DOYLESTOWN, Pennsylvania — The James A. Michener Art Museum recently completed the construction of the Putnam Pavilion, a 2,700-square-foot addition to the existing structure that was the recipient of the prestigious 2012 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Philadelphia Gold Merit Award. With its three 23-foot-high structural glass walls, some of the largest such architectural glass panels in North America, the building’s design is indeed visually striking. In order to maintain the architectural integrity of the space, Philadelphia acoustical and A/V design consulting firm Metropolitan Acoustics deployed HARMAN’s JBL AC28/95 compact loudspeakers with a BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-100 signal processor and BLU-BIB Break-In Box to overcome some unusual sonic and logistical challenges.

Saben Shawhan, Senior Consultant at Metropolitan Acoustics explained how the building’s unique architecture played a major role in specifying the audio system. “Wherever you have large expanses of glass, you know you’re going to have to deal with the potential for excessive reverberation. Additionally, to give the room a cleaner appearance the ceiling has a series of narrow tracks that are painted black. These tracks house the lighting as well as the sprinkler heads, smoke detectors and rigging points for portable equipment – and the architects also wanted the speakers to be hidden in these tracks.�

The Putnam Pavilion is used for art exhibits, corporate and special events. In addition to background music, sound system uses include support for small musical groups and presentations, so Shawhan needed speakers that would fit in the limited space, and deliver clear, articulate sound with good coverage throughout the space while maintaining a high degree of control. He found the solution in JBL’s AC28/95 compact loudspeakers. “We used 16 of the JBL AC28/95s, which gave us significant output to cover the room. These speakers provide a higher degree of control in the mid-range frequencies than what is available from any other speaker in this size and price range, and the speaker’s 90 x 50-degree waveguide gave us the control over the high frequencies to keep them from bouncing off the glass.�

Because of the varying uses of the facility, audio processing was a major consideration as well, and Metropolitan Acoustics included a BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-100 12 x 8 signal processor with a BSS BLU-BIB in the system design. “We expanded the capabilities of the AC28/95’s with the BLU-100’s extensive DSP capabilities, and used a little more processing power than would normally be required in less acoustically challenging spaces. For this installation we needed more than just a simple mixer. We never know where people are going to set up in the room, so we divided the system into six zones that can be operated independently. A user can turn each zone down or off as needed, and this helps with feedback control,� added Shawhan.

“The Putnam Pavilion is a high-end space and expectations were high for sound quality. Because Soundweb London is a comprehensive processing system, it gives us the zone management capabilities we needed for the installation, and enables the speakers to achieve the best possible sound in an acoustically challenging space,� stated Shawhan.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

Acoustic Dimensions and Clair Brothers Audio Systems move and expand L-ACOUSTICS PA from interim worship space to new 3,500-seat main sanctuary

DALLAS, Texas — After four years of holding services in its 2,100-seat interim worship center, Dallas’ Watermark Community Church has now moved its congregation into a beautiful new 3,500-seat main sanctuary. Acoustic Dimensions once again served as the consultant for the client and, as it did in the past, specified an L-ACOUSTICS KUDO loudspeaker system, which was installed by Clair Brothers Audio Systems. more

Shalleck Collaborative specifies KIVA and KARA systems for half a dozen secondary school theater venues

SAN FRANCISCO — California’s San Mateo Union High Schools District is currently in the process of remodeling — and, in some instances, totally replacing — the theaters of six of its high schools: Aragon, Burlingame, Capuchino, Hillsdale, Mills, and the flagship San Mateo location. Theater consulting for each of the venues was provided by San Francisco’s Shalleck Collaborative, which specified L-ACOUSTICS loudspeaker systems throughout. more

Recording at high altitudes is not something most sound engineers tackle every day, so when Danish producer and engineer Hans Nielsen, of Focus Recording Studios, was asked to record a choir of 500 monks in a Chinese temple that was over 4,000 meters above sea level, he knew he would need a very resilient microphone to cope with the challenging conditions.

“I’ve always been a big fan of DPA Microphones and have used them regularly for over 25 years,� Nielsen says. “When I realised this project involved recording at high altitude I knew I had to take my DPA microphones with me because they were the only mics I could rely on to capture the high quality sound I wanted in such extreme conditions.�

Hans Nielsen was recording the album with internationally acclaimed folk singer and song writer Sa Ding Ding. A mix of Han and Mongol ancestry, Sa Ding Ding sings in a number of languages including Mandarin, Sanskrit and Tibetan, as well as an imaginary self-created language that evokes the emotions of her songs. She also plays traditional instruments such as the guzheng and matougin (a horse-head fiddle).

“Sa Ding Ding wanted to include the Monk’s choir in her album, so we travelled to the temple, which was high up in the mountains near Tibet,� Nielsen says. “The monks were singing a mass and we captured their performance using nine DPA 4006A omnidirectional microphones and one DPA 4011A cardioid. Then, later that night, we used the same microphones to record a choir of 100 monks so that their singing could also be incorporated into two of Sa Ding Ding’s album tracks.�

Two days later, and this time at an altitude of 2,000 meters, Nielsen recorded a 50-strong Christian choir for the album, again using DPA microphones.

Nielsen says he chose the DPA 4006A and 4011A microphones because he was confident they could deliver the impeccable sound he was looking for.

“I did have other microphones with me but only the DPAs were able to cope with the extremely thin air. Everything else I tried was just too noisy and couldn’t cope with the atmospheric conditions. I was incredibly happy with the results we achieved using the DPA microphones – and so was Sa Ding Ding.�

Nielsen completed the album in Beijing, recording some traditional Chinese instruments as well as Sa Ding Ding’s lead vocals. The final mix took place in London and the album, which is entitled The Coming Ones, has now been released in Asia by Universal Records.

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Editors’ information:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com

WESTMINSTER, Colorado — Colorado Sound Recording Studios is one of the finest facilities in the state. The studio and its remote truck have recorded artists including Norah Jones, Eminem, Steve Miller, Dave Matthews and many others. Recently, the HARMAN Soundcraft Studer truck rolled into Colorado Sound with the new Studer Compact Remote Bay and its latest Virtual Vista software for its first-ever use at a recording session.

The Compact Remote Bay allows access to a Studer Vista digital mixing console’s settings from anywhere in a venue. A little larger than a laptop, the unit has 12 P&G faders, 40 rotary controls and a 19-inch touchscreen running Studer’s Virtual Vista software. In addition to remote operation, the bay may be used to extend the main console’s control surface for a second operator, for monitor mixing or for other functions.

“We used the Compact Remote Bay to record a studio session band to allow Colorado Sound and HD NET and the Mobile TV Group who were also at the session to put the Compact Remote Bay through its paces,� said Rob Lewis, Director of US Sales for Studer. “We put the Compact Remote Bay in the recording studio’s tracking room and interfaced it with the Vista 9 console in the truck to record the piano, bass and drums session band.�

Three stereo headphone mixes, a 5.1 surround and a stereo control room mix were created, all going to the Vista 9 and the Compact Remote Bay with a Studer Stagebox connecting the recording studio feed to the truck via fiber cable.

“As we were getting recording and headphone levels, we tweaked the musicians’ headphone levels with the Compact Remote Bay. Of course everything was really being adjusted via the Vista 9 on the truck, but the Compact Remote Bay made things a lot easier since we could get immediate comments from the musicians and tweak everything right in the room without the need for talkback from the control room in the truck,� Lewis noted. “It worked flawlessly.�

“After we tracked the band we just moved the Compact Remote Bay from the tracking room into Colorado Sound’s main control room and patched in the stereo mix,� Lewis continued. “This allowed the engineers to use the bay and have a feel for the setup’s overall sound quality, dynamics, EQ and so on from the comfort of their control room using their main studio monitors. They were astounded by how we were able to do this without effort, and how easy it was to make patch changes and snapshots without missing a beat.�

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets — supported by 15 leading brands, including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 25 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,900 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.4 billion for year ended June 30, 2012.

Encompass Technologies just completed a major sound and video installation for the sizeable new restaurant/sports bar/nightclub, John Barleycorn River North in downtown Chicago.

The fast-growing integrator had worked on a host of other venues for owners Sam Sanchez and Michael Gonzalez. As Tim Pickett, principal for Encompass, explains, “There are four John Barleycorns and we’ve been involved with all of them, two from the ground up and two complete rehabs. Sam and Michael also own two Moe’s Cantina clubs that we worked on.

“For John Barleycorn River North, they definitely raised the bar several notches with a substantial budget of $285,000,� adds Pickett. “Unlike the club in Schaumburg where there was a focus on live sound, John Barleycorn North functions as a sports bar and restaurant during the day and becomes a nightclub with a DJ upstairs that can hold up to 1500 people on Friday and Saturday nights.

“The audio system had to be very versatile so they can turn it up late at night for that nightclub sound and feel while providing more controlled sound levels for the sports bar patrons so that everybody can hear it the same way.

“Martin Audio was the obvious choice,� Pickett continues, “because the owners had the speakers in their other clubs and were very happy with the sound and performance. We used 32 AQ28 cabinets throughout the club along with six AQ212’s, four AQ215’s, three F12’s and Martin Audio MA 4.8Q and 6.8Q amplifiers. Two Symetrix Jupiter 8 systems provided turnkey audio processing.
I also want to acknowledge Jack Alexander who tweaked and EQ’d the site to help make it sound even better.�

John Barleycorn North replaces a two-story antique store that was completely gutted and outfitted with new furnishings, audio and a 72-screen video system including five video walls. According to Pickett, “part of the décor includes a glass roof that’s about 50 feet long and 20 feet wide and because they’re located in downtown Chicago, you can look up and see nothing but skyscrapers all around you. It’s a very impressive venue.�

Designed to provide the ultimate in sports viewing, the video system includes 12 Cima 46� LCD and 24 Tovis 46� LCD Ultra Narrow Video Wall Panels, 35 Samsung 60� Plasma Panels, two Samsung 46� LED Panels and a Sharp 80� LED Panel. The complex video switching system for both floors includes one Knox Chameleon 16X64 HD Matrix upstairs and one Knox Chameleon 16X32 HD Matrix downstairs with a Knox Touchscreen control system that functions via iPad.

The whole project took about fourteen months from start to finish and the club has been up and running for about three weeks. Asked about the installation, owner Sam Sanchez commented, “I’ve always been really impressed with Martin Audio. We’ve been using the brand since 2008 at our locations. What’s great is, that at any level, the sound is clear and intelligible. It works if you’re watching the game, or partying the night away. Encompass has done a great job installing the systems and making them just right. I really love that I can call them 24 hours a day any day for tech support.”

Concludes Pickett, “I’ve been very happy with Martin Audio over the years. They have really helped us by providing the right products for our clients’ needs along with excellent customer service. They are a great partner and make a really good product.�

For more about Martin Audio, please click to www.martin-audio.com.

About Martin Audio®
Founded by audio engineer David Martin in 1971, Martin Audio pioneered the use of all-horn-loaded bass designs in world-class touring loudspeaker systems for groups such as Pink Floyd, ELP and Supertramp. Located outside of London, Martin Audio now embodies a sophisticated mix of acoustic design, research, mathematical modeling and software engineering for a wide range of products in the installation, cinema and touring sound markets.

DPA Microphones’ new hand-held d:facto™ Vocal Microphone delivered fantastic results for Sting, who used four of them on his recent Back to Bass tour throughout Europe and the Far East.

Sting’s front of house engineer Howard Page says: “The d:facto’s definition and clarity was a huge update on our Sting shows and worked just as well for the in-ear monitors that Sting listened to. It is an absolutely unique microphone that has an amazing transient response and just the right amount of proximity without the normal problems of on/off tonal differences.�

Page, senior director of engineering at Clair Brothers in the USA, was recommended the DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone by recording engineer Donal Hodgson, who had been using it with great success to record Sting in the studio.

“Donal knew that I had been looking for a later technology microphone for Sting on our live shows,� Page says. “If Donal was happy with it in the exacting environment of a recording studio, then I knew I certainly would be as well.�

Sting’s long working relationship with Howard Page meant that he was also happy to try the d:facto in a live environment. “Sting and I have a very good relationship and he trusts me on all things audio, so when I asked him to try the d:facto he was more than willing to go with it,� Page says.

Four DPA d:factos were ordered from DPA’s UK distributor Sound Network and these were delivered to Clair’s European office in plenty of time to be included in the equipment packages for the tour. Sting has ‘A’ and ‘B’ simultaneously touring systems, each containing two d:factos – one as the main microphone and one for back up.

“We did shows in France, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Lebanon, Korea, Hong Kong, Manila, Bangkok and Jakarta, so it was a huge amount of travelling,� Page says. “On this most recent leg of the tour I have been in some venues with real long reverb times and the d:facto just cuts through perfectly without losing the tight, natural (real!) full range tone I need for Sting’s voice.�

Page adds that even without Donal Hodgson’s recommendation, he would have been happy to try the DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone because he has previously had such good experiences with DPA technology.

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Editors’ information:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com

Overcoming a Towering Acoustical Challenge at  North Carolina’s Museum of Natural Science

Raleigh, NC, December 2012.… Already one of the largest facilities of its kind, Raleigh’s Museum of Natural Sciences recently completed work on an impressive new addition: the 80,000 square foot Nature Research Center (NRC). Featuring state-of-the-art labs, research opportunities, and numerous interactive exhibits, the crown jewel of the new NRC wing is surely the SECU Daily Planet, an intensely immersive, three-story multimedia space that engages visitors with a flurry of sight and sound, while offering a powerful message about the wonders of science in our daily lives.

Designed to facilitate both pre-recorded and live content, the Daily Planet’s massive, three-story visual display runs continually-projecting a variety of poetic and informational content to excite the senses. A small stage at ground level also allows for occasional live presentations. The entire Daily Planet exhibit resides in a massive, dome-shaped room with two balcony levels extending seven feet into its center. The three-level design allows visitors to choose from three unique vantage points as they take in any of up to 50 powerful presentations that run throughout the day.

With its unique ellipsoidal shape and vantage points from a main level and two balconies, delivering impactful and immersive audio consistently to all three levels presented numerous obstacles. Rising to the challenge were AV integrators Electrosonic, in partnership with Milford, CT-based SH Acoustics, who created a system centered around Renkus-Heinz’s Iconyx series steerable column arrays.

“Unlike similar spaces – for example, an Omnimax Theater – the Daily Planet needed to accommodate a variety of different formats, including lectures and live performances,” explained Steve Haas, Founder and President of SH Acoustics. “The room’s unique design and its numerous reflective elements created some unique challenges right from the beginning. We knew we couldn’t simply apply tons of sound-absorptive materials because deadening the room too much wouldn’t work well for lectures.”

As Haas observes, the Iconyx steerable beam technology would allow them to more effectively direct the output and avoid unwanted reflections, while at the same time addressing the unique acoustic requirements at all three levels.

The complete Renkus-Heinz loudspeaker complement includes eight Iconyx IC8-R-II steerable arrays for mains, augmented by ten SG61-2R powered two-way systems for surround, with three PN112SUB 12-inch powered subwoofers providing powerful low-end reinforcement.”We decided very early that we wanted to create three different audio experiences on each of the three levels,” explained Haas. “In addition, each level needed to be surround sound, and most importantly, needed to ensure minimal interaction between adjacent levels and the rest of the room. This is where the Iconyx system was a no-brainer.”

Haas elaborates, “The first and second levels each include left, center, and right, as well as four surrounds. On the third level the dome is much tighter, so we opted for just left and right with two surrounds. For low frequencies, we placed all three subwoofers on the second level. There simply wasn’t enough room for discreet subs on each level, so we configured each one as the point sources for the adjacent levels, and delayed the LF signal appropriately from the first level, second level and third level. It actually worked quite well.”

Once installed, Haas and his team were able to take full advantage of the Iconyx system’s beam steering capabilities to dial in the perfect output at the ground floor and both balconies.

“We needed to make sure that we had a very tight pattern-at least vertically-so that the experiences at each level did not interact with each other in any appreciable way.” Haas explains. “We were able to get the second and third levels sounding fantastic with little difficulty. The first level was a bit more challenging, but the Iconyx beam steering, combined, with the careful addition of diffusion materials, made all the difference.”

After the system was configured, Haas worked with the museum production staff to save a number of unique output presets that could be easily retrieved to accommodate different program types.

“There are several different modes including a presentation mode and a media mode,” says Haas. “We even gave the producers the opportunity to have a secondary beam from some of the upper arrays-like from the second level down to the first level-in case they wanted a spot effect or some other secondary sound source.”

In the end the results speak for themselves. The new NRC wing and Daily Planet exhibits are big hits with museum attendees and management alike. And for Haas, this is yet another seemingly impossible acoustic challenge conquered through a synergy of great technology, real-world know how and savvy partnerships.

Haas sums it up: “We like challenges, and we have a very long history of working successfully with Electrosonic on unique projects like this. We absolutely love coming up with unique solutions, and as a technology partner, Renkus-Heinz has always been there with fantastic tools. They’re just great to work with.”

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Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Renkus-Heinz, Inc. is the worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of audio operations networks, digitally steerable arrays, powered and non-powered loudspeakers, system specific electronics and fully integrated Reference Point Array systems.

Chilliwack, BC, Canada – For an audio professional, creating a sound system for a large aquatic center is not a simple task. The combination of high walls, corrugated metal roofs, and an abundance of concrete, glass, and water makes for an acoustical environment that is far from pretty, even before it’s packed with noisy revelers.

Rising to the challenge was Chilliwack-based Go Audio, the company behind the audio installations at both Cheam Leisure Centre and cross-town neighbor Chilliwack Landing Leisure Centre. Both projects employed a very novel design approach featuring the Renkus-Heinz Iconyx digitally steered array.

Unlike most applications where the steered array is used as a vertical column line array, the approach at the aquatic centers involved suspending the Iconyx from the roof overhead, and steering the beams to focus the sound away from the walls and other highly reflective surfaces.

The Cheam project came first. Go Audio’s Mike Evans called Fred Gilpin of Renkus-Heinz distributor Contact Distribution, and asked him to have a look at the project. “We’ve worked with Fred on other projects, including a church in Vancouver that had very challenging acoustics,� says Evans. “We installed Iconyx IC16 and IC8 there and it worked great, so we were confident that Iconyx would be the best choice.�

The Cheam system includes six IC7-WR powered column arrays, with a Rane processor handling system DSP. “Because of the Iconyx’s very narrow vertical dispersion, we positioned four IC7’s horizontally over the outer walkway, aimed slightly inward,� Evans explains. “We were able to keep the sound completely off the walls and cover just the walkway and a bit of the pool. Two more IC7’s suspended at 45 degrees cover the water with minimal overlap. The coverage is seamless wherever you are, with no need for delays.�

Based on the success of the Cheam project, Go Audio was called back to revamp the audio system at Chilliwack Landing. “That project was a bit more challenging,� says Evans. “The space is configured a bit differently, and there was some ductwork we had to work around as well. We ended up using a total of ten Iconyx boxes to cover everything.� With an existing rack of Crown CTi-series amplifiers and wiring already in place, the decision was made to go with unpowered ICX7-WR units.

Evans reports that management and patrons alike at both venues have been very pleased with the results. “The primary objective was spoken word intelligibility for safety announcements and such,� he says. “But the Iconyx has been great for background music as well. Typically in this sort of environment, it’s just too reverberant to run background music at the levels necessary to overcome the ambient noise. But with the Iconyx, the music is exceptionally articulate, even at lower levels.�

Evans concludes, “I was amazed the first time I stepped out of an Iconyx steered beam and immediately recognized how useful this speaker system would be! It’s very gratifying hearing the clarity Iconyx delivers in these challenging environments.�

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Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, California, Renkus-Heinz, Inc. is the worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of audio operations networks, digitally steerable arrays, powered and non-powered loudspeakers, system specific electronics and fully integrated Reference Point Array systems. 

After putting DPA Microphone’s new hand-held d:facto Vocal Microphone through its paces on her recent tour, Dutch singer and vocal coach Margot Giselle says she is delighted with the natural sound it gave to her voice.

“For the first time ever I was able to hear my voice as it really sounds because the microphone only amplified the sound – it didn’t change my voice in any way,â€� Margot Giselle says. “It was bright, clear and warm – and by allowing me to create all the vocal colours I wanted, the DPA d:facto microphone made singing really easy.â€�

During her recent tour of the Netherlands, Margot Giselle worked with sound engineer Roel van Zeelst, from Dutch rental company IDAK, which has a large stock of DPA microphones. In conjunction with DPA’s Dutch distributor Amptec, van Zeelst arranged for Giselle to test the new DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone as he felt it would be ideally suited to her voice and her singing style.

“I was performing with four musicians and singing a lot of acoustic material, and wanted a microphone that would allow me to recognize my own voice, even when it was amplified,� Giselle explains. “The d:facto did exactly what I wanted and sounded so much better than any microphone I had used in the past. I was really delighted with it. The clarity and naturalness of the sound meant that I could relax on stage and just enjoy the performance.�

Margot Giselle, who trained as a classical vocalist at the Conservatory of Utrecht in the Netherlands, has worked on many musical theatre productions including Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cabaret, Annie and Cats. She has also worked as a backing vocalist for artists such as Petra Berger and in 2011 she recorded and produced her first solo album Same Girl, which combines songs from various musicals with easy listening tracks and light pop covers. When she is not recording and performing, Margot Giselle offers vocal coaching from her private studio and at the Frank Sanders Musical Academy in Amsterdam

Margo Giselle is undertaking another tour for Spring 2013 and plans to include the DPA d:facto Vocal Microphone in her equipment list.

“The d:facto is a wonderful microphone that makes it easy for singers to sing their hearts out without straining their voices,� she says. “It also helps that Roel van Zeelst is a fantastic sound engineer who knows just how to make the microphone work for me in the best possible way.�

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Editors’ information:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com