A look at some of the new products introduced at the NAMM show, California.

Fender detachable genius

From Fender comes the PowerStage 100, a powered on-stage monitor. Not only does this monitor deliver 100 Watts of power, it also has an interesting three-channel detachable mixer. The mixer can be operated up to 15 feet away. Ideal for real-time feedback control, the operator can attach the mixer directly to a mic stand, without leaving the performance station. The enhance button gives a boost to the bass and treble. The monitor-style cabinet and pole adapter add flexibility for set up. The flat protective grille, rugged black carpet covering, and dual side handles make transportation remarkably easy and reliably safe.

Also on offer is the Xpander 100, which appears to be much like the PowerStage, without the pull-out mixer section.

Arbiter — (Contact Details)

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Crown K2 new pinnacle

You've heard of K2, the live board from Soundcraft, now meet the Crown K2 Balanced Current power amplifier. Crown are making a fuss over all the new features and circuitry, claiming incredible thermal efficiency, transparent sound, real durability, and supermodel good looks. Apparently the secret lies in the Balanced Current Amplifier circuitry that is said to double the efficiency of the K2 as compared to the rest of the field, we are talking 1,250 Watts per channel into 2 Ohms in a 2U rack space. The Crown K2 is being shipped in the States for $1,795 which seems reasonable enough.

Fuzion plc. (Contact Details)

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Spirit XL themselves

The NAMM show in LA witnessed the first public viewing of Spirit's new generation live sound console, the XL7. By utilising the latest surface mount manufacturing techniques, Spirit has managed to include top quality front-of-house features in a small footprint frame that is little more than a one man carry. This, combined with the Spirit's sound and a price tag of £1,399 excluding VAT, should make the XL7 one of the more cost-effective live consoles on the market.

Housed in a 24-channel frame, XL7 provides a maximum of 32 inputs — with seven separate buss outputs including mix, four groups, and dedicated a mono buss for centre speaker clusters, side or rear fills. The output count rises to 29 with the inclusion of direct outs on the first 16 mono inputs and six auxiliary busses.

XL7's 24 balanced mic inputs all use Spirit's Ultramic preamps, providing a quoted 60dB of gain range and 22dBu of headroom. Each input also includes Graham Blyth's four-band EQ with two swept mid frequencies. In addition, EQ In/Out switch and steep 18dB/octave high-pass filter allow effective audio control in difficult venues, whilst the six auxiliary sends are pre/post switchable in pairs from each channel, providing a maximum of four pre and six post-fader. This makes the XL7 handy for foldback-heavy performances or in situations where more effects are required.

Additionally, there are plenty of direct outs, two stereo inputs in the group sections, good talkback facilities, and a two-track return, while the mix is also routable to the separate mono buss. Also by christening it XL7, Spirit have done Midas out of a potential name for one of their boards in a few years time, which is a bit naughty.

Spirit By Soundcraft. (Contact Details)

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More power from Yamaha

Yamaha introduced the new EMX640 six-channel powered mixer. The EMX640 looks to be pitched at an affordable price, but offering high efficiency power circuitry and digital reverb into the bargain.

The front panel provides mode switching for main, bridged, main/main and monitor. Two 200 Watt amps are built-in, one for main or front-of-house speakers and one for monitors. When monitors are not used, the two amplifiers can be bridged to produce 400 Watts for the mains. Additional features include built-in limiters on both amplifiers, preventing distortion and maintaining clean, high-quality sound.

Yamaha also launched the DG1000 Digital Guitar Pre-Amp. The new preamp features eight separate simulated tube gain stages, providing the "fat warm sounds of analogue with the versatility and flexibility of digital".

Yamaha-Kemble. (Contact Details)

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NAMM shorts

AKG launched their thumbnail-sized MicroMic Series II line of microphones. They're small, powerful, and jolly useful. The new Mark II product line features some juicy enhancements. A new low noise transducer; improved shockmounting; expanded product line; better price performance ratio; and they come in several formats including hard-wired, phantom-powered, and battery-powered. Harman Audio — (Contact Details).

Takamine introduced the LTD-97, a limited-edition guitar using laser cut designs. The LTD-97 features a signature NEX bodystyle with solid spruce top and KOA wood back, sides, and headstock face place. A gecko lizard, cut from jacaranda and turquoise, warps itself around the sound hole — all exotic enough to forget that you're not in fact playing in a tropical paradise, but Bromley. So I suggest you use the money you were saving for that round the world cruise to splash out. Korg UK — (Contact Details).

Ampeg has re-issued the B-15 Portaflex bass combo amp. The now rather venerable Jess Oliver, the original Portaflex designer, worked with the Ampeg engineers to create a Portaflex for the bass player of the '90s. It's a 100 Watt all-tube amp, fitted with a custom 15-inch Ampeg speaker. The patented flip top, which gave the Portaflex its own look and greater portability, is back this time around as well. Washburn — (Contact Details).

Digitech are moving into unfamiliar territory, introducing a new guitar amplifier. The new Millenium amp combines a 150 Watt stereo amplifier, two 12-inch speakers, and on-board digital multi-effects unit, and the promise of stacks of tone emulations. Arbiter — (Contact Details).

Gibson USA and high profile guitar man, Joe Perry, have teamed up to create the aptly named Joe Perry Signature Les Paul. Perry is, of course, known for his work in Aerosmith and has designed a personal interpretation of the Les Paul model. This model updates the Les Paul Standard electronics with a custom wound bridge pick-up and an active mid-boost tone shaping circuit. Rosetti — (Contact Details).

Hughes & Kettner unveiled a new series of all-tube guitar amplifiers. The series is a direct descendent of the TriAmp combo and consists of four models: the Tube 100 head, Tube 50 head, Tube 50 combo, and Tube 20 combo. The units are powered by either EL34 or EL84 tubes. John Hornby Skewes — (Contact Details).

JBL, apart from showing off their newly designed transducer technology, were showing a new range of dynamic mics specially designed to work with the EON series of portable sound systems. The range includes the M90S, a unidirectional dynamic featuring a dual density type diaphragm, and designed for high SPL handling. The M70S and M50S are cheaper models, offering similar features with a narrower frequency range. They all weigh in at 320 grams and come housed in matte black case made of diecast zinc. Harman Audio — (Contact Details).

Rivera were showing three new Signature Series Models, built in collaboration with the artists. The Steve Lukather 100 Watt 'Bonehead' top is accompanied by the 'Los Lobottom' speaker system, featuring custom designed Celestion Vintage speakers. Matching 4 x 12-inch Straight and 4 x 12-inch Slant cabinets sit alongside a Bass Extender enclosure. The all-tube amp, the 60 Watt Doyle Dykes Acoustic/Electric Sedona Model was there, as was the new Jake Signature combo amp. Creative Distribution — (Contact Details).

You might recall that we reviewed the Zoom 505 effects pedal in our all-singing, all-dancing inaugural issue, well Zoom are now weighing in with two follow-up products, the Zoom 507 reverb and the 508 delay multi-effects pedals. The look and the smell is the same, and both pedals feature "seamless patch changes". Exclusive Distribution — (Contact Details).

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Telex get aggressive

Telex introduced the new VHF and UHF ProStar Series Wireless Microphone systems. Both systems are "aggressively" priced (grrrrr... ), offering the MI user Telex quality and reliability at cost-effective price points.

Telex have designed both units in a rugged, half rack space, plastic case. A new rack tray is available that accommodates two units, thereby reducing the amount of space taken up in the rack. Both systems are offered in a lapel and a hand-held version. The hand-held versions offer the choice of a condenser or a dynamic microphone. Both systems also come optimized for guitar applications, with specially tuned circuitry that enhances the frequency response and attack characteristics of the guitar.

Furthermore, Telex have entered an OEM agreement with Audix to provide microphone capsules for the HT-150, HT-200, and HT-450 wireless microphone systems.

Canadian Instrument. (Contact Details)

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Loads of gear from Peavey

Peavey went out to play in their own backyard with truck loads of new gear. DI boxes, headphone distribution systems, phantom power supply units, new mics, new speaker enclosures, new combo amps, new power amps, feedback locating systems, effects units — the list goes on and on. We will, of course, be covering a good portion of the interesting gear in coming months, such as the XR 560, which features 16-bit digital reverb, a seven-band graphic EQ in the master section, with the FLS Feedback Locating System, and 150W at 4 Ohms.

The Unity 3014 RQ mixing console offers four stereo line inputs and six mic inputs in a compact chassis. Each channel has mute and PFL, while a second stereo buss is also on offer. Small but well featured.

On the stereo powered mixer front looms the XR 886, which combines a 2 x 300W power pack with digital effects. You will also find a nine-band graphic and Peavey's feedback locating system here as well.

The TL line of sound reinforcement enclosures are lightweight, trapezoidal, and arrayable. They also feature improved HF horns and drivers as well as vastly improved enclosure design.

As I say, lots of interesting stuff, more of which you will be force fed in coming issues.

Peavey UK. (Contact Details)

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Omnidrive for fewer greenbacks

BSS Audio announced the introduction of the FDS-355 Omnidrive Compact, a smaller, "more flexible", and less expensive version of its highly successful FDS-388 Omnidrive. Occupying just a single rack space, the Omnidrive Compact is designed to accommodate the specific needs of the MI market's live sound applications — and not just the rich and the privileged, such as the royal family and Cliff Richard. In addition to the main features of the standard Omnidrive system — including two-band parametric EQs, delays (variable up to 650ms), mid-filter speaker protecting limiters, and a large instantly recallable system memory — the Omnidrive Compact offers users a third input and fifth output, more EQ flexibility, 24-bit AD converters, improved headroom management, and flash EPROMs for simple system upgradability.

If that doesn't set you alight with desire, how about the new AR-133 Active DI Box. The AR-133 provides everything you could need in a DI box, uses the same audio path as the highly regarded AR-116, and is suitable for keyboards, DJ consoles, amplifier outputs, and other electronic sources.

BSS Audio. (Contact Details)