Winter NAMM: Increasing Focus on Pro Audio

The Winter NAMM Show (Jan. 21-24 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California) continues to become a pro-audio show to be reckoned with. Although exhibitor numbers won't be available for a few days, the section of the show floor dedicated to pro audio products was once again crowded, demonstrating the need for the venue's $180 million, 200,000-sq.-ft. expansion begun in 2014 and set to open this year.

Another sure sign that NAMM's influence on the pro-audio sector is waxing: the Audio Engineering Society hosted a membership drive during the show. AES members also participated in education events at the TEC Track, the education component of the show (formerly the H.O.T. Zone).

The Anaheim Convention Center is home to the Winter NAMM show this week.

Winter NAMM is drawing more installed-sound manufacturers and systems, and the trend reflects the broader array of choices for sports-venue systems designers. They're also coming from farther away to access the U.S.'s robust sports-venue market. Loren Robinson, business development manager at Spain-based D.A.S., notes that the company's PA-system products have been added to an outdoor stage in a fixed entertainment area around Miami's American Airlines Arena, whose main PA system already features D.A.S. products.

The installation is currently in progress, he says It's a smaller version of what's in the arena, but it's part of the larger trend towards sports venues' also becoming entertainment destinations.

Winter NAMM has also become the venue for a growing number of significant product introductions and announcements. Among this year's:

Sennheiser gave SVG a peek at a steerable-array microphone, as yet formally unnamed and just entering beta testing, whose five capsules - including a top-mounted one, which would make it compatible with new immersive-audio formats like Atmos and MPEG-H - will have a sports application, according to Strategic Innovation Manager Sebastian Chafe. Using a companion DSP package, the microphone, set up in a central location, would be able to track movement of a player, a ball, or a puck across a field of play.

JBL SUB18 high-output subwoofer

JBL by HARMAN introduced the 18-in. JBL SUB18 high-output subwoofer, which delivers very high continuous output and extremely low-frequency response. Featuring the 2269 low-frequency transducer with JBL's patented Differential Drive technology, the new JBL SUB18 couples power and accuracy to produce in-room response below 18 Hz and 137-dB peak output.

JBL has also introduced two iOS apps, SpeakerAngle and SpeakerPro, intended to help users optimize speaker positioning for improved performance. SpeakerAngle allows precise adjustment of toe-in angles; SpeakerPro uses sound to precisely measure the distance of each speaker from the listening position, as well as the distance between speakers. Distance is displayed accurately within fractions of an inch, allowing optimization of speaker placement. Additionally, SpeakerPro uses distance data to provide intelligent toe-in angle recommendations for optimized imaging at the listening position. Both apps can be used with Apple iPhone, iPad, or iPod devices.

Shure KSM8 Dualdyne cardioid dynamic mic

Shure unveiled the KSM8 Dualdyne cardioid dynamic microphone. Billed as the world's first dual-diaphragm dynamic handheld, the KSM8 extends the company's wired-microphone line and is designed for live-sound applications where vocal clarity and sound quality are absolutely critical. It offers a very tight cardioid polar pattern and the ability to virtually eliminate proximity effect and master off-axis rejection thanks to the patented Dualdyne cartridge, which features two ultra-thin diaphragms-one active and one passive. Additionally, its pneumatic shock mount offers exceptional rejection of handling noise without loss of low-frequency response. The retail price for the KSM8 starts at $499.

Though not exhibiting, Lawo announced during NAMM that it has fully integrated L-S-B Broadcast Technologies, German developer and manufacturer of broadcast-control and -monitoring solution Virtual Studio Manager (VSM), into the Lawo company structure. The products will be marketed under the Lawo brand. Service, support, and project management with focus on R&D for VSM and theWALL will remain in Wiesbaden, whereas sales will be served via Lawo in Rastatt, Germany. The full integration of L-S-B into the Lawo brand represents the consistent result of the previous joint commitment to generate synergies in particular in international sales and customer service. The common goal is to advance VSM as a manufacturer-independent control system open for all remote protocols and to establish the new theWALL multiviewer-control software for monitor walls to the worldwide market.

The NAMM Show will continue to be mainly a cacophonous draw for the music side of audio, but its gravitational pull for pro audio continues to increase, especially as those two universes converge.

LINK:	http://www.sportsvideo.org/2016/01/22/winter-namm-increasing-focus-on-...
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