Function: Microphone

Price: $499

What’s New: It may look like a nautical instrument from the 16^th century, but the Edwina is actually a unique, hand-built, large diaphragm condenser microphone. Hand made in Portland, OR, the Edwina is a FET design mic tuned for live vocals.  The diaphragm sports a built-in pop filter and cardioid pickup pattern ideal for live use mounted in a pivoting capsule for upright, side-address, or end-address for any position. 

Sound: Condenser microphones on live vocals have been a struggle for many audio engineers over the years.  While condensers often sound bigger and fuller than their dynamic counterparts, their proneness to feedback and pick up too much ambient stage noise has many engineers sticking with dynamic mics.  The Edwina surpasses all the hurdles that a live vocal condenser may have and offers a stunning sound and visual on top! 

I first tried the Edwina on vocals in a studio to capture the sound as accurately as I could.  The first thing I noticed was how big the sound was!  The highs were exceptionally clear and bright while retaining the low mid body of the sound.  As a room mic the Edwina is gold.  Placed at six feet, the Edwina picked up a guitar and singer and the two balanced perfectly.  The FET design is exceptionally quiet and is sensitive to every nuance of vocal inflection.  Acoustic guitars sound smooth and big through the Edwina, and the pivoting capsule allows for almost for almost any mic position. 

On stage, the Edwina is a wonder.  With a full band, the vocals were clear and warm and the microphone never had any problems with feedback (unlike the dynamic mic on stage we used for backup, which proceeded to feedback until I turned it off).  The built-in pop filter works incredibly well, even at close proximity. 

Value:  Clear, bright highs with warm mids and body make the Edwina a top-notch studio condenser and with its elegant looks and feedback resistant-design, the Edwina is an outstanding live vocal mic.  If you’re looking for something unique and new for your vocal on stage, the Edwina is a perfect choice. 

For more information about the Edwina and other Ear Trumpet Labs products visit www.eartrumpetlabs.com. 

-Andy Toy

Function: Loudspeaker

Price: $299

What’s New: The Alto iPA is a two-way, 400 watt loudspeaker with a unique feature: a fully integrated Universal Dock for the Apple iPad.  The iPA is self-powered and features XLR, RCA, and ¼” inputs controlled by a volume knob as well as the 30-pin iPad connector with its own dedicated volume control.  Included with the iPA is an Alto ADM10 dynamic microphone and 10 foot XLR cable.  A contour switch provides a bass and treble boost for better clarity and bass power and the XLR output is able to send either a left, right, or summed mono signal to an optional external speaker. 

Features: An iPad connects seamlessly to the iPA.  When I plugged in my iPad to the back of the speaker, it worked right away without any setup or calibration and even charged the iPad!  All the input channels sound terrific and the built-in mixer provides a nice touch to control volumes of individual devices.  The RCA inputs are especially nice for connecting a laptop computer, CD player or iPod.  The inputs and output let the iPA function completely like a standard PA speaker and it even sports a 35 mm socket for speaker mounts.  Possibly my favorite feature of the iPA is that it is unbelievably light!  A handle on the side makes it easy to transport and anyone can easily lift and move the speaker. 

Sound: If the features alone weren’t enough, the sound of the iPA is amazing!  I’ve used several different models of self-powered loudspeaker and the iPA holds its own against any of the leading loudspeakers in its class.  I was blown away at how much clarity and sparkle the iPA has in its top end as well as powerful, deep bass response.  The contour switch acts as a built-in EQ to boost bass and treble frequencies, providing more definition to the sound.  The iPA sounds great even when both channels (iPad and microphone) are used simultaneously, making it perfect for karaoke or sing-along tracks.

Value: At just $299, the iPA is a great value.  The iPA offers iPad, CD player, instrument, and mic connectivity, great sound quality, plenty of power, and its own mixer.  This is the perfect speaker for churches that need a lightweight portable speaker option.  Users can run their entire audio system from the iPad connection and microphone and the built-in mixer eliminates the need for powered mixers and messy cables.  The iPA is the perfect system for children’s ministries utilizing sing-along tracks or choirs rehearsing without live musicians.   The iPA is also a perfect utility speaker to place around the campus to provide music such as a wedding chapel, outdoor greeting area, or gymnasium. 

To learn more about the iPA or more products from Alto Pro Audio, visit altoproaudio.com.

-Andy Toy 

Function: Tube direct box

Price: $599.99

What’s New: New from Radial is the Firefly, a high quality tube DI with tons of features.  Set in a heavy-duty metal casing, the Firefly combines a class-A front end with a single 12ax7 tube stage, providing warmth and character of a classic tube sound with the legendary sound quality of the classic Radial direct box.  A quick walk-through of the electronics demonstrates Radial’s commitment to quality.  The discrete class-A circuit features zero negative feedback, eliminating any phase cancellation in the signal and providing a natural, full sound.  The 12ax7 tube gives the DI a warm, smooth sound and the output is isolated by a high quality Radial transformer to eliminate hum and buzz.  The result is a low-noise, warm, fat, and natural sounding DI. 

Features:  The features on the Firefly were made with the working musician in mind.  Connected to the input is a drag control that allows the user to adjust the load on the pickup of the instrument connected to it, making all pickup types sound great through the DI.  The Firefly sports two individual inputs with individual volume controls, so that when connect multiple instruments (acoustic bass and electric bass for example) and match the volume send of each instrument to the stage and PA. The two inputs are switchable (and the entire signal mutable) via optional footswitch. A master volume knob controls the overall output of the direct box and an effects loop allows the use of effects with both inputs of the Firefly.

Another brilliant feature of the Firefly is the always-on tuner out.  Buffered and electronically isolated, this output removes the tuner from the signal chain between your instrument and the DI, providing the purest sound from instrument to amplifier.  Because the tuner out is also before the tube stage of the DI, it can also serve as a direct “clean” ¼” out if you want to bypass the tube.  The feature I found to be the most innovative and useful is the high-pass filter.  A rotary knob on the front panel allows the user to cut unneeded lows to make instruments such as acoustic guitars or mandolins cut through the mix without feeding back. 

            The output section of the Firefly is fairly straightforward: a standard XLR output is accompanied by an Aux ¼” output that utilizes the same signal path as the XLR.  A “Thru” output is switchable to pre and post tube section, to provide yet another flexible output option.  Recessed buttons on the rear of the DI control phase reverse and ground lift connected to the XLR output.  The Firefly is powered with an external power supply that securely locks to the Firefly via a 4-pin XLR connection.  

Sound: Simply put, the Firefly sounds unreal.  In my review, I tried every instrument I had available: acoustic guitars, electric bass, acoustic bass, farfisa organ, analog synths, digital synths, mandolin, Fender Rhodes, and a Wurlitzer 200A.  I could not find anything that the Firefly didn’t make sound amazing!  The overall sound of the box was silky smooth and warm with a full body and amazing clarity.  The firefly made digital emulated keys sound incredibly close to the real thing.  Acoustics sounded full and round no matter what pickup system they used.  The tube took away all the harsh digital high end of the synths and gave them a smooth saturation that made everything sound really natural.  Everything sounded amazing, but the highlight was electric bass.  The drive from the tube was so warm, natural, and smooth I could barely believe I was plugging in straight to a direct box!  I had absolutely no noise issues at all when plugging in direct, into studio preamps, or even vintage amps.  The Firefly made my instruments sound better than I’ve ever heard them sound.

Value: Overall, the Firefly is the best-sounding direct box I’ve ever heard, and quite possibly one of the best tube preamps I’ve used.  The drag control, high-pass filter, and flexible routing are all musician-friendly and easy to use.  The only feature I miss about the Firefly is a stereo option, for keyboards and stereo synths. The relatively high price for a direct box ($599.99) may drive some away from the Firefly, but in my opinion, the Firefly is moderately priced for all its features paired with the unmatched sound quality. The features, the craftsmanship quality, and most importantly the sound, make the Firefly hands down the best tube DI box I’ve ever used.

For more information about the Firefly and other products from Radial Engineering, visit www.radialeng.com.

-Andy Toy

Apogee MiC Review

Function: Portable USB microphone

Price: $199

What’s New: The Apogee MiC is a portable USB microphone with connectivity capability to Apple iPad, iPhone, and Mac computers.  About the size of an iPhone, the MiC contains a high quality cardioid condenser capsule enclosed in an all-metal, rugged, portable casing.  The MiC is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, and sturdy and durable enough to take anywhere.  Included in the package is a USB cord to connect to standard USB ports, as well as a cord to connect to iPhone 4 or 4S or first, second, and third generation iPads.  Also included in the package is a desk tripod that acts as a mini microphone stand for the MiC.  On the side of the MiC, a gain knob allows the user to turn the gain up or down depending on how loud the sound source is.  Utilizing a simple, intuitive LED system, the MiC has a status light on the front that turns blue when the MiC is on but not ready, green when it is ready and working, and red when the MiC is peaking. 

Sound: I was blown away by the sound quality; the condenser in the MiC sounds awesome.  It really shines on vocals or acoustic guitar, and even as a room mic for a band it sounds great as well.  The MiC is clear and bright and sounds really natural, even more so than microphones that cost twice as much.  The small condenser capsule, while it doesn’t capture extremely low frequencies exceptionally well, sounds amazingly big on vocals and guitars for a microphone its size.  This is a perfect demo microphone, small enough to take anywhere, durable enough to throw in your laptop bag, and sounds great on pretty much anything you put it in front of.  The MiC also uses its own 24-bit digital to analog converters and records at either 44.1 or 48 kHz. 

Connectivity: I was so excited about the sound quality that I almost forgot that MiC can connect to the iPhone and iPad!  Made for Garageband on iPhone and iPad, the MiC works seamlessly with the program and turns your portable device into an incredibly powerful and great sounding recording studio.  MiC also works with a ton of other Apps including iMovie, iRecorder Pro, Nano Studio, and even Voice Memos.  When using Apps to record, the built-in gain knob and status LED are indispensable.  MiC is also perfect for voiceovers, podcasts, interviews, and audio for videos. 

Bottom Line: MiC is the latest innovation from Apogee Electronics as they continue to crank out high quality, completely intuitive, practical, reasonably priced products.  MiC is a great value on such a versatile microphone that works well in so many situations across many platforms.  I recommend the Apogee MiC for anyone looking for a studio quality microphone with mobile connectivity at a killer price. 

For more information about MiC and other Apogee Electronics products, visit apogeedigital.com. 

-Andy Toy

Price: $99

Function: Powerpoint Worship Plugin for PC

What’s New:  ExaltNow 1.5 is a brand new software plugin for Microsoft PowerPoint designed specifically for worship services.  The plugin gives PowerPoint a ton of additional features including countdown timers, text over video, and integration with CCLI Song Select.  The text over video is a huge advancement for PowerPoint users, giving the look of commercial presentation software and adding an entirely different look and feel to a worship service.  One of the best features of ExaltNow 1.5 is the worship song builder.  The interface with CCLI Song Select allows the user to not only browse their database of songs, but also to determine how each song is constructed, for example, if you want to display verse 1 and 3 of a song, all you have to do is click on the verse 1 button and verse 3 button, and the lyrics automatically insert into your slide show.  This takes tricky copy/paste formatting out of the picture and allows for simple setup and changes on the fly.  ExaltNow gives PowerPoint the options and features of much more expensive software at just $99 for three computer licenses.  Included in the purchase are 30 high quality video loop backgrounds, and more backgrounds can be purchased if needed.  ExaltNow 1.5 is currently only available for PC, but does have a version for Mac OS and still provides text over video and CCLI Song Select integration, but has limited options for additional customization. Overall, ExaltNow 1.5 is an outstanding resource for churches that use PowerPoint to project lyrics and sermon notes, providing an excellent product at a low, one time price.  For more information about ExaltNow visit http://www.exaltnow.com. 

-Andy Toy

ExaltNow 1.5 For PowerPoint Introduction from ExaltNow on Vimeo.