Article

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Recent Wireless Technology Series: Inside The MIPRO ACT Digital

This is the second in a series detailing the latest technology in wireless microphone systems. To read the first installment, covering the AKG DMS 700 system, click here.

The MIPRO ACT Digital wireless system has been on the market for a couple of years, and like the AKG DMS 700 digital wireless system, it uses the same UHF bandwidth we’re all familiar with when using any UHF-band microphones.

(Note that the “D” in “Digital” for this MIPRO system is capitalized because it is part of the official product name, rather than the generic system name.)

Specifically, the MIPRO ACT Digital covers 620–692 MHz – fairly close to the upper limit of what the FCC Part 74 rules now allow for this type of use.

In terms of features and operation, it’s somewhat similar to the Lectrosonics 700 Series digital wireless system, but with some interesting differences.

.

Basics
Two receivers are offered in the ACT Digital system – ACT-81 single-channel and ACT-82 dual-channel, both single-rack-space units.

Both the companion ACT-8H handheld transmitter and ACT-8T beltpack transmitter feature charging contacts – a nice convenience, but note that these transmitters only operate using rechargeable battery packs.

The rechargeable approach is usually just fine for churches or other installed sound applications, but sometimes it’s not as popular for touring or portable music application, where the convenience of “getting some new/fresh AA batteries from the corner shop” is more ingrained.

Although the bandwidth of this system is indicated as “620–692 MHz,” it’s actually broken into three fixed bands, each 24 MHz wide.

Each receiver and transmitter can only tune within its specified range. This is similar to many other systems, such as those from Zaxcom, Lectrosonics, Sennheiser evolution, etc.

Most analog systems introduced in the past few years, however, such as the Sennheiser 2000 Series and Shure UHF-R, have much wider bandwidths, with 70 MHz or even 90 MHz being quite common.

.

The AKG DMS 700 offers a whopping 155 MHz, which is not matched by any other system at this time. The trade-off is that the wider the bandwidth, the more unwanted signals are being “digested” by the receiver front end. In general, users should choose the narrowest bandwidth that still meets their needs.

Like the AKG system, the MIPRO offers digital outputs and a word clock connection - nice features now that consoles are more and more accepting digital sources. Again like the DMS 700 (as well as Sennheiser 2000 Series and Shure UHF-R and ULX Pro), the ACT Digital has an IR port for synchronizing the settings between the receiver and the transmitter. This can be a nice, time-saving feature.

The color display on the receiver front panel is a good feature that is hampered by a limited interface. A single knob to change all settings?

.

The product documentation is also quite limited – while the company’s marketing literature is fairly clear, the owner’s manual is truncated, lacking in detail.

Audio Performance
The ACT Digital system uses a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and a 24-bit A/D conversion process. This yields a flat frequency response of 20 – 20 kHz with a tolerance of -2 dB, better than most analog wireless systems, particularly at the bottom end. Most analog systems exhibit something like a 40 or 50 Hz low end response and a 16 or maybe 18 kHz on the top end.

Because the ACT-Digital system does not use a compandor, the associated artifacts are gone as well. The dynamic range of this system is a very nice 110 dB, A-weighted.

Latency or “group delay” for the system is listed at 4 milliseconds (ms), which is on the order of many other types of digital signal processing, including consoles, and is largely a factor of the 44.1 kHz sample rate.

Higher sample rates would yield a lower latency, but would also require a greater data rate between transmitter and receiver. While 4 ms is respectably low, it is bested by some other systems. And for speech applications, it is well within the range that will be undetectable. 

The only problem might be if this system were used with a digital console along with any additional analog processing.

.

The resulting latency might be in the 8 to 10 ms range – within the area of detectability for many users, particularly singers using in-ear monitoring (IEM) systems.

Encryption
The ACT Digital offers selectable encryption at a 128-bit key length, now the minimum for any truly secure system and relatively “sell-able” – although it is restricted as to who can buy it, there is no special government license needed as there is for 256-bit encrypted systems. Also, 128-bit can be very robust if implemented properly.

Choosing to engage the encryption on this system is a simple as selecting it on the receiver and on the transmitter. This is a very easy-to-use feature on the ACT digital wireless.

Conclusions
While there aren’t any real ground-breaking features or technology here, the ACT Digital wireless system is a nice package and can certainly provide quality audio and data encryption where needed.

Keep in mind that it competes with other signals in the UHF band, and offers only three 24 MHz bands within the larger tuning range of 620-692 MHz, so whether or not this system will work well in larger, multi-channel applications and with competing signals (potential interference) in the same band needs to be tested.

Most digital wireless system manufacturers claim that their products are “impervious to inter-modulation problems” and “not affected by crowded RF spectrum”. But since there are no known larger-scale systems out there, this remains to be seen

The audio specifications look very solid and are indicative of what can be done with digital as opposed to analog with respect to wireless systems. The latency is fairly low and should not affect most applications. Other comparable systems include the Lectrosonics 700 Series and the AKG DMS 700.

U.S. MSRP of MIPRO ACT Digital: $3,520 for the dual-channel receiver, $1,800 for the single-channel receiver, $2,000 for the handheld transmitter, and $1,920 for the belt-pack unit.

Note that this is nearly double the listed pricing for that AKG DMS 700, and is in the ballpark of the pricing for the Lectrosonics 700 Series. Therefore - and as always should be the case - only you can decide if the feature set, audio quality and other factors make this the right product for you.

Find out more about the MIPRO ACT Digital system here.

Signing off for now…
Mike Wireless

Mike Wireless is the nom de plume of a long-time RF geek devoted to better entertainment wireless system practices the world over.

.

.

Other posts by Mike Wireless:
Inside The AKG DMS 700
Is The UHF Spectrum Going To Ease Up After June 12?
Change The Only Constant In Marketplace For Wireless System Spectrum

{extended}

Thursday, June 04, 2009

Recent Wireless Technology Series: Inside The AKG DMS 700

This is the first in a series detailing some of the latest technology in wireless microphone systems.

A number of manufacturers have introduced new wireless microphone systems in the past two years – many of them in response to the changes in the RF spectrum brought about by the FCC.

As a result, I thought it would be interesting to provide an in-depth look at a number of these recently introduced systems, beginning here with the AKG DMS 700 digital wireless system, which was announced at NAMM in January of this year.

Professional caliber digital wireless systems have been on the market for several years, as evidenced by offerings from Telex, Zaxcom, and Lectrosonics (to name a few off the top of my head). Mipro also introduced a digital system within the past couple of years, and the Sennheiser Digital 1000 system was introduced way back around the year 2000, although I guess some might argue that it’s not a true “pro” system.

AKG’s effort with digital wireless with the more recent DMS 700 provides users with some important advancements and merits a detailed look.

The Basics
The DMS 700 consists of three main products: a handheld transmitter, a bodypack transmitter, and the dual-channel rack-mount receiver.

Interestingly, this system is designed to operate in the standard UHF spectrum, covering two ranges - between 548 MHz and 698 MHz for the U.S. and other markets where this range is legal; and between 710 MHz and 865 MHz for Europe or other markets where this range is legal.

The first thing to note is that DMS 700 covers a very wide range of 155 MHz – most UHF systems cover somewhere between 25 MHz and 90 MHz per unit. This very wide tuning range allows up to 100 channels to be in use simultaneously.

Usually, there’s a trade-off between how wide of a band is covered and noise from the PLL (phase locked loop). But in theory, a digital system would not suffer from this noise issue.

That said, the DMS 700 is still an RF device, and thus 155 MHz is a lot of UHF spectrum, with a lot of high-energy sources (NTSC/PAL and DTV broadcasts). Yet because this system is digital, it’s modulation scheme will discriminate between “good” and “bad” data, and/or unwanted data.

.

Even further along these lines, the receiver comes with an “Environment Scan” function that converts it into a spectrum analyzer. It searches the receiver’s entire frequency band for active radio frequencies and shows them in a frequency spectrum graph on the front panel display.

Specs
Several of the specifications for the DMS 700 are impressive, while others are standard for high-quality wireless. Audio frequency response is specified as 25 Hz to 20 kHz, ±3 dB, which is only matched by other digital or “digital hybrid” systems.

One problem with any analog-based frequency-agile wireless system is that the PLL does not allow for frequencies below about 20 Hz to pass, otherwise the PLL itself will “unlock” and the system will become unusable until power cycled.

Thus, typically a high-pass filter is installed to cut the audio below say 40 or 50 Hz. So to have flat response down to 25 Hz is the domain of digital-only systems.

.

The inclusion of AES-3 digital outputs on the DSR 700 receiver is something we’re starting to see (also found in Sennheiser’s EM3732 receiver, although it is an analog system with an A to D converter and DSP-based compander) and should be a nice way to interface with digital consoles.

By connecting via the digital outputs, the DSR 700 exhibits 120 dB signal-to-noise, which is impressive.

Another feature that is appearing on the horizon for receivers is the Ethernet connection so that control of the receiver can be executed as part of a PC network. Sennheiser and Shure have started doing this as well, and we can expect other manufacturers to follow suit.

The transmitters appear to be of standard size and shape from the outside, but also have some less commonly-seen features.

First, they offer switchable transmit power levels covering 10, 20, 30 and 50 mW. Although we’ve seen this in isolated cases before, usually in the form of “high and low power” like 10 mW and 50 mW, for instance, it’s nice to see a range of powers available on tap.

This also of course reflects that these products are planned for sale in a variety of countries where different power levels are specified by law. The U.S. allows 250 mW in the UHF band, but most of Europe allows just 50 mW while Japan and Korea allow only 10 mW.

Then there are market-specific needs, such as theater where power in the 20 to 50 mW range is desired due to the density of wireless channels in a small geographic area, such as the Broadway area of New York City.

RF power can also affect battery drain, so in cases where long battery life is needed, such as more rurally located churches where high power is not helpful, a 10 mW setting can be perfect.

.

The DHT 700 handheld transmitter is available with a choice of either an AKG D 5 (dynamic) or C 5 (condenser) mic element; a wide range of AKG headworn, instrument, and lavalier microphones can be used with the DPT 700 bodypack transmitter.

One last feature that is only available to fully digital wireless systems is data encryption. Although systems from Lectrosonics and Telex have included encryption in their digital systems in the past, the inclusion of it in the DMS 700 makes this product available to a sector of the market usually reserved for specialized systems.

CostInterestingly, the cost of the DMS 700 is attractive in comparison with other top wireless systems. The handheld and belt pack transmitters both carry a U.S. MSRP of $999, and the receiver is $1,699 (again, U.S. MSRP). Thus a DMS 700 system with two transmitters has an MSRP of less than $3,700.

Conclusion
All in all, this appears to be quite an interesting system and should be a viable choice for many different applications. The cost aspect makes it even more attractive in terms of the sheer variety of features coupled with the level of performance offered by AKG in the DMS 700 system.

Find out more about the DMS 700 here.

Signing off for now…
Mike Wireless

Mike Wireless is the nom de plume of a long-time RF geek devoted to better entertainment wireless system practices the world over.

.

.

Other posts by Mike Wireless:
Is The UHF Spectrum Going To Ease Up After June 12?
Change The Only Constant In Marketplace For Wireless System Spectrum

{extended}

Tuesday, June 02, 2009

A Trip Most Worthwhile: Community, Technology & Education At LAB DemoFest 2009

Another big reason I took the trouble to attend this thing was the presentation by Bill Hanley. This was the deal-maker for me

I have a keen interest in the history of live sound reinforcement, the gear that was used way back when, and the associated advancements of technology.

I’m also very interested in new technology, even if the price tag of the cutting-edge stuff means the chances of me using it any time soon are a pipe dream.

And, I also like to just hang out and talk shop with other sound guys.

A recent event planned by some ProSoundWeb community members, loosely termed “LAB DemoFest 2009,” combined all of these things and more.

It was not unlike a trade show, except better in some ways, a smaller, more personal event.

Held over the course of two days at the Wachusett Village Inn & Conference Center in Westminster, Massachusetts, DemoFest offered product displays, technical presentations, and live performances all taking place in the same room.

A cash bar on the evening of day one and buffet lunch on day two were also provided by the host facility in the main event room, along with the normal bar and on-site restaurant.

To get there I had to drive the entire length of I-84, and then some, but the round-trip of more than 500 miles was well worth the effort. I’m pretty sure that dozens of audio professionals from all levels of the industry that were on hand - some of them traveling even greater distances to attend - felt the same way.

The bulk of DemoFest planning was done by David Nickerson, with Jason Dermer supplying a rig consisting of EONA ADRaudio loudspeakers and an APB-Dynasonics Spectra console, a 24-channel side-car, and as sweet a rack of outboard as you’ll ever see.

EONA ADRaudio and APB-Dynasonics were not only represented by the presence of their gear, but also by the attendance of company principals. This was also the case with Rational Acoustics. These folks weren’t just hired hands sent to represent these companies, they’re the guys whose names are on the door.

Other manufacturers displaying products included Allen & Heath, Danley Sound Labs, Lectrosonics, EAW, Sennheiser, Shure, and Soundcraft.

On day one, David Missal of Sennheiser and Tim Vear of Shure each gave an individual presentation of their company’s products, served on a panel for a discussion of advanced RF topics. They did a lot to quell the apprehension so many of us have over the new FCC rules. Apparently, the sky is NOT falling.

Other highlights included Jamie Anderson of Rational Acoustics providing insights on the use of Smaart, and Brian Doser’s overview of recording live shows with Pro Tools.

Another big reason I took the trouble to attend this thing was the presentation by Bill Hanley. This was the deal-maker for me.

Bill Hanley is as close to a living legend in live sound as there will ever be. He was at FOH when Bob Dylan came out with an electric band at Newport, and he designed the sound system for Woodstock. He may even be the first guy to ever use stage monitors. (OK, I won’t hold that against him.)

Mr. Hanley is a treasure chest of live sound anecdotes. He also gave the event one of its biggest tributes by deciding to stay and attend day two, noting that “he felt the need to be with his kind.”

Thanks Bill, I’m honored to be thought of as one of your kind.

Be sure to check out Dave’s Photo Gallery tour of DemoFest.

{extended}

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Darkness Before The Dawn? Is The UHF Spectrum Going To Ease Up After June 12?

Will it be like the heady days of the 1990s? Certainly not. But the good news is that things should lighten up a bit

One of the more common phone calls I’ve been receiving lately is from people looking for advice on which frequency bands to choose for their new wireless systems.

Maybe it’s all of the tours going out, or maybe people are finally getting the message about the spectrum changes and they want to “do the right thing”.

I’ve certainly noticed that quite a few systems proliferating the market in the last 10 years fall within the “700 MHz band” (between 698-806 MHz). I’d say that for many manufacturers, close to a third of what they’ve sold has been in this part of the spectrum. Sennheiser Evolution “C” range, Lectrosonics blocks 28 and 29, Audio Technica “E” range, for instance, all fall within the 700 MHz band. Some manufacturers have offered nothing but products in this range.

So here’s how these kinds of calls usually go:

Sound Guy: “So, we’re gearing up for our tour, and we already have vocal systems from Shure on J5, IEMs from Sennheiser in their B range, and a few other backline systems on a variety of ranges. We need to get some additional vocal wireless channels. What frequency band should we be looking at?”

Mike Wireless: “Well, you’ll need to squeeze in between what you already have since you’re covering everything from 518 to 650 MHz. Most manufacturers don’t offer much below 518 MHz. And some of the bands starting at 470 MHz can be problematic in large metro areas due to the public safety bands in that range.”

Sound Guy: “Wow, so what are we going to do?”

Mike Wireless: “You might want to consider consolidating all the backline stuff into one frequency band, and then look at something in the 490-518 range, then maybe something in the 650-698 range. That’s about all that’s left.”

SoundGuy: “OK, we’ll start there.”

Here’s the bottom line: with the analog TV stations still broadcasting, and DTV transmissions starting up or moving down below 700 MHz, the available UHF spectrum is more crowded than it’s ever been. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Maybe.

Come June 12, full-power analog TV broadcasts should cease, thus opening up some of the spectrum between 470 to 698 MHz.

Will it be like the heady days of the 1990s? Certainly not, because DTV signals take up a full 6 MHz where analog TV signals did not. And there are more channels overall now than there were 10 years ago.

But the good news is that things should lighten up a bit, and logically, we shouldn’t expect a whole slew of DTV channels to be added any time soon. The summer touring season should get a break, then.

That is, until the TVBD (TV Band Devices) start showing up. It’s difficult to predict how those might impact our use of wireless mics, but the main problem is that the signals will be transient rather than steady, so we may have to employ different techniques for scanning and coordinating wireless microphone frequencies.

Signing off for now…
Mike Wireless

Mike Wireless is the nom de plume of a long-time RF geek devoted to better entertainment wireless system practices the world over.

Previous posts by Mike Wireless:
Change The Only Constant In Marketplace For Wireless Spectrum

{extended}

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Did You Know There’s A Digital LCD Specifically For Car Washes?

I learn something new every day whether I want to or not...

In my role as editor of PSW, I get a lot of press releases sent my way whether I want them or not.

Most of the time, at least, I enjoy receiving them - even the ones that don’t necessarily apply to audio/sound in any way, shape, or form are often interesting. (One of the “benefits” of being a certifiable information junkie, I guess…)

Case in point is the release below that I received earlier today. Again, certainly not audio related, but file it under “I really had no idea…”

As in, I really had no idea that on this earth there exists “a provider of premium digital signage displays for gas stations and convenience stores”.

Although when you get to thinking about how many gas stations there are in the U.S. alone, it makes sense that there could be such an exclusively focused provider. (A quick Google search tells me that according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2002, there were/are more than 117,000 gas stations in the U.S. alone, and the same stats note that over 84,000 of these also have convenience stores.)

Of course, astute readers will recognize the name of the company distributing this particular press release and understand that it’s actually not a narrowly positioned niche outfit but rather a very large entity that makes a variety of LCD televisions and signage and related products…

Still, give them props on the market positioning…

“The Car Wash Display”? You don’t say…

And “SONNY’s Car Wash Factory”? I really had no idea… (Read more about SONNY’s here.)

Enjoy.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

New Westinghouse TV Topper Helps Car Washes Clean Up At The Register

Cost-Efficient Digital Signage Solution Lets Customers Know About The Best Deals and Promos Before They Reach The Register To Pay

Santa Fe Springs, CA—Westinghouse Digital Electronics, a provider of premium digital signage displays for gas stations and convenience stores, introduces a powerful and cost-effective way for car washes to educate and up-sell customers: The Car Wash Display. The self-contained system includes all of the hardware, software and simple-to-use content needed to easily create compelling ads and promos. The Westinghouse Car Wash Display is a unique solution that provides car wash customers with the latest product information and the day’s best deals while they wait in line before making their purchase. It is a great way for car washes to inform customers of the newest products and services available.

Sold exclusively via SONNY’s Car Wash Factory, the Westinghouse Car Wash Display solution includes an all-weather one-sided 19-inch Westinghouse Digital LCD screen and stand; Westinghouse’s proprietary neonSource™ software for easy creation of ads and promotional messages; and car wash related advertising content by Bclip Productions. The all-in-one solution comes loaded with ads and product demos but can be easily customized so car wash stations can display their own content.

Rey Roque, Vice President of Marketing at Westinghouse Digital Electronics, said, “Small to medium businesses like car washes need all the edge they can get to succeed in today’s economy and our PumpTop Topper is already a proven solution at thousands of gas stations and convenience stores across the country. Westinghouse’s full suite of cost-effective, out-of-home digital signage solutions—which includes hardware and software to meet the needs of all kinds of businesses and environments—offer a very powerful way to drive sales by reaching customers when they are in purchase mode. “

.

Westinghouse’s new Car Wash Display features the LCD screen, pre-loaded content and the company’s proprietary neonSource software. neonSource is digital signage software that allows businesses to advertise their latest product solutions, informational messages, daily specials, and promotional launches throughout the day on a timed schedule. neonSource displays current broadcast/satellite/cable TV or pre-recorded video while inserting banner ads along the top and bottom of the screen. The programming remains uninterrupted as the ads are dynamically inserted around it on the sides, top and bottom of the screen.

 

{extended}

Friday, May 15, 2009

Fun & Challenges (Or Fear & Loathing) At The New House Sound Gig

When did it become some sort of luxury to know if the knob you're turning is making it sound better or worse?

I can’t believe I have been at my new house gig for a couple months now.

Time sure flies when you’re having fun!

I wasn’t there when they brought in the gear and set it up, so some things are not the way I would have set them up.

The mixer is on top of the outboard rack, like you’d do with a portable rig. Bending down behind a rack is not the best way to hear the tweaks you’re making. When did it become some sort of luxury to know if the knob you’re turning is making it sound better or worse?

I’ll change this as soon as I figure out where to move the rack so I can operate it without bending over, while also still leaving enough room in the alloted space at front of house for the light guy.

We don’t have a light guy on duty every night, so I suppose I could just use up all of the space and let the light guy fend for himself, but this makes me a bad guy. Why is it when the light guy is a crybaby, it’s ME who’s being inflexible?

I’d have figured out how to do this sooner if the front of house position was not located back in the corner where I can’t hear the PA all that well. (You know, like most every club.)

The system was installed on the day of the club’s first show, so in order to save time, they didn’t run the drive snake. The loudspeaker processor was moved to the amp rack, and everything is hooked up with a single 24 x 4 snake.

This eats up two mic inputs on the snake, since we need six channels to do L&R as well as four monitor sends from FOH. It leaves me with 22 inputs from the stage and no spares.

Oh yeah, and lighting needs a channel, and when the light guy brings in his extra stuff, he needs a channel too. So now I’m down to 20.

But wait! There’s more!

A DJ rig behind the house left stack needs two channels as well. So now, my Midas Venice 32 can receive all of 18 channels from the stage.

Strangely enough, though, we’ve already hosted our first “national act” without any production issues at all.

Just the same, I really need to get in there and run that drive snake… One of these days…

{extended}

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Changes Are The Only Constant In The Marketplace For Wireless System Spectrum

Although we've all been aware of many aspects of these problems for several years now, it's important to note that this subject is a moving target

Many of us have heard about White Space Devices (WSDs) and that they have been named TV Band Devices (TVBDs) - maybe because “WSD” sounds a little too close to “WMD”.

And perhaps some of us are aware that according to the FCC, these devices will co-exist with our TV broadcasts AND our wireless microphones in the UHF band between about 500 and 698 MHz.

So of course the concern is that these devices might interfere with our wireless mics, and indeed, the potential is there for this to happen.

Fortunately, the FCC has built some protection into the technical requirements for TVBDs before they can be manufactured and sold. And the FCC has given wireless mics priority over TVBDs.

The problem of course is that ANY interference, no matter how brief, is unacceptable in the live production environment, so whatever protection is in these TVBDs absolutely must work and must not allow them to step on any wireless mic, anywhere.

One of the protections in place is that these devices are supposed to first access a database of known, registered wireless mics to see A) where they are and B) what frequencies they’re on. This database is supposed to be managed by a third party (in other words, not directly by the FCC).

This also means that wireless mic users would benefit from registering their products. However, thus far we’ve not seen an actual mechanism for this to occur.

But I did just run across something that may end up being involved:

http://www.showmywhitespace.com/ShowMyWhiteSpace/tabid/60/Default.aspx

This company, Spectrum Bridge, appears to be positioning themselves to be a marketplace for spectrum. How this will play out is not clear, but it may be worth signing up for their newsletter to keep informed.

I also found a cool feature:

http://whitespacemap.specex.com/

This is an interactive map showing the location of TV broadcasts all over the country. It appears that it may also in the future contain locations of registered wireless mic users or other spectrum users, and again, this might be something worth watching.

In the meantime, Shure has petitioned the FCC to delay allowing TVBDs into the market until they provide even greater protection for existing wireless mic users. (Read more about that here.)

Bravo to Shure for leading the way towards first getting the FCC to recognize the scope of the problem (there are millions of wireless mic users out there), and also for keeping up the fight on behalf of all who depend upon wireless systems.

We have a lot to lose if we suddenly have new devices stepping all over our wireless mics at churches, theaters, tours, boardrooms, stadiums, etc.

Although we’ve all been aware of many aspects of these problems for several years now, it’s important to note that this subject is a moving target and you (yes, you) need to stay informed.

This blog aims to help you do that.

Signing off for now…
Mike Wireless

Mike Wireless is the nom de plume of a long-time RF geek devoted to better entertainment wireless system practices the world over.

{extended}

Friday, April 17, 2009

Founders Of File-Sharing Site Pirate Bay Sentenced To Jail

Pirate Bay, with 22 million users in February, is the largest file-sharing site using BitTorrent software

Bloomberg.com is reporting that the founders of the file-swapping website Pirate Bay have been sentenced to jail time (one year each) by a Swedish court, who further ordered them to pay compensation and damages of about $3.6 million.

So, the good guys win one. Not that it would seem to matter all that much when there’s so much piracy still going on without a realistic way to curtail it. As the Bloomberg report by Niklas Magnusson notes, “The International Federation of Phonographic Industry estimates 95 percent of all downloaded music is pirated, as consumers can get access to files free of charge within minutes, often before commercial release dates.”

I’d be tempted to make a pirate joke here, with all of the media attention of late paid to the Somali pirates kidnapping shipping personnel, but really, that’s not funny, nor is piracy (stealing is what it is) of creative property.

According to the report, Pirate Bay, with 22 million users in February, is the largest file-sharing site using BitTorrent software, which allows users to download and share files in 34 languages for free.

OK, this is somewhat comical: “Pirate Bay has said the site is a network where users put up content to share with other users and that there is no copyrighted material on the site.” Followed by this: “The Swedish ruling won’t shut the Pirate Bay website, whose most popular downloads include television series ‘Lost’ and Academy Award-winning movies such as ‘Slumdog Millionaire.’ Other products include Apple Inc. software, computer games and millions of songs from bands such as AC/DC and EMI Music’s Coldplay.”

Ever seen the classic film “The Princess Bride”?

Vizzini: INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Just substitute this:

Pirate Bay Founders: COPYRIGHT.
Sweedish Court: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

And really, what kind of morons name a file-swapping site PIRATE Bay?

It all goes back to a familiar refrain - I wish the recording industry (and other entertainment industries and companies) had gotten ahead of this issue way back when… way back when they had the opportunity. Letting things get to the courtroom stage does not often lead to the desired outcome.

Read the full Bloomberg.com article here.

{extended}

Monday, April 13, 2009

Legendary Producer Phil Spector Found Guilty In Retrial

Noted as the originator of the "Wall of Sound" production technique, working with a who's who of top artists, and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee

I don’t much like the increasingly salacious nature of media, and try to take a different path here on PSW, but I’d be remiss in not reporting that legendary music producer Phil Spector has just been found guilty of second-degree murder.

Spector was charged with murdering actress Lana Clarkson at his Los Angeles-area mansion in 2003. He was originally tried in 2007, but the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict, which resulted in a mistrial and subsequent retrial.

Reports are that the jury for the retrial spent more than 30 hours in deliberation before coming to their decision earlier today, so it doesn’t seem to be a rush to justice. Spector could receive a sentence of 15 years to life in prison.

Phil Spector has been a major shaping force in popular music for more than 50 years, beginning with his penning the (Billboard) number 1 song “To Know Him Is to Love Him” in the late 1950s.

He went on to huge successes, such as being the originator of the “Wall of Sound” production technique, and working with a who’s who of top artists. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

My favorite Spector project is “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’”, which he produced and co-wrote with the The Righteous Brothers. I’m not surprised in reading this Wikipedia entry that BMI lists the song as getting the most U.S. air play in the 20th century.

Sky News offers this report with more details.

 

{extended}

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

When Is A House Gig Not A House Gig?

Long story short, the gig that was supposed to be a minimum of two nights per week turns out to be more like two nights per month

My gig as house sound man at the country bar just ended after a little over a year. The thing is, it never really started.

The first few weeks went fine. The soft opening went very well. Crowds during the grand opening weekend were huge. There was a very nice system installed in the bar. (Two EV MTL-1 subs with two EV QRx 212/75 tops per side, all driven with plenty of QSC power, house console was a Midas Venice 32, and plenty of outboard gear.)

But one band, who has a member that fancies himself as the owner of a production company, and likes to peel the paint off the walls of every venue he plays in, told the woman who books the bands for the venue that they just have to use their own sound system. How else could they be sure they have the ability to peel the paint off the walls?

Now, I have no problem with a band bringing in their own system. Even if the band’s attempt to look like a big, fancy, extra special outfit actually makes them look bush league. Hey, it’s one date on the calendar each month.

The problems arise, however, when this practice makes the person booking the talent start thinking that the house PA system is now optional, and offers to increase the band’s pay if they supply their own sound.

Long story short, the gig that was supposed to be a minimum of two nights per week turns out to be more like two nights per month - the original deal included middle-of-the-week things like Karaoke and line dancing nights at no charge since the room was providing eight or ten nights of work for two guys every month.

Once weekend bookings started going away, an attempt was made to salvage the situation by lowering the system rental price and only having one guy to do the gig. The attempt failed, and the new system at the new club that everyone was so excited about turned into free storage space for the gear, with an occasional gig thrown in.

This is not a good way to make a return on the investment.

Things began to spiral downward. The place cuts back its hours, gets rid of the head chef, and hires a new manager.

The new manager, who does not know the arrangement between the sound company and the venue owners, tells new bands booked into the club that the club has a sound system, and gigs are done with the system being used for free. Everything becomes a jumbled mess of miscommunication.

It becomes clear that this club installation has gone terribly wrong, and needs to be pulled out. 

While the sound company is making room in an already cramped warehouse for the gear, they get a phone call about a new club opening up, which just happens to need a system installed to support live acts three nights a week, at minimum.

It’s like magic.

The house gig that never was is a house gig again.

{extended}

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Lower Summer Concert Tour Ticket Prices?

The Dave Matthews Band, Keith Urban, U2 and No Doubt have already announced some bargain-priced tickets

I ran across an article in yesterday’s (3/18/09) edition of USA Today titled “Major artists are making concerts more affordable”.

The article, by Steve Jones, states that “no one knows how the recession will affect concert business this summer, but several major acts are making sure that fans won’t have to dig too deep to afford a ticket” and then points out that The Dave Matthews Band, Keith Urban, U2 and No Doubt have already announced some bargain-priced tickets.

The touring industry has “an ongoing issue with unsold inventory, and they don’t want to exacerbate that situation,” the article quotes Billboard magazine Touring Editor Ray Waddell.

I’d been thinking about running a poll to find out what sound companies have been finding and/or hearing about business prospects for the upcoming summer touring, so please vote below.

The USA Today article, located here, made several other interesting points, among them that many other artists may follow suit on ticket price reductions, which are expected to be $20-$30 per ticket for top tours (stadiums and arenas).

{extended}

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Remembering Snooks, A Giant Of New Orleans Guitar Blues

PSW Senior Sales Manager Mark Shemet, blues lover and aficionado, as well as a performing drummer in his own right, guest posts on the recent passing of New Orleans guitar legend Fird Eaglin Jr., better known as Snooks.

I first saw Snooks play live in the late 1980’s at the Rock ’n’ Bowl, New Orleans. It was a Monday after the New Orleans Jazz Festival, a double bill with Johnny Adams (the “Tan Canary”). The cover charge was $7.

Snooks was set up as a trio, and both bands were separated by the center bar, taking alternating sets without a break, playing on the floor with no risers while people bowled.

Snooks played every request and threw in many curves - from Hank Williams to “those Isley guys” It’s Your Thing, Lipstick Traces to boogie on Reggae Woman by Stevie Wonder, and back to P Longhair and Snooks originals. His playing and singing always brought a smile. He punctuated song endings with barked comments like “how bout dat y’all?” and “well all—right?”

A unique talent, unpretentious and welcoming, you could always find New Orleans’ best musicians in attendance at his gigs, and often stars like Bonnie Raitt or Eric Clapton sitting in.

I never missed a chance to see him live and even once escorted him to the men’s room between sets (Snooks was blind); he simply grabbed my elbow and asked me to lead the way. His wife always sat close by the stage with his guitar case, and a small circle of family or friends accepted accolades from fans on his behalf.

As with the recent passing of Earl Palmer, sadly so goes another big chunk of New Orleans musical legacy. Fird “Snooks” Eaglin, 72, died in New Orleans from cardiac arrest and complications from prostate cancer on Feb 18, and a jazz funeral was held Feb 27 at the Howlin’ Wolf club.

.

There’s a great bio about Snooks here.

Go here to check out a video that shows his immense skill, where he’s playing rhythm and lead simultaneously (Snooks is playing with George Porter Jr on bass and Jon Cleary on piano, no ID for the drummer.)

And here is another great video from 1985.

The New Orleans Times Picayune provides some good coverage of the funeral with video. (Go here.)

There was a T-shirt for sale at the Rock ’n ’Bowl that stated, “There’s nothing more New Orleans than hearing Snooks live at the Rock ’n’ Bowl.”

I’m still smiling for having had that pleasure.

{extended}

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

This Is Spinal Tap Turns 25

My how time flies when you're having fun

Tough day, the other day. Needed a laugh. Been thinking about Spinal Tap lately, so…

I Google “This Is Spinal Tap” and land on imbd (Internet Movie Database) and read:

Marty DiBergi: David St. Hubbins… I must admit I’ve never heard anybody with that name.
David St. Hubbins: It’s an unusual name, well, he was an unusual saint, he’s not a very well known saint.
Marty DiBergi: Oh, there actually is, uh… there was a Saint Hubbins?
David St. Hubbins: That’s right, yes.
Marty DiBergi: What was he the saint of?
David St. Hubbins: He was the patron saint of quality footwear.

Problem solved; in fact, I go straight from chuckle to snort, completely bypassing laughter, because it all comes back - the accents, the alternating earnest and vacant looks - just the sheer good goofiness of it all…

Too funny in general. Way funny if you’ve seen it. Beyond funny if you’ve worked in/around rock ‘n’ roll.

A couple more clicks and I land on the Wikipedia page about the movie, and am surprised to see that it was released 25 years ago. Huh? Wasn’t it 10 years… no, wait, more like 15… no, well, OK, I can see 20 years. But not 25…

.

“TWENTY-FIVE YEARS? NO WAY! YOU’RE KIDDING! IT CAN’T BE THAT LONG!

And/or I’m getting older faster than I want…

But yes, indeed - March 2, 1984 is listed as the “official” release date to the U.S. market.

NO WAY!

[Nigel is playing a soft piece on the piano]
Marty DiBergi: It’s very pretty.
Nigel Tufnel: Yeah, I’ve been fooling around with it for a few months.
Marty DiBergi: It’s a bit of a departure from what you normally play.
Nigel Tufnel: It’s part of a trilogy, a musical trilogy I’m working on in D minor which is the saddest of all keys, I find. People weep instantly when they hear it, and I don’t know why.
Marty DiBergi: It’s very nice.
Nigel Tufnel: You know, just simple lines intertwining, you know, very much like - I’m really influenced by Mozart and Bach, and it’s sort of in between those, really. It’s like a Mach piece, really. It’s sort of…
Marty DiBergi: What do you call this?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, this piece is called “Lick My Love Pump”.

Are you reading it with Nigel’s inflection? Envisioning Marty’s skeptical/bemused look? “Mach piece”? And that title…

Wicked humor. Genius humor. .

But 25 years?

NO WAY!

I’ve seen Spinal Tap at least 10 times, many of you probably more. The last time, I introduced it to my teenage son, and he “gets it” as well. In fact, he and I may well watch it again this weekend.

And maybe that’s why it’s hard to believe that Spinal Tap has been around for a quarter of a century. Since it was introduced, a good many of us have seen it often, frequently even, and so much enjoy seeing it yet again when we show it to others…

Because it’s hilarious, and because it’s timeless. And because while it has a rock ‘n’ roll backdrop and hits all the right notes in that regard, it’s also about us. People, and our egos, cluelessness, self-involvement…

.

Derek Smalls: We’re lucky.
David St. Hubbins: Yeah.
Derek Smalls: I mean, people should be envying us, you know.
David St. Hubbins: I envy us.
Derek Smalls: Yeah.
David St. Hubbins: I do.
Derek Smalls: Me too.

If, by some remote chance, you’re reading this and haven’t seen This Is Spinal Tap, by all means buy it, rent it, borrow it, whatever. It’s the best money you’ll ever spend in a tough economy, because you can’t put a price on true, honest, can’t stop laughter.

And those of you who are ready for yet another revisit to the world of David, Nigel and Derek, of drummers that spontaneously combust and metal detectors that work all too well, of Stonehenge and the Druids… you know exactly what I’m saying.

Video Fun From This Is Spinal Tap:
Eleven
Stonehenge
Love Pump
Derek Trapped

{extended}

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

More Gigs Are Booking Last Minute, And Details Can Be Sketchy… But All’s Well That Ends Well

Micing for success on the frontlines of a big deal in Pennsylvania - high school district jazz

Ever since my most recent steady house gig became not quite so steady, I’ve been banished to a 14-foot straight truck to do gigs that usually come at the last minute.

In fact, last minute gigs have become the rule instead of the exception. I used to consider getting booked for a Saturday gig on the prior Tuesday as a tight timeframe. Lately, Saturday night bookings are arriving on Saturday afternoon.

The gig I’m writing about here, however, was booked well in advance by these standards - the call came on Monday for a gig to take place the following Saturday afternoon. But not to let me get too comfortable, most of the details were kept sketchy.

I was told it would be sound for a high school jazz band. When I arrived at the gig, it turned out to be a district jazz festival.

I don’t know how it is in other areas of the country, but if you’re a high school musician in Pennsylvania, districts in band, chorus and orchestra are a big thing. What they do is pick the best musicians in the region and bring them together for a couple days to put together a performance.

This particular district event was a big band jazz orchestra, 18 players strong. The front line included six saxophones - three tenors, two altos, and a baritone. Behind them were four trombones, followed by a back row of four trumpets. The rhythm section included piano, (both acoustic and electric) guitar, bass, and drums.

Normally for jazz gigs (and also mostly because I care), I automatically break out a selection of microphones to augment the basic rock ‘n’ roll mic package (Shure SM57s, Sennheiser e835s, etc.) already on the truck.

For this gig, I ended up placing seven mics, but actually used only six after being instructed not to use the one above the drums.

A spaced pair of Samson C01 large-diaphragm cardioid condensers served as my primary mics, positioned about eight feet apart and six feet in front of the horn section. I used these two mics to get the “meat” of the entire group of horns. Also, this configuration puts the stage-right mic of the pair at almost exactly center stage.

There was a roving solo mic located in front of the saxes that could be moved around by the band director during the performance.

Two more condensers - Audio-Technica AT813a - resided among the trombonists for the trumpets to use as solo mics, and also, these allow me to sneak a little extra trumpet into the mix if I need it.

The sixth mic, on the grand piano, was a beyerdynamic MC 834 condenser. There was plenty of time before the final rehearsal to tweak this mic, and rehearsal proved short and sweet, with it all sounding great.

Coming up to show time, everyone seems happy, and I’m confident things will work out well. The kids play a great concert, but my own “performance” has a couple rough spots. Some solos start a bit soft, others a bit loud, yet nobody runs screaming from the room holding their ears.

I do the mix on a Midas Venice 32 console, with two Electro-Voice QRx212 loudspeakers per side driven by two QSC RMX5050 power amplifiers. This PA covered the room - a 600-seat high school auditorium - quite well.

Overall, I’m pleased with the way things turn out, and the band director from the host school raved about what a great job we did to the sound company owner.

For me, it’s another satisfied customer, and most importantly, repeat business.

{extended}

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Today’s The Big Day For DTV Conversion… Or Not… Or Maybe…

What we're left with: some stations are indeed halting analog transmission as of today, while others may do it between today and June, and still others may wait until the very last day.

When I last addressed the topic of digital television conversion, Congress had voted not to extend the deadline of February 17, 2009 (today) for TV stations in the U.S. to cease all analog transmission.

Of course, we’re talking about the government.

And, we’re talking about last month.

Subsequently (a couple of weeks ago), our friends on Capitol Hill changed their collective minds, voting in favor of extending the deadline to June 12, 2009 for stations to covert to all-digital transmission in Washington.

What we’re left with: some stations are indeed halting analog transmission as of today, while others may do it between today and June, and still others may wait until the very last day.

The three “full-power” (about 5000 kW) TV broadcasters in my region (South Bend, Indiana) have indeed all turned off their analog signal today, while a report I saw in the Chicago Tribune said that as many as 400 stations might cease analog broadcasting today.

It will probably take a bit longer to see what impact any of this will have on wireless microphone and other wireless entertainment systems, but in the meantime, go here for a very good primer.

{extended}