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Wednesday, June 03, 2009

New Super-Group Tinted Windows All Utilizing Sennheiser evolution e 935 Wired Nicrophones

Sound Engineer Mike Fanuele also used Sennheiser mics on Bun E. Carlos' drums, including an e 902 on bass and e 904s on toms and bottom snare

Members of four disparate bands - Cheap Trick, Hanson, Smashing Pumpkins, and Fountains of Wayne - have formed Tinted Windows, a power pop music “super-group” with all players utilizing Sennheiser e 935 wired microphones for live performances.

Mike Fanuele, who has worked with Dashboard Confessional and Fountains of Wayne, among others, served as the band’s house and monitor sound engineer (in addition to production and tour manager_ for three SXSW gigs and a subsequent two-week tour that hit New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, two television dates with Jimmy Fallon (NBC) and David Letterman (CBS), and the Bamboozle Festival in New Jersey.

For fidelity and consistency from gig to gig, he assigned a Sennheiser e 935 cardioid vocal mic to every member of the group: Bun E. Carlos (drums, Cheap Trick), Taylor Hanson (vocals, Hanson), James Iha (guitar, Smashing Pumpkins), and Adam Schlesinger (bass, Fountains of Wayne). He also gave touring rhythm guitarist Josh Lattanzi an e 935.

“The e 935 has a great sonic quality so that Taylor, and everyone else for that matter, can hear some nice hi-fi in the monitors,” said Fanuele. “Importantly, its tight pattern control gives me more gain before feedback then I’d get with most other live vocal mics. So we have nice, loud, clear vocals in the monitors, which fuels the energetic performance that these guys deliver.”

“It is of course equally important,” he continued, “that the mic sounds great for me out front. It has a smooth midrange with a bit of a presence peak that helps the vocals cut through without being annoying or harsh. Taylor’s vocal style is very dynamic, and when he moves on and off mic, the e 935’s frequency response changes very little. So with just a little compression, it’s easy to get a solid vocal that sits nicely in the mix no matter what’s happening on stage.” After a pause he added, “the e 935 looks cool on TV, too!”

Fanuele also used Sennheiser mics on Bun E. Carlos’ drums, including an e 902 on bass and e 904s on toms and bottom snare, at Tinted Windows’ very first public performance - an unannounced warm-up show at a small club near their rehearsal space in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The next day, while Fanuele and the band were milling around their hotel lobby in Austin, a quick-handed thief made off with the bag containing all the Sennheiser mics.

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“Sennheiser has always been there for me. Their global support – their support in general – is peerless,” said Fanuele. “At this point I have, on several occasions, contacted Sennheiser with a request, and the very next day someone shows up at the studio or the hotel lobby with the product.

“At some point you start to question it, ‘what did I do to deserve this royal treatment?’ Anyway, this circumstance was no exception. Sennheiser was right there with new mics so that the tour – including a number of television appearances – could go on as planned.”

Sennheiser USA Website

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WorxAudio Technologies Line Arrays Deliver At University Of Tennessee Commencement

"We needed a system with solid vertical dispersion in addition to being able to provide broad horizontal coverage. Equally important, speech intelligibility was critical." - Scott Grimsley, Sound Ventures

The recent 2009 University of Tennessee in Knoxville commencement ceremony for graduates of its School of Arts & Sciences, held at the university’s Thompson-Boiling Arena, offered sound reinforcement by Knoxville-based Sound Ventures, which supplied a system headed by WorxAudio Technologies TrueLine line array loudspeakers.

Also at this year’s commencement, the university conferred a formal degree of a doctorate of humane and musical letters upon Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter,and philanthropist Dolly Parton for her dedication to education, young people,

The Thompson-Boiling Arena, which normally seats 20,000 spectators, was specially configured for a considerably more intimate 12,000 people—specifically the graduates, their families, and select guests. Scott Grimsley, President of Sound Ventures, oversaw the project and discussed the sound reinforcement challenges it presented.

“Being an arena, the seating was divided into the main floor and upper level areas,” explained Grimsley. “This meant we needed a system with solid vertical dispersion in addition to being able to provide broad horizontal coverage. Equally important, speech intelligibility was critical so that the various speakers—Ms. Parton, the university officers, and others—could be clearly understood no matter where one might be seated in the audience. For this type of application, we’ve had excellent results with the WorxAudio TrueLine line array products, so that’s what we decided to use for this project.”

The Sound Ventures crew flew two primary line array clusters over the main stage area. Each cluster consisted of 12 self-powered WorxAudio Technologies TrueLine V10 Touring line array elements. The TrueLine V10T-P is a three-way, high efficiency, line array loudspeaker incorporating a large format 3-inch compression driver for the high frequencies, dual 8-inch cone transducers for the mids, and dual 10-inch cone transducers in a vented enclosure for high energy bass.

These two primary array clusters were augmented with a pair of WorxAudio’s TrueLine X5T-P line arrays that were positioned at the left and right extreme edges of the stage and served as audience sidefills for those people seated on the very far sides of the audience area. The WorxAudio Technologies X5T-P is a self-powered loudspeaker system that incorporates five modules, each with a medium format, 1-inch exit compression driver for the high frequencies that is paired with dual 8-inch cone transducers.

Grimsley was equally enthusiastic about the self-powered design of the WorxAudio TrueLine equipment. “Having the power amps integrated right into the back of the enclosures is a huge plus,” he explained Grimsley. “This eliminates the need for lugging multiple racks of heavy power amplifiers and it also speeds up the cabling process. We run our multi-cable up with a breakout to power each individual box, send the signal, and we’re done. Further, this system’s truck pack is very efficient and without all those amp racks, we transport less weight, which reduces costs. It’s a win-win situation.”

The Sound Ventures crew used both EASE Focus acoustic simulation software as well as Smaart acoustic measurement and sound system optimization software. For stage monitoring, eight WorxAudio UltraMax M1-P floor monitors were distributed evenly across the stage.

Grimsley commented on the ease of setting up and configuring the WorxAudio equipment. “The TrueLine system has some of the best rigging hardware we’ve seen,” he noted.“Between the optimization software and the rigging hardware, our crew is able to fly this system in no time. The software tells us where the pins should go to achieve the right line array curvature, and the process of connecting the individual elements together goes very quickly.”

WorxAudio Technologies Website

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Monday, June 01, 2009

Bose Introduces L1 Compact Portable Line Array Loudspeaker System

The L1 Compact system features an integrated low-frequency enclosure and combines the amplifier, monitor, PA, mixer and EQ into a complete audio system

Bose Professional Sound has introduced the new L1 Compact portable line array system, the latest addition to the Bose L1 product line. It will be on display at the Bose booth (number 6185) at the upcoming 2009 InfoComm show in Orlando.

The new L1 Compact system features an integrated low-frequency enclosure and combines the amplifier, monitor, PA, mixer and EQ into a complete audio system ready for simple connection to an instrument, microphone, MP3 player, computer or other audio device. It continues the legacy of the original Bose Cylindrical Radiator loudspeaker—the product to first introduce the company’s unique approach to live music amplification.

The L1 Compact system features a 14-inch line array and offers two setup configurations: extended (68 inches tall) for larger venues or collapsed (17 inches tall) for smaller venues, where it can be placed on a table or other elevated surface.

Proprietary Bose Spatial Dispersion loudspeaker technology helps foster wide, uniform sound coverage across the stage and throughout the audience, even at the extreme sides, while built-in Bose ToneMatch signal processing can be used to optimize the sound of an instrument or microphone.

Two ToneMatch circuits are included: channel one is designed for a dynamic handheld microphone, and channel two includes a ToneMatch preset designed for an acoustic guitar. Other instruments and audio devices also can be used simultaneously via channel two, through a line-level audio output.

The L1 Compact system is fully compatible with the separately available Bose T1 ToneMatch audio engine, which provides an extensive library of ToneMatch presets, custom EQ capability with proprietary Bose zEQ, and a suite of effects and processing.

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Along with the XLR microphone and 1/4-inch instrument inputs, the L1 Compact system offers two inputs. The 1/8-inch stereo input allows for connection to MP3 players, computers, satellite radios or any device with a line-level audio output. The RCA stereo input accommodates DVD/CD players, VCRs and DJ mixers.

The L1 Compact portable line array system carries a list price of $999 and is available direct from Bose and through Guitar Center retail stores, Musician’s Friend online and select
independent retailers nationwide.

Bose Professional Sound Website

 

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Friday, May 29, 2009

DiGiCo SD7 Digital Consoles Supplied By Sound Image For Lenny Kravitz Concert Tour

Kravitz is touring with a seven-piece band and has a large monitor rig, so the SD7’s high channel count on both inputs and outputs has proved very important

Leading touring company Sound Image recently invested in a pair of DiGiCo SD7 digital consoles and is supplying them for both house and monitor system duties on the current European concert tour by Lenny Kravitz.

Kravitz is touring in support of the 20th anniversary deluxe reissue of his debut album Let Love Rule, and he has performed with DiGiCo consoles for several years. Monitor Engineer Kevin Glendinning has worked with Kravitz since the beginning of 2008, inheriting the job from previous incumbent Brian Henry.

“Brian was nice enough to loan me his DiGiCo D5,” explains Glendinning. “It was my first time on the desk, I adapted to it very well and I enjoyed it. The feel of it is analog and you can drive the console without really worrying about any limitations of digital audio.

“We did an entire year on the D5 and, while Lenny was off the road, Front Of House Engineer Laurie Quigley and I discussed going with the SD7,” he continues. “We’d both heard great things about it, and I was completely sold on the DiGiCo sound. Once I saw the SD7 I thought they had really nailed it and made a board - an entire system actually - that was a lot more conducive to monitor mixing.”

Kravitz is touring with a seven-piece band and has a large monitor rig, so the SD7’s high channel count on both in and outputs has proved very important.

“We have pretty much everything - lots of side fills, lots of wedges, lots of in-ears - so it’s nice to have a large amount of inputs and outputs. I’m constantly making up new channels that are pertinent to just ears, just side fills or just wedges,” says Glendinning, who is also making use of the SD7’s Alt Input, a function common on broadcast consoles that’s not often seen in the live market.

“I have four channels set aside just for Lenny’s vocal: one has extreme compression measures that he insists on hearing in his ears; another very flat and unaltered that feeds effects; one that is sent to band’s and tech’s ears; and another for all wedges and fills,” he states.

“Instead of making eight out of that, I use the Alt Input function so I can keep his effects and vocal channels within one bank. If we need to go to a spare microphone, or we lose a line, instead of burning out more channels, we use Alt Input and the spare channel will instantly do everything that original channel was doing before I lost it - all the EQ and the compression that’s sent to everyone’s ears, wedges and sidefills is the same. I’m just effectively picking a new line. That’s been a tremendous benefit.”

The way the output equalization is formatted allows Glendinning to spend as much time watching the artist as possible without having to be looking at the control surface.

“They’ve even put the ability to ‘feel’ where zero is without looking in the graphic EQs,” he says. “It’s really nice because I can keep my eyes on Lenny but still have my hands at the desk and know exactly what I’m moving. That is a huge benefit. The dynamic EQs are also really happening. If I ever go back to analog I’m going to have a lot more racks, now that I know how great the DiGiCo dynamic EQs sound on pretty much everything.”

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FOH Engineer Laurie Quigley has worked with Kravitz for around six years. “We started using D5s on the 2005 tour,” he says. “I’d used them for years with Aerosmith, Kiss and other bands I’d worked for. I brought them over to Lenny Kravitz because of the simplicity, the sound of the board and the amount of channels we use. We’re running up to 112 channels now.”

“I see the SD7 as basically an upgrade of the D5, which was an incredible sounding board with a good stable format,” he adds. “But for me, the SD7’s banks of 12 are better, the screens are obviously bigger and better, the speed of the board is better, the dynamic EQ is really good. I find the frequency dependent limiters are incredibly useful for certain things like vocals and acoustic guitars for getting rid of stuff you really don’t want.

“On top of everything else, I’m very impressed with the audio quality of the SD7. I’ve tried all the other digital boards on the market and, as far as I’m concerned this one is leaps and bounds ahead.  If it doesn’t sound good then Lenny wouldn’t have it on his tour, and I wouldn’t have it out here either.”

Glendinning concludes, “I get pretty upset that sometimes monitors is regarded as an afterthought, but DiGiCo has really thought about the monitor engineer with the SD7, and I think that’s been long overdue. I can’t say enough great things about both the board and the support we get from the guys at DiGiCo. Webby (David Webster, Marketing Director), Taidus (Vallandi from DiGiCo’s U.S. distributor, Group One), Tony (Crockett, Technical Support Manager) and Pete (Johnston, Technical Support) have been great; it’s a real any time, anywhere sort of outfit.”

DiGiCo Website

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Bartlett Microphones Debuts TM-125 Supercardioid Condenser Boundary Microphone

The TM-125 utilizes miniature capsule technology that prevents phase cancellations due to sound reflections off the stage floor or table top

New. U.S.-based company Bartlett Microphones has introduced the TM-125, a supercardioid condenser boundary stage-floor microphone designed for use on the theater stage to pick up actors in drama or musicals, capturing the footwork of dance groups, and picking up speech in boardrooms, conferences, pulpits, and altar tables.

Designed by Bruce Bartlett and Steve Mills, who have 57 years of combined engineering experience at Shure and Crown International, the TM-125 utilizes miniature capsule technology that prevents phase cancellations due to sound reflections off the stage floor or table top. This results in a wide, smooth frequency response free of comb filtering, so speech sounds clear and natural.

The supercardioid polar pattern of the TM-125 helps gain-before-feedback, and provides excellent isolation from sounds behind the mic, such as a pit orchestra.

With its thick steel housing and rugged construction, the TM-125 can withstand heavy footsteps that can damage and destroy other microphones. All electronics are inside the housing. A supplied XLR mic cable plugs into a connector in the side of the microphone.

All Bartlett micw are100 percent tested on- and off-axis using Time Delay Spectrometry (TDS), which provides an anechoic measurement of frequency response, sensitivity and off-axis attenuation, and in addition, all microphones are listen-tested by humans.

TM-125 Features:
• Wide, smooth frequency response provides natural speech reproduction
• High-frequency rise keeps speech clear, even when actors face to the side
• Tight pickup pattern reduces feedback
• Extreme rear rejection isolates the mic from the pit orchestra
• Picks up sound but rejects mechanical vibrations
• High sensitivity and low-impedance balanced output provide a strong, hum-free signal
• Low-profile, rugged housing is inconspicuous and withstands heavy footsteps
• Asymmetrical mic-capsule placement reduces pickup of standing waves for a smoother frequency response
• No pin-1 problem: Cable shield is tied directly to the mic chassis, preventing hum and RFI
• One-piece compact circuit board assembly reduces noise interference
• Low-noise components
• Each unit is tuned and voiced to match others within +/- 1.5 dB
• 100% tested by the design engineers
• Tech support by the design engineers
• Made in Elkhart, Indiana, USA

Barlett Microphones Website

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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Dual Midas PRO6 Systems Meet Compact Criteria Of Paolo Nutini Promotional Tour

This was the first multiple PRO6 setup to feature a single stage box

A sound reinforcement system providing by Britannia Row and featuring dual Midas PRO6 digital mixing systems was utilized for the recent two week U.K. tour by Paolo Nutini.

The PRO6s were used by Nutini’s Front Of House Engineer Graham ‘Hutch’ Hutchinson and Monitor Engineer Tom Howat, who was also mixing support band The Panics plus additional support acts appearing on the tour.

Because the tour consisted mainly of smaller promotional gigs, the entire control system had to fit into a small trailer being towed between venues by the production’s single tour bus.

The PRO6s packed away into 18U and 14U flight cases, sharing just one DL351 stage box, which provided 32 mic inputs and 32 record outputs.

Additionally, two AES50 tie lines between the two consoles allowed 48 bi-directional audio channels to be transmitted between the two PRO6 systems.

This was the first multiple PRO6 setup to feature a single stage box, demonstrating just how flexible and compact the system can be, while taking less than an hour to pack up and load out.

Hutch had previously used an XL4 on full production tours. “The whole idea was to stay with Midas because that’s the sound I like,” he says. “The PRO6 sounds great, and it took me five minutes to set up out front; it’s amazing.”

Howat, who did some XL8 training at Britannia Row earlier in the year, specified the PRO6s for the tour.

“I’ve been using the A/B cue bus facility to split between in ears and wedges,” Howat says. “I’ve also been experimenting with the POP groups; there are seven guys in the band, so I have a POP group for each band member, which brings me the principal channels each of them need in their monitor mix. I also have per-instrument groups – drum groups, guitar groups etc, which I use for line checking.”

Coincidentally, the Panics Front Of House Engineer Kelvin Parker was the first to mix on a PRO6 in Australia at the Trackside Festival, Canberra, and was very happy to be reunited with the system. For the other support bands appearing throughout the tour, a support patch was devised based on The Panics’ setup.

“Working with three bands is a bit more hard work but you end up learning a lot more, and one of the reasons I spec’d PRO6s for this tour was to learn about them,” states Howat.

The PRO6s will head out on Nutini’s main tour later this year – this time with full production, and no trailer.

Midas Website

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Studio Engineer Bernie Becker Deploys Lucid Master Clocks For Neil Diamond Concert Tour

The mic preamps, the console, miscellaneous outboard digital effects, and the digital loudspeaker manager all received word clock from the Lucid GENx192s

Bernie Becker began working with Neil Diamond in the early 1990s as a recording engineer, and subsequently, Diamond and Stan Miller, Neil’s longtime sound designer, asked Becker to join them on tour.

The studio engineer brought a unique perspective to live sound, including a felt need to regulate all of their digital gear with a master clock.

“Live sound engineers shy away from word clock because it’s one more box to haul around and necessitates a lot of cable interconnects,” explains Becker.“They’re always looking for ways to set up faster and more reliably. They see word clock as moving in the wrong direction.”

However, Becker argues persuasively that obvious improvements in fidelity and “solidness” make the extra setup time more than worthwhile.

For Diamond’s 2008 tour, Becker and his peers traveled with ten Yamaha eight-channel AD8HR digital mic preamps on stage, two Yamaha PM5D digital consoles, additional processing by Yamaha, Dolby/Lake and Aviom. (The main PA had JBL VerTec line arrays driven by Crown amplifiers.)

To keep all of that digital signal in synch, they used two Lucid Audio GENx192 ultra-low jitter studio master clocks. The mic preamps, the console, miscellaneous outboard digital effects, and the digital loudspeaker manager all received word clock from the GENx192s.

Part of Becker’s duties, and some might say part of his obsession, involves “proving” all of the tour’s equipment in his Pasadena mastering studio. “You can really hear the nuances that add up to big qualitative differences, and we’ve proven everything from mic pres to cabling,” he states. “It’s difficult to express in words, but different word clocks have different ‘sounds.’ I don’t think anyone would characterize the sound of the higher-end clocks, including the Lucid, as necessarily good or bad… just different, akin to the qualitative differences you might hear among high-end mic pres.”

Nevertheless, two factors contributed to the tour’s long-standing reliance on the Lucid GENx192s.

First, the Lucid has, in Becker’s estimation, a “generic-ness” that’s missing from other clocks. “I won’t pretend to explain why,” he says, “and the engineers would probably tell me it’s impossible, but the GENx192 seems to work nicely with gear from any other manufacturer. Everything improves by locking to it. With other clocks, some gear seems to improve and some doesn’t.”

Second, the Lucid GENx192 has proven itself road-worthy. “We shook a lot of other clocks apart, literally,” Becker laughed. “The GENx192 is rock-solid and has worked without fail night after night after night.”

Despite Becker’s insistence, many of the sound professionals who either traveled with the tour or helped set it up thought the clock was just dead weight. “A lot of those guys just said, ‘Bernie’s crazy,’ which I am, especially about sound,” he admits. “But there’s nothing like a true A/B test to settle matters. Without doing a true A/B, it’s easy to fool yourself into thinking things that aren’t true. Points of reference change.”

So Becker took his naysayers head-on. They had a recording of every mic and the capacity to play back a “virtual” show. He switched back-and-forth between simply slaving each piece of gear to their AES input signal and using the Lucid GENx192 word clock.

“It’s one thing to hear a difference in a quiet control room, but to hear it in a big, noisy arena, that’s something else,” Becker says. “It was obvious to everyone present that in a blind A/B, the clocked audio had less digital harshness, greater imaging, and greater depth of field. It was not subtle. It was no longer up for debate.”

Becker summarizes, “Our Lucid GENx192s are absolutely road-worthy and make Neil’s live sound qualitatively better. For just a few more cable interconnects, the musicians can tell the difference. Many don’t necessarily claim that it sounds better, but rather that it feels more solid, like they’re more connected to their instruments. For just a few more cable interconnects, the audience gets a better show.”

Lucid Audio Website

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Clear-Com Now Shipping Tempest2400 2.4 GHz Wireless Intercom System

Easy to configure and use, Tempest2400 is designed for both indoor and outdoor applications, including touring productions

Clear-Com Communication Systems is now shipping (worldwide) the new Tempest2400 wireless intercom system, which operates in a license-free frequency band where it is fundamentally resistant to interference from other wireless devices.

By utilizing the 2.4 GHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) in conjunction with TDMA technology, the Tempest2400 RF approach avoids the need for licensing and frequency coordination. 

In addition, once registered to a base station, a beltpack needs no further configuration and roams freely within a single zone area, making it perfect for productions and events requiring tight coordination.

Tempest2400 also appeals to those finding it difficult to operate wireless equipment in the 470-698 MHz portion of the UHF band due to an increasingly crowded spectrum. 

“As it operates in the unlicensed 2.4 GHz band, it is unaffected by regulatory restrictions that inhibit the wireless communications in other frequency bands,” says Chris Barry, Product Manager, Clear-Com. “Its simple set-up requirements and portability also make it a tremendous asset for those looking to use it for multiple types of applications.”

Each base station supports up to five full-duplex, four-audio-channel digital wireless beltpacks; by stacking up to 10 base stations together, 50 independent, full-duplex wireless beltpacks can operate together in a single system.

Tempest2400 features state-of-the-art 2xTX Transmission Voice Data Redundancy, which sends each packet of audio data twice on different frequencies, and through different antennas, ensuring uninterrupted audio communications.  It can interoperate with other Clear-Com intercom systems through four-wire and two-wire connections, as well as those from other manufacturers.

Other handy elements include the iSelect roaming feature, which allows the beltpack user to move from one zone area to the next, among other benefits, and the T-Desk control and configuration software for monitoring and managing the entire wireless system from a remote location via Ethernet connection to a LAN. 

Available as an option is a remote transceiver for antenna placement of up to 1,500 feet (450 meters) from the base station.

Clear-Com Website

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

TC-Helicon Announces VoiceLive 2 Harmony/Effects Processor Officially Shipping

VoiceLive 2 contains vocal harmonies with up to eight voices that can be controlled via MIDI, guitar or MP3

TC-Helicon has announced that the new VoiceLive 2 harmony and effects processor is now shipping.

VoiceLive 2 is a floor-based vocal processor that contains the effects necessary to produce vocal sound from the past, present and well into the future.

Vocal processing aficionados have been following the final stages of development on VoiceLive 2 at blog.tc-helicon.com. Direct feedback from vocalists through the website, as well as through user beta testing, has refined the product even further.

VoiceLive 2 contains vocal harmonies with up to eight voices that can be controlled via MIDI, guitar or MP3, and it “listens” to the singer and adjusts EQ, compression, de-essing and gating to make vocals sound smooth and produced.

TC-Helicon VoiceLive 2 features:
• Wizard button helps find the right preset
• Stompbox access to six effect blocks
• One button access to global Tone, Pitch and Guitar FX
• Easy editing of all parameters; simple preset chaining with Step feature.
• Control harmonies with guitar, MIDI or MP3 input
• Up to 8 voices with MIDI keyboard control or 4 doubled harmonies
• All new algorithm is smooth and natural even for extreme vocal styles
• Auto sensing of harmony control instrument
• 5X processing power of typical floor processor
• Separate harmony and doubling blocks
• New reverb, tap delay and µMod
• FX block for T-Pain effect, megaphone and distortion
• Global effects including Tone, pitch correction and Guitar FX
• All effects can be used simultaneously
• Tone tailors adaptive EQ, compression and de-ess to voice
• Adaptive gate reduces mic input when vocalist is not singing
• Digital mic-gain control is engaged via feet

Connectivity includes:
• Mic or Line input with digital controlled mic gain
• Guitar input with auto-mix, Guitar FX as well as transparent pass-thru
• Stereo 1/8-inch (MP3 player) input
• Stereo XLR, 1/4-inch and Headphone outputs
• MIDI In, Out and Thru
• Expression pedal input
• USB for updates, back-up and audio streaming

The TC-Helicon VoiceLive 2

TC-Helicon Website

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Friday, May 22, 2009

Soundwave Audio Supports KFMA Day Festival With Martin Audio For Mains & Monitors

The house system included 12 Martin Audio W8LC line array modules per side and 12 Martin WSX folded horn subwoofers per side on the deck, with Martin components for sidefill and stage monitoring as well

More than 15,000 rock fans recently converged on Tucson Electric Park for KFMA Day, the radio station’s annual music festival, with this year’s event featuring metal icons Korn as the headliner joined by rising metal bands such as Hollywood Undead, Escape the Fate, Amberlin, Red, as well as several local bands.

Soundwave Audio of Tuscon provided sound reinforcement and support for the festival, with owner Mark Pacheco noting that his company was asked to supply “complete audio not just for the opening acts but for Korn - consoles, backline, monitors, microphones, everything. And we generally don’t do headliners.”

The house system consisted of 12 Martin Audio W8LC line array modules (flown) per side, with 12 Martin Audio WSX folded horn subwoofers per side on the deck, and sidefill coverage from two Martin Audio W8 full-range loudspeakers over two Martin Audio Blackline S218+ subwoofers (again, per side). All loudspeakers were driven with Martin Audio MA 4.2 amps, with digital processing from Dolby Lake.

Soundwave Audio also provided Yamaha PM5D digital consoles for the openers and a Midas Heritage H3000 for the headliner. Besides Pacheco, who was overseeing the production in a role he describes as a “floater,” the audio crew consisted of Jim Labukas (FOH tech) and Javier Delgado (monitor for opening acts and tech for Korn).

Pacheco adds that the event offered a few challenges. “They (the client) wanted four-box sidefills and 20 wedges on the deck,” he explains. “And we had a fairly small Stageline 320 (stage), but managed to get everything worked out. During the show, they used all of the (Martin Audio) wedges onstage except one mix. Other than that, it was a typical festival.”

He adds: “I’ve done the smoothest of jazz shows to the heaviest of rock and metal shows with great results from the W8LCs, and we’ve never had a problem. It’s a very musical loudspeaker. Every time I advance a show and tell the people I have a Martin rig, I usually hear, ‘Oh yeah, I like that stuff.’”

Martin Audio Website

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

Savannah College Of Art & Design Equips With Lectrosonics Digital Hybrid Wireless Systems

“I bought this gear to accurately reflect the nature of today’s location sound work." - Peter Damski, Savannah College of Art and Design

With more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design university in the U.S., the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) encompasses a dedicated program for sound design students that includes opportunities to work with dialog, sound effects, and foley in a setting that incorporates many of the latest technological advancements.

Production of student films approaches 40 projects in a single quarter, so the school’s equipment receives heavy use.

Peter Damski, CAS, is Professor of Sound Design at SCAD and continues to work as an independent production sound mixer. A veteran of Hollywood’s television production community, his credits include the popular sitcoms “Mad About You” and “Will and Grace”.

Since joining SCAD’s faculty at the start of the 2008-2009 academic year, he has been teaching Introduction to Sound Design, Location Sound, and has developed a course in Advanced Production Sound, which encompasses doing sound for sports venues and TV stations, plus theatrical work.

“I discovered that the equipment being used for location sound work was quite antiquated,” notes Damski. “As a result, the students were being handicapped by gear that wasn’t functioning up to par and this negatively impacted the way they approached their projects.

“A perfect example of this was wireless equipment that readily suffered from RF interference and limited range,” he continues. “We were in dire need of new equipment that accurately reflected the type of gear being used in today’s production environment. After receiving the green light to purchase new equipment, I created four ‘kits’ that would enable the students to handle a variety of location sound tasks. These kits included boom mics, wireless mics, cables, and everything they would typically require for a wide range of projects.”

For wireless microphones, Damski purchased four Lectrosonics VR Field wideband receivers. Each battery-powered modular receiver system was stocked with three VRS modules—providing room for expansion upwards to a total of six channels per unit.

On the transmitter side of the equation, he purchased twelve Lectrosonics SM Series beltpack transmitters for lavaliere microphones and two UH400a plug-on transmitters for use with conventional microphones. All of this equipment utilizes Lectrosonics’ Digital Hybrid Wireless Technology.

“I bought this gear to accurately reflect the nature of today’s location sound work,” explains Damski. “I knew from my own experience it would serve the school well and it was important for me to introduce products of this caliber to the students.

“We created two timecode kits utilizing Sound Devices 702T field recorders with PSC (Professional Sound Corporation) Alphamixers, and two non-timecode kits using Sound Devices 722 recorders with Wendt NGS X4 audio mixers.

“We have an astonishing workload here, so the equipment is in constant use. I’ve given my students the option to call me any day between 7 AM and 10 PM should they encounter issues with the equipment. Thus far, I haven’t received a single call about the Lectrosonics gear. I believe this says wonders about Lectrosonics’ overall performance.”

Damski was equally enthusiastic about Lectrosonics range and ease of use. “Previously, everyone complained about the limited range of their wireless gear,” said Damski. “I wanted to show the true capabilities of Lectrosonics equipment, so I demonstrated this in class by putting on a transmitter and taking a nice long walk around buildings and down the street a good 200 yards or so while the students listened in on the receivers back in the classroom. They could clearly hear every word I was saying.

“This is an important illustration of how good wireless equipment should work. Similarly, defining frequencies is fast and easy with the Lectrosonics gear, so it removes any real complexity from using the equipment.”

For additional information about the Sound Design programs at the Savannah College of Art and Design, go to www.scad.edu/sound-design/.

Lectrosonics Website

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Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Audio System At Historic Pallas Theatre In Athens Revived With Meyer Sound M’elodie

To equip the 1,500-seat Pallas Theatre with an audio system on par with its exquisite architecture, Athens-based audio firm Omikron Control enlisted a complete overhaul

When Athens’ Pallas Theatre was built in 1926, it quickly became a popular cosmopolitan destination for Athenian socialites, replacing the royal horse stables that were representative of this oldest city in Europe.

With its regular jazz music and other eclectic performances, the Pallas Theatre paved the way for an influx of cafes, restaurants, and other gathering places, transforming the city’s Voukourestiou Street district into a cultural hub.

Many decades later, Athens received a much needed revitalization, and the Pallas Theatre also received a full-scale cosmetic makeover, as well as a sound system based on Meyer Sound M’elodie line array loudspeakers.

To equip the 1,500-seat Pallas Theatre with an audio system on par with its exquisite architecture, Athens-based audio firm Omikron Control enlisted a complete overhaul of the existing system. Sound designer Vangelis Petridis knew such a job would be anything but straightforward.

“The space is mainly used for theatrical performances and musicals, but they also do plenty of classical music presentations, a little jazz, some cinema, and corporate events and ceremonies, making it a truly multipurpose venue,” says Petridis. “This required an easily adjustable system, but they also wanted us to install the system out of the audience’s view.”

Petridis decided on flown left and right arrays each consisting of nine self-powered M’elodie loudspeakers, concealed within the proscenium, while three 600-HP subwoofers are mounted on top of each array.

Stage monitoring is handled by one USM-1P stage monitor, one CQ-1 loudspeaker, and one UPA-1P loudspeaker per side, with a Galileo loudspeaker management system controlling all processing.

“The Galileo was an easy choice, as it provides so many different abilities, including the different sound levels for the balcony and other areas,” says Petridis.

For the theatre’s cinematic presentations, a 5.1 surround sound system was later added. “The theatre managers loved the new main system,” says Petridis. “They didn’t even discuss any alternative options when it came time for the surround system. It just had to be Meyer Sound.”

As a result, one more array of nine M’elodie loudspeakers was installed as a center cluster, with rear left and right arrays of ten UPJ-1P loudspeakers each. An additional independent Galileo controls the extra zones.

The decision to purchase Meyer Sound components for the venue came easily for Omikron.

“When we think of Meyer Sound, the first thing that comes to mind is quality. The sound quality is exceptional. The materials used are meticulously chosen. And the construction is outstanding,” says Petridis.

“We’ve provided sound locally for years now, and we choose Meyer because they are one of the top companies, if not the top in their field. Using their products gives us quite an advantage over our competitors.”

Meyer Sound Website

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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

New Wireworks Guardian Panel Mounts Protect Connections

Increases connector safety when used as a recessed low-voltage mounting ring or when installed in NEMA-style surface-mount or flush-mounted electrical boxes

At the upcoming InfoComm show in Orlando, Wireworks is introducing Guardian Panel Mounts that help protect connectors from accidental damage by providing an easy way of recessing connectors in a wall or standard electrical box.

A simple, cleverly designed and engineered steel recessing ring, the Guardian Panel Mount increases connector safety when used as a recessed low-voltage mounting ring or when installed in NEMA-style surface-mount or flush-mounted electrical boxes.

“Wireworks Guardian Panel Mounts offer a simple solution to the longstanding problem of connector damage,” says Gerald Krulewicz, president of Wireworks Corporation.  “We are using the same technique that we’ve seen on the side of remote and news-gathering trucks for years.  By implementing that concept, we have made it simply available to the installation and AV industry at large.”

As a recessed low-voltage ring, a Guardian Panel Mount can be easily mounted directly into a wall or anywhere else by using mounting screws, fasteners or toggle bolts.  A custom connector panel is then attached to the recessed flange, providing protected connectivity. 

When used in conjunction with an electrical box, the Guardian Panel Mount can be ordered in the exact box size for surface-mount installations. 

Alternatively, the panel mount can be ordered with a flange one inch larger than the electrical box for flush-mounted applications, effectively enabling the wide flange to cover any seam between the box and the surrounding wall. 

Guardian Panel Mounts are available with a recessed depth of one or two inches. Most NEMA electrical box sizes can be accommodated.

Guardian Panel Mounts are manufactured in heavy gauge steel with welded and ground corners. Eight pre-drilled holes on the outer flange provide easy mounting.  Eight tapped holes on the recessed flange facilitate mounting of connection panels. 

Panel mounts can be ordered in virtually any size with custom paint finishes for adherence to any on-site architectural requirements. Wireworks Perfect Custom Panels and LumaVue Plates & Panels can also be ordered specifically for use with Guardian Panel Mounts and can be delivered ready to install complete with connectors and engraving to your design.

Wireworks will be at booth 5221 at the 2009 InfoComm show in Orlando.

Wireworks Website

(Booth 5221

About Wireworks

Now celebrating its 35th Anniversary, Wireworks Corporation is the pioneer in professional audio/video cabling products.  Headquartered in Hillside, NJ, Wireworks has established cabling standards that are still in use today. Wireworks manufactured the very first multi-channel audio cables and the first multi-pin interconnect system.  The company also introduced the first colored microphone cables, the first mixed audio/video multi-pin interconnect system, and the first and only multi-pin connector system that can accommodate audio, video, data, and control signals in a simple, easy-to-use connector.

From Broadway to broadcast, theatres, auditoriums, arenas, corporate boardrooms, operating rooms and houses of worship installations, Wireworks remains the leader in audio/video cabling systems, microphone splitters and interface panels, continuing to set standards through its inventive products.  Wireworks takes pride in its innovative designs and its personalized customer service. For more information, visit or call 1-800-642-9473.

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Additional Sennheiser Inventory Added To Serve Eighth Season Of “Dancing With The Stars”

11 MKH 8000 Series condensers for coverage of the 18-piece orchestra; two Sennheiser crystallized SKM 5200 RF handheld mics for use by the show’s co-host and guest performers

ABC Television’s “Dancing with the Stars” program continues to be a ratings juggernaut, pulling in 22.5 million viewers for the premier episode of the reality show’s eighth season in March, and also this season, the show has made a number of refinements to its complement of Sennheiser equipment, with production mixer Evan Adelman adding 11 MKH 8000 Series condensers for coverage of the 18-piece orchestra.

Further, two of the new Sennheiser crystallized SKM 5200 RF handheld microphones have also been added for use by the show’s co-host and guest performers.

Specifically, Adelman has been utilizing a mix of MKH 8040 cardioid and MKH 8050 super-cardioid condenser mics for the current season.

“I started using them on the woodwinds and on both acoustic and electric guitar. The others are on percussion and drum overheads,” he explains. “They’re really important on the reeds. These people go from flute to piccolo to baritone saxophone and everything in between – sometimes in the same song.”

“They’re very natural,” he adds, “very clean sounding microphones with a natural warmth to them. They just sound a little more real. And when the musician gets close to it, it sounds just as good as when they’re a foot away.”

“One thing I like about them, aside from their sound, is that there are so many accessories available for them. For example, for television we’re supposed to be invisible. You can separate the head from the preamplifier. I did that with the drum overheads and put them on shock mounts, so they’re a little less obtrusive visually.”

Adelman adopted Sennheiser wireless and wired microphones for the show last year. The equipment, supplied by Burbank-based Soundtronics, includes SKM 5200 RF handheld microphones outfitted with MD 5002 and MD 5235 capsules for the co-hosts and guest artists, MKE Platinum lavalier mics and SK 5012 or SK 5212 G2 wireless transmitters for contestants and judges, plus instrument mics and HD 25 headphones for the orchestra members.

For the latest series of the U.S. version of the BBC Worldwide international franchise, which has now been sold to 38 countries, show producers added two crystallized element versions of the SKM 5200 handheld RF vocal mics. “Our host, Samantha Harris, uses one all the time,” says Adelman. “The other is for special guests. Etta James recently used it.”

Sennheiser’s Crystal Customization Service created the special microphones, which are custom decorated with high-quality crystals. “Sennheiser has done a very nice job,” he says. “It worried me, because sometimes these thing can look cheesy and they can be fragile, and these are neither. I don’t know how they attach the crystals, but they’re bulletproof! And they look great.”

According to Adelman, performers visiting the show are always offered SKM 5200 handheld wireless microphones outfitted with MD 5235 heads. Musical guests on the show this season have included Jewel, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Boys II Men, Kevin Rudolph, Rascal Flatts and Adele, who brought along her own Neumann KMS 105-S vocal mic, he reports.

Sennheiser USA Website

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Peavey Electronics Marks 44 Years In Professional Audio; Reflections From Hartley Peavey

"We’re still here, operating under the original ownership and vision, continuing to progress and develop new products and technologies.” - Hartley Peavey

As Hartley Peavey surveys the economic climate on his company’s 44th birthday, he’s holding fast to the core principals that earned his company the loyalty of a global customer base.

“I’ve discovered that business is like a rodeo — the winner is the one who can stay on the pony the longest,” he laughs. “When I started Peavey Electronics in 1965, conglomerates were buying up all of the famous music-products companies, reducing them to mere brands that were somehow supposed to be the same. They failed to realize that companies are made of people, and when the people change, the company changes, too.

“When I look around today, I get a feeling of déjà vu. Yet we’re still here, operating under the original ownership and vision, continuing to progress and develop new products and technologies.”

Peavey founded Peavey Electronics Corporation after discovering that he was much better at building the gear to amplify music than he was at actually playing music. With the influx of corporate buyouts during the 1960s and ‘70s, Hartley saw his competitors’ prices rise and quality plummet, so he ran promptly the other way. He set out to prove that you can have quality, craftsmanship and value at fair and reasonable prices. That philosophy altered the course of the music industry and continues to drive his company today.

Now the CEO of one of the largest makers of musical instruments and professional sound equipment in the world—with more than 180 patents to its credit and distribution in 136 countries—Hartley Peavey is still looking ahead and dreaming up his company’s next big innovations.

“As we celebrate our 44th year in business, I can’t remember a more productive, exciting time in the history of Peavey Electronics. We have strong-selling, compelling products in several new categories: the Versarray line array loudspeaker system for pro audio applications; ReValver MKIII, our debut into the world of virtual amplification software; and the Vypyr Series, our first modeling amplifiers, which were named Product of the Year by music retailers.”

Although Peavey is noted for pioneering the use of CNC manufacturing techniques in making musical instruments, Hartley has taken the company in a decidedly different direction lately. Recognizing the market segmentation that allows small niches to flourish, Peavey started a new custom-shop initiative to enter the boutique amplifier market with customizable amps made by hand, not machine, in the company’s hometown of Meridian, Mississippi.

“Our new 19th Street Custom Shop amplifiers are taking off quite well,” he says. “Since we debuted the program in January, we have had a solid demand for these point-to-point wired, handmade amps. That proves that there is always new ground to plow, and there is an ongoing need for companies to reinvent themselves. We’ve done that many times with great success while holding true to our core principals.”

Peavey recently began a company-wide Lean initiative that will maximize efficiency among its 33 facilities as part of a massive, multi-million dollar reinvestment that the company has made in its infrastructure just since 2008.

The goal is to strengthen the organization’s position in the global marketplace, Peavey said, and help guide the company to new plateaus.

Peavey Electronics Website

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