The Pro Audio Group team of NewBay Media’s AV and Pro Audio Group announced its Best of Show Award winners today at the InfoComm 2015. NewBay Media’s Best of Show Awards are judged by a panel of engineers and industry experts from submitted nominations. Criteria include ease of installation and use/maintenance, performance, relevance, value/ROI, network friendliness, versatility, and reliability.
PRO AUDIO GROUP WINNERS
Eastern Acoustic Works REDLINE
Avid S6L console
Meyer Sound Leopard
Mackie DL32R
Audinate Dante Via
Allen & Heath dLive
Dan Dugan Model N Automixer with Dante
Renkus-Heinz Iconyx Gen5
Tannoy AMS
The following is an in-depth rundown (in no particular order) of the Pro Audio Group’s winning products, with text provided directly from the manufacturers themselves.
Renkus-Heinz ICONYX GEN5
Renkus-Heinz ICONYX GEN5
Nearly a decade ago, Renkus-Heinz introduced the first ICONYX array. While other manufacturers have only recently discovered the power of beam steering, Renkus-Heinz continues to refine and perfect the technology. The de facto choice for the most demanding installations — from LAX International Airport to China’s Great Hall of the People — Renkus-Heinz is the world leader in steerable sound.
Integrating the power of UniBeam advanced beam steering algorithms with the intuitive control of our new RHAON II System Designer software, ICONYX Gen5 is truly the next generation of steerable sound.
Faster: With direct TCP/IP control using industry-standard communications protocols, ICONYX Gen5 delivers a more than 200% increase in speed of operations.
Better: New UniBeam technology and algorithms provide an additional 3-6dB of output potential.
Cost Effective: ICONYX Gen5 offers new Master and Slave modules, dramatically reducing cost and complexity. Gen5 also introduces the new IC16-8-RN hybrid column, designed to extend length and LF beam control while using a single 8-channel amplifier to keep costs down.
Introducing UniBeam Technology
With conventional point-source loudspeakers, achieving optimal coverage is a trade-off between distance and accuracy. UniBeam (Universal Beam) technology makes it possible to achieve ideal “Half Horn” coverage, using ICONYX digital beam steering to shape your coverage pattern. Point the top of your beam to the back row, and UniBeam will provide seamless coverage to the front of the room, keeping sound away from upper walls and ceilings. Tune the beam’s opening angle and intensity to the room with a few mouse clicks, with consistent level and tonality across the entire room. UniBeam delivers faster, easier setup with dramatically better results.
Dan Dugan Sound Design Model N Automixer with Dante
Dan Dugan Sound Design Model N Automixer with Dante
This automatic microphone mixer combines legendary Dugan auto-mixing algorithms with Dante I/O for simple integration in live events, conference rooms and broadcast facilities. The Model N has primary and secondary Dante network connectors and is Power over Ethernet (PoE) capable. It provides 32 channels of Dugan auto-mixing at 96K or 64 channels at 48K. Dugan Speech System, Music System and Gain Limiting algorithms are all supported. In addition the Model N includes a new scene memory that can record and recall all operating settings, either globally or by unit, in a library of named scenes.
Like other digital Dugans, the Dugan Model N can be controlled from its front panel, the Dugan Control Panel for Java (supplied free), the updated Dugan Control Panel for iPad (coming soon), and/or the Dugan Model K Tactile Control Panel. The front panel features a complete miniature Dugan Control Panel on a bright OLED display, operated by navigation keys and a rotary encoder for setting values. The product offers standard Dugan linking for larger systems, or alternatively, 16 channels of ADAT I/O.
Dan Dugan is the inventor of the automatic microphone mixer. Dan Dugan Sound Design, now in its 47th year, has been designing automatic microphone mixing technology since the late 1960s. Dugan technologies provide the best possible mix of live microphones, providing fast, transparent cross-fades without up-cutting, choppy sound or shifts in background noise. Transitions between talkers are smooth and consistent no matter how many mics are open.
Dugan products are used in broadcast news panels, sports commentary, talk shows, corporate meetings, political debates, distance learning, live theater and other applications. The products are not mixers in themselves; rather, they are accessories to sound mixing consoles. The “Dugans” patch into the input insert points of a mixing console, giving the board operator all of the features of the board such as EQ and sends along with automatic mixing. In addition to manufacturing his own products and plug-in cards for other consoles, Dan Dugan licenses his technology to other manufacturers to build in to their products, including Protech Audio, Waves and Yamaha.
Allen & Heath’s Dlive Series
Allen & Heath’s Dlive Series
Allen & Heath announces new Flagship Digital mixing system for Live Touring and Install. The new dLive series from A&H represents over 50,000 man hours in development and a quantum leap in digital mixing technology. Utilizing the latest in custom FPGA processing with 24 bit/ 96kHZ sampling and expandability up to 828 inputs x 848 outputs put the new dLive at the top the class in new digital mixing channel count and flexibility. At the heart of the system is the new MR series Digital mix racks with features such as dual redundant gigabit links to surface, hot-swappable onboard PSU, 128 x 64 mix cores, reversible rack rails for installation, Me-1 Personal monitor port and dual redundant DX ports for expandability as well as 3 x 128 channel 24/96kHz option ports for connection to third party networks.
The control surface features the industries only available “daylight” viewable color touch screen with multi-gesture control allowing drag, drop, pinch, zoom and an exclusive customizable “widget” section for enhances workflow, integral color mixable LED cascade view and high-contrast multi-color LED’s and Backlit Key maps and 2 x 128 channel 24/96kHz option slots.
3 different surface sizes are available ranging from a single 12” color screen S3000 up to the 36 fader Dual 12” color screen S7000 and 3 MR mix racks available from 32 x 16 up to 64 x 32 all capable of expanding to over 800 inputs to Mix. The new dLive will be available late summer with prices starting at $19,999 MSRP.
Tannoy AMS
Tannoy AMS
Tannoy’s new AMS series loudspeakers have been engineered to produce a sonic characteristic that is perfectly matched with the company’s award winning CMS 3.0 ceiling loudspeaker launched last summer. The AMS Series now provides a uniformly transparent and seamless sound signature throughout a multi-zoned venue equipped with both ceiling mount and wall mount Tannoy speakers.
The AMS Series features Tannoy’s evolutionary milestone development of the Dual Concentric transducer technology. The most significant evolution in the Dual Concentric design for over 20 years, the new driver features revolutionary Omnimagnet technology and a unique Torus Ogive Waveguide assembly to deliver more consistent and controlled directivity, with notable improvement in higher frequency ranges, in comparison to previous generations. This innovative, leading-edge technological advancement sets a new benchmark in premium audio speakers having already established itself as an industry best by helping the CMS range to win the Most InAVative Loudspeaker Award 2015. The brand new design also delivers improved time alignment and greater coherence between LF and HF, resulting in an even wider sweet spot and brighter, more defined and precise sound – for appreciably enhanced performance both on and off-axis.
The new AMS DC models ensure that playback of recorded material sounds exactly as the engineer intended when it was mixed in the studio, making them perfect for entertainment and hospitality venues, as well as areas where true sonic clarity and reliability is required. The aesthetic is perfect for architectural considerations of building design with elegantly styled moulded enclosures beautiful for contemporary décor with custom colour available on special order.
The models have undergone the most rigorous and punishing environmental testing of its kind– achieving an IP65 rating, which is among the highest in the industry for outdoor use and challenging environments. The range utilises a 16 ohm driver, making it ideal for use in high performance low-impedance systems (with optimized performance when used in conjunction with Lab.gruppen LUCIA amplifiers). Alternatively, for constant voltage systems, Tannoy has specified as standard, high quality low-insertion loss 30 W transformers featuring switching for taps at 30 W, 15 W and 7.5 W, with an additional 3.75 W tap for traditional systems.
With the AMS Series, Tannoy continue to set new industry benchmarks with transparent and seamless sound signature. The evolutionary development of the Dual Concentric transducer technology pins the AMS as the top choice for innovative, leading-edge audio speakers.
Audinate Dante Via
Audinate Dante Via
Dante Via is Grand Central Station for your audio connections. This unique new software from Audinate helps sound engineers and integrators deliver flexible, cost-effective solutions for their customers by connecting computer-based USB, Firewire and Thunderbolt audio devices and audio applications to a Dante network as well as to one another. Dante Via lets you extend the range and capabilities of readily available equipment, converting local devices into shared network resources. Connect headphones directly to a Dante network for easy device monitoring and channel checks right from your laptop. Quickly deploy audio into overflow areas using a computer and any connected loudspeakers. You can even create a standalone audio network using only computers running Dante Via, allowing USB and Firewire products to be used over much greater distances and in new combinations. Dante Via isolates and routes audio from applications allowing you to stream their audio directly to any devices on a Dante network – perfect for background music, recorded announcements and presentations. Application audio may also be sent to local devices and even to other applications for processing, recording and playout. Dante Via delivers ultimate flexibility for routing of computer-based audio, and brings the benefits and capabilities of Dante networking to thousands of readily available products.
Mackie DL32R with Dante
Mackie DL32R with Dante
The DL32R delivers 32-channels of powerful digital mixing that’s completely controlled wirelessly from your iPad, freeing you to get in the mix like never before. It’s got convenient 32×32 direct-to-drive multi-track recording/playback and an ultra-compact 3U rackmount design that lets you ditch the snake once and for all. Fully loaded with DSP on each of the 32 Onyx+ mic pres and 28 busses, the DL32R provides the power needed for professional applications. The industry-proven Master Fader control app delivers extremely intuitive control over everything, including the ability to digitally recall each and every setting for incredibly fast setup.
Applications truly open up with the optional DL Dante Expansion Card, which provides 32×32 channels of network audio I/O, allowing the DL32R to be connected to any Dante-powered AV network. Dante delivers the easiest-to-use AV networking solution, featuring automatic discovery of devices, simple graphical audio routing, incredibly low latency and flawless interoperation with hundreds of Dante-enabled products. Flexible IO patching in the DL32R lets the user route Dante signals to any channel input, and send any of the mixer’s outputs to the Dante network. The DL32R with Dante offers some smart solutions for install and production. It’s an ultra-compact 32×14 digital snake, with tons of I/O plus all the benefits of a full-featured digital mixer. DL32R is also an extremely affordable personal monitoring solution, with support for up to 16 mixes via iPhone and the intuitive My Fader personal mixing app. With no expensive hardware controllers or cabling to deploy, this solution saves setup time, critical for Houses-of-Worship with multiple programs on any given day. And, it’s an extremely elegant self-contained recording rig, with 32×32 direct-to-disk recording that is controlled wirelessly from anywhere. You also get redundancy, with separate multi-track recording to Mac/PC via Dante Virtual Soundcard.
Together, the DL32R with Dante provide a powerful 32-channel digital utility mixer in a compact 3U rackmount form factor, perfect for professional applications.
Meyer Sound LEOPARD Linear Sound Reinforcement System
Meyer Sound LEOPARD Linear Sound Reinforcement System
The LEOPARD linear sound reinforcement system is the smallest, lightest, and most versatile member of Meyer Sound’s acclaimed LEO Family. Boasting tremendous power-to-size ratio with ultra-low distortion, the patent-pending LEOPARD line array loudspeaker and the 900-LFC low-frequency control element offer an unprecedented level of clarity, power, precision, and ease of use. LEOPARD AND 900-LFC are designed to create an exceptional listening experience across a wide variety of applications from rental to install and rock ‘n’ roll to classical.
As a line array solution, LEOPARD provides integrators with a full suite of tools for efficient systems design, array configuration, and final commissioning. A two-way, self-powered system, LEOPARD measures less than 30” wide, making it an ideal choice for installations where sight lines and visual aesthetics are a concern yet where sonic performance cannot be compromised.
“I’ve always followed my own path in this business, never satisfied until something is the best it can be,” said John Meyer, Founder and CEO of Meyer Sound. “With the LEO Family we set out to reduce distortion to the theoretical limits and both LEOPARD and 900-LFC bring us even closer to the goal of the ultimate linear loudspeaker system. Quality components, amazing technology, incredible convenience, and elegant design are critically important, but it’s really the results that matter. To borrow an analogy from the auto industry, sometimes you have to just get behind the wheel and take it for spin. With LEOPARD and 900 LFC, you just have to listen. Once you hear it, you’ll want it.”
Since Meyer Sound’s announcement of LEOPARD and 900-LFC in April, a number of rental companies have purchased a system. These include Bright Norway AS, U.K.’s Sonalyst, Hurricane Sound & Light of Slovakia, Eenorm Facilitair of the Netherlands, DUSHOW of France, Stage OI on the French Reunion Island, and more.
System highlights:
• An elegant system with greater phase coherence and seamless, uniform coverage.
• The utmost simplicity and performance, right out of the box.
• 10 times less distortion with significantly more power than similar products in the same class.
• Newly designed and highly efficient class-D amplifiers that virtually eliminate distortion while consuming less power and generating less heat.
• LEOPARD can both anchor a main system in a medium-sized venue or integrate seamlessly with LYON in down- and out-fill systems.
• Six LEOPARD and two 900-LFC loudspeakers can be flown using a 1Z2 ton motor.
• 900-LFC offers exceptional low frequency, clarity, and impact inherited directly from its big brother, the 1100-LFC.
• A complete system solution with MAPP XT for acoustic prediction, Compass RMS for real-time system performance monitoring, the Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system, and the new MDM-5000 distribution module for routing AC power, audio, and RMS signals.
• Premium quality components built with structural integrity and designed to last, making LEOPARD and 900-LFC a long-term investment.
• To guarantee reliability and consistency, all products are crafted by hand and rigorously tested for quality control onsite at the Meyer Sound headquarters in Berkeley, Calif., USA.
Avid VENUE | S6L
Avid VENUE | S6L
The Avid VENUE | S6L live sound mixing system features a modern, intuitive touch-based interface that enables audio professionals to easily handle the largest, most complex tours and events. Thanks to tight integration with industry-standard Pro Tools, Avid VENUE | S6L functions as the perfect front-end to the Avid MediaCentral Platform, the most fluid end-to-end media management and distribution platform in the industry.
The VENUE | S6L interface is a fully modular, scalable live sound mixing system that delivers best-in-class functionality for a range of live sound mixing applications, including front-of-house, monitor, broadcast, theater, and more. VENUE | S6L enables professionals to achieve better sounding mixes with greater speed and efficiency, thanks to its modern touchscreen workflows, superior ergonomics, and unmatched visual feedback that provides immediate, intelligent control. S6L offers even greater onboard plug-in processing than previously available, providing engineers with the same sound processors used in countless studios, fully integrated to deliver responsive control. Seamless Pro Tools integration provides streamlined recording and playback functionality without the need for a separate audio interface. Featuring VENUE | E6L, the industry’s most advanced live sound engine, VENUE | S6L offers unprecedented power to handle huge channel and plug-in counts at the lowest possible latency. VENUE | S6L ensures the highest sound quality, with all processing at 96 Hz, and support for higher sample rates is possible given the immense processing power available.
VENUE | S6L is a networked system and can be completely customized to meet the needs and budget of any professional production. It can be scaled with as little or as much I/O as needed with the VENUE | Stage 64 rack, featuring a new high-performance preamp design that delivers the best possible sound quality throughout the signal path, with incredible clarity, warmth, and presence. Each Stage 64 can be stocked with up to 64 inputs and 32 outputs, selected from a variety of analog and digital option cards. The S6L control surface also offers additional I/O, including 8×8 analog I/O, 8×8 AES I/O (4 pairs), two headphone outputs, and ancillary I/O such as MIDI and GPIO for added flexibility.
With S6L users can easily share the same I/O across multiple networked systems—without any loss of audio quality. That means an FOH engineer, monitor engineer, and remote broadcast mixer can all use the same set of stage inputs—without splitting signals—while True Gain technology automatically manages gain compensation to ensure the proper signal levels in each engineer’s mix. This enables users to save thousands by reducing I/O and cable requirements, set-up time, and transportation costs, adding to the inherent value S6L brings.
The VENUE | S6L interface uses open and reliable Ethernet AVB across all of its components, requiring either lightweight, inexpensive Cat5e cables for runs up to 100 meters, or fiber-optic cables for longer runs up to 500 meters, to connect everything, putting an end to expensive, bulky analog snakes. The modular system is capable of supporting Dante, MADI, Thunderbolt, and other emerging technologies to ensure compatibility with a wide variety of Avid and third-party products, enabling users to easily connect S6L into any new installation or existing environment.
EAW Redline Powered Loudspeaker Series
EAW Redline Powered Loudspeaker Series
Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) has announced the debut of Redline, a family of powered loudspeakers designed to deliver renowned EAW sound quality and touring reliability with a feature set specifically created for rental & staging and installation customers. The Redline family consists of a two powered, two-way loudspeakers – the RL12 12-inch and RL15 15-inch – along with the RL18S 18-inch powered subwoofer.
Redline loudspeakers contain highly-customized precision transducers engineered to meet the demands of live sound. RL12 and RL15 offer perfectly consistent directivity via Beamwidth-Matched crossovers on 90 x 60 degree user-rotatable horns. Four-aperture ports provide massive bass support with no turbulence while maximizing transducer-cooling air flow for utmost reliability. The self-powered loudspeakers feature 1,250 watts of fanless Class-D, Power Factor Corrected amplification. EAW Focusing sonic processing delivers the impulse response of a studio monitor with the impact demanded by live sound applications. DynO processing optimizes the power transfer from amplifiers to transducers to audience, maximizing headroom and sound quality at a high SPL. Three simple user-defined voicing options allow a variety of uses without need of a computer or external processor. The RL18S subwoofer is cardioid-ready via simple rear-panel controls, allowing end-users to achieve high levels of low-frequency control without need for complex processing or calculations.
EAW engineers have designed a product with a streamlined, robust feature set with no extraneous widgets that can break or get in the way of working professionals. Years of touring product experience – the KF, JF, SB and Adaptive Systems product families – were used to create a product customers will find incredibly useful and that will be a solid performer, day in and day out.
Each Redline enclosure is built from 15 mm hardwood with EAW RoadCoat treatment to ensure rugged durability. The enclosures also incorporate symmetrical monitor angles to form left-right wedge pairs and integral road glove-ready wood handles for portability. Strong, sculpted grills made of 18-gauge steel can take a beating show after show after show. A magnetic, Redline stripe (removable for aesthetically sensitive events) identify the Redline family.
Other magazines in NewBay Media’s AV and Pro Audio Group announced Best of Show Award winners as well:
AV TECHNOLOGIES WINNERS
AptoVision BlueRiver NT+
Audio Visual Furniture International’s CR1016 & Modular Credenzas
Barco NRC-200 Networked 4K Room Compositor
1 Beyond, Inc. StreamCam AutoTracker
Black Box DCX3000 Matrix Digital KVM Switch
Blackmagic Design ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K
Calibre HQView625 scaler-switcher / Kramer VP-796
Dataton WATCHOUT
Digital Projection International INSIGHT 4K LASER
DVI Gear DisplayNet: DN-100 Series HDMI 10GbE Transmitter / Receiver
Cambridge Sound Management Qt Conference Room Edition
Canon REALiS WUX6000 Pro AV Installation LCOS Projector
Crestron’s 4K DigitalMedia Receiver & Room Controller w/Scaler (DM-RMC-4K-SCALER-C)
Da-Lite Parallax UST 0.45
Epson PowerLite Pro G6970WU
Gefen Multi-Format Processor (EXT-MFP)
IHSE USA K480-576 Tera Enterprise KVM Switch
IHSE USA 480 XV KVM Matrix
InFocus Mondopad 2.0
Kramer Electronics USA K-Touch V3.0
Lab.gruppen LUCIA 70V
Mersive Solstice Pod
Pexip Infinity
Phoenix Audio Technologies Condor
Planar DirectLight LED Video Wall System
Prysm Synthesis
Revolabs FLX UC 1500
Seneca prysmHD PLUS
Sony Electronics’ SRG-300SE
Shure’s MOTIV Digital Microphone Product Line
SiliconCore Lavender 1.2mm LED
SunBriteTV SB-4217HD
AMX SVSi N3510 Multi-Channel Windowing Processor
Vaddio RoboSHOT 12 USB
VDO360 Clearwater
wePresent WIPG-2000
INFOCOMM DIGITAL SIGNAGE BEST OF SHOW AWARDS
Samsung, Smart LED Signage
Visix, Mobile Wayfinding App with Beacons and Geofencing
Stewart Filmscreen, FIDELEDY Vision
LG, VH7B Direct Backlit LED Display with Thin Bezel
Planar, DirectLight LED Video Wall System
Christie, Velvet LED– Apex Series
Premier Mounts, Symmetry Series
BenQ, ST550K Digital Signage Panel
Canon, REALiS WUX400ST Pro AV Compact Installation LCOS Projector
Hall Research, UHBX-R-XT HDBaseT receiver
Chief, LWM4X1U Fusion Menu Board Wall Mount
Peerless, Line of Indoor Kiosk Enclosures
NanoLumens, NanoSlim Engage 1.8MM
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