LAKEWOOD, NJ – FEBRUARY 12, 2008 – A student-run, project-oriented organization at Michigan State University (MSU), the Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers (AEE), have jumped full-force into their ongoing project, Revolution Audio. Through generous donations from Neutrik USA, designer and manufacturer of the XX series XLR cable connector, along with several other manufacturers, the students are able to begin construction on a high-quality turntable, low-noise RIAA phono stage, a hand built tube microphone, rebuild several power amps, as well as redesign the universal power supply and the preamp.
Revolution Audio is an ongoing project that began with the creation of a one-of-a-kind stereo system that allows options of source selection, volume control and audio panning from an LCD touch screen on the preamp. An audiophile type turntable and the phono stage are this semester‘s addition to the Revolution Audio project. AEE will also build an enclosure for a 24-inch subwoofer that will complement Revolution Audio for frequencies as low as 10Hz. Other sponsors include Advanced Circuits, Microsoft, Electric Interconnect, and Linear Systems.
Neutrik donated several products for various aspects of the project, such as chassis connectors for the recording studio‘s tube microphone. Neutrik donated its 7-pin black male chassis XLR connector (NC7FD-L-B-1), 7-pin black male cable XLR connector (NC7MXX-B), 7-pin black female cable XLR connector (NC7FXX-B), 3-pin black male chassis XLR connector (NC3MD-LX-B), 3-pin black male cable XLR connector (NC3MXX-EMC) and its 3-pin black female cable XLR connector (NC3FXX-EMC). All the connectors featured gold contacts.
Neutrik also contributed parts for the 8-channel snake, which will be used for live sound, as many AEE members perform around campus. Neutrik provided several female and male XLR panel mount inputs and connectors (NC3FDX-EMC, NC3MXX-EMC, NC3FXX-EMC-B, and NC3MAH).
AEE‘s phono stage consists of one “pearl” pass-labs phono stage that is being built to remind students at MSU that in today’s digital world, vinyl still holds a unique value. Neutrik supplied its male and female PowerCon connectors (NAC3FCA, NAC3MPA) and several phono chassis mounts and RCA plugs (NF2D-B-0, NF2D-B-2, and NF2C – B/2).
Aside from the group projects, a handful of AEE members are building phono stages for their use and are constructing speakers and a DJ mixer. Each semester, the AEE showcases its projects at “Design Day” to a growing number of attendees.
“Neutrik was involved in the initial stages of Revolution Audio which began during the Fall 2006 semester,” said Jakub Mazur, resource manager, MSU‘s Audio Enthusiasts and Engineers. “When we needed some additional connectivity products to finalize the project, Neutrik was our only choice. It is important to AEE that our relationship with Neutrik continues for future semesters, as manufacturer support is crucial to the success of our organization.”
AEE is a student-run organization, kicking off its inaugural semester during fall 2006. Consisting of students with a broad range of interests and majors, AEE aims to design, optimize, package, advertise, and present projects that best reflect the professional attitude and passion the students have for audio engineering. The group was founded by Stas Todromovich and David Lenz, and MSU‘s faculty advisor, Dr. Gregory Wierzba , due to the lack of academic curriculum that focuses on audio design at the College of Engineering.
Neutrik manufactures a wide array of XLR connectors and receptacles, jacks and plugs, speaker connectors and accessories for the professional audio industry. Neutrik USA is located at 195 Lehigh Avenue, Lakewood, NJ 08701.
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