JESSUP, MARYLAND - JUNE 2009: API Audio, one of the most enduring and respected names in pro audio, has appointed powerhouse dealer Sweetwater Sound to sell its unique brand of rack-mounted gear and Arsenal Audio by API line. The agreement gives users access to API gear in Sweetwater’s outlets. The timing is perfect, as the resolution of the analog vs. digital wars has placed a premium on high-quality, robust analog input chains.
API and Sweetwater have been revolutionizing their respective spheres of business for over thirty years. API started in the late 1960s by designing consoles and modular units with a sonic authenticity and color that grabbed the imagination of the industry. Fidelity to the original designs, the legendary 2520 op-amp, and a philosophy that never succumbs to engineering expedience, have kept API at the forefront of high-end pro audio for forty years.
“I’m elated that Sweetwater is now an API dealer!” enthused Sweetwater founder and president, Chuck Surack. “Without question, API has a strong foothold in our industry’s history. I know their gear is a great fit for the Sweetwater customer seeking classic studio sounds and enduring designs!”
Sweetwater started modestly in the mid-1970s and grew to become one of America’s 500 fastest growing companies two decades later with the germ of a commonsense idea: give customers substantive pre and post-sales customer support that helps them deliver better sound.
“We’re very pleased to add Sweetwater as a dealer,” said API president Larry Droppa. “Of course, their high sales volume is attractive, but we’re also very comfortable with their sales philosophy, which hinges on honestly educating the customer. API products offer unique and time-tested solutions for many high-quality audio applications and will be a valuable component of Sweetwater’s repertoire.”
ABOUT API Automated Processes, Inc. remains the leader in analog recording gear, with the Vision, Legacy Series and 1608 Recording Consoles, as well as the classic line of modular signal processing equipment.
www.apiaudio.com
PHOTO CAPTION Jeff Radke, vice president of sales for Sweetwater Sound and Larry Droppa, president of API, finalize the appointment of Sweetwater as an API dealer.
MEDFORD, OREGON - JUNE 2009: Fans of guitarist Brian “Head” Welch were excited to hear recently that he would be embarking on his first solo tour since leaving Korn in 2005. Faced with an itinerary of tour dates across the U.S. and potential tour dates in Australia and Europe, Welch’s keyboard player and programmer Brian Ruedy went in search of a rugged, high-quality but compact onstage mixing solution, which he found in the Ashly Audio LX-308B stereo mixer.
As Ruedy explains, he had two principal reasons for acquiring the Ashly Audio mixer. “There’s nothing like it on the market,” he says. “Another reason is, I did some background on the tech work on that equipment, and it’s made very well.”
Ruedy’s collection of Roland, Korg, Yamaha, and Kurzweil keyboards will not be the only equipment summed through the LX-308B, which supports eight stereo or sixteen mono inputs via balanced quarter-inch TRS connectors on the rear of the 1RU unit. “We’re running software and hardware through it,” he says.
The keyboard player is joined by four other musicians behind Welch, who is touring over the coming months in support of his debut album, “Save Me From Myself,” a testimony of Welch’s life and his battles with drug and alcohol addiction, leaving Korn, and finding spirituality. Beginning with warm-up dates in Colorado then Texas, the tour will also take the band to the main stage at the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, Illinois on July 2nd and the 20,000-seat Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas in August.
Ruedy is looking forward to road-testing his new stereo mixer. “I love it. The product is really good, well made and solid,” he says. “It’s clean, it’s quiet and it’s responsive to everything that I need to do with it.”
Welch is also excited to be hitting the road, as he comments on the tour announcement: “I have no doubt that I’m doing what I was born to do - musically and spiritually. We can’t wait to get out there this summer and play tons of shows - from small clubs to huge arenas - it’s all good to me because I haven’t been on stage in over four years.”
The band can certainly expect enthusiastic crowds wherever they play. “Save Me From Myself” enjoyed impressive first-week sales upon release, making its debut on Billboard’s Top Hard Rock Albums chart at #13, on Billboard’s Top Independent Albums chart at #7 and at #21 on SoundScan’s Top Current Rock Albums chart.
ABOUT ASHLY AUDIO INC. With over a thirty-five year history, Ashly Audio Inc. is recognized as a world leader in designing and manufacturing quality signal processing equipment and power amplification for use in the commercial sound contracting and professional audio markets.
Free Download Provides Comprehensive Amplifier and System Control
ORLANDO, FL, June 17, 2009 – Powersoft Srl, Italy, a world leading manufacturer of superior quality power amplifiers for the professional audio market, is proud to announce the official release and immediate availability of Powersoft Audio Suite software at InfoComm 2009 (Booth 6384). Audio Suite provides total PC-based control of the numerous parameters found in Powersoft amplifiers and represents the framework control protocol for current and future products. Visually representing all control and signal processing features, the software is downloadable free of charge from the Powersoft web site and will allow users to manage and monitor all K-series and remote versions of the Q, D and QTU series amplifiers. more
NORTHRIDGE, CALIFORNIA - MAY 2009: Form factor and functionality were instrumental in Jeff O’Rourke’s decision to purchase a Tonelux Designs Ltd. console for his Rourketown Studios facility in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley. The setup combines the best of both analog and digital audio for O’Rourke, with the Tonelux analog desk, configured to handle over forty inputs, uniquely integrated alongside a Digidesign work surface in a custom-designed console.
The ability to perfectly match the profile of the modular Tonelux system with that of the Digidesign D Command was a critical factor in the design of the custom-configured console, which was manufactured by Sterling Modular studio furnishings. The unique configuration features the analog and digital surfaces either side of a center section that incorporates metering and automation master control.
“I was able to fit the Tonelux right alongside the D Command and shape the buckets the way I wanted them,” explains O’Rourke, an engineer, producer and former guitarist with Los Angeles-based rap-rock band, Phunk Junkeez. “And the small format was great, because I was able to put everything into a smaller footprint.”
When O’Rourke and his clients are tracking in the Chris Pelonis-designed Rourketown facility, signals pass through an eclectic collection of outboard preamps directly into Pro Tools and the tracks are monitored via the D Command work surface faders. “I spend all my time on the Tonelux when I’m mixing,” says O’Rourke. “I have a dedicated EQ and compressor wired inline for every insert on the Tonelux, so when I hit the insert buttons on the console everything is right there, ready to go. I don’t have to do any patching to start a mix.”
Charlie Bolis of Vertigo Recording Services wired the custom console setup and the vast array of vintage and contemporary outboard equipment. The Tonelux console was supplied by Vintage King Audio and automated with Martinsound Flying Faders motorized fader automation.
“When I’m in mixing mode, Pro Tools is simply used as a playback and record machine, and the Tonelux is my main focus. It’s fun and intuitive to mix on Flying Faders, although it was kind of a luxury to do it,” he says. “Flying Faders is easy and touch sensitive. I don’t have to do any breakpoint editing when I mix. It feels more organic like playing an instrument. When I’m on the Tonelux I’m free from the mouse and computer screen.”
A variety of sessions have passed through Rourketown since the new setup was commissioned, including mixing the latest “Eyes Set To Kill” album with Tom Flowers, a California-based mix engineer well known for his work with pop punk band The Ataris. “So far everybody has been loving it,” O’Rourke says, who appreciates both the high performance and the low power consumption of the Tonelux system. “The console is almost completely discrete, and it has a totally ground up circuit design from Paul Wolff. As far as I understand Paul has come up with a very smart design. The console has super high headroom without needing constant “pedal-to-the-metal power. Most importantly it sounds amazing.”
The one-of-a-kind custom console design was a labor of love for O’Rourke, who appreciates the efforts of the vendors involved. “I can’t say enough about the Martinsound people. The guys over there were great. Jim at Sterling Modular was amazing too. Charlie Bolois did a great job as always, and the guys at Vintage King were extremely helpful, especially when it came to letting me listen to the gear before I made my final decisions. And, of course, Paul Wolff was great and very patient with all my questions. Building this console was a great experience and I’m very happy with everything. It looks amazing, too!”
ABOUT TRANSAUDIO GROUP TransAudio Group, founded by industry veteran Brad Lunde, has quickly become the premier U.S. importer/distributor and/or U.S. sales and marketing representative for high-end audio. Success hinges on TransAudio providing dealers and end users with a higher standard of product expertise and support far beyond the norm.
www.transaudiogroup.com
PHOTO CAPTION Jeff O’Rourke, Rourketown Studios, worked closely with Paul Wolff, Vintage King, and Charlie Bolis to help configure a forty-plus input Tonelux console.
OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 2009: With the new MZF filter module, the MKH 8000 microphone series can provide excellent sound and climate resistance, even in tough broadcasting and film applications. The MZF 8000 filter module effectively suppresses both handling and wind noise. The signal level can be lowered via a high-quality pad allowing it to be optimally adapted to the recording equipment.
“Our MKH 8000 microphones are compact and light making them ideally suited for use with telescopic microphone booms,” explained Dawn Birr, Sennheiser’s product manager for professional products. “The filter module allows users to target and suppress unavoidable handling noise and eliminates wind noise almost completely.” For this purpose, the MZF 8000 has two low-frequency filters: a roll-off filter that can be switched on when required, and a fixed low-cut filter that effectively suppresses frequencies below 20 Hz. A switchable -10 dB pad on the filter module reduces the signal level when required.
The MZF 8000 features extremely low self-noise, which means that even delicate sound structures are reproduced exactly. When used together with the MKH 8020 (omnidirectional), MKH 8040 (cardioid) and MKH 8050 (super-cardioid) RF condenser microphones, sound recordings of the highest quality can be achieved. Like the other modules of the series, the filter module can also be used with a remote cable as a separate unit, allowing the sound engineer to further reduce the weight on the boom. The module has a transformerless and fully floating output and can therefore be easily connected to recording equipment.
The MZF 8000 filter module is now available.
MZF 8000 TECHNICAL DATA:
Low-cut filter: -3 dB at 16 Hz
Switchable roll-off filter: -3 dB at 160 Hz
Switchable pad: -10 dB
Increase of the equivalent noise level as per DIN IEC 651: at 0 dB: 1 dB(A) at -10 dB: 4 dB (A)
Max. input voltage: at 0 dB: 14 dBV at -10 dB: 9 dBV
Max. output voltage: at 0 dB: 14 dBV at -10 dB: -1 dBV
Nominal impedance: 50 ohms
Min. terminating impedance: 2 ohms
Phantom power as per DIN 4559: 44 to 52 V
Dimensions: Ø 19 x 29 mm
Weight: 26 g
Temperature range: -10°C to +60°C
ABOUT SENNHEISER ELECTRONIC CORPORATION Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com
OLD LYME, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 2009: Sennheiser is introducing the MZD 8000 digital module for the popular MKH 8000 Series at InfoComm 2009. Now, the MKH 8000 series can be digitalized directly at the microphone head, ensuring a natural sound without any loss of quality.
“A warm, natural, yet fantastically clear and powerful, sound is what makes the MKH 8000 series really stand out,” explains Dawn Birr, Sennheiser’s product manager for professional products. “The new digital module ensures that this sound is maintained in full quality along the entire signal chain, in contrast to conventional digitalization, which uses a separate analogue/digital converter at some stage along the chain. The MZD 8000 digital module eliminates cable losses and, most importantly, features a converter and surrounding circuitry that have been optimally matched to the microphone.”
DIGITAL MICROPHONES IN AN INSTANT The compact MZD module is simply screwed onto the microphone head in place of the XLR module. Like all signal-carrying components in the 8000 series, the module is designed with two channels and converts the microphone signal according to the AES 42 standard, turning the audio signal of the MKH 8020 (omni-directional), MKH 8040 (cardioid) and MKH 8050 (super-cardioid) into a digital one. “Signal disruptions caused by interference or cable capacitance are a thing of the past, as digitalization takes place directly behind the microphone head,” Birr adds.
REMOTE CONTROL MADE EASY In addition to the A/D converter (24-bit, sampling rate up to 192 kHz), the digital module contains a DSP unit that, with the aid of dedicated PC control software and an AES 42 interface, allows microphone settings such as the low-cut filter, attenuation and limiter to be remote-controlled. The interface, e.g. Neumann’s DMI, also provides the phantom power and word clock for synchronizing the microphones. Alternatively, the microphones can be synchronized using an external word clock. “Their modular design makes these microphones absolutely future-proof,” concludes Birr.
ABOUT SENNHEISER ELECTRONIC CORPORATION Sennheiser is a world-leading manufacturer of microphones, headphones and wireless transmission systems. Established in 1945 in Wedemark, Germany, Sennheiser is now a global brand represented in 60 countries around the world with U.S. headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Sennheiser’s pioneering excellence in technology has rewarded the company with numerous awards and accolades including an Emmy, a Grammy, and the Scientific and Engineering Award of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
For more information, please visit www.sennheiserusa.com
Sound Supervisor Jacob Smith Praises COS-11D Lavaliers
Pictured on location in Africa is sound supervisor Jacob Smith.
“Expedition Africa: Stanley & Livingstone,” a new 8-part History Channel reality/documentary series, employed Sanken’s rugged COS-11D lavalier microphones during the arduous 970-mile journey through unforgiving rainforests and desert terrain.
“It was brutal,” explains sound supervisor Jacob Smith. “We had torrential downpours, hot dusty deserts, and even a sea journey in primitive wooden boats. There were unrelenting microphone damage risks, but the Sanken lavs worked flawlessly,”
The four elite modern-day explorers in EXPEDITION AFRICA relive Henry Morton Stanley’s perilous journey to find Dr. David Livingstone. They are: navigator Pasquale Scaturro, wildlife expert Mireya Mayor, survivalist Benedict Allen, and journalist Kevin Sites. Using only compasses and period maps, they confronted obstacles and dangers similar to those encountered by the great explorers before them.
“We had 11 Sankens for the journey equipped with Lectrasonic MM-400 waterproof transmitters,” Smith continues. “We never had any humidity problems - the mics were even doused with water a few times but they came right back to life. We had a few other brands of mics as backup but they did not hold up under these conditions at all.”
Explorers in the 19th century were the rock stars of their day - and Dr. David Livingstone was the biggest of them all. A true hero of his time and perhaps the greatest explorer ever, he dedicated his life to stamping out slavery. Then, he disappeared.
“To recreate this journey we had to have complete concealment of the mics,” remarks Smith. “The vertical design of the mic capsules allowed us to use a rubber band around a Rycote softee and hide it in the clothing in a way that there was no clothing noise, even with quick-dry synthetic fabrics.
During the 19th Century, the public’s fascination with Livingstone’s whereabouts reached a fever pitch. Enter American journalist Henry Morton Stanley. Stanley had never been to Africa - but he wanted the scoop, to find out and write about what happened to Dr. Livingstone. He set off to find Livingstone. In EXPEDITION AFRICA, producer Mark Burnett, one of the premiere story tellers of our time, has captured this historic exploration.
Sound supervisor Jacob Smith was contracted from Adrenaline Films for the Mark Burnett Production. Superb audio was recorded by sound mixers Rian Engelen (South Africa), Mark Krupka (Canada), David Tofler (Australia), and Michael St. Hilaire (USA).
ORLANDO, FL, June 17, 2009 – Powersoft Advanced Technologies, LLC, a world leading manufacturer of superior quality power amplifiers for the professional audio market, is introducing its new Audio Suite control software, dedicated to the live sound and installation market, at InfoComm 2009 (Booth 6384). Designed by the Powersoft R&D team, the new software has been developed following requests and suggestions from some of the most influential live system designers, installers and loudspeaker manufacturers. Through their combined feedback, Powersoft has been able to deliver an enhanced customizable graphic interface with drag and drop possibilities optimized for tablet PC use. more
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JESSUP, MARYLAND - JUNE 2009: API Audio, one of the most enduring and respected names in pro audio, has appointed powerhouse dealer Sweetwater Sound to sell its unique brand of rack-mounted gear and Arsenal Audio by API line. The agreement gives users access to API gear in Sweetwater’s outlets. The timing is perfect, as the resolution of the analog vs. digital wars has placed a premium on high-quality, robust analog input chains.
