BUENA PARK, Calif.—Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) played a major role in parent company’s 125th anniversary celebration, providing the sound system used at a concert held at the Disney’s Hyperion Theatre during the NAMM Show in Anaheim. YCAS managed all live audio production equipment requirements including the design and implementation of a large-scale Dante network from inputs to speakers and were on hand for assistance to guest artist engineers.

The concert, which featured performances by Amy Grant; Chaka Khan; Dave Grusin; Earth, Wind & Fire; David Foster; Dave Koz; Michael McDonald; Sarah McLachlan; Toto; Lucy Schwartz; new artist LEOGUN; the USC Marching Band; and house band, under the musical direction of Nathan East.

Three Yamaha CL5 digital consoles were used at front of house (one for the orchestra, one for the house band, and one for guest bands) for a total of 150 inputs, two CL5s were used at monitors, two DME64N digital mix engines were used for Dante Network Bridging and FOH speaker system processing, NXAMP4x4s for amplification with NX-DT104 Dante cards, NEXO RS18 and S118 subwoofers, NEXO PS10 speakers for front fill, NEXO 45N-12 stage monitors, LS600 and DXS15 subwoofers for drum mix subs, and, for flown for the first time in the U.S., the new NEXO STM line array used as FOH Mains.

“The new CL5 console is amazing,� states front of house engineer Bryan Lenox, who mixed many of the guest artists as well as the house band. “The three CL5s were linked together and talking to one another during a very complex show. We had a multitude of artists, background singers, multiple pianos, horns, percussionists, a multi-track recording truck, and a live broadcast stream of audio and video. The console is very user friendly and quick to get around; the flexibility, touch screen, and color-coding groups of faders are very helpful especially when having to make quick moves. The console routing is great, and although you can do just about anything with the routing, the layout can even be customized by the engineer.� Lenox said the Neve and Pultec plug-ins sounded great on kick, snare, bass, and vocals. “The new NEXO STM rig sounded unbelievable and very rich sounding while retaining detail, clarity, and punch. It was very easy to get a great sound with the combination of the consoles and the STM.�

The night’s crescendo, however, was Sir Elton John who ended the concert with an amazing five-song set. A historical evening for Yamaha Pianos as John played a Disklavier reproducing piano onstage, accompanied by a 60-piece orchestra, as his actual piano keystrokes were faithfully played, note for note, in real time (via MIDI data) on remote Disklavier pianos all over the world. He and the orchestra were visible on adjacent monitors in perfect sync with the remote piano performance, and even fans from around the world without a Disklavier were able to witness the event via a live streaming feed.

“I enjoyed using the CL, in fact, when we have solo shows with Elton similar to the Yamaha event, it will be my desk of choice,â€� states Matt Herr, front of house engineer for Elton John. “I’m a fan of Yamaha desks and have been for many years. The product reliability and global service is second to none.â€� Herr has been using a PM5K when the band performs with John. “The CL is very user friendly and sounded really good in my opinion. The Neve inserts sounded fantastic; I used one of the compressors on Elton’s vocal. Normally, I use an outboard compressor, but this one worked quite well. As far as the NEXO STM line array, it sounded nice and smooth, and I’d like to get my hands on it with the band and really drive it to see what it can do. It seems like it would be a good large line array as opposed to some of the smaller ones out there.â€�

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Photo 1: Matt Herr, Photo 2: Bryan Lenox

About Yamaha CAbout Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:About Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc.:
Celebrating 125 years of Passion and Performance, and 25 years in the manufacturer of high quality digital audio consoles, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. (YCAS) provides a full line of integrated professional audio products offering complete systems solutions for the broadcast, sound reinforcement/installed sound, touring, commercial recording, and post production markets. With the addition of NEXO to the product line, the company remains the official U.S. and Canadian distributor for all NEXO speaker models. YCAS offers comprehensive in-house and field product training for its customers, a dedicated dealer network, and 24/7 technical support.

After a live try-out of DPA’s d:facto™ Vocal Microphone at London’s Royal Festival Hall, sound production and rental company RNSS was so impressed with their performance that it has placed an order for six of the new d:facto II Vocal Microphones.

RNSS specified DPA d:facto Vocal Microphones as part of the audio equipment for the London Jazz Festival, an annual event produced in association with BBC Radio 3. Hailed as the capital’s biggest pan-city music festival, The London Jazz Festival featured artists such as Herbie Hancock and Lucinda Williams.

Richard Nowell, director of RNSS, says: “We have had a long association with DPA Microphones and already carry a large stock of the company’s products. I was intrigued by the new d:facto Vocal Microphone and was keen to try it out. The Jazz Festival gave us the perfect opportunity to put it through its paces. We borrowed two d:factos from DPA’s UK distributor Sound Network and used them as high end alternatives to our usual vocal mics. They performed flawlessly and delivered exceptional sound that was much appreciated by the artists and the sound crew.

“Their ability to filter out unwanted noise meant that we could safely use them for singers who were performing in front of an orchestra without the risk of their vocals being drowned out.”

One of the artists who used DPA’s d:facto Vocal Microphone was Kris Kristofferson who performed at the Royal Festival Hall shortly after the Jazz Festival.

“We had hung onto the microphones because we liked them so much and wanted to use them for Kris’s concert,” Nowell says. “Kris is interested in sound and is always open to trying something new. He really liked the structure and tonal quality of the d:facto and was very happy with the results it delivered.”

Equally at home in sound reinforcement and recording applications, DPA’s new d:facto II Vocal microphone offers an extraordinarily natural sound, high separation and extreme SPL handling, giving users unlimited possibilities for their performances. In addition to use with the new wired DPA handle, the d:facto provides singers and engineers with the added benefit of a state-of-the-art adapter system that allows for seamless integration with many professional wireless systems including Sony, Lectrosonics, Shure, Wisycom and Sennheiser. The d:facto provides improved audio performance as it is superbly linear in frequency and phase, both on- and off-axis, while its impressive definition and accuracy reproduces a singer’s voice effortlessly.

RNSS will be taking delivery of its new DPA d:facto Vocal Microphones in a few weeks time and is already anticipating plenty of interest.

“We have decided to buy six of the new d:facto II microphones so that we can use them with our existing wireless systems,” Richard Nowell adds. “We see huge potential for these microphones as rental items because they are so versatile. The adapter system will give our customers plenty of options as they can either use a wired DPA handle or the professional wireless system of their choosing, with no loss in the sound quality.”

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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

BURBANK, CA, FEBRUARY 20, 2013—With awards season well underway, Bexel, a unit of the Vitec Group’s Services Division and a leading worldwide provider of broadcast services and solutions, is in full force—providing E! Entertainment Television with the field equipment and engineering support it requires for the live broadcast of some of Hollywood’s most renowned awards shows. Bexel’s equipment and dedicated engineers successfully supported the network’s coverage of the Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and Grammy Awards, and will be behind the scenes for the upcoming Academy Awards® as well.

With awards shows, Bexel must take multiple filming locations into consideration, including the red carpet, lobby and post-show area. As a result, Bexel’s custom rental packages can be quite extensive, including monitors for production use (talent), program feeds and monitors for on-air support and decoration. To ensure all the technical components run smoothly throughout an awards show telecast, two Bexel engineers are staffed onsite to manage intercoms, talent mics and IFBs. In addition, Bexel provides a voice over translation package utilized at the E! main studio for live translation into French and German.

For the 2013 awards show season, Bexel has supplied E! with multiple systems-based solutions, including a selection of intercoms and accessories from Clear-Com and RTS. Bexel custom packages for the awards have also included on-air and production monitoring, multiple channels of RF microphones from Sennheiser and production servers from EVS. To ensure all wireless devices operate without interference or loss of signal, Bexel employs a frequency coordination service for E! when necessary.

“As the most knowledgeable live-event resource and systems integration-driven provider in the world, we take pride in delivering unparalleled creative solution designs and total quality of service to all of our clients, including E!,� says Greg Bragg, regional sales director, Bexel. “In addition to our technical acumen and experience, we are committed to bringing these tenets to everything we do.�

E! Entertainment Television is a network of NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience.

About Bexel
Bexel is the pre-eminent worldwide provider of broadcast services including video and audio equipment rentals, fiber services, new audio sales, used equipment sales, and repairs/maintenance. Bexel provides brilliantly designed and flawlessly executed systems and solutions to all customers – including producers of the biggest and most important televised events in the world. For more information, visit http://www.bexel.com.

About the Vitec Group:
Capture the momentâ„¢
For over 100 years, through every innovation in photography, film and digital image-making, Vitec businesses have developed a powerful portfolio of brand and products that have enabled some of the most amazing moments to be captured under some of the most challenging conditions. Vitec is an international Group principally serving customers in the broadcast photographic and military aerospace and government (MAG) markets. Vitec is based on strong, well-known premium brands on which its customers worldwide rely. Vitec is organized in three divisions: Videocom, Imaging and Services Videocom designs and distributes systems and products used in broadcasting and live entertainment, film and video production and MAG. Imaging designs, manufactures and distributes equipment and accessories for photography, video and events. Service provides equipment rental, workflow design and technical support for camera, video, audio, fiber optic and wireless technology used by TV production and film crews. More information can be found at www.vitecgroup.com.

Mid-America Sound will hold a Yamaha CL Series Orientation/Learning Session and Open House on
Wednesday, February 27 from 1:00 – 8:00 pm

6643 West 400 North, Greenfield, Indiana

Learn about the Yamaha CL Series
from Yamaha Representative Mike Eiseman

Refreshments and snacks will be served from 4pm to 8pm.

For registration and information visit, http://midamericasound.eventbrite.com/

RSVP Jason Wells at Jason@midamericasound.com or call 317-947-9980.

Effective business succession planning, one of the most important issues facing the current generation of ProAV business owners, is taking center stage in a new four-part, InfoComm-hosted webinar series premiering today, February 20, 2013, that is being sponsored exclusively by Stampede Presentation Products, Inc.

According to Stampede President & COO Kevin Kelly, Stampede is working closely with InfoComm, Stiernberg Consulting, and the law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris, and Arthur LLP to create a complete and compelling webinar series that carefully introduces InfoComm members to every strategic and tactical issue involved in developing and implementing a successful succession plan. “Many InfoComm members have spent the better part of their careers building very successful businesses that need not and should not fade away simply because the founders are approaching their own individual retirements,� Kelly emphasized today. “For years, Stampede has offered its dealers succession planning counseling and now we are taking this commitment to an entirely new level by joining forces with InfoComm, Stiernberg Consulting, and Porter, Wright, Morris, and Arthur LLP to create the industry’s first association hosted series on this critically important issue.�

Kelly explained that the webinar series will cover a high level view of succession planning, including long-term exit strategy options; hypothetical examples of successful mergers and acquisitions including specific ‘do’s and don’ts;’ tips for developing an exit strategy including critical success factors; and the legal ramifications of mergers and acquisitions. Each webinar will be recorded and hosted on the InfoComm web site. After each initial webcast, the individual sessions will continue to be hosted on the InfoComm web site for six months.

Remaining webinars in this series include:
March 6th at 1:00 p.m. EST – “So You Think You Want to Sell Your Companyâ€�
More information and registration here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35821.htm

March 13th at 1:00 p.m. EST – “Successful AV Industry Mergers & Acquisitionsâ€�
More information and registration here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35822.htm

March 20th at 1:00 p.m. EST – “Critical Success Factors for Your Long-Term Planâ€�
More information and registration here: http://www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/infocomm/hs.xsl/35823.htm

About Stampede
Known for its value-added distribution, Amherst, New York-based Stampede is the leading distributor of presentation equipment including LCD/DLP projectors and flat panel displays. Stampede provides a complete range of brand name presentation equipment to a variety of audio/video, computer, and home theater resellers and integrators in the United States, Canada and Latin America. These resellers rely on Stampede for value-added services in distribution, marketing and solution- based sales. Stampede annually produces the “Big Book of AV,� an 816-page catalog and companion website (www.BigBookofAV.com) providing hundreds of sales, installation and spec tips for Stampede’s dealers in addition to product details on more than 5,000 SKUs. For more information on Stampede, log onto www.stampedeglobal.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Click here to Visit Cobalt at NAB 2013 Booth N 4624COBALT DIGITAL’S GROWTH SPURS MOVE TO LARGER QUARTERS

Urbana, IL – Cobalt Digital is on the move. Citing tremendous growth as the catalyst, Chris Shaw, Cobalt Digital’s EVP of sales and marketing, has announced that the company is moving to larger quarters in Champaign, IL. The manufacturer of award-winning 3G/HD/SD-SDI conversion gear has already begun the process by relocating the engineering staff to its new 20,000 sq. ft. facility. The remainder of the company will follow later this year.

The new building more than doubles the size of the Company’s headquarters which will house administration, manufacturing, management, technical support and accounting. Cobalt’s sales team will continue to operate from regional offices strategically located throughout the world.

“Every aspect of Cobalt Digital is growing!� exclaimed Shaw. “We’ve recently expanded the sales staff, and thanks to input from our customers, our product ranges are reaching broader markets and geographical regions. Having all departments under one roof will streamline the entire R&D and manufacturing process and allow us to react to customer requests faster.“

The move coincides with numerous product launches scheduled to be revealed at a Press Conference to be held at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) on Tuesday, April 9, 2013 at 9AM in Booth 4624 in the LVCC, Las Vegas, NV.

###
ABOUT COBALT DIGITAL INC.
Cobalt Digital Inc. designs and manufactures award-winning 3G/HD/SD conversion gear for the broadcast television environment. Distributed through a worldwide network of dealers, system integrators, and other partnerships, Cobalt products are backed with a 5-year warranty. For more information, visit http://www.cobaltdigital.com.

Company Contact: Chris Shaw, EVP of Sales and Marketing
+1-217-344-1243 / chris.shaw@cobaltdigital.com

Press Contact: Desert Moon Communications / Harriet Diener
+1-845-512-8283 / harriet@desertmooncomm.com

Maryland Sound International Utilizes Optocore Network Rings for Signal Distribution and Monitoring

WASHINGTON D.C., FEBRUARY 19, 2013 – When audio integrator Maryland Sound International (MSI) was once again tasked with supplying the main audio system for President Barack Obama’s second presidential inauguration on January 21, 2013, the company employed two Optocore Networks. MSI, a longtime user of Optocore technology, a leading choice for powering professional audio, video and data transmission networks in a variety of markets, including broadcast, post production and AV, chose the networks for their multiple levels of redundancy and reputation of superior reliability. This marks the third presidential inauguration in a row for which MSI has chosen Optocore equipment for the critical audio distribution.

With the ceremony taking place on the grounds of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. in January, MSI was faced with unpredictable winter conditions as well as a long transmission path back to MSI’s Front-of-House position, nearly 2,000 feet from the last speaker tower. MSI and audio designer Patrick Baltzell needed a way to distribute audio signals with as few conversions as possible in order to ensure the approximately 1,000,000 attendees of the ceremony heard every word.

MSI chose Optocore Network technology in order to drive the signal chain directly from the Yamaha PM5D FOH mixing console using Optocore YG2 Yamaha cards that were connected with redundant fiber cabling to the locations of the loudspeaker processors and amplifiers. This provided MSI with lossless digital transmission, which is critical in order to properly transport the audio with crisp sound and clarity over such a long distance transmission path without any glitches.

“The Optocore Networks we put in place for this year’s ceremony certainly made access to all of the amplifiers, signal processors and overall signal distribution far easier and more reliable than in the past,” says Brian Bednar, system technician, MSI. “This time around, everything was more streamlined and faster to set up and tear down at the end of the event.”

The main Optocore Network consisted of one YG2 card in the Yamaha PM5D FOH mixing console connected to an Optocore DD32 networked AES/EBU device on stage right and another DD32 on stage left. Each DD32 was connected to an Optocore X6P-8/8 analog converter and a Dolby DLP loudspeaker processor via AES. The X6P converters gave MSI the ability to feed all the devices that were not AES and/or not driven through the Dolby processor units.

The second Optocore Network consisted of one YG2 card in the PM5D connected to an Optocore DD32R-FX networked AES/EBU device at delay zone 1 (700 feet away) and another DD32R-FX at delay zone 2 (1500 feet away). Each DD32R-FX was connected to an Optocore X6P-16IN analog converter and a Dolby processor via AES. Both networks featured redundant fiber connections.

The DD32R-FX proved to be a helpful add-on for this year’s sound system, with its built-in network wide Ethernet switch. The Optocore Network allowed MSI an easy access to the Dolby DLP loudspeaker processors and amplifiers located off the main site. With a broad part of the sound system offsite, it was then easy to maintain control and monitoring of all the devices on the network to see if they were functioning to MSI’s specifications.

“It is my role to help the FOH engineer tune the system, so having access to all parts of the system at all times in order to make changes without my needing to leave the FOH position is invaluable,” says Art Isaacs, project manager, MSI. “The X6P-16IN converters gave us the functionality to run measurement microphones from multiple city blocks away back to the FOH position. Using the Optocore system proved itself to us in many ways. The sound system was extremely quiet due to the all-AES based drive system. Ethernet access to all of the online devices proved extremely helpful and provided great flexibility. I can only hope that in 2017 that we can continue to work with Optocore systems and further enhance the sound system.”

The relationship between Optocore and MSI goes back for almost a decade. “Optocore has been part of MSI’s rental inventory since 2004,” says Tine Helmle, director, Optocore. “We are proud to provide MSI with the solutions it needed to ensure the audio was heard loud and clear during such an important and historic U.S. event as the presidential inauguration. We look forward to working with them well into the future.”

About Optocore
Based in Munich, Germany, Optocore is the world market leading provider of scalable, high-bandwidth, low-latency fiber-optic networks for the transmission of audio, video and data. For 19 years, Optocore has been continuously innovating and setting new standards with regards to digital network technology. Optocore builds and develops synchronous optical fiber and CAT5 based network solutions for broadcast professionals, fixed installations and live event applications. Utilizing leading-edge technology and high-quality components Optocore guarantees durability and therefore long-term market and customer satisfaction. Due to the open system architecture, Optocore’s platform offers other manufacturers the option to transfer conventional standard audio, video and data formats used in the pro audio industry, via a fiber and CAT5 network. Technical expertise, QoS and an extensive support structure are guaranteed to all customers, together with the highest level of quality controls. For more information, visit www.optocore.com.

InfoComm 2013 adds timely new programming, including several workshops to the roster of can’t-miss events at the annual show, taking place in Orlando, Florida, June 8-14, at the Orange County Convention Center. New show programming and events for 2013 include a revised InfoComm Opening Reception, Tech Zone Pavilions, InfoComm University sessions and more providing a comprehensive schedule of events introducing new content throughout each day. Full conference information and attendee registration information is now available at infocommshow.org.

“In the evolving audiovisual (AV) industry, new possibilities for creative interaction and innovation are constant,� said InfoComm Executive Director and CEO David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD. “All year long, InfoComm strives to keep abreast of those evolutions and offer a nurturing environment for ideas, growth and innovation. This makes our annual show the place for the entire industry to collaborate, communicate and connect.�

New InfoComm 2013 Programming Highlights
InfoComm 2013 will feature expanded programming from InfoComm University. More than half of all InfoComm University programs are new, including:
• Women in Technology Symposium
• Digital Image Content in Live Event Production
• CTS-I Prep
• Business Leadership Workshop
• Four new digital signage sessions
• Integrating AV Services in an IT Dominated World

Exhibit Floor Highlights
InfoComm 2013 is adding smaller, more focused exhibit areas on the show floor with the introduction of Tech Zone Pavilions featuring new products and services in emerging categories of security, education technology and digital content creation.

Networking Opportunities
InfoComm 2013 is the place for the AV industry to connect and collaborate. New this year, the show offers new opportunities for networking and collaboration.

• InfoComm Opening Reception – free reception with defined networking areas to facilitate peer-to-peer interaction.

• First-Timers Orientation & Tour – meet the InfoComm team on a guided tour of the show floor

InfoComm 2013, the largest commercial audiovisual show, has grown to attract more than 35,000 attendees from wide-ranging market sectors, including business, government, military, education, worship, healthcare, hospitality, retail and entertainment. Along with a trade show floor that exhibits the latest from all of the industry leaders in audiovisual, staging, signage and more, the educational programming provides attendees with opportunities to develop skills and update certifications during the conference.

For more news on InfoComm 2013 before, during and after the show, visit infocommshow.org or follow the show on Facebook, and Twitter and the InfoComm 2013 Blog.

InfoComm is sponsored by Black Magic Design, Christie, Crestron, Panasonic and Samsung.

About InfoComm International
InfoComm International® is the international trade association representing the professional audiovisual and information communications industries. Established in 1939, InfoComm has more than 5,000 members, including manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, independent consultants, programmers, rental and staging companies, end-users and multimedia professionals from more than 80 countries. InfoComm International is the leading resource for AV standards, market research and news. Its training, certification and education programs set a standard of excellence for AV professionals. InfoComm International is the founder of InfoComm, the largest annual conference and exhibition for AV buyers and sellers worldwide. InfoComm also produces trade shows in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. Additional information is available at infocomm.org.

Kris Turnbull Studios, one of Europe’s leading interior designers, recently demonstrated his belief that contemporary home design must incorporate integrated AV and control technologies. He did so by opening a new flagship design studio in Belfast, Ireland that features the ELAN® g! Entertainment and Control System, complete with multiple zones of Niles® and Sunfire® high-fidelity speakers. The innovative interior designer makes modern technology an integral design element in many projects and recognizes that chic, life-enhancing electronics add value to a luxury living environment.

“My luxury-minded clients desire breathtaking interiors that break convention and delight the senses,� Kris Turnbull said. “Modern design has reached a confluence between architecture, decoration and technology that provides an unprecedented level of comfort, security and enjoyment, seamlessly blending environment with enhanced home functionality. My experience in the modern design industry has led me to embrace the new realities of home living that require a ground-level understanding that technology is often as vital to a homeowner’s satisfaction as the furnishings, window dressing, accessories and lighting.

“This beautiful new showroom proves that AV and integration technologies can add significant value to any living space while remaining nearly invisible. The open layout of the showroom highlights my expertise in creating uniquely attractive and comfortable arrangements, and the installed technologies provide all the modern conveniences that today’s homeowners and homebuyers desire. ELAN, Niles and Sunfire make top-quality products that blend into any décor.�

To create the showroom, Kris Turnbull transformed a former church into an open floorplan design center that features 10 distinct areas including living spaces, bedrooms, dining areas and a walk-in closet that each present a unique modern design aesthetic. Using the finest materials and furnishings from the likes of Fendi Casa, Kenzo Maison, Donghia New York and Christopher Guy, he presents a vision of modern living that appeals to a luxury-minded clientele.

“The studio reflects the luxury market. I am currently designing homes in London, Paris, Portugal, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bermuda and Montenegro, so there is a breadth of architecture and regional stylistic influence that permeates my work across the globe. The one constant, no matter what location, is that if a client desires modern technologies, they want them to be unobtrusive and so easy to use that there is no learning involved. Technology adds value to a living environment when it makes traditional activities simpler and more intuitive. All of the electronics in the new design studio exemplify this mindset by providing enhanced comfort and usability in every type of space.�

The system was designed, specified and supplied by Indigo Distribution, the leading custom electronics distributor in Ireland. Several of the design spaces feature Niles in-ceiling and in-wall speakers that seamlessly blend into the décor with fully paintable magnetically-attached grilles, allowing the studio to present an ultra-premium sonic experience that is heard, but not seen. In one area that includes a high-definition TV, Sunfire’s audiophile bookshelf speakers are used to envelop the guests in a 5.1 surround soundscape that rivals the power and clarity of a commercial movie theater. The design offices, which are located on the second floor, also feature Sunfire speakers for listening to music during work.

The ELAN g! Entertainment and Control System consolidates control of the design studio’s three TVs and multiple audio zones, which can be simply accessed and adjusted through two in-wall ELAN LCD touchscreens, two ELAN HR2 wand-style remotes with touchscreens, or the g!Mobile app for Android, iOS, PCs and Mac computers. In the spring of 2013, Kris Turnbull Studios will add Niles outdoor speakers that are designed to look like landscape lighting to complete the building’s audio system.

The award-winning Kris Turnbull Studios has grown to 16 employees in just six years and its work has been profiled in several major design and lifestyle publications. The company recently expanded beyond interior design with the addition of in-house architects and interior architects who provide creative input and technical designs, creating a full-service home design agency that can see a project through from conception to furnishing. For more information about Kris Turnbull Studios and to view a gallery of its work, please visit www.kristurnbull.com.

Photo 1: From left to right: Simon Spears of ELAN Home Systems, Kris Turnbull and Matthew Booth of Indigo Distribution.

Photo 2: The new Kris Turnbull Studios Design Center includes several areas that feature HDTVs and hi-fi home theater speakers and subwoofers from Sunfire and Niles.

Photo 3: The new Kris Turnbull Studios Design Center launch party on February 9, 2013 drew more than 250 guests.

About ELAN Home Systems:
Founded in 1990, ELAN® Home Systems is an industry leading manufacturer of innovative, award-winning whole-house entertainment and control systems that 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 Nortek, Inc. 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® brands.

ELAN is a subsidiary of Nortek, Inc., a global, diversified company whose many market-leading brands deliver broad capabilities and a wide array of innovative, technology-driven products and solutions for lifestyle improvement at home and at work. Please visit www.nortekinc.com for more information.

For his recent 100-city Take a Back Road tour, Rodney Atkins used the industry’s leading lightweight and flexible LED Curtain video wall from PixelFLEX to maximize the concert audiences’ experience through visual images and effects.

PixelFLEX’s unparalleled flexibility enabled Atkins’ production team to incorporate video at any venue, no matter the layout. Whether at a corporate event, a small club or an arena, the team could bend and fly the LED Curtain to capitalize on the available space.

“We primarily used it as a broken wall with six strips – four double hung, two high panels and two single hung panels – to give the illusion of essentially a 40′ x 18′ wall,” said James “Mo” Butts, production manager and front of house engineer. “We ran all sorts of content on it…anything from video b-roll to IMAG to computer generated content.”

According to Butts, the 12 panel, 20mm resolution system, rented from Elite Multimedia, a professional sound, lighting and video company based in Nashville, offered multiple benefits to the Atkins tour beyond its flexibility.

“From a production manager’s perspective, there are four major reasons to go with the PixelFLEX solution,” Butts stated. “Weight, power draw, truck space and cost. There is nothing that even comes close to how much video you get relative to how little truck space is needed to pack the Curtain.”

Still, as Butts points out, the Curtain’s ultra light weight and flexibility is what truly separates it from other LED solutions.

“When you go and do a venue where you can fly video, but you can only fly 600 or 800 pounds a point, the PixelFLEX LED lets you put up your entire rig,” Butts remarked. “If you were working with a rigid wall that weighs four times as much, you’d either have to scale it down or not use it at all. With PixelFLEX I can even put the entire rig on Genie Towers because it is so light weight.”

Pleased with the system’s performance, in tandem with its ease of set-up, tear down and transport throughout the 2012 tour, Atkins’ team is planning to use the PixelFLEX LED Curtain for their 2013 dates starting in March.

“We’re going to use them again this year,” Butts continued, “probably very similar to how we used it last year. The Curtain is ideal for acts that travel in one or two trucks, because of how much you can fit into a small space in your pack. It allows even a one bus tour to do video in a club. There’s no other product out there that can do that with the kind of resolution PixelFLEX offers.”

For more information on PixelFLEX and its growing line of lightweight LED video screens, visit www.LEDCurtain.com. Follow PixelFLEX at www.Facebook.com/PixelFLEXUSA and @LEDCurtain.