Article

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

One Systems Loudspeakers Chosen For Russian World War II Memorial

“Our goal was to provide enough power and output to cover the entire park, as well as to find a system that could withstand the elements day in and day out." - Sergey Vashchenko, Avallon Ltd.

Poklonnaya Gora, a World War II memorial in Moscow, Russia, is now outfitted with One Systems direct weather loudspeakers as the primary elements in a new distributed sound reinforcement system to replace an outdated one.

With the approach of the 65th Anniversary of Russia’s victory with the Allied Forces in World War II, Poklonnaya Gora curators began looking into upgrading their current system in time for the anniversary celebration. Avallon Ltd. of Moscow was contracted for a new sound system installation.

The memorial includes a 465-foot obelisk representing the 1,420 days of the war, topped with two bronze cherubs and a 3-ton statue of Nike, the Goddess of Victory, sculpted by Moscow’s famed artist, Tsereteli. In addition, the site offers a museum and mile-long walkway that includes rides, colored fountains, restaurants and cafes, as well as grounds for World War II tanks and other equipment.

Moscow’s sometimes inhospitable weather placed weatherproofing as a top priority for the new system’s loudspeakers. “Our goal was to provide enough power and output to cover the entire park, as well as to find a system that could withstand the elements day in and day out. We, along with the memorial’s curators are very pleased with the sound and the entire project,” says Sergey Vashchenko of Avallon Ltd.

The installation includes 20 One Systems 212IM-100 loudspeakers spaced at long distances due to the need to use existing mounting points on poles throughout the complex, which Vashchenko notes, “was a challenge because the power amplifiers are located a good distance from each speaker. This limited us to wiring above ground to the poles, but the clarity, projection and vocal intelligibility of the One Systems speakers is incredible and our client couldn’t be happier.”

This is the third installation for One Systems in Russia since Avallon became the One Systems distributor. One Systems President Doug MacCallum states, “We are very pleased to be working with Avallon and to be a part of such an historic memorial. This installation and collaboration with Avallon Ltd. shows our continued efforts to expand our global reach and to become the world’s leading manufacturer of direct weather speaker systems.”

One Systems Website

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Solotech Becomes First Canadian Company To Join L-Acoustics K1/KUDO Pilot Program

New rig in demand throughout eastern Canada's summer festival season

Montreal-based Solotech, known for supporting A-list international clients like Celine Dion, Britney Spears, Leonard Cohen, Andre Rieu, Michael Buble and Diana Krall, has now become the first Canadian company to join the L-Acoustics K1/KUDO Pilot Program.

Solotech elected to purchase a larger than standard complement of enclosures consisting of 56 K1, 32 K1-SB and 32 SB28 subs, 48 adjustable KUDO and 28 LA-RAK touring racks each loaded with three LA8 amplified controllers.

“I first heard K1 when Radiohead came through Montreal and was absolutely stunned,” recalls David Brazeau, Solotech’s senior project manager. “Earlier this year, Solotech management had the opportunity to visit the factory in France, and even though we were able to demo only a small system, it was pretty mind-blowing. V-DOSC has always been an exceptional product, but the improvements that K1 offers are immediately obvious. It was truly the next logical step for us.”

Shortly after taking delivery of the new system in June, Solotech deployed half of its K1 inventory at a free concert that drew over 80,000 people to Quebec City on the eve of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. The following week, the system moved to Parliament Hill in Ottawa for Canada Day, which brought out a crowd of nearly 100,000 to see England’s Queen Elizabeth II.

From July 8 through 18, the K1 system was then used at Festival d’ete de Quebec, an 11-day summer festival in Quebec City attracting 1.7 million attendees and featuring more than 300 performances from artists such as Rammstein, Iron Maiden, Andrew Bird, Dream Theater, Thievery Corporation, Rush, Black Eyed Peas, Arcade Fire, Santana and many others.

In late July, the new system returns to Montreal’s Parc Jean-Drapeau for the Heavy MTL festival starring Rob Halford, Slayer, Megadeth, Mastodon and Alice Cooper. And just a week later, on the same site, the Osheaga Festival Musique et Arts will host bands like Pavement, The National, Keane, Stars, Jimmy Cliff and The Walkmen performing on Solotech’s K1 system.

“After having used K1 for several festivals now, I continue to be impressed with it,” Brazeau adds. “The clarity and amount of SPL we’ve been able to achieve over the distances have been shockingly good. I love the fact that when we push K1, the level goes up uniformly across both the entire bandwidth and dispersion pattern, keeping the integrity of the signal. It’s extremely hi-fi.”

Richard Lachance, Solotech’s senior vice president of touring, says that listening to K1 reminds him of the first time he heard V-DOSC. “When I bought the first V-DOSC system in Canada back in 1997, I recognized that it would take the lead in the market and set the new standard. K1 has done that once again for L-ACOUSTICS.

“The advancement in technology and engineering that this system embodies is groundbreaking. Even those people that have long been associated with other loudspeaker systems have been impressed with it and are excited to use it.”

Providing sound, lighting, video, new media and staging both domestically and internationally, Solotech is headquartered in Montreal with satellite operations located in Quebec City and Las Vegas.

L-Acoustics Website

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Tuesday, July 27, 2010

EAW KF740 Line Arrays Supply Coverage For Large-Scale World Cup Fan Watch Venue In South Korea

EAW utilized on two of the three stages

The official cheering club of South Korean soccer, “The Red Devils,” named Seoul’s COEX Mall as its official 2010 FIFA World Cup cheer venue, and it was outfitted with LED screens, stages and sound reinforcement systems, one of them fronted by new EAW KF740 line arrays.

Elan Korea and TFOS Plus, two leading touring companies in Korea, called upon Chung-Bo Sound, EAW’s Korean distributor, to provide sound for the event.

“EAW was used on two of the three stages. We needed to provide an incredibly high-output system that could intelligibly broadcast play-by-play action to the sea of red-faced fans,” stated Hyungjoon Jee, General Manager for Chung-Bo Sound. “These EAW units delivered beautifully.”

To meet the demands, TFOS Plus used EAW KF740 line arrays, eight modules per side, all powered by EAW UX8800 digital processing.

Elan Korea, on another stage, deployed an EAW KF760 line array rig consisting of eight KF760’s per side (left and right) and six EAW BH760 bent horn subwoofers per side (left and right). They also used two EAW KF730 line array modules for center fill and 10 EAW SM84 monitors, all powered by 12 Lab.gruppen FP 1000Q amplifiers.

“Everyone doesn’t just watch the game on TV at home. They go out to the streets to support their teams as a family,” remarked Jee. “The attendees deserve great sound, and we are happy to service them with great EAW loudspeakers. Both Elan Korea and TFOS Plus are great fans of EAW and agree that the equipment is very easy to set-up, especially the KF740.”

EAW Website

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Engineer/Producer Glenn Rosenstein Adopts Universal Audio UAD-2 Powered Plug-Ins

These days Rosenstein is often ‘mixing in the box’ and uses the UA plug-ins to add classic analog effects

Engineer/producer Glenn Rosenstein cut his teeth at NYC’s Sigma Sound in the 1980s. Madonna, U2, Talking Heads, and Ziggy Marley are just some of the artists whose records received Rosenstein’s touch.

These days, he is producing hits in his own Nashville studio, and he recently added the Universal Audio Powered Plug-ins to his tricked out Pro Tools System and Icon Console for the new Livingston Taylor album “Last Alaska Moon,” which features the singer’s older brother, James Taylor.

“I had heard the UAD plugs on a number of my friends’ rigs and I was familiar with all of the great UA stuff — and was really lusting after one,” commented Rosenstein. “I wanted to get a lot of that tonality. I figured, who better than UA to emulate their existing hardware. My system works seamlessly, transparently, unbelievably well.”

Rosenstein has spent years working with Universal Audio hardware, and these days he is often ‘mixing in the box’ and turns to Universal Audio Powered Plug-ins to add classic analog effects. “Universal Audio is really doing some breakthrough stuff. The fact that they are the creators of many of these pieces of gear to begin with, and have the technology in place to emulate this hardware in a very thorough way.”

“We recently used the UAD-2 Powered Plug-ins on a record I produced for Livingston Taylor, and we had quite a few guest artists on it; James Taylor was involved, Carly Simon was involved. Members of Union Station played on it.

“George Massenburg’s approach to mixing that record was, of course, very organic. The tracks were well recorded in a very traditional sense. Compared to most current pop productions, it was quite an organic record. It wasn’t like Livingston and I created a mandate that this was to be the approach. It just kind of created itself. But when we did go to mix, naturally there were discussions about how we were going to approach the mixes, and how true to the original tracks we wanted to be. Of course, we wanted to be very true to the original tracks. We didn’t want a lot of flash, or a lot of effects. We wanted it to sound natural.

“So when we started getting involved in the mix, George has a lot of his own equipment that he likes to use; he invented all of these important audio tools. But when we started going outside of his box, the first thing he picked up was UA’s FATSO Jr. plug-in. And we were very pleased with the contribution that it made to our record.

“We used it on the background vocals, and also on the horn sections. And it did what a FATSO should. It beefed them up, warmed them up. It did all of the neat little things that the hardware would have done.”

Universal Audio Website

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Recording Electric Bass - Going Direct Or Using A Microphone

Either way can be effective - here are some approaches and anecdotes

 
My first day as a real engineer rather than an assistant was all about bass. The engineer (who was the studio manager as well) took a break after we recorded basic tracks on a Salsa song.

Before leaving the room he told me to punch where the bassist wanted. I started, and was easily able to hear and punch individual notes rather than whole phrases.

A few times I disagreed about which note was pulling the groove off but punched where I was told anyway.

After doing the punches, the bassist and producer agreed that we should have punched what I indicated instead, and we had to punch BOTH notes…the one that was originally out and the one we “fixed”.

After a while, I realized that the engineer should have returned. I turned around to see him sitting in the back of the room watching. When I jumped up and said, “Oh sorry, I didn’t see you” he told me, “I’ve been watching…sit back down, ‘cause it’s now YOUR gig.”

In order to be able to punch the bass, you have to capture it first. There are two aspects to recording electric bass - direct or putting a mic in front of the bass amp’s speaker.

DIRECT
Recording electric bass using a direct box is rather simple. The problem many people encounter is too much compression. I tend to use slight compression to smooth out the transients (usually caused by popping techniques and uneven notes) rather than try to force every note to be the exact same volume.

Although I know many people that automatically crank up as much bottom as possible on every direct Bass they record, I usually add a little 100 Hz (WHEN NEEDED) and also a little bump at around 3-5k (AGAIN, WHEN NEEDED) so the “note” comes through more clearly. Sometimes I will add a little higher frequency to hear more of the “finger attack” or “pick.”

My favorite signal path for recording direct electric bass is a Neve 1073 or 1081 mic pre going into an LA2A, with just enough compression that the needle stays at zero but drops down no more than 2-3 dB at times.

The trouble with trying to compress and squeeze every note to be the same volume when recording is that you may end up losing some of the tone and dynamics of the performance.

YOU CAN ALWAYS COMPRESS MORE OR DIFFERENTLY DURING THE MIX. ALTHOUGH YOU MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE A “FLAT” SOUND MORE FULL, YOU CAN NEVER UNDO COMPRESSION.

I remember, in the analog days, trying to experiment with how to record bass so that the bottom did not saturate the tape. At one point I even tried dropping the bottom and boosting the top when recording, then reversing that process on playback (sort of like Dolby).

For that experiment I used an API EQ, dropping 100 Hz and boosting 10 kHz going into the tape machine, and another API with opposite settings coming out. Of course I recorded the bass on another track straight, without the EQ changes. The track with the EQ had a “rounder” bottom end, but the track recorded straight had a thicker lower midrange that worked better in the mix.

Now that the whole world is digital, tape compression is not an issue (so I recommend just going straight without playing the EQ-in/EQ-out game).

Oh, if you hear a strange occasional buzz on the bass that you can’t track down, see if anyone is using a copy machine in the studio. I once spent an hour tracking down a buzz before noticing it only happened when someone in the lounge was making a copy.

MIC ON THE AMP
The trouble with putting a mic directly in front of a bass amp speaker is that although you do get some bottom due to the “proximity effect”, the REAL bottom of the bass needs much more room within which to develop.

If you mic far enough for the low sound waves, you may introduce a slight delay. What I prefer to do is stick a mic close to the cabinet as well as one a few yards away for the real bottom. Sometimes I just use the far mic.

In either case, it is very important to make sure the far mic track is moved earlier, either by sliding the track back (if you are digital) or flipping the tape and bouncing in Repro (if you are analog).

I was recording a famous jazz fusion band, and we just finished all of the basic tracks (so all of the drum and other mics were still out). We took care of some bass punches and I flipped the tape and bounced in Repro so I had an “early” bass track to send into the bass amp.

I mic’ed the bass cabinet with just a far Neumann U 47 microphone, and sent the early bass track through a delay on the way to the amp so I was able to tweak the time and really lock the amp sound with the direct one (I intended to combine them when mixing).

The bassist of the fusion band was scheduled to be interviewed and photographed, so as a goof we put every single mic around the bass cabinet. The photographer was amazed and snapped away at the bassist posing by his rig…never realizing that the only mic that was really being used was the lone U 47 in the distance.

Finally some reflections on some great bassists I’ve recorded:

Marcus Miller: What can I say? Marcus is amazing, and we developed such a close relationship that he was able to stop playing, look at me, and then play a single note. Because I was always paying close attention I would usually know the note he was talking about and be able to rewind then punch into record at that note (of course sometimes he would play me the phrase before the note he wanted punched).

One day he was recording a bass solo through a Marshall amp. The amp blew (complete with light show) in the middle of a phrase. A half hour or so later when the amp was repaired (after we took a break), I rolled back to the beginning of the phrase and then punched in RIGHT at the note the amp blew on. Marcus played through seamlessly, as if the punch was seconds after the original performance rather than over 30 minutes.

By the way, people often ask me what chorus I used on certain phrases of “Mr. Pastorius” on the Miles Davis “Amandla” album. That was no chorus, that was Marcus DOUBLING his parts so closely people thought it was an effect on a single track.

Bootsie Collins: When I recorded Bootsie, he was playing a bass with three outputs. Each output went into a different effects chain, and I substituted my Mutron III envelope filter for the box he had (his Mutron had long since died). Although I was told that people usually combined the three signals into one recorded bass track (and the producer suggested I do so as well) I had enough tracks to record each output on a separate track.

When I mixed, I started by getting general sounds, then automating the balances between all three outputs on a part-by-part basis. The sound was great, and I was able to emphasize different aspects of each output as well as each sound combination. (Bootsie played a very funky guitar as well, with his foot stomping the beat as he played).

Bruce A. Miller is an acclaimed recording engineer who operates an independent recording studio and the BAM Audio School website.

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21st Century Makeover Of McPherson Opera House Features System Headed By Tannoy QFlex

“Aesthetics were critical; equally as important as the desire for good, natural sound." - Michael Dunn, Sound Great Music

Built in 1888 and one of the most prominent buildings in downtown McPherson, Kansas, the McPherson Opera House was saved from destruction in 1986, with a comprehensive refurbishment ongoing since then culminating late last year with a new lighting rig as well as a sound reinforcement system headed by compact, digitally steerable Tannoy QFlex loudspeaker arrays.

The opera house, saved by the McPherson Opera House Preservation Company,  is known for its superb acoustics and has hosted everything from Vaudeville shows and films from the golden age of cinema through to political rallies and suffrage meetings. Correspondingly, says Michael Dunn of Sounds Great Music, designer and installer on the project, “They wanted a sound system that performers would find not only adequate, but impressive” – one that would provide not only good, natural sound, but achieve a look in keeping with the buildings’ roots and legacy.

Tannoy wasn’t the first solution considered, Dunn notes. But after a closer look at the initial concept, one based around a conventional line array system, with the inherent bulk and significant architectural impact that such a system would bring to the space, the benefits of QFlex became apparent. “We started to look at the lines of sight and the 3D models the architect had, and we realized that more than half of the audience would not be covered by the traditional line array concept, and would have to be covered by additional under balcony fills.”

Beyond offering a solution that would enhance the experience of both patrons and visiting performers without detracting from the venue’s historic elegance, particularly given the very delicate and compact dimensions of the performance space, QFlex also overcame other challenges presented by the build.

Specifically, in providing clear, even coverage without forcing users to resort to thumping levels of volume. “It’s very close,” says Dunn. “The front of the balcony is about 25 feet from the stage. The farthest corner balcony seat is only 65 feet from the center of the stage.

Additionally, care had to be taken to ensure no damage was done either during the install, or during subsequent performances, to the venue’s fragile leaded glass windows, or to the plaster and lathe fresco above the proscenium – a work originally created by artist G.N Malm in 1913, and painstakingly restored by EverGreene Painting Studios and Belle Restoration from the original 1888 stencil.

Overall, the low profile, self-powered QFlex arrays are an excellent fit for the 550-seat venue’s needs. “Aesthetics were critical; equally as important as the desire for good, natural sound,” Dunn continues. “In the end QFlex made for both far less visual clutter, as well as substantial gains in terms of coverage and overall clarity.

Initially, however, those gains sounded too good to be true to the client. “When Sounds Great first proposed Tannoy’s QFlex and showed us how small they were, we were highly skeptical,” says John Holecek, Executive Director at the McPherson. “It actually created a bit of a crisis there for a minute, but you either trust your vendors or you don’t,” he adds.

In the final analysis, Holecek is glad he did. “The fact that the speakers are so unobtrusive is a huge plus in an historic theater. I can’t emphasize that enough. They blend in wonderfully well. The acoustics were always good. Now they’re magnificent.”

With both aesthetics and coverage in mind, Dunn installed one QFlex 32 on either side of the proscenium to cover the main floor and the first balcony, while another pair of QFlex 24’s – mounted above the proscenium arch – cover the second balcony.

To flesh out the bottom end Dunn specified two Tannoy Power VS 15BP subs and hung them from the second floor of the Juliet balconies to either side of the stage. “You can’t see the subs, can you?” Dunn asks, laughing. “We ported them through the wall and then sealed the ports, so that even in the Juliet balconies, while audible, they aren’t overwhelming.”

Performers will also benefit from six Tannoys V8 Dual Concentric stage monitors, chosen, again, to achieve maximum coverage with a minimal footprint.

The clarity of the system is further enhanced by key recent developments in QFlex’s digital connectivity. Ultimately that’s a product of the install coinciding with the culmination of Tannoy’s development of digital audio input cards and digital audio break in boxes for QFlex systems – The testing of which had only just been completed when the parts were shipped from Tannoy in Scotland to McPherson.

“We’re actually running to the QFlex system using AES 110 digital audio,” Dunn explains. Thus achieving even cleaner sound by maintaining the digital signal throughout the system, eliminating any additional processing and minimizing distortion. It’s the first full digital installation of QFlex in North America, and a second technological first for the McPherson, which, in its infancy, became the first ‘electrified’ venue between St. Louis and Denver.

More importantly, the full digital configuration provided an added layer of quality for the client. Always important, but even more so when doing business in a small town of 17,000 like McPherson, “where things aren’t always based on price,” Dunn says, “but on quality, close personal relationships, and whether you’re going to be here ten, fifteen, twenty years from now and still be able to service the product.”

That quality is reflected in the level of support Dunn received from Tannoy, in the care that both Dunn and Sounds Great owner Chuck Vetter took to provide the venue with the system they required, and, most critically, in the experience the Opera House has offered audiences for over 120 years.

The end result – high impact sound with a low impact visual profile across the board – Already, Holecek says that artists who’ve performed at the venue have expressed a wish to “take the theatre with them wherever they go.”

Tannoy Website

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General Cable Names Joe Zajac Manager Of Market Development For Commercial AV, Broadcast Products

Joined Gepco in 1996 and has held the positions of engineering manager, field engineer and operations manager

General Cable has announced that Joe Zajac has been named manager, market development, professional broadcast & commercial AV products, where he will lead the market and business development efforts for both the Gepco brand and Sheer Wire line of products. 

“I am pleased that Joe has accepted this position,” said Jay Lahman, vice president and general manager of Gepco and Carol brand products. “Joe’s 25 years of experience in the broadcast industry as well as his 14 years in manufacturing, product development and field engineering give him insight into these markets. I believe his deep technical knowledge and ability to work across the organization will further strengthen Gepco’s position as a leader in the industry.”

Zajac joined Gepco in 1996 and has held the positions of engineering manager, field engineer and operations manager.

For the last year, he has been manufacturing manager for Gepco products with responsibility of the Fiber lab, and the Assembly, Rewind and Shipping/Receiving areas. Prior to joining Gepco, Zajac was Managing Engineer for 10 years at Columbia College Chicago, where he where he has also been a part-time instructor for the last 20 years.

Zajac holds a Bachelor’s degree in Radio/Sound from Columbia College Chicago. As a member of the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE), he participates in the society’s Standards Committee and has served as editor of the Standard for Television-Hybrid Electrical and Fiber Optic Camera Cable (SMPTE 311M-2007). 

He has received Certificates of Appreciation from the Audio Engineering Society (AES) and the Engineer and Recording Society of Chicago (EARS).

General Cable Website

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NSCA Education Foundation, Bosch Award Three $2,500 Scholarships

Students receive assistance to pursue industry education

The NSCA Education Foundation and Bosch Security Systems, Inc., Communications Systems Division have awarded three $2,500 scholarships to students pursuing careers in the commercial electronic systems industry.

Andrew Keil and Wade Kolata were chosen for the Robert Bosch scholarships and Gary Fine was selected as the first recipient of the Monte Wise scholarship.

Keil is enrolled in the Audio Arts and Acoustics program at Columbia College Chicago. He said the constant evolution of technology and the savvy required to stay current as technology advances are what interest him most about the industry. After he graduates, he hopes to start his own contracting company and incorporate all forms of technology.

Kolata is a student in Automated Systems & Robotics at Dunwoody College of Technology in Minneapolis. He gained professional experience as a live sound reinforcement technician and pro audio products specialist in sales and service. Kolata said his lifelong involvement in music was his primary source of hands-on exposure to electronic systems.

“I feel the industry offers me the opportunity to combine my passion for creating and performing music with my keen interest and curiosity in electronics as an applied science,” Kolata said.

Fine is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Audio Arts and Acoustics at Columbia College Chicago.  He has held several jobs in the industry, working as a house engineer for a music venue and audio technician on a commercial video shoot, in addition to volunteering as a stagehand for Chicago sound companies at large shows. In particular, he finds the live audio industry challenging and intriguing, especially through technological advances and evolving aesthetic needs.

“Bosch is happy to support the future of the industry through these scholarships,” said Daniel Nix, VP of Sales, US South, Bosch Security Systems, Inc., and a member of the NSCA Education Foundation Board of Directors. “These individuals represent the future of our industry and we’re excited to contribute to their success as they prepare to enter our field. Gary Fine, in particular, exemplifies the legacy left by Monte Wise as a talented musician and dedicated scholar.”

In partnership with the NSCA Education Foundation, Bosch Security Systems, Inc., Communications Systems Division offers the Robert Bosch scholarships in memory of Robert Bosch, who founded the Robert Bosch GmbH, a German technology corporation. The Monte Wise scholarship was established in memory of the Bosch systems applications specialist’s untimely death in 2009.

“In conjunction with Bosch, the NSCA Education Foundation is pleased to offer financial assistance to up-and-coming industry professionals,” said Andy Musci, NSCA Education Foundation president. “We look forward to welcoming them into our industry and benefiting from their new ideas and perspectives regarding electronic systems.”

NSCA Education Foundation Website
Bosch Communications Systems Division Website

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Focusrite Launches New ISA428 MkII Four-Channel Mic Preamp & A/D Converter

New to the ISA428 MkII is a switched-mode power supply, which lowers the internal noise and heat output of the unit, and greatly reduces its weight

New to Focusrite’s ISA range of pro audio hardware is the ISA428 MkII, a premium four-channel mic preamp and A-D converter. The ISA428 MkII supersedes the existing ISA428 and is available at a much more affordable price.

Like its predecessor, the ISA428 MkII features four of Focusrite’s transformer-based ISA preamps. These are the same as those found in the Forte console, used on countless hit records over the past two decades.

Each channel has phantom power and phase-reverse controls, plus switchable input impedance and an adjustable high-pass filter.

Mirroring the feature set of the original model, the MkII also has an optional eight-channel A-D converter upgrade, which converts signals from the preamps and an additional four line-level inputs to 24-bit digital data streams at sample rates of up to 192kHz.

New to the ISA428 MkII is a switched-mode power supply, which lowers the internal noise and heat output of the unit, and greatly reduces its weight — ideal for touring companies and mobile recordists.

The exact same analog circuit board can be found in both the original and MkII derivations of the ISA428.

The most noticeable difference is the removal of the large moving-coil peak meters of the ISA428. Metering duties on the MkII are handled by per-channel, six-step LED bargraph displays, which monitor the signal prior to the A-D stage, providing an accurate status of the preamp’s output level.

Also removed is the soft limiter feature of the ISA428. In light of this, precise calibration figures are supplied in the user manual, to enable accurate system setup. 

Focusrite Director of Product Strategy Rob Jenkins commented, “More and more people are making high-quality recordings outside the traditional studio environment, and they have different requirements to recording studios: they want the same high-quality audio, but in a simpler package.

“So the objective with the ISA428 MkII was to create a leaner, more cost-effective design that maintained the Focusrite sound. The new power supply helped us achieve this, and it actually runs cooler with less noise and interference than the previous model.”

KEY FEATURES
Four ISA-series mic preamplifiers
Focusrite’s flagship preamps, featuring per-channel phantom power, phase-reverse and insert control, and variable high-pass filtering.

Optional eight-channel A-D converter
Featuring the same 24-bit/192kHz A-D technology as the ISA828 preamp, boasting a dynamic range of 122dB.

Switchable input impedance
Lets you change the input impedance, allowing you to match your mic to the preamp Features the ‘ISA110’ setting to provide the sound of the Forte’s ISA110 module.

Hi-Z instrument inputs on each channel
Jack sockets on the front panel allow you to connect instruments quickly.

Switchable balanced insert points
Allowing additional hardware to be linked into the signal chain.

Variable high-pass filter
Uses the same high-quality circuitry as found on the ISA110 to provide adjustable filtering of frequencies between 16Hz and 420Hz.

Accurate LED metering
Six-step metering for all input channels, including the four additional A-D inputs.

The ISA 428 MkII is expected to be available in late 2010.

Pricing:
USA: $1799.99 MSRP / $1499.99 at dealers
UK: £1199.99 inc. VAT Suggested street price
DE: €1689.99 inc Tax MSRP

Focusrite Website

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HOW-TO Church Sound Workshop Training Sessions Coming To Ohio, Alabama, Missouri

Also coming to New Jersey in September

 
HOW-TO Sound Workshops, dedicated to growing ministries through real-world audio education and applied technology, has announced upcoming training sessions for August 2010 in Ohio, Alabama and Missouri. 

Upcoming Sessions:

August 7
New Connections Church
Lancaster, OH
9 AM to 6 PM

August 8
Kettering Adventist Church
Dayton, OH
10 AM to 6 PM

August 14
Bethlehem Baptist Church
Headland, AL
9 AM to 6 PM

 
 

August 28
Northland Cathedral
Kansas City, MO
9 AM to 6 PM

To register, go here.

Cost to attend is just $159, with groups of 5 or more eligible for a discounted rate of $129 per person. Further, those registering 14 days or more in advance are eligible for a discount rate of $139 per person and $109 per person for 5 or more people.

HOW-TO Sound Workshops are designed with your entire praise team and media volunteers in mind.

Taught by instructors with extensive background in audio education at all technical levels, everyone from new volunteers to seasoned professionals will learn how to deliver their worship message in the best way possible.

Sessions feature a hands-on approach, joined by real-world examples that help sound volunteers retain the maximum amount of information in the minimum time.

Topics covered in each session include:
—Microphones and Inputs
—Wireless Systems
—Mixing Consoles
—Processors
—Amplifiers and Loudspeakers
—Mixing and Recording Techniques
—Loudspeaker Setup, Alignment, and Processors
—Stage Setup
—Setup Techniques
—AC/Electrical Power Issues

HOW-TO Chief Instructor Mike Sokol has been a live-sound, recording, and design engineer for over 38 years as well as a musician for 50 years who has run sound for thousands of Worship, Music, and Political events.

During the past 10 years, Sokol has presented over 600 seminars and Hands-On Workshops across North America at churches, recording schools, universities, and professional audio organizations such as the Audio Engineering Society, the Society of Broadcast Engineers and NARAS (Grammy Awards Group).

In addition, HOW-TO will also be presenting a NO-SHOCK-ZONE Clinic, focusing on critical AC/power and electrical safety issues, in Phoenix on Thursday, June 3.

Find out more about HOW-TO Workshops here.

HOW-TO Sound Workshops Website

 

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Dante Virtual Soundcard Now Available Online

Software solution that turns a PC or Mac into a Dante enabled device, using the Ethernet port on the computer to communicate with a network of other Dante enabled devices

Audinate announced that its Dante Virtual Soundcard is now available for online purchase at the company website.

Dante Virtual Soundcard acts like a physical sound card or audio interface, including the ability to play and record audio using any Windows audio application with standard ASIO multichannel audio support, or any Core Audio Mac application. This includes applications such as Cubase, Nuendo and Logic, and additionally for Mac, more general audio applications such as iTunes.

The Dante Virtual Soundcard may be purchased as a 7-day, 30-day, or permanent license which can be downloaded directly from the Audinate website (direct link here). The Dante Virtual Soundcard is a software solution which turns a PC or Mac into a Dante enabled device which uses the Ethernet port on the computer to communicate with a network of other Dante enabled devices.

No special hardware is required; the Dante Virtual Soundcard is installed on a conventional PC or laptop. As long as there is another hardware Dante device in a network to act as clock master, the Dante Virtual Soundcard can enable the PC or Mac to be a source or a destination on the network.

The Dante Virtual Sounds offers the ability to record and playback up to 64x64 channels from a standard computer without the need for a hardware soundcard.

“When we first launched the Dante Virtual Soundcard, customers were amazed that they could provide the same level of quality of a hardware sound card, but all in software.’ states John McMahon,” Worldwide VP Sales and Support at Audinate. “Since the Dante Virtual Soundcard is connected by IP over Ethernet, customers have the flexibility associated with networks.’

Dante Virtual Soundcard is available for purchase as a permanent license or for or use as a rental licenses for tours using a weekly or monthly rental. 

The cost of a 7-day license is $6.95 USD, a 30-day license is $14.95 USD and a permanent license is $149.95 USD. Audinate is also offering a one-time “Try It For Free” option that will allow users to try the application for 14 days at no cost.

Audinate Website

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Monday, July 26, 2010

Martin Audio Longbow Line Arrays Serve Pyramid Stage At Glastonbury Festival

64 W8L Longbow cabinets were flown in 16-deep dual inner and outer main PA hangs per side, with an additional 64 W8LCs flown in four delay positions

RG Jones Sound Engineering provided Glastonbury Festival’s Pyramid Stage audio production for the third year in succession, after first working on the iconic stage in 2007 as suppliers of FOH and monitor control systems.

The south London-based company, the UK member of the Synco Europe Network, was lead contractor for the audio production.

On the busiest weekend of the European festival calendar with more than a million watts of “Synco by Martin Audio” line array hardware at festival stages across northern Europe, RG Jones brought in London neighbors Capital Sound to supply the left and right PA hangs, and co-designed a cardioid sub-bass array with a Martin Audio team headed by Jason Baird.

A total of 64 Martin Audio W8L Longbow cabinets were flown in 16-deep dual inner and outer main PA hangs per side, with an additional 64 W8LCs flown in four delay positions, all optimized with the assistance of Smaart. Loudspeaker control was achieved via a rack of five XTA DP448 digital controllers, with a Klark Teknik DN360 for the engineers ‘grab’ EQ.

The sub-bass array has been refined over the past two years, in conjunction with noise monitoring specialists RPS Planning & Development, to satisfy the complex requirements of providing full-on audience enjoyment while containing the sound in the Pyramid Stage arena, which holds up to around 100,000 people and is just 1100 meters (3,608 ft) from the village of Pilton.

54 Martin Audio WS218X subwoofers, powered by Crown Macro-Tech 12000 amplifiers, were configured in a cardioid array, with its output electronically curved to cover the full width of the field, achieving impressive sub volumes and very even coverage to 120 meters (393 ft) out in the arena.

Jason Baird, Martin Audio’s R&D Director, has been involved with the Pyramid Stage system design since 2008 and comments that “this year’s design picks the best aspects of 2008 and 2009 to make 2010”.

He adds: “The cardioid sub array is doing two things, the main one being the broadside array: by delaying the subs incrementally from the center outwards you can bend the overall wave front, so it’s actually tuned to fit the shape of the Pyramid Stage field. And then a third of the subs face backwards in a cardioid configuration to kill the broadside array’s output on the stage itself.”

As in previous years noise containment was achieved partly by driving the upper four boxes in each of the four arrays from its own controller, which can then be turned down independently of the rest of the array should any problems noise spillage offsite arise, minimizing impact on crowd sound levels.

Adds Baird: “We can make fine adjustments which have barely any effect on the sound in the field, but achieves the stated objective of reducing levels off site. That’s the reason the same system’s been used three years on the run, because of the great success in keeping both the crowd and the residents happy. It’s a real pleasure to work with the RG Jones team, and the Capital Sound guys too.”

Martin Audio Website

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Renkus-Heinz Names AMI Music International As New Brazilian Distributor

AMI is one of the leading professional audio distributors and project design groups in Brazil

Renkus-Heinz has announced the appointment of AMI Music International as the company’s new Brazilian distributor.

Based in Sao Paulo, AMI is one of the leading professional audio distributors and project design groups in Brazil, with an impressive distribution network of audio and live sound professionals covering the entire region.

The company offers regular training seminars and technical assistance to its user base, and also boasts a resume of high-profile installations that spans houses of worship, museums, convention centers, and the Brazilian headquarters of Fiat and Renault.

“Brazil is a vibrant country and a powerful, influential force, both in the South American region and beyond,” remarked Rik Kirby, Renkus-Heinz Vice President of Operations. “We’re excited to welcome AMI International into the Renkus-Heinz family, and we’re confident that this is the beginning of a long and mutually supportive relationship.”

Octavio do Nascimento Brito, Managing Director of AMI, added, “Renkus-Heinz is one of the original and most respected loudspeaker manufacturers in the industry, and we’re both pleased and honored to be associated with them. We have already been receiving inquiries from our dealers and customers, and we’re looking forward to working together with such a powerful and renowned brand.”

Renkus-Heinz Website

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Gone But Not Forgotten - Older Mic Models That Still Do The Job

Somewhere between the esoteric mega-buck audio salon and the trash heap, you can find things that, although decades old, still does the job. Here's some of the author's some favorite older microphones

There are advantages to getting older. Years of learning something new at every gig add up to that thing we call experience.

You remember how well the first Soundcraft console you ever used responded to your touch.

You recall, despite its simple interface and lack of things to tweak, how great the reverb of a Lexicon PCM-60 sounded.

Another advantage to getting older is that the gear you lusted after as a youngster becomes affordable.

The downside of this can be the making a purchase decision based on the romance of nostalgia.

Certain pieces of audio gear remain popular long after being discontinued, transforming into that romantic term “vintage.”

Depending upon how well it works and how rare it is, some gear goes up in value and actually can sell for more used than when it was new.

Sometimes the popularity of something on the used market is so great it catches the attention of manufacturers who either reissue the same model or introduce a new model that “sounds just like the old one.”

Witness various flavors of Neumann microphones and the Universal Audio LN-1176.

And a lot of older audio gear is still viable in today’s sound reinforcement world. Somewhere between the esoteric mega-buck audio salon and the trash heap, you can find things that, although decades old, still does the job.

Let’s start at the head of the signal chain by looking at some favorite older vintage microphones.

Sennheiser MD-409 (click to enlarge). Resurrected a while back as the e609, then re-resurrected as the e609 Silver at an even lower price, the MD-409 is still much in demand.

Incredibly versatile, it’s used for vocals, drums, horns, and is also a mic of choice for electric guitar cabinets.

The 409 commands good money on the used market, with prices over $300 for a single unit in good condition not uncommon.

Shure SM59. A real “sleeper” you can get for a song! Ruler-flat frequency response from 100 Hz to 10 kHz means this mic has no built-in “hype.”

This feature, along with relatively low output, probably contributed to its eventual demise, since it was marketed primarily as a vocal mic.

But these same features make it great for horns, guitar cabinets, and other places you might not want a SM57 “presence peak”.

Not terribly common, but as of a few years ago at least, they could be found for under $100.

AKG D224. A mic with a very interesting technology, it has a pair of coaxially mounted diaphragms connected together via an electronic combining network.

Since AKG was able to optimize the diaphragms for their intended frequency ranges, the mic was said to “bring the sound of a condenser microphone to a dynamic”.

This design addressed the common problem of phantom power being unavailable in the field.

Electro-Voice N/D308. Part of the original N/DYM line that debuted about 20 years ago, the N/D308 cardioid is a great workhorse utility mic.

Its wider pattern is just the thing for splitting a pair of rack toms. The flat front of the yoke-mounted “tea egg” makes for easy visual identification.

Stedman N-90. I’ve been told these were “a side-address EV RE20.”  When I contacted Stedman, they told me, “The capsule was supplied by EV, and built to our specifications.”

Not employing the EV “Variable-D” technology found in the RE20, the N-90 will have some good ol’ proximity effect.

A large-diaphragm dynamic, it’s great for low brass like baritone sax and trombone, or the low rotor of a Leslie if you’re lucky enough to get to do that sort of thing.

Get an N-90 and try it on snare bottom! (And thank me later!!)

AKG D12E. A large-diaphragm dynamic designed for vocals that found it’s way inside kick drums and in front of brass.

Said to be the predecessor of the D 112, it doesn’t have the top end “click” of the egg-shaped AKG.

However, the D12E’s low end is, as some might say, “like buttah!” Useful in the popular two-mic kick drum technique, employed along with your favorite flavor boundary mic.

Easy to find, and not terribly expensive.

Dave Dermont has worked in professional audio for well over two decades and is a frequent contributor to ProSoundWeb and the LAB Forum.

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Spider Ranch Productions Adds DiGiCo SD8 Console & MADI 48X24 Rack

"We have also ordered an SD9 to augment our upcoming technical teaching and training road show." - Alex Moran, Spider Ranch Productions

Spider Ranch Productions recently added a new DiGiCo SD8 digital system and MADI 48x24 rack to service its growing concert and installation business.

The Northern California-based production company offers wide-ranging live sound and audio/visual services to corporate, touring, festival and other events throughout the Bay Area and West Coast.

Spider Ranch owner Alex Moran commented on the purchase and partnership. “After evaluating the various digital console options available, we felt that partnering with DiGiCo would offer the most in terms of audio quality, technical support and most importantly, long term growth. Our entire team is thrilled with the product line and the immediate positive responses from our clients.”

“The platform and pricing structures of the DiGiCo SD8 and SD9 models are very compatible with our rental and installation divisions,” he added. “Currently there are several churches we are working with that are very responsive to adding the small footprint SD9.

“We have also ordered an SD9 to augment our upcoming technical teaching and training road show that reaches out to various venues, clients and engineers throughout Northern California.”

DiGiCo Website

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