From a user standpoint, one of the downsides of reading reviews is perusing a discourse on some state of the art, megabuck 96-channel digital console when you’re getting by on a 16-channel desk for the shows you mix at your church, community center or Elk’s Lodge. “If only I could afford something cool that I just read about,” you might be thinking. Well, now you can.
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After nearly two months of mixing James Taylor shows on DiGiCo’s SD5 console, I have evolved from an awkward neophyte to an experienced user. During this time I have also become a devoted DiGiCo believer. My appreciation for the audio output I am able to create with the SD5 grows each day.
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Music festivals are big business. Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo — the three largest franchises in the U.S. — took in over $20 million in ticket sales each, contributing to what’s become a $4.3 billion live music market here, representing way more than half of the entire music industry’s total value in an age of still-declining recorded-music sales.
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Summertime is touring time and hopefully you’ll be busy, busy, busy. Before departing for your next overseas soirée, here are some things to contemplate.
#1: The Voltage Over There Ain’t the Same as Here
Unless you’re going to Canada or Mexico, expect the AC mains voltage to be different from that in the U.S., which in theory is 120 volts AC with a frequency of 60 Hz (in practice it varies from 110 to 120 VAC with an average around 117 V). Let’s examine voltage as it relates to two popular power supply types used for audio and MI gear: external “wall wart” and internal.
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It has been my general experience that many — though certainly not all — houses of worship will wait until their house sound systems are completely falling apart before they consider investing in a new one. Well, I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to wait that long to upgrade (or completely replace) your church system. For that matter, you simply have to use your ears and check the worship house bank account and you will know whether it’s time. That said, you sometimes only have to upgrade a single piece of gear or two to make a huge improvement in the sound of your system.
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Years ago, I played in a “Top 40” band that traveled from hotel to hotel amusing a drunken clientele with very good covers of the popular tunes of the day. To stay current with the newest tunes and thus ensuring our income, we would read Billboard magazine and learn the most up-to-date tunes as they entered the charts. Most tunes that finally topped the charts usually started out in a lower position and worked their way up. Some tunes moved up the charts quicker than others while others dropped off the charts without ever climbing very high.
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LAS VEGAS — The 2014 ballot that forms the basis of the Hometown Hero Sound Company of the Year competition has been finalized. It’s posted online, and the voting process, which extends through Aug. 31, has begun. Follow the jump to find the link to the 2014 ballot for sound companies vying for Hometown Hero honors.
Read More »LITITZ, PA — Clair Bros. Audio Systems, Inc. has a new trade name and logo for its audio, video and lighting (AVL) integration division: Clair Solutions. The Clair Brothers brand will continue to apply to the company’s manufacturing division.
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FAIRPORT, N.Y. – Brian Wiser has been named president of sales – North America for Bosch Security Systems, Inc. In this position, he will lead the sales, support, training, customer service and marketing organizations in North America.
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GRENAA STRAND, Denmark — Power Music of Denmark, which recently added Harman’s JBL VTX line arrays and Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers to its inventory, used much of that new gear to support ABC Beach Party, a 12-hour event staged here by Danish broadcaster ABC Radio. The event featured more than two-dozen artists.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – For six years, Event Tech has been supporting the 4th of July concert staged bhy the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO) on the South Lawn of the White House. The setup this year included Harman’s JBL VTX line arrays, Crown amplifiers and dbx signal processing.
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SYDNEY – The P.A. People recently upgraded the audio system at Sydney’s Rockdale Town Hall. The new system features Harman’s JBL VRX Constant Curvature loudspeakers and a Soundcraft Si Expression 1 digital console.
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