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Streaming Concerts: Will This Time Be Different?

IFPI’s report on the state of the digital music market can be downloaded from ifpi.org.

Streaming Concerts: Will This Time Be Different?

Even if you’re not Jimmy Iovine or Dr. Dre, chances are streamed music is becoming part of your life. Streaming services such as Spotify, Rdio and Pandora are becoming a critical part of music payouts, with a 51-percent increase in revenue from subscription services reported in 2013, through which revenues exceeded $1 billion for the first time, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry reported. About 28 million people around the world pay for access to them, up from eight million just three years earlier, according to The New York Times.

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Recording from FOH: Some Alternative Suggestions

Back in ye olden times, recording from front of house meant getting a stone slab, a hammer and a chisel. You’d lay the slab in front of the band and… Okay, never mind. These days, there are tons of options for recording a show from front of house, ranging from a direct Pro Tools DAW capture to adding an outboard recorder, such as a JoeCo BlackBox. Let’s take a look at a few alternatives. Note that we will not mention the word “splitter” anywhere in this article.

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One non-powered solution: For St. John the Evangelist Church in Frederick, MD, Audio Video Group installed a system based on Community ENTASYS columns, Lab.gruppen amps and a Biamp AudiaFLEX providing automatic mixing, speaker delay and system EQ.

Powered or Non-Powered?

Self-powered speakers have been around a lot longer than most people think. JBL was building self-powered studio monitors back in the 1960’s. In the early 1990’s, John Meyer (of Meyer Sound Laboratories) devoted his manufacturing, research and development solely to active (self-powered) speakers. As a matter of fact, Meyer once hired an ad agency to research how people felt about powered speakers for sound reinforcement. After a survey, they came back saying “nobody wanted them.” That said, Meyer released the MSL-4 in 1994. This was the first powered loudspeaker intended for concert touring. Meyer obviously made a success of it, and the company hasn’t looked back since.

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Illustration by Andy Au

Making the Case for Cases

Getting new gear is always an exciting proposition and — regardless of the equipment or its application — it’s always a thrill to open the box, take out the equipment, fire it up and make it work. Undoubtedly, in one way or another, this piece of gear will augment your audio system, upgrade your inventory and, all in all, be a great addition to your ever-expanding and always evolving business — whatever that might be. If your purchase is new and improved and gives you a more contemporary sound, look and feel, then the investment makes sense, as pro audio is a competitive market that constantly demands the new, improved and contemporary.

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Avid VENUE | S3L-X

Avid Launches New VENUE | S3L-X Live Console

At the 2014 IBC show in Amsterdam, Avid announced the Avid VENUE | S3L-X compact live sound system, which builds on the success of the Avid | S3L system. With the new system, sound reinforcement pros can more readily meet the increasing scope, complexity and diversity of today’s live sound requirements. VENUE | S3L-X — combined with Avid’s Pro Tools software lets engineers mix and record live shows with power and efficiency, and create new material or mix down live recordings for commercial purposes.

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Siena golf course, site of the FRONT of HOUSE and PLSN Parnelli Classic Golf Tournament, set for Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014.

Registration is Now Open for the 2014 Parnelli Classic Golf Tournament!

LAS VEGAS — If building a stronger relationship with others in the industry is why you’re planning to travel to Las Vegas this November, it might be a good idea to “think outside the box” of the hectic Las Vegas Convention Center and picture yourself on the beautiful green expanse of the Siena Golf Club. That’s where the FRONT of HOUSE and PLSN Parnelli Classic Golf Tournament will take place on Thursday, Nov. 20. Registration is now open and sponsorship opportunities are still available!

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DirectOut's ANNA-LISA MADI Analyzer

DirectOut ANNA-LISA MADI Analyzer

Debuting at this week’s IBC Show in Amsterdam is ANNA-LISA, a compact, handheld MADI analyzer and signal generator equipped with SFP (Small Form-factor Pluggable) optical and BNC MADI I/Os that provides straightforward, immediate analysis of any MADI input. Signal condition, input level and jitter can be monitored directly at the device. More detailed information, such as protocol and user bit checks, is accessible through an external application via USB and Bluetooth. The integrated signal generator makes ANNA-LISA a convenient, all-round tool for any MADI environment. The device is powered by an integrated battery and chargeable via USB.

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etech Events Now Has 21 Allen & Heath Qu-16 Consoles, Eyeing Qu-24, Qu-32 Units As Well

ORLANDO – etech Events, based here, was looking for a digital console that would be a good fit for the needs of the technicians supporting their events. They went for Allen & Heath’s Qu-16 digital console in a big way – acquiring 21 of the consoles, and they have plans to add the larger Qu-24 and Qu-32 channel models as well. “We rent and deliver a service, not just gear,” noted etech’s director of operations, Jeremy Kearns. “We can have 20 to 50 rooms at an event. Our tech people needed to have the same gear in every room, gear that is reliable, but also feature-rich and simple to operate.”

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Audient Names Chris Wright U.K. Market Manager, Promotes Andy Allen to Marketing Manager

SHROPSHIRE, U.K. – Audient named Chris Wright, based here, as the company’s new U.K. market manager. Wright (pictured here, left), who worked for years as an audio consultant and monitor engineer, returns to audio after a stint in the IT field. Audient also promoted Andy Allen (pictured below) to marketing manager and noted that Gareth Williams and Luke Baldry have left the company.

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Bose event at New World Stages NYC

Upcoming Bose RoomMatch Speaker Demo in NYC

NEW YORK CITY — Bose Professional invites sound reinforcement pros to a free event to hear a full Bose RoomMatch L/C/R array system in a live concert performance setting at a New York City theatre. Bose engineers will be available to answer questions and share their experiences. The demo takes place next Tuesday, September 16 at 3:30pm at the New World Stages at 340 W. 54th St., between 8th and 9th Avenues at World Wide Plaza.

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