Reprising the broad market success of its XTI Series of portable sound amplifiers for live sound and fixed applications. Crown Audio is introducing the next generation XTI6000 that features advanced power performance, improved system reliability, and a new breakthrough user interface for configuration and control in Crown’s HiQnet™ Band Manager™.

The Crown XTI Series has earned a formidable reputation in the portable sound market place, leveraging Crown’s unparalleled heritage in live sound amplification. The new XTI6000 provides audio professionals with the winning addition of a power amplifier solution to this high value, high performance product line.

“The best just got better with the XTI6000. We’ve listened carefully to the needs and suggestions of end users and retail partners before we built a compelling new amplifier that packs tremendous punch, performs consistently, and is priced to reach the broadest possible market,� stated Andy Flint, Crown marketing manager for portable PA.

The XTI6000 allows for plug and play usability with it’s integrated proprietary DSP with LCD front panel making it easy to set crossovers, delay, limiters, and EQ along with the ability to save and recall up to 20 presets.

Continuing the heritage of previous XTI-Series amplifiers the XTI6000 features an LCD screen with speaker presets for crossover frequencies, EQ, limiting, delay, and a subharmonic synthesizer. Additionally, there is switch-mode universal power supply, useful function indicators, propositional-speed fan-assisted cooling, XLR inputs, Speakon® and binding-post outputs, and short-circuit protection. The XTI6000 weighs in at 24lbs and has a MAP price of $1,999.

Power per channel:
3,000W at 2 Ohms; 2,100W at 4Ohms; 1,200W at 8 Ohms

To read more Crown news please click here.

Guitarist C.J. Pierce of the Dallas-based metal band Drowning Pool is currently on tour to support the band’s current release “Full Circle� on Eleven Seven Music. C.J. has been utilizing the new DigiTech® HardWire™ HT-2 chromatic tuner to keep himself in tune throughout the tour. C.J. has been using DigiTech® effects for many years including the GSP2112 preamp processor and the Whammy4™ for all his tones and pitch shifting effects.

Drowning Pool is a four-piece rock band that was formed in 1996. They rose to fame while playing along with Ozzy Osbourne during an Ozzfest tour in 2001. Their most recent album has a post-grunge sound and is less heavy than their previous work. The first single off the album, “Soldiers,” is dedicated to all the men and women of the United States Army.

Last year Drowning Pool’s rehearsal and storage space was broken into with most of the gear being stolen including Pierce’s GSP2112. After last year’s incident, C.J. has obtained the GSP1101 preamp and is pleased to have reproduced all of his signature tones on the new model. Speaking about the preamp C.J said, “The GSP1101 is amazing! It has replaced all of my old GSP2112’s.�

The DigiTech Hardwire Series HT-2 is a chromatic tuner pedal that is visible, accurate and durable when in use, transparent when not. The cornerstone of every pedalboard is a reliable tuner. The HardWire Chromatic Tuner’s true bypass means that when it is off, it’s out of the circuit.

DigiTech Artist Relations Manager Paul Muniz stated, “C.J. has always had crushing guitar tones. With the kind of abuse the gear takes on the road, it’s great to know that C.J. and the boys can rely night after night on our products to deliver.�

To read more Digitech news please click here.

DigiTech®, a leading manufacturer of guitar, bass, and vocal processors, and a Harman International company (NYSE-HAR), is introducing the TimeBender Musical Delay Pedal. The TimeBender Musical Delay leaps ahead of all delay pedal technology currently available.

The TimeBender not only allows you to input the tempo of your delays, it also allows you to strum a pattern and it will set the repeats based on your desired rhythm. On top of the extraordinary rhythm features, the TimeBender also produces intelligent harmonies on the repeats. If that is not enough, 10 delay types are featured including two tape delays, full-time modulation and a 23 second looper. Until the TimeBender, these types of delay effects were the result of racks of gear and studio tricks. Now you can simply put it on your pedalboard.

To read more DigiTech news please click here.

Demonstrating how creatively-designed sound systems featuring highly-configurable, great sounding components can make a club’s reputation and also enable business models that optimize the venue’s real-estate investment, NYC IT-Club, Santos Party House, features advanced sound systems designed and integrated by TimbreTech Audio Services that support DJ/club and live performance and multiple events and ‘showtimes’ in one evening. Club sound icon, Jim Toth, designed a live system around a Soundcraft Vi6 console at Front Of House that is easily locked off and run remotely via a laptop in the DJ Booth when one of a host of top DJs is performing in the house. Toth credits the Vi6 with the versatility to transform the club from a top-notch live sound venue into a premium club with unprecedented ease — and with the console’s category-leading Vistonics user-interface, Toth explains that visiting engineers typically require just five minutes to become comfortable and proficient with the board.

“The Soundcraft Vi6 is a remarkable console because it systematically addresses the hierarchy of engineer needs: first and foremost, it sounds great; secondly, it’s extremely intuitive and sensibly designed; thirdly, it’s eminently configurable and lastly, it’s bulletproof,� Toth said today. “I feel extremely comfortable putting this console at the core of my system!�

Underscoring this confidence, Toth placed a Soundcraft Vi4 at the monitor position running 6 JBL SRX 712M 12� monitor wedges powered by Crown XTI 6000 Series amplifiers. The live system features JBL VerTec VT4887DP Series line array elements, with JBL VerTec VT4880 subwoofers. Featuring integrated power and DSP, Toth’s use of the VerTec VT4887DP loudspeakers allowed him to set the level and EQ of each cabinet individually — a key advantage in configuring the array for the room requirements and also a welcome advantage among visiting engineers.

The dance system is where Toth — a self-admitted compulsive audiophile — has his most fun and extracts his greatest satisfaction! He returned to his roots as the system designer of Eighties club-land icons like Peppermint Lounge and Mars and built a 24-foot horizontal array of custom designed 5-speakers that spans the length of the room and delivers an amazingly even coverage. Each 5-way featuring 24� and 15� drivers in a line spaced with minimal interference or cone filtering because they’re spaced apart very carefully. Bass is supplied by the same JBL VerTec VT4888 subwoofers.

“The coverage of this system is amazing. It has power, consistency and control that helps set the personality of the club,� says Ron Castellano, owner of the club. “There is nothing raw about it. Instead, it’s very HiFi and sophisticated but there’s massive power there if the DJ needs to accelerate!�

The power that Castellano refers to is delivered by a battery of Crown I-Tech 4000 and 8000 amplifiers with built-in DSP, which Toth believes saved the owners considerably in terms of outboard gear that was not required and the simple cost of housing and maintaining racks of processing equipment.�

“The DSP functionality of the I-tech is amazing not just from a control perspective but also from a cost perspective,� Toth notes. “There is no way we could have gotten this sound or this control without spending a fortune on outboard processors. What’s more, to have this level of programming and control integration helped determine how creative I could be with the system design — and ultimately how good the place sounds! For 30
years, I have only used Crown amplifiers — I have looked at alternatives when new amps come along but I’ve never been given a strong enough reason to switch — now with the DSP technology that Crown is putting in the amps, I have even more reasons to use them!�

Santos Party House has a smaller, second room downstairs for which Toth designed a system comprising custom cabinets and VT4880 subwoofers with two monitor arrays hanging conventionally with eight cabinets on each side of the DJ booth. Toth observes with no small amount of satisfaction how some visiting DJs matrix between the monitor and dance systems, and mix straight from the line arrays.

Toth has built a successful business with remarkable built-in resistance to the booms of troughs of 30 years of the entertainment business and Castellano is quick to offer a reason. “Stubborn is not a word one would use. Uncompromising is a better description of Jim’s commitment to perfection when it comes to audio design,� Castellano says. “He understands that managing the details is critical in every business, but especially the entertainment business and he provides concierge-level attention to detail and considerable style to boot!�

Today, TibreTech Audio Services provides club design services but Toth also runs a very successful audio for special events business and regularly runs projects including fashion shows, balls, store openings and concerts for Victoria Secret, UBS, PRADA, Lauder and MOMA. “It’s not that we’re selective in who we’ll design for,� Toth explains. “It’s simply that if we’re being asked to put our name on an event or club system, we need it to look and sound like one of our systems! The Harman components from Crown, JBL and Soundcraft are key elements to our systems!�

To read more Harman news please click here.

Dale Hanson took time off the road to handle eight different acts at The Bedford in London and mixed the evening away on a Soundcraft Si3-its first public, commercial gig. Along with the other Si3 beta testers covering theatre, touring and house of worship applications in Europe and the USA, Dale has taken the Si3 through its test paces but this gig was the ultimate beta test! In typical pro fashion, Dale was calm and collected. “The show was a bit like live TV with eight acts performing a couple of songs each during the evening without any change over time at all really. Not many digital consoles can cope with that type of challenge but the Si3 worked really well. I found that you can use so many different functions at the same time to be really useful. Having control of EQ, Dynamics, Bus Sends and Effects without having to reassign anything was great.”

The Si3 is Soundcraft’s latest ‘mid range’ addition to its growing digital family. It follows the Studer Vista 5 SR (Tours including: Celine Dion, Rascal Flatts, Billy Joel, Katie Melua, Keith Urban) and both Soundcraft Vi6 and Vi4, which were just announced with upgrades to 96 and 72 inputs to mix at PLASA (Tours: Bob Dylan, The Feeling, Deep Purple, Diana Krall and Rufus Wainright).

“Although we label the console mid-range in terms of price, that certainly doesn’t limit its capabilities. It’s a large format console at a mid-size console price point,” added James Shears, Soundcraft’s Si3 Product Manager. “Amongst many other new features, it has 64 inputs, 24 group busses, Lexicon processing and Distributed Display Technology.â€?

Very analogue in feel, the Si3 follows the company’s digital operational philosophy of ‘where you look is where you control’ established by Studer on the Vista and OnAir ranges and continued on the Soundcraft Vi Series. Soundcraft has eliminated the need for a large, central screen and instead put the information screens right where you went them; next to the controls. Shears adds, “This console is perfect for users growing out of their smaller digital consoles and looking to upgrade at a sensible price and especially suitable for current analogue users who haven’t yet made that switch. That’s why we’ve designed the user interface to be so ‘analogue familiar.’ Basically, just take your analogue console out and drop the Si3 in it’s place – simple!”

“The pre amps sounded really nice and had plenty of headroom,â€? Hanson adds. “I found that I needed minimal EQ on the night, which is always a good sign. The dynamics were easy-to-use and sounded smooth. I particularly liked the Lexicon reverbs, as they sounded great. The fact that the FX returns appear as normal channels is also great as I could easily send one effect into another; for example; very analogue!”

“It was a great feeling to see the Si3 go through its paces in a real life situation,” said Shears. “We’ll be running a series of Si3 gigs to provide engineers the chance to come and play with it after the launch at PLASA.”

To read more Soundcraft news please click here.

The Soundcraft Vi6 was among the elite attendees invited to the final stop of a 24-hour non-stop party hosted by Diesel to celebrate its 30th anniversary around the world. The “Diesel xXx Rock and Roll Circus� took place in 17 major cities across the world; commencing in Tokyo and moving to Beijing, Dubai, Athens, Amsterdam, Milan, Zurich, Munich, Paris, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Oslo, Helsinki, London, Sao Paulo, and finally had its grand finale on Pier 3 in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday, October 11.

ESP New York chose the Vi6 for its outstanding audio quality and its ability to handle The Rock and Roll Circus that hosted numerous music artists performing in front of thousands of VIP guests.

T.I., N.E.R.D., Franz Ferdinand, M.I.A., Hot Chip, and Chaka Khan staged performed on the Brooklyn waterfront in front of a crowd of 5,000 VIP attendees, including celebrities Lindsay Lohan and actress Emma Roberts. Soundcraft’s Vi6 enhanced each of the performers’ music exemplifying what a fantastic sounding board it is.

All the engineers involved with the show used the boards and programmed individual shows for each performer prior to show time. ESP New York’s Monitor Engineer, Steve Swope, educated the engineers on the Vi6’s capabilities. “The amount of inputs/outputs and accessibility makes the Vi6 perfect for this venue,� said Swope. “The user-friendly interface allowed the sound engineers to operate the console without any difficulties despite having very little experience on the Vi6.�

With the flexibility of the Vi6, engineers had the ability to digitally patch all content ahead of time to any specific location. This preparation allowed them to switch and adjust any problems that may have arisen without any interruption or loss of sound quality. ESP New York’s Glenn Davis and Bill Danilczyk met at Front Of House, and commenting on the potential of the system, Davis states, “I can route signals through this console more than any other digital console. The functionality in terms of outputs, routing, and flexibility is far superior and the sonic quality is outstanding. All of the design work, planning and layout were perfect every time.�

The Rock and Roll Circus went exactly as planned and the mash ups between T.I. /Franz Ferdinand and M.I.A./ N.E.R.D. were successful with the operation of 195 mic inputs. “The ability to pre-label the show ahead of time allowed the show to run seamlessly without any difficulties,� said Davis.

Tony Berger of Relevent produced the show that featured not only popular music acts but also an array of spectacular entertainment. Cabaret performers, fire-eaters, trapeze artists, sword swallowing acts, and female roller derby squads dazzled guests.

For more information on ESP New York, please visit www.espnewyork.com.

To read more Soundcraft news please click here.

Showcasing its versatility in virtually every application, ranging from live sound and recording to houses of worship applications, the Soundcraft MFX12â„¢ multi-purpose mixer offers the finest quality effects in its price range. Paul Chambers, composer of over 300 records, demonstrates the professional quality of the MFX12 mixer as he records and remixes for countless artists and most recently completed a 10-part series for Channel Five television.

“The sound of the MFX12 is very warm and the EQ is very recognizable, as it is on all Soundcraft products,� states Chambers. “The construction of the MFX is incredibly durable and the amount of inputs and outputs provide users with countless routing options. Even if I do most of the composing within the actual computer, I still run each individual channel back through the desk to create a warm, analog feel. I also always use hardware compression knowing that there are still the benefits of hands on faders present.�

The MFX12 mixer combines all the features of the popular Soundcraft MPM™ mixer with a built-in 24-bit, digital, Lexicon® effects processor, expanding the Soundcraft low-cost, multi-purpose compact range. The effects section fits neatly into the mixers compact framework, which is available in eight, 12 or 20 mono input variants, both with two stereo channels and effects send on each channel. There are 32 different effects to choose from with a tap tempo function, three effects parameter controls and a user effects setting store facility. An effects channel level clip LED and Mute function gives the user even more flexibility.

The MFX12 is an extension to Chambers’ long time association with Soundcraft products, which began with the Spirit 24/8/2, the Ghost, and now the MFX12. “I began my relationship with Soundcraft over 15 years ago and I have always favored Souncraft products ever since my first interaction with the 24/8/2. The sound is very full and well rounded, and the logical next step was to move up to the Ghost, as the EQ was great for carving out sounds and frequencies. Now as times have changed, a small multimedia mixer like the MFX12 is ideal, as it can be used for routing or mixing through a wide range of applications.�

To read more Soundcraft news please click here.

Today at NAMM, Eventide announced the launch of a factory mail-in rebate program for its best-selling line of stompboxes including TimeFactor, ModFactor and the recently announced PitchFactor Harmonizer® stompbox. Effective immediately and lasting through April 23, 2009, customers are eligible for a $25 rebate on the purchase of any single Eventide stompbox, a $60 rebate with the purchase of any two Eventide stompboxes and a $95 rebate with the purchase of PitchFactor in combination with two other Eventide stompboxes.

Visit eventide.com for the rebate form and rules.

To read more Eventide news please click here.

“I have the ability to control the rates of the left and right channels separately, which gives the TimeFactor a huge advantage over other pedals.� -Kearney

Emerging band Alberta Cross is currently touring the U.K. with Oasis and lead guitarist, Sam Kearney, has selected Eventide’s TimeFactor for its wide range of effects and delay capabilities. In addition to the current tour, Kearney also applied the TimeFactor to the band’s debut full-length album for release in April 2009, on Ark Recordings. The band’s previously released hits are critically acclaimed and include “Low Man� that was featured as the closing song to an episode of Showtime’s ‘Californication’.

“I came across the TimeFactor a year ago and it has filled a void in my playing,� Kearney states. “I have seen a big improvement and the stereo-delays are very helpful. I have the ability to control the rates of the left and right channels separately, which gives the TimeFactor a huge advantage over other pedals. The straight forward interface plus the wide variety of sounds puts this pedal head and shoulders above the others.�

TimeFactor features 10 stereo or mono delay effects and gives musicians, as well as engineers, the power to adapt to any music style. The provided effects include: digital delay, vintage delay, tape echo, mod delay, ducked delay, band delay, filter pong, multi-tap, reverse, and looper. TimeFactor offers real-time control with the expression pedal and instant Preset access. The plug-and-play expression pedal control works with wet/dry mixes or any combination of parameters.

“I love the capabilities of the TimeFactor and the pedal offers users more options than a traditional delay pedal,� explained Kearney. “This product is perfect for live performances as the guitarist can balance the sound and lock in with the drummer. The capabilities of the TimeFactor help the band to be in sync at all times, which is a tremendous advantage.�

To read more Eventide news please click here.

“TimeFactor makes you want to be creative, even at the moment when you have run out of ideas.� – Bootsy Collins

Conveying nothing short of a bona fide rhythmic and groovy bassist sound, Bootsy Collins is recognized as one of the most distinguished bassists in the development of funk music. Today he continues his more than thirty years of success in the music industry by using Eventide’s TimeFactor effects pedal. Known primarily for his role in Parliament/Funkadelic and as the lead singer/bassist of Bootsy’s Rubber Band in the late 70’s, Collins has recently turned to producing movie, video game, and animation scores.

“The versatility of the TimeFactor helps me twist and funk up my time delays,� stated Collins. “Given the opportunity to do that has really kept me in a 70’s music-style state of mind.�

Bootsy’s Rubber Band collaborated around a musical sensibility that was at the forefront of a new genre of music in the late 70’s. Collins often drove the group’s songs with his eclectic sound and has recently transferred that sound into today’s music realm with the use of the TimeFactor pedal.

The Eventide TimeFactor crams nearly 40 years of Eventide studio quality effects technology into the trimmed down form of a stompbox. Eventide has taken its 10 best delay effects and integrated them into a compact stompbox that produces guitar effects equally well in the studio and holds up as a robust road tool that fits into a pedal board. TimeFactor includes 9 stereo or dual mono delay effects, including Digital Delay, vintage DDL, Tape Echo, Modulated Delay and Ducked Delay, as well as Band Delay, Filter Pong, MultiTap Delay, Reverse Delay, plus a 16 second vari-speed Looper.

TimeFactor offers real time control of all the parameters via 10 knobs, expression pedal, or a MIDI footcontroller. TimeFactor has 40 presets and features tap tempo, MIDI clock sync, line and instrument inputs and outputs, USB for software upgrades, and true analog bypass. It is housed in a rugged cast metal construction featuring reliable metal footswitches for direct preset access.

“Eventide does not produce anything but quality products,� said Collins. “The moment I was informed that this came out in a stompbox, I had no doubt that I needed to own one for my own musical endeavors.�

Currently, working with the TimeFactor, Collins is developing sounds that distinguish him from others in the business of production.

“This product challenges you to go beyond where the normal musician would go,� said Collins. “The TimeFactor makes you want to be creative, even at the moment when you have run out of ideas.�

To read more Eventide news please click here.