Article

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

History Files: Tycobrahe Sound Company and “The California Jam”

54,000 watts of audio power... 105 dB SPL at one mile... 200,000 satisfied rock fans...

Oh, what an interesting time it was! Concert sound reinforcement was in the early stages of moving to where we are today.

This article originally appeared in the June 1974 issue of Recording Engineer Producer (REP) magazine, and Live Sound also ran a text-only version many years ago. It is presented here in its full glory, without editing and much as it originally appeared, to provide a fuller understanding and appreciation of that time and place and the people behind it all.

It also shows that marvelous “new” concepts like digital delays really aren’t so new at all. And, see if at least some of the names mentioned sound familiar. They should.

Shortly after one o’clock in the morning on April 6, 1974 young people from throughout the West started snaking through the gates of the Ontario Motor Speedway in Ontario, California.

By two A.M. over 15,000 people were bedding down on the grassy infield and at sunrise the crowd was well over 150,000. At ten A.M. over 200,000 rock fans began shouting their approval as Rare Earth opened THE CALIFORNIA JAM, a twelve-hour rock concert produced by the American Broadcasting Company and Pacific Presentations.

In a motel a mile away seven other groups were standing by to be flown by helicopter into the backstage compound at the speedway. They had come from around the world.

Months of careful planning had preceded the Jam and the on-site construction and installation was started weeks in advance. Miles of chain link fence had been installed. Thousand of drinking fountains and portable toilets were in place. A 45-bed hospital had been constructed in the infield. A six hundred foot length of railroad track was laid across the front of the staging area.

Dubbed “The Grand Funk Railroad,” the track supported three moveable stages constructed on railroad tracks. One stage was to be permanently set for the closing act, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. The other groups would alternate between the remaining two staged. While one act performed, equipment would be set up and checked out on the remaining stage for the following group. The plan was to cut the set-up time between acts to almost nothing.

The concert was to be recorded for commercial album release and videotaped by ABC-TV as material for future “In Concert” programs. To knit the entire project together the producers needed a sound reinforcement company with the know-how and equipment to saturate the broad expanse of infield, provide two-channel monitor to the stages and feed signal to the recording vans (Wally Heider Recording) and the television audio trucks.

They called in TYCOBRAHE SOUND COMPANY of Hermosa Beach, California. Tycobrahe had provided both equipment and technicians for most of the groups on previous tours and had developed a very sizeable inventory of high power sound reinforcement gear.

In the early stages the Jam producers were estimating an attendance of approximately 60,000, and the initial objective was to provide coverage only to a distance of 1,000 feet from the stage.

One of the first factors considered was the placement of the staging area within the infield to take advantage of the prevailing winds. The stage was set on the western quadrant of the field so the prevailing westerly winds would carry the sound eastward across the audience area.

“We were lucky,” said Jim Gamble, Tycobrahe Vice President and Director of Engineering, “The wind blew just the way it was supposed to all day long. If it didn’t, there would be nothing we could have done to compensate… nothing.”

The amount of power required to cover the area to the 1,000 foot perimeter was swiftly determined. According to the company’s V.P. and Director of Marketing, Ralph Morris, “We rate our standard arena system as adequate for 10,000 people in an outdoor situation. That’s a 6,000 watt system. We use that formula and add in multiples thereof. Of course, it’s only a rule of thumb because the sound doesn’t just go out so far and then stop. But the formula works.”

Some days before the concert it became apparent that the attendance would almost certainly surpass the 200,000 mark and appropriately the capability of the reinforcement system was upgraded. An additional array of speakers was added on towers at the 1,000 foot mark. These speakers were faced outward and fed through an 859 millisecond delay.

All the basic hardware used by Tycobrahe was designed and built by them and carried their brand name. The company began manufacturing its own equipment when it recognized the need for a specialized sound refinforcing mixer. The specifications established by their engineering team called for a mixer that was simple and straightforward, highly ruggedized and portable.

The Tycobrahe Model MX24-4 input mixer has stereo main and monitor outputs, with separate panpots on each input. It was designed solely for sound reinforcement and can accommodate the “screaming microphone levels which would clip the inputs on most studio consoles.”

Each input has 3 band equalizers with 3 selectable frequencies in each band. There is no EQ on the outputs so that inexperienced, or overzealous mixers cannot get into too much trouble with a single EQ control.

Overall EQ is available for the monitor mix, but those controls are included in the monitor power amp circuitry. Dual band limiters are in the outputs of the mixer which limits about a half a dB from the clipping point of the power amps. They are similar to Altec dual band limiters, with a crossover frequency of 250 Hz. 250 was chosen because that frequency is just about the dividing point between vocals and bass.

Dual band limiting is necessary, according to chief engineer Jim Gamble, to prevent pumping the midrange and highs during those very heavy bass parts.

The amplifiers used at the Jam were also Tycobrahe products, their 2,000 Watt BFA 2000 bi-amplifiers. Like the mixers, the amplifiers were designed specifically for location sound reinforcement applications. The low frequency section of the amp delivers 1,500 Watts, and the high frequency channel delivers 500 Watts. The crossover frequency is at 800 Hz. The units are packaged in a rugged portable case, and are mounted in drawers for easy access

The electronics for both amps are mounted on a single, fan cooled, heat sink which can be unplugged and instantly replaced in case of failure. The raw power supply transformer, rectifier and filter capacitors are mounted separately in the drawer, although the voltage regulators are mounted on the heat sink assembly.

According to Gamble, “Each of the amplifiers has its own voltage regulator, although they are fed from a common raw supply. This is necessary because of the very heavy power demands, especially from the bass amplifiers. Often the demands are so heavy that the AC supply for the entire concert site fluctuates up and down with the music, dropping from 120 volts to as low as 90 volts. We feed the voltage regulators from a +/- 75 VDC raw supply and regulate down to +/- 55 volts. This allows for nearly a 30 percent reduction of input voltage before the amplifiers will fall out of regulation.”

The monitor amps are packaged similarly; the electronics are mounted on a replaceable fan cooled heat sink, installed in a separate drawer in the same cabinet with the bi-amp unit. A six band graphic equalizer is included for the monitor amps to counter feedback problems that arise on stage due to the proximity of the monitor speakers.

The Tycobrahe loudspeaker units are the result of several years of research. In explaining the reasons behind selecting the elements of the Tycobrahe system, Gamble says, “bass horns are the most efficient, but there is a tendency to produce peaks and nodes as you walk across in front the speakers, differences in levels of as much as 10 dB. The infinite baffle is of course, the flattest, but it is really inefficient. The bass reflex has the next flattest response, and is more efficient.

“If you stack a lot of them together in the right configuration to get good bass coupling, you get a very flat response without those peaks and nodes, as you move through the audience. That is why we use, mainly, the bass reflex enclosure. We have tried all sizes from 7 to 30 cubic feet and there was a point where more cabinet volume didn’t make any difference. That was around 10 cubic feet. Our enclosures are 10 1/2 cubic feet and have 2 JBL 2220A’s, a 2482 driver with midrange horn and 2075 tweeters in them.”

To support the speaker arrays and amplifiers two, fifty-four foot, six level towers were installed, one on each side of the stage. The first level was a utilitarian platform left empty. On the second level of each tower were two eight-foot bass horns driven by 18-inch woofers. Seven smaller rear loaded horns were mounted on the third level. The upper three sections of each tower supported fifty Tycobrahe bass reflex cabinets.

Care was taken construct the towers and mount the loudspeakers so the speaker elements were directly over each other in a vertical line to keep the system in phase.

Following a standard company procedure, speaker lines are run individually to each woofer in the bass reflex enclosures because, as Jim Gamble pointed out, “If you put the two woofers in parallel across one line, there’s a chance that they won’t react exactly the same and you get a reflected impedance back across the speaker lines. Also, two speakers in parallel present twice as much of a load in series with the speaker cables. Any resistance in the cables will then become twice as significant and more power will be dissipated in the cables. It’s a matter of maintaining as much efficiency in power transmission as possible.”

Gamble went on to talk to REP about the sound dispersion: “A lot of people told us our bass was going to roll off. They said we were just going to have a hell of a time getting bass way out there. I said that’s just not true. The air disperses high end, not low end. And I was right. We found we had to really crank up the high end to get the tweeters out over that broad an area. We had about 225 tweeters in the system but what was really predominant was the bass. It was solid and it sounded good.

“If you put enough speakers together you get a big, wide plane to project off of and that acts as a huge coupling board and that’s what we were depending on ­ that coupling. With that much coupling you can really project it out there. A lot of people say if you don’t have a horn you can’t get the bass out there. Well, that’s not true. We even found that the horns we did use contributed very little to the bass level.”

“The system developed 54,000 watts RMS and we measured 105 dB SPL at a point one mile distant from the stage. At the mixing tower we measured 120-126 dB, and that was about 160 feet from the stage. We were originally told to put the mixing towers up 50 feet from the stage, but no way were we going to be that close.”

The amplifiers were installed on the towers with standby units in place and a compliment of spare components handy. Each bank of amplifiers was manned by a technician who monitored the meters and was ready to exchange any amps that failed. A complete lab and repair station in a Tycobrahe van was located in the backstage compound.

Two Tycobrahe mixers fed the main system. They were installed on a tower in the audience area 160 feet from the stage. The cabling between the mixing tower and the amplifiers was redundant. A spare line was available to each tower and the tower technicians had the ability to switch lines instantly in the event of a failure by using specially constructed switchboxes.

One main system mixer was assigned to each of the two stages for which Tycobrahe was responsible. (The Emerson, Lake and Palmer set-up on the third stage was mixed by their own personnel.)

Two additional MX24-4 mixers were used to feed the on-stage monitor systems. One was installed on each stage behind the acts so the monitor mix was completely independent of the main system feed.

The delay in the system that fed the auxiliary speakers at the 1,000-foot distance was accomplished by using tape delay recorders augmented by an Eventide Clockwork digital delay unit. It was found, however, that the delay system and auxiliary speakers were not necessary. The primary on-stage amplifier-speaker array was sufficient to cover the entire area.

Although the delay arrangement was stipulated in the contractual arrangements if the attendance estimated approached the 200,000 mark, the Tycobrahe people were confident that the on-stage system was adequate and the company is philosophically opposed to delay.

The effectiveness of the reinforcement system was checked prior to the Jam by simply driving to all points in the infield while recorded music was fed through the system.

A three-man Tycobrahe crew was assigned to each of the two stages for set-up and miking. The microphone selection was very straightforward; Sony ECM22p’s were used for the drum overheads and Shure SM57’s were used on each instrument.

The SM57’s were chosen because, according to Jim Chase, Tycobrahe’s director of operations, “You have to use a real close-pattern cardioid dynamic microphone on any instrument that is going to be put through the monitor system. Other people use a lot of wide-pattern stuff, even good cardioid patterns, but no good enough. There’s only one mike that works for us and that’s a Shure SM57.”

Everything on stage was miked except the bass, which was also taken direct, so as to deliver through the system the distortion and other effects created in the guitar amplifiers. As Chase points out, “We don’t much get into studio techniques in terms of miking or direct instrument feeds. The groups are looking for a sound and they want to be in control of that sound. They don’t want us to color it or change it. We’d make it clean if we had our choice. If we were to take the instruments direct we wouldn’t get the musician’s tube amplifier mushing and his power supply saturating and the speakers moving to maximum excursion, and all the other things that create the particular noises that you can get out of a guitar amplifier. The talent wants that and they want us to simply reinforce it.”

At the Jam the signal from each mike on stage had to feed four separate and distinctly different entities: the main Tycobrahe sound system, the Tycobrahe monitor system, the Wally Heider 24-track recording vans and the ABC-TV videotape trucks.

Two vans were use by Wally Heider, one for each stage, and it was determined that the Heider mixers would feed the signal to the ABC-TV mix.

From the early planning stages the interfacing of the four systems was considered one of the primary potential trouble areas. As Ralph Morris stated it, “The equipment was all different and the concepts were all different. And, of course, each group of engineers had different points of view. We anticipated ground problems as with any interconnected system so we left plenty of time to work them out. Sure enough, when we plugged it all in, it hummed!”

In considering how to isolate the various signal feeds from each microphone any resistive method was quickly discarded because of the substantial gain loss that would occur. Instead, each microphone fed a separate four-winding transformer. The transformers were special-ordered from Sescom and mounted in boxes with ground-release switches.

The installation of equipment began on the Tuesday before the Jam with Wednesday and Thursday devoted to the set-up of speakers and electronic hardware and the check-out of each individual system. On Friday morning the main system, monitor system, recording and TV systems were interconnected for the first time. It was then a question of methodically going through the systems and eliminating the ground loops. Ralph Morris told the story of one potential area:

“At one point we found we were still picking up an additional ground on some channels which was then no an overall problem. So we started going through them and found one connector with the shell wired to ground. Some manufacturers make them that way and they have to be disconnected. At that time our chief engineer said, ‘Oh, my God, we’re going to have to go through 180 connectors and clip the grounds on all the shell connections!’ But most professional audio engineers will remove the case ground if they use that brand of connector so as it turned out that was the only connector in the system that was causing the problem.

“Our MX2404 mixers are wired with all internal grounds returned directly to the center tap of the power supply secondary. If a mike cable with the connector shell wired to the shield is plugged in, this creates an exaggerated ground loop and a lot of hum, even if the input is turned down. We did this on purpose so we could instantly recognize an improperly wired cable.”

Another interesting point was the special attention paid to the delivery of power to the site. Separate mains were run to accommodate the Tycobrahe equipment and isolate it from the power source feeding the on-stage equipment of the groups. Otherwise, as Jim Gamble pointed out, “We’d have had the whole band playing and sucking up the A.C., especially on the bass notes. The power gets eaten up by the low end instruments. Consequently the AC starts dropping on every low note. It can drop from 120 volts down to as low as 90 volts. Instead of more power when you need it most, we’d get less.”

All-in-all the problems involved with bringing 12 hours of an ultra high level of audio entertainment to a potentially volatile audience of over 200,000 supercharged rock fans seemed to be very few… Very few, indeed, as typified by the comparative brevity of what the producers and their sound contractor had to say about problems.

Perhaps a statement from one of the producers summed it all up: “We were delighted to do without any lurid post concert headlines.”

Our sincerest thanks to Mark Gander and the gang at JBL Professional for supplying these materials.

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Audio-Technica Introduces AT2021 Cardioid Condenser Microphone

Designed for home studio and stage applications at a budget-conscious price point

Audio-Technica has unveiled the new AT2021 cardioid condenser microphone, offering an extended frequency response, high maximum SPL and wide dynamic range.

The microphone’s condenser design provides quality performance for vocal and instrument applications, and can also be utilized with acoustic guitar, overheads, piano and group vocals.

The AT2021 is also available packaged with the AT2020 in the AT2041SP Studio Pack.

The AT2021 captures smooth, natural sonic characteristics of the audio source, and the low-mass element provides excellent transient response.

Corrosion-resistant contacts from the microphone’s gold-plated XLRM-type connector, in addition to the mic’s rugged design and construction, ensure consistent, reliable performance and durability for the user.

The unit’s cardioid polar pattern rejects pickup of sounds from the sides and rear, improving isolation of the desired sound source.

AT2021 Specifications:
Element: Fixed-charge back plate, permanently polarized condenser
Polar Pattern: Cardioid
Frequency Response: 30-20,000 Hz
Open Circuit Sensitivity: –39 (11.2 mV) re 1V at 1 Pa
Impedance: 250 ohms
Maximum Input Sound Level: 145 dB SPL, 1 kHz at 1% T.H.D.
Noise: 19 dB SPL
Dynamic Range (Typical): 126 dB, 1 kHz at Max SPL
Signal-to-Noise Ratio: 75 dB, 1 kHz at 1 Pa
Phantom Power Requirements: 48V DC, 2 mA typical
Weight: 83 g (2.9 oz)
Dimensions: 4-in long x 0.83-in max body diameter
Output Connector: Integral 3-pin XLRM-type
Accessories Furnished: Stand clamp; soft protective pouch

The AT2021 is now available with a U.S. MSRP of $139.

Audio-Technica Website

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McGraw-Hill Professional To Release First CTS Prep Book For AV Professionals

The CTS Exam Guide will cover all exam content outline objectives

InfoComm is working with McGraw-Hill Professional to develop a comprehensive resource to help candidates prepare for the Certified Technology Specialist (CTS) exam, the only AV credential accredited by ANSI to the 17024 ISO/IEC Standard.

The CTS Certified Technology Specialist Exam Guide will cover all exam content outline objectives and will include objective cal-louts at the beginning of each chapter, exam tips, and practice questions with in-depth explanations. 

Featuring more than 300 photos and illustrations, the 816-page book will come with a CD-ROM containing two practice exams and an e-book.

“McGraw Hill’s publication of the CTS Certified Technology Specialist Exam Guide marks an important milestone in the continued development of the CTS credential and the audiovisual industry,” said Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D., Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. 

“A major publisher has recognized the importance of the AV industry and InfoComm’s certification by investing in creating the first one-stop resource for preparing for the exam.”

The CTS Certified Technology Specialist Exam Guide is expected to be released in December 2010, and will be available at major booksellers.

InfoComm International Website

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Digital Antics Releases Audio Test Application For Android Marketplace

A full featured wave form generator designed with audio engineers in mind.

Digital Antics of London, United Kingdom has announced the release of their first application into the Google Marketplace for Android devices, the Audio Test Tone Generator App. 

The software was designed specifically with audio engineers in mind, giving them the ability to generate professional quality sound signals with their Android device and making their mobile device the ideal platform for system and venue testing.

The Audio Test Tone Generator App features multiple wave form generators as well as white, pink and brown noise.  All signals are generated in real-time and can be run in the background.

The application is available now in the Android Marketplace, requires a device running Android OS 1.6, and is priced at 4.99 GBP.

Future application updates will be available over the air free of charge. Digital Antics is open to feedback and feature requests from users and encourages communication .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Additional screenshots and Digital Antics website are available below.

Digital Antics Website

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A Sound Design Tailored For Touring Professionals & Musicians Alike At The Jefferson Theater

An in-depth look at a system that, along with upgraded acoustics, has helped transform the venue into a top live performance space

The Jefferson Theater has been around for almost 100 years, and it’s a safe bet that it’s never sounded better thanks to a new sound design and reinforcement system to serve a steady stream of live performances by national and regional rock/pop artists.

The new incarnation of a venue that began as a host to vaudeville acts and silent movies in 1912 in downtown Charlottesville, VA is the brainchild of Coran Capshaw, who as the founder of Red Light Management manages Dave Matthews Band, Tim McGraw, Trey Anastasio, and many others.

The rejuvenated Jefferson Theater, several years in the making, is now another gem in the crown of the Charlottesville Downtown Mall, a European-style open-air city center with a host of other first-rate music venues, including the Pavilion outdoor amphitheater, the Paramount renovated classic theater, and the Southern, a 200-seat venue offering an intimate concert setting.

All of these venues have more in common than their location, incorporating sound reinforcement systems and other production elements designed and installed by Stage Sound.

The Roanoke, VA-based pro audio company, headed by Reid Henion, also provides a host of other services such as turnkey lighting and video system packages.

Stage Sound enjoys a 20-years-plus history of collaboration on a variety of projects with Capshaw, and that was furthered with the Jefferson Theater. It was a process that took nearly five years from start to completion.

“In 2005, Coran asked me to have a look at this old rundown theater with him,” Henion notes.

“We sat in the seats, stood on the stage, and brainstormed what might be possible in such a space. Stage Sound was the first contractor involved. Since then, the project has seen several different teams of architects, a few consultants, and a lot of contractors.

“As with many projects, this one evolved from lots of people’s differing visions for the primary uses of the space,” he continues. “At one point, the theater was to be both an opera house in the summer and a bar/music venue in the winter.”

That broader vision eventually became more finely focused on hosting top national and regional acts year round, with overall project management under the direction of Red Light Management Project Manager Kirby Hutto.

In addition to new sound and lighting systems, the building also underwent significant renovations, including restoration of original architecture wherever possible, structural and electrical upgrades to accommodate the new systems infrastructure, new central air and heating systems, and much more.

Starting With Quiet
The performance room of the Jefferson Theater, with a total audience capacity of 800-plus, is a “tall box.”

A proscenium stage fronts a large main floor listening space (standing only, no seating) that measures about 50 feet wide.

The floor eventually gives way to two raked, asymmetrical balconies at the back of the room.

The high ceiling has some domed characteristics, and parallel wall spaces and hard reflective surfaces abound.

Further, a lot of the surfaces adjacent to the planned location of the house loudspeaker arrays at the sides of the stage proscenium are angled such that they would destroy intelligibility, particularly with respect to coverage for the first balcony.

This region was a particular priority, where it was envisioned that a lot of the “audiophiles” would position themselves to sit in the raked theater seating.

“The room was very live, acoustically, to say the least,” Henion says.

“We saw a lot of problems with reflected energy, particularly in introducing a concert scale sound reinforcement system to the space.”

Given the simple charge by Capshaw to make the room “sound great,” the first step of the sound design was thorough acoustic analysis, where problem areas could be diagnosed and remedies prescribed.

Complicating this process was a mandate not to interfere with the room’s architectural aesthetic.

Acoustical panels that melded into their surroundings were deployed on certain hard wall surfaces, combined with Sonospray and SonoKrete spray applied acoustic treatment that is indistinguishable from plaster.

Heavy soft goods were also used to “line” the stage house to “tighten up” the sound at the source.

Another issue was the large face of the first balcony, which had the potential to “slap back” energy to the stage and the main floor listening area to a significant degree.

Initially the plan was to dampen this surface with acoustic panels, but aesthetic concerns won out and the decision was made to repair and refurbish the original ornate plaster work, so reducing the impact of unwanted reflections would need to be addressed in the system design.

Further, certain areas, in particular the space spanning back under the first balcony, were “de-coupled” from the rest of the room and needed special attention if they were to sound and feel like they were in the same acoustic space.

“This wasn’t a situation where you could go in and put up a bunch of draping like you might do in a typical rock ‘n’ roll room,” Henion adds.

“It required very specific solutions. We started with the goal of making the room very quiet, or at least as quiet as the budget would allow, and then set about delivering the reinforcement they wanted, where they wanted it.”

Meeting Expectations
Stage Sound then set out a straightforward list of criteria for a sound system following completion of the acoustic game plan.

Topping the list was choosing components that are rider friendly. In addition, all gear had to possess a strong reputation for reliability as well as being easy to keep working optimally.

At the same time, the house and monitor systems needed to simply interface with other gear that bands might be traveling with.

Also, because it isn’t always easy to hire and retain top-notch house techs, and the skill levels of traveling techs can be all over the map, both the house and monitor systems needed to be simple enough to be operated competently by less-than expert individuals.

At the outset of the project, the Stage Sound house loudspeaker system design focused on point-source loudspeakers in clusters of three, flown at left and right.

Even though line arrays are the modern expectation, there were not any midsize models on the market at that time providing narrow enough horizontal dispersion to meet the need of keeping as much energy as possible off the walls.

During this period, however, NEXO debuted the compact (26 inches wide) GEO S Tangent Array Series, and its 80-degree horizontal dispersion pattern fit the bill quite well.

Utilizing modeling to help with the predictive process, Stage Sound formulated flown main left and right arrays both made up of six GEO S1210 modules, with each array also incorporating a GEO S1230 specialized down fill module at the bottom.

“We wanted to use a line array system for rider acceptability, but the room is quite narrow and tall, and has two balconies - not the usual best case for a line array,” Henion says.

“This required a hybrid system using tangent arrays along with tiered delays for several zones. We never could have done this well with a conventional line array.

The NEXO Tangent Array technology allowed us to tailor the HF coverage differently from the MF coverage (to direct some HF off the balcony face) and use high-density fill speakers in selected zones, to achieve a high degree of uniformity throughout the listening area.”

He also cites the relatively high “Q” factor of these loudspeakers, which produces a uniform and fairly steep roll-off right outside of the coverage pattern - again, helping to keep energy from exciting the walls.

“The design of the hyperbolic waveguide on these boxes behaves in the best sense like a large-format horn, but without all the negatives” he notes, adding that the low-profile aesthetic of the arrays proved yet another plus.

Every Other Box
The arrays are driven with a NEXAMP integrated power amplifier and DSP package.

They’re biamplified, again in deference to rider friendly considerations, but Henion notes that he could have gone passive with much the same result.

“I liked this line array and electronics package so much that we’ve also added one to our rental division, and it runs in passive mode to rave reviews from most who use it,” he adds.

“But these days, virtually everyone who’s touring asks for a 3- or 4-way system, regardless of whether it’s needed or actually does a better job.”

Just two NEXAMP units are required to handle all 14 array boxes, and they do so very comfortably. “These are just monster amplifiers, delivering 16,000 watts - honest watts - at 2 ohms, and they’ll do 1 ohm all day as well,” Henion explains.

The reason for even using two units as opposed to one on this project is largely a matter of precautionary backup, as in the old adage, “the show must go on.”

Each amplifier drives every other box of both left and right arrays, so if one of the units goes down, the other continues to drive half the system, both left and right, mids and highs.

“While it wouldn’t sound too hot, it would get the job done until a replacement could be swapped in, and no one would be asking for a ticket refund,” he says.

“One of the great developments in amplifiers is that it now takes far fewer units to drive a large-scale system, but the downside is if there’s a failure, it can take out a lot of the system.

In this system, one amp can easily drive the entire thing, but as a responsible system provider, I wanted to be sure it was backed up.”

Additional near fill is supplied by more AD S-282 loudspeakers, one per side on the stage and positioned on portable stands fabricated by Stage Sound to allow them to be moved around to suit the needs of each act.

“We thought about mounting these permanently, but frankly that’s just too limiting,” Henion notes.

“We wanted that ‘one perfect spot’ for them, but what’s perfect for one band is not so perfect for the next 100. With the stands, everyone gets to choose their favorite spot.” These are fed programming from a matrix on the house Yamaha PM5D-RH digital console.

Bolstering the low-end are four EAW SB528z direct-radiating dual-18 subwoofers housed in chambers located equidistantly beneath the front of the stage, powered by four bridged QSC PowerLight PL224 amplifiers.

The size of the chambers, was quite limited due to existing infrastructure that couldn’t be moved, necessitating subs capable of providing commensurate performance from a compact package.

Combating Non-Linearity
The ample area extending under the first balcony, home to the main bar and plenty of space for patrons, was another primary focus of the design.

“What we’ve seen in the past with spaces of this nature, and what proved out here, is that these regions can suffer from a tremendous amount of mid-frequency buildup – really, more than anyone with ears should be able to tolerate,” Henion says.

“You can see it in any modeling program you choose to use – there’s a lot of non-linearity going on, particularly in the 300 to 800 Hz range.

Further, this zone opens to the front of the room through a narrow aperture which does not allow the main arrays to cover the space optimally at frequencies above 1,200 Hz or so”

The solution: First, optimize the splay of the main arrays for coverage above and below the two problem areas, those being the main balcony face and the opening into the under-balcony problem zone, steering as much HF away from those as possible.

Next, incorporate as much treatment as possible into the problem zone to “sock it down,” trying to neutralize the intrinsic sonic signature of the space.

SonoKrete was used to treat the entire ceiling in this zone, and the architect also worked some decorative heavy drape into the design.

Treating the ceiling this completely allowed Stage Sound to use a high-density array of quality loudspeakers on three tiers of delay (11 QSC AD S82-H compact 2-way models mounted horizontally) to provide direct coverage, without the typical ceiling reflections that often plague surface-mounted solutions.

“This approach not only serves this zone well, but it also smoothes out the entire room so that coverage to the main floor and first balcony is absolutely beautiful,” Henion states. “A nice thing about the NEXO arrays is that they allow adjustment of the splay over quite a range and still stay musical.

“The midrange still carries through that underbalcony area to some extent – there’s just not an absolute way to control it,” he continues, “but by steering the high end away and replacing it with that of the delays, it sounds really great. Even better than we hoped.”

In addition to the NEXO-specific DSP in the NEXAMPS, overall house system processing is supplied by a BSS Soundweb London BLU-160 DSP and a companion BSS BLU-BOB2 (breakout box) system expander.

It also facilitates eight modes of system operation, both in analog and digital, with one of the modes being a handy way for the bartender to provide background music from a bar-mounted iPod via a simple rotary switch located at the house mix position.

This also allows the house engineer to take control and fade or start the house music when appropriate.

Analog & Digital
A Yamaha PM5D-RH running at 96K anchors the house mix position,and it’s not only a favorite of Henion’s, but it also meets the criteria for rider-friendliness in spades.

“The PM5D-RH is the best-selling tour-grade console in the world for many very good reasons,” he notes.

“Even if it’s not someone’s absolute number one choice, it’s certain to be in the top two or three. We wanted to do as many shows as possible without having to swap out consoles, and that’s definitely been the case.”

Still, accommodations were made for both analog and digital consoles, with AES/EBU inputs as well as analog inputs available at the mix position.

The system can be configured with just one switch between aux driven subs analog, full range with the subs fed off the DSP, either analog or digital - any permutation. Plenty of onboard effects on the PM5D also mean that outboard units aren’t needed, but again, they can be patched into the system by any visiting engineer if desired.

The upper balcony region, largely used for VIP and meeting purposes, is served by a discrete system that can be controlled at the house console.

Levels can be adjusted for specific requests, and the system can be shut off when the area is not in use. Two ceiling mounted JBL SRX712 loudspeakers provide coverage, with power from a QSC PLX2402 amplifier.

The stage monitoring system is large and impressive, capable of meeting the production expectations of most artists.

The system is headed by a Midas Sienna analog console, a widely accepted board in its own right that also serves to head off concerns about digital latency issues expressed to Henion by select monitor engineers.

A significant portion of the monitoring gear, as well as some of the house fill components, were brought over from another one of Capshaw’s venues.

It’s still choice equipment by any standard, with Electro-Voice Ti-1152 biamplified (QSC power) loudspeakers for stage side fill joined by Katz Audio dual-18 subwoofers.

Seven JBL SRX712 M biamped stage monitors are driven by Lab. gruppen amplifiers, with an 8-channel C10:8X driving the highs and two 4-channel C48:4 for the woofers. There are also dual JBL MP412S subwoofers for drummers.

Two Ashly Audio 4.24C 4x8 digital processors were specified for the wedges, with a BSS Minidrive for the drum monitors and an EV 3-way processor for the side fills. A host of Ashly 31-band graphic EQs, PreSonus gates, and other effects are also available.

A Wonderful Place
Henion and crew were also responsible for the electrical design for all things related to lighting, sound, stage, and video. They called for a new isolated ground system going to one “technical power” load center.

This feeds an assortment of receptacles recessed into the stage and distributed throughout the facility.

The load center also feeds two 100-amp, 3-phase disconnects on stage left. One is typically used for the stage monitor package and the other is available so visiting acts bringing in their own gear can plug in quickly and conveniently.

And, as noted earlier, Stage Sound specified and installed the lighting package as well as planned the infrastructure for increased video capabilities to be added at a later date. Every bit of their work on the project is backed by immaculate and highly detailed documentation.

All of the time, care, and attention to detail reaped immediate benefit, when on opening night Capshaw simply told Henion, “It sounds good! Thank you!”

Meeting the top priority of delivering a top-quality system to a satisfied client, Henion notes that visiting technical crews and artists have expressed their approval as well, with the vast majority using what’s in place rather than bringing in components of their own.

“A lot off music business luminaries are also regular visitors, and they enjoy doing business in this space,” Henion concludes. “The bottom line is that the Jefferson Theater is now a wonderful place for musicians and for people who love music.”

Downloadable Media
Jefferson Theater System Diagram (pdf)

Keith Clark is Editor-In-Chief of Live Sound International and ProSoundWeb.

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Cirrus Logic Reports Fiscal First Quarter Revenue Up 118 Percent To $81.9 Million

Expects Second Quarter Revenue of $98 million to $106 million

Cirrus Logic (Nasdaq: CRUS), which produces high-precision analog and digital signal processing components, today announced financial results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2011, which ended June 26, 2010. 

Revenue for the quarter was $81.9, up 118 percent compared to $37.5 million during the first quarter of fiscal year 2010, and up 31 percent from $62.6 million in the previous quarter.

Gross margin for the quarter was 57 percent, up from 52 percent in the first quarter a year ago, and up from 56 percent for the previous quarter.

Total GAAP operating expenses for the quarter were approximately $29.2 million, up from $27 million in the previous quarter.

Research and Development (R&D) investment for the quarter was $15.1 million, and Selling, General and Administrative (SG&A) expenses totaled $14 million. These expenses include charges of $1.3 million for stock-based compensation, $400,000 in acquisition-related amortization of intangibles, and an $800,000 charge related to the reorganization of the international sales force.

Income from operations on a GAAP basis was approximately $17.5 million, or a 21 percent operating margin.

Non-GAAP operating expenses for the quarter were approximately $26.6 million, resulting in non-GAAP income from operations of $20.2 million, or a 25 percent operating margin.

In the previous quarter, non-GAAP operating expenses were $24.9 million, with non-GAAP income from operations of $10.5 million, or a 17 percent operating margin.

GAAP net income for the quarter was approximately $17.6 million or $0.25 per share based on 70.8 million average diluted shares outstanding. Excluding the items noted previously, non-GAAP net income was $20.3 million, or $0.29 per diluted share.

“We are extremely pleased with our Q1 financial results as revenue growth in portable audio was supported by revenue growth from several other audio and energy-related product lines,” said Jason Rhode, president and chief executive officer of Cirrus Logic. “With a great second quarter ahead of us, and our newly released products being very well received by customers, we believe that the future for Cirrus Logic remains very bright.”

Outlook for Second Quarter FY 2011 (ending September 25, 2010):
·      Revenue is expected to range between $98 million and $106 million;
·      Gross margin is expected to be between 56 percent and 58 percent; and
·      Combined R&D and SG&A expenses are expected to range between $28 million and $30 million, which include approximately $1.7 million in share-based compensation and amortization of acquisition-related intangibles expenses.

Cirrus Logic management will hold a conference call to discuss the company’s results for the first quarter fiscal year 2011, on July 20, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. EDT. Those wishing to join should call (480) 629-9690, or toll-free at (866) 225-8754 (Conference ID: 4328597) by 10:20 a.m. on July 20, 2010.

A replay of the conference call will also be available beginning one hour after the completion of the call, until July 27, 2010.  To access the recording, call (303) 590-3030, or toll-free at (800) 406-7325 (Conference ID: 4328597).

A live and an archived webcast of the conference call will also be available via the Investor section of the company’s website at www.cirrus.com.

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Bartlett Microphones Introduces Guitar Mic, A New Stick-On Model For Acoustic Guitars

Frequency response of the mic produces a natural, non-boomy tone

Designed for acoustic guitarists, the new Guitar Mic by Bartlett Microphones ($179) provides hi-fi sound while rejecting feedback.

A pro-quality miniature condenser mic that attaches inside an acoustic guitar for sound reinforcement and recording, the Guitar Mic is intended to convey the timbre of the instrument accurately to the audience.

According to Flamenco guitarist/teacher Jason McGuire, “The Guitar Mic is the best thing I have tried on my guitars in 25 years of searching and trying literally every other mic and pickup under the sun. Bartlett Mics are incredibly natural, transient response is amazing.”

The mic mounts on the front surface of a guitar just inside the sound hole, and two sticky Velcro pads are supplied for mounting. This placement results in high volume from the PA speakers, and it isolates the mic from other instruments.

A microphone mounted inside the sound hole normally sounds boomy, but the frequency response of the Guitar Mic rolls off in the low frequencies to compensate. The result is a natural, non-boomy tone.

Frequency response is claimed to be very smooth from 80 Hz to 20 kHz.

Easy to mount, the USA-made Guitar Mic includes a 7-foot XLR cable which wraps around the guitar and the endpin.

Bartlett Microphones Website

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Tech Tip Of The Day: Tape Transfers

How can I make tape transfers for a community organization and get the playback to be as loud as commercially available cassettes?

 
Q: I have an odd question for you… I generally work entirely with DAW’s in my studio, however, once in a while I get the odd project that causes me to bring out all manner of old gear from storage.

I was asked to do some DAT transfers for a local church I’m friendly with as a favor, which I’m always happy to do.

They’ve recorded some worship songs to DAT and want to distribute them via, of all things, Cassette tape, to some local residents.

What’s my problem? Well…once everything was transferred to my DAW and cleaned up I started making a transfer to the cassette.

However, the playback volume level of the cassette is lower than any store-bought cassette I have lying around as comparison.

How can I get my levels up comparable to commercially available music found on cassette? I’ve ensured that all my meters are as close to red as I can get them without going into the red and causing distortion.

Do you have any advice?

A: Funny how meters don’t always really tell us what something sounds like isn’t it?

In a word, the answer is compression. Proper use of compression will raise the average sound level and thus raise the perceived volume of sound without making peak levels much higher.

Limiting can be used to raise average volume levels without any increase in peak levels. One has to be careful though, because these processes are often accompanied by side effects that change the sound of the audio, sometimes in undesirable ways.

Engineers cope with this in a variety of ways.

Basically you can compress your tracks before an initial A/D conversion, as a process during mixing, or any combination of these.

Normalization, another variation on compression, is another useful process to employ during mixing and/or mastering because it is a relatively easy way to substantially increase the perceived volume of your tracks without too many audible artifacts (depending upon how severe the normalization is).

As for your final step of going to cassette, the problem is still mostly compression. First, don’t be afraid to slam the levels on the cassette.

I don’t just mean slightly going into the red. I’m saying, “slam” them. Put your prerecorded tape in and look at the average levels of the meters, then look at the average levels of your recording. I’m not talking peak levels; I’m saying look at where the meters spend most of their time.

Yours is probably lower.

You need to compress (or normalize) until you can get a higher average level without higher peak levels (they will introduce distortion).

You may find that you can’t get the average level as high as the prerecorded tape without the tape distorting.

This is caused by two factors:

1) Your tape machine isn’t optimized (biased) for the type of tape you are using. Corollary to this, and possible third factor is that your tape just isn’t as good as it needs to be.

2) Your recording has too much very low and/or very high frequency information in it to easily be recorded on tape at high levels. Analog tape is not linear. It doesn’t do as well at very low or high frequencies, especially if noise reduction is being used, and especially if there are big transients with those frequencies.

The solution may be as simple as rolling off some low and high frequency content, or you may have to go back to your source and pull some out some of the low bass.

There’s no reason, for example, to try to record much of anything above about 12 kHz on a cassette. Most cassette recorders are not going to record it very well (if at all) and it eats up a ton of headroom.

If you get the proper equipment and experiment enough with these factors you will find that you’ll soon be getting 95% - 99% of the level on your tapes as the pros.

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

For more tech tips go to Sweetwater.com

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ETLive Returns To Las Vegas In A Real-World Outdoor Performance Environment

A second format has been added this year which features "Compact Solution" loudspeaker demonstrations.

ETLive will once again be presented October 22-24 in Las Vegas during the annual LDI show, in parking lot Silver 1, directly in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center (Hall C). 

ETLive will feature two types of demonstration formats.  The first format will present up to six stages of live performance demonstrations in a round-robin format.

Each stage will have a band performance of multiple genres presenting the full capabilities of a complete sound system as would be presented in a real-world concert environment. 

The second format, new this year, is a seventh stage, presenting a “Compact Solution” loudspeaker demonstration. The “Compact Solution” stage is designed to present loudspeaker choices for the smaller listening environment for the House of Worship, Corporate or Music Venue environment (1,500+ seats).

Numerous loudspeaker manufacturers will hang their single line array compact solution stack, and present the same source music through the system.

“The “Compact Solution” stage is an added compliment to the larger stage presentations,” says Jeff Turner, event production director. 

“This one-of-a-kind event provides the listener, and potential buyer of PA systems, a unique opportunity to critique multiple sound systems, for multiple applications, by some of the most prestigious pro audio manufacturers, in a non-restricted, non-reflective outdoor listening environment.” 

In addition to the outdoor event, ETLive presents numerous education seminars for the industry including mixing console techniques, monitor console techniques, front-of-house console overview (discussion on unique qualities of console design), loudspeaker systems, rigging techniques, SMAART seminars, and more to be announced.

ETLive Website

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Shining Star Studios Install SSL AWS 900+ In Primary Studio

The Bangkok audio facility will use the new console for recording, mixing, and surround projects.

Shining Star Studio, a live music recording studio that serves the greater Bangkok, Thailand area, recently installed a Solid State Logic AWS 900+ SE console in Studio A.

The studio offers a full complement of microphones, outboard equipment, and instruments to clients and theAWS 900+ SE provides Shining Star Studio the ideal tool to pull all those elements together for clients while controlling their Logic Pro DAW.

“I have always loved the sound of SSL’s SuperAnalogue signal path,” said Pichet Permsubhirunya, owner of Shining Star Studio.

“We have meticulously put together a collection of fine microphones, outboard mic pre amps, EQ, dynamics, reverb and effect units to help us create great sounding recordings.”

“We felt that an analogue console would serve us better as the centerpiece of the control room over a DAW controller and that led us to the AWS 900+ SE.”

“SSL has a great reputation for building quality consoles that are reliable, sound great and are used by the top producers and artists in the world.”

“We believe the AWS 900+ SE carries on that tradition and we are very happy with our choice.”

Shining Star Studio specializes in recording live bands and providing specialty instruments and amplifiers to clients. The AWS 900+ SE streamlines the workflow of recording these electronic instrument to Shining Star’s DAW from the beginning to the end of a project, while providing a solid sonic foundation.

“When we looked at the AWS 900+ SE, we were impressed with the flexibility the console offers,” said Permsubhirunya. We appreciate the comprehensive control of DAW recording, editing and mixing functions right from the console surface.”

“The AWSomation motorized fader mix automation coupled with the Total Recall system for recall of analogue controls really helps with console setup and the running of both ongoing projects and projects that return later on to add material or change a mix.”

“These systems simplify our workflow so we can spend more time focusing on a project.”

“With the AWS 900+ SE, we can [also] address the needs of all our clients in terms of mixing in stereo or surround,” said Permsubhirunya. “While we mainly mix in stereo now, we are finding that our clients are starting to request mixing in surround.”

“We also have requests for 5.1 to stereo down mix. Once again, the AWS 900+ SE is ready to handle any mix situation and this flexibility helps us to service a wider range of clients and that is good for the bottom line.”

Solid State Logic Website

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