January 1, 2011 Mix Issue Table of Contents
Feature
Plug-Ins Live | The Digital Roadcase
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Sarah Benzuly
It was only a few years ago when we began to see live sound engineers carrying less outboard and relying more on onboard plug-ins. Today, an engineer not mixing with these onboard gems would be a rare find…
TECnology Hall of Fame
Sep 1, 2006 12:41 PM
Compared to medicine or agriculture, the history of professional audio has been a comparatively short 125 years or so—barely a ripple in geologic time. …
Product Reviews
WavesLive MultiRack Native Review
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Steve La Cerra
I’ve been awaiting a hardware plug-in “player” that would run in the same way that I employ analog inserts on a live sound console. The ability to host plug-ins under a shell that has the I/O of a DAW without the recording capabilities would eliminate the need to carry a ton of rack hardware; it would allow the use of my favorite plugs with most analog consoles…
Slate Digital Trigger Drum-Replacement Plug-In Review
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Kevin Becka
Trigger by Slate Digital is a cross-platform (Mac/PC) drum-replacement plug-in supporting VST, RTAS and AU formats. It offers dual operating modes: Live for near-zero latency, real-time performance triggering; and Accurate for studio use, which offers 11 ms of sample latency. …
Royer R-101 Passive Ribbon Mic Review
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Kevin Becka
Passive ribbon microphones represent a category of transducers that really makes my day. Their tonal color, pattern characteristics and transient response are unlike any condenser or moving-coil dynamic microphone. However, unless you are careful or the manufacturer builds in protection, they are sensitive to wind and drop-shock, not to mention phantom power, which in some cases can turn any passive ribbon mic into a mere paperweight….
iZotope RX 2 Advanced Review
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Michael Cooper
iZotope’s critically acclaimed RX 1 restoration software offered impressive processing for removing clicks, hum, broadband noise and even isolated events such as chair squeaks from audio files. Two updated versions of the software, RX 2 and the more-powerful RX 2 Advanced,…
Mackie Onyx Blackbird Review
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By George Petersen
Following the successful launch of its Onyx-i mixer series, Mackie now expands its Onyx Series with the Onyx Blackjack and Onyx Blackbird recording interfaces. Onyx Blackjack is a desktop 2×2 24-bit/48kHz unit with USB output. I was more interested in the single-rackspace Onyx Blackbird, a 16×16 24-bit/96kHz unit with eight Onyx mic preamps…
Music
Music: My Chemical Romance
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Blair Jackson
It’s been four years since My Chemical Romance (MCR) released their massively popular, death-obsessed concept album, The Black Parade, which firmly established the theatrical L.A.-based band (originally from New Jersey) as master purveyors of their own idiosyncratic blend of punk, pop, metal and alternative styles. …
Apple Records Remasters
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Rick Clark
Now out, from the team that remastered The Beatles’ catalog: The Apple Remasters. The Beatles’ legendary label has reissued 15 of its best-known albums, beautifully remastered with original artwork and many bonus tracks. These albums will also be available as digital downloads. …
Music Mix Mobile
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Barbara Schultz
Since Music Mix Mobile went online in 2008, the company’s super-group of engineers—Joel Singer, Jay Vicari, John Harris and Mitch Makentansky on the East Coast, and Mark Linnett and Bob Wartinbee out West—have provided remote recording/mixing/broadcast audio for scores of high-profile projects….
Design FX Captures Pinktober Fundraiser
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Barbara Schultz
Multi-Platinum artist and breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge helped kick off breast cancer awareness month, “Pinktober,” this past fall with a benefit concert at the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood. Opening was Crystal Bowersox, last year’s American Idol runner up, who also joined Etheridge onstage for a couple of songs. The show was recorded and mixed for Webcast by Scott Peets of Design FX. …
Classic Tracks: Bruddah Iz “Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World”
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Blair Jackson
His full name was Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, but almost everyone called him “Iz” or “Bruddah Iz” (“Bruddah” being pidgin for “Brother”). A gentle giant who at one point weighed more than 750 pounds, he is responsible for the all-time best-selling record by a Hawaiian artist—a simple but haunting voice-and-ukulele medley of two standards, one from the 1930s and the other from the 1960s:…
Live
Lady Antebellum Tour Profile
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Sarah Benzuly
Front-of-house engineer Brett “Scoop” Blanden has seen Lady Antebellum, the three-piece also known as Lady A, skyrocket from the debut of their self-titled album in 2008 to last year’s release of Need You Now (which garnered the band Vocal Group of the Year and Single of the Year for “Need You Now” at the 44th Annual CMA Awards,…
Wireless Rulings
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Tom Kenny
“Ninety percent of wireless users will likely see no difference,” says Lectrosonics’ Karl Winkler, in reference to the September 2010 decision by the FCC to open up portions of the broadcast spectrum to “white spaces devices,” meaning new portable consumer gadgets and the coming enhanced Wi-Fi networks being pushed by companies such as Google, Dell and Microsoft. “For typical wireless users,” Winkler continues, “those who run fewer than 16 channels in a fixed installation where the mics are in close, they should be fine. But if you go out to the edge with a large number of channels that are unregistered in a crowded market, you could find yourself in trouble.” …
iPad Mixing
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Sarah Benzuly
It can be argued that Apple’s iPad has changed the way people make music. But for mixing a live show? You bet. Granted, you won’t be seeing front-of-house engineers at the next arena date walking around the floor, pushing “faders” up and down on an iPad while the digital console sits idle. But for smaller venues of 1,000-capacity and below—where house (and visiting) engineers are contending with multi-levels, multi-zones and an FOH board in a less-than-ideal spot—you may start seeing more iPad-mixed shows. And that’s exactly what house engineer Bobby Crown of the famed Troubadour club (Los Angeles) is doing. …
Vinyl Music Hall | From Rubble to Big Leagues
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Sarah Benzuly
In just a few months, the new Vinyl Music Hall venue (Pensacola, Fla.) emerged in a spot that was formerly occupied by a gutted three-story Masonic temple. At the heart of the club are dual DiGiCo SD8s: an SD8-36 at front of house and an SD8-24 at monitors; a d&b audiotechnik Q1 P.A. system; and Meyer Sound USM-1P wedges, all supplied by Pensacola-based All Pro Sound. …
FixIt: Gaelic Storm FOH Engineer Peter Wildermuth
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM
With the unique combination of instruments in this band, the most challenging thing is making the mix sound full, without sounding brittle or harsh. There is an abundance of upper-midrange frequencies, especially in the fiddle and bagpipes, that require careful notch filtering. …
Michael Buble Tour Profile
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Sarah Benzuly
Monitor engineer Craig Brittain tells Mix that each of the brass players on the crooner’s tour is using Aviom Pro16 personal monitors to handle their individual mixes. …
Dual Installs, Dual E-V Rigs
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Sarah Benzuly
When Pyxis Industries (Riverside, Calif.) was asked by North Coast Church to bid on the design and installation of sound systems at two different locations (North Coast Live and The Edge, pictured), owner Chad Costanzo didn’t hesitate—despite only having six weeks to do the job. …
Load In: Sound Reinforcement News, January 2011
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, Compiled By Sarah Benzuly
Read Mix News For the Concert Touring Professional In the January 2011 Issue of Mix …
Road-Worthy Gear: New Sound Reinforcement Products, January 2011
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM
Mix magazine new sound reinforcement products column in the January 2011 issue of Mix magazine live sound products section article …
All Access: Usher
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, Photos and Text By Steve Jennings
R&B superstar Usher is out in full force, performing hits from his latest, Versus, on what is being dubbed the OMG Tour. With a stellar backing band, Usher kept the crowd on their feet, beginning with a fly-over entrance to start the show. Mix caught up with Usher and crew at the Oracle Arena (Oakland, Calif.). …
Post
Post: ‘The King’s Speech’ and ‘127 Hours’
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Blair Jackson
The King’s Speech is one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2010, and seems all but assured of landing acting nominations for its leads—Colin Firth as the stuttering, ascendant King George VI and Geoffrey Rush as the brash speech therapist who takes on this most difficult patient—…
Current
Musicians Supporting the Gulf
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, Compiled by Sarah Benzuly
Local musicians playing at the recent VooDoo Experience (New Orleans) music festival joined national recording artists to support the restoration of the Gulf Coast and its surrounding communities. …
Studio House | The Real ‘School of Rock’
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, Compiled by Sarah Benzuly
Paul Green, founder of the School of Rock, began giving music lessons in his living room in 1996, and has now opened Studio House, a facility where established and developing artists can record free of charge while students observe and contribute to the process. …
Industry News, January 2011
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, Compiled by Sarah Benzuly
Read Mix January 2011 Coverage on New Hires, Promotions, Distribution Deals in Pro Audio…
House Ear Institute ‘It’s How You Listen That Counts’
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, Compiled by Sarah Benzuly
House Ear Institute is launching a national teen hearing loss prevention campaign online for its educational initiative “It’s How You Listen That Counts.” Designed to encourage teens to care about protecting their hearing from over-exposure to damaging sound levels in their daily lives, the three-month promotional push targets educational messages to teens ages 12 to 19….
Departments
Tech: New Products, January 2011
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM
Promising to streamline DAW workflow through a major redesign, Cakewalk’s SONAR X1 touts a completely revamped toolset. Most functions are now performed with a single implement that switches automatically, based on context. This dramatically speeds editing and arranging by reducing the need to switch tools constantly. …
Editor’s Note: The Ever-Changing, Ever-Expanding Universe of Live
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By Tom Kenny, Editorial Director
In 1988, when I joined Mix, I knew what Live Sound was. It was stadium dates with the Rolling Stones and club gigs with Nick Cave. Sheds for the newly annointed Platinum-sellers and Red Rocks for the jam band that nobody paid attention to at MTV but who could fill three nights outdoors on a summer weekend….
Phil Dudderidge Q&A
Jan 1, 2011 9:00 AM, By George Petersen
I started out at 18 as a roadie. My principal qualification was having a driving license. I created a small fleet of vans and was driving bands all over Europe. At 21, I was working with a band called Soft Machine. After working almost exclusively with them for about a year, I needed a change of music and spoke to veteran P.A. builder Charlie Watkins. …
