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Mackay Stadium Upgrade at the University of Nevada Includes Powersoft Gear

Aerial view of University of Reno Nevada's Mackay Stadium

Mackay Stadium Upgrade at the University of Nevada Includes Powersoft Gear

RENO, NV – Located on the northern portion of University of Nevada’s Reno (UNR) campus, Mackay Stadium is the principal venue for the University’s football and soccer events. The stadium, which was originally constructed in 1966 and has been subject to many renovations over its nearly 50 year history, is host to the Nevada Wolf Pack football program and also the venue of choice for many other events, including the women’s soccer team and Special Olympics. Recently, Sparks, NV-based Pro AV & Electronics, was chosen to upgrade Mackay Stadium’s aging audio system, which was reaching end of life and experiencing intermittent performance issues. The installation, which was completed in September, was anchored around Powersoft amplification.

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Kaleidoscope Production's Line Array

FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Events Get Audible Boost from Harman Components

BEAVER CREEK, CO — For the first time in 15 years, the Alpine World Ski Championships will take place in the USA. But the skiing is only the beginning of the fun slated for Beaver Creek, Colorado from February 2-15. For two weeks, the Denver-based and family-owned Kaleidoscope Productions is providing a full-service, concierge-grade AV production using Harman Professional equipment in conjunction with Beaver Creek Resort Company and the Alpine World Ski Championships, which represents the largest collection of ski racing talent in the world.

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(c) Super Bowl 50 Host Committee

ATK Audiotek Provides JBL VerTec for Super Bowl XLIX

GLENDALE, AZ – ATK Audiotek once again provided sound reinforcement for the Super Bowl, supporting the halftime show performers (Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, Lenny Kravitz) and vocal renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner (Idina Menzel) and America the Beautiful (John Legend). Held at University of Phoenix Stadium on Feb. 1, ATK provided Harman’s JBL VerTec line array loudspeakers. The NBC broadcast of Super Bowl XLIX was seen by an average of 114.4 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in U.S. TV history.

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George Petersen, editor, FOH magazine

Heavenly Sounds

About a month ago, I was researching the article for the January issue of FRONT of HOUSE on Shure products that had made their mark on the sound reinforcement industry during the company’s 90-year history. While doing that, I pulled some files from of my archives on the 1967 debut of the Shure Vocal Master, which was described at the time as the first “portable total sound system.” In truth, it actually was pretty cool for its time, and was quite successful, but what struck a chord in me was the absolute proliferation these had in the house of worship market. And it always amazes me how many times — even in recent years — I could walk into a church somewhere (or a lodge hall or city council chamber, for that matter) and still see those 63-inch silver gray columns in use. The “transistorized” Vocal Master mixer/amps may have long since faded into the sunset, but the transducers live on.

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NAMM Exterior (c) Jesse Grant, Getty Images

Product Hits From NAMM 2015

Like clockwork, the sunny skies of the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, CA always coincide with the horrible weather, heavy snowfall and ice storms that seem to grip the East Coast and central states around the third week of the New Year. And the situation was no different from Jan. 22-25 for Winter NAMM 2015 as a record 99,342 attendees (including 13,208 international registrants) made the annual pilgrimage to enjoy short-sleeve weather, check out the latest in music and audio products — and maybe even do some business.

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DiGiCo at Central Church of God

House of Worship Installation Showcase

No matter what anyone may tell you, getting great sound in a house of worship environment is no picnic. Besides the “it’s too loud” complaints from the old folks who insist on sitting in the front row — even in churches presenting modern music at rock concert levels — there are also certain acoustical difficulties that are near-insurmountable. Let’s face it, many sanctuaries are “blessed” with copious amounts of marble, wood and glass surfaces, which are anything but audio friendly. Other groups may meet in converted gymnasiums, storefronts and the like, which were rarely designed from an acoustical standpoint. The bottom line? It ain’t easy.

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Ear scan shown during capture process.

Ultimate Ears All-Digital IEM Production Process

Every once in a while, I encounter some product or technology that represents a major paradigm shift in defining the future, and I recently had just such an experience at the 2015 Winter NAMM show. While Ultimate Ears all-digital production system for measuring and creating custom in-ear monitors is not currently available to the general public, it’s definitely on the near horizon.

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The ensemble: Elizabeth Bacher, Melissa Tong, Jeremy Kittel, John Ondrasik, and Dave Eggar (c) Michael Kloda

Strings Attached

Last month, I wrote about the projects and events that keep me busy when I am not out on the road working behind a mixing console. However, over this past weekend, I participated in a project at home in California that truly got this year off to a great start.

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The Dave Matthews Band was among the first artists to begin streaming with Yahoo!

Got Live (Streaming) If You Want It

Streaming live concerts seems to be the greatest idea that’s never gotten off the ground. Dozens of companies stream live music in bits and pieces, with ISPs like AOL and Yahoo creating online shows around the concept. Live Nation’s partnership with Yahoo to stream one live concert every day, which began with the Dave Matthews Band last July, continues offering free, high-definition concert footage. Start-up Bulldog Digital Media is looking to expand its nascent business beyond festivals such as Outside Lands, Bonnaroo and South by Southwest to full-on tours. But the widespread live streaming of entire concerts or tours on a consistent basis remains elusive, despite more than a decade’s worth of predictions that this is the next logical step for the music industry.

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