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The 8th Annual Parnelli Awards

The 8th Annual Parnelli Awards

Alice Cooper served as master of ceremonies.

Parnelli Awards Pay Tribute to the Stars of Live Audio

The 8th Annual Parnelli Awards brought together the legends and up-and-coming talent of the live event industry to honor the companies and people nominated for their outstanding work this year. Held at the Rio Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, the show featured state-of-the-art audio, lighting and video, master of ceremonies Alice Cooper, and in keeping with the Vegas theme, showgirls decked out in flashy costumes to greet the attendees. The attendees paid tribute to audio innovators Roy and Gene Clair, founders of the Clair Bros. (now known as CLAIR) of Lititz, Pa., one of the largest and most successful sound companies in the world; and Dennis Sheehan, longtime tour manager for U2.

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Keeping Busy in a Taxing Time

“It’s the economy stupid,” and despite it all we still carry on with our business albeit on shaky ground. Fortunately, the bulk of the summer touring season ended just before the disastrous reports from Wall Street became headline news — thus leading us to wild speculation regarding what the future might hold in store for the upcoming winter and spring season. 

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Show Me The Money

Recent conversations that play into the current economic climate affecting our industry

First, a conversation with a soundco owner in the Midwest who said he was busy but broke. “Not a box or an amp in the shop — everything is rented. But cash flow is down significantly.” As we talked we figured out that clients are not paying as quickly as he would like and that “some checks are better than others.”

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Networking for a Successful Career

The editors of FOH recently received an interesting e-mail from a gentleman who informed us that he was a university student studying computer programming and networking, and that he also did live sound on a part-time basis. He wanted to know if we had any ideas about how he might be able to apply his knowledge in the computer field to audio, enabling him to combine his two interests as a career. If this question was raised barely 10 or 12 years ago, the answer to that question would be an emphatic “no.” However, we’ve seen a long-term trend that goes something like this: Computer hardware and software developers create technology for moving data from place to place, and then the audio industry adapts that technology for use in moving audio from place to place. 

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Testing, Testing…

Scientific protocol calls for lots of testing before a product is finally assembled. However, in the highly subjective and opinionated realm of loudspeakers, testing has become not so much an afterthought as an after-the-fact proposition in some instances. The transducer and cabinet assembly of each component in a line array are subjected to plenty of testing as each element is developed and connected, but the dynamic and incrementally minute nature of the line array itself tends to get its final checks in situ, flying above the crowd.

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Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em

So, I bid on this gig — the sound, the lighting and the generator. It was a relatively large area with a wide stage backed by a waterfall. The client wanted to make the waterfall change in colors; he also wanted a followspot for a performer who goes into the audience. I took the initial meeting with a buddy who does amazing set design work and brings very cool ideas to the table, fitting every size budget including zero. I sent this client the old package price bid and he proceeded to cherry pick what he wanted and the prices. That usually only irritates me a little, but then I sent over a contract with the description “client didn’t take package, but took package pricing” written in bold font. Childish, but it made me feel better.

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Hot Chip Tours Worldwide with ADLIB Audio

ENGLAND — ADLIB Audio is supplying sound for the UK leg of Hot Chip’s “Made In the Dark” world tour, debuting their new Lab.gruppen PLM1000 amplifiers used to drive 12 ADLIB MP3 low-profile monitor wedges. ADLIB’s Richy Nicholson (FOH) and Marc Peers (monitors) are working closely with band engineers Steve Revitte and Mary Alafetich.

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150-Year-Old Church Upgrades with Lectrosonics

LAKE FOREST, Ill. — As part of a three-phase facility upgrade of the church’s audio system, First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest, Ill., recently completed the installation of a new wireless microphone system. Placed into service to coincide with the church’s 150th anniversary, the new equipment was installed by Sound Vision, Inc. of Elgin, Ill., and is comprised of components from Lectrosonics.

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Widepread Panic Tours U.S. with DiGiCo SD7

NEW YORK — Engineer Chris Rabold has guided rock band Widespread Panic’s sonic path live on tour since 2001. A total of 60-plus inputs accommodate everything from the six-piece band’s gear (the percussionist uses 21 alone), triggers and audience mics for recording — plus an allotted six lines for guest artists, so there’s a lot to manage at all times. Given the opportunity, Rabold jumped at the chance to take an SD7 out for a spin on Panic’s U.S. fall dates.
 

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Kaizer Chiefs Go Green with Turbosound

CROATIA — The Tuborg Green Festival in Zagreb, Croatia, brought together acts including Kaiser Chiefs, Edo Maajka, Kiril and Lollobrigida, who performed with Croatian rental company Lite Prom’s Turbosound loudspeaker system.

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