Distributed in 94 countries, Mix is the world's leading magazine for the professional recording and sound production technology industry. Mix covers a wide range of topics including: recording, live sound and production, broadcast production, audio for film and video, and music technology.
IT AIN’T EVERYDAY, BUT ONCE IN A WHILE I have the pleasure of talking to Fletcher, the founder/audio cult leader of Mercenary Audio, MercenaryAudio.com. And while we don’t always agree, I definitely respect this guy for his audio saavy–which is most impressive. He’s occasionally been the center of controversy, such as the time that the centerpiece of his AES booth was an Alesis ADAT and a Mackie 1604 mixer, held high for all to see–impaled on a huge metal spike. I think he referred to that as an art project, but later acquiesced to pressure from the AES to take it down as it offended certain showgoers.
Another time, some bozo was trying to sell replacement speaker cable kits with a pair of standard household AC plugs wired to 1/4-inch connectors. The idea was that if you needed a 100-foot speaker line for a live gig, you’d just attach these adapters to an orange AC extension cable and you’d be set. Well, set for electrocution–in case someone accidentally plugged one end into a 110-volt outlet while the other was in your amp/mixer etc. Great concept, perhaps, but a VERY BAD IDEA. Anyway, Fletcher offered his own protest by outlining a body silhouette (it might have been Eveanna Manley’s) on his booth floor in yellow tape, looking much like a crime scene right after CSI-AES arrives.
Anyway, we chatted for a while and somehow got on the subject of the weirdest calls we’d ever received. I recounted one I got from some guy who couldn’t find original Shure SM57 mics. He called a half dozen retailers, who only sold SM57-LC mics. What happened to the real thing–the classic that everyone uses on everything from snares to Fender Twins? I’m not sure if he was saddened or relieved when I simply told him that the “LC” designation simply meant “less cable,” meaning it didn’t come with a cord. The guy’s response was simply: “Oops. sorry…” [click].
Fletcher laughed, and then recounted a tale of some guy who called him a few years ago, looking for an original “blackfaced” ADAT. Given the Mercenary boy’s history with ADATs, he figured someone was putting him on, because even if someone did want an ADAT tape machine, they’d most certainly opt for one of the later versions with the improved electronics and transport. This guy went on to explain that he’d read about people printing rhythm tracks to tape as an effect, had tried it with an ADAT and really dug the way it “warmed” up the sound… This guy was certainly off his rocker, but had done the near-impossible, something that few have ever accomplished, leaving the quick witted–and highly opinionated–Fletcher himself speechless. The story is almost unbelieveable, yet Fletcher swears that it’s true. Ask him sometime.
When not working on MIX stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________ What do YOU think? CLICK ON THE COMMENTS LINK BELOW AND SPEAK OUT!
IF YOU’VE NEVER BEEN TO A NAMM SHOW, you should know that it’s a scene like no other. I mean, it’s really a whipped frappe mixture of high-tech, low-tech, things that amaze, things that amuse, the expected and the un-expected. And LOTS of people, especially on Saturday (the weekend), when the floodgates open, the dam bursts and the joint is packed with ten times as many people as were there just the day before. Now this is a trade-only event–it’s not open to the public–but the weekend brings an unending throng of fans who sill stand in line for an hour or more to get a signed poster or 8×10 of their fave rock idols (yeah, it’s mostly rock stars) who make personal appearances at whatever booth they’re endorsing this week. It’s a celebrity fest, to be sure…
That morning I ran across a few old friends–Al Schmitt and Elliot Scheiner, and walked the show floor with them for a while. NAMM conversations always start with the classic opener “What have you seen that’s interesting?” and they had just arrived and I was bogged down in meetings up until then and hadn’t had a chance to REALLY do some digging on my “find the cool gear” treasure hunt. So we exchanged a few gems–mine was the very cool anodized aluminum, tube shaped case with threaded caps (it looks sort of like a MagLite flashlight) that will go with RODE’s new high-end shotgun mic. Sorry it’s not exactly a glitzy rock-star item, but it sure beats seeing your shotgun mic crushed, folded in half, or mired in gunk while on a location shoot.
But back to the story… What suddenly struck me was the fact that here I was walking around with two certified legends–real superstars in OUR industry, but these guys were completely invisible to the mobs of autograph seekers fighting over a scrawled publicity shot by some ephemeral rock star. The same reaction came later, while I spent some time talking with Chuck Ainlay. Here I am hanging with some of the great artists of our day, but not even a second look. Just another day at NAMM… When not working on MIX stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com/ariel.html and check ‘em out. ________________________ What do YOU think? CLICK ON THE COMMENTS LINK BELOW AND SPEAK OUT!
I FIRST GOT A REAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE back in the early ‘70s, when I spent a lot of time troubleshooting gear. I finally managed to destroy it (it essentially was worn out to the nubs) after it saved my butt about a thousand times, repairing hundreds of pieces of A/V gear, from simple P.A. rigs to elaborate 70mm projection systems with 6-channel Dolby playback. I even filed down the flat screwdriver that stuck out of the side of the knife body at a 90-degree angle so it would fit those reverse-threaded XLR set screws that holds the connector into place. That same attachment also made for a pretty formidable brass-knuckle effect, although that particular usage wasn’t mentioned in any of the official Victorinox literature.
Anyway, it’s too late for Christmas now, but I just heard about a slick new entry in the Swiss Army line—even cooler than the company’s Cyberknife of a couple years back, the one that even included mini Torx drivers for repairing PCs.
Although it’s a whopping $1,200 retail, Wenger Giant Swiss Army Knife™ V1.0 #16999 certainly tops anyone’s gift list—or for those companies looking for the ultimate in tradeshow swag—this one’s the ticket. At an actual size of 8.75×3.25-inches (WxL); and weighing in at 2 pounds, 11 ounces, it’s a bit large for the average pocket. However you get a lot here…
It touts 85 implements with 110 functions in all including a 2.5″ 60% serrated locking blade; nail file, nail cleaner; corkscrew; adjustable pliers with wire crimper and cutter; removable screwdriver bit adapter; 2.5″ blade for official world scout knife; spring-loaded, locking needle-nose pliers with wire cutter; removable screwdriver bit holder; phillips head screwdriver bit 0; phillips head screwdriver bit 1; phillips head screwdriver bit 2; flat head screwdriver bit 0.5mm x 3.5mm; flat head screwdriver bit 0.6mm x 4.0mm; flat head screwdriver bit 1.0mm x 6.5mm; magnetized recessed bit holder; double-cut wood saw with ruler (inch & cm); bike chain rivet setter, removable 5mm allen wrench, screwdriver for slotted and philips head screws; removable tool for adjusting bike spokes, 10mm hexagonal key for nuts; removable 4mm curved allen wrench with philips head screwdriver; removable 10mm hexagonal key; patented locking philips head screwdriver; universal wrench; 2.4″ springless scissors with serrated, self-sharpening design; 1.65″ clip point utility blade; philips head screwdriver; 2.5″ clip point blade; golf club face cleaner; 2.4″ round tip blade; patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, can opener; golf shoe spike wrench; golf divot repair tool; 4mm allen wrench; 2.5″ blade; fine metal file with precision screwdriver; double-cut wood saw; cupped cigar cutter with double-honed edges; 12/20-gauge choke tube tool; watch caseback opening tool; snap shackle; mineral crystal magnifier with precision screwdriver; compass, straight edge, ruler (in./cm); telescopic pointer; fish scaler, hook disgorger, line guide; shortix laboratory key; micro tool holder; micro tool adapter; micro scraper–straight; micro scraper–curved; laser pointer with 300 ft. range; metal saw, metal file; flashlight; micro tool holder; philips head screwdriver 1.5mm; screwdriver 1.2mm; screwdriver .8mm; fine fork for watch spring bars; reamer; pin punch 1.2mm; pin punch .8mm; round needle file; removable tool holder with expandable receptacle; removable tool holder; special self-centering screwdriver for gunsights; flat philips head screwdriver; chisel-point reamer; mineral crystal magnifier, fork for watch spring bars, small ruler; extension tool; spring-loaded, locking flat nose-nose pliers with wire cutter; removable screwdriver bit holder; phillips head screwdriver bit 0; phillips head screwdriver bit 1; phillips head screwdriver bit 2; flat head screwdriver bit 0.5mm x 3.5mm; flat head screwdriver bit 0.6mm x 4.0mm; flat head screwdriver bit 1.0mm x 6.5mm; magnetized recessed bit holder; tire tread gauge; fiber optic tool holder; can opener; patented locking screwdriver, cap lifter, wire stripper; reamer/awl; toothpick; tweezers; and of course, a key ring—you won’t lose your keys if this sucker is attached—guaranteed.
Of all these functions, my fave would have to be the “12/20-gauge choke tube tool” (some of use work some pretty tough gigs), but the “shortix laboratory key” sounds intriguing as well…
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
WALKING AROUND THE AES SHOW LAST WEEK, ya couldn’t miss it. Right out in the middle of the exhibit floor at New York City’s Javits convention center was a huge 30×30-foot pad of astroturf, with a rustic-looking cabin sitting right in the middle of it.
What is it? It’s a copy of Peter Gabriel’s backyard songwriting sanctum, equipped with a Solid State Logic AWS 900+ console /workstation controller, SSL XLogic outboard gear and additional Gear provided by Guitar Center Pro, including a Pto Tools HD rig, Auralex acoustic treatment, Argosy studio furniture and Henick-Lane air conditioning. Mix editor Sarah Jones and I sat down with Gabriel during the show and got his take on this. (Click here to check out the video interview.) Bringing “turnkey” to a whole new level, this “Shed of your Dreams” studio costs under $250K, depending on exact finish, specifications, the exact gear you choose and location—the user only need provide a concrete pad and electrical service.
Evidently the reaction at the show was overwhelmingly positive and from what I hear, several orders were placed. But $$$ aside, the concept of having a cool, prefab studio laid down at your location over a matter of days has a lot of merit.
The building itself is a 240-square-foot Summerwood Cheyenne cabin and it had a great vibe of its own. Gabriel’s own shed is decorated with some amazing (and quite valuable) artwork that’s NOT part of the purchase price. But as an avid art collector myself, I’d have no problem finding stuff from my own to spruce the joint up.
As an aside, my wife and I collect a variety of styles, but lately have been focusing on illustration art from science fiction. To get an idea of how cool some of this stuff is, you can check out one dealer we occasionally buy from—Worlds of Wonder at www.wow-art.com. Hey, just don’t complain to me next month because you spent all you money there, but even if you don’t, it’s a great source of eye candy—or a way of finding the right artist for your next album cover.
And while I was on the web, I checked out the Summerwood Products site www.summerwood.com (the guys who built the Gabriel shed) and was impressed by the array of designs and possibilities offered. More eye candy to be sure…
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
ONE OF THE CHORES OF RUNNING A SMALL LABEL is promotion, and when you don’t have a lot of money, you need to look into all kinds of outlets to get the word out about your artists—ALL KINDS…
Last weekend, I went to The Expo 2007, described as the San Francisco “Bay Area’s grassroots connection fair for independent arts, music and culture.” It was a pastiche of free workshops, music performances, art show and bizarre bazaar—all wrapped up into a one-day event. I was there to help promote Chelle & Friends, a group that does an amazing blend of R&B/spiritual/gospel/jazz vocals that cross genres and decades. As they were among the featured acts, we went along to hawk CDs, t-shirts and merch.
It was everything I expected—more or less. It was a very San Francisco event, more from the diversity of experiences offered, from the publishers selling underground picto-novels and photo essays on extreme piercings and body fluids—not for the squeamish—to painters, sculpturers, radio stations, a couple small record labels (us included) and several arts groups/schools, including the Women’s Audio Mission. A worthy non-profit organization, the San Francisco-based Women’s Audio Mission is dedicated to the advancement of women in the recording arts, with access to audio technology, and training in its use to record sound for music, radio, film, television and the Internet for women and girls.
In the long-cherished local tradition of hippie-dippiedom, the turnout for the event was sparse. It was well-underpromoted—signage at the site was almost nonexistent, so even finding the place if you were looking for it was difficult. At the same time, there was a huge, packed home-improvement show in the Gift Center pavillion across the street. I’m sure that some of those attendees could have been persuaded to check out the cool art/music festival just 50 yards away—if for only to pay the modest $2 admission and kick back, have a beer and listen to some music during their lunch break—had they known about it.
But attendance aside, there was a bright side here. Yeah, we moved enough CDs and merch to make it worthwhile, picked up a couple of future gig bookings, and I even had a chance to check out some of the other acts, which leaned toward punk-folk, some blues and a few I will never have the words to describe. One interesting act in the latter category was the Hobo Gobbelins, a “troglodyte jug band” that offered an intriguing blend of eerie vocals and instruments (banjo/dobro/accordion/tuba/fiddle/ukelele/washboard) and green/black face painting with some delightfully fun—and yeah, pretty dark—songs about rats, eating brains, decapitations and such. I bet they’ve got Halloween gigs booked up through the next millennium! But they were a fun diversion: Somebody needs to sign these guys—they’ve cornered the market on the hillbilly gobelin genre. Only in San Francisco…
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
HERE WE ARE AND AES IS JUST A MONTH AWAY! It doesn’t seem so long ago when we were at AES (at least the San Francisco show) and now AES is upon us once again. If you haven’t done so already, now–or at least 21 days before the show to get those advance-purchase fares–is a good time to lock in those cheap plane tickets. Or if you’re really lucky to live within a manageable distance—train tickets.
Or to steal the lyrics from a song about another U.S. city, “GONNA TAKE A BUS. GONNA TAKE A TRAIN. EVEN IF I GOTTA WALK, GONNA GET THERE JUST THE SAME…
New York AES is the place to be if you’re an audio pro. By all indications, the show’s gonna be great, with hundreds of exhibitors hawking the latest hoo-hahs and a great selection of workshops, papers and events to keep you way busy on October 5, 6, 7 and 8th.
But the magic of AES isn’t necessarily the show itself, but a gathering of the tribes and often the best place to find the real action is late night, at the bar of the Marriott Marquis or any of the dozen other official AES hotels. In fact the number of products on the show floor that are directly attributed to sketches made on rum-soaked cocktail napkins from last year’s AES is just as staggering as the comical gait that many attendees have when exiting the bars at closing time.
If you’re really smart, call the Iridium Jazz Club (212/582-2121) and snag a couple tickets for one of Les Paul’s shows, Monday night October 8th. Les is really an American icon and in a day when the word “living legend” is bandied around to apply to nearly anyone, Les is the genuine article. The shows start at either 8 or 10 pm, but it’s best to get there early to get good seats, as there are no reserved seats and it’s first come, first serve. Check it out at www.iridiumjazzclub.com.
If you’re really, really smart, bring something for Les to sign after the show. He’s usually pretty nice about such things, unless you walk in carrying a Strat. In that case, you’re on your own, and you certainly don’t want to mar your New York experience by needing to drag yourself into an emergency room to have a (Fender) guitar neck extricated from one of your body cavities. My advice? Leave the Strat at home, bring a CD, LP or your ‘58 gold top Les Paul guitar to get signed. And watch out, because Les sometimes “forgets” to return your pen after he autographs something. In any case, a performance by the Les Paul Trio is a wonderful and unforgettable experience that’s well worth the $45 ticket price. Don’t miss it!
And if you really need a great reason to attend NYC AES, just say the words “Ray’s Pizza” three times and you’ll be magically whisked to the doors of the Javits Center. But if that fails for some reason, just grab a cab… from anywhere. And for more info about the AES show, visit www.aes.org. You’ll be glad you did!
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
THERE OUTTA BE A TRADESHOW FOR TRADESHOWS, where all these organizers can all meet and coordinate their dates for the upcoming year. Just about anybody who goes to a lot of audio tradeshows can remember those years when Musikmesse overlapped NAB, etc. And it never seems to end—next month’s IBC (the big European broadcasting show) overlaps PLASA (the big U.K. live sound show). Whether you’re attending or exhibiting, such intertwined schedules can really complicate your life.
But sometimes, there is some good news. Over the weekend, InfoComm and NSCA announced that they would combine their expos into a single event next year (June 18-20) in Las Vegas. Both organizations should be applauded for this move, which should really reinforce (no pun intended) and help build show attendance and the depth of the workshops/ancillary activities surrounding the expo itself. Faced with two similar (but certainly NOT identical) events, many showgoers–and many exhibitors as well–simply selected one or the other each year, leading to two competing events just a few months apart. After years of complaints about the situation from exhibitors and visitors, both organizations decided to take action and work together for a common good. Bravo!
And after a three-year absence, Summer NAMM is returning to Nashville in 2008. Indianapolis and Austin are great towns, but the only place where Summer NAMM seems to work these days is Nashville. As with other cities where Summer NAMM has been held—such as Austin, New Orleans, Chicago, Atlanta, Atlantic City—Nashville is also a great music town. But Nashville is a major recording center—another plus, with a great downtown convention center with affordable nearby lodging and is in the center of a huge population circle within a one-day’s driving radius, making it convenient as well. So far, so good. Unfortunately, Summer NAMM 2008 is June 20-22, and this timing overlap with the new, powerful, merged NSCA/InfoComm will create some tough decisions for a fair number of pro audio exhibitors in picking which show to attend/support.
The very real issue of overlapping tradeshows actually hurts everyone in the industry, especially in today’s tough business climate. So far, we have two steps forward, and one step behind. Maybe someday, in that perfect world where all these organizations do a little more coordination, this wouldn’t happen. The solution could be that “tradeshow for tradeshows” where all this occurs, but until that day…
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Click here www.jenpet.com and check ‘em out.
YOU DON’T HAVE TO WANDER FARTHER THAN YOUTUBE.COM to notice that video’s making a big impact on the web. Sure, the ‘net is filled with lots of funny clips, animations and occasionally even interesting bits, like the torture test of the Unitron waterproof computer keyboard. But there’s a serious side too…
On the Mix front, we’ve been incorporating video into our site for years, ranging from Seminars on Demand on topics such as Kevin Becka’s excellent series on studio miking techniques or technology previews like Taylor Guitars/Rupert Neve Expression Series or going backstage with the crew on the 2007 Snow Patrol tour. Just go to http://mixonline.com/video/ and you can find all this and more—including video highlights of past trade shows—AES, NAB, NAMM. And with the opening of Pixar’s Ratatouille, we’re going online tomorrow morning with an exclusive chat with the film’s sound designer extraordinaire Randy Thom—neat stuff!
There’s a whole lotta video going on around here with a whole lot more to come. That’s good. The bad part is trying to shop for some fairly simple HD camcorders that we can dole out to our editors for events like tradeshow coverage, where we need something lightweight, easy to use and capable of good quality picture and sound. That’s the ugly part. Picture-wise, there are plenty of low-cost models available that can handle the job, but getting decent audio from a consumer camcorder is like pulling teeth: Real ugly.
Today’s low-cost models tout features like 20x optical zooms (and the all-too-bogus 200x “digital” zoom functions), onboard effects, 720 HD picture quality, and storage to DV tape, hard disk, mini DVD and all manners of removeable media cards (SD, CF, Memory Stick, etc.) Yet at the same time, the attention to audio is deplorable. Here, I’m not even getting into the nuances of digital filter design or sampling rates or the quality of the onboard mics—or an almost total lack of manual controls for audio level. [Besides, there’s something VERY cinema verite about that blast of noise that appears when an AGC circuit pumps up the hiss or background noise during the pauses between sentences of dialog.] But what really kills me are the places where manufacturers locate these onboard mics. For some reason, the favored locations seem to be along the rear of the top panel–didn’t these companies ever consider putting mics on the FRONT of the camera, like maybe under the lens?
One model I looked at had the mics mounted on the back side of the flip-out viewscreen. On first glance, I thought this could be cool–the backside would form a quasi-boundary, giving you a semi-hemispherical pickup. However, it could get real ugly when the user tilts the viewscreen downward for low-angle shooting (pointing the mics at the floor) or when your hand partially covers the mics when holding the camera. Ugly, for sure.
Of course, it’s all fixable with an external mic, but finding a low-cost camcorder that has an external mic input (even 1/8-inch unbalanced) is not easy. But at least if you do, there are options, such as Rode’s VideoMic or Sennheiser’s MKE 300 shotguns or a simple Audio-Technica Pro 24 cardioid X-Y stereo. Yeah, I know there are much higher-end mics, but at least simple solutions like these will put you way ahead of the audio quality game.
And XLR inputs??? Fuggettaboutitt–at least in the sub-$2000 range. Certainly, there are other options, such as the cool XLR-to-minijack adapters from www.beachtek.com or the vintage PASS MD Report Jr. unit I’ve used for years. Heck, you could even go double system, and pack your fave location recorder, mixer, sound cart, booms, fishpoles, radio mics, shotguns and lavaliers. Sure, it’s a little bit of overkill when you’re shooting the kid’s birthday party on a $400 camcorder, but maybe that’s what real sound is all about…
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Check ‘em out at www.jenpet.com.
MUSIKMESSE/PRO LIGHT+SOUND ROLLS INTO FRANKFURT, Germany next week (March 28-31), and it’s a monster event, with 15 exhibit halls of M.I., pro audio, DJ and lighting gear. It’s kind of like attending Winter NAMM, LDI, AES, DJ Expo, NSCA and more—all squeezed into four exhausting days. Newcomers attending Musikmesse/PL+S are often awestruck by the show’s size and scope, but with a few tips, it’s really quite manageable. Here’s some advice:
GETTING AROUND: You DO know your Musikmesse/PL+S badge is also a free pass for Frankfurt’s excellent public transit system, with U-Bahn/S-Bahn (subway), buses, streetcars…. Also, there’s a S-Bahn station inside Messe (in the Torhaus) that’s really convenient. Note: The transit system in Frankfurt works on the honor system; there’s a substantial fine if you can’t produce a ticket or pass, so keep your badge with you after hours as well.
MORNING CAB TRICK: If you’re taking a cab into Messe in the morning and coming from the direction of city center or the train station, tell the cabbie to take you to the Marriott Hotel rather than Messe (just walk across the street and you’re there). This way, you save time and $$$, by not having to endure the extra 1/2-mile–and frequently backed up–Hamburger Alee (yeah, that’s really the name of the road!) next to Messe, where the cabs have to double back to make a legal U-Turn to get to the front of the Maritim Hotel next to the Halle 5.1 entrance.
SHUTTLECRAFT: Need to get from Halle 5 to Hall 9 in a hurry? Forget those people movers and escalators in the hallways! Walk downstairs, and go outside to the shuttle bus stops, where free shutttles come by every 2 minutes and stop at each hall. They run all day in a loop connecting all the halls. Also, many of the halls are stacked above one another, so your next appointment may just be an escalator ride away.
THE FIND-A-CAB TRICK: There’s a cab stand near Messe in front of the Maritim Hotel, but after 5:30 pm, all the cabs disappear and depending on the lines, the cab wait is sometimes up to 40 minutes (longer when it’s raining). Same problem at the Marriott Hotel across the street. But you’re not stuck: Just use that free transit pass and jump on any streetcar heading toward the Hauptbahnhof (train station) about 2-3 stops away. Get off there, and go to the train station where there are always dozens of cabs out front waiting for customers. Alternatively, you can also ride the subway (or walk) from Messe to the Hauptbahnhof and get a cab there.
GOOD EATS: Unlike most convention centers, Messe has tons of restaurants, some very good–steakhouse, sushi, etc. here’s the link… http://www.accentegastronomie.de/en/restaurants_bistros_shops/e6-1.htm I like the one called Rotisserie… it’s at the far end of hall 6.1 with its entrance squeezed next to the staircases, making it hard to find… Not a hot dog place! Has linen tablecloths, table service, lunches about $12-$15… It’s fairly quiet and a great place for business lunches.
AVOID SATURDAY: If you’re attending for business, try to get everything done before Saturday, when the show’s open to the general public. Not only will the joint be packed, but the key players in many companies duck out on the last day.
SOUVENIR SHOPPING: The Floh Markt (Flea Market) is 8am-2pm Saturday mornings along the bank of the Main river in the Sachsenhausen district (about a 10 minute cab ride from Messe). It’s FREE and an awesome place to pick up odd trinkets, and last-minute gifts for the kids or folks back home. I’ve been taking people there for years and they’re constantly amazed by the odd stuff we find, ranging from treasures to genuine Eurotrash. But whether you buy or not, the Floh Markt provides a highly entertaining excursion that you won’t soon forget. Just keep your wallet in your front pocket! Speaking of Sachsenhausen, it’s the restaurant district in Frankfurt, with hundreds of eateries within a 10-12 block area—a great reason to return some evening.
STAYING UPRIGHT: If you’ve never attended a European show, you should know that there’s a bar (and occasional complete lounge) built into nearly every booth. German beer is very good and Messe-style is a very civilized way of doing business. But as you wander from booth to booth, you might consider alternating soda, juice or water with those beers, so you’re still coherent by mid-afternoon! Anyway, travel safe and have a nice MusikMesse.
DO A FRIEND A FAVOR! Know someone attending Musikmesse? E-mail them the link (http://blog.mixonline.com/audiobites) to this blog. Thanks!
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Check ‘em out at www.jenpet.com.
The Winter NAMM show is one big five-ring (hall) circus. Every year the NAMM people say it’s the biggest show ever, this year touting some 85,000 registrants packed into the convention center. Now, note that they use the word registrants rather than attendees, so the REAL figure is somewhat less than that, but when the lines at the hot dog stands are still packed at four in the afternoon, you can safely figure the joint is packed.
At NAMM, the traditional salutation is not “Hey, howya doin’?” but rather “So what have you seen that’s cool?” In years past, this was an easy one to answer, but this year there was no single overriding product that was on everyone’s must-see list. So we move from Tier One to Tier Two, which leaves us with a lot of slick ancillaries and stocking stuffers for next year’s gift list. And in this melange, there are amazing little things that might slip by on casual glance. Here, are some of my faves in that oft-neglected category:
++ALLEN & HEATH’s WZ3 Monitor mixer is admittedly a little large for a stocking stuffer. With onboard passive mic splitting, 4-band EQ and 12 mix outs assignable as mono or stereo pairs, this 16 mic/line input monitor mixer is an ideal centerpiece for an affordable in-ear monitoring solution for clubs or traveling bands. www.allen-heath.com
++DIGITECH killed me with its new harmony processors. I’m normally underwhelmed by such things, but the Vocalist Live 2 and Vocalist Live 4 vocal effects processors (designed for the singing guitarist) blew me away, both in terms of intelligent, lifelike harmonies, and in their ease of use. Rather than make users define what key they’re in, you simply strum a chord on the guitar connected thru the unit, and the device follows the guitar to match harmonies with the vocal input. Both units include a clean mic preamp with vocal reverb/comp/EQ as well as an onboard chromatic tuner. The $429 list VL2 does two-part (plus your voice) harmonies; the $579 VL4 does four parts and throws in pitch correction as well. These pedalboards include a large bypass button for kicking in/out the processing during the chorus/verse/etc. www.digitech.com
++MXL may have finally got the USB mic thing down. For years now, we’ve been bombarded with the “revolution” in USB mics–something I’m not wowed about, because once you put a digital output (AES/SPDIF/USB/FireWire/etc.) on a mic, you’ve immediately created a product with a limited shelf life. Beyer did this back in 1996, with the “First Digital Mic”–a MCD100 that combined a condenser mic with a 16-bit digital converter in the handle. That was great until people started using 20- and 24-bit stuff and then the mic was obsolete. At NAMM, MXL showed a cigar-sized $99 accessory with an XLR on one end USB on the other: it’s connect and go. The idea of having an outboard USB adapter that works with any mic is cool, so your “USB mic” could be anything from your collection: a shotgun one day, a figure-8 ribbon the next… And best of all, MXL figured a way to supply phantom power from the USB bus—no simple feat. www.mxlmics.com
++NEUTRIK, everybody’s fave connector supplier came out with crimp termination versions of its popular “XX” and “DLX” series XLRs. These don’t even require stripped leads and automatically cut through the insulation to make a secure contact in the crimping process—a great time saver for cable fabricators, but having a couple available in your toolbox may surely save your neck sometime, somewhere, someday in the field. www.neutrikusa.com
++SABINE floored me with another innocuous-looking-yet-amazing accessory: the Phantom Mic Rider. Barely larger than an XLR connector, it packs an FBX Feedback Exterminator, automatic gain adjust, control of proximity effect and plosives and infrared mic gating—in a phantom-powered $119 inline accessory. Onboard DSP does the trick to create the world’s smallest automatic mic mixer that’s perfect for unattended mics in contracting applications or simply as automated mic gate for live sound that can shut off an unused vocal mic when no one’s nearby. www.sabine.com
When not working on Mix stuff, George Petersen records and performs with the SF Bay Area-based rock band ARIEL. Check ‘em out at www.jenpet.com.
