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Sunday, January 08, 2012Real World Gear: A Look At 2-Way “Conventional” Loudspeakers
Craig Leerman 01/08/12 12:26 PM,When it comes to loudspeakers for professional audio applications, line arrays get the glory and much of the press, but traditional 2-way boxes are still the real workhorses of the business. They remain invaluable for a range of very good reasons, with versatility that translates to “great bang for the buck” topping the list. A quick check of manufacturer websites bear this out as well. Again, the latest line array might be the “next big thing” touted on the home… View this post
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Slideshow • Loudspeaker • Sound Reinforcement • Subwoofer -
Friday, November 18, 2011Knowing Cone Drivers: How They Work, Understanding Key Data & Specs
PSW Staff 11/18/11 09:43 AM,(Editor’s Note: Eminence Speaker LLC contributed to this report.) Cone drivers (also referred to as woofers and transducers in this article) are not overly complex. When an electrical current passes through a wire coil (the voice coil) in a magnetic field, it produces a force that varies with the current applied. The cone, connected to the voice coil, moves in and out, creating waves of high and low air pressure. The coil and magnet assembly are the “motor structure” of… View this post
Filed in: AV • Feature • Poll • Slideshow • Study Hall • Amplifier • AV • Audio • Loudspeaker • Manufacturer • Measurement • Power • Signal • Sound Reinforcement • Subwoofer -
Thursday, November 17, 2011In Profile: Karl Jackson Chief Audio Technician, United States Marine Band
Kevin Young 11/17/11 11:57 AM, 0 CommentsWhen Karl Jackson applied for the position of chief audio technician for “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band (USMB) fresh out of DePaul University in 1995, he really didn’t think he’d get the job. Founded in 1798 by an Act of Congress, the USMB is the oldest continuously active professional musical organization in the nation, with a stated purpose of providing music for the president of the United States and the commandant of the Marine Corps. “I thought I… View this post
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Slideshow • Concert • Education • Engineer • Sound Reinforcement • Technician -
Monday, November 14, 2011Real World Gear: Microphones For Live Instrument Applications
Craig Leerman 11/14/11 05:11 PM,Long ago, an old sound guy imparted to me words of wisdom about the optimum way to mic instruments: “Pick your best microphone, put it on your best stand, place it in the best spot, point it in the best direction, and hope for the best.” That statement seems a bit trite, but it also contains truth. So where do we start in this pursuit of the “best” in all aspects of instrument mic’ing? While it’s true that vocal mics… View this post
Filed in: AV • Feature • Poll • Slideshow • AV • Microphone • Sound Reinforcement • Stage -
Monday, October 24, 2011Extreme Makeover: A Look At Modern Power Amplifiers
PSW Staff 10/24/11 03:15 PM, 0 CommentsThe common “wisdom” just a few years ago was that the emergence of self-powered loudspeaker lines with enclosure-mounted amplifiers and protection circuitry tuned specifically for the loudspeaker meant the days of rack-mounted power amplifiers were numbered. But it’s funny the difference that innovation can make. Today’s amplifier is a powerhouse, light years removed from the huge, heavy and inefficient designs of the recent past. Current designs are also far lighter, and in some cases, come in a compact package that… View this post
Filed in: AV • Feature • Poll • Slideshow • Amplifier • Analog • AV • Digital • Sound Reinforcement -
Friday, October 14, 2011Real World Gear: Developments In Cardioid Subwoofers
PSW Staff 10/14/11 12:14 PM,Ever since the introduction of line arrays, it has become harder for subwoofers to keep up with the efficiency of tall columns of coupled transducers in large full-range systems. This has helped drive transducer and amplifier manufacturers to produce increasingly powerful low-frequency components. Multi-kilowatt dual-18 enclosures are now the standard. However, while flown full-length line arrays do a superb job of getting full-range sound to the back of enormous venues, stacked subwoofers – even with their advantage of half-space coupling… View this post
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Slideshow • Concert • Installation • Loudspeaker • Sound Reinforcement • Subwoofer -
Wednesday, October 12, 2011History Files: The Genesis Of Clair Bros To Today
PSW Staff 10/12/11 02:47 PM,The story of Clair Brothers starts in 1954, when a grocer decided to purchase a PA system as a Christmas gift for his two sons, Gene and Roy Clair. “He had no knowledge of electronics or anything!” exclaimed Roy Clair of the extremely unusual present. “I like to think my father was ‘Clair’-voyent in choosing this as a gift.” The two brothers enjoyed using their PA to provide sound reinforcement for local dances, Easter egg hunts, etc.“The PA bug had… View this post
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Slideshow • Study Hall • Analog • Audio • Business • Concert • Education • Installation • Interconnect • Loudspeaker • Mixer • Remote • Signal • Sound Reinforcement • System -
Tuesday, September 27, 2011Real World Gear: Remote Control Microphone Preamps
PSW Staff 09/27/11 04:55 PM,In the not-too-distant past, professional touring systems consisted of two or three remotely located consoles, tied to a combination of low-level passive or dynamic input sources (along with some active or phantom-powered inputs), connected by long lengths of multicore snakes, through a system of transformer-isolated or (yikes) passive hard-wired splitters. The effect on low-level signals with multiple consoles and long lengths of multi-core is a reduction in signal level, higher noise floor and less bandwidth. The most vulnerable points for… View this post
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Product • Slideshow • Analog • Audio • Consoles • Digital • Microphone • Monitoring • Processor • Remote • Sound Reinforcement • Stage -
Wednesday, September 21, 2011Real World Gear: The Latest In Line Source & Column Loudspeakers
PSW Staff 09/21/11 03:16 PM,This month we look at line source column loudspeakers, which are also sometimes called “architectural” loudspeakers, presumably because their slim-profile design allows them to blend well into their surroundings. Despite their rather scant appearance, however, many modern column loudspeakers deliver exceptional full-range performance, and this can be furthered by companion LF boxes and subwoofers. There are two primary types of column loudspeakers – those that offer the ability to “digitally steer” the vertical beamwidth and those that don’t. But it’s… View this post
Filed in: Live Sound • Feature • Poll • Product • Slideshow • Line Array • Loudspeaker • Processor -
Tuesday, September 20, 2011I/O, I/O: Spotlight On Digital Console Signal Routing & More
Craig Leerman 09/20/11 03:37 PM,Having a roomful of high-qualify professional audio gear is great, but it’s not a system until you can connect everything together. The hub for system interconnectivity is the mixing console, nowadays usually a digital model. While digital consoles save us the time and cables in not having to hook up racks full of EQs, effects processors, gates, and compressors, there are still a multitude of signals flowing to and from the console that all need to be connected. Typical inputs… View this post
Filed in: AV • Feature • Poll • Product • Slideshow • AV • Consoles • Digital • Interconnect • Monitoring • Networking
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