GE, a global leader in energy research and technology, last week opened its new $40 million, 200,000 square foot Markham, Ontario Grid IQ™ Global Innovation Center dedicated to promoting its next-generation energy management grid. To help bring the center to life in the most engaging, customer-friendly way possible, GE turned to Advanced, Canada’s leading AV integrator, to envision, design and install an integrated AV and IT solution that encompasses 55 rooms including a Customer Experience Center that features a jaw-dropping 58-foot Prysm LPD video wall.

According to Mark Mulford, President and CEO at Advanced, “This expansive AV and IT installation encapsulates GE’s mantra of Imagination At Work and provides an immersive media experience that is vital to convey the forward-thinking technologies GE is developing to improve the efficiency, reliability and security of the world’s electrical grids. As Canada’s premier AV and IT integration company, we are proud to be recognized by GE for our industry-leading solutions and to help GE deliver an unmatched visitor experience.�

The Customer Experience Center brings GE’s Grid IQ™ technologies to life in a visual and easy-to-understand way. Advanced utilized the Prysm video wall and several wall-mounted touchscreen displays to allow customers to explore GE’s energy technologies firsthand and enable them to discover solutions to improve and enhance their energy grids. In fact, it is the world’s largest curved Prysm video wall, measuring 58 feet wide by 7 feet tall and comprising 175 individual tiles with the thinnest seams currently possible. Incorporating today’s greenest large-format display technologies, the video wall consumes just one-tenth the power of traditional digital displays. Video processing is provided by the latest Extron Quantum™ Elite processor and a professional grade multi-zone audio system was installed to complete the media experience. The entire Customer Experience Center features Crestron automation and can be controlled through an iPad.

“GE wanted to create a one-of-a-kind experience for their customers,� said Mulford, “and we proved that Advanced, more than any other integration company, has the knowledge, experience and vision to deliver compelling and effective AV solutions. We worked directly with GE and Prysm on the concept, design and implementation of the system and utilized the newest cutting-edge AV and presentation technologies. This resulted in one of the world’s most immersive digital environments. To put it simply, there is no other system like this on Earth.�

The AV installation encompasses 54 additional rooms including executive offices, boardrooms, training rooms, meeting rooms and many more. One training room, which can be divided into two separate rooms with a motorized wall, is equipped with a SMART 70� LCD interactive display and an enterprise-grade Polycom video conferencing system, allowing simple and effective global conferencing and training sessions. The room also features several large interactive touchscreens, a projector and a fully integrated audio system.

The facility’s executive boardroom is equipped with a Crestron system that controls an NEC projector mounted on an automated projector lift, an audio conferencing system, table-mounted microphones at each seat and ceiling-mounted microphones that provide an unobtrusive solution for presenters.

Even the manufacturing floor got an AV upgrade with more than a dozen 46� LCD monitors gracing its walls to display production stats and other internal GE messaging.

The collaboration room allows individuals to work together in real-time with internal or external staff worldwide. Advanced installed a SMART interactive whiteboard, in-ceiling speakers, microphones, a video conferencing system and a projector to accommodate every type of meeting and interaction. All of the room’s AV functions can be managed through the Crestron control system on a wireless Crestron touchscreen device.

GE knows that happy, healthy employees are productive employees, so they had Advanced create a gym and fitness studio that provides a personal AV experience at each fitness station. Employees can plug in their personal iPads and iPods to listen to music or watch satellite TV or DVDs at each station. The system can direct audio to individual stations or the main loudspeakers throughout the entire gym and fitness studio.

Adding to the Global Innovation Center’s sense of community, the cafeteria serves double duty as the location for Markham’s town hall meetings. The cafeteria features a projector and five NEC LCD displays with built-in speakers to display cable programming for staff and provide video presentation capabilities for town hall meetings, while an integrated video conferencing system with two wireless microphones allows meetings to be broadcast to remote viewers.

About Advanced
Advanced is a leading audiovisual and collaborative communications company working with corporations, government agencies, healthcare, and educational organizations throughout Canada and beyond. Dedicated to innovation in technology and services, Advanced has a strong set of businesses aligned to meet today’s needs. The company offers presentation and videoconferencing solutions in addition to complete integrated systems, visual collaboration systems, rental and staging services, repair, maintenance, and value-added integration services including design and engineering, installation and audiovisual consulting. Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Advanced also has offices in Toronto, Ottawa, London and Sudbury with partner offices located in Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver. To learn more visit www.advanced-inc.com.

DM Audio of Stockholm, Sweden recently used a Martin Audio MLA Compact system with 12 enclosures per side at the Vitabergsparken (White Mountains) for the annual Parkteatern Festival staged by Stockholm City Theater. The festival consists of four weeks of entertainment in the open-air amphitheater.

DM Audio have been servicing the event for many years, and working with show designer MÃ¥rten Ihre, they took the opportunity to swap out their conventional line array with MLA Compact as soon as it became available.

Hosted by the Stockholms Stadsteater subsidiary, Parkteatern (Park Theater), the varied program ranged from soft ballads to high-octane hip-hop and modern Danish dance and Opera. DM Audio responded by beefing up the LF end, running six DSX subs per side, double stacked in a cardioid pattern, to give the neighbors no grounds for complaint against noise escaping at the rear of the stage.

In fact the biggest challenge facing the production crew was eliminating noise escape at the rear. “We set up the ‘hard avoid’ parameters for behind the stage and the controllability of the cardioid subs also ensured that no sound escaped at the back,� said DM Audio President Lars Wern. “Everybody was immensely pleased how we managed to taper off the sound and the result was that there were no complaints.�

This was a fitting way for the Park Theater, now clearly bitten by the digitally controllable bug, to celebrate its 70th year. “We are all very impressed with MLA,� concluded Wern, “It is a fantastic system.�

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

About MLAâ„¢ (Multi-cellular Loudspeaker Array)
The result of many years of intensive R&D, MLA’s methodology replaces trial-and-error array design with intelligent numerical optimization of the array’s output based on a highly accurate acoustic model. The multi-cellular format has six individual cells in each enclosure, each with its own DSP and amplification.

With up to 24 enclosures, each MLA array has up to 144 cells — too great a number to optimize manually, or by ear. Instead, Martin Audio’s proprietary Display2â„¢ system design software automatically calculates FIR DSP filters for each cell and a redundant-ring audio network (U-NETâ„¢) downloads the settings into each array enclosure. Martin Audio’s VU-NETâ„¢ software provides real-time control and monitoring of the system.

MLA delivers a frequency response and SPL consistency never before achievable; a very high system output (140dB peak, per cabinet @1m); Automatic optimization of the array, both physically (splay angles) and electronically (DSP); Computer control and monitoring of the entire system, and total control of sound system balance for engineers and sound technicians.

MLA is fully integrated, with Class D amplification, DSP and U-NET digital audio
network built into each enclosure. MLA complete systems are ready-to-use, with MLA, MLD and MLX enclosures, flying hardware, software, cabling and training all supplied. Everything needed is included. All ancillary items — from tablet PC and Merlin™ controller to network interconnects and mains distro — are also included in the complete system package. This ensures full compatibility worldwide, down to cabling and accessories.

Additional features include 90° x 7.5° dispersion; a compact size (1136mm wide x 372mm high x 675mm deep), one-box-fits-all (festivals to theaters) application range and a global voltage, power factor corrected power supply.

MLA’s compact size and very high output allows it to be shipped using smaller trucks, offering considerable savings and reduced carbon footprint. The system also includes the MLX powered, flyable subwoofer capable of an unprecedented measured peak output of 150dB @ 1m; MLD downfill cabinet, and Merlin 4-in/10-out system controller and network hub. Audio input is via analog, AES3 or U-NET.

By adopting these principles and system components MLA is optimized for every member of the audience — from a 2,000 capacity theater, to a 20,000-seat arena, to a 100,000-person festival site. It will deliver the engineer’s exact mix to every seat (up to over 150 meters) with precision, exceptional power and clarity.

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.

It’s difficult to imagine a place that sounds more relaxing than Hot Springs, Arkansas, which is known as “The Spa City� for its natural thermal springs. But local homeowner Brandon Adams realized that his lakefront home could be an even more stress-free environment if the house could run itself automatically — meaning that the heating, air conditioning, lighting, security and surveillance would work on their own, and be easy to adjust when necessary. After a recent installation of the incredibly powerful and simple to use ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System, this fantasy of the autonomous home is now a reality, offering him one-touch control of every major home subsystem including music and TV in every room!

First, Adams hired Taggart Architecture to design a series of pools and outdoor living areas to connect his new home with the adjacent house. His next call was to Jonesboro, Arkansas-based custom integrator Sound Concepts, which outfitted the home, including all the new living areas, with the latest in audio, video and control technology. The ELAN g! system integrates Lutron lighting and motorized window shades, an HAI security system, IP surveillance cameras, HAI thermostats, garage door controls, 11 Samsung TVs (one outdoors), 45 speakers (indoors and outdoors), and a 7.2 surround sound home theater with two Sunfire HRS12 subwoofers, an Epson projector and a Dragonfly 120� screen. It even incorporates control of the LED lighting on the home’s rooftop dome, the lakefront and in the boathouses.

According to Sound Concepts owner Ryan Heringer, “Mr. Adams’ amazing lakefront home combines the best designs, building materials and craftsmanship with the best home technologies to create a true 21st century living environment, both indoors and out. The home basically runs itself, with pre-programmed schedules for lighting, heating, cooling and the pool equipment, which he can adjust any time with just a few simple buttons on any ELAN g! interface. Simplicity and ease of use is the most important aspect of any technology, so ELAN hit the bullseye when they gave g! the same type of easy-to-understand interface that made the iPhone so popular.�

Adams uses a combination of interfaces to control his home, with easy access through the g!Mobile iPhone and iPad apps, two 10-inch ELAN in-wall touchscreens in the pool house, 13 ELAN in-wall touchscreen throughout the home and boat houses, an under-counter ELAN 10-inch touchscreen, and 10 powerful ELAN HR2 multimedia and home control remotes.

“When I’m outside it’s very convenient to use my iPhone to control the music, the lights and the pool,� Adams said, “but when I’m in the house I almost always use a touch panel or one of the ELAN remotes because they are always on, so it’s easier and faster. The remotes are absolutely the best choice to control the TVs because of the play/pause and volume controls, and it’s just like using a normal TV remote, except it can also turn down the lights and turn up the a/c. Taggart Architecture and Sound Concepts delivered on their promises, and I’m still blown away at how beautiful the property is and how the technology brings everything together.�

About ELAN Home Systems:
Since 1990 ELAN® Home Systems has been an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning Multi-Room audio/video systems. ELAN systems were the first to integrate audio, video, phones and third-party products to create a seamless, easy-to-use “whole house” solution. ELAN systems and products are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select Dealers and Distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com. ELAN is part of the CORE Brands division of the Nortek Technology Solutions Segment (www.nortek-inc.com). CORE Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech®.

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL — Underscoring its commitment to engage new customers in growing market regions with the most comprehensive training and support programs, HARMAN Professional recently hosted a three-day seminar on Installed System Applications in Sao Paulo, Brazil with an international team of presenters. The event was planned in collaboration with Harman’s Brazil Country Head Rodrigo Kniest and Fernando Guerra, Sales Manager for Installed Sound & Cinema. It served to introduce HARMAN product and technology specialists and invited guest speaker and sound system design expert Vance Breshears of Acoustic Dimensions, along with Harman Brazil’s new Pro Sales & Marketing Director, Sergio Luis Smidt, to the audio design and installation community in Brazil.

According to David Scheirman, Director, Knowledge Resources, HARMAN Professional, the seminar is part of a growing information platform being developed to engage and update system designers, specifying engineers and AV consultants worldwide. The timing and choice of location were set to leverage the considerable interest about HARMAN products from audio and systems integration professionals in the Brazilian market. “Since recently making Brazil’s Selenium Electronica an important part of HARMAN Professional’s global business development and growth strategy, we have become much more deeply engaged with audio professionals in this region. That has led to a strong dialog and exchange of ideas,� Scheirman stated. “Cross pollinating geographic regions with ideas and techniques is always exciting and consistently yields value for everyone involved.�

The Sao Paulo program covered the fundamentals of sound and communications systems design from specification to commissioning. Additionally, it provided deep insights into complex system applications including sports stadia, live-performance venues, hospitality venues such as hotels, bars and dance clubs and communication and paging applications ranging from typical conference and boardroom spaces to large-scale transportation facilities. The seminar featured the latest technologies from AKG, BSS, Crown, dbx, JBL and Soundcraft Studer. Attendees also gained an experiential audio-visual exposure to IDX, HARMAN’s new unified paging and message delivery platform. Simultaneous translation in both the English and Portuguese languages was available for all attendees.

“With a robust economy, and with numerous fixed-venue design and installation opportunities resulting from Brazil’s upcoming global-scale sports and entertainment events on the calendar in the next few years, we are investing in more of the necessary personnel and resources to provide our customers with the knowledge and support they require to be successful in these areas,� commented Rodrigo Kniest. “Having firsthand access to world-class experts and leading-edge tools gives our customers a competitive edge in this growing market for sound and communications systems.�

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 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Continuing its mission to provide dealers and end users with compelling system benefits and attractive new products, ELAN® Home Systems today announced a new dealer promotion that offers discounted pricing for various Kwikset, Yale and Leviton Z-Wave door lock products ordered between October 15 and November 30, 2012. The discounts range from 5 percent to 10 percent depending on the product.

ELAN g! integrates best-of-breed Z-Wave lock products from Kwikset, Yale and Leviton which are being offered to dealers through Worthington Distribution in the U.S. and Product Solutions Group in Canada.

According to ELAN Brand Manager Robert Ridenour, ELAN’s newly implemented electronic door lock integration provides dealers with an industry-leading product that will inevitably help them to sell more g! systems. “This promotion gives dealers added incentive to promote ELAN’s most recent expansion of the g! system’s capabilities and will help them convince both new and existing customers that electronic door locks are convenient, safe and affordable,� Ridenour said.

“ELAN’s development team worked with the company’s third-party manufacturers and Worthington Distribution to develop the industry’s best electronic lock integration software and interface,� Ridenour emphasized, “and we want to make it easy for dealers to promote this new product to their clients. We are committed to making sure every dealer and end user knows that ELAN is the best home control system on the market, and continue to work closely with our manufacturing and distribution partners to create dealer promotions that make g! even easier to sell.�

The ELAN g! door lock software features a simple and convenient interface for iOS and Android mobile devices that includes an industry-first history function, allowing users to view past lock activity and monitor who is using which door at what time.

Tom Morgan, Chief Technical Officer at Worthington Distribution, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with ELAN for this electronic lock promotion and expect ELAN dealers to take advantage of these discounts to make g! an even more impressive control system for users in both the residential and commercial markets. We’re huge supporters of home control and Z-Wave products that can simplify people’s lives, and we want to make it both affordable and easy for consumers to modernize their homes.�

And Jim Peebles of Product Solutions Group added that ELAN is taking a best-practices approach with every aspect of the g! system. “This is another level of value-add for the g! system and brings a tremendous amount of value to the users and dealers,� Peebles said. “By partnering with the best lock manufacturers and ELAN, which now offers the industry’s best door lock interface, we’ve developed a limited-time discount program that is sure to add to dealers’ bottom lines and help make electronic door locks a priority for every dealer and end user.�

Interested U.S. dealers can contact Worthington Distribution at 800.282.8864 and sales@worthdist.com, and interested Canadian dealers in Western Canada can call Products Solutions West at 866.923.9948 or in Eastern Canada Product Solutions Group at 877.763.4538. Dealers can also visit http://www.productsolutionsgroup.ca/contact.html to locate their nearest Product Solutions Group sales representative.

The ELAN g! Control System provides users with the most uniform and intuitive icon-based control from their favorite devices including TVs, touchscreens, touchpads, PCs, and Android and iOS mobile devices. The standardized interface works across platforms, so that the trendy g!Mobile app users love on the iPhone appears and works identically on Android and ELAN touchscreens, valets and handheld remotes. And the system’s IP backbone makes it just as easy to control the system from across the room as across the globe.

Individual “apps” for each subsystem allow the user to control security, door locks, climate, lighting, media, irrigation, pool/spa, messaging, video and photos with the flick of a finger. Access is fast and secure through any ELAN home interface or globally with mobile Internet enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Netbooks, Android phones & tablets and personal computers. Since the intuitive interface empowers users with personalized scheduling and detailed history views, high consumption subsystems like lighting and climate can be closely monitored and managed for a greener lifestyle – and substantial energy savings.

First photo: Kwikset Smartcode Lever Collection
Second photo: Yale Z-Wave Electronic Deadbolts
Third photo: Leviton VRC0P Plug-in Serial Interface Module

About Worthington Distribution
The staff at Worthington Distribution has over 50 years of combined experience in security, home automation, telephone, access control, central vac, whole house audio/video (including CCTV and satellite distribution), home theater, and systems integration. They offer real world technical support by field-experienced and factory trained technicians, plus free system design assistance and consultation. For more information visit www.worthingtondistribution.com or contact the sales department at 800.282.8864 or sales@worthdist.com.

About Product Solutions Group
Product Solutions Group, together with it’s sister company Product Solutions West, distributes innovative custom installation products to progressive Canadian retailers and custom integrators. Formed in 1998, Product Solutions Group services Ontario and east. Product Solutions West takes care of Manitoba and west. Having over 50 years combined experience in the CE Industry, the company’s founders have come to know the difference between leading edge and bleeding edge products. We are proud to have partnered with suppliers of quality and distinction, and invite you to learn more by visiting us at www.productsolutionsgroup.ca.

About ELAN Home Systems
Since 1990 ELAN® Home Systems has been an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning Multi-Room audio/video systems. ELAN systems were the first to integrate audio, video, phones and third-party products to create a seamless, easy-to-use “whole house” solution. ELAN systems and products are distributed through a comprehensive channel of select Dealers and Distributors throughout the United States, Canada and more than 58 countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.elanhomesystems.com. ELAN is part of the CORE Brands division of the Nortek Technology Solutions Segment (www.nortek-inc.com). CORE Brands combines the product and marketing strengths of ten iconic audio, power management and control brands into a single business unit that includes ATON®, BlueBOLT®, ELAN®, Furman®, Niles®, Panamax®, Proficient®, SpeakerCraft®, Sunfire® and Xantech®.

Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana has a rich history dating back to humble beginnings with a handful of worshipers in 1834. The congregation now totals close to 4,000 members. With an eye (and ear) to updating its audio footprint and wireless technology, Technical Systems Engineer Brent Whetstine—with the help of Daryl Cripe and Nate Krause of Church Solutions Group—set out on a mission to upgrade TPCC’s main mix and monitor/IE consoles in its newest Worship Center, where the church relocated to in 2007. With the addition of a pair of DiGiCo SD10s and SD racks set up for 96 inputs and 48 outputs, not only did TPCC get a world-class and expandable system that will allow them to grow in the coming years, but also a pristine-sounding clarity to its services. Additionally, it offered its volunteer staff of engineers an educational learning tool.

“We had outgrown our previous consoles both in channel count as well as output, so we had started looking specifically for consoles that doubled our existing capabilities,” Whetstine explains. “Our philosophy was that if we’re going to pay a premium for the next level of digital console, there was no sense in only gaining 12 more inputs, or only eight more outputs, especially knowing that our worship team and its needs would be growing over the next few years. We had looked at the SD8 and really liked the package, but felt like we still needed to double our channel and output capability. When we saw the advertisement in Live Sound magazine for the ‘New SD10 at 96/48,’ we said, ‘That’s our console!’

“We knew we were getting a better console, and we knew of DiGiCo’s reputation for creating stellar-sounding products. What we didn’t bank on was that the volunteers would take to it so quickly. Our volunteer team felt it was easier to get around on than our previous boards and have felt right at home from day one. More than that, we’re constantly in awe at the sound quality. The comment ‘Wow, that sounds great,’ or ‘Wow, I didn’t know it would do that,’ is heard pretty often these days around here.”

The main SD10 console interfaces with a Yamaha DME64 processor by way of AES/EBU, to drive a large LCR array of HPV MAD A-9s, SB412s, MTM-1s and VLFs, all powered by Yamaha PCN series amps. The monitor desk feeds 16 stereo mixes (10 of which are PSM900, with more to be added), two wired mixes for bass and drums offering better low end, and four wireless IEM systems TPCC owned prior to the upgrade.

Some of the system’s feature set proved helpful for their needs—for example, smart keys that allow the operator to easily make quick mix changes like effects and sub boosts without having to hunt down channels. The programmability of scenes with specific recallable functions is way more in-depth than their previous board, allowing for very detailed scene recall per song, and even within songs for dramatic shifts of effects and mix details. And the volunteer engineers cite Snapshot Notes and Virtual Sound Check as veritable blessings.

“I found the EQ to be both subtle and musical,” says Whetstine. “We’re able to do very narrow boosts in upper regions that previously would have been piercing, but on this board, it just makes things stand out of the mix while still sounding natural even when the boost might look wildly dramatic. Minor tweaks of a dB or less are immediately heard, but not sonically noticeable. Even when cuts of 9db or more are applied, it still sounds proper with no odd ‘carved’ or unnatural sounds. Everything just sounds right.

“Also, the effects presets are just perfect,” he adds. “Our mixes, even in our auditorium, sound more live and energetic with stock programs, versus sounding like a concert hall—or very distant-sounding. The stock reverbs just sound like natural ambience without drawing attention to the effect itself. We’ve also upgraded our native plug-ins to TDM. We’re using the Waves’ Blackface CLA-1176 plug-ins on nearly everything, including vocals, drums, bass, acoustics, etc. Having it in-line and not compressed brings a really familiar quality to the vocals. We’re also using a PuigTec EQ on the bass and a PuigChild compressor on guitars. We’ve only purchased these few, as they were what I was familiar with from my time learning audio in Nashville. My next focus will be to step into some mastering plug-ins to help bulletproof audio feeds to recording, video and building systems. I’m also really turning over the idea of some of the different channel strips that are available for plug-ins. We’ve worked for several years with an end goal of developing a sonic signature for the music we produce, and I’m curious if some of those might be a step in that direction. It’s kind of nebulous and evolving, but when you have really cool tools like this available, it makes it really energizing to always be deconstructing what we do to try and make it better.”

Team FOH Main - (L-R) Jeff Johnston (volunteer), Jonathan Ficklin (Vol) Levy Stout (Vol), Mike Blackburn (Vol), Wes Fahlsing (Vol), Brent Whetstine (Technical Systems/Staff)

Another unexpected bonus the console brought to TPCC: it’s been a tool for educational growth for its volunteers, who now have the ability to record rehearsals and tweak the mixes after the fact. TPCC is currently set up to record 48 channels through an RME MADI card on a Logic Audio system, and Whetstine says they hope to purchase a second card to be able to record a full 96 channels without having to juggle inputs between racks. These recordings are currently used for training and virtual soundcheck purposes.

“The training portion is an unbelievable windfall for a church,” he says. “Being able to track our rehearsals and then work on our mixes without the pressure of other people in the room has not only made our mix engineers incredibly good, it has turned out to be an incredible teaching tool. We can bring all of our audio team members in and talk through ideas of channel setup and EQ without the need for a band to do this with. As a church worker and leader of volunteers, I can’t highlight this feature enough for its ability to aid training both new and existing volunteers in a safe manner that had previously been impossible. Also, the ability for a volunteer to work on his mix in a calm environment—some of whom spend up to four to five hours post-rehearsal—away from the stress of a fast-paced rehearsal has done wonders for our engineers, increasing the confidence of their work and the quality of their mixes. In short, the engineers are doing better work and enjoying the final execution more. It also makes Sunday morning that much more enjoyable in that they’re fully prepared, and completely relaxed.”

The SD10s, in addition, solved another sonic challenge. “Being so clean and comfortable to listen to, this console has bought us a lot of grace with our congregation, which has a broad range of ages,” Whetstine confesses. “What I mean by this is that we can be powerful and punchy-sounding without feeling like it’s loud. This was really evident with our previous console in that it was not as smooth as this console, so it sometimes sounded loud even at low volumes. The clarity within the mix is incredible. On some consoles, you can really only put a few things at the forefront of the mix, and the rest of the band is kind of part of the ‘bed.’ On the SD10s, we can hear way back into the mix, which not only makes it easier to pick out individual instruments, but has really kept us on our toes to be better at what we do because the average person can now clearly hear whether the mix is on or not. This board sounds so clean and nice! It’s exposed what we refer to as our ‘club engineer disease’—all of the bad habits developed mixing around sonic inadequacies of other gear we’ve been exposed to, or unrefined work that is the result of a narrow window for the mix to be heard through. There is so much space and subtlety to everything about this console, it’s like you can hear in HD and 3D at the same time. We’re able to mix with more power and volume, allowing the music to really connect with and engage the congregation, whilst not being perceived as being louder. In fact, we’ve even had comments like, ‘I’m glad you finally turned it down,’ when in reality we’re easily 4-6 dB louder!”

One trick he’s happy to impart regards working with the choir: “I’ve found that by assigning the four choir mics to both individual channels and as stereo pairs, I can dial the spread on the stereo pair to Wide and then mix it back in with the original four mics. This makes the choir sound as big as a house with literally no hard work of EQing stuff out. Also, using auxes on faders for monitors while having the knobs follow the selected mix makes it very easy for the monitor engineer to dial up an instrument with a hand on the pan knob and never having to take his eyes off the stage. The pan knob for that instrument is always the pan knob no matter what mix you’ve selected.”

All in all, the SD10 acquisition has offered TPCC incredible benefits for both staff and congregation alike. “The DiGiCo consoles have made us better at what we do in general,” Whetstine says, “and offer our worshipers a message that is sonically clear—and ultimately that is our greatest goal.”

EAST SYRACUSE, New York — Like many high schools across the country, the audio console for East Syracuse-Minoa High School’s auditorium needed to be replaced. Like most high schools these days, the available budget was limited. Sound contractor Brown Sound Equipment Corp. of East Syracuse, New York helped the school achieve its goal with the installation of a HARMAN Soundcraft Si Compact 32 digital console, which not only delivers better performance but was easier to install—and provided additional benefits not envisioned at the project’s inception.

“Originally the district had budgeted for a 32-channel analog console—but they wanted to run 44 channels of wired and wireless mics from the stage,� said Jim Messinger, co-owner of Brown Sound. “The original idea meant running lots of copper from the stage with fan-outs at the board, with the person at the console manually patching in whatever inputs were needed for each particular event. We knew there was a better solution out there.�

Working with David Dusman of Sigmet, Soundcraft’s regional sales rep firm, Messinger took a look at the Si Compact 32. “It was apparent this was the right solution, was within our budget and would enable us to upgrade from analog to digital,� Messinger said. The upgrade was part of an overall remodeling of the auditorium’s audio capabilities, brought to fruition under the oversight of Amanda Thomas of King+King Architects, Syracuse, NY, Jon Helberg, electrical engineer at IBC Engineering in Rochester, NY and East Syracuse-Minoa High School music director Steve Culhane.

In order to get 44 channels into the 32-channel Si Compact 32, Brown Sound also opted for a Soundcraft Compact Stagebox. “We configured the Stagebox to have 48 inputs to send to the console, with eight returns for the BSS Soundweb London processors in the stage rack,� Messinger noted. “It connects to the console via two Cat5 cables—a main and a backup—feeding into a MADI card in one of the Si Compact 32’s expansion slots. Using just the two Cat5 cables from the Stagebox to the console really simplified the installation—we were able to do a lot of the preliminary work off-site—and saved a great deal of time.�

The operator of the Si Compact 32 console can choose up to 32 of the microphones he or she wants to use—more than enough for any school event. Eight outputs from the console are fed into a Lexicon I-O/FW801S FireWire™ recording interface that’s connected to an iMac® for 8-track live recording.

“We knew the Si Compact 32 was small, but we didn’t realize just how much space it saved until we put it in the Secure Cabinet locking rolltop cabinet that King+King had specified for the install,� Messinger said. “The cabinet was specified before we had finalized the decision on the console and the Si Compact 32 just looked tiny in that huge space. However, this turned out to be an advantage. Originally we were going to place a combination CD/iPod® player and the I-O/FW801S under the console where they would have been hard to reach. Instead, I had room to place them above the console in a ‘bridge’ I constructed, which makes them a lot easier to access. There’s also room for future expansion if needed.�

“The Si Compact 32 really makes sense for this kind of application,� Messenger concluded. “It really eased the school’s transition from analog to digital, it fit into our budget and it’s more intuitive than any console we’ve used before.�

For more information on Brown Sound Equipment Corp., please visit www.brownsound.com

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 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Manhattan, New York — Imagine a spacious, sunlit park full of trees and grass, greenery and people. It’s not hard to picture—except this park will be completely undergound. “Imagining the LowLine: A First Glimpse of a Future Underground� is a New York exhibit that lets people experience the environment of LowLine, an underground park proposed for the site of the former Williamsburg Trolley Terminal located below Delancey Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

Along with the lighting, greenery and architecture, the goal was to emulate the sonic environment people would experience above ground. To accomplish this, Alban Bassuet, venue and acoustic consultant at Arup envisioned, designed and installed a 3D sound system comprised of 16 wall-mounted JBL CBT50LA-1 column speakers and eight Control 25AV compact indoor/outdoor speakers throughout the space, all powered by three Crown ComTech DriveCore CT8150 amplifiers. Dash 7 Design, a creative design and fabricator firm in New York, helped with constructing the installation.

Anne Guthrie from ARUP composed the soundscape for the installation, which features music, trains, birds and children playing and other sounds, all filtered, processed and manipulated by Guthrie. The multichannel soundtrack was processed, recorded and played back using proprietary programs written for Max-MSP using Ambisonics, delivering a 3-dimensional sound field.

“We chose the JBL CBT50LA-1 loudspeakers for a number of reasons,� noted Bassuet. “The exhibit space, which measures about 200’ long, 60’ wide and 18-foot high ceilings has a lot of natural reverberation. However, in order to successfully use Ambisonics, the sound from the speakers has to be focused and the speakers have to be accurately aimed. The CBT50LA-1 has a precise coverage pattern, which kept unwanted reverb to a minimum and the sound field seamless.�

“In addition, the CBT50LA-1’s’ wall-mounting angle bracket proved to be a very useful feature. The bracket enabled us to precisely aim the speakers and get the Ambisonics to work. The system really immerses you in the sonic environment and the mood created by the composer.�

The exhibit, which ran from September 15–27, is located at the Essex Street Warehouse on the corner of Essex and Broome streets in Manhattan. Striking in design with sweeping, organically curved ceiling sections, the exhibit has a remote skylight system, inviting seating areas—and an abundance of trees, grass and plants.

On the kid’s day, an iPad and wiimote interface designed by Terence Caulkins and Joseph Digerness from ARUP were given to kids from different visiting schools to move sound in 3D across the entire system, which was very popular and a successful way to engage with the kids and raise their awareness of sound and space.

“The ‘Imagining the LowLine’ exhibit is a major part of helping to popularize the idea of LowLine,� said Bassuet, who noted that a feasibility study would be submitted to New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (owners of the Williamsburg Trolley Terminal) in January 2013. “LowLine underground is not only a great public gathering space, but with its columns, walls and ceiling it also offers the possibility to build an audio-visual infra-structure which could support a number of diverse installations and events. It’ll be a wonderful addition to one of New York’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods.�

For additional details, please visit www.thelowline.org.

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 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 13,400 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

The issue of proper employee classification is taking on new urgency now that the U.S. Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service have joined forces with 13 states to increase pressure on companies, according to Take1 Entertainment Insurance Executive Vice President and Program Director Scott Carroll.

“Time is running out and the clock for the live event production industry couldn’t be ticking any louder,� Carroll said today. “The fact is many companies currently classify their employees as 1099 independent contractors in order to save on benefits, and while it’s a common practice, it could end up costing business owners a lot of money in penalties and back wages.�

Since September 2011, several judgments have been handed down that included up to $500,000 in back wages and $75,000 in penalties. However, the IRS has given business owners an incentive to be proactive by instituting a new Voluntary Classification Settlement Program that allows companies the IRS accepts for participation to reclassify workers as employees and to receive 90 percent amnesty on past due employment taxes, with no interest or penalties.

According to Carroll, now is the best time for companies to evaluate their employees tax designations and make changes if necessary. “With the possibility of large penalties and back wages, every business owner should review their records and employee status to make sure they are classifying their employees properly. As an insurance professional it’s my business to minimize risk, and in this case the risk to business owners is large while the steps needed to correct any problems are relatively easy and much more affordable than a large settlement.�

With the launch of a new smartphone app called “Eat Shop Sleep�, the Department Of Labor has even begun using social media to encourage proper practices and discourage improper classification. “Eat Shop Sleep� is a local business reviews app similar to Yelp!, with the added twist of displaying any health, safety or labor violations against the business. This type of public awareness could be detrimental to any business in any industry.

U.S. Risk’s entertainment arm, Take1 Insurance, which has specialized in insuring the live and non-live entertainment industries for more than 25 years, is studying this issue on behalf of its thousands of insured who utilize 1099 workers in an effort to provide them with guidance and help them adapt to the changing regulations.

“With the increase in tax law enforcement across the country, the implications for rental and staging business owners are astounding,� Carroll said. “The large settlements that have already been handed down are certainly big enough to bankrupt a company. Every business owner should review their employee tax classifications and speak with their insurance provider to ensure they avoid hefty government penalties. Any company that is found to be operating with improper employee classifications could also face higher insurance premiums, adding to the cost. One solution that has worked for the film and television industry is to utilize a payroll service, which helps companies protect themselves from unforeseen costs and tax burdens and avoid blemishing their own insurance policies at the same time.�

Payroll services aren’t free, and using one will likely cause labor costs to rise, but the decision to utilize a payroll service is the smart choice in light of the enormous exposure a company could face if they are audited by the IRS. Business owners can either operate according to tax classification requirements in order to steer clear of any problems, or they can skirt the issue and wait to be audited. By converting independent contractors to temporary employees, companies can eliminate long-term liability while lowering short-term liability costs.

For tour sound, satellite uplink and rental and staging companies who want to be successful and experience growth in 2012 and beyond, these tax exposures need to be addressed, and using a payroll service provider is the easiest, most surefire way to guarantee everything is being done by the books and the company is free of risk.

For more information on this issue, interested parties can contact Scott Carroll, Executive Vice President and Program Director Scott Carroll at Take1 Entertainment Insurance at 714.285.4090 or scott@take1insurance.com.

About U.S. Risk Insurance Group
U. S. Risk Insurance Group, Inc. is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas. Operating 12 domestic and international branches, it offers a broad range of products and services through its affiliate companies, which include U.S. Risk Underwriters, U.S. Risk Brokers, Lighthouse Underwriters, LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Omnisure Consulting Group, Oxford Insurance Brokers, Ltd. (London), Goss Reinsurance Brokers, LLC, and NovaPro Risk Solutions, LP. Its entertainment division, Take1, has served as the official endorsed insurance provider for the last 15 years INFOCOMM, the leading association of A/V communications industry professionals.

“If you’re asking me ‘What is the most underestimated power of filmmaking?’ that would be sound,� says filmmaker Geert Verdickt. To remedy this situation, the multi-award-winning video journalist has joined forces with audio specialist Sennheiser to develop a series of tutorial videos dedicated to the subject of audio for video filmmakers. In a total of five episodes, Geert Verdickt shows ambitious filmmakers how to record perfect sound for their videos, and does it in a way that is both professional and entertaining. New tutorials will be uploaded to www.sennheiserusa.com/audioforvideo every two weeks through November 14.

“The video series is packed with useful tips on every aspect of audio for video, ranging from everyday situations to particularly challenging filming environments,� explained Oliver Ohrndorf, Marketing Manager Professional at Sennheiser. “The tutorials are aimed at video journalists, video filmmakers and amateurs who want to enhance their video images with excellent sound. Geert Verdickt is not only an outstanding video filmmaker but also an entertainer who is able to inspire and motivate his audience.�

The subjects dealt with in the tutorials include wireless audio recording, choosing the right microphone, recording with DSLR cameras and using shotgun microphones, as well as tips and tricks for avoiding proximity effect and reducing wind noise.

A win-win situation
Not only does each tutorial provide valuable information, it also gives participants a chance to win an attractive prize by answering a question on the subject. For each episode, there will be a chance to win three combinations of an MKE 600, Sennheiser‘s new video shotgun microphone and a set of classic HD 25-II headphones. The winners will be drawn from all the correct answers submitted.