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.
EV Caught in an Abbalanche with Australia‘s #1 Tribute Show!Swedish pop superstars ABBA were huge in Australia during the 70‘s and 80‘s, with record sales massively out of proportion to the population ABBA¦ And that national love affair with ABBA continues unabated to this day, with tribute bands active in all Australia‘s major cities.
However, none come as close to reproducing the ABBA sound as Australia‘s number one tribute show “Abbalanche”, who have had great success touring the country with such classic disco-era acts as KC and the Sunshine Band and Boney M. Abbalanche works overtime to provide an authentic ABBA experience, complete with extensive stage dressing, costumes, and fake Swedish accents. The highlight of the show, of course, is the crowning of a Dancing Queen from the audience…
A recent run through a number of top Sydney venues saw the band hook up with Sydney club engineer Phill Webb, who added some real “bling” to their show with his new Electro-Voice REV wireless system, complete with custom chrome-finished handheld transmitters (with N/D967 capsules). “ABBA sang into silver microphones back in the seventies,” Webb says, “so, aside from the REV‘s stellar sound quality, it made the show look even more authentic to have the girls singing into silver wireless transmitters!”
The REV wireless systems were complemented by an EV RE-1 system with N/D967 handheld, as well as wired N/D967‘s on keyboard and bass vocals. A Raven handled the guitar amp with finesse; a full set of EV microphones ensured the drum kit sounded superb–N/D868 (kick); N/D168 & N/D468s (snare/toms); RE200 & Cardinals (cymbals/overheads).
“I love working with these guys; they sound great, look great, and always draw a big crowd,” adds Webb, “and adding EV equipment to the mix makes the whole presentation even better.”
LD Systems Takes Sound Reinforcement to a New Level at Houston Livestock Show and RodeoLD Systems delivers massive sound reinforcement with precision, performance, and control at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, held annually at Reliant Park, Houston.
Running for three weeks in February and March every year, and celebrating its 76th year in 2008, Rodeo Houston is both the world’s largest livestock exhibition and the world’s largest rodeo event. And, every night after the rodeo competition winds down, the Rodeo rolls out big name entertainment to match.
Everyone from Elvis to Beyonce has performed under the Rodeo Houston banner. With nightly attendances at Reliant Stadium often reaching 73,000–this year both Hannah Montana and Brad Paisley hit the mark–the Rodeo continues to be among the highest attended live concert series in the world.
An essential element of Rodeo Houston‘s huge success is its consistently excellent sound quality. For 15 years, Houston-based LD Systems has designed and deployed sound reinforcement and lighting on a suitably massive scale for the Rodeo, upping the ante every year. Long time Electro-Voice users, the LD Systems team oversee what is probably the largest temporary installation of EV equipment in the world for the three week run.
For the past five years, LD has used a main stadium rig based around 108 EV X-Line boxes powered by an equal number of EV P3000RL remote control DSP amplifiers running IRIS-Net control and supervision software. 54 P3000RL amps a side sit racked on two catwalks over 200ft above the ground, powering 12 eight and ten-box hangs of X-Line Xvls and Xvlt, with each array alternating left and right channel output for a full coverage stereo image around the room. Where else but Texas would you expect to hear what has got to be the loudest stereo in the world?!
Working closely with the EV tech support team, LD‘s commitment to continuous improvement is clearly demonstrated by this huge deployment. Employing the latest digital control, supervision, and distribution technologies from EV–this year saw LD incorporate 14 NetMax N8000 controllers–the rig gets more streamlined, precisely controlled, and sonically impressive every year, as Robert Ausmus, Director of Production Services, LD Systems explains:
“For the last five years, LD Systems has been working very closely with Electro-Voice, trying to raise the bar not only in terms of our capabilities, but also with regard to developing a strategic R&D relationship that raises the bar for audio in general. This relationship has proven extremely positive; working with everyone at EV is like working with our Texas counterparts from the north: no nonsense, hands-on, and thinking big. The EV team loves audio like we love audio; we‘re committed to providing the absolute best that there can be, and as a result, we can up the ante every year here at the Rodeo.”
“This is a very large X-Line system” Ausmus adds, “with a total of 108 cabinets powered by 108 RL amplifiers distributed over a 12-array zone coverage configuration. This system has rewarded us with the absolute best results yet in our 15 years handling sound for the Rodeo. We started out in the Astrodome in the early ‘90s, and moved to Reliant Stadium five years ago, where the acoustical challenges are even more complex. It‘s mind-boggling how much more presence and performance we get out of the EV system than from our former products.”
“This year we integrated the NetMax N8000 processors, which have reduced our cabling significantly while providing far better speaker management and control,” Ausmus continues. “We only have one vantage point, in the middle of two arrays, from the mix position. The other ten arrays are off the radar, as it were, so they need continuous monitoring to ensure they‘re providing the same quality audio as the two facing us. The IRIS-Net control and supervision software (supervised by LD‘s Mike “Monk” Shear) affords us that capability via a single screen, along with a very high level of control over the whole show from a technical standpoint.”
“Using the EV equipment with CobraNet and the Ethernet control software backbone has also improved the sonic quality–the impact, as I call it. It‘s on a whole new level this year, as opposed to running standard crossovers. We‘ve really enjoyed the results, and are eager to get back to work with the technical team at EV after this run, to give them good solid feedback to make sure we continue to raise the bar. We know they will work with us with open ears through the course of us integrating NetMax into our other systems.”
Producer Dave Cooley and Engineer Tony Hoffer in Studio D
Pictured in Studio D at Ocean Way (L-R, Standing) are Will Canzoneri, keyboards; Rob Barbato, vocals, bass; Tim Presley, vocals, guitar; Jared Everett, guitar; Dave Cooley, producer. Foreground (L-R) Wesley Seidman, assistant engineer; Tony Hoffer, engineer/mixer. Photo by David Goggin.
Popular indie band Darker My Love, explorers of the 60s-style psychedelic rock frontier, have mixed their sophomore album, “2″, in the Neve 88R equipped Studio D at Ocean Way. Producer Dave Cooley helmed the project with Tony Hoffer at the mixing desk.
Darker My Love’s self-titled debut album was released in 2006, reinforcing the powerful reputation their live show had garnered. Taking a cue from the greats who inspired them, My Bloody Valentine, The Velvet Underground, plus stimulus from their peers: The Dandy Warhols, Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Darker My Love established themselves as a vital component in the psychrock scene.
Darker My Love’s much anticipated follow-up “2″ will be released on August 5, 2008 on Dangerbird Records. For more info about the band, visit: http://www.myspace.com/darkermylove
First to bring adaptive noise reduction hardware to broadcast market
NAB - Las Vegas, Booth N9107 (April 14, 2008) - iZotope, Inc., a leading innovator in audio signal processing technology, today unveils the ANR-B™ Adaptive Realtime Noise Reduction Unit at NAB, bringing the company‘s renowned audio algorithm for adaptive noise reduction to a dedicated hardware unit for use in real-time broadcast applications.
ANR-B uses iZotope‘s advanced noise reduction technology to intelligently identify and suppress environmental broadband noise, hum, phone line artifacts and more, dramatically increasing the quality of audio broadcasts involving radio call-in programs and on-location broadcasting. Unlike other noise reduction solutions, iZotope‘s ANR-B actually detects noise in real-time and adapts to changing noise over time, allowing for automatic operation with little to no input required from the user.
“Broadcasters face realtime noise challenges ranging from cell phone call-ins to noisy air conditioners and bad wiring,” says Mark Ethier, CEO of iZotope, Inc. “ANR-B automates the process of high-quality noise reduction in realtime so noise issues no longer make or break a segment.”
Designed to suit a wide range of broadcast applications, the two-channel ANR-B features broadcast connections including analog and digital I/O, LAN for advanced parameter control, and remote automation capability. Presets are available for common applications while simple controls and clear meters help to quickly customize settings for unique situations. While ANR-B is designed to automatically determine a noise print, a manual learn function enables the unit to reduce noise of a specific trained profile, adding to the unit‘s flexibility.
WGBH Boston, America‘s preeminent public broadcasting producer, has been employing a prototype of the ANR-B in its state of the art facility to produce the renowned radio program “The World,” a co-production of Public Radio International and the BBC.
“At WGBH Radio our reporters and guests are often interviewed in war zones and some of the most remote locations on Earth,” says Ray Fallon, Engineer at WGBH. “These places are only accessible by phone line, ISDN and satellite phone, leading to audio quality that is far below the standard for our award winning news radio programs. iZotope‘s ANR-B reliably and quickly removes ambient and path noise automatically, allowing us to focus on getting the interview completed instead of fiddling with controls to get usable audio.”
Key Features
• Automatically removes noise from audio in real-time
• Two channels can work independently or as a stereo pair
• Includes presets for specific scenarios
• Residual Noise switch lets user quickly preview the noise being removed
• Single knob controls noise suppression on each channel for intuitive, fast operation
• Learn button allows for manual operation by capturing a noise profile
• PC/Mac interface for managing presets and designing advanced programs
• Remote control capability
Specifications
• Power - 110/220 VAC, 50/60 Hz
• LAN - (PC/Mac host connection)
• Analog Audio - Balanced XLR, Conversion: up to 24-bit, 96KHz, Output +4 dBu
ANR-B will be available in Summer of 2008 for $4995 MSRP.
For more information and to pre-order ANR-B, visit www.izotope.com/broadcast.
About iZotope, Inc.
iZotope is a research-driven audio signal processing company based in Boston, Massachusetts. Its hardware products, software products, and audio technology are used by millions of people in over 50 countries, from hobbyist musicians to GRAMMY® Award winners. iZotope focuses on developing innovative audio technology for professional and consumer applications. This core technology is presented to customers in its award-winning product line and through its extensive licensing program.
Elixir® Strings, pioneer of long-life strings, is giving loyal acoustic fans a chance to plug in with electric strings. During its Electric Strings Trial promotion, players will receive one complimentary electric set with the purchase of two acoustic sets. No coupon or mail-in rebate is necessary for taking advantage of this promotion, as the three-set multi-packs are prepackaged and available in participating stores. more
Gepco International, an industry leader in the manufacturing of professional audio and video cables, is setting a new standard for multi-channel video connectors with its introduction of the V-CON Connector System. Designed to withstand the harsh environments posed by outdoor broadcast, mobile production and staging applications, the V-CON system provides the bandwidth and electrical performance for multi-channel HD interconnects in a durable, all-weather design. The connector system will be on display at NAB 2008 (Booth C6918). more
Innovative New Microphone Suspension Products To Be Demonstrated In Las Vegas
Stroud, UK, April 2008: Rycote, worldwide market leaders in the manufacture of microphone windshields and suspension systems, will be exhibiting and demonstrating a variety of new products at this year‘s NAB show, running from April 14th-17th in Las Vegas. The Rycote team will be situated at Stand N8511 throughout the show.
Rycote‘s major launch for NAB 2008 is the complete range of InVision microphone suspensions, which dispense with the elasticated cradles traditionally used to reduce microphone handling noise. Instead, the eight-strong InVision range is based around flexible but virtually unbreakable W-shaped clips, known as Lyres and available in several different sizes, which provide a more efficient isolation from unwanted vibrations than traditional suspensions. Lyres of varying diameters are then combined in the eight different models in the InVision range to provide suspension systems suitable for a wide range of microphones of different diameters and from different manufacturers. Models INV-1 to INV-3 are designed for smaller-bodied microphones in static use, while models INV 4-8 are designed for static and boom-mounted applications, and fit microphones ranging from 8 mm to 30 mm in diameter. A full list of microphones compatible with InVision can be found at www.rycote.com/products/invision.
Live demonstrations of the InVision suspensions on boom poles and desk stands will be taking place throughout NAB on the Rycote stand, featuring InVision models INV-1 and INV-7, one of the most versatile models in the range. INV-7 is designed for shockmounting both fixed and boom pole-mounted microphones, and can be used with a variety of microphones from 19 to 25 mm in diameter, including the Schoeps CMIT-5U, Audio-Technica AT4073a, Sennheiser ME66/K6, Neumann KMR81i, DPA 4017, and Beyer Dynamic MCE86. The INV-1 demonstration system will be set up using two Schoeps CCM41 mics, to enable a comparison to be made between the new InVision mount and a standard desk clamp. Visitors are invited to listen to the improved isolation of the InVision.
The W-shaped Lyre webs at the heart of the InVision suspension system are also being added to an existing Rycote product, the Mono Extended Ball Gag system for the Sennheiser MKH 8000 series and other compact capsule mics. This suspension formerly supported the microphone by means of a four-point elastic suspension ring fitted to a bar, but the new version, which is being previewed at NAB, employs the more efficient Lyre webs from the InVision system for better reduction of handling noise.
To find out more about these new products, go to www.rycote.com, or visit the Rycote team in person at stand N8511 during NAB. A frequency response curve showing the efficacy of the InVision suspensions may be downloaded at homepage.mac.com/girth.tydfil/.Public/InVisionResponse.zip.
New Longer, Lightweight Telescopic Production Pole Launched At NAB
Stroud, UK, April 2008: Lightwave Audio Systems, the manufacturer of microphone booms and support poles for the radio and TV and broadcast industry, is launching a new telescopic production pole at this year‘s NAB show.
The G5-4M is, as its name suggests, a four-metre long version of the existing 2.5-metre G5 pole, with the same patented, easily serviceable triple-cam locking system. Weighing a mere 21.8 ounces (618g) and just one metre long when collapsed, the carbon-fibre G5-4M is the perfect lightweight solution for small newsgathering or location recording teams. It is scheduled to begin shipping in May this year.
For more information about the G5-4M, go to www.lightwavesystems.com, or come to Stand N8511 at NAB.
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