We’ve switched web hosts and 99% of my urls don’t match due to this.

I apologize…

Go To Audio Thru’s Main Page.

Welcome the new Beta 91A, Beta 98A, Beta 181 and Beta 27.

Shure Beta 91A

The Beta 91A comes with one HUGE welcome upgrade… A real, honest XLR connector.  No more mini XLR, horrah!

Another big update to the Beta 91A includes a contour switch which switches between a flat frequency response and a “scooped” frequency response that is based around 400 Hz.

Other than that we get an updated element as well as a different chassis.

Shure Beta 98A, 98AD/C, 98 A/C and 98AMP

The Beta 98 now comes in a two different flavors, one of which you can purchase in two different forms…

For the Beta 98AD/c and 98A/C the only difference is a drum mount.  The Beta 98AD/C comes with it, and the 98A/C without (Beta 98A D – Drum C – Clip).

The big update to the Beta 98A series is the Beta 98AMP… Beta 98A M – Mount P – Pre.  It’s the microphone, drum mount AND Preamp all combined with a proper full sized XLR output!

For all of these versions there’s, of course, an updated element and chassis.

Now to the new microphones…

Shure Beta 181

This new addition to the Beta Family is the first to have swappable capsules.  In it’s root it’s a small diaphragm condenser microphone which is designed for everything from a snare drum to an acoustic guitar.

It has four different capsules…

• Shure Beta 181/C – Cardiod
• Shure Beta 181/S – Super Cardiod
• Shure Beta 181/O – Omni Directional
• Shure Beta 181/BI – Bi- Directional ( Figure 8 )

More than likely the only capsule that will be used regularly in the Live Sound world will be the Super Cardiod… But the good news is you buy the microphone with one element, and can swap to any other one if you decide to purchase it.

The Beta 181 is touting exceptional low frequency reproduction along with a high output level and extremely high SPL handling (152 dB @ 1k w/ 1k Ohm Load Pre).

And with it’s widest point being 1.36 Inches it still measures in less wide than a 609.

Shure Beta 27

A Super Cardiod large diaphragm condenser mic that touts a flat frequency response as well as an integrated pop filter.

The Beta 27 seems to be a live version (which we all use anyhow) of the KSM 32 with little bit of an update…

You have a -15 dB pad as well as a 3 way LPF switch which will either pass signal, cut at -6 dB/Octove below 115 Hz or 18 dB/Octave below 80 Hz.

Shure’s BETA Site

The S-MADI was announced this fall and adds MADI connectivity to the REAC systems which, until now, have only had analog i/o as an option for anyone not using a Roland M Series console.

DiGiCo is fully behind Roland’s S-MADI and has helped them out where they could along the way… They’re quite excited to have a new MADI snake on the market as well as their consoles now having access to Roland’s personal monitoring systems (the M48).

Lets take a look at the S-MADI.

• 40 x 40 channels of conversion between REAC and MADI
• BNC and Optical MADI Output
• BNC Word Clock I/O w/ 75 Ohm Termination
• 56 Ch or 68 Ch Modes for Dual S-MADIs
• Ch 1-40 or 40-64 Channel Offset Switch
• REAC Main and Split Ports
• REAC Remote (RS-232C) Port
• 19″ Rack Mountable

With MADI becoming more and more of an industry standard with Digital Consoles this new part of the REAC Snake System can only be a good thing for Roland.

Roland’s S-MADI Site

The new Midas Venice F is seeing quite a few changes… Lets see what a few of them are.

• 32 In 32 Out Firewire 400
• Midas XL3 EQ
  • four band swept eq
  • two parametric mids
• Input Polarity Switch
• Insert In/Out w/ LED
• Individual Assign to Stereo, Mono, Groups w/ Pan to Groups On/Off
• 100mm Faders
• 3 Models Available
  • 16 Ch (8 Mono 4 Stereo)
  • 24 Ch (16 Mono, 4 Stereo)
  • 32 Ch ( 24 Mono, 4 Stereo)

The new Midas Venice F looks like it may be making the Verona Obsolete, if only it came in a 40 and 48 Channel frame size…

Remember, installing firmware is good.  But, as per usual… Keep a copy of a 3.04 around on a USB key to load JUST INCASE of any errors or issues with a file.

Most of these updates have to do with the M7CL-48ES with the digital inputs… But there are a few that are for the Analog I/O version as well.

Also, See the bottom of this page for Bug Fixes in M7CL v3.50.

Highlights!

The a new ALT Function user key which can when used – Master Section Access to Dynamics On/Off, Pre/Post Fader, Sends On/Off and HPF On/Off!

Also, quick access to Linking Channels by simply holding the two Select Keys!

Updates effecting M7CL32/48/48ES

• An ALTERNATE FUNCTION which can be assigned to the user-defined key has been added. This provides the following functions:
  • Adjusting the attenuation value by turning the [HA] encoder (ES)
  • Switching the corresponding send between PRE and POST by turning the [MIX/MATRIX] encoder
  • Switching the corresponding send on or off by pressing the [MIX/MATRIX] encoder
  • Switching the high-pass filter on or off by pressing the [HPF] encoder
  • Switching DYNAMICS 1 on or off by pressing the [DYNAMICS 1] encoder
  • Switching DYNAMICS 2 on or off by pressing the [DYNAMICS 2] encoder
• The PRE/POST status is now indicated by the index color of the SEND LEVEL knobs.
• If you have selected a LOW band or HIGH band whose type can be switched, you can switch the type by turning the EQ[Q] encoder while pressing it when the Q is set to the maximum or minimum value.
• You can now access the CH LINK MODE popup window by pressing two [SEL] keys of the input channels simultaneously.

• When loading an M7CL settings file (*.M7C), you can now select whether the AUTO CONFIGURE settings will be applied to the console.
• The PEQ “Q” parameter value goes up to 16.
• The second octet and the third octet of the subnet mask have been set. You can connect the M7CL and your computer to LAN flexibly. For more details and cautions, refer to the latest LS9 Editor Installation Guide and “Caution for connecting M7CL to LAN”.
• A “No channel selected” message is now displayed when pressing the PASTE button, while only the SEND PARAMETER is selected and the source channel/parameter is not selected, in the GLOBAL PASTE window.
• INPUT PATCH, OUTPUT PATCH, INSERT PATCH and DIRECT OUT in the SAFE PARAMETER SELECT field now cannot be switched on/off, when INPUT PATCH and OUTPUT PATCH in the GLOBAL RECALL SAFE field are switched on, in the RECALL SAFE MODE popup window. Turn INPUT PATCH and OUTPUT PATCH in the GLOBAL RECALL SAFE field off when switching.
• Even if another user locked the console, it can now be unlocked by an administrator password.

Updates effecting M7CL-48ES Only

• (M7CL-48ES only) Now supports AuviTran Network ASIO Streamer. By connecting the M7CL-48ES’s [3rd] port to a computer via a LAN cable, you can now directly record to your DAW software. *The EtherSound module must be updated to version 0C18 or later.
• The external head amps such as SB168-ES can now be controlled via the Mini-YGDAI card (MY16-ES64, etc.) in slot 1 from the console. This function allows you to connect up to six SB168-ES units to the EtherSound port with the new firmware.
• An HA KNOB FUNCTION has been added to the PREFERENCE page of the USER SETUP popup window. This lets you choose whether rotating the [HA] encoder of the SELECTED CHANNEL area will control the head amp gain or the attenuation. This function allows you to control the attenuation by the HA encoder of an M7CL other than the one that is controlling the gain when the STAGE BOX is shared by multiple M7CL devices.
• ATT has been added to the CH LINK parameters.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a problem in which the operations from the M7CL V3 Editor were restricted, despite properly connecting the M7CL V3 Editor, when the user whose operations were restricted with User Level settings is logged-in.
• Fixed a problem in which the E symbol (EDIT symbol) appeared in the SCENE field of the function access area even though no parameter was edited.
• Fixed a problem in which Recall Safe did not affect to the off setting of INSERT when the ALL button of the INPUT channel, in which the GEQ was inserted, was turned on using the RECALL SAFE function.
• Fixed a problem in which Recall Safe was enabled for the patch setting of the insert-out/direct-out from an INPUT channel, which itself was not subject to Recall Safe, when the OUTPUT PATCH button in the GLOBAL RECALL SAFE field of the RECALL SAFE MODE popup window was turned on, and the patch setting of the insert-out/direct-out from the INPUT channel was subject to Recall Safe.
• Fixed a problem in which the MONITOR FADER setting affected to the level at the PHONES OUT jack, even though the PHONES LEVEL LINK was OFF.

Download M7CL Firmware V3.50 Here!

Why from the console?  It’s simple.  90% of the investment is already there.  You can use your console’s Pre-Amps and A/Ds… All you need to do is route it out.

Let’s take a look at the most popular brand of consoles and how you can do this… It’s easy, believe it or not.  For a minimal investment (compared to the cost of the console) you can multi track record on that Yamaha console.

Mini-YGDAI Cards

Every console in Yamaha’s live lineup has Mini-YGDAI card slots.  They can be used for a plethora of things including, but not limited to: Additional Inputs and or Outputs, Digital Snake Connectivity, Personal Monitoring Connectivity, and DSP Effects Processing Power.

Lets see how many Mini-YGDAI Cards each Yamaha Console can handle.

• LS9-16 – 1 Card Slot
• LS9-32 – 2 Card Slots
• M7CL (All Versions) – 3 Card Slots
• PM5D (All Versions) – 4 Card Slots
• PM1D (All Versions) – 8 Card Slots

Types of Cards

Digital I/O is THE way to get signal out of Yamaha Consoles.  There’s a few options, lets take a look.

ADAT/Light Pipe MY8-AT, MY16-AT
The most cost effective of the bunch.  Two card options for 8 or 16 Channels a card.

MADI MY16-MD64, MY16-EX
The second most viable, only because of the price of MADI Interfaces.  16 Channel Option with Expansion card to more channels (by 16s)

AES/EBU MY8-AE, MY8-AEB, MY8-AE96, MY8-AE96S, MY16-AE
Possible, but have you ever tried to find an Audio Interface that will handle 16+ Channels of AES/EBU?  8 or 16 Channels.

TDIF MY8-TD, MY16-TD
See AES/EBU.  8 or 16 Channels.

Note:  All of these cards can used multiple times… for Example, 3 x ADAT Mini-YGDAI Cards in an M7CL = 48 Channels Out.

Out of the Console, In to the Computer

So you’ve seen what formats you can use, but now how do you get those into your computer?  Ohhhh Audio Interfaces… Depending on the format and the quality you want you can spend from the 400-X000 Dollars on an Audio Interface.  Lets just look at a few Examples.

To keep things simple, these are all easily used with some Laptops.

PreSonus FireStudio LightPipe
$500 but recently discontinued… 32 (@ 44.1 or 48 kHz) Channels of ADAT Input to your computer via Firewire.

M-Audio ProFire Light Bridge
$300 for 32 (@ 44.1 or 48 kHz) Channels of ADAT into your computer via Firewire.

RME HDSPe MADIface
64 channels of MADI In and 64 Channels of MADI Out… But quality (RME) comes with a price.  $1600.

Those are just a few of the options you have… I’d dare to say 3 of the more industry standard (Although the M-Audio may be sub standard) Options.

One Last Step

So you’ve got the audio in your computer now and you have to hit that record button… But what software to use?  You can use anything.  Any major label DAW or software that comes with your interface will due… But value added is the theme here.

Pro Tools 9
… Finally you can use Pro Tools with nearly any audio interface.  And Pro Tools just says “charge a little more.”  It’s not a whole lot more than other major name DAWs with the same or lesser features, so why not offer “Full Pro Tools Multi Tracking” to your company?

Don’t Forget

External Storage… Recording onto your laptop’s hard drive is NOT recommended by anyone.  I always use LaCie’s Rugged Drives
if for no other reason than I’ve yet to have one die on me… But anything will do… Here are a few guide lines though.

• 7200 RPM – The more channels you’re recording, the faster your drive should be…
• FW vs USB – Almost a moot point… I’d recommend using whatever connection you’re NOT using for your audio interface to avoid bandwidth problems.
• Delivery – Don’t forget that detail of how you’re going to deliver the files too.  USB Flash drives are cheap, DVDs Cheaper.

The new frequency range will be from 606 MHz – 648 MHz, which operates on Channel 38 and as far above as it’s 42 MHz range allows.

This September and October, you can see all of these units in action, as well as find out more information than you could ever need about not only the consoles, but all of the possibilities with different REAC devices!

Here are the dates… with a link for more info below.

Currently scheduled events:

Seattle – September 14th, 2010
Los Angeles – September 21st, 2010
Austin – September 28th
Atlanta – October 5th
Boston – October 19th

More info on the Roland V-Mixing Tour

Keeping in line with what Roland has done with the rest of the V-Mixer Line, the M-300 is a smaller version of the M-400.  The M-300 runs of the same software, with a different control surface and I/O on the interface it’s self.

The inputs/outputs on the interface are limited, as the majority of your I/O will be via a Roland proprietary REAC snake… But you do get 12 Analog In (4 XLR, 4 1/4″ and 4 RCA) and 8 Analog outputs (4 xlr and 4 1/4″) and Optical Out.

You’re mildly limited with the M-300 compared to the M-400 by the 8 Auxes, and 4 Matrixes vs the M-400′s 16 Auxes and 8 Matrixes.

The M-300 will work with any REAC I/O System, including snakes that work with the M-400.

The control surface it’s self is a little more limited than the M-400 as well, as one would presume by the much smaller footprint.  You get 16 faders in 3 layers (1-16, 17-32 and Aux/Matrix/VCA).  Also, you have one set of pans to control all 4 bands of eq, and have to navigate the comps and gates via navigation buttons and an encoder wheel.

But, the price point should make up for all of this, as well as the fact that you can use the M-300 with existing REAC snakes and other pieces of gear.

Roland’s M-300 Site

Midas’ XL8i has all the features and capability of a XL8 or Pro6, but it’s meant for installs.  And it’s cheaper.  And somehow they’ve expanded the I/O of the XL8 Line.

The full specs of the XL8i variant are yet to be known, but it is known that it will NOT use the XL8′s 96 channel 5 way splitter (2 or 3 way mehaps?) as well as the XLR’s on the I/O are being replaced with D type high density connectors.

http://www.midasconsoles.com/xl8_install_intro.php?c=XL8I