ECLIPSE shines at PLASA 2009 with M.A.R.S. onboard

September 2009

The star of the show for INNOVASON at PLASA 2009 is their pioneering new board, Eclipse. Shipping since February, Eclipse is the world’s first digital console to offer onboard multi-track recording via INNOVASON’s unique M.A.R.S. Multitrack Audio Recording System.

Extraordinarily powerful for its tiny footprint, Eclipse’s DSP engine enables you to mix up to 104 inputs simultaneously into 48 mix busses with the capacity to manage up to 320 inputs on the console using up to five remote audio racks. The control surface is furnished with 48 faders and 48 fully configurable rotary knobs (spread over four layers). The concept is called SmartPanel and effectively gives you 96 “faders”, taking INNOVASON’s original SmartFAD concept to the next level. As a result, Eclipse is truly a multipurpose console, equally at home at FOH, monitors or in an OB van. No other console offers such flexibility of configuration and personalisation.

Available in a variety of formats, the standard Eclipse package offers 80 inputs and 40 outputs, of which 24 are fully processed including 31-band graphic EQ. It also comes with two INNOVASON FM-8VB 8-in/8-out plug-in effects cards and a stage box, all fully flight-cased and complete with the brand new software, NOVA, which is available for download from INNOVASON’s website.

However, the feature which clearly sets Eclipse apart from any other console on the market is  M.A.R.S., a built-in digital 64-track recorder of the highest quality that records directly onto a hard disk plugged into the back of the console. A navigation bar and time code module are available on the control surface for rapid access to recording and playback functions, which are also directly accessible via the console’s touchscreen. M.A.R.S. opens up a world of possibilities for high quality, cost-effective live recording as well as “virtual soundchecking” which is a huge time- and stress-saver for both the band and the engineer. No other console in the world offers this functionality as an integral part of the console.

Furthermore, Eclipse is fully networkable, supporting EtherSound, Muxipaire (INNOVASON’s proprietary protocol), A-Net from Aviom and MADI (via an optional DioMadiES converter). The console is also compatible with all existing I/O and effects modules and audio racks and is supplied with a dual redundant power supply as standard. The one thing that hasn’t changed is the preamps, so you can be sure that INNOVASON’s signature sound quality remains every bit as stunning as you’d expect and is a very important feature of the console. The difference is in the handling – more powerful, more flexible, and easier to use than ever before.