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Midas is a company that designs professional audio consoles. Founded in London in 1970 by Jeff Byers and Charles Brooke, today the company is part of the Music Tribe group of brands.
Midas consoles are used by audio engineers for live sound mixing. Applications for these consoles includes
Beginning in 1998, Midas introduced the Heritage series consoles, including the H3000, H2000, H1000, and H4000.
Midas introduced their first digital console, the flagship XL8, at Musikmesse Frankfurt in 2006. Notable XL8 features included three preamps per channel to enable front of house, monitor and broadcast control surfaces to be fed from the same input rack, dual redundant master control processors, and integration with the Klark Teknik Helix EQ system via the ''Rapide'' remote. In September 2008 at the annual PLASA tradeshow, Midas introduced the PRO6 Live Audio System, the second networked digital audio system from Midas. Employing technologies developed from the XL8, the PRO6 offered similar audio performance in a more compact form factor.
In 2010, Midas introduced the PRO3 and PRO9 digital consoles, along with the VeniceF digital-analog hybrid ("Digi-Log") console, which replaced the Venice analog console. At the 2011 PLASA show, Midas unveiled the PRO2 and PRO2C consoles, which offered Midas digital features from the larger PRO and XL8 consoles in a more compact package and a lower price point. The following year at InfoComm, Midas introduced the PRO1 digital console, with an even smaller physical footprint and lower price point than the PRO2/PRO2C.
In January 2014 at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, Midas introduced the M32 ($4,999 MSRP in USA), based largely on parent company Music Tribe's highly-successful Behringer X32 mixer, sharing most of the X32's operating system, but utilizing Midas' Pro series microphone preamps. (X32 uses slightly different Midas-designed preamps, with Cirrus Logic A/D converters and a sample rate of 48 kHz. Midas Pro preamps are 96 kHz and use Midas' own MIDAS-8000 8-channel A/D converter, which reportedly has better performance numbers than Cirrus Logic chips used by most other console makers).
At that same time, Midas began retiring much of its analog console product line, including the Heritage, Legend, and Siena series, while maintaining the Verona analog console and VeniceF and VeniceU analog-digital hybrid versions of the original Venice console an active part of Midas' product line.
Linux is used at the core of all Midas digital consoles. This is mentioned prominently in their marketing materials, as well as in their preference for Linux development and kernel programming experience in job postings for development positions. At the core of all Midas Pro desks is standard PC motherboard with 4GB flash card (for OS and data storage).
Midas became part of the Telex Group, which was subsequently acquired by the Bosch Group in January 2006. In December 2009, Midas and Klark Teknik were acquired by Music Group, a holding company chaired by Uli Behringer. Music Group was later rebranded as Music Tribe.
Midas Website
{{Bosch Audio mixing console manufacturers Audio equipment manufacturers of Germany
Front of House
In the performing arts, front of house (FOH) is the part of a performance venue that is open to the public. In theatres and live music venues, it consists of the auditorium and foyers, as opposed to the stage and backstage areas. In a theatre, t ...
(FOH) and monitor console positions. Midas also markets the digital audio distribution components that are commonly used with their digital consoles as stand-alone digital snakes, or larger multi-site audio distribution networks.
History
Originally founded in 1970 by Jeff Byers and Charles Brooke as Midas Amplification, a London manufacturer ofsolid state
Solid state, or solid matter, is one of the four fundamental states of matter.
Solid state may also refer to:
Electronics
* Solid-state electronics, circuits built of solid materials
* Solid state ionics, study of ionic conductors and their u ...
guitar amps
A guitar amplifier (or amp) is an electronic device or system that strengthens the electrical signal from a pickup on an electric guitar, bass guitar, or acoustic guitar so that it can produce sound through one or more loudspeakers, which ...
, the company relocated near Euston Station in London, next door to Martin Audio, in 1972, and began producing the PR System modular mixer in 1974. Midas mixers were adopted the tour sound market, and used by Clair Brothers Audio on the concert tours of Elvis Presley, Yes (band), Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
, and The Beach Boys. Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experimentation, philo ...
used Midas consoles on their Animals Tour in 1977 and The Wall Tour in 1979, and Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...
used Midas consoles on his 1980 World Tour. Midas experienced success in the musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, movemen ...
market as well, with their consoles used for productions of '' Evita'' and ''Cats
The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of t ...
''.
Midas launched the XL, the first of a series of large-format professional touring consoles, at the New York AES Convention in 1986. Development of the XL was costly, and in December 1987 the assets of Midas Audio Systems Ltd. were purchased by Klark Teknik
Klark Teknik is a company that designs and develops professional signal processing and audio equipment. Located in Kidderminster, Worcestershire, UK, the company was founded in 1974 by brothers Terence and Phillip Clarke. It developed a number ...
. Under this new ownership, Midas released the XL2 in 1988, the XL3 in 1990, and the XL4 in 1995. The XL3 and XL4 established Midas as a leading live console manufacturer for the next two decades, and the XL series would grow to include the XL200, and XL250, as well as smaller models targeted at the club and regional sound market.
Beginning in 1998, Midas introduced the Heritage series consoles, including the H3000, H2000, H1000, and H4000.
Midas introduced their first digital console, the flagship XL8, at Musikmesse Frankfurt in 2006. Notable XL8 features included three preamps per channel to enable front of house, monitor and broadcast control surfaces to be fed from the same input rack, dual redundant master control processors, and integration with the Klark Teknik Helix EQ system via the ''Rapide'' remote. In September 2008 at the annual PLASA tradeshow, Midas introduced the PRO6 Live Audio System, the second networked digital audio system from Midas. Employing technologies developed from the XL8, the PRO6 offered similar audio performance in a more compact form factor.
In 2010, Midas introduced the PRO3 and PRO9 digital consoles, along with the VeniceF digital-analog hybrid ("Digi-Log") console, which replaced the Venice analog console. At the 2011 PLASA show, Midas unveiled the PRO2 and PRO2C consoles, which offered Midas digital features from the larger PRO and XL8 consoles in a more compact package and a lower price point. The following year at InfoComm, Midas introduced the PRO1 digital console, with an even smaller physical footprint and lower price point than the PRO2/PRO2C.
In January 2014 at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, Midas introduced the M32 ($4,999 MSRP in USA), based largely on parent company Music Tribe's highly-successful Behringer X32 mixer, sharing most of the X32's operating system, but utilizing Midas' Pro series microphone preamps. (X32 uses slightly different Midas-designed preamps, with Cirrus Logic A/D converters and a sample rate of 48 kHz. Midas Pro preamps are 96 kHz and use Midas' own MIDAS-8000 8-channel A/D converter, which reportedly has better performance numbers than Cirrus Logic chips used by most other console makers).
At that same time, Midas began retiring much of its analog console product line, including the Heritage, Legend, and Siena series, while maintaining the Verona analog console and VeniceF and VeniceU analog-digital hybrid versions of the original Venice console an active part of Midas' product line.
Linux is used at the core of all Midas digital consoles. This is mentioned prominently in their marketing materials, as well as in their preference for Linux development and kernel programming experience in job postings for development positions. At the core of all Midas Pro desks is standard PC motherboard with 4GB flash card (for OS and data storage).
Midas became part of the Telex Group, which was subsequently acquired by the Bosch Group in January 2006. In December 2009, Midas and Klark Teknik were acquired by Music Group, a holding company chaired by Uli Behringer. Music Group was later rebranded as Music Tribe.
References
External links
Midas Website
{{Bosch Audio mixing console manufacturers Audio equipment manufacturers of Germany