HOPEWELL JUNCTION, NEW YORK - JULY 2008: Metric Halo announced the immediate availability of the 2d Card upgrade for Mobile I/O. Powered by the brand new 2d Card, the 2d Processing architecture expands and enhances the fundamental processing, routing and mixing engine of Metric Halo’s world-renowned Mobile I/O FireWire audio interfaces. Included with every 2d Card is Metric Halo’s exclusive “Character” processing engine. Character selectively adds the euphonic low-order distortions found in classic analog devices to the inputs and mix busses of the Mobile I/O. With fifteen different flavors of Character, users can choose the perfect euphonic characteristic for the sound they are recording or mixing.

“Version 5 of the MIO Console and the 2d Card have taken my ability to route and process audio to new heights. Character in particular has brought new life to the already exemplary Metric Halo preamps by giving them the personalities of my favorite boutique and vintage pres,” says Don Gunn, recording/mixing engineer.

The 2d Card is based upon a new, next-generation DSP that provides a stunning increase in DSP power available for mixing and processing. The new DSP has 5.5 times the available processing power of the original Metric Halo +DSP implementation and includes a SIMD engine that enables an additional two-times increase in power for certain operations - like mixing.

Continuing to deliver on the promise made in 2000 of making a hardware platform that was designed to be future-proof, the 2d Card represents a major increase in the capabilities of the Mobile I/O. By adding more mixing, more DSP, more plug-ins, more routing, rock-solid ADAT and Optical SPDIF, the 2d Card makes the most flexible interfaces on the planet even more flexible and powerful while at the same time making them easier to use.

Philip J. Harvey, FOH engineer for The White Stripes and the Raconteurs puts it well: “I never go on tour without my Metric Halo MIO 2882+DSP. It has been my secret weapon when it comes to recording - using the Record Panel - playback and sound system analysis for the better part of eight years. With the v.5 software and 2d architecture, Metric Halo has set the bar even higher in cutting edge audio technology and breathes new life into existing hardware with a simple upgrade. Bottom line, MIO 2882 Expanded and ULN-2 Expanded are the best sounding and most diverse all-in-one mobile audio solution available.”

The 2d Card also includes a brand-new ADAT implementation for rock-solid, worry-free interfacing with all ADAT capable devices. The new ADAT implementation includes optical SPDIF support - independently switchable on both input and output - and asynchronous SRC for the optical SPDIF input. Since the optical input and output are independently switchable, a wide variety of I/O configurations are supported.

Version 5 of the MIO Driver and MIO Console software, delivered with the 2d Card, provides direct access to the power of Mobile I/O and the 2d Processing Architecture. MIO Console Version 5 features a brand-new customizable mixer as well as unified control of all the mixing and processing resources of all connected Mobile I/O Expanded hardware.

The v.5 mixer also provides inserts for +DSP, greatly simplifying and accelerating the process of adding exceptional +DSP plug-ins to the signal path. The new mixer also expands upon the FireWire return features first implemented in Version 4 of the MIO software, allowing you to easily route any processed audio directly to the computer, providing one-click access to routing printed tracks to the host.

According to Charlie Pilzer, Grammy award-winning mastering engineer and producer, “I have the MIO wired into my rack and I use it every single day. The Metric Halo v.5 software/hardware is like having an analog console in a 1-U box. The combination of hardware and software is unmatched in its routing flexibility. With processing available on every track, I can mix anywhere!” McCaig adds, “Version 5 and the 2d Card turned my Metric Halo interface into a dedicated mastering console with hardware and software inserts! Now, it easily replaces a monitoring console and a dedicated hardware router, with a built in AD/DA. I am able to do everything with v.5 and the 2d Card, all in one location now. My DAW has been relegated to just playback and recording.”

The 2d Card includes a bundle of basic production plug-ins, including MIOStrip (a full-featured channel strip with Gate, Compressor and six-band EQ), HaloVerb, Mid-Side Decoder, Sample Delay and Dither. In addition, all 2d Cards provide Metric Halo’s exclusive Character processing on every input channel and mix bus.

2d Expanded systems can be further enhanced with the +DSP bundle license. Automatically included on all MIO+DSP units, this software license adds literally hundreds of plug-ins and processors to the zero-latency 2d Processing environment, including EQs, compressors, limiters, guitar amps, reverbs, mastering processors, distortion processors, effects units, and more for just $699. The +DSP bundle license also enables Metric Halo’s exclusive graph processing engine that allows users to implement and insert their own “secret weapon” processors that support full internal latency compensation, multing and feedback. McCaig adds, “Version 5 with a 2d Card makes my needs and wants for any other hardware or software DSP solution disappear. Being able to use my own custom-built DSP environments, as an insert or send, anywhere in my signal chain, is beyond ridiculous.”

The 2d Card is available as an upgrade for all existing Mobile I/O units. For 2882 and 2882+DSP units, the upgrade cost is $400 (user-install). For ULN-2 and ULN-2+DSP, the upgrade cost is $550 (including a new back-panel and ADAT I/O ports). Factory install options are available. The +DSP Bundle license can be added at any time to all 2d Expanded units for $699.

Based New York’s Hudson Valley, Metric Halo provides the world with high-resolution metering, analysis, recording and processing solutions with award-winning software and hardware.

http://www.mhlabs.com • email: in-foo@mhlabs.com

1st Twenty In-Depth Interviews With Audio Industry Pioneers Now Available

NEW YORK: AES Executive Director Roger Furness has announced the culmination of the first phase of the Audio Engineering Society Oral History Project. Initiated in 1997 by long-time AES member Irv Joel, the project was envisioned as an opportunity to provide insights into the creative and technical mindsets of the founding fathers of professional audio for future generations.

“Irv Joel’s stature in the industry provided him with unique personal access to each of the brilliant innovators featured in these DVDs,” Furness said. “Working single handedly to coordinate and videotape over 100 one-on-one interviews, he has created an anthology of conversations with the pioneers who shaped our industry”

Early in 2007, Joel enlisted pro audio veteran Harry Hirsch to edit the voluminous material into a series of DVDs. Working with Final Cut Pro, Hirsch, a well-known studio owner, designer, musician and recording engineer, devoted himself to gleaning the most salient and informative material from the original material, and to shaping them into compelling narratives.

Premiered at the AES 60th Anniversary Celebration sponsored by the New York Section

on March 11, excerpts from the AES Oral History Project provided tantalizing anecdotes by legendary Columbia Records engineer Frank Laico (Dylan, Miles Davis, Streisand, Sinatra); Louis Goodfriend, first editor of the AES Journal; Norman Pickering, pioneer in phonograph cartridge design, and Les Paul, the godfather of multi-track recording.

In addition to Goodfriend, Laico, Pickering and Paul, the initial group of DVDs includes:

Michael Dorrough, Academy Award-winning audio innovator and broadcast industry pioneer.

John M. Eargle, Educator, mentor, and JBL Professional executive

Robin C. Caine, Pro-Bel Ltd. executive, writer and innovator in broadcast facility digital, signal distribution and control system

Kees A.S. Immink, Scientist, inventor, and “Father of the CD”

Alex Balster, Former Polygram CD technology developer and accomplished acoustical consultant

Stanley P. Lipshitz, Multi-disciplinary researcher, collaborator on techniques for digital audio mastering and signal processing which are now standard practice, and past-President of the AES

Richard Small, Groundbreaking scientist, educator and leader in electroacoustic applications for loudspeaker analysis and measurement

Henk De Wit, Recording and broadcast engineer and revered independent consumer electronics consultant

Cor L. Doesburg, Inventor, author, and Dutch Broadcasting executive

Tom Magchielse, Audio expert for Dutch Broadcasting Laboratories. Innovator in microphone design and construction to room acoustics.

Subir K. Pramanik, Instrumental in the introduction of aesthetics to Bang & Olufsen products. AES Int’l President 1993 - 1995, President 1997 - 1998, Board of Governors 1999 -2001.

Neville Thiele, Australian Broadcasting Commission member, collaborated with Richard H. Small on the Thiele/Small Parameter, a system recognized as the industry standard for loudspeaker analysis.

Han Tendeloo, AES Secretary, design engineer at Philips, instrumental in the development of the CD and the construction of the facilities needed to produce them.

Hermann A.O. Wilms, Researcher in room acoustics, professor at National Institute of Radio and Cinematography in Brussels and recipient of the AES Distinguished Service Medal Award

Cornelis H. van de Gragt, Producer and recording engineer for Dutch Broadcasting and distinguished educator at Royal Conservatory of Music in The Hague.

Titia Bakker, Philips Phonographic Industries executive, instrumental in the development of the European regions for the AES.

“Collectively, the twenty men and women profiled in this collection of AES Oral History DVD’s have been responsible for some of the most meaningful and lasting innovations in the field,” remarked Bill Wray, co-chair of the AES Historical Committee. “Sadly, a number of these pioneers are no longer with us, but Irv Joel and Harry Hirsch have performed an invaluable service by creating this permanent record of their insights and experience.”

“This AES Oral History Project will be an inspiration to current and future members of the professional audio community, and in particular to the many College, University and dedicated pro audio schools which have proliferated throughout the world,” adds Roger Furness. “The AES has a deep commitment to the support of education, and we are confident that this on-going library of interviews with the lions of our industry will be of lasting value to all their varied curriculums. Our plan is to release the complete set of DVD interviews over the next twelve months as they become available. Additionally,” Furness concludes, “we will continue the work that Irv Joel began back in 1997. There is a long and growing list of candidates for future interviews, and we fully expect this project to remain an AES priority for as long as audio remains relevant.”

The initial twenty AES Oral History Project DVDs are available now at www.aes.org $15.00 each for AES members, $20.00 for non-members.

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Photo: Les Paul, the Godfather of multi-track recording, is featured in the AES

Oral History Project DVD Series.

Now celebrating its 60th anniversary, the Audio Engineering Society was formed in 1948 by a group of concerned audio engineers. With over 14,000 members throughout the U.S., Latin America, Europe, Japan and the Far East, the AES serves as the pivotal force in the exchange and dissemination of technical information for the industry. For additional information visit http://www.aes.org

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 2008: For six hot days in June, hundreds of avant-garde jazz enthusiasts packed the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center in Manhattan for the 13th annual Vision Festival. All of the best and brightest avant-garde jazz musicians and groups performed to the eager throng, and Stefan Heger, audio renaissance man and chief engineer at Cologne’s Supow Studio, was on hand to record it all in full surround sound. He relied on just one microphone for the surround signal, a SoundField MKV, which possesses the unique ability to capture spatial information with a proprietary signal. The spatial characteristics of the surround sound can then be altered during mixdown, in contrast to conventional microphone techniques, which permanently imprint their spatial information at the time of recording.

Having the ability to make changes after the fact was a huge advantage for Heger at Vision Festival. With five acts performing every night - thirty in all - some with just a few members, and some crowding the stage to an uncomfortable degree, it was impossible to find just one mic setup that would properly captures every act. On top of that, the avant-garde musicians had no compunction against switching their locations on stage or adding a member - or forty! - at the last minute, rendering any careful mic placement Heger decided on during rehearsal useless.

In the six previous years that Heger has recorded Vision Festival, he has tried all manner of microphone techniques to properly capture each act. However, the fixed nature of all conventional microphone inevitably would leave some acts sounding too small and some too large and most imperfect in other ways as well. With its specialized preamp, the SoundField MKV system delivers four channels of information about sound arriving at the multi-capsule microphone: its front-back location (X), its side-side location (Y), its vertical location (Z), and its absolute reference pressure (W).

Using SoundField’s Surround Zone software with the four channels of information during mixdown allowed Heger to change every aspect of the imaging. If the musicians were “lopsided” on the stage, Heger could re-center the stereo image. He could change the virtual location of the microphone to emphasize certain instruments. He could change the width of the stereo or surround field to accommodate more or fewer musicians. For this year’s Vision Festival, Heger flew the SoundField MKV above the stage a reasonable distance back. No adjustments at the time of recording were necessary.

“The ability to change the mic position during mixdown has many advantages,” said Heger. “I can bring things closer to the listener without losing fidelity or introducing odd spatial artifacts. And the sound of the microphone, apart from its spatial ability, is clear, deep, open and wonderfully transparent. There’s no coloration. During the performances, Heger usually monitored with a Dangerous D-Box using the preamp’s stereo output and printed the four channels of information to his computer using an Apogee AD16x converter. The fact that the SoundField system required no adjustment during the recording allowed him to focus on the sound and placement of numerous spot mics.

William Parker and a handful of ‘top-of-the-genre’ musicians closed out the festival with a forty-members youth choir crowding the stage! “If I had been using anything other than the SoundField, it would have been a disaster,” said Heger. “I wouldn’t have been able to adjust the mics at the last minute and the pickup would have been totally inappropriate. But with the SoundField, it was no problem.”

The many hours of recordings will have many fates. Apart from an archive of the event, the Vision Festival organizers have often put out compilations of the event on DVD with surround sound, which is likely to happen this year as well. In addition, individual musicians purchase, mix, and publish their tracks. “With SoundField’s four-channel ‘B-format’ signal, musicians and engineers who have never touched the microphone will become acquainted with what it can do,” said Heger. “I give them tracks labeled ‘X’ ‘Y’ ‘Z’ and ‘W’ and it generates interest. Using the software, they’ll come to understand the power of the technique.”

TransAudio Group, founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier U.S. importer/distributor and/or U.S. sales and marketing representative for high-end audio. Success hinges on TransAudio providing dealers and end users with a higher standard of product expertise and support far beyond the norm.

(PHOTO CAPTION) Stefan Heger, chief engineer at Supow Studio, Cologne, Germany, recorded the 13th annual avant-garde Vision Festival held in New York City in full surround sound utilizing the avant-garde SoundField MKV microphone.

PHOTO CREDIT: (c) 2008 Luciano Rossetti

Demonstrating the rising global popularity of JBL VERTEC® line arrays for the world’s most challenging live-performance events, Brazil-based Gabisom Audio Equipment provided a massive VERTEC line array system at Rock in Rio, the world’s largest music festival. The first in two series of shows, Rock in Rio Lisbon featured performances by Lenny Kravitz, Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi, Metallica, Rod Stewart, and Linkin Park. The second series of shows in Madrid featured Bob Dylan, Franz Ferdinand, Chris Cornell, Neil Young, Shakira, The Police, and Amy Winehouse.

In both locations, Gabisom deployed a JBL VERTEC system with four array locations for the main (World Stage) system. A total of 120 VT4889 large-format line array elements and 60 VT4880A Ultra Long Excursion subwoofers were deployed in the main suspend arrays. The main system consisted of four arrays across the front in the normal L/R (front), LL/RR (outfill) configuration.

In a unique twist, however, each array consisted of three separate hangs: dual VERTEC VT4889 full-range hangs, separated by a VT4880A subwoofer hang in the middle. The main left and right arrays had two columns of 18 VT4889 line array elements and one column of 18 VT4880A arrayable subwoofers each. Outer LL and RR columns had two columns of 12 VT4889 elements and one column of 12 VT4880A subwoofers. Each group of the three arrays was driven by three separate signals called Band, Vocal, and Sub. This assisted in creating sound that was portrayed by system operators as effortlessly powerful and clear in a festival where the sheer size of the venues demanded something beyond the standard PA.

Peter Racy, Gabisom Audio Equipment’s Chief Engineer for Rock in Rio, explained, “The main PA was set up in a non-traditional and unusual manner, which we call ‘side-by-side.’ It was non-traditional for line array systems because of its mammoth size, and also unusual because it was intentionally designed to have a greater amount of acoustical output than usual.”

The system’s power and fidelity was confirmed by “Big Mick” Hughes, known for his high-level expectations as longtime FOH mixer for Metallica. “The VERTEC system for Rock In Rio was fantastic…it was dead powerful,” he noted. “It was perhaps the largest line array system setup I’ve ever had the pleasure of mixing this band on. The 15-inch loudspeakers in the JBL line-array rig work particularly well for the band’s guitar-based sound. We achieved spectacular results.”

Gabisom deployed a massive JBL VERTEC line array system for Rock in Rio, the world’s largest music festival. Tony Szabo, System Engineer for the European leg of Bob Dylan’s tour, was another professional onsite who had a positive experience. “With Peter and Valter [Silva] in charge at front-of-house, and JBL’s new V4 DSP presets loaded in the rig, the show certainly sounded good,” he stated. “We really didn’t have to do too much EQ at all. All in all, it was a really big PA that looked good and sounded good. What more can you ask for?”

“Gabisom is a highly-experienced concert sound company with a broad and diverse inventory. Their decision to use their VERTEC line array system for such an event is a statement unto itself about VERTEC’s rider-friendly acceptability,” said David Scheirman, Vice President of Tour Sound, JBL Professional. “Rock in Rio not only marks the convergence of some of the most talented performing artists in the world, but it’s also a gathering of some of the industry’s most accomplished and knowledgeable live sound professionals. JBL is honored to see our speaker system products selected for this demanding, high-profile application.”

To read more or to download images, please click here.

Santa Monica, CA, July 23, 2008 – Elias Arts, the world’s most honored, original music, sound design and audio identity production company, has promoted Christopher (Kimo) Kemp to the position of Associate Creative Director. He had been Senior Composer. The announcement was made today by Ann Haugen, Executive Producer/GM, Elias Arts.

In his new position, Kimo will play an integral role in the creative management of incoming jobs. Concurrently, he will continue his successful songwriting career, writing music on a daily basis for top TV commercials, while also furthering his scope within the area of scoring for feature films. Said Haugen, “Kimo’s talent, hard work and dedication during the past 17 years continue to be a cornerstone of this office. He has contributed significantly to our company’s on-going success for many, many years.”

ABOUT CHRISTOPHER “KIMO” KEMP:

Christopher “Kimo” Kemp began working for Elias Arts in l991, and a few years later, relocated to the West Coast along with Elias Arts founder Jonathan Elias, helping to establish the company’s West Coast office. Since completing his first TV spot project, Levi’s “Street Kids,” directed by David Fincher, Kimo has since composed original music for numerous commercials. These include the infamous eTrade spot, “Monkey,” as well as eBay’s “Toy Boat” and Nike’s “Swing,” to name only a few tracks.

Kimo’s various accolades have included a 2006 AICP Award for the spot “Nike Swing,” and a 2005 AICP honor for his work on eBay’s “Toy Boat” spot. His other credits include the rearrangement of Universal’s logo for “ET’s 25th Anniversary,” and the composition “She Blows Herself Away” for actress Rosanna Arquette’s feature film, “All We Are Saying.”

ABOUT ELIAS ARTS:

For 25 years, Elias Arts has used the emotional power of music and sound to launch, grow and reposition the most recognized brands and companies around the world. The company has worked with well over half of the Fortune 1000 companies, and has helped to turn numerous startups into everyday brand names.

With offices in Santa Monica and New York, global resources, and a renowned roster of gifted composers, producers, and marketers, the mission of Elias Arts is to apply the powers of music and sound in unique and creative ways.

Elias Arts is the recipient of over 700 major industry awards from around the world, including numerous Clios and Cannes Lions. Among the company’s clients are AOL, Mastercard, Sony, Columbia Pictures, Nike, Apple, Coca-Cola, AT&T, Ebay, Honda, Intel, Visa, Yahoo, Universal Studios, Microsoft, McDonalds, ESPN and General Motors, to name just a few. For more information, please visit www.eliasarts.com

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Eleven Winners Receive Omnisphere for Music Created with Loops from Upcoming Epic Synth

Spectrasonics today announced the eleven winners of their “Omnisphere Remix Contest” where registered virtual instrument users created music using special loops that Spectrasonics crafted from the highly anticipated Omnisphere Power Synth. All eleven contest winners will receive a free copy of Omnisphere when it is released on September 15, 2008. Episode 7 of the Omnisphere video series celebrates the winners at omnisphere_teaser/explore

“We had no idea that we were going to receive hundreds of entries from all over the world,” said Eric Persing, Spectrasonics Founder and Creative Director. “We were blown away by the quality of the music, the creativity, and all the different styles of music the people used the contest loops in. Thanks to all the contestants and congratulations to the winners!” more

Showcasing the quality, ease of use and reliability of the Studer Vista 5 SR console, Clair Showco of Lititz, PA, recently provided the audio system for country music star Keith Urban’s U.S.-based tour. The multi-city tour featured Studer Vista 5 SR digital audio consoles in use for both FOH and monitor mixing applications.

Taking both the Australian and U.S. country music scenes by storm, the New Zealand born Urban heavily relies on the sound quality of the Vista 5 SR while on tour. The Studer Vista 5 SR was chosen by his mixing engineers who went through a vigorous evaluation process prior to the selection of the console but chose the Studer after it met all required criteria: Sound quality, flexibility/ease-of-use and reliability.

FOH Engineer Steve Law and Monitor Mixing Engineer Jason Spence evaluated numerous brands of sound consoles before the tour. Spence noted he had never felt as comfortable with a new desk as he did during the week he was trying out the Studer Vista 5 SR.

“When choosing a console, I have three criteria,” said Spence. “It has to sound good to the artist on stage! If it doesn’t, there’s not much point in continuing. Second, I have to be able to get around it quickly. With the ‘inline design’ of the input and output strips, the Vista 5 SR feels very ‘analog.’ I’m able to have control and access to all the parameters at my fingertips. There are not multiple pages to plow through to gain control of any particular feature. Lastly, it needs to be reliable and not crash. It seems that with other brands, I could get one, maybe two of my criteria met; however with the Studer, I got all three!”

Howard Page, Director of Engineering for Clair Showco, was excited about including the Vista 5 SR on the tour for both front of house and monitor mixing duties due to its ease of use. “We had originally fallen in love with the Vista 8 at the AES Convention,” said Page. “We suggested that Studer create a console dedicated to the live touring market. The Vista 5 SR is one of the most stunning consoles we’ve ever heard. Other competing consoles are incredibly large and awkward, whereas the Vista 5 SR has a small footprint and only takes us five minutes to set up. And most significantly, we find that people who get on the Vista 5 SR for the first time respond extremely positively, for both house and monitor applications. That is key for us.”

Additionally, Crown Macro-Tech 3600 amps and a Lexicon M480L Reverb Effects Processor were in use as part of Clair Showco’s custom JBL-loaded loudspeaker system for the Keith Urban tour.

Clair Showco can be reached at www.clairshowco.com.

To read more or to download images please click here.

BUENA PARK, Calif.─Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. invites all tri-state dealers, consultants and end users to attend a NEXO S12 Series Line Array Showcase on Tuesday, August 5 between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm to be held at The Grand Ballroom at the Manhattan Center, 311 West 34th Street, New York City, 7th Floor.

“These boxes are among the best sounding line arrays produced by NEXO,” states Bob Quinones, District Manager. “They are derived from the highly regarded GEO D series but are smaller and more cost effective. This is a great sounding series, at the right price point, and at the right time.”

Very flexible and array-able in vertical as well as horizontal configurations, the NEXO GEO S12 Series is ideal for venue, corporate, churches, schools, clubs, and theatrical installations.

For more information and to confirm your attendance, contact Bob Quinones, District Manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. at 201-398-0505 or e-mail bquinones@yamaha.com.

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