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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

“G3 To The MAX” Bundles Sensaphonics MAX Series Earphones & Sennheiser Wireless IEM Syst

Special pricing to customers purchasing a Sennheiser G3 wireless IEM system along with Sensaphonics 2MAX or 3MAX custom earphones

Sensaphonics has announced a limited-time promotion, providing one-stop shopping for musicians converting to in-ear monitoring.

The “G3 To The MAX” promotion offers special pricing to customers purchasing a Sennheiser G3 wireless IEM system along with Sensaphonics 2MAX or 3MAX custom earphones.

The promotion runs from now through the end of May 2010.

“As an authorized Sennheiser dealer, we are uniquely qualified as a one-stop shop for artists moving up to in-ears,” notes Thom “Sound Guy” Fiegle, Sensaphonics sound engineering consultant. “The G3 To The MAX program is designed to make that transition easy and affordable, providing a pro touring IEM rig without compromise.”

The 3MAX is Sensaphonics latest model, the world’s first triple-driver custom earphones with soft-gel silicone earpieces, while the 2MAX sports dedicated high- and low-frequency drivers.

Both are optimized for use with wireless IEM systems like Sennheiser’s popular eW 300 IEM G3 system.

For more information, go to www.sensaphonics.com

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Bosch & Electro-Voice Deliver Safety, Sound Quality At Carrasco International Airport, Uruguay

Project includes more than 1,500 Electro-Voice loudspeakers, including EVID C8.2HC high ceiling models and EV 205 4-inch ceiling models

Renowned Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly’s latest masterpiece is one that does his native country of Uruguay proud: the new terminal at Carrasco International Airport, near Montevideo, which is served by a combination of Bosch Praesideo public address systems and an extensive distribution of Electro-Voice ceiling loudspeakers

System design/installation contractors PROMÚSICA supplied the mass notification and life safety communications systems.

“PROMÚSICA did an exceptional job designing and installing these systems,” says Juan Montoya of Bosch, “which can handle everything from routine paging through to emergency notification – all with the highest level of reliability and speech intelligibility.”

PROMÚSICA worked together with Bosch system engineers to precisely address rigorous international airport standards. Key components in this effort are Bosch Praesideo public address systems - utilized at numerous airport installations around the world - and EVID recessed ceiling loudspeakers.

A digital system for public address and emergency notification, Praesideo employs optical fiber for communication and offers interference-free audio along with a high level of redundancy.

The system is fully programmable and compatible with other security systems, including fire detectors, warning and emergency systems.

Simple to set up and modify either locally or remotely, a typical Praesideo system is designed in the form of a combination network cable and fiber ring.

“While this architectural environment is very easy on the eye, it is not so friendly from an acoustical perspective,” Montoya adds. “The software-based audio simulations and acoustic research confirmed the typical challenges posed by glass, granite and high reflective ceilings, where high levels of RT60 are the norm.

“We were able to select products that met these challenges exactly – both Bosch and EV have a very wide range of products for commercial audio applications like this. Bosch LBC3210/00 line arrays loudspeakers were perfect for counteracting this reverberation, and offer excellent directivity control for uniform coverage and intelligibility.”

More than 1,500 Electro-Voice loudspeakers, including EVID C8.2HC high ceiling models and EV 205 4-inch ceiling speakers, were installed.

Montoya continues, “The C8.2HC was designed for high-ceiling spaces where poor acoustics can be offset by precise coverage and high-definition, full-bandwidth acoustical performance. The EVIDs provide sound quality that is closer to a full-sized loudspeaker than a typical ceiling speaker.

“It’s hard to see them up there as they blend in so well, but they can be heard loud and clear. The entire installation raises the bar for form and function in airport audio systems.”

Bosch Security Systems Website
Electro-Voice Website

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Extron To Expand Corporate Headquarters in Anaheim

New facility will occupy 15,000 square feet and will include three classrooms, a demo room, and an audio lab

Extron Electronics is expanding its headquarters with the construction of a new six-story, 200,000 square foot building adjacent to the company’s current facilities in Anaheim.

A major part of the expansion will be new training facilities that will be 20 percent larger than the current training facilities in Anaheim.

The new training facility will occupy 15,000 square feet and will include three classrooms, a demo room, and an audio lab. Two of the classrooms will have movable walls to accommodate larger groups.

“We look forward to serving our customers better with additional classes and larger training facilities,” says Andrew Edwards, President of Extron. “Extron continues to hire. The new headquarters building provides the space needed for the new employees required to support our expanding product lines.”

The new energy-efficient building will include dual-pane tinted glass, extra thermal insulation, and will incorporate ice thermal energy storage technology. Groundbreaking will take place on March 30.

Extron has occupied its present headquarters complex since 1995. The company also has offices in Raleigh, North Carolina, as well as The Netherlands, Singapore, Japan, China, and Dubai.

The new building is expected to be completed by the fall of 2011.

Extron Website

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Hard Rock Café Singapore Upgrades With Soundcraft Si2 Digital Console

Venue has stayed with Soundcraft consoles consistently for more than 20 years

Hard Rock Café (HRC) Singapore recently upgraded its in-house sound system with a Soundcraft Si2 digital console to easily manage all entertainment from background music to multiple live bands each night.

HRC Singapore was the first HRC to open in Asia more than 20 years ago, with the initial mixing console when it first opened a Soundcraft Spirit Live. 

The Spirit Live was subsequently replaced by a Soundcraft Delta and a Soundcraft Series 8000 32 channel that was in use for more than 10 years. 

Recently, the management and technical crew at HRC Singapore decided to replace its older Soundcraft Series 8000 console with the Soundcraft Si2. 

“It always comes down to the overall experience with our patrons, so we decided to concentrate on making the music really stand out. We have been using Soundcraft consoles from ‘day one’ and are very happy with their quality, sound and reliability. With the Si2, our system has performed flawlessly and sounds great,” says Irwan Snin, Front of House Engineer.

The Si2 was supplied and installed by Electronics & Engineering (E&E) PTE LTD in Singapore. Established in 1951, E&E is one of Singapore’s leading A/V specialty contractors, and has represented Soundcraft for more than 20 years.

Gary Goh, Director of E&E stated, “The user-friendliness of the board was the top selling point in our work with Hard Rock. The digital console was perfect for a mid-sized venue like this one.  There is no doubt that the Si2 has made musical operations run much more smoothly at the Hard Rock.”

Soundcraft Website

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Community Professional Announces Expansion Of European Operations

New warehouse in the Netherlands will enable Community to reduce delivery times

On the heels of this year’s Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt, Community Professional Loudspeakers has expanded its European operations.

The addition of a new warehouse in the Netherlands will enable Community to dramatically reduce delivery times throughout Europe for its core products.

“As our worldwide sales continue to grow, we appreciate the need to provide our European distributors with the same speed of service that we can give our customers in North America,” comments Julia Lee, Community Director of Marketing and Sales.

Community’s ENTASYS column line array is among the most popular products being stocked in the European warehouse. Demand for ENTASYS has continued to increase as the system gains popularity in house of worship and conference room projects, where quick turnaround time and expedited timelines are necessary.

“We have been active in Europe for over 20 years and it is an important market for us,” adds Lee. “Opening this warehouse is a key investment in our continued growth in the region.

“Maintaining stock in Europe will greatly reduce our response times, as well as lowering shipping costs for our customers. We’re very pleased to be able to provide this improved level of service.”

Community Professional Website

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Sennheiser EM 3732-II, SK 5212-II Wireless Components Now Offer Wider Switching Bandwidth

A new “low intermodulation” mode significantly reduces transmitter intermodulation

At the 2010 Prolight + Sound show, Sennheiser announced that the EM 3732-II wireless twin receiver and the SK 5212-II wireless bodypack transmitter now offer a switching bandwidth of up to 184 MHz, and have a special mode for more interference-free transmission frequencies.

The upgrade allows for adapting to worldwide transmission conditions more easily and avoid interference from other transmitters.

Note that the frequency ranges of the new devices are 470 to 638 MHz, 614 to 798 MHz, and 776 to 960 MHz. The transmitter is also available as a special U.S. version with 614 to 697.9 MHz (U.S. N-band).

“The receivers are fitted with very high-quality linear amplifiers and auto-tuning filters,” explains Astrid Vettin, Product Manager, Sennheiser Professional Systems. “This greatly reduces the amount of intermodulation products, ensuring reliable reception even in difficult RF environments.”

In addition to a wider switching bandwidth, another new feature of the SK 5212-II bodypack transmitter is the “low intermodulation” mode, which significantly reduces transmitter intermodulation. The problem of transmitter intermodulation occurs whenever several transmitters are used in close proximity, with the unwanted intermodulation products limiting the number of usable channels.

Vettin: “With the low intermodulation mode of the SK 5212-II, the sound engineer can pack around 30 percent more channels in a given frequency band than before and the spectrum can be used much more efficiently. Alternatively, one can simply benefit from the increased reliability that this mode offers.”

The transmitter can also be operated in standard mode at 10 mW – thus extending the operating time – or can transmit at 50 mW in order to increase the range.

And, the transmitter is still the same compact size and uses just one AA battery.

Sennheiser Website

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Lawo And Optocore Plan Closer Cooperation

First cooperative project was for Mozarteum University in Salzburg, Austria

Lawo and Optocore are planning closer cooperation in the future, following the successful completion of their first project in Salzburg, Austria.

For this, Optocore developed a ‘Lawo Emulation Mode’ that enables a Lawo console to communicate with Optocore I/O units.

These are mainly used in the fields of sound reinforcement, fixed installations, and broadcast. This new development enables the Lawo console to receive audio signals and control Optocore preamps.

The installation of a Lawo mc²66 console, and its accompanying transition from analogue to digital mixing console technology, was the focus of modernization at Mozarteum University last year.

This will enable faster workflow and digital networking of the complete building.

“The mc²66 is a reliable console and provides excellent audio quality. Its success in radio stations, theatres, and concert houses certainly tipped the balance in favor of Lawo,” explains Dipl. Ing. Peter Schmidt, head of the audio and video technology department at the university, when asked what made them choose Lawo.

Mozarteum University already had an Optocore installation for the transfer of control data and audio and video signals. The installation is used for tapping signals from the various concert halls and studios in the university, and mixing them in the studio control room.

Following a proposal from the university, the companies commenced work on a solution to enable communication between the Lawo console and the Optocore network. The console now controls 96 Optocore Mic/Line inputs and 96 Line outputs that are distributed throughout the building. Selection of which of the 200 available Mic/Line preamps are controlled can be modified on demand in groups of 8.

The collaboration in this initial project included implementation of the control protocol used by Lawo’s DALLIS stage boxes. Based on this, the LEM (Lawo Emulation Mode) was created. Following a successful start, the pieces are now in place for further cooperation between Lawo and Optocore.

Lawo Website

Optocore Website

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“Come Fly Away” Chooses Lectrosonics

Wireless mics provide superior sound and freedom of movement for new Broadway show.

Come Fly Away, the new musical that brings together the legendary music of Frank Sinatra and the creative vision of Tony Award winner Twyla Tharp, is now on Broadway.

This exciting show combines the seductive vocals of Frank Sinatra with the sound of a live 19-piece big band and the thrill of Twyla Tharp’s choreography.

Fifteen of the world’s best dancers tell the story of four couples falling in and out of love at a swinging nightclub on a sultry summer night, set to a score of beloved Sinatra classics that includes “The Summer Wind,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” “One for My Baby,” “My Way,” “Theme from New York, New York,” and “I’ve Got the World on a String.”

Peter McBoyle, a theatrical sound designer and consultant headquartered in Stratford, Ontario, Canada, was brought in to design the show and specify its sound reinforcement system.

A well-known figure among the theater and themed entertainment communities, McBoyle faced numerous challenges in assembling a viable sound reinforcement system for the musical.

He ultimately specified a 12-channel Lectrosonics wireless system consisting of the company’s SMQV dual battery Super-Miniature Digital Hybrid Wireless transmitters, SMa Super-Miniature transmitters, and Venue receiver mainframes. He discussed the challenges the project presented.

“This show uses a live big band and a featured vocalist that are all performing along to original vocal tracks of Frank Sinatra,” McBoyle explained, “so sound quality is critical and expectations are high. Because both wired and wireless mics are used on this show, I wanted the wireless mics to have indistinguishable sound quality from the wired mics, which led me to Lectrosonics.”

“None of the sonic artifacts typical of other wireless systems that use compandors is present in the Lectrosonics equipment. As an example,” he continued, “we had to move someone from a wired DPA 4099 microphone to a wireless DPA 4099 for an alto sax solo in the song ‘Take Five.’ We didn’t have to touch a thing—no EQ changes at all. We just switched to the Lectrosonics wireless system and continued about our business.”

The compact form factor of the Lectrosonics SM Series transmitters was an equally significant consideration. “We didn’t want some large, unsightly wireless transmitter on the dancers,” McBoyle added. “Twyla was very concerned of not wanting to encumber the dancers in any way; so the light weight and small size of the Lectrosonics transmitter was another huge consideration.”

The Lectrosonics wireless system used on the show consists of eight SMQV transmitters with DPA 4099 microphones for various musical instruments, with two of these being backup systems. There are also two channels (one primary, one backup) of SMa Super-Miniature transmitters for one of the dancers.

Further, a Lectrosonics RM remote control is available to assist with the various transmitters’ operation. “The RM is invaluable in a theatrical setting,” says McBoyle. “It enables one to access the transmitter without disrupting the performer. The RF tech thinks it’s great.”

In addition to the ten aforementioned channels, two final channels (primary and backup) accommodate a Sennheiser SKM 5200 handheld transmitter with a Neumann KK 105s capsule.

“The fact that the Lectrosonics equipment has an emulation mode that enables it to work with a variety of other manufacturers’ gear adds to its versatility,” McBoyle said. “With its emulation mode, the Lectrosonics system can accommodate just about every imaginable configuration one is likely to require.”

Two Lectrosonics Venue receivers—each stocked with six channels of VRT receiver modules—support the various transmitters. With its ability to house six channels in a 1RU rackspace, the Venue Series receivers played an equally important role in McBoyle’s decision to specify Lectrosonics. “In most Broadway theaters,” he added, “space backstage is at a premium, so the ability to have 12 channels in just two rackspaces is a huge benefit.”

McBoyle offered this closing thought, “With a musical of this nature, sound quality is more important than ever. Right from the start, the Lectrosonics gear has performed unbelievably well. People have responded very positively to the sound of the show, and Lectrosonics is a major part of its success.”

Lectrosonics Website

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