Mar 1, 2008 12:00 PM

DBX DRIVERACK PX

The first processor in the industry tailored for powered speakers, the DriveRack PX from dbx (www.dbxpro.com) offers an all-in-one solution to optimize powered speaker setups. The 2-in/2-out device (plus stereo subwoofer outputs) connects between a mixer and speakers, and features dbx's Advanced Feedback Suppression, Subharmonic Synthesis to extend bass response and PeakStopPlus^™ speaker-overload protection. Additionally, an included dbx M2 measurement mic uses auto-EQ to correct for audible deficiencies in the room environment. It ships this month at a street price of $399.95.

AUDIO-TECHNICA M2, M3 IN-EAR SYSTEMS

The M3 and M2 wireless in-ear systems from Audio-Technica (www.audio-technica.com) feature the company's Personal Mix Control, offering independent mix and volume control at the receiver. Both feature a lightweight bodypack stereo receiver and a stereo transmitter with two combo XLR/¼-inch line inputs, as well as A-T EP3 dynamic earphones with three sizes of flexible rubber eartips and a universal foam tip for a customized fit. The top-end M3 ($1,099) has 1,250 selectable UHF channels with up to 16 simultaneous systems per frequency band; the $799 M2 offers 100 UHF channels with up to 10 systems per frequency band.

AUDIX CABGRABBER

CabGrabber^™ from Audix (www.audix usa.com) is a simple, removable means of placing a mic on a guitar amp or cabinet without using a mic stand. It accommodates cabinets ranging from eight to 14 inches deep, and will securely support mics weighing up to 16 ounces. An adjustable arm rotates 180 degrees and locks into place for exact mic positioning. It folds compactly and retails at $59.

PEAVEY VERSARRAY 212 LINE ARRAY

Designed for use in large venues with optional Versarray 218 and 118 subs, the three-way Versarray 212 ($4,399.99) line array from Peavey (www.peavey.com) has two 12-inch Black Widow woofers, 10 2.5-inch neo mid-drivers and four waveguide-mounted planar ribbon drivers. It's rated at 4,000 watts peak handling for the lows and 800W peak each for the mids and HFs. Each 13-ply Baltic Birch 2×12 enclosure has Peavey's bracket-and-pin flying hardware, allowing adjustments from 0 to 10 degrees for a multitude of array possibilities. The tri-ampable system has Neutrik Speakon 8-pin inputs in parallel with four Neutrik Speakon 4-pin connectors for the lows and mid/highs.

DIGIDESIGN VENUE MIX RACK

Compatible with D-Show and D-Show Profile consoles, Mix Rack is a new, affordable hardware option for Digidesign (www.digidesign.com) VENUE systems, combining all stage, local audio I/O and DSP processing into a single 11-space rack. The base configuration has two Mix Engine cards (expandable for more TDM plug-in processing), D-Show Version 2.7 software, VENUEPack 3 plug-ins and an ECx Ethernet port for remote control. Audio I/O includes 48 analog XLR mic/line inputs, 16 XLR analog line outs (expandable to 32), eight analog TRS line-level I/O (assignable as discrete I/Os or insert pairs), 2-track analog/digital (AES or S/PDIF) I/O, word clock and MIDI I/O, and an analog aux/com input. Mix Rack supports up to 64 tracks of record/play integration with Pro Tools — or 18 tracks with Pro Tools LE — and modular card slots allow various analog or digital outputs and Aviom A-Net personal monitoring options.

CERWIN-VEGA CVA-28 FULL-RANGE SYSTEM

Designed for stand-alone use or with the CVA-115, CVA-118 and CVA-121 active subs, the CVA-28 ($849) from Cerwin-Vega (www.cerwin-vega.com) is a three-way system featuring 8-inch drivers, a concentric compression driver and 400W of onboard amplification. Integrated flypoints and pole mounts allow the unit to be used in horizontal or vertical arrays. The compact (20-inch-high) cabinets weigh 48 pounds, have a 70 to 20k Hz response (±3 dB) and are capable of 128dB SPLs.