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Martin Audio DD6 Adapted Fill Speaker

Martin Audio D6 Adapted Fill Speaker

Martin Audio DD6 Adapted Fill Speaker

Martin Audio’s DD6 is an ultra-compact passive two-way speaker, uniquely adapted for a wide variety of specialized fill applications with a multi-angle enclosure and several specialized features. It employs a 6.5-inch neodymium woofer with a 1.75-inch voice coil, passively crossed over at 3700 Hz to a half-inch exit neodymium compression driver mounted on a unique Differential Dispersion horn (hence the name, DD6) with 60° of vertical coverage, transitioning from 120° at the bottom for a wide near throw, to 90° at the top for a gradually-narrowing further throw to minimize overlap and combing (or wall bounce) from its neighbor. The unique horn was designed using Martin’s proprietary Boundary Element Method (BEM) modeling tool, and the DD6 is just the first and smallest in a range of models that will offer Differential Dispersion and multi-angled enclosures.

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PWS Domed Helical Antenna

Professional Wireless Systems Domed Helical Antenna

For wireless users not familiar with Helical antennas, particularly those with wireless personal monitor systems, their first experience can be deceptively simple. Plug it in, aim it, and it works. What works about it is that if they’ve been using a whip antenna or even a paddle at longer distances, for the first time, they get no dropouts.

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St. Pauls UMC, Cedar Rapids, IA

House of Worship Installation Showcase

St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Cedar Rapids, IA

Audio Logic provided xA-Series loudspeakers from d&b audiotechnik’s White loudspeaker range for St. Paul’s United Methodist Church to address a double challenge: the semi-circular shape of the 97-year-old church’s sanctuary, and the restrictions preventing acoustical treatments from being used at the church.

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Waves CLA-3A Classic Compressor

Waves CLA-3A Classic Compressor

Last month, I wrote about my positive experience with the Waves CLA-2A plugin (FRONT of HOUSE, Jan. 2012, page 39). The excellent results obtained from using that emulation encouraged me to try another studio classic compressor that Waves modeled from the personal collection of Chris Lord-Alge. The CLA-3A plugin is derived from the much-revered LA-3A compressor. This solid-state unit employs the same T4 optical attenuator found in the LA-2A. However, the sound of the original LA-3A is more transparent and punchy when compared to its warmer, thicker tube-driven cousin.

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Jules Radino, drummer for Blue Oyster Cult

Miking Drums

One could argue that the drum kit is the most difficult instrument to capture on stage. You have multiple elements requiring attention (some of which are sonically very different from each other), the instrument has huge dynamic range, its physical size makes coverage a challenge and you have to keep the mics out of the drummer’s (and harm’s) way. The trick to getting a good drum sound is to start with a good-sounding kit and then to have the proper mic selection and placement. I’m not being a smart-ass on the first part of that statement. If the kit sounds good to start, you’re halfway there. The other half, as noted, is mic selection and placement. This time out we’ll concentrate on mic techniques applicable to rock, pop, country, rap and R&B. Down the line we’ll discuss drum miking techniques for jazz.

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The Moody Theater, new home of ACL

ACL Live, One Year Later

The new Austin City Limits venue suggests how live and broadcast sound can coexist

It’s been nearly 40 years since Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert first intimated that the best seat in the house might be in your living room. If residential subwoofers had been common in the 1970s, watching live music at home might be more widely-embraced. As it is, beyond the Palladia network, live music on television hasn’t become as ingrained as it might have been.

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Lavaliere and Headset Microphones

My uncle is a Jesuit priest. You may ask yourself what that has to do with this month’s topic. Well, my good ol’ uncle Bud (the priest) would never consider using a lav or a headset microphone; mainly because Bud has been in the priest biz for nearly 45 years and is very old-school in his approach to preaching. He delivers his sermons from a podium with one microphone, and that’s that. On the other hand, the pastor at my home church would never consider using a headset mic. He is very comfortable wearing a lav microphone when he preachers.

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Illustration by Andy Au

The Big Time

Recently, the question was asked of me, “How do I get into The Big Time?”  How indeed? Although I understand the person’s desire for success, and I certainly do comprehend what is meant by “The Big Time,” I seriously have no absolute viable solution to the query.  The good news is that, for any neophyte seeking a job in the audio business, there are many available avenues to “The Big Time.” The bad news, on the other hand, is that, once you arrive at your destination, it may not seem as glossy as “The Big Time” you once expected.  Therefore, I must say that it’s not as much the destination as it is the journey, because if one keeps seeking the big gig just around the corner, then it becomes increasingly difficult to see that they may have finally arrived. (That’s right; I spent my New Year’s Day watching the Twilight Zone marathon).

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d&b E4 and E5

d&b audiotechnik Expands E-Series with E4 Loudspeaker

AUSTIN, TX — d&b audiotechnik’s E4 loudspeaker, a recent addition to the company’s compact E-Series (shown here with the bigger E5), will be featured at booth #326 during PLASA Focus Feb. 22-23. The company is also featuring its T10 loudspeaker, which uses line array and point source technologies, and Jason Waggoner from its Education and Application Support Team, who will present a seminar, “Demystifying Audio,” on Feb. 22 in room 1 from 2-3 pm.

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Super Bowl Week in Indianapolis Included Jimmy Fallon, Stage Tec NEXUS

INDIANAPOLIS — Leading up to Super Bowl XLVI, NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon was broadcast from the Hilbert Circle Theatre in Indianapolis. Nathaniel Hare, FOH mixer for the regular show, handled audio duties in Indianapolis as well. The shows — which aired Feb. 1, 2, 3 and 5 — included three that were live-to-disc. The fourth show aired live after the big game. Wireless First, a Clair Global company, supplied the gear.

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