AudioPro international July 2010

Issue 31 • July/August 2010

LIVE • COMMERCIAL • RECORDING • BROADCAST

www.audioprointernational.com

M CREE A CROP OF TH

keeping Full Fat Audio’s amps are e globe fists pumping all over th

GLASTONBURY • MATRIX AMPS • BEACH BREAK LIVE • COMMERCIAL MIXERS • PLASA

ISSUE 31 July/August 2010

CONTENTS > IN THIS ISSSUE NEWS AUDIO PRO AWARDS • 4 We’re open for nominations

CALREC • 5 Broadcast specialist ceases production of analog boards

SENNHEISER STATEMENT • 6 Mic giant answers spectrum questions

EAW TECHNOLOGY • 6 Amp firms adopt processing algorithms

EVENTS PLASA • 11 What to expect at this year’s edition of the UK’s greatest audio show

INFOCOMM • 14 Vegas AV show becomes the second biggest of all time in 2010

LIVE SOUND/INSTALLATION FULL FAT AUDIO • 16 Audio Pro re-visits the British amp firm that has come a very long way since 2003

BEACH BREAK LIVE • 22 How to give broke students the time of their lives

GLASTONBURY • 26 The people, the gear and the good times... And by gear we mean sound equipment, naturally

STUDIO/BROADCAST COVER FEATURE LANCASTER MUSIC CO-OP • 18 The history and the good work of a non-profit studio in the north of England

BEHIND THE BOARD • 36 John Paterno has outboard. Lots of it

IN SESSION • 38 Brighton’s manliest studio: The Ironworks

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> Regulars: Behind the Board 36 In Session 38 Products 40 People 43 Marketplace 45 Mixdown 49

EDITORIAL

I

t has been an exciting month month here at Audio Pro. Not only did I get to bake in the hot sun of the Glastonbury festival, but also my band recorded at Gizzard Studio in East London.

Both the festival (see full report on pages 27 to 29) and the recording sessions were a throw back to the old school, as many of the Glasto stages were using analog consoles and the Gizzard sessions were done on a 1970's Alice Stancoil AM series quad mixer to a Studer A80 tape machine.

Having recorded digitally for the last ten years or so, tracking on tape and using razor blades for editing as opposed to a mouse was very therapeutic. And I don’t care what anyone says, you cannot beat the sound of drums and bass recorded to tape, no way, no how.

Similarly, as you will read in our Glastonbury report, many of the stages featured XL4s and H3000s, which I found interesting. After talking to the crew chiefs and system techs working at Glasto, it seems that much of what is specified by visting engineers can still be handled on analog desks. Saying that, there was a plethora of digital consoles used throughout the weekend and some areas where only digital desks were used. It is hardly safe to say that the world has gone back to analog or embraced the digital age, but it seems there is a healthy mix of both being used, which shows that it still comes down to personal preference, so the debate continues.

I will say that the sound in all areas of the festival was top notch. From the main stages to the dance tents and parlours, the talent of this industry showed throughout the weekend. I would like to say that I could tell the difference between the old school ways and the new school techniques by ear, but I can’t. The truth remains that whichever school the engineers at Glasto subscribed to, the passionate ones made the systems sing.

Further to the sound, the vibe, creativity and sunny weather at Glasto was enough to keep me smiling up to this deadline.

Andrew Low - Editor andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk A bookmark us in your phone

mobile.audioprointernational.com Contacts for Audio Pro International Editorial: +44 (0)1992 535646 Ads: +44 (0)1992 535647 Fax: +44 (0) 1992 535648 Editor: Andrew Low andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk Deputy Editor: Rob Hughes rob.hughes@intentmedia.co.uk Advertising Manager: Darrell Carter darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk Editorial Production: Helen French helen.french@intentmedia.co.uk Ad Production: Rosie McKeown rosie.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk

Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short hannah.short@intentmedia.co.uk Designer: Claire Brocklesby claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk Managing Editor: Andy Barrett mipro@intentmedia.co.uk Publisher: Dave Roberts dave.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

> NEWS

Voting begins now The second annual Audio Pro Industry Excellence Awards are now open for your nominations, so the time has come to think about your favourite products, people and companies in all of audio’s business sectors…

AUDIO PRO INTERNATIONAL is now accepting nominations for its second annual virtual awards, acknowledging the best products, companies and people in all sectors of the business.

As with last year’s event, there will be no pricey black-tie ceremony, rather lobbying, nominations, debate and industry-wide voting, all held through the pages of Audio Pro and online at audioprointernational.com. This will all end in worthy winners of 15 categories (see separate box).

The awards will have a transparent voting procedure, with the Audio Pro International team picking five finalists per category, following a free-of-charge lobbying period, which begins immediately and will end August 18th. A wide judging panel, drawn from all sectors of the business, will then choose the winners.

The awards are arranged into two categories: Studio & Broadcast Sound and Live & Installed Sound. There is also an Audio Pro Lifetime Achievement Award presented to an individual who has contributed significantly to the industry over a sustained time period.

In the two sector-based categories, awards for exceptional events or projects will go to the person, team or organisation tasked with providing the sound as a product, either through record production, sound system installation, hire, deployment, or broadcast services.

“The success of last year’s event established the Audio Pro Awards as the true voice of the industry by highlighting the excellent work of world-class engineers and manufacturers whose dedication to their craft have taken the industry forward,” explained API’s editor, Andrew Low. “Last year saw industry legends decorated for continually pushing the boundaries of the industry, including Peter Gabriel for the Lifetime Achievement Award, Digico for Best New Live Sound Product for its SD8 and Claire Brothers awarded for the U2 360-degree tour, as well as up-andcoming firms such as Red Square Audio, which was recognised for both its new ideas and its creative business concepts.

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“Once again, the process will be simple, transparent and inclusive. The readers of our magazine and website are on the pulse of the industry and will surely have strong opinions about who is truly worthy in each category.”

The panel of judges is currently being assembled and Audio Pro International welcomes requests from anyone who would like to be a judge, or suggest someone who they feel should be on the panel.

Lobbying is now open and those who work in the industry are invited to put forward the names of people or companies who they consider to be deserving of an award.

Self-nomination is perfectly acceptable and encouraged. To contact the team regarding either judging or lobbying, please email us. audioproawards@intentmedia.co.uk

Categories Live & Installed Sound

Best live sound event Most innovative installation Best new live sound product Best new installation product Best live sound engineer Best after-sales support Best new company

Studio & Broadcast Sound Best new studio product Best studio engineer Best broadcast sound Best new studio Most original studio initiative Best after-sales support Best new company

“

Lobbying is now open and those working in the industry are invited to put forward the names of people or companies deserving of an award.

Right: Peter Gabriel with his 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award. Below: John Stadius and Rupert Neve

Plus the Audio Pro Lifetime Achievement Award

www.audioprointernational.com

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PLASA preview

Full Fat Audio

Glastonbury

NEWS <

Harman appoints Andy Trott president of AKG Soundcraft Studer president takes over from Stefan Gubi with remit to develop further mic interactivity HARMAN HAS announced that Andy Trott, president of Harman’s Soundcraft and Studer mixer business, will now add AKG to his presidential duties.

Trot will take over from Stefan Gubi, who has lead AKG for the past five years, and handle all three companies from Soundcraft Studer’s Potters Bar, UK location.

Credited as the architect of the ‘digitalisation’ of Soundcraft Studer since he joined in early 2003, Trott is eager to lead AKG and explains that he will spearhead many new product development programmes.

Trott said there will be no major changes or restructuring for AKG. “Stefan has done a great job and AKG is very stable. We have absolutely no intention of moving anything from Vienna. As for the future of the brand, I intend to focus on pushing the boundaries of what we can do, integrating systems and growing the business. I am very much a technology focused guy; I love technology and product, and I am looking for all sorts of ways to bring AKG into new areas.

“The interesting thing is that mics and mixing consoles are very much the facing elements to the engineer

TROTT: Studer Soundcraft and AKG to do things more intimately

and the performer. The more integration we can get the better.

“We are working at the moment on exploring better interfaces between consoles, mics and headphones. Expect to see some fairly innovative developments soon.

“The difference here is that, since it is under my leadership as Studer

Calrec ceases analog console production

www.audioprointernational.com

Genelec partners with GP Acoustics Loudspeaker giants agree to share technologies

In keeping with the company’s long-standing support policy, Calrec will continue to provide component spares and repair services for the S2, C2 and M3 consoles for a minimum of ten years from shipment date.

Should original components or parts become unavailable, Calrec will offer appropriate alternatives, including hardware or software solutions.

Calrec distributors are now in the process of contacting existing Calrec analog console customers to advise them of the details of the final purchase offer and to assess their need for consoles, modules and cards in the short and long term.

STUDIO MONITOR manufacturer Genelec has teamed up with GP Acoustics, the company behind the venerable loudspeaker brands KEF and Celestion.

The two firms have agreed to share information on loudspeaker technology with a view to advancing future development of their respective products. Each company has acknowledged the other for its systematic efforts to improve the quality of sound reproduction.

Under the terms of the arrangement, Genelec has shared its well-known technology of waveguides, utilised in its reference products since the 1980s and which help to control the directivity and the overall power response of a loudspeaker.

GP Acoustics has shared information relating to traditional coaxial driver design, which facilitates compact coaxial solutions for mid and high frequency drive units.

> calrec.com

> gpacoustics.com.hk

Decision matches market’s adoption of digital CALREC AUDIO has announced it will discontinue production of analog audio consoles.

The decision to stop making analog consoles results from the broadcast market’s rapid adoption of digital technology, which has both reduced demand for analog products and made dedicated analog components difficult to acquire.

Calrec had already stopped manufacturing its T-series and Q2 consoles prior to this announcement.

The process to stop production of analog will begin on November 30th this year. Until then the company is offering final purchases of its S2, C2, and M3 consoles, modules and card assemblies.

Soundcraft and AKG, we are able to do things more intimately than we could with the other brands.

“Mixing consoles are fundamentally different from mics and headphones, but we are all in Europe and we are only a two-hour flight away from each other. We do plan to bring the R&D groups

together frequently to share ideas and look at ways to develop better synergies in how we work, share best practices, look for efficiency benefits or even share resources. Since we are so close geographically, we can think and act closely and often.”

Trott also said that there are numerous avenues down which he can steer the AKG business, inside and outside of the pro sector.

“AKG also covers the consumer and automotive sides, so it gives us a lot of opportunities to expand,” he pointed out. “We think big here and on the console side we have had the target to supersede Yamaha. We have a similar goal for AKG and I would love to make inroads on the Shure business, so we need to start thinking differently and exploring ways that the technology might offer users something a little bit different from the norm, or from what has been expected. The interface with the console is one such avenue. I don’t see consoles going away in the short term, so if we can improve the interface and improve the usability and efficiency for the engine and the performer then that has got to be a good thing.” > harman.com

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> NEWS

Sennhesier responds to spectrum uncertainty Statement clarifies current wireless mic situation regarding the use of frequency channels 69 and 38 SENNHESIER HAS released a statement responding to the current uncertainty among its customers, regarding the future of radio microphone use.

The statement read: “As of July 2010, Channel 69 remains available nationally for wireless microphone use and continues to be licensable.

The current Ofcom timetable, however, will see access to channels 61 to 69 inclusive (790 to 862MHz) cease during the second half of 2012.

This means that any Channel 69 equipment purchased now will have a steadily reducing window of usability for most of its tuning range, with just over two years being the longest period that it will continue to be usable.

“863 to 865MHz (two MHz of Channel 70) will continue to be available for use by wireless audio devices after 2012. This will support a maximum of six wireless microphone links (subject to range variant and local conditions), but is generally not considered suitable for professional use.

Wireless frequency transition period now underway

“Channel 38 (606 to 614 MHz) has been assigned as the replacement band for Channel 69, but some geographical restrictions on its use currently apply. It is supplemented, where available, with additional spectrum in Channels 39 or 40.

Amp giants adopt EAW technology Lab.gruppen, Lake and Powersoft integrate algorithms EAW HAS announced partnerships with Lake, Lab.gruppen, and Powersoft, whereby all manufacturers will integrate proprietary EAW DSP algorithms into a subset of their respective product lines. Additionally, in Q3, 2010, Lake, Lab.gruppen and Powersoft will announce separate agreements expanding the partnership to enable EAW to sell a selection of their respective product lines as components in EAW system sales.

One of the most notable of these technologies is EAW Focusing, which enables performance comparable to direct radiating studio monitors, but at much greater output levels. The spectograph images opposite show the difference in sonic characteristics that cause ‘horn honk’ and ‘splashiness’ before and after EAW Focusing is applied.

“At the onset, the integration of EAW’s DSP, most notably Focusing, will ensure seamless integration and optimum performance of EAW loudspeaker systems matched with Lake Processors, Lab.gruppen PLM systems and Powersoft amplifiers,” 6

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commented Jeffrey Cox of Loud.

“Once the sales component of the partnership is implemented, EAW will offer a range of amp solutions from the best in the business.”

The companies expect integration to be complete in Q3, 2010. > eaw.com

“In an improvement to the previous schedule, this month Ofcom announced that Channel 38 will effectively be available for both indoor and outdoor use by wireless microphones across the UK from September 21st 2011 – more than

three months earlier than was previously indicated.

“In the meantime, the Ofcomappointed spectrum management company JFMG has set up an online ‘Channel 38 look-up tool’ located at jfmg.co.uk, which lists local Channel 38 availability.

“Equipment users are advised to check availability of Channel 38 before using relevant equipment, as this is currently a legal requirement.

JFMG is also the company that users need to contact in order to purchase their shared-use licence.

“Operation of equipment in either Channel 69 or Channel 38 requires the user to hold a valid shared-user licence (available from jfmg.co.uk).

During the period of transition, this licence also covers parts of Channels 39 and 40, where geographically appropriate. Operation of any wireless gear on frequencies from 470 to 862 MHz without holding the appropriate licences is an offence under the terms of the Wireless Telegraphy Act.” > sennhesier.com

Harman Pro expands operations in India First of several planned appointments made HARMAN PROFESSIONAL has announced a comprehensive expansion of its operations in India. This has begun with the appointment of audio industry veteran, Ankush Agarwal to the role of marketing and communications manager, which is to be followed by more appointments to Harman Professional’s sales, technical support and service teams in the sub continent.

Having previously served as marketing manager for Sennheiser India and with Hyundai Electronics before that, Agarwal brings a combination of marketing and professional audio sales experience to the team in India. He will use that experience to drive Harman Professional’s marketing and public relations strategies in the region and build upon the foundation laid by Sushil John, the systems director in India.

Both Agarwal and John will report directly to David McKinney, senior director of sales for Harman Professional in Asia. They will work together to develop new initiatives

AGARWAL: Driving marketing

in the region that will serve to support both customers and channel partners.

One of his first projects was to provide support for Harman Pro’s presence at the PALM India Show in Mumbai, where the latest products and technologies in professional AV were introduced to the Indian market.

In addition to the expansion of its marketing team, Harman Professional will also be adding a full sales, technical support and service team that will provide a greater level of customer service to its stakeholders in the region. > harmanpro.com www.audioprointernational.com

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

> THIS MONTH IN BROADCAST

Vuvuzelas all around for World Cup surround This year’s international football tournament broadcasted in 5.1 to USA and Brazil via DTS Neural Surround technology ALTHOUGH WE will have to wait until 2014 to see the world’s best players battle it out on the green in Brazil, this year’s World Cup matches will be forever held in the digital archives in 5.1 surround sound.

The 2010 World Cup was the first to be broadcast in surround sound thanks to DTS Neural Surround as football fans in

”

DTS surround sound was an integral part of the broadcast productions at the World Cup. Geir Skaaden DTS

the United States and Brazil were given the ability to enjoy the excitement of the games in high-quality 5.1 surround sound.

“DTS surround sound technology was an integral part of the broadcast productions at the 2010 World Cup,” said Geir Skaaden, VP, North American licensing operations, DTS “When it comes to the surround sound experience, DTS is committed to working with broadcasters to deliver high definition audio to viewers

worldwide.

As the consumer demand for high quality entertainment in the home continues to grow, DTS will continue to do our part and deliver the highest quality audio experience possible.”

Hardware integrated on-site included the DTS Neural Surround Sound

Eurovision kitted out with state-of-art AV digital matrix NRK uses Mediornet and Rocknet for song contest The Norwegian broadcast corporation NRK used an extensive Riedel Communications installation to handle the 55th Eurovision song contest this year.

Riedel’s Mediornet technology combined and integrated the various parts of the event’s infrastructure into a single communications and signal distribution system.

13 Mediornet Frames handled 25 HD and SD video signals, as well as intercom data, between the on-site master control room, FOH, commentary booth, PA, stage, press centre and dressing room areas.

Various Artist control panels were directly connected to the Mediornet installation An extensive Artist digital matrix intercom system provided the communications backbone for the event, integrating broadcast trucks, the master control room, the on-site event director www.audioprointernational.com

room and FOH into a single system. The remote NRK master control room, located in the broadcast centre, was integrated via a VoIP connection. The Artist installation was interfaced to Mediornet via MADI, ensuring that all panels could be directly routed and accessed via Mediornet.

A sizeable Riedel Rocknet installation combined the playout, the split area, the roof and the catwalk into a single digital audio network. Ten microphone/line input modules and 13 line output modules transported all ambient microphones and intercom lines to the IEM transmitters, plus the backup, for playout over a redundant CAT-5 ring.

In addition, Riedel furnished a mobile radio network to integrate 300 professional mobile radios onsite. > riedel.net

encoders and decoders hardware was integrated on the site as well as the Mono2Stereo four-channel stereo synthesizer, built by hardware partner and licensee DaySequerra. Both allowed mixers to create a dynamic surround sound mix while maintaining strong voice clarity from the announcers.

DTS Neural Surround is one of the many broadcast and production

technologies developed by DTS and licensed worldwide to partners and distributors such as DaySequerra and Harris Corporation. DTS-HD Master Audio is also gaining popularity for its use in high definition movies and music in South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For further information, please visit > dts.com

Studer releases the Vista 9 Latest Vista console designed for a new age of broadcast and live production SOUNDCRAFT/STUDER has announced the release of the latest in the Vista series of digital mixing consoles with the Vista 9.

The new console builds on the Vista digital mixing platform by combining advanced ergonomic design with complete system flexibility. Several new features are available, including expansion of the Vistonics interface to include ‘wide screen’ based TFT metering and Faderglow.

Its new metering system enables the display of mono to 7.1 channel signals in the upper part of the screen, while the lower portion can show bus assignment or an image of the surround composite for surround channels.

The board’s new History mode records events, such as overloads in the audio path of each channel, and highlights them in red on the channel waveform. The operator can then review which channel had such an event up to 30 seconds after the event has occurred. All stereo inputs and stereo masters have a correlation meter

bar above the bar graph display. The control bay on the Vista 9’s meter section provides the ability to be configured to show any choice of output busses and input channels and displays up to 40 meters.

Studer’s patented Vistonics allows each touch-sensitive TFT screen to display ten channel strips, with rotary encoders and switches mounted directly onto the screen, providing the operator with ‘Where you look is where you control’ ergonomics. > studer.ch

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www.hkaudio.com/elements_en.php5

COME AND SEE US ON STAND 1-E5

www.jhs.co.uk

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT YOUR JHS PRO AUDIO ASM OR OUR SALES OFFICE ON: 0113 2866 411

PLASA EVENT PREVIEW <

Earls Court, London September 12th - 15th

Audio avalanche

Andrew Low finds out why London’s biggest entertainment industry event is heavy on pro audio this year… ccording to the press generated by the organiser of PLASA 2010, the world’s pro audio community will gather in the halls of Earls Court, London and will combine to create the biggest showing yet, as new and steadfast brands have confirmed their participation.

Held from September 12th to 15th at Earls Court, London, PLASA events director Nicky Rowland states that the show floor and seminar schedule will have much to offer.

“The PLASA Show has been an important product launch showcase for pro audio brands and we’ve worked hard to make it even more so,” she says. “One reason is the show’s profile, which combines the energy of the live music sector with the commercial clout of the installed audio business.

Its place in the industry calendar is unique, too, happening just as everyone returns from summer tours and festivals and right before the autumn/winter season, when a lot of purchasing decisions are made.

“There’s always a great atmosphere and it’s a very welcoming show in terms of bars and other social areas.

The seminar programme has taken off massively, partly due to the huge interest created by the Gotellier Masterclasses. In the past two years, we’ve seen presentations by Tony Andrews and John Stadius and this year we are fortunate enough to have Alex Cooper from Midas.”

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Early announcements reveal that Mackie, EAW, Martin, Korg, Turbosound, Baldwin Boxall, Bosch, Bose, Electro-Voice, Penton, Ateis and Avid will join the exhibitors list, with big names like Digico, KV2, Polar Audio, Sennheiser, Roland, Allen & Heath, OHM UK, Shure, Trantec, AXYS, Midas, Harman, Yamaha, Nexo and Outline returning.

The Elements PA range will also be on show from HK Audio. Using just six individual components, or ‘elements’, these systems can be

“

own space for 2010. Mark Flanagan, communications manager for Tannoy, explained: “As a UK manufacturer, PLASA is our ‘home event’ and we’re delighted to have consolidated our presence at this year’s show. Exhibiting alongside our sister brands Lab.gruppen, Lake and TC Electronic – under the TC Group International umbrella – we’re very much looking forward to engaging directly with our customers, showcasing our successful VQ and V series lines next to Lab.gruppen’s successful power

The PLASA show has been an important product launch showcase for pro audio brands and we’ve worked hard to make it even more so Nicky Rowland PLASA events director

configured for a range of scenarios.

Simon Holley, Bose Professional Systems divisional manager, states that it is using its presence at the event to show a positive commitment to the industry. “We have some exciting new products in the developmental stage, so this year is all about establishing new contacts and building on existing relationships to create a strong foundation from which to progress.”

Scottish speaker manufacturer Tannoy, is expanding from its position on Red Square Audio’s stand with its

amplifier and powered loudspeaker management systems.”

The JoeCo Blackbox recorder was exhibited for the first time last year and was recognised for its innovative design at the show’s award ceremony.

It has earned itself a spot on the international festival circuit since then, which has led to a new digital version. The company has moved from the Springboard Pavilion (formerly The Small Business Pavilion) to a larger stand at 1-J16 in Earls Court 1, to introduce the new recorder. Joe

Bull, MD of JoeCo, commented: “Being able to debut our Live Multitrack Blackbox recorder last year was ideal, as it allowed us to try PLASA out for the first time. Now we’re building on the success of last year and look forward to welcoming all our existing and potential customers.”

Digico recently confirmed its place after evaluating its commitment to the Montreux Jazz Festival in order to be at PLASA. Managing director James Gordon explained: “PLASA is such an important date in our calendar and Digico just has to be there in 2010.”

They will be on stand 1-E4, at the front of Earl’s Court 1 among other brands such as Allen & Heath, HK Audio, Equipson and Roland.

PLASA Connect has been upgraded from its debut last year to include a new area for pre-arranged meetings to take place. PLASA Connect was developed as a catalyst for new business opportunities for the audio, lighting, video and staging industry's service providers, consultants, rental companies and installers. It provides a “shop window” for these agencies and businesses to introduce their services to an array of potential customers and clients from various markets.

As always, the show schedule will incorporate a series of seminars on the latest pro audio topics. These had not been finalised as we went to press, but will be announced shortly. > plasashow.com

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> EVENT REVIEW ABTT June 16th - 17th Royal Horticultural Halls, London

FACT FILE Venue: Royal Horticultural Halls, Westminster, London Date: June 16th to 17th Exhibitors: 115 Visitors: 2,000 Verdict: With a 29 per cent increase on 2009’s figures, the ABTT show is an event on the up. It could be argued that the audio companies are some of its biggest fans, with most represented, at least by a distributor.

Off-screen debuts Filling the Royal Horticultural Halls to capacity, the 32nd ABTT show was the biggest yet. Rob Hughes headed to Westminster for a piece of the action… atching the World Cup revellers outside a pub en route to the Royal Horticultural Halls last Thursday, it struck us that the ABTT must have breathed a huge sigh of relief when it realised that the England v Algeria game, due to kick off the following day, hadn’t fallen during the show.

This would have spelt rotten luck for the Association, which suffered a bit of a hit to its visitor numbers last year when the Tube drivers took some union-sanctioned days off.

On arrival, though, it was apparent that nothing had got in the way of the gear-hungry drama fans as they crammed the booths and aisles looking for the kit that will make show business easier in 2010. They weren’t disappointed either, with a packed exhibition floor running the gamut of equipment and services for the theatre market. Audio was well represented as always and the buzz that we’ve come to expect of the show was tangible. We were reminded that, although it doesn’t stand as tall as some shows in the wider industry, it still commands ample respect.

After the show, the Association of British Theatre Associations

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confirmed that it had indeed been a great success – the biggest yet, both in the number of visitors and exhibiting companies. This was in line with the sold-out booth space and record pre-registrations, which were up by over 18 per cent on 2009.

“We’re thrilled to have re-instated our position of growth after 2009’s tube strike that effected our visitor numbers,” said show director, Roger Fox. “We have maintained our quality and presented a show that was

“

Allen & Heath introduced the latest addition to the iLive family. The iDR64 large-format fixed I/O MixRack offers high I/O capacity and a lower cost alternative to the flagship modular iDR10 MixRack. The iLive series now includes a total of six MixRack and seven control surface variants, which can be mixed and matched in any combination, and share the same firmware, so that show files are transferable between systems via a USB key.

We’re thrilled to have reinstated our position of growth after 2009’s tube strike. We have maintained our quality and presented a show that was packed with innovation.

Roger Fox, show director

packed with innovation and over 30 product launches. It was great to see the high level of investment in the exhibitor’s stands with nearly 50 per cent opting for ‘space only’ options.”

Product launches there were; Yamaha Commercial Audio showed an Ethersound version of its M7CL digital mixing desk, along with its latest networking systems, while

Another highlight was Soundcraft’s Vi1 digital mixer, which was given pride of place on the Sound Tech stand. The most compact digital live console yet from Soundcraft, the Vi1 features the acclaimed Vistonics user interface and the same renowned sound quality of its bigger sister models in the Vi range. Sound Technology also displayed the Crown

i-Tech HD power amps, AKG DMS700 digital wireless microphone system, the 1U, USB2 disk drivebased JoeCo Blackbox digital recorder and JBL's sub-compact VerTec miniline array loudspeaker system.

Alcons and Tannoy were among a mass of loudspeaker manufacturers at the show. Alcons showcased its new LR7 micro line-array system and its LR7 Bass system, which features its proprietary pro-ribbon technology, delivering mid/high reproduction that is widely renowned in the theatre industry. Tannoy, meanwhile, had its beam steering technology on show on the Red Square Audio stand, in the shape of the Tannoy QFlex. The main focus here though was on the Tannoy VQ Live system, aimed at fixed installation and able to provide sound for a 1,500-seat, two-tier theatre with only two cabinets.

The Trantec team was also present and put the focus on its channel 38 friendly, ‘racked and ready’ systems.

With a comprehensive set of features, the firm’s S5.3 system offers 12 channels, while the S5.5 offers 24 channels, and the entry-level S4.16, 16 channels. > abtt.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

Millions of fans Thousands of performances No unpleasant surprises

GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL 2010

PM5D | Still the one CONNECT WITH EXPERIENCE | YAMAHACOMMERCIALAUDIO.COM

> EVENT REVIEW InfoComm June 5th - 11th Las Vegas Convention Center

FACT FILE Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center Date: June 5th - 11th Exhibitors: 925 Visitors: 32,000 Verdict: With what can only be described as vast numbers of visitors and exhibitors, and an excellent educational programme, this year’s show answered ‘yes’ to the question of whether it is worth the trip for those on the other side of the pond.

Las A/Vegas InfoComm 2010 was the second largest AV tradeshow ever held. Andrew Low discovers why the market is flocking to the show in huge numbers… nfoComm 2010 blew the hatch off the AV industry this year by achieving the accolade of being the second AV show in history. Over 32,000 AV professionals from 90 countries touched down on the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center from June 9th to 11th.

Randal A Lemke, PhD, executive director and CEO, InfoComm International made bold claims about the show despite competitors like ISE rapidly nipping at its coat tales. He states: “InfoComm continues to be the one tradeshow where most professional AV service providers make their important buying decisions for the year. The AV marketplace has enthusiastically embraced InfoComm as the place to make their purchasing choices, network with product and service providers, and enhance skills through our robust educational programme.”

One of the show’s biggest announcements for us pro audio obsessives was Midas’ launch of three

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new consoles. As previously reported, the firm is owned by budget gear giant Behringer and subsequently debuted two sister consoles to the Pro6 – the Pro3 and Pro9 – as well as the highend XL8i. It also introduced a range of Midas digital snakes and digital

“

Little information accompanied the launch of the XL8i, but Midas did state that the new console will sit at the top of its digital audio console range, created with the installation, theatre and house of worship markets in mind. The company assures that all

The AV marketplace has enthusiastically embraced InfoComm as the place to make their purchasing choices, network with product and service providers and enhance their skills.

Randall A. Lenke, InfoComm CEO

audio format and sample rate converters from Klark Teknik.

The Pro9 now sits as the flagship console for the range along side the already established Pro 6, with the Pro3 adding at a lower-cost option to the line. The top model features an 88-channel input count and 35 busses, while the entry-level version offers 48 inputs and 27 busses.

the new systems use the same technology and components as the XL8 and Pro6.

Roland Systems Group expanded its digital mixing line with the introduction of the M-300 digital mixing console and new S-MADI REAC Bridge at InfoComm.

The 32-channel M-300 console is said to possess many of the features of

the M-400 V-Mixer in a smaller format. The board can be rackmounted and features rapid recall of setups, 17 100mm motorized faders, an 800 x 480 colour screen, and knobs for eq, pan and gain. It provides 32 mixing channels and includes digital patchbays, built-in effects processors including output delays, eight auxs, four matrices, four DCAs, four mute groups, built-in stereo recording/playback and support for LCR configurations.

The fully digital system is built on REAC (Roland Ethernet Audio Communication), which is said to eliminate the bulk and noise susceptibility associated with analog snakes by replacing it with Cat5e (Ethernet/LAN) cable. Users can quickly set up the system by plugging in one lightweight Cat5e cable from a choice of Digital Snake stage units, allowing the user to select from up to 160 inputs using REAC Merge.

The new S-MADI REAC Bridge has been introduced as a way to www.audioprointernational.com

InfoComm EVENT REVIEW June 5th - 11th Las Vegas Convention Center

Cutting edge AV goodies abounded at InfoComm 2010. Happily, a great deal of it was of the audio variety.

“open the door to a multiplicity of digital connection opportunities” for REAC products such as the V-Mixing Consoles, M-48 live personal mixer and Digital Snakes. RSG developed the bridge following great interest from large-format console manufacturers like Digico after the introduction of the M-48 personal mixer system. As such, the engineers at Roland have designed a bidirectional signal converter between MADI and REAC. Harman-owned amplifier manufacturer Crown Audio announced the new ComTech DriveCore series amplifiers in Las Vegas. Listed as a high performance, energy efficient amplifiers, the ComTech DriveCore series consists of four models, all of which are one rack, convection cooled, ultra-energy efficient amplifiers.

The series includes up to eight channels and 150 Watts per channel in a one-unit chassis without a fan.

They also feature Integrated DriveCore technology chip that offers greater than 90 per cent efficiency with no compromise in performance and boast a signal-to-noise ratio of www.audioprointernational.com

110dB. DriveCore has patented feedback and protection circuits integrated into the silicon.

Several new announcements were made by EAW, which launched the new QX series loudspeakers for the installed sound market and the JF and JFNT series of high-definition twoway loudspeaker systems. The QX series was designed to offer a high output point source cluster in a compact format. The series is geared toward medium-to-large-sized spaces including sports arenas, but is also designed for a wide range of other venues requiring high power and consistent coverage in a compact housing. JF and JFNT series loudspeakers are scalable, compact lightweight loudspeakers suited for a multitude of small and medium-sized sound reinforcement applications Unveiled slightly before the show, but still making big news in Las Vegas, was Tannoy with its CMS inceiling range. The new loudspeaker, model CMS 1201DC, is penned as a powerful state-of-the-art large format in-ceiling loudspeaker device that has been conceived, designed and built to complement Tannoy’s existing class-

leading CMS range. It is said to offer superior full-range performance to handle demanding distributed sound applications such as ballrooms, shopping malls, sports halls, airports and other high ceiling installations.

The speaker is built around a brand new evolution of the high-power handling 12-inch Dual Concentric point source driver. The new Dual Concentric drive assembly features a treated mid-bass cone and double rolled cambric surround for high sensitivity, as well as a 1.34-inch aluminium dome with ferrofluid cooled neodymium magnet assembly and a newly designed waveguide for the high frequency unit. These two drivers seamlessly merge into one with the high frequency mounted in the throat of the mid-bass, coincidentally aligning both transducers to a point source.

Soundcraft/Studer announced the release of the latest in the Vista series of digital mixing consoles with the Vista 9. The new digital mixing console is built on the Vista digital mixing platform and adds several new features, including expansion of the Vistonics interface to include wide

screen-based TFT metering and FaderGlow (see page 9 for details).

Allen & Heath used the show as a platform to unveil the iDR-64 larger format I/O MixRack at the show. The new rack offers higher I/O capacity at a lower cost than the flagship modular iDR10 MixRack. It comprises 64 mic/line inputs and 32 XLR outputs in a 9U frame, and features the iLive 64x32 RackExtra DSP mix engine, while providing full processing (dynamics, eq and delay) for all 64 channels and 32 mixes. The RackFX DSP framework provides eight stereo processors capable of high quality FX emulation of industry classics. Each Rack has flexible I/O routing with eq and Dynamik FXShaper on every dedicated return.

The new iDR-64 can be used in conjunction with any of the other six MixRack and seven control surface variants in the iLive family. All models in the line can be used in coordination with each other, in addition to sharing the same firmware, thus allowing show files to be transferred between systems via a USB key. > infocomm.org.

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> LIVE SOUND FULL FAT AUDIO

Curds and waves Full Fat Audio has seen dramatic growth in the last 18 months, securing new dealers internationally and partnerships with some of the UK’s heavy hitters. Andrew Low talks to product manager David Millard about the rise of Full Fat Audio… t has been a while since we opened the door on the Full Fat Audio boys (see company profile in API issue 11). Now with a four-channel amp that industry luminaries including Funktion-One’s Tony Andrews are calling ‘among the best sounding amplifiers in the world’, we discovered that their stock has not gone sour.

Still manufactured in the UK with parts sourced mostly in Britain, FFA has been growing at an exponential rate and recently earned partnerships with Capital Sound, Production Hire and established an OEM deal with Funktion-One. Add a slew of new distributors in India, South Africa, Scotland and many parts of Europe and you get a very rich mix.

Product manager David Millard and technical director Chris Newey are already quickly outgrowing FFA’s new premises in Hitchin, UK, and plan to add staff and continue to expand its international sales network. Started in 2003, the company was founded on a love of building sound systems that has grown organically, and it now produces a line of amps that have been used at a number

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of the UK’s biggest festivals, in high-profile dance clubs in the UK and Europe, and on tour with the likes of Grace Jones, Beverly Knight and Stereophonics.

The stars of the full fat audio range are two four-channel amps – the FFA-4004 and FFA6004 (providing 4x1,000W or 4x1,500W, respectively) – and the two-channel FFA10000. The four-channel amps promise full power delivery when all channels are driven simultaneously and loaded at four Ohms, and the two-channel FFA-10000, at two Ohms. All amps are of a power-efficient FFA Class D design, with a high current switching power supply.

Capital Sound’s technical director Ian Colville recently chose the fourchannel amps to update the company’s wedge monitor packages. “I was keen to use a four-channel amplifier to increase the power density of our monitor racks, so we sat down and listened to all the amps that we could find on the market and Full Fat came out very favourably against the competition,” Colville explains. “I went up to see Dave Millard and Chris Newey and I was very impressed by their dedication to their craft.

”

We sat down and listened to all the amps we could find on the market. Full Fat came out very favourably.

Ian Colville Capital Sound

www.audioprointernational.com

FULL FAT AUDIO LIVE SOUND <

“The new amplifiers have already been in use with the Stereophonics, Grace Jones and Beverly Knight. We use four in a rack with XTA processors, which allows us to drive eight monitor mixes from a single, very low-profile, lightweight rack.

Because FFA is a smaller company, they are very helpful and accessible. For instance, I went back to them and asked if we could have a removable, foam fan filter, so they redesigned the back panel to incorporate one just for us – that is a service that you don’t get from larger companies.

“I also spoke in some depth with Newey and was very impressed with how seriously FFA takes the testing of its amplifiers. I left with a great deal of confidence in their ability to produce something that would last and do exactly what we wanted it to do. If you ever have a problem you can speak to the man who has designed it on the end of a phone, which is not always true of bigger companies. We were previously relying on a company whose sub assemblies were done in China. Also, the fact that FFA hand assembles their amps and Newey personally tests them gives me great faith in their products.”

The success, integrity and motivation of FFA to create great sounding and rock solid products has also garnered the attention of UK-loudspeaker manufacturer Funktion-One, which has recently begun to work with FFA on OEM amplifiers. “FFA has made an extremely good sounding amplifier and we back what we know works and has good audio quality,” F-1 MD Tony Andrews comments. “It is also quite charming that some of the best amps in the world are coming out of UK-based companies. They have taken their time www.audioprointernational.com

reaching this point, which is the right way to do it. You have to grow these products organically so all the bugs get ironed out.

They are splendid blokes and very ethical.”

The FFA-10000 is a Class D bass application power amp that was originally designed for a customer requiring a two-Ohm drive stereo amp capable of withstanding extended periods of use, at full power in high temperatures. Housed in a thick, ridged enclosure to ensure its components are protected from vibration, the FFA10000 uses a dual mono amplifier architecture and dual redundancy as standard, and is rated at 5,000W into two Ohm loads, 3,000W into four or 1,500W into eight. The powerful amp was designed in such a way that it does not require the need for power reducing circuits for protection when driven to its full potential at two-Ohm loads.

Mega dance venues such as The Egg in London and Cream in Liverpool both use the FFA-10000. Cream’s engineer Andy Kayll notes the improvement in the club’s sound after installing the new amps: “The difference was startling, the bass was tighter and fuller and the amps were just ticking over. A couple of hours with Smaart [EAW’s sound system measurement software] to rough it in and ears to perfect it and the place was absolutely rocking.”

Andrews also backs the amp’s grunt, stating: “This is one of the most powerful amplifiers that we have ever heard.”

In addition to its new ventures in the UK, Millard has seen FFA’s export business shoot up recently, and most of its products are now being used on the touring circuit in addition to high-profile installations throughout Europe. New distribution appointments include Audio Ethics in India, The Music Company in Bradford, Ward This is one of the Steedsy in Scotland and South most powerful African firm, Metropolis Sound and Lighting. amplifiers that Millard comments that we have ever this success has only come after being in the game for heard many years.

Tony Andrews “We have been bubbling Funktion-One along for a while now and people have come to know us more in the past couple years,” he explains. “We have been around long enough that people have had the chance to try our products and found them to be very reliable. Our products are built to spec, and they do what they say on the tin. Not many people make these high-quality items; they are not mass produced like the bigger companies. We are audio enthusiasts, which shows through in our products and we work closely with our customers to get feedback to improve them and to add features that are of genuine use. Most of all, they are tools that people earn their living from, so they have to function.”

There is also a strong focus on quality control within the company. Millard comments: “A lot of the components like metal work and circuit boards and all the major wound components are manufactured in the UK, and we assemble and test everything here. This helps us to maintain a high level of control over each part of our amplifiers and ensure that everything is up to spec.

The last thing we want is to have a product sent back to us. Not only is it a nightmare for the customers, it takes our valuable time to find out if there is a fault with the design or if it is a manufacturing or component defect and then assess it to make sure it isn’t an ongoing fault.”

For a company that has been ‘bubbling away’, it seems that it is set to rise to a full boil with plans to add staff and grow its international sales network. It also has a range of new twochannel amps tentatively planned for shipment in the autumn, in addition to new products in development for next year that will take the range even further. Millard confidently states that FFA is in it for the long haul.

”

> fullfataudio.com

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> STUDIO LANCASTER MUSIC CO-OP David Blackwell (front) and Mick Armistead in the control room at the Co-op

Our price records For 25 years, Lancaster Music Co-op has provided hundreds of hard-up musos with a place to rehearse and record. Rob Hughes learns about the organisation’s good work and why, worryingly, its future isn’t as secure as it should be... n 1985, clutching newly earned degrees and on the lookout for gainful employment and somewhere to play their instruments loud – though perhaps not in that order – a group of former Lancaster University students approached their local council with a business plan that would provide them with both. For them, the lack of local rehearsal facilities meant a gap in the market and their observation landed them a place on the Enterprise Allowance Scheme, funding and a lease on one of the many empty buildings in the city. The Lancaster Music Co-op was established.

A few weeks and a grant from North West Arts – now known as the Arts Council – later, two rehearsal rooms had been built and the Co-op was in business. An offer of some free airtime on Radio Lancaster to publicise the facility was readily embraced and served not just to draw the attention of cashstrapped bands – successful local musician and sound engineer Mick Armistead (who would eventually to go on and play keyboards with iconic Manchester band James) was listening and quickly expressed an interest to get involved.

“Mick was a local sound engineer just doing it for himself,” recalls current co-director of Lancaster Music Co-op, David

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Blackwell. “It was mostly live stuff, he’d bought a PA, but he also had some recording equipment set up at home. He phoned up and told us that he had a load of recording gear and asked if we had the space to incorporate him in the plan. We told him that they had this big building and when he came along to have a look he thought it was great and decided to set up his studio there. It was his private business initially – a very small studio with eight-track recording on reel-to-reel, but he built it up and it started doing really well, so we asked him if we could buy it off him and incorporate it into the business. And we did, we just bought the business from him.”

Despite relinquishing his stake in the Co-op, Armistead remained a familiar face and even gave up some of his time to teach the new owners how to record and engineer music.

“We never went to engineering school or anything,” explains Blackwell. “There was never much of that around at the time anyway, but Mick gave us a few lessons and then threw us in at the deep end to go and record a few bands. This was fine though because they were just local bands and we were only doing it on to eight-track and there wasn’t really any pressure, so we learnt on the job as well.”

”

We never went to engineering school or anything. There wasn’t much of that around at the time.

David Blackwell Lancaster Music Co-op

www.audioprointernational.com

LANCASTER MUSIC CO-OP STUDIO < In the early days, as well as a space to turn their amps up to 11 and jam for the price of a pint of Skol, the studio offered aspiring bands a way of making rudimentary but very costeffective recordings that, at the time, would have required considerable investment to make at home. Today’s would-be DIY musicians, spoilt for choice by cheap digital technology, will never encounter this problem, but for those who relied on the Co-op’s affordable services in the analog era, when even an eight-track would cost you a few month’s wages, it was pretty much unthinkable.

“We kept that old eight-track for years,” continues Blackwell. “We bought another one eventually, but we stuck with the method and it worked because we became really good at using it. We could never afford to upgrade to 24-track or even 16-track. I remember when we bought the second eighttrack, even though it was second-hand, it was well over a grand, so we always had to work on that kind of level.

“But all that changed when computer recording came in and became affordable. This is only going back maybe ten years, but eventually you were able to buy a multi-input soundcard and some basic recording software, which gave you great sound quality. And all of a sudden you had a 24-track, and for a fraction of the price. This didn’t necessarily up the amount of people that used our place, but it definitely upped what we could achieve. We no longer had to mix the drums directly down onto two tracks, which is what we used to do. Back then, if we had more than a couple of guitars, we had to think about bouncing and stuff like that and losing a bit of quality.”

You could be forgiven for thinking that, rather than increasing the amount of bands turning to the Co-op to make their demos, the onset of computer recording would have an adverse effect on this aspect of the business, particularly as, the affordable nature of the gear involved would lead many musicians to believe, often incorrectly, that they could achieve similar, or even superior results at home. But this is where the Co-op’s unique position in the market works to its advantage.

It gives artists the best of both worlds; a happy compromise between recording at home and recording in a proper recording studio – they get the vibe of a creative place and people who know what they are doing, but for a fraction of the price charged by most studios. And after they’ve paid the Co-op’s very reasonable rates, chances are they’ll have enough money left to buy some gear of their own.

“What we’re trying to achieve is to allow people at the beginning stage of their musical careers to actually get in the studio and know what it’s like,” says Blackwell. We’ve often had people come in who’ve been to bigger studios in the area and after doing stuff with us, have said that we’re just as good or even better. And we’ve also had people who have spent all this money on equipment, realised that they didn’t know how to use it and then came to us. But our aim is to fill that gap between the two markets. A lot of people come to record with us, have it mixed down by us but then take away the WAV files so that they can go home and play around with them, but still have a finished demo at the same time.”

“People will always aspire to record in a proper recording studio. They only do it at home because of the cost. A dedicated recording studio is really important, because you’re unlikely to get anything like the same quality at home. For a start, unless you’ve got loads of money you’re never going to be able to afford monitors that are anywhere near good enough to for you to hear exactly what you’re recording. Or microphones for that matter, and chances are you’re not going to be able to get the room tuned properly either. These are the most important things. Recording onto computers has made it so much cheaper and the quality is amazing, but it’s only as good as the microphone you put it though or the room you’re recording in. And at home you have problems with background noise and so on. That’s even before experience and skill come into it. www.audioprointernational.com

”

People will always aspire to record in a proper recording studio.

David Blackwell

Despite its elementary approach to recording, the Co-op is credited with producing music that has gone on to be played on Radio 1 and 6 Music by the likes of Zane Lowe, Steve Lamacq, Marc Riley and Gideon Coe – proof that the model works.

Worryingly though, the facility might not be able to continue this good work for much longer, as Blackwell explains: “We’ve still got the same licence to occupy that we had 25 years ago. We’ve not got a fullterm lease so we can’t apply for funding, even just to renovate the building, because it’s in a pretty bad state. The thing is, if we get a full-term lease at commercial rates, we’ll have to change what we do then and turn it into a profit-making company. And that totally goes against what we’re trying to do.

“We just want to secure the future of the Co-op and show people how important it is. All the musicians know how important it is – it’s just convincing the council of this.

Redevelopment plans have been hanging in the balance for the last five years and the problem is that we’ve just been hanging around waiting. But now we’re saying: ‘sod that, we’re just going to have to move forward and think about ourselves and not wait for someone else to come and try and help us’.

“As well as celebrating the fact that we’re 25 years old we want to continue into the future and we don’t really want to rely on other people to do that, we just want to do it under our own steam.” > myspace.com/lancastermusiccoop

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MATRIX AMPS LIVE SOUND <

Matrix: reloaded Matrix Amplification, a name familiar to many in the audio industry, is back and currently building a new range of lightweight power amplifiers from its base in Wales. Sales director Matt Button tells Rob Hughes what can be expected from this resurgent firm in the near future… ndy Hunt, an amplifier designer with more than 20 years experience of audio design within the PA and hi-fi industry, has long been asked by many of his customers to bring a lightweight amplifier to the market that could rival the quality of his Matrix ranges of years gone by. Now, after nearly two years of planning, he has re-established Matrix as managing director and a new range of amps is in production.

“The last 18 months has seen one of the largest R&D cycles we have ever embarked on,” says sales director Matt Button.

“We have done a lot of beta testing. You can bench test and think you have it right, but eventually, it has to meet the ultimate test, the end user. To this end, a large number of amplifiers were sent into the field for end users to evaluate in a wide variety of situations. In addition, the dealers and speaker manufacturers that we have seen, have provided us with very positive feedback with regard to audio quality.”

The new amplifiers found their way into clubs, live events, carnivals (such as Notting Hill) and even circus tents. They fared well and improvements were made as the cycle progressed. The valuable feedback from different market sectors has culminated in the company’s official launch, in June, of a full line-up of 13 lightweight switchmode amplifiers. Hunt and Button believe they sound better than the original heavyweights they were designed to replace.

To achieve this, the company’s production is very much an in-house affair, from conceptual 3D artwork, through to the design of the boxes that the amplifiers are delivered in.

“Popping the lids off the amplifiers reveals a very clean design,” continues Button. “It is immediately obvious that a lot of thought has gone into the production engineering of this product. Andy can point out plenty of small details and explain how each one is small on its own, but combines to make a big saving in assembly time.”

Speakons and Powercons used are all Neutrik and the company runs its own automated electronics assembly line and makes all the magnetics in-house, using high-grade ferrite cores, a process that involves copper foil and nimble fingers.

A

www.audioprointernational.com

“We have always created our own transformers, from original toroidal models right through to the new 8kva switchmodes that we use in all the amplifiers, except from the 1U series,” explains Hunt. “It is very important that the heart of the amp is made correctly, so the audio quality remains as high as possible, which is why we build them ourselves, rather than buying them in.”

“Attention to detail and the use of quality components all add up to make the product what it is,” adds Button.

Although many believe that building products in the UK is more expensive than mass-producing abroad and importing, Matrix insists that any added cost is more than offset by the control they gain by having everything in-house. The surface mount assembly line not only improves the quality of the product that is built, it also eliminates a lot of the labour cost, thus reducing the production costs to a level that enables them to sell a product at a keen price point within the UK market.

Hunt and Button believe that the company’s reputation for customer service, gained during its earlier years, is one of its core strengths. There are roughly 20,000 existing Matrix amplifiers in use throughout the UK, Europe and beyond.

While there are many models that were installed over ten years ago that are still working faultlessly, the products that have needed a little attention from time to time have received the same high standards and rigorous attention to detail that were applied to the original build. All after-sales service is also performed in-house, utilising the same expertise.

The company expects the next year to be very busy. The production facility is already making up to 60 units weekly and additional space has been acquired to raise it to 150. Recent expansion has also included manufacturing for the OEM market. For example, Shermann Audio now also markets Shermann Amps. Of Matrix’s 6004, Shermann’s Ken Hughes has said he's never heard an amp as clear and clean.

Seems like Matrix could be one to keep an eye on…

”

We have done a lot of beta testing.

You can bench test and think you have it right, but eventually, it has to meet the ultimate test, the end user.

Matt Button Matrix’s sales director

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> LIVE SOUND BEACH BREAK

Sound and waves Beach Break Live is an award-winning festival with ambitions that far outweigh its student-friendly budget.

Rob Hughes finds out how SPS Audio provides an audio system to match, despite its financial restraints… t’s emerged victorious from the Dragon’s Den, cleaned up at the UK Festival Awards and moved home three times in four years. And not only did it laugh in the face of extinction after losing it’s venue three weeks before the opening day last year, it secured a new site in record time (with one week to go), nailed the event, then staged its biggest show yet in 2010. Beach Break Live is a winner. Fact.

But unlike the major festivals, BBL doesn’t charge three figures for entry; it’s targeted exclusively at students and, as such, costs need to be kept down. If they weren’t, the ticket price would quickly reach similar levels to that of Glasto, Reading et al, and those fond of beans on toast and stolen traffic cones would probably ignore it and ‘go down the union’ instead. Somehow though, the promoters manage to keep a handle on this and the tickets remain so cheap that they sell out quickly every year, despite the festival’s youth and relative obscurity.

And if you were thinking that the thrifty nature of the festival would be reflected in the quality of the artists and production, you’d be wrong. As a punter, you’d be hard pressed to spot many differences between this and events that cost twice the price. Headliners included Vampire Weekend and Calvin Harris, who performed through a

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high-end EV line array system, deftly mixed on an Allen & Heath iLive console by Rob Richie and a handful of visiting engineers.

With regard to the lighting, I wouldn’t know a goldenscan from a moving head but it looked pretty impressive. And if I thought the production was good, then I doubt the students were complaining.

So how do BBL and event production company SPS Audio manage to pull all this off on a shoestring? SPS Audio’s Steve Yelland explains: “Beach Break Live, for me, is providing a very high level of service on a very small budget. The only way I can do that is to take care of everything – provide all the crew, audio, lighting, every proper stage from steel deck upwards, and produce the event myself. That’s the only way I can make it all work, from the client’s point of view, otherwise they wouldn’t get that level of quality, because they wouldn’t be able to pay for it. Last year I did the complete production – I provided everything from fencing to portacabins and power too. There are not many people out there who would be willing to take on the entire thing like I am. The client knows I’m on top of every little thing and if something extra comes up, I don’t start demanding more money; I just deal with it, because I’m able to.”

Not only does SPS Audio provide all this on a budget, it also travels 240 miles from St Austell in Cornwall, to Pembrey on the

”

Beach Break Live, for me, is providing a very high level of service on a very small budget. The only way I can do that is take care of everything.

Steve Yelland SPS Audio

www.audioprointernational.com

BEACH BREAK LIVE SOUND <

South coast of Wales, to do so. Even then, it works to a figure that similar firms in the local area have turned their noses up at.

Refreshingly, however, Yelland doesn’t seem to be overly fixated on profits.

Naturally, he needs to ensure that he and his staff are taken care of, but once that box is ticked, the priority becomes making the show as spectacular as possible.

“Some local companies asked if they could supply some of the smaller stages,” says Yelland. “When I told them the budgets, they couldn’t see how I could do it. It’s the total production and you can’t be greedy. On some of the smaller stages, the budget they were giving me for lighting and sound was horrific, but the reason that I can make it into what it is, is because I’m looking at the bottom line and, as long as I’m happy, I’ll chuck a few more bits at a stage. It doesn’t cost any more and I just want to ensure it looks and sounds good.”

And it certainly did sound good, but then, given the quality of the system components, which included 24 Electro-Voice XLC cabinets, 24 Xline subs and eight racks of P3000 amps, this is unsurprising. What is more startling is that, despite limited cash, the promoters have managed to find a company that can provide their equally hard-up revellers with an industry-leading sound system for the four days. SPS even supplemented its own EV kit with some from fellow rental firm APR Audio, allowing for a strapping XLD/X-sub system in the dance tent.

“I’ve been using EV kit for 18 years and the p3000 amps are renowned for their reliability and are just amazing bits of kit,’ he explains. “All the EV line arrays and the X-Line range is stunning. So, because of my connections, BBL is getting a much higher quality of kit than they would if they were just going to individual companies.”

For Yelland though, the key piece of gear at this event is his Allen & Heath iLive 144 console, which he believes is in a league of its own when it comes to price versus performance: “The iLive works faultlessly with this idea of providing an exceptional standard on a budget. It’s a stunning digital board at a very reasonable price and a direct comparison to some of the bigger, more rider-friendly desks out there. We only had one refusal to use it during the festival and everybody who used it commented on how amazing it sounded. The iLive has allowed Yelland to save money without scrimping on quality, but where this is not possible, he accepts that the cost is a necessary evil in keeping the standard of the production high.

This is particularly true of the crew, and it’s something that he often has to explain the merits of to promoters.

“They can push me down on the price of the kit, but not on the crew.

It’s these guys that you need to rely on and that doesn’t happen if you’re underpaying them, which is something promoters need to remember.”

www.audioprointernational.com

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> LIVE SOUND GLASTONBUDGET

Cover boys Roland and EV joined as sponsors for the tribute band festival, Glastonbudget. Andrew Low discovers how OneBigStar geared the stages... efore Gastonbudget, there were few opportunities for tribute bands to enjoy recognition for the hours they put in to replicate the songs, moves and wardrobe of their favourite band. Now in its sixth year, Glastonbudget is Europe’s largest cover band festival, with 7,000 tickets sold for this year’s event, which let over 130 bands get an idea of what it’s like to play big stages to thousands of fans, just like their heroes.

A state-of-the-art sound system complete with EV line arrays, RSS mixing desks and snakes and a silent stage were provided for the bands playing the festival. In addition, its VIP tent featured RSS’ new M-48 personal monitor mixers and digital control equipment, along with V-Drums and Roland keyboards to provide pre-gig rehearsals on site.

Event production and rental company OneBigStar supplied the light, sound and staging to Glastonbudget and introduced Shuttlesound (EV’s supplier in the UK) and Roland Systems Group as sponsors for the event.

Roland pro audio gear was used on all of the festival’s performance areas. OneBigStar used its digital snakes on the main stage along with Edirol’s V-400HD and CG8 mixed and outputting video graphics. The FOH position in the large big-top tent that housed the B stage employed a M-400 V-Mixing system, and the new RSS M-380 compact digital console was used to mix bands in the marquee, which housed the third performance venue. Roland amplifiers were used for backline across all of the stages.

“Glastonbudget was quite a statement for us,” says RSG’s Martin Thomas. “It demonstrated that our professional audio and video brands can perform effectively at a high commercial level. This partnership with the Glastonbudget team draws on Roland’s long-established strength and reputation in live music and instrumentation – the ‘Silent Stage’ is a great concept for festivals, but it’s also good to see professional musicians lining up to go nuts on the new TD20-KX V-Drum kits.”

The main stage PA was made up of Electovoice’s XLC cabinets, flown 12 a side, with X-Subs powered by EV Tour

B

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Grade amps. A combination of EV’s super-compact XLE line array with QRX cabinets, powered by EV’s CP amplifiers were used on the second stage.

EV’s Phoenix system, and the multi-purpose Tour X PA loudspeakers and stage monitors were featured in the two smaller stages in the marquees and in the Campsite bar respectively.

Sean Maxwell of Shuttlesound called the weekend “a singular opportunity to show the breadth and depth of Electro-Voice’s product offering for the multi-stage event. Not only did we have the correct loudspeaker and amplifier match for these four very different stages, but we had a variety of EV microphones in performers’ hands as well. OneBigStar, and particularly FOH engineer for the main stage Neal Allen, were pleased to have an easy life, just dealing with one supplier and enjoying the benefits of through-the-range compatibility and integration.”

Duplicated from its original unveiling at the actual Glastonbury festival, the silent stage was a popular area for bands over the weekend, as headliners Blurb and Oasish were able to rehearse using the RSS M-48 personal monitor mixers and RSS control equipment. Using the Roland V-Drums, V-Pianos, new Gaia synth and other instruments provided, festival performers were able to rehearse and warm-up, hearing their own output through the M48 system and headphones, while other guests in the VIP marquee enjoyed the hospitality undisturbed.

“Many performers find that the M-48 live personal mixer is a breath of fresh air for live performers,” says RSG marketing manager Martin Thomas. “It provides a way for each musician to monitor exactly what they want to – their order, their grouping, their levels, eqs, reverb – whatever. The M-48 enables control of up to 40 audio channels via 16 stereo groups, so you don’t have to share the same sources in the same order as everyone else, a truly personal and unique mix can finally be achieved by each player.”

”

It’s good to see professional musicians lining up to go nuts on the new TD20KX V-Drum Kits.

Martin Thomas Roland Systems Group

> rolandsg.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

Mixes the show without maxing the budget

Introducing the latest addition to Soundcraft’s tour and install-proven Vi Series digital live sound console range. The new Vi1 delivers the acclaimed Vistonics operating interface along with 64 channel/24 bus mixing capacity, built-in FX and dynamics, legendary Vi sound quality and optional MADI stagebox interface – all at a price that won’t max out your budget.

Find out more about the digital mixing consoles that live depends on at

www.soundcraft.com Soundcraft T: +44 (0)1707 665000 E: soundcraft@harman.com Soundcraft US T: 888-251-8352 E: soundcraft-USA@harman.com

> LIVE SOUND GLASTONBURY

Livin’ for the country Glastonbury’s sprawling 900 acres were covered with the latest and greatest in professional audio gear.

Andrew Low walks, dances and struts through Worthy Farm with ears open to bring you this report…

his year’s Glastonbury Festival set records for all the worst reasons. Already known as the biggest open-air music and performing arts festival in the world, 2010 brought the hottest temperatures in the festival’s history with over 3,000 people needing treatment for heatstroke and other weather-related ailments; a far cry from past years when heavy rains buried tents in muddy puddles on the site’s low grounds.

Despite the heat, Glasto’s 40th anniversary brought over 170 thousand punters to Worthy Farm in Pilton, UK, for six days of mayhem, drug taking, love making and, what? Oh yeah, music, and the festival did not disappoint. Sunday night headliner Stevie Wonder smacked it on the Pyramid stage while Flaming Lips, Orbital and hundreds of other world-class acts fuelled the fire throughout the weekend.

The readers of Audio Pro know that the real stars of the festival are the engineers and production companies that work around the clock to make sure the mammoth systems on the main stages and the stacks in Dance tents and parlours were tweaked to near perfection.

The festival’s main Pyramid stage saw the return of a Synco

by Martin Audio Longbow line array system supplied by London-based RG Jones. Headliners Gorillaz, Muse and Stevie Wonder played through main hangs consisting of 14 of Martin’s

T

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W8L complemented by two downfills.

Four sets of delays were also used in the field, which comprised arcs of 12 of Martins W8LC arrays and two hangs of four W8LSs for downfill coverage. A whopping 54 W8218X subs were employed for LF coverage, used in cells of three in cardiod mode with one rear-facing cabinet.

RG provided FOH engineers with the choice of two Midas XL4 consoles, two Avid by Digidesign Profiles and a Yamaha PM5D for digital or analog control, while Synco’s proprietary stage wedges controlled by two H3000 Midas desks handled monitor mixes.

Simon Honeywell of RG Jones commented that the system was very well received; noting Dizzee Rascal’s post-show comment that the reason punters were really going for it during his set was all thanks to the great sound on the Pyramid stage.

Although the dry and hot weather was not ideal for keeping within the festivals noise guidelines, Honeywell reported that there were no problems with off-site levels. “We were running at just over 100 dB for the headliners and were still able to keep it under the offsite level, which was really good,” he stated.

“The PA was essentially the same as last year’s, but we were able to get in earlier this year and have more time to set it up.

We have run into problems in the past by having too many

”

We were running at just over 100dB for the headliners and we were still able to keep it under the offsite level, which was really good.

Simon Honywill RG Jones

www.audioprointernational.com

GLASTONBURY LIVE SOUND < new matrix allowed connection of six consoles into the system at one time, each with L, R and sub capabilities.

Carr finds that each year more engineers request bringing their own desks. RG combats this by offering the analog and digital options. “By providing both analog and digital desks more people can settle with one of those and not have to bring their own kit. However, the main support and headliners always have the right to bring their own desk. Each year we want to give the best options; we don’t ever want anyone to feel forced to use anything.

“The Digidesign Profile is a highly requested console by engineers, especially by visitors from the States,” he explains. “We support them, we use them and they sound great.

People recognise the board and it has been accepted as an industry standard.”

Formerly known as the Jazz World stage, the West Holts stage featured the slightly less mainstream sounds of Femi Kuti, George Clinton with Parliament/Funkadelic and Rodrigo y Gabriela. APR Audio supplied an EV Xline system with X Subs running in cardiod mode for the stage, complemented by an EV N8000 Netmax system for distribution.

Two Midas H3000 analog consoles were provided at FOH with another onstage for monitor mixes.

APR’s system tech crew chief explains the reason for the all analog mix environment of the stage: “We looked at the requirements of all the bands on the stage during the weekend and the H3000 was the common denominator that fit everything we were asked for.

The mix was dialled in all weekend, so if you couldn’t get a good sound out of it then there was a big problem,” he laughs.

As always, the Other stage held jam sessions, freakouts and feedback from some of the world’s best alternative acts. This year Skan PA used 20 d&b Audioteknik J-series on the main hangs, per side aside and 14 on the side hangs, in addition to six By providing both Q1s for the centre hang and 24 J-Subs and 10 J-Infras in a sub analog and digital array to handle the LF. The d&b M2s, C7 and M2s were used for desks, more monitoring with and Q-Subs for drumfill. The sidefills were six people can settle Q1s (flown) above three B2 subs.

Skan provided two Midas XL4 (44 mono and four stereo) for one of them desks at Other’s FOH. In addition to the standard system, it and not have to also supplied – as guest desks – Digidesign Profile and D-Show consoles, a Yamaha PM5D-RH and a Soundcraft Vi6. Florence bring their own. and the Machine brought a Pro 6 and the Pet Shop Boys used a Steve Carr Digico SD8. At last count, there were 22 consoles used in RG Jones addition to the four supplied.

The company also supplied two hangs of 16 d&b J-Series arrays for the massive crowd that collected to watch the England vs. Germany World Cup match.

Over on the John Peel stage, local production and hire firm APR Audio provided an Electro Voice main system comprising XLC DVX line array cabinets and X-Subs. EV X-Array boxes were used for side and drum fills and the whole rig was powered

by EV P3000 RL amplifiers. On stage, HK Audio CT wedges, powered by Lab.gruppen PLM 10000Qs, provided sound reinforcement for monitoring. All mixing was done on Yamaha PM5DRHs (see Yamaha box out for more on this).

EAW is no stranger to the festival, with six stages, including the über trendy Park and BBC Introducing stages, pumping out hip sounds through its cabinets. On the Park stage, artists such as Empire of the Sun, Biffy Clyro and Thom York reached the ears of the punters via a KF series FOH system that consisted of eight KF853, eight BH853, 16 SB850 and four KF850. Two KF850 and two SB850 were used as side fills.

As soon as the main stages let out the dance tents and fields went mental, as the crowds stormed out to hear the heavy

”

system techs working on the PA, but we put our faith in Mark Edwards this year and he did a great job.”

Steve Carr, also of RG Jones, was appointed as project manager to make sure that the Pyramid stage was furnished with every piece of gear necessary, right down to the last Speakon. He was also on site acting as FOH chief engineer.

Carr commented that a new matrix system was used on the stage this year: “We wanted to use a master matrix desk for miscellaneous feeds and bring all the guest mixing consoles into one place. The most suitable board would be high spec digital, but we were running everything analog and didn’t want to put in a conversion between the outs of desk and ins of system, so we used a Midas XL88 matrix analog device, which gave us eight ins and outs. We also used a Yamaha 02R to take miscellaneous feeds for the DJS, VT screens and announcements mics.

Another new feature at the Pyramid was a digital flip flop system, which featured two Digidesign Profile consoles along with the XL4s. Markus Bista got in touch with the performer’s technicians ahead of the show to find out what plugins were needed so that they were loaded into the Profiles on the day.

The Digidesign were connected to the system by bussing the outputs of the profile through the group ins on the XL4. This www.audioprointernational.com

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> LIVE SOUND GLASTONBURY

thumps, clicks, beeps and bumps of the world’s hottest DJs. Audile of Manchester, UK used Funktion-One’s speakers to great effect in the Dance East tent where 18 Resolution 5s and eight F-221s were used for main stacks. Res 4s and 218s were used for sidefills and Res 1s for infills, in addition to MC2 amps, XTA processing, Turbosound TFM 450 monitors and an analog H3000 console at FOH, with a Yamaha PM5D in the monitor position.

Audio Funktion provided Funktion-One gear for the Glade stage and Arcadia area. The Glade stage used two stacks of three Funktion-One, F-221, double 21-inch bass enclosures per side with five Resolution 5 loudspeakers. Four Res 4

speakers hung from the tent with six double-18-inch F-218s on the floor for rear field coverage.

The giant flame-spewing spacecraft DJ booth returned to the Arcadia field this year. Audio Funktion kitted out the flaming area with six Funktion-One stacks in a hexagonal configuration with omnisonics control. Its front stacks were left and right configurations of six F-218s topped by five Res 5s per side, in addition to side and rear stacks and two Res 4s flown with two F-218s on the ground. F-1 also brought its own Ambisonics rig to the Glade area, where it used Prism Sound’s Orpheus Firewire computer interface. See Funktion-One boxout, below, to find out more about the company’s own rig...

Yamaha

As usual, Yamaha digital consoles were to be found all over Worthy farm. Of note, however, is the John Peel stage, where a sandwich of PM5DRHs could be found, taking care of both FOH and monitor mixes. APR Audio’s Matt Gunter commented: “The PM5D is a consistent, reliable board. It’s been around for a while and everyone knows it well. They had a generic patch put in and engineers could just walk up to them, see their channels and everything would be organised for them. As a company, we’ve never had an issue with Yamaha consoles – not a single failure. I find them damn reliable.”

Digico

Digico proved a popular digital console choice, with SD7s and D5s making appearance alongside Gorillaz and Stevie Wonder, and SD8s handling mixes for Pet Shop Boys and Corinne Bailey Rae. Dave Guerin, monitors for Gorillaz, said: “With a total of 108 inputs from stage, one SPX 90 return, and 11 shout channels, and then 39 mono aux and 14 stereo aux in use for the Gorillaz on monitors, no festival house system is ever going to accommodate that lot, in fact no desk other than the Digico SD7 can accommodate that lot. At Glastonbury, even the BBC was hard pushed to keep up with our channel count. When we go to 144 available stage inputs on the Autumn production tour, the SD7 will keep on going.”

Funktion-One

If you found yourself in the dance area at Glastonbury this year, chances are you were throwing shapes in front of a purple loudspeaker. F1’s very own system, which it set up it in the Experimental Soundfield included loudspeakers in six positions in a hexagonal arrangement on a 25-metre circle.

Each position consisted of one F121 and one Resolution 3.

As a six-channel Ambisonic set up, each position needed separate amplification. This consisted of three MC2 E90s for the F121s, three MC2 E45s for the Resolution 3 18-inch drivers and six MC2 E25s for the ten-inch and one-inch drivers. Three Funktion One X04As provided the crossover points and delays, while Ambisonic software was running in the Prism Orpheus soundcard, giving six Ambisonic analogue outputs connected to the X04As.

Allen & Heath

Allen & Heath popped up in various areas throughout the festival, as Ellie Goulding used her iLive set up for a performance on the John Peel stage. Monitor engineer, Steve Pattison, used a mixture of the R72 surface and a touch screen laptop, which gave him the flexibility to talk to the artists during sound check, and move around the venue during the show. Further to iLive’s presence at the festival, Sasha headlined the Glade stage using the new Xone:92 mixer, which was also found on the on the East and West Dance stages.

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www.audioprointernational.com

GLASTONBURY LIVE SOUND <

Full Fat Audio

Britsh amplifier manufacturer Full Fat Audio provided all the power needed to drive Noise Control Audio loudspeaker systems across numerous venues and fields. Highlights included the NYC Downlow (pictured), London Underground and The Hub. Amplifiers used were FFA2000, FFA3600, FFA-6000 and the new FFA-10000. Steve Stavrinides, Noise control audio production manager noted that he was very pleased with the audio and absence of technical issues.

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OOne ne Main SStreet, treet, W Whitinsville, hitinsvville, M MAA 01588 | 800 992 5013 / 508 234 6158

www.audioprointernational.com

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> INSTALLATION MIXERS

In the zone Andrew Low rounds up the latest zone and matrix mixers for the commercial installation market…

ar from the sexiest product in a pro audio distributor’s profile, commercial installation mixers nonetheless serve their purpose as the mother brain for intricate commercial installations the world over. With integrated DSP, numerous I/O options and expandability features packed inside a rackable unit, these slim mixers offer ‘no brainer’ control for conference rooms, banquet halls, bars and restaurants.

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YAMAHA IMX644 The Yamaha IMX644 rackmount digital mixer is designed for conference rooms, banquet halls, bars and restaurants. Its inputs comprise six mono Euroblock (each with +48V control), four RCA stereo and an optical digital in, while outputs are two pairs of stereo Euroblocks and two mono outs, plus RCA and optical digital outs for recording.

Advanced features are accessible via a computer running IMX644 manager software, connected via USB. These features include feedback suppression and automatic ducking on all mono inputs, with six band parametric eq, digital delay and output balance on all outputs.

GPI inputs and outputs are provided, plus a RS232-C remote connection, which allows remote control via third party systems such as AMX or Crestron. The IMX644 is designed to dovetail seamlessly with all 26 models of Yamaha’s Installation series loudspeakers and the IPA8200 power amplifier. > yamahacommercialaudio.com

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MEDIAMATRIX NION Nion, by Peavey brand MediaMatrix, is a range of floating point DSP cores operating over either Dante or CobraNet and featuring a 448-channel high-speed digital audio bus for lowlatency expandability. This makes them suited to applications where a huge amount of DSP is required.

To take the Nion nX Dante as an example, specifications include 96 channels I/O (two modular I/O card bays), 32-bit processing engine (three Analog Devices Sharc Hammerhead DSPs), 24-bit conversion, sample rates from 16 to 96kHz, 64 channels of Dante audio and included NWare software.

Peavey introduced Nion nE, a DSP platform for mid-market applications at InfoComm 2010. > mediamatrix.peavey.com

”

While not the sexiest pro audio product, commercial mixers nonetheless serve their purpose as the mother brain in installations.

AUSTRALIAN MONITOR MX833 Australian Monitor’s MX833 features eight XLR mic/line, and stereo RCA inputs. Phantom power is available on mic inputs.

Internal settings include the ability to select pre or post fader for the channel direct outputs. Additionally, channels 1 and 2 feature a 120Hz, 24dB/octave high pass filter to eliminate handling noise and rumble through microphones. This feature is defeatable internally. Input 1 can also be set as a defacto priority input so that audio from channel 1 is not affected by the master volume level. Even the headphone output has options. > polaraudio.co.uk

www.audioprointernational.com

ROBUST, RELIABLE LiVE RECORDING SADiE LRX2 Location audio workstation

SADiE 6 Software Audio recording, editing and production software

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> INSTALLATION MIXERS

BIAMP 801I The 801i is a single rack-space mixer with eight mic/line inputs and one auxiliary line input. Each mic/line channel uses a differentially balanced, discrete transistor preamplifier for low noise and low distortion performance. Both a limiter and remote level control are built in.

Additional features include channel 1 override via signal present or external switch, aux input ‘ducking’ via signal present on channels 1-8 and remote control of main out level via external pot. > polaraudio.co.uk

allowing the user to ‘stack’ inputs – increasing the number of available analog audio sources.

Four additional inputs are available via S/PDIF connectors, capable of receiving sample rates ranging from 32kHz to 96kHz, with sample rate conversion to 48kHz for internal processing functions. All inputs are accessible through the audio matrix, with DSP functions assignable prior to distributing signal at line level.

Up to eight DX1208 units can be connected using the 16channel DX Link, which is integrated into every unit. Using a ring topology network, DX Link allows the transfer of up to 16 channels of audio between DX1208s. > eaw.com

RCF PR 4092 RCF’s PR 4092 is a nine input, two output preamp. Each of the nine inputs can be sent to output A only, output B only, or both A+B; in this way PR 4092 can also be used as a double preamplifier: A-bus dedicated to paging, B- bus for BGM programs. Its two-in-one design, priority function relevant to the inputs is active on the output selected only, by not affecting the other output bus. Input 1 has overall priority (voice or contact activated) and can be used for emergency paging; Inputs 2 and 3 together can be set as priority on Inputs 4 to 9.

CLOUD Z8II The Z8ii offers direct connection of up to six music sources, two microphones and a paging mic, all of which can be selected to operate in up to eight different output zones, in any combination. It has been developed as a master control for the entire sound system The Z8ii offers the ability to accept an array of input sources such as CD, video, and satellite. Connecting the LM-1or DM-1 active modules extends the versatility of the units.

> rcf.it

> cloud.co.uk

TASCAM LM-8ST The Tascam LM-8ST is a one-space rackmountable line mixer with eight pairs of balanced quarter-inch TRS inputs switchable from +4 or -10dB – can be bussed to a pair of XLR balanced outputs, labeled ST1 and ST2/aux. Pre or postfader bussing is available for the alternate buss, and master output level controls and metering keep signals under control. A microphone input is also provided for announcements or performance.

FORMULA SOUND ZMR243 The ZMR243 features two balanced microphone inputs and four stereo line inputs, which can be routed and mixed to three stereo outputs. Optional remote volume control plates provides VCA control for four music sources.

The rear-mounted microphone connectors are XLR style, balanced, with associated gain, HF and LF cut presets. Internal settings provide 15V phantom power if required. Also on the rear, the ‘music’ inputs are by four pairs of phono connectors, each pair with screwdriver operated gain setting.

> tascam.com

”

The high-speed digital audio bus makes NION suitable for applications where a huge amount of DSP is required.

> formula-sound.com

CROWN 14M AND 28M Crown’s range of Commercial Audio units are configurable for a range of uses such as paging, background music, security, and evacuation instructions.

The 14M has four inputs and one output channel, while the 28M features eight inputs and two output channels. Any input can be sent to any output channel.

The systems are expandable by adding Crown Commercial Audio series amplifiers or mixer-amplifiers. Each unit comes with a three-year, no-fault, fully transferable warranty.

APEX DBZ-48D Apex dBZ-48d is a stereo distribution mixer with inputs complete with LED metering, on/off, mono sum and gain adjustment facilities. Similarly, each stereo output section comes fitted with identical features, with the addition of independent mix controls for both stereo inputs, allowing individual stereo mixes to be sent to each output.

The dBZ-48d features integrated DSP for user-selectable delay and 24dB/octave high and low pass filters.

> crownaudio.com

> redsquareaudio.co.uk

EAW DX 1208 DSP MATRIX MIXER EAW’s DX1208’s digital matrix mixer is designed for a variety of commercial and installed sound applications. Eight inputs can handle either mic or line signals, with selectable 48-volt phantom power per input. These eight inputs, and the eight outputs, are accessed using Euroblock detachable connectors.

The additional four inputs utilise unbalanced RCA connectors, 32

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>> APPLICATIONS

New Blackbox debuts with Procul Harum AES/EBU digital variant of recorder used on North American tour by FOH engineer Graham Ewins

THE AES/EBU digital variant of the award-winning JoeCo Blackbox Recorder made its debut alongside Procol Harum recently, during their tour of the US and Canada.

The band played a number of solo headline shows in addition to sharing the stage with Jethro Tull during the two-week tour.

Linked to a Yamaha PM5D-RH console, Procol Harum FOH engineer Graham Ewins explained how the 24channel multi-track live audio recorder proved an ideal companion over the touring period.

"Hook up was simplicity itself – connect the looms, connect the hard drive, power up and off you go. We had to configure our new hard drives for fat 32 file handling but, once this was done, we were up and running very easily. Procol Harum channels total 22, with channels 23 and 24 used as a stereo pair for audience capture, so it's ideal, both for creating a one-scene 1 to 24 layer on the PM5D and for capturing the whole show using a single BBR unit.

“The Blackbox Recorder remembers all the shows and puts

”

Hook up was simplicity itself – connect the looms and hard drive, power up and off you go.

Graham Ewins FOH, Procol Harum

them into a file by date. It also tells you how much disk space you have left and just gets on with it. I had fun telling the system techs how much 24track audio you could record with a Terabyte hard drive – 80 hours, unbelievable. I recorded at 24 bit 48kHz because that's what we archive at and it's also what my studio runs at.

I am looking forward to hearing the results and quality of the WAV files. A very easy to use and configure piece of kit. It also fitted into a 1U rack bag with the looms still attached.” > capturingperformance.com

Void kits out DC-10 VOID ACOUSTICS has made an impact on the Ibizan club scene with new distributor, Ibiza PA, completing two major installations in just six weeks. The controversial daytime club, DC-10, recently re-opened with a sizeable Void triple-horn Air Motion – installed for promoters Circo Loco – while the Sands Beach Restaurant is sporting a brand new Air Ten system.

The DC-10 installation represents a major coup, with the club re-opening after a chequered history with the local authorities, resulting in its closure in 2009. Located in a former airport hangar close to the runway at Ibiza Airport, DC-10 is the traditional venue for daytime partygoers, opening in the morning as the ever-popular Space club closes. The installation, completed in record time by Ibiza PA, comprises eight triple-horn Air Motions, complemented by six Stasys 34

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X low-frequency cabinets. At Sands, the complete system comprises four Air Tens together with Basys B15s, Infinite 6 amplifiers and Void’s Digidrive loudspeaker management.

Owner Jason Bull commented: “We are getting great comments on the Void system at Sands, with our opening party hosted by Sander Kleinenberg, who kicked off his latest tour here. He really enjoyed testing the system to the limit.” > voidaudio.com

>> OHM HAS… …Completed a series of successful road tests of its new Ersa Major line array. In Poland, the system met performance expectations in a series of concerts with top international acts, including exGenesis guitarist Ray Wilson and leading Polish band LZY. Band sound engineer, Wojtek Cichocki subsequently decided to include Ohm in his sound rider as the band’s preferred system. > ohm.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

APPLICATIONS <<

Electro-Voice corners World Cup sound market EV loudspeakers installed in nine out of ten hosting stadiums in South Africa

ELECTRO-VOICE loudspeakers were chosen to provide sound reinforcement in nine of the ten arenas hosting the 2010 World Cup. In six of the stadiums, announcers will also be using Electro-Voice wireless microphones.

A major factor in EV’s proliferation in this area is said to be the outstanding reputation of Electro-Voice’s partner in the region, Prosound, the country’s leading supplier of sound and lighting installations, which won the commission to install the sound systems in nine of the ten stadiums.

The contract was a huge undertaking, since four of the ten stadiums were new constructions and the other six had to be renovated, extended or partly rebuilt in order to meet the stringent demands of the tournament. In the case of the sound

www.audioprointernational.com

reinforcement, each stadium was the subject of a separate invitation to tender and to merit serious consideration, each sound reinforcement solution proposed had to be tailored to the specific requirements of each stadium.

“Ever since founding the firm over 37 years ago, I have worked closely with Electro-Voice,” said Prosound MD Terry Acres. “And with good reason – Electro-Voice systems are reliable, robust, evince exceptional mechanical quality and deliver clear and balanced sound. In short, they’re the ones that best meet our requirements.”

Over 2,300 Electro-Voice and Dynacord loudspeakers and a variety of EV Rev-D wireless microphone systems were installed in the stadiums in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Nelspruit, Port

Elizabeth, Rustenburg, Polokwane and Bloemfontein. In South Africa, FRX, ZX5, SX, XLD and EVID boxes from Electro-Voice are being used, while Dynacord is represented by over a thousand loudspeakers from its DL800 series. From compact, direct-radiating modules beneath balconies to line-array systems designed to cover long distances, a wide variety of enclosures have been installed, with all components finetuned to one another.

Prosound’s experience in the equipping of sports stadiums goes back to 1981 when the audio firm developed and installed a comprehensive sound reinforcement system for Ellis Parks Stadium in Johannesburg – a system that functions flawlessly and unaltered to this day. > electro-voice.com

SCRATCHING

THE PAD Recent industry deals ABBEY ROAD has bought four Digital Audio Denmark (DAD) AX24 converters for use in the Abbey Road Mobile. All four are equipped with plugin MADI options, and two include DAD's new direct Pro Tools HD interface card.

Abbey Road Studios engineer Jonathan Allen, who undertook test recordings with the AX24 before purchasing the units, said: “We needed a unit which had world-class converters, great built-in mic amps and the ability to run MADI back to the control room. The DAD AX24 not only ticked these boxes but made one of the best arguments for working at higher sampling frequencies." > digitalaudio.dk OPÉRA COMIQUE in Paris has purchased an Eclipse digital mixing console from Innovason.

Sebastien Arribas, head of AV at the venue, decided to move on from an old analog console as it was too limiting in terms of the number of outputs and flexibility of configuration.

“It still sounded good, but we had got to the stage where we were asking more of the console than it was capable of giving. A digital console was the obvious choice. The Eclipse came highly recommended from Radio France. We do a lot of work in collaboration with Radio France, and I hold their technical team in the highest regard, so that was an important recommendation.” > innovason.com

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BEHIND THE BOARD WITH… JOHN PATERNO LA-based producer, mixer and engineer John Paterno tells us of his fondness for cell phones in the studio Which band/project are you currently working on?

Working with a Spanish artist named Veronica Romeo. We’ve been writing and demo’ing some new material. I've also been mastering a few different projects.

Do you utilise any outboard effects/eq, and if so, what are they used on and why?

Yes, I've got a bunch of Chandler Limited gear – almost everything they make. I'm particularly fond of the LTD1s and the Germanium eq. I use a Curvebender on my mix buss and either an LA-3, EAR 660, or an ADL 1000 on lead vocal. I really like the Mike E and the Distressor

by Empirical Labs. The Mike E on bass is particularly great. For software, I love the UAD plugins.

They have done some amazing things I also think Altiverb is fantastic. Sound Toys plugins are always on my mixes, as well at McDSP's Filter Bank.

prefer SSL 4000s or a Neve 8078, depending on the project. But I seem to mix mostly in Pro Tools these days.

Favourite PA system or monitors?

I started using Focal Twin6 monitors and the Dangerous monitor ST a few years back and have been super happy with the results. The Focals sound accurate to me and the Dangerous allows me to work at low levels and not get weird image things when the volume pot is at its lowest setting.

Favourite venue/festival/studio?

Sunset Sound/Sound Factory, Henson, and Sound City are my favorites in LA. Air Studios in London is a great place to work.

What’s been your worst professional experience to date?

There haven't been very many at all.

The eight-hour banjo overdub was tough, but it only lasted eight hours and not eight weeks.

Favourite console?

For tracking I really like API or pre8068, Neve's best. Sunset Sound has a custom built console in its Studio 1 that is fantastic. For mixing, I

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What’s been your career highlight?

I've worked with some amazingly talented people. I don’t mean to sound corny, but that moment when

a great performance happens is always a highlight. I really like helping people get to where they are trying to, musically.

What really pisses you off when working?

Mobile phones – shut the damn thing off before you walk into the room. Are you here to get something done or to be distracted by a little screen? I absolutely hate mobile

phones in the studio. Okay, got that one off my chest.

What makes you happy when working?

When everyone in the room is focused on the performance. When people on the tech side are thinking ahead so the creative side can find its groove. And when someone takes the time to crossfade the bass before consolidating it.

www.audioprointernational.com

bringing brands together

The Leisuretec Listings Plus 2010 • Call us to Order Your Copy • Experience • Choice • Value • Service Sound • Lighting • Special Effects • Distribution Power Squared • Tel: +44 (0) 1525 850085 • www.leisuretec.co.uk

> IN SESSION

Studios:

People and equipment behind studios in the UK and around the world...

Rooms: Live room, control room, video edit room Consoles: Yamaha 02R96VCM, TL Audio M4 Mics: AKG, Beyer, Schoeps, Shure, Sennhesier, Røde Outboard: TL Audio, Universal Audio Monitoring: Genelec 8050

Rooms: Live room, control room, iso booth Consoles: 1970s custom 28-channel Class A BBC console

Absolute Pro Audio, UK

The Ironworks, Brighton

AV SALES and rental company Absolute Pro Audio recently moved into the former Neve premises in Cambridgshire, UK, as part of its ongoing expansion. The studios that came as part of the acquisition had seen little use in recent years, but were a major attraction for the company, which offers professional audio sales, demonstration, design, installation, commissioning and training services.

The firm realised that having a studio onsite would provide better facilities, while at the same time adding another string to the its bow.

“It was a fantastic opportunity to create a high quality demonstration and training facility and also to set up a cutting edge recording studio,” said Absolute Pro Audio’s Phil Darke.

“Because of our wide range of installation work which includes hotels, restaurants, learning facilities, conference venues, public buildings, theatres and concert halls, it is extremely useful to bring clients here and demonstrate equipment, so they can hear for themselves and make an informed choice.”

Recording clients can expect affordable yet professional facilities

IT SEEMS hardly a month goes by these days that we don’t have another Miloco studio to tell you about. And this month is no different because the unstoppable studio group’s latest acquisition, The Ironworks, its first forays into the über creative city of Brighton, is open for – and is already doing lots of – business.

The Ironworks was originally set up to record producer and engineer and Mike Pelanconi’s Drumdrops sample library. The large live space was optimised for drum recordings ranging from dry sounds to huge 60s ambience and it soon became apparent that a studio with a very special range of acoustics had been created – one that could go on to bigger things. Word got out and, by the end of the first six months, acts such as Unkle, Nick Cave and Black Rebel Motor Cycle Club had already visited.

The Ironworks is based in a warehouse building off Brighton's Trafalgar Street in the North Laines and has been designed and built by Mike Craig, a former technician of both Olympic and Chalk Farm studios with 40 years of experience in acoustic design and high grade electronics.

featuring select pieces of both digital and analog equipment, housed within a live room and control room designed by none other than Andy Munro. On the inventory can be found a Yamaha 02R96VCM console, various pieces of valve outboard gear and a pair of Genelec 8050 monitors.

There is also a substantial collection of classic instruments and amplification, residing in a live room, which can comfortably accommodate up to ten performing musicians.

“A digital console with recall facilities was essential, because of the diverse use of the studio,” said Darke. “We chose the 02R96VCM for its all-round suitability, excellent audio quality, included VCM package and improved preamps. For monitoring, the 8050’s were my first choice as the die cast cabinets, I think, are an improvement on the wooden cabinet design. The frequency response is staggering for such a relatively small speaker.

“The first thing I did when it was all wired up was mic up our new Yamaha Stage Custom drum kit,” added Darke.

“As soon as I listened back I knew that acoustically we had found a very special room.”

Select pieces of gear are housed within live and control rooms designed by Andy Munro.

Telephone: +44 1763 852222 Web: www.absoluteproaudio.co.uk

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Mics: Neumann, Calrec, Sontronics, Beyerdynamic, Calrec, AKG

Outboard: GML, API, Tube-Tech, Summit, Langevin, Chandler, Chiswick Reach Monitoring: Yamaha, Tannoy, Quad

A spacious 50 square-metre live room features vintage drum kits by Gretsch and Rogers, along with a drum riser and Pelanconi’s amazing collection of vintage keyboards, guitars and amps, including an ARP Odyssey, Korg Monopoly and Vox AC30.

The control room measures an ample 40 square meters and is lit naturally via a skylight. In the centre of the room is the Custom 28 Channel Vintage BBC Class A Console dating back to the late 1970s and complemented by Tannoy Golds and Yamaha NS10s, which are powered by a BBCmodified Quad amp – Miloco assures of a flat and even response. The outboard racks are accordingly equipped with a range of units from high-end studio classics to more weird and wonderful gadgets, among them, several vintage spring reverbs and echoes. Recording is via an Ampex M1200 16-track two-inch machine, offering results that are said to be unrivalled in terms of bottom end.

“The design and dimensions of the control room were inspired by Capitol Studio B and the old Hollywood Sound Recorders where many cool 70s artists recorded,” notes Pelanconi.

Telephone: +44 20 7232 0008 Web: www.miloco.co.uk/ironworks

www.audioprointernational.com

IN SESSION <

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// To have your studio featured in this section, please send all details to: andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk or call +44 1992 535646

APRS Board member Wes Maebe tackles vocal work

Amuse Bouche from the Sonic Cuisine VOCALS remain one of the key ingredients of most musical styles.

As engineers and producers we have a myriad of microphones, mic pre amps, compressors, eqs and rescue tools to hand when working with vocalists. So where do we start?

Rooms: Two live rooms, control rooms, mastering and production rooms Consoles: Neve 8816, 48-channel SSL Duality Mics: Neumann, AKG, Audio-Technica, MXL, Audix, Electro-Voice Outboard: Tube-Tech, GML, Avalon, Focusrite, Empirical Labs Monitoring: Yamaha, Genelec, ProAc

The Cutting Room, NY CUTTING ROOM studios has enjoyed a privileged position as one Manhattan’s premier recording studios for many years now and, as a result, counts superstars such as Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jon Bon Jovi and Run DMC, as well as smaller local artists, among its happy customers.

The studio specialises in mixing and has a long history of mixing major and independent records. Its primary control room, studio A, houses a brand new SSL Duality, Pro Tools HD3 Accell and a raft of outboard gear including mic pres by Neve, SSL, Tube Tech, Avalon and Focusrite – reportedly a powerful mix environment.

The live rooms are not to be sniffed at either and, along with widely renowned acoustics, offer views of the city skyline to the north and east. They are said to equally adept for cutting intimate vocals or a getting a great drum sound. Live room A is the primary tracking room for drums and piano recordings, although both A and B are well equipped for tracking overdubs and vocals. Tickling of ivories can be done on a Hardman baby grand and the list of other instruments and backline is long and impressive. 1962 Jazz bass anyone?

“The whole point of our studio complex was to create an environment that offered the physical size and highlevel equipment of a larger facility in one great room, while our other rooms lend support,” explains owner David Crafa (pictured). “At the same time, we wanted an environment where clients could relax in a non-corporate setting.”

Chief engineer at The Cutting Room is Anthony 'Rocky' Gallo, a platinum award-winning and Grammynominated engineer. Dubbed 'The Vocal Comping King' by John Legend, he has worked with artists such as Perry Farrell's Satellite Party and Mos Def, as well as with legendary producers including Steve Lillywhite, Eddie Kramer, and Will.I.Am. As well as its bread and butter tracking and mixing business, The Cutting Room offers mastering, as well as periphery services, such as web design and video production. It also partners with local radio station KEXP to provide the space and technology for up-and-coming artists to broadcast live performances to listeners around the world. The studio donates its services as part of a larger effort to give back to the local music community that has supported it for 15 years.

The Cutting Room is said to be equally adept for cutting vocals or getting a great drum sound.

Telephone: +1 212 260 0905 Web: www.thecuttingroom.com

www.audioprointernational.com

Everything but the kitchen sink My favourite vocal mic is a Brauner VM1 and I usually carry it with me to all my sessions.

Mostly this baby will serve my needs, but sometimes I need to concede and change the mic for a particular voice, for a particular genre. You start to find little treasures dotted around the globe; the valve U47 at RAK and The Sony C800G at Sensible spring to mind. And the same goes for preamps and other ancillary equipment you put in the chain.

The big cook off: performance versus tuning When working with inexperienced singers, just starting out on their careers, who still deserve the best product we can deliver, we may not have big budgets to work with. In these situations, where we don’t have the luxury of ample studio time, we go for the best performance we can get in the time available and reach for the tuning software.

Personally, I hate the idea of tuning vocals. The end result can sound bland and artificial, and I can’t get rid of the ‘cheating’ feeling. Whenever I can, I will work the artist a bit harder (and probably drive them nuts) to get a better performance than they think they’re capable of. And if the performance is sizzling hot, the odd ‘offness’ will not offend.

When we have to set up an extra room in the studio dedicated to tuning all the vocals, it shows that there’s some training and coaching to be done. There’s a bunch of fantastic vocal coaches

out there, who will work miracles in a pretty short time. Check out the Voice Council website for vocal tips and various contact details: http://voicecouncil.com.

Haute cuisine When we’re lucky enough to work with outstanding singers, we can really view the voice as an instrument. We have time to focus on giving that instrument the best environment in which to shine.

It’s extremely gratifying when a singer compliments the engineer on the balance in the headphones, and even better when they listen back in the control room and say ‘That’s an amazing vocal sound’.

I’ve just had the pleasure of

Even Greta the dog contributed to a seven-part harmony backing vocal the other day. mixing Justin Sullivan of New Model Army. On the track Someone Like Jesus, he starts out with a low growl like Lee Marvin, before moving smoothly to a pure and fragile vocal line that sits delicately in a track of spare beauty. I didn’t even eq it, just some gentle compression with an 1176 Blackface. Less was more.

Your dinner’s in the dog Greta, in fact. The resident dog at the Ichinchilla Villa will inhale any food you are careless enough to leave within reach. But even she contributed her vocal to a seven-part harmony backing vocal the other day – unprompted, unasked, unexpected, but actually in time, in tune and in the mix.

You never know what you’ll find on the other side of the glass.

Always have the tape rolling...

Wes Maebe is a multi-skilled engineer involved in all aspects of the studio and live sectors. While spending a great deal of time touring with artists such as Sting, he freely admits that his first love is is studio work and he is most at home either recording, mixing or mastering at his own facility or one of several top UK rooms. Recent clients have included Alexandra Burke.

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> PRODUCT

NEW GEAR >> Recent releases in audio technology 1

2

3

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Eyecote Clover Systems DVX-3 DVD/CD Analyser

Optocore AES3 card for X6R

Primacoustic VoxGuard ambient noise attenuator

Crown ComTech DriveCore amplifiers

THEY SAY: A standalone system that combines DVX with the AMM-1 analog measurement module, and a touchscreen PC. SPECIFICATIONS: DVX-3 DVD/CD analyser features Quikscan, which can test a DVD-5 in 38 seconds. It can perform bit-for-bit comparison of two discs of any type, including video, audio, or data. Operated with or without an external monitor, keyboard, or mouse, DVX measures six types of errors on DVDs and CDs, plus reflectivity, modulation, resolution, beta, focus error, tracking error and jitter on DVDs, and reflectivity, I11/Itop, I3/Itop, beta, focus error, tracking error, and jitter on CDs.

THEY SAY: This complements the existing mic/line conversion cards and offers a number of new device options.

SPECIFICATIONS: Optocore’s AES3 card is a new I/O card for the X6R 16channel converters, which provides 16 AES channels, with the ability to change the inputs or outputs in groups of eight.

New card configurations include, X6R-16AE: 1x 16 channel AES3 I/O, with Euroblock connectors and up to 192kHz sample rate, in addition to cards for its X6R-8AE/8MI, X6R-8AE/8LI and X6R8AE/8LO. Optocore has also produced AES cards for the new X6R-TP (16channel converter with 24ID SANE network), as well as the new X6R-FX: 16channel converter with 24ID SANE network to 24ID Optocore network.

THEY SAY: VoxGuard’s lightweight design makes it much more flexible and affordable than its competition.

SPECIFICATIONS: VoxGuard is a high performance ambient noise attenuator designed to mount on a microphone stand and surround a recording microphone to help control the sound from entering the microphone by minimising the reflections in the room.

VoxGuard features a high-impact ABS outer surround shell that snugs onto a mic stand using the mic clip. A high-density open cell acoustic foam liner blocks absorbs the voice range while keeping room ambiance out.

The lightweight design makes positioning the VoxGuard easy without the usual fear of the stand falling over.

This makes it effective when used with round base stands, tripods and even with large studio booms.

THEY SAY: High performance, energy efficient amplifiers, convection cooled, ultra-energy efficient amplifiers.

SPECIFICATIONS: ComTech DriveCore amps include up to eight channels and 150 Watts per channel in a 1U chassis without a fan. They feature Integrated DriveCore technology with greater than 90 per cent efficiency and a signal-tonoise ratio of 110dB. DriveCore also has patented feedback and protection circuits integrated into the silicon for quick response.

CromTech conforms to Harman Professional’s Green Edge environmental initiative. They are convection-cooled and Energy Star 2.0 compliant and weigh 10lbs each.

> dvd-testing.com

> optocore.com

> crown.com

> primacoustic.com

5

6

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8

Genelec 4000 series

Tannoy CMS 1201DC

Biamp Vocia

Dramastic Audio Obsidian 500

THEY SAY: New connectivity and other technical features that are of major benefit to professional installers.

SPECIFICATIONS: The new 4020A and 4030A from Genelec are two-way active loudspeakers fitted with ‘Phoenix’ screw terminals and 4000 series’ integrated amplifier.

In-built protection circuitry electronically protects its drivers from signal peaks and misuse of the system.

Room response controls, including calibrated bass tilt, treble tilt and bass roll-off optimise the loudspeaker’s response to different acoustical environments. Mounting is provided by way of integrated support points for Omnimount 20.5 series hardware on the enclosure back panel, and the 3/8inch UNC threaded hole at the base of the enclosure and the wide variety of mounting options and accessories

THEY SAY: CMS 1201DC delivers bestin-class performance for the most even beamwidth and pattern control over the widest range of frequencies of any large format ceiling speaker.

SPECIFICATIONS: CMS 1201DC is a 12inch (300mm) dual concentric point-source driver featuring a treated mid-bass cone and double rolled cambric surround, as well as a 1.34inch (34mm) aluminium dome with ferrofluid cooled neodymium magnet assembly and a new waveguide for the HF unit. These two drivers merge into one with the HF mounted in the throat of the mid-bass; aligning both transducers to a point source.

Each device comprises three discrete components: the loudspeaker assembly (mounted on ported steel baffle), a separate 2.8 cubic feet steel back-can with multiple mounting points.

THEY SAY: Distributed networked smarts, flexible, scalable features, and no-nonsense Biamp quality.

SPECIFICATIONS: Vocia is a distributed networked approach that offers decentralised architecture to distribute processing and page routing across the network. Built to meet EN54-16 requirements for voice alarm control and indicating equipment (VACIE), Vocia uses standard IP technologies such as Cobranet as well as existing IP networks for multi-site installations.

The Vocia output (VO-4) converts four channels of digital audio input into line-level analog audio outputs. The networked multi-channel Vocia amplifier (VA-8600) provides eight channels of modular amplification with up to 2,400W of power per chassis and optional channel-to-channel or deviceto-device failover.

> genelec.com

THEY SAY: The 500 series format is more and more in demand and the Obsidian in this guise is not only equally as good as the 19-inch rack mount format but offers even more flexibility.

SPECIFICATIONS: The 500 series features TXIO transformer balanced I/O, precision stepped controls, VCA feedforward compression, selectable internal high-pass filter, expansion port, option to link multiple modules, selectable pad settings and imaging.

The new unit is derived from the same circuit design as the regular 19-inch rack unit, with added flexibility from a selectable high pass filter. The 500 version also adds one more 1.5:1 ratio position. There will be a dual mono expansion module available, which provides independent metering for each channel, and the addition of the inputs to the side chain.

> tannoy.com

> biamp.com

> kmraudio.com

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> DISTRIBUTION <

IN BRIEF Meyer appoints Philippos Nakas Technical support and educational scheme complement distribution deal LINEAR ACOUSTIC has furthered its expansion into Europe with the addition of Sono Studiotechnik as its German dealer.

Sono Studiotechnik will serve as the sole dealer for Linear Acoustic in the region. > linearacoustic.com L-ACOUSTICS HAS revealed that Lightone will serve as its new distributor for Israel.

Lightone has extensive experience of the Israeli sound reinforcement market, and boasts a knowledgeable sales and technical team.

“Having previously worked with Lightone I am excited to renew my contact with them,” said Tim McCall sales manager at L-Acoustics. “I anticipate that the appointment will open up new possibilities and markets to further strengthen the L-Acoustics brand name in Israel.” > L-acoustics.com PROEL GROUP has signed a deal with Kamol Sukosol Electric Company (KEC) to handle the exclusive distribution of all its products and accessories for Thailand.

Founded in 1974, KEC have been a pioneer in the Thai professional and consumer audio field and has brought many well-know international brands to Thai consumers over the years. > proelgroup.com MAGENTA HAS appointed Craneworks Oy of Helsinki to distribute its full range of audiovisual and serial signal distribution and switching products in Finland.

Its new distribution agreement allows the company to grow sales throughout its customer base, as well as providing increased access to Magenta technologies for its own engineered solutions. > craneworks.fi

MEYER SOUND has announced the appointment of Philippos Nakas as its new distributor for Greece.

From its base in Athens, the company will handle sales of Meyer’s loudspeakers, in addition to providing technical support, product servicing, and co-ordination of educational programmes for the Greek professional audio market.

Philippos Nakas has been supplying musical instruments and professional audio equipment in Greece since 1937. It is one of the country’s leading distributors in the industry, with a portfolio that includes Sennheiser, Klotz Digital, Neumann and Robe.

“We have been looking for a big name in loudspeakers for a long time now and are very excited to add Meyer Sound to our offerings,” said Konstantinos Nakas, managing

director of Philippos Nakas. “The current economic state is driving a wave of new sound rental companies to the market and these companies are demanding quality equipment such as Meyer Sound.

“Meyer Sound is a strong believer in transferring its experience and knowledge to audio practitioners on the field,” added Scott Gledhill, Meyer’s international sales manager.

“By working with Philippos Nakas, we hope to drive the sound quality in Greece’s live events to the next level by providing both sophisticated audio solutions and high-level technical training and support.” > nakas.gr

BTX to handle Yamaha’s ProjectPhone New partnership for distribution, live demos and dealer training in the US BTX TECHNOLOGIES has been named as US importer and distributor of the Yamaha ProjectPhone web conference microphone speakers.

The company will begin the partnership with the widebandwidth PJP-20UR microphone speaker, the personal pocket-sized PJP-10UR, and the eightmicrophone PJP-50USB. “BTX consistently looks for products that bring innovation and convenience to a number of AV applications, and Yamaha’s ProjectPhone line certainly accomplishes that,” said Greg

Schwartz, president of BTX Technologies. “For businesses, these devices are simple to use and provide an unmatched level of flexibility and quality in web conferencing.”

“BTX has a well-deserved reputation for innovation, which will prove invaluable as we bring ProjectPhone to the AV market in the US,” said Terri Hideki Nakagawa, supervisor of Yamaha Sound Network division.

“Partnering with BTX provides us with access to an

extensive network of dealers, and we are certain their customers will find our ProjectPhone web conference speakers to be a highly effective and convenient solution for their business applications.” > btx.com

Prism Sound targets South Africa Johannesburg-based SEGMA appointed as exclusive distributor for the country SEGMA (Specialized Engineering Group in Media Advancement) has been appointed the exclusive South African distributor for all Prism Sound and Sadie products.

Segma, based in Johannesburg is a group of specialised media engineers who work together to bring advancements to the industry, both through distribution of class-leading products and research and development of new products.

Among the brands already represented by Segma is Adam studio monitors.

Although just one year old, Segma has already built a strong reputation

for identifying issues that face the South African media industry and finding new methods to resolve them.

The company is due to move to new

premises that will feature studios and mix rooms, all of which will be used as demo facilities so that customers can test equipment in real world environments.

Segma director Maldwyn Greenwood (pictured) said: “We are very keen to introduce the Sadie LRX2 location audio workstation to the South African market because it is an outstanding product. The fact that it can record 64 MADI channels is going to take the market by surprise because we have nothing locally available that can even begin to compete in its size.” > prismsound.com

To clarify last mont’s distribution news: Vicoustic’s UK distributor is Systems Workshop www.systemsworkshop.com. Vicoustic’s website is www.vicoustic.com 42 audioPRO July/August 2010

www.audioprointernational.com

PEOPLE <

Wooster joins Sennheiser UK Veteran live sound man will work with customers, but continue as an engineer SENNHEISER UK has appointed veteran FOH engineer Dave Wooster to the role of live sound specialist – a newly created position. Wooster will work alongside customers, allowing them to benefit from his up-to-date knowledge and experience and will continue in his role as an engineer.

“My aim is to demonstrate Sennheiser UK’s live sound solutions, provide ongoing support and backup and further develop how this range of products fit in the current marketplace,” said Wooster, whose live sound engineering credits include Van Morrison, Gary Moore and, most recently, Leona Lewis. “Sennheiser’s

Wooster will provide backup for customers

own products are well known for their excellent quality and the third party brands it distributes have been

carefully chosen to compliment this.”

“When you’re working in a live sound scenario, you need to be able to talk to someone that instantly understands what you require and can explain things in practical, rather than text book, terms,” added Phil Massey, general manager of Sennheiser UK. “The Sennheiser ethos is to identify the quality and relevance of each of the brands within our portfolio. By doing that, we can make our client’s lives as easy as possible and provide a service that is of real value. Dave is ideally placed to help us fulfil this.” > sennhesier.co.uk

Powersoft names new VP for US Appointment of Ken Blecher seen as a major step toward Stateside expansion POWERSOFT HAS strengthened its presence in the US with the appointment Ken Blecher as vice president and director of business development.

With more than 25 years of experience in the manufacturing, contracting and consulting segments of pro AV integration and tour sound, Blecher will be teaming up with Thomas Bensen, US vice president and director of operations, at Powersoft’s US facilities in Farmingdale, NY. “I look forward to continue growing the Powersoft infrastructure in the US,” confirmed Blecher. “My immediate attention will be to

Curious?

Dream Team: Blecher (far left) will help drive powersoft forward in the US

increase the exposure of Powersoft’s technologies, thereby raising awareness within the professional audio community of the values and benefits of Powersfot amplifiers on all levels.”

“Ken adds a new dimension to our market presence,” added Bensen. “This is a major step in the expansion and the strengthening of the brand in the US.” > powersoft.it

Ateis hires sales exec ATEIS UK has named Matt Collman as its new sales executive. Collman take charge of its non-voice alarm products.

The new recruit will handle Ateis’ professional installation product ranges, which include the new echo cancellation system, UAPG2 DSP audio network, IP-based products and the Magellan counter intercom.

Collman began his sales career working in the hi-fi department of John Lewis before moving into pro audio at Harman UK in its service sales support division. Most recently Collman was with games company Atronic, handling panEurope sales on accounts worth millions of euros.

Commenting on his new role at Ateis UK Collman says, “I've wanted to move back into pro audio for a while and spent some time researching Ateis and its expanding product range.

Ateis ticks all the boxes for me.” > ateis.co.uk

Please visit our website www.riedel.net

!

W E N

ROCKNET PERFORMANCE AUDIO NETWORKS The Solution for World Class Events.

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MARKETPLACE <

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

SOUND MARKETING Marketing - PR - New Media SOUND MARKETING IS where a wealth of knowledge and experience of the audio and entertainment industry are applied on behalf of clients with energy, imagination and personality.

Stephanie (Lambley) Dell began her career in the entertainment industry (appearing in The Bill and Eastenders).

In such an unpredictable business she thought it wise to develop a supplementary career, so after receiving a diploma in performing arts, secured an administrative position in the service department of Hayden Laboratories.

Before long she was snapped up by the sales and marketing division and the actor turned marketeer.

During her six years at Hayden Labs, Dell formalised her passion for marketing and obtained a Chartered Institute of Marketing diploma. On receiving a job offer from leading distributor Leisuretec Distribution, she took up a post with the company and went on to become the sales manager.

Six years later, with a wide remit of responsibility, she decided it was time to set up her own company.

With such strong roots in audio and entertainment and a real flair for applying her knowledge and experience

DISTRIBUTOR

MARKETPLACE ADVERTISERS INDEX Adam Hall

01702 613922

Crown

+1574 294 8093

DBT

0800 239 2848

Eyecote

01600 72443

www.itechd.com www.dbtechnologies.com www.dvd-testing.com

Full Fat Audio

DELL: Passionate to a broad range of tasks, Sound Marketing was an inevitable step.

“Sound Marketing was born from a love of all things audio and a passion for the entertainments industry,” she says.

“It is about traditional marketing, as well as new media, viral campaigns and digital marketing. I am committed to providing cost-effective, tailored marketing and PR services”.

Dell represents firms such as Polar Audio and Pioneer, but is currently on the lookout for new clients. > soundmarketingpractice.co.uk

www.fullfataudio.com

Gasoline

www.gasoline.co.uk

Graphic Nature

01992 558 800

GHQ

0207 8749 5654

HME

+1858 535 6060

Leisuretec

+44 (0) 1525 850085

sales@leisuretec.co.uk

Neutrik

+44 (0) 1983 811 441

www.neutrik.com

Sound Marketing

01296 621 052

www.soundmarketing.co.uk

TEAC

01923 438 880

sales@tascam.co.uk

TL Audio

01234 772 244

www.larkingslist.com

www.graphicnature.co.uk www.wesonator.co.uk

AUDIO MARKETPLACE CLASSIFIED RATES: Minimum 12 Months One Annual Charge Quarter Page £1,495

To advertise call

Darrell Carter on 01992 535647

DISTRIBUTOR www.dbtechnologies.com

Active & passive speakers

Line array

InEar & Wireless

Public adress

The sound of experience dBTechnologies UK 16 Whitebeam Close Newhey, Rochdale OL16 4ND Direct: 07595 672157 Freephone: 0800 234 2848 mail: sales@dbtechnologies.com www.dbtechnologies.com

a member of

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MARKETPLACE DISTRIBUTIOR

MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURER

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MARKETPLACE < MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURER

All-in-One Headset or Beltpac Options

NEW WS200 Wireless Speaker Station

+1-858-535-6060 www.HMEDX.com MANUFACTURER

MANUFACTURER

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MARKETPLACE PR

PR

STUDIO

STUDIO

Looking for a sound engineer with ALL of these qualities?...

Gear Head knows all the gear and all the tricks

A star makes us sound like us, only better

Good communicator quick to understand what we want

Great ears gets fantastic sound

Nice person gets on with everyone, recommended by previous clients

Will travel and speaks four languages

Plays an instrument speaks our language

Great address book good studio and producer relationships

Superficial resemblance to Kid Rock (not a deal breaker)

Feet firmly on ground no big ego, "no prob" attitude

...Better call Wes then Wes Maebe: Freelance recording, mixing, mastering and live engineer T: 07875 401114

E: info@wesonator.co.uk www: wesonator.co.uk

Email Wes for your FREE copy of his 10 Top tips for Optimising Your Recording Session

The Audio Pro paparazzi is infiltrating all audio events, snapping away for our monthly Mixdown, which features friendly faces of people in the business and shots from industry events. If you have any pictures from an event that you would like us to include, please send them to andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk.

The last word in Audio Pro GOT THE HORN

API MEALS API salesman Mark Seman serves up another Maryland crab cake slammer, sure to go down the hole in one, at the Audio Masters Golf Tournament in Nashville recently. The event was held in support of NERF (Nashville Engineers Relief Fund). A raffle for two API 7600 channel strips was won

by Mark Miller and Andrew Mendelson.

Studio engineer, Nick Sevilla, who used a 32-channel Allen & Heath GL2800 to mix his Grammy award-winning mix of Steve Martin's The Crow in 2009.

AUDIO FISH OF THE MONTH

7 WAYS TO (UNION) JACK Chicago house godfather Marshall Jefferson is spotted on his way to the UK clutching a bag containing his Metric Halo ULN-8 interface. “It smokes everything else out there”, said Jefferson.

WHAT A COM-POSER Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, hailed for his work scoring movies such as Gladiator and The Lion King has a relaxed look for the camera, while at his facility, Remote Control, in Santa Monica. Zimmer is the proud owner of no less than six Manley Massive Passive eqs. We’re not a bit jealous. www.audioprointernational.com

Audio Pro deputy editor, Rob Hughes’s Bernese Mountain Dog, Laser, takes a sniff at her lunch.

Seconds later, it was a different scene. Hughes caught this five-pound mirror carp by fly-fishing with her dog biscuits. She felt it was a good trade.

audioPRO

July/August 2010 49

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EMPTY ROOM OF THE MONTH

Finland Pavilion, Shanghai Expo Not only is this room furnished with enough rocking chairs to satisfy the needs of a large retirement home, it’s also equipped with a thumping complement of Genelec 8050A loudspeakers and 7060B subwoofers. Maybe they weren’t turned on?

VISIT FROM THE AUDIO STORK

Tannoy’s Mark Flanagan kicks off the pro audio baby boom with the birth of his son, Arthur Alistair Flanagan, weighing in at 7lbs 12oz.

MIXTAPE MEN

The C90 is back! Well, briefly at least, thanks to a group of Birmingham City University students who have launched a cassette tape record label, Brave or Invincible. Brave, yes. Invincible, no.

To discuss advertising contact Darrell Carter on 01992 535647 darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk For editorial enquiries email Andrew Low andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk or call 01992 535646

Intent Media is a member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and the Periodical Publishers Association

A audioPRO

© Intent Media 2010. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners. Printed by Manson Group, AL3 6PZ

ISSN: 1755-4918

SUBSCRIPTIONS UK: £50 Europe: £60 Rest of world: £90 If you or one of your colleagues would like to request a subscription to Audio Pro International, please email audio.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848

If you would like to receive your own copy of Audio Pro International, please email our subscriptions department on: audio.subscriptions@c-cms.com or call 01580 883848

July/August 2010

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Audio Pro International is published 11 times a year by Intent Media ~ Saxon House, 6A St. Andrew Street, Hertford SG14 1JA, England

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FOH - Peter Gabriel

RICHARD

SHARRATT

SD7

An Arresting Combination.

“

I think the SD7 sounds great. I thought the D5 sounded great and it’s a continuation of the same line.

From a control point of view it’s everything a D5 could do, but better.

”

- Richard Sharratt

The next generation of digital sound engineering is here, in the form of the stunning SD7 Live Digital Console.

Featuring Super FPGA and Floating Point Stealth Technology, exclusive to DiGiCo, the performance results are exceptional. And, you don’t just have to take our word for it, when coupled with Peter Gabriel’s FOH maestro Richard Sharratt, live mixing is taken to a whole new level. Sharratt says “The SD7 is the only choice.

An unbelievably powerful and flexible console”.

DiGiCo SD7: Criminally Good.

www.digico.biz DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL. Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600