Article

Friday, July 31, 2009

Universal Audio Announces FATSO Powered Plug-In For UAD-2 Platform

Developed in partnership with Empirical Labs, the FATSO Jr. & Sr. plug-in delivers analog tape, transformer and tube sounds for computer-based mixing

Universal Audio has announced the release of the Empirical Labs FATSO powered plug-in for its popular line of UAD-2 DSP Accelerator Cards for Mac and PC.

The original EL7 FATSO hardware’s design and creative feature set gives users the warm sound of magnetic recording tape, Class-A transformers, and tube circuits.

The FATSO Jr. & Sr. Powered Plug-In for the UAD-2 recreates these distinctive sounds with great accuracy, and can be downloaded for $299 from Universal Audio’s Online Store.

The FATSO Jr. & Sr. Powered Plug-In is endorsed and scrutinized for accuracy by designer Dave Derr of Empirical Labs.

Its condensed feature set includes:
* Recreates the warm, musical qualities of magnetic recording tape, tubes, and class A transformers on digital audio workstations
* Clipping, Warmth, Tranny and Compression Select for a wide variety of distinct analog tonal shaping possibilities

“Empirical Labs is honored and thrilled to collaborate on our first plug-in with Universal Audio, especially since Universal’s products from the 1960s and 1970s inspired some of our earliest products, including the Distressor and Fatso Sr.,” commented David Derr of Empirical Labs. “The arrival of their UAD-2 card finally made it possible to emulate our incredibly complex FATSO Jr., using high-speed DSP processing.”

“Empirical Labs’ contributions to record-making with products like the FATSO and Distressor are obviously huge, and our customers have been frenzied with anticipation at the prospect of having these modern classics available as Powered Plug-Ins,” said UA Product Manager Will Shanks. “FATSO’s release is a high-water mark for UA’s ability to mimic the behavior of analog circuits, and Dave Derr’s involvement in the FATSO plug-in development not only brings the highest degree of accuracy, but a greater assurance to our customers that we sweat the details with every single product we do.”

Click here for more information about the FATSO Jr. & Sr. powered plug-in.

The FATSO Jr. & Sr. powered plug-in is available as part of the new UAD software version 5.4.0 release.

.

In addition to the FATSO Jr. & Sr. Analog Tape Simulator, EMT 250 Classic Electronic Reverberator, and Neve 31102 Console EQ plug-ins, UAD software v5.4.0 provides significant RTAS improvements for Pro Tools, integrated support for the new UAD-2 SOLO/Laptop, and enhancements for Windows-based UAD users.

UAD Software version 5.4.0 is available for free download by users worldwide at http://www.uaudio.com/support/uad/downloads/index.html

Universal Audio Website

{extended}

Newtech Systems Selects EAW Loudspeakers For Recent Projects In Kentucky/West Virginia Region

Loudspeaker manufacturer, area sales representative and noted systems integrator work together to provide the high-quality audio system solutions

Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia have recently experienced a swell of A/V installation activity, thanks to Ashland, Kentucky-based Newtech Systems (also with offices in Lexington, Kentucky, and Dunbar, West Virginia).

Newtech’s Bill Banfield takes particular pride in a number of recent “small but great” projects which have taken place at a variety of schools, churches and community theaters, all with EAW components, with support from EAW sales rep firm North Coast Marketing of Erie, Pennsylvania

“Our installations take on all number of shapes and sizes, and EAW has the best solutions for just about every application we encounter,” stated Banfield. “Ashland, Kentucky’s Christ United Methodist Church’s install was short and sweet: two EAW VR62 compact full-range loudspeakers.

“However, working with Mercer County High School in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, was a different story. There, we installed a multi-zoned system in the gymnasium, featuring six MK5396 two-way full-range installation loudspeakers and 10 MK2366 two-way full-range installation loudspeakers. Additionally, we installed a new auditorium system featuring one MK5326 two-way full-range installation loudspeaker, one MK5364 two-way full-range installation loudspeaker, four VRM12 full-range loudspeakers/stage monitors, eight CIS80 ceiling loudspeakers and two SMS5 surface mount loudspeakers.

“Of course that’s not a huge install as these things go, but it was huge for the school, and it sounds great. EAW loudspeakers provided exactly what those projects needed.”

EAW’s MK Series loudspeakers are a particular favorite of Banfield’s: “The MKs are the most flexible boxes in their product category. They have consistent voicing in the crossover region and give the installer a lot of versatility on installation. I’m able to mix and match horn patterns to achieve the best seating coverage as needed.”

Aside from the products themselves, Banfield notes that working with EAW and North Coast has been an overwhelmingly positive experience: “I enjoy working with North Coast Marketing, and I know that Dennis Cray is always willing to exhaust every resource to make things happen to support his dealers. And the support that EAW gives is always top notch - EAW’s Joe Fustolo and the Application Support Group always do a tremendous job when called upon.”

Other EAW/Newtech installs include Ripley Elementary in Ripley, West Virginia; Frank’s Community Center in Boyd County, Kentucky; several churches in Ashland, Kentucky; Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Huntington, West Virginia; Elliot County Performing Arts Center in Elliot County, Kentucky; and several more.

Banfield continues: “Some integrators might not make it a priority to cater toward these smaller installs, but the way we see it, local schools, churches, theaters and community centers need crisp, clear and powerful audio just as much as anyone, if not more. And sometimes all they need is the right set of two or four loudspeakers. It’s up to us to install that right set, and EAW and North Coast Marketing are there with us, providing the loudspeaker solutions that make the difference.”

EAW Website

{extended}

Digital Services Upgrades Studio With 48-Channel Solid State Logic Duality Console

Duality replaces aging SSL 6000 Series console

Digital Services Recording Studio enjoys a long history of providing a professional recording environment to top artists as varied as The Rolling Stones, Barbra Streisand, the Houston Symphony, Destiny’s Child and Chamillionaire, to name a few.

The studio recently replaced their aging SSL 6000 series console with a new 48-channel Solid State Logic Duality console. The Duality gives the studio SSL’s signature SuperAnalogue sound, while providing on console control of the Pro Tools system.

“The studio got a lot of great service out of the old SSL 6000, but the time had come to move into the modern age,” says Charles Ray, who acquired Digital Services Recording Studio in 2007. “Upgrading to a Duality let us retain the lineage of SSL while addressing the way musicians create and record today.

“The Duality provides huge advantages over every other console we considered.  Besides the great sound, it’s smaller than our old 6000, it runs on much less power and it doesn’t need a machine room. The Duality is also a real professional console and not just a control surface for a DAW. We are in the business of high level sound production and the Duality delivers.”

The Duality control room services sessions in Studio A, which has four live rooms. It is not unusual for Digital Services to employ all four rooms to capture a performance. As the studio is working regularly with Rock, Hip Hop and Latin artists, the Duality sonically handles every genre equally well.

“Our Duality has been in service for several months and everyone who has used it has been extremely happy,” Ray explains. “The first session on the Duality was with the Grammy Award winning artist Chamillionaire and the sound was fantastic. We have a lot of major acts in Studio A and the results of the sessions have been very impressive.”

According to Ray, when recording rock bands, Digital Services typically uses three microphones to capture the sound of a particular guitar amplifier. The Duality allows Ray to adjust the levels on Pro Tools without ever leaving the audio sweet spot.

“I really appreciate working with the Duality because I have level control of our extensive Pro Tools rig right next to the analogue signal on the console, so my attention can be focused on the music and not the technology. I also really like the option of using either the E or G series EQ’s and the dynamics are great.

“The Duality really complements our outboard gear as well, providing a solid sonic foundation for every project. Working with SSL on the installation was easy.  We moved the Duality in, plugged in our existing wiring and ran test audio within hours. The engineers were comfortable recording and mixing on the Duality within a day. The entire experience has been great.”

Solid State Logic Website

{extended}

JBL Announces Fall Training Dates For Worldwide VERTEC System Users Group

Program is appropriate for VERTEC system owners and technicians, performance-venue audio staff who work with VERTEC system products in permanent facilities, and independent system engineers who encounter VERTEC systems in touring situations

JBL Professional has announced upcoming training dates for the worldwide VERTEC system owners group, with upcoming sessions slated for September 23-25, October 21-23 and November 18-20 at the JBL factory in Northridge, California

The program is appropriate for VERTEC system owners and technicians, performance-venue audio staff who work with VERTEC system products in permanent facilities, and independent system engineers who encounter VERTEC systems in touring situations.

The intensive three-day program provides attendees with a hands-on learning experience, resulting in formal qualification of VERTEC system use. The sessions integrate line array theory, product-line applications, and practical knowledge and skill in the areas of system design, setup and optimization.

Established in 2007 to provide detailed technical information for JBL’s growing worldwide system owners’ group, the program has served hundreds of registered attendees coming from varied locations such as Canada, Spain, Turkey, India, England, Singapore, France, Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, Norway, Belgium, Sweden, Venezuela, Thailand, Russia, South Africa, Tunisia, the United States and more.

“Our road engineers are definitely benefiting from the integrated knowledge available in this training program, linking scientific theory to practical hands-on skills in the field,” confirmed Jon Overton, Concert Operations Manager for Audio Analysts of Colorado Springs. “It has been well worth the investment in time and travel.”

Attendees are exposed to line array theory, VERTEC passive and powered system model attributes, and system power formats along with JBL’s acclaimed V4 DSP preset data, the VERTEC line array calculator and advance modeling techniques, array assembly and suspension practices, JBL DrivePack technology and HiQnet™ System Architect software, subwoofer arraying techniques and VERTEC field-application case studies.

Each session includes a technical tour and listening session at a VERTEC -equipped high-profile performance venue. Lunches, course documents and software are provided along with a certificate of completion.

“A primary goal of JBL’s VERTEC Training Program is to blend theory and practice in a meaningful way for entry-level technicians and veteran system engineers alike,” notes Paul Bauman, lead course instructor and JBL’s Director of Tour Sound Product and Application Engineering. “Attendees will gain a better understanding of how to communicate about, plan the use of, and optimize JBL VERTEC line array system products.”

Having earned a B.Sc. in Physics and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University (Canada), a Master’s Degree in Physics from the University of Waterloo (Canada) and with Ph.D. candidate studies at Chalmers University of Technology’s Department of Applied Acoustics (Sweden), Bauman has 25 years of professional audio and global touring industry experience. His professional work has included key positions at a leading international concert sound rental firm, and at respected loudspeaker system manufacturers.

VERTEC Training Program Sessions are open to the professional audio industry on a reservation basis, with preference shown to VERTEC system owners. Space is limited for the upcoming 2009 sessions, and attendees are advised to plan for early registration.

The 2009 attendance fee for the VERTEC Training Program is U.S. $900, with discounts available for existing VERTEC system owners and multi-person registrations.

Contact the VERTEC Training Program registrar directly at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

JBL Professional Website

{extended}

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center Revamps Its Sound With Soundcraft Vi Series Digital Consoles

TPAC, Nashville’s leading theatrical venue, purchases two Soundcraft Vi6 consoles for its Jackson and Polk Theaters, and a Soundcraft Vi4 console for the Johnson Theater

The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) has been Nashville’s link to the world of Broadway and off-Broadway theater for nearly 30 years, with TPAC’s four theaters home to as many as 500 productions annually.

When the decision was made to upgrade three of the theaters’ sound systems, all were outfitted with new Soundcraft Vi Series digital consoles. The Andrew Jackson Hall, which seats 2,472, now has a 64-input Soundcraft Vi6 for FOH mixing; the James K. Polk Theater, which seats 1,075, now also has a 64-input Vi6 FOH console; and the Andrew Johnson Theater, a black box-type venue that seats 256, is now equipped with a 48-input Soundcraft Vi4 at FOH.

“The core of this upgrade was our move from analog to digital consoles,” explains Larry Bryan, TPAC’s Chief Audio Engineer, who operates the audio systems at the Center along with Mac Whitley, Senior Audio Engineer, and Jeff Ent, Assistant Audio Engineer.

Bryan adds that the previous analog consoles, “couldn’t take us where we wanted to go for the future. There was too much signal loss, something that a digital console would resolve, and we wanted to improve the overall sound of the performances and have as user-friendly an interface as possible.”

The Soundcraft Vi Series consoles met all those criteria and then some. “The layout of the consoles is incredibly intuitive – as soon as you get behind the board it makes immediate sense,” he says. “It was designed for the way we think.”

The flexibility of the Soundcraft Vi series consoles was also a major factor - both Vi6 consoles can accommodate a second 32-input stage box, increasing input capacity to 96 inputs.

“When we did a production of ‘Sweeney Todd’ earlier this year, with 10 RF body pack microphones and a 12-piece band, that’s when we realized we did the right thing choosing the Soundcraft consoles,” Bryan says.

However, those kinds of capital expenditures for a private, non-profit corporation dedicated to providing and supporting the presentation of the performing arts are crucial decisions.

“Studer, whose consoles are used in top theatrical venues around the world, is Soundcraft’s sister company,” Bryan explains. “It really appealed to us that the Soundcraft consoles share a lot of the Studer research and approach to live mixing consoles, but that we could access the Soundcraft boards at a more cost-effective price.

“That’s very important because an organization like TPAC has to fund major upgrades like this using grant proposals. The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the Soundcraft consoles, along with their great sound and user-friendliness, made them the only real choice for us.”

Soundcraft Website

{extended}

Northwood Baptist Church Selects Allen & Heath’s iLive-T For New Worship Center

With its (iLive-T) exceptional sound and virtually unlimited on-board DSP effects, Northwood Baptist Church now has a system capable of handling the needs of touring artists

The planning and construction of Northwood Baptist Church’s new worship center in North Charleston, South Carolina, took nearly four years – and the church couldn’t be happier.

“It took a little longer than we had originally hoped, but the patience paid off,” admits worship pastor Michael Bell. “But by taking the time to get it right, we got way more than we ever thought we could have. Our new Allen & Heath iLive-T console is a perfect example.”

Design-build integrator Signature Sight and Sound handled the audio, video and lighting for the new facility.

“When the T Series was announced,” recalls Mark Gladden, president and chief systems designer for Signature, “it had everything we had hoped for. It’s got that Allen & Heath sound quality, with great EQ and mic preamps, plus virtually all the capabilities and ease of use of the full iLive, but at a very comfortable price point. We approached the church and said, ‘this is what you wanted,’ and they agreed. After that, it was just a matter of timing.” In fact, the timing was so good that Northwood Baptist received the very first iLive-T in the U.S., with serial number 3 engraved on the back panel.

The new worship center, which seats 1,000, is a large square with a theater-style stage set in the back corner and seating arranged on the diagonal. Live video is projected on three large screens, while the primary sound system is a left-center-right system featuring three clusters of EAW AX Series loudspeakers.

Stage monitoring is a combination of truss-mounted speakers and floor wedges for the vocalists, with an Aviom in-ear system for the contemporary worship band.

The MixRack for the iLive-T112 resides offstage, handling 48 mic inputs from the stage and a dozen wireless systems. Auxiliary inputs for CD, DVD and computer audio are handled at the iLive-T control surface, FOH position. System outputs include three for the main PA clusters, 16 channels for the Aviom hub, four monitor mixes, plus a separate stereo output for video.

“We knew we had a huge learning curve with all the lights and video and everything else as well. But surprisingly, the console was probably the easiest transition for us,” notes Michael Bell. Training was provided by Sterling Coleman, partner and director of installation for Signature.

“Sterling’s an amazing guy,” says Bell. “Here we had a brand new console, the first one ever, and he seemed to know it like the back of his hand. I can’t say enough about all the things he did to make this project a success, everything from training to troubleshooting, audio, video and electrical. He’s so much more than an installation guy.”

Northwood offers both traditional and contemporary services requiring very different setups, something the iLive-T handles with ease.

“For our traditional service, our engineer is a school principal who had very limited audio background. She was so nervous about the new console, she was thinking about quitting,” relates Bell. “So we brought her in, taught her how to power the system, how to pull up the right scenes and presets, and what to do in an emergency, like if a wireless goes down, and she was ready. It took about two hours - amazing!” 

For the contemporary service, head sound engineer David Geddings and his team have a more formidable task. With a full drum kit, four guitars, three keyboards and 6 to 8 vocalists, plus brass, woodwinds and strings, there can be up to 20 people on stage – not counting the choir. But with the iLive-T, the team handles it with similar ease. In fact, with its exceptional sound and virtually unlimited on-board DSP effects, Northwood Baptist Church now has a system capable of handling the needs of touring artists.

“In September, we’ll be hosting the group Rush of Fools,” notes Bell. The concert promoter looked at our new system and told us it would be perfect for them. We won’t have to rent any gear, and the band won’t have to bring anything but their guitars and amps. It was an awesome feeling to hear that.”

Allen & Heath iLive-T Website

{extended}