News February 1 – 16
WiebeTech Reduces Pricing on Desktop Drives
WiebeTech (Wichita, Ka.) announced price cuts from $60 to $120 onselect models of its high-performance desktop drives, includingDesktopGBTM, the FireWireTM/USB2 drive; DesktopGB+TM, the fanlessaluminum FireWire drive; Super DesktopGBTM, the bus-powered FireWiredrive; and UltraGBTM, the bus-powered, fanless, transportable FireWiredrive in an aluminum enclosure.
For pricing and availability, contact the North American distributorat www.drbott.com.
Digital Bear Offer Price Break at Grammys
As part of this year’s Grammy celebrations, the Recording Academy willbe holding their first Grammy Viewing Party at the Hard Rock CafeBoston on Sunday, February 23. As part of the festivities, Boston-basedDigital Bear Entertainment will be raffling off one free “BreakingArtist Plan.” The Breaking Artist Plan is a new block price rate onrecording time with Digital Bear Entertainment, offering two songs’worth of studio, engineer and producer time at the private Digital BearEntertainment Studio for only $995; the Breaking Artist Plan is valuedat over $3,800.
The Breaking Artist Plan is designed to give selected artists atrial period with the company. The studio at DBE features a stone-linedlive room; high-resolution digital audio; microphones by Neumann andAKG; microphone preamps by Avalon, Millennia, and Summit; and monitorsby Genelec. Instruments include vintage guitars, amps, Hammond, piano,drum set and more.
Digital Bear represents veteran music producer Jordan Tishler, whohas been working with local and national acts for over 10 years.Tishler specializes in artist development, getting deeply involved withup-and-coming musical talent; most recently, the company has workedwith artists including James O’Brien, Labb and Marie’s Children.
For more on Digital Bear Entertainment and the Breaking Artist Plan,visit www.digitalbear.com.
TC Electronic Announces Personnel Changes
Coinciding with the news that TC Group has combined the TC Electronicand TC Works brand names(mixonline.com/ar/audio_tc_works_tc/index.htm), Mads Peter Lubeck, COOof TC Electronic Worldwide, announced that the company has named JohnMaier to the newly created post of VP of sales for North America;longtime TC Electronic U.S. managing director Ed Simeone was alsoappointed to the Board of Directors and now holds the title ofpresident.
“These moves are designed to position the company for furthergrowth. We want to retain our strength in the higher-end professionalaudio markets, while continuing to grow our M.I. product offerings,”commented Lubeck.
For more, visit TC Electronic at www.tcelectronic.com.
Neutrik Donates Equipment to John Lennon TourBus
Neutrik USA (Lakewood, N.J.) recently donated a variety of audio testand measurement equipment to the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus.Equipment of note included a MiniSPL calibrated, battery-poweredmeasuring microphone; a Minilyzer ML1 analog audio meter; and aDigilyzer DL1 digital audio meter.
“This bus is involved in such a variety of events throughout theyear, and it makes stops at such a range of venues–each with differingsound qualities–that it’s sometimes difficult to fully anticipate thesound system and acoustic challenges that await us,” said BrianRothschild, executive director for the John Lennon Educational Tour Busand John Lennon Songwriting Contest. “With this measurement equipmentfrom Neutrik, we’re even more confident that we are providing top-notchaudio services to students selected to participate in workshops on thebus and at events at which the bus serves as a stage and soundsystem.”
Neutrik has been closely involved with the bus for several years;recently, the two organizations collaborated on a day-long event ofrecording, live music, education and community involvement held in NewJersey. The event was part of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, andthe day ended with a live, three-hour location broadcast on a localrock radio station. Local musicians were given the chance to recordtheir own songs using the bus’ state-of-the-art recording equipment,and the recorded tracks were played on the air during the livebroadcast.
A full-service mobile-recording facility, the bus is outfitted withtraditional musical instruments, as well as current andstate-of-the-art recording and performing technologies. The interior isdivided into two separate recording environments: The front studiooffers the ability to produce multimedia projects and can demonstratean array of audio and video components, with visitors involved in therecording and editing of original material. The back studio is atraditional setup for bands and remote recordings of concerts andspecial events. It features a full range of instruments, includingguitars, basses, keyboards and drums, as well as an onboard P.A.system, enabling performances on the side of the bus.
For more, visit Neutrik at www.neutrikusa.com. Check out the John LennonEducational Tour Bus at www.jlsc.com/bus.html.
“Live From Bluebird Café” Relies on AKGMics
The one-hour music program Live From the Bluebird Café ,based in Nashville, features performances from some of music’s hottestsongwriters in a variety of genres, including country, gospel, blues,Americana and folk, and also provides a showcase for up-and-comingperformers. Audio producer Vaughn Skow, a longtime AKG supporter and a20-year veteran of the Nashville music scene, relies heavily on AKG’s C535 EB, CK 577 WR, C 414B-TL II and C 480 B microphones to mike theshow.
“We usually have anywhere from three to five performers everyweek,” Skow said. “I typically use the AKG C 535 EBcondenser handheld microphone for the vocals, which get split to thehouse console. The main concern is that while this microphone mustsound good for me ‘on tape,’ it also has to work well for the housesound. With the C 535 EB condenser microphones and an artist with goodmicrophone technique, I can make the performances sound like a studiorecording. I run four AKG C 480 B small-diaphragm condensers in Omni inthe four corners of the room and I place an AKG 414 B-TL II in Omniright smack-dab in the middle of the ‘round.’ So far, I’ve onlymixed the show in stereo, but with that room mic setup, I could make areally cool 5.1 mix.”
Another production challenge for Skow is achieving the right soundfor the performer’s instruments. “Some of the performers bringkeyboards, even drums, percussion, bass, etc., yet most bringguitars,” said Skow. “For the guitars, I take a split offof the guitars direct, plus I always clip a mini-condenser lavalier micto the guitar, usually the AKG CK 577 WR so that I can have an actualacoustic sound with very minimal unwanted bleed from the audience orP.A.” Skow finds that by using the mini-mic clipped to theguitar, sometimes even dropped inside, he can get good isolation on theguitar mics.
The show is shot to five D-Beta video decks, with four handheldcameras in the room shooting to Iso decks, and a deck running a liveswitch of the evening. Skow completes all of the final audiopost-production remixes in his studio, Sunset Island Studios, afull-service tracking and mixing post-production facility.
For more information on the AKG mics, visit www.akgusa.com. Formore on Live From the Bluebird Cafe, visit www.turnersouth.com/bluebird-cafe/.
Tekserve Opens Pro Audio Division
New York-based Tekserve debuted its professional audio division,headed up by industry vet Ken Patnaude.
This division will provide the audio-recording and post-productioncommunities with complete solutions specializing in emerging andtraditional technologies. Recent activity at Tekserve included asurround sound mixing room for HBO Studio Productions and the recentexpansion of New York post-production facility Sound Lounge.
Contact Patnaude at 212/929-3645, ext. 307 or kennyp@tekserve.com.
Symetrix Upgrades SymNet Designer Software
Symetrix (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) recently upgraded its SymNetmodular audio mixing, routing and digital signal-processing system toVersion 3.0, its fourth upgrade since the product was introduced inAugust 2001.
SymNet Designer 3.0 software, a PC-based package that allowsCAD-style “drag-and-drop” control over audio-processing modules, nowincorporates a new category titled Control Modules. By selecting andcombining the 50 tools included in the new module, users can exercise agreater degree of logical control over the system involvingprogramming, simple or complex decision-making, and processingsequential, triggered events.
“This is a quantum leap forward in terms of the power, flexibilityand capabilities of this system,” stated Jim Latimer, director of salesfor Symetrix. “It gives our users a clear advantage in designingsystems that will be more accommodating to the needs of their clients,as well as integrating more readily into third-party hardware.”
Dynamics processors such as automatic gain controllers orcompressor/limiters can generate control signals based on audio input,which can then be sent to VCAs watching over groups of audio signals.Also new are capabilities for Supermodules, which appear asuser-definable processing objects but have multiple functions nestedinside. Supermodules now support audio or control signal inputs andoutputs, and can be protected with a password. In addition, a graphicalcontrol screen has been added that accompanies the module during importor export between designs.
For more product specs, visit SymNet online at www.symetrixaudio.com.
New York Production Team Embrace OWL System
Producer/engineers Roey Shamir (Run-DMC, Roberta Flack, Quincy Jones,LL Cool J) and Angela Piva (Mary J. Blige, Naughty by Nature, ToniBraxton), who collectively work under the INFX Productions banner, havebeen putting Electric Lady Studio’s EMES OWL System to the test onrecent sessions including R&B artist Moos, an upcoming release forMary J. Blige, ASHArecords.com recording artist AF the King’s sophomorerelease, a debut album for Derryale Barnes and Shiva jazz artist ScottBrown Project.
Shamir commented, “It’s the potential in the toolset that [OWL’s]EmbracingSound provides that is the most exciting element–it’s theultimate phase checker!” Piva added, “This concept surpassed the oldstandard Auratone for my choice of a ‘reality’ image and EQreference.”
For more on the OWL System, visit www.xvisionaudio.com.
Library of Congress Adds 50 HistoricRecordings
Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced his selection ofthe first 50 historic sound recordings to be added to the NationalRecording Registry in Washington, D.C. Congress has charged theLibrarian of Congress with the responsibility of selecting recordingsannually that are “culturally, historically or aestheticallysignificant.” Nominations were garnered from members of the public andthe National Recording Preservation Board, which is composed of leadersin the fields of music, recorded sound and preservation; the Board alsohelped with the review of nominations.
As a member of the Board, the Audio Engineering Society (AES)advised the Librarian on his selection. Representing the AES on theBoard are Elizabeth Cohen, AES past president, and GeorgeMassenburg.
The selection, in chronological order, is: Edison ExhibitionRecordings (Group of three cylinders): “Around the World on thePhonograph,” “The Pattison Waltz;” “Fifth Regiment March” (1888-1889);The Jesse Walter Fewkes field recordings of the Passamaquoddy Indians(1890); “Stars and Stripes Forever” Military Band, Berliner Gramophonedisc recording (1897); Lionel Mapleson cylinder recordings of theMetropolitan Opera (1900-1903); Scott Joplin ragtime compositions onpiano rolls, Scott Joplin, piano (1900s); Booker T. Washington’s 1895Atlanta Exposition Speech (1906 re-creation); “Vesti la Giubba” fromPagliacci, Enrico Caruso (1907); “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” FiskJubilee Singers (1909); Lovey’s Trinidad String Band recordings forColumbia Records (1912); “Tiger Rag,” original Dixieland Jazz Band(1918); “Arkansas Traveler” and “Sallie Gooden,” Eck Robertson, fiddle(1922); “Down-Hearted Blues,” Bessie Smith (1923); “Rhapsody in Blue,”George Gershwin, piano; Paul Whiteman Orchestra (1924); LouisArmstrong’s Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings (1925-1928); VictorTalking Machine Company sessions in Bristol, Tenn., Carter Family,Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Stoneman and others (1927); Harvard Vocariumrecord series, T. S. Eliot, W. H. Auden and others, reciting(1930-1940s); Highlander Center Field Recording Collection. Rosa Parks,Esau Jenkins and others (1930s-1980s); Bell Laboratories experimentalstereo recordings, Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski, conductor(1931-1932); President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s radio “Fireside Chats”(1933-1944); New Music Recordings series, Henry Cowell, producer(1934-1949); description of the crash of the Hindenburg, HerbertMorrison reporting (1937); “Who’s on First,” Abbott and Costello’sfirst radio-broadcast version (1938); “War of the Worlds,” Orson Wellesand the Mercury Theater (1938); “God Bless America,” Kate Smith, radiobroadcast premiere (1938); “The Cradle Will Rock,” Marc Blitzstein andthe original Broadway cast (1938); The John and Ruby Lomax SouthernStates Recording Trip (1939); Grand Ole Opry, first network radiobroadcast, Uncle Dave Macon, Roy Acuff (1939); “Strange Fruit,” BillieHoliday (1939); Duke Ellington Orchestra “Blanton-Webster Era”recordings (1940-1942); Bela Bartok, piano, and Joseph Szigeti, violin,in concert at the Library of Congress (1940); “Rite of Spring,” IgorStravinsky conducting the New York Philharmonic (1940); “WhiteChristmas,” Bing Crosby (1942); “This Land is Your Land,” Woody Guthrie(1944); General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s D-Day radio address to theAllied Nations (1944); “Koko,” Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, DizzyGillespie and others (1945); “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” Bill Monroe andThe Blue Grass Boys (1947); “How High the Moon,” Les Paul and Mary Ford(1951);. Elvis Presley’s Sun Records sessions (1954-1955); Songsfor Young Lovers, Frank Sinatra (1955); Dance Mania, TitoPuente (1958); Kind of Blue, Miles Davis, John Coltrane,Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans and others (1959); “What’d I Say,”parts 1 and 2, Ray Charles (1959); “I Have a Dream” speech by Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. (1963); “Freewheelin,'” Bob Dylan (1963);”Respect!” Aretha Franklin (1967); Philomel: for soprano, recordedsoprano, and synthesized sound, Bethany Beardslee, soprano (1971);Precious Lord: New Recordings of the Great Gospel Songs of ThomasDorsey, Thomas Dorsey, Marion Williams and others (1973);Crescent City Living Legends Collection (WWOZ radio, NewOrleans) (1973-1990); and “The Message,” Grandmaster Flash and TheFurious Five (1982).
Complete annotations for each recording and information on theNational Recording Preservation Board can be found out www.loc.gov/rr/record/. For information on the AESTechnical Committee on Archiving Restoration and Digital Libraries,please visit www.aes.org.
World Wide Audio Installs AMS Neve Capricorn
Audio post-production house World Wide Audio Inc. (New York City) hasinstalled a 48-fader, 176-path AMS Neve Capricorn digital audio consolein its primary mix room for 5.1 surround film and broadcast mixes.
“The Capricorn is simply the best-sounding digital musicconsole on the planet, and we wanted the highest qualityavailable,” explained Georgia Hilton, owner of World Wide Audio.“And we like the fact that it’s physically smaller whiletechnically huge. You don’t need rollerskates to operate it.”
The Capricorn is digitally connected directly to and from a set ofPro Tools systems for digital editing, mixing and playback. Hilton saidshe likes the speed and improved sound quality when staying entirelywithin the digital realm. “By avoiding all of the in-betweensteps like analog stem printing and other analog submixes, we’re ableto get work done at a much faster pace and keep the mix at a higherquality.”
The Capricorn has already been put to work on one feature film and ashort film at the USS Intrepid Air & Space Museum. Hilton said thatshe’s also looking forward to producing some 5.1 remixes for recordlabel Murder Inc., and is eager to begin work with the 7.1 software forCapricorn.
The new board will also be used for one-on-one private tutoringsessions.
Visit World Wide Audio on the World Wide Web at www.globalaudio.net. Check out the Capricorn at www.ams-neve.com.
Sound on Sound Opens Studio D
New York City-based Sound on Sound Recording has expanded with StudioD, a pre-production/overdub suite with a Digidesign Pro Tools|HD3system at its core, designed by Larry Swist of Lawrence P. SwistDesigns.
“What sets this room apart from all of the other Pro Tools rooms isthat it is built with the same standards as our two SSL rooms and theSony Oxford studio,” commented Sound on Sound president Dave Amlen.”Clients working in D will also enjoy the same high-end services thatwe provide to all clients working at Sound on Sound.”
Studio D was carved from raw space on the fourth floor at itsmidtown location and constructed out of an acoustic shell for maximumisolation. The studio was installed at Sound on Sound complete withfabric and hard-wood interior treatments and lighting. “We’ve been ableto build a room that looks good and sounds good, and offers clientsmore bang for their buck,” said Sound on Sound COO Christopher Bubacz.”Studio D is a cost-effective solution for many markets: record labelsdoing pre-pro, overdubs and demos; independent musicians looking totrack, overdub and mix in one facility; and TV program and commercialproducers doing all of their audio post and mixing in Pro Tools.”
Studio D is equipped with a Pro Tools|HD3 featuring Pro Controlsurface with 24 faders and Editpack. The studio also features 5.1mixing capabilities in Pro Tools with custom-designed monitoring fromLawrence P. Swist Designs, which uses TAD components and translate wellwith the George Augsperger-designed monitors in the studio’s otherrooms. It also offers a full complement of MIDI gear; additionalspecialty items are available on a rental basis. Studio D is alsovideo-friendly with video decks in several formats, video capture forhard disk recording and a 42-inch plasma screen.
For more, visit the studio’s Website at www.soundonsoundstudios.com.
Cycling ’74 Releases New Loop-Based Software
Cycling ’74 released radiaL 1.0, a loop-based composition andperformance tool designed for Mac users; the OS 9 version of radiaL isalready shipping, while the OS X version will be available as a freeupdate for all registered radiaL users by Q2 2003.
Optimized for playing live, the program is based on loop channelsrepresented by circular displays, each with its own multifilter andpitch-shifting/time-scaling. Almost every aspect of the system can beconfigured for live performance, studio recording or sound exploration,controlled from a variety of sources (control surfaces, MIDI, keyboardor mouse). radiaL features complete multichannel audio I/O support,audio and effects routing, and support for VST plug-ins. radiaLsupports all major audio file formats and I/O standards. Users alsoreceive a dozen VST plug-in effects from the Pluggo collection and atempo-synchronized filter/delay.
radiaL includes: sample-accurate loops and synching; support for.AIFF, .WAV and MP3 files; dynamic interchange of loops and DSPeffects; a built-in library of external MIDI controller templates andthe ability to add to it; flexible audio routing and support for ASIO,ReWire, DirectConnect and VST on OS 9 and CoreAudio on OS X; andability to record direct-to-disc.
MSRP: $249, available for purchase or download from www.cycling74.com.
AKG Adds to WMS 40 Series
AKG Acoustics added the PR 40, a UHF portable miniature four-leveldiversity receiver, to its WMS 40 Wireless Microphone SystemSeries.
The PR 40 is suited for many different applications: Guitarists canuse it in their pedal board with the GB 40 guitarbug; public-speakingsituations with the MP 40 wireless transmitter; camera-mountapplications for broadcast use; or with headsets and headphones used intour-guide systems and small conference or interpretation systems. Abelt clip allows the PR 40 to be attached to the user’s clothes. Astrip of Velcro fastener is supplied.
The PR 40 features an ultradurable glass-fiber plastic case andheavy-duty swivel joints on the antennas. The receiver can be poweredwith two AAA-size dry or rechargeable batteries; the batterycompartment also accepts a special adapter for powering the receiverfrom a camera or DC power supply.
The PR 40 provides fixed line-level and adjustable headphone-leveloutputs. Metering includes RF, audio level and battery status LEDs. Apreset squelch mutes the receiver if the received signal is too weak.The PR 40 operates on one fixed, quartz-stabilized frequency in the710MHz to 865MHz UHF carrier frequency range and uses two swiveling UHFantennas.
List price for the individual PR40 is $250, and is available inhandheld and bodypack system configurations, including the PR40/880,which includes an HT880 handheld transmitter for $436; the PR40/407,which includes a PT40 bodypack transmitter with C407L omnidirectionallavalier for $436; and the PR40/55, which includes the PT40 bodypacktransmitter with a CK55L cardioid lavalier microphone for $398. Allthree systems include a MK HP/PR40-C video-camera cable.
The PR40 portable systems include the PR40/SO, which is the PR40with the SO 40 wireless transmitter at a list price of $428; thePR40/MP, which includes the MP 40 micropenä at a list price of$448. Both systems include the MK HP/PR40-C video-camera cables.
For more, visit www.akgusa.com.
AES Standards Committee Proposes AES10Revision
The AES Standards Committee (AESSC) has released a call for comment onthe revision of Standard AES10-1991, which describes the dataorganization for a multichannel audio digital interface designed forthe serial transfer of digital multichannel audio. It includes abit-level description, features in common with the AES3 2-channelformat and the data rates required for its utilization.
AES10-1991 was prepared as a result of the desire of four digitalaudio equipment manufacturers to produce a common interface for theserial transfer of digital multichannel audio in recording andbroadcast studio applications. The benefit of such an interface is thesimplification of multichannel digital audio equipment interconnectionalongside the possibilities offered by the nature of the digitizedaudio signal.
The specification provides for the serial digital transmission of 32kHz to 96 kHz, with a resolution of up to 24-bits per channel. Theformat makes possible the transmission and reception of the complete28-bit channel word (excluding preamble) as specified in AES3,providing for the validity, user, channel status and parity informationallowable under that standard. The transmission format is of theasynchronous simplex type, and is specified for a single 75-ohm coaxialcable point-to-point interconnection or the use of fiber-opticcables.
The revised draft, AES10-xxxx, recognizes other uses to which theinterface has been put, notably distributed routing, resulting in theincrease in channels to the maximum of 64 at 48 kHz, the introductionof 96kHz sampling in digital audio origination and the use of datatransmission in the carrier system.
Draft AES10-xxxx can be found online at www.aes.org/standards and then clicking on “Draftsout for public comment.”
Allen & Heath Adds to iDR DSP AudioSystem
Allen & Heath launched the newest addition to its iDR DSP AudioSystem, the PL-5 remote controller.
The PL-5 works in conjunction with the PL-4 infrared wallplatecontroller. Working in conjunction with the iDR DSP system, installerscan choose a combination of products from the iDR family to create “setand forget” tailored audio distribution and control systems.
The PL-5 is designed to be slim enough to be kept in pockets. Theuse of the buttons is entirely dictated by how the installer has set upthe remote wallplates, and can be programmed to control sourceselection, volume control, patch selection or EQ. Users can control theremote wallplates with the company’s PL-Anet control system over Cat5cabling.
For more, visit Allen & Heath online at www.allen-heath.com.
POW-R Consortium Announces New Licensees
The POW-r Consortium announced these new licensees for POW-r, the newtechnique for digital audio wordlength reduction (WLR) for use inprofessional digital audio products: Apple Computer (E-Magic), BIAS(Peak, Deck), Magix (Samplitude, Sequoia) and Merging Technologies(Pyramix, Mykerinos). Former licensees included Digidesign, SADiE,Sonic Solutions, Telarc International Records, Glenn Meadows, Bob Katzat Digital Domain and many others. The POW-r Consortium developmentteam includes Weiss Engineering, Millennia Media, Z-Systems and LakeTechnologies.
“We’re very pleased that artists and recording engineersworldwide using audio tools from these new licensees can now assuretheir customers of the most sonically realistic high-bit reductiontechnique available,” said John La Grou, chairman of the POW-rConsortium.
For more, visit www.mil-media.com/pow-r.html.
Cinema Audio Society Awards Announces SoundNominees
The nominees have been determined for the 2002 Cinema Audio SocietyAwards for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing, to be held on March8, 2003, at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.
The Society will also be honoring this year’s C. A. S. CareerAchievement honoree, Mr. Charles Wilborn. Wilborn is a veteran soundmixer and Oscar nominee for such films as Days of Thunder,Godfather II, Dead Poets’ Society, all of theRocky films, Casino, Stuart Little II andmany others. The Emcee of the Banquet will be comedian Gary Kroeger,who is a Saturday Night Live alumni and who is currentlyappearing on the TV show Hidden Hills.
For Outstanding Sound Mixing for Motion Pictures: Catch Me IfYou Can, Chicago, The Lord of the Rings: The TwoTowers, Road To Perdition and Spider-Man.
For Outstanding Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series:The Gathering Storm, Live from Baghdad, Martinand Lewis, Shackleton–Part 1 and Steven SpielbergPresents: “Taken”–Part 9.
For Outstanding Sound Mixing for Television Series:Alias–“Cipher”, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation–“FightNight”, Six Feet Under–“The Last Time”, 24–“11:00P.M. to 12:00 A.M.”, The West Wing–“Posse Comitatus” andThe X-Files–“The Truth” 9×20 Finale.
For Outstanding Sound Mixing for Television–Non-Fiction, Variety orMusic Series or Specials: Dance in America: From Broadway:”Fosse”; In Memoriam: New York City, 9/11/01; XIXWinter Olympics–Opening Ceremonies; and Robin Williams: Liveon Broadway.
For more, visit www.CinemaAudioSociety.org.
SSL Digital Consoles Go to Bat
Peteris Saltans, a freelance broadcast engineer, has been working onevents like the World Series, the playoffs and the All-Star Game forMajor League Baseball on Fox Sports. Saltans uses the SSL MT Plus andAysis Air Plus digital consoles on these gigs.
“Very loud arenas, where you get 20,000 to 60,000 people screamingat an event, present unique challenges for an audio engineer,” Saltanssaid. “You always have to compare this overwhelming ambient noise withwhat you are trying to capture on the field or on the court from amicrophone and this is very difficult. Successfully bringing the homeaudience the essential audio elements of each event, like the obviouscrack of a bat hitting a ball or the very subtle sound of a ball beingcaught in a mitt, creates excitement and interest. The MT Plus andAysis Air Plus consoles that I use provide excellent sonic accuracy andinherent system flexibility. This stable platform helps to overcomethese difficulties and create the excitement.
“I used the MT Plus in National Mobile Television’s DX11 truck forthe All-Star game several months ago,” Saltans continued. “I like theability to go in and set up the console for a typical baseball game,come back, push the Total Recall button and use this template as astarting point for a particular broadcast.”
One of the major factors to consider in live broadcast is theextreme time constraint for setup and the need to do things right thefirst time. “I have experience from using the SL 8000 analog board atFox, and I found the transition to the MT Plus very comfortable,”Saltans said. “You still have to know exactly what you are doing in adigital sense and there are minor changes here and there, but I knowexactly what the nomenclature is. I don’t waste precious timeovercoming the technology.”
Find out more at www.solid-state-logic.com.
Millennia Mic Preamps Help Rolling Stones LiveShow
More than 80 channels of Millennia HV-3D microphone preamplifiers werechosen for the Rolling Stones live HBO concert from Madison SquareGarden, which aired on January 18, 2003. Recording engineers Ed Cherneyand David Hewitt specified the mic pre’s, which were split to FOH,monitor, recording and live TV mix.
According to Hewitt, “We used a total of 82 channels of HV-3Dsonstage to drive about 800 feet of wire down to the Remote RecordingServices’ Silver Truck five stories below. We took the inputs inline-level to our Neve VRM and Studer 961 Series consoles and mixedthem down to Dolby Stereo for broadcast. We also recorded the show toStuder D827 digital 48-track recorders for later remix. Ed Cherney wasthe music mixer and Don Worsham was the broadcast production mixer. Iam absolutely amazed at how good it sounded.”
For more, visit Millennia online at www.millenniamedia.com.
PostWorks Finishes Lenny Kravitz DVD
Editor Barney Miller recently finished up work on the DVD documentaryabout artist Lenny Kravitz (Lenny Live) at Post Works NewYork.
“We were happy to get the chance to work with both Barney and Mark[Seliger, photographer and music video director] again,” said PostWorks COO Billy Baldwin. “They had a great deal of footage to work withand it made perfect sense for them to use our Avid Symphony systems, aswell as our staff. We were willing to do whatever it took to make thisproject a success.”
Miller is the founder of New York’s Company X Media and has workedwith Seliger on previous music video projects for Elvis Costello,Willie Nelson and Kravitz. He said that the project began with a smalltest back in July of 2002, when Seliger began shooting Kravitz onstageand off during his recent summer tour.
“We cut the backstage footage on a laptop with Avid DV Xpress,” saidMiller. “Lenny even helped edit some of the DV footage from a coffeeshop around the corner from his hotel. From 300 hours, we cut it downto about four. We then created select reels and made DV tapes, which wetransferred to Digibeta in order to blend it as closely as possiblewith the live concert footage. One of the concerts used just onecamera, while the other two used four and six cameras. It was likeblending 11 cameras into one seamless look. We used two laptops for thebackstage stuff, but cut the live concert footage on the Avid MediaComposer.”
“The team at Post Works are always great to work with,” Miller said.”They are technically proficient and impeccably equipped for a job suchas this one. It only made sense to finish the project on their Symphonysystems, given that we used Avid products for the rest of the project.I was able to take the footage, conform and tweak it, and then performtape-to-tape corrections at Post Works. I could just send the MediaComposer bins over, and they made all the necessary changes to theuncompressed version on their Symphony.”
Check out Post Works New York at www.pwny.com.
Independent Labels Topic at Next NARIPProgram
Managing independent labels to stability and commercial success willbe the subject of the National Association of Record IndustryProfessionals’ (NARIP) February 26th program, which will be held atPlatinum Live in Studio City, Calif., at 7:30 p.m.
Topics that will be covered include strategies to advance anindependent label’s development, including strategic planning, finance,domestic and international marketing and distribution, creating salesdemand for records, touring, merchandising and ancillary markets,branding, product cross-promotion, Internet presence and dealmaking.
Guest speakers include: Richard Reines, president of Drive-ThruRecord; Tom Osborn, general manager at iMUSIC/ARTISTdirect; Alan Beck,president of ITP Records & Pacific Concert Group; and Tess Taylor,panel moderator and president of the NARIP.
Register online at www.narip.com.
News February 17 – 28
Spectrasonics Begins Shipping Trilogy
Spectrasonics has begun shipping its all-new Trilogy Total Bass Module.Trilogy, a software plug-in instrument, integrates a custom 3-gigabytecore library of more than 1,000 brand-new bass sounds with an interfaceto create custom user patches. Trilogy is designed to function as anative plug-in instrument without the need for a sampler in hosts suchas Logic, Digital Performer, Cubase VST, Nuendo and Pro Tools.
Trilogy also offers analog synth-style legato triggering and Glide,two unique features in the software sampler category that allow forsynth bass sounds to play like a vintage analog synth. Additionally,Trilogy’s Zone editing feature allows users to create distinctivesynth parameters for each key by touching the key and moving theappropriate faders.
Other features include: new “True Staccato” sample mapping forrealistic repeated notes; Minimoog-style legato triggering; built-inauditioning system with rapid load times; easy-to-use built-inpatch-management system; fully programmable; Total Recall; multimoderesonant filters for each layer, plus master filters; three envelopesper layer for pitch, filter and amplitude; matrix-style modulationrouting and four LFOs; powered by custom 32-bit UVI engine; andcross-platform plug-in compatibility. MSRP: $399 MAS, RTAS and VSTMac/PC included.
For more information, visit Spectrasonics at www.spectrasonics.net.
Korea Live Venues Adds Euphonix Board
A Euphonix System 5 console has recently been installed in the HoamArts Hall in Seoul, Korea. Hoam Arts Hall offers classical musicprogramming, the Seoul International Dance Festival and other topinternational entertainment, and is one of the main concert venues inSeoul, presenting artists such as Korea-based Ahn Trio and the PozDance Theater.
“With the increasing complexity of live events, performance spacesare looking for a solution to control each nuance of the sound,”commented Russell Waite, VP of international sales for Euphonix. “Thereare several reasons why System 5 has attracted the attention of thelive market. SnapShot Recall of all console parameters is perfect forcomplex changes in live shows. In a live situation, reliability is veryimportant, and the System 5 is well-proven with over 120 installationsworldwide. The other main reasons are its familiar analog look and feeland the excellent visual feedback, a real necessity for a live soundengineer under pressure.”
Russell also said that the System 5 offers audio-networking featuresthat are attractive to live venues. “System 5 can handle hundreds ofinputs with a small control-surface footprint and has a built-indigital router called PatchNet. The routing and patching system on theS5 is so clearly laid out and easy to navigate that many operatorsclaim that it is exactly what they need. A clear overview and manypatch points to get in and out of the console is essential, especiallyon complex projects that require many externals for main loudspeakers,foldback and broadcast lines.”
For more, visit Euphonix on the Web at www.euphonix.com.
Le Mobile Upgrades Mobile Mix Arsenal
Le Mobile owner/engineer Guy Charbonneau recently added a YamahaDM2000 Digital Production Console to the truck’s equipmentroster.
Over the past two years, Charbonneau has been evolving the design ofhis highly modified Neve 8058 with the addition of digitally controlledanalog circuitry to add full surround capability, recall functionalityand other features. “As part of that concept, we’re integratingthe DM2000 when we need to add submix capability or to mix surround,”he said. “While the Neve is always the ‘heart’ of LeMobile, the DM2000 integrates very well and has become an extra‘arm.’ The combination of both the Yamaha and the Neveconsoles is fantastic.”
Charbonneau adds that the Yamaha DM2000 will also be very useful forsurround DVD projects. “I’ll start to incorporate some of thesurround and panning functions,” he said. “Those projects will be acombination of analog and digital: recorded on Studer DASH format andTascam hard disk/Pro Tools recorders, mixed through the Neve to Studeranalog recorders with Dolby SR, then to the DM2000 for the surroundparts, and finally to high-definition digital. Other targetedapplications include TV shows and situations with multiple setups whereI need to recall the monitoring quickly.”
Le Mobile’s chief engineer, Charlie Bouis, recalled a recentJosh Groban special that he thought would be an excellent event to testthe Yamaha DM2000. “We had a full band setup [with Groban] with about50 inputs, plus a full orchestra with about 48 inputs,” Bouis said. “Iwas able to concentrate on the orchestral mix, while Guy and the guestengineers did the main mix. I had all of the outputs needed formultitrack recording and a stereo mix for broadcast. For one show, Ieven did a submix of the orchestra for FOH, sending back submixes ofthe various sections. It’s really incredible having that kind ofquality and flexibility in such a small console.” The console was laterused at a Tom Petty show and then at Don Henley’s Stormy Weather2002 benefit.
Visit www.yamaha.com/proaudio for more on the DM2000. Check out LeMobile at www.lemobile.com.
DMOD Ships Version 2.5 of Workspace Software
DMOD Inc. announced that it has shipped Version 2.5 of its DMODWorkSpace, a software solution that streamlines the media-productionprocess and provides content owners and creators with tighter controlover their digital assets using the Internet.
With Version 2.5, WorkSpace provides expanded media-formatcompatibility, including QuickTime 6.0, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4, as well asseveral enhancements that make it easier for production teams to share,track and review digital media.
“DMOD WorkSpace will dramatically improve the way we interact withclients,” said Bernie Laramie, president of MOSSync, a motion pictureproduction firm located in Los Angeles. “We can send MPEG-4, MPEG-2 andQuickTime files securely over the open Internet and our clients canview those files in full-screen. The entire cycle of distributing,reviewing and approving digital dailies will be significantly shorter.”DMOD WorkSpace solutions are also in use at RCA Records, Sterling Soundand NBC’s post-production staff, among other labels, studios andvideo-production firms.
Other features in 2.5 include: encrypted save-to-disk, which allowsowners to select target recipients, assign media access permissions andsave an encrypted media bundle for subsequent burning to CD/DVD;offline digital media review; browser-based access; digital mediatracking to log and report media-distribution activities, includingrecipient, time of receipt and play and/or export; and group addressingand group permissions.
DMOD’s WorkSpace Version 2.5 client/server solution is pricedstarting at $17,500 per year for one server and five client seats.Maintenance and support are additional. For more information, visitDMOD at www.dmod.com.
Stubblebine Mastering Masters With Z-Systems
For nearly 30 years, Paul Stubblebine has been working in the SanFrancisco Bay Area mastering records for a varied clientele thatincludes Richard Strauss, Roy Rogers, Jerry Gracia, Herbie Hancock, SlyStone and Tony Bennett. For the past three years, his mastering studiohas been using Z-Systems technology.
“I first became familiar with Z-Systems through their switchers androuters when I was mixing a project at Skywalker Sound,” Stubblebinesaid. “Although I’m purchasing some of this equipment now, the firstpieces we brought into our facility were the z Q6 6-Channel MasteringEqualizer and the z CL6 6-Channel Dynamics Compressor/Limiter.”Stubblebine said that he has been using these two pieces of gear almostexclusively on surround projects: “If I’m working in surround sound ona music recording, the producers might have taken one instrument–thekick drum, let’s say–and put it in all four corners but not the centerspeaker. In that case, when it comes to the mastering process I’dprobably want to apply compression to every speaker but the center.Z-Systems has designed their equipment to let me dial-in those choicesvery quickly. Let’s say we’re doing a film mix the next day. In thatcase, the rears will probably be receiving ambience, which is totallydifferent material than is being sent to any of the other speakers. SoI won’t want either of these speakers linked to anything else.”
Stubblebine decided to incorporate a Z-Systems 64.64.r DigitalDetangler Pro with Router Remote Control into his facility because hedoes not use a mixing board. “We’ve got three workstations here: SonicSolutions, SADiE and Sonoma,” said Stubblebine. “Since the dawn of theworkstation, I’ve made them the center of the signal flow. I surroundthese workstations with outboard gear, and over the years, the numberof pieces has grown significantly. The Z-Systems 64.64.r Detangler is adelightful, fabulous piece of gear with 64 input/output ports servingas a patchbay router/format converter and distribution amplifier. Thisrouter performs at least two essential tasks for us. For one thing, itcleans up the clocking in the room, which makes the whole system soundbetter. It also gives me complete flexibility with regard to routing,memorizing settings that we use repeatedly and reconfiguring the studioon command. Software that runs on either a PC or Mac gives the user avisual confirmation of the routing scheme. With all of the equipmentthat a facility like ours uses, it’s easy to get confused. ButZ-Systems has tackled routing with the same intelligence that theybrought to equalization and compression.”
John Greenham, a staff engineer at Paul Stubblebine Mastering andDVD, recently used all of the studio’s Z-Systems equipment on a releaseby the popular Latin band, Quetzal. Michael Romanowski serves asanother key staff engineer. Contact the studio at info@paulstubblebine.com.Visit Z-Systems online at www.z-sys.com.
Gibson Guitar Awards Nominees Announced
Gibson Guitar announced the nominees for the annual Orville H. GibsonGuitar Awards, to be held on Thursday, February 20, at the Cutting Roomin New York from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The nominations include over 50artists in 11 categories that encompass guitar-driven music genres ofrock, blues, country, jazz and contemporary Christian music. The D. H.Baldwin Award will be presented to legendary pianist MarianMcPartland.
The Orville H. Gibson Guitar Awards recognize guitar players (andplayers of related fretted instruments) for their artisticaccomplishments and to honor musicians who reflect the spirit ofOrville H. Gibson and his belief in quality, prestige and innovation.Members of the music media vote upon nominees and winners. The awardsbenefit, through financial assistance, the Nordoff-Robbins MusicTherapy Foundation, which helps disabled children through music-therapyclinics, research and programs throughout the world.
And the nominees are: Lifetime Achievement Award:James Taylor, Slash, Johnny Cash, Bono and Dolly Parton;Acoustic Guitarist (male): Ryan Adams, Graham Nash,Jackson Browne, Chris Isaak and Tommy Emmanuel; CountryGuitarist (male): Buddy Miller, Steve Earle, Dwight Yoakam,Keith Urban and Pat Green; Blues Guitarist: B.B. King,Buddy Guy, Lee Roy Parnell, Jimmy Vivino and Bonnie Raitt;Contemporary Christian Band: Third Day, Paul ColmanTrio, NewSon, Audio Adrenaline and Jars of Clay; Les PaulHorizon Award: Deryck Whibley (SUM 41), Nick Perri(Siilvertide), Marc Copely, Coldplay and Allison Robertson (TheDonnas); Rock Guitarist: Zakk Wylde, Lenny Kravitz,Charlie Sexton, Richie Sambora and Slash; Acoustic Guitarist(female): Alana Davis, Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, PattyGriffin and Jewel; Country Guitarist (female): DollyParton, Gail Davies, Jennifer Hanson, Natalie Maines and Shania Twain;Jazz Guitarist: Ronny Jordan, Mark Whitfield, LarryCarlton, David Torn and Lee Ritenour; Bassist: TonyLevin, Mike Gordon (Phish), Drew Parsons (American HiFi), Shavo (Systemof a Down) and Charlie Colin (Train).
For more information, visit Gibson’s Website at www.gibson.com.
Secret Sound Adds All-Digital Lexicon 960L
Secret Sound (Los Angeles), the personal recording facility forcomposer/producer Chas Sandford, has recently installed a Lexicon 960LDMultichannel Digital Effects System. The 960LD, purchased fromProfessional Audio Design in Rockland, Mass., complements thefacility’s Digidesign Pro Tools|HD 7 system, which features 48channels of 192 I/Os and a 32-fader ProControl system with EditPack.
Sandford, who has produced tracks for artists including Chicago,Stevie Nicks and Roger Daltrey, as well as penned hit songs such asJohn Waite’s “Missing You,” said that he has been an ardent fanof Lexicon reverbs for many years. “I’ve always loved the wayLexicon reverbs sound,” Sandford said. “No other outboard processorsounds as natural as a Lexicon. So as my recording system evolved andgrew, I knew I wanted a 960L to keep up with it.
“A lot of plug-ins are great,” Sandford continued, “but on anydigital audio workstation system, it’s hard to allocate theprocessing power needed to make great, dense-sounding reverb effects.The 960L is a digital box that does exactly that, and since they made aversion without the analog I/Os, I can access that kind of DSP qualityat a more cost-effective price.”
For more, visit Lexicon on the Web at www.lexicon.com.
SADiE Ships New Series 5
Unveiled at the 113th AES Convention in Los Angeles, SADiE’snext-generation PCM and DSD editing workstation products—theSeries 5—has begun shipping.
The first systems in North America have been delivered to BernieBecker Recording (Burbank, Calif.), John Golden Mastering (Ventura,Calif.), The Boiler Room (Chicago), Back to the Bible (Lincoln, Neb.),KAS Music (New York City), Michael Romanowski (San Francisco) andHeading North Mastering (Toronto).
Visit SADiE online at www.sadie.com.
On Stage Audio Purchases Drawmer Gear
On Stage Audio (Chicago), the audio division of OSA International, hasbeen supplying A/V systems to the corporate industrial arena andspecial-event markets. The company recently expanded its scope into thelive sound market with five new “entertainment” systems. Terry Murphy,a live sound professional with eight years of experience, joined OnStage Audio in November 2002 to head up this area of growth.
Since then, the live sound division has added more than 10 newaccounts, including the Fremont Street Experience, Station Casinos,Rain at the Palms, Mandalay Bay/Encore Productions and the Universityof Nevada/Las Vegas.
Recently, On Stage Audio purchased a host of new Drawmer gear,including 30 DL241 2-channel compressors, 10 DL404 4-channelcompressors, 20 DS501 power gates and seven 1969 mic pre’s. Commentingon the purchase, Murphy said, “Basically, it’s the [Drawmer] sound.Drawmer is known for its transparent sound quality. Let’s face it, in arental situation, you accommodate riders and the vast majority of themspecify Drawmer. No one ever says ‘no’ to Drawmer.”
On Stage Audio has already completed more than 25 live shows withthe new equipment, including sound for six stages this past New Year’sEve.
For more, visit distributor TransAmerica Audio Group at www.transaudiogroup.com.
Ainlay Projects Use SNS A/V SAN
Chuck Ainlay has been using Studio Network Solutions’ A/V SAN onrecent recording projects, such as artists George Strait, Everclear,Shedaisy and a Mark Knopfler/Emmylou Harris duet.
“I first heard of the A/V SAN system through a demonstration here intown,” said Ainlay. “Because of the increased demands on my hard drive,I decided to give the A/V SAN a try. No matter how good the softwaresystem is, the piece of equipment that gets the workout is the harddrive. The hard drive must work flawlessly or you will lose yourproject. I put the A/V SAN system in, ran it through its paces and itdid everything that I could possibly ask of a hard drive system. Itworks great.”
Ainlay loaded a set of 96k tracks he recorded and duplicated thisset out to 70 tracks total. He performed edits on individual tracks andacross all 70 tracks. The single A/V SAN drive on his system nevermissed a beat. “This level of performance is remarkable,” added Ainlay.”The A/V SAN completely works for the way I need my system to work:reliably, quickly. When you work with high-level acts, there justcan’t be excuses about the computer system crashing or hiccupingthe playback. Everything must work all the time.”
For more, visit Studio Network Solutions online at www.studionetworksolutions.com.
Sony Disc Manufacturing to Add SACD ProductionLine
Sony Disc Manufacturing will install a new hybrid Super Audio CD(SACD) line at its U.S. manufacturing facility in Terra Haute, Ind., byApril 2003, with production slated to begin the following month. Theline will initially produce 15,000 hybrid SACD discs per day;replication services will also be available to third-party clients.
“As a developer of the SACD format, Sony is dedicated to expandingthe awareness for, and broadening the acceptance of, this trailblazingtechnology,” said Michael Mitchell, VP and general manager at Sony DiscManufacturing. “Our new hybrid Super Audio CD line reflects Sony’s andSony Music’s shared commitment to providing the most advanced recordingand playback technologies so that every music fan can experienceunsurpassed SACD sound quality on equipment that is fully compatiblewith their existing CD collection, stereo and home-entertainmentsystems.”
For more, visit sdm.sony.com.
Mach Speakers, Pioneer Form Alliance
Mach Speakers and Pioneer Electronics have formed a strategic allianceto increase brand awareness for both companies’ products.
For Mach, the agreement allows the company to co-market its speakerproducts alongside Pioneer’s, adding to the idea of “one-stopshopping,” or Martin’s Total Club Supplier concept. Now, clients canpurchase Mach audio, Martin lighting and Jem smoke in a singlepackage.
Pioneer also joins the Total Club Supplier concept by using Mach’sspeakers at exhibitions, regional shows and other events.
Eric Loader, managing director of sales at Martin and Mach in theU.S., said, “We strongly support this exciting and positive move; ithas great potential not only for us, but for our customers to trulybenefit from our one-stop shop Total Club Supplier concert.”
For more, visit Mach at www.mach.dk. Check out Pioneer at www.pioneerelectronics.com.
San Francisco Radio Station Purchases NeumannMics
Radio and television live broadcast chief sound engineer Raul Velez atHispanic Broadcasting Corporation (San Francisco) has recently upgradedthe studio that’s home to stations KSOL/KSQL and KMER. Part of thisupgrade was the purchase of seven additional TLM 103 microphones,bringing the number of 103s to 14.
“My predecessor at the station turned me on to this mic, and I’mphasing out all of the other mics that the station had in favor ofthese,” Velez said. “The 103 is about 95-percent perfect for thismarket.” With the spoken word as the primary audio source, Velez saidradio stations need mics that can straddle a fine line in vocalreproduction. “They’re accurate enough to capture the spoken word andstill retain a bit of warmth to them to where they’re not an ‘edgy’mic,” he said. “The 103s deliver clarity and detail without having amuffled or fat sound. It’s that good, clean sound Neumann is famousfor, plus the talent really likes working with them.”
Velez also said that the 103s are easy to set up and require littletweaking. “I use minimal processing in my productions, partly becausethese mics sound so good right out of the box, and are so consistentfrom mic to mic.”
The mics were purchased from Oakland, Calif.-based Leo’s Pro Audio.”Mark Haynes, who I’ve worked with for years at Leo’s, knew the 103swould fit the bill,” Velez commented.
For more on the 103s, visit Neumann online at www.neumannusa.com.
Molex to Manufacture, Sell GbX Connector
Teradyne Inc. Connection Systems Division, a provider ofhigh-performance interconnect and electronic-manufacturing services,and Molex Incorporated announced that they have signed a second-sourcelicensing agreement that grants Molex the right to manufacture, marketand sell the GbX connector worldwide.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will workjointly to deliver intermateable, interchangeable products by sharingdesign and manufacturing processes. Molex expects to begin productionof the four-pair configuration of the GbX connector in September2003.
“The Teradyne/Molex partnership is unique in that the twocompanies deliver products that share design, not justspecification,” said Rick Schneider, president of TeradyneConnection Systems. “We collaborate continuously over the productlifecycle to improve our respective production and processcapabilities. OEM users can source either company’s componentswith confidence that the parts will work together and meet theirperformance and reliability requirements.”
For more, visit Molex online at www.molex.com. Visit Teradyne at www.teradyne.com.
Wizoo Releases English-Language “Cubase SX/SLReference”
Cubase SX/SL–Reference, originally published in Germany, isnow available in English through Wizoo. This version was officiallyauthorized and co-written by Steinberg, and now includes the officialmanual for Cubase SX/SL, an exclusive 50-page tutorial by Cubase guruMark Wherry and a foreword by Steinberg CEO Manfred Ruerup.
A demo version of Cubase SX and example projects are provided on anaccompanying CD.
In other Wizoo news, the company continues its successful QuickStart Series of beginners’ guides with three new titles:Windows XP Music Studio, Cakewalk Home Studio andFruityloops.
Windows XP Music Studio (U.S. $19.95) by Mark Wherry isaimed at anyone who wants to make music via Windows XP, explaining thehardware and software needed and how to use it. The accompanying CD-ROMcontains all of the demo software and freeware needed to turn a user’sPC into a fully blown digital music studio to record, play withsoftware synths, sequence and more.
Cakewalk Home Studio (U.S. $14.95) by Craig Anderton is forreaders who are interested in the entry-level version of CakewalkSonar. Home Studio provides conventional MIDI and digitalaudio recording, as well as offering loop-based features for DJ, grooveand soundtrack projects. This book features a CD-ROM packed with videotutorials, learn-by-doing examples, Cakewalk program demos, a freesoftware synthesizer and a selection of exclusive guitar and drumloops.
Fruityloops (U.S. $14.95), by former Keyboard U.S.senior editor Jim Aikin, guides readers through creating their ownsounds, beats and songs in Fruityloops. The included CD-ROM offersfully functional trial versions of Fruityloops, FruityTracks, EZ-Editorand SimSynth, plus song and MP3 music files to accompany the hands-ontutorials.
Get your copies at www.wizoo.com.
Avatar Studios Celebrates Grammy Noms
Avatar Studios announced that 21 2003 Grammy nominees’ albums wererecorded either entirely or partly at the facility.
Said Kirk Imamura, president at Avatar, “We strive to doeverything we can to make the highest-quality recordings possible. Whenthe outcome of our labor gets recognized in this manner, especially inthese difficult business conditions, it is very rewarding. We are veryhonored to have contributed in some way to the success of the greatartists who record at Avatar.”
Among the Grammy-nominated artists who worked at Avatar are: SherylCrow (Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female Rock VocalPerformance, Best Rock Album), Natalie Cole and Diana Krall (Best PopCollaboration With Vocals), Elvis Costello (Best Male Rock VocalPerformance and Best Rock Album), Foxy Brown (Best Female Rap SoloPerformance), the John Scofield Band (Best Contemporary Jazz Album) andHerbie Hancock (Best Jazz Instrumental Solo). For a complete list ofAvatar-related nominees, go to www.avatarstudios.net/news/45thGrammys.htm.
Aaron Neville (Verve Records) recently recorded in Avatar’sNeve 8068-equipped Studio A with Rob Mounsey producing, DaveO’Donnell engineering the sessions to Pro Tools and Aya Takemuraassisting. Artist Pat McGee (Warner Bros.) also employed Studio A forhis new record, produced by Gregg Wattenberg, engineered by JohnAgnelio and assisted by Ross Petersen. A two-record project forNagel-Heyer Records, using Avatar’s Steinway B piano, wasengineered by Jim Anderson, produced by Frank Nagel-Heyer and assistedby Peter Doris. Studio A also hosted K Fox (Def Jam Records), whorecorded strings and horns for a forthcoming release that wasengineered by Niko Bolas and assisted by Brian Montgomery.
Producer Andrew Lippa, himself a Grammy Award winner, recentlyworked at the studio’s SSL 9000 J-equipped Studio B, producing musicfor the upcoming Legally Blond II release (MGM Studios), with engineerVince Caro and assistant Aya Takemura. Bruce Springsteen’s EStreet Band member Patty Scialfi also used Studio B to put thefinishing touches on her album, working with Grammy-winning engineerTrina Shoemaker and Ross Petersen assisting on the stringssessions.
For more recent projects, visit Avatar online at www.Avatarstudios.net.
Euphonix Console Provide Feeds for Australian TennisOpen
During the 2003 Australian Tennis Open (January 13-26), hostbroadcaster Seven Network relied on three Euphonix audio consoles,including two of the new all-digital Max Air systems, to provideexclusive Australian coverage for its own broadcasts, as well as feedsto 25 international broadcasters.
Seven Network employed over 300 of its staff, who had to makeavailable all matches on any of the five major courts to internationalbroadcasters as separate mono, stereo and multiformat live feeds. “Thesystem complexity made the analog or digital decision for us,” saidJohn Hancock, head of technical production for Seven Network inMelbourne. “After seeing Max Air in October last year, we wereconfident that it had all the facilities and operational flexibilitythat we needed, and we were right!”
George Hennessy, audio supervisor at Seven Network Melbourne, said,”For me, Max Air was power and control with heaps of both. It’s awonderfully flexible, sonically accurate, intuitive broadcast mixer.Throughout the whole tournament, 14 days of competition plus seven daysof setup, we found the consoles to be easy to operate, easy to setupand completely stable.”
Visit Euphonix online at www.euphonix.com.
SPL Offers Nugget Bundles
SPL is now offering its new Nugget microphone in bundles with theTrackOne and ChannelOne channel strips, as well as with the GoldMikepreamp.
SPL Input Bundle 1 consists of its TrackOne and Nugget for an MSRPof $1,199. Features include: complete channel strip with optimizedmicrophone and instrument inputs; auto-detecting de-esser andcompressor/limiter stages, and 3-band EQ stage; output stage, PPMoutput and gain-reduction meter; balanced XLR and 1/4-inch TRS I/Oconnectors, parallel use possible; and 115dB dynamic range, 60dB micgain and ›70dB gain with optional Lundahl input transformer.
SPL Input Bundle 2 consists of its ChannelOne and Nugget for an MSRPof $1,899. Features include: fully featured channel strip with tubepreamp and headphone monitor stage; auto-detecting de-esser andcompressor/limiter, 3-band EQ stage (pre/post-comp) and noise gate;output stage, central display shows PPM output, gain-reduction metersand all status LEDs; insert (send/return), balanced XLR and 1/4-inchTRS I/O connectors; and 118dB dynamic range, 60dB mic gain and›70dB gain with optional Lundahl input transformer.
SPL Input Bundle 3 consists of its GoldMike and two Nuggets for anMSRP of $1,699. Features include: Class-A, dual-channel tube mic preampand dual mono design for best channel separation; sound optimizingduring recording; tube warm-up circuitry, 80Hz highpass, phase reverse,-30dB pad; and balanced XLR and 1/4-inch TRS I/O connectors, 111dBdynamic range, 72dB mic gain, noise figure is 3.8 and EIN is 135.4dBu.
For more, visit SPL online at www.spl-usa.com.
Gold Line Celebrates Five Years With TEF
Gold Line will celebrate its fifth anniversary of manufacturing andsupporting the TEF20 audio analyzer. Originally designed and built bythe Techron Division of Crown International, Gold Line purchased therights to manufacture the product in early 1998.
“It seems hard to believe, but it has now been five years since wetook over TEF from Crown,” said Gregory Miller, VP of Gold Line’s TEFdivision. “There are so many people to thank for their tirelesssupport: Don Eger, Blair McNair, Steve McManus, Doug Jones, DonWashburn, Clyde Moore, Martin Miller, the members of the TEF AdvisoryCommittee and each of the TEF Heyser Award winners. A huge debt ofgratitude also goes out to all of the TEF20 users who have believed inthe product and supported us throughout the past half-decade to whom Isay the best is yet to come.”
Visit Gold Line at www.gold-line.com.
Soundcraft Expands Digital Broadcast ConsoleRange
Soundcraft has released several new products and upgrades to its RM1ddigital radio console family.
The RM1d–a dual-purpose console for production and on-airstudios–is now joined by the RM1ds, which includes start and stopfunctions for each channel, as well as front panel and control menulabeling more in line with the terminology used on such dedicatedconsoles. The RM1d family features an all-digital processing path withassignable input selection from analog mic/line, S/PDIF, TDIF andAES/EBU sources. The two models each have integrated dynamicsprocessing and Lexicon effects, cue speaker and dual timers; users canstore and recall up to 128 console presets of desk settings. Both theRM1d and RM1ds are available in 6- and 12-fader formats, with optionalscript tray frames.
New to both the RM1d and RM1ds is integration with RCS MasterControl, the on-air digital audio system. Using a 4-channel stereo TDIFaudio interface (analog interfacing is also possible) and an RS-232control interface, the desks indicate which channel is handling thecurrently playing track and which channel will cue the next track usingthe LED in the channel-on buttons.
Soundcraft has also announced the release of Version 3 operatingsoftware for the RM1d, which provides additional functionality for theconsole. The new software includes password lockout facilities so thatunauthorized changes to the console setup are not possible. Additionsto the control surface include new menus for setup, dynamics andLexicon effects. A variable highpass filter function is alsoincluded.
Existing RM1d users can contact Soundcraft through its Website (www.soundcraft.com) for information on upgrading toV. 3 software, which is available free of charge.
Audio-Technica is Vocal at the Grammys
For the fifth consecutive year, Audio-Technica microphones were usedat the annual Grammy Awards ceremony, held this past Sunday, February23, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The 45th Annual Grammyswas the first major awards show to be broadcast in HDTV and 5.1surround sound. Audio-Technica supplied over 230 microphones, whichincluded a broad selection of hard-wired mics, as well as several ofthe new Artist Elite 5000 UHF Wireless Systems.
ATK/Audiotek provided the sound system with FOH Ron Reeves, whilethe broadcast audio was supervised by the Recording Academy’sProducers & Engineers Wing chairman Phil Ramone, advisory councilmember Hank Neuberger and Murray Allen for Cossette Productions. NewYork-based 5.1 sound designer Randy Ezratty and his Effanel Musicmobile remote trucks, with music mixers John Harris and Jay Vicari,provided the 5.1 and stereo feeds. Additionally, All Mobile’s”Resolution” high-definition production truck with production mixer EdGreene provided the fiber-optic cable feed for the broadcast.
A wide range of Audio-Technica microphones was employed at the show,including AE3000 (rack and floor toms), AT4033 (hi-hat), AE2500 (kick),AT4050 (overheads and guitar amps), AE5100 and ATM35 (orchestra),AE5400 (back-up vocals), and AT4053 (acoustic guitars, cellos andbass). The new A-T Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF Wireless System wasused for front-line vocals on Coldplay, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, NoDoubt, John Mayer, James Taylor, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters), BruceSpringsteen, Patti Scialfa and Steven Van Zandt.
Jay Vicari, co-music mixer for the Grammys, said, “I choseAudio-Technica because I think their microphones have superior soundquality, as well as being more versatile than other mics I’veused in the past. Of course, there are a lot of other microphones thatsound great, but they don’t work in almost everyapplication—Audio-Technica does. I’ve been using the newAE2500 dual-element kick drum mic religiously on all the showsI’ve recently mixed. I know I can depend on Audio-Technica [mics]and they will sound great.”
John Harris, co-music mixer for the Grammys, recalled, “Thisyear’s show is largely wireless by design. Five years ago, Istarted using A-T hard-wired microphones for vocals instead of the oldstandbys. I had remarkable success with those mics and since then,I’ve used them in every application I could. This year, many ofthe acts are using the new Artist Elite 5000 Series UHF WirelessSystem, which has the same capsule as the AE5400 hard-wired mic, so nowI’m able to have the capsule that I like on a truly stable RFsystem. I complement the wireless with the AE5400 hard-wired mics forbackup vocals. That’s one way I can achieve consistency in theaudio and make my life easier.
Harris continued, “Since you can split the signal from the AE2500, Ihad it come into the Neve Capricorn Digital console as two separateinputs, which allowed me to copy and link equalizers. I brought theAE2500 in as two separate inputs, balanced them so that the volume andlevel were about the same and then I linked everything to them. Usingthis technique, the result is great coherence. The AE2500 is rapidlybecoming my new favorite kick drum mic.”
Check out the mics in action at www.audio-technica.com.
Reason Nominated for Three MIPA Awards
Propellerhead Software’s Reason has been nominated for three differentMusikmesse International Presse Awards (MIPA) Awards. Reason has beennominated in the categories of “Most Innovative Product,” “BestSoftware Instrument” and “Best DJ Software/DJ Tools.” Reason won “BestSoftware Instrument” in 2002.
Also nominated in the “Most Innovative Product” category are Line6’s Variax and Steinberg’s VST System Link. Other nominations for “BestSoftware Instrument” are Native Instruments’ Reaktor V3 andSpectrasonics’ Virtual Instruments. In the “Best DJ Software/DJ Tools”category, nominations also included Native Instruments’ Traktor 2.0 andStanton’s Final Scratch. For a complete list of nominees, visit www1.mipa-award.de.
The MIPA Awards are voted on and presented by a coalition of over 55magazines from over 25 different countries. The awards will presentedto the winners at a special MIPA party/awards ceremony held during theMusikmesse/ProLight & Sound Show, March 5-9, 2003. More than 300international representatives of manufacturers and distributors ofmusical instruments and audio equipment will attend the Fourth MIPAAwards.
Check out Reason at www.propellerheads.se.
L-Acoustics Intros High-Power Subwoofer
Oxnard, Calif.-based L-Acoustics U.S. will debut its new SB118high-power subwoofer at this year’s NSCA Expo, booth #2705. Developedto complement all of the company’s loudspeaker systems–includingdV-DOSC, MTD and XT–the SB118 features a single 18-inch transducerloaded in a dual-chamber, vented bandpass configuration. Boasting apower handling capacity of 600 watts RMS (2,400 watts peak) andresponse down to 32 Hz, the new subwoofer is designed for applicationsthat require exceptional low-end impact from a highly compact,low-profile enclosure.
For permanent installation, the SB118’s compact dimensions(17.4×31.5×32.3 inches, HxWxD) provide a high degree of flexibility forapplications where space is at a premium. The SB118 cabinet isconstructed of 18- and 24mm Baltic birch plywood (with sealed, screwedand rabbeted angles, and internally braced) and equipped with ablack-epoxy perforated steel grille with acoustically transparent foam.Rear-panel connections are 4-pin Neutrik Speakons.
Engineered for high-performance DJ, mobile, club, regional, touringand installed sound reinforcement, the optimally reduced frontdimensions of the SB118 allow for the creation of compact-sizedsubwoofer arrays with minimum footprints. The SB118 is highly suitablefor FOH use in theaters, clubs or multipurpose venues, and provides anexcellent solution for corporate events. Standard are a built-inpolemount socket that allows the user to create a compact FOH systemwhen used with L-Acoustic’s MTD, XT and other similar enclosures.
When combined with the manufacturer’s 115FM floor monitor or MTD/XTsystems, the SB118 can be used for stage-monitoring applications suchas keyboard, sidefill or drumfill monitoring.
OEM factory presets for digital processors, such as BSS FDS-366 andSoundweb, and XTA DP224 and DP226, are available when used inconjunction with the XT line and other L-Acoustics products.
For more, visit L-Acoustics online at www.l-acoustics-us.com.
Sennheiser Expands A&R Functionality
Sennheiser launched its Sennheiser Network, which allows artists andengineers to gather an array of product news and technical servicessupport provided by Sennheiser worldwide. This exclusive SennheiserWeb-based network was the brainchild of Rolf Meyer, Sennheiser GmbHpresident of sales and marketing, and Paul Whiting, managing directorof Sennheiser UK.
Managed by Sennheiser’s worldwide artist relationship manager PaulHugo, the Network is centered on a password-protected, members-onlyWebsite that links the artist or engineer to a Sennheiser subsidiary(or, in some cases, a Sennheiser independent distributor) in thecountry or region in which they require support. To access the network,the artists or engineers must be signed on as a Sennheiser Networkmember. Once members, they can access the site and findcountry-by-country wireless microphone frequency-coordination support,technical troubleshooting, product information and more.
The network was recently used on the Kylie Minogue European tour;Minogue’s engineers were already signed up as members of the network inthe UK. While making plans to go to the U.S., they logged on to theSennheiser Network site and found Paul Hugo’s name and contactinformation to coordinate the Sennheiser wireless frequencies and gearneeded when Kylie arrived in the U.S. for performances and televisiondates. Hugo, backed by Sennheiser’s U.S. headquarters, and KristyHaima, the newly appointed USA artist relations manager, had everythingsetup and ready to go when Minogue and her band and crew arrived in theU.S.
For more, visit www.sennheiserusa.com.
Z-Systems Debuts z-Qualizer Digital EQ
Z-Systems (Gainesville, Fla.) announced its new z-Qualizer, ahigh-end, 6-band, stereo digital parametric EQ. The half-rackspace unitboasts an exceptionally wide dynamic range and an MSRP of $1,200.
“Our z-Q2 and z-Q6 digital equalizers are cherished by many topmastering engineers and have found their way onto scores of GrammyAward-winning recordings,” said Z-Systems president Glenn Zelniker.”Yet, Z-Systems’ EQs have remained an elusive dream for many engineersdue to price points that put them out of reach. The z-Qualizer,however, changes that by offering the exact same world-class EQalgorithms at a price everyone can afford.”
Like its siblings, the z-Qualizer has a 40-bit floating-point DSPchip running the company’s proprietary digital-filtering algorithms.Capable of handling up to 24 bits at sample rates of up to 192 kHz, theunit can output 24, 20 or 16 bits, and features both TPDF and POW-rwordlength reduction. Dynamic range is greater than 135 dB; THD+N isbetter than -130 dB.
The new digital EQ supports both M/S encoding and decoding inaddition to stereo-linked and dual-mono operation modes, allowing theunit to handle separate processing on the mid and side components.
Users can save and recall presets from a computer running any MIDIsequencing program. Center frequency, gain and bandwidth all featurewide variability, while filter bands are fully overlappable. Rear-panelconnections are AES/EBU I/O and MIDI in and thru.
Find out more www.z-sys.com.
Steinberg Offers Rebate for Cubase SL
Steinberg (Chatsworth, Calif.) is offering a $50 instant rebatepromotion for Cubase SL (PC and Mac) through March 31, 2003. Customersneed to download a coupon www.us.steinberg.net and bring it to anySteinberg dealer for a $50 discount.
According to Brian McDonnon, Steinberg’s U.S. marketing manager,”This promotion will allow more musicians to experience the nextgeneration of Cubase.”
Cubase SL, the successor to Cubase VST, has been completelyredesigned with a new code base to harness the processing power oftoday’s PCs. New features include: Windows 2000/XP and Mac OS Xcompatibility; VST System Link technology; 24-bit/96kHz support;unlimited undo/redo; offline process history for all integrated audioprocesses; graphic automation for all parameters; loop editing withautomatic tempo matching and groove extraction; musical real-time MIDIprocessing; new set of virtual instruments and effects processors;Waldorf synthesizer technology; and much more.
Wi-Fi Alliance Announces IEEE 802.11g CertificationPlans
The Wi-Fi Alliance (Mountain View, Calif.) announced plans for Wi-Ficertification of products based on the IEEE (Institute for Electricaland Electronics Engineering) 802.11g amendment to the IEEE 802.11wireless LAN standard; certification will begin after the IEEE hasapproved the final standard.
“Wireless LAN product interoperability is fundamental to a good userexperience,” said Dennis Eaton, chairman of the Wi-Fi Alliance. “Thatis why the Alliance is committed to providing users with an indicatorof quality for wireless LAN technology as it evolves. To do this, weneed to work on new interoperability tests ahead of time. Therefore, wehave already started development of the Wi-Fi certification program forIEEE 802.11g products even though the standard is not finalized.
“As more products include wireless LAN technology,” Eaton continued,”users are often not able to choose which vendor’s product is used intheir laptop at work, at a favorite public-access venue or even inconsumer electronics devices. Although the Alliance expects productsbased on the 802.11g draft amendment to be used in these and olderapplications, we will only certify products after the standardamendment is approved.”
The IEEE 802.11g draft amendment currently includes both mandatoryand optional components; the Alliance plans on certifying all mandatoryfeatures, including backward interoperability with Wi-Fi-certified802.11b products and simultaneous operation of IEEE 802.11b and 802.11gdevices in a mixed network. Optional elements include support for the54Mbps data rate and other features that will optimize performance andnetwork utilization.
For more, visit www.wi-fi.org.
NAB Announces First Product Awards
The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) will launch an awardsprogram recognizing exhibitors for outstanding products during NAB2003, April 5-10, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The first NABAward for Innovation in Media will fall into three categories thatcover digital media technologies: content creation, content managementand content delivery.
Based on votes from attendees at NAB 2003, the awards will highlightthe technological innovations that best address current and upcomingissues for those who work in electronic media industries; such issuesinclude boosting efficiency, increasing user flexibility andcreativity, and/or lowering operating costs.
Five winners from each category will be selected; in addition,editors of key industry publications will select one overall winner ineach of the categories.
For more, visit www.nab.org.
