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Friday, July 23, 2010

Remembering Albert Leccese, May 11, 1953 – July 17, 2010

Albert Leccese’s three rules of live sound:
1) Make noise
2) Continue to make noise
3) Make it sound good if you can

Albert Leccese lost his 5-year battle with lung cancer early in the morning of July 17, 2010 with his family at his bedside. His wife, Denise and his two sons Paul, 22, and Steven, 19, survive him. He was far too young to go. Beyond that, he was far too good a man to be taken from us so early. 

I share a birthday with Albert - same date, same year. My first contact with him was as a staff member for the Live Sound Workshop, held annually just before the Winter NAMM show through the 1990s. Out of the blue in 1994, when I was product manager for TOA Electronics, Albert called me up and offered to try out the first prototypes of our second-generation DSP at the north stage of Woodstock ’94. 

What an experience! Four days of three hours of sleep a night. Same meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Snapple Tea only, not even water. Multiple stomach pumpings due to copious amounts of bad drugs being passed around… And cleaning the snake when it was over? Oh, mercy! As a manufacturing dweeb, I remember thinking I’d be willing to wait another 25 years before doing that again. But it was no big deal to Albert, just another gig. And yes, I watched him clean that snake. 

Albert and a big Audio Analysis rig at Giants Stadium in support of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
(Photo credit: Clive Young)

Albert was one of the pioneers of the touring sound industry. The list of tours he worked is endless, including Avril Lavigne, Blue Man Group, Bruce Springsteen, Linkin Park, Mark Knopfler, Norah Jones, REO, Ricky Martin, Ringo Starr, Sammy Hagar, Sarah McLachlan, Styx, and so on, as well as multiple Papal visits. 

Albert’s official role was co-owner and vice president/director of engineering at Audio Analysts in Colorado Springs, and he also served as an invaluable resource to numerous manufacturers and engineering departments, providing considerable insights on product development and equipment evaluation.

Albert (far right) teaching an evening session on stage monitoring at a 2005 SynAudCon seminar in Colorado Springs.

Armed with an EE degree, he developed the first linear-phase DSP in the industry (detailed in the October 2006 issue of Live Sound International), and worked closely with Crown on the development of touring industry power amplifiers. He was also closely affiliated with JBL, contributing to many touring loudspeaker system designs.

JBL VP Mark Gander:

“My thoughts go to napkin designs that turned in to world-class tour sound systems… 2 AM weekend calls to expedite replacements for rained-on tour system woofers… shipping hundreds of speakers to build the “Monsters of Rock” tour system… TEC Awards banquets at AES conventions… Albert exchanging trade show badges with Ron Borthwick of Clair Bros. to confound the uninitiated manufacturers… AES dinners with the tour sound engineers… pub crawls and meetings of the ‘Sambuca Brothers Society’...  Montreal, Plattsburgh, New York, Colorado Springs… and tour stops all around North America and the world. Endless shows at load-in, backstage, meals with the crew at catering, sitting at FOH, walking the hall even to the nosebleed sections, on the bus… very late nights in LA… the Audio Analysts “audio crib” in Marina Del Rey for wayward crew members… Albert contributing his time to teaching seminars whenever asked, and every year at the Live Sound Workshop… Albert frustrated with a humble student’s lack of comprehension, almost angry, then an under-the-breath sigh of resignation, followed by patient explanations of how the theory works in the real world, and how the get results that please the client and the audience…”

Whether it was the Live Sound Workshop, an evening stage monitoring presentation at a SynAudCon seminar in Colorado Springs, or an employee training session with me at Audio Analysts, Albert would never refuse to share his seemingly endless knowledge of audio.

Audio Analysts colleague Ken Toal:

“He treated everyone like they were a million-dollar customer, like they were Bruce Springsteen, even if they were just some young kid.”

Beyond that, Albert was fun! Everyone always wanted to go to dinner with him because he was just so likeable, and road-dog war stories would always accompany the meal. The only caveat was no chicken. Albert had an absolute intolerance to chicken, having been forced to partake of far too many rubber chicken meals on the road to ever touch it again. And the meal, invariably at a good Italian restaurant (he was a French-Canadian of Italian ancestry), had to end with a shot of Sambuca. 

During one of the workshops, Albert and Mick Whelan (then of Electrotec) were doing a presentation on microphone applications. Albert was busy discussing the attributes of, I think, a beyerdynamic M 201, a big mic, and he was holding it slightly below his waist while speaking. Standing next to him, Mick was holding another mic, a much smaller mic. And then he disappeared behind Albert and came out holding an Electro-Voice RE20 below his waist – an even bigger mic, and an even bigger grin on his face. The whole room erupted into laughter, while Albert just looked at Mick and rolled his eyes.

In 1990, friends at an AES party at Mark Gander’s house. Left to right: Dan Healy, Grateful Dead sound man; the late Don Pearson, Ultrasound; Ron Borthwick, Clair Brothers; the late Craig Schertz, Showco; Dennis Fink, digital audio consultant; the late David Martin, Martin Audio; Dave Bearman, Martin Audio; the late Albert Leccese, Audio Analysts; Mick Whelan, Electrotec Productions (holding daughter with protruding foot); Neil Shaw, Menlo Scientific Acoustics Consulting; Jim Brawley, JSB Assoc. Consulting; Mark Gander, JBL.

Virtually everyone who has contacted me since Albert’s passing has mentioned the Live Sound Workshop. It started out in 1989 in association with Don and Carolyn Davis as a SynAudCon workshop, though it was ultimately headed by Paul and Cris Gallo, then of Pro Sound News, with a wonderfully cooperative association of Albert, Mick, Will Parry, Dave Scheirman, Howard Page, David Robb, Dave Revel, and myself. Sound gear was always graciously supplied by Dave Shadoan and Sound Image. 

Over the years, the workshop also benefited from a number of other industry luminaries as instructors, including Ron Borthwick, Roy Clair, M. L. Procise, and Craig Schertz, to name but a few. But the basic outline of the educational program was created by Albert, who took it to heart, gave it life, and due largely to his efforts, influenced at least a thousand audio professionals worldwide.

A staff dinner at Mama Cozza’s Restaurant in Anaheim, capping the 2000 Live Sound Workshop. Left to right, far-side of table: Renee Gander, Susan Scheirman, David Scheirman, Cris Gallo, Howard Page, Steve Dupaix, Paul Gallo. Left to right, near-side of table: John Murray, Albert Leccese, Mark Gander, David Robb, David Revel. (Mick Whelan manned the camera.)

Brenda Brown of SynAudCon:

“Together we were in the beginning stages of planning a Live Sound Workshop for 2011. On July 8, I received an email from Albert apologizing for not getting back to me as he was in the hospital and that the cancer had taken a turn for the worst. Here is a quote from his letter: “I am sorry! My friends but I really, really tried to stretch this out.” He wanted this workshop for the live sound industry. He, of course, would have been on the list of instructors and doing what he loved – sharing his knowledge with others.”

I’d love to see a resurrection of the workshop, and this time, it should be in the name of Albert, because it always was largely his anyway. Let’s call it the ALLS, for Albert Leccese’s Live Sound Workshop. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?

Albert, my friend, now we get to stand on your shoulders…

John Murray is a 34-year industry veteran who has worked for several leading manufacturers, and has also presented two published AES papers as well as chaired numerous SynAudCon workshops. He is currently the principal of Optimum System Solutions, a consulting firm.

Crown Amplifiers Power South African Stadium System

Wild & Marr recently installed Crown amplifiers to power sound at World Cup venue Moses Mabhida Stadium. 

The stadium also features AKG, BSS Audio, JBL, and Soundcraft components as part of the sound reinforcement system.

Situated in Durban, the new stadium has a capacity of 70,000 and hosted five group games, one second round game, and a semi-final match during the World Cup.

The venue is named after Moses Mabhida, a former General Secretary of the South African Communist Party. 

The stadium’s design is highlighted by an arch, which represents the once divided nation of South Africa coming together. 

The Moses Mabhida Stadium system installation was handled by South African Harman Professional distributor Wild & Marr and features 74 Crown I-Tech 4000, 36 I-Tech 8000 and 33 CTs 4200USP/CN amplifiers. 

Signal processing is provided by BSS Audio with three BLU-800 devices, eight BLU-160 devices, six BLU-320 devices and mixing by Soundcraft RM100 series consoles.

Wild & Marr also provided 118 VerTec VT4888 midsize line array elements as well as 36 JBL AM6315 loudspeakers and over 1,400 Control 24 CT Micro and 100 Control 25AV ceiling speakers.

Control and configuration of the system was completed through Harman HiQnet System Architect. 

In the area leading into the stadium complex commonly referred to as Peoples Park, 32 JBL CBT100LA column speakers are powered by five Crown CTS8200USP3/CN, with sound processing handled by a BSS BLU-800 device. The area also features a dedicated Soundcraft RM100 console and AKG microphones. 

“The World Cup is a global event that transcends the way we view sports,” said Marc Kellom, vice president of marketing for Crown Audio.

“Our CTs amplifiers provide unmatched performance and reliability, setting the standard for the biggest stadiums in the world and the World Cup was no exception.”

Crown Audio Website

Tech Tip Of The Day: Analog v. Digital Record Levels

Provided by Sweetwater.

 
Q: I’m what you would consider a rather seasoned home studio owner.

However, I’ve been clinging to analog until even this year.

No, seriously, I just wouldn’t let go, and I’m still not 100% comfortable with using “digital” gear, no matter how irrational it may sound.

I’ve generally been happy with the results so far, and I do hear a quality difference between the two, but frankly I think my analog gear sounded a little better overall (not that I’m gong back).

Anyways, I’ve read a lot about recording levels in digital and how one is supposed to record as hot as possible for the very best fidelity.

I’ve messed with my system a while now and I really don’t hear any difference when I record at fairly low levels compared to hot levels, at least not a difference like I would hear on my analog recorder.

Why does everyone think it’s such a big deal?”

A: First, congratulations on making the digital jump!

I know it can be a very difficult process, however rest assured that your analog gear can remain useful, even if it’s not your primary recorder.

As to your question, in the very early days of digital recording the converters simply weren’t very good by today’s standards. Plus, most of the systems had a maximum of 16-bits to work with.

The maximum dynamic range a 24-bit system is capable of capturing is substantially greater (greater even than the analog gear connected to it), and this does have an impact on the recording quality, particularly at lower levels. If you were to try your experiment with an old DAT machine made in the mid-1980’s you would definitely hear the difference.

We still say recording at higher levels is generally a good idea, but with a 24-bit system it is nowhere near as critical as it was back in the early days, so don’t sweat it.

As always, we welcome input from the PSW community and would love to know your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to let us know in the comments below.

 
For more tech tips go to Sweetwater.com

The Toronto Jazz Festival Main Stage Supported By Sennheiser, Neumann, & L-Acoustics

The Toronto Jazz Festival takes place every year during the ten days that bridge June and July.

A significant number of artists participate, performing in venues located throughout the Canadian city to some 500,000 attendees from around the world.

This year, the largest acts performed at the 1,200-seat Nathan Phillip Square main stage, where FOH engineer Brad Mulligan ran an Innovason Eclipse digital console.

An L-Acoustics dV-DOSC line array system provided amplification throughout the venue, while a large collection of Sennheiser and Neumann wired microphones were used on stage, in addition to Sennheiser wireless equipment.

“The most difficult thing about the Nathan Phillip Square’s main stage is that it is neither inside nor outside,” said Mulligan.

“Rather, it is a tent. I’ve got a vinyl structure above and around me, and concrete below. Both are highly reflective and together create a very live “room.”

“Without solid walls or ceiling, the bottom-end characteristics are that of an outdoor event. It’s challenging to say the least. Our objective was to deliver not just passable sound, but excellent sound, so we needed a line array with both accurate pattern control and superior fidelity.”

The L-Acoustics dV-DOSC system fit those requirements – as well as a few others – perfectly. There are weight restrictions on the tent structure, and at only 70 lbs. (32 kgs.) each, the dV-DOSC components were well within the limits.

“The compact boxes were able to accommodate everything from the most intimate jazz quartet like the Dave Young Quartet, to the hard rocking blues artists, like Taj Mahal,” said Mulligan.

“The fidelity was fantastic and the tightly controlled coverage pattern was even across a 260 degree seating area, with very little sound reflecting off the sides of the tent.” Six dV-DOSC HF/MF components adorned each side of the stage with four L-Acoustics KIVA loudspeakers added for side fill.

Two stacks of three L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofers supplemented the low end. To maximize their impact, Mulligan employed an electronically steerable cardioid output pattern for each subwoofer stack, which prevented low-end buildup in the center of the seating area.

The Innovason Eclipse digital console at FOH simplified the jobs of Brad Mulligan and for the various artists’ personal engineers with its digital recalability. Of particular help was the Innovason Eclipse’s integrated multitrack recording system (dubbed M.A.R.S.). Mulligan used it to record the soundchecks so that the engineers could finalize their mixes (using playback) after soundcheck, but before show time.

The stage’s collection of microphones included, from the Sennheiser catalog, a e 901 kick and e 902 kick drum mics, e 904 rack-drum mics, e 906 guitar/brass mics, e 908 gooseneck condensers, and e 935 & e 965 vocal mics at his disposal. From the Neumann catalog, Mulligan utilized a TLM 102 and TLM 103 large diaphragm condensers, KMS 105 live vocal mics, and KM 184 pencil condensers available. “It was a great opportunity to really match each instrument up with its ideal microphone,” said Mulligan.

“The compact and high-SPL Neumann TLM 102 was amazing,” he said. “On saxophone and drum overheads, it delivered a very warm and open sound. Other mics can make a sax take on a brittle edge, but the 102 was flat and warm.”

“With the Sennheiser e 901 and e 902 to deploy on kick drums, it was very easy to dial in an authoritative sound that ranged anywhere between a quick wallop and a nice, pillowy thud. The Sennheiser e 609 gave me a very big, warm sound for both trumpets and guitars.”

“And the Neumann KMS 105? What can I say about that mic? It’s already a classic, and for certain styles and singers, there’s nothing more magical than a 105. Also a standout mic was the e 908 clip-on condenser. From horn sections, to a wireless djembe for Angelique Kidjo and as tom mics, the 908s where fantastic in every application!”

L-Acoustics Website

Sennheiser Website

Neumann Website

Solid State Logic Chosen By Perfect Sound Studio

Perfect Sound, a creative recording studio, has installed a Solid State Logic AWS 900+ SE as its control console in place of a controller.

The AWS 900+ SE brings together the extensive studio outboard resources and vintage microphones at Perfect Sound, while providing control for the resident DAW systems.

It also presents familiar ergonomics for outside engineers, recall and fader automation, 5.1 surround capabilities and a greatly sought after sonic signature.

“When we named the studio Perfect Sound, we knew that we needed to provide our clients with a full range of sonic tools to handle any style of music,” said Norm Kerner, co-owner of Perfect Sound.

“We quickly realized that the controller for our Pro Tools rig simply wasn’t doing the kind of job we needed it to do to fulfill our mission.”

“We opened the doors here with great outboard gear, super microphones, a wide variety of instruments and amps, and even a small vintage, re-built Neve console to accommodate all tastes in sound, but the AWS 900+ SE really was necessary to bring everything together.”

The entire concept behind the studio complex at Perfect Sound is to provide a quiet, comfortable and stress-free location where the creative process can grow, yet still offer proximity to downtown Hollywood.

“We quickly got to the point where we were very busy, but felt the need for something more in a console over a controller,” said Jason Donaghy, studio engineer.

“We looked at a bigger controller, what I call a glorified mouse, but the SSL really gave us the best of all worlds with regards to analogue with digital control of our Pro Tools and Logic systems.”

“The AWS 900+ SE has all the bases covered from a technology standpoint, but the biggest thing for me was the comfort issue with the clients.”

“Producers/engineers come in that are familiar with SSL 4000 Gs and 9000 Js and Ks, and they feel right at home on the AWS. On the other side, the engineers that are used to working in the box with a controller come in and they are comfortable as well.”

“We had a lot of individual pieces performing different functions that we were now able to get rid of because the AWS 900+ SE functions as our mission control, as we call it,” said Jake Rodenhouse, co-owner of Perfect Sound.

“With the AWS, everything is right there in front of us. We no longer need to patch things together, or try to recall the settings because we now have one item that does it all. Clients can now select equipment from classic high-end outboard mic pres and dynamics to a vintage Ampex tube mixer, but using this gear does not interfere with the overall technical workflow.”

“The AWS 900+ SE has really streamlined the way we need to work and we are very happy with our choice.”

Solid State Logic Website