The all new Studiomaster Vortex 12A

This week a brand new speaker from Studiomaster has been released and here at Prebeat we have already received that first delivery. The Studiomaster Vortex 12A is a 12” active speaker (also known as a powered speaker) which is an evolved version of the very popular Studiomaster Drive 12A model that has been a best seller for us, for many years.

We must at this point confess that we are a huge fans of Studiomaster, not just for their products which we feel are amongst the best in terms of features and performance Vs cost, but also of the company itself. Studiomaster is operated by a fantastic team who obviously have knowledge and passion for the products, but also are a very helpful company when ever we need support.

So back to the new Studiomaster Vortex 12A. One of the biggest reasons the team wanted to replace the Drive 12A is that the look of the front panel was becoming a little old fashioned and now the newly designed Vortex features a full front grille. This may be nothing new in the speaker market, but certainly seems to be a requirement with our customers looking for new active speakers. Turning our attention round to the rear amplifier module this speaker has 2 Mic/Line inputs using Combo sockets which allow either XLR or ¼” Jack input, an XLR link output that also has a switch to choose whether the output is just one input or all inputs. A third input available on the rear panel is a 3.5mm jack input.

Possibly the only criticism we have had of Studiomaster is the lack of new products, but the team have changed that rapidly over the last couple of years – you may have seen the brand new Studiomaster DIRECT speakers? If you haven’t stumbled upon these yet then you should definitely check them out. The reason we mention the DIRECT range is the VORTEX12A features a similar digital menu for adjustments to settings including MODE (choosing from Music, Live, DJ, Speech and Monitor), 3 band EQ, Delay and of course Volume. These are all premium features often see in more expensive models which gives the VORTEX 12A a little edge in it’s price bracket.

Another option with this product is the built in Bluetooth which means it suits a variety of people who maybe use only one speaker for dance classes, presentations etc. Alternatively, if you are using a pair and don’t want to use a mixer then you can easily connect using the TWS feature.

Next let us look at the case of the speaker, featuring handles on both sides and the top of the unit making carrying this speaker easy with a very manageable weight of only 15.5Kg. Underneath is the option of two 35mm pole mounts – straight or with a slight tilt.

Taking into consideration all of these features along with the 1400w Peak output and Max SPL rating of 125dB, this means the Studiomaster Vortex 12A offers a powerful output at a price point that won’t break the bank. At the time of writing this there are no Studiomaster covers available, but we are told they are on the way soon as well as other models in the Vortex range such as 10A and Subwoofer.

Head over to the product page to check out the Vortex 12A today …