Nov 1, 2002 12:00 PM

Mix News for November 2002

Behringer Announces New Global Pricing Structure

Behringer announced the implementation of a new global pricing system that results in lower retail prices (including pricing for MI/pro audio products) in most countries.

"Last year's price reduction of up to 50 percent on our entire range enabled us to pass on incredible price reductions to our customers," said company founder Uli Behringer. "This year, we make last year's promise come true and continue our customer-oriented pricing policy on a worldwide scale. Every customer deserves to be able to enjoy our products at basically the same price."

For more, visit the Behringer Website at www.behringer.com.

Sonic Timeworks Updates Sharc Plug-In

Sonic Timeworks announced Version 3.2 of its Sharc One--Timeworks recording channel plug-in for Creamware's Scope Fusion Platform. The Sharc One is available in both stereo and mono versions.

With high-end Timeworks DSP algorithms, users can experience super-transparent compression, desirable "breathing and pumping," and the sound-sculpting possibilities of the 64-bit Perfect Analog Simulation VintagEQ that is unique to the platform. The compressor is based on the CompressorX algorithm, with selectable hard/soft-knee compression curves, and both RMS and peak-level detection circuit. There's also a new analog-style VU meter with peak/overload-detection LED, switchable to display gain reduction or input/output levels. The 4-band equalizer is based on the VintagEQ analog algorithm. Also included are high/low-shelving, two parametric mids and 15 dBs of cut and boost. The limiter allows you to increase the perceived level of the signal without causing digital distortion by using a softclip algorithm.

The entire line of Timeworks plug-ins for Creamware Scope Fusion Platform are available at www.sonictimeworks.com as a free maintenance update. Prices: Sharc One, $249; 4080L ProReverb, $249; VintagEQ, CompressorX, Mastering Compressors, $149/each; Studio Bundle 3.2 Gold, $549 (all plugs); Studio Bundle 3.2 LE, $349 (Sharc One and 4080L ProReverb); and Studio Bundle 3.2 Gold upgrade (includes Sharc One), $99.00 (special offer for existing customers until end of 2002. Normal price: $149).

AKG "Mic Check" CD Now Available

AKG Acoustics (Nashville) is now distributing Mic Check, a CD-ROM and audio CD that allows musicians, producers, engineers and retailers the ability to compare and contrast AKG microphones with various features and prices.

This free, enhanced audio CD can be played in a standard CD player or as a CD-ROM and includes 89 dynamic tracks.

Mic Check is available directly from AKG at www.akgusa.com.

Media 100 844/X Installed in Metropolis DVD

Media 100 Inc. (Marlboro, Mass.), a developer of advanced media systems, has installed its 844/X editing system into London-based Metropolis DVD. Metropolis DVD is the film, television and DVD-production arm of Metropolis Group, which includes Metropolis Studios.

Metropolis DVD, whose credits include Bryan Adams, Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix and Elton John, plan to use 844/X to expand its creative services by offering its clientele a complete range of capabilities from world-class studio recording and CD mastering to DVD authoring and broadcast production.

"Systems like 844/X from Media 100 will do for the video post-production market what Pro Tools did for the pro studio market in the 1990s," said Mike Gillespie, head of new business at Metropolis Group. "Facilities that have invested hundreds of thousands, even millions, of dollars in post-production suites are now faced with a single product that will do it all for a fraction of the cost. We've been here before and learned our lessons--only this time, we don't have a substantial legacy of investments to deal with."

The 844/X system was purchased by Metropolis through a Media 100-authorized Soho reseller, New Media Research.

For more on the 844/X, visit www.media100.com.

Otari Releases New Console, FireWire Card

Otari Corporation has announced these new products:

Its new digital on-air console, the DB-10, offers sample rates from 32 to 96 kHz and is based around an ergonomically designed control surface that features 10 fully configurable channel-input faders. The microphone inputs on channels 1 through 4 are always available, while the remaining six faders can be set up to control six stereo or two mono analog-input channels, four AES/EBU channel pairs or two S/PDIF input channel pairs. All analog and digital outputs can be routed to the A or B inputs of channels 5 through 10 for a maximum configuration of four mono and six stereo channels, making a total of 16 active signal paths. Each channel includes 3-band selectable EQ, compressor/limiter, two aux, two telephone and two program buses, plus two digital N-1 (mix-minus) buses.

Up to four DB-10 consoles can be cascaded to provide up to 64 channels. Talkback and program buses are also shared across cascaded consoles. Every channel also includes sample rate conversion for digital-input signals. The console can lock to external wordclock or its own internal master clock.

Otari also debuted the IEEE-1394 I/O Card for its FS-96 96kHz Digital Format and Sample-Rate Converter. The IEEE-1394 I/O card allows users to send and receive multichannel digital audio signals over an IEEE-1394 S400 network at up to 400 Mbps/second. The card supports Yamaha’s mLAN protocol for the transmission of audio data and control signals over a FireWire connection.

The Otari ND-20 audio network distribution system, Yamaha PM1D/DM-2000 or any other available IEEE-1394 mLAN product can be connected to the IEEE-1394 audio network. Installation of the option board in the FS-96 permits audio data conversion between IEEE-1394 and all common data formats (including AES/EBU, TDIF, SDIF and ADAT) supported by the FS-96.

Check out these new products at www.otari.com.

digital Guru Unveils New DAW Product Line

The digital Guru (www.thedigitalguru.net) has released its new line of top-quality DAW systems. Both core (no sound card or software, just the operating system installed and tweaked) and complete systems are available. System pricing starts at $999. There are two models designed specifically for GigaStudio users, as well as a variety of models available for music and video production.

"If you’ve been waiting to make the leap into the world of computer recording or media production, now is the time," said Chuck Johnson, owner of the digital Guru. Johnson was formerly the senior technician and product designer for Sound Chaser, and has developed numerous high-profile designs such as the GigaDAW TK1 and the ProDAW Series used by the Steinberg Nuendo Producer Group.

Please visit the digital Guru's Website or call 707/667-9595 for more info.

United Airlines Take-Off With Surround

Silverline Records and Dolby Laboratories have teamed up to offer United Airlines' passengers a multichannel surround experience on all overseas 777 flights during November and December.

Using the airline's in-flight entertainment system, passengers will be able to listen to a selection of Silverline Records' DVD-A offerings using Dolby Headphone technology. Tracks included on the "Rhythms of the World" program are "Small Axe" and "Don't Rock the Boat" by Bob Marley & The Wailers; "Que Pena" and "Tierra Del Sur" by Ziorq; "The Wild Rover" by The Dubliners; "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" by Ken Boothe; "Face the Devil" by Wailing Souls; and "Gingele" by Astrud Gilberto.

For more, visit Dolby online at www.dolby.com.

Oliver Peters Spearheads "Beat the Clock" Post-Production Team

The TV show Beat the Clock has returned to a TV set near you. Overseeing the post-production work for the series is Oliver Peters, an Orlando, Fla.,-based independent post consultant and freelance editor.

Peters set up two Avid-based edit suites (which used a combined total of nearly 2 terabytes of hard drive media space) and a team of editors to edit and mix the 130 half-hour shows and two prime-time specials. The BPS Group (Cape Canaveral, Fla.) and Moving Picture Electronic Services (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) supplied post-production equipment and resources; Doug Grover of BPS Group served as the post-production coordinator. The editing team, along with Peters, included Ken Montgomery, Greg Honick, Mike Konstan, Shannon Brearley and Amanda Box.

According to Peters, "We went with an Avid-based installation because it allowed us to quickly edit and sweeten these shows, as well as making it easy to revise the cut for the producers, the network and the director. We ran the Avids nearly 24/7 without a hitch."

For more, visit www.OliverPeters.com.

Euphonix Max Air Broadcast Tour Announces Dates

The Euphonix Max Air U.S. Broadcast Tour demonstration vehicle has been on the road and will end its trek at the NAB convention in Las Vegas in April 2003.

The specially commissioned truck is outfitted with a 96-channel Max Air mixing system and is setup to simulate a local TV station's digital audio control room with playback of 48 channels of digital audio and eight video streams, which include program, preview and six camera/ob sources.

Main sponsors include Accom, Miranda and Pioneer; co-sponsors are 360 Systems, Clear-Com, DK-Audio America, Dolby Laboratories, Genelec, NVISION, TC Electronic, TerraSonde and Wohler Technologies. These sponsors have provided audio and video equipment to interface with Max Air to help create a realistic state-of-the-art digital broadcast environment.

At each city (full list below), the vehicle will visit up to five TV stations to allow operators, management and technicians to see Max Air in action. If your station is located in one of the following cities and you would like the bus to stop at your facility, contact Euphonix sales coordinator Jonathan McDonnel at 650/846-1114 or jmcdonell@euphonix.com.

Here is a list of the cities the bus will be visiting:

Philadelphia, November 11 and November 15; Washington, D.C., November 18-19; Baltimore, November 20 and November 22; Miami, December 2-3; Tampa, Fla., December 4 and December 6; Atlanta, December 9 and December 13; Birmingham (Montgomery and Huntsville), Ala., December 16 and December 20; Nashville, January 2-3, 2003; New Orleans (Baton Rouge and Shreveport), January 6 and January 9; Houston, January 10 and January 14; San Antonio, January 15; Austin, Texas, January 16-17; Tulsa, Okla., January 20-21; Oklahoma City, January 22 and January 24; Dallas and Ft. Worth, January 27 and January 31; Phoenix, February 3 and February 7; San Diego, February 10 and February 12; Los Angeles, February 13 and February 21; Sacramento, Calif., February 24-25; San Francisco, February 26 and February 28; Vancouver, March 3 and March 6; Portland, Ore., March 7 and March 11; Seattle, March 12 and March 18; Salt Lake City, March 20-21; Las Vegas, March 26 and April 4; and NAB, April 7 and April 11.

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

Presence Studios Receive Package From Toy Specialists

New York City-based rental company The Toy Specialists at Scharff Weisberg recently supplied Presence Studios (Westport, Conn.) with a package of outboard gear. The equipment was used to complete Steely Dan's newest album, which was produced by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, and mixed by Elliot Scheiner.

The full package included Summit TLA-100 limiters, Prism Dream AD-2 A/D converters, Prism Dream DA-2 D/A converters, dbx 160SL compressor limiters, Meyer HD-1 powered monitors, Massenburg 8200 equalizers and Massenburg 8900 compressors. The Toy Specialists' format-conversion facility, TransferMat, also worked on the project, converting the 2-inch analog masters to 24-bit Pro Tools files for the mix and then to DASH tape for mastering.

The project was recorded and mixed in Studio A on Presence's Neve VR-Legend 60. "We've been working on this album with Walter, Donald and Elliot for 14 months, first recording overdubs, then mixes and finally the 5.1 mix," said Presence partner Jon Russell. "They are among our most discriminating clients, so when they request an esoteric piece of equipment or when they need equipment of the highest caliber, I always go to The Toy Specialists, because I know they'll have it and that it will be in good shape."

For more information on The Toy Specialists, drop them a buzz at 212/333-2206 or visit them online at www.toyspecialits.com/.

Neumann, Sennheiser Branch Out

"The Game of Love," the hit single from Santana's latest release Shaman that features a duet between Michelle Branch and Santana, was co-produced and co-written by ex-New Radicals frontman Gregg Alexander and Rick Nowels (Madonna, Dido, Jewel), and engineered by Chris Garcia. The piece was recorded at Nowels' studio in Santa Monica, Calif., where they relied on Neumann U67s for Branch's vocals and a U67 and Sennheiser MD 421 combo for Santana's axe.

"I used a Neumann U67 on Branch," recalled Garcia, who selected the microphone for its ability to best capture her vocal performance. "She sounds fabulous. She's a really good singer. We used all Neumann U87s on all of the horns," he said.

For instrument miking, Sennheiser microphones handled the drum overheads and the kick, as well as room ambience. For Carlos' guitar, Garcia used a U87 with a Sennheiser MD 421 for the amp.

According to Garcia, Shaman repeats the Supernatural formula by combining the legendary guitarist with Top 40 artists such as Macy Gray, Seal, Dido, P.O.D., Chad Kroeger and Musiq. "Santana pretty much worked with a different producer for each song," commented Garcia. "We were at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley [Calif.], and he was cutting three songs in each of the three studios with different producers."

Garcia's engineering resume includes Cindy Lauper's A Hat Full of Stars and projects with Dido and Jewel. He also engineered Celine Dion's Falling Into You, for which Nowels also wrote and produced the Grammy-winning single and title track.

For more, visit Sennheiser online at www.sennheiserusa.com or Neumann at www.neumann.com. Fantasy Studios can be found at www.fantasystudios.com/.

Digital Bear Entertainment Initiates Talent Scout Program

Music production and artist development company Digital Bear Entertainment is seeking outgoing, dedicated music listeners to participate in their new Talent Scout program, part of Digital Bear’s ongoing search for burgeoning musical acts. The position will require listeners to report back to Digital Bear on the most promising artists and to serve as a liaison between Digital Bear and the artists.

To find out more about becoming a Digital Bear Entertainment talent scout or client, contact director of artist relations Adam Nelson at 617/522-4550 or visit www.digitalbear.com.

Banff Centre Garners Four Awards

Participants in the Banff Centre's audio department picked up four out of five first-place awards in the Student Recording Competition during the this year's AES.

The participants--Marie Ebbing, David Houston and Shawn Everett--under the direction of Theresa Leonard, director of audio at The Banff Centre, took home the awards in these categories: Classical Stereo Category, Marie Ebbing, audio associate/admin, for Mahler's Symphony No. 4 in G Major; Surround Classical Category, David Houston, audio associate, for Brahms Symphony 1 in C minor: Allegro non troppo ma con brio; Pop/Rock Stereo Category, Shawn Everett, audio assistant, for "Like Little Dots In Space" and in the Pop/Rock Surround for "Quicksand."

The recordings were judged by an elite panel of Grammy and Emmy award-winning recording engineers, including Michael Bishop (Telarc International), John Eargle (JBL Professional) and Richard King (Sony Music Studios) in the Classical Music categories; and Bob Ludwig (Gateway Mastering), Frank Filipetti and Elliot Scheiner in the Pop/Rock categories.

"I am very proud of the three of them," said Theresa Leonard, director of audio at The Banff Centre. "I was especially thrilled at the positive reaction from the competition judges to the recordings. It speaks so highly of our programs and the opportunity it provides to the participants to excel and further their skills in this field."

For details about the audio programs at The Banff Centre, visit www.banffcentre.ca/music/audio/.

Remote Recording Captures Kravitz Live

Wrapping up his current tour, Remote Recording caught up with Lenny Kravitz to capture his show for a live DVD. Other dates were recorded earlier in the year in Germany and San Diego, Calif.

Matt Knobel was in Remote Recording's "Silver Studio": "Working with the gang from Remote Recording was a lovely experience. Making Lenny Live was made an easy task with the help of Dave and company." Knobel tracked the show on Remote Recording’s Neve VRM console, with Genelec 1031 monitors to Studer D-827 48-track digital recorders. Kravitz used AT-4054 vocal mics and AT-4050s on his guitar cabinets. Knobel then transferred the show to Pro Tools, and hooked up with Ed Cherney at the Hit Factory in New York, for the 5.1 mix.

Read Mix's "Tour Profile" on the current Lenny Kravitz tour at mixonline.com/ar/audio_lenny_kravitz/index.htm.

For more, visit Remote Recording at www.remoterecording.com.

Latin Grammy Winner Endorses Westlake Audio

Producer/engineer Humberto Gatica, winner of three Latin Grammy Awards this year, relies on Westlake Audio to create musical magic for top artists such as Celine Dion and fellow three-time 2002 Latin Grammy Award-winner Alejandro Sanz.

"I’ve spent 27 years doing everything from engineering to producing to mixing," said Gatica, who has done recordings for Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Lionel Richie, Chicago, Barbra Streisand, Elton John and Robert Palmer. "Westlake Audio is my choice for a home base because you can always get the sound you are looking for and the staff treats you like family. Simply put, when you spend half your life working in a room, you need to feel comfortable with the equipment and the people. The Westlake team cares about me and my projects, and that’s what keeps me coming back."

Westlake Audio offers seven state-of-the-art studios in two locations: Studio A and B in the Beverly Hills area and Studios C, D, E, P1, P2 and the Digital Audio Edit Bay in West Hollywood. Each room offers its own equipment list, ranging from the Solid State Logic 9000 J Series console to a large complement of Digidesign Pro Tools systems including the latest HD systems.

"I sometimes find myself in production situations where several of the studios are running my projects at the same time," Gatica explained. "I can be mixing a song in Studio E on the SSL J, break away and fix a guitar track in Studio C (also on a J Series), then go back to the mix in Studio E. Also, the acoustics in each room are superior, and the tremendous amount of outboard gear complements the capabilities of the consoles. The studios always have the newest toy floating around, so I can constantly try out new sounds. This type of setup is ideal for the way I need to work."

Chris Brooke, a mixer/engineer whom Gatica cites, along with co-producer Kenny O’Brien, as a big reason for his success, also loves the comfort and amenities provided by Westlake Studios. "I’ve worked with Humberto for about eight years at various facilities," said Brooke. "But we always look forward to coming back to Westlake as they have everything we need right here."

Visit Westlake's new and improved Website at www.westlakeaudio.com.

AmAssets to Liquidate 39 Mars Music Stores

The United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida has assigned AmAssets (Cleveland) to liquidate the sale of furniture, fixtures and equipment from 39 Mars Music Superstores that are closing nationwide. The stores are about 30,000 to 50,000 square feet each and are only five years old or less.

From the displays, teaching aids, showcases, racks, office equipment, point-of-sale equipment, computers, unusual posters and visuals, commercial stage lighting system, telephone system, sound system, recording studio, guitar center, a stage in the middle of the store, counters, décor, there is a cornucopia of unique and interesting furniture, fixtures and equipment. There are also many rare items to be sold.

The sales will begin next Monday, November 18, 2002, at each store and will continue until the conclusion of the store closing sale. Items will be sold on a "first come, first served" basis.

For more information call Ron Lertzman at 216/464-2566.

News came mid-October that the superstore chain declared bankruptcy and would liquidate. Read about this at mixonline.com/ar/audio_mars_music_liquidated/index.htm.

Argosy Launches Online Studio Furniture Guide

Argosy has released its new Online Studio Furnishings Guide online at www.ArgosyConsole.com. Web users can find pictures, pricing and detailed dimensions on the complete line of studio furnishings available from Argosy. Also new to the site is an Accessories section, offering casters, blank panels, shelf kits and more. Customizations are available, and in-stock items featured on the new Website ship to customers within five business days.

Weeks of November 1-15

Digigram Releases Drives Under Open-Source Licensing

Digigram (Montbonnot, France) will be making its source code available for its VX line of pro sound cards under open-source licensing. The Advanced Linux Sound Architecture (ALSA) driver developers at SuSE Linux AG (Germany) will be managing the initial project to port Digigram's drivers to Linux.

The source code of the Mac OS X drivers and driver-interface documentation will be first made available through the ALSA project Website (www.alsa-project.org/). ALSA is incorporated into the Linux kernel and provides the foundation for several Linux-based audio applications.

"By releasing the source code of Digigram's VX card drivers under open source licensing, professional audio quality is enabled for a new community of laptop and desktop users," said SuSE VP of development Marcus Rex. "Advanced users and programmers who need special functionality can now take matters into their own hands and develop new solutions."

"There has been a strong demand to enable our audio interfaces know-how for Linux, handheld and other embedded operating systems," said Digigram managing director Philippe Delacrois. "We are creating professional portability and reliability for applications, which, until now, have not had access to our audio technologies.

For more, visit SuSE online at www.suse.de/.

DiscMakers Hosts Search for Unsigned Talent

On Thursday, November 14, 2002, at 8 p.m., DiscMakers will host the Northeast 2002 Independent Music World Series (IMWS) at The Lion’s Den in New York City. The IMWS is a live music showcase series that provides unsigned musical acts an opportunity to showcase their talents, make industry contacts and compete for over $35,000 in recording gear, instruments, manufacturing services, DJ equipment and more.

The showcase, which will be judged by local and national music industry professionals and celebrities, will feature live performances from six finalists who have been selected by the editors of Billboard magazine. These artists--Amber de Laurentis, Moonraker, Duwende, Richard X Heyman, Sophia Ramos and Nicole McKenna--have been selected from a pool of over 1,200 of unsigned acts in the Northeast United States.

These finalists are competing for a prize package that includes: a DiscMakers’ complete CD-manufacturing package including 2,000 CDs in jewel boxes with four-page inserts, three-color printing on disc, UPC bar code, poly wrap, 300 11x17-inch posters and a complete mastering package from Disc Makers’ SoundLab; one Shure KSM44, two KSM32 and two KSM141 studio microphones; an Alesis HD24 hard disk 24-track, 24-bit/96kHz multitrack recorder; a Fender American Series Strat, ProReverb Guitar Amp, American Series Jazz Bass and a Bassman 1200S Head; an LX all-maple five-piece drum kit from Pacific Drums and Percussion, produced by Drum Workshop, including 10, 12, and 14 -inch toms, a 22-inch kick drum, a 5x14-inch snare and hardware; a complete set of Zildjian ZXT cymbals including a ride, hi-hats and two crash cymbals; Remo drum heads; a complete DJ system from Gemini; s year-long membership to Taxi, the world’s leading A&R company; one free year of Web hosting from CD Baby, an indie-only store; and Billboard magazine’s "Musician’s Guide to Touring and Promotion."

DiscMakers will also produce a compilation CD for each IMWS region, which will include music from each of the six finalists, along with 10 other artists selected from the semifinalists, and will be distributed to an exclusive list of industry contacts.

The Lion’s Den is located at 214 Sullivan St. (between Bleecker and West 3rd Street) in New York City. Doors open at 8 p.m. You must be 18 and over to get in, and there is a $5 cover charge.

For more information on the Independent Music World Series, visit www.discmakers.com/imws.

Event Electronics Offers Holiday Rebate

Event Electronics announced the EZbus $100 holiday rebate that is available for EZbus purchases made between November 1, 2002, and December 31, 2002. To claim your rebate, print the rebate coupon available at www.event1.com/rebate.html, fill out all required information and send the completed coupon along with the original sales receipt and UPC label from the EZbus package to: Event Electronics, PO Box 4189, Santa Barbara, CA 93140-4189.

DMT Rentals Adds Model Two Converters

Euphonix announced that DMT Rentals (Burbank, Calif.) has purchased nine Model Two HDCD Processors. Model Two is manufactured, sold and serviced by Euphonix through an exclusive agreement with Microsoft, which acquired the design from Pacific Microsonics.

DMT is run by president and CEO Doug Botnick, who is currently working as a scoring mixer with the likes of Randy Newman and Hans Zimmer. "Our goal at DMT is to bring to the recording and film industries the best that digital recording is capable of. We've always had the best converters available for our clients, and now we have what has become known to many in the mastering world as the ultimate. Recently, we've been seeing more 5.1 music mixing where multiple Model Two converters will really shine. That's one reason we have nine units, so that there are three sets of three available for multiple projects at once."

According to Botnick, the units are being used for stereo mixing and mastering at 176.4k or 192k. Recent projects include Mark Antoine CD with Al Schmitt, by Jack Joseph Puig for albums by the Counting Crows, Johnny Lang, rentals to Neil Young and Bonnie Raitt, and for Disney's The Emperor's New Groove soundtrack.

For more, visit www.euphonix.com.

Triks For "The Tonight Show"

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno's monitor engineer Sandy Dillon is now using two Sound Physics Labs SPL-trik as sidefill monitors.

Dillon reports that he made the move to the Sound Physic Labs' trik cabinets for two main reasons: "First of all, they sound really good while delivering high SPLs with a lot of bottom. Plus, they're extremely portable. With the smallish stage and limited backstage area, finding sidefill monitors I can stack and roll onto the performance space and just plug in is quite important.

"The SPL-trik loudspeakers complements our existing monitoring system," Dillon concluded. They have been used for groups like Queens of the Stone Age, Snoop Dogg and Nelly over the last few weeks.

For more, visit Sound Physics Labs online at www.soundphysics.com.

ML3000 Gets the Royal Treatment

The Royal Welsh College of Music (Penryn, UK) has purchased an Allen & Heath ML3000 15-bus live sound VCA console as part of a major upgrade to its audio system. The 32-channel mixer was recommended and provided by the Cardiff branch of Stage Electrics, one of Europe's suppliers of technical equipment to the entertainment, leisure and presentation industries.

According to Simon Kenning, account handler with Stage Electrics, he chose the ML300 because it "provides a lot of versatility and advanced functions like VCAs, which makes it great for students to learn on. The college is very happy with the desk and it works brilliantly in conjunction with their new Martin Audio system [Stage Electrics also supplied a Martin Audio Wavefront W2 and WS2A speaker system as part of the upgrade.]."

For more, visit Allen & Heath at www.allen-heath.co.uk or Martin Audio at www.martin-audio.com. See the new console in action at the Royal Welsh College of Music's site at www.rwcmd.ac.uk.

Yessian Music Adds Gerard Smerek to Its Roster

Yessian Music (Detroit) recently signed an agreement with recording engineer/mixer Gerard Smerek, retaining one of the most sought-after names in the music industry for commercial work. Smerek, also known as "G," has worked with such notable recording artists as Anita Baker, Natalie Merchant, R. Kelly, Bob Seger and Deniece Williams. His name is attached to many Grammy-awarded and Grammy-nominated albums and singles including R. Kelly's R, Deniece Williams' This Is My Song and Natalie Merchant's "Carnival."

"We're very excited about joining forces with Gerard," said Dan Yessian, founder of Yessian Music. "His impact on the Billboard charts will carry over to our spot work, and our clients are very enthusiastic about the new dimension he will bring to their products."

Visit Yessian Music online at www.yessianmusic.com.

Berklee College of Music Adds New Dean
Boston-based Berklee College of Music has just added Stephen Croes to its roster as dean of the music technology division. In this role, Croes will oversee the music production and engineering department and the music synthesis department.

Croes' comprehensive career includes an eclectic array of work in various music roles, from mixing, engineering, producing, orchestrating, conducting, arranging, writing, programming, sound design and performance on keyboards and percussion. He has contributed to recordings by Fleetwood Mac, Geggy Tah, Kenny Loggins, Stevie Wonder, Brenda Russell, Jennifer Warnes, The Yellowjackets and Leonard Cohen. Croes has worked on feature films such as Bull Durham, Red Scorpion and The Treat; his television credits include work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, National Geographic specials and Cousteau Society specials, as well as work for TV specials for PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, Showtime and Fox.

"The thing that appealed to me about Berklee," said Croes, "is the variety of what goes on here and the significance of what goes on here. Education is a renewable resource here. This is a place where ideas and techniques and experiences are always evolving and developing out in the open. Everybody that participates gets to deal with new things all of the time, and this energy is very exciting."

Harry Chalmiers, provost/VP for academic affairs, said, "We are so very fortunate to have Steve as our new dean. He brings an enormous variety of professional experiences and expertise to the college, and his knowledge of the industry will be invaluable to our students seeking to begin their careers. Steve has gained the admiration and respect of the students, faculty and administration in record time!"

For more, visit www.berklee.edu.

Liberty Livewire to Be Renamed Ascent Media Group
Liberty Livewire (Santa Monica) will change its corporate name to Ascent Media Group (www.ascentmedia.com) on Wednesday, November 20, 2002. As a result, effective that same day, the company's NASDAQ ticker symbol for its Class-A common stock will change from LWIRA to AMGIA.

Ascent Media Group provides a wealth of services to content owners in post-production, media-asset management and content distribution available through the company's three service segments: Ascent Media Creative Services (formerly Liberty Livewire Pictures), Ascent Media Network Services (formerly Liberty Livewire Networks) and Ascent Media Management Services (formerly Liberty Livewire Media). Among the myriad services offered within the company are telecine, online and offline editing, visual effects, foreign language dubbing, sound editorial, sound mixing, digital asset management, encoding, uplink services, distribution to foreign broadcast, Internet delivery, system integration and video-on-demand. These services are offered on a global basis through over 100 facilities in five countries, provided by more than 3,700 associates.

The re-naming of Liberty Livewire to Ascent Media Group is due to a strategic effort that began two years ago with the establishment of Liberty Livewire in June 2000. Liberty Livewire was formed through a series of strategic acquisitions that resulted in a global aggregation of media services companies that provide post-production, media-asset management and content-distribution services.

The acquired businesses include Company 3, R!OT, Method, Rushes, Encore, Level 3 Post, Soundelux, Todd-AO, POP Sound, Digital Image, 4MC, Audio+Video International, Group W Network Services, Waterfront Communications, A.F. Associates and Asia Broadcast Center. As a result, clients can take advantage of Ascent Media Group's integrated end-to-end service capabilities; in essence, creating a one-stop shop for all of their needs, from the creation of the asset through its distribution.

According to Bill Fitzgerald, Ascent Media Group's chairman and CEO, "Ascent Media Group is investing extensively in the development of next-generation technology platforms and service applications such as video-on-demand, interactive television and store-and-forward technology. In doing so, the company is setting the stage for future development, while positioning itself to support new facets of content creation, management and distribution."

Although most of Liberty Livewire's companies will adopt the new Ascent Media Group identity, a select number of legacy brands will preserve their operating names. These include POP Sound, R!OT Santa Monica, R!OT Manhattan, R!OT Atlanta, FilmCore Editorial (Santa Monica), FilmCore Editorial (San Francisco, FilmCore Distribution (Hollywood), FilmCore Distribution (San Francisco), Company 3, Company 3 New York, Method Name, Bink Digital, A.F. Associates Inc. and Video Rentals Inc. According to Ascent Media, the rationale for this decision is because many clients who enlist post-production services often prefer the attributes afforded by a "boutique" brand.

The Ascent Media name will be adopted by the company's UK and Asia operations in the first quarter of 2003.

Adlib Audio Adds MH4
Liverpool, England,-based Adlib Audio is the latest premier league rental company to purchase both 40- and 48-channel frame versions of the Soundcraft MH4 console.

The MH4 comes with four stereo mic/line inputs and can serve as either a dedicated FOH or monitor desk-–or a combination of both-–attributes that Adlib Audio's managing director Andy Dockerty was seeking.

Dockerty explained, “We are finding that in our marketplace-–typically the 1,000 to 2,000-capacity venues–-we need a reasonably high-spec desk in a relatively small footprint, which the engineers will be happy with. I liked Soundcraft´s Series FOUR because it delivered a lot of product in a small footprint. But the MH4, which can go at either end of the multicore, fills a nice gap in the marketplace and enables us to package our systems as competitively priced one-offs, which is appealing to promoters and compatible with the style of work in which we specialize.”

For more, visit Soundcraft online at www.soundcraft.com or Adlib Audio at www.adlibaudio.co.uk.

HEI, Shure to Provide Free Hearing Screenings at NAMM
Representatives from the House Ear Institute (HEI) and Shure Incorporated will partner to provide free hearing screenings to both attendees and exhibitors at 2003 Winter NAMM at the Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif.

The hearing screenings are located at the back of Hall E and available Thursday, January 16, 2003, through Sunday, January 19, 2003, during show hours, and beginning one hour before the show opens to accommodate exhibitors.

A certified OSHA technician conducts the screenings and a licensed audiologist from the House Ear Institute is on hand to counsel participants on their confidential screening results.

The screenings are a part of the House Ear Institute's Sound Partners program and Shure's Bid for Hearing program. Sound Partners raises awareness among audio and music professionals of permanent hearing-loss risks caused by overexposure to excessive sound levels. Shure's Bid for Hearing is the company's hearing-conservation program and corporate cause dedicated to teaching consumers and audio professionals how to enjoy sound responsibly.<

Visit www.hei.org or call 213/483-4431 for more. Visit NAMM at www.namm.com.

Liquid Audio, Alliance Terminate Merger
Liquid Audio (Redwood City, Calif.) and Alliance Entertainment (Coral Springs, Fla.) announced that they have mutually agreed to terminate a proposed merger that was agreed upon on June 12, 2002, and restated in July 14, 2002.

Liquid Audio and Alliance Entertainment planned on merging to combine their operations to distribute digital and physical entertainment media, as well as create stockholder value. Both companies' managements still support the strategic values of the merger; however, a significant portion of Liquid Audio's stockholders have publicly expressed opposition to the proposed merger and the companies believe that the termination is in the interest of both parties.

For updates, visit www.liquidaudio.com.

Euphonix Max Air Controls Steinberg Nuendo at Tonmeister Show
Euphonix and Steinberg demonstrated another example of the integration between Euphonix's Max Air and Steinberg's Nuendo at the Tonmeister trade show in Hanover, Germany. This demonstration follows the recent L.A. AES demonstrations of Steinberg software and the Euphonix digital large-format consoles, where the two companies announced a strategic alliance to create an integrated system that combines a control surface and Nuendo software.

"This demonstrates our ability to combine Max Air's DSP capabilities and Nuendo's native signal processing, based on an open-architecture philosophy utilizing Euphonix's 'EuCon Networking Protocol' and using Max Air as a control surface," stated Martin Kloiber, executive VP of technology at Euphonix. "Ultimately, we plan to offer a large-format control surface built with our current console technology that integrates seamlessly with Nuendo aimed at the music and post markets."

Manfred Ruerup, CEO of Steinberg, added, "Nuendo is entirely based on native signal processing, but with Max Air's DSP power, we are expanding the limits of native signal processing to deliver the next level of digital recording and editing, with a very sophisticated control surface."

The demonstrations at the Tonmeistertagung will be held at Steinberg booth E 62, November 22-25, 2002.

For more on the alliance, visit either www.euphonix.com or www.steinberg.net.

Gefen Reduces Conversion Box, DVI-HUB Prices
In response to customer demands and product upgrades, Gefen (Woodland Hills, Calif.) has reduced the price on two of its most popular products.

The ex-tend-it VGA-to-ADC Conversion Box allows users to connect the VGA graphics from a PowerBook G4 or other desktop computer (Mac or PC) to any Apple flat-panel display. Since its release earlier this year, a more economical yet reliable power supply alternative was incorporated in the product design, thereby reducing the price by $100 on those boxes currently being produced.

Gefen has also reduced the price on its ex-tend-it DVI Hub, which is designed to split a DVI source and send it to two DVI flat-panel or projector screens, is now available for $499. Gefen's DVI Hub enables both monitors and projectors to connect to a computer equipped with just one DVI port and also extends both output signals up to 330 feet from the computer.

Product information may be found online at www.gefen.com.

Wyclef Jean, Jerry Wonda Add SSL to New Room
Platinum Sound, Former Fugees rapper and solo hip hop artist/producer Wyclef Jean's and his producing partner Jerry Wonda's New York City-based production/recording/mixing facility, added a new room to their all-SSL facility and outfitted it with an SSL XL 9000 K console.

"There are a lot of studios in New York, but none of them 'got the kicks,' if you know what I mean," said Jean. "We want our little studio to be anything that you want, and that meant going with the XL. This console allows us to address 5.1 surround and DVD productions, and that brings us into the future today to meet the demands of our business."

For more, visit Solid State Logic online at www.solid-state-logic.com.

Rascal Flatts Album Mixed on Harrison
Country artists Rascal Flatts latest release, Melt, was mixed and mastered on the Harrison SeriesTwelve at The Work Station studio in Emerald Entertainment Group (Nashville).

The Work Station is a full-service music-production facility located in the heart of Nashville's Music Row that offers a variety of production services, including overdubs, digital editing and sweetening, mixing, mastering and much more.

The band's self-titled Platinum debut CD (also mixed and mastered at Emerald) has had four Top 10 singles, including the chart-topping "Prayin' For Daylight" and the multimedia smash "I'm Movin' On," as well as stayed on the charts for two years. The band--comprised of Jay DeMarcus, Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney--has also scored appearances on the soundtracks for The Emperor's New Groove and We Were Soldiers. They were voted the ACM's 2001 New Vocal Group of the Year, and in 2002, they garnered the prestigious CMA Horizon Award.

Visit Emerald at www.emeraldsound.com. Check out Rascal Flatts at www.rascalflatts.com.

Experience Music Project Highlights Disco Era
Seattle's Experience Music Project will unveil "Disco: A Decade of Saturday Nights" that will open November 23, 2002. The exhibit will feature equipment used by pioneering DJs such as a Bozak mixer and Thorens turntables, artifacts including the drum kit used by Earl Young, the inventor of the disco beat, and the Plexiglass guitar played by Nile Rogers of Chic, as well as interactive listening stations and kiosks.

For more, visit EMP online at www.emplive.com.

Steinberg Intros V-STACK
Steinberg (Chatsworth, Calif.) introduced V-STACK, a virtual 32-bit mixer and rack for up to 16 VST Instruments for VST System Link networks.

Features include: mixer with up to 200 or more channels plus four group channels; support for up to 16 VST Instruments; eight effects sends, five effects inserts per audio channel, four master effect sends; VST System Link support; and real-time support for VST, VST2 and DirectX plug-ins.

V-STACK is available now on CD for $59, or as a download for $49. More information can be found at www.steinberg.net.

Syracuse University Shifts to Digital
Students who graduate from S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, Department of Television, Radio & Film will now have access to facilities that were recently upgraded to handle fully digital projects with 5.1 surround capability.

Key to the new setup were three Yamaha DM2000 Digital Production Consoles, Digidesign Pro Tools 5.1 hard disk recording systems, and Yamaha center-channel speakers and subwoofers. All equipment was supplied by Boynton Pro Audio of Kenmore, N.Y.

The department uses 17 studios that include two large TV studios, four AVID and eight Final Cut Pro post-production facilities, plus three audio-only production and post-production rooms. There is also an extensive array of TV, film and audio equipment available for location production.

The three audio-only studios house the DM2000 consoles and the Pro Tools systems. Some analog outboard gear and a 24-track analog tape recorder remain, but, according to Dr. Stan Alten, professor and author of Audio in Media: The Recording Studio, "all of the studios are now completely digital and capable of surround sound. In the past, each of our studios had a different array of equipment, including consoles, so that if a student took a course in one studio and then another course in another studio, they would have to be re-taught. We were spending too much time with the learning curves, so the idea was to make the audio facilities uniform.

"The studios were all originally analog, with Pro Tools systems added later. We figured that we really had to make the complete conversion to digital, not only for instructional purposes, but also to make our students more marketable."

Alten chose the Yamaha DM2000 because "the flexibility is extraordinary, plus the capability of having 96 channels in a compact chassis, the signal processing, the automation and the ability to use SmartCards to save and restore settings. Also, the console´s surround sound capability was pivotal in the decision. Practically all of the features of the DM2000 are being utilized, except for the tape-transport functions, which we don´t need because we use Pro Tools. The Yamaha Studio Manager software enables the students to either use the console or Pro Tools as their central platform and work going one way or the other."

Although the Yamaha consoles offer 96-input capability, Alten feels that beginning students should be limited to 24 channels at first. "Working with more may be too overwhelming. In more advanced courses, they can obviously handle more [channels]."

To complete the upgrade to surround, additional speakers were needed for center channel and subwoofers. The department was happy with its existing KRK speakers but needed compatible speakers. "We found that the Yamaha NS AC40X center-channel speakers and YST-SW305 powered subwoofers worked extremely well. We may bring in an acoustician to run some tests, and we also want to explore the possibility of putting variable acoustics in the studios."

Each studio is equipped with a Korg General MIDI-synthesis system and Hafler power amps. The installation was handled by the school´s technical support staff and supervised by senior support technician Mark Schnell. "Mark is a brilliant technician who also understands the creative aspects of production," notes Alten. "Paul Fitzgibbons [Boynton Pro Audio] was helpful as there were a number of technical questions, and he was more than forthcoming in his assistance."

For more information on the S.I. Newhouse program, visit http://newhouse.syr.edu/. Contact Yamaha at www.yamaha.com/proaudio.

Propellerhead, M-Audio Release Tutorial
Propellerhead Software and its distributor, M-Audio, have released Producing Music With Reason, an interactive CD-ROM that provides tutorials covering Propellerhead's Reason software. Jointly produced by the two companies, the CD-ROM contains three hours of tutorials and resources for beginning to advanced users.

Topics include song structure, principles of synthesis, creating Redrum arrangements, using Dr. Rex percussion and loops, tuning Redrum and Dr. Rex loops and much more. It also includes expert lessons on new Reason 2.0 features including expanded pro sequencer functionality, unique new graintable synthesis with Malstrom and advanced sampling with the NN-XT.

Producing With Reason comes with a $39.95 MSRP price tag and works on Mac and PC, though Mac OS X is not supported yet. Sample QuickTime movies are available at www.propellerheads.se or www.m-audio.com.

New York Audio Production Show Premieres
The first New York Audio Production Show will premiere at Madison Square Garden on January 30 to February 1, 2003. The three-day event comprises several educational activities (including a Pro Tools International Users Conference), industry leader panels and discussions, vendor workshops, user group meetings and an exhibition.

The event is designed to provide a "how to" on technical info, creative insights, the latest trends in audio production and provide audiophiles with a spectrum of current buying options. The show should attract East Coast-based sound designers, technicians, audio engineers, producers, performers, sound contractors and professionals working in sound post-production reinforcement, broadcast stations, film and video production.

Rick Friedman, president of Mindshare Ventures (producer of the event), said, "There hasn't been an event for audio pros in New York City for over a year, so we expect 3,000-plus to attend, and we believe it's a great opportunity for audiophiles to get distilled advice, objective opinions and demo the latest products at a great location--Madison Square Garden."

Chaired by Mix columnist Paul Verna, the 12 keynote sessions are open and free to all attendees. Topics include "A Case Study of Super-Audio CD Technology," "Music in Commercials: Licensing vs. Original," "How Commercial Studios Are Dealing With the Home-Recording Boom," "The Effects of Smaller, Lighter, Better and Cheaper Digital Broadcast Audio," "Sound-For-Picture," "Sound For Live Events," "The Rise of Internet Studios," "Careers in Music Production: Advice From Grammy Winners" and "Deconstructing a Hit, Fixing It in the (Re)mix."

The Pro Tools conference--chaired by Ben Kozuch, president of Future Media Concepts, a Digidesign-certified instructor--offers 13 tech sessions for those using Pro Tools 5.5 and the new 6.0 for music and post-production. The music track includes advanced music editing, MIDI tools and techniques, advanced mixing, control surfaces and surround for music. The post-production track discusses advanced file formats, advanced post editing, advanced mixing, synchronization, machine control, digital picture integration with AVoptionXL, control surfaces and surround for post.

Delegates can pre-register for one person ($350) or for two people ($650) or for all three days with a VIP pass ($825). A 15% early bird discount is available until December 13, 2002.

For more, visit www.nydvshow.com.

Sound Arts Canada Adds Nexo Geo
Sound Art Canada has purchased a Nexo Geo Tangent Array System, consisting of 14 GEO S805 5-degree array elements and two S830 30-degree array elements, plus four CD12 Controlled Directivity Sub-Bass units. The system is managed by two Nexo NX241 digital controllers and amplified by four Camco Vortex 6 digital amps.

Currently, Sound Art's new GEO System is on tour with the Shaolin Monks and the "Wheel of Life" (a martial arts theater event) in Eastern U.S.

According to co-director of Sound Art touring Jeff Berryman, "The system was originally conceived for 100 to 105dB applications: theatrical venues, clubs and small outdoor venues. But we got great behind-the-stage coverage from a single 15-element tangent array at a recent arena concert in Vancouver, a benefit that featured Sarah McLachlan, Bryan Adams, Jann Arden and the Barenaked Ladies. For that show, the GEO array was combined with larger line arrays from Electro-Voice. We were able to achieve a relatively seamless blend of all three systems, and many people remarked at the quantity and quality of sound from the GEO array."

Contact Sound Arts Canada at www.soundart.com or Nexo at www.nexo-sa.com.

Brad Colerick, Dave Curtin Form DeepMix
Music industry and advertising vets Dave Curtin and Brad Colerick have created a new music-supervision company, DeepMix (Hollywood). The new company will specialize in commercial and film music supervision, as well as original music utilizing artists, producers, DJs and remixers; the duo will also be involved in soundtracks, music-branded CDs and other niche services.

Colerick, president of the new entity, said, "We see DeepMix as a kind of hybrid company, catering to both the music and advertising worlds." Curtin will act as creative director.

Colerick recently won a 2002 London International Advertising award for a recording of Buddy Guy; he has also worked on spots for Coca-Cola, Budweiser, McDonald's, Sears and Reebok. Curtin's career began as a DJ and has evolved into a record producer and artist manager. He was the music supervisor for Poison Ivy 2 and Embrace of the Vampire.

They are currently doing music supervision for American Rap Stars, a hip hop documentary featuring Russell Simmons, Snoop Dogg, Run-DMC and other rap luminaries for First Look Media, as well as supervision for Quicksand and Borderline.

DeepMix is located at 6253 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 890, Hollywood, CA 90028; 323/822-0583.

Glenwood Studios Installs Vintage Neve
Glenwood Place Studios recently installed a 68-channel custom Neve 8068 MKII with Flying Fader Automation.

Heading the custom Neve 8068 installation was chief engineer Mitch Berger, who has been busy upgrading and retrofitting the console for the Neve room's first client, Stix Hooper.

"When we first received the console, it was two completely separate boards--it had two master sections," said Berger. "The first thing was to remove one of the master sections, convert it into a bucket for eight channels and then move the other center section over one bucket so it's in the center of the console. We've done a lot of modifications in the master section. You can now send talkback to individual or any combination of aux sends, 16- or 4-track, the metering can monitor any of the mix buses or group outputs. We added two cue source-select modules so that you can select any group of inputs to the headphones without patching them, which is pretty convenient. We replaced most of the wiring, so now 89 percent of the right side of the console is Mogami wiring. We recapped the whole console with the best capacitors we could buy on the market. The patchbay also got replaced--it's a completely nickel-plated patchbay now. Sonically, nothing has changed; we just brought it up to modern console standards. It's just a great all-purpose board. It's got one of the best mic pre's and EQs in the world that were ever designed."

Complementing the Neve 8068 room is the Pro Tools|HD system, as well as analog and digital formats. The room also features a large tracking area with several iso booths. For more, visit www.glenwoodstudios.com.

Missouri Valley College Performing Center Installs ATC Speakers
Missouri Valley College (Marshall, Mo.), a privately funded liberal arts institution, has renovated the adjoining 27-year-old antiquated performing arts center, Mabee Memorial Chapel.

MediaOne, a Kansas City-based company, was contracted to design and implement a new system from the ground up. Chris Isom, Jim Surber and Nick Whitaker were the principal designers of this project. All of the existing audio and video
equipment was stripped out and rewired. Al Eckilson, A MediaOne principal, said that the installation of an ATC array was critical to the success of the project.

"This was an interesting project for us because the standards we were asked to adhere to were very high," said Eckilson. "The performance space has two major applications: audio reinforcement for live theater and concert events, and audio playback. We were asked to provide a 7.1 speaker system that would provide the best surround sound available for a giant 22-foot digital-projection system."

When it was built, the Mabee Memorial Chapel used a JBL horn-based speaker system. "That was state-of-the-art at the time," said Eckilson, "but we wanted to eliminate the horn-based speaker concept entirely. Horns color the sound too dramatically. All you have to do is speak with your hands in front of your mouth to realize that while horns are effective in directing sound, they change the nature of an audio signal."

MediaOne installed three ATC SCM 300ASL speakers above the stage for left, center and right channels and four SCM 0.1/15 powered subwoofers under the stage, because "we really wanted to make sure that the bass impact was powerful. We custom designed the enclosures to accommodate the subs, and the sound is superb." Three pairs of ATC SCM 20 Pros were installed to handle the surround information being sent to the sides of the theater, and a fourth pair was installed in the rear. "We're using the new DTS-ES Discrete 6.1 surround processing, which essentially outputs as the rear center channel. We're also going through a MediaMatrix DSP processor, which is handling all of our phasing, delay and room equalization. All of this is sent to the ATC array through a Soundcraft 64-channel mixer."

For more, visit www.atc.gb.net.

In Memoriam: Jim Ringwood
Jim Ringwood, chairman emeritus of IRMA, has died of cancer on November 21, 2002.

Ringwood served continuously on the International Recording Media Association Board of Directors since he was first elected in 1981 representing the membership of Maxell Corp. of America. He was elected VP of IRMA in 1992, president in 1995, acting Chairman of the Board in 1996 and Chairman of the Board in 1997. He served on numerous committees in the association and was a strong advocate for enhancing the value of the trade association to the industry. He was also a longtime member and past president of the Vision Fund.

"Jim will always be remembered as a very kind and understanding gentleman, with a cheery attitude toward everyone and everything," said Charles Van Horn, IRMA president. "He was the consummate people person: genuinely interested in others and always willing to offer help. It was this generosity and empathy, both in spirit and in deeds, that will always set him apart. Jim's dedication to the industry and his good-natured spirit will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Ringwood family."

Ringwood leaves behind his wife Maureen, son James III, daughter Kimberly Williams, son-in-law Jeffrey Williams, and grandchildren Matthew, Joseph and Patrick James Williams.

Because one of Jim's grandchildren has rheumatoid arthritis, the family has requested that those who wish may make donations in Jim's name do so to: The James J. Ringwood Jr. Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Foundation Inc., c/o McCarthy, Fingar et al., 11 Martine Ave., White Plains, N.Y. 10606, Attention: John R. Parker, Esq.

SugarHill Recording Hosts Joe Sample
Joe Sample has been working on his latest project at SugarHill Recording Studios (Houston) during the past month. Sample brought in independent engineer Paul Mitchell; SugarHill staff engineers Steve Christensen and John Griffin were second engineers. The project was tracked in Studios A and B on the Neotek Elite console and recorded to both 2-inch tape and Pro Tools. It was mixed in Pro Tools through the console in Studio A. Sample served as producer, songwriter and musician on the project; the lyricist is Denise Labrie.

The project is a promotional recording to introduce a new band that Sample has organized, Creole Joe. The musicians who were playing alongside Sample were Keith Frank, Brian Jack and Yvonne Washington, all of whom are natives of southeast Texas and Louisiana. Also participating in the project are members of the TSU Ocean of Soul drum corp. The music will be a blend of creole, blues and country.

For more, visit SugarHill at www.sugarhillstudios.com.

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