Oct 1, 2001 12:00 PM

Weeks of October 1-12

Microsoft, Euphonix Join Forces

Microsoft Corp. and Euphonix announced an agreement that allows Euphonix to manufacture, sell and support the HDCD Model Two Processor, a high-resolution A/D converter designed for DVD and CD mastering.

The two companies will work together on marketing efforts to continue the adoption of HDCD (high-definition-compatible digital) technology by top recording artists, producers and engineers.

The Model Two Processor encodes audio in HDCD format, thereby improving sound playback in standard consumer devices and players with HDCD decoding.

"The Model Two fits into our philosophy of offering the absolute highest quality audio equipment," said Dave Hansen, VP of product marketing for Euphonix. "With the addition of the Model Two, we now offer a powerful end-to-end audio solution for professional recording, mixing and mastering."

For more, visit Euphonix online at www.euphonix.com.

Sennheiser Announces New Product Manager

Matt Carlin, a seven-year veteran of Sennheiser (Old Lyme, Conn.), has been appointed to the newly created position of product manager for distributed brands.

Carlin will maintain stock levels, attend trade shows and answer customer service questions for Innova-Son, Chevin and DAS. (Neumann, Sennheiser's other distributed brand, has its own product manager.) Carlin will also develop sales leads for distribution to Sennheiser sales associates, and supervise East and West coast development.

"Matt's vast knowledge of Sennheiser's distributed product lines, technical background and commitment to promoting our presence makes him the perfect candidate for this new position," said Jeff Alexander, director of distributed brands.

For more, visit Sennheiser online at www.sennheiserusa.com.

Innovason Console Used For 'America: A Tribute To Heroes'

Just 10 days after the terrorist attacks on September 11, Hollywood's stars came out to raise funds for the victims of the attacks in a nationally televised show that aired on over 30 networks in 210 countries.

The advanced technology and instant recall of Innovason's all-digital Grand Live monitor console helped play a part to pull off the unprecedented event without a hitch. Nearly 60 million Americans watched "America: A Tribute To Heroes," which raised over $150 million in donations.

The show was simultaneously telecast from Sony Music Studios in New York and CBS-TV in L.A. ATK (Burbank, Calif.) provided all of the audio equipment, aside from a few items from the Westwood One truck. On the L.A. set, gear included the ATK M2 and M5 stage monitors, two Innovason Grand Live monitoring consoles, and a variety of outboard effects and mics, plus a dedicated staff to run it all. Firehouse Productions of New York provided all equipment for the East Coast. All equipment was donated. Mics used included Tom Petty on a Neumann KMS 150, Faith Hill using a KMS 105 and the Dixie Chicks using a Neumann U87.

The show came together in less than a week, testing the logistical skills and professionalism of everyone involved. Tom Pesa, audio engineer and technician for ATK Audiotek Corp., said that last-minute impromptu changes were the rule in an effort to make the show as moving and heartfelt as possible. For example, the time between load-in and the actual telecast was a mere 36 hours.

"There was no dress rehearsal," said Pesa. "During soundcheck, each artist played through their song three or four times. I just built my monitor mixes on the Innovason and hit Save repeatedly. I was able to dispense with any rack processors, except for special effects, and instead relied on the Innovason's in-line processing. The beauty of it is that everything, including the EQ and dynamics parameters, is saved with a mix. When it was time for the actual show, I relied on those saved mixes -- as distant as they seemed, given the hectic pace of everything."

For more on the Innovson console used for the telethon, visit www.innovason.com.

Sony Music Entertainment Selects Neve Consoles

Sony Music Entertainment Japan has installed three 72-channel Neve 88R analog consoles into its large new complex in Tokyo. The facility also hosts five AMS Neve 33609 Limiter Compressors, five AMS DMX-15s and five AMS RMX016s.

The three 88R consoles are installed in Studios 1, 2 and 3 at the studio bau:ton-designed facility. The new facility features five recording studios, 12 mastering studios and seven authoring studios.

"Sony Music Entertainment needs a large studio complex to allow for a comprehensive and continous operation, including recording, mastering, archiving and up-to-date online music distribution," said chief technical engineer Mr. Watanabe. "The reaction to the studio design has been very favorable, and everyone is amazed by the total sound created with all the equipment -- it has been very well accepted for its clarity.

"We chose analog consoles, because digital consoles would not have been suitable because of the bandwidth," Watanabe continues. "Following a series of sound-quality tests, we chose the Neve 88Rs, because the console is exclusively designed for recording applications."

For more, visit www.ams-neve.com.

Incorrect Price for QSC Product

In Mix's AES New Products Guide, the QSC CX168 was incorrectly priced at $1,350 U.S. The correct price for the unit is $2,450.

Mix regrets the error.

Elvin Jones, Al Kooper Receive Honorary Doctorates

Jazz drummer Elvin Jones and rock musician/songwriter/producer Al Kooper received honorary doctor of music degrees during Berklee College of Music's (Boston) 2001 Entering Student Convocation on September 7, 2001.

The two honorees helped to welcome Berklee's entering Class of 2005. Berklee College of Music president Lee Eliot Berk recounted many of Jones' and Kooper's impressive accomplishments as he presented each with their honorary doctor of music degrees.

Beginning with Jones, Berk said, "In the world of music, there are leaders and followers, innovators and imitators. Elvin Jones is both a leader and an innovator, and one of the most influential drummers in the history of jazz."

After receiving his honorary degree, Jones said, "I don't know what to say. Music is a universe that needs to be explored to the fullest. I wish you the best in your endeavors."

In 1960, Jones became a member of the John Coltrane Quartet. His work during his six-year association with Coltrane constitutes one of the most creative and innovative periods in the evolution of modern jazz. Among the classic recordings that feature Jones and Coltrane are Live at the Village Vanguard, Impressions, Live at Birdland and A Love Supreme. During this period, Jones developed a new role for jazz drummers, diverging from simply keeping the beat to becoming an equal, collaborative improviser. Aftering leaving Coltrane in 1966, Jones led a series of groups notable for their instrumentation. Most recently, he has worked with a quintet called Jazz Machine that features bassist David Pulphus, pianist Eric Lewis, saxophonist Pat LaBarbera and trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis.

Introducing Al Kooper, Berk said: "Al Kooper played a vital role in bringing some of the most noteworthy, roots-based rock music and musicians of the '60s and '70s to a vast audience. His work as a songwriter, session player and producer place him among the true giants of American popular music."

Kooper expressed his thanks after receiving his honorary degree and said to the audience, "When it came time for me to go to college, I had already received a certain amount of notoriety in music, but I wanted to learn more about what I had chosen to do with my life. I couldn't find the education that I needed. Back then, Berklee had a very jazz-oriented curriculum, which was over my head at the time. When I came here to teach in 1997, I found the curriculum that I had been looking for. I guess I was born too early, but you are not."

Al Kooper's first success came in 1959, at the age of 15, followed by his most productive period in the 1960s and 1970s. Kooper's biggest hist, "This Diamond Ring," which he wrote in the early '60s as an R&B song, became a hit for Gary Lewis and The Playboys and has since logged close to three million radio performances. Other credits include his signature organ part on the 1965 single "Like a Rolling Stone" on Bob Dylan's Highway 61 Revisted album. This began a long association with Dylan, which led to a job producing Dylan's New Morning album. In the late '60s, Kooper recorded three critically acclaimed albums with the Blues Project and founded Blood, Sweat & Tears. After one album with Blood, Sweat & Tears, Kooper left the group and returned to playing sessions, backing superstars like Jimi Hendrix, The Who and the Rolling Stones. Other credits include signing The Zombies to Columbia Records and then launching his own Sounds of the South label, which featured Kooper-produced albums for Lynyrd Skynyrd, B.B. King, The Tubes, Nils Lofgren and others. Most recently, he performed with Joe Walsh, John Mellencamp and Bob Dylan and recorded with his all-star band The Rekooperators.

For more on these honorees, visit www.berklee.edu.

AMS Neve Launches Modular I/O System 96

AMS Neve (Burnley, UK) introduces the Modular I/O System 96 (MIOS 96), which delivers definitive Neve-quality audio at 24-bit/96kHz or 48kHz/44.1kHz resolution from a precision-engineered package.

Each compact, 4U MIOS rack houses up to six hot-pluggable modules selected from a range, whicj supports a variety of analog and digital I/O formats, and connects these to the console using MADI. Silent, natural cooling is used, and dual-redundant supplies are incorporated, removable from the front of the rack.

Features of the rack include:

• choice of dual-fiber or dual-co-ax MADI connections

• four built-in DAC converters in addition to any DAC modules that may be fitted for talkback, foldback or studio speakers

• a front panel headphone socket that can be switched to monitor any of the rack inputs

• AMS Neve's WorkFlow initiative, which provides bi-directional, intelligent integration to confirm which channel on the console each input is connected to

The first MIOS 96 module to be released is a Quad Microphone Amplifier. Based on the classic Neve mic input stage, the new design provides for 24-bit, 96kHz conversion circuitry. Each mic amp can switch between two microphone and one line-level input, and includes a remotely switchable analog limiter and a highpass filter.

Other modules due for release include line-level ADC and DAC modules, each with 16 channels of I/O, and an AES/EBU module with eight dual channels of sample rate converter input and eight of output.

For more, visit AMS Neve online at www.ams-neve.com.

Broadway Sound and Lighting Classes Announced

The ninth annual Broadway Lighting Master Classes (BLMC) will, for the first time, take place alongside the first Broadway Sound Master Classes (BSMC) on December 6-9, 2001. The BLMC will be held at John Jay College in New York City, while the BSMC will be held at SIR Studios in Manhattan.

Produced byEntertainment Design, the master classes include a performance of Chicago, followed by a backstage tour and in-depth discussion of the designs for Chicago. The classes offer attendees the opportunity to meet leading designers working in Broadway sound and lighting, as well as offering tips and techniques for successful design solutions, and insights into successful career management.

Abe Jacob, legendary sound designer, was brought onboard as creative consultant for the new BSMC. These master classes will offer these designers and their respective topics: Jacob on how sound became necessary in the theater, and budgets and management; Tom Clark and Mark Menard discussing sound as art and an idealized process for the creative use of sound design in the theater; Chris Cronin on preparing and executing the design; Chris Evans and Clark on touring sound packages and the expectations of the road house; Steve Kennedy examining design of a Broadway musical; Jonathan Deans looking at the design you may not have thought of; Duncan Edwards on preparing the system for optimization; John Kilgore on creating the proper sound effect today; and Deans on how to create that perfect effect eights time a week.

Tony Award-winning lighting designer Jules Fisher serves as creative consultant and head of the faculty for the BLMC. The schedule and faculty for this year's BLMC include: the opening address by Fisher; Beverly Emmons on issues of style in lighting design; Chris Parry's look at lighting paintbrushes; Peggy Eisenhauer on musical cueing and the use of moving lights; Donald Holder's look at the use of ground rows; Wendall K. Harrington questioning projections and their use; an address by architectural lighting designer Paul Marantz of Fisher Marantz Stone; Vivien Leone on following the paper trail; and Richard Pilbrow on the European tradition.

All master class attendees are invited to join Entertainment Design for the 10th anniversary of the annual EDDY Awards on Friday, December 7 at the John Jay College Theatre. This year's awards will once again honor excellence in design and technology for the entertainment industry.

Both the BLMC and BSMC will have showcases of leading technology displayed by leading manufacturers in the sound and lighting industry.

For more information, visit or register online at www.BLMC.net or www.BSMConline.net.

QSC Promotes Jeremy Johnston

QSC Audio Products (Costa Mesa, Calif.) recently appointed Jeremy Johnston to the position of systems specialist for the company's portable live sound division. In this role, Johnston will be responsible for product training and demonstration, and technical support. He will also be involved in the design and integration of professional touring systems and will be instrumental in the launch of QSC's new speaker products.

In his previous position of systems engineering supervisor for QSC, Johnston helped develop application software for QSC's computer-controlled network audio system, QSControl, and also developed a number of utilities to increase the functionality of that system.

"We are extremely pleased to have Jeremy join our team," said Brian English, QSC portable live sound marketing manager. "He brings a wealth of skills in all facets of the pro touring and live sound markets, not to mention the considerable experience he gathered while serving in QSC's technical services group."

For more, visit QSC on the Web at www.qscaudio.com.

Weeks of October 15-31

New Appointments at Meyer Sound

Meyer Sound (Berkeley, Calif.) announced two appointments to its staff.

Buford Jones joins Meyer Sound as the tour liaison manager. In this position, Jones will work with sound companies, tour production managers and artists in support of the company's sound reinforcement products. Based in Nashville, Jones has an extensive background in pro audio as a live sound and post-production mixer, and he has won a TEC Award for his work as a sound reinforcement engineer. He has toured as a live sound mixer or engineered for such acts as Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Faith Hill, Jeff Beck, George Harrison, James Taylor, SHeDaisy and many others.

"It's a real pleasure to welcome Buford to the Meyer Sound team," said Greg McVeigh, director of North American sales. "His experience and reputation are legendary. With him onboard, we now have a powerful team in place to work with the critical touring market. And, more importantly, we finally have someone who knows how to play golf."

In other company news, Luke Jenks is promoted to director of European technical support. Based in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Jenks will provide technical support and design services to Meyer Sound customers in Europe, and serve as a direct technical liaison to the company's headquarters. Having worked previously in R&D, U.S. technical support and design services, and as manager of speaker testing since joining the company in 1989, Jenks brings a thorough knowledge of Meyer Sound products to the position.

"I look forward to making our company's outstanding level of service even more accessible to our European customers by bringing it directly to their time zome," Jenks said of his new role.

For more, visit Meyer Sound online at www.meyersound.com.

Digidesign Announces It Won't Attend AES Show

A letter from Digidesign's general manager, Dave Froker:

"Since the September 11, 2001, terrorist action, there has been speculation regarding Digidesign's attendance at the upcoming 111th AES show. We want to address the questions that have been raised by our customers, devlopers and the press about our presence at this important annual event.

"Faced with a decision that will impact many, we deliberated at length to find a solution. Digidesign will not be attending the AES show on November 30th. Our decision is based on a range of factors.

"September 11th was a day of great tragedy. It seems no one went untouched. The frantic need to find family and loved ones was an experience commonly shared by us all. The loss of our colleague at Avid, Doug Gowell, distressed many. At such an uncertain time, we made a choice not to attend the show.

"At the behest of AES, we withheld this information until they deemed it an appropriate time for public announcements. We are in full support of the AES, and the AES understands our decision. For years, Digidesign has participated in the show, benefiting from broad exposure to industry-leading engineers, scientists and technology developers. And while there's no substitute for the value Digidesign can gain from attending AES, we believe that this year, we have an equally important civic responsibility to contribute to the ongoing relief efforts that have followed the events of September 11. A company-wide decision was made to redirect some funds set aside for AES to a number of charities. Digidesign and Avid are contributing to the Red Cross, NY Firefighter's 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund, and specific relief agencies. Additionally, we remain committed to bringing valuable business back to the city hit hardest by these events and have scheduled a DigiWorld event in New York for the first quarter of 2002.

"Digidesign is aware of the sentiments expressed on our Digidesign User Conference, and know that some will not agree with our decision. We hope that at times like these, people will choose to put their energies toward more constructive and positive efforts. Lastly, we would like to thank all of our employees, customers and developers for understanding our decision and supporting Digidesign during this time."

AES Standards Available Online

In order to make the AES standards more available to practicing engineers, the Audio Engineering Society standards and information documents are now available online for free download.

"This new service will be particularly helpful to small companies and consultants with budgetary constraints that might make the purchase of standards difficult, especially if they are not absolutely certain that what they are purchasing is relevant to their needs, or if they are obtaining the latest version," said John Nunn, chair of the AES Standards Committee. "Additionally, the ability to download the documents off the Web will make it possible for anyone who needs them to obtain their own personal copies."

Standards will continue to be available for purchase from Global Engineering Documents in paper and CD-ROM forms.

For more, visit www.aes.org or call the AES headquarters at 212/661-8528.

Michael Jackson to Release Relief Song

Michael Jackson will release his recording, "What More Can I Give," in rememberance of the September 11 attacks. While dozens of relief efforts were being publicized, Jackson kept the tribute song in secrecy as he flew around the country recording the song with music's biggest stars.

To date, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey, Carlos Santana, Celine Dion, Tom Petty, Beyonce Knowles of Destiny's Child, Julio Iglesias, Reba McEntire, Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, Luther Vandross, Shakira, Brian McKnight, Gloria Estefan, Mya, Aaron Carter, John Secada, Billy Gilman, Shawn Stockman of Boyz II Men, Alejandro Sandz, Christian Castro, Olga Tanon, Anastascia, Juan Gabriel, Luis Miguel, Thalia, Ziggy Marley, 3LW and many more appear on the Jackson-assembled and produced relief song.

With a goal of raising more than $50 million for the families, orphans and survivors of the attacks, Jackson will release both English and Spanish versions of the song.

Jackson stated in a release, "I believe in my heart that the music community will come together as one and rally to the aid of thousands of innocent victims. There is a tremendous need for relief dollars right now, and through this effort one of us can play an immediate role in helping comfort so many people."

Dolby Names New Director

Dolby Laboratories (San Francisco) announced that Andy Smith has been appointed director of global brand marketing. In this newly created position, Smith will manage Dolby's strategic brand marketing efforts worldwide, with responsibility for the ongoing positioning, identity and personality of the Dolby brand in all markets and territories.

"Andy's wide range of experience managing the marketing and branding efforts of high-tech companies will serve us greatly in our continuing efforts to position Dolby for leadership in the 21st-century business climate," said Marty Jaffe, VP of business affairs.

Prior to joining Dolby, Smith served as VP of marketing at LiquidWit Inc., where he led sales and marketing, and developed and implemented product, brand and communications strategy for this Internet-based creative services company.

For more, visit www.dolby.com.

Mackie, EAW Introduce Online Tradeshow

Mackie Designs (Woodinville, Wash.) announced the creation of a fully interactive, online tradeshow exhibit that will highlight new products from Mackie, Mackie Industrial and Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW). The virtual tradeshow event can be accessed via Mackie, Mackie Industrial or EAW's main Websites: www.mackie.com, www.mackieindustrial.com or www.eaw.com.

The "e-show" will offer educational and entertaining features, including streaming and downloadable video demonstrations, new product announcements and online Q&A forums. In addition, the e-show will feature downloadable software demos, instant access to product datasheets and a series of topic-specific threaded discussions hosted by reps from all three companies.

EAW will launch their online exhibit on November 2 to coincide with the LDI show in Orlando, Fla. On November 28, EAW's exhibit will be combined with exhibits from Mackie and Mackie Industrial for the ultimate online tradeshow experience.

Euphonix Names New Regional Director of Sales

Euphonix Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif.) promoted Brian Dorfman to director of sales for the Eastern region. Dorfman will be based out of the New York Euphonix offices in Manhattan.

Dorfman had been the director of technical customer support for the Eastern region over the past four years.

Chris Pelzar, president of sales for North America, spoke about the appointment: "Brian has been a key contact at Euphonix for all of our Eastern region clients for several years. Having myself previously been the VP for this region and handling this office for many years, I have intimate knowledge of Brian's strong technical background. Our customers will benefit by getting a partner who really understands the issues facilities face when upgrading to digital audio."

For more, visit Euphonix on the Web at www.euphonix.com.

CDAI Adds To Staff

CDAI (Atlanta), a specialty engineering firm that focuses on presentation and performing arts technology, has hired W. Allen Schulte as a project manager. Schulte has 16 years of pro A/V industry experience, including consulting and design work on projects requiring multi-dimensional audio/video/control, lighting, acoustics and space planning.

In addition, CDAI welcomed Scott Olsen as an acoustics and testing services specialist. His responsibilities will include acoustics and testing services in support of CDAI's corporate and education clients, as well as the company's performing arts and A/V project designs. Previously, Olsen worked in the Office of Information Technologies and Educational Technologies at the Georgia Institute of Technology while completing his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering. Olsen also has experience with studio recording and sound engineering projects for several local and regional artists, as well as live sound mixing for touring shows.

Commenting on the new hires, Rogers Dixon, president of CDAI, said: "Mr. Schulte brings tremendous systems installation and trouble-shooting capabilities to the CDAI team. His large audio/video/control system experience will be utilized to facilitate the integration of these important technologies into all of our projects.

"Mr. Olsen's unique combination of acoustics curriculum and 'hands-on' experience will enhance the CDAI team by providing additional bench strength to our firm's acoustic and audio-visual services."

For more, visit CDAI online at www.cdai.com.

New York DV Conference and Expo Announced

The New York DV Conference and Expo, hosted by Mindshare Ventures and Future Media Concepts, will be held on February 10-14, 2002, at the New Yorker Hotel and Manhattan Center. The event will cover the latest in digital video technology and techniques, as well as presenting 150 sessions, keynotes and special events.

Sessions will cover a range of topics including production techniques, editing power tips, special effects, cameras and decks, hardware peripherals, streaming, DVD authoring, 3-D animation, audio editing and business issues. Also included are sessions on products from Adobe, Apple, Avid, Discreet, Macromedia, Media100, Microsoft, Pinnacle, Real, Sonic and Sony.

For more information, visit www.dvnyc.com.

Volkerz Returns To Euphonix

Euphonix Inc. (Palo Alto, Calif.) announced that its Eastern sales division has expanded by bringing Gerard Volkerz back to Euphonix as product support and sales specialist. Volkerz will be based out of the New York office in Manhattan.

Volkerz had worked for Euphonix for over three years as product specialist for the Eastern region, and then spent time at DSP Media as its Eastern U.S. sales manager.

"I worked with Gerard for many years previously at Euphonix," Chris Pelzar, Euphonix president of U.S. sales said, "and I know many of our clients will be extremely pleased he has returned."

"I am really excited to return to Euphonix," Volkerz said. "When Chris Pelzar called and asked me to return, it was an easy decision to accept this expanded position for a company and the people that I am extremely familiar with."

For more, visit www.euphonix.com.

Spoiled By Technology Hosts Pro Audio Expo 2001

Spoiled By Technology announced the Pro Audio Expo 2001 where the company will preview some of the new products scheduled for introduction at this year's AES convention. The expo will be held on Wednesday, November 7, 2001, at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts (Schaumburg, Ill.) from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Displays and demos of new pro audio gear include products from: Alesis Studio Electronics, Ashly Audio, Brauner, Community Loudspeakers, Drawmer, Eventide, Genelec, LM Engineering, MacPherson, Numark, QSC Audio, Soundcraft and Soundelux.

To register for product demos and exhibits, contact Spoiled by Technology at 630/357-7742 or e-mail info@sbtreps.com.

The Radiators Truck Stolen, Equipment Missing

Late Wednesday night (October 24) or early Thursday morning (October 25) in New Orleans, The Radiators' equipment truck was stolen from the St. Charles Avenue/Josephine Street area. The truck was fully loaded with all of the band's gear. The truck has since been located, but it was found empty.

Among the equipment stolen was a custom-made bass guitar, a vintage Fender Stratocaster, a Noble and Cooley drum kit, a vintage Les Paul guitar and many other instruments.

"After just completing a two-week European tour with this band, and 80 other fans across America, I'm sure we can muster the resources necessary to alleviate some of the hardships of this tragedy," said the Louisiana Music Commission executive director Bernie Cyrus. "Our offices will work with law enforcement officials, music stores and pawn shops to help recover the stolen equipment and help to prosecute those responsible."

Serial numbers and a full list of all the equipment is forthcoming.

If anyone has any information on the stolen equipment, please report it to the local police immediately.

For more, visit www.louisianamusic.org.

Parsons Audio Expo Announced

On Wednesday, November 14, 2001, Parsons Audio (Wellesley, Mass.) will host its Expo from noon to 9 p.m. The event will include product exhibits and presentations from those manufacturers that have decided to not exhibit at this year's AES Convention and many others.

Exhibiting at the expo will be Digidesign, Fostex, Genelec, Lexicon, Neumann, Rorke Data, SADiE, Sony, Tascam, Waves and Yamaha. Also present will be the regional representatives from ART, Ashly Audio, Audio-Technica, Audix, Auralex, Blue Sky, Denon, DPA, Dynaudio, Drawmer, Emagic, Event, EAW, Furman, Genex, Hafler, HHB, Juice Goose, Mackie, Metric Halo, Presonus, QSC, Raxxess, RODE, Sabine, Sennheiser, Stewart Audio, Studiomaster, Symetrix, Tannoy, TC Electronic and many more.

The expo will take place in the Wellesley Community Center in Wellesley Hills, Mass., on Route 16 at Route 9.

Directions to the expo and more information can be found at www.paudio.com.

Musictech College Begins Renovation

The $3.6 million renovation and build-out of the new Musictech College of Music and Recording Arts in Saint Paul, Minn., officially began this month. When it opens in late January 2002, its 60,000 square feet will more than double the recording, performing, production and teaching space the college once occupied in Minneapolis.

Located at the former Science Museum East Building (also known as the Arts & Science Center), the new Musictech College will contain a 300-seat auditorium, 10,000 square feet of recording studios, music library, 12 listening stations, six production suites, 12 practice rooms and two state-of-the-art digital laboratories. A 8,000-square-foot student commons area and courtyard, built in the penthouse of the original Arts & Science building, will have an informal performance space for student musicians.

Musictech president and co-founder Jack McNally also announced these new developments:

The Saint Paul Conservatory of Music (formerly the University of St. Thomas Conservatory of Music) will join Musictech as a tenant at the new St. Paul site, thus adding classical music training for 500 students.

Musictech is forging a partnership with the Minnesota Business Academy (MBA), whereby Musictech will offer private music lessons and music business classes to the MBA's 365 students. In turn, the Business Academy is in discussions to offer performance space to Musictech students.

Exclusive to the new site, Musictech will add a new motion imaging/music for multimedia program to its curriculum. The program will educate students on how to create musical underscores for video games, TV, Internet, TV and radio advertising, CD-ROMs and interactive multimedia.

The Great American History Theatre will remain a tenant in Musictech's building. Musictech will also maintain the green park space facing the Fitzgerald Theatre.

Commenting on the renovation, McNally said, "For the first time, downtown Saint Paul is truly becoming a concentrated center for the musical arts. Musictech, augmented by the Saint Paul Conservatory, will join hands with the Ordway Center, Fitzgerald Theatre, Saint Paul Public Library, Minnesota Public Radio, the Artists' Quarter jazz club and other downtown institutions to create a haven for musical performance and study."

Visit Musictech online at www.musictech.com.

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