I went to the MIAC (Music Industries Association of Canada) show this afternoon in hopes of trying out some cool new synths, processors, etc. Unfortunately, my local music store is usually better stocked than MIAC was this year. The show was noticeably slower than it has been in the past and several manufacturers were conspicuously absent. Tradeshows have suffered a decline recently as manufacturers have discovered that online product launches and in-store events let them reach prospective buyers more efficiently. Notable examples of this trend include Digidesign, who decided to sit out of AES 2009 and Apple, who won’t participate in Macworld Expo beginning in 2010.

It wasn’t all bad, though. I did spot this lustworthy display of Api Audio gear: A new 1608 console and a rack containing (top to bottom) one Arsenal Audio (now JDK Audio) R20 2-channel preamp, one Arsenal R24 2-channel 4-band EQ, two Api 7600 channel strips, one Api 8200A line mixer, four Api 3124+ 4-channel preamps and one Api A2D preamp/converter.

Wondering what it’s all worth? $49900 USD for the console and $23355 USD for the rack (not including the case, of course). Sigh…

Api 1608 Console

Api Rack