Burbank, CA… Royer Labs, recognized globally as a leading manufacturer of high quality ribbon microphones, is pleased to announce it has selected Audio Agent to represent the company’s sales efforts in key territories of the United States. Well known for its sales representation and strategic consulting capabilities within the professional audio and MI (musical instrument) communities, Audio Agent will be tasked with increasing Royer Labs’ presence in the critical territories of the metropolitan New York/Tri-State region and the entire Northeast. more

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Auralex Acoustics, Inc. recently got the balance right for Presonus and Black Dog Studios. The industry leader in innovative sound control solutions was brought in by Presonus Audio Electronics, a designer and manufacturer of professional audio products, to balance sound for Black Dog Studios, an independent recording and editing facility owned by Presonus’ VP of Sales, Rick Naqvi. The space is utilized for independent projects, production work for all of Presonus’ training and product demo videos as well as several Presonus R&D projects. Several of Auralex’s state-of-the-art acoustical treatments are also installed throughout Presonus’ corporate headquarters. more

HOLLYWOOD – The eagerly awaited sequel “Batman: The Dark Knight” hits theaters in July and promises to be a summer blockbuster. Peter Snell, technical scoring engineer on the film, employed the Solid State Logic XLogic Delta-Link as the right device to streamline the massive Pro Tools HD® scoring setup for composers Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard. The MADI-based Delta-Link provides up to 64 channels of audio over a single optical cable, greatly reducing the amount of traditional I/O units and requisite cabling to accomplish the same task. more

~Studio Remixes and Remasters Iconic Live Album ~

BETHLEHEM, PA – The StarCity Recording Company production team is giving fans a front-row seat to some of the most memorable live performances to be recorded of 70’s rock band KANSAS. The deluxe, expanded version of Two for the Show, the iconic 2 LP set from the legendary group was re-mastered at StarCity Studios. In addition to the re-mastering of the original release, this deluxe version contains 11 previously un-released performances. Jeff Glixman, president of StarCity Records and long-time producer for Kansas, teamed up with StarCity’s Chief of Production Zak Rizvi and Staff Engineer John Andreas to mix the new tracks and handle the mastering. The process began with Phil Ehart, Glixman’s KANSAS productions partner and the band’s founder/drummer, narrowing the large collection of available tracks down to the 11 selections.

“As a huge KANSAS fan, it was truly an honor to work on this project,” says Rizvi. “Heading in, I already knew the songs intimately; I knew when a certain guitar part was going to come in and was prepared for it. This gave me a definite advantage in terms of handling the mix.”

Glixman explains, “Although I was not involved in the original Two for the Show mixes, I was performing the front of house mix for most of the dates where these tracks were recorded. Dave Hewitt was the remote recording engineer, and as always did a great job. My goal with the mix of the unreleased material was to provide the experience of being at a KANSAS concert circa 1978. With this in mind, the mixes were executed with minimal automation. Just as in the late 70’s, we just cranked it way up and mixed on the fly so that the mix itself is a performance. Of course we took advantage of whatever technology we felt was needed, but this is the real thing. No auto-tune, no copy and paste edits, this is KANSAS as they were at that time. Going into this, Phil and I were of the ‘this is the band, warts and all’ mindset. I believe it is the most compelling KANSAS music in a long time. What a band!” All mixing and mastering was conducted in StarCity’s Studio A, utilizing its SSL 9000K and ProTools HD @ 88.2/24, the format to which the original analog multi-track tapes had been transferred. Two for the Show is slated by Sony/BMG for a summer 2008 release.

About StarCity Recording Company

A world-class facility located in Bethlehem, PA, StarCity Studios offers clientele more than 50 years of combined professional recording experience and state of the art 5.1 surround sound. StarCity Recording Company is a full service entertainment company, including StarCity Studios, StarCity Records, StarCity Artist Development, StarCity Publishing and distribution through its digital service, Fizzkicks.com. Evolving beyond its expertise in recording, mixing, and mastering, StarCity now offers artists a breadth of services that includes production, management, and artist support while continuing to offer commercial studio services. For more information, visit www.starcityrecording.com.

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Aldie, VA – June 2008… While comedian/guitarist Mike Rayburn’s concert appearances generate lots of laughs from his audience, there’s nothing humorous about his dependency on his wireless equipment. Based in a suburb of greater Washington, DC, Rayburn’s antics keep him in the spotlight during more than 120 performances a year—with a schedule that takes him not only throughout the Americas, but throughout Europe as well as Caribbean and Hawaiian destinations. Wherever he may be, his Lectrosonics wireless systems provide the freedom of movement and the sound quality he requires to keep his act at the cutting edge. more

INDIANAPOLIS, IN — Universal Audio, a leading manufacturer of audio production hardware and software products, recently completed work on a recording studio designed and built for its new Scotts Valley, California facility. In order to reduce room reflections and frequency anomalies, Auralex Acoustics, Inc., the industry leader in innovative sound control solutions, outfitted the studio with its state-of-the art acoustical treatments.

“The control room, which is used to test new hardware and software products, as well as operate as a private recording facility in the evenings, was experiencing lingering issues with flutter echoes and low-end buildup.” explained Will Shanks, Universal Audio’s Product Manager. “Auralex provided the solution with a number of products, including its SonoSuede Pro System, its best-selling LENRD bass traps as well as its pArtScience SpaceArrays and Screen6 System, which I was first introduced to by Russ Berger himself. The Space Arrays are fantastic, and delivered exactly what we wanted.” more

TORONTO, CANADA—Humber College, which has trained professional musicians since the 1972 launch of its Jazz Music Diploma, has installed a 48-channel Duality console from Solid State Logic, the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals. more

EASTWEST, the industry leader in soundware development and distribution, is pleased to announce that all of its EASTWEST/QUANTUM LEAP SYMPHONIC ORCHESTRA “PLAY” EDITIONS will start shipping July 15, 2008. more

OXFORD, UK—Solid State Logic, the world’s leading manufacturer of analogue and digital audio consoles and provider of creative tools for music, broadcast and post production professionals, has been honored with five nominations for the 24th annual Technical Excellence & Creativity (TEC) Awards. more

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, JUNE 18, 2008—Legends In Concert, celebrating its 25th year, is the longest running independently owned production show on the Las Vegas Strip. This international award-winning stage spectacular is a live musical celebration featuring the world’s greatest celebrity tribute artists. Behind the scenes, the musicians and sound engineers at the Imperial Palace Hotel & Casino know that there is no substitute for a crystal clear monitor mix. That’s why the team at Legends turns to Aviom (InfoComm Booth C4175) gear for real results.

Several years ago when the Legends crew decided to upgrade its aging analog console with a new Yamaha DM2000 mixing console, it added the Aviom 16/o-Y1 A-Net Card. The engineers connected five A-16II Personal Mixers, one for each band member, and kept a sixth unit on hand to accommodate an extra player who may join in for the night.

Since they have been installed, the Aviom mixers have been helping the team run a smooth operation night after night. According to front of house engineer Craig Palcisko, they have been working so well, the crew is looking to expand its use of Aviom gear to go beyond just the band members (featuring a musical director/sax player, bass player, drummer, keyboard player, and guitarist) to include background singers as well. Palcisko currently only handles monitor mixing for the singers. The flexibility of having the band members control their own mixes provides Palcisko with freedom he never experienced before as an audio engineer.

“It allows me to concentrate on the audio for guests that are coming to see the show, instead of worrying about what’s happening on stage with the musicians,” he says. “That’s one of the greatest assets of the Aviom gear; it allows the musicians to control their own sound instead of me having to do it for them. This is something new for me that I welcome.”

For Musical Director Joe Escriba, the ability to program preset mixes has made a world of difference in his performance as a musical director and as a saxophone player.

Eliminating the need to adjust monitor mixes to suit individual singers and musical styles is especially important in a show that features such a broad range of musical artists. “At any given moment, we could have a Garth Brooks impersonator on stage, then a Madonna, a Michael Jackson or Blues Brothers,” Escriba says. “Given all of those styles and different instrumentations, it’s nice to be able to have each style mixed differently. A modern pop mix would be something completely different than an Elvis upright bass, jazz snare and guitar trio. Each musician on stage has full control of the mix he’s hearing in his ears. It just makes the job so much easier.”

Guitarist Jim Buck has come to enjoy the freedom the A-16II provides as well. “I play in a number of shows in Las Vegas, as well as with my own band, and I always enjoy when I can use the personal mixer,” he says. “It really helps as you move from venue to venue to ensure that you always have a clean monitor mix. I play Legends several nights a week and I’ve gotten so used to the mixer. The time I appreciate it most is when I don’t have it and I miss the ability to mix my own sound. It’s a big time saver when you’re setting up and sound checking. The engineer doesn’t have to spend time worrying about your monitor mix, and it’s always right.”

Palcisko can’t imagine how the show got by some twenty-plus years without Aviom and expects that the show will continue using the equipment in the decades to come.

“Ever since we installed the Aviom mixers, I’ve gotten so many positive comments up front about the sound,” he says. “We can’t imagine running Legends without the A-16IIs now.”

Aviom is the world leader and pioneer of personal monitor mixing technology with the popular Pro16® Series, as well as the exclusive developer of the revolutionary Pro64® Series of audio networking products. All Aviom products are powered by A-Net®, the company’s groundbreaking high-speed digital audio transmission protocol. Aviom products solve problems in a variety of different environments, including live sound reinforcement, audio recording studios, houses of worship, theater, broadcasting and post-production facilities and a host of commercial installations. Aviom’s entire line of high-quality professional audio products are designed and manufactured in the USA.