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Transcription

Harman Int'l To Be Sold
Pro Audio’s Biggest Buyout Pegged at $8 Billion
By Dan Daley
ThE NEws MagazinE For LivE Sound
MAY 2007 Vol. 5 No. 8
Open Mouth, Ignite Lips
Just because the Flaming Lips are currently touring with a UFO onstage, and they’ve been told
to stop using so much confetti because it was interfering with the P.A. and monitors, and the lead
singer decided to hand out laser pointers to the entire audience for a light show, don’t think that
they don’t care about the audio. They have specific ideas about how they want the show to sound,
and they include using a second P.A. system to highlight certain parts of the mix, broadcasting a
headphone mix to the crowd and mixing a performance via automobile. And, oh yeah,“They used
to want to be extremely loud. Now they just want to be really loud,” says FOH engineer Chris Chandler. In this month’s FOH Interview we talk to Chandler and get the low-down on what must be one
of the most interesting FOH gigs out there. For the full story check out page 26.
Hopping Over Wireless Problems?
Clear-Com Launches “Tempest”, A License-Free Wireless Intercom, at NAB
MERYVILLE, CA — While it won’t solve every problem regarding the current struggle over wireless audio gear and its “white space” bandwidth use, there’s been an interesting development on
this issue from an unexpected direction. Intercom manufacturer Clear-Com is releasing a frequency-hopping, spread-spectrum wireless intercom unit that will operate in the 2.4 GHz and 900 MHz
bands — bands that don’t require licenses and are already in commercial use with cordless phones,
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Developed by a company named Tempest, the Tempest is intended to serve as a solution for
continued on page 6
the dilemma wireless communication system users will face when the DTV
Harman International Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HAR), parent company to the Harman
Professional Group whose brands include JBL, Lexicon, BSS, AKG, dbx, Soundcraft and
Crown, announced April 26 that it has entered into an agreement to be acquired by
affiliates of Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P. (KKR) and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners (GSCP) in a transaction valued at approximately $8 billion. The transaction was
unanimously approved by the Harman board of directors.
The buyers are proposing to pay $120 per share in cash, or a 17 percent markup
over the previous day’s closing value.
However, the company’s shares jumped
19.5 percent on the news, to $122.60 —
Everyone’s Gotta
over two dollars more than the KKR offer
Start Somewhere
— suggesting that other LBO partners
may make higher bids on the company.
Under the terms of the agreement, Harman has until June 15 to solicit competing bids. Harman shareholders will have
the opportunity to buy up to 27 percent
of the equity in the new privately held
company. At the offer price, the five percent stake owned by company founder
Sidney Harman, who it was announced
would remain as chairman, would be
Jars of Clay
worth approximately $400 million.
Harman reported third-quarter net
We all want to succeed — but who
income of $71 million, or $1.07 per share,
wants to work? Last week we had a
compared with $64 million, or 94 cents
squint call the office looking for a road
per share, last year. Sales rose to $882.8
gig. He had no experience at all, but he
million from $801.5 million, with revehad to go out on the road immediately
nues meeting financial analysts expecta— IMMEDIATELY. He had just turned
tions and earnings-per-share exceeding
down a job with a huge national touring
them at $1.09.
continued on page 5
company because it would have meant
working in a warehouse for three weeks
before he hit the road. Never mind the
Heydekampf Leaves
fact that he probably would have been
Bosch/Telex
packing and prepping for his own tour,
BURNSVILLE, MN — Telex Pro Authree weeks of sweat was too much to
dio Group President Matthias von Heyask. He wanted the big time NOW. It’s a
dekampf has resigned from Telex’s new
hard line to walk, balancing paying your
parent company, Bosch. In a coversation
dues with your desire to make it big,
with FOH on Friday, April 20 Heydekampf
but hopefully you can manage it better
cited personal reasons for leaving, and
than some deluded lampy. This month
said he was still very pleased with the
we talk to a few young guns who have
direction Bosch was taking Telex, now
managed it better and let you know
Bosch Communications Systems.
how they did it so you can, too.
“I’m just not the type for matrix organizations, so I had to draw the conclusions,
and take the consequences,” Heydekampf
said. The term “matrix organization” referes to a philosophy of management 18 Regional Slants
Mike Goodreau deals himself an Ace.
that seeks to combine the advantages of
a purely functional structure with a structure more suited towards products and
Product Gallery
project oriented businesses.
22 VCA Analog Mixers to help you hit
Heydekampf, who helmed Telex for
the road.
the past five years, still stands by the
Bosch acquisition.“I would do the deal in
a minute again, because I think it’s best
and Practice
30 Theory
for the brands and
An FAQ on EQ.
continued on page 8
Ad info: http//www.fohhotims.com
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Ad info: http://foh.hotims.com/
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www.fohonline.com
C O N T E N TS
What’s Hot
Installations
Feature
Features
16 Production Profile
It’s one last blast of winter as we take you to
the Frozen North for tales of audio derringdo.
18 Regional Slants
14
The Grand Bohemian in Orlando jazzes
up its system.
31 On the Bleeding Edge
20 Young Guns
33 The Biz
Quick on the draw and quick on the call,
the big guns of tomorrow are the young
guns of today.
24 & 29 Road Tests
Chris Chandler keeps up with the wild
show that is the Flaming Lips.
28 Vital Stats
Take a ride with Reidel Communications.
Columns
29 Sound Sanctuary
“Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” just won’t quite
cut it on the Christian circuit for some
reason…
30 Theory and Practice
With EQ strips, what you need might
trump what you want.
22
Does that line insert really bypass the mic
pre-amp? Are you sure?
You charge what you charge for a reason,
so fend off the suckers and stick to it.
Lab.gruppen, Fender and dbx take the
FOH hot seat, but were they cooks in the
kitchen or frogs set to boil?
Product Gallery
30 Tips & Tricks
Mike Goodreau deals a hot hand of audio.
26 FOH Interview
What’s Hot
MAY 2007, Vol. 5.8
Two industry deals get worked out, but
maybe not in the way planned…
34 The Anklebiters
It might be heavy, and it might be bulky,
but your gear is delicate, too.
36 FOH-At-Large
How do you get big if it’s your job to be
transparent?
Departments
4 Editor’s Note
5 News
9 International News
10 Feedback
10 On the Move
11 New Gear
12 Showtime
32 Welcome to my Nightmare
32 In the Trenches
Ad info:http:// foh.hotims.com
Analog lives on, and we got the gear here
to prove it.
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Editor’s Note
Get Naked
By BillEvans
It’s a much scarier thought for me than it is for Jenna Fischer
I
was reading the most current issue of Wired
the other day and was struck by something
they called “radical transparency” — the
notion of being totally open and honest with
your customers as a way of inspiring loyalty.
(It is very much an extension of the kind of
bottom-up hierarchy that I discovered in the
books Out of Control and The Cluetrain Manifesto, both of which I wrote about a good two
years ago.)
As an example of the idea, they used a
guy who started an online real estate business
called Redfin whose model was to cut costs by
operating largely virtually and passing those
savings on to customers in the form of refunds
of large portions of the commissions generally
paid to real estate agents. Said agents, to be
kind, were less than pleased. They started boycotting the new company by refusing to sell to
a buyer who was using them, which put a big
crimp in the new company’s plans.
EN
Existential Angst, Corporate Style
But the CEO took a huge leap of faith, and
instead of trying to cut a backroom deal or hide
his company’s problems (and they were close
to going under), he started blogging about the
business and revealing all of the things most
real estate agents would prefer to keep quiet.
He even took shots at himself when he sat at
a jobfair all day and had not a single student
even stop at his booth. What resulted was not
as simple as a “Voila! Everything is better now”
deal, but things did begin to improve. By the
beginning of this year, Redfin had gone from
struggling to close any deals to closing several
deals a day for clients who came to them because of this “radical transparency.”
It is a trend that is starting to get legs, and
an increasing number of large companies
have gone from issuing press releases that
have been approved by five levels of management to allowing — and even encouraging
— its employees to post uncensored text and
even video discussing projects they are working on and all kinds of other things. Southwest
Airlines has an online “water cooler” where 30
employees from up and down the org chart
post regularly about their jobs and their personal lives.
Shedding Light on Audio
EN
These are all good ideas, especially since
— let’s face it — if there’s an industry that
needs some transparency, pro audio is it.
As many of you have already seen, we
have recently done a full-on revamping of
the www.fohonline.com Web site, including
a few regular blogs that readers can comment on. We also need to recruit you for
a couple things we’re starting — our own
versions of some great stuff I have seen others doing online. (I may not be very original,
but I know a good idea when I see it. Other
pro audio mags have borrowed stuff from
us, and I hope they will continue to if they
find something worthwhile that they can
put their own spin on. I figure that makes it
OK for me to do likewise.)
The first is our own version of that online
water cooler called “In the Back of the Bus.” I
am looking to recruit a dozen or so live audio pros as volunteers (as in you don’t get
paid) to post once a week about the business and whatever else is on their minds.
This is open to anyone working in the biz
— from a lowly stagehand to a soundco
owner to an engineer or exec working for a
manufacturer. The only people not eligible
are PR types (both internal and freelance)
working in any capacity in the pro audio
business.
The catch is that you can’t use this area
to shamelessly plug your own products or
services. This is a place for FOH readers to
hang out and dish about the biz and life in
general. (By the way, if you do go down the
self-promotion road, we will kill the post. Do
it twice and we’ll ask you not to return, either
to post or to comment. And if we find anyone
using a ringer — a PR type operating under
another name — we will not only drop them,
but we will out the company that pulled the
stunt. Just full disclosure.)
Somewhere, a place for us. . . EN
On the other hand, we are creating a space
where we want contributions from the industry. In fact, we need the industry’s support. It’s
an idea I am flat out stealing from someone
who I admire a lot. I have been reading Craig
Anderton’s stuff since I was a teenager and was
fortunate enough to get to know him a little at
another company. In fact, FOH columnist Mark
Amundson was introduced to me by Craig.
I recently discovered something Craig
is doing on Harmony Central called “Pro Reviews,” which are basically product reviews
done as a kind of forum. Craig takes a piece
of gear and starts to write about it a little at a
time as he uses it and learns more about it. As
he does so, readers pop in with questions and
comments. That’s where we need you, and
here’s where the industry comes in: In these
reviews, manufacturers even chime in with explanations and clarifications on features and
operation. It is — hands down — the most
useful format I have ever seen for product reviews. And we are taking the concept to the
live event audio world. This one is going to
take some time to get off the ground, so it may
not be up and going by the time you read this,
but we are working on it and will have it soon.
Let’s be very clear here (oh, that was a bad
pun), the whole idea of secrecy these days is
kind of a joke. A few months back FOH broke
some news that one company had wished
we had not found out. But we got internal
memos forwarded to us within 15 minutes of
them being issued.
This is a huge shift not just in business, but
in the overall culture of things. These additions
are just an extension of the FOH commitment
to really telling our readers what is happening
in the business. While disrobed sound guys
may not be the most attractive idea around,
the idea of an unclothed business environment and transparent communication is very
attractive. It’s time to get naked.
Better transparency through
bevans@fohonline.com.
Publisher
Terry Lowe
tlowe@fohonline.com
Editor
Bill Evans
bevans@fohonline.com
Managing Editor
Jacob Coakley
jcoakley@fohonline.com
Associate Editor
David McGinnis
dmcginnis@fohonline.com
Technical Editor
Mark Amundson
mamundson@fohonline.com
Contributing Writers
Jerry Cobb, Brian Cassell,
Dan Daley, Jamie Rio,
Steve LaCerra, Nort Johnson,
David John Farinella,
Ted Leamy, Baker Lee,
Bryan Reesman, Tony Mah
Photographer
Steve Jennings
Art Director
Garret Petrov
gpetrov@fohonline.com
Production Manager
Linda Evans
levans@fohonline.com
Graphic Designer
Crystal Franklin
cfranklin@fohonline.com
David Alan
dalan@fohonline.com
Web Master
Josh Harris
jharris@fohonline.com
National Sales Manager
Peggy Blaze
pblaze@fohonline.com
National Advertising Director
Gregory Gallardo
gregg@fohonline.com
General Manager
William Hamilton Vanyo
wvanyo@fohonline.com
Executive Administrative
Assistant
Mindy LeFort
mlefort@fohonline.com
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Front Of House (ISSN 1549-831X) Volume 5 Number
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4
MAY 2007
www.fohonline.com
News
H a r m a n I n t e r n a t i o n a l To B e S o l d
continued from cover
Harman, based in Northridge, CA, is a huge
player in the pro audio industry, particularly
in touring sound, installed systems, broadcast
and music recording. However, approximately
two-thirds of Harman’s revenues are from sales
of GPS, stereo and entertainment systems to
upscale automakers including BMW, DaimlerChrysler and Porsche. DaimlerChrysler alone
accounts for 25 percent of sales.
New York-based KKR specializes in leveraged buyouts (LBOs). A common outcome for
LBOs is a restructuring of the acquired company via a sell-off of underperforming divisions
and other cost-cutting measures, to create a
leaner core entity that can then be resold at a
profit.
That’s likely to occur in Harman’s case;
what’s less certain is how it will take place.
Harman’s automotive group remains the star
performer, suggesting it will be the cherry at
the center of any subsequent deal. But the
automotive group has its own problems: revenues from Harman’s consumer electronics
group are often mixed in with those of automotive, and market researcher firm iSupply
released a finding in April predicting that the
consumer electronics sector will experience a
“significant slowdown” over the next five years,
with growth slowing from 8.9 percent top
3.6 percent. That will affect most electronics
manufacturers, including Harman. Secondly,
automobile sales have hit a brick wall in recent
months, with certain high-end brands including Mercedes feeling the pinch. It’s a trend that
hits at Harman’s bread and butter.
On the other hand, the Harman Pro Group’s
earnings show consistent, if not stellar, growth
in an industry sector that is poised to expand
as high-definition audio becomes a bigger
attraction for broadcast and entertainment
products. Touring continues to increase, creating additional demand for live sound technology; the so-called CEDIA channel of installed
AV is also showing steady growth.
In other words, KKR may not know one end
of a microphone from another, but at some
point they will likely realize they have a small
gem in this package.
“The Harman Pro Group has a great set of
brands in an industry that’s going to need professional technology to make HD sound,” said
Paul Gallo, president of the Professional Audio
Manufacturers Association, of which Harman is
a member. Gallo discounts the potential for an
LBO for the pro group and says that as KKR becomes more aware of the growth possibilities
in areas including live sound and house-ofworship markets, the more they’ll be inclined
to keep the entity together.
Not everyone agrees. One former Harman
executive speaking on background pointed
out that KKR historically hangs on to very little
of its acquisition portfolio and that as good as
the pro group’s numbers are — they accounted for a little over $517 million in revenues last
year, which is 16 percent of overall revenues,
according to the company’s 10-K filing on
the SEC website — they are still niche-market
small change compared to the billions that
even a slowing consumer automotive/electronics market accounts for.
What Harman can expect under new ownership is more of what the parent company
had already been imposing, probably with the
intent of making the pro group attractive as
part of the larger package: elimination of more
v.p. positions, and more centralization of operations — for example, Harman relocated its
AKG operations from Nashville to Northridge
last year, cutting the jobs based there. The
moves have made Harman Pro Group leaner
but at the same time somewhat less nimble
in terms customer service, the source pointed
out, crucial in an industry still based largely on
personal relationships.
Harman Pro Group can expect some reconfiguration, including the possibility of consolidation of brands, another source close to the
company said. But the consensus is that end
users will likely see little impact. “The products
are there, the supply channels are still largely
there,” the source said.
Not many people know that RCA is owned
by the French. In the end, as long as the quality
of products remains high, end users likely have
little concern precisely who owns what.
Adamson Modifies
Sales and Support
in Europe
TORONTO — Adamson Systems
Engineering has announced a new
and improved European support and
sales structure. As of April 1, Adamson
implemented factory direct sales to dealers
and distributors throughout Europe.
Previously, France based DV2 managed
all EU territories, but will now maintain
distribution duties for France and Belgium
exclusively. DV2 will continue as a key partner
to the overall support throughout Europe.
Countries with established distribution
are France & Belgium (DV2), Spain
(Lambda/2), Italy (Reference Laboratory), The
Netherlands (Sound & Light Import), Czech
Republic (Mediatech Spol.sr.o.), Greece &
Cyprus (Enttech S.A.) and Russia (I.S.P.A.).
Adamson has retained Andy Weingärtner
in the chair of European sales manager, to
provide sales support for both existing and
new customers. All sales will be processed
through the Adamson headquarters in
Canada. Adam MacGillivray will act as the
European liaison for all factory direct sales,
distributor sales and new customer inquiries.
Adamson added Jochen Sommer as a key
technical support contact for Europe. DV2’s
Didier Dal Fitto will continue his role as a
senior support manager.
www.fohonline.com
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2007 MAY
4/26/07 11:55:56 PM
News
L-ACOUSTICS Revisits Tinseltown
LOS ANGELES — Three seasons ago the
Hollywood Bowl underwent both a complete
rebuild of its band shell and installation of a full
L-ACOUSTICS amplifier and loudspeaker system. This season the audio crew went back and
refined the install, thanks to new data they got
from Soundvision, L-ACOUSTICS 3D acoustical
modeling software.
According to Fred Vogler, sound designer for
the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which has called
the Hollywood Bowl its summer home since
1922, “Paul Freudenberg, L-ACOUSTICS vice
president of sales and marketing, and I walked
around and literally mapped the entire seating
arrangement to the square foot last year, which
gave us a more accurate depiction of the physical space in SOUNDVISION and enabled us to
tailor the system’s coverage.”
As a result, Vogler and Freudenberg altered
the box count on the main left and right P.A.
hangs to feature a decreased number of V-DOSC
enclosures on the upper section of the array and
an increased number of V-DOSC, yet decreased
number of dV-DOSC, on the lower section. The
new arrays now consist of eight V-DOSC at the
top, eight SB218 subs in the middle and another
10 V-DOSC with a four dV-DOSC downfill tail
below. The revised box count also came with an
increase in LA48a amplifiers supplied by North
Hollywood-based US Audio & Lighting, which
also assisted with the installation.
“The guest mix position here at the Bowl
is located 95 feet from the stage, as opposed
to our fixed FOH position, which is 220 feet
back,” says Vogler. “With so many tours coming through, the idea behind changing the
box counts was to deliver a little more impact
to the lower seating area via the larger V-DOSC
boxes, as opposed to the smaller dV-DOSC. We
also aimed the crossover point between the
upper and lower arrays farther back behind the
mix position. It evened out the coverage a little
more and gave us a more accurate depiction of
what the engineers and audience were hearing
down closer to the stage.”
Based on the Soundvision model, the LACOUSTICS and Bowl crew also opted to slightly tighten up the array angles and lower both
of the hangs by approximately five feet. “By
dropping the arrays, we are better able to blend
EAW Hits the Books, and the Road
WHITINSVILLE, MA — EAW has launched
the B4 Roadshow, an education initiative encompassing both general audio training as
well as focus on new EAW technologies and
products. The B4 Roadshow kicks off with several dates in Europe in late April/early May, and
will move to America at a later date. No American dates had been announced at press time.
(The latest itinerary can be viewed at www.
eaw.com/support/b4/.)
The B4 Roadshow is based on EAW’s B3
(“Brains, Boxes & Beyond”) education sessions
presented to hundreds of audio professionals
in 2006. It will be conducted by EAW’s training
and educational staff that offers decades of
collective real-world pro audio experience.
Each two- and three-day B4 event features
a full day of Smaart School, focusing on the fundamentals of EAW Smaart and the new Smaart
v.6 measurement and analysis software. Taught
by EAW Smaart experts Jamie Anderson and
Martyn “Ferrit” Rowe, the class will also include
tips and techniques for large-scale system
alignment and response optimization.
This is followed by a day of “System Bootcamp” — led by EAW Training Manager Bernie
Broderick — where attendees are provided
with diverse live and installed audio coursework as well as a step-by-step overview of
configuring, rigging, powering, processing
and tuning a full-scale sound reinforcement
system. Training is also being provided on new
EAW products such as the UX8800 digital processor providing Gunness focusing for an evergrowing list of current EAW loudspeakers.
Attendees will also be introduced to other
new EAW developments including the UMX.96
digital live console, SB1002 flyable subwoofers,
EAW Commercial CAM Series mixer/amplifiers
and CXA Series power amplifiers, and more.
It ends with a demonstration of EAW’s latest technologies and products in action, presented in a “Tradeshow” format. In addition,
members of the EAW Application Support
Group (ASG), sales team and product development group will be on hand to discuss products and answer questions.
Pre-registration at www.eaw.com is required for the Smaart School course, at a
cost of $300 (USD) that includes breakfast,
lunch and all course-related materials. There
is no cost for System Bootcamp and the
Tradeshow, which are open to all interested
audio professionals.
the acoustic and electro-acoustic energies,”
Vogler notes. “My experience over at the Walt
Disney Concert Hall, where I also spend much
of my time, has been that the more sound you
can reproduce or amplify to the acoustic ensemble, the better — within reason, of course.
If you want to properly blend the two, you have
to fly the loudspeakers lower and closer to the
ensemble. It can present some opportunity for
feedback, but you definitely have a more realistic mixture if you can find that ideal proximity.
“So the idea was that when people are listening to the L.A. Philharmonic, they don’t know
how much is being amplified and how much is
simply acoustic off the stage. This past summer
was the most consistent and loudest season
we’ve ever had — even the Philharmonic was
up anywhere from six to 10 decibels from our
prior summer. But that noticeable increase in
level really engaged the audience. Even the purists were caught up in it — the same people that
usually sit there and complain about orchestra
amplification. We miked everything tighter and
had much greater levels than ever before, and it
really proved to be quite successful.”
Other
s y s t e m
revisions
included removing the
three 112XT
loudspeakers
that
were originally flown
off the catwalk and 17enclosure
dV-DOSC
center array A tech adjusts the L-ACOUSTICS array
hung from at the Hollywood Bowl.
the peak of the proscenium, replacing them
with a mini center array of nine dV-DOSC flown
from the leading arc of the “halo” over the stage.
“The lower center hang of dV-DOSC nicely gives
us the ability to fill to soloists and ‘smear’ some
of the strings and other elements that I want to
blend across the proscenium so people get the
sense that they’re not just hearing sound from
one side,” Vogler notes.
Getting Rich and Famous in Vegas
John Meanor in monitor world
LAS VEGAS — When it gets done it Vegas it tends to get done big — some might say bigger
than need be, but we will leave that for others to argue. The Green Valley Ranch Resort, a highend off-Strip property that caters to upper-class locals is opening a new club called Ovation this
month. The 500 capacity room includes a 20-box L-ACOUSTICS KUDO system with five custommade JBL dual-18 subs, plus 14 L-ACOUSTICS wedges and two subs onstage, plus — are you
sitting down? — TWO Midas XL8 digital consoles feeding a veritable farm of Crown iTech amps.
We’re talking headroom in every sense of the word here. The room was previewed recently with
the introduction of the house band Rich and Famous. Official opening is May 18 with Big Bad
Voodoo Daddy. Install was handled by AVDV out of Phoenix who also recently put in the only
other XL8 installed in the U.S. in a house of worship in California. A full story is in the works.
Hopping Over Wireless Problems
transition is completed in early 2009. Those used
to operating wireless equipment in the 500 to
600MHz portion of the UHF band will find that
spectrum crowded with UHF DTV transmissions.
The 700MHz band will not offer relief because
those frequencies are scheduled for auction to
new users later in 2009. (And for a full rundown
on all the problems this is expected to cause
with wireless audio gear — and what you can
do about it — check out: www.fohonline.com/
whitespace)
Since Tempest operates in the unlicensed
2.4 GHz and 900 MHz bands it is unaffected by
the reallocation of the UHF-TV spectrum. Its 2xTX
Transmission Voice Data Redundancy sends each
packet of audio data twice on different frequencies and through different antennas. “Spreadspectrum” and “Frequency-hopping” means that
the audio signal is separated into discrete chunks
(each often no longer than 5 milliseconds, which
200.0705.05-10.indd 6
MAY 2007
hey, is already necessary in the digital domain),
and each chunk is sent over different frequencies. This allows the audio signal to take up less
bandwidth and exist with other signals without
interference in the same frequency spectrum.
Tempest can interoperate with other ClearCom intercom systems, as well as those from
other manufacturers through four-wire and twowire connections. Each base-station can operate
up to five wireless belt-stations.A Shared-Slot feature allows one of the five belt-stations slots to be
used for up to 25 half-duplex, single transmit beltstations. The new system has a PC based control
panel, with set-up and programming transferred
to belt-stations via Ethernet or a USB connection.
We don’t normally put new gear on the front
cover, but this touches a larger issue that we’re all
going to be dealing with, and might just herald a
new way of audio wireless. And we certainly felt
that was worth the front cover.
www.fohonline.com
4/27/07 1:48:53 PM
200.0705.Ads.indd 7
4/26/07 9:53:25 PM
News
Sales Soar, So Does Award
MCKEES ROCKS, PA — David Ray (left)
of McFadden Sales, Inc. presented Steve
Raslevich of Northern Sound & Light with a
wooden statue in the form of an eagle, from
manufacturer’s rep firm McFadden Sales,
Inc. The McFadden Sales award is carved
from one block of wood with a chainsaw.
Ray contacted Charles Coatney, a local artist, who created the design. The award recognizes increased sales in the product lines
carried by McFadden Sales, which includes
Aviom, Shure and Crest. As for choosing a
wooden statue over a standard plaque, Ray
explained: “Plaques are so run-of-the-mill.
Our award is a gesture that goes beyond a
generic piece of plastic; it shows how much
NSL’s efforts are appreciated. NSL’s large in-
creases in sales figures over the past several
years are impressive.”
H e y d e k a m p f L e a v e s B o s c h / Te l e x
the best for the company, so I’m actually very
happy with what happened — and what is
happening — to the company. It just personally didn’t turn out to be favorable for me, but I
can live with that one.”
Even though he’s leaving, Heydekampf still
has strong ties to the company, and doesn’t
know what he’ll do next.
“I have no future plans,” says Heydekampf.
He plans to take some time and reset his brain
before deciding what future directions he will
take.
“After 10 years in the industry you’re in your
little world and you don’t think straight. And I
want to think straight again, and that will take
a while. So I’ve forced myself to not even think
about what I’m going to do until September.”
Heydekampf was caught off-guard when
we asked him what he was most proud of ac-
complishing with Telex, but recovered quickly.
“Probably that I created a vision for the
company, and that I motivated a lot of people
in the industry to do added value, and not go
the easy cheap way, but go for the superior
professional sound solutions. If you asked our
employees and distributors and dealers, they
could explain to you that they are the added
value company. We go for the top sound and
we don’t go for price point, but we go for solutions,” Heydekampf said, speaking again as
part of the company, referring to “our employees” and “our vision.”
“When I started the team — there was no
worldwide team and they weren’t very motivated. I think now we have a very motivated
team,” Heydekampf continued. “Which is important for me.”
Nails Sharp on Tour
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND — ADLIB Audio
worked with New York-based sound
engineer Pete Keppler on the Nine Inch Nails
UK and European tour. Keppler is using one
of ADLIB’s JBL VerTec line array systems on
the tour — 12 elements of VT 4889 a side,
six VT4888s, plus 10 VT 4880 subs per side.
ADLIB is currently upgrading all it’s VerTec
subs to include the new driver.
The Liverpool based rental company
first collaborated with Keppler on David
Bowie’s 2003/04 “Reality” world tour and
has also worked with him on AFI, among
other artists.
Keppler states, “It’s the people.
Adlib has really good people. They are
extremely knowledgeable with the gear
and great personalities to have on tour.”
Accompanying him on this tour were
ADLIB’s James Neale and Dave Ryan.
ADLIB’s Andy Dockerty says, “Pete and I
have a very similar attitude towards mixing
bands, and I believe I know what he requires
his system to do. The major difference
between Pete and myself as engineers is
that he is good…and understands digital.”
One of Keppler’s instructions from the
act was to give the sound a raw, “live” edge
and a feel that made it a very different
experience from listening to a CD. Keppler
used his own Digidesign VENUE console
with no outboards. The only additional
device he had out front was a stereo preamp for the audience mics — utilized for
the nightly show recording on Pro Tools.
Two of ADLIB’s Dolby Lake Processors
and two Lake Contours took care of the
system processing and control, along with
ADLIB’s James Neale (left) with Pete Keppler
NIN in concert
a Mesa EQ hooked up to a wireless tablet
PC. The main system was being powered
by Camco Vortex 6, with Crown VZ5002s on
the subs.
Keppler comments, “It’s a fun show
to mix, and I can get really boisterous
and in-the-face with it — which is exactly
how a Nine Inch Nails show should be
experienced.”
ADLIB also supplied monitors —
including MP3 wedges and Pulse and
Crown amps — and a selection of mics for
support band Ladytron.
The Digidesign Profile monitor console
for both bands was supplied by Firehouse
Productions from New York. The band
carry their own PMs, which are mixed by
Mike Prowda. Production manager is John
Lafferty, and Martin Phillips designed the
lighting.
Art Halls Get Powered Speakers
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA — The nebulous
title “Art Hall” applies to a growing number
of performance spaces designed to
accommodate everything from puppet
shows to orchestral performances.
Designing an audio system for such multiuse venues poses definite challenges,
but Avix Tech Co. Ltd., a Seoul, South
Korea–based distribution and sound
reinforcement company, rose to the
occasion on two different South Korean
projects: the newly refurbished Hannuri Art
Hall in Suwon City’s Jangan Ju Community
Center, and the Chuncheon Art Hall located
in the recently renovated Chuncheon
Culture and Arts Center in the province of
Gangwon. Despite dramatic differences in
shape, profile and capacity of the two halls,
Avix Tech determined that the needs of
their diverse calendars of musical theatre,
live music and dance programs would be
met by loudspeaker systems from Meyer
Sound.
Eric Han, manager of Avix Tech’s System
200.0705.05-10.indd 8
MAY 2007
Design and Technical Support Department,
cites the self-powered nature of the Meyer
Sound systems as key in making them
the best solution. “The speakers and
onboard amplifiers are perfectly matched,
eliminating any loss of quality from
sending sound through speaker cables,”
Han says. “The installation process and
the dynamics of the overall system are
very simple, with no need to think about
impedance matching.”
Avix Tech outfitted the two-level,
406-seat Hannuri Hall with a complex
5.1 system that includes two CQ-1 wide
coverage main loudspeakers and two CQ2 narrow coverage main loudspeakers per
side. Three UPM-1P ultracompact wide
coverage loudspeakers handle frontfill,
and three additional UPM-1P cabinets
mounted under the balcony ensure even
sound levels at the rear of the house and
the lower seating level. Four PSW-2 highpower flyable subwoofers handle the
hall’s low-end needs, and eight compact
UM-1P narrow coverage stage monitors three MILO high-power curvilinear array
provide excellent intelligibility for onstage loudspeakers and one MILO 120 highmonitoring.
power expanded coverage curvilinear
“Initially, the client designated a array loudspeaker per side, with a single
traditional, non-powered speaker setup, M3D-Sub directional subwoofer per side
but because the distance between the delivering sub-bass. As the restoration
amplifier racks and the speakers was about and construction process continues, the
100 meters, we suggested self-powered Chuncheon will expand its system further.
speakers in order to prevent
loss of audio quality,” says
Han.
Chuncheon Hall, now in its
second phase of renovation,
seats a total of 1,018 people
between two levels. The
entire facility consists of
four aboveground and two
underground floors, and
includes exhibition spaces,
dressing rooms, storage and
multipurpose rooms.
To properly equip the
spacious hall, Avix chose a
streamlined setup featuring The Hannuri Art Hall
www.fohonline.com
4/27/07 2:03:25 PM
International News
Club Kuub Gets Big with Mini
and transport frame to tackle portability and
ease of use.
The FOH system consists of a flown WMX
sub, two W8LM’s and two W8LMDs on each
side. Thanks to the customized flying and
transport frame it is possible for one engineer
to remove or install the system in five minutes.
A further interesting aspect of this rig
during the demo was that by only changing
the inclination of the cluster, the system
worked very well in both a seated and
standing configuration, without the necessity
of changing the parameters in the processors
or the degrees of cabinet splay.
The technical crew also opted for eight
Martin Audio LE1200’s as stage monitors
and four W0.5s with two S12 subs for the
rehearsal room. The LE1200s were equipped
with a custom bracket so that they could be
used without any additional tools in a flown
situation or could be mounted on a stand.
And finally, the Kuub received a madeto-measure 48-channel multi-cable system
driven by Crest Pro 200 amplifiers and XTA
DP4 processors.
Both Michel Proost and Steven Kemland
agreed that the time spent on detailing this
installation had been well worthwhile. “We’re
in this business to make our customers
happy,” says Kemland, “and to come up with
solutions that work and fit the budget.
There’s no better aim than that.”
The outside of the Kuub hall
FLANDERS, BELGIUM — After two years of
rentals, Kuub has bought its own P.A. system,
a Martin Mini Array system. In the late ‘70s, De
Warande in Turnhout opened as one of the first
official cultural centers in Flanders.This followed
a directive from the Belgian government in the
late 1960s, stipulating that a complex such as
De Warande had to include more than just a
theatre auditorium. So, alongside the main
760-seat theatre hall, De Warande evolved into
a cultural and social center, housing the city’s
library, meeting rooms, ballet classes, a large
foyer and public cafeteria, operating seven
days a week, 8 a.m. until midnight.
In 2005, as De Warande became one of the
most successful cultural centers in the region,
a second hall named the Kuub opened its
doors inside a modern architectural building,
with a full glass facade and an internal “black
box” built to the highest technical standards.
The 500-square-meter floor has a 240-seat
removable system, but can also be used for
up to 780 people standing. In the basement
are several meeting rooms, and the loft has
rehearsal rooms available.
Initially, the KUUB was to have been a stage
for youngsters, but it quickly evolved into a
full-blown theatre for dance, music, theatre
and classical music performances.
For the first two years, technical director
Michel Proost and his crew decided not to
invest in a P.A. but as their needs evolved they
set out to trial a couple of systems.
During a Martin Audio W8LM demo session
organized by Ampco Belgium, it became
clear that this system not only delivered the
required sound quality, but also covered the
room in both a seated situation and standing
configuration.
By using additional W8LMD downfills the
horizontal coverage was further enhanced,
and the original idea of using infills to cover
the front rows was abandoned.
Another important factor in the decisionmaking was that the system had to be
removed and installed quickly and easily. With
that in mind Ampco Belgium’s Steven Kemland
joined forces with Smartsteel from Holland and
developed an easy-to-remove flying system
A Martin array at Kuub
CORRECTIONS
Rockin’, Writin’, Wrong
In March’s FOH Interview “Rock the
Boat,” Tim Cabral was misidentified as Tim
Kabrow. In the companion piece to that
article, the interview with Andy Levine
from Sixthman, Rodney Stammel and
Todd Elmore’s names were misspelled. We
regret the error.
200.0705.05-10.indd 9
4/26/07 10:52:30 PM
On the Move
AKG
Acoustics
added a new vice
president of sales, Ralf
Tschanun. Based in
AKG’s Vienna office,
Tschanun will head up
the entire global sales
team and will report directly to AKG Acoustics
President Stefan Gubi.
Tschanun has degrees Ralf Tschanun
in electronics and
technical communication, as well as an MBA
from the Vienna University of Economics and
Business Administration. Prior to joining AKG,
Tschanun worked with such international
companies as IBM and Cisco.
Clear-Com has relocated to Alameda,
adjacent to San Francisco. The new ClearCom address is 850 Marina Village Parkway,
Alameda, CA 94501. New telephone and
fax numbers are: Phone: 510.337.6600 Fax:
510.337.6699.
Crowley and Tripp has teamed with Digital Audio Service (DAS), operating out of
Hamburg, for distribution in the German pro
audio market.
Face Audio has appointed Contact Distribution as exclusive distributor in Canada
for the company’s power amplifier products.
Located in Scarborough, Ontario, Contact
will be responsible for Face Audio sales to all
provinces and related markets.
HME has appointed Grupo Audio Diseno
of Mexico City to distribute their products.
Grupo Audio Diseno was founded in 1977 and can be contacted at
www.audiodiseno.com.mx.
Brian Peters has
joined Metric Halo as
the company’s first field
application engineer.
Peters will be focused
on the development
of training and marketing materials. Peters
will also be available to
help customers work
through complex pre- Brian Peters
and post-sales systems
integration issues. Peters is classically trained
musician with a Bachelor of Music degree
from the University of Miami. In addition to
his degree in Recording Engineering Technology he also completed a full minor degree in
Electrical Engineering.
Meyer Sound has appointed Hans-Juergen Heitzer (also known as “Age-Jay”) to
the position of Sales Manager, Süden/Osten
(Southern/Eastern Regions) at Meyer Sound
Germany. Heitzer will
be responsible for sales
in Germany’s southern
and eastern regions.
Heitzer’s 21-year career
in professional audio
includes 14 years with
the Mark IV group in
Germany and graduating from SAE Institute
in Munich. Most re- Hans-Juergen Heitzer
cently, Heitzer worked
on the successful introduction of InnovaSon
consoles in the region.
Nutech Industries,
Inc. has hired Sam Suica as their new General
Manager. Sam will lead
the new GSA program
and has put into motion an entire outdoor
line of temp power
gear. Sam will also
oversee all aspects of
operations for the firm Sam Suica
and work one on one
with the owners Mike and Robert Smith. Sam
has degrees in both electrical engineering
and business and is an important part of the
expansion of both Nutech’s product line and
customer base.
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
has promoted Oliver
Baumann to VP export
for the Latin American
market. Baumann has
been with Sennheiser
for ten years, always in
Latin America, working in market development and sales Oliver Baumann
managerial positions.
Baumann replaces Greg Beebe, who was recently appointed, director of global relations
for Sennheiser. Baumann will report directly
to Sennheiser president and CEO John Falcone and will oversee the company’s entire
export endeavor. This includes management
of all brands (Neumann, Klein + Hummel, HHB,
Turbosound, and Australian Monitor) and encompasses all markets (broadcast, live sound,
recording, installed sound, and consumer).
In addition, Baumann will supervise sister
company, Sennheiser Mexico (run by Angel
González), as well as the marketing director,
customer service center, and a team of sales
managers located throughout Latin America.
Symetrix, Inc.
has appointed Chris
Jones to the position
of East Coast regional
sales manager. Symetrix created the position in response to increased sales volume
and will soon fill an
analogous position
on the West Coast. Chris Jones
Jones is located in
Greenville, South Carolina and will report
directly to Symetrix Director of Sales, Paul
Roberts. Jones cut his teeth in the pro audio world as a musician, broadcast DJ, and
recording engineer in the ‘70s before moving on and applying the skills he acquired
in sales and marketing positions.
TOA Electronics,
Inc., manufacturer of
commercial audio
and security products, has appointed
Tamburri as their new
Training
Manager.
Tamburri is a seasoned audio industry
veteran, having previously worked for Bob Tamburri
Sennheiser,
Onkyo,
and Sony. He is tasked with developing a
complete training curriculum for the company’s audio, intercom and CCTV product
lines. Tamburri will also host product training seminars, both in-person and online, to
TOA sales representatives, dealers, consultants, and specifiers.
Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems,
Inc. has appointed of
Jake Jacoby as district
manager for Montana,
the Dakotas,Wyoming,
Nebraska, Minnesota,
Iowa and Missouri. In
his new position, Jacoby is responsible
for all sales activities Jake Jacoby
and the implementation of marketing plans throughout the
territory. Prior to joining YCAS, he was a
District Manager for Yamaha Corporation
of America, Professional Audio & Combo
(PAC) Division. Originally hired by Yamaha
Pro Audio in 1986, Jacoby was responsible
for sales within the southwestern U.S.
Feedback
Sermon on the Monitors
Thank you, Jamie, for tackling the most
misunderstood area of church ministry!
[Jamie Rio’s April Sound Sanctuary article
“Training the Faithful” — ed.]
My experience with the church market is that most churches want a whole lot
of something for a whole lot of nothing,
and they ultimately don’t put the money
in the right spots. The biggest thing that I
have noticed is the total absence of good
training.
Most people seem to forget that the
church is competing heavily with the
media world, and if they don’t open up
their wallets and put the right gear in and
train their volunteers, then they will not
10
200.0705.05-10.indd 10
MAY 2007
succeed. Training is the key! A good engineer can make the worst systems sound
OK, but a bad engineer can make the best
system sound like crap! It’s all in how we
use the tools put in front of us, and if we
don’t know how to use those tools, then
how can anyone craft a masterpiece?
I have trained everyone of my guys,
and when I train them I don’t hold back
anything. I train them as if I was leaving
tomorrow.
Justin Eickenroth
FOH Engineer
Traverse City, Mich.
www.fohonline.com
4/27/07 2:25:51 PM
»
New Gear
Meyer Sound UPJunior VariO Self-powered
Loudspeaker
The Meyer Sound self-powered UPJunior VariO loudspeaker is
designed to be suitable for A/V presentations and small- to medium-sized main sound reinforcement systems, as well as in fill, delay,
effects, under-balcony coverage, stage monitoring and distributed
systems. The UPJunior combines the advantages of self-powered
systems with the placement and arraying flexibility afforded by
a rotatable 80° by 50° VariO horn. The horn’s constant-Q design
provides uniform response throughout the coverage area. The
unit measures 19 inches (483 mm) in its longest dimension and
weighs 28 pounds (12.7 kg). The UPJunior delivers a peak power
output of 126 dB SPL at one meter. The low-mid frequency section features an eight-inch neodymium magnet cone driver, while
the high-frequency section utilizes a 0.75-inch exit, two-inch diaphragm compression driver. The UPJunior’s cabinet incorporates
aluminum end plates for mounting, flying and arraying flexibility.
Metric M8 threaded points allow simple mounting using either eyebolts or third-party pole assemblies. Other options include weather protection and custom color finishes for applications
requiring specific cosmetics.
Meyer Sound • 510.486.1166 • www.meyersound.com
»
AKG Elle C Mic for Female Performance
The AKG Elle C has been designed for the acoustic and ergonomic requirements of the female vocalist. The Elle C features an XLR connector module with 24-carat gold-plated pins for
optimized connectivity, as well as resistance to corrosion and humidity. Additionally, the Elle C
features a spring steel wire-mesh grill
for control of pops and wind noise
while an artist is onstage. The microphone features a frequency range of
60 to 20,000 Hz. The lightweight unit
is available in a high-gloss metallic
or white pearlescent finish to visually
complement any performance.
»
Community VERIS Loudspeakers
Community’s new VERIS (VERsatile Installation Systems) are a
range of small-to-medium-sized loudspeakers that are engineered
for versatile array construction while aesthetically styled to meet
modern architectural requirements. Models start with the VERIS6,
a single 6-inch with an HF horn-driver combination in a compact
enclosure. Next are a dual 6-inch, a single 8-inch and a dual 8-inch,
also with attendant HF horn-drivers. These four models each ship
with a yoke-style mounting bracket as an included accessory and
can be ordered with an optional low distortion, low insertion-loss
200W internal autoformer for 70V and 100V applications. The larger
12-inch and 15-inch VERIS models offer a choice of large-format
horns. Horn patterns include 90º by 60º and 60º by 40º for the twoway systems, and 90º by 40º and 60º by 40º for three-way systems.
Community • 800.523.4934 • www.loudspeakers.net
»
Ramtech STGBX-54-XP
The Ramtech STGBX-54-XP (Stagebox 54 Cross Patch) is a main
stage input panel. This design employs 48 female XLR inputs with
dual ground lift switches and features a user definable random
patching system from the CPC sub inputs to male XLR leads that
are held in four individually colored groups of 12 in dedicated compartments. The system is color coded to match colored sub-boxes.
The four CPC sub-input channels can be used as tie lines and are
grouped 1-12, 13-24, 25-36 and 37-48. Three RAMX025 Ramlatch
multi-pin outputs are used to ensure connection to the main, split
1 (monitor), and split 2 (recording) consoles. This is a 15-rack-space
fully enclosed box.
Ramtech • 800.817.2683 • www.ramtech.net
AKG • +43 1 86654-1565 • www.akg.com
»
APB ProRack Mixers
The new ProRack House and Monitor small-format mixers
from APB-DynaSonics incorporate 16 total input channels in 10
rack spaces. Both the ProRack House and Monitor mixers feature
an audio design that, like the Spectra Series, includes minimum
phase-shift circuitry, expressive EQ sections and integrated mic
preamps in a proprietary front end circuit. The ProRack House
has 12 mono input channels and four dual-mono/stereo input
channels (20 mic preamps in total); while the Monitor is fitted
with 16 mono input channels. The mono input channels of
each model share the same Input and EQ circuitry and controls
— 48-volt phantom power switch, Mic/Line switch, Mic Pad switch and polarity reverse switch.
Variable frequency high-pass filters are included on all input channels (mono and stereo) with
a 20 Hz to 400 Hz sweep range at a 12 dB per octave attenuation rate.
APB-Dynasonic • 973-738-1101 • www.apbdynasonics.com
»
L-ACOUSTICS 8XT and 12XT Coaxial
Loudspeakers
L-ACOUSTICS has released the new 8XT and 12XT
single-point-source coaxial loudspeakers. The 8XT measures 16.6 inches high by 9.8 inches wide by 10.6 inches
deep and weighs 24.2 pounds. Operating on a frequency
bandwidth of 65 Hz to 20 kHz, the response can be lowered to 32 Hz with the addition of the SB118 subwoofer.
The 8XT contains a 1.5-inch diaphragm compression
driver coaxially loaded by an 8-inch low-frequency
transducer in a bass-reflex tune enclosure. The internal
passive crossover network uses proprietary third-order
filters with built-in phase compensation. Housed in a
slightly larger enclosure — 21.3 inches high by 16.1
inches wide by 15.3 inches deep and weighing 63.8
pounds — the 12XT combined active/passive cabinet
features an operating frequency bandwidth of 55 Hz to
20 kHz and, like the 8XT, this response can be lowered to
32 Hz via the use of the SB118 subwoofer. The 12XT contains a 3-inch diaphragm compression driver coaxially
loaded onto a 12-inch low-frequency transducer in a bass-reflex tuned enclosure.
L-ACOUSTICS • 805.604.0577 • www.l-acoustics.com
www.fohonline.com
200.0705.11.indd 11
2007 MAY
11
4/27/07 2:47:51 PM
Showtime
Luis Palau Tampa Bay Festival
ST
Processing: Meyer Sound LD-3, BSS Soundweb
Power Distro: Motion Labs
Rigging: CM Loadstar 2 ton and 1 ton
Venue:
Raymond Jones Stadium, Tampa Bay, FL
CREW
Sound Co/Provider: Blackhawk Audio, Inc.
FOH Engineer: Chuck Davis
Monitor Engineer: Jay Wright
Systems Engineer: Tim Wagoner
System Techs: Kenny Sellars, Jason Atwell, Jeff Michehl
GEAR
FOH
Console: Yamaha PM5D-RH
Speakers: 24 Meyer Sound Milo, 4 Milo 120, 22 700hp, 4 MSL6 (delays)
ST
MON
Console: Yamaha PM5D-RH
Speakers: 8 Adamson 12mx, 10 FM212, 4 650-P, 2 MSL6
(side fills), 8 Shure PSM 700
Amps: QSC
Processing: dbx 480
Mics: Shure, Sennheiser, AKG
Super Bowl XLI NFL Tailgate Party
Venue:
GEAR
Dolphin Stadium, Miami, FL
FOH
Console: Yamaha PM5D, MC7L, DM2000
Speakers: L-ACOUSTICS V-DOSC, SB-218, ARCS,
MTD108
Amps: Lab.gruppen
Processing: XTA DP226
Mics: Shure, Sennheiser
CREW
Sound Co/Provider: Clearwing Productions, Inc.
FOH Engineer: Jeff Schauer, Andre St Pierre
Monitor Engineer: Gary Brunclik
Systems Engineer: Brian Baumgardner, Chris Balke, Andre St. Pierre,
Chad Sikkink
Production Manager: Neil Porter, Scott Briese
System Techs: Gary Brunclik, Chris Balke, Jeff Schauer, Brian Baumgardner, Andre St Pierre, Chad Sikkink
MON
Console: Yamaha PM5D
Speakers: L-ACOUSTICS 115XTHiQ
Amps: Lab.gruppen
Mics: Shure, Sennheiser
Calvary of Albuquerque Easter Sunrise Service
Venue:
University of New Mexico Football Stadium, Albuquerque, NM
CREW
Sound Co/Provider: Audio Excellence
FOH Engineer: Steve Poulton
Monitor Engineer: Eric Goers
Systems Engineer: David Buehler
Production Manager: Robert Shelton
System Techs: Matt Woodside, Joesph James
ST
Speakers: 16 JBL Vertec 4889s, 8 Meyer 650Ps,
4 JBL EON 15 G2s
Amps: Crown Itech 6000s
Processing: dbx 4800
Mics: Shure, AKG, Sennheiser
Power Distro: Nutech, Motion Labs
MON
Console: Yamaha M7CL-48
Speakers: Meyer UM-1P, Shure PSM-600
Amps: Meyer
Mics: Shure, AKG, Sennheiser
Power Distro: Motion LabsProcessing: BSS
Mics: Shure, Neumann
GEAR
FOH
Console: Digidesign D-show Profile
Your #1 Source for continuing education.
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STAGING • LIGHTING • SOUND
Modern Recording
Techniques
Fifth Edition
As the most up-to-date,
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Techniques addresses the
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Live Sound
Reinforcement
The simple language,
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concrete examples in this
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aspects of P.A. system
operation and commonly
encountered sound
system design concerns.
informing creative minds...
12
MAY 2007
www.fohonline.com
Back-to-Basics Audio
Basics of Video Sound
Back to Basics Audio is a
thorough, yet approachable handbook on audio
electronics theory and
equipment. The first part
of the book discusses
electrical and audio
principles. Those
principles form a basis for
understanding the
operation of equipment
and systems, covered in
the second section.
Finally, planning and
installation of a home
audio system is addressed.
Now fully updated to
reflect the latest advances,
the second edition of
Basics of Video Sound is a
primer for anyone wishing
to learn about recording
sound. It describes the
principles and processes
involved in obtaining
professional results in
educational, training and
corporate environments.
ST
My Chemical Romance & Rise Against
Venue:
Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, Ariz.
GEAR
FOH
Console: Heritage 3000 Mcr
Speakers: V-DOSC, dV-DOSC, Arcs, rat subs
Amps: Lab.gruppen
Processing: xta 428, Drawmer gates, dbx 160SL,
160xt, 1066 comps, TC Intonator, BSS 901
CREW
SSound Co/Provider: Rat Sound Systems, Inc.
FOH Engineer: Dave Rupsch
Monitor Engineer: Ivan Ortiz
Systems Engineer: Roz Jones
Production Manager: Rodney Johnson
Tour Manager: Brian Crouch
System Techs: Peter Baigent
MON
Console: Yamaha PM5D
Speakers: L’ACOUSTICS 115xt, Arcs, dV-sub, rat subs
Amps: Crest & Lab.gruppen
Mics: Sennheiser, Shure, Sensaphonic SX2 rat
Luxor Spotlight Concert Series/Liza Minnelli
Venue:
GEAR
Luxor Theater Las Vegas
FOH
Console: Yamaha PM-5
Speakers: L-ACOUSTICS, KudosAmps: Lab.gruppen
Processing: BSS Mics: AKG, Beyer, Contryman, Crown, DPA, Shure
Rigging: Loadstar
CREW
Sound Co/Provider: 3G Las Vegas
FOH Engineer: Bill Talarico
Monitor Engineer: Joe NiCastro
Systems Engineer: Rob Orlinick (Head of Audio, Luxor Theater)
System Techs: Eric Wilson, Kerry Bullis, Curtis Zachony
ST
ST
MON
Console: Yamaha PM-5
Speakers: L-ACOUSTICS HiQ, Arcs, DV Subs
Mics: Shure KSM-9 RF, UHF R series
Taste of Chaos Tour with the Used & 30 Seconds to Mars
CREW
Sound Co/Provider: Rat Sound Systems, Inc.
FOH Engineer: Greg Mahler, Andy Turner (The Used), John
Dunn Levy (30STM)
Monitor Engineer: Jayson Pietri, Tony Luna (30STM), Chris
Campbell (The Used)
Production Manager: Kerry Nicholson
Tour Manager: Matt Malles
GEAR
MON
Console: 2 Yamaha PM5D-Rh
Speakers: Microwedge 12, Rad Sidefill, Drumfill Sennheiser
EW 300G2 IEM (The Used)
Amps: Crest, Chevin
Processing: XTA DP428
We
Want You!
FOH wants your gig
shots, horror stories and
resume highlights! Go to
www.fohonline.com/submissions
to send us your Showtime
pics, Nightmare stories and In
The Trenches stats. Or e-mail
jcoakley@fohonline.com
for
more
info.
We
cover the industry
— and that means
you!
FOH
Console: 2 Yamaha PM5D-RH
Speakers: 24 V-DOSC, 8 Kudo, 9 dV-DOSC, 20 Rat Dual 18’
Amps: L-ACOUSTICS LA48a
Processing: Empirical Labs Distressor, Yamaha SPX 990, TC D2,
XTA DP44
Mics: Shure, Sennheiser, Audix
Power Distro: Rat-Skjonberg Custom UL main distro
Rigging: 6 CM 1-Ton Hoists, 2 Skjonberg CS800
www.fohonline.com
200.0705.12-13.indd 13
2007 MAY
13
4/27/07 3:22:52 PM
Installations
Jazzing It Up At The Grand Bohemian Hotel
Klimt Rotunda goes wireless for upgraded SR system
William “Chip” Sams
The Klimt Rotunda
By RogerMaycock
W
hen the Grand Bohemian Hotel in
Orlando, Fla. decided to improve
the sound quality in its live music
spaces, the prospect of disrupting daily operations for an acoustical makeover was not
looked upon fondly. Of equal importance was
the fact that the Klimt Rotunda — home to
the hotel’s immensely popular jazz performances — is a stunning venue with ornate
tiled flooring, lush furnishings, a massive Boesendorfer grand piano that serves as the focal point of the room, all under a domed roof.
The imposition of highly visible speakers or
other production equipment in this refined
space was not something hotel management
was eager to pursue.
The task of solving this challenge was
placed in the capable hands of William “Chip”
Sams; principal consultant of Orlando-based
William Sams Acoustics (WSA), Inc. Opened in
2004, the consultancy specializes in acoustics
and live sound reinforcement, with many of
the firm’s projects being houses of worship
and theatrical SR system design.
According to Sams, “My original intent
was for WSA to design the job and then oversee installation by Design Systems Partners
of Orlando, which also handled equipment
procurement for the project. Due to some
unforeseen scheduling conflicts, however, we
ended up managing much of the project ourselves, with support from Jason Kram of AVX
(Audio Video Excellence, Inc.) of Santa Rosa
Beach, Fla., and independent technician Phil
Ramsey of Clermont, Fla.”
14
200.0705.14-15.indd 14
MAY 2007
A Varied Performance Schedule
The musical performances hosted in the
hotel’s Klimt Rotunda are all quite intimate in nature. A solo pianist plays each day during the afternoons, while those attending Sunday brunch
are treated to duo performances of piano and
sax or piano and vocal. On Thursday, Friday and
Saturday evenings, there are small ensembles
consisting of piano, bass and drums — fronted
by either a vocalist or a saxophonist. For late
night entertainment that runs into the early
morning hours, a DJ picks up in the adjacent
Bosendorfer Lounge when the band completes
its final set. All of this activity gets distributed
throughout the Klimt Rotunda, the Bosendorfer Lounge and the Boheme restaurant, though
levels may be optimized or a program may be
cut off in different zones at various times.
While the Klimt Rotunda is the hotel’s main
performance space, its diminutive size makes it
necessary to “pipe” the musical performances
into the two larger adjacent rooms so as to accommodate more people. In addressing the
challenge presented to him, Sams noted,“While
there is a power outlet under the piano in the
rotunda, there is no other conduit, so running
cable would have required opening up the
floor, which was never seriously considered. We
also approached the idea of discreetly matting
a few cables through the area, but since people
enter and exit on both sides of the rotunda, this
too, was deemed unacceptable.”
Though they had been decommissioned
at some earlier time, there were several existing low cost ceiling speakers around the
perimeter of the rotunda that had previously
been part of the existing sound system. After
surveying the options, Sams elected to install
a wireless setup that would enable the piano,
bass, drums, sax and vocalists to reach the
house mixer in a clean, inconspicuous manner,
while replacing the inactive ceiling cans with
newer ceiling speakers that were considerably
more potent. This approach would circumvent
the heavy construction that hotel management sought to avoid.
Gearing Up
In the Klimt Rotunda, Sams replaced the
aging ceiling speakers with six Soundtube
CM890i-WH ceiling speakers. To provide suitable low frequency content in the Bosendorfer Lounge, the existing ceiling speakers were
augmented with two Tannoy TS12 powered
subwoofers. “This arrangement allows us to
provide a largely acoustic jazz experience in
the rotunda, albeit with solid support for the
vocalists, while providing a full mix at somewhat reduced levels in the Lounge,” notes
Sams, “and we accomplished this without altering the room’s appearance.”
For the wireless setup, Sams (with assistance from piano technician Paul Williams),
installed a Helpinstill model 180 piano sensor
into the Boesendorfer grand, which feeds a
Lectrosonics UH400TM transmitter. “We really needed a wide-band wireless system with
no companding to accommodate the piano,”
said Sams.“This is what made the Lectrosonics
equipment the only serious choice.”
Sams also designed and installed a small
box near the base of the piano that has two additional Lectrosonics UH400TM transmitters to
support the sharp attack transients of the bass
and drums. This setup brings the transmitters
out to another jack with an illuminated label, so
the performers can readily see where to make
their connections. The drums are acquired by
a single AKG 451 overhead microphone while
bass players utilize an EV N/D468 microphone.
Existing Sennheiser Evolution series receivers
and some transmitters were retained for budgetary reasons, and supplemented with a new
SKM165G2 handheld wireless transmitter for
vocals, and a Sennheiser SK172G2 bodypack
wireless transmitter with a Shure WH98H/C
microphone for saxaphones and trumpets.
Sitting discreetly off to the side of the rotunda is a custom built, locking, 18-space rack
cabinet from MT Cases. This holds an Ashley
MX508 mixer, the Lectrosonics VRS receiver
modules, Sennheiser receivers and two SPL
Dynamaxx dual compressors, along with the
transmitters and microphones when they are
not in use.
To provide the desired audience experience in all three listening spaces, the musical
performances require two different mixes. In
the Klimt Rotunda, which is quite live, there is
need for vocal and limited piano reinforcement
to keep up with the drums and bass. In the adjoining rooms that take feeds from the rotunda, all performers are mixed. The bandleaders
handle this task manually, based upon preset,
recommended settings.
www.fohonline.com
4/26/07 9:37:06 PM
A plate on the underside of the piano is where the wireless connections are made.
Performers in the new Klimt Rotunda performance space
Equipment List
For the new system to be truly effective,
it required coordinated operation with the
existing BGM (background music) system in
order to manage transitions between live and
pre-recorded background music. This is when
Sams also discovered the BGM system was
slated to be upgraded with a server from Prescriptive Music to provide multiple zones of
customized BGM.
Inspection of the existing BGM facilities
revealed serious limitations. “The hotel’s BGM
system was quite limited in terms of its zone
control,” noted Sams.“Whenever the musicians
started playing, they first had to walk to multiple
locations to turn the background music off, and
then at breaks or the end of the day, they had to
retrace their steps to turn the background program back on. It was very inefficient. In order
to make sense of all this, I worked with Island
Systems of Rockledge, Fla., the original installer
and maintenance contractor for the hotel’s
BGM system, to install a multi-zone distribution
system that could accommodate both the live
and programmed music.”
The upgraded BGM system includes new
dbx Zonepro 1260 and 640 DSP routing processors, a dbx ZC3 scene selector, three dbx ZC1
volume controls and a dbx ZC-FIRE muting interface. The new system provides a mode selector at the edge of the rotunda where the musicians can simply switch between BGM and Live
Performance modes. This new arrangement
shuts down the background music in the three
areas when live music starts, and facilitates easy
switching back to BGM on breaks or upon completion of the live entertainment. There is also
a break mode setting that places different BGM
material in the lounge and restaurant while providing those in the Klimt Rotunda a break from
all music. For late night activity, a fourth mode
— DJ mode — pipes music to all three rooms.
the cutting edge for both its capabilities and
its ease of operation.“I’ve been extremely encouraged thus far,” notes Sams.“With any system of this complexity, there’s always a learning curve, and I’m certain we’ll be fine-tuning
it as we move forward. With that said, the
musicians and hotel staff have been trained
and everyone seems quite comfortable with
the operational aspects of the setup. The
musicians are able to easily control the distribution of program to the various areas and
switch to the BGM service far more efficiently
than before. Everyone is enthusiastic, and
when all is said and done, the music sounds
better than ever!”
Ashly MX508 mixer
Sennheiser EW345 wireless handheld vocal mic system
Sennheiser EM300 receiver,
Sennheiser ASP1 antenna splitter
Sennheiser EW300IEM
Sennheiser AC1 antenna combiner
QSC CX1202V power amplifier
QSC DSP3 DSP module
dbx Zonepro 1260 DSP routing processor
dbx ZC3 scene selector
dbx ZC1 volume control, qty 3
dbx ZC-FIRE muting interface
New equipment provided by
Design Systems Partners and installed by AVX:
1 Helpinstill model 180 piano sensor
1 Whirlwind DirectJT DI box
1 AKG C451B microphone
1 EV N/D468 microphone, qty 2
1
1
3
3
1
3
1
1
2
1
1
6
2
Shure WH98H/C microphone
Sennheiser SKM165G2 handheld wireless transmitter
Sennheiser SK172G2 bodypack wireless transmitter
Lectrosonics UH400TM plug-on transmitter
Lectrosonics ISO9VOLTH battery eliminator adaptor for above
Lectrosonics VRM receiver mainframe
Lectrosonics VRS receiver module,
MT Case custom rack, 18U with lockable
front door
Middle Atlantic PDLT-815RV-RN power/
light module
SPL Dynamaxx dual compressor
WSA custom mute panel for mixer
WSA custom power and signal distribution assembly for piano
Soundtube CM890i-WH ceiling speaker,
Tannoy TS12 powered subwoofer
Getting from Here to There
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
1
3
1
Ready for the Downbeat
With the new system having just been
completed and placed into service, the Grand
Bohemian Hotel’s new SR system stands at
www.fohonline.com
2007 MAY
15
Production Profile
Keep
Until
Show
For the 2007 Canadian Winter Games they only heated
the venue enough to keep the FOH gear operational. . .
By TonyMah
W
hitehorse, Yukon, with its population of 23,000, has a cozy, smalltown feel, as people have time to
chat, and cars stop for people to cross the
street even if the traffic light is green. This
city is also one of the best places to see the
mysterious phenomenon called the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. During a clear
winter night when there is a high level of
solar wind, the electrons discharge like florescent lights, and tourists come from all
over the world hoping to see the sky light
up in green swirls.
When the 2007 Canada Winter Games
were awarded to the city of Whitehorse,
they said they would put on the biggest
show north of the 60th parallel. What they
didn’t say was that it would be the coldest
Canada Winter Games ever. Daytime temperatures during the games ranged from
minus 27°F (minus 33°C) to minus 40°F (minus 40°C).
The biggest challenges for the games
were keeping costs low while maximizing
their value to the community of Whitehorse. To help reduce costs, a two-and-ahalf week spring break was scheduled to
coincide with the games so that students
could volunteer. In the end, more than 4000
volunteers were recruited. Families rented
their homes not only to show their warm
Yukon hospitality, but also to alleviate the
shortage of hotel space.
The organizing committee needed to
build a venue that was large enough to host
the opening and closing ceremonies. Rather
than build a permanent facility that would
have been empty once the games were
over, the committee decided to construct a
44,000-square-foot heated tent. The temperature in the “heated” tent rose to only 48°F
(9°C). This was warm enough to keep equipment like DSP processors, speakers and
mixing consoles within safe operating conditions, but the crew were seen dressed in
outdoor winter clothing, huddled near personal heaters or competing for spots near
the heating tubes throughout the show.
The opening and closing ceremonies
were one-off shows, but because Whitehorse is so far, north it takes a week to truck
the gear from Vancouver. This meant that the
organizing committee had to rent the gear
for a month. ProShow, one of Vancouver’s
premier full service Audio/Visual providers,
supplied all the audio for the ATCO Centre
tent. Mark Fisher and Benoit Laurence from
Proshow oversaw the project and made sure
everyone stayed happy.
“The gig is a typical corporate show,”
says Fisher, except for the extreme cold and
the extra planning to make sure nothing was
Rehearsal for the opening ceremonies
missing.“That far north you can’t just call the
shop and ask for something you forgot.” To
keep the costs reasonable, all the gear was
owned by Proshow and there were no crossrentals or outboard gear. Local volunteers
helped unload, and when local providers
didn’t have the appropriate gear Craig Marcuk, a local freelancer, was hired.
To avoid having to fly in a big crew,
Fisher, Laurence and Marcuk spent two long
days setting up the sound system. While everyone had different roles, the entire crew of
sound, lights, video projection and staging
were willing to help each other out. Three
stages ran the length of the tent. Hanging
from each side of centerstage were eight
Meyer M’elodie speakers and a pair of Meyer
Forget the Plow,
Build a Speaker
T
he Michigan Tech Audio Engineering Society recently built a nearly20,000-watt speaker array made of
snow. Yes snow, the white fluffy stuff that
falls from the sky. It seems they needed
mega audio power for Michigan Tech’s
Winter Carnival, which has a competition
for impressive snow sculptures.
The university AES group used computer modeling to design the horns as
well as the line-array speaker configuration, building them from formed snow
and wood. The audio source came from
an optical output of a student’s computer,
which ran into two Behringer DCX2496
speaker management systems. The speakers were powered by nine Behringer
EP2500 amps and one Crown XLS602.
The snow array had front and rear
firing sections for covering the campus.
The front pointing speakers consisted of
eight Selenium 2-inch dome compression drivers with 1-inch throat horns, 16
5-inch sealed back MCM cone drivers, six
16
200.0705.16-17.indd 16
MAY 2007
700HP subs, processed by a Meyer Galileo.
Extreme left and right each had a pair of
EAW KF650E speakers and a single Meyer
650P subwoofer. Fisher used 10 ElectroVoice Sx300s for front fill and 10 more for
delays for the bleachers. Floor wedges were
five mixes run through eight EAW SM200s.
All the conventional boxes were powered by
14 QSC PLX amps and processed with three
dbx Driverack 4800s.
Fisher and his crew used SMAART to set
the tent’s delays and EQ the conventional
boxes to match the M’elodies. With the three
stages being so long, instead of delaying
all the fill speakers to FOH, Fisher set up his
delays by putting his measurement microphone in front of each delay speaker along
The front pointing speakers under construction
Selenium 15-inch drivers using a 4-foot
deep snow horn with 4-foot by 8-foot
mouth and 7-foot by 2-inch throat, plus
six ElectroVoice 18-inch drivers using a
15-foot deep snow horn with 15-foot by
6-foot mouth and an 18-inch throat. The
rear-pointing speakers consisted of three
Eminence 2-inch dome compression drivers with 1-inch throat horns, and the lows
were six Selenium/EV 15-inch drivers (not
horn loaded).
The amazing snow array took between
six and 15 AES members about four hours
per night for three weeks to complete. According to Tommy Bartlet, one of the project
members, it made quite a great dance system for the carnival party, which went into
the early morning hours. “We pushed the
nine EP2500’s just into clipping from 7 p.m.
to 4 a.m. with no problems, even in freezing
conditions. There’s nothing like seeing the
red clip lights blink on nine EP2500s.” Police
were reported to have had complaints from
three miles away due to the volume.
www.fohonline.com
4/27/07 3:31:25 PM
Mark Fisher, Benoit Laurence and local tech Craig Marcuk
rent 360 Systems Instant Replay
system,” says Fisher. “It can do a
lot more — including playing
a straight line across the
length of the room. Audio
was split between FOH and
the CBC broadcast truck to
send out the events live.
At FOH, Fisher sat on
a coveted electric blanket
in front of a Yamaha M7CL
digital mixer and rode the
Load-in for the opening ceremonies for the 2007 Canadian Winter Games
faders for mains and monitors. Fisher was impressed with the new
M’elodies, and he didn’t need to use any
fancy EQ shading or tricks to make them
sound good.
“The acoustics of the tent are surprisingly excellent,” Fisher says. “It’s a very
dead tent, which makes it easy to mix.”
He was concerned about the loud fan
noise from the heating blowers, but CBC
TV insisted the fans be turned off when
the audience was seated and the show
went live. Fisher ran a typical festival mix,
reinforcing the best northern artists performing a variety of music ranging from
hip hop, pop, choral and traditional Inuit
on three stages. As the athletes arrived
Fisher played the appropriate track cues
from his 360 Systems Instant Replay, and
Laurence patched and set up the stage
during the show. During rehearsals, Mark
used a touch screen and a low cost Windows shareware program called Sports
Sound Pro to playback cues.
“Sports Sound Pro program has more
features and is easier to use than the cur-
The finished enclosure
compressed audio like MP3s and
easily accommodate last minute
changes on the fly.” The only drawback Fisher sees to the program is
its reliance on the Windows OS. “I
would use it as my primary playback
device, if it ran on a more stable operating system like Linux.”
Despite the size and scope of
the event, the opening ceremonies
went without a hitch. The prime
minister and all the provincial
premiers were there to open the
games, and First Nation Inuit natives played a large role in the ceremonies for the first time, too. For a
few weeks, the Winter Games even
outshone the Aurora Borealis.
FOH
1
1
1
1
1
3
MON
8
8
Meyer M’elodie
Meyer 700HP Subs
Meyer 650P Subs
EAW KF650E
Electro-Voice Sx300
QSC PLX amps
Yamaha M7CL
Yamaha M3000 (backup console)
360 Systems Instant Replay
Marantz CD Player
Meyer Galileo
dbx Driverack 4800
EAW SM200
Channels of Shure U series wireless
Gear
16
4
2
4
20
14
Regional Slants
A ce Of Sound
Mike Goodreaus deals
a hot hand of audio
Mike Goodreau
By KeithClark
M
ike Goodreau began his “life in
The Ace Audio approach is one of beed at times in
sound” as a drummer, and he
ing steady over the long haul, building one
terms of qualiwas also the guy smart enough
customer at a time and working harder at
fied staffing.”
to acquire the P.A. for his fledgling rock
keeping that customer. Various marketing
The key to
band. That happy circumstance put him
approaches through the years, including
retaining these
on the path to a thriving career as a sound
advertising in everything from cable TV to
folks, of course,
company owner and mix engineer who’s
the Yellow Pages, produced very few qualiis growing the
served hundreds of events over the past
fied business leads.
business, and
20-plus years.
“The only marketing that works, at
indeed, pros“After our band broke up, one of the
least in this area, is taking the P.A. out and
pects in central
guys asked to rent my P.A., and I proceeddoing the best job every time, so that the
Connecticut
ed to make more money from that single
customer is happy while other potential
have never
gig than I ever did playing the drums,” customers take notice and ask about our
been brighter
Goodreau notes. “A light bulb went on
services. That’s the best way I’ve found
for doing just
in my head, the
to build sales
that. Ace Audio
idea was formed,
leads,” he exout pri“The only marketing that plains. “I remem- started
and 23 years latmarily serving
Mike Goodreau
er, here I am.”
works, at least in this area, is ber one compa- the needs of rock/pop acts, but that’s evolved,
Based in Midny here that was
with the company now working steadily
dletown, Conn. taking the P.A. out and doing headed by a guy
with nearby Wesleyan University as well as
(near Hartford), the best job every time.” who was really
civic organizations, corporate clients and
Goodreau’s Ace
slick at marketpolitical fundAudio has never
—Mike Goodreau ing, but his com- raisers. The local
been the biggest
pany
couldn’t
jazz society is
sound company
perform. So he’d
also a big client,
in the region through more than two deget a lot of good gigs and invariably blow
along with a
cades of service, but over that time a lot of
most of them, and I’d be there ready to
host of festivals
other audio enterprises have come and are
pick up the pieces. All that I promise is that
and events like
long gone. By taking a less glamorous path
we’ll do our very best, and then make sure
fireworks shows
of never promising a client anything that
we exceed that.”
and “Taste Of”
can’t be delivered, Ace Audio is now being
The shortage of qualified help (sysfairs.
rewarded in spades — business has never
tem techs and mix engineers) is regularly
“In the past
been better, ground will soon be broken
confronted by sound companies large
10 years the live
on a new warehouse and shop, and there’s
and small, and its one of the biggest chalmusic market
been an investment in a new EAW line arlenges Ace Audio has faced over the years. here has just
ray rig as well as other useful tools.
Count it as a primary reason Goodreau’s
taken off, in
Goodreau is almost completely selfwife Ellen has stepped up as an invaluable
addition to betaught regarding all things sound, startsystem tech who can also, he adds, “move
coming much
Ace Audio’s EAW KF730 line array rig
ing with some basics learned at the hand
gear around with the best of them.”
more diverse. Towns like Berlin, with a
deployed at the Strawberry Park
of the system tech his band hired to supHis primary labor pool is a group of
population of just 5,000 or so, now hosts
Bluegrass Festival in Preston, Conn.
port their P.A. Ever since it became clear
freelancers on call, always a fluid situaa blues festival, and we just worked a jazz
that providing audio systems, support and
tion, and when someone
Continued on page 28
mixing would be his vocation, he’s made
proves their mettle
it a habit to read anything relevant he
and gains experican get his hands on, and of course he’s
ence, that person inalso learned a great deal at the perpetual
variable heads off to
Over the years, Mike Goodreau has invested in a lot of sound reinforcement equipment. Here’s his list of favorite
school of trial and error that’s the basis of
the greener pastures
pieces and what he says they’ve brought to the table.
any well-rounded curriculum of pro audio
of full-time gigs at
education.
venues like the alSabine Power-Q processor. “It’s versatile, fills a lot valuable needs. The delay function makes it my “EQ of choice”
In the early days of his fledgling enterways-busy Mohegan
for delays, the feedback eliminator works great for corporate speech-only applications, and the parametric EQ
prise, Goodreau enjoyed the close proxSun hotel and casino
with display curve and stereo link works for quite well for FOH.”
imity of Snow Sound, one of the leading
down the road. “I’ve
sound reinforcement providers in the reprobably mentored
Allen & Heath GL Series console.“I’ve been an A&H user for more than 20 years. The GL Series is a perfect match
gion. “I guess you’d call it friendly compea dozen people over
for our company, offering the right blend of features, light weight and affordability.”
tition. Brad Snow (company owner at that
the years, teaching
time) has always been a straight-up guy
them the ropes, but
EAW NT Series loudspeakers.“NT is something really special. The first time I heard these speakers, I had to have
and was quite helpful,” Goodreau says. it inevitably creates a
them, and my six NT boxes have stayed busy almost non-stop since they arrived.”
“Being a larger company, Snow got a lot of
Catch-22,” he says. “As
the bigger jobs, while on the smaller ones, a small company, it’s
Audioarts 4200 parametric EQ. “This piece was acquired in the early 80’s, and I love the big knobs and overall
I could be competitive on price due to less
tough to be competisound quality. I learned how to equalize with it, and haven’t found anything since that I like more.”
overhead. But in reality, it always seemed
tive in terms of sallike we were helping each other out more
ary and benefits, and
Audix OM-5 microphones. “I’ve had a set of these for seven years and have no plans to replace them. They
than competing head to head. That’s a
you can’t ever blame
sound so smooth, with excellent rejection, and have also held up to constant abuse without fail.”
great way to do business.” (Snow Sound
someone for taking
was purchased by HB Group last year and
a better offer. But it
dbx 4800 DriveRack processor. “It just does everything really well, and can run even our largest system by
is now based in North Haven, Conn.)
leaves us short-handitself. This is my first experience in controlling a system from a PC, and I’m getting great results.”
GEAR
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MAY 2007
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4/26/07 9:40:03 PM
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4/26/07 9:53:57 PM
FOH Feature
A Quartet of Ex
cepti
onally Talented
“I’m not sure w
Young Guys “Kn
hat I wanted, bu
a
t I knew I wante
n
d
“There” is a scho
A
re
Tu
rn
d
in
to take what I
ol for sound en
g Them for Som ow What All the Knobs Do”
le
has formal mus
ar
gi
ne
ne
d
er
th
in
ere and try to
e Big Names
g, and it’s intere
ic training. In th
have fun,” says
sting that thre
e past, most go
serious educat
young FOH en
e of four of the
t enviable gigs
ion, these four
gi
neer Eddie Map
“y
ou
ng guns” high
by just figurin
certainly are no
they are in diffe
.
lighted in this
g it out as they
t lacking any pa
rent ways, but
ar
ticle all have th
w
en
ss
t,
ion and persist
driven by pass
they are alread
at formal traini
ion and persist
ence — or exce
y out with big
ng, and the four
ence. But while
ptional talent
acts doing a re
th
for that matter.
today’s gear se
markable job lik
Th
ems to deman
e a seasoned pr
ey all come fro
d
m different plac
ofessional.
Education: Tw
es and got whe
o years as a vo
re
ca
l
m
aj
Texas Commun
or in an East could lear
n. Since then, I’v
ity College
e just kept up
Currently Wit
Eventually he
with the techno
went to work fo
h: Jars of Clay
logy.”
r Audio Analys
an
assistant tech,
First “Gig:” “I
ts
,
w
an
ho
d
se
w
he
nt him out with
n the FOH guy
think I was 15
the previous m
Jars of Clay as
left, he steppe
years old and
ixes a bit. Then
worked on th
d
in
. He found him
I
is musical thea
the show wen
to his liking.
self tweaking
t
tr
on
e
re
a
vi
br
ew
ea
k, and he rebu
show at a
community th
ilt the show m
eatre. Did I know
As they don’t
ore
tour with thei
what all the kn
did? [Laughs].
r own gear, hi
obs from local soun
I think we all
s
bi
d
gg
co
es
m
t
pa
ch
al
ni
thought we kn
lenge is the di
es. “Companies
what they did
fferent P.A.s
ew these line arrays, and
spend way to
at first….”
don’t know ho
o much money
so
un
w
d
to
on nice P.A.s,
go
work the proc
od ever y nigh
Currently Dri
t, but without
essing. They ex
ves: Yamaha PM
than old-fash
understanding
pect those to
5D
ioned stacks.
the processing
It’s interesting
lenge is makin
,
it
so
unds worse
to
he
g it work for th
ar all the diffe
e band.”
rent P.A.s, but
“I knew it w
the chalas someth
Toolbox-wise, Du
ing I could
Music mak
Fr
en
e
sa
ys
he doesn’t leav
do. Lake Mesa Quad EQ
es sense t
e home withou
and the Lake Co
o me, and h
t his
ing the plac
so
ntour — they ar
n
he
e
’s
ab
a
le
r
ing of instru
to go from P.A.to
e the only reaP.A
.
an
m
d
ba
ge
ents in mus
nd
makes sens
e sound he need
s for the
ic 903 Ev. Otherwise, he and the band recentt th
e to me.” —
ly switched to Se
olution Series m
Marc DuFre
nn
ics
heiser
,
w
ne
hi
ch
has cleared thin
him to put the
gs up and allow
vocals in
ed
“I
worked with ev
the mix where
ery local and
they are
Texas.
,
in
gi
t
re
on
s
al
su
u
ba
7
pposed to be
nd out of the
Age: 2 t In a Bus: A
. “It’s a
state of Texas dynamic mic with very co
as far as I ca
ndenser-like ch
No
n tell,” laughs
and a warm low
aracteristics
When
about his care
D
-e
uF
nd
re
,
w
ne
hich is what I w
er beginnings
way before th
I’m loving it.”Th
as looking for.
. But really, it be
at: “Even as a
e band is using
gins
tons and turnin
sm
Westone PMs.
al
l
ch
ild
g
,
Flush with lear
I was pushing
knobs — I knew
after two years
ning that he w
butI was destined
as a college vo
ill be a dad in th
late summer, hi
to be doing th
Soundtech, an
ice major, he w
e
s immediate go
at!” So
d asked for a jo
al
ke
d
in
to
al
the local soun
b.
as
is to be home
m
uc
h
“I knew it was
as
possible. “One
d company,
something I co
day I’d like to le
touring world
ing the placing
uld do,” he says
ave the
, but never th
of instruments
. “Music makes
e business,” he
“That’s one thin
in music makes
sense to me, an
says.
g
sense to me. Th
d hearI love working
e technical thin
with Jars of Clay
gs I knew I They, too, like being hom
.
e on the wee
with their fam
kends
ilies.”
Education: Full Sail (2006)
Currently With: Rod Stewart
e for
First “Gig:” “A buddy and I built a stag
basically
the Country Thunder Festival, and
down.
we were stagehands, set up and tear
That was my first experience.”
Currently Drives: Yamaha PM5D
nate
Thorene, by his own admission, is fortu
der
Thun
of
n
Owe
Paul
to
son
step
be
to
enough
l
essfu
succ
a
of
Audio. In addition to being part
itor
mon
is
n
Owe
,
pany
international audio com
was eight,
engineer for Metallica. When Thorene
to watch
Owen took him to a Metallica show
dards
stan
kid’s
him mix monitors, which by any
at
year
a
did
he
ol
scho
is beyond cool. After high
t
wen
d
frien
A
me.”
for
’t
wasn
Age: 22
it
but
“regular college,
so
was,
it
t
When Not In a Bu
to Full Sail and talked about how grea
s: Detroit, Mich.
r he got out, he
Thorene was inspired to enroll. Afte
company and
n
uctio
prod
worked for a local small
Thunder.
at
fold
the
in
self
him
eventually found
art. “It is even
Stew
Rod
join
to
d
aske
and
re he was noticed
He got sent out with Metallica, whe
challenges
have
’t
he didn
he says of his experience — not that
rience
expe
better than I thought it would be,”
h
muc
had
’t
flying Meyer Milo speakers and I hadn
ter
mat
a
just
and a big learning curve. “They were
it’s
and
ed,
start
rst
fi
I
n
was a huge challenge whe
That
it.
into
dove
just
I
but
e,
thos
flying
should be.”
of keeping it all running as well as it
and Thorene says he also
D5s,
AKG
of
lot
a
g
Stewart is usin
all Meyer speaklikes Shure. Otherwise, the rig includes
because they
rly
icula
ers, which he says are great, part
so awesome,”
’s
that
—
s
amp
are all self-powered. “No
on Rod is for
have
we
amp
only
the
he smiles. “I think
the drum thumper.”
shadow of the
Not surprisingly, growing up in the
panies like he
com
d
soun
ired
most respected and adm
n company.
uctio
prod
a
own
to
like
has, long term he’d
ing a blast
“hav
he’s
But that’s very long term, as right now
so far — it’s been great.”
20
MAY 2007
www.fohonline.com
Education: Full Sail (1999)
Currently With: Rascal Flatts
First “Gig:” “I worked for a
band called the Cadillacs, and
I’m pretty sure we played every
Moose Lodge and VFW Hall in central Tennessee.”
Current Drives: DiGiCo D5
“I went to Full Sail, then worked
with the Cadillacs before Sound Image hired me to work with Brookes &
Dunn and some other bands,” Garber
says. Eventually, he wiggled on with a
fairly unknown act called Rascal Flatts
as assistant engineer, and about three
years ago got to take over the console
for himself. The band has since exploded,
with tours getting significantly bigger
each time they go out (and they go out a
lot). “The biggest challenge is the different
rooms we’re in day to day,” he says. “I have
to adjust things to make it all consistent
s:
8
— that’s important to me.”
Age: 2 Not In A Bu
Even when he finds himself in a venue
n
Whe
that is definitely on the small side, he says he
still likes to hang everything he has like it was
a big arena. “It’s better to have more than not enough!” he grins.
In addition to the DiGiCo board, he loves the dbx DriveRack 4800
system processor. To power it all he uses the Crown I-Tech 8000
power amplifier.
He says he’s grateful for the chance to work with this band, noting how it changes all the time and “doesn’t get any smaller! Next
tour we’ll be playing in the round, 360°, and that will be challenging.
The challenges get greater and greater, and that’s why I’m out here
— for the challenge.”
A challenge he’s obviously talented enough to meet. He just
Nashv
In a
Bus:
New
Orle
a n s,
“The biggest challenge I have is trying to shoot for
some consistency — especially with this group,” he
says. “I strive to make sure the vocals are on top of everything and make it a comfortable show where everyone can enjoy themselves, as opposed to killing them
at 130 dB.”
He’s a fan of Audio Technica, and says they have always taken care of him and have a lot of great products.
Interestingly he’s using their AE2500 dual-element kick
drum mic on the guitar, a trick he learned from Big Mick
Hughes, FOH for Metallica. Otherwise, he’s pleased with
all the plug-ins that come with the VENUE, so he’s hardly using any outboard gear. He is using the Crane Song
Phoenix Tape Saturation plug-in, as “it helps warm up
everything in the digital domain.”
Looking down the road, he hopes to do some more
studio work, if it can be on his own terms. “But really, I’m
just looking forward to learning more every day and try
to do the best I can — and be around for a while.”
La.
Education: Conservatory of
Recording Arts & Sciences, Tempe, Ariz.
(1997)
Currently With: Evanescence
First “Gig:” “After the Conservatory,
I went back to Alexandria, La. and did
my internship there, as opposed to New
York or L.A. I mixed for different local
bands around there — just a handful
of country or metal bands or whatever
came along.”
Currently Drives: Digidesign VENUE
Mapp played guitar in local bands
and “always by default was also the
sound guy.” Now if most dads saw
their kid approaching adulthood
wanting to work in the world of rock
‘n’ roll, he’d push him or her toward
won the 2007 EventProForum’s
“Rising Star” Award given to individuals working less than five
years in the live event industry
who have demonstrated exceptional achievement, creativity
and perseverance.
His goal was always to
be FOH for a major act, and
while he’s grateful that’s he’s
already accomplished that,
he’d be happy doing it for
another decade or more.
“Maybe in the future I’d like
to own a sound company
— that would be my long
term goal.”
nn.
ille, Te
Nashv
Ad
Adinfo:http://
info:http://foh.hotims.com
foh.hotims.com
:
A Bus
Ag e :
Whe 23
n No
t
accounting or something — unless the dad and the mom
were in the medical profession, then the push would be
in that direction. But check this out: “I didn’t want to be
a doctor or lawyer or anything like that; my interest was
in music. And it was actually my father who suggested
this career. He was looking through a magazine and saw
something about the conservatory and suggested it.”
After he got out of school and cut his teeth with the
locals, he got what he considers his first “real” gig with
a legend: Ellis Marsalis. He had planned to work in the
studio, and did do some of that work, but, “showing up
at the same place day after day felt too much like I was
punching a clock. With live, it’s different every day and
that was more appealing.”
Working the Ozzfest for Black Label Society, he garnered enough attention to be asked to come on the
road with Evanescence. Modestly, Map attributes his
break with “word of mouth,” but obviously he has the
chops to do the job.
www.fohonline.com
200.0705.20-21.indd 21
2007 MAY
21
4/27/07 1:59:05 PM
Product Gallery
VCA Analog Consoles
I
t’s funny why we decide to do some of the
things we do. The really confusing part is
how it must look to the outside world. For
instance, why did we choose to do a product
gallery focusing on models with VCA groups?
Well, each year when we plan these
things, we try to split them up and cover all
parts of the signal chain at least semi-equally.
The challenge comes when we also try to not
overtly repeat ourselves each cycle and nar-
Allen & Heath’s ML4000
Name
row what are often huge market segments
into something manageable for print. (Side
note: If we were to put all of the Product Galleries online with a mechanism for keeping
them updated as new models were released,
would you find that to be a useful tool? Is it
something you would use? Drop me a line
and let me know at bevans@fohonline.com.)
Anyway, that narrowing process is how
we ended up with the VCA consoles this time
By BillEvans
around. We had already done frame sizes and
number of submixes, so this seemed like the
next best way to keep the chart, the real star of
the show here, down to something reasonable.
For those of you who don’t know, a VCA is
a voltage controlled amplifier. It operates as a
kind of submix, but not
really. Some guys love
and lean on them, and
other guys hate them. A
The Midas Legend 3000
well-known mixer who did a lot of magazine
writing work as well used to have a signature
on his e-mails that read, “Real Men Don’t Mix
With VCAs.”
Using VCA groups allows you to gang
inputs together for control without the au-
The APB Spectra in action
Make/Model
Price/Frame sizes
VCA
Channels
Subgroup
Channels
Aux Send channels and pre/post groupings
Spectra Series
$13,500-$28,800/24-56
8
N/A
10 Aux Sends + 4 pre/post groupings
ML5000
32+4, 40+4, 48+4, plus up to 2x 24 input sidecars, total 96+4 channels. LCR Plus from channels and groups. Retail: $21,599 - $27,399
8
8
16 Aux Sends all Pre/Post Switchable. Auxs 9-16 also
configurable as stereo aux
ML4000
24+2, 32+2, 40+2, 48+2, plus up to 2x 24 input sidecars, total 96+2
channels. LCR Plus from channels and groups. Retail: $14,599 $19,899
8
8
12 Aux Sends. 1 - 8 Pre/Post Switchable in banks of
4. Auxs 9-12 also configurable as stereo auxs and
Pre/Post switchable in pairs
ML3000
24+2, 32+2, 40+2, 48+2 channel frames. LCR Plus from channels and
groups. Retail: $6,599 - $11,519
8
4
8 Aux Sends. Pre/Post Switching: 1-4, 5-6, 7-8 (Stereo
Aux)
CV-20
$TBA/32, 40, 48, 56 & 64 frame sizes
8
8
12, 1-4 mono, 5-10 switchable between mono and
stereo, 11 & 12 stereo with pre and post switching
Legend 3000
$41,141.67-$53,300/28, 36, 44, 52
10
8
12
Heritage 1000
$58,483.33-$94,245/24, 32, 40, 48, 56
10
10
10
Heritage 2000
16 extender ($49,270), $145,610 (64 frame)/24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64
10
12
12
Heritage 3000
16 extender ($53,881.67), $179,626.67 (64 frame)/24, 32, 40, 48, 56, 64
10
N/R
N/R
Series FIVE
$41,450 US for 24 mono + 4 stereo; $47,995 for 32+4; $54,995 for
40+4; $61,495 for 48+4; $72,950 for 56+4
10
8
12 independently on/off and pre/post switchable
MH4
40+4; $39,250 for 48+4; $45,250 for 56+4
8
8 (FOH
mode), 16
(monitor
mode)
12 in FOH mode, pre/post switchable in pairs
MH3
40+4; $27,130 for 48+4; $31,245 for 56+4
8
8 (FOH
mode), 12
(monitor
mode)
12 in FOH mode, with 1-8 pre/post switchable in pairs
and 9-12 switchable as one group
MH2
40+4; $17,895 for 48+4
8
8
10, with 1-4 and 9-10 switchable in pairs and 5-8
switchable as one group
PM5000
28 ch.$74K, 36 ch. $79K, 52 ch. $93K
12
4 Stereo + 8
Mono matrix
12 stereo, 8 mono
Ma
APB
apbdynasonics.
com
Allen & Heath
allen-heath.com
Crest Audio
crestaudio.com
Midas
midasconsoles.
com
Soundcraft
soundcraft.com
Yamaha Commercial Audio
Systems
yamahaca.com
22
MAY 2007
www.fohonline.com
1
12
lso
of
d
reo
nd
ng
le
airs
8
dio actually passing through another stage,
which can add noise and color the sound. The
fader on a VCA group never really “sees” the
audio. It controls a voltage, which in turn controls the levels of everything assigned to that
VCA. And a VCA can be assigned to more than
one group fader. The catch is that you still
have to assign an output (sub-group buss or
RLC main) to each individual channel as the
VCA has no output assignment.
Again, most of you know this, but it works like
this. Say you have all of your drums assigned to a
stereo subgroup. You
can adjust the drums
overall by pushing two
faders at the subgroup
level. But to get them into the subgroup you generally have to pick a subgroup pair and then pan
the channel hard left or hard right to get it into the
group you want. The stereo subgroups can then
be panned more subtly, but you do lose some
placement options as far as the soundfield goes.
With a VCA, each channel gets and maintains its
own pan, and the level of everything assigned to
that VCA is raised or lowered with ONE fader and
without screwing with sound placement.
So now you have one fader for those
drums. Oh, and remember the part about assigning things to more than one VCA? How
about all drums to a VCA and all drums and
the bass to another? This lets you raise or
lower just the drums or both the drums and
bass without screwing up the relative levels
or panning. VCAs can be a powerful tool, used
correctly. Here is a look at some of the pro
VCA consoles on the market now.
Yamaha PM5000
Soundcraft MH4
Matrix Output Configuration
Ch EQ Description
Insert Type
Mute
Groups
Metering
15 x 4
4-band, all swept, switchable shelf/bell on high and low (T Series)
TRS and XLR
available
12 (8
VCA +
manual)
Channel: 6 LED array; Master: 18 LED ladders, 12 steps
each
12 x 8
4-band, 20Hz - 400Hz swept HPF, parametric HM and LM, swept HF and LF
TRS
8
Simultaneous LED bar and moving coil VU metering of
all main outputs and P/AFL
12 x 4
4-band, full sweep EQ with switched Q on midrange, 20Hz - 400Hz swept
HPF
TRS
8
8x4
4-band, with swept mids, 20Hz - 400Hz swept HPF
TRS
8
11 x 4, expandable to 19 x 4
4-band sweepable, Q mid control, HPF
Separate
TRS sends &
returns
16
LED bar graphs on all I/O; Optional Meter Bridge to
monitor outputs in VU
12 x 6
FOH 4-band semi-parametric; MON 2-band sweepable
N/R
10
N/R
15 x 8
4-band semi parametric
N/R
10
N/R
15 x 8
4-band fully parametric
N/R
10
N/R
27 x 8
N/R
10
N/R
16 x 10
4-band fully parametric with sweepable HPF and LPF
TRS
8
10-segment LED bargraphs on every input channel,
plus 15 VU output meterbridge as standard
20 x 8
4-band with shelving sweep HF and LF sections, and fully parametric
high-mid and low-mid bands; variable HPF
TRS
8
12-segment LED bargraphs on every input channel,
plus 11 VU output meterbridge as standard
12 x 4 (or 12 x 8 with optional
matrix module)
TRS
8
12-segment LED bargraphs on every input channel and
output (11 VU output meterbridge optional)
11 x 4
TRS balanced
6
12-segment LED bargraphs on every input channel and
output (11 VU output meterbridge optional)
16, 4 stereo - 8 mono
XLR input, TRS
output
8
Input: 9-points (PEAK/+12/+6/+3/0/-3/-6/-12/-25dB);
Output 20-points (PEAK, +15, 3dB step, -39dB) LED level
meter
www.fohonline.com
200.0705.22-23.indd 23
2007 MAY
23
4/26/07 9:43:57 PM
Road Tests
Lab.gruppen
FP6000Q Power Amplifier
By MarkAmundson
W
hen the Lab.gruppen FP+ series of
power amplifiers was introduced late
last year, there was competitive skepticism on the reality of the specifications. How
could Lab.gruppen offer a 13-kilowatt amplifier
in two rack spaces that weighed less than 30
pounds? The answer was shown to us at Winter NAMM, when the FP13000 chassis was left
open for all to see. The simple math tells us that
when you use a 390-volt (+/-195 volts) switching power supply into the Class TD amplifier
modules and cool them with a lot of copper
heatsink, you get 6500 watts per channel into
2-ohm loads.
As I did not have a need for 6500 watts in
any one speaker array, I chose the less ambitious FP6000Q as a good representative of the
FP+ series of amplifiers. Even with that said, no
one has previously produced this large of quad
channel amplifier in two rack spaces, much less
offering the quad channel FP10000Q in the
same size with 2500 watts per channel into 2ohm loads. Another nice touch is that — unlike
most power amps — you do not lose close to
half of your output power when moving from 2
ohms to 4. THe FP+ line is actually optimized at
2.67 to 3 ohms depending on the model. What
this means is that the difference in output power between 2 ohms and 4 is token at best before
current limiting.
My Lab.gruppen FP6000Q came in normal
cardboard packaging and weighs in at 26.4
pounds like all the rest of the FP+ series. The
19-inches by 3.5-inches by 15.6-inches overall
dimensions make it a bit deeper than some
compact amplifiers in the 20 to 30 pound class,
but shallow enough for most amplifier racking.
Rear rack rail kits come with each amplifier, so
there is no chasing for accessories in this series
of amplifiers. The 12-gauge non-detachable
power cord with a NEMA 5-20P plug is another
clue that this big amplifier is best connected to
stout power distribution in order to deliver the
rated audio output power per channel. Yeah,
I grabbed my 5-20R to 5-15P cheater adapter
for bench tests, and the 5-amp power-on softstart in-rush draw made no visible problems
By AlexFletcher
I
f you work with sound systems of any
significant size you have been at least
exposed to the DriveRack series from
dbx. The fact that I can say that with total
confidence shows how fast this type of gear
has caught on. It didn’t exist a decade ago
and now everyone from TC to Yamaha to
Sabine to XTA to the dude down the street
make one and we all use them.
The Gear
RT
Like pretty much every other “system
controller” on the market, the dbx DriveRack
line takes a bunch of gear that we used to
keep in a big case called, what else, a drive
rack and puts it all into one DSP-driven unit.
Typically you get a number of inputs with
about double that number of outputs with
everything from EQ to delay to RTA and
compression and crossovers.
The 4800 is the “flagship” of the dbx
DriveRack line. The regional soundco I work
for has had four of them and we have been
using them on a variety of gigs with different speaker and amp combos for about six
months now.
The unit is offered in two versions. The
24
MAY 2007
on residential 120VAC circuits. There were also
no audible thumps or pops through speakers
when going through power-up or power-down
cycles with the FP6000Q.
The Gear
RT
The Lab.gruppen FP6000Q front panel is
a stylish black face with cooling air inlet vents
on both sides of a centrally organized control
panel with four gain knobs for the ABCD channels. Additionally, the control panel features
7-segment LED bargraphs per channel, and a
few other LEDs for abnormal operation status.
On the far right side, almost hidden by the large
and rugged lift handles, are two rocker switches
for power on/off and the NomadLink digital interface enable selections.
The rear panel of the FP6000Q is where all
the action is. The top half the rear panel is where
all the warm air exhaust venting is, and you can
easily see the plethora of shiny copper heatsink
fins near the venting. The bottom half of the
rear panel includes four Neutrik Speakon NL4
output jacks, four XLR-F signal input jacks, three
8-rocker DIP switch banks, two NomadLink Ethernet jacks for in and out data signaling, and the
strain-relieved power cord entrance.
The only user interface on the rear panel is
the rocker DIP switches, adjustable with a small
screw driver or mechanical pencil in order to
toggle the switches. Most of the DIP switch selections allow for channel-by-channel selection
peak voltage limiter selection (VPL) and a hard or
soft-clip choice when entering the limiter. Three
common DIP switches are used to select overall
amplifier gain values from 23dB to 44dB in 3dB
increments. The last grouping of DIP switch selections is four bridge mode enabling (A+B, C+D)
dbx
4800 with front panel controls and the 4820
without front panel controls. They are both
4 in 8 out 2 space rack units. All I/O is on balanced XLRs. The 4820 is really meant for the
installer-types who want to set up a system
and then lock it down so the “volunteers”
can’t screw anything up
There are six parameters on each of the
four inputs: mix (source selection, gain, and
pink noise), GEQ, A.F.S. (auto feedback suppression), a nine-band parametric EQ, mono
compression and time delay.
And there are six parameters on each
output: source select and gain, crossover
(this is very deep and includes includes
filter selection, slope, polarity, phase and
gain), six-band parametric EQ, mono limiter,
output delay and composite graph viewer.
Obviously the 4800 can do a lot, so you
are going to want to spend a little time getting to know the thing before your first date.
That is one of the things about having a lot
of power — it allows you to do pretty much
whatever you need to do to tune the system, but it also allows you to totally screw
yourself if you don’t know what you’re doing or how the 4800 works. You don’t just
and intelligent fan enabling that slows up the fan
speed when no signal is present.
Like most tour grade power amplifiers, the
Lab.gruppen FP6000Q features a very wide
frequency response (6.8Hz to 34kHz) at a 0/3dB flatness and 112dBA signal to noise ratio.
The THD is a modest less than 0.05% at 1kHz,
and 0.1% over the 20Hz to 20kHz range at one
watt. For power ratings, the FP6000Q does 1500,
1250, 625, 320 watts at 2, 4, 8, 16 ohms loadings
respectively. And when channel bridged the
power ratings are 3000, 2500, 1250 watts at 4, 8,
16 ohms loadings.
RT
The Gigs
After completing the shop tests and playing with the NomadLink communications
software for remote status and power on/off
control, it was time to rack up the FP6000Q
and do a couple gigs. With the 1250-watt ratings at 4 ohms, the FP6000Q was a natural for
top box mid-range speaker drive with the other two channels nicely available for high-frequency drive of the horns by dropping down
the VPL DIP switches to lower selections. In
this application, here is a great example of a
single two rack-space amplifier replacing two
amplifiers to save weight and space.
I found the FP6000Q outstanding in performance, and even more high-fidelity that
what I experienced with the older fp6400 and
fp3400 touring amplifiers. And this 120VAC
version (65 to 135 VAC) seemed to have better
foresight when adapting the 230VAC power
supplies to 120VAC.
My next application and gig was with
the FP6000Q driving biamp wedge mixes,
and I ran both lo-hi/lo-hi configurations, plus
four channels of below 1250Hz, with another
quad amp handling the easier horn driver
tasks. Even with tough rock ‘n’ roll wedge
mixes with pairs of 8-ohm and 4-ohm loading
(one or two wedges per mix), the FP6000Q
handled everything with ease and fidelity.
Overall, I liked the capability for the
size and weight; plus the efficiency that the
switcher PSU and Class TD amplifier stages on
lightly consuming power. To visualize Class
TD, think of normal Class D switcher amplifier but with stepped power supply rails like
a class H analog amplifier. Then you can see
why very little heat exits this amplifier when
under heavy loads. Looking for weaknesses, I
came up nearly empty handed. The only thing
that will slow up FP+ series sales would be the
expensive price tag. But while pricing always
looks daunting to us club-gigging soundcos,
the FP+ series is a bargain when you think of
the size/weight shrink and the lower transportation costs for touring soundcos.
What It Is: Tour-grade power amp
Who It’s For: Larger soundcos and anyone
who needs really big power in a small
package
Pros: Compact size/weight for the huge
power, great sound
Cons: Touring amp price tag may deter
local soundcos.
How Much: Lab.gruppenFP6000Q: $5695
MSRP
Web site: www.labgruppen.com
DriveRack 4800
throw this in the rack and head out to the
gig.
One sidenote: Yes, all of the parameters
and control is accessible from the front
panel. But there is an awful lot that the
4800 can do and that can make navigation via the front panel a bit tedious compared to using a computer. I have been in
this business for nearly 30 years and have
watched lots of stuff develop and have to
admit I never thought I would say this, but
you’re gonna want a laptop on the gig with
you. The HiQnet software is a review all on
its own and we are not going to really get
into it here, but let’s just say that even if the
4800 is the only piece of HiQnet enabled
gear you are using, the wireless Ethernet
control alone makes it worth having that
www.fohonline.com
laptop. It’s just much quicker and easier to
use a laptop with the software for setup
and tweaking.
The Gigs
RT
Like I said, we have been using 4800s for
six months, which means probably something like 100 gigs. They have run the range
from loud outdoor rock shows to corporate
events to you name it. What do I think after
that many shows with the 4800?
Basically, this unit kicks ass! I work in
Las Vegas, Nev. — you know, in the desert,
where climate conditions can be a bit on
the extreme side. Despite that fact we have
not had a single failure from heat or other
conditions on these units, and they are going into their
continued on page 33
200.0705.Ads.indd 25
4/26/07 9:54:48 PM
FOH Interview
Chris Chandler
The Flaming
Lips
TURNING UP THE HEAT
Chris Chandler matches up well with the wild rock show that is the Flaming Lips
By DavidJohnFarinella
S
ince the early ‘90s Chris Chandler has
had a FOH seat for one of the most exciting and creative rock ‘n’ roll shows
played onstage, led by Wayne Coyne and
his merry band of pranksters known as the
Flaming Lips. From the lead singer getting
bounced into a crowd at the Coachella Valley
Music and Arts Festival in a huge clear ball to
space ships onstage to a cascade of balloons
bounding down from the rafters to the entire
band dressing up in animal costumes, Chandler has seen just about everything.
Indeed, it seems that Chandler (who
handles tour management and production
along with FOH duties) gets a head scratching phone call from Coyne before almost every tour. Right before the lads headed out for
a small East Coast college tour in April, he got
the word that the band was going to hand
out small laser pointers to the audience and
then at some point of the show Coyne would
come out with a huge mirror to create a light
show.
FOH: So, do you ever look at Wayne
and say, “Dude, we just can’t do this”?
Chris Chandler: I used to, but then I gave
up because he’s going to try it anyways. I
know the confetti got to be an issue, because
he would use so much that the clubs didn’t
like that it got all over the P.A. and the monitors. So he changed that. The balloons got to
the point where we had so many on the stage
that they were knocking all the mic stands
over. We ended up taking sheet rock screws
and putting them at the end of the mic stands,
so when the balloons would come in they
wouldn’t knock the mics over. And instead
of doing overheads on the drum kit, I just
clamped the mics underneath the cymbals to
keep them from getting hit all the time. There
are ways around most of his crazy ideas.
26
200.0705.26-27.indd 26
MAY 2007
Was it this way from the first time you
worked with them?
Yeah, I started with them on the tour when
we had 600 or 700 little Sony Walkman radios
that we’d hand out to the crowd and then
we’d do a separate mix for the headphones.
Then we would broadcast it throughout the
neighborhood.
How crazy was that?
That was crazy for a first tour. I had to
mix five bands on it, drive the truck and set
up that radio thing every day. It was nuts. We
had an antenna that we brought in. We had a
little transmitter. We would get to the venue,
scan what frequencies were open and pick
one. Then we would give all these radios out.
Wayne’s theory was that if you wanted to go
out to the balcony or out to the hallway, you
could still hear the show the same as everybody else and you wouldn’t miss anything.
Then, at the sold out shows, the kids would
park out in their cars and get the show on
their car radio, or the bar next door would
tune it in and put it in across the speakers in
the bar. It went over well. I don’t know how
legal it was.
This band is known for pushing the
envelope.
Wayne had the parking lot experiment
where he had 30 or 40 cars that had a cassette tape of different parts of a song and
he’d have them all play at the same time. So,
you’d sit in the parking garage and you’d hear
instruments coming out of this car here and
it was supposed to match up to the other
instruments to make a wall of sound inside
the parking garage. Then he had the boom
boxes that he brought onstage that were a
smaller version of the car event. We tried an
experiment on one tour where we brought a
second P.A. and put it behind front of house,
pointing towards the crowd. He wanted, at
different times, to throw guitar solos in there
or to throw different instruments, and he
wanted his voice to come from behind you.
We did that for a little bit. It caused a lot of
weird phasing problems.
What about other gear?
How do you prepare to work with him?
So what do you like to take out?
He is so hands-on with everything that
it’s a big team effort. He gets people excited
to work with him. He can rally up even the
grumpiest union hands at a venue somehow.
He’ll be the first guy at the venue in the morning — he’ll be on the truck helping to unload
it. I think that gets people’s respect a little bit.
He’s one of those guys who’s not going to sit
back at the hotel until sound check. He tries to
figure out how to put together the best show,
so that inspires everybody else to do the same
thing. He has some crazy idea for every show.
He has a space ship that he’s built now — it’s a
big flying saucer. He has a new video wall. He
has some new lasers that we’re bringing out
on the next run.
We’ve been carrying a Midas XL-4. I like
that a lot. It’s probably one of my favorite
consoles. The P.A. we got over in Europe was a
d&b, and that was really good. On a couple of
tours, we had the V-DOSC, and that was good.
There’s a company up in Canada that makes
a P.A. called Adamson that we use quite a bit,
and it sounded really good.
He’s not a fan of the digital consoles.
We’ve had a few out, and he’s not thrilled with
them. Maybe the analog stuff seems quicker,
easier, it sounds better. He doesn’t really say, I
just know he hasn’t liked some of the digital
stuff we’ve had out before.
Any outboard gear you take out?
I have a small 12-space rack. There’s a company out of England called Ridge Farm Industries — they make this compressor called the
Boiler. I ended up loving that compressor, and
I’ll put all my drums through that.
I take them
Is he pretty hands-on in terms of P.A.?
He just wants it to be loud. Not as loud
as they used to want it to be, they used to
want to be extremely loud. Now they just
want to be really loud. He liked the NEXO
line array, because of the look of it. It looked
like a space ship to him. He wanted to buy
one of those and paint it orange until he
saw how much money they cost. I think he
likes something that’s not going to take up
too much space on the stage, so he’s more
into the look of it and the fact that it can
get loud. He likes a lot of sub and a lot of
the high frequencies. I’m not sure if that’s
because his hearing is going, but he loves
Chris Cha
the high-pitched frequencies.
ndler
www.fohonline.com
(in back)
with the
Flaming Li
ps at Air S
tudios
4/26/07 9:48:21 PM
ming L
ips ons
tage w
ith the
ir ballo
ons, co
nfetti a
nd UFO
.
The audience at a Flaming Lips show
out of the
stereo, put the
compressor through a stereo
group and squash all the drums. I have a
couple of Distressors I use for the vocals. I carry a rack of the Midas XL-42s, the Midas XL-4
mic pre and EQ. I’ll have four channels of that,
in case I show up to a venue and they don’t
really have the greatest console. I also have a
couple channels of old API pres that were rack
mounted and a couple of old Gamble EQs
from a Gamble console. Other than that it’s
pretty basic stuff, like four channels of gates,
there are a couple of effects like an M2000
and SPX 990. The Gamble EQ is real nice. It’s
a six-band EQ, so I can really surgically get in
and finetune some stuff out.
g Lips
min
The Fla
anymore. He didn’t
want me hanging out there. I
had a friend who was my age, but his sister was in college, so she introduced me to a
couple of the bands that she knew through
college. I would go to their rehearsals and put
their effects pedals together, help put their
amps up and mess around with the sound
there.
What was your next step?
I moved out to Los Angeles to go to the
Dick Grove School of Music, which I think is
gone. They had a music school and a recording school, so I took about a year of the recording program. Then there was somebody
there that mentioned John Tesh was looking
for some help. He was working on Entertainment Tonight, and he had a couple of records
that he was doing, so I worked at his record-
ing studio. I would help do second engineer
stuff, set up the drums, clean up the studio,
help him with computer stuff.
How did you hook up with the Lips?
I was on tour with John Tesh, and we
played in Oklahoma City, and one of the
stagehands that was helping there worked
for the Flaming Lips and we hit it off as
friends. I hired him on the John Tesh tour because one of our guys had to leave the tour,
and then he hired me on to the Flaming Lips.
That’s how I transferred into the other side
of the music business, doing FOH for Flaming Lips and Modest Mouse.
You’ve been with them for a long time
now; what’s the secret to your longevity?
I don’t know. I probably would say a lot
of it is that you don’t have to be the best
sound guy in the world — I think you have to
be easy to get along with, stay awake, don’t
get to messed up in the drugs and the
alcohol — then you can pretty much stay
with bands for a while. The people I do see
come and go is more because of personality issues than their capabilities of doing their job.
Now that you are on the road full
time, do you miss working in a studio?
Yeah, I do. It’s a little more refined to sit
and listen to mic pres and certain mics and
really work on capturing the sound, than you
do live where you are listening more to get
less stage volume in your mic or get it up
over the guitar amps. It’s a little different way
of going about it, but if you have a bad show,
you can have a good show the next day. It’s
only lasts so long. If you do a bad mix in the
studio, it sits out there for years.
How did you get your start mixing FOH?
I started in 8th grade. I bought a little
Crate four-channel mixer that had a built-in
reverb and two Peavey speakers. I started to
do sound at some of the high school parties. I pretty much figured it out on my own.
I bought some books and had a paper route
that helped me pay for the little mixer, and
then the church in town donated a couple of
old Shure mics to me that they weren’t using.
That was my set up — I had four mics, four
channels and two little Peavey speakers.
You were in 8th grade?
Yeah.There were two bars in our town that
I could get in when I was working for bands,
but then my dad had a fit and called the bars
and told them they couldn’t
let me in
AT
The Fla
200.0705.26-27.indd 27
4/27/07 1:53:17 PM
Vital Stats
BY KevinM.Mitchell
Riedel
Communications
Go along for the ride
Who:
Riedel Communications, Inc.
What:
Manufacturer of sophisticated digital intercom
solutions for customers worldwide for use in
the broadcast, pro audio, event, sports and
theatre industries.
Where:
Headquarters located in Wuppertal, Germany
(north of Cologne). U.S. offices are in Elmsford,
N.Y. and Burbank, Calif. Additional offices are
located in Berlin; Vienna, Austria; Singapore,
and Hong Kong.
When founded:
1987
Recent projects of note:
Riedel’s products have contributed to the success of such recent events as the MTV Video
Music Awards, the NHL All Star Game, the NBA
All Star Game and the Asian Games, to name
a few.
Riedel Headquarters
Recent company highlight:
More than 800 customers and partners from
around the world recently joined Riedel for an
event celebrating their 20w anniversary.
People might be surprised
to know:
Thomas Riedel, founder of Riedel Communications, started his business career as a magician.
Motto:
Just do it. Better.
Full time employees:
140
Thomas Riedel (left) and Marc Scheider
Number of products in catalog:
54
Products made in:
Germany — from research and development
through to production.
The Riedel 20th anniversary party
“This is an important investment,
allowing us to step
up in terms of the
size and scope of
the events we can
serve,” Goodreau
says. “The quandary,
as always, is deciding if there’s going
to be enough return
on an investment,
Continued from page 18
accurately projecting whether it will help us grow — and more
festival in Moodus, which only has about
to the point, grow profitably.
3,000 people but apparently at least 2,500
“But that’s the age-old dilemma with
of them came out for the show,” Goodreau
gear,” he consays.
“A lot of
Another
“A lot of us in this business tinues.
us in this busigig, the popuspend
lar Strawberry spend way too much time ness
way too much
Park
Blueworrying about gear rather time worrying
grass Festival
gear
in
Preston, than profitably increasing about
rather
than
Conn., served
business.” —Mike Goodreau
profitably
as a milestone
increasing
for Ace Audio.
business. The two entities have to be conMarking its 29th anniversary, the annual festival features a bill of “who’s who” sidered together, as in, if we invest in ‘X’
bluegrass artists such as Rhonda Vincent, component, then it will result in ‘X’ return
in revenue.”
Grammy-nominated Blue Highway and
Solving problems is another factor
several others, and it was the first occain gear selection, pointing to another
sion the company utilized an eight-box
recent investment in several Crown IEAW KF730 line array rig that’s joined the
Tech Series power amplifiers: “You get a
company inventory.
A ce Of Sound
tremendous amount of audio horsepower out of these amplifiers from
a 20-amp circuit. One problem we
constantly face is limited AC power
at the venue, and with these amps,
it’s basically a non-factor.”
Challenges like this keep
Goodreau busy seven days a week
during the peak of the spring/summer season, and it’s not unusual to
see him mixing at most events. Despite that, the biggest focus remains
educating customers about what it
really takes to adequately support
an event like a full-range concert for
several thousand people. And it goes
full circle to the primary keys to Ace
Audio’s survival these many years.
“We work with
clients as patiently as possible, year
after year, to help
them put on the
best show they
possibly can,” he
concludes.
“It’s
good for their
business, which
in turn is good
for our business,
and ultimately it’s
what keeps them
coming back to us
for more.”
Live entertainment for the 20th anniversary
System Tech Ellen Goodreau
Ace’s EAW six-box NT Series gets deployed for an outdoor community concert.
28
MAY 2007
www.fohonline.com
Taking God on the Road
Sound Sanctuary
It may not be rock ‘n’ roll, but the band sure rocks
Gospel band called Firm Soundation, and if you
By JamieRio will read on I will tell you all about it.
Early to Rise
SS
A little over a year ago I got a call to supply
sound for a wedding. When the band showed
up, I recognized the guitar player from a church
ver the last several months, I have talked I had been mixing at, and the drummer was a
to you about installing worship sound guy I had played music with a few years earlier.
systems, dealing with the church hierar- The group played nothing but worship music
chy, training volunteers, getting paid, etc. What for the wedding. Everything from current gospel
I have not spent any time on is mixing church, tunes to old black spirituals. The band was really
gospel and worship groups and going out on good and lots of fun to mix. As a matter of fact,
the wedding was
the road with a
worship band.
“Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.” I don’t very uplifting, not
to mention the
So,
this
really have to tell you that those rockin’ southern
month I will attempt to shed three demands won’t fly with a barbeque that
was served. Anysome light on praise and worship group.
way, almost a year
these two subjects. I know a lot of you out there have spent a goes by and I get a call from Ray Sidney (the
lot of time on the road. For many years, I toured band leader) that the group needed sound for
with a rock outfit, and spent as long as a year on a Los Angeles Zoo gig. The same band was playthe road. However, that was when I was in my ing there for a two-day gig during Black History
twenties and my mantra was the same as most Month (February). I once again had a great time
of my predecessors — “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ mixing the group, and I really enjoyed the music.
roll.” I don’t really have to tell you that those Well, a few days after the Zoo gig I got a call from
three demands won’t fly with a praise and wor- Ray again asking me if I could supply sound for a
ship group today. But what I have found work- handful of out-of-town dates.We worked out the
ing with live worship bands is that they are just dollars, and I agreed to provide sound and my
as fired up about what they are doing as any personal mixing skills. The first show was not to
rock group. They are just fanning a different far away at the Pala Indian casino near San Diego.
fire. Anyway, I have recently begun mixing “out My office is in Pasadena, Cali., so I had only about
of town” weekend dates with a 10 member pro a two-hour drive. The only thing that is a little dif-
O
ferent is that I had a 6 a.m. stage call. You see, Ray monitors are necessary up front, but the singand his group specialize in performing at gospel ers only want three mixes, and the band wants
brunches. That’s right
three, so I can monitor
— you go to brunch on
from my board. I think
Instead of being up at 3 a.m.
a Sunday and hear some
the real difference with a
inspiring worship music. getting in from the gig, I am gospel group compared
So instead of being up up at 3 a.m. going to the to a rock or blues band is
at 3 a.m. getting in from gig. It’s really the same, only the vocals, so they get as
the gig, I am up at 3 a.m. upside down.
much attention as they
going to the gig. It’s really
need.
the same, only upside down.
The other thing that really needs attention
is my general language onstage or in the green
Road Dogs and Choir Boys
room. It’s a worship band for God’s sake, so no
SS
The Firm Soundation back-up band consists foul or crude word usage. Besides, there are a lot
of drums, bass, keys and guitar. Some of the guys of women in this group, and they will certainly
are old road dogs that found God, and the others not tolerate me talking like a punk.
are church boys who like to rock. Every single one
The other thing that I have to get used to is
of these guys is an “A” list player and knows what praying before the show or before a meal. I have
their instruments are all about. Setting the band no problem praying with anybody for just about
up is the same as any group.
anything; I am just not used to praying with the
I mic them up, make them sound great and band. I’m only a few shows into this new advenhold them behind the singers. Ray’s group is ture, but so far it’s been a lot of fun. Next weekall about the singing and the praising and the end I will be out in Palm Springs at a wedding/
preaching. I’ve got Ray plus a four-girl-one-guy gospel brunch double-header. I haven’t decided
back-up singing group. The vocals are the most how far I will travel with this group, but considchallenging thing with this band.The entire vocal ering all the hell I raised as a rocker, I think it’s a
group is pro, and they all have solo songs during good idea for me to stick with them for a while.
the show — but none of these singers have the It has definitely tightened up my live vocal mixsame vocal qualities. I think Ray picked them being chops, and it’s good for my soul in general.
cause of the uniqueness of their individual voic- The only thing that is a little bit of a drag is I am
es. This is a great asset during the solo songs but used to getting a cocktail after the show. I never
is an equalization challenge when I want them really liked soda that much.
to sound like an angelic choir. I guess if it wasn’t
a challenge it wouldn’t be fun. Of course, lots of Send your requests to jrio@fohonline.com.
Road Tests
By MarkAmundson
W
hile not a “true” live sound system, the
Fender Passport series of portable
sound systems have been around
for many years, and the PD-500 is the latest
and greatest version to date. This compact 53pound system makes for a totally usable portable “public address” system and is capable of
reinforcing modest live or recorded music with
good fidelity.
RT
The Gear
From the overhead, the PD-500 looks like a
charcoal grey football, with the triangle speaker
cabinets sandwiching the master control unit
that contains the mixing control surface and
stereo power amplifiers. With six XLR input
channels, two stereo line source input channels,
two-band channel EQs (with a three-band master EQ), a monitor mix send and panning for the
stereo output amplifiers; the Passport PD-500
offers plenty of flexibility for even professional
sound persons. The PD-500 also comes with a
digital effects processor built-in, so a bit of ambience can augment the singer’s performance.
And, like previous Fender Passports, the front
panel ergonomics are ever evolving, and intended to be easy-to use and non-intimidating
to technically challenged operators.
Each speaker cabinet is stuffed with drivers
on the grille, with two 8-inch Celestion low/mid
woofers, with a 1-inch diaphragm compression
horn tweeter between the woofers to handle
the high frequencies. Each 4-ohm speaker cabinet has Neutrik NL4 Speakon jacks (which allow
the use of NL2 or NL4 plugs) on the grille, and
Fender Passport PD-500 Sound System
the system comes with a pair of 22-foot speaker
cables (16 gauge) with NL2 plugs going to the
back of the PD-500 control unit. Each speaker is
driven by a separate 250-watt at 4-ohm audio
power amplifier with front panel master volume
controls with a pair of 10-LED bargraphs to track
overall levels. And to keep weight controlled, the
power amplifiers are fed by a common switching power supply.
The PD-500 provides all the cues needed to
stay in the non-distortion zone. Each channel
level includes a bi-color LED (green/red) that
provides peak signal detection for presence and
near peak. Setting the levels is just a matter of
speaking into the mic at performance levels, setting the level just before peak, and setting the
master volumes to the desired loudness. Each
PD-500 also has a global phantom power switch,
for use with condenser mics. And, for good measure, there is a one-button “feedback killer” to
minimize squeals from the sound system.
Behind the Passport PD-500 control unit is
a latched compartment for stowing the speaker
cables, two mic cables, an “iPod/walkman to RCA
plugs” patch cable and two mic pouches containing two usable cardioid dynamic mics with
on/off switches on them. While the microphone
quality is what I would call entry-level, it is serviceable for speech work.
The Gigs
RT
Both in the shop and out at the gigs (a corporate gig and a wedding reception), the Fender Passport PD-500 gets great marks for size,
weight and ease of use. The PD-500 does not
come with tripods, but
I had a pair of 1 3/8-inch
stands that worked fine
for the tasks. The 22foot speaker cables do
not always work with
every setup scenario,
but since the interfaces
are Speakons, a couple
of my big rig 4-wire, 12gauge, NL4 connectored cables still worked
fine.
The Passport PD500 does have a few
weaknesses for trying
to be everything for all
small gigs. The power
amplifiers have noticeable hiss above halfway up, while the mic preamps stayed clean throughout their range. The
digital reverb was way too limited and sounded
bell-like to my critical ears – so go easy on its
use. And the maximum clean volume was not in
keeping to what I think 500 watts should do to
these Neo-magnet-ed drivers.
But the Fender Passport does offer very nice
fidelity at a modest amount volume when set
up right. I substituted a Heil Sound PR-20 mic
for the Fender mics, and the PD-500 came alive
instantly. And with the amount of channels you
get, the clean preamps, useful EQ and the patching flexibility the Passport PD-500 will certainly
be a good fit for many applications.
www.fohonline.com
200.0705.29.indd 29
What it is: Portable P.A. System
Who it’s for: Small combos and public
speaker type gigs
How much: Fender Passport PD-500 $1999
MSRP ($1399 street)
Pros: Lightweight, tons of flexibility,
easy to use
Cons: Hissy master volumes; digital reverb
and power output questioned
Web site: www.Fender.com/passport
2007 MAY
29
4/27/07 2:41:35 PM
Theory & Practice
By MarkAmundson
F
requency equalization has come a long
way in mixing consoles for live sound.
Also known as bass and treble, or low/
mid/high controls, today’s high-end mixing
consoles offer near full parametric adjustments on four or more bands for each channel
strip. The big question is,“Do you really need all
that equalization flexibility?”
Uphill, Both Ways
TP
Being an ancient analog mixing console
curmudgeon, it is easy bring up the attitude
of “Walking five miles to school each day, uphill, both ways” to EQ history. It’s easy because,
in fact, most early live sound systems did not
have channel equalization, and equalization
in its most primitive form was considered a
luxury feature to be added at the output mix.
My first “band” P.A. system was an early 1950s
Rauland four-channel, 35-watt all-tube box
with four channel volume knobs and single
bass and treble knobs for “tone” adjustment.
My first “real” sound system was an early
1970’s four-channel Kasino (entry-level Kustom) that had individual-channel bass, treble
and reverb controls, plus the required channel
volume control. Obviously not much help on
feedback rejection, but it allowed different vocal mics to be adjusted to sound more or less
the same. It was not until the late 1970s that
serious three-band equalization was introduced, with some flexibility in “sweeping” the
mid-range center frequency in the top of the
line consoles.
The last two decades of the 20th century
saw an explosion of mixing console equalization features. Slowly, the tour grade consoles
Tips & Tricks
started growing a second swept midrange,
and then a high-pass/lo-cut switch at around
80 to 100 Hz to knock out rumble on console
channels not requiring extended low frequency response. As competition and user feedback continued, the lower-end consoles acquired the better console EQ sections, higher
end consoles went to swept high-pass filters
for sub-low frequency control, and mid-range
controls received switches for dual-Q selection
of swept bandwidths.
Today, even mid-market consoles have
swept high-pass filters, plus fully swept fourband equalization sections. And the high end
analog and digital consoles implement fully
parametric filters in each channel strip with
sweepable Q controls. And if you can’t get
enough equalization, then you can insert other parametric or graphic multi-band equalizers
for precision frequency response control.
Flavored EQ
TP
But all is not well in the mixing console EQ
strip world. As we have gone from luxury to
necessity on channel EQ strips, discerning ears
have noticed that the more sophisticated EQ
circuits have “good” or “bad” attributes when
used. Suddenly, well-respected live sound engineers started to notice pleasing or dis-pleasing phase response or circuit molestation of
audio signals passing through EQ strips. And
the audio signal attributes did not just stay
confined to certain brands, as some “British EQ”
fanatics would like to think. But certain models,
having different cost points, had different EQ
circuit topologies to be loved or hated.
To bring us back in history, in the early days
we were happy to have boost or cut tone controls, or move up to Peter Baxandall’s feedback
controlled bass and treble controls. Even now,
basic mixing consoles still use resonant filter
feedback EQ sections to keep the parts count
and costs low. But now we have elegant “secret
recipe” EQ strip circuitry from various manufacturers that are used as strategic marketing
weapons to get you to buy their consoles.
Applications
TP
Many miked-up instruments will do well
with simple EQ section tweaks. Instruments
like keyboards, guitars or toms might work fine
with three-band, swept mid controls where a
little high- or low-frequency cut (or boost) is
all that is required. And with enough flexibility,
even the kick drum can get its 400 Hz cut and
still sound acceptable with the right bass drum
microphone.
However, a nice four-band, swept mid is
much better on kick drums; especially when
facing multiple drummers, different mic types
and trying to get the desired kick sound balancing the 80 Hz “boom” with the 3 kHz “click.”
And having a swept HPF control to wipe subsonics below 40 Hz, one can go for the ultimate
balance by boosting the 40 to 70 Hz a few dBs
for the modern hifi kick sound, use the “swept”
low frequency control to tweak the boom
amount, then trim in the low-mid notch and
upper-mid click amount. As you can see just
on the kick drum, the EQ flexibility of better
console EQ sections is not wasted.
And then are problem children inputs like
bass guitar and diva vocals. Having at least four
band EQ with swept mids is almost a necessity,
as the bass can require multi-band adjustment
to counter string/finger noise issues, low-mid
peaks or valleys (150 Hz to 500 Hz), and too
much/too little girth in the all important 40 Hz
to 100 Hz sub-low bands. Vocals are a touch better, but sometimes require a lot of counter-equalizing the mic’s frequency response for feedback
rejection, out of vocal range rumbles, hisses and
dealing with the occasional 100 Hz to 300 Hz
proximity effect boom or artist mumbles.
General Requirements
TP
If you are considering a console purchase as
an upgrade, or to attain a certain capability for
your client market, here’s some EQ strip feature
advice. If you are beyond anklebiting and want
to be taken seriously as a local soundco provider, then having at least a quality three-band
EQ with a switched or swept high-pass filter is
demanded. The exception might be if you are
doing quiet corporate speeches and non-live
music events.
For regional soundcos, the A or B rigs probably should have at least four swept EQ bands
and a swept high-pass filter. For the C rigs, I
could see backing down to four-band with only
swept mids due to bid/cost considerations.
And, of course, national/touring rig consoles
will have the full monty of respected brands
and great sounding EQ strips with full parametric flexibility. And if you have rap acts, keep
a supply of insertable parametric or graphic
equalizers handy for the inevitable mic cupping technique by the artists.
Keep me in your feedback loop at
marka@fohonline.com.
Is That Really a Line Input?
How to make sure you get
what you want out of a pre-amp.
By WayneLaFarr, product specialist for Aphex Systems
A
t Aphex, we manufacture outboard
microphone preamplifiers. We believe that they are great sounding,
and that opinion is shared by thousands
of users. We did notice, however, that a few
customers complained that they could not
hear the quality improvement that they
were expecting. When we inquired as to
how our preamplifiers were interfaced into
their systems, we found that almost all the
problems arose from the confusion over
whether or not an input that is labeled “line”
is a true line input.
It’s all pretty simple. The main purpose of
using an outboard preamplifier is to improve
the audio quality over what would be available in the system without that outboard preamplifier. Since a microphone preamplifier
raises the low level output from a microphone
up to line level, the output of the outboard
preamplifier should be fed into a line input.
The problem is that many line inputs are not
true line inputs, but rather microphone preamplifiers with a pad engaged. This design
eliminates the need for a separate input
stage. While it does provide some economy, it
can impact audio quality.
30
200.0705.30.indd 30
MAY 2007
The pad does provide sufficient headroom so that a line level input will not drive
the line input into overload. But cascading
the output of a preamplifier through another
preamplifier defeats the main purpose of using a higher quality outboard preamplifier
— improving sound quality.
It is quite easy to determine if that line input is a true line input or a padded preamplifier. If the preamplifier trimmer still adjusts the
level, then that input is a padded preamplifier.
But don’t despair, there are solutions.
Some mixers have a few true line inputs as
well as padded preamplifier inputs. Some
mixers and interfaces have digital inputs, so
if the outboard preamplifier has a digital output, use that as a source. And then there is the
channel insert connection.
Most channel inserts are single ¼-inch TRS
jacks. Check the owner’s manual for your particular mixer, but most often the tip is the send
from the channel and the Ring is the return to
the channel. The output of the outboard preamplifier is fed to the return of the insert. This
is an unbalanced connection, so proper care
should be used to ensure proper polarity if the
preamplifier output is balanced. If there are
separate insert send and returns, simply connect the preamplifier output to the return.
The advantage of using the channel
insert is that it bypasses at least one audio
stage —the mixer’s preamplifier. If the outboard preamplifier is indeed higher quality
than the preamplifier in the console, that
quality difference should be apparent. If
that difference is not apparent, then perhaps the console preamplifier is better than
the outboard preamplifier. Whichever you
decide is better, the audio quality will certainly be better than cascading one preamplifier into another.
Unbalanced 1/4” out from the pre- using a cable like
this one with the “hot” unbalanced wired to the ring
on the TRS will allow a pre-to-return connection.
Part of the block diagram of a very popular mixer.
Notice that the signal from the input labeled “line”
actually goes through the preamplifier. Also notice
that the insert point is after the preamplifier.
www.fohonline.com
4/27/07 12:25:08 AM
The Bleeding Edge
Bleeding In A Different Sort of Way
Sometimes you need to stand up for your price, before you get squeezed dry
By SteveLaCerra
I
n the February 2007 issue of FOH, Larry
Hall related a story of how Mr. New Client
tried to poop on his production company
with last minute requests and substandard
treatment. Stories like that turn my stomach
because I have always maintained that promoters and club owners are barely a step
above pond scum. Do I really sound that bitter? You’d better believe it. Larry, I feel your
pain. Becoming a tour manager in addition
to sound engineer has provided me with
the occasional opportunity to do a good
turn for a sound company here and there
and maybe help avoid some of the problems that Larry encountered recently.
The story goes like this: We were play-
“Tell me the truth: can we not fit a monitor
console, or is our esteemed promoter
not willing to pay you enough to drag a
monitor desk into this place?”
panies. One week passed, and I renewed
the request for contacts. Two weeks passed,
another request. Four or five days before the
gig, I heard from the sound company, who
gave me a rundown of the gear they were
bringing. Strangely enough, there wasn’t a
monitor desk on this list. That’s because the
promoter was trying to save money. What
a surprise. I informed the gentleman who
was providing P.A. (and he was a gentleman
— I’m not being sarcastic) that this was unacceptable and that I’d take it up with Mr.
Promoter.
When I called the band’s manager for a
reality check (I always do this before locking
horns with a promoter), his reply was something like “he knows better than that.”
Something was fishy there, and it stank
like a promoter with B.O. smoking a
really cheap cigar.
ing two shows in the Midwest for the same
promoter, one of which was a theatre gig
opening for another (national) act. National
Act was bringing in their monitor and FOH
consoles. The promoter was hiring a sound
company to bring in stacks and racks for National, plus monitor and FOH desks for us. (I
guess National Act didn’t want to have any
part of letting us use their desks, which I can
understand. Maybe). Our contract is very
clear that we require a separate desk for our
monitors. We simply don’t do monitors from
front of house, and I know I’m preaching to
the choir.
TBE
In This
Corner
In This
Corner
Promoter and I made first contact about
three weeks before the shows. Since I had
dealt with Mr. Promoter last year (and the
band has dealt with him for probably 20
years) I was reasonably comfortable with his
competence. What I did not know is that he
is way cheaper than he is competent. I sent
him the hospitality rider, backline rental list
(these were fly dates), input list, stage plot,
etc. and asked Mr. Promoter to get me contact info for the sound and backline com-
So a minor argument/discussion ensued,
culminating with me saying something like,
“You know better than to think we are mixing monitors from front of house” (i.e., me
on my best behavior). After the arm-twisting
was over, the P.A. company called to inform
me that they would bring in a monitor desk
for show number one. They also told me
they could not bring a monitor desk to show
number two because there simply wasn’t
any place to put it. Oh yeah? You haven’t
seen me pack a road case. Twenty pounds of
poop in a ten-pound bag is not a problem.
Something was fishy there, and it stank like
a promoter with B.O. smoking a really cheap
cigar. I got candid with the person at the P.A.
company, “Tell me the truth: can we not fit
a monitor console, or is our esteemed promoter not willing to pay you enough to drag
a monitor desk into this place?”
“Well, he really isn’t paying me enough
to…”
TBE
RoundTwo
Two
Round
And the truth shall set you free. As I told
the P.A. company, I’m totally OK with that
answer. Furthermore, I support and respect
that answer because I don’t expect people
to work for less than they are worth. Also, I
don’t want to get to a show and find that
— because a sound company (or light company or backline company) is being paid
less than they are really worth — that they
have a bad attitude about the gig.
The honest answer of the P.A. company
gave me (Mr. Tour Manager) the opportunity
to call Mr. Promoter and lay it down: “When I
walk into this room, I will find a place to put a
monitor desk, so you’d better have one there
for me.” Sort of twisting the arm that feeds
the sound company, and in fact Mr. Cheap
Promoter (who whined constantly about
both gigs) anted up for some more pay to
the sound company and rented the monitor
desk. It’s a good thing because in my world,
“no monitor desk” = “I’m going home, and
I’m taking my band with me.” Luckily for me
the band’s manager supports me — especially when it comes to some fool thinking
we’re going to do six or seven monitor mixes
from house — and gave me the green light
to take that attitude if necessary (it wasn’t).
The bullet points here are:
A) The tour manager of a band can be
your friend.
B) Don’t work for less than you think you
are worth.
If you do, everyone loses. You have a bad
attitude about the gig, which may rear its
ugly head to the band, their crew and everyone involved in the gig. That really is a
problem because then people don’t want to
work with you again in the future. If there’s
one thing I don’t want to hear at a gig when
I have a problem, it’s “Well, the promoter really isn’t paying us what we’re supposed to
get, so I didn’t bring any spare cables.” That
doesn’t help anyone on any level. You have
to stick to your guns when you’re giving a
quote. If you let clients beat you up financially they will, and you’ll beat yourself up mentally — which is really not a good thing.
Steve La Cerra is the Tour Manager and
Front of House engineer for Blue Oyster
Cult. He can be reached via email at
woody@fohonline.com.
www.fohonline.com
200.0705.31.indd 31
[From time to time we hit on an issue in
FOH that’s like a live wire to our readers and
our writers — not surprising since they’re all
audio professionals. One of those threw some
sparks this month for Steve La Cerra. This
month Steve amplifies on Larry Hall’s “You
Book; You Pay” article from the February 2007
issue of FOH. Don’t worry, next month he’ll be
back examining high tech issues for us, but until then: Game on. —ed.]
2007 MAY
31
4/26/07 10:55:35 PM
Welcome To My Nightmare
How To Benefit from
O
nce upon a time I was working for
the original large scale rehearsal/
rental company in Los Angeles. We
got a gig for a super-high-profile show at
The Century Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom: a
$1000-a-plate benefit concert with Stevie
Wonder.
We got in at 3 p.m., miked everything up
quickly and got ready for soundcheck. That’s
when the promoter — who was also mixing
front of house for the show — came up to
me freaking out and saying he can’t mix! All
the faders are about a third of the “normal”
level, the subgroups a little higher, and the
masters are at 25 percent.
“Where is all the gain coming from?” he asks.
Since I had no idea and I’d have to wait
‘til sound check was over to find out, I just
took the output level on the house EQs and
turned them off. He brought up the mains
and got the faders approximately where
“Normal” was and said, “OK, cool”.
Sound check was over and everybody
went to change into their tuxedos, except
Bobby and I were determined to find out
what was wrong with the system. I went to
the front of house and put in some music
while the servers dressed the tables. I told
Bobby to let me know when he saw meters
on the amps or crossovers. I stared at him as
I brought up the playback. It kept getting
louder and louder — then way louder than
was comfortable, and that’s when he nodded “OK,” he had meters. I brought it down
as the ballroom manager walked over to tell
me to never do that again.
The doors opened, and TV cameras were
everywhere. Everyone came to the show:
Dick Clark, Johnny Carson, Elliot Gould, anybody who was anybody.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Stevie Wonder!”
says the announcer, and the crowd went wild.
(As wild as they can while still eating dinner in
tuxedo’s and expensive dresses, of course.)
Stevie played some songs and introduced
each song with a little story about it: when he
wrote it, what inspired it, and so on. After the
intro he would hit a key on the computer running the Synclavier and all the accompanying
tracks would start up; he’d play electric piano
live to this accompaniment.
The show went on, and the servers start
to pick up the dinner plates and bring desert.
Stevie started out, “This song is called —“
and BA-BLAM! All of a sudden it’s the loudest
thing anyone has ever heard, at least 300 dB!
I looked out at the audience, and there
were plates flying — whole trays of dessert
were in the air! Everyone in the building, all
2200 guests, are jumping out of their skin!
Stevie dove for the cancel button, and it
stopped.
The resulting silence was quiet enough to
hear all 2200 people gasp at the same time,
and all 2200 airborne dinner plates come
crashing down as the servers dropped them
from shock. Half broke on impact; the rest just
dumped their food on the celebrities.
Unphased, Stevie said, “Sorry, I hit the
wrong button. I couldn’t see the right one
— my eyesight must
be going!”
The audience
broke into laughter
and Stevie proceeded to blow away
the crowd with his
talent only.
After we took
the rig back to the
shop, we tested
it and found out
there was nothing
wrong with it —
it was just a really efficient
system that
could
produce ungodly SPL.
Turns out that
some of the
songs on Stevie’s
Synclavier were
at different dB
levels, and Stevie chose one that
was +20dB.
I’ll never forget
that as long as I live
— I don’t think anyone
else will either.
H eadroom
Jeff Burkhardt
Cadillac Audio
Sherman Oaks, CA
In The Trenches
Arek Wielgosik
Brian Liska
FOH Sound Engineer
Freelancer
Warsaw, Poland
Phone: +4860173608
pilarek@plusnet.pl
General Hard Tech + Rigging
Freelance
Mississauga, ON
416.578.6773
brian_liska@hotmail.com
Services Provided:
Audio, video and backline rental
Services Provided:
Mostly Sheridan College shows, High
School shows
Clients:
Edyta Gorniak, Piasek, Monika Brodka,
Novika, Sopot Festival TVN, TVP, TopTrendy
Polsat Festival
Quote:
“If it can be done, why not try to do it?”
Quote:
“Still forward!”
Personal Info:
General tech for five years now, completing first year of Sheridan Theatre Tech
program in April.
Equipment:
Midas Legend 3000, SM58s, Crown Amps,
EV Loudspeakers and fill, dbx processors
Hobbies:
If I’m not onstage, I’m asleep or working
paperwork for the next show.
Don’t Leave Home Without:
C-Wrench, Mag-lite, cell phone, steels, 1/8”
stereo to dual 1/4”.
Personal Info:
Musician, then stagehand and backline
guy, monitor engineer and FOH man.
Nearly 15 years in the business.
Equipment:
Yamaha PM5D, M7CL, DM2000, Soundcraft Five, MH4 Papa Bear VerTec, Baby
VerTec. Barco projectors and a lot of backline stuff
Hobbies:
Music, cooking and old analog stuff
Don’t Leave Home Without:
Powerbook and Audix OM7 mic
32
200.0705.32.indd 32
MAY 2007
www.fohonline.com
4/26/07 11:00:17 PM
The Biz
We’re On
To Something Here
By DanDaley
Two industry deals get worked out, but maybe not in the way planned. . .
— the intellectual property at issue here
predated the Live Nation spin-off.
Apparently, a court has agreed. The
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office announced in March it would revoke the
patent held by Clear Channel Communications. According to the EFF attorney Jason Schultz, the patent asserted by Clear
Channel would have created a monopoly
on all-in-one technologies that produce
post-concert digital recordings, and that
Clear Channel threatened to sue those
who made such recordings. “This locked
musical acts into using Clear Channel
technology and blocked innovations by
others,” he says.
In fact, the EFF continued in a press
release, its own investigation of the patent claims found that Telex had in fact
developed similar technology more than
a year before Clear Channel filed its patent request. “EFF asked the PTO to revoke
the patent based on this and other…
evidence,” the release states.
Role Change
Change
TB
Role
Live music events are no strangers to
litigation and copyright issues. But what’s
different here is the scale. Large corporations like Live Nation and AEG have
identified live music events as a reliable
revenue generator at a time when prerecorded music continues a six-year sales
slide. It argues for a reconsideration of
what the central technical person in the
mix — the FOH engineer — is and can
be. Many record labels are headed by record producers — Jimmy Iovine, Ron Fair
and Jack Joseph Puig are just a few of
the first-chair people who currently occupy executive positions at major labels.
But I’m wracking my brains here trying
to think of one live-sound mixer that has
gone beyond a business card-fronted
consultancy to the executive suite at a
pro audio equipment manufacturer. Or,
for that matter, a record label.
I think this could change. I think it
needs to and that it would be a good
thing. If the music industry is going to
put greater emphasis on live events (and
evidence show that they already have
— a 2002 study by Princeton economics professor Alan Krueger showed that
31 of the 35 top-grossing music artists
made more money from concerts than
from record sales), it makes sense for
those with trench-level experience in
making them happen to ultimately move
into positions to help direct the course
of the industry.
NSCA
TB
NSCA
There was NSCA show coverage in
April’s FOH, but one thing worth noting
here was a conversation with Jeff Lowry,
the marketing manager for SLS Audio.
SLS was noted here last year for what I
thought was a prescient move: a product
integration deal by which they provided
the highly visibly branded sound system
for reality show Rockstar. Like any product placement, the move cost the company a chunk of change, but Lowry says it
has already returned on the investment.
Not, however, quite as planned.
The move hoped to increase brand
awareness of SLS’s consumer offering,
the Q-Line of home theatre speakers
developed with Quincy Jones. The QLine is still out there, selling through a
network of smaller distributors after a
deal with mega-retailer Best Buy didn’t
work out as planned. But Lowry says
the biggest dividends have come on
the pro side. “Professionals knew our
technology; now, they know the products, too,” he says. “Rockstar worked
out well for that.”
The convergence of professional
products and the “lifestyle” of pop
culture is real and it’s effective. The
entre nous aspect of any professional
community is always going to be important, from training to simple socializing. But companies fail to recognize
at their own risk that when it comes to
entertainment technologies, the line
that defines what’s pro and what’s not
is getting blurrier by the day.
Clear things up with ddaley@fohonline.com.
T
he music industry has always had
an ambiguous relationship with
Clear Channel — you may have
disliked their practices, but no one could
deny their influence and ubiquity. The
live sound community especially has had
an intense link with what had once been
the 600-pound gorilla of the concert production business. When Clear Channel
tired of some of its entertainment holdings and spun off the concert production
business in December 2005 in the form
of Live Nation, a couple of interesting
strings remained connected. One of those
strings just got resolved — sort of — and
it really underscores just how important
the live music industry has become to
the entertainment sector overall.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
(EFF) is a high-tech civil liberties organization — think ACLU with a soldering
iron. When Live Nation launched its after-concert CD duplicating business in
2006 — which we’ve written about in
this space before — it did so with what it
asserted was proprietary technology for
automatically loading, burning and distributing the finished discs when the last
note of the show was still ringing.
Or did they? One of the emotional
strings that seemed to come along with
the Live Nation spin-off was a tendency to
try to bully the market a bit. That’s what the
EFF alleged that Clear Channel/Live Nation
tried to do when it applied for a patent for
the technology and used the application’s
pending status to try to block other similar
ventures to record and sell CDs of concerts
by others. (There’s some more ambiguity
dbx DriveRack 4800
continued from page 24
What It Is: 4-in/8-out pro-grade system controller
Who It’s For: Regional soundcos and those who need reliable service
in tough conditions
Pros: Flexible, reliable and good sounding DSP — especially when
used with Harman Pro HiQnet software
Cons: Front panel access is a little confusing at first glance, but all parameters are accessible.
How Much: MSRP $4999.95
Web Site: www.dbxpro.com
200.0705.33.indd 33
second summer season outdoors. In the same time period, we have lost half a dozen
system controllers from other manufacturers that just failed for no obvious reason.
When used with the HiQnet software, the 4800 is the fastest, most intuitive DSPbased system controller I have ever used.
4/27/07 3:29:09 PM
The Anklebiters
Keep
Slam, bam,
n.
thank you, ma
Brian: So, Ken, why is it that even when
we hire the best help we can find, they never
seem to be able to take the same care with
our gear that we do? I know most of this stuff
is built with the rigors of the road in mind, but
it’s still all got delicate little electronic circuit
boards inside.
Ken: I know exactly what you mean. I
have a guy who, for a while, would break a mic
clip minimum on every gig. And these are the
“unbreakable” ones! It’s like he has to meet
his breakage quota. He is also the type of
guy who can’t push a sub through a doorway
without smacking it on both sides. His asset
and his liability is pure brute force. You need
speakers stacked; he’s your man. You need a
knob sheared off; he’s your man.
Brian: Wow. I can’t say I have anyone
quite that bad recently. But goodness knows
I’m glad my stuff is in shock racks. Guys can’t
seem to get it through their skulls that this
stuff is still relatively fragile.“Set it down there”
doesn’t mean,“drop it where you’re standing.”
I don’t know how many times I have cringed
seeing others handle my gear… or other people’s equipment for that matter.
Ken: Some of it is my fault. I have powered
wedges that weigh 75 pounds apiece and
don’t have cases or covers on them. I know
those are going to get chewed up a little.
We got some load-in help not too long ago
where a convention set-up person knocked
one off an amp rack. Is that his fault for not
paying attention, or mine for not having
them cased? Actually, I didn’t insist on using
my people for the long load-in push. Because
of the labor cost, the person paying the bill
By BrianCassell & KenRengering
It
was more adamant about
using their people. It’s my
stuff; you’d think I’d know
better by now.
Brian: Well, I keep as much
of my stuff cased or covered
as I can. But at this stage of
the game, I can’t afford to
always buy a set of covers
each time I add a pair of
speaker cabinets to my arsenal. At the moment, I have
about four padded speaker
covers to order, and I could
use another four trunks to
store wedges in. The gear
that protects the gear isn’t
cheap, either. And I have a
relatively large amount invested in shock racks and the
like. I know of a few big touring houses that don’t shock
rack their amps, and I’m
even picky about doing
that. Anything to protect
my gear from my friends,
you know?
Ken: Yeah, one of my
friends has a pretty good
sized regional company, and the case for one
of his big boy consoles costs more than the
desk I use the most. I love shock racks but use
them (can only afford them) on processing. I
use padded covers for speakers and find they
work pretty well. At least once a year, I have
seen a case roll off a truck or seen the resulting catastrophe. The good news is the case
usually keeps the broken scrap in one vicinity.
So far, I haven’t experienced this myself, knock
on 3/8 or 1/2 inch plywood.
Brian: The padded covers are definitely a
wonderful thing. There are some things, like
large P.A. cabinets that just wouldn’t make
sense inside of a road case anyways. I’ve been
fortunate to find most of my racks and road
cases on the used market. The amazing part is
that I have accumulated a set of amplifier and
outboard racks that are all the same make
and footprint. The only difference is that the
amp racks are shorter, and the effects racks
are taller.
Ken: It’s nice to have a couple of ampdepth, matched-height racks that aren’t
too tall. I use these for my mixer stand,
and at 16 RUs, it brings the console up to
a comfortable level. Although I have noticed, as I get fatter, having an amp rack
dissipate its heat at my crotch is not as
enjoyable as it once was. Also, with my
added fatness, my arms seem to be getting shorter. Of course, the consoles are
not too deep, being on the smaller side
of the spectrum. I do think the being fat,
short-armed, with failing vision thing
brings a certain element of heightened
awareness to my mixing.
Brian: As long as we’re not “heightening
our awareness” via the use of mind-altering
substances, all is good. I think most of my
fatness is due to too much Guinness and
shepherd’s pie. And you can hardly consider that mind-altering. Regardless, I tend to
use my 16 spacers for effects units and other processing. I figure if I only have 10 or 12
spaces to play with, my amp racks can only
get so heavy. Even so, safe lifting technique
is still a necessity. I still prefer the technique
where I stand and say, “put it there,” while I
hope that I don’t have to cringe too much
when the help drops the thing.
Want a leg up? E-mail the anklebiters at
anklebiters@fohonline.com.
You don’t need to steal a copy of
Get your own Subscription!
It’s FREE
Just go to
www.fohonline.com/subscribe to
start your own personal subscription
34
200.0705.34.indd 34
MAY 2007
www.fohonline.com
4/26/07 11:57:25 PM
ADVE R T I S E R ’ S I N D E X
COMPANY
PAGE
PHONE #
WEBSITE
A-Line Acoustics
33
814.663.0600
PHONE #
http://foh.hotims.com/12796-100
WEBSITE
Soundcraft
9
888.251.8352
Adamson
17
905.982.0520
TC Electronic
C1
818.665.4900
Crown International
C4
574.294.8000
TMB
13
818.899.8818
d&b Audiotechnik
5
828.670.1763
Westone Music Products
4
719.540.9333
Face Audio
15
877.525.1163
WorxAudio
31
336.275.7474
Gamble
27
Yamaha
1, 19, C3
714.522.9011
Hear Technologies
10
256.922.1200
JBL Professional
3
818.894.8850
Legend Theatrical
6
888.485.2485
MARKET PLACE
Meyer Sound
C2
510 486.1166
AudioEast
35
866.274.4590
Northern Sound & Light
21
412.331.1000
dblittle.com
35
423.892.1837
Hi-Tech Audio
35
650.742.9166
COMPANY
PAGE
Peavey
25
Rane
7
425.355.6000
Hybrid Cases
35
800.645.1707
Renkus-Heinz
2
949.588.9997
Northern Sound & Light
35
412.331.1000
Sound Productions
35
800.203.5611
Roland Systems Group
11
800.380.2580
EMPLOYMENT/classifieds
www.fohonline.com
www.fohonline.com
200.0705.35.MP.indd 35
2007 MAY
Month
2005
35
35
4/26/07 9:57:41 PM
FOH-At-Large
BY BAKERLEE
Better Heard
and Not Seen
How do you get big if it’s your job to be transparent?
H
“
ow do I get into the big time?” Was a
question that was recently asked of
me. How indeed? Although I understand the person’s desire for success, and
seem to comprehend what is meant by “the
big time,” I seriously have no absolute viable
solution to the query. The good news is that
for any neophyte seeking a job in the audio
business there are many available avenues
to “The big time.” The bad news, on the other hand, is that once you arrive at your destination it may not seem as glossy as “the big
time” you once expected. Therefore, I must
say that it’s not as much the destination as
it is the journey, because if one keeps seeking the big gig just around the corner, then
it becomes increasingly difficult to see that
they may have finally arrived.
Most every live engineer I know is either
a musician (of varying degrees) or a fan that
wants to be as close as possible to the music
they enjoy. Mixing a band, whether it be the
front of house or monitor position, gives any
engineer the enviable status of being part of
the show. Just like the musician on stage, the
engineer is there at that one singular moment
in time, reveling in the glory and excitement
of the live performance. You, as the engineer,
are capable of making or breaking the show
and yet the cheers are never really for you.
Even though you may be appreciated for your
talent you are never called back for an encore
performance to once again show off your
brilliant usage of effects or your mastery of
compression and noise gates. No. Your amazing command of preamps and equalization
will never be adored or cherished in the same
way as the guitarist’s every lick, the vocalist’s
soulful turn of a phrase or the drummer’s remarkable groove. No audience will ever show
their appreciation for the sublime way in
which you rang out the system or so perfectly
set the delay stacks. This is it, you have finally
COMING
NEXT
MONTH...
FOH Interview
We sit down with Bob
Seger’s front man for a
page-turning interview.
Installs
Fresh-water, salt-water
and desert — we examine
the Pearl, the new ultravenue at the Palms
Casino.
36
MAY 2007
arrived at the big time.
That’s right, you
are toiling, unnoticed
in the dark, just as you
did in the “small time.”
Nothing has changed
except that now that
you have reached “the
big time” your coffers
are being filled with
gold and jewels instead of the meager
pittance you were receiving in “the small
time.” Yes, and you finally have a bunk on
the bus. This is it!
But while I am able
to describe “the big
time” I have as yet to explain how to get there.
There is, of course, the
standard method such
as going to school and
learning how to be a
studio engineer. After
four years you graduate and get a job in
a studio as an intern
making nothing as you
learn how to be a gofer.
Realizing that everyone
ahead of you will have
to die before you get a
chance to engineer you
take a job in a small
club doing live sound
for the local bands that
pass through. While the
money isn’t great you
Put your
are at least working at
doing something you enjoy and before you
know it you’re hooked. Pretty soon your reputation grows and the local band you’ve been
working with gets a record deal and invites
you to tour with them — you’re on your way.
In a parallel universe somewhere, some
young bright kid, with dreams of being a famous musician, graduates high school and
joins a band. The band is great and they are
on their way, but unfortunately while they
wait for the big deal to come through the kid
needs to make a little cash to pay the rent, so
he takes an entry-level job with a local sound
company. He catches on quickly and before
long he’s mixing small shows. One thing
leads to another and the shows get better,
the bands get bigger and the next thing he
knows his band has broken up and he is mixing for a living in “the big time.”
No matter the scenario, most live engineers learn their trade by working in a
club, a sound company or for a band, and
more likely than not it’s a learn as you
go situation. Gain structure, frequencies,
Ohm’s law, delays, routing, signal flow, sol-
ego aside and let the sound pass through you.
dering and truck driving are all important
skills that one must master to get to “the
big time.” But, Grasshopper, the most important thing one needs to know and master if they are to make it to “the big time”
is how to be invisible. Unlike the band on
stage that needs to exude personality and
to be bigger than life, the engineer needs
to be transparent. His job is to open all the
channels (literally and figuratively) and allow the energy to flow. Being transparent
he lets the power of the performance pass
through him and into the room without
any distraction for the listener.
Performers, such as actors and musicians, need to make a statement with their
personalities and are required to communicate with an audience by creating bigger
than life characters that can dominate a
stage or screen. Even a good lighting show
needs personality, and the LD will still elicit
“Oohs” and “Ahhs” even if only mediocre at
best. Audio, on the other hand, is best felt
and not heard (old Zen audio saying). Any
audience, whether it is a theatre or concert
www.fohonline.com
crowd expects the sound to be perfect, and
the only time they notice the engineer is
when there are errant frequencies, feedback or lack of clarity in the mix. Once you
have mastered the physics of sound then it
is time to become invisible and translucent,
put your ego aside and let the sound pass
through you. Stop mixing and be one with
the performance. Do not color the sound
with what you think the sound should be,
but instead allow the sound to dictate to
you its own essence and then become invisible as the perfect sound passes through
you to be consumed by a blissful audience.
By quieting the inner voice, shutting down
the ego and becoming invisible you will not
ever need to seek “the big time ever again
as you realize that “the big time” is within
you, and not a destination to be sought
after. Remember, Grasshopper, be invisible
— and when you no longer seek it “the big
time” will find you.
Make yourself visible to Baker at
blee@fohonline.com.
200.0705.Ads.indd 3
4/26/07 9:55:31 PM
200.0705.Ads.indd 4
4/26/07 9:56:10 PM

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