Popular dubstep artist shakes Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena with 72 SB28 subs

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — On December 31st, over 11,000 devoted “Bass Heads” packed Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to celebrate the new year with Californian dubstep musician/producer Lorin Ashton, better known as Bassnectar.

LMG Touring, which supplied sound and video for the artist’s 2012 New Year’s Eve show at the same venue and subsequent 32-date fall tour, once again provided this year’s technical production elements, including a sizable L-ACOUSTICS K1 System. more

BUENA PARK, Calif.—Gand Concert Sound (GCS) of Glenview, Illinois celebrated the holidays with noise pop duo The Sleigh Bells at the University of Chicago. Their unique stage set up which is a wall of Marshalls, and an iPod carrying rhythm tracks, makes for a simple yet bone-crushing set up.

“The Sleigh Bells are the band of the future,� states Gary Gand, President of Gand Concert Sound. “First came the White Stripes, then the Black Keys. The band’s singer, Alex Krauss, tore it up on vocals with a hand-held wireless mic. She chose songs on her iPod, which runs stereo. Guitarist Derek Edward played through a literal wall of guitar stacks. Four channels and your done!�

GCS provided a pair of Yamaha PM5D Digital Audio Consoles and a 12-box flown NEXO GEO S12 rig with six NEXO CD18 subs. Alpha side fills and PS15 wedges rounded out the rig that was powered by NEXO 4×4 amps.

“We did our first major show at University of Chicago’s Mandel Hall in the spring of 1976,� Gand says. “The bill included country swing stars Asleep at the Wheel, acapella group Sweet Honey and the Rock, juju musician King Sunny Ade, and jazz guitar prodigy, George Benson. Benson came out in a white tux, opened his mouth and sang “Masquerade� from his new, unreleased album Breezin’, which rocketed to up the charts to #1 that summer. It’s great to be working in the same venue 36 years later with a new generation of music fans listening to today’s bands through the best audio gear.�

For more information on Gand Concert Sound, visit www.gandconcertsound.com.

For more information on Yamaha and NEXO products, visit www.yamahaca.com.

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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.

Wide assortment of tried-and-proven media distribution, wire, cable and accessory products for residential and commercial jobs available from Catalyst AV’s 16-locations

Burlington, MA – January 29, 2013 – Catalyst AV, a newly-formed nationwide distribution network serving more than 10,000 integrators from 16-locations stateside — with emphasis on support before, during and after the sale — today announced that it has entered into agreements to nationally distribute Vanco, ICE Cable and PPC.

�Media distribution, a robust network, wire and cable, telecommunications connectors and accessories – these are the cornerstones of today’s complex residential and light commercial installations,� says board member Steve Presti, principal of member-company Easy Access Distribution.

“Catalyst AV’s goal is to benefit installers by delivering the right products and support necessary to execute the demands of job specifications with confidence. We’re quite certain that these well-established brands will help us achieve just that,� added Presti.

The Catalyst AV member-companies are:
• Allnet Distributing (www.allnetdistributing.com) (Midwest)
• Audio Video Warehouse (www.av-warehouse.com) (Nevada, Arizona)
• Custom Plus Distributing (www.customplusdistributing.com) (Pacific NW / Alaska)
• Easy Access Distribution (www.easyaccessdistribution.com) (Northeast)
• Electronic Lane Distributors (www.electroniclane.com) (Southwest)
• Electronics Source (www.electronics-source.com) (Florida and Southeast)
• Electronic Stockroom (www.electronicstockroom.com) (California)
• HCA Distributing (www.hcadist.com) (Rocky Mountains)
• Pioneer Music Company (www.pioneermusicinc.com) (Plains States)
• SPD (www.spmreps.com/sound-product-distributing) (Upstate NY)
• Tech Source Distributors (www.techsourcedist.com) (Mid-Atlantic)

Look for upcoming press releases regarding additional Catalyst AV vendor partner announcements, as well as line shows and training events.

Muto Communications, LLC is Catalyst AV’s PR agency of record. Please direct media inquiries to Paul Muto at paul@mutocomm.com; 631.849.4301.

About Catalyst AV
Founded in 2012, Catalyst AV is a network of 11 independent consumer electronics distributors serving the residential and professional AV channels in the U.S. Catalyst AV grants manufacturers a consistent and cohesive nationwide distribution model to more than 10,000 professional integration specialists. Catalyst AV benefits integrators by delivering all the products and support necessary to execute the demands of job specifications with confidence.
The Catalyst AV Board of Directors is Mike Hench (Electronics Source); Steve Presti (Easy Access Distribution) and Wally Whinna (Allnet Distributing). www.catalystav.com

Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes first achieved prominence in the mid-1970s as the second act to emerge from the Jersey Shore music scene and considered part of the original Jersey Shore sound following Bruce Springsteen. Another of Jersey’s own, Jon Bon Jovi, recently said that growing up he wanted to be a Juke. Southside’s first three albums, I Don’t Want To Go Home (1976), This Time It’s for Real (1977), and Hearts of Stone (1978), were arranged and produced by one of the original co-founders of the band and Springsteen confederate, Steven Van Zandt, and largely featured songs written by Van Zandt and/or Springsteen.

Ever evolving and still touring nationally, South Side Johnny recently performed a New Years Eve show at The Count Basie Theatre, in Red Bank NJ, with ACIR Professional (Egg Harbor Township) supplying audio production and backline for the gig. The audio included a new Yamaha CL5 Digital Audio Console used as the monitor console with ACIR co-owner, Ed DiBona, mixing using two Yamaha Rio-3224s. “The console sounds great, and I really like the color coded channel strips,� states DiBona. “It gives you instant recognition of key inputs and helps with locating individual channels when you are paging through multiple layers. The custom fader bank was invaluable; I was able to create a bank for the opening act and seamlessly transition to South Side.�

Joe Prinzo mixed front of house using a Yamaha PM5D. ACIR co-owner, John Grasso, mixed a live feed for a Sirius Radio broadcast on a Mackie 1602. Monitors were powered with Yamaha Tn4 amps (18) mixes. ACIR used Whirlwind cabling, Shure, Sennheiser, Audio Technica mics; and Radial and Countryman Dis. The main PA consisted of 22 d&b Audiotechnik Q1 boxes with six B2 subs.

For more information on ACIR Professional, visit www.acirpro.com.

For more information on Yamaha products, visit www.yamahaca.com.

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Anaheim, California (January 28, 2013) – Extron Electronics is pleased to announce the addition of the DMS 2000 and DMS 3200 Frames and DMS Fiber Matrix Boards to the DMS Series of Modular DVI Matrix Switchers. The DMS Series combine the simplicity and reliability of a fixed I/O matrix switcher with the convenience and flexibility of a modular solution. The compact DMS 2000 and DMS 3200 are designed to fit in a wide range of installations. The DMS 2000 is available in I/O configurations of 4×4 up to 20×20 in a 3U enclosure, and the DMS 3200 is available in I/O configurations of 4×4 up to 32×32 in a 5U enclosure. For design flexibility, the DMS Fiber Matrix Boards support transmitted distances up to 300 meters (984 feet) on one multimode fiber. Available in 4×4 I/O, 4-input, and 4-output configurations, the fiber optic boards can be mixed-and-matched with available DMS DVI Matrix Boards. The DMS Series is ideal for a wide variety of environments where switching and distribution of high resolution digital video signals without copy protection is needed and a fully digital pathway is essential to maintain the highest possible image quality.

“The modular DMS DVI Matrix Switcher system has become a favorite of AV integrators because of its proven, robust performance and high reliability in mission-critical installations,” says Casey Hall, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Extron. “The addition of these new compact frames and DMS Fiber Matrix Boards now extends the DMS platform into a broader range of environments and offers even greater design flexibility in demanding digital signal distribution applications.”

DMS Series Frames are available in sizes to fit I/O combinations from 4×4 to 36×36. The DMS 2000 and DMS 3200 frames are designed for applications requiring a compact enclosure size with a single, fixed power supply. For mission critical, 24/7 applications that require dual AC power inputs and hot-swappable power supplies, the DMS 1600 and DMS 3600 frames support I/O configurations up to 16×16 or 36×36, respectively. All four DMS frames accept any combination of the available DMS DVI and Fiber Matrix Boards.

The DMS Fiber Matrix Boards are compatible with the new Extron DFX 100 DVI extenders. The boards utilize standard LC connectors, which provide reliable physical connectivity and precise fiber core alignment, and allow the use of low-cost, widely available pre-terminated cables.

Visit our Web site at www.extron.com for more information.

New system complies with Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) standards thanks to broad audio dispersion, high voice intelligibility of Noho loudspeakers

BOSTON, January 28, 2013 — Stade Francois Coty, a French football stadium in the Corsican city of Ajaccio, France, has completed audio upgrades compliant to league standards, with seven Technomad advanced audio loudspeakers covering the entire venue.

Home club AC Ajaccio recently transitioned to Ligue 2, also known as Division 2 in the LFP French professional football league. The league-imposed audio upgrades required a higher measure of intelligibility and audio coverage throughout the stadium — a quality the previous audio system lacked.

Systems integration company Atacc International worked with French Technomad dealer Audiopole to develop the new system, ensuring intelligible voice and music is audible throughout the stands. The design also considered financial and structural challenges, including minimal hanging points for the latter. But the challenge of protecting gear in the open stadium air was top of mind for both companies.

“Our main concern was undoubtedly the weather, and Technomad loudspeakers are 100 percent weatherproof,� said Alain Castelli, manager, Atacc International. “They can withstand wind, rain, moisture and temperatures as cold as 0 degrees Celsius in the winter; and as hot as 30 degrees Celsius in the summer. The sea is also nearby, so salt corrosion was another concern.�

Audiopole provided an acoustic study of the stadium prior to installing the seven Technomad Noho loudspeakers in the stands, behind the goals, and within a VIP space and visitors area. The study determined that the Noho was the best model for the project, providing excellent coverage and full-range audio — including ideal sensitivity for speech. The complete system includes Yamaha amplifiers and mixers, a Shure ULX Series microphone, and an automated playout system for security announcements.

“This was our first time using Technomad, and we are very pleased,� said Castelli. “The observed power of the Nohos in comparison to their size is very impressive, and the responsiveness from Audiopole was also excellent.�

ABOUT TECHNOMAD
Technomad LLC, founded in 1995, designs and manufactures loudspeaker systems for the professional audio and security/military technology industries. The company invented the first reliable full-range weatherproof loudspeaker and now offers nine models ranging in power from 60-watt loudspeakers to 1250-watt subwoofers — most available in Turnkey PA System packages featuring amplifiers, mixers and other signal processing equipment in pre-wired racks. The company also manufactures a variety of audio infrastructure and communications equipment including playback and recording systems, weatherproof power amplifiers and turnkey remote audio systems. Contact Technomad at 617-275-8898 or visit www.technomad.com for more information.

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CINCINNATI, OHIO: The Musketeers men’s basketball team is the standout athletic program at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. Over the last dozen years, the team has made an appearance in an NCAA tournament in all but one, and Forbes places it among the nation’s top twenty most valuable college basketball programs. The Musketeers play at the 10,500-seat Cintas Center at Xavier University, which was built in 2000. Xavier University recently asked consultant Anthony James Partners and local integrator ICB Audio & Video to update the sound system with increased coverage of seating areas that were poorly covered by the original system. In part because no additional rigging points could be added, the solution centered on lightweight Danley loudspeakers and subwoofers with excellent pattern control and exceptional sound quality.

“The Cintas Center is a large venue, and Xavier University does a good job keeping up with it’s A/V system,� said John Keller, who configured the system and the rigging with ICB Audio & Video. “They wanted the new system to improve upon the old system’s coverage, which had quite a few holes – most notably in the first few rows on the floor. The big trick was that we couldn’t add any rigging points nor add significant weight to the rigging points that existed.

“Of course,� he continued, “the reason you get holes in coverage is because the speaker is delivering the wrong pattern at the wrong location, but the direct and obvious solution of adding new locations wasn’t on the table. Nevertheless, the coverage, efficiency, and relatively lightweight design of Danley loudspeakers allowed us to meet the facility’s goals within those stringent constraints.� An interesting side note, when Danley demo’d its products for the Xavier officials, they responded to its noticeably superior fidelity with a chant that exceeded the most indulgent fantasy of the most optimistic contractor. “They literally chanted, ‘Cut the check!’ and ‘Give the man the P.O.!’ to the head of purchasing,� recalled Mike Hedden, Danley president. Anticipating a chuckle of incredulity, he added, “They really did do that!�

The new Danley system replaced the old system, cluster for cluster. Ten clusters use a pair of Danley SH-96 full-range loudspeakers stacked in opposite orientations to provide complete coverage of the upper and lower bowls. Two additional clusters use an SH-96 with two Danley SH-64s to provide expanded coverage at either end of the bowl. A total of six Danley TH-115 subwoofers hang independently in two rows along the arena’s long axis. Each cluster is dead hung from a single point because a pick point wasn’t possible; the catwalks and other ceiling hardware couldn’t safely support it.

Keller was able to reuse the wiring infrastructure, and ICB replaced the distributed audio system for all of the facilities outside of the bowl with a BiAmp system networked via CobraNet the previous year. A 32-channel Yamaha LS9 console serves as a new front end, with CobraNet output feeding a new QSC Basis DSP system. The two DSP systems share audio via CobraNet. A rack of QSC CX- and PL-series amplifiers power the Danley loudspeaker and subwoofers.

“The coverage and sound of the new system are dramatically better than they were in the old system,� said Keller. “There are no dead spots, and the cabinets work together nicely in the clusters. How that happens exactly is Danley’s magic secret. In the areas that were covered previously, the coverage is now more even. The client is very pleased, and I’m impressed that we were able to swap out all the speakers within a two-week window in order not to conflict with their basketball schedule or corporate sponsors. Using the same rigging points was really the only option to get the job done.�

ABOUT DANLEY SOUND LABS Danley Sound Labs is the exclusive home of Tom Danley, one of the most innovative loudspeaker designers in the industry today and recognized worldwide as a pioneer for “outside the box” thinking in professional audio technology.

www.danleysoundlabs.com

ANAHEIM, California – Showcasing performances by some of rock and roll’s most iconic artists, the AUDIENCE Network’s “Guitar Center Sessions� television series has been a hit since first airing in 2010. To ensure that world-class audio is delivered to the live audience and the artists on stage, HARMAN’s JBL Professional PRX612M powered loudspeakers highlight the live sound system for the performances.

Held at the Vintage Room at Guitar Center’s Hollywood location, “Guitar Center Sessions� is hosted by Nic Harcourt and features the artists playing selections from their catalogs and discussing their careers and influences. A high-quality original music program that focuses on conversations and themes pertinent to the artist’s craft and creative process, “Guitar Center Sessions� provides artists with a highly credible platform to expose their music and stories to a large audience and furthers Guitar Center’s commitment to helping artists be heard in an ever-changing, uncertain music business. This season’s “Guitar Center Sessions� has included performances by Hoobastank, Papa Roach, Ben Folds Five, Meiko and Joe Walsh, with a performance by Jimmy Cliff scheduled to air on January 25.

“With such talented artists appearing on ‘Sessions’, it is crucial that they be supported on stage with world-class audio technology,� said Andy Flint, Senior Manager, Portable PA Marketing, JBL Professional. “We have seen the PRX612M adopted by countless successful musicians for their tours and installed in some of the world’s most prestigious live music venues. The PRX612M provides ‘Sessions’ with a level of sound quality that the program’s artists require and we are thrilled to be a part of this unique project!�

Utilizing tour-tested JBL Differential Drive® speaker technology, dbx Type IV™ limiting circuitry and Crown award-winning class-D amplifiers, the PRX612M delivers uncompromised performance in a package that is light, small and professional in both function and appearance. At the core of the PRX612M is a fully integrated DSP input section providing mic/line level input, selectable system EQ and a premium A/D converter for a maximum signal-to-noise ratio.

For more information on “Guitar Center Sessions� please visit gc.guitarcenter.com/sessions/

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.

Christie® technology took audiences inside the human brain at TEDxCaltech 2013 with its award-winning projection display solutions under the show’s theme, “The Brain.� Digital artist Jon 9, owner of Holonyne Corporation, produced immersive and stimulating backdrops and content related to the brain experts’ presentations that made the audience feel they were “inside� the brain of the conference itself. He also provided improvisational video mixing as accompaniment to musical performers David Torn and Moira Smiley.

Christie solutions included the Christie HD10K-M and Christie Roadster HD20K-J 3-chip DLP® projectors, as well as the multiple award-winning Christie® MicroTiles®, all controlled by the Christie Spyder video processor. Christie MicroTiles were featured on-stage as a free-standing “brick� configuration, its content synchronized with the projected images on three screens behind the performers, utilizing the curved walls of the auditorium to provide a fully immersive experience.

“Throughout my long career in the display industry, I have always looked up to Christie as a market leader that combines technical innovation with robust engineering and an expansive line of products,� said Jon 9. “I was extremely happy to be working with them on this project.�

Jon 9 said he is very grateful for the support from Christie. “Christie enabled us to bring professional display technology into the academic arena at a level that demonstrated the effectiveness of immersive, interactive digital environments within a scientific conference setting. By combining Christie’s high-powered 10K and 20K projectors with an on-stage MicroTiles video wall, and with the flexibility and power of the Christie Spyder, we created an environment that was both highly functional and visually stunning.�

Dr. Michael Roukes, Robert M. Abbey Professor of Physics, Applied Physics, and Bioengineering, and co-director of the Kavli Nanoscience Institute at Caltech, who was co-organizer of the event, added, “We were very pleased to have Christie as a sponsor of TEDxCaltech. Their visual display products produced absolutely gorgeous visualizations and were vital to helping us provide a fully immersive experience for our audiences.�

Recognized worldwide for its exceptional programs, the Caltech faculty, members of which spoke at the event, have won hundreds of awards over the years, including multiple Nobel Prizes as well as medals of science and technologies.

BUENA PARK, Calif.–Known for front of house mixing dozens of Christian artists, front of house engineer, Harold Rubens, has found much success using the new Yamaha CL5 Digital Audio Console on several tours in 2012 and early 2013. “CTS Audio (Franklin, Tenn.) has been my preferred audio provider,â€� states Rubens “They provide us with racks and stacks and any additional audio support we need. For the shows I’m doing now the CL I’m using is owned by musician, Brandon Heath, who purchased the console through CTS for his “Blue Mountain” Tour.â€� Once I mixed on the CL5 for Brandon’s national tour, I liked it so much that I turned right around and took the same console out to mix the Andrew Peterson “Behold The Lamb of Godâ€� Christmas tour.â€�

“The networking capabilities of the CL Series using Dante makes everything easier,� Rubens said. “On the “Blue Mountain� Tour, it was easy to just plug in a computer and instantly record and playback all 64 tracks for both virtual sound check and recording. On Andrew Peterson’s tour, we were touring with one CL5, but with two sold-out shows at the Ryman, we added a second CL5 to accommodate additional instruments and guest performers. The console’s networking made it really easy to add the second CL5 and also be able to sound check everything using the playback from the previous show.�

“I think that the CL5 sounds incredible,� adds Rubens. “It has exceeded any expectation I had for the console. I’ve used Yamaha digital consoles extensively at one point or another on tours and/or installs, and I was anxious to see how the CL5 was going to perform. I knew about the long list of new features, but I still wondered how it was going to sound. Needless to say, I was very impressed which is why I recommended that Brandon buy one along with two Rio3224-D boxes to use as part of his own touring system.�

Andrew Peterson’s “Behold The Lamb Of Godâ€� show has been touring for 13 years. Each year, the tour makes a stop at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville which production support from CTS. “The show is a complicated concert to mix,â€� says Rubens. “There is a seven-piece string section, drums, percussion, bass, lap steel, dobro, mandolin, ukele, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, piano, hammer dulcimer, lap dulcimer, accordion, along with six vocalists who take lead on different songs.â€� The concert featured special appearances by Steven Curtis Chapman, Stuart Duncan, Jeff Taylor, Buddy Green, Sierra Hull and members of Union Station (Allison Krause’s band).â€�

“When Harold came into the Ryman with Andrew’s annual Christmas show, it was the first time anyone had brought in a Yamaha CL5,â€� notes Les Banks, Ryman Auditorium Tech Supervisor. “I had previously attended a demo but had not yet seen one in action. As soon as Harold powered up the CL5 and played the previous evening’s show (using Virtual Soundcheck), I instantly commented on how clear the console sounded. The top end was clear and the bottom was tight…no smoke and mirrors here; great mic pre’s and plug-ins. As the Ryman’s audio supervisor, I am in the unique position to audition every type of console on the planet through the same PA, and this console rocks! For its price and size, the CL is jammed-packed with performance and features. It gets all A’s on my report card!â€�

Rubens said that while out with Heath, things were sounding so good that opener, Matt Maher, decided to release a live project using the tracks acquired during the tour from the Nuendo Live function of the Yamaha CL. “Yamaha digital consoles all have different feature sets that are not always available on other Yamaha consoles; i.e. the USB recorder on the LS9, the touch screen on the M7CL, and the direct to matrix send on inputs on M7s and 5Ds.The CL is a culmination of all those features plus a whole lot more, and to top it all, it sounds really, really good. This is an amazing package at an incredible price point.�

For more information on Harold Rubens, email hrubensaudio@gmail.com.

For more information on the Ryman Auditorium, visit www.ryman.com.

For more information on CTS Audio, visit www.ctsaudio.com.

For more information on the Yamaha CL Digital Console Series, visit www.yamahaca.com.

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Photo ID: Rubens at Yamaha CL5 during Andrew Peterson’s “Behold The Lamb of God� Tour at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

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.