My last posting about the Klark-Teknik DN-100 reminded me of a behind the scenes story about another great new KT product, the Square ONE Dynamic, that you probably haven't heard.

In order to get to the beginning of the story we actually need to start with another new product, the MIDAS XL8 digital live performance system (you do know about the XL8 right - you have been paying attention to this blog haven't you - I'm just checking).

In the beginning of the development of the XL8 system a seemingly easy decision, with far reaching implications, was made about the performance of the new system. It was decided that first and foremost that the XL8 had to live up to the MIDAS name in all aspects including it's sonic performance. So the sound of all that new digital goodness had to equal or exceed the best that the analog world had to offer (audio is analog after all). They already had the worlds most respected analog desk and through their sister company Klark-Teknik the industry standard equalizers to use as models but in terms of dynamics they came up a little short. So they began looking at products from other names in the industry that had gained large followings.

Not content to just copy some other product they forensically dissected the most promising candidates to determine just what made them so popular and what they could do to make them even better. Remember, all of their digital manipulations are modeled on analog technology, so they created the worlds most versatile dynamics circuit that included ideas from the best in the analog world and then added a few of their own. Once they had perfected that circuit they gave it to their digital engineers to emulate. The analog circuit served as a reference for listening tests to ensure the accuracy of the digital emulation.

This is where the Square ONE Dynamic comes in. It's still going to be some time before analog gear disappears and they had, after all, just created a killer new dynamics processor. Someone on the team had the foresight to suggest that they release it as a stand alone product. So they slapped eight channels into a rack unit and released it as the Klark-Teknik Square ONE Dynamic and the rest is history.

And now as Paul Harvey says "You know the rest of the story."

It's amazing how many cheap DI's I see in a years time. I've even seen major audio players hook up expensive bass guitars and keyboard synthesizers to those dinosaurs. They will spend thousands of dollars on their rig and then have their underpaid soundguy run your carefully created sound through a cheap $30 box. I hope you wouldn't sing through a $30 microphone, so why trust your sound to some cheap DI made by some wire company?

The Klark Teknik DN100 Direct Injection Box is a ground-up redesign that provides extended dynamic range, lower noise floor and all the world-class audio performance that you’d expect from Klark Teknik. DN100 is also designed to handle the rigours of life on the road: a thick aluminium shell protects the electronics, and this in turn is protected by a tough silicone rubber casing, which is replaceable and available as a spare part. They've also fitted a Kensington security slot in one of the end panels to allow the unit to be made secure using a Kensington MicroSaver security cable. (Click here for DN100EDS specifications)



It's not any more expensive than a couple of fill-ups of that SUV you drive. It's only $187.50 and what the heck, I'll even help you out. Bring me your old DI and I'll pay you $30 bucks for it if you replace it with the DN-100. I have found a few good uses for the old ones.

Electro-Voice's classy new replacement for the classic Entertainer System, the silky smooth sounds of the new EV Entertainer® can be heard emanating from Hemingway's Downtown, a sophisticated Greensboro drinking establishment, this weekend and every weekend. Smaller and more powerful than the original, the Entertainer is destined to remain the preferred choice of systems where simply nothing but the best will do.

The Square ONE dynamics from Klark Teknik has been designed to provide eight channels of flexible, configurable, high-performance dynamics processing in one 3U package. Users can select the required mode of operation, allowing the multi-mode dynamics processor to function as a default compressor (RMS sensing type); ‘vintage’ compressor (peak sensing type); broadband frequency-conscious compressor; Hi-Q frequency-conscious compressor (de-esser); limiter; expander or gate. Square ONE dynamics also provides i-TS (intelligent threshold shift) in conjunction with the gate hold function to reduce chattering within the gate; stereo and multi-channel operation, solo buss operation; 6–segment, 3-colour input meter and 10-segment attenuation depth meter. Take a deep breath and come buy one now.

Sound System Engineering by Don & Carolyn Davis has been my indispensable guide in the day-to-day work of designing sound systems for many years and it is still without peer. This accurate, complete, and concise tool is a necessary addition to the library of anyone involved in audio engineering. Many people have asked me where to get a copy so here is the link.

It's hard to imagine that three years have passed since CareySound introduced the amazing Dynacord Cobra System to our customers. And even after all that time, this system still amazes me. There must be over a hundred systems out there calling themselves line-arrays that are vying for your attention and yet the Dynacord Cobra System still has no peers. We posted a new video in the Movie section the the right called Six Minutes and Counting. Go watch the video now and then call us to set up a demo. I double dare you!

Rat Sound created a 'must have gadget' for audio personnel. There are many cable checkers available but this one deserves special attention.

First of all you don't have to have both ends of the cable connected to the tester. It comes with a sending unit and a sniffer unit. Plug the sender into one end of the cable (like at the end of a snake channel 200' out at FOH) and the sniffer into the other end. -OR- If your'e in the middle of a show just have your FOH engineer switch on phantom power for the channel in question & mute it (my only word of WARNING on an otherwise perfect device) then use the sniffer on stage. If all three LED's turn green all is well and if not you can check the included color reference chart for the correct diagnosis.

Secondly it's small (about the size of a mini-MAG-light) and extremely rugged. In fact I carry mine in an unused MAG-light belt holster. And finnally you can't beet the price. It can be yours for less than $50. You can order it directly from their website by clicking here.