When the Hillsborough North Superior Court in Manchester, New Hampshire underwent reconstruction and modernization, they brought in K&S Electronics of Craftsbury, Vermont to upgrade their sound system.

According to K&S President Ken Atherton, “The system had to provide audio for media and function effectively as a PA system. Because we support the FTR (ForTheRecord) digital recording format, our challenge was finding microphones that would provide audio for live reinforcement and recording verbatim testimony in courtrooms with digital-ready audio quality and minimal background noise.

“A while back, we had used 905R Astatic mics for court service windows in Maine.� Atherton continues, “and were impressed with their signal-to-noise performance and vocal clarity. Based on that, we chose Astatic 915B and 920B goosenecks for six courtrooms in the Hillsborough project because they also have impressive signal-to-noise performance and outperformed more expensive microphones.

“We also installed the Astatic 905R at the witness stands because their short length, tight pickup pattern and outstanding sensitivity at picking up soft-spoken witnesses allowed them to be mounted at a greater distance, which also provided a larger work surface. The mics also have a minimal visual impact because of the miniature gooseneck design.

“For the attorneys, we chose Astatic 40-117 microphone stands, which we use in virtually all installations. The muting function is essential for attorney-client privacy and the stand also lends itself well as a platform for modifications. We typically mount either a jack, for wired hearing assistance, or switches that can be wired for sound system-muting applications.�

The rest of the system upgrade included Shure SCM810 8-channel mic mixers, TOA A-912MK2 amplifiers, and Electro-Voice loudspeakers. Atherton also points out that the Shure mixers’ noise gating function teamed effectively with Astatic mics to further increase the gain-before-feedback.

Summing up, Ken explains “We’ve found that the price point of Astatic microphones make them an excellent choice in today’s economy without any compromises in quality. Comparing them with other brands, we’ve found they perform as well as brands that cost three times as much. And for Hillsborough, their performance was definitely up to the recording quality of the FTR system. They are quiet, natural-sounding microphones, which makes them an ideal choice for courtroom applications.�

For more information about CAD Audio and Astatic Commercial, please call 800.762.9266 or visit www.cadaudio.com.

VIENNA, Austria – With more than 4.000 colorfully dressed attendees at the 20th annual Life Ball, Europe’s biggest AIDS awareness charity event and fashion show, representatives from around the globe gathered to help raise awareness and charitable donations to fight the disease. The “Fight The Flames of Ignorance”-themed event’s performances and speakers were brought to life through premium wireless microphones and in ear monitoring systems by Vienna-based HARMAN’s AKG.

For seven consecutive years, AKG has provided the PA equipment to the Life Ball, which hosts thousands of participants and a large number of international celebrities each year, who all pitch in to help rid the world of AIDS and HIV. In 2012, former President of the United States, Bill Clinton and actress Milla Jovovich were among the distinguished guests, in addition to the large congregation of fashion icons.

The event hosted one main stage and six side stages, all soundly backed by AKG microphones and headphones to ensure uninterrupted, quality audio. The provided AKG equipment included more than 80 channels of premium wireless and in ear systems, WMS 4500 and IVM 4500, plus a selection of vocal and instrument microphones such as D7, D5, C 214, C 480 ULS, C 414, AKG’s miniature mic series ‘MicroMic’ as well as K 171 and K 181 DJ headphones.

“While AKG has been utilized for decades on the largest stages across the globe, the Life Ball continues to be a very special event for our company every year,” stated Walter Rührig, head of artist and key customer relations, AKG. “HIV/AIDS is an issue concerning the entire population of the world and the Life Ball has been a model for many activities and events working to fight the disease. AKG is honored to provide the Life Ball with our reliable and world-leading equipment and continues to support such great initiatives.”

For more information about AKG, please visit http://www.akg.com and http://www.youtube.com/AKGacoustics.

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(r), Harman Kardon(r), Infinity(r), JBL(r), Lexicon(r) and Mark Levinson(r). 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 $4.3 billion for the twelve months ended March 31, 2012.

OLD LYME, Conn. – May 30, 2012: The U.S. subsidiary of headphone and microphone manufacturer Sennheiser named B&H Photo Video its 2011 dealer of the year for excellent sales, customer support and comprehension of Sennheiser’s diverse line of professional audio systems and solutions.

“We are pleased to announce B&H as Dealer of the Year, Professional Systems,â€� said Jeff Alexander, vice president of sales and marketing for Sennheiser Electronic Corporation’s professional systems division. “Having achieved Dealer of the Year for three years in a row is quite an accomplishment. B&H remains an incredible resource to the professional audio community and is known for having one of the easy-to-use websites in the industry. We congratulate their entire team for their continued success and for their incredible ongoing customer commitment.”

“We are extremely pleased to receive the Dealer of the Year Award from our more

DPA 4023 and 4028 Microphones Used for All Performances

New World Symphony’s Director of Audio Services Roberto Toledo relies on DPA Microphones’ 4023 compact cardioid microphones and 4028 compact wide cardioid microphones for all performances at the New World Center, including the recent Juanes MTV “Unplugged� concert.

New World Center in Miami is home to the New World Symphony, America’s Orchestral Academy. This Frank Gehry-designed building and the music presented through the leadership of Artistic Director and renowned conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, reflect the height of musical and architectural excellence.

DPA microphones are the mics of choice for all musical events presented by the New World Symphony at New World Center. For an orchestral concert, the DPA mics used include the 4023 or 4028 for the wind instruments and additional 4023s for spot mics when needed. Toledo is very familiar with DPA and was happy to discover the mics were a part of the center’s sonic toolkit. “When I came to New World Symphony, I was very pleased with the extensive selection of DPA microphones that would be available to me,� he says.

For the symphony’s WallCasts performances in particular, the microphones need to be as unobtrusive as possible. The WallCasts are special events where performances of the New World Symphony at the New World Center are projected live onto a 7,000-square-foot projection wall at Miami’s SoundScape Park. Since the performances for the WallCasts appear very large with outside projection, the mics and the shadows they create are magnified and need to be reduced as much as possible. DPA’s 4023 or 4028 along with 4053 compact omnidirectional microphones give viewers in the park the feeling of being there in the performance space with minimal impact to the visuals. “For our shows, smaller is better,� says Toledo. “We have five projection surfaces with fourteen 30k Christie Roadhouse projectors shooting at multiple angles, so if a shadow is created by audio equipment, again, a smaller shadow is better. When we do our WallCasts, we can have up to 10 robotic cameras being used to project the concert to the audience outside. Again, if a microphone is in one of the camera shots, it is more acceptable if it is small, which the DPA mics are.�

Although New World Symphony primarily presents classical music, the look and sound of the space lent itself to a recent MTV “Unpluggedâ€� concert by the Colombian singer/songwriter/guitarist Juanes. As Toledo explains, for the “Unpluggedâ€� concert, the producers were looking for clean visuals to pair up with great sound. DPA was able to deliver on both. “For Juanes, the issue was more about what was seen in the camera shot,â€� Toledo states. “With the exception of Juanes’s vocal mic, all the other mics had to be as hidden as possible. Getting good sound from the choir [that performs with Juanes] was important, but having mics not being seen or being seen as little as possible by the cameras was also a priority. Since the DPA mics are black, as is the Flamingo hardware used with them, we were able to position them as needed while making sure it did not become an issue for the director of the show.â€�

Toledo found that the microphones’ sizes in no way compromised their sound quality. “Since we own only DPA’s Compact Series of microphones, their size has been the biggest asset,â€� he says. “In my mind, there is no degradation in quality compared to the stand-body versions, so visual impact is minimal, but I still get the usual DPA sound. For our shows, the DPAs have been nothing but spectacular. One thing I appreciate about our DPAs is that I have to do little to no equalization to our main array. It’s simply a matter of getting the mics in the right spot. The less processing I have to do, the better, and with the DPAs, that’s pretty much what I get.â€�

About DPA
DPA Microphones A/S is a leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.

For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit: www.dpamicrophones.com.

DPA 4023 and 4028 Microphones Used for All Performances

New World Symphony’s Director of Audio Services Roberto Toledo relies on DPA Microphones’ 4023 compact cardioid microphones and 4028 compact wide cardioid microphones for all performances at the New World Center, including the recent Juanes MTV “Unplugged� concert. more

VIENNA, Austria – Eleven of the most famed rock and roll musicians of recent history have teamed up for a world tour of epic proportions in 2012. Led by former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, The Rock N Roll Allstars recently concluded a successful run in South America. Behind his massive drum set, mic’d with a strategic array of HARMAN’s AKG technology, Sorum conducts the Allstars through a 2.5-hour show, performing a collection of hits from each member’s respective band.

The Rock N Roll Allstars include Gene Simmons of Kiss, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, Sebastian Bach of Skid Row, Gilby Clarke of Guns-N-Roses, Billy Duffy of The Cult, Glenn Hughes of Deep Purple, Ed Roland of Collective Soul, Steve Stevens of the Billy Idol band and Mike Inez of Alice in Chains, in addition to Sorum.

Sorum’s drum kit boasts double kick drums, five toms and a very large collection of cymbals. With such an elaborate drum set, Sorum wanted to ensure it was enjoyed visually as much as it would be for its sound. The pure epicness of the tour itself, combined with the enthusiasm of the fans, made sound a number-one factor for Sorum and the Allstars. When looking for a set of mics to capture the drums, Sorum required three factors: ease of use, durability and visual appeal for the perfect set up. AKG’s collection of microphones proved to be the perfect match.

AKG’s C518 M micro mics were Sorum’s first choice on his toms – the instrument for which he is widely known. The C518′s easily clipped on to his toms and held tight during his passionate beats. AKG D12 capsules were placed in the kickdrums, suspended in the drums themselves for a rich sound with no adverse noise. C414XLS mics were mounted for overhead cymbal pickup, while one C214 was mounted in the front of the kit for the splash cymbals and ride. Two sets of C451 stereo condensers were clipped on the set to mic the main hats as well as an x-hat set up. Sorum utilized one additional AKG P4 for backup vocals during the shows.

“I’ve had real issues with tom mics in the past, falling off or needing adjustments, but the 518′s give me a great sound and are reliable during the shows,” stated Sorum. “AKG gives my drum set a huge sound and a clean look, without the worry of fixing an ill-fitting clip. Once the D12′s are in place and the 414′s are set, we get this amazing, thick, warm, fat resonance and it couldn’t sound more natural.”

The Rock N Roll Allstars will continue their world tour in Australia and Japan in fall, 2012. The South American shows were host to more than 20,000 fans each night in the outdoor venues.

For more information about AKG, please visit http://www.akg.com and http://www.youtube.com/AKGacoustics. For more information about the tour, please visit http://www.rnrallstars.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(r), Harman Kardon(r), Infinity(r), JBL(r), Lexicon(r) and Mark Levinson(r). 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 $4.3 billion for the twelve months ended March 31, 2012.

Old Lyme, CT – May 24, 2012— For six years, BGR (Boy Genius Report) has been a primary destination for consumers to get a first glimpse at breaking news and cutting-edge consumer products in the tech space. For BGR, one of the most prominent tech and mobile sites in the world, quality is key. Now, as it is making new forays into video, BGR has turned to Sennheiser for the best possible audio.

BGR, which was originally founded under the precept of providing viewers with not only the latest tech and product news but also leading commentary and insights from industry influencers and tastemakers, is focused on quality rather than quantity when creating content for its viewers.

Therefore, as it launches The BGR Show, a weekly video report that looks at the different ways technology has permeated our daily lives through the lens of manufacturers, celebrities, personalities and executives, BGR has armed its production team with a fleet of DSLR cameras coupled with Sennheiser ew 100 ENG G3 wireless microphone systems. The BGR Show debuts on BGR.com on May 31st.

“Most devices that are connected to the Internet these days — whether they are laptops, monitors or headphones, wired or wireless — are capable of delivering a high quality experience to people,” commented Jonathan Geller, President and Editor-In-Chief of BGR.com. “In terms of production quality, we wanted to partner with Sennheiser to make sure that everything we did with audio was to the highest standard.”

“Regardless of where we are capturing the content, Sennheiser’s microphones and wireless equipment play a fundamental role in this process,” he continued. Sennheiser’s wireless expertise regularly contributes to the success of events such as The Super Bowl, The Grammy Awards® and many other major broadcast productions.

The BGR Show is being launched in partnership with Pharrell Williams and Google and will cover the latest tech and lifestyle products, while featuring prominent celebrities, executives, and other influencers. Ken “Duro” Ifill, a Grammy winning mixer & producer who has worked alongside chart topping artists such as Jay-Z, The Beastie Boys, Usher, Mariah Carey and many others will be co-executive producing the show alongside Geller.

Video content will be capturing using Canon’s DSLR family, which provides both image quality and editing flexibility and the audio will be captured with Sennheiser ew 100 ENG G3 wireless microphone and transmitter sets, which provide not only outstanding audio quality but also ruggedness and reliability in the field.

For more information on The BGR Show, please visit http://www.bgr.com/2012/05/21/presenting-the-bgr-show/.

CAD Audio/Astatic UHF WX100 Wireless System

Las Vegas, NV––Introduced at InfoComm 2012, the new UHF WX100 Wireless Series from CAD Audio/Astatic provides the A/V installer with simple and intuitive form factors, reliable high performance wireless connectivity and exceptional audio bandwidth.

The WX100 was designed using the latest wireless technologies and industry-leading diversity performance to ensure the highest standards in connectivity in congested RF environments.

In addition to superior connectivity, the WX100 features a familiar and intuitive control scheme that allows easy, problem-free operation by casual non-professional users. The WX100 transmitters’ simple form factors make it easy to identify various features, operate on/off switches, change and recharge batteries.

These designs along with an array of useful accessories make the WX100 a perfect solution for A/V suites, flexible meeting spaces or any situation that requires easy to use, certain-connectivity wireless that doesn’t require a long learning curve.

Basic system components include the WX160 gooseneck desk stand transmitter and WX100 receiver, the handheld WX150 microphone and the WX155 body pack which can be used with the CAD 301 cardioid lavalier mic or CAD 302 headworn microphone for additional flexibility. The WX100 is supplied with a joining plate and rack ears for easy installation.

Key accessories for the WX100 system include Ground Plane and Paddle Antennas, an Antenna Distribution System and battery charging solutions for all transmitters.

For more information about CAD Audio, please stop by Booth #C10149 at InfoComm 2012, call 800.762.9266 or visit www.cadaudio.com.

OLD LYME, Conn. – May 9, 2012 – Audio specialist Sennheiser announced that LEAP OF FAITH, Broadway’s latest roof-raising Tony-nominated musical, is the first Broadway production to utilize digital microphone technology from Neumann. The musical, which features a score by eight-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken, opened late last month at the St. James Theater on 44th Street and features no less than 12 Neumann digital microphones in the orchestra pits.

Broadway is widely recognized as maintaining the “gold standard” when it comes to live sound production quality; its sound designers routinely specify Sennheiser and Neumann microphones and wireless equipment for their unrivalled sonic performance on both the stage and in the orchestra pit. For LEAP OF FAITH, Sound Designer John Shivers and Associate Sound Designer/Mixer David Patridge specified Neumann digital mics on the brass and woodwind sections of the orchestra, which were then fed into a Neumann DMI before reaching the DiGiCo SD7 digital console.

LEAP OF FAITH has two separate orchestra pits, both of which use the digital microphones. The pit below the stage and directly in front of the audience contain the woodwind section, which uses four Neumann KM 184 Ds as overheads and four TLM 103 Ds in a low position, approximately 15 inches off the floor and resting at a 120-degree angle towards the instrument. The other pit was situated below and to the rear of the stage and contained the brass section, which was miked with four TLM 103 Ds in a low position similar to that of the woodwinds.

An exquisitely pristine sound character
“We had already specified the analog versions of these microphones when Masque Sound brought up the possibility of our using digital microphones on this show,” Shivers recalls. “We jumped at the chance to use them since I am always interested in increasing the overall sound quality of the production. We didn’t get a chance to A/B these against their analog counterparts in a controlled environment, but my sense is that there is an increased clarity and transparency to these microphones.”

“These microphones exhibit an open, detailed sound,” Patridge adds. “I think additional clarity is evident in the high frequency range and the microphones themselves require less EQ. As for the noise floor, it is non-existent: these microphones are absolutely pristine.”

Realizing the benefits of remote control
According to Patridge, the benefits of using Neumann digital mics in the theater extend well beyond just the pristine sound, since many parameters such as shelving, padding and even polar patterns can be remote controlled from the FOH position*: “The pit can be a difficult area to access, and during sound checks I often have to send somebody in there to ensure there is no shelving or padding on the mics,” he observes. “With the Neumann digital mics, I can control all these settings from software interface on the console, which saves time and gives my production team one less thing to worry about.”

Shivers agrees that being able to control the microphones from a remote location is beneficial: “If a musician is playing particularly loud, having the ability to go to a control panel and adjust the padding could be very helpful. Also, having the capability to remotely switch to a hyper-cardioid from a cardioid pattern could give you a tighter sound and more rejection without having to move the microphone position. But for me, the audio quality is always most important.”

Prior to its official opening on Broadway on April 26th, LEAP OF FAITH was in previews for three straight weeks, during which time the Neumann digital microphones were put through their paces. “We were very impressed with how they sounded right out of the box,” Shivers says. “We knew from the reputation of the company that it would be an improved product, and now we can assuredly say that it is. The quality of these microphones is of a very, very high standard and I would love to use them again.”

*(available in the Neumann D-01 microphone, which features 15-switchable polar patterns at the click of a mouse).

Photo captions:

Greg Thymium of the LEAP OF FAITH woodwinds section plays into Neumann TLM 103 D digital microphone in the low position and a Neumann KM 184 D digital microphone in the overhead position (photo: Cheryl Fleming).
The Neumann KM 184 D is among the digital microphones currently being used in the LEAP OF FAITH musical production on Broadway (photo: Cheryl Fleming).
The Neumann TLM 103 D digital microphone was used in the low position on both woodwinds and brass during LEAP OF FAITH.

VIENNA, Austria – World-renown drummer and “groove” activist, Rick Latham recently wrapped up his 30th year of touring the globe. The artist entertained and educated aspiring and professional drummers in a workshop dedicated to the music business, highlighting the art of drumming. Armed with HARMAN’s AKG Drumset Groove Pack, solo artist, author, composer and current touring drummer for GRAMMY-winning artist Juice Newton, Latham’s educational sessions touched on multiple facets of musical education, wowing students and fans during the four-week group workshop.

The workshops focused on mastering the drums; from essential playing tips and helping individual artists find their own sound, to miking, recording and mixing final products. “That style,” or the LA/American sounding drum sound has been Latham’s focus during his career and the workshops elaborate on the art of perfecting the sound for the enthusiastic students.

Latham began the 2012 Groove workshop with two clinics/master class performances in Northern Germany – in Lubeck at Musikhaus Andresen and Rendsburg at Musickmarkt – where the drummer demonstrated his finer points of groove and feel for percussion artists. Playing funk and R&B, Latham stressed the importance of great live sound miking and proper tuning.

The next leg brought Latham to Mannheim, Germany, where his master class was held at Pop Akademie – one of the premier contemporary music schools in Europe. There, he played with Frank Itt, the renowned German bassist who holds a teaching position at the school. Latham then stopped at Paderborn and Schlangen, Germany, where his audience was a high school music class curious about becoming professional musicians. That night, Latham offered a clinic for a local community theatre and performed with enthusiastic local musicians.

Latham rounded out his tour through Istanbul, Turkey, Milan, Italy and returned to Germany for the final stretch. During each event, Latham utilized the Drumset Grove Pack to demonstrate great sound and the proper mechanics to mic a drum kit.

“The AKG Drumset Groove Pack does just that, Grooves,” stated Latham. “It sounds cliché, but the most important aspect of music is sound and the Groove Pack allows my signature sound to flow as it should be heard. I truly believe in the functionality of the AKG mics, and their ease of use and quality allow me to provide a great example of professional grade music during my workshops.”

Latham’s audience was offered additional captivating information during sessions as the drummer went into the fine details of the business of music. With a vast range of participants, ranging from young children, to teenagers and professional artists, Latham described his business experiences, which are essential in today’s competitive music space.

“Today’s professional musician is more involved in all aspects of the business and being successful takes a lot more effort than just being able to play well,” stated Latham. “With my workshop, the students, both young and old are exposed to the ins and outs of the business and drumming and it opens their eyes, inspiring them to be engaged in multiple levels of the industry.”

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(r), Harman Kardon(r), Infinity(r), JBL(r), Lexicon(r) and Mark Levinson(r). 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 $4.3 billion for the twelve months ended March 31, 2012.