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PRODUCTS AT4060a tube mic back AUDIO-TECHNICA HAS reacted to market demand and reintroduced its popular AT4060a tube-powered cardioid condenser mic, describing it as a ‘modern classic’. The mic was originally released in the late 1990s, quickly becoming a popular option for recording vocals and guitars. The new version adds a redesigned power supply in the shape of the AT8560, promising improved performance and lower noise. PROVING THAT it is still very much focused on reverb development, TC Electronic has debuted Reverb 8, a multichannel reverb described as ‘bringing world-class room simulation to new 3D sound formats’. Only compatible with the System 6000 MKII mainframe, Reverb 8’s key appeal is the fact that it can be fed with any input signal (from mono to 7.1 and up), and deliver an in nite number of output channels, making it perfectly suited to current surround sound formats such as Dolby Atmos (62.2), Barco Auro (11.1) and NHK’s multichannel broadcast format Super Hi-Vision (22.2 surround). Additionally, a single System 6000 MKII frame is capable of running two Reverb 8 instances, thereby delivering 16 channels, while multiple System 6000 MKII frames can be linked in a network to deliver virtually any channel-count. The exibility of the algorithm has led Thomas Lund, TC’s chief technology of cer for broadcast and production, According to the manufacturer, the microphone’s return comes in reaction to demand from retailers and end-users alike, while its performance remains true to the original. Its design centres on twomicron-thick, vapour-deposited gold diaphragms treated with a ve-step aging process, and a hand-selected and aged Sovtek 6922 tube. Its speci cations include a frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz, a sensitivity of -34dB, an impedance of 200-ohms, a noise level of 19dB SPL and a dynamic range of 131dB at 1kHz. The microphone ships with the AT8560 power supply (including rack mount adaptors), an AT8447 shock mount, a 10m cable with 6-pin XLRtype connectors and a carrying case. Audio-Technica’s AT4060a is back by popular demand Shipping: Now Web: www.audio-technica.com The aged Sovtek 6922 tube as used in the AT4060a if the decay time is changed from 2s to 10s for all channels at an instant, the algorithm is capable of protecting the balance of a mix so there is no need to counter-adjust a multitude of other parameters. Finally, the algorithm has been made downmix compatible to altering the balance of a mix’. In recognition of Reverb 8’s particular application within surround sound postproduction, the new algorithm was recently bundled with TC’s Film 6000 version of the System 6000 MKII. However, it can be purchased as a separate The main page in Reverb 8 to describe Reverb 8 as ‘the in nite “Lego brick” reverb’ that the company has long sought after. Further bene ts of the potentially huge channel count include conveying space in a more realistic manner, with the manufacturer promising to add ‘whole new colours to the mixing-palette’ including ‘the ability to add wild and imaginative The TASCAM UH-7000 audio interface AIMED AT home studios but promising studio-quality recording, the UH-7000 USB 4x4-channel audio interface and mic preamp has been introduced by TASCAM as ‘bridging the gap’ between the two markets. by popular demand The manufacturer is pointing to its new High De nition Instrumentation Architecture (HDIA) microphone preamps as part of the reason why. The preamps reportedly feature a fullybalanced signal path from input 74 PRO AUDIO ASIA July–August 2014 spaces to even a mono source; where reverb on reverb is no longer an obstacle’. Crucially, TC has also developed a user interface named the Grid which is intended to help users get to grips with the power of Reverb 8 ‘quicker, better and over a wider range than before’. Much of the process is automated, meaning that to output, an ‘instrumentation ampli er architecture’, and offer a -128dBU noise oor, 117dB signalto-noise ratio and 0.0009 per cent THD rating. Also onboard the interface are dual-sided Burr-Brown PCM4220 A/D converters working at 192kHz/24-bit resolution, a temperature-compensated internal clock offering 1PPM resolution, Burr Brown PCM1795 D/A converters, and an extralarge, heavy duty power supply. Physically, the interface is housed in an aluminium case with a brushed front fascia and 20-segment LED peak meters. In terms of I/O, the unit boasts two balanced XLR inputs with +48V phantom power, two balanced ¼-inch inputs, two balanced XLR outputs, and AES/EBU digital out. The Reverb 8 algorithm is only available on the System 6000 MKII family contend with how the dry/wet balance of a mix can sometimes change across format conversion. According to the manufacturer, a user can move from a 32-channel rendering to mono ‘without introducing phasing artefacts or licence for any System 6000 MKII variant, including the Music 6000, Broadcast 6000 and Mastering 6000. Targeted squarely at professional users, meanwhile, is TASCAM’s new three-strong range of rack-mount clock generators, each of which is intended to address a speci c market. All three models are equipped with an internal clock Oven Controlled Xtal Oscillator (OCXO), and reportedly offer a much more accurate clock system when using a rubidium clock or GPS 10MHz clock. Leading the three is the CG-1000, a master clock generator designed for recording studios and boasting external input support up to 10MHz. The CG-1800 is a video sync/master clock generator for postproduction supporting NTSC, PAL, HD Tri-level for video, word, AES 3/11 and S/ PDIF for audio. Finally the CG2000 is a video sync/master clock generator designed for broadcasting and postproduction applications. The unit is descri bed as improving redundancy for both the power supply and video/audio clock. The CG-2000 from TASCAM Shipping: Now Web: www.tcelectronic.com Shipping: Now Web: www.tascam.com