My 5 Favorite Pieces Of Audio Hardware From 2019

I looked back over the products featured on New Music Gear Monday’s for the last year and discovered that, not surprisingly, most of them were software apps. We all love new plugins and I looked at some of my favorites last week. That said, there were a number of very cool pieces of audio hardware products though, and these 5 were the ones that caught my attention in 2019.

Warm Audio WA-251

What’s not to like about an inexpensive version of an original 251? Does it sound like the real deal? Not exactly, but it’s close enough to make the $799 price well worth it for a studio on a budget. And it doesn’t suffer from the dreaded SPL overload that troubles so many inexpensive condenser microphones and keeps them from widespread use. Worth checking out.

Royer dBooster

Ribbon mics and some dynamic mics like SM7Bs and RE-20s are notorious for their low output and need something to give them a boost. That’s exactly what the dBooster does, providing up to 20dB of ultra-clean gain just where it’s needed. But there’s something extra that it adds as well. Everything sounds a little rounder and little brighter when you use it. It’s not really coloring the sound, it’s just enhancing it. There are other similar products on the market. I use this one.

SSL SiX Mixer

The thing about many small studios is that they have to stay small. You want to make the most with the least amount of gear. If that’s you, then the SSL SiX mixer is worth a look. It has two great channel strips, a version of the famous SSL buss comp and talk mic, and lots of headroom. It might look like it’s expensive for a mixer with only 2 mic amps, but if you think of it as 2 SSL channel strips with lots of extras you can see that it’s a bargain.

Lauten LS-308 Microphone

Because of the way condenser mics are built, the cardioid patterns are always very wide, which eliminates their use in some situations. Lauten has figured out a way to increase the directionality of a condenser with its LS-308 in a way that provides a 270 degree rejection range. Plus, it can take high SPL so you can use it on snare and virtually get rid of high hat leakage, or outside the kick and cut down on leakage from the rest of the room. The 308 takes the condenser mic to its next level of evolution.

Avid S1 Control Surface

If you’ve been dying for one of Avid’s large control surfaces but either can’t afford it or don’t have room, you’re in luck. The S1 gives you much of the same functionality in a small enough package to fit just about anywhere. Just supply add an iPad and you’re off. Everything about the S1 is really slick, especially the graphics, so if you need more than a mouse to mix, you might want to check it out.

There were so many other pieces of audio hardware from 2019 that was noteworthy, but these are the ones that caught my eyes and ears. I can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store!

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