Louisville, Kentucky, May 15, 2008 – Heavy rain did not dampen WAVE-TV’s live weekend coverage of the 134th Kentucky Oaks and Derby coverage, which reaped unforeseen benefits using Nucomm’s CamPac 2 wireless transmitter and Newcaster DR diversity receiver. more

Eventide’s Anthology II TDM plug-in bundle has allowed prominent film sound designer, Peter Zinda, to transition from his trusted Eventide DSP4000 and other outboard processors to a plug-in bundle that provides him with a panoply of sounds unavailable anywhere else.

“My DSP4000 is one of the few outboard pieces I still reach for,” said Zinda. “But now, the Anthology II plug-in bundle gives me that great Eventide sound, along with programmability and the power to automate parameters on any track. Anthology II also allows me to use multiple instances of plug-ins in the same session which I couldn’t do with my outboard gear.”

Zinda has also found that, when the processing chain is saved inside the session, it becomes easier to go back to a project at a later date. It also enables him to collaborate with another sound editor – all useful tools when working on a major feature film release.

Such command of a broad array of sonic tools serves Zinda well in his many well-known projects. He has served as sound designer and sound effects editor on a vast number of major Hollywood releases such as The Express, Mission: Impossible III, Blade 2, and Chronicles of Riddick. His efforts in the studio have garnered him the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing for Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, and he has been nominated for awards on many other projects.

Anthology II contains:

E-Channel™ - configurable channel strip with gate, compressor/limiter with sidechain, and 5-band 48-bit double precision parametric equalization

EQ45 Parametric Equalizer - vintage 48-bit double precision 4-band equalization with high and low cut 12dB/octave filters

EQ65 Filter Set - vintage 48-bit double precision high and low cut 18dB/octave filters, plus 2-band reject or band pass filters

Eventide® Reverb - nine room types from the H8000 with 3-band parametric EQ (pre- and post-reverberator), a compressor (pre or post-reverberator) and stereo delays

H3000 Band Delays™ - eight voices of delay with modulating filters; includes the Function Generator with 19 waveshapes

H3000 Factory™ - patch together any combination of 18 effects; includes the Function Generator with 19 waveshapes

H910 - the original Harmonizer® pitch shifter with delay

H949 - deglitched pitch shifting with delay, reverse, flanging, and randomizer

Instant Phaser™ - recreation of the world’s first phaser

Instant Flanger™ - dedicated flanger with bounce

Omnipressor™ - dynamics processor with an attitude!

Octavox™ - eight-voice diatonic Harmonizer pitch shifter

Precision Time Align™ - track phase alignment tool

Quadravox™ - four-voice diatonic Harmonizer pitch shifter

Ultra-Channel™ - configurable channel strip with gate, compressor/limiter with sidechain, Omnipressor dynamics processor, 5-band 48-bit double precision parametric equalization, micropitch shifting and stereo delays

Anthology II is fully compliant with ICON, D-Control, D-Command, Venue, Pro Tools 7.4, and is Mac, Universal Binary, and PC compatible.

To read more click here.

Yamaha Corporation of America has updated their famed 01V96V2 and 02R96V2 Digital Mixing Consoles. While there is no change in the retail price, the new 01V96VCM and 02R96VCM models retain the powerful V2 features and add a host of powerful VCM effects pre-installed.

Previously available as “add-on” effect packages for top-line digital consoles, Yamaha’s highly regarded VCM Channel Strip processors and REV-X reverb are now standard features on the 01V96VCM. These extraordinary effects are based on innovative Virtual Circuitry Modeling technology that actually models the original analog circuitry — right down to the last resistor and capacitor. VCM effects are capable of capturing subtleties that simple digital simulations cannot even approach, going beyond simple simulation and delivering the truly musical performance that makes classic analog gear invaluable even in today’s digital production environment.

The new 02R96VCM is the 02R96 Version 2 plus a formidable array of state-of-the-art processing technologies that provide all-new production power with no need to patch in external processors. Included are extraordinary recreations of classic compression and EQ units from the 70’s, simulations of several legendary analog open-reel tape decks, a complete suite of unmatched REV-X reverb effects, a high-quality surround post-production package, and even a selection of vintage stomp boxes.

The new 01V96VCM and 02R96VCM models are currently available at Yamaha dealers. Customers who purchased an 01V96V2 or 02R96V2 from January 1, 2008 are eligible to receive a free update CD. For more information, visit www.yamaha.com or call Yamaha customer support at 714-522-9000.

NEW YORK, NY – May 9, 2008 – Human, one of America’s pre-eminent original music composition and sound design agencies specializing in unique and compelling music for the international advertising industry, recently contributed Music and/or Original Sound Design to three 2008 “Webby Award” Winners.

Human’s Original Sound Design and Musical End Tag for the spot Nike+ “The Getaway” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99g7clQB2NM ) contributed to that project’s Director, Todd Heyman, having just won a 2008 “Webby Award” as a Best Commercial Honoree, a distinction that recognizes work exhibiting remarkable achievement. The Nike+ “The Getaway” spot was a flagship production of Executive Producer Mike Downey’s Hero Content and was lensed by cinematographer Andy Lilien.

Human also provided Music to two additional 2008 “Webby Award” Winners. In the category “Other Advertising: Game or Application,” the honors were the “Webby Award” and the “People’s Choice Award” for the project: Coca-Cola “Happiness Factory.” (To view, please see: http://www.coca-cola.com/HF/index.jsp )

Human composer Gareth Williams said, “These three ‘Webby Award’ wins are a real honor in light of all of the amazing work that you see on a daily basis through the vast outlets of the Internet. We are very proud of our contributions to these awards, since Human is always trying to push the limits of sound. In particular, for ‘The Getaway,’ to be recognized amongst all of the other incredible work out there, really means a lot to us.”

He elaborates on the thinking behind the Sound Design for the winning project. “For the actual feeling of a bank robbery in ‘The Getaway,’ we played with over-treating all of the sounds through guitar pedals, shouting things through metal tubes, putting subway sounds through feedback loops and generally abusing all of the natural sounds you would find in a city environment, so that the audio would take on a claustrophobic, intense atmosphere. Using a natural sound palette as one might use paint, and then abusing the medium, not unlike throwing paint at a canvas, was the approach we went for on this spot. Our goal was an aggressive sound collage to create a mood, instead of a realistic portrayal of the city, helped to create the confusion and intensity of the spot.”

Williams adds, “Human worked very closely with Todd Heyman, the director. Todd has such a great ear and imagination that he would be able to picture each sound as it related to the overall commercial and judge it by itself. Having a director with such objectivity allowed us to be true collaborators. From here, we built our foundation of selected sounds, and once a tone had been established from the raw material, we simply assembled it according to the edit. Todd also had a good grasp of perspective and how some sounds needed to be quiet to grab your attention, while other sounds that you weren’t necessarily seeing could be really in your face to create a compelling piece which always kept you on your toes.”

ABOUT Nike+ “The Getaway:”

In the Nike+ “The Getaway” spot, a hooded figure flees a dramatic bank robbery, bounding over the Manhattan landscape to get away. As the figure is cornered by mounting forces, an unexpected truth is revealed. Directed by Todd Heyman (www.toddheymandirector.com) and produced by Hero Content.

Based in New York City, Hero Content, is a full service content provider specializing in finding the most efficient and impactful production solutions for its clients. Talent for Nike+ “The Getaway:” Joyce Joyce Virani, Ben Gartman. Post Production Credits –Sound Design: Human. Nice Shoes: Chris Ryan, Nancy Polstein. Sound Lounge: Tom Juacarone. Creative Bubble: David Cohen, Tomoko Nakanura, Jim Snarkski

About The Webby Awards:

Hailed as the “Oscars of the Internet” by the New York Times, The Annual Webby Awards, presented by The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, are the leading international awards honoring excellence on the Internet, including Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video, and Mobile Websites. Established in 1996, the 12th Annual Webby Awards received nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide.

The awards are judged by the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences, a global organization that includes David Bowie, Harvey Weinstein, Arianna Huffington, Matt Groening, Jamie Oliver, Internet inventor Vinton Cerf, and RealNetworks CEO Rob Glaser.

ABOUT HUMAN:

Founded in 2001 by renowned composers Morgan Visconti, Andrew Bloch, Gareth Williams, and Managing Partner Marc Altshuler, Human is a multi-award winning collective specializing in the creation and production of original and compelling music and sound design for the international advertising industry.

Human has offices in New York and Los Angeles. For more information, please visit: www.humanworldwide.com

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Rio Rancho, NM – May 2008… If there’s one thing that, above all else, brings electronic equipment to its knees, it’s water. The very prospect of wiring a surfer with the necessary equipment to capture the ambient sounds that occur while riding the waves is enough to cause most audio pros to say, “Not with my gear!” For years, onscreen surfing action was akin to the silent movies of yesteryear—until Tim Denmark came along. Equipped with an arsenal of Lectrosonics wireless systems, Denmark has created a niche for himself that brings the excitement of surfing—complete with crashing waves and the slap of the surfboard over the water—right into the homes of television viewers the world over.

Denmark, owner/operator of Leucadia, CA-based H2audiO, which specializes in professional audio for aquatic sports, has become the “go-to” guy whenever the actual sounds of surfing are required—be it for TV, film, or advertising. When he’s not working in the water, he also serves as the Racer Radio Mixer for NASCAR on the Fox and TNT networks, as well as an RF audio engineer for the NFL games televised over the Fox network. Whether in the water or on land, Denmark’s gear has been exposed to the most extreme conditions—and it keeps on going.

An avid surfer, Denmark reflected on his decision to make surf audio his specialty. “I love the water and I’m a genuine surfing enthusiast,” reports Denmark. “I remember surfing the famous ‘Pipeline’ in Hawaii, where all the big tubular waves occur, and being really impressed with how loud it was. As an audio professional, I was bothered by the fact that whenever I watched a televised surfing competition or a movie that included surfing, there never seemed to be any audio. If audio existed at all, it was handled via Foley (real time sound effects during post production) and it just didn’t sound the way I knew it should. I knew it could be done, so I began experimenting.”

Denmark’s method for capturing real surfing audio is so unique, it’s actually patent pending. His current equipment roster includes 24 Lectrosonics MM400 A and B Series transmitters and 10 Lectrosonics UCR211 UHF receiver systems. “My MM400’s have been great,” notes Denmark. “I love the fact that these models have removable transmitting antennas, which for this application, is ideal. Lectrosonics has been very supportive of my efforts and has provided me with extended transmitting antennas for my units.”

The process of wiring a surfer for audio involves a specially made Lycra® shirt, or rash guard, that has a pocket on the inside middle of the back. Sewn into the rash guard is a channel that extends from the pocket up to the collar. The MM400 transmitter is then secured into the pocket with Velcro®. The transmitter’s antenna and a Countryman B3 lavaliere microphone with a water resistant capsule extend from the transmitter up the shirt’s channel to the collar. The antenna is attached to the back of the shirt while the mic is affixed to the front of the collar. Depending upon the nature of the event, Denmark and his Lectrosonics UCR211 receivers equipped with high powered, directional, helical receiving antennas can be found on land, on a boat, or even on a scaffold perched far out over the water.

“This setup enables me to capture every audible sound as the surfer rides,” says Denmark. “The most visible, televised surfing event on a major network is the X Games on ABC. For this, I’ve had as many as 15 people at a time wired and in the water with mics. This included two teams, each with 4 surfers, 2 alternates, and a coach, plus the show’s announcer—equipped with a Lectrosonics MM400B and R1a IFB transmitter/receiver system for communication with the show’s production crew. Through the entire competition, the audience could hear the interaction between the surfers and their coach in addition to the ambient sounds of the water.”

As one would expect, Denmark’s equipment requires periodic servicing, and he’s absolutely enamored with Lectrosonics’ customer and technical support services. “I’ve put this gear through the worst possible conditions any electronic equipment should ever face,” said Denmark. “Through it all, I’ve consistently received excellent audio quality and my equipment has held up amazingly well. Lectrosonics has always been really good about servicing my equipment and providing fast turnaround. With great sound quality and the ability to withstand the worst possible conditions, I couldn’t be any happier.”

For additional information about H2audiO and Tim Denmark, visit the company online at www.h2audio.net.

About Lectrosonics

Well respected within the film, broadcast, and theater technical communities since 1971, Lectrosonics wireless microphone systems and audio processing products are used daily in mission-critical applications by audio engineers familiar with the company’s dedication to quality, customer service, and innovation. Lectrosonics is a US manufacturer based in Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

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Beatstreet Productions is proud to announce the launch of its new state-of-the-art surround mix suite. Complimenting the two that have been used for award winning productions since 1995, Beatstreet’s new suite was designed by popular NYC designer/constructor, Chris Bowman. Bowman states “I’ve known Joe (Franco, the Beat of Beatstreet) for many years. He contacted me when a space opened up directly below his current space. Joe’s mandate was that the control room had to center around an Icon console. He also wanted to be sure that we built adequate spaces for an isolation booth, client lounge, kitchen, machine room, and additional record/edit suite.

“We wanted the new control room to be as spacious as the one that exists on the floor above. The main difference is that the older room has a large glass window that looks into Joe’s Industrial Acoustics drum room. The new room features 5.1 monitoring and a huge LCD screen, which we centered directly in front of the console. We also needed to tie together Joe’s three suites. This was accomplished by core drilling between floors to connect phones, ethernet and fibre storage.” more

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, April 30, 2008 - Leading Brazil station TV Globo International (TVBI) recently offered viewers a front-row view of the famed Rio de Janeiro and Sáo Paulo annual Carnival when it broadcast the event for the first time live in HD. Channel 18 in Sao Paulo was able to deliver 32 hours of real-time action through the use of microwave technology by RF Central, a leading digital microwave technology provider. more

Las Vegas, NV, April 30, 2008 - Nucomm, Inc., a worldwide provider of premier digital and analog video microwave systems, recently broadened its wireless camera control capabilities with its NAB 2008 debut of the new CC-1 Camera Control unit. Designed to work with Nucomm‘s signature CamPac 2 HD/SD COFDM camera-back transmitter, the CC-1 expands the features of the CamPac 2 through a software-based data interface that allows the CP2/CC-1 to work with various types of camera manufacturer control panels and command protocols. more

VAN NUYS, CA — Gepco cables are helping Sweetwater Digital Productions expand its remote HD production options as it adds a second HD production truck to its fleet. Sweetwater’s newest HD truck, named Cobalt, is using Gepco cables for both its audio and video needs. more

Toronto, Ontario, Canada - April 24, 2008 … Lawo, recognized globally as a leading manufacturer of digital audio networking and console systems for production, post production, broadcast, and related applications, is pleased to announce the mc²56 production console, the newest member of the mc² series. Following the mc²66, an industry standard for HD OB vans as well as broadcast and production studios - and the mc²90, established in many large HD studios, Lawo launches the new mc²56–a console with full mc² performance with a streamlined surface and compact dimensions.

Based on the existing mc² technology, the mc²56 offers the Lawo HD core with up to 512 DSP channels, 144 summing buses, and a routing capacity of up to 8,192 crosspoints. The complete functionality of the mc² series is available–including the transfer of snapshots within the mc² family, as well as dynamic automation and networking with other Lawo products.

The innovative element of the mc²56 lies in the newly designed control surface which offers direct access to essential operating elements. Functions which are rarely used are handled via the touchscreen graphical user interface. This design facilitates easy operation and a short learning curve. In addition, the new construction reduces fader width to 30 mm, which enables efficient and economic working. Every 16-fader bay offers fully featured metering on a high resolution TFT.

Lawo continues to offer modularity with options for a second fader row and the insertion of PPMs (peak program meters). With available frame sizes ranging from 32 to 80 faders and special flightcase versions, Lawo‘s new mc²56 may be adapted to a wide range of applications.

With the development of the mc²56, Lawo combines the performance, known from the mc² seal, with newly defined ease of operation. With these attributes, the mc²56 can be described as “Performance, pure and simple”.

About Lawo

Lawo is a manufacturer of digital audio networking systems and consoles for a wide range of applications from small to large scale audio production in television and radio, post production, and live sound. Established in the 1970s, the company‘s manufacturing center is located in the Rhine valley town of Rastatt, Germany. For additional information on Lawo‘s mc²56 console and all Lawo products, visit the company online at www.lawo.ca.