Article

Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Put Another Nickle In: How The Jukebox Kick Started The Beginning Of Rock and Roll

For some of those who were there, Buddy Holly and Bill Haley will never sound better then when they were first blasting from a jukebox after inserting a nickel in a Wurlitzer...

Somewhere in its early years, the coin operated record player acquired the name “Jukebox”. There are several theories about the origin.

The most accepted is that the word “juke” is a corruption of the word “jook”, an African American slang term for dancing. The source of the music for this dancing would have been called a “jookbox”.

A second version is that “jook” meant “sex” which may have made sense since brothels were some of the first establishments to install jukeboxes, thus replacing the piano player.

A third source of the word may have been from the term “jute”, or “jute joints” where jute pickers would relax, drink and dance. Whatever the source of its name, the jukebox of the 1920s was generally associated with “speakeasies” and the “low-life” of prohibition since they were featured entertainment in such places.

To pay to hear a record played first started through the entrepreneurial activities of carnival and penny arcade operators who made their own recordings and then charged admission to hear them on the newly invented gramophone.

It was in response to requests by this group of users that the phonograph/gramophone manufacturers began to produce prerecorded product.

This was an unexpected life-line for the Columbia company that in 1890 seemed headed for liquidation, because the intended use of the phonograph as a dictating machine had been a dismal flop.

Columbia and Edison began to realize that their market was somewhere else. They also recognized that in order to sell players, they had to produce and manufacture prerecorded product that the public wanted to hear.

Initially the preferred programs for coin-operated players were comic songs, bands, monologues, and whistling. The revenues from these “pay for play” machines was amazing in light of the fact that the quality was poor and the selection meagre. In 1891, some machines earned up to 14 dollars a day - a lot of money at the time.

While accepting there was a market for coin operated carnival players, Edison feared they might create the impression that the phonograph was only a toy. His worries were unjustified, since the showman-operated players cultivated a consumer appetite for recorded music and a desire for home players.

As the turn of the century approached, mainstreet penny and nickel arcades were becoming an increasingly popular center for entertainment. There were hundreds of different coin operated amusements. The most popular of these were those that played music. Into this market came the nickelodeon and the jukebox.

The first jukebox appeared close on the heels of the introduction of the phonograph. Louis Glas installed an Edison cylinder system at the San Francisco Royal Palace in 1889.

In 1906, the Automatic Entertainer, which used flat disks recently invented by Berliner, was introduced by the John Gabel Company. The system was entirely mechanical but required regular winding of its spring mechanism. It was popular in spite of the poor quality.

In Paris, at the Pathe Salon du Phonograph, patrons could choose a musical selection, which would be played for them from the floor below where there were a battery of players. As in San Francisco, they would hear their selection through long listening tubes connected to the player’s diaphragm.

Composer Claude Debussy, after hearing this system for a few coins, was concerned that the low cost of the disk and its availability would have the effect of cheapening the music. He did, however, acknowledge that the discs preserved a certain magic.

In 1913, Debussy wrote: “In a time like ours, when the genius of engineers has reached such undreamed proportions, one can hear famous pieces of music as easily as one can buy a glass of beer.

“Should we not fear this domestication of sound, this magic preserved in a disc that anyone can awaken at will? Will it not mean a diminishing of the secret forces of the art, which until now have been considered indestructible? “.

Debussy, like so many other classically trained musicians had fears that this new technology would impact on his beloved art, and probably his concert income. The jukebox and nickelodeon changed the way people heard the music of the day by placing it within reach of the masses.

Mechanical jukeboxes continued to be one of many amusement machines in these penny arcades, but in the late 20s with the introduction of the electric phonograph, motors and amplification, the modern jukebox became a reality.

In 1926, J.P. Seeberg, a Swedish immigrant to the U.S., invented an electric system that was coin operated and would play any of eight records.

A year later, Automated Musical Instruments introduced its electric jukebox. Unlike their mechanical predecessors, that could only be heard by fee-paying patrons standing near the machine, these systems were capable of filling an entire room with sound.

These innovations further popularized the jukebox, and so began the modern jukebox craze.

The other two major manufacturers of jukeboxes appeared in the early 1930s. Wurlitzer, a long-time manufacturer of pianos and player pianos, introduced its first jukebox in 1933.

And in 1935 David Rock-Ola (his real name), whose company had been building scales and coin-operated games, introduced its first jukebox.

When the great depression occurred in the 1930s, the jukebox business became the one bright spot for the record industry.

For the public, a nickel would pay for six plays and like the movies of the day provided a few minutes escape from the depression.

There were two other historical events that helped the jukebox gain prominence.

The repeal of prohibition in the U.S. in 1933 meant that there were now tens of thousands of bars, clubs, and other drinking establishments that were installing jukeboxes for entertainment.

The second was the outbreak of World War II, and the relocation of millions of young soldiers to camps in far-away locations. For entertainment, the armed forces installed hundreds of jukeboxes in PX’s and service clubs all over America and overseas.

While these young people would have frequented their local jukebox back home, those machines would have had only a couple of types of music in the 24 available selections, and would have been chosen to suit the area and the jukebox’s clientele.

But the military jukeboxes were unique in that they were stocked with a range of music to satisfy the varied tastes of those who had come from every part of the country and ethnic background.

American blues, gospel, country and pop records were all thrown together on military jukes that introduced GIs to all sorts of music that came from outside of their home community and culture.

Almost overnight, American regional music, never really played on radio before, was heard by those from every region of the country. Many of these young people were also musicians that would now explore, absorb, learn, appropriate, and embrace pop music styles they had never heard before.

After the war this would have a significant impact on the coalescing of those musical roots that would form rock and roll.

On the home front during W.W. II, there was a growing juvenile delinquency problem with so many parents unable to pay attention to their teenagers. Dad was away at war, and Mom was working in a defense plant.

During the early 1940s, throughout America, youth centers were opened for after-school and weekend activities. To bring in the teens, free jukeboxes were brought in, turned up, and rarely turned off. The program was successful.

But, by the late 40s, the jukebox had fallen out of favor with the conservative establishment and was increasingly considered a corrupting influence. One prominent critic wrote in 1948 that the jukebox was responsible for ‘the musical tastes of America’s youth starting on a steady decline.”

That year Frank Sinatra was the most popular artist in the country. For such critics, things would get far worse.

For many Americans in the early 1950s, rock and roll was the devil’s tool, and existed for no other purpose than to morally corrupt the youth. For the first time teenagers had their own beat, and it could be found blasting out of the malt shop jukebox.

By 1956 there were somewhere around 750,000 jukeboxes swallowing dimes in America. Since most radio stations were only playing the most sanitized rock and roll selections, the jukebox was the source for the majority of rock music, particularly those machines in racially mixed neighborhoods. These machines had records of black artists who were singing rhythm and blues and early rock.

The public had heard from the pulpit and conservative press about the evil, passion firing sounds thumping from those machines sitting at the end of the bar or in the middle wall of the malt shop, but when Evan Hunter’s book, The Blackboard Jungle, was made into a movie in 1955, the older public was convinced. They had not beaten Hitler to see their children’s minds lost to the devil’s music.

When you added up the title song “Rock Around The Clock” with the images in the movie, it was obvious to anyone over 30 that rock and roll equaled teenage delinquency. The jukebox had become an integral part of rock and roll imagery.

In many areas of America, the government required a sticker on the jukebox stating that “minors are forbidden by law to operate this machine,” but generally, the jukes remained uncensored.

However, the jukebox operators were frequently placed under suspicion of jukebox stacking, a form of payola where they would be paid to put a record in the machine. Those who operated jukeboxes didn’t kick this image until the 1970s.

Coin operated music delivery systems did not decline as gramophones became a common addition to homes. The opposite was the case. With the spread of domestic record players within the upper middle class, along with radio, a desire was created for recorded music throughout the entire population.

Coin operated systems allowed anyone for the price of a few pennies to hear their favorite and/or the latest record. Increasingly, these customers were the young. In general the first phonographs were controlled by older people (parents) whose musical tastes were toward classical and music of their generation. 

To hear the latest. young people had to go to the juke at their local hangout. Not until the late 1950s was the cost of reproduction systems, headphones, and the records themselves so affordable that young people could have a record player of their own that they could control.

Most of them got that first record player with the detachable speakers as a Christmas present from parents who never realized that from that day forward “turn it down” would become one of their most-often used phrases.

Choosing what records would go in the jukebox was probably the origin of the “Hit Parade”, due to the limited number of records that could go into a machine, and the practice of installing new records weekly based on which ones were and were not played.

The jukebox brought the choice of what music would be played down to who wanted to hear a song badly enough to spend a nickel.

Often these would include recordings of local acts that were prominent in that specific community. In the mid 1930s, every jukebox held a smattering of local releases.

By 1940, those who chronicled the U.S. record industry were recognizing the importance of the jukebox. Jack Nelson wrote in Billboard that “coin operated phonographs, through a tremendously wide distribution, appeal to millions of individuals everyday, thus ensuring for this industry an important part in the next phase of American music”.

The jukebox had become a significant centerpiece anywhere small-town America gathered, and record sales to the jukebox operators were becoming significant.

The jukebox provided anyone with nickle instant grass-roots musical satisfaction.

As Chris Pearce describes it, “It was the jukebox into which the lonely trucker at the coffee shop dropped his nickel to inspire dreams of his baby back home, the jukebox that the kids made for in Chuck Berry’s song when they wanted to hear something really hot, the jukebox that linked communities whose local operator stocked it with songs and dances from the old country”.

From the 1920s to the 1960s, jukeboxes electronically and mechanically advanced by increasing the capacity of their changers, better amplifiers and speakers, selectors at each table, roll around selector, and so on.

Of paramount importance was the “look” of the machine. The jukebox had to be visually exciting. The exterior design became a key to the jukebox’s success. Seeberg and Wurlitzer hired top industrial designers just when Modernism was coming into vogue.

Translucent colored plastic was starting to be widely used and was ideally suited for the illumination of the jukebox. Most manufacturers believed that the customer wanted to see the record changer work and a cabinet that lit up.

Wurlitzer dominated the post W.W. II market with its classic machine, the 1015, which featured colored arcs and floating bubblers.

But in 1948, Seeberg introduced the first jukebox to handle 100 selections, the Select-O-Matic 100.

The number of records that could be played had gone from a couple of dozen records to 50 records, with both sides available for play. Until the introduction of the Select-O-Matic 100, the industry believed that 24 titles were all that were necessary for a selection of “pop” songs.

The other jukebox manufacturers quickly redeveloped their mechanisms to accommodate more records when it became obvious that the customers wanted a wider selection, and by 1956, 200 titles were available in a jukebox.

The expansion in capacity also meant that a wider variety of records could be available. Country and western and rhythm and blues could finally live in the same jukebox with Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Bill Haley and Elvis.

Unquestionably the biggest change to hit the jukebox industry came in 1948, when RCA introduced the 45.

Not only did they sound better than the 78s. but they were lighter, smaller, and the center hole was large and more suitable for automated operation.

In short, it was the perfect record for a jukebox. The 45 in the jukebox of the 1950s would become the focal point of the teenager and the first line source of rock and roll.

Until television forced radio to reinvent itself, radio was the mass medium, and with few exceptions had generally ignored blues, country, and other regional or “fringe” music. The jukebox filled this void.

In the 1950s, it was the jukebox where teenagers would find the latest in music. They were doing what Teresa Brewer suggested -  “put another nickel in…” - but they were selecting Chuck Berry, whose advice was to go “up to the corner and round the bend, right to the juke joint you go in. Feeling the music from head to toe, round and round, and round you go. Hail, hail, rock and roll! Deliver us from the days of old!”

Teresa didn’t know it, but Chuck was saying her days as a pop artist were numbered, as was the style of recordings she made.

These machines were more than music delivery systems, their external designs were trend setters in the art deco movement and an important aspect of their popularity. They offered the latest music at a time when most of the public could not afford to buy a record, much less their own playback system.

The jukebox was key to the popular spread of country, hillbilly, rhythm and blues, and of course the development of rock and roll music. For a generation, the jukebox at the local hang-out was the only place that some of the “hippest” and latest rock and roll could be heard.

Their significance has declined over the last few decades but in the 1940s through the early 1960s they were an important focus for the young. Rock and roll might have been beaten down by the establishment if it had not been for the existence of jukeboxes in every bar, hamburger drive-in, bowling alley and malt shop where young people congregated.

For some of those who were there, Buddy Holly and Bill Haley will never sound better then when they were first blasting from a jukebox after inserting a nickel in a Wurlitzer. For those who weren’t there, its hard to capture it all, since it wasn’t just the jukebox that held the sound, it was where it was happening in time and place when teenagers and rock and roll were being invented.

As a 1950s Wurlitzer ad stated, “For millions, the jukebox was ‘America’s favorite nickel’s worth of fun’.”

Currently residing in Australia, Tom Lubin is an internationally recognized music producer and engineer, and is a Lifetime Member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Grammy voting member). He also co-founded the San Francisco chapter of NARAS. An accomplished author, his latest book is “Getting Great Sounds: The Microphone Book,” available here.

More from Tom Lubin on PSW:
You Make Music You Say? So, You’re In The Fashion Industry

{extended}

Monday, April 30, 2012

Meyer Sound Appoints Jason McCarrick As Education Program Coordinator

Meyer Sound has appointed Jason McCarrick to the position of education program coordinator. Based at the Meyer Sound Nashville office at Soundcheck, he will assume the responsibilities for scheduling and coordinating seminar and webinar events, handling program logistics, and assisting in creating educational content.

McCarrick replaces Mac Johnson, who has been promoted to Constellation project manager at the company.

Reporting to Meyer Sound education manager Gavin Canaan, McCarrick’s responsibilities also include supporting Nashville manager and touring Llaison Lee Moro in organizing Nashville-based events and maintaining operations.

McCarrick comes to Meyer Sound with extensive experience in live sound and production, including key mixing, audio tech, and rigging duties involving Meyer Sound systems on tours with Metallica, Celtic Woman, Rod Stewart, and Cirque du Soleil Quidam, among others.

“Jason’s hands-on experience with Meyer Sound technology makes him a great candidate to represent the company,” says Canaan. “As we diversify our program to include more online training and new educational topics, while adding more in-person seminars at Nashville Soundcheck, Jason will be a tremendous asset to the department and the audio community that we serve.”

Beginning in the mid 1980s, Meyer Sound has maintained one of the most extensive science-based educational programs in the professional audio industry. A broad range of technical seminars covers topics like sound system design and optimization, acoustical prediction with MAPP Online Pro, audio show control, as well as the popular Mixing Workshop by veteran audio engineer Buford Jones.

In addition, Meyer Sound frequently partners with universities and industry organizations to provide seminars and trainings, as well as scholarship opportunities.

Meyer Sound

{extended}

Ashly Audio Names Gary Jones Central U.S. Regional Sales Manager

Ashly Audio has announced the hire of Gary Jones to the newly-created position of central regional sales manager, where he will bring nearly 30 years of pro audio industry experience to the role.

Jones will manage Ashly’s independent rep firms throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and western Pennsylvania.

“We’re very glad to have Gary on our team,” says John Sexton, Ashly Audio vice president of sales and marketing. “Gary has years of relevant experience in every facet of the installed sound market, and we welcome the breadth and depth of his perspective.”

Jones spent 15 years with Altec Lansing in various marketing roles, and has also worked for various companies as a professional audio manufacturer’s rep.

Most recently, Jones headed a design and consulting company that worked with systems integrators on audio systems for churches, courtrooms, hotels, corporations, event centers, gymnasiums, auditoriums, warehouses, and arenas.

“Ashly is a big player in the professional power amplifier and DSP business, and I want to help make them continue their double-digit growth curve,” says Jones. “Ashly is among the last of the American-made professional power amp manufacturers, which is worth supporting, and its Protea DSP platform is unique in its power and intuitive design interface. In the short-term however, I’m just excited to get acquainted with all of my customers and reps.”

Ashly Audio

{extended}

Gearhouse Invests In More L-Acoustics Stock

South Africa’s largest rental company, Gearhouse South Africa, has recently reinvested in more L-Acoustics components to complete its existing inventory of KUDO, V-DOSC, dV-DOSC and ARCS. The new equipment comprises of 48 KARA, 12 ARCSII and 12 KUDO WST line source cabinets, eight SB28 and 24 SB18 woofers and 22 LA-RAK touring racks installed with LA8 amplified controllers.

South Africa is increasingly becoming a regular fixture on the international touring circuit. Combined with an increase in the domestic market, Gearhouse felt the extra investment in L-Acoustics was necessary to service the largest of these events. The company also wanted to update its amplifier platform with the LA-RAK and LA8 platform.

Gearhouse feels the new ARCSII is a perfect extension for the L-Acoustics range it already owns. “The small footprint and options in stacking and flying make it an extremely versatile product,” says Andreas Furtner, audio operations manager at the company’s Johannesburg branch. “The compatibility and interchangeability of amplifiers, controllers and cabling with the other L-Acoustics systems reduces the need to hold a lot of different spare parts and units in stock.

“Although we will mostly be using these as sidefills in connection with dV-SUB or SB28 subwoofers, and as frontfills, outfills and downfills on larger shows, we can also use them in smaller venues as a full range system for live performances. We have already used them on a recent tour by Indian singer Sonu Nigam tour.”

L-Acoustics

{extended}

Andy Liu Named New Sales Development Manager In China For FaitalPRO

Andy Liu has been named sales development manager in China for FaitalPRO, the Milan, Italy-based manufacturer professional loudspeaker drivers

Liu previously handled pro audio account sales in China, focusing particularly in the area of Guangdong, the core region for the Chinese pro audio industry. He will work closely with major audio wholesalers, retailers, top enclosure manufacturers and OEM producers.

“With our China business growing nearly four-fold year on year for the past three years, the timing is perfect for Andy to take on new responsibilities and challenges,” says Flavio Naggi FaitalPRO division manager. “He is already very well introduced in the industry and we’re excited to have him join our worldwide sales team.”

Liu’s efforts will be fully supported by the entire pro audio division at Faital headquarters and assisted logistically through Faital ASIA (FaitalPRO’s Gateway to Asia) based in Hong Kong, which makes FaitalPRO products readily available to the entire South East Asian region.

FaitalPRO

The Palm Show Expo 2012, 24-27th May, at the NEW China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC), will be the perfect venue to introduce and meet Andy in person.

{extended}

Friday, April 27, 2012

Celestion Appoints New Distribution Partner For Australia

Celestion has announced the appointment of Electric Factory as its new distribution partner for Australia.

Based in Victoria, Electric Factory is a leading importer and distributor of musical instruments and professional audio equipment.

Representing a wide-ranging portfolio of leading brands, they are committed to providing high quality products supported by exceptional levels of customer service.

Electric Factory will be distributing Celestion’s entire range including HF compression drivers and LF cast aluminium and pressed steel chassis drivers for pro audio applications, as well as Celestion’s market-leading guitar loudspeakers.

“Electric Factory is committed to offering some of the best quality brands in the audio industry. Celestion were the perfect addition to our current range and we are excited to be representing them in Australia,” says Mat Bolt, national sales manager for the Electric Factory. “We are confident that our approach to distribution will work perfectly for the whole of the Celestion product range, creating visibility and availability throughout our extensive distribution network. This paired with our commitment to customer service, should enable Celestion to grow sales rapidly throughout Australia.”

Consistent with Celestion’s policy of strengthening worldwide distribution for their full product range, this announcement follows on from the company’s appointment of distribution partners in other key territories in Europe and the Americas.

“We are on target to deliver our strategy of developing a robust and sustainable worldwide distribution business,” explains Celestion distribution sales manager Kevin Shove. “The appointment of Electric Factory is a key element of that plan. We value the professionalism, experience and commitment to customer service that the company brings and believe that together we will offer a superb range of Celestion professional audio and guitar speakers to service any replacement, upgrade or DIY demand in Australia.”

Celestion

 

{extended}

Audio-Technica And Celebrated Artists Support Music Education With Scholarships, Donations

Audio-Technica officially kicked off its 50th Anniversary Year in the U.S. with a special gala event held in January during the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim featuring an all-star music revue produced by GrammyAward-winning producer Phil Ramone.

Among the featured all-star cast of performers were saxophonist and longtime Audio-Technica endorser Mindi Abair, R&B/jazz vocalist Patti Austin, new age/adult-contemporary superstar and Audio-Technica endorser Jim Brickman, smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz, vocalist Monica Mancini, legendary trumpeter/pianist/composer Arturo Sandoval, gospel/R&B music legend BeBe Winans and Canadian jazz-pop vocalist Nikki Yanofsky.

In commemoration of the event, all eight performers have decided to donate their performance honoraria to different music education programs and institutions, helping promote the importance of music education and assisting students in their pursuits.

Greg Pinto, Audio-Technica U.S. vice president of marketing and consumer sales, states, “It was thrilling to have Phil Ramone produce the concert, and to have these eight world-class artists perform at our anniversary celebration in Anaheim marking ‘50 Years of Passionate Listening,’ and it is a special honor that they are donating these funds toward music education, a cause that is very near to the hearts of the A-T family.”

Ramone donated his honorarium to The Salvation Army’s Phil Ramone Orchestra for Children.

Abair has decided to donate to the Berklee College of Music Five-Week Summer Performance Program, creating the Mindi Abair/Audio-Technica Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Scholarship. Austin is also donating her honorarium to the Berklee College of Music. Brickman is giving to his alma mater Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM), creating the Jim Brickman/Audio-Technica Scholarship.

Koz is proud to donate to the Grammy Camp (held at and in partnership with the USC Thornton School of Music), creating the Dave Koz/Audio-Technica Grammy Camp Scholarship. Mancini selected The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, thereby creating the Monica Mancini/Audio-Technica Donation for Music Education.

Sandoval chose the Young Musicians’ Camp at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, creating the Arturo Sandoval/Audio-Technica Scholarship for the Young Musicians’ Camp. Winans is donating to Juilliard’s Summer Jazz Workshops, creating the BeBe Winans/Audio-Technica Scholarship. Yanofsky has selected the Schulich School of Music and its Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Music Media and Technology (CIRMMT) at McGill University, creating the Nikki Yanofsky/Audio-Technica Scholarship.

Audio-Technica endorser Abair says, “Audio-Technica has been helping me achieve my sound for more than 18 years on the road and in the studio. I was honored to play for their 50th Anniversary and even more honored to give back with a scholarship to Berklee’s five-week program. I grew up musically and personally while getting my degree at Berklee. I was encouraged to be an individual there and create my own musical vision. That’s priceless. I couldn’t be happier to pass that gift along to another individual.”

Beverly Tryon, director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Berklee College of Music, remarks, “We are very grateful to Mindi Abair for selecting her alma mater to receive this generous scholarship support, and to Audio-Technica for making it possible. This scholarship will allow a deserving young person to participate in this life-changing summer experience at Berklee.”

Fellow A-T endorser Brickman states, “I want to express my thanks to Audio-Technica for the opportunity to create the Jim Brickman/Audio-Technica Scholarship at the Cleveland Institute of Music. CIM is the school where I found my sound. I think it’s important to cultivate musicianship, and their teachers do just that. My hope is that through scholarship efforts like this one, it will open doors and further the music education of another aspiring pianist.”

“It is particularly gratifying that Jim has chosen the Cleveland Institute of Music as the beneficiary of this wonderful gift, since he is one of our own, having studied here with Marshall Griffith and Olga Radosavljevich. It was their teaching that helped transform Jim’s future life, and through this gift, CIM will be able to continue our goal of transforming lives for their future, through all that we do,” says conservatory dean Adrian Daly.

“In consultation with the piano faculty, the scholarship will be awarded to a student who ‘reminds us of Jim,’ with the special qualities he has and has developed to be the wonderful musician, artist and entertainer that he has become. We are also extremely grateful to Audio-Technica for their connections with Jim Brickman, and for their ongoing support of our institutional mission of providing a world-class educational and transformative experience for our students, and for those with whom we interact.”

Audio-Technica

{extended}

Delicate Productions Names Sean Leo Director Of Business Development

Sean Leo, a seasoned veteran of the production and special events industry, has been named director of business development of Delicate Productions.

Leo joins the company from AVT Event Technologies, a leading provider of in-house audiovisual, staging and production services to hotels and resorts around the world.

In his new role, Leo is responsible for creating and managing strategic relationships and developing new business opportunities and potential areas of growth for Delicate Productions. He brings nearly 20 years’ experience in sales, encompassing automotive product launches, press events, live broadcast sporting events, network broadcast specials, outdoor festivals, corporate business theatre and trade show environments.

“Having Sean join us is an important step in the continued growth of Delicate Productions,” says Smoother Smyth, Delicate Productions CFO and co-founder. “His extensive background in live event sales will be a tremendous asset for the development of new clients, his proven expertise in successfully prospecting and on-site production management, will be of enormous benefit to the company and our clients.”

Prior to AVT Event Technologies, Leo worked in sales for numerous leading rental houses including CTLA, AVHQ Staging, XL Video, Impact Video and Videocam. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Leadership from University of Hartford.

Delicate Productions

{extended}

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Radial Increases Focus On Export And Hires New Sales Manager

Radial Engineering Ltd. is pleased to announce that Steve McKay will be transitioning from Sales Manager to fill a newly created position as Export Sales Manager. Roc Bubel joins the Radial team as new sales manager.

According to Radial company president Peter Janis: “Steve has been managing our domestic sales team for several years while also investing what time he had available on developing our export distribution channels. With the global economy shifting to emerging markets like China, India, Turkey, south-east Asia, the Middle East and Brazil, we feel that the time has come to invest more energy into these important markets. As Steve has already been working with our international distributors, the move here is natural. We feel that this will finally afford the time and focus to grow our Radial, Tonebone and Primacoustic brands in these important emerging markets.”

To fill Steve’s shoes, Radial has appointed Roc Bubel as Sales Manager. Roc previously held the position of National Sales Manager for Fender in Canada. Janis continues: “I have known Roc for nearly 30 years. We worked together back in the 1980s when I was with Fender so when Roc decided to get back into the industry it was an opportunity that we could not pass up. During his 22 years with Fender, Roc gained a tremendous reputation as being a top notch manager and very well respected by his peers. We are very excited about these changes and look forward to a very exciting year.”

Radial Engineering

{extended}

Peavey MediaMatrix NION Training Seminar Scheduled For May

Peavey Commercial Audio will host a two-day MediaMatrix NION Certification training course in New Orleans during May, where AV designers, consultants, contractors and end users can learn best practices for designing, deploying and implementing MediaMatrix audio distribution, processing and control systems.

The MediaMatrix NION Certification training course instructs AV professionals on the fundamentals of MediaMatrix, the most flexible and scalable audio networking system on the market, as well as how to design and program projects in nWare; how to set up a NION processor; how to create end-user GUIs for nTouch 60 and nTouch 180 touch screens and PC kiosks; and how to integrate the XControl into a MediaMatrix installation.

The MediaMatrix NION Certification training seminar will be held in New Orleans on May 10-11, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Each successful student will receive a completion certificate that can be submitted to InfoComm for receipt of 7.5 renewal credit hours for InfoComm CTS, CTS-I and CTS-D. For full class descriptions and registration, go here.

Peavey has educated thousands of AV system designers, integrators and end users from around the world since MediaMatrix revolutionized the professional audio industry in 1993.

MediaMatrix now offers the content of its renowned seminars as online courses here.

Completion of the online Peavey MediaMatrix Basic or Advanced course earns two hours of credit toward InfoComm’s CTS and CTS-D Certification Renewal.

Learn how MediaMatrix can be used to create virtually any audio system. For more information, go here.

MediaMatrix
Peavey

{extended}

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Climbing The Sound Mountain, Part 6: The Big Time

Our fictionalized - but instructional - series on making it in the sound reinforcement business continues

Go here to read the entire Sound Mountain Series.

For a long time now, Ben hadn’t thought about his early days in the business at Jack’s. Eighteen months ago, he’d been picked up for his first major tour as a systems engineer, after working a regional festival. His experience with AC distro, grounding and making panels and stringers had proven valuable.

The veteran touring guys from the national act recognized Ben’s skills and attitude by the end of the first day at the festival and suggested he talk to their tour manager.

During his second national tour, Ben made it known that he was interested in running monitors by talking up the band’s hand-picked Scottish monitor engineer, Steve Jones. Steve took a liking to Ben and by the middle of the tour, he was almost considered Steve’s backup guy.

It didn’t hurt that Ben had done monitors for some of the local acts years ago while he was still at Jack’s. Even though it was fairly high-pressure work, he liked it because it got him closer to the band and ultimately closer to mixing front of house.

Ben applied his time-worn approach to learning monitors, and Steve was a patient teacher. At least with Ben he was. Steve had dealt with dozens of aspiring monitor engineers over his career, and had come to learn that most simply weren’t cut out for it.

First, the job can be a pressure cooker. But probably more importantly to Steve, some people simply didn’t “get it.” Ben was the exception because he usually didn’t need to be told anything twice. Not only that, but he seemed to understand the fundamentals behind what Steve was showing him. For someone who wasn’t Scottish, Steve thought, Ben was all right.

What probably mattered even more was how the band and management viewed Ben. Their singer was known to be an ass, especially if he wasn’t getting what he wanted in the monitors.

But Ben seemed to handle everything in stride - it was almost as if he was calmer under pressure than when not. And this cool approach definitely appealed to the band. Steve commented to Ben about it in a half-joking way during setup for a show on the tour: “I’ve been noticing that you seem to handle monitors pretty well, especially under the gun. Anything I should know about? Some kind of new designer drugs or something?” Ben just smiled and shook his head. It was a nice nod of approval from someone who could help him get to the next stage in his career.

Toward the end of the tour, Steve asked Ben if he wanted to run the desk for that night’s show, although it was more of a statement than a question. Lighting a cigarette as he drifted way, Steve added that he’d “be right over there in case you need anything,” pointing vaguely back stage.

Ben knew this was it, everything he had worked for to this point in his career, but it felt natural. All of the training, Steve’s coaching, and the relationships he’d developed with the band and the crew took away any jitters he might have felt. He stepped up behind the console and surveyed the stage. Sound check was in 15 minutes.

Everything seemed solid. Line check was routine except for one microphone line with a dropped leg that needed swapping out. Then the backline techs took the stage and played a couple of the band’s songs before the singer came out and sang a bit to check his ear mix.

Ben was feeling the groove and maybe even enjoying himself. Before he knew it, sound check was over and everyone was heading to catering for dinner. He was surprised when the singer motioned for him to approach his table, and felt a twinge of nervousness since this guy could sometimes be volatile, but it seemed to be a friendly move. He sat down with his plate of food just as the singer said “so, Steve’s got you doing monitors now, huh? I didn’t realize it until I looked over there and it wasn’t his grinning mug floating over the console. By then, sound check was almost over and I gotta say - I didn’t hear any problems.”

Ben smiled as he figured this was probably as close to a compliment as anyone was going to get from this guy.

Just then, Steve came up with his plate piled high with salad and sat down with them. “So, what do you think of the new lad?” nodding Ben’s way and eying the singer. “Not too shabby, right?” the singer replied with a wry grin, then continued to fork in his dinner.

Ben, who hadn’t eaten anything yet, realized that this was some sort of test that hopefully he was passing. He began eating as the mood lightened, with Steve and the singer swapping war stories from the road and laughing every so often. Ben didn’t have many stories of his own yet, at least not the kind that could “hang” with what he was hearing.

After catering, he walked back out to monitorland and sat down, warmly remembering some of the advice Jack had given him years ago: “If you’re really good at what you do, there’s no need to be nervous. But if you’re in the big time, you’d damn well better be good at what you do. They’re like wolves - they can smell fear.” He smiled as he thought of Jack and how he’d gotten his humble start making cables and fixing things around the shop.

Just then, Charlie, one of the newer crew members, came running up with a panicked look on his face. “Steve says you’re doing monitors tonight,” he said with a bit of annoyance. “Yeah, that’s right,” Ben replied.

“But they said I’d have a shot a monitors once I got my sea legs or some bullshit like that,” came Charlie’s retort. Ben started to understand what was happening as Charlie continued, for the worse: “You know who my cousin is, right? He helped me get this job and he told them I was good enough to do monitors.”

Ben remembered something about someone on the crew with a famous cousin but hadn’t put the two together until just now. “So what’s up with this? I don’t get a shot, or what?” Charlie droned on. “I mean, is this permanent or something? This is just not cool.”

Before responding, Ben tried to work out the most diplomatic approach he could muster. Finally, after an awkward silence, he responded: “Well, listen. I didn’t know about your connections, and I don’t know what promises were made. That said, Steve is the one that put me here on the desk, and as far as I know, he’s in charge of monitors since he was hired directly by the band. The only thing I can suggest is that you take this up with Steve or the tour manager.”

“Listen, it’s really not up to me,” he continued, “but if and when it is up to me, on this tour or the next one, come and see me. I can’t promise anything, but we can at least talk through some stuff and see where it goes from there.”

Charlie seemed to accept this, and when Ben reached out to shake his hand, Charlie took it before turning around and heading off.  Ben was a bit shaken but felt pretty good about how he’d responded. And he vowed that while he’d certainly give this kid a chance, assuming it was his chance to give, then the kid would need to shape up his attitude.

Ben also decided he’d better find out Charlie’s background. No one out here owed anyone anything, and the exact wrong approach to advancement is to assume otherwise.

The show went well—the monitor mix, everything. No complaints, and even a thumbs up from the bass player every now and again.

After the show, Ben looked around for Steve but couldn’t find him. Eventually, he ran into the tour manager during load out and asked about Steve. “Oh, he didn’t tell you?” replied the tour manager. “That’s just like him, the bastard. His wife is having a baby and he’s off to the airport for a flight home. You’re on monitors for the last six shows of the tour. And Charlie is on systems.”

Taylor Jensen is a freelance pro audio writer.

Go here to read the entire Sound Mountain Series. New chapters are coming soon…

{extended}

Monday, April 23, 2012

Noble Street Studios Expands Royer Labs Mic Arsenal

One of the key aspects of any successful business is its ability to listen to its customers. Such is the case at Noble Street Studios, Toronto’s newest premiere downtown recording studio.

The studio recently added an SF-24V vacuum tube stereo ribbon microphone and two R-122 active ribbon microphones from http://www.royerlabs.com” title=“Royer Labs”>Royer Labs to their microphone locker – at the request of numerous clients.

Donny Da Silva, Studio Manager at Noble Street Studios is actively engaged in equipment procurement. With 8,000 square feet that encompasses two studios, there’s a lot to keep track of—particularly when it comes to making certain the clients have access to the specific equipment they’ve requested.

“In recent months, Noble Street Studios has handled multiple album projects as well as having recorded the orchestral soundtrack for the new four-part TV miniseries Titanic on the Global network,” Da Silva explained. “For these and other projects, it was critical to have the best microphones and, in all cases, we were getting requests for Royer Labs. We already had a pair of R-121 studio ribbon mics, and the addition of the SF-24V and the R-122’s really helped solidify our ability to meet the requests we received.”

According to Da Silva, the combination of the SF-24V, R-121’s and R-122’s is really making a significant impact at Noble Street Studios.

“We’ve been using the SF-24V for room sound, or ambiance,” Da Silva said, “as well as for piano and drum overheads. This mic is very quiet and does a phenomenal job of delivering the level we want without inducing any noise. We’ve also used the mic over string sections. In all cases, I’m getting glowing reports on the warmth and fullness this microphone brings to the recordings.”

Da Silva was equally enthusiastic about both the R-121’s and R-122’s. “I regularly hear our engineers and the musicians talk about the incredibly high SPL capabilities of the R-121 and R-122. Both mic models are routinely used on guitar cabinets. I received a report recently that, in a recent session, one of the guitar cabinets had eight 12-inch loudspeakers. The R-122 that was used to capture the sound performed incredibly well and delivered the even, full-bodied sound everyone was expecting to hear. A lot of microphones simply wouldn’t be able to handle that much volume, but the R-122’s and, for that matter, the R-121’s, do this without the slightest hiccup. We’ve also used the R-122 on piano and the mic has worked really well.”

When asked about customer service, Da Silva said that while ribbon mics may have a reputation for being fragile, this is not the case with Royer ribbons. “We certainly don’t beat them up,” he said, “but with careful handling, we have yet to encounter any issues whatsoever. Our Royer mics are very robust. While we haven’t had any reason to contact support, I’m confident our dealer, HHB Canada, and Royer would have our back if we needed assistance.”

Before re-focusing on the day’s business, Da Silva offered this final thought, “We put our Royer mics up for just about every client who records guitar or piano. They are requested all the time. Royer Labs has a well-deserved reputation for quality sound and our experience certainly confirms that. These mics are great sounding workhorses that really deliver what the customer wants.”

http://www.royerlabs.com” title=“Royer Labs”>Royer Labs

{extended}

DiGiCo’s Training Seminars Reach Russia

As important to digital console manufacturer DiGiCo as the quality of its products is the support and education it provides its customers.

The company runs a series of well-attended training seminars both at its UK headquarters and around the globe.

The latest location added to its roster is Russia, with its first seminar for the territory held in February at the recording and performance studios of the famous artist Igor Sandler by its Russian distributor, Aris Pro.

DiGiCo’s Vice President of Sales Ian Staddon was joined by highly respected engineer Dave Bracey, known for his work as Front of House engineer for artists such as Robbie Williams, Massive Attack and Bjork, with whom he is currently touring.

The evening prior to the seminar saw Ian and Dave interviewed live on Igor Sandler’s famous late night rock radio show, which, according to the network, had some 1.4 million Muscovite’s watching the live web feed.

On the day, the pair presented a mixture of technical theory and hands on practice, with the seminars covering DiGiCo’s entire range of products, from the flagship SD7 to UB MADI, the latest ground-breaking offering from the company’s Solutions division. The sessions were rounded off with a Mixing Master Class from Bracey, where he demonstrated why the SD7 is his console of choice and emphasizing the use and value of features such as snapshots when using digital consoles.

As a finale to the event, all the attendees were treated to an enjoyable evening of food, drink and a live performance by an AC/DC cover band mixed on the SD7.

“The seminar was well organized, and I had a lot of time to discuss my questions with the DiGiCo and WAVES specialists,” recalls Alexander Odelevsky,Head of the Sound Reinforcement department
at The Moscow International House of Music. “We were able to fully explore the consoles. For new users it was a great experience to be able to study on DiGiCo consoles, and a great opportunity to address a few challenges and discuss some deep hardware and software nuances for pro sound engineers like me, who are experienced in DiGiCo consoles. Thanks to the DiGiCo/WAVES/Aris Pro teams for a great event.”

“Everybody really liked the seminar,” says Yaroslav Udovik, managing director of Aris Pro. “In fact, we plan to do more, as we have identified a need to provide more information to the end users in the Russian market.”

“It’s fantastic to be able to support exciting markets in this way,” adds Staddon. “The feedback we’ve had from the attendees was extremely encouraging and we’re looking forward to a return visit in the near future.”

DiGiCo

{extended}

Guitar Center Opens Two New GC Studios Facilities

In the first quarter of 2012, Guitar Center expanded operations at two of its stores – Highland Park, Illinois, and Tucson, Arizona – by adding Guitar Center Studios, an in-house, state-of-the-art lesson facility, which will create unrivaled opportunities for area musicians of all ages and skill levels.

Guitar Center Studios provides music lessons from beginner to advanced featuring certified instructors teaching world-class curriculum as well as one-on-one courses on Pro Tools, Logic Pro and GarageBand. Guitar Center Studios is now the most modern and affordable lessons facility in the area.

“The opening of our new GC Studios at our Highland Park and Tucson stores is an important moment for musicians in these areas,” commented Gene Joly, Guitar Center Executive VP of Stores. “As arts programs are consistently being downsized at schools across the country, we feel it’s important to create these opportunities for the next generation of musicians.”

“Many of our recent store openings over the last year-plus have featured GC Studios, and those facilities have been a huge success across the board. We look forward to serving the music communities of these areas in this increased capacity.”

Guitar Center Highland Park is open seven days a week. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Guitar Center Tucson is open seven days a week. Store hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Guitar Center Studios hours at both locations follow the same schedule as their respective stores.

Guitar Center

 

{extended}

AED Rent Consolidates L-Acoustics Inventory With Further Investment

AED Rent in Belgium has boosted its L-Acoustics inventory with the purchase of a substantial amount of new components. The company has added 96 KARA modular WST line source cabinets, 66 of the new ARCSII constant curvature WST line source cabinets, 50 SB28 subwoofers and 36 LA-RAK touring racks to their professional AV rental stock.

AED Rent account manager Koen Conaerts cites a number of different reasons for the investment, including this year’s large-scale sporting events such as the 2012 Olympics and UEFA Euro 2012 football championship and, in general, to support their AV clients through a busy summer.

“This year is a special one, and there are a lot of L-Acoustics users that need more equipment,” says Conaerts. “We can now provide them with that extra equipment. We specifically bought the LA-RAKs as we’re updating our stock to the K-Standard; with a huge stock like ours it takes some years to arrive at that point, and now we are almost there.”

Adds L-Acoustics sales manager Tim McCall, “Such substantial and ongoing investment in L-Acoustics systems underlines the very close and successful relationship that AED andL-Acoustics enjoy. AED was very quick to pick up on the benefits of the standard LA-RAK infrastructure for its business model, as well as to see the excellent technical and business reasons for investing in our newer systems such as KARA and ARCSII. We know that AED will be very busy this summer supporting their customers across Europe and we wish them all possible success in this unique year and many more to come.”

L-Acoustics

 

{extended}