Melvyn French, Sales Manager at Cliff Electronics, explores how component design trend cycles are coming full circle in pro-audio and broadcast markets, bringing back the ‘old but gold’ and giving retro technology a new lease of life
The demands of the live music market have always been for rugged high-reliability connectors and on the whole nothing has changed much over the decades from the golden ages of the 60’s, into the 21st Century. What has changed significantly however are the many-fold applications for such humble components.
Simply connecting an instrument to an amplifier for live events now also requires effects pedals, sound desks, communication systems, loudspeaker connectors and much more sophisticated connection than a simple quarter inch jack plug and socket.
Jack sockets have evolved to offer switching contacts, ‘stacked’ versions, which require less space in sound equipment and multi-pole connectors to combine audio and switching functions.
As the sophistication of stage and studio equipment has increased new connector types have emerged, the most successful being the XLR type, offering balanced connections to minimise interference and a locking mechanism.
These are favoured for low-level signals such as mixing and lighting desks and amplifiers as a reliable solution.
Components for event and studio mixing desks have also changed. Gone are rotary potentiometers for controlling levels, slider controls were developed to give a visual indication of level in addition to on-board metering.
State of the art mixing decks are now computerised and slide potentiometers are now motor driven, demanding more sophisticated control options. The latest being conductive knobs, which when touched activate the motor control of the slider for manual control.
Further implementation of digital technology has seen rotary encoders replacing analogue potentiometers.
In addition to lower noise, increased setting accuracy and repeatability, rotary encoders may be programmed to perform a number of functions. This simplifies operation, reduces the size of the control desk and reduces the component count.
“State of the art mixing decks are now computer controlled and slide potentiometers are now motor driven, demanding more sophisticated control options”
A recent enhancement to rotary encoder design is the inclusion of a LED illuminated shaft. Further reducing complexity and cost of desks by removing the requirement for separate function indicators and the costs incurred for the indicator and mounting process. The rapid adoption of LED illuminated encoders has created a new market for translucent knobs to allow the illumination to be seen.
For non-illuminated encoders encoder knobs are now available that feature ergonomic inner and outer finger dimples for fast and slow rotations and offer a choice tactile ‘weight’ to create the desired ‘feel’ to suit a variety of applications.
While new technology produces ever more complex demands on components there is a steadily growing market for ‘retro-technology’. Many ultra-modern products are being packaged to reflect the heritage of their manufacturers.
This is leading to an increased demand for retro-styled control knobs, such as skirt-less designs and the ‘chicken head’ knob, which can be found in Bakelite or phenolic material. These vintage-look knobs are designed to match original designs for guitars, amplifiers and foot-pedals and are available with or without a marker line on the ‘Beak’.
As equipment of all types has got smaller, portable and rechargeable even simple technology like DC input sockets have had to change to allow for improved and more flexible connections such as higher current capacities and innovations such as dual gauge sockets, which allow the use of either 2.1mm or 2.5mm plugs to mate with a single socket, thereby helping to relieve the modern curse of numerous power supplies with differing connectors.
Where conventional power sockets do not have sufficient carrying capacity or enough poles, manufacturers now offer four and eight pole locking connectors with current capacity of up to 20amps per pin and safety features such as ensuring the earth pin connects first and breaks last.
New & improved v tried & tested
Like many other innovations it is often surprising how many features that have long been available are ‘suddenly’ rediscovered and brought back to the market as ‘new and improved’ when really it is just a case of reinventing the proverbial wheel.
It seems the past is still with us and continues to add value to markets, which are seeing rapid technological advances and adoption.
Cliff Electronics
