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Tuesday, June 29, 2010

New Pro Co mTweak App For Momentum Digital Audio Distribution Now Available At iTunes Store

With the app, the iPhone becomes the handheld wireless interface to “tweak” personal monitor mixes

The Pro Co Sound mTweak iPhone/iPod Touch application to complement the company’s Momentum mo8me personal monitor mixer is now available for immediate download at the Apple iTunes App Store.

Two versions of the app are currently available. The lite version is a free download that familiarizes users with some of the basics of mTweak, while the actual full version of mTweak is available for download for $29.99.

With the mTweak app, the iPhone becomes the handheld wireless interface to “tweak” personal monitor mixes, facilitating all settings for the Momentum mo8me mix system.

Multiple mTweaks can be used at the same time, so anyone using the mo8me can tweak their mix as they perform.

The app also allows for programmable I.D and lock out functions. Favorite mixes can be saved to one of the16 instant recall memory locations.

The Momentum mo8me is the DSP-based mix engine component of Pro Co’s digital audio distribution network. It utilizes 32 network inputs with 3-band EQ and HPF (high pass filter).

Output mixes can be mono or stereo and include 3-band EQ and panning control. Gigabit Ethernet is standard on all Momentum audio products and all components are Power Over Ethernet (PoE) 802.3af compliant.

All DSP functions are controlled by the “Tweak” (a wireless user interface), PC software, or the new mTweak App.

The Momentum digital audio distribution network is designed to replace traditional analog audio wiring anywhere audio distribution is needed.

Pro Co Momentum Website

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Monday, June 28, 2010

Calrec Audio To Stop Producing Analog Consoles

The company is offering customers a final chance to purchase and will continue support.

Calrec Audio today announced it will discontinue production of analog audio consoles as of November 30, 2010.

Until then, the company is offering an opportunity to make final purchases of its S2, C2, and M3 analog consoles as well as modules and card assemblies.

Also, in keeping with the company’s longstanding support policy, Calrec will continue to provide component spares and repair services for the S2, C2 and M3 consoles for a minimum of 10 years from shipment date.

Should original components or parts become unavailable, Calrec will offer appropriate alternatives, including hardware/software solutions.

The decision to stop making analog consoles results from the broadcast market’s general adoption of digital technology, which has both reduced demand for analog products and made dedicated analog components difficult to come by. Calrec had already stopped manufacturing its T-Series and Q2 analog consoles.

Calrec distributors will contact existing Calrec analog console customers to advise them of the details of the final-purchase offer and to assess their need for consoles, modules and cards.

Questions can be addressed to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), Calrec’s director of sales for the Americas, at 917-825-3728, or to the .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Calrec Audio Website

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L-Acoustics dV-DOSC Line Arrays Chosen For Challenging Canadian Church System

The dV-DOSC proved an ideal solution for a church that had recently expanded.

Word of Life Church in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, has developed a worship service that brings together families and friends from across generations.

When the building’s original sound system failed to keep up with the church’s growth, Brendon and Aaron Gerber – brothers, church members, and principals of A/V company Absolute Music – installed a new L-Acoustics dV-DOSC line array system with dV-SUB and SB28 low-end to give the church’s music a voice

With dark décor, theatrical lighting, and stage enough for a full band, Word of Life’s auditorium is reminiscent of a theater or music club.

It seats approximately 1,300 people within a space that is wider than it is deep. The building was constructed when the congregation was considerably smaller, but poised on future growth, the church had the foresight to build the back wall as a temporary structure.

The back wall came down several years ago, adding fifty-percent more space. But the sound system, which had always been somewhat lacking, had not been designed to accommodate the new space. As a result, the added seating received limited audio coverage.

The brothers have been operating Absolute Music for over a decade, providing sales, rentals, and installations of premium pro audio equipment from Red Deer, Alberta, midway between the metropolises of Edmonton and Calgary. They demoed 3 systems and the only one that met their sonic expectations was the dV-DOSC system.

“Given where the speakers would have to be located, we had a very short distance to the front row of seating and an exceptionally wide distance to cover. There are few speakers out there with that kind of horizontal directivity coverage. In conclusion, we decided the L-Acoustic system was absolutely the best solution for the room.”

The actual sound design for the church was prepared by Vaino Gennaro, business director, live sound products, Sennheiser, Canada.

“The nature of the room was quite challenging,” said Gennaro, “the short throw and very large left to right coverage required the use of dV-DOSC technology featuring 120-degrees horizontal directivity. All the parameters were validated through the L-Acoustics SoundVision software, resulting in a perfect installation front to back and left to right.”

The installed system consists of five mid-high modular dV-DOSC units in left and right stereo clusters. The top cabinets hit the back rows and the bottoms cover the seating a few rows from the front.

The system’s low-end is generated by two L-Acoustics dV-SUBs per side and two L-Acoustics SB28s per side. Four L-Acoustics four-channel LA8 integrated amp/DSPs provide the system with ample power and nimble processing.

An XTA DP448 speaker management system sits between the existing console and the LA8s to provide matrix control.

One L-Acoustics 12XT on each side of the stage provides side fill, while four L-Acoustics 8XTs placed discreetly on the stage steps provide front fill. “The 8XTs are small, but excellent sounding speakers,” said Brendon.

“Their purpose is to provide coverage to the first few rows. The big advantage of including them in the design is that when the main audio system is not being used, they can be easily moved and used elsewhere in the building or on remote engagements.”

A single L-Acoustics four-channel LA8 integrated amp/DSP provides power and processing for the fill speakers.

Said Lead Pastor and music director Jachin Mullen, “The church family at Word of Life is overjoyed to have a new voice for their musical passion; our auditorium simply comes to life with sound!”

L-Acoustics Website

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Phase Cancellation - The Drum Sound Destroyer

An excerpt from Bobby Owsinski's book "The Drum Recording Handbook".

This article is the first in a series on drums, excerpted from Bobby Owsinki’s “The Drum Recording Handbook”. Other articles in the series are available here.

One of the most important and overlooked aspects of drum miking is making sure that the mics are all in-phase.

This is really important because with only one out-of-phase mic, the whole kit will never sound right, and if not corrected before all the drums are mixed together, it can never be fixed.

So just what is phase anyway? Without getting into a heavy explanation, it just means that all the microphones are pushing and pulling together.

If one mic is pushing while another is pulling, they cancel each other out. Check out the diagram of Figure 1.

In this figure, both mics are pushing and pulling together. Their signal peaks happen at the same time as does their valleys.

As a result, their signals reinforce one another. In Figure 2, when mic 1’s signal peaks, mic 2’s signal valleys. They cancel each other out and result in a very weak sounding signal when mixed together.

Acoustic Phase Cancellation
There are two types of phasing problems that can happen—electronic and acoustic.

An acoustic phasing problem occurs when two mics are too close together and pick up the same signal at the same time, only one is picking it up a little later than the first because it’s a little farther away.

With acoustic phase problems, the sounds won’t cancel each other out completely, only at certain frequencies. This usually makes the mix of the two together sound either hollow or just lacking depth and bottom end.

The way to eliminate the problem is by moving mic 2 a little further away from mic 1, or if the mics are directional, make sure that each one is pointing directly at the source that they’re trying to capture.

Keeping the mics parallel to each other, or at a 90-degree angle for mics underneath drums will also really make a difference.

Electronic Phase Cancellation
Why would there be an electronic phase problem? Almost all of the time it’s because a mic cable is mis-wired; it was either repaired incorrectly or originally wired incorrectly from the factory (which is rare).

There are two ways to check the electronic phase.

Checking Phase The Easy Way
Here’s a very easy way to check mic phase, although not as precisely as method #2 shown later.

After you get a mix balance of the kit together, flip the phase selector on each mic channel one at a time either on your console or on the DAW.

Whichever position has the most low end, leave it there. Do this on every mic in the kit (select the overhead and room mics in a pair, but check the left mic against the right as well).

Checking Phase The Slightly More Difficult Way
This method takes a bit more work, but you’ll know for sure if you have a mic cable that’s wired backward. Also, you really have to have another person with you to make this work. It’s a two-man operation.

First you have to pick a mic and make it your “reference.” Any mic on the kit will do, but it’s easier to pick an overhead or a mic that can easily come off the stand.

Now take your reference mic and put it next to another mic on the kit, say the kick drum mic, as in Figure 3. Make sure that each mic is at the exact same volume level in the speakers, not fader level.

Now have someone talk into the mic while you switch the phase selector on either the console or DAW. Again, choose the selection that sounds the fullest.

Do this to each microphone. Any channel that has its phase selector different from all the others has a mis-wired cable. Make sure you mark it so you don’t have the same problem again!

Times When You Might Want The Phase Reversed
There are times when you should definitely consider flipping the phase before you start mixing.

As we said before, there may be some acoustic phase issues as well because even though a mic may be further away than another, it may still be picking up the same source.

In the following cases, the phase should be flipped to overcome an acoustic phase problem.

An Under-Snare Mic: The under-snare mic should just about always be flipped out of-phase.

Any Under-Drum Mic: Anytime a mic is placed underneath a drum, it’s phase should almost always be flipped
out of phase.

Room Mics: Depending upon where they’re placed, how much room reflection they’re receiving, and how high they’re used in the mix, sometimes the room mics sound a lot better if the phase is reversed.

Overhead Mics in Extremely Rare Cases: Once again, it depends upon how high they’re placed above the kit, what kind of reflections they’re receiving and if they’re the main sound of the kit, but on rare occasions it might sound better (meaning fuller) if the phase is flipped.

 
Editor Note: This article is the first in a series on drums, excerpted from Bobby Owsinki’s “The Drum Recording Handbook”. Other articles in the series are available here.

To acquire this book, click over to the ProSoundWeb Book Store. NOTE: ProSoundWeb readers receive free shipping when entering promotional code PSW at checkout. (offer valid to U.S. residents, applies only to media mail shipping, additional charges may apply for expedited mailing services).

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Altinex Introduces 8 X 8 HDMI Matrix Switcher

The MX430-101 is intended for managing multiple video sources and displays.

Altinex has announced the MX430-101 8 X 8 HDMI Matrix Switcher.

Ideal for training facilities, presentation spaces, and other multimedia environments incorporating multiple video sources and displays, the new MX430-101 can simultaneously distribute any input to any one output, all eight outputs, or any combination of outputs while maintaining full HDMI image resolution and signal integrity.

The switcher offers a rich feature set and advanced functionality designed to streamline the operation of AV systems.

Supporting computer sources up to UXGA and HDTV video sources up to 1080p, the Altinex MX430-101 is HDMI V1.3 compliant for Deep Color (up to trillions of colors) with lossless digital audio such as Dolby’s TrueHD Master Audio—enabling sound and picture to have maximum impact.

The matrix switcher also supports HDCP V1.1 for content protection with individual key management on each output, thus ensuring the security of one’s intellectual/business assets.

The switcher can be controlled via standard RS-232, Infra-Red, or the standard Altinex serial protocol similar to the company’s other MultiTasker products. Control is also available via the front panel.

The new MX430-101 includes support for EDID, the protocol that provides the video source and display monitor the basic configuration information to work together correctly. The MX430-101 also provides two methods—internal and external—of identifying monitor resolutions.

“The MX430-101 is an incredibly versatile and comprehensive solution for managing the multiple video sources and displays typically found in today’s sophisticated AV systems,” said Phil Hale, Altinex Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

“Featuring a variety of control options designed to optimize the system for any type of environment and performance specs that compliment the equipment being connected to it, the MX430-101 is ideal for education, corporate business presentation spaces, and other applications where sound and picture from a variety of sources must be managed quickly and easily.”

“I’m quite certain integrators will find this new unit a terrific choice for a wide range of installation projects.”

Altinex Website

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Calrec Omega Console Integrated Into Trio Video HD Truck

Trio Video will deploy the fourth of their HD truck in October, all of which utilize Calrec consoles.

Calrec Audio has announced that its Omega audio console with Bluefin high-density signal processing will be deployed by Trio Video in its newest outside broadcast truck, Tempo.

The fourth HD truck in Trio’s fleet—and the fourth to carry Calrec—Tempo is a 48-foot trailer with an expanding side which will be deployed in October to cover entertainment and sports events.

“The way they’re designed with Bluefin, Calrec consoles are flexible enough to do any kind of setup—both sports and entertainment,” said Jack Walsh, Trio Video’s owner-manager.

“At music festivals, we’re usually covering from three to six stages, recording audio and video simultaneously, and distributing multiple webcasts to different outlets.”

“The way the Calrec console is able to route signals makes it easy for us to do all that.”

Trio also considered operators’ familiarity with Calrec consoles and the consoles’ reliability as major factors in their decision to stay with the console manufacturer for their fourth HD truck.

Calrec Audio Website

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Clearwing Productions Becomes Latest U.S. Member Of L-Acoustics K1/KUDO Pilot Program

Clearwing was also one of the first North American companies to adopt the V-DOSC system

Based in Milwaukee with a satellite operation in Phoenix, Clearwing Productions is celebrating its 25th anniversary this spring with a significant new investment for its customers, a new L-Acoustics K1 large-format line source array loudspeaker system.

Clearwing has a decade-long partnership with L-Acoustics, having been one of the first North American companies to adopt the V-DOSC system, and now, it has become one of the first U.S. companies to join the company’s K1/KUDO Pilot Program.

Already possessing a substantial quantity of KUDO enclosures and SB28 subs in its inventory, Clearwing has now satisfied the K Standard requirements by adding 48 K1 enclosures, 24 K1-SB subs, eight more SB28 and 24 LA-RAK touring racks, each loaded with three LA8 amplified controllers.

“I first heard K1 for myself back in February while we were in Miami doing NFL’s big Tailgate 2010 Super Bowl party,” recalls Gregg Brunclik, president and CEO of Clearwing Productions. “While we were there, we went down to South Beach to check out the K1 rig at the Pepsi Smash party. They were flying 16-box arrays and the performance and fidelity were absolutely impeccable.

“The highs were easily throwing 900 feet, which could eliminate the need for delay arrays in many venues,” he says. “When you can do away with two or three delay towers for a baseball park or stadium show, there’s money to be saved. Plus, the K1 rigging facilities are fantastic. I came back from that event and placed my order shortly thereafter.”

Clearwing took delivery of its K1 system in early June and used the new enclosures on two main stages at the 11-day Summerfest festival in Milwaukee.

The Miller Lite Oasis, which will host acts like Sheryl Crow, 311, Modest Mouse and DEVO, is set to sport left and right arrays each comprised of three K1-SB, six K1 and three dV-DOSC, with six SB28 per side in a cardioid configuration to augment the low-end reinforcement.

An identical system will also be in use on the Harley-Davidson Roadhouse, where the likes of Jeff Beck, Puddle Of Mudd, The Offspring and Counting Crows will perform.

“With K1, we’re not only buying a stellar audio product, we’re buying a marketing tool as well,” Brunclik points out. “After purchasing our first 24 V-DOSC boxes ten years ago, our phone rang more often as a result of having that product in our inventory. If our K1 system produces the same result—and I fully expect it will—it will allow us to gain additional market share and potentially evolve into a new echelon of business.

L-Acoustics Website

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Ontario College Upgrades Studios With SSL Duality SE Consoles

Fanshawe College found the duality ideal for their mission of multiple rooms serving multiple purposes.

Fanshawe College recently installed two Solid State Logic Duality SE consoles in the first and second year Music Industry Arts recording studios as part of a program wide upgrade to next generation equipment.

Fanshawe offers a two year Ontario College diploma program that covers everything from music recording, mixing, music production and audio post production to music business, entertainment law and artist management.

The Duality SE consoles are the ideal educational platform for Fanshawe College combining both analogue signal flow, sterling sound quality with DAW control.

“Our Music Industry Arts program is highly competitive with only about 115 students being accepted out of 800 applications every year and this is because our program is high level and very comprehensive,” said Steve Malison, program coordinator for Music Industry Arts at Fanshawe College.

“The Duality consoles cover all bases for our program. They integrate fully with Pro Tools, Logic and Nuendo to do any type of recording and mixing scenario that we need them to do.

Also, the Duality consoles work in a way that is very teachable so both staff and students enjoy an industry relevant learning experience.”

The Music Industry Arts program has six rooms that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Duality SE consoles occupy the two main studios.

Studio 1 is designated as the first year studio where the focus is primarily music. First year students record, mix and produce projects as well as word on “lift projects,” where they have to re-create every nuance and sound of a popular song, and a cover project, where they rearrange a popular song into a different musical style.

The second year classes in Studio 2 use the Duality for different purposes entirely.

“Our second year studio is the place our students take their first year skill sets and in addition to extensive recording, production and mixing projects, apply their skills to 5.1 surround mixing, and sound for picture- sound effects, backgrounds, music, dialog and Foley,” said Malison.

“Our philosophy here at Fanshawe is to keep the course work wide, active, progressive and leading edge. The Duality, in addition to having a well implemented monitoring section, is extremely well built, giving us the durability and robustness necessary to hold up to 220 students using them around the clock year after year.”

“While we looked at other manufacturers, SSL’s response and attention made us think that this is the type of company we want to develop a relationship with,” states Malison. “In the end, it is not only the hardware, it’s also the people behind the company.

“The Duality consoles are fantastic sounding, robust boards that also communicate as control surfaces. Duality is also the perfect platform for routing our extensive set of outboard gear.

“With Duality as part of the recording/mixing chain, we always begin with a great sound and that is the foundation for producing a great final recording for any discipline. The Duality consoles are an investment for the future of Music Industry Arts here at Fanshawe College.”

Solid State Logic Website

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Scouting For Girls Front Of House Engineer Andy Williamson Takes DiGiCo SD7 On Latest Tour

“I think DiGiCo has a definite idea of how it wants the machine and the surface to work." - Andy Williamson

At the outset of the recent tour by the band Scouting For Girls, Paul Timmins of audio rental company Capital Sound presented Andy Williamson, the band’s house engineer, with the opportunity to use a DiGiCo SD7 digital console.

An early adopter of digital technology, Williamson has been, up until now, a regular user of consoles by other manufacturers. “As soon as digital came out I jumped on it,” he says. “I love analog, but the digital footprint is fantastic. However, you get used to certain characteristics of different consoles, with the result that I ended up using other manufacturers digital mixers.

“But then Paul offered me the chance to use an SD7. Having done a little research and read through the specs, I knew it was complete overkill for what I needed with regards to inputs and outputs, but the specs were so impressive on paper I decided I’d just jump in at the deep end and give it a go, see if it lived up to it’s reputation.

“I think DiGiCo has a definite idea of how it wants the machine and the surface to work,” he adds. “In operation it’s really tactile and it has a nice blend of the analog look, so you can see where everything’s happening – a common complaint about digital, as some consoles are more software driven and are like mixing on a computer. The SD7 surface seems designed to do the opposite; to take away the fiddly mouse and trackball and replace it with a good old analog look and feel.

“I’ve tried all the digital desks now and I really do like this one. It sounds great, having dynamic EQ and dynamic compression is fantastic and the valve drive on the input stage has been great for bass, guitars, Hammond, etc.”

DiGiCo Website

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Sunday, June 27, 2010

Real World Gear: Line & Column Loudspeakers, Helping To Meet Specific Goals

Column loudspeakers remain popular because they offer a compromise solution for those who need efficiency in the vocal range combined with even coverage and a skinny profile

Installed systems are often employed in reverberant public spaces – houses of worship, auditoriums and passenger terminals – predominately for public address.

The characteristics of line source columns – wide horizontal coverage, minimal vertical coverage above and below the enclosure and coherent sound in the vocal range – are all attractive features for these kinds of venues.

Driver spacing determines the highest frequency at which a column of identical drivers acts as a line source, while the height of the column determines the lowest frequency with directivity.

As with modular line arrays, a short system might efficiently throw the midrange, but leave a puddle of low-frequency mud behind the enclosure.

Although they’ve been around for more than a half-century, column loudspeakers remain popular because they offer a compromise solution for those who need efficiency in the vocal range combined with even coverage and a skinny profile that makes them acceptable on the walls of public assembly spaces.

Investigations into line source coupling behavior and pattern control tell us that loudspeaker cones exhibit coupling behavior up to a frequency whose wavelength is half the distance between adjacent acoustic centers.

In architectural columns. 6.5-inch diameter cones, when tightly-spaced, will couple up to about 1,000 Hz, while 4-inch cones couple to about 1,600 Hz and 2-inch cones to 3,300 Hz.

Above these frequencies top and bottom lobes appear in the polar response; however, restricting the high frequency response of some of the cones can reduce lobing.

This can be achieved with passive filters in the cabinet, or with active filters used in DSP-driven steerable columns.

It’s common for line source columns to be combined as multiple cabinets to achieve better performance as taller systems for bigger rooms.

Longer columns provide pattern control reaching to lower frequencies. A 9-foot column can provide control to 125 Hz, so combining three 3-foot columns can increase low frequency performance.

As with miniature line arrays, some systems have companion LF columns which employ long-excursion small-format woofers to extend pattern control to lower frequencies. Alternately, traditional subwoofers can supplement a column’s LF response.

A specialized version of the line source column is called “digitally steerable,” incorporating individual amplification, delay and equalization for each driver, allowing the column’s vertical coverage to be tilted down (or up) and focused for short or long throws, though its horizontal coverage remains fixed.

One advantage to digital steering is that the entire coverage pattern can oriented downwards. Mechanically tilting a passive array adjusts the farthest coverage, while leaving the coverage towards its sides near the original height.

Renkus-Heinz IC Live/Iconyx is an example of this newer breed of digitally steered line source column.

Combined with its companion subwoofer, Iconyx has proven capable of supporting more demanding full-range applications, such as live rock/pop music, as we witnessed twice at concerts at the 2010 Winter NAMM show. It delivered impressive bandwidth and dynamic range - very well controlled - in indoor and outdoor venues that could be charitably called “acoustically challenging.”

With advances of this type ongoing in the world of line source columns, the future of this loudspeaker genre looks bright for good reason.

Enjoy the Real World Gear Photo Gallery Tour of the latest available models.

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Friday, June 25, 2010

Variable-D And Beyond: Classic EV Microphone Design & Evolution

Lou Burroughs would demonstrate the 664’s ruggedness by smacking it on a two-by-four...

The Electro-Voice (EV) model 664 microphone, introduced in the mid-1950s, was designed for typical sound reinforcement applications of that era.

EV employees with the company at the time recall that one of the reasons for the 664’s development was to answer the considerable success of the Shure model 55 (Unidyne).

Yet the 664 was hardly an imitation. It’s the first microphone to employ the company’s renowned Variable-D design principle, which is still at the heart of some EV mics popular to this day.

Patented by Alpha (Alphie) M. Wiggins in 1963, Variable-D mics use frequency selective rear ports to achieve a cardioid pattern. This results in considerably less proximity effect in comparison to single-D designs.

Whether this is a positive or a negative is in the ears of each beholder, but suffice to say that Variable-D has earned its place in the “microphone hall of fame.” (Well, if one actually existed.)

The 664 also earned the nickname “Buchanan Hammer,” a moniker paying homage to the company’s then headquarters in Buchanan, Michigan as well as some serious durability.

Word has it that EV co-founder and mic guru Lou Burroughs would demonstrate the 664’s ruggedness by smacking it on a two-by-four board. A later (unconfirmed) demo reportedly had Lou using the mic to actually drive a nail into the board.

The model 635A later assumed the “hammer” nickname, but it pales in comparison: think tack hammer versus framing hammer. However, the 635A did carry on the tradition of being able to withstand brutal punishment. (Editor’s Note: while working at EV, I indeed drove large nails into boards with the head of a 635A, and it still performed just fine - in addition to providing a chuckle.)

A short time after the 664 debut, EV introduced the models 665 and 666 for broadcast. The 665 looks and feels like a 664, but its finish is non-reflecting gray rather than chrome.

 

And while the 664 was capable of high- and low-impedance operation, the 665 and 666 were low-impedance only.

The 665’s connector is an XLR instead of the dreaded 91-series Amphenol four-pin used on the 664. Meanwhile, the 666 was the premium broadcast model, outfitted with a Cannon UA series connector (which looks vaguely like an XLR, but is larger and “D shaped”).

Where the 664 and 665 could attach directly to a mic stand, the 666 required a specialized clip.

Although the 666 was discontinued by the late 1960s, it still commands a premium price on eBay, and many live sound engineers still prefer it for kick drum and bass.

 

It’s also an excellent horn microphone, and I happen to like the 666 (and its newer incarnations) for electric guitar amps.

The subsequent model 667 combined the 666 design with a transistorized preamplifier. This preamp could supply extra gain if needed, and offered equalization switches for the low and high ends of the spectrum.

A separate on/off switch could be used to add in a presence peak, if desired. The preamp used a mercury battery; it predates phantom powering by many years.

Later, the preamp was abandoned on the models 667A and 668, replaced with internal equalization settings that allowed frequency response to be tailored with use of several pins that “programmed” the equalizer.

The 667A and 668 were primarily intended as boom mics - and -they were the first mics to make use of the Continuously Variable-D principle, with that patent credited to Harold S. Mawby.

The model RE15 came along to replace the 666, but those who knew still preferred the 666, establishing its beginnings as a cult object of present day.

A popular myth goes that the 666 was discontinued because of the satanic implications of the model number, but the people who were there at the time say this just isn’t so. Competition, not the devil, was the end of this microphone.

The RE15 also offered a Continuously Variable-D design, meaning that it had even less proximity effect than the 666, and its polar patterns were very consistent with frequency.

 

Although the RE15 never attained the cult status of its older brother, it was a favorite with broadcasters because of its smaller size.

Laugh if you want, but The Lawrence Welk Show used a bunch of RE15s to replay its 666s. The more uniform polars contributed to less acoustic phase interference in the finished mix, and the resulting cleaner sound was not lost on the ABC television network’s technical crew or on Welk’s people.

The final chapter in our story is the model RE20 - ever have heard of it? The late Tom Lininger was the principal designer, and it was originally conceived as a “condenser killer.” It was quickly adopted it for a variety of tasks in the studio, mostly relating to things that were either loud or low.

Broadcasters also found it to be a very good announce mic, and it’s still popular in that application today, as is the RE27N/D, which incorporates a neodymium element.

 

Oh - and let’s not forget that the RE20 (sometimes also branded as the PL20) is still one of the most popular kick drum mics in sound reinforcement some 35-plus years after its introduction.

Take a look at the RE20 response curve, and you can see that it indeed offers the high end of a good condenser.

While history says that it didn’t really “kill” the condenser genre, the RE20 has nonetheless more than earned its place in the “mic lockers” of many. (There’s an interesting marketing lesson to be found here.)

Rick Chinn is a long-time audio professional and history buff. He heads up Uneeda Audio. Find out more about Rick and the company at www.uneeda-audio.com.

References
Telex Communications and Electro-Voice
Allied Radio Catalogs: 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957
US Patents: 3,115,207, 3,378,649

And “Those Who Were There” - the author’s heartfelt thanks to all of the following EV folks for helping with 50-plus-year-old memories:
Jim Long, senior sales support engineer (current)
Bill Raventos, product manager, professional products
George Riley, marketing manager
Don Kirkendall, manager of advertising and promotion
Frank Spain, national service manager
Lloyd Loring, sales promotion manager

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Dave Rat Transmission: Smart Amplifiers =  Huge Changes In Professional Audio

With manufacturer-specific smart amps (and also increasingly, powered/processed loudspeaker systems), there's an opportunity for a fundamental shift in exactly who really has control of the starting-point sound of a PA system.

Reminiscent of how large-scale line arrays caused a monumental change in professional audio, I believe we’re in the midst of another massive shift.

The days of “conventional power amplifiers” in upper-level sound reinforcement are dwindling, replaced by the newer, rapidly emerging breed of “intelligent amplifiers” outfitted with sophisticated digital processing and sometimes, a whole lot more.

After this new generation of amplifiers of intelligent amplifiers (“smart amps”) was introduced, it took me a while to get my head around the concept.

Incorporating digital processing in every single amplifier seemed like a financial waste when one processor is capable of controlling so many identical amps.

But as I continued to ponder the idea, the more sense it made for several powerful reasons.

JUST A BAND-AID?
First, there’s the flawed concept that a bank of amps with the same model number are always identical.

The fact is that the output power of each amp is affected by its loudspeaker load, and rarely in the real world are all amps driven at identical loads.

Then there are issues like blown loudspeaker drivers and/or miswiring.

Smart amps are capable of analyzing loudspeaker loads, monitoring drivers and flagging improper wiring, and letting the operator know about these factors immediately.

This additional smart capability, in turn, allows loudspeaker manufacturers to further increase the quality and capabilities (i.e., sound better and get louder while blowing fewer drivers).

The plot recently thickened further with the (somewhat shocking) announcement by Dolby that they’re leaving the processor manufacturing business with the almost immediate discontinuance of the Dolby Lake Processor.

Yes, Dolby seems to prefer licensing versus making hardware. but for one of the top manufacturers of digital processors to pull the plug is saying something.

Are external digital processors just a band-aid, like what we see with our laptops when a new technology comes out?  Remember external modems that used the now nearly extinct 9-pin serial port?

Over time with laptops, most “things” moved to inside the package, and now even in our own industry, digital consoles are gobbling up stand-alone compressors, gates and EQ.

So how far fetched is it really that the amplifier will eat the digital processor? It’s not.

In fact, for several years, a number of leading amplifier manufacturers have been offering a number of options for onboard processing, monitoring and other capabilities, usually in plug-in card form. 

NEW STANDARDS
At the same time, the sheer power output capability of modern amplifier technology is remarkable, and even more so when considering size, weight and channel count.

When I began working in pro audio in 1980, the state-of-the art amplifier was a four-rack-space unit (such as this one - pdf file, by the way), which delivered a then-whopping 700 watts per channel into 2 ohms while weighing in at a “feathery” 57 pounds.

Today, we have 10,000-watt, 4-channel, processor-equipped units of just two rack spaces and less than 30 pounds, and even this “wonder spec” won’t remain amazing for much longer at the rate the technology is being improved.

Just as stereo replaced mono, 4-channel amps are positioned to become the new standard, with 6- and 8-channel versions not far off.

IN A CIRCLE
One of the quandaries faced by sound vendor companies is determining where to place system processors in the signal chain. Putting them in the front-of-house racks necessitates the use of lots of drive lines as well as long wires carrying post-limiter, post-crossover signals to the amps. 

Alternately, the processors can reside in the amp racks, but this inevitably limits versatility due to a discrepancy between processor outputs and amp channels, unless there’s one processor output per amp channel.

A one-to-one processor output-to-amp ratio means that monitor amp racks and main PA amp racks can be identical and any amp rack can go anywhere.

But heck, if that’s the optimum, giving us maximum control and versatility, then why not put the processor in the amp and not waste the rack spaces? (And now we’ve come full circle!)

In my opinion, the inspiration will be fueled by the demand for worldwide sonic consistency, just as we see with almost every successful franchise, be it Starbucks, McDonalds or whatever. 

Humans have a strong desire for familiarity, to know what to expect, and further, to be able to rely upon those expectations. 

With manufacturer-specific smart amps (and also increasingly, powered/processed loudspeaker systems), there’s an opportunity for a fundamental shift in exactly who really has control of the starting-point sound of a PA system.

You might say that loudspeaker manufacturers are gaining more complete control over the amplifiers and processors used with their systems, while sound engineers that desire a certain system type will be able to steer clear of non-factory approved power and processing settings as well as benefit from lock-out features that prevent unqualified users from fiddling with settings.

SAME OR DIFFERENT?
Now, this “homogenous sound vendor” concept may be distasteful to many sound/PA companies, because it could lead to systems with the same loudspeaker type sounding exactly alike.

And any of those unique little “tricks” that we’ve all developed, with the goal of being better and different from others, will be impractical - or perhaps even impossible - to achieve.

Any system-to-system variations will need to occur pre-system crossover. 

I must admit that at first, as the proprietor of a sound system rental company, I was very much against having this franchise concept being applied to sound vendors. “How can we be better if we are all the same?”

Ah, but another viewpoint has emerged as I’ve traveled the world working as a sound/mix engineer: the most frustrating thing I encounter as an engineer is to expect one thing and get something else.

I’ve found, countless times, that I do not want a system to be “better” or have amazing little tricks. Rather, I want a system that sounds just like the one I used yesterday, when that system sounded just like the one I used the day before.

If I can get exactly the same PA every day, then I can build and refine my mix and work on show-to-show consistency. This, of course, is easier when carrying a PA with a tour, but unfortunately, it’s not always possible. 

One-offs, festivals and the need to use different sound vendors on each continent are just a few situations where that PA I had all dialed-in goes away, and I need to start over. Ugh, that gets tiresome.

Oh, I think this processed amp thing is just the tip of a big huge iceberg!

Dave Rat heads up Rat Sound, based in Southern California, a touring sound company that supports a wide range of concert acts and festivals.

Check out more Dave Rat Transmissions:
—When Hearing Starts To Drift
—From The “Wall Of Sound” To Now - A PA Evolution Odyssey

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Downtown Community TV Center Benefits From Lectrosonics Wireless Technology

Lectrosonics provided DCTV both rugged and high-quality audio in the most extreme of conditions.

The Downtown Community TV Center(DCTV) is a unique teaching institute that creates world-class TV programs.

Founded in 1972 by Jon Alpert and Keiko Tsuno, DCTV has produced numerous critically acclaimed documentaries such as Bagdad ER—a documentary released by HBO that shows the Iraq war from the perspective of a military hospital in Baghdad.

DCTV crews endure some extremely challenging production environments and Lectrosonics wireless microphone technology helps capture the reality of their surroundings.

According to Jon Alpert, DCTV’s Co-Director and Co-Founder, “We’re the oldest, largest, and most honored community media center in the United States. We train hundreds of independent film makers each year and we also produce TV programs that have won every major television award, including fifteen Emmy Awards.”

“Many of our documentaries are created in some of the most hostile environments on Earth, including war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq. For the past four years, we’ve relied on our Lectrosonics UM450 beltpack transmitters and UCR411a compact receivers, and I never cease to be impressed with their performance.”

Though handling tough situations is important to Alpert, sound quality is the dominant concern. “For the past two consecutive years,” said Alpert, “we’ve been nominated for technical Emmy’s for our audio work. We won for Bagdad ER and a more recent production is equally noteworthy.”

“We have a scene in our latest documentary about a group of striking cookie makers/bakers. These folks are walking down a busy, noisy street in the Bronx and they’re talking about their fight to keep the factory open and maintain their jobs.”

“Our associates at HBO were very impressed with the audio quality and assumed we had used a far more elaborate setup to capture the sound. In reality, we had a single, strategically placed Lectrosonics wireless mic. The audio quality was so good, the HBO executive was astonished.”

DCTV has four UM450 / UCR411a system packages that are typically used with Sony lavaliere mics. “In Afghanistan and Iraq, we actually had people shooting at us,” says Alpert, “and under those conditions, you grab your stuff and go—so the gear takes it fair share of bumps and bruises.”

“I’ve also dropped the equipment on numerous occasions and through all of this, it keeps on working. The build quality of our Lectrosonics equipment is really impressive.”

“As part of my work in Iraq and Afghanistan, I’ve spent a lot of time riding around with the medevacs (medical evacuation teams) in their helicopters,” he said.

“In these scenarios, we placed the transmitter on one of the crew members and interfaced it with their headsets. Even in this type of setting, where there’s a ton of surrounding electronics and radio frequencies, we got remarkably clear audio quality. You can’t ask for more than that.”

“People who know me recognize that I’m not a highly technical kind of person. The gear I use needs to be intuitive and, at the same time, meet very high production standards.”

“Since I frequently serve as the producer/director, I’m responsible for the camera, the sound, the content—everything. I need equipment that doesn’t distract me from the big picture, and my Lectrosonics wireless microphone systems help me say focused on what’s ultimately important, the story.”

“Our picture and sound always has to be the best and thanks to our Lectrosonics gear, the sound is first rate.”

Lectrosonics Website

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Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Celebration Utilizes Nexo Geo S Line Arrays

The Geo S array was ideal for the situation given the large crowd to be covered while dealing with weight and time restrictions.

EDGE ShowTek of Northbrook, Illinois was recently selected to provide audio support of the Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Celebration Rally.

An estimated 2 million fans lined Michigan Avenue to join the Blackhawks in celebrating their hard-earned win.

Due to a limited, four-hour set up time along with weight restrictions on hang points, EDGE determined a 48-box Nexo Geo S line array would best be up to the challenge.

“Nexo Geo S was the perfect solution because we were able to get enough PA out there to allow the crowd to hear well and get the job done in the ‘not enough’ time we were allotted,” said Rich Mullen, Principal, EDGE ShowTek.

Eight Nexo PS15s, eight PS10s, six CD18s, and a Yamaha LS9-16 were also part of the audio production system.

“The Yamaha LS9 was chosen because of its quick set-up time and ease of use,” Mullen said. “We used a hand-full of inputs for video rolls, a couple of wireless HH’s, a lectern, and used a greater number of the console’s outputs for the main PA, 2x delay lines, front-fill, out-fill, rear-fill, subs, and audio required by the media (most of which was handled off a 48x press mult station).”

“Because of the limited setup time and the nature of the city block lay-out, we had to use wireless transmission to send signal to the many fills and delays throughout the area. We had to utilize some pretty extensive and complex RF methods to ensure the stability of these sends,” said Mullen.

“The amount of media covering the event made the area a virtual minefield of RF. We have a fantastic staff and have developed a host of specialized techniques for this kind of situation. Our history of success in these environments is the reason we typically get the calls for this type of event.”

One of the stories that came back from the Blackhawks Rally audio crew was that the confetti cannons kept going off and the A1 had a hard time clearing off the Yamaha LS9 console to hit cues. “It was a little humorous,” Mullen added.

Yamaha Commercial & Nexo Website

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Symetrix Chosen For Renovation Of The Dallas Crowne Plaza

Programmable tools from Symmetrix and SymNet made taming the host of connections in the hotel a breeze.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) recently converted their downtown Dallas, Texas Holiday Inn to a Crowne Plaza.

With the shift in brands came a dramatic increase in required meeting/celebration space.

IHG undertook a large-scale renovation of the 23-story building and hired Rutherford Design of Northridge, California to design a sound system for the new lobby, plaza, mezzanine, and restaurant/bar.

Company owner Richard Rutherford relied on a combination of Symetrix and SymNet processors to deliver all of the complex functionality required of the system.

He utilized programmable SymNet ARC wall panels to present that complex system to the hotel’s staff in an intuitive interface.

Because the system was far from plug-and-play, Rutherford hired a Symetrix technician in the final stages of the installation who completed Rutherford’s work far ahead of schedule.

Of the four interconnected systems, the lobby is the least complex. It takes four music sources, two from Muzak and two local, for distribution throughout the main entrance and nearby walkways.

A SymNet 8x8 DSP provides input signal conditioning and output conditioning for Tannoy CMS-801 recessed ceiling speakers powered by a pair of QSC ISA 800T amps.

A Symetrix ARC-SWK wall panel provides input selection and volume control for both the lobby and the plaza/mezzanine, which both take feeds from the lobby’s SymNet 8x8 DSP for background music.

The plaza and the mezzanine both have three grand ballrooms. Six meeting rooms at the plaza level and a pre-function room on the mezzanine level add to the complexity of these. Each room provides varying numbers of connections for microphones, line-level signals, and computer audio outputs.

Two SymNet 8x8 DSPs in the plaza rack and a third in the mezzanine rack are supplemented by as many SymNet BreakIn12s for a grand total of sixty inputs.

Seven each of Symetrix ARC-SWK and ARC-SW4 wall panels present user control of what, at first glance, might appear to be a dizzying array of room combinations, input selections, and volume controls. Six QSC ISA 300T and two QSC ISA 500T amps drive TANNOY CMS 801 ceiling speakers.

“The Dallas Crowne Plaza was a very complex project,” remarked Rutherford. “The SymNet technology is tremendously flexible. I can make things as simple or as involved as I need to in order to achieve a particular result.”

“In addition, the GUI is massively intuitive and, frankly, good looking! As an integrator, I’m often forced to work with gear that gives me a headache. SymNet is a welcome break from that - in fact, I’d say it’s actually fun to work with!”

“We weren’t completely pressed for time on this job,” he continued, “but I was still concerned that we might blink and miss something in the programming process. To make sure everything performed as promised when we commissioned the system, we hired a Symetrix technician for two days.”

“It was brilliant. He was an absolute expert. Not only did he work out any bugs in far less time than I thought it would take me and my staff, he trained us as he went. We learned a lot and saved a ton of time.”

Symetrix

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