On Close Examination: Winter NAMM Show 2019's Top Products

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Church.Design

This is not your father’s NAMM Show. In fact, it’s not your grandfather’s, great grandfather’s or any other ancestor’s expo, for that matter. The show dates back to 1902 and what eventually became associated with guitars and drums started out focused on pianos and sousaphones. More recently, though, it’s become a destination for professional audio and lighting (and, to a lesser but growing extent, video), as the line has blurred between what had formerly been the Audio Engineering Society’s high-end music production constituency and NAMM’s MI audience that has added DIY music production to its skill set.

As a result, the NAMM Show that concluded in late January 2019 in Anaheim showcased a number of products and platforms that those who work in designing house-of-worship AV systems should be aware of.

• Stream On — Roland’s been coming up with a lot of technology recently that looks over the horizon of media production, including video switchers and streaming-production platforms, like the VR-1HD AV Streaming Mixer they announced at the show.

Churches are in the forefront of streaming as communication, and the VR-1HD AV can help streaming producers at all skill levels achieve more professional and more efficient outcomes. With it, content creators can produce dynamic, multi-camera vlogcasts, podcasts, live streamed performances with amazing picture and sound that outperform and get better engagement than videos live streamed from just a mobile phone or static webcam. The VR-1HD has three HDMI inputs that each accept HD and computer video resolutions up to 1080p, avoiding compatibility issues. HDMI embedded audio from all sources can be mixed with the two studio-quality XLR microphone inputs and analog line input. Further, the VR-1HD is designed with dedicated controls and features that accommodate operation by talent during live broadcasting, a benefit that easily puts talent in their own director’s chair. With the Scene Switching feature, end-users can instantly switch between ‘scenes’ containing preset arrangements of layered sources in customizable inset windows. The VR-1HD can be connected to a computer via USB 3.0 for livecasting or recording. Available in Q2 2019.

• Easy Wireless — The wireless landscape was rocked last year by the loss of the 600-MHz range of the spectrum. That hits churches with large channel counts especially hard. There have been a number of new solutions on the market since then using other frequency ranges, but it can be daunting for those with entry-level wireless skills and/or high channel counts. So Sennheiser’s brand-new XS Wireless Digital series, introduced at NAMM, could be a good fit for them.

The XSW-D uses sleek, compact transmitters and receivers that work on 2.4 GHz for worldwide, license-free operation. The transmitters and receivers can be freely combined so users can opt for a wireless link that will protect their existing microphone investments, or select one of the fully equipped wireless microphone sets. XSW-D employs digital transmission in the 2.4-GHz range and uses the aptX Live codec. The receivers have antenna diversity; the transmitters work redundantly, transmitting all data packages twice to ensure reliable transmission. In case of interference, the transmitter and receiver will seamlessly hop to a free frequency. The audio latency remains below 4 ms. Up to five systems can be used simultaneously and they have a range of up to 250 ft. The transmitter and receiver units can be conveniently recharged via USB using the included charging cable and work for up to five hours on a single charg

• Got Live If You Want It — The NAMM Show has now established itself as a destination expo for live sound, and as churches move deeper into the pop-up realm, quality portable sound becomes a more important factor. We could do a whole article on just the PA products shown at the event, but for now, we saw some great portable systems debut there, like the  like the DAS Audio ACTION-500 series.

The series consists of 8 active and 8 passive loudspeaker models, which include a 1three-inch monitor, full-range systems consisting of 8-inch, 12-inch, 15-inch and 2 x 15-inch, and 3 subwoofers. The ACTION-508 incorporates a newly designed DAS 8GV transducer and M-34 compression driver. Expected to become available Q2, 2019.

The new EVOX J Series portable PA system from RCF (which a few months earlier acquired the iconic speaker maker EAW) features a line-source satellite module with eight 2-inch full-range drivers paired with a high-powered 12-inch woofer in a bass reflex enclosure. All powered by on-board 1400-watt Class D amplification. The EVOX J Series maintains a similar footprint to the original EVOX systems, now in a portable composite enclosure.  

• One-Stop (Speaker) Shop — Mackie’s back with a new flagship series of powered speakers. The DRM Professional series is complete line, from portable speakers on stands to a line array with matching sub. As impressive as the speakers themselves are, Mackie has also integrated a range of advanced technologies, including an Advanced Impulse DSP module that contains precision crossovers, transducer time-alignment and FIR filters accessible from a control panel on the speaker enclosures.

That same DRM Control Dashboard also manages 3-band parametric EQs, venue-specific voicing modes, alignment delay, user presets and system lock. Likewise, the subwoofer has variable crossover and a cardioid mode, among other features. Modular in nature, the DRM series can be configured and assembled to amplify venues of nearly any size. And that’s what makes this of interest to HOWs: satellite and temporary locations can be addressed with the same series of components that can also be installed in permanent locations.

• Special Mention: Digico showcased at NAMM its relatively new 4REA4 processing engine, which combines a range of connectivity options with software for routing, processing and mix control. Just after the show closed Digico disclosed a case study that showed the 4REA4 being used in a unique configuration: At the Odessa (Texas) Christian Faith Center’s newly opened $20 million-plus facility, it’s paired with a Digico SD10 console and used to manage the large number of in-ear monitors — as many as 30, for vocalists alone — being sent through the church’s Digital Audio Labs Livemix personal monitoring system, using the 4REA4’s Dante output card. The result: one console can handle both FOH and monitors, saving the capital cost of a second console, without putting a significant additional load on the FOH console. That’s a savings any consultant would like to present to a client.