The What: Dan Dugan Sound Design (booth 5455) has introduced the Model E-3A, an automatic microphone mixing controller with AES digital I/O.
The What Else: The Model E-3A replaces the prior Model E-3. The new version incorporates a bright OLED front panel used for automix gain display, management of six matrix mixing buses, and other control functions. The E-3A accommodates 16 channels of AES I/O at 48kHz or 96kHz, and may be linked to other Dugan digital mixers for system expansion. Alternatively, users may utilize AES and ADAT I/O simultaneously for a maximum of 32 channels at 48kHz.
Up to six internal matrix mixing buses may be patched to any chosen outputs. 16 automixed channels, 16 unprocessed AES inputs, and 16 unprocessed ADAT inputs are all available for a total of 48 inputs to each matrix bus. The internal matrix buses create additional flexibility in a user’s mixing configuration. For example, a matrix bus could be used to create an automix inside the E-3A instead of using console insert points, or the buses could be used to create mix-minus outputs for commentators’ cue speakers, or to taper gain of nearby ceiling speakers in a conference room application.
As with all other Dugan automixers, the Model E-3A may be controlled from the product’s front panel, the Dugan Control Panel for Java (supplied free), the updated Dugan Control Panel for iPad, and/or the Dugan Model K Control Surface. The front-panel version of the Dugan Control Panel is operated by navigation keys and a rotary encoder for setting values.
The Bottom Line: The E-3A is designed to connect to standard mixing consoles via insert points, making it a versatile and useful tool for sound engineers who frequently manage multiple microphones at live events such as corporate meetings or governmental sessions.
