Jan 1, 1999 12:00 PM, MIX STAFF

SHOWCO REVEALS NEW CONSOLE AT LDI The audio highlight of the recent Lighting Dimensions International (LDI) show in Phoenix was the unveiling of Showco's new Showconsole, a live performance board that consists of a completely recallable control surface connected via fiber optics to an 80-channel analog mixer in a triple-wide rack located at the stage. This marks the first time a sound reinforcement company has created its own proprietary console. The digitally controlled analog system is based on the Harrison Series12 and will also be marketed by Harrison for the installation market as the LPC (Live Performance Console). Showco vice president Howard Page was on hand to introduce the Showconsole and pointed out that the whole console can reset almost instantly.

Channels may be recalled to the control surface in "banks," and a single control surface may be interfaced with up to three 80-input mixers. "We've taken away most of the individual channel knobs, because an 80-input console would be prohibitively large and heavy," explains Page. "You want all the faders, but you only need to see one full channel at a time."

Each of the 80 channels in the input/mixer racks offers three mic inputs plus a line input, allowing the channel to switch on a scene-by-scene basis. "Let's say you've got a single guitar player in a country band playing three instruments," Page illustrates. "Now you only need one channel, because the acoustic guitar can come in on Mic A, the electric on Mic B and the mandolin on Mic C, each with their own settings for EQ, dynamics and gain."

The console opens up a range of creative possibilities that were previously unavailable to live sound engineers. "We've got a few months of fine-tuning and then we'll have one out on tour this year," Page says. The Showconsole is available to the touring market exclusively from Showco; sales to fixed venues will be managed exclusively by Harrison. Interested engineers will find a 2x3-foot poster from Harrison (info@glw.com) helpful. Inquiries regarding touring availability should be directed to Howard Page at Showco (hpage@vlint.com). -Mark Frink

EX'PRESSION CENTER FOR NEW MEDIA OPENS THIS MONTH Ex'pression Center for New Media, a new digital media arts school, begins classes on January 11. The school is located in Emeryville, Calif., and offers "total immersion" style programs in two courses of study, the 2,160-hour Sound Comprehensive Program and a 2,178-hour Digital Visual Media program. Classes cover 3-D modeling, 3-D and 2-D animation, digital visual effects for films and video, Internet, music recording and mixing, sound effects, live sound, technical maintenance, 5.1 Surround Sound, design and acoustics. Classes will be taught by certified Ex'pression faculty as well as by professionals now working in the music and video arts industries.

Ex'pression recently named the two directors who will oversee the schools academic programs. Rob Gibson, formerly with the Academy of Arts College in San Francisco, will head the Digital Visual Media program. Duke Zaffery, formerly with Full Sail Real World Education in Winter Park, Fla., oversees the sound department. For more information visit www.xnewmedia.com.

SOUNDSTONE TEAMS WITH IOMEGA AND LIQUID AUDIO SoundStone Entertainment, an online music retailer, announced that it has teamed up with Iomega Corporation, a high-profile maker of removable storage systems, and Liquid Audio to develop a new mechanism for consumers to download and store music securely from the Web. The new technology is designed to enable users to download copyright-protected singles from SoundStone.com onto Iomega Zip disks, then listen to the music using Liquid Audio's Liquid Music Player. The joint effort will result in the online music industry's first music-of-the-month club, Tunus Collectus(tm). Internet users will be able to visit Tunus Collectus at SoundStone's site and download new music singles every month, using Liquid Music Player and Iomega's Record-to-Play(r) encryption scheme.

SoundStone recently launched its second online music retail site, www.rock.com, which is created by and for 15- to 24-year-olds and favors alt rock, alt country, electronic, hip hop, punk, metal and ska, and provides reviews, access to music trends and one-to-one interaction with music experts.

WINTER NAMM THIS MONTH The NAMM International Music Market is coming up fast. The show takes place again at the Los Angeles Convention Center, running January 28-31. More than 1,100 exhibitors are expected. New to this year's show are two after-hours meeting places, located inside the convention center: The Talking Bull Tavern and the Rendezvous Cafe. These venues were created so attendees can extend the business day without having to leave the center as the exhibits close for the evening. For registration information, call 760/438-8001 or visit www.NAMM.com.

NEW WEB SITES Meyer Sound (www.meyersound.com) has posted its popular Meyer Sound Design Reference Handbook, written by veteran SIM engineer Bob McCarthy.

Adamson Systems Engineering's new site at www.adamsonproaudio.com features a full online catalog, distributor information, up-to-date press releases and new product information.

ATR Service Company, a restoration and service facility for Ampex audio recorders, is on the web at www.atrservice.com. The site includes pricing on parts, restoration services, transport modifications and ATR Service's own line of custom electronics for the Ampex ATR-100 series recorders.

OSCAR-WINNING RE-RECORDING MIXER RICK DIOR DIES Richard Dior, an Oscar-winning sound engineer who worked on Apollo 13, Dead Man Walking and over 2,000 movies and TV shows, died of a heart attack on October 26 at age 51. Dior worked for many years at Todd-AO East in New York, before opening Digital Cinema with Ken Hahn and Bill Marino of Sync Sound in 1997.

UPDATE In our November issue, we ran an item on Robert Vosgien's mastering project at CMS Mastering. Vosgien had left CMS by the time the issue came out. He has been replaced by Ron Boustead, who recently finished up Peabo Bryson's holiday single "A Family Christmas."

The Technical Excellence & Creativity Awards Nominating Panel is accepting entries for product nominations for the 15th Annual TEC Awards, to be held September 24 in New York City. To be eligible, products must have been released and in commercial use during the period from March 1,1998, to February 28, 1999. Categories are Ancillary Equipment, Amplifier Technology, Mic Preamplifier Technology, Computer Software & Peripherals, Microphone Technology, Sound Reinforcement Loudspeaker Technology, Studio Monitor Technology, Musical Instrument Technology, Signal Processing Technology (Hardware), Signal Processing Technology (Software), Recording Devices/Storage Technology, Workstation Technology, Sound Reinforcement Console Technology, Small Format Console Technology and Large Format Console Technology.

Companies wishing to nominate products should send: product name and qualifying category, date first commercially available (proof of shipment may be required; beta test sites do not qualify), and a contact name and telephone number.

Send all information to: TEC Awards, 1547 Palos Verdes Mall #294, Walnut Creek, CA 94596; fax to 925/939-4022; or e-mail KarenTEC@aol.com. All entries must be postmarked by Monday, February 1. For more information call Karen Dunn at 925/939-6149.

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