SANTA MONICA, CA: High-end professional audio equipment manufacturer Antelope Audio is proud to be exhibiting at Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2018, May 10-13, China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou (Canton), People’s Republic of China — connecting the entire supply chain of pro audio and lighting products as a comprehensive industry platform — where it will be showcasing its cutting-edge Edge and Verge modelling microphones and Edge Strip bundle alongside the latest DISCRETE audio interface series, with mic emulation and native plug-in demonstrations, musical performances, and more.
Making its Prolight + Sound Guangzhou debut, Antelope Audio’s Edge large-diaphragm condenser microphone is an outstanding performer in its own right, capturing vocals and instruments with pristine clarity while providing the ideal platform for mic emulation plug-ins. Pushing things even further into the realms of cutting-edge advancement, an update to the Edge modelling mic itself means that all its authentic vintage mic emulations are now available as native plug-ins in all major (AAX, AU, and VST) formats, so users can now deploy its next-level sound from within any DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) on the market!
Meanwhile, Edge just keeps getting better all the time, thanks to these newly-added, cutting-edge mic emulations — just in time for Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2018: Berlin 49T (classic mic used on great jazz, pop, and soul recordings throughout the Fifties and Sixties, suited to vocals as well as drums and brass, courtesy of its impressive bass response); Berlin 57 (with a specific sound owing much to a large-diaphragm capsule with a PVC membrane, triode tube, and switchable polar patterns); Berlin M103 (modelled after an iconic large-diaphragm condenser mic with a ‘Berlin 87’-style capsule and transformer-less circuitry); Oxford 4038 (bi-directional mic with a clear and natural sound suited to both acoustic instruments and voice that initially gained popularity in broadcast studios throughout the UK); Sacramento 121R (modelled after one of the most commercially used ribbon mics, offering a natural, pure sound and extended dynamic range that is higher than its predecessors); Vienna 12 (modelled after the latest revision of a classic large-diaphragm condenser and highly-sought-after tube mic with wide — 30 Hz to 20 kHz — frequency response, low noise, and switchable polar patterns); and Vienna 414 (flexible multi-pattern condenser mic with unique dynamic range, frequency response, and spatial detailing).
Already available as part of the recently released latest firmware for Antelope Audio’s appropriately-named DISCRETE 8 ThunderboltTM & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps, preamp choices have, likewise, been increased with the following additions as Edge edges ever closer to cutting-edge modelling mic pole position: BA-31 (modelled after a super-rare and super-sought-after classic that manages to preserve the original sound of the Germanium transistors of its hardware inspiration); BAE 1073 (modelled after a ‘gold-standard’ British analogue preamp known for its warmth and musicality with a sonic signature that is ubiquitous to the point of needing no further introduction); Gyraf Gyratec G9 (true vintage tube mic preamp representing a simple yet powerful unit based on a variable-gain input tube stage driving a tube SRPP output stage); RD-47 (authentic recreation of one of Abbey Road Studios’ most iconic valve line amps used to amplify every stage of the audio signal path); and VPA76 (based on a vintage German mic preamp hailed as the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of tube mic preamps).
Thanks to the dual-capsule design of its cutting-edge Edge condenser mic, Antelope Audio can capably model mics in 3D with step-by-step polar pattern adjustment. As such, it also offers control over off-axis response (resulting in a distortion or change in the frequency response of the reproduced audio signal that is not directly in front of the mic) and the proximity effect (increasing low-frequency response when a sound source is close). Digging deeper, Edge dual edge-terminated capsules dispense with termination mounts in the center of the diaphragm itself, freeing up the entire diaphragm to vibrate without interfering with the sound waves (unlike restrictive center-mounted designs where the diaphragm is necessarily more static). Smooth/natural sound results, reproducing the expressiveness and character of costly classic mics but without excessive expense. Essentially, this gives Edge its competitive edge.
Edge Strip is another new visitor to Prolight + Sound Guangzhou, a true treasure trove of mic emulation made perfectly possible by bundling Antelope Audio’s all- analogue, dual-channel DISCRETE MP Discrete Dual Ultra-Linear Microphone Preamp (designed to deliver the company’s signature pristine audio quality) with the dual- capsule, large-diaphragm Edge condenser modelling mic (designed to reproduce the expressiveness and character of costly classic mics). Moreover, Edge Strip comes complete with several free native-format Fusion AFX Pack plug-ins. Included amongst those is the STAY-LEVIN compressor created by Antelope Audio CEO Igor Levin himself to capture the spirit of its historic hardware namesake that shaped the special sound of a slew of Sixties Stateside classics. Combined with the bundled state-of-the-art hardware, these act as an all-in-one solution for formulating high-quality studio recordings with a vintage sound that is authentically analog.
Also making their Prolight + Sound Guangzhou debut, Antelope Audio’s rack-mount DISCRETE 8 ThunderboltTM & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps and desktop DISCRETE 4 ThunderboltTM & USB Interface with 4 Discrete Mic Preamps put a whole new level of sound quality and performance power into the hands of project studio owners and mobile recordists alike. As implied by their respective names, the former comes complete with eight console-grade, six-transistor discrete mic preamps while the latter offers four of the same. Both boast 121 dB dynamic range conversion and rock-solid, fourth-generation 64-bit AFC (Acoustically Focused Clocking) technology, together with Antelope Audio’s acclaimed Real-time FPGA FX, modeling iconic gear from BAE, Grove Hill, Graf Audio, Lang, and more. Both bring out the best in the Edge modelling mic’s algorithms by virtue of their perfectly-matched preamps — hence Antelope Audio’s specially created Discrete 8 Bundle and Discrete 4 Bundle both pairing an Edge modelling mic with the DISCRETE 8 ThunderboltTM & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamp and DISCRETE 4 ThunderboltTM & USB Interface with 4 Discrete Mic Preamp, respectively. The Discrete 8 Bundle is also available packaged with six Verge modeling mics.
Verge visibly differs from its Edge sibling as a small-diaphragm condenser (back electret-type) suited to both nuanced accuracy and high SPL (Sound Pressure Level) recording, exhibiting excellent performance in its own right so it can capably take on the character and personality of the world’s best small-diaphragm condensers and electrets. As a modelling mic, it too boasts a number of notable emulations (already available for the DISCRETE 8 ThunderboltTM & USB Interface with 8 Discrete Mic Preamps and desktop DISCRETE 4 ThunderboltTM & USB Interface with 4 Discrete Mic Preamps) — namely, Perth 55 (small-diaphragm, true-condenser cardioid mic with an omnidirectional capsule suited to recording acoustic instruments, overheads, and live performances); Freiburg 6 (cardioid mic focused on capturing voice or musical instruments with enviable attention to detail and no colouration whatsoever); Aalborg 4006 (modelled after an industry-standard omnidirectional mic noted for its natural sound, astonishing sensitivity, linear frequency response, and extremely low noise floor); and Hamburg 40 (versatile condenser mic with low noise floor and neutral directional specs guaranteeing a balanced sound when recording pretty much any sound source).
So clearly Antelope Audio has been far from silent since its previous Prolight + Sound Guangzhou visit. This time it is inviting potential partners, music professionals, and dedicated enthusiasts to visit its booth (H10 in Hall 5.2) at Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2018, May 10-13, China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou (Canton), People’s Republic of China. There they can experience its latest developments first hand. And whatever they choose to wear there, they can be assured of a warm welcome while surely being impressed by what they see (and hear)!
For more in-depth product information, please visit the Antelope Audio website here.
