Saginaw, MI – February 2012….  Saginaw Valley State University is one of Michigan’s fastest-growing universities, and its Cardinal Athletics teams draw a steady stream of fans year-round. The university’s main athletic complex, the Ryder Center, comprises a number of venues, including a 6800-seat football stadium, indoor and outdoor track and field facilities, baseball, soccer and softball fields and more.

Chester, PA, February 2012…   Large venues of every kind need intelligible voice evacuation and mass notification capabilities, yet many typical fire-alarm voice-evacuation systems provide neither the voice intelligibility nor the sound levels (volume) needed to effectively communicate with very large numbers of people over the ambient levels of a real-life emergency situation.

Throughout Europe, venues such as stadia, sports and convention centers already have high intelligibility, high-level sound systems for entertainment and voice paging which can communicate effectively. For such systems installers could comply with the BS EN 60849 Standard for the installation, but there was no common laboratory test for the loudspeaker equipment. This remained subject to different requirements in every country. The introduction of the EN54-24 Standard dramatically changed this, providing a harmonized EU standard to test to.

To enable its loudspeakers to be used in voice alarm systems in venues across Europe, Community Professional Loudspeakers has applied for EN54-24 Certification of many of its large-scale loudspeaker systems through the international laboratory network of European Notified Body, Intertek. Their newly opened Life Safety & Security testing facility in Leatherhead UK had been developed to accommodate larger products used in fire detection and evacuation and had the capacity to test Community’s loudspeakers which weigh between 40 and 145 kilos.

Click for hi-res image

EN54-24 specifies the minimum requirements for voice alarm loudspeaker as a component of a voice alarm system to provide intelligible warning when a fire emergency has occurred and provides a common method of testing their operational performance.   It also specifies the common requirements for construction and robustness under climatic or mechanical conditions that might occur in a service environment.

With EN54-24 addressing the performance of products before and after they have been conditioned by factors such as corrosion, changes in temperature, vibration and impact, Intertek’s test and assessment engineers worked closely with the technical experts at Community to put various models through their paces.

Intertek’s newly built acoustic chamber enables test engineers to take audio readings at 4m as required by EN54-24 and their 998cm3 SO2 corrosion chamber (double the size of most corrosion chambers operating) is capable of conditioning larger products to simulate environmental aging.

Community is ahead of the compliance curve in this project having considered the EN54-24 requirements over a year ago and immediately initiating their plans, ahead of many other large-scale manufacturers selling into Europe.

“Sometimes new standards seem to result in nothing but red tape and bureaucracy”, said Chris Foreman, Community’s COO, “But EN-54-24 actually allows high quality professional audio systems – systems that often exceed the output capabilities of standard emergency products – to be used in emergency applications.  Community systems, particularly R-Series Systems, are already the go-to product in Europe for outdoor entertainment systems.  Given their exceptional voice capability, we expect that we will continue to enjoy great success as this directive progresses.”

 

Two longtime L-ACOUSTICS users are honored for the eighth time

LOS ANGELES — L-ACOUSTICS proudly congratulates both the Hollywood Bowl and Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival for taking top honors in the 23rd annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards ceremony held on Friday, February 2 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Both the Hollywood Bowl and Coachella Festival are known for their longtime use of L-ACOUSTICS loudspeakers. more

Large venues of every kind need intelligible voice evacuation and mass notification capabilities, yet many typical fire-alarm voice-evacuation systems provide neither the voice intelligibility nor the sound levels (volume) needed to effectively communicate with very large numbers of people over the ambient levels of a real-life emergency situation.

Throughout Europe, venues such as stadia, sports and convention centers already have high intelligibility, high-level sound systems for entertainment and voice paging which can communicate effectively. For such systems installers could comply with the BS EN 60849 Standard for the installation, but there was no common laboratory test for the loudspeaker equipment. This remained subject to different requirements in every country. The introduction of the EN54-24 Standard dramatically changed this, providing a harmonized EU standard to test to.

To enable its loudspeakers to be used in voice alarm systems in venues across Europe, Community Professional Loudspeakers has applied for EN54-24 Certification of many of its large-scale loudspeaker systems through the international laboratory network of European Notified Body, Intertek. Their newly opened Life Safety & Security testing facility in Leatherhead UK had been developed to accommodate larger products used in fire detection and evacuation and had the capacity to test Community’s loudspeakers which weigh between 40 and 145 kilos.

EN54-24 specifies the minimum requirements for voice alarm loudspeaker as a component of a voice alarm system to provide intelligible warning when a fire emergency has occurred and provides a common method of testing their operational performance. It also specifies the common requirements for construction and robustness under climatic or mechanical conditions that might occur in a service environment.

With EN54-24 addressing the performance of products before and after they have been conditioned by factors such as corrosion, changes in temperature, vibration and impact, Intertek’s test and assessment engineers worked closely with the technical experts at Community to put various models through their paces.

Intertek’s newly built acoustic chamber enables test engineers to take audio readings at 4m as required by EN54-24 and their 998cm3 SO2 corrosion chamber (double the size of most corrosion chambers operating) is capable of conditioning larger products to simulate environmental aging.

Community is ahead of the compliance curve in this project having considered the EN54-24 requirements over a year ago and immediately initiating their plans, ahead of many other large-scale manufacturers selling into Europe.
“Sometimes new standards seem to result in nothing but red tape and bureaucracyâ€�, said Chris Foreman, Community’s COO, “But EN-54-24 actually allows high quality professional audio systems – systems that often exceed the output capabilities of standard emergency products – to be used in emergency applications. Community systems, particularly R-Series Systems, are already the go-to product in Europe for outdoor entertainment systems. Given their exceptional voice capability, we expect that we will continue to enjoy great success as this directive progresses.â€�
– Ends -
www.communitypro.com
www.intertek.com/life-safety/

NORTHRIDGE, California – As in years past, HARMAN Professional audio components played a crucial role in the live sound reinforcement system at the 54th Annual GRAMMY® Awards, held February 12 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. ATK Audiotek provided live sound reinforcement at the venue, relying on JBL VERTEC® line arrays and AKG microphones.

The annual GRAMMY Awards telecast, known as Music’s Biggest Night®, is presented by The Recording Academy® to honor outstanding achievements in the production and performance of recorded music. This year’s awards featured performances by some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Bruce Springsteen, The Beach Boys, Bruno Mars and others, highlighted by a special tribute to Glen Campbell. Adele earned multiple GRAMMY Awards, including Song Of The Year and Record Of The Year for “Rolling in the Deep,� and Album Of The Year for 21.

This year’s GRAMMY Awards also featured performances by HARMAN’s JBL “Hear the Truth� campaign artists Paul McCartney and Maroon 5, while HARMAN artist Kanye West won four awards.

ATK Audiotek provided the main PA system, which featured four arrays each containing 12 VERTEC VT4889 fullsize line array elements, plus two arrays of six VT4880A fullsize arrayable subwoofers each. An additional 12 VRX932 Constant Curvature loudspeakers were used for front fill.

The STAPLES Center also features a newly installed JBL VERTEC line array system, which ATK Audiotek utilized in addition to some temporary components. The STAPLES Center system features eight arrays each containing between 11 and 13 JBL VT4889DP-DA powered line array elements, plus two fill clusters each containing four VT4889DP-DA elements, which are specially positioned to cover the end seating areas. The system also features four subwoofer arrays, each containing six VT4880A fullsize arrayable subwoofers.

ATK Audiotek also equipped all three pianos on stage with three AKG C414 microphones each. The pianos were featured in multiple performances throughout the GRAMMY Awards, including performances by Diana Krall, Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys. Rusty Anderson, who played guitar during Paul McCartney’s performance, used an AKG DMS700 digital wireless system in his guitar setup, while Chris Brown used a Crown CM311 microphone for vocals.

“Providing live sound for the GRAMMY Awards is always a unique challenge, given the variety of performers and elaborate productions,� said Brett Valasek, General Manager, ATK Audiotek. “VERTEC line arrays consistently perform well for us and our system, combined with the new in-house PA system at the STAPLES Center, provided the necessary coverage and output to deliver high-quality sound to the live audience.�

For more information on ATK Audiotek, please visit www.atkaudiotek.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 13,000 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.2 billion for twelve months ending December 31, 2011.

Chicago – February 16, 2012: Offering the excitement of Hollywood just 45 minutes outside of Chicago, Hollywood Casino Joliet recently underwent a major renovation to its entertainment and dining pavilion, which was destroyed by a fire in March 2009. Hollywood Stadium, a sports bar/entertainment venue located within the pavilion, has since been completely rebuilt and now boasts the latest technology and audiovisual elements, including an 80 x 20-foot screen, over 40 flat-screen TVs and a K-array loudspeaker system, the latter of which is distributed by audio specialist Sennheiser.

“After the fire, we took the opportunity to bring our pavilion up to speed both aesthetically and technologically,� recalls Justin Sattazahn, audio-visual supervisor of Hollywood Casino Joliet. “In Hollywood Stadium, I was looking for a stealthy loudspeaker system that would provide great sightlines and high fidelity throughout the room.� He chose a K-array system, including two KK200 arrays mounted to poles on either side of the stage, four KL18ma subwoofers — each of which was mounted inside the stage — and (4) KF12 self-powered monitors.

A Non-Traditional Solution in a Forward-Thinking Venue
Sattazahn, who has a background in the touring industry and recently made the move to casino entertainment, knew that a traditional horn-loaded P.A. system would not be suitable for Hollywood Stadium — which presented both acoustic and visual challenges. The visual challenges included maintaining unobstructed viewing angles to the stage performers, the massive projector screen and the flat-screen televisions scattered throughout the room.

“My initial design was going to be your standard hanging J-style line array,� Sattazahn recalls. “However, since the sightlines were so important and since I was dealing with a room that was very acoustically reflective, the K-array was by far the best choice.� The room, which measures 60 x 125 feet, has 45-feet-high ceilings and is constructed primarily of concrete. “There were a lot of acoustic challenges that we had to overcome, not the least of which were all the reflective surfaces.�

The precise sound dispersion patterns of the KK200 — which have a horizontal throw of 110 degrees and a vertical throw of just seven degrees — helped Sattazahn and his team overcome the acoustic challenges of the venue while maintaining unobstructed sightlines towards the stage. Moreover, by installing the K-array solution, every seat in the house offers a pristine audio experience.

Smooth sounds in a small, powerful package
When it is not a sports bar, Hollywood Stadium is transformed into an intimate music venue that caters to smooth jazz, country, Top 40 dance music and everything in between. Musicians of all genres regularly pass through the venue, and Sattazahn says that so far, the loudspeaker system has gotten high marks: “One of the bigger regional bands that comes in here is called 7th Heaven. When they first saw the K-array system, they said, ‘Is this it?’ But by the end of the show, they had no doubt that the K-array could handle everything they had and a lot more!�

The new K-array system receives regular praise from both performers and patrons alike: “We get a lot of compliments that this is the best system that they’ve ever heard,â€� says Sattazahn. “Some bands describe the sound as ‘smooth’, and say that it’s as if they are listening to their performance through a set of studio monitors — but in a live setting.â€�

Based on the successful performance of the K-array system in Hollywood Stadium, Hollywood Casino Joliet is already planning on installation additional K-array equipment in other locations in the near future. “K-array fits our brand and the high-end feel we are trying to achieve in our casino, so we are looking at adding new elements within the casino and the nightclub. K-array is already at the top of my list,� Sattazahn concludes.

NORTHRIDGE, California – Lady Antebellum has won the hearts of listeners everywhere with rich vocal harmonies, superb playing and songwriting talent, and captured the “Country Album of the Year� GRAMMY® Award for its third studio album, Own the Night. A big part of the band’s pure country pop sound is the engineering of Clarke Schleicher, Studio Services Director of Warner Music Nashville, who was credited for the GRAMMY Award along with producer Paul Worley. Schleicher has been working with Lady Antebellum since the band’s self-titled debut album in 2008.

“The single most important tool recording engineers use is their monitors,� Schleicher stated. He uses JBL LSR6328P studio monitors for all of his tracking, overdubbing and mixing. “The monitor has to be accurate at all SPL levels, louder as well as softer. It must have excellent stereo imaging at the center mixing position, yet also deliver an accurate sound field into the control room for the artists, producers and musicians to hear. I use the JBL LSR6328P because it does all those things perfectly—and more. I’d say its biggest advantage is its low-frequency presence, clarity and punch.�

Schleicher runs his LSR6328P speakers without subwoofers. “I don’t feel the need to [use subs]—at Warner Studios, I run them without subs and with the HF level at -1dB, and the tonal balance is just right,� he said.

Schleicher listens to three sets of LSR6328P monitors—one pair in the studio, one pair at home and another pair at Skyline Music Publishing with Worley, who has produced all of Lady Antebellum’s albums. “I’ve trusted JBL products for decades,� Schleicher added. “I also have a pair of JBL 4313B’s, 4410A’s and LSR6332’s in addition to the LSR6328P’s. I have collected many types of speakers for years and still have every pair I’ve ever purchased. No matter which brand I’ve tried, JBL speakers always seem to win.�

Besides Lady Antebellum, Schleicher uses the LSR6328P on all his other projects, including albums with Sara Evans, The Band Perry, The Randy Rogers Band and James Otto. “The artists, record labels and musicians are always asking what kind of speakers I use, because they like them so much,� he said. “The head of one record label liked them so much he’s getting a pair for his office.�

Headquartered in Northridge, California, JBL Professional is the world’s leading manufacturer of loudspeakers used in demanding recording, post-production and broadcast applications and facilities worldwide. JBL Professional is the recipient of numerous awards including a prestigious Technical GRAMMY® Award “for continual mastery and innovation…to ensure exacting standards for the most accurate sonic experience.� JBL Professional is part of the HARMAN International network of professional and consumer audio companies. For complete product and company information, go to the JBL Professional website at www.jblpro.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 12,500 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.0 billion for twelve months ending September 30, 2011.

NORTHRIDGE, California – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences (AMPAS®), known worldwide for its annual Academy Awards® ceremonies, recently completed a total remodeling of its East Coast showcase, the Academy Theater at Lighthouse International in New York City. The 220-seat auditorium was re-done in spectacular fashion, with an interior by renowned theater designer Theo Kalomirakis and an audio system including JBL’s 5732 ScreenArray 3-way high-power loudspeakers, 4642A dual-18-inch subwoofers, and VRX932LA Constant Curvature loudspeakers with VRX918S subwoofers.

Lighthouse International is a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting vision loss, and its headquarters is host to the Academy Theater. The Academy financed and upgraded all projection and sound equipment according to its standards, while Lighthouse International board member Charles S. Cohen and his wife Clo, financed the beautification of the space. Digital Media Systems of New York, a specialist in providing projection and sound for the motion picture industry, was contracted to install the new audio/video system.

“Since the Lighthouse Theater is the Academy’s East Coast showplace, we knew the sound and picture quality had to be nothing less than the absolute best,� noted Gregg Paliotta of Digital Media Systems. “However, all the speakers had to be completely hidden. Designer Theo Kalomirakis understands the importance of great sound as a vital part of the cinema experience – yet was insistent that the speakers should not intrude upon the elegant interior design of the Academy Theater.�

“The installation is also unique in that it’s really two installations in one,� Paliotta pointed out. “The Lighthouse Theater is used as both a screening room for films and as a traditional stage for concerts, plays and other events. When films are being shown, the Microperf cinema projection screen rolls down from the ceiling. Then a motorized masking, scrim and house curtain system is engaged. When in final position, the stage has turned into an amazing screening room front end.�

“Our solution to accommodate the theater’s dual-purpose nature seems obvious in retrospect – we installed two separate audio systems. We went with JBL ScreenArray 5732 loudspeakers and 4642A subwoofers for movie screenings, and JBL VRX932LA loudspeakers and VRX918S subs for everything else.�

“The architecture wasn’t the easiest to work with, as there were ‘wings’ projecting from the walls on either side of the stage that had to be dealt with, but Kalomirakis and I came up with the solution of building the three VRX932LA speakers per side right into the wall with one VRX918S per side, and hiding the line arrays behind fabric.�

Placing the ScreenArray 5732 speakers and 4642A subwoofers required a little more ingenuity. Paliotta’s solution: “We mounted the ScreenArray speakers and subwoofers on wheels. The staff rolls them in behind the acoustically transparent perforated screen when movies are being shown, and rolls them out after the closing credits. Instead of figuring out how to locate and hide such massive speakers and subwoofers, we came upon the idea of just keeping them off the stage when not in use, and as a result, not having anything to hide in the first place!�

The result is optimized sound quality for all the Lighthouse Theater’s presentations. “It wasn’t ever not going to be JBL product,� noted Paliotta. “I’ve been a projection and sound supervisor for AMPAS for 10 years, and I know the capabilities of JBL. The ScreenArray 5732 loudspeakers are proven performers that are specifically designed for a cinema environment, and can be placed behind a perforated screen without adverse acoustic effects. The VRX932LA speakers and 4642A subwoofers gave us the coverage, clarity and low-end presence and articulation we needed in their respective applications.�

BSS Soundweb London processors are used as the digital crossovers for the speakers and subwoofers.

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 12,500 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.0 billion for twelve months ending September 30, 2011.

NORTHRIDGE, California – ATK Audiotek recently provided audio services for Super Bowl XLVI, marking the 15th straight year the company has been involved in the country’s biggest sporting event. Once again, ATK Audiotek deployed its custom-designed cart system with HARMAN’s JBL VERTEC® line arrays for the Halftime Show and Post-Game Show of the Super Bowl, held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on February 5, 2012. The carts were also used for Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton’s rendition of “America the Beautiful� and Kelly Clarkson’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner.�

Super Bowl XLVI was broadcast via NBC, and for the third straight year became the most watched Super Bowl in history, viewed by an estimated 111.3 million people. Madonna starred in the Halftime Show, which also included guest appearances by Nicki Minaj, Cee Lo and MIA. The Post-Game Show included the Lombardi Trophy presentation, awarded to this year’s NFL champion New York Giants.

For Super Bowl XLVI, ATK Audiotek deployed its custom-designed cart system, which allows for easy setup between events, and quick transport of the VERTEC loudspeakers on and off the field. Each of the 18 carts included four JBL VERTEC VT4889 fullsize line array elements and two VT4880A fullsize arrayable subwoofers.

In addition to its cart system, ATK also utilized the JBL VERTEC and VLA line arrays that comprise the house PA system at Lucas Oil Stadium. ESCO Communications installed the system, which was designed by WJHW, for Lucas Oil Stadium’s opening in 2008.

“The VERTEC line arrays provide an optimal combination of light weight, fidelity and output power capability, making them ideal for our cart system,� said Brett Valasek, General Manager, ATK Audiotek. “The in-house PA system at Lucas Oil Stadium also sounds terrific and helped us deliver high-quality audio to the crowd of approximately 70,000 people.�

For more information on ATK Audiotek, please visit www.atkaudiotek.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 12,500 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported net sales of $4.0 billion for twelve months ending September 30, 2011.

Las Vegas, NV – February 2012… Located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, the Imperial Palace has been a prominent tourist destination for years—thanks in no small part to the fact that it houses the world’s largest and finest classic car showroom, a wealth of entertainment options, as well as the property’s prime location for the city’s booming convention business and its easy access to the Las Vegas monorail. The hotel’s Human Nature Theater is particularly popular and features Australia’s Human Nature—The Ultimate Celebration of Motown, showcasing the distinctive, dynamic harmonies of members Toby Allen, Phil Burton, Andrew Tierney, and Michael Tierney. The theater recently received a substantial upgrade of its sound reinforcement system, all of which is derived from the Aero Series 2 catalog of Valencia, Spain-based D.A.S. Audio. more