ANAHEIM, California – HARMAN’s JBL Professional today announced that its EON Series of portable powered loudspeakers has been inducted into the TEC Foundation’s TECnology Hall of Fame. The TEC Foundation for Excellence in Audio established the TECnology Hall of Fame in 2004 to recognize audio products and innovations that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of audio technology. Inductees are chosen by a panel of more than 50 recognized audio experts.

When the JBL EON series was introduced in 1995 it single-handedly started the portable powered speaker revolution. The first two EON15P and EON10P models answered the need for powerful, easy-to-use, lightweight and durable portable PA and musical instrument speakers that combined the convenience of built-in amplification with outstanding sound quality.

The EON Series introduced a host of technical and design innovations including JBL’s patented Differential Drive® transducers, which employ a pair of in-line voice coils in separate magnetic gaps instead of the usual single voice coil-gap combination to enable maximum performance with minimum weight and more effective use of available enclosure space. The use of JBL’s Thermomaster® Total Thermal Management System provided efficient cooling without the need for fans or bulky heatsinks.

The EON Series was an instant hit, embraced by consumers and fueling the subsequent growth of the powered molded-enclosure integrated system segment of the MI market. Over time, the EON series evolved and expanded. The second-generation G2 models offered upgraded drivers, higher power and expanded input functionality. Today, the JBL EON Series continues its tradition of excellence with the 2-way, 15-inch EON515XT.

“We are extremely proud that our EON series has been chosen for induction into the TECnology Hall of Fame,� said Andy Flint, Senior Manager, Portable PA Marketing, JBL Professional. “EON has become the industry standard for portable powered speakers and we are gratified that the TEC judging panel has recognized the EON Series with one of pro audio’s most prestigious honors.�

For more information on the TEC Foundation, please visit http://tecfoundation.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.

ANAHEIM, California – Jeff Iftekaruddin is a guitarist, singer and songwriter who has been influenced by many styles of music, from the works of John Lennon that his mother loved to the music of his father’s native India. Recently, Iftekaruddin has enjoyed success touring throughout California with HARMAN’s JBL Professional EON515XT portable PA loudspeaker providing world-class audio quality in a lightweight and compact form factor.

From the day he first picked up a guitar, Iftekaruddin has been interested in combining various genres of music to create his own style, including songs recorded in both English and Spanish. His eclectic approach to songwriting can be heard in his most recent adult contemporary release, Songs About Women.

In the past two years, two unforeseen events have had a major influence on Iftekaruddin’s musical outlook. “Up until 2011 I was only making music for ‘grown ups,’� Iftekaruddin noted. “Then a chance encounter with a very special young girl and her family added a whole new perspective to my musical career.�

Iftekaruddin was playing his guitar near an auto shop while waiting for an oil change when a young boy and girl came over to listen. The girl began to softly sing along and Iftekaruddin did an improvised duet with the girl for about 15 minutes.

He then realized the girl’s parents had come over—and were politely waiting for him to finish. “The girl’s mother explained that her daughter was autistic and that they didn’t want to interrupt a song that was so calming for their child,� Iftekaruddin said. “She told me that her daughter had been feeling extremely anxious and that singing the song with me was the first time she had been calm all day.�

Iftekaruddin went home that night and reflected on how connected this little girl had been to his music. “I decided to write the girl her very own album,� he said I� wanted to fill it with music that any child—and their parents—would enjoy, no matter what their challenges were in life.� The result is Iftekaruddin’s new album, Songs About Turtles, Wolves and Stan the Man: Music for Kids Who Get It!

Another unplanned occurrence made Iftekaruddin realize the importance of good sound in live performance. “At the last minute I was asked to do a charity event in Santa Monica and had to use whatever PA they had. It was a JBL EON system,� he said. “I was performing in a massive yoga studio with beautiful bamboo floors and as soon as I plugged in and started playing I was mesmerized. I stopped worrying about my performance and just got lost in the sound. To hear my voice and guitar ringing out of the EON monitors with such clarity was just amazing – a definite rock star moment!�

Iftekaruddin soon purchased a JBL EON15XT powered loudspeaker. “Now I know I’m going to have great sound wherever I go,� he said. “I primarily play a Godin A6 guitar live and the EON515XT allows me to play direct—no EQ pedal, no ultra-funky acoustic wave modulator—just direct. I can hear every single nuance of my axe through the EON515XT.�

Iftekaruddin takes the EON515XT with him at all times. “I also have a 12-Volt/35-Watt battery plus a converter that I use to give me mobile power,� he said. “A lot of times after a show I will drive to a bank parking lot or the local Costco in Los Feliz and play for a few hours. To hear the EON515XT rebounding in such massive spaces is a holy experience.�

“My foray into the kids’ music arena has been a huge surprise in my life, and after doing shows many kids come up to me and want to know about my guitar and my equipment,� he added. “They are always interested in the EON515XT and its built-in mixer and I usually wind up having a ‘helper’ or two at a birthday party to help me set up. It’s so easy to use that they are always able to pick up very quickly how the EON515XT works.�

In addition, Iftekaruddin has found JBL Professional’s customer support to be first-rate. “It has been my experience that a lot of large companies lose touch with their customers, but JBL makes me feel like they listen to us folks who are out there in the field,� he said.

Iftekaruddin continues to bring his musical message of positivity to audiences at home and abroad. “On my new CD you’ll hear songs about working through challenges and making mistakes, a song that can help kids learn Spanish and a song about the beauty of being ‘different.’ I do my best to create a fun listening experience for the whole family.�

For more information please visit Jeff Iftekaruddin’s website, www.themusicofjeff.com. Songs About Women can be found at www.soundcloud.com/songsaboutwomen.

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.

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.

BOSTON, January 22, 2013 — The largest ski resort in Northern Europe has amplified the lighting and sound experience for its guests, with Technomad advanced audio loudspeakers as the centerpiece.

SkiStar, located in the Ã…re municipality in northern Sweden, is giving skiers an interactive experience on the slopes with its new high-quality, multi-zone entertainment system. The Technomad loudspeakers, projected by systems integration company Watt & Volt Sverige AB, communicate the history of SkiStar and deliver atmospheric audio in eight locations. Watt & Volt worked alongside project leader Ljusarkitektur AB, which is responsible for the new lighting structure that accompanies the audio system.

The complete, synchronized system delivers a captivating lighting and sound experience to skiers, with audio originated through zoned DMX-controlled MP3 players.

“This is a completely new concept for ski resorts in the north of Europe, perhaps even beyond,� said Hamrin. “To our knowledge, it is the only system in the north of Europe of its kind, in the way the ambient sounds connect surrounding areas with the lighting installation.�

Watt & Volt, which recently joined Technomad’s European dealer network, chose Technomad loudspeakers for their complete weatherproof construction and ability to withstand harsh outdoor environments — also noting excellent audio quality and broad coverage as benefits.

“There is nothing to compare with Technomad,� says Niklas Hamrin, managing director, of Watt & Volt. “We find the audio quality to be very good, especially considering the extremely rugged build. Their loudspeakers provide the appropriate protection considering the large snow amounts and extremely low temperatures, which can drop to between -30 and -40 Celsius.�

Technomad Paris loudspeakers, which provide full-range audio output in a classic column design, were installed at locations where musical reproduction and exceptional bass output were required. Watt & Volt chose Technomad Vernal loudspeakers, the most compact model in the company’s portfolio, at stations where intelligible speech is a priority. Hamrin added that both models satisfy unobtrusive audio system requirements from SkiStar and Ljusarkitektur. The loudspeakers are installed alongside compact, protective, heated cabinets with built-in amplifiers to complete the outdoor installation.

Future expansion plans include the installation of more Technomad loudspeakers at outdoor gondolas throughout the resort. The gondola systems will include battery-powered, RFID-controllable MP3 players built into ultra-compact, highly protective plastic cases.

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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NORTHRIDGE, California — In a unique and compelling installation, World of Beer, Inc., a national franchise that offers craft beers and live music in a casual setting, decided to go all out in supporting its live entertainment by equipping its Arlington, Virginia location and corporate headquarters with all-HARMAN audio systems that include JBL, Crown, BSS Audio, Soundcraft and AKG products. Orlando, Florida-based American Audio Visual (AAV) performed the installation.

The system had to be high-performance yet cost-effective. It was also critical that it would be easy to use by the tavern’s staff without having to bring in an outside audio engineer every time they had live music. Finally, it also needed to be able to easily transition from background music to live music, sometimes more than once a day. The system, once accepted, would be adopted as the standard sound reinforcement system for all World of Beer franchises moving forward.

“We worked closely with our rep Jason Bethune of Dobbs Stanford to propose an all-HARMAN system,� explained Sean Reish, Director, Capital Projects for AAV. “World of Beer had been working with different companies and vendors previously, and a big part of winning the bid was that HARMAN was the only company that offered everything from microphones to loudspeakers in a system that met their requirements and was also flexible enough to adapt to the needs of individual locations.�

“For the Arlington location we went with two JBL PRX415M 2-way 15-inch speakers flown above the stage because they’re unobtrusive yet deliver plenty of volume, and their 90 x 50-degree coverage is ideal for this type of space,� Reish said. The system also includes a JBL PRX418S subwoofer and a pair of JBL JRX112M loudspeakers serve as stage monitors. Thirteen JBL Control 65 P/T pendant speakers cover the main tavern area and four Control 26CT ceiling speakers cover the VIP section, all on a 70-volt background music distributed audio system. Crown DSi 4000 and DSi 2000 amplifiers power the main speakers, subwoofer and stage monitors, with a Crown CTs 4200 for the distributed audio system.

The live sound console is a Soundcraft GB-2R 16 compact 16-channel analog board. “We chose the GB-2R 16 because it had the right combination of features at the right price point,� Reish added. “We didn’t want to go digital just yet, and the GB-2R 16 is perfect for the size of the venue, the performers that come in and the board is also easy to use for people who aren’t professional sound mixers.� House mics are AKG, including a WMS 470 wireless microphone system.

A BSS Audio Soundweb London BLU-100 processor provides system control, in conjunction with HARMAN HiQnet London Architect™ software. “The BLU-100 is an open architecture device that lets us scale an audio system to meet the requirements of each particular location and the number of zones it has,� Reish pointed out. “It operates in conjunction with a standardized GUI interface we’ve created that will go in every franchise.�

AAV also has future plans to set up a system as a demonstration and training facility in World of Beer’s Tampa, Florida corporate headquarters and the system is standardized down to the touch panel interface. “Managers and employees will be able to come in, learn the system and be able to operate it in any franchise,� Reish said.

According to Reisch, HARMAN HiQnet System Architect™ software is the key to setting these systems up consistently in every World of Beer location. “Working with HARMAN, we spent a lot of time getting the system just right, and now we not only have a template for future franchises, but also the ability to monitor and diagnose a system in any World of Beer location and make changes remotely,� Reisch said. “One night a performer in Arlington lost a microphone and were able to reset the EQ, gain structure and routing for a different mic from 2,000 miles away in a couple of minutes while live on the phone.�

“Having a high-quality audio system in each of our locations is central to the experience that our customers have at World of Beer. We are looking to expand aggressively in the next 18 months and having a partner like HARMAN that can provide us with an all-in-one solution at a highly competitive price made it very clear that they are the manufacturer that we want to be working with moving forward,� explained Dave Bearce, Music Program Director, World of Beer Franchising, Inc.

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.

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.

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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.

Martin Audio has appointed Dominic Jacobson to the new role of EMEA Export Account Manager in order to streamline the company’s continuing expansion into global markets.

Jacobson will be applying his extensive experience and skills acquired in the film, broadcast TV and music production industries to the live sound and contracting markets, where he will be responsible for the EMEA territories.

“I’m relishing the challenge of promoting a brand that is so highly regarded in each of its core market sectors,� he said. “I am particularly looking forward to growing the business in certain parts of the world such as Africa, where there is scope for furthering Martin Audio’s market share.�

The new export manager will report to Director of Sales, Simon Bull, who confirms, “Dominic’s appointment will provide much-needed assistance through a range of EMEA territories and enable us to apply greater focus to some burgeoning countries.

“He is already well established with audio professionals in many of the territories that he will be visiting and has a strong technical aptitude that makes him well suited to this role.�

Having also assumed a pan-EMEA role as sales manager with Euphonix/Avid, and worked as a music producer and DJ for 17 years, including residencies at Ministry of Sound and Fabric where he had first hand experience with premium Martin Audio systems, Jacobson brings an enviable pedigree to the company.

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

About Martin Audio®
Founded by audio engineer David Martin in 1971, Martin Audio pioneered the use of all-horn-loaded bass designs in world-class touring loudspeaker systems for groups such as Pink Floyd, ELP and Supertramp. Located outside of London, Martin Audio now embodies a sophisticated mix of acoustic design, research, mathematical modeling and software engineering for a wide range of products in the installation, cinema and touring sound markets.