N
ew products on show at NAMM 2017 from RME, Ferrofish, Icon, MicW & Lauten Audio
The Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, California is one of the largest MI (musical instrument) and pro audio trade shows in the world, where manufacturers and distributers gather to exhibit the latest developments in music technology. As suppliers often choose NAMM to reveal their latest products, the show attracts over 100,000 visitors from around the world, with buyers, exhibitors, media, musicians, artists and celebrities all in attendance.
With several of Synthax Audio UK’s brands are currently showcasing their latest products on their stands, we thought we’d bring you a round-up of the most exciting upcoming products from our brands. Read on to see the highlights and find out what you can expect to see in 2017.
RME
The RME stand is as lively as ever at this year's show! With the RME Fireface UFX+ only released a few months ago it's still a big talking point, having recently received a 10/10 from MusicTech in their review. But the star of the show has to be the new RME Fireface UFX II, the true sequel to the much-loved Fireface UFX that has been powering studios around the world since 2010. The Fireface UFX II brings the same great sound of the UFX+ to engineers who don't require the exceptionally high channel count. You can get a full overview of this awesome new interface in our article here.
There's also the RME Digiface USB, a compact and lightweight audio interface for connecting ADAT and SPDIF equipment directly to a Mac or PC via USB. This unique little box will be great for anyone who wants a quick an simple way to add a bunch more analogue channels to their setup – you could combine it with an AD/DA Converter such as the Ferrofish A32, or add more microphone inputs with a high-quality preamp such as the RME Octamic II.
RME also had the new DTOX D-Sub to XLR breakout boxes, which provide a variety of ways to connect your DSub equipment, such as the new Ferrofish A32 Dante.
Find out more about the RME Fireface UFX II
Find out more about the RME Fireface UFX+
Find out more about the RME Digiface USB
Find out more about the RME DTOX Breakout Boxes
Ferrofish
Ferrofish are known for producing high-quality, cost-effective AD/DA converters, which have been used on live tours by artists including One Direction and Olly Murs, Disclosure and Ellie Goulding. The company chose NAMM 2017 to unleash their latest offering for the first time to the public – the Ferrofish A32 Dante. This version uses the same housing as the original Ferrofish A32 with an additional 128 channels of Dante, which can be easily integrated into existing Dante networks. Other features include 32 balanced analogue inputs and 32 balanced analogue outputs on D-Sub connections, ADAT, MADI and Dante connectivity, sample rates up to 192 kHz, 4x TFT screens for control of all channels and settings, redundant power supplies, and comprehesive routing and mixing capabilities.
Find out more about the Ferrofish A32
Find out more about the Ferrofish A32 Dante, or watch our overview video here.
Icon Pro Audio
The Icon Pro Audio booth at NAMM 2017 was also a hub of activity, with several new products being shown for the first time. Having recently released two new flagship USB-MIDI controllers, the Icon QCon Pro X and the Icon Platform M, Icon chose to unveil several new products at this year's NAMM, including fader expansion units for both controllers in the form of the Icon QCon Pro XS and the Icon Platform X, along with a display for the Platform X called the Platform D2.
The guys at Icon also had with them an upcoming audio interface called the Icon Mobile R VST. Described as an innovative VST rack, plug-in host and virtual signal router, the Mobile R can be run in standalone mode or with a DAW, and will allow you to use your favourite virtual instruments without a host. It also includes a suite of Icon's own plugins. More details on that to follow so watch this space.
Find out more about the Icon QCon Pro XS
Find out more about the Icon Platform X
Lauten Audio Microphones
Lauten's full range of highly impressive Signature Series microphones were all on display at the Lauten NAMM 2017 booth, including the fabulous Eden LT-386 Multi-voicing Tube Condensor mic, along with the Clarion FC-357, Atlantis FC-387 and the Oceanus LT-381. Each of these high-end studio microphones have their own distinct character, and have found many fans amongst professional musicians, engineers and producers including David Crosby, Fab Dupont and 7-time Grammy winning engineer Darrell Thorp.
Lauten also had their newest mics on show too – the three Series Black models. Designed to be a more affordable option, the Series Black are the perfect entry point into the world of Lauten's premium studio microphones.
Find out more about Lauten Audio Signature Series
Find out more about Lauten Audio Series Black
MicW Microphones
Chinese microphone manufacturer MicW is best known for creating durable, high performance microphones with clean, quality craftmanship. Their range covers a variety of specialist applications including measurement, film and broadcast, and cater to budget film makers with their GoPro and DSLR mics.
MicW chose NAMM 2017 to showcase their newest iSeries mic, the MicW i316 Smart Lavalier Microphone Kit. Designed for use with smart phones and tablets such as the Apple iPhone, iPad and Samsung Galaxy (Note), this new omnidirectional lavalier mic’s lightweight build will make it perfect for Broadcast production work like ENG and EFP.
Also featured at the MicW stand was the new Lightning Mini Sound Card. This clever little device allows you to directly connect a microphone into the iPhone Lightning connector. With the news that Apple have chosen to omit the headphone jack on the latest iPhone causing somewhat of a stir in the audio community, the Lightning Mini Sound Card will clearly be of interest to anyone who is used to whipping out their phone for making quick recordings.
The MicW Lightning Mini Sound Card provides a single channel mic input and a dual channel mic input, along with a headphone output (for real time monitoring) as standard. The Lightning Mini Sound Card will support all MicW iSeries products, and can be used with the iPhone 7.
Find out more about MicW iSeries microphones
Photos of the Ferrofish A32 Dante and RME Digiface USB are courtesy of Synthax Japan.
If you'd like to know more about any of the products mentioned in this article, give us a call on 01727 821 870 to speak to one of our team or to arrange a demo. You can also contact us.