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Monday, July 27, 2009

Yamaha Helps 582 Drummers Claim World Record In Support Of Charity

“It was quite an experience,” says front of house engineer Chris Starklam, who manned a Yamaha M7CL-48, together with monitor engineer Rupert Jones

Nearly 600 drummers got their chance to be in the global spotlight earlier this month, as they raised funds for a leading UK multiple sclerosis charity, setting a new world record into the bargain. And helping to keep them all in time was a Yamaha M7CL console.

Part of the National Rock and Pop festival, which also incorporated the Guitarfest and Drumfest trade shows, the “Stick It To MS” world record attempt was hosted by comedian and actor John ‘Jazz Club’ Thomson - himself a drummer - and saw a total of 582 drummers in Birmingham’s National Indoor Arena to achieve a new world record of tub-thumpers playing in the same place at the same time.

The record required that all the drummers played together for at least five minutes, producing an average sound level of 105 dB, peaking at 130 dB.

“It was quite an experience,” says front of house engineer Chris Starklam, who manned a Yamaha M7CL-48, together with monitor engineer Rupert Jones.

“We had eight drummers onstage - including Jason Bittner from Shadow’s Fall, Slade’s Don Powell, Karl Brazil of Feeder / Luke Doucet / Ben’s Brother Jojo Mayer and John Thomson - four of whose kits were miked up. They set the rhythm and were joined in groups by the rest who were located on the arena floor.”

Click here to check out video footage of the event, which raised over £34,500 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“I did approach it with a certain amount of trepidation,” Starklam admits. “We had to communicate by sign language, because that amount of sound bouncing around in an arena made even communication by shouting impossible!. But it was a really good event to be a part of and we’re really glad that so much money was raised.”

Guitarfest and Drumfest both saw live performances by a number of leading artists, including Simon Phillips, Glenn Hughes, Jennifer Batten, Stone Gods, Doug Wimbish and Yngwie Malmsteen.

For these, Starklam and Jones each manned an M7CL-48, soundchecking the acts from 7 am - 11 am and then mixing the performances between 12 pm and 6 pm.

“Due to the number of channels each artist was using - drummer Simon Phillips using 24 alone - every soundcheck setup was saved as a show file, which allowed us to immediately re-load the respective file when it came to their performance,” Starklam explained. “Despite the pressure it all went really well, but we couldn’t have done it without the M7CL consoles. Their inherent speed of use, onboard effects and ability to save show files were critical to the success of the whole event.”

Yamaha Website

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Bartlett Microphones Introduces New TM-125C Stage-Floor Microphone

The supercardioid polar pattern of the TM-125C helps gain-before-feedback

In response to requests by sound contractors and sound designers, Bartlett Microphones is offering their latest model TM-125C stage-floor microphone for area pickup of actors and dancers in drama or musicals.

It includes a rugged 6-foot permanently attached cable which prevents connector damage if an actor steps on the cable.

The supercardioid polar pattern of the TM-125C helps gain-before-feedback, and provides isolation from sounds behind the mic, such as a pit orchestra. Further, it picks up sound while rejecting mechanical vibrations.

TM-125C Specifications
Frequency response: 80 Hz to 18 kHz, rising at high frequencies to clarify speech.
Signal-to-noise ratio: 72 dB at 94 dB SPL.
Maximum SPL: 120 dB SPL produces 3 percent THD. The mic will not audibly distort in normal use.
Finish: Black (TM-125, TM-125C) or white (TM-125W).

Bartlett Microphones was launched by the designers of the industry-standard PCC-160 stage-floor microphone.

Their first product was a next-generation model—the TM-125, which features these product upgrades:

* Smaller size
* Lower cost
* More rugged
* Smoother frequency response
* Each unit is tuned and voiced to match others within +/- 1.5 dB
* Made in U.S.A.
* 100 percent tested by the design engineers
* Tech support by the design engineers

Bartlett Microphones is based in Elkhart, Indiana. Designers Bruce Bartlett and Steve Mills have 57 years of combined engineering experience at Shure and Crown International.

Bartlett Microphones Website

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Friday, July 24, 2009

Peter Frampton & Bob Heil Reunite, Talk Past, Present & Future

Audio and performance history "come alive"

Thirty-five years ago, Bob Heil built one of his now famous talk boxes and gave it to Peter Frampton as a Christmas present.

Audio history shows that the talk box played a huge roll with Frampton’s first solo album, the landmark “Frampton Comes Alive!” Released in 1976, the release went on to become the all-time best-selling live album to this point in time.

Heil and Frampton went their separate ways over the years, with Heil guiding his company, Heil Sound, in the design and production of microphones, and Frampton recording and performing around the world. 

Frampton has been using Heil Sound microphones in his recording studio for several years, and he recently got back in touch with Bob Heil about options for live microphones for his summer concert tour.

The two met up in person in Nashville for an interesting conversation about a range of topics. Fortunately, the conversation was recorded, and you can check it out on PSW by clicking here.

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Northern Sound & Light Reaches Out To Next Generation Of Live Sound Techs

“It is important to create interest and inspire the next generation of this industry." - Steve Raslevich, president and founder of Northern Sound & Light

Northern Sound & Light (NSL), a pro audio and lighting dealer in Pennsylvania, recently visited the Propel Andrew Street High School in Pittsburgh to make a hands-on teaching presentation about the technology and business of live sound.

Steve Raslevich, president and founder of NSL, and staff members Jon Miller and Mark Eyer shared their experiences and knowledge in a small group setting.

Billed as a new model of secondary education, the Propel Andrew Street High School offers tailored programs and project-based learning for kids in grade 9-12. The NSL presentation also included a Q&A session and the opportunity for students to get hands-on experience with top audio products.

Stephanie Nachemja-Bunton, an adviser at the school who coordinated the learning session, says, “This school visit is exactly in line with the vision and purpose of our school. Hands-on learning is invaluable.”

The learning session included an Allen & Heath small format audio mixer, Sennheiser handheld and bodypack wireless system, a self-powered two-way loudspeaker.

“We spoke to them about the technical aspects of production such as mixing and lighting, and gave them a perspective into the business side of live productions,” says Raslevich. “They had some very insightful questions.”

“It is important to create interest and inspire the next generation of this industry,” he adds. “I hope that, with their newfound knowledge, they will view a live production in a totally different way.”

Northern Sound & Light Website

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Powersoft Reports Record High Sales Figures For First Half Of 2009

New offices, production facilities, software and amplifier products support increased demand

Powersoft has announced that unit sales for its power amplifiers have experienced an 11.5-percent increase over the same period in 2008, already a record sales year.

This growth reflects world-wide sales, including banner performance from Powersoft’s newly formed U.S. office, run by Thomas Bensen, and its Singapore office, run by Arthur Soh.

The combination of new offices, new production facilities, Audio Suite amplifier control software and new amplifier lines insure support for the increased demand for Powersoft products.

“We attribute our continued success to our greatly increased visibility and brand awareness worldwide,” says Luca Giorgi, audio division sales manager, Italy. “It is gratifying to know that the industry is embracing our advanced technology amplifiers and continues to provide us with steady gains in market share even in this severe economic climate.”

Powersoft Managing and R&D Director Claudio Lastrucci comments, “We designed our products to be very ‘green’ friendly and we think this aspect of Powersoft will become increasingly important in the coming years. We recently introduced the K2 and duecanali amplifiers to expand our focus to gain share in other segments of the market.

“Our new Audio Suite amplifier control software unifies our equipment line yielding advanced system-wide control of amplifier racks. We believe these products and future products in development will help Powersoft continue to enjoy a growing market share.”

Powersoft recently released four new products at InfoComm 2009, including the above mentioned K2, duecanali, and Audio Suite software as well as the D-Cell504 amplifier module.

To meet current and future demand, Powersoft has also recently increased its manufacturing capabilities.

“We are now taking advantage of a new, technologically advanced production facility to meet the growing market demand for Powersoft products,” adds Antonio Peruch, managing and operations director for Powersoft, Italy. “We have every confidence this increased capacity, state-of-the-art production facility will be able to support additional market growth in the future, while continuing the Powersoft tradition of building extremely high quality amplifiers.”

Powersoft Website

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Eighth Day Deploys Four DiGiCo SD8 Consoles To Main Stages Of Bonnaroo Festival & Hot 97 Summer Jam

At the annual Hot 97, Eighth Day supported all acts, including Mary J. Blige, Jadakiss, T-Pain, Young Jeezy and Elephant Man, while at Bonnaroo, they handled the main music stage (in addition to a handful of the secondary stages) for a diverse lineup that included Erikah Badu, Wailing Souls, Snoop Dogg, Galactic, The Itals, and Rodrigo Y Gabriella

Eighth Day Sound recently did double-duty on two major events, the Hot 97 Summer Jam at Giants Stadium in New York, and then moving south to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Tennessee. In both cases, the Highland Heights, Ohio-based sound reinforcement company provided four DiGiCo SD8 digital mixing consoles.

At the annual Hot 97 Summer Jam, Eighth Day supported all acts, including Mary J. Blige, Jadakiss, T-Pain, Young Jeezy and Elephant Man, while at Bonnaroo, they handled the main music stage (in addition to a handful of the secondary stages) for a diverse lineup that included Erikah Badu, Wailing Souls, Snoop Dogg, Galactic, The Itals, and Rodrigo Y Gabriella.

For each event, Eighth Day Director of Touring Operations Owen Orzack specified two sets of DiGiCo SD8 consoles—two at FOH and two on monitors.

“Budgets and specs for these festivals were calling for another console,” explains Orzack. “We wanted to offer a console that would fit the same budget, but would also provide a sonic upgrade. The SD8 specifically offered features that lent themselves to this kind of event: great sonics, reliability, ease of use for the guest engineers who might not be familiar with DiGiCo console—these were the hallmarks of what were trying to achieve. Also, real estate is at a premium at these kinds of festivals, and the SD8 offered a small footprint in an all-in-one package.

“Plus, we were able to keep everything in the digital realm—from a digital AES signal out, into a Dolby digital link EQ, all the way down to the amplifiers.”

Eighth Day was able to do some standard input pre-programming prior to the events, enabling the ‘guest’ engineers to have a head start before their set.

Also, having both consoles in tandem on-site allowed for one act to perform downstage using one SD8, while the subsequent band line-checked on the other. At Hot 97, the input list typically ranged from 12-20 for the hip-hop headliners (with the exception of Mary J. Blige, who used 48 channels of the 120 inputs available with the SD8). Bonnaroo’s full-band roster averaged between 24-36 inputs.   

Having two sets of DiGiCo consoles made for an easy day, Orzack notes, “even when things changed, which is inevitable on these kinds of events. At Hot 97, they changed the schedule at the last minute, and we were able to very easily transfer the data on a USB plug from the ‘red’ console to the ‘green’ console without any problem or wasted time.”

For Eighth Day staffer and event FOH engineer, Chris Berry, the SD8’s sonic transparency sets it apart from other digital offerings. “It’s amazing. I can hear every instrument on stage in the mix. There is no need to EQ out the sound of the preamp, which has headroom for days - even when living in clip you hear no distortion. But for these kinds of events, perhaps one of my favorite features is the macro section. Not only are you able to manipulate the screen, but you can also change console options.

“I found that being able to turn the touch sense fader on and off invaluable and can even assign this to a macro for ease of use. The ability to lock the rotary encoders on a per-bank basis - being able to lock a specific aux send in place so that the drum bank had the drum verb send, the vocal bank had the vocal verb locked in - was a new find for me. And being able to lock the gain to the top encoder on the mix faders, made the ‘throw-and-go’ acts easier to set up. With a very clean input section, dynamically large mix window, and flexible functionality, this console makes it difficult to go back to anything else.”

“Working on the SD8 was a great experience,” says Kyle T. Hamilton, FOH engineer with Mary J Blige, “since I had never worked on the console before. I’ve used the D5, so my knowledge of that desk helped me get around. Since it was a festival, I really did not get to stretch out on the console, i.e. use the FX package, or internal comps, I just used what were in the FX racks… I will say that the console sounds great!”

“We polled everyone who stood behind the desk,” Orzack adds, “and the thing that they all said was how much better it sounded than your standard festival-fare console. It was evident that the acts mixed on the SD8 sounded better than those who carried in their own production packages. We heard that from more than one set of folks.”

Managing all the monitor duties for both events was Eight Day’s Ed Ehrbar, who found the ‘select all’ functionality on the desk more than handy. “It’s a great thing to be able to set all of your compressors, EQ, high-pass filters, whatever, on one fader bank just by touching one thing on the screen. That saves a lot of time, especially when you’re doing drums. It’s laid out very well and sounds incredible—as is the SD7—with tons of headroom.

“When I’m not doing these events, I mostly mix monitors for Tom Jones. For the next tour, I’m looking forward to moving over to an SD8. His entire band is on in-ears, but I have to run some in mono and some in stereo because we don’t have enough outputs on our current console for everyone to be stereo. But with the DiGiCo, because it gets 24 stereo outputs, it will be a refreshing change.”

Coming up on the festival agenda for Eighth Day is the Lollapalooza Music Fest in Chicago in early August, on the heels of the All Points West Music & Arts Festival in New Jersey at the end of July. In October, it’s the Austin City Music Festival in Texas. For more information on 8th Day Sound, go to: .

DiGiCo Website

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Nady Systems Introduces Two New Phantom Power Supply Units

New SMPS-USB power supply offers USB audio interface, while the SMPS-2X is dual phantom power supply with two separate inputs

Nady Systems has announced the introduction of two new phantom power supply units—the SMPS-USB power supply with USB audio interface, and the SMPS-2X dual phantom power supply with two separate inputs that allow for stereo recording. 

The SMPS-USB is similar to Nady’s SMPS-1X but with an added USB port for quick, convenient audio recording directly into a computer. It provides 48V DC phantom power for condenser mics and features balanced XLR mic inputs and outputs to connect in-line with a microphone and mixer. 

Other features include: low noise full-frequency response, durable/compact all-metal housing, and 18V AC power, 300mA (adapter included). The SMPS-USB is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS.

The SMPS-2X also provides 48V DC phantom power for condenser mics and has two balanced XLR mic inputs and outputs to connect in-line with a mic and mixer. Other features and specs are similar to the SMPS-1X. 

Both units will begin shipping July, 2009.

Nady Systems Website

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Thursday, July 23, 2009

Recording Engineer Oscar Ramirez Equips Christina Aguilera’s Studio With Equator Reference Monitors

"You can sit in front of these monitors for hours without experiencing ear fatigue.” - Recording Engineer Oscar Ramirez

Multiple Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter Christina Aguilera is in the studio again, working on tracks for her next album.

Aguilera’s personal studio is filled with a wide assortment of world-class recording equipment ,and she and her creative staff rely on their reference monitors to make critical decisions about her recordings. To ensure that no detail is overlooked, Aguilera and her team look to Equator Audio Research for the accuracy so essential when making a high profile recording.

Recording engineer Oscar Ramirez is one of the key members of Aguilera’s creative team and has credits on two of Aguilera’s most well-known albums— “Stripped” and “Back to Basics”. Ramirez equipped Aguilera’s studio with a pair of Equator Q15 studio reference monitors and two Q18S subwoofers.

Having spent the better part of the past eight months working with the Q Series monitor system, Ramirez has high praise for the equipment.

“Ms. Aguilera’s forthcoming record spans a variety of musical styles,” said Ramirez, “so it was really important that our monitor system be equally capable of handling anything we send it, and that’s where the Equator system shines. Stereo imaging is amazing with the Equator setup—it’s wide and very defined.

“When you’re in the sweet spot, it’s as though the individual instruments are on stage right in front of you. The ability to hear subtle changes in positioning is one of the real strengths of this system. Also, the frequency response is excellent. It delivers a low end that is very natural with good definition, while the high end is crisp and clean without being harsh. This is an extremely musical monitoring system.”

Presently, Ramirez and the crew are recording tracks and, for this, he believes the Equator Audio Q15’s and Q18s subwoofers are the best possible choice. “The accuracy of the Q15’s is unparalleled, states Ramirez. “With these monitors, you hear exactly what you recorded, so it’s a great choice for deciding whether or not the track is a keeper. We tend to monitor pretty loudly when we’re tracking and, here too, the Equator Audio setup is right on the money. You can play them loud and they remain extremely accurate.

“Likewise, you can still hear the details at lower levels. Best of all, you can sit in front of these monitors for hours without experiencing ear fatigue.”

“The Q15’s sound great right out of the box,” Ramirez continued, “but when you calibrate your control room for the speakers using Equator Audio’s Secondary Reflection Correction (SRC) software, the system’s capability goes up yet another notch. This software is easy to use and it provides the ability to eliminate factors that could compromise a mix.

“Presently, I’ve created a preset where the sweet spot is a bit wider than it might otherwise be. This is extremely helpful as it enables me to have a bit more freedom to move as I work. Combined, the Equator Audio monitors and software let you mix with confidence. Everything I’ve listened to outside the studio translates really well to other systems, so decisions you make in the control room aren’t going to get lost on some other playback system.”

Equator Audio Research Website

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Network-Ready Ashly Audio Power Amplifiers Drive System At New Lancaster County Convention Center

“We saw an opportunity to use Ashly’s new NE-series of network-ready amps to add grace to the system at no additional cost.” - Mark Showers, Sage Technology Solutions

The extensive sound reinforcement system serving the new Lancaster County Convention Center (LCCC) in Lancaster, Pennsylvania features network-ready Ashly Audio NE8250 power amplifiers. Interestingly, these amplifiers didn’t exist at the outset of the original system design for this long-delayed building project.

“Now that it’s all finished, the preservation of the famous façade is a wonderful aspect of the center, and well worth the hassle during construction,” said Mark Showers, system specialist at Sage Technology Solutions in nearby Mount Joy.

Sage collaborated with Electro Media Design, a Maryland consulting firm, to install LCCC’s customized A/V system. “Preserving it required a lot of care, though. Normal problems, like getting power to a rack, forced us to get creative.”

The system itself is comprised of three head-ends, each with its own program sources for audio and video. All inputs are equipped with Jensen transformers. Patch bays feed a Biamp AudiaFLEX with expansion modules, which distribute audio via CobraNet.

Crestron systems work with digital signal processing to provide user control of the system both globally at the rack position and locally from within room partitions.

“The original design had an extensive relay system,” Sage president Daniel Rohrer said. “A relay was needed for each loudspeaker zone, many for individual loudspeakers. But we had just less than 100,000 square-feet to cover, and managing that number of relays seemed inelegant to us. We knew there had to be a better way.”

Ashly’s new amplifier designs offered a solution. “With several years between the design and the actual installation, technology had marched ahead of the documentation,” said Showers. “We saw an opportunity to use Ashly’s new NE-series of network-ready amps to add grace to the system at no additional cost.”

Using two rack spaces, Ashly’s NE8250.70 eight-channel amplifier delivers 250 watts per channel at 70 volts. Ethernet volume control, muting and monitoring come standard on all NE-series amplifiers.

“Sage worked with Electro Media to redesign the system so that each loudspeaker zone would have a dedicated Ashly amp channel,” said Adam Kirkessner, project manager at Sage Technology Solutions. “That control blends seamlessly into the Crestron control system. Users don’t know what’s controlled from the Biamp and what’s controlled from the Ashlys, nor do they need to know!”

In addition, LCCC can easily choose to monitor their amps; a scenario Showers says is quite likely given the huge size of the facility. From the amps, signal travels to a massive array of Community and Lowell loudspeakers. Input and output panels from each of the three head-end rack rooms make the signal available to other systems and to television broadcast trucks in the outside world.

“It’s elegant,” Showers said. “Users will have little trouble navigating through the Crestron interfaces to configure inputs and outputs. Everyone I’ve talked to in the Lancaster community is quite happy that the saga of the convention center has finally reached a functioning, moneymaking end. And the delay has actually made for a much better system overall.”

Ashly Audio Website

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On The Road With The Boss; The System & Crew For Bruce Springsteen’s Latest Tour

Appearing in Europe and North America, the system approach is virtually identical on both sides of the Atlantic

Touring in support of the new album, “Working On A Dream,”  Bruce Springsteen and the venerable E Street Band are once again utilizing the services and systems provided by Audio Analysts.

With North American dates throughout the spring and late summer and European dates in between, the approach is virtually identical on both sides of the Atlantic.

Front of House Engineer John Cooper worked with Albert Lecesse, Co-Owner and President of Engineering for Audio Analysts, in putting together the main system for the tour.

“Albert and I are constantly in discussions about how best to proceed with the PA touring plan,” explained Cooper. “We opted for JBL VerTec because it’s versatile – a customizable PA solution to tour with.”

Cooper mixes on a Digidesign Profile digital console, which he chooses over anything he’s tried. “I’m fortunate to be able to use whatever I want to use. At this point, the Profile has proven to be very reliable.”

He explains that he likes the ease of use, paired with the audio quality of the console. “I’ve become attached to using plug-ins for insert processing. Currently I am using a number of McDSP plug-ins, as well as the Waves Live bundle. Both product lines work great.”

For vocal microphones, Cooper made a change over previous tours, selecting Shure SM58 on all vocals. “I’m a bit of an old-school guy when it comes to mic selection. I have run the gauntlet of boutique mics, and I always come back to the industry standard. They just work!”

For background vocals, he time offsets them as a stereo group to give the vocals a stereo image – “A great place to sit around Bruce’s vocals. As far as Bruce is concerned, it’s pretty straight-ahead, with the Waves Renaissance compressor plug-in paired with a McDSP MC 2000 plug-in to put him on top.” Cooper processes background vocals with the Profile onbaord facilities.

Front of House System Engineer Brett Dicus details that the VerTec Series line arrays are powered by Crown I-Tech and I-Tech HD Series amplifiers under the control and monitoring of Harman HiQnet System Architect technology.

“In any given show,” he elaborates, “We have 10 hangs of PA, primarily using the VT4889 and VT4880 for the main hangs and then VT4888 for the additional outfill/delay and rear hangs, with VT4887 for frontfill surrounding the stage.”

The VerTec line arrays are easy for the crew to set up, taking approximately six hours to get fully into place. “Our setup in the field is also made very easy by the system design by Albert and Audio Analysts. The packaging, the cabling, and the prep is a very important part of the system,” Dicus adds.

By having John “Boo” Bruey also on the tour to serve as System Engineer, Dicus is free to handle the archival/recording of each show as well as more IT-related tasks. With the tight schedule, having two system techs doubles what can be accomplished within the same timespan.

Monitor world is a complex affair, with stage left and stage right setups helmed by Monitor Engineers Monty Carlo and Troy Milner,  respectively. Both positions are outfitted with a Yamaha PM1D digital mixing console, a mix of wedges, and in-ear systems.

Monitor wedges are Audio Analysts SLP (super low profile) 1 x 12-inch, 2 x 12 -inch, and 1 x 15-inch models, along with JBL VT4888 (four per side) for stage fill. On the IEM side, there are Sennheiser 300G2 systems with Westone ES2 and Ultimate Ears UE7 earphones. Aphex HeadPods with headphone amplifiers are also deployed for two musicians.

About 60 RF channels are in use during each show, with Sennheiser G2 systems and Shure UR Series for instruments (G1, J5, L3 ranges). The crew reports no RF difficulties to this point, with additional setup and coordination assistance available with the Shure Wireless Workbench and Professional Wireless IAS software with a TTIRF scanner.

Jeff MacKay is Managing Editor of Live Sound International.

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Be sure to take PSW’s Photo Gallery Tour of the crew and system out in support of Springsteen & Company.

Front of House PA
JBL VerTec VT4889 Line Array Modules (18 deep front, 14 deep sides)
JBL VerTec VT4880 Subwoofers (12 flown per side, 4 stacked per side)
JBL Vertec 4888 Line Array Modules (Rear fill - 4 arrays, 12 deep)

Front of House Amplification
Crown I-Tech IT-5000HD
Crown I-Tech IT-12000HD

Front of House Console
Digidesign Profile 96-channel with Pro Tools recording rack

Front of House Outboard
Dolby Lake Processors
Tascam CD burners

Stage Monitor Consoles
2 x Yamaha PM1D v2 96 in/64 out

Stage Monitoring
JBL VerTec VT4888 (4 per side, stage fill)
Audio Analysts 1 x 12-inch
Audio Analysts 1 x 15-inch
Audio Analysts 2 x 12-inch

Monitor Amplification
Crown I-Tech IT-400

Personal Monitor Systems
Westone ES2 earphones
Ultimate Ears UE7 earphones
Sennheiser G2 IEM systems

Wired Microphones
Shure KSM32
Shure KSM137
Shure Beta 98
Shure Beta 91
Shure SM57
Shure VP88

Wireless Microphones
Shure UR
Sennheiser G2

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Sensaphonics Upgrades ProPhonic 2X-S, 2MAX Custom Earphones With Field-Replaceable Cable

New cables create an extra margin of security for touring artists

Sensaphonics Hearing Conservation has announced the immediate availability of field-replaceable cables for its ProPhonic 2X-S and 2MAX dual-driver custom earphones, an upgrade that creates an extra margin of security for touring artists.

“Experience shows that the cable assembly is the most vulnerable part of any earphone,” comments Sensaphonics president and founder Dr. Michael Santucci. “By converting to a field-replaceable design, Sensaphonics users will have far greater assurance that they will never have to do a show without their earphones.”

Designed by Sensaphonics Japan, the new cables are a tour grade, dual-conductor design, featuring a memory-wire insert at the earpiece end and a split adjuster (zipper) to ensure a secure fit behind the head. Users may specify either matte silver or black, in lengths of 52 or 60 inches.

Unlike the friction-fit systems used by other manufacturers, the new Sensaphonics cable is secured to each earpiece with a nylon screw, eliminating any chance of it being accidentally pulled out.

“Offering a field replaceable cable for our soft silicone earpieces was always a goal,” notes Santucci, “but we knew any friction-based system would be a poor compromise. We developed this approach for our 3D Active Ambient earphones, and user response was so positive that we decided to develop a similar version for the ProPhonic 2X-S and 2MAX as well.”

Sensaphonics’ unique soft-gel silicone custom earphones provide distinct performance and reliability advantages, including long-wearing comfort and superior sound isolation. In addition, the silicone acts as a shock absorber to protect the earphone electronics. Unlike other earphone materials, the medical-grade silicone used by Sensaphonics will not crack, shrink, fade, or degrade in any way.

The new field-replaceable cables are now in production, and are included as standard on all new ProPhonic 2X-S and 2MAX earphones; pricing remains unchanged. The original integrated cable and Sensaphonics’ unique breakaway cable assemblies will remain available upon request.

Sensaphonics Website

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Midas, Klark Teknik Appoint New Distributor To Serve Singapore & Malaysia

The move comes in a bid to offer superior, dedicated sales and support across the region

Midas and Klark Teknik have appointed a new distribution company, Quad Professional, to serve Singapore and Malaysia, in a bid to provide superior, dedicated sales and support across the region.

“The Singapore market is strategically very important in the Asian concert sound business and it is vital that our distribution channel has the right people in place to service and support our customers there,” says Midas and Klark Teknik Sales and Marketing Director David Cooper.

“The team which have set up this new company, Vincent Tan, Chung Wah Khiew and their new product manager have over five decades of pro audio experience between them, which includes many years of working with the Midas and KT brands already,” he adds. “I am really happy that these talented people will be working with us to support present and future Midas and Klark Teknik customers in Singapore and Malaysia.”

Quad Professional Sales Director Vincent Tan states, “Quad Professional was set up with the philosophy of providing quality services to customers and also the audio industry. Midas has always been linked to innovative and outstanding products, with no compromise. We can therefore provide the best level of services and products to the industry. We are honored and excited to be appointed as Midas’ and Klark Teknik’s new distribution partner for our region.”

Midas has also appointed new Asian distributors for Taiwan, India, Indonesia and Thailand this year.

Midas Website
Klark Teknik Website

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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Yamaha Commercial Audio To Present Digital Sound Reinforcement Class In Kentucky

The class provides complete audio system design and networking solutions and will focus on set up techniques ranging from microphones to large-scale loudspeakers

The Yamaha Commercial Audio Training Seminars (YCATS) group will hold a two-day Digital Sound Reinforcement (DSR) 101 class on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 11 and 12 in Covington, Kentucky.

Sponsored in part by Shure, the class provides complete audio system design and networking solutions and will focus on set up techniques ranging from microphones to large-scale loudspeakers. Topics include: gain construction, attenuator settings, and SPL estimation.

Yamaha DSR101 course components include fundamental concepts: dBSPL, dBu. dBV, calculations, and level management; cables for various signal formats, word clock distribution; microphone techniques: microphone characteristics, how to select a microphone, digital technology; wireless technology: how to maximize the benefits of wireless systems and managing frequencies; digital vs. analog systems; speakers and processors: designing output systems and level management for system protection.

The two-day course is designed to assist audio engineers, system designers, system techs, audio operators in houses of worship, live sound venue/tour engineers, obtain a better understanding of available solutions.

In order to maximize the Digital SR System 101 training seminar and demo experience, attendance for the seminar is limited. There is no cost for attending and breakfast and lunch will provided. Travel and accommodations are the responsibility of the attendee.

Attendees must reserve their spot by August 7. Seminar details can be found at http://www.yamaha.com/ycats/digisr101/description.asp.

For Registration visit: https://www.yamaha.com/ycats/digisr101/registration.asp  The location and class time will be provided upon registering on line.

Yamaha Commercial Audio Website

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Wharfedale Pro Introduces New Dynamic Microphone Pack

Engineered primarily for drums but also suited for many other instrument applications

Wharfedale Pro has introduced the KM Series dynamic microphone pack engineered primarily for drums but also suited for many other instrument applications.

All of the KM Series models share the same rugged cast zinc construction, unidirectional polar responses, exceptional feedback rejection, gold plated XLR connectors and dent resistant steel grilles. The KM pack is presented in a heavy duty foam lined plastic case.

The KMD-7 pack consists of two KM3s, a KM4 and four KM5s.

The KM3 is an end address small diaphragm condenser intended for use as a drum overhead microphone, and could also be used for applications such as stringed instruments and piano. Two KM3s are supplied for stereo overhead coverage and come with a rubberized shock-mount to ensure handling noise is minimized.

The KM4, like the other dynamic models in the range, utilizes a neodymium magnet to provide low distortion at high output levels. Primarily designed for kick and tom applications, it is also suitable for bass, brass and amplifier cabinets.

The KM5 has a spring-loaded adjustable drum-rim mounting bracket that ensures exact positioning for snare and tom applications. The intelligent rim mounting also helps keep the microphone safely out of the range of sticks and beaters.

The KMD-7 pack is priced at £264.50 (approximately $436 USD) including VAT; all models are available individually and are shipping now.

International Audio Group Website

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Cakewalk Announces Update To SONAR V-Studio 100; Includes User-Requested Workflow Improvements

Track Control improved for all DAWs for quicker track selection

Cakewalk has just announced that SONAR V-Studio 100 music production studio software has been updated to version 1.20,  which includes a number of workflow improvements in response to customer feedback.

Notably, the Track Control feature has been improved for all DAWs making track selection quicker in the chosen application. The update will be free to all users.

SONAR V-Studio Overview

High speed USB 2.0 interface
• 8 in + mix / 6 out, 24-bit/96 kHz quality
• 2 mic pre-amps w/phantom Power, hi-z guitar input; MIDI I/O
• ASIO, WDM, WASAPI, Core Audio support
• Compatible with DAWs such as SONAR, Logic, Live, Cubase, and Digital Performer

Universal DAW controller
Supports all popular digital recording software for Mac and PC via Mackie control protocol, including Logic, Live, Cubase, and Digital Performer. Additionally, V-Studio 100 provides extended control capabilities over SONAR through the implementation of Cakewalk’s Active Controller Technology (ACT).

The controller features:
• 100 mm motorized, touch-sensitive fader
• 5 rotary encoders, 11 buttons and transport control
• Use with any DAW through Mackie control protocol
• Advanced control of SONAR through Active Controller Technology

Personal Digital Mixer
SONAR V-Studio 100 is an ideal digital mixer for small groups, solo performers, DJs, MCs, and any electronic musician who needs to mix multiple sound sources.

Users can enhance their live sound with the pro-quality on-board effects which offer easy routing and accessibility.

• Ideal for mixing small bands, solo musicians, DJs, home studios
• 8 inputs, 6 outputs plus headphones
• 4 types of reverb and 6 channels of EQ and compression

Mobile SD recorder live player
Capture that creative moment whenever inspiration strikes! SONAR V-Studio 100 provides high quality digital recording that can be used without being connected to computer. Record directly to the VS-100’s SD-card to capture song ideas, rehearsals, or live performances. Create backing tracks on your DAW of choice and transfer them to the VS-100’s SD-card for playback during live performance (even while recording). Likewise, recorded performances can be easily transferred from the VS-100’s SD-card for additional editing.

SONAR V-Studio 100 software pack

VS-100 Production Pack (Win/Mac) suite of effects and instruments includes:
• VX-64 Vocal Strip – a seven-stage processor for shaping and sculpting incredible sounding vocal tracks.
• Dimension LE – a streamlined version of the acclaimed Dimension Pro instrument from Cakewalk which also includes a special edition of Garritan Pocket Orchestra.
Rapture LE — is a special version of the award winning Rapture wavetable synthesizer.
Cakewalk Studio Instruments — a collection of four virtual instruments that provide a fast and easy way to create backing tracks.

SONAR VS digital recording software (PC only) —a special entry level DAW based on the powerful SONAR 8 audio engine but offering a streamlined user interface.

Cakewalk Website

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