MURFREESBORO, TENNESSEE – JANUARY 2010: In addition to the distinction of a degree from one of the pro audio industry’s most highly-regarded educational programs, the future graduates of Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Recording Industry now benefit from the school’s 2009 installation of an analog, 48-channel API Vision surround sound console. Aligned with the School of Mass Communication, the Department of Recording Industry is home to some 1,500 students seeking both Bachelors and Masters Degrees with sequences in Music Business, Production & Technology, and Commercial Songwriting. Many of the industry’s leading figures stepped confidently into their first jobs clutching diplomas from MTSU, and the program’s continued commitment to relevance and effective teaching maintains its top-tier status. more

Excellence in Business Award Winners Exemplify Strategies Necessary for Tough Times

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA, January 20, 2010 — NSCA announced the winners of its 2010 Excellence in Business Awards today:
• LIVE! Technologies Inc. will receive the Professional Development award
• Xerox Audio Visual Solutions is being honored for its Marketing Strategies
• SIGNET Electronic Systems, Inc. will receive the Philanthropic Contributions award
• D&L Communication Systems, Inc. is the recipient of the Growth Strategies award

“Despite the fact that the past 12 to 18 months have been extremely challenging for many companies, NSCA received more applications for these awards this year than ever before,� said Chuck Wilson, NSCA executive director. “It was exciting to read the submissions and realize how extremely talented and creative the business owners are in our industry. The winners and numerous applicants are a positive sign for the future electronic systems.� more

HD portable live production and instant replay systems to provide live venue video and replays to event audience

NewTek Inc., manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, today announced that its TriCaster™ TCXD300 high definition/standard definition (HD/SD) portable live production systems and 3PLAY™ HD/SD slow motion replay systems will provide live venue video and instant replay at the ESPN Winter X Games® 14 in Aspen, Colo., January 28 to 31. Two TriCaster/3PLAY live production teams will replace and expand the capabilities that were previously provided by an expensive TV truck. more

— Korg, Marshall and VOX products provide the infrastructure for Thornton School’s new degree in popular music performance —

Korg USA, exclusive U.S. distributor of the Korg, Marshall, LÂG and VOX brands, has recently partnered with the University of Southern California’s (USC) Thornton School of Music to help provide the integral tools for the school’s new Bachelor of Music degree program in Popular Music Performance. After several years of development, the school launched the new program in Fall 2009, and it is considered to be the first of its kind within a major U.S. university. The program’s launch coincided with the Thornton School’s 125th Anniversary, which reinforced its status as Los Angeles’ oldest cultural institution. As part of the partnership, Korg USA supplied a number of Korg Music Workstations, Arranger keyboards, Marshall and VOX amplifiers, and other products for the new course track. more

— Sound system for Park Place, a new restaurant/guitar bar in Chicago, is the first for Ala Carte Entertainment that’s completely sourced through a single vendor, and GC Pro made sure that everything was right there and right on time —

Ala Carte Entertainment prides itself on being a locally owned entertainment venue enterprise, with 25 bars, clubs and restaurants in the Chicagoland area over the last 30 years. Their venues include the Lion Head Pub; several Moretti’s Ristorante locations; the Leg Room; Finn McCool’s; the Cadillac Ranch (the Midwest’s largest and most famous country music nightclub); and Vision, recently voted “Best Megaclub� by Urb magazine. more

In the 1960s, VOX amplifiers gained international status as the guitar amplifier used by the Beatles. Now, VOX Amplification is pleased to be included in the best-selling new video game, The Beatlesâ„¢: Rock Bandâ„¢.

The Beatles: Rock Band represents the first time fans will be able to experience The Beatles‘ musical career for themselves. From the early touring days in 1963 Liverpool to the immortal, final performance on the Apple Corps rooftop, fans can follow in the band‘s footsteps as they traverse the globe during the height of Beatlemania. more

— DiGiCo, a U.K.-based manufacturer of groundbreaking digital mixing consoles and FPGA designs, joins forces with Waves, a leading provider of audio DSP solutions, to develop breakthrough products for the live sound industry —

Waves Audio, a leading provider of digital signal processing software and hardware solutions, and DiGiCo, the renowned UK-based manufacturer of some of the world’s most popular, successful and groundbreaking digital mixing consoles, have announced a technology agreement. The joint announcement was made today at the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, by Mick Olesh, Waves Executive VP, Sales and Marketing, and DiGiCo Managing Director James Gordon and DiGiCo Marketing Director David Webster. more

Soundcraft’s new Si3 digital desk is receiving high exposure on the Indian sub-continent, thanks to the support of New-Delhi based rental company, Dhawan Electricals Pvt Ltd.

Having already used the board to mix one of India’s leading rock bands Agnee this autumn, sound engineer Yogesh Dhawan, says that the Si3 has subsequently enjoyed a heavy tour of duty. more

Nine-time Grammy winner and superlative vocalist and songwriter Norah Jones is currently on a promo tour in support of her fourth studio album, The Fall, with dates at the David Letterman Show and Jimmy Kimmel Live!, among many others. The Fall is a rock ‘n roll departure from Jones’ earlier, more jazz-inspired work, and gets its organic, gritty sound from collaborators, most notably producer Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Modest Mouse). But Jones’ ethereal voice has not changed, and it is still easy to get wondrously lost in the space between each spellbinding breath. To convey that indescribable quality, FOH engineer Brett Dicus continues to rely on Neumann’s incomparable live vocal microphone technology, with a backline of Sennheiser wired microphones and wireless personal monitors to keep the band sounding their best. more

Professional audio systems provider Audioco of Mexico City recently purchased a Soundcraft Si3 console, and has since deployed the Si3 for a variety of events and different size venues.

According to Jose Antonio Chapa, President of Audioco, the Si3 boasts a variety of attractive features and functions. “The EQ is very precise and powerful, and the gates and compressors are incredible,� Chapa says. “The preamps are powerful but silent. The FaderGlow™ feature makes it easy to tell where you are working, and with the OLED screens you will never get lost.� more