API the Box quick hands on and first impressions

I got to see the new console from API called The Box up close and in person this week at Vintage King Nashville. The Box is a recording console combined with a summing mixer. After seeing it in person I will say its smaller than I thought it would be, and looks much nicer in person. The slanted up design at first seemed weird but once I sat down in front it, the design lets you see everything straight on, which is nice. The bus compressor sounded amazing. The compressors are two 527's, and hearing the ones in the Box makes me want a pair now. By far my favorite feature is the 0db button on the summing mixer channels. This button removes the fader from the signal path and put the channel at unity gain. Now you don't have to worry about recalling faders levels. I would of liked to see 8 pres onboard but the console is expandable. Lastly, I realized as I felt the top and top back of the Box, the console doesn't get hot at all. If I had a to make a complaint it would be that the summing channels can't be grouped in stereo pairs. In analog summing you mostly work with stereo pairs so it would be nice to solo or mute or control fader level for a pair. However this is no deal breaker, and I left very impressed with that I saw and heard. As Jordan Shirks from API joked during his presentation, "Mixing in the Box now has a whole a new meaning". For more info visit www.APIaudio.com/thebox

2013 vocal mic invitational

Yesterday I went to the vocal mic invitational at Ocean Way studios here in Nashville which showcased mics from Blue, Royer, Mojave, and Beyerdynamic. I will briefly go over what I took away from each company. 

• Blue microphones has a crazy lineup of mics they offer from affordable all the way to high end. I am familiar with some of the Blue mics but have never used them or heard them in person. Their Bottle mic and Kiwi really stood out to me. I would go as far to say they were among the best I heard all day. The Cactus I found too dark for my personal taste. The Bottle mic offers switchable capsules and I was surprised at the difference you could here. The default capsule had more presence while the one they switched to had noticeably more high end and less lows.
• Royer mics I would never have considered as a vocal mic but they sound very well to me, especially if you like that ribbon sound. Interestingly the back of the Royer mics are brighter than the front. A nice way to quickly change tones if you need it as ribbon mics are generally dark.
• Beyerdynamic showed off their TG series of mics which are their live sound mics.  I actually won a TG-V90r during a giveaway, which is there on stage vocal ribbon mic. All their mics sounded like live sound mics to me, but to me had more character than a typical 58 you would here in a live settings. Everything sounded full and rich, and on a few I will admit I forgot I was listening to a live sound mic, and some could be mistaken for a studio condenser mic. Speaking of studio condenser they showed off their MC 840 large diaphragm which was quite nice.  
• Mojave mics biggest impression it made on me was how well their tube mic handled sibilance vs their FET. S's stood out way more on the FET and weren't as present on the tube mic. I will admit this makes me now want a tube mic.