Pro16 Personal Mixing Systems Include All Necessary Components, Offer the Expandability of Any Aviom System for Users

ANAHEIM, CA, JANUARY 19, 2012—Aviom has been the industry leader in providing personal monitor mixing systems since 2001 when it created the category and introduced its A-Net® protocol for digital audio distribution. Today, the company is pleased to announce a series of Pro16® Personal Mixing Systems, debuting at the 2012 NAMM Show, Booth 6720, Hall A. more

Los Angeles – January 16, 2012 — The House Research Institute (HRI) [NAMM booth 1292, Hall E] announced that as part of its Sound Partners® program it is continuing its annual tradition of providing free hearing screenings to all attendees of the 2012 NAMM Winter Show on January 19 – 22 at the Anaheim Convention Center. By visiting the HRI booth, NAMM attendees can receive valuable information on noise induced hearing loss as well as Hi-Fi earplugs, which will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.

During last year’s NAMM convention, the House Research Institute provided its free hearing screening services to more than 800 attendees. To accommodate screenings for those working on the show floor, the HRI booth will open early at 9:30 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

“Before making any other stops, NAMM attendees should come down to Hall E and make an appointment to have their hearing evaluated,” commented Marilee Potthoff, director of Community Education & Outreach at HRI. “Noise induced hearing loss is a major health problem in the sound industry, and can be completely avoided. We encourage those attending NAMM to do the right thing for their own hearing health by signing up for a screening.”

Anyone attending or exhibiting at NAMM is welcome to stop by the booth and inquire about a free hearing screening — appointments will be arranged on a first come, first served basis. In addition to providing free hearing screenings throughout the duration of the exhibition, HRI will also have plenty of informational handouts and literature on hearing protection and noise induced hearing loss.

Following are details on the hearing screenings:

Date/Time:
January 19, 20, 21 and 22, 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (Sunday, until 5:00)
Location:
NAMM Convention, back of Hall E, Booth 1292

Licensed audiologists from the House Ear Institute and House Clinic will briefly counsel participants on their hearing screening results. All results are retained in a confidential patient database at HRI; people who have had screenings in prior years will easily be able to compare results to track any changes over time. For more information, visit http://www.houseresearch.org/.

Caribbean Resort Studio Houses Vintage Neve Console

Country music legend Kenny Chesney is recording and mixing new material at Ocean Way St. Barths, the recording studio at the famed Eden Rock resort in the heart of the Caribbean. Chesney is working with producer and songwriter Buddy Cannon (Riba McEntire, George Jones, George Strait) on his first album since 2010′s hit “Hemingway’s Whiskey.”

Chesney’s road manager, Malchijah Bailey, remarked, “The time we spent mixing at the studio was great. Anytime you can work all day, walk out of the studio and be greeted by an amazing beach, makes you feel like it’s not work. The vibe was awesome, and kept us all in good musical spirits.”

Chesney has recorded 15 albums, 14 of which have been certified gold or higher by the RIAA. He has also produced more than 30 Top Ten singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 20 of which climbed to the top of the charts.

During his sessions at Ocean Way St. Barths, Chesney presented a framed Platinum record commemorating sales of more than 1 million copies of his album “Hemingway’s Whiskey. ” A signed message reads, “Thanks so much to everyone that was a part of ‘Hemingway’s Whiskey! Your talent, heart, passion, and true love for music made this album very special.”

The Ocean Way St. Barths studio is located at The Eden Rock, an exotic resort destination since the 1960s for such celebrities as Greta Garbo, the Rockefellers and the Rothschilds. A new 16,000 sq.ft. beachfront villa includes four bedroom suites, a 20-seat home cinema that doubles as a professional audio recording space, and a new control room installed by Ocean Way. Housing a wealth of vintage gear alongside state-of-the-art digital equipment, at the center is a vintage Neve console that was used by John Lennon to record “Imagine,” among countless other historic hits.

Hollywood’s famed Ocean Way houses some of the best sounding large live rooms ever built. Constructed in 1958, the studios have been the site of an astonishing number of classic and current hit records which have sold in excess of a billion copies worldwide.

For information about Ocean Way & St. Barths, visit:
http://www.oceanwayrecording.com

Contact Robin Goodchild for all booking requests.
Email: rob@oceanwayrecording.com or call 323-467-9375.

Mr. Bonzai Hosts Bernie Grundman, Gavin Lurssen, Stephen Marsh & Doug Sax

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) has announced that the H.O.T. Zone will present “Mastering Engineers on Optimizing for Multiple Release Formats.” Hosted by Mr. Bonzai, the panelists are Bernie Grundman, Gavin Lurssen, Stephen Marsh & Doug Sax. The event takes place at 12:30pm on January 20 in Room 203 of the Anaheim Convention Center.

Mastering is described by panelist Bernie Grundman as “basically post-production for the recording industry — the final creative step before delivery to the public as physical vinyl, CD, or any of the various digital formats.”

The name Bernie Grundman is synonymous with Mastering. His world renowned facilities, responsible for a consistently large percentage of chart recordings, were launched in 1984, following Grundman’s 15-year tenure with A&M Studios. In 1997, Grundman opened his Tokyo mastering studios and in 1998 relocated to expanded facilities in Hollywood.

Gavin Lurssen established himself in 1991 as a prominent mastering engineer in the industry, and has earned three Grammy Awards and a Latin Grammy Award. Lurssen’s work has been recognized with two TEC awards in 2008 for Mastering and for Outstanding Facility as well as with a Berklee College of Music Distinguished Alumni Award.

A native New Yorker, Stephen Marsh came west at 19 to take a job at Sony’s West Coast Mastering operation, working under David Mitson. Having now spent half his life behind the mastering console, he has been fortunate enough to count Grammy(r) nominees and winners, multiple Gold and Platinum albums and numerous chart successes among the releases to his credit.

Doug Sax opened the doors to The Mastering Lab Hollywood in 1967, founding one of the first independent facilities in the world, as well as the most recognizable name in mastering. Now located in Ojai, California, The Mastering Lab remains a revolutionary, state-of-the-art company, utilizing unique signal flow concepts and unequaled electronics pioneered by Doug’s brother, Sherwood Sax.

“Providing relevant and high-value education programs to the thousands of pro-audio and live sound members of NAMM is one of our key objectives,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “The role of technology continues to expand and we believe that this unique educational opportunity at the 2012 NAMM Show makes attendance a must for anyone working in this important segment.”

The H.O.T. Zone is a feature of the 2012 NAMM Show, which will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center, Jan. 19-22, 2012. For more information, please visit http://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2012

DALLAS, TEXAS – Dallas-based advertising agency, The Richards Group, provides some of the nation’s leading companies with creative and innovative ways to build their brands. The firm recently added a 5.1 surround mixing studio, designed by Russ Berger Design Group (RBDG), to augment the post production services offered by their Richards Outpost division.

For more than three decades, The Richards Group has been a leader in corporate branding, handling advertising, interactive, relationship marketing, retail, brand, and business-to-business campaigns. The agency has achieved great success by keeping its approach fresh, from staff to campaigns to the facilities being used to produce the final deliverable for the client. Their “Click Here” division is setting new standards in creative marketing.

The Richards Group’s original in-house audio room was created in 1999 by renovating an existing conference room. The company needed a second space to accommodate its workload, with the ability to mix surround audio. “The old studio is a great space and it is still used mainly for ISDN patches and radio mixes, but with more clients looking for HD projects, we needed something to go beyond that into surround,” explains Mark Murray, audio engineer at The Richards Group. “We made the decision that if we were going to do this, then we were going to do it right and build a studio from the ground up.”

Most of the firm’s existing post production facilities are located on the 11th and 12th floors, which presented issues with cabling infrastructure and ceiling height. “High rise buildings always present a unique and challenging framework for audio production facilities,” says Russ Berger, president of RBDG, “mainly because of surrounding noise sources from other tenants and building systems. We combined creative thinking with practical experience and theoretical know-how to address these issues, and created a space that references well and accommodates more client audio work in-house.” Ultimately, to take advantage of high ceilings that provided adequate acoustic volume, the studio was located on the building’s first floor.

Murray notes that for Richards Outpost’s new studio, “We wanted a great room for surround mixes and mixed pictures that had client appeal.” RBDG responded by incorporating a projection screen in the control room’s design to help create a better viewing experience for clients. Adjacent to the control room is an isolation booth that makes projects with multiple actors easier to mic and more comfortable for the talent. Equipment highlights include a 5.1 Genelec DSP monitoring system and an Avid ICON-D Command ES console controlling Pro Tools.

Richards Outpost has already completed projects for electricity producer Southern Company, Home Depot and cable company Charter Communications. The studio also has helped cut down on travel time and project turnaround. “The big draw of doing production work in-house is to minimize travel time for our creative staff,” Murray notes. “Part of our agency philosophy is to cross-pollinate our team, so we rotate people on client assignments. They need to be available if something comes up for another account. When it gets down to the mechanical part of the mix, the creatives are able to just walk from the studio to their desk. It’s very efficient.”

Richards Outpost is creating a quality product for the firm’s clients. “It’s one of the most accurate mix spaces that I’ve ever been in,” comments Murray. “This space is really on the mark. Not just acoustically but the whole vibe of the space, it’s comfortable and very inviting. It’s a nice tribute to the work RBDG does because everything translates well in different positions in the room. I was really impressed with the entire crew. They are very caring people and were very interactive in the completion of this facility. I really appreciated that.”

About Russ Berger Design Group (www.rbdg.com)
Russ Berger Design Group (RBDG) is a design and consulting firm that combines expertise in acoustics, architecture and interiors to create technical environments and buildings for recording and broadcast studios; facilities for entertainment and media content, audio, film and post production; technical learning environments for higher education; residential theaters, and corporate production spaces.

Collaboration With Diverse Artists for “Love On a Real Train”

Talented percussionist and composer Joachim Cooder has completed his first solo album with mastering engineer Bernie Grundman. Entitled “Love on a Real Train,” the collaborative project includes work recorded in Los Angeles and in numerous other locales via the Internet.

“‘Love on a Real Train’ is the name of the album and the project,” explains Cooder. “I am not going by my name. Basically, I made instrumental tracks and then sent them out to artists I am friends with. They write and then sing or perform over the tracks and then send them back to me if they live in another city, or I book studio time and have them record here in LA. We’ve been working at a very leisurely pace, no hurry, and it ended up complete with this amazing cast of characters.”

Included on “Love on a Real Train are Inara George (Bird and the Bee), composer/trumpeter Jon Hassell, singer/songwriter Robert Francis, Cooder’s wife singer/songwriter Juliette Commagere, singer/songwriter and former skateboard pro Matt Costa, DJ Frank Lyon of the band Keepaway, and gifted violinist/vocalist Petra Haden.

“The record is ambient, but there are also some catchy tunes,” remarks Cooder. “It’s been amazing here during mastering when Bernie puts it up on his speakers and starts dialing it in. You start to hear it in a way you haven’t heard it before. To hear it grand like this is pretty special.”

Joachim Cooder was born in 1978 in Santa Monica, California. Inspired by drummer Jim Keltner, he began playing the drums at the age of five, and later studied world percussion at the California Institute of the Arts. Since then he has participated in live performances and film scores (often with his father Ry), and numerous recordings, notably Buena Vista Social Club in 1996 and BVSC presents Ibrahim Ferrer in 1998.

Cooder has also participated in the albums “John Lee Hooker, The Best of Friends” (1998), “Dead Man Walking — Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture (1995), “Mavis Staples – We’ll Never Turn Back” (2007), and “Buena Vista Social Club At Carnegie Hall” (2008).
To view a short video interview with Joachim Cooder at Bernie Grundman Mastering, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT-r3zluSdE

“Love on a Real Train” will be released on Aeronaut Records, April 3, 2012.
For more information about Bernie Grundman Mastering, visit: http://www.bgmastering.com

Anaheim, CA––The new CAD MH110 Studio Headphones are equipped with high output 50mm neodymium drivers that produce an extended frequency response of 18Hz to 18kHz along with exceptional detail and clarity in the widest range of recording applications.

Featuring a circumaural, precision-built monitor design, the MH110s are lightweight and include an easy-fold, comfort-fit headband that allows easy, convenient storage and hours of fatigue-free listening.

CAD Audio is also offering dealers a special HP110 Recording Bundle that includes four MH110 headphones and one HA4 Stereo 4-Channel Headphone Amplifier.

For more information about CAD Audio, please stop by NAMM Booth #6632
(Hall A) in the Anaheim Convention Center, call 800.762.9266 or visit www.cadaudio.com.

Anaheim, CA––CAD Audio has expanded its recording product offering with the compact new HA4 Stereo 4-Channel Headphone Amplifier.

The HA4 features four discrete channels with individual volume controls. A frequency response of 20Hz to 50kHz and signal-to-noise ratio of 110dBA ensures exceptional clarity and transparent reproduction of a recording or monitoring session along with ultra-quiet performance.

CAD Audio is also offering dealers a special HP110 Recording Bundle that includes four MH110 headphones and one HA4 Stereo 4-Channel Headphone Amplifier.

For more information about CAD Audio, please stop by NAMM Booth #6632
(Hall A) in the Anaheim Convention Center, call 800.762.9266 or visit www.cadaudio.com

Anaheim, CA––CAD Audio is introducing a new and updated version of its classic E300S Multi-Pattern Large Diaphragm Condenser Mic as part of the Equitek S Series at Winter NAMM 2012.

Producing transparent sounding upper and midrange frequencies coupled with a smooth low end and exceptional presence, the E300S remains a standout as a vocal microphone in studio and live sound reinforcement applications.

The E300S features a 1.1” 24K gold sputtered externally biased triple pattern (Cardioid, Omni, Figure-of-Eight) dual diaphragm condenser capsule hand dampened for consistent frequency response. It also includes a regulated bypass voltage generator for precise output sensitivity, sophisticated laser-trimmed op-amp circuitry for more efficient management of fast transients, and an open architecture design, all of which make the E300S a classic studio vocal microphone.

Practical user features for the E300S include an on/off switch with a unique auto power shut-off feature, hi-pass filter 6dB pad/octave @135Hz and a 20dB pad. Rechargeable 9V hydride batteries provide additional current reserve and allow remote operation for up to 6 hours.

E300S Street Price: $399.99
For more information about CAD Audio, please stop by NAMM Booth #6632 (Hall A) in the Anaheim Convention Center, call 800.762.9266 or visit www.cadaudio.com.

Old Lyme, Conn., January 9, 2012 – High-end audio fans attach great importance to loss-free transmission of the sound signal between the source and the ears. In the past, wireless audio transmission has come up against its limits. Now however, audio specialist Sennheiser is opening up a new class of wireless listening with the new RS 220 wireless headphones. The digital wireless headphones have a full, detailed sound while offering total freedom of movement.

Headphone development is driven by the challenge of reproducing sound that is as lifelike and direct as possible. Up until now, cabled headphones had a far better audio quality than wireless headphones. But now, the RS 220 from Sennheiser is setting new standards. “With these digital wireless headphones, we have succeeded for the first time in combining wireless music enjoyment with high-end quality,” said Maurice Quarré, Director Product Lifecycle Management at Sennheiser Consumer Electronics, describing the new RS 220.

Superior wireless listening pleasure
Many years of experience in the field of wireless transmission and audio technology have gone into the development of the new digital headphones. Dynamic transducers with powerful neodymium magnets ensure clear, lifelike audio reproduction with a frequency response of 19 to 21,000 hertz. The maximum sound pressure level of the open, circumaural headphones is 106 decibels. In the RS 220, the transmitter sends the audio signals to the headphones without compression via a stable 2.4 GHz connection using the so-called Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS) technique. “This is a frequency spreading process in which the output signal is spread to a width of 22 MHz by means of a specified bit sequence. If interference occurs at one point within this frequency range, the output signal experiences no interference as the data is transmitted with redundancy, in other words several times. As a result, only a minimal and inaudible part of the whole information is affected and the overall sound quality is not influenced,” explained Axel Grell, Senior Acoustical Engineer at Sennheiser. The headphones have a range of up to 100 metres without the need for the transmitter and receiver to be in the same room. A further advantage of the transmission process is the low latency and thus minimum delay of the audio signal.

Choice of several connection possibilities
The sound quality of a set of headphones is decisively dependent, among other things, on the connection between the audio source and the headphones. As the data between the transmitter and receiver is transmitted wirelessly in the RS 220, the feeding of the data from the audio source to the transmitter is particularly important. For this reason, the headphone system has an analogue, a coaxial digital and an optical digital input. Discerning users can decide themselves on the type and quality of the audio signal being fed in. Sensor buttons on the transmitter or directly on the headphones enable users to switch back and forth between the sources.

Lifelike sound experience
An important means of creating a musical effect is the transition between quiet and loud passages, as can be heard for example in Ravel’s Bolero. Conventional digital data transmission sometimes reduces this dynamic range, as an optimum signal volume for the entire data package is often assigned to the information when the analogue signal is converted into a digital data package. To preserve the original dynamics of a piece of music, the RS 220 completely dispenses with the automatic level control function. The data of the digital sources is transmitted unchanged, and the user can manually adjust the reference volume for the analogue inputs. As a result, the system comes very close to the audiophile ideal: a lifelike sound experience.

Maximum comfort
Operating the RS 220 is extremely easy. An on/off switch, controls for selecting the audio source and tracks, as well as a volume control are directly integrated into the headphones. There is also a control to individually adjust the volume balance between right and left. Setting up the wireless headphones for the first time is equally easy. Simply connect the transmitter to the audio or video device using the chosen connector, put on the headphones and switch on. The headphones come with rechargeable batteries that guarantee up to eight hours of listening enjoyment and which can be conveniently recharged while still in the headphones. As an added feature, the transmitter can also be used to supply a second optional set of headphones – for shared listening pleasure. The RS 220 will be available in late January and carries a street price of $599.95.