Weeks of July 1-15
Sales of Audio Products on the Rise, Study Shows
Manufacturer-to-dealer sales of audio products grew to more than$579 million during April 2002, an increase of 7% compared to the sameperiod in 2001, according to the Consumer Electronics Association(CEA).
Increased dollar sales of systems and aftermarket auto-soundproducts were largely responsible for the overall increase, accordingto CEA; aftermarket auto-sound products increased by more than 21% to$201 million and dollar sales of systems increased by 18% to $145million. Year-to-date sales of aftermarket auto-sound also increased tonearly 9% over 2001 to $783 million.
“Overall, the conversion to CD in the car is continuing to drive theaftermarket audio category and the audio category as a whole,” saidSean Wargo, senior industry analyst for CEA. “Withmanufacturer-to-dealer sales reaching $109.6 million during April,in-dash CD players are the largest audio category in terms of revenue.With it, healthy interest in better sound through speaker upgrades andamps is growing the aftermarket sector.”
In fact, sales of power amps increased during April by nearly 20% to$31 million, according to CEA, and manufacturer-to-dealer sales offlushmount speakers increased by 25% to $19 million; the biggest pushseemed to come from 6 1/2-inch speakers. Separate bass speaker salesalso were on the rise during April, posting gains of 44% to $13.5million, due predominately to sales of 12-inch woofers, according toCEA.
Wargo said, “Despite an overall drop in year-to-date audio sales,the long-term outlook for the audio industry remains optimistic asconsumers enjoy all of the benefits digital audio has to offer.”
All the data cited is available for purchase through CEA’s MarketActivity Reports and Analysis (MARA) program.
Visit CEA online at www.CE.org.
Philips, Crest National Bring SACD Plant to U.S.
Royal Philips Electronics and Crest National announced a partnershipagreement to develop a Super-Audio CD hybrid disc production line to beinstalled in Crest National’s replication facilities in Hollywood. Theproduction line is scheduled to be installed this summer, with fullproduction by fall of this year. The first line will have a productioncapacity of 3 million SACD hybrid discs a year, with more lines tofollow, according to Philips.
According to Philips, this is the first SACD hybrid disc productionline to be established in the U.S., and will increase the availablehybrid disc-manufacturing capacity to meet the rapidly increasingdemand for this new medium. The agreement also includes post-productionactivities in SACD authoring.
“Philips is pleased that SACD hybrid disc production will now beinstalled by one of the leading disc replicators and post-productionfacilities in the world,” said Jos Bruins, Philips marketing directorfor the Super-Audio CD format. “This is an important part of the nextphase of the roll out of SACD into the mass market.” “Crest National ispleased to be taking a leading role in SACD hybrid disc manufacturing,”said Ronald E. Stein, president of Crest National. “We welcome theopportunity to partner with Philips to bring this exciting new mediumto North America. It is a further reflection of Crest’s experience andexpertise in implementing new technologies and bringing high-qualityproducts to the world’s most demanding customers.”
For more, visit Philips online at www.philips.com
Apple Acquires Emagic
From www.emagic.de/english/news/index
Apple today announced it has acquired Emagic, a leading provider ofprofessional software solutions for computer-based music production.Emagic’s most popular product, Logic, is actively used by over 200,000musicians around the world. Emagic will operate as a wholly owneddivision of Apple.
“Emagic has set the industry standard for professional musiccreation and production,” said Sina Tamaddon, Apple’s senior VP ofapplications. “We’re very excited to have the Emagic team join Appleand create more amazing products for musicians.”
Macintosh-based products account for over 65% of Emagic’s currentrevenues. Emagic’s Windows-based product offerings will be discontinuedon September 30, 2002.
Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with theApple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with theMacintosh. Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computingexperience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumersaround the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internetofferings.
Steinberg Offers Upgrade to Emagic Users, Emagic to Release Logic5.2
Steinberg North America (Chatsworth, Calif., www.us.steinberg.net) today announced a specialupgrade to the new Cubase SX for $299 for all Emagic Logic AudioPlatinum, Gold and Silver users, from July 1 to September 30, 2002.
This limited-time special offer comes after Apple’s acquisition ofEmagic. In a July 1st press release, plans were stated to discontinueEmagic products on the PC platform by September 30, 2002, though Emagicsaid that it will continue to support PC users.
Steve Garth, CEO of Steinberg North America, stated, “We areextending this offer as a means to introduce Emagic users, bothprofessional and enthusiast, to the Steinberg platform and give themthe tools and ongoing support to express their musical creativity.”
Cubase SX includes a host of new features including a newly designedproject window and mixer, unlimited undo/redo, surround sound, loopeditor, Waldorf A1 synthesizer, and optimizations for PIII, PIV,Athlon, Altivec and multiprocessors.
Also announced today, Emagic plans to release Logic 5.2 for Mac andWindows in August 2002. Emagic is currently beta-testing Version5.2.
New features in 5.2 include additional audio-routing possibilitiesthrough auxiliary channels, more audio tracks, improved track mixer,optimizations within the automation and other changes; also with thisnew version, there are individual outputs for VST 2.0 and Emagicsoftware instruments to ensure that single output signals areautomatically added to the sum output of the software instrument assoon as the instrument does not make any use of its individual output.Another feature is a newly created plug-in, known as the I/O-insert,which is used to route the signals of external effect processors intoindividual channels via inserts.
Version 5.2 of Logic Platinum will be available to all registeredowners of Logic Platinum 5.0 Mac and Windows on Emagic’s Website (www.emagic.com)
The Who Play On, Four Days After Bassist’s Death
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) — Meet the new band, the same as the oldband.
Or maybe not. Four days after the death of bass player JohnEntwistle, the two surviving members of British rock band The Whokicked off their previously planned North American tour in front of18,000 fans at the historic Hollywood Bowl on Monday. While some peopledebated the propriety of playing so soon after the death, asurprisingly lighthearted Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend got down tobusiness, grinding out two hours of classic material from threedecades’ worth of albums.
“Tonight, we play for John Entwistle,” said vocalist Daltrey, threesongs into the set. “He’s the true spirit of rock ‘n’ roll, and helives on in all the music we play.” Standing in for Entwistle was Welshsession musician Pino Palladino, who had undergone two intensive days’of rehearsals after the band announced on Friday that its three-monthtour would go on as a “tribute … to an irreplaceable friend.” Justthe day before, Entwistle’s body had been found in a Las Vegas hotel,where the tour was set to begin. Entwistle, 57, suffered an apparentheart attack, although autopsy results have not been published pendingtoxicology tests.
The decision to tour provoked disbelief in some quarters. “It’sbusiness–and I underline the word ‘business’–as usual,” a disgustedJim Ladd, a veteran Los Angeles radio personality, said on hisbroadcast Monday night. Guitarist Townshend intimated as much on hisWebsite last Saturday when he wrote, “I simply believe we have a dutyto go on, to ourselves, ticket buyers, staff, promoters, big and littlepeople.”
The concert began on a poignant note as Daltrey and guitaristTownshend sauntered onto the stage and hugged each other. Both weredressed in black, as was a stationary Palladino who blended into thespeaker stack behind him. The Who launched into three early hits, “ICan’t Explain,” “Substitute” and “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere.” Townshend,in black sunglasses, furiously attacked his red Fender guitar. Theensemble was rounded out by drummer Zak Starkey, keyboardist John”Rabbit” Bundrick, and Townshend’s youngest brother, Simon, on acousticguitar and backing vocals. Original drummer Keith Moon died of anaccidental overdose of sedatives in 1978
Townshend lightened the mood a few songs later when he compared theBowl’s white shell-like stage to a “white vagina,” while the giantspheres suspended from the ceiling looked like a “testicle factory.”While noting the absence of Entwistle’s “huge harmonic noise,” hecongratulated Palladino on playing well anyway. “For fans that havefollowed us for many years, this is gonna be very difficult,” Townshendsaid. “We understand. We’re not pretending that nothing’s happened.”But he said Los Angeles was a great place to kick off the tour, jokingthat it was “full of emptiness, deep rivers of shallow nothingness. “Ithink you know, probably more than anybody, what the show business sideof all this stuff is, and we do feel comfortable to be heretonight.”
Other songs on the set list included “Who Are You,” “Baba O’Riley,””Eminence Front,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Love, Reign O’er Me,” “TheKids Are Alright,” the 1981 rarity “Another Tricky Day” and their 1965anthem “My Generation.”
After the encore, a suite of tunes from the 1969Tommy rockopera, Townshend and Daltrey clutched bouquets of flowers and salutedphotos of Entwistle on the giant video screens that flanked the stage.A male fan ran up and hugged a compliant Townshend. “Live every momentof your lives,” Daltrey told the crowd before Townshend dragged himoff, all the guitars intact.
Millennia Ships Number 10,000
Millennia (Placerville, Calif.) announced the shipment of the10,000th HV-3 microphone preamplifier, which was shipped last week aspart of a larger order to acclaimed operatic vocalist Andrea Bocelli.Bocelli ordered 28 channels of HV-3 preamps and a number of STT-1Origin units; he has used HV-3 mic preamps and other Millennia productsfor live orchestral performances and studio recordings for years.
Factory-stock HV-3D preamps, as used by the Academy Awards andGrammy Awards television broadcast and pre-records, employ 36-position,mil-spec, gold gain switching, Neutrik gold XLRs, extremely “stiff” andover-designed toroid-based power supply, Neglex oxygen-free copperaudio wiring, pure silver-plated individual Teflon power wiring (noribbon looms), German-made ITT (one-million cycle) illuminatedpush-button switching, 3/8-inch-thick extruded and polished radiuscontrol panel, hand-machined aluminum knurl knobs, and componentssourced from the finest manufacturers, such as Vishay, Wima, Beyschlag,Roederstein and Grayhill.
For more, visit Millennia online at www.mil-media.com
U2 Fails To Stop Demolition of Famed Studio
DUBLIN (Reuters) — The Irish rock group U2 has lost a bid toprevent demolition of Hanover Studios where it recorded its latestaward-winning album. Ireland’s Planning Board has been given thego-ahead for a redevelopment project that requires the razing of thestudio, feted by the group as part of Ireland’s musical heritage.
The studio, on Hanover Quay in Dublin, was used by U2 to record theGrammy-winning album, All That You Can’t Leave Behind and hasbeen compared in significance to The Cavern Club in Liverpool, whereThe Beatles spent their early days. More than 8,000 fans had signed anonline petition (www.saveu2studio.com) to preserve the studio, wherethe group also recorded some of its Pop album.
Dublin’s Dockland Authority placed a compulsory purchase order onthe property in August 2001, as a step toward demolishing the studio tocreate a public amenity on the quayside.
AIR, Pioneer Cooperate on New Amplifier
Recording engineers from Sir George Martin’s AIR Studios (NorthLondon) have recently completed a design project with electronicsengineers from Pioneer to create an advanced-specification, 7-channel,A/V amplifier, the VSA-AX10.
The VSA-AX10, which is now available through all Pioneerdistributors, has THX Ultra2 post-processing and works on all DolbyDigital and EX formats, including Dolby Pro Logic II, as well as on allDTS 5.1 and DTS-ES 6.1 formats, including the latest 96/24 DTSdecoding. Although the VSA-AX10 is primarily aimed at audiophiles andhome cinema enthusiasts, it was designed from the ground up to be atrue reference amplifier for critical studio monitoring.
Tim Vine-Lott, AIR’s technical director, said, “In the perfectlysymmetrical and uniform environment of a recording studio control room,one hears remarkably holographic audio images from multichannel musicand movie soundtrack sources. But our living rooms are far from uniformor symmetrical in layout, and, in most cases, nor are our loudspeakersperfectly matched.”
Pioneer answered this problem with its Multichannel AcousticCalibration System (MCACC), which was developed with AIR engineers toaid nominally “perfect” setup in the home. The VSA-AX10 comes with asupplied microphone to measure living room acoustics and automaticallyset speaker distances, channel levels and time alignment. There is alsoa 9-band graphic equalizer (for each channel) that timbre-matchesloudspeakers and can be tweaked manually to personal taste.
Vine-Lott said, “For professional purposes, the VSA-AX10 is ideal asa B-speaker amplifier, and we certainly can use it in all of ourcontrol rooms. However, the home environment is where it really comesinto its own. It is so good that both myself and Geoff Foster (AIR’schief sound engineer) have got VSA-AX10s running in our livingrooms.
John Bamford, product manager for Pioneer GB, added, “At Pioneer, weare proud to be the first company capable of manufacturing ‘universal’DVD players that can play both DVD-A and SACD. Consequently, we weredetermined to make a ‘reference-class,’ multichannel amplifier thatwould get the very best from these burgeoning hi-res music formats. Ourcollaboration with AIR’s engineers helped ensure that the amplifier wastransparent to source.”
For more, visit www.pioneerelectronics.com
Midiman Creates New Corporate Identity As M-Audio
Midiman (Arcadia, Calif.) announced today that it has changed itscorporate moniker to M-Audio–the name it has been using for itsAudio Division since 1999. This re-branding comes after thecompany’s expansion into a broad range of product categoriesrelated to musical performance, recording and pro audio. The Midimanproduct line will remain available through M-Audio.
“Midiman and M-Audio both have great brand recognition,” said AdamCastillo, marketing director of M-Audio. “The fact is that the nameM-Audio better reflects our expanded product lines and futuredirections as a company. Given our continued growth and diversificationof products, we felt that this was a logical time to make thetransition.”
For more, visit www.m-audio.com
Firehouse Studios Warms Up To Meyer Sound
Firehouse Studios (Pasadena, Calif.) recently installed the firstsurround monitoring system in Southern California to incorporate MeyerSound’s X-10 Linear-Control Room Monitors, after gutting the oldbuilding’s outer shell and rebuilding from the ground up.
Firehouse chief engineer Les Cooper chose the X-10 monitors afterconsulting with Tena Clark, founder and CEO of Disc Marketing, themultifaceted media production and marketing firm of which FirehouseStudios is the newest division.
“George Newburn of Studio 440, who designed the studios, said wemight want to give the X-10s a listen,” said Cooper. “I’ve beenTena’s engineer for years, both when she was a songwriter andlater as a producer. Over the years, we’ve heard a lot ofdifferent systems. We were not overly pleased with many of them, so wewere anxious to hear something new and different.”
Clark and Cooper flew to Northern California and heard the X-10s atboth Ex’pression Center For New Media (Emeryville) and at MeyerSound’s headquarters in neighboring Berkeley. For the auditions, theybrought along a stack of CDs, both of Disc Marketing’s ownproductions and some by well-known artists who might be potentialclients. “We came away very much impressed with the X-10s,” Coopersaid, “both installed at the studio and simply free-standing in theMeyer demo room. They have a clarity that never turns harsh. Youdon’t feel like you need to back away from them when they getloud.”
System consultant Bob Hodas supervised the installation of the newmonitoring systems and also performed final room tuning. The system inStudio A ‘s control room comprises three X-10s for front left, centerand right; two companion X-800 Studio Subwoofers for supplemental deepbass and LFE; and an X-01 Crossover Module for signal division and bassmanagement. Four UPA-1P Compact Wide-Coverage loudspeakers supply leftand right split surrounds, with six CP-10S Complementary-PhaseParametric Equalizers installed for system tuning.
The smaller Studio B control room also features an all-Meyer 5.1surround system, utilizing HD-1 High-Definition Audio Monitors forleft, center and right, with a pair UPM-1P Ultra-Compact Wide-CoverageLoudspeakers for rear surround monitoring and three CP-10S Equalizersfor system tuning.
For more information on Firehouse Studios, visit the studio’sWebsite at www.firehouserecordingstudios.com — or read aboutthem in the upcoming August issue of Mix in “Coast toCoast.”
All Star Guitar Night To Pay Tribute To Chet Atkins
Muriel Anderson’s All Star Guitar Night, to be held on July 19, atthe Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, will feature a heartfelt musician’stribute to Chet Atkins, who passed away a year ago, June 30.
Chet and his music played a part in the formation of the All StarGuitar Night back in 1993, when Anderson attended The Chet AtkinsAppreciation Society Convention, also held in conjunction withNashville’s summer session of NAMM. A casual gathering of musiciansfrom both conventions joined together in an informal setting to sharemusic, which created the All Star Guitar Night.
The All Star Guitar Night’s celebration of Atkins will be primarilythrough music, but the night will also include vintage film clips fromthe Country Music Hall of Fame Archives. Adding to this year’s speciallineup are Junior Brown, Victor Wooten, Alison Brown, Suzy Bogguss,Vassar Clements, Phil Keaggy and Alex De Grassi. Also playing will beEd Gerhard, Nokie Edwards (of The Ventures), Seymour Duncan, BrentMason, Thom Bresh, Johnny Hiland, Pat Bergeson, Richard Gilewitz, BenLacy, and the Second Nashville Guitar Quartet (the first included Chetand Liona Boyd) with Richard Smith, John Knowles, John Pell and MurielAnderson.
Also appearing this year are Danny Flowers (author of TulsaTime), Curb artist Jenai, noted bass players Dave Pomeroy andCharlie Chadwick, and percussionists Danny and Beth Gottlieb.
The All Star Guitar Night benefits the Music For Life Alliance, anorganization founded by Anderson to provide instruments and lessons tounder-privileged young people with the support of grassrootsorganizations nation-wide. In the past, Music For Life Alliance hasworked with the WO Smith School in Nashville and Guitars in theClassrooms. This year, the concert will benefit the Chet Atkins MusicEducation Fund. Also, All Star Guitar Night 2002 is working inconjunction with the Nashville public school system for middle andhigh-school students, as well as helping to publicize the VH1 “Save TheMusic” Program, designed to be implemented at the grade-schoollevel.
Tickets are $18, general admission, and are available through theRyman Box Office and Ticketmaster. The show begins at 8:00 p.m. Tocontact the Ryman box office, visit www.ryman.com
Linkin Park Remixes with Korg
The members of alt rock band Linkin Park are back in the studioworking on a remix album of the songs featured on their debut album,Hybrid Theory. Korg products are featured among the tools theband is using on this remix album, including the TRITON, TRITON-Rack,MS2000 and Electribes.
“We are experimenting with things that are not guitars, andthat’s where the keyboard elements come in,” band MC Mike Shinodasaid. “It’s a very heavy sample and keyboard-driven album. Onepiece of gear I’m using and like a lot is theTRITON-Rack–it’s really light and versatile. There are so manysounds and ways to manipulate those sounds to make them your own thatyou don’t just have to grab and use a stock sound. I also used theElectribes a bit. I used the ES-1 in particular to manipulate vocals orbeats. There are certain effects in there that you can’t get withother equipment.”
DJ Joe Hahn, who remixed the cuts “With You” and “Cure For theItch,” talked about using his Korg MS200: “I used it on the remix thatI did for ‘With You.’ I mixed it with a lot of samples. Ieven took some sampled vocals and tweaked them in the MS2000. I’vebeen using the TRITON and the MS2000 a lot.” Hahn said that the Korggear will again factor heavily into the mix: “It’s very versatileand the sounds are good. As far as any keyboards out there right now,Korg is at the top. They’ve got great variety, which is nice whenyou’re going for different types of sounds.” “I want my equipmentto be versatile and user-friendly,” Shinoda concluded. “And if it is,then I can get really good work done. The Korg gear that I’mworking with now really has those qualities and helps me to achieve thetype of music that I want to play.”
The Southern California quintet Linkin Park has gathered an enormousand diverse following. The band has remained in the BillboardTop 20 for more than 80 weeks, with more than 13 million albums soldworldwide and over 8 million copies of its debut CD, HybridTheory, sold in the U.S. alone. Hybrid Theory was nominatedfor three Grammy Awards in 2002, winning for Best Hard Rock Performancefor “Crawling.” Find out more about Linkin Park and their latestprojects at www.linkinpark.com
Visit Korg online at www.korg.com
Allen & Heath Creates New U.S. Distribution Company
A new company located in Agoura Hills, Calif., North American ProAudio (NAPA), has formed to provide United States distribution forBritish audio mixing console manufacturer Allen & Heath. The newcompany will operate as Allen&Heath USA. Allen & Heath will berepresented by NAPA beginning August 1, 2002, ending the UK company’sbusiness relationship with Utah-based Harman Music Group.
Allen & Heath left the Harman International Industries Ltd.group following a management buyout in June 2001, but continued todistribute its products through Harman Music Group until the presenttime. Allen & Heath’s managing director Glenn Rogers explained themove: “This change in distribution is the final step on the journey tofull independence, which we embarked on with the buyout last year.We’re grateful to Harman Music Group team for all the work they havedone over the years to support the brand.”
NAPA was founded by Lynn P. Martin, an industry veteran who has heldexecutive positions with Harman International and, most recently, withGuitar Center. Allan Nichols will continue as director of sales for thenew company. He will operate a satellite facility in Nashville to coverthe east and west coasts. NAPA said it would retain the existing repnetwork to ensure a smooth transition for their dealers and customers.Martin said, “This is the beginning of an incredibly exciting futurefor us and for Allen & Heath. The team we have built has anunsurpassed knowledge of this business, and we are all huge fans ofAllen & Heath’s products. I’ve seen the new product plan and thefuture looks very bright indeed.”
For more information, contact NAPA at 800/431-2609 after August1.
Special Offers Abound for Logic Windows Users
Cakewalk (Boston) announced in early July that it will provide Logicusers with a Web-based crossgrade offer to the company’s Sonar 2.0 andSonar 2.0 XL digital multitrack recording systems for Windows. Thisannouncement comes after Apple announced that it purchased Emagic andthat subsequently Emagic would discontinue manufacturing PC productsafter September 30, 2002.
Cakewalk’s offer will be available on its Website (www.cakewalk.com) byFriday, July 12, 2002. Qualified Logic customers worldwide will be ableto purchase Sonar 2.0 for $199 U.S., plus shipping and handling, afterfilling out an online application form; Sonar 2.0 XL will be availablefor $299 U.S., plus shipping and handling. (Sonar 2.0 has amanufacturer’s suggested retail price of $479 U.S.) The company willalso provide a free, downloadable VST-to-DX wrapper that will allowLogic users to run any VST-compatible plug-in within Sonar 2.0.
Cakewalk will honor crossgrades for all Logic users, whether theyare currently on a Windows or Mac platform. In addition, the companywill offer Logic customers a 60-day money-back guarantee. The offer isgood through October 7, 2002.
Meanwhile, Emagic announced that beginning August 1, 2002, Logic 5owners (which includes Logic Audio 5, Gold 5 and Platinum 5) will beeligible for a free crossgrade to the MacOS version of the sameproduct. Full details on how to apply for the program have not beenreleased, though Emagic stated that the offer will only be availableuntil December 31, 2002. For more, visit www.emagic.de.
Weeks of July 15-31
Digigram Completes Acquisition of InnovaSon
Digigram announced today that it has completed the acquisition ofFrench-based InnovaSon, a manufacturer of digital audio mixing consolesfor sound reinforcement in live performances.
The deal completes a move made by Digigram when it acquired a 44.76%stake in InnovaSon in January 2001; Digigram now owns 100% ofInnovaSon.
InnovaSon will maintain its identity and commercial autonomy withinthe Digigram group. InnovaSon products will continue to be distributedby the company’s established network, while Digigram will provide salessupport in markets that the company has yet to penetrate. InnovaSon’scurrent management remains in place, with Philippe Royer as managingdirector for sales and marketing and Gérard Malvot as technicaldirector. Both are co-founders of InnovaSon.
“We think that this acquisition will lead to the development oftechnological synergies, particularly with the transfer of skills andthe release of new products under the InnovaSon brand name,” saidDigigram managing director Philippe Delacroix. “In the near future, youmight see InnovaSon consoles that are compatible with Digigram’sEtherSound technology.”
“Joining the Digigram group provides us with the additionalresources to fulfill our product development and processindustrialization ambitions,” commented Royer. “While manyprofessional users have validated our technology, digitalization oflive sound is still in its infancy and there are many opportunitiesahead for us.”
Visit Digigram online at www.digigram.com or InnovaSon at www.innovason.com.
DVD Multi Moves Ahead
The Recordable DVD Council (RDVDC), a coalition of nearly 95 DVDtechnology developers and manufacturers, has provided an update on theDVD Forum’s DVD Multi specification, emphasizing that the newrecordable DVD drives preserve the investments made in DVDForum-compliant DVD players and drives that were purchased before thespec was established.
DVD Multi puts an end to the compatibility issues by ensuringsupport for all formats developed by the DVD Forum (www.dvdforum.org),an industry association that includes all of the major DVDmanufacturers and leading DVD software developers/media producersworldwide. The DVD Multi spec covers all of the current formats thathave been approved by DVD Forum, including DVD-Video, DVD-ROM,DVD-Audio, DVD-RAM, DVD-R, DVD-RW and DVD-Video recording. Formatscreated outside the DVD Forum are not covered.
According to Tony Jasionowski, RDVDC North American programdirector, “DVD Multi ensures disc compatibility and cross-devicesupport without making the original recordable DVD formats obsolete.Several members of the RDVDC have announced that they will be shippingDVD Multi drives in volume before mid-year. With the new drives, usershave a single DVD/CD storage solution that provides the broadestcompatibility and security of write-once, the flexibility ofrewritable, backward-compatibility, cross-device compatibility and agrowth path to the future.”
For more info, visit www.rdvdc.org/english/index.html.
Mix Editor To Host Open Interview Session at NAMM
Mix magazine’s own editorial director George Petersonwill be conducting live interviews with musicians Sammy Peralta,Wallace Roney and Alan Asusta after their performances in the ControlRoom at Summer NAMM, which is co-sponsored by M-Audio and NAMM.
The three featured musicians bring a wealth of talent and diverseexperience to the mix. Multi-talented instrumentalist and producerSammy Peralta has worked with Tito Puente and jazz legend Lenny White.Jazz trumpeter Roney performed second trumpet to Miles Davis at thehistoric Montreaux, Switzerland concert, and has also released soloalbums. Alan Asusta (aka, The Rooster) is known for co-headlining withcontemporary DJ/producing greats Todd Terry, Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez,”Little” Louie Vega, and others.
The Control Room is located in the Gaylord Entertainment Center,booth #5820. Live performances will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday,July 20. The interviews will commence at 4:00 p.m. in M-Audio’sBooth, #234. Performances and interviews are open to all.
Recording Academy P&E Wing to Recommend Delivery Formats atNAMM
The Recording Academy’s Producers & Engineers Wing will presentits master-recording delivery recommendations to the recordingcommunity at the NAMM Summer Session today (Friday, July 19), from 4p.m. to 6 p.m. The presentation will take place at the CantinaRestaurant & Bar, located at 209 10th Avenue South (in CumminsStations) in Nashvile.
Among the presenters will be: Leslie Lewis, director of theProducers and Engineers Wing; Nancy Shapiro, VP of the RecordingAcademy, Southern Region; the P&E Wing Master-DeliveryRecommendation Committee co-chairs Kyle Lehning and George Massenburg;and committee members including Chuck Ainley, Jeff Balding, SteveBisher, Alison Booth, Tony Brown, Barry Cardinael, Eric Conn, SharonCorbitt, Tom Endres, Garth Fundis, Scott Hendricks, Steve Marcantonio,Pat McMakin, Betsy Morley, Jake Nicely, Gary Paczosa, Mike Purcell,Traci Samczyk, Kay Smith, John Spencer and Bil VornDick.
If you would like to attend, contact the Nashville Chapter at615/327-8030.
Fostex Cuts Price of Digital Multitracker
Fostex America announced today at Summer NAMM a price reduction onone of its popular digital multitrackers, the VF160CDR. The MSRP hasbeen lowered from $1,799 to $1,399, and the MAP has been adjusted from$1,299 to $999. These prices include the CD-R burner installed.TheVF160CDR is the latest in a series of self-contained digitalrecorders/mixers/editors with built-in mastering capabilities thatFostex has been offering over the past several years.
Additionally, the unit also includes a custom CD-R of RealDrums by David Jones as a value-added incentive for customers tobuy the unit as long as supplies of the CD-R last. Various sets ofDavid Jones CD packages will be offered by Fostex through its networkof music retailers.
According to director of sales and marketing Phil Celia, “Thisproduct category has always been price-sensitive, and we have adjustedour pricing in order to remain competitive in the marketplace.
“The new pricing, plus the value-added packaging of the RealDrums CD, has given a tangible boost to the attractiveness of theVF160CDR, and our reps and dealers have already responded veryfavorably,” Celia concluded.
For more, visit www.fostex.com/Products/vf160.html.
Waves Releases Version 3.5
Waves (Knoxville, Tenn.) has announced the new Version 3.5 softwareupgrade, available for free to all users of Version 3.0 and higher. Inaddition to more processors supporting high sample rates (96 and 192kHz) and dual processors, Version 3.5 focuses on optimization of systemprocessor usage by loading optimal software code for the specificprocessor being used.
Version 3.5 provides superior optimization of digital audio signalprocessing to free up processing power so that the user can runadditional plug-ins or carry out other operations. On the Mac, eight ofthe standard plug-ins (Ren Reverb, True Verb, C4, Ren EQ, Ren Comp, RenVox, Ren Bass, Ren De-Esser) have been optimized. Other upgradedfeatures include enhanced support of dual processors and controlsurfaces like the Digidesign Pro Control, Control 24 and Mackie HUI. Onthe PC, V. 3.5 features optimization of all processors, support forDirect X 8 with automation and dual-processor support. ForDigidesign’s HD TDM system users, additional versions ofprocessors supporting 96k and 192k sampling rates are included.
“This is really the culmination of nearly two years of research andimplementation,” stated Gilad Keren, CEO and co-founder of Waves. “Wehave not only raised the level of performance of our own product, butwe have gone to extensive lengths to optimize our entire code base inan effort to fully realize the benefits granted by the new CPUarchitectures available. In each case, the result is completelydifferent code that has been hand-tweaked to provide maximumperformance. Through the program’s self-customization, we have also cutout many of the doubts and troubles associated with working with agiven software platform on multiple machines. With the new Waves 3.5upgrade, the customer can be sure that their software indeed has beensetup for their specific needs.”
The Waves Version 3.5 upgrade is available from the Waves Website(www.waves.com) orfrom your local dealer, and will also be included in new standard Wavesbundle software. It is free to users of Version 3 and higher, and freeto Version 2.X users with the purchase of a Version 3 upgrade.
Stephen Paul, Alan Hyatt Partner Up
It was announced at the Summer NAMM show that an agreement betweenStephen Paul and Alan Hyatt to collaborate on bringing the new StephenPaul Audio microphone line to market has been reached.
Stephen Paul, widely known for his modifications of current andvintage pro condenser microphones, said, “This partnership feels right.I have declined other offers through the years by several high-poweredforeign and domestic microphone and audio manufacturers, aimed atproducing a product design, but were really business ventures aimed atacquiring rights to my name for use on unexceptional products.”
“With Alan Hyatt,” Paul continued, “I believe that I have found thatspecial partner I have sought for so long in my quest to create amicrophone for the pro market, which represents the best of StephenPaul Audio’s most popular technology, delivered intact at a price that,while reflecting my desire to have the important things right and somereal innovations, will still be more affordable in a productionenvironment than it currently has been on a boutique basis. We haveagreed that compromise is not an option where I consider perfection amust, and Alan has demonstrated to me that he is a man of his word. Iam very excited about finally realizing the fulfillment of my dream ina manner that truly demonstrates what I have worked so hard to achievein our exclusive designs, and produce a product that I can honestlystand behind. A microphone good enough to be able to say, ‘yes, this isa Stephen Paul Audio Microphone,’ and is an honest piece of the’Big-Time,’ which has earned its keep on thousands and thousands ofgreat works of recorded art. It was done the way I really wanted.”
Alan Hyatt, the principal of Studio Projects Microphones, said, “Ihave been wanting to bring out a higher-end line of products to provethat a world-class microphone can be built, representing quality andperformance levels that equal the best in the world and still bemarketed at a reasonable selling price. When I met Stephen, we reallyhit it off. We are from the same hometown, know the same people, evenrecorded on the same label when we were young, and just became goodfriends. A joint partnership between us was obviously a perfect fit,and since Stephen’s microphone technology is acknowledged to be thefinest in the world, who better to design the higher-end line ofproducts I had dreamed of.
“We will show our first product at this year’s AES in Los Angeles,and hope to ship by January 2003,” continued Hyatt. “Stephen hasamazing ideas and has been building the prototype by hand. Literallyeverything, including personally machining all the original parts inhis lab’s metal shop. I believe that this new line of microphones willturn the industry upside down. If I were in the high-end microphonebusiness, I would be paying very close attention to the fact thatStephen Paul is finally entering the market.”
Stephen Paul Audio Microphones will be distributed worldwide by PMIAudio Group.
Amek, DAR, Soundcraft Merge UK Operations
Amek, DAR and Soundcraft announced that they have merged their UKoperations to form a much stronger console group with a wide-rangingportfolio.
Soundcraft sales director Adrian Curtis now also takes overallresponsibility for sales of Amek and DAR with his existing team of JonRidel (Middle East and Asia), Karl Chapman (Europe) and Trevor Coley(UK and Ireland) to head up regional sales for the three brands. InderBiant joins the team as product specialist and there are plans tostrengthen the team further with new market and product specialists.All marketing activities for the group come under David Neal.
The combined portfolio means that the group has a much wider rangeof products and solutions for their existing markets.
Manufacturing and production of current Amek and DAR products arebeing integrated into the Potters Bar, England, facilities that alreadyhouse Soundcraft and BSS Audio.
Here in the States, Amek has already peacefully shared adistribution facility (HPNA) with Soundcraft and BSS Audio for severalyears.
For more, visit www.soundcraft.com.
Engine Room Audio Opens Mastering Lab
Engine Room Audio (New York City), a full-service audio productionfacility, has introduced a new state-of-the-art mastering lab.Walters-Storyk Design Group’s principal architect John Storyk completedthe acoustical design and installation following original constructionconsultation by Chris Bowman of CHBO.
Engine Room owner/head engineer Mark Christensen reported that themastering suite represents the final step in the development of theyoung facility: “We opened our new facility about a year ago with sixediting rooms, two live rooms and duplication services. When we enteredthe final stage of the build, our budget was stretched pretty thin. Weweren’t planning to build a room of this caliber, but Chris convincedme that with John’s help, this could become an A-list room.
“Our old facilities primarily targeted small-scale projects andduplication clients,” continued Christensen. “When we built this room,our intention was to construct a high-end mastering suite to cater toour growing downtown clientele. We wanted to create a top-of-the-lineroom that was accessible to independent as well as major labelprojects.” The room features a hybrid of digital and analog gearincluding a SADiE 24/96 digital audio workstation and a host of classicTube=Tech, Manley, Universal Audio, Ampex, Avalon, Waves and Crane Songoutboard gear.
CHBO oversaw the initial design phases, including the constructionof the isolated acoustic shell. WSDG completed the design with interiorroom acoustics, including a number of cutting-edge acousticalaccouterments. “This is our first New York City installation of a newEuropean product called Tobakustik, which is distributed in the U.S. byRPG,” said Storyk. “The splayed suspended panels, located on the backhalf of the ceiling, combine with the rear-wall wood diffusers todeliver the required amount of mid-frequency scattering andabsorption.”
“The room is spectacular; it sounds phenomenal and looks great,”Christensen said. “John and Chris are the best in the business. Ourclients are really impressed. The feedback has been very positive.”
Recent mastering projects completed at Engine Room Audio include a JMascis (Dinosaur Jr.) produced album from recording artist Tony Jarvis,several classical music albums for Museovitch Productions, the new GoatCD produced by Tony Mangurian (Veruca Salt), and a number ofassignments for Hong Kong-based alternative dance label, Respect MusicInc.
For more on WSDG, visit www.wsdg.com.
Tascam Brings MX-2424, MM Series Engineering DutiesIn-House
Tascam (Montebello, Calif.) announced that it has recently broughtongoing engineering development in-house for the MX-2424 Hard DiskRecorder/Editor and the MM Series film dubbers, which were designed andmanufactured in conjunction with TimeLine Vista Inc. The company hasestablished a direct working relationship with Gerry Lester and TeetoCheema, the Academy Award-winning engineers primarily responsible forthe development of the MX-2424 and the MM Series.
“Every user of our MX-2424 and MM Series recorders can feelconfident and excited that Tascam is moving forward and advancing thecapabilities of the products we created with TimeLine,” said Gene Joly,TEAC VP for the Tascam division.
For further information, visit Tascam online at www.tascam.com.
Producer Dudgeon Killed In Car Accident
Gus Dudgeon, 59, a veteran record producer best known for his workwith Elton John, was killed on July 22 when his Jaguar XK8 left theroad and plunged down an embankment near Reading, west of London,England. Dudgeon’s wife, Sheila, also died in the accident.
Dudgeon, who was born in Surrey, England, on September 30, 1942, hada highly successful production career that began with Ten Years After’sdebut album and included David Bowie’s first hit, Space Oddity,in 1969. That same year, Dudgeon was hired to work on the self-titleddebut album by Elton John, then an unknown artist, leading to a longrelationship that produced a string of hits, including “Your Song,””Rocket Man” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
The pair eventually went their separate ways, reuniting for severalprojects in the mid-’80s. Dudgeon also oversaw the reissue of EltonJohn’s classic ’70s catalog and produced Two Rooms, a tribute toJohn and his longtime collaborator, Bernie Taupin.
In a statement, Sir Elton John said, “I am devastated by the tragicnews about Gus Dudgeon. He was an incredibly talented producer and avery dear friend for many years. I will miss him terribly.”
Dudgeon began his career at Olympic Studios in the then-traditionalmanner, as a tea boy, and by his early 20s was a house engineer atDecca Records’ studios. There he worked on recordings by John Mayall,The Zombies, the Small Faces and many others.
Through the ’70s and ’80s, Dudgeon worked with artists such as JoanArmatrading, Lindisfarne and Chris Rea, and in 1992 produced XTC’sNonesuch album. At the time of his death, he had been workingwith a new British band, Slinky, and a tribute to musical comedy act,the Bonzo Dog Band, which included contributions from Ringo Starr andthe late George Harrison.
Meyer Sound Featured in Spanish Music Awards
Spanish rental company Fluge provided an all-Meyer sound system forthis year’s Spanish Music Awards. Now in its sixth year, Spain’s LosPremios de Música Awards, sponsored and supported by the Academiade las Artes y las Ciencias de la Música (Arts and Science ofMusic Academy), has grown to become one of the country’s biggest annualmusic industry events.
The awards were held at the Palacio de Congresos de Madrid, a modernwooden building in Madrid with a capacity of almost 2,000. The systemconsisted of four M3D Line Array loudspeakers, five M2D CompactCurvilinear Array loudspeakers and two M3D-Sub Directional subwooferson each side of the stage, with four UPM-1P Ultra-Compact Wide Coverageloudspeakers used as frontfill to cover seats closer to the stage. Thesystem was monitored using Meyer Sound’s RMS Remote MonitoringSystem.
The awards show featuered eight live bands as well as the varioushosts and awards presenters. The use of digital mixing consoles for FOHand monitors made it possible to stage all live performances with nointerruptions.
Technical support staff from Meyer Sound Spain, including AlvaroElena Falco and Jose Antonio Castro, assisted the two Fluge systemsengineers, Ricardo Carazo and Pablo Moreno, to configure and set up thesystem. Also on hand was Pablo Espinosa, customer service manager atMeyer Sound’s Berkeley headquarters, who analyzed the system usingMeyer’s SIM System II FFT Analyzer and equalized it using CP-10Parametric EQs.
Jose María Rosillo and James Woods mixed the show; afterward,Rosillo said that he was impressed with the performance of the systemand that he particularly liked its definition, which allowed him tocarry out a consistent mix.
Another fan of the Meyer Sound M Series system was Alberto Bravo,technical director of the show’s production company, Sold Out, who saidthat he was quite satisfied with the performance. “The directionalcontrol of the M3Ds and M3D-Sub played an important role reducing thesound leakage onto the stage,” he said. “This helped us to achieve avery clean audio quality–both in the house and for the broadcast–andalso allowed a better gain before feedback for the podium mics.”
The show was broadcast live across the country by Spanish TVbroadcaster TVE. Remote recording company Payton took care of the audiofor TV, which was mixed by Jose Angel Doray and Juan Vinader.
For more, visit www.meyersound.com.
M-Audio CEO Named Entrepreneur of the Year
M-Audio’s founder and CEO Tim Ryan was named the 2002 Los AngelesErnst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in theMedia/Entertainment category. The awards banquet was held Wednesday,June 26, in Hollywood and Highland’s Grand Ballroom.
Mr. Ryan was recognized for founding and guiding a company that iscurrently one of the dominant suppliers in the computer-centric digitalaudio arena and one of the key players in the desktop recordingrevolution. According to the company, its vision is to increasevirtualization, musical malleability, performance control andportability to an unprecedented level.
While working toward a B.A. in Applied Mathematics at the CaliforniaInstitute of Technology, Mr. Ryan co-founded his first company, ConBrio, which developed and manufactured cutting-edge digital musicsynthesizers. In 1982, he went on to co-found Third Street Software, asoftware development company that did contract development for theCommodore 64 and Apple II computers, and later specialized in musicsoftware development.
In 1989, Mr. Ryan founded Music Soft, a music software company thatwas later renamed to Midiman to reflect its increasing development andmarketing of MIDI music-related hardware products.
Winners of Los Angeles regional honors are now eligible for theNational Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, which will be announced at ablack-tie gala in Palm Springs, Calif., on November 23.The Entrepreneurof the Year Award recognizes business leaders who have demonstratedoutstanding success in such areas as innovation, financial performance,and personal commitment to their business and community. LosAngeles’ award recipients were selected by an independent panel ofjudges from business, academic and civic organizations.
For more on M-Audio, visit www.m-audio.com.
