NASHVILLE Gibson Guitar Corp.

re-
cently announced the formation of the Gib-
son Pro Audio Division after acquiring the
assets of the Stanton Group, which includes
KRK Systems, Cerwin-Vega and Stanton DJ.
Since announcing the formation of that
division, Gibson announced a strategic part-
nership with Onkyo Corporation. The Onkyo
partnership, Gibson said, will beneft the
new pro audio division with access to new
technological resources. Gibson, in turn, will
provide Onkyo with its marketing resources
and expertise.
As part of the Onkyo deal, Gibson will
acquire a majority of Onkyo USA, which
is Onkyos exclusive distributor for North
America and a distributor for Central and
South America. The move also makes Gib-
son the second-largest Onkyo shareholder.
With its strategic investment in Onkyo,
Gibson chairman and CEO Henry Juszkie-
wicz joins Onkyos board of directors. On-
kyo, in turn, will invest in Gibson, and CEO
and president Munenori Otsuki will take a
position on Gibsons board of directors.
In addition to Onkyo USA becoming
part of Gibsons new pro audio division,
Gibson and Onkyo will form a Hong Kong-
based joint venture focusing on design
and development of new consumer audio
products.
The Stanton Group acquisition paved
the way for Gibsons frst big expansion into
the pro audio market, with loudspeaker,
monitor and electronics technology. At the
time of that acquisition, Gibson cited Stan-
ton Groups R&D base as a key factor lead-
ing to the deal.
Right now we have an extremely
powerful brand that people recognize and
value, but the musical instrument category
is inherently limited because people who
purchase instruments also need to know
how to play them, said Henry Juszkie-
wicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar.
This new divi-
sion is perfectly
aligned with
our core. It ex-
pands our reach
to fellow music
lovers and al-
lows us access
to 20 in 20 con-
sumers, instead
of the one in 20 we currently hit. Stanton
produces some of the best pro audio equip-
ment in the world and were incredibly ex-
cited to be working with the very talented
team at Stanton as we take Gibson into the
future.
uAmLAMN Mol. ^O mo.O=
Rock and Roll Never Forgets
PEOPLE. PRODUCTlON. GEAR. GlGS.
Gibson Buys KRK, Cerwin-Vega,
Stanton; Partners with Onkyo
www.ProAudioSpace.com/join
Road Tests
We put Kaltman Creations Invisible
Waves X and beyerdynamic Touring Gear
drum and percussion mics to the test.
Theory & Practice
Tips and tricks on how to get great
guitar tones through the careful place-
ment of mics on guitar amps.
32
40
Buyers Guide:
TDM Plugins
For men (and women) of a certain age, Bob Segers songs are as familiar and comfortable
as a pair of jeans. And those jeans flled a lot of seats Pollstar tallied Segers 2011 tour sales in
the middle of its top 25, with a half-million tickets sold. Engineers Andy Meyer and Bill Chrysler,
at FOH and monitors, respectively, were along for the ride, serving up the decades-old hits
with the latest in processing technology. For the full story, turn to page 22.
From Crane Song, Eventide, Focus-
rite, McDSP, SPL, Serato, tc electronic
and Waves (H-EQ Hybrid EQ pictured
here). Also: PMs, from Fidelity, Fit-Ear,
Future Sonics, JH Audio, Sensaphonics,
Shure, Ultimate Ears and Westone. Turn
to pages 34 and 35.
NEW YORK Longtime Audio En-
gineering Society (AES) member and
ofcer Bob Moses has been named
AES executive director, replacing Rog-
er Furness. Moses assumed his new
role on January 1, 2012.
In accepting the position, Moses
noted, The AES has been the back-
bone of my career. It has provided me
with a unique platform to evangelize
my ideas and seek feedback from the
industry. Ive learned almost every-
thing I know about audio, and met many of my closest colleagues,
through AES activities. I cant imagine achieving my career goals with-
out AES there to support me.
My initial task is to identify where the AES provides maximum
value to its membership and the industry, and to advance new ways to
enhance this value, he continued. Sixty-three years ago the AES was
the place for the scientifc community to share ideas. Over time, AES
conventions evolved as the best forum for manufacturers to exhibit
professional audio products.
But today, the Internet and persistent economic challenges
worldwide have changed the game. Based on my own experience
as an AES member, author,
AES Names Bob Moses New Executive Director
S
T
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J
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N
N
I
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G
S
continued on page 6
Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz
Bob Moses
uAmLAMN
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Features
Crew and gear behind the biggest-selling tours of
2011, as ranked by Billboard.
The Top 10 Tours of 2011
W
H
A
T

S

H
O
T
18
S
T
E
V
E

J
E
N
N
I
N
G
S
Columns
Bon Jovi on tour
Departments
W
H
A
T

S

H
O
T
Regional Slants
Production Support Group can support big arena
shows with new gear. Shown here, their QSC
WideLine-10s for Ludacris.
30
LETTERS
Creative Accounting
We received this letter in response to
Baker Lees Dec.2011 FOH-at-Large
column.ed.
A few months later, two of the
original three guests check into a ho-
tel room in the same hotel.The clerk
says the bill is $20, so each guest pays
$10. Later, the clerk realizes the bill
should only be $15.To rectify this, he
gives the bellhop $5 to return to the
guests. On the way to the room, the
bellhop realizes that he cannot divide
the money equally. As the guests
didnt know the total of the revised
bill, the bellhop decides to just give
each guest $1 and keep $3 for himself.
Now that each of the guests has
been given $1 back, each has paid
$9, bringing the total paid to $18.The
bellhop has $3, so $18 + $3 = $21, and
the guests originally handed over
$20, so thats where the missing dollar
from the original problem is!
Philip Jongejan, with special help
from Jimmy Wales and Al Gore.
ProAudioSpace.com
14 New Gear
New offerings from Allen & Heath, Audix,
Eminence, Future Sonics, Grund, Hosa, Kaltman
Creations, Lectrosonics, Outline, PWS, Shure, SKB
and Yamaha
22 Production Profle
Engineers Andy Meyer (FOH) Bill Chrysler (moni-
tors) supported the latest tour for Bob Seger and
the Silver Bullet Band.
26 Tech Preview
Crowns new 4-channel I-Tech HD amplier
completes their V-Rack solution for JBLs VerTec
line arrays.
28 Speaking of Speakers
The physical properties of sound arent new, but
the latest technology and materials driving the
resurgent column speaker category are.
32 Road Test
Drum and percussion mics from beyerdynamics
Touring Gear series
33 Road Test
Kaltman Creations Invisible Waves X Windows-
based RF spectrum scanner
34 Buyers Guide
Personal earphone monitors and live sound
plugins.
36 Tech Preview
Allen & Heaths GLD-80 represents the next gen-
eration of the digital iLive console.
37 Welcome to My Nightmare
Darryn de la Soul is still haunted by the memo-
ries of an infernal Crackle, Snap Pop.
39 On the Digital Edge
David Morgan used Waves CLA-2A plugin to
tackle a challenge posed by a closed-lid Yamaha
C7 grand piano for James Taylor.
40 Theory and Practice
Woody LaCerra nds two mics better than one
when it comes to miking the guitar amp for Blue
yster Cults Buck Dharma.
41 The Biz
Even sought-after sound engineers need to use
their networking skills to let production compa-
nies know they are available.
42 Sound Sanctuary
Column speakers can be a godsend for house-of-
worship sound engineers.
4 Editors Note
5 News
11 International News
13 On the Move
14 New Gear
18 Showtime
Editors Note
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Front Of House (ISSN 1549-831X) Volume 10 Num-
ber 4 is published monthly by Timeless Communica-
tions Corp., 6000 South Eastern Ave., Suite 14J, Las Vegas,
NV, 89119. Periodicals Postage Paid at Las Vegas, NV and
additional mailing ofces. Postmaster: Send ad-
dress changes to Front Of House, P.O. Box 16147, North
Hollywood, CA 91615-6147. Front Of House is distributed
free to qualifed individuals in the live sound industry in the
United States and Canada. Mailed in Canada under Publica-
tions Mail Agreement Number 40033037, 1415 Janette Ave.,
Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1. Overseas subscriptions are available
and can be obtained by calling 702.932.5585. Editorial sub-
missions are encouraged, but will not be returned. All Rights
Reserved. Duplication, transmission by any method
of this publication is strictly prohibited without the
permission of Front Of House.
O
nce considered just a music store
show, NAMM has evolved into a pre-
mier showcase for pro products for
live sound, touring, and even the installed
sound market. We make the annual pilgrim-
age to Anaheim for the Winter NAMM show
after our holiday cheer has worn of and be-
fore the Super Bowl and Grammys get us all
wound up again.
The annual NAMM show crosses all
genres of music and production, and Hall
A is the worlds healthiest Pro Audio Mecca,
boosted by the presence of real rock stars
side by side with mom and pop instrument
manufacturers and music stores, all coming
together to feel the excitement of a career
committed to something that everyone can
feel passionate about.
This month we have a pair of Buyers
Guides, one on live concert software pl-
ugins for Venue digital consoles and a sec-
ond on personal stage monitors that are
worn in the ears. Both products have come
a long way in the last decade, one small,
the other smaller, proving again that less
is more, even on the biggest stages. Both
these categories have been transformative
in their ability to take musicians and their
personal vision to the next level of live per-
formance.
We also have two full pages of New
Gear just before heading into the Anaheim
Convention Center for more new product
releases. Speaking of which, this month we
also have two Tech Previews of equipment
thats being released at the NAMM show:
Crowns new 4-channel I-Tech HD amplifer,
which completes their V-Rack solution for
JBLs VerTec line arrays, and Allen & Heaths
next generation of afordable digital iLive
console, the GLD-80.
This months Showtime showcase, put
together monthly by managing editor Frank
Hammel, is Billboards Top 10 Tours of 2011
in a special three-page feature. How many
of the Top 10 tours are Clair Global this year?
Two of our writers discuss column
speakers from both sides: Jamie Rio in
Sound Sanctuary from his house of worship
perspective and our loudspeaker editor Phil
Graham, who talks about the physics of col-
umns.
Woody LaCerra, who mixes FOH for Blue
yster Cult, explores miking guitar amplif-
ers, including Buck Dharmas, while David
Morgan, who mixes James Taylors last and
next tours, discusses using Waves CLA-2A
plugin on a Yamaha C7 grand piano.
Dan Daley extols the virtues of network-
ing one of the reasons we make the trip
to NAMM each January and SIRs Baker
Lee talks about the diference between right
and wrong. Kevin Mitchell introduces us to
the winners of the 2011 Parnelli Hometown
Hero award, Production Support Group
from Tallahassee, FL.
This months Production Profle looks at
Bob Segers powerful arena tour that just
wrapped up in Jacksonville, FL with the
usual gorgeous photos by Steve Jennings.
Every time Alto Reed plays those fve lonely
notes I get chills.
BTW, anyone know the song from 1962
he was humming? It was the Ronettes Be
My Baby, whose opening Hal Blaine drum-
beat appears in many other hit songs, in-
cluding those by Billy Joel, Meat Loaf, Asia
and Springsteen. Can you name any? BMB
is considered the epitome of Phil Spectors
Wall of Sound Just like Ronnie sang.
Turn the Page,
Mark Frink
Contact Mark at mfrink@fohonline.com.
Publishers of...
Turn the Page
6l1 18l FF
6l1 18l 8lN$
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60 10.
News
DiGiCo Announces ISIS Equity Investment
CHESSINGTON, UK DiGiCo, which had
received fnancial backing for its expansion fve
years ago from Matrix Equity Partners, recently
announced new expansion plans made pos-
sible from a secondary investment from ISIS
Equity Partners.
This year, DiGiCo is marking 10 years since
the debut of its D5 Live console. Over that time,
the company has expanded its product line and
launched the Stealth Digital Processing FPGA
audio engine, now found in all SD series con-
soles.
This is a fantastic opportunity for DiGiCo
to build further on the achievements of the last
fve years,said James Gordon, DiGiCo CEO. The
company has expanded rapidly in a short space
of time, and the timing is perfect to add some
new investment and experience to the team.
I have worked in the pro audio industry
for 33-plus years. The last fve years with Matrix
and the DiGiCo team have really opened up our
ability to challenge new technology, such as
our move to Stealth Digital Processing, noted
John Stadius, DiGiCos technical director. The
future combination of ISIS and Matrix is going
to accelerate our development opportunities
even further.
Denise Emmanuel, investment director at
ISIS, cited DiGiCo as an example of an entrepre-
neurial company and management team that is
able to deliver growth even in a difcult envi-
ronment.
DiGiCos success
has been driven by a
highly focused and
competitive manage-
ment team, efcient
investment in R&D, a
commitment to qual-
ity in its Scottish fac-
tory and an uncom-
promising attention
to customer satisfac-
tion, concluded Ma-
trix Equity Partners
Bob Henry.
Fromleft, James Gordon, John Stadius, Helen Cullerton, David Webster
MOSCOW NAMM and Messe Frankfurt
announced that dozens of manufacturers and
distributors of major music product brands
have confrmed exhibit space and attendance at
the two new international music product trade
shows being co-located here: NAMM Musik-
messe Russia and Prolight + Sound NAMM Rus-
sia, to be held for the frst time at Moscows Expo
Centre May 16-19, 2012.
Sales for Russian musical instruments and
technologies are estimated to be $450 million
(US).
According to Betty Heywood, NAMM direc-
tor of international afairs, the Russian musical
market is potentially the largest in Europe, driven
by a population of close to 145 million people, a
developed musical culture and recent sustain-
able growth trends. Russia alone has more than
5,000 music schools for children,she notes.
The trade shows are being co-produced by
Messe Frankfurt, producers of the International
Musikmesse, Music China, Frankfurts Prolight +
Sound, and Prolight + Sound Shanghai, and by
NAMM International, subsidiary producer of the
NAMM Show and Summer NAMM.
NAMM and Messe Frankfurt have been suc-
cessfully cooperating on the Music China show
in Shanghai since 2006.
NAMM & Musikmesse
at Moscow Expo Centre
TRIESTE, Italy Scafolding and truss
crumpled at about 2 pm prior to a Dec. 12
rock concert featuring Jovanotti at the 6,943-
seat PalaTrieste. The collapse killed one stage
worker and injured eight others, according to
press reports.
About 20 workers had nearly completed
construction of the structure for Jovanottis
Ora Tour at the time of the accident. The
worker who died at the scene, Francesco Pin-
na, 20, was a college student. Authorities and
investigators restricted access to the venue
and the concert was canceled.
The artist and his manager, Maurizio
Salvadori, said the cause of the collapse re-
mained a mystery, noting that the structure,
which included LITEC truss, had been certi-
fed by an engineer and had been used at
numerous previous tour stops without a
problem. The tour was expected to resume in
February.
Jovanotti Concert Stage
Collapses, One Worker
Killed, Eight Injured
News
and exhibitor, I know the AES remains
a vital resource for audio professionals.
We need to clarify that value and com-
municate it better. Im ready for the chal-
lenge.
In 1987, after graduating from Mc-
Gill University with an EE degree, Moses
joined Rane Corporation as a digital au-
dio product designer. In 1995 he invent-
ed a novel means of transporting audio
over FireWire and co-founded Digital
Harmony Technologies (DHT) to deploy
this technology.
He also worked as a consultant to
numerous consumer and professional
audio manufacturers until THAT Corpo-
ration recruited him in 2006 as program
manager of its IC business. As a mem-
ber of the AES Board of Governors since
1999 and as president for 2007-2008,
Moses has served an increasingly inte-
gral role within AES.
Bob Moses Named
New Executive
Director for AES
LOS ANGELES Todd Morgan, one of the
founders of Jan-Al Cases, died on Dec. 20, 2011
after a long illness. He was 59. Prior to joining Jan
and Mufe Alejandro, Morgan had worked at
Studio Instrument Rentals (S.I.R.) where he met
Alejandro.
Morgan was the creator of the Banana Case
for shipping large screens so named because
the two lids peeled open to reveal the screen in-
side. The case forced a two-man lift, preventing
drops and screen breakage. It was an instant suc-
cess and an example of Morgans ability to incor-
porate the needs of end users in his designs.
Morgan is survived by his wife, Darlene Mat-
ura Morgan, his siblings, and is also remembered
by many friends and professional colleagues
who recall his sharp wit and detailed case de-
signs. Condolences sent to Jan-Al Cases (www.
janalcase.com) will be passed on to his family.
Audio-Technica Assumes U.K. Distribution for Allen & Heath
Audio-Technica MD Adrian Rooke
LEEDS, U.K. Audio-Technica Ltd has an-
nounced it has entered into an agreement with
Allen & Heath Ltd to act as exclusive distributor
for the mixer manufacturer in the U.K. The
strategic move mirrors a similar arrangement
in Germany, where Audio-Technica has been
Allen & Heath distributor since 2005, seeing
a signifcant growth in sales over the last six
years in the territory.
Allen & Heaths sales and marketing man-
ager, Debbie Maxted, said the company is
delighted to be working with Audio-Techni-
ca, which has already demonstrated its com-
mitment to the brand and to our dealers and
end users in Germany. Allen & Heath has en-
joyed strong growth in recent years and we
have some exciting new products due for release
in the near future, so we feel that this partnership
comes at just the right time for the business.
Audio-Technica and Allen & Heath are well-
suited to this new venture, sharing a dedication
to excellent customer service and after-sales sup-
port as well as a reputation for quality products,
said Adrian Rooke, Audio-Technica managing
director. Where there is a microphone there is,
of course, frequently a mixer, so in terms both
of culture and product portfolio, the new agree-
ment brings advantages for both our businesses
and our customers.
Audio-Technica will handle the full range of
Allen & Heath products starting Feb. 1, 2012 and
will be responsible for sales, technical support
and service for both existing and new customers.
From left, Jan Alejandro and Todd Morgan, in
1984, a year after Jan-Al Cases was founded.
In Memoriam:
Todd Morgan, 59
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CAMARILLO, CA Rat Sound Systems Inc., which recently purchased a 22,000 square foot
facility here, also announced an expansion of its inventory of audio gear. The additional gear
includes 32 L-Acoustics SB28 subs, seven L-Acoustics LA Racks and 36 L-Acoustics KARA boxes.
The additional gear will be put to use to support current and upcoming tours, including
the next group of Prince shows (this time in Canada), Avenged Sevenfold, The String Cheese
Incident, Blink 182 and one-of shows including the recent KIIS FM Jingle Ball with Lady Gaga
and David Guetta.
To be purchasing our own facility is an achievement that I never thought we would reach,
said Dave Rat, president. To see the touring season holding strong through the traditionally
slow winter months is inspiring, and we see it as a strong indicator of the economic rebound
on the horizon.
Rational Acoustics Helps PreSonus Get Smaart
Rat Sound Relocates, Expands Inventory
BATON ROUGE, LA PreSonus and Rational Acoustics agreed to incorporate Rational
Acoustics Smaart Measurement Technology into PreSonus products.
This relationship expands our opportunity to deliver Smaart-based measurement solu-
tions to a wider audience and fts well with PreSonus commitment to deliver powerful, acces-
sible tools to their users via the ongoing development and integration of new technologies,
said Karen Anderson, chief operating ofcer at Rational Acoustics.
Well show the frst fruits of our collaboration with Rational Acoustics at the upcoming
Winter NAMM show, but thats just the beginning,added PreSonus CEO Jim Mack. We are very
excited about the capabilities that Smaart Measurement Technology will enable us to deliver
to our customers in the future.
DeQUINCY, LA Advanced Audio
Video Technologies recently installed
an audio system featuring Harmans
JBL VP Series loudspeakers for the new
multi-purpose gymnasium at Bible
Baptist Church. The gymnasium is used
for concerts and community functions
as well as sporting events.
The 75-year-old Bible Baptist
Church began renovations in 2007 and
now contains a main sanctuary, mul-
tiple classrooms, a workout room and
an upstairs caf, which overlooks the
new gymnasium.
For sound, Advanced Audio Video
Technologies installed a combination
of three JBL VPSB7118 self-powered
single-eighteen subwoofers, two 2-way
single-twelve VP7212/64 and one
3-way single-ffteen VP7315/64 pow-
ered loudspeakers in the gymnasium,
all self-powered, with DP-CN digital Co-
braNet inputs. Four JBL MRX512M stage
monitors, powered by two Crown XTi
1000 amplifiers, were added.
The JBL VP series loudspeak-
ers were chosen because they are
self-powered, and provided an easy-
to-install solution while providing
great coverage, noted Ethan Miller,
Advanced Audio Video Technologies
owner. Early on in the design phase,
it was requested that the audio sys-
tem take up as little space as possible.
Considering the price range and how
much a non-powered speaker would
be with the addition of amplifiers and
cables, it just made sense. It also al-
lowed everything to be hung, out of
the way so it did not take up any space.
With the ability to use a digital
snake with one Cat5 cable, it made
the whole system digital and allowed
for multiple inputs in different ways,
Miller continued. The ability of the
VP series and included DSP settings to
set delays, limiters and crossovers the
way the church wanted was a big sell-
ing point. We programmed the system
and locked it so they would not have
any issues.
A variety of church members with
little to no audio background use the
sound system on a daily basis.
Advanced Audio Video Adds JBL Loudspeakers
to Updated Bible Baptist Church Gymnasium
Bible Baptist Church gymnasium
GUANGZHOU, China Beijing Dadong
Huahan Audiovisual Equipment Co. provided
an L-Acoustics V-DOSC/KUDO line array system
for a large outdoor concert by Greek pianist and
composer Yanni as part of his Chinese tour. The
sound system was sourced through L-Acoustics
distributor for Greater China, Rightway Audio
Consultants.
The main L-Acoustics system consisted of
16 KUDO cabinets, 32 V-DOSC large format line
source boxes and 24 SB28 subs, with 24 dV-DOSC
for infll and two 115XT HiQ providing stage mon-
itoring. The complete system was powered by 32 LA8 amplifed controllers housed in six LA-RAKs.
The concert, held in Haixinsha Park on the Pearl River in Guangzhou, featured many of Yannis
hits, including the new-age classic, Santorini.
L-Acoustics Deployed for Yanni Concert
L-Acoustics gear supports Yanni concert in Guangzhou
LC"L -$18$5< vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
L
News
CHICAGO ABC-owned WLS-TV relied
on On Stage Audios Shure Axient wireless
microphone system to overcome the busy RF
environment in downtown Chicago for the
Magnifcent Mile Lights Festival. The event,
which kicked of the 2011 holiday season, lit
up more than a million lights on 200 trees
lining Michigan Avenue and featured music
from Mary Mary.
OSA senior staf engineer Pete Wiejaczka
and Kelly Epperson of Easy Live Audio had
touted the Axient systems capabilities to WLS
and audio engineers Lou Sabatini and Mike
Cunningham, who noted, afterward, that,
once we saw what Axient can do, we knew it
was perfect for this event.
Axients strengths include tight RF flter-
ing combined with spectrum management,
frequency diversity, and remote transmitter
control via wireless data communications,
all of which proved a good match for the
Michigan Avenue parade route in downtown
Chicago, an RF-rich environment made even
more complex by event logistics.
ABC 7s temporary broadcast site includ-
ed a backstagetech area and nearby dais for
three broadcast anchors. It also
required wireless signals for
street reporter Val Warner on
the parade route and the near-
by performance stage. The loca-
tion provided additional wire-
less challenges by being within
line of sight of several nearby
DTV antennas and adjacent to
a competitors broadcast studio.
To cope with those chal-
lenges, eight channels of Axient
were employed, including a
handheld and bodypack system
for Warner and a pair of hand-
held mics for Mary Mary.
Along with its ability to constantly moni-
tor the full RF spectrum to detect potential
interference, Axients frequency diversity
feature enabled transmission on a second,
independent frequency. When interference is
detected, the system seamlessly switches to a
clear backup frequency.
We had an absolutely fawless wireless
system throughout the broadcast, noted
Sabatini, who handled the broadcast mix.
We also got to see frst-hand how Axient can
detect and prevent a problem before it hap-
pens.
During rehearsal, the system detected
interference on one of the anchors system.
The display on the receiver turned red to
show us the problem,said Cunningham, who
was responsible for frequency coordination.
It turned out to be interference from an un-
planned in-ear system. Axient switched the
transmitter and receiver to a safe frequency.
That would have been a major panic situa-
tion, but Axient handled it seamlessly de-
tecting the problem, alerting us, and having a
safe channel ready to go.
Another situation arose with reporter
Val Warner. Her handheld Axient was work-
ing fne in low power mode as the broadcast
began, but as the parade route flled with the
estimated 250,000 spectators, the system
detected a reduction in signal strength. She
was about three-quarters of a block away
when the receiver went red,noted OSAs Pete
Wiejaczka. I was able to push data to that
handheld to switch it to high power mode,
and right away we had a solid RF signal again.
Along with Shure Axient, other wireless
technologies contributing to the success of
the broadcast. For PL communications, Clear-
Com provided four channels, 10 users, of
Tempest900 wireless intercom for parade co-
ordination. The all-digital Tempest system op-
erates in the 900 MHz frequency band, and its
spread spectrum frequency-hopping RF ar-
chitecture assured excellent range, coverage,
and no interference from other RF sources.
This was the frst time Tempest was used
in Chicago, said Sabatini. We had crystal-
clear communications throughout the broad-
cast, which was critical for those coordinating
the fow of the parade.
Finally, to get broadcast audio to the
bleachers located across Michigan Avenue
from the broadcast position, Wiejaczka em-
ployed the new Shure PSM 1000 personal
monitoring system in its point-to-point
mode, sending full-range audio to the PA
system with no discernible latency or qual-
ity loss. Its really a great system, Wiejaczka
said. The sound quality is excellent, and the
PSM 1000s point-to-point mode allows me
to use a Shure UHF-R receiver, which meant I
had real balanced XLR outputs instead of just
the mini headphone jack thats on an in-ear
bodypack. Its a great solution anytime you
cant run cable to the PA system.
OSA Uses Axient for Magnicent Mile Lights Festival
ELON, NC Au-
dio & Light, Inc. de-
signed and installed
an upgraded audio
system for Elon Uni-
versitys Whitley
Auditorium that in-
cludes D.A.S. Audios
Variant Series loud-
speakers.
Used for lectures,
concerts, perfor-
mances and weekly
chapel services, and
acoustically opti-
mized for its Casa-
vant pipe organ,
Whitley Auditorium
presented a number
of acoustic challeng-
es, according to Jim
Hoyle, president of
Audio & Light, who
served as sound designer for the project.
The room is quite live, Hoyle said,
of the 90-foot-deep, 42-foot-wide space.
As a presentation space, a high degree
of speech intelligibility was required,
while at the same time, the loudspeaker
system had to be very capable in its abili-
ty to reproduce music program material,
Hoyle added. Ultimately we decided on
D.A.S. Audios Variant 25A powered two-
way mid-high loudspeakers plus the Vari-
ant 18A powered subwoofer system.
The loudspeakers are deployed in
a central cluster over the front of the
rooms stage area, with a single Variant
18A subwoofer at the top of the cluster
and six Variant 25A elements under-
neath. The cluster is flown at a height of
26 feet.
Along with sound quality, Hoyle
chose Variant gear for its ability to pro-
vide clear, highly
intelligible sound
throughout the
hall. The throw and
horizontal disper-
sion of this sys-
tem is excellent.
The sound is clear
and very natural.
It handles music
beautifully and we
have consistent
coverage from
front to rear and
side to side.
Hoyle also
credited D.A.S. for
its rigging hard-
ware and custom-
er/technical sup-
port. The flyware
is very clean, effi-
cient, and easy to
use. The entire systemwith the flying
grid, followed by the Variant 18A sub-
woofer and the six Variant 25A elements
beneath the subworks superbly well.
Everyone in Miami has been very help-
ful, he added.
Audio & Light Provides D.A.S. at Elon University
Whitley Auditorium at Elon University with D.A.S. Audio gear
News
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MONCTON, NB, Canada
The Capitol Theatre, which hosts
more than 200 events annually,
was looking to upgrade its audio
system with a user-friendly digital
console. The technical crew, led
by Eric Hache, opted for a Yama-
ha PM5D as the 800-seat venues
new FOH console, moving the
previously-installed LS9 console
to the theatres monitor position,
where its used with a dozen QSC-
powered EAW SM200 wedges
and a QSC KW181 powered sub-
woofer for drummers.
The Capitol, one of only a few examples in
Canada of restored pre-war theatres, was pur-
chased by the City of Moncton in 1991 and hosts
200 events a year, ranging from local graduations
to full theatre productions and national tours.
Musical events account for 80 percent of the
performances. The venues Capitol School of Per-
forming Arts ofers various ongoing programs
for children and adults.
We knew we wanted go to digital, noted
Eric Hache, technical director of the Capitol The-
atre. We looked at what was available and spoke
with touring staf and knew the product had to
be user friendly, and that within minutes, the en-
gineer would be able to control the board even if
they hadnt used it before. The console also had
to sound good and be reliable.
Hache said they had heard the Yamaha
PM5D on various tours and, although there were
newer consoles on the market, it became clear
that the Yamaha PM5D was the logical choice.
Installing and using it for the past six months
in the Capitol Theatre confrmed our decision. I
didnt want a console that was overly computer-
ized, and I wanted it to be much like analog in its
operational aspect.
The Capitol Theatre has a wide range of mi-
crophones consisting of AKG, Shure, Neumann,
and Sennheiser. The main system consists of two
pairs of EAW MK2264 single-twelve trapezoids, a
pair of double ffteen subs, and eight EAW JFX-
80s, with two used for front-fll, three for under-
balcony delays and three over-balcony delays.
Moncton Capitol Theatre Upgrades with PM5D
Capitol Theatre with PM5D
DENTON, TX Electro Acoustics has outft-
ted the University of North Texas recently-con-
structed Apogee Stadium with Harmans JBL VLA
line arrays. The PA system needed to stand up to
adverse weather conditions while providing out-
put, clarity and power. Gary White of Wrightson,
Johnson, Haddon & Williams (WJHW) designed
the install.
The 30,850-capacity Apogee Stadium fea-
tures a main scoreboard system comprising
eight JBL VLA901 dual-ffteen 3-way line array
loudspeakers, combined with eight VLA601
long-throw versions, split four to each side.
Three additional high-output VLA901H and four
VLA601H loudspeakers round out the score-
board sound system.
JBLs VLA line arrays provide the power and
reliability required in such a demanding venue,
noted Chris Jordan, president of Electro-Acous-
tics. The speakers are perfect for an outdoor
environment. We focused on providing a loud
system that could withstand any inconvenient
weather.
Crown amplifers power Apogee Stadiums
sound system, which also features BSS process-
ing. The entire system is controlled through Har-
mans HiQnet System Architect.
To help make certain it was completed on
time, Electro Acoustics designed, built, tested
and tweaked the entire system in its studio
an important strategy to ensure the safety and
structural integrity of the construction site.
The speakers were easily rigged and time
was the only challenge when dealing with the
new construction of Apogee,Jordan continued.
UNT was our frst major install of VLA line arrays
and we are proud of the outcome. The stadium
sounds amazing. The clients received exactly
what they expected, on time and on budget.
University of North Texas Apogee Stadium
Electro Acoustics
Bows VLA at NTUs
Apogee Stadium
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International News
WORPSWEDE, Germany Joerg Mohr
and Ray Hassfeld, sound system managers
at the Worpswede Music Hall, recently de-
cided to upgrade the Kling & Freitag
house system with Powersoft am-
plifers. They chose K3 And M50Q
DSP+ETH amplifers for their sound
quality and DSP functionality, as
well as remote control and monitor-
ing capabilities.
The Music Hall dates back to
1870. Since then, it has changed
hands a number of times while re-
taining its primary use as a perfor-
mance venue. Known simply as the
Music Hall since 1993, it has hosted
John Mayall, Al di Meola and Robert
Cray, among countless others.
When deciding on amplifers, we were
looking for two things great sounding
amps and something that was going to be
technically future-proof, said Mohr. We
needed something with internal DSP as well
as remote control and monitoring capabili-
ties.
Mohr credits Powersoft amps with the
amount of output that can be achieved with
a single rack unit. We were simply amazed,
he said, not only with K3 for the main PA, but
also the 4-channel M50Qs that drive the foor
monitors. Eight monitor channels at a maxi-
mum power of 1,250 watts in only two rack
units how cool is that?
Worpswede Music Hall Upgrades Amps
Powersoft K3 and M50Q DSP+ETH
drive the house systemat the
Music Hall Worpswede
LONDON SSE Audio has been support-
ing performances by Arctic Monkeys with
Lakes new LM Series digital audio system
processors LM 26 and LM 44. Simon Glad-
stone, technical manager at SSE, credited the
processors for audio quality, fexibility, and an
intuitive graphic interface.
The tour, which involved sold-out dates
across the U.K., allowed SSE engineers to work
with the companys new LM 44, integrating
the units into their existing inventories.
We used both the LM 26s and the LM 44s
on The Arctic Monkeys tour, confrmed Glad-
stone. In the past, we would normally have
used our old Dolby DLPs for such big gigs, but
having the LM 44 allowed us to leave these
out, which is testament to the capabilities of
the new units.
The LM 44 provides four analog inputs
and four analog outputs, in contrast to the
LM 26s 2-in/6-out. In addition, the LM 44 ac-
commodates 8-in/8-out AES3 and 4-in/8-out
Dante digital audio transport with full dual
redundancy, while the devices are stackable
for larger multiples of analog i/o. The LM 44
benefts from the latest implementation of
Lakes Mesa EQ confguration, using four
Mesa modules, each with an independent in-
put mixer and output signal processing chain.
With this confguration, the LM 44 works
well with a wide number of diferent FOH ap-
plications, including as a mix-matrix and full
system EQ sitting between a mixer and
any high-end performance loudspeaker sys-
tem switching between consoles on large
events, inserted EQ for monitor systems,
FOH to stage digital transmission, line driv-
er for self-powered systems, and as a Dante
break-in/break-out box.
SSEs engineer on the Arctic Monkeys
tour, Mark Pantlin, had an LM 44 out front
taking AES from an Avid VENUE Profile digi-
tal console, and clocking externally from
an Antelope Isochrone OCX. The audio was
then transmitted via Dante to two LM 26s
either side of the stage over SSEs custom
Cisco/Neutrik fiber optic digital returns sys-
tem, with an analog backup in place. This
setup was used to drive an L-Acoustics K1
system.
One challenge we did have was when
the Profile was removed and an analog
playback was used, the Dante master
would change, said Gladstone. This was a
bit of a worry for us, but the crossover hap-
pened seamlessly, with no break in the au-
dio. Thats thanks to the technology that is
packed into Lakes LM Series.
The Lake Processors are in a league of
their own, Gladstone continued. Number
one is the sound quality, but then theres
the flexibility of the product, and also, to
have such a good graphical interface that
is really intuitive to end users is a big sell-
ing point.
One of the best things about Lake for
us is that the units are so modular, Glad-
stone added. So we can piece together a
system using different processors, and if
we need more output on one side, we can
add another unit and link them all together
with Dante, so it really does give us an add-
ed flexibility that is vital.
SSE Supports Arctic Monkeys with Lake LM Processing
Simon Gladstone, technical manager at SSE
LONDON In what has been called
one of the largest live recording projects to
date, FOH engineer Gary Bradshaw has used
64-channel BlackBox BBR64-MADI Recorders
to capture 256 channels of audio for George
Michaels Symphonica Tour.
A rack containing four BBR-MADI record-
ers formed part of the touring Front of House
setup, connected to the main DiGiCo SD7
desk. Bradshaw recorded the shows onto sets
of four 1TB Glyph hard drives, each set hav-
ing the capacity to hold material from eight
shows.
In addition to their nightly recording
function, and the additional capture of sound
checks, the BlackBoxes were also used in Vir-
tual Soundcheck mode for system set-ups, re-
playing material from previous shows to help
balance and EQ the PA system at each venue.
The BlackBoxes had no problem in re-
cording all 256 channels over the length of
the show, said Bradshaw. In fact, during re-
hearsals we would record an entire session
of three or more hours, with all 256 channels
in record without any problems. I dont know
of any other system that is capable of doing
that.
The Symphonica Tour has been unusual
in that the majority of shows were in large in-
door arenas, but amongst these were one or
two much-smaller opera houses, Bradshaw
added. The acoustics of these two types of
venue are completely diferent, but for the
show at the Royal Opera House in London, for
example, I used recordings from the Prague
Opera House to help EQ the PA system.
At the Royal Opera House, four additional
BBR64-MADI units and a second DiGiCo con-
sole were brought in to generate a broadcast
mix. Along with running an extra 256-chan-
nel record, the BlackBox Recorders also acted
as a playback engine for making adjustments
to the broadcast mix.
We chose the BlackBox Recorder be-
cause it focuses on recording as its primary
function, rather than other systems I have
used that are software packages that try and
do it all, said Andy Baggy Robinson, George
Michaels monitor engineer and head of au-
dio. The BBR64-MADI is a box that takes a
MADI signal, you press record and you have
your content captured.
JoeCo Black Box Records George Michaels Symphonica Tour
Gary Bradshaw and Andy Baggy Robinson with BBR64-
MADI Recorders
International News
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LONDON Judas Priest has embarked on
what the band is calling its fnal world tour, with
support from Major Tom Ltd. Judas Priests Epi-
taph tour has included Europe, South America,
Mexico, and 35 stops in Canada and the U.S. that
wrapped up Dec. 3 in Biloxi, MS. The next stop is
Japan in early 2012.
The Meyer system included 48 MILO line
array loudspeakers, 24 700-HP and four 600-HP
subwoofers, three Melodie line array loudspeak-
ers, and six MJF-212A stage monitors.
Its a very full sound, says production man-
ager and front-of-house engineer Martin Walker,
who has been with Judas Priest for more than a
decade. MILO is a consistent-sounding box. I try
and keep the system as fat as I can, and the cov-
erage is great and very even.
Walker is also a fan of the 700-HP subwoof-
ers. A lot of subs just move loads of air and make
a big noise, but not necessarily a musical noise,
he says. These sound very musical as well as be-
ing powerful and moving lots of air.
In an atypical setup, the three
Melodie line array loudspeakers are
hung pointing straight down from
the front truss. I try to keep the pit
and edge of the stage clear, because
the band will use every inch of the
stage,Walker explains. It was an idea
I had a long time ago, to put the in-fll
up high and point it down. It works
really well and keeps the stage clear.
The front-of-house package is comprised of
a DiGiCo SD7 console, TC Electronic D-Two delay,
Avalon compressor for the lead singers vocals,
Eventide Eclipse Harmonizer, and a few Yamaha
SPX990 multi-efects processors.
Monitor engineer (and Parnelli-winner)
Kevin Tater McCarthy, who frst mixed Judas
Priest in 1991, says the band is especially fond of
the MJF-212A stage monitors: We struggled to
fnd the right wedge for years, and then found
the MJF-212A. Judas Priest is a guitar band, and
the MJF-212A duplicates the guitar sounds fan-
tastically. They get really loud; they sound really
clear. They loved them from the frst day we used
them.
McCarthy mixes monitors on a Yamaha
PM5D with help from an Apogee Big Ben master
clock and Mercury plug-in package from Waves.
The band uses Shure microphones and wireless
personal monitor systems along with JH Audio
in-ear monitors.
Judas Priest Epitaph Tour: Loud and Clear
Meyer Sound gear on tour with Judas Priest
LONDON RG Jones provided Martin
Audios MLA system debut at Royal Albert Hall
with Raymond Gubbay Classical Spectacular,
which employs cannons, pyro and lasers in a
festival-type Proms atmosphere. FOH engi-
neer Simon Honywill worked with Martin Au-
dios Nigel Meddemmen to address some of the
well-known acoustic challenges posed by the
venue and credited MLA for exceeding his high
expectations. Honywill is no stranger to Martin
Audio line arrays, having introduced W8L Long-
bow to the Glastonbury Pyramid stage.
A venue notoriously difcult to control, he
knew MLA could clean up the halls inherent
refections. But the performance, he said, was
even beyond his expectations. Weve made a
massive leap forward with the MLA the re-
sults were remarkable,reported Honywill.
At the RAH, the two front arrays comprised
16 element MLA hangs per side, with
no downfll enclosures, since the rigs
trim height was 40 feet (from the
lowest box) to accommodate a huge
lighting rig. Side hangs of Martin
W8LM mini arrays were used to bring
coverage down as far as possible.
A central sub-bass array of six WLX,
delay-tapered to optimize coverage,
was recessed under the stage. Mar-
tins Meddemmen became de facto
systems engineer, walking the room
to verify uniform balance.
The fact that it sounded so as-
tounding is testament to the software, said
Honywill. I have never heard a system [in the
RAH] that sounded so similar upstairs as down.
The design prediction created voids precisely
where necessaryincluding the elimination
of any stage spill, as Honywill noted. You could
stand under the MLA on stage and not hear a
thing! At the same time, this is the loudest I have
been able to drive a system here without the or-
chestra moaning.
We had 10 mics on the choir, and I found I
could keep opening them up massively, with no
coloration whatsoever, noted Honywill. Weve
never had this amount of level, defnition and
control particularly with the low strings
as we achieved with the MLA, and that is what
makes
RG Jones Supports MLA Debut at Royal Albert Hall
MLA at RAH
LONDON Britannia Row Produc-
tions supported British singer-song-
writer Will Youngs recent Echoes U.K.
tour with a main system including an
18 per-side configuration of Butterfly
CDH 483 enclosures, with two Mantas
120$ cabinets underhung as downfills.
A dozen Outline Subtech dual 18-
inch subwoofers provided low-fre-
quency reinforcement, and the whole
system was driven by 1RU Outline T
Series amplifiers.
This system is so modular and light
it is perfect for these venues as we
can fly lots of boxes from a single point
and not have to worry too much about
the weight limit, said Dave Compton,
system technician. I have used it now
for five years, and it never fails to im-
press me.
It always sounds great I am
using a DiGiCo SD8 and record every
night, its like having a huge near field
monitor left and right of the desk, said
Davide Lombardi, FOH engineer. Will
is a very articulate singer, and it is im-
portant that his vocal is clear to every-
body, and this system really delivers.
Its also great as far as the band are
concerned, we have some of the best
musicians available on this tour and I
can hear every nuance, as can the au-
diences. Many of the PA systems I work
on simply cannot do this.
Fromleft, Davide Lombardi and Dave Compton
Brit Row Supports Will Young with Outline
Harman Pro-
fessional named
Richard Ruse, an
audio industry
veteran, as se-
nior director of
global sales for
JBL Professional.
He reports to JBL
Professional VP/
GM Mark Ureda. Ruse has served JBL as direc-
tor of marketing, Portable PA and, prior to that,
as director of sales, Western Region. Prior to JBL,
Ruse held management positions with compa-
nies including Alesis, Line 6, KRK and SWR, and
also owned a sales and marketing consultancy.
In his new position, Ruse is responsible for
sales planning and management, collaborat-
ing with the Harman Pro regional sales ofces
worldwide and interfacing with key accounts,
domestic representatives and international dis-
tributors.
Harman also
named Nick Owen
senior director, world-
wide sales for its Signal
Processing business
unit. Owen will be re-
sponsible for global
brand strategies for the
dbx, Lexicon, BSS and
DigiTech brands. He is based in Harmans Sandy,
UT facility and reports to Rob Urry, vice presi-
dent and GM of Harmans Signal Processing and
Amplifer business units.
Harman also
named Harry McGee to
its Mixer, Microphones
and Headphones busi-
ness unit for Sound-
craft, Studer and AKG-
branded gear in Potters
Bar, U.K. Prior to Sound-
craft/Studer/AKG, Mc-
Gee moved from posts with the U.S. Air Force
and U.S. Defense Contract Management Com-
mand in Europe to civilian roles including GM at
DeLaRue, senior VP operations at Dione Plc and
COO at Vados Systems Ltd.
Also based in Pot-
ters Bar is Doug Green,
Harmans newly-named
director of sales for the
EMEA regional sales
ofce. Green is respon-
sible for overseeing
all sales activities in
the region for Harman
brands including AKG, JBL Professional, BSS Au-
dio, Crown, Lexicon, Soundcraft and Studer in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He reports
to Scott Robbins, Harmans senior director of
sales. Green has more than 20 years of profes-
sional audio industry experience at companies
including TC Group International, Lab.gruppen
and TOA Electronics.
Fishman added four new hires to its en-
gineering and product development team:
Andy Lewis, senior manager - new business
and product development; Tom Hagerty, se-
nior mechanical design engineer; Joe Kozdra,
test development engineer; and Nick Servi-
dio, junior audio engineer. Lewis is a 25-year
veteran in professional and consumer audio
with engineering and marketing positions for
brands such as Russound, Bowers & Wilkins,
EAW, Apogee Acoustics, Acoustic Research
and Record Plant Studios. Hagerty comes to
Fishman after working with design and engi-
neering consulting frms in the Boston area
including Boston Acoustics, Instrumentation
Labs, Motorola, OXO, Procter & Gamble, Saud-
er and The First Years. Kozdra brings 35 years
of experience in electronics measurement
and testing, including 19 years as a test main-
tenance technician and 16 years as a manu-
facturing test engineer in optical telecommu-
nications and consumer audio. Servidio, who
has developed his own Audio Unit plug-ins
and iOS applications, has experience in both
analog audio circuit design along with digital
signal processing techniques.
On the Move
Nick Servidio
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Nick Owen
Andy Lewis Tom Hagerty
C l e a r - C o m,
an HME company,
named Bob Boster
president. Boster,
previously vice
president of world-
wide sales, suc-
ceeds Matt Danilo-
wicz who stepped
down as president
Dec. 31, 2011. Prior to Clear-Com, Boster was
vice president of sales for the Western U.S. re-
gion and Canada at Enco Systems, where he
also held positions as product manager, gen-
eral manager and managing director. Prior to
Enco Systems, Boster worked in software de-
velopment at Orban.
Joe Kozdra
Bob Boster
Harry McGee
Doug Green
JoeCo Limited has announced that, fol-
lowing years of distributing the BlackBox re-
corder in the U.S., Nashville-based Full Scale
AV will now also distribute the JoeCo product
range in Canada. The announcement follows
the recent launches of the BBR64-MADI and
BBR-Dante versions of the BlackBox Recorder.
Meyer Sound has appointed Mac John-
son, previously education programs coordi-
nator, to its Constella-
tion acoustic systems
division. Johnson, who
has led Constellation
demos and training in
his previous position,
joined Meyer Sound
in 2007. He will remain
based at the companys
Berkeley, CA headquarters.
XTA Electron-
ics promoted Richard
Fleming to applica-
tion and support man-
ager. Fleming has 20
years working in pro
audio R&D. Prior to
XTA, Fleming worked
at Klark Teknik and
Laney/HH Amplifcation.
Richard Fleming
Richard Ruse
Mac Johnson
Sweetwater recently hired 10 new sales en-
gineers, bringing the companys total employee
count to more than 500. The new sales engineers
include Chris Anderson, a graduate of the Berk-
lee College of Music; Jason Baldwin, a graduate
of Valparaiso University and the Berklee Col-
lege of Music; Chris Ishak, a vocalist who has
performed at Carnegie Hall and on Broadway;
Robert Johnson, who received his certifcate in
audio engineering from the Conservatory of
Recording Arts; Jared Kalish, a graduate of SUNY
College and an intern for Duran Durans manage-
ment company; Nick LaMendola, a graduate of
Duquesne University; Brent Leuthold, a graduate
of Ohio University; Matt McKible, a graduate of
Ball State University and former producer/engi-
neer for Indiana Public Radio; PJ Noxon, a gradu-
ate of Indiana University who has taught at sev-
eral universities in the U.S. and abroad; and Phil
Schwan a graduate of Greenville College.
Fromleft, and top: Chris Anderson, Jason Baldwin, Chris Ishak, Robert Johnson, Jared Kalish, Nick LaMendola, Brent Leuthold, Matt McKible, PJ Noxon and Phil Schwan
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"=
New Gear
Allen & Heath iLive M-Waves Interface for SoundGrid
Allen & Heaths M-Waves interface fts in the expansion slot of their iLive line of MixRacks providing a low latency 64-chan-
nel bi-directional interface for Waves plugins and can also ofer multi-track playback and recording. Developed by Waves,
SoundGrid employs Audio-over-Ethernet networking using standard Gigabit Ethernet with an Intel-based server running a
customized version of Linux. A separate Windows or Mac laptop runs the MultiRack SoundGrid control application. In addi-
tion to the RJ45 SoundGrid port, M-Waves integrated Ethernet switch provides two EtherCon connectors for simple, direct
connection of both SoundGrid and laptop running the control application.
allen-heath.com
Audix TM1 Plus Kit
Audixs TM1 Plus combo kit includes the TM1 measurement microphone, threaded oversized windscreen, shock mount
clip, half-inch calibrator adaptor and microphone calibration data fles. TM1 provides sound technicians an afordable, ac-
curate measurement reference. TM1 Plus lets users match multiple microphones by adding their correlation data fles to
measurement programs. The TM1 is a 6-mm pre-polarized condenser mic designed, assembled and tested by Audix in Wil-
sonville, OR. It has a rugged, precision-machined four stage brass body and capsule housing, low noise SMT circuit, nickel
plate fnish, feld replaceable parts, Switchraft XLR and shock absorbent O-rings.
audixusa.com
Eminence Impero 12A, 15A & 18A High Power Woofers
Eminence ofers three new additions to their Professional Series: the Impero 12A, 15A, and 18A. Promising a combination
of high motor strength with balanced Vas and Mms, Impero is designed to play loud and low in compact vented designs. An
ultra-linear long-excursion suspension and bumped motor assembly allow Impero to generate signifcant SPL, while han-
dling considerable power. At 1100W continuous power, the 12A is well-suited for two-way top boxes, wedges or small sub-
woofers, as is the15A, which, like the18A, is rated at 1200W.
eminence.com
Future Sonics mg5pro Custom Ear Monitors
Future Sonics mg5pro Ear Monitors are the frst custom PMs with the companys 10mm dynamic transducers. Although
the mg5pro is more afordable than the companys mg6pro, they still include features such as Future Sonics TrueTimbre
natural audio. The mg5pro also provides 20 to 20,000 Hz response, 32-Ohm impedance, 110dB sensitivity at 30 Hz and up
to 26dB of ambient noise isolation. They come with a 50-inch standard replaceable mini-TRS cable in a customized water-
proof 2000 Series OtterBox with a limited 1-year manufacturers warranty.
futuresonics.com
Grund Audio Design DP-26C Loudspeaker Processor
Grund Audio Designs DP-26C is a single rack-space 2x6 digital processor that can store
up to 24 presets with 16-character names. In addition to its 20-character, 2-line front-panel
display, controls include three rotary encoders and Enter, Exit and Utility navigation buttons,
plus 7-LED I/O signal metering. Crossovers include Bessel, Butterworth or Linkewitz-Riley up
to 24 dB/octave. Inputs and outputs have fve multi-type flters that can be selected as bell,
band-pass, notch, frst- or second-order shelving, high- or low-pass with variable Q, and frst or
second order all-pass. Delays can be set up to 850 ms, plus each output has an RMS compressor
and peak limiter, whose gain reduction can be displayed on the front-panel meters.
grundorf.com
Hosas Mogan Standard Omni Earset Mic
The frst ofering from Hosa Technologys new Mogan Microphones brand of subminiature microphones is the
Mogan Standard Omni Earset Microphone. It features a 3mm omni-directional capsule that provides full-frequency
audio performance and comfort on the wearers left or right ear, with a soft ear cushion concealing a fully adjustable,
stainless steel mechanism. Its interchangeable cable system lets users connect it to popular wireless transmitters,
including models from Shure, AKG, Sennheiser, and Audio-Technica. It employs a detachable, Kevlar-reinforced cable
with a hardwired connector. They are available in either beige or black, and each ships in a fabric-backed PVC zip-
pered case.
hosatech.com
Kaltman Creations IWxANT Amplied Directional Antenna
Kaltman Creations has introduced a paddle-shaped IWxANT Amplifed Directional Antenna, for use with Invisible WavesX
systems or with wireless receivers, providing 3 or 10 dB of additional gain through a calibrated onboard amplifer. The direc-
tional characteristics of the log-periodic antenna allow for directional reception while attenuating background RF. The IWxANT
features a bias T power injector with DC blocker (SMA connections); 12V power supply (for applications other than with IWx);
a BNC to SMA adaptor; an SMA to SMA jumper; and microphone stand mount. Specs include a 450 to 870 MHz frequency range
with usable gain up to 950 MHz; 50 Ohms impedance; and a beam pattern of nearly 100$.
RFAnalyzers.com
-$18$5< LC"L vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
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New Gear
Lectrosonics HH Handheld Transmitter
The HH handheld Digital Hybrid transmitter, another of Lectrosonics compandor-free wireless products, can be used with
their HHC cardioid and HHS super-cardioid condenser capsules along with popular screw-on capsules from other manufacturers
(such as Elecro-Voice, Shure, Blue Microphones, Earthworks, Heil and Telefunken). The HH Handheld Transmitter also features a
44 dB range of input gain and Lectrosonics membrane switch control panel and LCD display. The HH transmitter is powered by 2
AA batteries and ofers selectable RF power at 50 or 100mW. The transmitter will be available in standard Lectrosonics frequency
blocks for both U.S. and abroad.
lectrosonics.com
Outline LAB 21 HS SP Self-powered Subwoofer
Outlines LAB 21 HS SP is an 8500W self-powered subwoofer designed for reproduction of high-SPL infra-low fre-
quencies. It employs a 21-inch NdFeB long-excursion woofer with a 6.5-inch voice coil in a hybrid waveguide loading
both sides of the driver. It promises an increase in sensitivity of 6 dB and, on average, an additional 3 dB SPL when com-
pared with the same driver in a horn-loaded, refex or band-pass system. This improves attack velocity and allows for
deep, clean lows. LAB 21 HS SP has a frequency range of 23 to 165 Hz with a suggested crossover frequency of 100 Hz.
The enclosure measures 28.5 by 44 by 32 inches and weighs 291 pounds.
outline.it
Professional Wireless Systems Domed Helical Antenna
PWS Domed Helical Antenna incorporates the circular polarization confguration pioneered by the companys original
transparent top-hat helical antennas, but seals the unit within a new compact domed design that promises robust, un-
compromised wireless in-ear and microphone connectivity. Helical antennas eliminate dropouts by modulating RF trans-
mission through a 360$ range, which is especially important with non-diversity IEM receivers. Like PWS previous helicals,
theyre constructed from rugged polycarbonate and are designed to handle road-related abuse. They employ the same
14-inch diameter backplane but are half the length of previous models.
professionalwireless.com
Shure AXIENT Self-healing Wireless System
Shures new Axient wireless system uses several new technologies promising interference-free wireless audio for
theatrical, concert and live broadcast productions. Interference Detection and Avoidance can detect RF interference
and change the system to a clear frequency in milliseconds, making even major interference undetectable. Frequency
Diversity transmits on two separate frequencies to ensure uninterrupted audio for mission-critical channels, even in
the face of direct RF interference. ShowLink remote control enables real-time remote adjustments of transmitter set-
tings such as audio gain and RF power from the AXT400 Dual Receiver or a laptop.Axients AXT600 Spectrum Manager
continuously scans the RF environment to assign clear frequencies to each transmitter. It also automatically monitors,
ranks, and deploys backup frequencies.
shure.com
SKB 3RR Series of Pullout Shock Racks
SKBs 3RR Series of Removable Racks consists of seven sizes: 3U, 4U, 5U, 7U, 9U, 11U and 14U. Its rotationally molded
exterior shell provides military-grade strength, meeting MIL-STD 810G. The 3RR Series is both lighter in weight and
smaller than traditional fight cases. The inside rack can be removed for installing or testing equipment, sliding out of
a shock frame secured by eight elastomeric shock absorbers. Adding additional shocks can double its 150 lb. capacity.
Rail-to-rail depth is 24 inches with a 2-inch deep front lid and 5-inch deep rear lid. Square-hole rack rails accommodate
replaceable nuts for standard rack screws. Features include molded stacking ribs, recessed black powder-coated stain-
less steel hardware, eight comfort grip spring-loaded handles and an automatic pressure relief valve.
skbcases.com
Studio Six Digital Smaart7 iRemote iOS App
In cooperation with Rational Acoustics, Studio Six Digital has released the iRemote app that remotely controls and
displays graphics from Smaart 7 running on a PC or Mac. The app lets users select measurements, display graphs in
single-plot or dual-plot mode and turn the signal generator on and of, all from an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch running
iOS 4.0 or later. Users simply start Smaart 7 on their PCs or Macs, enable remote access within Smaart and log on to the
same WiFi network from their iOS devices. They can then easily switch between diferent measurements, starting and
stopping them as needed. Spectrum and Transfer Function measurements can be viewed, but only a single measure-
ment may be displayed at once.
studiosixdigital.com
Yamaha 01V96i Digital Mixer
Yamaha is replacing their 01V96VCM with the new 01V96i digital mixer, with black instead of dark blue cosmetics. Priced the
same as its predecessor, the 01V96i now has a 16-track USB 2.0 interface for multi-track recording and can be integrated with ASIO
and Core Audio DAW software. Along with 16-channel 24/96 USB audio streaming, further multi-channel I/O is possible using its MY
expansion card or ADAT connections. The 01V96i comes bundled with Steinbergs Cubase AI along with Yamahas VCM efects and
REV-X reverbs. In addition to its 24bit/96kHz resolution, the 01V96i ofers improved mic-pres and converters. Like its predecessor, the
01V96i ofers 100mm motorized faders, 99 scene memories and eight user-defned keys.
yamaha.com
Crew
Audio Director/FOH Engineer:
Joe OHerlihy
Monitor Mixing Engineers: CJ
Erikson, Richard Rainey, Alastair
McMillan
Crew Chief/Senior System Engi-
neer: Jo Ravitch
System Engineer: Rich Schoen-
adel
Assistant System Engineer:
Vincent Perreux
Monitor/Stage Engineers: Chris
Holland, Jason Brace
Stage Patch Techs: Jason ODell,
Tom Ford
Techs: Jen Smola, Ben Blocker, Pas-
cal Harlaut, Hannes Dander, Joel
Merrill, Chris Fulton
Gear
FOH
Console: DiGiCo SD7
Speakers: Clair i-5, i-5b, SLP, FF2,
BT-218, i-DL
Amps: Lab.gruppen PLM 20000Q,
PLM 14000
Processing: TC Electronic 2290;
Eventide H3500; Yamaha SPX1000;
Lexicon PCM70; Summit DCL-200;
Avalon 737sp; Manley VoxBox
MON
Consoles: DiGiCo SD7 (2); Avid
VENUE Prole; Midas Venice 160
Speakers: Clair 12AMII Stealth
wedges, ML-18, i-5b
PMs: Future Sonics; Sennheiser
2000 series
Amps: Lab.gruppen PLM 20000Q,
PLM 14000, PLM 10000Q, FP2400Q
Mics: Shure SM57, SM58, PG58,
SM81, Beta 52, Beta 58A, Beta 98,
Beta 91, WL184; AKG 414B/ULS,
451EB; Sennheiser MKH-416, MD-
421; beyer M88; Audio-Technica
AT4050; DPA 4088 cardioid; 4065
Headset/TA4F Shure RF; Country-
man Type 85 DI
Wireless Mics: Shure UR4D
Processing: Bricasti M7; TC
Electronics 2290, M5000; Tubetech
SMC-2B; Yamaha SPX-990, SPX-
1000; Tascam DA-30 MKII, CD-
RW901
Plugins: Aphex Aural Exciter;
Cranesong Phoenix; Focusrite
Forte Suite; McDSP Analog Chan-
nel, Channel G, Chrome Tone,
MC2000; Trillium Lane Labs TL
Space; Waves Live Bundle
Crew
FOH Engineer: Dave Eisenhauer
Monitor Engineers: Glenn Collett, Andy Hill
Crew Chief/System Engineer: Mike Allison
Monitor System Engineer: Dustin Ponscheck
Tech: Brandon Allison
Gear
FOH
Console: Midas XL-4
Speakers: Clair i-5, i-5B, i-3, BT-218, FF-II
Amps: Lab.gruppen
Processing: Aphex 622; TC Electronic M5000, M2000,
2290; Summit TLA-100, DCL-200; Smart Research C2;
Empirical Labs EL-8; Amek 9098
MON
Consoles: Midas Heritage 3000, Avid VENUE Prole
Speakers: Clair 12AM, 212AM, SRM, L3 NT/LF, ML-18
PMs: Shure PSM 600, PSM 700; Sennheiser G2
Amps: Lab.gruppen
Mics (Hard-wired): Sennheiser MD-421, MKH-416;
Countryman DI; AKG C 414, C 460; Shure SM91, Beta52,
Beta58A, SM98, SM57, SM58
Wireless Mics: Shure UR
Processing: Aphex 622; TC Electronic M5000, D-Two;
Summit DCL-200; Yamaha SPX990; dbx 160A
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Soundco Clair
Crew
FOH Engineer: Gary Bradshaw
Monitor Engineers: Steve Lutely, Simon Hodge
System Engineer: Al Woods
Production Manager: Chris Vaughan
Tour Manager: Jaeki Hildisch
Techs: Tom Boothby, Baz Tymms, Adriaan Van Der Walt,
Phil Down, Pete McGlynn, Paul Carter, Damion Dyer,
Toby Donovan
Gear
FOH
Consoles: Digico SD7 (2)
Speakers: Martin Longbow
Amps: Martin Audio, Crown 12000i
Processing: Galileo, XTA
Power Distro: Buffalo
Rigging: Phil Broad
Breakout Assemblies: Veam
Snake Assemblies: Optocore
MON
Consoles: Digico SD7 (2)
Speakers/PMs: IEM, Sennheiser 2000 series
Mics: Sennheiser, Shure, AKG
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Showtime 10# 10 100f8 0l Z011
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Crew
FOH Engineer: Trip Khalaf
Monitor Engineer: Ian Newton
System Engineer: Bob Weibel
Monitor Assistant Engineer: Kevin Kapler
Techs: Henry Fury, James Higgins, Matt Scoggins
Gear
FOH
Consoles: Midas XL4 (2), Yamaha PM5D
Speakers: Clair i-5, Clair i-5b, Clair FF-2, Clair BT-218,
Clair R-4 Series III
Amps: Crown
MON
Console: Digico SD7
Speakers: Clair 12amSeries II, Clair ML-18
PMs: Sennheiser EK 2000, Shure PSM-600 hardwires
Amps: Clair StakRak
Wireless Mics: Shure UR series
Crew
FOH Engineer: David Payne
Monitor Engineer: Andrea Vito
Carena
Systems Engineer: Vic Wagner
Monitors Tech: Greg Hancock
Crew Chief/Wireless Coordinator:
Matthew Bock
PA Techs: Joe Calabrese, Zachary
Mitchell
Gear
FOH
Console: DiGiCo SD7
Speakers: L-Acoustics K1, KUDO,
KARA
Amps: L-Acoustics LA8
Processing: System Processing:
Dolby-Lake Processors / FOH Out-
board FX/Dynamics: TC Electronics
D2, Avalon VT373, Drawmer 196
Power Distro: ProPower
Breakout/Snake Assemblies:
Entertainment Metals, FiberCo
MON
Console: DiGiCo SD7, Midas Venice
160
Speakers/PMs: Shure PSM900,
Shure P6HW
Amps: Crown I-Tech 12000HD
Processing: Focusrite Producer
Pack, BSS DPR901II
Mics: UHF-R Shure Beta 58C;
Audio-Technica AE series, ATM450;
beyerdynamic M 88, Opus 88; Audix
D6, D4; Shure SM57, SM58, KSM32,
KSM141; AKG C 414
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FOH Engineer: Bryan Vasquez
Monitor Engineer: Phill Side Phill
Robinson
Audio Crew Chief/System Engi-
neer: John Mills
Band Engineer: Bryan Opie
Baxley
Stage Patch: Jameson Jamo Beck
Assistant System Tech: Justin
Meeks
Stage Right PA: Phill Spina
Stage Left PA: Robert McTigue
Gear
FOH
Consoles: Midas PRO9
Speakers: Electro-Voice X-Line
line array modules (72); X-Line
subwoofers (48). For stadiums: EV
X-Line line array modules (104), EV
XLC line array modules (112)
Amps: Electro-Voice P3000RL
amps with RCM-24 DSP modules
(134). For stadiums: EV TG-7 ampli-
ers with RCM-26 DSP modules
(176), EV TG-5 HF ampliers with
RCM-26 DSP modules (52)
MON
Wireless: Lectrosonics Venue UHF
wireless receiver, Lectrosonics
HM UHF plug-on transmitters (4),
Audix TM-1 measurement micro-
phones (5)
Processing: Electo-Voice NetMax
N8000-1500 digital controllers
(5), APB-DynaSonics MixSwitch,
PreSonus FireStudio 8-channel
PC interface, Klark-Teknik DN9696
multi-track recorder, MacBook Pro
with Rational Acoustics SMAART
7, HowLoudIsIt.coms Trend SPL
reporting software, ASUS Eee Slate
EP121 Tablet PC running Win-
dows7, Electro-Voice IRIS-Net for
main system wireless control, Mac
Mini running Parallels Desktop &
EV IRIS-Net for system monitor-
ing and backup control computer,
Ruckus wireless access points
running a mesh network for venue
wide wireless control.
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Crew
FOH Engineer: Tim Colvard
Monitor Engineer: Simon Kemp
Systems Engineer: Bjoern Seelander
Production Manager: Omar Abderrahman
Tour Manager: Jerome Crooks
Techs: Brian Thorene, David Vinnicombe, Jack Dunnett,
David Litcheld Klann
Gear
FOH
Console: DiGiCo SD7
Speakers: Meyer Sound MILO (80), 700-HP (40), UPA (8)
Processing: Meyer Sound Galileo
Power Distro: Major Tom
Rigging: CM Lodestar
Breakout/Snake Assemblies: Whirlwind
MON
Console: Avid VENUE Prole
Speakers: Meyer Sound MJF-212A (20), JM1P, 700-HP
PMs: Sennheiser EK 2000 IEMs
Mics: Shure UHF wireless, KSM-9; Neuman/AKG/Crown
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Soundcos Major Tom/Thunder Audio
Crew
FOH Engineer: Horace Ward
Monitor Engineer: Ramon Morales
Systems Engineer: Tony Smith
Crew Chief: Dan Klocker
RF Tech: Bill Flugan
Techs: Jim Allen, Wayne Bacon, James Lamarca,
Kevin Szafraniec
Gear
FOH
Console: Avid VENUE Prole
Speakers: d&b audiotechnik J8 (48), J12 (8), J-SUB (12), B2-
SUB (12), Q10 (8)
Amps: d&b audiotechnik D12
Processing: Waves
MON
Console: Digico SD7
Mics: Sennheiser RF & PMs
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Soundco Eighth Day Sound
Crew
Mixer: Wim van der Molen
System Engineer: Fred Cantin
PA Techs: Alain Hamel, Maxime Blanchette, Marc Depratto
Patch: Guillaume Cossette, Jeremy Walls
Wireless Tech: Eric Marchand
Gear
FOH
Consoles: Yamaha PM1D, Yamaha M7CL32
Speakers: Meyer Sound MILO (32), MICA (24), 700HP (8),
Melodie (6), UPA (4), MSL4 (4)
Processing: Meyer Sound Galileo, SIM3
MON
Consoles: Yamaha PM1D, Yamaha M7CL32
Speakers: Meyer Sound UM1 (8), UPM1 (8), UPJ (4)
Processing: Meyer Sound Galileo, SIM3
Mics: (Wired): Neumann, DPA, Sennheiser
Mics: (Wireless): 34 channels of Shure UHF-R Q5-R9
(Europe), H4-J5-L3 (US)
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Soundco Solotech
Crew
FOH Engineer: Chris Madden
Monitor Engineer: Horst Hartmann
System Engineer/Crew Chief: Dave Dixon
FOH Techs: Klaus Bolender, Bjoern Bornecke, Andre St. Pierre
Monitor Tech: Ben Byford
Gear
FOH
Console: Avid VENUE console (80 channels)
Speakers: L-Acoustics K1 (14), dV-DOSC (6), K1-SB (6), KUDO
(18), SB28 (16), KIVA (4)
Amps: L-Acoustics LA8 (14)
Processing: Dolby Lake (2)
MON
Console: Yamaha PM5D with a PM5D-EX expander (96 chan-
nels)
PMs: Sennheiser 2000 (16 channels)
Mics: Sennheiser e 908, e 904, e 902, e 935, e 825-S, MK 4,
SKM 5200 transmitter with 904 capsule
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Soundcos Black Box Music, Solotech, Clearwing
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Production Prole
B
lue-collar heartland rocker Bob
Seger and his Silver Bullet Band
spent last spring and this winter on
their first tour since 2006s Face the Promise
tour, earning a spot right in the middle of
Pollstars Top 25 North American Tours of
2011, selling over a half million tickets for
48 shows in 45 cities, and winding up like
many good runs with a stop in my home-
town of Jacksonville, FL.
The set list reads like the tracks on
Segers retrospective double-CD, Ultimate
Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets, culled
from 11 platinum and seven multi-plati-
num albums, with encores that include,
Against the Wind, Hollywood Nights,
Night Moves and Rock and Roll Never
Forgets.
Veteran front of house engineer and
fellow Florida native Andy Meyer mixes on
a full-sized VENUE D-Show with a 16-fader
sidecar, assisted by Clair crew chief and
system tech Brett Stech and PA technician
Ben Blocker.
The loudspeaker system is a standard
Clair arena design, employing 14-box i5 ar-
rays flown alongside 14-box i5B sub arrays,
with 12-box i5 side-hangs. The system is
supplemented with eight BT-218 Bow Tie
double-eighteen subwoofers, stood on
end at 5-foot intervals across the front of
the stage, delay-tapered towards the out-
side to spread the lows out evenly.
Clair FF-2 single-eight front-fills are
used at Segers downstage-center and
wing positions, in addition to individual
i3 dual-twelve line array enclosures used
as front-fills towards each side. The entire
system is powered with Clair Lab.gruppen-
loaded StakRaks.
Against The Wind AJC
At FOH, Meyer employs a few strat-
egies gleaned from touring with Rage
Against the Machine, Sevendust, Guns N
Roses and Motley Crue, (who hell be in
residence with in Las Vegas at the Hard
Rocks The Joint next month). Meyer uses
an Apogee Big Ben digital word clock to
synchronize the signal chain from the VEN-
UE console to the Lake system processor.
Meyer sends two sub-mixes digitally
from his VENUEs AES outputs one vo-
cals, the other instruments process-
ing each with one of two MindPrint DTC
premium channel-strip processors, used
mainly to breath a little air into each. DTC
employs parallel EQing. Unlike standard
(serial) equalization in
which the entire signal is
piped through all filters
with parallel EQ, only
frequencies chosen to
process pass through a
given filter.
These two sub-mixes
are then returned via AES
to a Dolby DLP at FOH
that supplies the systems
Lab.gruppen PLM amps
dual AES inputs with both
feeds, allowing Meyer to
shade the vocal in the
lowest array enclosures
to improve gain before
feedback.
Meyer also employs
Waves Renaissance Chan-
nels (R-CH) EQ and dy-
namics on every input of
his D-Show, preferring
it to VENUEs on-board
channel processing, cit-
ing improved sonic clarity, which he chal-
lenges every FOH engineer to compare for
themselves. He also uses McDSPs ML4000
multi-band compressor on Segers vocal.
Audio-Technicas Artist Elite 5000 Se-
ries UHF wireless system is used with an
AEW-T5400 handheld wireless micro-
phone for Segers vocal. If youre my age,
you know the words to these songs, and
with an entire arena singing along, it can
be difficult to get the lead vocal on top.
Meyer points out that he mixes Seger at 98
to 100 dB, quieter than he would most of
his other clients.
Meyers well-stocked FOH outboard
rack includes three ATI Pro6 EQ-and-dy-
namics channel-strip processors de-
rived from the legendary Paragon console
which he employs for Segers vocal.
Meyer uses Waves Renaissance Reverb plu-
gin for vocals, horns and snare drum, and
he also inserts Massey Plugins L2007 Mas-
tering Limiter on the main busses.
When first asked to mix this tour, Meyer
went back and studied the catalog, listen-
ing carefully to get a grasp of frequency,
placement and imaging within each song,
ultimately choosing an old-school ap-
proach that maintained the musics tradi-
tion nothing too big or crushing but
using a combination of modern audio
equipment to spark and feed the analog
flame.
American Band AJC
Rock icon (and Grand Funk drummer
when not touring with Seger) Don Brew-
ers DW five-piece drum kit is miked using
AT5400 vocal mics on kick-drum, as well
as for snare top and bottom. That might
sound unusual, but Meyer says its an ob-
vious choice and a testament to the mics
all-around worthiness, knowing it employs
the same element as their classic AT4050
large-diaphragm studio mic, which han-
dles high SPLs while providing accurate,
natural response.
Earthworks DP30/C periscope Tom-
Mics are used on toms and Neumann KM-
184 pencil condensers are used for over-
head mics and on Brewers Sabian ride and
hi-hat cymbals. As with GFR, Brewer also
sings, here into a hardwired AE5400.
Kenny Greenbergs guitar rig a
Matchless head with a Category 5 dual
twelve cabinet and a Fender Super Reverb
is miked with a pair of Audio-Technica
AT4060 large-format cardioid condenser
tube mics, which Meyer is enjoying after
many tours where pyrotechnics have pre-
vented using tube mics on stage.
Seger sits down with a Martin HD-
28 acoustic guitar on Night Moves and
Against the Wind and sits at the piano for
Weve Got Tonight and Turn the Page.
This piano is a baby grand shell that hous-
es a Yamaha MOTIF XS8 keyboard, plugged
in to a pair of green Radial Engineering J-
DIs, which are employed throughout the
stage.
Backup singers Shaun Murphy (ex-
Little Feat singer), Laura Creamer and
Barbara Payton sing into Shure UR2 wire-
less handhelds with Beta 58 capsules, and
UHF-R receivers are used for a few of the
bands wireless instruments as well.
Alto Reed not only doubles on tenor
and baritone sax, all miked with ATM350
clip-on mics, but he also plays acoustic
guitar, organ, tambourine, maracas and
even timpani drums, as he has for years.
For the four-piece Motor City Horns, four
Royer R-121 ribbon mics are used for two
trumpets, a trombone and another saxo-
phone. They play on 15 of the shows 25
songs.
More Cowbell AJC
Bill Chrysler, who also hails from Michi-
gan, originally requested a Heritage 3000,
but is mixing monitors on a Studer Vista
5, required because of the large num-
ber of outputs needed for all the wedges
and IEMs. In addition to Seger, Campbell,
Greenberg, Frost and Reed are all using
Sennheiser SR 2050 IEMs.
Chryslers credits include a decade
mixing monitors for Christina Aguilera,
multiple tours with Maroon 5 and John
and the Silver Bullet Band
By MarkFrink Photos by SteveJennings
From left, Andy Meyer, FOH engineer; Josh Weibel, monitor tech; Brett Stec, system tech and crew chief;
Ben Blocker, PA tech; Bill Chrysler, monitor engineer
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Bob Seger
continued on page 24
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L=
Production Prole
Mayer, and this past year he also worked
for Rihanna and Lionel Richie. He is assist-
ed by monitor tech Josh Weibel.
The stage is well-covered with Chrys-
lers favorite wedge, Showcos single-
twelve SRM floor monitor, using them
for BGs, horns, piano, Hammond organ
and drums. Downstage-center for Seger,
a single SRM wedge is used for his vocal,
flanked by a stereo pair for instruments
and stereo effects, and additional wedges
are placed on the stages side wings for
Seger when hes moves over there. Seger
also monitors with a single-bud JH Audio
JH16 PRO.
Chrysler supplements Vistas 4-band
output EQ with 15 channels of tc electron-
ics EQ Station, keeping its Motofader-64
flying-fader remote at his right hand. He
uses a pair of Yamaha SPX-990s for Alto
Reeds saxophone delay and reverb and a
third for Segers vocal. He mentions that
Studers Vista is laid out more for FOH than
monitor mixing, but that Vistas sound
quality is impeccable. He employs a scene
for each song and uses subgroups to give
lead instruments bumps and rides.
Chrysler adds that many of these musi-
cians have been working together for de-
cades and they get along like family.
Bill Chrysler, monitor engineer, with Studer Vista 5, tc EQ
Station, Yamaha SPX-990s and wireless fromAudio-Technica,
Sennheiser and Shure, with Alto Reeds saxophones in the
background
Kenny Greenbergs guitar rig: a Matchless head with a Category 5 dual twelve cabinet and a Fender Super Reverb, miked with
a pair of Audio-Technica AT4060 tube mics
Don Brewers DWfoor toms, miked with Earthworks DP30/C periscope TomMics
continued from page 22
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LE
C
rown Audio is redefining profes-
sional multi-channel power amplifi-
ers, introducing their new flagship I-
Tech HD Series 4x3500HD DriveCore Series
4-channel power amplifier. The HD4, as it
is nicknamed, incorporates Crowns sixth-
generation Class I engine with DriveCore
technology to deliver 3,500 watts per
channel burst into four or two ohms.
Like previous I-Tech HD amps, it pro-
vide exclusive Harman HiQnet System Ar-
chitect 2.0 control functionality to imple-
ment Performance Manager and Version 5
DSP preset support for JBL Professionals
VERTEC Series of line array loudspeakers, as
well as JBLs newly-launched VTX.
It offers a host of Crowns most ad-
vanced features including a 4.3-inch TFT
LCD with capacitive touchscreen, which
provides amplifier monitoring and access
to key functions with color-keyed visuals
resembling the at-a-glance FaderGlow in-
dicators used on Soundcraft and Studer
mixing consoles.
The Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD delivers
1,900 watts per channel into eight ohms,
2,000 watts per channel into four ohms
and a massive 4,000 watts into four ohms
bridged with all channels driven at full
bandwidth, all from an amplifier thats just
two rack spaces high.
This power to size ratio is made possi-
ble by Crowns exclusive DriveCore ampli-
fier integrated circuit chip. The DriveCore
IC combines the amplifier driver stage
and the power output stage (along with
additional audio-signal functions), to dra-
matically reduce overall size and power-
consumption requirements and yield
energy-efficient operation that conforms
to Harman Internationals GreenEdge en-
vironmental initiative.
DriveCore technology also gives the
I-Tech 4x3500HD the ability to better con-
trol and more quickly recover from high-
voltage transients, for a highly accurate re-
production of the input signal and better
low-frequency response.
A common concern among tour and
installed sound professionals is the rela-
tive lack of inputs and outputs on DSP-
enabled power amplifiers. The I-Tech
4x3500HD provides an ideal real-world
solution with its four analog inputs, four
direct AES3 digital inputs plus four AES
inputs over VDrive, or alternatively the
ability to route four CobraNet inputs over
VDrive. I-Tech HD is the only series of amps
providing both AES and CobraNet connec-
tivity as standard.
The amplifier is provided with a choice
of either SpeakON or banana-plug/bind-
ing-post output speaker connectors, and
both employ a Neutrik PowerCon 32 Amp
AC input chassis connector to prevent the
power cord from coming loose in transit.
The SpeakON version of the amplifier
provides two NL-4 connectors, with one
supplying the first pair of channels, the
other supplying the second pair of chan-
nels and below them, an NL-8 distributing
all four channels of the amplifier.
The Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD provides
more DSP sound-tailoring capability than
any other amplifier on the market. Its pro-
prietary BSS OmniDriveHD processing en-
gine employs 32bit/192kHz A/D and D/A
converters for superb sonic clarity and the
ability to precisely tailor the amplifiers au-
dio output. Crowns exclusive linear phase
FIR and IIR filters provide optimized loud-
speaker crossover points with improved
midrange clarity and off-axis loudspeaker
response.
The 4x3500HD amplifier is compat-
ible with JBLs HiQnet Performance Man-
ager sound reinforcement system design
software, a workflow-oriented application
that facilitates the design and operation of
touring and live performance sound sys-
tems.
The implementation of JBL Version 5
DSP preset tunings for VerTec Series loud-
speakers employs the I-Tech 4x3500HDs
FIR filters to improve the loudspeakers
sound quality and horizontal coverage
performance. For enhanced control and
monitoring capabilities, the amplifier is
also compatible with the Powered By
Crown iPad/iPhone application.
The I-Tech 4x3500HD DriveCore Series
offers control, connectivity, DSP and sys-
tem interfacing capabilities that have nev-
er been available in a professional high-
power multi-channel amplifier before,
said Brian Pickowitz, market manager, tour
sound for Crown. We designed it entirely
without compromise to be the most flex-
ible and useful multi-channel amplifier on
the market today.
The I-Tech 4x3500HD will be an inte-
gral part of our turnkey system package
for the newly-released VTX flagship full-
size enclosure, as well as a powerful, versa-
tile platform that allows VERTEC to achieve
its full performance potential using V5
processing, added Paul Bauman, senior
manager, tour sound for JBL Professional.
The I-Tech 4x3500HD incorporates a
host of additional useful features includ-
ing Crowns innovative LevelMax limiter
technology that combines the operation
of the amplifiers Peak, Thermal and RMS
limiters for more effective protection.
It also retains I-Tech HDs front-panel
USB port that enables users to load preset
amplifier settings or device files and up-
date firmware. Between the USB port and
the single illuminated rotary encoder are
four vertical 5-segment LED meters.
The I-Tech 4x3500HD is well suited
to powering pairs of VT4889 and VT4888
enclosures with a single amp, using two
channels for the lows, another for mids
and the fourth for highs. It will be featured
in the upcoming Crown Audio VRack4, cre-
ating an amplifier rack that is complemen-
tary to the current VRack2 that is loaded
with three stereo I-Tech HD 12000 amps.
With VRack2 and VRack4, we will have
two V5-enabled system platforms that are
ideal for VT orVTX and with no compro-
mises in powering either sub or low sec-
tions. Due to the VTXs significantly higher
LF section power handling capacity, two
V25 enclosures in parallel per IT4x3500HD
are recommended for nominal operation
and IT12000HD is optimum for G28 and
S28 subwoofers with one subwoofer per
channel, operated at 4 ohms, explained
Bauman.
The I-Tech 4x3500HD is clearly Crowns
premium touring amp. Both national ven-
dors and regional companies looking to
implement Performance Manager and
JBLs new Version 5 VerTec presets to sat-
isfy updated rider requirements for the
growing racks and stacks market will find
upgrading to a set of 4x3500HD amps the
quickest and easiest way to offer Version
5. At the same time, a single VRack4 will
power up to 6 VTX V25 enclosures or 12 bi-
amp wedges. A single VRack2 will power
six VTX G28 or S28 subwoofers or three
VTX V25 plus two G28 or S28.
Tech Preview
Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD Amplier By MarkFrink
-$18$5< LC"L vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
LE
Speaking of Speakers
C
olumn loudspeakers have seen a resur-
gence of use, especially in the instal-
lation world. While the basic design
dates back to venerable products like the
Shure Vocal Master, advances in driver tech-
nology put modern column loudspeakers in
a very diferent class from their historic cous-
ins. Broadly, column loudspeakers consist of
arrays of many small, closely spaced drivers.
These may be full range drivers or multi-way
systems. Column loudspeakers are, by nature,
tall and narrow. They are usually installed in
a vertically-oriented position, such as against
the face of a proscenium, or next to a white-
board.
Column loudspeakers, with their small
visual footprint and minimal space require-
ments, are increasingly the correct solution
for situations such as classrooms, houses of
worship, museums, digital signage displays,
theme parks, boardrooms and train stations.
In many of these examples, aesthetics trump
sonic considerations. The consultant, integra-
tor, installer, or sound company is left to pick
the best overall sonic compromise. Thats not
to say theyre necessarily poorer perform-
ers than traditional loudspeakers many
modern columns ofer extended frequency
response and can solve many pattern control
problems for speech and light music.
At the high end of the column loud-
speaker market are advanced loudspeakers
in which each driver has its own amplifca-
tion and processing. These arrays often allow
for tailoring of the in-room response, using
beam steering, allowing custom response for
the room or even coverage that is switchable
between several presets. At the low end of
the market are simple columns where all the
drivers receive the same signal. Mid-level sys-
tems typically utilize multiple arrays of difer-
ent sized drivers, sometimes with some slight
array curvature and/or array tapering, to try
and get the most consistent pattern through-
out the response range of the column. All
three types of systems have their place and
usage cases where they can be efective.
In this article, we discuss the physical be-
havior and use of column loudspeakers that
do not have individual driver amplifcation
and processing, but rather where each ar-
ray of close-spaced identical drivers is driven
and processed as a whole. This represents
the most afordable and commonly-installed
type of column loudspeaker. From this article,
you will learn how these loudspeakers have
advanced, the way they direct sound and
how to properly locate them in a venue for
even coverage and frequency response.
Not Your Fathers Column
The physics principles of closely-spaced
drivers in a column arent new. Indeed, they
are covered extensively in Leo Beraneks 1954
reference book, Acoustics. Professional loud-
speaker drivers (i.e., transducers), however,
have improved tremendously from the days
of Acoustics or the Vocal Master, and the small
drivers in modern column loudspeakers are
benefciaries of most of these transducer ad-
vances.
Driver design has progressed tremen-
dously over the last four de-
cades. Loudspeaker driver
improvements have touched
virtually every aspect of their
performance. While these im-
provements could easily com-
prise multiple articles of their
own, here are several specifc
examples that help the perfor-
mance of small drivers:
Computer modeling
of cone profle - Computers
have enabled driver design-
ers to refne and improve the
profle of loudspeaker cones
for smoother response, fewer
resonances and extended fre-
quency response.
Laser measurement -
Laser interferometry allows
driver manufacturers to visu-
alize the specifc behavior of
each location on the cone sur-
face. This allows them to spot
resonances, rocking behavior,
or problems with speaker sur-
rounds.
Improved voice coils -
Voice coils consist of thin, in-
sulated wire wrapped around
a support structure. The sup-
port structures, also known as
formers, now utilize (literally)
space-age polymers and ad-
hesive to be able to withstand
much higher temperatures.
Further, the way wire is wound
on voice coils has improved
magnetic strength, linearity
and heat dissipation.
NdFeB magnets - Neo
permanent magnets, original-
ly invented by General Motors
and Sumitomo Chemical in
the early 1980s, have revolu-
tionized the size to strength
ratio of driver magnetic struc-
tures. Small drivers today have
stronger magnet systems than
ever because of neodymium
magnets.
Electromagnetic model-
ing - Computers now allow ac-
curate prediction of magnetic
feld behavior inside compli-
cated shapes near a moving
voice coil. This also improves
driver motor strength and
reduces distortion.
The list above is by no
means comprehensive, but
it provides a portrait of why
todays small loudspeakers
can play louder, with less
distortion and higher fdel-
ity than their predecessors.
The frequency extension and
amount of output available
out of a modern four-inch
driver is very impressive.
The rising tide of im-
proved driver design has raised
the boat of even the venerable
column loudspeaker. Columns
are now lighter, handle more
input, have smoother response
and provide more output than
their grandfathers. In particu-
lar, performance at extreme
high frequencies, or extreme
low frequencies, has seen the
most improvement.
The updated high and low
frequency performance of the
drivers that make up column
loudspeakers only serves to
highlight the compromises in
behavior that a physics impos-
es on a vertical array of driv-
ers. To understand this more
fully, we now unpack some of
the aspects of individual driver
performance followed by driv-
er performance in a vertical
column.
Individual Drivers and
Horizontal Coverage
The performance limita-
tions of individual drivers at
low frequencies are somewhat
intuitive. Larger driver cones
can physically couple better
to the air, and larger drivers
generally have a longer voice
coil that allows them more ex-
cursion (i.e., they can move in
and out further). Larger cones
plus longer movement yields
more low frequency output.
Large drivers generally arent
required to produce high fre-
quencies, and therefore the ad-
ditional mass of a high excur-
sion suspension and voice coil
is not of much concern.
Full-range drivers, on the
other hand, have the contradic-
tory requirements of needing
to be small and light to repro-
duce high frequency informa-
tion while requiring extended
excursion for low frequency
output. The mass of the voice
coil former and voice coil wire
is quite appreciable relative
to the mass of the cone and
suspension for a small driver,
so there are always trade ofs
in low-frequency output for
high-frequency behavior. Col-
umns that have a second array
of even smaller high frequency
drivers (i.e., tweeters) can have
an advantage, as the tweeters
bear responsibility for high fre-
quency reproduction and the
burden for full-range repro-
duction is reduced.
Other limitations of indi-
vidual driver performance on
column behavior are subtler.
At low- and mid-frequencies,
the wavelengths of sound are several feet
long much bigger than the driver diam-
eter. At 1000 Hz, the wavelength is about a
foot, or approximately three driver diameters
for a typical column loudspeaker. As the fre-
quencies get higher, the drivers dimensions
become comparable to the wavelength of
sound being reproduced. In this frequency
realm, an interesting efect occurs where the
drivers coverage angle begins to narrow. As
frequencies get higher, the driver becomes
progressively more directional. Figure 1
shows this efect graphically.
The driver in Figure 1 becomes more di-
rectional because of phase, specifcally the
phase diference between sound that comes
from diferent points on the speaker cone.
Imagine that you are standing directly in front
of the speaker driver, listening. When you are
standing directly in front of the speaker, the
arrival time of the sound from the driver cone
to you is uniform, as you are the same relative
distance from the cone.
Now imagine standing of to the left of
the loudspeaker driver and listening. Sounds
from the left side of the speaker cone will ar-
rive slightly sooner than sounds from the right
side of the speaker cone. This is because you
are farther from the right side of the speaker
cone than the left side. At low and midrange
frequencies, this diference in distance has lit-
tle efect. The wavelengths are very long, and
therefore, the phase diference is minimal.
However, when the wavelengths become
shorter, comparable to the dimensions of the
cone, the phase diference is quite high, and
the directivity becomes narrow.
Practically speaking, this means that the
horizontal coverage of a column loudspeaker
will grow increasingly narrow above the fre-
quency whose wavelength is equal to the
diameter of the speaker cone. In the case of
a four-inch loudspeaker, that will be 3375
Hz (i.e., 3.3kHz). Thus, a column loudspeaker
composed exclusively of four-inch full-range
drivers will have very broad horizontal cover-
age through the range of speech frequencies,
but the higher frequency reproduction will
become increasingly narrow. This means that
a column composed exclusively of four-inch
full range drivers could be well suited to proj-
ect a professors voice to the corners of a lec-
ture hall, but would not be ideal for full range
music reproduction.
Now that we understand how the hori-
zontal coverage of the column loudspeaker
will change at high frequencies, it is time to
turn our attention to the vertical coverage be-
havior of column loudspeakers.
Column Arrays and Vertical Performance
Largely because of the rise of line array
systems, there has been much discussion of
the behavior of sound emitted from verti-
cally arranged sources. Unfortunately, a fair
amount of that discussion has been tainted
with marketing hype or over-simplifcations.
In the case of column loudspeakers, all of the
good and bad aspects of vertically spaced
sources are clearly on display.
Discussions on vertically-arrayed sources
Column Speakers
EAWs LS832 employs three HF
tweeters to supplement its 4-inch
drivers.
JBLs CBT 50 employs two-inch
drivers to improve HF performance
by halving the distance between
the drivers acoustical centers.
By PhilGraham
-$18$5<

typically begin with describing their behavior
up close, usually at a distance no greater than
the height of the array. Then the discussion
moves to ever-farther distances from the ar-
ray. Conceptually, however, it is much easier
to understand the behavior of a vertical array
by starting at a point very far from the array,
and then moving closer.
Just like sun, a very large object up
close, appears as a small round ball in the
sky, a tall vertical array looks like a small dot
when we move far enough away. At this ex-
treme distance, every driver in the vertical
array is essentially the same distance away
from us, and the arrays sound behavior is
much like standing directly on axis of an
individual driver like we discussed above.
Technically stated, from far enough away,
every array is a point source.
As we move closer and closer to the
array, the relative distances between each
individual driver and our ears increases,
because of simple geometry. The drivers
at the far ends of the array are farther from
us, and therefore increasingly out of phase
at the listening position at higher frequen-
cies. The result is analogous to the effect of
listening off axis to a single driver (as dis-
cussed above).
There are two important effects that re-
sult from these phase differences. First, at
high frequencies, where the array is many
wavelengths tall, there is a beam of in-
phase energy directly on axis with the ar-
ray. Above and below the array, the phase
differences at higher frequencies cause the
drivers to cancel almost completely, result-
ing in very narrow vertical coverage that
causes high frequencies to essentially dis-
appear once you move above or below the
arrays height.
The second effect we experience when
moving closer to the array is a high fre-
quency roll-off, due to the phase of each
high frequency arrival becoming increas-
ingly spaced in time due to array geometry.
The wider the spacing between drivers, the
more pronounced this effect becomes.
Consider that doubling the number of
sources that are perfectly in phase adds to-
gether as to provide a 6dB increase in out-
put. That is essentially what happens with a
column loudspeaker at midrange frequen-
cies, because the total phase difference
between the arrivals from each individual
driver is comparatively small.
Contrast this effect with doubling the
number of sources that are not completely
in phase. It can be shown this only provides
3dB more output. This is exactly what hap-
pens at high frequencies as the spacing
between drivers in the column insures that
the drivers cannot sum completely in phase
at the listener.
The net result is that the high frequency
response, when measured on the axis of the
column, is attenuated relative to the mid-
range frequencies. This apparent high fre-
quency droop requires either passive equal-
ization circuitry inside the columns crossover
network, active equalization provided by
external processing, or a bank of HF drivers.
All column loudspeakers, to some extent, will
need compensation for this efect.
Low Frequency Performance
Just as column speakers need process-
ing to balance their high frequency re-
sponse, the very lowest frequencies are not
immune from effects of the vertical array. At
low frequencies, the array is not physically
tall enough to avoid spilling bass frequen-
cies above and below the array. It takes a
very tall array to narrow the vertical cover-
age in the low frequencies.
A consequence of low frequencies spill-
ing above and below the main axis of the
array is that less bass energy is directed out
into the audience on axis with the array. This
manifests itself as a roll-of in the on axis re-
sponse of columns low frequencies.
An un-equalized column loudspeaker
that is, one that does not boost the low
frequencies and high frequencies to balance
the axial response will typically have good
reproduction in the range of speech, but will
be thin and dull for music. Both low and high
frequency boost will usually be needed for
balanced full range music reproduction. This
should not be viewed as a problem with a
product, but rather as a consequence of the
physics of the array.
Column Loudspeaker Placement
The first, most practical advice when
designing column loudspeakers is to utilize
the tallest column possible. Taller columns
are capable of more output, have better
control of low frequencies, generally re-
quire less low frequency equalization, and
usually provide more even coverage. Most
sound reinforcement columns allow for
joining multiple modules together to cre-
ate columns of arbitrary height. Always
utilize the tallest column the customer will
accept.
The column should be made tall
enough that every audience members ears
lie within the axial height of the column
array. Ideally, it is better for the columns
height to extend somewhat below the ear
level of the lowest listener and above the
ear level of the highest listener. This is be-
cause the main on-axis coverage lobe is
slightly shorter than the total array height.
Extra height ensures the listener is directly
in the main coverage lobe.
Since practical loudspeaker placement
will frequently preclude the very tall col-
umns advocated here, it is important to
mention that column loudspeakers have
some pretty strong side lobes above and
below their on-axis coverage response.
These lobes can be seen in Figure 1. The
lobes are frequency and angle dependent,
produce very uneven response, and cause
havoc when designing for high gain-be-
fore-feedback (GBF). It is generally best to
avoid placing audience members, or vocal
mics, directly below the primary axis of a
column array. Ideally, the lobes will be ab-
sorbed by architectural features above and
below the array, leaving the comparatively
even response of the on-axis column cov-
erage zone. Always endeavor to make sure
the lobes below the column are not aimed
on the audience, or at open vocal mics.
Conclusion
Used with the guidelines discussed
above, column loudspeakers can be very
effective at providing even audio coverage
with minimal visual impact. A tall column
loudspeaker array also has the intangible
psychoacoustic benefit of sounding very
big and spacious to the audience. I have
personally seen this used to great effect in
a theme park installation, and it is a useful
addition to the bag of tricks for other types
of installations, such as museum exhibits.
Column loudspeakers are back again, and
will provide great audio performance in
carefully-chosen situations for many years
to come.
Figures are courtesy of Leo Beraneks
reference standard, Acoustics, 1954; http://
www.leoberanek.com/pages/acoustics.html
Phil Graham, a principal of PASSBAND, llc in
Atlanta, GA, a professional audio consultan-
cy, started building subwoofer arrays more
than a decade ago. Email him at: pgraham@
fohonline.com.
Fig. 1: Directivity of
four sources in a vertical
array as a function of
wavelength fromBeranek.
Notice that the lobe cen-
tered at zero degrees gets
narrower as the frequency
becomes higher.
-$18$5< LC"L vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
2C
Regional Slants
L
arry Schmidts secret can be summed up
in three words: common business sense.
No fancy MBA here, just some busi-
ness classes at a junior college and the patience
to sit down with a sharpened pencil to just work
through it has put him where he is today. Its a
spectacular year (and thats not even counting
the Parnelli Award the company received in 2011
for Hometown Hero Sound Company of the
Year!)
The more doom and gloom the economy
started to garner, the more business we got,
Schmidt, owner of Production Support Group
says. It was no accident. Instead, it was a purpose-
ful shift in business plan, inspired by, of all things,
movie ticket sales. When the banking crisis hit
in 2008, did anybody else notice that box ofce
receipts were way up? Movies had their best
month when the economy as a whole had its
worst. Lesson learned here: sometimes the best
times are during the worst times.
Understanding that people in hard times like
a diversion, and able to see around the corner
and realize that the corporate market was going
to take a hit, he saw that there was gold in them
hillsand diversifed and focused on that market
including, of all things, high-end, over-the-top
weddings.
The MegaWedding
Born in Detroit, Schmidt moved to sunny
Florida in the late 1960s. Out of high school, he
found himself running restaurants (Hated it!
he laughs). He decided a career in pro audio
would keep him challenged, and simply went
and stumbled on a local band called Meltdown.
When their frst and only tour went bust, he
turned to renting the equipment, and started the
company with three others (he would buy them
all out by 1987).
Like so many stories, his passion for audio
was greater than his desire for comfort but
just in the beginning. He worked other jobs and
took no pay his frst three years, and even slept
on the foor of his warehouse. But PSG took a
steady climb up. Breaks included doing one-ofs
for diverse acts from Iggy Pop to Bill Cosby, plus
increasingly getting a foothold into Florida State
University, plus a lot of corporate work, and it all
led to growth and success.
Early in his career, he fought the misconcep-
tion banks had about his company, that it was
merely a home stereo outft. So I took the time
and did my research, and then said I didnt want
to talk to a loan ofcer, I wanted to talk to a vice
president, someone who could say yes or no.
He found someone who, believe it or not, said
thered be no appointment at the bank, because
the banker wanted to go see Schmidt. He insist-
ed on coming to me, and then I was able to show
him what we were really about.A mere 27 years
later, PSG still works with the same bank and has
a full line of credit. These people have become
my friends. Too many of us think of these guys
are the enemy because they want to make mon-
ey of you. Id say, Youre right, you Bozo!
Today, their live music segment is doing well.
We probably had our best fall ever. We just fn-
ished a big homecoming event for Florida State
with Craig Ferguson, and thats a variety show
that involves a jazz ensemble, comedy, video,
and dance.Also this year, he had the pleasure of
having his personal and professional aspirations
collide when he worked this years Bassmaster
Classic in New Orleans the
NASCAR for fshing!
But a key to PSGs success
through challenging times is
that they certainly dont turn
their nose up at any gig. In true
hometown style, they still do
modest backyard gigs.
PSG also found the large wedding market
early on and, frankly, it was being ignored. See-
ing that few were delving into tent systems,
Schmidt started investing in a bunch of white
PAR cans, white clamps and white cables. Its the
minor things, but you cant have a black cable at
these big events.
How big? How about a quarter of a mil? Of-
ten held on the plantations that are usually the
winter homes of these families, its not uncom-
mon to bring chefs and wait staf in from Atlanta
and a DJ in from L.A.
How PSG treats these gigs is uncommon,
too. They fgured out smaller, more powerful
speakers are ideal. Our object is for the guest to
not see the gear, he says. When the preacher
talks, the words are coming from him, not a big
cabinet. Ill hide fve or six sets of speakers in the
bushes, and it becomes a very ambient sound.
Also, I want these to be a composite box so I
dont have to worry if I set them on the grass.
After much research and listening, he settled
on QSC I-82s. These are small, high-powered,
high-fdelity cabinets, perfect for these events.
And we also use them at trade shows where the
trend has been to hide them in the trussing. They
have become a go-to tool in the tool box.
QSC K-10 powered speakers are also be-
ing used a lot by PSG. They actually strap a
Sennheiser body pack to the cabinets to make
them wireless. At a mega-wedding, we might
be working on three acres of land, and in order to
complete the experience, we want everyone to
hear what is going on no matter where they are:
the toasting the background music, everything.
And yes, those are birds you hear .
A popular thing we do is play birdsong
through the system when guests are arriving or
waiting for the event to begin. People love it. We
ask them to consider something diferent like
this. We fade it out slowly for when the preacher
begins.
Schmidt may be working with diferent ar-
eas where the wedding ceremony is, the cocktail
hour is, and where the tent for the food is, but he
runs it all through a Yamaha 01V. Its my favorite
for these events, because it has a small footprint.
Financing with Finesse
Buying choices separate the companies that
last for decades and the ones that fame out.
We buy specifcally for what we have in mind,
Schmidt explains. When I bought the I-82s, I had
in mind the trend of trade shows incorporating
diferent zones within their booth. We looked at
all the line array products; QSC was one of the
frst ones to put a compact line array out with
their WideLine-10 cabinet. In all gear purchases,
he analyzes how it can best be used, and wheth-
er or not hell get his money back. In this case, the
WideLine-10s worked well for a big arena show
he just did with Ludacris and another with Citizen
Cope. I needed a cabinet that worked for those
big shows and also ft into a ballroom. I didnt
have the money for both. Another advantage is
that while some of the bigger cabinets weigh in
at 500 pounds, the WideLine-10s weigh 78. I can
hang those in a ballroom with no problem.
The K-Series stuf is popular, and we are
using it for front flls in smaller concerts and as
stage monitors, in addition to hiding it in bushes
7KH PRUH GRRP DQG JORRP WKH PRUH
EXVLQHVVZHJRW/DUU\6FKPLGW
The Business of Being Up when Times are Down
By Kevin M.Mitchell
Floridas Production
Support Group
PSG founder and owner Larry Schmidt
The Bassmaster Classic, Schmidt says, is
the NASCAR for fshing.
LC"L -$18$5< vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
2"
for mega weddings. Its the Swiss Army knife of
cabinets!
Console selection seems like a simple for-
mula. Schmidt sat down and looked through 100
riders, and Yamahas PM5D was on every one. I
dont want to argue with people everyday, so I
get them what they are asking for and incorpo-
rate that into our systems.
What comes easy to him seems to elude oth-
ers: There are lots of creative people in this busi-
ness, but very few business people in this busi-
ness, he says. Having creative people who also
have a business sense is not in the mainstream.
So many have the thought process of, Oh thats
cool, and it sounds great! Business people say
those two things, but follow it with, How do I sell
it?Theres not a lot of us doing that.
Schmidt laments the lack of business savvy
and how regional sound companies step on
each others toes, haggling for pricing that has
the winner not really winning. Sometimes
these bands take a job at a club for $250, but
then the sound company charges them $300.
They complain, and to that, I say, Then why did
you take the gig at that price?Thats like some of
these sound companies. They dont understand
ROI.
Today, he enjoys the work more than ever.
You fnd down-to-earth people and those who
dont want the green M&Ms,he says with a wink,
before stressing that credit for any success is due
to his team.
I didnt do this by myself, Schmidt insists.
Since 1987, Dennis Cooper has been an impor-
tant part of PSG. I have a great crew. I work to
ofer them the freedom to show me their ideas.
This is not a one-man operation by any stretch of
the imagination.
Going forward, 2012 shows promise. It
doesnt show any signs of lightening up for us,
Schmidt says. Several mega weddings are al-
ready booked, and theres plenty of other work.
We see growth continuing. Theres nothing here
to tell me its not.
The Production Support Group crew. I didnt do this by myself,says Larry Schmidt, third from left.
PSG brought out its QSC WideLine-10s for Ludacris
7KHUHV ORWV RI FUHDWLYH SHRSOH LQ WKLV
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Supporting War Chant, part of the homecoming festivities at FSU
A MegaWedding
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W
hen I frst discovered beyerdy-
namic microphones in the late
1990s I had no idea that the Ger-
man company founded by Eugen Beyer has
been around since 1924. I was also clueless
to the fact that, by 1937, the beyerdynamic
company had been designing and manu-
facturing microphones, headsets and other
audio products. All I can say is that learn-
ing this information certainly sharpened
my interest in the new Touring Gear mics I
received and was about to feld test. It just
fascinates me that a company can survive
and thrive for such a long time. They must
be doing something right. That said, lets
take a look at the microphones themselves.
The Gear AJC
First, I unpackaged the TG D70d kick
drum mic. This dynamic mic incorporates a
hyper-cardioid pattern and transmits very
little feedback. The microphone is actually
designed for all low drums and can be used
on a variety of bass emitting instruments. I
used it on a few diferent instruments (wait
for the review section).
Next, I unwrapped two TG 153c con-
denser mics. The cardioid polar pattern on
this model has a large listening range. It
can be used as an overhead mic for drum
kits or percussion, on a high hat, woodwind
or brass instrument. The microphones are
very compact and easy to place.
I then opened the boxes for three TG
D58c condenser mics. These mics are de-
signed for toms, snares, bongos, congas
and other hand drums. The cardioid pattern
mics are a clip-on type, sporting a locking
swivel joint with gooseneck. I have used a
variety of clip-on mics, and these appear to
be well-engineered and durable. Of course,
you have to abuse them in the feld for a
while to accurately comment on the dura-
bility, but I do like the design.
Lastly, I unpacked a single TG D57c con-
denser mic. This is also a cardioid-pattern
clip-on mic, suited for snare drums, toms,
congas, bongos and so on. The microphone
has a very fexible gooseneck supporting
the capsule, which makes for easy place-
ment.
There you have it. These are the con-
tenders, lets see how they did.
The Gigs AJC
I frst took all the beyerdynamic mi-
crophones out of their boxes, put them in
their individual cases, and of I went to a
gig where I would be using the mics on a
percussion rig that I had never seen. As it
turned out, the rig was made up of a pair of
congas, a pair of bongos, a Cajon (box) and
a tree of chimes and tiny cymbals.
First, I decided to try the TG D70d kick
mic on the Cajon. I miked the sound hole on
the box and I got a nice sound without a lot
of EQ. Next, I used two TG D58c mics on the
congas and the TG D57c set between the
bongo heads. Lastly, I took one TG 153c (de-
signed for high hats, etc.) for the chime tree.
Right of, I loved the sound of the Cajon.
The TG D70d kick mic gave the instrument
a tight, solid, percussive sound with almost
no EQ. Of course the microphone is de-
signed to accurately reproduce the sound
of the instrument, but it seemed to en-
hance the overall sound of that instrument.
The congas and bongos took a little
more EQ, but the microphones performed
very nicely, with almost no bleed outside of
their assigned instrument.
Lastly, the high hat mic on the chime
tree was crisp and transparent. Those are
words I tend to use with a good condenser
hat mic, but what it really means is that the
chime and cymbals cut through smoothly
without any harshness.
To summarize my frst outing with the
beyerdynamic microphones I would say
that they amplifed each instrument and
their individual sounds in a very precise
way.
So, of to my next gig. I was supplying
sound reinforcement for a local school festi-
val. The three-day event featured one rock/
blues/pop band every day.
On Day One, I was miking a small drum
kit and placed the D70d mic on the kick. (To
conserve valuable printed space, from here
on out, Im omitting the TG from the model
names; all the models begin with TG. Oops, I
just blew the print space I saved with that ex-
planation!) Anyway, I also used the D57c on
the snare, one D58c on the high tom and
one on the low tom, and the two 153c mics
for the overheads.
As a kick drum microphone, the D70d
performed beautifully tight and accurate
with very little EQ. I think it has become my
favorite new kick drum mic.
The D57c sounded great on the snare.
I actually like this microphone better for a
snare drum than the D58c. It simply sounds
better to my ears on a snare. (Not that the
D58c didnt sound great on the toms, be-
cause they did.)
The D57c and D58c both have very
good isolation characteristics and seem to
amplify only the drum they are addressing.
The 153c overhead mics also performed
very well. As I mentioned before, they are
clean and crisp without any harshness.
The following day, I had another band
and another drum kit. Each day the beyer-
dynamic mics performed with precision.
However, I do want to mention one thing
here. As obvious as it may be, microphones
only amplify what they hear. The best mic
in the world cant make a bad drum sound
good (or any instrument for that matter
human or otherwise).
That said, a good mic in the hands of a
good sound tech can improve an otherwise
poor-sounding instrument. And the beyer-
dynamic Touring Gear mics are defnitely
good.
Road Test
beyerdynamic Touring Gear Drum and Percussion Mics
By JamieRio
beyerdynamic Touring Gear
Drum and Percussion Mics
Pros: Accurate reproduction, quality
construction.
Cons: None
TG 153c condenser mic
TG D58c condenser mic
TG D57c condenser mic
TG D70d kick
drum mic
LC"L -$18$5< vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
22
K
altman Creations has been selling German
handheld RF (and EMC) spectrum analyz-
ers from Aaronia for several years now,
as well a previous version of Invisible Waves, a
Windows-based RF spectrum scanner. The new
version, Invisibles Waves X is again comprised of
hardware and Windows-based software compo-
nents, but now the softwares user interface has
been improved to provide a better RF command
center.
First is the hardware, which comes in a 16 x
10 x 4 inch clamshell plastic case with a handle,
which Ive since replaced with a larger Pelican
case that also holds a Netbook PC and a direc-
tional paddle antenna, neither of which is in-
cluded.
The main hardware is the scanner itself a
6 x 3.5 x 1.25 inch aluminum case. It has a power
switch and blue LED on one end, and connec-
tions for a 4-foot USB cable, a 0.8A 12V DC power
supply and a -36 SMA (SubMiniature version A)
co-axial screw-on antenna connection, like those
found on PCI wireless cards and on high-end WiFi
routers. The required accessories USB cable,
power supply and whip antenna are supplied.
Also supplied is a second WiFi antenna if pur-
chasing the IWxAV version instead of the IWx-
LIVE, which doubles its range from a ceiling of 1.8
GHz up to 3.5 GHz, allowing measurement of 2.4
GHz WiFi spectrum, of great interest for newer
WiFi wireless and the many other technologies
of interest in that spectrum. The IWxAV version
costs an additional $300, but its well worth it
considering that WiFi (or BlueTooth) isnt going
away any time soon, with more AV appliances
using it every day.
An option I didnt elect is the IWxBATT 2.0A-
h lithium polymer battery pack, conveniently
packaged in a similar 6 x 3.5-inch chassis and
rated for 4 to 5 hours of use, longer than most
laptops will last. The battery is indispensable
for those who must make measurements in the
middle of a feld (or stadium), or as soon as they
roll out of a bus bunk, and it also serves as a UPS
while making measurements.
The scanner itself is an OEM version of WiN-
RADiOs third-generation WR-G305e software
defned scanner. The Melbourne, Australia-based
company has been around since the 1990s, and
I own one of their older scanners, a WR-1550e.
What Kaltman Creations has done is focus the
abilities of WiNRADiOs scanner by programming
a custom front end to make it a better tool for
wireless technicians.
IWx ships with a fash drive holding installa-
tion software. Minimum computer requirements
are a Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7 computer,
with a 2.0 GHz CPU and 2 GB of memory. I do
most computer work on a Mac, but with the low
cost of PCs these days, a dedicated laptop to
bundle with Invisible Waves isnt that expensive.
I bought a 1.66 MHz, 1GB HP Mini 210 Netbook
on eBay for $200 and loaded it with XP, and IWx
ran just fne. Initially I used it with a second VGA
LCD screen, but the Minis 1366 x 768 resolution
10-inch display proved ample, given its fexibility.
The software is more of an RF command
center than a straight analyzer. Its various
windows can be resized or moved around the
screen, and smaller windows can either foat on
the screen, dock alongside the other windows
or be closed and then reopened from the icons
on the tool bar above when needed. The fexibil-
ity of this scheme is powerful. As users become
more familiar with the software, they fnd them-
selves using some screens less and focusing on
the Master Status Display.
Upon starting the software, there are three
main display windows: the Spectral Trace View,
which analyzes RF strength across the defned
spectrum; the Master Status Display; and the
HeatMap, which is similar to Smaarts Spectro-
graph, showing hotter regions of RF spectrum
as brighter colors. While HeatMap is intuitive, its
one of the frst windows to close and make more
room for others.
The Master Status Display window holds
individual sub-panels that the user sets up for
each wireless system. Each panel has a name, an
assigned frequency and one of six background
colors (Green, Blue, Light Blue, Magenta, Gray
and Light Gray). Every wireless systems signal
strength can be seen at once in this Master Status
Display, continuously showing signal strength
on a 100-segment red-yellow-green horizontal
bar graph.
The white frame around each sub-panel
can turn yellow and then fash red when its bar
graph falls into those regions. Additional alarms
are logged for both low-level systems and new
Unidentifed Frequency Objects (UFOs). A data
recorder can save IWx parameters to be viewed
at a later time to study intermittent interference.
I feel about Invisible Waves X the same way
I felt about the Smaart Live when it came out.
IWxs improved user interface, combined with
todays increasingly challenging RF environ-
ments, moves the application from interesting to
indispensable.
Custom Profles allows users to store all of
IWxs settings for later recall. Master Status Dis-
play Panels can be saved into presets with the
Save Master Status, powerful for daily users,
whether local vendors or touring technicians.
Ive been using IWx for over a month for
several shows, for both in-ear monitors, wireless
mics and combinations. Its a great comfort for
RF technicians as well as their clients, whether
theyre other sound engineers, artists, presenters
or lay people, as it takes the mystery out wireless
operation by simply being able to see whats out
there.
Wireless frequencies are often chosen either
randomly, by scanning a receiver for open fre-
quencies or employing blind faith in recommen-
dations of zip code driven on-line resources. IWx
allows users to verify their current environment
and then continue to monitor it in real time dur-
ing a production.
Ultimately, there are two or
three types of IWx users: One
is touring productions with a
fxed inventory, moving from
one RF environment to the
next. Next are regional vendors
in a constant RF environment,
employing various combina-
tions of inventory from day to
day. Third are in-venue users
with constant location and
inventory, but where introduc-
tion of visiting RF equipment
imposes a higher requirement
for frequency coordination.
After using IWx for a while,
the typical ragged 6MHz-wide
mesa-plateau shape of DTV
broadcasts becomes familiar.
These are the local UHF fence posts that wireless
technicians must navigate around. For the tour-
ing RF tech, wireless inventory remains the same,
and the DTV broadcast fence posts change each
day, from one city to the next. IWxs Master Sta-
tus Display panels built around a tours wireless
inventory can be saved for the next city, needing
only to move frequencies that confict with each
new citys set of DTV transmissions.
Another way of using the Master Status Dis-
play is to set sub-panels for each DTV broadcast
using the center frequency of the 6 MHz-wide
broadcast and a 6 MHz bandwidth. Users can
color-code the sub-panels, and I used green for
IEMs, blue for wireless mics, light blue for the lead
vocal its spare and magenta for backline wireless,
leaving gray for the DTV broadcasts. In this way,
the signal strengths of all the frequencies of inter-
est can be visually scanned like the meter bridge
on a console.
Road Test
Kaltman Creations Invisible Waves X
Windows-based RF Spectrum Scanner
By MarkFrink
continued on page 38
-$18$5< LC"L vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
2=
Buyers Guide
Personal Earphone Monitors
By MarkFrink
Fidelity
Quads
fdelitycustomearphones.net
Design: Four drivers, Four-way
Type: Balanced-armature drivers
Confguration: Four single drivers
Sensitivity: 119.8 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 29.5 Ohms
JH Audio
JH16 PRO
jhaudio.com
Design: Eight drivers, Three-way
Type: Proprietary Dual-driver balanced-armature
Future Sonics
MG6pro
futuresonics.com
Design: Single driver, Full-range
Type: Proprietary dynamic driver
Conguration: Crossover-free
Sensitivity: 114 dB @ 30 Hz
Impedance: 32 Ohms
Fit-Ear
PS-5
ft-ear.com
Design: Five drivers, Three-way
Type: Balanced-armature
Conguration: Double lows, full-range,
mids & highs
Sensitivity: 117 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 25 Ohms
Sensaphonics
3MAX
sensaphonics.com
Design: Three drivers, Two-way
Type: Balanced-armature drivers
Conguration: Double lows,
soft-gel silicone molds
Sensitivity: 114 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 14.2 Ohms
Conguration: Double Dual lows,
Dual mids, Dual highs
Sensitivity: 118 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 18 Ohms
Shure
SE535
shure.com
Design: Three drivers, Two-way
Type: Balanced-armature drivers
Conguration: Double lows, single highs
Sensitivity: 119 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 36 Ohms
Ultimate Ears
UE18 PRO
logitech.com
Design: Six drivers, Three-way
Type: Balanced-armature drivers
Conguration: Double lows, double mids,
double highs
Sensitivity: 110.6 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 21 Ohms
Westone
ES5
westonemusicproducts.com
Design: Five drivers, Three-way
Type: Balanced-armature drivers
Conguration: Single lows, double mids,
double highs
Sensitivity: 120 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 20 Ohms
Sennheiser
IE8
sennheiser.com
Design: Single, Full-range
Type: Dynamic driver
Conguration: Crossover-free
Sensitivity: 125 dB @ 1mW
Impedance: 16 Ohms
vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
Live Sound Plugins
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Crane Song | Luminescent | Phoenix Bundle
Single-knob tape saturation efect
CraneSong.com Eventide.com
H3000 pitch shift & delay efects
Eventide | H3000 Factory | Anthology II Bundle
H3000 pitch shift & delay efects
Focusrite.com
Focusrite | ISA 110 & 130 | Forte Suite Bundle
4-band EQ, HPF, LPF & dynamics
McDSP.com
McDSP | MC2000 v5 | Live Pack Bundle
4-band compressor
SPL.info
SPL | Twin Tube | Analog Code Bundle
Saturation & Harmonics tube efect
Serato.com
Serato | Rane Parametric | Rane Series EQ Bundle
10-band PEQ, 3-band tone, HPF & LPF
tcelectronic.com
tc electronic | VSS3 | Production Bundle
System 6000 reverb
Waves.com
Waves | H-EQ Hybrid EQ | Mercury Bundle
5-band PEQ with HPF, LPF & RTA
uAmLAMN LC"L vvv.IoHorlire.cc
2E
A
llen & Heaths new GLD is a us-
er-friendly, cost effective and
expandable live digital mixing
system, conceptually based on the
successful iLive series of digital con-
soles. A standard GLD 32 input system
provides 28 XLR mic inputs that can be
increased to 36 or 44 XLR mic inputs
by adding one or two 8x4 expansion
frames.
At the heart of the system is the
GLD-80 mixer, providing 48 input pro-
cessing channels, 8 internal stereo FX
returns using iLive FX emulations, 30
assignable outputs, 20 mix processing
channels (which include GEQs), and
DSP power to provide full processing
without compromise.
Whereas with iLive, the 64x32
RackExtra DSP mix engine is located
inside the iDR MixRacks, with GLD, its
48-channel mixer is housed inside the
control surface.
GLD-80s control surface has an
analog-style channel processing con-
trol section in the upper left, comple-
mented by a graphical 8.4-inch touch
screen on the upper right. A drag-and-
drop layout allows quick and easy as-
signment of inputs and mixes to the
fader strips. The 20 fader strips each
have motorized fader, an LCD display
that is labeled and color-coded, mute,
select and solo buttons, plus a rotary
control for direct access to gain, pan
and aux sends.
Local I/O on the GLD-80s back-panel
includes 4 XLR mic/line inputs, 4 XLR
line-outs, plus 4 RCA inputs and 2 RCA
outputs, and both SPDIF and AES3 digi-
tal outputs.
The single rack-space AR84 8x4 mic/
line expander connects either directly
to the GLD-80 control surface or, using
Allen & Heaths dSNAKE protocol up to
400 feet over standard Cat5, to a remote
3RU AR2412 24x12 remote stage box, or
to both, allowing users to build 28, 36 or
44 mic input systems. The AR2412 stage
box also includes an Aviom-compatible
monitor port.
GLD can also record and playback
stereo signals on a USB fash drive. An
expansion slot accommodates the ex-
isting wide range of iLive option cards
for Dante, MADI, EtherSound or Allen &
Heaths ACE protocols, allowing multi-
channel record/playback, FOH/monitor
splits, and connection to A&H iLive sys-
tems.
Designing a system which is suit-
able for both the professional engineer
and occasional user has been a priority.
With GLD, our aim was to take much of
the complexity out of digital mixing,
opening up the tremendous benefts of
digital technology to a wider group of
customers, such as the rental companies,
houses of worship and live venues where
our GL series analog mixers have been
working so successfully for years, com-
ments A&H MD, Glenn Rogers.
Tech Preview
Allen & Heaths GLD Live Digital Mixer
By MarkFrink
VitH GLO, our in w to tke nucH
oI tHe conplexity out oI uigitl nixirg,
operirg up tHe treneruou bereIit oI
uigitl tecHrology to wiuer group oI
cutoner. ~Glerr Moger, Aller G
MetH Nrgirg Oirector
Allen & Heath GLD-80 digital mixer
Allen & Heath GLD-80 rear connections
Allen & Heath AR84 8x4 mic/line expander
Allen & Heath AR2412 24x12 stage box
GLD-80s channel strip controls
GLD-80s 8.4-inch touch screen
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2
I
am not a Roman Catholic, but I imagine
this is what it feels like to enter the con-
fessional. To expose my sins and hope fer-
vently for the forgiveness that will make the
rest of my life livable.
What follows is a tale of woe, destruction,
humiliation and anguish. I wish I could say it
has a happy ending, but it doesnt.
It all began a long, long time ago. I was
young and I was cocky. I was also the newly-
engaged assistant house engineer for a ven-
ue in East London.
Up until then, Id been a studio-bod, but
Id managed to talk myself into this live job,
not realizing how diferent the two environ-
ments were. My boss (and engineer-extraor-
dinaire, who shall remain nameless lest my
shame taint his relationships with the cur-
rently hip and famous) was due some annual
leave shortly after my appointment.
Before he went away, he took me to
one side to discuss the upcoming gigs. One
in particular was very important a fans-
only gig for a band that was just making it.
Twenty-four hours later, I had enough experi-
ence to know that this should have set alarm
bells ringing, but on that fateful day, I was still
green, and no such jangling occurred.
Fortunately for me, the band has since
dwindled into obscurity, but at the time, they
had just crossed the channel, having played
live on mainstream French radio to an audi-
ence of millions. They were on their way back
to London triumphant, preparing to give suc-
cor to their fans by holding a non-ticketed,
invite-only, intimate performance for 350 of
their most rabid followers.
Oh, the arrogance of youth!
On the advice of my now-absent boss, I
got a freelancer in to help. Not on the advice
of my boss, who recommended a more expe-
rienced live engineer, I called on the services
of a best friend and studio-mate on the brink
of starvation and in need of the dollar.
Said starving mate had much experience
on the noise-making end of the microphone
(he now works for a superstar in the studio),
but at the time, hed never engineered a live
gig in his life. Nor has he since. I wonder why.
Anyway. The soundcheck goes without a
hitch. Most of the support band goes without
a hitch. Until the last song, during which an
ungodly crackle, straight from the maws of
Satan himself, sets up home in my system and
proceeds to eat up bits of audio.
As it had only happened in the last song,
and because I was a dumb-ass, inexperienced
fool, I chose to ignore its presence during the
changeover. With all channels now mercifully
muted, the hiding-head-in-the-sand policy
seemed to be working, and I got my stage re-
arranged in readiness for the much-anticipat-
ed main event.
The headliners amble onstage, looking
every bit as cocky and pleased with them-
selves as a band-on-the-rise, at the end of
a very successful European tour can, and
should, be.
Good evening to you, London! cries the
front man.
Bad evening to you, Darryn! cries the in-
fernal crackle that has now trebled in volume
and noticeability, is painful to the ears and
is proceeding to devour all sound anyone
would have paid money to actually hear.
The band braves it on through half a song.
I brave it on through half a song. But God is
getting even with me for something I really
cant remember doing, and my night of hell
starts its steady decline from purgatory to the
roasting fres, spewing brimstone (what the
hell is brimstone, anyway?) deep into my soul.
To make matters worse, the devilish cack-
le is intermittent, but every time someone on
stage moves (which, um, is quite often, re-
ally), this unbearable crackle rips through the
room.
I have no idea what to do. Thus far in my
month-long live career, I have fxed Ryk-
sopps sampler, I have lifted a few earth
switches and soldered a few cables. I have
not, however, faced a situation in which God
and the devil are conspiring against me in an
act so unnatural, horror movies should be
made of it.
In the cold light of the following day (oh,
the glory of hindsight!) all I needed to do
was mute and/or PFL channels until I found
the channel that was exuding the aforemen-
tioned corruption and flth. In the glaring,
hot, sweaty light of the moment, all I did was
panic.
I froze. A rabbit in the headlights has
more chance of salvation than I did that
night. And then I made the error to beat all
errors. I followed the advice of everyone who
was screaming at me.
A little list People Who Were Scream-
ing At Me:
The Band from the stage, over the mi-
crophone. F*cking sort it out! You useless
c*nt! etc etc. Constantly, and at length. Since
then, I have had the presence of mind to
mute the microphones of people who speak
to me like that Im such a bad engineer,
jeez, I cant fgure out why youve gone quiet
all of a sudden?!
The Baying Mob following the example
of their idols. Did I mention I was mixing on
a balcony? Built purely for the mix position.
Normally, this is my least-favorite mix posi-
tion. On this occasion, I have never been
more grateful for a physical divide between
myself and the audience who, by now full
of beer and anger, were turning on me. God
bless the security team who literally prevent-
ed me from being lynched that night.
The Band Manager Its the kick drum,
its the kick drum!
The Support Band Manager Its the gui-
tar, its the guitar!
Other Random VIPs who had access to
my balcony Its X! Its Y!Its your auntys
brothers dog!
The Band again and again, over and
over.
An even littler list People Who Were Not
Screaming At Me:
My half-starved studio mate, who was
panicking in the background and hiding as far
away as he could.
To cut a long story short:
The gig limped on for a few more devil-
imbued crackly songs until the band gave up
and the whole thing fzzled out.
A blessed bartender (may there be a place
for her at the right hand side of God for this act
of charity) brought me a VERY large whiskey
when events drew to their excruciating close.
I drank said whiskey very quickly, and the
same made-in-the-image-of-God angel gave
me the rest of the bottle.
The next day, I had some facing-the-music
to do. A deluge of complaints was coming in
via email and over the phone. I understand
much cash was refunded. Upon investigation,
we discovered that a freak, untimely accident
of beer-pouring by a member of the support
band had combined with the only shoddy bit
of soldering in an otherwise immaculate in-
stallation. This had caused liquid, copper and
the-powers-that-be to join forces,
resulting in a short that only con-
nected when someone stood on
a particular part of a somewhat
springy stage.
Yes, I should have identifed
the channel and muted it, but I
didnt. Yes, I should have told all the
engineers around me to f*ck of
and give me time to think and in-
vestigate, but I didnt. Yes, I should
have been more in control, but I
wasnt.
But, as much as this incident
still haunts my every professional
move, I have come to realize a few
things. The world was still intact
afterwards, the earth still spun,
and the laws of nature had not
been abominated. What we do is
entertainment. It is not the be-all
and end-all of life as we know it,
and if it sometimes goes wrong,
then so be it. Really. Get over it.
There is more uproar in our mod-
ern society over a buzzy PA than
in the seemingly daily rise in pet-
rol prices. More people complain
about a poorly audible vocal than
the continued instability in the
Middle East.
And let the person who has
never had a bad day at work cast
the frst stone.
Darryn de la Soul is the owner of
the SoulSound Live Sound Agency,
www.soulsound.co.uk.
Welcome To My Nightmare
Crackle, Snap, Pop By Darryn de la Soul
T
O
N
Y
G
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C
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$'9(57,6(56,1'(;
Company Page Phone http://
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Road Test
For local vendors, their citys DTV broadcast
fence posts remain the same and so can be saved
from one project to the next, while new frequen-
cies are chosen for each productions inventory,
opposite of the touring RF tech. House engineers
who work at a single venue have it easier, as both
RF environment and inventory stay constant,
other than supplemental wireless for bigger
shows or wireless brought in by visiting artists.
Whichever category youre in, Kaltman Cre-
ations Invisible Waves X system helps RF techs
manage wireless mics and IEMs better and more
efciently. The touring engineer can quickly ver-
ify constraints of the days new RF environment,
the local vendor can chose frequencies without
guesswork, and in-house techs can easily trou-
ble-shoot new situations.
Several features are worth mentioning. UFO
Alert (Unidentifed Frequency Objects) warns
when a new RF signal appears above a defned
threshold (like a support act turning on wireless).
RF Level Alert warns when any RF signals on
the Master Status Displays sub-panels fall be-
low a threshold (such as talent turning of their
transmitter or leaving the venue). Click to Listen
allows RF techs to actually hear a transmission
where IWxs cursor is located (providing con-
fdence monitoring for hearing assist systems
or just identifying rogue transmissions). Finally,
IWxs RF Coordinator identifes usable open
spectrum to aid in choosing frequencies.
The system has a couple of shortcom-
ings. While its RF Coordinator can choose open
spectrum, it cant coordinate sets of wireless in
RF groups to avoid inter-modulation (IM). Us-
ing manufacturers pre-coordinated frequency
groups is still the best insurance, or, for more
complicated wireless projects, multi-channel fre-
quency coordination software, like Professional
Wireless Systems (PWS) Intermodulation Analy-
sis Software (IAS).
That said, IWx is powerful, even when there
are no rogue transmissions, simply because its
constant visual aid helps RF techs do a better job
of employing best practices by continuously dis-
playing the RF environment.
At a Michael W. Smith show, the drummer
was getting dropouts on his IEMs, and I could see
that his frequency was loud and clear with no in-
terference near it. This logically led to following
best practices of getting his G2 packs antenna
away from his sweaty hip and replacing his trans-
mitters whip antenna with a paddle to increase
gain. Problem solved. Without IWx, a lot of time
might have been wasted looking for an alternate
frequency that wasnt needed and wouldnt help.
Like a rear-view mirror, IWx doesnt make
better drivers, but by increasing awareness of
whats around, it helps avoid problems. Everyone
knows you should never have to use your spare
RF. For about the price of a spare RF unit, IWx can
help make sure of it.
Kaltman Creations Invisible Waves X Windows-based RF Spectrum Scanner
continued from page 33
ZZZIRKRQOLQHFRP
Waves CLA-2A Classic Compressor
On the Digital Edge
I
n previous columns, various Waves plugins
that I use on vocals, horns, violins, electric
guitars, bass guitars and drums have been
discussed. By now it should be apparent that I
like to use a lot of compressors. This current en-
try will focus on my compressor of choice for the
acoustic grand piano: the Waves CLA-2A Classic
Compressor.
The task of live mixing has many recurring
challenges, and one of the most difcult to ac-
complish successfully is maintaining control
over the dynamics of each instrument without
sacrifcing the natural energy and expression of
the musicians. An engineer simply doesnt have
enough hands, fngers or the multitasking men-
tality to exercise constant vigilance over the all
the instruments in a 60-plus input show. It be-
comes necessary to employ electronic hands to
exert that control.
One Size Doesnt Fit All AJC
By defnition, correct application of com-
pression makes softer parts louder and louder
parts softer, with the goal of making it easier to
hear and appreciate the characteristics of that
particular instrument or vocal in the mix. How-
ever, its never enough to just siton the dynam-
ics of an instrument. Thats the minimum asked
of a compressor plugin. I also choose plugins that
enhance the difering musical properties of each
instrument. I have yet to encounter a one size fts
allcompressor, so I always go through a trial and
error process for each input until I fnd the plugin
that properly marries itself to the timbre and dy-
namics of an instrument.
On the James Taylor tour, we carry a beauti-
ful Yamaha C7 MIDI grand piano that is expertly
maintained and tuned by Mark Konrad, our key-
board tech. For obvious isolation reasons, the lid
is closed during performances. However, closing
the lid creates a very diferent sound and pro-
duces a radically diferent audio environment for
the transducers inside the piano. Mics must be
placed close to the strings, and this predictably
results in hot spots. Furthermore, refections are
coming from everywhere in a closed box. The in-
struments inputs become harsher and less con-
nected.
The magic is to then reintegrate the whole
and somehow create the auditory illusion of
listening to a raised lid piano in a normal perfor-
mance environment. Several tools can be used
to attack this audio conundrum. One invalu-
able tool has been the Earthworks PM40 piano
mic system. These remarkable small diaphragm
omni mics have revolutionized closed-lid miking
techniques. The engineers at Earthworks have
created a fexible system that produces astound-
ing results within that less-than-optimum envi-
ronment.
As noted, mic placement is critical and varies
with each piano. The two PM40 transducers are
mounted on a telescoping carbon graphite tube
allowing variable horizontal placement, both
mounted on 6-inch goosenecks for vertical ad-
justment. One can choose to orient the capsules
toward the hammer or toward the nose of the
piano. Placement choices become myriad, and
the only right way is the one that sounds best
right out of the box.
Wherever the mics end up being placed,
proper application of equalization will be nec-
essary to smooth out the hot spots created by
proximity to the strings. Its simply a necessary
evil dictated by the closed-lid condition. High-
pass flters, low-pass flters and parametric EQ
must all work in concert to massage the sound
back to a more natural, even distribution across
its 88 keys.
Subtle is Good AJC
Larry Goldings, our pianist on the James
Taylor tour, is an incredibly gifted and expressive
musician, and it is never my intention to impose
needless dynamic restrictions on his playing. To
that end, I chose a compressor that exerts very
subtle dynamic control and also enhances the
closed lid piano sound by its inclusion in the sig-
nal path.
The Waves CLA-2A Classic Compressor plu-
gin was modeled from a legendary unit in the
enviable collection owned by Chris Lord-Alge.
The overview from the user guide is helpful:
The CLA-2A is modeled on a hand-wired, tube-
based compressor originally produced by Teletronix
in the early 1960s. Intended for use in broadcast, the
original employed an electro-luminescent optical
attenuator for gain reduction called T4. Unlike
other designs, electro-luminescent circuitry doesnt
add distortion when it modulates the sound.
(Tubes, however, do, and Waves made sure to mod-
el that distortion.) Additionally, the inspiration for
the CLA-2As frequency-dependent response made
it an instant favorite of audio engineers. However,
many consider its most unique feature to be its pro-
gram dependent, multi-stage release, which was
achieved using a 2-stage photo-electric cell. With
a Frequency Response of 30Hz to 15kHz (+/- 1dB)
and < 0.5% THD, the original provided up to 40dB
of gain limiting.
The tubes do exactly what one expects in
the Waves CLA-2A emulation. The audio result
is a warmer, richer and denser sound that more
closely resembles the output of an open lid pia-
no. I set the compression threshold to just nip 2
to 3 dB of the loudest passages Larry plays. As I
said, I want Larry to create his own dynamics and
weave his parts in and out of the mix because of
the way James and the band have layer arrange-
ments. Instruments speak, then pull back and let
another voice be heard. Theres much movement
and texture woven into the tapestry created by
the mature, gifted players in James band.
The screen shot shows the setting on the
piano low mic on the PM40 system. There are
simply four user variable parameters. Begin with
unity gain and no compression, and then turn
up the gain reduction until you hear the desired
result. Add makeup gain to compensate for com-
pression and Viola! One caveat I must give to
those who have used old Teletronix units in the
past: Dont get fooled by the metering. Old units
still in use often have a tired T4 unit inside them,
so 6 to 8 dB on its meter may translate to just 1 or
2 dB of actual compression. On Waves software,
however, what you see is what you get.
And what you get is a remarkably accurate
emulation of the classic original. Its not overly
noisy, operation is smooth, output is velvety, and
the compression characteristics lay gently on the
dynamics but leave the musical quality pristine.
Adding in the two other parameters allow the
user to further enhance the audio result.
The Hum circuit is common to most of Waves
classic emulations and is included to more accu-
rately recreate the actual operating conditions
in which the original units were employed. Its a
simple push button control that lets you decide if
the signal is enhanced by adding 50 Hz (Europe)
or 60 Hz (USA) line hum to the signal. Dont like it?
Switch it to of. Youre the chef.
The fourth parameter controls how the com-
pression circuitry responds to HF information.
Again quoting from the user guide:
HiFreq increases voltage amplifer gain in the
peak reduction circuit, for frequencies above 1 kHz,
leaving lower frequencies less afected. When set to
Flat, the CLA-2A provides equal reduction to all fre-
quencies. The more you move away from Flat, the
less sensitive the compressor is to lower frequencies,
resulting in less low-end compression.
I dial this control down to increase the HF
crossover efect on the low mic. Greater com-
pression on the HF component of the signal lets
the left hand come through a little better with
more push at the bottom. It also allows me to
back of on some of its HF EQ bands.
Ive also employed this plugin on an acoustic
guitar that didnt produce enough bottom end
output. The CLA-2A produced equally pleasing
results. This is a good product and carries the
venerable LA-2A into the digital age with very
little compromise. The CLA-3A is also great ad-
dition to the Waves lineup and I will discuss this
solid-state brother to the CLA-2A next month.
Happy New Year!
David Morgan is a musician, songwriter and sound
engineer for James Taylor, Carole King, Joe Walsh
and other top artists. Reach him at dmorgan@fo-
honline.com.
By DavidMorgan
-$18$5< LC"L
Electric Guitar Amplier Miking
Theory and Practice
S
ince the dawn of time, engineers have
struggled with the task of getting good
guitar sounds on stage. One of the big is-
sues is stage volume: the musician cranks it up
to get their sound while the engineer and au-
dience get blasted with ear-crushing levels from
the stage. Inevitably, the PA has to be cranked up
to overcome the stage volume. Lets assume, for
the moment, that the musicians you work with
have their stage volume under control (whether
it be via volume knob, moving cabinets of-stage,
or threats of violence) so that you can actually
hear the guitar through the PA and create a mix.
There are some tried-and-true methods you can
use to get great guitar tones.
Guitar Amps AJC
Before we look at specifc mic techniques,
lets quickly revisit the nature of the typical elec-
tric guitar rig. A guitar amp produces sound
through a paper cone, and the result is not what
one would consider high fdelity. In fact, most
guitar amps dont produce much above 5 kHz,
so using that $7,000 tube condenser mic is likely
to be a bit of a waste(!). It might be to your ad-
vantage to use a microphone that does not have
an extended high-frequency response, because
that could make leakage from the rest of the
stage more pronounced.
The most basic technique employs a single
directional microphone placed close-up on one
speaker. Microphone placement is critical for live
sound, because pulling the mic back to a point
where it captures a blend of all of the speakers
in the cabinet would result in a din of unwanted
sound bleeding into the guitar mic from the
rest of the stage (also a reason to avoid omni-
directional mics in this application). In situations
where the cabinet has two or four speakers, its
worth trying the mic on each speaker to deter-
mine which one sounds best and, trust me,
they wont all sound the same.
Get Yer Free EQ AJC
The center of the cone (the dustcap) usu-
ally produces the brightest sound. As you move
the mic away from the center and toward the
outside edge of the cone, the sound will mellow
out. Ditto for pointing the mic of-axis. Any po-
sition will be brightest when the mic is pointing
straight at the speaker, so you can really tame an
aggressive sound by moving the mic to the edge
of the cone and turning it 30 to 45 degrees of-
axis, away from the dust cap.
Most directional microphones exhibit prox-
imity efect, so jamming the mic up against the
speaker grill will deliver a bass boost that could
make the amp sound muddy. Some micro-
phones produce more exaggerated proximity
efect, so experimentation with placement is in
order. If you really need to get the mic close and
fnd that the sound is getting bloated, use that
high-pass flter we discussed in Novembers T&P!
(FRONT of HOUSE, Nov. 2011, page 41).
Likely candidates for miking a guitar amp
include the Shure SM57, Audix i5 and D3,
Sennheiser MD421, MD609 (and MD409, if you
can get one without taking a second mortgage).
Not-so-likely candidates include the AKG D112
(yeah, its a kick drum mic, but it sounds excel-
lent on guitar), Electro-Voice RE20 and RE320.
For Bucks rig in Blue yster Cult (Buck uses
Steinberger guitars, an Engl 530 preamp, Crate
and Marshall amplifcation), my favorites are
the SM57 and Audix D3 (which, alas, has been
discontinued). For clean electric guitar, a ribbon
mic (Royer R-121, Shure KSM313, Audio-Technica
AT4080 or AT4081) can be a wonderful thing. Be-
fore you freak out over the fact that these mics
are bidirectional, remember that you are plac-
ing the mic close to the cabinet, and the null of
the fgure-8 will be aimed at neighboring sound
sources producing the most leakage. You can in-
crease isolation further by using a bafe in front
of the amp, which also helps control stage vol-
ume.
Multiple Mics AJC
There are at least two philosophies when
it comes to using multiple microphones on a
single guitar amp.
When the guitar rig
is stereo, it makes
sense to mic the left
and right sides us-
ing the same brand
and model of micro-
phone. Route them
to adjacent channels
on the console and
(if you are using a
digital console) pair
them so you can
EQ, compress, and
adjust their faders
concurrently. I typi-
cally pan the mics
hard left and right,
but in situations
where I feel like the
guitar is not present
enough, Ill tighten
up the pan controls,
helping push them
forward in the mix.
Another reason for us-
ing multiple microphones
on the same cabinet is to get
the sonic variety provided by
diferent microphones. Some
engineers combine the mics,
balancing them as a means of
EQ and using both mics in the
mix at all times for diferent
textures. (You may need an
assistant to move one or both
mics around the amp as you
listen through the PA). Other
engineers will set one mic for
the rhythm sound and use the
other mic (usually the brighter
one) to emphasize the lead
sound, pushing up the lead
mic in the mix when the guitar
player takes a solo. One inter-
esting technique is panning
the brighter, or harder of the
two microphones toward the
lead guitarists side of the stage, helping solidify
imaging in the mix.
Personally, I fnd that the phase issues and
comb fltering created by multi-miking are more
trouble than they are worth, but your mileage
may vary. In cases where a guitar player switches
between distinct sounds (e.g., clean and distort-
ed) you could use a specifc mic for each sound,
switching the channels on and of depending
upon what the guitarist is playing.
In addition to the high-pass flter mentioned
earlier, low-pass flters can help minimize some
of the efects of leakage or take the edge of a
harsh sound. Ditto for EQ: judicious cuts in the 3
to 4 kHz range help smooth out the tone, while
cuts in the 200 to 300 Hz region make room for
the snare drum and reduce clutter in situations
where a band has multiple guitarists.
Effects AJC
Guitar players are very picky about their ef-
fects (rightfully so), and many prefer to handle
their own. On occasion, Ill add a bit of echo to
a solo: 250 to 300 mS, no more than two re-
peats, with fairly heavy high-pass and low-pass
fltering, so that the delay does not step on the
main sound. I usually leave reverb to the player,
but sometimes, when a band is performing out-
doors, a touch of reverb helps make the guitar
sound more natural and adds depth. I like a few
dB of compression on the guitar channels with
a low ratio (2.5:1 or 3:1), medium attack (30 to
50mS) and release (70 to 100 mS). Set the thresh-
old so that the compressor digs in 3 or 4 dB when
the guitar player gets loud. Over-compressing
the guitar will rob the performers dynamics and
may cause the sound to become dull. Some en-
gineers assign all of the guitar channels to a VCA
group (analog console) or a DCA group (digital
console) to facilitate mixing a lot of guitar chan-
nels. If you fnd that the overall balance of guitars
is high relative to the rest of the band, one group
fader movement can pull many guitar channels
down without destroying the balance between
multiple mics on a rig or disturbing the balance
between the various players.
The ideas mentioned are battlefeld-tested,
but should serve only as a starting point. As
with most things audio, there are no rules a
small investment in time can yield great sonic
discoveries. Ive even heard of engineers plac-
ing boundary mics inside the rear of open-back
amps. Heres wishing you good audio and suc-
cess in 2012!
Steve Woody La Cerra is the tour man-
ager and Front of House engineer for Blue
yster Cult. He can be reached at woody@
fohonline.com.
By SteveLaCerra
vvv.IRKRQOLQH.cc
=C
A Quick Word About Stage Volume
When dealing with loud guitars in small rooms, there
are a couple of things you can do to manage the SPL. One
thing that I have had success with is turning the speaker
cabinet backward so that it faces upstage. It looks a little
weird, because the audience might be looking at the rear
of the cabinet, but keeps the cab from blowing into the
audience. Another approach is placing the cabinet of
stage. Over the past several months with Blue yster Cult
we have moved Don Buck Dharma Roesers guitar cab
ofstage. We set the backline as normal with Dons 4x12
facing the audience during soundcheck. He used this cabi-
net to set his rig and dial in his sound. Once Don is happy
with his settings, we disconnect this cabinet and connect a
remote cabinet. On large stages, we simply place the cabi-
net way upstage, but in small rooms, we have been able to
fnd a closet or some small room backstage for the cabinet.
Since 90 percent of the dates we do are fy-ins, we dont
have the luxury of traveling with full production. But an-
other alternative would be to place the cabinet inside an
isolation box, or to travel with one of the many available
iso cabinets.
Buck Dharma with dual mics and amp
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Networking
The Biz
I
ts January, the quiet season for tour-
ing unless your work for the rest of
the year isnt firmed up yet. If thats the
case, this needs to be the busiest part of
the year.
While tour budgets have been con-
strained in recent years mainly due to
the recession and Pollstars Gary Bon-
giovanni tells me he did perceive a reduc-
tion in overall volume this year, in part
because everyone is more cautious with
bookings after last years problems its
also likely that the overall amount of tour-
ing has increased. I say likely, because
theres no metric for the hundreds of low-
level tours that look more like the Stiff Re-
cords roadtrips of the late 1970s than the
multi-bus extravaganzas of the 1990s. But
the larger industry shift to the indepen-
dent-artist business model and that can
scale all the way up to a DMB level these
days means that more artists are hitting
the growing number of venues that are
coming on line. And most will need sound
crews.
More Competition AJC
But theres also more competition out
there. The technology schools, led by sev-
eral of the largest institutions like Full Sail,
have been investing heavily in both the in-
frastructure and the marketing of their live
sound education programs, and the shift
of the music industry revenue stream from
records to concerts has stimulated interest
and enrollment in them. Thus, marketing
yourself has become a key career strategy,
and there are any number of ways to do
just that.
There are a few dedicated job sites for
the live sound community, such as Crews-
pace.com, as well as forums and user
groups, such as alt.audio.pro.live-sound
and Gearslutz. However, the nature of the
work simply places much higher emphasis
on personal interaction, something that
the nature of the work ironically also limits
if you spend half your life on the road
with a select group of people, its hard to
get exposure to others. Social networking
sites offer some limited help, particularly
LinkedIn.com, which allows users to post
recommendations on their home page.
Other mixers have kept blogs going (Dave
Rat is the champ), which leave an online
diary of technical and other types of in-
sights that illustrates a higher level of en-
gagement and can form a useful resum
2.0 for the future.
Let Them Know AJC
Parnelli award winner Brad Madix (FOH
Mixer of the Year, 2011), just off the last
Rush tour and, before that, the FOH mixer
for Shakira and Janes Addiction, says hes
found consistent success in a decidedly
traditional method. I think that its impor-
tant to let people know that you are avail-
able, he says. Just contacting people with
rsums and following up with a phone
call to remind them that youre off the
road and looking for work is important to
do. I think the folks who staff shows and
tours often assume youre busy if you dont
tell them youre not.
Madix adds that he was emailing
from Honolulu where he was doing two
weeks mixing events for an APEC (Asia-
Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting.
That gig came about, he says, because
three months ago, I was calling around
to remind vendors that the Rush tour had
ended. One sound company told me that
another was looking for an A1 to cover a
couple of the APEC Conferences and, be-
fore I knew it, I had four weeks work.
In the past, Madix adds, hes also picked
up a number of gigs with Rage Against the
Machine because he continually reminded
the groups production manager that he
was available. When they needed some-
one, I was already on [their] mind, says
Madix. As far as sounding needy, Ive got
no problem with that you just need to
remind people who you are, what youve
done, and that youre available. I email
everyone in my contact list, as Id like to
be on the radar even if a tour is already
staffed. Occasionally, an engineer has to
leave a tour, and this can happen quite
suddenly. Id like to be in mind when this
happens.
Rehearsal Facilities AJC
Rehearsal facilities have become the
kinds of hubs for live sound people that
the big multi-room recording facilities
used to be for recording engineers (dont
ask). Unfortunately, there are far fewer of
the former than the latter even today. But
if youre within striking distance of some-
place like Soundchecks facilities in Nash-
ville, L.A. or Austin, Soundcheck president
Ben Jumper says that they are good places
to network.
Im not sure if theres less work out
there, but its definitely harder to find the
work these days, he says, noting that more
interns are coming directly from the ma-
jor audio schools, with entry-level hires
coming aboard as systems techs in the re-
hearsal studios. Woody Allens famous dic-
tum that seventy percent of success is just
showing up gets validation in environ-
ments like this. Jumper cites several for-
mer employees who made the transition
to tour sound mixing. But, he adds, many,
if not most, were willing to make that shift
via other roles first, such as system tech or
staging. I think that [potential employers]
see that extra experience as a plus when it
comes to evaluating someone as a sound
mixer, he says.
The schools are turning out larger
crops of graduates with live sound creden-
tials. But while the technology of touring
is more complex than ever, the way those
grads get hired is old school. Artists find
their FOH mixers the same way they find
bass players word of mouth, says Wes
Bulla, dean of the Curb College of Enter-
tainment and Music Business in Nashville,
where students can opt to include live
sound courses in the B.S. of audio engi-
neering technology. Bulla says the school
also has relationships with tour sound
companies, including Clair Brothers, that
help train and coach students and will take
on interns.
The Clubs AJC
Ralph Mastrangelo, senior director
of touring for Clair, says the burgeoning
club scene (which we discussed here last
month) could turn into an expanded farm
system for mixers. Theyre the new hock-
ey arena, Mastrangelo says, sardonically.
Its always been about being in the right
place at the right time; more clubs give
you more places to be.
The technology of live sound changes,
but the strategies for getting work using
dont seem to have evolved much past
Rolodex and world-of-mouth tactics. That
might be how it has to be in such a per-
sonality-driven business. But in addition to
these time-tested approaches, you might
also want to consider making yourself
available for the occasional mixer panel at
trade shows and events, and also build a
relationship with a manufacturer. Several
of them, like Sennheiser, Yamaha and Har-
man, do their events and programs that
can help raise a mixers profile, too. In any
case, do something to keep your brand out
there.
Network with Dan Daley at ddaley@
fohonline.com.
By DanDaley
Finding that next (or even rst) gig is still a matter of persistence
FOH engineer Brad Madix, on tour with Rush
H
appy New Year to all of you. By the time
you read this I will either have been to
the winter NAMM show or be on my way.
The reason I am mentioning NAMM (other than
the fact that it takes place in January) is that I am
specifcally looking at architectural speakers that
can be installed in a house of worship.
If you are not up to speed on todays column
speakers, I can tell you they are much improved
from those of years ago. Many of you remember
(or have heard of) the Shure Vocal Master. Each
one of the columns incorporated four 8-inch
and two 10-inch speakers. I had a pair of those
column speakers in my frst band. However, by
the time I bought mine, they were very used and
well worn.
Anyway, before I digress further, let me just
state that modern column speakers can work
beautifully in a variety of house of worship set-
tings. Along with wide horizontal coverage and
minimal vertical coverage above and below the
enclosure, they ofer clarity in the vocal range.
And, of course, their narrow profle is ideal for
mounting on the walls or columns of your favor-
ite house of worship.
If your worship house is all about singing and
preaching, you may fnd that some inexpensive
column speakers can fll all of your needs. Should
you have bigger musical demands requiring
more dynamic range and greater bandwidth
(keyboards, acoustic guitar, etc.), you will want to
look for a 2-way design incorporating separate
high frequency transducers.
Personally, I like the addition of a ribbon
driver to my column speakers. A tall thin high
frequency ribbon driver fts into the column
speaker design brilliantly especially when the
alternative is to try to mount a high-frequency
horn into a narrow column box.
I am also a fan of the sound of a good ribbon
driver. The highs always seem a little smoother
and less brittle than a high compression horn.
Another thing to keep in mind while you are
planning your column speaker installation is that
the longer the speaker column, the better your
bass performance will be. A nine-foot column
can provide pattern control down to 125 Hz. Of
course, you can always add a traditional sub-
woofer to supplement a columns low frequency
response.
Another advantage of using column speak-
ers is that you can provide lower volume and po-
tentially higher quality audio for your specifc au-
dience. Lets say you have a long, narrow house
of worship. Using six or eight column speakers
mounted at the appropriate interval, you can
bring the word (or music) right to the intended
listener.
(Of course, you will have to consider place-
ment and audio delay times, but that is a subject
for another day.)
Before you jump into a new set of column
speakers for your worship house, I suggest you
seek out and visit houses of worship that are al-
ready using this type of speaker. Once you have
had the opportunity to listen to some column
speakers, you can gain a better perspective
when it comes to purchasing and installing your
own speakers.
Personally, I have installed only a few column
speakers in houses of worship. However, two
years ago, on a trip to Italy, I saw and listened to
column speakers in almost every major church
I visited (I think they are referred to as basilicas).
The main basilicas in Florence, Pisa and Siena
(to mention a few) all used column speakers to
reinforce their audio. The speakers were either
mounted on the walls of the churches or the
huge marble columns that support the basilica
ceilings. Speakers were mounted from 6 to 7 feet
high at the bottom of the enclosure. In those
enormous, very reverberant spaces, column
speakers are the best way to get audio to the
entire congregation at a low volume. And those
big churches are all about the word, prayers and
the occasional choral song. The reality is that you
just cant put a rockin worship band into a giant
marble basilica.
Whether you are in a big reverberant church
or a small house of worship, column speak-
ers can work together in tandem. A variety of
manufacturers design their columns enclosures
to couple together. In many cases, they actu-
ally bolt together so that two enclosures become
one column. I have seen instance where two
3-foot columns were coupled to create a 6-foot
box. (Remember, a 9-foot box enclosure will give
you bass control down to 125 Hz).
Architectural column speakers are easy on
the eyes and can become almost invisible once
they are installed. The narrow enclosures can
come in a variety of colors or can even be paint-
ed to match your house of worship colors. I feld-
tested a pair of K-array KR200 columns last year
that could not have been more than 3 inches
wide. Wherever I set them up, they literally disap-
peared into their surroundings. Of course, I had
the advantage of some very powerful subs that
came along with the columns, but my point is
that the speaker enclosures just blend in because
of their narrow profle.
Lastly, if you already have a big FOH speaker
system in you worship house, columns can be
used to supplement that sound. In a big room,
columns can be placed further from the stage,
or even in another room, if needed. There are
so many possibilities with column speakers that
you should consider checking them out before
you jump into your next install or addition.
Reach Jamie at jrio@fohonline.com.
Column Speakers
Sound Sanctuary
By JamieRio
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Wrong & Right
FOH-at-Large
T
here is no definitive way of set-
ting up gain structure and mix-
ing a show but, after much time
and years of practice, we all learn the
right way to go about achieving our
desired results. While the art of mix-
ing may not be an exact science, there
are still many precise and defined rules
to which we need to adhere as we mas-
ter our craft and practice our art. The
rules that define right from wrong are
not only imperatives for mixing, but are
also the tenets that extend to every as-
pect of a given production.
Self-Evident Truths AJC
For the most part, these canons are
unwavering and do not leave much
room for speculation. It is wrong if one
should need a minimum of 60 amps to
run their show and a venue can only
provide 20 amps of power. Its not right
if, when tying into an electric panel,
one should cross their ground and neu-
tral cables. It is wrong to expect input
signal to go to the speakers unless said
signal is assigned to an output chan-
nel that is sending to the speakers. Its
wrong to turn the channel input gain
up all the way while at the same time
boosting 2.5k and then trying to get
the channel fader to unity. It is wrong
to think that a 48-channel show can be
properly mixed on an 8-channel board.
What is right is mixing 10 stereo
ears on a console with 24 outputs. It is
wrong to think that this same feat can
be accomplished on a board with only
six outputs. It is wrong to mismatch
amplifier and speaker impedance, and
it is wrong to send square waves to the
speakers. Spilling beer into your con-
sole is wrong, and wrapping the micro-
phone cables between your elbow and
hand is also wrong. Loading in and set-
ting up the stage and lights before fly-
ing the audio rig is right. Bringing two
self-powered speakers on stands for a
full band in a shed is wrong, as is bring-
ing 16 over eight per side for a solo gui-
tarist in a living room. Attempting to fly
a 3,000-pound load with a half-ton mo-
tor is wrong. Flying the same load with
two one-ton motors is right. Using gaff
tape and tie line instead of span sets
and shackles is wrong.
All of the above are easy examples of
right and wrong. This is this, and noth-
ing more than basic physics. If a piece
of equipment runs on electrical energy
and there is no electricity, then that spe-
cific piece of gear will not function. Oil
wont work, coal wont help and neither
will a good whipping with a stick. There
are no gray areas involved with the op-
eration of this piece of equipment, and
it is what it is: electricity is right and ev-
erything else is wrong. Its great when
you learn the rules, since you then know
where you are at all times. There are no
gray areas to confuse the matter; some-
thing is either right or it is wrong, and
if its right, it works, if its wrong all hell
breaks loose. These rights and wrongs
are concise and exacting as gravity and
are not open to discussion or debate.
There are no gray areas to complicate
matters and no soul searching required;
something is or it is not, period.
Getting Our Bearings AJC
I cite these examples of right and
wrong because it seems that, on a daily
basis, we are bombarded by the moral
turpitude of bankers, politicians, celeb-
rities, athletes and scammers from all
walks of life. It appears that we have
collectively lost our moral compass or,
better yet, there is some interference
and our moral compass cannot find true
North. Oh wait, this is the other right and
wrong, this is the right and wrong that
can be very messy and confusing with
a profusion of debatable gray area. This
is the right and wrong that requires us,
as humans, to actually make a choice
between the two. This is the right and
wrong of ethics and morals.
Its easy to look at situations from a
distance, judging them and wondering
what the people involved were think-
ing at the time of their ethical and moral
failing, but it seems that the pattern be-
hind these failures is simply explained.
These people were thinking about noth-
ing but themselves, and not the greater
good. From Wall Street to the hallowed
halls of our government, from religious
institutions to esteemed colleges, it ap-
pears that the moral and ethical fiber of
our society is disintegrating. Of course,
this is nothing new neither in the
history of mankind nor in the narration
of our society. We can cite examples of
immoral and unethical behavior from
every culture, but while its easy to be
an armchair moralist as we watch the
evening news we need to be aware of
our own challenges in our daily lives.
Decisions, Decisions AJC
If a client should hire an audio com-
pany for the cost of $5,000 and unwit-
tingly overpay by $30, should the $30 be
refunded, or just absorbed into the cost
unless the client should notice? On the
outset, the question seems pretty cut
and dry, and the ethical thing to do is
refund the money. But what if the sound
company has a payment due for the loan
they took to finance the system, and this
just happens to be the first gig after a
long dry spell? What if the overpayment
to the audio company is $1,000? Does
that change the moral and ethical re-
sponsibility of the audio company?
What if your audio company is one
of three bidders on a big job and, just
before submitting the bid, you find out
that the other two companies have sub-
mitted similar bids? Do you lower your
bid substantially just to get the job? Can
you justify doing so by saying It is just
business? Meanwhile, you get the job
and find out that it will be an extremely
long and difficult event, but because
youve underbid on it, you dont really
want to pay too much money for labor.
Therefore, do you tell the hands youve
hired the kind of difficulty they will be
facing, or, fearing that they might re-
fuse the gig for the money offered, do
you send them on the show without let-
ting them know what they might be up
against?
What Will YOU Do? AJC
At this point, Im not quite sure that
I have proven anything other than phys-
ics is easier to master than ethics, but in
light of all the unethical behavior that
has been in the news of late and the fact
that we are now in the much ballyhooed
year 2012, it may be time to try honing
our ethical and moral abilities as well as
mastering our audio skills. Not that any
of us are unethical, Im just saying.
The correct way to reach Baker Lee is by
sending email to blee@fohonline.com.
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By BakerLee
Pron Vll Gtreet to tHe Hlloweu Hll
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tutior to eteeneu college, it pper
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