Chameleon Labs occupies a unique niche within the industry that many manufacturers aspire to – extreme value. Chameleon Labs builds vintage-inspired analog recording gear with performance and options at a fraction of the cost typically associated with high-end gear. TransAudio Group will offer Chameleon Labs’ 7602 MKII Mic Pre + EQ with Carnhill transformer option, the 7720 stereo bus compressor, the 7802 two-channel opto tube compressor and the amazing TS-1 small diaphragm tube mic. Each of these products offers the highest degree of performance for the money and enables budget limited owners to experience high-end performance for the first time.

“In a world where end users are flooded with heavily advertised cheap gear, its important they know there is another option; something that’s affordable and sounds like pro gear. Chameleon Labs offers three unique and useful pieces all under $1,000 MSRP that offer ‘best of class’ performance,” said Brad Lunde, president of TransAudio Group. “When I hear what my high-end customers are saying to me about Chameleon, it sure got my attention. This is the first brand I’ve heard that changes the rules and offers an extreme deal for customers.” more