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Allen & Heath Celebrates 35th Anniversary at PLASA

PLASA 2004 marks Allen & Heath's 35th year designing and manufacturing innovative pro audio products and, to commemorate the milestone, there will be a museum area on the stand (K60) with a display of past products for visitors to learn more about Allen & Heath's history, alongside the company's complete current portfolio.

Allen & Heath will be introducing a new product inspired by the award-winning Xone DJ range. The Xone VF-1 is a 1U rack universal analogue stereo filter intended for live and studio use that can interface with any mixer to create and manipulate sophisticated audio filtering. Styled similarly to the lush Xone:V6 valve rotary mixer, the unit's circuitry is an enhanced version of the filters built into Allen & Heath's Xone mixers, and offers three basic filter types: High-pass, Band-Pass and Low-pass. The basic filter types can be combined to create further filter types such as 'notch'.

The VF-1 has MIDI capability, and also contains an envelope follower, an LFO with both triangle and square wave outputs, and resonance control with automatic limiter circuits, which enable high levels of resonance to be used without causing the system to overload. One unique feature of the VF-1 module is the inclusion of valve overdrive circuitry, whereby a single control enables the user to 'dial in' an amount of valve 'warmth' while maintaining a constant output level.

Allen & Heath will also be displaying the Xone:92 CTRL mixer, a modified version of the new MIDI-enabled Xone:92, designed for, and in collaboration with, leading experimental DJ, Richie Hawtin. The CTRL mixer will allow Hawtin greater MIDI accessibility and control options, specifically for Hawtin's Ableton Live sequencing software.

Allen & Heath will also be launching additions to the PL Series of remote controllers and wallplates which accompany the iDR range of programmable DSP solutions for fixed installation and live sound. Similar to the PL6 fader panel, the PL10 is a compact mixer interface with eight rotary faders, LED ladders, and 16 configurable switches, making it possible to mix live events within the iDR system.

A new version of the iDR System Manager software, which is used to configure the iDR hardware units, will also be released. Version 3.5 provides support for the new PL10 module, such as the ability to program personal monitor and foldback mixing, as well as additional flexibility for individual crosspoint mutes and groups allowing multiple level

control, and an improved intuitive interface for programming the iDR matrix.

Allen & Heath will also be conducting training sessions from its certified iDR training scheme for the iDR series of programmable DSP solutions. The training comprises half day sessions with an examination, designed to provide installers and dealers with comprehensive instruction from an overview of the system to advanced programming.

Many top DJs, including the Xone aficionados Sasha and Richie Hawtin, will be dropping by the stand and up and coming scratch DJ, DJIQ, will be demonstrating the features of the pro turntablist Xone:02 mixer at 11a.m. and 2p.m.

Allen & Heath will be demonstrating mixers on the stand from across its portfolio, including a 96-channel ML5000 from the company's flagship range of dual function VCA desks, various models from the GL Series of fully featured live sound desks, the recently launched third generation of its best selling MixWizard range of multi-purpose compact consoles, the PA Series of compact powered mixers, the award-winning Xone DJ mixers including the valve rotary Xone:V6 and MIDI-enabled Xone:92, and the iDR Series.

In picture: Allen & Heath past and present: a customised MOD1 console, used by Pink Floyd on their Dark Side of the Moon tour in 1973; the new Xone:92 CTRL mixer, modified for progressive experimental DJ, Richie Hawtin.

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Allen & Heath Celebrates 35th Anniversary at PLASA

14th July 2004

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