Simon Allen, Author at gearnews.com

Simon is an internationally recognised Professional Sound Engineer/Producer with over a decade in the industry. Working mostly in music, his reputation as a mix engineer continues to reach new heights. Sound Engineer (Studio & Live) Freelance Record Producer Pro Audio Specialist / Consultant Pro Audio Journalist Pro Audio Trainer

Amphion MobileOne12: Too small for a big sound?

18 Jan 2017 in Studio

Amphion package their One12 monitors with amp and cables in a wooden carry case for release at NAMM2017. But at this size, do they have enough low-end to produce the goods?

SSL Sigma Delta 2.1: In a league of its own?

17 Jan 2017 in Studio

SSL's rack-mounted analogue summing mixer Sigma Delta was already an interesting product, but with the version 2.1 update, it's moved way ahead of the competition.

JoeCo BBWR24B stokes up audio interface ‘war’ at NAMM 2017

15 Jan 2017 in Studio

JoeCo are to premiere a 'budget' BLUEBOX audio interface, with 24 line and 16 ADAT inputs and 24 line outputs. But the new box is already facing stiff competition from recently announced RME and Focusrite ...

QSC extends K and E Series with new subs and a full range speaker

14 Jan 2017 in Live

QSC are showing three new products at NAMM: The K Cardioid Sub extends the K Series, while the E Series sees a dual 18" sub and a dual 15" full-range unit. And the prices seem fair, too.

Can the S Series bring ADAM back into the pro audio game?

13 Jan 2017 in Studio

Adam are back and under new management, but can the once-troubled monitor manufacturer win back its many fans with the S Series?

RME previews Fireface UFX II ahead of NAMM 2017

12 Jan 2017 in Studio

RME are teasing us with the goods, ahead of next weeks NAMM show. They will be presenting their new Fireface UFX II with 60 channels connected via USB2.

Mackie AXIS System including flight cases and Cat5e

Is Mackie pricing its AXIS digital mixer system into obscurity?

11 Jan 2017 in Studio

Announced almost a year ago, Mackie's AXIS live digital mixing system is finally shipping - but a quick look at the price list suggests this could be a prohibitively expensive system to implement fully...

A&H dLive C Class to provide S Class tech for smaller venues

11 Jan 2017 in Live, Studio

The dLive S Class by Allen & Heath is to get a new set of smaller but compatible siblings in the form of a new C Class, with the same tech in a more compact form factor.

Eventide Structural Effects Video Screenshot

New Eventide mystery video teaser for “Structural Effects”

11 Jan 2017 in Studio

We are watching Eventide closely for some highly anticipated releases - Is this 'Structural Effects' video about an imminent plug-in release?

How “game-changing” is Antelope’s Orion32 HD interface?

09 Jan 2017 in Studio

Antelope previously proclaimed the imminent launch of a "game-changing" recording interface at NAMM - last night they announced the Orion32 HD. How revolutionary can this new interface be?

Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre and OctoPre Dynamic

Focusrite Scarlett OctoPre: Worth getting in the red for?

08 Jan 2017 in Studio

So you need to add 8 preamps to your studio, and you fancy some Focusrite gear - will these new units warrant digging a bit deeper into your pocket?

NAMM 2017: PMC to show next-gen MB3 and BB6 monitors

07 Jan 2017 in Studio

PMC has announced it is presenting a new series of main monitors at NAMM in a couple of weeks - the next-generation MB3 and BB6 are almost upon us.

Behringer X32 with SD Card Recording Rumour

Behringer X32 soon to support SD Card Recording?

02 Jan 2017 in Live, Studio

Direct recording to USB or SD card on digital consoles is now a common feature, but perhaps it's time for the X32 - which began the budget desk era - to also add what is on the verge of becoming a standard ...

Editors Picks 2016 Recording Simon Allen

Simon’s Picks 2016: Cakewalk, PreSonus, Townsend and more…

28 Dec 2016 in Studio

A year of new pro audio toys has nearly passed and so has the first year of Gearnews. Here's my top 5 products that have stood out for me this year.

The 5 Best Microphones 2016: Shure, Lewitt, Chandler, Ocean Way, Townsend

22 Dec 2016 in Studio

This year has seen some significant advancements in microphone technology. Here's our run down of the Top 5 microphones, each with something to shout about.

Eventide: Sneak Peak of H9000 and ‘Fission’ plug-in

20 Dec 2016 in Studio, Live

This 'sneak peak' video from Eventide confirms the H9000 we revealed to be in the pipeline, along with some other new toys, including a plug-in called 'Fission'...

HOFA SYSTEM modular mixing plug-in to launch in January

19 Dec 2016 in Studio

HOFA Plugins announce a new mix-and-match audio processing plug-in system for the new year, promising it will offer everything you need in one interface.

These microphones might be the ultimate mixing space measurement system

19 Dec 2016 in Studio, Live

Audio Precision have launched a new range of measurement microphones, perhaps heralding an age of ultra-accurate acoustic space testing for high-end studio speakers and live sound speaker systems.

Free loudness meter plug-in by Youlean

18 Dec 2016 in Studio

Got your eyes on an industry-leading loudness meter plug-in that looks similar to this one? Perhaps Youlean's free plug can save you hundreds of pounds. Perhaps.

Zoom F-Control remote mixer for F8 and F4 announced

15 Dec 2016 in Studio

Zoom continue to pioneer the field recorder market by introducing the F-Control mixer and remote for their F8 and F4 recorders, adding new features.

Flare Islolate Mini ear bud hearing protection

Flare offer more “revolutionary” ear protection with ISOLATE MiNi

14 Dec 2016 in Live, Guitar

Following their hugely successful ISOLATE campaign, Flare Audio are back with a new line of their ear protectors, the ISOLATE MiNi.

Audified deliver (yet another) new saturation tool, the U78 Saturator

14 Dec 2016 in Studio

That's right, it's not a spelling mistake: the U78 is one more saturation plug for your toolkits, and isn't Neumann-related in any way.

Tegeler Audio Schwerkraftmaschine Compressor

Tegeler Audio get feature-heavy with Schwerkraftmaschine 3-in-1 compressor

10 Dec 2016 in Studio

Schwerkraftmaschine or 'Gravity Machine', has now landed and is available to order - is this the most advanced compressor we've seen this year?

Sonible release FREI:RAUM, a hat-trick of new EQs

09 Dec 2016 in Studio

This 'clever' new suite of EQ plug-ins, Frei:raum, contains Smart EQ, Proximity EQ and Entropy EQ, to control "spectral balance, spaciousness and tonality".