As we hit the second quarter 2024 the list of things to keep engineers interested kept on growing. With the whole gamut of mics, speakers, software, and hardware covered in this month’s offering, here we round up our favourite arrivals from April.
1- AMS Neve 1073SPX-D
The near-mythical status Rupert Neve’s original 1073 discrete class-A transformer-based mic pre is something that seems to never get old. For sources that need character and authority, the 1073 can arguably outshine designs that might be technically better. Until now, getting the sound involved two simple steps: get a 1073 or modern ‘equivalent’, and plug it into the convertor of your choice. Answering the prayers of many was the release in April of AMS Neve’s 1073SPX-D that puts both things in the same box. This 1U unit in ‘that’ shade of blue might only have single channel of mic input, but this thing talks ADAT and USB thanks to what AMS Neve calls “pristine” 192kHz and 24-bit AD/DA conversion. Goodies such as insert points, direct monitor blend, and the all-important output fader to help cook up the sound in your head cap it all off nicely.
2 - Harrison Mixbus 10
The view across the DAW landscape itself also changed in April with the release in Harrison Mixbus 10. Supercharging the Ardour platform as its open-source foundation, Mixbus is perhaps best known for its console-like workflow for former analogue natives and forward-looking creators alike. Mixbus is based around a virtual recreation of the Harrison analogue console, achieved using its 'True Analog Mixing Engine' (TAME). In a shake up of the original product, outgoing is the Mixbus 32c badge, now replaced by Mixbus 10, 10 plus, and 10 pro tiers. The headline changes for many however will include the addition of Dolby Atmos native rendering, as well as the addition of the legendary SSL 9000J 4-band EQ for the 10 Pro tier.
3 - The Cargo Cult Subquake
It’s easy to take the kind of seismic low end we’re all used to hearing for granted. Low-down delights can give music gigantic appeal at the bottom, but equally so in the cinema. Subsonic Low Frequency Effects (LFE) channels have been keeping cinema-goers on the edge of their seats since the 1970s, but of course these sounds actually have to come from somewhere. In the 2020s, things have moved on far beyond noise generators and low-slung filters.
The Cargo Cult’s Subquake is a creative software tool that uses sub-harmonic generation, filtering, and modulation with a choice of waveshapes, plus more. Subquake supports sample rates from 44.1 kHz up to 192 kHz, and in keeping with its intended uses including post production, it supports channel widths from mono right up to 9.1.6 and Ambisonics formats. Whether you’re mixing for the dancefloor or the silver screen, Subquake promises even more ways to get your kicks from the deep.
4 - Genelec 8381A
When asked to think about what a large studio’s control room looks like, most will picture a big console, but also the enormous soffit-mounted speakers that are built into the fabric and the design of the studio. The point of these designs is to deliver tonnes of level, yes, but also to deliver with the acuity that might only come from something that sits in the same point in space as the room’s boundary. In today’s ever-shifting studio landscape, anyone investing five figure sums in their monitoring might need the option to move it with them one day; for that, and for the unmistakable statement of ‘giant’ studio monitoring, there is now Genelec’s astonishing 8381A.
Its full “SAM Adaptive Point Source” moniker comes from its Smart Active Monitoring design that integrates with the company’s Genelec Loudspeaker Manager (GLM) software, meaning that you get to hear more of what you paid for rather than effects of the room. Unlike many classical monster monitors, 8381A is also a coaxial design that neatly overcomes drivers’ physical size - this effectively pumps all frequencies from the same point in space. To read about our thoughts on 8381A, click here for Julian’s in-depth test.
5 - Antares Auto-Tune Pro 11
There are few pieces of software in our industry that can claim to be in the consciousness of the wider public. This one had a huge impact as one of the first ‘magic’ plugins to astound engineers, and is also well known to listeners who were initially wowed by its humanoid-like renderings of vocals from artists ranging from Cher to Dr. Dre. In the last few decades, Auto-Tune has completely evolved from its beginnings as a hardware box, firstly morphing into virtual form, before later honing its sound to go far beyond attention-grabbing effects. Its ability to deliver perfect vocal intonation with almost complete transparency got a boost in April, with the release of Auto-Tune Pro 11, featuring a 4-part harmony player, Smart Midi Hardware Mapping, new Graph Mode tools, with both refined Auto-Mode and Graph Mode GUIs.
6 - Lewitt RAY
Finally we move on to a new large diaphragm condenser mic - this one really impressed us. Billed as providing “auto-focus” for voices, RAY from Lewitt is their latest large diaphragm creation to tempt engineers and creators away from the same old options. With its AURA mode engaged, RAY adapts its gain and spectral content to give a consistent sound to singers or any animated source that doesn’t want to stay still. This is especially noticeable as the source moves in or out where proximity effects would usually affect the sound.
Presumably RAY’s awareness of its proximity to the source also gives it another very cool feature: Mute By Distance. The MUTE button on RAY can be used to set the minimum point at which Mute By Distance kicks in, or can can be used for manual ‘cough button’ muting for streaming or podcasting. Both the AURA and MUTE buttons are lockable, and RAY ships with Lewitt’s impressive low profile snap-on pop shield.
How About You?
What were your favourite things to land in the month of April? Maybe it was our autofocus mic, or perhaps you can’t resist the idea of a new tonne of moveable mega-monitoring. Is there anything we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments.