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Monday, July 19, 2010

Christianity Today International Joins WFX As Event & Media Sponsor

As part of this new collaboration, CTI and WFX will co-develop new educational content for church leadership roles

Worship Facilities Conference & Expo (WFX) has announced a strategic alliance with Christianity Today International (CTI), whereby CTI will be an event and media sponsor for the upcoming Worship Facilities Conference & Expo, taking place November 3-5, 2010 at the Cobb Galleria in Atlanta.

As part of this new collaboration, CTI and WFX will co-develop new educational content for church leadership roles, including pastors, executive pastors, and church administrative staff, on critical topics including safety, finance, and strategies to develop new church leaders.

Educational content will be delivered to an established audience of church leaders that connect with WFX through a combination of face-to-face events, live streaming video, and a new virtual conference. 

“WFX, in partnership with Church Production Magazine and Worship Facilities Magazine, is committed to the mission of equipping churches with the tools they need to express and expand the impact of their ministries,” says Jim Wagner, General Manager of Events at EH Publishing. “In doing so, WFX has traditionally focused on growth or expansion-oriented churches seeking education, training, and products around finance, building design and building strategies, AV technology, and new media.

“In recent years, we have observed an increasing need for education on managerial and administrative subjects for staff and lay persons involved or responsible for activities within ongoing ministries at the church. Innovations around how facilities are designed and used, changes in liability and tax rules, as well as the new economic reality have created new challenges for churches which go beyond structures and technology.”

Wagner continued, “In order to remain true to our mission, we felt driven to seek an authoritative way to meet the needs of churches on these critically important issues. CTI is clearly the most authoritative and comprehensive source of information and guidance on topics of safety, tax and law, administration, and new leader development, and we are honored to partner with them on this important initiative.”

Christianity Today International will also sponsor the online trade show, WFX Virtual, taking place in September.

“In addition to the creation of important education, we are most excited by the impact of distributing this information into the hands of churches across multiple formats and venues,” says Wagner. “Through the CTI and WFX alliance, churches will benefit from a combination of webinar-based education in our WFX Virtual Conference in September, face-to-face educational sessions at WFX Atlanta, and through live video streams of exclusive interviews during the WFX Atlanta conference.” 

Registration for WFX Atlanta 2010 is available online at www.wfxweb.com.

Worship Facilities Conference & Expo Website

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Masters Of Their Craft: On Tour With Tom Petty

Modern technology reveals traditional sounds for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 2010 tour.

“We’re working with a very organic set of sounds here,” says Robert Scovill, ruminating on the current Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers 2010 concert tour.

“Piano, organ, old amps… a traditional drum kit. We don’t want to make things sound real modern.”

“What we want is a transparent presentation of the way things are. That’s where digital comes in.”

“Using modern technology to reveal traditional and established sounds - I think that’s a great way to go.”

Scovill knows well of what he speaks, and of the technical evolution that has helped bring him to where he is today with the band.

Having pushed faders out front for Tom and the boys since right about the same time e-mail was sounding like a pretty darn good idea, for this tour the Front of House engineer gains the backing of a D-Show VENUE console from Avid and an L-Acoustics K1/KUDO rig supplied by Escondido, California-based Sound Image. 

“I don’t want to ever lead people to believe we’re attempting to simply recreate the record live,” Scovill explains, commenting on the audio underpinnings that guide this series of dates running through October supporting Mojo, the band’s first studio offering in eight years.

“That will never be the spirit of what Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are about at their live performances. They have been together a very long time and have gotten to know each others’ moves implicitly not just onstage, but musically too.”

“You never get into a routine with them where Tuesday night is the same as Thursday and that’s the same as Saturday.”

“Even with the big production elements surrounding this show, there is still a looseness to it,” he continues.

“Any given song can take a left turn at any moment and go in a completely different direction. This is definitely an ensemble with a collective will, not a group of musicians spoon-fed with material by a frontman.”

A DSP advantage was gained, however, in being able to port effects settings built by engineer Ryan Ulyate during the mixing of Mojo directly into the plug-in processing of the VENUE system.

That process was facilitated by the fact that Mojo was mixed entirely “in the box” using a single ICON and Pro Tools system, with plug-ins brought over directly from the recording sessions including Sound Toys, Acousticas EMT impulses and Digidesign Delays.

Many of the vocal treatments for Petty himself - especially on newer songs - were pulled directly from the record for the live stage based upon their ability to manage what Scovill refers to as “extreme aspects” such as exceptionally narrow, cone-shaped vocals and slap delays he wound up using to underscore the “vintage-y” vibe.

Scovill is quick to add that he doesn’t routinely lean on plug-in compression unless the situation warrants it, opting in many cases for the channel strip processing already onboard the console. 

For the times he does step out from his own internal circuitry for applications like system EQ or group processing, he gains the benefit of a Serato Rane Series of dynamic EQ plug-ins or their parametric offering.

“If I want to get into multi-band compression, I typically use an MC2000 on Tom’s vocal and bass guitar,” he notes.

“Our vocal chain is essentially the multiband compression along with some dynamic equalization to take care of things down in the low-mids and some of the ‘esses’.”

“That’s really about it. After that it’s just onboard compression and EQ as needed.”

Crane Song Phoenix tape head emulation plug-ins are applied on specific inputs as well as right across the mix bus.

Eventide reverb is a primary player on the drum kit, which also benefits from Waves API 2500 compression.

As further complement, a Brainworx BX Boom plug-in sees use on the drum kit in a fashion similar to a low frequency harmonics box.

Different Directions
It’s been a long time since Scovill first came to rehearsals and found Petty singing into an Shure SM57 with no windscreen, surrounded by four wedges.

With little to no wireless historically being the norm for Petty and The Heartbreakers, this tour is no exception. Petty’s vocal mic these days is a Neumann KMS 150.

“Compared to other singers, Tom is pretty quiet,” he relates, “and his singing has consonants that are often rounded-off. Because of the gain before feedback challenges for live events, it was often very challenging to get a lot of diction on his microphone.

That’s why I took a turn in a completely different direction from what I came upon, and suggested the most sensitive mic I could find in the midrange.

“The KMS 150 is certainly that, with the caveat that it also has a very wide pickup pattern, so you have to be very aggressive and in total control of that fader for the entire night.”

“You cannot leave it on when he steps away from the mic, so as a mixer you have to learn all of his moves and really be on your toes.”

For past tours, for the sake of continuity, the KMS 150 was also the preferred microphone for backing vocals.

Based on the results of a shoot-out among other mics prior to this tour, however, Heil Sound PR35 microphones landed the job this time for sonic reasons and also because they’re tight in regard to surrounding noise. Back on the drum kit, Scovill employs a Rode NT4 cardioid condenser stereo mic.

“The top end of NT4 is shut down a little compared to most other condensers,” Scovill says of the X/Y device, “but I really like its midrange and low-mids. Plus it lets me easily get a stereo mic up in one position and have very consistent placement night-to-night. I love the center image, it’s a big part of my snare and tom sound up front.”

The Next Level
Onstage, monitor world receives direction and guidance from Greg Looper, part of a crew that also includes crew chief John “Haircut” Tompkins, assistant house engineer Jim Brentlinger, assistant monitor engineer Mike Bangs, and tech Mike Murante.

Keeping with a Petty dictum that says if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, the task of monitoring still relies on a proprietary wedge design first developed by touring company Electrotec years ago.

On the flip side, the stage mix, like the house, jumps into the 21st century thanks to the addition of a second D-Show VENUE desk.

Having pared the number of wedges down over the decades, Petty uses a single in-ear monitor as a supplement to a mix supplied by his own single wedge. Four more wedges span across the stage, and there are no side fills.

At the request of Scovill, Sound Image took delivery of the L-Acoustics K Standard package to serve the tour, comprised of 48 K1 and 36 KUDO enclosures, 24 K1-SB and 24 SB28 subs.

According to Sound Image Director of Touring Mike Sprague, the typical loudspeaker setup for sheds on the tour is an LCR arrangement featuring left and right hangs of 14 K1, eight K1-SB and three dV-DOSC for down fill, plus 8 KUDO flown in the center.

In arenas, the sound crew adds an additional 8 to 10 KUDO boxes per side for far left and right audience coverage.

With the K1 system’s accompanying networked LA-RAK amplified controller racks providing processing and power, the arrays have been used successfully in both arena and shed configurations.

The drive rack at the house mix position is a tablet, period, and not one stitch of additional gear is needed in terms of the drive system.

“We’ve had V-DOSC, dV-DOSC and ARCS in our inventory for some time now, but the premium K1 system really takes L-Acoustics to the next level,” states Sprague.

“Its sound is extremely honest and open - very sonically true to the source. In addition to sounding great, K1 features a rigging system that is extremely well thought out and implemented.”

Analogous Experience
A pioneering force in the cause of integrating digital into the world of live sound, Scovill offers some pointed comments on the idea of “choice fatigue”- a possible downside to the digital world that’s offering a myriad of sonic options.

“It’s something live sound engineers have never been faced with before,” he says, scratching his head and trying to recall a time in his 30 years of professional life when such a thing could even be considered a problem.

“In the past, what dictated our choices was whatever the sound company had sitting on the shelf. If you went outside of that, then you were confined by space, budget, and rental agreements.”

“There were a lot of constraining factors. Now our work flow is very analogous to that experienced in the studio. You can say this is what we need and just load it on your system and get to work.”

As for the logic and creativity used to build his mix out front, Scovill relates on a final note that in many respects, all he has to do is get out of the way.

“The sources are just so good,” he says with reverence for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, masters of their craft. “

These guys are so good at voicing their instruments and orchestrating their parts, that you just have to let them do their work. In terms of mixing the show, I like to say I overemphasize the obvious. If there is a solo, I bring it up. If there is a critical rhythm part under that solo, you have to hear that too.

“Tom and the band have taught me over time that there is just as much skill in revealing something as there is in bringing something up. It’s not always about louder, it might be a matter of pulling something back so something else shines through.”

Gregory A. DeTogne is a free-lance writer and publicist who has served the pro audio industry for the past 30 years.

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Midas Klark Teknik Appoints Karl Chapman To EMEA Sales Manager

Chapman will provide dedicated sales support to Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Karl Chapman has joined Midas Klark Teknik in the newly-created role of sales manager, EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa).

The move continues the manufacturer’s dedication to providing sales support across all global territories.

Chapman, who has enjoyed a long career in pro audio, joins the company after 15 years in European sales at console manufacturer Soundcraft.

Prior to this, he held positions at Amek and Mitsubishi Electric UK and Neve Electronics.

“I’m delighted to be joining Midas Klark Teknik,” says Chapman.

“It’s clear that the company has been very active in the world of digital, and I am looking forward to working with John Oakley and the sales team to establish an even stronger presence in the markets of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”

“Karl is one of the best sales managers in pro audio and I am delighted that the rapidly growing Midas Digital range has tempted him to join us during this exciting phase in the company’s development,” said John Oakley, general manager of Midas Klark Teknik.

“I’ve known Karl for many years and he brings a wealth of experience to us. Karl’s appointment fills the biggest gap in our new sales management structure, which has already grown sales substantially in Asia and Eastern Europe.”

Walter Reh continues to represent Midas Klark Teknik in Eastern Europe, with Rob Hughes responsible for the UK.

Midas Klark Teknik Website

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Tech Tip Of The Day: Fast DAW Session Setup

How can I eliminate downtime between tracks when I record with my DAW? Is there an easy way to make presets?

 
Q: I do a great deal of recording in my home studio with a number of bands which I really enjoy.

However, one thing I’ve found that takes up a major amount of my time when recording is setting up my ProTools sessions between each track!

I’m not saying I don’t like doing work, but is there a quick and easy way to streamline this really tedious task from my workflow?

A: There is, indeed, an easy trick to speed up your setup time between tracks.

When you begin your session, build a blank session in your DAW with all the necessary audio tracks, routing options, and effects in place.

Then, before you actually begin recording, save the session under the name “Template.”

When you’re ready to record the first song, save the Template session again under the song’s name using the “Save As” option in the File Menu.

For each subsequent song, open the Template file (the one with no audio recorded into it yet), use “Save As” again, name it for the song you’re working on, and record.

This works equally well in all DAW’s, not just in ProTools, and it allow you to have all your inputs, effects, and monitoring ready with instant recallability between each track, which should really help eliminate some downtime.

As always, we welcome input from the PSW community and would love to know how you would handle this situation. Feel free to let us know in the comments below.

 
For more tech tips go to Sweetwater.com

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Community Professional Updates Evadale High School Auditorium With Entasys

Full-range Entasys columns were an ideal solution for upgrading the Evadale facility while overcoming numerous challenges.

Evadale High School’s drama department long wait to replace the auditorium’s aging sound system is finally over with the recent installation of an Entasys column line array system.

The school had to wait quite a while for the resources to replace their previous sound system.

However, as Brent Thornhill of Silsbee, Texas-based Southwest Building Systems (SBS) explained, it was worth the wait for the Community Professional Loudspeaker system.

“Their old sound system was a set of horn loudspeakers that had been in place for nearly 50 years,” said Thornhill.

“Coverage was pretty much non-existent anywhere off-axis of the horns, which meant most of the seats suffered from poor intelligibility. It was pretty frustrating for them.”

The original goal was to replace the horns with a distributed system of in-ceiling loudspeakers. But the age of the building resulted in an unforeseen issue.

“When we had a look at the ceiling we realized it was made of asbestos tiles,” says Thornhill. “Cutting or drilling into those tiles would have caused far more problems.”

Instead, SBS recommended dual stacks of Entasys full-range columns, one on either side of the stage. “The room is fairly wide, so the 180-degree coverage angle of the Entasys was ideal,” said Thornhill, who worked with SBS’s Justin Player to assemble the new system.

“With just four Entasys columns, we achieved better, more uniform coverage than we could have with a whole ceiling full of conventional loudspeakers.” Four of Community’s VLF212 subwoofers provide low-frequency reinforcement.

Thornhill said the new system has made a significant difference. “For the past few years, their one-act play class hadn’t even been using the auditorium anymore - they’d been using the gymnasium instead.”

“Now that they’ve got the Entasys system, they’ve been using the auditorium again, and the school’s got their gym back. Everyone wins.”

Community Professional Loudspeakers Website

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Soundcraft Selected For Erykah Badu’s International ‘Out My Mind, Just In Time Tour’

The Vi6 was selected by Badu's FOH engineer due to its ability to manage the tours complex audio requirements.

Sound Image of Escondido, California recently deployed a Soundcraft Vi6 digital console as part of the sound system for Erykah Badu’s international 43-night tour.

At the heart of the audio system is the Soundcraft Vi6 console, along with JBL VerTec line arrays.

After a demonstration more than three years ago, Kenneth H. Williams, Badu’s production manager and front of house engineer, knew the Badu tour would be the opportunity to utilize the Vi6.

“I was totally impressed with the sound quality and the fact that you had so much versatility with the Vi6 console,” said Williams.

When given the opportunity to help design the tour, Williams called upon Gary Sanguinet, touring manager for Sound Image.

“I took the Vi6 right off the shelf and everything sounded amazing almost immediately,” said Sanguinet. “Ken was adamant that the Vi6 be used on this tour as it allows us to properly manage all of Erykah’s wide range of instrumentation and vocals. Our ‘Master Patch Dude,’ Fumi Okazaki, couldn’t be happier.”

With the deep sounds the band constructs through its variety of instruments, Williams and Sanguinet use a variety of musical styles taht would typically drive a soundman wild in the middle of a show.

For example, the duo uses country music for the majority of its sound checks to get a broad view of the audio spectrum.

“Erykah always says, ‘stay in the moment,’ and we have to be really flexible to convey these moments to her fans,” continued Williams.

“For each 2-hour set, my goal is to bring her vision to the audience, immerse them in her vision without pummeling them in sound. Every aspect of the system, from the Vi6 board to the JBL VerTec line arrays, allows me to do so.”

Soundcraft Website

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Renkus-Heinz Chosen To Provide Clarity In The Davidson College Presbyterian Church

Iconyx loudspeakers were chosen to cope with equally significant acoustic and aesthetic concerns.

The sanctuary at Davidson College Presbyterian Church was recently outfitted with a new sound system that features the high-performance, low-profile Renkus-Heinz Iconyx loudspeakers.

As many acousticians will attest, while majestic architecture can be visually stunning for parishioners, it’s rarely a treat for acoustical consultants.

Such was the case with the sanctuary at Davidson College Presbyterian Church.

The 1200-seat venue’s soaring ceilings and Gothic columns resonate lively, which works well for the 50-year-old organ.

However, as would be expected, speech intelligibility has long been an issue. “It’s a really reverberant space, and we’ve always had trouble with people being able to hear spoken word clearly,” said Rick Cardenas, the Church’s technical director.

Cardenas explained that aesthetic concerns had long stood in the way of finding an effective solution.

“It’s a beautiful space, and the idea of putting a big speaker system in the middle of it just wasn’t an option.”

The solution was found in a pair of Renkus-Heinz’s Iconyx IC24-R digitally steerable line array loudspeakers. The steerable arrays are configured to provide focused coverage to every seat.

Working around the sanctuary’s full calendar, Cardenas got together with college staff members to install the IC24-R systems into soffits on either side of the proscenium.

The result is effective coverage of the entire floor and balcony seating area, from systems that are all but unseen behind grilles that perfectly match the walls.

“The Iconyx system has made the worship experience more enjoyable,” Cardenas reports.

“People of all ages can actually hear the sermons. We’ll definitely be using the Iconyx in our next upgrades as well.”

Renkus-Heinz Website {extended}