29 January 2009

ALLEN & HEATH LAUNCHES NEW PRODUCTS AT NAMM 2009

Allen & Heath selected the recent NAMM show to unveil two ground-breaking new products – the iLive-T digital mixing Series and Xone:22 entry-level DJ mixer.

The trade-only event, held annually at the Anaheim Convention Centre in southern California, features more than 1500 manufacturers, which gather crowds eager to see the newest, most innovative products in all musical categories.

There was an over-whelming response to the launch of the iLive-T Series, a new compact digital mixing system. Evolved from the successful flagship iLive digital range, the iLive-T Series has all the performance and power of the original iLive in a new lightweight, affordable package.






A&H product manager, Leon Phillips (centre), taking customers through the new iLive-T

The T Series comprises the fixed I/O iDR-32 and iDR-48 MixRacks and iLive-T80 and iLive-T112 Surface options with remote CAT5 connection. Each rack can be used with either control surface, and all models will be compatible with the existing iLive units.

There was a stream of American reps bringing their customers to the stand over the 4 days, and a surprising number of European, Asian and South American distribution partners were at the show to see the new iLive-T system. The press launch was also well attended, with representation from all of the major global magazines.

An iLive system from the flagship digital range was also in the limelight, managing audio on the terrace stage, which hosted a series of live bands throughout the show.

There was also a huge amount of interest in the new ZED-R16 dedicated recording mixer, which was set up via Firewire to a PC running Sonar LE.

An A&H iLive digital mixer managing sound on the NAMM Terrace Stage

Over in the Xone DJ area, Allen & Heath welcomed performances from a number of its key DJ supporters, including two Grammy Awards 2009 nominees - world-renowned Dutch producer/remixer, Junkie XL, and America's rising star, Morgan Page. D:Fuse and Mike Hiratzka also appeared on the Xone booth, talking about their new track ‘This Is Our Time’, which includes sound bytes from President Obama's recent speeches. The track has been getting rave reviews and tearing up the dancefloors Stateside.






Grammy nominee, Junkie XL, performing in the Xone area on a Xone:4D

Other visiting artists included Didje Kelli and DJ Fiddler from San Francisco, John Graham aka Quivver from London, Mark Lewis, Jason Blum from Deepsky, LA-LA-Land's James Hsu aka St.James, Omar Cash, DJ R-Man and Tim Walter aka Mix Architekt.

All the artists performed live sets on the Xone:4D mixer/controller. This revolutionary DJ tool generated huge interest, as did the Xone:1D and Xone:2D MIDI controllers.

Big news at the show was the new Xone:22, a 2 channel analogue DJ mixer offering high quality audio and a professional feature set at an entry level price. The smallest and most affordable Xone mixer to date, the Xone:22 is equipped with Allen & Heath’s characteristic sound and build quality, and professional grade features that would normally be found in the booth of a top-rated club.

“There was a vibrant buzz around the Allen & Heath products throughout the show, with visitors showing great enthusiasm and an eagerness to learn more about the new technologies we are bringing to the market. It is also satisfying to meet existing customers, who dropped by to tell us how pleased they are with their purchase, and how it’s made their job easier,” commented Allen & Heath’s PR Manager, Vicky Wills.

American Music and Sound's NAMM booth