— Leading audio processing product developer and innovative pro audio and music industry education center have a shared vision of how technology and academia can work together to the enhanced benefit of the school, the students and the quality of sound —

BURBANK, CA, February 12, 2013 — Aphex®, a leader in audio enhancement technology for more than 35 years, has deepened its unique relationship with the Music Industry Recording Arts (MIRA) program at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida. The MIRA program, which was launched four years ago with a dozen students and offers an accredited Associate of Science degree in a well-integrated curriculum of audio sciences and business acumen, now has between 250 and 300 students per semester in the program, and plans to launch a four-year Bachelor of Applied Science degree program in 2014. For the last two years, the MIRA program has collaborated closely with Aphex, using products including the Aural Exciter®, 500 Series EQ, Aphex Channel, Aphex Dominator II and Compellor® processors, as well as the HeadPod 4™ headphone amplifier, all integrated into MIRA’s pro audio curriculum. As new products become available, Aphex shares them with MIRA, providing the program’s students with state-of-the-art technology that offers them access to equipment identical to that being used in commercial facilities. At the same time, the faculty and students of MIRA regularly provide insightful feedback into how those products perform under the singular pressures of an academic environment. It’s a relationship from which everyone benefits, most of all the students.

This mutually beneficial association has come about because of the shared vision of Mark Matthews, Lead Instructor of the MIRA program, and Aphex wanting to bring the “real world” of recording and music to students. “At MIRA, we approach learning about audio arts and the music industry in an experiential, hands-on way, and Aphex has been a significant partner in how we go about that,” says Matthews. “That we work so well together stems from the fact that both Robin and I came to where we are now from being musicians and from working in various aspects of the music industry. Our visions of how best to teach about sound and improve sound are very much in synch.”

Aphex COO, Robin Sibucao agrees, adding, “Mark Matthews has the perfect combination of experience, talent and vision to lead their unique MIRA Program. Matthews is pioneering a new educational path to prepare students not only to enter the industry’s workplace but also to grow and sustain within the many segments of the audio industry. We are thrilled that Aphex and MIRA have developed such a great working relationship and that we can be a part of helping the audio professionals of the future in such a powerful program. And as the students learn using our product, Aphex also learns while watching them use those products – we get to see how an entirely new generation of pro audio professionals looks at its tools.”

As the relationship enters its next stage, Sibucao points to MIRA’s new MYRA Radio Network, an internet-based radio station broadcasting from the St. Petersburg/Gibbs campus. The station is a multi-format platform completely managed and programmed by students, who produce their own programs and have complete creative control over the content. The HeadPod 4 is now an integral part of the station’s infrastructure, thanks to its four stereo power amplifiers and switchable multi-source inputs (including SPDIF) that make it a perfect fit for the needs of MIRA’s new broadcast center. The MYRA Radio Network will create another platform in which MIRA’s students and faculty can work together, but it’s also another level in a deepening relationship that’s totally student-focused, says Matthews. “It’s about how best to integrate not only Aphex products, but also all relevant production equipment, into the student workflow at MIRA. From this dialog, a new way of thinking has been developed regarding how educational institutions and manufacturers can work together in a mutually beneficial relationship.”

— New Parametric EQ, Optical Compressor and three new Mic Pre units join the acclaimed EX•BB 500™ in the series, forming a comprehensive line of signal processors —

BURBANK, CA, February 5, 2013 — Aphex®, a leader in audio enhancement technology for more than 35 years, is now shipping its new 500 Series modules. The 500 Series now includes six models: J PRE 500 Mic Pre; EQF 500 Parametric Equalizer; DUAL RPA 500 Mic Pre; A PRE 500 Mic Pre; the COMP 500 Optical Compressor; and the acclaimed, previously unveiled EX•BB 500™ Aural Exciter®/Big Bottom® module. All benefit from the portable and convenient 500 Series format and legendary Aphex sound.

The J PRE 500 mic pre is inspired by the flagship Aphex 1788A remote controlled preamp. They both have the same Jensen JT11K8 nickel input Transformer and Aphex patented Mic Limiter technology. Designed to provide no-compromise audio quality in the convenient 500 series format, the J PRE 500 also features a Jensen JT-11DL nickel output-balancing transformer.

The EQF 500 reissue is a modern take on the classic Aphex EQF-2 500 series three-band equalizer, originally introduced in the 1980s. With a Jensen output balancing transformer and 25Hz to 20kHz operation, the EQF 500 is extremely versatile and will make any program material shine while being punchy and quiet.

The DUAL RPA 500 mic pre is a two-channel solid state/tube hybrid preamp. The solid-state front end provides a fast transient response while the tube back end provides warmth and punch. The DUAL RPA 500 also has the Aphex patented Mic Limiter technology for “no second take” recording.

The A PRE 500 mic pre is inspired by the popular Aphex 188 eight-channel preamp. However, the A PRE uses a custom-designed CineMag input transformer and a Jensen JT-11DL nickel output balancing transformer. The A PRE 500 is extremely clear sounding yet musical.

The new COMP 500 module is an optical compressor. It features an electronically balanced input and uses a Jensen JT-11DL nickel output balancing transformer. The optocoupler was specified to be as fast as possible and, is produced exclusively for Aphex. The module features stereo linking, and provides all the transparency of an optical compressor with the flexibility to get aggressive compression when needed.

The EX•BB 500 is a mono, 500 Series module version of the popular Aphex Aural Exciter and Optical Big Bottom processors. Each processor has a dedicated, lighted enable button.

“The expansion of our 500 Series with these five new modules further illustrates Aphex’s commitment to providing a comprehensive range of signal processors,” stated Rick McClendon, Aphex’s General Manager. “The addition of three new mic pre’s, a parametric EQ and an optical compressor, which join our highly successful EX•BB 500 Aural Exciter/Big Bottom module, offers audio professionals a wider palette of processing options.”

Aphex CEO David Wiener was excited to add, “Remember that our Aphex technologies and products have been used by major artists, engineers and producers through popular music history, from Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd, to today’s Grammy®s, Oscar®s, and the upcoming Soul Train Awards. Aphex has had a huge impact and now, with our new 500 Series, we’re making these powerful tools available to pros and the new talent coming into the audio and entertainment industry. It’s really exciting to see our tech become small, portable and accessible to everyone.”

NAMM SHOW, ANAHEIM, CA, January 24, 2013 — Aphex® (booth 6940), a leader in professional audio technology for more than 35 years, is introducing the USB 500 Rack, a four-slot API 500 Series rack that offers users incredible flexibility. The USB 500 can function as a USB interface, allowing users to connect their 500 Series modules to their favorite digital audio workstation via USB. For instance, the USB 500 could be loaded with up to four mic pre-amps, with signals sent to the DAW via USB, and played back through the monitor section of the rack, which features volume, mono/stereo and dim controls as well as headphone output using the acclaimed Aphex HeadPod 4™ technology. Any configuration of processors installed in the rack can be applied as inserts into a DAW via USB. A user can load the rack with a combination of, for instance, compressors and EQs, and connect them through USB into DAW channel inserts. This high degree of flexibility allows the Aphex USB 500 Rack to act as a computer audio interface, or as a set of inserts into a DAW, always monitoring the DAW from the monitor section of the rack. It can also function as a conventional analog rack. In either mode users can chain the modules into a channel strip or link adjacent modules for stereo operation.

The new Aphex USB 500 will be available Q2 2013 at a U.S. MSRP of $949.00.

— Project Channel is the essential channel strip, featuring everything users need to get started on making great recordings —

NAMM SHOW, ANAHEIM, CA, January 24, 2013 — Aphex® (booth 6940), a leader in professional audio technology for more than 35 years, is introducing the Project Channel, a channel strip loaded with Aphex’s award-winning patented audio processing technology. The Aphex Project Channel, a streamlined version of Aphex’s acclaimed Channel processor, has all the essential processing users need to get started: an Aphex Class A microphone preamp, Aphex’s optical compressor, Aphex’s signature Aural Exciter® processor and Big Bottom® low-frequency processor; analog and digital (SP/DIF) inputs and outputs; and LED metering. The rear panel includes: XLR mic input; XLR analog output; quarter-inch analog output; and S/PDIF RCA output. All of this is integrated into a single-rack-space unit at an extremely cost-effective price point.

— The IN2 offers pros and project studios alike a desktop solution that includes two digital and two analog I/Os, two Class A microphone pre-amps, Aphex®’s renowned optical compression and HeadPod 4™ headphone amplification technology in a single simple yet powerful interface —

NAMM SHOW, ANAHEIM, CA, January 24, 2013 — Aphex® (booth 6940), a leader in professional audio technology for more than 35 years, has introduced the IN2 Desktop Computer Interface. The IN2 is the solution that project studio, home recordists and broadcast production personnel have been waiting for: a single desktop-unit interface with two analog inputs and outputs, two SPDIF digital inputs and outputs, two high-quality Class A microphone pre-amps, volume, mono/stereo dim controls, Aphex’s renowned optical compression and the acclaimed HeadPod 4™ technology.

Other desktop computer audio interfaces are merely basic input/output devices that still require the discriminating user to incorporate external preamps, compressors and headphone amplifiers. The IN2 brings it all – high-quality mic pre’s, transparent optical compression, and Aphex’s unique HeadPod 4 headphone amplification system. By allowing compression to take place in the analog domain, before going through the A-to-D conversion process, before going through the USB-to-DAW transfer, the best possible recordings can be achieved. Because of the extensive feature set, purchasers of the IN2 are saving potentially thousands of dollars worth of outboard processing and connectivity equipment. With the Aphex IN2, you get it all.

Aphex CEO David Wiener stated, “With the continued increase in desktop-based recording, we felt it was important to apply Aphex’s engineering efforts and acclaimed technologies to a new line of USB recording tools. The IN2 Interface will surely find a home as a key part of recording setups far and wide, and we can’t wait to hear what users cook up with it!”

— The Aphex® Microphone X offers podcasters and vocalists studio-quality sound, complete with integrated optical compression, Aphex’s famous Aural Exciter® and Big Bottom® processing, and HeadPod 4™ technology in a single, easy-to-use package —

NAMM SHOW, ANAHEIM, CA, January 24, 2013 — Aphex® (booth 6940), a leader in professional audio technology for more than 35 years, has introduced the Microphone X, a high-quality cardioid condenser USB microphone that comes complete with integrated analog processing including optical compression and Aphex’s famous Aural Exciter® and Big Bottom®, and HeadPod 4™ technology.

The Microphone X is configured to put all of the key analog processing used for recording the voice before the conversion to digital, thereby ensuring the best possible recording quality. And all of this processing power is controllable, with input trim, headphone output level and individual controls for the Aural Exciter and Big Bottom levels. Each of the processors has its own on/off control. Users record a perfectly optimized signal right into their DAW via USB. No other USB microphone combines this feature set. The Aphex Microphone X puts everything users need to make exceptional sounding spoken-word and vocal music recordings right at their fingertips.

— Longtime Aphex® users Music Mix Mobile (M3) choose Aphex as the backbone of the audio
system at all-star benefit —

BURBANK, CA, January 14, 2013 — The 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief raised in excess of $30 million, according to its non-profit charity organizer, the Robin Hood Foundation, and delivered more than three hours of music by some of the biggest names in the business to a global television and streaming audience of two billion. Every single note of music performed onstage at New York’s Madison Square Garden passed through Aphex® Model 188 and 1788A eight-channel remote controlled microphone preamplifiers, provided by Music Mix Mobile (M3), the New Jersey/California-based remote recording, mixing and production company that supplied the music mixing trucks and expertise for the 12-12-12 event.

The 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief featured musical talent from both sides of the Atlantic, including Paul McCartney (who performed a tune with the surviving members of a reformed Nirvana), Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Bon Jovi, Roger Waters, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, The Who, Kanye West, Billy Joel, Chris Martin with surprise guest Michael Stipe, and Alicia Keys. Celebrity announcers included Kristen Stewart, Billy Crystal, Chris Rock, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon, among others.

According to Pete Gary, Engineer-in-Charge, M3 fielded two trucks: “Voyager”, based on the East Coast, and California-based “Horizon”. Music mixers John Harris and Bob Clearmountain mixed alternate performances throughout the evening, aided by Jay Vicari, who mixed Billy Joel and Bon Jovi. M3 partner Mitch Maketansky was audio coordinator for the event, which was delivered to the audience at the Garden by Red Hook, NY-based Firehouse Productions and in the U.S. was broadcast over 37 television networks, live streamed from numerous web sites and simulcast into movie theaters nationwide.

“Every input that you heard on the show hit an Aphex,” stated Harris. Gary added, “Voyager had 120 channels of Aphex 188 mic pre’s, and Horizon was running 112 channels of 1788As. Our main infrastructure for the show was built around Aphex. They’re reliable and they’re clean. We didn’t want the sound to be drastically different between acts and trucks, and they don’t color the sound too much, unlike other mic pre’s, so you can do a lot with that front end. The Aphex pre’s made everything easy — like always!” says Gary, noting that M3 originally adopted the Model 188 in time for the 2009 GRAMMY® Awards broadcast, shortly after it was introduced.

At Madison Square Garden, artists were set up on a rotating turntable divided into stages A and B, alternating from one performance to the next. “We had two guys per stage dialing all of the mic pre levels independently, storing them, and making sure the recalls came back exactly as saved,” Gary continues. “When the table would turn for the next performance, we would flip over to the other truck.”

Harris observes that the recall abilities of both models of Aphex preamp were critical to the delivery of a consistent mix throughout the evening. “Over the days of soundcheck and rehearsal, once we got all the mic gains set perfectly we were able to store settings in the units. Each time the stage turned around we would hit the recall button and—boom—all the settings come back exactly the way they were stored at rehearsal. We were on the air in seconds with the exact same settings that we had from days before.” Harris further notes that every signal not only passed through an Aphex mic preamp but also through each unit’s A-to-D converters.

Gary elaborates, “All of the inputs from the stage were fed via analog splits and fanned out to our Aphex racks. We then changed the Aphex Toslink into a MADI stream and transmitted everything over fiber to the trucks. It’s the absolutely cleanest signal path that we could produce to get to the trucks 1,500 feet away, five floors down and out on Eighth Avenue. The networking protocol made it super easy to integrate into our systems and network the entire infrastructure together. On one network, from one master computer, I could view the entire network of mic pre’s from the truck, because of their TCP/IP addressing.”

Aphex CEO, David Wiener, was on hand, both in the M3 mobile studios and backstage lending support. “John, Joel, Mitch and the rest of the M3 crew did a fantastic job as usual. Their talent and mobile technology is really impressive – that’s why they do all the big jobs – and it’s a real compliment that Aphex is the backbone of so many of these major events and broadcasts.”

With so much production equipment on the deck and a constant stream of backline gear being staged for each performance, the compact size of the Aphex Model 188s, at just a single rack space per eight channels, was also beneficial, according to Harris. “As well as being so great sounding, the 188s are so small that we were able to get all 120 channels into just one corner of monitorworld there on the floor of the Garden. Sometimes it can be important to get everything into a small footprint.”

More importantly, concludes Harris, “The Aphex mic pre’s have always been 100 percent dependable. You’ve got to have that on a show where you’re broadcasting to two billion people. Aphex is the sound of 12-12-12!”

— Aphex cures technology’s tin ear with iOS and Android app —

BURBANK, CA, December 6, 2012 — Listening to Holiday music on your mobile device just got better. Hear Bing Crosby and Eartha Kitt the way they were meant to sound with the Audio Xciter™ app – free to demo and now only $0.99 for unlimited play. Aphex, a leader in audio enhancement technology for more than 35 years, today released Audio Xciter app for Android devices (previously only available for iOS). Audio Xciter is the only music player app that dynamically improves the sonic quality of music, audio books and podcasts on mobile devices through its patented Aphex DSP.

Since 1975, legendary musicians from Paul McCartney to Led Zeppelin as well as today’s top artists including Flo Rida, Bruno Mars and Rihanna have relied on the technology behind Audio Xciter for audio mastering. This technology now allows music lovers to experience the detail and richness of an artist’s original sound created in-studio on their mobile devices.

The patented Aphex technology behind Audio Xciter restores missing harmonics to music and voice. Unlike EQ apps, which typically add gain and distortion, Audio Xciter is gain-neutral, resulting in increased brightness, clarity, spaciousness and presence.

“In this era of HD video and 4G download speeds, I’m amazed that smart phones and tablets still deliver compressed audio that sounds flat and boring. The quality of music downloads and streams has not improved in more than a decade. Consumers have been fooled into buying music that’s only good enough, not great,” said David Wiener, CEO of Aphex and founder of DWV Entertainment, Aphex’s parent company. “Audio Xciter turns compressed audio into a new listening experience by exposing the ‘quality gap’ – now vocals are clear and airy, the bass hits harder and you’ll hear instruments and voices appear that were previously buried in the mix.”

A free demo of Audio Xciter is available through iTunes for iOS and Google Play and Amazon for Android devices. An upgrade provides unlimited use (only $0.99 through the end of the year, $2.99 thereafter) and the professional Audio Xciter Studio ($4.99, regularly $7.99) allows users to fine-tune the Xciter DSP settings for a truly custom experience.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Audio Xciter goes to Respect the Music, Aphex’s nonprofit foundation supporting musical education in schools.

Additional information including demo videos and screenshots are available at AudioXciterApp.com .

BURBANK, CA, November 15, 2012 — As part of its recent growth, Aphex®, a leader in audio enhancement technology for more than 35 years, is proud to announce that it has expanded its international distribution network to include U.K.-based World Marketing Associates, under the direction of Francis Williams; and San Diego-based International Sales, under the direction of Joe Manning.

In their new capacity with Aphex, World Marketing Associates will be serving as manufacturer’s reps for the territory of Europe, the Middle-East and Africa (EMEA). International Sales, on the other hand, will serve Pacific Rim, India, Australia, Latin and South America.

“The next year is going to be a big one for us, with many new product introductions and continued market penetration,” stated Rick McClendon, Aphex General Manager. “As we grow and evolve, our sales and support network will create vital links between Aphex and the marketplace, and we are really excited about our new international representation with World Marketing Associates and International Sales, and the geographical relationships made possible by these appointments.”

— Aphex® 188 mic preamps combine high efficiency with great sound for a variety of M3’s projects, and the 1788A offers added flexibility for hectic festival production schedules —

BURBANK, CA, November 14, 2012 —— Music Mix Mobile (M3), a New Jersey/California-based remote recording, mixing and production company, are one of the most in-demand remote facilities teams in the country, and they continue to reaffirm their strong reliance on products from Aphex® as a vital part of their signal chain. M3’s services have helped several television programs and large-scale events broadcast the highest quality audio. Such programs include The GRAMMY®s, The Latin GRAMMY®s, VH1 Storytellers, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon’s live broadcast from the University of North Carolina. A key part of M3’s signal chain is the Aphex Model 188 Microphone Preamp. M3 has been relying on the 188 at various gigs through the summer months, including the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee; the Budweiser Made in America festival in Philadelphia; and the upcoming Latin GRAMMYs.

Joel Singer, Chief Engineer for M3, states, “We continue to use the 188 in our Voyager, OBU and flightpack systems. The Aphex 188 is an important part of making the signal chain work efficiently and effectively. I can say that as a package we’re thrilled with it because of the sound quality, size and feature set. It solves many of the challenges that come with working on complex music programs in remote broadcast shows. We’re able to save space and still have loads of channels for some of these bigger events. They perform so much better than their competitors in this preamp category, and plain and simple, they sound great. Add into the mix that they’re remote-controlled and already have optical outputs – it’s a win-win. You really get a lot of bang for your buck.”

At the recent IHeartRadio festival in Las Vegas, M3 brought two trucks for added flexibility to cover a hectic itinerary. The California-based M3 West truck Horizon is equipped with Aphex’s Model 1788A Premium Eight Channel Microphone Preamp. Singer adds, “You know what you’re getting with a 1788A and 188’s, and that’s a musical sounding pre. I love both products, and we’ll continue to use them on our future gigs.”

“We are extremely pleased that top industry professionals such as M3 continue to choose Aphex as part of their audio signal chain,” stated David Wiener, Aphex CEO. “When you only have one shot to get it right for a live broadcast event, it’s an honor to have such talented people know they can rely on our products in a critical situation.”

The Aphex Model 188 provides eight high-quality Aphex transformer-coupled mic preamps in a 1U rack-mount chassis. Like the popular Aphex 1788A, all settings of the Model 188 can be remote controlled via Ethernet or MIDI, using the 1788A-RC remote or the 1788SW control software (PC and Mac). It can also be controlled via the Aphex 5200 interface from an Avid Pro Tools or Yamaha control surface. The Model 188 has an eight channel analog output as well as two ADAT Optical outputs, each carrying eight channels of audio. The two outputs can be used for redundant operation, or in combination for 2X sampling rates (SMUX).