PA Speakers

As many pro audio companies ship their productions overseas, they create not only controversy, but opportunity for those brands that still manufacture their products right here in the good ole US of A. Carvin touts that their products are "made with pride" in California and not envy, sloth, wrath or gluttony like in SOME countries.  

Turbosound introduces a pretty neat concept with their first line array system, the Flex Array. It also works in point-source configuration thanks to some smart developments.  

Ryan Maeker is a sound designer in NYC, and though he may come off as a somewhat threatening figure in this interview -- all talking about cuttin' fools, hitting people with cars and even threatening the life of yours truly -- he's actually a total teddy bear with a soft spot for Speilberg movies!  

Without naming any names, Rob Fishman -- Technical Director at Old Town School Of Folk Music -- dishes on some of the best and worst-case scenarios he's had to contend with as the live engineer for the school's Gary And Laura Maurer Concert Hall.  

Dynacord is proud of their new 16 ohm enclosure. Well, somewhat proud. They do describe its looks with the phrase "decent cosmetics." I'm guessing the speaker also has a "great personality."  

Thinking about starting an open mic night at your bookstore? [If so, contact J. Irving-Giles for booking by leaving a comment at the bottom of this article]. Need a portable way to yell at people on the street? Bob DiFazio takes a look at Fender's PD-500 Passport Deluxe to see which digital effect sounds best with the Law & Order theme and more.  

ElectroVoice unveils a couple of new products at Winter NAMM 2008 including the SB2A and the ZXA5. The SB2A is a subwoofer with a dual power amp, and the ZXA5 is an active monitor.  

Samson is titularly excited about their new Live! speakers. These powered enclosures are sure to raise the roof for smaller venues, houses of worship, and a range of applications.  

The Alesis TransActive Mobile really makes transporting this portable, miniature PA system a breeze. In addition to its handle and wheels, a rechargeable battery allows for use anywhere, and an iPod dock seals the deal.  

Mackie was proud to present the Hotwire at Winter NAMM 2008 -- a guitar amplifier with a lot of fresh ideas packed into it. Kevin Van Pamel shows us how the Hotwire embraces a different method of thinking about tonal versatility.  

Is your portable PA suffering from a lack of self-esteem? Are you, in turn, suffering from a glut of heavy-lifting induced hernia? The SB2A is here to solve all your problems. Think of it as your new support system.  

Is your sound system lacking a little, je ne sais thump? The lightweight, reliable and inexpensive TAPCO THUMP will have your party people dashing to the dance floor to do it like rabbits. Boy, did that Bambi reference misfire.  

Feast on some more Gearwire Gallery, just in time for the holidays. In this Keyboard Magazine ad, see what TOA Speakers thought would be a great idea.  

Neptune's Jason Sanford conceived of the band's aesthetic over twelve years ago, in a welding class. Since then, the aesthetic and inimitable sound of the Boston trio has taken them all over the world and into a deal with the label Table of the Elements.  

Today's Gearwire Gallery ad comes from the May 1986 issue of Keyboard Magazine. The ad is for Electro-Voice speakers.

J. Irving-Giles: At the time, their tag-line was "Electro-Voice speakers -- it's like...  

L-ACOUSTICS has just unleashed the SB28 subwoofer enclosure, and its large enough to terrorize most small villages. The SB28 is the successor to their respected SB218 sub, bringing more powerful impact on the lows with...  

The Electro-Voice 635 is great for feedback - creating it, that is. Sound Artist Nicolas Collins continues our conversation on audio experimentation, and when an audio "issue" isn't really an issue. Read more from Collins...  

Chris Schrader runs sound at Hogs 'N Kisses in Lake Geneva, WI. As you may imagine, this venue does not have a state-of-the-art sound system... Pat Ogle talks with Chris about making sound work with a rectangular room, a...  

Gadgets and gizmos can go a long way toward spicing up your Dj set, your home life, whatever it is you finally decide to do with this stuff, you can get a lot of widget satisfaction for a few bucks at Chicago's favorite overstock...  

In Part Two of our American Science and Surplus tour, Rob Warmowski finds what may initially seem a rather pedestrian gadget, a mall-ready public address speaker... but it all depends on how you look at things. Rob gives...  

Those who want a small, high-end portable PA system will be interested in our exclusive Gearwire video on the JBL VRX900 PA series. This is built for small space uses which demand a major amount of high fidelity. Check out...  

JBL shows us the guts of the PRX500 series, and talks tranducers, differential drive technology, and voice coils. Ever seen any of this stuff up close? You have now. Click the vid to learn all about it, plus some talk of...  

JBL offers its JRX100 line of sound reinforcement speakers. Check out the dual-angle pole socket, which lets you mount the speaker in the usual vertical position, or with a ten-degree downward angle. If you point this speaker...  

JBL shows off the EON speaker series. This demo video includes the EON 10 G2, and the 15 G2, both of which are self-powered. The 10 G2 has a 10-inch woofer and one-inch high frequency driver; the 15 G2 contains a 15-inch...