NEW YORK — Celebrating the organization’s 75th anniversary, the 155th Audio Engineering Society Convention took place Oct. 25-27 at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center, co-located with the New York NAB show. It’s no secret that AES Shows — at least in recent decades — are overwhelmingly focused on recording and not live sound gear. However, at least the weather cooperated with attendees welcomed by unseasonable 72° weather, clear skies and — believe it or not — some interesting new technologies for live applications. Here are a few products that caught our attention…

Allen & Heath (allen-heath.com) launched its 12-fader Avantis Solo digital console, which packs the punch of the full Avantis, but in a compact frame. Built on the same 64-input / 42-bus 96kHz mix engine as the award-winning Avantis digital console — with the only difference being the amount of physical control and I/O available on the mixer —new compact-frame Avantis Solo features a single 15.6” Full HD capacitive touch screen; 18 assignable SoftKeys; 12 faders in six layers; six analog and one stereo AES inputs; six analog outs and a single and stereo AES output. Price: TBA. allen-heath.com

DiGiCo came on strong with Fourier Audio, its new acquisition, spotlighting the new transform.engine. Housed in a rugged two-rackspace chassis, it’s a 64×64 in/out, Dante-connected server designed to run all VST3-native software plug-ins in a live environment, bringing premium studio software to live sound and broadcast applications. Compatible with any VST3 plug-in that can run on Windows, the processor offers engineers access to the very best studio-grade processing on a robust platform that’s specifically designed for the rigors and complexities of live productions. fourieraudio.com; digico.biz

Eventide unveiled the 50^th anniversary Omnipressor Model 2830*Au, a faithful replica designed with the same circuitry and the same sound as the original 2830. The new *Au can link multiple units and is fitted with input and output transformers, a universal power supply, a backlit meter and convenient TRS/XLR connectors replacing the original terminal strip. MSRP is $1,999 when it ships in January. eventide.com

Meyer Sound (meyersound.com) demoed its new 2100-LFC low-frequency control element, ULTRA-X40 compact loudspeaker, ULTRA-X20 compact wide coverage loudspeaker, UPQ full-size loudspeakers and Spacemap Go spatial sound design and mixing tool. Meyer Sound introduced its NADIA integrated network-based digital audio platform for Constellation acoustic system installations, providing separate inputs, processing, and matrixing to enable Spacemap Go spatial sound with no performance compromises for either function. In other news, Meyer also announced dates for its Fall Roadshow featuring demos in Florida of its award-winning PANTHER large-format linear line array and 2100-LFC low-frequency control element, on Nov. 14 (Tampa), Nov. 17 (West Palm Beach) and Dec. 1 in Orlando. meyersound.com/panther-2100-lfc-demos

Pliant Technologies is now shipping its MicroCom 900XR Wireless Headset, with the same performance and functionality as the MicroCom 900XR beltpack, but engineered to fit inside the SmartBoom PRO headset ear cup. Its all-in-one design features an easy-to-read OLED display, two intercom channels with a dual-listen option, and support for up to 10 full-duplex users including unlimited listen-only and shared users. It’s available in single- and dual-ear configurations. plianttechnologies.com

Punqtum’s free-to-download app-based intercom for iOS and Android platforms works as an intercom system over any IP network, and will be available to Android and iOS users with access to the brand’s new Q210 PW speaker station. Users can integrate up to four apps into their current punQtum Q210 PW system without the need for additional belt packs — ideal for production situations where extra crewmembers need a fast and flexible way to communicate with the wider team. punqtum.com

RCF was showing TT+ Audio, an independent brand within the RCF family. TT+ Audio’s GTX Line Array System separates the power amplification from the speaker enclosures, moving it to touring racks, each with up to three XPS 16k-watt, 4-channel DSP amps communicating via RCF’s RDNet management platform. The line includes the GTX 12 three-way line array; GTX 10 two-way line array; and the double-19” GTS 29 high-performance sub — all with waterproof birch ply cabinets with optimized rigging hardware for touring or installs. ttaudio.com

Sennheiser hosted invitation-only educational sessions about its WMAS (Wireless Multichannel Audio System) technology under development that multiplexes audio channels onto a single wideband RF carrier. In WMAS technology, a single 8 MHz wide RF channel can support 64+ digital mic and/or IEM channels, each operating at 1.25 mW. sennheiser.com

Shure acquired AB Wavemark Oy, adding WAVETOOL and WTAUTOMIXER V2 automixer apps to its portfolio. Compatible with Shure Axient Digital, ULX-D, SLX-D, Axient Analog and UHF-R receivers (and some third-party brands), WAVETOOL combines mic monitoring and RF quality monitoring into a single, efficient view. shure.com

And as part of the AES educational program, Nexonic (nexonic-design.com), Sonical (sonical.ai) and AntennaWare (antennaware.co.uk) teamed up to support an Ultra Wide Band workshop called “UWB – A New Wireless Tech in the Future of Pro Audio.”

More details on AES NY 2023 will be featured in the Dec. 2023 issue of FRONT of HOUSE magazine.