NAMM 2021 Booth Report: JBL, AKG, Soundcraft [Harman]

Harman’s virtual booth at NAMM this year focused on a number of products from their enormous back catalogue of products within the JBL, AKG and Soundcraft brands.

JBL IRX115S powered subwoofer – The JBL IRX115S powered subwoofer, the newest model in the IRX series of versatile, cost-conscious portable P.A.s, extends the low-frequency response of IRX systems down to a room-shaking 35 Hz. The 15” IRX115S draws from JBL’s top professional touring technologies to deliver superior sound without the guesswork, thanks to custom driver and amplifier designs; tuned, ported enclosure; and built-in crossover and polarity settings. It all adds up to an impressive 128 dB of deep, powerful bass, in a rugged, ultralight cabinet weighing just 65.3 pounds.

JBL VTX B28 Subwoofer – The VTX B28 is JBL Professional’s next-generation dual 18-inch subwoofer, designed to complement the company’s flagship VTX full-range sound reinforcement systems, and capable of delivering uncompromised low-frequency performance, even for the most demanding shows on the planet. The B28 boasts JBL Differential Drive transducers, an exclusive port design, and the same industrial design found in JBL’s VTX A-Series products. It is equally ideal flown or ground stacked, in omnidirectional or cardioid configurations. Simple and fast rigging, a selection of accessories, and software support make the B28 an exceptional choice for rental, AV, and touring companies, as well as in high-end fixed installations.

AKG Podcaster Essentials Kit – The AKG Podcaster Essentials has everything required to start a podcast from scratch. It comes with the AKG Lyra USB microphone, AKG K371 headphones, a headphone splitter, Ableton Live 10 Lite and a free 4 part audio course from Berklee. The Lyra is a 4 capsule multipattern microphone capable of recording at 24 bit/192 kHz in both mono and stereo and the quality is some of the best I’ve heard in terms of USB microphones. The K371 headphones are also some of the best headphones to come out of 2020. They have a mindblowing frequency response of 5 Hz – 40 kHz which rivals headphones which are twice the price. They’re also incredibly comfortable which is important for those of us who wear headphones for long periods of time. Combine these with the workhorse that is Ableton Live 10 and you’ve got a podcasting kit that will take from zero to Joe Rogan in no time.

Other highlights we love include:

JBL Eon One Compact: A small portable PA that packs a 112 dB punch with built in mixer, Lexicon effects, USB charging port among many other features. It’s also battery powered so it can be taken anywhere.

 

AKG C414XLII: One of the most well-known microphones in recording history, The C414XLII mimics the sound of the classic 414s of yore and speaking from experience these microphones could make anything sound warm, creamy and present.

 

Soundcraft UI24r: the rack mountable mixer which has 24 inputs and is controlled by an app. Not only do these mixers have all the EQ, dynamic control and effects that you would expect from a mixer but they also can work as a multitrack USB interface, record to a USB (also in multitrack), have amp DigiTech guitar effects modelling and many other features.