Studiomaster launches new products and technology at Prolight+Sound 2011

At Prolight+Sound Show 2011, Frankfurt, Studiomaster launched its first live digital mixer, the Digilive 16, and unveiled its proprietary digital amplifier technology. The launch of the new Horizon 2012 powered mixer sees the rebirth of the Horizon series; building on the heritage of the original 1990’s Horizon mixers with all new design. Designed primarily as a live mixing console, an optional Firewire interface provides the Studiomaster Digilive 16 with extensive sound recording and production capabilities. Developed from the ground up, utilising a proprietary DSP mix platform, the Digilive 16 incorporates an extensive array of production features and system expansion options; rackmount expander modules provide for extension of the 16 channel mixer up to a 48 channel mix system. Operationally the design combines the ‘feel’ and ‘speed’ of an analogue desk with digital control capabilities; including 16 motorised faders, hi-resolution TFT colour display, scene recall of all functions and much more. Specially developed low distortion EQ filters and analogue sounding compressors, 24-bit Delta-Sigma AD/DA converters, and twin 4th generation 32/40-bit floating-point SHARC processors ensure that sound quality is of the highest order. The wide dynamic range, low noise performance starts with new mic pre-amps, with exemplary high CMRR and signal-to-noise specifications.

The Studiomaster Horizon 2012 provides portability, power, performance and versatility. The functional design incorporates carry straps, removable control cover and a retractable panel to angle the mixer for the best working position. The 12 input mixer can be used free standing or rackmounted All mic/line input channels feature the famed VMS optical compressor, Studiomaster 3-band EQ with sweepable mid, phantom power and a total of four aux sends. Like the original Horizon powered mixers, a combined stereo and mic input channel effectively adds three more mic channels. In line with standard Studiomaster practice, the focus of the FX section is on real studio quality reverbs and delays instead of the poor quality 128 program DSP found on so many powered mixers. Each amplifier channel supplies a colossal 1000 watts into 4 ohms using Class G topology; stable into all loads with temperature and short circuit protection. Comprehensive three stage amp routing is selectable between normal stereo operation, split function (MIX to the left and Auxiliary to the right), or Monitor only. Twin 9-band graphic equalisers feed the MIX output, which is routed to the amplifiers and the balanced XLR outputs.