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Thursday, September 02, 2010

One-Stop Shopping: Captain, What Does It Mean, This Term “Full Production”?

The sound company’s job is to advance the show with the artist and show up with a rig. Not so when the full production falls into your lap.

Sound companies handle “one-off” shows every day. It’s usually formulaic, and after a while, we do it by rote. 

But what happens when the client wants one-stop shopping? This is also known as “full production” or “turn key service,” and it’s quite a bit more involved than an average show. Generally months of planning and coordination are needed, as well as work with a number of subcontractors. It just can’t be done by the seat of the pants.

Normally, when a sound company is hired for a show, the client is a promoter or a venue. They provide the stage, they provide the power, and they provide the labor. The sound company’s job is to advance the show with the artist and show up with a rig. Not so when the full production falls into your lap.

Particularly for large, multi-stage festivals, hiring a single source to handle all the entertainment elements of the event is almost a necessity. The event director has too many other things to handle to have to worry about the details of his entertainment. 

Steve Rosenauer, director of the St. Mary’s University Alumni Association Fiesta Oyster Bake in San Antonio, Texas, once told me his definition of full production: “As a client, full production means working with a knowledgeable and experienced company that can produce a turn-key operation with regard to organizing, building and operating the necessary staging, sound, lights and equipment needs, with all meeting the negotiated specifications of the event as well as the bands. A company that does this can greatly enhance the quality of the event and provide a solid peace of mind to the entertainers and the event organizers.”

For the purposes of describing the process of a full production event, I will use the Fiesta Oyster Bake as my example. It’s a two-day, six-stage festival which kicks off San Antonio’s annual Fiesta Celebration every April. Fiesta has been ranked as the second largest party in the U.S. (Mardi Gras being first) by the National Meeting Planners Association. (And yes, they bake tons of oysters!) For years, our company, Sound Services, worked with this event. (Note that we recently chose to close the company for reasons completely unrelated to business.)

PREP MAKES PERFECT
In order to be ready by mid-April, we would start working in November. To be fair, we had been doing this event for nearly a decade, and had amassed a team of subcontractors with whom we were all very comfortable. Until a company gets to this point, preparations probably need to commence even sooner.

In November, we would begin talking about what our needs were going to be. Because city electrical inspectors were involved, we checked the City Code Compliance for any new electrical requirements. For example, one year (and for the first time), we were required to ground all of stages to the audio power distribution services, as well provide non-conductive covering of all power cables running in public areas. Not fun to discover things like this at the last minute!

We provided staging, sound, lights, backline, labor and all technical personnel for the festival. Because the client uses many more generators than just ours, they made those arrangements, but they used our generator provider so we were assured that power would not be a problem. The generator provider also stayed in contact on any change orders he received that might affect us.

Also by November, the client usually had more than half of the talent booked, so we got a vague idea of what to expect from headliners’ riders. By December, we started talking with our subcontractors, discussing what had changed from the previous year, giving them the firm dates, and requesting a firm price by January. 

After ringing in the new year, and still four months out, it was time to nail down the financials. Be very meticulous with this process!  Everything must be committed to paper, and math triple-checked in order to avoid any mistakes that could cost an entire profit margin.

It’s doubly vital to get this facet correct in the first year with an event, because the client will base future projections on those first year costs. Therefore, a mistake probably can’t be made up for next year.

Only after every cost is defined and listed, as well as those of the subcontractors, should the price be committed to the contract submitted to the client. Note: the one thing we found most often overlooked is the cost of a production manager. The hours and hours you spend working on this shouldn’t be done for free!

WORKING IN EARNEST
We would submit our contract on the first of February, with the understanding that requests on artists’ riders would probably cause an increase in total price. By this point, the client had all talent booked, so we could start working in earnest to learn just what those extra costs might be. My goal was to have all this information by the 15th of the month, still two months out.

There is a negotiation with contract riders and advancing the show that can - with some diplomacy - help reduce the number of additional line items for your client. Because most headliners’ riders are based on arena shows, for example, they will often concede some lighting instruments. 

On the other hand, you don’t want artist representatives to think your client is cheap, so know where and when to stop asking for concessions. It’s important to manage your client’s expectations in this regard as well. Most touring artists also understand that festivals differ from concerts, so if the stages are adequately stocked to begin with, most of the added line items will be for backline and spotlights.

Once we determined all of the additional artist-related expenses, we submitted a contract addendum. This addendum should include absolutely everything - a. client will begin to lose confidence if presented with more than one price addition. His budget is set in stone by this time, and your math errors and oversights are not his fault.

MINIMUM OF 40
Because Sound Services was responsible for the entire Oyster Bake Festival, not just the two stages we were physically covering, it was imperative that we advance the show with every artist. In this case, we’re talking a minimum of 40 bands, which made for a lot of work. But it accomplished several very important things. 

First, we got a thorough look at the requirements of every stage, and were assured that each subcontractor could adequately cover the entertainment line-up. If there was a particularly tough set change on a stage at a particular time, we could arrange to have extra help on hand at that time. 

Second, it gave each artist a feeling of confidence to know that individuals who care about their performances run the festival. Third, we established consistency in the way the artists were handled. The subcontracting sound companies all appreciated this.

And fourth, we could apprise artists of the “special quirks” of this festival. For example, it’s held on a university campus that is, itself, located in a neighborhood, not on a major thoroughfare. Getting to the venue is difficult when 80,000 other people are also trying to do the same, and there is no alternate route.

Sometimes when we told first-time performers to allow three hours to arrive, some balked, but we remained adamant. The ones who didn’t believe us were invariably late, which is a no-win for everyone. (By the way, returning artists were never late!)

Further, artists can’t drive to any stages except the main one, because they’re all positioned among campus buildings. For this reason, full backline was provided at every stage, and musicians were discouraged from bringing more gear than they absolutely had to have. To accommodate this, the university set up a team of volunteers to ferry musicians and their gear to the stages. It took several years to streamline this process.

Once all the advance work was complete, we created stage plots and input lists for every stage, and for both days. These were then dispatched to the sound companies working the festival with us.

GETTING CLOSER
A pre-production meeting with the festival committee and all stage managers was held six weeks to two months out. Each committee reported on their progress and, although we weren’t involved in things like pizza ovens and beer sales, it helped us to know what was going to be happening around us. 

Entertainment production is an important part of this meeting, and we made it a real bonding experience. Construction of “Stage 1,” for example, meant an entire campus parking lot has to be closed two days prior to the event, and thus it was critical that the timing be executed properly by the university security department. 

We also got to meet the stage managers and orient them as to what was expected of them. These folks are critical for smooth-running shows, and we let them know that. While their duties are light, the few things we needed from them are all important to the show.

Other things covered in this all-important meeting were issues of water, green rooms, use of volunteers (there are hundreds!) and getting musicians to the event and their respective stages. Over the years, and learning from our mistakes, we developed methods to efficiently accomplish these tasks, but until you’ve worked with an event for a long time, these issues are extremely important to thoroughly think through. For example, from experience we all learned that as much water as we thought we needed - double it!

At this time, we also walked the campus with the festival director, making note of things like trees that needed trimming or light poles tp temporarily remove. (Grounds and electrical departments need to be notified in advance to schedule work like this!)

WHO’S DOING WHAT
By one month out, we had a firm grip on exactly who was doing what. For example, if there was a sound company short a monitor engineer, this was the time to step in and lend a hand. Each subcontractor provided us with a list of personnel and how many vehicles (and of what type) they would be bringing on site. One aspect to double-check: be sure each contractor is providing enough people. For example, backline duties done properly for six stages requires more than two techs.

At this point, we would tally up all production people (including stagehands and spotlight operators) and provide the festival director with the number of parking passes and wristbands needed. Remember - on a multi-day festival, each person might need a fresh wristband each day. We also padded this number by a few more to replace ones that were inevitably lost.

Very key: the best technical person on staff must be in charge of production management. Even with the best preparations, all kinds of little things can go wrong, especially at multiple stages. One person not involved in production at any one stage has to be free to fight the fires, and this person should be well versed in technical knowledge as well as diplomacy. 

Our production manager for the festival spent each day traveling between stages, providing a break to a beleaguered engineer here, dealing with a power problem there, handling a recalcitrant band engineer somewhere else.  He also carried a radio for instantaneous contact. And, this person must have healthy legs – in a very crowded festival, a golf cart won’t work!

Three weeks out, we assembled packets for all of the subcontractors involved.  These included parking passes and wristbands, a map of the campus showing all stages and parking areas, a complete schedule of the event, and for the sound providers, stage plots and input lists. Load-in times were also provided.

Scheduling personnel is critical at this point. We staggered the load-in times so that we could make the best use of our stagehands. Stagehands have a four-hour minimum, and each is usually scheduled to work at more than one stage during a shift.  For load-out, we scheduled a much larger number of stagehands. This schedule was then filed with the labor company as a written work order, and note that this also included spotlight operators as well.

IT’S SHOWTIME!
Two days before the festival, we began to build the stages. The provider arrived with semi-trucks loaded with staging, and we again walked the site with the festival director, spotting the stages, front-of-house risers, spot towers and security towers.

The day prior to opening, we loaded in at our two stages, which then left us free to address the mayhem of everyone else loading in the next morning. The lighting contractor also loaded in with us in order to be out of the way, and this left the lighting directors free to work with headliners who might arrive early. On-site security was continuous at this point.

Day one of the festival would arrive, and we were free to conduct headliner soundchecks on our stages. Fortunately, the first act didn’t begin until 6 pm, so the atmosphere wasn’t too stressful.

The production manager was also available to address the various surprises that unfold, as they invariably will. This is where months of planning pay off and you can look really good to the client, who’s running around putting out all kinds of fires while his production people are calmly doing their jobs.

If all subcontractors are competent and well prepared, the event should run like an average one-off show. One caveat, however: it’s still a multi-day, multi-stage festival, with thousands of people swarming all over, so competent, well-informed stage managers become critical to your existence. 

They aren’t needed to get artists on and off the stage – we had already planned that out. They are most definitely needed to competently answer artist questions - “Where are our food coupons?” and “Where is our dressing room?” and the like. They also kept lots of water on ice, and plenty of ice in the ice chests.

The most important thing stage managers did, however, was manage the radios. Each stage had a radio, as did the production manager and the lead backline technician, and they were on a common channel with the event director. 

As the production staff performed its various tasks, we didn’t have time to monitor a radio, but when we had a problem or needed help, we simply asked a stage manager to contact whomever we needed. Previously we carried individual radios, but learned that this alternative approach worked so much better for everyone, plus it gave the stage managers a sense of ownership of their jobs as well. 

The best advice: “be round.” Roll with the punches and don’t get too excited by the inevitable little surprises that spring up. Make the production of entertainment as smooth as possible and don’t create tension or problems. That’s a big reason you were hired!

THE AFTERMATH
When it’s all over, the results of diligent planning and scheduling should continue to pay off. We found that handling a large number of stagehands at the end of the festival worked best if we arranged for the crew chief to assemble all of them at a pre-arranged site and make assignments from there.

Stagehands were first dispatched to the stages manned by our subcontractors, then re-routed to our stages last.  We always got this show loaded out within our four-hour labor minimum, by the way.

The production manager continued to make a circuit of the stages, being sure each stage had its allotted stagehands and collecting any left-behind belongings. We later attempted to repatriate these items with their owners.

When all the dust cleared a week or two later, we sat down and created a recap of the event, and this went into the file for next year. We also sent this recap to the festival director. Included were a summary of any issues that came up, general incidents, what worked well and what didn’t, and suggestions for improving next year’s event.

By working with the client in this fashion, we made ourselves a part of the event team, and enjoyed a multi-year contract. We also ingratiated ourselves to our subcontracting partners, who appreciated the work and reciprocated when appropriate. 

It’s just good business to develop this kind of working relationship with your clients and fellow business people, and it leaves you feeling pretty good about yourself as well.

Teri Hogan is a long-time audio professional and was co-owner of Sound Services Inc., a sound company based in Texas.

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JBL Professional CBT Column Loudspeakers Aid In Transformation Of Faith Evangelical Free Church

“We were amazed at the smooth horizontal coverage and the well-defined vertical coverage." - Heidi Samuel, Owner of Maine Pro Audio

In an audio system redesign that marks the complete transformation of a former cinema to a house of worship, the Faith Evangelical Free Church of Waterville, Maine is now equipped with a pair of JBL Professional CBT (Constant Bandwidth Technology) 70J column loudspeakers, each with three CBT 70JE extender cabinets. 

After Faith Evangelical moved into the cinema space seven years ago, it was served only by a low-quality public address system. A deeply curved wall behind the stage dampened the sound even more, making it very difficult to hear anything on or off the stage.

Invited to consult and plan the new sound design, close friend of the church and owner of Maine Pro Audio Heidi Samuel recommended the JBL CBT loudspeakers.

“The CBT product is a great fit in terms of coverage and sound quality,” explains Samuel. “We were amazed at the smooth horizontal coverage and the well-defined vertical coverage. When fully extended with the CBT 70JE, we finally have a system that provides pattern control well down in the low voice range, which we would have never accomplished with the previous installation.”

One of the biggest challenges during the installation was the inner construction of the church. Multiple fabrications were engineered to ensure the safety of the congregants as well as proper equipment fit. 

After determining the mount height of the CBT, contractors cut holes in the walls for subs and added blocking to the steel framing to further support the mounting brackets. An independent fabricator built the mounting brackets to allow for a few degrees leeway for horizontal aiming.

With limited space, the cabinets were assembled on the ground, as opposed to being constructed on the mounting bracket itself, and lifted into place. 

“The CBT speakers can save many churches looking for an improved system from overspending on a system that extends far beyond their needs, while performing on par with systems that cost much more,” continues Samuel. “The CBT’s keep going, clear out of the far wall of the lobby, 120 feet away. If the wall wasn’t there, I’m sure you could hear them well into the yard, another 50 or 60 feet away.”

Using an SPL meter, there is only a 2 dB difference between the area directly under the loudspeaker and the rear of the auditorium, 80 feet away. The ratio between the highs and lows remains consistent and the two CBT arrays cover 100 percent of the seating area with zero front fills.

JBL Professional Website
Harman Professional Website

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Maestro Sound & Lighting Deploys Adamson Y-Axis Series For Sonu Niigam Concert In Qatar

Mains, sides and fills all utilize Y-Axis modules, backed by T21 subwoofers and M15 stage monitors

Doha International Tennis Court in Qatar recently hosted a concert for an audience of more than 10,000 by acclaimed Indian Bollywood pop singer Sonu Niigam, noted for his singing performances in a number of blockbuster Hindi movies.

Maestro Sound & Lighting Company of Bahrain was the provider of sound, lighting and video backdrops for the event, with the help of tour manager Vincent Rodrigues and event manager Shafiq of Regency group.

Doha International Tennis Court was not originally designed for outdoor music events, primarily suffering from extensive reverberation issues. Maestro overcame these difficulties with the help of it’s recently acquired loudspeakers from Adamson Systems, including Y-Axis Series, T21 subwoofers, and M15 stage monitors.

Specifically, the line arrays serving the event were comprised of Y18 modules and Y10 modules. Left and right hangs flanking the main stage consisted of four Y18 with four Y10 beneath. Sides were covered by stage-located arrays of four Y18 (per side) tilted upward.

Fill was handled by an array of four Y10 per side positioned on the balcony and firing at the upper bleachers. consisting of 4 Y10 per side was installed on the balcony to cover the upper bleachers. Multiple stacks of 21-inch-loaded T21 subs were distributed in multiple stacks on the ground.

David Dohrman, Adamson Europe applications engineer, provided support for the overall system design, helping to address the numerous challenges presented by the venue. Adamson Shooter predictive software provided an assist to his efforts.

Adamson Website

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Korg Unveils microKEY USB Powered Keyboard/Controller

Portable design, 37 compact keys, dual USB hub plus extensive value-added software extras

Korg has unveiled the new microKEY USB powered keyboard and MIDI controller, offering a great way to create a compact and customized MIDI command center.

Unlike its competitors, the microKEY features a built-in two-port hub to connect other controllers, computer peripherals or Korg nanoSERIES controllers for added flexibility and control of all the users’ software. Free editing software and a number of included software bundle licenses and discount coupons make the microKEY even more cost effective.

The microKEY features 37 velocity-sensing mini keys, using the same Natural Touch keybed found on the Korg microKORG XL and microSTATION. This keybed has been designed with careful attention to the touch and feel: the proportions of the black keys and white “waterfall” keys have been adjusted for optimal playability, and the key touch makes it easy to play chords, glissandos and rapid-fire phrases. The microKEY accurately conveys the dynamics of the user’s performance to any software package.

The Octave Shift buttons extend the range of the microKEY by four octaves in either direction – up or down. The Key Transpose function allows users to play in any key instantly. Used together, these two features provide access to the entire MIDI note range. For adding expression to users’ performance, the microKEY is also equipped with both a Pitch Bend wheel and a Modulation wheel.

The microKEY serves double-duty as a USB hub. The two USB ports (Type A) allow users to expand their custom control center by adding on a Korg nanoPAD or nanoKONTROL – or any other USB device. The microKEY is compatible with Mac™ OSX 10.4 or later, along with Windows XP SP3 (32-bit), Windows Vista SP2 (32-bit, 64-bit) and Windows 7 (32-bit, 64-bit).

Users can download the free “Korg KONTROL Editor” software, available from the Korg website, and customize the microKEY for their production or performance system. With the editor software, users can set the keyboard to respond to one of eight distinct velocity curves, or set a fixed velocity value. In addition, the range of the modulation wheel can be customized by setting minimum and maximum control change values.

Weighing only 2.21 pounds, measuring (W x D x H): 22.24 x 5.47 x 2.13 inches and running on USB power, the microKEY is well suited for the on-the-go laptop musician as well.

The microKEY ships with the following software licenses and discount coupons:

1. A license to download the “M1 Le,” a limited edition of Korg’s M1 software synthesizer (included in the Korg Legacy Collection – Digital Edition) that brings to users’ computers the sounds of the ground-breaking M1 Music Workstation. Users may also choose to upgrade to the “M1 software synthesizer,” “Wavestation v1.6 software synthesizer,” or “MDE-X v1.2 multi-effect plug-in” bundles.

2. A license to download Toontrack’s software drum sound module “EZdrummer Lite,” giving users access to numerous high-quality drum sounds. Visit http://www.toontrack.com for details.

3. A discount coupon for Ableton’s “Live,” “Live Suite,” and “Live LE” DAW software, widely popular for its sophisticated functionality. For details on this software, please refer to http://www.ableton.com or http://www.h-resolution.com.

4. A license for “Lounge Lizard Session,” the physical modeling sound module from Applied Acoustics Systems, famed for its richly expressive electric piano sounds. For details on this software, please visit http://www.minet.jp/aas/lounge-lizard-session.

The Korg microKEY keyboard and MIDI controller will be available November 2010 with U.S. MSRP to be determined.

Korg Website

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Turbosound The Choice Of Charlotte Club

TCS speakers were selected to combat the clubs challenging acoustics, which included numerous curves, cement, and countless reflective surfaces.

Located in Charlotte’s Music Factory entertainment district, Butter NC is an 8,300 square-foot space with lush design concepts and a sound system that envelopes up to 400 guests with electronica, hip-hop and top 40 music.

Local design and install firm Eye Dialogue chose Turbosound TCS speakers to provide the distinctly different vibes on Butter’s two levels, each with its own DJ.

Mention the name “Butter” as a night club and most people think New York, where that nightspot revolutionized the evening out by combining a high-end restaurant with an exquisite nightclub experience on the same premises.

With his North Carolina roots and a passion for entrepreneurship, Butter co-owner Scott Sartiano decided to bring his distinctive nightclub concept back home.

“I wanted something intimate and classy, yet not overdone. It has a touch of New York, South Beach and Vegas all rolled into one,” he said.

“It’s a total visual experience; they pulled out all the stops in designing this space,” says Entertainment Technology Designer Jack Kelly of Eye Dialogue Lighting & Sound in Charlotte, who designed and installed the club’s audio systems.

“But the big thing for the owners was the sound. They wanted it to feel like the sound was all around you instead of originating from one end of the room. That presented a lot of interesting problems.”

To address this “directionless” directive within a fairly limited budget and specific limitations on the number and locations of loudspeakers, Kelly settled on a combination of Turbosound TCS Series speakers to meet the club’s goals.

“Replication of audio in a club setting isn’t like a concert or trying to reproduce a CD. People expect to hear a lot of sub,” he said. “But at the same time, it’s got to be clean and distortion-free at any volume.”

“It’s a challenge. I was looking at several different manufacturers, but when I heard a demo of these speakers, especially the subs, I really liked what I heard – big sound, tons of headroom, and super clean. And they’re really not as expensive as their reputation. They just sound that way!”

Butter is divided into two seperate areas, each with a separate DJ and sound system.

The main dance club is on the bottom floor, while the upper level houses a lounge with VIP area. Clubgoers enter on the second floor, which features curving walls and 16-foot ceilings.

“It’s a difficult space. The curves help and they softened it up with fabric treatments to make it less reverberant, but the building is an old warehouse with cement floors, so there are a lot of reflective surfaces.

Basically, we have one speaker up in each corner of the lounge, aimed down and in. The subs are on the ground, inset in the walls,” said Kelly.

The four main speakers are Turbosound TCS122s, which radiate in a 60x40-degree pattern.

The two TCS-B218 subwoofers feature dual 18-inch drivers that can reproduce frequencies down to 25 Hz at volumes up to 142 dB.

“The 122 horns delivered exactly what we needed, and those new TCS B218 boxes subs give us a really full sound, even with the tall ceiling,” Kelly enthuses.

“The sound of that sub just blows me away, and it’s really not that expensive. It’s really an awesome box.”

On the first floor, Kelly used a similar scheme for both the main dance floor and the lounge, adjusting his product choices to fit the size and shape of the spaces.

The dance floor is the loudest room in the club, requiring an immersive audio experience that remains clean and undistorted, even when the room hits 115 dB.

This is accomplished with Turbosound TCS-1561 3-way speakers with 15-inch horns above each corner of the main dance floor, radiating in a 70x40-degree pattern.

These are augmented by four floor-standing TCS-B218 subs spread evenly around the periphery to create the bass-heavy club sound the club was striving for.

The first floor lounge, a smaller space with 9-foot ceilings and a slightly more restrained vibe, employs four TCS-121C mains with a pair of TCS-218C subwoofers.

“Those are Turbosound’s Contractor Series,” explains Kelly. “The first floor lounge is a smaller space, so it didn’t require quite the kick we have on the dance floor, and these boxes were perfect for that.

With an open staircase connecting the two levels, the final key was finding a way to get Butter’s two main sound systems to play nicely together.

“Most of the time, they are playing two different styles of music. The stairwell is the key, because there’s a landing area where the bathrooms are, and that’s where the sound intersects,” said Kelly. “We had to find a way to make it the sound intelligible there without jumping through too many hoops.”

The solution was to add a single 8-inch speaker on the landing, with a wall switch to select the music from either space.

“If you reinforce the mids and highs of the music that is dominant on the landing – which varies from night to night – suddenly you’ve got clear sound,” he notes. “Theoretically, if both sources are the same volume on the landing, it wouldn’t work. But that hasn’t been an issue.”

The installation at Butter is aligned with Eye Dialogue’s emphasis on the use of new technologies and proven equipment to create solutions in both lighting and sound. “I like the scientific nature of audio design,” said Kelly.

“You’ve got a space, you’ve got a budget, and you’ve got a goal. So really, for any given situation, there’s always a best solution. At Butter, we achieved the owner’s vision of world-class audio in a visually oriented venue, and the new Turbosound TCS Series speakers were a critical part of that equation.”

Co-owner Scott Sartiano agreed. “Great sound is vital in every club, so we always use the best available,” he said.

“In this case, that meant Eye Dialogue and, in turn, Turbosound, and it has not disappointed. The sound in Butter is clean and crisp, yet powerful. You can’t help but notice the sound quality while you are there. I’d like to think it has become a welcome fixture and staple in Charlotte nightlife.”

Turbosound

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Roland Debuts OCTA-CAPTURE USB 2.0 Audio Interface

Offers eight professional-grade preamps, with each channel providing an combo-XLR input jack, phantom power, low-cut filter, phase invert, and digital compression

Roland U.S. has introduced the OCTA-CAPTURE USB 2.0 audio interface, a 10- input/10-output device for computer-based multi-channel audio production.

DOCTA-CAPTURE features eight professional-grade VS Preamps with each channel providing an combo-XLR input jack, phantom power, low-cut filter, phase invert, and digital compression. These digitally controlled microphone preamps are built with premium components, resulting in transparent audio with a superior signal-to-noise ratio.

The space-saving combo jacks also accommodate 1/4-inch connectors, with Hi-Z instrument inputs on channels 1 and 2 and balanced TRS inputs on channels 3-8. In addition, channels 7 and 8 are well suited for high input levels associated with kick drum and snare drum recording. Additional connectivity includes eight 1/4-inch TRS output jacks, coaxial S/PDIF I/O, and MIDI I/O.

The unique AUTO-SENS function makes it simple for users to set the preamps’ input levels when using multiple microphones. For example, when recording a drum set, pressing the AUTO-SENS button automatically sets the optimum input levels for all mic inputs as the musician plays the drums. Never before has it been this fast and easy to set the perfect levels for multiple inputs at once.

OCTA-CAPTURE features four software-controlled Direct Mixers, which allow users to set up independent monitor mixes and route them to headphones, loudspeakers, or other recording and mixing devices. The internal 40-bit DSP engine provides superb audio quality, and any input can be routed to multiple outputs for the ultimate in monitoring flexibility.

Roland’s VS Streaming driver offers the latest technology for powerful low-latency performance with 48-sample ASIO buffers (44.1kHz/48kHz) and unprecedented stability.

All popular DAW platforms are supported via ASIO 2.0/WDM (Windows) and Core Audio (Mac) driver versions. The VS Streaming driver is compatible with the very latest computer operating systems, including Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6.

OCTA-CAPTURE can also be used as an expansion I/O unit with Cakewalk’s V-Studio 700 and 100 systems. Thanks to VS Streaming, multiple devices (two OCTA-CAPTURE units or one OCTA-CAPTURE plus a VS-100 or VS-700) can be used without compromising stability, performance, or audio quality.

OCTA-CAPTURE can easily be used as a desktop interface, or mounted in a single rack space with the included rack ears. It comes bundled with the Cakewalk Production Plus Pack, a powerful software suite that includes SONAR 8.5 LE, Rapture LE, Studio Instruments Drums, and more.

The OCTA-CAPTURE is expected to ship in October with an MSRP of $699.

Roland Connect Website

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NOA Audio Solutions To Debut NOA Record 4 Digital Migration System At IBC2010

Record 4 integrates with other NOA workflow systems to form a unified solution for digitization and archive management.

NOA Audio Solutions will introduce NOA Record 4 at IBC2010, part of its IngestLine family of systems for fast, cost-effective, accurate migration of audio from analog to digital storage.

Developed in response to the needs of enterprises with a great deal of audio stored on long-playing magnetic tape, vinyl, or both, the NOA Record 4 extends the speed and capacity of the system by one-third — from three to four parallel stereo streams.

“Our customers asked, and we are responding,” said Jean-Christophe Kummer, NOA managing partner.

“NOA’s MediaLector and CD Lector products already meet the mass migration needs of customers with large archives stored on DAT and CD.”

“Now, we add higher throughput to the Record system to suit customers whose analog audio archive material is currently carried on cassette, vinyl, open reel tape, and 78s.”

NOA Record integrates seamlessly with both NOA mediARC and JobDatabase workflow systems to form a unified solution for digitization and archive management.

Working within the mediARC or JobDatabase environment, NOA Record 4 can increase throughput from the current 2.7 hours of sound digitized per hour to 3.6 hours of sound digitized per hour — an impressive 33 percent increase in capacity.

The NOA Record ingest system comprises NOA Record software, the N6071 Workstation, and N6000A hardware and replayer communication modules. The NOA Record features tightly integrated software-controlled A/D converters that pack an excess of 125 dB dynamic range.

With an easy-to-read user interface for multiple simultaneous sources, NOA Record displays relevant recording and playback parameters of all stations on a single screen divided into section panels, thereby affording the user an at-a-glance view of the most important functions. More features include Traces Aided Spot listening (TAS), remote control of hardware, and the world’s top Azimuth monitoring tool.

NOA will demonstrate its upgraded NOA Record system at at IBC2010 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Sept. 9-14 and NOA Record 4 will be released on Sept. 30, 2010.

NOA Audio Solutions Website

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Tech Tip Of The Day: Creating A Spacious Rhythm Guitar Sound

I tracked my rhythm guitar in mono but I think it needs to found more full. What can I do?

 
Q: I’m working on an album and I’m really having alot of trouble getting the rhytmeh guitar to sound just “right”.

What i’ve discoverd is that it needs to sound more open, with maybe a more stereo feel.

However, the problem I’m having is that when I tracked the instruments I only threw one mic on the amp.

Of course, basically everything else was recorded stereo!

So, now I’m at a loss. What can I do?

A: No doubt about it, this is one of those things that most easily could have been solved in tracking.

Back when tracks were valuable real estate (stop laughing, that time existed!), few instruments got recorded in stereo. Instead, they were recorded in mono, then panned to a position within the left-to-right sound field.

Today, nearly everyone has access to more than we ever dreamed possible, and those holds true whether you’re using a hardware or software based DAWs.

All this really just means that we have more at our disposal to create a more spacious (and more natural) stereo spread, on really most anything, as track count becomes less and less of a consideration.

Since the rhythm guitar is often the instrument around which all other tracks are built, it’s important to give it that big sound field.

Thankfully, however, there is a way to accomplish this aside from initially recording the instrument in stereo.

With an electric guitar, you can usually use a multi-effects processor to convert a mono input signal into an enhanced stereo output via a stereo chorus or panning tremolo effect or by using a delay in which the left side delay is shorter or longer than the right side delay.

Some processors allow you to assign a dry signal to one output and the delayed signal to another.

By using a very short delay, you can fool the listener’s ear into believing it’s hearing two guitars, just because the left image is offset in time a bit from the right.

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

 
For more tech tips go to Sweetwater.com

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Meyer Sound Constellation Provides Texas High Schools The Ideal Performance Environment

The auditoriums of two Texas HIgh Schools have utilized Constellation to improve the success of their students and the quality of performances.

The award-winning music programs at two Texas high schools—one in the community of Spring and the other 140 miles away in Temple—are both powered by Meyer Sound Constellation acoustic systems.

According to the schools’ music faculties, Constellation’s flexibility and natural acoustical characteristics not only enhance the value of the auditorium as a community resource but also improve the learning experience and even lend a competitive advantage to the school’s choirs as they prepare for interscholastic competitions.

The active acoustic systems—a keystone element in the auditorium renovations at both schools—were specified by BAi, an Austin, Texas-based acoustical consulting firm. Hairel Enterprises of Conroe, Texas was awarded the installation contract for both systems following a competitive bid process.

Constellation’s enhancements at Temple High School’s 1,200-seat venue quickly earned praise from James Pfeiffer, director of fine arts for the Temple Independent School District. “Constellation really opens up the room to whole new realms of what we can do,” he said.

“We can instantly adjust the acoustics for any type or size of ensemble, from a full choir with orchestra to a large band, to a small jazz combo, or a pop choir of 12 singers. It transforms the auditorium into a tremendous resource for all the schools in Temple and our surrounding community. It just gives us enormous flexibility.”

At the heart of the Temple system are the primary Constellation processor and three VRAS reverberation processors.

Acoustic energy throughout the room is picked up by 22 miniature cardioid microphones and, after processing by the patented VRAS reverberation algorithms, by a total of 95 self-powered Meyer Sound loudspeakers and 12 subwoofers.

The system was configured to provide six presets that allow the room reverberation to vary from its nominal 1.3 seconds to 3.5 seconds for choral music. A stage system supplies early reflections to create an active electronic orchestra shell.

The overall effect, said Pfeiffer, is a dramatic transformation of both the sound and the utility of the space. “It naturally balances the sound in the auditorium, so you hear the same thing in every seat. And it works everywhere, even when the performers are up in the balcony. It’s really hard to describe. You have to hear it to appreciate what it does.”

Constellation at Spring High School is similar in many respects, though scaled to a 700-seat auditorium. The primary processor and two VRAS processors work in conjunction with 24 microphones, 52mid-high loudspeakers, and eight ultra-compact subwoofers.

Six presets allow the room’s mid-band reverberation time to vary from 1.5 seconds with the system off to the longest setting of 4.2 seconds. This “very long” setting was included at the request of David Landgrebe, Spring’s assistant choral director.

“Our choirs compete in regional competitions usually held at a newer church that has the acoustics of a European cathedral,” said Landgrebe. “

You don’t get a chance to warm up on stage, so for some younger singers that really throws them for a loop. Being able to create that very live acoustic here for rehearsals definitely gives us an advantage in preparing our students for the event.”

The Constellation systems at both schools includes the voice lift feature, which augments the early reflections from the stage to better disseminate vocal sounds throughout the auditorium—reducing the need for a conventional PA system.

Both schools have found the effect particularly useful for dramatic presentations and musicals. “It projects voices into the room much better,” comments Landgrebe,” and that helps negate the problematic wireless microphone issues we’d have to deal with otherwise.”

The acoustical redesign at Temple was directed by BAi President and Principal Consultant Charles Bonner, with assistance from Senior Acoustician Andy Miller. BAi Principal Consultant Richard Boner headed the team for Spring High School, also with Miller’s assistance.

A range of compact loudspeaker models were chosen for the Temple installation, including 26 Stella-8C and 31 Stella-4C, 20 MM-4XP, nine UPM-1P, and nine UPJunior VariO loudspeakers along with 12 UMS-SM subwoofers.

The Spring installation used 20 Stella-8C, 20 MM-4XP, and 12 UPM-1P loudspeakers, in addition to eight MM-10 subwoofers.

Meyer Sound Website

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TC Group Americas Names Frank Loyko As Vice President Of Sales For Tour & Install

Industry veteran brings more than 30 years of sales and marketing experience to new role

TC Group Americas Inc., distributor of TC Electronic, TC Helicon, Dynaudio Acoustics Tannoy, Lab.gruppen, Linn and Audica, has appointed Frank Loyko to the position of vice president of sales for tour and install.

Most recently, Loyko served as president of RCF USA, and prior to that, he was the director of live sound for Digidesign, a division of AVID Techonolgies. He was also vice president of sales at EAW, and then served as senior vice president of worldwide sales for LOUD Technologies.

”Frank’s background and experience are a great blend with the extensive talent we have here at TCGA,” states Marc Bertrand, CEO of TC Group Americas. “It really is a great opportunity for us to take our organization and specifically, the two market verticals he’s responsible for, to greater levels of sales, support and market position more quickly and effectively.”

Loyko adds, “My philosophy has always been to surround myself with the best in the industry. The TC Group has a strong, professional and knowledgeable team with superior products.”

TC Group Americas Website

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NEXO Loudspeaker Demo At Paramount Arts Centre Theatre

Demo to showcase NEXO and Yamaha Commercial Audio products including loudspeakers and audio consoles.

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems has announced it will hold a NEXO Loudspeaker Demo at the Paramount Arts Centre Theatre in Aurora, Illinois.

The event is free of charge and open to all audio professionals, and will be held on Friday, September 10 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm.

The demo will showcase both NEXO and Yamaha Commercial Audio products including NEXO GEO-S12 Loudspeaker Array System, NEXO RS15 Dual-15” Subwoofer, NEXO RS18 Dual-18” Subwoofer, NXAMP 4X4 Controller Amplifier, and NEXO PS15R2 Loudspeakers.

Yamaha Commercial Audio Products featured include Yamaha M7CL-48 Digital Mixing Console and SB168-ES Digital Stage Box.

As well, EtherSound and DANTE Networking will be used throughout the demonstrations.

The Paramount Arts Centre is located 23 East Galena Boulevard in Aurora, Illinois.

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems Website

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Electro-Voice The Choice Of Ohio’s GaREAT Complex

Paladin Professional worked closely with C. L. Pugh & Associates to provide the best design and installation possible at this GaREAT facility.

Geneva, Ohio is a small city with a history of thinking big. So it’s no surprise that the local GaREAT Sports Complex, operated by the non-profit Geneva Area Recreational, Educational, Athletic Trust, is an ambitious undertaking.

Started just two years ago, the multi-sport recreational facility on a 175-acre campus already encompasses more than 450,000 square feet of indoor fields, courts, and tracks for year-round practices and competitions, as well as an outdoor stadium with a field and a track.

Sound throughout the facility, which also includes dining and meeting rooms, has been handled by Paladin Professional Sound of Valley View, Ohio, working in close cooperation with manufacturers’ representatives C. L. Pugh & Associates of Brunswick, Ohio.

With two decades of experience serving clients including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Cleveland Browns, The Ohio State University, Quicken Loans Arena, and Kent State University, Paladin is no stranger to the design, installation, and service of large-scale systems.

Even so, Paladin’s John Davidson, who led the design and installation effort, is impressed with the high bar the Trust has set for the GaREAT Complex. “They’ve got a facility that is second to none in the state of Ohio,” Davidson says, “and they want sound that is as state-of-the-art as everything else.”

To meet GaREAT’s standards, Paladin has relied on sound systems built around Electro-Voice loudspeakers, amplifiers, and controllers. “Electro-Voice is my preferred speaker line,” said Davidson.

“For projects that merit modeling in EASE, I will always choose to model a system based on Electro-Voice over anything else, unless there’s no EV product that fits a specific application. And when we get an EV system installed and running, it not only covers the way it should according to EASE, but more often than not we are surprised that the overall sound is even better than we expected. So, having a positive history with the EV line, I’m not typically going to choose anything else.”

A case in point is the latest stage of the multi-phase build-out of the GaREAT Complex, which included installation of the sound system for the stadium.

Used for football, lacrosse, soccer, and track, the stadium is home to the region’s semi-pro football team and also hosts practices, games, and events for local leagues and high school and collegiate teams. The outdoor system was configured as a combination of wall-mounted and pole-mounted Electro-Voice loudspeaker systems.

“Geneva is in the snow belt,” Davidson says, “and these speakers are going to have to stand up to some of the harshest weather in the country. These EV speakers can take the weather extremes, and they can also be pole mounted, which was an important consideration in our design.”

For bleacher coverage, Paladin chose 18 Electro-Voice ZX5 15-inch, two-way, composite-enclosure loudspeakers – nine each on the stadium-facing walls of the buildings that bracket the long sides of the space.

“We wanted the system to sound noticeably better than what people would typically run into, even at college and professional sports facilities,” said Davidson, “and the sonic quality of the ZX5 is awesome. We also needed speakers that don’t weigh too much, to avoid harming the steel siding, so the composite body of the ZX series is a great advantage. And the design of the mounting bracket also helped us achieve a stable mount without damaging the siding.”

For on-field coverage, including events for which a stage is set on the field and amphitheater seating is set up in an end zone, Paladin pole-mounted more composite-enclosure systems from Electro-Voice: a total of eight SX600 high-output, dual 12-inch, two-way, full-range systems and six Electro-Voice Sb122 12-inch subwoofers (in a directional cluster of three in each end zone).

The setup is powered by Electro-Voice CPS 4.10 Contractor Precision Series amplifiers.

“The CPS 4.10s are perfect for the job,” Davidson says, “because each amp gives us four channels of 1000 watts each into 4 ohms, so we need only one amp for each pole.”

The amplifiers are each outfitted with optional RCM-810 remote control modules that allow them to be operated via an Electro-Voice NetMax N8000 digital matrix controller that Paladin set up to give the customer easy touch-screen control over the system’s various zones.

“Because of the cable distances involved,” said Davidson, “a football field would typically be handled with a constant-voltage, high-impedance distributed system, possibly 100 volts. But because we had the ability to control the amplifiers via NetMax, we were able to put each amp into a thermally-controlled Hoffman enclosure at the base of each pole and drive all the speakers at low impedance.”

By eliminating step-up and step-down transformers, we have a signal that is much cleaner and has no core saturation at higher levels. NetMax allows us to make the system as high-fidelity as possible.”

The overall result, Davidson says, is “fantastic — really good sound. There’s not a bad seat in the house, sonically. Every seat is consistent within plus or minus 3dB.”

“You’ve got plenty of bass thump for modern music, incredible clarity from the announcer, the wireless referee mic is crystal clear, and there are no feedback issues whatsoever. It’s just an awesome system. We’ve now done four different Electro-Voice systems for the GaREAT Complex, and they keep coming back to us for more.”

Electro-Voice Website

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Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Yamaha PM5D-RH The Choice Of Foreigner Monitor Engineer

Engineer Lorenzo Banda found the PM5D the fastest and easiest console to navigate.

From “Cold As Ice” to “Waiting For A Girl Like You” and chart topper “I Want To Know What Love is”, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world, racking up scores of smash hits, multi-platinum albums, and sold-out concert dates.

Currently on tour and promoting their latest’ CD ‘Can’t Slow Down’, the band has chosen Lorenzo Banda to mix monitors and his choice of digital consoles is a Yamaha PM5D-RH.

Banda, is no stranger to the PM5D-RH. He’s been mixing on a Yamaha PM5DRH for five years now.

“Whether mixing for the late Ronnie James Dio, Heaven and Hell, or Foreigner, this console has really suited me,” said Banda.

“The way the 5D is laid out with the main control area being in the middle of the console and adding to that, the Fader Flip function, makes the PM5D the fastest and easiest to navigate on for me.”

“Also, the 5D has been easy to get anywhere in the world; there hasn’t been any place where we were not able to find one.”

“Thanks to Joseph Lopez and all the people at Yamaha for all their support and for being available whenever we needed them, no matter what time of day it was.”

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems Website

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Audio In Houses Of Worship

A comprehensive guide that will get you started in the world of church sound, no matter your level of familiarity.

 
Audio is an essential element in any modern-day religious service.

What is heard by the congregation is a combination of the acoustic qualities of the room and the performance of the audio system.

Some of the desirable acoustic qualities in a house of worship are:

Reverberance: When well controlled with early decay, the effect is perceived as a beautiful sound that enhances the quality of the audio. See the Rane Pro Audio Reference for a definition of “reverberation.”

Clarity: The ratio of the energy in the early sound compared to that in the reverberant sound.

Early sound is what is heard in the first 50 - 80 milliseconds after the arrival of the direct sound. It is a measure of the degree to which the individual sounds stand apart from one another.

Articulation: Determined from the direct-to-total arriving sound energy ratio. When this ratio is small, the character of consonants is obscured resulting in a loss of understanding the spoken word.

Listener envelopment: Results from the energy of the room coming from the sides of the listener. The effect is to draw the listener into the sound.

Where a conference room would be optimized for articulation and clarity, a symphony hall is optimized for reverberance and listener envelopment.

A good house of worship is optimized as a compromise between the somewhat conflicting requirements of music performance and the spoken word.

Articulation must be excellent but sufficient reverb is required to complement music performances. All reflections must be well controlled to achieve this balance and ensure the best possible listener experience.

An Example Of Good Sound

There are other possible examples but the author really likes this one. In some mosques, cathedrals and tabernacles there are wonderful domed ceilings that have marvelous natural acoustic properties.

The acoustic coupling from performers to the congregation grouped under the dome makes for a very (dare I say) “spiritual” experience. For the purpose of this article, this level of performance is a “gold standard” to which other acoustic spaces will be compared in the search for improvements and recommendations.

The U.S.A. Pavilion at Florida’s Epcot Center makes for an interesting case study. There is a dome ceiling in the pavilion. Under the dome an eight-part acappella group called the “Voices of Liberty” performs. For those under the dome listening to the group, the sound is beautiful and inspiring. Moving out from under the dome, the “magic” is gone.

This level of performance is not feasible in a typical house of worship but it does establish an icon as to what could be if there was sufficient skill (and budget) applied to the acoustic and audio system design.

And Now The Ugly World In Which We Live

Contrast this to a typical public address system squawking bad sound to the congregation.

That which was good is replaced with misery. You reach for a bottle of aspirin to calm the headache induced by a pair of blaring powered speakers.

Some of the problems encountered by audio designers/consultants include:

Excessive Reverberation—such that articulation and clarity is poor.

Echo—where a discrete sound reflection returns to a listener more then 50 milliseconds from the direct sound and is significantly louder then the reverberation sound.

Flutter echo—repeated echoes that are experienced in rapid succession that occur between two hard parallel surfaces. All echoes ruin the acoustic properties of a room and a flutter echo is particularly damaging.

Coloration due to reflections—when a reflection destructively recombines with the direct sound modifying the frequency response in the process. These are non-minimum-phase colorations as correction with equalization is not possible.

Delayed Sound—from coupled volumes (contamination from adjacent rooms storing sound energy and then returning the energy to the main room).

Psychological preconditioning—It is a common problem for the clergy and congregation to be so preconditioned by bad sound that they become resistant to change and find it difficult to (at first) recognize good sound.

This can also work in the audio consultants favor when the customers are preconditioned by good sound and are willing to invest the required resources toward good audio design.

For those of us designing audio for houses of worship with a rectangular room, flat walls and probably a vaulted ceiling, some form of sound reinforcement is required. Through attention to detail and careful design of the audio system, the experience of the congregation can be non-aspirin inducing and the system simple to use.

Common Signal Processing Blocks
Let’s begin by looking at the universal signal processing chain common to all audio systems. In the simplest systems these functions are accomplished in an audio mixer that feeds a pair of powered speakers.

More sophisticated systems include equalization, compression, limiting, automation, feedback suppression, electronic crossovers and other tools of the trade. These days it is possible to include all of these functions in a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). One example of the signal chain from the minister’s microphone to the power amplifiers is shown in Figure 1.

The signal processing flow starts at the Analog Input. A 2-band Parametric Equalizer filters out-of-band low frequencies. The microphone signals are summed together in an Automatic Mixer. An AGC (Automatic Gain Control) reduces the dynamic range and a High-Pass Filter in the side chain improves the performance of the AGC.

The Level control can be tied to a pot on the wall or a smart remote. There is a Feedback Suppressor for good measure. A 2-way Crossover supports a biamplified system. The 10-band Parametric Equalizers are utilized for both wide- and narrow-band corrections.

Generally, wide-band filters correct minimum-phase frequency response irregularities in the speaker drivers and in the room response. Narrow-band filters are useful to partially correct non-minimum-phase related problems such as energy stored in room modes (reverberant energy).

A Limiter could also have been added to protect the system from clipping if that feature is not included in the power amplifier.

Now let’s take a look at some of these signal processing blocks in greater detail.

Analog Input / Microphone Preamp

It is surprising how often even experienced audio consultants will configure an audio input incorrectly.

It is important that as much gain as possible is accomplished at the front end of the system in the Analog Gain stage.

Any additional gain from Digital Trim after the input stage degrades optimum signal-to-noise performance.

As an example, let’s set the input gain to a value of +40 dB.

One way is where the analog gain is set to a value of +45 dB and the digital trim is set to -5 dB (as in Figure 2), the measured input referred noise is -127 dBu.

A common (but incorrect) way would have the analog gain set to a value of +30 dB and the digital trim set to +10 dB (the author has seen this repeatedly), to give the same Mic gain of 40 dB—but now the input-referred noise is degraded to -114 dBu.

That is an increase of 13 dB for the noise floor, or a change (in the bad direction) of 8 dB in the maximum SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio). Your exercise is to determine why the SNR was only degraded by 8 dB rather then the intuitively obvious value of 13 dB.

Answer: The noise floor does drop by 13 dB, but this combination of settings causes the analog input stage to clip at an input level that is 5 dB lower. Hence, the change in system SNR is 8 dB.

Applying attenuation after the input stage (rather then gain) reduces overload performance and so should be used with skill and discretion. It is the proper technique to maximize noise performance.

Input Low-Cut Filter

A very good idea is to add a low-cut filter set to ~80 Hz after the input stage to minimize the effects of undesirable low-frequency noises such as bumps and thumps that come from handling the mic and also wind blasts and pops from speaking too closely into the microphone.

In Figure 3, both 2nd-order filters are set to the same frequency to produce a 4th-order filter.

There should also be a low-cut filter in line with the SC (Side Chain) input of the AGC (Automatic Gain Control).

This filter can be set to a higher corner frequency (such as 120 Hz in Figure 4) to improve the performance of the AGC by rejecting the effects of low frequency noises.

The Auto Mixer—A Little Automation Buddy

An Auto Mixer (shown in Figure 5) is a good idea when there is more then a single open microphone.

Auto Mixers combine the signals from multiple microphones and automatically correct for the changing gain requirements as the NOM (Number of Open Microphones) changes.

Threshold with Last On is a useful setting for all microphones used in a worship service (Figure 6).

Unused microphones (input levels are below threshold) are gated. When the input of a microphone is above threshold then other inputs with a lower assigned priority level are ducked.

Automatic Gain Control

A Compressor is the correct processing block in this link of the audio chain. Something is needed here to prevent exuberant preaching from melting down the congregation.

Surprisingly, an AGC can be very useful in this position but configured to behave more like a specialized compressor by using the settings shown in Figure 7.

The value of “Threshold re: Target” is set to have an offset of 0 dBr so that “Threshold” has the same value as the “Target.” “Maximum Gain” becomes 0 dB and the gain curve starts to look like a compressor but there are additional controls in an AGC for Hold and Release that are useful when the input level is below threshold.

These settings avoid the problems of compressor “pumping” when that exuberant speaker is at the microphone as attenuation levels are held between spoken phrases.

Then, when transitioning to a more reserved speaker, the hold time (below threshold) is short enough to expire so that the gain returns to a normal level.

An Exciting Labor-Saving Tip—Put a Control On the Wall

Here is an exciting tip. A level control can provide attenuation as needed under the control of a pot on the wall or a smart remote.

This is handy in systems where a minister needs to run a system alone without the assistance of an audio specialist who is running a mixing board. The remote can be located on or close to a pulpit which places control of the audio system at the fingertips of the minister. The DSP control is shown in Figure 8.

Feedback Suppression—A Gift From Above?

The next item in this processing chain is somewhat controversial. It is a Feedback Suppressor.

To some audio consultants a Feedback Suppressor is heresy! The argument is that a properly calibrated system has no need of such a Band-Aid.

This is generally true, but there is one case when it is wise for an audio consultant to suffer the ignominy of using a Feedback Suppressor—a lay clergy where the person speaking is untrained and/or unfamiliar with proper use of a microphone.

The author has witnessed such a person cup their hands (in the attitude of prayer) directly around the microphone capsule. The hands form a resonant chamber that results in squealing feedback.

A good Feedback Suppressor would have locked on to the offending tone and notched it out posthaste.

Parametric Equalization: Now We’re Having Real Fun

Parametric equalizers are used for both wide and narrow band corrections.

Generally, wide-band and shelf filters can correct for minimum-phase frequency response irregularities.

One interesting detail of Figure 10 is Hi-Shelf Filter 1. This filter was added after achieving flat in-room response.

Since the system was calibrated in an empty room, this extra high-frequency energy is intended to compensate for the high-frequency absorption of the congregation when the room is full of people.

There is also a noise-masking effect in some congregations that will tend to obscure the intelligibility of the spoken word. In practice this approach of adding a bit of extra high-frequency energy into the room works well.

Narrow-band filters (see Figure 11) are useful to partially correct non-minimum-phase related problems such as energy stored in room modes.

At low frequencies this energy causes bass to sound indistinct, and in midrange to lower treble this energy is perceived as reverberation.

These filters attenuate the frequencies that bounce about the room. In an acoustically live room, room resonances can propagate for a surprisingly long time causing these frequencies to “build up.”

Narrow-band filters are just a partial solution. Greatest effectiveness is achieved when filters are used in conjunction with acoustic room treatments such as diffusers, high/mid frequency absorbers and bass traps.

Specific Examples

Example #1: A Small Church

Description:
The ceiling is low suspended acoustic tile over an open space covered with thin carpet. The RT60 (the time it takes the reverberant sound to decrease by 60 dB) is short, so controlling reverberation is not a problem for audio clarity.

In fact, the room is a touch “dry” for music, and content of the worship service includes live musical performances.

The sources of audio are the minister with a wireless microphone and the band.

Additional sources are DVD/CD players and other devices as needed. Control is via a 24-channel mixer with all inputs used.

Output is to a pair of powered speakers mounted high in the corners of the room in a stereo configuration. This installation was done by members of the congregation without consultation with an audio professional.

Next, let’s look at some specific examples to bette illustrate these points.

Problems:
• The quality of the audio is poor with numerous problems including uneven frequency response.

• An experienced sound person is required to run the mixer for all audio system use.

• There is poor coverage of the congregation from the stereo speaker pair. People sitting in the hot spots just in front of the speakers are blasted with excessive level, and the rest of the congregation is exposed to a strong interference pattern between the two speakers.

The system is uncompensated for room modes, room response and speaker response irregularities.

There is a small “sweet spot” in the center of the room where the two speakers combine coherently but there is an isle down the center of the seats. Since there are no chairs, no one is seated in the “sweet spot”.

So does this audio system work the way it is? Yes, but even the pastor knows the congregation may not be receiving the best possible audio experience. This example is rich in possibilities.
Recommendations

Improvements to this system are accomplished in a number of ways. A DSP can be used for equalization, other processing and to add automation to the minister’s microphone.

The entire worship band could be run through a mixer with each individual input processed by an AGC.

There are admittedly downsides to automating the audio mixing of a large group, as the automation is not as intelligent as an experienced sound person, but is possible in some cases.

The speaker system is examined to look at options that provide more even coverage of the congregation. Improvements to this audio system can be introduced in phases.

Phase 1:
Add a DSP box between the output of the mixer and the feeds to the main speakers and on-stage monitors. Features added could be:

• Parametric Wide-Band Equalization. This alone would greatly improve this system.

• Parametric Narrow-Band Equalization. A short RT60 makes this unnecessary at this time. However, remodeling could increase RT60 to where narrow-band equalization would be needed. (This room could use bass absorbers).

• High-Pass Filtering. If not in the 24-channel mixer already.

• Compression. Always a good idea with microphones because of the inverse square law relationship between the preacher’s mouth and the location of the microphone.

• Feedback Suppression. If needed.

Phase 2:
Automation is incorporated with automixers and remote controls. There are many exciting ways to add these features depending on the needs of individual congregations.

The most obvious upgrade would be to add the ability for a minister to turn on and control the main microphones from a simple control panel located in easy reach at the front of the room.
Phase 3

The very uneven coverage of the congregation by the stereo speaker pair needs to be addressed, as shown in Figure 12. The seats directly in front of the speakers have enough level to kill small animals.

If the audio system were perfect then each seat in the congregation would have the same audio level. In the author’s experience, similar rooms have been controlled within a couple of dB.

In this example, the seat closest to each loudspeaker is about 15 dB louder then the worst seat on the floor, and interference between the two speakers adds to a very lumpy and unpleasant frequency response.

Another problem is that the FOH (Front Of House) Mixer is placed in a location for good sound, causing the levels at the ends of the front rows to be way too loud.

Line Array Speakers

One improvement is to remove the stereo pair of point-source loudspeakers, and install a floor-to-ceiling line array located in the center of the back wall as shown in Figure 13. Coverage of the congregation is more even, and the level at the FOH Mixer location is very similar to the coverage level over the whole floor of the congregation.

The level of the stage monitors is greatly reduced and some of the stage monitors may no longer be needed depending on the individual needs of the musicians.

Within the near field of the line array there is a range were the audio level will decrease by only 3 dB for each doubling of distance which greatly helps even the coverage across the entire floor.

One other characteristic of this application is that the audio is distributed across the whole line so that even if a microphone is right next to the line there is little tendency to feedback.

In this example, there is a low suspended-acoustic-tile ceiling that shortens the length of a line array speaker. This limits some of the good qualities of a line array so this might not be the best solution.

If the room were remodeled so there was a high ceiling, then a line array would make more sense because a longer line array would fit. This is especially true if the newly remodeled ceiling was acoustically reflective causing the RT60 of the room to be much greater.

The high directivity of a long line array greatly helps to project the audio out to the floor rather then have the audio directed toward the ceiling where it contributes to the reverberant energy and slap echoes in the room.

Supplemental Distributed Array Speakers

Because of the dropped ceiling, another option would be a distributed array of supplemental ceiling speakers in the back of the room as shown in Figure 14. The loudness level of the main stereo pair could be reduced by at least 12 dB.

This would greatly diminish the effects of the hot spots in the front of the room but would leave the level at the back of the room way too low. Ceiling speakers can be added in the locations shown to fill in the audio in the back of the room.

It would be very important to include a speaker over the mixer location so the audio at that location matches the level in the congregation to aid in achieving an accurate mix.

Why The Delay?

The ceiling loudspeaker signals should be delayed in time so their output combines coherently with the output from the point-source pair in the front of the room.

If the rear loudspeakers are not correctly delayed then the loudspeakers in the room will not combine correctly.

This room is too small for audio from the front of the room to be perceived as a distinct echo.

Applying a proper delay to the ceiling speakers can minimize the problem of localization confusion that occurs if the first arrival sound is coming from the overhead loudspeakers and not the front of the room.

Example #2: A Mid-Sized Contemporary House of Worship

Description:
This second example is a medium sized house of worship. The vaulted ceiling is high and the floor in the congregational seating area is covered with hard-industrial vinyl.

The RT60 is longer then the first example at approximately 1.5 seconds so reverberation is a problem in an empty room. The sources of audio are again ministers on a microphone and a worship band.

Control is via a 32-channel mixer. The speaker system is an array of three large boxes mounted as a central cluster high in the peak of the ceiling. A professional audio company did the installation and calibration of the audio system.

The quality of the audio in this church is much better than in the first example. An interesting question is: how good is “good enough”? When interviewed, members of this congregation can usually hear. Rarely is the audio painful to listen to so some say that the audio quality is fully acceptable.

This is a good time to reflect back on the example in the introduction where domed ceilings were held up as an icon of natural acoustic wonderfulness. Let’s examine each individual audio characteristic previously discussed and see how this audio system installation stacks up.

Problems

• Reverberance is not well controlled and is dependent on the configuration and occupancy of the room. Low-mid frequencies are a particular problem as the energy builds up and is never trapped or controlled.

• Clarity is fairly good and meets a minimum standard.

• Articulation is acceptable but not outstanding. The ALCONs (Articulation Loss of Consonants) rating of this room is fairly low but in the acceptable range. However, there is room for improvement.

• Listener envelopment is nonexistent and completely pales in comparison to the example of a domed ceiling.

• Again, as in the first example, an experienced sound person is required to run the mixer for any use of the audio system, as there is no automation in the audio system.

• There is good coverage of the congregation from the central cluster, but people sitting in the area where the coverage patterns between two of the speakers overlap experience uneven frequency response due to the comb filtering caused by the interference between these two speakers.

• Bass response is particularly poor. The poor bass response leads to the impression that the system lacks sufficient power.

Recommendations

A DSP is already in the system and can be used for additional equalization and other tasks. The same recommendation applies to add enough automation so that a simple service can be done without bringing in a sound person.

The speaker system may already be fully adequate.

The first temptation may be to add a subwoofer to add bass power, but after a quick survey it is probable that the buildup of mid-bass energy in this room makes the quality of the bass so poor that adding more bass will only make matters worse.

To fix the room, the ceiling and walls could be completely covered in bass absorptive panels, but this is not really practical so a compromise is to add bass traps to the corners of the room and the ridge of the ceiling.

If it is not possible to tame the room with traps, then narrow-band filtering techniques could be employed.

This is where the room is evaluated for the natural modes that build up energy in the room and these frequencies are notched out with a very narrow filter. A combination of some absorptive panels and narrow-band filters might be the best compromise.

There are regions (as shown in Figure 15) where the coverage from the individual speakers in the cluster interfere with each other rather than combine cooperatively. This interference is frequency-dependent.

The solution is to reduce the contribution of some of the speakers of those problem frequencies so that interference is minimized.

The system would then require re-calibration to complement the above changes. That should do it.

 
A the time of publication Michaël Rollins was a senior digital design engineer for Rane Corporation.

 
Download a copy of this article. (pdf)

Editors Note: This and other educational articles are available in the RaneNote Library, a subset of the Rane ProAudio Reference.

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For The Record: The Past Tells Us Much About The Future Of Live Recording

We should always remember to look back at the historical trends of our industry - it’s the only way we can stay ahead of the curve and keep providing the gear and the services that our clients need

Many of us make our livings providing concert-goers with the best live music experience possible. We deploy high-fidelity loudspeaker systems and microphones with the latest in digital effects and studio-quality processing in an effort to make the live show sound “just like the record.”

Only better, of course, because the excitement, visual elements, crowd response and performance spontaneity are impossible to reproduce in someone’s living room. Or is it? Let’s step back in time and examine our progress in the effort to capture the live experience for the fans to take home.

Live recording has taken many forms over the years. In the big band era, it was typical to put a single microphone out in front of the performers and hope for the best. Early refinements consisted of adding a second mic for the soloists to step up to. Performances were largely acoustic, with the possible exception of a lead vocalist, so there was no interface with the live reinforcement system.

Recordings were monophonic, and the only options available to the recordist for influencing the outcome were mic choice and location. By the way, the delivery system was usually 78 RPM vinyl records. Given the limitations, it’s amazing how many vibrant, exciting examples exist from that era of music.

Through the 1950s and 60s, there were huge changes in performance, recording and playback technology. On the performance side, the invention of the electric guitar changed everything. (In fact, a case can be made that the electric guitar spawned our entire industry.) The concept of an amplified performance where the audience heard an electronic representation of the instrument rather than the instrument itself was revolutionary in many ways.

It wasn’t long before the bass joined the ranks of amplified instruments, and all of the other musicians (with the possible exception of the drums) were using mics. This allowed shows to be staged at much larger halls than was possible in the “acoustic era,” enhancing exposure for the artist - and revenue for everyone. I

This also shrank the size of performing groups as well. Previously, if the trombones needed to be louder, more trombone players were added. Now the trombone sound could simply be turned up.

THE MIGRATION
On the recording front, the big news was multiple tracks. Two- and even three- track recorders were invented. This created a need for mixing consoles, and most were built by the studio owners themselves. Some even sported advanced features like equalization.

This technology then migrated over to sound reinforcement, and it required operators. We all got a job!

Big things were happening on the playback scene as well. The hi-fi craze swept many parts of the world. Playback systems with wide frequency response and low distortion became available. The 33 RPM Long Play (LP) record allowed much longer playing times.

Meanwhile, stereophonic sound finally gave recorded music more of the spatial impact of a live performance. With stereo playback, the instruments could be spread across the soundstage to simulate sitting in front of a real band. The elements required to bring the live performance experience into the listener’s home were falling into place.

As the music business roared into the 1970s, the capability grew to duplicate the recording techniques for live events. Record companies wanted to be able to issue as many LP’s as possible from their hottest bands. One way to do this - without taking them off the road – was the live album.

As budgets became available for quality live recording the first studio trucks were created. A recording studio control room was crammed into a box truck and trundled off to the gig. Either using splits off the sound reinforcement mics or double mic’ing everything. a quality multi-track recording an actual concert could be made. A few audience mics were added, and voila, the record company had their new release.

The best part? No new songs had to be written. The same songs could be sold to eager fans twice! Soon, no self-respecting band was without a live album. Of course, the other advantage was that if the house mix or sound system was substandard, or the acoustics were bad, a multi-track master tape provided some ability to “fix it in the mix.”

And on more than a few instances the band would nip into the studio to fix “green notes” in the vocals or a botched guitar lead.

Live recording had started to generate its own revenue stream, which supplemented the box office receipts from the show. Eventually someone got the bright idea of bringing a movie camera into the proceedings. Between the audio recording truck, the camera operators, directors and miscellaneous technical personnel, it could turn into a huge undertaking. For some events, it was worth the money.

The Woodstock movie made far more cash than the festival itself. If you couldn’t go to the concert, the concert would come to your local movie theater. But only the biggest bands or the most high profile events could justify the expense of the production and pack the fans into theaters.

INNOCENTLY ENOUGH
As technology continued it’s relentless march, many acts wanted to record every performance. It started innocently enough with the ubiquitous “board tape.” At first this was just a stereo cassette coming right off the same stereo pair feeding the mains. These tapes were generally used by the band and their management to review the night’s performance.

Of course, sometimes this led to some mix criticism as well. It was hard to explain to a guitar player that the reason he couldn’t hear himself on the board tape was because his stage amplifiers were on “11” and his mic was off.

So eventually we started doing sub mixes for the board tapes. I’ve done tours where I had a combination of pre-fader and post-fader stereo aux sends, and used delays to time align an X-Y stereo pair of room mics into a DAT machine – all just to make the troops happy with their review tapes.

And inevitably some bright soul would say, “We could release this as a live album!” or maybe give their copy to their girlfriend, which later appeared as a bootleg causing great consternation and finger-pointing within the ranks.  But that’s another story.

I saw one act that even carried a 24-track recorder in a huge flight case and a maintenance technician on tour so they could record every night. They even organized their set list to give the tech time to change tapes. A sound company I worked for owned a Midas Pro 5 board reputedly built for Harry Belafonte (and of course christened the “Day-O” board), and it had an extra 24 output buses to feed his recorder. It also weighed a ton.

But once again technology came to the rescue.

In the 1990s, digital recorders utilizing tape cartridges were introduced. Each unit recorded eight tracks and several could be synched up. They were rack mountable, reasonably light and low maintenance. A portable rack could now hold enough recorders to run a direct out from every board channel and record every night for future use.

Some enterprising engineers even used the previous night’s show routed back to the console to do a preliminary sound check. The only downfall was that you had to spend every spare moment formatting tapes for the recorders, and archiving was a pain. Depending on the length of the show and the number of tracks required, a single performance might use 30 tapes or even more.

By this time, almost every home had at least a decent stereo and a VCR. More and more tours were filmed, whether a theatrical release was realistic or not. Home entertainment technology had created an alternative market for video concert releases.

Although live records were still being released, the concert experience had much more impact if the visual elements were included. Most top tours and almost all major festivals had an audio and video recording element to document the event and provide a revenue stream long after the actual show. The concert experience was now as close as your local video store.

COMBINATION OF FORCES
The 21st Century has only expanded this paradigm. A combination of forces has created a “perfect storm” supporting concert recording. On the recording technology front, digital audio workstations are smaller, lighter, more robust, and in fact, are often the same machines being used in the recording studio.

An entire show can be recorded on a single hard drive. Digital consoles can easily provide audio streams to the recorders without multiple analog to digital (A-D) conversions or analog signal splits.

The advent of the DVD and home theater systems provide a delivery medium with the quality and impact to really bring the concert experience into the home. Large high-definition screens and surround sound can do a remarkable job of reproducing the feeling of being at an event. They also provide new ways to make money from a live performance, and in a day and age where file sharing and piracy have eaten away at the traditional money flow in the music business.

It used to be common for record companies to provide tour support from record sale receipts. Now, it’s more common for touring and the recorded products that come from touring to be the largest source of income for performers.

Some bands have taken it to the next level by selling recordings of the actual show to attendees on their way out. “Jam bands” are still popular, and no two performances are alike. So getting a recording of these performances show may have more significance than whether the band says, “Good night, Seattle” or “Good night, Detroit”. Concerts are being staged for the sole purpose of producing a DVD or even a pay-per-view broadcast.

A LONG TIME
Nothing can really replace the adrenaline, the excitement and the immediacy of being at a great concert. Our jobs are going to be around for a long time.

But we should always remember to look back at the historical trends of our industry. It’s the only way we can stay ahead of the curve and keep providing the gear and the services that our clients need.

And anything that enhances the revenue stream from live performances for the artists, promoters - and especially for us - is a very good thing indeed.

Bruce Main has been a systems engineer and front of house mixer for more than 35 years. He has also built, owned and operated recording studios and designed and installed sound systems.

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