JBL Professional Introduces Control 25AV-LS Loudspeaker For Life Safety Applications

NORTHRIDGE, California – Delivering added functionality for applications where audio is critical to security and safety, JBL Professional has introduced the new Control 25AV-LS loudspeaker. Designed for applications where the music playback loudspeaker system also serves as the life safety system, the Control 25AV-LS (and the Control 25AV-LS-WH in white) is UL listed under UL1480/UUMW as a Fire Protective Signaling Speaker.

With powerful and highly consistent performance, the Control 25AV-LS is based on the successful Control 25AV loudspeaker. Like the Control 25AV, Control 25AV-LS features a 60W multi-tap transformer with 8 ohm bypass, InvisiBall mounting and a magnetically shielded woofer. With the Control 25AV-LS, system integrators now have a model for fire alarm, voice evacuation, or life-safety applications requiring a professional-quality compact loudspeaker, as well as for other applications where code may require that surface mount speakers carry a UL Listing.

“Because we were able to develop the Control 25AV-LS from an existing model in our product lineup, JBL was able to deliver this new loudspeaker to the market very quickly,” said Rick Kamlet, Senior Director, Commercial Installed Sound, JBL Professional. “However, no shortcuts were taken, as the Control 25AV-LS successfully withstood a rigorous safety agency approval process.”

The Control 25AV-LS features a paintable aluminum grille. Coating the woofer in polypropylene and terminating its circumference in JBL’s WeatherEdge™ a seamless, butyl rubber extension of the woofer surround, protects critical transducer elements. The polycarbonate tweeter diaphragm is reinforced with a thin film of titanium for added rigidity and endurance. Nickel/zinc rust-resistant terminals ensure a secure input connection. JBL’s exclusive SonicGuard overload protection is virtually inaudible to the listener, ensuring reliability while providing full fidelity sound.

Guitar Master Tommy Bolan Rocks Out With The Help Of DigiTech Gear

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – For guitarist Tommy Bolan, music is life. “I live, eat and breathe music. Nothing else has ever mattered more to me,” he states. For Bolan, whether he is promoting his new album Zyko, performing a demonstration, or just showing his skills as a monster on the axe, he utilizes DigiTech gear regularly.

“The gear is beyond reliable, which is extremely important. It also has a way of sparking creativity for me as a musician. There is such a broad range of sounds and textures available with DigiTech products,” stated Bolan. “I’ll play a lot of live shows and the equipment takes a beating and needs to be consistent on a night to night basis. The DigiTech gear I use has always held up and the guys who make the equipment will always stand behind their product.”

Bolan already has a long list of musician accomplishments precedes him. First as the lead guitarist for the band Warlock, followed by a stint as the lead guitarist for Freight Train Jane, his albums have sold over two million copies worldwide. Bolan is currently the lead singer and guitarist for the band N.Y.C. The band’s album Zyko has a loud aggressive metal sound that has been met with critical acclaim with its audiences. In support of the new album, N.Y.C. will be playing at Summer NAMM.

“Right now I’m using the Whammy™ pedal and it’s a must-have product because there are endless creative options, and I’m always using it both live and in the studio,” stated Bolan. The Whammy’s legendary ability to pitch shift and control sound has become a staple of DigiTech over the last 20 years.

The other DigiTech gear Tommy won’t go without is the Vocal 300. This affordable vocal effects processor includes a built-in expression pedal. It features 38 fully programmable studio quality effects and the built-in expression pedal can be assigned to control your choice of up to three parameters in real-time. “Whenever I’m playing or singing live I’m using it on my voice,” added Bolan. “I know the new TimeBender™ is coming out and I’m waiting to get my hands on the new RP1000 as well.” Bolan also currently has an instructional DVD called “Metal Primer” which features the DigiTech Vocal 300 and the Whammy.

To learn more about Tommy Bolan you can visit his MySpace page www.myspace.com/nyctheband .

Harman Professional Bolsters Support Of Emerging Markets, Appoints New Team Members To The Asia Field Sales Office

NORTHRIDGE, California – Reaffirming its support of customers and distribution partners in the Asia pro audio recording and broadcast systems integration communities, Harman Professional announced the appointment of several new staff members to the Harman Pro Asia team expanding on their success with channel partners in Asia, Latin America and Canada. The Harman Pro Asia office, located in Kuala Lumpur, has effectively added three new additions onto their team: Eric Goh, Kit Roche and Raymond Tee.

Goh has been added to the Asia staff as Regional Sales Director for South Asia; a position in which he assumes responsibility in handling all dealings involving Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand. He brings strong distribution and sales experience to his role at Harman Pro and will report to David McKinney, Harman Professional’s Senior Director of Sales for Asia. Goh is a business graduate from Southern Queensland University.

Another team addition, Roche comes to the office with twenty years of administrative experience that will ensure the smooth operation of the Harman Pro office along with the ability to successfully support the team. Roche will uphold the position of Office Manager and will handle human resource management, travel policies and support, office operations and facilities, and coordination reports for the Asia Team.

To round out the newly appointed members of the Asia team, Tee joins as Application Engineer and will confidently handle technical support and system design support for all of the Harman Pro brands. Tee holds an Advanced Engineering Diploma majoring in electronics and comes with five years experience in the audio industry, working for both systems integrators and distribution firms, Tee will bring an eminent attitude to the office. He will report to Michael Trimble, Harman Professional’s Senior Application Engineer in Asia.

“Eric, Raymond and Kit all provide more depth to the company,” said McKinney. “They each bring different qualities and experience to the Harman Pro team. This will help us in our goal to offer first class support to our distributors and partners in Asia. We are already seeing the benefit of being located in Kuala Lumpur and now, as the team expands, our distributors and customers will experience a stronger and more engaged Harman Professional presence across the region.”

The Harman Professional Asia Field Sales Office can be reached at (60) 3 2095 1020 or via email at david.mckinney@harman.com.

BSS Audio® Introduces Cost-Effective Break-Out Box To Soundweb™ London Family

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — BSS Audio®, a Harman International Company (NYSE-HAR), today added a cost-effective break-out box to its acclaimed Soundweb™ London family of digital signal processors. The new BLU-BOB output expander compliments the seven other members of the Soundweb London™ family and represents an inexpensive solution to increasing the number of outputs in a Harman HiQnet™ networked system.

The BLU-BOB features eight analog audio outputs on standard terminal block connectors and the 256-channel, low latency, fault tolerant digital audio bus, also found on the BLU-800, BLU-320, BLU-160 and BLU-120 devices. In addition to providing a backbone for the transportation of multiple channels, this bus also facilitates the creation of large, fault-tolerant, centralized matrices containing multiple devices. The digital audio bus uses standard, inexpensive Cat 5e or Cat 6 cable, which enables a distance of 100 meters between devices. The BSS Audio MC-1 fiber optic media converter can be used to increase the distance between devices to over 10km (6.2 miles) using single mode fiber.

A series of DIP switches on the rear of the BLU-BOB device allow consecutive channels, in groups of eight, to be selected from the digital audio bus. Multiple BLU-BOB devices can be configured to receive the same or different eight channel ranges. Signal present and power status are clearly displayed by front panel LED indicators for monitoring and troubleshooting. The BLU-BOB devices are powered by an external 24VDC power supply such as the BSS Audio 999-PSU.

Two chassis styles are available, the first (BLU-BOB1) is a half rack width, desk or wall mounted version and the second (BLU-BOB2) is a 19” single rack space version with mounting ears for equipment racks. Front panel indication and rear panel connections are identical on both versions.

Each of the eight different Soundweb London devices offer a different mix of signal processing, CobraNet™ and digital audio bus functionality, making a Soundweb London system the perfect match for any application.

Audio Analysts Continues A Tradition Of Excellence and Takes Live Sound To A Higher Level With Crown I-Tech HD

For Audio Analysts, excellence in tour sound is a tradition that began over 35 years ago. The company’s commitment to excellence and delivering the highest quality sound has made it the choice for sound reinforcement for the biggest names in music including Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Shania Twain, Sammy Hagar, Norah Jones, The OffSpring, No Doubt, and Ringo Starr. It’s with this mission in mind that Audio Analysts has chosen the new Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers to power its tour sound division.

For Audio Analysts, the quality of performance of the new I-Tech HD comes to no surprise. “We have been using Crown amplifiers since the early 1970’s. I can remember when we were utilizing the D-75, D-150, and D-300. Over the years we’ve tried other brands but we always come back to Crown as our flagship amplifier,” stated Albert Leccese, Vice President of Engineering for Audio Analysts.

I-Tech HD features a new user-inspired DSP engine co-developed with BSS called OMNIDRIVEHD. The new LevelMAX limiter suite offers higher SPL out of existing loudspeakers while at the same time better protection and minimal sonic degradation. Harman HiQnet™ System Architect™ mirrors the typical browser navigation interface to provide tour sound professionals with an interface to access a host of power configuration and control functions.

“We are always searching for the best possible audio products for our customers. Our world-class clients strive to play at the top of their game, which demands superior performance on our part. The Crown I-Tech HD is a testament to that attitude, which validates our continued support for our clients. Audio Analysts strives for innovative technologies that reinforce our efforts to supply our clients with the best equipment at a fair price,” stated Leccese.

“Audio Analysts reputation in the live sound industry speaks for itself. When we build a product such as I-Tech HD we go straight to customers like Audio Analysts and get their thoughts and opinions on what they need to see in an amplifier. We take pride in knowing Audio Analysts have and will continue to use Crown products such as I-Tech HD because they believe in what we are providing, stated Marc Kellom VP of Marketing for Crown.

“The new Crown I-Tech HD offers users an unparalleled sound quality. These amps deliver a lot of power for their small size and weight. Also, the next generation DSP allows for more precise algorithms for system EQ and tuning. Of course with Crown you have the ability to easily network your amplifiers as well as utilizing Harman HiQnet System Architect. Ultimately Crown gives you the best bang for your buck, when you look at the price and what you get in terms of performance and features,” added Leccese.

Pick Of The Hits - Engadget

Lexicon announces I∙ONIX line of USB desktop recording interfaces
Engadget


If Line 6's POD Studios just weren't down your alley, Lexicon's hoping to suit your fancy with its new line of I∙ONIX Desktop Recording Interfaces. The USB-enabled I∙ONIX U22, U42S, and U82S were designed to fill the obligatory void between your keyboard and monitor, and each one features dbx microphone preamps on all analog inputs. The U22 can record two channels simultaneously and includes a pair of analog combi-jack mic / line inputs, two TRS balanced line outputs, a Hi-Z instrument input, a 0.25-inch headphone output and MIDI I/O; the U42S and U82S include four and eight analog combi-jack mic / line inputs (respectively), S/PDIF I/O, two instrument inputs, and two 0.25-inch headphone outputs. Full specs for each box are listed in the read link, though -- strangely enough -- prices are not.

The Boss Delivers A Big Game Performance With Audio Analysts and Crown I-Tech

In a unique and challenging live sound application, Audio Analysts of Colorado Springs, CO utilized Crown I-Tech amplifiers for the monitor system at the Super Bowl XLIII Halftime Show featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL on February 1, 2009. This year’s Super Bowl was broadcast to 230 countries worldwide and was viewed by a total of 94.5 million people in the United States alone.

“All wedge amplifiers were Crown I-Tech, we utilized about 32 for the various mixes and they performed great during the show, stated Albert Leccese, Vice President of Engineering and Owner of Audio Analysts. “We’ve come to rely on Crown amplifiers in many of our major live sound applications, they are excellent because of the high level of control and power they offer.”

Crown I-Tech amplifiers feature advanced DSP processing and a built-in LCD screen on the front panel allowing for basic features and amplifier status to be accessed from the amplifier’s location. Additionally, the reduced size and weight of the I-Tech series and low power needs make it a versatile amplifier that can be used in any live sound application.

“We’ve always utilized Crown and I-Tech is a great amplifier because it’s light weight and it gives you a lot of power. Having worked with Bruce Springsteen for the last 17 years we know how hard he works to deliver the best show possible to his audience. Our goal is always to ensure that everyone from the band to the audience is getting the best sound possible,” added Leccese.

For more information on Audio Analysts, please visit www.audioanalysts.com.

Pick of the Hits - Macworld

Miking drums, amps, and recording to the Mac

by Jim Dalrymple, Macworld.com

We often give musicians sole credit as the artists behind the music we like listening to, but the truth is, they’re just a part of the process. The song we wind up hearing takes many long hours of work from audio and recording engineers, mixers, mastering engineers, and a slew of other people that get involved with the process.

When I started recording songs for my album last spring, I wanted a mix of a re-amped guitar signal and an analog amp recorded through a microphone. Re-amping is when you record a clean signal into your digital audio workstation (DAW) and then use a plug-in to achieve your guitar tone.

Re-amping certainly has its benefits. Once the track has been laid down, I can change the tone whenever I want by making adjustments in the guitar plug-in. The downside? Unless the re-amping is done correctly, re-amped signals lack the boldness of a real tube amp.

The opposite of re-amping your guitar signal in the computer is to get a mic and record your amp. That’s not as easy as it sounds, but it's very rewarding if you hit the recording sweet spot.

I’m lucky to have some friends in the music industry that help me out from time to time with advice. I really needed some when I set out to look for mics that would be used in this process.

I got recommendations for some really expensive hardware—I mean really expensive—and some more moderate choices. One name that continually came up with everyone that I spoke with was AKG. Ultimately, I went the AKG route and I haven’t regretted the decision for a second.

I picked up enough mics to thoroughly mic the drum kit, two guitar amps, an acoustic guitar, and a bass amp. I also have a couple of room and overhead mics to pick up the ambient sounds.

Specifically, I’m using the D112, D40, C518M, C480, C451, C4500, C4000 and a couple 414 mics. Top quality gear for sure.

The one non-AKG mic that I use is a Shure SM57. I’ve had this mic for years and it’s just one of those go-to pieces of gear that never goes wrong.

I can honestly say that I have more respect for recording engineers than I ever thought I would. These guys must go through hell in getting all this stuff setup so that it works and sounds so good all the time.

I started with the drums. When I first hooked up all the mics and recorded the signal into my Mac Pro, it sounded truly awful. I made some calls and asked for advice. Apparently I had the mics setup all wrong, causing phase issues, which canceled out parts of my signal, making it sound very thin and weak.

After making some adjustments to the mic placement for the drums, the sound was full and thick when it came into Logic and Pro Tools. With the setup I was using, one engineer suggested moving the mics on the Toms a couple of inches over from where I had them.

If we were looking at a clock, I put the Tom mics at 12:00. My friend suggested moving the left mic to 10:00, leaving the center mic at 12:00 and move the right side Tom mic to 2:00. The difference was amazing. The drums started to sound like they should—full, rich and pounding.

I had to make adjustments to the overheads too, so I would pick up the cymbals correctly. I moved the overheads a couple of feet in front of the drum kit, allowing them some room between the kit and the mic head.

Learning from my mistakes, I asked for advice before miking my guitar amps. To my surprise, miking is a game of inches. If you move the mic too far one way or the other, the recorded signal into your Mac will not sound like it should.

Typically, you place a mic on axis or off axis when miking a guitar amp. On axis is when you place the mic directly in front of the speaker cone and off axis is when the mic is off to the side of the cone.

Personally, I like the sound of an on axis mic, but that’s a very subjective thing. When recording my Marshall JCM800 with a 1960a 4x12 cabinet, I placed a mic a few inches away from the center of the speaker cone and another a couple of feet back.

As I said above, it’s a game of inches. Whenever I would move a mic, the sound would change, sometimes quite dramatically.

If you are going to mic your guitar amp or a drum kit, don’t settle. Move the mics around and find that sweet spot — your recording will thank you for the effort.

I’m spent quite a bit of time trying different AKG mics to record the instruments I have. Overall, I’m very pleased with the results and I have learned so much about what goes into recording analog instruments.

Found at MacWorld.com

Sound Image To Put 10 Million Watts of Crown I-Tech HD Power On The Road

The introduction of the Crown I-Tech HD series amplifier has caught the attention of the entire tour sound industry. Most notably, Southern California-based Sound Image Inc. has agreed to purchase over 800 I-Tech HD amplifiers for its tour sound business. “Our customers are extremely demanding and I-Tech HD gives Sound Image the ability to take our system performance to unprecedented levels,” stated Dave Shadoan, president of Sound Image Inc. “At Sound Image we have always prided ourselves on providing the best sound possible to the clients we serve.” Sound Image’s touring division is known as a provider of premium live sound systems, working with major artists such as Rascal Flatts, Jimmy Buffett, Eric Clapton, and Taylor Swift to name a few.

At its core, I-Tech HD features a new user-inspired DSP engine co-developed with BSS called OMNIDRIVEHD. The new processing engine features Linear Phase FIR filters that offer unrivaled crossover performance for sonically pure tunings. The OMNIDRIVEHD processing engine also features an innovative new suite of limiters called LevelMAX™. The new LevelMAX™ limiter suite offers higher SPL out of existing loudspeakers while at the same time better protection and minimal sonic degradation. Harman HiQnet™ System Architect ™ mirrors the typical browser navigation interface to provide tour sound and contracting professionals with a familiar interface to access a host of power configuration and control functions.

“We designed the Crown I-Tech HD with sound companies such as Sound Image in mind. Many of the new features we engineered on this amp are the result of great feedback we received from companies like Sound Image. At Crown we have an understanding of our customers and their need for powerful and rock-solid performance from their sound reinforcement equipment,” stated Marc Kellom, vice president of marketing at Crown.

“There were a lot of features that stand out in this new amplifier that are going to help us be more efficient. The new built-in DSP is a major advantage, because it makes our job easier when it comes to EQ and tuning. Additionally, the front panel USB slot is going to save a lot of time when it comes to configuring entire racks of amplifiers. Ultimately, Crown took a great amplifier and made it even better for what we do,” stated Shadoan. “I-Tech HD amplifiers offer our tour sound business a level of performance that is unmatched. I-Tech HD has the ability to raise the bar on not only amplifier performance, but system level performance as well. Combined with our JBL VerTec line arrays the I-Tech HD amplifiers allow us to achieve levels of performance that were not previously attainable.”

Soundcraft Announces Lower-Priced Si2 Addition To Si Series Digital Console Family

Digital consoles seem to be freely flowing from the Soundcraft Studer team these days, as a new member of the Si Series is announced. The Soundcraft Si2 is a smaller partner to the Si3, launched only in September last year, and is bound to appeal to those wanting a compact and highly-featured digital console at a competitive price.

The Si2 comes in a smaller footprint than its bigger brother, and has 48 mic inputs mapped on 24 faders (the Si3 has 64 inputs), but this is where the differences end. The Si2, like the Si3, has four dedicated Stereo Line channels, four dedicated FX Returns from the four stereo Lexicon FX processors, 8 balanced insert sends and 8 balanced insert returns. Si2 is complete with 24 Group/Aux busses available at all times, 8 matrix busses and a full complement of monitor talkback and main bus outputs. One of the most unique and compelling features of the Si series is that every input and output has its own dedicated input (output) socket on the back of the console.

Like the Si3, the Si2 uses a combination of rotary encoders and OLED screens on every channel so the engineer mixes at source, without recourse to a central screen; an interface welcomed by many engineers since the console’s launch last year. Four assignable on-board lexicon effect engines supplement 4 stereo inputs to provide a really powerful mix package in a width of 1.4m for a UK list price of £17,950.

This package will be highly suited for installations where a smaller footprint is critical, such as theaters, houses of worship and smaller tour sound systems.

With all input and output connections and power supply on board, the Si2 can simply drop in where an existing analog console sits, utilizing existing copper cable snakes and splitter systems.

For more information and to find out what the reviewers are saying, visit www.soundcraftdigital.com.