Audio Pro issue14, December 2008

Issue 14 December 2008

LIVE • COMMERCIAL • RECORDING • BROADCAST

ARENA SOUND: THE BEST SOUND SYSTEMS IN SPORTS STADIUMS

THE STRANGLERS

www.audioprointernational.com

EVENTECH

DIGITAL SNAKES

Industry leaders reveal what’s in store for the next 12 months

E Series.

Touring Class.

High Calibre Audio Amplifiers

www.mc2-audio.co.uk

WARRANTY

Built for a life on the road, E Series amplifiers combine audio quality and assured reliability. Featuring a lightweight aluminium construction, robust digital power supply, advanced protection technology and intelligent limiter, E Series amps deliver their full power across the entire audio bandwidth. Discover the complete range at www.mc2-audio.co.uk

Palmer stands for 20 years in analog audio technology Our audio tools have proved themselves to be dependable and practically invaluable helpers in all fields from pro audio installations/live sound production to recording situations.

http://www.palmer-germany.com/8-1-home.html

PRESS PATCH BOX (stereo) Instead of having one microphone and one line input the stereo version has two line inputs. The first input is split on to the upper row of outputs i.e. on to the odd channels whereas the second line input is split on to the lower row of outputs, i.e. the even channels.

PRM Delta 28 The PRM-Delta 2.8 is a two-channel (stereo) distribution amplifier and can distribute two different sources to four outputs each.

PAN 04

PSB243

PAN-04 consists of a housing containing the equivalent of two PAN-01s, making it a dual channel passive DI box. This “stereo� configuration makes it ideally suited for use with certain keyboards and devices which have several outputs.

The PSB 243 is the only active 24 channel stage splitter system available that offers transformer isolated inputs and outputs for FOH and monitor mixers with an additional third output available for live recording. The PSB is a 24 input, 72 output, professional broadcast quality, stage box and splitter system all at a price far below comparable products.

www.adamhall.com Adam Hall Limited Unit 3, The Cordwainers, Temple Farm Industrial Estate, Sutton Road, Southend - on - Sea, Essex, SS2 5RU Tel: (+44) 0 17 02 61 39 22 Fax: (+44) 0 17 02 61 71 68 email: mail@adamhall.co.uk

audioPRO INTERNATIONAL

CONTENTS

ISSUE 14 DECEMBER 2008

REGULARS: STUDIOS 44 PEOPLE 49 NEW PRODUCTS 50 MIXDOWN 58 truly busy month for API. Two live show reports, a trip to Dublin for Eventech and a visit with RSG in Chiswick.

Despite all the travelling we were able to check in with the industry about what they felt were the best products to be released and set to become industry standards in 2008 (page 34). We also gave some industry leaders the chance to reflect on 2008 and predict what will happen in the 2009 (page 32).

I was lucky enough to fit in an interesting discussion with The Stranglers’ monitor engineer, Kev Allen, about the state of digital technology. Allen comes from an analog background, and while he is happy to use digital boards, he did bring up an interesting point about product functionality.

He feels that engineers have already taken one on the chin and accepted that they must use smaller boards to save crew, space and money, but he argues that they should not also be forced to use gear that makes their workflow more complicated. These days, he feels, many manufactuers make the user adapt to their design styles, rather than putting the things they need close to hand.

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Manufacturers miss the point when they design products for the sake of simply having more features With production budgets shrinking and travel costs rising, engineers are looking for gear that is not only lightweight and compact, but that feels like an analog desk. Allen likened it to using a computer that only has a shift key and three letters on its keyboard.

In other words, why hide the things that engineers use the most?

I have also noticed this when working with DAWs. It seems that each company tries to make its software different from its competitor while getting further away from how a real console looks and feels.

Manufacturers miss the point when they design products for the sake of simply having more features. A great product is one that is functional and makes sense. Having said, that this year did see a load of user-friendly products that have put these concerns to rest.

Hopefully 2009 will continue this trend.

In closing, have a great holiday season and see you next year.

NEWS 4-6 COVER FEATURE

INDUSTRY LEADERS 32 We talk to some of the decision makers in the pro audio industry about their reflections on 2008 and what 2009 has in store.

EVENTS EVENTECH 8 NAMM 13 A review of Ireland’s newest trade show and why you should go to NAMM 09.

FEATURES THE STRANGLERS 20 Monitor engineer Kev Allen talks about mixing The Stranglers on his own ILive console.

Andrew Low Editor andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk

ARENA SOUND 24 A look at the gear used in some of the top sporting venues around the world.

The latest

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INTERVIEWS MADS NIELSEN 28 RSG 38 An interview with Mercury Rev’s FOH engineer and a chat with Peter Heath and Massimo Barbini about the Roland Systems Group

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

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NEWS

A news

NEWS

Three Loud announcements Pro audio giant drops St Louis, but keeps key lines LOUD TECHNOLOGIES made three big announcements regarding the company’s structure in early November, all of which signify a drastic change of direction by the company’s new president and CEO, Rodney Olsen.

Loud has restructured its marketing, sales and engineering departments, bid for the remainder of its shares to regain control and announced the sale of the SLM Marketplace (St. Louis Music) catalogue, accessories distribution business and

proprietary St. Louis Stage Gear brand.The sale did not include the key MI lines of Ampeg, Crate or Alvarez.

In a letter to its shareholders, Loud Technologies (under the name Sun Mackie) issued a request to purchase the remaining 23.8 per cent of the firm’s shares that are still in the public domain. The letter explained that the company intends to acquire all of the issued and outstanding common stock of Loud Technologies not currently held by Sun Mackie, as it

Ampeg is the most important of the MI brands Loud retained

currently owns approximately 76.2 per cent. It offered $1.45 per share of common stock.

The move to buy up the remaining shares in Loud appears to suggest that the company is hoping to go private once again.

The company also announced a fundamental reorganisation of its corporate marketing, sales and engineering functions.

“The company’s worldwide engineering resources will be scaled accordingly to support a more focused product development schedule,” stated Olsen in a corporate statement. “Loud will also move North American sales from its current captive sales force to a group of independent sales representation firms and consolidate portions of its international sales force. The restructuring is expected to result in approximately 90 fulltime positions being laid off and will be in place by the end of 2008.”

Loud’s final announcment was regarding the sale of St Louis Music. loudtechnic.com

James E Cowan 1956 to 2008 JAMES COWAN, the president of Neutrik USA, passed away at the age of 52, following a battle with cancer.

Cowan worked at Neutrik for 20 years, starting out as general manager, before becoming vice president and subsequently being promoted to president in March 2000.

Werner Bachman, CEO of Neutrik, said: “Cowan was a wonderful leader with just the right combination of business skills and personal qualities. But more than that, he was an industry icon and a genuinely caring person who touched everyone with his kindness.

I know he will be sorely missed by an industry he so significantly impacted.”

In addition to running the company, Cowan was instrumental in Neutrik’s charitable donations, offering the company’s equipment to such organisations and schools as Brookfield Academy, La Sierra University and Michigan State University.

COWAN: A wonderful leader

Cowan was also a member of PAMA (Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance), and a philanthropic benefactor to organisations such as Oceans of Love, which provides help for children with cancer, ALS Association (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig's Disease), the Food Bank of New Jersey and others.

Cowan leaves behind his wife Kate and two sons, Gregory and Dan. Donations can be made to Ocean of Love: 1709 Highway 37 E Toms River, NJ 08753, www.ocean-oflove.org.

Adam Hall offers free carriage Savings for UK web orders over £100 pounds on new website ADAM HALL is offering free carriage to its UK customers for all web orders over £100 before VAT. The offer is available to all of the company’s UK resellers and retailers until December 23rd, 2008. New users can log on to www.adamhall.co.uk and fill out an online form to receive a username and password.

The site has been streamlined to enable convenient ordering, with a new feature that allows

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users to view any and all details of stock availability.

Meanwhile, the company has moved its German HQ down the road into a purpose-built location in Neu-Anspach, Hessen.

The new building was constructed to provide Adam Hall’s customers with improved availability, enhanced service and quicker delivery times. The move also sees the overall improvement of all its logistics processes.

December 2008

Continued sales growth and new forthcoming marketing channels forced the move as the company outgrew its previous location. Over 10,000 square metres is now allocated for the optimisation of process runs and technical standards.

The larger area enables the stocking of greater quantities, which will reduce delivery times.

Future growth and expansion will also continue in the new location as the

Adam Hall’s new eco friendly German Headquarters

company plans to employ an additional ten to 15 people in the then next three to five years.

The design of the new HQ incorporates eco friendly techniques, including over

6,500 metres squared of photovoltaic cells on the building’s roof and the use of the town’s new district heating, resulting in lower carbon emissions. adamhall.co.uk

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NEWS

FX Rentals announces YourSpace Recording facility aimed at those who own their own gear for instant ‘bespoke’ space FX RENTALS has announced a new type of recording facility, YourSpace. These are two bespoke recording spaces in London available to rent by the hour, with the benefit of company’s large selection of equipment and instruments for hire onsite.

The spaces are aimed at musicians, engineers and producers who own portable equipment. Each of the YourSpace facilities offers a spacious control room with 5.1 monitoring and dedicated sound booths for overdubs, voice-overs, etc, allowing clients to adapt the space to their own requirements.

Clients are encouraged to bring in their personal equipment, which can be

easily supplemented with pieces from FX’s vast selection of musical instruments and audio equipment on the premises.

One of the first clients for YourSpace was Dan Weeks’ music production company Weeksweeksweeks, whose methodology involves recording tracks at home before moving to larger spaces for the major part of their productions. “The FX space is perfect,” said Weeks.

“We have enough good recording equipment, but we regularly need a treated room to work in and don’t necessarily want to pay £500 per day for a space with tons of gear that we are never going to use.

FX Rentals offers acoustically treated rooms for bands and engineers

“YourSpace is an attractive, affordable alternative for people who don’t have their own serious studio environment. The rooms are simple, acoustically treated, nicely decorated and well organised. We brought a Mac Book, Pro Tools, mics and

Digidesign certifies Future Works Pro Tools training now available at Manchester campus DIGIDESIGN recently made Futureworks an authorized Pro School. The award makes it one of only four training facilities in the UK, and amongst eight in Europe that teach Pro Tools up to the highest level.

Futureworks is the only teaching institution to train students on a 32-channel D Control work surface, the console used to create such high profile projects as the Bond and Batman films.

Its teachers are also now among a small group of professionals that are qualified to teach Pro Tools up to Icon expert outside of the United States.

Several high profile production companies have already signed up to Futureworks’ courses, including the BBC, ITV, 3sixty Media and The Royal Shakespeare Company.

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some preamps and were set up in 30mins.

“The most exciting part is the fac that the FX warehouse is an essential part of the studio set up, like a door to a magical musical equipment world. It’s all there, from vintage mics to gongs,

plectrums to Pro Tools rigs, and all at 75 per cent discount – and the FX boys are all amazingly skilled professionals,” he concluded.

“We wanted to create a high-spec space, but we didn’t want the design to dictate the use,” explained FX Rentals’ chairman, Roger Evan. “We’ve already had clients with a variety of projects for which the rooms have been ideal: mixing, tracking, rehearsals and composition.”

FX YourSpace operates from 10am to 10pm with three-hour sessions at £15 per hour and 12-hours for £135.

Rental gear is available with a 75 per cent discount. fxgroup.net

L-Acoustics training seminars 2009 schedule and registration system now available online

Futureworks is certified to teach on the 32-channel D Control

Chris Mayo, managing director of the Manchester, UK-based Futureworks, commented: “Our credentials as a Pro Tools school speak for themselves; we have the most experienced instructors combined with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, offering the perfect package to both clients and students.

“The fact that world renowned media

companies such as the BBC and ITV are using our facilities to train their audio professionals is a huge testament to the quality we have here.”

Futureworks now offers a range of Digidesign certified Pro Tools training courses from beginner to expert level. All courses are taught on both Mac and PC systems and instructor lead using practical material. futureworks.co.uk

L-ACOUSTICS has announced its 2009 training seminar schedule to help engineers make better use of their products in the field.

Information and online registration are available at www.l-acoustics.com The seminars are designed for technicians and mixing engineers. They encompass the fundamental aspects of Wavefront Sculpture Technology (WST), system integration, setup and design. They cover other L-Acoustics subjects, such as Kiva, DV-Dosc, Kudo and VDosc as well as the LA amplified controller platform and the LA Network manager software.

The seminars are a combination of theoretical

knowledge (day one) and practical field procedures (day two) in order to equip participating personnel with the knowledge and skills necessary to operate and optimise the WST systems in safe, controlled and measured environments.

Systems seminars can be extended to a third day dedicated to L-Acoustic’s Soundvision 3D simulation software program.

Seminars will take place at L-Acoustics headquarters in Marcoussis and are available in both French and English.

More information on the training seminars, including scheduling and costs, is freely available on the company’s website. l-acoustics.com

December 2008

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A news

NEWS

AKA pimps a police ride Studio built in former riot van for charity MTV show STUDIO DESIGN specialist AKA has created a fully functioning recording studio within an ex-police riot van for a charity special of MTV’s Pimp my Ride.

The brief was to kit out a mobile studio for a London youth group, XLP, and the challenge was gladly accepted by AKA’s managing director Guy Wilson.

“We wanted to create a studio that could be used by five people and to give it some ‘pimp’ style,” he said.

The AKA team donated over 1,000 hours work on the design, manufacture and fitting of the studio. They first created 3D renders of the van

interior to visualise the intended final result before going in to production.

A high-gloss, white finish on the work surfaces was punctuated by purple acoustic foam and rubber plate flooring to obtain the best acoustic properties in the mobile environment.

On accepting the challenge, Wilson contacted Digidesign, which generously donated equipment, advice and an install team.

“We were happy to help on this project as it sounded like a fun challenge” commented Tim Hurrell from Digidesign.

“A Pro Tools LE solution fitted perfectly and would give the

youth group access to the same professional Pro Tools software they would find in a studio if they were to continue their careers into the music industry.”

As space was an issue, a Digidesign 003 Factory integrated control surface was chosen to provide hands-on control of Pro Tools. The system was complemented

by Air virtual instruments so that complete tracks can be created within the van.

M-Audio donated a selection of microphones and headphones, an Axiom 25 keyboard, a Torq Xponent digital DJ system, a pair of Studiophile BX8a monitors

Nicholson goes it alone Industry veteran turns his attention to MIdas Pro Sound AFTER LEAVING LAcoustics, Paul Nicholson has revived Midas Pro Sound and set up a sister company, Red Square Audio, to handle distribution for high-end audio products.

Nicholson founded Midas Pro Sound over 20 years ago and after ten years at LAcoustics, has turned his attention to it once again.

“Since my return at the beginning of July, Midas Pro Sound has been extremely successful in capturing some significant sales and securing several large scale installation projects through our ongoing consultancy work,” he said. “Rentals are also increasing and some major production projects are under active development for next year.

“I really wanted to look at distribution, however, rather than additional dealerships.

With this in mind, I entered into discussions with several

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and a BX10s subwoofer, while Gibson added a high-gloss white Les Paul Classic guitar and a portable amp.

Digidesign provided a team of product specialists to install the equipment and provide Pro Tools training to XLP. “This was a real team effort with numerous suppliers offering fabric, perspex,

acoustic foam, stools and equipment panels, added Hurrell. “We would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all involved. We’re looking forward to hearing some of the results.” akadesign.co.uk

Biamp to appeal Clear One lawsuit Company vows to continue fight

NICHOLSON: securing large installations manufacturers and the French console maker, Innovason, became the first to sign up with Red Square Audio, which has been set up to concentrate solely upon product distribution.”

“What I found really exciting was the opportunity to become highly involved and truly pro-active with just a small number of major manufacturers,” continued

December 2008

Nicholson. “For me to be involved in a project, it comes down to four things; great people, great products, competitive pricing, and targeting the right market.

“I will announce additional deals in the coming months and the arrival of several high profile industry professionals to work alongside me at Red Square Audio.” redsquareaudio.com

BIAMP HAS announced that it will appeal a recent judgment found against it in the US District Court of Central Utah in a lawsuit with Clear One. Clear One named Biamp Systems as a co-defendant in 2007 in a suit claiming that it knowingly licensed an acoustic echo canceling algorithm from a third party that Clear One alleges was stolen from them. Biamp immediately stopped using the software in question before the lawsuit was filed, denied any knowledge or guilt in the case and upholds that the facts do not support the claims.

Biamp president, Ralph Lockhart, stated: “We were shocked when we were named in this lawsuit. We had absolutely no knowledge of any wrong doing by our licensing

partner, and we stand firmly by our innocence in this case. We are absolutely committed to clearing our name by vigorously appealing the matter to a higher court.

“Abiding by this decision would imply that Biamp engaged in unethical activity and I can assure everyone that we are innocent of the claims against us and vow to continue fighting until we prove this.”

The District Court in Utah is scheduled to give a final judgment on the case in the coming weeks. The company has assured customers that delivery of its products or service to them will not be affected and that the case does not affect any of Biamp’s products, or technologies. biamp.com

www.audioprointernational.com

More snake, less hiss.

Connected to our ubiquitous digital consoles like the LS9 or M7CL, the SB168-ES EtherSound stage box offers superior quality and flexibility for live sound applications.

Compared to conventional analogue multicore cable solutions, the SB168-ES is noise resistant, and lets you boost quality by keeping the length of microphone cables as short as possible, ensuring superior signal integrity.

Each stage box features 16 channels of sonically superb remote analogue inputs, each with its own head amp, combined with 8 channels of analogue output, enabling multiple units to be chained for simultaneous use.

It’s affordable, easy to set-up and simple to use. Find out more by visiting www.yamahacommercialaudio.com

CONNECT WITH EXPERIENCE

EVENT REPORT EVENTECH

The luck of the Irish The inaugural Eventech Ireland show at Dublin’s RDS brought together Ireland’s pro audio and lighting industries for two days of seminars, networking and pints of Guinness. Andrew Low reports on Ireland’s first pro audio tradeshow in fifteen years…

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Funktion One: one of many big names at the small show

Event: Eventech Ireland Venue: RDS, Ireland Date: November 18th and 19th Exhibitors: 63 Visitors: 820 Verdict: A big welcome (as well as a thumbs up) for the first Irelandspecific audio show for over a decade

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cattered Media’s first edition of Eventech Ireland was held at Dublin’s RDS Centre on November 18th and 19th and marked Scattered Media’s third inaugural trade gathering in its series of region-specific showcases for the entertainment and installation markets.

Over 60 exhibitors and 820 visitors could be found standing in or stomping the aisles over the show’s two days. Scattered Media had some tough shoes to fill in Dublin, as Eventech was the first attempt at an Irish pro audio trade show for the past 15 years. Previously, Ireland manufacturers and distributors have only had the opportunity to connect with customers at small shows held in hotels or exhibiting at nonspecific events where an audio distributor could find itself placed next to a refrigerator company.

Eventech Ireland was a welcome event, therefore, that filled a gap in the industry by bringing together Ireland’s major players for a dedicated show.

Lisa Foster of Sennheiser Ireland felt the show was very successful. “Eventech Ireland was great for us,” she enthused.

“It is something that the industry in Ireland has needed for a long time. We usually have to go to PLASA and other shows outside Ireland to meet our customers, so it was good do it here at home. We had a very good response at the show and saw a good few people though the door.”

Adam Hall UK and Padraig Whelan from its Irish distributor, Music and Audio Distribution, were also pleased with the show. “It was a great venue for supporting Padraig because it enabled him to network with existing customers and gather some great leads for future business,” commented Adam Hall’s general manager, Andrew Richardson. “We suspect that the enquiries we picked up at the show will turn into stronger leads over the next six to 12 weeks. During the two days we saw a steady flow of quality trade customers and the added bonus of the giant screen TV with the Munster vs.

All Blacks game at the exhibitor party made it a bit special.”

December 2008

Dublin’s AVL systems went to great lengths to design Eventech’s bar area. It featured a fully kitted out stage set-up and light show. Outline butterfly line arrays hung in front of giant LED screens while Digico’s SD7 console mixed audio from the live bands performing during the day. The bar was created to display the latest ideas and usage of entertainment technology for the bar and club environment, while displaying a wide variety of new products from many of the manufacturers exhibiting at the show.

Yamaha commercial audio was exhibiting its range of gear for the live sound and installation markets on its stand.

Alongside the company’s well-known MC7L and LS9 consoles sat the SB168-ES stage box. This 3U stage box uses Ethersound technology to transfer digital sound for live performances and applications that use Yamaha consoles. The SB168-ES features 16 channels of remote analog inputs, each with its own head amp, together with eight channels of analog outputs, which facilitate multiple units to be chained in sequence for simultaneous use. Ethersound connectivity gives the SB168-ES low latency, high-quality bidirectional multichannel transmission of audio over CAT 5e cables.

Well established with its TT+ Touring series, RCF also displayed its NX series loudspeakers, a new line of active enclosures designed for rental companies and professional musicians. Featuring multiple format, high output levels in a compact format, the NX series is a simple option for touring, musicians and production companies, as well as wider use with install contractors and AV companies.

The NX range includes 12 and 15-inch models as well as line array modules and subwoofers. The NX M12-A and M15-A both feature 1.75 and 3.5-inch voice coils with oneinch neodymium compression drivers for HF and a 12 and 15inch neodymium woofer. They also offer a 90 by 40-degree constant directivity coverage angle and a rotatable horn. The speakers pair with the 750-Watt digital amplifiers.

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EVENT REPORT EVENTECH RCF also exhibited its DXT Active Matrix 7000 sound system. The multipurpose system was designed for evacuation, paging and background music in schools, shopping centres, hospitals and many other applications.

It features a 7x8 digital matrix, a builtin digital signal processor and Wav file player, as well as digital routing. Its standard speaker line distribution is rated for low impedance applications for 100, 70 and 50-Volt lines when combined with a dedicated constant voltage interface.

Limerick-based Performance Audio and Light (PAL) was present with a full range of Funktion-One pointsource speakers, MC2 and Acoustic Line PA systems. A giant stack of various Funktion-One speakers stood at the far end of the company’s booth to demonstrate the diversity of its range. PAL is the exclusive distributor for Funktion-One in Ireland, offering both sales and long-term lease options for the speakers.

Running together with the speakers were MC2’s lightweight switchmode amplifiers. The E90, E45, E25, E15 and E4-75 are lightweight 2U amps, utilising MC range and T series components without the physical weight, which makes them ideal for touring applications.

The Yamaha LS9 console helped demo the new SB168-ES stage box

Dutch loudspeaker manufacturer Alcons Audio was also on site with its new eight-kilogram LR7 micro line-array enclosure. The new passive two-way line-source loudspeaker system was designed for use as a vertical array in stacked or flown configurations for portable or permanent installations.

With a frequency response of 74Hz (-3dB) to beyond 20kHz, the LR7 enables full-range coverage without the need for bass speakers. It features Alcons’ RBN401 pro-ribbon driver on a ‘Morpher’ lens, which gives 94 per cent frontal radiation with 120-degree dispersion and seamless coverage due to the ribbon’s cylindrical (Isophasic) wavefront.

The LR7’s transient response and unusual high peak power handling (800W/200mS) allow for added intelligibility and throw, while offering maximum gain before feedback, up to directly under the array. The Signal Integrity Sensing prewiring ensures complete cable and connector compensation between the LR7 and ALC. eventech-ireland.com

Adam Hall ADAM HALL and its Ireland distributor, Music and Audio Distribution, were conveniently located near the entrance to the RDS cafeteria and anyone coming in or out could not help seeing and hearing LD Systems’ range of loudspeakers.

Making its official Ireland debut at Eventech, LD Systems manufactures eight, ten, 12 and 15-inch speakers in moulded or wooden enclosures and provide from 150 to 600 Watts of power. This goes up to 1,000 Watts including the active subwoofers. All of LD’s loudspeaker cabinets feature highquality components and speakers from Eminence USA or custom-made chassis and tweeter drivers.

The Dave series is LD Systems’ portable range of active PA speakers, which include a five-degree tilted top hat in the satellite’s butterfly. The speakers are designed for entertainers, duos and smaller PA system applications.

Custom rigging allows the satellites to be mounted on top of the ASUB 12-inch active subwoofer.

Padraig Whelan, MD for Music and Audio Distribution, commented: “I have been showing these speakers to dealers and MI stores all over the country and once they hear them they can’t believe how such a great sound can come from such an affordable speaker.”

LD Systems also offers the DJ, PA and SP series of amplifiers for use with its own passive speakers or other manufacturers’ loudspeakers. The amps range from dual 300 Watt to dual 3,000 Watts, while the SP series offers state-ofthe-art switched mode power supply.

Alongside the LD speakers and amps were its new wireless systems. The line includes the WS1000 wireless receiver, which is available in UHF bands of 790 to 814MHz and 838 to 862MHz (X-Version). The MEI1000 in-ear monitoring

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December 2008

features a corrected frequency response and 160 possible frequencies, which allows ten systems to be operated simultaneously without intermodulation.

LD has a raft of other loudspeaker, amplifier and wireless technology available from Adam Hall. adamhall.co.uk

Padraig Whelan and Andrew Richardson enjoying LD Systems’ Ireland launch

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EVENTECH EVENT REPORT

Sennheiser Ireland SENNHEISER IRELAND debuted RSS by Roland’s VMixing system and Klein+Hummel’s PA speakers at the show, as well as its own plethora of mics and wireless systems, Lab.gruppen amplifiers, Rane software, Neumann mics and accessories from Neutrik, Rycote and K&M. The RSS V-Mixing system features the V-400 mixer and digital snake for live sound or installed applications. Its system includes the 48-input digital snake and 48-channel M400 digital console. The system allows splits for recording to software or internal stereo Wav recording to USB flash drives.

It also has digital features such as instant recall, digital effects and remote controllability.

Klein+Hummel’s series of installation and touring speakers were also on display. The Installation series features 12 and 15-inch speakers with 80x50 or 50x40-degree rotatable horns with backplate options for passive crossover, direct wired or self-powered with analog and direct K8 input.

The PAS 100 amplified speaker sat centre stage on the booth. The speaker is a two-way system with eight-inch and one-inch drivers for low and mid and a CD horn for HF. Sennheiser also displayed its own SR 350 IEM G2 rackmount twin transmitter, the new MKE 1 professional clip-on microphone and the EM 3732 twin receiver with 90MHz switching bandwidth, choice of five frequency ranges and transmitter synchronization.

A special seminar was also held on Lab.gruppen’s amps.

Visitors were given an in-depth introduction to the fourchannel FP6000Q SP (10kW/ 4 x 2.5kW) and FP10000Q SP (6kW/4 x 1.5kW) models from the its FP+ series. With patented class TD output, the amps utilise the efficiency of class D, but maintain the characteristics of class A/B designs.

Additionally, Rane’s Serato Video-SL software plugin and the new Mongoose remote audio Cobranet interface could be seen on the booth. Mongoose converts audio to or from digital at the wall plate and transports it over CAT 5 cables. sennheiser.com/ie/

Aoife McCarthy of Sennheiser Ireland and more gear than you can shake a microphone at

Rea Sound REA SOUND displayed its various distributed ranges of pro audio and lighting for the live sound and installation markets at Eventech. Loudspeakers from Martin Audio and Nexo flanked digital boards from Allen & Heath and Digico.

Martin Audio’s tiny Omniline array system was on show, displaying its high output and vertical focusing down to low/mid frequencies. It achieves precise vertical focusing by articulating individual array modules to form a vertical beam, rather than using DSP. The array elements consist of two 3½-inch reflex loaded, low/mid radiators on either side of a central strip of five 14mm HF devices in a patent pending arrangement, which achieves horizontal coverage at 100degree at the -6dB points.

Allen & Heath’s digital ILive control surface was also on Rea’s booth. A DSP Mix-rack and control surface are combined to offer low latency audio over CAT 5 cabling. It also features integrated on-board signal and FX processing, which eliminates the need for outboard. Each of the board’s 64 input channels includes a gate, parametric eq, compressor, limiter/de-esser and delay, while all 32 mix outputs have a one-third-octave graphic eq and a parametric eq, as well as a compressor, limiter and delay.

Rea also had Digico’s new SD8 console, which features 37 motorised faders, dedicated and multi-function control knobs and electronic labelling. Features include a 15-inch, high resolution, touch sensitive TFT LCD backlit display and an automatic function display. Its 24-channel fader surface has 12 assignable aux and touch-sensitive master faders. All 36 main faders can control inputs via the bank of 12 faders, all assignable as channels or masters. Some 60 mono or stereo channels can be combined into 120 channels of full DSP.

www.audioprointernational.com

The SD8 incorporates Digico’s Stealth Digital Processing in an entry-level board.

The new Nexo Geo S12 cabinet was on show, together with the RS12 cardiod sub. The Geo speakers can be flown or ground stacked, making them ideal for near-field foreground music in bars and clubs or situations where high SPL paging is needed, heavy-traffic concourses or walkways, with installers benefitting from the GEO S12-TD controller. reasound.co.uk

The Rea Sound stand took advantage of a veritable A to Z of audio brands

December 2008

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Cheer and loving in

Los Angeles For over 100 years the NAMM trade show has offered the industry a warm escape from the otherwise dismal winter season. This year hopes to cast a ray on the shadowy economic climate. Gary Cooper brings you this glowing update…

I

t might be a freezing January, we might be in the teeth of a recession, but there is always one glimmer of optimism for the MI and audio industries to begin year – the annual NAMM show, held this year from Thursday 15th through to Sunday, January 18th at the familiar Anaheim Convention Center in sunny California.

This year’s show promises to be an antidote to doom and gloom and though it’s tempting to think of it as ‘just’ an MI show, the fact remains that many of the big multi-disciplinary manufacturers will be showing products every bit as suited to pro audio as to MI markets.

And then there are the events.

Leaving aside the product launches, parties, gigs and the usual ballyhoo that makes NAMM such a treat, the association itself has organised the usual intensive battery of NAMM University ‘Idea Center’ sessions. While the majority of these are aimed squarely at music shops and others in the MI business, some are likely to offer valuable ideas and inspiration for those in other industry sectors. For example, on the Thursday at 1.30pm, Peavey’s Kent Morris presents ‘Live Sound Advanced: What You Need to Know to Thrive’, while at 2pm on the Friday, an hour long session is offered, billed as ‘Selling Yourself to the Bank’. It’s presented by Alan Friedman and Daniel Jobe of Friedman, Kannenberg & Company and, given the rough waters everyone is sailing in at present, promises to offer useful business advice on how to deal with banks in the current climate.

A lot of NAMM’s sessions are like that – very business orientated, including features on using Youtube as a promotional tool and numerous motivational and

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‘improve your sales technique’ style events. But there are some specific sessions of note, so it is worth looking closely at the programme (available on the NAMM website). For example, also on the Friday at 3:30pm, there is ‘Music Industry Legislation and Regulation: Are You Up to Speed?’. Presented by Mary Luehrsen of NAMM. It mostly concentrates on legislation of concern to MI businesses, but it also promises to look at, ‘White space frequency regulation that impacts wireless microphones and receivers.’

Though he heads NAMM at a time of much financial uncertainty, the association’s president, Joe Lamond remains as upbeat as ever: “In times of great change, learners win,” he says. “Those who try to do things the old way find themselves perfectly suited for a world that no longer exists. The NAMM show is the only place in the world where virtually every industry leader comes to learn, gather ideas, solutions and direction for the future. It’s been said that anyone who is really serious about their future wouldn’t even consider missing it.

“Our industry is also made up of great relationships and friendships.

There’s something about our inherent need to come together and talk, vent, laugh and just be around one another. These face-to-face relationships are the association’s and industry’s greatest assets.”

As in previous years, manufacturers are playing their hands close to their chests with product launches. NAMM, being the first show of the year, is the Big One – especially for US and Japanese manufacturers and nobody wants to diminish the sense of anticipation by saying what they’ll be showing too soon. But you can be certain of one thing: with the world’s premier manufacturers in attendance and all of them vying for business in what is undoubtedly going to be a tough climate, NAMM 2009 will have the best there is on show. And, anyway, who can resist California in January? namm.org/thenammshow

December 2008

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LEGAL

Get heard not sued Blogging can help you or your company stand out, says Tahir Basheer, partner at media law firm Sheridans, but you must be as sure of your legal position as you are of your opinions...

‘I want to be a paperback writer,’ sang The Beatles in 1966. But if they were writing today, Lennon and McCartney would surely have waxed lyrical about being bloggers.

There are well over 100 million blogs out there, covering everything you can think of. Blogging isn’t just big business for those who make blogging software and for advertisers looking to reach out to blogging’s readership, but also for companies from across the spectrum seeking to get themselves talked about.

Whether you’re a freelance audio pro or a small company, blogging can be a cheap and proven way to attract attention to your business. Post a must-read article on working with celebrities or refitting an old space with new audio equipment and you’ll find potential clients among the readers flocking to your blog. Do it regularly, and you’ll build a reputation as a knowledgeable insider.

Blogging isn’t easy - finding compelling topics and writing about them regularly is a challenge, but there are legal ramifications that you must understand if you’re not to get into the news for the wrong reasons.

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12 rules to blog by To generalise, blogging, whether in the name of companies or individuals, is simply another form of publishing and therefore governed by an extensive legal framework. Here are few key pointers: 1. Avoid illegal content: Obscene, racist, or intolerant material could lead to criminal proceedings.

2. Honour copyright: Link to relevant articles or resources on other sites, rather than copying and pasting.

3. Private matters: Sir Martin Sorrell is just one high-profile businessman who has sued former colleagues over allegations made on an anonymous blog.

4. Opinions must be accurate: Many companies enjoy seeing their staff becoming rent-a-quotes, but remember that while ‘fair comment’ protects honestly held opinions on matters of public interest, they must be based on accurate facts.

5. Beware reader comments: You may decide not to enable readers to add comments to your posts to avoid being liable for what they say.

It’s not very web 2.0, but it’s safer.

6. The internet is international: You could be sued in one country for something acceptable elsewhere.

7. Consider your rivals: They will read your blog, hoping to discover information about your new products or problems.

8. Investigate complaints: Battlescarred media editors may appear tough when someone threatens to sue, but behind the scenes they will investigate and remove anything illegal or libellous without delay.

Acting slowly can weaken a defence later on.

9. What about PR?: There’s no point retaining an expensive PR agency if you permit staff bloggers to blather on about soap operas or make repeated spelling errors. This can easily ruin your image in front of the people you are trying to impress.

10. Don’t bad-mouth your competitors: It looks cheap and you could be sued for defamation if your facts are wrong. Adding ‘allegedly’ is no defence.

11. Have an internal policy for employees who blog out of hours: Rules on obeying the law and protecting company secrets and

personal data might seem obvious, but they should be made part of their contract of employment.

12. Don’t fake it: May 2008 saw the introduction of The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008, which prohibits companies from creating false blogs or misleading marketing campaigns that give the impression they are written by real consumers.

Speak easy Don’t let the legal dimension to blogging put you off its potential – it’s unlikely most of the other 100-millionodd bloggers in the world have even considered their legal responsibilities, let alone consulted their lawyers. With care and some insight from your legal advisors, blogging can get you and your company heard in an increasingly crowded world.

For more information, contact Tahir Basheer at Sheridans: +44 20 7079 0103 tbasheer@sheridans.co.uk sheridans.co.uk www.audioprointernational.com

John Steven and BEIRG have rallied to sway Ofcom from its decision to sell channel 69

Damming the channel BEIRG – the industry body locked in negotiations with Ofcom over the future availability of wireless frequencies in the UK – is sending warning signals that the final outcome could well disappoint. Gary Cooper looks at the future of channel 69...

B

EIRG (the British Entertainment Industry Radio Group) is made up of several of the large microphone companies, notably Shure, Sennhesier, Audio Technica and AKG. It also includes a membership of assorted professional hire businesses and major entertainment and broadcasting industry bodies, including English National Opera and Cameron MacIntosh. It should, on the face of it, be a formidable body to argue the case for the continued use of channel 69 for theatre and special events, but the opposition includes companies that can buy and sell the music industry with the spare change it finds down the back of their corporate sofa and the omens to save the frequencies for wireless usage do not look good.

Not just equipment manufacturers, but broadcasters too are deeply concerned by the proposals, due to the widespread use of channel 69 for programme making, as are entertainment companies and audio rental companies. For all of them, the effects of being moved out of channel 69 without any equally viable spectrum being offered instead could be profound. As an example of its cultural impact, one expert even predicts it could mean major changes will have to be made to the Edinburgh festival as we know it today.

Negotiations between Ofcom and the interested parties have been under way for over two years, with BEIRG having formed a steering committee of specialists to argue the industry’s case. This includes Alan March (Sennheiser), Duncan Bell (Autograph), Ron Bonner (PLASA) and John Steven, now running his own PR company, but until recently the director of marketing for Sennheiser UK. It is an argument the committee fears it is in danger of losing.

“Due to the demands of the mobile industry, Ofcom is seeking to move wireless systems out of channel 69,” explains Steven.

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“This would affect a lot of people around the industry, from the guys who play in pub bands to broadcasters. For example, Sky TV makes a lot of use of channel 69 for news gathering and it is also widely used by location sound recordists – this is a big area, it’s not just the musical instrument industry.

“The big problem is that until a decision is taken by Ofcom, the industry is in limbo. Manufacturers can’t design and build new equipment to take account of whatever it is they decide on and nobody can actually say definitively: ‘Well, if you are using equipment that works on channel 69, come such and such a day you won’t be allowed to use it any longer’.”

Meanwhile, if the word ‘compensation’ comes to mind, the short answer is ‘forget it’, unless you hold a valid channel 69 licence, it is unlikely that compensation would be forthcoming. No compensation was offered to the thousands of Freeview box owners earlier this year, when a largely unannounced ‘update’ rendered their devices obsolete overnight. Indeed, those systems sold which require licenses have for some years come with a health warning from JFMG that the frequencies on which they operate may not be available indefinitely. In other words – caveat emptor.

“The important thing for Audio Pro readers is that they need to be aware that this is coming,” Steven says. “If they have anything to say, they really need to get in touch with Ofcom and tell it what this is going to do to their business.”

BEIRG: 07951 050367 beirg.org.uk Ofcom: 020 7981 3000 ofcom.org.uk

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Snakes and music Noisy, heavy analog snakes are quickly being replaced by lighter, skinnier digital snakes. Not only are they less obtrusive, but they help save on weight, crew and money. Andrew Low takes a look at what is slithering through the market...

Aphex Systems Model 828 Anaconda APHEX SYSTEMS Model 828 Anaconda is a point-to-point 64channel bi-directional snake designed to connect with the company’s Aphex 1788A remote controlled preamplifier system for use with industry standard consoles, DAWs and recorders.

Anaconda features two identical units on both ends of a high-speed fiber run, with eight ADAT optical units and outputs. The snake has a crystal generating internal word, selectable external word clock fed through one BNC with selectable 75W or high input impedance; word clock distribution through eight BNCs and one RJ-45 for control and metering/status feedback of Aphex 1788A. Each unit also features two fibre transceivers with automatic failure switching. Units also feature redundant fiber transceivers and power supplies that work from 85 to 264VAC, low latency audio transfer, industry standard SC connectors and multimode fiber and RJ-45 connectors for Ethernet control and metering of Aphex 1788A. aphex.com

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RSS S-4000 modular digital snake.

RSS BY ROLAND is one of the leaders in digital snake technology with its S-4000 modular digital snake, which has been put to use at high-profile events such as Glastonbury.

The system provides FOH and installation engineers with up to 160 channels of 24-bit/96kHz audio over CAT 5e cables. It also features dual REAC connectors for the Sonar recording system.

With high remote controllable XR-1 professional quality mic preamps, the S-4000 has redundant Ethernet ports and splits using standard Ethernet hardware. These ports support the rugged Neutrik Ethercon connectors. Forty channels of 24bit/96 kHz audio can be transferred over one CAT 5e cable.

The S-4000 is made up of the fixed eight input, 32 output S-4000H and the 32 inputs and eight output S-4000S modular chassis S-4000S. The S-4000H is designed for used at the FOH position or as the output side of a split. The system’s S-4000R remote controller can also be used at FOH to control input gains from the console. The S-

Available with a sealing kit, wiring and colour coding, the D series is the most rugged of the Ethercon connectors. neutrik.co.uk

4000S-3208 provides 32 mic/line inputs on the stage along with eight returns from the console The RSS Digital snake is capable of offering over 96x32 I/O for distances more than 200 feet without audio quality loss. CAT 5 connectivity means less weight and cost for touring sound companies and the S-4000 can also be used to expand installed audio systems.

The RSS digital snake also offers unlimited splits using standard Ethernet hardware, which provides multiple, transformerless audio splits to a monitor console, recording location and broadcast truck; optional rack-mountable redundant power supplies for all split locations; built-in redundant cable ports and compatability with fibre optic media converters to run FOH system or splits as far from the stage as needed.

The S-1608 and S-0816 models are compact versions of the S-4000 designed for bands, corporate AV events, houses of worship and broadcasters. rolandsystemsgroup.net Optocore 48/16 Digital Snake Multicore Solution OPTOCORE’S SYSTEM can be used to replace traditional analog multicores and transport more than 100 channels of audio without quality loss.

Any digital console can be used with the Optocore digital snake system by means of an analog MADI, or AES/EBU interfaces at the Optocore modules. Studer, Soundcraft, Yamaha, and Digico boards can be easily integrated into an Optocore network with the addition of custom-made sound cards and Optocable. This system helps simplify setup of audio transfer because only one digital snake is needed, as it serves as a point-to-point digital snake, as well as a network to connect a monitor board or recording unit.

Over 48 inputs can be connected using multiple Optocore LX4AP or LX4B ADA converters. The LX4AP is a 48 mic/line Input, 16 line output, 2x48 line level split output, video in and 2x RS485. The FOH LX4B is a 48 line out, 16 line in, video out, 2x RS485 box. Further flexibility concerning the type of console is achieved by the DD4ME with BNC connectors at the MADI ports, the DD32E with AES/EBU interfaces and the LX4B with analog interfaces.

All Ethernet ports in the Optocore network act as one 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet switch, no matter how far the devices are apart. Distances vary depending on the fibre optic transceivers, but are between 700m up to 70km.

The use of Optocore networks for the transport of Fast Ethernet increases steadily with the importance of Ethernet for the transport of control data in the events industry. The DD6NE Fast Ethernet network device and external word clock enables the transmission of Ethernet data via the fibre optical connection alongside with audio, video, and other control data without the use of additional cables.

The RS485 interfaces at the device enlarge the facilities to transport control data. Not only RS422 and RS485 data can be transmitted by the fibre ring, MIDI and DMX can be transported as well. optocore.com Neutrik EtherCon ALTHOUGH NEUTRIK does not make a digital snake, no review would be complete without the mention of its EtherCon series, as many manufacturers consider it a selling point for their products.

The EtherCon D series is a lockable RJ45 connector system for audio, video and lighting network sitations.

With chassis connectors shaped to fit into standard panels for these applications, the EtherCon D is ideal for panel mounts. The RJ45 receptacles and NE8FDH-C5e comply with TIA / EIA 586B and ISO / IEC 11801.

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Violet Audio D32IO-A Terminal VIOLET AUDIO’S D32IO-A digital audio snake terminal was created to facilitate the connection and transfer of up to 32 channels of 24-bit/96kHz digital audio delivered by a standard CAT 5 twisted pair cable. The D32IO-A terminal lives at both ends of CAT 5 based audio snakes acting as an ADA converter, transmission hub and connection terminal.

The company is boasting that the D32IO-A terminal offers a robust ultra-low latency multi-channel digital audio transfer solution. It is also Violet’s first product to include Gateway Audio’s LanCore technology, which provides an affordable integrated digital audio transfer mechanism using the Ethernet (802.3) protocol over CAT 5 or optical hardware.

The D32IO-A also features ultra low-latency (<200usec over 100m CAT 5) completely synchronous operation, factory pre-configured as either 32/0, 24/8, or 16/16 channel I/O implementation, four D-Sub 25-pin terminal ports and two standard RJ45 terminals for CAT 5 cable connection. violetaudio.com

Neutrik’s EtherCon D series is widely considered to be an engineering triumph

Network Sound Mamba NETWORK SOUND’S Mamba digital snakes are based on the company’s patent pending MediaNet protocol. Designed to deliver high-quality synchronised audio over a standard CAT 5/6 cable or fiber (via external Media Converters), Mamba features 24bit/96kHz synchronous uncompressed real-time audio, built in cable redundancy and latency of less than 200 microseconds. It is capable of transferring audio over 450 feet (140 meters) using CAT 5/6 cable. It also features Neutrik Ethercon ports for ruggedised CAT 5 connection.

Mamba supports multiple configurations, including pointto-point, split and daisy chaining for added flexability in numerous applications. Additionally, Mamba digital snakes were designed as plug and play quick for easy setup.

Mamba is also easily assembled and disassembled, making it ideal for live audio and installation applications that need to be frequently moved. The company insists that Mamba digital snakes are more affordable than its competitiors due to innovative design concepts, symmetric units, and its use of external mic pres. networksound.com Momentum Digital Snake PRO CO SOUND designed the Momentum digital snake system to benefit audio installations by reducing the amount of field terminations while transferring audio and video over a standard Ethernet network. With Texas Instrument, Burr Brown mic preamps and Cirrus Logic digital converters, Momemtum aims to deliver audio transfer that is as close to analog as possible, while evading its inherent problems.

The snake has eight-channel analog I/O, 16-channel digital I/O and a touch screen remote controller. It also features a matrix mix engine output unit for use as a personal monitor system or distributed audio mixer capable of four stereo or eight mono mixes using any of the 32 inputs available on the Momentum network.

It also offers 24 bit, 48/96 kHz audio with an input impedance of 2k ohms balanced and a minimum dynamic range of 110dB. Operating on a standard gigabit Ethernet protocol (100 meters max distance), Momentum can provide up to 256 total active system inputs at 48K or 96K. procomomentum.com

December 2008

19

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A bookmark us in your phone

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The Stranglers benefit from knowing that they have a reliable console that will deliver a steady performance

Golden Sound The Stranglers recent UK tour featured Kev Allen on the ILive-144 digital console for monitor mixing. Andrew Low talks to Allen about how the board is keeping things running smoothly at each venue…

K

ev Allen has been the monitor engineer for the Stranglers for the past three and a half years. A bass player turned audio engineer, Allen learned early on that sound quality was something that he needed to insist on for every one of his projects.

When Allen & Heath came out with the ILive series, he was sceptical at first, but after getting to know the board he fell in love with it and decided to buy one of his own – the ILive-144 control surface and IDR10 Mix Rack.

Allen & Heath boasts that it created the ILive digital range to put audio processing in the hands of the user. The board’s DSP is housed in the Mix Rack, providing minimum latency and giving the user the chance to custom configure the desk. Each of the board’s input channels features a gate, parametric eq, compressor, limiter/de-esser and delay, and all mix outputs have a one-third-octave graphic eq, parametric eq, compressor, limiter and delay.

Allen states that the main asset of his ILive desk is the fact that someone has really put thought and time into it. “It has great, quirky little features that make you fall in love with it. For instance, the chorus box is designed to look like something you would find in a

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second-hand shop circa 1985. Other boards don’t have that type of character and it shows you that whoever designed it really understood what engineers needed and wanted, rather than being someone who was stuck in a sterile R&D department cranking out another product.

“It seems they thought about how users want to see a channel strip and put everything under your fingertips with big knobs like analog consoles.”

Allen has used the board for numerous applications from theatre productions to folk and reggae gigs. “In the reggae and folk world you are dealing with some very old-school people, but still anyone who has used the board has loved it,” he explains.

Another space-saving feature that Allen loves is ILive’s multicore, which is simply a pair of Cat 5 cables. “I worked it out and, when you add up all the numbers, not having a great big copper multicore, a big, heavy analog desk and racks saves up to a third of a ton. With margins as tight as they are these days, it not only cuts down on the amount of weight in the tour bus, but it also cuts down on space and the number of crew you need.”

Getting down to the nuts and bolts of the board, Allen was initially most impressed with the board’s compressors.

“For this gig I am not using the compressors,” he notes, “but when I have used them it was like having a rack of dbx 160s. I can put up to 20dB of compression on a channel and it stays under control, but it isn’t too heavy.”

One major factor that the ILive provides for the Stranglers’ tour specifically is predictability. When the band comes on stage they know what they are going to get. Allen explains: “For this tour it is four guys on the stage for the whole show. I find it better for me if the shows are not automated, because it allows me to listen and understand and see what is going on during the show. I don’t have to make big on or off changes like I would on a theatre production. Some nights the drummer wants six dB more of the keys than he ever wanted before, because it is a very dead venue or the keyboard player isn’t playing as loud as he usually does. I have to learn everyone’s signals and have those features at my fingertips.”

Despite the many changes he has to make during the show, Allen jokes that sometimes the board makes it so easy that he finds it hard to stay awake. “There are two songs where I hardly have to do anything and I have to keep myself from nodding off,” he laughs.

Although Allen didn’t use the board’s scene feature for the tour, it is capable of storing different configurations for each song on a USB key. All parameters available on the board can be saved, updated and recalled, which enables engineers to carry their settings and libraries with them for upload on any ILive console.

Allen reports that the band is very happy with the board as well and, due to its successful performance, they push to have it on the tour. Allen comments that having the ILive with them not only gives them the same results every night, but it saves them from having to sound check at each venue. Instead, the crew can check all the signals and get things sorted for them before they walk on stage.

Allen earned his chops doing wiring jobs at studios like Cornwall’s Airfield studio. It was there that he realised the importance of being critical of each piece of gear he comes across. “When I was installing the Quested monitors in Airfield and started playing around with the crossover amps, I quickly realised that, although everything on a spec sheet may make a product seem like it can do the job, it is important to try out every piece of gear and have a great attention to detail. I always go back to the ILive because it has everything I need and I am able to set it up how I want.

“This is another reason why I bought the ILive. If a project’s financial constraints are such that I have to use a heavy pile of rubbish because that is what everyone has in their factories, then sorry, I would rather not do it.

Sometimes I get paid rather well because I have supplied my own board and sometimes I haven’t, but if I am forced to use a board that is going to screw up the sound, well, sorry my job is to make the things sound better. If a product is standing in the way of achieving that goal then I would rather not use it.”

Tighter margins on the touring sector have forced consoles to get smaller and include fewer features on the surface. Allen feels that Allen & Heath has figured out a way to make a compact board with all the available features on board for the user to twist, turn, punch and push. He is eager to bring his ILive with him on every tour because he knows it is a peach that will deliver the same results every time and in his words: “It is a dream to use.” ilive-digital.com

Kev Allen: “If a project’s financial constraints are such that I have to use a pile of rubbish, I won’t do it”

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Don’t even think about changing Following his career with The Hollies, Alan Coates (together with his wife Kim Goody) has carved a nice little niche in the post-production world.

Andrew Low talks to the musical family about The Voice and Music Company…

D

uring his days as a guitarist for The Hollies, Alan Coates began working as a session musician, working on commercial jingles and TV and radio music. It was during a session for a TV commercial that he met his eventual wife and business partner. Twenty years later the two of them have established their company as a leader in music composition and post-production markets, including work for long-term animation series such as Fifi And The Flowertots, Tiny Planets, Rainbow, and Roary The Racing Car. Kim Goody, Coates’ wife, was no stranger to the limelight either before teaming up with her husband. She was once a children’s TV presenter, as well as a backing vocalist for the Kinks and The Police and a song writer for Joe Walsh and Ringo Starr.

From their first encounter during a Ski yogurt advert to their marriage and subsequent business, The Voice and Music Company is

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now a premiere post-production facility on London’s Soho Square.

The new facility has helped the company expand its work in the advertising sector while continuing post work for film, TV and animation series as well as Goody and Coates composition projects.

With twenty years in the business, Goody states that staying small and sweet has been the key to the company’s longevity. She explains: “We are a very personable company. It’s like going to a local grocers where you know what you are getting, versus going to a big chain store. We have no plans to expand. We just want to make the most of what we have because we have a fantastic team and great clients.”

Since its formation, The Voice And Music Company has operated from a number of different facilities in London’s West End, including Drury Lane and Shelton Street. Early in 2007, the lease on their premises in the latter was due to expire, so the search was on.

After a gruelling six months, the couple finally identified 33 Soho

Square as their new base.

The purpose-built studios at the new facility started as a skeleton in the basement of the building. It now houses four studios, all with Digidesign control surfaces and Pro Tools editing software.

Technical and acoustic design specialist White Mark was called in to transform the space into a luxurious state-of-the-art studio complex that was both fluid and flexible so that projects could easily be moved from one studio to another.

David Bell, managing director of White Mark, says: “This project, like many others, posed a number of design challenges. Principal amongst them was the need to match the high level of interior design that the building demands with the delivery of the creative environment needed

by Coates, and Goody. The result is a visually striking facility that sounds great and is an extremely comfortable

“Fortunately we have a lot of strings to our bow – when times get slow and scary one of us will be involved in something that will keep us afloat.”

Kim Goody environment to be in.”

Goody and Coates are very pleased with the final results and feel that the outcome has resulted in a studio that is both aesthetically pleasing, as well as an ideally appealing space for their clients.

Studio One is its most coveted space with room for up to ten voice artists. A Digidesign 24-Fader DCommand Icon HD3 with integrated digital picture sits as the centrepiece of the studio, with monitoring by Dynaudio Acoustics’ Air 20. A 37-inch Panasonic plasma screen for voice-to-picture and a Panasonic PT AX100E video projector were also installed in the studio. It is a multi-functional room designed as a gallery ADR studio for quick and easy dialogue replacement to picture, but it has been used for a variety of projects, including live recording for BBC radio.

Voice and Music’s Studio Two is a fully-equipped surroundsound mixing room with Dynaudio Air 20 surround speakers that is Dolby licensed for commercials and trailers. It also has a 32-channel D-control HD3 with intergrated digital picture.

A similar set-up can be found in Voice and Music’s other studios, as they all use either D-Control or the smaller format D-Command consoles. The studios are also equipped with Neumann’s U87 or TLM series mics, eight-channel

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White Mark turned an empty space into the beautiful studio Voice and Music enjoys today

Digidesign mic pres and Focusrite’s Red 1 Classic Quad microphone preamplifier and Dynaudio monitors.

Engineer Chris Morris feels that keeping your finger on the pulse of the latest technology is essential to keeping afloat in the business. He comments: “It would be really embarrassing if a session came into our studio in a newer version than we were able to work with.

Therefore, we are constantly updating our software to keep up with the industry. This can be a bit of a headache at times, but it is essential for our everyday work.”

Voice and Music’s variety of work is another factor that keeps Coates and Goody working when times get tight.

“We are fortunate enough that we have a lot of strings to our bow – when times get slow and scary one of us will be involved in something that will keep us afloat,” explains Goody.

With budgets being cut across the board and pressure from the industry to start doing everything from video editing to post production in-house, Voice and Music is adamant about sticking to what it is good at.

“We have a real passion for audio,” Coates states emphatically. “There is a lot of talk that in order to survive you need to be a one-stop shop. A lot of video houses are taking audio in-house for picture work, which is going to reflect in the quality of the work. We mull over everything and are very conscious about our own specialised area. We are lucky to have great clients with tremendous demands and we have to reach their standards, so every day is a challenge, but that makes it exciting.”

After the dismal six-month search for a new space, The Voice and Music Company feels that it has really landed on its feet with the new state-of-the-art Soho Square facility.

With a rich musical background and twenty years in the business, Coates, Goody and their family of engineers and staff are the brightest star on the block, poised for success

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The Three Year Plan: RG Jones has installed one of the largest ever Soundweb systems at Wimbledon’s Centre Court

Game systems As the salaries of sport’s elite reach astronomical levels, it’s comforting to know that at least some of the vast amount of money that sport generates is being invested back into arena sound systems. Rob Hughes looks at some the recent projects in arenas across the world…

JOBING.COM ARENA, ARIZONA CONSTRUCTED JUST over four years ago, Jobing.com Arena is home to the Phoenix Coyotes and the Arizona Sting lacrosse team.

The 17,500-seat arena was recently subject to a major sound system upgrade consisting chiefly of L-Acoustics components.

An array-based installation was conceived by Dan Palmer, LAcoustics’ national sales manager in the US, in co-operation with Phoenix-based AVDB (Audio Video Design Build) Group and is based on a configuration designed by Palmer in 2006 for the St Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida. Installation of the system was completed in just one month by AVDB Group.

AVDB’s group director of engineering, Nathaniel Hall, and sales engineer Jamie Gillespie – who also mixes sound for Coyotes’ home games at the arena – took Palmer’s original concept and built a jobspecific L-Acoustics Soundvision model, adding several enhancements to the original prototype system design, including additional dVDOSC cabinets and SB28 subwoofers.

Complete, the system comprised 72 dV-DOSC active two-way, 12 dV-SUB and 16 SB28 enclosures, including all of the rigging. The cabinets are powered by a total of 19 L-Acoustics LA8 four-channel, 1,800-Watt amplified controllers. Six identical line arrays made up of 12 dV-DOSC cabinets each and topped with two dV-Sub subwoofers are suspended from high-steel rigging points: two facing each of the seating areas along the long sides of the arena and one at each end.

“The Jobing.com Arena’s sound system was designed using our Soundvision software directly from the venue’s CAD drawings,” Palmer says. “Through detailed system modeling of the arena we could verify coverage, acoustic accuracy and the SPL levels deemed

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December 2008

acceptable for the installation. Since the six dV-DOSC line-source arrays cover all audience levels – lower, middle, club and upper – no delay speakers are required; the two dV-Subs per array provide midbass reinforcement, while the SB28s were included for enhanced subbass LF coverage.

“Because of undesirable reflections, most ice-related events specifically request that no direct audio hits the ice surface,” he continues. “The DOSC waveguide used in dV-DOSC creates a precision cylindrical wavefront that can be focused above the glass to the seating areas, with only minor low-frequency spherical energy at ice level, which yields outstanding results. Also, since the focus of the system is above the boards, the glass will provide less interference for broadcast engineers and an enhanced experience for the spectator.”

STADIUM TERTUTUP, MALAYSIA LOCATED AT Gong Badak in the Malaysian peninsular’s northeastern Terengganu state, Stadium Tertutup is part of the bigger Terengganu Sports Complex. Built by the country’s government with the intention of attracting international sports-related tourism to the country, the 12,000-capacity dome offers the very latest indoor sports and conference facilities.

The stadium is completely enclosed and features a large Alcons system, comprising 48 LR14 pro-ribbon arrays and 16 LR14B subs, flown in 16 clusters of three LR14 and one LR14B. 12 arrays are spaced equidistantly around a catwalk on the circular roof to cover the main seats, while four are located on a frame that hangs down from the centre of the roof, covering the central area and additional retractable seating. 16 Alcons ALC2 amplifiers power the system, with

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a 32-channel Soundcraft GB832 mixer and Sennheiser wireless microphones providing input. System processing is by a four-in, eight-out Dolby Lake processor. System calibration was achieved using EAW Smaart V.6.

“The Alcons System was chosen for its superior speech intelligibility and the excellent 120 by 15-degree coverage of the arrays,” says Muraly Archunan, the project manager for Rapid Orbit, which carried out the installation. “We had to do a demo of the system before we were awarded the contract and intelligibility was the primary concern, as the main purpose of the system is announcements during sports events.

Coverage was also a key issue, as the sound is broadcast at quite an acute angle from the 12 clusters beneath the catwalk. Load factor on the catwalk was also a major factor.”

As a government-funded facility, it was also necessary that officials of the administration and legislation were satisfied with the results of the installation.

“State Minister Datuk Ahmad Said was extremely impressed with the system during a forum organised by the state in May,” adds Archunan. “The stadium was also used for one of Mayalsia’s most important sporting events, the Sukma XII Games, at which the coverage and intelligibility of the Alcons system was praised by Datuk Abdul Rahin Dato Mohd Said, Malaysia’s sport secretariat chief for the event.”

NATIONAL STADIUM, BEIJING THE CENTREPIECE of the recent Olympic games, Beijing’s national stadium, now known the world over as ‘The Bird’s Nest’, spans a huge 333 metres by 298 metres and seats over 91,000 spectators. Following success in Athens in 2004, digital network specialist Optocore was again handed the task of distributing audio signals to multiple locations around the venue, during events watched by a global television audience estimated at five billion.

Using experience garnered from past events where audiences have exceeded one million, system designer Gary Hardesty worked with production staff and Optocore to create a design based on five redundant bidirectional multimode fibre rings. This was created and installed by Bei Ao, with the help of Leifull, China’s Optocore distributor.

The five rings allowed isolated distribution to the playing field, second seating level, roof located speakers and house system via the control room. A fifth ring provided remote preamp inputs on the centre stage and VIP area signal returns only used during the opening and closing nights.

The main arena sound system – designed and deployed by ACE (Advanced Communication Equipment), led by Terry Lo and Bingo Tso – consisted of substantial JBL Vertec line arrays, complemented by 26 JBL MS26 loudspeakers (for the VIP area), 60 JBL PRX512M loudspeakers (distributed throughout the arena) and powered by more than 150 Crown I-Tech series amplifiers.

All signals from the main control room were processed by Meyer Sound Galileo loudspeaker management processors, which fed adjacent Optocore X6P-16-in and X6-out AD converter modules, in turn connected to DD32E network devices, which in turn were connected to the fibre run throughout the building. Via Optocore’s software, any signal could be routed to any of the amplifier rack locations, where additional DD32E and X6-16-out units converted the signal from digital back to analog.

“The real big plus is the pristine quality audio that the audience gets,” notes Hardesty. “The X series preamps are up there with the best I’ve heard and when packaged with the Meyer through an invisible transport media, it yields astounding results.

“Our engineers now actually get to mix a show that has nuances, as opposed to years ago where massive systems lacked the subtlety and the challenge was more about distributing the audio than presenting it.”

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The Eneergy Solutions Arena in Utah, USA – home to jazz basketball, no less

Craig Hylton of Performance Audio with an EV XLC array about to be flown in the Energy Solutions Arena

SPARKASSEN ARENA, GERMANY SINCE THE 2007 world championship victory, handball has become a staple sport in Germany. Nowhere is this more true than in the Lower Saxony town of Hildesheim, where an increasing number of fans convinced the Stadt und Sporthallen (Town and Sports Hall Company) to invest three million euros converting the Pappelallee sports hall, a rather rough-looking concrete block originally built in 1957 with room for only 900 spectators, into the 2,435capacity Sparkassen Arena.

Engineering company AMT was contracted to carry out an acoustic survey. It suggested measures focused on reducing reverberation in order to improve speech intelligibility and it was agreed that perforated, profiled sheeting would be fitted to the ceiling over the north-east and northwest stands. In addition, for music events, the stands can be separated with Molton curtains to further reduce reverberation time. After this a local installation company, Audio Werft, turned its attention to the installed PA system.

The heart of the system is a Yamaha DME24N digital processor, a digital mixing engine that receives microphone and line signals and amplifies, converts, routes, and processes them. After the initial AD conversion, the signal travels through a programmable routing matrix and then through user-configurable DSP components, essential for mix and loudspeaker management. The signals are then transmitted to the Yamaha power amplifiers (six XP7000s, three P2500Ss and one XH200) via the DME outputs and finally sent to the loudspeaker system.

In the arena itself, Audio Werft’s MD, Matthias Mehler, and his event technology specialist, Simon Buchholz, fitted 18 Yamaha Installation series full-range loudspeakers (IF2115 in passive mode), suspended directly above the stands.

Additional loudspeakers positioned in the dining hall, foyer, and other areas of the stadium included eight JBL Contractor and 26 Penton 100V ceiling loudspeakers – all of which are also controlled by the DME24N. “Depending on the budget, in an arena of this size there will inevitably be problems, especially with the sound, but these can soon be dealt with by making small compromises,” explains Mehler. “In this case our task was not to turn the arena into a huge disco, but to ensure a high level of speech intelligibility for the public. So, a pitch sound was ruled out.”

December 2008

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CENTRE COURT, WIMBLEDON THE ALL England Lawn Tennis Club’s three-year plan to transform the centre court at the home of the sport’s most important tournament, Wimbledon, is almost complete, with only the final phase – the addition of 1,200 more seats and a retractable roof – yet to be undertaken.

As part of the first phase of redevelopment, royal warrant holder RG Jones was enlisted to carry out a comprehensive overhaul of the arena’s audio network. Following a successful installation at the venue in 2002 – one of the largest deployments ever of BSS Audio’s Soundweb Original Green DSP series – RG Jones decided once again to fit the devices, this time opting for the brand new London Blu units.

“The limitations with the old system were the amount of networked audio channels you could get and since we have expanded the system every year, we needed to increase the routing,” says RG Jones’ sales and installation manager, Jon Berry. “This would have required nearly 20 extra hubs. Blu link gave us no less than 256 channels of networked audio.

On top of this, the eight Sharc cards provide four times the processing power, enabling us to create lots of matrices of the signal without any risk of running out of processing capacity.”

The matrix was developed around three Blu-800 and 27 Blu-160 units. System control is located in the broadcast centre PA room, where it is monitored and controlled using a HiQnet London Architect GUI, developed largely by Duncan Owen, who worked on the 2002 refit, and displayed on four large LCD displays. A mirrored control system is also installed in the ‘bunker’ – the Centre Court PA room.

With the new network up and running, Berry faced a second challenge: installing a brand new PA system on a temporary basis, in time for the 2008 Championships, which could then be removed in preparation for the third phase of redevelopment. This required that all speakers were located in the fixed part of the roof and provided even coverage throughout, without feedback from the umpire’s mic.

After assistance from Ease software expert, Peter Child, the team decided on a purposedesigned AM Series Stadium system from Martin Audio. However, The L-Acoustics array at the Jobing.com Arena

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December 2008

The Optocore racks at the National Stadium in Beiling

The AVDB team – jobbing engineers at the Jobing.com Arena

due to the large amount of air conditioning ductwork carried in the roof, there was little free space in which to operate and the Ease plot had to be remodelled several times to gain the best position options available.

Over 70 AM10s – specifically designed for use in stadiums and arenas where high SPL and weather resistance are critical – were eventually fitted, driven by 12 QSC ISA 800Ti 100V line amps and split into 24 four-wire speaker circuits. In the fullness of time, RG Jones plans to implement separate line monitoring as part of a full PA and VA system.

“The original consultant’s spec had multiple rings of ceiling speakers utilising five different models, which would have entailed high installation costs,” says Peter Child. “After studying the venue drawings I proposed a simpler and easier system to install, utilising front and rear facing AM10 loudspeakers, which offered uniform coverage and good intelligibility.”

ENERGY SOLUTIONS ARENA, UTAH HOME TO the Utah Jazz NBA (basketball) team since 1991, Salt Lake City’s Energy Solutions Arena was recently furnished with a brand new Electro-Voice XLC sound system for the 20,500 fans that it regularly packs in.

Comprising 52 XLC 127DVX loudspeakers deployed in four arrays – two consisting of 12 elements and a further two consisting of four – the new system provides seamless coverage to the arena’s upper and lower bowls. FRX+640 loudspeakers were installed beneath the scoreboard for full-court coverage. The system is powered by 29 P3000RL remote-controlled amplifiers and controlled and supervised via two NetMax N8000 digital matrix controllers running Iris-Net software with Fir-Drive.

“Our goal was to provide vocal intelligibility on every seat,” says Craig Hylton of Performance Audio, which installed the system. “I walked the building, talked to people and everyone in the upper bowl noticed the difference immediately.

For years it’s been hard to hear the announcer clearly up there.”

Key EV team members included tech support engineer Robert Deyarmond, who designed the Ease model for the arena. George Georgallis was also instrumental, assisting Craig Hylton in writing the Iris-Net file using Fir filters to optimise system performance – especially in terms of coverage. Dave Larsen was on hand for sales support, along with Monte Wise for his respected system design and tuning expertise.

“The first design called for six arrays,” says Hylton, “but I asked EV if complete coverage could be achieved with four.

Combined with the 120-degree horizontal dispersion pattern of the XLC boxes, the Fir filters gave us the precision and control to make that happen. This is a large space and I was sceptical at first, but it worked wonderfully.”

“The system is a dream come true for Energy Solutions; it saves both space and money,” adds Hylton. “The control of the amps and the system monitoring through Iris-Net is fabulous – it’s what they’ve always wanted in there. The amount of equipment we replaced with nothing more than just the two NetMax controllers was extraordinary – about three racks worth, and I don’t know how much wire.”

Behind the board with...

Adam Fox With a string of top ten hits, Adam Fox is the recording engineer behind 427 studios, which is now the Indie Guitar Studio (see In Session, page 49). He is currently working with songstress Vimala…

Which band/project are you currently working on?

At present I’m in the process of finishing off a remix for Undercover Divas, a remix team signed to Robbins Entertainment over in NYC. I’m also just starting to record tracks for a second EP for Vimala. The first one I did for her was very successful and this year she’s gone on to win an Indy Award.

Where are you at the moment?

Geographically, I’m in Oxfordshire. The studio was originally set-up in London, where I lived for 27 years, but recently I moved out of the grind and relocated out in the countryside near Oxford, which makes the whole thing much more relaxing. Psychologically, all is well, at least I think it is, maybe you should ask my friend – he’s sat just over there.

What audio console are you utilising? And how many channels?

An old Soundcraft 6000 series 40/24/2.

It has a great bit of history – the previous owner was none other than the late John Entwistle. I use 32 tracks of MOTU and I’m also about to introduce an old 24-track one-inch machine into the studio, which should be nice.

What decision process was behind the choice of this console?

I believe that in this day and age of everything digital, an old analog desk should still be at the heart of a studio. A collection point for everything audio and a latency free monitoring set-up that has a decent tone and good flexibility. The 6000 is pretty small and compact, but extremely functional and is, at this moment in time, the right choice for the studio. I did look at other consoles, a Soundtracs IL48 being one of them, but for the money, space and functionality I opted for the Soundcraft in the end.

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

I always use outboard for the tracking and recording process. A selection of compressors is essential and also some decent eqs for the more important stuff.

I love the Toft eq and that really works for vocals and acoustic guitars and the MP2 and TLAs work well as front ends.

I have a REV5, SDD2000, SDE1000, SE70 and a few weird and wonderful bastardised things for pre-record sounds for electric guitars and synths. I also use them just for basic monitoring so the performer is as inspired as possible in his or her headphone environment.

Favourite console?

I like the Soundtracs stuff and have used them a lot in the past. I used to work in a place that had an old Amek, which was really nice too. I don’t know really. It’s like asking: “What’s your favourite guitar” – it’s the one that’s right for the job, isn’t it?

Best toy you take on tour (can be audio, can be a ice-machine)?

My Bogner Shiva amp coupled with my Indie Sun Extreme. Monster tone and a guitar that can deliver pretty much anything you ask of it. I don’t have an icemachine so I can’t comment on the importance of one of those, sorry.

What’s been your career highlight?

Oh that’s an easy one. I was invited to do an on-spec remix of a Queen track. When it was all finalised and agreed I was sent audio cds containing Freddie’s original vocals to edit and use as I saw fit. So, I had to make decisions about what to change, adjust, leave out or tweak and fool around with one of the greatest singers ever. To then present it to Queen to see if they liked it – not too much pressure, then. It was a great experience and thankfully they did like it.

December 2008

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The sixth member Mercury Rev’s FOH engineer Mads Nørgaard Nielsen considers himself part of the band when it comes to their live shows. Andrew Low tries to wrap his head around mixing the dense sound that makes Nielsen and the band an act to behold…

T

he eccentric and sometimes dramatic band Mercury Rev brought their eclectic live show to London’s Shepherds Bush Empire this month as part of a two-month European tour. With the help of their Danish friend and FOH engineer, Mads Nørgaard Nielsen, the band sorted through masses of audio to broadcast a loud, yet dynamic mix of spacey prog rock.

Mercury Rev is a band deeply steeped in indie rock history. They started in Buffalo, New York in the late 1980s with Jonathan Donahue (vocalist/acoustic guitar), Grasshopper (moth-light guitars, clarinet, tettix wave accumulator), Jeff Mercel (drums, piano, keyboards) and Dave Fridmann (bass explore, telescope, knob twiddler).

Donahue was also a guitarist for the travelling indie, prog circus The Flaming Lips, but left to pursue Mercury Rev full time.

Dave Fridmann toured with the band in the early years and left to become a renowned studio engineer who would go on to produce critically acclaimed albums by the Flaming Lips, Weezer, Mogwai and, most recently, MGMT, while remaining with the band for studio production.

Mercury Rev recently released its seventh studio album, Snowflake Midnight, and hit the road for a string of pre-Christmas, European dates. The densely layered songs have featured a variety of sequences, percussion and other strange noises that they use during each live show.

Nielsen and his crew first met the band while working for the Danish band Mew. “Mercury Rev has the same European booking agent as Mew in Europe and they needed a full crew for a one-off gig in Spain. We are really big Mercury Rev fans, so we were like, ‘hell yeah we already know all the songs’. So we did the show and got really drunk with them afterwards.”

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Nielsen credits getting pissed with the band as one of the ways he was hired as their full-time engineer. He states: “It helps a lot to be a good guy in this business since 90 per cent of your time involves being social. There are many hours spent sitting in a cramped tour bus, so you have to be likeable to get asked back.”

Aside from being a good, sociable guy, Nielsen also helps the band by pulling his sleeves up and mixing on the fly at each show. “I see myself as a player,” he explains. “I like to be radical with stuff and mix a lot, which is good for this band. I can’t just have a mix set up and leave it, because I have to feature different things in each song, so it is more important to be a full on mixer.

“It has to be loud. It can’t be any other way because I can’t mix them like a pop band.”

Mads Nielsen “They are really particular about their sound and want it to be loud and full while remaining dynamic, which is kind of hard when you are pushing it to the limit. Sometimes I have to take the sound up and down and really work with the dynamics. I can’t do it with external compressors; I have to do that with the faders. They produce a dynamic on stage, but when it is coming through a PA as massive as it does, I still have to know what to push or lower when it all kicks in.”

Nielsen brought his own mini arsenal of gear to use for each show on the tour. He explains, “I have a Focusrite ISA 430 as a preamp for lead vocals. It is clean and very good for Jonathan’s vocals. It is a great preamp with compression and eq that doesn’t colour the sound or boost anything too much, which gives me the headroom I need for the vocal to be on top of the massive mix.

“On the ISA430’s insert I have the TC Electronic EQ Station. It helps by allowing me to nudge out frequencies that tend to feedback, and by using the dynamic compressor as a de-esser.The EQ Station is one of my favourite tools to use for inserts live. I use it for drum compression and as my main eq and compressor for the whole mix. The three-band compressor really pushes the various PA systems as far as they can go while comping everything together nicely without destroying the mix.”

On top of the Focusrite and TC racks sits a laptop equipped with Logic Pro’s new MainStage software. “I am able to have all my channel strips from Logic, and use the various effects,” he comments. “I run that from the Metric Halo I/O interface, so I have four stereo effects with me at all times, which I can design and work on as the tour goes along.”

Working on a different desk every night means that Nielsen has to learn the quirks and features of each board quickly, as well as how to make the band sound best through every PA. His favourite digital board so far has been Soundcraft’s Vi6 console. “We had a Vi6 at one of the venues and it sounded really good,” he explains. “It has Lexicon effects and a really good dynamics section, containing a dynamic eq/de-ess function, where you can compress certain frequencies instead of the whole spectrum.

“There is so much going on during the show: sequence tracks, massive guitars and everything is just full on. Being able to compress without full band compression works because you don’t lose the dynamics.”

Although the digital Soundcraft board has been his favourite on the tour, Nielsen prefers to mix the band on analog consoles. Luckily, Shepherds Bush’s house desk is a Midas Heritage 3000. He remarks: “With this band I prefer an analog desk because it is still faster for me. Digital boards have nice features like total recall, but each venue is different, so I would have to adjust the eq to fit the rooms anyway. There is no way that I could have a standard scene stored for a song that would work at every venue because I need to adjust the right frequencies for each tune, especially when rooms really project a certain frequency.”

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Focusrite and tc electronics are a small arsenal handling massive audio

Nielsen mixes many layers of live and pre recorded audio during the band’s live shows

Another element that has created extra work for the crew is working with a new PA each night. Nielsen admits that it is not uncommon to find him up in the rafters adjusting the PA system at a venue. “Here at Shepherds Bush it is really nice, but sometimes we get a really rough set up to work with,” Nielsen notes.

“Our Bristol show at The Academy was horrible because it has an old PA that was flown all wrong and the room was half empty. I usually just have to adjust the levels between the four bands, but sometimes you really have to work.”

Neilsen admits that the rigours of life on the road take a toll on him, but the excitment of mixing live keeps him going.

He explains, “I just like being out in the live environment because you have to be quick, do spur-of-the- moment adjustments and fix problems, whereas in the studio you can spend days on just one song.”

Another annoying factor for Nielson is constantly dealing with the sound limitations, natural or otherwise, imposed by venues and outdoor festivals. “It hasn’t been that bad on this tour, but I think when we get to France it will a problem, and Copenhagen has a 103 dB limit, which is not loud enough for this band,” he comments.

“It has to be loud. It can’t be any other way because I can’t mix them like a pop band. The sound has to be full on and I have to push it. Again, that is where the TC Electronics EQ Station comes in handy because of its three-band compressor.

It is great when you have a sound limit to stay under because it works like a mastering device in some ways, so I can bring the level just below the limit without losing anything.

Aside from Mercury Rev, Nielsen also works for the disco revivalists Junior Senior and several other Danish DJs and dance outfits. He has found that, although some of the clubs can be a bit dodgy, the PA systems in dance venues tend to be a better than those in the rock world. Given a choice he would use d&b audiotechnik’s J System, Meyer’s Milo or Funktion-One. He explains: “I came across Funktion-One systems while touring with DJ Trentemoeller. They are really clear without being massive in the high mids.”

Nielsen and crew had a particularly amazing show at Shepherds Bush as they used the venue’s floor-to-ceiling PA and Midas console to deliver a truly great display of creative music played by seasoned professionals. With only a small arsenal of hand-selected racks on his side, Nielsen kept the packed house begging for more with each song as he worked near perfection out of his multi-channel mixing instrument. mercuryrev.com December 2008

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Each month, TL Audioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sarah Yule offers her personal insights into the world of sound recording, mixed with some hot tips for you to try out...

Finishing touches Sarah Yule helps us add an overall vibe and direction to a final mix...

T

he festive season always seems to be an unsettled time.

Everyone is reflecting on the year that has nearly passed and wondering how it went so quickly. Then they are anticipating what is to come in the following year and how it can be improved once and for all.

Sometimes it is good to take a step back and ponder the cycle of nature, that every ending is just another beginning. For me, a good album has its own lifespan. Each track tells a story and the album is carefully compiled to allow the next track to be the transition to the new beginning.

Before you sit down in your slightly deflated black leather studio chair to embark on your latest mixing venture, it is good to make some notes about the overall feel and direction that you require in the mix. Continuity is important in an album; a musically eclectic album is cool, but it should sound like the same artist in the same studio.

First of all, I would start by mixing what you feel or have been told is the leading track, the first single for the project. Not only will this get you in the vibe of the project with a good strong single, but you can also use it as a benchmark for the sound of the album. If it proves to be a popular song or release, listeners will not be disappointed or unpleasantly surprised by the rest of the tracks on the album.

Your lead track should be your sonic template for the album so if it has, for example, a sense of â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;spaceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; to it, this should be what you strive for with the other tracks too.

Adding a gentle boost in the highs and high mids of your key instruments will help with this. Take for instance your main guitar hook and try doing some sweeps around the top frequencies using a peak filter to find the airy sweet spots, this is something you can then easily recreate in other tracks to get the same feel.

Create some of your own presets on your plugins and make notes of favourite settings on your outboard, too. If you are mixing a band that uses the same bass sound in every song, or has the same vocalist, try loading your preset eq and compressor settings from the first song onto every other track. Although they may not work on each track, there is a good chance you will only need to make small adjustments to get the right sound and some continuity.

The same should be done with reverbs too. Play around with your outboard or your plugins and find a reverb that suits the lead vocalist of the album. You can then use this as your base reverb for every

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track. Try choosing a reverb trail that is not too long or too defused, maybe a plate style reverb or small hall that sounds quite warm. This will then be your starting point for your vocal. If any tracks need a longer trail or a different style of effect, you can layer this on top of your base reverb so you still have the same base sound to your vocal.

Something I like to do (and this can be quite fun) is to have a theme sound for the album. This may be a particular sample, a synth sound or a bass drum that you use throughout the album. This is something which producers like Timberland tend to do and can be heard on his last album, Shock Value.

You should not over use this and in some tracks it may be hardly noticeable, but it creates a comfort zone for the listener by giving a regular and familiar sound that, even if they are not consciously aware of, they will become accustomed and receptive to. As a mixer or producer it also helps give you a brand identity that others recognise.

Understand the significance of the first and last ten seconds of each track. The first ten seconds need to excite and interest the listener enough to keep listening and the last ten seconds need to leave the listener wanting more and ready for the next track. If you are just being asked to mix the project and were not involved in the production or the actual song writing, then try to at least make the first and last ten seconds sonically interesting if you cannot make any actual changes to the structure or instrumentation.

As you approach the end of your album mix, do enlist a professional mastering engineer to finish the job. Do not spend all that time making a near perfect mix for it to then be poorly mastered. Although the mastering engineer will work his or her magic in ensuring the album flows and is properly balanced; it is a good idea to treat each track with the same final brush of sonic gold to give it a unified and tidy finish. This can be done either with a little mix bus compression over the master stereo tracks, or by summing each track through an analog board or summing mixer.

Sarah Yule is an experienced audio engineer and Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA) graduate. After graduation, Yule became one of the first sales staff for Dolphin Music. She currently works for TL Audio where she was recently promoted to the position of sales director, which is partially due to the success of her conceptual design of the Fat Track Tube Production Suit.

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Sound Insight As with any year, 2008 saw definite business trends and the launch of swathes of innovative products. Audio Pro asks some of the movers and shakers in the pro audio industry about reflections on the past year and what 2009 has in store...

MARC BRUNKE, MANAGING DIRECTOR, OPTOCORE

DAVID NEAL, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS, SOUNDCRAFT STUDER

What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

As far as Optocore is concerned, we certainly have to mention the DD2FE dual MADI/video/data network device. Then the DiGiCo SD7 and SD8 consoles with an Optocore interface. Also the arrival of digital microphones.

What were the key trends of the last year?

Without any doubt, we see our sector as a key trend. Digital networks, consoles and the transportation of signals and data via fibre optics are on the upswing.

What do you think will be the key trends for 2009?

There is a strong trend for using small, signal-processor controlled speakers located at various positions around a venue, instead of using the common ‘giant’ speaker stack on stage.

What are your main concerns for next year, for the industry in general rather than for your company in particular?

The banking crises and its consequences will affect everyone, the pro audio sector included. We all have to innovate top products and solutions to overcome the hard times that are ahead.

What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

Apart from the Soundcraft Si3, I’d say the new JBL Eon speakers. They are lighter, more powerful and the ten-inch Eon is amazing. It’s hard to get me so impressed nowadays, but those I want!

What were the key trends of the last year?

We saw a vast swing from large-format analog desks to digital desks.

The Toursound market has been strong and even analog desks in broadcast are still selling well alongside digital ones. For Studer, the number of consoles that were used at the Beijing Olympics. We had over 50 consoles there with broadcasters from all over the world.

What are your company’s goals for next year?

We’re embarking on the next phase of our digital roadmap with plans for more digital consoles at various price points. While we still have a range of analog desks, the transition to digital has been so fast, we aim to offer more digital desks as well as newer analog ones.

2009 will be a good year for...

Even more digital.

STEPHANE ECALLE, DIRECTOR OF MARKETING, L-ACOUSTICS What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

Hey, hey… Although still in the pilot phase, the new L-Acoustics K1 stadium line array is the best new product. It sets a new benchmark for the international touring in stadia market.

What were the key trends of the last year?

L-Acoustics has experienced its ninth year in a row of sustained two-digit growth. Our group has tripled turnover in the past six years.

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What was your company’s highlight of the year?

Introducing the new touring ‘K’ universal standard with the LA-Rak. Now all DOSC Network rental companies can share the same amp/DSP/signal distribution platform for all DOSC systems What are your main concerns for next year in general rather than for you particularly?

Financing will be more challenging for the entertainment industry, both rental and installation.

Industrial, corporate and public events and budgets might be subject to pressure. The current shift of artist activity from recording to touring might result in saturation if ticket prices remain high.

TONY ANDREWS, MANAGING DIRECTOR, FUNKTION-ONE What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

There have been two products that stand out for me. One is the MC2 E90 for its enormous power, combined with excellent audio quality.

The other is Midas Pro 6 for finally giving us a digital console with audio quality to believe in.

What were the key trends of the last year?

The decline of the outdoor festival through bad weather and bad implementation of draconian sound restrictions.

What are your company’s goals for next year?

To continue pushing the boundaries forward.

2008 was a good year for....

Politics over reality

NICK COOK EUROPEAN, MARKETING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA COMMERCIAL AUDIO What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

As far as Yamaha Commercial Audio is concerned, it would be the SB168-ES, a cost-effective scalable digital stage box that we previewed at PLASA 08. As we have now supplied over 21,000 M7CL and LS9 consoles to the market (and many more DM and PM consoles of course), and each of these could be equipped with between one and three SB168-ES units, there is obviously a great deal of potential in the SB168-ES. What do you think will be the key trends for 2009?

Both in installation and increasingly in live sound, people are looking for cost effective, reliable solutions and for Yamaha that combination has always been fundamental to our business and product philosophy.

2009 will be a good year for....

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

SARAH YULE, SALES DIRECTOR, TL AUDIO

ANDREW RICHARDSON, GENERAL MANAGER, ADAM HALL

What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

Euphonix’s MC Mix was an exciting and attractive idea, Melodyne’s new direct note access technology launched at Frankfurt blew me away and, of course, our new M1 F console too.

What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

Our best product was the expansion of the LD Systems product group and the introduction of the Dave PA system family, which now includes Dave 10, Dave 12 and Dave 15

Your company’s goals for next year?

Stay strong, stay active, stay innovative and have fun. We have a great new product coming next year that I am very excited about.

What are your main concerns for next year, for the industry in general rather than for your company in particular?

I am concerned about small businesses and dealers struggling and end users not spending. Also about the industry not appealing to younger buyers and not keeping up with trends shown in other industries.

2008 was a good year for....

Going back to basics, thinking creatively and supporting partners.

What were the key trends last year?

The key trend was observing more customers switching to web orders.

What do you think will be the key trends for 2009?

We will see more customers switching to internet trading. We will be making sure that our website reflects this need.

What was your company’s highlight of the year?

The opening on the new European Logistics centre in Germany.

2009 will be a good year for...

Us – as long as we continue to focus on customer needs, look to forge better partnerships and make sure we are the number one choice.

BEN SINCLAIR, EXPORT MANAGER, VMB What do you think was the best new product of 2008 and why?

Not bragging, but I would have to say our F6 line array in so much as it was the first cabinet to include a built-in inclinometer. This not only made it a technological innovation, but the inclusion of an AMT guaranteed it as one of the best sounding small arrays out there.

What was your company’s highlight of the year?

Being chosen for Glastonbury’s Park Stage. This was a real coup for VMB, especially as the line array is only two years old. The feedback we received confirmed that the V8 is proving to be an outstanding line array.

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What are your company’s goals for next year?

To build on the success of 2008 and continue developing industry leading products. I’m looking forward to seeing what our R&D department cooks up.

Which trade shows did you attend last year and which was the best?

We were present at a number of local shows represented by our distributors and also as VMB. As always, Frankfurt was the best for us. We also had the V8 playing every day there, so that helped generate a lot of awareness. In terms of local trade shows, I would have to say Kosound in Seoul. This was the first time we were able to demonstrate our line array in Korea and it was a huge success.

December 2008

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Leaders of the rack Products are the mainstay of the pro audio industry and new products are the reason business keeps going. Innovations, however, are few, but all the more important. Rob Hughes looks at the best that 2008 brought to market…

MC2 Audio E90 amplifier MAKING A BOISTEROUS first appearance at PLASA this year, the mighty MC2 Audio E90 amplifier wowed even the most seasoned PA veterans in Funktion-One’s demonstration room as it drove the formidable Infrabass 218 units with calm, lots of overhead and considerable ease. The two-channel, Class D amp delivers an enormous 8,000 Watts RMS per channel into two Ohms, but maintains clarity and that all-important transparency.

“I’ve never experienced so much power so cleanly,” notes FunktionOne’s Tony Andrews. “The influence of a young chap we pointed at XTA a few years ago has resulted in a more advanced design, which, remarkably, is actually simpler. This has made it one of the most transparent-sounding amps I’ve ever heard.

“This, on top of all that power, makes it a bloody good product.

We’ve had to beef up the 21s in terms of the mechanics since it appeared. It’s not about being able to turn your speaker into an electric fire – it’s about following a waveform. You can turn the speaker up further and it won’t lose control; the amp won’t lose its grip on the speaker.”

QSC Power Light 3 series amplifier HONOURABLE MENTION goes to QSC for its PowerLight 3 series, which embarked on its touring career early this year.

Touted as the ‘ultimate analog amplifier’, the 8,000-Watt PL380 allswitchmode amp delivers more than twice as much audio power as the previous dual rack unit Power Light amps, as well as a plug-to-plug efficiency of 85 per cent. The amp went on to win The Mix magazine’s Mix Foundation TEC Award for audio excellence in the Amplifier Technology category this year.

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API Model 1608 console BASED ON THE vintage 1604 console, which has retained a firm grip on value as one of the most coveted 16-channel mixers for over three decades, API’s Model 1608 – launched at the New York AES convention – affords all the advantages of its predecessor, along with features such as a full centre section control with 5.1 monitoring.

“We’re always looking for the best of the best,” explains Dave MacLaughlin, executive director of audio at the New England School of Communications (NESCOM) in Maine, USA, which recently

“This is a bloody good product and we’ve had to beef up our 21 series speakers since it first appeared.”

Tony Andrews installed a 1608. “These days, most of our students come into the program with ears that are accustomed to the sound of digital audio.

They read stories written by people of my generation that discuss ‘analog sound’, but they don’t really get it. Why use analog when digital is so much more convenient? It takes hearing the sound of a really high-end console for them to truly understand. As soon as they hear audio coming out of the 1608, they get it. It’s amazing. I’ve worked on everything: SSL, Neve, Trident – but API has a sound that you can’t get with anything else. Whether we’re recording or mixing, it’s almost impossible to make a mess. Things just sound good.”

Neutrik ConvertCon unisex XLR STRIKING A CHORD with those who have pulled an XLR cable through mud or rigging for 100 feet, only to find they have the wrong end, Neutrik’s ConvertCon puts an end to sex issues with a connector that is both male and female.

ConvertCon is the world’s first unisex three-pin XLR connector, developed by Neutrik in response to escalating demand for a solution to incompatibility problems – something it capably provides. It was launched to considerable acclaim at PLASA 2008 and was subsequently recognised with a Silver Award for innovation. It was noted that Neutrik had demonstrated the possibility of innovation within existing defined standards.

The success of the ConvertCon design is a tribute to the former Neutrik USA president, the late Jim Cowan, who commented at the time: “We listen to our consumers’ feedback – from the top integrators in the industry to each individual user. A unisex XLR connector was a consistent request that we have brought to reality.”

Celemony Melodyne Direct Note Access HAILED BY THE New York Times as a music-recognition breakthrough, Celemony’s Melodyne Direct Note Access allows users to access and manipulate single notes in terms of pitch or timing, within a complete, multitracked piece of recorded music.

MIT’s Technology Review rightly points out that the software “could let engineers salvage unheard takes by classic musicians like Duke Ellington or Jimi Hendrix, left unreleased due to out-of-tune instruments or misplayed notes. It will certainly give musicians new ability to sculpt sound, such as pre-recorded samples or loops, as if they were modeling clay.”

Peter Gabriel remarks that the program has allowed him to do things that he has always dreamed of, while Morgan Fisher, who has worked with Queen and Robert Fripp adds: “Melodyne gives me dangerous amounts of freedom. It allows me to transform any melody into almost any other melody, regardless of key or tempo. The audio-to-MIDI functions open up whole new creative realms. And if that’s not enough, it also performs clean time-stretching and pitch-shifting over a wider range than any other program I’ve used.”

Midas Pro 6 console ALTHOUGH THE recent PLASA 2008 marked the first public unveiling of Midas’ Pro 6, hundreds of systems have already been ordered in the intervening three months. The company’s second networked digital audio system employs many of the technologies developed for the XL8 and offers a all-embracing feature set, yet with a footprint more comparable to a 32-channel Verona console.

“I knew the Pro6 was a winner the moment I saw and heard it at the launch in Minneapolis,” says Jeff Humphrey, sales manager, Sound Productions Dallas. “Looking around the room, which was filled with some very experienced pros, the response was unanimously positive. Everybody’s jaw hit the floor. As a digital system, Pro 6 brings the console to the user, rather than the user having to find the functionality buried in the console, as can be the case with other systems.

Most importantly, the Midas sound is there and it’s stronger than ever. Pro6 will make a big impact – starting now.”

DiGiCo SD8 console ALSO UNVEILED at PLASA this year was DiGiCo’s SD8 console. With a fixed architecture, the live digital console employs a smaller super-field programmable gate array than the SD7, yet inherits all of its major features. This gives the SD8 an unmatched price to performance ratio and allows DiGiCo to present the market with an entry-level console with remote preamps and other high-end features at a price that has been previously impossible.

www.audioprointernational.com

Derek van der Horst thinks the Euphonix MC Mix is the best controller ever

The Midas Pro 6: a winner from the moment you first see it

Dave McLaughlin (left) and his API 1608 console – it just sounds good

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Bricasti’s M7 reverb – a new industry standard?

Euphonix MC Mix controller DESIGNED WITH the project studio in mind, Euphonix’s MC Mix controller has nevertheless found its way into some of the most elite facilities in the world due to the level of control it affords, which is comparable to large-format consoles costing thousands of pounds more. The unit recently won MIPA, Tec and Red Dot awards.

“It brings the whole tactile thing back into project studio mixing,” says GHQ’s Wes Maebe. “It increases speed, but it also aids creativity by putting the feel back into mixing – the nuances become smaller and more detailed. Without a doubt it has had a positive impact on my work.”

Derek van der Horst, sound supervisor, designer and rerecording mixer on over 70 feature films adds: “Having used most controllers and consoles, this is the most progressive, intuitive, and programmable surface I have used.”

K-Array KH4 self-powered line array ALTHOUGH IT HAS been perfecting its unique technology for just five years, Florence-based K-Array is already seen as a pioneer of space-saving PA technology. The culmination of its research is the KH4 self-powered line array.

The KH4 has a remarkable power to size ratio, achieved by intelligent proprietary technology that enables a 47kg, 16cmdeep package (50 per cent smaller than some other models) to deliver 145dB. The unit will be distributed in Canada, China and the UK by Sennheiser, which recently signed an exclusive agreement with its Italian manufacturer.

“K-Array came up with the most original and exciting live speaker technology I have seen in years,” says Marc Vincent, president of Sennheiser China. “I believe that the KH4 system provides a true solution to reducing touring transportation costs. It just takes time to believe that such a small system can cover such huge venues.”

TL Audio Fat Track tube production suite ALSO MAKING a noise in the small-format hardware market this year was TL Audio’s Fat Track tube production suite. Although technically considered to be a summing mixer, the Fat Track features a pair of tube-laden channel strips inherited from the high-end M Series consoles, which bestow copious amounts or warmth and depth to signals lucky enough to pass through them.

Funktion-One RM series stage wedges THE RM SERIES of stage wedges represents the first dedicated monitor releases from Funktion-One since the 1980s. Using newly developed bass-loading technology, the monitors afford performance normally associated with hornloaded boxes, while maintaining the size and weight of their ported counterparts. They provide a real alternative to the standard approach to on-stage monitoring with incredibly low distortion that reduces ear fatigue to unprecedented levels.

“The wedge will handle anything from KT Tunstall up to demanding high-volume acts such as Pendulum,” says Audio Plus’ Stefan Imhof, currently using the monitor on tour with the Zutons. “The five-inch compression driver makes the difference, giving a rich low-mid vocal and setting it apart from a ‘barky’ two-inch wedge. The artists have been very happy with it so far; it’s the standout wedge at the moment.”

Neutrik UK’s Chris Arnold picking up his innovation award at PLASA 2008

Bricasti Design M7 stereo reverb processor EVERY BIT THE boutique manufacturer, Bricasti Design recently shunned the chaos of the Moscone Center and the 125th AES Convention, choosing instead to host its demo of the M7 stereo reverb processor – rapidly becoming the reverb in studios across the globe – at Broken Radio Studio.

As Model 7 approaches its first birthday, it has already been described by Capitol Studios’ Al Schmitt as ‘unmatchable’ and by Atlas Studios’ Matt Allison simply as ‘the best reverb unit ever made’. Rob King, executive audio director at Green Street Studios adds: “There is nothing like this box and there never has been.”

Producer Cenzo Townshend is currently applying the Model 7 across his entire spectrum of work. Initially using the unit on Leona Lewis’ voice for a Jimmy Page project, he has applied it to both Snow Patrol’s new album, A Hundred Million Suns and Kaiser Chiefs’ Off With Their Heads.

Universal Audio 2-LA-2 compressor ALTHOUGH INITIALLY designed for radio broadcast applications, the original vintage Universal Audio LA-2A graced countless hit records on account of its ability to impart ultra-transparent compression using the T4 electro-optical cell.

The unit was re-issued eight years ago, but suffered from an unnecessarily convoluted stereo-linking process, which required each of its two channels to be connected by a shielded wire less than two feet long, before a stereocalibration procedure was carried out. UA’s new 2-LA-2 however, offers the glorious dynamics of the original, with stereo linking at the flick of a switch.

In his online review of the processor, Mix magazine’s Michael Cooper remarks: “How sweet it is. The compression characteristics sound devoid of any amplitude-modulation artifacts with 10dB of gain reduction applied and it can rein in even the most unruly vocals. The 2-LA-2 sounds best on mono, dual-mono and stereo tracks.”

www.audioprointernational.com

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Edirol's F-1 field recorder used for Howard Jones’ DVD at Indig02

A rose by another name Roland Systems Group is a specialised division of the Roland Corporation. With dedicated products for audio and video professionals and numerous high-profile clients, the company has grown to be its own separate entity. Andrew Low talks to Peter Heath and Massimo Barbini about brand-building…

W

hether it cares to admit it or not, the professional audio industry is heavily influenced by brands, their reputations and their connotations. The extension of the Roland Corporation’s product development into the pro audio and video markets has called for some careful brand management as the MI giant evolves a focused approach for professional users.

While Roland is known as one of the biggest players in the MI business, since 2000 the company has been designing and manufacturing specifically for the pro user, first in live video performance with the launch of the Edirol by Roland brand and, more recently, for the professional audio market with RSS by Roland.

It has, therefore, been a logical, some might say smart, move to place the development, marketing, service and support of these products under a single and separate umbrella – namely the Roland Systems Group (RSG).

While the RSG team is very proud of Roland’s place in MI history, its heritage and R&D, the corporation’s mighty reputation can be a double-edged sword. “The Roland brand opens the door and sometimes firmly closes it,” states Peter Heath, general manager for RSS. “Some people feel the need to remind us that our background is MI, but although Roland remains a leader in that sector, we now have a dedicated group for addressing the professional audio and video markets.”

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So far, so simple. RSG takes the core values and talents of its parent company – particularly an ability to marry sexy software with great hardware and intuitive user interfaces – and matches them to the requirements of professional users, offering them the tools they need to build their businesses. On top of that, the recent acquisition of Cakewalk has added computer audio recording capabilities to the group’s portfolio.

RSG’s business is handled slightly differently from region to region around the world. RSG America was started as the first branch of the Roland Corporation, while in Europe, distribution channels vary by country. In the UK, Edirol Europe and RSS co-habitate in a showroom in Chiswick, London.

RSG’s discrete identity begins at the R&D and manufacturing phase and continues all the way down to having its own booths at trade shows. “When you go to Frankfurt, you will see a Roland booth in

“What is clear is that we cross borders, from the person who wants an electronic drum kit right through to the broacasting professional.”

Peter Heath Musikmesse, and a separate RSG presence in the Pro Light + Sound exhibition,” explains Edirol’s managing director, Massimo Barbini.

Barbini feels the RSG proposition is unique. “There are a lot of companies that claim to offer audio and video under the same roof: for some of these video product manufacturers, the ‘A’ in AV amounts to a pair of speakers.

RSG products are all dedicated to their target audiences in professional audio and video, but, uniquely, they can be connected together. Because we have designed in this connectivity from the start, we believe it opens up new creative opportunities.”

While promoting interconnectivity and integration within the audio-visual sector, Edirol and RSS differ in their individual clients, dealers and product offerings. Each company has developed a unique stream within its markets, and, similarly, have separate success stories.

The RSS by Roland V-Mixing system has gained considerable popularity in the short time it has been on the market. The BBC has been one of its most prolific customers, putting the system to work on many applications from theatre installs to the OB vans it uses. Its recent purchase of a pair of M-400s has now gone into two of the broadcasting corporation’s training facilities.

RSS products could also be seen at Glastonbury for the past two years. “Glastonbury has been a good example of how product placement really does work,” notes Heath. “There were three Digital Snakes used at three different stages in 2007 and 2008, and the M-400 was used for FOH and monitors on the ‘BBC Introducing’ stage, while a Digital Snake was used on the Park Stage. This type of placement also really helps by showing the gear working in a tough environment and working steadily all weekend.”

Edirol has had similarly good results from its efforts. Not only has the V-4 become a standard in video editing, the company also recently sold ten of the VC300 HD converters for use in boats sailing around the world in Volvo’s Ocean Race. The VC300’s compatibility with the many television formats around the globe made it the ideal product to fit the bill for all concerned.

While most market-specific products come with a hefty price tag, Heath insists that such is not the case with RSG’s products thanks to the mother company’s tradition with innovation. “Roland Corporation’s investment in R&D is still greater than our competitors and, up until the acquisition of Cakewalk, we have never borrowed or bought anyone else’s technology; it has all been our own. This high standard is evident in all our products and we are able to offer them at a price point that is well below that of our competitors, so the value for money is immense.

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Top: Massimo Barbini (left) and Peter Heath standing on tradition

“What is clear is that we cross borders.

As a corporation, we are able to address everyone from the person who wants to play an electronic drum kit in their front room to the working VJ programming his shows, right through to the professional broadcaster.

“Part of our journey will be getting confirmation from professionals that we can do that – that we can be borderless. Right now, we are very clear as to who we can sell to in order to establish ourselves in the professional market.”

“We are still in the early stages, but we are thinking long-term, and pioneering something that will be more visible in years to come,” adds Barbini. “Our great strength is addressing the pro audio and video markets and the synergies that occur between them.”

The message is, therefore, that while built on the foundations of the Roland giant, RSG’s dual carriageway into the AV markets is very much a path of its own. www.rolandsystemsgroup.net

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Breaking out in Dubai AMB Group is breaking the mould in the Dubai nightclub scene with the help of Funktion-One’s point source loudspeakers. Andrew Low has a chat with the firm’s Peter James to find out what all the buzz is about…

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unktion-One speakers have begun to infiltrate the club scene in Dubai, as AMB Group recently used them for two installations in the city’s Alpha Club and the 360 Club.

As the exclusive dealer for Funktion-One in Dubai, AMB provided Alpha Club with Resolution 2A speakers, AX88s, F-118 MK2 18-inch bass enclosures and the F-221 double 21-inch bass enclosure. The club features a variety of areas, from dance floors to bar areas and an outdoor terrace. The main dance floor was equipped with four Res 2As and a single 221 sub.

AMB’s Peter James originally thought two 221s would be needed for the club’s dance floor. He explains: “I left both at the club overnight and said they could play around with them. The next morning they called me and said that I had better take the second one back because it wasn’t needed. It is surprising, because the guys are still raving about the amount of bottom end we are getting. It is quite extraordinary.”

James is also very happy with the powered Res 2As. “Someone once said if you know the parameters of a loudspeaker you can design an amp to go with it that will really make it sing. Having the powered versions of the Res 2s made it simple by freeing up a bit of rack space, and they sound gorgeous with the 221; it is a great combination.

“The system is running so close to dead flat that it is not even funny. We put a little delay on the box to get a some bottom end out it and played around with the cross over points, but there is no added eq and the room has a fantastic sound.”

The 360 Club sits at the end of a 200-metre pier adjacent the famous Burj Al Arab, Dubai’s seven-star hotel. One of the main concerns the refurbished sound system had to address was containing spill, as frequent complaints came from neighbours about the previous sound system.

AMB devised a solution by mounting Funktion-One’s F88 direct radiating loudspeaker to some poles and pointing them down towards the dance floor. This enables the people on the dance floor to absorb some of the sound from the speakers, thereby creating less spill.

“We have used about eight F88s around the perimeter, four of which are dedicated to the dance floor area in front of the DJ booth,” James explains. “We also mounted two 212s into the DJ console itself.

They run as a separate system, so we run them a bit louder and use the rest for atmosphere and fill.

“We have also been able to get sound to places in the venue that never had it before. The old system relied on spill from the speakers near the bar. The Funktion-One speakers provide wider and more detailed coverage, so they have created a much nicer atmosphere and people tend to linger a bit longer and get into it more.”

AMB was awarded exclusive dealership in 2007 and is frequently getting great response from DJs and clubs in the area. “One of DJs that works at Alpha regularly had a gig in Ibiza and came back through Beirut,” comments James. “He told us that the system at Alpha is the best system in the Middle East.

“The relationships we have with DJs are very good here and they love playing on our Funktion-One systems. They want Funktion-One systems everywhere, so they are going to bat for us. We have a nice little network that is really starting to kick in here.”

With the amount of new construction that is going on in Dubai, AMB is in a good position to promote the brand in the city for new installations and refurbishments to existing clubs. James also plans to expand its market and begin promoting the speakers for further commercial applications as well as live music events. funktion-one.com

The Funktion-One speakers provide wider and more detailed coverage. People linger for longer.

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www.audioprointernational.com

SCRATCHING THE PAD

Yamaha in da Dogg house

UNKLE HAS chosen Allen & Heath’s Xone:92 DJ mixer for its European tour.

The band will use the Xone to help create its unique blend of rock music with DJ breaks and the live performances feature an eight-piece band with front man James Lavelle DJing on the Xone:92, integrating samples from a CD player, a an effects unit and various other sources.

“I’ve been DJing on Allen & Heath mixers since my first days as a resident DJ at Fabric and now the Xone:92 is an integral part of Unkle’s live, eight-piece band show," commented Lavelle. xone.co.uk

Snoop Dog’s Bulgaria tour uses PM5Ds for FOH and monitors

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HC Audio provided Snoop Dogg’s recent show at Bulgaria’s Winter Palace of Sport with Yamaha PM5D consoles for FOH and monitors.

Based in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, THC Audio is the country’s leading production services company. It recently became the first company in the Bulgarian market to invest in Yamaha’s PM5D-RH and PM5000 consoles. From Boy George to Billy Cobham, Kool and the Gang to Kansas and Slade, THC Audio has provided production services and crew for over 500 major international tours over the past decade. Now the company has added Dr Dre’s former sidekick and

one of hip hop’s most influential artists to that impressive roster The purchase of the Yamaha boards is not only a first for the region, but it also represents the company’s first investment in digital technology.

“Yamaha consoles have been a great aid to us because they are now the standard in the touring industry,” said THC marketing manager Radolina Krasteva. “Almost all sound engineers on international tours can use them immediately, which is very beneficial. And, of course, they are extremely reliable and sound great.

“Nowadays, with digital consoles being the norm, Yamaha is still the standard

Snoop Dogg and the Yamaha PM5D wowing the Balkans

and we supply the audio equipment for more than 90 per cent of all international live events in Bulgaria. The PM5D-RH has become the most requested console in the technical riders. Added to our long working history with Yamaha consoles, investing in the PM5D-RH was a logical choice.

“Many major artists visiting Bulgaria like to be well prepared, so they bring their show settings and scenes stored on memory cards, all ready to be uploaded for immediate use on a digital console,” continued Krasteva.

The company feels that the digital boards offer the ‘best of both worlds’ by providing a pure analog audio path combined with advanced digital control technology to offer remarkable flexibility. yamahacommercialaudio.com

Diesel’s global party goes digital 30th anniversary party uses Soundcraft’s Vi6 and creates new acronym

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iesel celebrated its 30th Anniversary by holding 17 parties in cities around the world. The Italian jeans manufacturer held the ‘xXx Rock n Roll Circus’ party finale on Brooklyn’s Pier Three.

ESP New York chose a Soundcraft Vi6 digital board to provide FOH support for TI, NERD, Franz Ferdinand, MIA, Hot Chip, and Chaka Khan, who performed for an audience of 5,000 VIPs, including Lindsay Lohan and Emma Roberts.

Using the Vi6 enabled all the engineers to pre-program each set prior to show time.

ESP New York’s monitor engineer, Steve Swope, educated the engineers on the Vi6’s capabilities.

“The amount of inputs, outputs and accessibility makes the Vi6 perfect for this venue,” said Swope.

Bands and caberet all benefitted from the new Vi6

“The interface allowed the engineers to operate the console without any difficulties despite having little experience on the Vi6.”

The ability to digitally patch all the content before the show allowed the engineers to make further changes and adjustments on

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the hoof and without interrupting the show.

ESP New York’s Glenn Davis commented: “I can route signals through this console more than any other digital console. The functionality in terms of outputs, routing, and flexibility is far superior and

the sonic quality is outstanding. All of the design work, planning and layout were perfect.”

The Vi6 is Soundcraft’s first large-format digital live desk and it was developed in co-ordination with its sister console company, Studer.

The board uses a derivation of the Vistonics user interface (Vistonic II) for a more user-friendly operation. Vistonics II employs a touch-screen colour TFT monitor with integral rotary controls and switches mounted on the glass, giving it a ‘where you look is where you control’ (WYLIWYC?) user interface.

In addition to music, the Vi6 mixed the audio for cabaret performers, fireeaters, trapeze artists, sword swallowing acts and female roller derby squads. soundcraft.com

THE PIGEON Detectives hit the road with no fewer than 26 Audio Technica mics.

The mics will cover every application from drums to vocals, including five AE4100 vocal mics, five ATM450 models for snare, hi-hat and overheads and a quartet of AE3000s for toms and guitar.

The band will also use Audio Technica ATH-M50 headphones and the ATW3110A guitar wireless system.

FOH engineer Andy Hawkins said: “Working with Audio Technica microphones across the board means all the elements of the band are full and clear, with the vocals at the front of the mix without having them at ridiculously high levels.” audio-technica.com THE TENTHTH incarnation of Ringo Starr’s All Starr band used two Fusion R400Q storage systems to record the recent 31-date summer tour.

Rental company, Audio Analysts, chose four Fusion storage systems in a 1U rackmount unit because it provided the tour with 2TB of mirrored storage for the 64 tracks of audio recorded to a Pro Tools|HD 2 Accel during each All-Starr concert.

The R400Q also allowed the engineers to use Digidesign Virtual Soundcheck workflow to adjust the live console and speaker settings through a multitrack Pro Tools session during set up for each show. sonnettech.com

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SCRATCHING THE PAD TRIPLE SHOWTECHNIEK is one of the first companies worldwide to pair the new Midas Pro 6 live audio system with the Midas XL8.

Triple Showtechniek is using its Pro 6 for monitors on the current Jan Smit tour, which also features an XL8 at front of house.

With FOH engineer Marc Pardon having already used the Midas XL8 earlier in the tour, monitor engineer Donovan Kemper insisted on starting this leg with the Pro. Midas Consoles Holland was able to supply Triple Showtechniek with the second system off the production line. midasconsoles.com THE BRIGHTON CENTRE, England’s high-profile conference venue, used by the Conservative Party and the Trades Union Congress, has revitalised its longserving Electro-Voice PA system by replacing all the existing amplifiers with Electro-Voice’s latest DSPcontrolled Precision series P1200RL amplifiers, running Iris-Net remote control and system supervision software.

Brighton-based specialists MBI Sound & Light has maintained the centre’s facilities since the house PA was installed in the 1980s.

MBI’s Dave Rudge said: “With the important TUC conference looming in the diary, we wanted to rule out any potential reliability issues caused by ageing amplifiers.” electrovoice.com

BRITANNIA ROW (and its Outline Butterfly rig) was picked for Oasis’ recent 19date UK tour.

FOH engineer Bruce Johnston commented: “With 15 Subtech 218 subs per side we had some amazing low end happening and really got the room shaking. We were easily able to get the volume needed for a band like Oasis – the system just kept getting louder if we needed it.”

System Engineer Davide Lombardi added: “I consider the Butterfly a perfect system for arena tours – small and easy to rig, but with a big beefy sound and plenty of headroom.” outline.it

42

Ohm has Indian clubs Harnessed Asia distributor gets to work on major, but minimalist installations

H

arness, Ohm’s Indian distributor, has completed two major dance club installations in Mumbai.

After two years of continuous use, the Mumbai nightspot, Poison, has been renovated and re-opened.

Club owner Aqueel, one of India’s top DJs, wanted to stick with Ohm when it came to the sound system upgrade, being a big fan of his original Ohm TRS. Harness reworked the system completely and, after studying the venue, suggested a Saturn system.

Given seven days to install the system, work was completed just two days before the official opening.

The Ohm system is based on three-way Saturn speakers placed at all four corners of the 2,000 squarefoot dance floor, with further reinforcement provided by four TRS 112s,

Mumbai’s Poison club, ready for action just two days before its re-opening

arranged as a centre cluster.

BR-218B subs have been placed under the VIP deck and are completely invisible.

BR-8 wide-angle dispersion cabinets cover the VIP areas. CFU amplifiers and a Cred sound management system complete the set-up.

Harness’ next task was Bottle and Chimney, one of the most successful lounge bars in Hyderabad. Owned

by Sanjay Batla, it is a five-

year-old venue, but with 22 cabinets and at least ten amplifiers driving the sound in the venue, it still didn’t have enough power. Batla required a clean looking venue with a minimum number of speakers, but powerful enough for the DJ. With a total of 5,000 square feet between the two floors, Harness opted for a combination of Ohm’s new horn loaded single 18-inch

TRS 118H and the 12-inch and 1.5-inch composite horn, the TRS112H. “When Sanjay Batla and the DJ were told that only three CFU-A3 amplifiers were needed to drive six subs and four tops in a three-way active configuration they simply couldn’t believe it,” said Harness’ Lalit Chopra. ohm.co.uk harnessasia.com

Neutrik makes a green connection Lichtenstein donates parts for university solar vehicle endurance rally

A

team of undergraduate students from the University of Minnesota’s engineering department has been gearing up for the North American Solar Challenge, a competition to design, build, and operate solar-powered cars in a 2,400 mile drive from Dallas, Texas to Calgary, Alberta.

With the help of several donations, including assorted connector and receptacle products from Neutrik, the team created the University’s eighth solar car: the Centaurus.

“We used Neutrik-brand connectors as the backbone of our connection solution for Centaurus,” says Samuel Lenius, the project manager of the university’s Solar Vehicle Project.

December 2008

“Neutrik was the best solution for our design, as it provided the most reliable performance, which is a major factor in an event of such demand and distance.”

The Solar Vehicle Project is an organisation of undergraduate engineering students, which undertakes the project of researching, designing and constructing a solar vehicle every two years.

The project endeavors to teach aspects of engineering beyond what can normally be presented in a curriculum.

Nearly all of the electrical components were designed and manufactured in-house by the students.

The electrical team working on Centaurus followed a methodology to ensure that every electrical component in the vehicle had, at a minimum, two complete backups.

“This is a great chance to educate students about the intricate wiring and connection systems involved in designing and building a vehicle of this nature,” said Jim Cowan, president of Neutrik USA. “Centaurus also recognises the growing trend towards solar-powered automobiles and a greener lifestyle in general.”

Centaurus was put to the test in the cross-country time and endurance rally, which ran

from July 13th to July 22nd.

Centarus finished fifth out of the 16 teams that competed.

The team was honored for its unique design, including the Best Workmanship award for the clean manufacturing of the car and the Excellence in Mechanical Design award for the students’ work on the suspension and chassis of the car. neutrik.com

“We used Neutrik connectors because it was the best solution for our design.”

Samuel Lenius

www.audioprointernational.com

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FOCUS: IN SESSION Audio Pro International’s regular section looking at the equipment

S

ugar Beet studio is Sultan Makende and Nick Pigott’s latest recording facility in North London. Makende (aka Dave Yowell) has worked with Leftfield, Trans-Global Underground, Judge Jules and other African artists.

The studio’s main console is a 52-input Tascam M3500 used with a Motu HD 192, clocked by an Apogee Big Ben master clock. Session editing and mixing is done on one of the studios’ Cubase, Pro Tools or Logic DAWs. Sugar Beet has a wide range of outboard for additional processing, including a Lexicon PCM 90 Digital Reverb, Alesis Midiverb II Digital Effects Processor, Yamaha REV6 multi FX and Powertran Digital delay.

On the analog side of the studio is a Focusrite Platinum Trakmaster valve preamp and a TL Audio Fat Man Fat 1 stereo valve compressor – for that touch of tube warmth.

Monitoring for musicians and engineers is done with the Genelec 1029As, Tannoy Golds and Yamaha NS 10s.

The studio has a relaxed atmosphere with a large selection of hardware and software instruments, and musicians can use any of the wide range of guitars, fretted and orchestral strings and percussion instruments to hand.

It also has a pianorgan, harmonicas in various keys, a jew’s harp, glockenspiel, melodica, slide and whistles.

The BBC recently used Sugar Beet to record music for a three-part feature-length drama, titled Moses Jones, which will be aired in January 2009. The session was engineered by Nick Pigott and produced by producer and composer Craig Pruess.

Sugar Beet Studios is also affiliated with AWM-Online, a music production library for film, TV and video.

Telephone: +44 20 7209 2244 Web Address: www.sugarbeetstudios.com

W

isseloord Studios has been producing chart-topping music since 1978. It has hosted seemingly every super group, including Mick Jagger, U2, Metallica, Snoop Dog, 50 Cent, Elton John, ELO, The Police, The Stranglers, Paul McCartney and Andrea Bocelli.

The Dutch studio first achieved international recognition for work with Def Leppard on the Hysteria album.

It has continued to maintain its position as one of the world’s premier studios, establishing relationships with TV and Broadway shows, such as The X-Factor and Cats. Audio Ease also used the studio to record its Altiverb Reverb plugin.

The full facility houses five studios, a café, lounge, fullservice restaurant and a tenperson engineering team. The studios were designed by acoustical designers Tom Hidley and Jeff Cooper of East Lake

Audio. Wisseloord cites its hospitality, experience and a wide range of analog and digital gear as key to its continued success.

Studio One has a 150m2 floor area, making it suitable for a 70piece orchestra. It is also ideal for jazz combos, percussion ensembles and small classical ensembles. The centrepiece of the studio is a 72-channel SSL 9000 J console. Wisseloord also has Quested Q215 surround sound monitors, a 16-channel Aviom headset with the capacity for up to 10 personal mixers and a Steinway Concert Grand Piano type D. Studio Two has a 72-channel SSL 4000 E/G and a Studer A820 tape machine and a Pro Tools HD system. Another 72channel SSL console, a 4072 E/G with automation, is in Studio Three. All the rooms are equipped with various outboard gear from the best manufacturers in the business.

Telephone: +31 35 6261100 Web Address: www.wisseloord.nl

Rooms: Live and control Consoles: 52-input Tascam M3500 Outboard: Lexicon, Alesis, Yamaha, Powertran, Focusrite, TL Audio Monitoring: Genelec, Tannoy, Yamaha

SUGAR BEET STUDIO

Rooms: 150m2 main live room plus four other studios Consoles: SSL 9000 J console, 4000 E/G and 4072 E/G Outboard: Apogee, dbx, Summit, Tube Tech, Urei Monitoring: Quested

WISSELOORD STUDIOS

If you would like your studio featured in this section, please send all 44

December 2008

www.audioprointernational.com

and the people behind studios in the UK and around the world...

P

art of the EMI Studios Group, London’s Olympic Studios has been host to some of the most celebrated recordings in history, including albums from The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin and has been named Music Week’s Best Recording Studio five times.

The Rolling Stones were among the first rock bands to record at the Barnes facility. In 1966 they recorded tracks for their album Between The Buttons. Jimi Hendrix’s debut album Are You Experienced was also recorded there, and in recent years, the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian, The Zutons and Goldfrapp have passed through the doors.

The Olympic Studios complex offers recording and mixing (including multichannel/5.1), together with fully equipped programming and preproduction suites, each of

which has been designed without compromise to ensure technical excellence and optimum privacy and comfort, by revolutionary studio designer Sam Toyoshima.

Each studio has its own separate lounge and is supported by an experienced pool of in-house engineers and programmers, including Dave Emery, Neil Comber and Mo Hausler. Producers such as Mark ‘Spike’ Stent, Cenzo Townshend and Steven Street can also be found at Olympic. Stent is known for his work with a long list of high-profile acts including Madonna, while Townshend and Street (pictured) have helped create hugely successful recordings with Snow Patrol, Blur and many others.

When a break from recording and mixing is required, customers need not leave the facility – Olympic has its own restaurant, garden tennis court and five-a-side football pitch.

Telephone: +44 20 8286 8600 Web Address: www.olympicstudios.co.uk

T

he Indie Guitar Studio began life in London as 427, set up by session guitarist Adam Fox in 1991.

Having paid large amounts of money to take his own bands into studios and received results that were less than satisfactory, Fox decided to bite the bullet and do it for himself, applying a knowledge of recording facilities acquired during long hours spent performing in them.

Ten years ago, the studio was relocated to a purpose-built 500 square-foot concrete structure, where it remained until the move from London to Oxfordshire. 427’s home is now a disused WW2 munitions building at Grove airfield. Fox gutted the building and reconstructed his studio inside.

The studio acquired its new name shortly after a meeting between Fox and Indie Guitar’s founder, Keith Willis, in September this year. The two men were introduced after Fox

trialled one of the company’s instruments. It transpired that Willis had been planning to launch a studio and a deal was soon on the table.

Plans have now been laid for an expansion and upgrade.

Indie Guitars is taking on the adjoining building and the dividing wall will be knocked through in order to construct a 1,000 square-foot live room and analog suite. Fox then intends to build on his range of microphones and add valve compression to his list of outboard gear, along with a Fostex G24S tape machine and Teac half-inch, two-track mastering tape machine.

It is hoped that the partnership between the two will result in combined endorsement and recording arrangements, enabling Indie to offer all-in-one deals to deserving artists. According to Fox, even bigger plans may also be in the pipeline…

Telephone: +44 1635 579300 Web Address: www.indieguitarstudio.com

Rooms: Studios 1, 2, 3, Mix Suite, Absolute Room, Digi Room, Production Suites Consoles: SSL XL 9000 K Series, SSL 4000 G Series, Audient ASP8024 Mics: Neumann, Telefunken, AKG, B&K, Schoeps, Beyer, STC Outboard: Lexicon, Eventide, Orban, Empirical Labs, Avalon, Neve, Summit Audio Monitoring: Genelec, Yamaha, KRK Systems

OLYMPIC STUDIOS

Rooms: Control room, live room, vocal booth Consoles: Soundcraft 6000 Series 40/24/2 Mics: Neumann, AKG, Sony, CAD, SE, Shure, Audio Technica, Coles, Reslo, Groove Tubes, Outboard: TL Audio, A-Designs, Toft, dbx, Drawmer, TC Electonics, Focusrite, Roland, Yamaha Monitoring: Tannoy, Mackie, Roland

INDIE GUITAR STUDIO

details to andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk, or call +44 1992 535646. www.audioprointernational.com

December 2008

45

EVENTS

FORWARD PLANNER 2009 This information is believed to be correct, but potential visitors should confirm details with show organisers before making arrangements to attend...

JANUARY 2009 15-18 NAMM Anaheim, CA, USA namm.org 18-22 MIDEM Cannes, France midem.com 21-22 The Event Show 2009 London, UK eventshow.co.uk

20-21 Eventech Scotland 2009 Glasgow, UK eventech-scotland.com 24-26 Show-Way 2009 Bergamo, Italy showway.com 28 Feb – 1 March Sounds Expo London, UK sounds-expo.co.uk

March 3rd: ISCEx2009

MARCH 2009 29-31 ISE 2009 Amsterdam, The Netherlands iseurope.org FEBRUARY 2009 11-13 ENTECH 2009 Sydney, Australia entech-tradeshow.com 11-13 AES UK London, UK aes.org

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3 ISCEx2009 Northampton, UK isce.org.uk

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3-8 CeBIT Europe Hannover, Germany cebit.de

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18-21 USITT Cincinnati, OH, USA usitt.org

February 3rd-5th: ISE, Amsterdam

1-4 Prolight+Sound Frankfurt, Germany messefrankfurt.com

13-14 Afial 2009 Madrid, Spain afial.net

18-23 NAB 2009 Las Vegas, NV, USA Las Vegas Convention Center nabshow.com

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APRIL 2009

12 MPG Awards Café de Paris, London Mpgawards.com

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17-19 Broadcast Live/Videoforum London, UK broadcastlive.co.uk

26-28 PALME Middle East Dubai, UAE Dubai International Exhibition Center

February 20th-21st: Eventech Scotland, Glasgow

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January 15th-18th: NAMM, Anaheim

April 1st-4th: Prolight+Sound, Frankfurt PASSIONATE ABOUT TUBES

www.audioprointernational.com

December 2008

47

DISTRIBUTION

in brief

New Aussie presence for TL Audio

EMERGING has signed an agreement with Digital Audio Denmark (DAD) for distribution in the UK and Ireland. eMerging is a professional audio sales and support company known for handling Merging Technologies’ Pyramix DAW in the UK. DAD manufactures the AX24 modular A-D/D-A converter and the Sphynx 2 converter for Merging Technologies.

“We have been providing converter solutions to our customers for a long time,” explained eMerging’s Paul Mortimer. “The relationship with DAD is very exciting for us, as our converters have a fantastic reputation for unrivalled reproduction quality, a view reflected by many highly respected ‘goldeneared’ industry figures across the world.”

“We’re delighted to be working with eMerging in the UK,” commented Mikael Vest, CEO and co-founder of Digital Audio Denmark. “The UK remains one of the liveliest markets worldwide for highquality pro audio equipment, and to grow our sales there, we really need an experienced distributor based in London.” merginguk.com

Major Music Wholesale chosen for distribution in New Zealand and Australia TL AUDIO has announced that Major Music Wholesale will now distribute its products in Australia and New Zealand.

The company’s Britishmade tube recording equipment will now be exclusively distributed by Major Music as part of the company’s drive to establish a stronger presence in the region.

“Major Music couldn’t be happier to welcome TL Audio into our product catalogue,” explained Major Music’s MD, Greg Cato. “TL Audio adds an awardwinning prestige range of valve audio processing solutions to our already comprehensive range of audio solutions. The TL Audio range works hand in

catalogue, both expanding and complementing our existing range of processing equipment. The addition of digital interfaces for many of TL Audio’s products will greatly enhance the usability of the range in a wide range of applications,” Cato explained.

Major Music will launch TL’s new Ebony series of discrete Class A processors and the Fat Track Tube Production Suite for the first time in Australia.

The Ebony series includes a dual preamp/DI, stereo processor, mono channel strip and a summing mixer.

TL’s sales director, Sarah Yule stated, “We are very pleased to be working with such a respected and professional company like Major Music for our distribution in Australia.

Their energy and vision will help us to enjoy a successful and exciting business relationship.” tlaudio.co.uk

Sennheiser UK and KGenelec appoints Array make it exclusive The Sound Team Sennheiser to distribute its compact line arrays and amplifiers in Great Britain

Father-son team take on distribution of Genelec pro audio monitors in the region

SENNHEISER UK will now assume the exclusive distribution of K-Array’s loudspeakers and amplifiers in the UK. The Italian-made products are a new breed of products designed for medium to large-scale live performances as well as discrete installation applications. The company points out that the speakers are compact, light, unobtrusive and intelligible.

“These are exciting times at Sennheiser UK,” explained general manager Phil Massey. “We’re delighted to have been named as sole UK distributor for K-Array. We believe there’s going to be a huge demand for K-Array speakers and amplifiers. As many people who attended PLASA can confirm, these

GENELEC RECENTLY announced that The Sound Team will distribute its pro audio monitors in India.

The company was started in 1994 by Daman Sood and his son Shiv, primarily as an acoustic consultancy company. It has helped to set up and advise some of the largest audio and post facilities in the sub-continent.

The Sound Team is based in Mumbai, where the Sood family has built a distribution company that represents some of the biggest brands in the industry and developed an extensive dealer network spanning the entire industry. Genelec is confident that The Sound Team will dramatically increaser its presence in this booming region.

Daman Sood brings 35year’s experience in audio engineering to the company, having consulted for over 75 studios.

“Genelec has always

DPA has established a new regional office in Shanghai to address the market in the Asia Pacific region.

DPA chose Shanghai for its new location due to its close proximity to Beijing, Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore, Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul. The first task of the new office will be launching the new 4099 Instrument Microphones and 5100 Mobile Surround Microphone in the region.

“The Asia Pacific region has always been important to DPA Microphones and given the increased market development, it was an obvious move to make,” said Kimura. “We’re focusing on increasing DPA’s brand awareness in the region and reinforcing our position in countries like China, Japan, Korea and Australia through continuous training and support of our sales network, while developing new local markets by appointing new distributors and dealers.” dpamicrophones.com

48

hand with many of our existing digital recording products, offering the warmth, presence and smoothness that only high quality valve technology is capable of providing.”

Major Music was established in 1995 to service the pro audio and digital recording markets in the region. TL Audio will now site beside the leading brands that Major Music already represents.

“With a focus on distributing high quality audio products, TL Audio will expand our level of service to the professional audio and studio markets. With a noticeable trend towards hardware processors, TL Audio represents an exciting addition to our product

December 2008

products pack incredible punch and audio quality into a revolutionary new concept in loudspeaker design. Coupled with the stylish design, we’re confident that K-Array products will appeal to all areas of the industry.”

“Sennheiser has a long and illustrious history in the audio industry and we look forward to a long and profitable partnership,” stated Alex Tatini, CEO of KArray. “We are experiencing strong growth and having Sennheiser on board means that we can gain much easier access to more distant markets.” sennheiser.co.uk

Shiv and Daman Sood

been at the top of its game when it comes to design and development of active studio monitors, its sound and performance are second to none. We are proud to represent Genelec through our growing nation wide dealer network,” said Daman Sood.

Genelec International sales manager, Lars Olof Janflod, said, “Sound Team brings a wealth of experience to getting the Genelec message across to the world’s second largest market and we look forward to a long and profitable partnership.” genelec.com

www.audioprointernational.com

PEOPLE

Optocore promotes RCF appoints new Tine Helmle sales manager Head of sales and marketing steps up to the board after five years in fibre optics OPTOCORE recently announced the appointment of Tine Helmle to the company’s board of directors.

Helmle joined Optocore as head of sales and marketing and has already acquired more than five years of experience in the business of fibre optical network technology and its commercialisation.

“We are delighted to have Tine Helmle join our board,”said Mark Brunke, chairman, and MD of Optocore.

“Her knowledge of all aspects of the fiber optical pro audio business, and her experience in management while maintaining a focus on

Tine Helmle

business objectives, will be of great value to us. She brings along a tremendous corporate development and marketing background, as well as a unique wealth of experience gained from guiding the development of our company over the past years.” optocore.com

Dean Davoile takes to the road for the company’s MI and pro divison in the UK RCF UK has appointed Dean Davoile as its new sales manager for the MI/Pro division.

Working primarily in the MI and pro audio markets, Davoile will continue to grow RCF’s products in what the company considers to be expanding areas. He brings a wealth of experience to this position, having previously worked with IAG UK, where he handled many international brands including, Wharfedale, Quad and Mission speakers.

“Following on from this year’s Pro Light + Sound where we launched a number of high profile MI products, including the new Art 7 series, NX series and

Phil Price,, Dean Davoile

some new 4 Pro speakers, it became evident that we needed to expand the MI/pro division,” explained RCF’s Phil Price.

“I have to say that I’m really looking forward to working with Phil and the RCF team, they have a great roster of products to offer,” added Davoile. rcfaudio.com

in in brief brief NETIA has announced the appointment of Scott Slocum as manager of sales for North America. Slocum has been involved in the television and radio broadcast industry for more than 30 years.

In his new position with Netia, he will use his extensive experience to expand the company’s presence in the United States and Canada, enhance its involvement with key market partners and projects, and ensure quality of service and support for new and existing customers. netia.com KLOTZ DIGITAL has added Trevor Spielmann as its new sales manager for Europe.

Spielmann will be based in Munich, where he will be responsible for all sales activities referring to the whole range of broadcast products, including the expansion of the sales channel in this market. klotzdigital.com

technical sales If, as a technical sales person, the sonic quality of the products you sell is low on your list of priorities then this position will probably be of little interest. On the other hand, if sonic quality is paramount to your well being it could be the opportunity you have been waiting for.

We are a small, very well known team, committed to bringing professional loudspeaker systems of exceptional quality to those who share and appreciate our love of sound.

Our team, so we are told, is not without one or two industry legends. As you can imagine this certainly brings tremendous inspiration and of course the occasional trial and tribulation.

There are numerous existing worldwide sales enquiries for you to handle and we would hope you wanted to develop some new ones. The website needs feeding, distributors need looking after, new territories need nurturing, people need talking to and we wouldn’t mind listening to your opinions on marketing and new products.

Call us old fashioned but we would insist that you could spell correctly and were aware of and understood the concept of good grammar which you would use in your written communications. This is not to say we would expect you to use a quill and ink as we know you would be experienced in all the usual computer programmes. EASE and AutoCAD would be helpful.

If reading this is leading you to suspect we are nuts we are sorry to have disturbed you. If however you are smiling we would be interested to hear from you.

Please forward your cv to audio.opportunity@googlemail.com

www.audioprointernational.com

December 2008

49

NEW PRODUCT DIGIDESIGN ¬ RODEMIC ¬ SENNHEISER ¬ SOLID STATE LOGIC

RØDE M1 dynamic microphone

Pro Tools 8 They say: Pro Tools 8 provides everything users need to create, compose, score, record, mix, produce and broadcast all in one powerful application.

Specifications: Pro Tools 8 has a new user interface with an enhanced colour palette, higher-contrast text and graphics, over 70 plugins and virtual instruments, fully integrated MIDI and score editors and an expanded variety of editing features.

Designed for Pro Tools|HD, Pro Tools LE, and Pro Tools M-Powered, Pro Tools 8 has a fully integrated, dockable MIDI and Score Editor windows for enhanced MIDI editing functionality and score editing and printing. It also features 20 allnew AIR effects and five new virtual instruments.

Pro Tools LE 8 and Pro Tools M-Powered 8 have been expanded to support up to 48 simultaneous audio tracks. Further additions are new Music Production Toolkit 2 or DV Toolkit 2 (Pro Tools LE only), allowing up to 64 audio tracks.

A new Complete Production Toolkit (Pro Tools LE only) combines the content of both toolkits, and offers up to 128 simultaneous audio tracks and 7.1 surround mixing. digidesign.com.

They say: With a rock solid die-cast body and sturdy dynamic capsule, it can take all the abuse you or your roadie can throw at it, without showing signs of age or neglect.

Specifications: The Rode M1 is a live performance dynamic, cardioid microphone. It features a high output dynamic capsule, gold-plated XLR connectors, internal pop-filter to reduce plosives and a feedback rejecting pick-up pattern.

Its frequency range is from 75Hz - 18kHz with an output impedance of 320 and a sensitivity of -56dB +/- 2dB re 1V/Pa (1.6mV@94dB) @ 1kHz. The body of the M1 is a constructed from heavy duty metal for enhanced durability and low handling noise. At a weight of 360gm, its dimensions are 171mm high x 51.5mm wide with a 51.5mm diameter.

The M1 comes with a lifetime warranty. rodemic.com/m1

The Rode M1 dynamic microphone is durable enough for any live performance

Sennheiser MKE 1 clip-on microphone They say: Comprehensive field tests have confirmed the outstanding sound quality of this compact professional microphone, natural and full with an exceptionally clear treble.

Specifications: MKE 1 is an omni-directional clip-on microphone with a frequency response of 20 – 20,000 Hz (± 2.5dB). Its sensitivity is 5mV/Pa ± 2.5dB (free field, no load, 1kHz) with a nominal impedance of 1kΩ.

The equivalent noise level of the MKE 1, A-weighted, is 27dB while its equivalent noise level, CCIR-weighted, is 39 dB. At a weight of only 0.1 g (without plug and cable), the MKE 1 was designed to ensure the microphone capsule is fully protected from moisture, enabling the MKE 1 to operate in harsh live conditions.

The clip-on microphone can be used with a multi-purpose cap, which redirects any humidity past the microphone. An acoustically thin open stainless steel membrane protects the capsule from inside the mic.

An Kevlar-reinforced cable with anti-kink sleeve is used to increase longevity. The 1mm cable is resistant to handling noise while a special plastic coating to inhibit rapid tangling. sennheiser.co.uk

50

December 2008

SSL E Series EQ & Dynamics Modules They say: The new modules reproduce the legendary sonic signature of an early 80’s classic, the SSL 4000 E console channel strip.

Specifications: The E Series EQ and Dynamics Modules were developed for inclusion in the XRACK and MYNX Modular SuperAnalogue mixing and processing systems. The E Series EQ Module features two different eqs found on editions of the console produced between 1979 and 1987. Each eq has unique response curves and tonal character. It also features immortal SSL 4000 E Series circuitry, Black-242 and Brown-02 twin eq design, bell curve option on HF and LF and fully parametric LMF and HMF with Q. The E Series Dynamics Module features a compressor/limiter and an expander/gate, both modelled on the sound of the original SL 611E Series channel strip. It also features a true RMS converter in the side chain and the gain element is an all-discrete design identical to the Class A VCA chip used in the original unit.

Additional switching options are included to defeat the over-easy curve and to use a linear release instead of the more usual logarithmic curve. The result is a compressor with three distinct voices, each with its own musical character. solid-state-logic.com

www.audioprointernational.com

NEW PRODUCT SOUNDCRAFT ¬ SABINE ¬ KORG ¬ LAB.GRUPPEN

Telefunken U 48 Vacuum Tube Microphone Re-issue They say: The U 48 set of microphones offer the engineer recording options not otherwise available.

Specifications: The U 48 is a reissue of the famous microphone first sold in 1957. It has identical specifications to the famous U 47, with the addition of cardioid, bi-directional and omni-directional polar patterns.

Designed for recording drums, horn and string sections and for recording solo acoustic instruments, the U48 has a dual-sided, gold-sputtered, centreterminated M7. Its frequency range is from 20Hz to 20kHz With a SPL of 138dB, it has a sensitivity of approx 1.2 mvolts per dyne / cm sq and 200 Ohms stock / 50 Ohms switchable impedance.

The microphone also features Telefunken’s USA VF14K metal tube with a dedicated power supply Its weight is 22oz (624g) with dimensions of 93⁄4-inches (248mm) long x 21⁄4-inches (57mm) in diameter. telefunkenusa.com

Sabine Phantom Gooseneck Mics They say: The new Phantom Gooseneck Microphones (SGM) are designed to solve a myriad of problems that can occur with almost every podium or gooseneck mic.

Specifications: SGM microphones comes in two versions: 45 and 40 Series. The 45-Series includes Automatic Gain Control (AGC), Plosive/Proximity Effect Control, and the Infrared Gate. The 40-Series has the same features with an additional infrared gate.

The 40-Series adjustable infrared gate’s timing can be set to turn off after a person walks away from the mic. This can be adjusted to consider the proximity that a person must be to the mic get before it is triggered to turn on. The sensor also detects body heat in order to avoid being triggered by moving stage curtains or chairs.

The SGM mics come in one of three configurations: SGM mic with a standard XLR connector, for use with an existing mic base or shockmount, a mic with an integrated base and a version with the base that includes a button on top that can be programmed to be either on/off, push to mute, or push to talk.

These new microphones includes electret condenser capsules in either cardioid or super-cardioid patterns. Gooseneck lengths come in 14-inch or 18-inch, for the gooseneck–only versions, and 12-inch or 18-inch for the units with integrated bases. sabine.com

KORG MR-2000S 1-BIT Studio Recorder

Lab.gruppen C 88:4 amplifier

They say: The MR-2000S introduces a new era in recording quality.

They say: C 88:4 expands C Series capability to the largest performance installations, being ideal for powering sub-woofers, larger array systems and broader multi-power-level/impedance applications.

Specifications: Korg’s new MR-2000S 1-Bit Studio Recorder is an expansion of its MR Series of digital recorders. The MR-2000S is a single rack height digital stereo 1-bit recorder, with 5.6MHz or 2.8MHz 1-bit recording, or up to 24-bit 192kHz PCM recording and playback. It supports 1-bit file formats DSDIFF (used in SACD production), WSD and DSF, in addition to PCM support for standard WAV, BWF (Broadcast WAV) and MP3 playback. Its sampling frequencies for PCM formats range from 44.1kHz through 192kHz. The MR-2000S also features the CS4398 Digital to Analog Converter from Cirrus Logic and the Burr-Brown PCM4202 Analog to Digital Converter from Texas Instruments Corporation.

Additional features are XLR balanced input/output jacks, RCA unbalanced input/output jacks and a built-in 80GB hard disk, which allows up to approximately 120 hours of recording (44.1kHz 16-bit two track), or approximately 14.5 hours at the highest quality (1-bit 5.6448MHz two track). Up to 400 projects can be created for each of up to 400 recording date folders (160,000 possible projects total). USB 2.0 ‘high speed’ mode is also supported for file transfer to and from users’ computers.

The unit is shipped with Korg’s AudioGate version 1.5 audio file converter software. AudioGate supports reading/playback of MR project files and for converting to various file formats. korg.com

www.audioprointernational.com

Specifications: The four-channel C 88:4 is housed in a lightweight (12kg) 2U chassis, and supplies 8800 Watts of total output. Up to 2,200 Watts per discrete channel are available at two Ohms, 2,100 Watts per channel at four Ohms, while 4,600 Watts are available through two bridged output pairs at four Ohms.

The C 88:4 uses Lab.gruppen’s proprietary Voltage Peak Limiting (VPL) and can be configured to operate with four-channels, threechannels (one bridged pair) or two-channels (both pairs bridged). Each output can be individually modified for either lowimpedance or high-impedance (70/100 V) systems for greater flexibility.

The C 88:4 retains all other features of the C Series, including the patented Class TD amplifier topology, Regulated Switch Mode Power Supply (R.SMPS), Phoenix-type input connectors, screw terminal output connectors, Intercooler heat dissipation and a proprietary Voltage Peak Limiter for optimising each output channel for the connected load.

A suite of seven protection circuits were installed to extend service life of the amp.

The C 88:4 includes the NomadLink network module as standard, which monitors all key amplifier parameters and permits remote control of power on/off and channel mutes. NomadLink utilises the separate NLB 60E network bridge and the DeviceControl software application. labgruppen.com

December 2008

51

The entertainment and installation technology showcase for the North of the UK

25-26 February 2009, SECC, Glasgow, UK evenTech Scotland is a focused networking forum for the region’s key decision-makers to keep up-to-date with the hottest technologies and latest industry trends and developments.

evenTech will provide manufacturers and suppliers with a unique regional platform to make face-to-face contact with a quality audience involved in the North’s major entertainment and installation projects and initiatives.

Enquire NOW about exhibiting at evenTech Scotland 2009!

To find out more about evenTech Scotland and the exciting opportunities the North of the UK presents contact:

Email: info@eventech-scotland.com Telephone: +44 (0) 1776 703572 To register to attend for FREE as a visitor please visit www.eventech-scotland.com

www.eventech-scotland.com

2009 The entertainment and installation technology showcase for Ireland

24-25 November 2009, RDS, Dublin, Ireland evenTech Ireland is a focused networking forum for the region’s key decision-makers to keep upto-date with the hottest technologies and latest industry trends and developments.

evenTech will provide manufacturers and suppliers with a unique regional platform to make face-to-face contact with a quality audience involved in Ireland’s major entertainment and installation projects and initiatives.

www.eventech-ireland.com

Enquire NOW about exhibiting at evenTech Ireland 2009!

To find out more about evenTech Ireland and the exciting opportunities Ireland presents contact:

Email: info@eventech-ireland.com Telephone: +44 (0) 1776 703572 To register to attend for FREE as a visitor please visit www.eventech-ireland.com

marketplace

AUDIO MARKETPLACE

TO ADVERTISE ON THESE PAGES CALL DARRELL CARTER ON 01992 535647 CLASSIFIED RATES: Minimum 12 Months - One Annual Charge Quarter Page £1,495

SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT

TL AUDIO

T

L Audio has been manufacturing high quality tube and discrete Class A products for nearly 20 years, with its first console introduced in 1999.

The flagship VTC console has become a popular and familiar item within recording facilities, universities and schools the world over, with the first console ever made being sold to Blur’s Damon Albarn, who went on to mix all the Gorillaz projects on it.

The final quarter of 2008 saw TL Audio introduce the latest addition to its line of mixers, the M1-F. This console takes many of its features from the popular M1 console introduced in 2006. A modular design with tube preamps on every channel, swept three band eq, two auxillaries, balanced inserts and 100mm K series faders. The M1 captures the big desk sound that

people want in a much smaller and more affordable design. With impeccable sound and sonic width that is unmatched by other small format consoles, the M1 breaks new ground in terms of value for money while offering professional solutions for the professional, project or home studio user.

The new M1-F builds on this by offering the first tube console to come with an optional Firewire interfacing option. This gives users access to all line inputs, direct outputs and master outputs on both eight and 12-channel consoles via a single Firewire cable. For Pro Tools users, there is also the option to use TL Audio’s new improved DO8 ADAT interface for the first eight channels.

The M1-F’s main features are: Eight or 12 input channels versions each with valve preamps

Up

to 14x12 channel Firewire interface option available for both models (eight and 12) Eight channel ADAT interface options via TL Audio DO-8 card 24 bit/96kHz mix output option 100mm K Series faders Three-band equalisers with sweepable mid and bypass Balanced inserts, sends, and returns on each channel and master bus Two aux sends selectable pre/post Channel mute and pfl Studio monitoring, alt monitor switching and mono button Levels switchable +4 or -10dBu Stereo VU metering Compatible with all DAWs Solid oiled oak armrest and side cheeks Compact size and easy-reach interconnects on top panel tlaudio.co.uk

MARKETPLACE INDEX Adam Hall

+44 (0) 1702 613922

www.adamhall.co.uk

Alcons

+31 (0) 229 28 30 90

www.alconsaudio.com

Audio Technica

+44 (0) 113 277 1441

Flightcase

+44 (0) 182 760 009

www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk

dB Technologies UK +44 (0) 1753 655566

www.dbtechnologies.com

JTS

+886 886-4-24938803

KV2 Audio

+44 (0) 1423 81686

www.audio-technica.co.uk

www.jts.com.tw

Leaderlight

sales@leaderlight.sk

www.leaderlight.eu

Roland

+44 (0) 1792 702701

www.roland.co.uk

Stage Accompany +00 31 229 282930

www.stageaccompany.com

TL Audio

+44 (0)1462 492090

Waveburg

+8522 7711 580

Yamaha

+44 (0) 1908 366700 www.yamahacommercialaudio.com

www.kv2audio.com

To advertise call

DARRELL CARTER + 44 (0)1992 535647

www.tlaudio.co.uk www.waveburg.com

marketplace audio transport

distribution

distribution

loudspeakers

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marketplace Flightcase

loudspeakers

19” rack mount cases from Flightcase Warehouse Over 500 rack mount cases always in stock. Best UK prices.

Fantastic value.

2u ABS £46.99 12u Full Flightcase £165.95 Heavy duty 4u ABS £77.99 Including VAT and UK mainland delivery All other sizes available From 2u to 24u ABS plastic Heavy duty ABS plastic Full flight rack cases Sleeved rack cases Rack bags

Unit 2 Meltex House, Mariner, Lichfield Road Industrial Estate, Tamworth, Staffs, B79 7XE Tel: 01827 60009 Fax: 01827 313877 Email: sales@flightcasewarehouse.co.uk Web: www.flightcasewarehouse.co.uk

loudspeaker

loudspeakers

Remember the first time you heard VHD

You will. With VHD we have created an active driven, vertically arrayable loudspeaker system that overcomes more obstacles and barriers to Very High Definition audio reproduction than any other loudspeaker system.

Call +44 (0)1423 816868 or visit www.kv2audio.com

The future of sound. Made perfectly clear.

marketplace microphones

microphones

mixing consoles

racking

We hope we passed the audition.

CONNECT WITH EXPERIENCE

marketplace recording equpment

To advertise call

DARRELL CARTER +44 (0)1992 535647

ADVERTISER INDEX A

Adam Hall..........................................2, 31, 54

N

Alcons Audio ........................................27, 54

NAMM ........................................................46 Neutrik ...................................................... 12

Audio-Technica ..........................................56 0 D

Optocore .................................................... 9

dB Technologies .................................. 43, 54 R

F

OHM .......................................................... 21

FlightCase Warehouse................................55

Rea Sound ................................................ 16 Roland ......................................................54

Funktion one ........................................ 15, 49 S J

JTS ..............................................................56

Scattered Media..........................................52 Shure Distribution...................................... 60 Stage accompany ...................................... 59

K

L

KV2 .......................................................... 55 T

TL Audio .............................................. 47, 57

Y

Yamaha ................................................ 7, 56

Leader Light .............................................. 56 Leisuretec.................................................. 36

The Audio Pro paparazzi are out every month taking pictures for our monthly section, 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.

Editor: Andrew Low andrew.low@intentmedia.co.uk

Contributing Editor: Andy Wood andy.wood@intentmedia.co.uk

Contributing Editor: Gary Cooper gary@garycooper.biz

Deputy Editor: Rob Hughes rob.hughes@intentmedia.co.uk

Associate Editor: Samantha Loveday samantha.loveday@intentmedia.co.uk

Advertising Manager: Darrell Carter darrell.carter@intentmedia.co.uk

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Subscriptions Manager: Hannah Short hannah.short@intentmedia.co.uk

Designer: Claire Brocklesby

Clockwise from top left: Debra Pagan’s Allison Gayne released her new iTunes single and EPK this month, everyone should go and download it now; API got hooked up with front row tickets for The Stranglers’ show at

claire.brocklesby@intentmedia.co.uk

Shepherds Bush; David Hazel, a floral tie and Mark Wells just chillin in EPIC, Norwich; Focusrite celebrate winning two categories at the MIA Awards 2008.

Managing Editor: Andy Barrett mipro@intentmedia.co.uk

Publisher: Dave Roberts dave.roberts@intentmedia.co.uk

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CONTACTS Eventech Ireland, November 18th-19th, Dublin RDS Scattered Media hosted Eventech Ireland and provided a much needed trade show for Ireland’s pro audio and lighting companies. One highlight of the show was the networking bar, which featured a fully kitted-out display of the latest audio and lighting gear for the live and install sector. Clockwise from above: Aoife McCarthy displays the vast range of Sennheiser products and promotional mints at the show; PAL’s Derek O’Sullivan hopes that no-one turns on the huge Funktion-One bass bin; Darren Brechin buys us a few Guinness at the installation bar, cheers Darren.

58

December 2008

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