News March 16 – 31 (seenews March 1 – 15)
Announcing Digidesign’s Free Bomb Factory Downloads
Digidesign announced that free Bomb Factory plug-in downloads are nowavailable at www.digidesign.com/news. Seven full-featured BombFactory plug-ins—Bomb Factory BF76 (formerly Bomb Factory 1176),Bomb Factory BF Essentials (five plug-ins) and Funk LogicMasterizer—are now available to download for Pro Tools TDM and LEsystems running on Windows XP or Mac OS X.
The Bomb Factory BF76 plug-in (formerly Bomb Factory 1176) is adigital emulation of the vintage 1176 Peak Limiter, and was previouslypart of the Bomb Factory Classic Compressors bundle. Now, all Pro Toolsusers can benefit from this true-to-form emulation of the 1176 vintagecompressor/limiter for free.
The BF Essentials plug-in suite comprises a set of mixing studioutilities for Pro Tools environments. Each employs an intuitiveinterface. The suite includes a Bomb Factory Clip Remover, Bomb FactoryCorrelation Meter, Bomb Factory Meter Bridge, Bomb Factory Noise Meterand Bomb Factory Tuner.
These free Bomb Factory plug-ins are compatible with all Pro ToolsTDM systems supported by Pro Tools 6.x software and current Pro ToolsLE systems. Sample rates up to 192 kHz are supported with Pro Tools|HDand HD Accel systems; sample rates up to 96 kHz are supported with Digi002 and 002 Rack systems.
Along with the free Bomb Factory plug-ins, a comprehensive array ofprofessional software options is also included with every new Pro Toolssystem, including DigiRack Plug-In Suite, Music Production EnhancementSuite and HDpack (TDM, HD only).
Gibson Tobias Bass Now Produced in Arkansas
The production of Gibson’s Tobias bass is being brought home toAmerica. The new line of instruments will be handcrafted in Conway,Ark., and will feature exotic wood combinations, custom Bartolinielectronics, neck-through-body construction and other unique designelements.
“Tobias set a standard for professional-quality instruments that isstill unmatched in the bass industry,” said Henry Juszkiewicz, chairmanand CEO of Gibson Guitar Corp., Tobias’ parent company. “The return ofTobias to the U.S. means that bass players can be assured of thehighest level of quality control, and, more important, they can lookforward to a new era of innovation and refinement of bass designs fromTobias.”
Tobias basses offer a wide range of tone qualities and voicings fromdifferent tone woods. By combining different soft and hard woods, thesound is tailored to the needs of the player, making for an extremelyversatile instrument. Tobias basses are fitted with highly respectedBartolini electronics; Bill Bartolini is working with Tobias to designnew pickups for the U.S. models.
The new USA Tobias basses will be made in a facility previously usedfor Baldwin grand piano production; Baldwin was acquired by Gibson in2001.
The Toby line will continue to be offered through Gibson’sInternet-based direct sales division, www.Musicyo.com.
Sennheiser Launches Redesigned Website
A whole new online experience now greets the 100,000-plus visitors wholog on to the Sennheiser Electronic Corporation Website each month,including enhanced functionality, improved navigation and a colorful,eye-catching design.
The newly updated site (www.sennheiserusa.com) incorporates the latest Webdesign and e-commerce technology, offering visitors first-classnavigation, essential features to quickly gather information on theentire array of Sennheiser products and one-click access toSennheiser-distributed brands. New features include Zoom functions,information downloads, an online store and a more robust search-enginetechnology. Key new functions include application-orientated navigationthat allows visitors to gather key information based on their uniqueaudio application needs; “Power Search” capability that enables sitesearches by partial words, product models, press releases, PDFs andeven hi-res images; an Instant Zoom function that provides apre-loaded, two-level, close-up view of many parts and products;improved media collection that addresses the increased need for productmedia and documents; a new database-driven information structure thatprovides quicker product access and modifications and advancedapplications such as product comparison and customization; and a newcorporate look and feel.
“The SEC Website has long been one of the audio industry’s mostpopular online destinations,” said Stefanie Reichert, VP of marketingat Sennheiser Electronic Corporation, “so we’re pleased to unveil aneven more robust user experience with our new redesign. During out 2003Website survey, we asked users to tell us what would make the site moreuser-friendly. Incorporating this information, visitors now can findSennheiser products, brands, applications or information they needfaster and easier than ever. Plus, the inviting new look of the sitemakes it great for browsing, whether you’re an audio professionalcross-checking product specs or a music lover simply looking for a newset of headphones.”
The new Website is the brainchild of Matthias Ajple, manager ofe-commerce and Web development at SEC.
Hi-Tech High School Now in Session
It looks like a traditional school both inside and out, but atChristian Brothers College High School (Town and Country, Mo.), everyone of the school’s nearly 1,000 students has his or her own laptop,from which they can log onto the local network via wireless Internet.Their homework assignments are online; there’s not a black board or astick of chalk on the whole campus.
The new facilities total 245,000 gross square feet on nearly 25acres. This includes 52 classrooms, 11 specialty classrooms (art room,fine arts room, biology labs and computer instruction areas), a3,000-seat stadium, a 380-seat performing arts center, a 300-seatchapel, a 500-seat dining area and a 1,800-seat gymnasium.
The phone system is a Vo/IP (voice-over/IP) system from Cisco viathe wireless network. Symetrix (www.symetrix.com) SymNet Audio Matrix system mixes,routes and provides digital processing for audio from multiple sources,and allows for remote control of everything. The SymNet systemincorporates CobraNet technology (from Peak Audio) for transportingmultichannel audio and control data over the network to the TV studiofor recording and broadcast.
Audio is delivered to loudspeaker systems from Tannoy (www.tannoy.com) in 70classrooms (a package of one powered ceiling subwoofer and fourhigh-quality ceiling monitors) and to six other special venues or areason campus. Ashley amps drive five of six sub-systems, with Crown ampsdriving the stadium system, and the SymNet system (with CobraNetinterface) provides automated control of both mic inputs and audioout.
Voice intelligibility is the critical reason for high-quality audio.Language classes at CBC HS, for example, are built around accessing theInternet and DVD/CD materials. Other classes draw upon theseresources.
Tannoy PowerLinx systems in the classrooms are self-contained.Ashley amps drive five of the six audio sub-systems, while Crown CTSeries amps drive the stadium and paging system Tannoys. SymNet systems(network-linkable audio matrix DSPs from Symetrix) with a CobraNet(from Peak Audio) interface provide local control of the sevennon-classroom audio systems.
The 358-seat, steeply raked theater has some 68 inputs in variouslocations, all “live” on the SymNet matrix. Operators can selectdifferent settings: business meeting, a rental situation or a fullproduction. All are auto-mixed with some inputs routed through a Mackieconsole and back through the loudspeaker system.
The stadium system comprises three Tannoy iQ1015 cabinets. As in thetheater, audio for the stadium is controlled through the SymNet matrix.Operators can select a system setting for either a large or a smallcrowd for adjustment of overall gain. Beyond that, operators have three”knobs”: one for program audio, one for press booth inputs and one forfield mics. All are auto-mixed with limiters and an auto-duckingfeature for when the announcer speaks. When the band comes on thefield, the bandleader simply plugs in. The mics are live, and the audiooperator can’t overdrive the system.
Future plans at the school include building a TV production studiothis summer. The facility will be available for students in the fall of2004.
United Airlines Spot Makes Oscar Debut
Rave reviews are pouring in for the new animated commercial for UnitedAirlines, which debuted during this year’s Oscar broadcast. The spot,entitled Interview, is a 60-second animated film directed byWendy Tilby and Amanda Forbis for Fallon Advertising (Minneapolis). Thearrangement of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” was composed andproduced by husband and wife team, John Trivers and Liz Myers, ofTrivers/Myers Music Inc.
Trivers and Myers are no strangers to outstanding work. Their20-year collaboration as composers has resulted in numerous Clio andGold Lion (Cannes) Awards for their work in the world of music foradvertising. They are also the co-composers of the theme for the CBSEvening News, which broadcasts daily around the world and shownonboard United Airlines.
The music was recorded at Capitol Records in Hollywood with 40members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The distinctive piano cadenzaswere performed by Julliard-trained concert pianist Daniel Lessner, andthe music was recorded by Paul Rudolph and Gabriel Moffat, who alsomixed the music for broadcast.
Molex Inc. Acquires Strategis’ Protocol ConversionBusiness
Molex Incorporated announced that it has acquired StrategisTechnologies’ firmware-based protocol conversion business. Thetransaction includes assets, products, technology and intellectualtechnology property of Strategis, which is currently located inMcHenry, Ill.
As part of the agreement, the design and marketing group ofStrategis will join Molex. The business will become a part of Molex’sintegrated products division and operate out of Molex’s headquarters.The transaction does not include the navigation and routing business ofStrategis. Terms of the acquisition were not provided.
Molex and Strategis have been working together developing advancedprotocol conversion products during the past 18 months as part of ajoint development agreement between the two companies. The transactionformalizes Molex’s commitment to the development of intelligentinterconnect products and systems as an extension of its integratedproducts division. Customers will benefit from the enhanced developmentand manufacturing capabilities of a single supplier developing andproducing these products.
For more information, visit the Molex Website at www.molex.com.
Russ Berger Lectures on Surround Challenges
Russ Berger, owner of the acoustical and architectural design firm RussBerger Design Group (RBDG), recently paid a visit to the Atlantachapter of the AES to deliver a lecture on a key issue for studioowners. Forty-two audio professionals packed into Studio 9000 atPatchWerk Recordings, an RBDG-designed facility in Atlanta, to hearBerger address the topic “Surround Challenges in Acoustically SmallSpaces, Or (Fortunately) No One Ever Dies From Bad Sound.”
“With the proliferation of very advanced, powerful and extremelycost-effective computer-based editing and recording systems, manystudios are thriving in smaller spaces,” says Berger. “The world ofSACD, DVD-Audio and -Video is demanding surround sound mixing, and weneed to address this real-world industry trend to help solve the smallstudio’s acoustic challenges when implementing surround monitoringsystems.”
In his lecture, Berger covered design philosophy points that connectthe room, monitors and listener as an inseparable system. Berger says,”The room is the interconnect between the equipment and the listener.Room acoustics are the last link in the audio chain and must beaddressed correctly, as there is no substitute or work-around foracoustics.”
“Extreme Makeover” Gets Musical
Yamaha Corporation of America recently helped make dreams come true foran unsuspecting family by donating a selection of musical instruments,recording equipment and accessories as part of ABC’s ExtremeMakeover/Home Edition, which aired Sunday, February 22.
Each week, the prime-time show gives one deserving family with acompelling story a complete home renovation in a one-week time period.The segment, “Garage Band/Recording Studio,” focused on a family withmusical talents.
As the family plays in a band, the renovation team turned the garageinto a performance/recording studio area—something that they hadalways wanted but were unable to afford.
Yamaha supplied an 02R96 digital mixer and AW16G digitalworkstation, MSP10 Studio monitor speakers, several acoustic andelectric guitars (CPX5S, AES620 and SLG100N), an acoustic andelectronic drum kit (Stage Custom and DTXPRESSII), a small P.A. system,a P90 digital piano and a complete selection of accessories. Customstudio furniture was supplied by Sound Construction & Supply Inc.of Nashville, and all microphones were supplied by Shure.
“Prime-time network television exposes music industry products topotential customers who may not normally walk into a music store,”states Tom Sumner, general manager of Yamaha Professional Audio andCombo division. “This type of exposure is part of Yamaha’smarket-expansion strategy to drive customers into its dealers. Theseconsumers are amazed at the quality and value in Yamaha products whenthey get the opportunity to experience them.”
For more information, visit www.yamaha.com/proaudio.
Crack the Code! Music Features New Training Courses
Crack the Code! Music introduces two new training courses ($695 each)for aspiring film, television and commercial music composers, includingclasses entitled “Writing Music for Film,” “Television and Video” and”Writing Music for Commercials and Promos.”
Each course focuses on three essential areas—business,creative and marketing—that are essential for media composers tolearn for success in the music business. This mentorship-based programprovides students with the benefits of a real-world learningenvironment and one-on-one instruction with an assigned professionalworking composer. Students gain invaluable experience during the courseof 10 writing assignments (most to picture) and receive a detailedcritique of each lesson.
Each course includes more than 400 pages of instructional materials,with in-depth discussions on the business of music production, settingup a studio, negotiating, contracts, the PROs, royalties, job payrates, unions and residuals, licensing, marketing, demo CDs, composerinterviews, the who’s and how’s of contacting production companies, adagencies, producers and directors, and much more. Also included areboth VHS and Quicktime/AVI versions of actual film/TV/commercial/promoclips (with SMPTE timecode) to work with and a CD-ROM of forms anddocuments.
For more information, call Crack the Code! Music toll-free at866/675-3800 or visit www.crackthecodemusic.com.
Blind Banana Productions Hits Its Stride
Jeffrey Pierce owns and operates Fredericksburg, Va.-based Blind BananaProductions (www.blind-banana.com), a full-service recordingstudio and live sound business with a full roster of corporate clientsand bands seeking an alternative to the pace (and prices) of nearbyWashington, D.C.
During the past year, Blind Banana has completed work for TheKennedy Center, HBO, Georgetown University, The National Zoo and TheWhite House Commission, and has also worked with Spike Lee, GoldieHawn, James Brown and Jerry Lewis. Pierce and veteran recordingengineer Shannon Walton are joined by current interns Jerimie Thomas,Carlos Diaz and Zak Obenchain.
When the studio upgraded to include digital recording technology,Pierce purchased a Yamaha 02R96 and had the distinction of receivingthe first production model sold in the U.S.
“I was not a previous 02R user,” he explains. “What convinced me wasthe combination of price, features, value and wanting to ‘step it up anotch.’ Some people advised against getting a new product right out ofthe gate, but in retrospect, it was the smartest decision we ever made.I did have some help learning to use it—the people at SweetwaterSound and Yamaha Tech Support were extremely helpful—but overall,the 02R96 was one of the most intuitive pieces of gear I’ve ever workedon.”
Starting off with a Tascam1/2-inch reel-to-reel setup, Piercerecorded demos for artists including blues singer Bobby Parker, LesLoki and the band Firefall before landing a gig as technical directorfor the French Embassy in Washington. “I was responsible for theon-site cultural center, which hosted meetings, visiting presidents andmusicians—everything from jazzers to French pop stars,” heexplains. “We recorded a 17-show jazz series for WDUQ Radio[Pittsburgh, Pa.] from there, which was then picked up by NationalPublic Radio. Those visiting artists were very, very particular. It wasa real challenge, but a great learning experience. It took my skilllevel to a new level, and put it on par with national engineers.”
Pierce returned to full-time studio work three years later andcontinued to build a steady client base. “Someone told me that it wasthe studio’s vibe that helped us attract all this talent,” he says.”Since the studio is in my house, we can provide an environment wherepeople can really relax. When people come here, they have the run ofthe bottom floor of the house, the garden and a room with pinballmachines. Everyone can just hang out.”
The decision to upgrade Blind Banana’s current location in 2002 wasa move to stay competitive. “As the technology changed, we weren’treally keeping up and clients were jumping,” Pierce notes. “I had metengineer Dave Ruffo on the jazz series when I was at the Embassy and wehit it off immediately; plus, he gave me some great microphone tips.Dave was at Birdland [Jazz Club] in New York City, and was also makingthe jump from analog to digital, so I gave him a call. He was a big fanof the original 02R. Another recommendation on the [02R]96 came fromengineer Donnie Thompson, who had been using the ‘classic’ 02R foryears.”
Additional gear includes an Alesis 24XR and Pro Tools hard diskrecording system. “Being able to run Pro Tools from the surface of the02R96 really helped our business,” says Pierce. “It got the MIDI peopleand computer people onboard. We’re using Wavelab to master, Vegas 4.0for video and have a Digidesign 002 rack. We kept a Lexicon MPX1000 anda Yamaha SPX-1000, and everything runs through the Apache Frontier.Originally, we started with one of the Mackie HD systems and then wentto the Alesis 96 for the clock. We also have Bellari preamps for bassinput, two RP583 and two RP520s.”
Although the studio continues to attract corporate accounts, Pierceand company are getting back to their roots by recording an increasingnumber of demos for bands, and are currently working on releases forEnough Said, 7th Wish, The Shooters, Kyle Pierce, De Realiz and rappersBlade and Sheem. “Bands are a lot of fun,” he says. “Like our Websitesays: ‘It’s not enough to know your gear inside and out. Music is apassion, you either feel it or you do not.’ We feel it!”
For more information, visit www.yamaha.com/proaudio.
NSCA: Aviom Announces Yamaha Console Support
At this week’s NSCA show in Las Vegas, Aviom (www.aviom.com) willannounce a custom output card for Yamaha digital mixers, allowing audioin the form of the proprietary Aviom A-Net!” protocol to be distributedvia Cat-5 cable directly from the console to Aviom A-16II PersonalMixers. No other input device is required.
“This is a major technological breakthrough for users of the Yamahadigital consoles, as well as for Aviom users,” says Aviom president/CEOCarl Bader. “The simplified direct connectivity makes this a compellingpackage for both live and studio use.”
The Aviom 16/o-Y1 output card is a mini-YGDAI format card that fitsinto an expansion slot in the rear of Yamaha’s digital consoles,including the 01V96, DM1000, 02R96, DM2000 and PM1D. It lets studio orfront-of-house engineers assign and send 16 mono channels or up toeight stereo channels of audio in the digital domain to eachperformer— directly from the Yamaha console’s control surface.The 16/o-Y1 output card is compatible with Aviom’s new A-16II PersonalMixers and the company’s A-16D and A-16D Pro A-Net distributionproducts.
“The ability for a musician to control his own monitors by the Aviomcard housed in the mixing console environment is a major step forwardin digital” states Larry Italia, general manager of Yamaha CommercialAudio Systems division. “The Aviom 16/o-Y1 output card will reach amuch broader user base for both companies as we continue to providebreakthrough products and services.”
DPA Microphones Capture Rocket Launch
Florida-based audio engineer Gary Faller had a unique project: rig apair of large-diaphragm DPA 4041 stereo mics on the roof of the U.S.Air Force Hangar AE at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., tocapture the sound of a Delta Rocket as it streaks into space to launcha Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite.
The launch of GPS II-R was broadcast from a TV truck where Fallerhad to integrate a mix of network feeds, weather balloon reports,launch team dialog and the sounds from the rocket.
To accurately mike the sounds of the rocket from launch pad to theoverhead track until it was out of listening distance, Faller dependedon the DPA 4041S stereo pair into the HMA4000 130-volt powersupply/preamp. The signal was then fed into a CD burner, which was thenfed to a Mackie Console to cross-fade between the launch pad mic andthe DPA mics—after the first mic had been destroyed by the blastimpact.
To get this done with the highest audio quality under thecircumstances, Faller used the DPA 3532S Mic Kit with A-B bar,windscreens and all of the accessories required for EFP applications.Describing the kit as “the ultimate way to go,” Faller added, “DPAbasically gives you everything you need, and the mics had more thanenough headroom to let me capture the sound accurately with the rightbalance and impact.”
For further information, refer to DPA’s Website at www.dpamicrophones.com.
Composer Horowitz Scores for Sundance Film
Composer Steve Horowitz created the original music score for theSundance hit, Super Size Me—capping off a productivefour-year relationship with director Morgan Spurlock that began withthe popular MTV reality show, I Bet You Will.
The film, which has been picked up by Roadside Attractions andSamuel Goldwyn and will be released in theaters across the U.S. thisspring, follows Spurlock for 30 days as he drives himself to nearphysical ruin by eating only McDonald’s fast food. “It was decidedright from the start, because Super Size Me was made for the bigscreen, we’d have to raise the bar on the music from the TV show IBet You Will, regardless of the film’s small budget,” saysHorowitz. This posed a significant challenge for the composer becausehe had to score the movie almost entirely on his home studio desktop,without the luxury of replacing desktop sketches with hundreds of livecues, as he did with I Bet You Will. To compensate and maintainthe authentic edge needed to support Spurlock’s grass-rootsdocumentary, he drew from his experience as a Grammy Award-winningengineer.
“When I go to score a film like Morgan’s, I want to have a palettethat no one else can touch, something beyond switches and knobs.” Forthe voice-over informational sections of the film, examining thementality of fast food culture, Horowitz says, “We tried a lot ofdifferent music, but what seemed to work best was a folksy down-homesound.” The meat-and-potatoes of these “folksy” tracks are live drumparts, pulled from his vast custom library, compiled from nearly 20years of recording music. “I don’t use two-bar loops. I try and take asbig a chunk as possible so it sounds more natural,” says the composer.With the addition of a sampled Horowitz on bass and a live guitartrack, provided by Andy Barbera, the “down-home tracks” werecomplete.
For the “happy” eating theme that juxtaposes the increasingseriousness of Spurlock’s dilemma, Horowitz put together a virtualre-creation of his own band, the Code International, by digitallyspeeding up and slowly down samples to create a new composition. Thesetechniques were instrumental in giving the film “a live feel.” Horowitzstates: “The challenge for the new generation of composer, increasinglyfaced with projects where they’re called upon to engineer as well ascompose, is to harness the power of today’s desktop in support of theirunique voice and keep it from getting lost in a sea of presets andfactory samples.”
Director Spurlock comments, “The beauty and miracle of independentfilm-making is the resourcefulness of the personalities of the peopleinvolved, like Steve, who have the guts, determination and skill topull it off, regardless of the obstacles they face in the process.Steve’s music is what the picture needed.”
Horowitz has also written original songs for “Joe” (from the hitchildren’s TV series Blues Clues) and Dora the Explorer(another children’s TV classic). He won his Grammy Award for productionwork on the CD True Life Blues: The Songs of Bill Monroe, winnerof Best Bluegrass Album in 1996, and a Webby in 2003 for music andsound design with Nickelodeon Online. Horowitz’s Website is www.thecodeinternational.com.
Ilio Completes Facility Expansion
Ilio Entertainments recently unveiled sweeping changes to the company’soffice facilities at Westlake Village, Calif. Fueled by the growingpopularity of the sample libraries and virtual instrument products thatIlio distributes and supports, the expansion has nearly tripled thebuilding’s size from 2,400 to 7,000 square feet to accommodate Ilio’sgrowing sales and support staff. The expansion also adds astate-of-the-art demonstration room and an additional 2,700 square feetof warehouse space.
“We’re extremely happy to unveil this new and improved facility,”says Mark Hiskey, principal of Ilio. “Over the past few years, we’veenjoyed great success with many of the product lines we distribute,including Spectrasonics Virtual Instruments, the Vienna SymphonicLibrary, Ultimate Sound Bank and Soundscan, and we anticipate similarresults for new product lines from Applied Acoustics Systems andSynthogy. This expansion underscores our continuing commitment toproviding Ilio’s customers, sales force and internal office staff withnot only the best products to represent, but with exceptionalresources, training and support.”
The highlight of the expansion is Ilio’s brand-new, 580-square-footdemonstration room. The room is equipped with a state-of-the-art videoprojection and audio system featuring Genelec 1037b monitors. It willserve as the focal point of Ilio’s new initiative to provide bettertraining to dealer sales personnel and to perform customer clinics inan ideal acoustical environment.
These additions augment Ilio’s existing space, which includes anaudio control room, a live room and a mixing/mastering room. Theexpansion broke ground in October of 2003, and was officially openedfor use on January 5, 2004.
For more information, go to www.ilio.com.
Soundcraft Upgrades LX7ii for NSCA Release
Soundcraft announced the NSCA Expo launch of its LX7ii live mixingconsole, an upgrade to its LX7 desk featuring recent enhancements insonic performance and appearance. Soundcraft is located at NSCA booth#1915.
The LX7ii gains improved mic preamp and EQ sections, both designedby Soundcraft founder and electronics guru Graham Blyth. Designated theGB30 Series, these new designs coincide with Soundcraft’s 30thanniversary.
“The GB30 mic pre on the LX7ii brings together some of the qualityand precision of the mic pre’s we use on our biggest touring deskswhile retaining the cost-sensitivity demanded at this point in themarket,” says Blyth. “We’re conscious that we must provide the finestpossible audio quality at the best price for the customer—we donot allow compromise—and it starts at the mic preamp.”
The LX7ii’s 4-band EQ with sweepable mid sections is based on thehighly acclaimed circuitry of the MH3 and MH4 touring consoles. Blythadds, “The GB30 EQ, owing its heritage to the work we did on the new MHrange, gives a steeper-than-usual slope on the fixed LF and HFsections, removing unwanted mid-frequency ‘mush’ and delivering aclearer sound. We’ve essentially created a unique, cost-effectivedesign that brings high-end EQ into an affordable mixing console forthe first time.”
Other standard features of the new model include frame sizes of upto 32 mono inputs and four stereo inputs/returns with four groups, mainstereo output and a dedicated mono output for center clusters. Thereare direct outputs on the first 16 inputs suitable for multitrackrecording and six auxes for flexibility for effects and foldback. TheLX7ii mixes to seven outputs: four subgroups, plus the main left, rightand center (mono) mix outputs.
The LX7ii continues in the tradition of the LX7 by being extremelywell-suited for touring and installed systems for churches, theaters,nightclubs and other venues where a compact-sized console needs toprovide a large number of inputs and maximum output capability. Studiorecording applications are also easily satisfied by the LX7ii.
The 16-channel version (MSRP: $1,899.99) will be available in lateApril); 24-channel ($2,349.99) will be available in late March; and the32-channel ($2,799.99) will be available in late April.
For more information, go to www.soundcraft.com.
Talk Box CD-ROM Now Available
Sonic Network, maker of Sonic Implants sample libraries and instrumentsounds for film and TV composers, has released a new guitar library,I’d Like to Buy a Vowel: Adventures in Talk Box Guitar. “It’s a uniqueconcept, to be sure,” says Sonic Implants founder and presidentJennifer Hruska. “We thought it would be fun to give our userssomething off the beaten path.”
Those unfamiliar with this curious device by name will almostcertainly be familiar with the distinctive sounds it can produce, aspopular artists as diverse as Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton and Bon Jovihave used the Talk Box to startling effect during the course of thepast 30 years of popular music. The Talk Box allows guitarists toeffectively “talk” guitar notes by routing the guitar’s amplified soundthrough a piece of tubing that the player holds in his/her mouth.Fluctuations in mouth position relative to the tubing enable the playerto evince all manner of artificial “speech” using the guitar as theplayers “voice.”
Layout of the Talk Box CD-ROM includes a generous selection ofmultisamples carefully selected to evoke the traditionalcharacteristics of the instrument. Sonic Implants engineer PeterDrawbridge explains: “Picking the right articulations was importantbecause we wanted users to get an accurate overall feel for theinstrument. This is why we made sure to mix in some of the more’static’ tube sounds with the actual ‘talking’ syllables, since whatmakes the Talk Box so distinctive, apart from the actual ‘speaking’part, is the elastic ‘growl’ the box imparts to the guitar itself. It’sa very unique timbre that you really can’t duplicate with an overdriveor distortion pedal.”
An entirely separate portion of the disc is devoted to sampledphrases that were programmed in four musical keys at three differenttempos apiece, affording users the opportunity to combine sampledlicks, trills and bends with the aforementioned multisamples to createrealistic sequences.
The CD-ROM, comprising multisampled tones and chords in addition tothe sampled phrases, is available in GigaSampler and Soundfont formatsat Sonic Implants’ Website, www.sonicimplants.com, where those interested canalso find MP3 demos of the Talk Box in action. Downloadable files ofthe Talk Box multisamples are also available in the previouslymentioned formats.
Copyright Office Announces Amendments, Regulations for DigitalDelivery
The Copyright Office is announcing interim regulations specifyingnotice and record keeping requirements for use of sound recordingsunder Section 114 and Section 112 of the Copyright Act. These interimregulations set forth the requirements for an eligible digital audioservice to file notification that it is using one or both of thestatutory licenses and the types and details of information that theservice must maintain in creating a record of use for the performancesof copyrighted sound recording it provides to its listeners. Theregulations take effect beginning April 12, 2004, and apply only to theuse of sound recordings from that date prospectively. For furtherinformation, go to the Copyright Office Website at www.copyright.gov/fedreg/2004/69fr11515.html.
The Copyright Office is also proposing to amend its regulationsgoverning service of notice to use the section 115 license and filingof such notice with Copyright Office. The notice is served or filed bya person who intends to use a musical work to make and distributephonorecords, including by means of digital phonorecord deliveries,under a compulsory license. Comments should be received no later thatApril 12.
Cakewalk Releases Sonar 3.1 White Paper
Cakewalk recently released The Multiprocessing in SONAR 3.1white paper authored by Cakewalk’s VP of engineering, Ron Kuper. Thewhite paper covers Cakewalk’s legacy of multithreaded applications;SONAR 3.1’s redesign to maximize multithreaded benefits; andIntel® Hyper-Threading technology moving into the mainstream.
The white paper can be viewed at www.cakewalk.com/DevXchange/default.asp anddownloaded for free in Adobe Acrobat format.
Gibson Guitar Wins Paul Reed Smith Trademark Case
Gibson Guitar Corp. won a landmark trademark-infringement case againstmanufacturer Paul Reed Smith. The claim involved Gibson’s Les Paulsingle cut-away guitar with a body design that Smith used withoutpermission or compensation to Gibson. This case declared that Smithinfringed Gibson’s valid trademark.
Included in the claim is the fact that the Paul Reed Smith modelunjustly used the Les Paul design and would cause confusion in themarketplace and damages to Gibson Guitar, the amount of which now willbe determined in the next phase of the proceedings.
Gibson claimed that Paul Reed Smith began production of its “singlecut-away” guitar called the PRS “Single-Cut” in January 2000 to marketa guitar that looked just like the Gibson Les Paul.
Paul Reed Smith advanced multiple arguments as to why its guitardesign did not violate Gibson’s registered trademark shape. However, ina 57-page decision, Judge William J. Haynes ruled “that PRS [Paul ReedSmith] was imitating the Les Paul” and gave the parties 90 days “tocomplete any discovery on damages or disgorgement of PRS’ profits onthe sales of its offending single-cut guitar.”
For more information on the Gibson Les Paul, visit www.gibson.com.
Studio Network Solutions A/V SAN PRO Arrives to AngelMountain
Angel Mountain Production & Sound (Bethlehem, Penn.) recentlyinstalled Studio Network Solutions’ A/V SAN PRO in its newfacility.
The A/V SAN PRO is designed to link multiple production workstationsand provide concurrent, real-time access to a centralized storagesystem by all users. Integrated with the A/V SAN PRO system is SNS’SANmp management software, which works in parallel with the SAN toenable simultaneous, dynamic access to shared storage in multiplatformenvironments.
Recent projects completed at Angel Mountain using the A/V SANinclude 5.1 remixes of Marvin Gaye’s Let’ ‘s Get It On,Ludacris’ Chicken-N-Beer, and the Allman Brothers’ Eat aPeach and Live at the Fillmore East. Next up is Bob Marley’sBurnin’.
“Being a multiroom facility, the reason the A/V SAN PRO makes somuch sense for us is that we can effortlessly cut a really largeproject over a number of rooms,” says Angel Mountain’s director ofengineering Carl Cadden-James. “We can have the same project migratingthroughout our different rooms with none of the asset managementheadaches normally associated with a large project.”
For more information on A/V SAN PRO, please visit www.studionetworksolutions.com. To find out moreabout Angel Mountain, visit www.angelmtn.com.
Avi Geller Chooses ATC for New Manhattan Studio
Vibetribe Productions’ Avi Geller is moving his operation to centralManhattan, opening a studio that will serve as his main mixenvironment.
Geller’s facility currently features Pro Tools|HD3, which runs on aMacintosh twin 1.25GHz G4; he anticipates an upgrade to a G5. Thefacility also includes a Mackie dXb console, upgraded from his previousMackie Digital 8-bus, as well as GML preamps and EQs. Monitoringincludes a pair of ATC 150As that Geller shipped from his Londonstudio.
Despite the new home base, Geller continues to work remotely. “Werecently recorded a symphony orchestra in London using Cubase SXrunning on a laptop,” says the songwriter/producer/mixer. The stringsession was recorded for the UNICEF World Cup campaign theme,reportedly heard by an estimated audience of 500 million worldwide. “Ilove mobility; it lets me record a great vocal at the most in opportunetime. In a hotel room, put a towel over the door and set up the mic,and you have a great vocal booth.”
As a writer and producer, Geller has worked with artists such asWyclef Jean, Kele Le Roc, Das EFX and classical ensemble The OperaBabes.
For more information on Geller’s preferred monitors, ATC, visit www.transaudiogroup.com.
Middle Atlantic Products Issues ’04 Catalog
Middle Atlantic Products is now distributing its new 2004 mastercatalog. With the addition of more than 200 new SKUs, the 2004 catalogprovides a thorough overview of Middle Atlantic Products’ complete lineof racks, enclosures, consoles, power products, technical and studiofurniture and accessories.
Through the catalog, commercial audio-visual contractors can learnabout significant enhancements and additions to the company’s lines ofenclosure systems, including its redesigned DWR Series sectional wallrack and new space-saving WR Series Roll-Out Rotating rack system.
The Middle Atlantic Products 2004 master catalog also includes acomprehensive guide to thermal and cable-management solutions, and anoverview of new product highlights for 2004. New products are listed bycategory, and an alphanumeric index allows location of specificproducts by model number. To request a copy of the catalog, availablein print or on CD-ROM, visit www.middleatlantic.com.
SugarHill’s Workman Launches Production Company
Dan Workman, co-owner and president of Houston, Texas-based SugarHillStudios, has launched Dan Workman Music, a full-service independentproduction company. Nashville transplant Logan Bosemer will serve asproduction assistant.
Workman, whose engineering credits include Destiny’s Child, ZZ Top,Beyonce, Smashmouth, Lyle Lovett and Enrique Iglesias, feels the newventure was a natural progression in his career. “There came a timewhen my instincts about the music I was engineering had become mature,”he says. “I found that I was able to sense what a song needed, and thatI had the communication and diplomacy skills to share that vision.”
Current projects in the works include recordings for R&B singerSolange Knowles, southern jam-band Moses Guest, rock group PALE andsinger/songwriter Sarah Sharp.
For more information, visit www.danworkman.com or www.sugarhillstudios.com.
Clavia Announces Nord Modular G2, Voice Expansion Board
Clavia has introduced the Nord Modular G2 OS Version 1.10, a modularsynthesizer platform with a focus on live performance features. The G2platform comes in two “parts”: the hardware synthesizer and thegraphical PC Patch Editor. The Nord Modular G2 features numeroussynthesizer building blocks that may be patched and edited from theModular G2 Patch Editor software.
Nord Modular V. 1.10, which is now shipping, comes with a newFactory Sound Library with new patches and performances (multipatchsetups). The update and new Factory Sound Library can be downloaded forfree at www.clavia.se.
Clavia also announced recently the Voice Expansion board for the G2,scheduled to ship in April 2004. The Voice Expansion board makes itpossible to expand the polyphony in G2 patches to twice the original.The Voice Expansion board features four extra DSPs and RAM circuits,and will be compatible with the forthcoming rack-mountable Nord ModularG2 Engine.
Pearl Jam Among Those to Receive NARAS’ 2004 IMACTAward
Grammy® Award–winning rock band Pearl Jam, legendaryGrammy-nominated jazz and blues vocalist Ernestine Anderson,internationally renowned Grammy-nominated conductor (Oregon Symphony,L’Orchestre Symphonique de Québec) Maestro James DePreist andmusic and arts festival production vet Norm Langill have been chosen bythe Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Recording Academy to receive its2004 IMPACT Award on April 9.
The IMPACT Award honors Northwest music professionals whose creativetalents and accomplishments have crossed all musical boundaries and whohave been recognized as an asset to the music community. The event willtake place at the Westin Hotel in Seattle at 5:30 p.m. The evening willinclude a silent auction, VIP reception, dinner and an awardscelebration that will feature video tributes and performances byErnestine Anderson, El Vez and others.
Individual tickets or tables can be purchased through the chapteroffice at 206/834-1000 or pacificnw@grammy.com. A limited number of VIP tickets areavailable, which include access to the VIP reception in thepresidential suite and preferred seating.
For more information, please visit www.grammy.com.
Yamaha, mLAN Enhance Mac OS X 10.3.3 Support
With the launch of Yamaha’s mLAN tools for Mac OS X Version 10.3.3,mLAN has been updated to provide enhanced support for Core Audio andCore MIDI. In addition, the simultaneous release of mLAN firmwareupdates for current products from Kurzweil, PreSonus and Apogee providemLAN compatibility for all currently available mLAN products with MacOS X V. 10.3.3.
Mac OS X users can update to V. 10.3.3 at no charge by going toSystem Preferences and then clicking on Software Update.
Once updated, users can visit www.mlancentral.com to download the mLAN Tools forMac OS X from Yamaha and, if necessary, download firmware updates forcurrent mLAN products like the PreSonus Firestation, Apogee AD8000 andKurzweil KSP8.
An easy-to-use Download Wizard at www.mlancentral.com directs users on what files andfirmware updates they need to download for each of the various computerplatforms.
mLAN is available for Windows XP, Mac OS 9 and Mac OS X and providesconnection and control of musical networks over IEEE-1394 FireWire.
For more information, visit www.yamahasynth.com/products/mlan/index.html.
SoundField Surround Zone Plugs Into Nuendo
SoundField has announced the release of the new Surround Zone plug-infor Steinberg’s Nuendo Version 2 on both Mac and PC platforms.
The Surround Zone brings SoundField’s surround and stereo processingto the digital domain. It combines the hardware features of both theSP451 Surround Processor and MKV System, and is designed to accept theB-Format information generated by any of the current SoundFieldmicrophone models.
The plug-in enables the user, either live or in post-production, togenerate various surround mic arrays with variable polar patterns.Specifically, the Surround Zone provides a choice of three separate 5.1arrays, individual 6.1 and 7.1 arrays, independently variable width ofboth the front and rear pairs, phase-coherent LFE and individual levelcontrols with mute and solo, all with bar graph metering. The SurroundZone can output mono, stereo, M/S, 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 or any future surroundformat.
The plug-in’s stereo page features fully variable, graphicallydisplayed polar patterns, variable stereo width, variable highpassfilter from 20 Hz up to 250 Hz and mid/side-encoded output.
For more information, visit www.soundfieldusa.com.
Mackie, Lake Technology Develop LP48 Expansion Card
Mackie, a Loud Technologies Inc. brand, recently announced an agreementwith Lake Technology Ltd. to develop the Mackie LP48 expansion card,which provides EQ and loudspeaker plug-ins for the new Mackie TT24Digital Live Console.
The LP48 brings a number of enhancements to the TT24 in threepossible configurations. The card can be configured in Lake LoudspeakerProcessor mode as a 4-input/8-output loudspeaker processor to provideeight channels of balanced analog output with line-drive capability. Itcan also provide the user with up to 12 channels of Lake-designedinsert EQ processing including the true-response Lake Ideal Graphic EQ”and Lake Mesa EQ” with asymmetrical filters. Additionally, users canconfigure the card with six channels of insertable EQ processing and a2-input/4-output Lake Loudspeaker Processor.
With the LP48 card installed, the TT24’s onboard 5-inch LCDtouchscreen will provide significant control of the Lake algorithms. Inaddition, the TT24’s control interface for PC will integrate aLake-style GUI. MSRP: $999.
For more information visit www.mackie.com or www.lake.com.au.
Magix Announces Music on CD & DVD Software
Music and video-editing software manufacturer Magix recentlyannounced the release of Music on CD & DVD, a new software thatcreates music DVDs for surround sound home theater and media centers.Magix’ Music on CD & DVD helps users make long-playing personalizedmusic DVDs for home use.
Music on CD & DVD reportedly restores and revitalizes the soundof CDs, LPs, Internet radio, digital cable channels, TV shows and voicerecordings and organizes music tracks per the user’s choice. Music canthen be combined with photos and videos, along with more than 260special effects to create a personalized “best of” experience. Up to100 hours of music can be archived on one MP3 DVD-ROM.
Music on CD & DVD includes an MPEG-2 encoder, supports all theleading music formats, including MP3, WMA, OGG Vorbis and .WAV, inaddition to photo and video formats such as JPEG, BMP, WMV, AVI, WMV 9,MOV, MPEG 1 and 2 and others.
Available at software retailers nationwide in late March, Music onCD & DVD 2004 is available for Windows and priced at $39.99. Visitwww.magix.com formore information.
“Tonight Show With Jay Leno” Adds Two Euphonix Consoles
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno recently installed two EuphonixSystem 5 digital mixing consoles in its audio facilities, located inStudio 3 on the NBC Burbank lot in Los Angeles.
A 220-channel System 5 now resides in the studio’s music room and isfitted with 48 multitrack buses, 16 auxes, 12 mix buses, 96remote-controlled microphone preamps, 48 analog I/O and 24 AES I/O. Atthe P.A. position, the second System 5 features a 164-channel digitalaudio console with 40 faders with 96 remote-controlled microphonepreamps and 48 analog I/O.
The two System 5s join the existing Euphonix CS3000B productionconsole, which has been serving the long-running show for sixyears.
On the same lot, the KNBC local news studio upgraded to a System 5-Bat the end of 2003. Earlier in 2003, Telemundo KVEA moved its System5-B console onto the NBC lot for use in the production ofSpanish-language programming. NBC network news uses a Euphonix CSSeries console.
Take a look at the latest Euphonix products at www.euphonix.com.
Lake Technology Debuts Lake Contour Controller V. 2.2 at NSCA2004
At the recent NSCA Expo 2004 in Las Vegas, Lake Technology Corp.introduced a host of new features in its Contour Controller Version 2.2software, which is designed to increase the power and flexibility ofthe Lake Contour” digital speaker controller. The software is providedas a free upgrade to all existing Contour customers.
Version 2.2 supports integration with the new Lake SmaartLive”Controller V. 1.22 software and adds SmaartLive metering information,with SmaartLive’s peak meters displayed inside the Contour Controllerwhen Smaart is running on separate computer.
Version 2.2 software also introduces stereo two-way and three-waylinear-phase crossover modules. The two-way module also provides anauxiliary channel. Users can select the linear-phase crossover slope tobe brickwall (default) or 24 dB/48 dB, enabling simple replacement ofexisting crossover designs. Lake Contour may alternatively beconfigured as a four-way linear phase brickwall (LPBW) crossover usinga single unit.
A stereo AES/EBU digital input and output (24-bit, 44.1 kHz to 96kHz) is now available for Lake Contour. An Input Auto-Select functionprovides signal redundancy, switching from digital to analog tomaintain a continuous signal. In V. 2.2, Contour processors equippedwith the stereo digital I/O option are provided with an independentgain offset for the digital input level provided to compensate forlevel differences between analog and digital inputs.
Additional enhancements include user selection of the A or B inputor a mono sum of both; overlay A/B switching within the EQ overlayinterface; user selection of milliseconds, feet or meters on the delayunits page; stereo linking of crossover and output EQ selectable acrossstereo modules on the same frame; and crossover bypass, allowing usersto create custom crossover functions with HPF and/or LPF filtersremoved from an output channel.
For more information or to download the software, visit www.contour.lake.com.
Allen & Heath Shows Xone:V6 Add-On Modules
At the NSCA Expo 2004 (Las Vegas), Allen & Heath showed additionaloptions to enhance its Xone:V6 audiophile rotary club mixer: the EQIsolator and the V6 Crossfader unit.
The EQ module is a dual, 3-band stereo isolator to provide variableattenuation of low, mid- and high frequencies. Any two channels may beassigned to the filters simultaneously, allowing two tracks to beseamlessly blended or montaged. The module, a 1U rackunit with sixstereo inputs/outputs, connects to the Xone:V6 channel insert pointsand shares the V6’s power supply.
The Crossfader rack module adds crossfading capability to theXone:V6, allowing the user to select any input to either side of thecrossfader when required. Utilizing a Penny & Gilesconductive-plastic crossfader and high-performance VCAs, the moduleinterfaces with the Xone:V6 via channel insert points.
Further information on these additions can be found at www.allen-heath.com.
Updated Regional Structure, Promotions at Sennheiser
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation recently made key moves in its salesand distribution organization. The changes are designed to leverage thetalents of its personnel, maintain a high level of customer support andaccommodate the company’s ongoing growth.
As of January 1, 2004, the professional division sales force beganoperating across three geographic regions: West, South/Central andNortheast. This will allow the company to reduce geographically thesize of each territory, devote more resources within each territory tokey business issues, provide increased customer service and expandsales. To help spearhead operations in the new regions, SEC haspromoted key sales personnel and hired additional staff.
Rick Renner has been promoted from Midwest professional productsterritory representative to South/Central regional sales manager (allbrands). Renner joins fellow regional sales managers Lee Stein (West)and Mark Humrichouser (Northeast).
To support the activities of the three regional sales managers, thecompany promoted Tim Murray, who recently joined SEC from HHB, to thenewly created position of assistant regional sales manager, Westernregion. Jim Schanz will now handle the Northeast, with theSouth/Central ARSM position to be announced soon.
For more information, visit www.sennheiserusa.com.
Sonic Studio Makes European Debut
Sonic Studio reports that eight DSD.1 assembly and SACD authoringworkstations have now been sold into distribution in the Europeanmarket, with four more delivered to end-users. Facilities to acquirethe DSD.1 include GLS Tonstudios and Bauer Studios in Germany, andSimon Heyworth’s Super Audio Mastering in the UK.
The DSD.1 workstation is the foundation of Sonic Studio’s newproduct line. It features editing and playback of eight full 64fs DSDchannels with crossfades. DSD.1 features include four-point editing andthe Edit Fade mode entirely within the DSD domain. DSD.1 also offers asan option integrated SACD authoring. Scarlet Book II-compliant, DSD.1’sauthoring tool delivers final cutting master image files on Sony AITdata cassettes.
For more information, visit www.sonicstudio.com.
Propellerhead Software Announces Education Package
Propellerhead Software, developers of products such as Reason, ReCycleand ReBirth, recently announced Teaching Music With Reason, acurriculum for music education based on Reason. Based on a speciallyadapted version of Reason, the curriculum is designed for use by highschool teachers in class music lessons. It can also be used as a basisfor college-level introductory modules in music or musictechnology.
The Teaching Music With Reason package contains material for twosemesters with 21 complete lessons, teacher’s lesson preparationmaterial, teaching plans, student worksheets, student “how-to” guides,song files in contemporary styles, a full-featured Reason version forthe teacher and 10 Reason-adapted student versions.
The product is designed to allow integration with existing areas ofa particular national, state or school curriculum, covering fundamentalskills that include listening, understanding basic musical elements andapplying technical knowledge in a creative context.
Teaching Music With Reason will be available during Q1, 2004 fromReason dealers and distributors worldwide. Visit www.propellerhead.se for more info.
De Lane Lea Installs Two Neve DFCs
London-based film facility De Lane Lea is set to install two AMS NeveDFCs to support its heavy 2004 mixing schedule. At 144 and104 faders,respectively, AMS Neve considers the De Lane Lea DFCs two of the mostimpressive digital film consoles delivered to date.
“Directors are becoming ever more interested in the audio aspect oftheir productions. To meet these growing demands, you need a hugeamount of processing,” says De Lane Lea technical operations manager EdJones. “The DFC s features are so well-geared to mixing films, itremoves a lot of the technical concerns that can arise during the mix.This means the mixer and director can spend far more time concentratingon the whole picture rather than being distracted by technicalissues.”
The DFC duo will join the facility’s existing AMS Neve Logic 2 andLogic 3 in the first half of 2004.
For more information, please visit www.ams-neve.com.
Palmer Music Directs New York Emmy Awards Gala
Shelly Palmer acted as music director for the 47th Annual New York EmmyAwards Gala that took place Sunday, March 28, 2004, in the GrandBallroom of The Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Presenters included Maury Povich, Senator Chuck Schumer, MayorMichael Bloomberg, a host of local television personalities, Broadwayand off-Broadway entertainers Diana Williams (WABC-TV), TovahFeldshuh (Golda’s Balcony), Jennifer Westfeldt (WonderfulTown), John Tartaglia and Stephanie D’Abruzzo (AvenueQ).
For more information about award winners, go to www.nyemmys.org.
Qualcomm Using Integrated MPEG-4 AAC/aacPlus CodingTechnologies
Qualcomm Incorporated, a provider of audio compression for theInternet, digital broadcasting and mobile, announced the integration ofMPEG-4 AAC/aacPlus technology into Qualcomm’s Qtv” and CMX” multimediasolutions. aacPlus enables the delivery of the highest audio quality atthe lowest possible bit rates. The aacPlus audio compression technologyfrom Coding Technologies reduces media file sizes while improving soundquality.
Support for the aacPlus technology in the Qtv and CMX multimediasolutions will be available in the second quarter of 2004, beginningwith Qualcomm’s MSM6100″ Mobile Station Modem” (MSM”) chipset.
“Qualcomm is pleased to provide our manufacturing partners with theinnovative aacPlus audio decoder technology, enabling wireless handsetsto stream audio media files at the highest fidelities,” said LuisPineda, VP of marketing and product management for Qualcomm CDMATechnologies. “Whether the application is targeted for streaming audioor crystal-clear ring tones, aacPlus helps establish a new benchmarkfor quality audio for the 3G CDMA wireless marketplace.”
“Coding Technologies is extremely pleased to partner with Qualcommto deploy our aacPlus technology on their MSM platforms,” said DavidFrerichs, VP of business development and U.S. general manager of CodingTechnologies. “Combined with the technologies Qualcomm offers today ontheir chipsets, the ability to enhance the multimedia capabilities ofthe chipset with high-fidelity audio through aacPlus will continue tosolidify their leadership in the wireless arena.”
The aacPlus solution uses spectral band replication (SBR) technologyto enable audio codecs to deliver the same quality at very low bitrates. The accPlus solution enables streaming and downloadablemultichannel audio at 128 kbps, CD-quality audio stereo at 48 kbps andexcellent quality stereo at 32 kbps. These data rates will enhance theaudio quality of commercially available wireless products and enablenew applications for future devices.
For more information, refer to Qualcomm’s Website at www.qualcomm.com.
Fluid, Fahlgren Advertising Create Upcoming Cooper TireAdverts
A three-spot campaign promoting Cooper Tires was developed by FahlgrenAdvertising (Columbus, Ohio) and New York-based Fluid, which provided awide array of creative services including the offline and onlineeditorial, visual effects, original music and sound design. The threedarkly comic “mini-drama” commercials—Son, Dinerand Den—are slated for a national campaign on cablestarting April 5, 2004.
Fahlgren Advertising ACD/copywriter Andy Conroy said, “I’ve alwayshad wonderful experiences working with Fluid for music and sounddesign. There’s an established level of trust, a level of taste and I’malways happy with the results. So, when they said they were gettingeditorial together, I said, ‘Great,’ but at the same time, I was a bitleery. Traditionally, music places do music, editing places edit.Having all these services under one roof—industry-standard music,industry-standard sound design and, on the other side, some of the besteditors and designers in the country—was a new experience for me.It proved to be a very comfortable, very immediate experience: nolong-distance conferences, no going across town for another part of thepuzzle. It was a wonderful, collaborative experience all around.”
In addition to Avid editor Scott Philbrook, who completed theoffline edit with assistance by Christian Pulfer, the Fluidpost-production team included online editor David Sullivan, graphicartist Alex Frowein, composer Judson Crane, sound designer FredSzymanski, executive producers David Shapiro and Marc Schwartz,producer Virginia Galvan and music producer Brad Stratton.
The film-to-tape transfer was completed at Company 3 (New York City)by colorist Eli Friedman and the final audio mix was engineered atAudio Engine (New York City) by mixer Joe Vagnoni.
Lake Technology Supports New L-Acoustic V7 PresetLibrary
At NSCA 2004, Lake Technology Limited announced support for L-Acousticsloudspeaker systems within its Contour Controller software to coincidewith the release of the French manufacturer’s new V7 Preset Library.Lake Technology also introduced support for EAW speaker systems as partof its ongoing preset support development for loudspeaker manufacturersworldwide.
Presets will be posted to the support forum on the new Lake ContourWebsite, www.contour.lake.com, for users to download as theybecome available; the forum is located at http://forum.contour.lake.com. The Website alsoprovides a preset request form where Lake Contour users can apply forspecific loudspeaker system support.
L-Acoustics’ touring technical support manager, Paul Bauman,comments, “I’m very excited about the Lake Contour, and the timing forofficial L-Acoustics preset support is excellent since we’ve justlaunched our new V7 preset libraries. Based on the overwhelmingresponse from V-DOSC Network Partners, I anticipate that we’ll beseeing more and more Lake Contour drive systems on the road in theupcoming months.”
“EAW is proud of our ongoing relationship with Lake Technology,”states Rich Frembes, product director of Eastern Acoustic Works. “Ourhistory of working with leading companies is furthered by ourcollaboration with Lake to create presets for EAW loudspeakers.”
The new preset library offers the latest improvements in sonicperformance and optimizes the L-Acoustics loudspeaker power resources.The L-Acoustics V-DOSC preset library offers smoother response,improved low-end impact, re-engineered four-way presets, new five-waypresets (including dV-SUB), and introduces Lake Contour support forusers with V-DOSC, SB218, dV-DOSC, ARCS and dV-SUB systems. The dV-DOSCV7 preset library introduces new three-way and four-way presets(including the SB118 subwoofer) for use with dV-DOSC, dV-SUB, SB118 andSB218 systems.
Lake Contour’s preset library also now supports EAW’s new KF850zF,KF850zR and SB850zR Virtual Array Systems in addition to the previousKF850 Series. The new “Z” upgrade is available in both flown andground-stacking models. The full-range KF850z and SB850z subwoofer areappropriate for any application calling for loudspeakers capable ofultrahigh-output and tight pattern control.
Ableton Live V. 3.0.3 Released at Musikmesse
Ableton announced that it has released software upgrade Live 3.0.3.Main features of Live 3.0.3 are a new session and arrangement demosong; a first-steps tutorial, mainly for new Live users (accessed byopening the DemoSession song); and an index for the English pdf manual.To download the free update, go to www.ableton.com/downloads.
In more Live 3 news, Ableton will show Live 3 at Musikmesse inFrankfurt, Germany, on March 31-April 03, 2004. The company will belocated in booth B56, Hall 5.1 with M-Audio. Check out Livepresentations by Ableton product specialists at M-Audio main stage andat the Ableton booth B56.
Ableton and M-Audio will host performances by today’s leadingartists. Experience electronic music performed with Live and M-Audiohardware, featuring Guardner Live (Wednesday, 4:30 p.m.), Gabriel LeMar (Thursday, 2:30 p.m.), DJ Rabauke (Thursday, 4:30 p.m.), DJaneAroma (Friday, 4: 30 p.m.), Funkbrüder (Saturday, 2:30 p.m.) andGabriel Le Mar (Saturday, 4: 30 p.m.).
Nord Electro V. 2.1 Now Updated
Clavia released Version 2.1 software for the Nord Electro 2 and NordElectro stage keyboards. Version 2.1 features selectable keyboardvelocity sensitivity for piano sounds and some minor fixes; it’s alsopossible to select between 10 different velocity-sensitivity curves forpiano sounds.
The Nord Electro 2/Electro Version 2.1 update can be downloaded atwww.clavia.se freeof charge. To order a CD-R with the Nord Electro OS Version 2.1software update and all currently released piano sound files or formore info about the Nord Electro 2, visit the site.
Omnia Audio Partners With Radio Experience
Omnia Audio is partnering with The Radio Experience, www.theradioexperience.com, in a joint venture toprovide the industry’s most sophisticated, easy-to-use dynamic datatechnology for broadcasters wishing to data-cast to RDS, HD Radio andInternet Web pages.
“Broadcasters have really begun to realize the positive potential indisplaying dynamic information related to their on-air activities,”says Omnia president Frank Foti. “There is a natural synergy betweenOmnia and The Radio Experience as industry leaders in emergingtechnologies. As RDS and HD Radio deployment grows, the ability toprovide broadcasters with equipment that enables content-relatedinformation makes our partnership a natural fit.”
“This technology partnership finally brings together all the piecesof the data-casting puzzle,” says Allen Hartle, president of The RadioExperience. “Together, we can provide state-of-the-art hardwaredesigned to meet the needs of both the broadcast engineer installingthe system and the needs of the programmer looking for a competitiveadvantage.
“RDS has been used widely in Europe since the 1980s,” adds Hartle.”Now, as more cars sold in the American market come equipped withadvanced radios, broadcasters see the advantages of adding the systemto their service.”
RDS hardware products offered by Omnia and The Radio Experience areslated to include an RDS encoder with integrated RDS Accelerator togive broadcasters the ability to send text information to bothRadioText and Dynamic PS displays, and a Dynamic Data Processor thatprovides data-distribution capabilities for RDS and HD Radio. Softwareproducts will include Now Playing software to interface RDS withautomation systems for automatic music information retrieval, andNewsFlash, which enables studio operators to broadcast up-to-the-minuteweather reports, RDS traffic alerts, Amber alerts and sponsorparticipation in RDS, HD Radio and Website displays.
Omnia/The Radio Experience RDS products will be on display in theTelos/Omnia booth at the spring NAB convention.
Sennheiser is “On Air With Ryan Seacrest”
The hit series On Air With Ryan Seacrest and AmericanIdol are now totally wireless thanks to Sennheiser and KlausLandsberg’s KFL Audio Inc.
“I’m an industry brat,” says mixer Landsberg. “My father was atelevision industry pioneer and, as vice president and general managerof Channel 5 (KTLA), he designed and built the first live TV stationand transmitter site here in L.A. in the 1940s. My mother was a recordproducer and I began working after school at a local recording studio.”After college, Landsberg moved back to L.A. and started his ownproduction company, KFL Audio Inc. “Nowadays, I mix about 10 awardshows a year,” he continues, “including the MTV VMAs, theSurvivor’finale in Central Park NYC, The Bachelor weddingepisode and both the weekly American Idol< and On Air WithRyan Seacrest shows.” Landsberg also mixed the sound for thisyear’s Super Bowl half-time show.
For On Air With Ryan Seacrest, Landsberg built the controlroom to suit the specific needs of that show. “We have a live band so Ido all the mixes myself on two maxed-out Yamaha DM2000 boards capableof 196 channels of audio. I’m proud to say that the entire show usesonly Sennheiser mics. I go way back with Sennheiser to the days ofearly live music shows. I’ve always been impressed with their greatsound, quality construction and reliable operation. But what really gotme hooked on Sennheiser gear was their RF microphone systems. BothDavid Bellamy of Soundtronics and myself swear by Sennheiser. With allthe live shows we do, they never let you down. I’ve never had a problemwith them ever, unless a performer dropped one or physically abused onein some way.
For On Air With Ryan Seacrest, only the live band and severalof the ancillary stationery artists are wired; everyone else is onSennheiser wireless systems. Soundtronics did a complete custom rackinstallation for all of the receivers and a complete local RF spectrumanalysis and intermod survey to ensure reliable, interference-free andclean operation. Landsberg continues: “For Ryan, the contestants andthe judges, I use 20 omnidirectional Sennheiser MKE Platinum lavaliermics teamed with the popular and tiny SK 5012 body-pack transmitters.The rest of the mics are handheld Sennheiser SKM 5000-N transmittersfitted with Neumann KK 105-S capsules.”
Right from its inception, American Idol relied on theSennheiser/Neumann wireless combo mic on all singers and judges. “Withthe judges walking into the audience, I found the handheld mics did agreat job at rejecting boisterous crowd noise,” says Landsberg. “Wealso used the wireless Sennheiser/Neumann combo on Clay Aiken and KellyClarkson with all the background singers on wired Neumann KMS 105s. Forthe live band, I always use a Sennheiser MD 441 inside the kick, an MD421-II on the outside and then 421s on all the tom toms. Neumann KM184s are great for overheads. For guitars, I find a stereo pair of theSennheiser Evolution e609s deliver the goods.
“Sennheiser goes all-out to help both the artists and the engineers!In my work, I need the reliability and performance only Sennheiser canprovide.”
For more information about Sennheiser, go to www.sennheiserusa.com.
Carl Davidson Leads PRG Initiative
Michael Tomkin, president of Production Resource Group (PRG), hasannounced that Carl Davidson, VP of corporate business development forPRG, will be spearheading a company-wide initiative to increaseawareness and utilization of PRG’s services in the tradeshowindustry.
“PRG currently serves many clients in the tradeshow industry,” saidTomkin, “but many are unaware of the full extent of PRG’s services. Weare just now launching many new technologies that will greatly expandthe range of possibilities in tradeshow exhibit design.”
PRG’s initiative will include demonstrations of the company’s newtechnologies, including Mbox, a video server that enables all of thelighting, video and projection elements in an exhibit to be controlledby a single lighting console. Mbox comes with a wide array of specialeffects that can be utilized with both still and video images. It alsoallows a user to perform rapid onsite image editing.
Davidson joined PRG in 2003 after gaining two decades of experiencein the tradeshow industry. He had previously served in accountexecutive and sales management positions at several leading exhibithouses.
“After spending many years developing solutions for tradeshowexhibitors,” stated Davidson, “I understand the many challengesassociated with helping them achieve their marketing objectives. I lookforward to helping my colleagues take advantage of the many newentertainment technologies that can give them the winningsolution.”
For more information, visit www.prg.com.
reFX Debuts Vanguard Virtual Analog Synthesizer
VST-manufacturer reFX announced the launch of its latest virtual analogsynthezisers, Vanguard.
Developed and created by reFX founder Michael Kleps, Vanguardrepresents years of investment in knowledge and experience, givingusers a warm and rich-sounding synthesizer plug-in.
Equipped with 31 different types of oscillators, including rarelyfound digital oscillators with new modulation options, Vanguard alsoincludes 13 filter types with different slopes and includes a new kindof combined dual-filter variations.
Along with a delay and reverb, Vanguard features the Trancegate andArpeggiator tools. Trancegate is a 16-step gate that allows users tocreate rhythmic gated patterns, and the Arpgeggiator features inspiringpatterns and several play modes.
Priced at $89.99, it is available as a VST plug-in for PC and Mac(OS 9 and OS X). Owners of the discontinued Juno X2 synthesizer willalso receive the (function-reduced) Vanguard Lite loyalty version freeof charge and will be able to upgrade to Vanguard for $59.99.
Kleps comments that, “’Vanguard is an important addition tothe creative tools any musician, producer, writer or composer can addto their collection. Its versatility and flexibility, coupled with itsground-breaking technologies, will, we think, not only make Vanguard adesirable piece to own, but also an essential one.”
For more information on reFEX and features of Vanguard, go to www.refx.net.
Twice the TerraTec at Musikmesse
TerraTec staked out its annual location for its main booth in hall 5.1,B 69 at Musikmesse. This year, they are also located in the guitar hall4.0 at booth F 91 to promote the news that TerraTec Electronic GmbH hasacquired Blue Chip’s Axon technology. TerraTec now enjoys access to amultiple award-winning guitar-to-MIDI technology that has raked incommendations from Electronic Musician, EQ and Gitarre& Bass magazines, among others.
For more information, visit www.terratec.com.
STP Marketing Receives First Lab.gruppen Award
Sweden-based power amplifier manufacturer Lab.gruppen announced thatSTP Marketing (Madison, Wisc.) is the recipient of the firstLab.gruppen Sales Representative of the Year Award. Scott Tilley, ownerof STP Marketing, accepted the award at a Lab.gruppen sales meeting inLas Vegas during the National Sound Contractors Association (NSCA)convention.
STP Marketing is owned and operated by Tilley. The firm wasestablished three years ago and has been representing Lab.gruppen inthe upper Midwest region since TC Electronic took over U.S.distribution two years ago.
Established to acknowledge outstanding sales success, this awardrepresents a significant milestone for the entire North AmericanLab.gruppen sales channel. “We have a great team of professionals thathave made significant inroads into this market in a very short time. Itgives us great pleasure to officially recognize their exemplaryperformance,” stated Tomas Lilja, managing director of Lab.gruppen.
“I’d like to congratulate STP Marketing on this well-deservedhonor,” says John Maier, VP of sales for TC Electronic. “Scott has donean amazing job for us with Lab.gruppen. His persistence and enthusiasmhave been infectious and the results are evident in his salesperformance.”
For more information, visit Lab.gruppen at www.labgruppen.seor STP Marketing at 608/271-7555.