newsflash HAUSMESSE The EVI Audio Magazine

Transcription

newsflash HAUSMESSE The EVI Audio Magazine
23.01.2007
17:12 Uhr
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newsflash
HAUSMESSE
2007
The EVI Audio Magazine
www.telexcommunications.com
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EDITORIAL
CONTENTS
First of all, let us wish you a warm welcome to the EVI Audio
Hausmesse our in-house trade fair, which this year takes place under changed conditions but which nonetheless continues the long
tradition of what has become an event of global significance within the industry. As in previous years, we will do everything in our
power to ensure that you feel at home here and that the numerous
demos and workshops scheduled for this year's event will enable
you to form a clear picture of the high quality, innovative originality
and efficiency of our new products. You will find the program and
times of these breakouts on the notice boards but, if you prefer, you
can always just consult a member of our staff.
The potential and perspectives for EVI Audio after its integration into
Robert Bosch GmbH are discussed by Mathias von Heydekampf,
President Pro Audio, in an interview on pages 4 to 6 in which he
says: "No second passes in which somewhere in the world an event
is not taking place in which we are in some way technically involved." The references cited in the 24 pages of this edition of newsflash should be regarded therefore as simply representative of the
multitude of activities in which we – and you – have participated in
the recent past.
Here's wishing you all an enjoyable and instructive stay in Straubing!
Page 3
MIX
News from the pro audio scene
Page 4 / 7
INSIDE
"We are all pursuing the same objective" – interview with
Mathias von Heydekampf, President Pro Audio
Page 8 / 9
HIGHLIGHT
The birth of a legend – the Midas XL8
Page 10/11
HIGHLIGHT
"Praise the Lord, loud and clear!" – installations in
American houses of worship
Page 12
WORLDWIDE: Electro-Voice
"I wanted the air to catch fire" – Razorlight on tour
Satis&Fy and EV – on tour with Reamonn
Page 13
WORLDWIDE: Electro-Voice
EV makes the difference –
US tour of the Pet Shop Boys
Page 14
WORLDWIDE: Electro-Voice
World class in every sense – the Detroit International
Jazz Festival / Trans-Siberian Orchestra on Tour with EV
Page 15
WORLDWIDE: Electro-Voice
"Glasgow belongs to me" – EV's XLD debut
José Joaquín de Olmedo international airport
Page 16
WORLDWIDE: DYNACORD
Success with EVI Audio systems
The heavenly sound of the Cobra –
the Sanctuary Club, Fort Meyers
Page 17
WORLDWIDE: DYNACORD
The Cobra graduates summa cum laude – University of Maine
Masterclass & EVI Academy – Musikakademie Hammelburg
Page 18
WORLDWIDE: DYNACORD
HipHop superstar with the Cobra – Wyclef Jean in Miami
Down under with the Dynacord Cobra – Peel Audiovisual
Page 19
WORLDWIDE: DYNACORD
Cobra boosts Drummer Boy Sound –
Boward Caribbean Carnival in Sunrise /
Open air orchestra in CD quality – Peer Gynt in Norway
Page 20
WORLDWIDE: Klark Teknik
Helix E debuts in Amsterdam – Klark Teknik at the IBC
Rocking with the Square One – on tour with Porcupine Tree
Page 21
WORLDWIDE: TELEX / RTS
Banking on Telex – the Inter OB Truck
Upgrading with Telex/RTS –
Enfys renovates Cardiff studios
Page 22/23
INSIDE
New team-members; SBES / Birmingham; Conference
of sound engineers / Massive investment in Straubing
production facility / NAM distributors meeting in Arizona
IMPRINT
PUBLISHER
EDITORIAL STAFF
EVI Audio GmbH
Gunther Matejka
Guy Low
COORDINATION
James Edlund
Robert Pletz
Rhea Marstaller
Hirschberger Ring 45
Daniel Kappla
D-94315 Straubing
Sabine Heinz
Tel: +49 9421/706-0
Ulli Hoppert
Fax: +49 9421/706-315
Philipp Herschkowitz
Gez Kahan
REALIZATION
snapshot Redaktionsbüro
TRANSLATIONS
Gunther Matejka
Ewan Whyte
Tel: +49 89/74 65 36 63
E-mail: Ewan.Whyte@wanadoo.fr
Fax: +49 89/74 65 36 68
E-Mail:
GRAPHICS
gm@snapshot-redaktionsbuero.de
Sabine Bitterlich
E-Mail: s.bitterlich@web.de
PRINTING
F&W MEDIENCENTER, KIENBERG
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NEWS…
MIX
COBRA, KIDS & NBA STAR
MEGADETH WITH EV
EV-ENDORSER NEWS
Every year, NBA star Udonis Haslem’s
Children’s Foundation distributes thousands of
toys to inner city children from South Florida.
This year’s event was held at Sherbondy Park in
Opa-Locka, where toys were delivered to the
park for distribution, all donated by Haslem.
Haslem’s Heat teammate, James Posey, assisted
in the toy giveaway. Drummer Boy Sound handled the production, deploying its DYNACORD
Cobra-2 line array system, DYNACORD amps and
EV monitors.
Dave Mustaine (photo) and James
Lomenzo of the platinum-plated metal band
Megadeth enjoyed another triumphant world
tour in 2006 with
EV microphones.
The guitar and bass
cabinets were captured by RE-1 mikes,
with the N/D967 preferred for the vocals.
In the run-up to her recent sellout tour, British soul singer and songwriter Terri Walker put a selection of
Electro-Voice microphones through
their paces, opting eventually for the
wireless RE-1: "I like the way I sound
through it," the artist explained. "It’s
a true representation of my voice."
+++ Soul king Al Green also dazzled
with the RE-1 on his recent US tour
+++ World-class bass player Avishai
Cohen, meanwhile, opted for the EV
RE20 +++ The cult band Devo relies
on both wired and wireless systems
from EV when playing live +++
Welcome to the club! Top drummer
Keith Capsuto now uses exclusively
EV microphones to capture his drumkit +++
KT & MIDAS IN ART CENTER
LL COOL J MIT MIDAS-TOUCH
The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts is one of the most impressive and versatile venues in the USA, requiring five different Midas
mixing consoles to cover the full range of offerings. Recently these were
joined by a battery of five Klark Teknik DN1248 Plus active analog microphone splitters, since, as David Doukas (the Center's Audio Department
Manager) explained, "no other
product could offer the sonic clarity
we're used to here."
US rap star, actor and 2-time Grammy winner LL Cool J toured
Germany in September and October 2006 with the events service provider You Sound. A brace of Midas H3000 consoles performed the mixing
honours: one for the foldback and the other front of house.
HOTEL CAFÉ-TOUR WITH EV
Since its inception in 2005, the Hotel
Café Tour has quickly established itself as the
most important platform for aspiring singersongwriters. This year's tour, running from
October 2nd to November 18th, took in 35
cities and featured Joshua Radin, Jim Bianco,
the Cary Brothers
and Schuyler Fisk
(photo) along with a
backing group, a crew
of technicians and
an array of ElectroVoice microphones
– notably the EV/
BLUE Cardinal, the
N/D478 and the RE510.
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INTERVIEW MATHIAS VON HEYDEKAMPF
"WE'RE ALL PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION"
The takeover by Bosch, soccer's World Cup, a series of spectacular new products – 2006 was a eventful
year for EVI Audio as it was a successful one. With the course now set, Mathias von Heydekampf, President
Pro Audio, sees "gigantic opportunities" for the company in 2007. In an interview with newsflash, he spells
out the details as well as his personal goals
Photo: Ralf Wilschewski
Mathias von Heydekampf,
President Pro Audio
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newsflash / spring 2007
newsflash: 2006 was a busy year for EVI
Audio. How would you sum it up?
Mathias von Heydekampf: 2006 was one
of the most eventful years ever for TELEX/
EVI Audio. Of greatest consequence, of
course, was the fantastic news that we
have found a new home under the roof
of Bosch Security Systems GmbH. This
opens gigantic opportunities and is hugely motivating for us all as we look to
the future. I have been with the company
for 10 years now, but I’ve never known a
year with as many highlights as this last
one. Just take, for example, the way the
MIDAS XL8 has been received by the
market. This is a digital console in which
we invested a great deal of time and money, and everyone can now see that the
investment has paid off. It is the perfect
vindication of our strategy of offering added value and customer-oriented solutions to problems. The same goes for the
Electro-Voice Tour Grade high performance amplifiers and DYNACORD's
D12-3 and D15-3 speakers. The reaction
from our customers confirms that our
product development philosophy is on
exactly the right lines – and that is corroborated by our sales figures. In Straubing, 2006 saw incoming orders increase by around 40 per cent – and that with
products designed with top performance
rather than price points in mind. We are
naturally delighted by that. In addition to
the product highlights, there was, of course, also the World Cup, the quintessential 'global event' to which we made a truly significant contribution with our systems. We can be justifiably proud of the
role our products played in staging the
event. For me personally, the most exhilarating moments were also provided by
the World Cup: along with a number of
colleagues, I attended the Germany v
Argentina quarter final – an overwhelming, unforgettable experience.
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newsflash: We’re now some six months
on from the integration into Bosch. What
can you tell friends in the business about the merger?
Mathias von Heydekampf: : I was strongly in favour of the Bosch takeover from
the start – I made no secret of that. Bosch
has a strategic approach that is the perfect complement to the principles that
have worked so well for us: "Brand
Value", "Quality Optimization", "Longterm Orientation" and, naturally, "Growth".
Directly after the takeover, Bosch invested
over five million euros in the Straubing
site. That is a clear statement of intent
and corresponds entirely to our ideal of
Added Value. Half a year on, it is plain that
we have found a genuine partnership –
each of us complements the other and
that will ensure that we are able to implement our fundamental guidelines. It’s
better than a satisfactory situation – it
looks like exceeding all our expectations.
newsflash: Five million euros is a huge
investment. How is it being used?
Mathias von Heydekampf: In improving
production. Bosch has invested more in
a single go than the total investment in
all the years I've been with TELEX. Bosch
recognized that our production facilities
were the best in the world, but that they
were in need of modernization. That meant we had to catch up, which is precisely what we are doing, thanks to this single
injection of funds. We're all pulling in the
same direction here, with the staff, too,
making a major contribution by agreeing
to work 38 hours a week instead of 35.
They were happy to make concessions
with a view to securing the long-time future of their jobs and ensuring our products continued to bear the "Made in
Germany" hallmark. I consider that a very
good omen for the future.
newsflash: What changes will we see in
the short term as a result of this investment?
Mathias von Heydekampf: Our supply
chain will improve rapidly, as it needs to
– we have a backlog of orders to fill. We
need therefore to implement the Bosch
supply chain philosophy into our production as quickly as possible, so that we
can again meet the demand from all quarters for deliveries. I can see the first positive signs already: in November and
December, the new Production Manager,
Konrad Proyer, achieved an output the
like of which I have not seen for a long
time.
newsflash: As a result of the merger, has
there been any deviation from the company's fundamental principles: "Think
application – not competition; think customer – not dealer; think problem solution – not pricing"?
Mathias von Heydekampf: No. On the contrary, our strategic principles are more important than ever: solutions to problems
and system integration, not price points and
'me too', as well as addressing vertical markets with each brand. During 2007 distributors will perceive even more clearly that we
are absolutely convinced of the value of our
strategic principles – and also that we will
strive for optimal coverage of the vertical
markets in each country.
newsflash: DYNACORD has received a
real boost on the American market in the
last few years. How much progress has
the brand made on that side of the
Atlantic in your view?
Mathias von Heydekampf: DYNACORD
has really exploded on the American market: the shelves are emptying faster than
we can fill them. As well as that, DYNACORD
is undergoing a change of image in
America; shedding its esoteric “Insiders
Only” image to appeal to a wider public.
newsflash / spring 2007
This ties in with an expansion of the product line, with the introduction of the
lightweight D12-3 and D15-3 plus Subs
speaker system, the VariLine and the
PowerH amps. Right now it seems that
whenever we send a container to America, it's invariably sold out before it even
gets there.
newsflash: Which new markets are growing in importance for company strategy? Would you include China, for example, and Asia as a whole?
Mathias von Heydekampf: Those, too,
are markets in which we have achieved
very strong growth in the last few years.
As always, we are not aiming for the maximum growth in the shortest possible
time but rather to construct carefully a
sales network that we can then expand:
we are only interested in distributors and
dealers committed to the same fundamental principles as ourselves. Those
who will take the trouble to explain and
demonstrate our products. That will enable us to stand out from our competitors. Incidentally, we have observed a
trend in China towards branded products – an area in which we obviously have
much to offer.
newsflash: Changing the subject: how
important to the image of the company
was EVI Audio's contribution to the
World Cup?
Mathias von Heydekampf: Very important. Word of the extent of our participation in the various stadiums soon spread
and those who visited the Allianz Arena
or the Olympic Stadium in Berlin now
know what it's like to get goose pimples
just from the sound. In the run-up to the
tournament, we took a number of customers and distributors to visit our stadiums, and this proved a great success because there are certain things you cannot
describe: people have to hear and expe-
➤
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rience them for themselves, as was the
case with our demo. Audio in any case
plays a far more important role in stadiums these days than it did 20 years ago,
and this is something we have taken account with our systems – as the whole
world could hear once the tournament
got underway.
newsflash: The slogan used by a current
Dynacord ad invokes the time-honoured
phrase "Made in Germany". Has the
World Cup, in your opinion, improved
the way Germany is seen in other areas?
Mathias von Heydekampf: And how! The
Germans are known above all for being
disciplined. No one thought we knew
how to throw a party. Then they saw several million people celebrating in Berlin
– and in a totally peaceful way. That was
the best PR Germany could have had.
newsflash: Have all the people that needed to, now grasped how successful EVI
Audio was at the World Cup or is this something that cannot be said too often?
Mathias von Heydekampf: Even if a lot of
people already do know it, it is something that cannot be stressed often
enough – even within the company itself. In fact, I'm sure not many of Bosch's
251,000 odd employees know, what we
achieved at the World Cup or the last
Olympics. As I keep saying, no second
passes without an event taking place
somewhere in the world in which we are
in some way technically involved. This is
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something we need to communicate. We
need to bang our own drum still louder
and demonstrate to even more people
how good we are.
newsflash: We have the Olympic Games
coming up in China in 2008 and in 2010,
the World Cup in South Africa. Is there
anything concrete to report on either
front?
Mathias von Heydekampf: Nothing we
can talk about at the moment. Obviously
we are working on it – but other manu-
newsflash / spring 2007
facturers, not surprisingly, are too.
Recent major events have demonstrated
impressively that we are not just capable theoretically but capable in practice
of satisfying the highest demands. Very
few audio firms can say that. And now
with Bosch we can offer the complete safety package – another priceless advantage.
newsflash: Would you say that
TELEX/EVI Audio has defined a new
standard in this area and raised the bar
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to a daunting height?
Mathias von Heydekampf: Yes, absolutely. Stadiums like the Allianz Arena in
Munich and the Olympic Stadium in
Berlin are going to take some beating.
newsflash: Finally a word about the
Hausmesse. Do you have any 'key message' you would like conveyed to our
guests?
Mathias von Heydekampf: It is always a
source of pride to me that the global audio industry meets every year in Straubing at our Hausmesse, but also that the
atmosphere is invariably one of friendliness and cooperation. Many of our guests
have told me that it feels like a huge family reunion.
As a key message, I would choose: "Do
good things and talk about them". That
should be our watchword at all times.
„No second passes
without an event taking place
somewhere in the world
in which we are in some way
technically involved“
***
newsflash / spring 2007
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HIGHLIGHT
MIDAS XL8
BIRTH OF A LEGEND – DIGITAL GOES MIDAS
it brings a new level of responsiveness
and sound quality to the digital realm.
Another characteristic that sets it apart
from the other digital consoles we use—
all of which are great boards in their own
right—is that it doesn’t feel like a digital
desk; the layout is appealing before you
even consider the audio performance. At
the end of the day, it is a very, very digital platform, but, speaking as an engineer,
it has that very familiar Midas feel—it’s
very easy to slip into the XL8.”
The first digital console from the house
of Midas—Britain's other royal family—
was a long time in coming, but worth
the wait. Since its official unveiling at
the Frankfurter Musikmesse/ProLight+
Sound 2006, where it was viewed with
understandable apprehension— if not
alarm—by the other pretenders, the
young scion has made triumphant, "princely" progress, one might say, in staking
its claim to the Midas throne, with pro
audio insiders, celebrated FOH engineers
and established rental companies
throughout Europe and USA all recognizing its sovereignty.
With this latest offering, Midas has really set the cat among the pigeons. The
XL8 is not merely another digital mixing
console; it offers an incomparable design
combining exemplary sound quality, flexibility and reliability with an ease and familiarity of use unrivalled by other digital control surfaces. The XL8 is the first
of a new generation of open-architecture,
cross-platform, integrated audio control
and distribution systems, bringing control of not only audio, but other aspects
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of a live performance to a single, intuitive control centre.
The service network established for the
XL8 is similarly impressive. The threeyear factory warranty is only the start.
Round-the-clock support is available 365
days per year with customer service and
support centres established in Minneapolis (USA), Kidderminster (UK) and
Singapore staffed with trained personnel to offer professional assistance.
Canada and the United States have been
among the first to embrace the XL8. In
November last year, for example, the
Governor General's Performing Arts
Awards in Ottowa were mixed using an
XL8. Richard Lachance (VP International
Development, Solotech) and Mario St.Onge (Special Projects Director, Sound
Department, Solotech) operated the XL8
for the show, which also marked the
XL8’s debut in a live broadcast application. Lachance and St.-Onge gave a field
report on how the XL8 handled and sounded: “The XL8 performed extremely
well as an audio mixing board,” says
Lachance. “The word that springs to
mind when I think of the XL8 is ‘fresh’—
newsflash / spring 2007
A month earlier, Westover Church in
Greensboro, North Carolina, saw the first
installation of a Midas XL8 digital live
performance system in the USA. “Originally I was looking at a large format analogue console such as the XL4,” recalls
Westover's Technical Director, Danny
Slaughter, “but realizing the variety of
programming aspects between Sunday
services and other events in the new space, I knew that we needed to go digital.
All it took was to see the channel and master section [of the XL8] and to hear the
console and I knew this was what I had
been looking for. I had seen, operated
and heard other digital consoles, but this
design and sonic quality was 180 degrees away from anything out there.”
In Europe as well, more and more professional users are opting for the XL8,
one of the first being the Irish broadcaster, RTE, which had an XL8 installed in
September 2006 for its longest-running
and hugely popular weekly TV programme
"The Late, Late Show", which combines
chat with celebrities and live music, with
sometimes as many as five acts (such as
Sir Elton John, U2, Bob Geldorf and Rod
Stewart) performing live in the course of
a single evening. "I felt the show - a national institution here - deserved the very
best," says Alan Murphy of Sound
Communications, who was contacted about a desk by RTE in October "and that
the XL8 perfectly suited its needs, given
the multitude of musical styles and input
requirements to be catered to, often in
real time and with next-to-no rehearsal."
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In the UK, M7 Audio Ltd, a groundbreaking setup comprising seven of the UK’s
leading rental companies, have joined
forces to facilitate UK rentals of the new
Midas XL8 live performance system and
have taken delivery of several complete
systems. The company, which has been
formed by Britannia Row Productions,
Canegreen, Capital Sound, Concert
Sound, Skan PA Hire, SSE Audio Group
and Wigwam Acoustics, will eventually
own eight XL8s for UK rental.
Meanwhile, on the European mainland,
the XL8 already has a staunch following
in the Netherlands. Midas Consoles
Holland has just completed a training session for the country’s engineers at its premises. “The majority of Holland's top engineers - more than 100 - attended this
six hour training session, where they not
only learned what the XL8 is all about
but learned for themselves that digital
has indeed gone Midas,” says MCD MD
Axel Nagtegaal, who issued certificates
to all who completed the training.
Back in May, Nagtegaal announced the
first sale of an XL8 in the Netherlands, the
customer being Hof Audio – Licht – Beeld,
a long-established rental company whose top-end inventory includes several
Midas analogue consoles. “Since Midas
announced it was to produce a digital
console which would retain, and indeed
improve upon, the sound characteristics
of XL4, we had huge confidence in the
new product,” says company owner Bart
Hof. “We also know that, this being
Midas, we can be assured of excellent
quality, service and support. There’s a niche
for XL8 in the Dutch market, and as we
are an established and trusted company
we are well placed to introduce it.”
gue consoles are still making a return on
investment years after purchase as they
have been accepted as industry standards and we are confident—based on
the quality of its manufacture and design—that the XL8 will be as well. We’re
not restricting our service to Holland
exclusively. It will also be available to preselected companies across Europe, as
well as US companies needing to hire
equipment for European legs of their
tours." In the case of XL8 rentals,
Dryhire.eu will provide the whole system
together with a factory-trained system
technician to assist the mix engineer, as
specified by Midas.
RTE Soundengineer Mick Woods (l.) and RTE
Senior Sound Supervisor Ian Pat
Another initial European XL8 customer is
DEE Digital Rental Division, which
purchased the first system in Belgium
from Midas distributor Ampco.
Asia is also shaping up to be a strong
XL8 territory. Two systems have each
been delivered to Japan and Korea, where
local distributors and their customers are
undergoing full training.
Top in Down Under: Jands Production Service, Australia
Midas’ Korean distributor, Young Nak,
took delivery of two full systems which
have been sold to PA rental companies
Star Sound and Martin Sound. Two systems have also arrived at EVI Japan, one
for despatch to PA company Zero dB, and
the second earmarked for training and
demonstration purposes.
Further systems are already en route to
both countries for delivery to customers
ranging from leading PA companies
through to live venues and Korea’s
Church of Love.
In a particularly ambitious initiative,
Nagtegaal has set up a new company,
DRYHIRE.EU, to offer dry hire support to
the international event and touring production industry. Among equipment
purchased specifically for the new company are two entire Midas XL8 live performance systems. “Our role is exclusively to offer rental company support,"
explains Nagtegaal. "We’re not in the business of renting equipment to end users
or individuals. Two important factors are
at play – a return on investment and market demand. Midas large format analo-
Training session in Montreal with Richard Ferriday (Midas),
Gilles Elhadad (Acoustic GE), Mario St-Onge (Solotech)
and Richard Lachance (Solotech)
Well trained: Midas Consoles Holland’s Axel Nagtegaal
(far left) with Dutch sound engineers
newsflash / spring 2007
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HIGHLIGHT
HOUSE OF WORSHIP SOUND REINFORCEMENT IN THE USA
PRAISING THE LORD, LOUD AND CLEAR
The Bible says we should praise the Lord with a loud voice. But the asymmetrical layout of many houses of worship
and the wrong equipment often result in a cacophony more likely to wake the Devil! Seriously, as the expectations
of tech-savvy congregations grow with each new generation, church services can demand production resources
no different to those of a touring show or theatre presentation. That said, houses of worship are forever striving for
better results, and that’s why so many rely upon systems from Electro-Voice, Midas and Klark Teknik.
Places of worship with heavenly sound (clockwise from top left): Country Christmas in Celebration Church; Wooddale
Church; Xi-Speakers; Westover Sanctuary
Completed just in time for their annual
“Country Christmas” seasonal shows,
the new EV sound system at Celebration
Church in Lakeville, Minnesota, would be
equally at home on a major rock tour as
in a house of worship. The installation
reflects the serious production needs of
a large church like Celebration: as of writ-
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ing, over 18,000 people have attended
the Country Christmas shows over a
three-week period, hearing the country
music themed event loud and clear
through a PA that brings tour-quality EV
sound to the church’s 1100-seat theatre/
sanctuary. The main PA is comprised of
seven Xi-1183 boxes in an LCR configu-
newsflash / spring 2007
ration, flown above four Xsubs under the
stage. Four Xi-1082s provide front fills,
four QRx112/75 are onstage monitors,
and two ZX1s are used as personal musician’s monitors. The whole system is
powered by EV P3000RL remote control
DSP amplifiers running IRIS-Net software.
The head pastor and founder of Celebration Church is Lowell Lundstrom.
Lundstrom was a popular country rock
entertainer in the 1950’s, and, after becoming a minister in 1957, recorded over 50
gospel albums. In 2005 Lowell was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of
Fame. Lowell’s son Lance is head sound
engineer at the church. As one would expect with a leader like Lundstrom, music,
concerts and productions play a major
role at the church. However, as is the case
with many church projects, inadequate
funds prohibited the installation of an appropriate sound system upon construction completion. A high-quality interim
system sufficed up until this year’s
Christmas season, when Celebration
Church took delivery on the EV system
they always wanted. A team effort involving leading regional EV dealers and design/installers Metro Sound and Lighting
(St. Paul, MN) and Audio Logic Systems
(Bloomington, MN), this was a Minnesota
project through and through—especially since the church is only a few miles
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HIGHLIGHT
from EV HQ in Burnsville.
Installation took place at a particularly hectic time of the year, during the weeklong dress rehearsals for the Country
Christmas production. The prospect of
mixing a sold-out show with 70 cast
members and musicians on a new system installed and operational for less
than 48 hours must have seemed daunting, but all apprehension was soon laid
to rest, as Lundstrom explains: “On the
day of the system changeover we had
nine hours to get the cabinets in the air
and functioning for the final dress rehearsal that night. I was expecting to tune the
system for the room, EQ it to my taste,
and then just do a little tweaking with the
mix, which was already sounding pretty
good on the old boxes. WOW! As soon
as the band started playing, it was apparent that this system was a whole different animal. My mix totally fell apart, and
I spent the next three hours in an EQ-ing
frenzy! I knew we were on the right track
when, at the end of our first show, one
of the church’s hardest-to-please parishioners came up to tell me how great it
sounded. Not bad for just 72 hours of
operation! I’ve mixed on the system solidly for last two weeks, and the difference
is really remarkable.”
“Church productions usually carry the
stigma of being less than professional,”
Lundstrom added, “and rarely would one
be mentioned in the same sentence as a
show in a downtown theatre. We’re looking to shake that reputation and produce relevant shows that rival the largest
productions. Our new system is a key
component to our success in delivering
first class Christ-centered entertainment.
Good sound and music can transform the
environment of a church and it should
be something that is strived for and encouraged in a meaningful way. After all,
the bible says that we should praise Him
with a loud voice!”
In addition to the first Midas XL8 digital live performance system installed in
the U.S. at its epicenter, Westover Church
(Greensboro, N.C.) also boasts an extensive Electro-Voice, Midas, Klark Teknik
and Telex audio system for its new 3,000seat worship center. Westover technical
director Danny Slaughter worked with
Design 2020 Church Media Consultants,
Audio Ethics (Charlotte, N.C.), Telex Pro
Audio Group reps Vision 2 Marketing and
EV tech support on the design, development and installation of the system,
which features 204 EV loudspeakers, including Xi, Xsub, QRx, SxA and EVID models. The main distributed delay and surround sound speaker systems are controlled and supervised with IRIS-Net software and EV NetMax N8000 matrix hardware, all via the Midas XL8's worksurface. “The audio consultants who tuned the
room absolutely fell in love with NetMax,"
reports Slaughter. "The control and surgical application it allows for a system
this large is remarkable."
The asymmetric layout of the First
Nazarene Church in Nampa, Idaho, also
posed intractable problems until a solution was found in the shape of EV XLCi
and XLE line arrays powered by EV
P3000RL amplifiers running IRIS-Net software. Klark Teknik Square One Graphics
and Dynamics, an EV monitor rig and a
full compliment of EV wired and wireless
microphones rounded off the largest line
array installation in Idaho, a collaborative effort between GJM, EV reps
Progressive Audio Sales and EV Tech
Support.
The size of the American church installation market was confirmed by the
recent Church Music Conference. The
moving force behind this annual travelling trade fair is Kempke’s Music Service
(www. kempke.com), a leading name in
the spiritual sound sector. The well-attended conferences, which can last three
days, examine all facets of contemporary
church music, revealing in the process
its great diversity. The Fox River Christian
Church in Waukesha, in which an X-Array
installed 8 years ago was replaced by an
Electro-Voice XLC when the building was
newsflash / spring 2007
recently enlarged, provides a further indication of the lengths to which US churches are prepared to go to provide worshippers with perfect coverage – wherever in the church they happen to be sitting.
The Westover Sanctuary – Danny Slaughter
(top) at the controls of the XL8; (below) the
first NetMax installation in the States
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RAZORLIGHT-TOUR
„I WANTED MOVING AIR“
From 20th October to the 1st November 2006, the British band Razorlight toured England. Britannia Row, the company responsible for the production, deployed systems from Electro-Voice and Midas.
The tour took one of Britain's most fashionable
bands to a wide variety of venues, from halls
with a capacity of less than 3,000 to some of the
largest in the United Kingdom, such as the
Sheffield Arena, which seats 13,000. Regardless
of venue size, the same uncompromisingly powerful sound was required at all times. FOH engineer Ian Laughton attributes Britannia Row's
success in achieving this consistent sonic impact to two factors: "the flexibility of the X-Line
and the genius of Colin Burrell" (Britannia Row's
Systems Engineer).
Laughton first discovered the EV X-Line system
when working with the Manic Street Preachers.
"Then we used it at Alexandra Palace with
Razorlight; it's one of the hardest venues to work
in, but we absolutely nailed it. That was when I
fell in love with X-Line and knew I wanted to use
it on this tour."
Systems varied in size from just three cabinets
per side in the smaller halls to the full tour stock
of 14x Xvls and 5x Xvlt cabinets per side. For a
venue like the Brighton Centre, with its very wide
stage, Burrell set up main left and right arrays of
eight cabinets apiece, plus additional four-cabinet side hangs for the bleachers. EV's popular
Xi-1152s were used for infills. Razorlight's very
considerable subbass came from anywhere up
to 24x Xsubs. "I wanted moving air," explained
Laughton. "Everything should shake when he
WITH SATIS & FY AND EV
On the 16th January, Reamonn's "Wish" tour, which lasts until the 20th February,
kicked off in Koblenz. Satis &Fy is relying on systems from EV
For Reamonn's 22-stop tour of Germany, the organizer, Marek Lieberberg, has booked medium
to large halls: i.e. auditoriums with up to 5,000
seats. In order to be able to match the demands
of venues as divergent acoustically as the Color
Line Arena in Hamburg and the Zenith in
Munich, the production company, Satis&Fy, opted for systems from Electro-Voice. The "Wish"
tour's baggage train now boasts a variety of
items that would compete for the top spot on any
soundman's wish list: an EV X-Line with Tour
Grade TG-7 amps (main PA for large halls); an
EV XLC with EV CP3000S amps (main PA in smaller halls/outfill or delay in larger ones); EV
12
QRx112 cabinets (frontfill), EV Xi-2123 speakers
(sidefill) and a MIDAS XL4 console (FOH). The
sound crew consists of Karel Hamm (Production
Manager), Stephan Holz (Systems Tech), Sven
Bonse (FOH) and Manuel Schröder (Monitors).
Fronted by Irish singer Rea Garvin, Reamonn first
found fame in 2000 with the hit "Supergirl". Now,
with the “Wish” tour, the band is underlining its
status as a major force on the German rock scene.
Indeed, after chart and live successes in
England, Greece and Scandinavia, Reamonn
seems all set to break big with an international
career.
On the threshold of a broader
international career – Reamonn ➤
newsflash / spring 2007
starts on the kick drum, even though it's line array."
A MIDAS Heritage mixing console was chosen
for the Razorlight tour because (Laughton
again): "We wanted that stripped-down punchy
rock sound, but with a few frills!"
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PET SHOP BOYS WITH EV
A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE
Paragons of British electronic pop the Pet Shop Boys recently North America for the first time since 2002, performing to packed
houses with a set featuring hits from their 20-year career, along with new material from their latest album Fundamental.
Houston-based LD Systems deployed EV X-Line,
X-Array and remote-control Precision Series
amplifiers for the tour, which wrapped up in
Monterrey, Mexico on November 16th, 2006.
Tour Systems Tech Mike "Monk" Shear of LD
Systems explained why all line arrays are not
created equal: "We already know how well the
X-Line works as a rock box," says, "and it's doing
an equally impressive job handling the electronic music on the Fundamental tour. What sets
the X-Line apart from other big arrays is its
smooth HF response; digital signal reproduction
can be a bit harsh in the high frequencies, but
this rig sounds seamless and warm up in the
mids and highs—we can hear the HF details
without pushing them too hard. In that sense,
X-Line has proved an ideal choice for this tour."
Fundamental Tour FOH Engineer Colin Boland
(FOH, Sarah Brightman, Russell Watson) and
mid-tour FOH sub Holger Schwark (FOH, Berlin
Philharmonic Orchestra) are both highly qualified to make distinctions between the many line
arrays on the market:
"I rate X-Line very highly," Boland commented,
"it's so easy to get a good mix on this system. I
can hear the slightest EQ adjustments through
these boxes.” Schwark adds: “That level of responsiveness helps me work more efficiently, so
I can direct more of my time towards getting coverage right in the room, which really helps in
some of the older theatres with steep rakes and
deep balconies on this tour. I've heard line arrays from multiple manufacturers, and X-Line is
simply a cut above: quality audio is built into each
component."
"The P-RL amps also save us a ton of time," Shear
added, "and they're a big reason a tour like this
can be handled by a minimal crew. I fire up the
amp racks on the deck, walk out front with my
laptop, and tweak my power settings and check
the loudspeaker components in real time with
IRIS-Net while FOH runs pink noise, all without
running back and forth to the deck to turn amps
down before repeating the process. We don't
need an extra crew guy to yell back any problems from the room while I make amp adjustments at the rack—I can do it all myself from
any point in the house. In that sense, the RL amps
have definitely had a positive impact on touring
in the last few years."
newsflash / spring 2007
Equipment list (extract)
Main PA:
12 x EV X-Lie Xvls
8 x EV X-Line Xvlt
16 x Xsub
32 x EV P3000 RL
Monitors (Side Fills)
4 x EV X-Array Xn
Flying high in the States – the Pet Shop
Boys with systems from Electro-Voice
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DETROIT INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
WORLD CLASS IN EVERY RESPECT
The 1st - 4th September last year saw the 27th edition of the celebrated Detroit International Jazz Festival – the best attended
ever, with over a million visitors over the four days
Wall of Sound: EV-Systeme in Downtown-Detroit
Over its 27-year history, the annual Detroit
International Jazz Festival has built a reputation as one of the biggest and best jazz festivals in the world. To ensure the consistent level
of sonic excellence that is a prerequisite for an
event of this caliber, Aerial Enterprises of
Whitmore Lake, Michigan deployed EV loudspeakers on each of the festival’s ten stages,
complete with a full complement of DYNACORD, Midas and Klark Teknik equipment.
The 2006 festival featured a top-shelf lineup
of jazz, blues and soul stars including headliners Sergio Mendes, Diane Schuur, Taj Mahal,
Dr John, CJ Chenier, Buckwheat Zydeco, Richie
Havens, Mose Allison and the Dirty Dozen Brass
Band.
“Over 120 artists performed on ten stages, mixed by over 20 engineers,” reported Jim Lillie of
Aerial Enterprises. “This is a foundation-run festival that attracts big sponsors and big names,
and we make sure the sound is up to the job.
Besides the larger stages, there were smaller
performance areas, such as the Detroit Princess
jazz cruise riverboat, which featured the region’s
best collegiate jazz bands, and the Jazz Talk Tent,
where audiences could meet the musicians and
participate in discussions. On every sized stage
for every performance, excellent sound was
assured by EV, DYNACORD, Midas and KT
equipment. The visiting engineers all enjoyed
mixing on familiar, high quality equipment such
as Midas consoles and KT EQs, and the wide
range of EV speakers used, from compact
Sx250s on the Family Jazz Stage to X-Array and
XLC systems on the largest stages, meant the
whole festival sounded consistently excellent.
Over the entire weekend, I don’t think I spoke
to an artist, engineer or organizer who wasn’t
extremely happy with either the sound equipment or service they received.” The close proximity of the larger Amphitheatre and Pyramid
stages was a potential problem, so Aerial specified shorter-throw, high output Xi trap boxes
for both to prevent bleed-over. The Waterfront
and Campus Martius stages had a lot more
breathing space, which allowed for line arrays.
In addition, Aerial deployed recent offerings
from EV and DYNACORD, including the EV XLine Very Compact (XLD281) and a ‘plug and
play’ DYNACORD Xa-2 system.
MERRY X(-LINE)MAS – WITH THE TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA & EV
Jingle Bells with The Trans-Siberian Orchestra
14
When it comes to spectacular shows, few can
top the annual holiday season tours of the
Eastern and Western USA by the Trans-Siberian
Orchestra, which keep getting bigger every year.
Since Paul O'Neill formed the TSO back in 1996,
it has been db Sound that has brought their sound
to legions of fans, with EV’s X-Array loudspeaker systems providing a balance of rugged reliability and warm, musical reproduction. “The
show is big in every way," says Todd Johnson of
db Sound, "and, with a rotating cast of multiple
singers and instrumental soloists, has a broad
dynamic range – from 80 dB to 105 dB – across
newsflash / spring 2007
a wide range of musical styles. X-Array has
been with the TSO since it was playing in small
theatres, and it sounds just as good in the arenas. We simply added more boxes as the show
grew, allowing us consistent sound quality from
year to year without compromise. X-Array is
also versatile in that it can be literally wrapped
around a corner if necessary, which helps
when playing to 240-degree seating; no matter
what size or shape the venue, every seat gets
the full sonic experience.”
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EV'S XLD DEBUTS IN THE UK
"GLASGOW BELONGS TO ME"
The Classic Grand in Glasgow, Scotland, is under new management, and its new owners are thinking big. Their ambition is
to be the number one live venue in Glasgow, if not in Scotland. The installation of a new EV PA system was the first step
The 500-capacity club is housed in one of
Glasgow's first cinema buildings. Set over two
floors, the Classic Grand's live music policy encompasses anything and everything, and gigs
are usually followed by club sessions by the
likes of The Friday Factory and Porno. With the
venue also aspiring to attract corporate event
hire, a main criterion for the sound system was
that it should be highly flexible. Locally situated in Glasgow, Andrew O'Neill of Flashlite has
been working with the club's owners for 15
years, so he was a natural choice to refurbish
the technical facilities of the venue. Working
closely with Jason Kelly of Shuttlesound, he
has specified the UK’s first permanent installation of EV's new XLD compact line array cabinets, together with the UK debut of EV's new
Phoenix 2152 stage monitors, all-EV amplifiers
to power the system, and a full Midas and Klark
Teknik control system.
"Actually it was the most expensive of the options we gave to the client," says O'Neill, "and
it has turned out to be the benchmark installa-
tion for us at Flashlite; a system that is suitable
for concerts, club use, after-show parties and
corporate event hires. "The Classic Grand's main
room features a five-way EV X-Line/XLVC
System, running the full-range XLD281 boxes in
tri-amp mode. Arrays of five XLD281s and two
rear-mounted XS212s are flown at stage left and
right. A single Xsub sits beneath each array, to
"put a little bit extra on the bottom end“.
Entirely powered by EV's CP Series power amplifiers, the system sounds silky, according to
O'Neill: "You've got to hear it. It's most deceptive. It doesn't look huge, although it's the only sound system that I've ever had to turn down! But
at no point does it hurt the listener. Front-of-house engineers have to use an SPL meter because they don't actually realize how loud it is."
For performers onstage, Flashlite has provided
EV QRx115s with a Phoenix 2152 for drumfill. As
venue space constraints rule out the use of a separate monitor desk, the Midas Verona 400 at
front-of-house has been set up to provide six
monitor mixes (including drumfill).
EV’s XLD-Debut in Glasgows „Classic Grand“
JOSE JOAQUIN DE OLMEDO, GUAYAQUIL
EVID SYSTEMS ENHANCE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Electro-Voice EVID loudspeakers are bringing sonic excellence and subtle style to the newly opened Jose Joaquin de Olmedo
International Airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
As part of an extensive installation by AudioProfesional Cia. Ltda of Guayaquil, the airport’s eightzone selective paging system has been equipped
with 66x EVID 6.2T surface mounted loudspeakers and 9x EV CPST power amplifiers, whilst the
airport’s three VIP lounges now boast 33x EVID
8.2C ceiling speakers. “The level of intelligibility
is 100%,” reported Jordi A. Fabara, General
Manager at AudioProfesional’s Guayaquil office, “and the owners—for whom the EVID 6.2T’s
impressive performance-to-size ratio and smooth
design were of decisive importance—are thrilled with the system.”
changes we made between zones,” he explained, “which makes for a seamless audio effect
throughout the airport, with flawless spokenword reproduction. We recently received high
praise from a technical rep of a major US manufacturer of control systems, who told us he didn’t
miss a word in English, even when the person
making the page had a strong Spanish accent.
At an international airport, this is obviously important.”
Fabara and his team EQ’d each zone individually, paying particular attention to the lobby areas,
which have a considerably different acoustic
signature: “The EVIDs have an exceptionally
smooth and efficient response to the subtle EQ
Scarcely visible but perfectly audible – EVID systems in
the airport at Guayaquil
newsflash / spring 2007
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TERMINAL, UKRAINE
EVI AUDIO SYSTEMS HELP TERMINAL KEEP THE FAITH
Terminal, one of the largest, most successful and busiest rental companies in the Ukraine, consistently opts for systems from EVI Audio
For Anatoliy Bukhalda, the head of Ukrainian
rental company Terminal, it’s an act of faith that
the systems it supplies comply with every technical rider imposed by their touring band clients.
To ensure that this happens, Terminal has, from
its inception, worked closely with the Ukrainian
EVI Audio partner Cortmi – a partnership that
has borne fruit in engagements for the likes of
Dio, Black Eyed Peas,The Rasmus, Deep Purple,
Chris Rea, Al Di Meola, Moby, Luciano Pavarotti
and the Scorpions. Terminal's impressive inventory –which includes two complete Dynacord V
systems, two DYNACORD COBRA-4 systems,
ten Xa-47, a Midas XL4-64, two Midas Verona
230, a Midas Venice 160, an arsenal of KT-EQs,
a selection of EV microphones and more besides – makes it the first port of call for bands touring the Ukraine. Anatoliy Bukhalda makes no
SANCTUARY CLUB, FORT MYERS
DYNACORD COBRA FINDS SANCTUARY IN FLORIDA
The full Cobra experience – by invitation only
To call Club Sanctuary in Fort Myers, Florida,
“exclusive” would be something of an understatement. Whereas most high-end nightclubs
cultivate exclusive status with a selective door
policy and a hefty cover charge, Club Sanctuary
bypasses the general public's patronage altogether: only persons with a personal invitation
from owner David Keljik can cross the threshold
for the parties and fundraising events held within. Once inside, guests enjoy state-of-the-art
lasers and lights, along with another detail that
Sanctuary shares with the big name clubs: a
DYNACORD sound system.
Being built into the middle of a very long building, the central club area is somewhat acoustically buffered by space at the building’s east
and west ends. However, Keljik soon discovered
that that alone was not enough to keep the
COBRA’s prodigious low-end power contained!
To address this, he had the north and south walls
on the building’s narrow section professionally
soundproofed with a patented material that converts low frequencies into heat. “This means we
can turn the COBRA up to a volume level that is,
in my opinion, barely acceptable,” Keljik joked.
“However, there’s still headroom to spare, so
we’re in the process of giving the roof the same
treatment. When we’re done, we’ll enjoy the best
of both worlds: we’ll be able to unleash the full
DYNACORD COBRA experience for our guests at
our toy drives and private parties, and all without shaking the paint off our neighbour’s walls!”
High end nightclub in Fort Myers, Florida – Sanctuary Club ➤
16
newsflash / spring 2007
apology for his loyalty to the manufacturer:
"Countless productions have demonstrated to us
the quality and reliability of EVI Audio's systems.
In fact, our faith in Cortmi, EVI Audio and its products has paid handsome dividends."
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UNIVERSITY OF MAINE
THE COBRA GRADUATES SUMMA CUM LAUDE
When Maine Center for the Arts at the University of Maine (Orono, Maine) announced they were planning a major auditorium
renovation in the fall of 2006, Moonlighting Production Services, LLC (Portland, Maine) stepped up to the plate
What they proposed was a sound solution to a
logistical challenge: the new sound equipment
needed to be operational before construction
began, and it needed to be easily portable during construction for use in another school venue on a per-show basis. In a nutshell, they needed a line array that balanced big-rig performance with plug & play portability. Enter the
Dynacord Cobra—not your usual line array, as
Nick Pires of Moonlighting explained: “Money
was not a huge obstacle, but we were confident that the Cobra system would sound better
in the room than other more expensive line arrays
on the market.” Moonlighting (Nick Pires, Gary
Massey and Ted Dunbar) designed a flexible
system comprised of four flown Cobra-2 Tops
per side with four Cobra PWH subs per side for
stacking on or in front of the stage, depending
upon application. Existing front fills are still used.
“When I brought the system in for the first of
three shows/demos Jeff Richards (the theater's
Technical Director) was understandably skeptical” Pires says, “he questioned me as to
whether four passive high packs would provide
the coverage, throw, frequency response, and
headroom that would be needed for doing everything from speech to pop shows in the 1600+
seat venue. As it turned out, the system worked
very well for the space. Also, the ease of set up
far surpassed any of the other systems that were
considered. This will be crucial while they are
mobile during the renovation, which starts in
late 2007.”
“Investing in the COBRA was a win/win situati-
on: it both ground stacks
and flies easily, and all
with a really small footprint,” says Jeff Richards.
“And, most importantly, it
sounds great. MCA only
puts on high-end events,
and needs sound to
match, to meet the high
specifications of touring
engineers.”
“Since owning the COBRA
we’ve run three big shows
on the system, one of
which was Ian Anderson
performing Jethro Tull
classics with a full orchestra,” continues Jeff
Richards. “Anderson’s
engineer was, like me, a
little skeptical at first
when he saw just four boLooks great, sounds even better: The Cobra in the University Of Maine
xes for a full orchestral
show, but when he heard the system he loved it. " worthy rig to take on the shows that would have
visited the U, a system that would sound good
“The system will be used for speech, playback, in any 1600-capacity hall, not just permanently
symphony, jazz, blues, opera and Broadway- installed in ours. The COBRA fits the bill perfecstyle theater on a regular basis, not to mention tly.”
the occasional pop or rock show” says Richards.
“The COBRA system provides the all-important
coverage and sound quality, but is portable
enough for two or three people to set up quickly while we do shows outside of the theater during the renovation. We needed a flexible, road-
MUSIKAKADEMIE HAMMELBURG: MASTER CLASS & EVI ACADEMY
The Bayerische Musikakademie in Hammelburg, the oldest wine town in Lower Franconia,
provided the setting from the 15th to the 17th
December 2006 for an EVI Academy with a difference. In addition to a number of band coaching seminars – one of the lecturers being bass
player Frank Itt of the Real Groove Band – Mario
Klein conducted a free seminar in sound technology on the 16th December, which was warmly received by those in attendance because it
dealt in an interactive way with the everyday sound problems encountered by gigging musi-
cians, offering practical solutions. A further highlight of the weekend of activities was a concert
given by the guest lecturers and a jam session
on the 17th December. Systems from EVI Audio
– expertly marshalled by Willi Sannemann – ensured that the sound during all the workshops
and concerts was of the very highest quality.
Students at the EVI Academy in Hammelburg ➤
newsflash / spring 2007
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WYCLEF JEAN, MIAMI
HIPHOP SUPERSTAR WITH THE COBRA
Renaissance man of rap, multi-platinum solo artist and Fugees co-founder Wyclef Jean has performed at
the world’s most prestigious venues, through the finest concert-quality sound systems. Now the DYNACORD
COBRA can be added to the list…
Superstar Wyclef Jean flanked by his production team
and the Cobra
At a recent special event at a large Miami
Verizon wireless store, Wyclef Jean was
so impressed with the sound of the Cobra
system that he extended his set, turning
a brief public appearance into a free concert. For Wyclef Jean’s outdoor appearance at the busy Miami location, Bayshore Sound of Tampa, FL, who handle
sound for Verizon in-store events across
Florida, decided to take the sound reinforcement spec to the next level. Having
recently demo'd and ordered a DYNACORD
COBRA system, they felt it would be perfect for the job, so their EV & DYNACORD
dealer pointed them in the direction of
Miami-based Drummer Boy Sound, who
supplied them with an interim Cobra rig,
complete with EV QRx monitors and RE1 wireless mics, a Midas Venice console
and Klark Teknik EQs.
“Once heard, word spreads fast about
the Cobra, and a growing network of
Cobra users is helping keep sound reinforcement standards high at small to medium sized events like this,” Harold
Cummings of Drummer Boy Sound explained. “We were happy to help Bayshore deliver the Cobra sound for this
date: once you hear what it can offer for
shows like this, nothing else will do!
“Wyclef Jean usually performs a couple of songs with his DJ and signs autographs at these appearances. The COBRA
helped make this a special event: the sound quality was so good that Wyclef kept
going, bringing his guitar player and bass
player up on stage for an eight-song set.
Usually people pay a lot of money for a
show like this – it was Wyclef’s gift to the
fans that came out to see him, and it sounded fantastic.
“Darcy Kahn, Wyclef’s longtime en-
gineer, was particularly impressed with
the combination of small size, long throw
and sonic definition the Cobra offered,
with just two tops stacked per side,”
Cummings continued. “This was coming
from a pro used to hearing the biggest
and best systems out there. Darcy was
also very impressed with the QRx monitors, which he thought had clarity and
output you’d hear on monitors five times
the price. We ran six biamped QRx monitors on EV CP3000S and DYNACORD
L2400 amps.
"It all added up to concert-quality sound, and at a price and footprint that
made it viable for a gig like this. During
soundcheck, the guys from Bayshore and
I walked across six-lane Biscayne Boulevard to a large shopping plaza. This is a
busy, noisy part of town, and, even at
500-feet away with six lanes of traffic between us, we could still hear the COBRA
rig clearly with great intelligibility – nothing short of amazing for a groundstacked system!"
PEEL AUDIOVISUAL, AUSTRALIA – GREAT SOUND WITH THE COBRA
Based in Mandurah (Western Australia) for over
six years, Peel Audiovisual – one of the leading
AV companies in WA – has provided quality service and equipment for thousands of successful
events. Peel AV recently took delivery of a DYNACORD COBRA-2-PWH compact line array system from regional Dynacord dealers Audio
Source. The Peel AV crew were gobsmacked
with the Cobra’s clarity, coverage, consistency
and headroom: “I listened to a band through a
PA from another leading manufacturer on
Saturday night," commented Steve Rowe, Hire
& Sales Manager of Peel AV, "and, even though
they were a cover band and we were mixing a
18
jazz band, the difference in sound quality was
huge. The COBRA was clearer, and there was
sound everywhere it was wanted. I even had the
general public coming up and asking about the
system and how it can achieve so much clarity
and coverage from so few cabinets."
Australia's best-loved reptile – the DYNACORD COBRA
with the team from Peel AV
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WORLDWIDE:
DYNACORD
BROWARD CARIBBEAN CARNIVAL IN SUNRISE, FLORIDA
DRUMMER BOY SOUND LOOSES COBRA AT CARNIVAL
The annual Broward Caribbean Carnival in Sunrise (Florida) is a vibrant feast for the eyes and ears. Drummer Boy Sound, Miami,
used for the event a huge mobile DYNACORD COBRA system – with huge success
With dozens of fantastically costumed
steel bands and
mas troupes from
across the Caribbean and beyond,
along with the world’s
top Soca, Calypso,
Reggae, Zouk and
Salsa artists, the annual Broward Caribbean Carnival is a
vibrant feast for the
eyes and ears that
attracts tens of thousands of revelers from around the globe. Held on October 8th (Columbus
Day weekend) at Markham Park, Sunrise
(Florida), this year’s festival celebrated Caribbean
music and culture with an added sonic boost,
thanks to a huge mobile DYNACORD COBRA system supplied by Drummer Boy Sound (DBS) of
Miami.
sion in front of the 80,000-strong party.” To do
this, DBS pooled their COBRA-2 and COBRA-4
systems, creating an all-Dynacord rig comprised
of 24x COBRA PWH subs, 12x COBRA-2 TOP, 4x
COBRA-4 TOP and 2x COBRA-4 FAR boxes. “We
were all set to deliver a dynamic mix with phenomenal punch,” Cummings continued, “—perfect for a party like this— with all the equipment
stacked neatly on the back of a 48-foot trailer, taking advantage of the COBRA´s unbeatable output to size ratio.”
“This was our debut at a South Florida Carnival
event,” Harold Cummings of DBS reported, “and
we wanted to make a really strong first impres-
The system was powered and processed by dedicated DYNACORD COBRA drive racks (a total
of 8x DYNACORD L2400 amplifiers and 4x DYNA-
CORD DSP244 processors) and mixed on a
DYNACORD CMS1000 console, making this the
only complete, single brand system heard at the
event. “The COBRA System has really helped
our company grow over the past couple of
years,” Cummings says, “and there’s a great
buzz around the DYNACORD brand in this part
of the world. The COBRA made a lot of new friends that day, and this debut performance will
no doubt be the first of many.”
In addition to the massive COBRA rig, the trailer
pulsed with activity, with the 300 dancers on and
around the float moving to the sounds of the onboard Trinidadian drum band and pro DJs.
“Though there was some serious competition,”
added Cummings, “with 14 other trailers pumping
out some serious sound, the COBRA really stood
out—we had an edge that was tangible in terms
of the crowd response when we rolled by. We
were thumping!”
The wherewithal to set 80,000 bodies gyrating –
Drummer Boy Sound's battery of Dynacord systems
PEER GYNT, GALA, NORWAY:
ORCHESTRAL SOUND IN THE OPEN AIR – AND IN FINEST CD QUALITY!
The open-air production of Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt at Gålå in Norway was one of the most impressive live events of the year
2006. MultiTechnic was responsible for the sound and opted for a DYNACORD COBRA system
In view of the unique acoustics of the idyllic
open-air setting in Gålå, the organizers asked
the Oslo-based production company, MultiTechnic for a sonic image that, in the words of
Erik S. Landsem, “would appear to be issuing not
from the loudspeakers, but from the lake behind
the stage – and in CD quality, too!” The team
from MultiTechnic employed a DYNACORD
COBRA-4 system to cover the performers – an
orchestra of 30 musicians, a choir of 40 singers,
and a cast of 100 actors – and positioned four
DYNACORD D12 cabinets at the end of the stage, which combined with the COBRA to create
the desired illusion: a sonic image that “seemed
to be coming from all sides” rather than from the
loudspeakers themselves.
“We managed to achieve a powerful orchestral
sound in the open air!” recalls Landsem. Both the
organizers and audiences acknowledged that
this was no mean feat: “After every single performance,” Landsem adds, “people complimented us on the quality of the sound reinforcement.”
The following were among the systems used for
the 2006 production of Peer Gynt in Gålå:
4 x DYNACORD COBRA-4 tops; 4 x DYNACORD
COBRA subs; 4 x Dynacord D12 cabinets;
4 x DYNACORD MX8 cabinets; 2 x DYNACORD
LM 10-2 cabinets; 8 x DYNACORD VM
15 cabinets;
1 x DYNACORD M12 cabinet
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WORLDWIDE:
KLARK TEKNIK
INTERNATIONAL BROADCAST CONVENTION 2006
KLARK TEKNIK'S HELIX E SERIES MAKES FIRST APPEARANCE AT THE IBC
IBC 2006 marked the sixth year that Klark Teknik has supported the International Broadcast Convention and the first that its
new E Series Helix range of signal processing and system control hardware was used
IBC Supporters – a range of leading manufacturers – equip IBC’s conference rooms and special events such as D-Cinema and IBC News
with their latest products, which are installed
and run by the IBC Technical Resources team
under the direction of Phil White. In return for
loaning this equipment, manufacturers can tap
into feedback and suggestions from front-line
broadcast users, and this is often of great help
in finalizing new products.
It is IBC policy to raise the technical bar each
year and 2006 was no exception, featuring expanded facilities in two surround auditoriums
– one for D-Cinema and one for HDTV – plus a
conference room with full surround.
All rooms used Helix EQs for system and group
equalisation, plus DN9848Es for loudspeaker processing duties. The Forum (HDTV) also used a
DN9848E for EQ, distribution and delay alignment
for eight groups of surround loudspeakers. The
D-Cinema Auditorium used 12 channels of
DN9344 EQ for the cinema system and two
DN9848Es for the 3-way active screen system
and two channels of LFE. Midas Heritage 1000
consoles were also used for Conference Room
L and for sound reinforcement in the D-Cinema.
KT also provided EQ and dynamics units from
another new range, Square ONE. A Square ONE
Dynamics was used across different microphone
groups for the conference programme in the D-
Cinema Auditorium,
“In our mind, 'tuning' means EQ and loudspeaker processors," says Terry Nelson, who works
closely with the Audio Technical Coordinator,
Tim Kerr, specifying systems for the rooms and
acoustic consultation. "Klark Teknik habitually
provides IBC with a considerable number of
both. IBC was a very early user – and fan – of
the Helix programmable EQs."
PORCUPINE TREE GOES BACK TO SQUARE ONE WITH KT
Long-time Klark Teknik and Midas enthusiast
Ian Bond used the recently-launched Square
ONE Dynamics unit for Porcupine Tree on their
recent DVD promotional tour of Europe and the
US. Described as a progressive rock band playing "a combination of rock, psychedelia, ambient and more recently metal", Porcupine Tree
was formed in Hertfordshire, England, by Steve
Wilson way back in 1987. The Square ONE range
is designed for ease of use and high quality
sound at an affordable price point. Apart from
these obvious advantages, Bond was appreciative of the eight channels of flexible, configurable, high-performance dynamics processing crammed into the 3U Dynamics unit. For the
Porcupine Tree gigs, the unit was used to process the drum kit, with six gates across the kick
and toms and two compressors used on the top
of the two snares.
“The compressors worked well in vintage
mode, giving the snare more edge,” he says.
“The gates were also extremely good, very
quick and, because of the different closing
20
threshold, were all but transparent.” Porcupine
Tree will be touring their new album in 2007 with
the SQ1 Dynamics taking pride of place in Bond’s
FOH touring rack – and with good reason.
One of the best Prog-Rock-Bands: Porcupine Tree
newsflash / spring 2007
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WORLDWIDE:
TELEX/RTS
INTER OB VIDEOTRUCK
VIDEO TRUCK RELIES ON INTERCOM EQUIPMENT FROM TELEX/RTS
The Inter OB Truck, a mobile HD/SD-compatible camera studio, boasts an extensive array of analogue audio equipment but
relies at the same time on the proven quality of a Cronus intercom matrix
The Cronus matrix from TELEX is equipped with
32 ports that can be used for all intercom and
talkback tasks. All the ports can be configured
both as panel ports or as external 4-wire ports.
In the truck itself, eight ports are implemented
as panels and four ports as cable-based communication ports for cameras, IFB transmitters, hybrid telephones and external leads.
A self-sufficient power supply provides all users
on board with energy, whilst at the rear of the
truck are to be found not only the cable-roll systems but also the connection panel with all the
video and audio sockets as well as the connectors for the intercom and remote controls.
A large number of different cameras are avai-
lable, all of them suitable for HDTV. As a server
for the harddisk recording, a 4-channel EVS
(2 Rec + 2 Play) is used. The actual production
area offers in addition to two control desks and
numerous monitors, a further workstation, which
like the others is equipped with a talkback panel.
The audio equipment on board represents the finest in analogue technology as well as including
a digital mixer.
ENFYS LIMITED, CARDIFF
UPGRADE WITH TELEX/RTS
Television facility house Enfys complete the upgrade of their Cardiff studios by installing a new TELEX/RTS communications
system in Studios 1&2.
Since all Enfys Limited's outside broadcast vehicles were already equipped with products
from TELEX/RTS, when it came to expanding
two of the studios, they didn't waste much time
pondering the options: TELEX/RTS was first
choice once again. As Sion Richards, Head of
Sound at Enfys Limited, explained:
“Telex offers 100% reliability—I’m amazed at
the stability of these systems. And then there’s
the simplicity of the panels, which make it easy
to change individual levels, and all in a very
small footprint—they’re ideal for both our
Outside Broadcast trucks and our studios. With
the Telex system, I can quickly provide any talkback circuit a director requires.”
The Enfys Studios 1 and 2 in Cardiff, in which the
series "Telly Addicts" (Noel Edmonds), "ITV
Celebrity Poker" and "Big cook, little cook" (on the
BBC Children's Channel) are produced, are now
equipped with a TELEX/RTS ADAM CS matrix
and a combination of rack mount and desk top
keypanels.
Studio 1 has a floor area of 370 square metres
and can accommodate an audience of up to 200,
whilst Studio 2,
with around 100
square metres
of floor space,
handles smaller productions
such as commercials.
The Enfys Outside Broadcast fleet comprises,
Unit 1, ten cameras with ADAM CS and Unit 2,
six cameras with ADAM CS.
"TELEX/RTS offers 100% reliability" —
Sion Richards of Enfys Limited
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INSIDE
NORTH AMERICAN SALES MEETING IN ARIZONA
Telex's their first annual North American Sales
Meeting as part of the Bosch Group ran from the
30th October to the 2nd November. The location of this year's event, Tucson, Arizona provided a bucolic setting for the four days of product training, sales discussions and lectures by
guest speakers, and distributors were upbeat
about the merger: "Sales force regards the merger between Bosch and TELEX as a highly positive development," stated Bobbi Brooks of
Sales Force & Associates. "We think it will further strengthen our position in the pro audio
market. Distributing the products of two large
and renowned manufacturers underlines our
dedication and commitment to providing system
solutions for the world market."
The enthusiasm could be felt as "old" and "new"
Bosch Security Systems employees discussed
the merger and their common plans for 2007 with
the representatives of the manufacturers.
Further highlights of the four-day event included
the demonstration of new products such as the
Midas XL8 digital console, Klark Teknik processors, Electro-Voice amplifiers and loudspeakers
and DYNACORD speaker systems.
Upbeat eleven (l. to r.): Craig Bess (Vision 2),
David Cooper (Midas), Donnie Haulk (Audio
Ethics), John Oakley (Midas), Tim Owens (Audio
Ethics), Jeff Neubauer (Westover), Matt Larson
(Midas), Ethan Wetzell (EV), Mike Webb (EV), Jim
Pfitzinger (EV), Mick Whelan (EV)
TONMEISTERTAGUNG IN LEIPZIG WITH EVI AUDIO
From the 16th to the 19th November, the Leipzig
Congress Center was the setting for the
Tonmeistertagung (Sound Engineers' Conference), where, after a long absence, EVI
Audio was once again represented with a booth
and where a team made up of Andreas Miele,
Jürgen Langhorst, Dieter Kellner, H.-G. Walther
and Richard Ferriday presented a selection of
new products from Midas (XL8 Live Performance System), Klark Teknik (Helix Show
Comman, Square One) and Electro-Voice (XLD,
XLE, XS212, TG7). One of the highlights of the
congress was a one-hour lecture given by
Richard Ferriday in Hall 1 entitled "Digital mixing
consoles and networks". According to Andreas
Miele of EVI Audio's Theater Sound Systems department: "After this presentation, our booth was
completely besieged right into the evening
hours. The discussions were at the highest level and, once again, the enthusiasm of specialists for the XL8 was apparent." But this was by
no means the only new product to interest the
3,800 industry specialists: "Netmax, Tourgrade,
Line Arrays… from students to experienced sound technicians, the reaction was extremely positive," recalls Miele.
MASSIVE INVESTMENT IN STRAUBING PRODUCTION FACILITY
After a brief interruption, work has resumed on
the new production facility in Straubing. The
pause was necessary as the new building was
originally designed as a warehouse, but after
the acquisition, Bosch Security Systems, having promised to bolster the Straubing headquarters, opted to transform the new hall into
a modern production facility with around 4000
square metres of floor space. A further 2,000
square metres is being set aside for streamlining dispatch and deliveries, optimising the flow
of materials, a test hall and offices. In addition,
around 80 new parking spaces and a second access road have been created. The total investment in the Straubing headquarters now comes
to over 5 million euros. The topping-out ceremony is planned for mid February.
Massive investment in production
22
newsflash / spring 2007
In good spirits – Dieter Kellner, Richard Ferriday and
Andreas Miele in Leipzig
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INSIDE
SBES, BIRMINGHAM
TELEX/RTS HAS BRILLIANT SHOWING AT SBES, BIRMINGHAM, UK
Held on November 15th & 16th, 2006, the Sound Broadcasting Equipment Show (SBES) in Birmingham, England attracted nationwide attention. Equipment from TELEX/RTS held its own in the spotlight at this busy show.
The Sound Broadcasting Equipment Show
(SBES) in Birmingham affirmed Telex /RTS’s position as a leader in the world of broadcast intercom amidst the cream of British broadcast
companies and system manufacturers. “We
were very pleased to see far more booth visitors than expected,” a highly satisfied Manuel
Brico, Product Manager TELEX/RTS intercom,
told NewsFlash.
The impressive TELEX/RTS turnout at this
important show was masterminded by Brico’s
colleagues in the UK, Adrian Richmond and
Geoff Rogers. Richmond noted some highlights:
“The BTR-800 continues to attract great interest as an industry-standard UHF intercom system, and, in the digital realm, the RVON family, the Cronus matrix and the new KP-412 and
KP-612 key panels all brought about a steady
stream of enquiries.” Perhaps the pinnacle of
this stellar showing was, however, an order
from UK broadcasting giant ITN for two ADAM
128 matrixes, 40 conference system units and
a trunk master.
Success in Birmingham: Geoff Rogers, Nico Lewis and Adrian Richmond
NEW AT SHUTTLESOUND: NEAL ALLEN
Neal Allen joined Shuttlesound, EVI Audio's
British partner, in November 2006. A concert
sound specialist, Neal's brief is to provide customer support for Electro-Voice loudspeakers,
amplifiers, microphones and network solutions. Equally at home with the theory and the
practicalities of pro sound, he is, according to
Shuttlesound's managing director, Paul Barretta, "an expert in high-end touring. That's why
I'm sure all the rental companies in the UK will be delighted that we were able
to secure his services."
For more information, contact:
Paul Barretta
SHUTTLESOUND LTD
Tel: +44 0208 / 646 7114
www.shuttlesound.com
NEW AT EVI AUDIO : MARKUS SCHMITTINGER
Markus Schmittinger joined EVI Audio’s sales
team on 6th November 2006 as Sales Manager,
Electro-Voice Microphones, for the EMEA
(Europe, Middle East and Africa) region. An experienced sales representative, Markus also
has a reputation for skilful man-management
combined with decisiveness and relishes the
opportunity, as he put it, to "help in pushing this
legendary microphone brand even further to
the forefront of people's
awareness."
Markus Schmittinger's contact details:
Telefon: + 49 9421 / 706-251
Fax:
+ 49 9421 / 706-287
Mobile: + 49 170 / 478 0068
Email:
markus.schmittinger@de.telex.com
newsflash / spring 2007
23
Be Heard. © 2007 Bosch Communications · Art.Nr. D164562 · Printed in Germany (F&W/Snapshot) · HM07 · www.telexcommunications.com ·
Subject to change without prior notice!
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