NORTHRIDGE, California – Don’t stop ‘til you dance enough! The World’s Largest Disco is a 7,000-person dance party featuring DJs spinning classic ’70s tracks through a 300,000-watt sound system. Held at the Buffalo Convention Center in New York, the annual event, which traces its roots to the 1970s, is a charity fundraiser held by Conesus Fest for Charity to raise funds for Camp Good Days and Special Times, a summer camp for children with cancer. It was Boogie Fever in Buffalo as revelers dressed in ’70s regalia and danced through the night, fueled by a whopping 84 HARMAN’s JBL VERTEC® line array loudspeakers.

“If you’re doing the sound for The World’s Largest Disco, the system has to be no-holds-barred,� said Ray DiBiase, President of Northeastern Production Systems, which provided the sound, lighting and video systems for the event. “The music is the reason everyone was there and we had to move 7,000 people with loud, bass-heavy sound in a room that’s the biggest dance floor in New York State.�

While the music was retro, the sound system NPS brought in was anything but, comprising JBL VERTEC VT4889 fullsize line array elements, VT4886 subcompact line array elements and VT4880 fullsize arrayable subwoofers. Eight VT4889 loudspeakers were hung from each side of the main stage, with six VT4886 loudspeakers on each side, and 24 VT4880 subwoofers ground-stacked six wide and two high on each side of the stage. An additional left-right configuration of eight VT4888 midsize elements each served as delays, while another eight VT4889 loudspeakers provided center rear delay. Six VT4886 loudspeakers per side provided emergency backup sound, hung from the upstage lighting truss. In addition, a left-right configuration of four VT4888 loudspeakers per side, stacked on dual VT4882 subwoofers, served as the main system for the VIP Room at the event. Crown VZ5000 and MA2400 amplifiers powered the main VT4889 line arrays and the VT4888 delay loudspeakers. Crown IT8000 and IT12000HD amplifiers powered the VT4880 and VT4882 subwoofers, VT4886’s and the rest of the VT4888 and VT4889 loudspeakers. NPS also employed HARMAN HiQnet System Architect™ to link three dbx 4800 DriveRacks to a tablet computer with a wireless router.

“There were people everywhere, and we had to make sure that the music was heard and just as importantly, felt by everyone,� DiBiase noted. “As any sound reinforcement pro knows, thousands of bodies can absorb a lot of sound, aside from the fact that the party was in such a big room. Getting even and consistent coverage was a must. It was also a total party atmosphere with everyone making a lot of noise, and the system had to be heard above all that.�

VERTEC line arrays are ideal for this kind of application, DiBiase noted. “Aside from their sheer ability to pump out the volume, they can play loud yet stay clean, clear and articulate,� he said. “Since their coverage pattern is controlled and predictable, they really lend themselves to installations where you have to position speakers all around the venue.�

“The VERTEC line arrays were a huge part of the success of The World’s Largest Disco,� DiBiase concluded. “They really kept the people going.�

For more information on Northeastern Production Systems, please visit www.northeasternproduction.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 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.

BUENA PARK, Calif.—Bauder Audio Systems, Inc. (Philadelphia) and Indre Recording and Production (Havertown, PA) provided support, once again, for WMMR Radio’s Preston & Steve Show 2012 Camp Out for Hunger benefit. A complex, around-the-clock, five-day, live remote broadcast involving VIP guests, bands, outdoor stunts, and two dozen tractor trailers gathering food from thousands of generous people, The benefit collected a record-breaking 627,678 pounds of food and over $100K in monetary donations. Featured guests hailed from the worlds of sports, music, TV, and politics.

The event takes place in a large tent installed in the parking lot of the Metroplex Shopping Center in Plymouth Meeting. Bauder provided a new Yamaha CL5 digital console for use at FOH and for bands monitor mixes along with a Yamaha M7CL digital console with a Dugan-MY16 card for broadcast. The tent PA consisted of all NEXO loudspeakers powered by NXAMP 4×4’s and 4×1’s. PS15 R2s and RS18s were used for the main PA while PS10 R2s and PS8s were used for fold back and fills. The live bands were mixed down by Indre Recording’s broadcast truck outfitted with a Yamaha DM2000 and fed back to the M7CL.

“Whenever I’m working on a NEXO PA, I tend to simply pop the presets and go, as opposed to executing the normal laborious tuning process that other “out of the box” systems require,â€� states Chris “Sullyâ€� Sullivan, FOH Engineer. “It’s refreshing, and certainly saves money on labor calls.â€� Sully also used the new Yamaha CL5 digital console and said, “Even with no formal training on the CL5, within minutes I found my hands intuitively finding all of the knobs my brain was asking for….”

12 channels of stereo play back can be used for any given live band performance, helicopter landing, or other stunt taking place during a remote Preston and Steve Show. The core of the broadcast consists of five people talking about any number of topics on the radio. “In addition to the five primary mics, I can have anywhere from two hardwired guest mics to 10 wireless mics up and all running at one time,� states Rodney Byrd, Assistant Chief Engineer, Greater Philadelphia Radio Group. “With the introduction of the Dugan card for the Yamaha M7CL console, it has changed the dynamics of how I mix the show so much that it is now on my equipment rider. The sound quality that we experienced during the week of Camp Out for Hunger sounded like we were back in our own studio. I was able to walk out front and hear the PA without having to worry about whether all of the mics were up. It is like having an A1 that you don’t have to talk to; and it just works right out of the box.�

Indre Recording and Production of Philadelphia recently installed a Yamaha DM2000 digital console in their flagship remote truck. The remote recording package now offers 96 channels of audio from the stage via fiber optic snakes and MADI integration. “The DM2000 is doing double duty, serving as the main mixing console as well as a full Pro Tools control surface for the truck’s HDIII recorder,â€� states Michael Comstock, Owner and Head Engineer, Indre Recording.

For more information on Indre Recording and Production, visit www.indre.com.

For more information on the Camp Out for Hunger Benefit, visit
http://www.wmmr.com/events/campout-for-hunger/.

For more information on Bauder Audio Systems, visit www.bauderaudio.com.

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

-END-

PHOTO #1 ID: L to R: “Sully�, Michael Comstock, Radio Hosts Steve and Preston, Rodney Byrd at the Yamaha M7CL-48 Digital Audio Console

PHOTO #2 ID: Indre Recording Remote Broadcast Truck that houses a Yamaha DM2000.

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.

NORTHRIDGE, California – Creative Audio is a company that lives up to its name, always on the lookout for new and better products that enable the company to deliver better sound and lighting to its audiences and clients. For years, Creative Audio has supported country, comedy, rock and pop music tours in the U.S. and Canada for artists ranging from Larry the Cable Guy and George Lopez to Trace Adkins for his 2012 “Songs and Stories� tour. Adding HARMAN’s JBL VTX Series line array loudspeakers to its inventory was Creative Audio’s logical next step.

“We own and are very happy with our JBL VERTEC™ VT4888 line array loudspeakers—in fact, we own more than 100 VT4888 and VT4880 subwoofers combined—but our company had grown to the point where we needed to find a line array speaker that was more suited to large concerts,� said Chris Mentzel, Owner of Creative Audio. “JBL’s new VTX Series line arrays were announced around the same time we started looking, so the timing was perfect.�

“We looked at other line arrays but the VTX Series was our first choice, and we knew that if we went with anything else we might regret it,� Mentzel added. “When I found out that other major tour sound companies were starting to use the VTX Series, that also helped with our decision.�

The sheer output of the VTX line array elements is amazing, Mentzel pointed out. “We’re finding that you don’t need to use as many boxes as in the past with other line arrays,� he said. “In that sense, the VTX Series can actually save you money and space. The improved clarity and smoother frequency response are readily noticeable, as is the even coverage pattern.�

“As a sound contractor there’s another practical consideration we have to deal with—our gear has to be rider-friendly,� noted Mentzel. “I think it’s clear that more and more artists, promoters and venues are going to be specifying the VTX Series in light of their exceptional performance.�

Creative Audio has already put its new VTX system to the test at a number of events, including the Southern Illinois Country Fest at the Worldshooting and Recreation Complex in Sparta, Illinois. For the 3-day festival, Creative Audio deployed a left-right configuration of 12 V25 fullsize line array elements per side, while ground-stacking nine G28 subwoofers per side.

“The first night the headliner was Trace Adkins, the second night was Dierks Bentley and the third night was Tim McGraw,� Mentzel said. “Every engineer working the festival loved the system. That was also the very first time we used the rig and we were blown away.�

Creative Audio recently completed a 12-show Christmas tour featuring country music star Martina McBride, which spanned the U.S. and Canada. For these arena dates, Creative Audio provided left-right hangs of 12 V25 line array elements per side, with six G28 ground-stacked subwoofers per side. For shows where additional out fill was required, Creative Audio also supplied 12 VT4888 midsize line array elements per side.

Most recently, Creative Audio provided its VTX system for a sold-out New Year’s Eve performance by folk-rock band The Avett Brothers at the 12,000-seat Greensboro Coliseum Complex in North Carolina. The PA system featured 12 V25 line array elements per side, eight G28 ground-stacked subwoofers per side, with 12 VT4888 line array elements per side for out fill.

“As has been our experience since purchasing the rig, the VTX system filled the arena with no problems,� Mentzel concluded.

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.

BUENA PARK, Calif.—The Bayside Church in Roseville, California, known to many as the home to house of worship leader and influential musician, Lincoln Brewster, recently upgraded its speaker system for their 2,300-seat main campus location with a NEXO GEO S12 line array, RS18′s, and NXAmps. Bayside Church has a total of four locations, and over 12,000 members of the congregation attend worship services on any given weekend. Bayside Church and Brewster, who frequently leads worship at the church when not on tour, have considerable influence on the Christian scene. “Lincoln was very much involved in our decision to replace our existing d&b system with the NEXO system,â€� states Lee Fields, Senior Audio Director for all audio systems and audio staff across the campuses. “It was really a joint effort; Lincoln trusts me, but at the same time, I don’t underestimate his talents either. He is an incredible audio engineer in his own right. After all, he has mixed most of his own records.â€� The NEXO system was purchased through Special Event Services (SES), Sacramento.

Fields said that the core of the change in line array systems was that the church seating had changed drastically. “The d&b system was a point and shoot system that mainly covered the floor (about 900 seats), and large delay boxes covered the remaining 1,000ish seats in the bleacher sections. The new seating arrangement is still 900 on the floor and another 1,400 or so in new stadium-style seats, adding in another 500 new seating locations. With the previous system, over half of the seating area would have been in coverage by delay speakers—not ideal with the worship experience we are trying to create. The NEXO line array has allowed us to cover the room much better from a single source, and every seat sounds amazing and surprisingly similar to the next.� On a typical weekend, Bayside’s worship band consists of 6-7 contemporary worship musicians.

The second reason for the change out the system was a bit more philosophical Fields notes. “Lincoln and I both have been to hundreds of churches and have seen a variety of PA systems: PAs that rival stadium touring rigs, PAs way too small for big rooms, PAs way too big for small rooms, PAs that sound great and are just right for a church, and PAs that cost way too much money for a church to be spending money on. With all that said, we finally found a product that far exceeds our needs sonically and that is also a perfect representation of being a good steward when it comes to our church’s money. This is the biggest win for us on a personal level, knowing that we didn’t have to spend zillions of dollars on a system. We are astonished by the performance of the GEO S12 rig/ It feels great knowing our church can go about the duty of assisting people with the money we saved by choosing the product we did, and we didn’t sacrifice anything, rather, we gained everything.�

Fields has been a touring engineer for close to ten years and says he’s literally seen all of the various line arrays available. “I kept running across the GEO S12 at medium size festivals, at conferences, and other events. Every time I got my hands on them, I loved them! A huge bonus is how supportive the team at Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems has been. Jake Cody, the House of Worship Manager, has been an invaluable resource to me, Lincoln, and to our church. The heart of the Company, and Jake, is to help churches in anyway they can. The same can be said for Greg Slape from SES. They believe that NEXO being an elite brand can provide churches what they require in a line array, but at an affordable price point. The quality of the service from Yamaha and SES is unmatched in this industry, and I don’t think anyone would disagree.�

“We chose the NEXO Geo S12 because it was the best sounding box we tried,� adds Brewster. “It also happened to be the least expensive, and in my opinion, is the best value in line-array systems today.� The three other Bayside Church locations are using NEXO systems with NX Amps and Yamaha LS9 Digital Consoles. In total, there are over ten Yamaha digital consoles across all Bayside Church venues. On this year’s Christmas tour, Lincoln Brewster took along a pair of the new Yamaha CL5 Digital Consoles as well as a NEXO GEO S12 system, which Fields said, had big advantages so rehearsals could be accomplished at their own church with the exact PA used for the tour.

For more information on Bayside Church, visit www.baysideonline.com.

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

-END-

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.

NORTHRIDGE, California – The 2-day Orion Music + More Festival, held at Bader Field in Atlantic City, New Jersey, featured a host of major acts on four stages including Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Cage the Elephant, Modest Mouse, Baroness and more than 20 other bands, capped by Metallica performing their pivotal Ride the Lightning and Metallic albums in their entirety on successive nights. More than 64,000 attendees enjoyed hearing their favorite bands through a HARMAN sound system that included JBL VTX and VERTEC® line arrays, Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers and Soundcraft Vi6 digital mixing consoles.

Maryland Sound International, a Baltimore-based production company with more than 45 years experience in sound contracting for major events, provided the audio system for one of the main stages. The loudspeaker complement included 14 of JBL’s new VTX V25 line array elements and 12 JBL VERTEC VT4888 midsize line array elements at each side of the stage, along with 12 VT4880A fullsize arrayable subwoofers. Six VERTEC VT4889 fullsize line array elements were deployed at each side of the stage for out fill, and four VT4887’s were used for front fill.

In addition, VT4889 line array elements and VT4888’s were utilized as stage monitors, with a pair of VT4881A arrayable subwoofers placed around the drums to provide added low-end monitoring. The loudspeakers were driven by 80 Crown Crown IT12000HD power amplifiers—70 for the main system and 10 to power the onstage monitor speakers. Two Soundcraft Vi6 digital consoles handled front of house and monitor mixing. Leiter and the MSI crew employed HARMAN HiQnet Performance Manager™ software to set up and tune the system.

“The Orion Music + More Festival gave us a great opportunity to use the new JBL V25 line arrays in a large-concert outdoor setting,� said Jeremiah Leiter, General Manager at Maryland Sound. “We purchased the V25’s because we’re committed to providing the very best when the audience matters—when they’re listening to the bands they’re passionate about.�

Like most multi-band festival situations, there wasn’t a lot of time for setup between bands, which made the superior sound quality of the V25 and the VERTEC line arrays a key factor. “Most of the bands only had time to do a line check and not a full sound check, so we couldn’t go crazy with tweaking EQs and settings for every vocalist and instrument,� Leiter continued. “Although most of the bands only needed about 20 inputs and that helped speed up set changes, still, the line arrays had a flat-enough response that we were able to quickly dial in the sound of every band and performer without having to make radical adjustments at the board.�

Leiter also noted the improved installation features of the VTX Series. “The V25 is much easier to move into place and rig,� he said. “The dolly system used for transport is more secure and the built-in rigging hardware makes it faster and smpler to fly the speakers. Also, Performance Manager almost makes configuring the system idiot-proof.�

In addition, a number of different front of house engineers used the Soundcraft Vi6 consoles and they were all very comfortable with the board. “In fact, some of them brought their own Vi6 file settings on a USB drive and loaded them in,� Leiter noted.

“We were all pretty knocked out by the sound,� Leiter said. “The bands were extremely pleased. Also, a lot of other audio professionals came around to our stage to check it out. We really created a buzz—with no exaggeration, it only took about 15 minutes after the first act went on for people to come by to listen and ask about why our stage sounded so good.�

For more information about Maryland Sound International please visit www.marylandsound.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 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.

DPA Microphones were present in abundance at the Gran Rex Theatre in Buenos Aires when world-renowned keyboardist and composer Rick Wakeman played two concerts featuring his best-selling albums Journey to the Centre of the Earth and The Six Wives of Henry VIII.

The concerts were the culmination of a South American tour that also included six band-only shows in Brazil, Chile and Argentina. The final two sell-out concerts in Buenos Aires involved two different full orchestral shows, complete with a five-piece rock band, a choir, narration and solo singers.

Front of House sound engineer and co-production manager Ian Barfoot, who has worked with Rich Wakeman on numerous occasions since 1985, was given the task of specifying the audio equipment for the tour.

“The two orchestral concerts in Buenos Aires involved more than 90 channels, of which more a third used DPA microphones,â€� Ian Barfoot says. “Although some of the equipment I wanted was not available in South America, I did insist on DPA microphones, especially for the orchestra. I used DPA IMK4060 Instrument Microphones for the harp and all the high strings such as violas and violins, while for the cello and bass we used DPA d:voteâ„¢ 4099 Instrument Microphones. We needed so many – over 30 in total – that we couldn’t source them all locally and had to ship the majority of them with us from the UK.â€�

For this tour, Barfoot and his co-production manager Erik Jordan also specified DPA’s d:facto™ Vocal Microphone, which was used by the two main vocalists Ashley Holt and Cecilia Barba.

“The DPA d:facto Vocal Microphones were supplied by DPA’s UK distributor Sound Network, who I often work with and always get great service from,� Barfoot says. “The d:factos were simply great and didn’t give us a moment’s trouble. They are very honest microphones and, to my ears, quite uncoloured. They don’t suffer from proximity effect and they coped just as well with the restrained orchestral shows as they did with the full-on band shows, which were very old school Rock and Roll. Once the monitor engineers got used to them, they were more than happy to use them in stage wedges. During the last two orchestral shows the delicate and highly accurate nature of the microphones could be fully appreciated by the singers and the band as, to assist me, they switched to In Ear Monitoring to keep the stage levels down to a minimum.�

Barfoot adds that Rick Wakeman’s long-time vocalist Ashley Holt was especially pleased with the DPA d:facto’s performance.

“He was a little reluctant to use one at first because it was ‘different’ and not what he was ‘used to’, but after a couple of rehearsals he became a firm fan and I think he was hoping that Santa Claus would deliver one to him on Christmas morning.�

As a firm fan of DPA microphones, Ian Barfoot says he always insists on having a good selection available for every show he does because they consistently deliver a great sound and are also incredibly durable, especially on tour.

“In an ideal world I would have liked a few DPA 2011 twin diaphragm cardioid microphones to scatter around these orchestral shows, but as I couldn’t source them locally we managed with what we had,� he says. “Making sure the strings are properly covered is always my main concern with orchestral shows, but as we were using DPA IMK 4060s on those I knew I wouldn’t have any problems.�

-ends-

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

Kraftwerk relies on WATCHOUT for Stereoscopic 3D and Live interactivity

German electro pop pioneers, Kraftwerk will use the dynamic interactive and 3D features of Dataton WATCHOUT™ multi-image and presentation software, for all on-stage digital scenography at their hotly anticipated tours and concerts’ programme throughout 2013.

Formed in 1970, Kraftwerk began using Stereoscopic 3D for the MoMA concerts and �Way out West� Swedish Rock Festival in Spring 2012.

WATCHOUT manages projected 3D content on a large stage backdrop creating a powerful abstract presence in front of audiences wearing polarized 3D glasses. Two more WATCHOUT channels feed the flanking LED screens. To create the lighting effects on the four oversized illuminated keyboards, a Pixel-gate LED video controller uses an additional DVI output from the main screen using the WATCHOUT “Tier� feature. The main timeline in WATCHOUT is chasing timecode from Kraftwerk synthesizers (MTC converted into SMPTE). The Kraftwerk synthesizers are also used for live visual interaction controlled via MIDI commands.

The new features of WATCHOUT version 5 enable live manipulation of content. Media objects can be positioned, rotated and moved in 3D in real-time from external control systems, musical instruments, lighting consoles, mobile devices and sensors to control on-screen elements such as images, video, Stereoscopic 3D movies and live feeds as required.

Fredrik Svahnberg, Marketing Director at Dataton says: “Kraftwerk are known for their use of bold graphics and colours. They are using our technology in a very easy to use, yet powerful way to engage audiences around the world. We’re looking forward to seeing Kraftwerk use the new 3D, interactive and dynamic media streaming features of WATCHOUT in 2013 and beyond.�

Kraftwerk at upcoming Dusseldorf and London concerts

Several upcoming Kraftwerk concerts will incorporate Stereoscopic 3D effects as well as 3D sound.

Kraftwerk’s first performance in Düsseldorf, Germany since 1991, performances called 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 are taking place at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen Museum, first from January 11 – 13, then 16 – 20. Like the MoMA shows, Kraftwerk will play one album per date and will be accompanied by 3D visuals, which actually involve audiences. Running alongside the performance programme, a photo exhibition, Kraftwerk, runs from January 11 at the Forum Nordrhein-Westfalen Museum.

In London, Kraftwerk will perform at Tate Modern’s cavernous Turbine Hall for eight nights, first from February 6-9, then 11-14, and are their first live London performances since 2004. The band will perform one studio album in full on each night and combine it with visual backdrops, including interactive 3D projections and animation.

The Kraftwerk concert line-up can be found here: http://www.kraftwerk.com/concerts/index-concerts.html.

Photography credit: © Kraftwerk

NORTHRIDGE, California – Sound Image of Escondido, California has dramatically improved the house PA system at the Tabernacle in Atlanta with an upgrade to HARMAN’s JBL VTX line arrays. While the venue, constructed as a Baptist church in 1910, posed a variety of acoustic challenges, Sound Image’s expert application of the VTX system has created a listening experience on par with Atlanta’s most prestigious venues.

Known informally as “The Tabby,� the Tabernacle has a seating capacity of 2,600 people and has changed very little from a structural standpoint in its 100-plus years. The Tabernacle features an open, standing-room space on the ground level, with three balconies at different levels.

According to Billy Lindsey, House FOH Engineer at the Tabernacle, the design of the venue creates a visually striking but sonically challenging environment. “Since it was built as a church, the Tabernacle was architecturally designed to amplify preachers, so you can talk from the stage and be heard well into the balconies,� he said. “Take that, add modern music and the stage volumes that some musicians can achieve, and you get a rough idea of what the acoustics are like.�

For the main PA system, Richard Davis of Sound Image and his team installed 24 VTX V25 fullsize line array elements (12 per side), with 12 S28 arrayable subwoofers (six per side), with left-right hangs of three VERTEC® VT4886 subcompact line array elements each for out fill. Crown IT12000HD amplifiers power the system, which also features dbx DriveRack 4800 processing. HARMAN HiQnet System Architect™ was employed for system configuration and monitoring.

The third floor of the Tabernacle also features a VIP lounge called The Room that features a main PA system of four VRX932LA Constant Curvature loudspeakers and two VRX918S subwoofers per side.

Davis noted that he had not heard the VTX system prior to the installation at the Atlanta Tabernacle, and pointed out that it’s a perfect fit for the venue. “When I tuned the PA for the room, I didn’t even have to touch the high end,� he said. “It was pretty much right there from the downbeat.�

“With the VTX system, you don’t have to struggle to get above the resonance of the room,� Lindsey said. “These boxes can also go really low and easily go all the way out to 16K.�

In addition, Lindsey noted the advantages of the Crown IT12000HD amplifiers, which feature the OmniDriveHD™ DSP engine (co-developed with HARMAN’s BSS), specifically optimized for fast and efficient audio processing. “What’s great is everything is in those amplifiers, they have the architecture in the amps all ready to go, which is amazing,� Lindsey said. “We have four amp racks—two at house left and two at house right—and each one has a rack with eight amps per side and four zones, with a secondary amp rack handling the front fills and subs.�

“If I had to measure the level improvement of VTX over the previous system on a scale of one to 10, I’d go with a 12,� Lindsey concluded. “The high-frequency intelligibility, what you really need to cut through the muck, is incredible. And the turnkey package of VTX with Crown I-TechHD is a hip combination. I can comfortably say the Tabernacle is now the best-sounding room in Atlanta.�

For more information on Sound Image, please visit www.sound-image.com

For more information on the Tabernacle, please visit www.tabernacleatl.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 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.

BUENA PARK, Calif.—Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. has announced the worldwide launch today of the Yamaha Ri8-D and Ro8-D input and output rack units that will maximize the live sound experience by using the same Dante audio network protocol as that found in the new CL Series Digital Audio Consoles. The small, but mighty 1U rack mount units provide additional options for flexible system design and implementation, while maintaining the excellent sound quality found in the CL Series and Rio3224-D and Rio1608-D I/O racks.

Both sound quality and system layout flexibility were enhanced in the CL Series by separating I/O hardware from the mixing console. The new Ri8-D and Ro8-D take that freedom one step further with the number of inputs and outputs available wherever they are required for sound reinforcement installation and I/O distribution.

In addition to working with CL Series components, by using Dante-MY16-AUD card(s) with the new Rio units and a Yamaha PM5D will create a 96kHz system. The new Rio units can also be used with M7CL and LS9 Digital Consoles, DME64N Digital Mix Engines, and other compatible Yamaha products such as NEXO NXAmps using an NXDT104 card, further enhancing the Dante networking experience. The Ri8-D head amplifiers can even be controlled directly from the interface of the M7CL, LS9, or other compatible console.

“The natural, musical sound that is a key element of the CL Series design is again achieved without compromise in the Ri8-D and Ro8-D input and output units,� states Marc Lopez, Marketing Manager, Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Inc. “Whether used as portable input and output racks, or alongside a Yamaha console, we know our customers will appreciate the addition of these two new units in supporting Dante networked systems of any size.�

The Ri8-D and Ro8-D can be used in any combination with the Rio3224-D and Rio1608-D. Availability is expected spring of 2013 with a targeted MRSP of $1,900 for the Ri8-D and $1,700 for the Ro8-D.

For more information on the Ri8-D and Ro8-D, 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.


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