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Great White Case Gets Pleaded Out
ThE NEws MagazinE For LivE Sound
February 2006 Vol. 4 No. 5
Carrying The Audio
World on Their Shoulders
AudioTek Tackles Myriad Challenges For the Super Bowl
DETROIT, MI—Each year for the last
nine years, Burbank, Calif.-based AudioTek has gotten to pack up and take
a mid-winter vacation. For each of the
Super Bowls that the sound company has
worked, the balmy locales have ranged
from Jacksonville to Houston to San
Diego.
Not this time. For Super Bowl XL on
Feb. 5, AudioTek packed up six semi trucks
and hauled them to the slightly snowier
Detroit, Mich., for the matchup between
the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle
Seahawks. (For those of us not paying
attention in high school, XL is the Roman
numeral form of 40 and does not stand for
“extra large.”—Ed.) But the climate wasn’t
the only thing different this time—with
the exception of Reliant Stadium in
Houston two years ago, every stadium
that AudioTek has outfitted for audio has
been open air.
In addition, halftime act Rolling
Stones is out to prove that they’re no Ashlee Simpson: Their threesong set will be performed
completely live.
“This is the first time
ever for any Super Bowl that
the halftime entertainment
is 100% completely live, all
live instruments,” says Scott
Harmala, AudioTek’s VP of engineering.“That’s what makes
this whole thing really tough to pull off. This year
for setup at halftime, we have a whole seven
minutes and 15 seconds from the exact end of
the first half to the exact downbeat of the Rolling
PROVIDENCE, RI—When the smoke
cleared from the infamous 2003 fire
at a Rhode Island club during a Great
White performance, the first things seen
were criminal charges and a slew of
civil lawsuits. For anyone who does not
remember, pyro set off during the show
at the Station set fire to foam installed on
the ceiling, and the resulting blaze ended
with the deaths of 100 people. While civil
cases have named everyone from the club
owners to the company that made the
speakers that were installed there, criminal
charges were limited to the Station owners, Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, and
the person who set off the pyro, Great
White tour manager Daniel Biechele. At
Shure and TC Group A/S Form Alliance
ANAHEIM, CA—In a move that no one
saw coming and no one quite knows what
to make of yet, Shure Incorporated and
TC Group A/S have announced plans for a
strategic alliance focused on technology
sharing. All the press release said is that
“the companies intend to work together
to develop innovative networking solutions to enhance system performance,
yet simplify system setup and use, for the
professional audio market.”
“In a world that is becoming more
integrated and connected each day, we
think it is more important than ever for
the component parts of an audio system
to be able to communicate with each
other. Both Shure and TC are committed to
Pro Audio Biz
Survives Another
NAMM Show
Stones. And all
of these staging
pieces—this year,
the whole stage
module combination is made out
of 28 individual
pieces—come
flying down the tunnel. And there’s only one tunnel, one entrance into the whole place.”
continued on page 39
press time, it was announced that Biechele
has agreed to a deal with prosecutors in
which he will plead guilty to 100 counts of
involuntary manslaughter, but will serve
no more than 10 years in state prison.
Though all parties involved in the
deal—from Superior Court Judge Francis
Darigan to Attorney General Patrick Lynch
to Tom Briody, Biechele’s lawyer—declined
comment on the terms of the plea bargain, it
has been speculated that Biechele will cooperate with prosecutors in their case against
the Derderians, who each are charged with
200 counts of involuntary manslaughter for
allegedly installing the flammable foam in
violation of the state fire code.
ANAHEIM, CA—As the musical
masses descended on Anaheim, Calif.
,for the latest installment in the neverending bout of trade shows, those of us
concerned more with mics and speakers
and consoles and processors than with
guitars and amps braced ourselves for
four days of dealing with the “hey, dude”
squad. But some cool stuff was found
among the mayhem, including a line
array and power distro from Peavey,
a powered and ground-stacked array
from ISP, a cool-looking personal monitor from TC and a bunch of other neat
toys. For the whole dirty, dirty lowdown,
see our coverage starting on pg.
12.Gubi
Stefan
this goal through breakthrough technology that utilizes the application of open
standards,” said Anders Fauerskov, CEO of
TC Group A/S, in the release.
“The capabilities and products of the
two companies complement each other
in every respect, and we are excited about
the possibilities that exist as a result of this
initial collaboration,” said Sandy LaMantia,
president and CEO of Shure, in the release.
In an e-mail to FOH, Fauerskov said
that the alliance is still in its early stages, so
it is hard to be specific, but noted that “we
felt that it was important to tell our audio
community that the closed network standards others are promoting is definitely
In This
Issue:
Product Gallery
We try again to find affordable digital
consoles. Wanna see what we found?
Regional Slants
The finer points of dealing with
guest engineers.
Ad info: www.fohonline.com/rsc
200.0602.Cover.JH.indd 1
2/2/06 9:17:06 PM
Table of Contents
February 2006, Vol. 4.05
What’s
What’s
Hot
What’s
Hot
What’s
HotHot
29. Theory & Practice
Features
20. Production Profile
Making sound a spiritual experience with
the Dare 2 Share Revolution tour.
24. Installations
Bringing a “superior music venue” to the
Heartland.
We look—again—for digital consoles that
are as affordable as they are cool. Maybe
the third time is the charm?
12
That Noise?
The FOH crew tries to avoid catastrophic hearing damage while
digging for audio gold at the winter NAMM show.
37. Sound Sanctuary
On the virtues of set-it-and-forget-it. Or
maybe just why some users should be
locked out.
40. FOH-at-Large
26. Product Gallery
What’s That Smell? I Mean, What’s Mark Amundson gives away the deepest
secret of live audio mixing—where each
instrument lies in the frequency spectrum.
30. Road Tests
ISP’s Mongoose powered array, Yamaha’s
M7CL digital console, a really flat wireless
from Lectrosonic and a simple Smaart
interface that may bring the software to
the masses.
Columns
18. On Broadway
Theatre had a pretty good year, which
bodes well for theatrical sound types.
22. On the Bleeding Edge
Yes, there are really ethics in the live audio
biz. And we all know who has ‘em and who
doesn’t.
Departments
4. Editor’s Note
6. News
11. On the Move
14. Showtime
34. In the Trenches
34. Welcome to
My Nightmare
35. Regional Slants
A room where acoustics take precedence
over décor? Steve La Cerra must be dreaming.
16
FOH Interview
28. The Biz
On the road with Chicago and mixer Mary McFadden.
Even if you’re not the religious type, you
may want to take a gander at the sound
possibilities at the local mega-church.
Feedback
Blast ‘Em With SPL!
Regarding the “Non-Fatal Sound Defense” article by
Baker Lee (FOH-at-Large, Dec. 2005): I found this news fascinating also, so when I researched it, I found that the sonic
device was a LRAD manufactured by American Technology
Corporation. Their website is www.ATCSD.com.
I occasionally do audio work onboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Next time I sail, I’ll look into it myself.
BTW, I just received my first issue of FOH, and I love it.
Mike Holtzinger
Amps in the Air
For our Product Gallery on powered line arrays (Jan.
2006), we solicited opinions on the pros and cons of
powered versus passive from a number of industry greats,
including Monty Lee Wilkes. He got back to us after our
200.0602.TOC.rg.indd 2
deadline, but what he has to say is worth hearing anyway.
–Ed.
There are number of factors to bear in mind other
than the initial weight that internal amplifiers are going
to adding to the arrays. Keeping your amplifier dollars
in racks with flexible cabling schemes will allow those
dollars to work with differing types of cabinets and on
differing types of jobs. From a cabling standpoint, you’re
still running heavy cables up in the air when flying, and in
many cases, will be adding signal cables as well. But consider this long and hard... what if an amp fails up there
in the air during the show? Limping through the show
without some boxes working might not be the end of the
world, but then again, it might. It is also very important to
remember that not all amplifiers die a nice quiet death.
When they go, some do it, if not kicking, certainly screaming. How fast can you make it stop? If you aren’t running
separate AC to every individual amp, you may not be
able to stop it without taking out a significant portion of
your rig if you haven’t run enough AC up to the array (see
earlier mention of heavy cables).
Monty Lee Wilkes
We Want to Hear From You. Really.
To submit a letter to the editor, send it via e-mail to
bevans@fohonline.com, fax it to 818.654.2485 or mail
it to 18425 Burbank Blvd., Ste. 613, Tarzana, CA 91356. If
you actually want it to appear in the magazine, send it
to the attention of the associate editor or cc the e-mail
to arost@fohonline.com.
And while you’re at it, go to our Web site at www.
fohonline.com to submit your information for our
Showtime, In the Trenches and Welcome to My Nightmare sections. You know you want to…
2/2/06 9:49:32 PM
Editor’s Note
Perk or
Publisher
Terry Lowe
tlowe@fohonline.com
Editor
Bill Evans
bevans@fohonline.com
Technical Editor
Mark Amundson
Problem?
I
so hate to use a line I have used before
in a column, but sometimes there is
no getting around it. Remember that
TV show, Hill Street Blues? (For you pups out
there, it was way back in the dim past in
a time called the ‘80s.) Every show would
begin with the crusty old Sarge doing the
daily briefing for all of the street cops, and
he would always end it the same way—“Be
careful out there.”
That is the spirit in which I hope everyone will take this. I actually have had a real
hard time putting this on paper (or in bytes,
or whatever you call it when your pad of
paper becomes a laptop) because I know it
could easily come off as preachy, and that
is the last thing I want to do. I know all too
well how unqualified I am for that particular
activity. So take this as a well-intentioned
“heads up” and not a finger-pointing sermon.
I was talking with a musician I know
recently. This guy has toured with some very
big names, and these days, does mostly local
work. Really good player, and a nice guy
who gets along with everybody, so I always
wondered why he gave up the whole rock
‘n’ roll lifestyle thing. A song came up in the
conversation, and he told me about touring
with that band at the same time they went
from FM album rock only to mainstream pop
hit-makers. He told me about a New Year’s
Eve gig with the band in their hometown
and how girls were literally trying to pull
mamundson@fohonline.com
Associate Editor
Allison Rost
arost@fohonline.com
By BillEvans
them off of the stage. I joked that everybody
got some that night. He laughed, agreed and
then told me about the tour with a real rock
god who never took advantage of the flesh
banquet offered up after each gig, but that
did not stop the band from partaking freely.
Then he got serious and said that this tour
was the end for him. “When it was over, I realized that if I did not quit, it was going to kill
me,” he said. And he stopped touring.
As is too often the case, other events
in the following weeks kept bringing me
back to that “quit or die” choice. Most
powerful was notice of the deaths of a
couple of touring sound guys who died
long before their time. I got this note from
the crew at the House of Blues about their
friend Scott Richards.
Walter “Scott” Richards was born in Troy,
New York on July 31, 1951. After graduation
from Lansingberg high school in 1968 and
Oswego State College in New York in 1972,
Scott moved to Boston and began working
for Maryland Sound.
Scott mixed shows for Manhattan Transfer, George Benson, Dionne Warwick, Joe
Jackson, Luther Vandross, Frankie Valli, Ian
Hunter, Kenny G, Anita Baker, Mary J. Blige
and his personal favorite, Kris Kristofferson.
In 2000, he moved to Las Vegas after a Mary
J. Blige tour and began working FOH at the
House of Blues, located in the Mandalay Bay
Hotel, where he continued through Septem-
ber of 2004. On May 29, 2005, Scott passed
away in Las Vegas due to complications from
liver failure.
If that were the only such notice I had
received in the past few months, it might not
have hit me this way, but it was just one of
several where a too-young touring guy was
taken away by the lifestyle that draws some
of us to touring in the first place.
Hey, it can be a big party, and that can be
a lot of fun. As long as we don’t try to make
the party go on forever, day in and day out.
I know a lot of people who have lived hard
on the road. Some of them got married and
settled down, some just saw the writing on
the wall early enough and—like my musician
friend—changed their ways or got out. Others—too many others—are dead or mere
shells of the people they once were.
Touring is, by its nature, moments of
intense stimulation and work and reward surrounded by hours and hours of mindnumbing boredom. It is easy to fill those hours
with stuff that can hurt you. Sex and drugs and
rock ‘n’ roll is a mantra, and partying in all of its
forms is one of the perks of touring. Knowing how much I like those perks is one of the
reasons I have stayed away from touring. And I
really don’t want to have to bury another friend
who could not get away from a lifestyle that
went from terrific to toxic before it was too late.
No sermon, just something to mull over
during one of those endless bus rides…
Contributing Writers
Jerry Cobb, Dan Daley,
Steve LaCerra,
David John Farinella,
Nort Johnson, Ted Leamy,
Baker Lee, Tony Mah,
Bryan Reesman, Jamie Rio,
Richard Rutherford,
Photographers
Steve Jennings, Bree Kristel
Production Manager
Shawnee Schneider
sschneider@fohonline.com
Senior Graphic Designer
Robert A. Gonzalez
rgonzalez@fohonline.com
Graphic Designers
Jesus Fernandezdavila
jfernandez@fohonline.com
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
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Front Of House (ISSN 1549-831X) Volume 4 Number
5 is published monthly by Timeless Communications
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additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address
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40033037, 1415 Janette Ave., Windsor, ON N8X 1Z1
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2/2/06 9:21:51 PM
News
Walt Disney Concert Hall Goes Wireless
LOS ANGELES, CA—Walt Disney Concert
Hall has added an innovative wireless microphone system to match the environment’s
exacting technical requirements.
According to Kevin Wapner, head of audio at Walt Disney Concert Hall, “We have a
total of nine Lectrosonics SM Series belt-pack
transmitters and nine UT400 Series handheld
models equipped with AKG C5900 supercardioid condenser capsules.” The 18 Venue
receiver modules are paired to offer nine
channels of audio. The system’s ratio diversity
scheme blends the output of each two receivers based on which one is picking up the better signal. For belt-pack transmitters, the “Super Mini” SM units are being used with DPA
4066 headset microphones.
“The wireless system has performed flawlessly since it was installed,” Wapner says. “We
handle a number of jazz performances here
at Walt Disney Concert Hall, together with operas and other musical events where we need
mobile operation. The receiver rack is mounted
in the ceiling directly above the performance
stage, and is linked to the mix location in the
rear of the auditorium. We can also remotely
control a number of critical systems parameters
from the mix position via a conventional laptop
PC, including channel settings, as well as monitoring battery life and signal levels.” Each Venue
receiver is operated remotely using Lectrosonics’ LecNet2 software protocol and a network
connection. The firm’s VR Panel control software
is included with each Venue system.
“We first tried out the Lectrosonics Venue system at the
Hollywood Bowl—the summer
home of the L.A. Philharmonic,”
recalls Fred Vogler, the venue’s
sound designer. “The results led
to a decision to add them at the
Walt Disney Concert Hall. We
have used the rig on a number
of events, ranging from The Blind
Boys of Alabama Christmas Show,
and our New Year’s Eve Big Bad
Voodoo Daddy Holiday Concerts, (Lto R) Fred Vogler and Kevin Wapner
to Manhattan Transfer and similar
presentations.
happened during a recent concert—a mike
“We always keep four handhelds near to cover a backline amplifier. Rather than
the stage area just in case we need them at have to run a cable across the stage, we
the last minute. You never know when you’ll can simply hand a mic to the announcer.
need an announcer microphone or—as Simplicity!” Vogler says.
In Memoriam: “Dr. Don” Pearson
BERKELEY, CA—The live audio community was left reeling at the news that “Dr.
Don” Pearson died on Jan. 9. According to
Meyer Sound, longtime partners with Pearson, he died unexpectedly while undergoing a “routine medical procedure.”
In a statement, Meyer Sound’s educational program director, Gavin Canaan, said
this about Pearson, with whom he worked
extensively: “There was no comparison to
his generosity with compliments, support
and encouragement. He was, without a
doubt, one of the most unique, giving and
caring people I have ever known and likely
will ever know.”
Pearson most recently worked as a
technical seminar instructor for Meyer. Prior to that, he co-founded Ultra Sound (now
Pro Media/Ultra Sound) in San Rafael, Calif., in 1978. Before leaving the company in
early 2004, Pearson famously worked with
groups such as the Grateful Dead, Santana
and Dave Matthews Band.
His technological achievements are
well-known across the industry and were
incorporated into audio gear that still
exists today. Bob Buika, national sales
manager for Media Stage and a former
coworker of Pearson’s at Ultra Sound/Pro
Media, touted the expertise of “Dr. Don” in
a post on Meyer Sound’s memorial message board for Pearson.
“I moved
to California
in 1979 and
had probably seen
the Dead 20
times or so
before what
was really a
memorable
evening. I
remember
walking
into
the
Greek Theatre for the first run of fall shows in 1981.
After getting settled in and looking up,
I said, ‘Where the hell’s the P.A.?” Buika
wrote. “I had no idea what a flat frequency
response curve was, but suddenly I could
hear everything a whole lot better and
Garcia’s guitar and Lesh’s bass suddenly
were kicking me really hard right in the
chest—and that was a very good thing.”
Pearson leaves behind his wife, Fran,
two children and two grandchildren. The
family requests that any donations go
to the National Hemophilia Foundation.
To contribute to Meyer’s memorial message board, visit www.meyersound.com/
remember_dr_don/index.php.
Dolby Lake Partnership Yields First Fruit
SAN FRANCISCO, CA—When Dolby
bought out Lake a year and a half ago, the
big question was what that would mean for
the company that developed the Lake Contour (also known as the Clair I/O), which has
become something of a staple for many tours.
Its ability to EQ a system from anywhere in
the room via a wireless tablet PC was a first,
and the depth of EQ options offered live engineers tools they had never had before.
We now have our first hint at what is to
come as Dolby Labs announced the release
of the Dolby lake processor, the “first product
combining Dolby and Lake Technology audio
expertise.” Our first thought on seeing the
box was that it had “Bruce Jackson” written all
over it, so we emailed the winner of last year’s
Parnelli Innovator Award for his thoughts.
“I see us as Dolby’s Aussie engineering
outpost,” Jackson wrote. “We are basically a
bunch of engineers and a small management
core developing new technology for Dolby in
the consumer and pro audio fields. I wasn’t
100% sure what would lie ahead with Dolby in
full control because I have spent my life as an
independent...both as a mixer and owner of
my own companies. It turns out to be a great
relationship. We have been getting excellent
support and I have been busy learning to be
a good corporate citizen. One of the things I
have had to learn to do is take advantage of
the well-oiled support system that Dolby provides. It seems to me that Dolby is largely a
bunch of engineers in an organization where
the style and ethos is set by Ray Dolby...an
engineer first and businessman second. Ray
loves audio and electronics and has built his
company to innovate and deliver quality.
We will give you more details and a picture next issue, but for now, let’s just say that
this is a deep box. It is hardware reconfigurable via a series of I/O cards that allows it to
be anything from a four-channel Lake Mesa
EQ to a four-in, 12-out loudspeaker controller
that includes all of the EQ of the Contour. Tops
200.0602.News.JH.indd 6
2/2/06 9:32:26 PM
News
Speaker Upgrade
Sails Into Port Theatre
IN BRIEF...
LeAnn Rimes Kicks Off Rose Bowl
PASADENA, CA—LeAnn Rimes sang the national anthem into a Shure KSM9 Wireless
before the start of the BCS National Championship Rose Bowl Game between the USC
Trojans and the Texas Longhorns at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 4. In a last-minute victory, Texas
beat USC, 41-38.
Clearwing Takes New Wedges Out with Steve Miller
MILWAUKEE, WI—Longstanding V-DOSC and dV-DOSC Network Partner Clearwing
Productions, Inc. of West Allis, Wis., has recently purchased 16 L-ACOUSTICS 115XT HiQ
monitor wedges.
According to Clearwing audio operations manager Brian ‘BK’ Koerner, the company
chose to add the 115XT HiQs after renting a quantity for a month-long outing with the
Steve Miller Band.
School Performance Areas Revamped
Alpha YaYa Dialla
NANAIMO, BC—With the wide variety of
local and international theatrical and music
performances, the technical requirements
were vast at the Port Theatre, located in Nanaimo, B.C. The Port Theatre seats 769 people,
and can add an additional 33 skid-mounted
seats in the orchestra pit when it is not in use.
The theatre has raked orchestra seating on
two levels, and a balcony with multiple level
loges wrapped around the sides.
With an adjustable proscenium opening
from 42 to 48 feet, and utilizing reversible reflective or absorbing wall panels to adjust its
acoustics, The Port Theatre works equally well
as a concert hall, theatre or rock-venue.
These varying performance requirements
created a need for predictable vertical control
and extended, well defined horizontal coverage as well as intelligibility, musicality and sheer
power, to address speech, instrumental augmentation and full-scale rock reinforcement.
With an initial design in hand, Bruce Halliday (technical director for The Port Theatre)
and Jim Kent worked out a plan for a demonstration of the Adamson SpekTrix line array to coincide with a concert featuring the
band Alpha YaYa Diallo. This would allow the
SpekTrix to be evaluated under real life conditions. Around the same time LTS, an installation and production company based out of
Vancouver, B.C., was conducting a demo of
a 16-box SpekTrix rig at the Festival Du Bois
in Port Coquitlam, in nearby Vancouver. The
Spektrix, having been subjected to heavyduty Acadian rock ‘n’ roll over the three-day
outdoor festival, were “nicely warmed up” and
in perfect shape for the demo at the Port, and
were ferried to Vancouver Island.
The configuration for this acoustically
elegant theatre was simple: left and right
arrays of Five SpekTrix, with three SpekTrix
WAVEs flown as a stereo pair. The adjustable rigging frame allowed for a single
point hang. One Spektrix Sub per side
was needed to provide sufficient low-end.
These were ground-stacked on movable
dollies on each side of the stage, in order
to avoid sight-line issues, while providing
even coverage of the theatre space. Lab.
gruppen amplifiers powered the Spektrix
and Lake Contour provided processing, allowing FOH engineer Jim Kent to tune the
arrays in minimal time.
The system design was executed by
Vanderkley, and fine-tuned by Adamson Europe DV2’s technical director Didier dal Fitto.
The use of the Adamson Shooter Software
allowed him to build a computer simulation
of the venue and facilitated the sharing of
the design between continents. Final tuning
and testing of the installation was provided
by LTS Vancouver.
GREAT BILLING, ENGLAND—Hawthorn Theatrical recently specified Martin Audio AQ
speakers exclusively in their design model for some of the new City Academies. According to the company’s installation manager, Simon Ling, the existing buildings are being
replaced at a cost of around £25 million.
Hawthorn Theatrical will provide a full technical infrastructure, consisting of sound,
light, projection and control. The most recently-commissioned system was at Northampton Academy, which has been designed around four spaces—the main assembly hall, two
drama studios and a dance studio.
Saudi Arabian Conference Requires Complex Audio
JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA—HAV Productions managed the AV production of the recent
International Business Forum (IBF), held at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel, Saudi Arabia. HAV selected a 48-channel Allen & Heath ML4000 live sound VCA console to manage all the audio requirements at the two-day event.
HAV installed a Tannoy speaker system, suspended from a truss mother grid.
Stage coverage was handled by DPA lectern mics for the podium and panel discussion groups and a Beyer radio mic system provided for the delegate Q&A sessions.
The ML supplied audio for the FOH,stage monitors,front fills and three lines of delayed speakers flown on trusses.The desk also supplied audio feeds to a four-camera flyaway OB film unit,
local radio/ television networks, the translation system, which served 400 receiver units and
an AV feed was established to the Hotel’s in-house television network via a fiber-optic link.
Blondie Charging Through UK On Current Tour
LONDON, ENGLAND—While touring in the UK in support of their current release,
The Curse of Blondie, original members Deborah Harry, Clem Burke, Jimmy Destri and
Chris Stein were joined by bassist Leigh Foxx, keyboardist Kevin Patrick and guitarist Paul
Carbonara. The band was performing through a sound system provided by U.K. touring
company Canegreen, comprised of 14 Meyer Sound MILO high-power curvilinear array
loudspeakers. A pair of MILO 120 high-power expanded coverage curvilinear array loudspeakers provide frontfill for the array, with six of the company’s 700-HP ultrahigh-power
subwoofers covering the bottom end. Frontfill and sidefill were handled by a half-dozen
UPA-1P compact wide coverage loudspeakers.
The Blenders On the Road for Holiday Tour
FARMINGDALE, NY—You know it’s Christmas when The Blenders take the stage, as
they do every year on their annual holiday season tour. This past year, The Blenders were
accompanied by two XTA DP324 SiDD Dynamics Processors.
“The SiDDs are just fantastic,” says Dave Farber, owner of Farber Sound, the Minneapolis-area touring sound and installation contractor that provides the sound system
for The Blenders’ performances. Farber also acts as the group’s FOH mix engineer, and he
comments, “I insert them on each of the four vocal channels and use them for all of the
processing. “ Other XTA gear on tour with The Blenders, in addition to the DP324 SiDD
processors, includes the acclaimed GQ600, DP226, DP224 and RT1 units.
2/2/06 9:32:54 PM
News
After Katrina, One Soundco Back on its Feet
TAMPA BAY, FL—Between casino shows in
the Gulfport, Miss., area and a regular gig with
KC & The Sunshine Band, Randy Frierson’s
Concert Systems USA, Inc. was doing quite
well in August 2005. “We had just upgraded
the Sunshine Band’s monitor console to the
Yamaha PM5D RH digital console and had
added more NEXO boxes...Alpha, Geo S and
T,” Frierson says.
“We had really just established ourselves
in Gulfport over the past two years,” says Frierson. “The casino work was growing and the
tour package with KC had turned into an important part of our business mix. For KC, we
were using a PM5D for stage monitors, and
we were going to add a PM5D for FOH...our
NEXO Geo T rig toured with the Celtic Woman
for about 10 weeks. We were growing, staying
ahead of the competition by being just a little
bit better. Then Katrina hit and everything
went to hell.”
The casinos were wiped out. KC & The
Sunshine Band took a three-month hiatus.
Frierson’s home, which he had just built, was
destroyed, along with the homes of some of
his longest term employees.
Frierson had built up a bit of a nest egg, he
says, just in case. And that became the time to
use it. “I didn’t want to lose employees. They’d
lost their homes, and I did not want them to
lose their jobs, if I could help it,” he says.
“We’d just taken on the Yamaha dealership the week that Katrina hit,” he notes.
“Yamaha was the first company to contact us
and ask, ‘What do you need?’ I said, ‘Do you really want to hear what I need, or do you just
want to hear me talk?’ They listened and sent
us the gear I asked for. Every time I call, they
ask what they can do for me. I really don’t
think we would have been in business if it
weren’t for them. I’ve never dealt with a company like that in my life. The relationship has
actually changed my whole way of thinking
about how I want to run this company.”
“We needed a monitor console for the
Sunshine Band with the ability to do multiple
acts,” says Frierson. “We needed sound quality and we needed dependability. The PM5D
gives us all that and much more...we’ve added two more to our Tampa inventory.”
With a small warehouse in Tampa, Fla., already established (more as a depot, he says,
since KC & The Sunshine Band are headquartered in Miami), Frierson began moving over
what hadn’t been destroyed to that location.
“I contacted Scott Gartner at Fantasma Productions in West Palm Beach. He’d always
liked our work, so I told him that we were relocating and ready to work.” Fantasma Productions produces concert events at the Care-
free Theater in
West
Palm
and numerous
venues in West
Palm,
Pensacola, Tampa
and Boca Raton,
among
others. While
Tampa will become Concert
Systems new
headquarters,
(L to R) Kelly Gifford, sales manager , andJames Burgoyne, production manager, flanking a PM5D console
at the same
time, Frierson
is determined to maintain a presence in Gulf- full-time employees, waiting for the market
port—with warehoused systems and two to come back.
The Prodigy: Firestarting
with Evolution
ESSEX, UK—Techno-terrorists The
Prodigy have a take-no-prisoners attitude in their anarchic stage performances when it comes to microphones.
“At the beginning of this tour I had approached Sennheiser about wireless
systems,” explained the band’s Front of
House engineer, Jon Burton, as the tour
wound down in mid-December 2005.
“We had been very straight with them
as we go through a lot of mics. It is a
hot, sweaty, unpredictable show, and Mr.
Flint isn’t averse to toe-punting the odd
mic into the crowd if it malfunctions.”
Although only one of several vocalists,
Keith Flint became the public face of The
Prodigy with the breakthrough single,
“Firestarter,” and frequently lives up to
his reputation for onstage mayhem.
After adopting Sennheiser evolution
series microphones, continued Burton,“In
a world tour lasting a year, we have never
completely lost a mic. Also, the wireless
side has always been spot on, all around
the world, from South America to Russia.”
Monitor engineer Joe Campbell added, “The G2 personal monitors proved to
be the most reliable, easiest to set up and
the best sounding monitor systems I have
ever used. Despite the battlefield conditions on stage with The Prodigy, none of
the units let me down in any way. The
transmission and reception is rock solid
and the build quality is bulletproof.”
www.fohonline.com
February 2006
2/2/06 9:33:26 PM
News
Apple Takes a Bite Out of the UK
LONDON, ENGLAND—A sophisticated
audio production has been deployed for
key dates on Apple Computer’s Guitarists
and the Mac UK roadshow that kicked off at
London’s Olympia Convention.
The aim of the roadshow, organized on
behalf of Apple UK by production company
Nutmeg, is to demonstrate how the Mac and
Apple’s audio creation software—along with
the latest third-party products—give guitarists unparalleled creative freedom using
amplifier emulations and pro-quality effects,
as well as being able to explore sampled
sounds, virtual instruments and synthesizers.
The full audio production package
featured both at Olympia and at the NEC
(alongside the Music Live show), where the
main P.A. comprised four ground-stacked
cabinets per side of the Renkus-Heinz
PN102/LA self-powered wide-dispersion
line array along with a pair of DR18-2 selfpowered subwoofers per side. In-house AV
company AVSC provided mixing and control systems at Olympia.
Event and exhibition organizers Nutmeg, based in Bournemouth, have run
Apple’s roadshows for some five years. The
events fall into three types: large single-day
events, product launches and Apple’s presence at exhibitions such as the recent Mac
Expo in Olympia, alongside which the GATM
presentation was staged.
GATM is one of the largest of Apple’s
roadshows, the UK dates forming just one
leg of a European tour taking in 22 cities,
with the first part ending in December. The
format is consistent, embracing two identical shows per week. Apple hosts three or
four roadshows a year on various subjects,
including pro video software, music, architecture and more.
Beyerdynamic UK’s Mark Bromfield
comments: “At the Olympia event, expectations were very high and the
whole setup had to sound great with
a high-profile client in an intimate setting—not to mention an audience full
of musicians!”
Upstage Right
Completes Victory
Lap in Manhattan
NEW YORK, NY—In the daunting
acoustical environment of midtown
Manhattan, with reflective surfaces and
ambient noise to the nth degree, Upstage Right Productions (Cherry Hill, N.J.)
provided some serious sonic punch for
the pound at a recent NASCAR event in
Manhattan, using a combination of EV
XLD 281 (dual 8-inch) compact line array
boxes and super-lightweight CP3000S
amplifiers to handle sound reinforcement for the annual NASCAR NEXTEL
Cup Series Victory Lap event.
Upstage Right’s two arrays of four
XLD boxes provided controlled sound
as NASCAR’s top 10 drivers completed
their victory lap from Rockefeller Center
through Times Square, finishing up outside NASCAR HQ on Park Avenue for an
awards ceremony and meet and greet.
The entire event was televised on the Today show on NBC.
Upstage Right Productions’ Barry
Friedman reports: “This was another victory lap for our new XLD rig. We used
two Genie lifts, flew arrays of four XLDs
on stage left and right, and the audience could hear the program music and
announcements clearly two city blocks
away. Three EV CP3000S amps and Klark
Teknik DN9848 system control provided
more streamlined high performance.
This was a high-profile televised outdoor
event with no room for error, where you
might be tempted to over-spec, just in
case. Not necessary—we’ve used this
little rig for a number of events now, and
brought it to NASCAR HQ with full confidence in its big performance.”
2/2/06 9:33:54 PM
On The Move
A & G Soluzioni Digitali has been appointed as the new distributor for LA Audio
in Italy. Audient & LA Audio’s product specialist Ross McFarlane ran a training session with
CEO Luigi Agostini and sales manager Diego
Persi Paoli in their offices not far from Pisa.
Professional audio
and music products
distributor American Music & Sound
(AM&S) is expanding
with the addition of
Lee Carpenter as product specialist for live
sound and contractLee Carpenter
ing applications and
the appointment of Gabriel Whyel to the
newly-created marketing manager position
handling all product lines.
L-ACOUSTICS US
has promoted Bob
Alumbaugh, formerly
the assistant manager
of production, to the
position of quality assurance and customer
Bob Alumbaugh
service. Alumbaugh
owns a small production company and is a
longtime mix engineer.
HB Group, Inc. has partnered with Snow
Sound, formerly of Berlin, Conn. Snow Sound’s
staff and inventory will be relocated to HB
Group’s North Haven, Conn., headquarters.
Sennheiser Electronic Corporation
has recently appointed Jo Ann Anderson to
the position of marketing communications
manager. Anderson joins Sennheiser from
the Boston University Corporate Education
Center, where she was
responsible for all global
marketing communications, strategic positioning and branding for
the university’s technology training affiliate
Jo Ann Anderson
network. Sennheiser
has also appointed Mike
Pappas to the position
of senior applications
engineer. He serves as
technical director and
engineer for various NPR
broadcasts, including
Mike Pappas
“Toast of the Nation,”
and he is chief broadcast engineer for
KUVO in Denver, Colo.
Sales representatives of the Telex Pro
Audio Group, Vision 2
Marketing, have added
Edward Frebowitz and
Jessie Taylor to their team
of sales professionals.
Frebowitz and Taylor join
Mick Beisel, Scott Floyd,
Craig Bess and Rick
Wallace at V2, whose
territory stretches across
the southeastern United
States.
Edward Frebowitz
Jesse Taylor
Yamaha Corporation of America,
Commercial Audio Systems Division, has
been named the exclusive U.S. distributor of
the AVY16-ES from AuviTran, designers and
manufacturers of audio and video networking and computer-based products. The
agreement became effective Jan. 1.
Astatic Commercial Audio has named
CB Electronic Marketing as their rep for
Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, eastern Montana
and southeastern Idaho. Established in 1972,
CBEM is located in Denver.
Aviom, Inc. has
added Dana West as its
new district sales manager for the northeast
U.S., reporting to Gary
Lee. West, a resident
of Manchester, N.H.,
Dana West
has many years of
sales and marketing experience in the pro
audio industry, including roles at Fishman
Transducers, Lexicon and most recently as
regional sales manager for Line6 from 2001
to 2005.
Cerwin-Vega Pro has hired Kim Comeux
to fill the national sales manager role.
Comeux will be based at Cerwin-Vega’s
Chatsworth, Calif., headquarters.
Tim Carroll
Chris Hammond
Paul Foeckler
Scott Schumer
New distributor In2Out Audio,
based out of Westlake Village, Calif.,
and headed by Scott
Schumer, has become the exclusive
DiGiCo distributor in
the United States.
Christopher Bock
Digidesign has made
several organizational
changes to the company’s
sales and marketing team.
Christopher Bock, who’s
been with Digidesign’s
sales and marketing team
for more than 19 years,
has taken on a new role as
vice president of tactical
business development. Paul
Foeckler has filled Bock’s
previous role as worldwide
vice president of sales and
marketing, and has worked
at Digidesign since 1993.
Tim Carroll has assumed a
new role within the organization as senior director of
worldwide sales, reporting to Foeckler. And Chris
Hammond—previously
Digidesign’s Midwest sales
territory manager—has
become director of sales
Americas, reporting to
Carroll.
www.fohonline.com
200.0602.OnTheMove.rg.indd 11
February 2006
11
2/3/06 8:43:16 PM
New Gear
r
e
t
Win
NAMM
By Bill Evans and
Mark Amundson
F
2006
OH was well represented at Winter
NAMM with as many as six of us on the
floor at times (OK, that six includes the
ad folks, but ours are not weasels, so we can
include them). While there was nothing really
earth-shattering, there was some cool stuff,
and some of it in unexpected places. Each
of us had our favorites, but a couple of things
caught everyone’s eye. I have yet to talk
to a soundguy at any level from regional on down who wasn’t jazzed by
the Peavey Distro, and their line array
created quite a buzz as well. A couple
of us saw some not-yet-released EV
stuff that we can’t talk about without an
automatic contract going out on all of
us and our families, but it will be worth
talking about eventually.
I’ll let Mark tell you about the
Peavey stuff in detail. Some of the gear
that I liked included ISP’s Mongoose
powered array (which Jamie reviews
elsewhere in this issue) and the prototypes of Radian’s horn-loaded RPH
series. Neutrik’s Silent Plug is a “no buzz”
¼-inch connector for guitars that actually works, but be careful that no one
tries to use it as a speaker cable or the
magnetic mechanism could mean a
fried amp.
There was some stuff that we have
been expecting that finally is ready
for prime time. Big on this list are the
digital snake from RSS and the modular
Ethersound-based system from Horizon
and Rapco. The RSS unit is already slated for
a Road Test, and we sat down with that team
for breakfast and talked about protocols
and universal systems and when we will see
a pro-audio version of MIDI (who better to
ask than one of the developers of the MIDI
standard?). Too much to get into here, but
stay tuned for more. The Horizon/Rapco unit
is most interesting in that it comes in eightchannel modules, making it financially easier
for the smaller company or ankle biter to
make the move toward digital.
As long as we are talking digital, what
may seem like an insignificant bit of news
could end up being the most important
thing at the show. When I asked Mick Welhan
12
February 2006
200.0602.NewGear.JD.indd 12
In Which a Bunch of Intrepid Audio Guys Go Hunting
For Something Cool Amongst The Bad Guitar Players
for the fourth or fifth time when we would
see the Midas digital board, he replied,
“When it’s ready.” But there was some news
that will play into that product when it is
finally released as Midas announced that it
has adopted and licensed the Sony SuperMAC and HyperMAC technologies for all of
its products. While it may seem that Midas
is late to the digital game, we all know that
there is a legion of sound guys who insist
that you “make mine a Midas,” and their acceptance of the Sony open protocol for digital audio transmission could mean a lot as
things shake out and the industry inevitably
moves to a common standard.
At the same booth, EV showed that they
are listening to the working stiffs by introducing a slew of rigging options for their
X-Line arrays. Any of us who have worked
on a gig flying a line array know that while
we want them to sound good, getting them
up and down is just as important. A greatsounding array is not going to win a lot of
fans if it is hard to get in the air. The introduction of everything from dollies to extender
beams and coupling solutions for both flown
and ground-stacked arrays will make more
of us look seriously at the EV system when it
comes time to choose an array.
Another cool solution came from JBL
with the extension of the Crown-powered
DrivePack amp modules to the new Venue
series of portable speakers. This brings not
only a powered option to the JBL line, but it
potentially brings the control of HiQnet to the
masses—or at least to companies doing work
under the level of national tours and very
large corporates. As long as we are in Harman
land, let’s take note of AKG’s HiQnet-compli-
www.fohonline.com
2/3/06 8:38:48 PM
New Gear
A great-sounding array is not
going to win a lot of fans if it
is hard to get in the air.
ant wireless hub for its WMS 4000 series,
dbx’s shipping of the DriveRack 4800 and
Lexicon with both a new FX processor that
looks interesting and a product that will make
live recording a lot easier. The MX400 boasts
enough power for either true-dual stereo
operation (like having two FX units in one
rack space) or surround processing, while the
Alpha Studio USB interface can pack into your
briefcase and take two channels of mic or line
level input and stream it right into your laptop.
But my two personal faves were both
meant for Monitor World. TC Helicon has
made a mic-stand-mounted personal monitor that looks totally pro. And, they promise
that the VoiceSolo sounds as good as it looks.
Available in powered mono and stereo configs with “more me” controls right where they
are needed, they also ship with a very cool
adapter that allows it to mount between the
stand and a boom for a unique and, dare I
say, bitchin’ look.
Meanwhile, Westone is addressing the
“boy in a bubble” isolation that keeps many
performers from embracing the act of sticking monitors in their ears. The SD1 system
features computer-controlled compression,
limiting and parametric EQ (you can save four
processing presets to the beltpack and click
through them) along with a pair of sub-mini
mics attached to the cable that feed and ambient signal into the mix. It was refreshing and
kind of strange to be able to have earpieces in
and carry on a conversation. Rumor has it that
this technology may make it into some other
products as well. This is one to watch.
-Bill Evans
It might be shocking a few of you, but I
have to say that one Peavey product got my
Best in Show kudos; and that product was the
Peavey Distro. As simple as Peavey engineer
Don Boomer could make it, the Distro is a
must-have for any amp rack of local soundcos
or outsized modern music bands. In two rack
spaces and with a 12-foot 6-4 gauge power
cord, the silver-gray Peavey Distro contains
six 20-amp magnetic circuit breakers and
two neon hot wire indicators (X and Y) on the
front panel. On the back panel, six 20A duplex
white receptacles of heavy-duty grade pretty
much told the Distro’s story: No filtering, no
surge protection, just a NEMA 14-50 plug,
cord, chassis; all for about $299 MAP. Find a
range receptacle at the club (NEMA 14-50R),
and your six Edison circuits deep in juice, and
it’s all legal from an electrician standpoint.
Next on my favorites list was the new
QSC PLX2 amplifiers. The new cast aluminum grilles should slow down any knockoff
competition, plus the look to the older PLX
feature set. The Powerwave PSU received
some minor capacitor upsizing, which
brought the larger
models to the new
names of PLX1802,
PLX2502, PLX3102
and PLX3602. The
older PLX1202 was
dropped, but in
its place were two
newer and smallersized PLX1104 and
PLX1804. Much to
my liking, the “04”
suffix means 4 Ohm
minimum speaker
loads, but a drop
in weight and rack
depth. Stay tuned
for a Road Test review coming soon.
And Mackie brought out more than two
dozen new products, with the new Onyx 4Bus consoles piquing my interest. The Onyx
24.4 and Onyx 32.4 are meant as an obvious
upgrade from the SR-series consoles, but
will better feature sets. Now with 100 mm
faders, and four-LED metering; the Onyx 4Bus consoles also got the much welcomed
Cal Perkins EQ sections (four-band, two
swept mids) and Onyx mic preamps. And the
master section lost the infamous “air knobs”,
and got a 6-by-2 matrix plus a stereo compressor/limiter unit for L-R mains, 1-2 or 3-4
subgroups selection. Suggested retail pricing
is at $1,849.99 (24.4) and $2,599.99 (32.4),
which is about same pricing as the former SR
series consoles.
Harman Group products were not resting on their laurels, and Crown introduced
the XTi amplifier series, for price-conscious
amp consumers. The XTi1000, XTi2000 and
XTi4000 have 4-Ohm stereo ratings of 500,
800 and 1,200 watts respectively and still
have much of the HiQnet DSP front-end the
I-tech amps have. While I enjoy a switching
PSU, these amps have the classic Crown
AB+B amplifiers for reliability and keep the
costs low. And at MAP prices of $499, $699
and $999; I am sure these XTi amps will be
big sellers.
www.fohonline.com
200.0602.NewGear.JD.indd 13
And Soundcraft brought new life into
the Spirit Live 8 console; by introducing the
Soundcraft Live 8 console, with a new blue
paint job and many other upgrades. While the
look and feel still is “Live 8,” you get Graham
Blythe’s new mic preamps and EQ sections
found in the GB and MH consoles. And by
retaining the eight-LED bargraphs on each
channel at the meterboard, nothing is missed.
Wandering over to BBE Sound Inc, they
caught my sincere attention with their DS24,
DS26 and DS48 digital speaker processor.
Chock full of the expected speaker processor
goodies like crossover and parametric filters,
gain adjustments, polarity, delay and limiters; the DS units have very nice user controls,
LCD interface, channel mutes and seven-LED
metering. The RS-232 serial ports on the back
of these processors also let you take control
of settings via personal computer utility software provided. And at MAP pricing of $299
(DS24), $349 (DS26) and $449 (DS48), there
is no reason why anyone should be staying
with analog crossovers.
And the Telex dudes were not asleep in
the design department either. The Dynacord
Xa System was released in response to a lower-cost version of the great Cobra groundstack line array. With a $17,600 MAP, you get
four sub boxes and two tops plus two highpower smart amplifiers that can support gigs
with thousands of people in the audience. The
Fx12 tops have the X-array ND12 mid drivers
and ND6 HF drivers to get to 106dB SPL from
a watt of audio snort. The remaining four
folded horn subs
with EVX180 LF driver have a 101dB SPL
sensitivity attempting to keep up with
efficient tops. The
pair of Dynacord Xa4000 amps are factory set up for sub/top
DSP settings for true
plug-and-play stereo
gigging. Just XLR ins
and NL4 outs with
the Speakon cables
provided for simple
daisy-chaining up in
each stack.
Klark Teknik
made good on the
Square-One series
of equalizers, and
dynamics processing units. The Square One
GEQ two rows of 30 faders with “Pro-portional” filters in the +/-12dB range. The Square
One Dynamics Processor has eight bands of
comp/limiter/gate/expander with plenty of
knobs and switches and metering in the KT
tradition. Best of all, the GEQ is $1,195 SRP
and the Dynamics is at $1,295 SRP.
Coming back to Peavey, their new VersArray line array tops were the hit of the show
with a dual coil neodymium 12-inch mid
driver and two 4.75-inch ribbon HF drivers arrayed vertically for 100Hz to 24kHz frequency
response at 97dB SPL sensitivity. By using a
typical pair per side, each 90º by 15º dispersion top will put about 104dB SPL sensitivity
in the desired listening areas with impeccable
sound quality. And you can get 13-inch lifts
for the tops plus all the basic rigging for
vertical splay at great prices ($1,695 per lift).
And the tops are at $1,250 MAP, so any sound
company can have a line array without breaking the bank.
And from the “little company that could”
category; APB Dynasonics is now shipping
their acclaimed Spectra series of midmarket
consoles and filling their huge backlog of
orders. Get up to www.apb-dynasonics.com
for all the details.
-Mark Amundson
February 2006
13
2/2/06 9:31:37 PM
Showtime
State University of New York at Stony
Brook’s Winter Commencement
Venue
Sports Arena Complex, Stony Brook, NY
Crew
Soundco/Provider: Audio East Inc
FOH Engineer: Dan Bouchard
Systems Engineer: Duncan McKinnon
Production Manager: Godfrey Palaia
System Techs: John Franchio, Pat Flynn
Rigging: United Rigging/Local 340—Kevin and Shaya
Gear
Speakers: Electro-Voice XLC Line Array
Amps: EV P3000
Processing: EV Dx38
Mics: Shure SM57s and SM58s
Power Distro: AEI
Rigging: CM Loadstar
Snake System: CBI Star Performer
MON
Speakers: Electro-Voice Xw15
Amps: Crest Pro
Processing: dbx
FOH
Console: Midas Venice 320
Bush/Clinton Katrina Fund Event
Venue
Gear
Campus of the University of New Orleans,
New Orleans, LA
FOH
Speakers: 6 x 10” FBT Powered Speakers, 2 x 15” FBT
Powered Speakers
Processing: Ashly House EQ
Mics: 2 x Shure Beta 57
Power Distro: 400-amp 3-phase/also supplied a
100KW generator in a soundproof container
Rigging: Ultimate Support Stands
Crew
Soundco/Provider: See-Hear Productions Inc.
FOH Engineer: Chase Kesner
Production Manager: Patrick Theriot
System Techs: Matt Criddle, Andy Regan, John
Lejeune Jr.
The BoDeans
Venue
Three-city tour in Sheboygan/Wausau/Madison, WI
Crew
Soundco/Provider: Gand Concert Sound
FOH Engineer: Dan O’Brien
Monitor Engineer: Adam Rosenthal
Systems Engineer: Joe Perona
Tour Manager: Barbra Neuman
Gear
Sound
g
Stagin
Ligh
ting
FOH
Console: Soundcraft MH-4/48
Speakers: NEXO Geo-T, CD-18 Subs
Amps: Camco Vortex
Processing: NEXO NX, Drawmer, Lexicon, TC Electronic
Mics: Shure
Power Distro: Motion Labs 3-Phase
MON
Console: Soundcraft MH4/40
Speakers: NEXO PS15
Amps: Camco Vortex
Processing: Klark Teknik
Mics: Shure
BOOKSHELF
1
Your#
resource
for continued
education.
200.0602.Showtime.JD.indd 14
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LOG ON NOW!
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2/2/06 9:45:38 PM
FBR Open Tee-Off Luncheon
Venue
Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, AZ
Crew
Soundco/Provider: Pro Event Productions, LLC
FOH Engineer: James Lockyer
Production Manager: Patrick Martin
System Techs: Paul Martin, Jon Gerow
Speakers: EAW KF650Z and EAW KF300E
Amps: Crown
Processing: BSS Omnidrives, Klark Teknik Parametric EQs, Denon CD/Cassette, Ashly Protea 11,
dbx 1066
Mics: Shure MX418, Shure UHF-B Wireless
Power Distro: Motion Labs
Rigging: ATM
Breakout Assemblies: Whirlwind
Gear
FOH
Console: Midas 320
North America’s Bill Haley’s
Largest Christmas Comets
Venue
Dinner
Venue
Shaw Conference Center, Washington, DC
Crew
Soundco/Provider: Axe Productions Inc.
FOH Engineer: Chase Tower
Monitor Engineer: Mike Switzer
Systems Engineer: Chase Tower
System Techs: Caleb Huget
Gear
FOH
Console: Yamaha PM4000-48
Speakers: 16 x EV XLC127+, 8 x EAW SB850,
4 x EV 1152
Amps: 12 x EV P3000, 4 x QSC PL1.8
Processing: EV Dx38, BSS FCS 960, Roland
SDE3000, Yamaha SPX1000, REV500, Lexicon, dbx 166A, Drawmer Gates
Mics: Shure, Sennheiser, AKG
Rigging: CM One-Ton
MON
Console: Yamaha PM4000
Speakers: Proprietary (15”, 2”)
Amps: Yamaha P4500
Processing: dbx DriveRack, 2231
Mics: Shure, Sennheiser, AKG
System Techs: Keith Lussier
Gear
Bissell Park, Oak Ridge, TN
Crew
Soundco/Provider: M & M Productions
USA
FOH Engineer: Mike Brown
Monitor Engineer: Alan Braden
System Techs: Al Ludwig, Tony Cox
Gear
FOH
Speakers: JBL VerTec 4887, Bag End Quartz
Amps: Crest Pro Series
Processing: Klark Teknik, BSS, TC Electronic
Mics: Audix, Shure, Sennheiser
MON
Console: Yamaha 3210
Speakers: OAP
Amps: QSC
Processing: TDM
FOH
Console: Crest VX 40
Speakers: EAW 850z
Amps: Crest Pro 200 Series
Processing: Ashly, Drawmer, Yamaha, TC
Electronic
Mics: Sennheiser, Shure, Audix
Power Distro: Proprietary
MON
Console: Crest LM 20 52 Channel
Speakers: Proprietary 15 x 2 coax
Amps: Crest
Processing: Ashly
Glenn Frey/Joe
Walsh-Mercedes
Championships
Golf Tournament
Venue
Ritz Carlton Kapalua Pavilion, Maui, HI
Christine Ohlman
Venue
Racebrook Country Club, Orange, CT
Crew
Soundco/Provider: SCL Sound Systems
FOH Engineer: Scott LaRochelle
Monitor Engineer: Bill Forbes
Systems Engineer: Mark Nadeau
Production Manager: Miracle Concerts
Crew
Soundco/Provider: Hawaii Pro Sound
FOH Engineer: J.D. Brill
Monitor Engineer: Nelson
Systems Engineer: John Kendrick
Production Manager: Rusty Conway
Tour Manager: Don Drucker
System Techs: Chris Waidzunas, Billy
Kam, Andre Stevens
Gear
FOH
Console: Yamaha PM5D
Speakers: NEXO Geo T, CD18 Subs
Amps: Camco Vortec 6.0
Processing: NEXO 241, Summit, TC EQ
Station, Lexicon 960
Mics: Shure KSM 32, SM58, Beta98, Beta56,
SM57
Rigging: Lodestar Motors
MON
Console: Yamaha PM4000M
Speakers: Clair 12AM, Shure PSM700
Amps: Clair, Carve
General Mills Martin
Luther King Day
Celebration
featuring the Shiloh
Gospel Choir
Venue
MCC Ballroom, Minneapolis Convention
Center, Minneapolis, MN
Crew
Soundco/Provider: AVHQ Minneapolis
FOH Engineer: Bret Fierce
Systems Engineer: Barry Haney
Production Manager: Kyle Weir
System Techs: Bill Bailey
Gear
FOH
Console: Yamaha M7CL-48
Speakers: L-ACOUSTICS dV-DOSC, RenkusHeinz CE-3
Amps: Lab.gruppen, Crest
Processing: Lake, BSS
Mics: Neumann, Earthworks, Audio-Technica
MON
Speakers: Renkus-Heinz TRC-151
Amps: Crown
?
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2/2/06 9:46:55 PM
FOH Interview
Mary McFadden
and Chicago Diving In To Digital
By BryanReesman
H
ow much abuse can a traveling
analog FOH console take before
it expires? Mary McFadden knows
the answer. The sound engineer for the
national touring company of the hit musical Chicago dealt with that issue recently
after spending two years on the road with
a faltering analog board sandwiched within
digital gear.
The Tony Award-winning Chicago is
already a challenging show with its concertstyle production where the bandstand with
full band onstage, also the centerpiece of
the scenic design, is a substitute for the
traditional pit orchestra. A little over a year
ago, McFadden and Chicago’s
sound system designer, Scott
Lehrer, decided to remove a
badly limping analog FOH
console for Yamaha’s digital
PM5D desk. The touring show’s
production package was a
more modest adaptation
of a system designed
for the 1,587-seat
Schubert Theater in
Manhattan. At the
start of the national
tour in May 2003,
a Yamaha DM2000
sidecar was substituted into the system
to replace an analog
board, and it was joined
to a smaller mainframe
analog desk, to shrink the
mix-position footprint in
the smaller venue. But
within two years, the
analog desk began to
develop problems
that eventually
required its retirement.
McFadden spoke to
FOH about
the arduous process
of dealing
with a delinquent desk on the road, and
what needed to be done to keep the
show rolling with a minimum amount
of friction. Tackling Broadway shows is
already a daunting task, but imagine
what happens when you take the show
on the road and then have to deal with
problems that can plague you from city
to city…
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February 2006
200.0602.FOHInterview.rg.indd 16
no great change in frequency response irrespective of gain, which has never been my
experience until now. A lack of phasing in the
chorus was especially noticeable.
Why do you think the
chorus sounded
better?
I don’t want to speculate too much about
why things sound different, because sound
is pretty subjective. But it would have been
tremendous fun to have been able to A/B the
desks, with the show, before an audience of
theatre professionals!
FOH: The touring package for Chicago that
was established
nearly three
years ago is
similar to the
Broadway show,
but Scott added in a Yamaha
DME32 digital
mix engine. Why?
Mary McFadden: Scott added
the DME32 to take advantage
of its delay matrix component.
Our original intent was to delay
every group individually in each
speaker to create a coherent
sound image. We discussed
it, and in pretty short order,
we realized that there was
no way I could use a delay
matrix in each city given
the time constraints of a
16-hour load-in. But what
we were able to do with
the DME was develop
a method of imaging
based on the vocal
groups. We delay each instrument group, and
try to get the arrival times to coincide with
what is coming off the stage.
So you had a system anchored by two
digital products and
toured North America
for nearly two years
without any problem,
except that the analog
FOH console proved to
be the weak link in the
signal chain. After
repeated repairs, you
replaced it in late
2004, correct?
What does your signal
chain consist of now?
I have eight instrument groups coming analog out of the DM2000 orchestra
sidecar into the main console, the PM5D.
The eight groups come in as channels. I
use the 5D effects returns as four of these
inputs. Actor radios, reverbs and SFX are
added in the main console. Sixteen analog
group outs of the 5D go into in the DME32
and are matrixed into speaker outs from
there. The outs from the DME32 are analog
because the swap-out for the original
It’s really difficult to replace a main
console in the middle of a fast-moving tour,
but it’s better than dealing with ongoing
problems that affect the show. Scott and I
had both seen the PM5D at AES New York, in
Oct. of 2003. We thought it would work for
us. I had a three-week break in the tour in
Dec. 2004 that allowed me to return home
to Las Vegas. So I took the cable out of the
doghouse of the analog desk and brought it
home with me. Yamaha shipped a PM5D to
Production Resource Group in Vegas, where
I set up the board in an office and began
programming the show, replicating it in
about a week.
After you programmed
the PM5D and Scott
approved it, you put it
out on the road. How
has the change been?
I’m dealing with a smaller number of
control faders than I had with my old analog
desk, but I forgot to look at my hands during the first show because I was so excited
by the way it sounded—colorful, smooth,
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:24:04 PM
Crown Macrotech 5002VZ amps, with XTA
DP226s crossover/EQ. And two UPA 1Ps for
downfill.
How is the system
holding up on tour?
I’m moving the show in North America
once a week. The PM5D has been on at least
30 one-weekers and gone to Taiwan and
Japan and back to the States twice. It’s seen
some pretty rough handling, and not one
thing has ever malfunctioned on it. I have a
level of confidence in this gear that I would
have for a show that doesn’t move. Every
time I turn it on, I fully expect it to work
100%, and that has not been my experience
with touring analog gear.
What do you miss
about your old desk?
I had 12 VCAs, as opposed to eight, so I’ve
added 30 cues to the show to compensate.
Operating the PFL/AFL is cumbersome and
slows you down. As long as you stay in PFL,
you’re fine, but when you have to listen to a
mix, there are steps involved to get you to the
output page and back. It takes too much time.
There are some simple fixes that Yamaha could
do in software that I’d like to see happen.
What kind of reaction
have you gotten from
the musical directors,
stage managers and
local promoters?
We were just in Madison, Wis., at the
new Overture Center for the Arts. The house
sound man there told me the theatre got
tons of compliments on the sound of the
show, and zero complaints. It’s like that pretty
much everywhere we go. I get, “This is the
best-sounding show I have ever heard,” a
lot. I had gotten lots of positive response and
good reviews about the sound of the show
before the desk change, but I
wasn’t
really
happy
about it
because
the stress of worrying about the
previous desk failing was tremendous.
I’m much happier now, and my perception is that the show sounds much, much
better. There is no way for me to prove
that, but that is also the perception of
stage management and musical direction,
and that is all I can say.
analog desk was basically accomplished
in a two-hour sound check. The DME32
would only clock with the 5D if it ran at
48K. We chose to keep it all analog and run
the 5D at 96K. The console’s onboard DSP
has allowed me to empty my outboard
compression rack.
What kind of wireless
microphones do you
use?
We use Sennheiser SK5012 transmitters and 1046 receivers. Mostly, we use
Sennheiser Platinum MKEs and a few MKE
Golds. I have two Countryman B-6s and one
E-6 in the show.
What does your
loudspeaker system
consist of?
For our onstage towers, two d&b C7s per
side, powered by two d&b P1200A amps,
two Meyer self-powered UPA 1Ps per side
for in and outfill and two Meyer USW selfpowered subs, one per side. We have seven
d&b E3s, powered by d&b EPACS for frontfill;
and four long-throw dV-DOSCs, powered by
200.0602.FOHInterview.rg.indd 17
2/2/06 9:24:50 PM
On Broadway
2005:
Box Office Bonanza
W
hile the movie industry claimed
it was in a slump (not factoring in
mega DVD sales) and the music
industry was hurting, Broadway had its best
year on record in 2005, raking in more than
$825 million in ticket sales, a whopping 10%
over the previous year. In fact, according
to Broadway.com, the week ending Jan. 1
was the best ever in the history of the Great
White Way, with $25.2 million in gross sales and an
average capacity of 93.9%.
No wonder Hollywood
brought out big-screen
adaptations of Rent and
The Producers (which,
ironically, was a movie in
the first place).
News of increased
revenues is commonplace
for at least one sector
of the entertainment
industry each year, but
what makes these figures
remarkable is how shaky
the fate of Broadway was
Jersey Boys
following the 9/11 attacks.
Attendance was way
down, and an entourage of
stars performed in Times
Square before a live television audience to
promote the latest shows to lure people back
into theatres. Given the high price of shows, it
was actually a great time to go to the theatre
because it was more affordable for the average
person. One could simply purchase nosebleed
seats at a cheaper price, and then descend
during the show into the empty seats down
below. But now the tide has turned, and not
only are musicals and plays doing well again,
with robust attendance figures, but
national tours of Wicked, The Producers
and Chicago are out in full force.
Another Broadway milestone was
achieved on Jan. 6 when the 7,486th
performance of Phantom of the Opera
took place at the Majestic. Funnily
enough, it was an Andrew Lloyd Webber
staple that actually outstripped his own
beloved Cats to become the longest
running show in Broadway history.
According to Playbill.com, since its
Jan. 26, 1988 debut, Phantom of the
Opera has grossed almost $600 million,
which also makes it the highest-grossing show in Broadway history, with 11
million seats sold. BBC News online
also reported that Phantom is “the
most successful entertainment venture
of all time, with worldwide box office
takings of more than $3.2 billion,” with
65,000 performances staged in 119
cities throughout 24 countries. Who says live
theatre is passé?
Naturally, the fact that business is
booming on Broadway is not only great
news for theatre owners and stars, but also
for the sound designers, live engineers and
other crew members that work hard on
these shows. It certainly provides plenty of
consistent employment! Many of the block-
buster shows out there have certainly been
experiencing nice runs. Beauty and the Beast
has notched more than 4,800 performances,
Rent broke 4,000, Chicago has racked up
over 3,800, while The Lion King has nearly
surpassed 3,500. Thanks to strong word-ofmouth and audience appeal, Wicked, Spamalot and The Lion King shatter the $1 million
ceiling every week.
The general public usually looks first
to huge productions with large ensemble
casts, scores of lights and a kickass sound
system, and shows like Wicked and Spamalot certainly have a lot to offer visually and
aurally, and they are as much a challenge
for a sound designer to create as for a live
engineer to execute. Just chatting with Scott
Sanders about working the desk on Chitty
Chitty Bang Bang, with its 120 channels of
sound, made me wonder if he is not
some Broadway reincarnation of the
eight-armed Indian deity Vishnu. (I
figure he just hides his extra limbs
until the lights go down.) Like many
live engineers on Broadway these
days, Sanders works a Cadac console,
which seems to be becoming the unofficial desk for the Great White Way.
Two recent Broadway musicals
with healthy production values that
caught my ears were Jersey Boys, the
real-life story of Frankie Valli and the
Four Seasons, and Sweeney Todd, an
arty revival of the Stephen Sondheim show about the “Demon
Barber of Fleet Street.” Both
were impressive for different reasons. The central
cast of Jersey Boys
actually sang the
famous Four Seasons
songs and won over the
crowd, particularly the
efforts of newcomer John
Lloyd Young as Valli. Meanwhile, the 10-member cast of
Sweeney Todd all acted, sang
and juggled multiple instruments. That must have been a real
pain to mix. Both shows have inspired
Spamalot’s Lady of the Lake
By BryanReesman
original cast recordings. (Look for coverage
of both in this column soon.)
Having an overabundance of audio
inputs, however, is not always the secret to
sonic flair. This past year, the limited engagement of the dark, small ensemble The
Pillowman proved to be a treat, with sparse,
microphone-free sound design punctuated
by powerful sound effects and a couple of
intense montages. Some members of the
audience might have felt like it was work to
actually focus on the show and simply shut
up, but that was certainly a welcome concept
for those of us who like to watch and listen.
Off-Broadway has also been a thriving Mecca for talent, as evidenced by the shows covered
in this column, including the trippy children’s
horror show of Shockheaded Peter, the kooky
solo antics of the One Man Star Wars Trilogy and
the percussive punch of Stomp. As has been said
already, one does not need an arsenal of mics
and amps to create engaging sound design. Of
course, OMSWT had literally one mic and two
speakers in its off-Broadway run near Times
Square. And it was pretty funny.
There may be some people
complaining that the Great White
Way is littered with Disney
tie-ins, movie knock-offs
(Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers,
Hairspray) and
jukebox musicals
using pop songs
to tell unrelated
stories (Mamma
Stomp
Mia!, Movin’ Out), but
there are plenty of original productions going strong, including Doubt,
Avenue Q and The Light In The Piazza,
a Lincoln Center production which
won six Tony Awards. Then there were
original solo shows performed by Billy
Crystal (700 Sundays), Whoopi Goldberg
(Whoopi) and Mario Cantone (Laugh
Whore). But many of the shows inspired
by other material have their merits, and
overall, the diversity of shows on and off
Broadway has been quite heartening.
Now if only the Tony Awards would
get off their keisters and finally create
a category for Best Sound Design. It
was nice when Sara Ramirez personally
thanked Spamalot’s live engineer Bones
Malone when she received her Tony
Award last year for Best Performance by a
Featured Actress in a Musical. And many
soundmen have said that they do their
job best when no one notices their work.
But the fact remains that it takes a lot of
effort to be sonically invisible. So how
about a little recognition, folks?
Shows like Wicked and Spamalot certainly have a lot to offer visually
and aurally, and they are as much a challenge for a sound designer to
create as for a live engineer to execute.
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February 2006
200.0602.Broadway.JD.indd 18
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2/2/06 9:15:51 PM
Production Profile
A Revolution of
SOUND and Spirit
By Roger Maycock
A
Colorado-Based Legacy Sound Reinforces the
Dare 2 Share Message
s most people will acknowledge,
we live in challenging times—
fraught with obstacles that can
cause even the most steadfast
among us to stumble. In its ongoing effort
to help today’s youth “face and defeat the
everyday ‘giants’ they encounter,” Christian
organization Dare 2 Share, in association
with Focus on the Family, is sponsoring the
Revolution tour—a 10-city circuit spanning
the continental U.S. that includes motivational speakers, skits and musical performances
by artists Danny Oertli and Starfield.
Each stop in Dare 2 Share’s Revolution
youth conference tour is a two-day event
that culminates with a Saturday evening concert. The program’s theme is based on the
story of David, who, after defeating Goliath,
started a revolution and changed the course
of history—with the message being that
teens, too, can overcome their giants and
make positive changes. For Legacy Sound
Productions, a regional sound company
based in Castle Rock, Colo., that’s contracted
to provide sound reinforcement and lighting for the tour, the project required a sound
system capable of handling a diverse range
of program material.
At each tour stop, the program kicks off
Friday evening with a set by Danny Oertli
and his band, which is then followed by featured speaker Greg Stier, the president and
founder of Dare 2 Share. Following Stier’s
appearance, which encompasses a number
of skits and humorous moments that does
wonders for drawing his teen audience into
the spirit of the event, the stage is changed
over for a full production drama about the
spiritual journey of a teenager.
The program continues Saturday morning, opening once again with Danny Oertli,
followed by teaching sessions conducted
by Stier, Focus on the Family’s Jose Zayas
and Dare 2 Share’s Karl Wheeler. Saturday
afternoon is the outreach portion of the program, where students canvas surrounding
communities to collect canned goods for the
local rescue mission. During this period, the
Legacy Sound tech team turns over the Danny Oertli setup and prepares for the Saturday
night concert by the band Starfield.
Sound Considerations
According to Jesse Ralph, owner/operator of Legacy Sound, “Configuring a system
that was capable of delivering a high level
of intelligibility for the teachers and actors
while also being able handle the sound pressure levels characteristic of a rock concert
was no small challenge. Dare 2 Share’s program is very diverse and we needed to assemble a system that was adept at a number
of very different applications.”
After a protracted search, Legacy Sound
selected a system that revolves around 20
D.A.S. Audio Aero 38A self-powered line array elements flown 10 boxes per side that
augmented by 10 Meyer Sound 650-P subwoofers, placed five units each in a 2+2+1
configuration at stage left and right in alignment with the flown line arrays. Power for
the subwoofers is provided by six Crest Pro
9200 amplifiers—three units per side.
Reflecting on his choice of components,
Ralph commented, ”I spent almost a year
Dare 2 Share’s 2005 – 2006 Revolution tour is a dramatic
departure from the conventional “church” production.
Christian band Starfield onstage at Cricket Arena, Charlotte, N.C.
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February 2006
200.0602.ProdProfile JD.indd 20
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2/2/06 9:39:13 PM
Legacy Sound is a one-truck
operation, so all equipment, including lights, sound
and video has to fit into a single vehicle.
Legacy Sound’s Jesse Ralph raising
the D.A.S. Audio Aero 38As
looking at systems, and while price was important, I was really looking for a system that
worked well for rock ‘n’ roll, as we do quite
a bit of this type of work. We’ve begun doing more and more arena jobs, so I wanted
a good-sized enclosure, but didn’t want a
four-man box. The 38A sounds terrific at
both low and high levels, and the directivity
is extremely well-focused. When we’re really
crankin’, the box doesn’t hurt. Its intelligibility
and clarity is everything I had hoped for.”
Legacy Sound is a one-truck operation,
so all equipment, including lights, sound and
video has to fit into a single vehicle. “With the
Aero 38A,” notes Ralph, “I’m able to eliminate
a bunch of amp racks and processing equipment, because that’s all built onto the back
of the enclosure. Further, the 38A’s rigging
hardware is right there on the box, so there’s
no need for a rigging case. The only thing we
have to remember is the flybar. Two guys can
put this system up in 15 minutes and break
it down in 10. For a small company, that’s a
big plus.”
For onstage monitoring, Audio Analysts
112 VFX monitor wedges are employed in
a biamped configuration powered by QSC
Powerlight 4.0 and PLX 2402 amplifiers.
Supplemental to the wedges are four Shure
PSM 600 and two PSM 700 personal monitor systems for wireless operation. “I do a lot
of work with headsets—both drama jobs
and big bands,” said Ralph. “Frequently, I’ll
do projects that use as many as 12 headsets,
and these can take off on you if you’re
not careful.”
At FOH, Legacy Sound is running the
show using a 40-channel Crest X-VCA console,
while monitor world is holding down the fort
from the outermost edge of stage left using
a Mackie TT24 Digital Live Console with automated recall. A BSS Audio FDS-366t Compact
Plus loudspeaker management system handles
the majority of signal processing tasks, while
SVC model EQ 231GSP graphic EQs provide
additional tonal contour.
Stier, Zayas and Wheeler are having a
profound impact on the youth who participate in the program. “The Revolution tour
is something that has to be experienced
to be fully appreciated,” notes Legacy
Sound’s Ralph. “The program is attracting
upwards of 10,000 teens at a single weekend
event. That’s a lot of impressionable kids, and
the enthusiasm and energy they exhibit speaks
volumes for the effectiveness of the program.
This is important work, and I’m really proud
to be part of it.”
Jesse Ralph, Technical Director of the Dare
2 Share Revolution Tour at the Crest X-VCA
console during sound check.
Roger Maycock is a former magazine guy
now providing independent editorial services
to a number of pro audio manufacturers.
A Positive Impression
Dare 2 Share’s 2005 – 2006 Revolution tour
is a dramatic departure from the conventional
“church” production, and the teachings of
Students share stories from the outreach experience with Dare
2 Share’s Greg Stier at Charlotte, N.C.’s Cricket Arena.
Danny Oertli and the worship band onstage.
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2/2/06 9:39:57 PM
On The Bleeding Edge
I Have A
I
Dream…
’m setting up for a show in a beautiful
theatre with a capacity of 4,000. Back in
the 1920s and 1930s, it probably hosted
vaudeville acts that didn’t require amplification, thus the lively acoustic properties of
the room. You can stand downstage, read
the first 10 pages of War and Peace, and
someone in the upstairs balcony can clearly
understand every word you speak. Put a
P.A. system in there, and you have a sonic
nightmare with reflections everywhere, way
too long a reverb time and zero intelligibility.
When there’s a band performing on stage,
SPL in the dressing
room is a brutal 115dB.
My personal tour
assistant (who has
the brains of John
Storyk and the looks
of Kylie Minogue)
opens up the back of
the 20-foot truck that
holds my gear, and
evaluates what tools
we are going to use for
the show. There’s the
FOH drool rack with
Manley tube limiters,
Lexicon and TC ‘verbs
and Summit mic
pre’s for the money
channels, but by now,
that’s ho hum. The real
toys are the portable
acoustic treatment
we assembled before
the tour, specifically
to deal with rooms
like this. She pulls out
dozens of 4- by 8-foot
absorptive panels, and
the house crew (who,
of course, entertains
our every whim) gets
out their Genies and
begins mounting the
panels to the ceiling
above the stage. They hang heavy theatrical drapes across the side and rear walls
near the stage to deaden reflections, and
to reduce spill from the stage. Once the
stage has been tightened up, they begin
treating the walls of this reverb chamber
(i.e. venue) and hang enough panels across
the ceiling to reduce the room’s reverb
time from 3.2 seconds to a friendly 0.8
seconds (we’ll talk about measuring reverb
time next month). Never mind that the
building is a city landmark—we’ll use my
proprietary, noninvasive levitating mount
system to hold everything up without marring the structure.
And then I wake up.
Why is it that mid- to large-size venues
often ignore the acoustics of their spaces?
Unfortunately, it’s pretty clear that they
don’t care to make a financial investment
to improve the acoustics. You’d never listen
to music in a control room without proper
acoustic treatment, yet venue owners continue to charge admission to musical events
in rooms that have no business housing such
activities.
Slowly, venues are waking up to the fact
that they can control their own acoustic
By SteveLaCerra
sound that passes through the panel hits
the ceiling and has to again pass through
the panel before reaching the listener,
which helps reduce ceiling reflections even
further. Anyone who has mixed at DTE preand post-renovation can easily hear the
sonic improvement.
These aren’t the only tools that can
be used for tuning large rooms. Auralex
Acoustics recently introduced pArtScience
acoustical treatment products designed
Venue owners
continue to charge
admission to musical
events in rooms that
have no business
housing such
activities.
22
February 2006
200.0602.BleedingEdge.jd.indd 22
destiny. Take, for example, the Colosseum
at Caesar’s Palace, which now hosts longterm performance schedules for Celine Dion
and Elton John. The Colosseum incorporates extensive acoustic treatment of the
performance space as well as the dressing
rooms, so you can actually hear conversation in the production office. Then there’s
the DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston,
Mich. (aka Pine Knob), where a recent
makeover features treatment to dampen
ceiling reflections and early reflections
from the stage. DTE employed Lapendary
Panels from MBI Products (Cleveland, Ohio)
to treat the ceiling. The panels were hung
roughly 18 inches from the ceiling. Any
exclusively for Auralex by renowned
architectural acoustician Russ Berger. The
pArtScience line includes SpaceArray,
SpaceCoupler and AudioTile Shockwave.
AudioTile ShockWave provides broadband
absorption while allowing unlimited design
possibilities for a custom look. SpaceArray
diffusors were developed for quasi-random
dispersion of sound waves for consistent
acoustics in any room, while SpaceCoupler
creates a natural “large sound” within a small
room footprint. Think these products are
only for use in control rooms? Think again:
pArtScience products were used for treatment of Joel Osteen’s Lakewood Church in
Houston, Tex.
Just about everyone who has been in a
small club or recording studio is familiar with
SONEX panels from Illbruck, but the company also manufactures FABRITEC panels (in
a variety of standard and custom dimensions) with a Noise Reduction Coefficient
(NRC) of 0.85. FABRITEC panels are intended
for acoustic control in gymnasiums and auditoriums, and are light enough not to require
mechanical fasteners in most installations.
MondoTraps from RealTraps are 2 feet
wide by 4 feet, 9-inch-high by 4-inch-thick
panels used for high-performance, lowfrequency absorption.
Optional stand-mounts
allow temporary installation and easy movement
for fine-tuning (like in my
dream system). Among
the many products available from RPG Diffusors
Systems Inc. is the BASWAphon Acoustic System
engineered for maximum
absorption with the
appearance of painted drywall. A multi-layer system,
BASWAphon treatment can
be applied to flat, inclined,
curved, vaulted or domed
surfaces, and the supporting panels can be glued to
concrete or to suspended
drywall surfaces. WAVE
FORMS acoustic panels
from Vibrant Technologies
employ acoustic fabric
formed over a lightweight
thermoplastic, resulting
in an acoustic panel that
provides damping at higher
frequencies and diffusion at
middle and lower frequencies. WAVE FORMS are
available in 48 colors and
can be easily installed into a
standard 2-by-2 ceiling grid.
If you’re trying to reduce sound leaking
into a dressing room, BlockAid from Acoustics
First can help. Installed underneath drywall,
this 1/8 inch vinyl material blocks transmission of unwanted sound through walls and
floors, providing a sound transmission coefficient (STC) rating of 27dB (15dB at 125Hz).
Tuning a large acoustic space may be difficult, but it’s not impossible. The materials are
already available and we just need to spread
the word. Now…where’s my assistant?
In addition to being the Front of House
engineer and tour manager for Blue Öyster Cult,
Steve “Woody” La Cerra teaches aspiring audio
minds at Mercy College in White Plains, N.Y. He
can be reached via e-mail at Woody@fohonline.com.
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:14:45 PM
Installations
But
Will
It Sell
In Omaha?
HDR and Kirkegaard Bring a
“Superior Music Venue” to the Midwest
Gear
By PhilGilbert
“O
maha, somewhere in middle
America…”
When Adam Duritz of
Counting Crows fame penned these words
in 1993, he probably didn’t know that we’d
still be hearing them on the radio more
than a decade later. And yet, for many
people, this chorus may be the first thing
that comes to mind when we hear mention
of this Midwest city. David Lemke is one of
many people working to change all of our
minds.
“When the vision was first brought
about, by the lead donors, it was really their
idea to do a superior music venue in Omaha,”
he says. Lemke, senior project architect for
Omaha’s HDR, says that aside from this directive, the design team had a lot of liberty to,
well, design.
“So that was the
goal, and the idea
was that the house
would hold about
2,000 seats. And
those were really the
parameters that were
given: a music hall
that could seat about
2,000 people. And
then, they floated a
budget number and
said, ‘Does this seem
reasonable?’ And
beyond that, no decision had been made.
So our first decision
then was, do we do
a proscenium house
or a concert hall?
And we put quite a
24
February 2006
200.0602.Installations.JH.indd 24
bit of effort into just establishing that sort
of idea.”
That idea eventually became the Holland Performing Arts Center, the new centerpiece of Omaha’s fine arts community.
Get Right To The Heart
Of Matters
“So the idea of a concert hall—we had to
educate ourselves a little bit, but we also had
to really bring the client through that educational process. In the United States though,
there were only a handful of pure concert
halls, and there still are only a handful. In
Europe, there are many more,” Lemke says.
Lemke and his team traveled to Europe
to get some inspiration and to decipher what
components defined the most influential
concert halls in the world.
“The Musikverein in Vienna was a great
inspiration, I think, mostly because of its
intimacy,” says Jack Phillips, a senior associate
with consulting architect Polshek Partnership. “We felt like the intimacy was really a
powerful aspect.”
Working with acclaimed acoustical
consultants Kirkegaard Associates, the
architects decided on a “modified shoebox”
design for the new hall, striving to create an
intimate listening environment for 2,000
patrons. Phillips discussed the issue with FOH:
“What we tried to do was really pack
near the front of the stage everyone that we
could without compromising at all the sound
and the sight lines. We studied a bunch of
different scenarios in our planning. We even
looked at one point at three balconies, and it
ended up pushing people too far away from
the stage,” he says.
“How could
we scale back and
make people feel
as if they were part
of the room?”
Barbara Spandorf, an associate
with Fisher Dachs
Associates, was
responsible for
much of the sightline modeling and
working with the
architects to finetune the seating
layout.
“We knew that
we had to make
2,000 seats, so we
worked very hard
6
6
2
1
2
4
10
1
Shure SM-57s
Shure Beta-58As
Shure Beta-87Cs
Shure MX418
AKG C568EBs
Whirlwind Direct Boxes
DPA 4060s
Shure ULX Series Wireless Receiver with Lavalier and Handheld
Transmitters
1 Soundcraft MH3
1 Presonus ACP88 Compressor/Limiter
1 Ashly MXQ2310 Equalizer
1 Yamaha REV500 Reverb
1 TC Electronic M-one Reverb
1 Symetrix SymNet DSP
1 Marantz CDR510 CD Recorder
1 Marantz PMD340 CD/MP3 Player
1 Tascam MD350 MiniDisc Recorder
6 QSC Powerlight Series Amplifiers
21 QSC CX Series Amplifiers
6 EAW DSA250 Loudspeakers
(Voice)
7 EAW KF760 Series Loudspeakers
(Music)
170 Aura Sound NS-193-8A Stage Lip
Loudspeakers
16 Electro-Voice 405 Under-Balcony
Loudspeakers
28 Mackie CIS400 Side-Balcony
Loudspeakers
8 Radia Pro Z-40 Upper Side-Balcony Loudspeakers
18 Electro-Voice 405 Choir Balcony
Loudspeakers
4 Renkus-Heinz TRX-61 Organ Loft
Loudspeakers
4 EAW SB-180 Subwoofers
to find the appropriate distribution of seats. We
went through many variations with the whole
design team. Two balconies, three balconies,
bigger balconies, smaller balconies, until we
finally all came to what was ultimately built,”
she says.
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:28:15 PM
events that are not
amplificationintensive, the
console may be
removed, allowing
mixing to occur
from a smaller
utility mixer
positioned in the
booth for this
purpose,” Laidman
says.
It’s the Heart That
Matters More
Fisher Dachs was also responsible for the
design of the stage lighting as well as the
complex rigging systems found throughout
the hall.
A large part of FDA’s work was to
implement the variable acoustics systems
specified by the acousticians. The first of
these systems is an operable orchestra shell
floating above the stage.
“There are winched onstage acoustical
reflectors. Each reflector is on two winches;
one on the upstage edge and one on the
downstage edge, so that you can adjust the
height and the angle of each reflector,” said
Joe Mobilia, an associate principal with FDA.
With each reflector weighing in at 12,000
to 15,000 pounds, the engineers chose to
install double-purchase winch systems to
reduce the working load on each motor.
Two more systems work in conjunction with the acoustical clouds to offer this
unprecedented control over the acoustical
quality of the space.
The first, a set of framed fiberglass
panels that descend from the ceiling high
above the stage, were dubbed the “toasters’
by the team.
“Imagine,” said Mobilia,“that when the
panels are deployed, they extend 12 feet from
the underside of the ceiling. That 12-foot
assembly actually consists of two six-foot tall
pieces that are interlocked. And those, in turn,
are connected to a double-speed winch. The
lower set of panels is on a larger diameter
cable drum than the upper set of panels. So,
as the single winch moves, the things telescope out to the desired position.”
The system also includes felt wall coverings on motorized rollers with multiple
control zones to allow the maximum amount
of flexibility to the acousticians.
Control for all of the motorized systems is via a custom-designed touchscreen
system provided by J.R. Clancy. Access is
also offered via a wired handheld remote for
onstage activation of position presets.
Board outputs feed a set of four Symetrix
SymNet boxes, which pass on their processed signal to an arsenal of more than 25
QSC CX and Powerlight amplifiers.
The loudspeaker systems for the room
were split into separate music and voice systems, with the voice system constantly available for introductions and announcements.
The main music cluster offered a challenge, as the design team was not interested
in having a large, ever-present cluster hanging in the middle of the room. The solution
was to make use of one more set of winches,
as well as the installation of a remotelyoperable trap door in one of the acoustical
clouds, through which the seven-cabinet
EAW line array is lowered into position.
Mobilia commented on this sleek innovation: “There are trap doors in the ceiling
that open up via winches to let speakers
pass through. They just go up into the ceiling and the door closes behind them. The
speaker doors on the reflectors are slotted
so that once they lower the speakers down
below the reflectors, you can close the door
behind it, and the slots clear the lifting lines.”
The music system is filled out with frontfill and subwoofer cabinets, while the voice
system consists of EAW steerable line arrays,
Radia Pro line-source boxes and under-balcony fills in custom architectural cut-outs.
And Get Your Money
Back At The Door
“I think it’s a very special hall, and I think
it’s bound to become a real landmark for the
Omaha community,” commented Spandorf.
“We’re very proud of how it’s come out.”
I don’t know about Mr. Duritz, but the
next time I hear the name of this city “somewhere in middle America,” I’m going to be
much more likely to use that ticket to walk
right in to the doors of this musical Mecca.
Phil Gilbert spent two years as an associate
with an Austin-based acoustical and audiovisual consulting firm. You can reach him at
pgilbert@plsn.com.
I Think You Better Turn
Your Ticket In
Though the bulk of material in the room
will not be miked, there will at times be Pops
performances and electronic presentations
requiring amplification.
From opening day, the house will use a
full complement of Shure, AKG, and DPA microphones, with Shure ULX wireless systems
adding extra flexibility.
Richard Laidman with Kirkegaard says,
“There is an extensive microphone snake
and splitting system that allows monitor mix
from either side of the stage and recording
in the remote warm-up room, which may be
configured as a temporary recording booth,
as needed.”
All sources will be handled by a Soundcraft MH3, with outboard processing and
effects via Presonus, Ashly, TC Electronic and
Yamaha components.
“The main mixing console is operated
from a convertible in-house mix position.
During classical concerts, lectures or other
www.fohonline.com
200.0602.Installations.JH.indd 25
February 2006
25
2/2/06 9:29:13 PM
Product Gallery
Mid-Market Dig
By BillEvans
C
all it a testament to just how much
mind-share has been gained by makers of digital consoles for live use, but
this is the third time in 25 months that FOH
has done a product gallery dedicated to this
slice of the market. The first one in Jan. 2004
featured 14 models from six companies, and
the prices ranged from less than $5,000 to
nearly a quarter of a million dollars to “if you
have to ask, you can’t afford it.”
About a year later, in our second pass,
we tried to look at digital consoles “for
the rest of us.” Initially, we thought that it
would be something less than $20,000, and
quickly found out that it meant a total of
two desks, the Mackie TT24 and the Yamaha
DM2000—a production console that had
been embraced for live use in a lot of theatrical installs and houses of worship.
Never one to shy away from getting bit-
ten a second time, on this occasion we called
it “mid-market” digital consoles and asked
for submissions under the $100K price point.
While the pickings are still sparse, there are
more than there was a year ago, and several
more systems that will be introduced in the
coming months (once again, we are just a bit
ahead of the curve…).
We ditched the chart format this time
out because a few of the fields would have
taken an enormous amount of space, so the
“blurb” format seemed to make more sense.
Most of the categories of info are pretty selfexplanatory, with one exception. We asked
manufacturers of digital desks what happens
with their system in the case of a “catastrophic” system failure. In other words, something
so bad that it requires rebooting the system
(lest we forget, all digital consoles are basically just big computers with faders instead
D1 Mini DR
• Company: DiGiCo UK Ltd
• Web site: www.digico.org
• Frame Sizes: 72, expandable to 224
• Outputs: 24, expandable to 224 (analog, AES, Aviom, Ethersound, TDIF, MADI, ADAT)
• Input Location: Outboard in two locations with 100m line system
• Interface Type: Touchscreen/channel strip
• Input Fader Quantity/Banks: 24, in 3 banks of 6
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: BNC coax or fiber snake option
• Preamp Gain Range: Analog (-20 to +60dB), digital +/-40dB
• External Inserts Available: Yes
• Metering: 30-segment LED with variable user ballistics, with 256-step digital metering
• Channel EQ: 6-band (4 parametric upper and lower with switchable EQ curves), 1
hi-pass filter, 1 lo-pass filter
• Channel Dynamics: Compressor, gate, limiter + side chain/bandpass filtering
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: Six stereo onboard effects, routable to any position
on console
• Compatible with...: A number of 112-track MADI recording systems
• External Digital Interface Protocol: Ethersound
• Oh crap!: Full audio, including inserts and internal effects. The surface reboots to its
state 1/3 of a second before reboot. With optional RE, 100% control and mixing facility
is maintained.
• Internal PSU?: Everything in the system has dual, hot swappable, current sharing supplies.
• Dimensions: 32” x 44”
• Weight: 180 lbs
• Price: Starting from $65,000
D1 Live DP
• Company: DiGiCo UK Ltd
• Web site: www.digico.org
• Frame Sizes: 48, expandable to 224
• Outputs: 24, expandable to 224 (analog, AES,
Aviom, Ethersound, TDIF, MADI, ADAT)
• Input Location: Outboard in DiGiRacks
• Interface Type: Touchscreen/
channel strip
• Input Fader Quantity/Banks: 24, in 3 banks of 6
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: BNC coax or fiber snake option
• Preamp Gain Range: Analog (-20 to +60dB), digital (+/-40dB)
• External Inserts Available: Yes
• Metering: 30-segment LED with variable user ballistics, with 256-step digital metering
• Channel EQ: 6 band (4 parametric upper and lower with switchable EQ curves), 1
hi-pass filter, 1 lo-pass filter
• Channel Dynamics: Compressor, gate, limiter + side chain/bandpass filtering
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: 6 stereo onboard effects, routable to any position
on console
• Compatible with...: A number of 112-track MADI recording systems
• External Digital Interface Protocol: Ethersound
• Oh crap!: Full audio, including inserts and internal effects. The surface reboots to its state 1/3
of a second before reboot. With optional RE, 100% control and mixing facility is maintained.
• Internal PSU?: Everything in the system has dual, hot swappable, current sharing supplies.
• Dimensions: 32” x 44”
• Weight: 180 lbs
• Price: Starting from $61,000
26
February 2006
200.0602.ProdGal.JH.indd 26
of a mouse). That question just seemed too
long, so we shortened it down to the cleanest version we could imagine of what a mixing engineer would say when such an event
occurred. You will find the answers—such as
they are—under the heading of “Oh, crap…”
Our guess is that by this time next year,
there will be at least a half-dozen options in
the $20K-and-less category but, until then,
here is what’s out there.
Model: VENUE D-Show
• Company: Digidesign
• Phone: 650.731.6300
• Web site: www.digidesign.com
• Frame Sizes: Up to 128, analog or digital
• Outputs: Up to 126, analog and digital
• Input Location: Stage and FOH
• Interface Type: Channel strip
• Input Fader Quantity/Banks: Up to 56
faders/bank; 4 banks
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: Copper co-axial
• Preamp Gain Range: +10 dB to +60 dB in 0.1 dB steps; -20 dB pad
• External Inserts Available: Up to 24 at FOH
• Metering: Input peak or RMS, dB (analog VU reference); compressor and gate gain
reduction meters
• Channel EQ: 4-band fully parameteric EQ with analog emulation mode; separate HPF
per channel, insertable TDM plug-in EQ
• Channel Dynamics: Compressor/limiter, expander/gate per channel; insertable TDM
plug-in dynamics
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: TDM plug-in reverbs from TC Electronic, Digidesign,
Eventide, Sony Oxford, TL Space and others
• Compatible with...: Full Digidesign Pro Tools LE and Pro Tools HD integration
• External Digital Interface Protocol: AES/EBU
• Oh crap!: Audio continues to pass unaffected, including all channel strip processing
and plug-ins. Engineer maintains control of channel faders and mutes, master outputs
and VCAs, fader banking and metering.
• Internal PSU?: Yes, fully redundant, auto-switching w/user notification in event of failure
• Dimensions: Main: 13.7”H x 51.7”D x 35.5”W; Sidecar: 13.7”W x 28.7”H x 34.8”D
• Weight: Main: 121 lbs; Sidecar: 73 lbs
• Price: Varies w/configuration; systems start at $62,995
Sy80
• Company: InnovaSON
• Phone: +33(0)297 24 34 34
• Web site: www.innovason.com
• Frame Sizes: 104 inputs mixable at the
same time, among 208 (64 Muxipaire, 2
x 64 on 2 Diocore and 16 integrated on
the local audio rack of the desk). Available types are MIC/Line/AES/Ethersound
Pipe, free configuration through slots in
the audio racks frames.
• Outputs: 48 Busses patchable on 208 outputs (64 Muxipaire, 2 x 64 on 2 Diocore and
16 integrated on the local audio rack of the desk)
• Input Location: 8 slots (of 8 I/O) on the local audio rack of the desk, 8 slots on coax/
optical stage box and 8 slots on Diocore (Ethersound Stage Boxes) + 16 line inputs on
the DSP front panel which is in the local audio rack
• Interface Type: Channel strip, keyboard and mouse
• Input Fader Quantity/Banks: 80 faders, free allocation of faders function, busses
function and banks (quantity and size)
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: Coax (600m), optical fiber (2,000m), Ethersound
(CAT5/100m)
• Preamp Gain Range: -27/+63 dB
• External Inserts Available: Yes, free configuration among the available I/O ressources in the system
• Metering: LED bar graph + on the screen bar graph
• Channel EQ: Inputs : 4 band, outputs: 8 band. Low cut.
• Channel Dynamics: Compressor, limiter, gate, expenser
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: 48 delays assignable on inputs and outputs, no reverb
• Compatible with...: Compatible with all the Ethersound third-party hardware
• External Digital Interface Protocol: InnovaSON Muxipaire and Ethersound
• Oh crap!: The audio continues to pass, the engineer has time to plug an external
laptop to control the desk and DSP or to reboot the internal computer
• Internal PSU?: 2 internal PSU auto redundant.
• Dimensions: 65”L x 34”W x 12”H
• Weight: 207 lbs
• Price: 87,000 Euros
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:35:56 PM
Digital Consoles
Sy48
• Company: InnovaSON
• Phone: +33(0)297 24 34 34
• Web site: www.innovason.com
• Frame Sizes: 72 inputs mixable at the same time,
among 208 (64 Muxipaire, 2 x 64 on 2 Diocore and 16
integrated on the back of the desk). Available types are
MIC/Line/AES/Ethersound pipe, free configuration through slots in the audio racks frames.
• Outputs: 40 Busses patchable on 208 outputs (64 Muxipaire, 2 x 64 on 2 Diocore and
16 integrated on the back of the desk)
• Input Location: 6 slots (of 8 I/O) on the back of the desk, 8 slot on coax/optical stage
box and 8 slots on Diocore (Ethersound stage boxes) + 16 line inputs on the DSP front
panel, which is on the back of the desk
• Interface Type: Channel strip, keyboard and mouse
• Input Fader Quantity/Banks: 48 faders, free allocation of faders function, busses
function and banks (quantity and size)
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: Coax (600m), Optical fiber (2,000m), Ethersound
(CAT5/100m)
• Preamp Gain Range: -27/+63 dB
• External Inserts Available: Yes, free configuration among the available I/O
ressources in the system
• Metering: LED bar graph & on the screen bar graph.
• Channel EQ: Inputs: 4 band, Outputs: 8 band. Low cut.
• Channel Dynamics: Compressor, limiter, gate, expander
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: 48 delays assignable on inputs and outputs, no reverb
• Compatible with...: All Ethersound third-party hardware.
• External Digital Interface Protocol: InnovaSON Muxipaire and Ethersound
• Oh crap!: Audio continue to pass, an external laptop can take the control of the audio
engine and the surface control. Audio continues to pass during the computer reboot.
• Internal PSU?: 1 internal PSU auto redundant with an optional external one
• Dimensions: 45.4”L x 30.7”W x 8.4”H
• Weight: 88 lbs
• Price: 42,600 Euros
TT24 Digital Live Console
• Company: Mackie
• Phone: 800.258.6883
• Web site: www.mackie.com
• Frame Sizes: 24 mic/line (XLR/TRS) inputs with 4-band parametric EQ/comp/gate/
variable HPF standard. 8 line inputs (TRS) with 4-band parametric EQ (stereo linkable).
Onboard 24 x 24 digital ADAT optical I/O; 2 x 2 stereo digital I/O (SPDIF or AES), 2
stereo analog inputs (RCA and 1/4”)
• Outputs: 12 aux sends (TRS) with 6-band EQ, including dual kill filters and comp/limiter (stereo linkable). 8 user-definable Flex Groups (XLR) (can be assigned as matrix
outputs or groups outputs). Left/right/center (mono) outputs (XLR) with 6-band EQ,
including dual kill filters, comp/limiter and 31-band graphic EQs standard.
• Input Location: All inputs and outputs built into the TT24
• Interface Type: Quick Mix section featuring 5-inch touchscreen LCD, 12 knobs and 8
buttons provide fast access to primary live mixing functions. The TT24 also features
a TT Control software for operational monitoring and console control via desktop or
laptop PC and single USB connection. • Input Fader Quantity/Banks: 24 x 100mm motorized faders with full recall, as well
as 4 x 100mm motorized Group Faders and a dedicated motorized master fader. 4
banks including analog (ch. 1-24), digital (ch. 25-48), returns (line inputs 1-8/internal
EFX returns 1-4 stereo/card channels 1-8; not being used presently), master, (aux send
1-12/groups 1-8/left right center (mono)).
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: None, unless using the TT Control software (USB)
• Preamp Gain Range: 60dB gain (analog 1-24)
• External Inserts Available: Analog channels 1-24 have a TRS insert point
• Metering: Analog section; overload and signal LEDs
• Channel EQ: See above
• Channel Dynamics: See above
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: 4 stereo built-in effects processors with reverb,
reverb through gate, chorus, mono delay, stereo delay, ping pong, flanger with presets
and 3-band EQ
• Compatible with...: LP48 Lake Processor expansion Card. Lake EQs and up to 4x8
Loudspeaker Processor. Available soon.
• External Digital Interface Protocol: In development
• Oh crap!: Console can reboot within 5-6 seconds and pass audio within 6-8 seconds.
• Internal PSU?: Yes
• Dimensions: 10.4”H x 42.6”W (including handles) x 25”D
• Weight: 71 lbs
• Price: $7,199.99
Yamaha
M7CL
• Company: Yamaha
Commercial Audio
Systems, Inc.
• Phone:
714.522.9011
• Web site: www.
yamahaca.com
• Frame Sizes: 32and 48-channels
• Outputs: 16 Omni outputs
• Input Location: Control surface
• Interface Type: Touchscreen/channel strip, Yamaha’s Centralogic interface
• Input Fader Quantity/Banks: 4 stereo, 3 mini-YGDAI expansion card slots, 16 mix
busses, eight matrix busses, and L-C-R bus
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: N/A
• External Inserts Available: In addition to the bus outputs, the M7CL provides direct
outputs with selectable pre-EQ or pre-HPF output points. It also features variable
level direct output capability that can be used to optimally feed stereo or multitrack
recording gear.
• Metering: Accurate fast-response metering for all channels and busses is easily accessible via the M7CL display. A variety of metering points can also be selected, so you
have comprehensive visual monitoring of signal levels throughout the entire console.
• Channel EQ: 4-band parametric
• Channel Dynamics: DYNAMICS 1 adjusts gate threshold level for input channels, or
compressor threshold level for mix, matrix, or stereo/mono channels. DYNAMICS 2
adjusts compressor threshold level for input channels. In either case, the actual parameter
controlled depends on the dynamics processor selected from the well-stocked dynamics
library provided—including de-esser for advanced vocal processing. Although initially set
up for gate + compressor processing, you can also use dual compressors.
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: Virtual effect and EQ rack: up to 4 simultaneous
multi-effect processors; up to 8 simultaneous 31-band graphic EQs.
• Compatible with...: 16/o-Y1 AVIOM A-Net Interface Output Card, Auvitran AVY16-ES
EtherSound Interface Card , MYMADI64 MADI Interface Card
• External Digital Interface Protocol: CobraNet, Ethernet
• Oh crap!: The M7CL’s access management features can be a significant advantage for
overall system administration
• Internal PSU?: Dual power modes: use the built-in power supply, or add an external
PW800W power supply unit (optional) for failsafe dual-supply operation.
• Dimensions: M7CL-32: 1,060 x 286 x 701 (Included MBM7CL: 340)
• Weight: M7CL-32: 92.6 lbs, M7CL-48: 110.2 lbs
• Price: $19,999 and $24,999, respectively
Yamaha PM5D, 5DRH
• Company: Yamaha Commercial
Audio Systems Division
• Phone: 714.522.9011
• Web site: www.yamahaca.com
• Frame Sizes: 64 (48 mono + 4
stereo, 4 internal stereo returns)
• Outputs: 24 mix; 2 stereo, 8 matrix, 8 mute groups, 8 DCAs
• Input Location: Onboard
• Interface Type: Channel strip
• Input Fader Quantity/Banks: 38 smooth, 100 mm motorized faders
• Inputs to Control Surface Cabling: 1 AES/EBU AES/EBU 24bit RS422 XLR-3-31 Type
(balanced) *1
• External Inserts Available: 4 24-bit/96 kHz mini-YGDAI expansion slots
• Metering: Functions w/I/O meter bridge
• Channel EQ: 4-band parametric
• Channel Dynamics: Independent compression and gating
• Onboard Ambiance Processors: 8 internal stereo multi-effects processors
• Compatible with...: Aviom, Auvitram 16-channel in/out AVY16-ES
• External Digital Interface Protocol: Yamaha MY16-C Cobranet card
• Oh crap!: There is a flexible recall safe function that enables on-the-spot cancellation
and alteration of the pre-programmed settings
• Internal PSU?: Dedicated external power supply PW800W
• Dimensions: 61.1”W x 37.4”D x 11.1”H
• Weight: PM5D: 216.1 lbs, PM5D-RH: 213.8 lbs
• Price: $49,800 and $67,000, respectively
www.fohonline.com
200.0602.ProdGal.JH.indd 27
February 2006
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2/2/06 9:36:28 PM
The Bi
The Biz
Church Audio is
Big Business
T
his space has talked about the Christian
music market before, and that industry
remains a growth area and a place where
live-sound talent can fit itself into nicely. But
also worth looking into is the church sound
market itself. So-called mega-churches are
rising in number and in sheer displacement.
The largest in the U.S. is Lakewood Church, in
Houston, which seats 16,600 faithful in what
was once the Houston Rockets’ 150,000-squarefoot arena. What sets it apart from its former
incarnation as a sports venue? The Jumbotrons
are bigger and the sound system is better.
Lakewood is part of a trend that now
comprises the nearly 1,000 worship facilities
in which Sunday attendance exceeds 2,000 at
a time, according to Church Growth Today, a
sector research firm that further estimates that
another mega-church forms on average every
two days in the U.S. California has the largest
mega-church congregations (or studio audiences, if you prefer) and the largest number of
mega-churches, but the trend is mainly seen in
the South, centered in Texas, Georgia, Tennessee
and Florida. (of the entire state population of
georgia, 1.6% attends one of these mega-worship centers, according to www.adherents.com,
which tracks Christian demographic trends.)
But what’s also useful to note is that the
growth of media of all types in churches of all
sizes is putting a strain on the technical talent
to takes to run all that technology—besides
sound systems that most sheds would envy,
large churches also run video operations that
simulcast services on huge video screens and
28
200.0602.Biz.rg.indd 28
February 2006
broadcast them over the air and cable, then
edit them, in their own postproduction suites,
for release on DVD and streaming distribution.
However, in all but the largest of these mediasavvy churches, the technical talent tends to
be volunteers, many of whom are getting onthe-job training every
Sunday.
The situation is
obliquely but nicely
illustrated by the number of church-oriented
technical training
programs popping
up.“Church Audio
Secrets” is a Web site
selling a live-sound
training program on
DVD aimed precisely
at church volunteers
manning the FOH
console. The areas of
expertise the program
covers would be familiar in any audio school
curriculum, and unless
the laws of physics are
somehow suspended
in a house of worship (and some may believe
they are), the only thing that makes this a
church-audio-training program is the clever
insertion of the word “church” into the title.
This is one of the rare situations in which a
new market opens up for the live sound professional with only the slightest of perceptual
adjustments. There should be no correlation
between a mixer’s spiritual quotient and his or
her technical talent; if an untrained volunteer is
running the sound, then so can someone who
is not a member of
the congregation. In
other words, get thee
to a house of God and
explain why they need
what thou canst offer. I
can think of more than
one road dog who
might be interested in
a steady gig close to
home, or the chance
to get paid to train
the media volunteers
at the corner church,
especially if the church
takes up the corner of
an entire county.
Besides the direct
route, audio professionals can approach
the market through
one of scores, if not already hundreds, of systems designers/installers that have targeted
the market. A Google
search of “church + audio + sound + system”
returns thousands of
hits, many from companies that have discovered the burgeoning church market and some who now focus
on nothing but. Most of these companies are
regional, but the widening cast of the church
network is taking some of them farther afield,
and the idea of leaving operations, training and
maintenance in the hands of someone local is
appealingly cost-effective. Brent Mullett, project
manager at CSD, a systems company that deals
exclusively with churches, agrees.“I find that
typically, for contemporary-style churches, they
By DanDaley
will hire a full- or part-time technician when the
church size exceeds 700 to 1,000 seats,” he says.
“As the church leadership discovers the need for
a staff person to take care of this area, I am sure
the demand for technicians even in smaller
churches will grow
at a rapid pace. Most
pastors are ready to
pull their hair out over
their sound systems
and the inconsistency.
Now it’s a matter of
integrating the need
into their budget.”
Music is one of the
fundamental components of contemporary Christian worship
services. The churches
not only use full bands
during services, but
also often allow the
venues to be used for
concert performances
not connected with
services. A church now
may not only be as big
as Madison Square
Garden, but just as
busy too. The need for
full-time, experienced
audio personnel is clear.
The church
audio market has
one dimension
most other mixing
gigs don’t usually
have—a highly-specific point of view on
life and what comes
after it. One of the
reasons that audio
companies specializing in church sound
have had a relatively
clear field of play is
because some mixers
might not agree
with the message, or
might feel uncomfortable bringing
only expertise
instead of spirituality. That’s a personal
decision, but when
you think about it, the mix of every live show
is helping someone bring across a point of
view or a perspective. When the Dixie Chicks
dissed George Bush from a London stage
three years ago, they caught a lot of flack, but
no one blamed the FOH mixer.
So don’t wait for Pollstar’s next unnerving report on the touring industry. Look for
the niche, then fill it.
In all but the
largest of these
media-savvy
churches, the
technical talent
tends to be
volunteers,
many of whom
are getting
on-the-job
training every
Sunday.
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:13:58 PM
Theory & Practice
Instrument
hen putting together a mix, it is
handy to have knowledge of your
sound sources and the frequencies
generated by each. This article is intended
to be a quick reference (with a table) to frequency bandwidths of various music sources.
Drums
least up to 1KHz on the top end, and more if
some finger sounds are desired. For fivestring basses, the low B-string at 31Hz (B0)
means that some really enormous subwoofers are required to faithfully reproduce the
instrument. Fortunately, we humans can
catch the sensation of low frequencies by
hearing the second octave harmonic (62Hz)
and the higher harmonics. But this means
that your sound system needs to be still flat
at 62Hz, not trailing off by several decibels.
Starting with the traditional left side
of the console, drums are usually tuned to
resonance from about 160Hz to 800Hz. But
the total bandwidth of each drum can range
from two octaves below to
batter head sounds (click)
into the presence bands
(2 to 8KHz). For example, a
22-inch kick drum batter
Kick Drum*
head is typically tuned to E3
or 164Hz. But sub-harmonFloor Toms*
ics are given off at 82Hz and
41Hz, with these becomRack Toms*
ing the chest “thump” that
should felt more than heard.
Snare Drum*
And with the second harmonic suppressed (328Hz)
Cymbals
to make room for other
instruments, all that is left is
Bass Guitar*
the “click” around 3KHz Other drums are typically tuned
Guitar*
a bit higher, like a 16-inch
floor tom resonance at C4
Piano*
(261Hz), 14-inch floor tom
at F4 (349Hz), 12-inch rack
B3 Organ
tom at A4 (440Hz), 10-inch
rack tom at D5 (587Hz) and
Tenor Sax*
a snare at G5 (783Hz). If you
set drum gates, then the
Violin/Fiddle*
first suboctave below the
batter head resonance is
Blues Harps*
usually where the frequency
band is set. From the above
Baritone Voice
example for drum tunings,
the kick is at 82Hz, 16-inch
Tenor Voice
floor tom at 130Hz, 14-inch
floor tom at 175Hz, 12-inch
Alto Voice
rack tom at 220Hz, 10-inch
rack tom at 293Hz and snare
Soprano Voice
at 366Hz.
Instrument
Cymbals
The “sizzle” in most cymbals ranges from 2KHz to
40KHz, but us Neanderthal
male soundmen will struggle to hear beyond
16KHz. And if you want to catch some of the
“impact” of crashing cymbals, then adding
an octave or two below 2KHz (1KHz, 500Hz)
is a good place to start. The tough choices
is to work mic placement and bandwidth to
choose the amount of separation between
drums and cymbals. If you are just doing kick
drum and overhead condenser mics, then
100Hz to 16KHz wide-open overhead mics
are the ticket.
Bass Guitar
Bass guitar of the four-string type ranges
from 41Hz (E1) to about 246Hz from a fundamental note range. Adding the necessary
octave or two, harmonics should provide at
the 16Hz to 20KHz range, that is a reasonable
bandwidth limit.
Other
Instruments
Some other typical musical instrument
frequency ranges include the tenor sax at
110Hz to 587Hz fundamental notes. Violin or
fiddle fundamental notes range from 196Hz
to 2093Hz. And blues harps can range from
196Hz to overblows at 2959Hz. Note that you
Frequency Range (Hertz)
Frequency Range (Hertz)
Minimum
Nominal
Maximum
130
164
196
220
-
440
350
-
700
650
784
1000
500
-
40k
31
-
500
82
-
700
27
-
4186
32
-
5920
110
-
587
196
-
2093
196
-
2959
110
220
392
146
261
440
196
392
698
261
523
1046
* Fundamental Notes (no harmonics or sub-harmonics)
Guitars
Guitars follow the bass guitar rule, but
at an octave higher. So the 82Hz (E2) to
659Hz (E5) are the fundamental frequencies.
But with electric guitars with fuzz boxes or
overdriven amplifiers, you can expect useful
harmonic outputs up to 5KHz and beyond.
Keyboards
A full 88-key piano ranges from A0
(27.5Hz) to C8 (4186Hz) plus harmonics for
a very broad bandwidth. And the classic
Hammond B3 organ runs from 32Hz rumbles
to 5920Hz whistles in blues and rock usage.
Then with synthesizers, all semblances of
audio noises are possible over the audio
range and beyond. With human hearing in
should add a couple of octaves beyond the
fundamentals to catch most of the nuances
of these instruments.
Voice
Human vocals are given the Italian music
prefixes just like instruments with baritone,
tenor, alto and soprano designations. Fundamental note vocal ranges are baritone at
110Hz to 392Hz, tenor at 146Hz to 440Hz, alto
at 196Hz to 698Hz and soprano at 261Hz to
1046Hz. Since the voice has so many sounds
beyond the fundamentals, having good vocal
reproduction to 8KHz and beyond is a good
idea. And shaving off above 12KHz is a good
idea when the vocal has plenty of cymbal
leakage in the microphone.
www.fohonline.com
200.0602.Theory.JD.indd 29
By MarkAmundson
W
Freq uencie s
February 2006
29
2/2/06 9:48:44 PM
Road Tests
ISP Technologies GSL12 “Mongoose”
Speaker System
By JamieRio
I
think the
biggest
challenge
a small- or
medium-sized
sound company
(like mine) faces
today is how
to get the best
possible sound
and coverage for
the most people
out of the smallest
possible package.
Well, the folks at ISP
have taken up this challenge
in a big way with a variety of highpowered, high-fidelity, active speaker
systems. One of these is the GSL12.
However, before I even get into the
review of the GSL12 “Mongoose” powered
sound system, I have to mention that you
really can’t do a live show without some subs
to complement these speakers. So, I will be
including notes
and comments
on the ISP
XMAX212 subs
that I used in all
of my live Mongoose shows.
The Gear
The ISP GSL12
Mongoose is an
active (self-powered) three-way
speaker system
that produces
buckets of SPL out
of two relatively small
boxes. The first box contains
two vertically-arrayed 12-inch
speakers and two amp modules. The
amp modules contain two 600-watt lows
plus one 300-watt mid and two 100-watt
highs. Basically, you’ve got five channels of
amplification
and an electronic fourth-order
crossover. (If you
don’t know what
fourth order
means, look it
up! The quick
answer is that it
means frequencies below the
crossover point
roll off at 24 dB
per octave.)
The second
box contains two
12-inch speakers,
a high compression midrange
horn and two
high-frequency
drivers. This box
stacks on the
first box, forming
a four-element
line (see picture).
The second
enclosure is not
powered, but gets its juice from an eightpole Speakon cable.
All in all, you get 1,700 watts of ISP’s
patent-pending DCAT high-current-amplification. Stack two of these enclosures on
either side of your stage, pony up a couple
of ISP subs and you can rock (or hurt) 1,000
to 1,500 people. You can double this to four
boxes stacked high plus a couple more subs,
and you have a ground-stack line array that
is more than eight feet tall and can move
3,000 to 4,000 music-lovin’ bodies.
The boxes themselves are built out of
Baltic birch and covered in black rubberized
polyurethane. They all have the same dimensions: 24 inches wide by 26.25 inches high
by 19 inches deep and weigh 115 lbs each.
Since you’ve gotta have subs with these
enclosures, I used the ISP XMAX 212s. These
are active folded horn subs using 12-inch
speakers rather than 15s or 18s and sporting
a 1,000-watt DCAT amp per box. ISP claims
they will pump out 136 dB of bass at 1 meter,
which is more than an average dual 18-inch
reflex cabinet driven by 2,000 watts. Anyway,
the boxes use Baltic birch construction and
are covered by the same black polyurethane
that the Mongoose uses. They weigh in at
225 lbs, but have handles and casters and are
fairly easy to move around.
A quick word about dB and power specs:
They are good for reference and, of course,
they can be a strong selling point, but how
gear performs in the real world of live audio
is not based solely on specs. I guess we all
know this. So, let’s look at the live shows.
The Gigs
I was anxious to use the ISP gear as
soon as I got it, so I took a half stack of the
Mongoose (four cabinets) and two XMAX
212 subs to a gig where I was only servicing
500 bodies. I knew it was overkill, but I could
always turn it down, right?
The show was at a park in Pasadena,
Calif., and I had four ethnic bands performing
30
February 2006
200.0602.RoadTest.rg.indd 30
throughout the day. I had a one-man crew
and myself. The two of us had the gear set
up in less than an hour, and we were ready
for sound check. I turned on the cabinets
and immediately blew the park’s Edison. I
am only mentioning this because you must
respect the power requirements of this gear.
Twenty amps for two subs and another 20
amps for the four Mongoose boxes, and you
will be fine.
Anyway, I started with some programmed music and EQ’d the area. The first
thing I heard and felt was the power this
little system had. I swear, you would have
to use twice as many boxes and double
the horsepower (wattage) to get the same
sound and air movement out of another
system. The sound was also very clean and
transparent, which makes the EQ process
much easier. We had much more muscle
(sound) than we needed so I did turn it
down—a little.
My next outing was with the entire
GSL12 Mongoose system (eight boxes) and
four XMAX 212 subs. This time, I brought a
two-man crew and myself to the Hermosa
Beach pier in California. It was New Year’s
Eve and we had an 18-piece swing band on
stage. The three of us set the system up in
just over an hour and put on some canned
Latin jazz. I walked away from the stage to
the Pacific Coast Highway (about a quarter mile away) and listened to the mix. It
sounded absolutely beautiful. The promoter
asked me to bring down the bass because
he thought it was a little heavy for swing, so I
turned off two of the subs.
At any rate, it had rained heavily all
day and didn’t stop until about 30 minutes
before load-in. The first set began at 8 p.m.,
and it looked bleak. Only about 250 people
showed up. But as the evening wore on,
more and more bodies arrived. By midnight,
we had about 3,500 partyers including the
mayor of Hermosa and his girlfriend. As we
rang in the New Year, I wished I had turned
the subs back on. The wall of people was absorbing a lot of that low end. However, the
highs and mids sailed on flawlessly.
All in all, the Mongoose system is an
amazing tool. This sound gear is very wellsuited to small- or mid-sized companies
that really need to get the most out of their
investment. In fact, I am buying this system
instead of sending it back after the review.
The boxes would also be right at home in
an install situation, such as an auditorium,
church or club. ISP is certainly pushing the
envelope with regards to size and power. You
see, size doesn’t always matter.
What is it: Active ground stack line
array speaker system.
Who it’s for: Sound companies,
churches, clubs, schools.
Pros: Powerful, clean, hi-fidelity
sound.
Cons: None so far.
How much: $10,500 for two boxes,
$21,000 for four boxes MSRP.
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:42:18 PM
The Yamaha M7CL Digital Mixing Console
By PaulOverson
ber of inputs and on-board effects. It is a
no-brainer for theatrical and church installs
as well. For our purposes, this is the perfect
console for the price.
Thanks to Andrew Pulley and Trevor
Young, who contributed to this review.
H
ave
you ever
fallen in love with a piece of
gear to the point where you would
want to marry it? This didn’t quite happen
(good thing, because it is probably illegal in
most states…), but we did love the Yamaha
M7CL enough to want to buy it. It is the fastest, most versatile and user-friendly and has
the best value of any digital console we’ve
used to date.
The Gear
The M7CL comes with either 32 channels
or 48 channels, along with four sets of stereo
inputs totaling either 40 or 56 channels of
input. It also has an exclusive talkback chan-
The Centralogic Section
nel that can be assigned to any or all mixes.
For output, you have any combination of
16 mix buses, an LCR bus and eight matrix
channels—all assignable to 16 omni outputs—as well as eight DCAs. The outputs are
expandable via the three mini-YGDAI card
slots, meaning that the console is capable of
outputting up to 48 mixes. Also, having the
ability to output is the noise generator, which
outputs fixed tone, pink noise and burst pink
noise (great for tuning a system).
Included with the input channels are also
two virtual inserts allowing for any combination of compression, gate, compander, deesser and/or limiter. After the virtual inserts
come the EQ options, which are extensive.
You want a four-band parametric? Done. Your
tastes run more toward graphic EQs? You
get up to eight 31-bands or 16 Flex-15 EQs.
The Flex-15 mode turns the one standard
31-band EQ into two full 31-band EQs with
the caveat that you can only use 15 of the
sliders. There is a “counter” that keeps track
of how many siders have been used. So you
can double the number of graphics, you just
leave out the sliders for the frequency bands
that are set flat anyway. In order to get that
many EQs, you have to start giving up effects
processors
(of which there
are four), but having the
option just adds to the M7CL’s
flexibility.
With all this processing, this console is
still remarkably quiet. If you max out the
input gain, put the faders and masters all
up to unity, and you get -127dBu per input,
and -80dB for each out. Plus, it has a lot of
headroom with a dynamic range of 110dB. It
has a pristine sound with its variable sample
rate ranging from 44.1KHz to 48KHz,
along with only about a 2.7ms of
latency.
All these ins and outs are
controlled by Yamaha’s Centralogic
software, which is very user-friendly
and quite fast. It is capable of storing up to 300 scenes and allowing
changes for everything, including
the name of the channel. (Once we
used that feature, we had to wonder
how we lived without it in the past
when it came to running multiple
bands on the same console.) Aside
from channel names, it even allows
for little instrument/vocal icons to
be added to the channels, creating a
more visual approach to finding your
channels. The Centralogic software is
controlled by various combinations
of push-button rotary encoders,
motorized faders, and lastly, a touchscreen (very, very cool).
The console has an onboard power supply, plus it has the ability to run a redundant
power supply for a touring situation. Want
to talk about small? All these features were
crammed into a unit that’s 41.7 inches (50.2
inches for the 48 channel) wide by 11.3
inches high by 27.6 inches deep. That’s about
the same size of a mid-size analog 24-channel console. In terms of weight, it’s exceptionally light at only 92.6 lbs (110.2 lbs for the 48).
Last, but not least, these consoles are
priced to move. Coming in at about $20,000
for the 32 channel, and about $25,000 for
the 48, it’s as cheap as getting the analog
equivalent with the effects rack. But with the
analog console, you still don’t get the scene
recall. Plus you get to save your back!
The Gig
We received the console, but it had been
dropped by the freight company and didn’t
function properly. We called Randy Weitzel
and he immediately put us in touch with
Yamaha tech support, who sent us another
console. We were treated very well and were
taken care of in short order. Yamaha stands
behind this product.
The
show was
a New Year’s
Eve street party
hosting six individual
acts and running music
and announcements in between. It was cold and had been
drizzling all day, making for a slightly more
difficult setup. This was the perfect setup to
not only test the M7’s functionality, but also
its durability.
As we were setting up for the show, one
enjoyable part of the M7 was how small it
was and how easy it was for just one person
to move it to the FOH position while not
breaking his back. When it came to lifting it
up, two of us easily lifted it up on a road case.
Once everything was plugged in, it was
easy to start up the console and start tuning
the system. It was amazing how easy sound
checks went. However, it did take a little
longer than an analog console to label the
channels and assign the DCAs. We were able
to sound check every act very smoothly and
save each act into a different scene.
It was very easy to set all of the individual EQ patterns for each channel as well
as setting the compression and the gates.
The onboard effects worked wonderfully and
were very easy to set up and manage.
One thing that was impressive about the
M7CL was how much headroom it has. We
could run the mix quietly, but were still able
to push it into the 110 to 115dB range and
maintain a great-sounding mix.
Even in the high humidity and rain, the
console ran without any complications.
Because it was near freezing, we had set up a
space heater near the touch screen. However, even when we turned the heater off,
the screen never did get sluggish. Unfortunately, about halfway through the show,
the weather took a turn for the worse with
heavy rain, hail and lightning. We were forced
to shut down the system because of the
lightning strikes.
We recommend this console to any
company with shows that include acts
through B-level bands. Acts that are A-level
might have a problem with the fewer num-
What it is: A mid-size digital mixing
console.
Who it’s for: Mid, to large sound
companies, touring, installs.
Pros: Fast, scene recall, small foot
print, touchscreen.
Cons: Too good to be true.
Price: $19,999 MSRP (32-channel),
$24,999 MSRP (48-channel).
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:42:52 PM
Road Tests
Lectrosonics R400A and UH400A
By BrianKlijanowicz
I
am a pretty technical guy, and
there are very few technologies in the live audio world that I
just don’t completely “get,” but RF is
one of them. A console is straightforward—push this fader and increase the
output of the channel. Twist this gain
knob too far, and the input WILL overload
and distortion will be the result. But with
RF, it is more like, if you do this thing then
the result will be this other thing—unless
it is at night, or some unseen something is
causing interference or it’s a Wednesday.
Add to that the fact that, as I have written
before, working in Las Vegas can present
some pretty serious RF issues. Not too long
ago, at a gig for a rock guy who was big in
the ‘80s, his backline crew spent more than
an hour trying to find a clear frequency
for his less-than-the-latest-model wireless
mic. But no one wrote down the golden
frequency or bothered to save it in the
receiver, so when we lost power to that side
of the stage in one of those “hey, it’s a live
gig!” moments, the number disappeared.
With it went any chance of using that
wireless for the show. So, given the atmosphere and my experience, anything
that makes my wireless life easier is
something I want to know about.
is kind of the Holy Grail of RF. There was a
small company called X-Wire that appeared
to have it figured out, but they got swallowed up by a big mic company. These days,
it seems that the only talk of digital wireless
is for boardrooms, and it is more about encrypted communications than sound quality and transmission distance. Except with
the Lectrosonic and some other rumored
systems we are hearing about that take
audio signals that have been digitized,
transmit them in analog and then
extract the digital audio data from the
transmitted analog signal. Don’t ask.
Just know that it works
really well
and has
The UH400TM transmitter is a
“plug-on” type of transmitter (you
can plug a 58 or some other
mic—dynamic or condenser—
onto it). It has kind of a “butt
Mode”
plug” deal—stick it onto the
with
end of the microphone and
the
it locks in. It has phantom
Lectropower built into it selectsonic reable from five, 15 and 48
ceiver or
volts. It says on the Web
a number
site that it will work in
of different
“Native Digital Hybrid
ones from
other manufacturers, if you’re
using an analog
receiver you
already have. No
comments,
because we
never got
the chance
to test that
part of
it. They
both also
major advantages over the industry standard practice of companding (compressing the signal at the transmission end and
“expanding” it at the receiver end in order
to get all that audio into the narrow bands
decreed for this type of use by the FCC).
00
$
.
2XL and
3XL
$29.00
have 256 frequencies to work with and the
RF output uses a circular isolator to reduce
interaction with other transmitters.
The R400A receiver is a standalone
piece that is “designed” for Lectrosonics 400
Series transmitters, but can also be used
with other analog pieces as well. It has a
backlit LCD display that shows the RF level
and audio level, both in real time, so you can
see dropouts and the like. One of the really
cool things I found with this unit is that it
will scan through the whole spectrum of
freqs that it can operate in (an RF spectrum
analyzer!), but it looks like a regular audio
spectrum analyzer (so it’s easily readable for
us audio geeks) and shows you how much
RF different freqs have. That way, you can
choose the one with the lowest amount of
RF interference. Which, as we talked about,
comes very handy in Vegas. You could even
use it to check right before a show to make
sure that a pre-selected freq is clear. It also
has “Smart Squelch,”“Smart Noise Reduction”
and “Smart Diversity,” which is all proprietary
stuff that takes care of, you guessed it, NR,
diversity and squelch issues when used with
a 400 series transmitter. It is pretty deep, and
if you really want to get in to it, I suggest going to http://www.lectrosonics.com/
manuals/r400aman.pdf and RTFMing.
TO ORDER:
The Gig
The Gear
In the live sound market, most
wireless work has long been the
domain of mic companies, so many
of you may have not heard of Lectrosonics—unless you do a lot of
broadcast work, where their stuff is
everywhere. The products that were
sent to me were the Lectrosonics
R400A receiver and the UH400TM transmitter. The whole big deal with Lectrosonics is
that they have their own proprietary—”Digital Hybrid Wireless,” as they call it—type
of wireless encoding. True digital wireless
Stop Answering
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32
February 2006
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Attn: FOH T-Shirt
18425 Burbank Blvd. Ste. 613
Tarzana, CA 91356
I tried the gear out at a one-off corporate
show at the Aladdin Casino in Las Vegas.
About 1,000 people were in attendance as
well as the usual RF gumbo to deal with. We
used the scanning feature to determine the
best freq and dialed it in. The main enter-
tainment was Frank Sinatra, Jr., and when
we were done using it as an analyzer, we
plugged his Neumann KMS105 into it for the
show. It sounded crystal clear and had no
dropouts the whole night.
This is a pretty cool piece of gear and
worth looking at even if you only use it to
map out the clearest frequencies at any
given gig.
So, at this point, we thought we were
done and were ready to send the gear back
to Lectrosonics until they gently (read:
without using the word “idiot”) informed
us that we had not used it for its coolest
function. It seems that many sound guys find
the output of the R400A so uncolored by
any RF companding or noise that they are
using it to Smaart a room wirelessly. Yes, you
read that right—no need to haul 300 feet of
copper around attached to an RTA mic. Just
plug the UH400TM into your RTA of choice
and the output of the R400A into the front
end of your Smaart and feel the freedom. As
FOH technical editor Mark Amundson had
recently received a box designed to interface
with Smaart, we sent the whole Lectrosonics
package to him for a look at how the idea
works in practice. Take it away, Mark…
“I married the Smaart RTA mic (RTA-420)
to the Lectrosonics UH400TM transmitter,
and began to set up the bottom selections
on the transmitter element. The gain setting
was about right, and I left the phantom voltage selection at 48 instead of the18- or 5-volt
selections. The power switch is a bit confusing, but I determined quickly that phantom
power “on” was the middle selection. A bit
different than the off-mute-on switches I am
used to on wireless transmitters.
“Once fired up and the receiver on, the
whole Lectrosonics 400 mic system was pretty
much a unity gain connection without the
wire. Using the SmaartLive software, I could
not see any wireless artifacts on the various
measurement programs. But having the free
RTA mic was a joy as I could have an assistant
run around the room and check the differences
in sound system tuning. No dropouts were
noted even as I tried to gyrate the transmitter
and get nonoptimal path losses between the
Lectrosonics system. The small size and performance of both the transmitter and receiver is a
welcome sight for portable sound systems.”
What it is: High-end wireless and RF
spectrum analyzer.
Who it’s for: Anyone with RF coverage issues or who wants to Smaart a
room without a wire.
Pros: Very nice locking design, recessed switches on the transmitter, VERY
handy and easy-to-use RF spectrum
analyzer, sounds very transparent and
natural for wireless—enough so that you
can use it with an RTA mic.
Cons: Wish there could be some sort
of pad or something on the output of
the transmitter. When I plugged a 58 and
yelled into it and the gain was at around
8 o’clock, it was hitting zero on the input
of the receiver. I’ve worked with some
singers who would bury that thing into
the ground. A pad would give it more
control, which would be nice.
How much: UH400TM transmitter:
$1,090, R400A receiver: $800
www.fohonline.com
2/3/06 8:39:33 PM
SIA Smaart I-O Measurement Hardware
By MarkAmundson
The Gear
SIASoft’s Smaart I-O is an integrated box
that has a USB port for the computer-side of
the interface, and three XLR connectors for
the audio side of the interface. On the audio
side, I get a phantom-powered mic preamp
with software-adjustable gain and the
ability to toggle the phantom power on or
off as desired. Next, I get a full professional
line-level input, also with software gain control for patching into a spare mix output to
serve as a reference signal source for Smaart
software measurement routines. A third
audio interface serves as a balanced output
source to optionally place test signals into
audio systems.
There are no power connections to the
Smaart I-O box, which measures about 6.25
by 1.5 by 4.25 inches and weighs less than
a pound. The normal USB input connector
supplies all the juice needed. As the USB in-
What it is: The missing hardware
pieces for Smaart Audio Analysis
Software.
Who it’s for: Professionals who want
a more portable implementation of
getting signals digitized for the
software.
Pros: High-fidelity preamps, great
RTA mic, minimal cabling.
Cons: Minor desire for retention of
last settings.
How much: SIASoft Smaart I-O
$895 SRP
terface is activated, a blue LED illuminates to let you know it is ready
for action. In addition to a red LED
for phantom power indication on
the mic preamp, each preamp has
signal and clip LEDs on the buttonless front
panel for necessary signal level information.
The rear panel on this small, black-painted
box is just the USB jack, and the three XLR
interface jacks.
Purchasers of the Smaart I-O kit also
get a 6-foot USB patch cable, a decent
omnidirectional condenser audio measurement mic and a CD of the basic Smaart RTA
software that can do a subset of the Smaart
Live measurement tasks. These tasks are just
the RTA and SPL measurement and display
functions, leaving you to upgrade to Smaart
Live to get those killer transfer and impulse
function measurements for precise system
tuning. The RTA-420 mic looks fairly generic
with its SIA logo on it, and comes in a small
foamed case without a mic clip. When I
compared to cheaper and more expensive
RTA mics I own, the RTA-420 is very flat and
plenty sensitive.
The Gigs
This review is not about the great Smaart
Live measurement software, so I am keeping
those happy thoughts for another occasion.
But by consolidating the digital and analog
interfaces in one basic box, and making it
fully software-controllable, my prayers have
been answered. Loading and using the
Smaart I-O and RTA software was a nonevent.
And when needed at the gig start, all I had to
do was open the Smaart I-O application, set
the phantom power on and set the preamp
gains; then click off to either Smaart RTA or
SmaartLive as desired.
Looking for shortcomings, my only wish
would be to make the Smaart I-O software
remember my last settings, and not lose
them (nonvolatile memory). Also, some
further integration with the Smaart measurement software packages to make Smaart
I-O a menu item for control, would be better
than a separate software application. But
I know I am grousing about minor things
when I now have a level of hardware integration that is nothing short of XLR connectors
on my laptop.
www.fohonline.com
F
or all those potential SmaartLive audio
analysis software users who are put
off by having to cobble together a
computer, RTA mic, mic and line preamps,
plus a digital converter, the SIA Smaart I-O
hardware kit is for you. While I had no doubt I
could purchase the above gear list and make
it all work, I did not want to make the investment, and then have to wire up the mess
every time I did a gig. And I was hoping that
something like Smaart I-O would come to
integrate that mess.
February 2006
33
2/2/06 9:43:49 PM
In The Trenches
By AllisonRost
Master Sergeant Janusz Masztalerz,
Technical Sergeant Kenemore, Master Sergeant Mike Riley
Robert Hawthorne
President
MUSE Productions
Birmingham, AL
205.942.5100
muse@mindspring.com
www.muse-pro.com
Quote:
When things reach the point where they
can’t get any worse, just smile and wave
boys, smile and wave.
Services Provided:
Full-service audio and lighting for festivals,
one-offs and tours.
Audio Engineers
The United States Air Force
Academy Band
Colorado Springs, CO
719.556.9916
janusz.mastalerz@peterson.af.mil, daniel.
kenemore@peterson.af.mil, michael.riley.1@
peterson.af.mil
www.usafacademyband.com
Quote:
“Roger that!”
Services Provided:
Live sound reinforcement, live concert recording, studio recording and digital editing,
video/multimedia production.
Clients:
Falconaires Jazz Ensemble with Sammy
Nestico, Wild Blue Country with Brent Mason,
Blue Steel, Galaxy Brass.
Personal Info:
“Team Audio” is made up of three activeduty enlisted Air Force audio engineers. Each
engineer is assigned to a musical component
of The United States Air Force Academy Band
under the command of Lt. Col. Steven Grimo.
The band performs a wide variety of musical
styles and at many world-class venues. The
USAFA Band has a national touring mission to
support the Air Force Academy and the U.S.
Air Force with more than 600 performances
each year.
Equipment:
Yamaha PM1D, O1V96, Mackie TT-24, Sony
DMX-R100, Soundcraft K3 consoles. Crown K1,
K2 amps. Meyer CQ1, UPA, 650P and Tannoy
T300, T12, T40 speakers. Shure PSM700 PMs.
Shure, Sennheiser, Neumann, Royer, Rode,
Sony, AKG, Audix microphones. Grace, Millenia,
FMR, TLA mic preamps.
Don’t Leave Home Without:
An approved government travel authorization.
Clients:
Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic,
Bo Bice, The Black Crowes, Shine Down,
Alter Bridge, Saliva, Keith Sweat, K-ci &
JoJo, Elvis White, Collective Soul, Theory of
a Deadman.
Equipment:
Heritage 3000 (56-ch), Siena (56-ch),
Meyer MILO, Meyer M3d sub, Meyer MSL-4,
Meyer 650-p, Meyer PSM-2, EV XW15, EV
XLC, Shure & Sennheiser mics, Drawmer
dynamics, BSS dynamics, DBX dynamics,
BSS soundweb, BSS varicurve, eventide
h3000, Avalon 737, KT DN360,
Don’t Leave Home Without:
Laptop and toolbag.
If you’d like to see yourself featured in “In the Trenches,”
visit www.fohonline.com/trenches to submit
your information to FOH, or email
arost@fohonline.com for more information.
Welcome To My Nightmare
SPROING!
A
bout 1986, I was working a multiple-stage event at Marineland
(which is now closed). We had six
systems up and running at any
one time, although mostly it was
two or three with everyone else on break. It
was during one of these periods when I was
at the main stage (the Dolphin Show arena).
We had a 30-bottom three-way system up
and running, and Robbie Edwards was mixing FOH on an older Tangent console. What
Robbie didn’t know was that this particular
console (from circa 1980) had an INTERNAL
spring reverb! We weren’t using it, and he
didn’t ask.
During the show, a radio announcer from
one of the local stations was doing some announcements, while at the same time, Robbie was having some trouble with one of the
faders on the board. It was cutting out, and
Robbie did what a lot of us did back then,
which was to smack the side of the console.
34
February 2006
200.0602.Trenches.Night JD 34
Needless to say, the resulting noise was like
a bomb going off, and you could hear it for
miles (literally). The announcer was saying,
“and, coming up shortly we have...(BOOM!).”
After about five seconds, he says, “SPECIAL
EFFECTS.” In the meantime, Don the company owner and I were frantically diving for
the amp racks to shut things down. The rest
of the event went off without a hitch, but
people who were there were asking me for
at least a year, “What was that explosion at
Marineland during the Harvest Festival?”
Oh, did I mention that all the stacks were
about three feet from the edge of the
dolphin pool? It took two days to get all
the salt off the cables and mics.
David Paul Campbell
West LA Music
Los Angeles, CA
Gigs from Hell. We’ve all had ‘em and the good folks at FOH want to hear about yours. Write it up and send it to us
and we’ll illustrate the most worthy. Send your nightmares to bevans@fohonline.com
or fax them to 818.654.2485
www.fohonline.com
2/2/06 9:50:42 PM
Regional Slants
Guest Engineers:
Their Toys....and Their Riders!
By LarryHall
Of course, she was done, off to the tour bus
and one of my guys takes over. The venue
manager/promoter came to me after the show
to tell me he was planning on not paying me
because of how bad the P.A. sounded for the
headliner. He was also confused about how
nice the opener sounded, and the last couple
songs of the headliner seemed OK as well. After
a brief explanation, we were paid.
It’s not always crap talking; sometimes the
stars, the moon and the earth line up, and you
actually get the guy who makes you wonder,
“Why isn’t this guy doing bigger and better
things”? We have had the pleasure of working
some great engineers—some that require
cool toys, some that don’t. For me, I like setting
up a rig for a great band and engineer, enjoying the show and enjoying the audience hav-
www.fohonline.com
200.0602.RegionalSlants.JH.indd 35
ing a good time. I know that sounds “cheeky,”
but it’s true.
The good news? Every day, we get to wake
up and work with some of the best entertainers and engineers in the biz. So for the occasion
we get substandard people, suck it up—it
beats digging a ditch. Funny, in this biz, usually
the “substandard” comment applies to the
equipment brought to the gig, uh, well, by us!
A
little history about HAS Productions: I
started this company about 10 years
ago as a “small club/anklebiter”-size
house. As time progressed, I realized what
a gear whore I was! I wanted bigger, better
toys, and with that, you need bigger, better
gigs to pay for them. At this point, this seems
to be a FULL-TIME TREND! Every time you get
that next toy, you need another.
But with all of that, in the beginning, the
issue of a guest engineer never came up, or it
was never an issue.
Over the last six to eight years, I have
found that we get to mix less and less. We
also seem to meet an interesting mix of engineers; some make you wonder how they got
the job, with others, you wonder why they
are not doing bigger and better things.
I have received several riders over the
years where the engineer is insisting on all the
cool gear you would expect to see Clair Bros.
send out for Sir Elton John. I personally don’t
have any issues filling the riders if it fits in the
venue budget. This has created some amusing situations, considering the level we tend to
cater to. I once had a guy insist on an XL-4 and
Lexicon 960. Toys I didn’t have, but sub-rented.
At the time, neither my staff nor I had a lot
of—if any—experience with either piece. We
all looked forward to watching and learning for
the “great one.”Well, he didn’t know how to use
them either! In fact, as I spent time with the guy,
I found out he based his rider on what he read
in trade magazines! He had no idea what to do
with this stuff, but put it on his rider because he
thought it made him seem more important. He
also confessed that he had never received the
items before.
This example brings to light a whole other
line of issues. After this happens a few times,
you find yourself jaded and wanting to tell the
guys on the phone as you advance,“No, you’re
out with an act touring small venues. You can’t
have this cool piece, or that one.” Suddenly, the
qualifications of the engineer have no relevance.
Now even the ones who are qualified are pissed
at you, and you’re off on the wrong foot. It no
longer matters if you nail the gig; they will pick
you apart—as you probably deserve.
My philosophy at this point, right or
wrong, is to bring the guy what he wants. If
he needs some help, offer it; if he declines, let
him crash and burn. Of course, that brings up
another issue, and another story. The issue?
The audience—you know, the REAL reason
we are all here—thought the show sucked
because of the sound! Now you’re forced to
reassure the buyers about your company. And
of course, the guest engineer will tell anyone
who will listen that the P.A. had issues.
The story: A few years ago, I was working
a venue for the first time. They had booked an
up and coming punk act with a hit on the radio.
We loaded in the venue, set up and found out
that the act’s bus had broken down, so they
would not be at the venue until after doors. We
set up the local opener with no engineer and
sound-checked them. The headliner finally
showed, set up and line-checked. The engineer ran the system hard and was clipping
several inputs. Nice distortion filled the room,
sprinkled with awesome 125 and 4K feedback.
I approached the engineer to offer some help,
but she screamed at me to open the limiters
or she would kick the crap out of my console!
February 2006
35
2/2/06 9:41:21 PM
200.0602.Ads.ss.indt 36
2/7/06 11:12:25 AM
Sound Sanctuary
Downsize Your
Gear
I
t’s a New Year and it might be time to
rethink what’s in your rack. There is something always exciting about cleaning out
an old closet, giving away what you don’t
really need and finding a whole lot of space.
The same can be done with that audio rack!
I think you’ll see that if you are tired of
overprocessing and getting poor results, it
might be time to go digital. There are exceptions to every case, and I don’t deny that an
extra piece of outboard gear at FOH can be
handy for the experienced technician. What
I am talking about is a paradigm shift in
technology and equipment management,
not the odd “what if…?” situation.
I have been telling clients for years now
that we rarely “tune” systems, but rather, we
“program” them. We patch in that special RS232 cable between a magical black box and
our laptop, and start typing and “mousing”
our way to detailed sound. Several questions (among many) always arrive. Let’s try to
answer them like this.
minimally 24. (But of course the DSP is even
more versatile than all that!) The 24 pieces of
gear roughly cost $5,000 to $6,000. You can
easily buy a 4-by-12 or 8-by-12 DSP that will
do far more for less than that! I would esti-
mate a overall hardware savings of $2,000
to $3,000. This does not account for on-site
installation time, much of which can be
done in the office!
So, just a thought for the new year; if
it’s time to renovate, get professional assistance as needed, investigate the gaggle
of great products available and commit to
cleaning up that rack!
Richard Rutherford is the owner of Rutherford Design, an audio, lighting and video
contractor. He can be reached at
rrutherford@fohonline.com.
By RichardRutherford
What if it fails?
In dozens of installations in the last few
years, we have had only two equipment
failures.
One was a software compatibility issue
that I personally created and fixed before
final settings were made. The second failure
was a bad power supply, which actually was
quite good until an air conditioning repair
person switched a couple legs around in
a sub-panel and sent enough voltage to
almost melt the rack-mounted surge protector. We know where this man lives and keep
careful watch whenever he approaches one
of our projects.
Enough said. If you back up your data on
disk and limit untrained access to the rack,
virtually nothing can ever shut your system
off for very long.
Can you show me
how to operate it?
My first response always borders on rude:
“Why would you want to void the warranty
on your entire audio system?” If the settings
are right, they are right. Rarely have I seen a
wall move, a ceiling rise, bolted-down pews
move by themselves or speakers change
position spontaneously. I have seen some
unusual events bordering on the miraculous
in churches, but little that has affected the
actual physics of the room itself. Having said
that, there are many, many qualified FOH
people working in houses of worship, and it’s
typical that we sit side by side during final
system programming and decide on a “lockout code” together, often sharing a Starbucks
and copies of the CD-ROM when we are
done. Technical fellowship at it’s best. Much
of the time this is not the case and what a
church wants is bulletproof, tamper-free settings. Period. OK by me.
Point is, either be prepared to get proper
training or have faith in the darn thing!
How much does it cost?
Much less than you think. If you extrapolate the reality of additional cables, connectors (points of failure), rack size and required
power distribution, I would estimate an initial
savings of about $1,000 to $1,500. Assuming that the processing is made by the same
manufacturer or is of equal quality, there
is a difference of one piece of gear versus
200.0602.Sound.rg.indd 37
2/2/06 9:47:54 PM
Rack Rail Clearance
Case and Rack
Hardware
www.dblittle.com
Employment
Makeup Supervisor
Zumanity
Cirque du Soleil’s production of Zumanity
at the New York New York Hotel and Casino
in Las Vegas, NV is seeking applicants for
the following position: Makeup Supervisor
- Wardrobe Department.
The ideal candidate must have previous
large-scale production experience in a
similar position.
If you are interested in this position, please
apply online at: www.cirquedusoleil.com.
No Phone Calls Please
Assistant Head of Lighting
Automations Technician/Board Operator
Zumanity
Cirque du Soleil’s production of Zumanity
at the New York New York Hotel and Casino
in Las Vegas, NV is seeking applicants for
the following positions: Assistant Head
of Lighting - Lighting Department and
Automations Technician/Board Operator
- Automations Department.
The ideal candidate must have previous
large-scale production experience in a
similar position.
If you are interested in this position, please
apply online at: www.cirquedusoleil.com.
No Phone Calls Please
PLSN, FOH Bookshelf
Your #1
resource for continued education.
Order today
www.plsnbookshelf.com
38
February 2006
200.0602.Index.ss.indd 38
fohbookshelf.com
www.fohonline.com
2/3/06 8:45:23 PM
PG# PH#
URL
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Sound Productions
Vancetek
38
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INDEX
COMPANY
www.soundpro.com
www.vancektek.com
For advertiser information go to www.fohonline.com and click on Instant Info.
Carrying The Audio World on Their Shoulders
AudioTek Tackles Myriad Challenges For the Super Bowl
continued from cover
Load-out was on Jan. 11, when the
AudioTek crew juggled other pressing gigs,
such as the People’s Choice Awards and
the Miss America pageant, to move out
enough gear to take care of the entertainment portion of the Super Bowl, as well as
audio throughout the stadium during the
game and the setup for all press conferences. When Harmala spoke to FOH, he and
his team were in Detroit, trying to configure
the exact audio specifications for Ford Field,
which was built without accommodations
for any rigging. He completed his first site
survey back in March 2005, but numerous
roadblocks popped up along the way.
“Most of the time that we do Super
Bowl-type stadiums, we use this system,
Dolby Lake Partnership
Yields First Fruit
continued from page 6
on the list of new features is a limiter
that Dolby says prevents amp clipping
even when all console inputs and outputs are clipping, as well as ground isolation built in to all of the converter cards,
which could negate the need for isolation transformers.
Back to Bruce: “This new Dolby Lake
Processor is the subject of four new
patents, all of which make a significant
contribution to our world of pro audio.
For example, one patent covers our new
16-channel in-and-out sample rate converter. Latency is a very real problem in
live sound. In fact, there is a major worldwide tour currently using a separate analog vocal mix path so the singer doesn’t
hear the delay he couldn’t deal with. We
addressed this problem head on. David McGrath has created a new type of
sample rate converter which improves
the digital delay by almost a full order of
magnitude.”
Yes, we are trying to get a hold of one
so we can take it out and try to break it.
We’ll keep you posted.
which consists of these custom-designed
audio carts that allow us to mate up to five
4889 VerTec boxes. If you can imagine looking down on the field, it’s kind of a circle of
wagons around the perimeter. But the best
approach isn’t to shoot the sound from
the field up into the air because of the
roof. We’re going to end up with a tremendous amount of sound energy ricocheting
around. The better approach would have
been for us to completely fly the system,
which is what our original approach was
last summer,” Harmala says. However, the
NFL requires that anyone sitting in the
stadium be allowed to see at least one
Jumbotron screen free of obstructions, so
the bottom of the VerTec clusters would
have been 130 feet in the air—too far up
to do anything.
The next idea was to fly the clusters anyway, but drop them down to 75 feet from the
field during the halftime performance. But
Ford Field, which opened in Aug. 2002, was
not designed with a strong roof that could
withstand rigging, says Harmala. However,
the show’s producer, Don Mischer Productions, needed to fly lighting instruments and
a kabuki drop. AudioTek waited with baited
breath to see if they could tag along, but
Rocky Paulson, the head rigger, refused to
use any more than 60 motors at any time.
Shure and TC
Group A/S Form
Alliance
not the be all and end all. They can rest
assured that there are others who make
a serious effort at providing a useful,
and open digital networking standard—and at a very modest cost. For
a network to be attractive, and widely
used, it needs also to be affordable for
the majority of installations.”
Interestinger and interestinger. Stay
tuned for more details as we get them.
Harmala’s clusters would have taken 42 of
those motors, leaving only 18 for lighting
and scenery.
“Of course, in this situation, being TV,
audio’s fairly low on the totem pole,” Harmala
says. “That decision was removed from us
and we were relegated to the ground, and
that’s where we’re at.”
Sixteen of AudioTek’s carts then
circled the field on Feb. 5 in AudioTek’s
traditional setup. “Because the wall is only
6-1/2 feet tall, and all these cart’s clusters
on them are five boxes, that’s about 7-1/2
feet of cluster, and it would be blocking
people’s viewpoints. So we had to solve
this problem years ago because most walls
are about that high, and we developed a
hinge system for the VerTec, so the top box
actually flips backwards and hides behind
the fourth box, and then it becomes only a
four-high system,” Harmala says.
The other main adjustment that had
to be made was for the Stones. Most Super
Bowl halftime performances are “play-
Great White Case Gets Pleaded Out
All the three defendants were originally charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter for each of the 100
people killed. One count per death alleged
criminal negligence; the other accused
the defendants of committing underlying
offenses that led to the deaths.
Sparks from the pyrotechnics ignited
highly flammable foam lining the club’s
walls and ceiling, creating a fast-moving
blaze that killed 100 people and injured
more than 200 in the fourth-deadliest
nightclub fire in U.S. history. The device
in question was a gerb (for us hummers,
a gerb is something like a Roman candle)
and, flammable foam or not, as PLSN editor
Richard Cadena noted in the March 2003
issue, why would anyone use a 20-foot
gerb in a room with 15-foot ceilings?
And, lest the sound tribe think this is
all a lighting problem, it should be noted
www.fohonline.com
200.0602.Index.ss.indd 39
synced” (live vocals to a musical track), but
the Stones refused on principle. “We had to
increase our Front of House console size,”
Harmala says. “Last year, it was a PM5D. Previous to that, it was an InnovaSON, so relatively
small, fairly simple consoles. This year, we’re
up to a 128-input PM1D console.”
Additionally, numerous mics that
normally aren’t needed have to be brought
in for the vocals and instruments—a mix
of Shure, Sennheiser, Neumann, AKG and
beyer. And all of this is just for the halftime
show; wiring the bathrooms and the Internet feed and the press is a whole other
can of peanuts, as Harmala would say. No
wonder AudioTek had people on-site starting on Jan. 16.
“Out of all the stuff that we do—all the
things you think that are tougher, like the
Grammys or something like that where
it’s super-heavy music—this is definitely
unique,” he says. “There’s no other event that
I’m aware of that’s like this at all.”
-by Allison Rost
that the FOH engineer did not mute the
band when the fire broke out. It is obvious from video shot inside the club that
many in the audience thought it was all
part of the show until it was too late. No
one will ever know for sure, but it is likely
that had the band been muted and an
announcement made to evacuate the
club, the fire would have resulted in fewer
deaths and injuries.
Biechele, who was apparently not
licensed as a pyro specialist, has said
through his lawyer that he had permission
from the club to light the pyrotechnics
during the concert, which the Derderians
have disputed. Some victims’ relatives reacted angrily to news of the plea bargain,
saying they hoped to see Biechele go to
trial. Each manslaughter charge carries up
to 30 years in prison.
-by Bill Evans
February 2006
39
2/3/06 8:45:49 PM
FOH-at-Large
Do the
Right
Thing
W
hile sitting at a bar, a man noticed
a good-looking woman and tried
to engage her in a conversation.
“Excuse me,” he said, “would you sleep with
me for a million dollars?”
Not knowing what to make of this, she
looked him over, and after a moment or so,
answered, “For a million dollars, I would sleep
with you.”
He thought a moment, and then asked,
“Would you sleep with me for $1?”
“What kind of girl do you think I am?” she
replied indignantly.
“We’ve established what kind of girl you
are,” he responded with a smile. “Now we’re
just haggling over price.”
It’s an old joke, but I like it because it
illustrates a part of the human condition and
the dilemma that we all face when confronted
with the choice between capital gain and a
test of our own moral and ethical fortitude.
Morals and ethics somehow seem tied to
goodness and the divine, but that doesn’t
mean that an ethical choice needs to have
religious overtones. As children, our parents,
schoolteachers, religious leaders and even our
television programmers teach us ethics and
morals. We have all been made aware of right
and wrong, and we know that heroes either
have a strong moral and ethical strength or
attain these attributes after going through a
transformation due to a long, hard struggle
with the dark forces. Temptations from our
everyday existence constantly seduce us and
test our ethical convictions, and though everyone may have a moral compass, not every
compass is pointed due north.
Maybe there isn’t a real “due north” in an
ethical and moral sense. Moral and ethical
codes differ due to circumstance, and “due
north” is a setting based upon perspective
and location. For example, certain crime
organizations have an ethical code that I’m
sure has a different setting for “due north”
than most religious organizations. Prison
populations have their own ethical and
moral settings that probably differ from the
armed forces’ codes of honor and ethical
bearing. On a certain level, our country’s own
Civil War was a war of ethics and moral conduct, as was our conflict in World War II an
epic struggle between the “ethical” and the
“unethical” forces in this world. Five years into
the new millennium, we are still confronted
by enemies who live by a different moral
code, and we find ourselves being tested in
new ways as we try to uphold our nation’s
adherence to a set of values and ethics that,
in the past, we have believed to be the apogee of noble behavior.
As depicted in the previously mentioned
joke, money changes everything and business has its own criteria for setting the moral
compass. Michael Douglas, as Gordon Gekko
in the 1987 movie Wall Street, says, “The
point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed,
for a lack of a better word, is good. Greed is
right. Greed works.” Apparently, greed works
for some and not for others as evidenced
40
February 2006
200.0602.FOHatLarge.JH.indd 40
by the collapse of various major corporations and the incarceration of their leaders.
Oil companies are making unprecedented
profits, major retail firms are profiting while
not compensating their employees for longer hours, credit card companies have a free
reign to raise interest rates as they please
and there are many in our government who
want to capitalize on our country’s every
resource by strip mining, logging and drilling
andy.au@verizon.net
in our national parks and wildlife refuges.
Gluttony and covetousness are forms of
greed, both of which are also “deadly sins,”
and since there is a cold-bloodedness associated with the selfishness of greed, it’s not
surprising that Michael Douglas’ character is
aptly named after a lizard. Capitalism, in its
pure form, is good in that it sparks competition and choice. It allows for a free-market
society where any company can vie for the
consumer dollar and, in theory, it keeps
everyone honest in their dealings by having
to comply with a market value for their
services or goods. Unchecked and with a
different set of coordinates, “due north” on
the capitalist compass leads to monopoly,
self-serving behavior and greed.
The SR business is no different than any
other business in that we exist to provide a
service and make a profit at the same time.
We may not be prone to the same cupidity as
some in other fields of work, but avarice rears
its ugly little head in many ways, and our
ethics can be questioned. For example, you
rent a customer a speaker for a fair-market
rate of $50, but the speaker has seen better
days. It works, but the grill is pushed in, the
wood is chipped and it needs a paint job. You
have charged top-market dollar for a piece
of gear that is not in its best form, and while
the equipment is functional, your business
ethic has now come into question. If you are
willing to cut corners to make a profit on a
relatively small level, what will you do when
it comes to larger jobs where there might
be an element of danger involved because
of rigging, cartage or proper power? Ethical
behavior does not necessarily need to be
determined by some apocalyptic struggle
between good and evil, and invariably, one is
often tested in the form of everyday conduct.
The question of what
one will do
for money
becomes tricky
when related
to a business
proposition
since, by definition, we are “in
business” to
make money.
Marlon Brando,
playing Don
Vito Corleone
in the movie
The Godfather,
refused to buy
into the drug
trade because
he was ethically
opposed to it,
even though
he could have
made a huge
profit. This
seemed strange
coming from a
man who killed for business with a credo of
“it’s nothing personal; it’s just business.” Of
course, he finally relented after being shot
by other gangsters, and agreed to a limited
involvement in the drug trade as long as the
drugs were confined to certain neighborhoods…now that’s ethics!
In a 1775 speech, the fiery orator Patrick
Henry, as he pleaded a case for war with
the British, decried, “Give me liberty or give
me death.” Not many people would cleave
to such a lofty ethic and knowing some
of Henry’s history, so I’m not sure that the
phrase was spoken as anything more than
chest-pounding rhetoric on the eve of war,
but the valor of a man of principal cannot
be denied. We are only as good as the words
and deeds we perform, and that is not only
on a personal level, but when we are conducting business as well. After World War II,
many captured Nazi SS officers pleaded not
guilty to war crimes and claimed that they
were only following orders from their superiors. Unfortunately for them, the international
court saw matters differently and found
them guilty of war crimes.
Considering that all ethical questions
do not fit conveniently into a good or evil
category, here’s a tricky question in a time
of political correctness: What if someone
comes to you and asks you to provide
www.fohonline.com
By BakerLee
equipment for a rally during the off-month
of January, when business is usually slow?
You are appreciative of the business, but
you find out that the organization is a religious or political group that you do not like
or support because of their basic beliefs.
What do you do?
On the one hand, you are an audio company that provides a service to the public for
a price and the work is being offered to you
at a time when business is slow. In the end, it
shouldn’t matter what type of program is being played through the speakers. After all, it’s
not your program and does not express your
feelings or thoughts; you are just doing your
job and providing a client with equipment.
On the other hand, you do not want to aid this
particular group in amplifying or broadcasting their message due to your own personal
convictions; therefore, because of your strong
principles, you tell them you are busy and cannot help out. Just a note; I am not speaking of
a bias toward any particular group or another,
it may just be that you don’t approve of the
way the would-be client treats their employees or how they conduct their business. Still,
the prospective client, unaware of your code
of ethics, is adamant about using your services
and makes you an offer that even a man of
principle and ethical fortitude should not be
able to refuse. You might easily justify taking
the job because of the exorbitant amount of
money being offered, and most likely, nobody
would fault you, but the point is that we do
have choices, and while we are in business
to make a profit, we should be careful not to
compromise our ethics to blindly serve mannon. Otherwise, we may find ourselves in the
laughable position of the girl in the joke...just
haggling over price.
Coming
Next
Month...
•
Installations
What, a Vegas install in the same issue that will be at
the NCSA show? How did
that happen? Hairspray
takes residence at the Luxor.
•
Product Gallery
The humble EQ has gotten
all digital on us. And that
transformation has given it
a lot of muscle.
•
Road Tests
We take a bunch of gear out
and try to break it. Again.
Wanna know what we tried?
Read the damn issuse...
2/2/06 9:22:43 PM
Features
• Auto Frequency Selection
• Up to 40 compatible systems
• Multi-function LCD
• Group, Channel and 6-digit frequency indicators
• Transmitter battery-life metering at receiver
• Complete RF and audio LEDs
• Volume knob and adjustable squelch
• Frequency and volume lockout
TAKE CONTROL.
Wireless applications of increased complexity and scale require powerful solutions. ULX ™ provides bulletproof wireless performance, intuitive
operation, and superior sound quality with Shure's Audio Reference Companding. Delivering clear audio transmission and an ultra-wide tuning
range with up to 40 compatible systems guarantees confident command of any wireless situation.
Rely on Shure ULX wireless for all of your demanding installations.
www.shure.com
©2004, Shure Inc.

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