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New Orleans' Operatic Comeback

New Orleans' Operatic Comeback

In post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans, you never know what to expect; events often take unexpected turns. Case in point: "A Night for New Orleans." It began as a modest fundraising gala, something to help the city's renowned opera company regain a semblance of normalcy. However, by the time the day of the event rolled around, it had mushroomed into what was quite likely the largest operatic performance in Louisiana history. When Placido Domingo stepped on stage at the New Orleans Arena–a relatively new NBA-sized facility largely unscathed in the disaster–an audience of 7,400-plus gave him a rousing welcome. By any measure, it was a result far better than expected only weeks earlier. However, for the audio professionals charged with sound reinforcement, the late surge in ticket sales became a challenging turn of events that required on-thespot changes in system configuration.

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In Search of "Entertainment"

OK, so now I am officially a pimp. Oh, what a long, twisted path I have traveled to get to this place in my career, but I have finally arrived. Much like any other kid with a guitar and a dream, my ambition was to make beautiful music and be heard the world over. Alas, it is not meant to be, and destiny has placed my shining star behind an audio console, relegating me to life of servitude as I feverishly dial, fade, cut and boost my way to glory while utilizing the auditory magic of other shining stars. Always willing to rise to a challenge, I found myself tour managing, road managing, production managing and even promoting these shining stars of stage and screen. Often, by default, I would find myself doing these other jobs in addition to my engineering responsibilities. Be that as it may, it all seemed like a natural progression from one job to the other, and though I may have been a bit of a "gig whore," pimping was never part of my job description.

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Smoother Smyth Q&A

Looking out over the Mandalay Bay Arena in Las Vegas where INXS would be performing that night, Delicate Productions' Smoother Smyth recalled how he started working with the band when they were first starting their career in the States: "I was in my office, and the receptionist called and said there was a band there to see me. I asked her to repeat that, because sound companies rarely deal directly with bands, but she repeated that there was a band there and they wanted to speak to me. 'What's their name?' I asked. And she said, "I don't know. It's INCS or something like that. "I asked where they were from, and she answered, 'Australia.' So I said, 'Right. Go up the road to the liquor store and get a case of Fosters and bring it back here.'"

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Nokia Theatre Rings Loud and Clear

In the heart of New York City's Times Square, one of the world's largest crossroads of talent, a new jewel has emerged that is destined to become an integral part of the neighborhood's famed history. Exceeding the expectations for sound reinforcement set by the numerous legendary venues in the immediate vicinity, Nokia Theatre features a fully functional, rider-friendly sound system designed and installed by Clair Brothers Systems.

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On the Bleeding Edge

It's really wonderful how the quality of sound reinforcement gear has progressed over the past few years. Last week, I mixed a show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City where the installed system is based around a JBL VerTec rig with enough horsepower to blow-dry your sister's hair, a 56-input Yamaha PM5000 console and some serious processing at FOH, a Midas monitor desk and Clair Brothers stage wedges. The house crew was great, both in terms of their technical ability and their hospitality.

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Shower Dancing, Part 1

I was mixing FOH for a ballet. Just as the first act started, someone backstage decided that the power amp on the rear speakers didn't need to be plugged in. So I cranked up the mains to compensate, and rushed backstage to troubleshoot. When I got back, I cranked them up to match the front. Before I knew it, I was up at 95 to 100dBs, and some old creep behind the console got up and asked me why it was so loud, so I told him what was going on. He said he'd leave if I didn't turn it down. So, I ever so slowly started to turn it down, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed him leave. I didn't think much more would come of it.

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Pickups, Beer and Digital System Control

We always seem to learn the most about a show and the people behind it when we get to spend some time just hanging out beforehand. The way a certain trick or piece of gear is described can tell you a lot about the people driving the rig. In the case of Dirk Durham and Earl Neal with Toby Keith, they seem to vacillate between merely pleased and downright giddy as they show this intrepid reporter around the stage.

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Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700 SV Headphones, Mackie TT24 Digital Live Console and SLS Audio PLS8695 Powe

Audio-Technica ATH-PRO700 SV Headphones

By Rob Orlinick

Last week, I was given the task of dubbing some appropriate walk-in music for some upcoming shows (don't ask!). After setting up a dubbing station, I grabbed a set of headphones that were sitting out in the office.

On the first disc was some old Motown stuff. When I slipped on the cans, there were parts in the arrangement I had never noticed before in the thousand or so times I heard the number–a secondary rhythm guitar part, percussion fills–that caused me to stop and listen to the entire track! The next disc was a 1970s R&B compilation. The same thing happened–details in the music came out. Reverb tails on the vocals, harmonics on the strings and more. I asked the company owner what the deal was with these headphones. When he told me they were here for evaluation, I immediately volunteered.

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Clap On, Clap Off

I recently had a quite civil discussion regarding the benefits (or not) of powered vs. unpowered speakers. With the quality, dependability and light weight of amps these days, there are some definitely positive factors to consider when debating this issue. There is no way I could cover the whole debate here, so here are just a few things to think about:

Can You Fix It?

As an installer, we always consider field repair, troubleshooting and possible future upgrade.

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Power Distro Connections

Of all the mail that I receive, the subject of power distribution seems to bring the most pleas for more info. I have plenty of stories of arcs and sparks, but thankfully, few have emanated from my handiwork. I will tell you a secret: I have been deathly afraid of medium voltage (120, 240 volts) ever since I was a kid; and I think that my healthy perspective has helped me from being overconfident. But my parents do remind me that I, as a toddler, did stick my hands into a few uncovered outlet boxes; received a shock, ran crying back to my parents and repeated my curiosity a few more times that day. And you wonder why I am an electrical engineer today?

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The Joy of Being Drumstruck

One of the most dynamic theatre experiences in New York is Drumstruck. If you liked Stomp, you'll certainly enjoy this show, which features a South African troupe that plays drums, sings and educates the audience about their musical legacy and heritage. But there's a twist: Every audience member gets a hand drum to play along during many sequences. It's fun for attendees, but undoubtedly a challenge for live engineer Kevin Brubaker, not to mention sound designer Tom Morse, who helped Brubaker land his first gigs in New York.

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Live Nation's CD Bust

A couple of years ago, I wrote about an emerging trend that would have CDs of live concerts burned and ready for distribution just as the last notes were ringing from the stage. Three companies were vying to get this concept off the ground–a couple of indies and Clear Channel.

Today, Clear Channel is out of the concert business. Its entertainment holdings, ranging from Ozzfest to Jason Giambi's supermarket-opening appearances, are now part of Live Nation, a publicly-traded spin-off venture. It also inherited Clear Channel's CD-burning venture, Instant Live, which has been used on a slew of shows in the last year, including Hall and Oates, O.A.R., Black Crowes, Big Head Todd and the Monsters and The Cult.

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