Group One Showcases New Gear from DiGiCo and XTA at InfoComm 2013Group One Ltd., a diversified domestic importer and distributor of professional audio and lighting equipment, will showcase the latest gear and updates from console innovator, DiGiCo and signal processor XTA at InfoComm in booth 613, June 12-14, in Orlando, Florida. Digico will feature software updates for broadcast and theatre (SD9B, SD9T, and SDTen T), a V6 system update for all Digico SD consoles (adding 96KHz for SD9 and SD11 and featuring the new SD audio router), as well as an SD Convert File Interchange Application. XTA shows off its new multi-channel analog-to-digital option for the DS8000 audio distribution system as well as FIR filters for its 4 Series Audio Management system. Last year, Digico's SD9 got a big boost from software/firmware upgrades that freed up more of the FPGA's processing power. Digico's SD9B advancement adds surround capabilities to the standard SD9, providing 48 stereo channels, allowing up to 5.1 bussing, plus a full surround monitor matrix, multiple mix minus busses, and backstop PFL functionality. Digico releases the T version upgrade for the SD9 and SDTen giving all the advanced theatre features of the flagship SD7T to the smaller consoles. The SD9T and SDTen T update offers features such as the powerful auto update system to aid cue programming, channel aliases, the new players update function and matrix nodal delays. For over a decade, Digico has been working with world-class sound designers, including Andrew Bruce (Les Misérables, Chess, Miss Saigon, Mary Poppins), to develop a software package that provides the tools needed to address the highly demanding discipline of live theatre show design. The results have made the SD7T a standard on the many of the large productions on Broadway and in the West End. This feature set is now available to an even wider selection of theatre users according to the company, thanks to the specs of the smaller, more cost conscious, SD9T and SDTen T. The new V6 software upgrade increases the sonic possibilities for all Digico SD consoles by upping their sample rate to a maximum 96KHz. Switch to 96KHz and the same processing remains at the user's disposal, with the D-Rack delivering 28 inputs to 16 outputs. Running higher sample rates increases the available dynamic range; Digico further reduces constant system latency. And for the first time, the SD9 and SD11 can be specified with a fiber optic connection straight from the factory. The V6 software update also includes the new onboard SD audio router, delivering even more flexibility to all of the consoles in the SD Series, providing a user-defined recording path for every system input, whether from stage or locally on the console, for seamless recording and playback -- and all without taking up any of the console's resources. All of the system I/O is made available in a cross point router format, where any input can be copied to single or multiple outputs on any port. The new "copy audio" panel provides the user with an independent audio router. For playback, simply press the "listen to copied audio" button and any channels that were fed by copied live signals will then switch to the nominated playback sources. Any input can be set to "listen safe" mode, which allows the user to quickly replace the playback signal with the live mic on a per channel basis. The audio router will make its first appearance on Bruno Mars' The Moonshine Jungle tour this summer. Digico's new SD Convert application allows the user to bring session files with them. Move from one SD Range console to another and the user will know exactly how to drive the best from their system. This standalone piece of software allows an engineer to load their files from any console in the SD Range into the SD Convert application and choose which model they want to convert to, defining their existing session with the resources available on the new console. This makes it possible to move freely up and down the console range depending on space, budget, and system requirements. The DS8000 AES Option from XTA opens up a world of additional possibilities for flexible distribution possibilities to the DS8000 -- outputting to analog and digital -- giving two pairs of balanced analogue outputs (two transformer balanced, two electronically balanced), and also offering a pair of AES digital outputs for each input. The new card also allows for selectable sample rates from 48k up to 192k or can be synchronized from an external word clock from 32kHz upwards. The word clock input can also be switched to a master clock output with selectable rates of 48/96/192k available for synchronization of further units. XTA's DP4 Series has received a free software bump to include FIR filtering in its suite of tools. This benefits users by allowing production of linear and minimum phase filters. Also, and more pertinent for live use, this may be used to minimize the phase distortion of traditional IIR crossover filtering and EQ with FIR correction using significantly fewer taps (and so significantly lower latency) than if all the EQ was modeled using FIR filtering alone. See Group One at PLASA Focus: Austin, September 10-11. 
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