Line Array speakers

I am seriously looking at line array speakers to beef up my rental business and these babies look the part. I have been quoted a great price by a company in China (yes, China speakers again) and these ones look pretty good on the specifications, and also the price is quite competitive too. Looks like more planning is in the works. But line arrays are the wave of the future and I gotta ride that wave.

JTS US-1000D

I was doing a show on Friday and this was the wireless microphone supplied to me by the sound guys. It was a JTS US-1000D. Now, I was a bit sceptical, to say the least, about the quality and the sound. But I must say, the sound was absolutely crisp and clear. No worries about this brand if you want to get it. Seems like I am learning new things every day about different equipment but that is one of life’s attributes.

Hercules DJ Console MK4

I bought this Hercules DJ Console MK4 MIDI controller today. Cost me less than $300. Pretty well-built unit for the price and performance is pretty good. You get Virtual DJ LE with this and it is more than good enough for what you may put this baby through. I hooked it up to an old Lenovo Thinkpad X61 and it was able to handle the goods. These were some issues with some MP3s but I put that down to the old computer and the dodgy USB port. I was mixing with it for a greater part of this evening. The only downside is that it does not have gain controls. But for the price, you pretty much a have a solid unit. My first foray into the digital world. Lets hope the digital world is kind to me.

More Nexo PS15 clones

In a previous post, I was talking about a Nexo clone that I came across. All I can say, since then, and after lots of research online, I have found quite a few companies in China making clones like these. I did a dinner and dance yesterday and the sound company supplied a pair of these speakers, looking exactly like Nexo. They sounded like shite at first but after some tuning with the graphic equalizer, I managed to get them sounding half decent. The problem is, the amplifier was not powerful enough to handle them. The amplifier in question was a QSC RMX2450 that puts out about 500 watts per channel. Looks like we may have to get a suitably powerful amplifier to handle these speakers if we do buy them. After the dinner and dance was over, the rental company came to pick up the sound system. I remarked about the speakers to him and he told me something, similar to what a few people have told me these part couple of weeks when asked. With the costs of rentals so low now, it made perfect sense to buy these China-made speakers because ROI (return of investment) is better with these speakers. Plus, if it was a real Nexo, and if it blows, costs of the drivers would be pretty expensive. I grudgingly had to agree with him on that. Imagine this. 2 pairs of Nexo PS15s, with their accompanying amplifier with a built-in processor, the cost can go up to more than $10,000. These speakers only cost about $900 a pair, not including shipping from China. So I have been forced to eat my own words about China-made speakers. I think Winston Churchill said it best: “Eating my own words has never given me indigestion”. How true.

So am I going to get these Nexo clones? I think I most probably going to.

Ferguson Hill horn speakers?

I had to do a double-take when i heard that horn speakers were invading hi-fi. Sure, there have been instances in the past like in the JBL 4430 speakers and such but must hi-fi “purists” slam horn-loaded enclosures. But here we have Ferguson Hill making such speakers for their FH009 system

According to this article here on cNET:

“The FH009 is a 2.1-channel audio system. It comes with a pair of horn speakers–that can be wall-mounted or placed on stands–and a dual-driver subwoofer unit that houses the integrated amplifier. This 2.1-channel setup is rated to deliver 128W RMS of power, with 64W split between the two horns and the other 64W dedicated to the sub”

Pretty pricey this thing is but you know hi-fi buffs. Admittedly, they do look pretty cool but you won’t see me buying anything like this for my house

D-Link DIR-457 MyPocket router

I have had this router now for more than a year and I must say that I am pretty happy with it. It makes my 2Mb mobile broadband subscription even more flexible! I can share it with a few users and it is small and lightweight. Besides, the battery lasts a cool 3 hours before it gets flat but I am not complaining. Some of the specs are available on the webpage here. It can also be configured to work as a Wi-Fi Router or 3.5G Modem with the flip of a switch. I have had more than one person very interested in the router. There are other competing brands out there that have the same functionality but that is where the comparison ends.

Phonic Road Gear 260 Plus

There are innovators and then there are those who, uh, adapt from the innovators. This time it is Phonic, a Taiwanese company that makes some pretty decent mixers. I should know…I had a mixer made by them and I used it for ten years without any problems. But I digress. The design above is a copy of the Fender Passport series, from the way in which the speakers latch on to the mixer, becoming a single entity that looks like a giant suitcase. The Phonic Road Gear comes with a 260W (130W per channel) stereo power amplifier, an 8-channel powered mixer (four Microphone/Line, two stereo) with phantom power and a speaker system with 1″ compression driver and 8″woofer. lots more info available on the link above but this is a summary. I have never heard them before but I dare say with a small speaker compliment like this, looks like it should be able to handle small road-shows with no issues. Me? I will stick to my Yamaha Stagepas!

HK Audio Lucas Performer speaker system

I saw this HK Audio L.U.C.A.S. Performer series portable speaker system at an exhibition a couple of days back. Pretty good sound these things were pumping out. But I did notice that when the volume was raised, I distinctly heard the subwoofer box rattle. Ouch! Not too good there! It is a pretty pricey system to buy, costing almost $2,500 in Australia. The local distributor here in Singapore is selling this with a package that comes up to almost $15,000! Egads. Well, I will say that the sound is good but for me personally, I can get a pretty good system at that price with double the performance and not to mention, power.

Allen & Heath Xone K2

I was at an Allen & Heath Xone “conference” yesterday and I got to see the quality offerings there, like the Xone DB4 (outstanding mixer…that is all I can say) and this one, the Xone K2. According to the website here:

Xone:K2 is an elegant, compact controller for any DJ software. With no fewer than 52 hardware controls providing up to 171 MIDI commands across 3 layers – plus the ability to link multiple units – Xone:K2 has the power and flexibility to put you in touch with everything from the essential functions to the fine nuances of your chosen software. Quick and simple mapping lets you create a unique layout that mirrors your style and puts the functions that matter at your fingertips, whilst 3 colour illuminating switches give at-a-glance feedback.

When linked up to the DB4 via RJ-45 cables, using their proprietary X:LINK protocol (Incidentally, two Xone:K2 units can be linked via Allen & Heath’s X:LINK protocol), it becomes an extension of sorts to the DB4. I have seen the future folks…and it is awesome!

Samsung C3322 dual SIM mobile phone

Samsung have always been ahead of the pack when it comes to dual SIM phone. I should know…I have one myself and so far, it is going along just fine. The only thing I am worried about is getting a suitable replacement battery for it. But that aside, let us look at this new C3322 model

Most of the details of the phone can be found on Samsung’s website here. But in a nutshell, The Samsung Metro Duos C3322 is a candybar styled Dual SIM GSM phone features a 2.2 inch TFT display, 2 MP camera, video player/recording, music player, FM Radio, 3.5 mm jack, internal memory and support external memory by micro SD card. The Samsung C3322 Metro Duos supports WAP, Bluetooth and USB data connectivity and SMS/Email messaging. The handset is powered by a standard battery.

Looks like this might be the next one to get if my phone ever croaks. But two years on, its still going great so that speaks volumes about Samsung and their quality