HARMAN’s AKG and College Battle of the Bands Take Land of Pines A Sonic Step Up

VIENNA, Austria – When it comes to ahead-of-the-pack indie rock, Seattle is a hotbed of talent with no signs of cooling off. Land of Pines is one of the latest up-and-coming bands to emerge from the Pacific Northwest, with an open, inviting sound that blends acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and harmony vocals. As the winner of the national College Battle of the Bands competition, Land of Pines has received a variety of prizes including a set of HARMAN’s AKG microphones and headphones, helping spur them on to greater musical heights.

Land of Pines played in the 2011 College Battle of the Bands National Finale, representing the West region. Crowned the winning band, the members were thrilled to receive the AKG microphone prize package in addition to its regional prize package that included AKG P 420 condenser recording mics, D 5 dynamic vocal mics and AKG’s Perception Groove Pack Kits, which include one P 2 Dynamic Bass microphone, two P 17 (Perception 170) overhead mics and three P 4 mics for snare and toms.

The contest itself was an invaluable experience in shaping the bands’ musical careers, according to Land of Pines’ guitarist and vocalist Kessiah Gordon. “Before College Battle of the Bands, the only AKG gear I owned was a pair of 240 headphones. They went through a lot – and even kept working after I accidentally rested them on a lamp and the plastic melted in the shape of a light bulb,” she continued. “But as an engineering student, I’ve had the pleasure of using some great equipment and the AKG 414 was one of my favorite microphones. The proximity effect of the 414 along with its sparkly high end really complemented my vocals.”

“The College Battle of the Bands team, with partners like AKG and GRAMMY U genuinely care about working with student musicians.” Gordon stated. “We’ve already used most of the gear in the prize package, and we’re thrilled about the C214 condenser mic and MkII headphones. We engineer our own records, so owning top-quality gear amplifies the whole experience. I truly appreciate the improvement in equipment quality we’ve earned. Hearing yourself at your best inspires you to create at your best.”

Land of Pines started out as a high school senior project between lifelong friends Gordon and Evan Easthope. “We didn’t really expect it to become anything after graduation since it served primarily as an academic achievement,” said Gordon. “We were then accepted into universities on opposite sides of the country, so it was a pretty sad affair when we went our separate ways in the summer of 2008. Ironically, the distance was a huge source of inspiration, and we began writing a lot more and exchanging demos. I was also learning about music production at school, which enabled me to start recording our songs.”

Following their freshman year of college - the summer of 2009 - the two band mates were hired as camp counselors together and continued to work on their sound. “We spent our free time tracking the basics of what would become Land of Pines’ first three EPs, using minimal instrumentation, a laptop, a few basic microphones and a pair of AKG 240 headphones for monitoring.”

The duo began playing their tracks to friends, family and supporters with great response. After their Sophomore year, Gordon and Easthope decided to take the following year off from college to create a live band, adding Kyle Holland on drums, Spencer Miller on bass and Alex Miller on keyboards. Today, Land Of Pines is working on its fourth and final installment of an EP series, set for release late 2011.

Land of Pines has a strong second half of 2011 planned. The members will be going back to school, playing shows to improve their sound, including a scheduled spot on College Battle of the Bands' Textbooks and Tickets Tour presented by Chegg across the nation and will be finalizing their latest EP.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, HARMAN Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL® Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

About College Battle of the Bands:
College Battle of the Bands, a national collegiate-music talent search, has awarded more than $250,000 in prizing over its first three years. The competition is open to any student band or music artist of any genre currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. The series began during the 2008-09 school year and has featured notable participants including The Local Natives and Mike Posner. For more information about College Battle of the Bands, visit www.collegebattleofthebands.com, or contact media@collegebattleofthebands.com.

Celine Dion Returns to Las Vegas with HARMAN’s Studer Vista 5 SR Consoles

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – After a more than 3-year absence, international superstar Celine Dion has returned to Las Vegas with Celine, a musical spectacular staged at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Celine features a 31-piece band to accompany Dion, who is performing her hits along with covers of classic pop songs. Celine Dion will perform 70 shows a year and has a 3-year residency at the Colosseum.

Canada-based Solotech was contracted to provide the audio system for the show. Solotech supplied Studer Vista 5 SR consoles to handle both front of house and monitor mixing.

“The previous time Celine performed at the Colosseum, the show, A New Day… was more dance-oriented and theatrical, but this time the music is even more of a focus,” noted front of house engineer Denis Savage. “The 31-piece full orchestra and band includes 16 strings, five horns, a rhythm section plus other musicians, so the mixing requirements for the show are quite demanding. We do four shows a week and each show runs an hour and 45 minutes, with more than 20 songs and numerous cues.”

“We chose the Vista 5 SR for Celine because there was no other console at the time that offered what you could do with the Vista 5 SR. You can configure them the way you want with virtually any amount of ins and outs, and processing,” Savage continued. “We’re running 160 inputs on a console that has a relatively small frame, so it’s a very efficient way of doing things. You can customize the inputs any way you want. I love mixing, and this console is flexible and fun.”

“We first used the Vista 5 SR consoles on Celine Dion’s most recent world tour before installing them for the Vegas show,” said Savage. “We didn’t want to carry a bunch of spares, and their smaller size and weight were advantages. We tried a lot of consoles and found the Vista 5 SR could be used for both front of house and monitoring—the way the 5 SR is designed enables me to set up my console the way I want it, and our monitor engineer Charles Ethier can set his console the way he needs it. No other console gives you that kind of flexibility. At the same time, we have the advantage of both of us working on the same platform.”

“Being the monitor engineer for Celine is a much bigger job compared to the last Colosseum show,” Ethier pointed out. “There are lots of musicians and instruments on stage and with the Vista 5 SR I can mic them all individually, and still feed all the musicians customized in-ear mixes. Another major advantage is that the Vista 5 SR also doesn’t take up much room on the stage.”

“The Vista 5 SR is fast and easy to use – I have a lot of preprogrammed settings that enable me to readily access what I need,” continued Ethier. “For example, I can control the volumes on multiple faders at once just by grouping them and turning one knob, without having to scroll through a lot of pages and navigating a lot of menus. You have to understand that when you’re a monitor engineer, a lot of people constantly ask for ‘more of this and less of that’ in the mix and you have to be quick! The Vista 5 SR has helped me tremendously.”

For more information on Solotech, please visit www.solotech.com

For more information on the Studer Vista 5 SR, please visit http://www.studer.ch/products/product.aspx?pid=44

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Rafa Sardina Enjoys Recording Success With HARMAN JBL LSR Studio Monitors

NORTHRIDGE, California – Recording industry veteran Rafa Sardina recorded and mixed tracks for Lady Gaga’s recent album, Born This Way, using HARMAN JBL LSR28P studio monitors. Sardina is an 11-time GRAMMY®-winning producer, mixer and recording engineer, whose credits include projects with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Shakira, Mariah Carey, Dr. Dre, Beyoncé, Sheryl Crow and Macy Gray.

Sardina worked with producer Fernando Garibay on Born this Way at The Mix Room in Burbank, California. According to Sardina, JBL LSR studio monitors have become an integral tool in his setup. “I use the LSR monitors while recording the tracks and mixing,” Sardina said. “It has been a very fruitful association for me, since the JBL LSR’s really helped me better my game in recording and especially the mixing process.”

In turn, the LSR studio monitors have left an impression on the artists Sardina works with. “The artists often comment positively on the LSR monitors,” Sardina said. “Not only that, but they often ask me to recommend how to achieve the same listening experience.”

The most important benefit of the LSR monitors, Sardina said, is their ability to provide accuracy in any environment. “It’s not only about how good the track sounds in the studio, but more importantly about how it translates outside the studio environment,” he added. “That’s the aspect that makes these speakers so enjoyable.”

In addition, Sardina uses JBL LSR12P subwoofers. “I don’t think there’s a better subwoofer out there in the market. I can say that after testing them out over the years!”

Sardina sees technology as an integral component of the art of music production itself—and finds artistic value in using the LSR monitors. “The LSR monitors helped me get reassurance about my creative decisions,” Sardina said. “You work quite differently when you know exactly how your recordings are going to reflect in other listening environments and what the sonic boundaries and limitations are.”

For more information on Rafa Sardina, please visit www.rafasardina.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Performing Arts Fort Worth’s Bass Performance Hall Goes Digital With Two HARMAN Soundcraft Vi6™ Digital Consoles

FORT WORTH, Texas — As the owner and operator of Bass Performance Hall, Performing Arts Fort Worth (a not-for-profit organization) in Texas has upgraded the venue’s sound system with two HARMAN Soundcraft Vi6 digital consoles. For shows that utilize house consoles, including concerts, family programs and other performances during the season, the company now has one Vi6 at the front of house position inside Bass Performance Hall and the other for monitoring, while also being able to transport the desks to two satellite performance spaces within the complex.

Opening its doors in May 1998, Bass Performance Hall has been one of the most technologically advanced and highly respected performance spaces in the area. Looking to revamp the Hall’s system from analog to digital to keep its reputation intact, Doug Kirk, Technical Director of Audio & Acoustics Systems for the Hall, tested the Vi6 in early 2011 and mixed four shows on it in a month’s span. “The sound quality was great right out of the box, and that is our number-one concern with our performances,” Kirk says.

After a month with the Vi6, Kirk ordered two Vi6 consoles for the Hall. “Out of all our research and demos, the Soundcraft Vi6 was head and shoulders above every other digital console,” Kirk continues. “Its ease of operation is fantastic and its VistonicsTM interface is completely intuitive. It feels like you’re working on an analog board, not a computer, which makes our in-house engineers and visiting FOH mixers happy.”

Installing the desk was no challenge to Kirk as the console was up and running in mere hours. With a capacity of 2,056, Performing Arts Fort Worth plans on expanding seating arrangements in Bass Performance Hall, as the footprint of the console space has dramatically been reduced. From the original 12x12-foot space where the analog console used to sit, the FOH space with the Vi6 is now 8x6 feet.

“We now have a greater selling point to bring big acts to Bass Hall when we say Soundcraft is our FOH console,” Kirk concludes. “We’re staying state-of-the-art and on top of the industry trends. Not only do the larger-name bands and Broadway tours enjoy the console, but members of our local engineering union are extremely excited to get their hands on it and offer the community great sound.”

For more information on Bass Performance Hall and Performing Arts Fort Worth, please visit http://www.basshall.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

HARMAN’s Studer Broadcast Academy Rolls On With Dates in New York and Washington D.C.

NORTHRIDGE, California — After a successful first week of educational sessions and product demonstrations, HARMAN’s Studer Broadcast Academy continues with dates this week in the New York and Washington D.C. areas. The SBA truck will be at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Monday, July 18 through Wednesday, July 20, and at Communications Engineering in Washington D.C. on Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22.

Last week included SBA dates in Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. The Broadcast Academy sessions include hands-on training for Studer’s Vista consoles as part of broadcast certification modules that will provide engineers with proof of efficiency with the Vista line. In addition, the Open House sessions offer product demonstrations, with no requirement to pursue certification.

“Last week’s Studer Broadcast Academy sessions could not have been more successful, as more than 20 engineers received SBA Certification,” says Katy Templeman-Holmes, Studer Broadcast Academy. “We are looking forward to a great week in New York and Washington D.C., and even more SBA dates in the near future!”

This week’s Studer Broadcast Academy schedule is as follows:

• July 18: New York, NY (Open House)
• July 19: New York, NY (Broadcast Academy, Module 1)
• July 20: New York, NY (Broadcast Academy, Module 2)
• July 21: Washington, D.C. (Open House)
• July 22: Washington, D.C. (Broadcast Academy, Module 1)

More information on the Studer Broadcast Academy can be found at usa.studer.ch, with detailed information of what to expect in each module.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

HARMAN’s AKG CS 5 Digital Conference System Makes China Debut In Happy Coast City Club

VIENNA, Austria – The Happy Coast City Club in Shenzhen, China is now the first venue to offer HARMAN’s AKG CS 5 digital conferencing systems in the country. The club, located in Shenzhen Bay, is part of the Happy Coast real estate development project, undertaken by OCT Enterprises to create a 1.25-million square meter tourism complex containing an amusement park, restaurants, hotels, shopping, a wetlands preserve and additional facilities.

The Happy Coast City Club has facilities for business and recreation including a conference room, helicopter pad, restaurants, gyms, a spa, tennis courts, a pool and numerous additional amenities. The Happy Coast City Club will be equipped with two AKG CS 5 systems, one for the club’s boardroom and one for its Chuangzhan Centre meeting room. Each system consists of 17 stations, including one CS 5 BU base station, one CS 5 VU microphone station and 16 CS 5 DU microphone stations.

The AKG CS 5 Digital Conference System is an expandable 64-channel audio conferencing system that can accommodate applications from a small setup to complex systems including ID card identification, 3-way voting or 5-way polling, interpretation of up to 63 languages and IR transmission of up to seven languages. Its components are connected via Ethernet cable for maximum security, superior digital audio quality and reliable connectivity.

The CS 5 system is being installed by Melody Development Co. Ltd., which is also the authorized distributor of AKG CS 5 Digital Conference Systems in China as of July 1, 2011.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

From the Studio to the Stage, Keith Shocklee Relies on HARMAN’s JBL PRX Portable PA Loudspeakers and LSR4300 Studio Monitors

NORTHRIDGE, California – As a producer and one of the founding members of the seminal rap group Public Enemy, Keith Shocklee has been defining and defying musical genres for over 30 years. Cited as one of the top ten hip hop producers for his past work with Public Enemy, Ice Cube, Paula Abdul, Sinead O’Conner and Janet Jackson among others, Keith was involved at the inception of not just a new musical art form, but a culture whose language, fashion and perspective have permeated everyday life for billions of people worldwide. Over the years Shocklee has lent his talents to more than 20 platinum albums and he still continues to break new ground as a principal and artistic leader of Power5, a global talent management and marketing/branding company. A longtime fan of HARMAN JBL loudspeakers, Shocklee and the Power5 DJ’s have recently been using JBL PRX600 Series powered portable loudspeakers for live DJ gigs while using LSR4300 Series studio monitors for writing and producing new music.

“I do a lot of DJ work and recently needed to make some changes to my live DJ system, so who do I go to? Where else… JBL,” said Shocklee. “JBL has been a staple of every club in Manhattan—it was the sound of dance music! I came up in the music industry mostly on the mobile DJ side, and we always tried to use JBL. I used a lot of different brands of speakers, but JBL was always at the heart of everything, and they were the speakers I kept coming back to.”

Shocklee points out the many advantages of the JBL PRX600 Series loudspeakers, which feature built-in Crown® class-D amplifiers in light, compact, road-tough enclosures. “Any DJ who knows what they’re doing wants to have JBL loudspeakers and Crown amplifiers, and with the PRX Series you have Crown amps built right into the speakers,” Shocklee said. “That is a tremendous advantage and the sound quality is beyond comparison.”

In addition to the sound quality, Shocklee noted the importance of light weight for a mobile rig. “I see friends of mine using subwoofers that need to be carried by three people,” he said. “I can carry a PRX618S sub by myself with no problem. And it’s amazing that you’re getting just as much impact from this lightweight box as you were with the old school speakers. I can take a couple of PRX618S subs and a few PRX615M main speakers to a gig and I don’t even need any help.”

This portability has become even more important as the opportunities for mobile DJ’s have grown in recent years. “Mobile DJ’s are really making a comeback,” Shocklee noted, “for parties in the parks, basketball tournaments in the summer, loft parties and other events, and the PRX speakers are perfect for DJ’s to take with them to any gig.”

In addition to his DJ work, Shocklee creates movie scores and does music production in his Power5 studios, relying on JBL LSR4300 Series studio monitors in a 5.1 surround sound configuration. “I built a surround sound system for my film scoring setup, and I like to know that when I perform that music live it will sound the same,” Shocklee added. “The LSR studio monitors give me that accuracy and I know I can trust my mixes to sound the way I intended when I’m listening to them on another system.”

“I take my technology very seriously, and I compare a lot of products to get things right,” Shocklee concluded. “JBL delivers the clarity I need when I go from a studio environment to a live environment.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

For additional information, contact:
Travis McGee
Definition Branding & Marketing
(212) 660-2555 ext. 24
Travis.mcgee@definitionbam.com

HARMAN’s DigiTech® Introduces GreenEdge™ Energy Efficient Power Supplies for Its Pedals

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – As part of its GreenEdge initiative to provide more environmentally friendly products, HARMAN’s DigiTech today announced it is introducing a new power supply for its guitar pedals and stompboxes that provides up to 30 percent more energy efficiency than the previous design. The new power supply is being launched in conjunction with the DigiTech Whammy® DT pedal which started shipping in June and will be included with the JamMan® looper pedals later this summer.

“We are committed to conserving energy by improving the energy efficiency of our products,” said Rob Urry, vice president, HARMAN Professional Division & general manager of Signal Processing and Amplifier Business Units. “Even though pedals don’t use large amounts of energy, we know that every bit helps; our new power supply is a modest but important step in this direction.”
The new DigiTech energy efficient power supply will be rolled out over the next few months with other products, and will also be available as a separate accessory. The power supply is compatible with all current and previous DigiTech products that use a 9V power supply as well as compatible products from other manufacturers. The impact of these power supplies, will bring about a positive environmental change to potentially 1,000,000+ guitar pedals and stompboxes that enter the market each year.
Harman is pioneering a new concept in energy efficient audio and infotainment design called GreenEdge. Harman GreenEdge products and systems combine new environmentally friendly design with dramatic energy savings, without compromising the excellent performance for which HARMAN products are known.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, HARMAN Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Deep Purple Keyboardist Don Airey Uses HARMAN’s Soundcraft® Si Compact 16 Digital Live Sound Console for Current U.S. and European Tour

POTTERS BAR, United Kingdom - Deep Purple needs no introduction to rock fans – the iconic riff to “Smoke on the Water” alone is instantly recognizable to anyone not born under a rock. For the last 10 years, Don Airey has been the keyboard player for Deep Purple. Airey has been on the rock scene for more than 25 years, having played on almost 200 albums with artists like Richie Blackmore’s Rainbow, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jethro Tull, ELO, UFO and many others.

Don is using a HARMAN Soundcraft® Si Compact 16 Digital Live Sound Mixer on Deep Purple’s current U.S. and European tours. Gert Sanner, front of house engineer for Deep Purple, notes, “We are in the process of replacing our old mixers because we have two full systems going on tour, and we wanted to have more consistency between the two keyboard rigs. We chose the Si Compact 16 because of the quality of its internal effects, its sound quality and its ease of use.”

“We wanted to be able to take any adjustments to the settings that we did on one rig and transfer them to the other,” Sanner continues. “The Si Compact 16 lets us easily move our settings between consoles, rather than having to manually duplicate all of our reverb, delay and other effects settings every time we make a change.”

“We are also using the console’s MIDI capability by linking specific keyboard sounds to individual Scenes on the desk. This enables us to store particular EQ settings to particular songs, and make the transition from one keyboard rig to the other a lot smoother.”

In addition to the Si Compact 16, Gert Sanner is using a Soundcraft Vi6 digital console for front of house mixing.

“We’re getting great results by working this way,” Sanner concludes. “We are busy hopping from continent to continent, so anything that makes the day easier is more than welcome.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Sound & Light Professionals deliver perfect audio support on Coke Studio at MTV, with Harman’s SoundcraftVi6 digital mixing console

India’s well established and renowned sound reinforcement company - Sound & Light Professionals (SNL Pro), was the chosen partner for the complete audio set-up at Coke Studio @ MTV. Coke in association with MTV has launched a premier platform- Coke Studio for showcasing and bringing the confluence of the best musical talent in India. Coke Studio India is based on the unique, internationally acclaimed format - The Coke Studio project, which started in Brazil in 2007 and then went to Pakistan the following year. The show, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company, invites musicians from different genres to jam together and records the resulting collaboration on the spot.
Sound & Light Professionals, with an undisputed track record of handling audio and lighting (both rental & installations) for some of the most challenging events in India, provided the entire range of audio equipment and the backend support for the equipment, stage setup and RF technicians. For this celebrated project, SNL Pro made the perfect choice of deploying Harman’s Soundcraft Vi6 mixing console at the audio mixing position, for the main reason that the Soundcraft Vi6 an optimized system for a versatile, multi-act show.

Since its launch in India, this platform aims to bridge contemporary and traditional styles of music, celebrate differences and explore the musical depth that spreads out across the vast cultural panorama of the country. The hour long episode of Coke Studio on MTV features 6 songs - a diverse mix of music from alternative genres including Carnatic and Hindustani, compositions by new musicians, recreated Bollywood tracks, and a special song created on the show. The collaborations are so diverse as to bring together Shafqat Ali and Shruti Pathak, Sunidhi Chauhan and Wadali Brothers, Kailash Kher and Papon, Shankar Mahadevan and Khogen Da, and Bombay Jayshree, Richa Sharma and Rashid Khan among others. The result is a divine fusion of music that embraces the essence of India. As many as 45 singers from across the country of various genres like folk, classical and qawwali, will team up with other artists and churn out new composition with various interpretations.

The expectation of sound output for a format like that of Coke Studio is very high. Considering the live nature of the program in a studio set up, the sound systems and the mix has to be impeccable in order to ensure that the audience and television viewers are treated to pure auditory bliss. The choice of equipment had to necessarily be of international standards, given that every minute detail had to be monitored.

Soundcraft by Harman digital mixing consoles are the hot favourites among sound rental, installed sound companies and sound engineers in India. Among the best selling consoles, Soundcraft Vi6 continues to create the perfect digital mixing experience for the users of the consoles for both live sound and studio applications in India.

“We are extremely proud to bring alive the magic of live recording and performance with Coke Studio @ MTV. SNL has a vast selection of equipment to choose from and we had to ensure a very high quality mix in a project that requires achieving the best possible multi-track recording for post production. We chose to work with Harman’s Soundcraft Vi6 console for its convenient operation, and tried and tested performance. We have been deploying the Soundcraft Vi6 for many large, live events in the past. This system has proven to be perfect for our needs, is intuitive in nature and offers great mix and output especially in situations which require dynamic mixing requirements.” said Manish Mavani, Director, Sound & Light Professionals.

The Vi6 is easy to use — it is flexible, reliable, sounds good and has all the facilities required for the sound engineer at the console. The console provides the best overview due to Vistonics ™ II touchscreen interface with all dynamics, inputs and outputs available at a glance. The console even has in-built Lexicon and BSS audio processing. The compact dimensions and the FaderGlow™ (illumination of fader tracks), offers at-a-glance status display. Also, two engineers can work on the desk at the same time (via the fourth flexible input bay). With this console one can assign upto 16 busses as matrix busses, with upto 32 sources. So in the same way it works with the other masters, selecting a matrix master can assign the matrix sources across the board for easy access. For this project the MADI interface output from the console was used for a multi track recording ( 64 track).

“In a live sound situation, the ease of operation is essential for a smooth functioning and a successful event. The Soundcraft Vi6 digital mixing console, since its launch in India, has gained popularity amongst all leading sound engineers and sound rental companies. We are extremely excited to be part of this popular and unique show where Soundcraft Vi6 has been successfully deployed by our long term partners, SNL Professionals. The highlight of the console is definitely the surface ergonomics, which is a definite boon to the sound engineers and operators of the console.” said Ankush Agarwal, Senior Manager Marketing, Harman Professional India.
With hi-quality audio products like SoundcraftVi6s and its industry leading reliable features &interface, combined with the expertise and experience of SNL Professionals, MTV Coke Studio is fast gaining viewership In India. The programme stands out for its unique format and the sound mix is perfect for the confluence of different genres and an eclectic mix of artistes and musical instruments.

About Harman India Pvt Ltd

Harman International India is a wholly owned subsidiary of Harman International (NYSE:HAR). Harman International with an annual revenue of US$3.2 Billion, designs, manufactures and delivers a wide range of premium audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets- supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. It is spread across 30+locations in the following geographies -Americas, Europe and Asia.
Harman International India has its headquarters in Bangalore and was set up in 2009. It has a profitable presence in the country, has a workforce of about 200 people and is also a hub for innovation and embedded engineering with successful partnerships in engineering and design. To augment the technical base with business growth in key segments like professional, the company has established a state-of –the art service centre in Bangalore along with a dedicated team of service personnel and application engineers to develop and service the core markets in the country.
Harman’s customers include the top names in entertainment, automotive and venue design – linked by a common passion for high-fidelity sound and multimedia. In India the company has a distinguished clientele which include NDTV, AIR, Commonwealth Games 2010, ITC Sheraton Group and Oberoi Group to name a few.

For further details please visit www.harman.com ; www.harmanpro.com

HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si2 Digital Console Brings an Expanded Sonic Palette to Cruise Ship Paul Gauguin

POTTERS BAR, United Kingdom — Paul Gauguin Cruises operates the cruise ship m/s Paul Gauguin, which can accommodate 320 people for a week long luxury cruise experience through Tahiti, French Polynesia and the South Pacific. Since its maiden voyage in 1998, the Paul Gauguin has been the longest continually operating year-round cruise ship in the South Pacific. The audio system in the ship’s Grand Salon was recently upgraded with HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si2 Digital Live Sound Console, which is designed for installations where space is at a premium yet where a full-featured console is required.

“The Grand Salon is one of the focal points of the Paul Gauguin,” notes Jean Jacques Canot of French Polynesia systems integrator Total Vidéo “It’s the ship’s entertainment venue, where the crew performs cabaret shows in addition to appearances by guest artists and musicians. On occasion, bands also play when they have dance events.”

“Before installing the Soundcraft Si2, the Grand Salon was outfitted with an analog console and a lot of external effects processors, compressors and equalizers,” Canot continued. “Everything had to be done manually. Nothing was automated. We needed to bring the system up to modern day standards, and the sound of the Salon’s audio system had to be improved.” In addition to the Soundcraft Si2 console, the Grand Salon system was upgraded with four JBL AC18/95 loudspeakers, installed in the stage ceiling as monitors.

“The Si2 provided big improvements in many ways. The stage manager and performers say their jobs are a lot easier now, thanks to the Si2’s ability to store scenes and instantly recall them,” says Canot. The Si2’s Virtual Si offline editor program lets users set up and manage complete shows offline, for later download to the console. “Also, we no longer need to deal with outboard effects racks, and their space, complexity and expense.”

“Everyone is also impressed with the sound of the system now, especially the incredible quality of the Si2’s built-in digital effects, and the ability to tailor the sound with the board’s EQ and compression. The crew and performers are really satisfied with the improvement in the sound. With its 64 mic inputs, 24 faders and logical layout of controls and display screens the Si2 can easily accommodate the show’s present and future requirements, and is a pleasure to use.”

For more information about Total Vidéo, please visit www.tvdis.pf

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

HARMAN’s DigiTech® Whammy® DT Pedal with Drop Tuning and True Bypass Is Now Shipping

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – HARMAN’s DigiTech today announced the Whammy DT Pedal is now shipping. The new Whammy DT adds a host of mind-bending capabilities including drop tuning, capo tuning and true bypass coupled with the famous Whammy.

Since its introduction, the Whammy DT Pedal has already been met with resoundingly positive reviews from musicians who have had a chance to demo it.

“The applications for this pedal are endless. This can be used with any style of music, which makes it so powerful,” stated Ben Carter, Guitarist with BC Grooves.

“The Whammy DT is not just a one-trick pony; after playing through it, the DT quickly revealed its value as a compositional tool,” added Kelly Ritchotte of Luthier.

The Whammy DT starts with the classic Whammy pitch shifting effects that have made the Whammy one of the most recognizable effects pedals in rock. Featuring an expanded selection of pitch bending capabilities including nine Whammy bending modes from two-octaves up through two-octaves down, nine harmony bending modes, two detune modes, and the popular Dive Bomb six octaves down effect.

The Whammy DT also lets guitar and bass players instantly modify their tuning without having to change instruments or break the musical mood with awkward tuning adjustments for the next song. The Whammy DT can drop down or capo up seven half-steps or an entire octave from where the guitar or bass is tuned. Thanks to the Whammy DT’s sophisticated digital signal processing and pitch shifting algorithms, chordal accuracy is perfectly maintained.

In addition, the Whammy DT features a momentary footswitch for real time stepped pitch shifting to create ”Hammer-On” and “Pull-Off” type effects. Players can instantly get a drop or raise in the pitch of the notes they are playing by stepping on and holding the footswitch – then releasing it to return to pitch for a dramatic effect during solos and riffs.

The DigiTech Whammy DT is now available with an MSRP of $449.95.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

HARMAN’s Soundcraft Vi4™ Digital Console Helps TNDV “Aspiration” Mobile Production Truck Achieve Great Sound

NASHVILLE, Tennessee — The acclaimed Soundcraft Vi4 digital console has been chosen as the centerpiece of the audio system for the newly commissioned TNDV “Aspiration” mobile production vehicle, the second vehicle in TNDV’s growing fleet (a third is already in progress) and the first mobile production truck in the southeastern United States to support live, multi-camera 3D productions.

The new 40-foot expanding-side mobile production truck delivers premium SD/HD/3D remote video production services for broadcast TV, worship events, corporate video projects, concerts, ceremonies and other live events, for clients including SPEED, BET, GAC, and other major broadcast and cable networks. It’s fitted with a sophisticated production workflow featuring up to 12 cameras, a large routing system, a feature-rich production switcher and a comprehensive 5.1 surround audio suite, centered on the Soundcraft Vi4 console, which was purchased through Brantley Sound in Nashville.

Nic Dugger, President of TNDV and 3-time Emmy® Award winner, understands broadcast technology to a depth few in the industry can match. He began his career at the age of 11, pulling cable at a west Tennessee television station. After graduating from the media technology arts program at Middle Tennessee State University (where he would also later teach), Dugger vowed to work professionally in every aspect of broadcast, from color correction to camera operator. During four years as an audio engineer, he was the A1 for National Geographic’s live multi-camera event from the Peruvian rain forest. “It was the kind of environment in which you learned to solve problems quickly, and learned what equipment you could really rely on,” he says.

All that experience went into the choice of the Soundcraft Vi4 console for Aspiration. Dugger cannot say enough about the amount of features and the sonic quality that Soundcraft has built into the small footprint of the Vi4 desk. “We knew we wanted 64 to 72 inputs, and we needed a console that has a MADI interface, since our onboard MADI router controls not only what gets recorded to multi-track to both of our multi-track recording devices but also how those inputs are grouped,” he explains. “Plus, because we do many outdoor concert events that require fast switching between artists, we needed powerful automation so the engineer can recall presets with the push of a button.”

The Vi4 gave Dugger all this functionality and excellent sound as well. “I have to keep coming back to the fact that Soundcraft got all of that into a very small footprint, which is crucial for a mobile production vehicle—every extra inch brings an extra fine from the Department of Transportation,” he jokes. “But seriously, the Vi4 gives Aspiration the audio capability we need for an HD, 3D mobile production truck. It will take us well into the future.”

For more information on TNDV, please visit www.tndv.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

HARMAN’s Studer Broadcast Academy Adds Jorge Silva as it Rolls into New York

NORTHRIDGE, California — As HARMAN’s Studer Broadcast Academy kicks off this week, Studer is pleased to announce that industry veteran Jorge Silva will be on hand for the Academy’s July 20th date in New York City. Silva is currently the Head Audio Engineer for ‘The Martha Stewart Show’, using a Studer Vista 8, on the Hallmark Network, and offers a wealth of experience and show credits in television broadcast, ranging from political conventions to news programs to award shows.

The Studer Broadcast Academy program is designed to provide broadcast engineers with training and technical certification for the world-class line of Studer Vista digital consoles. The Studer Broadcast Academy is being serviced with the Studer truck, featuring two broadcast studios (one housing a Vista 9 and the other a Vista 5) and the whole thing is free. For those who don’t want full certification but would like the chance of a demo or hands-0n session, there are ‘Open House’; sessions at most locations below.

Silva will be supporting Studer on Module 2 of the Academy sessions, which will focus on Redundancy (including Surface, DSP and I/O) and Unique Features to Studer (such as Virtual Vista and Remote Access).

“Jorge is a highly-respected and successful professional in the broadcast industry and we are fortunate to be able to offer our delegates the opportunity to draw on his vast expertise in audio mixing, while also hearing his insights on Studer Vista consoles and their role in his current position at ‘The Martha Stewart Show,’” says Katy Templeman-Holmes, Studer Broadcast Academy.

Confirmed dates for the Studer Broadcast Academy and Open House sessions include:

July 11: Cincinnati, OH (Broadcast Academy)
July 12: Columbus, OH (Broadcast Academy)
July 13: Pittsburgh, PA (Open House)
July 14: Pittsburgh, PA (Broadcast Academy)
July 15: Philadelphia, PA (Open House)
July 16: Philadelphia, PA (Broadcast Academy)
July 18: New York, NY (Open House)
July 19: New York, NY (Broadcast Academy)
July 20: New York, NY (Broadcast Academy)
July 21: Washington, D.C. (Open House)
July 22: Washington, D.C. (Broadcast Academy)

More information on the Studer Broadcast Academy can be found at usa.studer.ch

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

HARMAN’s DigiTech Now Shipping the iPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard and iPB-Nexus App for iPad® Now Available in App Store

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – HARMAN’s DigiTech today announced its iPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard, the world’s first programmable pedalboard using the Apple® iPad® is now shipping. By harnessing the power of the iPad, the iPB-10 combines the simplicity of a pedalboard with the flexibility of a multi-effect system.

In conjunction with the iPB-10, DigiTech also announced the availability of the iPB-Nexus app for iPad. This app gives guitar players drag-and-drop pedalboard design functionality. It also includes the My Tones library where users can store and organize presets. Also included is a real-time performance view where users can see each pedal and its settings.

Together, the iPB-10 and iPB-Nexus allow guitar players to design their ultimate pedalboard. Users can drag and drop up to 10 different pedals, in any order, to each pedalboard, and can even add an amp and cabinet to complete each setup. With 87 different pedals, 54 amps, and 26 cabinets to choose from, the number of different guitar tones users can create is virtually unlimited.

“We created the Guitar Multi-Effects product category over 20 years ago with the release of the DigiTech RP1,” said Rob Urry, V.P. Harman Professional Division & G.M. of Signal Processing and Amplifier Business Units. “By introducing the concept of presets to a pedalboard operating paradigm with the iPB-10, we have created an entirely new product category, the Programmable Pedal Board.” Urry continued.

The iPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard allows users to save their setups with the touch of a finger, and instantly recall them with the stomp of a foot. Now, guitar players can have a different pedalboard for each gig, set, song, or even switch pedalboards within a song.

The iPB-10 is compatible with all models of iPad2 and iPad.

The DigiTech iPB-10 Programmable Pedalboard is now available with a suggested retail price of $699.95.

iPad and iTunes are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

HARMAN (www.HARMAN.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, HARMAN Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Advanced Communication Equipment Renovates Audio System At Shanghai Culture Square With Complete HARMAN Solution

SHANGHAI, China – Completing the effort to update the Shanghai Culture Square, while keeping the structural and visual integrity of the 60-year-old theatre and adding the largest underground theatre in China, the Shanghai government contracted Advanced Communication Equipment Co. Ltd. to redesign the sound system. Building on its history of highly prestigious theatre renovations, including the China National Grand Theatre, Shanghai Grand Theatre and Shanghai Oriental Art Centre, ACE installed a complete HARMAN sound reinforcement system for this nationally recognized site.

Built more than a half century ago, The Shanghai Culture Square acts as a main venue for festivals, shows and other cultural activities in Shanghai. Due to its structural and technical limitations over the past few decades, it was imperative that the venue was reconstructed to allow for the ultimate in high-tech entertainment.

The sound system layout in the main theater, which hosts 2,000 guests on three levels has a left, center, right loudspeaker hang, fixed in the center, with adjustable clusters on the right and left. The center cluster boasts four JBL AM6200 loudspeakers, two AM4200 loudspeakers and three AL6115 loudspeakers to reduce cluster size and avoid disruption of the audience sightline from the balcony. The left and right hangs both contain 12 JBL VERTEC VT4888DP midsize powered line array elements and four VT4882 arrayable subwoofers.

The three clusters, combined with four additional ASB6128 subwoofers, provide the ultimate sound quality that easily adapts to multiple genres of performance.

The special sound effects speaker system, which was indispensable with the modernization of the theatre performances, was designed with 11.1 channels and comprised of 20 JBL Control 29AV monitors, 19 Control 300 series speakers and 10 SRX700 speakers. Forty-four Crown XTi series amplifiers powered the system, while five BSS Soundweb London BLU800 units processed the audio.

Ensuring any sound engineer could quickly manage the system, HARMAN’s Studer Vista 8 digital console was installed as the main console, while a Soundcraft MH3 analog console is used as a backup system, which can also work independently of the Vista 8. An additional Soundcraft Vi4 digital console serves as a portable FOH and monitoring console.

With a large quantity of equipment distributed through the technical, amplifier and master control rooms, the theatre utilizes HARMAN’s HiQnet System ArchitectTM for real-time monitor and control functionality.

ACE also provided an optical signal network system to serve the master control room, stage technical room, FOH, monitor console and OB van junction box to share signals. With this, all performance groups can utilize their own equipment and link into the house system through the already established network.

For more information on the Advanced Communication Equipment, please visit http://www.acehk.com.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Top British Producer Bob Kraushaar Chooses JBL LSR4300 Series Studio Monitors

NORTHRIDGE, California – Top British producer and mixing engineer Bob Kraushaar has worked with some of the finest artists over the years, including Pet Shop Boys, Elton John, Tom Jones, Gang Of Four, Gary Barlow and Paul McCartney, having begun his career alongside the legendary Trevor Horn at the highly influential SARM Studios. Recently engaged on mixing Pet Shops Boys’ The Most Incredible Thing ballet CD and Honey Ryder’s latest album, Kraushaar hasn’t got where he has without developing a finely-attuned set of audio ears.

To achieve perfection, state-of-the-art nearfield monitoring providing an accurate reference right across the frequency spectrum is imperative. Kraushaar finally found the missing piece in the jigsaw by purchasing a pair of JBL LSR4328P studio monitors and JBL LSR4312SP subwoofer from UK-based JBL resellers, Batmink.

The LSR studio monitors were recommended by producer Jon O’Mahony, who owns the 6-room LA Sound Studios in Acton, UK, where Kraushaar’s studio has been based for the past seven years.

“Instead of traveling around to different studios, the great advantage here is that I am listening to the same sound every day—there’s no need to adjust to the acoustics of the room,” Kraushaar said.

His existing monitors provide good detail in the top end and midranges… but all seemed wanting in the lower registers. “The lack of low-end definition had been niggling me for a while and I had been looking for the kind of sound the JBL’s deliver,” Kraushaar noted. I have tried a lot of different speakers over the years to achieve that but for whatever reason they didn’t work—until I discovered these, and realized just how deep they go.”

In fact Jon O’Mahony had “discovered” the sound on a visit to Ocean Way Nashville Recording Studios recently, and immediately reported his findings to Kraushaar. “They had the same JBL’s, and he thought they sounded amazing,” O’Mahoney observed.

“Jon told me that in a nearfield shootout they had won hands down,” Kraushaar said. “Initially I was a bit skeptical, so I decided to investigate further.”

Kraushaar contacted Batmink, who in turn arranged for Sound Technology Ltd, JBL’s UK and Ireland distributors, to provide a demo rig for evaluation. It didn’t take Kraushaar any time to make his purchasing decision. “Speakers either work in a room or they don’t—and the great thing about the JBL monitors is that they have Room Mode Correction (RMC) technology. The system comes with a microphone which you plug into a master speaker and it does a frequency sweep and EQ’s it accordingly.”

The RMC automatically analyzes and corrects the low-frequency response of each speaker in the room for increased accuracy in a broad range of acoustic environments. The built-in intelligence means that no matter what the acoustic properties of the environment, the LSR 4328s will deliver an accurate mix. The magnetically shielded speaker system consists of an 8-inch polymer coated woofer and 1-inch soft dome tweeter coupled with 220 watts of bi-amplification to meet the requirements of today’s demanding production styles.

After trying several different EQ settings Bob Kraushaar was thoroughly content. “This system is all about the bottom end and the clarity,” he said. “It’s extremely warm and deep, clean and informative—with an even tonality at different levels. In fact, you can turn them down and they still sound warm.”

In summary, he said, “These monitors tell me way more than any giant pair of speakers I have come across in a control room ever did, and JBL should be making a huge fuss about them—in fact I wish I’d had these years ago.”

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Studio Berar Installs HARMAN AKG Conference System At NLB Bank

VIENNA, Austria – Covering Serbia and Montenegro, HARMAN Professional distributor Studio Berar has completed a conference system installation in the Belgrade, Serbia-based headquarters of NLB Bank. The new boardroom was the first project undertaken for NLB by the AV specialists, as Studio Berar’s reputation for providing the highest quality in service and systems solutions made the dealer attractive to the large financial institution.

Installed in the boardroom of NLB’s headquarters are 18 of HARMAN’s AKG CS 5 conference units, with language translation and recording capabilities. Studio Berar fit the units into the room’s new desk infrastructure, designing and implementing a system that met strict visual criteria, including masking the wires from view.

“NLB was in the market for a reliable supplier with outstanding product quality,“ stated Lazar Josanov, marketing manager, Studio Berar. “The system was designed to the end user’s requirements – for internal discussions by boardroom executives and top management – and are backed by our full service and post-sale support.”

AKG’s CS 5 system was the obvious solution when it came down to planning. The boardroom was designed around a CS 5 base unit, providing intuitive control of everything from small discussions to 64 audio channels, with all inputs and outputs needed to manage a complex audio system, individually programmed and assigned to interpretation channels. CS 5 VU Chairman and Delegate units offer two different operating modes depending on the size of the group in the meetings.

The 18 CS 5 units are fitted with CK31 cardioid capsules and 30cm goosenecks, with W30 2-stage foam windscreens. Lexicon audio cards are used for recording meetings, while attendees and booth interpreters wear AKG K99 headphones.

“AKG components were favored in view of the high-quality nature of the CS 5’s,” said Aleksandar Pejin, audio application engineer, Studio Berar. “The level of flexibility is perfect, since the boardroom can hold up to 35 people, divided into two separate groups with two conference desks. The 18 stations can be doubled up to accommodate a larger number of attendees.”

For more information about Studio Berar, please visit http://www.studioberar.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Fox Performing Arts Center Upgrades Audio System With HARMAN’s JBL VERTEC® Line Arrays

NORTHRIDGE, California – Founded in 1929 as Fox’s Riverside Theater, the Fox Performing Arts Center is one of southern California’s most historic cultural landmarks and host to a wide variety of musical artists, performers and theater presentations. The venue recently underwent a total renovation that took two years to complete. A completely new sound system features more than 50 HARMAN JBL loudspeakers, highlighted by JBL VERTEC® line arrays.

The new system includes 20 JBL VERTEC VT4888 midsize line array elements, 10 each for the left and right main stage arrays, plus a center cluster of six VERTEC VT4887A compact line array elements. Also included are 10 ASB7128 dual-18-inch subwoofers, 11 VRX928LA compact Constant Curvature loudspeakers for front fill and under-balcony coverage, four VRX928LAP powered Constant Curvature loudspeakers for side fill, six AC26 compact speakers in the rear upper balcony, and numerous Control 25T surface-mount and Control 26CT in-ceiling speakers in the lobby for public address and background music.

The system design specifications included initial input from Ted Leamy of Pro Media/UltraSound in Hercules, California and veteran audio consultant Stanley Miller. The size of the theater and the height of its proscenium arch mandated the use of a left-center-right line array format for the main loudspeaker configuration. Depending on the type and volume requirements of the performance, the center cluster can be used on its own for basic events, or the full left-center-right system can be employed for more demanding productions. The JBL VERTEC line arrays were chosen by the designers for their ability to handle various types of program material equally well including live music, theatrical performances, comedy acts and other types of presentations.

Systems integrator Sound Image of Escondido, California, headed by system designer and project manager Mike Martin, completed the installation project and as-built documentation for the venue. Having successfully implemented VERTEC systems in numerous similar venues, the company was well prepared to address the challenging project.

“This installation was more challenging than most because we had to install the audio system after all the other renovations had already been done, instead of working with the other trades at the same time during the renovation,” Martin noted. “On top of that, we had to take great care to ensure that the loudspeakers were not visually obtrusive, while still delivering the proper sound coverage. Because JBL offers such a wide range of loudspeaker sizes and configurations, we were able to choose the models we needed to accomplish this without overly impacting the architectural integrity of the venue.”

The main VERTEC VT4888 and VT4887A line arrays are powered by Crown I-T5000 HD amplifiers, with I-T9000 HD amplifiers driving the ASB7128 subwoofers. Crown CTs Series amplifiers power the Control 25T and 26CT speakers in the lobby. Two dbx DriveRack 4800 Loudspeaker Management Systems are used to control all the speakers, and a number of additional dbx components including ZonePRO Digital Zone Processors and zone controllers are part of the system. System configuration was performed using Harman HiQnet™ System Architect™ 2.0 software.

For more information on Sound Image, please visit www.sound-image.com

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Maryland Sound Takes HARMAN’S Studer Vista 5 SR Console on Tour With Josh Groban

BALTIMORE, Maryland — Setting a new standard for live performance sound mixing, HARMAN’s Studer Vista 5 SR digital production console is the FOH console of choice for popular artist Josh Groban’s 2011 “Straight To You” world tour and FOH engineer, Mickey Beck. The console, part of the sound reinforcement package provided by leading PA company Maryland Sound International (MSI), “Was the only one that could provide the sophisticated capabilities that this tour demanded, including the ability to operate in a 96 kHz redundant configuration to match the 96 kHz recording of the tour, a high-resolution project that marks a first for concert sound recordings,” Beck says.

“We love the way the Vista 5 SR sounds,” says Bob Goldstein, Founder and Owner of Maryland Sound International, adding that when MSI compared several consoles for the “Straight to You” tour, the Vista 5 SR immediately emerged as the clear winner. “What the Vista 5SR brings to live sound is a console that’s not flat sounding but at the same time doesn’t color the sound. That’s exactly what you need for an artist like Josh, who has arguably the best male voice in pop music today. It’s a true sound--you put an ear to a drum kit and listen, then listen to the drums through the Vista 5 SR and they sound exactly the same. Listen to Josh sing as you stand next to him and then listen to him through the Vista 5 SR and you hear his voice exactly as you heard it live. It’s fantastic.”

Goldstein also points out that the Vista 5 SR was the only console that could handle the huge input requirements of this tour, which includes lots of percussion along with full string and horn sections. “They are using between 130 and 140 input channels on the board, which is a lot of inputs and a lot of routing,” Goldstein says. “And they wanted to operate at 96 kHz redundant and to have the reliability of all that DSP behind them. Even at 48 kHz, the Vista 5 SR sounds incredible; taking it up to 96 kHz is even more amazing. They wanted all of that capability and the best way to get it was with the Studer Vista 5 SR.”

For more information on Maryland Sound, please visit www.marylandsound.com

Photo Credit: Captain Tucker

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

HARMAN’s BSS Audio® Soundweb™ London Provides Conferencing Solution for Corporate Auditorium

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — One of the world’s major producers and marketers of food, agricultural, financial and industrial products and services, recently completed a large auditorium for its Minnetonka, Minnesota corporate offices that includes a sophisticated audio/video system based around HARMAN’s BSS Audio Soundweb London networked signal processors. The system was installed by AVI Sytems of Eden Prairie, MN, a systems integrator that specializes in professional A/V installations for business, commercial, educational and government clients.

The auditorium’s BSS Audio equipment includes two Soundweb London BLU-160 signal processors with digital audio bus and two BLU-120 I/O expanders with digital audio bus. One BLU-160 is configured with four analog input cards, and the other BLU-160 is configured with a telephone hybrid card, AEC input card and two analog input cards. The two BLU-120 devices are configured with four AEC input cards and four analog output cards, respectively.

“Because we were outfitting a large auditorium, the A/V system needed to accommodate and route a large number of audio and video sources,” noted AVI design engineer, Joshua Peterson. “The audio system needed to have a full palette of processing tools available, and more importantly, have the processing power to seamlessly and noiselessly bring all program audio into the room through a high-fidelity, full-range speaker system. In addition, the system needed to manage multiple wireless and wired presenter microphones in the auditorium, with reinforced audio going through a distributed audio custom speaker system.”

“Additionally, telephone conferencing and video conferencing needed to be an integral part of the system, for meetings with large numbers of people both on- and off-site,” continued Peterson. “A streaming audio/video connection was also needed between the auditorium and the company’s existing office center several miles away. All of these conferencing options had to be available and have the ability to interact with each other – which the BSS Audio hardware made possible.”

Peterson pointed out some unique challenges when designing the installation: “The BSS Audio components needed to interface with the control system for volume and routing, as well as for multiple preset recalls. In addition, the system needed to operate in both automatic mixer mode as well as a full-manual control system.

“We were able to achieve this by creating presets for automatic and manual mixing, essentially enabling the BSS Audio components to serve a two-fold purpose. First, the system serves as an automatic mixer for all local and far-end audio. Secondly, the system functions as a speaker management and output management processor to handle either automatic (all internal to BSS Audio) mode or manual mixing mode.”

“I chose the Soundweb London BLU-160 and BLU-120 for their flexibility, robust processing capabilities and excellent signal quality throughput,” commented Peterson. “This project also gave me the opportunity to try out the new BSS Audio Acoustic Echo Cancellation algorithm, which worked extremely well.”

“I had been very pleased with the results we achieved with BSS Audio components in the past, and wanted a strong DSP-based solution for this auditorium/conference room. From a technical standpoint, the project was a huge success,” concluded Peterson. “The Acoustic Echo Cancellation has proven to be ready for our clients, and the system has plenty of ‘breathing room’ in terms of processing power. The type of processing and logic objects the BSS Audio hardware provides, and the total configurability of the Soundweb London platform, gave us the ability to overcome any of the challenges that were presented to us in setting up this installation.”

For more information about AVI Systems, please visit www.avisystems.com.

HARMAN (www.harman.com) designs, manufactures and markets a wide range of audio and infotainment solutions for the automotive, consumer and professional markets – supported by 15 leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon® and Mark Levinson®. The Company is admired by audiophiles across multiple generations and supports leading professional entertainers and the venues where they perform. More than 20 million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and infotainment systems. HARMAN has a workforce of about 11,800 people across the Americas, Europe and Asia, and reported sales of $3.5 billion for the twelve months ended December 31, 2010. The Company’s shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol NYSE:HAR.

Pick Of The Hits - HARMAN in Sound & Communications, June 2011