Christie® leaves Digital Signage Expo® (DSE) on a high note, with a Silver Apex award under Business, Industry and Government category for its digital signage display of Christie® MicroTiles® in the company’s new West Wing building expansion. The iconic display in its Kitchener, Ontario corporate office intersects technology, architecture and artistic design. Working with Arsenal Media, SRM Architects and rp Visual Solutions, it features sophisticated architectural integration and a unique technology solution to drive the 70Mpx creative canvas created for the company’s Artist-In-Residence Programme and other content development partners.

“Each year, DSE award winners reveal what’s current and evolving in digital signage and mobile media development, deployment and content creation,� stated Sean James, vice president of Managed Services, at Christie. He adds, “To create custom digital signage installations and content that engage consumers and visitors means working collaboratively with experts in various fields who use today’s advanced technology. Christie congratulates all partners in integration, installation, content and architectural design who received 2013 DSE Apex and Content awards.�

At the DSE awards ceremonies on February 27, several Christie products were featured in partners’ winning entries. The Apex awards honor innovation in the development and deployment of technology in the global digital out-of-home networks (DOOH) industry, while the Content awards honor innovative and compelling content created for digital signage in the DOOH networks.

Including Christie’s Silver Apex award for the company’s lobby digital signage, partners collectively took home 10 awards in four categories which included Christie visual display products. The categories were Arts, Entertainment & Recreation, Business, Industry & Government, Retail, and Education & Healthcare.

GOLD APEX AWARDS – Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
Westfield San Francisco Centre for its “Under the Dome� architectural projection mapping experience created by Obscura Digital, using Christie Roadster S+20K DLP® projectors.

San Francisco Public Utility Commission, for the “Digital Arts Panorama� designed by Obscura Digital, using a Christie® MicroTiles® video wall that stretches 58 feet long and sits atop a superstructure pedestal custom fabricated by rp Visual Solutions. Nathan Houchin, technical director at Obscura Digital commented, “We chose Christie MicroTiles because we didn’t want to sacrifice resolution or be concerned about off-axis viewing and serviceability.�

GOLD APEX AWARDS – Education and Healthcare
University of Waterloo Stratford Campus and its massive three-storey (6.5 feet wide by 30 feet high) Christie MicroTiles’ installation, the tallest in the world, was a collaboration amongst Christie’s Research and Innovation team, Westbury National Show Systems Ltd., and rp Visual Solutions. Christie’s visual technology displays are playing a role in the University’s mission to intersect technology, business and art.

Arsenal Media received a Bronze Apex award for its Fountain of Content, a custom-built structure featuring Christie MicroTiles, LCD, LED, Christie projectors (3D projection mapping) and accessories to control the show and an interactive sensor camera for creating visual effects. And, under the Retail category, Rose & Thistle Media received a Bronze Apex award for its unique holographic window display coined “Inverse Parallax.� As technical supplier, Christie worked with Rose & Thistle Media, Westbury National Show Systems and Dynamix Professional Video Systems to realize Holt Renfrew’s 175th anniversary celebration in Toronto, which featured 700 Christie MicroTiles, Christie HD10K-M projectors and Christie Roadster HD20K-J projectors.

Content Creation Award Winners
The Content Awards, which honor innovative and compelling content created for digital signage in the DOOH networks, were presented to winners in 10 different categories from a field of 70 entrants. Christie’s partner Arsenal Media received a Bronze content award for Christie’s West Wing MicroTiles display, a gold for the Fountain of Content, a silver for Wilfrid Laurier’s 100th anniversary MicroTiles display and a Bronze award for The Discovery Wall, developed with Christie for the American Association of Museums (AAM) showcasing Christie MicroTiles as a digital platform and featuring flash-based content that actively enables users to engage in a multi-zone experience. Obscura Digital won silver for the content on the San Francisco Public Utility Commission’s Digital Arts Panorama display and Rose & Thistle Media won a Gold Content award for the Holt Renfrew 175th anniversary event.

Download The Book of Shapes. Discover how Christie MicroTiles are being used as visual building blocks in engaging, eye-catching displays all over the world.

InfoComm 2013 will introduce the latest trends, best practices and solutions for the Live Events industry, at the annual show, June 8-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. InfoComm 2013 will feature exhibitor pavilions, technology demonstrations and educational programming for live events professionals including access and hands-on training for the newest and most advanced in rigging equipment, LEDs and projection systems, large-venue audio systems, lighting fixtures and controllers and more.

Live events have become more intricately designed, with demand for spectacular visual effects and stunning sound clarity. “Whether for a concert or a product launch, audiovisual professionals are tasked with putting on an engaging, exciting event,� said David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. “The training, sharing of best practices and access to all the top manufacturers at InfoComm 2013 will aid today’s AV professionals in exceeding their customers’ expectations for excellence.�

Lighting & Staging Pavilion
The Lighting & Staging Pavilion, located on the show floor, is the hotspot for equipment demonstration and testing, presentations and interactive trainings geared toward live events professionals. The Production Camera Showcase, featuring the latest video cameras, will allow attendees to participate in a post-production experience with feeds from the showcase stage, and the Rigging and Staging Demo will find IATSE professionals demonstrating safe rigging practices using truss, motors, hardware, lights, line arrays, LEDs and safety harnesses.

InfoComm 2013 Lighting and Staging Exhibitors include:

â—� A.C. Lighting
â—� Christie Digital
â—� Daktronics
â—� JBL
â—� Elation
â—� Chauvet
â—� Barco
â—� Dataton
â—� TMB

Staging and Live Events SuperTrack

InfoComm University™ is offering education for business and operations managers, including Staging and Live Events Management; Digital Image Content in Live Event Production; Business Trends in Rental & Staging; Must-Have Technology for Your Next Event; Principles of Live Mixing; Audio 401: Limiters, Equalization, and Multi-Zone (Distributed) PA Systems; and Mix it Up — Live Audio Workshop.

InfoComm 2013, the largest commercial audiovisual show, expects more than 35,000 attendees, including commercial service providers and end-user technology managers from wide-ranging market sectors, including business, government, military, education, worship, healthcare, hospitality, retail and entertainment. Along with a trade show floor that exhibits the latest from all of the industry leaders in audiovisual, staging, signage and more, the educational programming provides attendees with opportunities to develop skills and update certifications during the conference.

For more news on InfoComm 2013 before, during and after the show, visit infocommshow.org
or follow the show on Facebook, and Twitter and the InfoComm 2013 Blog.

InfoComm is sponsored by Blackmagic Design, Christie, Crestron, Panasonic and Samsung.

San Diego, California — DVEO, the broadcast division of CMI, announced today that they have been selected as an Intel® Technology Provider: Gold Partner. To attain Gold Partner status, Intel® requires partners to meet specific sales and training requirements.

“We are proud and honored to be selected as a Gold Partner,” stated Scott Grizzle, Product Manager for DVEO. “Our membership in this program reinforces our position as a rapidly growing provider of video transport equipment, including solutions for streaming, encoding, decoding, transcoding, time shifting, and more. Most of our systems are built on dependable Intel® Xeon® 4, 6, and 8 Core processors.”

At the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, April 8-11, at booth SU6505, DVEO will demonstrate numerous products that utilize Intel® Xeon® processors. Featured products include the Reality Live™ video content distribution server, the MPEG Magnus™ 40 channel transcoder, the Xaris™ Video playout server with HD SDI or ASI outputs, the Infinity Streamer™ continuous HLS streaming appliance, the DelayServer IP™ time delay system, and the Ad Serter Telco IP/IP 20ch™ graphics, EAS, and video clips inserter.

The Intel® Technology Provider Program is designed to support the sales and marketing efforts of all channel partners that specify, design, build, or resell Intel-based technology solutions through a single, integrated membership program. The Intel® Technology Provider Program provides its partners with the resources to deliver Intel hardware and/or technology solutions that effectively address customers’ business challenges. Intel partners receive access to in depth training via webinars, seminars and events, and training courses.

“The Intel® Technology Provider Program gives customers a way to identify companies that have proven their commitment and expertise in delivering Intel® technologies. Gold partners must meet a higher set of criteria for all categories,” said Richard Phamdo, Business Development Manager for Intel. “With their commitment to Intel® Xeon® 4, 6, and 8 Core processors, DVEO has clearly demonstrated that its products are highly reliable. We are pleased to have DVEO as an Intel® Technology Provider Gold Partner.”

DVEO, Ad Serter Telco IP/IP 20ch, DelayServer IP, Infinity Streamer, MPEG Magnus,
Reality Live, and Xaris are trademarks of Computer Modules, Inc.
Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

About CMI and DVEO
CMI, founded in 1982, is a privately held company headquartered in San Diego, California. DVEO, the Broadcast Division of Computer Modules, Inc., sells digital video and high definition television (HDTV) products to the top television broadcast companies throughout the world.

For more information on CMI and DVEO, please contact Rebecca Gray at +1 (858) 613-1818 or rebecca@dveo.com. To download DVEO’s press releases and product images, visit the news section at www.dveo.com.

DVEO, 11409 West Bernardo Court, San Diego, California, 92127
Web: www.dveo.com phone: +1 (858) 613-1818, fax: +1 (858) 613-1815

Broadcast Monitoring Software includes: Flexible Archiving, Real-time Newscast Exporting, and H.264 Support

Newark, CA– Digital Nirvana’s latest version of software for its flagship broadcast monitoring product, Monitor IQ, will make its U.S. debut at the NAB2013 convention (Booth N3434) from April 8-11th at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The MediaPro IQ content repurposing solution will also be shown at the Digital Nirvana booth.

“We’re very excited about this upcoming NAB show,� said Hiren Hindocha, president and CEO of Digital Nirvana. “Our products are unique in the market and offer capabilities and cost savings that customers are demanding.�

Monitor IQ, for example, is the only broadcast monitoring system that provides centralized management, automatic ad detection, a director’s audio track, as well as an advanced metadata harvester™. Monitor IQ combines the functionality of content recording (HD and SD in full resolution), content searching, retrieve and repurposing, Web publishing, signal monitoring, air-check logging, archiving, ad verification and tracking, and competitive analysis in a scalable networked appliance.

The latest software includes several features that are a direct result of customer feedback received since the last version was released at IBC 2012. Among the new, customer-suggested features are: flexible content archiving, real-time newscast exporting, and H.264 video format support.

“Each of the features comes directly from customer input,� said Hindocha. “We’ve listened to what our customers tell us they need in a broadcast monitoring solution and created a tool that’s tailor made to address their requirements.�

Because the platform is based on open web services (REST) API’s, Digital Nirvana’s software can be easily integrated with third party products and can scale from one to multiple servers and from one to hundreds of channels. All Digital Nirvana solutions are web enabled, so users can access the software through any standard web browser without ActiveX component.

Another feature that will be demonstrated at NAB is Monitor IQ’s loudness monitoring and audio logging capability, including OEM software licensed from Minnetonka Audio Software, Inc. Loudness monitoring is bundled as a standard feature within Monitor IQ essentials, plus and premium versions. Minnetonka Audio’s AudioTools Loudness Measurement module enables Monitor IQ users to measure audio levels, perform quality control monitoring, record and log broadcast signals.

Another unique feature within the Monitor IQ Premier package is the Advanced Metadata HarvesterTM functionality which provides the ability to track any data the system logs and collects from alarms or from the broadcast feed. It can locate where the error occurred in the broadcast signal, collect forensic analysis about the event, and report that data back to the customer. It provides access to the data and to the mapping point of when, where and how that video was recorded. This new feature dynamically enhances broadcast discrepancy reporting by allowing station executives and engineers to hyperlink straight to the reported video and view a problem or issue.

The system has been divided into four packages so that a wide range of broadcasters can take advantage of the company’s technology.

Monitor IQ Starter

This entry-level package offers all the logging functionality necessary for a one- to two-channel system and includes 90 days of low-resolution storage.Searching is based upon keywords, titles, subtitles, descriptions, textual metadata, closed-caption text and imported logs, with filtering by time, date and channel. Recordings can be easily edited, clipped, stored and sent via email or FTP.

Monitor IQ Essentials

Monitor IQ Essentials is a logging and monitoring system that includes all the functionality necessary for broadcasters to ensure regulatory compliance. It includes support for IP as an input source, and loudness monitoring is now bundled in as a standard feature within the package.

Monitor IQ Plus

Monitor IQ Plus includes all of the features found within Essentials and adds several advanced enhancements such as the ability to connect and control Monitor IQ via an iPad, iPhone, or Android interface. This mobile feature makes it easy for field sales reps to show clients their ad content in the context of the broadcast programming.

Monitor IQ Premier

The Premier package extends beyond the capabilities found in the other packages with innovative, new features, such as: ad detection, directors audio track; integration with third party routers and multi-viewers, and advanced metadata harvesting.

MediaPro IQ

The MediaPro IQ content repurposing system for multi-platform distribution offers a low-cost way to repurpose HD clips from cable as well as broadcast. This new solution records encrypted cable feeds in full HD and is ideal for news and sports directors who frequently repurpose content from cable channels. For the broadcast engineer, it eliminates the need to maintain multiple set top boxes, frees up valuable rack space, and removes the cost of multiple DVRs.

MediaPro IQ allows users to easily edit, clip and publish live or recorded content in real-time. Search is based on keywords, program titles, descriptions, textual metadata, closed-caption, as-run logs, traffic logs, alarm and discrepancy logs and time/date or channel filters.

MediaPro IQ is compatible with such web browsers as: FireFox, Safari, Internet Explorer, and Chrome. iPad, iPhone, and Android interface are also available. Video can be exported to Flash, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.264, and XDCAM and other formats for content repurposing.

MediaPro IQ is a cost-effective, all-in-one scaled network device based on open API’s for easy integration into other systems. It also reliably records from IP, ASI, ASI/IP, SD/HD-SDI, ATSC, QAM, NTSC, PAL or DVB-T/C/S2 protocols.

About Digital Nirvana

Since 1996, Digital Nirvana has been empowering customers with innovative knowledge management technologies. By combining media and digital technology expertise, Digital Nirvana makes it possible for organizations to streamline operations and gain competitive advantage with advanced product and service offerings. The industry-leading MonitorIQ Broadcast Monitoring System from Digital Nirvana is a full-featured monitoring platform incorporating the most advanced capabilities available in an affordable, networked appliance. Digital Nirvana is headquartered in Newark, California and has operations in multiple locations globally.

Further information is available at www.digital-nirvana.com.

In today’s broadcast world where content is monetized through international sales and television signals often cross geographic boundaries, controlling audio levels is just as important for TV broadcasters in countries with no Loudness legislation as it is for those in countries that do.

TVN in Chile is just such a broadcaster. Although Chile has no Loudness legislation, TVN has an international channel – TV Chile – that is broadcast around the world via satellite and therefore needs to comply with the regulations in place in various countries including the USA.

Mauricio Rojo, TVN’s Deputy Manager of Engineering, was charged with the task of finding a loudness control solution that would meet this challenge and, after carrying out tests with several manufacturer’s products, he chose T*AP Television Audio Processors from German Loudness Control specialist Jünger Audio.

“We already had a loudness processor from another manufacture but we wanted something that was more flexible in the final audio chain and has a sophisticated algorithm that could deliver very high quality audio,� Rojo explains. “The Jünger Audio T*AP processor won the test hands down because it was so simple to use and, thanks to Junger Audio’s LEVEL MAGIC™ II algorithm, was able to deliver the audio quality we were looking for.

Rojo adds that price was also a consideration.

“There are entry level products available from other manufacturers that are cheaper but they didn’t offer the same audio quality,� he says. “Considering their performance, the T*AP units were very cost-effective and we had no hesitation in ordering two of them.�

Founded in 1969 as a public channel, TVN is Chile’s main broadcaster with a reach that extends to 98% of the country. With its main facilities in Santiago, TVN also broadcasts a news channel, 24 Horas, and an international channel, TV Chile, which is received via satellite around the world.

“Our international channel is available in Europe, all the Americas and Oceania so it was important that our broadcasts complied with the legislation in place in those territories,� Rojo says. “T*AP’s compliance with all international standards and regulations (ITU 1770/1/2/3, ATSC A85 or EBU R128) was a key point in our final decision making.�

TVN has now installed one T*AP processor on TV Chile’s transmission chain and it will be installing its second T*AP on TVN’s main transmission chain very soon. Both units were supplied by Jünger Audio’s distributor in Chile, Intervideo Ingeniería y Telecomunicaciones Ltda.

“We are very happy with the way the first T*AP processor is performing, particularly with the quality of the audio,� Rojo adds. “Our sound engineers are very satisfied because their final mixes are controlled without compromising the aesthetic of the sound.�

-ends-

About Jünger Audio
Established in Berlin in 1990, Jünger Audio specialises in the design and manufacture of high-quality digital audio dynamics processors. It has developed a unique range of digital processors that are designed to meet the demands of the professional audio market. All of its products are easy to operate and are developed and manufactured in-house, ensuring that the highest standards are maintained throughout. Its customers include many of the world’s top radio and TV broadcasters, IPTV providers, music recording studios and audio post production facilities. www.junger-audio.com

InfoComm 2013, the leading trade show for the commercial audiovisual industry, will provide educational opportunities to more than 3,500 of the 35,000 professionals expected to attend this year’sweek-long event, June 8-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. InfoComm University™ offers career-advancing training and certifications, and InfoComm partner organizations and manufacturers will provide additional training sessions to round out the educational offerings. More than half of the classes in this year’s Show program are new.

“InfoComm, through its career-advancing educational programming, certification preparation courses and CTS testing, offers attendees an unmatched environment to learn, grow their skills, network and leave the event at the top of their game,� said David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. “InfoComm University, along with targeted training from partners, manufacturer’s training on specific products and the opportunity to test on-site for CTS credentials, makes attendance an absolute must for the AV professional.�

InfoComm University Tracks
InfoComm University offers a comprehensive range of programs to address the diverse skills and interests of attendees. It includes:

• Pre-Show Education – three day “total immersion� technical courses
• Super Tuesday – full day sessions prior to the show floor opening, including the popular Future Trends
• Daybreak Sessions – designed to tackle training subjects before the show floor opens
• Seminars and Workshops – one and-a-half to two-hour seminars focus on AV systems
and technology and special four-hour workshops on everything from networking for AV professionals to incorporating video streaming and managing an AV department.
• AV Tech Tours – tours of top AV installations in Orlando

 
The following topics will be covered during the Super Tracks at InfoComm 2013:

â—� AV Systems Technology
â—� Networked AV Systems
â—� Business & Management
â—� Technology Manager
â—� Staging and Live Events
â—� Digital Signage
â—� First Timers
â—� Standards

On Tuesday, June 11, InfoComm University presents Super Tuesday, an all-day exchange of ideas and best practices. Classes with new content include:

â—� Women in Technology Symposium
â—� Unified Communications and Collaboration
â—� Wireless Trends
â—� Technology Managers Symposium
â—� Digital Image Content in Live Event Production
â—� CTS-D & CTS-I Symposium, focusing on the AV Systems Verification Checklist
â—� Future Trends
â—� Business Leadership Workshop

Partner training opportunities are scheduled to occur before and during the event and include the following education tracks: 3D Comm, DisplaySearch, IMCCA, Projection Summit, Realcomm/IBCon, SynAudCon and Technologies for Worship. In addition, more than 30 leading manufacturers will offer 60 sessions on specific audiovisual products and solutions.

InfoComm 2013, the largest commercial audiovisual show, expects 35,000 attendees including commercial service providers and end-user technology managers from wide-ranging market sectors, including business, government, military, education, worship, healthcare, hospitality, retail and entertainment.

For more news on InfoComm 2013 before, during and after the Show, visit infocommshow.org
or follow the show on Facebook, and Twitter and the InfoComm 2013 Blog.

InfoComm 2013 is sponsored by Blackmagic Design, Christie, Crestron, Panasonic and Samsung.

File-Based Audio/Video Recorder Ideal for OB, In-Studio and Post-Production Environments

LAS VEGAS, MARCH 5, 2013 — Sound Devices, experts in portable audio and video products for field production, is taking its proven field technology into the studio with its PIX 260i Production Video Recorder at the 2013 NAB Show (Booth C2849). Based on Sound Devices’ PIX 240i Recorder, the rack-mounted PIX 260i is a file-based audio/video recorder that seamlessly replaces tape-based video decks in production and post-production environments. Currently shipping, PIX 260i also offers 32 tracks of audio record/playback as well as control functionality from browser-capable computers and tablets.

The PIX 260i brings the features and tools needed by production companies and broadcasters looking to migrate to file-based recording and playback environments. The PIX 260i records QuickTime files in either Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD video formats. Files recorded in these intra-frame codecs are ready for editing directly from the recorder in common editing environments, such as Avid, Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premiere, eliminating time-consuming transferring and transcoding. For color-critical applications, the PIX 260i supports Apple ProRes 4444 through its 12-bit, 4:4:4 3G-SDI I/O. Users can also play out files from the PIX 260i for real-time applications.

PIX 260i recorders can be controlled from browser-capable computers and tablets. When connected to a data network, transport controls and setup menu controls are available on the Sound Devices PIXNET, which offers IP-addressable control of one or multiple PIX 260i recorders. Users can group multiple units for simultaneous control. Data drives connected to PIX 260i are also accessible on Ethernet-based networks as read-only SMB shares, opening up endless possibilities for file sharing. Files can be copied from any PIX 260i located on a network, enabling access from across a room or the globe.

Up to four SATA drives can be connected to the PIX 260i simultaneously. For RAID-type redundancy and to eliminate the need for post-record copying when multiple copies are required, users can record to all four drives simultaneously.

Building on the company’s deep heritage in production sound, Sound Devices has infused the PIX 260i with 32-track record/playback capabilities. In addition to 16 channels of embedded SDI audio and eight channels of HDMI audio, the PIX 260i also accepts eight channels of line-level analog I/O and eight channels of AES digital audio. Using Dante, the PIX 260i can accept and transmit up to 32 channels of audio over Ethernet.

With its extensive control capabilities, the PIX 260i is a flexible video playback source. The PIX 260i can be controlled by both external RS-422 and via Ethernet through PIXNet.

The PIX 260i includes a built-in Ambient Clockit time-code generator/reader with genlock output for rock-steady, multi-camera and double-system sound applications. In addition to generating ultra-stable time code, time codes can be read from the SDI stream, the HDMI stream or from an external source.

Like the PIX 220i and PIX 240i, the PIX 260i includes a sophisticated scaler and frame-rate converter. Regardless of the incoming signal, the PIX recorders can record the signal after up-, down- or cross-conversion at the same or a different rate. Hardware-based 3:2 pull-down removal and anamorphic conversion is also available.

PIX 260i’s convenient half-rack, 2U chassis dimension allows it to be easily integrated into any existing environment. It is powered by 10-27 VDC through its four-pin XLR connector. Sound Devices’ PIX-RACK accessory includes one full 2U rack, which can hold two PIX 260is.

Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders, and digital video recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, and acoustical test and measurement applications. The fourteen-year old company designs and manufactures from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.

At Winter NAMM, the musical instrument industry’s signature trade show, standing out from the crowd is always a challenge. To get the attention of attendees, exhibitors rely on companies such as Guruz Media, a leading full-service marketing agency, to attract prospective customers to their booths.

Working on behalf of exhibitor Sabian Cymbals, Guruz Media developed an innovative and eye-catching 16′ tall by 8′ diameter tower of cymbals stretching from the ground to high above the trade show floor. To ensure the tower of cymbals would capture the attention of visitors no matter where they were, Guruz added a PixelFLEX LED video curtain wall as a backdrop.

Exceptionally light weight and extremely flexible, the PixelFLEX curtain was the perfect solution for creating a column of bold-colored LED lighting inside the interior of the cymbal tower that was sure to turn heads. According to Doug Webber, chief creative officer for Guruz, mission accomplished.

“Anybody can go to a trade show and rent big screens for their booth, but when it comes down to it, there has to be something that pushes it over the top to really get people to notice,” Webber said. “Whether that is something of the unexpected, or just maybe huge, like the cymbal tower. As soon as I saw the PixelFLEX screens online and how they could bend around nearly any shape or structure, I knew how I could use them at Winter NAMM to make a difference for my client at the show.”

For the cymbal tower backdrop at Winter NAMM, Guruz used 12 panels of PixelFLEX’s 20mm LED video curtain. Featuring 2500 pixels PSM (Per Square Meter) and 3240 nit brightness, PixelFLEX’s curtain provided Webber and his team a solution that was easy to set up and operate – benefits to trade show support that cannot be understated.

“We were trying to create an architectural design element that had some movement, visually speaking, going on inside the tower,” Webber said. “We found a nice piece of digital juice eye candy, colorized it to match the rest of the branding in the booth, and just allowed it to loop over and over again on the PixelFLEX screens.

With more than 200 cymbals on the tower, it was a perfect solution for filling the negative space between the cymbals,” Webber continued. “On top of that, it was super simple to install and operate. The client [Sabian] was extremely happy and competitors definitely took note. One even mentioned to us that it was the best cymbal display they had ever seen at Winter NAMM. ”

Flexible in all directions and exceptionally durable, PixelFLEX LED Curtains are able to bend and shape around structures for a more creative display effect. For more information on PixelFLEX and its growing line of lightweight LED video screens, visit www.LEDCurtain.com. Follow PixelFLEX at www.Facebook.com/PixelFLEXUSA and @LEDCurtain.

Prism Sound ADA-8XR multichannel audio converters are being used to help the British Library digitise its collection of multitrack audio tapes in order to ensure the future of these valuable and historic recordings.

To tackle this project the British Library has acquired two more ADA-8XR converters, bringing the total number of units in its sound facilities to seven. It has also acquired a Prism Sound Orpheus interface.

Nigel Bewley, the British Library’s Operations Manager Sound & Vision, says: “We have a relatively small collection of 200 multitrack tapes and we think it will take about 20 weeks to complete this project, including the preparation of the resultant files, metadata compilation etc. We will also be using a third Prism Sound ADA-8XR converter, which we already own, to digitise 24 track tapes and to ingest all tracks simultaneously.�

Bewley adds that it is much more cost effective for the British Library to undertake this project in-house, rather than to out-house it. Also, by carrying out the work in-house, the British Library’s curators and content specialists can readily advise on the project.

“We use multiple ingest techniques with other analogue carriers such as tape and cassette,� Bewley explains. “The Prism Sound ADA-8XR units allow us to input 4 stereo channels or 8 mono channels (or any permutation) simultaneously. We use Prism Sound ADA-8XR converters because of their high audio quality. Furthermore they are 8 channel so support our multiple ingest workflows. Another important reason is that the Prism Sound ADA-8XR supports a wide range of sample rates including 32kHz. Once this project is completed, the new units will be used on other projects throughout our sound facilities.�

Multitrack tapes are notorious for their ability to degrade over time. In cases where the oxide is shedding they have to be ‘baked’ to return them to a stable condition so that they can be transferred onto a more secure medium.

“We do bake tapes when required and some of the multitrack tapes we are currently dealing with may need baking,â€� Bewley says. “The multitrack project is a preservation project – we want to preserve the individual tracks. Researchers may want to listen to just one track to hear a bass guitar part, for example, isolated from the mix. Many of the multitracks will have been mixed and made available as published CDs, LPs etc, but some have not, in which case we will need to work out how we are going to do a mixdown (if at all) for access purposes.â€�

The Sound Archive at the British Library is a resource with enormous national and historical importance. Its history can be traced back to 1905, when it was first suggested that the British Museum should have a collection of audio recordings of poets and statesmen. The Gramophone Company started donating metal masters of audio recordings, among them recordings by Nellie Melba, Adelina Patti, Caruso, Lev Tolstoy, Ernest Shackleton and Herbert Beerbohm Tree.
However, the British Museum was not maintaining a comprehensive archive and this worried Patrick Saul who, in 1955, started the British Institute of Recorded Sound. A public appeal was launched and thousands of shellac discs were donated, which started off the collection.

In 1983, the British Institute of Recorded Sound became part of the British Library, which had split off from the British Museum. Later renamed the British Library Sound Archive, it eventually acquired the metal masters originally collected by the British Museum when these were transferred to the Archive in 1992.
Situated near London’s Kings Cross, The British Library has 10 transfer studios and one recording studio, which is designed for speech recording. The audio suites are named after pioneers in audio technology and techniques from across the years and include Emile Berliner (1851-1929), Alan Blumlein (1903-1942), Thomas Edison (1847-1931), Fred Gaisberg (1873-1951), Michael Gerzon (1945-1996), George Gouraud (1841-1912), Arthur Haddy (1906-1989), Martin Hannett (1948-1991), Jean Jenkins (1922-1990), Joe Meek (1929-1967) and Alec Reeves (1902-1971).

All of the transfer studios are equipped with Digital Audio Workstations running SADiE or Wavelab and most also have Prism Sound ADA-8XR converters. The majority of these transfer suites are used for archival transfers but the rooms are also designed for more complicated transfer work, combined with restoration and editing, which is carried out by specialist audio engineers. The facilities have been used to train archivists from other organisations in audio archiving methodology and techniques.

“The larger studios have analogue kit to deal with a variety of formats,â€� Bewley explains. “We also have an Artefact Collection representing the history of recorded sound. We often ‘raid’ this collection to deal with obscure formats such as short-lived dictation formats, wire recordings, dictabelts and others. We also have a custom made cylinder player and we can deal with a wide range of legacy analogue formats, but we do have a wide range of digital kit, too.â€�

The British Library’s recording studio is used for podcasts, oral history interviews and audiobook recording for the British Library’s CD publication programme. Alongside its fixed facilities, the British Library has a busy location recording programme that takes in theatres, poetry and literary events, soundscape recording, wildlife, sound effect recording, oral history interviews in the interviewee’s home, workshops and seminars, music concerts and performances.

With such a wealth of recorded material in the archive, Nigel Bewley says real gems can be discovered when material is being transferred from one format to another.

“We recently discovered a collection of recordings made by the Swiss psychotherapist and psychiatrist Carl Jung that were made on wire during the 1960s,� he says. “Obviously it is very exciting when we unearth recordings like that – and it’s surprising how often it happens.�

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About Prism Sound
Founded in 1987, Prism Sound manufacture high-quality professional digital audio equipment for the International broadcast, film, music production, manufacturing and telecommunications sectors. The company’s product range includes the Prism ADA-8XR precision 8-channel converter unit, which is regularly used for music and film soundtrack projects by clients such as EMI Abbey Road, BBC, Sony, Lucasfilm and Walt Disney. Prism Sound also manufactures a range of audio test and measurement products, including the de facto standard DSA-1 handheld digital audio generator/analyser and the dScope Series III audio analyser system.

For more information: www.prismsound.com

With the launch of the new d:facto II Vocal Microphone, which will be on show for the first time in Europe at Prolight + Sound 2013 (Booth 8.B60), DPA Microphones has now broadened its range of products for the live stage by introducing a high quality vocal microphone that gives users unlimited possibilities for their performance.

This eagerly awaited addition to the DPA condenser microphone range brings true studio sound to the live stage by offering an extraordinarily natural sound, superior gain before feedback and extreme SPL handling. In addition to use with the new wired DPA handle, the d:facto II provides singers and engineers with the added benefit of a state-of-the-art adapter system that allows for seamless integration with many professional wireless systems.

“The launch of the d:facto II Vocal Microphone is a major step for DPA as it means that we now have a microphone for every acoustic miking situation, whether you are amplifying or recording,� says DPA’s CEO Christian Poulsen. “Our highly regarded Reference Standard microphones have long delivered superb audio quality to musicians who want to use a microphone on a stand, while our innovative d:vote™ 4099 Instrument Microphones and our range of miniature microphones are ideal for those who prefer to have their microphone mounted on their instrument. With d:facto II we can now offer the same renowned DPA sound to vocalists who can choose the wired d:facto II or the wireless d:facto II if they prefer the freedom of movement that a wireless microphone delivers. And, of course, for an even more mobile solution we have the lightweight, easy to wear d:fine™ headset microphones that are so popular with theatre and musical productions and is demanded for more and more live concerts where the singers require superior sound while dancing and performing.�

The new d:facto II guarantees users exceptional DPA sound with popular existing wireless systems such as Sony, Lectrosonics, Shure, Wisycom and Sennheiser. To achieve such a high level of audio quality, DPA had tothink differently.

“These systems deliver very limited power to drive our high-end microphone capsule, so we had to be creative and put a huge amount of work and thought into the electronic circuit of the adapter solution,� Christian Poulsen adds. “We are extremely proud to have developed an ingenious adapter range that brings the acclaimed DPA sound out of a wireless system. We wanted to be completely true to the input of the vocalist, and with d:facto II we have reached this goal.�

Equally at home in sound reinforcement and recording applications, the d:facto II is the vocal microphone that the music industry has been waiting for. Its simple plug-and-play features allow it to reproduce an extraordinary natural sound, which reaches the extreme sound level handling of 160 dB. As with all DPA mics, the d:facto II is superbly linear in frequency and phase, both on- and off-axis, while its impressive definition and accuracy reproduces a singer’s voice effortlessly. It also sets new standards its robust three-stage pop protection grid that ensures the removal of unwanted noise.

At Prosound + Light 2013, folk pop band SHEL will be performing on the DPA booth using the new d:facto II vocal microphones in several wireless configurations. Already fans of DPA’s d:vote 4099 Instrument Mics which they use on their violin and djembe drums, SHEL recently took the d:facto II Vocal Microphone on the road for concerts in Denver, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles where they performed at the NAMM show.

Alongside the new d:facto II, DPA will also be showing new solutions for its Reference Standard range of microphones, including a new and unobtrusive gooseneck cable that is available in several lengths. Furthermore, DPA will show the supercardioid d:vote 4099 instrument microphone mounted in an elegant gooseneck – perfect for capturing the sound of drums and other static instruments.

Visitors to the DPA booth will have the opportunity to win a DPA microphone by having their badge scanned and entering a free draw.

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Editors information:
DPA Microphones is the leading Danish Professional Audio manufacturer of high quality condenser microphones and microphone solutions for professional applications in studio, broadcast, theatre, video/film and sound reinforcement environments. All DPA microphones and components are manufactured at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.
For more information on DPA Microphones, please visit www.dpamicrophones.com