AES – Mics & Headphones from MXL, Sony & AKG
October 2012 – At the AES Convention in San Francisco we had a chance to swing by MXL and Sony microphones and AKG (part of the Harman group) headphones.
MXL Microphones –
MXL had a number of their professional studo microphone, many of which were released earlier this year at NAB. The new microphone for this show as a multi-purpose utility mic called the CR30 which is a 32mm diaphragm capsule cartoid condenser microphone. The microphone is finished in black chrome and comes with a shock mount. The microphone is targeted at vocal, instrument and even percussion use by utilizing its -20dB and -10dB pad switch. The microphone has a very good weight and mechanical feel to it as do most of the MXL products.
The CR30 shares the same capsule as is used in the U-177 microphone from MXL. The price point of the CR30 is for home studios or small studio daily workload – voice overs, vocals, and standard studio recording. While not having an overly unique sound characteristic, the microphone is very nicely neutral and send a crisp sound to the recording equipment. At $199 MSRP, the microphone (available in 2012) is a good general purpose microphone to have areound as it can be used to elegantly and simple carry the sound where it needs to be so the engineer can add the correct “character” to the music.
Also launched at the show was another MXL flight case kit. The drum recording kit is a two mic kit for the kick and snare drum. The kit includes an MXL A-55 Kicker microphone that is a specialed fast attack and recovery deep bass mic with an enhanced low end puch. It is paired with the MXL 606 instrument mic, which is targeted at recording the snare drim. This mic has a -20dB switchable attenuation pad and a low frequency roll of so it does not pickup leakage from the bass drum in the recordings. The kit includes a flight case with custom packing, micro-fiber cloth, a shock mount for the MXL 606 mic and an hard mic stand adapter for the MXL A-55 Kicker.
On the personal studio and home use side, MXL also showed thier UR01 USB Ribbon mic that dies not require a pre-amp. The fully self-contained mic directly sends full level signals to the computer via USB. This Ribbon mic is gaining popularity for the simplicity of its uses and nice smoothing sound quality for speakers who are doing voice works and podcasts and don’t want to post-process the sessions very much.
Sony Microphones –
Movin on to Sony, one of their new products was the 2.4GHz digital DWZ series wireless microphone system. First shown at Summer NAMM 2012, the family provides 24 bit sound ovet the band, and supports multiple mic capsules. The DWZ Series includes: DWZ-B30GB Digital Wireless Package-Guitar Set, DWZ-B70HL Digital Wireless Package-Headset and Lavalier Set, DWZ-M50 Digital Wireless Package-Vocal Set and DWZ-M70Digital Wireless Package-Vocal/Speech Set. The receivers are rack mountable snd half-rack mountable. They have an inergrated LCD display and feature a full digital EQ.
The incorporated DSP allows for dynamic noise reduction as well as providing 128 bit AES encryption on the signal to and from the mic. In normal operation, the mic an transmitter operate on 8+ ours on a single pair of alkaline AA batteries. The units will be available in 2012.
AKG Headphones –
AKG, part of the Harman group, introduced a new line of casual- to professional headphones. Designed in cooperation with DJ TEISTO, there are 3 models being releases The line of three headphones, K67 (High-Performance), K167 (Professional) and K267 (Reference) all provide users with a sound fitting to be named for this performer.
DJ TIESTO with his new branded AKG headphones
The K267 TIËSTO is an over-ear, closed-back design. It features a oversized low resonance driver while still providing a matched low frequency bass response. The user-adjustable 3 position bass boost can keep the sound neutral up to a maximized deep sub-bass frequencies. The K267’s Dual Plug-In feature allows the user to attach the cable to either side for comfort. Finally, the design has a 3D-Axis folding mechanisms for being able fit in a flat storage. The K267 have an MSRP of $349.
The K167 TIËSTO is also an over-ear, closed-back design for maximum noise rejection. Targeted at multiple applications, from the stage to the studio, DJs and music enthusiasts will be able to use the units and receive high sound quality, even in loud environments. It features a 40mm driver that allows for higher sound pressure levels, while providing reliability. The K67 TIËSTO’s on-ear design is ideal for the perfect sound on the go. The K167 have an MSRP of $199.
The K67 TIËSTO is the entry level Prosumer design that is designed as an on-ear headphone that can be used for a wide range of applications from live sound to studio work The compact design delivers convincing and powerful sound wherever necessary, even outdoors. The K67 starts at $99 MSRP.
