Article

Monday, July 06, 2009

Pro Media/UltraSound Chooses Meyer Sound To Support San Francisco Opera Simulcast At AT&T Ballpark

The sound reinforcement system included 28 MILO line array loudspeakers (two arrays of 14 each), along with eight legacy MSL-2A loudspeakers, eight M3D-Sub directional subwoofers, a Galileo loudspeaker management system, and a SIM 3 audio analyzer for system tuning

“Opera at the Ballpark” returned to San Francisco at AT&T Park last month with a free simulcast of Tosca, setting a new ballpark attendance record for the San Francisco Opera with an estimated 27,000 viewers.

For its fourth simulcast, Bay Area rental house Pro Media/UltraSound turned to Meyer Sound loudspeakers, subwoofers and processing to meet the unique task of presenting a live performance from the stage of the War Memorial Opera House to a crowded sports stadium.

David Bowers of Pro Media/UltraSound stated that the decision to go with Meyer Sound was a relatively simple one: “It’s just the way it is. There’s nothing that works better for opera. It’s absolutely, purely linear. It predicts well, and there’s very low distortion.”

The sound reinforcement system included 28 MILO line array loudspeakers (two arrays of 14 each), along with eight legacy MSL-2A loudspeakers, eight M3D-Sub directional subwoofers, a Galileo loudspeaker management system, and a SIM 3 audio analyzer for system tuning.

“We showed up at 1 (on show day) to load in,” said Bowers on the day of the show. “By 7 pm that night, we were doing our first pass for optimization. It was so expeditious. That’s a credit to self-powered systems—they’re very easy to rig.”

Bowers, who has a wealth of experience when it comes to mixing opera and classical music, recognizes the benefits of choosing Meyer Sound for this project. “We love the M3D subwoofer for the opera,” said Bowers. “It’s the most musical-sounding sub for opera and classical music. We want the sound system to be invisible, even if the stage is 400 feet away from the audience. M3D-Sub, MILO, and Meyer allow us to do that.”

“I am overwhelmed and gratified by the Bay Area’s enthusiastic response to our third simulcast of live opera to AT&T Park,” commented Opera General Director David Gockley.  “Our presentation of Tosca onto the scoreboard in high def transmission was fantastic and was matched by the superior sound quality under the careful guidance of Meyer Sound , ProMedia Ultra Sound and the SF Opera Sound Dept.  From the outfield and the infield to stadium seating, more than 27,000 guests enjoyed this growing San Francisco tradition of Opera at the Ballpark. It truly was a grand night for singing.”

Meyer Sound Website

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Electro-Voice Unveils EVA (Expandable Vertical Array) Loudspeakers For Installed Sound Applications

EVA is modular, with four two-way models available that provide a range of coverage pattern, and units may be assembled in various configurations to provide the required coverage

Electro-Voice has introduced the EVA (Expandable Vertical Array) series of loudspeakers for installed sound, a debut that came at 2009 InfoComm in Orlando.

Part of the EV-Innovation (EV-I) family, EVA offers the benefits of concert line arrays in a new, simpler format.

EVA modules can quickly and easily be assembled into full-bandwidth line arrays with well-defined coverage, without the rigging and drive complexities of conventional concert line array products.

EVA is a modular system, with four two-way models available to provide a range of coverage patterns from 90 degrees by 6 degrees to 120 degrees by 20 degrees. The units may be assembled in various configurations to provide the required coverage.

The EVA series uses advanced transducer and crossover techniques to provide surprising low-frequency response without compromising midrange quality. In many EVA applications, subwoofers will not be required to provide a full musical experience.

EVA modules use passive crossovers and have 16-ohm impedances. Thus, a complete two-channel EVA system can be driven by a single two-channel amplifier of sufficient output.

The EVA loudspeaker model is designated EVA-2082S. It has four versions to provide a choice of directivity characteristics:
• EVA-2082S/906—90 degrees (h) x 6 degrees (v)
• EVA-2082S/920—90 degrees (h) x 20 degrees (v)
• EVA-2082S/126—120 degrees (h) x 6 degrees (v)
• EVA-2082S/1220—120 degrees (h) x 20 degrees (v)

The two vertical coverage angles (6 degrees and 20 degrees) can be combined to create line arrays optimized for spaces ranging from 12 meters (40 feet) to more than 60 meters (200 feet) deep. The two horizontal coverage options (90 degrees and 120 degrees) provide a match for any space.

Each module contains two EVS2008 8-inch woofers and four DH2005 1.25-inch high-frequency compression drivers on proprietary Hydra plane wave generators. The loudspeakers are arranged in two sets, with a slight inclination angle between sets. This angle is engineered to provide optimum vertical wavefront shape for EVA arrays.

EVA rigging uses simple and attractive coupling plates to join modules. The resulting array is smooth-sided and unobtrusive. There are no box angle adjustments.

Each module contains a complex and sophisticated passive crossover network that eliminates the need for loudspeaker DSP and multiple amplifier channels. Six EVA modules can be operated in parallel from a single amplifier channel capable of driving 2.7 Ohm nominal impedance (e.g. EV CPS 2.12).

Each module has switchable frequency-shading and attenuation options that are used to adjust the array uniform audience coverage. For each installation, the array design, including module switch settings, is done using EVADA (EVA Design Assistant) software, an easy to use array modeling program downloadable from www.electrovoice.com.

Key features:
• True line array performance with EV’s patented Hydra plane wave generator
• Easy and quick to configure and install
• Aesthetically pleasing with internal hidden rigging
• Two vertical and two horizontal patterns for flexible designs
• Very high maximum SPL output capability with extremely low distortion level
• Sophisticated internal passive network system
• Designed for single amp channel drive
• Available in black or white in one of three versions: EVCoat (interior use), PI (indirect weather exposure), and FG (fiberglass - direct exposure)

Electro-Voice Website

(Be sure to visit PSW’s 2009 InfoComm New Product Gallery.)

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Friday, July 03, 2009

Top-Flight Sound Reinforcement For A Raucous Week Of Concerts At Arizona’s Annual Cyclefest

Pro Production Services handles the wild ride by combining experience and top components to serve a week of live performances by a roster of A-list artists

Fifty weeks out of the year, WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona is an equestrian center and special events facility, but during Arizona Bike Week (ABW), held in early April of this year, the ABW Cyclefest turns WestWorld into a raucous concert venue.

A 27,000 square-foot tent is erected on the premises and dubbed the HandleBar Saloon, and it’s where the majority of the concerts take place during Bike Week.

Arizona Bike Week, which actually spans 10 days, is an annual event that has taken place for the past 13 years in the territory in and around the city of Scottsdale and is the fourth-largest bike festival in the country.

Pre-Rally Days, the five days leading up to Cyclefest, also features concerts, rides and events – including the coronation of Miss Arizona Bike Week – that take place at various towns in the area. This year Pre-Rally Days started off with a concert staged at Chester’s Harley-Davidson in Mesa by the Charlie Daniels Band.

Pro Production Services has been handing production for ABW Cyclefest since 2004, and the Tempe-based company maintains a pretty diverse client base covering everything from fairs and festivals to corporate shows and even events for the White House.

Donovan Mote, director of operations for Pro Production Services out of their Phoenix office, relied on EAW KF750 loudspeakers and BH760 subwoofers driven by Crown I-Tech Series amplifiers to provide the wide horizontal coverage needed for the tent, as well as satisfy rider requirements for the bands coming through. This year’s lineup featured performances by hometown group the Gin Blossoms, Blackfoot, Eddie Money, and Cheap Trick, as well as performances by local bands.

Faced with the physical challenges of staging a large scale production in a tent, Mote has tried various configurations opting this year to go with ground stacked mains positioned in front of a 40- by 40-foot stage, expanded up this year from a 40- by 32-foot stage to satisfy set requirements for Cheap Trick. Crown I-Tech amps provided the power, and Rational Acoustics Smaart was employed by Mote primarily for time alignment of the system.

At front of house and monitors, both analog and digital consoles were represented. “This year we had a Midas XL200 (analog) at front of house, which is kind of our festival workhouse,” Mote says. “It’s really easy to use. There’s not always a lot of time for sound checks and there are charity raffles and things like that that happen in the tent where the concerts occur as well, so something that is really familiar to everyone is pretty important.”

A Midas Heritage 3000 (analog) console was provided for monitors, while Yamaha M7CL digital consoles were situated at both house and monitors. Mote continues, “It’s really kind of an ideal scenario for us, some bands prefer to work on the M7CL because they already had the cards or were more familiar with the console, so we were able to provide the headlining acts what ever they wanted to use.”

Both 12- and 15-inch Radian MicroWedges (the original Dave Rat design that the new EAW monitors of the same name are based upon) were employed on stage, again powered by Crown I-Tech Series, though as Mote recalls, “Several of the acts had in-ears, and we provided some. We used the Shure PSM 700s and the PSM 600s for hard-wired, and Cheap Trick brought out their own set.

“We just picked up Crown I-Tech 4000s for the monitor amp rig and that was the first time we used them all networked. It’s really nice to be able to set up a custom panel and see the status of all the amplifiers and know how much headroom you have.”

“I’ve got our laptops set up so I can monitor all of the (Harman Pro Group HiQnet) System Architect devices, and in this case, it’s the I-Tech Series and a dbx 4800 DriveRack at house,” he continues. “I can also monitor all the wireless systems, and I also have it so I can run either of the M7CLs remotely from the laptop, walking through the crowd making mix adjustments and so forth. To be able to do all that from one laptop is pretty cool.”

The microphone selection is diverse, including AKG C414s and Neumann KM 184s, Shure KSM 9s and a standard selection of Shure SM58s and SM57s. Sennheiser e908s handled toms with Sennheiser 421s for other drum needs.” We just bring out basically two full mic packages and they’ll have pretty much anything that they could want to choose from,” says Mote.

In addition to sound reinforcement, Pro Production Services also provided all staging, lights, video, and backline, with Mote explaining, “More and more these days clients want to have company that they can make one phone call to and have most of their needs, if not all of them, met. So we’ve been trying to diversify our business model to accommodate that.”

He estimates that 50,000 people attended the five days of Cyclefest. “This year there were two other really large festivals that were the exact same time frame, and I hear reports from the other two as well as Bike Week that the numbers were as high as ever and in some cases higher. So while the economy is affecting a lot of people, we’ve been real lucky.”

(Be sure to check out our accompanying PSW Photo Gallery to see a wide range of images of the system, gear and people at Arizona Bike Week/Cyclefest)

Arizona Bike Week Equipment List

Front of House Consoles
Midas XL200
Yamaha M7CL-48

Front of House Processing
Yamaha SPX-2000
Yamaha SPX-990
TC Electronic D-2
BSS DPR-404
dbx 1066
dbx 1074

Front of House Drive
dbx DriveRack 4800
Klark Teknik DN360
Shure P4800

Front of House Loudspeakers
EAW KF750/755
EAW BH760
EAW JF80
Mackie SRM450 (vendor area public address)

Front of House Amplifiers
Crown I-Tech Series

Monitor Consoles
Midas H3000
Yamaha M7CL-48

Monitor Processing
BSS DPR-404
BSS DPR-504
Yamaha SPX-990

Monitor Drive
Klark Teknik DN360

Monitor Amplifiers
Crown I-Tech Series

Monitor Loudspeakers
Radian MicroWedge
EAW KF600i
EAW SB250
EAW SB1000
Buttkicker
Shure PSM 700 wireless IEM
Shure PSM 600 wired IEM

Microphones
Shure UHF-R wireless
Shure
Sennheiser
AKG
Audio-Technica
Neumann

Miscellaneous
Motion Labs Distro
Rational Acoustics Smaart
Harman HiQnet System Architect

Mark Johnson has been involved with audio and video for more than 35 years, including production, manufacturing and writing for various publications.

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Architectural Acoustics By Peavey Debuts PHR Series Ceiling Loudspeakers

A tap selector switch allows for easy system tuning and configuration for 70-volt or 100-volt distributed systems

Architectural Acoustics by Peavey introduced the new PHR Series loudspeakers, designed specifically for compact, in-ceiling operation in permanent installations, at the 2009 InfoComm show in Orlando.

The Architectural Acoustics PHR Series ceiling-mount enclosures are designed to provide high-intelligibility voice, program music and versatile signal reproduction in commercial, industrial and institutional applications.

A tap selector switch allows for easy system tuning and configuration for 70-volt or 100-volt distributed systems, and a full selection of taps up to 60 watts (model dependent) and an 8- ohm transformer bypass setting are included for maximum system versatility.

The UL-compliant enclosure is constructed of high-impact, injection-molded plastic and includes a press-fitted grille design that blends well with contemporary architecture. PHR Series enclosures are housed in steel backing cans and include two color-coded, screw-locked flying leads in a wiring chamber to allow for easy system wiring and daisy-chain wiring to additional PHR enclosures.

A C-shaped backing plate support and tile bridge brackets are included.

PHR 860
• 8-inch woofer with a 1.2-inch voice coil, polypropylene cone and rubber surround
• ¾-inch soft-dome tweeter
• Power handling: 90W (thru mode); transformer taps 60W, 30W, 15W, 7.5W, 3.75W (70V), 100V capable
• Frequency response: 80 Hz to 20 kHz, +/- 4 dB
• Crossover frequency: 4 kHz
• 91 dB SPL (8 ohms nominal mode)
• UL compliant
• Outermost diameter: 12.44-inch
• Overall depth: 11.3-inch
• Cutout diameter: 11-inch
• 12.5 lbs.

PHR 860S Sub
• 8-inch woofer with a 1.2-inch voice coil, polypropylene cone and rubber surround
• Power handling: 100W (thru mode); transformer taps 60W, 30W, 15W, 7.5W, 3.75W (70V),100V capable
• Frequency response: 55 Hz to 100 Hz, +/- 6 dB
• Crossover frequency: 120 Hz
• 89 dB SPL (8 ohms nominal mode)
• UL compliant
• Outermost diameter: 15.75-inch
• Overall depth: 12.75-inch
• Cutout diameter: 14-inch
• 14.5 lbs.

PHR 630
• 6.5-inch woofer with a 1-inch voice coil, polypropylene cone and rubber surround
• ¾-inch soft-dome tweeter
• Power handling: 50W (thru mode); transformer taps 30W, 15W, 7.5W, 3.75W, 1.9W (70V),100V capable
• Frequency response: 90 Hz to 20 kHz, +/- 4 dB
• Crossover frequency: 4 kHz
• 89 dB SPL (8 ohms nominal mode)
• UL compliant
• Outermost diameter: 10.2-inch
• Overall depth: 8.6-inch
• Cutout diameter: 8.8-inch
• 7.6 lbs.

PHR 410
• 4-inch woofer with a 1-inch voice coil, polypropylene cone and rubber surround
• 1-inch duo-dome polymer tweeter with phase plate
• Power handling: 40W (thru mode); transformer taps 10W, 5W, 2.5W, 1.25W, 0.63W (70V),100V capable
• Frequency response: 115 Hz to 13.5 kHz, +/- 4 dB
• Crossover frequency: 4 kHz
• 86 dB SPL (8 ohms nominal mode)
• UL compliant
• Outermost diameter: 7.9-inch
• Overall depth: 7.87-inch
• Cutout diameter: 6.57-inch
• 4.6 lbs.

Architectural Acoustics By Peavey Website

(Be sure to visit PSW’s 2009 InfoComm New Product Gallery.)

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New JBL Control CRV Loudspeaker Provides Combination Of 70V/100V Transformer And Weather Resistance

Control CRV also offers contemporary, curved design and a wide range of configurations

The new JBL Professional Control CRV loudspeaker, introduced at 2009 InfoComm in Orlando, affords numerous mounting options and a wide range of configurations, providing a wide variety of solutions in terms of coverage, appearance and mounting.

Immediately noticeable is the Control CRV’s unique, contemporary, quarter-round design that makes a modern design statement, adding to any venue’s visual aesthetics in either a wall-mounted or corner-mounted configuration.

In addition, this sleek appearance serves a notable functional purpose, as the Control CRV is combinable into half-round, three-quarter-round or a full, 360-degree round arc cluster that is suspendable from the ceiling via a fan pole assembly. 

A single Control CRV mounted at a wall-wall or wall-ceiling junction physically curves across the junction, acoustically coupling with the adjacent surfaces, widening the sound field, and producing an increased sense of sonic spaciousness.

A multi-tap, 30-Watt transformer allows for use on 70V or 100V distributed speaker lines, providing the capability to run multiple speakers on a single amplifier channel as well as individual level taps for each speaker and the ability to be connected via long cable runs. 

Available in either black or white, both models have a high level of weather resistance, allowing the loudspeakers to be located either indoors or outdoors.

The 75 Watts continuous pink noise power handling (300 Watts peak) and dual 4-inch Polyplas woofers provide superb sound quality. Frequency range is specified as 80 Hz-20 kHz.

“With the Control CRV, the contemporary design, configurability — and of course, excellent sound quality — give designers and integrators a great range of versatility from one loudspeaker,” said Rick Kamlet, Senior Director, Commercial Installed Sound, JBL Professional.

JBL Professional Website
Harman Professional Website

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Thursday, July 02, 2009

Community Debuts Color-Matched Grilles & Yokes For WET, R-Series Loudspeakers

Will enhance the product’s weather-resistance as well as improving the appearance

Community Professional has enhanced its WET and R-Series loudspeakers, ideal for outdoor sound reinforcement, with the introduction of color-matched grilles and yokes with improved weather-resistance. 

As an example, Community’s R-Series, beginning with the model R.5HP, will gain attractive, two-layer, powder-coated steel yokes and grilles. 

These will be light gray in color, to match the enclosure, and will enhance the product’s weather-resistance as well as improving the appearance.

The rest of the R-Series product line will receive the same makeover later this year (the R6 will remain black). 

Similarly, Community’s WET Series II will gain attractive, stainless steel grilles and yokes with two-layer powder-coating to match the choice of white or black enclosures.

“It’s been ten years since Community introduced the original WET228 and R2, which may be the single most important advance in school systems in the last decade,” said Bruce Howze, Community’s President and Chief Engineer.

“These new refinements to our all-weather mounting hardware will ensure an even longer lifespan for R-Series and WET products, many of which already outlast not just the competition, but sometimes even the buildings they’re installed on.”

Community Professional Website

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Wednesday, July 01, 2009

KRK Systems Now Shipping R6 Passive Studio Monitor

New monitor’s look and performance based on company's Rokit monitors

KRK Systems is now shipping the R6 passive studio monitor, which incorporates design cues from KRK’s popular Rokit line, including radically radiused edges along the front of the cabinet.

The R6, like its Rokit brethren, provides a sleeker, more modern look, including a molded front baffle also engineered to minimize diffraction of high-frequencies, resulting in a sweet spot that is significantly larger than products with square or lightly rounded baffles.

The baffle also houses a molded front-facing bass port that minimizes low-frequency phase distortion and unwanted frequency emphasis typical of rear-facing bass ports.

The R6 voicing is designed to mimic the voicing of KRK’s Rokit 6 monitor, which is noted for its accuracy and mid-range clarity. The R6 features five-way speaker binding posts, a precision crossover and is capable of handling 100 watts (RMS) of power.

“While powered monitors make up the majority of the studio monitor business, there is still demand for passive monitors. The R6 addresses the needs of broadcasters, project studios and home enthusiasts by providing legendary KRK precision and accuracy in a passive speaker,” said Tony Rodrigues, Vice President of Marketing for KRK Systems.

KRK Systems Website

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Production Hire Debuts Its New Martin Audio W8L Longbow Line Arrays At RockNess Music Festival

“The system definitely throws and there must have been 25,000 in front of it when Prodigy appeared on stage." - Mark Neal, Production Hire

When Production Hire realized the amount of summer festival work and autumn dance events that were available if the company could provide adequate PA coverage, proprietor Mark Neal decided it was time to invest in a new line array system.

After evaluating a couple of leading systems, Neal purchased 24 Martin Audio W8L Longbow line array enclosures and gave them a first initiation at the RockNess Music Festival near Inverness this month, where Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal and Flaming Lips were among the headliners.

He ran 12 W8L hangs a side, with W8LD Downfills on the front corners providing the necessary infill, while Martin Audio’s predictive 3D Display software helped insure the coverage was fully optimized.

“The system definitely throws and there must have been 25,000 in front of it when Prodigy appeared on stage,” Neal reports. “We always knew Longbow would handle live shows but we first tried it out at a dance music event —and it was sensational.”

“We really like that (the low-mids of Longbow) because it’s 1-inch instead of 1.4-inch,” he adds. “This leads to a very sparkly system which goes all the way up and down the frequency range, which a lot of line arrays don’t do.”

Neal also notes that because the system is horn-loaded the sound tends not to flap around in the wind. “Again, this is a problem with many other systems I have experienced,” he adds.

Last year, Neal had only been able to cover Stage 2 at RockNess for production company Loud Sound Events (using the seven-a-side W8LC rig), but this year he could handle both, adding Martin Audio W3s for infill support on the second stage.

“Aside from the additional festivals we can now do this summer, we have a series of autumn dance events lined up, and Longbow will be perfect for that,” he concludes.

Martin Audio Website

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Fishman Marks Successful InfoComm Debut With Solo Performance Portable PA System

Designed to be carried in one hand and provide instant set up, the Solo Performance System features two XLR and quarter-inch input channels with three-band EQ, phantom power and high-quality preamps that accept a wide range of input sources—from acoustic instruments to microphones and line level sources.

Fishman Amplification’s first appearance at InfoComm for the 2009 show in Orlando saw the company unveil the new Solo Performance System, which weighs less than 25 pounds and provides a versatile all-in-one portable P.A.

The Solo Performance System is based on a compact line array loudspeaker design that provides wide horizontal dispersion and deeper sound penetration than traditional point source systems and amplifiers.

With this system, solo performers can project their presentations with a full, wide sound (150-degree horizontal, 40-degree vertical dispersion).

It comes with a digital (Class D) power amplifier capable of producing 220 watts (115 dB SPL Max @ 1 meter), the system features six 4-inch ultra-high excursion drivers, a 1-inch soft dome neodymium tweeter, and servo power amp implementation that eliminate the need for subwoofers. Frequency response is specified at 80 Hz - 20 kHz.

Designed to be carried in one hand and provide instant set up, the Solo Performance System features two XLR and quarter-inch input channels with three-band EQ, phantom power and high-quality preamps that accept a wide range of input sources—from acoustic instruments to microphones and line level sources.

Each channel also offers independent reverb level, effect loop, mp3 inputs, and phase and notch filters to fight feedback.

Other useful features include four digital reverb effects; Monitor Input/Output for onstage ensemble monitoring, an Auxiliary stereo input with level control; Balanced XLR D.I. outputs for both channels, plus main mix; a set-break Mute button and universal voltage for worldwide operation.

The Solo Performance System ships complete with a padded carry bag and stand.

Fishman Amplification Website

(Be sure to visit PSW’s 2009 InfoComm New Product Gallery.)

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NEXO Marks 30th Anniversary & First Full Year With Yamaha Commercial Audio

Since its creation in 1979 by Eric Vincenot and Michael Johnson, NEXO has found great success in both the touring and installation markets

At InfoComm 2009, NEXO marked its 30th Anniversary, and this is also the first full year of NEXO’s transition to becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yamaha Corporation Japan, a partnership that provides customers with complete sound system solutions by utilizing products from both lines. Currently, NEXO’s distribution network extends to over 50 countries, with exclusive representation in the North America by Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems. (YCAS).

Since its creation in 1979 by Eric Vincenot and Michael Johnson, NEXO has found great success in both the touring and installation markets. From its prestigious first install at the Maison de la Culture in Grenoble (1984), in southern France, NEXO products have been installed in many performing arts venues and houses of worship including the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in California, First Baptist Church in South Carolina, Liberty Hall in Kansas, The Classic Center in Georgia, and many more.

For the live performance sector, NEXO has been a name on the rider for nearly 20 years, since the debut of the TS system in 1991. Always evolving, the design team produced the Alpha line in 1996 and the GEO Series in 2001, opening the doors for NEXO to become one of the dominant brands in this field, performing at Ozzfest, Glastonbury, Roskilde, Voodoofest, Japan’s Rising Sun Festival, Monsters of Rock, Montreal Jazz Festival, Merle Fest, events surrounding Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, Summerfest, to name a few.

“NEXO’s market presence and service levels to North American customers has been significantly improved by the expansion of sales channels in the U.S. and Canada,” states Larry Italia, Vice President and General Manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems. “We are currently in the process of appointing additional manufacturer’s rep firms to take the NEXO brand even further into the marketplace.”

In 2007, after 27 years of strong growth at its original Roissy location, the company moved into new headquarters, a wholly-owned campus capable of housing the entire manufacturing resource, located just 30 minutes north of Paris.

The new site enables Yamaha and NEXO to implement a highly automated production line that reduces overall manufacturing time, providing a definitive advantage in meeting the needs of customers worldwide. 

At this year’s InfoComm show, visitors saw the many NEXO lines on display, including the PS Series which has remained a very popular line since the first PS10 cabinet was launched in 1993; the distinctive GEO T and the flagship of the GEO Series, first seen in 2002 and which now encompasses four tangent-array system designs; and the new RAY Sub technology, expanding NEXO’s reputation for sub-bass performance into a new bracket. Launched in 2007, the NXAMP, the first collaboration between Yamaha and NEXO design engineers will also be on display along with the new GEO S12 line array and GEO D system.

Learn more about NEXO milestones here.

Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems Website
NEXO Website

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Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Meyer Sound Introduces New JM-1P Arrayable Self-Powered Loudspeaker

The JM-1P delivers controlled coverage while minimizing reverberation in large or reflective acoustical environments

Meyer Sound has introduced the JM-1P arrayable loudspeaker, a self-powered high-Q system designed to integrate seamlessly in tight-packed clusters where horizontal coverage must be predictably scaled to exacting requirements.

Distinguished by its precisely defined 20-degree horizontal by 60-degree vertical pattern, the JM-1P delivers controlled coverage while minimizing reverberation in large or reflective acoustical environments.

With a consistent polar response and trapezoidal enclosure patented by Meyer Sound, the JM-1P delivers optimum performance in tight-packed arrays providing horizontal coverage that is proportional to the number of units deployed.

Single JM-1P cabinets can be used as a point-source system in either horizontal or vertical orientations. The JM-1P is suited to critical quality applications including theatres, houses of worship, theme parks, stadiums, concert halls, and nightclubs. In touring sound, it offers flexible solutions for center- and side-fill systems.

Meyer Sound’s experience in point-source systems dates back to 1980 when John Meyer, CEO of Meyer Sound, patented the trapezoidal cabinet shape with the release of the UPA loudspeaker.

The JM-1P features a Meyer Sound’s patented REM ribbon emulation manifold technology, which results in low distortion and a tight pattern control, while a constant-Q horn ensures a uniform response throughout the coverage area.

The JM-1P’s exceptional power-to-size ratio and flexible Quickfly rigging options allow for easy mounting and flying in a variety of applications. Captive sliding rigging links on the front and back of the cabinet facilitate easy arraying, and optional pickup and array plates are available for flying horizontal arrays of up to five JM-1P cabinets.

A top grid receives links and pins directly from the JM-1P cabinet and allows for flown vertical arrays of up to four cabinets.

“The JM-1P gives sound designers the flexibility to accurately tailor coverage in highly reverberant or oddly shaped environments,” notes John Meyer. “You can conform your horizontal coverage to fit the room, so you maintain a smooth response at all seats while avoiding echoes or excessive reverberation.”

The JM-1P’s precise high-frequency section is driven by a 4-inch diaphragm compression driver, complemented by a 15-inch, long-excursion cone transducer for the low-mid section. Power is supplied by a dual-channel class AB/H amplifier with a total power output of 1275 W (2550 W peak), while onboard processing includes electronic crossover, comprehensive driver protection, and correction filters for flat frequency and phase responses.

Performance of the JM-1P is exemplary in all respects, with a wide operating frequency range of 55 Hz to 18 kHz, and a maximum peak SPL of 136 dB (at 1 m). The optional RMS remote monitoring system allows comprehensive monitoring of system parameters on a Windows-based computer.

The JM-1P can be controlled with the Galileo digital loudspeaker management system and presets for JM-1P arrays will be available to provide mid-bass and bass management.

Designed and manufactured at Meyer Sound headquarters in Berkeley, California, the JM-1P arrayable loudspeaker will begin shipping in August 2009.

Meyer Sound Website

(Be sure to visit PSW’s 2009 InfoComm New Product Gallery.)

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Tuning A System At The Ultra Music Festival With EASERA SysTune (And “Dr. Bassenstein”)

A look at the tuning process - for subwoofers in particular - for an annual festival featuring performances by some of the top DJs in the world (Also be sure to check out "An Overview Of EASERA SysTune" by Charlie Hughes)

The Ultra Music Festival takes place annually in the spring in Miami, concluding a week-long Winter Music Conference attended by electronic music artists, producers, and fans from around the world.

Ultra Music features performances by some of the world’s top DJs, with the festival site crammed full of PA systems from various vendors.

This year I returned at the invitation of UMF Audio Chief Terry MacNeil (“Dr. Bassenstein”) to perform alignment work on systems as a couple of the stages.

In particular, a lot of attention gets paid to the subwoofers - there’s a lot of content below 50 Hz, and the subs need to be as “right” as possible. Unfortunately, festival scheduling issues restricted my efforts to a fairly tight window..

Advance Work
The PA vendor for both the main stage and Bayfront stage was Beach Sound (www.beachsound.com). The main stage would be equipped with 32 d&b audiotechnik J8/J12, 16 d&b J-Sub subwoofers flown along the J8s, and 24 d&b B2 subs in three high CSA stacks, four stacks per side.

In addition, BASSMAXX supplied 16 beta test subwoofers currently given the model designation SP218 or the “Dub-ill 18.” These are double 18-inch direct radiating vented subs. The challenge would be integrating the centered BASSMAXX subs with the B2s flanking them.

Issues:
1. Physical separation between sources, setting us up for interference problems.
2. Different models of subwoofers, setting us up for potential phase (frequency specific delay) issues.
3. Subjective sound quality difference between the two models of subs.

BASSMAXX chief David Lee supplied some phase data for the new sub, and it appeared the phase response wrapped smoothly enough (for example, no abrupt variations in the operating band) that there would be a good chance of acceptable integration.

I contacted Neil Rosenstock, Beach Sound System Engineer, about “the plan” and we began to coordinate a rational approach to getting as much of the work done in advance as possible. The initial plan was to be able to use incremental delay taps for the center cluster. However, the stacking arrangement proved to be advantageous, allowing us to fill the center without beaming as much as if it had been an eight wide/two high system.

Neil came up with a CSA stacking plan that would steer the B2s away from the center a bit, supplying an ArrayCalc solution that did just this.

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As we shall see later, a bit less steering got it within acceptable limits out in the overlap areas.

EASERA SysTune
I decided to give SysTune a test drive for the event, so three weeks prior I downloaded the evaluation and worked my way through the tutorial.

The tutorial is very good, and anyone who understands measurement issues and has used a dual channel FFT analyzer before will be in a good starting place after completion. Particularly, I wanted to use SysTune’s ASIO multichannel capacity.

My multichannel measurement rig currently consists of:
PreSonus Firestudio Project 8 channel FireWire mixer
Small custom 2 space rack, with power strip
4 SIA RTA-420 microphones
Josephson C-535 microphone
4 Manfrotto collapsible microphone stands
7 microphone cables, of 50- and 100-foot lengths
Assortment of cables and turnarounds
WiFi router and IBM X41 tablet PC for remote access into measurement computer

This all rides in a Pelican 1650 case. Because I was arriving on tuning day and didn’t want take a chance on an airline losing it, I used FedEx to deliver it to Beach Sound.

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On With It
After some travel delays, I finally arrived at the festival site around 2 p.m. the day prior to the kick-off of the festival. Due to the schedule restrictions noted above, we weren’t able to make “big noise” until 5 p.m.

I got my multichannel rig set up in less than 10 minutes, but the amp rack for the center BASSMAXX subs had not yet arrived. Rosenstock and I walked the field briefly to see what the steered B2’s were doing, and sure enough there was somewhat of a hole carved out in the center.

In the meantime, I took a small measurement rig to the Bayfront Stage, with this rig consisting of the Dell Inspiron 4150 measurement notebook, an M-Audio MobilePre USB, and the Josephson microphone.

The PA consisted of flown d&b J8/J12 (no J-Subs), and 16 BASSMAXX X2C “Deuces” lined up across the stage.

The sub line was long enough to get some serious pattern control outside the edges, and in fact this is what we wanted in order to avoid spill to the extent possible in other areas.

With this many systems, and this much sub content, any control available is gladly exercised.

The quick alignment job consisted of sub alignment via phase trace to the flown PA, some quick EQ on the PA (the d&b systems seem to never need much, particularly outdoors), and some sweetening by ear on the subs.

A 6 dB low shelf boost on the Deuces suggested by Dr. Bassenstein was applied, and after a little experimentation using Lake Contour controller, we liked what we heard.

The lack of a tech day meant that forklifts and lulls were constantly working everywhere. At one point I had my back turned to the stage, trying to figure out what was going with this crazy transfer function that could not possibly be right, noise running at a fairly high level.

I turned around and a lull had pulled up next to my measurement microphone, completely contaminating the measurement. It turned out this would be the rule, and not the exception, the rest of the day.

Back To The Main Stage
The amp rack for the center BASSMAXX array eventually arrived and we began. The first set of measurements was mostly on axis with the house right portion.

Using the multi-channel capacity of SysTune, it was quite easy to quickly switch between measurement microphones. Additionally, the easy management of overlays helped me move quickly between tasks.

Since we were short on time, our efforts were concentrated on integrating the center BASSMAXX stack with the spread CSA B2 stacks residing under each side of the PA.

The Figure 1 screen shot shows a measurement overlay taken on site, and reloaded back into SysTune after the fact. The measurements were done with a 64 kHz FFT size, yielding 1.46 Hz frequency resolution.

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This resolution is OK for low frequency work but is too fine for HF work.

Also, the delay offset and measurement levels do not affect the loaded overlays. Savvy users will notice the “zero” delay time – this is because we’re looking at reloaded overlays, not live measurements.

The previous measurement is of only the steered-out B2s, taken from the center of the audience area. The next step is to add the BASSMAXX cluster in the center as seen in Figure 2.

Keep in mind here we have steered the outside B2s away from the center a bit to allow the BASSMAXX boxes to have some of their own space. We have not adjusted the gain on the center sub array at this point.

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Listening tests validated our original notion that if they sound different enough, we should avoid overlap if possible, and these subs definitely do not sound “the same” - whatever that means.

So in our center position, the B2s began to drop off just below 40 Hz as seen in the screen shot. The BASSMAXX subs remained quite flat to 30 Hz.

The phase angles are mostly matched, if not perfectly timed at the measurement position.

However, after listening we decided to treat the BASSMAXX array separately and Rosenstock inserted an 18 dB octave low pass filter at 47 Hz (after some experimentation), and this yielded the above result.

Note the phase response in the areas of interest, not varying more than 90 degrees between the two systems. We played with some delay times but this yielded no appreciable difference, so we left it “as is.”

Walking the field revealed a few but mostly insignificant nulls, certainly far fewer than a traditional left and right sub arrangement. This is the measured response of the summed systems, in the center of the audience area, as shown in Figure 3.

A little subsequent tweaking sweetened the very bottom end, of which a few of the DJs (and particularly The Prodigy) tested to the limits.

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Overall, everyone was satisfied with the arrangement.

DJ Tiesto’s Production Manager walked the field and commented on a few minor nulls but said “it is powerful enough.” Rosenstock and I walked around a bit and decided to pull the CSA stacks back in toward the center and it did help.

The Prodigy’s Front of House Engineer Jon Burto, had a few comments regarding the implementation and offered some suggestions. He had an interesting night mixing, between artists directly in front of the PA, an artist with a somewhat weak voice that evening, and the unenviable position of not hearing the same bass response his audience was hearing.

Final notes and observations:
• The mix platform was located on an SL-100 mobile stage. In fact, the bass response “up there” was significantly different than what the audience experienced.
• The RTA-420 microphone delivered equivalent performance to an Earthworks M30 for subwoofer work. The sensitivity is different but I detected no real difference in either magnitude or phase.
• The BASSMAXX array was quite powerful. We inspected it a few times during the show and experienced blurred vision and difficulty communicating. Yes, I had my -25 dB earplugs in.
• Behind the barricade, there was complete (and I mean COMPLETE) cancellation for a small distance between the stacks.
• While mixing sub models is generally not recommended, with some careful planning and overall awareness of the issues, if you have the tools you can make it work (usually…).
• Yes, it was “powerful enough.”

Doug Fowler is Director of Audio Engineering Services for Logic Systems Sound and Lighting in St. Louis.

(Also be sure to check out “An Overview Of EASERA SysTune” by Charlie Hughes)

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Community Professional Debuts New, Powerful S4 Subwoofer Application At 2009 InfoComm

“Designing a delayed bass array is no longer a complex and mysterious procedure." - Chris Foreman, Community’Professional

At 2009 InfoComm, Community Professional introduced S4 (Subwoofer Steering Simulation Software), a simple and intuitively designed application that allows the user to input basic information on the system specifications (number and spacing of subwoofers, desired cutoff frequency) and quickly configure the optimal arrangement for any situation.

Community’s S4 calculator’s easy-to-use graphical interface provides a two-dimensional polar prediction for an array of LF point sources at any given frequency, and predicts the frequency and phase response in front and behind the array, delivering an accurate prediction of the system performance both onstage and in the audience area.

S4 also provides box spacing and DSP settings for bass arrays of Community VLF208 or VLF212 woofers, and advanced settings provide the ability to calculate average bandwidth, polar degree and amplitude resolutions, listener position and several other parameters.

“Designing a delayed bass array is no longer a complex and mysterious procedure,” says Chris Foreman, Community’s Vice President and COO. “Our S4 application has hidden the mathematical calculations behind a simple software interface that runs within Microsoft Excel. S4 calculates several different types of arrays and delivers a simple graphical readout.

“You can select the array that works best for a given application, or use the software to experiment with different configurations.”

The S4 software application is available as a free download from Community Professional’s website at www.communitypro.com. Separate versions are available for Microsoft Excel 2003 and Excel 2007.

Community Professional Website

(Be sure to visit PSW’s 2009 InfoComm New Product Gallery.)

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Saturday, June 27, 2009

Califone Debuts New ClearSound Series Of Ceiling Loudspeakers At 2009 InfoComm

“ClearSound is the first in what we hope will be a large and successful line of ceiling loudspeakers for the installation marketplace.” - Tim Ridgway, Califonehttp://www.califone.com

At 2009 InfoComm in Orlando, Califone introduced ClearSound, a high-fidelity two-way loudspeaker system designed to be mounted flush in ceilings and walls.

Each ClearSound loudspeaker is equipped with a 6.5-inch (165mm) woofer, a 1-inch (25.4mm) tweeter and an integrated crossover. It is rated at 8 Ohms impedance and designed to operate with an average (RMS) power rating of 30 watts and a peak power rating of 60 watts.

“We’re very pleased to add a high-quality ceiling loudspeaker to our line of professional installation products,” states Tim Ridgway, VP Marketing at Califone. “ClearSound is the first in what we hope will be a large and successful line of ceiling loudspeakers for the installation marketplace.”

The frame and grill of ClearSound can be painted to match the wall or ceiling, and each is shipped with mounting brackets for installation in acoustic and drop ceilings. The back cover is UL fire-rated to meet the most stringent safety requirements. 

Califone Website (Be sure to visit PSW’s 2009 InfoComm New Product Gallery.)

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Friday, June 26, 2009

What’s The Delay? The Effects Of Weather Conditions On Sound

Temperature changes, as well as wind and humidity can wreak havoc on our carefully aimed and tuned rigs. Here's what's actually happening and steps to counter the difficulties.

Summer is here, and a good many of us are out working those “mud and dust” shows, fairs and festivals.

We get to clean amplifier filters on a daily basis, put wedges into garbage bags to keep them dry, mix with visqueen draped over the console (also to keep it dry). And, we’ll have a shop vacuum at front of house as well as the monitor “beach.”

That said, the toughest aspect to deal with when doing shows in the great outdoors is the effects of atmospheric conditions on a system’s behavior. Temperature changes, as well as wind and humidity can wreak havoc on our carefully aimed and tuned rigs.

And the larger the venue, the greater the effect that these conditions will have on sound propagation. The effects are not preventable, but at least they’re (at least partly) predictable.

Morning, Noon & Night
Any time you’re doing sound outside, temperature gradients are an issue. In the morning, the ground retains the nighttime coolness longer than the surrounding air, resulting in a cool air layer near the ground with a warmer layer above it.

The velocity of sound increases slightly with higher temperatures. For example, at an elevation of 0 feet above sea level, at a temperature of 50 degrees (Fahrenheit), sound will travel 110.7 feet in 100 milliseconds (ms).

At 90 degrees F, it will travel 115.14 feet in the same 100 ms. This will force the wavefront angle of sound from loudspeakers to track slightly downward, bending toward the cold air layer.

In more extreme conditions, sound waves can actually bounce off the ground and skip over part of the audience before refracting downward again further on, causing dead spots in the system coverage.

In the evening the opposite happens. Because the ground is still warm while the air is cooling off, a layer of heat is trapped near the surface. Thus the wavefront angles upward, and can be refracted right over the top of the crowd. (Note also that the warm air layer generated by the crowd itself increases this tendency.)

Wind can produce similar effects. The speed of sound traveling with the wind will equal the speed of sound plus the wind speed; thus, when sound is firing into the wind, you must subtract the wind speed.

And since the wind speed in a boundary region like the ground is at or near zero, a wavefront heading into the wind will refract upward as the top part of the wave is slowed slightly by the headwind.

With the wind behind sound - pushing it - the wave will bend downward. It’s not the wind itself that causes problems, but the velocity variations with altitude.

The effects of a crosswind can be analyzed with a little simple trigonometry. (Is there really any such thing?)

Let’s look at an example. Start with the fact that the nominal speed of sound is 770 miles per hour (mph). Then, let’s say that a crosswind is blowing at 90 degrees to the direction of the sound system propagation at a rate of 40 mph.

We can use those speeds as distances on the legs of a right triangle and determine the angle of deflection. In this example it’s about six degrees.

However, this can be a little deceiving.

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Because the typical cluster may have a horizontal dispersion of 120 degrees or more, part of the wavefront is moving perpendicular to the wind, but other parts are quartering into the wind or away from the wind.

This causes their behavior to be affected as though the wind were pushing the sound as noted above. Very complex!

More & Less
Humidity is another factor that can produce large changes in sound system propagation but this time in the frequency domain.

Although it can seem counter-intuitive, lower humidity equals more attenuation and higher humidity equals less.

Humidity effects on frequency response start at about 2 kHz and become progressively more pronounced at higher frequencies.

At a distance of 100 feet and 20 percent humidity, 2 kHz will be attenuated by only 1 dB, while 10 kHz will suffer a whopping 8.5 dB loss.

And these losses are cumulative for longer distances. At 200 feet, that 10 kHz loss doubles to 17 dB! These losses are also in addition to inverse square law losses - they’re not linear with frequency, so amplitude response can vary greatly over the coverage area.

The inconsistencies are worst between 10 percent and 40 percent humidity. At higher humidity, the losses become smaller and also more linear across the frequency range.

These variations can be an issue with arrayed point sources that have a total vertical dispersion of 50 to 80 degrees. But when the forces of nature are applied to a line array with a wave front that is very narrow in the vertical axis, there is not much room for errors in directivity.

The fact that line arrays maintain their vaunted 3 dB loss per doubling of distance for a far greater distance at high frequencies than at low frequencies is somewhat offset by the higher atmospheric losses at those high frequencies.

But because humidity losses are not linear this isn’t as helpful as it might seem.

Line arrays are also typically used to cover larger venues. The phenomena we’re examining here become more pronounced with distance.

The more air that the sound waves have to travel through, the more opportunity there is for mischief. At 100 feet, the effects are noticeable. At 500 feet, they can be dramatic.

Prime Weapon
So how do we overcome all this atmospheric mayhem? One way is to use delayed stacks. But that’s so 20th century, you say - haven’t line arrays made them obsolete? Not necessarily.

Getting people closer to the loudspeakers is a prime weapon in the temperature and humidity wars. Not only do we preserve a reasonable facsimile of the desired frequency response, we keep a much more even volume level over a large area.

Admittedly, the physical aspects of using delayed systems are a pain.

Obscured sightlines, audio feeds, power availability and extra setup and teardown time add expense and complexity to the production.

But we can minimize the inconvenience. Because air absorption doesn’t affect low frequencies as much as higher ones, we can skip the subwoofers, and in some cases, even the low-frequency cabinets in the delayed system.

This cuts the size and power requirements way down.

And co-locating a delayed source with the mix position cuts down on audio and power feed issues.

Delay is an ideal application for some of the new smaller-format line array systems. They provide plenty of horsepower in a small footprint preserving sight lines.

Alternatively, smaller full-range cabinets can be deployed from the “B” system.

How far from the main clusters should delays be positioned? Sometimes this is governed by physical considerations, and sometimes sound pressure level (SPL) limits are set by the venue in consideration of the surrounding communities.

If SPL is being measured at FOH, the main system may be operating at a fairly low level, keeping the delayed systems from being very far from the stage.

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A modeling program, or simple math and the inverse square law (or just the inverse law in the case of line arrays) can be used to determine what the acceptable level decrease is before the signal needs to be re-amplified.

Always keep in mind that the extra losses described are over and above the theoretical losses. If a show is being staged in a calm, high-humidity area, you may not have to allow for much environmental loss. But if a show is held in a windy desert, watch out!

Show The Arrivals
How do we determine the correct amount of signal delay to apply? In my view, measuring the actual time difference is the best way to go.

Use (Rational Acoustics) Smaart or (Gold-Line) TEF to produce an impulse response or an Energy Time Curve (ETC). This should clearly show the arrivals from the main system and the delayed stacks, and enable you to use the cursors to give you a delay number.

If you don’t have one of these tools at your disposal, just do the math. At 70 degrees F, at sea level, the speed of sound is 1,130 feet per second, or about .88 ms per foot. If you know the distance, you can determine the time delay.

Many audio engineers like to take advantage of the Haas (or precedence) effect. The human ear localizes on sound based on both time of arrival and frequency content.

The earliest sound - and/or - the sound with the most high-frequency content establishes the perceived direction that the sound is coming from.

The human ear also integrates sounds that arrive within about a 20 ms window, and this is called the Haas zone. In other words, within this time frame, the ear does not perceive separate arrivals.

Thus the audience can be “fooled” into believing that all sound is coming from the stage system by delaying the signal slightly beyond the acoustically correct setting, and by slightly rolling off higher frequencies. This is called localization. You know you’ve done it right if people are saying that the delayed loudspeakers aren’t working when you know they are.

And don’t forget, the speed of sound changes with temperature. If the environment has large temperature swings reset your delays as close to show time as possible.

Now if we could just get it to stop raining.

Bruce Main has been a systems engineer and FOH mixer on and off for more than 30 years. He has also built, owned and operated recording studios and designed and installed sound systems.

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