Community Professional Brings A Major Audio Upgrade To Major Speedway
The Michigan International Speedway received a serious audio makeover that involved replacing nearly all of the existing loudspeakers
When Michigan International Speedway held its first race in October 1968, its 12,000-seat grandstand made it one of the top new racetracks in the U.S. For more than four decades, this two-mile oval has hosted countless historic races, its Victory Circle graced by such famous names as Richard Petty, A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, Parnelli Jones and Dale Earnhardt.
Today, MIS seats more than 119,500 and is still one of the nation’s premier racing venues, thanks in no small part to an ongoing program of improvements and upgrades over the years.
Most recently, the track’s original sound system was completely revamped, its 1960s-vintage horns replaced with more than 200 Community R-Series weather-resistant loudspeakers.
The project was overseen by consultant Jack McCallum of Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams (WJHW), with installation performed by Lansing-based I.Comm Corporation.
The project involved replacing nearly all of the Speedway’s existing loudspeakers, except for a small handful. I.Comm’s Joe Osypczuk explains:
“We had installed eight of the Community R2-474 loudspeakers at MIS back in 2000,” he says, “and when we went in this year to begin this project, those R2s were still in great shape, despite having been out there 365 days a year through ten Michigan winters. Those were the only speakers that stayed.”
The grandstand seating is covered by 77 Community R2-94Z loudspeakers and 59 R.5 loudspeakers in 90x40 and 90x90 degree coverage patterns. Turns three and four received another 40 R.5HPT systems, while the fan walk areas were provided 10 R2-94Z loudspeakers.
Out at the entrance gates, 16 R.25-94TZ loudspeakers welcome the fans. The grandstand system is powered by more than 195,000 watts of Crown amplification, with BSS London DSP handling the system processing.
As Osypczuk explains, the challenges of a severely compressed schedule were further exacerbated by a less-than-cooperative Mother Nature. “The contract was finalized in January, and we had until the end of May to complete the job.”
“We had to install all of the new grandstand loudspeakers along with 91,000 feet of new cable and the associated conduit that was required, all during a severe winter and one of the wettest springs on record. Fortunately, after several weeks of delay, the weather cooperated for long enough for us to get it done.”
In addition to the new grandstand loudspeakers, the track’s Infield Perimeter has been upgraded with a total of 57 Community R.5HPT weather-resistant loudspeakers, each mounted atop 20-foot steel poles and utilizing 14,000 feet of new direct burial cable.
“Years ago, most racetracks mounted the loudspeakers on the wheel fence,” says Osypczuk “But there’s been a growing trend toward moving them away from the fence, both for safety considerations and to improve sightlines.”
“We’ve used the R-Series loudspeakers on other projects, and we’ve always been happy with their performance,” Osypczuk concludes. “They’re powerful and provide great coverage and intelligibility, and they’re also very musical.”
“But the other reason we keep going back to Community is their dependable consistency - we always know they’re going to work, right out of the box.”
Have you ever mixed a song and really struggled to make the vocals cut through?
The typical tricks involve equilizing out some lows or boost some highs, but that doesn’t always work. Plus, sometimes all that EQ leave the original vocal feeloing flat and lifeless.
Another option is to really squeze the track with compression, but even still sometime that doesn’t have the desired effect, and even worse, there are times when the compression necessary to make the vocals heard just sounds aweful
Once these tricks have been exhausted, is there anything left?
Absolutely!
Not long ago I was working on a project for a client and had this very problem. What worked for me? A little bit of distortion.
Now, I’m not talking about distorted vocals. Rather, I’m talking about using distortion to help the vocals cut through.
Check out the video below for a full explanation, and then let me know your thoughts in the comments!
Joe Gilder is a Nashville based engineer, musician, and producer who also provides training and advice at the Home Studio Corner.
History Files: The Crown DC300 Amplifier Leads The Solid-State Revolution
A marvel of power density that revolutionized pro audio in 1967...
Not so long ago – the mid 1960s to be more specific – the most reliable large (for that era) power amplifiers were vacuum tube designs, with a unit providing 50 watts per channel being considered “hefty” and one offering 100 watts per channel downright “industrial.”
Solid-state amplifiers were long on promise of being solid, but short on substance. Bad enough that solid-state was unreliable, but it didn’t even put on a good show when it catastrophically failed! A tube could at least put on a good “Roman Candle” display as it’s grids and plates arced explosively. (In high school, I worked on tube amps with multi-loop, high-feedback designs that, on occasion, put on dynamic fireworks shows.)
Things changed in 1967, when Crown produced the DC300, the first reliable, solid-state, high-power amplifier. Rated conservatively at 150 watts per channel, it also offered low distortion and noise.
Two generations of “large” Crown amplifiers preceded the DC300, and were made only in prototype quantities. The first generation (1964) was known as the SA-60-60 and produced an unreliable 60 watts per channel at 8 ohms.
As an undergraduate at Michigan State University at the time, I had developed this design during summer break, a time when the nature of transistor failure mechanisms (and solutions) weren’t known.
My return to Crown the next summer saw further work on an amplifier that was reliable, but when taken to a hi-fi show in New York (1966) was criticized as being too “small” in relation to other 75 watts-per-channel models appearing at the time. (This unit was called the D150, not to be confused with the later model of the same name.)
Front panel view of the DC300. (Click to enlarge)
In the spring of 1966, with a Master’s degree in hand, I went to work on the size problem. The electronic protection methods to be used (VI limiters) were now adequate, and with a newly forming knowledge base on semiconductor failure mechanisms, it was possible to deploy paralleled single-diffused power transistors in a circuit (Class-AB+B) that had ample speed and previously unattained reliability.
Large amounts of feedback allowed the DC300 to set new standards for fidelity at the same time it was making solid-state more than hype. Subsequently, U.S. patent number 3,493,879 was issued for the design.
The naming of the DC300 derived from it being Direct Coupled for Direct Current (DC) operation and having 300 total watts of stereo 8-ohm power. Also at the time, the DC3 was a popular airplane, and it just made sense that this amplifier should be called the DC300 if one were flying higher.
Back view of the DC300. (Click to enlarge)
Overall, the DC300 could produce 500 watts, was just 7 inches tall and weighed 45 pounds. This is very interesting when compared to a 500-watt tube amp of the time, which would weigh at least 200 pounds and perhaps be 35 inches tall - the gains were conspicuous. (Today, a Crown I-Tech I-T8000 produces 8,000 watts, is 3.5 inches high and weighs 28 pounds. That’s really flying higher!)
By 1968, the product was shipping in quantity and finding new markets for DC coupled power. Some of the early adopters were makers of jet engines (fatigue testing) and makers of sonar transducers for the military. With all other models either smaller or unreliable, we had the market pretty much to ourselves for a time.
Gerald Stanley, then and now. (Click to enlarge)
This is an exciting time to be an amplifier designer, as we’re making a paradigm change today that is every bit as profound as the change from vacuum tubes to solid-state. The DC300’s generation of solid-state was a dissipative design approach, where the output signal was controlled by modulating the dissipation in the semiconductors.
In the new generation, the control approach is to use switching statistics. High-speed switches now enable much higher efficiencies and more compact designs than were ever possible for the DC300, which was a marvel of power-density in its day.
Yamaha & NEXO Power Chicago’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon
The system provided by Gand Concert Sound including PM5D's and GEO arrays made the event possible.
Chicago’s recent Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon played host thousands of participants and spectators at a post-Marathon concert produced by Entertainment Solutions of Scottsdale Arizona.
Entertainment Solutions called upon Gand Concert Sound (GCS) aka ‘the NEXO guys’ to provide the sound system and back line for the concert featuring opening act Hello Dave and headliner Five for Fighting.
“Entertainment Solutions was well organized and great to work with,” said Tim Swan, vice president of Gand Concert Sound.
The sound system included a Yamaha PM5D-RH at front of house and monitors at the request of the headliner, 12 per side NEXO GEO T line array with six per side CD18s, NEXO Alpha speakers for out fills, and PS15s for front fills and monitors.
“We did the sound check the night before the concert with Five for Fighting and it turned into a mini concert,” said FOH engineer Adam Rosenthal.
“Day of show, we had to be there at 5:30 am to get in prior to the streets being closed for the Marathon. The NEXO rig is easy to drop over night, and goes back up very quick.”
“It’s been a record summer for rain in Chicago, and the NEXO rain covers make it possible for GCS to operate during any rain or drizzle while setting up for a show.”
GCS recently added two more PM5Ds to their console inventory to handle this record-setting summer. “We had been thinking about it since spring and decided to purchase additional 5Ds in time for the crush season,” said Gary Gand, President of Gand Concert Sound.
“We purchased a PM5D to go with our digital snake set up, a PM5D-RH and a DSP5D Expander (PM5D-EX System) to handle our big orchestra shows and religious fests where 100-plus mics can be the norm.”
“The DSP5D Expander provides an additional 48 inputs in a 10-space rack turning a PM5D-RH into a 96 channel console, all on one control service.”
Brothers Kevin and Ken Kozial at Entertainment Solutions said that Gand Concert Sound ‘provided a seamless production for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon.’
Stopping Hums, Buzzes And Shocks On Stage — Part 1: Volts
The first in a multi-part series on based upon our ProSoundWeb electrical safety survey.
If you’ve read the survey that’s been running here on ProSoundWeb (Haven’t taken it? Please do!), you’ll discover that 71% of the musicians and sound technicians surveyed have been shocked by their mics, instruments and sound systems.
What follows is the first in a 12-part series about basic electricity for performers and technicians and how to safely stop hums, buzzes and shocks from your amps and equipment.
This series of articles is provided as a helpful educational assist with sound system setup and musical performance, and is not intended to have you circumvent an electrician or qualified audio technician.
The author and the HOW-TO Sound Workshops will not be held liable or responsible for any injury resulting from reader error or misuse of the information contained in these articles.
If you feel you have a dangerous electrical condition in your PA system or instruments, make sure to contact a qualified, licensed electrician or audio installer.
Amp Safety
Guitar amps and mixing boards as wired from the factory are inherently safe, but they can become silent-but-deadly killers if plugged into an extension cord or wall outlet that’s improperly grounded.
This is because guitars are held in your moist hands while your wet lips are touching another electrical circuit, the microphone. It’s up to you, the musician or sound tech, to make sure your guitar or microphone is never electrified due to poor maintenance, bad connections or a broken-off ground plug.
Click to enlarge.
This so-called Hot-Chassis problem is what causes a tingle or shock when you touch the mic with one hand or your lips while holding a guitar with your other hand.
Just the Basics
Most musicians really don’t want to learn about electrical engineering, or even how basic electricity works.
Everyone, however, should learn how to test for and avoid electric shocks on stage.
With that in mind, there are some novel ways to think about and teach basic electricity to the musician and technician.
Click to enlarge.
This series promises little or no math, no fancy schematic reading and certainly no memorization of formulas.
It’s my privilege to teach you basic electrical safety as long as you do one thing for us — let us know if the information is making sense and is helpful to you.
So after reading this post, give us some feedback — good or bad.
The failure of the student to learn is the failure of the teacher to teach, and I take my teaching job seriously. So, comments are encouraged.
Why Do We Get Shocked? (What is This Volts Thing?)
What’s so hard to understand about electrical shocks in general is that they don’t seem to happen for any obvious reason.
For instance, you can watch a pigeon on a power line that’s not being shocked, yet sometimes just holding a guitar while standing on wet ground can bring you to your knees. Just why is that?
Well, the first thing to understand about electricity is the concept of Voltage. Think of Voltage as electrical pressure, just like the pressure in a tank of water.
Now in a tank of water we measure pressure in something called PSI (pounds per square inch), which will, of course, increase if we get a deeper tank.
This pressure is caused by the pull of gravity from the Earth and if you hook up a hose to the tank, the water will flow toward the ground.
So while 10 PSI of water pressure from a short tank might give you a trickle of water when hooked up to a hose, 100 PSI of water pressure from a really tall tank gives you a stream that will spray much farther.
Click to enlarge.
Water — and electricity — tries to flow to the side of least pressure.
You can imagine that if a pipe is connected between two tanks with exactly the same water level and pressure (say, 100 PSI) there will be no flow of water through the hose. It just sits there and does nothing because the system is equalized.
However, if you connect one tank with 100 PSI of water pressure to another tank with 10 PSI of water pressure, water will flow from the high tank to the low tank. We measure this water flow in gallons per minute.
Under Pressure
The same thing happens with electricity. You’ve often heard of “completing an electrical circuit,” but think of it as pipes between different electrical pressures.
Getting back to the pigeon on the power line, if both of the bird’s feet are on the same wire, they’re at exactly the same electrical pressure.
Because they’re at the same pressure, there’s no electrical current flowing through the bird.
Click to enlarge.
If, however, the pigeon is unlucky enough to touch one foot on a power line and a wing to the grounded metal power pole, then his foot will be at 1,000 volts (think PSI of water pressure) and his wing at 0 volts (think an empty tank with zero pressure).
This will cause a lot of current to flow through the bird, which we’ll measure in Amperes. And indeed 1,000 Volts across a pigeon can cause a bird explosion.
Hot Chassis Shocks
Now, consider your guitar. Sometimes you may feel a shock when you touch one hand on the guitar with the other hand on the mic.
What’s happening is that there could be an electrical voltage (think pressure) on the strings of your guitar, which is waiting for some different electrical voltage level to head towards.
If your entire body is at the same voltage, then like the pigeon every part of you is at exactly the same voltage. And like the pigeon, there’s no current flow and you feel no shock.
However, if your one hand is on the mic at essentially zero volts and your other hand is on your guitar at 120 volts due to a wiring problem, you become the pipe and the different electrical pressure (Volts) will push current (Amps) through your hand, arm and chest cavity, then out through your other hand.
If your hands are dry, there might be so little current flow that you might not even feel it.
Click to enlarge.
But put a damp hand on your guitar strings and wet lips on the mic and you’ve made a good connection from the power plug of your guitar amp to the ground of the PA system.
In the case with an ungrounded guitar amp, a lot of current will flow through your body, which you’ll quickly recognize as a shock and potentially an electrocution.
Heart to Heart
The dangerous part of shocks is when this electrical current flow goes through your chest cavity since right in the middle of you is your heart, and hearts don’t like to be shocked.
That’s because your heartbeat is controlled by electricity which comes from your own internal pacemaker.
And just like a clock radio can be scrambled by a nearby lightning strike, even a small amount of electricity passing through your heart can cause it to start skipping beats and cause a heart attack. Just how little? I’m glad you asked.
I’m sure by now you’ve seen the 20-Amp marking on a circuit breaker. That means it can supply 20 Amps (Amperes) of current flow when asked to do so. Again, you can think of it as gallons per minute of flow, and Amps are indeed a count of electrons per second flowing through a wire (think pipe).
Much more on that later, but it takes less than 5 milliamps of current to cause your heart to go into fibrillation mode.
Click to enlarge.
That’s just 5/1000 of an Amp or 0.005 Amps of alternating current to cause what’s essentially a heart attack. It takes just 30 Volts of Alternating Current (AC) to stop your heart if your hands are wet.
On the strange-but-true side of the coin, while 60 Hz Alternating Current (AC is what comes out of your wall outlet) can cause your heart to go into fibrillation and stop pumping blood, the emergency rescue crew will use Direct Current (DC) of several hundred Volts to reboot your heart and get it beating regularly again.
That’s what they’re dumping through the paddles placed on your chest — Direct Current from big capacitors like you see charging on the TV dramas before they yell “Clear!”
Play It Safe
The first rule of staying safe from electrocution is to keep your heart out of the current flow. You can see that getting shocked from hand to hand or hand to lips or feet is about as bad as it can get.
That means if you’re plugging in your guitar amp with one hand, the last thing you want to do is hold onto the metal rail around the stage with your opposite hand or be kneeling on the wet ground.
If you have two points of contact and something goes wrong (like you touch a bare wire), the current will flow to your opposite hand or feet, passing through your heart in the process.
So always use just one hand when plugging or unplugging your power cords for your amps. Not doing so is to invite death by electrocution, and, really, who wants that?
Keep Grounded
Take a look at a typical 120-volt grounded wall outlet on the left. The top half of the illustration shows the sideways slot of a 20-amp outlet, while the bottom half shows a more common 15-amp outlet.
In both versions you’ll see a Hot connection (the short blade), a Neutral connection (the tall blade), and a U-shaped Ground connection (called the safety ground).
Click to enlarge.
Those ground blades are on the power outlets and plugs for good reason. If something goes wrong internally with your amp (say a wire shorts to the chassis or a power transformer gets leaky), that ground blade is supposed to divert the voltage from the strings of your guitar through the ground in your power panel which will then trip the circuit breaker.
If the circuit breaker doesn’t trip because you’ve eliminated the safety ground by breaking off the ground blade of your power cord, then you may have an electrically hot guitar or microphone in your hands.
And you may not realize it’s electrically hot until you touch something else that’s grounded with your other hand or lips, just like the bird holding onto the power line with his feet doesn’t get shocked until his wing touches the grounded metal power pole. Then it’s lights out!
So if you circumvent that safety ground by cutting off the ground blade or using an adapter plug like you see on the left in an attempt to stop hums or buzzes in your sound system , you can put your heart in the middle of the ground path and risk your life every time you plug in your amp.
Don’t do it. Always ground your amp and PA system properly.
Make your stage a No~Shock~Zone
By grounding every amp and mixer in your sound system properly you will help create a “No Shock Zone” on stage, making it a safe place to perform without fear of getting shocked or electrocuted.
So take this seriously… if you or anyone in your band is getting shocked by a guitar or mic on stage or even in your practice basement, now is the time for action.
I’ll be running this 12-part series on how to stop Hums, Buzzes, and Shocks on stage right here on ProSoundWeb, so read along and learn how to keep safe from shocks on stage while getting rid of those pesky hums and buzzes in your sound system. For more information, fee free to check out the No Shock Zone Website.
Quick Tips
Use only one hand to plug or unplug any power cables for your amps.
Don’t cut off the ground blade of your amp or mixer power plug to stop a hum in your PA.
Never stand or kneel on wet ground while touching a guitar, keyboard or microphone.
If you feel a shock on stage, avoid further contact until you can determine the source of the problem.
Part II of this series will cover current (amperage) and the basic concepts of why ground loops happen in sound systems. Plus I’ll show you why the ground lift switch on a DI box is so handy. Stay tuned and stay safe!
Clearwing Productions Selects Martin Audio Monitors For Current Sammy Hagar & The Wabos Tour
"They have exceptionally balanced sound and produce very little distortion." - Jim Jorgensen, monitor engineer
Sammy Hagar and the Wabos are touring the U.S. from early August through September, and Clearwing Productions of Phoenix have chosen Martin Audio LE2100 monitors for The Red Rocker’s high-powered vocals.
Hagar has not only had a long and storied solo career, but started as lead singer of Montrose, spent time with Van Halen (which led to several #1 albums and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) and his most recent supergroup, Chickenfoot, which also features guitarist Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony, and drummer Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is currently recording their second album.
With industry veteran Jim Jorgensen as monitor engineer, the current system also includes a Yamaha PM5D digital console along with XTA processing and Lab Gruppen amplifiers.
“In this application the LE2100s are superior to any other product on the market today,” Jorgensen stated. “They have exceptionally balanced sound and produce very little distortion, even at rock and roll volumes on large stages. I like having the vocal band on paper.”
Q: I’ve been working in a studio for many years now as an assistant, and I just recently started helping another assistant with cable and equipment repair.
My soldering technique, while not the best, is coming along nicely given that I only started a few weeks ago.
I noticed when I first started with the new soldering iron that was at the studio that it seemed to get really dirty and never really cleaned up.
Now, I realize this is a fairly dirty task, so I’m not looking to keep the iron immaculate.
However, is there any specific way I should be caring for the iron?
A: Glad to hear you like getting your hands dirty repairing your gear!
To prolong the life of your soldering iron always leave a ball of solder on the tip when not in use, then wipe it off with a wet sponge, or cloth before using.
This will help keep the plating from burning off the tip, making the job much easier.
It will also prolong the life of your soldering tip, saving you a little bit of ever-valuable cash.
As always, we welcome input from the PSW community and would love to know how you care for your soldering equipment. Feel free to let us know in the comments below.
Courses are available in a wide variety of subjects, including multiple Pro Tools certificate levels.
Berkleemusic, the online extension school of Berklee College of Music and the world’s premier institution for the study of contemporary music for over sixty-five years, is pleased to announce the start of the fast approaching fall term!
The fall tern begins on September 27, 2010, and enrollment now locks students into the current rates on all courses and certificate programs, which are set to increase on September 1st.
Students can also save an additional 10% by paying for a certificate in full, making the cost of an audio education even more within their grasp.
To learn music online with Berklee’s renowned faculty from anywhere in the world, explore the extensive course offerings, and find out how learning music online works in a free sample course.
For further details, feel free to watch the promotional video below, or visit the Berkleemusic Website.
APB-DynaSonics ProRack Chosen By The Canadian Tenors
The ProRack Monitor helps the tenors to be self-contained no matter where they perform.
After recent appearances on Oprah Winfrey show and Dr. Phil, the worldwide demand for performances by the Canadian Tenors has exploded.
The Tenors sing in different languages and styles from classical to pop, proof of which was their rendition of the national anthem at the NBA All Star game in Dallas, for 108 000 fans at Cowboys stadium.
The group recently evaluated numerous consoles for their In Ear Monitor system and chose an APB ProRack Monitor desk over all others so they could be self-contained no matter where they perform in the world
Anthony Pitcher, a noted engineer who’s been the group’s Tour Manager over the last year, said “The good side of assembling the group’s monitor system is that they are pure artists a far as singers go and it’s all just about the sound quality.”
“Before we bought our own system, after first using the APB on a show, we used some other brands on other shows and each soundcheck it took less that a minute for all four of them to comment on wanting the APB again.”
“APB stuff is bullet-proof because the guys who designed and built it know about con-soles and how to do it right.”
“When your career depends on reliability it’s nice to see the manufacturer understands what you need to get the job done.”
Middle Atlantic Introduces VisionFrame Monitor Wall System
Available in both freestanding and desk mount configurations to provide heavy-duty structural support for monitors in a wide range of sizes.
Middle Atlantic has introduced the new VisionFrame Video Monitor Wall System which provides heavy-duty structural support for monitors.
The system saves integrators valuable installation time with a simple effective design, and can be quickly and easily specified with the company’s Middle Atlantic Designer 3D Layout software.
VisionFrame Systems can be designed with monitor height over 13 feet from the floor and with unlimited length, providing unmatched versatility.
Available in both freestanding and desk mount configurations, VisionFrame systems are well suited for a variety of applications including digital signage for information sharing, advertising and visual communications.
It also helps optimize viewing of larger and multiple screens simultaneously in security and other monitoring environments.
Middle Atlantic has designed every aspect of VisionFrame including its own custom extrusions and hardware.
“We weren’t satisfied with the durability and functionality of extrusions currently on the market,” said Middle Atlantic Application Engineer Dean Wheelan.
“We put a lot of thought into the role those pieces play in the system and designed our own custom extrusions to provide the strength that VisionFrame needs and to make installation much easier.”
Making VisionFrame easier to specify is Middle Atlantic’s Designer 3D Layout Software, which is available as a free download at Middle Atlantic’s website.
The software allows users to quickly and easily create a VisionFrame Video Monitor Wall, ViewPoint console or desk layout with exceptional flexibility and high-quality graphics that provide a realistic depiction of the environment being designed.
Propellerhead’s Record 1.5 and Reason 5 Software Now Available
Massive updates include new instruments, a new sequencer mode, pitch correction and voice synthesis, live sampling, signature patches and much more.
Propellerhead Software has released for sale worldwide the largest overhaul to its Record - Reason application family to date.
The upgrades to Reason 5 and Record 1.5 introduce new instruments, effects, sequencing, sounds, patches and more for composing, beatmaking, loop-mangling, vocal treatment, songwriting, remixing and music production.
The new Kong Drum Designer and Dr. Octo Rex loop player extend Reason’s instrument library to help musicians get phenomenal sounding rhythms, drums tracks and beats.
Reason 5 and Record 1.5 add a whole new take on sequencing: Blocks—build songs parts like patterns and string them together for lightening fast arranging with the ability to freely go back and forth between pattern and linear modes.
Neptune, a pitch correction tool and amazing voice synthesizer, turns less than perfect performances into great ones in no time.
The Expanded Factory Sound Bank, doubling in size, plus added signature sound designers’ patches, inspire new arrangements and compositions. Multi core optimization, an on-screen keyboard and tempo scaling of clips top the list of additional improvements.
The upgrades further solidify the Record Reason Duo as the mainstay tool for musical creation.
“I don’t put too many demands on (studio) engineers… except for them to have Reason on their system,” says Printz Board, Musical Director of the Black Eyed Peas. “That is one of the only demands.”
Line 6 Introduces XD-V Series Digital Wireless Microphone Systems
Reliable operation with proprietary DCL (Digital Channel Lock) and PDP( Proprietary Data Placement) technologies that defend against audible audio interference
Line 6 has introduced the new line of XD-V Series digital wireless microphone systems, including two handheld microphone systems and two beltpack systems that include lavalier microphones.
The XD-V70 handheld microphone suits every vocal application with seven selectable sounds and timbres based on the world’s most popular live sound mics. The XD-V30 handheld mic has a single microphone model based on a leading live sound mic.
The handheld mics also offer cardioid polar patterns, removable microphone capsules for polar pattern and frequency response customization, and convenient internally mounted antennas.
The two beltpack systems, XD-V30L and XD-V70L, include internal antennas, convenient quarter-inch inputs, and condenser lavalier microphones.
XD-V digital wireless systems provide reliable operation with proprietary DCL (Digital Channel Lock) and PDP( Proprietary Data Placement) technologies that defend against audible audio interference.
These new digital wireless systems broadcast in the 2.4GHz band, which successfully avoids interference from high-powered sources. The 2.4GHz band also allows for license-free use worldwide.
Delivering superior sound quality, XD-V digital wireless systems are free of companders that degrade audio by compressing and expanding the wireless signal.
Each system’s audio specs (including 10 Hz - 20 kHz frequency response, up to >120 dB dynamic range, and 24-bit conversion) are closer to those of a cabled microphone than those of a traditional analog wireless system.
XD-V digital wireless microphone systems are available now.
Pricing:
XD-V30 digital wireless microphone system - $489.99 MSRP
XD-V30L digital wireless beltpack system with lavalier microphone - $489.99 MSRP
XD-V70 digital wireless microphone system - $699.99 MSRP
XD-V70L digital wireless beltpack system with lavalier microphone - $699.99 MSRP
“Whether you’re a seasoned pro who demands impeccable performance around the world or a budget-minded performer looking for a problem-free wireless system, only XD-V digital wireless systems have the premium features you need,” remarked Don Boomer, Microphone Product Line Manager at Line 6. “Fourth-generation Line 6 digital wireless technology ensures rock-solid performance, simple operation and crystal-clear audio – license free.”
The first video in a multi-part series from our resident church blogger on some of the basics of church audio.
From our resident church audio blogger Gary Zandstra comes a multi-part video series on the basics of church audio, which is equally useful to novices in any field.
For more helpful hints from Gary, make sure to check out his Church Sound Blog.
Gary Zandstra is a professional AV systems integrator with Parkway Electric and has been involved with sound at his church for more than 25 years.
Over 56 Lectrosonics Wireless Microphones Used To Shoot Budwiser Reality Web Series
Throughout the course of 32 days, the ease of use, frequency coordination agility, and rugged build quality proved essential to the show’s production.
Budweiser recently assembled an original web series, Bud House, which coincided with the recent FIFA World Cup soccer games.
Featuring 32 fans from 32 countries—all living in the ‘Bud House’ in South Africa—the show’s participants ate, slept, played and lived soccer together.
The winning ‘fanatic’ travelled to the World Cup Final in Johannesburg and presented the Man of the Match trophy to the final team’s MVP at the conclusion of the game.
In this series, quality audio was critical, and was highly dependent upon the skills of Steve Bedaux and his arsenal of Lectrosonics wireless equipment.
Freelance Production Sound Mixer/Supervisor Steve Bedaux, C.A.S., who also serves as President of CineLUX Sound Services Inc. and its sister crewing company, Sound Department LLC, was contracted to handle location sound with VidCam for the Ridley Scott and Associates Films / Rocket Films (South Africa) production.
Armed with a large arsenal of Lectrosonics equipment, Bedaux and his crew, which consisted of recordist Steven Corbiere, field mixers Marc Gouldy (Lead Mixer), Joe Beachy, Steven “Goat” Hitselberger, Jeff Hodd, Sean O’Malley, and Jen Raudman, along with A2’s Bryan Diaz (Lead A2), Jules Joseph, Jabu Msomi, encountered numerous production challenges.
Bedaux’s Lectrosonics equipment arsenal included almost seventy UM400a Digital Hybrid Wireless beltpack transmitters (used on the fanatics, bartenders, guests, and in six portable sound rigs for stereo camera hops), plus UH400 plug-on transmitters for wireless booms and music/PA feeds. Lectrosonics SMQV Super Miniature Dual Battery, MM400c miniature water resistant, and UT handheld transmitters were also at Bedaux’s disposal.
On the receiving side, eight UCR 411a compact receivers were used in each of the crew’s audio field bags. Another two UCR 411a’s were used on each of their six main cameras, with another three UCR 411a’s assigned to the story producer cameras.
In all, there were over 75 UCR 411a’s covering seven different blocks. Completing the picture, Lectrosonics Venue receiver systems stocked with VRT modules and UDR200C diversity receivers were deployed in the Control Room.
“In all,” said Bedaux, “we used over 56 coordinated wireless transmitter frequencies daily. Since this was a non-elimination reality show, all of the wireless needed to work 24/7 for 32 consecutive days of production. RF coordination was tight, but with Lectrosonics’ wireless and special coordination software, I knew it could be done.”
“Due to time and budget constraints,” Bedaux continued, “I was unable to personally perform a standard pre-production RF site survey at any of the excursion locations or at our secret Bud House resort location.”
“Fortunately, Lectrosonics introduced me to Jeff Hodd at Stratosphere in Cape Town. Jeff is a sound mixer and also serves as Lectrosonics’ representative for all of South Africa. He saved the day!”
“Through many detailed emails, Jeff and I were able to communicate my audio requirements for the project. Jeff took time out of his schedule to perform our crucial RF surveys and he also conducted cable run measurements at the Bud House location.”
In addition to the relative ease of coordinating all those RF signals, Bedaux is equally enthusiastic about several other aspects of the Lectrosonics equipment. “One of the many attributes of Lectrosonics’ equipment— especially in the field of reality TV—is that it is bullet proof, extremely reliable, and the sound quality is unbeatable.”
“The equipment’s range is amazing, especially with the new SMQV in ¼ watt mode. If a transmitter can handle an extreme reality TV cast such as the Bud House fanatics, it can handle any reality show.”
“Within just three weeks of being hired by RSA Films, in partnership with VidCam, I was able to design, coordinate, build, test, and ship four tons of audio equipment to South Africa.”
“I could not have done this project without all of the additional technical support of the VidCam Team—Clay Harris and Mark Gouldy (Bud House Lead Field Mixer)—and the amazing organizational skills from my lead A2 and mixer Bryan Diaz. Being a long time owner/operator of Lectrosonics wireless products, I have come to trust and rely upon this equipment.”
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