Tech Talk

People, it seems, are re-discovering analogue tape… again! Just when you might have felt certain the format had gone the way of the steam engine, it’s back! How long analogue tape will return for or how the machines used to spin it will survive another resurgence is another matter. When the analogue tape recording format…

The Integrate tradeshow made its way down south to Melbourne in August for the first time in its six year history. The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre suits the show well, with the vibe being almost exactly the same as InfoComm in Las Vegas, complete with casino next door. The standard of exhibit, technology and visitor…

d&b audiotechnik do things a little differently to other manufacturers, which is one of the reasons they’re the market leader in touring PA. The way they interact with their customers is also refreshingly unique, and their regular international Partner Meetings are a cornerstone of their strategy. Jason Allen spent the day with d&b at their…

Lighting control to go M-Touch is a new inclusion to the M series lighting control platform from Martin. It’s essentially a control surface with USB connection, as well as a single 5 pin XLR DMX output. It works in conjunction with the M-PC software, available as a free download from Martin. You can also use it…

The big giant head    Initially I wasn’t too sure what to make of the SolaSpot Pro 1500, because its physical appearance seems so at odds with what I’ve come to expect LED fixtures to be. It’s physically large, and at 39.5kg it’s hefty too. Why is it so big? Given its name, you might expect…

What a self-powered speaker should be. Do you remember a time when a 15” and horn speaker weighed a lot, felt really solid, and went really loud? If you’ve forgotten what this was like then the SRX815P is here to help remind you, but with a modern take on the design. JBL makes a range of…

I’ve probably reviewed Audio- Technica headphones once too often in recent times, and I promise this will be the last instalment for a while. But I haven’t been able to resist having a quick chat about the Japanese company’s new ATH-R70x open-backed reference model. It’s only just hit the streets, and surprisingly, it’s the first open-back model ever made by the company. They’ve made…

Standby for conversion dot2 is a new lighting control platform from MA Lighting. It is designed to offer many of the same functions as you’ll find on a full MA 2 console, but with a user interface which is easier for users who’ve not previously used the platform to navigate. How MA has achieved this is…

Flexible array loudspeaker system    Bose is a company that has kind of always done things its own way. The F1 system is no exception to this – I literally can’t think of anything on the market today which is remotely similar. Our test system comprised the F1 Model 812 flexible array loudspeaker with the optional F1…

More than expected I wasn’t too sure what I’d think of the miniPointe when it arrived. I wasn’t sold on the idea of a 140W discharge lamp fixture. Putting it bluntly, I didn’t quite get the point of it – that was until I switched it on. miniPointe is a moving head fixture which has been…