LOS ANGELES, California – The 28th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held on the west coast for the first time in 20 years at the Nokia Theatre LA LIVE in Los Angeles. This year’s inductees included Public Enemy, Heart, Albert King, Randy Newman, Rush and Donna Summer, with Lou Adler and Quincy Jones each receiving an Ahmet Ertegun non-performer award. Sound for this year’s ceremony featured more than 50 of HARMAN’s JBL VERTEC® line array loudspeakers powered by Crown I-Tech HD Series amplifiers.

Red Hook, New York-based sound contractor Firehouse Productions had the Nokia Theatre’s impressive house JBL VERTEC sound system at its disposal, which includes 14 VERTEC VT4889 fullsize line array loudspeakers per side for the main left and right clusters and six VT4889 loudspeakers per side for left and right outfill. To pump out the low end, 22 VT4880A fullsize flown subwoofers are arranged in cardioid configuration, along with eight VT4880A subs per side stacked at the left and right sides of the stage in a cardioid arrangement. The standard house system at Nokia Theater also includes six VT4887A subcompact line array loudspeakers for front fill and even JBL AC2212/00 plus six PD5212/64 loudspeakers for loge and mezzanine delays, respectively.

For the Induction Ceremony, Firehouse Productions added three more hangs of six VT4886 subcompact line array elements each for left, center and right balcony delay clusters and additional VT4886 enclosures for distributed front fill. Audio networking and signal processing was provided by BSS Audio Soundweb London components.

Firehouse has provided the sound for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony before, but this was the first time the company did the event in a proper theater. According to Mark Dittmar, Firehouse’s lead design and integration engineer, Firehouse immediately benefited from a space with good acoustics and a world-class PA system already in place. However, he noted, “With this being rock and roll’s biggest awards night, we wanted a system that would completely blow peoples’ minds for the bands, but maintain good intelligibility for the speeches.� Knowing the Nokia Theatre LA LIVE was already equipped with VERTEC gave Dittmar a feeling of confidence going in, having used VERTEC line arrays for more than a decade for their superior sound quality.

Dittmar has depended on Crown amplifiers since Firehouse Productions began and finds that the I-Tech HD Series offers power and flexibility he can’t achieve with other products. I-Tech HD amplifiers were deployed for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies to power the additional VERTEC arrays, along with the original Crown I-Tech amplifiers which power the house PA.

“One of our favorite aspects about Crown is the ability to build a custom library of presets that enable us to control any speaker in our inventory with the proper power and optimize their EQ, delay and other parameters,â€� Dittmar stated. “In particular, the inclusion of the newest VERTEC V5 preset tunings in the Crown I-Tech HD Series amps really took the performance of the loudspeakers beyond anything we were able to achieve before in terms of coverage, coherence, tonal balance and overall clarity.”

For more information on Firehouse Productions, please visit www.firehouseproductions.com

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. 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 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

NORTHRIDGE, California – It’s the start of the summer festival season, and tour sound provider Thunder Audio is thinking big, with an inventory that includes more than 50 HARMAN’s JBL VTX Series V25 line array loudspeakers, dozens of S28 and G28 subwoofers and enough Crown amplifiers to shake a stadium—how about 98 Crown I-Tech HD Series I-Tech 12000 HD amplifiers for one gig alone? Thunder Audio will be providing the audio for the Movement Electronic Music Festival, the Faster Horses Festival and the Electric Forest Music Festival and tours for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company and Marilyn Manson with Alice Cooper.

“This summer is shaping up to be an extremely busy one for us,� noted Greg Snyder, Business Development Manager for Thunder Audio. “We are using the JBL VTX Series on all of these festivals and tours because we feel that it is the best suited for a multitude of reasons.�

The Movement Electronic Music Festival will take place in Hart Plaza in Detroit on Memorial Day weekend and will feature more than 100 of the genre’s biggest artists including Deadmau5, Carl Craig, Moby and more. Thunder Audio will outfit the main Red Bull Music Academy stage with 18 V25 fullsize line array elements per side and four hangs of nine S28 subwoofers on the left and right of the stage, along with six V25 loudspeakers per side for outfill. Sixteen G28 ground-stacked subs will be deployed in a cardioid configuration for front fill, and side fills will include two S28 subs with two V25 loudspeakers on top. The system will be driven by a total of 98 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amplifiers and connected through dbx DriveRack 4800 loudspeaker management systems via JBL HiQnet Performance Manager™ software.

Rothbury, Michigan’s Electric Forest outdoor music festival (June 27–30) will feature performers in the jam band and electronic music genres including The String Cheese Incident, Pretty Lights, Passion Pit and nearly 100 other artists. For this diverse musical lineup, Thunder Audio will provide 16 V25 line array elements per side for the main left and right hangs and out-hangs of nine V25’s per side, complemented by 12 S28 and six G28 subs per side, powered by 72 I-Tech 12000 HD amps with dbx DriveRack 4800.

The Faster Horses Festival is a 3-day country music and camping festival to be held in Brooklyn, Michigan on July 19–21. The featured artists include ACM Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley and Jason Aldean who will be joined by Kix Brooks, Florida Georgia Line and many others. The main stage system will include 18 V25 loudspeakers per side, with 12 V25’s flown per side for outfills and 12 JBL VERTEC® VT4888 midsize line array elements used for center and front fill. Twelve G28 ground-stacked subwoofers, 98 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amps and dbx 4800 processing complete the system lineup.

Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper will be livening up the summer tour scene with dates from late May through the end of June with an all-VTX system featuring two hangs of 14 V25’s per side and nine S28’s per side on the ground, all driven by 22 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD amplifiers per side. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bad Company will also be hitting the road this summer and they’ll be packing a VTX system with two left and right main towers with 14 V25 loudspeakers each, along with two out-hangs of eight V25’s each, eight ground-stacked S28 subs per side and 22 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD powering each side.

“One of reasons we’ve used VTX for the past year is the sheer horsepower of the speakers and subs,� Snyder noted. “The extended low-end response of the S28 and G28 is incredible and the clarity of the V25 both outdoors and indoors rises above any other line array out there.� Snyder finds that the 15-inch woofers in the V25 make “a world of difference� and that the capability to change its crossover points from 80Hz to 60Hz enables Thunder Audio to optimize a VTX-based system for rock, electronic, country, jazz or any other type of music.

“After more than a year in the trenches using JBL VTX at a diverse number of events, I feel that VTX is a system that has established itself as something that’s going to set the standard for a long time,� Snyder concluded.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. 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 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

Kannapolis, NC – May 2013… As is the case with many houses of worship, music plays an increasingly vital role during services at North Kannapolis Baptist Church these days because of its ability to engage the audience and, as a result, make services more relevant to a wider constituency. After having struggled with the inadequacies of its previous sound reinforcement system, church leaders decided an upgrade was in order. After reviewing a variety of SR systems, the decision was made to install loudspeakers from the TrueLine and Wave Series catalogs of Greensboro, NC-based WorxAudio Technologies. more

Compact outdoor amplifier and “breakout box� series adds new model, more features

BOSTON, May 20, 2013 — Technomad comes to InfoComm 2013 with new upgrades to its PowerChiton series of outdoor, weatherproof amplifier modules and breakout box accessories, giving end users and systems integrators more audio options for stadiums, resorts and other outdoor venues and facilities.

The compact and low profile of PowerChiton amplifier modules — available in four power levels up to 1600 watts — enables sound contractors to install the modules on light poles and other surfaces at any height for co-location with loudspeakers. A new balanced input provides customers with a choice of balanced and unbalanced connections, and three new integrated crossover filter options (350Hz high-pass, 85Hz high-pass, and 85Hz low-pass) allow installers to optimize amplifier performance for the assigned speakers. Filter options are selected or changed by moving the pre-amp-to-amplifier cable from one pre-amp output to another.

Technomad last year introduced the PowerChiton BreakoutBox, a companion product that enables local audio control at user-friendly locations in the same NEMA-style protective enclosure. Contractors wire the PowerChiton amplifier modules direct to the BreakoutBox, typically installed at eye level so end users can adjust volume and connect devices on the fly.

This year, Technomad introduces BreakoutBox XL, a deeper enclosure offering three expansion bays for use with up to three Technomad wireless microphones and/or custom Technomad Schedulon master audio playout systems. The BreakoutBox XL offers extra storage space so end users can lock and leave devices following an event, and adds a mic/balanced line input channel that combines into a single jack.

“The expansion slots allow customers to truly have a complete PA system for permanent outdoor installation while adding several integrated source options,â€� said Rodger von Kries, vice president, Technomad. “For applications such as athletic fields and resorts, audio systems can now be installed anywhere with power.”

Technomad will also demonstrate PowerChiton-integrated Apple AirPlay capability for iOS devices. This allows commercial and residential customers to wirelessly stream iTunes audio files and playlists to any iOS device in range within a PowerChiton amplifier or breakout box, reducing costs and infrastructure associated with traditional wiring and cabling.

Technomad will also show the latest design upgrades to its advanced audio loudspeakers, notably redesigned ports to its popular Noho model to enhance bass response. The new design reduces port compression and turbulence at higher SPL levels, and provides low-frequency output of +3dB at 85Hz.

Noho loudspeakers are available standalone or as part of complete Technomad Turnkey PA System with a powered amplifier, six-channel mixer, microphones, cables and more in a 6RU protective equipment rack. Mounting options include outdoor yoke mounts to simplify hanging, and Technomad’s recently-introduced stainless steel mount. Both are specifically built to survive long-term outdoor conditions, with the stainless steel mount able to tightly lock in Technomad loudspeakers from multiple fly points.

Technomad will exhibit this year at Booth 513. InfoComm 2013 takes place June 12-14 at the Orange County Exhibition Center in Orlando.

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.

# # #

NORTHRIDGE, California – HARMAN’s JBL Professional today announced that it is the Official Speaker Provider for The American Pavilion at the 66th Cannes Film Festival, which takes place May 15–26 in Cannes, France. The American Pavilion is the center of activity at the Cannes International Film Festival for the American film community, offering membership for professionals, provocative and insightful programming, immersive student programs, the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase and more.

JBL is providing four CBT 70J-1 column loudspeakers for The American Pavilion, which is located within the International Village. Because of the CBT 70J-1′s studio-grade drivers and JBL’s exclusive CBT pattern control, the loudspeakers provide the American Pavilion with superb sonic fidelity and even coverage throughout the space. The system includes four JBL CBT 70J-1 column loudspeakers instead of the 20 distributed loudspeakers that had previously been considered.

The CBT’s “Asymmetrical Progressive Gradient Coverage” sends more sound to the far area of the listening space than to the close areas. This allows sufficient sound to reach the far listeners without overwhelming listeners that are positioned closer to the loudspeakers.

The very wide 150-degree horizontal coverage allows more area in the pavilion to be covered from fewer loudspeaker locations and to ensure that off-axis listeners still hear the same quality of sound as on-axis listeners. Two of the speakers are located at the edge of the tent area, allowing them to also cover the listeners on the deck, who were not covered in previous years. In addition, the low-profile design of the CBT Series provides the pavilion with world-class sound while maintaining a visually discreet appearance.

With the ability to cover the area with fewer speakers, the entire system is driven from a single powered mixer, as opposed to the complexity of a rack system. With the power available from the existing powered mixer, each speaker is powered with 125 Watts.

“We are honored to be named as the Official Speaker Provider for The American Pavilion at Cannes,� said Brian Divine, Director of Marketing, JBL Professional. “JBL has a storied history in cinema, and this year attendees at The American Pavilion can look forward to enjoying the powerful, immersive and nuanced sound that JBL is known for.�

“We are thrilled to have the cutting-edge technology that JBL Professional brings to the table, which will give our members a sound experience beyond compare for all our programming this year,” said Julie Sisk, Founder of The American Pavilion at Cannes.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. 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 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN PAVILION
Celebrating its 25th year bringing professionals and emerging filmmakers together, The American Pavilion is the center of activity for the American film community at the Cannes International Film Festival.

Since its debut at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival, The Pavilion has served as a hospitality and communications hub for the thousands of Americans attending the Cannes Film Festival and Marché, providing an impressive array of facilities and services, including membership for the international film community, provocative and insightful programming, the Emerging Filmmaker Showcase, immersive student programs, and more.

For its corporate sponsors, scores of American participants, and hundreds of exhibitors and office holders, The American Pavilion accommodates the need for information, orientation and recreation, providing both a dynamic business environment and an opportunity to relax in comfortable surroundings for the duration of the Festival.

With a panoramic view of the Bay of Cannes and just a few steps from the Palais des Festivals, where all the major Festival films are premiered, The American Pavilion is now a permanent fixture on the Cannes landscape, proving to be the perfect place to transact business, share ideas and effectively reach the thousands of affluent international travelers who attend the Festival every year.

For more information, visit www.ampav.com.

BUENA PARK, Calif.—In 1999, singer Tony Bennett and his wife Susan Benedetto, then a public school teacher, were inspired to start a public high school for young artists and envisioned a school that would integrate the arts with rigorous academics, require a commitment to community service, and help students cultivate a lifelong love of, and dedication to, their artistic passions and crafts.

With assistance from the New York City Department of Education and the not-for-profit Exploring the Arts (ETA) who assisted in raising the necessary funds required, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (named for Bennett’s long-time friend) opened in 2001 at a temporary space. In 2009, the school moved to its permanent home on the Kaufman Astoria Studios complex, in Astoria, Queens. Ennead Architects LLP (New York City, formerly Polshek Architects) designed the school, under lead architect Susan Rodriguez.

The Tony Bennett Concert Hall is a state-of-the-art performance 800-seat venue built specifically for use by the students. Tom Young, long-time front of house engineer for Mr. Bennett, was brought in at his bequest to specify the theatre’s sound system. “The original audio design by David Harvey (Harvey, Marshall, Berling Associates) and myself was initially a typical value-engineered system required by any New York City school but with our added mission of creating a good sounding space,� says Young. After Young took the Bennett’s to hear a demo of the Yamaha Active Field Control (AFC) system, they all agreed, that AFC would be a key component of the concert hall. Active Field Control is a reverberation enhancement system that adjusts and enhances the acoustic characteristics of a facility while preserving natural characteristics.

The theatre’s AFC system is a hybrid AFC3/LAP3 system with both the standard AFC3 system utilizing a new AFC-FIR card for processing and the enhanced option of using a dedicated FIR processing computer with the LAP3 external computer. System 1 is used for reverberation enhancement in the house and under balcony areas. System 2 is designed for reverberation enhancement/energy exchange on the stage adding a sense of spaciousness to the normally “dead� sounding stage area, aiding performers to hear others on the stage.

The main loudspeaker system in the concert hall is based around a NEXO GEO S12 line array, NXAMP4X4 amplifiers equipped with EtherSound cards connected to the existing EtherSound network; four Yamaha DSR115 self-powered Yamaha speakers for stage fills/monitors, and a Yamaha M7CL-48ES digital audio console.

In a joint statement the Bennett’s said: “Putting the finest sound system in the Tony Bennett Concert Hall at Frank Sinatra School of the Arts has turned it into one of the best sounding halls in the United States. How fortunate we are that both Tom’s team and Yamaha were able to create this for the public school children of New York City.”

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

-END-

Photo ID: Cheri Walsh, Director of Exploring the Arts, Larry Italia, VP/GM Yamaha Commercial Audio Systems, Tony Bennett and his wife Susan, and Tom Young

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.

LONDON, England – Over the years, London based live production company ARC Sound has produced many corporate functions in the Underglobe, the events space situated beneath London’s famous Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. But since the reconstruction in wood of the original Elizabethan playhouse on the Thames South Bank, a full production set up has never been allowed, or indeed attempted, in the main theatre space itself.

However, all that has now changed. To celebrate the Bard’s birthday this month, a concert audio production set-up was allowed into the 1500-capacity space for the first time. As James Dougill’s company has a long standing contractor relationship with the venue, they were asked to plan and produce a working solution which would meet both the technical requirements of the performances, whilst also being sympathetic to the unique nature of the building.

Billed as ‘an evening of music and magic’ ARC Sound dipped into their extensive inventory, and deployed a JBL VerTec line source array loudspeaker system and Soundcraft Vi series digital mixing consoles as the key sound reinforcement components.

“This production was unique, as The Globe hasn’t allowed anything this ambitious to take place previously,â€� confirmed Dougill. “I am certain eyebrows were raised initially when all these flight cases started appearing in a venue made entirely out of wood. But the fact we were able to achieve this without creating any noise pollution was down to the detailed pre-production planning we undertook before the event.â€�

They also ensured that the main loudspeaker system complied with the maximum weight load of no more than a ¼-tonne to the oak beams in the theatre’s ceiling.

Headlining were The Magic Numbers, supported by singer songwriter Johnny Flynn, along with magicians Barry and Stuart, Piff The Magic Dragon and Chris Cox. With the exception of the Magic Numbers all other performances took place on an oval thrust, which was in front of the main loudspeaker array hangs.

For the main PA, ARC Sound suspended two symmetrical hangs of six JBL VERTEC® VT4887A compact line array elements, with two pairs of JBL VT4880A subs recessed under the stage apron. Each driver was individually addressed to provide alignment delay in a mini-cardioid configuration. Added to this were two fill clusters, each comprising three JBL VRX928LA Constant Curvature loudspeakers.

The ARC Sound director explained the rationale behind the design. “Although the throw distance was quite small, the coverage we required was steep—and since we were unable to suspend any further weight from the theatre ceiling, we opted for sharply angling back the VRX clusters. The key criteria here was the vertical coverage required to distribute sound evenly from the downstage edge right up to the third tiered balcony.�

The system was set up using a combination of the VERTEC LAC2 (JBL’s dedicated line array calculator) and Smaart field analysis, coupled with the company’s own extensive experience of deploying and using the products.

With a thatched open roof, James Dougill was mindful of the potential hazards of sound spill encroaching onto the Thames. “I wanted to get the boxes up into the air, focussed downwards, rather than on the ground pointing up,� he said. “Monitoring the volume during the show was more a question of using common sense than the SPL metering and LAeq measurement equipment we’d set up.�

At front of house ARC Sound fielded their Soundcraft Vi4, with 64-channel software upgrade, while down at the stage Raghav Narula was responsible for all of the onstage monitor mixes (also operating at near 64-channel capacity on one of the company’s Soundcraft Vi1 consoles).

James Dougill mixed the house sound, before creating a generic FOH set up (and an external rack of FX) for The Magic Numbers’ sound engineer Max Bisgrove — but instead, Max preferred to use all the desk’s internal reverbs and FX.

Summing up, Dougill said the quality of the amplified sound could hardly have been better. “The full range of VERTEC and VRX loudspeakers we stock gives us a very broad tool set to work with, and can be consistently relied upon to deliver. Their profile was ideally suited to this application, and if the glowing comments we’ve received about the sound quality are anything to go by, we got it right.

“It was a huge privilege to have been involved in this project — and The Globe were so delighted they are already talking about the next event.�

JBL and Soundcraft products were originally supplied to ARC Sound by HARMAN’s UK distributor, Sound Technology Ltd.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. 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 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA – MAY 2013: Danley Sound Labs brings its revolutionary Synergy Horn technology to the great outdoors with the Danley OS80. Like its Synergy Horn siblings, the OS80 delivers tremendous output, both in terms of sound pressure level and transparency, as well as precise pattern control. Unlike its Synergy Horn siblings, however, the OS80 is housed in an enclosure that is utterly impervious to weather, making it the ideal loudspeaker for outdoor installations at sports venues, arenas, athletic fields and complexes, theme and recreational parks, public gatherings, race tracks, community centers, cruise ships, hockey rinks, water parks, swimming areas, and more.

“The Danley OS80 brings high fidelity to outdoor loudspeakers,� asserted Mike Hedden, president of Danley Sound Labs. “Until now, installing a fully-weatherized loudspeaker meant significant compromises in fidelity and impact. But like all Danley products, the OS80 doesn’t play by those rules. The OS80 not only delivers the kind of clarity and power that characterizes our flagship SH-50 loudspeaker, but it can do it in a driving rain or after a winter spent buried under snow. In addition, the OS80’s precise pattern control created by the large horn makes it possible for outdoor sound reinforcement systems to deliver superior Synergy Horn fidelity to every seat.�

The Danley OS80’s coverage pattern is 80 deg conical with an operating frequency range that spans 113 Hz to 18 kHz (+/- 3 dB). It has 101 dB SPL sensitivity and a maximum output that rates 127 dB SPL continuous and 133 dB SPL program. A single high performance 12-inch driver and a single 1.4-inch driver energize the Synergy Horn and are hidden away inside a thermal molded poly-composite exterior measuring 32.25 inches high by 26-inches wide by 14.5 inches deep. Total weight is 51 pounds, and a U bracket is included as are other flexible mounting options which allow the Danley OS80 to make itself at home in any circumstance.

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

SEE US AT INFOCOMM BOOTH #143 – COME TO HEAR THE OS80 IN DEMO ROOM W203B

LONDON, United Kingdom – HARMAN’s Soundcraft helped The London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC) into the Guinness Book of Records last weekend when experienced sound engineers Raphael Williams and monitor engineer Nikoma Bell specified 96- and 64-channel Soundcraft Vi6 consoles respectively to mix the largest gospel choir ever assembled on a stage.

The event was to celebrate LCGC’s 30th anniversary—with a 3-day series of performance and workshops at London’s South Bank over the Bank Holiday weekend. The highlight was the concert at the Royal Festival Hall on the Sunday, and since this was being multi-tracked for a live album and DVD, recording engineer Simon Changer also had a third, remote 96-channel Vi6, isolated in the back control room.

In order to beat the previous record of 1,138 voices singing together in concert conditions, LCGC invited 30 other gospel choirs from across Europe to participate, so that the front tier stalls of the hall also became a performance area for the extended choir (leaving the audience to occupy the balcony/under-balcony seats and upper tiers). The show included X Factor runner-up Jahmene Douglas and Magic FM DJ Angie Greaves — and the existing record was broken thanks to an ensemble of 1169 vocalists performing simultaneously.

All the sound equipment was provided by Richard Nowell Sound Systems (RNSS), who have also installed a series of Soundcraft Vi series digital desks into the South Bank venues. The choice by Williams and Bell to use the Vi6’s was a no-brainer as both are staunch devotees of the platform, and have previously used this winning combination on tour with TinieTempah.

“In fact it was Nikoma who first introduced me to the Vi6,� exclaimed the FOH engineer. “Since then I’ve become a Soundcraft man through and through.�

With a strong background in church music, he had been contacted by the Choir “because they knew I had an understanding of their requirements.� He started out with a minor role back in 2010 before choir principle, Rev Bazil Meade, earmarked him for the lead role for this project.

While the choir itself, directed by Becky Thomas, features 50 singers, the prospect of micing up nearly 1200 vocalists created a number of logistical pressures as he set about providing a large inventory of industry standard close and ambient/overhead mics from the RNSS inventory.

Raphael, who also acted as overall technical adviser, explained the challenge he faced in compacting his line inputs. “First of all I put together a complete list of what could happen in a perfect world; we started at 150ch consisting of band, acoustic section and vocals, with 40 direct mics, and a further 48 dotted around the hall. But closer to the time I reined it in and made it more realistic in keeping with the 96ch desk count, with nine direct mics for the main members of the choir and 12 large diaphragm mics for the remainder. These are dotted around the stage for the choir to look more artistic.�

He ended up filling his Vi6 to capacity with 30 band and 21 LCGC mics, plus four radio and 24 mics for the extended choir, eight ambient mics within the room and some playback tracks from the hard disc recorder.

“What I like about the Vi series is ultimately the sound, which is clear, crisp and clean. The gain structure allows you enough headroom, in a sense the more you put in the more it gives out.�

“I also like the usability — it’s very easy to move around on and because of the Vistonics [interface] each screen is independent and so you can do two things at once — it makes things flexible.�

With the channel count that was required to handle the recording workflow of 96ch to a MADI device, he had to think carefully about his card configuration. “To get all 96 ins and 96 outs I had to swop some of the cards to get more MADI outs,� he explained.

Raphael’s solution was to design a 4-card MADI card configuration based on 64ch In, 32ch Out (Card 1); 32ch In, 0ch Out (Card 2); 64ch In, 64ch Out (Card 3); 24ch In, 32ch Out (Card 4).

This provided 184ch In workflow (but only 96ch active at any one time), and 128ch Out workflow (but only 96ch active at any one time).

However, after considering his dilemma, Raphael acknowledged with a smile, “Nikoma probably had it tougher than me, mixing monitors down at the stage.�

The monitor engineer himself commented, “The Vi6 is always my desk of choice; there are other great desks out there but I can configure and use the Vi with my eyes closed, often getting 80% of the mix sorted via the offline software before even switching the desk on. It sounds amazing too!

“The ability to configure the show offline really helped on this occasion due to the channel count. I was using every input and output, seeing 64 lines from stage then 12 return lines from FOH, as well as my effect returns and local inputs. But as I could configure the console on the train to rehearsals it saved a lot of time, allowing the band to get on with what they needed to do.�

The final word came from Musical Director/Production Manager, Ayo Oyerinde. “The Soundcraft Vi6 was the central hub that enabled us to break the world record for the largest choir ever. From FOH, monitors to multi-track recording, the Vi6 took care of it all with the highest quality sound.�

The event was promoted by LCGC with MVLS Music.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures, and markets a wide range of audio, lighting and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer, and professional markets. It is a recognized world leader across its customer segments with premium brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, and Mark Levinson®, and leading-edge connectivity, safety and audio technologies. 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 14,300 people across the Americas, Europe, and Asia and reported sales of $4.4 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012.

BUENA PARK, Calif.—Held the last weekend of April in Wilkesboro, N.C., this year’s MerleFest included a roster of longtime roots artists like Leon Russell, The Charlie Daniels Band, Avett Brothers, Del McCoury Band, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Michael Martin Murphey, Peter Rowan, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. As locals know, the festival is named for famed guitarist Doc Watson’s late son, Merle, a gifted musician in his own right. Doc passed away in May 2012, so this is the first year he hasn’t graced the stage himself.

For the past 26 years, SE Systems of Greensboro, N.C. has provided audio production for MerleFest, and this year included a new NEXO STM rig shared and alternating between the main Watson Stage and the side Cabin Stage. The system consisted of 15 M46/B112 per side for mains, 16 S118 subs in cardioid mode per side, two M46 for front fills, and a three-stack of M46/B112s were used for out fills in the VIP area. A Yamaha DME64 digital mixing engine functioned as a converter from analog to Dante that was networked to all NXAMPs. 20 NEXO 45 N-12 line monitors were also used on the main stage.

“The NEXO STM system was very musical and even horizontally and vertically, states Chris West, front of house engineer at the Watson Stage. “The mix sounded the same on the ground and at FOH. The throw was incredible; we hardly used the delays.”

“The NEXO STM system sounded natural, even at high volume,â€� states Haley Miller, monitor engineer at the Watson Stage. “When dealing with acoustic music, the environment plays a large part, so a natural sounding system is always a plus. On stage it was quiet, and sometimes we couldn’t tell if the PA was on; the system allowed great isolation from stage to FOH with no bleed.”

Four new Yamaha CL5 digital audio consoles with Rio 3224 input/output boxes all connected with Dante were used on the Americana Stage for mains and monitors and at the Dance Stage for mains and monitors. “The overall impression was they sounded great,� states Myron Surber, Sales Associate, SE Systems. “The preamps were warm and the Premium Rack was a real plus with delays on the input channels and the additional 1/3 octave EQs.�

“The Yamaha CL5 is a great improvement on previous Yamaha consoles having mixed on both the PM5D and M7CL in festival situations,â€� states Josh Berneking, who mixed front of house for all the acts on the Americana Stage. “The CL5 is much better in that situation. The new premium rack plug-ins, especially the Rupert Neve EQ and Compressor, sound great. I also like the increased naming and labeling capabilities; and color-coding my channels was a huge help at the festival. I also found that it was similar enough in navigation to the M7s that guest engineers walking up to the consoles having no experience were able to jump right in on the desk and mix on the fly with very little help from me. The Dante network and stage boxes worked great; they were very easy to patch on, and setup. We were also able to connect my talkback mic to the monitor console through Dante.” Jeff Neubauer mixed monitors on the Americana Stage.

“The console sounded great and was sonically very clean,â€� states Todd Dupree who mixed monitors on the Dance Stage. “We had two Rio boxes on our stage; they are great devices, well made, and solid. The indicator lights for signal, peaking, 48v, and the Ping feature worked great in the frantic festival setting.” John Adair mixed front of house at Dance Stage.

For more information on SE Systems, visit www.sesystems.com.

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

-END-

Photo ID: L to R SE Systems Chris West, Yamaha’s Joe Rimstidt, Doug Staab and Mark Rush, and SE Systems Thomas Dameron. Avett Brothers are on stage.

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.