Live Signal Processors

Management of multiple speaker rigs whether in installed audio rigs or live touring setups can get complicated. Taking control over them is a gargantuan task that requires adequate tools to take hold of. The dbx DriveRack PA+ makes a step forward from its predecessor in making things a whole lot simpler and easier.  

They've dominated the stompbox effects field for decades, so it should come as no surprise that they've been at work at a stompbox-style live voice processor. The Boss VE-20 Vocal Performer is announced today.  

Often touted as the "classical hip hop artist," Emily Wells feels comfortable with a violin, a glockenspiel, all manner of "typical" rock instruments... and the BOSS RC-50, which helps her integrate her diverse sources. And when your entire set is based on live loops, you want a looper that backs you up.  

Owen O'Malley's long and checkered past includes a stint as a teacher, and you can see ample evidence of that fact in this informative video on the Radial Phazer. Don't quite understand phase cancellation? Check out Owen's handy diagram. And also, listen to the sweet sounds of this quality product by Radial Engineering!  

In the rush that always happens between the band before you and your first song, you've typically got a whole lot more to worry about than getting that perfect mic angle in front of the cab. And who knows what the sound guy's up to... Enter the Radial JDX, a handy Amplifier DI Box that takes a little bit out of your setup but adds a whole lot to your sound.  

To be heard over the electronic instruments of her bandmates, Rebecca Schlappich of Kiss Kiss needs something that can pump an acoustic violin up to a respectable level. No electric violins for her, so she employs an L.R. Baggs Para Acoustic D.I. and Violin Pickup. Done.  

Somebody brought a camera to Dave Hamilton's slumber party, and taped him as he showed all his nerdy friends how to really go to town on a trombone with a tablefull of Mooger Foogers. Luckily, we got hold of the tape and now we can all sit in on the glorious nerdfest.

 

Before a recent sold-out IAMX show at Chicago's Subterranean, Chris Corner sat with us in a dark moody room and talked about "magic," a.k.a, the Korg D888. Corner needed something reliable and functional to bring the IAMX sound from the studio to the stage, and the D888 works mighty fine for him. Just don't tell anyone, or he gets kicked out of the Magician's Alliance.  

Gearwire's new guest blogger Joe Charupakorn got to hang out at this year's New York Amp Show. Now, through the magic of video, we join him in the hallowed hotel rooms of said amp show. Here, we take a look at and a pleasant listen to the TC-Helicon VoiceLive2.  

The new TC Helicon VoiceTone Synth is the latest in the long line of VoiceTone pedals, and also the baddest. By which we mean bestest. By which me mean we no longer adhere to conventions of mainstream grammar.  

Roth Mobot has played at the Steppenwolf Theater, at jazz clubs, and in a makeshift tent in the woods in Cincinnati. Patrick McCarthy of the Chicago-based circuit bending duo now explains how they're faring in the studio. Turns out, the best signal path for patched-together instruments is patched-together gear, like this Yamaha MG82CX Stereo Mixer. Go figure.  

The current global economic recession is the perfect time to bring in some fresh management. . . audio management that is! And hey, while you're throwing the baby out with the bathwater, why not experiment with "socialized audio" with the British-made XTA Electronics DP426?  

The TC Helicon VoiceLive has long been highly regarded as a lead vocalist's effects tool. With the introduction of the VoiceLive 2 at Winter NAMM '09, crooners now get even more beef from harmonies to new effects to a more convenient way to call up your settings.  

Dubbed by its manufacturer as "the ultimate floor-based vocal processor," the TC Electronic VoiceLive 2 generates natural sounding vocal harmonies by itself, or by following guitar or MIDI input. With friends like that, who needs actual friends?  

Remember when Frampton Came Alive? 35 years later, studio plug-in kings Waves announced they're following suit, opening the Waves Live division. Just like Frampton did, Waves is banking on their live performance for future success.  

Thanks to power metal, we know that anything that sounds good will sound better harmonized and anything that sound great must already be harmonized and can only be improved by more harmonization. Vocalists can now shred from their computer chairs with the DigiTech Vocalist VL3D.  

A flaring in the press these past few days over the Electro-Harmonix Voice Box has this Gearwire reporter wondering why Electro-Harmonix didn't make such a big to-do about it when word got out months back. Either something's amiss, or something's afoot, and I plan to find out what.  

You may think of Bill Holland as an electro-DJ kinda guy, but did you know that he dabbles in live sound as well? It's true! Watch this demo of the Dbx 223 crossover; any DJ worth her or his salt should know what a crossover is, and how it can affect your sound. Also: educate yourself about sodium.  

If you've never used a compressor before, and wonder what the "big deal" is about dynamics processing, let Bill Holland guide you through the process as he demos the dbx 166XL compressor / limiter / gate.  

Before you check out this video on the ART Proverb Reverb Processor, here's a fun game. Go to a barber and try to get a haircut based on the preset banks. I bet you'll be able to get a fitting haircut for the first half of the banks (featuring "Very Short," "Very Long" and lengths in between), but I'd like to see what a gated or reverse haircut would look like.  

If you're planning the overthrow of your country's government, you've gotta think big. You're not gonna just hop on down to the local Wal-Mart to weaponize your budding militia. Same concept holds true with large venue audio management, and Symetrix SymNet Designer 8.0 is the Lybian gun-running cartel of digital audio management.  

I tell ya, a real time, adaptive noise reduction system sure could come in handy on the 125th AES Convention's exhibitors floor. Even with the constant din of audio commerce going on in the background, this demonstration of the iZotope ANR-B makes quite an impression.  

I couldn't believe it: smack-dab in the middle of the AES exhibitor's floor, Radial Engineering set up a headshop. I swear, only in San Francisco would you be able to publicly get away with . . . oh, nevermind. I read that as "Hemp." I guess this is some kind of passive headphone send, or something.  

If you enjoy things like "Phase Alignment" and "Feed Forward" signal loops, you're obviously already a fan of Peter Janis and Radial Engineering. If not, watch this video on the Radial Phazer box, and you soon will be.  

Much like weapons officer Pavel Chekov utilized the forward phaser banks on the N.C.C. 1701-B to stun potential space threats, artists such as Radiohead and AC/DC have been using the Radial Engineering Phazerbank to stun crowds across the globe. Peter Janis of Radial tells us why and how.  

The Forest Audio F15 Roundback is still in development, but that didn't stop the company from showing off its sexy roll-cage chassis at the 125th AES convention. This unique preamp / D.I. re-amper was especially designed to work with mini-mics and piezo contact pickups, and, by the way, IT HAS A ROLL CAGE. Sicky, brah.  

London Soundweb may sound like the best British soft-jazz group you've never heard of, but it's actually a line of digital signal processors for managing highly complex installation sound systems from BSS Audio. The already impressive line was just expanded with the announcement of four new BLU- modules. I'd rather be listening to British soft-jazz.  

Easily doing double duty as a large venue mixing center and prop stand-in for your recreation of NASA Mission Control Houston, the Midas PRO6 is actually MORE powerful than it looks. With networkable hardware expansions, the PRO6 can manage up to 364 inputs and 264 outputs while maintaining correct stereo summing.  

If delay was rubber and reverb was glue, the TC Electronic M-One XL would have enough rubber and glue to make some kind of giant statue out of pieces of rubber. It allows for oodles of preset storage and routing control of two separate delays and / or reverbs.  

One of the more popular units at the Empty Bottle is the TC Electronic M-One XL, a 1U effects processor that'll have you hearing double. You'll be double-fisting reverb with this one.